Happy Birthday Chris!

She's another year older! Trying to catch up to me! Hope your birthday is spectacular, my friend.

more t!m!!

Now we get to the good stuff!

1. my t!m shirt that I got...

2. AUTOGRAPHED!!!

3. Patchwork Pandemonium. Grungeboard. All Grungeboard. Nothing but Grungeboard. We learned 7 or 8 different techniques to alter Grungeboard! Now comes the embellishing!

4. Embellishing in progress

5. More embellishing. YUMMY Grungeboard rose!

6. The finished product. Notice the t!m autograph on the center square?!

7. On it's hanger.

8. Pretty necklace

9. Pretty necklace #2

10. Pretty necklace #3.

t!m!!!

OK! I've made you wait long enough! Gonna share pics for the next couple of days of all the t!m Holtz goodness from this past weekend at Ruban Rouge. I think most of you know how much I LOVE this man! He is one of only a few designers who speak to my heart. First thing I think of when I go to do a project is how can I make this look old and gnarly. And t!m inspires that passion for me!

1. t!m and I

2. t!m's assistant Mario setting up.

3. teacher t!m

4. pieces of Idea-ology that will become beautiful jewelry

5. busy worker bees!

6.more jewelry in the making

7. t!m

8. new Grungeboard. Birds, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers.

9. more of the same. Alpha's, leaves, stems. All of these 8 stacks come in one pkg.

OCC challenge

Needing a masculine Thank You card, that was the direction I took with this weeks sketch at

Our Creative Corner.

I used CTMH Back Country pp, along with CTMH Treetops and For Every Occasion stamp sets. The centers of the swirls in the tree have white brads for visual interest. I also used my Cuttlebug for the three distressed stripes. I used my ScorPal to dry emboss the lines on the sentiment. Nestabilities was used to cut out the tree image.

CardPatterns challenge

Another winner sketch at CardPatterns this week!

I grabbed CTMH Bella pp, along with CTMH clear buttons which I adhered to various pieces of the B&T from Bella. I used CTMH Waxy Flax, embroidery floss and bitty brads on the buttons once they had dried. The punch is EK Success. I used my Deckle Edge Nestabilities to cut the Olive cs. Sentiment is from CTMH Fringed Phrases and the pop dotted flower is Endless Friendship.

CPS challege

I spent the day yesterday with the "other man" in my life...the oh so fabulous t!m Holtz! He was at my lss, Ruban Rouge, for classes before he heads to Orlando this morning for CHA. I was lucky enough this time to take both classes he offered. When he was here 2 years ago, I was only able to take 2 of the 4 classes he offered. So I'm on t!m overload this morning..not that that's a bad thing! My fingers are still inky and Glossy Accent'd, but it's kinda like my badge of honor. It will come off. Eventually. But until then, I'll wear it proudly! (And yes, I know the shampoo trick, but I don't want to lose the inky fingers just yet!

When I saw Tami's sketch at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ I knew I'd have to use a couple of the techniques t!m taught us yesterday. Did you know you can run Grungeboard thru your Cuttlebug???!!! You can! Set it up just like you would to use the embossing folders if you were using cardstock to make a card with and run your piece of Grungeboard thru. It may give you a bit of resistance since the Grungeboard is thicker than cardstock so be gentle on the handle turning. Then ink your object, let it dry, sand it and the "high" spots will sand off. Then apply a different, contrasting color on the high spots and immedietly spritz water on a paper towel (not ON the grungeboard) and wipe. Your object will turn a whole new color! Totally rockin! AND you can also use embossing powder on Grungeboard. If you use Ranger Distress Ink, you have a 10 minute open window, otherwise, you will have to use an embossing ink pad once you've inked your object with some other ink. Pour clear embossing powder over your image and dump the excess back. Give the back of the image a good flick with your finger to make sure most of the powder is out of the crevaces. Then use your heat tool as normal. The high spots will be embossed and glossy. Such a cool technique!

I've got lots more tips to share over the next few days, plus pictures of all the creations I made. Five pieces of jewelry, or as t!m calls it, Wearable Art, plus Patchwork Pandemonium, all Grungeboard, all different, all unique, all VERY cool!

