5.31.2017

WOYWW# 417 {needs put away}

 So, welcome to the mess & happy desk peeking day! you can find the link up to play along here at our hostess Miss Julia's blog. Let's see. I did have time to make a few cards last weekend because, of the kitchen's stage has a lot of drying going on in between ( a shot from last friday is below, looks pretty much the same ( 'cept there are plastic drapes hanging down trying to contain the dust from spreading everywhere which worked really well until last nights sanding session.) the good news is the rest of the putty work should be lighter and dry faster and have less sanding. ( cross your fingers on that one its hubs most un favorite part of remodeling )

 So I finished a card that had needed mailed on tuesday and that was the last thing I did on monday was add some washi tape to the flap of the envelope of that card I will flash maybe next week. ( after its received) off to the right are some envelopes that have no art on the fronts yet, just a "consider this card a hug" sentiment from a Hero Arts set on the backs. oh, and I did a print screen of the scs color combo yesterday at work thinking I would go home and make a card but, really all I did was set that down, look at the mess and shoot these shots and go play in my garden. ( put in a few annuals in planters but, not every planter there really has not been much time to be outside yet this year)

 hmmm, ok I know a lot of people have more tape than me but, I hardly use mine because, what I see is it peels back up too easy so, in an effort to use it up I am adding it to envelopes like crazy anymore because, it just does not work for me on card fronts. ( I really like the "real" texture ribbon and lace adds I guess even if it is lumpy) also seen is an old Magenta Iris stamp and the oxide inks used on that card and
a little pile of the "other" cards from last weekend, ( Inspiration, Featured Stamper, 2 trial DTGD samples)
What the kitchen looked like last friday night/saturday morning before the first rounds of sanding started. The sink will go under the window and where the 45 is cut in the wood will be an angled freestanding island.

5.26.2017

Layered Sympathy

On monday I found out my friend at work had lost her mother in law the day before. and I knew from things she had said in the past that her MIL loved red and since her husband does too, I wanted to use that on the card somehow.

 A closer look at the layers, the first stack of butterflies I started out with shades of red and vellum and it just didn't work for me with this card knowing I just wanted a "little" red on it. and so when I did this layers of white the bottom is a mulberry paper, the center is vellum cardstock and the top is Neenah solar white. and I didn't notice it shifted while the glue was wet oops. ( I layed a clear block over the top of it to hold it in place while it dried) The bloom is a stenciled shaving cream background that I had cut out with scissors and set aside last summer sometime.

 This finished at A-7 in real life, the lace is vintage. the pearls are from Recollections and queen & co. the inner frame is from the Mama Elephant Park Avenue die and the center was cut 3 times to boost it up just a little bit. the outside edge mat was cut with the Waffle flower A7 lacy layers die.
The sentiment is an older one from SU ( I want to say teeny tiny wishes and hope that's right haha) it was cut with a nellie Snellen tags 3 die.

On the inside I had stamped this sentiment from the Impression Obsession clear sympathy set and die cut that mat with the Mama elephant all prettied up die. These butterflies are all three layers in the Paradiso set from Birch Press. The neat thing about these dies that I didn't show the other day is they are packaged just like the poppy stamps and Memory box dies, all cut out and ready to go in a paper envelope. no fighting to get glue off the backs of them. just ready to use :)

5.24.2017

WOYWW #416 {wings}

Good Morning, & Happy Anniversary to everyone who plays along with What's on your Wednesday Workdesk each week. If you'd care to join in the link up starts here at our hostess Miss Julia's blog.


