Time to create

For the first time in my working life, I actually have a relaxing summer. It is sort of strange, something I am not used to having. I have many goals for this summer...

Seal the driveway
Stain the deck
Repair broken lattice on the deck
Paint my bathroom cabinet
Paint my kitchen
Install new windows
Paint the eaves of the house
Cut down some trees
Buy some patio furniture
Fix my front sidewalk
Paint the concrete leading into the garage
Repair nicks in the living room paint
Install a bathroom fan
Install new gutters on the front of the house
Stain kitchen cabinets
Replace a rotten deck board
Get the plumber out to work on the pipes

3 days into summer (I am only working on "work days" Monday-Friday...my weekends are still MY time) and we (John and I) have gotten the driveway done (we are just waiting to drive on it), I have replaced the lattice and I have painted the bathroom cabinet.  Doing good so far.

Today card was made because of the extra time that I have in the mornings. I decided to make some string art (for this weeks Mojo Monday sketch) while I was waiting to go to work one am.  I was  thinking about all the extra time and how it was a gift and I was so grateful for it. 




The patterned paper is all by K&Co
The blue line on the white cardstock was hand drawn using a Martha Stewart pen
The white cardstock is by Recollections
String by DMC flower thread (no longer made) 597
Embossed strip by my Big Kick using a Cuttlebug embossing folder
Blue Bayou ink by Stampin UP! 

A parting quote for me, the restless one....

Make use of time, let not advantage slip.
William Shakespeare

Because I had extra paper left from the 12x12 page, I made two more cards (trying hard not to leave scraps) 

Hello card uses Technique Tuesday stamp Petite Posies for both the Hello and the dots

It also features K&Co patterned paper, DMC flower thread in 597 and white cardstock by Recollections

Best Wishes features a Spellbinders scalloped oval cut, Best Wishes stamp is by Fiskars.  Papers....white cardstock by Recollections, green from a kit I purchased at CKC, and patterned paper by K&Co

A inky binky spotted background

Today I was surfing the internet for some new info and I meandered over to one of my usual stops, Unruly Paperarts.  Today the post the I read was about the inky backgrounds.  I ADORE ink!  I think I use it on every single thing that I make.  It takes me back some because 20 years ago when I started my first scrapbook I was scared of even an ink pen.  16 years ago, I would not have used ink for anything and now.....I rarely make anything without ink.

My absolute favorite are the Distress inks (a dye based ink). I love what they can do with water, they way they blend, run, and sort of meld into one. 

Then my second favorite ink is the exact opposite...solvent inks.  They will adhere to just about anything, will not change shape, form, or how they look.  Actually, they are a bit of wonderful with the Distress Inks and I use them just about as often as I use the Distress Inks.


Today's projects are ink based.  If you have not tried experimenting with inks you should.  You will get messy and quite possibly so will your work surface but hey that is part of it right?

I cover my table with 2 craft sheets.  They are heat resistant (which is fabulous when you use the heat gun as much as I), they are wonderful for blending inks and sometimes I even use them for paint palates. 

I have many ink blending tools and I like to line them up next to my craft sheets so they are within my reach.  And next to those I stack my Distress Inks.

The project pictured is a very ink intensive project.  The background was inked with my spray inks  (Michelle's Musings).  On top of that I have layered stamped images....using stamps by Technique Tuesday, Hero Arts, Hampton Arts, Tim Holtz, Hot off the Press, Stampin UP and 7 Gypsies.

I used many different inks to achieve this layered look (almost as many inks as I used stamps)....Distress inks, staz on, stampin UP, archival ink, pigment ink, and a chalk ink.  I even added a little texture by using Distress embossing ink and white embossing powder.

The umbrella man is a Tim Holtz Sizzix embossing folder and the flourish is a Cuttlebug die.  Both of which I inked with Walnut Stain Distress ink on top of Evergreen Bough Distress ink.

I decided this was a perfect occasion to use the great quote..."Not all who wander are lost".


Have a fantastic day!!!!

Rolled Rose Tutorial

Today I wanted to share with you my rolled rose technique.  It's not a perfect flower, just a simple little flower you can make and it can provide a wonderful accent to your projects.

I begin with a little square of paper and draw a little spiral (ok I admit sometimes-most times I free hand the spiral).  Then I cut out little waves on the outside of the spiral line.   

  You end up with a little spiral that looks like this (left).  I like to spritz the spiral with water then I wrap the outside edge (not the center) around a stylus.  I keep winding it around the stylus until it looks like the picture below.

 I then use some glue to hold the flower in place.  You will wrap the center of your spiral under the bottom of the flower and it has it's own built in base.  Then you can glue it onto your projects.

I am picturing 3 cards that I made today using this technique.  NO two are alike because I don't use a pattern, and I love that effect.

 These projects all feature:
Tim Holtz Distress inks in Evergreen Bough
Ranger Archival black ink
Scallop frame by Sizzix
All paper is from my scrapbin (I know the blue is MME)
string from my ribbon scraps
Floral patterned paper by Creative Memories
Bird, butterfly, music note paper and Wonderful  by K&Co
wire from a spool I bought years ago at Old America
Striped ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Quote from a kit from CKC
the leaves were handcut by me.

To get the colors on the leaves I put some Evergreen Bough directly onto a craft sheet.  I spritzed it with water and ran my cut out leaves through the ink.  I dried it with a heat gun and then drew on the veins with a Zig marker.

