Handmade stamps

I'm still playing with carving my own stamps.

Here is the tag I made today...

On the top right is the leaf stamp I showed you earlier this week

and the top left are the two new ones I made...

a smaller leaf and a flower. 

Along with my stamps, the background is done with 

faded jeans, broken china, and crushed olive distress inks that I spread on my mat, 

I streaked a little bit of tea dye reinker all over, 

then sprayed with a handmade spray.

I dragged the tag through that.

I also added my favorite script stamp from Stampabilities.

The burlap is from my stash.

The lace is from Creating is fun. 

The image is from Gecko Galz Beautiful Bookmarks.

Pretty heart cont....

A couple days ago I posted a heart I made. 

Today I made a couple more to go with it.

The heart on the bottom is the original heart I made,

 the top two will be placed on either side of the lower one on my wall.

I glitter glued everything.

The large rose, leaf and white stamen is from I am Roses

The medium rose and rose buds are from Wild Orchids Crafts

The pearl drops and clear gem (hard to see in the pic's) are from Pro31

Now I just have to get my kitchen/dining room painted so I can hang them!

Pin-giveaway

Shabby Cottage Studio is having a giveaway on pinterest.

Hop on over and sign up for your chance to win.

If you click on the picture above you will go directly to the giveaway.

My leaf stamp

This morning I decided to carve my own stamp. 

I don't often draw so trying to figure out what to make was a bit of a challenge.

I would love to be able to draw a rose but they never seem to look like a rose when I am finished with them, 

so.......

I made a leaf! 

Probably a better idea for my first stamp carving anyway.

I couldn't just show you the stamp so I made this tag...

Here's my stamp...

I stamped 3 leaves in the top corner and 2 in the bottom.

You can also see my buttercup liquid pearls that I added to the green dots on the background paper.

Here you can see my bottom two stamps. 

You can also see that I pop dotted my 

Gecko Galz Lemonaid images 

with two different thicknesses of pop dots.

The background, that I stamped on, is also part of the Lemonaid paper collection at Gecko Galz.

A little bit of lacy trim from Diane 

and some seam binding from my stash finishes off my tag.

Coffee table/bench

Yesterday was a busy day...

Dropped off hub's. 

Did some grocery shop/hopping.

Put my bathroom cabinets back together 

(I painted the desperately needed ugly cabinets other day). 

Painted the walls last week so now I finally have one room that is finished!

Well all but the ugly gold, metal, trim around the mirror/medicine cabinets. 

Have to find something I can cover, paint or alter that with!

Any ideas/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Ran back out to the store (Goodwill) with my daughter to pick up the coffee table I spotted the day before. 

Can't believe it was still there!

Then off to Walmart for some fabric, cushion and batting to make that coffee table a cushioned bench for my daughter's room.

After putting the table/bench together I made dinner and finally got the chance to relax for the rest of the night.

Here is a look at the table/bench all done...

The fabric goes perfectly with her bedroom colors.

No before pic's because my daughter was in too much of a hurry for me to get it done! 

LOL

I have a little bit of the material left over to make her a pillow or two, to match. 

Paris tag

Boy I was on a roll yesterday!

I don't know how I did it or what came over me but I actually started and finished 4 pieces!

Granted they were small pieces but even a small piece will have me thinking and questioning my ideas. 

Making me change this idea for that, back and forth before I finally decide to go with it.

In an attempt to play with colors that I don't usually play with I got out my dusty concord & milled lavender distress inks to start. 

Then I added a bit of faded jeans, worn lipstick and vintage photo distress inks to finish it off.

Topped with a few different stamps I thought I had a great background so I went really simple with the embellishments. 

The strand of bling I picked up at Walmart 

and 

The blue flowers are Jolee's Boutique stickers.

A little pink seam binding and it's done!

Baseball Nut

Summer of Color - Week Three

Inspiration - Baseball Nut Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream with Black Raspberry Swirl & Cashews

***

Here is my tag...

