Townscape Christmas Standup Tag

There's no sunshine in the city today. Just rain, and more freezing rain tonight. So, there's not a very good picture today, but it's the best I could do.

Here's a fun way to show off your little Christmas tags. I started with the manila tag that I'd Distress Inked with Concord and Sapphire and a bit of Marmalade in the middle. Spray with Perfect Pearls Mist Forever Violet. When dry emboss with snowflakes (these are a Cuttlebug set-don't have Tim's...but they would do, too).

Sand a bit of the snowflakes off and highlight with a white pen. I used a Sharpie Poster Pen as it has a soft tip and a pen will smoosh down the embossing.

Then the little snowman is on Ten Second's Studio Peacock metal. LOVE this color. I embossed it in the Snowman Texture Plate from Tim and after sanding and using the steal brush on him, I cut him out . Simple, heh?

The TownScape is a piece of the metal tape again that I mounted onto heavy manila cardstock before I cut it out on the die. This makes it more stable. Then take a refiner tool, and decorate the houses. Using Alcohol Inks, I painted the little houses and sidewalks using a brush.

You can make them as elaborate as you like. Cut the house strip wider than your tag, and add it with a small piece of the metal tape at the sides. Bow it out and the back of the card so it will stand up. I added an oval piece of chipboard on the bottom for support.

The Star is a piece from Maya Road painted and Glittered with Martha's Crystal Fine White glitter. Glue your card to the star and add Texture Paste around the townhouses.

I cut the Snow Flurries out with the metal tape, and added to the top of the card only gluing the very top to the card. Bend the snowflakes out for affect. Detail it with some Turquoise Stickles. Paint some Grungeboard or Chipboard letters and accent with the Stickles. Assemble with glue and pop dots.

Tie a matching metal edged ribbon in the top and it's ready for the coffee table!

This is our little Star, Emma the Ham Hock! She's still so proud of the missing tooth! The Christmas Program always is a treat.

Mommy and Daddy got her to stop moving for a moment afterwards for a family picture. Erin was up in the choir loft with her friends. You've got to get the shots when you can.

So, that's it for me for the week. Have a great weekend. To my Midwest friends, stay warm and safe. Stay in and play along with Tim and the Christmas tags. It's gonna be ugly out there tomorrow! Yuck!

Linda

Vintaj Brass and the Cuttlebug

Before the Dragonfly is added...the inks and brass are hard to get a good pic of with glare changing the colors.....brass looks silver here...but ink colors are more accurate.

Jess from Vintaj sent me some brass a couple of months ago. It's really cool plates that are 3x3 and various other sizes. I drew a blank.

She has said it can go through the Cuttlebug and get embossed. I was skeptical to say the least. This stuff is HEAVY!

Well, I'm here to report, I was really wrong!!!! THIS STUFF IS SOOOO COOL!

You just send it through the Cuttlebug and it works!!! AMAZING!!!

After you emboss, use Alcohol Inks in various bright colors and a paint brush to color the recessed areas. Add tiny drops of Blending Solution to create cool affects. I also used some Metallic Mixative Gold on the blank and the Dragonfly. Sand off the numbers to remove any unwanted ink.

I glued the blank to chipboard to raise it. The little wooden box was painted with Landscape Green from Claudine Hellmuth's collection, and aged with Distress Inks.

The papers are from the 7Gypsies 6x6 pack Gypsie Market. VERY COOL papers.

I traced and cut each section, added stamps and distress ink and glued to the box with Matte Multi-Medium from Claudine. When dry, add another layer of the medium to seal.

The Dragonfly is glued with Crafter's Pick. I used a dry brush technique to add the Gold Mixative. Love how that worked out.

Enjoy the weekend....Soccer Tournament for Erin. Should be good weather if the fields dry out a bit!

Best Friends

When my friend Fran moved to South Carolina, Bill and I decided to drive down and see her new home. We loved the south and the gorgeous flowers, the homes, and of course the history.

This is a picture taken at a Southern Plantation down my the river. The tour was wonderful. The flowers were everywhere and the butterflies really enjoyed them. It was overcast, so a sunny shot was not in order, but I still love the picture.

This is using the new Petaloo flowers and Mon Ami papers from Creative Imaginations. They are so beautiful. A perfect combination that practically puts themselves together.

We also got some great news.....Jeff and Ann sold the house!!!!!!!!!!! In less than a week, they had accepted an offer and on their way to the bank. WOW! All the hard work seems to have paid off....moving end of MARCH!!!! You know what that means.....Advil!

One More Sleep...then CHA!

First of all, I made a case to carry my jewelry when I travel a few years ago. It was actually a brushed metal case that a wallet came in for my husband.

I made it very early on in my days of Metal, and it needed to be updated. So, after looking to pack it, and thinking...YUCK! I ripped it apart and started over.

This is the PLUM metal from Ten Seconds Studio. LOVE the way it comes out after you use the steel brush tool on it. 15 Minutes, I'm not kidding, that's all this took. And YES, when I get back we'll be doing a smaller one with embellies for a class.

SECOND....go check out Tim's blog, like you haven't already!!! PAPERS!!! OMG, PAPERS!!! And I LOVE them ALL!!!!!!

