Embellish Your Art

I had a little time to play yesterday, actually a lot of time as I was home all day waiting for some much needed new furniture to arrive!! It was supposed to be here between 1-4, it finally arrived at 9:20 pm! Seriously!! Needless to say I was a little peeved and I think I wore a path out in the carpet going to look out the window to see if they were coming!! I had given up on them and then they showed up, thank goodness I wasn't soaking in the tub or already for bed! lol

So while I waited I started playing with Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi new Embellish Your Art pieces from Blossom Bucket, Inc. I seen them in person at CHA and they are the cutest little things. I had talked my boss into ordering some at CHA and they arrived in the store on Thurs. YIKES over the moon excited here!! So cute!! All of Wendy's products are fabulous!! Her stamps, art parts, clearly for art modeling film, now embellishments absolutely FABULOUS!! ♥
On this piece I used Wendy's Art Parts film strip frames, scrolls, bird & umbrella, the little frame is from Maya Road all stamped with Wendy's stamps. The button, bottle, flower & heart are Wendy's new Embellish Your Art pieces. I used Wendy's Faux Crazed Glass technique on the bottle, then used alcohol ink to color it, it got a little darker then I wanted but still looks fab!! I added a little color to the flower using Ranger Sepia Archival Ink. The heart was inked using Ranger Vermillion Archival Ink then stamped with Wendy's dotted background stamp. I used Ranger Adirondak Gold Paint Dabber on the button. Love, love, love these little embellishments!! Can't wait to create something with the lips & glasses!! Check out Wendy's blog http://studio490art.blogspot.com/ for a lot of inspiration!!

Thanks so much for the comments on my last post, always appreciated!!

Have a good one!!

Donna

Inspiration Studio 490

Happy Easter weekend everyone!
Over on Simon Says Stamp and Show this week is Inspiration Studio 490. I just couldn't sit this one out and had to make something. I love Studio 490...Wendy Vecchi stamps, art parts etc. Wendy is so talented, her creativity is fabulous! Super nice lady!! ♥
So I had been trying to think of something to make for a different project I had been working on and woke up one morning and had an idea for curlers. Don't ask where that one came from, maybe I had a nightmare about using them again!! lol I remember sleeping with those things in my hair, ouch!! Don't want to ever go back to that!! So then I read the challenge for SSSS and put the idea into place. I think I giggled at every curler I glued down! lol I used the telephone art part Wendy had made & signed the back that she gave me at CHA. So I didn't want to glue it down to something and cover the back, so hence the spool art part. So here is my piece curlers and all...

Have a great weekend everyone!!
Donna

Creative Chemistry 101

Feeling good today!! I had the day to myself yesterday and started working on my class projects for Creative Chemistry 101. I ended up working on them ALL day, seriously started around 8:00 am and finished around 9:00 pm. Once I started working on them I couldn't quit, it was so much fun to try all of the techniques! The class was outstanding, I learned so much! The other day a customer came in the store and was asking about the difference between some of the products distress ink, spray wash, alcohol ink etc. I couldn't believe what was flying out of my mouth, I shocked myself that I actually new what I was talking about!! lol The customer bought one distress ink pad and a blending tool. The next day the customer came back in and had loved the distress ink and bought a few more of them and some spray wash. So this class not only helped me learn the difference of the different products for myself but it has helped in selling the product also!! Love it!! So a big thank you to Tim Holtz www.timholtz.typepad.com for doing this online class www.onlinecardclasses.com, it was the most informative class I have ever taken, THANK YOU!! Thank you to Mario to for all the BTS, you're the best!!
So here are my tags I made, I showed day 2 & 5 previously. Some of them turned out ok some not, some of them do look better in person you know my great photography skills!! lol

Day 3

Day 4

Day 6


Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Have a good one!!

