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Week 16 of Grungy Monday and Linda has us truly grunging it up!  Grungeboard or Grungepaper and anything goes as long as those products are used!  Simon Says Stamp and Show some Embossing and so we have that covered.

Lots of embossing, both dry and powder. Painted Grungeboard with Metallic paints and then applied alcohol inks, until I liked the color. The Artistic Outpost Flapper Girls, where colored with Stampin Up Markers. We added some Copic Glitter pen highlights here and there.  Both Artful Dwellings by the one and only, Tim Holtz, were edged in gold.  

Off to start dinner!  I am so happy I don't have a DH, who demands his dinner at a certain time!!  Thank you for the visit and have a wonderful evening!

Bloggers Challenge Sketch and The Color of Money!

Happy Friday to all!  Tomorrow we go front door shopping.  Today the exact window measurements will be done at 3:00 PM and here I am playing!  Such is life!  Plenty of time to do what I need to do! 

Lisa's Bloggers Challenge this week is a sketch, which I just love sketches.  So here is my take on sketch. Since I love to combine challenges and it is not out of laziness, I went with the "Color of Money."  Gingersnap Creations GC108 is having us show our money colors! 

The sentiment stamp used is from Unity Stamps and the designer papers are Basic Grey.  I did a cuttlebug highlight technique from the Technique Junkies.  The butterflies where punched from leftovers. 

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by!


Bags and Tags go Grungy on Monday!

Our lovely Grungy Monday leader, Linda, along with sidekicks, Barbara Washington and Rinda Ontiveros, have us using a technique from the 12 Tags of Christmas 2007, Day 7!  Gingersnap Creation's challenge GC107 is Bags and Tags, with shopping in mind!  Well we are off to the dressmaker!!  After all there was a time that I made most of my clothes, so this just seemed very appropriate.  Simon Says Stamp and Show some Stitching - Faux or Otherwise, and I had stitiched the little tag.  The Color of Summer wants us to use Brown and a Bold color, so I decided my bold would be "Pink" and based around the hand dyed lace that the wonderful Lynne of Adorn sent to me.

All stamps and die cuts are by the one and only Tim Holtz . I die cut shrink plastic using the dressmaker and stamped it using a variety of Tim's stamps.  For the tag I used a technique from the Technique Junkies called "Cuttlebug Highlights."  The dress form, spool and buttons, were stamped and shaded using Stazon.  All other inks and embossing powder are from the man!

Hope you all are having a fun and creative Monday, Grungy or not!  Oh I guess blogger is still not well for some of us.  My followers have disappeared from my page and of course commenting is still a pain.  Links are working for some people and it goes on!  Thank you for taking the time to visit!  Really do love that! 

Grungy Monday #14 times 2!

Had to practice with the dabber paint resist one more time from Grungy Monday #14! Check out the how to video from Mr. Holtz, who is such an inspiration. For the resist I used the champagne bottles from the Gatsby collection at Artistic Outpost! One of my blogging friends, Lucy, is to blame for my interest in "shrink plastic." I decided to shrink some champagne bottles and the great car that is part of this set. I really like the little tiny embellishments! This was really a lot of fun!

Well this is a little later than I had planned, because we were scrapping up tile (not me).  I did have to supervise!!  Thanks for visiting and have a great rest of the weekend!

Bloggers Challenge and Grungy Monday - Again!

Playing Linda's Grungy Monday on Friday with Lisa's Bloggers Challenge.  For GM14 we are using a dabber resist/Perfect Pearls technique from March 2008, which can be found here compliments of Mr. Tim Holtz!  Lisa, who also happens to be one our Grungy Monday inspiring guest designers, has us on a Floral Frenzy for this weeks Bloggers Challenge!  Now I started working on a couple of tags yesterday, but we had a couple of "house estimate" type distractions, so tag #2 will post later or tomorrow.  The story continues! 

All stamps are from Artistic Outpost the Flapper Fashions plate and will be entered in their July Referral Contest! Who does not like a chance at free stamps??

For this weeks GM14 technique I used the floral border, which was dabbered in snow cap paint.  I love the lacy effect this created.  I used it for part of the sentiment frame and on the tag top.  All edges were distressed and then shaded with Rusty Hinge.  BTW, I always shade/highlight black.  It really does show!  The store bought flowers where also shaded with RH as to tie it all in. Her hat has a little glitter pen color, just because!  The shimmer from the Perfect Pearls is so pretty and I wish you could see it, but I know you know what I mean!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for stopping by.  Wow, I have 198 followers and want to thank each of you for that!  Sometimes when I go to thank someone for leaving a lovely comment, I find there is no link.  Any suggestions??

