Some Fun News!

After being gone for over a year from the BBTB2 Design Team, I missed them terribly and when I saw the Design Team call I got busy and applied, today it was offical, I am back on the team and glad to be there. Our challenge for submission to the call was a Mother's Day card. I used "Ornamental Iron" cart and a gate fold card.

If you are not familiar with the BBTB2 Challenge Blog, it is all about the wonderous Cricut and the various and plentiful carts with fab cuts and ideas.  This is a collection of women, who love that bug and play with it often, so if you have one, considering getting one or have one that is piled with stuff and crying to be turned ON!  Come play with us, comment, ask questions and request what your favorite challenge would be, you never know.  Please visit my design sisters, each have their own unique style and wonderful take on what to do with the bug and it will only inspire and sometimes tickle you.  Hugs

It's a good Monday

Wow, happy Monday, this is a card I have been working with for over a week and a half, or maybe I should say working against, lol.  I had a couple of challenges on this one, first of all it was rquested that I use orange and black, the school colors, then if I could an oil derrek and then I was sent two pictures one of the graduate in K and the other a graduation pic.  They were great pics, and very handsome grad, the problem, you say?  The background on the grad pic is a royal blue.  I had all the components chosen and cut, I had the sentiment done, I had a stack of 30 or 40 papers for the background and finally did not use a one of them, I decided to use this wonderful stripe, it is a brown with a little bit of red in it, giving it a rusty tone.  This meant I needed to change the color of the cup because silver or gold/was not looking good, so I went with a heavy patina metal.  I finally decided that my orange would just be one of the ribbons on this wonderful cup.  I definitely had my muse on my shoulder when I decided to cut a slit in the cup, mat the photos and attach them inside, they can be pulled out for viewing.  It goes postal later this morning and I get an extra tall latte, lol.   Here are the credits:  The background paper is "My Mind's Eye" Lost&Found - Madison Ave., Pintuck.  The oil derrek is from "Cricut Cart" My World.  The cup was a freeby from the wonderful and talented "Lillyboo", she has some new stuff that is fab.  The cup does have 1st on the front so I used a Spellbinder's scalloped oval and the font for 2012 is also Spellbinders.  Colors by Copic and I also used Ranger Distress Ink "Pumice Stone" with a brush.  And that is a take for this week.  Have a great one, Hugs

Trellis with blooms

Happy Sunday all.  It is a splendon  (heeee heee, splendid, it was suppose to be, I must have been trying the multi task) spring day here, the birdies are tweeting, cool temps and blue skies.  I was playing a little in my garden yesterday and saw this tiny patch of wild flowers with a patch of patterned grass and it gave me this idea.  My Iris are almost entirely spent, so some major pull out will have to go on this coming week, but not today. Have a good one. Hugs

A Post Script:  As I was drinking my coffee this morning, I was looking at some Zentangles and other items on my table, an unfinished card that needs desperately to be completed and my new Black Smashbook that I am itchy to play with, but my brain keeps popping back to the Zentangles, I think that I am attracked to the mystery of them, they are like a beautiful sentence without the rest of the paragraph, you are completely captivated by the little window and keep the vigile open for the completed statement, idea or story. Oh I am such a mushy romantic sometimes, carry on......hugs

Dive In

It was wet and gloomy on Thursday, so I played with the fish and the ocean, that always helps, lol.  Another of my doodles and one of my very favorite digi backgrounds (done with Ranger inks), it just looks like the ocean to me.  Here is wishing everyone has a Sunny - Spring weekend.  Hugs

A Happy Birthday Girl - In Blogland

Donna is celebrating a Birthday today, so shout it out!  Happy Birthday, Donna.  So she got pink and orange with a Blue Bird of Happiness.  If you know Donna "Popsicletoes", give her a happy birthday call out, if you don't know her, pop on over to her blog anyway and give her a new friend for her birthday, she loves new friends.  Happy Birthday Donna, and Happy Friday to everyone else. Hugs

