First Challenge of Twenty Twelve

For the first challenge of 2012 I decided to go with the colors from my very favorite color challenge, CR84FN.  I have been doing their challenges for quite some time and I must admit it has made me look at new color combinations and even use combos/colors I usually don't.  I can see more variety in the colors on my layouts.

In addition to that, CR84FN has made me a card maker. I was never a card maker until I found Mona Pendelton's blog.  http://cupcakescreations.blogspot.com/  I guess the rest as they say it is history. I have been doing the challenges since 29 April 2011 and frankly my dear I don't plan on stopping.

This layout was something I have fretted over for a while.  I knew I wanted to piece together the view from the back of the Carnival Dream and put it into a layout, but honestly I have been stuck on what to do with it.  The challenge colors of blue, yellow and orange seem to flow with the colors on the pool deck and of course to me that makes my eye go right up to that lovely water of the Caribbean.

The owl was something I have wanted to work on for a while too.  He is a free clip art owl that I found online and knew I was going to use for a string art, I just did not know what colors.  First I painted him with watercolors in the blue, yellow and orange.  This was a base for my string art.  Then I took my stick thingy (paper piercer) and grabbed some DMC floss and my needle and let my imagination go. 

I am rather pleased with the way the whole thing turned out.  The orange and blue paper were from my scrapbin.  The yellow paper is Recollections from Michael's.  The thread is DMC.  The ink is faded jeans by Tim Holtz.  The watercolors are Prang.  And the views by God!  My journaling is hidden under the owl, because I wanted the large photo and owl to stand out.  There was not much to say anyway, just how much I loved to walk to deck 14 and stare out at this view.

Artistic Goals for 2012

1. Continue to put my work "out there"

2. Do at least one project every week that requires I buy no extra supplies.

3. Learn a new technique every month.

4. Make at least one card a week and mail it to someone.

5. Take a Tim Holtz class.

6. Attend a CKC or CKU.

7. Work at whichever I go to.

8. Meet more scrap artists.

9. Up cycle more items.

10. Find a way to enter the fair this year.

Tim Holtz, Twelve Tags of Chistmas #8

II wanted to wait to do this tag until after Christmas. I did not want to feel obligated to do it in a Christmas theme. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the steam punk stuff. I can't help myself!  I thought this tag would be a great reflection of ME!  Yeah, I am kind of like a steampunk girl.  I am new technology with the old world vibe to it.  One of a kind, unique, and a bit off the wall.

If you have never googled "steampunk", you must.  There are some amazing creations out there dedicated to the movement.  There is even a challenge website that I think is just peachy.  http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/  If you are into steampunk or challenges go check it out.  It is a wealth of information.

This tag features a canvas square from Technique Tuesday (I LOVE them), a yo yo flower made by me from my husband's dress shirt, FAB letters from Making Memories, stamps from 7 gypsies, steampunk chipboard by Bo Bunny, distress stickles by Tim Holtz, jute, washers and a chain from Hanks Bros True Value and ribbon dyed with my very own Michelle's Musings sprays in chocolate bar brown, GaGa Green and Sterling Silver.  Oh, and I dyed the washer red using cranberry alcohol ink.  The tag background is a page from Tim Holtz papers and I have stamped it with one of his words stamps (in a ghost fashion) using Stazon!

This tag might be fun for a man's birthday or even just for ME!!!

I wish I may...I wish I might

Goodness me Tim, I did not have many of the items you featured on this last tag.  I had to improvise in a MASSIVE way.

Starting out, I don't have a sizzix so every single sizzix detail had to be hand drawn and then cut out by me.  This adorable little house was no exception.  I added some gold to mine because I knew that I wanted GOLD this time instead of a silver look.

I also did not (nor have I ever seen in stores) the tissue paper. I made my own.  I took regular gift wrapping tissue, stamped it with Stazon and then inked some of it (not all because this was difficult).  So all my tissue elements were done by me as well.

I did not (nor will I ever) have the baby thingy.  Sorry, but she sort of freaks me out.  It's like Christopher Walken or Ray Liotta, and I just could not have that baby on my tag.  I used a cool Santa that I have been hanging onto.  Yeah, I lost the dimensional aspect, but it features gold and that is the look I wanted.

