Thursday, September 30, 2010

Hello there!

What a week!! I've been getting all my catalogs labeled, made more business cards, and prepping for the craft fair Saturday and the vendor's fair the 8th.  Busy!!  But I did play for a couple minutes yesterday as I did a sketch challenge over on Paper Wings.  I left a lot of "white" or unused area on my card and used some more of that cool faux leather.


I used Hieroglyph Horses and a greeting from Tag Tidbits.  The brown, glossy copper, and white card stocks are from my stock.  I stamped with Burnt Umber PH ink.  My next order will have a refill as both my pads are getting dry and it's hard to get any ink out of them, even after using Ink Refresher!


Here's a close up.  My hubby thought the horse was a giraffe.  Too funny but with the "spots" I can see why he thought that!

So, what have you been doing lately??

(This was to post this morning.... )

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Boot Scootin' Boogie (or something like that)

I have to admit I didn't feel like making anything.  I've been busy changing my email address with all the sites I'm subscribed to.  What a pain!!!  So very time consuming.  I'll be notifying my contacts real soon, just doing sites at the moment.

But I did get some cool faux leather pieces at the AZ Scrapbooking store this past weekend.  This boot card uses the brown sample and I still have burgundy and tan to play with.


The faux stuff works great with the Cowboy Boot stamp! I colored it with Copic markers YR24, E57, and T7 and used my white gel pen for the dots on the boots.



You can see better the detail on the "leather" and the boot with my close-ups.  I hope to make a fancier card today along with getting ready for the craft fair this weekend and my vendor table next week.  Need samples!!!

And I got the Fall Supplements yesterday! OMG!  I'm going to go broke with the stamps I want!  I will be putting in an order sometime after the 8th of Oct. and will be getting the supplements out to my customers this week. They're $1.75 for a 44 page book of stamps only, no samples.  I think TAC will be getting some samples up on their website soon.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Special place in my heart....

I got an order in the other day and wanted to play with the set, Place in My Heart. Since I still have so much Amelia SWIC (retired) and matching cardstock, I'm trying to use it.



I used Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber, and Jardin Moss PH inks. The ribbon is 1/2" white satin ribbon that I colored with a YR23 Copic marker. Turned out pretty cool, I think. What a great way to get your ribbon to coordinate with your paper!!


I used my Stardust Clear Gel pen on the flower petals. You can just see the lines near the center of the flowers.

I'm hoping my links work. I've been trying to change my email address to a gmail one and am having one heck of a time getting Blogger to adjust. The Picasso album associated with my old email address wouldn't transfer over and the whole way of blogging using my new email is really weird. Hopefully the links work. If you find a broken one please let me know.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Going green.....

Yesterday we had our sketch challenge over on Paper Wings.  I sorta followed it. And I wanted to go green and you will see just what I mean by that.  It has nothing to do with the environment but Halloween!!!  So, what about this??

I used various stamp sets, Wonder & Joy (little girl), Spiders Are Seen (text), and Too Spooky (retired - pumpkin).  Isn't this a hoot!



I used a black glitter pen for the pumpkin's face and all the coloring is with Copic markers.  It was when I was uploading my photos that I realized that I didn't color the hair bow.  And I did more blending on the girl's face and now it looks much better.  I need LOTS more practice with those markers!!  Oh, the pattern paper is from the retired Simply Spooky paper pack which I'm having fun using right now. I stamped the pumpkin with Burnt Umber PH ink, the text with Noir PH ink, and the little girl with Tuxedo Black Momento ink.  And the cool trim along the long side is a piece of Black Bazzill Cardstock Strip.  We no longer carry it but I sure have a bunch left!

Also, we have some GREAT news!!  All Copic Caboodle sets are available for purchase again!!!  If you have a $100 net order or more you can purchase a set for 40% off!!!  Or any accessory that's in the catalogs, for that matter.  And stamps are 1/2 price with a $100 net order.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

It's Blog-hoppin' time!!!

Some of us angels from Paper Wings are hoppin' again!  This time the theme is "anything but a card."  Now, you know I do lots of different crafts. Do you remember the cool flower I made at a class a while back? Well, I wanted to make one using TAC™ stamps and so I did.  Let me know what you think of this!



I used the Blossoms & Blessing stamp set on the black foam.  I also used a retired "Crackle" background stamp on the stem.  Then I lightly painted with Lumiere paints.



How do you like the flower?  I used Lime & Turquoise scrappers floss to embellish the button.  The bee is from the Give Praise to Him set and I made my own jump ring.


And how do you like my bow? I used Neutral Twill Ribbon and a Bow Easy.  That Bow Easy is one great help!! My bows are so much better looking than they used to be!

I'm hoping to make more of these for Christmas gifts.  I know a couple people who'd like these! They are relatively easy but a bit time consuming but I think well worth the effort.

Are you ready for more great projects?  Please leave a comment for me as to what you think (just click on the word "comment" right below the little pictures of 3 more projects you may like and a box will pop up - just follow the directions) then click on the name of the next angel.

