Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tilda Tag....

Happy Weekend everyone!  We have our first Frost here this morning.  I'm looking out at the roof tops in our neighborhood and there is definitely frost there.  We are at 34 degrees and all I can say is finally!  We always wait for the first frost because whatever Maggie is allergic to in our yard goes with the frost!  Yeah....

Toady I want to share with you a tag I made for Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge #21.



This week Joan's recipe for the challenge is as follows:

Something from Nature but not flowers - Real or handcrafted (such as twigs, corn husks etc.)
Something Punched
Something Green
A background for your focal point such as a Spellbinders Nestie

My twigs are punched and the flowers are mint green and I used a Spellbinders Medallion for the tag.   So I think I have covered all the bases!  Joan's challenges are always so much fun..... here is a link to her blog.  joanscreations.blogspot.com   She has so much going on there; you should go check it out.

My Tilda is stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Rangers Distress Inks.  She is cut out and mounted on a Medallion from Spellbinders that was cut also from Watercolor Paper and distressed with ink.  The twigs are a punch and they are colored with inks and Glimmer Mist.  the flowers are homemade with watercolor paper and the edges are tinted with Distress Inks and then twisted; all the floral area is set on some silk ribbon I sprayed with Glimmer Mist.    This little Tilda will be adorning a Holiday gift bag in the very near future!

Supplies:

Tilda Stamp
Spellbinders Die
Glimmer Mist
Twig Punch (Punch a Bunch)
Stamen (Hobby Lobby)
Silk Ribbon From My Stash
Ranger Distress Inks

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lady in Red.....

Well, we have had some interesting weather the last couple of days!  Lots of wind and rain and I had a little bit of time for creating so here are the fruits of my labor:


For some reason, I can't seem to take a picture straight to save my life!  Sometimes I get so frustrated I just want to spit!  I'm just not a photo person it seems!  The image is a 'hAngler stamp and I colored her with Distress Inks to match my background.  I used Spellbinders Dies to mount her on the card.  I used Zots 3Ds to set up some from the mounting squares.  The flower is one of the Camelot Roses I made that looks like the Prima Flowers.  The flower was colored with Distress Inks and the edges twisted while it was still a little damp.  I added stickles for a little extra shine on the edges of the flower.  The papers are from my stash (I think I found these at Hobby Lobby on their paper shelf.    This card reminds me of Christmas.....go figure....since I've started my Holiday cards.....this could be one of them too!  I'm still struggling with cheeks....just can't get them to look the way I want.  This way of coloring takes a lot of practice, so bear with me as I learn this technique.  I love the look the Distress Inks give, they remind me of an antique look.
Some days this works for me, some days it does not.  Hence.....Practice, Practice, Practice!

I hope you enjoy this little card...I'm thinking it will probably go into my Christmas Box even though I didn't start out for it to be a Christmas card. 

Supplies:
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Spellbinders Dies
'hAngler Stamp
Distress Inks
Homemade Flower
Papers from my Stash
Scor-Tape
Zot's 3Ds

Monday, October 25, 2010

Christmas Morning...


Well it is definitely a rainy Monday here...I awoke to wind and rain and thunder and lightening!  My husband had a call early that a customer had a tree blow down in his yard during the storm...It means more work for him, but I hate when a storm takes out a tree...they can go anywhere! 

I took time out of my schedule to finish a Christmas Card that I have been working on for about a week!  I only get to do a little here and a little there and I'm really feeling deprived!  I'm hoping it will get cold enough soon and I will have to put the rest off until Spring.  He....he.....  I'm entering this in Joan's Gardens Challenge #20.

 It calls for:
A tree (any kind)
An embossed object (not a background)
Something cut out with a die
Brads

I stamped my tree from Clear Stamps and embossed with white embossing powder.  The star in the tree top is a star shaped brad.  I cut out the image with a Spellbinders Die  (The image is Mo Manning and she is colored with Ranger Distress Inks.  All points covered.  I also embossed part of the base card with a Cuttlebug snowflake folder to add a little dimension to the card.

I hope you enjoy this little beauty!  I just love the image!  This is one more down for my Christmas Cards!
Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Supplies:
Clear Stamps
Mo Manning Digital Stamp
Spellbinders Oval Die
Ranger Distress Inks
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Pearls from my stash
Flower Stamen  (Hobby Lobby)
Winter Limbs punch
Gold Star Shaped Brad
Ranger Embossing Powder
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Silk Ribbon from Stash
Bow Easy

Friday, October 22, 2010

ESCAPE ARTIST!


