....2 week!!!!

I packed my bag thinking 3-4 days at 

my friend's house would be about right.....

then I could head home!! 

Sooooo....I pulled out my new Water Color journal
(I will share that in another post)

I had bought months ago

and filled a serving tray with Twinks!!

....cause you never know...

I might just get the urge to CREATE....

As I was packing up my car....

at the last minute I decided to grab 

my basket of Viva Colour goodies

....you just NEVER know....

oh and my tool bag....

and off I went!

Little did I know those 3-4 days would

become 2 WEEKS!!!!!

Both of my children came down

with HORRIBLE COLDS....

so I knew I COULDN'T go home.

By this time I am beginning to feel a bit better.

Now comes the problem...

there was no Internet...so to keep from going insane

I NEEDED to create something

(it's very important to any recovery process)

but I had NO PAPER

NO FLOWERS

NO MISTS

and NO MULTI MEDIUM!!!

Soooooo....I challenged myself to create something...

with WHAT I HAD!!!

(I did have a friend bring me a jar of Multi Medium,

a Craft Mat and some Buckram)

I began by cutting up a box that was laying around..

I didn't have any dies....

so I hand cut flowers out of items I picked up during an outting to Joann's.....

(that's another whole story!!)

some fabric, printed burlap, buckram and some way cool netting stuff.

I dug around in my tool bag
and I can across some Magic Mesh.....
whoooo knows how long that had been in there!

On another outting, I did come across a
way cool "Americana" mini puzzle.....
which..who could resist for $1???

....and I created.....
a little here.....a little there
cause one can only watch soooo much daytime TV.

And use my phone to go online....
(didn't bring my glasses and they keep making
the text smaller!!)

I do have to say......
I am sooooo HAPPY I chose to grab
the basket of Viva Colour goodness!!

It was also good not to have all my
"to go to tools"
and to dig deep into my creative well
to try different things....
and see what I could come up with....

and that quote....
I LOVE IT......

SOOOO......I challenge you....

create something without using
your "to go to" supplies....

It's PRETTY KEWL!!!

totallllly FORGOT!!

I was looking through the memory card for my camera and found the picts I had taken as a tutorial for my Christmas Tag!! I SOOOOOOO forgot about it in all the hubbub of the season!!!

Grab a cup of warm cocoa, cup of java or a glass of wine......
whatever suits your fancy and check it out...a bit long but I wanted to get it all in!!!

I cut a tag from a piece of Kraft Resist Paper. Using various Tim Holtz snowflakes, I stamped on the tag with Embossing Ink and embossed with White Utee.

I then covered the tag with Picket Fence Distress Stain.

When dry I added a layer of Faded Jeans.

Next, I stamped on the tag with another Tim Stamp and Black Soot Distress Ink.
When finished, I wet the end of a towel and cleaned the ink from the snowflakes.

I pulled out my handy dandy tear it up.....Distrezz it All and went to town!!!

Using Chipped Sapphire, I inked the torn up edges.

Using the Distressed Doily die, I cut from dictionary paper,
scrunched it in the middle and stapled it using my Tiny Attacher.

I used Tim's Kraft Glassine Tutorial from Tag #8 using Lettuce & Meadow Alcohol Inks, along with Gold Mixitive and Blending Solution.......all on Glassine paper!!
I do wish I had his Holly Branch Die but sadly I don't. So, I made my own holly leaves.

I then used my Tattered Leaves die and a piece of Crinoline and cut 5 leaves.
I trimmed them down a tad as my Poinsettia would have been to large for my tag.

Using my Barn Door Reinker Mixture, I spritz the leaves to saturation.

I created a puddle of Aged Mahogany Distress Stain and dipped the edges of the wet leaves in it.

After drying the leaves, I folded the bottom end and stapled it to give the leaves dimension.

I punched a small circle from the left over Glassine paper dabbed on some Studio ~ Multi Medium and compiled my flower....using Multi Medium as needed.

I pulled out a few pieces of mini chipboard and dabbed on some gold paint.

I adhered most everything to the tag with Multi Medium!!

and there you have it...........my Merry Christmas tag

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial!!

Merry Christmas and a VERY HAPPPPPY New Year to all!!!

Distressed Doily.......

Just had to share the cards I taught yesterday at
my LSS ~ Generations of Memories.
Had a full class and boy did we have fun!!!

The focus of the class was to KEEP IT SIMPLE.....
with an emphasis on The Distressed Doily Die,
along with the Big Shot and Vagabond...mmmmmmm!!

Can I tell you...........I can't get enough of the Distressed Doily Die
.......the versatility and beauty!!

Now.....the bow on the first card may be non~post worthy
....a definite hand~r~outter!!

Distress Tool
TPC Collection ~ Timeless Christmas
Vintage Photo Distress Ink

I just love how just using pieces ~ parts of the doily looks like a wreath!!

How 'bout this one.......by flipping your cut out Distressed Doily
.....you can create a full doily!!!

and last but not least my FAVORITE.......
a little bit of embossing using the Botanicals and Beaded Ribbon Set by Sizzix

SIMPLY ELEGANT!!!

and there you have it!!!
REMEMBER..........to KEEP it SIMPLE!!!