Rita W
Angela
Lisa
Seleise
Shirley
Michelle
Chelsea

We all appreciate comments so leave a little lovin' for us!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Cutesy spooky....

I was playing with a technique for Ultimate Junkies over on the Technique Junkies site.  The technique is called Zig Zag Accordian card and this card will be going to a gal that I've been assigned to send a card using a technique from the newsletters. I've been subscribing to TJ for about 6 years and love it!  If you decide to subscribe please let Pat know you heard about it from me...   I used Spookalicious and  a retired set called Too Spooky. Even the paper is retired, Simply Spooky.  I will try this again maybe for Christmas...



Isn't this a hoot! (I will be teaching this technique at a class Oct. 13th at 1 pm at AZ Scrapbooking in Green Valley, AZ.) And I did change the back support after taking this picture.



I used the Stardust Clear Gel pen on all the eyes of my little characters.  I also used Orangerie and Noir PH inks for all stamping. I also used my Scor-Pal to help me with the folds.

So, what do you think??  And are you ready for our Blog Tour tomorrow evening??  I'm busy finishing my project....

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Needed a little break.....

I took Tuesday off from blogging to finish a project.  I'm in a "technique" swap and had to do 62 card fronts using my technique.  Well, I can't show the card until the swap is returned but I will show you a teaser.  But this teaser won't be showing any of the technique.  You have to wait!


I'm sorry this isn't clearer.  I don't think I had my camera settings quite right. Anyway, I used my Scor-Pal and Scor-Bug to make the dots. And you can see part of a phrase from Noble Notes. The only ink I used was Burnt Umber and I can see I need to get a refill.

I also finished my 10 ATCs for our Ink Spots meeting coming up on the 24th with the theme, "Spiders & Bats".  I used the Spiders Are Seen set and some Copic markers.



I used a Black Stardust Gel pen (not carried by TAC™) on the spiders.  I could have used the regular Stardust Clear Gel pen but my spiders just weren't black enough for me.  The cool background paper is from a retired Designer paper.

And this Sunday evening a few of us angels from Paper Wings will be having a blog tour again! The theme is "anything but a card." I'm planning on making something I posted earlier but use TAC™ images instead of what I used previously.  Got your curiosity up yet??  Stay tuned!!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My calendar teaser...

Remember the other day I told you I'm in a calendar swap and my month is September? I got them done and will be mailing this week but I will give you a couple little picture teasers.   I used a few stamp sets but you'll only see  Autumn Leaves  (which is this month's Special) and Give Thanks in these pictures.



I stamped 26 of the triple acorns and 39 of the single.  My right pointer finger was in pain after cutting these out and it had one heck of a dent in it, too! I used Copic markers to color.

Tomorrow I'm  taking a Copic marker class at the AZ Scrapbooking store.  The teacher, Diane, has been Copic certified and is sharing her experiences with us. I thought I'd better get more instruction on other uses of these great markers besides just simple blending!

And talkin' about Copics, TAC™ has had such a run on our great Caboodle sets that only sets D & E are currently available. If you are interested in these fun markers (page 115 in our catty) you can still order the Ciao sets (36 to a set) or the D & E Caboodle sets. These little babies are real popular!! Hopefully the other Copic Caboodle sets will be available soon.  Copic is already working on the sets and TAC's just waiting to get them back into inventory.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Always Remember...

Today we will remember the tragic event that took place 9 years ago in New York City and Washington D.C. Thousands of lives were lost by Muslim terrorists as they attacked our great country in the name of hate.
This is in their Quaran, their "bible".  Only by the grace of God did not more die. His hand of protection was obvious in the stories of those who were not in the towers when the planes hit. My prayers go out to the families of the killed and the rescuers who survived trying to help. Right now our country promotes their "religion" and we will suffer more for that in the years to come in some way.  But this is Biblical. I praise God for His salvation offered freely to those who love and trust Him. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, we all fall short of God's glorious standard." Then Romans 5:8, "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord," Romans 6:23. Romans 10:13, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

I am a Christian, I love the Lord my God and His Spirit lives in me. If you find any of this offensive, I'm sorry. But Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is an integral part of me. If you must unsubscribe or un-follow, so be it. God gave me my talent and I love sharing that with you.  I don't preach often and I usually do it on my personal blog but this day is too important to ignore.  Thank you if you stay with me.  I appreciate it.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Shimmer and shine...

I've been busily working on my 13 pages of Sept. 2011 for a calendar swap that I've taken part in for quite a few years.  I won't be able to show you the whole page until the swap is returned but will give you some sneak peaks when I get them completed and photoed.  But, I did get this card done a couple days ago and didn't realize that I had the flower upside down until AFTER I finished!  Have you done that??  Well, here it is...






I used the Blossoms & Blessings set and stamped using my VersaMark ink then lightly brushed on some copper Radiant Pearls.  TAC™ used to carry the Pearls and Pearl Ex, both fun products. I used tan cardstock and my Nestie labels 5 and Wizard.  But take a closer look in the picture below....



