My Next Class at The Hen House Paperie

Hey, all!  How's everyone doing?  I just thought I would pop in and share a couple of cards I'll be teaching at The Hen House Paperie here in Albuquerque.  Go to the store's website for all the details.

For whatever reason, I decided to go with a sewing theme on these cards even though I can't stitch a lick.  Yep, that's right...I can't sew.  Sheesh, I feel like it's confession time.  Don't judge!  Mom is, or rather, used to be an avid sewer and super talented, too.  She made me darling outfits when I was a youngster, my favorite being a dress embroidered with strawberries on it when I was a wee lass.  Oh, how I loved that dress and thought I was the shiznit when I pranced around in it.  Later on in high school, I remember a three tiered gathered chambray skirt and an eyelet blouse that I felt pretty spectacular in and there were a myriad of outfits in between.  Did I ever manage to catch on or take an interest?  Nope.  I took Home Economics in high school and managed to stitch up a darling light bulb pillow.  Do you think I recall how I did that?  Nope.  My good card making buddy, Kathy has shown me on 2 separate occasions how to work my Janome Mini Sew.  Have I dusted it off and tried to thread it?  Nope.  

I can't explain my aversion to mechanically running a needle through a piece of material other than "I don't wanna and you can't make me".  So why even make sewing themed cards in the first place?  Truth be told, I'm completely enchanted with these Sewing Blueprint images by Tim Holtz.  They are so great and I just love them!  The whole Blueprint Line is pretty amazing, but these are particularly fetching and irresistible.  I opted to forgo the Copics this go round...I know...shocking!  And instead I reached for a paint brush and my Distress Ink Pads, picking up color directly from the pad, aiming for a watercolor type finish.  Funny how I love the details associated with sewing...the trims, buttons, materials, etc, but I'm just not interested in the act.  I did manage to set aside my sewing aversion for a couple of minutes in order to add a couple of stitches by hand on the second card.  Phew!  Thank goodness that's over...LOL!

Even though I'm not a big fan of sewing, I did thoroughly enjoy putting these cards together.  Lots of paper layers and lots of details make me super happy.  I always say, "If it costs less than $2.00 to mail, then I haven't added enough stuff to it".  I'm thinking these will do just fine ;D  

Until next time, stay crafty!  

Card #2 for My Next Class at CP2!

Hey, all!  Just a super quick post to share the second card I will be teaching at China Phoenix 2 on December 15th at 1:00pm.  More Tim Holtz inspired techniques, dies and tools.  I just can't get enough of that man!  Ssshhhhh...don't tell my husband...lol!  Okay, I'm going to skedaddle now.  Hey, I told you it was going to be a super quick post ;D  Catch ya later!  Stay crafty!

My Next Class at China Phoenix 2!

Hey, all!  Welcome back!  Today I want to share one of two cards I will be teaching at China Phoenix 2 on December 15th at 1:00pm.  Both cards will feature lots of Tim Holtz dies, tools, and techniques, which I just LOVE!

Do you ever start to pile stuff onto a card and find you can't help but keep adding more.  Yes, I've heard the adage "Less is more", but apparently I have no concept of what that means.  Especially where this card is concerned, LOL!  

I started by creating a fun splashy background using Distress Inks in last seasons winter colors...Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough, and Fired Brick.  Oops, I should have used Festive Berries to make the trio complete, but Fired Brick is my absolute favorite red in the Distress line.  I swiped these colors onto a craft sheet and misted generously with water to form little droplets of diluted ink, then I laid my white paper panel down and gave it a gentle twist or two before I pulled it off the sheet.  Not too much though, as I didn't want to muddy the colors.  I went back in and dabbed up the remaining droplets so that I had lots of inky splatters on my panel.  A blast with a heat gun to set it and then I was ready to add more color.  I used the Evergreen Bough reinker and just swiped the dropper across the sheet in a swirly pattern.  I didn't even squeeze any additional color out of the dropper, more or less I just used what was on the tip.  I misted this lightly with water and laid my paper down again.  This time I didn't twist the paper, but pulled it straight up.  That's where those brighter splashes of color came from.  I LOVE creating backgrounds with the Distress Line!  The possibilities are endless!

