WOYWW #135

OK, it's Thursday, but this was the soonest I could get on to post..where has this week gone! At this rate, I better start my Holiday shopping, 'cause it seems like Christmas will be here again in no time! So, Julia at The Stamping Ground is the creator of this weekly adventure, so head over there to check it out and start hopping some very creative work spaces.

Mine this week;not so much going on. Finished my Grungy Monday card, and snapped this shot as I was coming up to get it in the mail...if I don't lose my nerve! You can see my previous post to see all about that. A few stamps to start another birthday card; but that one has to stay hidden!

And yes, first week of January, and already a resolution broken: stuff not put away after use! (OK, full disclosure: Not the only one broken: Haven't been on the exercise bike, and the first weekend is gone, and my "room a week to total clean/organized" has been blown to hell. But, "Make time to be crafty" is still going strong; and probably the reason the 2nd and 3rd have failed! Oh, and the new Xbox...ah well...

So, go hop over and see what is else is going on around the world. I'll be doing the same as possible. See you next week.

A Grungy Birthday Card: GM #31

I'm not worthy!! This week's challenge for Grungy Monday is to use any Tim Holtz technique or product, and make a card for His Birthday!

So, with no specific technique in mind, I messed around with Tim's watchface texture folder. I also used the Art Collage stamp from Stampers Anonomous and the saying is from Tim's Visual Artistry set "Artful Things" on a Journaling Ticket. I stampded the watch face from "The Journey" set on the charm fragment with Stazon, then hit it with some alchohol inks (latte and ginger). It needed something else, so I added a watch face back from Tim's Salvage Stickers which was attached with a charm holder.

My DI Colors: Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Shabby Shutters, Bundled Twigs. MY DI Stains: Antique Linen and Vintage Photo. Inside is a saying from Wordsworth Stamps, regarding Wrinkles on our Brow, not on our Hearts, for the Spirit should Never Grow Old. But I have a feeling Tim doesn't need that advise! LOL!

So Tim, I wish you a Very Happy Birthday, with many more wonderfully creative years!

Grungy Monday #30-All Taped Up

Here we are at the last Grungy Monday Challenge of the year! And as I'm just about to go on the clock at work, this will be short: All the details of our Grungy Monday assignments can be found at Linda's Studio L3, where we delve into the cool creativeness of Tim Holtz. And this week there is a prize offering, sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. This week: to use either Tim's new Tissue Paper and/or his Tissue Tape. Since I haven't found or seen any of the tissue paper yet, I had to go with the Tape. (But the paper sounds really cool! Now we have GrungeTissue to go with grungepaper and grungeboard! Totally workable, inkable, distressable stuff!)

I used my new Vagabond (sorry, just can't seem to stop saying that!) to cut the bird out of grungepaper, which I covered with the Symphony Tape. I then smooshed is some of my new purple Distress Stain (Thank you Linda! LOL!) and let it dry, while I then covered a tag with my other 2 new stains, Linen and Photo (thank you Boss Maria for the GC). In the process, I learned you really need to be aware of your work space when using these stains...While running amok with the purple, I manged to stain a stack of grungepaper, two wood stamps, and my jeans. LOL! I stamped the saying with the new Seedless Preserves (1st time use-nice color!) the flourish with the concord and lavender DI's, then went to put my stickle-less Rock Candy Stickles (when will I remember to replace it?) on the bird; and of course forgot that the stain would blend...so my really cool blotches all evened out...but still pretty neat. I finished the eye with the Glossy Enamels.

Oh, and Dakota would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I'm trying to convince her that her resolution should be to leave everything in the closet!

So, there is still time to get into the Tissue Fun! Go see Linda, then play for your selves. And I do hope everyone has a very healthy, happy New Year!

WOYWW #134

Good morning (well, my time!) everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! My husband managed to shock me by getting me a deep fryer AND a Vagabond! The fryer I'll play with this weekend; but I did get to play with the vagabond Wed., and it is very cool; so, now, do I sell the Big shot, or keep it so that when using the spell binders, one can be set for cutting, and the other for the embossing?? (I was always annoyed with having to flip a tab back and forth! LOL)

So, this week my desk; still fairly tidy, shows my Grungy Monday project, which hopefully I'll have time to post next (work can be such a killjoy! LOL!) This was my first time playing with my new stains..and boy! Can I make a mess with them! First lesson: put away EVERYTHING you don't want to risk getting splattered, smeared, etc. My pile of grunge paper was off to the side, and about 4 pieces now have a purple border.

Oh, and here is Dakota, helping me by taking the box back out of the closet to get to the styrofoam packing...but she is looking cute doing it! So, now, go head over to Julia's Stamping Ground to see what WOYWW is all about, and then start peeking at some other creative work spaces! Have a Happy New Year's everyone!