All that have wings cannot fly

It is Thursday, and we have rain! LOL  So onto the card, this is an A-2 card.  I love digi papers, my own designs and those I have found online, but I have to admit, they are pricey to print, well on my printer anyway, it is an ink guzzler.  So I tend to save all my scraps and use them where I am able.  The background on this is a collage of my digis with some basic black.  The stars are from an EKSuccess punch, I love that I get 3 sizes of stars on this one punch.  The sentiment block is Spellbinders.  The image block was done using Zentangle designs but without the strings, for those of you who are not familar with the Zentangles, when doing a sample about 4"X4" square you then section it out into what is called strings (they are sections) and then put a different Zentangle design in each section.  But I wanted to use a few of them to create a background, the butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch.  Colors are Copic markers.  The sentiment is mine and is computer generated using font "Accent Dot Writer".  So there you have it and hope your day is wonderful, hugs

The smallest of Foot Prints

Happy Wednesday everyone.  This is a standard A-2 card, the background paper is one of my scanned in  splashed Tim Holtz backgrounds, primary colors used were "Vintage Photo" and "Wild Honey", the block was Zentangled and the designs used were the outter edge, a modified "Crescent Moon", the inner block is "Mist".  The die cuts used were "Memory Box" - the bird and branch and "Tim Holtz" shabby banners.  The color for the inner block is by Copic. The sentiment was computer generated and says, "Believe, the smallest of foot prints can make a difference! Hugs, Sandi

Fun with boxes

 I was putting a final touches on a piece I did for a friend's daughters birthday and was boxing (a large Ellison Die) it up and the box look really plain and blahhhh, so I took my large Memory Box Butterfly die, it is one wing and the body and cut it twice, used copics to color and attached one wing to each side of the opening so you can just pull it apart to open.  That gussied it up a bit.

This is a view of the box open.  Happy Sunday, Hugs

If you could be any color - what would it be?

 Well today I would be the purple, pink and the blues I see in these beautiful Iris.  Oh my goodness how I cherish this window of blooms.  It really should be longer, lol.  I cut bunches of them and share with neighbors and friends and in the morning I sit with my latte and stare at their patterns and colors.  They are truly regal blooms.  And not to be totally biased, look at the greens!

I will have them for about another week, as they have a entire new budding getting ready to pop.  Wow, it is official, spring has sprung.  Hope all of you have a blessed weekend.  Hugs

A Happy Birthday

My baby sister's birthday is coming up so I thought I would send her some shock treatment, she is getting up in years, lol.  Doodles and Dylusion "BubbleGum Pink and Squeezed Orange here with some copic.  Oh joy!
I was looking through some of my notes on my doodle classes and one of my favorite things to do for a new class was to share some of the world's famous doodles.  So, here they are:  The Romans would doodle naughty poems on villa walls, Leonardo Da Vinci has books and books of doodles, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin would doodle during those long Independence making meetings.  John F Kennedy loved to doodle his yatch.  Ronald Regan well he loved cowboys and baseball.  John Keats and the list goes on.  Hope everyone is prepared for a fun weekend. Hugs

Thanks in black and white

Thanks in black and white is a Zentangle.  I sometimes have a problem with what to send a male friend for a thanks.  I really like this one.  Happy Wednesday, Hugs

So what's up with the Zentangles?

Sunday as I was procrastinating in the clean up of my studio table top, a serendipitous thing happened, see my post below for details, but a die cut fell on top of an unfinished doodle and I played a bit with it.  I do a lot of Zentangles, if you are not familiar with them visit http://www.zentangle.com/ for a great over view.  I do these to help with my focus and to exercise my eye/hand coordination and to relieve stress.  65 has been a decisive year for me in the complete understanding that all my body wants is balance and as I become more attuned to listening I am guided to the things that will bring that about.  So, all day yesterday I started pulling out some of my doodles, scanning them in and playing with them and color.  The new Dylusion Inks are a perfect match for these doodles, the pattern in black and the vibrant color intensify each other and make for awesome backgrounds.  For this card I spritzed "London Blue", "Lemon Zest" and "Squeezed Orange", then distress inked with "Pumice Stone" and did some stencil background.  Oh boy, this gives me motivation to do more and more doodles so I can happily play with my Dylusion color.  Have a great Tuesday and don't forget to play. Hugs

WOW!

