Happy Anniversary Baby!

Yes, it has been a long time since I posted to my blog and it is hard to keep up these days! I see I have lost a few followers and that is sad, but unfortunately, there is not much that I can do to keep actively blogging at the moment. There has just been so much going on and time is very limited, but I am trying the best that I can, so I hope you will stick with me over the next couple of months. I do apologize for lack of visits and only the occasional blog post, but I do see what most of you create and especially on Facebook. OK, well today I am sharing an anniversary tag for my hubby that I created using a variety of stamps from Artistic Outpost. We have reached the 33 year point in our lives and I have got to tell you that I am so incredibly blessed to have not only my best friend at my side, but that today is his last day of work! He is retired! Not sure what he will do!

I took a kraft tag background and used the music sheet from "Ephemera Backgrounds" which was clear embossed. Next I placed Tim's time stencil over the tag and inked over that in Black Soot. The frame from "Chalk It Up" was stamped in Coffee Archival and fussy cut. All remaining images were stamped in Black Archival and a slight amount of color was added to the "Flapper Fashions" gal. I think the sentiment from "Typography" is perfect for my hubby. Added a few stencil hearts and some dyed ribbon and "Life is Good."

To update all of you, we now have a house in Wisconsin (so two at the moment and now you can understand the lack of time), I apparently had/have the flu (but getting there) and now with Steve all retired, I am looking forward to a more relaxing never going to get up at 4:30 AM again life! I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the soon to be spring season! Thank you so much for sticking with me and visiting today!

Skate Emporium!

Can you believe we are already at the middle of January??? Where does the time go, seriously? Today I am sharing this chilling and fun card at Artistic Outpost using Skate Emporium and Chalk It Up. For all the details, please click right HERE for a visit!

Yes this is just a little tease to tempt you!

Thank you for stopping by and have a most wonderful weekend!

Chalk It Up!

Hello to all of you! When I saw the current challenge chosen by the Shelly at Frilly and Funkie "Chalk It Up," well I had to get busy with my Artistic Outpost's Chalk It Up and Christmas Chalk stamps!

I painted a black tag with DecoArt Chalkboard paint in black and while still wet grated on a little white chalk and using brushed it with a mop paint brush. Gave this a spray with clear sealer. A few chalk lines were scribbled in as well.

The frame was stamped with VersaMark and embossed with white. The snow flakes, deer and sentiment were stamped in VersaMark and sprinkled with a mix of grated white chalk and Perfect Pearls Confetti White.  To finish I added some of those brads from years back and layered up with paper. Easy enough for those many cards/tags we need to send at Christmas!

Thank you for visiting today and there are only a couple of days remaining at AO's "Show Us Your AO Art" challenge, but October is just around the corner and a hole new challenge will begin!

In The Bag!

It is a Designers Choice Blog Hop at Artistic Outpost and I am sharing a gift bag idea with you! Be sure to stop by and visit all the AO designers for great inspiration and ideas!

  Lisa, Suzanne, Tracy, Linda, Alison, Terry (Me), Kate

It is a more personal touch when giving a gift if it arrives in little bag designed by hand! The fun part is that you can make the bag as simple or detailed as you chose! I wanted a festive and somewhat simple bag and gift tag! Both Christmas Chalk and Chalk It Up stamp collections were used.

I first started my inking the bag with Peeled Paint and Barn Door, using tape for masking the stripes. Next I used Embossing Ink and White EP for the frame and stamped images and edged the same. I also flicked a few pieces of White EP here and there for a little bit of a snowy feel.

The tag was stamped on both sides using Distress Markers and shaded. Easy and quick which is kind of nice during the busiest time of the year!

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you are enjoying the start of the Holiday season! If you have not already joined in the November Monthly Referral Program, you have time to ink up those AO stamps!



Let It Snow!

Hope you all are doing well and getting ready for the upcoming Holidays! Hence is why I decided to go with a Christmas theme for Tim's November 12 Tags of 2013! And normally I would use all or mostly "Tim" products and stamps, but since Artist Outpost came out with the Christmas Chalk line in September, it just seemed like a natural fit to me! Not to mention Artistic Outpost is having a 15% off sale until November 18th, so stock up and use code November2013.

I followed the guidelines from Tim for the most part for the chalking technique.

I inked and chalked the frame from Christmas Chalk and then the little cottage scene from MidWinter, which I did mask off a little at each side to fit inside the framed area before inking with clear embossing ink.

And has the title of my blog posts states! This was stamped on white, shaded with black and layered up on black and green and I added foam underneath for a little extra dimension! Oh and of course a little extra chalk here and there. The snowflakes at the top are from Chalk It Up.

Enjoy the rest of your day or evening and as always, I deeply appreciate your visits! And if you have some of those fabby AO stamps, join in the November Referral Program!

Friends!

Hello to all my blogging friends! The truth is that I do "Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" and I think we all do! When I think about the possibility of moving, my friends come into mind and as we get older, it is not as easy to make those very close bonds. The tag I am sharing today is covered in full detail at Artistic Outpost and a few more photos, if you would like to pop on over there, which would be lovely.

Being in an area for almost 17 years, there are just so many memories. Everyone of my family members have been here and all of my pets in one form or another will remain here. We moved here to be near my aging parents and at the time, other family members also lived here and now it is just us. Friends do become family!  So I can move to an area that I am so unfamiliar with that is totally a different climate than the desert or stay here and visit family?