TOO COOL....like I always say....BRILLIANT!!!!! The man is Brilliant!!!

Tomorrow...Up, Up, and Away! (hopefully) Will do my best to upload a few pictures! Otherwise...talk to you when I get back.

Create ART!

The Finger Is Healed

I never showed you what I was working on when I sewed through my fingertip, did I?

It was definitely one of the most "Oh, %#*@!" moments of my life.

Anyhoo, it finally grew out. And it really never hurt too much. So today, after Emma was reunited with mom, dad, puppie and her own room, I broke out the wine, the chocolates the kids brought me, and took down the Grungeboard I had been sewing that day.

Here's a peek at the patchwork I had put together along with a Ten Seconds Studio flower cut with the Spellbinders flowers and added Dimensional Pearls and PP. Then the secret ingredient...UTEE!!!!

The GB has been run through the Cuttlebug, Distress Inked, and sprayed with the Mini Misters and Perfect Pearls. Then I cut it into pieces and sewed like a patchwork quilt and zig-zagged with smoke colored nylon thread.

It definitely was fun.....until the blood started to flow!!!!!!!!! Ha!

More snow here tonight, can't wait for Anaheim and warmer weather at CHA!

P.S. I hear from a little birdie that TSS has some FABULOUS new colors coming out soon......stay tuned!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! UPDATE

UPDATE: Yes, Penny there is a Santa Claus....a tutorial for this card is on the Creative Imaginations Blog....jump over there and enjoy!!!!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. Today will be filled with wrapping paper, children, adults ACTING like children, and wine. Several glasses of wine. Ha!

Love them all and can't wait to get started. Bill has been busy making cookies...his favorite and specialty are Turtle Cookies. They go very fast.

Michelle's birthday cake was soooooo good. German Chocolate and Peppermint Ice Cream on the side. Bill did a great job there, too!

So be well everyone and this is my Christmas Card to all of you...using some Creative Imaginations Papers, Tim Holtz Stamps and Distress Inks, a Creative Cafe card, Embossing Powder and lots and lots of pen marks!!!!

A few Rhinestones were added as a last ditch effort to save the card! Ha! Thanks Linda B for the critique. VERY good point, I must say.

Think I'll go have some more cake............

Display Board for Cuttlebug

Friday DH and I decided to take a trip back to the QC's and have dinner with my daughter and her husband. Of course, you can't go somewhere and not SHOP for STUFF.

So, I went to the new digs for Scrapaganza in Davenport, Iowa!!!! WOW!!!! Cool new shop location and TONS of stuff. Got some more Studio 490 stamps, Idea-ology Foliage, Graphic 45 and 7Gypsies papers! Cha-ching!

And some gal named Wendy was teaching there....HA! Surprised her and disrupted the class, but they'll get over it.

Anyhoo, I was trying to tell Kelly about the wonders of the Cuttlebug and we agreed that I'd just send a display board picture with some cool things it does. So here's a peek at the project. AND I got info on high authority, that they are NOT, repeat NOT going to stop making the Cuttlebug embossing folders.

Grungeboard, thin metal, thin Chipboard, TSS metal, paper, Maya Mists, Distress Inks....just a sampling of the prospects.

Enjoy....Create ART.

15 Minute Money Card

How impressed are 15 year old boys with a card? I mean...Really. But I'll bet Alex likes this one with a check inside! Ha! And the 2x3 slider tin can keep small treasures after the money is gone.

The really cool thing about this.....it took 15 minutes to make...I KID YOU NOT!

I'm off to the Post Office and to shop! I've got the rest of the day!

Create ART!

Small Studio Productions Collage

Here is the 1st collage from Small Studio Productions!!!! Can you spot her wonderful things????

It started with the black 3 hole cubbie...sooooooo easy to put together, and you get 2 in a pack! Then the bird is too cute! Cover him with paper, stamp, add a picture and ta-da! LOVE IT!

The numbers, black leaf ribbon and the large chipboard house are from SSP. The house is one of 7 in the 7Gypsies Home Sweet Home pack.

THEN....we had to have some vintage pictures!!! So the Paper Imagery Designs little ones are here, too!!! Delightful!!! Three are behind Fragments and the little guy in the bird is not.

AND PID is taking Pre-Orders for Tim Holtz's NEW STUFF on the blog!!!! Yes.....go take a look, and a discount, too! MY ORDER IS IN!

There are many more things too numerous to name, but you know you can ask if you're curious!

UPDATE: The metal behind the children is tape run through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder and several colors of alcohol inks are added...and sanded...and added...and sanded...till you get what you like! Simple as that! (It's a sickness...)

One World One Heart

Here is a great opportunity to get to know other artists! Take a look at all those participating!!!! Enter a comment and we will have a winner of an embossed metal pin with a Fragment and Avery. ....AND we'll send along a couple of jewels to make you smile.
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The vintage image???? Well a from Paper Imagery Designs, of course! The metal Ten Seconds Studio and an Embossing Folder.
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In case you don't know what OWOH is, you can read about it here. This is a great way for everyone to get to know more artists that are in the blogging community.

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Place a comment on this post in order to have a chance at winning. Make sure I know how to contact you if you win. The contest closes February 11, and we will pick a winner in the morning on Feb. 12.

Good Luck.