Thursday, August 30, 2012

Lake Huron Here I Come

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and relaxing Holiday....
We are off to our lake home on Lake Huron....


Wanted to share a few photos of where we will be....
All photos were taken from the lake side porch...
we are to feel some of the effects of the hurricane Isaac
here in Michigan on Saturday....
2 to 4" of rain or more...
hopefully it will miss us!
 
I'll be back mid next week with some new things...
enjoy!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Expressing Art

This is the project I made this week at Joan's Gardens....
 
look at all the goodies that were used on this one.....
lets start with the background....
I have been into background stamps lately, but this is not a stamp, but a stencil...
yes, that's right, a stencil,
using Liquitex Molding Paste mixed with  TH Distressed Walnut In Refill....
the hardest part was letting it dry (which is pretty fast)...
then look at all those lovely dies (I will list at the end)....
the lovely lady is from Graphic 45's "A Ladies Diary"...
she was covered with Ranger's Perfect Meduim, then Utee and heated until smooth...
what fun...she is so pretty with a beautiful sheen...
My gorgeous flower was also made by me....
 
My take on the "sentiment" is my background...
it reads something like this ....
 "Art is just another way of expressing our innermost
thoughts onto concrete media"....so true!!
 
I am entering this into the Shabby Tea Room challenge "Summer Cottage"
using the colors shown, distressing element and sentiment....
 
Some of the products used are:
TWC 6 x 6 template
Marianne dies LR0236 and LR0128
Cheery Lynn Dies B117S (Flourish)
Memory Box 98341 (fern)
Spellbinders S4357 Spiral Blossom.....all these products used may be purchased at Joan's Gardens

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Happy Halloween

Here is another of my cards
I made in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday
when I couldn't sleep...

I haven't done the Less Is More challenge for quite some time
so it is fun to do one once again....
the challenge is fun
it's a recipe
 3 2 1....
do 3 of something, 2 of something and 1
on my card for the "3" I stamped 3 bats I colored in with my SU black marker....
for "1" the moon was done masking a negative and using 3 colors of ink I sponged on..
and my "2" is my 2 stamped words.....
easy peasy and I like it!!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Inspire & The Little Mermaid

I was up early Sunday moring....like 4am to be exact...
sometimes I can't sleep and need something to keep me busy....
so I created cards for 4 different challenges.....
 

this card I made for the challenge at Joan's Gardens...
to use a framed lattice....
a bird.....
flowers.....
and a vertical sentiment.....
well, normally challenges don't throw me, but this one did....
in all the dies I have, not one is a lattice....
so I went thru my Cricut cartridges
 and found a lattice in the MS Elegant cake cartridge...
saved by Martha Stewart!!
but then there  was the problem of the vertical sentiment....
I had this great Asian vertical thank you sentiment....
but it was just too big for the card....
so I had to use some letter rub ons....
my tiny roses were sprayed with 2 different Tattered Angel sprays....
the birds are a MS punch and the "vine" is a Cheery Lynn die....
 
and last but not least I want to share a picture of my darling little
"great" granddaughter that is 11 months old
Miss Paislie
this darling picture was taken by my photographer daughter
and no, I AM NOT old enough to be a great granny...LOL!!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

A Happy Halloween Easel

I wasn't going to post this today, but wanted to enter it in
the Simon Says Stamp and Show that ends in 6 hours...
the challenge is "no rules"....
I love how my Halloween Easel turned out....
While at Joans Gardens on Friday I purchased the Tim Holtz small easel Sizzix die....
I had no idea I would love it so much..you will see it being used alot here I'm sure!


 for my easel I used a Jeni Bowlin Halloween large Bingo card....
I covered the back with a polka dot print.....
for the front I put a MS punch mouse edge and some Halloween
paper garland along the top edge....
I used my new Graphic 45 paper for the clock image, the Happy Haunting....
and the fence along the bottom....
the clock was cut with a TH Alterations clock die....
I added a Cheery Lynn Designs spider corner edge....
the large rats are a MS punch I cut with glitter paper....
one is riding on the back of my black cat...he was cut with my Cricut....
lots of layers...lots of pop up dots!!

Washi Tape

Well, I finally fell into the craze/addiction to Washi Tape....
I got my first rolls last week and now want "more"....
it is so vibrant, so pretty, and so easy to work with....
I ordered mine from Ellen Hutson....
4 rolls to be exact.....
I am using one today from Prima...
on my, don't you just love it???
 
I did this card for a challenge at The City Crafter Challenge Blog....
Wishi Washi 2.....
I stamped my image on glossy cardstock and tried my first attempt with
my new Tim Holtz Distress Markers.....
 
Can't wait to use my other washi tapes...however, they are Christmas

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Easel ~ The Real Thing

Yesterday (Friday) was the best day....
my sister and I went to a workshop at Joan's Gardens...
we made 3 of the most beautiful projects....