WOYWW #133: Crazy-Scary!

Good morning WOYWWers! And it is...for a change. I got all my cards finished Sunday, (can be seen on my previous post-shameless plug) mailed out Monday, finished my last of the shopping this morning (I love stores that are open before 7:00am! and last night I went into my "space:" to dig out some hidden gifts, and then spent about an hour "tidying up" from the card wreckage. And lookey!! I have a desk! And FYI: the table to my right is all clean too!

Ok, I'll show you my shame: the floor in front of the desk...but I'll get to that after Christmas! Promise! (or Dakota will chew the stamps!) Hey, I said I only had an hour!

But now..I do have a problem: At what point do you realize a "scrap" of paper is no longer a scrap, but trash? I think I'm going to go with, once you can no longer cut a piece from my smallest die, and then will attack my scrap folder and lose about 2 inches, which will then get it to fit back into my nice plastic scrap holder! But I am open to suggestions! LOL! (Any reason to save...well, anything!)

So, incase you haven't been to Julia''s Stamping Ground first, and need to see what WOYWW is all about..head there, and then head to the other wonderful desks! And I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

The 2011 Card Collection

Tadaaa! And Phewww!! Finally finished my Christmas Cards. I had done so well at the craft fair, I had to make them all over again; throw in a vacation, and let me just say...NEVER THIS LATE AGAIN! And I noticed, looking at them all layed out: every one of them used some type of die cut: Tim Holtz Alterations, Spell Binder layers and stencil, and Memory Box. Hmmmm, who would have thunk?

In no particular order; this one is using a Spellbinders stencil, with Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist. Tim Holtz gave a great tip with offsetting letters for depth, so I did the same with the saying... looks real shimmery!


And this is my kitty one for the year: stamp by Magenta, colored with prismacolored pencils.





This one is using the Memory box dies and background stamp, with Distress inks, and I believe an Anna Griffen holly background on the red panel. Can't remember where the little greeting came from.

This one used the Tim Holtz reindeer die and his green garland texture fade. The little saying is from Memory Box: Gotta love it! And a Hero Arts stamp was used on the deer, "On Comet, On Cupid..."


And this one: stamps also from Memory Box, and the ribbon Spellbinders die: very cool and useful die set! There is sparkly fluff on the trim of the hat!

And I just realized, I never transferred the Memory Box snowflake edge card to the memory stick to bring to work..bummer! My friend Julie had a great idea: find self adhesive paper for it, and it took a while, but then I found a sparkly white paper...and it worked Great! So there they are. A record year: 106 cards (ok, I did reuse a few designs from years past, as I was running out of supplies/paper, etc.) between commissions, craft show and me! I hope everyone appreciates them, and I hope you enjoyed seeing them too.

And I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Wonderful new year!

Grungy Monday #29---Git 'er Done!

OK, I'm a big fan of "Git 'er done", with all that red-neck twang and mentality behind it... only way to get the board packets out on time, get the newsletter articles out to the printer on time, get a loan approved..on time (get the gist?) I'm not a big fan when creating..well, maybe with practicing those flute studies, but it has been 40 years, so I'm entitled...but definately not while creating art with ink. So it is with a head hung in shame, that I admit, this sample was attacked with the whole idea of getting 'er done. Lovely Linda at Studio L3 even gave us two weeks for this one, and no set assignment, just use a technique or product from the fabulous Tim Holtz, in honor of his wonderful "12 Tags of Christmas". But, you see, I am WAY behind the eightball this season; I sold all my Christmas cards at the craft show, so I still have to make 45 to get out for me; I have a commission of 10 gift card holders for my head boss (no pressure), I haven't even started on shopping for the immediate family, but at least picked up the grand niece/nephews that have to wrapped, boxed and mailed out this week, and I don't have a clue what to get my husband!

So, as I'm on the home computer, I can't go back to check but it was the 2nd or 3rd tag with the Holiday Relfections set that I chose to follow (Yea for me! 1 Tag technique done! LOL!) This is the one where you use alcohol ink on hard plastic and the Reflections Stamps. To get the whole formula, hop over to Tim's blog and scout it out. As I had the folder out, I also tried to recreate his original technique of stamping on the embossing folders. Of course I did it backwards the first time! LOL!

Here is a close-up, showing the music staff. I wish I had used more ink on the felt, so it would be smoother and the detail would be cleaner. I used a drop of the enamel accents for the eye. The saying comes from Memory Box.

So, done, and with luck, may actually upload before tomorrows deadline.

And, I'd like to take this opportunity to let everyone who is following and completeing the "12 Tags" to know, while I just can't post, I'm am peeking and you all deserve a huge Congrats! And Tim, thank you for sharing your wonderful vision and creativity...it's my new year resolution to be all caught up by next December 1 so I can play along too! LOL!