I took my cream (vanilla) flower from Wild Orchids Crafts and touched the edges with my aged mahogany distress markers then sprayed it with biscotti perfect pearls.

The trim is from Diane in my Gecko Galz Paris Flea Market Swap box that she sent me.

The cherub tag is from the Gecko Galz Tagyourit collection. 

I don't know how well you can see it but I used the aged mahogany distress marker to draw over some of the thinner swirls after stamping on the tag in walnut stain distress ink. 

I wanted to make sure the "black raspberry swirl" was evenly mixed! 

***

I am linking this to:

 Twinkle Twinkle - Summer of Color wk 3

Blue

This is just a quick piece I put together today just because I wanted to play with blue.

The background is from the Lemonaid Paper collection at Gecko Galz.

I used a little bit of vintage photo distress in around the edges.

The flying pig stamp is also from Gecko Galz... 

the Animal Crackers collection. 

I used a little bit of broken china and vintage photo distress ink on the flying pig card. 

I also used my favorite stampabilities script stamp. 

The circle below the button is cut from a tag from 

the Tagyourit collection, also from Gecko Galz.

White lace is from Created by Martha.

The button, twine, bling flowers and the yellow lace are from my stash.

Summertime

I made a summery/beachy card today.

I used Pink Lemonade background paper from 

the Gecko Galz 

Lemonade Paper collection.

I love this collection, so bright & summery.

The bathing beauties image is also from Gecko Galz.

The ribbon I got at a local antique shop. 

The pink flower, circle of pearls and blue pearls are from Pro31.

The yellow rose buds are from Wild Orchids Crafts.

The leaves are from I am Roses.

***

I am linking to...

Gecko Galz - Bathing Beauty Challenge

Let's Get Shabby - 3rd Birthday Challenge

(Using Challenge #7 - Summer Influence)

Blue, brown and circles...

Project # 2!

 Both in one day!

Boy did that feel good!

***

Gecko Galz has a blue & black color challenge. 

You have until June 25th if you want to enter so you've got to hurry!

Sugar Creek Hollow has a Circles challenge this week.

I combined the two and came up with this...

My first circle is a doily that I hit with faded jeans and vintage photo distress inks.

The drk blue pinstripe doily is one I cut on my Cameo.

The smaller doily is a piece my daughter sent me, I topped it with a circle I cut out of a Gecko Galz tag from June's Tag Your It collection and edged that with platinum stickles.

The dress form is a grunge board piece, also cut on my Cameo.

The brown carnation is from I am Roses.

The rose buds are from Wild Orchids Crafts.

The yarn is from my stash.

And the gems...

I got my Irock out! 

It's been a while since I played with that! 

***

I am linking to...

Gecko Galz - June Color Challenge (Blue & Brown)

Sugar Creek Hollow - Circles

Crafts and Me Challenges - Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Going in Circles

Joyful Stampers - Anything Goes

Pretty heart

This morning I watched this video and had to try it 

so

here is my heart...

In the video she was symmetrical with her flower arrangement

I chose not to be.

What do you think?

I'm pretty happy with it.

Here is a close up...

The bigger center rose and the leaves below it are from I am Roses.

The smaller rose and the rose buds are from Wild Orchids Craft.

I touched all the flowers with a bit of glitter glue.

Wheat spray and pearls are from Pro31.

&

 The stamen pieces are from my stash.

In the video she painted her wire...

I used a wire that was covered so I left it and just added a little bit of glitter.

Now I am trying to decide if I should make a couple more to have a grouping to hang on my wall 

or

maybe take 3 of them and tie them together to hang on the wall.

Hmm...Decisions decisions...

Shabby Chic Flower tutorial...

I have had a couple of requests for a tutorial for these flowers...

So here goes...

It's really pretty easy.

My supplies...

Fabric for the flower petals and 

Tim Holtz Tattered florals die

(or free form cut your own flower petals).

Needle and thread.

Scraps of fabric, ribbon and lace. 

Here's the easy, peasy part...

Layer it all! 

I randomly layer pieces until it looks the way I want it then sew them together.

