Can't wait to craft again:)

Hello out there:)

I've just been on the most wonderful trip with my stepmom, daughter and two of my grandchildren.  I'm still in the last hotel with a flight scheduled for later today that will take us home so I thought I'd drop a note here in blogland since I haven't posted in a while.

I have so many awesome pictures to craft with and have seen so many inspirational art pieces to help get my creativity kicked into high gear...now to just find a quiet place to craft...soon, I hope:)

Our trip started out in San Antonio, Texas with a visit to the Riverwalk and the Alamo.  Then off to a "dude" ranch (really a guest ranch since THEY do all the work and WE have all the fun!).  We went horseback riding, played miniature golf, swam in their awesome water park...with a wave pool and lazy river...all the ambiance of the beach...without the messy sand, lol.  Of course, s'mores ended each evening around a campfire.

Lots of entertainment included, too.  We had a champion roper, wagon rides to a "ghost" town, saw hats get branded (as well as some wooden play guns).  There was even a chuckwagon dinner with an old fashioned "shoot out" at the ghost town.

The Texas hill country and the Bandera area is beautiful.  The Flying L Ranch was great and I recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of western adventure with modern conveniences.

I will be back with some amazing scrapbook pages...which I'm thrilled to get back to since I haven't scrapped in quite a while.

Come on back for a visit, ya hear?

Happy Scrappin'!

All Dressed up, creatively sewing, and Two Peas Card Challenge

I've been following the new card challenges over at Two Peas and this challenge sounding interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.  I've only completed one card so far...and I have to say, I've gone WAY overboard with the actual challenge (which is to use pop dots on your card).

First, I decided to get my "new" (new to me, but actually secondhand) sewing machine out to play:)  I'd been admiring my friend Melody's cards from afar (well actually, I've been able to see the originals, but Melody always makes me give them back, lol)...anyway, I've been wanting to try sewing on my cards for a while and FINALLY did it today!

Here's a sneek peek:

Now, I did realize that I need to buy more thread...and probably need to use something that is thicker than normal sewing thread...so back to Melody I'll go for more advice:)

I've realized that I've also given you a sneak peek into how I altered two of Tim's dies...the rosette die and the hanging sign die:)  More on that further down...

Here is the entire dress:

I used some old Cosmo Cricket paper I had (and STILL LOVE) to form my "dress".  I used the rosette die to make the skirt and then cut the die apart and laid it in layers on the card.  I also used the hanging sign die (the hanger part) to make my stand for my dress form.  Oh yes, and I got my dress form here.  It was the perfect size for a card.  I printed the dress form picturs from the post and drew around it with a black sharpie.  Since the sharpie went through my paper, I turned it over and used the back of the picture for my template...genious, huh?

I just LOVE how this entire card turned out!

I can tell this is NOT the last time I'll put sewing on a card!  Of course, also based on Melody's advice, I did finish the inside of this card (and sewed in there too), but forgot to take a picture of it...

And ya know, I still just LOVE this sentiment...and how the angle on this picture makes it mean even more (to me anyway)...

Oh and BTW, if you've been here before, you know I've totally changed my blog around...again...and don't ya just dig how this card matches my new color scheme?  Gotta love it "when a plan comes together"...

Happy Scrappin'

Frugal....REALLY?

Hello all:)

I've been thinkin' about something that a VERY GOOD friend of mine mentioned to me the other day, so I thought...WOW, if this AMAZINGLY insightful friend of mine thought this...I'm sure it's crossed the mind of many other of my blogging buddies...and this is now my question of the day...

FRUGAL...REALLY?

Now I'm sure you all know that there are two things that are very "Close to my Heart" when it comes to paper crafting...FRUGALITY and TIM HOLTZ products...and the question came up about how I tie these two things together...and this is a VERY good question indeed:)

So I decided to reflect on what I mean, and thought I'd share a few things with you on my interpretation:)

Now, I do have to admit...I don't consider ALL of Tim's goodies to be frugal and those are items I typically use sparingly on my projects.  That being said, there are MANY things linked to Tim's name that I do find to be VERY FRUGAL purchases. I NEVER go anywhere without these products. When I think of FRUGAL, I think of "cost per use" basis shopping.


