Forget Me Not

Wow! A Saturday post from me? Unheard of...lol!

Love is in the air so I whipped up another Valentine's Day card. I was still waxing nostalgic for my older stamp images so I used yet another image by Stampington. I completely forgot that I have a rather large basket of their stamps, so when I started digging through them the other day, it was as if I was seeing them for the first time. Kind of like Christmas all over again. One of these days, maybe I'll take pictures of what I think is a clever storage system and give you a peek into my supplies. Of course, how clever can it be if I can't even remember what I have ;D

Love is in the Air

Hello! Just a quick post today to share a Valentine's Day card that I made using an older Stampington stamp by Christine Adolph. Actually, it's not that old...2005 I believe, but in the world of rubberstamping there are always so many new products and images being released, it's hard to keep up. I get so enamored with the new stuff that frequently I push the older stuff aside and there it sits, collecting dust, waiting for some inky love. Today this line of VDay stamps sang out to me and demanded my affection, so this little beauty got to touch ink to paper for the first time. I forgot how much I love these images. Stay tuned...I think I need to get a few more of these dirty ;D

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

Sounds like I should be eating something crispy and tasty, doesn't it? Nope, just the sound of the guys replacing our roof. We've been listening to various crunching and scraping sounds for the past day and a half, and It's driving me NUTS!!!

Here's a couple of fun moments that we have had so far...

Fun moment number 1: We were instructed to take everything off the walls, so that the jarring of the workers on the roof wouldn't dislodge anything and send it falling to the ground. I really appreciated Jose (the main dude) letting us know about this, because I love my stuff and would be heartbroken if anything was damaged during this process. Plus, I put all of my card making supplies away, too, just to make certain they were kept clean and out of harms way :D Until our disrobing of the walls, I didn't realize just how much stuff we have hanging up. It's practically a poor man's art museum! This little task took quite a bit of time and, of course, it was my braniac idea to start this little bit of fun at 1:00am in the morning. I think I have a little vampire blood in me ;D Here's the best part...when I took my art treasures down, I found various dust bunnies and filth hiding behind and on top of things. YUCK! I pride myself on a clean house, so this was a real downer :( Looks like I had a dirty little secret that was so confidential, even I didn't know about it...LOL!! Oh, and here's a little something I learned...Swiffer Dusters...their performance doesn't quite hold up when you look too closely...!

Fun moment number 2: We have very few windows in our townhouse, but we have 9 skylights that are just glorious for letting natural light in. Honestly, I just love them! The only rooms in the house without skylights are the 2 bedrooms. The roofer dudes had to replace the skylights and warned us about dirt and debris falling in when they got ready to pull those out, so we moved things around and covered the coffee table to avoid the dirt getting everything dusty. It felt good to be ahead of the game for once. To reward ourselves, hubby and I snuck out yesterday to have breakfast and escape the "crunch, crunch, crunch" on the roof for awhile. When we returned there was some debris under the areas where the skylights sit, so we immediately commenced to vacuuming and mopping and dusting and cleaning and so on and so on...only to realize that the skylights had not actually been replaced yet. We sort of jumped the gun on the clean up phase. What's worse we didn't learn our lesson the first time, but ended up repeating our little clean up ritual after the workers left, only for Jose to tell us that they had sat the old skylights back in to keep the cold air out and he would return the next morning with the new skylights. UGH! That means more dirt coming into the house!! Oooohhh, I want so badly to clean this mess up, but I am not taking anymore chances until they're finished.

Hmmm...the "crunch, crunch, crunch" has stopped. Are they finished, or is it just time for lunch?

A Leaky Roof and a Bombshell

Good Morning! It continues to be cold and rainy in Albuquerque and to top things off, our bedroom ceiling has sprung a leak. Now, don't go feeling bad for us...it's our own dang fault. We knew we needed a new roof last year just based on the age of our home and the fact that it still has the original roof and skylights in it. However, it's one of those things that unless it's glaring at you in the light of day on a constant basis, you have a tendency to forget about it until you really need to do something. Well, guess what...?! Now, we really need to do something! We had a roofer come out and give us an estimate...YIKES!! It's bad enough for our Barbie-sized (1,100 sq.) townhouse, so I can only imagine what it would cost to replace the roof on a larger home! Now we are just waiting for a sunny day to make an appearance so the work can begin. Until then, there is a very attractive bright orange 5-gallon bucket sitting in our bedroom to catch the drips. The cats are fascinated. So happy that we can provide them the entertainment they so deserve. If I move their food bowls in the bedroom, then they would have it made...practically dinner and a movie...LOL!!

