Perfectly Distressingly, Grungingly, Monday (#24)

Not just grungingly Monday--but all week! I've been kicked in the A$$ by a cold that won't quit! I haven't missed this much work since I had major surgery 17, maybe 18 years ago! The other night after major cold meds, I actually was able to climb the stairs to the craft room and sorta get inky. Now, since I've been home, I haven't been able to download (22 minutes to load the intro..ugh! Who wants to go into a hostage scheme with the cable company?) Tim's video that Linda linked with this weeks challenge at Studio L3, so I hope it is the same technique he has in his Compendium of Curiosities. As I didn't have the energy to look through all the stamps, I went with the Inkadinkadoo set that was on the desk. After doing the background with Old Paper DI and stamping Tim's music in Pumice DI, I stamped the Cardinal in Fired Brick. Hit it with Gold Perfect Pearl, then misted with some of the same. The saying is from Memory Box.

WHile I feel it stills needs some embellishment, I didn't have the energy to play around, but liked it enough that I made 2 more, so if I find that perfect "finish", I'll have 3 more cards for the craft fair...next Thurs. (Gasp!) Hopefully, as I made it downstairs today without fainting, I can make it upstairs and try to make up for lost time! I still have a lot of crafting to do! So, go head over to Linda's, check out Tim Holtz's video, and go get perfectly distressed.

GM #23: aka Speed Grunge!

Oye Vey! Linda picked a doosey for our 23rd Grungy Monday Challenge. And as there is still plenty of time, go visit her Studio L3 for all the details. Now, what made this a doosey? Not the difficulty of a technique...not digging to find a substitute if you don't have the same product...no, this was a self-destructive kind a challenge: Time! Make a card using a Tim Holtz technique or product. The challenge..do it in ten minutes or less!!!

Now, what you don't know is I was actually published a few years ago for a Christmas card I made in Somerset Magazine's "Take Ten" issue. Then, like now, the actual planning and prepping don't really count in the ten minutes...But for some reason..even with my planning, I imploded! And the only way this got done is I have a lot of layers cut for my craft fair...so basically I had all the cutting done. And. looking at the photo...not sure I'm even liking it. The technique I learned at a Tim Holtz Style Card making class. Use Versamark ink on glossy, stamp your images, brayer with Adirondack Inks, then overstamp a border in archival black. And I love this new stamp set I just got...but somehow..it's just not quite right. And now I really hate the purple around the saying.. yeah, I think I need a red0...

So, now go over and see some amazing 10 minutes miracles! Then get your timer and.....GO!

WOYWW #124

Happy Wednesday! Especially since I'm on vacation, and this is my 15th wedding anniversary. Which also means that my stamp crafting/addiction also started 15 years ago. LOL! No, not in a way to escape my new husband...but it was on my honeymoon in Ireland, where I found my first celtic knot stamp. I came home with 7, then found a stamp store (thank heavens they were around then!) that demo-ed different inks and embossing powders. And the rest is pretty much history!

So, as we're heading to the Cape for the rest of the weekend-this is my desk, getting stuff ready to bring with to work a bit so I don't have an empty table at that craft fair on NOV. 3! This one is my annual kitty card. This image is from Magenta. I'm probably too heavy on Christmas cards, but what I don't sell I can use for me...take some of pressure off of the 75 I usually send out. So, all you craft fair people...how much do you bring? I'm only making 10 Christmas ornaments...as they take forever to cut out..I figure I can take orders if I sell out. Same with the candles, and I promise to have pictures of those next week. Basically I'm freaking out...and I know I'm not charging enough...but at least covering supplies.

OK, before I really start babbling...head over to Julia's Stamping Ground, and see what the WOYWW phenom is all about, then go look at some well-grounded artist's spaces! Have a good week everyone!

Grungy-Spooky Monday #22

Wow..almost missed the first Grungy Monday Challenge over at Linda's Studio L3, which has been on a break, since it seems like forever! Our mission: A Halloween inspired project using one or more of Tim Holtz's products. While I don't have a dearth of Tim's wonderful products, I do have a dearth of halloween-type items. Don't know why: I love Halloween, I love costumes, ditto candy; I have just never "crafted" anything halloween, not even web cupcakes!! So, I have spent the whole week wondering what to do. Then Tim's blog gave me some inspiration- I have a stash of the Seasonal Grungeboard diecuts-under lock and key!! I thought I had the craft resist paper, but apparently not.