My top 10 are (in no particular order)

1. Distress inks & stains

I've been surfing the web this morning looking at some AMAZING projects and am hardpressed to find ONE that doesn't use at least ONE of Tim's products...Distress inks are definitely up there at the top...a paper crafter should NOT live without them:)


2. Alcohol Inks
 
Now, you know that the challenge has always been how to "paint" metal, glass, plastic, and other non-porous surfaces, right?  Well, alcohol inks do a TREMENDOUS job on these surfaces...and the best part is that the coverage is transluscent so the character of the surface is still evident.  I now by MOSTLY white/cream pearls and rhinestones and change the color as needed with my handy alcohol inks.
 
3. Perfect Pearls

These awesome powders work tremendously well with distress inks when applying them directly to your project...they act kind of like embossing powder as it clings to the distress inked areas and are set with the Heat Tool....but better yet, when mixed with a little water in a mini mister, they become an awesome glimmery spray.  I just love using the spray technique because I can apply my distress inks to my project with more control for color and then spray my perfect pearls concoction to add the perfect level of glimmer.

4. Ranger Archival Ink

My FAVORITE ink for use with stamps when I want a really CRISP finish (perfect for sentiment stamps and flourishes, etc).  Stamps with alot of detail are also great because this ink doesn't "bleed" on your paper.

4. Distress tools (all are in this category such as the applicator AND the sponges)

Now, if you know me well, you know I started out with "frugal" distress ink/alcohol ink tools...but now????  I have to admit I have a separate distress tool for each color of distress ink I own...why, you may ask???? My second "frugal" philosophy...TIME IS MONEY, lol...I was tired of having to switch my sponges each time I wanted to use a new color of distress ink (plus, have you ever tried to "label" sponges with the color they are?)  Now I know there are some amazing ideas for keeping the sponges with the inks, like attaching a velcro piece to the bottom of the ink pad and attaching the sponge to it when not in use, but again, TIME IS MONEY...and I'd still have to keep switching them, lol...

5. Mini Misters

What can I say here?  Mini Misters are a MUST HAVE!  The can be filled with water, blending solution, perfect pearls concoctions, etc.  I use these ALL the time!

6. Heat It Tool

The quietest, but most effective heat tool I've come across.

7. Paper Distressor

NOT distress a paper edge???  It can't be!  I distress EVERYTHING!!!!  I do sometimes use scissors, but normally tear the paper MORE than I intended, so this distress tool is the BEST!

8. Tonic Scissors

The BEST scissors I've found for the price.  LOVE THEM!

9.  Alterations Dies

Now, I know you do need some sort of diecutting maching to use these...but you can now find them secondhand, so no need to fret...I use the alterations dies ALL the TIME...remember cost per use basis???  I'm talkin' pennies with these since I use them so much...the best part is that they don't just cut through paper, they can cut through chipboard, corregated cardboard, fabric, fun foam, aluminum (think soda cans)...plastic (think packaging), etc.

10.  Texture fades

I just LOVE these embossing folders for altering paper and adding texture to my projects...another MUST HAVE.

My cost per use philosophy:

Let's use the Heat It Tool as an example since that's probably the most expensive item on my top 10 list...It retails for around $25, but I've probably used it about 200 times since I purchased it...so we're talkin' about $.125 per use.  Now I could have purchased a less expensive heat tool, but they are MUCH louder AND tend to blow my projects ALL over the place while the Heat It tool is VERY quiet and while it really HEATS, it does so without blowing my projects around.

If you have any questions, or have other suggestions for uses of my top ten items above, feel free to leave a comment:)

Under Construction:)

Hello all of you wonderful, amazing crafters and artists:)

Happy Saturday!

For those of you that have visited my blog for a while, you know that I have a "kind of" ADD when it comes to my blog...every so often, I just have the need to "re-construct" the appearance of my blog...

My added CHALLENGE (remember this IS my WORD of the YEAR, lol)...is that I now work full time (well, I have for the last year, actually)...and this is the FIRST time I've had the urge to change my blog since going back to FT work...so......I just haven't found enough hours in the day to complete my latest construction project...SORRY for the kind of messy appearance, but I KNOW what I want to do....

It's just a matter of LEARNING how to do it!

If I can pull it off (getting what is in my "altered artist" head) and getting it onto my blog...this MAY be the last time I try to re-construct!

If anyone knows anyone who knows how to create blogs (you know, like altering HTML & stuff like that) and would LOVE to assist me in this re-constrution, please feel free to let me know...

Thank so much for visiting, and have a VERY BLESSED day!

Missing you...and a Bo-Bunny sketch, too...

