Simple....

So much can be said with just a simple smile :)

And with a gorgeous, yet simple color palette too,
like this one from the Play Date Cafe:

Now that things have calmed down from my DS's graduation
I can play with some of the challenges out there!  This Challenge
#137 over on the Play Date Cafe blog (HERE) served as
inspiration for a clean and simple card, with big impact:

I used the new chevron stamp from Stamps of Life, the Smile 

sentiment is from them as well.  Black and White twine and 

a button from my stash finish it right off.  Inks used....Star

Spangled Blue from CTMH and Black Soot Distress Ink.

That's it for today's post....yep....simple....lol.   

So how about it?  You could play at the "Cafe" too....or

just create something for fun.  Go have some inky fun!

Don't Blink....

Wow....is summer this way for you?  One blink....and a week
is gone!!  We took my DS to his college orientation this week,
got another DS off to a camping weekend with scouts....and
DH off on a trip to Nebraska....add, DS's bday and Father's
Day....and a week is outta here!....WOWZERS!!....lol.

Today I'm up on Cutter's Creek blog, with a project for
the upcoming 4th of July holiday....or just general decor if
you love Americana (which I do!!).  All the directions can
be found on the Cutter's Creek blog HERE.  But I started
with this $1 sign from the dollar store (you can see where
I started inking in the upper right corner):

And after some Tim Holtz Tissue tape....several layers of
Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.....a layer of Rock Candy
Distress Paint (gotta LOVE that 4oz jar!!) and then yet
another coat of Distress Ink (this time Walnut Stain), and
a coat of spray sealer for good measure the result was
this:

I did add a metal reinforcer sticker and then restrung it with
twine you see in the first pic.  Just LOVE the way it turned
out....looks truly like an old piece of Americana art!

Do you love to alter inexpensive finds?  If you've never
tried it....hope you found a little inspiration to try it today!

It's All About The New....

This post...yep....all about the new....

New product, new techniques, and new artwork, of course!

First up is this LO:

And page two:

This was made with the new Authentique Fresh collection....I am lovin' this one!

It's made in a new style I'm trying.....I want to get a lot of pics scrapped, but 

really like the one photo embellished page.....so this LO is the best of both 

worlds.  

And I used something else "new" to me....this May Arts net ribbon....this stuff is

FUN!  Here is a close up that shows the detail this ribbon adds to the page:

It really reminds me of the beach....a perfect accent on this LO.

Next up in the "new"...is something I've just started trying.....mixed media art.

And yes, another "new" (did ya think I was kidding when I said that's what 

this post was all about?....lol)....this one is the Tim Holtz Distress Stains.  

These are one of those items that have sat there, on my shelf, all lonely and

neglected.  Until a challenge project pushed them into my mind, and I thought...

what a perfect time to crack open the seal on those lil' guys!  I will warn you...

they are addicting!  The color saturation is "da bomb"....and they glide on like

"butta"....excuse me,  my Chi town roots are showing....lol.  

The finished project is one of my faves ever, I gotta admit:

Another first.....stamping on canvas....the stamps are a Unity SOTM kit

stamped in Memento Cocoa Brown on the canvas, and Vintage Photo

Distress Ink on the sentiment.  The lace ribbon I wove the crinkle/seam

binding ribbon thru is May Arts....one of my wins from their many contests!

The background was made on a 6x6 piece of blank white cardstock.  The

clouds were put on first with an Adirondack Snow Cap paint dauber:

Next the lighter stains...Peeled Paint and Broken China are layered in:

For more depth....a second layer of darker stains was layered on ( I used

Faded Jeans and Forest Moss):

And then to really blend it together, and fill in a few more (but not all!) of the

white spaces:

And once more the finished, decorated canvas:

Not bad for a first mixed media project....

So any firsts for you lately in the artistic realm?  A new product?  Technique?

A new tool?  If not....hope I've inspired you to try one today!

Have a great Sunday!

A Feminine Touch....

I'm very blessed to have time to spend in the hobby I love.....
paper crafting, of course!

I tend to really "mix it up"....I like to do a lot of different styles,
not because I don't have a style that is "me"....but because I
love the "artistic" of it all.....the ability to be a different type of
artist every time you create.  Just like actors are villains one
day, and the romantic lead the next.....I think we can do the
same with our paper crafting!  

So in the interest of that....today I've gotten in touch with my
"feminine side" and done a truly girly, lacy card!  It's actually
an idea I've had for a bit.....and funny, but it fit right into two
online challenges.....one, the Doilies and Lace Challenge at
Moxie Fab World....find it HERE.   The doily....I used one
as a stencil....the lace...to me is the effect it gives once it
is stenciled!

And the finished card:

I used a doily, and used Adirondack Snow Cap paint dauber to "stencil"
it....and brushed out around the edges for a softer look.  I spritzed the entire
card with Marshmallow Glimmer Mist.  and tied the soft seam binding bow.
A handmade stick pin, prima roses, and some pearls finish it off.  The stamps
are Skipping Stones (the flowers) and Waltzingmouse (the sentiment).  The
distressing was done with the TH distressing tool, and Vintage Photo ink...
I made the "window" by hand cutting a circle....then cutting slits in the card
to roll the paper back.  And the PP behind is from MME. 

