Christmas in the Bank...

Hi everyone!

Wow, I've been away from blogging for a while!

Darn seasonal depression is slamming me...don't feel like doing much of anything these days! 

I'm trying to fight through it right now...

which brings me to this post

Today I thought I'd work on, my friend, Sandi's challenge over at 

Maximum Embellishment.

Sandi's challenge is titled Christmas in the Bank.

Every month she is giving us a challenge to help us be better prepared for Christmas with less last minute rushing.

I don't know about you but I could use that!

Last months challenge was to do 12 tags.

I did the twelve+ tags but never entered them into the challenge because of my depression...

kept forgetting to set up the blog post.

So here are the tags I did for last month.....

I did three different tags,

I used Gecko Galz and Graphic Fairy's images that I altered in Gimp.

This first one I used Graphic Fairies postcard and tree,

and Gecko Galz Santa.

I added a bit of platinum stickles to the edges.

The next two tags were done with Graphic Fairies images.....

I simply added some liquid pearls and glitter glue to the Santa tags.

The twine, pink crochet ribbon (above) and the sheer ribbon (below) are from Really Reasonable Ribbon

This last set of tags was distressed with my Tim Holtz distresser.

I only embellished the one tag with ribbon, pearls and rose, then mounted it on top of a piece of card stock.

I distressed it with a bit of vintage photo distress ink also.

The reason I embellished only one was.....

#1 I like the look of the image as it is 

&

#2 I tend to change my mind about my decor and wrapping last minute every time Christmas rolls around so I thought it would be easier to leave them as is and still be ahead of the game.

*****

This months challenge is Gift Card Holders

Here are the Card Holders I made today.....

the fronts....

I used the a couple of pieces of paper from the 

Visions of Christmas paper collection from K&Company.

I used Sandi's measurements to cut the paper, 

then cut a few thin strips to make a band around the card holder to keep it closed.

I fussy cut the images, from the paper line, to add to the bands.

I added a little bit of barn door stickles to the edges of the top flap.

the backs.....

Now to get over to Sandi's and post my entry with her!

Happy Birthday

Good afternoon everyone! 

Hope you all are enjoying a warm and cozy Saturday indoors!

I am sitting here relaxing with a cup of tea as light snow flurries fall outside. 

I want to show you the card I made for my niece's birthday...

She was in dance growing up so I thought this image from 

Gecko Galz Dance Divas collage set would be cute.

The blue paper is also from Gecko Galz...

the Pocket Full of Poseys paper pkg.

The rosy paper behind it is a collage set from my good friend Heather Hudson's collection on her etsy.

This sheet was actually pink but since I was going blue with this card and I already had the rosy paper set to go I inked it with tumbled glass distress ink.

The Happy Birthday banner piece is also from this collage set.

It was also pink so I inked it the same way to make it blue and instead of distressing the edges I simply added some black soot distress ink and added a couple of black brads.

I distressed the edges of both the Gecko Galz paper and Heather's rosy paper with my Tim Holtz distresser.

On the card blank I used weathered wood distress ink and a script stamp, 

a little bit of the tumbled glass distress ink,

then a little black soot distress ink along the edges.

The crochet ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon 

and the bling mesh around the dancer is from SaCrafter.

Stay warm!

Have a great weekend!

30 Days of Valentines Voting has begun...

30 Days of Valentines Voting

The voting will be open between 

Feb 14th and Feb 21st

 so be sure to get over there and vote for your favorite card!

Everyone who votes is entered into a drawing for a fun Gecko Galz Gift!

The DT over at Gecko Galz really outdid themselves with the Valentines Day cards this year!

If you haven't seen them yet hop over there (use the link above), 

check them out and enter a vote for your favorite!

These are my entries.....

For details on this card please go here to see my post.

And my other entry is.....

You can see the info for this card here.

Good luck to all!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Pretty little mini...

Morning everyone!

My little mini is a simple little thing that can easily be thrown in a purse.

If you read my last blog then you know that I am loving the new paper pack 

Pocket Full of Poseys 

over at Gecko Galz.

The blue paper above, I added one of the digi stamps from 

Gecko Galz Tootweet Stamp set on top.

The blue polka dot ribbon that I used to tie the mini closed is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The other ribbon is from my stash.

Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

The cover of the mini is done with a Middy Bitty Bag from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I folded it in half and added the pretty papers,

then I cut the bottom piece to have an opening for a pocket on both front and back cover.

I added blank papers for the center pages that I stamped with a few

Close to my Heart stamps that my scrappy friend Pam sent to me.

