i did it

I taught my first real stamping class this afternoon at the local scrapbook store. I've taught a few times to my stamping groups, but this was the first official class. Some of the students are friends and stamping buddies and some were new to me. It was a nice mix of experience and inexperience. I think everyone learned something and it seemed that a good time was had by all. There were a few little bumps in the road, but that just makes me appreciate the smooth parts more.

My favorite part of the class was watching what the students did with the techniques. I brought in extra stamps and inks and encouraged them to change up the cards to suit their needs and tastes. Oh, and change they did. I loved watching the creative process. A couple of the students have fine arts backgrounds and did such beautiful things with color and design. I really think I learned as much as my students. What a treat.

I am also back on board with the school district to substitute teach this year. I really forgot how much I love it. Seeing the little lightbulb go off when someone has that ah ha moment is priceless. I'm teaching the same class at a different shop next weekend. I can hardly wait.

wanna see something really scary?

Remember that scene from The Twilight Zone movie? It's not quite that bad, but very close. First the background. I have a really artsy crafty family. I got my first sewing machine when I was in Kindergarten. "I could make that" is the anthem for my family. We don't always follow through, but there is a certainty that we could make it if we wanted to. The amount of craft supplies in our homes is nearly frightening.

After I quit working full time about 7 years ago, one of my friends invited me to luncheon with her card making group. They were all certain that I could make cards and should join in on their monthly card swaps. I had never really created with paper other than cut and paste in school. I liked to paint and sew, but paper just wasn't something I did. So, I joined. I bought a few stamps and ink and some paper and here is the first card I made for our fall swap. Are you ready?



I told you it was scary. Yes, that is a piece of a bag that some produce came in. No sense of composition, no style, no class. I'm so glad I saved one and I have a sneaking suspicion that others in the group did too. I mean who would you send it to? Can you believe that I still stamp and swap with some of those ladies. I'm amazed they didn't throw me out. I'm so glad they took me in and taught me how to stamp. I plan to take this card to my upcoming stamping classes. I think it will be funny to show my students where this journey started for me. How did your creative journey begin?

another button bracelet

Still having fun playing in the button jars. I made this last night while dinner was in the oven. I wear alot of denim and green, so this works for me. I think a fancy black and ivory bracelet is up next, but then there is a Christmas theme rolling around in my mind. I'd love to hear your button stories.

I'm a bit busy with re-decorating and painting the kiddo's room. We are moving from a fishing/campy type theme to a more skater/tropical thing. It all started with needing a bigger bed for this tall lanky kid that is pushing 6'. Of course we found some Quicksilver bedding that costs an arm and a leg. It doesn't match the green walls, so that means we are painting blue with tan accents now. Then we have to clean the carpets while the room is empty and then... You know how it goes, once you start a project it keeps getting bigger.

a fiska-bracelet

I'm getting hooked on these button bracelets now. I made this one to match my fisateer scissors. I love how bright and sunny this one turned out. I included a little scissor charm at the end of it. My button stash is getting nervous.

i heart buttons

I really must admit that I have huge thing for buttons. Maybe it stems from sorting through mom's button jar as a kid. I just can't help myself when I'm out treasure hunting. If I see any beautiful, quirky, old, or whatever buttons I have to have them. I've amassed quite a collection. The are separated by color into lots of button jars. Mostly I collect them like so many things in my life. This week I was inspired by this bracelet on etsy to actually use them.

I'm not a jewelry maker by any stretch of the imagination. I had an empty cheapie charm bracelet from the thrift shop in my stash. So, I got out some needle nosed pliers and jumprings and started playing. First off my jumprings were kind of thick, so they wouldn't work with all my buttons. I just kept on at it until I got this made:



Well, now I'm hooked I think. I stopped by Michael's last night for some better chain, closures, and thinner jumprings. I'm sorting through my buttons to make something more vibrant and kicky. The fiskateers have a whole virtual CHA challenge going on today and tomorrow. One of the challenges is to make something with our fiskateer colors, so I'm sorting through the orange and green stuff to see what I can come up with.

this n that

Just a fun friends card I made for a contest, but didn't quite meet the mark. I love it anyhow. The stamp is by inkadinkado. Don't those girls look like they are having fun.

