My very own blending device

I love Tim Holtz...love love, but have to decide do I want the inks or the tools?  Duh, it's the inks.  However, I need the tools too.  I had to try and make the tools so that I can have more inks.

Today I have watched many youtube videos on making your own and thought about how I could do this.  I went to  Michael's to peruse the aisles to see how I could achieve this.

I found blocks for .99.   I was going to try and make mine multi-sided.  Why?  Because my space is limited and I need space savers. I felt like I could get 4 different ink colors on each cube.  We shall see.

I took foam taped and attached to all the areas that I will use for my stamping surface.

I cut felt to fit each side and BAM!!!  I have my very own version of the Tim Hotlz blending tool.

Because I don't intend on removing the felt for a long time, I labeled the cube with the stamp colors.  I like this idea...I do like Tim's better.  The handle feels so nice in your hand, but when you have to choose supplies over tools...well to me supplies always wins.  

Update:  I am still using these little blocks in 2020.   I still love them.  They have held up beautifully and still very functional.  Tim no longer makes the rectangle tool, he likes the circle tool.  With the release of the new ink, Speckled Egg, I have had to buy my first circle tool, as I am out of rectangle sponges.  I love the size of the circle tool, I have yet to test it, but as I stated before, I love the feel of the handle in your hands so I am sure I will love it.  I am very glad I made my own tools back in 2011 because it enabled me to get all the inks.

The Story of love and the $5 cupcake\

The Story of Love:
A layout dedicated to my cousin and his lovely bride.  A wedding that was inspiring, a wedding that united a young couple strong in their faith and enamored with each other.  A ceremony that showed how to love each other while giving the glory to God.  I was blessed to attend this wedding.

Uses:
Banner stamp from Autumn Leaves--doodle tabbed
Thread from DMC
paper flowers by prima
pink flowers Brides by Michael's
Card stock is all scrap bin finds
The story of Love stamps  and dotted line stamp by Technique Tuesday Everyday life by Ali Edwards
Heart stamp by Close to my heart--coffee stain
inks:  red stampabilities black by memento
Pen by Martha Stewart crafts

The second layout is the $5 cupcake...very simple because I want those cupcakes to be the stars because they cost so much!!!!!!

Mojo Monday 199

I missed last week because we were in St Louis, but I had this great little scheme all picked out.  I decided to use my inspiration colors and stamp sets on this weeks sketch. Actually it worked because I wanted it to be a baseball layout for pictures that I took at the game the other night.

The stamps are Close to my heart baseball
I used red pigment ink by stampabilities and black by memento
Card stock is Red Devil by Bazzil
The blue card stock, white cardstock and tan stock are from my bin.
Grey felt found in the closet and I cut it into scallops and added buttons from some old Disney shirts
Large white flower was made by me

Paper flower (this one is messy)

This flower was not my creation.  Someone taught me how to do it.  Instructions are my own because I don't measure, I just free cut.

I start with drawing generic flower shapes onto the paper that I am going to use.  Then I cut them out.  As you can see, when I cut I usually take free reign and cut outside my lines or simply redo the whole thing.  That is why usually I just free cut. You will need flower shapes in varying sizes.  I used 3, large, medium and small.

Cut the middle out of the flower shapes.....and spritz with water.

While wet, curl the edges.

Cut out a heart, and a half of a heart, these will make up the center.

Ink your center if desired.  I ink everything!!!!!!!

 Ink all the edges of the layers and stack on top of each other.  Largest to smallest with the curved sides pointing down.

Roll the heart shape to resemble the center of a rose and put the 1/2 heart shape with it and roll it.  You may have to play with this to get it like you want it and don't be afraid to spritz as needed.  Set aside for a few minutes.

 Pick up your layers of flowers and insert the rolled middle that you made and place into the center of your layers.  If the paper is still wet, this is a great time to move it about in the shape that you desire.

Flower tutorial

I have decided that I am a flower making machine. I have shared some of my flowers with you...but today I discovered (after a couple of attempts) a new better and way prettier flower.  Actually TWO...one is super simple, the other a little harder but not much.

the two types of flowers

This on the outside of the swirl, I drew scallops (these will be your petals)...use a marker that matches so it won't show. I did black for instructional purposes.