In the meantime, I made a sexy little birthday card for my sister-in-law. I haven't noticed her visiting my blog recently, so maybe I can sneak these pics on here without spoiling her surprise. I get so excited about sharing a new card that I just can't wait...I'm like a 12-yr old that way! LOL!! I used a super fab set by Bombshell Stamps called Girl's Ruin. If you like what you see, visit the link on the left side of my page and check out all the stampy goodness they have to offer. Their images are retro chic and very reminiscent of traditional tattoo art. Trust me, they are one of a kind.

I started with the sizzling main image of the girl in the shoe and colored her with Copic Markers. I added Diamond Glaze to the heel of the shoe for some shine and added a bit of sparkle to her swimsuit and stockings with Spica pens. The papers I used are from the Bittersweet collection by Basic Grey. This is an unusual color palette for me, because I normally don't use much pink, but this sassy shoe just seemed to scream pink, so I had to oblige. Of course, I finished off the card with flowers and gems, but in editing these photos, I noticed one glaring omission. That hand extended across her knee, needs a tiny gemstone to sit on her finger to represent one of the fabulous baubles given to her by her many suitors. Oh, the horror! Alas, it's too late as she is packed up and on her way to Iowa :( Don't fret...I'll add the gemstone next time :D

Thanks for stopping by!

You know what I love...?

...flowers! Real ones are fab and oh so beautiful, but those little paper ones from Prima just send me over the moon! If I had to chose between a dozen long stemmed red roses for Valentines Day or a dozen crazy cute containers of Prima paper flowers, I would have to go with the paper ones. They are usually cleverly packaged in some sort of adorable reusable container...plastic or metal pails, vintage looking glass jars, small metal tins, the list goes on. The packaging is just as wonderful as the little paper floral treasures waiting inside and they always make me smile :D My obsession with these botanic beauties got me thinking...could I create something similar? Sure, I have made paper flowers, but usually just enough for whatever project I happen to be working on at the time. This time, I wanted something more.

I started this project with a very humble craft box that I picked up from Michael's. I refused to buy new patterned paper while I was there knowing full well that I had probably over 1,000 sheets sitting in storage tubs at home waiting for some love and attention. The paper selection process proved quite daunting. As I mentioned in my earlier post, details grab hold of me and don't let go. Hmmm, not off to such a great start with that first resolution, am I? After much agonizing, I managed to select some paper to cover my box. Covering the outside was simpler than I had anticipated. Next I lined the inside, which was not so simple and was actually a huge pain in my crafty butt, however, I managed to get it done. After I finished the inside of the box, I was in no mood to cover the lid, so I cheated by wrapping some pretty lace around the sides and attaching some panels to the top.

Next, I started on my flowers. Believe it or not, I knew exactly what paper to use for them. Aha...! Maybe I'm doing better with that first resolution than I thought! Using my Cuttle Bug and Nestabilities Flower Creations 3 dies, I cut out enough petals for 24 flowers. Once they were cut, I took each petal and crumpled them repeatedly with my hands to give them a tattered, shabby look. I used a fairly thick paper for these so that they would hold up to my abuse :) Next, I rimmed each petal with Vintage Photo Distress Ink in order to add to their vintage appearance and give them a bit of definition between layers. I attached the petals using a dab of Diamond Glaze and then topped each flower with a clear gemstone in the middle. I decided this little box of flowers will make a special gift for a cardmaker or scrapbooker, so this one is going to my mom :D

I am really happy with the way this project turned out, but it makes me appreciate the convenience of being able to buy the lovely Prima flowers right of the shelf :) YAY, PRIMA!!

Welcome to the New Year!!

Welcome to the New Year!! Did you make any resolutions? Me...? Not so much. The traditional resolutions of losing weight and getting fit aren't my cup of tea. If you're into that, more power to you! I'll sit back munching on my Krispy Kreme donut and chugging a chai latte, while cheering you on...I'm a giver that way. I did, however, resolve to accomplish a couple of things intended to spark my creative growth and I feel if I share them with you, then the fear of public humiliation by not attaining them might keep me focused. Self-preservation is a powerful motivator!

So, what's on my list of Creative Evolution Resolutions for 2010? Here goes...

