Colorful Colorado

We finally made it to beautiful Colorado the other day. I have been running errands and trying to get a few minor details done since we've been here.  We will be getting our housing goods from the moving company on July 1st. 
I cannot wait to get unpacked into my home. I'm guessing it's going to take awhile to get everything unpacked, there were over 100 boxes, wow! You don't even realize how much you have accumulated until it's all packed.

Thanks for sticking around a being patient with me. I promise I will be back to crafting soon.  Honestly I can't wait. 

A Farewell to Virginia

Well fellow bloggers, today and tomorrow the packers are here at my house, putting my entire life in a box.  Craft items and all. Wow, it's amazing how quickly three people can pack away everything in your home. Of course, I suppose I don't really have a lot of "extras", only because we know that we have to move so much. Once my husband retires, then I can start to accumulate a bunch of useless things haha!!

At any rate, I won't be doing much crafting while we are in our transition stage. I will be back as soon as I can get my art room unpacked and re-organized. Thanks for sticking with me while my family and I make our move from Virginia to beautiful Colorado Springs.

In the words of Arnold, I'll Be Back!!! haha!

Peace!

Somehow It Works!!

This is going to be a quickie post... I have so much to do for the move but I just had to stop organizing and cleaning in order to take part in the new challenges over at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog. This week they are challenging us to do some fabulous faux metal!
I am also entering this one into The Octopode Challenge blog - this time the challenge there is Slugs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails and it's all about boys! 

These are two of my favorite stamps/digi stamps and it is just awesome to be able to use them together in one project.

I needed to work fast so I decided to do another 4x6 card for my 7Gypsies tray. 
I started with taping a few strips of metal tape onto scratch paper.

I then ran those through the Sizzix machine using a few Tim Holtz embossing folders.

I used alcohol inks to dab a few colors onto the embossed images and then went over them both with Archival black ink.

I used Tim Holtz distress paints in various colors. I just dabbed them onto my craft sheet, spritzed with water and ran the cardstock through. I also used a Tim Holtz stamp and Archival Brilliance ink to stamp onto the background. 

I tore my metal pieces into pieces and adhered them onto the background. Moving them around here and there.

I used a combo of two of my favorite companies for the images..

Octopode Factory and the designs of Lilly Chivers.. I used her Zombie boy and Zombie heart 

and also..

Stampotique Originals - designed by Daniel Torrent and  Jill Penney - I used their Top Knot girl

I colored all three images with copic markers and fussy cut them out

I added metal stitching to the zombie heart and

a little heart charm that I made. I simply wrote my phrase and cut it out. Edged it with Walnut Stain distress ink.

Here are some photos of my finished piece... (some photos look a different color because I took some outside and some inside.)

Thanks again for stopping by, I hope you have a super art-filled day!! 

I always love your comments and feedback, please don't  hesitate to comment :)

Buried Treasure

Over at The Altered Page Seth Apter is having an event called "Buried Treasure" it's all about posts on your blog that are buried treasures! Everyone is to find something on their blog that has been posted long ago, like a hunt for hidden treasures on your blog. 
I must admit, looking through some posts on my blog back in 2010 was quite awaking and really showed me how far I've come since I first began Blogging. It's amazing! It's like a memory book of sorts going back and looking at all the things I've created.
I did find a post way back in 2011 regarding this chair that I inherited from my Grandmother who has passed away and I wanted to repurpose it. It turned out really awesome.
Here is what the chair looked like previously...

CHAIR


and here is what the chair looks like all finished....

Finished Chair

This was so fun to do and I just love how it turned out, it's an honorable piece for my Grandmother. It's now used as my main chair in my craft room and I call it my "Chair of Cheer"...

Another project that I really love from previously is my butterfly box. I created this box for a challenge over on Tim Holtz site. He was doing a Tattered Floral challenge and I had to partake, given that I love Tim's products. Here is the project that I did:

BUTTERFLY BOX

This is a photo of the finished box:

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check out Seth's blog to see more inspirational projects from other great artists!!

Father's Day Yay!

Father's Day is just right around the corner and I am needing to make a few cards. I began with one for my husband today.

I will be entering this card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Challenge Blog - Masculine or Father's Day is the challenge over there this week.
Hobby Cutz - Their challenge this week is the same, Masculine or Father's Day.
613 Avenue Create - The challenge over there this time is "Celebrate" and I think Father's Day is definitely a celebration of Dad's everywhere

To Begin this card I used Tim Holtz Picture Wheel die and cut it out with grungepaper. I used brushed corduroy distress ink to give my wheel a little color 

and then stamped and clear embossed.

I then used distress stain metallics to add more colors to the wheel. I used a finger to rub it all in.

I also used more distress ink to add even more color to the top. I wanted a sort of antique-ish look for my wheel.

I wanted to add actual photos to my picture wheel so I used Word and printed out some tiny photos.