Lets see, these are new to me dies from Birch Press Design, its called Paradiso Butterfly ( and I picked it up as the full set of 3 dies that layer, but the mfg site does sell them as single dies) When these dies came out I loved what other people were doing with them but, I really didn't think I would use them more than once or twice ( the big backgrounds) but, I do love these butterflies. (there was a big sale at SSS for Mothers day so, happy day to me )
So far I have cut a lot of scraps and made one card that I will blog about after I hear its been delivered. The thicker 110# neenah is harder to remove from the dies than the 80# cardstock. I did cut some with shimmer card, vellum card, some mulberry papers. ( they all worked for me, I did not use the wax paper routine either just what ever paper I grabbed to cut)

It's been really (early) hot here the last couple of days so, the what I am pushing around is taking longer than normal for me as I do have a window air conditioner for upstairs but, its not in the window yet haha. the news here was showing a lower 48 map and it was hotter at my house than Miami Florida on monday night while it was on... (ACK!) lol

Oh and exciting news, the cabinets are done as of last wed. the sink that was not supposed to be here for 3 more weeks was picked up last Saturday so, things are moving right along with the kitchen and the drywall (plaster board) started going up on the ceiling yesterday..

If you were curious about the Hero Arts box, I blogged about that here. ( and made a 10# card with lumps and bumps and even fibers) ( which I really do not care much for but, someone will like it) 

I am going to try to make to all the stops this week but, I am not sure how long that will take me to do. Thanks for stopping by!


5.22.2017

Christmas Blessings

The featured stamper challenge this week headed to Shirley's gallery where there are so many beautiful projects and I chose this one because, It is just that stunning. Changes were to flip it to landscape and change the colors/stamps/theme. This is A-2 in real life. the Antique poinsettia and the Christmas Blessings are both Hero Arts wood mounted stamps that were done with some WOW gold powder on Jupiter Stardream shimmer cardbase with some Gold Mirror from Bazzill as the trim.
anyways there will be some variations of this coming because, the first two A2 red panels are the flowers were in the wrong spots to work with this word haha. so, I will switch sentiments I think and finish them.
on the home front, the plumbing is in and done in the kitchen. YAY
Drywall (plasterboard) is being purchased tomorrow.

5.20.2017

Wave Hello

 So, the other day I had flashed a barely open box of happy mail from Hero Arts... and today the IC challenge headed to this gorgeous blog and I stopped in my tracks after seeing the second photo down in this post I loved the colors and textures in Autums mug shot of the piece under construction. and I knew i had this box of happy from Hero Arts to play with... ( So, my piece is very loosely inspired by, lumpy stenciled background and colors and blooms)

 In the beginning I had no idea the wreath was not going to cut it self out.. so, at this point I already had the mermaid die cut and up on thin pop dots with some fibers by the yard fibers wrapped around the outside oval that was cut into the background done on some Papertrey ink Ocean Tide cardstock. I did mess around with the stencil in the kit and added in some clear embossing paste and while it was wet sprinkled on some teal glitter ( which I really disliked after it was on but... I decided to just keep going and wiped a lot of that off)

 So, I had to cut the reef twice ( the second time with that same oval as on the right) I had also cut off the turtle from the reef and glued it flat to the background, there is some wink of stella here and there ( mostly on the critters and the mermaid)

 I raised up the frame oval on thicker foam pop dots. on the outside frame there is some brown bag fibers wrapped and tucked around the wreath.

 This card finished out at 5X7 in real life, I keep my mulberry flowers inside vintage canning jars but, best guess is they are mostly prima with maybe some recollections in there. added in some pearls and goosebumps too.

 The mermaid was stamped on some neenah solar white with Memento and colored with copic's. (and she is just tiny) The sentiment was stamped with some Adirondack stream on a scrap of the original background and die cut with a stitched rectangle die which was too long (but wide enough) so, I whacked off the end and tucked it under the blooms in a wave ish look. there is a foam pop dot under the raised up hump of cardstock.
What was actually in that box, so I played with bits and pieces of all of this except the bottle of what looks like nail polish.

