Last day of Summer.........

I sit here in my studio....enjoying the silence with a bit of sadness....for today my kids go back to school signaling the end of summer, my daughter a senior and my son a freshman. I love the fall season that approaches but am also saddened by the thought of closing up the windows and doors and layering on the clothes.......as the winter months will inevitably set in! but for now I listen to the sounds of nature...smile at the fun had at my chillins Back to School bonfire and think of WHAT TO CREATE NEXT!!

This week over at Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog.......it's all about LAYERS!! which I truly do love...just not in clothes! And layer I did.......




So, I got on an ATC kick one day and I'm not even in a swap or anything (silly me) but I was in a layering frenzy. Gesso on chipboard, then stamped then Stickled, wrapped with Tissue Tape, layered the BEAUTIFUL Ornate Plates over top a stamped saying.

I then set about to making my layered flowers by coloring White Flowers with Distress Reinker Mixtures and diecut fabric flowers colored in the same fashion. I then attached the ATC to a chipboard cover with was layered with ink, Tissue Tape and Distress Stickles. I bound the bundle of goodness together using my TRUSTY Bind it All!! When it was all done....I added Princesca Hardware to accent the piece!!

Thanks for stoppin' by....do check out the other Design Teamies work...it will def knock your socks off!!!

It all began with a tag!!

I don't think I have ever created a project that took soooo long to complete but have ever had so much fun creating. When one says the name TIM HOLTZ....the ladies all scream and faint....well almost...I think of Tags and Distress Ink and the most AMAZING CREATIVE MIND EVER!!! Now, that I've said what I really think!! lets get on with the project.......

My project began with a tag........it was inked, stamped, crumpled, Distress Embossed and wrapped in Tissue Tape. Then the layering began with GrungePaper Plain Nature. The pieces parts were inked, Distress Stickled and then I added Rock Candy Distress Paint. Now, there is no way I could not add my GrungePaper Roses to this!!


Before I can go any further I need to tell you a technique I used. I covered a tag with random strips of Tissue Tape in a random fashion, until it was all covered. I cut flowers and leaves from tags created this way. As you may know, Tissue Tape and Distress Ink are not best of friends. So, in order to bring color to my leaves I distressed the edges and inked them and dabbed on Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.

I created the flowers out of vintage book pages, linen fabric, Tissue Tape tag, and some sheer fabric using the Tattered Floral Die. The pieces parts were colored and Distress Stickled. Once the tag was completed I knew it needed to be so much more......so I pulled out a canvas, painted it, stamped & inked it, sealed it, embellished it with vintage dictionary pages and lace. Are you seeing why this took me a week to complete??!??!

It was all coming together......so I added some Ideology goodies...I think my fave is the Curio Knobs!!!

And there you have it.......a House Warming Gift for my Sister....The Key of Love opens the Door to a Happy Home!!!

Hope you enjoyed the creative ride!!! Hop on over to Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog to see the other Design Teamies creations and join in on the fun!!


Products used: (what didn't I use...hehehehehe) Tattered Floral Die, Tag, GrungePaper, Tissue Tape, Distress Stickles - Rock Candy, Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint, Distress Inks - Wethered Wood, Bundled Sage, Vintage Photo, Mustard Seed, Archival Ink - Sepia, Claudine Hellmuth Studo - Multi Medium, Grunge Board - Plain Nature, Distress Reinker Mixture, Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz - Floral Tattoo, Idealogy - Metal Corners, Curio Knobs, KeyHoles, Word Keys

Don't forget that you could win this week's wonderful prize! It's an autographed Tote bag and if that was not enough ... an autographed Compendium of Curiosities along with a sheet of Tim's stamps and some Distress Inks and a Blending tool! OMW!! head on over to Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog.....

A week of......

HAVE TOOS vs WANT TOOS!!!

It's been a week full of them!!! School shopping, haircuts, dentist appointments, DT assignments, kit assemblege.....throw in an unscheduled day at work and it makes a girl wanna go CRAZY and create something.........JUST CAUSE...so that's what I did!!! that's where the WANT TOOS came in.