I think the Paperboy, along with Chalk It Up and Chalkboard Wisdom do a great job spreading the word about "Friends." Hope to see you join in the new Monthly Referral Program at Artistic Outpost for a chance of a prize and being amount the "Top 3."

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy life with Friends and Family!

Come On!

Come on and join in the Artistic Outpost's New Release of "Hayride" and "Christmas Chalk"  Blog Hop with Gerrie, Lisa, Suzanne, Tracy, Linda, Alison, Terry (Me) and Kate.

Today I am sharing a wall hanging using Hayride and Chalk It Up!

This ended up being a fun project, but it did not start out as such! I first inked up some paper with Antique Linen and a little Brushed Corduroy, knowing I would use the ledger stamp from Ephemera Backgrounds for a subtle background. Once the background was stamped using Brushed Corduroy, the Frame and Tractor (love this) was stamped in Coffee Archival. The edge was die cut with Tim's notebook!

That was my start and I tried this and that and this and that and could not find a decent home for my duly noted tractor!

I looked around at this and that, you get the picture and then saw the frame that I had from my good old painting days! The brain power kicked in!  The frame was painted in French Vanilla and stamped with Sepia Archival and clear embossed. I did think about adding some crackle, etc., but decided no.

Something told me to go with corrugated cardboard and make some leafy matter!  Once I cut the leaves and pine cone, I stained them using Mustard Seed, Barn Door, Bundled Sage, Rusty Hinge and Dusty concord. After nice and dry, I applied Crackle, let dry and brushed on Vintage Photo stain. I was thinking these were a little bright and remembered that talent ball, Astrid, mentioning toning down color with Dylusions "White Linen" and this worked quite nicely! Thanks, Astrid!

The corrugated cardboard background was cut and cracked and stained with Vintage Photo. All cardboard edges were highlighted using Treasure Gold, White Fire!

Really love these new releases and I can't wait to share more of my completed projects over the next few weeks. The September Monthly Referral Program is waiting for you and your AO stamps, so come on and have some fun!

Thank you so much for visiting today!

More Halloween and the Dreamer!

How are you doing today and is it starting to cool down where you are? We are still quite hot, but I would say that Summer is coming to an end! Now we will be getting ready for the Autumn and you know that means Halloween for some and lots of spooky fun!

This altered coffin box I created during the AO's Halloween Blog Hop and promised to share a little later, so here it is!

The first thing I did was to stamp the "Lady Skeleton" frame from Gothic 31 on the box using VersaMark and clear embossed. The we had some fun with Distress Stains and Rock Candy Crackle, but only up to the frame. 

I stamped a second "Lady" after Distress Inking and clear embossed (added a stickle eye), then inked over the colors with Black Soot. Then added several layers of clear embossing powder and popped it in the center. Edged with some Treasure Gold - do love that stuff!

The insides were covered with Tim's Halloween Kraft paper, Inked and stamped.

But I'm not the only one! Yes, I have been singing that song and I bet you are also? I am loving the new releases from Artistic Outpost and I can't wait to see what those of you who have picked up these stamps, come up with!

Since I am sharing this over at Artistic Outpost today, for all the details about this canvas and more pictures, pop on over. This is also the start of a new month and a new "Monthly Referral Program" and as again it is anything goes, but use those AO stamps!

Thank you for stopping by today! In a couple of days I will be off to visit Portland, OR and my family. Will share that with you upon my return! Enjoy the rest of the week!

Stamps: Artistic Outpost Gothic 31, Chalk It Up, Chalkboard Wisdom
Inks: VersaMark, Distress Black Soot, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord, Peeped Paint, Shabby Shutters, Archival Black
Stains: Dusty Concord, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot, Peeled Paint
Treasure Gold

Chalk Fun with Artistic Outpost!

It is a blog hop and an awesome new release with Artistic Outpost. You won't want to miss out on what all the Design Team has come up with these two new stamps collections, "Chalk It Up and Chalkboard Wisdom!"

Gerrie, Lisa, Sue, Tracy, Linda, Alison, Terry (Me), Kate

It was hard to chose which project to share with you first, so I decided to go with the one of the sentiments, that I just so happened to use twice! I don't know about you, but I think you just can't have enough great sentiments and this one has "7" great ones!

For this project I went with a ticket, tag kind of card, which started with an inky background and then some "Chalky Scribbles" for interest.

I used a smaller size tag which was inked and embossed using Tim's notebook Texture Fade and highlighted and then stapled down to a larger cut base.

For the sentiment, I masked off each area and stamped on a separate die cut ticket, shaded and mounted on the tag.

This little Pocket Watch Magnet was a real challenge to photograph! Well it was easy to photograph, but I wanted to show it as a Magnet! Not sure if this will be on my Refrigerator or in my craft room on my magnetic wall board, I use for those movers and shapers!

 

The pocket watch was cut from grunge paper, which was inked, crackled and sealed. The sentiment was stamped on manila, inked and spritzed with water and covered with clear EP.

How cool are these stamps???? There is still a few days left to join in the August Referral Program, so pull out those stamps and get inky! 

Thank you so much for visiting today and I hope your week is fantastic!

 

Artistic Outpost Stamps: Chalk It Up and Chalkboard Wisdom

Inks: Archival Black and Coffee, Distress Barn Door, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain (Card), Peeled Paint, Brushed Corduroy (Pocket Watch), VersaMark and Clear EP

Stains Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo