Def Leppard 2012

Just got back from another Def Leppard concert and while Joe's voice is a little rougher than it was 20+ years ago, their overall sound was BETTER.  I am certain there are enhancements, to Joe's voice, to the drums, but man it is a wonderful experience!

I do miss seeing them in the round, but that will never happen again. I am just grateful that they are no longer playing those tiny little places they played in the '90s.  They didn't seem to want to keep playing them.  Now they played a solid 2 hours.  Not as long as Bon Jovi, but the show was just as good.  And in my opinion, the music was MUCH better.

I loved the jumbotrons.  This is my first time seeing them use this many and it was a thrill to see their faces up close during solos and while singing.  And this time unlike others I took a camera with a pretty good zoom, so I got good shots. I haven't had good shots since 1988.  Now, these are NOT nearly as good because I wasn't that close.

To go along with a great show, I got to spend the afternoon and evening with 3 special ladies.  My 3 little concert buddies.  Tammy, Kristi, and Ginger.  Three girls that I met during my time at Olivet.  Three of the best things. These girls are there for you whenever you need them. They are there for laughs, fun and to tell you that you need to come down off that high horse.  Tonight was pretty much a perfect night, what would have made it perfect?  To chat with the band! 

A month of weddings

This summer was the summer of weddings and I made some canvases for the brides/grooms.  I usually charge $25-$35 per piece because of the extensiveness of the project. I spent many hours on each one of these, more than usual just because they were all special people to me.  Each canvas features many layers and a little bit of drying time.  Each canvas starts with stamping the canvas.  Some stamps will be done with archival ink, some embossing ink and some paint.  After those dry or after I have finished embossing them....then I start with the ink layers.  I will ink  the whole canvas with Distress inks and then throw water on the canvas. Once that dries I will do it again only instead of throwing water on I will spritz it.  Water will pool up and I will stand the canvas up and let the inks run together. I will use some of my misting sprays and let that ink run too.  I will then add stickles or crackle paint or both.  Once that dries I embellish.

Here is where each one gets it's own personality.  I will start with the black/blue one.

I really liked this one because the bride had a FANTASTIC invitation!  I HAD to cut it up and use it in the canvas. It was a black and white invite with blue accents and totally gorgeous.  I used her envelope as just a background paper.  On top of that I used a chipboard circle and covered with crepe paper and a white string.  I stamped a lovely couple with stazon and then I painted them with watercolor and sprinkled some salt on them for texture.  I used a portion of the wedding invitation behind a Tim Holtz fragment, for the tag, for a background behind the couple and for the card I made to give the couple.  I added many layers of STUFF, which is kind of my thing. 

The Blue one:  I used the whole invitation on this one.  A large flower folded in half, some giant letters and I strung beads onto a wire.  Since the bucket of beads are all colors I had to pick out the blue and white ones.  FOREVER!!! 

The last one was for my cousin. I spent even more time on this one rolling flowers myself and stringing green beads.  Brittany is sort of an old soul, so I made hers to reflect old Hollywood.  I tried to use items that you would have found then.  Tulle, movie posters, the couple, the gears, the beads, the design of the hearts and arrows, and the tag.  While they all make me happy, this one too reflects my style so it's my favorite. Sort of like Gene Kelly would have it hanging in his house. 

Cards created on 8 July 2012

Today was just a day to try out my new dies and new ink pads while using some paper scraps.  First up is the flower made using Tim Holtz's tattered flowers die.  I made many layers of the flowers and inked them using Fired Brick and Black Soot. I sprinkled them with water and dried them with a heat gun.  I then wet them again and curled the edges under then I started to layer them.  I really liked the way that this giant flower turned out. 

The next two cards were made using the Lost and Found paper pack by MME.  I LOVE this paper!!! LOVE love love.  The Bubble Gum solid paper is by Bazzil.  The chipboard is by House of Three.  The scallop oval is a spellbinder die.  The string is flower thread by DMC.  Camera is by K&Co. 

The Paris card is made using the same Lost and Found paper and the House of Three chipboard.  I added an Effiel Tower stamp from the $1 bin at Michael's, a prima flower and tulle from a wedding. 

So very sweet card uses K&Co patterned paper and Bazzil yellow cardstock.  The scallop is again a spellbinders die.  Chipboard by House of Three, the owl punch by Martha Stewart and the stickles are Distress.  The #8 is by 7 Gypsies. 
The last card is a manly card.  I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder, distress stickles, alcohol inks and fragment.  All the paper is the same paper from the other red/yellow cards.  The string was bought at CKC.  The punch was made by Stampin UP!  For the look on the fragment I took alcohol inks in cranberry, latte, and caramel and put a couple of drops of each on my felt pad.  I added a drop of blending solution then bounced the felt pad on the fragment.  It does not take long to dry at all!  Once it was dry I flipped it over and stamped "dream" using stazon!  I love the look!!!  I sanded the cardstock so the white core would show through.  I love that look too. 

What a difference a year makes

With all the baseball tournaments I have not been able to join in on CR84FN or Mojo Monday like I want to, but I am back baby!!!  Today's cards were made for a couple of people at work that have a birthday coming up.  Of course while I was making them I reflected on my almost year at the high school. It is hard to believe what a difference a year makes.  I am happy, and much healthier. I had always thought people were nuts to say that a job could age you like that.  Especially when it was a job that I loved. I loved working with the staff but most of all the children.  I am not going to bore you with the things I did not love.  Those would be the reasons that I left.  

A year later, I am happy, less stress... A LOT LESS STRESS!  I am doing something I love and something I am good at.  I am working with people that are Godly people that let me pray for them, that encourage me to pray for them and that have prayed for me.  

