Spooky! Friday Sketchers Challenge...

Yay Halloween! Oooh, how I can't wait to start decorating and looking for costumes for the kiddies :) I am thinking a donkey and a dragon? The boys are in love with the movie Shrek, and we could have some fun with that. Maybe I can convince Steve to let me paint him green and he can be the ogre. I would need a red wig...

Anyway, back to BOOusiness...
In the spirit of Halloween, I have created a card using the sketch from Friday Sketchers. Loving the challenges, I have to tell you. Having a sketch is awesome! I love the challenge, and it is amazing how one sketch can inspire such different cards! I love looking at the other card makers' works...

Ingredients
Papers: Daisy D (and for the life of me, I can't find the maker of the polkadots and text... anyone know?) and vellum *** Twyla knew! The text is by Making Memories :) Thanks Twyla! Now if anyone can tell me about the polkadots... I love that polkadot paper, and I need more :)
Embellishments: Making Memories brads, Prima flowers, ribbon

Cards, cards, cards! ...and the Basic Grey Challenge

So I have seriously caught a bug. No, not a got-a-fever-and-am-sick kind (that was last week - horrible sinus infection and cough like no other). No, I have caught the card bug! I love making cards! After finding some fabulous blogs out there, and looking at candy, and discovering great sketch sites - I am enthralled by all the lovely cards that can be made! I plan to add some great challenge sites to my blog so that you too can be addicted to card making :)

This card was created in response to the BasicGrey challenge. Using the sketch shown, I made my 6x6 card.

Ingredients:

Papers: Basic Grey, MyMindsEye, Jenni Bowlin, and Bazzill cardstock.

Image: Luna Girl (printed on vellum and layered over text paper)

Embellishments: Prima flowers, Queen and Co. brad, hand crocheted flower by PaperVintageRoses, vintage lace and trim

Ink: Ranger distressing ink

The sketch is also shown.

I think that one of the reasons I love card making so much is that I can use my stash of pretty vintage images! I love scrapbooking too, but I find it difficult to use vintage photos as embellishments... it feels odd to me to have pictures of "strangers" mixed with pictures of people I know :) But with cards, I am able to incorporate these lovely old photos. I want to do more stamping. I used to stamp waaaay back, so all of my stamps are from the 90s. Some are still to my fancy, but now that I have seen some of the lovely stamps out there, I want to try my hand at stamping some stamps from this century :)

Well, happy day to you, and hope you have a great one!

My first Mojo Monday Challenge

I am so excited! This is my first ever "challenge" card! I used the sketch from Mojo Monday. Instead of a stamp, I used a vintage image from my collection that was printed on tea-stained muslin. I have to say, I am feeling pretty fancy. AND I love, love, love the sketches on Mojo Monday's blog. I have made a few more challenge cards, but this is my first "official" one. I'll be posting the others shortly :) So fun! I frayed the edges of the fabric after I stitched the image onto cardstock.

Ingredients

Papers: Jenni Bowlin, Paper Loft, BoBunny

Image: vintage photo printed on tea-stained muslin

Inks: Ranger

Embellishments: Vintage lace, stitching, vintage button

Template: Mojo99

Candy Candy Candy!

As a somewhat "new to blogLand" blogger, I am sooo excited to make this discovery - Candy! Blog candy! Candy candy candy! I am on a quest to try to win candy, and you should too. Not only do you have chances to win (who doesn't like to win stuff? Seriously) BUT you also get a chance to find all these cool blogs! It is like a treasure hunt :)



I have gotten back into my card making, and am dying to get my paws on this set of stamps
Aren't they too cute? Fluttabyz Crafty Haven is offering this blog candy until September 1st, so be sure to get on over there! :)

Well, I am off to make some cards.

And dream of candy...

So long, Summer...

With summer winding down, I start to feel like I am "nesting." I want to organize the whole house, put the summer clothes to the back of the closet, and start looking for good soup recipes... Maybe because I am such a nerd, or because I was an English teacher, I love this time of year. Nothing makes me happier than a cup full of super sharp pencils and a stack of clean, white paper. I love school supplies! New notebooks and clean slates, a time for fresh starts and tidy backpacks. Ah... September is just around the corner, and with it the promising potential of fall, where fresh starts are like a shiny clean blackboard.


Sometimes I miss my blackboard.


Maybe I will work on some "Back to School" layouts this week. Sharpen my pencils and such.

I haven't totally dismissed summer, however. I just completed, and listed on eBay, two layouts. One is a wedding themed page, perfect for that "first page" in an album. I wanted to keep it simple, so that when photos are placed on the mats, they will be real showstoppers! I love making my little churches. For some reason, I like the brown shingles best...
The other is a sweet reminder of summer - fresh lemonade and sweet fruit, relaxing on those long hot days... Every once in a while, I get motivated to make a little fuzzy bear. My bears are a bit old fashioned, but they make me happy! :)

Well, I am off to find some fresh pencils and a clean, new notebook...