5.18.2017

Triangle Trifolds

 So... there is a challenge out today to use up hoarded metals... and I have been poking around in my own gallery trying to figure out set names of old stamps for the ever note inventory. ( yes, that is still under construction) and I came across this old card of mine that followed this triangle trifold tutorial.
and that smile happened for me because, I really am still to this day  not a fancy folds person... and I was just so tickled I got that tutorial to work. So, I decided to try it again today after work...
and I decided right off the bat 3 1/2" square was too small for me personally, so, I cut a strip of 4" x 12" cardstock and tried that, the score lines go at 4" and 8" and then on the diagonal on those two flaps in the same direction just like the tutorial, I did cut the printed mat paper to 3.75" square then cut that on the diagonal for the mat. the funny part about this is... I seen these words were crooked. ( red rubber) and I stamped it again straight... then I grabbed the crooked one to color real quick with pencils.  (and of course I did not "see" it until I photographed it, as usual)

 What it looks like open, the inside sentiment is an older Hero Arts one. the keep calm is an Unity Stamps itty bitty set. The cream star brad I think may be old SU but, I am not sure, its in a jar that has my metal frames and things.

 A chance of seeing the wink of stella on the "glass"

 This was actually the first card, I had started with this plaid ( Photoplay ( same pad as the card above) and then started poking around in the already colored images tray and seen these colors looked ok together and thought well, it might work as a you will be a new dad announcement card or a new dad Fathers day card. ( headed to the booth, no don't even go there in your head about me hahaha) hubs would have a heart attack.

 The open view

The sentiment on this one is an older SU one ( that I cannot think of the set name off hand) which is why that evernote thing really is working for me as I get set's added. I can just sort through the search feature on it and find set names easily. ( well, what has already been logged on it)

Happy Mail {a closer look}


Isn't this gorgeous? the butterfly is like a resin 3-d type embellishment. ( maybe a shank-less button is the closest thing my mind comes up with for a description) 
I recently helped a lady do a RAK for someone else and this is the card that has arrived in the mail from Kandie as a thank-you the colors are so vibrant and beautifully done that this mug shot does not do the card justice.

5.17.2017

WOYWW # 415 {Happy Mail & Giraffe's}

Happy Desk Peeking Day! To play along join the link up here at our Hostess Miss Julia's blog

 So, this is my Happy Mail that has arrived since last week that has only been opened and thumbed through and not played with yet, the box contains the Hero Arts kit of the month ( with the mermaids, an additional mermaid sentiments stamp set and an oval coral reef frame die ) Imogene sent me a new SU catalog and I need to photograph this for real for my scs rak album but, I received this gorgeous card from Kandie with an actual handwritten letter inside as a thank-you for a Rak I helped her do recently. This is so gorgeous in real life, if you've ever seen the vibrancy of alcohol inks.

Around the corner the remains of some Giraffe cards I have been messing around with ( monday after work) I had intended to do a blog post with those cards yesterday but, I ended up loading the trailer with the last load of demo things from the remodel and so... its going to be a long post. 
 a closer look at what is laying there waiting, oh and off to the right, I went through that tray and I took out all the partial die cuts ( put them away ) and brought all the previously colored images to this tray instead of hiding in a tin, I moved the ones I am still coloring to the tin and its actually on that happy mail table just not in that angle of the shot.
 These stamps are from a new set from My Favorite Things called giraffing me crazy. which is fun, and all the images are equally adorable. ( I have a thing for giraffe's) but, the best part of it is, I even like the majority of the sentiments too.

 So, these were all stamped with some Kraft colored Avery Elle pigment and colored with polychromos pencils.
 and they are so sweet and not complicated I ended up coloring a stack of them last friday I guess? ( time gets away from me)

 This one the sentiment is from a co. that has closed called river city rubber works. (because, the zinger lines have more zing with sweet images in my head) and my sense of humor is off ( take your pick)

now this is something that followed me home yesterday, I went into a place ( if your local called Winema Electric their show room is actually set up like a trendy boutique gift shop with house ware type gifts besides the lighting fixtures there is furniture and gifts) so, the light that is the pendant is what I am having done over the kitchen sink. ( it has a crackled with some yellows and browns in the glass) and the cord is flexible. ( this is way cool over some of the old style chain things remember cleaning those?) and its a LED that is dim-able. (the one in the center with the long bronze cord) So, the electrical things are being modified this week in the kitchen followed by plumbing ( which are not things that I have to do anything with except pick out colors of switch plates or what not.) visual things. Thanks for stopping by!