Mine is pretty much totally different than Tim's but that is the idea to be inspired by his work, and that works every time.

Merry Christmas fellow Tim Holtz's fans!!!

Bonus tag created with leftovers!

Tags of Christmas tag #7 and #11

Yes, I realize I have forgotten some of the tags, it's just that I loved these 2 so much that I had to make them RIGHT NOW!!!!

#7  was a vision of lovely from the get go.  And of course Michelle Champion had to improvise on the materials.  Our Hobby Lobby and Michaels stores have the worst sections for Tim Holtz products.  You either have to order them online or create your own.  I tend to follow with the later.  You will see that this tag is NO exception.

First of all, Tim called for glassine paper.  Yeah, well I don't have that but did have some envelopes.  I had to take apart  the envelopes in order to create the holly leaves from the bottom of the tag.  I think they worked out just fine.  Tim wanted me to color the pearls red, but I only had terra cotta alcohol inks so that is the route I had to take.  "A Joyful Christmas" is a stamp he has created and I adore it, but have never seen it in a store. I just had to make my own.  I think it turned out nicely.  Not as good as his, but a good second.  He requested you use his sizzix dies for the trees and leaves, but those had to be copied by me because I have no sizzix.   I added wires of beads to add a little flair.  Thanks Tim I enjoyed making this one.

The last one is not my style but thought I should make it because it might expand my interests.  This one is used on glossy paper, yeah I didn't have that so I used poster board.  He also used shrink plastic, but all I had was a #5 cup from Huck's ("HUCKS" said in a low Brick type voice).  I also did not have his Santa stamp  (found clip art online and embossed the ink while it was wet) and the Merry Christmas I had to create as well.  I did have ALL of the right colors of inks.  I generally don't like the glossy cardstock, but this wasn't bad.  Of all the tags I have made with Tim this year, this one was the easiest.

Thanks again Tim for some fantastic inspiration. 

The tags of Christmas

One of my favorite times of the year are when Tim Holtz introduces his 12 tags of Christmas.  This year was "doubly" fun because he is allowing us to show off our versions of the tags.  I have put the first 3 in a blog, why?  Because I can that's why.  I even got inspired to do one of my own.

I have done them all but tag 3.  I could not do that because I loaned out all of my Christmas stamps. So that was impossible.  I had to change a few elements on each tag because I did not have what I needed.  The largest difference was anything Tim used with his Sizzix dies (pinecones, reindeer, snowman, leaves, Noel, 25) I had to create myself.  So I had to make a pattern and then go from there.  It took more time, but everything is 100% made by me, no computer, no cricut...just Tim's wonderful designs.

These were loads of fun, and I look forward to the next 8!!

CKC and growing up

 This was an event that I had looked forward to for months and months.  I planned the classes and activities with a friend then the countdown to the event began.  Life somehow got in the way during the 3 months it took to countdown to the event.  My life began to take a drastic turn.  I began to question life and my career.  I realized I was missing out on so many things...my kids were growing up, I was never home, and had no insurance.  Plus, there was a drastic feeling of my wheels being spun over and over and over with no end result.  I had hit a wall, a burn out?  Probably, so I began to change course.  Focus, on my home life.  To learn to be at home.  Change was coming.  I went on a few interviews and almost had a couple of jobs.  I felt that maybe God was telling me to wait.  I waited.  It happened over the course of 4 days.  Four very fast paced, but very welcome days.

Then began more of a growth, of a goodbye.  A goodbye to so much.  So much I will not bore you with here.  You came to learn of my CKC event.  It is just that the backstory of a life beginning over was part of it.

CKC was to be in September and I could see that it was going to be a solo event for me.  I decided to put on my big girl britches and do it myself. I was outgoing, I was going to have fun and I would have no regrets about it.  I called my aunt to arrange for a place to stay and called a scrapbook company and asked to work the event in their booth.

It turned out to be just as wonderful as I had planned.  I proved something to myself, I CAN DO IT!  On so many levels, I proved I can do it!  I still have bridges to cross, roads to pave, mountains to climb, but with God and my family.  I CAN DO IT!!!


I am not to old to GROW!