Belated Merry Christmas

I hope everyone was blessed with a Wonderful Christmas Celebration full of love and wonderful memories with family and friends!!!!!  I've missed posting for a while.......Life tends to take over doesn't it!!!  I'm enjoying  a weekend of being able to work on some things I would like to complete......just thought I would share a few of the items I've created so far.....

This first creation is a Money Card for my niece....should have completed this before Christmas...however I did not.......She lives in MN so I need to get it in the mail......I designed and created the cut file in Inkscape and cut in SCAL2 with my Cricut......I really like the way the file turned out and I created an envelope to fit the card....I also used one of my flowers I've designed and created and shared in the past..........I'm sharing another link to the flower below if anyone is interested in it......

The papers I used are from K&C Company....Aren't they GORGEOUS!!!  I also used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink pad in the Walnut stain to "age" the edges...as well as rubberstamped the border on the front flap and embossed.....I'm really tickled with the way this turned out and think Cassie will enjoy it.....Well, let's be honest....she'll be more interested of what's inside rather than the card itself....but I can hope can't it!!! ;)

As always, if you are interested in the cut files I've designed and created you may click the images of the files below and they will take you to the page on my website where you may download them.....and again the SVG files are free........they are also available in other formats.....

The next creation is for a swap in my ARTHaven Creations & Friendships group.....the theme was ATC Snow....I wanted to do something out of the norm.......so I decided to take a piece of cardstock...colored with some of my Versamagic Dew Drops Chalk Ink in GD58 Hint of Pesto color.....whipped the entire cardstock then took a wet whip and smeared it all over to coat the cardstock well and pull off any access....I then dried it with my heat gun........after that I rubberstamped in Stazon Brown ink some snowflakes and then stamped one large snowflake with my Versamark pad and covered with a copper colored embossing powder and heat embossed....then I ran through my Cuttlebug using one of my Snowflake embossing sleeves.......I then took my Tim Holtz Sanding block and hit the high spots to remove the color and then touched with some Walnut Stain Tim Holtz Distress ink.......

I then took a some ribbon and attached.....a metal snowflake I coated with versamark ink then coated with some Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in Old Paper and embossed.....then hit with some Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Ink pad........added with some Gorilla Glue some brown dots....just wanted to make sure they stuck well and a glass dot in the center...attached it with a brad.........added some dots on the opposing corners and some metal corner pieces........There you have it......I like the warmth of the ATC even though it's not your "normal" look for a Snowflake item........

This next item is a swap for my ARTHaven Creations & Friendships group too.....The theme for this swap is TAG - Snowman........Well I had created a snowman cut file a couple weeks ago to use in making some Christmas tags so I decided to use it again......just put it togeter a bit different this time.......I'm sharing the image of the cut file below so if you would like to have this file just click the image below and it will take to to the page on my website where you may download the SVG file for free........the file is also available in other formats.....

Once I had the pieces cut out with my Cricut I then took the pieces and coated with my Versamark pad and coated with white for the body, black distress for the hat and copper for the nose , walnut stain distress embossing powders and embossed with my heat gun.......I used wiggly eyes and used black brads for the mouth....for the buttons I used black rhinestones.......fibers for the scarf and used my Crop-O-Dile to punch and place an eyelet through the hat to thread ribbon and lace through for the tag part........

And the last one I did I also created for my ARTHaven Creations & Friendships group...The theme for this was Playing Card - King of Hearts.......I'm NOT crazy about this item....I was deliberately trying to do something outside my box......and try to make it look different then I usually do.....well....I definately think I achieved that but I don't "REALLY" like it.....However I'm sure hoping the lady who will receives it will like it......I used rubberstamps, embossing sleeve, Distress Inks, embellishments, markers, embossing powders, rhinestones on this creation....my most favorite thing to use was a new tool I got for Christmas...my Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper....I LOVE this tool....It will round a corner on ALOT of different mediums and it will round the corners in 2 different sizes....1/4" & 1/2"......I'm thrilled that I purchased this tool....couldn't decide if I really wanted it or not.........now I KNOW I'm happy I did......

Okie Dokie...That's my creations so far....I have one more day of my weekend left and I'm looking forward to it...I'm also looking forward to only a 3 day work week this week.......cause next weekend I just get to play play play!!!!!!  I'm trying to make a commitment to myself this year to remember to play with paper because I ENJOY it....not because I feel like I NEED to.....does that make sense??????