Donna

Creative Chemistry Day 5

Well I really had good intentions of keeping up on Tim's Creative Chemistry 101 class, that old thing of work really got in the way last week!! grrr
I did watch all the video's and the amount of information he is covering is fantastic!! If you haven't signed up yet it is not to late, you have a lifetime access to the information. It is the most informative class I have ever taken!!
I finally had a chance to get in the craft room this weekend and work on some of the tags. I'm waiting on a few supplies to come in so I jumped on to day 5, here are the tags I made. Fun, fun, fun!! I'm really loving this class!!




Have a good one!!
Donna

Creative Chemistry Day 2

So far so good, I'm keeping up with Tim Holtz online class Creative Chemistry 101 AND LEARNING!! One of these techniques I never could get right, this time I nailed it so it has been great! If you haven't registered yet there is still time www.onlinecardclasses.com.

Have a good one!!
Donna

Altered Birdcage

Spring is in the air for sure here in ND, no snow on the ground and in the 70's! I'm Lovin it!! It really has me thinking of flowers in bloom. So I remembered I had picked up this birdcage last spring to alter a little and I finally got to it!!
I started out with cream & pink colors but this nice weather we have been having I went right into summer and bright colors!! I really do like bright bold colors over pastel. So I have been making flowers all week. I covered grunge paper with Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas from Ranger and cut out using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die cut. I then sprayed the blue & orange flower with Adirondak color wash stream & sunset orange, love the bright colors!! The yellow flower I used Mustard Seed distress stain. I stamped the leaves with Wendy Vecchi stamp set Ticket to Art and cut out and colored with shabby shutters distress stain, love her stamps!! The little sprigs were cut with Tim Holtz Tattered Pinecone die cut and colored with peeled paint distress stain. Not sure if I'm quite done with it yet, I might add a butterfly or something to it yet. This is going to be my entry for the Simon Says Stamp and Show http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com where the theme is Anything Goes. Lot's of fun!!

Thanks for the nice comments on my altered bottle post!! Appreciated!!Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!
Donna

Show Your Bottles

Hey everyone, hope you all are having a great weekend! I finally had a chance to play in the craft room for awhile today. I have been wanting to try Wendy Vecchi's http://studio490art.blogspot.com Faux Crazed Glass technique for a while now. Also, over on Simon Says Stamp and Show blog http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com the theme is Show your bottles, so I thought a perfect chance to try the technique out. I love it!!
We've had this bottle at work and I have eyed it several times thinking I could do something with it, and with Tim's www.timholtz.typepad.com online class coming up Creative Chemistry, I had an idea! That bottle came home with me on Fri. So here is what I created with it using Wendy's Faux Crazed Glass technique, thank you Wendy!

Close up of Faux Crazed Glass

The rose was done using a technique I learned in one of Tim's classes last summer Faux Porcelain Rose. Love it!!

So my photography isn't the best again, but it turned out pretty cool. I had a lot of fun with this one!!

Have a good one!

Donna

12 Tags of 2012/March

Bad blogger here!! I can't believe I haven't blogged in this long!! It has been a whirlwind of a last couple of months, first CHA then back at the grind working long, long hours!! Then our son & family came home for a visit, even though you know he is back in the states it doesn't seem real until you see him! It was a short visit but it was so nice to see him and know he is safe!!

So I had a chance to play a little last night and made a tag for Tim's 12 Tags of 2012 www.timholtz.typepad.com. His mosaic butterflies are gorgeous!! I didn't have everything he used so I improvised a little. At first I was thinking this was a little to putsy for me but once I got them done I loved them and hope to do some more using the right embossing powder. It was just fun to finally get a chance to play in the craft room!!