1. Don't get hung up on the details. I have a problem. A problem of such magnitude, a 12-step program would only begin to touch on the idiosyncrasies associated with it. I let myself drown in details. Maybe I'm a touch OCD or ADD or both, but I agonize over every detail of a project...the color palette, the paper, the layout, the images, the embellishments, etc...and the list goes on and on. I envision myself one day sitting down to work on a project, not plagued by the Detail Dragon. In my fantasy, I will be adorned in a fairytale princess gown, the birds will sing and small forest creatures will come to my aid to tie a bow or add glitter to my ethereal artsy creation. It will be a project filled with so much beauty, mere mortals will weep when they see it....oh wait...I started to drift off. Sorry. Umm...bottom line on this resolution is to enjoy the organic process associated with creating something and not let my pretend mythical reptile, The Detail Dragon, get the better of me.

2. Join a Design Team. I've been patiently waiting...sitting here, creating my little cards, wondering when my Design Team Prince Charming will knock on my door and promise me a life of stamping fame and fortune. What's that, you say? That's not how it works? I have to do the work myself and apply to be on a team, risking the embarrassment of rejection and a punch in the gut to my fragile ego? Well, out of my way, let's get this show on the road...LOL!!

3. Get published! See #2!

4. Take a Copic Certification Class I have invested heavily in Copics with my marker inventory sitting at about 100. Those of you who have purchased these markers before, know that is a wad of cash. I still have 244 colors to go and I intend to get them all! It's a good thing I don't have kids to send to college, because I would hate to have to drag them into my craft room after high school graduation and explain to them that their college education is sitting in little cups on my desk. "But Junior, look at all the colors, aren't they pretty...now go get ready for your job at McBurger Palace, because mommy squandered your tuition and ruined your chances for a better future." Anyway, now that my marker inventory is booming, it's time to learn how to use them properly. I know I have access to an endless supply of information on the Internet and I use it, trust me, but I really, really, really want that little "Copic Certified" badge to put on my blog! Talk about pretty!

These are the only 4 goals I have set for myself this year. Let's see how I do ;D

As you read through my Creativity Evolution Resolutions for 2010, you might have noticed that I didn't list anything about starting projects earlier or meeting deadlines. My loyal blog followers know this is a problem for me. Heck, I started this post on January 4th, it's been over a week and I am just now finishing it...this is a prime example. HOWEVER, I am a firm believer that whatever you do, do it right (or at least make it interesting). I have used this line before and will use it many times to come I am sure...I put the "pro" in procrastination. I have come to terms with that fact...it makes me who I am and that's ok and besides, I am good at it...really good! An unknown author once said "The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up". I like it! It might just be my new mantra. Thanks for sticking with me through this long post. See you with another post in a couple of days...maybe...if I get around to it... ;D

Eureeka!! January Class Samples are Finished!

Good Afternoon! I finally completed my January class samples and can breathe a little easier for the moment. I was really sweating it for a while ;D

I know in a previous post, I confessed my relentless obsession with Christmas and how I love to begin the celebrating right after Halloween and continue clear through New Year's Day. However...once the new year walks its happy butt through the door, then I 'm done. Finished. Kaput. No more Christmas. The tree comes down, the decorations get packed away, and the Yuletide tunes sit untouched on the iPod until Walmart rolls out the holiday chotchkes next year. Long story short, I put Christmas to bed for a looooong nap and moved on to the next holiday lurking around the corner...Valentine's Day.

The Valentine's Day cards I created for my class are not over-the-top, but are more on the subtle side. I was shooting for cards that were a little more versatile and could be used for a number of other occasions. I was craving a bit of whimsey when I started putting these cards together and nothing satisfies a "sweet" tooth like the adorable critters by Penny Black. These images are great, because it only takes a bit of color to bring them to life as you can see with the hedgehog and cat cards. The froggy queen was a bit of a diva, however, and it took me a while to make her look presentable. Did I get frustrated? I started to, but then I realized that this little obstacle meant that I needed to add more soft greens and yellows to my ever-expanding Copic Marker library. Any excuse to buy more Copic Markers is..., well, as Martha would say "It's a good thing"... ;D To finish the cards, I added a non-traditional paper palette and a few embellies and called it a day.

Now, what on earth will I do for my March class?

Bombshell Sweethearts

Sigh...I'm working on classes for China Phoenix 2 and so far I only have samples for February. I don't know how it worked out that way, but it did. What happened to January? Well, you would think that since I have a card class scheduled for January 23rd I would be working diligently on getting those samples together, but I'm not. Trust me, I am fully aware that folks have a greater tendency to sign up for classes when they know what they will be making...duh! But no...I became so obsessed with working with the bombshell beauties for my February class that January has flown out the window...for now, anyway.

Here's a look at February's class samples, but keep checking back...I may get my rear in gear and finish (heck, who am I kidding...I mean "start") January's samples any moment now ;D