Fun Time at Scrapaganza and a Few More Pics

Well, it was a FULL HOUSE!!! And a Happy, Inky HOUSE!

"It was a beautiful day, and we were beautiful, too!" (to  quote an old friend)

Lots of Metal and lots of Ink in Davenport Iowa and Scrapaganza. Thank you so much for all your hard work girls.

It was GREAT! Could not have asked for more.....

I tried to keep Penny busy by letting her take some pictures!

She takes great shots and got some of the many smiling faces that were there for the fun.

All kinds of different color combos....that's what we LOVE to see!

Many brought their own family pictures and incorporated them into their projects. They were wonderful images from the past.

Thank you Penny for taking pictures. It's so hard to find the time when you're talking and having a full day! You always make me smile! (see below...)

Just a bit cheesy!


And just to prove I was working, she got me demoing the Melting Pot and Embossing Powders with the Vintaj pieces. Jess's technique dazzled them!!!

Here on the left is a fun one. We used UTEE Bronze, Green Zinnia, and Violet then coated with a layer of Clear.  The one on the right has some fine black and Orange Glitter Embossing.  REALLY cool! Much more sparkly in person.

I seemed to knock the bluebird off my Row House piece from CHA and didn't find it anywhere, so I decided to try out my new Snow Cap Mixative on a different one, and painted in Denim blue Alcohol Ink and Sunshine Yellow over the top.

I think he turned out even better than the original that didn't have the Snowcap base!!! It's easy to shadow the colors with a touch of Alcohol Blending Solution on your brush.


Went to the Lincoln Balloon and Art Fest today. Bill likes seeing the old cars that come and line the streets downtown.


Lunch with Harry and Joni. Then out to the Wine Tasting Tent with live music. Our favorite was the Sweet Red Wine....a simple name. They're usually more exotic.

Harry didn't hear me well over the music and thought I said the name was CHEAP Red Wine. So that's what he went and asked for. It made the owners laugh.

So back home and another beautiful day!

Tomorrow.....2 soccer games with the girls. They both won on Saturday and each scored a goal!!!

GIRLS RULE!

Linda

Churning out the Pieces with my Vagabond

Have I told you lately that I LOVE my VAGABOND?????

Well, I don't know how I could make class kits without it. That's for sure. Life is so much easier with the little guy. (Yes, it's a Tim machine...so it's gotta be a "guy".

I cut out Cabinet Card diecuts.........mini Cabinet Card diecuts...........

Two different sized Grungeboard Hearts............one is trimmed by hand to make it just the right size. Then sprayed and hand painted for 4 different layers of color....am I nuts???

And these are ALL cut by hand...........oh for a die to do these as there are 3 to each kit.

Do you see the paper bag in the background....Vintage Square Nails from a building manufacturer.

Yep, they're pretty cool in the Standing Curio class. I have 100 in the bag. What a deal!!!

That's it for today..........cannot wait to see everyone @Scrapaganza on Saturday!!!

Be there!

Linda

Vintaj and the Melting Pot Results

First of all, let me just state, that I am NOT a good beader. I dabble. This is very hard work for me and I must have taken this thing apart at LEAST a dozen times.

I NEED to take Jess's Class with Lynne next Spring. We're going to do our best to get there. A whole lot closer for me than Lynne.

Jess's video is here...check it out, it's AMAZING!  It's how I learned to make these pieces at CHA!

Hope you checked out her very cool necklace she made with her new Vintaj cache.

So having said that, this is what kept me up until after Midnight last night, and then I had to tear it apart again this morning and add some more jump rings.

And I took the chance on really messing it up by adding some twirled wire into the UTEE. Could have definitely ruined it so easily, but the Melt Art gods were with me and it worked out.

THEN I remembered the fantastic sanding tool, the Metal Reliefing Block from Vintaj There is nothing on the market like it. Worth it's weight in GOLD.

Had to sand to accent the antique brass pieces on both of these to really make it SHINE!

The buffing really made a difference in the Floret. 

 I've always loved the combination of turquoise and brown. So the 2 colors work here nicely.

Your really cannot appreciate the gorgeous colors of the Embossing Powders here. The metallics are so pretty with the brass and Verdigris.

That's it for awhile for me............I'm retiring to the sun porch to read the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack.

Emma had a sleepover...she woke me up at 5:15am...after I got to bed about 1am. I'll probably last about 20 minutes before a nap comes my way...

Have a great week!

Linda

Vintaj and Embossing Enamel

BOY! Am I having fun today. 

I got on Jess Italia's blog for Vintaj and followed along with the directions and this is what I got! Click on the link and check it out!


 Now this was my 3rd piece....practice always makes things better. I LOVE the Bronze and Gold!!!!!

It's hard to take a picture without glare. This on is straight on, over the top, so you can't see the last layer of UTEE as well, but you can see the gorgeous colors better.

This was my 2nd piece. The little flower is laid in before the top layer of clear UTEE.

Love the metallic colors of Gold and Bronze with the the Verdigris Antiquities and a touch of Lettuce.