My cholesterol is down.  WAY DOWN!  God works things out in the neatest ways.  I love when He surprises me and takes care of me when I didn't realize I needed it, but I always do.

Now a year later, there are some people that I miss, and probably will never talk to again.  And to that I just have to say "oh well".  I am happy!  

These cards are made with a lot of leftovers so telling it all might be hard.

The top card:

Scallop oval die cut by Spellbinders

Flower die cut by Tim Holtz

Ribbon bought at CKC

Patterned paper by K&Co

Red paper by Recollections

All inks are Distress inks by Tim Holtz

Birthday stamp by Stampin UP!

Leaves made from the Magnolia line of paper and inked with Distress inks

 

Second card:

Embossing folder by Stampin UP! (thanks Cassie for selling it to me)

Yellow paper by Recollections

Birthday sentiment by Stampin UP!

all other supplies same as above

I will wring you up by your neck

Today I made scarves! I had leftover fabric that needed to be purged from my craft closest and decided that scarves would be the best way to clean out that closet.  I first took two large rectangles of fabric, one in brown chiffon like and one a floral rayon blend.  I stitched them together to make one long rectangle.  Then I fold them in half right sides together and stitched up the long side.  I turned it right side out and stitched closed the bottom and bam an infinity scarf.  FAST and easy!

The next one took some more work.  First I started with 2 7 inch wide rectangles and strips of pink.  I stitched the pink up to make two long ruffles. I pinned those ruffles to the long sides of one of the black rectangles.  I then placed the other rectangle on top of this rectangle and pinned the ruffles in the inside.   I was making a tube full of ruffles.  I stitched closed the tube on the long sides.  Next, I turned it right side out.

And it looked like this. Each end had a selvage so I did not have to hem up the ends, but I did decide to use some black thread and stitch the ends closed.  I am very pleased with this one. 

Lastly, I was running out of fabric and just made two long black rectangles again. I took some leftover striped material and made ruffles from it.  I wanted a sloppy look so I did not serge the edges.  I layered two rolls of ruffles on each end of one rectangle and stitched in place with a zig-zag.  Then I made another tube using the last black rectangle and stitched that baby closed in all but a small area so I could turn it right sides out.  I slip stitched it closed. I like it!!!!

Little Suzi Homemaker????

Really?  I surely can't be talking about ME?  Nope, I am not, what I am talking about is the item that I made today.  Here is the story:

A few months ago I made vests for Trevor's drama club.  I kept the scraps.  They were not really big enough to do anything but I kept them anyway.  The remnants used today were 4 strips of red flowery fabric.  To this I added some white fabric that I got from my mother in law and I have literally had it for about 15 years.  To that I added some pieces cut from a red carpet party that we held for Hannah for a birthday party about 6 years ago.  As you can see from the main photo I made an apron.  I had wanted a nice one to wear when I have folks over for dinner, or when I just wanted to feel like Donna Reed.

This apron was made without a pattern, but I will try my best to walk you through it.  I have no measurements so I have measured the finished items.  I just sewed this up by sight.

All sizes are finished sizes:
Bib-12x13 (I just fashioned this to my size. I actually cut the fabric a couple of times before I started stitching. I cut 2 bibs.

Ruffles, since they were all from remnants, I just had to use what I had.  The bottom red ruffle is about 1.5 inches,  the bib ruffle is about .5 inches. The neck ties are actually made from the bib ruffle.  There was enough to use for the ties, then I took the rest and gathered it to use on the bib.

The skirt is about 24"x 40".  I gathered the top of it by using a very loose running stitch and hand gathering it.

First thing I did was take the gathered small ruffle (I gathered it first) and the ties and  sandwich them between the two bibs.  I stitched right sides together on 3 sides (the open side was the side that touches the waist).

Then I put the ruffle on the bottom of the skirt (it was gathered in the first steps.  I finished the edges by using a zig zag stitch.  I also stitched a small piece of the skirt material on top the (inside) to make the white thread not show up as much.

  The sides of the skirt were cut on the selvage so no need to hem that. 





The next step was to take the last piece of remnant and I fashioned a waistband from this.  There were 2 pieces and I stitched them together on the short side making a very long strip that was approx 2 inches wide and 59" long.  I folded it in half longways creating a 1"x59" strip.  Then I went in and folded 1/4 over on each edge just to finish the waistband.  Then I made a sandwich, waistband, skirt, bib, waistband.  I stitched it all together and bam I have an apron!

Recycled "ART"

I am all about leaving a smaller footprint on this world.  The mark I leave on Earth is not one that trashed the place.  I want to leave a mark that says "wow she made a difference".  Today my difference is in TRASH!

I have started collecting what some would call TRASH.  I am making things from this garbage.  Some things are going to be serviceable and some just a dust collector (so essentially I am leaving a dust bunny trail).

Today I challenged myself with a box of junk and a sundrop can.


Let's start with the can....

I first decided to clean the can and cut it apart.  The aluminum is much thinner than I thought it would be no wonder I have punctured many a sundrop can. Next I decided to use punches and punch out shapes.  I wasn't sure what I could do with that.

Then a vision came to me. The punched pieces would make a great base. I decided to color the pieces with alcohol inks using an inking tip that I got from Tim Holtz. I still needed something else. I needed to make flowers!

I cut a spiral from the can. Let me tell you this was not that easy, you have to be very careful not to slice your finger. Once cut, I inked it with alcohol ink I began to roll it. I started from the wide part of the spiral. This can he tricky as the edges are very sharp. It seems to be worth the trouble. Finish it by adding a dan of hot glue to hold it together. I will probably add these to some canvas art.