new video tutorial

Welcome Spring

The gothic arch challenge this week is vernal equinox. When the bulb shoots peek up out of the dirt I know spring is coming soon. You can't tell by looking outside today that it's spring. It's snowing as I type this, but I have hope that this will melt soon. Mom always has the most gorgeous purple iris in her garden. She gave me a few bulbs that I planted, but they just don't thrive here. I still hold out hope that they will do better this year.

I made lots of layers of color in this arch. It started out as kraft card stock that I used home made shimmer mists with the weathered with wax technique. I then stamped the PSX iris with forest green staz on ink. The iris are colored with tombow markers, then atyou spica glitter pens by copic, and then a bit of prisma pencils to add some highlights. I think they look like pastel now with some shimmer. Finally, I used metallic rub on past around the edges for depth of color.

Thanks for stopping by today.

cuttlebug distress

Stop by Scrapbook News and Review this afternoon for some spring fling fun. We will have a new class up each hour. I'm hosting the first class, Embossing Distress, shown above. There will be a Spring Fling Crop area in the forum at 10am PDT that will be there all day. Hope to see some friends stopping by. It's free, you just have to register with a user name and password to post.

because i need more toys...

A couple of tags I made with tons of Ranger products and some vintage goodies. I had so much fun with the winterfest over at 2peas. I didn't make as many projects as I'd like to, but it was fun just the same. I love challenges.

It's been another wildly busy week around here. I taught at the middle school on friday and taught a fun distress class on saturday. Yesterday, I woke up and the guys were gone fishing. I knew when they came home they'd watch fishing on TV. I just couldn't face it, so I drove a long old way down to Carson Original Rubber Stamp Convention. They have it about 3 times per year and I've never been. I always think, oh I'll go in a few months. But I really wanted the new alcohol ink colors and I'm teaching a class on April 4th. I just know my students will want the new colors. They aren't available in any of the stores yet. Don't you love the rationalization here. So, I went with my gift card in hand that I earned working at CHA. I didn't spend it all, but I came close. I ran into Cat who has a wonderful little shop with all the newest goodies. I also ran into some lovely stamping peas...hi Penny, Sue, and Lianne. It was a small show, but worth every gallon of gas. Just take a peek at these beauties...

toot

I am so excited to share with you that my card is on page 47. I'm still pinching myself.

bird

This fun card meets 4 different challenges for winterfest over at 2peas. I used some vintage sheet music along with some printed paper tags that look like ephemera from my stash by K & Co. The bird is grungeboard that I painted with crackle paint and then inked with distress ink. The little clear button is stamped with a swirl. Those wonderful scallop borders are punched with two of the new fiskars border punches: apron lace and scallop sentiment.

I'm working on a new video tutorial. It's filmed and partially edited. Will let you know when it's up on youtube. My videographer aka my hubby has been incredibly busy. It seems like life is moving way too fast lately for all of us. It's all good, just fast. Thanks for stopping by.

spring forward

I'm still having fun with my can of air and alcohol inks. I figured out after the first round, that using the lightest colors works best. For these ATC's I used butterscotch, lettuce, stonewashed, and latte. I can only imagine how fun the new lights and brights alcohol ink colors will be with this technique. The blossoms are made with sharpie poster paint pen. The stamps are by My Sentiments Exactly.

I have fun news to share today. One of my button bracelets is featured on the Fiskateer Blog. I was so happy to receive a few jewelry making tools to work with to create this project. I have to say that the tools they sent are so much nicer than the ones from the toolbox I was making do with. I noticed that Michaels carries some of them if you need new tools.

There are a couple of fun challenges going on this week. Stop by Winterfest 2009 at 2peas stamping board. We have challenges running all week long, and I'm hosting one of them. SNR Card Universe is hosting a Spring Fling for the next two weeks. I'll be teaching a class on the last day, but there's lots of fun between now and then. Thanks for stopping by.

pink and brown

The gothic arch challenge this week is pink and brown. Lots of distress ink here along with some masks and stamps. That's pink leather as a tie on the tag. I used some new rub on copper color on the flower and brad that I got from my secret sister yesterday. Love this stuff. The weird little ivory circle thing is from my jar of found objects. No clue what it was in it's former life, but I love the way it works with the compass. I've got a thing for compass images lately. Must have something to do with soaring in the right direction. Thanks for stopping by today.

etsy

New creative goodies listed in my etsy shop after a long break from listing.

an elegant mess

Have you been to Tim's blog today? He made a video on how to do this technique. I was so inspired that I dashed off to the store to get some canned air. It's the stuff they sell to clean out the crumbs in the computer keyboard. Well, of course the drug store that charges $4.99 for it was out, then off to Radio Shack next door where they had one can left for $7.69. I had more fun than you can imagine with my can of air. I'm sure I overpaid for it, but that's how it is when you live in a tiny community. I'll be looking for more at the dollar store. I need to include this technique in my next alcohol inks class.