I can't believe that it is Wednesday again. And I'm finally back again after a month long drought in the studio. I've been poking about here and there, but with no real direction or inspiration. Kinda strange with all that stash ready to be put to paper and such. I have been hibernating more or less with snow and gray skies - but mostly playing with the silly cat who demands lots of attention.
I have made a few little goodies for Valentine's day, but nothing like the frenzy of a year ago. Here is a little banner for my sis and her daughters - it's their last name deLuca, but I'll give you a close up for the de-tails. As you can tell, I used Tim Holtz's Baroque die for the background and his rosettes for the center. Lots of color that I made myself with Adirondack wild plum reinker and perfect pearls. I like the way it looks with the dusty concord distress ink and purple stickles. It's more of a spring banner than a valentine theme.
I also did a small piece for my nephew's 17th birthday. It is grungeboard with paint dabber, crackle paint, distress ink and various do-dads with alcohol ink, perfect pearls and more. Thank goodness he liked it - you never know with teenage boys. Maybe it was the cash I put in with the plaque?!!!
I also did a class on brayered background at the local stamp store - Buffalo Stamps and Stuff. That's the card you see on the right. Talk about a technique! I love the effects you get with it and I'll get around to practicing it more one of these days.
Perhaps my creative blockage is from having too many choices of stash to play with - more likely it has to do with mental blockage! I guess I have accomplished a few things in the atelier, and promise to do better in the coming weeks.
To joing the world-wide blog hop pop over to Julia's and enjoy the fun.
Hope you have time to creative something fun - even smiles and laughter count!
Not much going on here in work desk-land. Ophelia has discovered that it is a fun place to bat pens and pencils and sniff Distress Ink pads. No creativity to see at the desk.
So I will post what I made in Banner Class. Lovely Mona of Buffalo Stamps and Stuff (BSS, our local stamp store) designed and prepped all the materials for this fab Valentine banner.
Isn't it grand? It was labor intensive, distressing (victorian velvet), folding and gluing, stickling and hole punching, so much fun for those of us in the class. Thanks, Mona.
Here's a close up of some panels. Aren't they luscious?
I plan to leave it up until I make one for another season or holiday. Hint, hint Mona. lol
On Friday our little tag club will meet at BSS and I have to get busy on our challenges from Tim's Compendium of Curiosities, 5 techniques from p. 41-45. I've been putting off doing the tags for quite some time now. I think I will work best under pressure...yeah, right. Seriously, instead of doing one tag for each technique, I'd like to incorporate them into one or two tags. Guess you'll have to come back next week to see what I did.
In the meantime, enjoy the snoop at other desks at Miss Julia's place. Take a look at what they've created, not just the WOYWW posting. Enjoy reflecting on the creativity. (yes, this picture was taken in one of my guest rooms)
Just a quick peek today at what is good about the stash room/studio/furnace room! You can read my last post for more of what I've been up to (lost mojo, reward offered.)
Remember to stop over to Julia's to see what is on creative desks everywhere for WOYWW. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I wanted to focus on the few corners of the room that are organized, since I haven't been creating anything. First are my bins with Tim's Alterations and On the Edge dies. I like how the metal mesh bins stack. Plus there are handles so they can easily be picked up should I ever decide to vacuum / Hoover the floor.
Next are my stamp bins arranged by season/holiday topped with my Copics and Prismacolor collection.
Finally a drawer containing my alcohol inks, reinkers and stickles. I put the bottles in cookie tins and greeting card boxes from days of yore. On top of each AI I have glued a circle left over from a paper punch and put a drop of AI on the paper so I have a general idea of what colors are where. Not sure where I picked up this technique, but I like it and I'm not always knocking those tiny bottle over like dominoes. lol
That's it for today, hope you have time to make something fun.
It's been almost a week since I've shared with you. In the meantime, JoZart has honored me with a couple of awards - Stylish Blogger Award, and My Blog Has Attitude. Many thanks to Jo for her kindness.
Needless to say, I've been trying like a madwoman to get the graphics installed on the sidebar gadgets with no luck. So I guess I'll just have to brag about them here. lol
Now I have to tell you some things about myself that you might not already know - 8 things. Here goes:
1. I have ...danced the samba in the streets of Rio de Janeiro with about 10,000 other people (1998 World Cup Soccer); have been an extra in an Italian film; lived in Italy for a year long, long ago. (no, not during the Renaissance!)
2. I love...listening to the blues, or real rock n roll, none of this "new" rock for me! Classics only, please.
3. Favorite thing to eat...penne bolognese with carrot cake for dessert.
4. Colors...shades of yellow and orange sunsets.
5. I try...to laugh everyday.
6. My biggest wish...to be close to all my loved ones, to see them often and for health and happiness to follow them always.
7. I fear...being alone, all alone, lonely. But I won't let that happen.
8. Amongst the jobs I've had...working in a printer's shop and unloading a truck filled with boxes of paper! I'm not put off by hard work.
Now I'd like to pass this along to 4 of my favorite bloggers
First, to Lori H. whose artistic ability always amazes me - not to mention we share the same quirky sense of humor.
Next to Nancy C. who is so busy and yet finds time to make a beautiful array of art.
Also, to Jude whose heart is in the right place all the time.
