Card Bag and Fun Foam Stamps

I have finally had some time to get to some of the "What If's" on my 2013 list, I know, down to the wire, lol. I posted one of the card bags earlier, it is an idea I found on Jennifer McGuire Ink site, but I had envisioned a craft bag with a swirl for the card holder on the front.  My wonderful Silhouette Cameo assisted me in getting this done, definitely one of my "I will never regret this purchase items", my Cameo is awesome.

 This card was done with another set of the fun foam stamps, colors are Tim Holtz "Wild Honey" and "Vintage Photo".  "2014" are some old "Making Memories" rub-ons.  The bar background stamp was done with a "StampingUp" punch.

Here are the two new stamps done with punches and fun foam.  By the way the tree is mounted to a champagne cork, so later tonight when you pop those corks, remember not to throw them away.  The circle is 1 1/4".

So this is my last post for 2013, how quickly this year has passed, it has been filled with new ideas, supporting friends, good books and wonderful kitty snuggles.  I look forward to a New Year of more ideas and time in my studio.  Happy New Year, hugs

stamp made with punches

I love word blocks and tags but sometimes get bored with them, as I was deciding how to do my thanks on this card I was also going through some scraps and tucked between some were some of my fun foam sheets, so I took them out and placed them at the end of my table.  Then I had the idea to do a fun foam stamp for my word block.  I took my "StampingUp" punch and punched it into the foam, then took a standard hand star punch and punched stars over the top of the word bar.  I ran a strip of double sided adhesive on the back and attached it to an acrylic block.  Then used Tim Holtz "Wild Honey" and "Peacock Feather" distress inks to ink it up and stamped.  I used a micron .005 pen to do the double border and thanks and then added some faux gems.

Here is the stamp, did not even take 5mins to do this.

Hope everyone has a fine Monday as we slide into 2014, another year, another opportunity to get it right, and more days to love love love what you are doing, hugs

Hopeful

I have been wanting to do an egg for this little blue bird for so long and finally this weekend, I got one done. All colors are Copic markers and the background is a gelli pull.  My life is definitely easier the last couple of days.  I put everyone on notice that until the first of the year, if I don't want to do it, it will not get done, LOL.  Hope everyone is moving stress free into the new year. Hugs

Deedra - Guardian Angel of Love

I think I love her most tattered, I do have a thing for tattered angels.

Guardian Angels have my attention at present.  Colors are Copic Markers, Micron Pens, and Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I have just finished "The Signature of All Things" by Elizabeth Gilbert, what a read.  It was evident to me that in the "Signature of All the Things", the key is Love.  It is the ultimate book for anyone who is fascinated, in love with and care giver to the flora and fauna of this earth.  I was moved to tears in the story of Roger the dog.  I truly hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and as we move into 2014 may all of you be blessed.  Hugs

colored bobby pins as accents

I am doing my last minute gift wrapping and ran into the Dollar Store yesterday, have you seen the colored bobby pins? See below.  They had them in neon colors and pastels so I picked one of each up, I was inspired.  What cute little clips they make and will work on journal pages too, they are pretty low profile. This tag was done with just scraps on my table and I used the green neon clip for it.  Carry on!

I am sure there are some other fun uses for these, I will share as I play.  Hugs, hugs, hugs

May Our Days Be Blessed

Good Morning, as we approach the Christmas Day, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, may it be filled with love, friendship, hope and blessings.

This time of the year I am checking my lists, once, twice, making assessments, and scooping up loose ends. This is also the time of the year I start moving over things that I did not do in this year that I will put on the list for next year.  I have a project in 2014 that is going to require some welded words.  I know how to weld words with my Cameo but do not feel at all proficient in the process.  I don't know about you but I find that when I have a tool that will accomplish multiple functions, I tend to use it for the functions I have become familiar with, especially if I am under a time crunch, lol, which is more often than I am some times comfortable with.  But this week I had a few spare moments and decided to do some word welding.  I love words with images, always have and probably always will.  So, I think my 2014 will have a lot of words.