Cut out the swirl.

Start rolling the flower from the outside of the swirl in.

My finished rose...I love it!!!

Back of the flower with the stitch and two more completed roses.

Flower #2:

I cut a very ugly rectangle of felt

folded it over on itself and stitched up the side.

I have a snake looking thing....

I grab the thread and start to gather the rectangle and now it makes a circle.

I moved the inside of the flower through the middle and underneath.  I stitched it in place.

A button found it's way to the center and I have a very simple tiny "who knows" what type of flower it could be.  Very cute on a card or page though.

Forever and ever

Well, my parents anniversary is coming up (as I write this---as you read it, it is past). I decided a long time ago that I wanted to do something special for them. How many people do you know that make it 40 years? How many make it 40 years and still like each other, much less love each other?

Yes, to celebrate is no brainier. The thing is how to do it, how to make it special, how to make it not cost a fortune?

That is where I sit this day. I am trying to find someplace that is not too expensive, better yet free. I am trying to plan things that are "easyish" to make/do (this is a time problem).

My first step was to decide what I wanted. A meal at a restaurant or reception? The reception was my answer. A meal or reception food? reception food....Wait!!! Reception food. I want to have a wedding type of thing. I want them to proclaim their love for everyone. Being from poorish sort of families they never had a "proper" wedding. I want to give them that. If not a preacher ceremony, a re-dedication ceremony. With a proper reception.

The first stop was coloring (for me because I want to make the stuff).  I found a pad of paper at Hobby Lobby that very much fit my mothers' style.  Very country styled patterns, with blues, maroons, yellows, greens, and browns.  I think it was a delight.

 

The next part was to make the stuff. I got lucky and had a Cricut cartridge that made boxes.  I used 2 Cricut mats and about 70 sheets of cardstock, but I got all the favor boxes, all the centerpieces, and 2 journal type books done.  

I started work in January.  Yes, it takes quite some time to do all this.  I worked on it every Saturday until June 18, when it all was put together into the reception.

Now the reception was a bit of perfectness.  We had people attend that they had no idea about.  My dad did make me crazy the last week or so panicking about who was invited and who was not, but this is a time when he needs to learn TRUST.  It was lovely.  If you were invited and did not come, why then you missed out.

I think it turned out to be a great time.  Their song redeclaring their love for one another was just about the sweetest thing ever. 

I feel fine

you know my name (look up the number)

Today I decided to have a scrapbook day of my own.  I was inspired because I am reading a book about the Beatles.  About  their creative process, about how they came from nothing and achieved it all  (at least in the music world).  I want to achieve so much in the creative world.  I want to be a scrapbook artist! One who gets paid for her designs and people talk about her designs as they do someone like Tim Holtz or Theresa Collins.

With this Beatles story in my mind, I thought...mmmmm they got famous with their songs, maybe I could use their songs.  Here is an attempt to use Beatles titles as the titles to my pages.  All of these pages were done on 3 July 2011.  The "you know my name (look up the number)" page was done for this week CR84FN challenge. 

Mr. Moonlight

Mojo Monday 197

This week's card is a tribute to Love!  Some of the things I love...Purple, Technique Tuesday, flowers, swirls, and scrapbooking.

I made this with recollections purple card stock cut to 8x4. Fold that in half and you have the perfect 4x4 card.  Add a white backing (4.25x4.25), round the corners and use Stampin UP Eggplant Envy ink on the edges.  Cut a 3x3 square for the middle.  Round the corners and ink the edges with the same ink.  Use Stazon ink in black and the lovely "Love Makes the World Go Round" heart, and sentiments.  I took a white prima flower and used the eggplant envy ink and a watercolor brush to "paint" the white flower.  I rubbed the purple flower along the top of the eggplant, put it all together and BAM!!!  A sweet little card for someone I love....Maybe ME!!!!!




Just for fun I made the round one too!   Same sheet of purple cardstock, using the leftovers.  Using the Everyday Life stamps by Technique Tuesday. I turned the star upside down and used the eggplant to stamp my white paper.  Then I turned the star stamp over and using the stazon stamped the "correct" side of the stamp.  The white paper square is 3x3, the white square is 3.25x 3.25.