Yep, we definitely have one.....our doorbell rings before daylight this morning and it is our neighbor telling us Bret is out!  My husband goes outside and he is just sitting by the gate waiting to be let back inside because it is close to feeding time!  I go out to help find escape route and we have no open gates and I'm standing there scratching my head.  Now for the last couple of days, Bret and Gracie have been hanging around the wood pile at the back of our lot.....I'm thinking a critter got into our yard and he was after it and it went up the wood pile and over and so did Bret!   Every day it is something different with that mutt!  He is afraid of storms so all summer long he tore at the deck trying to get inside.  We have all kinds of contraptions situated to keep him at bay.  He has torn all the lattice from under the deck and some phone lines, etc.....etc....   He is definitely wired for sound!  To look at him, you think, Oh he is so sweet and he just loves you to pieces, but once he gets distracted, there is no turning back for him.  So today and tonight he is in the dog house.....Gracie wouldn't go inside because she is still a little skittish and only wants to sleep inside after everyone has gone inside for the night.  I'll try again tonight to add Gracie to the pen. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Non Idle Hands! .....

Good morning everyone!  I'm still here.....just working like a borrowed mule and trying to keep my head down and hands busy.  Like I promised.....my hands have not been idle.  I don't have the time for anything major creative, but when I sit to rest from my chores.....I've been creating flowers!  I love doing flowers and using them on my cards and so here are my new flowers.





This is only a few of the things I've been doing.  These flowers are all over my work area and getting ready to go into a flower jar.  Most of them were made using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die but you can make most of them if you have punches.   The large flowers are the Prima Camelot Rose Duplications that I learned to make on YouTube.  Just key in Camelot Roses Doop and that video will come up for you.  Some of the flowers have UTEE on them and others just have Distress Inks on the Edges and Glimmer Mist and then some Ranger Stickles on the edges for some shine! 

I work awhile and sit awhile which is typical with my age group.....while I'm sitting, about 15 minutes worth, I can either cut out some card stock or ink edges or assemble, or whatever.  I was beginning to feel like I had to totally stop creating and only work, but I find I can still do a little of both. 

I hope you enjoy these.....I'm loving making them and can't wait to have time to make some cards and other things using them!  Have a wonderful day and I'm off to tackle another item on my list!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A Miracle.......

The card I want to share with you today is to be entered into the Challenge at Joan's Gardens
This is Joan's Challenge #19 and it calls for the following:

Paper-Flower background paper - preferably Webster Pages
Rosette or paper flower
Stamp - Sentiment - preferably JustRite
Border Punch -preferably Martha Stewart

I didn't have any Webster Pages paper but I did have My Mind's Eye in a floral and that is what I used.
The little rose is homemade and it mimics the Prima baby roses.  These are so much fun to make....I just typed "Making Homemade Prima Flowers" on U-Tube and up popped several videos to watch.  So I just learned from that!  The sentiment says "Every day holds the possibility of a Miracle"...It is a JustRite stamp.   I stamped the sentiment with Ranger Distress Ink and then cut out with a Spellbinders Ovals die then distressed the edges also.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the edge of the card...Pretty straight forward and easy peasy!  I had a stray piece of braid laying around that already had the scor-tape on it so that went behind the sentiment.  I knew I'd have a use for that little scrap!    The stamen were purchased from Hobby Lobby and there were several in the package, so you will be seeing them a lot around here!  I added a little Ranger Crystal Stickles to the stamen to add a little shimmer.

I hope you enjoy this little card....it will be going into my box for the nursing home ladies!   As for me, my list is getting longer and longer on the to-do side and not much going over onto the done side.  I'm beginning to feel a little overwhelmed and out of step....so bear with me for a little while as I try and change this list to the done side.  My creations will be things that I can do with little thinking, and on the run.....

Monday, October 18, 2010

Good Monday Morning!


Good Monday morning everyone!  Since it is Monday, it is time for another challenge over at the Critter Sketch Challenge Blog.  Our sponser this month is Meljen's Designs at Whimsy Stamps.  We would love you to play along for a chance to win some free images .  Just click on the Blog link above to check out all the details.

This is the sketch for the week.  This month's challenges have been all about the sketch!  I just love this one.  Come on and play with us this week....we love seeing what you create!

