The Third weekend of 2013

I always have a fear of not finishing things. I try hard to achieve the end of the goal. I write down my goals and follow through with completion.  There is something wonderful about adding that check mark on the iPhone or marking a line through the paper notes.  A deep satisfaction.

Proverbs 15:23 - "A man finds joy in giving an apt reply and how good is a timely word!"

One of my goals last year was to send more cards. I did EXCELLENT with that goal last year. I sent more cards than I ever had before even to random folks just so they would know someone cared. I can't tell you how many people would email me back saying that my card arrived when the needed it most.  That God must have knew they needed that encouragement today.  That is how it started...I let God guide me with who needed a card.  Often when I sat down to write out the cards I had NO idea who would be receiving the cards and BAM it just hit me who needed it.

Here is a verse I remember when I am trying to stay on target

2 Timothy 1:7
  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 

Self discipline!! I try to use it every day of my life.  If you find it hard  to stay focused, stay on task, to achieve the goal, think about writing down your goals.  Even a simple task of "fold laundry" or "put away computer cords" all the way to "get oil changed" gets completed with a goal sheet.  

If you need help with what type of goal sheet to use, there are some fabulous ones in word, on the internet or if you have an iPhone my new favorite is Wunderlist.  It syncs to my mac and iphone with no issues.  It has a place for lists that include shopping, private, work and  a wish list.    http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist

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I realized if I am going to keep this goal of sending cards in 2013, I needed to make more...so today that was my focus.  I have missed every CR84FN this year so today was  good time to start back in my routine.  Actually, I did two weeks of challenges even though one had ended.  This is the color palate for the previous week.

I am so in love with the colors.  Raspberry, Lavender and Neutral.  What a perfect combo! I have always wanted a room in the raspberry color....ALWAYS!!

Three of the fours cards used for this scheme have a 1920/1930 vibe.  I have this Graphic 45 paper from the Curtain Calls collection that is simply perfect for someone like I (that is someone going through a 1930 fab).



Picture Perfect....eatures Rudolph Valentino and I am pretty sure, Theda Bara.  If it is not Theda I will be shocked.  It is just hard to tell given the rough drawing.  Both were very famous in their day, Rudy was seen as SEXY and Theda was VAMPY (all be it a bit trashy in my eyes).  This is a simple design using the Graphic 45 tags and Creative Memories paper.  All inks are by Tim Holtz (Distress line). 

The next two use a jazzy font from my MAC (Andes).  I used Jazzing sayings from the Roaring 20's.  Again, I used the Graphic 45 tags, do you see Louis Armstrong?  I also used more of the CM paper and of course the Tim Holtz ink.  The brads are by K&Co from the Mira collection.

The last one is my favorite. I took a die cut from K&Co and inked it using Walnut Stain.  I took the CM paper once again and inked it, then spritzed with water.  I sprayed the butterfly with water and curled the wings and left a hump along the body so it looked three dimensional.  I inked the back of the wings to give some depth.  After she dried I glued her onto the CM paper.  I think poked holes for the antenna and a flying trail.  I used DMC floss to backstitch along the holes.  I absolutely LOVE the way this one looks.

2nd productive weekend of 2013

I tried to be very productive this weekend. I created 16 scrapbook layouts, 8 cards, one owl and 4 painted ladies.  I also squeezed in a fast 7 hour trip to Bowling Green and back through a giant rain storm!!

The way to be more productive with your memory keeping is just to get it done.  Some of the things that I made this weekend were quick and to the point, just to record the memory...while some took literally hours to complete.  Some folks are scared of scrapbooking because they don't know where to start, some are so far behind they lose heart, and some just can't stay focused.  The later is a problem for me....if I don't have a paintbrush in my hand I simply have trouble focusing (could be that ADHD?), I just became disciplined.  I will NOT let myself do something else until I finish. I set small goals at first "today I will complete 2 layouts", but once I get in a groove I set my sights higher just to prove to myself "I COULD do it!!"  Yesterday my goal was 10 layouts, I find it easier to accomplish if I write down the goal.  I wrote down on a sheet of paper, "complete 10 layouts", being competitive with everything I do, I sought out a way to outdo that goal.  Hence the completion of 16.