Looking Ahead

Today may be Mother's Day but I am all ready trying to look ahead to the next holiday...Father's Day.

Today I thought I would make a few cards that could be given to men.  Two of which I thought were best suited for Father's Day.

I used the CR84FN colors to inspire me....and what great colors they were....mint, blue and neutral.  Oh, this was perfect for a mans card.

Also featured on today's cards are my favorite paper line EVER!  I am  on my third pack of 180 sheets and I guess this will be the final package that I get as I have not found it anywhere in more than a year.  Bohemia by My Mind's Eye.


Products also featured:
Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Walnut Stain and Evergreen Bough
K&Co made the hot air balloon (so very cute)
Graphic 45 made all the early Hollywood inspired tags (what a great line that is too)
Hour glass by Bo Bunny
Gears by Tim Holtz
Embossed tag and scalloped cirle by my lovely Big Kick
Edges on the cards (that are die cut) by Creative Memories
All patterned paper by MME
Kraft cardstock from the open stock shelves at Hobby Lobby
Bingo number by Maya Road
Ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Letter stamps by the Miss Elizabeth's at the Dollar Tree
Dad rub ons from a kit I got at CKC, and it was a CK one

My Upcycle Life

I have this friend, Wendy that well is a pretty cool young lady.  I won't go into describing her into detail because it would take much to long to do so, but I will tell you Wendy is one of those ladies that could wear a potato sack and look like a million bucks.  Her fashion sense is classy, fun, chic, and it seems to come to her effortlessly.  Wendy has the little ideas and as she said: "I just can't get them out of my head" to make things.  So she has started bringing me things.  Once she brought me a t-shirt and I made her a scarf from it. Another time she brought me a necklace that was broken. I took some pieces off of it and then put it back together for her.  She has brought me little things that I have fashioned into other items but did not photograph.  :(

Wendy's necklace

  Wendy had this dress.  A very cute little dress.  The top half was of t-shirt material and was brown and white striped.  The bottom was a skirt that was made from lace.  I thought about it for a few days...what could I do.  I knew for sure that I wanted some flowers from the lace and I cut out the material that I needed for that. I knew that I wanted to use the ruffled lace waist part of the dress for a ruffle on a card, so I cut that off.  I knew I wanted the lace hem to make a rolled flower and so I made it so.  I still had the bulk of a lace skirt and the brown and white top.

I just started cutting.  That can be very scary but for me, it is usually when I can make it work.  I cut in lace skirt into 3 strips of fabric and sewed those strips end to end.  Then I cut 2 strips from the brown and white top and sewed those unto the lace strip.  Then I folded in half and stitched up the sides.  I now had a very long tube.  There was some part where the lace was pulled or where I had gotten a little too aggressive with the scissors and I just stitched those up as well.

There was just enough left over to make some t-shirt strips that could be fashioned into a bracelet.  I do believe that this up cycle was a success!!!!!  

this used to be the hem of her skirt

The infinity scarf

The sleeves of Wendy's t shirt

You can see that there is an additional project here.  This headband was the sleeve of Wendy's first t shirt that I had made into a scarf.  I cut a strip from each sleeve and reenforced the seam.  This makes a wonderful knit headband!  I just embellished it with handmade flowers and handmade leaves...even included a bit of wire for fun!  And BAM!  I have a little headband for Wendy's daughter.  

 I am certainly glad that I have a friend that likes to get rid of her JUNK! :)

My first Big Kick projects are spring cards

I got a Big Kick for my birthday and the first day I got it I just HAD to try it out.  I pulled a random piece of cardstock from my paper rack and it was carnation pink.  I cut and embossed using every folder that I had...this entire 12x12 sheet of paper.

Today I sat down to do my weekly Mojo Monday challenge and I wanted to use those nice embossed things that I had made.  I will start with this weeks sketch then my creation.

The first two cards feature a Tim Holtz embossing folder and of course Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  The frame is a Sizzix die (another new one) and the You are my Sunshine is by Fancy Pants.   Everything else is from my scrapbin.

The bottom two cards....the pinked edge background is a cuttlebug.  The music note stamp and the script stamp are by Close to My Heart (my birthday stamp set).  All other papers are from my scrapbin.  The love was purchased at JoAnn's.  The "you are the music in me" font is Amienne.

Mother's Day for my favorite MOM!

Today's challenge is brought to you by Crazy 4 Challenges.  http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/  I have been checking out their website for well over a year.  They do things that inspire me to think...and when I think I can create.  This time they provided a photograph.....The colors SCREAM my mother!  The organic quality of the balls SCREAM my mother.  And I was all ready needing to do something special for my mother.  I had wanted to make her a canvas....I just didn't know where I needed to go...UNTIL I saw this photograph!!!!  

I stuck with a similar color scheme and used some of the round elements and even some of the earthy qualities....after that I tried to be VERY VERY unique.  

May 8th marked my mother's 40th year of being a mom.  I used a 31 and a 9 to display the 40.  I found a quote that is sort of unique like my mom. I used some steampunk elements because my mom is kind of like a steampunk lady. A little old fashioned wrapped up in modern devices.  That is her!

She is a pretty incredible mom and I am blessed to have her.  I was one lucky baby!  One lucky bald, fat baby.

Here I am 40 years later and never shall I be able to repay her for what she has done for me.  I hope she knows I tried to show her how appreciative I am with this canvas.

I love you MOM!!!!