Next, I just PILED on the die cuts and the embellishments.  There is NO WAY this card is going in an envelope...LOL!  My thought process went something like this...if one rose is good, two are better!  If two roses  are good, a clump of pinecones is better!  And so on, and so on.  Crazy, I know ;D

Anyway, this is the first of two cards I will be teaching.  If you're in or around the Albuquerque area on December 15th and feel like getting crafty, come join me!  Call Nancy at China Phoenix 2 at (505)884-8217 and she'll add your name to the roster.  I'll be back in a day or two to share the other card.  I have to make it first...LOL!  ;D

Until next time, stay crafty!       

A Halloween Birthday Greeting

Hello, Bloggers!  I'm back again with a quick (okay...quicker) card than normal for me.  Partly because it's all about the embellishments and there is no Copic coloring on it.  I'm still playing with those inky TH backgrounds and it doesn't get any easier than this.  Just swipe, swipe, swipe with a few Distress Ink pads, spritz with water and call it a day.  Let it dry and then stamp it with a really nice silhouette image and voila...done!

This card is for one of Kirk's coworkers who has an October birthday.  I hope she likes a Halloween color palette, because that's the mood I've been in and I just can't shake it.  Doesn't look like much of a birthday card, but I did put a birthday type sentiment on the inside so that counts, right?  LOL!

Okay, that's it for me!  I will catch you on Saturday with a new challenge from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.  Until next time, stay crafty!

Masculine Grunge

Hey, all!  Surprise, surprise, I'm back again!  My husband's boss needed a birthday card for her boyfriend so I put together a grungy, masculine card.  Once again the Sultan of  Distress, Tim Holtz,  came to my rescue and I ended up using a smorgasbord of his products on this.  It's covered from top to bottom in Distress Inks, embellishments, and stamped images.  Heck, even the little tool I used to distress the paper edges is by Tim Holtz.  What can I say, the man knows his stuff! 

I was really happy that I was able to use the balloon image.  The International Ballon Fiesta is right around the corner, so how appropriate it that.  Kirk seemed "meh" about the card, but I like it.  He can stick to the cooking and leave the card making to me ;D 

I'm going to keep this post super short, but I'm happy you stopped by ;D  Until next time, stay crafty (and grungy)!

My next class at China Phoenix 2... part II

Hey, all!  I'm back today with a quick post to share the second card I will be teaching at China Phoenix 2 this Saturday.

This card features the same set of images I used on yesterday's card, Americana Silhouettes by Tim Holtz.  I cannot stress enough, how great this set is!  At first I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but once I started playing, I just couldn't stop!  Also, I have a bit of recycled ribbon on the left-hand corner.  I treated myself to some retail therapy at Pottery Barn while we were waiting to close on our house and I picked up all new bedding.  Each sham was tied with careful detail using a bit of natural colored ribbon.  Of course, I had to tuck it away for later use.  I stamped it and distressed it to make it just grungy enough for my card.

Again, I had a lot of fun making these cards.  If you will be in the area this Saturday and feel like taking a little break to get inky, call Nancy at the shop (505-884-8217) and have her add your name to the class list.

Catch ya later in the week with a new Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps DT card!  Until then, stay crafty ;D  

My next class at China Phoenix 2...

Hey, everybody!  Hope you're all doing well out and about in Blogland.  We finally moved into our new house almost 2-weeks ago and are still settling in as I type this.  We spent almost 3-weeks at my sister's house while we were in transition between moving out of our townhouse and closing on the new house.  Originally we were only going to be homeless for about 4 days, but that stretched into a week, and that stretched into 2-weeks, and that stretched into....well, you get the idea.  At one point, we seriously thought we were going to have to move everything back into the old house and that the whole deal was going to fall through.  Phew!  Thank goodness, that didn't happen.  The last cog finally fell into place for our buyers and that set the ball rolling in the right direction.

I have a lot of folks to thank whose assistance was instrumental during this process...first of all, we have a group of friends who graciously helped us move all of our worldly possessions into the garages of our new place, my sister and her boyfriend who not only helped us move, but hosted us (and our 2 cats) for what must have seemed like an eternity to them, my mom and dad whose support and encouragement were tremendous, my father-in-law who also cheered us on, my friend Shay who helped me unpack and organize my entire kitchen (no small feat...LOL!), and let's not forget all of the strong shoulders I leaned on when I needed a friendly ear to listen to my tale of woe... my how you must have gotten sick and tired of hearing me whine, LOL!  