Focusing on card making is much easier.  Less time is involved in the entire process so I can usually accomplish many more. For this round I only completed 8.  There were quite a few today that took a bit of time to produce.  The Marilyn card with the pocket and 3 tags took a tremendous amount of time.  The Marilyn on the block was completed in only a couple of minutes.

There are many hours involved in the owl. I have put simplified instructions below.

The whole purpose of this was to tell you that you CAN leave your family story.  You CAN make cards to show you are grateful.  You CAN be creative.  You simply need to sit down and do it.  Make a goal in 2013 to make something.  Anything!!!  Maybe you cook, maybe you sewing, maybe you have wanted to try something but never had the guts. NOW is the time!  Make a bigger impact by giving it to someone you care about  There is nothing like getting a handmade gift from someone you love.

Tidbits on making your own owl:  I first had to draw him out onto paper just the way I wanted him to appear.  His body was cut from a leftover piece of mat board.  His wings from grunge board and then decoupaged with paper to match my utility room.  I liked the wings so much I pulled out the K&Co Urban Rhapsody paper pack (the paper I used for the utility room), and cover the owl body.  I made a stomach patch from the paper and covered that in Paisley Park plastic thingys.  Once the wings were dry I dotted Tim Holtz Distress Crackle paint on the front and back of wings.  The eyes were made by cutting circle of leftover fabric and burning the edges with a candle.  Each eye has two different sized circles that I squished up and glued.  The feet and beak are made from leftover Technique Tuesday tiles. Everything was distressed with Tim Holtz distress products.

both layouts feature journaling on the back

A canvas of a different color

For this canvas, I wanted to do something that I had never done.  Something really different.

First of all, I took a blank 12x12 canvas and glued a tissue paper tree with many layers on the right side. I actually got this idea from another artist, but I ended up not really having it visible in the final product. 

My next step was to post a photo of myself right smack dab in the middle.  I chose a color photo that I was not too in love with.  My thought process was that the photo would take a back seat to the "stuff" I was adding.

The next step was to add the "stuff".  I used various objects that I have collected, flowers, magnets, game pieces, foam things, beads, rope, charms, and baubles.  I had to use many different types of glue to adhere to the objects....E6000, hot glue, craft glue, and modge podge. After all that dried and stuck around I "painted" everything but my photo with gesso.  This was a long process.  I wanted to get this thing ready for many layers of paint.

I covered my photo with a paper towel.  Now starts the fun...I used many of my Michelle's Musings misting sprays as well as the commercial sprays.  I layered and layered these paints and in spots, I used acrylic paints. I just really wanted to add colors.  When I got it like I wanted I removed the paper towel. I added gesso horizontal lines to give movement.

viola!!! It's all finished!

Tags of 2013 with Tim Holtz: January

Here we go embarking on the journey with Tim making 12 tags for 2013.  I did not keep up well last year, but this year I intend on doing every month, every time.

This month's tag featured some cool elements, but I did not have the same things Tim had so of course I had to improvise.

Tag #1 Journey to the Soul

I used as a focal point, a stamped frame that I die cut and inside the frame is a lovely lady. I used Purple Stazon for the frame and Sephia archival ink for the lady. I put a layer of glossy accents over the inside of the frame to mimic glass.  These are Sizzix products.

Tim Holtz provided the quote in one of his stamp sets, it is stamped in Black Stazon.

The flowers are prima, with Ranger ink enamel centers.

The large houndstooth embossing is by Stampin up! And all the inks on top are Tim Holtz Distress inks.  There is a small flower cut out that was made by K&Co.


