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!

I adore a pink scraf, especially when I make it!

So I had this great pink t-shirt.  Fit great, great color, was WELL made and in typical Michelle fashion, I washed it......WITH AN INK PEN!!!


Yes, the lovely shirt had ink on the back of it.  For a while, I wore it under a shirt because the front was fine.  Until that one day when I was sweating and I needed to take off the over the shirt.  I decided then and there that wearing it under something just was NOT going to work.  Next step?  To repurpose it.  I thought about it for a couple of weeks.  What did I want to do?  How did I want to do it?  etc...I decided that a scarf would best serve me. I wear scarves all the time (I am sort of like a Cullen in that fashion) and the pink color would be perfect to wear with a black or brown t-shirt.

I first made the shirt as flat as I could on the table and then cut off the hem.  The next step was to cut the midsection just under the armpit area.  That left me a tube and from this tube I just 1/2 (ish I don't measure) strips.

When I cut strips out of the entire tube I put all the strips together and pulled as hard as I could to stretch out the strips.   The t-shirt had two side seams so I would have to deal with them.  On one seam I made a band out of the t-shirt remnants.  I tied the strip around the seam, wrapped it and then tied again.  I tried to hide my tying inside the bulk of the strips.

On the other side, I put a flower that I made from the sleeves.  I did not come up with this design, this lady did.....it is brilliant!!!    http://gonetoearth.typepad.com/gonetoearth/2009/03/tutorial-fabric-flower-brooch.html

In the end, all that was left was this pile of scraps. I do intend to make a couple of flowers out of this stuff. 

In the end, I had very few scraps left, I made a bracelet, a flower and had 4 square left that I intend to stamp on and place on a scrapbook page.

Books of 2011

I keep a reading diary of the books that I read each year.  I have to write down each book and whether or not it was good.  I also note if it is a library book (or borrowed) or my own.  Last year was the first year I started reading digital books and this year I am reading digital almost exclusively.  This year marked a big milestone to me....I turned 39 and finished my 39th time reading Gone with the Wind.  2011 was also the 75th anniversary of the publishing of this grand book.

Actually, I sort of did  the GWTW thing all year.  I reread Rhett Butler's people (which I really like) and Scarlett (which I am indifferent about) and spent a lot of time in the wizardly world.

Listed are my top ten books of 2011

1.  Gone with the Wind ---I love spending time in the home of Miss O'Hara.  I love her little mind and trying to figure out why she does the things she does. I love Rhett Butler.  A man who is handsome, rough, tough, but has a genuine heart of gold.  He won't let you know that he does though.  I love Miss Melly, who gives and gives and gives and eventually she gives her life.  Ashley, who is stupid and caught up in a world that doesn't exist but he won't move on until it is too late.  Sue Ellen, who is selfish to the end, until Will shows up to save the day.  Gerald...who poor guy can't live without Mrs. O'Hara.  I adore Pittypat, who is an airhead if I ever saw one.  Mrs. Tarelton...who is bold, daring, chooses horses over her boys, but it a good woman deep inside.  Mammy, who I wish I could take home.  A true loving soul, who was underappreciated, who was the wisest character in the book.  Who gave all....and then some.  Scarlett did not deserve her love.  Rhett earned it!  Just bought my 3rd copy. the other 2 have fallen apart.


2.  Song of the Siren-  I read this book at least twice every year.  The magnificent Carlotta Main, spoiled, loved, adored and extremely selfish.  She was born under very strange circumstances and had a surprise when she was older...a surprise about her birth.  She runs away with a Jesuit and marries another man.  A wonderful man who did not deserve the things she did to him.  Oh, but Carlotta got hers in the end.  Thank goodness for her dear sister Darmaris who ends up saving EVERYONE!   I have been through 4 copies of this book. 

3..  The Hunger Games-April Rambo got me to read this and I am so glad that she did.  I think this was a wonderful book and I could not put it down.  2 times this year.  I do not own it.

4.  The Help-  I have only read this once, but I did just check it out from my virtual library branch and will begin reading it for the 2nd time this weekend.  I don't hate any character in the book.

5.  Deathly Hallows-  I read this book in preparation of the movie.  I read it for the first time last year...very quickly and I was sure I missed something.  I did miss a bit, but only small pieces. I will read it again this year.  I do think it is the best of the series.

6.  Travels in Alaska -I have read this every year since 2008, the first year that I went to Alaska.  I find that when I read this book, I go back to Alaska...but back with John Muir.  In a time that life was simpler and the country was pure and unchemicaled.  John paints a lovely picture of exactly what Alaska looks like. I feel I am in that canoe, on that glacier or casing Stika right along side him.  You can also feel how close John was to God.  His faith was strong and that faith flows through you while you are traveling with him.

7.  A funny thing happened on the way to the future-a very short read by Michael J Fox.  This book tends to be about education.  And his lack thereof....a very nice, very fast read (about 1 hour)

8.  Breaking Dawn-had to read this again in preparation of the movie.  I still find portions of this UGLY.  Stephanie Meyer sucks me into her vampire world and I cannot get out. I adore this series.

9.  The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe-a nice little world that begins in a closet.  I enjoyed this, but had much trouble reading the second one.  I will try again one day, just not anytime soon.

10.  The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud-I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.  Finally saw the movie and the movie is NOWHERE as good.  Read this book.  

Year of the film

Every year I do MANY top ten lists. I am hoping in the event that I lose my mind (no comments needed here thank you very much), I shall be able to look back on my top ten lists and spark some memories.

Movies:
1.  Gone with the Wind-I simply cannot move this movie from the first place

 2.  Titanic-extraordinary movie...about the ship that made me fall in love with ships

3.  The Band Wagon-Simply the greatest musical ever made

4.  Back to the Future-why don't you make like a tree and get out

5. The Deathly Hallows part 1&2, because they can't be split apart

6.   Three Little Words-second greatest musical of all time

7.  Oklahoma-Oh what a beautiful morning

8. Robin Hood-Robin Hood and Little John running through the forest laughing back and forth at what  the other one has to say

9.   Seven Brides for Seven Brothers-Howard Keel I needn't say anything else

10.  Eclipse-JASPER!  JANE!!  love this film