Monthly Archives: November 2009

Tree Flocking!?!

Smiley from millan.net Good Monday morning!  I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend and that your leftovers are long gone.  My house is back to it’s nice quiet state, Mallory having gone back to school around 8:00 last night.  We usually like to put the tree up and decorate during the Thanksgiving weekend, Smiley from millan.net but she was gone so much of the time that it never happened.  I should have known to drag it all out myself and then she would have had to help.

I finally made it into the studio late yesterday afternoon . . . I felt the need to stamp.  Once I got in there however, I didn’t know what I wanted to stamp.  After playing around with a few different images and really not happy with anything, and I wanted to get a little dirty and a little vintage, I decided to try this snowy pine tree.

Snowy Pine Tree

The tree was stamped in Peeled Paint Distress Ink and Old Paper was sponged along the edges to make it look like it had been handled quite a bit.  For the snow, I applied a layer of Tulip White Puffy Paint and sprinkled on Fine Diamond Dust Glitter.  Once again, in my attempt to make it look old, I pressed down the puffy paint and added a dab of Old Paper Distress Ink to the snow.  Here’s a close up  . . .

Snowy Pine Tree Closeup

it almost looks like flocking to me.  I remember when I as a child that flocking on trees was a huge deal.  We also took our trees down to the body shop and had them spray painted white.  I found that red vintage button with the thread still attached and couldn’t resist using it “as is” as an embellishment.  The button on the bow is also another vintage button, but I think that is actually the top of one that was gray. 

  • Stamps:  D3074 Snowy Pine, Large from Just for Fun Rubber Stamps
  • Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; BasicGrey Wassail; Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme
  • Ink:  Ranger Shabby Shutters, Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress Ink
  • Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S7-014 Grand 12” Classic Lace Border, S4-140 Petite Ovals – Small, S4-138 Petite Ovals – Large, S4-139 Petite Scallop Ovals – Large; Art Institute Fine Diamond Dust Vintage Glass Glitter; Vintage Buttons; Tulip White Puffy Paint; Sewing Machine; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Papertrey Rustic Cream Button Twine; Foam Mounting Tape; May Arts Ribbon and other Ribbon

I have a few errands to run today and then hopefully I can get back in the studio.  I have so many things I want to get finished.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Smiley from millan.net

Taylored Expressions Black Friday Blog Hop!

Good morning!  Are you stuffed?  Will your pants button?  I am and I wore elastic waist!

I was so tickled a few weeks ago when I received an email from my friend Taylor, asking me to take part in her Taylored Expressions Black Friday Blog Hop!  Taylor and I were on the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen Design Team together and we haven’t worked together since.  It’s so hard to believe that was almost three years ago.

Taylor’s challenge to a long list of us (shown later in the post) was to take her Perfect Package Card Box and alter it either to hold a set of cards or use it to wrap a holiday gift we’ll be giving this season.  Here’s what Taylor sent us . . .

TaylorBlackFridayPerfectPackageCardBox

and because I’m not one to really follow the rules (when I read them) I stepped outside the box on this one.  I actually turned the Perfect Package Card Box into a gift.  You know how I like little boxes!

TaylorBlackFridayPeonyBox

The first thing I need to tell you, is if you decide to paint this card box, make sure you apply a coat of gesso before you start.  I didn’t and painted all the edges with Distress Crackle Paint, let it sit overnight to dry and the next morning it all flaked off.  That’s when I learned you must first apply a coat of gesso.  The Graphic 45 paper was cut to size and adhered to the box using Claudine Helmuth’s multi-medium.  The keep the crackle paint from flaking anymore, I and after I sponged some Vintage Photo ink along the edges, I applied a light coat of the multi-medium over the entire box. 

Now for me, this next step was the fun part!  Here’s a close-up of the top of the box.

TaylorBlackFridayPeonyCloseUp

I die cut/embossed Spellbinders™  Peony Nesties and the leaves from Flower Creations Three.  I shaped each piece as I wanted and then dipped them into UTEE that had been melted in my Melting Pot.  Starting with the larger bottom piece of the Peony and building up, after they were dipped in the UTEE I held them up to drain a little and then layered them as they came from the Melting Pot.  This way, when the UTEE dried it acted as my glue.  I had every intention of doing a video of this part and having it uploaded here today, but time just did not permit.  I will have it done over the weekend however and post it separately. 