My friend Janny is giving away candy! Check it out!

So in the middle of the chaos that is my new studio, I have been busy, busy, busy! I had a bit of time last night to list some new pretties for Etsy... I have been wanting to work with dress forms forever, and when I saw these papers from Graphic 45, I was in love! I am pretty much sure that Graphic 45 is my new most favorite paper company :) They have a Christmas line coming out, as well as a Domestic Godess line too! Oh, and of course a fabulous Renaissance themed assortment that would be perfect for ATCs and other mixed media... Ahhhh... I love looking at paper.

Speaking of looking at paper... Because I had decided to move my studio, I also decided to finally resort my paper. I usually do a re-sort at each "season" because in my creative process (also known as the Giant Mess That Takes Up At Least Three Table Tops), I usually end up mixing in papers, scraps get slid into piles of uncut paper (gasp!), my Basic Grey somehow ends up with My Minds Eye, and I can never find a whole piece of BoBunny Polkadot Paper.... Anywhoo, it looked as though I hadn't sorted and organized my paper since Christmas.

It was like shopping!

I found so many fab papers I had purchased months ago and never got to cutting, piles of forgotten yet awesome Halloween papers, and even some half-finished layouts! Who knew? So my studio was looking clean and pristine, but I started to work in it even as I am still moving things, so it is very, ummmm... messy. I should just bite the bullet and take some pictures - it will never be perfectly clean. And I think I will be ok with that.

Maybe.

ooooh, you won't believe how nice my stuio is looking! It isn't very super frilly or fancy ( I love looking at pretty studios where the studio itself looks like a piece of art) but it is getting organized, and I actually have space for everything! Woo Hoo! I'll have to add some cutie touches after I get it situated, so stay tuned!

Oh, and the best part? I have a TV and DVD player, so I can rock to Buffy the Vampire Slayer all night long as I work and not worry about waking up the boys :)

August is near, and I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by...

I think I am ok with that. While I love the idea of lazy summer days, I rarely actually have them.

And, most excitingly, HALLOWEEN is coming! Yes, with the end of summer comes crisper nights, and the air feels fresher and the trees turn a blaze of scarlet and sunset yellow. I love it! I am itching to start some Halloween projects. I did a few little pretty Halloween pieces for the Trunkshow last weekend, but plan to witch it up in earnest next week. Speaking of... here is a peek at what wares I offered... Oh, and my sisters of the Traveling Trunks... I will email you the pictures I took! I still need to edit them and sort out the pictures Johnny took when he got his little hands on the camera... Lots of self portraits and still lifes involving toys and juice cups...

Hey, is your sound turned on? I got all fancy and added a gizmo-dealie-do Playlist thing, and so now my blog has music! I hope it doesn't distract you... Pretty sure you can hit pause if you don't like the music, or you can skip through the songs... My addiction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer extends to music too, so if you haven't had the pleasure of watching this fab series, you can listen to some of its lovely music. I like the softer instrumentals myself, and chose those. I almost put the theme song to the show here, but it is kind of spooky and LOUD and rocky-rolly, and I didn't want to scare any unsuspecting bloggers... There are some non-Buffy songs here too, of course. I love soundtracks, and have started re-reading the Harry Potter books, so you will find some Hogwarts tunes here. If you haven't heard of Loreena Mckennit, you must stop reading now and click to one of her songs. Simply amazing. Her music will transport you with its haunting beauty...

I was going to make a sketch for this past Tuesday, but I was just tooooo tuckered out. It weighs upon me greatly, but maybe next week I'll do a card AND scrapbook sketch. Does that sound fair? Do you still love me? I love you... I adore you! Speaking of people I adore, I want to introduce you to Dee. I metioned meeting her in previous posts. Dee rocks, plain and simple. She loves Halloween, she loves artsy stuff, and she knows Sandy Mooney, a fabulous artist that I also had the pleasure of meeting at the Trunk Show! I don't have a picture of Sandy (you shy thing!) but I caught Dee unawares and begged to let me take her picture. Isn't she sweet? She makes me smile each time I see her :)

Like I said, I had the Sisterhood of the Traveling Trunkshow last weekend, and I decided that this week was a great week to totally revamp my studio. I know, I know... Is this just a procrastination of work I need to do? Things I should photograph and list? Pages to make? Most likely...I have decided to transform the bulk of the finished basement into my studio... I can't wait! Of course, moving all my stuff isn't thrilling me to death. I'll most likely run out of steam part way through, kick myself, and have my supplies and furniture half here, half there, half everywhere... Ah, well, such is the creative process, right?