What started out as a super smooth and lightening fast sale in the beginning, proved to have a rocky ending when all was said and done.  My word of advice to anyone selling a home...a pre-approval letter is no guarantee, especially if your buyers are first timers.  In today's market, that pre-approval status can change faster than a nanosecond if an "i" is not properly dotted or a "t" is not properly crossed.  Seriously, the process is wrapped up so tight in red tape, even Indiana Jones would have trouble breaking through that maze of detail.  If you are, or will be, deep in the process of selling or buying a home, I wish you smooth sailing, my friend :)

Enough home stuff, after all, this is not a real estate blog, it's a card blog, so let's talk about a card!  The one I'm featuring today is part one of two that I will be teaching in a class this Saturday at China Phoenix 2.   Independence Day is right around the corner and these cards celebrate everything great about this holiday.  I used a set of stamps (Americana Silhouettes) by the ever clever Master of Grunge himself, Tim Holtz, and let me emphasize, I LOVE this set and ended up using all of the images at least once (sometimes twice) for the 2 cards I created for class.  The cards have a bit of a retro feel and combined with the trademark TH distressing techniques, were an absolute blast to make.  They were a bit messy, but you know it's been a good crafting day when your hands are covered in ink.  Pop back in tomorrow and I'll share the other card with you.

If you're in the Albuqueruque/Santa Fe area and you want to hang out with me this Saturday to make these cards, give Nancy a call at CP2 (505-884-8217) and she'll add your name to the class list.

Until next time, stay crafty!  

A Tim Holtz Christmas Part 2

Hey, everybody!  Welcome back! I want to begin this post by saying a big giant "thank you" to all of the folks who have joined my giveaway.  If you haven't signed up yet, there is still plenty of time before the contest closes, which is December 31st.

Today I am sharing the second of 2 cards I created for a Tim Holtz inspired Christmas Card class I am teaching this Firday.  Neither card uses Copics or stamping!  Can you believe it?!  Instead, we'll dig deep into our grade school art class skills chest and paint, glue, glitter, and dye these cards.  

I had such a good time making these 2 cards and using a number of Tim's techniques.  He's been sharing so many with the 12-tags of Christmas, my head is spinning with ideas.

If you are in the Albuquerque area and would like to take this class with me send me an email at cvaladez@comcast.net.  The class is this Friday (December 9th) from 1:00pm - 5:00pm at Harwood United Methodist Church located at 420 San Lorenzo.

I'll keep this post short.  Time to pay the Sandman a little visit...lol!

Come back tomorrow because the Krafty Peeks begin over at the Kraftin' Kimmie blog.  You're going love this new release!

A Tim Holtz Inspired Christmas Card Class

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Not because there's piles of snow on the ground, because sadly, here in Albuquerque, after a recent less than stellar effort to squeeze out a few flakes, Mother Nature has ultimately left us high and dry.  Instead, we rely on other ways to identify the onslaught of the Yuletide.  Every year, December 1st marks the first day in an age old tradition that many of us hold dear in our hearts.  Okay, so maybe "age old" is a bit of an exaggeration.  I think it's been around 4 years now but that just doesn't have the same ring.  If you follow my blog, you already know I not only use a lot of embellishments on my cards, but in my stories, as well...ha!  Anyway...we wait for this event with extreme anticipation and salivate at the thought of the eye-candy to come. 'Tis the season when a good lot of us crazy crafters trample each other in a virtual stampede each morning to see what gift our craft guru, The Sultan of Grunge, Tim Holtz, has whipped up to share with us.  Yes, I'm talking about the 12-Tags of Christmas. 

Some folks play along, day by day, using the inspiration laid out before them to create utterly breathtaking works of art.  I never seem to carve out the time.  Last year, I made one tag. Tsk, tsk.  This year is not looking much better, even though the 4 tags that have been revealed thus far are exceptional.  However, I've been so insanely inspired that I've created a card that's an amalgamation of several of the techniques Timbo (that's what I call him) has shared to date.