I hope you are all able to find something here that you like or perhaps can use....I can never say THANK YOU enough for taking time out of your day to come by and visit with me.....But I must truly tell you it touchs my heart when you do.......The WWW is such a big place and for someone to take time out of their day to visit with me in this big world is priceless to me!!!!!  I pray you are all blessed with a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and I do hope you will come by and visit with me again....until then....

It's been a Wonderful Weekend....

I have had the BEST time playing with paper this weekend and feel like I have accomplished ALOT!!!!!  Isn't that an AWESOME feeling!!!! 

BTW, My oldest son, Billy....gave the Altered Box with Journal to Brianna this evening and she flipped over it!!! She called and told me that is going to be "Her Secret Box"!!!  Made me smile!!!!  Her mama loved it too!!!  So it was a WONDERFUL feeling!!!!

Ok.....I had several swaps I wanted to get completed before the deadline......I was actually able to complete 4 of them...and thought I would share each of them with you...so this will probably end up being a long post......Are you ready??? Here we go!!!

This first piece is an ATC for a swap in my ARTHaven Creations & Friendships group...the theme is "Christmas Time"...to me snowflakes remind me of Christmas time......I used one of MY SNOWFLAKE Cut files I have on MY Website if you like this and would like to have it.......I used some K&C Christmas paper for this ATC ......I designed and created an ATC pattern in Inkscape and cut with SCAL2.....as well as the snowflake.....I then coated the snowflake in Glossy Accents by Ranger then coated with MS Garnet Glitter....I LOVE the Sparkle.....I used a Green Rhinestone in the center of the snowflake....the tree is an UM rubber stamp I stamped with my Versamark Inkpad then covered with Tinsel Embossing powder and embossed with my heat gun...the phrase I just stamped with Stazon Black ink....again with an UM stamp.....Added some little dots as accent and burnished the edges with Brick Red Tim Holtz Distress Inkpad....

 

This Next one is a card/envie set also for a swap in my ARTHaven Creations & Friendships Group.....the theme for this one was "It's Beginning to look alot like Christmas"........Again snowflakes remind me of Christmas.....I also used some more of My SNOWFLAKE cut files and made a shadow layer of them in Inkscape by duplicating them then doing Dynamic Offset.........I then took the shadow layer and the snowflakes and ran them through my Xyron to put adhesive on the top of them then I coated with glitter....clear on the bottom and a green MS glitter on the top........LOVE the bling!!! ;)  I created the Bracket cut and did a shadow layer of it as well...and used some more of my K&C Christmas paper....The two boys on the sleigh just happened to be the image already on the paper so I used it to my advantage when I had the Cricut cut the shape out...After it was cut I ran it through my Cuttlebug with a snowflake embossing folder then hit the high spots with my Versamark pad and then used a paint brush and put a layer of Pearl Ex on the raised spots...the layer really does glissen now.....Kinda hard to see in the photos.....I used another snowflake embossing sleeve I have on the bottom layer and then used two different Tim Holtz Distress Inkpads to color the decorative raised spots and the edges of the piece......Layered everything together then used a pretty red ribbon along with some teal colored dots......then  cut an envie with some decorative scrapbook paper to compliment the card!!!!!!

 

 

Now...this next one was super super fun!!! It again, is for a swap in My ARTHavenCreations & Friendships group.....We are making Row Houses.....this time we're working on a "Shop".....this is my version of the "Shop".....I had alot of fun with this....I created the shop pattern along with windows doors, steps awning in Inkscape and cut with my Cricut....I also printed the Shop name in Inkscape and then cut it out with SCAL......I used several different embossing folders in the creation of this house as well as Tim Holtz Distress Inkpads in Walnut Stain and Brick Red......I also used acetate to layer behind the window and door frames to make it look more like a pane of glass...I also found an image of the inside of a Christmas shop to use as my inside of my Store.........I'm VERY happy with the way this turned out......I have this file if anyone is interested in it you may email me and let me know........

