Monday, January 31, 2011

Fruits of a Fun Sunday in the Studio

 So yesterday I spent several hours adding to the mess in the studio but having a blast making tags to pack on the upcoming trip...for the travel journal of course. Some are big with room for journaling and some are just to say something about the day or the journey or the page...
So the 2 tags above are large with journalling room. The tag on the left is made with a background of Postmodern Design words, a Jenni Bowlin tag and some Technique Tuesday circles. The right tage uses Autumn Leaves stamps.
This tag has a Hero Arts bottom (love these cars) and with a kaiser Craft stamped date tag on the top.And the one below is much simpler...Autumn Leaves word stamp and a Martha Stewart compas stamp.
This tag was covered with some polka dot paper. Distressed with some brown ink. I then stamped a Technique Tuesday circle and the little design stamp in the same set to make the frills around the base circle. A Kaiser Craft travel stamp inside and then some outlining with Copic Markers. The word and the postmarks come from the same kaiser Craft set as the inner ring.
Here's some smaller tags...these below have images from Allie Edward's Summer set from Technique Tuesday.
 And since we're going to be in a Vegas for a day or two, I dug into the Technique Tuesday game stamp set for these. Its an older set, retired now...but this seemed like the perfect place to use them.
And finally some smaller word tags to add to pages...3 of these are Technique Tuesday, not sure who made the fat lady tag...but I love that stamp. Its a hoot.
So today is the first day of the new semester...new kids this morning...wondering what this week's big storm will be...they're saying Wednesday...right now I just hope I like my new classes...since they're with me until June...
Wow-second half of the school year is here!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Something a little different

Today's post is a bit different for me. Background is a Postmodern Design stamp, distressed. I punched out some die-cuts for the leaves and flowers. Photos of the rusted statue is one of my own, deer leaping onto the page is from CHF, and saying is also Postmodern Design with the A in art bolded up a bit.
Went to see the Fighter last night...great flick. Want to see the King's Speech...maybe one day after work, if we don't get more snow...not sure if I think the Fighter or True Grit is more Oscar worthy....have a great day!!!! I'm off to have some play time in the studio and some grading exam time. Also cooking my turkey carcass down and making some yummy soup.  (But am not getting out of my sweats all day today! My kind of Sunday).

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Saturday Sleep In

Its later Saturday morning and I slept in until 9ish this morning-it was SWEET! Got up to a text from a good friend asking to meet for lunch- and that is SWEET! Katie came home last night (just for the night) and we went out for pizza, it was YUMMY and a FUN time out!  Think its going to be a good day. Love Saturday.
So I bought this used windmill stamp off of Etsy awhile back, and I thought I'd keep it mostly blue in the delf form. Not sure who made the stamp...but its an older one I believe. The saying is another older stamp, the company went out of business-I want to say red Dragon Arts. Stamp Diva used to sell them ages ago. I will say, when I photograph and post my cards I get a different view of them, and I think the saying needs to be outlined. I also have to tack down the bottom left corner of the polkadot background paper. I will say, light paper shows the flaws more vividly...the lighting doesn't help either-it makes the bottom look not straight-but it is straight-only the shadows are throwing it off.
Like this card a lot though...its rather springy...and since my travel bug is started to give me the itch...
Happy Saturday all-hope its a good one for you too!

Friday, January 28, 2011

I LOVE that it is Friday

So to celebrate another work week winding down, I have a LOVE card for you. This card is a little busier than I usually make, but I've been experimenting and playing, and I'm not unhappy with this card.
This close up shows the details a bit, and this is what I did to make this overflow of love. First I stamped the Hero Arts flower background a couple of times and colored some of the blooms with various Copics. Then I used the "left over" paper from a cupid I cut on the Big Kick to as a stencil to put a few cupids at the top. Then I added the 7Gypsies tape. I took the "left over" paper from a fleur de lis that I die cut. I trimmed around the cut out part to leave just a thin border. That's the dark rosey pink design. It does have some Tim Holtz words stamped on as I stamped the paper and then die cut. I die cut a hear on the same pink paper as the backrgound, outlined it with a black Sharpie and stamped it with the word from an Autumn Leaves love set I have. Attach. Put a heart gemstone on each side and then attach the Prima gemstone swirls.
***
So today we got sun pretty early-snowing when I got up and sun by 10. Had to work after a delay, but it did warm up into the 30's today and it felt so warm...you can tell its been VERY cold lately. Also, you can tell the days are getting LONGER as it is actually so much brighter at 4:15 now than it was a month ago. All this is teasing me for spring...getting me ready for our trip to the desert which is now less than 1 month...can't wait! Came home and worked on my travel journal...nothing to show yet but I painted my cover and did some stenciling and started papering my pages...I've tried different ways to color my pages and some work better than others...depends if you want to write on the page...this time I'm trying paper layering...its fun since I don't usually do a lot of paper layering...I've yet to make a travel journal that 100% wows me...still working on finding what I like...but I still like my journals because 1)they are journals and don't have to be perfect and 2)they are great to have when I get home from the trrip...but practice makes perfect and one day I shall discover what I really like.
Anyhow, it is Friday...teacher work day, our semester ended yesterday...new classes on Monday...second half of the year...wow...and Tuesday next week we move into February...
Happy Day!!!!


