Here it is Saturday night, and I’m finally in the studio.  I had an idea for a gift tin, and wanted to see if I could make it work.  Some time ago I picked up a couple of the metal (altoid) tins at Archivers when they were on sale.  I thought I would use them business cards, but they are just the teeniest bit smaller than a business card.  However, they would be perfect for a gift card or money (everyone’s favorite gift)!

I was playing with snowflakes earlier in the week, and had an extra that I wanted to use an embellishment on the tin.  I found some Graphic 45 paper I thought matched and decided to cover one of the tins. 

I found an image that looked snowy and covered it with Ranger Cracked Accents.  The flip side of the paper used to cover the tin was die cut/embossed with Spellbinders™ Curved Rectangles Mega Nesties.  For the fun of it and for some added dimension, I die cut/embossed a portion of a frame using the same Nesties™.

Here’s a close-up of the snowflakes and the image.  I love the effect of the Crackle Accent and of course you know I can never find enough uses for the Vintage Glass Glitter.

You’ll be able to see more about these snowflakes on Wednesday.

• Paper:  Prism Baby Blue Light; Graphic 45 Christmas Past Collection – The Night Before Christmas and Jolly Old St. Nicholas
• Ink:  Ranger Old Paper Distress; Papertrey perfect match Fresh Snow
• Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S5-006 Curved Mega Rectangles and S4-222 Create A Flake One; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Crafting Wire; Papertrey Vintage Buttons and Rustic Cream Button Twine; Ranger Glossy, Matte and Crackle Accents; Art Institute Krystallos Vintage Glass Glitter

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for stopping by.

WOW . . . it’s !  Where is this week going?  Okay so maybe I don’t remember what I did during the first few days of the week . . .

Before I get started on my project for today, let me answer a few questions about the products I use.  I get my May Arts Ribbon from Sharon Johnson’s store, Stamp Simply Ribbon.  She told me last night if she doesn’t stock what you are looking for, she will special order!  All the Ranger product I use, including both T!m and Wendy’s stamps, can be found at eclectic Paperie.  Joy and Daisy are fabulous and so very helpful.  Everything is stocked and they have a quick turn around time.

Now I have a question for you!  Paper?  What do you use?  I have both SU and Prism and know that I won’t be purchasing any more SU.  That leaves the Prism which I find matches BasicGrey DP fabulously, but it is rather flimsy for a card base.  If you use Prism, where do you purchase it?  I’m seriously thinking of switching over to Papertrey.  If you use the paper from Papertrey what do you think about it?

Now that all that is over with, questions answered and if I forgot any that you’ve asked, please let me know.   I try to answer each individual email you send, but sometimes it’s not always possible to get to them as quickly as I would like and then I forget to answer.

Now!  How many of you love the movie Hook?  It’s one of my favorites!  You know how there are certain scenes in movies that you always think of.  Like in the Color Purple, I will sit and watch the entire movie just to see Shug Avery walk her stuff down the road to the church, singing God’s Trying to Tell you Something.  I LOVE that scene!  In Hook, it’s the boo box!  When Glenn Close is placed in the boo box and the look on her face  . . . well it just slays me every time!  So, since it’s that time of the year for Halloween (which is one of my faves to decorate for), I’ve made a Boo Box!

I bought a candle not too long ago that was in this fabulously sturdy box and the lid slides down inside.  I kept the box thinking it would come in handy at some time or another.  While I was making Halloween cards, and thinking about the girls, I decided that treat boxes might be in order.  It will be so easy to slide some the girls fave chocolate in this box!

I had one sheet of Lollipop Lizzy DP and used that covered the box.  All the edges were sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink.  I circled the box with a purple band and tied some ribbon.  I love watching ribbon melt, and used my candle lighter to melt the ribbon to give it a spookier look.  The boo label was die cut/embossed using Spellbinders oval nestabilities.  Since the paper had little skulls on it, I found a small grunge board skull, painted it white and then covered it with Rock Candy stickles.  Way too much fun!

• Stamps:  Just Between Fiends
• Paper:  Hallowhimsy – Lollipop Lizzy from imaginisce; White and Black
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Black Soot Distress
• Accessories:  Ranger White Paint Dabber; Spellbinders S4-141 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Small, and S4-138 Petite Ovals – Large; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Tim Holtz idea-ology Elements Grunge Board; May Arts Ribbon and twine; Scalloped Border Punch; Buttons; Candle Lighter; Foam Tape

Oh my gosh, I’m done and it’s time to start my day!  It’s not like I didn’t get up at 4:30 this morning.   I’ve already folded one load of laundry, put in another, written this post, and took the photos.  Anyhoo, have a fantastic day and thanks for stopping in!

Hey it’s Tuesday!  Good morning!  I had such a great day yesterday playing with the shitzes, moving furniture around and basically just putzing around the house.  It was such a lazy day but I actually got some things done that needed doing.  I also started trying on some old clothes in my closet and am tickled I kept those “too small” jeans, etc.  Because they’re not “too small” anymore!  Some of them are even a “little too big.”  WOO HOO!  I’m slowly getting to that 30 lbs lost and have no intention of quitting anytime soon.  Since January, I have been on a “gluten free” eating plan (notice I say eating plan because this is not a diet).  I have come to realize that for my health and well being, I must strictly keep myself in check with cookies, cakes, pies, bread, etc.  Mallory also went on a gluten free diet this summer and her desire to have breads and cookies have enabled me to find many gluten free choices at the health food stores.  For both of us, gluten free has become a way of life and healthy living.  This isn’t something we have chosen because we want too . . . it is a medical must.  It’s amazing how much better you can feel, even when you don’t realize you feel bad to begin with!