Here is a look at a few of the inside pages...

The last page is another paper from the Pocket Full of Poseys paper pack.

I think this one is my favorite because it reminds me of fabric that mom had used so many years ago...

And here is the back...

I bound my mini with my Bind it All.

Brick card...

Hi Everyone!

Today's card that I want to show you I did simply because I wanted to play with this months Gecko Galz images and papers.

The new paper pack, Pocket Full of Poseys, is one of my new favorite paper packs!

Here is my card...

The background was done with modeling paste and a mask/stencil from SaCrafters.

The burlap piece is from my stash.

The yellow polka dot ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Above is a close up of the Gecko Galz... 

paper (behind the burlap),

image from the Childrens Hour collage set,

and 

jewel piece from the Fly Away Jewels collection.

The jewel piece I mod podged onto a wood shape, then I added some wild honey distress marker to the edges.

I love how that worked and plan on using some more of the jewels in the same way soon!

My Fly Away Jewel piece with it's bird bath and birdie fits into the 

Feathers & Fur challenge over at Sugar Creek Hollow 

so I will be linking up over there.

Love, Love, Love

Hi everybody!

Today I want to show you a DT project I did for 

Treasured Times Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking.

This months stamp is another Terrye French cutie...

 Love Heart 

Here is my card.....

I used ripe persimmon distress ink for the stamp, 

the edges of my papers and a bit on the doily.

I added the hearts with pop dots. 

I really love these stamps and will be looking for other places to use them!

I love that the style of the stamp will work beyond Valentine's Day!

***

I will be linking this up to 

Sugar Creek Hollow - Romantic Love

Valentine Greetings

Good morning everyone!

Today I have another Valentines Day Card featured over at 

Gecko Galz.

I hope you all have been stopping by and checking out all the wonderful cards our talented Design Team members have been sharing with you!

Here is my card.....

I uesd Star Crossed papers &

Very Vintage Valentines collage set from Gecko Galz,

heart shaped doiley,

ribbon & bling from my stash,

twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon,

and 

a flower from Wild Orchid Craft.

I cut the papers and roughed the edges with a pair of scissors and layered them onto a blank card with the doily and twine.

Cut a couple of little slits in the Valentine image to fee the ribbon into and tied it on, then

used pop dots to put the image on the card.

A couple pieces of bling finish it off.

Multi Media Canvas...

Hi everyone! 

Lately I feel like I am in a paper crafting slump.

I have cards that I need to make but just don't have the mojo for it. 

While looking for inspiration I saw a couple of videos for mixed media pieces

MsLiberty25

& 

Luvleescrappin

Between the both of them I was inspired to do my own canvas...

In Luvleescrappin's video she started her tag with a piece of tissue paper that she stamped all over...

I liked that so I grabbed a bunch of stamps, ink & tissue paper and started randomly stamping.

I mod podged it on to my canvas then got out my sprays

ArtCo Glitter Mist Red

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Pink Taffy

and 

Perfect Pearls Mists Perfect Copper.

Both videos the ladies used a stencil and modeling paste and since I just recently bought my first bottle I had to use it as well.

The brick wall stencil I used is from SaCrafters.

This frame I found at Michaels, Thursday.

It was white I topped it with gesso, 

then added another couple of Michaels goodies...

My first set of Gelato's! 

I just used my fingers and rubbed it all over.

Fun stuff!

I also sprayed a bit of pink taffy on it as well.

The gem spray was also a Michaels find that I've had for a while.

The flowers on the frame and the top corner are from Wild Orchids Crafts I used a pad that had a bit of watermelon & slate alcohol ink on it on top of the white flowers.

I also added the alcohol ink to that skeleton leaf, it was a cream/tan color. 

The ribbony bits under the flowers on the frame are actually some cotton fabric pieces that I had laying on my desk. I cut them tied them together and sprayed with the pink taffy and red sprays.

I scrunched them up then roughed them a bit and love how it came out.

On MsLiberty's video she used some glue and seed beads that she randomly added to her canvas, 

I have a set of micro mini bead, not sure where I got them, I've had them forever.

I decided to add those with a bit of crackle accents that I just dotted here and there and covered with the beads.

In the above picture you can see the new "LOVE" heart stamp from 

Treasured Times Rubber Stamp & Scrapbooking.

How cute is that Terrye French stamp?

I love it!

Inside the frame I took one of the 

Fly Away Jewels from Gecko Galz

and with a little bit of mod podge mounted it on a piece of wood.

 I colored the edges of the wood piece with my wild honey distress marker.