The leaf and the butterfly are both Grungeboard. The butterfly uses the first technique I described above and the butterfly uses the second. The squares on the left are all Fragments. I also used CTMH Notebook pp and a piece of a page out of an old dictionary.

House painting part deux

I finally found the mood again to get the rest of the dining room painted. So glad THAT'S done! Two of the walls that were left were the PIA walls with my decorative plate and coffee mug collection on them. So they all had to come down, be washed and dried by hand, the racks all had to come down, blah, blah, blah. Now I remember why it's been 12 years since we painted! With John helping, we got all of the walls done yesterday and spent the better part of this morning putting everything back. Pics are 1/2 of the new "family photo wall" with only 15 pictures instead of the 50+ that were on it. (and no Jill, I didn't measure a damn thing!) My Chris Still painting that mom, Kathy and Jan gave me for my 50th birthday. And the front entry table. Right now, it's in it's patriotic theme!

CPS challenge

Needing an anniversary card, I turned to http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ for a card layout.

I used CTMH Moon Doggie pp, along with Extreme Happiness stamp set for the hibiscus and Say It In Style for the sentiment. I used my circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities and pop dotted the flower in them. There is Yellow and Black Diamond Stickles on the flower for a bit of bling.

Forty Years Ago.........

I know where I was! In a hotel in Punta Gorda. Wanting nothing more than to swim in the pool. But dad made Kathy and I watch TV. Now I can't think of anyplace else I'd have rather been. How sad that we lost Walter Cronkite just three days before the 40th anniversary of man on the moon.

http://sue-thislife.blogspot.com/2008/05/sixteen-years-ago.html

CardPatterns challenge

A "simple" sketch at CardPatterns this week. Like they said in the post, sometimes simple is best!

I had received some free images with an online order last week, so I decided to incorporate one into my card. I used CTMH Notebook pp for the base. I also bought a new EK Success flower edge punch on clearance at Michael's yesterday. Can't beat six bucks! So of course I was itching to use it! A little old, a little new. Simple IS best!!

Holy Schnikey's Batman!

She still remembers how to scrap a 12 x 12 page!

We had what we called the family photo wall in the dining room. And because I've gotten away from scrapbooking, any pictures that the family would give us, instead of me scrapping them like I used to, I'd buy a frame and throw it on the wall. So what started out as a cohesive idea that looked really nice ended up looking like so much mish-mash, hodge-podge. Since we are painting (and yes, we are still painting! It's still not done. The mood has passed. I need to work on finding it again because now it looks like crapola being 1/2 done!) I decided that I needed to downsize and make it a cohesive idea once again. I went from 50+ pictures on the wall to what will be 13 whenever that wall gets painted! Now the question was, what to do with those pictures! Well you dummy, you need to scrap them. John, in his infinate wisdom said, "But there's no theme." But yes dear, there is. This is our family. And while the pictures may cover a 15+ year period they have been and will remain, family. So I'm scrapping them. None too fast I might add. Cuz I've decided that I really don't enjoy scrapping so much any more. I'll share some of my favorites as I go along. Thus far, these are two of them. First one is Janice and John on their wedding day, FIFTEEN years ago! Second is a montage of Jake and Joy (with one of daddy John thrown in for good measure!) The pinwheel embellishment is one I shared a while ago. The blue isn't an exact match for the Stardust paper pack, but it's close enough!

CardPatterns challenge

Another winner sketch at CardPatterns this week!

I needed a birthday card for Miss Joy who will be 7 later this month, so of course this had to be pink and blingy! I used CTMH Floral Tapestry pp. The chipboard flower is from my stash and I used CTMH Create A Shade paint and CTMH Orchid Bouquet (retired) reinker to color the paint. Love the shimmer it gives! Then once it was dry, I came back in with Milled Lavender Distress Stickles by Ranger along the edges for that extra dazzle! I don't think Joy knows what too much bling is!!!

CPS challenge

I got some new things yesterday, so what better place to put them to use than this weeks challenge at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/?!

I already had the BG Lime Rickey 6x6 pad, so that's where I went for my card base. I pulled out 2 favorite CTMH stamp sets, Friendship Blessings for the flowers and Butterfly kiss for the...well...butterfly!! The Sinamay "ribbon" is new, as is the embossed die cut. I added a bit of bling on the center of each flower and each is pop dotted with different heights of pop dots for a bit of dimension. The butterfly has Black Diamond Stickles along the outside edges and on the "trail."