I just walked outside to bring the garbage cans up, I looked up and realized the sky was playing Zentangles with me this morning, now that's an affirmation, LOL.  Hugs

I woke up with purpose

I did wake up this morning with purpose, nothing, nothing, nothing, was going to keep me from my goal of cleaning off my studio table, everything is going to be in its place and clean before I lay myself to sleep tonight.  I am working away, putting this and that up, I pick up a small stack and the poppy falls onto a doodle I have been playing with ......... hmmm, if I spray that doodle with my Dylusion Inks and make it pop for the poppies, wouldn't that be fun?  Of course it was fun, it my most favorite thing to do, just play and color, try this, try that.  So okay, I am off track, my table is still a disaster, but you know what?  The table is only going to stay clean for a mere fraction of time.....hmmmm.  No No No, I am going back in there and I am finishing my goal, I am cleaning my studio table, if anyone is looking for me. LOL.  Hugs and Happy Sunday to you!

PostScript:

I am happy to say the table top is cleaned off, it has been a good day.  Hugs

18th Birthday

 Well I did manage this morning to pull a card off my table, but it is the last one until I do some clutter control, I have about an 8" sqr. in which to work at this moment, oh how quickly it gets trashed on that table top, lol.  I was asked to create an 18th Birthday Card for my friends grandson.  I used Graphic 45 Kraft Paper Collection "Elusive Wings", I scanned it in and also printed it off onto tissue paper, distressed extensively with Ranger Inks "Pumice Stone", "Antique Linen" and "Vintage Photo" and married the tissue to the background with a stiffener and then curled the edges of the tissue.  I then did some stenciling with "Pumice Stone" in 3 of the corners The guitar is from Circut Imagination "JT", I cut it four times so it is dimensional..  The "S" is from QuickKutz "Abigail" and the "18" is from Cricut "Plantin Schoolbook".  Stars are from an EKSuccess Punch.  Overall size is 6"X6"

Hope everyone has a fab weekend.  Hugs

Sweet Kizzie

 No projects to share today, it is a cooking day, it is pouring rain and all kitties are inside napping.  This is Kizzie my 3 legged cat, she is part rag doll and thinks that when her eyes are open her body should be cocooned in someone's arms, lol.  This is a new blankie that she has taken to.  Although she does not speak human, I swear she understands human.

I have a seminar to attend tonight and a pre-dinner early evening, it is a pot luck and every one is bringing a side dish.  This is one of my favorites, Chipolte Lime Buttered Yams with Portabella Mushrooms, it is a savory side and usually I serve it with a maple/surgared ham to off set the sweetness.  I am already hungry, lol.  Hope everyone has a great Thursday heading into Friday, Hugs

Sparkle! A New Flower!

 My flowers keep evolving, I decided I did not like the line (straight from the bottle)application of the glue
so I have started using a brush to apply the adhesive and it gives it a much softer look that I like.  This one I mounted to a Spellbinder's oval and wrote "Sparkle" at the top.  "Sparkle" is a personal affirmation or mantra I use to urge my inner sparkle to the outside, especially if I am taking something or someone much to seriously.  And, I just love the word!

Here is a closer up view of the flower, I added 3 seed beads to the button with needle and thread, no pricks to the fingers this time.  May your day Sparkle. Hugs

A Tag Mini Book

Good Morning, I have a mini tag book to share this morning, it is approx. 2 1/2" X 4".  The pockets are coin envelopes with the flaps cut off.  All of the background papers were done with stamps and the new Dylusion Inks and Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Stains.  Some stickles and UTE, string, button and fun fun Iconic Women Stamps, Stamps of the trade, a feather and a relaxing stamp.  I wanted it moody, uplifting, thoughtful and filled with color, color jewels and sand and old pyramids.

 The back of book stamped with "The Mona" love this stamp.

 A side view to give a peek at the thickness.

 Inside the mini book.

