Bring your TAG ON!!!

 

OK FOLKS........are you ready to get you Tag ON????

This week at Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog.......IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TAG!!

I don't know about you but I love creating tags!! It is such a great way to let those creative juices flow!!

My tag has a bit of a vintage flair to it...I inked my Silhouette Spray stamp with Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint Distress ink...spritzed the inked stamp with water, then stamped on my  tag and paper, giving the image a "watercolor" look. Do you see the Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint??? The tag was accented with a Tim Holtz Corner.

The Maya Road flourish was painted with Gesso, embossed using the Collage/Notebook Texture Fade, the high points sanded then inked with Faded Jeans. If you notice....there is Distress Ink everywhere....used in both the pad and liquid form.

Do you see it....do you??? My GrungePaper Rose!!! If you would like to know how to make this little ditty....check out my tutorial

So....peeps!!! get your TAG ON....and link you creation to the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog......can't wait to see!!!

Would it be vain to brag on myself for a moment!!! You see a life long dream of mine has been to be published in ANY Stampington Magazine....I know I was published in the Stampers Sampler....greedy as I may be, I WANTED MORE!! Sooo....when I got back from my Thanksgiving Mini Vaca....there it was...... a YOU'VE BEEN PUBLISHED magazine ....I almost cried!! Their magazines are JUST THE BEST and it is TRULY AND HONOR to be published in one of their magazines!!!

What do you CELEBRATE....

cause we at.....

want to see your creations!!! 

Christmas.....Hanukkah....Kwanzaa.....Festivus....Christmukkah!!!

Head on over to Paper Issues and LINK UP your creations!!! 

you may notice a few of my creations when you stop by!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING....

Today is the big day....have my apple pie to cook but the New Orleans Casserole is baked....the Cranberry Relish has been made....BRING ON THE TASTE BUD EXTRAVAGANZA!!

Today is a day of Thankfulness, Gratitude....a day of acknowledging those we love, whether they are with us or not, being thankful for all we have, great or small, for the freedoms we so graciously have....FOR BEING AMERICANS!! Thankful for all who serve to afford us these freedoms, for the sacrifices made by those who have gone before us!

There are many things in my life, that are very negative, that I could choose to focus on....but today I choose GRATITUDE, for my amazing teenage children and the rest of my family, For wonderful gracious friends who have been by my side, To the various Design Teams who chose me to participate and share my creativity and who have been my life line at times. And to you who so faithfully pop in and leave me such wonderful words of encouragement.

But most of all I am Thankful that God has granted me one more day to enjoy this beautiful thing called life...in all it's ups and down!! Today, I AM THANKFUL!!

Here's hoping my American friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving....enjoying the smorgasbord....but to everyone....here and abroad....take time to reflect on all you have to be THANKFUL for and do share them with me....I would love to hear them!!

I will share this with you....my New Orleans Casserole recipe...it was one of my beloved Father in Laws favorite dishes....

Take 5-7 red potatoes, cut up and boil till soft to poke. Pour out water and mash as if your were making Mashed potatoes, with butter, milk, salt and pepper, but make it a CHUNKY mash. Cook up some bacon, I use 4 pieces, cut up and add. 14 oz of Sour Cream, 1/2 cup of Cheddar/Monterey Jack shredded cheese, 4 scallions, diced...mainly the white part. Mix it all together, place in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees, till heated through....sprinkle with additional shredded cheese........OH THE AMAZINGNESS!!

Hoping everyone one has a wonderful day!!!

Got a minute.....

Tis the season....to be creative!! I have to tell you I've been cranking out the Christmas goodies!! Think I like this season?? And so have the Design Team over at SIMON SAYS STAMP!! The challenge this week is.......DISTRESS INK!!


I used the Fantabulous Night Divine by Creative Imaginations/IOD, Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die, Forest Moss and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink, Fired Brick and Peeled Paint Distress Stickles, Tiny Attacher, Ink Blending Tool, Claudine Hellmuth Multi Medium, Petaloo Berry Picks, vintage buttons, jingle bells, grapevine wreath and Christmas gold netting.

Now, you may want to grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa as this post is a bit long, but it does go by quickly....cause I want you to be able to create this little goodie tooo!!

So, grab your supplies and let's get creating!!

You will need to cut pieces of paper 1 1/2" x 2 3/4" of three different patterned papers,

5 green, 4 of one red and 5 of another.

Ink the edges of the green leaves with Forest Moss Distress Ink or the ink of your choice.

Trim off the bottom of the 4 like leaves.

Ink the edges of all the red leaves with Aged Mahogany.

Next Stickle the edges of the leaves, Fired Brick on red leaves Peeled Paint of green leaves.

Fold over the bottom edge of the leaf and staple.

Repeat the above process with all leaves.

Sorry, this photo is blurry (didn't find out till too late!) 

Arrange/adhere the green petals on a circle by placing a dab of Multi Medium 

on the back of each leaf petal.