Have a good one!
Donna

Happy Birthday Tim Holtz

Whew!! I got it done in time, not midnight yet. Over on Linda Ledbetters blog http://studiol3.blogspot.com we are celebrating Tim Holtz's Birthday by making him cards. Do you ever have one of those days where no matter what things just don't go right? Yep, had one of those days today!! Finally got his card done, a little sloppy on the happy birthday banner, my hand writing is big and I just couldn't write small enough for it to fit, do over 4 times and called it good! lol I used Wendy Vecchi http://studio490art.blogspot.com little boy stamp, I figured he wouldn't mind as they are good friends! But really wanted to get one done for him, he provides us with such inspiration just couldn't skip this one!! Check out his blog at www.timholtz.typepad.com. So Happy Birthday Tim, hope you are enjoying your happy place!!

Have a good one!
Donna

Home

I have been pretty silent about this subject as not to endanger my son who has been in Afghanistan since last spring for fear of giving out any information or anything. He has been in a real dangerous area of Afghanistan for the last 3 months, going out on a lot of missions, living out of his humvee and being fired upon every day!! I've been kinda just holding my breath!! But I found out tonight he has left the country and is en route home!! Yipppeee!!! I'm so excited right now I think I'm about to jump out of my skin!! He should be back home with his wife & little boy tomorrow!! I am so Thankful!! He has been in the service for 22 years now and he is talking about retiring next year, I will be celebrating that day for sure!!

Peace everyone!!
Donna

12 Tags of Christmas/tag 12

Hey everyone, hope you all had a nice Christmas! Happy New Year to all of you!!
I got the chance to get one more tag done thanks to Linda Ledbetter's blog http://studiol3.blogspot.com where the technique this week is Tim Holtz Tissue wrap or Tissue Tape. I just got some of the Tissue Wrap at Christmas time so decided to give it a try and followed Tim's 12 tags of Christmas and made tag #12. This is an awful picture of it but it is snowing like crazy out so no outside picks for me!! It really is a pretty tag but the indoor lighting just doesn't show it! I also got an ornament done that Tim had on his blog, Mario says he's not a crafter HA his ornament turned out much better then mine!! lol So check out Tim's blog for the 12 tags of Christmas www.timholtz.typepad.com and Linda's blog http://studiol3.blogspot.com. Everyone have a safe and Happy New Year's Eve!!

Have a good one!!

Donna

Rosette Christmas Tree

Yep, just had to do it! I had to get in one more project before Christmas. When I seen these on Tim Holtz blog www.timholtz.typepad.com I just had to make one! They are so stinkin cute! It does look better in person! So go to his blog and check it out, he never seizes to inspire me!!

Again thanks for the nice comments!
Have a good one!
Donna

12 Tags of Christmas/Tag#7

I managed to get one more tag done, I think that will have to be it for now until after Christmas. I didn't have everything needed so I did a little improvising. I really enjoyed working with the glassine paper though!! The snow on the branches have a little brown in them, no matter what I do I can't seem to get the effect of snow, the distress ink always bleed threw no matter what I do!! grrr! Maybe I'll master that technique one of these days!! lol

Thanks again for the nice comments!
Merry Christmas to all!!
Donna

12 Tags of Christmas

Hey everyone, how's everyone doing this busy holiday season? Thanks so much for the nice comments, always appreciated!!
Well I didn't do such a great job in keeping up with Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas, maybe next year!!lol I've gotten tag 1,2,3 & 4 done and I'm skipping 5,6,&7 for now and I'm working on #8, loved the glassine so have to try it!! I'm going to try do them all so I can try some of the techniques. So far I've done them pretty much like Tim's (his always looks better though) lol, so hopefully on some of them I will add my own spin to them. So glad he does this every year, it is so much fun!! Just wish I had more time, wonder if my boss would let me take those days off next year!! haha, if that is going to happen!! The BTS that Mario does was great fun!! To bad they had to have so much trouble with their internet!
So here are the tags I've gotten done, hope to post a couple more by the end of the week. I still have a project to finish that got put on hold the last couple of weeks, hopefully I can get that finished also and post soon.

Tag#2

Tag #3

Tag #4

Have a good one!!