5.15.2017

Some Mom's Funnies


A while back now the featured stamper challenge headed to Kelly's gallery and I came across this one that I loved the title and needed a Mothers Day card so, I used her design as a sketch jump start. The sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp Mothers day zingers set. and it finished out at A-7 in real life.


 I just loved these colors in these prints paired with these silly sentiments so, this one was nearly the same design.

 Now this one was just because, The sentiment on the left is what was glued to the inside. and it finished out at 6" square in real life.

 There is clear wink of stella on the frilly (SU) wings diecut. The embossing folder is a 6" one from we R memory keepers.

The sentiment on the front is from W plus 9 and was cut with a nellie snellen tags 3 die. the lace is vintage & the gem is a goosebump.

5.10.2017

Wedding Cards

 So, this morning when I got to work I was informed I "need" to bring Wedding Cards to work on Thursday... and I have a few but, not much and the person who wants to pick through them has already seen the ones I have left over from the last booth so... the things laying around the table got pressed into quick cards this evening. the Mr & Mrs is from Kaiser Craft Something Blue set and the special day is from My Favorite Things Birthday Greetings set. 
 Both of these sentiments were stamped with Versafine on Neenah and die cut a long time ago.
The Peony is from the Ellen Hutson Mondo Peony set stamped with some Avery Elle Pixie and Lemon grass pigment inks and colored with Polychromos pencils. The circle is an Lawn Fawn stitched circle frame die and the printed woodgrain paper is from a My Minds Eye pad. This is 6" square in real life.

 A closer look at the coloring, what I like about the blooms in all the mondo sets I have so far from Ellen Hutson is, I think when I color it is very easy for me to do that Flicking swishing type coloring so, its easier to leave a white space for a highlight on things like petals when you have a bigger space to begin with.
 Now this is how it ended up because during the flip it over and glue phase my first 5 sequins decided to move... so when I pried them up to move them back... the wrong spots were visible... so the save was to just dump more sequins on... ( I am laughing, they always look silly to me when I do them and OK when other people use them) these are from the Lucy's card line from the color called vintage chic.

 This is an Emma Background from Simon Says Stamp heat embossed with WOW gold on an old piece of Basic Grey printed paper and colored slightly with a couple of ( white and pink) pencils and a white gel pen the other day) the sentiment is from the Avery Elle oh happy day set. die cut with a Lawn fawn every day sentiment banner die. The white bumps on the edges are from Recollections. This one is also 6" square in real life. And then I thought you know you really should have at least one white on white card in the stash, its always so elegant...

 And so, I heat embossed a few of these Prickley Pear butterflies with WOW gold powder on some PTI vintage cream card and cut them with scissors. I later traced around the edges with some gold krylon pen to cover the exposed edges knowing I would most likely only glue down the bodies and not the wings.  I did a wedding card a few years ago as a gt assignment for Prickley Pear and it was one my favorite things I made for them. ( you can see that here) so, I wanted to do something similar but, not the same. And I pulled out this Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Scandinavian Background Die ( you can see below) and this Penny Black best wishes die... and it just did not quite fit so, then I pulled out this Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles die and just cut the oval from the center from that set because, its a smidge longer than the center of the Sue Wilson die and that worked.

So, the frame is up on foam pop dots and the gold pearls on the butterflies bodies are from Recollections. and this one is very shimmery in real life, the base is a pre-made Carmel shimmer ( A-7) and the lacy background was cut from some Stardream Opal and the best wishes was cut from some Bazzill mirror gold paper. and hopefully this will give that lady something she is happy to send out to her niece. The flowers on the butterflies were colored slightly with a couple of zig clean brush markers.

WOYWW # 414 {possibilities}

Happy Desk Peeking Day! If you'd like to play along the link up starts here at Miss Julia's blog.