I had seen the idea for my creation in a Stampington and Co magazine called HandCrafted...I just can't get enough of their magazines!!! I tried to buy a new pair of shoes but.....to no avail!! So, I decided to use an old pair of shoes I had, you can see they were blue with flowers....SO the process began......old music paper, stamps, paint, Matte Medium, fabric,  and something different...Twinkling H2O's.




 I have never worked with them before and thought what the heck.....I'm game!!! now I had received these little goodies before the days that the company was acquired by Creative Imaginations so I'm not sure if the colors I used will coordinate with the colors now being released, they are Pomegranate, Wild Vine and Pink Grapefruit. One thing I did find out was this product prefers a porous surface but will work if coaxed on a non porus surface.

 I hand painted with them, used a mask and even did my "dipping" process on the flower....and it worked and looked luscious!!! to say the least. When I completed my creative process, I sprayed them with Super Seal....and I can't wait to wear them.....yes I will wear them!!


Now, I'm off to work on my HAVE TOOS list.....have a great day!!

While getting lost in blogland I came across this amazing blog, Alter It Monthly and this months theme is MUSIC....and thought of my altered shoes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY........

My sweet girl!!!

My Lysie Rae (Melsya Rachel) as I call her, actually I have many names for her but this is my fave, turned 17 today!!! I can hardly believe how the days and years have flown by. SHE IS 17!!

So, for her birthday, my son and I showed up at my sisters, where Lysie watches her cousins, and SURPRISED HER!!! We had cake with candles and balloons!! She was woken by a wonderful serenade of  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! It made her day.....as this was to be the first birthday away from home!!! So we gathered up the kiddos, packed our lunch and the car and headed for the beach!! WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Here are some picts of the day!!!

and the ocean taketh away

we toook WAY TOOO MANY PICTURES as usual!!!  but this should give you a brief over view...it was a red flag day...but they road the waves for a while....before they froze to death, while Sarah and I built our drip sand castle!!!

in all their glory

gotta love 'em

beautiful girl

girls just gotta have fun!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYSIE!!!

OH.....BY THE WAY.......don't forget about the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge going on!!! Pull our your Wendy Vecchi stamps and create away......and if you don't have any.......BE NOT CONCERNED.......check out her blog...get an idea of how she creates and HAVE FUN!!! I SURE DID!!

It's all about Wendy....

OK...so this week it's all about your Studio 490/Wendy Vecchi style over at Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog. I had the privilege to meet "the Wendy" girl at Ranger U in 2007 and have loved her "stuff" ever since!!!

When I think of Wendy, I think of all things flowers. So flowers it is!! I stamped her "Funky Flower Art", one small and two large, onto Creative Imaginations Canvas paper, cut them out and colored them with my Distress Reinker Mixtures, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, and Barn Door. I dabbed on some Distress Stickles for color and texture and there you have it!!

I covered my box with dictionary paper and Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Multi Medium....I love that stuff.....added some trim and ink...a little more stamping and voila....a cut little decorative box!!

So dooo play along with the Design Teamies over at Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog....I love seeing everyone's creations!!

Products used: Studio 490 - Wendy Vecchi - Flower Art & Funky Flower Art, Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Multi Medium & Paints - Modern Red & Dab of Yellow, Robin's Nest - Sunflower Dew Drops, Ranger: Archival Ink - Olive & Sepia, Distress Reinker Mixture (Mini Mister, Distress Reinker & Perfect Pearls) - Rusty Hinge, Barn Door, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Distress Stickles - Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint

Zistering away!!!

Wow...it's AUGUST already!!! where o where has the summer gone....it's been a beautiful one but I've done absolutely nothing but CREATE!!! Now don't get me wrong...it's not that it's a bad thing! Now, beings as it is August it's time for another round of Bind It All projects!!!

I had WAY tooo much fun with this project... you see I discovered Golden Fiber Paste. Oh the fun I've been having with it!! And those flowers...used my trusty Tattered Floral Die and fabric....I know, I know....I've been promising a tutorial and I WILL get it done before the snow flies!! AND do I see my GrungePaper Roses
nestled in there??? by golly I do!! Watch out though, I'm warning you they are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!!!