Donna

Wendy Vecchi Pocket Watch Santa/Tag #1

Geez, been a bad blogger here!! Tis the season to be busy!!
I made this Christmas ornament using Wendy Vecchi Pocket Watch Art Part!! Love her Art Parts & Stamps!! The Santa is from Tim Holtz seasonal pad, the holly leaves is one of Tim Holtz stamps cut out and embellished with Rock Candy Distress Stickles and the berry's are Christmas red stickles. The star I covered with perfect pearls and the flourish is from Maya Road. This will be my entry for the challenge on Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com.

I also have been trying to keep up with Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas & Mario on FB & Twitter. Not doing to good on the tag part, finally got tag #1 done working on tag #2. I just love when Tim does this each year, full of techniques and inspiration!! I'm going to try catch up then keep up, we'll see!! lol

Have a good one!!

Donna

Alcohol Inked Candle Wrap

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a month since I blogged!! I've been super busy both at work & home! Thanksgiving was at our house this year so a lot of prep time with that, but we had a lovely Thanksgiving and everything turned out really good!!

Last night DH went to a hockey game and I decided I needed a little me time and played in the craft room, man it felt good!! Mostly played with distress inks on something I'm working on and I hope it turns out, if it does I'll post by the end of the week. I also remembered the challenge on Linda Ledbetter's blog http://studiol3.blogspot.com for Grungy Mon. which was to use the technique Tim Holtz used on his pumpkin he did for Ranger Ink, hope you all have seen it, it is awesome!! Check his tutorial out at www.timholtz.typepad.com. So I pulled out the alcohol inks and made a candle wrap using Tim's Joy die cut and embossing folder on foil. It was fun, quick and easy!! I'll be playing with that technique some more!! Sorry about the pic, indoor lighting!! That candle is really not that red!! lol

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Donna

Halloween

Hey everyone, hope you are all having a good week!! When I seen the themes of Simon Says Stamp and Show http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com and Grungy Mon. on Linda Ledbetter's blog http://studiol3.blogspot.com on Mon. I got right on it and started this project and almost had it finished on Mon. Then a couple of ten hour days at work and a couple more to come I stayed up last night and got it done!! I think my witchy poo was still a little wet when I photographed this! lol

I thought it would be fun to make a Halloween decoration and put a light behind it. So I took a picture matt and adhered a piece of Tim's Kraft Resist paper on it. Then another piece under with the rickety house then decorated with other die cuts. It does look really cool in person all lite up!

Close up of the light behind it.

I've got to get a shake on and get to work!

Have a good one!

Donna

You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet

Hey there, hope everyone is having a good weekend. Thanks for all the nice comments & suggestions on my last post, much appreciated!! Just posting a little something I did for SSSS http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com where the challenge this week is Show The Wendy Vecchi Style, I love Wendy's style!! And also my entry for the Making Art Challenge on Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group where the challenge this week is a sewing theme. Wendy's stamps and art parts make it easy to make art, love them!!

My boss had made this dress form when she was at the last CHA and gave it to me when she returned. I knew right away that I would alter it differently, not that it's bad just new I wanted to alter it in a different way. So both of these challenges prompted me to get it done!

This is what it looked like before.

After I altered it.

I used Tim's Kraft Resist Paper to cover the dress form and used Wendy's Art Parts and stamps for the embellishments along with Tim's ideaology. I love those Art Parts!! Fun little project!

Have a good one!

Donna

Boo Banner

Hey everyone, hope you had a nice weekend!! I had a pretty low key weekend and I was able to get this Boo Banner done for a class I will be doing at work. Now after seeing these pics I think I need to add something else to them, not sure what but they need something, maybe some spiders? Again not the best pics, I think I need a photography class!! lol I used Tim Holtz die cuts, stickles etc. it was a lot fun putting this together!

We have another beautiful day here in ND, 81 degrees out and I'm loving it!! It won't be much longer and the snow will be flying! YUK !! Gotta take advantage of all the nice days we can get, I love fall with all the beautiful colors!!
Have a good one!!