Great mail day!

I won a blog prize at Jenn's blog. It was to be something handmade, and I would recieve it sometime during the year. Today that blog prize arrived!

Jenn used one of the glass blocks that people use when making over bathrooms and such and stuffed it full of Christmas lights. Gotta love the "It's good to be the Queen" caption on it!

How stankin cute is this?!

Vote Early...Vote Often!

Seriously! This is an election where you can vote as many times as you can. The Tampa Bay Rays have 4 delegates headed to the All Star Game. Evan Longoria is one of the starters and Carl Crawford, Jason Bartlett and (my new favorite player!) Ben "Zo-rilla" Zobrist are all reserves. But Carlos "Los" Pena NEEDS to go too. He's one of the five that we, the voting public can send to the All Star game next week. But we NEED to vote. It ends tomorrow, Thur July 9. So what are you waiting for? Go! Vote. And vote. And vote. And vote til you can't vote any more! Vote Los!

www.mlb.com

CPS challenge

I needed a card for John's cousin Akiko-san in Japan who recently had a baby boy, so what better place to look for inspiration than http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/?!

I pulled out CTMH Aspen paper pack since it has such beautiful blue's. I stamped an image from CTMH Flower Child stamp set and stapmed using Black Brilliance on vellum and heat set it. Then I turned the image over and used my water brush to color the image.

I've got a goody box full of baby gifts and American snack foods that the family likes all ready to go, so this will go to the post office today...headed for Japan!

CTMH August Stamp of the Month

This is a sneak peek of the Aug SOM, It's Your Day. I decided to go ahead and work on my swap cards today. The end of the month will be crazy-busy for me, so this is one less thing I'll have to worry about getting done.

I used the wax resist technique again with my Cuttlebug and Moon Doggie paper pack since it was already out and on my scrap table! I also sewed on the semi-circle in the corner just because! The candles have Yellow Stickles on them for a bit of bling.

CardPatterns challenge

It's funny. Sometimes I have to mull over a card idea before I can get started on one of the challenges I do every week. What stamp will I use? What paper pack? How many and what embellishments will I use? Other days, as soon as I see the challenge, I know exactly what I'm doing. Today was one of those days! The instant I saw the sketch at CardPatterns, I knew what paper pack and stamp set I'd use and how it would look when I finished. And it came pretty darn close!

I used CTMH Moon Doggie pp and CTMH Extreme Happiness stamp set. The small flowers are stamped in Sunny Yellow ink and I came back in with Honey ink and gave some definition to the outside edges and around the center with a Q-tip rubbed in the Honey Ink. Likewise, the large hibiscus is stamped in Honey and the definition is done using Goldrush ink. The stamen on the large hibiscus is done with Black embossing powder and the small ones have Black Diamond Stickles on them for a bit of bling. I strung the small hibiscus together using a small piece of jute. All of the flowers are pop dotted for some visual interest.

July SheetLoad

Alicia and crew over at SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine have got a great sketch and examples once again this month.

I was feeling my Oriental side this morning, so I used another of the pages from the day planner that sis Jan gave me for my birthday for the days that have passed this year, recycling them into cards. I used CTMH Notebook pp and CTMH Fringed Phrases stamp set. Ribbon is from CTMH Hollyhock Ribbon Rounds and the pin is CTMH Pretty Pins. I used my Torn Paper punch from EK Success on the blue print paper. Oh, and I guess most important of all...a ShortCuts clear blank for the card base! You can get you some here! Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce AND! Best of all...a SALE all month long! Use code XmasJuly15 and receive 15% off your entire order! Gotta love that.

OCC challenge

Jennifer's got another great sketch this week at Our Creative Corner

I needed a masculine card, so that was the direction I went with this one. I used the Wax Paper resist technique with one of my Cuttlebug folders, then used CTMH Goldrush ink to sponge in the color. CTMH Argyle stamp set was used and second generation stamped in Barn Red ink for the background of the "4U" which was stamped and cut out.

CPS challenge

Tami's got another winner at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ this week.

I pulled out Basic Grey Lime Rickey for this one. The chipboard flower is unknown from my stash. White Ric Rac and Cherish sentiment are CTMH.