Happy Belated Birthday, T!m:)

Being out of the creative "loop" these past few months, I've been re-visiting some of the blogs I just LOVE.  One of them is Studio L3.  Low and behold, I find it's T!m Holtz's birthday yesterday.  So I decide to join in on this week's challenge and make a birthday card for T!m.

Now using my true frugal nature, I am still using ONLY my stash...luckily I have PLENTY of T!m's products I can use to make a card for him.  Better yet, it is actually my oldest son's birthday tomorrow, so while I'm making a card "for T!m", inspired by T!m's products, I will again in true frugal style, give it to my son for his birthday tomorrow.

So I get out some of my favorite T!m products and tools...my T!m Tonic scissors, my T!m sanding tool, some idea-ology time pieces and spinners, some T!m timepiece stamps, some paint dabbers, and I'm ready to go.

For further inspiration, I visit the Card Patterns Blog and find that this week's sketch is PERFECT for my card.  Although I did follow it "loosely", I was still inspired by the sketch:)

Here is the sketch:

and here is my take on it:

I used some paper I love but have to admit have never used (from my "hoarding" days)...it's Graphic 45 from the On the Boardwalk 8 x 8 paper pack.  As stated above, I used plenty of T!m stuff::

• Barn Door Distress Ink
• Pumice Stone Distress Ink
• Ranger Black Archival Ink
• Idea-ology time pieces
• Idea-ology spinners
• 2 different T!m clock stamps
• Chili Pepper paint dabber
• Snow Cap paint dabber

Hop on over to Studio L3 and check out this week's challenge.  There are lots of amazing projects to see!

enJOY:)

Altered Stick Pins & Studio L3 CCC #33 Entry...Frugal Scrappin' Style:)

Hello fellow scrappers/crafters/bloggers:)

I hope you are having a MOST wonderful day today!  I have been seeing altered stick pins around for a while now, and I've been wanting to try them myself, but just haven't had the time...UNTIL NOW, {hee hee}.

I'm SOOOOO excited that my dear friend, Jacquie, showed a group of us how to make our own altered stick pins at a TNT group meeting at our LSS.  I was so excited and IDEAS just kept running through my head, INCLUDING kicking myself for selling all those BEADS I've had for years at a recent yard sale I had...

Now you all know I have to put my own frugal little twist on what I've seen and I'm very EXCITED to share it with all...as I often say, I know I'm NOT a ROCKET SCIENTIST (well, sometimes in my own little head I think I just MIGHT be {ROFL}...well at least a "scientist" anyway...since, ya know, I'm ALWAYS coming up with new concoctions, AND I'm always all inky and stuff...DEFINITELY, no fresh manicures here, sistah!

So anyway, I went to my local "big box" craft store and bought some corsage pins..ya know, the ones that NEVER hold the corsages on (well at least mine don't)...anyway, I purchased two types...one with ROUND white pearls on the top and the other with TEARDROP white pearls on top.

Then I mosied on over to the bead section...ya know the bead section is now BIGGER than the scrapbook section!  What's the deal with that, I ask?  I know, I know, there are some AMAZING jewelry makers out there BUT I'm not gonna get into that craft now...no, I'm not, BUT I will use some of their AWESOME beads for my ALTERED STICK PINS!

Oh, and I also bought this whoppin' big pkg of glitter, too...I'm tellin' ya, if I can't find a glitter to match my project now, I've got issues...well MORE issues than I already know I have, lol.

I am now the proud owner of 24 lucious colors of glitter.  Here are a few of them:

Now, all I did was cover the pearl tops of my stick pins with some fast drying liquid glue (I use 3-IN-1 Beacon Glue).  Then I popped the lid off of a glitter bottle and dipped the pearly tops in for a "swim"...swirled it around a bit, lifted and tapped off the loose glitter and VOILA, I now had a glittery topped stick pin.  After adding a few beads, I had an AWESOME new embellishment for my crafting project!

Now, ya know I just COULDN'T stop there, right?  So I headed on over to my alcohol ink bin and added some alcohol ink to felt and swirled a few more stick pins around in the felt pad until they were covered.

Check these out!  Another use for my trusty alcohol inks...whoo hoo!

Can I just say AMAZING!!!!!!!

Now, if you've made it this far, I also want to show you my Studio L3 Challenge entry for this week.  Our challenge was to turn to pg 56 in the Compendium of Curiosities book, and use the altered metal technique.  Even though I DEFINITELY altered MORE THAN METAL, I did also complete this challenge.

Here's a close-up of the altered metal (this is a piece of chipboard covered with aluminum foil and embossed with an embossing folder).  The colors of alcohol Ink I used are terra cotta, sailboat blue, and sunset orange.

I had a GREAT time making this project.  THANKS to Linda over at Studio L3 for ANOTHER AMAZING CHALLENGE!

Studio L3 Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #32

It's been a while since I've had time to play along over at the Studio L3 Blog, so I thought I'd try to fit one in tonight.  It's actually 8 p.m. as I speak, so I guess I'm officially late with my post, but the project is done, so I'll link it anyway:)

Here's my take on page 59 from the Compendium of Curiosities book.  I've used this technique a few times (and even taught it) and it was FUN to revisit it.  Thanks, Linda for such an awesome challenge!

Studio L3 AND 365 Cards:)

Well bloggers, I am spending some time this weekend at the ole craft table, I'm happy to report...I am feelin' kind of a creative block though, so I've decided to try and jump start...well....somethin' with a little help from some of my favorite challenge blogs:)  I know I'm double dippin' but a frugal scrapper's gotta do what a frugal scrappers gotta do sometimes...