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Oh Thursday...

Will it be snowy or not? School, delay or snow day? It is Wednesday evening and I don't know those answers, YET!
So lets look at some card art instead of wondering the weather-which will be what it will be.
 This card makes me VERY happy. I used white textured cardstock to start with...stamped Hero Arts backrgound flowers (from the new 2011 stamps-its a cling mount stamp) in wine color. Only because of the texture...it didn't stamp that dark...and then I used a pink Memories ink pad and rubbed it over the background...enough to lighten the wine colored flowers and leaving some white cardstock exposed...looks like fabric I think. Then I stamped the postcard from Crafty Individuals/Magenta in Artprint Brown also by Memories Ink on white paper. I used an ochre colored ink to color the background and then I took a white pen to color the daisies and a yelow Copic for the flower centers. Cut out and Attach. Then I used 7Gypsies Venice stamps to stamp the light...and I colored the globe with pink jelly roll pen. I also stamped the pen on white paper (CHF stamp), color with Copics and cut out and attach. The other images/words stamped on the card are also from the 7Gypsies Venice set. Oh yes, and then I added a strip of pink cardstock just to finish it off.



Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Vintage Hero Arts

So just a quick couple of perky colored cards today...I bought the new set of Hero Arts Vintage items- here's 2- the typewriter which I turned into a fun Valentine's card and then the bottom  card where I used the fan. For some reason the fan cards photo didn't photograph without the glare line...must be all those Stickles I used.
Anyhow, to make the typewriter card I wrote in a little note on the keys of the typewriter and used a CHF set for the tops words. The hearts all come from an older Memory box clear set that I just love for Valentine's Day and I used some 7Gypsies tape. For the fan card I used the same Basic Grey paper as the top card, added some crepe ribbon that I bought eons ago and have no idea who made it. I also added some brown ribbon, green and yellow Stickles, and stamped some typewriter letters for the saying. I wanted to make it look like there was a nice cool air coming out of the fan, not completely sure what I did worked in a way I love, but  it is still  not a bad card. It looks much better than the photo shows.
Anyhow...on our weather front here in New England...more snow coming tonight but sounds like we won't miss school tomorrow-maybe a delay...that's good except it means having to shovel before work in the a.m. which makes the morning a bit crazy...but lets see what happens...take it as it comes...all you can really do...but at least today I should make it to work in a normal amount of time...roads were horrible yesterday and it took me just about 2 hours to get there...the weather these past 3 weeks has been so challenging...and not just here from what I keep hearing on the news ...ah winter...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Still Bitter Cold

Bitter, ice cold, freezing, super chilly...you pick the word...its just plain REALLY COLD, again. To make us all feel warm and cheery, again...here's some more cards.
Here's a card using Artistic Outpost's Wizard of Oz set...love this set. I think this morning it should say if I only had a coat, or a plane ticket to someplace tropical and warm...like maybe Tahiti or Bali.
And here's some more of my book celebrating America that I showed you some of in the last couple of weeks. This is using some more of Artistic Outpost stamps-Heroes and She-roes. Here's a link to check out their web-site-and according to their newsletter-new stamps should be here any day! I can't wait to see them.
I made this 2 page spread to look like an old photo album...not so much a fancy or highly decorated art page. Thought that might give a bit more of true life feel for these pages. I think part of our American heritage is keeping photo albums or old scrapbooks. Its how so many of us learn about our past, by looking back at these albums.  I know there's some in my family...with all those aunt and uncle photos from the WWII and the 1940's or 1950's. I always thought they looked so gorgeous dressed in their classy outfits from those decades.
Anyhow- stay warm...or comfy or cool or whatever you day brings you...



Monday, January 24, 2011

Try to make it a Cheery Monday Morning

One word to start with: BRRRRRRRR! We're at -11, yes, negative 11 without the windchill. With windchill, its like -29 degrees...yes, negative 29. BRRRR!!
Here's a card to brighten the morning...THINK SPRING...THINK WARMTH.
This card starts with white cardstock and then covered with some Basic Grey paper. A few little stamps from a B Line hotel postmark. The leaf was then made with copper craft-metal first textured and then punched out with some Tim Holtz leaves.  The daisy is from Technique Tuesday, cut out and colored and then attached. The tape is some older 7Gypsies and the word is also from Technique Tuesday. I finally added some copper colored German scrap paper along the bottom of the tape. Simple, fresh...I love it and wish I had more of this 7Gypsies gaffer tape...I'm now out and I'm presently hooked on this pattern.
From this cold neck of the woods, I wish you a warm day.