Good morning! I have been up to my elbows in paper, fabric and ribbon! I have been getting ready for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Trunk Show, finishing up a few orders... and finishing my Tuesday sketch that I wanted to post a few days ago. I think it is worth the wait, however :) This sketch features my signature "quilt squares" that I stitch onto my scrapbook pages. Each little square is about 3x3 on this sketch, and when I make this layout I stitch the blocks together. If you aren't a sewer, or don't want to bother with a sewing machine, you could use rub-on stitches. I personally like the texture of the thread, but sometimes my machine goes on strike, and the rub-ons look quite lovely :)
Oh, and I also was able to make a treasury today! How exciting is that? I have been brewing the idea of a "time for tea" gallery, and when the treasury opened up, I jumped in and was able to make this little collection.

You will see that the last column is a little "ghosted." That is because these are my alternates, which I will be mixing in and swapping spots with the other lovely selections. The curator is usually the only one who sees the alternates, but I had to share my entire collection here; twelve spots are not enough for all the pretties I selected! Keep checking the treasury I created to see the most updated version...


Well, I am off to cut, ink and distress, layer and sew. Hope you have a great day :)

One more week until the Traveling Trunk Show Sisterhood! My own sister and I will be there, along with several other talented artisans. I have a few new creations I can't wait to unveil... they have been dancing in my head for a while now, and finally came together. I also plan on doing some demonstrations and on-the-spot crafting, so it should be lots and lots of fun! July 25 in Swartz Creek, MI. You can click on the pretty postcard above for more information :)

I have also rediscovered the fun of digital design! I love making blog banners and etsy shop banners... these are available on etsy, and I have more in the works!

Sketchy Template Tuesday!

How was your weekend? I know, they go too fast, don't they? Especially if you had nice weather :) My sister and I had a little garage/antiques/handcrafted sale on Friday and Saturday. It was pretty hot (and a little too rainy Saturday morning) but other than that, it was successful! We sold some display pieces and vintage furniture (justifying future purchases, but don't tell my husband - he thinks we were cleaning the garage) and met some lovely people! My new favorite friend, Dee, stopped by and had a quick cup of lemonade and bought some pretties. She came back on Saturday, and guess what? She had a pack of pretties for me and my sister! How sweet is she? Dee adores Halloween as much, if not more, than we do! She gave us some fabulously spooky ephemera - cards and magazines, bingo sheets and more! I can't wait to play :) Thanks Dee!

Oh! And I have to tell you to stop by The Queen of Re's blog, because she is hosting this fabulous giveaway. An amazing set of business cards/calling cards by Vintage Bella could be yours! I am drooling over the Edwardian actresses myself, but also adore the children, the Halloween cards... Entering is easy - picking a favorite set will be the hard part! Just head over to Queen's blog to learn more :)

Another lovely thing happened today too! I have been included in a cutie treasury :) This one was created by betsybensen. I feel so fancy!

Tree Hugger...

I am loving making these little little trees! Maybe because in real life I am not so green with my thumb... In fact, the only time my thumb is really green is after inking these little pretties! I have several different varieties listed on Etsy :) I like to group these together on cards and scrapbook layouts, and when I pair them with little houses, the result is pretty cute! I love rolling landscapes...

Sketchy Template Tues.....Wednesday?

Now hold on just one cotton-pickin' minute! Is it really Wednesday? I knew I was a little behind with my Tuesday sketch (having been unable to post this morning, I had to do it this afternoon) but seriously didn't know I was an entire day behind.

That's upsetting.

What is it about summer that makes it hard for me to keep track of my days? I still can't fathom that it is July. Sheesh, I still have to be reminded to write "2009" on my checks... Maybe I am befuddled because I caught the ending of "Somewhere in Time" last night. I tried to explain the premise to my husband, about the whole time traveling thing, but I ended up just confusing us both. If you haven't seen this pretty little flick, I recommend it. Quaint and romantic, it was also filmed in the upper peninsula of my home state, Michigan. There's a little bit of trivia for you :)

Well, now that we have established it is Wednesday, not Tuesday, I am still going to post this week's sketch. I was on a real roll, too! Will you all pretend it's Tuesday, that I am not late, and that I was super on the ball?

Yay! I feel much better :)

The ink blot looking thing on the upper right is a stamp/chipboard flourish. Or it could be an ink blot. Whatever makes you happy...
I like this layout for several reasons. One, the paper gets to be the "embellishment". Pick pretty papers, and they will really shine on this layout. Two, the mats are fun because they are so flexible. You can journal on a small mat, or use all four little mats for pics and journal on the big mat. OR, you could have a big ole color photo in the largest mat, and several black and white "variation" type pics in the wallet sized mats. OR, you could have a family photo in the big mat, and each wallet sized mat could be a journaling spot about each member of the family. Of course, if you have more or less than four people, that may not work out, but you could include the family dog or cat! You're smart - you'll figure it out.