Continue the same process with 5 red leaf petals.

Finish with the final 4 leaf/petals and finish off with a vintage button.

Arrange the flowers on the a grapevine wreath. 

Accent with Berry Picks, gold ribbon, and jingle bells.

(so much prettier outside)

Hope you've enjoyed my rather lengthy tutorial....Now go create!!
DON'T FORGET TO LINK YOUR CREATIONS  TO
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog!!

FYI...

If you are here to see my next post....please come back tomorrow. The post posted on the wrong day due to OPERATOR ERROR (that would be me...hehehehe)

This is the LIFE!!

SO....I got my box of goodies from IOD/Creative Imaginations. When I saw the LOOLAH Collection, I could hardly contain myself....ALL THE GORGEOUSNESS!! and it just so happened my daughter had just taken photos of herself which were the perfect match!!

I had so much fun working with all the doo dads that go with this line!!! Flower Brads, Layered Stickers, Gem pack, Combo Brads, Epoxy Stickers....and the paper......AAAHHHH!!!

I used one of the pages for the DieCut book for my hidden journaling!!

This is definitely a MUST HAVE LINE!! (can you tell I like it???)

 I cut out flowers from the blooming paper and accented them with brads and rhinestones and created this fabulous flower cluster!

Do you see the stitching on the diecut paper???

I'm serious, what is there not to LOVE about this line???

A season of THANKFULNESS......

THE TRUTH......the most important holiday....THANKSGIVING seems to be missed in the whole holiday roundup this time of year. The focus seems to be Halloween, which I can sooo do without, then we hop right into Christmas.

Over at Paper Issues....we are on a quest to SAVE THANKSGIVING!!! 

a good cause if I do say so myself.....

 My creation is a Mini Brag Book!!! just right for all those beautiful pictures of the fall and of THANKSGIVING DAY!!

I created this gatefold mini from an 8 x 8 Canvas Artboard cover cut with the AMAZING Zutter Kutter....dang that thing can cut!!I covered the artboard with a bag (loved the vintage look) and other vintage ephemera. 

I was at it again creating and coloring flowers and leaves (one of them is a prefab by Maya Road) using the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral and Tattered Leaves Die.

The Tim Holtz Corners just added such a wonderful touch to the corners!!

See those yummy torn up edges of the paper.......that would be the FABTACULAR Distrezz It All!!! ohhhhhh....love that look!!
So, put your Christmas creatin' aside for just a moment....and think on it....Thanksgivings not all about ALL THE YUMMY food (don't get me wrong....I can't wait for the mouth festivities to begin) but for being THANKFUL...what are you THANKFUL for???
 Link your creations up to the Paper Issues Blog....Can't wait to see the wonderfulness that you create!!

Happy...Happy...Happy.......

What Ever Makes You Happy!!!

This is the theme this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog.....

Do you think you can guess what makes me HAPPY.....I'll give you three tries......

So, what did you guess.......If you guessed FLOWERS you would be right!!

But this week I made my flower with a twist........I used Tim Holtz Tattered Leaf Die.

I cut 14 beech/birch leaves from a cotton fabric. The 9 red petals were colored using Barn Door, Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany. The 5 green leaves were colored with Shabby Shutter and Peeled Paint.
 

The petals/leaves were accented using Fired Brick and Peeled Paint Distress Inks. The flower center created using Tim Holtz Baubles.

I created a tutorial on how to created these little beauties........
Now if you are not a person who likes to get messy this may not be for you!!

My Poinsettia tutorial


So, what makes you happy????
Pull your goodies out and create your HAPPY piece!! and link it to
Simon Says Stamp in Show Challenge Blog........
YOU could be a WINNER (not that you aren't already!!)

Scrappy Mail.......

Who doesn't LOVE SCRAPPY MAIL....I know I do and I got me a big ole box of it yesterday from the FABULOUS folks at IOD/Creative Imaginations.....I couldn't WAIT to play with it but I did!!

I stumbled upon this fabulous blog.....Paper Issues! another fun place to play along with!! The Peer Pressure Challenge is "SCALLOP".....so scallop it is!!

I created this cone using my NEW fabulous papers "Night Divine". (I hate taking photos inside at night uuuuuggh!!)  I punched several type of scalloped edges even the lace is scalloped!! I had fun playin' along and with!!

Thank you Peggy for the pattern on how to make this little dittie!!

Oh the fun we had....

This past weekend I spent with my Beacon Buddies at a Scrapbook Weekend. I forgot my camera so no pictures :( sorry. The first class I taught was a 2 page layout titled....Stickers ~ Takin' them up a notch. 

I had 10 wonderful students and OH THE FUN WE HAD. 

We made flowers, pleated, tore and inked paper and laughed real hard!! 

 

The papers and stickers are from the Autumn Forest Collection by Reminisce. I just love this line!!

Here is the second class I taught.....and we got messy. More so than in the first class!!