 I then made a template by tracing my wheel onto white card stock. This gives me an idea as to where to place each photo so they fit exactly inside the picture wheel.

I went ahead and glues my photos to the template here and cut it out to match my wheel. 

I didn't want the white space on the right hand side to be white so I used a combo of distress ink and stains to color that space.

There are little slits on the picture wheel here and there as well so I used a fine point paintbrush to paint that area as well. You can see in this photo I painted in between the mini photos.

I then adhered this piece of white cardstock behind my wheel and set it aside to dry.

While that was drying I worked on my card base. I wanted this to be a sort of tri-fold card that would open. I used some really great cardstock with old cameras on it. I also am going to use this black and white 7 gypsies paper for a belt but that comes later.

I wanted to add some stamping so I used the mini gears Tim Holtz stamp and Adirondack ink, in slate color to stamp here and there

I ruffed up the edges and went around them with Vintage Photo (one of my favorite distress ink colors)

I wanted to make a "belt" for this card so I cut a small strip of the 7 Gypsies paper and fastened it to the Tim Holtz buckle. I also edged it with distress ink and cut the end to mimic a belt.

I cut the word "Father" out of Tim's typeset Sizzix strip and black card stock, this will go into the other side of my picture wheel.

I used Tim Holtz "Worn Text" stamp set to make my words for the card. I just love this set too! One of my favorites from Tim. If you use Tim's stampin blocks you can line them up exactly in order to get a straight stamp.

I added some idea-ology bits and here is my finished product

I really love how this came out, how neat to use the picture wheel for photos. I also love how the belt holds the card closed. 

Thanks for coming by once again and have a great day!!

Hey!!

Today's project is based upon the challenge over at Stampotique's Designers Challenge, I always love the fun challenges over there and this week is no exception. This time they are challenging us to "Create From and Envelope"
This tutorial is short but sweet today.....

I started by cutting some polka dot embossed paper from the Tim Holtz Pocket Envelope Die, this die is so fun and I love using it, I really need to get it out more. It's also the perfect size for your ATCs. 
I used three different colors of distress stains to color the envelope.

I used Daniel's Tree Topper image from Stampotique, designed by Daniel Torrent and Jill Penny.

I colored the guy with copics and embossed the heart with pink embossing powder. I embossed another heart and cut it out so that I can have two hearts. The second I floated above Daniel and added deminsionals behind it to make it 3D.

I also cut two flowers from white card stock to add to the front. These are Memory Box  

I also added the word Hey (also memory box) and the word Hello to the card insert

Here is my finished product....

Heading out today to my daughter's violin concert. Her last one before we move. You all have a great day, thanks again for stopping by.

Make It Work

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. I've been working on getting things ready for the move. I'm excited about it but it is a ton of work and I am sad that I won't get to craft and post on my blog for a bit while I'm "In Process". It shouldn't be long though, maybe a couple of weeks.

For now, I'm working on a project for my husband's boss as a going away gift. She is such an awesome person and she is so kind. My husband wanted to give her something nice as a gift. She loves Project Runway and since the motto of Tim Gunn is "Make it Work" we wanted to make sure to use that phrase in this project and we wanted to add a little Steampunk twist.

I am entering this project in the following challenge:

Simon Says Stamp and Show - This week it's all about the letter "S", I'm using it for "Steampunk" this week.

Frilly and Funky - Sunday Share - My item from Frilly is the Wanted Tim Holtz Strip Alphabet Die, I just got this die and I love it!! It's just the right size for this project.

For starters I took the glass and backing out of the frame and sanded down the entire frame. The was just a basic wood frame 

I used Tim Holtz tissue tape and Claudine Hellmuth's Matt Medium. I applied the tissue tape to the inside window of the frame.

I used a piece of Paper House Productions paper, I love this paper for this because my husband and his boss both work at the Pentagon and how fitting this paper is. I just tore it into pieces and adhered that to the rest of the frame. Layering it along the way.

I went around the paper with Adirondak Espresso ink. I wanted to use permanent ink here so that when I seal the paper it won't smudge.

I made some flowers from a Stampin Up paper punch. I used Tim Holtz glassine and dark blue paper. I stamped onto the paper with a Wedny Vecchi stamp and silver ink. I wanted to use dark blue paper because my husband is in the Air Force.

I added a mini Tim Holtz gears to the center of each flower.

I then just added lots of gears and other embellishments around the frame to decorate.

I also added The Words to the top and the letter "A" and the number "9".. my husband works in A9 at the Pentagon, so there is a meaning behind everything here. 

Here are a few more photos and the finished product

I just need another two Findings Corners (I ran out) and then  put the glass and backing on and it's done! I hope that she likes it, I just love how it turned out. Loads of Tim Holtz goodness here. 

Have a super day!! Thanks for stopping by.