The flower is from prima and the leaves were hand cut,colored, and painted by ME.  Font is also by me.

My nook color

 Rooting my nook color was not a difficult thing.  There was a moment when I think that my heart stopped because I finished the rooting process and the thing would not come on.  Patience my friend, about 4 minutes later the little droid dude pops up and I have my very own rooted nook.

I have lived with it for about a month now...my opinion on it??? Well, I agree with those that told me that it would be one of the greatest things ever.  I now run Honeycomb and have a full-fledged Android tablet.  I can use my Kindle, Nook, Laputa, Amazon app store, Words with friends and the all-important ANDROID market!!!!  I recently installed the library's overdrive console so now I am able to use even more books.  My reading has increased too.  I was sick and tired of reading books under the cover with a flashlight by my cheek.  Now I simply pull the covers over my head and read until my battery dies.

Battery life?  The battery life is not as long as it would be had I kept it a Nook Color.  Mainly because I am using more apps, more internet, and well, just more.  If you have more, you use more.

Touchscreen?  Sometimes it is glitchy but it is not a big deal.  I believe it is more the ADW launcher than the tablet itself that is glitchy.


The specs?  I am running Android 2.3.3  Cyanogen Mod with the Iron Man theme background. It is actually the Iron man Droid.  The rest is just mumbo jumbo that you probably don't care about.

The result? Happiness...it performs in the exact manner that I dreamed it would.  I have a full-fledged Android tablet that cost me 194.00  PERFECTION!

Creating Keepsake July 1, 2011 challenge

One hour is hard to do when you hand sew. I am trying hard.  My hand is aching so I have to take a break.  I am uploading the before product here so that you can see what it entails.  The after will follow very soon.

Here is the completed project. I got finished at 12:29 pm central time and began at 11:02am.  Whew...I like it. Thank you this was fun!

Mojo Monday 196

I decided not to make a card this week.  I have wanted to use this "Hannah" element for some time.  This was something that Hannah got from a girl scout leader about 5 years ago and I keep holding onto it.  It was perfect for this semi floral page that I wanted to make for her.  She is like a little flower.  Beautiful, funny, goofy, and pretty smart.  I forgot to say she was a wonderful flute player (what is the special term for that?)

I have no idea what the Hannah element is made from.  It used to be a Hershey's chocolate bar wrapper.  And it was a wonderful idea (wish I had made it).  The brown paper is recollections, the orange is from Autumn Splendor by Making Memories, the pink is from my scrapbin.  The background and the floral patterned paper is by K and Co, I bought this in a pack of K&Co greatest hits. If I am correct in my deductions, this paper is the Wild Raspberry line.  If I am wrong would you please tell me?  It is very important to me that I have the right names on my collections.  My scrapbook space is like a label OCD perfection zone.  I like it all labeled and correctly.

The 3d flower was made by me.  I used a piece of all the papers on the page, some shimmer ink (sea glass) and lots of water.  I think it turned out great.  The tiniest little pink flower is from the Brides collection at Michael's.  The photo was taken at my baby's 8th-grade graduation.

Life's a Beach card

CR84FN 32

This weeks challenge is a very summery color combo.  It makes me think of lemonade and blueberry pie...yummy.  I did two cards.

This one is a small card 3x3.  It features a Hampton Art Steampunk stamp.  I used my crayola watercolor pencils to color in the butterfly.  His trail is made with raven Palmer acrylic paint. The green flowers are Prima and they are fabulous.  They feature a frosting on each one.  I adore them.  The brad is a making memories.  Cardstock is all from my scrapbin.  Glue is Scotch.  Background stamp is Baroque border by Stampin UP!  

the acetate with the painting on the front in raven by Palmer

The next card is the prettier one.  It was fashioned after an old fashioned animation cel.  I did the black outlines on the front of the acetate and the colors are painted on the back.

the title and the design element. I was laying it out to see how it would look.

Finished product

I used only 4 colors of paint.  Mustard Yellow by Craft Smart, Spearmint by Craft Smart and Green Middle by Winsor and Newton (love this paint) and of course white.  The ink on the card is black by Stazon.  All cardstock is from my scrapbin.  I believe the yellow is bazzill, it sure feels like it anyway.  This was fun, thanks for letting me play along.