 

 

 

 Now....just one more...hope you're not getting tired yet....LOL....I worked on one more swap.....again this is for My ARTHavenCreations & Friendships group....and this is a Tag Swap the theme being "Colors of Christmas".....I wanted to do something a bit different....so I again created my own tag shape with a background shadow layer....I also then created a Santa Head........I'm very proud of my Santa....as you can see looking at the images I did alot more work on the Santa after I cut him out....including using some of my "Color Fluff Stuff" on the pom pom on his hat and his brim on the hat......on the red part of the hat I used some Distress Stickles.....on his mustache and beard I took a q-tip and pulled the cotton of it and shredded it some....Used some Diamond Glaze and coated the areas I wanted to put the cotton and adhered it......I made his cheeks blush by using a q-tip and one of my Tim Holtz Disress Inkpads.....I "think" it was Tattered Rose.....Then I remembered I had some eyeballs so I pulled them out and used them..they were the perfect size.......then I used a scrap piece of red ribbon and used my Stazon Black inkpad and some of my UM rubber stamps and stamped the ribbon with the word Noel and the swirlies.....love how it turned out....I also used some of my colored glitter glue dots I make last weeknd.....I also ran the first layer of the card thorough my Cuttlebug with an embossing sleeve and then hit the high spots with the Brick Red Tim Holtz Distress Inkpad...as well as burnished the edges of both layers with the same color.......put an Eyelet in and some pretty ribbon and Whola.....

 

 

Now....If anyone is interested I'm attaching images of the two files I created on making this Tag.....If you would like the files just click the images below and they will take you to the page on My Website where you can download them for free in the svg format......they are available in the other formats for a small fee......

 

I am OFFICIALLY Pooped!!!! ROFL....Need to go back to work tomorrow to recouperate!!! ;)  But I sure did have ALOT of fun!!!!!!  Hoping I can be just as productive through the week....I would LOVE to hear what you think????  

As always, I want to say THANK YOU for stopping by to visit with me!!!!  I pray you all have a VERY blessed weekend....Please come by again...until next itme....

 

 

 

I'm having some FUN.....

Two days in a row now I've got to play with paper and get my Pinky's Inkie!!!! I had 2 more swaps I needed to work on and complete for my group ARTHaven, Creations & Friendships
This first one I'm sharing is for the ATC Swap - Lady theme......I wanted to do something vintagy so I thought.......Why not do a picture that is very special to me.....So I did.....This is actually MY Grandmother & Grandfather's wedding picture!!!! Aren't they a good looking couple.....And they shared almost 50 years together!!! They both went to heaven several years ago but they were both SO precious to me!!!! To me they were always Mimi & Papa!!! There were none better on this planet!!!! I miss them terribly!!!
To create this I printed off their image onto some Water Color paper with my Color Laser printer....I really like the rustic vintagy worn look that it came out with....I then adheared it to a thick cardboard base....I wiped the edges of the ATC with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Tim Holtz distress inkpads.....I added some gold dots the decorative ribbon, flower and the took a piece of scratch water color paper and wrote the words True Love stippled with some Walnut Stain Tim Holtz disress inkpad and then glued to the surface and added the gold dots....

I'm absolutely thrilled with how this turned out and can't wait for it's recipient to recieve it....I do so hope she'll be able to feel the love I put into this ATC!!!

Now my next piece of art is for the Playing Card Swap - Joker.......LOL, yes I'm hosting a monthly swap where we will in time complete an entire deck of cards!!! Doesn't that sound like fun......no 2 cards will be close because we'll have different people we send to each month....that way when we're complete we'll have a 1 of a kind deck of cards that no one else will have!!!

So, this is my creation for the Joker.......Isn't it fun looking!!!! It was alot of fun to create......I printed my fairy off with my Laser color printer and cut it out .......I then modge podged it to my base which is actually a hot pocket box that I sanded the paint off the surface then wiped it with some Tim Holtz Distress ink then coated with some Tim Holtz distress crackle paint in Vintage Photo.......once dried I spritzed with some yellow pearl ex spritzer dried with my heat gun then applied my fairy and the words Joker that I cut with my cricut.......Oh yeah, before I applied the Joker words and the fairy I used my Stazon black ink and rubberstamped the swirleys on the background.......

This definately isn't my usual style but it was a fun card to make and the recipient it's going to I really think will like it!!! I'm hoping so anyway!!!!


Ok.....Now my attention is going back towards my creation of some more SVG files and the design of some more Journals for the cancer project my friend Shirley Nagel is working on.....I will be posting more in the next day or so.....so I do hope you will check back with me!!! I SO appreciate you allowing me to share my creations with you...I hope you enjoy them.....I as always, want to THANK YOU for stopping by to visit with me!!! I hope you all have a very blessed Thursday!!!! Please come again, until next time!!!!!

It's been a great 2 days...

So far I am really enjoying my vacation......I decided I wanted to make some different flowers that I can use for a multitude of ways.......thought I would share the cut files I created...which you will find below each mock up I made of the different flowers........

