I Took the Plunge......

Happy Sunday all!

I have been admiring many mixed media artists, especially Donna Downey. Well, I had a friend come to spend the weekend and she had me look up videos on Faber-Castell's Gelatos. Well, it piqued my interest and I decided to try it out. First we decided to try making a tag. Here is what I made:

I combined a Tim Holtz tag with the Tim Holtz tissue paper and Distress Paint. The red paper was from my scrap pile and the bird was cut a Tim Holtz die we found at Hobby Lobby on clearance for $6.99. The words are cut from my Smash label maker. I decided I need a real label maker because this was a pain and did not stick. I inked the bird with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.

Then I moved on to the real project-a 8" x 10" canvas. This was part of a 2 pack from Hobby Lobby for $5. We gesso'd the canvas first (like we did to the tag) and dried it with the Embossing gun. We broke out the Faber-Castell  Gelatos and got busy. Here is the end result:

Do you see more of the Tim Holtz tissue paper there? I used my Cameo Silhouettes for all the die cuts and inked them with my Close to My Heart Exclusive Inks (Sunset & Twilight). I used Pop Dots to give the clouds and hummingbird to give dimension and the flowers are from Spare Parts that I found at Hobby Lobby too. The branch was inked with Tim Holtz distress inks and then I used my fine point brown and grey markers to give it dimension. I just LOVE this! I have a second one planned now too. I am so glad that you came by to share this adventure with me. Until next time....

Purplies Design Team Project: Time for the Green

Top O' the Mornin' to You!


I surely stepped outside my comfort zone today with a little help from my friends.I went to my monthly Stamp group (Hi to the MOCHA gals) and learned a new technique. Thanks to Pam, I was inspired and used it for my project. I bought this little balsam wood trinket box and painted it green with some Apple Barrel craft paint. I took a piece of Ranger/Tim Holtz cardstock and painted it (in a very thin layer) in the same color. I let it dry and then took my Cuddlebug and my D'vine Swirls embossing folder to emboss the painted cardstock. I sponged on the embossed card stock and trimmed it to the size of my top. It needed some oomph so I took out my FAVORITE tool (the Creative Memories border maker system) with my new Scallop Stitch border maker cartridge to make the border for the edge of the box lid. The flowers were cut from my Tim Holtz Tattered flowers die. And thanks to my friend Tina (AKA Craftyand Green), I added the shamrocks and the bling. Here is the end result:

I just love how it turned out! Thanks to all the folks that made this project possible. Until next time...

There's Snow Business Like Snow Business Blog Hop

There's Snow Business like Snow Business with all the friendly snowman putting on a show for you today. All I need is a cane and a top hat to start singing now or be Frosty the Snowman and shout "Happy Birthday"!  It may be Frosty and Cold outside, but its warm inside as long as you stay bundled up sledding through our hop!

We have a wonderful line-up for you to either grab your tobagon, sled, sleigh or ski's to check out the craftiness -- grab that hot cocoa and don't forget the marshmallows AND whipped cream, soft blankie, stay warm and snuggly and check out how we build a snowman before he melts!

If you happened upon my blog in error, I do want you to begin at the beginning of building Frosty by stopping by Miss Kari.

We do have some snow candy for you today for stopping by but you need visit all the snow drifts along the way and leaving a warm snuggly comment but just watch out for the yellow snow!

In the meantime, let's get on with the SNOW . . .

It is no secret that I love snowpeople of all shapes and sizes. I found a pack of 12 mini notecards at TJ Maxx that came in a painter's can (which I will repurpose for sure) and new that I would be making something sweet with it. I decided to make this happy little snowmen in a group of three from a stamp I received from my good friend Tina. I colored them with my Stampin' Up markers and the bling is from Want 2 Scrap (whom I would definitely suggest. Great quality and variety). Here are the 3 that I made:

The notecards measure 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" inches. I trimmed white paper to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" and sponged on  my new Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Inks in Tea Dye and Milled Lavender. Here is a closeup of one of the cards:

I would have loved some Stickles but thought it would have been overkill. I will be mailing these when I figure out the postage .

Thanks so much for stopping by and your next snow drift along the way is my dear friend Lynne. Until next time....a

Thankful Hearts Blog Hop

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays which always seems rushed! Rush to get the turkey and all of the fixin's. Rush to make out your Black Friday Shopping List and then rush everyone home to go do your shopping. Rush to have dinner done either before the football games or during halftime. Rush to visit family and friends. Rush to Eat and Eat and Eat! And when all is said and done and the rush is over - you might say "I'm grateful just to sit down and relax"!

Well, this year is different, it's time to sit back, take it easy without the rush. With Thanksgiving being one of our favorite holidays, it is a time to be thankful, reflectful, and to have a thankful heart. Sasha, Lynne's 6 year old granddaughter, has a heart shaped box which was conceived from a cartoon character that she watches,  Kai-lan. Kai-lan is a Chinese girl that wears a heart-shaped box around her neck and fills it with things that makes her heart happy.

We want to share "what makes our heart happy" and thankful through either cards and/or layouts. It is time to reflect and remember that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God for a bountiful Harvest. Our Harvest is our lives. We are expressing our Thanks from our hearts to God and the people who have come into our lives whether they be family or friends.

We do have some blog candy to offer to help you finish your fall projects just in time to start your holiday projects which include self-stick gems, stick pin, Candi foam pads, and a Family Scrapbook Kit along with a paper mache heart for you to decorate to hold the things that make your heart "happy"! To be eligible for the blog candy, please leave a comment on each of the participants of what you're thankful for or what makes your heart "happy". 

Here's the line-up for you as we don't want you to get lost along the way as I'm sure all the bread crumbs are being used for "stuffing" . . .

1. Lynne  - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
2. Susan  - http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
3. Amy - http://www.lovetocrop.com
4. Shawnee - http://www.blessedonthebrightside.com/
5. Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com
6. Anita-  http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
7. Kari - http://purplefuntastickcreations.blogspot.com/

I have so much to be thankful for that I cannot even begin to list it. Thanksgiving is a very special time in our family. If I had to pick one thing to be thankful for it would be my amazing family. You cannot pick your family and they make us a little nuts at times but I would not trade them in for the world. Since we have special Thanksgiving dinners I decided to make this card for my Aunt who is the most amazing Hostess.This is a swinging card that I made while chatting with the fabulous Miss Lynne of Her Craftiness. She offered creative input and I love how the card came out. Here it is closed :)

And here it is open :)

The turkey is from Simply Charmed, the card base and patterned paper scalloped circles are from Elegant Edges and the "Thanksgiving" is from Designer Calendar. My Cricit really got a workout! The card base paper is Tim Holtz Recollections paper and the pattern paper is scrap from my stash. I punched the little circles with my Stampin' Up Punch. The brad holding it all together is Stampin' Up also. I am so glad you stopped by and I am oh so thankful for all my followers. Once we reach 400 followers there will be a gift card giveaway. So please ensure you are a follower and leave a comment. Now onto your next stop, the AMAZING Miss Amy. Until next time....

Gift box Project...

Thanks to hubby's encouragement (and video recording talents) I can bring you a video today. I learned to make this box from my Stampin' Up Rep, Julie, at our last monthly get together. Since I have been in box making mode this was a perfect project. I have several blog hops that are coming up in the next few months that I am participating in so these will hold the cards I will be making. Right now I will post the video as I am here being creative with my friend Erin of Comfy on My Cloud. Enjoy and please let me know if you make one of your own. I would love to see it :)


And now, for your viewing pleasure....





Until next time.....

This is also going to be a Made it Myself Monday submission as well :)