So..using one of the rare bats, I black dabbered it, then spritzed with the home-made blend of perfect-pearls mist. While that was drying, I colored a tag using the wrinkle free distress technique and Tim's new seasonal colors. I then Embossed the tag with Tim's old tree folder, and hit that with the Bundled twigs. I then realized I should have done the moon first...sigh. So , I cut out the moon from the Memory Box cat w/moon stamp, hit that with DI Mustard Seed, and the gold Perfect Pearl mist. I cut out a bit of letterblocks from the Seasonal Stash, stuck the bat over the cat-head in the moon, then just had to add the googly-eyed scaredy cat sticker on the bottom. And yay! I even found some black ribbon to finish it off. So, go pop over to Linda's to see what Grungy Monday is all about--you still have a smidge of time left! Have a great rest of the weekend everyone.

WOYWW #123: My Name Is Kim...And I'm a webstore Addict!

It starts innocently enough...I need paper I just can't get at the three big box stores. I go online (at work--dial-up issues you know-which makes this even worse!) and start shopping. Next thing you know, I have a bunch of "shopping carts" open. I have found one site that has the red paper on sale; one site with the white and black on sale; Oh, and I need more of the ATG tape, and the mounting foam tape, and oh, the Tim Holtz stamp set is on sale over here...and that die on sale over there... And look! More Memory Box Stamps!! And Jingle Bell Brads (they really jingle!) So, this is my desk, Tues. night, after I had to smuggle 3 boxes into the house, upstairs into the stamp room, and then see what I actually bought (dont' ask how much! LOL! And if I HAD gotten it all from one place...then it would have been free shipping) all while being quick, saying I had left my shoes upstairs so the hubby doesn't get suspicious...Oh, and I have one more shipment enroute...now, where am I going tofind room to put all this stuff??

While I ponder that, you need to go visit Julia's Stamping Ground, and then see all the other wonderful creative work spaces....and then have a good weekend-you deserve it!

Oh, and here are some visitors out my window...there were 12-14 of them..these were the only 2 by the time I got the camera ready....they have learned you can't hunt on our property, so we have 3 herds (do you call it a herd? A clutch? Hmmm) of them wondering around.

WOYWW #122

Hi again! Wow, it really helps to keep the camera handy! (And know that what you see Monday night won't be any different Wednesday morning). To see what that has to do with anything...go visit Julia's Stamping Ground, and take in the whole Workdesk Wednesday Experience! LOL!

So, I'm still in my craft show mode; starting to really panic! I better get a move on if I want to include ornaments and candles! Anywho, I have a whole new appreciation to those of you who create kits for classes. My goal is to do enough of the inky work so that I can then pack up stuff to cut, trim, color, and assemble on my lunch hours. Of course I have forgotten critical pencil colors, pencil sharpener, and a whole layer!

What we have here are some of my stamps from my new fav company, Memory Box. And after playing with all the ornaments, I think I'll stick with the red and green ones, with gold embossing.

So, I'm going to use my limited computer time (work is still threatening to "shut down" all non-work related sites..I will have a nervous breakdown!) and visit all those other wonderfully creative work spaces. I hope you get to do the same. Have a great week!

Play Date in the Cafe #101

Wow, I haven't made it to a play date in, like forever! But this week's colors, Wine, Smudge, Leather and Parchment, are my favorite colors, so I had to give it a go. I will admit, not my best representation...in my head it came out so much better! LOL! Time just didn't allow me to bend the reality to fit. And I have to go watch that Tim Holtz video to see about the reflections stamps....I seemed to have missed a step, as you can't see that on the dress form at all. But I did get to play with the new stamp set, and I'm Soooo Loving that Ruler!

My inks were Vintage Photo, Aged Mahogany, Weathered Wood and Antique Linen. I was sorta amazed how bright the AgeMahogany came out on the binding ribbon...I even added some of the weathered wood to tame it down, but you can't tell. Now, watch, when I want that rich red, it just won't happen! LOL!

So, now go get your cup a' coffee, tea, hot cocoa (that time! YUM!) and spend some time at the Play Date Cafe! See how wonderfuly rich and versatile these colors can be!