Reinkers:  Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Tye Die
Perfect Pearls:  Pink Gumball, Biscotti, Perfect Gold

IBFSCC4, Color of Summer and Pink Saturday!

Double Sided Tag makes three posts for me this week!  Mind you the arm still hurts, but too bad!  So you know, I Brake For Stamps now has a challenge blog and if you use at least one IBFS stamp, you will be entered to win a prize.  This week's challenge is Happy Birthday and I made a double sided birthday tag, which will be used as a bookmark!  I stamped 10 roses for each year that I have known my friend!  This friend is actually the main culprit in my stamping addiction, as it was she who had the first workshop I attended!  We are also linking this to Pink Saturday and the Color of Summer!  All stamps are from I Brake for Stamps.

The flowers were inked with Distress Inks, Worn Lipstick and Forest Moss and then clear embossed.  I added color using markers to the roses and leaves.  I then distress the tag, keeping the center lighter.  Gave a quick spray of Glimmer Mist and then removed the embossing.  This is actually the backside of the tag or could be the front, but that is the side I will write on!  The backside has a Bingo card that I alcohol inked a background and then black embossed.  The tag backgrounds I did using the Antique Glimmers from the Technique Junkies.

My DH is taking all of next week off, so my play time will be limited.  We actually need to get some work done around here.  In fact I was suppose to call the window people for an estimate and I did not do that!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and for those who celebrate July 4th, have a safe and happy one! Thank you for the visit and I do enjoy your comments!

Happy and Sad! Ribbons, Lace and Buttons!

This card was created for my daughter who is moving to Portland, OR!  I am happy for her and sad, because she will be 18+ hours instead of 3!!  It seems like we don't see each other enough as it is, but I believe everyone should live their dream and she fell head in heals in love with Oregon!  Now my DD wants us to retire to Oregon or Washington, but she would be happy with Idaho!!!  Personally, I was thinking more in the line of Arizona or Nevada and a thought of Florida!  What is a mother to do! 

Lisa has us using Ribbons and Lace for Bloggers Challenge and Simon Says Stamp and Show some Buttons!

My Daughter's House!



I used Tim Holtz Rickety House and did lots of paper piecing and cuttlebug highlights.  I cut out extras to make window/door frames!  The fence was die cut and crackled painted with Fired Red and then Rock Candy.  The background paper is Mr. Holtz and I added Rock Candy Stickles over the California and Oregon licence plates.  I added the buttons and used some decorative thread (from when I sewed) and glued them on the fence post.  I used some old lace from my Mom's belongings for the curtains and the little green ribbon is from a gift my DD gave me.  Oh, I tried to capture the character of my DD new/old house.

While I was blogging this, I heard the mailman and I received some "Happy Mail." Julie Forest sent me this lovely thank you card and I see she used Tim's new movers and shapers butterflies and they are so pretty. I see some i-Rock goodness and Julie let me know that the i-Rock, Rocks! Thank you, Julie, I love this card!

Lots of pictures today!  Wish I could capture the true colors, which are always nicer in the person.  I figure there is a trick to that and will someday master the color!  Thank you for the visit and have a great weekend, which is right around the corner!

Mr. Umbrella Man Still Playing the Numbers!

I just had so much fun with this Texture Fades and Distress at Studio L-3, that I had to do another.  Again this dapper dude goes off to Simon Says Stamp and Show a Lord Tim of Holtz Technique and The Artistic Stamper with layers!

Look at what Willow sent to me as a thank you!!!  She was one of the winners of my blog candy earlier this month.  This is just so  awesome!  Thank you Willow.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Easter!  My daughter is coming up with her boyfriend and his son and we are going to a Mexican Brunch, so cheers!!!

The Umbrella Man Playing the Numbers!

