Monday, November 30, 2009

Tim Holtz Christmas Tonight at Midnight! UPDATE!


Talked to Scrapbook Friend'z, there are only a couple of seats left for the Christmas Wall Hanging class on Sat......be there. This class is the most fun yet. This is only 2 of the 5 sections we make. PAS girls loved their works of ART.

I gotta admit. Lots of extras in the kit for more Christmas magic and door prizes to add to that list!!!!



Don't forget to go to Tim's blog and see his first Christmas Tag tonight!!! The 1st of 12 Days of Christmas.

I'm sure it will have all kinds of goodies and give-aways going on there. He is a Santa in and of himself.

So click on and go over.....after midnight, probably Arizona time.

And this is a tiny canvas that I practiced my Beeswax art on yesterday. The picture is my mother and I took it with my NEW CAMERA!!!! YEAH!

Remember, it's taken THROUGH the wax, so it is a bit cloudy. But the rest of the picture is very clear.

Soooooo cool! Love my new Canon Power ShotSX200 IS...and it's METALLIC PLUM in color. That was what really sold me, along with the 12.1 mega pixels and the 12X zoom.

That and the fact that I think I can "figure the thing out."

MAN does it take GOOD pictures. Love it, love it, love it!!!!!!!!!!!! My Anniversary Present....thanks Bill.

So, tune in later at Tim's Place. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Wax on - Wax off...

The kids are gone....the left-overs almost gone, too. Do you hear that?????
Yes, I love them, but the silence is back!!!!

Got out the Bees Wax, and the Alcohol Inks, Tim Holtz stamps, Perfect Pearls, some vintage pictures and plain old found items.

I had a fun afternoon!!!!!

This is a picture of my dad, the boy, and his parents on the left. No clue who the other man is in the picture.
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But I have fallen in LOVE with Jack and Cat's Curio blog, and Lisa...a lucky friend in Arizona, took their class recently, and her work was phenomenal!!!!! Michael is a great teacher.

You MUST go see Lisa's work here!!!!!
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Here is my latest attempt at beeswax collage. Fun, to say the least. I haven't done BW for about 4 years, and some things change and some things just stay the same.

The Clover tack iron still remains unmastered here, and I realise, as I always tell my students in class.....PRACTICE REALLY IS THE KEY!

SOOOOOO much easier to "do as I say, and not as I do." I guess my grandad used that phrase a lot.
Enjoy the day!~

And Create ART when you can.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Creative Grandkids or WHAT!? And Dolly's bracelets




Have I told you how talented my GKs are?????? And we have so much fun when they are here.


Brit made this headband, but she wouldn't let me take a full picture of her, bad hair after hours of shopping! See the TSS metal butterflies on the Basic Grey ribbon? TOO COOL! Her design!


Alex's bracelet is the Black and White one with the lace ties, Erin's has the spinner, Brit made the tin with Ten Second Studio metal and Alcohol Inks, and the other bracelets for friends are hers, too.

I show you the backs of the bracelets because we had to enlarge them for boys, and we used a strip of GP in a loop on one, and a hinge of GB on the other.


Then this email arrived from mattmars showing 3 bracelets done with great texture!!! Thanks Dolly!

I made up three of the grunge board bracelets in different colors for my nieces and my nephew....I have to fix the red one...thought I had caught the grunge enough to get away with it but I guess not LOL That's okay...more playing with ink :)Thought I would send you a peek.

Don't you LOVE them???

I had a fun day Wednesday......decided to try sewing some more Grungepaper. That was fun until I pushed too hard and ended up with the needle in the end of my fingernail!!!!

Yes, you know how you react when someone hits something with their car and they say they "hit the gas instead of the brake somehow?" And you say, "yeah, right, who does that?"

I'm here to tell you, you panic. I thought the way to get the needle out of my finger was to hit the footfeed. Guess what? It wasn't all the way DOWN yet.

Therefore......it went even deeper. Amazingly, it was fine. Really, it bled, but no pain after a few times on the ice.

And the funny thing, I had sooooo much blue and red ink on my fingers that I thought I had put the needle all the way through. There was red ink on the bottom in a blotchy pattern.

So I was just relieved to know I didn't put it all the way through.....

Such a blessing.

Be well, and hope you all had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving.

We did. Pretty much!

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Day with Emma



We have been backup babysitters for Em and Erin the month of November. Today is her last day. Starting in December she'll be going back to Sara's.

We've had some fun this afternoon. We made a snowman out of fun foam to give to her friend.

Now we're going to get the Christmas decorations out.