I used two of the larger flowers, 

then one of the next size down, 

then I started layering the fabric scraps and lace.

Bling it up with a button or pearls or whatever you want for your center of the flower. 

Here are a couple of different attempts at finishing them off...

and the final piece...

I cut the back of the button off and hot glued it to the flower.

In the original grouping you can see that I also used stringed pearls and fibers for embellishing as well.

Aside from some of the bulky buttons these flowers are nice and flat for scrapbooking pages.

Can't wait to see your flowers!

Have fun!

Bonjour!

Last night I felt like playing with a few stamps. 

This morning I put this together...

I used 3 different stamps on the tag then two more on the top piece.

The background of the tag has broken china, vintage photo and a touch of walnut stain distress inks on it.

I added a little bit of the broken china and vintage photo distress inks to the patterned paper piece as well. 

My I am Roses curly rose I edged the petals with broken china distress markers then sprayed the whole thing with a blue tinted pearl spray I made.

The teardrop pearl trim is from Pro31.

I used a gold gel pen over my Bonjour stamp to give it a little more sparkle.

The mini rose buds are from Wild Orchids.

The pearl spray is from Pro31.

Seam binding is from Shabby Beautiful.

The charm dangling from my Tim Holtz pin is from Walmart's clearance rack. 

Have a great night! 

I'm linking to

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Show a Bit of Brown

Mint Chocolate Chip

It's week two of the Summer of Color challenge at Twinkle Twinkle.

The inspiration is Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

Over at Sugar Creek Hollow this weeks challenge is 

More is Better.

Combining the two I came up with this...

Mint Chocolate Chip colors with LOTS of embellishments.

The brown carnations (I am roses) I hit a bit with some vintage photo distress stain then sprayed with one of my homemade sprays.

The blue/white dogwoods (I am Roses) as well as the little rose buds (Wild Orchids) are sprayed with another homemade spray with a hint of green for that minty hue. 

The two tone brown rose in the center is from Wild Orchids.

The clear gem and the brown teardrop spray bits that I have tucked in around the flowers are from Pro31.

The dangling trim was from my stash. 

Here is a close up of my "ice cream"

I'm linking up to ... 

Twinkle Twinkle - The Summer of Color wk 2

Sugar Creek Hollow - More is Better

Cute little tag

Here's a quick little tag I put together last night...

The tag and cute little girl are both Gecko Galz products. 

Love them!

I used a little bit of vintage photo distress ink on the edges of the tag and the little cutie.

The pink curly rose and clear wheat spray are from Pro31 Designs.

The leaves are from I am Roses.

Cute little yellow rose buds are from Wild Orchids Crafts.

The coral seam binding is from Shabby Beautiful Scrapbooking.

Lightbox

I've been wanting to make a light box for quite a while now but wasn't sure how to go about it. 

I watched a few tutorials... looked simple enough... but...

Darn procrastination!

Nothing new these days!

LOL

About a month ago...

 I finally grabbed some small dowels from Walmart and a piece of white fabric.

Then I waited and thought some more about how I was going to do it.

Realized I didn't buy enough dowels, I bought some more last week.

Yesterday, after finding out that I didn't have any ink in my printer and

 in the mood to create something,

 I decided to get myself in gear and give it a try. 

Tools in hand...

Scissors to cut the dowels.

I cut them about 15 inches long.

That gave me enough room so that I can get a 12x12 layout in there if I want to.

Twine to (hopefully) tie it all together.

I tied a couple of dowels together...

Once I had a couple of squares, for the top and bottom, I started adding the dowels for the sides.

Lots of twine!!!

Not very pretty!

Then came the "now how do I get the material on there?" thought!

Oh and the realization that I also didn't buy enough fabric!

LOL

Grabbing the scissors again 

and 

a few little safety pins...

This is what it ended up looking like from the inside...

Definitely primitive but for now it works.

I don't have the lights to place around the sides but I found that as long as the sun is coming through the window behind the box it works great!

If you look here

or

here

you will see a couple of pictures that I took inside my new creation.