WOYWW #178-Beware the horror!

It isn't pretty....it could give nightmares! Be prepared to cover your eyes... this is what greeted me as I walked in to "hide", err, put away before it gets damaged... the paper order that came in from Scrapbooks.com.  My side desk is shrewn with stamps, scraps, you can't even get to the drawers from the storage cubes! And that is my pile of papers in the foreground...as I rifled through them Monday night...covering all my boxes of inks...once I'm in that chair, I'm afraid to move!! Talk about being your own eye of a hurricane!




So, when I went up after dinner to get more cards done for the craft show..the first half hour was spent cleaning. And I left it last night, your usual view..witht he two sets of cards. The red one used the music sheet parchment parts you saw last week (or the week before).  The mitten cards were part of the Creative Chemistry challenge last month, and I bought thin ribbon to try to tie real bows, which I just couldn't pull off; so now they are done. A sheet of clear sayings stamps, nice and small for little areas, and those IO pine branches...still waiting to be assembled..I just don't have a good layering paper yet...and I may make them into the gift card holders, which means I'll need a lot more of the paper, as the sizzix die can only get 2 out of a 12 x 12.

And here is the 12 Days card...the stamp set is two wood mounted cubes from Stampington & Co.  I also have the Day One, Partridge in a full sized stamp, along with the corresponding "12 Days Of Christmas" title...both of which I've used over the years.  This is the first time I've come up with something I liked using the smaller stamps.  And if figures, I have no more of that patterned paper (which I've had for years)...so now I'm hoping they all don't sell! I am SUCH a hoarder! LOL!

So, now, to see much less scary desks on this wicked workdesk wednesday, go visit Julia at The Stamping Ground, our hostess for this weekly event. And have a happy Halloween everyone! (I get to eat candy..we don't get any treaters..but I have to be prepared don't you know...)

WOYWW #177: Busy, busy busy!

Welcome to another fabulous Workdesk Wednesday! Julia at theStamping Ground is our grand tour hostess of this creative hop across the work desks of the world, and admit it, everyone likes to see what everyone else is doing.  As I remembered it was Tuesday night, and my desk wouldn’t be changing over the next two days, I snapped this as I was heading off to bed (as if it’s that simple…take out dog, medicate and feed cats, get dog treaties for when she gets to bed, find clothes for the morning…why does all that take 1.5 hours??? I think I shampooed my hair 3 times this morning, because I just couldn’t remember if I had done it yet!)  But I digress…

 

I have been very busy these last few days...and all the pieces-parts are coming together.  You see, starting at top left, a Stamp Camp dove stamp I fell in love with, but now can’t quite recreate their sample.  I do like it with the Adirondack Stream, and now need to take it to Michael’s to find a good color cardstock for the card back. Then you see the IO Peacocks that are awaiting coloring for their place on the craft show table.  Then there are the IO pine branches that are drying from the coating of Diamond Dust (one of the jars just above them).  Next are the 12 Days of Christmas music sheets (stamp from Memory Box, the die is a retired Sizixx die) all ready to go. I still need to decide: Do I want to use the 12 Days set from Penny Black (cutesy) or from Somerset (traditional)…hence why you don’t see the actual day images ready to go yet.  Then another Memory Box background ready to go, with the Memory box ornament stamp and dies, all painted with the perfect pearls paint technique from Tim Holtz’s Compendium of Curiosities Vol. 2.  Then just some stamp pads not put away.  The stamps (all clean Julia!) ready to get put away, unless I decide I’ll need a few more cards.  Once these are done, I need to hammer out some Sympathy and Birthday cards to bring (the craft show is in my Mom’s Senior Living complex, where from the main apartments, people move to either Assisted Living or full nursing care, and I’ve been told, the little country store they have just doesn’t have a good selection of sympathy cards.  I guess they all get the same ones!)  

Oh, and though the picture just doesn’t do it justice, but using the same perfect pearls palette, here is the anniversary card I made my husband.  The stamp is from OnyxXpressions Stamps, and painting it with the perfect pearls really set it off.

And, one of the Thansgiving Cards I've made, using Tim Holtz's burlap texture fade and the  sizzix diffusion plates...very earthy!

So, whew, there you have it.  Busy, and organized, all a good thing! So now jump to Julia’s to start peeking at other equally busy desks! Have a great week everyone!

