Simon Says Monochromatic on Monday...

Oh lordy... after many failed attempts, this is my offering to the craft-goddesses at Simon Says Stamp for a monochrome project:

In reality, this tag has been in the works for over a month, as they often are. It started taking form, however, on Saturday when I added the nurse from an old Childcraft book.  (I know-- many people think that is terrible, so in case any of you are gasping, let me calm you by saying I've rescued and repaired more books than anyone in my town, besides the handful of retired librarians! It's all good!)

Anyway, this will go to a friend of mine who is an RN and a kick-a$$ mom. I just saw this nurse with the thermometer and these words just came to mind! Don't get me wrong: I am definitely a parent who worries (a lot, my kids would say) and feels concern when my kids get hurt-- heck, I still cry when my teen gets hit with a pitch!-- but there are occasions where someone's whining about a stubbed toe and I spit out a tired, "You're fine..."  It's mom-language.

Enough chit-chat.

Supplies:

• Library card base sprayed with Dylusions spray in Lemon Zest, then Distress Spray in Black Soot through a Heidi Swapp stencil
• The trim at bottom is from a sale rack at Michael's 3+ years ago
• Accented the stencil with Stickles in Black Diamond
• Sentiment typed with the old typewriter then dipped into a pool of Black Soot, diluted. I also outlined the words with a Sharpie because they weren't bold enough-- they were getting lost
• The black hemp twine is from my stash and the yellow bead (I presume) came from my daughter's craft box... I had picked it up last week and it was right there, ready to be used

Cheers!

How I see it...

No, I wont get political here... I was going to share how I see the current As You See It  challenge:

Ewww... I need to wipe those fingerprints!!!

Here's the sketch (which I rotated and then shifted the designs to the left because of the way the shoe faced):

Supplies:

• The green strip is cut from a heavily used paper stencil (Heidi Swapp).  I am trying to reduce my stash, but as I was thinning my stuff, I was like, "That is cool... I'm going to use that!"
• The stiletto was from a Sizzix/G45 collaboration set that I bought specifically because I wanted the shoe! It was stamped in Tim's Ground Espresso
• The gold trim is from a Martha Stewart decoupage pack I found on sale about a year ago
• The sentiment is from a $3 pack from Target a year or two ago, also stamped in Ground Espresso

This card has a great mix of old and new, if I do say so myself!

My 1st "Tag, you're it!"

I make tags 75% of the time, so it's high time I play at Tag, You're It!  It is a CAS tag challenge, so I hope they don't banish me to the island of misfit scrappers-- I don't do much that's "clean"!

Here is my tag:

Here is the tag inspiration for the current challenge:

Supplies and notes:

• Library catalog card for the base...check out the book title... BONUS POINTS!  I coated the card roughly with Tim's Distress Vintage Collage Medium and edged it with ColorBox Chalk in Creamy Brown
• I used one of Tim's stamps of the flag, which I first stamped into Ground Espresso from my big Tim Holtz Mixed Media ink pad, then second-gen stamped onto another old library catalog card for a more faded version 
• The second-gen flag was coated with Tim's Distress Crazing Collage Medium and set aside.  Later, when dried and crackled, I "colored" it gently with Distress Crayons in Festive Berries, Chipped Sapphire, and Picket Fence, then smudged it in with a damp finger.  I may have licked my finger to smudge.  Don't remember.  Eventually, I popped this flag up with dimensional, but before that, I...
• ...used some red, white, and blue ribbon from my stash and soaked it in a mixture of Distress Stain in Vintage Photo and good mountain water, then let it dry in the sun.  When dry it was attached to the tag with two gold Recollections brads.

I'll take this moment on Memorial Day weekend to share my gratitude for all the people serving in the United States military, and recognize that many have paid the ultimate price serving and protecting not only United States citizens and interests, but also those around our small world.  The best way to show respect to those who have died is to honor them, and support their friends and family here.  I, personally, will drink a toast to those who have died, and I hope to attend the annual service in our small town cemetery.  

Thank you... x6

A colleague requested a handful of thank you cards to hand out at the end of the school year... and once inspiration struck, this is what I came up with!  (I know this is nothing new, but maybe some of you will be inspired to get some simple cards busted out... there should be a blog called "Get-'er-done" for serious quick CAS cards!)

(This is one of my faves of the set)

(This one would be a good, quick sympathy card with the right colors...)

Supplies:

• I stamped the three stamps (Tim's doily, Rubber Stampede flower, Dyan's stars) into MementoLuxe in Tuxedo Black
• NOTE: the flower stamp was made even more "grungy" a few years ago when Millie, the hound, was a pup.  Back when I was crafting in the kitchen, she found a box of rubber stamps as she was cutting her adult teeth... oh man, she went to town.  Destroyed a bunch, but this flower stamp was actually improved by her gnawing! 
  
• Loew Cornel watercolors were used and I chose the combinations by just looking at the palette and grabbing "three in a row" cakes!
• The "thank you" was hand-written with a Tombow dual-tip

I'll share these at the following challenges... 

• Addicted to CAS: Petals (on two of these)
  
• CASology #199: Fast... I made these fast!  
  
• I was also going to add at Left of Center: Stars, but these are pretty "square"!  Nothin' funky going on here!

North of heaven, south of Santa Fe...

(Fyi, I'm going to just get this posted via my phone. I live in a resort town and all summer and during holiday weekends the internet tanks!!!)

Or I'm thinking some old Marty Robbins...

Here's my creation for the current Shopping Our Stash Challenge: Anything but a card...

And, oh, by the way, I'm now on the SOS Design Team!!!  I'm pretty excited-- this is the first time I've had the urge to apply for a DT, and SOS is great because it's what I do!-- I shop my stash!  Wheeeeeee!  I start to "work" for the first challenge in June, so I'll see you at SOS on June 7th!

Supplies and notes for this project:

• The house box is from Target's Hand Made Modern line... it was on clearance after xmas last year!
• I plastered it kind of loosely with Teresa Collins Modeling paste.  I thought to stamp into the "wet" paste... when it was too dry!  I got one little part with one of Tim's doily stamps... see above
• When everything was dry, I sprayed with Glimmer Mist in Harvest Orange (my first ever Glimmer Mist... been in my stash for years...)
• For the roof, I used Tim's StampAnon Tiles stencil with his new crazing medium over top.  (I had read the latest post at One Lucky Day and woke up today with the intention of trying this while roof technique.)  I took Paula's advice and walked away... went to the craft fair with my MIL.  Came back (with a new vase and a mini-pitcher) and scribbled some Walnut Stain crayon over the crazing and daubed with a damp sponge.  
• I built the door and window frames with the old packaging from seam binding (more stuff  I just stash...), and I painted it with DI in Seedless Preserves
• I used a "used" paper Heidi Swapp stencil as the window grates over some photo paper treated with various Adirondack Alcohol Inks
• The ladder and beams were built with scraps of wood from the area my husband was splitting firewood in the fall
• Various Distress paints were used to paint the greenery. The cactus by the door in was made from a green paper flower that I cut the petals from. 

I'd also like to share this at Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday, AG. 

(I'll edit and add captions when I can use my computer!!!)

Light a candle for me...

Here's a cool tag:

Supplies and notes:

• The library card was resultant from playtime.  It was sprayed with Dylusions spray in Postbox Red and Sunshine, through Tim's StampAnon Stripes stamp
• The Virgin was ripped off of a candle under my sink... I had a hose come undone under the sink and I had to do some unplanned under-the-sink cleaning... this candle itself was thrashed, so I tore the label off. How could I toss this.  (Rhetorical... not even going to put a question mark.) So I glued it to this card.
• The orange pom poms came from a magical find at a thrift store recently... yards and yards of it.  Who would give that away... that person should feel ashamed.
• The stars are totally vintage stars found in an old desk in the school library... they're gummed!  Like, old-school stars that teachers had to lick to stick!  What??? Gold.
• The pom pom hanging trim was from a Tuesday Morning purchase... some of my fave stuff... I always say that...

I'd like to share this at the following three challenges:

• STAMPlorations May MM + Stencil challenge
  
• Left Of Center #131: Stars
• Anything But Cute: Celebrate Your Style... This was the first month I'd ever entered into an ABC challenge, but here I've entered twice because this is one of those pieces that I am like, "YES... I wish I could duplicate this and send it to everyone I know..."  It is definitely "me"-- the bright pom-poms, religious art, bright warm colors, grungy...

Wicked Wednesday: Sea Creatures

Awww... of course I had to play with the current Wicked Wednesday Challenge: Sea Creatures.  I frequently called my recently deceased mastiff Buca a sea creature... she had the baggiest jowels...

Anyway, here is my ATC:

And just for fun, here's a card I made of Buca after she died.  It was excellent therapy...

(I'll add a pic tomorrow when I get to the shack...)

Supplies and notes:

• Library card base, leftover from playtime... I think it had been smooshed with a pink and a green Distress Ink, then sprayed with oodles of gold Perfect Pearl mist, then dabbed and dried it
• Meer Images stamp of a skeleton mermaid, but I only used the tail
• I covered the tail with various Stickles and blue Liquid Pearls
• The darker yarn was bulk, and the bright green yarn is Martha Stewart.  I adhered it with Elmer's craft-bond
• Additional texture provided from Pebeo sand and Liquitex glass bead paste
• The wire is Darice

Tic-Tac-Toe

I made this cutie last weekend for Stamping Smiles Tic Tac Toe #10:

Here's the board:

I wasn't just "oozing" art onto paper here... this was a case of "get 'er done," but I love the colors, and it is a style I believe the recipient will like-- and the new baby's nursery is mint and grey... plus, at the shower, somebody made her a mint and grey blanket with owls! :)

Supplies:

• Distress Ink in Evergreen Bough and Hickory Smoke daubed through a Martha Stewart stencil
• The gray punched circle is Core'dinations with a NBUS owl stamp. The pearls are actually Scribbles puff paint (!) and the sentiment was written with a Zig Emboss Writer. Owl and sentiment embossed with Recollections white EP
• Just gotta say, I think I need to round the corners...

Happy hello...

OMG, you guys, I have been so busy... the girls are both going different directions on their baseball/softball teams, school is loco with testing... I have a million projects going on for all kinds of friends.... how about a happy card I busted out last weekend?

So bright and happy!

Supplies and notes:

• I blotted the following Adirondack alcohol inks on to photo paper: Purple Twilight, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, along with silver mixative
• The hexagons were cut using a Fiskars punch
• The "hello" is a Thicker
• The yellow card base is from  Autumn at Sew-Paper-Paint... thanks!

I'd like to share this at the following challenges:

• Mod Squad: Use It or Lose It (My hex punch... I don't use it often but love it!)
• Simon Says, Wednesday: AG

Colour Q #341 + CASology

I don't think I've played at Colour Q in awhile.  Here's my card to play with the current challenge:

Here's the palette:

Supplies and notes:

• The main panel was inked with Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, and Dried Marigold DIs through a pretty Prima stencil 
• Liquid Pearls were then added around the edge
• The back panel is canvas paper from Royal Langnickel; I cut it with my scoring cutter for the rough/torn looking edge
• I used a new Wink of Luna brush in gold for the sentiment

Along with Colour Q, I'd also like to play with CASology... cuz, why not? Here's their current challenge graphic:

Unlike what I'd call "me," but this card is so pretty... I like the outcome a lot, and it will serve a good purpose as a retirement card... this one will go to the retiring speech aide.

Ready for retiform...

The current challenge at Mod Squad is to use the retiform technique:

If you are interested in specifics, look it up.  Basically, intersecting lines of ink (in this case) create a neat interwoven pattern.  It was fun to try.  I reminded me of a grade-school art project involving crayons and erasers.