And this was my 1st try. Not so cool, but I decided to show you it because it proves things do get better with practice, and so don't give up.

I have no clue where the white came from. I used Lettuce, Fired Brick, and some very fine black I had from somewhere.


I messed with it too much, and that's when the white appeared. I'm sure someone will know out there and tell me.

And I got around to organizing ONE little corner today. That made me happy. Put away a bunch of old wood mounted stamps and made room for easier access to my supplies.

Oldest granddaughter Brit still maintains I should knock out the wall between the 2 bedrooms and make my studio 2 open rooms. She is brilliant. Could not live with the mess during the redo!


Products used:
Vintaj - Flying Bird West, Artisan Heart, Blossom Bead Cap, Altered Blank Rectangle, Scarab Charm, T-Shirt Altered Blank.

Ranger - Melting Pot, small piece of Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Clear UTEE, Bronze UTEE, Gold UTEE, Tim Holtz Fired Brick Distress EP, Lettuce Adirondack EP, Antiquities Verdigris


So, have a great weekend.

Stay safe and be good to each other!

Linda

Cabinet Cards from Kansas

Well Judy and I had a great time in Kansas at Stampers Ink.

Tanya and Corrina were a hoot! Extremely fun gals. Corrina and I share a whole lot of things we like.

The store is big and FULL of things to buy....I LOVED the drawer full of cabinet cards! They are something I am always on the lookout for. The little gal here is from the ton of cards Tanya has. Don't you love the Cupie Doll?

We talked and talked and talked......all the way to and from Shawnee!!! We had great weather all the way until we hit the Kansas City limits...and then it was a torrential downpour!

BUT we persevered and on we went. We had the ATC class that night and you would not believe the different little pieces that came from that class.

We met some really talented people.

By far, one of my favorites was from Antoinette! Oh my word is that gal talented!!!! You would not believe the pieces she created in class...........brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! And she's One of Our Finest in Uniform, a Veteran! God love her!!!

We had a mother and daughter duo in the 2 canvas classes.....I am horrible with names. So wish I had remembered my camera. It was safe and sound at the hotel...duh!

Anyway, they went to Michael's on the lunch break and came back with 2 fantastic 8x8 black shadow boxes that fit the projects perfectly!!! They were so happy...and I think they were amazed at how cool their canvases looked in the frames. They put their Artful Dwellings in theirs.

So off I went...and I actually found 8x8 black shadow boxes at WalMart!!! Eight bucks! Can you believe it? They fit perfect, and look so nice on the wall. (the glare is bad here, but the glass keeps your piece dust free!!!)

So if anyone has taken these classes from me.....here's a great idea on how to display your work!!!

I am ready to go to Scrapaganza now!!!!!!!!! Cannot wait to see my old buddies there! I was born across the river in Rock Island, so we always love it when we can go and drive in familiar territory.

(At least I do)

The Metal Embossed Canvas class is sold out, but I think there are a couple of seats left in the Chunky ATC.

Hope to see you there!!!!

Linda

Soccer is in their BLOOD!

It's gonna be a busy place around here for awhile.

Now there's 2 girls in Soccer, mom's doing her masters, dad's band is practicing 2 nights a week, Erin's on 2 teams and in jazz band and jr. hi band....though she's only in 5th grade, then there's all the practices for games.........and I'm trying to get classes kitted up with 3 more new classes coming up!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEW! Not enough hours in the day!!!!!!!

But I wouldn't miss it for the WORLD! This is about the age her dad started playing. And she loves it.

Miss Erin is in the ZONE here, getting ready to hit the field. They had a SUPER game! She played against her bff Dee. At one time they were both in goal. Fun game.

She's not much into getting her picture taken today....so we'll move on to Em.

She never gives up and she's always after the ball......even when she's on defense.........she's following the ball to the goal. She did better at playing her position 2nd half.

This was our defense in the 4th quarter..........it's been a long day with school starting and all. PRICELESS!!!!

"Boy, all that  running 1st half really wore me out, how "bout you?" 

"Yeah, maybe we should sit down and rest for awhile since they're on the other end of the field."

"Or we could discuss strategy for a bit.....that number 8 is really fast. You mark up with her on the throw-in next time....."

So much fun. And they grow up so fast.

Love them to pieces.

Linda

All 3 New Classes for Fall!

The week has really flown by. Putting together 3 new classes for a deadline, writing instructions, taking and editing pictures, ordering supplies, typing up student supply lists and store lists.

And getting ready for Stamper's Ink classes in Shawnee, Kansas along the way took some time, too.

Judy and I are ready to go!!!! So look out Kansas....we'll be seeing you on Friday!!!

Here is a really bright and cheerful 6x6 canvas that's got the new Cabinet Card Die and others to create a fun wall hanging to give as a gift or keep for yourself. Each flower has 5 layers of material to create dimension. Love the colorful Poppy Fields here from Graphic 45.

The surprise is the lighter paper I used here. Who remembers what saved the Trio from the affects of the Poppies in the Wizard of Oz? Well ....... perhaps that's what's on the surprise paper here under the flowers.