WOYWW #176

Happy Wednesday , and therefor WOYWW everyone! And it is a glorious one, as I'm on vacation!! So, while I do have a huge list of "to do's", I have also gotten some serious craft time in! And look, proof this leopard can't change her spots...all signs of neat and tidy are gone!  I actually took this last night right before I went down to make dinner.  There is that silly bird card,(thank you everyone for the suggestions) which I finally like. I found some cool lace at Joann's, which I layered between the background and bird.  I hit the bird with some blue over the previous brown, so while the photo really doesn't do it justice, it is very vintage-ey and subtle, and now I think its ready to go.  Now I just need a better way than the tape runner to attache the lace.
Also, a new spellbinder die I was playing around with...and in the top left, clear packaging that will be die cut for more Christmas cards. Also at Joann's I found that cool rick-rack ribbon, which up close has a gold glitter band down the middle. There is also a tapesty-ish one in cream and white...very pretty!  The box is a stamp set I had second thoughts when I first brought it home 5 or 6 years ago...as it was rather expensive..but those Thanksgiving Word Borders from Hero Arts are the best!!  So very glad I got them. Oh, and the UM rubber is a cool dove stamp from Stamp Camp; can't wait to play with that later! And screwn (?) around everywhere else, paper scraps...and they really do drive me nuts...I try to save them, never use them, and then get annoyed when looking for a color to  layer...arghh! But I just can't toss them..what is a girl to do?

Oh, and here are two cards I made for my Mother's best friends 86th birthday (they are twins).  Does anyome know a trick to get the paper out easily from this type of die?? It is quite the bear!

So, thats my desk (oh, and an empty ice coffee cup). Now head to Julia's Stamping Ground for your portal to other very busy desks!! Have a great week everyone!

CC2C #25 A Palette of Pearls

This week, Linda from Studio L3 has assigned us page #53 from Tim Holz's Compendium of Curiosities Vol. 2, using the Ink Palette with Perfect Pearls.  I only have 2 sets, the metals and the patina.and a lone pink, so was sorta limited. And since I'm still working on Christmas, I thought of an ornament.  Now, if only I can line up the stamping with the die cut! Those and the background stamp are from Memory Box.

I'll admit, at first I wasn't thrilled with the first color I tried.  But the next one came out with more "umphhh", so I worked the brush a bit more in the first color, and bam..much better!

 So, there is still time to explore this technique...and as an exciting bonus, this week's challnege is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, who are offering a $25 gift certificate---just in time to get some holiday supplies! I for one, really need some cardstock! (FYI: Michael's sells Core'dination premium solid core paperpacks, but it is so not like regular Core'dinations paper! It says 65 lb., but it is too flimsy for card backs...really only good for layering...now that I have 5 packs of the stuff!)

WOYWW #175

Good Wednesday morning everyone! Also known as “What’s OnYour Workdesk Wednesday” hosted by the lovely Julia at the Stamping Ground!  As I had yesterday off for running the kitties to the vet (we were worried one wouldn’t be coming home…but Yay!! My cardiac kitty isn’t done yet, now we’re adding thyroid meds to his heart meds, and Scratchy should be back to normal soon!)  and waiting on the furnace guys I managed to get some crafting time in.

 I’ve posted my Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge, which you can see here, as well as worked some more holiday cards (still fiddlin’ with that bird! back and center) But, what you see is, as I’ve cleaned a bit and ready to head downstairs I realize I forgot to make a card for my co-workers birthday!! I used Tim’s reinkers to color the card, but I also used some of the DI markers, which for some reason couldn’t make it in the container. Some of the stamps I was playing with are on the right…all clean Julia!! (I just can’t not clean them as I use them…I wish I could say the same with…oh, everything else! LOL!) Some of the Christmas stamps I want to use this year are stacked in the top left, oh, and most important...my box of Snowcaps. And my rock candy stickles I no longer put away…I leave them lying down to try to keep the stickle part useful, so you see all those bottles scattered about..though why the glossy accents bottle is down too I have no idea (that can’t be good) Some sizzix dies and a spellbinder die that will probably get lost if I leave it there, oh, and the phone, which didn’t get back on the charger…(note to self, go upstairs tonight to put it back and pick up the glossy accents!) And, here is the birthday card, with one of my new stamps from Impression Obsession (I do love their stamps!) Hmm, it didn't look that crooked in person!