Wow, we are hitting up four challenges and loving it! Grungy Monday #4 at Studio L-3 challenges us to use Tim Holtz technique, using Texture Fades and Distress.  I used Mr. Holtz new ATC Umbrella Man and stamped the raised area with this new reverse stamp set!  Love how that worked.  Shaded outer area of the dude and edges, then die cut using my new Tim Holtz ATC die!  Love the photo corners, which also had the reverse numbers!  The powder embossed numbers on the ATC are also from one of Tim's new stamp releases.  The Texture Fade Bingo, was embossed, inked with clear emboss ink, red and browns DI and then clear embossed.  I then went in with two colors of Perfect Pearls that I mixed and sprayed, along with a couple of sprays of Tattered Angels Iridescent Gold.  Wiped off the excess.  We have several layers of paper, inks, mists and even embossing powders, so we are happy to visit The Artistic Stamper for their Layers challenge. Bella Creations has us using an umbrella, Gingersnap Creations GC98 has us using our Mists and Simon Says Stamp and Show wants a Lord Tim of Holtz Technique and so it is!

Once again I want to thank all of you who take the time to visit and comment.  You are very appreciated and from time to time, someone is going to get a surprise from me as a thank you.  

Bloggers Challenge Flies with Grungy Monday!

Bloggers Challenge Friday is "Birds" and Lisa tells us to go with however we interpret that theme.  I was kind of busy over the weekend and then came Monday and we know that means, "Grungy Monday" with Linda.  Since I have been "dieing" to use my new Tim Holtz Mini Bird and Cage movers and shapers, the wheels started turning!  Simon Says Stamp and Show Anything but a Card, soo we are playing all three challenges with the two projects! 

I had so much fun with the first, that despite doctors orders to lay off my left arm, we continued on.  The technique we used today at GM, "Distress Ink with Studio Multi-Medium" is a video and so cool!  I even pulled on the fun foam, which I have never used and made my own little stamps!  The steps were followed in the video.  The flower on the tag was colored with alcohol inks and then dipped in embossing ink and clear embossing powder.  I also used the Cuttlebug Highlight technique from the Technique Junkies on both pieces.  This was amazing and so much fun!

Why don't you come and play along at both challenges and have as much fun as I did!  Can't wait to see what you all are up to and as always, thank you for the visit!

Riley Is Making the Rounds!

Is Riley just a Little Man or what?  Riley is part of the new children's release at Scrolls Work Stamps.  These can be purchased as a full plate or individuals.  For the first time, Scrolls Work is also offering many of their stamps as full plates, so pop and over and take a look.

Riley is visiting Gingersnap Creations for their big third annual Copper, Ginger or Rust Challenge GC96.  I used Copper, Rust, Browns and Creams.  Little Man works well for Simon Says Stamp and Show a Word.  OK, it may be two words, but it describes one little cutie pie!

The technique I used from the Technique Junkies, is Wisped Frames.  I have to tell you that I love these Grand dies from Spellbinders!  This was made to hang, because Riley deserves to be seen!

Thank you for stopping by!  I really do enjoy your comments!

GC91 and Simon Says Stamp and Show some Metal

Do you ever finish a project and then while blogging about it, remember you were going to add a pretty little bling hairband or other little embellishments!  No, me neither!  With that being said, Gingersnap Creations GC91 challenge is "Crowns."  The inside has the sentiment, "if the crown fits" and obviously we have a crown upon the king's head and of course have used the "Man's" texture fade folder, which also delivers a crown.  We used some metal and aluminum foil, so we shall go visit Simon Says Stamp and Show some metal!

All stamps are from Artistic Outpost from the Wonderland Collage collection.  The stamped image was stamped on a Glitter Ritz background using Stazon.  Before stamping, I burnished the glitter.  I love the softness and slight sparkle this glitter delivers.  The King and Alice were colored using Stamping Up markers.  For the background, I used two techniques from the Technique Junkies, Al Foil and Cuttlebug Highlights.

I appreciate your comments and thank you for taking the time to visit!  Have a wonderful week!

CCC#32, Simon Says Stamp and Show a Tag, GC#88

Wow, it is hard to believe that we are at week 32 of Linda's Compendium of Curiosities challenges.  I am already feeling the withdrawal symptoms.  Thank you again Linda for taking us on this amazing journey.  We have almost reached our destination. OK, so I am being just a little silly!  Linda has us inking and stamping masks, Simon Says Stamp and Show a Tag, which sure made this easy.  Gingersnap Creations is looking for "coffee and cream" and although there are a couple of other subtle colors, I think this will work.    This was truly a fun tag to create!  I did masking on the "Umbrella" guy, soon to be a Tim Holtz Sizzix die cut and the rustic old truck.  The cobble/brick background is a stamp from I Brake For Stamps, which I thought made a pretty cool old time road.  All other stamps are from Tim Holtz.  I also made a little baby tag using two more stamps from Mr. Holtz.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and have plans for a delightful weekend!  Sounds like many places are being blessed with some warmer weather, so enjoy it!  As always thank you for taking the time to visit and comment! 