 Another partial side and inside view

 Accordianed out so you could see the tags, the tags are 2 layers of white card stock and 1 layer of chipboard, my favorite way to distress my tags is with my dremel, love love love my dremel.

 top inside.

 A close up of my UTE heart with some stickles.

 7 tags, the fronts

the backs.  We are getting ready for 3 days of rain, so I am getting ready to run out, get hair cut, quick in and out at grocery store and then moleing in til the sun shines.  Have a fab week. Hugs

Using Dylusion Spray Inks with Copic Airbrush

Good Morning, hope everyone has recovered from Easter Chocolate haze.  I played yesterday with the Dylusion Inks and my Copic Airbrush and I have to say I am pretty excited.  I love the colors it rendered.  Colors used on these pages were "Bubble Gum Pink", "Crushed Grape", "Vibrant" Turquoise, "Lemon Zest" and "Melted Chocolate".  I sprayed the two pages with Bubble Gum Pink, it is muted because the book pages are linen/green color, the right page I then stamped with a Tim Holtz Stamp and a Letter Background by Hero Arts. I used Memory Box Dies, the wreath, and the branch, first I used the wreath as a ghosting element by spraying it with water and laying it down on the Spellbinder's Circle,  I used the branch in the same way, I then sprayed the branch with brown and a touch of blue and misted again and re-layed it a little off.  The bird on the branch is part of a Tim Holtz stamp. Photo corner is by EKSuccess, the clock is a Tim Holtz as well as the arrow and splotches.  The tab is a Stampin Up Punch.  The sweet little flower is also a Memory Box Die. The boarder was hand done.  Hope you have a great Monday, Hugs

Happy Easter

Color happens with Dylusion, 3 tags and some techniques, wow.  I have really been putting these colors to the test and they have not disappointed me yet.  The best of all though is below, my table vibrates with color.

At the same time I ordered the Dylusions, I ordered the last 6 original Copic empty markers that ICopic had in stock because I knew that I soooo wanted to be able to use my airbrush with them, so yesterday I loaded up the markers and started playing.  I don't really have a finished project yet, but the primary reason I wanted them with my airbrush was to use for my Art Journals, sometimes a crinkled page is fun but I really prefer them not to be and you can get that with the airbrush because it disperses just a fine mist to the page, coating but not saturating.  I added the ink to the Copic with an eye dropper and am still tinkering with the right amount to load them.  But you get a wonderful even color and the blending is awesome.  So I will definitely be getting 6 more empty markers so I can have all 12 colors for my airbrush.  Hope the Big Bunny was generous with all of you. Hugs

Once In A Blue Moon

To me this is what I am all about, following  my heart murmurs, listening to the color and letting it flow, no concern with a trend, just totally in sync with the vibes around me.  I took more time with the Dylusion Inks yesterday and will definitely spend more time with them, they make me smile.  This is a standard A-2 card, all the background work done with the following colors, "London Blue", Sunshine Yellow, Squeezed Orange. I also used Distress Pad, "Vintage Photo".  The different sizes of stars were punched from an EKSuccess punch and "Twinkle" is a 20 year old stamp from "Annette Allen Watkins".  The moon was ghosted in and then I line drew his face.  By the way, did you see the Hugemongous Moon Thursday night?  It was magic. Hugs and Happy Easter.

Bits n Pieces

I got my Dylusion Spray Inks by Ranger yesterday, did not have a lot of time to play with them, but enough to know they are awesome.  Their blending is impeccable, the colors used here are "Lemon Zest" and "Vibrant Turquoise". this was a must pass test for me.  The vibrancy is amazing.  It took my inks and stamps well and did amazingly with the Ranger Distress Pads.  I liked the way it ghosts and last but not least, it was not difficult washing up afterwards.  They will definitely be a standard in my studio.

I love how different these flowers look, depending on the material you use to make them.  This one was done with a piece of 1" ribbon and added a sparkly bead to the center.  I attached it to the top of the paper clip with a needle and thread.  I only pricked my finger once, lol.