I did this word block using a Cameo Font "Painter's Hand LD, and cut it out on a scrap piece.  My calligraphy pen and nibs were on my table as well as some sepia ink, so I started playing, did some grunging and added a couple of my poinsettia's.  I recently read "The Book of Days" the story of Benjamin Franklin's baby sister Jane.  This piece reminds me of that time. It is not an easy read but it made me so grateful for being born in this time in space.  I love visiting the times of yore in books and movies but I would not have fared well in those ages of male dominance and control.   Be warm and safe my friends, in body and soul as we approach this Holiday of Blessings, hugs

Talents - A Digi Page

As we continue our visit to Scandinavia over at the Art Journal Caravan, I share a quote from Henry Van Dyke - Minister from the United States to the Netherlands in 1913. Other than the birds and photo corners, I used Tangies Dec AJC2013 kit from Scrapbook Graphics.

"Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best."  Have a wonderful week, hugs

Gift Bags

What a fun idea for a gift bag from Jennifer McGuire Ink, it is your gift bag and card showcased on the front. I loved it so much I had to try one.  I created the block and slit with the Cameo, it will be fun to enhance it with some swirls or scallops when I get some more time.  I used just a plain white gift bag and some pattern paper for the block, see below.  They are quick and soo so easy.  I enhanced this one with an embossed snowflake using a Sizzix 2 1/4" X 3" embossing folder.

This is my test bag to see if the dimensions worked, be sure an adhere the block under the handle loops.

Here is just the block and slit designed and cut with my Cameo

Mount the block to the bag and then cut the center of the slit out with an x-acto knife, also for those of you that use an electronic cutter, don't throw away your used mats, they are perfect for cutting up when you need and odd shaped cutting mat.  Hugs and hope your week is full of Christmas Cheer. Hugs

Santa's Break - A Digi Page

Almost a week without posting, having withdrawls, lol.  Since I am cleaning up after my close out of the storage unit, with occasional times out for achy back re-coups, working on my Christmas stuff and just life in general, I have been a little out of the loop.  Our last destination for the 2013 Art Journal Caravan is Scandinavia, and I wanted to do a fun, quirky page.  The background is a collage of cropped photos taken on my trip down south and a gelli pull, it is one of my favorite backgrounds right now.  The other elements used are from Tangies - December 2013 Port of Call Kit.  I am sure Santa needs a wee break, so I gave him one.

Hope everyone is doing fine and that you are on track and taking time to breath deep, hugs

Dobby was a good Elf

This last weekend, I watched the last two Harry Potter Movies "Deathly Hallows".  This series captured my imagination from the first words and I have read and watched all of them with anticipation and wonder.  My son was around 10 when the first one was released and watching Harry age and mature has been magical. Dobby was one of my favorites as with everyone.  As I watched the scene where he dies I could not help but wonder, did Rowling cry when she killed him off?  I don't know that I could have done it.
So as with all things that completely capture my imagination, Dobby has continued to be on my mind and I decided to do an Elf Stocking in tribute to this favorite character.  The stocking was hand drawn, then colored with Copics, I used some of my snowflakes and the banner was computer generated using Accent Dot font.  Rest in peace Dobby.  May all your House Elf's be Dobbies., Hugs

Nurture

Happy Monday everyone.  Over the last 4 or 5 months I have been taking pictures of rusty things and creating rusty backgrounds and elements, just cause I love that entire rusty process.  I love the colors and patterns of rust.  This weekend I did my first alphabet using some of my rusty background.  The watering can is a Silhouette image from the Beatrix Potter series, I just did a rusty recolor of it using Copic markers. Photo corners are from an EKSuccess punch.
I thought "Nurture" was a good way to start off the month of December.  With all the hustle and bustle, the stress of the season preparations and weather, in order to get through it all we have to remember to Nurture ourselves first so that we can then share it with our loved ones.  So my friends Nurture yourselves lavishly this week and then share it. Hugs