This class has the new Canvas Corp papers in it plus many Tim Holtz products that make a very fun Standing Curio. This is the most asked-for class I've had since I made one of these for Tim's booth at CHA. You can see we have some Metal on the top, too!!!

This class is so fun. And you can really make it your own with your personal photos if you like.




This is another peek at the Standing Curio class. The bottom of the box has several pieces of ephemera. I LOVE how the new t!m stamp for the Little Labels collection fits perfectly on the little vial.

I LOVE these Tool Caddys! I have 3 on my desk to keep track of different sets of tools. If I'm really good and put them back where they belong each time, (what I tell my kids, right?) I can always find the right tool when I need it!  .................RIGHT!

I spend half of my life looking for something.........every day. Anyway, this is a kind of "get your feet wet" class. Make something you'll enjoy every day that's a good starter experience if you've not done this kind of work before. You'll see how much fun it is to combine papers, paints, wood, metal and glue!!!

And yes, that's embossed Metal Foil Tape on the front! COOL stuff! AND my favorite Steampunk Debutante from Graphic 45 all around the box plus the Staples Metal Flowers. The back is as cool as the front!

The 3 new classes are scheduled for Creative Cuts and Crafts and Memory Bound right now. The boxes are hard to get for the Standing Curio, so the size will be limited. Get your place early, cause I won't be able to add more spots.

Check out the sidebar for links.

Linda

I'm so lovin' these colors in this..............

...............here is a peek at one of the fall classes coming up.

I really love the combination of these colors!!!

The die cut flowers from various materials are so fun to stamp on.

And you cannot beat the gorgeous papers from Graphic 45....oh, yeah!

It's a whole lot cooler here today. Clouds in the sky making it overcast, which is fine with me.

Went to the see Alex in "The Music Man" yesterday in Moline and enjoyed a sold out performance. Great fun and had lunch with SIL and Rudy's Enchiladas for late dinner.

Riding around the Quad Cities,  we remembered certain buildings and areas from childhood and early adulthood.

Bare-Butt Beach where the Rapid City River Rats (my husband) spent summer days.

Sunset Marina where I boated with friends.

The Hennepin Canal and Steel Dam where we fished as kids.

Downtown Rock Island where we sandbagged during the '65 flood.

The Centennial Bridge where my dad took the 1st toll, (wish I had that picture that was in the paper).

Petersen-Harden-Von Mar's old building where they had gorgeous Christmas windows full of miniature scenes.

The Roller Dams at the Government Bridge that have churned for decades.

The Davenport grain bin that blew up years ago and could be heard for miles .

River Road and KSTT studios where you could see "Spike at the Mike" broadcasting live in his studio.

The Wonder Bread factory....and the smell of fresh bread!

East Davenport and the Firehouse from John Bald's painting with kids sledding in the park.

The fantastic manors along river drive on the hills.........huge homes overlooking the River.

The Le Claire locks and backwater where we spent many, many a lazy afternoon on our boat with the kids swimming and skiing on the River.

Green Gables and River Road, the Le Claire Drystack where we watched our boat hundreds of times get set in the drystack after the lift took it out of the water.

Over the bridge and home....how many times have we driven that drive back and forth over 25 years?

Time REALLY does fly. Good times.

Linda and Bill

A Little Bit of This and That....

RANGER has some product boards up on the blog today. I see 3 projects of mine on them. Bet you can't guess which ones are mine. A hint....one is cut and rolled and layered and shrunk.


I'm getting ready to go to Stamper's Ink next Friday for 3 fun classes !!!! Things are pretty well packed as far as kits go.

And I'm bringing my stash of Cornish Heritage Farms Stamps with me...I LOVE THEM. Tanya recently bought them out. Fabulous quality red rubber stamps. You can play with them in class if you want.


Judy and I are going to Kansas!!! She's a lot more fun than Toto, Dorothy.

And in the mean time, I'm wracking my old brain to put together the 3 fall classes for Elmhurst and Ankeny. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE going to Creative Cuts and Crafts and Memory Bound. Two are done....third is on my worktable. Check the dates on the sidebar.

The one that is done is the Standing Curio that I've had so many people as me to do for a class. I finally got the supplies and we're going to pull it off!!! Embossed metal, wood, paint, wire, bottles and vintage nails....did I say nails?

Sneak Peek!      This is the upper 3rd of the Curio.  The bottom is full of ephemera.

I hear the boxes of new stuff coming in is OVERWHELMING....so get out there and check out the things coming in at your stores! Keep them going, be good to them. I love Michael's and Hobby Lobby, but can they show you HOW to do something, work with a product, DEMO something you're interested in?????

I ask you.........what would it be like WITHOUT your hometown store....it's not a pretty picture.

OK....down from the soapbox.

Next..........if you want to see an OUTSTANDING tutorial of Faux Crazed Porcelain...check out Shelly Hickox blog here, or the Inspiration Emporium blog here. Leave her some love. IT IS SO COOL!