Bella Creations, Linda's CCC#31 and Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Embossing

A new online group formed, BELLA CREATIONS and if you have not stopped by there, really you should!  It is a very friendly and encouraging group with wonderful challenges!  The "rabbit" image is to be used for the challenge at the "Oh La La" group and we are making bookmarks! I thought he would fit in so well with the CCC#31, "rusted enamel."  Linda, it really did look more like rusted enamel, until I embossed for the lovely people over at Simon Says Stamp and Show, who want to see some embossing!  I just could not leave it plain, now could I??  We added a little bling to the rabbit's hat and tie.  Since it is Valentine's Day shortly, we added little stickled grunge hearts!

My Sweet Molly Waiting For Me To Make Her Lunch!

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day, full of love!  Thank you ever so much for taking the time to visit!

Humble Harry Looking For Love!

With "Not A Moment To Spare" as my friend Tracy would say, here is my CCC#30 and Simon Says Stamp and Show "Some Love."  Sorry I have been MIA this last week, but I had some things I really had to take care of.  Linda has brought us to page 48 this week and we are altering metal with paint!  I used copper paint and I did really like this!  Since we are just around the corner of Valentine's Day, I thought Humble Harry from Scrolls Work Stamps, was a perfect choice for "showing some love."  When Scrolls Work Stamps first released this stamp, I knew that Harry would end up here!  How can you not love this guy? And speaking of Scrolls Work Stamps, they are sponsoring Vicki's challenge this week of "Red and White." 

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

CCC#28, Vicki's "Let's Relax" and GC85

Gingersnap Creations challenge is "Hot Beverages." I had remembered seeing a very lovely stamp plate from I Brake For Stamps, so I had no choice but to send Della an order!  I also ordered the new Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities, Labels Four and boy are they grand!  For this wideload bookmark/tag, I used the two smallest dies!  And speaking of coffee, Vicki's current challenge is let's relax and what a better way to relax than with a nice cup of coffee!

We are on week 28 of the CCC at Linda's and we did "Colorful Layered Fragments."  I would have to say that three times is a charm and ended up with a partial cheat.  I say partial, because the background paper is glossy white, but was a leftover from a previous technique.  The fragment mug was stamped and inked as directed!  Now I did three fragments!  The first one was all fine and dandy and then I added the back and was trimming away excess paper, somehow my thumb removed the stamped image!  I am a medical marvel!  I know it was dry, so I guess it was the lotion on my hands.  I was quite shocked to see that, but not as shocked as last weeks ink all over carpet trick.  The 2nd fragment, who cares!  The coffee cup and saucer was cut out after stamped on yet another technique called "Alcohol Splatter" and I liked the look!  And you can't have coffee without the beans, so we embossed and cut them out!

I used Whisped Frames from the Technique Junkies on both die cuts.  Now I suppose I should actually do something not craft related and earn my keep!  Thank you for stopping by to see what I am up to!

The Creative Spirit, CCC 27, Simon Says Stamp and Show

I can hardly believe we are on week 27 of the CCC's at Studio L3!  Linda has us opening our books to page 60 to distress mist our masks, along with Simon Says Stamp and Show "Some Masking" and we are also going to take this couple to visit Cindy and her "Creative Spirit Challenge," but do you want to know what happened?  Without giving away to much detail, we had to use reinkers and mine was new and unopened.  I went to remove the plastic safety seal with a pair of scissors and I could not believe my eyes!  The entire seal and bottle dropper cap came flying off and landed all over my boring tan carpet!  I was in shock and ran for the paper towels to blot up the bright reddish color.  Well I think it will be ok.  I have a little green machine and worked on it.  Back to business, I cut out three hearts from a Sizzix die of various sizes for masks along with a mask of John and Joan from Scrolls Work Stamps.  I think they are a gorgeous couple for Valentine's Day and the little hearts and sentiment are also stamps from Scrolls Work.  We first started with the larger heart and worked down to the smaller and always kept the happy couple covered with a mask.  We then added some little pearls in both black and cream and cut a larger tag shape to back the main show.  This was quite fun, well with the exception of the mishap! 