Sadly this will be my last post for the Critter Sketch Challenge Design Team!  After a little blood, sweat and tears, I find that Life has just gotten in the way.  Things are so hectic in our household that I can't spend the time to do this justice.  I am going to miss everyone, but I will be around.....lurking in the background.....just a stones throw away.
I wish you all the very best!

Supplies:
Meljen's Designs Image
Sentiment Stamp (JFF Stamps)
Card Stock from my Scrap Bin
Spellbinders Dies
Ranger Distress Inks
Ribbon (Seam Binding dyed with Distress Inks)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Christmas Angel......


Well It is Wednesday, and all is well in our household.  We are puttering right along .....getting ready for winter weather.  I've been painting the railing on our front porch and next on my list is the floor of the porch and then the garage door.  The shutters need to come down to be refreshed also and the list just goes on and on.  I'm taking the day off as my right shoulder is starting to ache.....I don't want a flair up from so much use.   Soooo, I'm going shopping today! 

How do you like my little Angel?  I think she is so sweet!  It is a hAnglar stamp stamped onto watercolor paper and then colored with Ranger Distress Ink.  I love how she turned out.....everything but her cheeks.  For some reason I am cheek challenged!  I just can't seem to make them work, they always turn out too harsh.  Practice makes perfect, someone once said, so I just keep trying.  One of these days I will get the hang of it!  I cut out the image with an Oval Spellbinders die and then I mounted that onto two Medallion Die pieces and used Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the edges.  Then I just tucked some Winter limbs punches into the top.  these were also distressed with Vintage Photo.  This little lady would make a cute tree ornament or a embellishment for a gift bag or I may even use her instead of a bow on a package. 

Have a wonderful day whatever you are doing.  Take a few minutes just for you and remember "To Breathe".

Supplies:
hAnglar Stamps
Spellbinders Dies
Ranger Distress Inks
Punch a Bunch Punch

Monday, October 11, 2010

Sitting Pretty.......


Good morning all!  Hope you are up and getting ready to go!  As for me, I'm enjoying my second cup of coffee and thinking about what I want to achieve today.  There is lots to do outside as we get ready to go into cold weather and that is probably what I will be doing today...cutting back plants and getting everything ready for a long winter's nap.  There is also painting to be finished.  Oh the possibilities!

Now on to my project.  Have you ever needed something to sit around and do absolutely nothing except collect dust?  Well this is it.  I took an old nut tin and covered it with Designer Paper from BasicGrey.  Then I needed to decide what else to do.  Well I couldn't get a clear picture in my head so I just started trying things.   I added some lace tinted with Distress Inks (Tattered Rose and Vintage Photo) Then a large Lacey Circle from Spellbinders cut out of more paper from BasicGrey and tinted with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Then I just started to add embellishments, mostly that I made and just kept on adding until the top was totally covered.  I used hand made flowers, roses from Prima Flowers, stamen from my stash...(Hobby Lobby) Punched ferns from Punch a Bunch and some leaves cut with Spellbinders. The hand made flowers and leaves are embossed with UTEE (several layers) and they look like porcelain.
Then as an added finishing touch I made a stick pin and pierced it through the lace.

I just love taking trash and turning it into treasure....well at least something I treasure.  I hope you enjoy my little bit of whimsy!

Supplies:
Spellbinders Dies
BasicGrey Paper
Lace from Walmart
Handmade Flowers
Utee
Punch a Bunch punches
scor-tape
Handmade Pin
Stamen (Hobby Lobby)

Friday, October 8, 2010

Sitting Tilda.....

Good morning everyone; can you believe it is already Friday and we are headed to another beautiful weekend!  I have a new card to share with you today...
 Can I just say I love Magnolia Stamps and this little Sitting Tilda just captured my heart!  I stamped her onto Watercolor Paper with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored her with Ranger Distress Ink, then I cut her out and used dimensionals to mount her onto the beaded oval.  I shaded around her with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, as well as the edges of the oval.  I made the flowers using Spellbinders Dahlia dies (the two smallest dies) . I used Distress Ink to color the flowers and snipped between the petals, then I  hand embossed the petals and sprayed with Glimmer Mist (Pearl) and while the petals were still damp I used tweezers and twisted the edges to curl the petals.  The swirls are Tim Holtz Alterations, Elegant Flourishes and the side panel is a Flourishes Stamp using the Weathered Wood Distress Ink that matches my flowers. Tilda is sitting on a Beaded Oval Die Cut from Spellbinders also.  In the top right hand corner I took a 4" doily and shaded Weathered Wood Distress ink and then folded and added stamen for more texture and to match the stamen used around  my flowers. 