I started by glittering a die cut deer using the technique Tim describes on his blog.  Then I moved to the background and painted a piece of Kraft Resist paper with Black Soot Distress Stain, boy do I LOVE that stuff.  I set it aside to thoroughly dry and then embossed it with a Swirly Cuttle Bug folder.  I then sanded off some of the black to let those fab swirls show through.  I painted the Snowflake border with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and let it do it's thang.  Next, I swiped Evergreen Bough Distress Ink onto a long piece of seam binding, misted it with water, crumpled it up by hand and sat it aside to dry.  I picked up the crazy cute pine cones at Michael's and they were already painted with no additional preparation needed.  A couple of stamped images on a small tag and my card was ready to assemble.  

I rather like this card.  It was fun and by the end of it, I was completely inky, which is the true measure of a successful day in the old craft room.   This is one of two Tim Holtz themed cards I'll be teaching this Friday, December 9th, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm at Harwood United Methodist Church located at 420 San Lorenzo.  If you're in the Albuquerque area and want to join me Friday, just send me a note via email at cvaladez@comcast.net.  I'm working on a second card and it will include lots of TH inspired techniques, as well.

That's it for today, folks.  Look for that second card in a day or two.  Until then, stay crafty!        

My Next Class at CP2: Halloween ala Tim Holtz

Hey, everyone!  Big plans for the weekend?  It's a long one for some of us.  We've got some grilling and cooking planned for Sunday (big surprise!) and maybe some light entertaining with family and friends.  Perhaps try to squeeze in a little R & R, too ;D  We'll see ;D  Whatever's on your agenda, I hope it rawks! 

Even though the details of this weekend are still up in the air, next weekend I know exactly what I'll be doing.  I'm teaching a class at China Phoenix 2.  Fresh off my Tim Holtz high, I walked away from his workshops truly inspired.  These two Halloween themed cards are out the norm for me and if you look closely, you'll see why.  Did you catch it?   That's right.  These cards are devoid of all stamping AND no Copics were harmed in their creation.  Crazy, right?

I sat down to make these samples yesterday afternoon and my head was swimming with all of the techniques I had learned just a few days before.  So much so, I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin.  Usually, if I'm stuck, I'll just start with a stamped or digi image, grab a few Copics and start coloring.  I know that the rest of the card will fill itself in once I get moving.  These were different, because as we've already determined, there is no stamping or Copic coloring on them...DOH!  What to do, what to do!  I literally had to go back to some things that Tim said in class...the first one was "get over yourself" and the second one was "it just doesn't matter".  In other words, don't over-think it and don't get so lost in the details that you become paralyzed.  BINGO!  After that, things clicked...I was able to let go and just let it happen.  If they turned out awful, I would just tuck them away and revisit them some rainy day for a re-do.  No big deal.

You have no idea how freeing that realization was.  No wonder this guy is a crafting god!  Anyway, once that whole epiphany occurred, I was able to move forward and bang out these two cards that I'm pretty pleased with.  I had fun putting them together and I'm hoping that the folks who take the class with me will feel the same way.  

A couple of words about the embellishments.  I literally ripped the rosettes and the red flower off of a canvas I had made earlier in the year and was not happy with.  You ever do that?  Cannibalize one project for another?  The plastic skull came from a craft show.  I bought a whole slew of these, but now I'm running a bit short.  A friend told me that one of the local craft stores is carrying them now, so I better get my tookus over there and stock up, if I'm not already too late.  Stuff like that never gathers any dust in this town.  It just flies off the shelves.  That crazy cool twill Halloween trim is courtesy of my friend Kathy who spied it on one of her shopping excursions last year.  I just love it!

Speaking of my talented crafting buddies, I've added a few blogs to my sidebar.  These are local blogs by some of the most inspiring folks I know and I would love it if you paid them a visit and took a look at their wonderful art.  It's amazing stuff and you'll want to visit them again and again, so you might as well sign up to follow them while you're there.  Just sayin' ;D 

I don't say it enough, but please know that I always appreciate everyone who pops in to visit me here.  I love you guys!  

Stay crafty and have a wonderful holiday weekend ;D                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

A Tim Holtz Weekend in Roswell!

