Happy Tuesday!  I hope y’all had a good weekend.  I’m actually a little confused on my days and wished one of my friends a happy birthday when her birthday isn’t for a few days.  Oh well, it’s a little early is all!  I’ve also had to pull my capris out of the closet . . . It’s just a tad too chilly for shorts.  I refuse to put jeans on because I know I’ll be back in my shorts next week (it only needs to be about 68° and I’m good).  My phone just said it was 58° here.

I have a couple of projects setting on my desk waiting for me to decide exactly what I’m going to do with them.  One of them is a cigar box that I’ve decided to keep store-bought cards in.  Sometimes when out and I see a card that literally tickles my funny bone, I go ahead and purchase it to have for future reference.  I’m still working on trying to fill in the engraving and I also need to decide on paper.  I’m in trouble because a 12” piece of designer paper is about 2” too small.  I might need to break into the wallpaper books I picked up at that yard sale.

The card that I was working on and couldn’t decide what to do with is my project for today.  There’s a challenge in the Crafty Secrets’ Forum on Splitcoaststampers, to use a handmade embellishment.    This is exactly what this card needed and I just had to finish it and take part in the challenge!

The image was water colored with Tombow Markers and matted on Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles.  I had already sewn the lace to the card, and decided to use the same lace for my embellishment.  I basted along the length of the lace, pulled the thread tight and then tied it off in a circle.  The button was threaded down through the back of the card and tied tight to keep it down.  All the paper was sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink.

• Stamps:  Vintage Christmas from Crafty Secrets
• Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Prism Island Mist Light and Medium; Memory Box Dewfrost
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Old Paper Distress
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S4-224 Snowflake Borderabilities – Petite, S4-121 Scalloped Circles – Large, S4-116 Classic Circles – Small, and S4-114 Classic Circles – Large; Papertrey Rustic Cream Button Twine, Vintage Cream Satin Ribbon and Vintage Buttons; Ranger Matte Accents; Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Sewing Machine; Lace

I hope y’all have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Good Tuesday afternoon!  I’m still working on my coffee, trying to fight off a nap so I can sleep tonight.  How many of you have ever had a flu shot?  Yesterday was my first.  I let my doctor talk me into getting one and lord have mercy . . .  it will be my last!  I’m not sick yet (which is my biggest fear) but my arm hurts like hell.  Can you imagine trying to sleep last night, one side of your nose that you are unable to breathe through and when you roll over to the side that will let you breathe, your arm hurts!  MERCY!!!  I’ll never let them talk me into another, that’s for damn sure.  I’ve been just fine all these many years without ever having one and I’m sure I’ll be okay in the future.

Speaking of the future, I can’t even begin to tell  you how much fun I’m having right now.  I am in my seventh heaven playing with images that I purchased some time ago and never had the time to put ink on.  Not only that, but I’m also loving that I am able to get back to my roots of stamping and having fun with it.  Thank goodness vintage and shabby chic are on their way back . . .  because I’m having an absolute ball!!!

Today’s card is one that I actually have made for the Color Challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  It has been so very, very long since I’ve been able to participate in one the Splitcoast Challenges or even wanted to.  I’ve been thinking about them for a few weeks now and decided today was the day.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that today’s colors I absolutely love . . . . pink, brown and white.  They actually said Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede and Whisper White.  Since I don’t have ALL of these colors any longer, I decided to compromise and Neenah white and my pink is from SEI.

For the image background, I used the Wrinkle Free Distress technique with the colors Soft Suede and pink.  I added some Gold Perfect Pearls to the water before I misted the ink to give it some shimmer.  Once the image was stamped on the background, the flower was water colored with pinks and yellows.  The background received a light blue color wash.  I used Spellbinders Small and Large Deckled Rectangles to make the frame and the Fleur de Lis Borderabilities.  I found some old lace in my stash and to age it, I stamped some brown ink on my craft sheet, misted it with water and ran the lace through it . . . the lace isn’t as bright now.

• Stamps:  Orchid Postcard from Magenta
• Paper:  Arches Watercolor; 7 Gypsies Classic Paperie; SEI Chocolat; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Soft Suede
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Coffee and Vintage Photo, Broken China and Old Paper Distress; Pink and Yellow Tombow Markers
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S4-213 Fleur de Lis Borderabilities and S4-201 and S4-202 Deckled Rectangles; Sewing Machine; Mounting Tape; Sponge Daubers; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners; Vintage Button and Old Lace; Koi Water Brushes; Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Mini Mister and Gold Perfect Pearls

I hope you’re enjoying your day and thanks for stopping by.  I’m off to see what kind of trouble I can get into OR maybe I’ll just take a nap!

Happy Monday to ya!  I meant to write this post earlier today, but one thing led to another and before I knew it . . . . I was asleep in the recliner.  Of course, that was at 3:00 in the afternoon.  I spent the morning going to the doctor , drugstore, dollar store . . . just the typical errands we must run sometimes.  I still need to go back to the drugstore, but I’m waiting for the after work traffic to die down a little first.

I spent the weekend literally cleaning and once again moving my studio around.  This time I think I like it just the way it is.  There was much to be boxed up and moved out, some stuff to recycle and once I got it all out there was plenty of room.  I’ll take you on a tour a little later.   In the meantime, let me show you the card I’ve been working on for like . . . . well, forever!