Do pop on over to my Bind it All gallery and see my other project, I am tooo pumped as they were for the Reminisce booth at CHA-S....the box actually made it this time around!

Lastly, I must shamelessly make another plug for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog....which I am so proud to be on their DT......there is a FABULOUS prize package up for grabs.....so do check it out and I would encourage you to play along......pull out your goodies and get "INKY"!!!

Off to box this goodie up to send to a friend.....hope she enjoys it!!

PS....are you surprised I used my Distress it All.......well of course your not!!! cause I DID!!

Watch Out Challenge World......

Here comes the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog and Design Team....and we are here to ROCK YOUR WORLD!!!!

This weeks challenge.......simply stated......."THINGS WITH WINGS"! put your thinkin' caps on....pull out your goodies and Create.....that's what I did!!!

I wanted to create my first DT project to say THANK YOU  to Heidi and the other girlies at Simon Says Stamp and our fearless leader Linda Elbourne!!

I went right to my Grungeboard Elements....got my "wings" and the journey began!!!

I'm not sure I've had that much fun in a long time....and those wings....they are colored using Perfect Pearls...ran them through my Cuttlebug using the Bricked Texture Fade, smothered them with Perfect Medium and dusted on Pearl  - Perfect Pearls....wish you could really see the shimmer!!!


So PEEPS, you sooo want to play along with us...the prize package is out of this world.....might resign just so I could have a chance to win....oh wait a minute....NOT!!!

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEIN' YOUR CREATIONS...and I will checking them ALL out!!
they need to be posted on the blog by Midnight on August 15th (Ohio, USA time!!!)

PS>....do pop onto all the DT blogs to get more detailed info regarding their projects! and BTW did you see what one VERY LUCKY participant will win???  can you say WOWZEROONIE!!

Products used: Tim Holtz: Grunge Elements - Plain, Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Barn Door, Distress Crackle Paint - Tarnished Brass, Distress Stickles - Fired Brick & Rock Candy, Distress Reinker Mixture - Wild Honey & Brushed Corduroy, Memo Pins, Texture Fades - Bricked & Woodgrain, Stampers Anonymous - Floral Tattoo, Stickles - Golden Rod, Perfect Pearls - Pearl, Ink Blending Tool, Zutter: Distress it All, Claudine Hellmuth Studio: Paint - Tan

PINCH ME.......

Do you see that.....?? 

I was chosen to be a part of the MOST AMAZING DESIGN TEAM!!! 

The Design Team call said.... 

If your style is inspired by the likes of Tim Holtz, Wendy Vecchi,
7 Gypsies and Graphic 45 - among many other Vintage enthusiasts, this Design Team is for you...

For any of you who know me....even a little bit....YOU KNOW THIS IS ME....all over!!!

SO........ make sure you pop on over to the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog

to meet the rest of the FANTABULOUS DT!!

and don't forget to stop by on Monday....to check out our first challenge....

for those who play along......I hear there are some pretty amazing prizes to be given away!!

MPTS August Challenge

Today is the day.....the reveal of the August Challenge over at More Paper Than Shoes!!!

Theme: "Vintage Paris"
Supplies: fabric, a piece of metal, acrylic paint
Surface: ANY
Technique: Crackle 

So this challenge....was a challenge....I had one piece of paper to work with. I had wanted to transfer the image to the fabric, but that didn't work (bummer), the paper was tooo thick. I decided to just attach it to the Duck Cloth with Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium....the it was LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!! I brushed on paint, misted with my Distress Reinker Mixtures, then I crumpled it all up....created some LOVELY FLOWERS using Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Die, added some of my "Roses" made out of various mediums. OOOOOh it was creative AMAZINGNESS!!!  and that hanger.....a fabulous yard sale find!!! covered with metal run through my Cuttlebug, colored with Alcohol ink and covered with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

You know when you try something....and then it doesn't work...but you end up with a very cool result....well that happened here. The Crackle paint started to flake off, so I rubbed it off, in doing so, off came some of the Alcohol ink but the end result was JUST THE COOLEST!!! Just love it when that happens.

So, pull out your supplies and join along with the fun!!