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and doing something fun and creative.  So you know, the Creative Spirit is open for any crafter and anything goes as long as it was made by your lovely hands!  Thank you so much for the visit!

Kathy and Donna's 12 Tags of Christmas from Day One and SSSS Your Newest Stamp!

Blogging friends Donna of Paper Crow and Dragonflies and Kathy of Inkin' it Up have started a fun and no stress challenge.  As it turns out, Kathy challenged Donna who also made the same request of Kathy.  Donna and Kathy asked me to join them in the fun and I could not resist, because I have never participated in any of Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas!  Now I made my tag yesterday and had no power, but I was glad that I had printed out Tim's instructions.  Did not mean to case "Donna's" 25 embellishment and was quite shocked to see that this AM, but I was not going to remove a very well attached fragment!  I think it took me as long to add the tinsel around the fragment as the background!  This was fun to do and a great way to learn techniques, so come and play as this is open to everyone!  Thanks Donna and Kathy for a year of fun!

Simon Says Stamp and Show has a challenge to use your "Newest Stamp.s" This may be old to some of you, but Tim Holtz Santa set is new and so is the music stamp from Stampendous, so we will be entering this there. 

Important update:  Our power was shut off in very frigid conditions for 9 hours and I brought my Fred (bird) and Molly (Dal) in my craft room with me, because that is the warmest room.  Both were very well behaved, while I worked on this and found my missing Scrolls Work stamp and acrylic block.  Now I am still missing a Vintage Photo ink pad, but that is an easy and less expensive fix!  I am still loving this i-Rock tool and how wonderful that I did not need electricity to use it! 

Have a wonderful day and remember that crafting and blogging are great ways to pass the time with no electricity!

CCC #26, Drunken Stampers Challenge #48 and The Artistic Stamper!!

We are back on track Linda's CCC's and today we are rusting grunge!  I thought I did not have the correct color, but as luck would have it, I did!  We did have to compromise with the distressing ink colors, because the one called for is MIA!  I know it is somewhere, but I am also missing a Scrolls Work Stamp attached to an acrylic block and I am not happy about that one!!  I would blame it on my spotted canine companion, Molly, but I think we know she is innocent of that crime.  I have seen my fabulous blogging friends Tracy and Linda play at the Drunken Stampers and they also members of the design team, so this week I thought I would visit there!  DS challenge is to use something new and so I opened my I-Rock that the DH surprised me with for Christmas.  Now I will be blinging everything and already have some shirts ready to flourish stamp and bling!  We are also taking flight with The Artistic Stamper's, "Things with Wings."

Dark Take



Light Take

Just a reminder that Scrolls Work Stamps is having a 35% off sale until January 9th and that includes Memento Inks and reinkers along with anything rubber. Shipping and handling not included.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and are back in the swing of crafting!  This is my first craft post of 2011 and baby it feels good!  Again I want to thank those of you who take the time to visit and leave such wonderful comments!

CCC 25 - SSSS Something from Yesteryear, City Crafter's CCCB37 and Vicki's Life in Times Past.

This is my first post since before Christmas and it seems like so long ago!  We are on week 25 of the Compendium of Curiosities and Linda has us scribbling!!  Over my scribbling, I used a gears Cuttlebug embossing folder and highlighted it using a technique from the Technique Junkies.  I also added a few gear pieces.  Now since this is from a time in the past, I believe it also works quite well for Simon Says Stamp and Show's, "Yesteryear."  City Crafter has a "Stamp it Out" challenge and no digi's allowed for this one, so I am happy to play there also. Vicki's Cheerful Stamp Pad challenge is "Life in Times Past" and she is having a Unity stamp prize, so come play along!

I used three fabulous stamps from Scrolls Work.  Jules Verne, the inventor dude, I stamped and then masked and then stamped with the newsprint word stamp.  I of course distressed this a bit for a more "yesteryear" feel.  I felt something from the past was so appropriate for bringing in the new year!

Hope you are all well and happy.  I am looking forward to 2011 and wish you all a fantastic end to 2010 and beginning of 2011.