I'm entering this in Joan's Gardens Challenge #18 which calls for:

Vertical Strip
Die cut Flower
Some kind of alterations to card stock
A swirl...either pearls, paper or stamped

I think I covered all the bases on this one.   This little number is labor intensive, but I love how it turned out.  I think all the little extras just add to the card.  I hope you enjoy!

Now go enjoy your weekend.....Do all the things you love...and remember to Breathe!

Supplies:
Magnolia Stamps
Spellbinders Dies
Flourishes Stamps
Tim Holtz Alterations Dies
Ranger Distress Inks
Memento Ink
4" Doily from my Stash
Stamen from my Stash
Dimensionals
Scor-Tape

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Snowman Card....


Good morning everyone!  Today I would like to share my latest card with you....The image is a digi from Sassy Cheryl's.  If you like digi designs you might love this website!  I printed the image onto watercolor paper and colored with Ranger Distress inks.  I'm really enjoying this technique but I'm not very good at it.  They say practice makes perfect....but I'm finding I put a lot of images into the trash because I'm still learning about which side of the watercolor paper to print onto, which colors to use for shading, where to shade, etc...etc... you get the drift.  I'm somewhat happy with this little guy and decided to mount him onto a card and share.  This would be a wonderful winter card for just about anybody.  I used Spellbinders dies to create a tag for the sentiment and the snowman is mounted onto a piece of card stock out of my bin and cut with another Spellbinders Die.  The striped paper is also out of my scrap bin and I mounted that onto Gina K. Designs card stock in Dark Brown.  The base card is white and the inside is blank so I can write a message on the inside.  The snowflake is made from a punch, glitter added and to add a little hint of blue, I added some Broken China Distress Ink.

I hope you enjoy my little snowman, I've really had a lot of fun creating him!

Supplies:
Sassy Cheryl's Image
Ranger Distress Inks
Spellbinders Dies
Flourishes....Sentiment
Scor-Tape
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Paper out of scrap bin

Monday, October 4, 2010

Fall Apples.....

Good Monday morning...welcome to a brand new week!  Since it is Monday, that means it is time for another Critter Sketch Challenge!  This week we have a sketch to work with:


This is my first design for the Critter Sketch Challenge Blog  and I'm very happy to be a part of this wonderful Design Team!  Our sponsor for the month of October is Whimsy Stamps.  Hop on over to the Blog to see the details!  Now Whimsy Stamps is a new company to me so I have been browsing around their website and I just love their images!  Go check them out!



Since I haven't made up my mind on which Whimsy Stamps to use, I chose an image from Flourishes and colored with Ranger Distress Inks.  The sentiment is also from Flourishes.  All the card stock and paper are out of my scrap bin.  I've decided it is time to use all my little scraps and bits and pieces and clean up my act (or my bin)!  You can check out what the other DT members are doing by clicking on their names on my side bar...There is a lot of talent there! 

Well I'm off to get my next cup of coffee!  I need to think about beginning my day....It is 44 degrees here this morning.  There will be frost on the Pumpkin before you know it!
Supplies:
Flourishes Stamps
Card Stock from my Stash
Spellbinders Dies
Ranger Distress Inks
Scrappadashery Paper
UTEE

Friday, October 1, 2010

Happy October Everyone!........

Good morning and welcome to October.....I just love this month with Fall colors, crisp air, chilled mornings, leaves turning and little goblins under foot!  What more could you ask for after the terribly hot summer we have just come through?  Well.....I could ask for another new place to hang my hat, after leaving my last Design Team Assignment....and I have found it! 

I applied and was accepted to be on the Design Team for Critter Sketch Challenge!   I think I'm gonna love it there.  I'm still trying to match faces with names, I'm terrible at this, but hopefully I'll be making some great friendships along the way!  So stay tuned for my first post with this Design Team. (Hint: check my blog on Monday, October 4th.)

You might like to visit their blog and see what is going on over there:  critterchallengeblog.blogspot.com

Well that is all for now....wish me luck...this is only the second DT I've joined and I'm hoping it will be another good experience!