Finally, Helen, who shares my love of Stampotique designs.
These women probably don't know the impact their blogs and creativity have had on me, but they have kept me company many a late night and their ideas have inspired me to make something fun.
Thanks for your inspiration, your personal style and for sharing your attitude.
I did make something fun over the weekend - a Tim Holtz configuration box for Halloween. I know, it's a bit early, but it's a perfect time of year to put something together to have it ready to go. Sharon, owner of my LSS Buffalo Stamps and Stuff, offered the class on Saturday. We all had such a good time tissue taping, inking, gluing and adding our frightening goodies to the sweet little cubbies. The skull on the right side has a hole in its neck and sits upon a battery operated tea light so the head flickers. The bottle of blood/poison is really cool, too. Just love Tim's papers and all the little details that go into this config.
Finally I leave you today with a picture of Ophelia dressed to kill. She is such a diva in her 4 foot long red feather boa and loves to carry it around the house in her mouth: down to the basement then back upstairs through the living room then under the bed.
It turns out that she is a mouser. Last night she brought my husband a mouse trap, complete with trapped mouse (deceased, thank goodness), up from the basement! She was highly praised for her bravery and success. Not a bad day in the life of a spoiled only child! What a puss.
Hope you make something fun today, even if it is "just" a laugh or a smile. To be continued...
Yesterday afternoon the postman brought me a wonderful package from my friend Jo in Liverpool, England! I am so excited to have won one of her bitty buckets plus a few jewels and stamps - many thanks, Jo. You must check out her work at JoZart; she is multi-talented and a sweet soul. Here is the cool bitty bucket that hangs off the edge of my desk to keep scissors, pencils and other bits n' bobs handy.
Don't you just love that cool print fabric of people in conversation? And that hot pink liner is so cheerful on today's snowy afternoon.
Thank you for your kind words of welcome to Ophelia, my Christmas gift from St. Donald. Believe me, I didn't put her under the tree, she did this all by her little self. She has settled in nicely and likes to sit by the window and watch the birds at the feeder as big fluffy snowflakes float by.
Here's hoping you make something fun today. Hugs!
Hello and Happy New Year to all on this eleventh day of Christmas! What with Christmas travel out of town for a week and all, I didn't have anything to report. The only crafting that I've done is online shopping for stash stuff. When that arrives I expect to hit the atelier with a full head of steam.
Briefly, the tags and origami gifts for the teens were a huge hit. How can I top that for next year? The nephew liked his tag so much that he put it in the family xmas tree. That made me feel special.
The husband, St. Donald, surprised me with a second xmas gift yesterday that I suspect will be on my work desk in the next few days. Meet Ophelia!
Since he brought this one-year old female home from the shelter yesterday, she hasn't left our sides. She is super curious and extra affectionate. Can't wait to introduce her to the room of stash.
Well, it's time for you to hop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and see the desks of our dear blog friends.
Hope you can make something fun even if it's only just a smile! Hugs to all.
Another Wednesday, with Christmas just 3 more wake-ups away! I've put the finishing touches on the Tim tags/gifts for my 5 nieces and 1 nephew. Thought I would post them for you to see tonight. No, the kids aren't going to peek. Nor will their parents. After all, teenagers don't read blogs by their crafty auntie.
Hop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and have a look-see at work desks around the world. There are some very talented and ultra wonderful people with really cool things going on. I highly recommend you turn on the Christmas music and grab a cup of cocoa to enjoy as you hop about the world.
First, a very merry Christmas to all. Second, a very happy New Year. May you have health, happiness and enough of what you need.
On with the show and a little bit of tell. Here you see one of the 12 tags of Christmas directed by none other than Tim Holtz. After adapting his tag (faith) I origami-ed some money (butterfly) and glued it on the back. Actually, I didn't glue the cash to the back of the tag, just the pipe cleaner body.
Next I used my new Stampotique stamps with Prismacolor pencils, and cut out the image. I distressed inked the edges and mounted it on distress inked and stamped card stock. I love, love, love the holiday background stamp (stampotique, too.) Isn't this dear the cutest thing!
These are the finished gift packages. Card on top, tag and origami-ed money inside. And to think it took soooooo long to get to this point. For just 6 kids. Nothing for the adults and gasp! nothing, nothing, nothing yet for St. Donald. Yikes, I better do something quickly as we leave Thursday, yes, in just a few short hours, for Indianapolis, IN - Christmas at mom's - age 82 and going strong. I don't know what to get him - he gets what he wants or needs throughout the year and has all the electronics, gadgets, golfballs and golf clubs a man could want. To top it all off, he doesn't believe in gift lists. It couldn't be more maddening! sigh
Past years' gift for him haven't gone so well, at least 4 returned items; the idea of and A-Z Christmas fell flat. I bought him gifts that started with the letters a-z, for example, ABCE were children's Erasers in the shapes of A-B-C clever, right? Wrong. Evidently there were too many packages to open or something. I had fun putting it together, I guess that in itself is a kind of a gift.
As I write this I'm kinda feelin' like this guy...
but then I jest. I choose to wait for more snow to fall and enjoy the Christmas tree and lights on the houses around town. Remember....
Be sure to make something fun. ...and to all a good-night!
