Thanks for visiting!
Materials:
Stamps: none
Paper: Kraft, Perfect Plum
Ink: Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream
Accessories: Crafty Secrets Journal Notes image, Cuttlebug folder, Pinking shears, buttons, crochet thread, cream grosgrain ribbon, Prima hydrangea, Prima rose, Nestabilities Labels one
I'm addicted to these cool layered snowflakes, a la Anna Wight! She's such a trendsetter! The gluing and glittering takes a little longer than I usually enjoy, but they end up looking so darn cool, that it's all right.
Did you see the newest Stampin' UP! catalog that debuted on Monday? There's some really nice stuff in there and here's a list of my favorites:
Thoughts and Prayers stamp set
Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set
Bella Bleu designer paper
Fleurettes
SU Texturz Plates
Corduroy Buttons
I'll be waiting to put in my order on February 1, the first day of Sale-a-bration. I don't have a SU demonstrator website but, if you want to place an order with me, just email me any time. I'd like to have a SU website, but the cost just isn't price-effective for me, just being a hobby demo. Also, using Typepad gives me the freedom to use stamps from lots of different companies. I'm a believer in equal opportunity stamping! ;)
Thanks for visiting!
Materials:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets Vintage Christmas
Ink: Real Red, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Neenah Solar White Classic Crest
Accessories: Hemp twine, Marvy Snowflake Punches, ivory button, Twinkling Diamond Dust, ribbon from Michaels' ribbon kit, Martha Stewart Doily Punch
Hope you all had a good week last week! Time got away from me and I just didn't get to posting, so here are two projects to share. I made this checkbook cover and altered jumbo clothespin for my grandma for Christmas using Crafty Secret's Clear Art Stamps Bird Notes. The checkbook cover and jumbo clothespin came from Joann.com (their online store.) I colored the images with Copic markers (sorry, I didn't write down the colors) and made the paper flowers with my 5 petal punch from SU! as well as a retired flower punch. The corners are Cuttlebug dies.
**BLOG CANDY ALERT!** Jen Del Muro at i{heart}tostamp is having a huge giveaway at her blog! She would like people to donate cards to Dallas Baptist University for the International Student Services Department. In exchange for sending a card, you can enter to win a whole bunch of great stamping stuff. Check out the details on her blog.
One other thing I'd like to mention before I wrap up this post. I've been following a blog, Mended Wings, written by Leslie Kammerdiener, whose son was severely injured serving as a soldier in Afghanistan. Kevin suffered multiple burns and a traumatic brain injury last summer when a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into the Humvee Kevin was riding in while on duty. He has lost most of the left side of his brain and has been making remarkable progress in Tampa, Florida at the James A. Haley VA hospital. Until last week, that is, when he had surgery to place a titanium plate to replace the large piece of skull that was lost. The medical staff sounds like they're substandard and are jeopardizing Kevin's well-being and health. Please check out Leslie's blog and pray for Kevin, that his mom would find the best care for him and that he would get through this latest set-back.
Materials:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets
Paper: Gable Green, white, Daisy D's
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: White and Celery 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon, SU Scallop Circle punch, SU 5 Petal Punch, SU retired flower punch, Cuttlebug corner die, Hero Arts gem stones, Scalloped and Classic Oval Nestabilities, Crystal Stickles, buttons, clear checkbook cover, jumbo clothespin
Wow, that's pretty much one of the worst photos I've ever posted! But there it is. All the others were blurry. I actually made this project last January while I was still in the Christmas mood. The base is a chipboard circle that I painted gold. I stamped the Santa from Crafty Secrets' Vintage Christmas set and I think I used a glassy glaze over it. You can see the crazing in the photo below. The rim is sprinkled with Diamond Dust and the ribbon is a double-ruffle grosgrain with one half of the ruffle glued to the backside. Eventually I'm going to make another version with Santa colored in some brighter colors.
Today hasn't been the greatest day because I've been so sick and weak from my pacemaker going haywire. For the past few days, whenever I'd lay down to rest, which I have to do every day just to function, my pacer makes my heart pound. My chest feels like I've been coughing for hours, even though I haven't. Apparently the battery is wearing down (after 7 years, not bad!) so I have an appointment tomorrow with my cardiologist to figure out what to do next. I don't know if he can make some adjustments or if the thing has to be replaced, which means surgery. Not looking forward to that again, although hopefully this time I won't have to stay overnight in the hospital. I sure would appreciate your prayers because I'm afraid of having a bad relapse from all of this.
Thanks for visiting!
Materials:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets
Paper: Chocolate Chip, ivory
Ink: brown
Accessories: 1/4 inch chocolate grosgrain, double-ruffle brown grosgrain, Nestabilities scalloped circle and classic circle, Diamond Dust glitter, lace, paper rose sticker
I think this little girl is dreaming of spring! Fall is here and winter might be here tomorrow in the form of snow in the lower regions. I went to my grandparents' house on Saturday and the colors were gorgeous, especially along Canandaigua Lake. They live in a rural, economically depressed area so houses in their town aren't always kept up nicely. My sister and I were counting the number of houses that had real sofas on their dilapidated porches. Funny and sad at the same time. There was also this one house that had, I swear, six ENORMOUS blow-up figures in their little front yard. One was a Scooby Doo dog and one a big purply-black spider. Not my taste, but I'm sure the neighborhood kids love it! They would definitely win a Halloween decoration contest. ;)
I colored the little girl with my Copic markers. The sky is done with Frost Blue and the colorless blender marker. From now on I think I'll just sponge the sky with ink because this one piece sucked my blender marker dry!
Copic markers: E00, E02, 0, G21, R20, Y11, Y15, B00
Materials:
Stamps: Paisley by SU, Sweet Kids and Mini Memories by Crafty Secrets
Paper: Neenah Solar White Classic Crest, Wild Asparagus pack from Costco
Ink: So Saffron, Ranger Pitch Black
Accessories: oval punches from SU, die by Cuttlebug, Giga scalloped circle punch by Marvy, tracing wheel, lace
My blogging friend, Vicki Chrisman of This Art That Makes Me Happy, sent out 20 card kits to 20 people with the challenge of making a project with the kit's contents. Each kit included a page from Crafty Secrets new Image and Journal Notes. I chose to decorate a composition book.
My image was those cute little girls and the two designer papers layered under the picture are from Crafty Secrets. The pin stamp in the upper left corner is from the Card Sentiments stamp set and the scallop at the bottom is from the Baby Girl stamp set. I added some designer paper from my own collection as well as the rhinestone embellishments. Everything else was in the kit.
One Christmas present down, who knows how many to go!