So, now hop over to Julia’s to get your passport to visit all the other creatively busy work desks.  Have a great week everyone!

CC2C #24- Hard to Resist Alcohol (inks that is...)

 Oh who am I kidding, I can't resist alcohol period! LOL! Wow, it’s week #24 at Studio L3’s Compendium of CuriositiesVol. 2 challenge!! And this week Linda has challenged us with page #59 of Tim’s fabulous book, Alcohol Ink Resist.  And as I’m working on cards for a holiday craft fair, I worked on a Christmas theme, which also fits into the Creative Chemistry 101 Facebook Challenge for October, which was using any of Tim’s techniques with a holiday theme. 

I used re-purposed packaging for my base, and while I can’t mention any specifics in fairness to Tim, I can pass on an important tip…when working with the plastic packaging, beware pet hair!!!  I almost had my own felts to use with the alcohol inks!!  I used the Tim’s baroque sizzix die, and colored the chickadee with Distress Markers.  (and note to self…cut the paper first!) The stamp is from Impression Obsession, as is the stamp I used on the resist technique which is one of the Cover-a-card stamps.  As I didn’t want the overlay to be too dark, my resist is very subtle, but overall I kinda like it.  Not sure about the back card color, but I think this will be a design for this year as well.

So jump over to Linda’s to see what others have done with this fun technique. And don’t forget to check out Friday when a new challenge will be issued!

WOYWW #174

Oh good grief!! So, not only did I almost miss posting my Compendium challenge here, I only remembered when I went up to take a picture of my workspace on Wed. night.  Then, saw what I had worked on over the weekend, and thought "hmmm, people will see this who can help me out" so I snapped this shot of a card that shows great promise, but I'm just not finishing well.  And I fiddled some more, then realized that dinner was still on the stove...and you guessed it; never took the shot of the workspace...
So I hope I'm not breaking any of Julia's WOYWW Rules!! But I really do need advice on where to go with this card. 
The stamp is by Magenta, and I colored it with Distress Markers and a waterbrush.  I used Tim Holz's music texture fade, which was colored with his new Distress Metallic Brass stain.  At first I sorta liked the monochromatic feel, but the photo is more than "blah".  but a red ribbon/fiber might me too much.  Any thoughts? Ditch the embossed piece and go with a dark red layer? Color the bird red-(nah, not a cardinal)  I haven't gotten the hang of using sketches, or all the layering techniques other than rectangular direct ratio type...I see them in magazines and blogs, but just can't seem to recreate them. So... here I am, with a great stamp and no clue what to do. 

So feel free to chip in your 2 cents worth, then stop by Julia's to portal into so truely inspiring workdesks! Have a great week...I look forward to your suggestions.

CC2C #23: Marker-ed Away!!

Eee Gadz! I almost missed submitting my Compendium of Curiosities Vol. 2 creation this week! Really sad because I actually did it Saturday..and just plain forgot to post it. So, Linda's challenge was for page #50 of Tim's book, using his fabulous Distress Markers.  My wonderful hubby gave me a set for Valentine's Day, and is alway asking "you did that with the markers?" (He also gave me a fabulous necklace for my big ## birthday, which he's "don't you like it...you hardly wear it"-to which I reply, "I do on the days I actually dress for work". I really do love it, but maybe he'll get the hint...craft stuff really does get used more!{and costs less..I saw the bill!}) Oh, back to the challenge:






I did two styles-the direct coloring and applying diectly to the stamp. (BTW, I really love the waterbrush method and let me say, I know Tim's waterbrushes are more than a tad pricier than all others..but they are soooo worth it!  Just sayin')
The one above I first stamped the image with Archival black, then finished with some DI Stickles on the berries, candle and flame.  OK, but a little harsh.

On the left is the one I'll probably use as one of my designs for the year.  But, I'll spritz less so it won't run quite so much.  I hit it with a perfect pearls mixture-then hit it again. Live and learn! OK while a new challenge will be posted tomorrow, you really do need to give these neat markers a go.  And check out Linda's and Tim's blogs for some fabulous ideas!