Since today is my son Dan's 31st BIRTHDAY, yes, I know I look WAY to young to have a 31 year old, lol...I decided to make a card for him...now I don't normally make traditional birthday cards...my cards need to "speak" to me...hmmmmmmm...I often say I need to create things that "speak" to me...now before you call the white coats, I really DON'T hear voices, lol...it's just my inner creative mind at work, heehee...

Anyway, I'm really into dreamin' big, and livin' those dreams...I've been caught WAY too many times gettin' up on my ol' soap box and sayin' "figure out where you want to go (what your goals are)...then back up...and figure out how to get there"...

(disclaimer)...just don't back up so far that you fall off the cliff you didn't see behind you, ya hear?

Anyway, I am SO PROUD of my son and all he has accomplished in his life and I just want him to keep followin' those dreams...and remember....always GIVE MORE than you GET...

O.k...I'm gettin' down off my soap box now, lol...and will show you my card for the day...it's kinda simple and deep...hopefully YOUR dreams give YOU glimpses of LIFE bigger than YOUR own:)

Now, hop on over to Studio L3 AND 365 Cards so you can see the challenges I was tryin' to play along with...then feel free to "pop" back here and leave me a comment...what are YOUR DREAMS tellin' YOU?

Frugal Scrappin', Studio L3, and Holiday class samples...

Since I'm working on a class sample for my upcoming Holiday series, I've been closely following Studio L3's TH challenges and WOW, have I found TONS of inspiration over there!  The crafters taking part in the weekly challenges are SO amazing!  If you haven't been there yet, "hop" on over by clicking here.  You will be AMAZED at all the talent you see!

I haven't always been able to complete the weekly projects on time, and have been more of a "lurker" these last few weeks...but that has changed...whoo hoo!  I was able to complete this week's challenge!  (It doesn't hurt that I've taken a "staycation" this week so I can get my crafting "fix", lol).  My grandkids are also visiting and my husband has them at the pool right now...whoo hoo...what a GREAT hubby I have!

Here is a pic of my challenge entry.  I actually added a technique from a few weeks ago that I didn't complete, so this is doubling up (I covered some old chipboard #'s with old print paper).  For this week's challenge, turn to page 36 in your book of "Compendium of Curiosities" for this wonderful technique called Blending Batik.

The bottom torn piece of paper started out as a pale yellow piece of paper...for the technique, you'll have to refer to the book, but I can tell you that I added peeled paint and barn door distress inks...I love the white torn edge and the red plaid pp on the top...I think the "BELIEVE" stamp kind of tells the story I'm trying to tell.

There will be more sneak peeks of the other ATC size "tags" as I go.  This Frugal Scrappin' class series starts in September and will run for 3 months.  For $15 each month we will work toward completing a 12 x 12 canvas that will hold 12 of these individually created "tags"...kind of the 12 Tags of Christmas, Frugal Scrappin' style...using, of course...all things T!m!

Class Location:  Ever After Scrapbooks in Vista, CA (call 760-630-2767 for more info)

Class Dates:  September 30, October October 28, and November 18.

Class Times:  6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Class Costs:  $15 for each class

When complete:  After completing all 3 classes, you will have an awesome wall hanging that will contain 12 "Tags" (well 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch ATC's) inspired by none other than T!m (and his awesome new design team AND the awesome crafters over at ATT)...

EnJOY:)

Today's gonna be a GREAT day, so here's a sneek peek & StudioL3 Post:)

Whoo hoo!!!!!  Today's gonna be a GREAT day!  For those of you who live in "sunny" southern California, you know that the coast has not been so "sunny" this year!  While my hubby and I feel VERY fortunate to be living along the coast in Northern San Diego County, summer has eluded us most of this year:(

Well, that has changed today!!!!  I think May Grey, June Gloom AND July Cry has moved on out (at least for today), and the sun is comin' up over the mountains!  Whoo Hoo!!!!

I took this picture right off of my deck this morning...at 6:30 a.m.....Ahhhhhhhh, this is WHY I moved HERE!

Hey, are those actually SHADOWS I see there?  Wow, it's gonna be hard to go to work today...

I've been workin' on my newest canvas project that I will teach at Ever After Scrapbooks...It will have a Holiday theme and will be modeled after T!m's 12 tags of Christmas...with a frugal scrappin' twist, of course!  This will be part of my monthly Frugal Scrappin' monthly class, and will be a series...we will complete this canvas over 3 months in Sept, Oct, and Nov...in plenty of time for gift giving or Holiday decorating.  More details to follow...

I've already started incorporating some recycled materials into this project...think soda cans, heehee...add a little paint, a little punchin' (hey, this will help sharpen your punches, too...a frugal BONUS), and a few of my other favorite T!m things..

Now I know this project is NO WHERE near FINISHED, but I couldn't help sharin' a SNEEK PEEK, especially since I could take it on a much eluded SUNNY southern California morning!  Whoo hoo!

I think I will also use this pic as my "project" for the Studio L3 CCC#9 challenge...I'm a day late (and probably a dollar short, lol), but hey it gave me the inspiration to used my crackle paint on my new project!

EnJOY!

As always, I love comments, suggestions, and just plain ole..."hey, how ya doin'?" posts...

Have a very BLESSED and sunny DAY!

You favorite Frugal Scrapper Extraordinaire:)