For this first one I resized the flower in Inkscape a couple times then brought into SCAL and cut I also used the leaves I created...they are below the last flower I'm sharing.......I cut all the flowers for each of the designs with white cardstock and then decorated all of them with an aray of Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Embossing sleeves, Rubber Stamps, Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders, sanding block and brads.......If you have any questions on the techniques I used on any of these please feel free to email me and I'll be happy to try and answer your questions.....






Download: HERE






Download: HERE






Download: HERE


Download: HERE


Download: HERE

The next project I worked on was this ATC....I had to do 12 of these for a swap in the Paper Craft Planet ATC group.......I took an image into Corel PSP and removed the color from it and printed it off onto watercolor paper......I then used my Watercolor pencils to color the lady's clothes, hat & bow.....I used my Copic flesh color marker to color her face and neck....I used my Copic colorless blender and some of my Tim Holtz alchol inks to color her feathers in her hat......the background of the image I used several different layers of Tim Holtz Distress Ink......stippeling it on with makeup sponges........The frame I designed and cut with my Cricut...designed in Inkscape and brought into SCAL and cut........then I coated with Versamark pad and coated with Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in Walnut Stain and embossed....I LOVE the aged metal look it gives them....love love love that look!!!! Wrapped 2 colors of ribbon and added 3 purple rhinestones of staggering sizes.......With having to do 12 of these it definatley took some time but I am happy with the results.....I LOVE the look the Watercolor pencils give!!!




Download: HERE


Download: HERE

As always, if you would like to have the image or the cut files, please either click the image or the designated area......If any of you that are on AOL have problems downloading send me an email and I'll be happy to send you the file!!!!

Ok, that's it for me for tonight.......I'm excited to know I'll be here in my ARTHaven all day tomorrow creating and I'm so looking forward to that.....I as ALWAYS want to THANK YOU for stopping by to visit with me.....It makes my day when I get to read your comments.......May I ask if you would please consider leaving your email addy in some way that I may be able to thank you or answer any questions you may have.....I truly in my heart feel if you take time to stop by and visit with me and take even more time to leave me a sweet sweet comment I owe you the proper Thank You!!!!! Ok, enough babbling from me......I hope you all have a VERY blessed Monday.....Take care and be safe...until next time....

Have more fun....

It feels so good to just play again....creating where my muse leads me and even getting swaps done before they even come close to being due!!! Yeah for me!!! LOL....So tonight I decided to work an an ATC Swap Vintage them for my group ARTHaven, Creations & Friendships and this is what I came up with.....

I found the background image in my graphics program and printed it onto Water Color Paper with my Laser printer......then I created the image on the top layer by tweeking some images I had and merging them together...printed off onto paper with my laser color printer then coated with my Omni Gel (one of my favorite new ART supplies!!) once dried I sumberged into water to soften the back and rubbed off carefully the back layer so only the image was left on the Omni Gel Layer...a WONDERFUL tutorial from Angie Hall Haviland here's her tutorial link... once that was dried I then attached my background layer to a thick cardboard base then put a layer of Omni Gel on the back of the image transfer and attached to the background layer....wrapped the edges around and then applied a bit more Omnigel on the back....allowed that to dry....I added some lace, ribbon, decorative pearls and a button with ribbon to finish it off.......I'm quite happy with the end result!!


Though I did not create any cut files to make this piece of ART I thought I would share with you the images in case anyone might be interested in them!!!! If you would like them please click either the image or the designated area....

Download: HERE


Download: HERE

Ok, that's it for me tonight!!! I want to THANK YOU as always for stopping by to visit with me!!! I hope everyone has had and is having a VERY blessed day!!! Please come by again...until then!!!

Wahoooooooooooo....It's been a FUN day....

I have had THE best day with paper!!!! It started early about 6:30 a.m. as my kitty decided it was time for me to get up....arggghhhhhhhh...LOL.....so I get up fix me some coffee and off to my ART Haven as hubby was at work.......I was thrilled to know everything I created today was for swaps which due dates had not yet arrived!!! :)

So, this first ATC is for a swap in my group ARTHaven Creations & Friendships there is no theme for this swap....just whatever your passion drives you towards......I got to use my new color laser printer and printed this graphic in black and white and then colored with watercolor pencils....It was SO fun doing this because now my ink from the printer doesn't run!!! Yippie!!!! I cut an extra butterfly out and after coloring with watercolor pencils I then hit with some of my PearlEx misters.....has a slight shimmer to the butterfly..... kissed the edges of the image layer with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink Lipstick.......I also made the fuzzy centers of the flowers with chopped up yarn into itty bittsy pieces...works like flocking and no cost!!! I threaded some ribbon through the bottom left area and then added a piece of lace at the top left and three gold dots.......I layered that onto a lime green layer and lined that onto some more of the watercolor paper....I also printed the image onto watercolor paper....I am loving this paper and will be getting more to have on hand....