Supplies and notes:

• This retiform was done on a piece of photo paper with the following DIs: Festive Berries, Scattered Straw, and Broken China.  (I thought I'd get more cool blending because I used primary colors, but I did not...)
• I rounded the corners of the panel with a Fiskars punch
• The little die pieces are from Heidi Swapp
• The black pearls are from Viva in Anthracite

This will go to a retiree at the school.  not sure which one yet... probably the man...

Spring-feeling...

I've got that spring feeling!  Finally!  Planted some annuals, hung some laundry outside, got the door to the craft-shack open...

This project has been in the works for a couple weeks.  I've been waiting for a quote to magically come along for me to type and place, but so far, nothing has been right.  If that ever happens, I'll add it to this post.  Until then... feast your eyes:

Supplies and notes:

• Started off with a scrap piece of chipboard, painted roughly with Liquitex gesso
• Once dry, I coated it with Iced Spruce and Pumice Stone Distress Stains.  
• I par-dried the stains with a heat tool, then sprinkled some Custer's Last Stamp EP in silver across it... it stuck to the damp areas well enough for me to slowly heat the underside of the chipboard to begin the adhering process, then I was able to go to town melting the top.
• I added the last of my small pieces (less than 12"x12") of chicken wire with some Recollections brads.  I also added some brads to random places.  
• The wood veneer birds are Studio Calico
• The bluebells were from JoAnn's.  (I actually sought these out after I saw THIS project over at Pawsitively Creative... I absolutely love them...)
• The satin seam binding is vintage, and I tried to dye it with DIs to match the flowers... I think I used Chipped Sapphire, Milled Lavender, and Victorian Velvet

I will share this at the following places:

• Corrosive Challenges #5: Spring
• Shopping Our Stash #251: April Showers Bring May Flowers
• Simon Says Wednesday: Flowers
• Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media in May

 

Wicked Wednesday #209

Here's my ATC for the current Wicked Wednesday challenge, "Circus Act":

Supplies and notes:

• Library card base inked with Dylusions in Cherry Pie and some peach-ish Glimmer Mist
• Some stripes textured on with Teresa Collins modeling past through a Tim Holtz/StampAnon stripes stencil.  I added some red Distress Crayon on the stripes and rubbed it around...
• The sticker is from K & Company 
• Red pearls are from Viva
• I used a Prima crackle stamp in Gathered Twigs Brushed Corduroy DI in the lower right, and I also edged the card surf that color (... just came to me that I did not use Gathered Twigs as I thought when I was hastily blogging!)
• I outlined the tag with Wink of Luna in gold
• Pom-poms and waxed twine from my stash

Thanks to the suggestion by Niki at Pawsitively Creative, I'll also share this at Anything But Cute... their 13th challenge is to"Celebrate Your Style," and this ATC celebrates my style in many ways: I love grungy + bright, I love sprays, I LOVE pom-poms, I love using up my stash, and I LOVE using library cards!

STAMPlorations May CAS

I took the May CAS challenge at STAMPlorations, and this is what I came up with:

Here is STAMPlorations' graphic:

Supplies and notes:

• Well, seldom does the project turn out how you envision it... I stenciled the circle too close to the edge and at the bottom!  I wanted it to be more top-center!  ... make lemonade...
• I used two stencils: a Martha Stewart circle and a Brett Weldele scribble stencil
• Ink: Dylusions spray in Funky Fuchsia
• The circle "Thank you" is from a cheapie stamp set... Recollections?  Studio G? I use it All. The. Time.  Jah bless the cheap stamps.  It was inked with the new Tim Holtz Mixed Media pad: Hickory Smoke
• The rotary stamps are from SU! and K & Company, rolled through the months of the school year.  Inked these also with Hickory Smoke. 
• This stamp-job is appropriate because this is for one of the volunteers in the library!  :)