I am sharing one of them with you today...
an easel....
it was so fast (of course, they had the kits all cut for us...smile)
look at all those dreamy die cuts...
 
and the flower "I" made with the new Cheery Lynn Build A Flower 2 set
that Selma designed...
I won the build a flower 1 set awhile back to be on the design team
to release that set....
and I have to tell ya, the build a flower #2 set is just as gorgeous...
I think you can make over 20 different flowers with this set...wowzers!!
My Begoina was made with 23 petals,
 all distressed with TH Distress Ink "Tattered Rose"
built up layer by layer....
 
the easel was made with a TH Alterations Sizzix die "Small Easel"
the paper we used is Graphic 45 "A Ladies Diary"
the dies are Cheery Lynn Mini Flourish (B170) Corners (B165)
and Marianne Dies leaves (LR0156)
 
I have to say I came home with a bag full of new goodies I will share later this week....
including the Cheery Lynn Build A flower 2
 
I am entering this into the challenge at Catered Crop "No Stress To Distress"

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Sunflowers ~ A Doily ~ and Movement

Now did the title get your attention or what??
I'll explain it all soon...lol...
 
Does it seem like the month of August is flying by??
August always makes me think of Sunflowers for some reason....
I striped all my decor down and am working on putting a few sunflower/fall items up....
So when the Cheery Lynn Designs challenge this week was doiles...
I decided to make my card a sunflower one.....
(I know none of this makes sense, but it's how my mind works...lol)
My very first Cheery Lynn die was the French Pastry Doily...
I can remember the rage was all those paper doilies you could buy
just about anywhere...a look I loved....
but, when this die came out, and I could cut one any color/pattern I wanted...
boy oh boy was I excited....
I could sit and cut these forever....
 
My doily was cut with LilyBee Designs "Double Dutch" paper...
if you like gingham, then this little 6 x 6 pad is for you...
when I saw it had 6 gingham colors in the pad, it was love at first sight!!
The background paper is Prima Sun Kiss
my "sunflowers" were made with Sizzix flower dies #2.....
the centers are punched circles and hard to tell, but embossed...
 
Also this week Moxie Fab World has a challenge called "movement"...
meaning how your eyes vocus on one thing and leads you up to another and so on....
I first see the big sunflower, then the gingham doily, then the leaf flourish
which leads me back down to the two smaller flowers.....
 
So, I am entering this in the Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge "doilies"
and

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Winter White

I need a NEW camera.....
any input from anyone would more then appreciated....
I just cannot get a good picture with the one I have....
and yes, I have done all the suggested settings....
have new batteries, etc.....


So, that being said, I am entering this lousy picture of my card in
a challenge at Joan's Gardens...
make a white Christmas card, with stickles or glitter and use soemthing from nature....
well, I have stickles on every embossed snowflake and not one iota of it shows....
the snowflakes are punched with a MS punc
h on glossy cardstock (which doesn't show up either)
the tree is a Memory Box die also cut with glossy cardstock
 and I used a pearl "pen" for the ornaments on it....
I think I should go back to bed, as it seems it is going to be an "annoying" kind of day!!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Sprinkles Challenge

Wow...has it been a busy week here....
But I found some time to do a challenge at Flourishes....
they are having a Birthday Celebration for being in business for 5 years....
I think I have been with them from almost the beginning....
I sure have alot of their stamps....


This challenge is to use "Sprinkles"......
it can be beads, glitter, gems, etc...I think you get the idea...
I choose my Flourish "Sweetpeas" stamp set...
I added a bit of lace and pompoms along the edge....
cut my oval with a Spellbinders and the leaf vine with a Cheery Lyn die...
the birdie is a Heide Swapp "resist" piece....
I rubbed TH Victorian Velvet ink on
 and the resist is the dots.....
my sprinkles are my gems...
the sentiment is part of the sweetpeas set....
I stamped part of it outside and the rest inside the card...
the paper is my newest from Prima called "Almanac"
Edited to add:  the sweetpea image was stamped with versamark
on my DS paper, and then embossed with a Ranger Black
"puff" embossing powder.....
not sure if you can get it anymore, so I hoard it..LOL

Monday, August 13, 2012

Be A Square CFC65

I made my fall "square" card for the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays...
"make a square card"....

I made my square card base 4 1/2 x 4 1/2
my maple leaves were cut from scrap (yeah) using my
QuiKutz...remember those?
It was my first "die cutter" I bought....
I scored my bottom section of my card into square on my ScorPal'
and used a Cuttlebug Folder for the top....
a clean and simple card!!
The cardstock is SU "Crushed Curry"....
I find myself using colored CS lately which is a good thing as I have lots of it!
Scroll on down to see my other post today with my Halloween card....

Pushing The Season

Yes, I know I am pushing the Halloween season....
but last year I hardly got to use any of my Spooky stash....
and I also received a new Cheery Lynn Die on Friday....
it is called Lace Corner Deco H....
it has 3 different corner dies.....one being a spider web....
I love it...and I cut the other 2 and they are gorgeous!!

So all that being said, I decided to jump right in and make a Halloween card....
this week at the  Cheery Lynn Die Challenge, we are to use the alphabet....
I choose the letter "H", which I cut on my Cricut....

other supplies used:
Cardstock...SU Pumpkin Pie
Designer Paper....My Minds Eye
Skeleton....K&Company
Spider and ribbon are from my stash....