But before she came back from preschool, I got to play with some Grungepaper and inks, plus the Cuttlebug.....

Here's a peek at what I am working on....

Be well and enjoy the last nice day in the Midwest of sunshine for awhile. We MAY get snow for Thanksgiving.


I could pass on that.......

Nana and Emma

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Lovely Ladies of Prairie Art Stamps!

The Christmas Wall Hanging class at Prairie Art Stamps has come and gone. The day was full of ink, and glue and papers, and stuff....."does anybody see my Blue Angel Tag.....?" (it's an inside joke)

It was a great day with great people. Terri, you are a treasure. We all love what you do for us!


Let the pictures tell the story. I took them DURING class so I would remember. But they did get their projects done.

Annette coming in to supervise and enjoy the fun.


I hope these 2 made it home in time for the Theater tonight...going to the Fox.
What can you say about Judy....see her glued piece...what a hoot!

Talented and award winning group. They won Best of Show at the Festival of Trees!!! WHOO HOO!!!


They came from near and afar....great gals.


Creative Friends share so much.


Sisters having a fun day and a long drive home.

She found her Angel and got her project all done...beautiful.


Words cannot describe the fun.....we bonded, laughed, ate, shopped, and oh yes, Created ART!

Hope to see you all again soon!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Sunshine in the Neighborhood and Thank YOU!

Hi Everyone!!!!!

The sun is shining, my kits for tomorrow and beyond (sound like Buzz Lightyear) are DONE!!! YEAH!

I even got some Christmas shopping done for "the Watercolor Chicks." BONUS!

And I want to thank everyone who's ordered the GrungeBoard Wallet kits from the bottom of my heart!!!! You guys are the best. And Busy Betty, it was all because of you.

As I've said before "Friends in ART" are THE BEST...don't cha know?

Soooooooo, tomorrow is Judy and Annette and Terri and all the other wonderful people at Prairie Art Stamps. It's really gonna be fun. This kit has a billion (well maybe just 60) pieces in it!!! And TONS of left overs to make other things. I LOVE it!

And thanks to Mickie (Michelle Ann) my daughter, we got the biggest part of it done when they came down on Sabbatical. Love you, Mick!

Gonna retire to the sunroom with a Chai Tea and some Raspberry cookies...what's a girl to do????

Be Well.

And don't forget to send me pics of the Bracelets you make from the tutorial yesterday and your wallets. I'd love to see them!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

UPDATE!!! Wanda's Request

Hey, bloggers!

Busy day here.....shopping, planning, putting down carpeting in the sunroom for winter, kitting, etc, etc, etc.

And Wanda H. my dear friend from Iowa, who writes a great blog with WONDERFUL projects, (check it out) wants to know how to make the Grungeboard Bracelets!!!
I thought they were pretty easy and the GKs could make them when they come down for Thanksgiving.

Anybody else want to know how to do them????.....if so, maybe I can get to that tonight or tomorrow after I have time to sit down!!!

Check out your GB supplies, run and get some if you don't have some and pick up some Hitch Fasteners from Idea-ology. That and your inks are about all you will need!

Oh, I also used Tim's long brads and the washers...just to let you know. And a spray fixative to seal.

Back later with the scoop!

L
Here we go......

This is just a strip of Grungeboard for the base about 1" wide.The length is up to the wrist size plus about an inch to overlap at closure.

Then take a strip about an 3/4" wide: cut lengthwise into 3 strips leaving about 1/2 an inch at the end uncut.

Distress ink and stamp. Make sure to get the sides inked. Then braid. Hold the one cut end together with a brad. Finish cutting the other end and braid this end. Hold with a brad.

Now you add this to the bracelet using the existing brads, and Tim's washers on the back to stabilize. Make sure you BEND the bracelet as you go or it will buckle. Add more brads starting in the middle and work your way out.

Clip the ends of base bracelet with a Zutter 1/2"corner rounder, punch a large hole on one end and clip at 3, 6, and 9 so the hole won't tear and use a small hole on the other end to add a hitch fastener.

Spray with a sealer of your choice. I used Super Seal by Creative Imaginations.


That's it in a nutshell....it took more instructions than I thought it would.....any ?, just email me.


Have Fun...Create ART

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Random Thoughts

So much going on here and in my head. But here are a few things I'd like to share with you.....

Busy Betty in California has asked if I'd consider mailing her a GrungeBoard Wallet kit. I had a couple other people asking, so I did some research today.



After a trip to the local Post Office, I found the GB will fit nicely into the small Flat Rate box that ships anywhere in the US for $4.95!