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Little Details

Its freezing....down in the single digits and is suppose to be the coldest temps. we've had in 5 years for the next couple of days...before the next potential snow.....Katie goes back to school today and I woke up quite sad about it...hadn't really been affecting me but this morning...I don't want her to go. More little details...made a big pot of chili that's slow cooking in the crock pot this morning- will make a nice warm dinner on this to be cold night. Last night we went to the UNH/BU hockey game- UNH lost- it was SO cold walking to and from the Wittemore to our car-then we hadn't had dinner so we went to IHOP for breakfast at 11...yummy...I slept in this morning after getting home so late...
and yesterday I did a bit more studio cleaning and made some St. Patty's days cards...I'm not even Irish but the green right now...is SO appealing...and I picked up this set of stamps by Tweety Jill the other day and they're fun...making me wish for spring...
It was tough to decide whether to get this set or the Easter set...but since I am LONGING for spring...enough of this winter...plus...I still have an Ireland scrapbook trip album to finish from way back in 2007 (I think) when we went.
So I will share with you my winter...and why I wish for green and spring right now. Happy Sunday!



Saturday, January 22, 2011

Sunny and COLD today

Today is bright and blue skied but like 10 degrees right now.  The house is cozy with the woodstove going. Tonight we have a hockey game and its going to be COLD walking to and from the car. BRRR.
So yesterday was a great day off...sun out by 2 p.m., wind kicked up, shovelled so got some fresh air. Made a bunch of cards...read a lot of my book...watched a bunch of Rick Steves travel videos from a set I purchased 2-3 years ago (I surprisingly watch those a lot...it was worth the $40 I spent on them), made a bunch of cards...and
The owl was back...pretty early in the day too...GORGEOUS!
Its SOOOOO cool how they can turn their heads.
So yesterday's card had a Valentine's theme. I was using my Big Kick...making Fleur de Lis, heart and Cupid punches. I also was using the empty cutout paper as stenciles and trimming them down and using them as "ring" images. Very cool what you can do. Here's a couple of snaps for one of the cards I made that kind of demonstrates what I was just saying.
So I used the left-over paper from punching out a Quick-Cutz cupid to stencil the Cupid in black on the white background. Then I glued on the fleur de lis and after that decided I wanted to stamp on it.  It was have been easy if I hadn't glued it down, but what I did was like the left over edging from this die-cut and put it down as a mask, then stamped it several times with the Tim Holtz love definition. Then I added the trim (an old piece from EK Success). The heart was made by taking the edge of a die cut scrap and cutting around it to make a think rim. Had I had a wider heart heart I could have used that too...but I don't, so I just trimmed this down  and then glued the rim down on some 7Gypsies Lille paper (which I bought very recently at my favorite craft store). I glued the whole thing down, glued the gold leaf, glued the Prima felt flower and added the word kisses which is a single little word stamp. Not sure who made it...it was in my BOX of assorted clear stamps I got from the Frantic Stamper in their box sale back in November. Its a great stamp for Valentine's Day...got a  BUNCH of love type of stamps in that box.
Here's a bit more of a close up. 
Enjoy your day!


Friday, January 21, 2011

Snow Day-AGAIN!

Yes, its been like a vacation week, and today, it is Friday and I'm off for another day and this one will be a second long weekend in a row. I do love it, BUT, right now we have 3 days to make up in June-yuk, and we still have the rest of January, February and March to get through.
Anyhow, lets start off this post with some various photos. Here's 2 from this morning. Photo 2 makes me think of the Robert Frost poem about the snowy woods.
And here is some photos from yesterday taken with my camera at home and then with my phone on the road.
These first two are out of my back door with my camera. It was a beautiful morning yesterday with some fresh snow that had come down Wednesday night.
 Then this sign was outside of the local hairdressesers yesterday morning. What a great sign. That should be my motto.
 And me in the car-taken by Katie with my Hipstamatic app.
 An on the road-this top on is here in my town with the GLARE and the second one is on the highway on the Northshore of Massachusetts.
 Now we're coming into Boston over the Tobin Bridge. Too bad the railing had to be there photo-wise, though definately good for us on the bridge. Not the greatest photos as I was driving and I had to just hold up the camera and snap...focusing on the road was first prioirty.
 Through the toll and coming into the city:
Shopping cart parkinglot outside of the restaurant. Know where we went yesterday?
 Do the Swedish meatballs help?
 This mousse cake was YUMMY!
 On route 93 north driving back through Boston on the way home. Katie snapped these.
So I am once again lounging and watching last night's Decoded. That's a great show. My ears are for some reason quite blocked up...and I'm feeling broke...too much shopping (though I've cut way back...saving for college is SOOO hard) and bill paying. I am now going into no spending money mode...being sparse...doing without. I want to finish paying off my bills and I want to save cash...save a lot of cash. I HOPE I can do it. I'm not very good at it...I have 2 expensive hobbies-art supplies and traveling. Not that I over spend for each, and I find budget items...but I just seem to find things to buy...still seems like I don't get much- money just isn't going that far, but I have time to get reorganized and get back on track...and I'M GOING to...
I'm GOING TO DO IT!
Anyhow, yesterday was a blast with Katie...glad I took the day. Hope you enjoy my photos and enjoy your "snow day" or sunny day or cloudy day or whatever your day is.