We used the wonderful Color Me Crazy flowers from Petaloo, lots of Distress Reinker Mixtures, along with the Bind it All and Distrezz it All!!! and OH THE FUN WE HAD!!

Thank you Ladies for a wonderful time.......see you in the Spring!!

Your favorite.........what??

Can you pick a favorite Tim Holtz stamp?? I know I can't!!

Knowing I needed to create for this challenge, I packed up some of my favorite goodies to take along with me to a scrapbook retreat this past weekend.

After two demos of Ranger products and kitting for two classes that I taught on Saturday, I finally sat down to create my tag.....stamped on the tag, poured on the embossing powder, turned on my heat tool.......poof a third of the lights went out.....oops!!! Then a few moments later, I turned it on again, and poof off they went again....so I decided I needed to change my idea.

I created the flower using various fabric and flowers cut from the Tattered Floral die. I painted on Multi Medium, it makes the fabric stiff but yet flexible....AWESOME STUFF!!

I stamped with Pumice Stone Distress Ink on the tab using one of the stamps from the Floral Tattoo collection! LOVE IT!!

I inked around the edges of the tag and brushed on Perfect Pearl ~ Perfect Pearls. OHHH the shimmerness!! To finish the tag of I added some vintage lace and a hand written sentiment to Tim Holtz .........thank you for being an inspiration!!

As a bonus, just thought I would share the tags I created to demo at the event!

Aren't these leaves gorgeous....I used Tim's Falling Leaves Stamp collection, inked the leaves with various Distress Ink colors, spritzed with water and stamped. Love that technique!!

The focus of the second tag is grungepaper....I just love working with this stuff!!








So, fellow artists....dig through your stamps and try, if you may. to choose your favorite Tim Holtz stamp and create away.....I am looking forward to seeing your creations over at SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE BLOG who know...you could win some scrappy goodies....who doesn't love free scrappy goodies????

NIGHT DIVINE......

OK...so self control has not been one of my strengths lately!!! I have been ooogling the Night Divine by IOD/Creative Imaginations paper since the day it arrived in the store. I just couldn't wait to get in my DT package, had to buy it from my LSS, Generations of Memories, 

along with the cutest Stocking Banner by Kaiser. 

I wanted to keep the stockings rather simple, to focus more on the papers and the word..."MERRY". The holly leaves and berries are made from the AMAZING Canvas Paper by Creative Imaginations....just love this paper! (FYI....I will be moving the tassel to a new location asap!!)

Headed away for a scrappy weekend with friends.....hope you have one too!!

HAD TO SHARE.....

Since the day I stumbled upon a cardboard cone at Michaels.....I have been mulling around an idea of what I wanted to do. I had a basic idea, a plan began to surface in my mind.....now the thing was to get it out!!

One thing I did know....I was going to use my Tattered Floral Die...now exactly which flower....that was yet to be determined.

Another thing I knew I wanted to use.....was different types of fabric. I chose Linen and two different weights of Muslin.














I  determined I wanted to use the long petaled  flower, along with Reinker mixtures of Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Bundled Sage and Shabby Shutters.

So....let the cutting and coloring begin!!

I alternated rows of fabric....note how each one took the inks differently.

I adhered all the flowers to the cone with Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium........THIS STUFF IS AMAZING!!

I found an old cardboard star to place at the top of my tree bedazzled with Golden Rod Stickles. I also tore the berries of a floral spray and strung them on vintage crochet thread. Dabbed on a bit of Peeled Paint Distress Stickles and dusted with Faux Snow.

And there you have it..........I just love it when an idea comes out of my brain and is a success!!!

Shabby-liciousness!!

I chose to stamp Tim Holtz  Sketch Tree with Pinecone Glimmer Mist.  Next, I spritzed Pinecone and Olive Vine Glimmer Mist. I made a puddle of Olive Vine on my Craft Mat along with a puddle of water and painted in the open spaces. Using my Ink Blending Tool, I scooped up the left over and inked the edge of the tag.

Next, I pulled out my Regal Glimmer Chips. I had been waiting for just the right time to use one of these yummies!!  I spritzed directly on the chip. I dried it with my Heat It Craft tool and I sanded the embossed areas. I then painted Frost Glimmer Mist on those newly exposed areas.












For the verbage, I painted with Pinecone and when dry, wrote over with a Sharpie. I had the Vintage Alphas which I also dipped in a Pinecone puddle. For the final accent, I used Rock Candy Distress Stickles to highlight the tree.




I love using different mediums when creating my flowers cut with the Tattered Floral Die. This flower consist of Cardboard, Coffee Filter, Dictionary Page, Linen and a Color Me Flower from Petaloo. They were spritzed directly, dipped in puddles of color or dabbed in spray on my Craft Mat. The Seam Binding and Twine were colored in the same fashion. Layered in color...LOVE IT!

This tag will be hung proudly in my studio to remind me......

JOY...DOES come in the Morning!!





So get Shabby and play along with the Design Team 
and Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Blog!! 
YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS PRIZE PACKAGE!!!