I have been slightly better during this round of house remodeling with spending some time up here when the opportunity presents it self. So, I have actually been making a few cards here and there but, some of them sit like so for a while before that free time happens. I think sometimes the longer you have to think about things and or push the pieces around sometimes in my mind those become better cards that I do than ones I hurry through. not every time but, mostly with tricky challenges you know what I mean? So the one on the far left, its what I started out doing when I made the other card last week with the darker colored peony. the flag just has those die cut sitting on it as a possibility and the Emma background was something that was colored real quick after work a couple of days ago. the white gem had fallen off the package and was upside down on the table by that (dotted washi I am using up I hope holding dies in place mostly) and oh, do you see that little piece of metal near the tape? ( that is a star die off an Avery Elle set that when I cut it apart it when flinging out into the universe... I have searched for months for it and given up and have vacuumed many times since then... the other day it was just sitting on the top of the carpet over by the closet door.
so, just one of those funny things eventually I do find things I have lost in this mess although I really don't lose that much. The kitchen is down to the studs, (except the ceiling tiles are still up) and the demo is moving to the outside walls tonight ( the existing siding has to come off for the insulation foam sheets to go up and such, with new siding replacing it.) the new windows should go in this weekend. then elect. & plumbing ( minor changes) and then you know drywall, putty, paint, flooring then wait on the cabinets. then wait on the sink, then the counters, then the appliances. so,hubs says we are ahead of schedule right now. ( which is good since he is doing the bulk of the demo and I am more of the helper) It's still exhausting though. So, thanks for stopping by and playing along with this hop each week its a nice vicarious mental trips into creativity for me when I can steal the time right now.

5.08.2017

a little Sheep-ish


 Just a couple more quickies from things that have been laying on the table... the lamb is from Whipper Snapper designs called This bud's for you. She was colored with pencils a few weeks ago and cut out with scissors. The sentiment is from the dylusions set called shut up and color. just because, the bloom looks like a straw hanging out of her mouth and seriously if you toss anything that blooms ( weeds or what not ) over the fence into the pasture the sheep will stampede to get to eat the blooms first off of what ever you tossed them before they will touch the stems so this is funny to me to see it hanging out of her mouth like this. The frame up on foam dots and is a scrap that was die cut with an Avery Elle postage stamp die a while back during the VSN this is the drop piece from something I made during that time frame. It finished out at A-6 in real life.


 A closer look at the coloring, done with some pencils.

 Now this one was a surprise. the image is from Stampington & Co. The name of the stamp is Leave them alone they'll come home. and I think its retired but, I found it on Amazon a long time ago and was so excited to see a "new" sheep image I jumped on it and then was very surprised on how small it is after it arrived... So, it sat for a long time. This is an A-7 sized card in real life. the image was colored with some pencils and has some glitter gel pens around the stars but, its sat here a long time because, it really is small and I really have no clue about what kind of a card it will be so, most likely it will go into the "note card" section and head to the booth.

A closer look at the image and yes, it does have some wax bloom going on I was trying to deepen the colors and got carried away with adding the layers. This panel is up on foam pop dots. This image has been waiting so long to be used I have forgotten its real name and I have to search for it, as it is also not in the ever note file yet either ( sorry ) and yes, I spent a bunch of time looking for it... I will find it eventually and edit this post.

5.07.2017

Warm & Fuzzy Feeling


 A while back I had colored this lamb with some pencils one day at work. It's from the My Favorite Things farm friends set and today when hubs snuck outside to go play in his greenhouse it became a quick card... I used the waffle flower lacy layers A-7 dies to cut it and the mat under it. the printed paper is an older one from Daisy D's, the ribbon is from May Arts and the mulberry paper is unknown, I tore the bottom edge to give it that real flyaway fuzzy feel to reinforce the sentiment. This one finished at A-7 in real life.

A closer look, this image is really only slightly larger than a quarter in real life. I did give it a traditional Suffolk color combo. brown face and legs, which is hard for me because, when I try to get even close to the color the sheep are in real life, the images lose the definitions of their faces.  So, its something I work on once in a while the part of my brain that wants things real but, still wants it to be understood and not a brown blob.