The scrolls are chipboard that I dipped in melted beeswax and when cooled covered with different colors of Perfect Pearls.   Way too much fun and the flowers actually look like they might be porcelain.  I’m sure there is already a name for this technique but in the meantime, let’s call it Faux Porcelain.  If you know the actual name of the technique please let me know!

TaylorBlackFridayPeonyBoxInside

I finished off the inside with more Graphic 45 paper and black felt.  For the legs on the bottom I found an old necklace with four of the same size wood beads and painted them black.  They were adhered to the bottom with Matte Accents.  I remembered I had purchased a few keyholes at the Flea Market a few years back, went digging for them, and fastened it to the front with brads.

  • Paper:  Graphic 45 Fashionista Collection; Core’dinations Scarlet; Prism Herbal Garden Dark
  • Ink:  Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
  • Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S4-109 Flower Creations 3 and S4-193 Peony Nesties; Maya Road Scroll Corners Chipboard; Ranger Melting Pot, White Beeswax, Claudine Helmuth Studio multi-medium matte, Pitch Black Acrylic Paint Dabber, Copper Gold and Green Patina Perfect Pearls, Matte Accents, Fired Brick Distress Crackle Paint; Gesso; Keyhole and Brads; Wood Beads; Black Felt

Now that you’ve seen my project, it’s time to send you along to the other designers in today’s Black Friday Blog Hop:

Alex Maldonado: http://fairyblossoms.typepad.com/
Amy Rohl:
http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com/
Beate Johns:
http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Bev Gerard:
http://savorthejourney.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Charmaine Ikach:
http://oodabugalley.blogspot.com/
Cindy Haffner:
http://cindyhaffnerscorner.blogspot.com/
Debbie Olson:
http://debbiedesigns.typepad.com/
Donna Baker:
http://www.serenityinstamping.com/
Jami Sibley:
http://jami.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Jen del Muro:
http://iheart2stamp.com/
Jen Tapler:
http://jentapler.blogspot.com/
Jenn Balcer:
http://jbalcer.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Jennifer Buck:
http://thebuckstampshere.blogspot.com/
Jessica Diedrich:
http://thewhimsicalbutterfly.blogspot.com/
Joan Ervin:
http://stampingwithapassion.blogspot.com/
Joanne Basile:
http://www.stampedbyhand.blogspot.com/
Linda Duke:
http://www.lindaduke.typepad.com/
Lori Craig:
http://loricraig.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Rose Anne Reynolds:
http://paperdelightz.blogspot.com/
Sankari Wegman:
http://sunnysankari.blogspot.com/
Sharon Harnist:
http://paperfections.typepad.com/
Sherry Cheever:
http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Taylor VanBruggen:
http://www.tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/

 

In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the two biggest shopping days of the year!), Taylored Expressions is offering 15% off everything in the store! Just use the promotional code TEBlackFriday upon checkout to receive the discount. You don’t want to miss up to 50% off all JustRite products, Buy 2 Get 1 Free on Tiny Twinkles, and the new TE Shirts & Aprons!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous day!  Oh and I have to tell you . . . my girls liked this box so much that Katie wanted this one (I don’t know if I can part with it) and Mallory wants one that’s brighter.  It looks like I’ll be shopping for a few more of these!

Just For Fun Rubber Stamps – Black Friday Sale!

Smiley from millan.net Good morning!  Just a quick note before I start cooking all the Smiley from millan.net, cranberries and dressing today (the Smiley from millan.net cooks slowly overnight) . . .

JUST FOR FUN is having a special 48-Hour Black Friday Sale!  Beginning at  12:00 midnight Thursday, Thanksgiving Day and until midnight Friday, November 28, all purchases will receive a 25% discount!

Have a great day and

Smiley from millan.net

Lots of Reminiscing and a Little Stamping!