This next ATC is for a group I belong to on Yahoo Crafty Card Creators.....the theme for this was open as well.....I decided I would pick some papers first then design an ATC around that....so first I selected the mustard color paint sample which is the very back layer...just cut it down to 2 1/2 x 3 1/2......I then founds some orgami paper I liked the colors of and selected some of my crayon paper I had made last year some time.....I roughed the edges of the crayon paper a bit with a distressing tool I have from Stampin Up........and wipped the edges with some mustard colored chalk ink......I took some scrap of the paint sample and punched with my hole punch 3 little dots....I adhered some purple rhinestones to them and then used a raised foam dot to adhere to the ATC....I took more of the paint sample piece and stamped with some Stazon purple in the word "passion" and then tore the edges and wiped with some distress ink in a couple of colors.....Then I used some of the grunge elements I have of Tim Holtz...the fourish I covered with distress ink and then distress embossing powder and embossed...used my little Xyron to adhere adhesive to the back and mounted on the ATC..........A simple affect but I do like the way it turned out....


This next card is for a "White Challenge" That Jennie is having on her blog.....Bloomin' Paper You can use some color but 75% of the card has to be white......I used a cut file that Paulo Guimaraes shared with me......BEAUTIFUL cut file....I'm not quite sure I'm totally happy with the way this card turned out...I indeed LOVE the cut file he created....but not happy that my paper puckered a bit.......but I have turned my version in for the "White Challenge"......


Ok....Now this last card I did today.....It is by FAR my most favorite card!!! I'm tickled with the way the entire card turned out......on the yellow layer with the swirley's and butterflies I created this design with the use of a square in Inkscape and the cut file from Deb Carfield....she creates some AMAZING cut files...her email addy is dcarfield@bwtelcom.net so you can send her an email and she if she is willing to share her files....I unioned them with the square to give a bit of a different look then she created....then next the top layer is some vellum that I ran through my sizzix with the dot embossing sleeve and the hit the edges with some Distress Ink in purple and wiped lightly over the entire card......The flowers are a cut file I received entitled Gerber Daisy's.....due to the fact I did not create the Gerber Daisy's and butterflies and swirls I can not share these files....I apologize....BUT....I can share with you the link of the person's blog I got it from....http://www.paperscissorsinc.com/2009/02/gerbera-daisys.html I printed the flower layers off in Watercolor paper then I colored them with my Tim Holtz Distress Inks.....then spritzed with some pearl ex spritzers to give the layers a shimmer....on the yellow layers I used a swirly rubberstamp to give a pattern on that layer.....I used a tool and curled the edges on all the layers to give the flower some dimension....I used foam dots in between each layer of the flowers to give it dimension.....on the very top I placed a bit of stickles then used some of my purple rhinestones in the center.......

Then I used my laser printer and printed of the butterflies.....I did them in mirror image as well...glued together so you see the front and the back as the same......and then cut them out with scissors...I printed them out onto vellum......I used wire and made each of the butterflies atennas used some glue on the bodies and used some glitter...adhered the butterfiles to the card with foam dots....Oh yeah, I also used some silk leaves under the flowers.....I liked the card front on to the yellow card base and love love love how it turned out........


I decided since this card had so much depth to it I wanted to make a box for it.....but I wanted you to still be able to see the card front...so I decided...."hey why not cut the center out of the box"....so that's just what I did and used acetate on the inside to make a "window" for the box front....I also used my laser color printer to print a design onto the cardstock before I cut the box top with my cricut.....the bottom base I did not decorate I left it just solid yellow......




I CAN share this box template I created with you and hope some of you can find a use for it......I am thrilled with how the box turned out...and it absolutely sets the card off!!!!! You know the routine on downloading the file....I do not want to take any kudos away from anyone who created the other files I used in conjunction with the creation of the files and cards so I am not sharing those files with you.....I'm sorry and do hope you understand.......

Download: HERE

Okie Dokie...that catches you up on all I've been working on today!!! I as always want to THANK YOU ALL for stopping by to visit with me....it truly truly means more than you know!!!! I hope you all have a VERY blessed Sunday and please come by to visit again...until then....