O.k. fellow bloggers...I'm certainly glad my hubbie doesn't blog...or facebook...or any other of that social media stuff...because...well...I have to say I really MISS him this week...now I do know how to pull up my "big girl panties" and and definitely NOT a "needy" wife, but ya know, I've had to do alot of stuff that is usually done FOR me...ya know...like laundry, and cookin' and cleanin'...I know, I know, I'm spoiled, but there ARE things I do, too...like creatin' great MESSY ART...(and yes, I DO have to clean up my own ART room)...

So....I bought a Bo-Bunny 6 x 6 paper pack yesterday...it's kinda "dark and serious"...and took me to a place I don't go often...a "deep" place...I think that's why I never got into the Harry Potter or the Twilight CRAZE...way too "deep and dark" for me, lol...

Anyway, from the paper pack, I decided to go to the Bo-Bunny site to see what challenges are out there that I might partake in...and low and behold, I see a card sketch challenge that "spoke" to me...so I print out the sketch and go back to my paper pack, fan through, and a thought comes to mind...why don't I make a "missing you" card for my hubbie???

So there you have it...it's a bit "darker" than what I usually do, but I'm tellin' a story with this card...not one that I'll bore you with, but it's a story just the same...it'll be my little "secret"...except for my friend Gloria, who I spilled the beans to and now probably thinks I'm totally off my rocker, hee hee....little does she know...I really AM off my rocker...my ART rocker, heehee...

O.k., so here's the sketch:

Here's my "take" on it:

Along with some close-ups:

and the link to the challenge if you'd like to play along:

Bo-Bunny card sketch challenge

I used the Bo-Bunny Timepiece 6 x 6 paper pack for this card.

And remember...ART saves CREATIVE minds:)



One Stamp Three Ways

I've been lurking over at 2 Peas in a Bucket recently and have found that they are expanding their site to include more for card makers.  I think it's a great idea since card making is so popular right now.

WAY TO GO, 2 PEAS:)

With that in mind, I've decided to play along with one of their challenges....using 1 stamp 3 ways...

I have one stamp in particular that I use alot, so I knew I already had one card made that I posted a while back, but I like it so much, I thought I'd incorporate it into this challenge and just use the stamp 2 more ways.

Here is a picture of all 3 cards:

This is a stamp I've had for a while from one of Tim Holtz' sets.  This stamp is perfect for many different ideas.  As you can see, there are 3 distinctly different feels to each card, all using the same stamp.

For the card on the left, I used the stamp with 3 different distress inks:  Broken China, Peeled Paint, and Pumice Stone.  I used these colors to match with the patterned paper in the background and LOVE how this card turned out.  Of course, I used another stamp from Studio 490 as well as one of Tim's metal embellishments.  I added some ribbon from SEI to complete the look.  It's very subtle and soothing in my opinion.  Here is a close-up of the stamping:

Next I made a card using another technique I just LOVE!  I started with a piece of glossy cardstock, spread some alcohol inks on my craft mat (colors were Citrus, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Pool, and some gold mixative).  Then I just laid my glossy cardstock face down and smooshed and swirled the paper until it was completely coverd.  I then used my FAVORITE black archival ink by Ranger.  This ink is so vibrant and shiny and I just LOVE to work with it.  As you can see, this card has a very different feel to it...kind of a Fall/Autumn feel.  See below for close-up.

The last card, the one on the right, I made using one of my newest Tim purchases...ink stains!  This was actually the first time I used them and I LOVE them!  Whoo hoo, I can guarantee, these will be one of my FAV's!  First, using a piece of plain white cardstock, I stamped the image with embossing powder.  Next I added white embossing powder (you could use clear, but I really like white better).  After heat setting the embossing powder, I used my Broken China ink stains and just rubbed across the entire paper.  I'm tellin' ya...I've done this technique using the distress inkpad to paper, but these distress ink stains are AMAZING!  Vibrant color without alot of work...if you haven't tried them yet, what are ya waitng for?  Anyway, back to the card...after the ink stains dry, just rub lightly with a dry paper towel over the embossed area to remove any excess ink (although I didn't really see any).  See close-up below:

Oh, and by the way...I did then add a little mist from my mini mister filled with water and some Pearl perfect pearls.  It's really subtle, but looks awesome!  As with this last card, it definitely has more of a summertime feel.

LOVE this challenge!  Thanks, 2 Peas!