Smiley from millan.net Good morning!  I hope y’all are doing fabulous and I’m sure you’re getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I’m excited that we’ll be home this year, I’m cooking and the family is coming in.   Saturday we went to Hodgenville again to visit my uncle.  After visiting with Uncle Billy for a while, we went down to the square to visit a couple of the shops.  I was so amazed that I saw this on the sidewalk, that I had to take a picture . . .

PetuniasNovember2009
petunias growing in November, AND growing between the sidewalk and the building.  Is this weather wacky or what?

I don’t know that I’ve mentioned this or not, but my uncle is fighting his own personal battle with Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer.  My mother and aunt have been running the roads between here and Hodgenville for months now  . . . well, ever since he was diagnosed back in the spring.  He just recently decided that he was not up to working anymore and has been staying at home for the last couple of weeks.  While visiting Saturday I snuck this picture in of him and my mother.

UncleBillyMomNovember2009

While I was looking for another photo tonight, I found this picture of them together.  How cute is this one  . . .

UncleBillyMomKids

Smiley from millan.net, they’ll both probably shoot me for putting these up! 

One of the reasons I’m showing them, is that I’m just so darned excited that I can’t help myself.  I’ve been emailing with some friends recently about auto racing.  You see, we are a racing family.  My uncle started racing in 1961 and of course, my dad drove the Fish Carburetor M2 on Daytona Beach in the early days of NASCAR.  My dad later became a Racing Director and Promoter.  My uncle continued driving until 1988.  During the course of these emails, I recommended that both my uncle and dad be inducted into the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame.  Well, I just found out today that my uncle is being inducted and they will be giving him his award within the next few weeks.  There will be a formal ceremony in August where we will be re-inducted along with Harry Hyde, who was inducted last year.  I can only hope that my dad will also be inducted this year and they will all go in together.  I’m just so tickled I could burst!

I’m sure you’re wondering if I have a card or not . . . well, I DO!

RedOrnamentNov24

The image was embossed in gold and then water colored with Distress Re-Inkers.  I used Spellbinders™ Labels Six for the border in the middle of the card and used Petite Ovals for the image. 

  • Stamps:  All That Glitters from Flourishes Stamps
  • Paper:  Memory Box Spiceberry, Arches Watercolor; River Rock and Cranberry Crisp
  • Ink:  Ranger Distress Embossing, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint and Old Paper
  • Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S4-230 Labels Six, S4-140 Petite Ovals – Small, S4-138 Petite Ovals – Large; and S4-139 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Large; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Foam Mounting Tape; Sewing Machine; Watercolor Brushes; Vintage Button; Papertrey Vintage Cream Ribbon

I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by!  Oh and by the way, I spent Sunday working on a very special project that you’ll get to see on Friday!  It’s a biggie!!!!

I’m on a Roll!

Happy Thursday!  I would say good morning, but once again I’m running late and once again, I didn’t get my morning paper.  This is two days in a row that I’ve not had my morning crossword, Sudoku and jumble fix.  I called the paper and they offered to deliver it with tomorrow’s paper . . . what’s going to guaranty that I’m going to get tomorrow’s paper?  Nothing!  They no longer deliver the paper to Southern Indiana if your carrier fails to bring it.  WHAT?  They told me to get it offline.  Well, the puzzles are not the same online and how else am I going to know if I’m alive if I can’t read the obits!  I could go on and on here  . . . like how they charge $20/month for a paper that used to have some substance and now consists of maybe five pages that’s full of ads . . . . Smiley from millan.net

Moving on and staying on task  . . . I have a card today!

HollyNov19

All of a sudden I realize that I’m hooked on this paper and these colors this year . . . I just can’t help myself . . . .

The image was embossed with gold EP and then water colored with Distress Re-Inkers.  The panel on the side was made with the largest of Spellbinders™ Labels Six and then cut in half to fit the side of the card.  It’s a bummer, I covered the berries with Glossy Accents and it looks pretty cool in real life, but the picture blurs it.

That’s all I have today (I’ve suddenly developed a mental block).  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous day!

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