Hello, gang!  No card today, but I do have some fab photos to share with you from the Tim Holtz Extravaganza held at Imagine That!, a fabulous scrapbooking store in Roswell, NM.

Thursday a group of us craftin' gals jumped in the car and headed to Roswell to take 4 classes with our idol, the one and only Tim Holtz.  Please, do not tell me that you do not know who he is, because I will reach through this computer screen and thump you on the noggin.  In the rare case that you have been living under a rock, here is a link to his blog and his art.  

Tim has literally changed the face of paper and mixed media crafting as we know it with the development of his products and his "grunge" style.  I remember, 10 or 12 years ago, taking a class on creating aged paper and it took an armful of products used over the course of 3 hours to achieve the desired results.  Literally 10 steps to go from plain white paper to a lovely vintage hue.  I loved the results, but dang, there was no way I was going to spend that much time repeating this process.  A few years later, Distress Inks by Tim Holtz shows up on the shelves of my LSS and voila!  Instant aged paper in mere minutes!  And that was just the beginning!  Over the subsequent years, he has given us a myriad of products that have multiple uses and taken our art to whole new level. 

Not only is Tim Holtz a genius at product development and an insanely talented artist, but he and Mario are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.  Down to earth and very humble, by the end of the class, I felt as though I had known him for years and he was my friend.  I have taken a number of classes in the past with some lofty names in the craft industry, but never has anyone made me feel so comfortable and welcomed.  He had no qualms about jumping in and getting inky with us.  This only made our motley crew crush even harder on him...lol!

Let's talk about the projects.  They were amazing!  When I spied these lovely creations, I thought "there is no way I'm going to be able to make these".  But with the incredible kits that he, Mario, and Michelle had prepared for us and Tim's easy, laid back instructions, we were well on our way to creating our versions of  his wonderful art pieces.  Now, let's talk about the kits....one word....I don't even know if it's technically a word or more of an exclamation, but nothing else adequately describes them as "WOW"!  They were carefully packaged by hand, featuring a high-quality color copy of the project, a typed account of the instructions, bags of embellishments, pages of grungeboard letters, and several pieces of vintage ephemera direct from Tim's personal stash!  We were in heaven as there were more than enough pieces to complete our projects and lots of leftovers to use on others!

Tim also shared his personal crafting philosophies with us and it really helped pull our heads out of the box we tend to limit ourselves to when we create.  He said that when he hits a wall and doesn't like the way something is turning out, he literally tells himself to "get over yourself" (words that Mario shared with him years ago) and steps away for a moment.  Usually when he returns to take a look at what he's been working on, he's often surprised and is able to see his work with fresh eyes.  The project that only a short time earlier was causing him heartburn turns into something he can be quite proud of.  Sounds good, Tim, but what about us?  We're mere mortals.  We were able to put this advise into action as we broke for lunch and some of us left feeling "meh" over the results of our first project.  Upon returning and gazing down upon our creation, there was a resounding, "Dang!  I made that?  That's really good!"  He was totally right!

Okay, I have yammered on for a good long while now.  How about some photos?      

Mom is obviously surprised at the bountiful project kits each of us has been given.

Shay and Mom sorting through their goodies.

Margot and her lovely sisters.

The man himself!

Tim's project samples.

Tim's project samples.

Tim's project samples.

The Mayor of Roswell awarding Tim a Key to the City.  

Despite the photo, mom is thoroughly enjoying the attention from Tim.

Tim gives Sue a hand.

Graciously signing everything we put in front of him.

A classroom of extremely happy crafters. 

Rochelle and Cindy ready to get started.

Shay hamming it up with Tim.

Shay and I posing with Mario.  

Me and Tim.  Who's that green guy in the background horning in on my photo op?

Mom and Tim (and the Green Guy).

Tim graciously signed anything we put in front of him, posed for pictures with us, shared stories, and kept smiling and laughing throughout 2 intense project filled days.  He was easily at the store 12 - 14 hours each day and must have been getting tired, but you would never have known that.  What a guy!

It was an amazing weekend!  Two glorious days of techniques, and time spent with a crafting Rock Star!  It doesn't get any better than that!  If you ever have an opportunity to take a class with Tim Holtz...DO IT!  It will be unlike any other classroom experience you have ever had!  

Signing off ;D  Stay crafty!