I started this card over 2 weeks ago and finally finished it up on Sunday.  I’m not quite sure that it’s 100% complete, it’s a little short on embellishments for me!

I didn’t do a very good job of getting this photo now that I’m looking at it.  There are actually 3 layers to the flower, each one colored with Tombow Markers and then separated with mounting tape.  I guess if you look closely you can see all the little extra petals behind the top ones.  Gold Liquid Pearls was used for the center of the flower, with just a bit of glitter sprinkled on top.

• Stamps:  Friends ‘til the End and In Bloom from Papertrey Ink
• Paper:  7 Gypsies Savannah; Prism Wizard Medium and Dark; Vanilla; Arches Watercolor
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Coffee, Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S4-230 Labels Six; May Arts Ribbon; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Ranger Gold Liquid Pearls and Matte Accents; Glitter; Foam Tape; Sewing Machine; Tombow Markers; Koi Water Brushes

I’m not feeling too wordy at the moment, so I probably need to end here.  I have some sinus stuff with a sore throat going on that needs medicating.

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by!

Good morning!  Before I head out to Utica Days and the car show, I want to take a moment and thank all of you who left comments and/or emailed yesterday!  You can’t even begin to know how much all of your well wishes and encouragement has meant to me.  I feel so blessed!! 

I won’t let this get me down, as I have many more things I want to create and ideas to put to paper.  As some of you have said, “when one door closes, another opens.”  I have told myself that all week and realize that sometimes one has to take risks to see the greater rewards.  I’ve never been one to take the path well trod . . . I like to veer off and have as many adventures as possible.  I know there’s one hell of an adventure in my future!

Last night was the first time all week that I have felt the least bit creative, so I headed down to the studio.  The first thing I needed to do was clean up after myself from stamp club and put things away that had accumulated around.  I felt good then and decided to do some water coloring.  This is one of those cards that I became totally immersed and lost all track of time . . . but by golly, I really like it!

The flowers and leaves from Papertrey’s In Bloom were stamped individually, embossed with gold EP, and then water colored with Tombow Markers.  I patiently cut them all out and arranged them around a panel made from Spellbinders Labels 7.  The sentiment is from the Papertrey set Floral Fusion (the Limited Edition from Summer CHA 2009).  Yes, I spent enough money to get that set . . . not surprised are you?  Oh one more thing, the sentiment panel and the one it’s mounted on was made with the Wrinkle Free Distress technique on watercolor paper  . . . absolutely LOVE the look of this technique with watercolor paper.  If you haven’t tried it, you need to!  Can you tell from the photo that each flower was raised above the other with mounting tape?  It truly does add to the dimension of the card.

• Stamps:  In Bloom and Floral Fusion from Papertrey
• Paper:  Papertrey Craft; Prism Majestic Purple Light; Vanilla; BasicGrey Wisteria; Arches Watercolor
• Ink:  Ranger Distress Embossing, Old Paper and Dusty Concord
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S4-231 Labels 7, S4-138 Petite Oval Nestabilities Large, and S4-139 Petite Scalloped Oval Nestabilities Large; Ranger Queen’s Gold Embossing Powder, Mini Mister, Gold Perfect Pearls, Non-Stick Craft Sheet; Papertrey Vintage Cream Satin Ribbon; Tombow Markers; Venture Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Sewing Machine

I suppose that’s all I have for the time being, except to tell you all that I’m so thankful for you!!  Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!  I’m off to yard sale and hopefully find some great bargains.

Good Saturday morning!  I can’t believe that I had the entire day yesterday to spend in the studio and play!  It was so nice.  Remember I told you that I bought arms full of stuff from Papertrey at CHA?  I finally had some time to play with In Bloom yesterday.  I actually have pulled the set out a few times, tried to color it, became discouraged and put it away.  Yesterday everything came together just as I had envisioned.  Trust me  . . .  that never ever happens to me!  Not only that, but my goal was to use these images not in the Papertrey classic style.  You see, I don’t do that style, it’s hard for me and I always struggle with something clean and simple (which is what I consider Papertrey to be).  So my challenge to myself was to incorporate these images into my style.

The flower was stamped three times, embossed with Queen’s Gold EP, and then water colored with Tombow Markers.  I trimmed each layer out, leaving off a section of each as I went so that they could be layered.  I used the new Spellbinders S4-230 Labels Six for the sentiment and for an extra piece on the bottom right-hand corner.  I also finished the inside so that a personal note could be written.

The sentiment is from the Papertrey set, Friends ‘til the End, and I melted the ribbon to make it look more vintage and worn. 

• Stamps:  In Bloom and Friends ‘til the End from Papertrey
• Paper:  SU Black; Prism Butter cream; 7 Gypsies Classic Paperie; Arches Watercolor
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black, and Distress Embossing, Vintage Photo and Old Paper
• Accessories:  Spellbinders S4-230 Labels Six; Ranger Queen’s Gold Embossing Powder, Matte and Glossy Accents, Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners; Venture Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; May Arts Ribbon; Papertrey Vintage Buttons; Candle Lighter; Sewing Machine; Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distressing Tool

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by today!