Now this is also spot on to the sketch that popped up over at SFYTT on
Jen's blog HERE.  And here is the June 2012 sketch:

So that's that for today....will have a lot of fun goodies up tomorrow....
hope you can stop back by and say hi!

Mixin' It Up....and Winners of All Kinds!

This post is not my typical....that's for sure!....LOL.

I'll start with the winner of my blog candy from the Father's Day Hop....
Holly B and Kathy R.....I'll be contacting you both about your prizes!!

And the winner of the Trendy Twine from the Practical Scrappers
post was one Cathy Derouche!!

And next up.....another winner....was me!  I was one of the big winners
over on Courtney Walsh's blog in her Sweethaven Summer Challenge
contest.  And Courtney....even in the midst of a huge move....managed
to get me out my prize pack.  And oh, what a prize pack it was!!  It
was so amazing, I wanted to make a quick video thank you to Courtney!

Now I'll apologize up front....I'm a video newbie....and my DS is my
cameraman.....we gotta work on some things....it's kinda shaky and
a bit grainy.....but hopefully we'll get better.....lol.  But good or bad, it's
just meant to say a huge THANK YOU COURTNEY!!  For your
generosity....and as I said in the video....can't wait to read part 2 of
the Sweethaven Summer story!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today.....and I'll be back with some projects
later today, too!!

Twine Time!! (And a GIVEAWAY!)

Today I am the "feature" over at Practical Scrappers!!  I've been on
their Fresh Face Designer team and having a blast!  They have
an amazing talented set of designers over there...if you have not
checked them out....take a look!!  The project I have up today is
this stacking box set:

I wanted to showcase my love of twine!  It's my favorite "go to"
embellishment!!  It can be used in SO many ways!!!  If you pop
over to Practical Scrappers HERE, you can see the details on
how I used the twine for this project....easy, but WOW does it
make the project!  And better yet....if you visit them over there....
Lesley at Trendy Twine was a complete sweetheart, and donated
a twine prize pack!!  You could win this:

You only have to pop over to Practical Scrappers and leave a
comment, become a follower on their blog (HERE), and then
go to the Face Book page for Trendy Twine...say "hi Practical
Scrappers Sent Me" (or something similar) and like their page!
Not to tough to win 60 gorgeous yards of twine!  And their
twine is so different, with the dark and light color twisted with
the white or cream....or even the yummy "Chocolate Cupcake"
twine in my project, that is pink and brown!! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Father's Day Blog Hop Time!!

 
Welcome to the Cutters Creek Design Team Fathers Day Blog Hop! If you
just came from Deanna's Blog, you are in the right place!  If you just happened
upon my blog today and you want to hop from the beginning, and play for the 
Grand Prize you can start from the Cutters Creek Design Team Blog and check
out Chris' great project! The objective for our Blog Hop this weekend is to 
inspire you to create something beautiful for all of the “Fathers” in your life! 
We have a bit of everything, from cards to gift ideas to layouts about our fathers!

And without further ado, here is my project:

This is a Dad's "coupon book" that you can fill with whatever type of coupons
would fit the "Dad" in your life!  This could also be used for a teacher, a Mom,
a new Mom (baby gift), etc--The Echo Park This and That Graceful would be
wonderful for those options!!  Cutter's Creek has or can order most of your
paper crafting needs!!  You can find them HERE.  And now, to continue with
the project..... 

The inside of this booklet has 4 additional pages, here's the first:

 And the second:

And the third:

And the fourth:

I used the Echo Park (EP) This and That Charming collection, and each page was
made using different techniques.  The cover, I used Black Soot and Vintage Photo
distress ink, and then used a journal box, and stickers from the EP kit.  Page two,
I used Distress Stain in Vintage Photo "lightly" leaving some streaks, then ran it
thru the cuttlebug with a woodgrain embossing folder.  I added extra Black Soot
and Vintage Photo to make the embossing "pop".  The gears are a Donna Salazar
Spellbinders die set, and I altered the plain paper with espresso Adirondack 
paint dauber, silver paint dauber, and then more of the inks.  The right side is
from the kit and all the "words" are from my computer and then inked up.  Page
three, is also using Distress Stains...Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, and Broken China,
and I dabbed on lettuce Adirondack dauber and snow cap dauber first before I
went over with the stains. The other items are EP also.  The fourth page...same as
the other "woodgrain" page, except I used a heavier hand on the stain.  The last
page is done much like page three, I just did not use the paint daubers.  


Additional items....I did use my distress tool, and some stick on "brads" and an
EK sucess paper edge punch.  The ribbons on the binding ring are white seam
binding I dyed using Glimmer Mist in Deep Plum, Olive Vine, and Sugar Maple.  


Hope you enjoyed this little project, and hope you enjoy the hop!!  And I will
have a little "something" to give away here on my blog, so make sure you are
a follower, and leave a comment....but in addition, there is a Grand Prize!!

Now for the details about the Grand Prize I mentioned at the beginning of my post.  
To qualify you must leave a comment at every stop along the way. Comments 
should be made by Midnight, June 3rd. We will use Random.org to select a winner
so be sure to check back with us on Monday to find out if you have won!

Don't forget to leave a comment here before you hop along to Fran's Blog! 

Thanks for hopping by!