So, why don't you join in...only requirement is to use a Cheery Lynn Die (1 or more)
on your project and use the week's challenge....

I also received another die with this one, I will post later..
it is a corner pumpkin with flourish and it is so delicate....I love it!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tweet Tweet

What a gloomy and rainy day it is...I love it...lol...
but we have needed rain so bad, like most of the midwest
so am NOT complaining...just loving the cool down from the 90's to 100's...

Because it is so gloomy, I had to take about 20 pics of this poor birdie...
and even after all that, not even one turned out too good...
so lets just say, it looks much better "in real life" lol

I made this card for the challenge over at Joan's Gardens..
(which, by the way I get to go to one of her workshops this month..,woowho)!!
the challenge is
to use the colors purple and green
use a bird of some type
use music
make a thank you card

I stamped my music with a VERY old VersaMark sage green ink
using a LaBlanche stamp....
my birdie is a SU Sizzix die
the branch is a Sizzlets
the thank you is a metal ring...kind of like a bottle cap
my bird was made from some SU scrap paper that I love....

see ya later, I am off to Mike's and Hobbylobby to try and find a few things
to "spruce up" my home!!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Country Road Inspiration

I did a rather simple card for the noontime challenge Flourish's put up today....
the challenge is use a picture of a country road for inspiration....
I chose our "Up North" home on "Erie Lane" to use
even though I do live on a beautiful country road here, I didn't have any photos of it!

I used an older Flourish set for the trees called "Forest of Trees"
the house stamp is an older "Mixed Media" stamp
the sentiment is an older SU...
all inks used are TH Distress inks....

well, thats really it for today, I have 3 kiddo's coming to eat supper in a bit!!

Texture

I made this card for the challenge at Flourish's "Texture"....
I love these new EB folders, they have so much "texture"...
I colored my  Flourish Pansies with my Copics...
go easy, I am just a "beginner" Copic learner....
and I have just a few pens to work with...
for more "texture" , I also added some yellow stickles to the centers....
I have to say I have a ton of ribbons, and invisioned a bold purple satin ribbon...
I found I have very little purple anything....
but managed to find a purple sheer piece.....that's it for today...
see you tomorrow with a few more things!!!

Happy Birthday Flourishes

I made this cute little tag for a challenge at "Fourishes"
celebrating their 5 years in business....
when I think of a birthday , I think of party hats and cupcakes
(not in that order...lol)
I used my Flourish "Birthday Pennants" set for  the hat....
a TH grungeboard number 5 that I glittered....
 my cupcake was "frosted" with yellow Stickles....

I will be back with one more (at least) Flourish challenge post today :>)

Coffee With Friends

I made this card for the Flourish's Timeless Tueday Challenge #181....
This week it was a sketch challenge....
I chose to use my always favorite Flourish set "Coffee With Friends"....
I cut my cup from  a scrap of a background piece I had stamped earlier....
the coffee "steam" was stamped with a glue pad and then glittered....
the black strip is embossed, wish it showed as it is so pretty :>(
the background paper is from My Minds Eye.....
I will back today with a few more posts, as Flourishes is having more challenges....
why don't you join in...their entire August release is being given away!!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Window Box

I have to tell ya, I am addicted to dies right now....
there are so many out there to choose from....
I purchased my window die and window box die early this summer....
I can't believe it is the first I have used it....
both dies are from Memory Box....
the awning is a newer one I just got from Savvy....

I love how it pretty much fits the window....
I added screen behind my window....
punched a bunch of flowers and my bird with MS punches...

I did this card to enter in the challenge at Joan's Gardens
to make flowers your focal point....
use red and black....
use an embossing folder....
add a stamped or die cut border at the bottom
all my dies used can be purchased from Joan's Gardens....

I am also entering this into The Catered Crop
to use WHITE somewhere.....
have to say, I LOVE how this turned out!!!

Now I have to share a pic of my "baby" Nellie....
her birthday is today and she is 7....
I had to get on youtube and play her the Carpenters song "Close To You"....
I always sing the part to her "On the day you were born, the angels got together"
heeheehee...am I crazy or what!!!!!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Autumn Splendor

Can you believe it's August already??
I am so ready for Fall....
it is usually so pretty....
I decided to make my first "Fall" card....

When purchasing dies, I always try to think of different ways to use them
besides the "intended" use....
So, I came up with this gorgeous fall basket of flowers
using the Cheery Lynn Designs Large Spring Basket 2.....
I cut it from SU Crumb Cake cardstock and inked it with TH Wild Honey Distress Ink
My flowers were made with CLD Cuties 1..
aren't they just the cutest little things??
The card opens with a "hidden" brad (under the bow) and mini TH staple
I am entering this in the Cheery Lynn Designs challenge to make a "shaped" card

The dies I used are all Cheery Lynn Designs
 Cuties 1, Tropical Leaves, Spring Basket 2, Large Spring Basket Angel Wing

all my dies were purchased from Joan's Gardens