Didn’t mean to babble about that, but that’s just where my mind was running for a few minutes.  Maybe because I was looking for a pair of black pants to wear right before I sat down to write this post.  Yes . . . . that must be it!

The project I have to share with you today is actually another sample for one of my classes.  I never grow tired of making these little boxes  . . . they are so damned versatile!

• Stamps:  Scraps and Scuffs and Flourish Inchies from Rubbernecker Stamps
• Paper: Prism Spring Willow Dark and K&Company Bailey
• Ink: Ranger Archival Coffee, Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories: Spellbinders S7-014 Grand 12” Classic Lace Border, S4-058 Daisies, and S4-161 Labels One; Art Institute Krystallos Vintage Shards Glass Glitter; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Venture Foam Tape; Ranger Matte and Glossy Accents; Sanding Tools; Brad

Mallory asked for one of these to use on her desk at school, so I suppose I better be looking for some fun and funky paper for hers. 

I leave you with one final thought:

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says “Oh Crap, She’s up!”

  Can you believe that it’s Wednesday already?  Last week flew by and I’m still playing catch-up.  I’m also trying to get ahead some and quite frankly, its just not working too well!  I leave tomorrow for Loveland and have I finished everything up yet that I need to take . . .

I have some appointments this morning, lunch with Mallory, Mom, Carrie and Aunt Linda, and then I’m sure I’ll be back here in the studio getting the final touches to everything ready.

In the meantime, lets talk about today . . .  WACKY WEDNESDAY!  Joan is the hostess today and her challenge is an inspirational one.  We were/are to make a project from something that was an inspiration to us at one time or another.  It could be a favorite car, color, memory, piece of clothing . . .  anything actually and, we have to tell the story about your inspiration.

There are times I have been especially touched and inspired by quotes.  When I was working on my black belt, one quote I thought of most often was one by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.”  For me that quote is still true today.  I savor each day and live that day to the fullest.  Take your time, enjoy the things around you and most importantly enjoy what you do!  Recently I’ve been working with a Rubbernecker Stamps sentiment that me everyday . . . “Life is a Journey, Art is the Guide.”  How similar both quotes are!  Don’t run through life like a mad woman, but enjoy everyday, be inspired by what is around you and savor it all!  For my project today, I have used this Rubbernecker Stamps sentiment in hopes that it inspires you as well!

Can you handle one more of my coaster boxes?  I sure hope so, because this is a sample for my class!

Of course you know I love those daisies from Spellbinders and had to use them once again!  Because I have modified how I attached the top to the bottom, I needed the make the actual origami box smaller.  I think I like it better this way!  Here’s a close-up of the daisy so you can see all that fabulous glitter.

• Stamps:  Scraps and Scuffs and Flourish Inchies from Rubbernecker Stamps
• Paper:  Prism Spring Willow Dark and K&Company Bailey
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Coffee, Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S7-014 Grand 12” Classic Lace Border, S4-058 Daisies, and S4-161 Labels One; Art Institute Krystallos Vintage Shards Glass Glitter; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Venture Foam Tape; Ranger Matte and Glossy Accents; Sanding Tools; Brad

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Good Morning!  Before I leave on that jet plane, I have to show you one more project that I worked up Friday afternoon!  You remember this notebook I just knew that I would need at CHA, well I worked on a matching accessory.

Inevitably I run into someone in the airport that I get to talking to about where I’m going and what I do (you know cards, invitations, announcements), that type of thing.  The last time I was flying out of Louisville, I ran into a realtor who wanted to discuss wedding announcements with me.  Okay I know that packed those business cards in my bag, but could I find them?  Well hell, NO!  Did I look like a complete idiot standing there in front of one of the busiest realtors in Louisville, fumbling through my bags?  Well hell, YES!  I was soooooooooooo embarrassed.  I didn’t want that to happen again, and here is my solution!

I had one of those alterable band-aid tins in my stash, and after measuring the tin against my business cards I knew exactly what that little tin was going to be!  I covered the tin with the same paper, border and ink that I used on the notebooks.  I did change up the tag that the sentiment is stamped on, but used the same sentiment.  Now I know this is silly, but I loved it when I closed the lid and the paper tore . . . It makes the tin look even older and more time worn!

• Stamps:  463 Flourish Set and 461 Scraps and Scuffs from Rubbernecker Stamps
• Paper:  K&Company Ancestry.com Tea Floral and Newsprint and Life’s Journey Layered Script; Prism Sage Dark
• Ink: Ranger Archival Coffee and and Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories:  Spellbinders Grand 12” Classic Lace Borderabilities; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Ranger Matte Accents; Vintage Button, Black Twine

This will hold the business cards that I will carry in my purse (the others are packed away in my laptop bag) so that I can find them easily.  I thought that was darn smart!

I land in Orlando this afternoon and hope to relax and giggle with the girls, but tomorrow . . . Oh my BADness . . .  I have a class with Suze Weinberg and then one with Tim Holtz!  I’m sure I’ll have fabulous stuff to show and tell later.  Until then, have a good one and thanks for stopping by!