Donna

Show Men Only

It was World Card Making Day today and I actually got a card done!! Woo Hoo unbelievable!! This will also be my entry for the challenge on Simon Says Stamp and Show blog http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com where the challenge this week is Show Men Only.

I used Tim Holtz Kraft resist paper and Wendy Vecchi-Studio 490 stamps.

I will be sending this to my son in Afghanistan so I didn't want to put to much embellishments on it. Picture didn't turn out so hot (shadows) but I tried my best at outdoor & indoor lighting and this is the best I could get. lol

I had a great week this week, grandson #5...Kolten was born on Tues. he is adorable!! Will post a pick here soon.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!
Donna

Halloween ATC

I received my seasonal distress inks today and just had to play, they are awesome!!! The twigs one is such a nice rich brown, love it!! I made this Halloween ATC for my entry on Simon Says Stamp and Show http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com.


Have a good one!!
Donna

Put Your Big Girl Panties On

Thank you for all your nice comments!! I took some time yesterday to play a little in the craft room. I made this piece for the Making Art Challenge #26 for the Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group where the theme is polka dots & a face or eyes. I have been dealing with a lot lately so thought this stamp was pretty fitting. Time to put my big girl panties on and deal with it!! Felt good to get my fingers inky!!

Have a good one!
Donna

ATB

Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers and well wishes for my sister, I really appreciated it. Sorry to say she lost her battle and passed away Aug. 31st. She was more then just a sister to me, she was a second mom, sister and a great friend! I think we are all still in shock and trying to deal with it. She was a very special lady and will be missed by all!! After two deaths in the family less then two weeks a part, I have been emotionally drained. I'm getting better and I'm sure it is just going to take time.

Before all this happened I had signed up for a ATB swap on All Things Tim yahoo group, luckily I had started it awhile ago and managed to get it put together and in the mail before everything got real bad. I was inspired by Linda Ledbetter http://studiol3.blogspot.com/ for the embossed dress form and spools, so tryed my hand at it and I really liked the results!! Thank you Linda!!
I embossed the dress form stamp on grunge board, the flower is a prima flower dipped in utee and the flourish I first inked with peeled paint and then covered it with peeled paint stickles. I used Tim Holtz paper and embellishments. The needle was a blue plastic needle and I colored it with Adirondack alcohol ink mixatives silver, it doesn't show to well in the pic but it worked great! Now seeing these pics I wish I would have also stamped on the back of the little sign!! Next time!! lol

Front

Back

Top
Side
Side

So hope to get back to some creativeness here in the near future and get back to normal a little! Thanks again everyone!
Have a good one!
Donna

Travel

MIA again here lately, we have been dealing with illness in the family. My MIL passed away and my sister has been in the hospital for about 6 weeks, crazy!! Her problem started out with a bladder infection and she is now laying in the hospital and pretty much can't move, her arms & legs are swollen like balloons!! Just a warning for everyone, if your Dr. tries to give you Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) don't take it!!!! After seeing what happened to my sister and talking with others this is a horrible drug!! Can't believe they don't take it off the market!! I'm so worried about my sister and afraid she is never going to come out of this.

I just had to take a little time this weekend and try get my mind off of it and created this piece for SSSS http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ where the theme is Travel.
When I was a young girl we used to go over to my aunts house for the holidays and we took an old wooden bridge over the river to get there. Here I stuck to the song and put grandmother's on it. So I tried to recreate that scene for this piece, I didn't have much time so not the best but that's OK it was more about clearing my mind. Again I used the snow stuff I had laying around but really need to get some sparkly fluff, the stuff I have is to hard to work with!! I made the river using a piece of plastic and colored with stream alcohol inks then on other side I used the new snow cap alcohol ink, I likey!! The piece is held up using Tim's easel die cut, love it!!

Have a good one!!
Donna