So.....Betty can have her kit sent out by the end of the week. She's getting the kit for $30. With the kit, you can make one wallet and have a choice of the 2 different flowers. Then use the pattern to make more!!! If the other gals that asked about these are interested, email me. cain81@mtco.com You know who you are.
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These things are sooooo easy once you figure it out, you could make several for Christmas gifts. Always fun. The girls from Sat. have plans to make several to hold Gift Cards and one will take it clubbing...with ID and some cash. (Mom was there, so she already knows...didn't compromise her here.)


Whatever works..............

Next, we think of making cute or flowery things for girls gifts. But sometimes the boys get overlooked. So I came up with a bracelet designed for the teenage boy in your lives.




This is GrungeBoard and a HitchFastener. Simple, but kind of rugged for the Teen Set...I bounced it of my teenage Grandkids 15 and 17!!!! Ha! Loved them! They can make them at Thanksgiving when they come down!
The girls want them, too.


Moving right along.....the class for this Saturday at Prairie Art Stamps has only a couple of seats left. Kits are made and we're ready to go. If you have put off calling, I suggest you call now. We had 19 show up for 16 seats the last time!





I'm just sayin'.......

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Scrapbook Friend'z Class

Whew!!! Another fun class with a lot of new faces. A Great Time. And many are going to make several for Christmas Gifts!

But alas, I forgot to take pictures!!!

We all had inky fingers and great ideas. And another idea from one of my newer students....glaze pens in metallic colors!!!

They were beautiful in the butterfly wings using white pearl and light blue.

Daughter and SIL on there way down for a visit. And next Saturday is the Christmas Wall Hanging class in Springfield at Prairie Art Stamps!!!

It's gonna be a fun one!!!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Idea-ology Fun

Short and Sweet. Here's a little peek at a part of a bracelet I put together with Idea-ology bits. Guess how many pieces of Idea-ology are on this piece...not including the connecting jump rings on the SIDES....

You can do soooooo many things with these pieces. Layer them on each other....put them together.

Too much fun!

Another great day. Lunch Friday with the Watercolor Chicks.

Always a Treat!

Saturday class at Scrapbook Friend'z/Bloomington filling up~Grungeboard Wallets~couple of spots left....

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Ten Seconds Studio Video












The ever popular Cheryl and Megan are back with their off the wall Taco Tuesday video!!! You gotta love 'em!

If you remember, last April 2nd (yes, nowhere close to Christmas) I showed you an ornament you could make using metal, alcohol inks and various other techniques. The center is with copper. (click on to see better)

Margaret had some great acrylic pieces in the store and wanted a sample. Hence, the Ornament.

TSS shows you their take on this similar idea using Fragments. Take a look at it. It's entertaining and enlightening, to say the least.

Create ART!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Alex the Eagle Scout




My Grandson became an Eagle Scout at the age of 15.
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We are so proud of him and the support he received from his family..Brit, Mom and Dad, who, I think had just as much fun as Alex did!!!!


The ceremony is moving. The speakers are there to honor the institution as well as the young men that have achieved this high honor.

To hear about the ability to reach this goal is unbelievable to say the least.

If I ever have a heart attach or medical emergency.....I want Alex there to keep the cool and intelligent head that he has been trained to use.

He is an amazing young man and we should all be proud of his ambitions to serve his community and his fellow scouts.

It was a wonderful day!!!!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Shopping and Playing Around



Dragging out things to experiment with is always so much fun.

This is a snippet of Ten Seconds Studio Dijon metal that was stamped, embossed, sprayed with Perfect Pearls and ReInker, Alcohol Inked with the Fillable Pen, and sanded here and there.
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The side view shows how the leaves are puffed.
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The Black Sharpie pen makes all the colors pop.
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Kitting up for the Grungeboard Wallet class in Bloomington on the 14th.
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It was a blast at Prairie Art Stamps I know we'll have some more takes on the class from the talented gals at Scrapbook Friend'z.
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The PAS girls made plans for gifts and wonderful treasures that had darling pictures in the bookplates.
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The Grandmas had a great time with this!!!
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Can't wait to see you there.

Monday, November 2, 2009

It Is A Fabulous Day Here in the Midwest!

This is a picture of a Moth that we saw in the Shawnee National Forest. He was sunning himself on a rock.




The sun has been shining for 2 days now!!!! Amazing. Just a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

We worked in the garden and got all the leaves done, and everything cut back, bagged and off to the dump. Done for the fall season....hopefully.

Even had time for a lunch on the porch swing. Even got the windows washed on the Sunroom.

Mexican Food and Margaritas tonight as a reward!!!


Life is good!!!