Tag #2 Good Times

The embossing on the background is a Alterations embossing folder by Tim Holtz. The film strip is a Tim Holtz stamp that was stamped with Black Stazon onto the clear film that covers cricut pads.  The gears are die cuts from Sizzix and I used grungeboard.  The good times is from a kit, and the oval used is from a Christmas present.  The finger is from 7 Gypsies.  All other inks are Tim Holtz Distress inks.


Tag #3 The leftovers
This is a tag made from leftovers from the other two tags.  The polka dotted background is by the paper company.

Thanks Tim for the first tag, looking forward to 11 more! 

Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations

Our house was built around 1967 and the cabinets in the home have never been repainted and frankly I don't think anything has ever been done to them since the day they were installed.  I was fed up!  Check out the before pictures and you will see exactly how bad the cabinets looked.  They also had another problem that you didn't see, if you closed them you would have to lift on the doors to make them fit.  The cabinets hung loose and were just plain pitiful.  

My first thing had to be to number the doors. Since they are custom made every door is a different size and I thought numbering them would be easier for me. I first labeled with masking tape and as I took down the door I wrote the number on the side of the door that does not show when hung.  For the top cabinets it was the top edge and the bottom it was the bottom edge. 

I then took off all the doors, cleaned the hinges (I was saving them) and filled every single hole where a door was attached to the cabinet base.  This step was long and messy, but my intention was to hang these doors as if the cabinet base was new and then I would have a tight fit with no sagging doors.  Then came the kit......

The first three photos are the before photos

I had enough left over to do our pantry cabinet.  The before is on the left, it was sponged a combo of our kitchen colors and the right is the after, looks nice doesn't it?  I am pleased with everything, the ease of use, the actual product, everything.

The bottom cabinets are finished, the top cabinet are in two different stages.  The part of the cabinets on the left is being transformed, the ones on the right are the original cabinet finish.

Look at the difference in finished and the old way

New hardware pulls in the look.  Hardware was $70 at Lowe's for 12 drawer pulls and 22 knobs

The finished project.  Next we got a new stove (not pictured) and I am working on a new curtain.  Counter tops will happen in the spring.

Mojo Monday for the holidays

I found these great little plastic cups at Kohl's for $2.10 and I could save 20% off that...so they were a no brainer.  The issue with them was that they were graduation cups, but upon further inspection, I realized the inserts came out and you could customize with a photo of your graduate.  Then I thought, "think out of the box".  I took out the entire insert and put in one of my very own.

I used the Mojo Monday sketch and created my new and improved inserts to go along with this week's sketch.  These things were very hard to photograph and for some reason, they appear to be sideways.  I am still having the issues with the Mac portion.

I can't wait to give this to a certain special someone.


All materials are from a kit that I bought years ago by Westrim Crafts, with the exception of the flowers.  The paper flowers are from CM and the fabric flowers are from an arrangement at my house. 

The wild 1930

Lately, I have been watching TONS of 1930's movies and reading 1930's books.  The later stems from not having any extra funds to buy new books so I browse the free section.  I have read some interesting books and some that well were horrible (maybe it's a changing times thing).  Anyway, I have noticed that the entertainment is coming into my work.  And influencing my choices on the materials I purchase.  

I recently got this stamp and die set from Spellbinders (featured above), that is move of the Art Nouveau time, but still it is old fashioned.  While at Trace Creek this year I found many stamps that featured ladies from olden times (flappers, gothic, classic art works and victorian).  I bought them all!!!

One of these stamps is featured on this weeks Mojo Monday entry, do you recognize her?  She is exquisite!.  

My last new purchase was a die that made the cute flowers. I have the scoring board, but I found this easy and fun.  I love the look on the Thanks card below.  

Now I will give you recommendations just in case you too are bitten by the old fashioned bug.

Read American Rose (about Gypsy Rose Lee the queen of burlesque)

Watch "You can't take it with you" featuring Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur and Jimmy Stewart

Watch "It happened one night" featuring Gable and Claudette Cobert

And read Hollywood Babylon...it's gross but interesting.

Next I am back on my 1950's kick.