To the right of the frame you can see a piece of the 

Birds of a Feather

collage set that I fussy cut and added some wild honey distress ink on the edges.

I tucked that in under the frame & on top of a piece of gauze that I added some weathered wood distress stain and a spritz of water to.

The reddish fabric flower above the frame I added the same alcohol inks that I used on the flowers and leaf above.

And the other flower I simply added a button to the center. 

Here is a close up shot of the Terrye French Love Heart stamp.

You can also see a little bit of the texture from the tissue paper layer. 

This bird cage was a piece that I finally decided to stop hoarding...

my dear friend Maggie sent to me a while ago.

It is a Dusty Attic piece. 

I added snow cap dabber paint to it then pounced it with watermelon, slate and meadow alcohol inks.

After that I added a bit of clear rock candy distress crackle paint,

I love the look I ended up with.

I added a little piece of lace trim to the bottom.

The bird in the cage was part of a set of diecut chipboard pieces I have. 

I finished it off with a bunch of sticky back pink pearls and some I-rock gems randomly set around the canvas.

If you would like to see my video of this project you can see it here.

Thank you MsLiberty25 and Luvleescrappin 

for all your inspiration!

TP Tussy Mussy

Hi everyone!

I spotted this project on youtube,

a little late to enter the challenge but a cute idea so I had to run with it!

Here it is...

As you may have guessed this started out life as a toilet paper roll.

The papers I used on the outside as well as the inside are scraps from my scrap bin.

Always good when you can use those scraps!

All the images, front and back, are from Gecko Galz.

The lady image is part of the Bookmarks collection.

The two little tickets below it are from the Bits & Pieces collection.

On the back I have a postcard from the Postcard Memories collection.

The ribbons/trim are from my stash.

The flowers are a variety from I am Roses,

Wild Orchid Crafts and,

if I am correct,

Prima!

The leaf trim pieces are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. 

The bling has been in my stash for quite a while.

The pearl trim around the top edge and the pink flat back pearls are also from my stash.

The cords I used to hang it with is from the tags off of something my daugther and I bought recently. 

I posted a video on my

Youtube

channel and left a link there to the video where I got the idea from.

Stay warm!!!

Family Love...

Hello everyone!

Today I want to show you a piece I did a couple weeks ago.

 I had to buy a new vacuum recently since mine started smoking!

With my asthma I can't handle being around smokers so 

it had to go! 

LOL

As you know, with a new vacuum comes a BIG box so I started cutting and this is one of the shapes I cut.

I ripped a few areas of the top layer then

got out my snow cap paint dabber and covered the cardboard heart.

On top of that I decided to use a new mask (honey comb) I just got and some modeling paste. 

I added that in a couple different areas.

Next I wanted some shimmer so I sprayed 

perfect copper & green patina Perfect Pearls Mists 

and pink taffy Glimmer Mist.

I also added a little bit of vintage photo distress ink to the edges.

I, then, got out my hot glue gun and added the eyelet trim to the back edges.

Then the layering fun began.....

 The honey comb mask as well as this cute little key above is from SaCrafters.

I love that key!

I tied it onto a canvas tag, 

that I sprayed with pink taffy glimmer mist and prefect copper perfect pearls mist,

and stamped with walnut stain distress ink,

with a piece of pink & white twine form Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The silk ribbon below is also from RRR.

The rosey paper, 

Bo peep, from the Pockets Full of Poseys collection, 

 you can see in the above picture 

and 

the label image below, from the Vintage Lables collage collection,

 that you can see below, are both from Gecko Galz.

 Under my Gecko Galz images I have a bit of gauze that I sprayed with the same sprays I used on the cardboard and canvas tag.

The chip board "Love" is painted with the snow cap dabber and sprayed with pink taffy then topped with tattered rose distress crackle paint here and there.

I wrapped a bit of the same pink and white twine that I used on the tag on the "L" and tied a bow.

I have to tell you...tying the bows and twine was a 

HUGE challenge

 with my BIG blue thumb! 

LOL

I love that little vintage trinket "Family" bulb from Prima!

 In the picture above you can see where I added a bit of lacy trim to the bottom of the heart, above the eyelet trim. 

I was a little worried about how that would look but it turned out nice I think!

Below is another full picture of the heart with a different background so you can maybe see it better.

A couple of eyelet/grommets and some wire to hang it and I'm done.....

Unless I change my mine and add some bling! 

LOL

If you'd like to take a peek, I posted a video of this heart over on my youtube channel

Have a great weekend!