Feeling just a bit sad that I'm not going to CHA this week. It was so much fun last time and I am consoling myself knowing I'll go in winter again. I won't miss the sore feet. I have to tell you that I've never had sore feet like that in my life. If you are stuck home like me, take a peek over at Craft Critique. We have a carnival of sneak peeks up for your viewing pleasure. I've had a ton of fun looking at everything. Maya Road is up there in my faves so far. I'd love to hear if you have any faves. Stay tuned for posting from the floor starting on Friday or Saturday from the Craft Critique team.

I'm teaching my first stamping classes in the next few weeks. There are a couple of samples over there on the right along with links to the shops where I'll be teaching. I'm hoping to teach something new each month. It's been a goal of mine for quite some time. I was out there in blogland reading last month and somebody posted a prompt...."what are you waiting for?" What indeed. So, I set out that day to get it moving. I'm really excited to start teaching again, to adults this time around. What are you waiting for?

yikes...cats

I must admit that I am very allergic to cats and that in general they make me nervous. They seem so unpredictable to me and the claws sort of scare me. So, today when the gothic arch challenge for the week was announced as cats I thought no way can I do this. Then I remembered this dog and cat stamp I picked up used in my treasure hunting. I love the message on it, so I paired it with some patterned paper that I over stamped with a thank you definition and my friend words. They all seem to go together with this image. So, it's a simple arch this week, but really I'm surprised I did it at all.

peace

The gothic arch challenge is patriotic this week. As usual it takes me until the end of the week to finish the arch. I knew it had to include peace and freedom. I happen to think those two words go together and can't stand alone. If you get peace and freedom together, then their friend tolerance joins the group. Just imagine peace, freedom, and tolerance all living in harmony. Now that's my idea of a great country.

Supplies used: glossy white cardstock; alcohol ink; SU peace stamp; date stamp; Inkadinkado swirl stamp;stazon inks; vintage stamps, button, and dictionary definition; making memories flowers; ribbon; CTMH crystals.

faux tiles

This is such a fun new to me technique. It's not hard at all, either. You just score your paper and then distress it with ink to get the tile look. A bit of white pencil in the grout lines is optional, but adds some pop. Then I overstamped with this decorative stamp. It's all distress ink and the card measures 4" x 4". The original directions included using UTEE over the whole thing for a glossy tile look. I skipped that step preferring to have my tiles more of a paver tile look. The cardstock I used on this is some I got at that printers estate sale back in the fall. It has an interesting texture to it that I think adds to the paver look.

mermaid dreams

The Gothic arch challenge this week is mermaids. I was so excited because I thought I still had a mermaid stamp, but drat...I just sold it. I cut out this arch before vacation and then stopped. This morning after a long day of driving home yesterday I set out to finish it. I looked up mermaid in the old dictionary I have set aside for crafting. The answer was in the definition- the body of a woman with the tail of a fish. I have lots of women stamps and a trout stamp. That's how this mermaid came to be. She is a combo of bathing woman and a trout. I think it's fitting since we just got home from an amazing white water rafting trip where I'd like to think I was a graceful bathing woman. In reality I was unceremoniously dumped out of the raft into a very shallow rocky stretch of river. My backside is still a bit sore from the rocks that I landed on. Grace is not my middle name, though I wish it were. The guys caught and released quite a few trout, so the tail fits right in. It was a great vacation and the arch was a fun way to stamp it.

Supplies used: psx trout stamp, inkadinkado woman stamp, rubber stampede map stamp, grungeboard swirl, forest green and black staz-on, halo blue gold lumiere paint, lime green and fruit punch stickles, golden interference oxide green paint, vintage dictionary definition, flower.