The label is NOT cut out!! It's actually embossed into the tan cardstock.  I think it's a unique look.  My friend, Christine, had a card on her blog that did this. (And she has great sketch challenges!) I just had to give it a try! Very cool! Oh, and I used some copper metallic cardstock to frame the tan piece.  I'm pretty much out of that now.  Darn. It's a great paper!  But I digress....  If you have a Wizard and some Nesties you gotta try this! Just used the embossing "sandwich" and not the cutting "sandwich"!! Oh, and make sure you tape your Nestie and paper to the mat or they move around. I almost didn't and was having problems before I started!! 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Be Beautiful inside...

We have a great sketch challenge over on Paper Wings every Tuesday.  They do inspire me and get my mojo jump started! This week's was no exception!  I used a new stamp set called Thoughts & Prayers and the Flowers Impressibility along with the retired Amelia SWIC and matching cardstock.


I think this turned out nicely!  Lots of texture! I also used a sanding block, my Wizard, the Super Jumbo Flower Punch, Cloud scissors, and white scrapper's floss ( I bought a bunch since it's discontinued by the manufacturer).




Can you tell that I reversed the texture between the background and the flower?? I actually meant the background to be the same as the flower but I messed up. Oh well. So what do you think??

Monday, September 6, 2010

And now, back to some cards....

I didn't want you to think that I forgot about making cards so here's a couple designs that I played with recently.  I was blurfing the other day and visit  Christine's blog and she does some cool sketches (she's in my Paper Wings AngelHood).  I played with one and, using a wonderful retired paper, Amelia, and a new set called Peace Be Still, this is what I came up with.



I love how this turned out.  I colored using the Earth Tones Chalks and tried to match the colors yet keep the coloring rather subtle.  I didn't want to detract from the rich colors of the paper.


Here's a closer look at the image.  I used my PhotoShop to enhance the contrast which made the colors pop a bit more. This is a great masculine card and would also work as a sympathy card.


This card is a bit more simple.  You can barely make out that the kraft card is layered on a piece of  DCWV green.  I used a new set called Thoughts & Prayers for the text and Happily Grateful for the foliage.  I used an assortment of PH inks, Noir, Sunflower, Starry Night, L'Amore Red, and Viridian Leaf.  These are also found in the Ink Spots 4 pack set Van Gogh.  I used the Stardust Clear Gel pen on the blue flower centers for some bling,.  How do you like the line around the edge?  I made that with an ink pen and ruler.  I haven't done this in years and loved seeing the reminder while blog visiting.

Did you enjoy my chiminea and leather sunflower? I'm not just a paper crafter but enjoy making other things.  I also make ladies' fabric wallets and denim rugs and have sold many over the years!  I'll have to post those someday.   Hmmm....   Maybe I should make a page of my other stuff for sale. What do you think?

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Leather Sunflower....

Last Thursday I took a fun class in Tubac at MISA (Making Incredibly Stamped Art) located at The Courtyard at 6 Camino Otero.  Vesta Able of ArtSeeds  teaches here. Her blog is HERE.  Miera, another teacher, taught the class and I was so blessed, I was the only student and therefore had her full attention! It was a hoot!!  I had a blast and ended up buying some black fun foam (of which they had LOTS) to make more of these using TAC™ stamps. Today I'll be in Tucson, AZ hitting Joan's and Michaels (and having fun with Kathy) to buy some small flower pots and spanish moss.  Anyway, what do you think of this! It stands about 1' high and is so colorful!


You'd never know that was black foam, now, would you! We used make-up sponges and acrylic paints after we prepped the foam with stamps.



How do you like my little frog and dragonfly??  Can you see the glitter and copper metallic glitz? The frog has glitter on his eyes and toes and the dragonfly has it lightly brushed all over. And the tips of the flower has some glitter, too.


Here's a closeup of the flower.  We used Fimo clay and a candy mold to make the flower middle.  I'm thinking of using something else instead and my creative juices are flowing!!  The stamp for the flower is by Terry Medaris, another amazing artist (who does phenomenal work with PrismaColor pencils).  Anyway, I plan on taking some shrink plastic and wire classes so gotta stay on my toes and get my space reserved when classes are announced! 

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Colorful Chiminea

My wonderful hubby gave me a very plain chiminea (outdoor free-standing fireplace) for our anniversary last winter.  I had him bring it into the house so I could decorate it (that's why he bought a plain one).  I finally got it done!!  Only took 9 months.  Bad me! LOL! Anyway, I used acrylic paints and the retired but MUCH loved Kokopelli set that I'll keep forever. 


Here it is, all plain, dull looking, begging for some color!!  Are you ready??



Here it is!  I now have it outside with a layer of fire rocks in the bottom ready for use.  It's much too hot out yet in the evenings so I may place a candle in it until we're ready to use it. I probably should have waited until our "patio" was totally shaded but I just couldn't wait!






Here's the closeups.  I made the "dots" using a pencil eraser!  I so like how it turned out. I didn't spray seal this as I need to get some high temp stuff.  So, what "furniture" have you stamped??  Home decor? Have some fun!