Happy Friday, Hugs

An Art Institute Glitter Baseball Cap

When my friend Lois took me to the airport in March for my Las Vegas trip, she gave me an outrageous sparkly baseball cap to wear for good luck.  When I got home I could not part with it, it represented so much fun.  Yesterday as I was making flowers, the thought passed through my head that I could do an outrageous one for a hat to gift to her at lunch today.  LOL, there is glitter everywhere, but I had the best time making this.  The flower is a bigger version of the one on the card yesterday and I added leaves, it was cut from a tea dyed flour sack towel, I then used the Ranger Fabric Stains and then I added some fabric medium to stiffen the fabric and make it waterproof.  Then I glittered and glittered and glittered.  I added a pin to the back and pinned it to the hat. 

The flower on my purse is the same flower before glitter and it has not been stiffened with the fabric medium, I wanted one for my purse.  Hanging above it is the cap being held captive.

Happy Thursday one and all. Hugs

Butterfly n Flower

My good friend Christy treated me to "Mirror, Mirror" yesterday.  Oh what a fun time we had, there were 7 of us, 3 lovely maids, 1 disgruntled lad, 2 beautiful Moms and Me, I really think the disgruntled lad enjoyed it in the end, although we may never know.  I thought it was brilliant, they totally rewrote "SnowWhite", I love the dwarfs, I loved loved the scenery and the story line was clever. Christy and I were chatting while the previews were running and she asked me if I had seen the ribbon/fabric flowers everyone was doing, well I think I have kinda missed them, so she said she would send me the link and showed me the pics of the gorgeous ones she had done.  So this morning when I booted up, there was the link, now just so you know I associate needle and thread with pricks and blood, lol.  The true test of a great friend is that they know what you will like way before you do, this is not the first time she has done this, steered me in a direction I thought I did not want to go.  These are sooooo easy, so very cute and they are done in a snap.  The background is one of my digi's that has been re-pearled and distressed.  The sentiment is by "Barbara Williams", the butterfly is from a Cricut cart.  Some sweet little gem hearts and it is done.  This is for a friend re-cooping from a painful knee procedure.  That is my share for the day and a glorious sun filled one it is here.  Hugs

May the Stars Always Line Up in your Favor

When I get a background I really like, I scan it into my computer to use again, with these celestrail backgrounds, of course you lose the glimmer of the pearls, so what I do is print out the background, then I reapply the pearls where I want them, so I get my background and the glimmer too.  Below is side view so you can see the glimmer.

It is Tuesday, the sun is supposed to shine and feel like true spring.  Another celestrial background to share, a circle face and a bazzillion stars, lol.  Face was colored in with copics, the stars were done with Ranger Stains.  The sentiment was computer generated.  A little bit of stickles on those cheeks and eyelids.  Here is hoping all your stars are aligned today.  Hugs

A Book Mark

My friend Linda took me to lunch yesterday, it was a totally wonderful pig out.  We both have books in common and I did a bookmark for her.  This is a resist using a Penny Black Stamp "Heavenly Dragon" and a CWS template "Time Travel".  I used "Wild Honey" "Stream" and Mahogony Ranger Inks.  The crackle stamp is from "Toybox".  The clock face is from "Spare Parts".  Tag is an Ellison Die and I used waxed beading string for the top tassell.  Have a great Monday, Hugs

Ghosting Technique

So, what is a ghosting technique?  I was watching a UTube video by Dyan Reaveley, she is using the Ranger Ink Dylusion Sprays, which are #1 on my wish list right now, the color is BRIGHT, INTENSE, and luscious. So I decided to try the technique using the Stains and Re-inkers, my OCD has kicked in and I cannot stop playing with this.  So the background was done, then took the Crafter's Workshop Stencile "Numbers" and sprayed it with water, waited a few minutes and then blotted with paper towels, it is almost as good as imbossing to watch. I then stamped my two images and added 2 photo corners by spare parts and added two black sqr gems and ribbon.  We got wholloped yesterday with the wet stuff and I am ready, ready, for sunshine.  Hope everyone has a great Sunday, Hugs