The weekend is here...

I'm sure like most of you the weekdays take up your time with a job. Not much time for creating. So when the weekend gets here you want to get to that creative outlet. That is me, at least this weekend. I have my manila tags all ready.
I'm looking forward to working with my Tim Holtz collection of stamps. I have had them for some time, though haven't cracked them out for a while now.

It is still actually summer and the weather is nice and sunny. So I will be using some of my general stamps.

Though I also have the lovely birds and butterflies that will more than likely make their way onto some of the tags this weekend.

 

Stay tuned for pictures of what I create. Have a great weekend everyone.

Reenergized and reorganized

Hello,
This last weekend was a refreshing, reenergizing step to get back into my creative side. I organized a lot of my Ranger/Tim Holtz products.
I had some unused shelves I put up and now all of my paint Dabbers, distress ink pads, Distress Stickes.

Adirondack Ink and Distress Re-inkers. Can never have enough.

A bit more organized, labeled all of my Distress Ink pads. Yes I have a large number of them.

 

Looking forward to get into using my many Tim Holtz collection, like these for Halloween. With these hot summer days, looking forward to Autumn and the chill in the air and everything that comes with it.

 

 

Come back often, as there will be more to share. The creativity is just getting started.

Journals - using Grunge Paper

I have been creating like crazy these past couple months. I use note books and journals for so many different reasons; daily to do lists, idea journal, journal of quotes and so on. I started creating my own. These are some of the ones that I use. I am now giving you a chance to order: build your own journal, in five easy steps. You make the selections and I will create your one of a kind journal just for you.

For each journal I use 80 lb paper, great for everyday journaling, sketching, drawing and so on. This paper is hand torn and the journal will have a total of 180 pages. The cover is made using grunge paper; a durable compressed flexible sheet of material. I have been told by past customers that it feels like leather. It will be ink stained with the color of your choice. The journal will have velcro closure and accents with Idea-Ology staples from Tim Holtz. The staples are hammered flat so no worry of things getting snagged on them.

Contact me for a pricing list. If you're ready to get started building your own journal send me an e-mail with the answers to the 5 questions below and I will send you an invoice through PayPal for your order. Though if you have other questions prior to ordering, leave a comment here or send me an e-mail. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Let's get to building.
1) Choose your journal size: Mini - 3" x 2", Small - 4" x 3", or Medium - 5" x 4".

2) Choose your journal color: Select one of the stain colors from the photo below.3) Choose your spind binding: Select one of the binding stitches from the photos below.


4) Choose your thread color(s): Select one of the colors from the photo below, unless you choose the Barber pole binding select two colors. 5) Choose your Staple accent: Select from criss cross, 1st photo, or zig zag, 2nd photo.


Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to working with you to create your one of a kind journal. One of these journals could be yours.
Happy Journaling!

Destiny...

This week work, my day job, has been crazy. My creative side needs some attention. So maybe this weekend I will have some time. Hoping!!
Though I have been pondering this:

Do you think things happen for a reason? Even though you might not understand or agree with what is happening at the time.

My Configuration….

Woohoo, it’s finished, for now. All the parts and pieces came together. It feels great when a project you’ve wanted to get finished for the last month or so finally gets done. And now I can enjoy the finished product, ok so who's project is actually ever really finished. I may add a bit here and there later on. Sharing it with you all, my blog readers.

I started by taking some old ledger pages from a book and tearing them into strips. Which I then distressed with many of my Tim Holtz ink pads. I used different rubber stamps to add some interest and whimsy. I then took these pieces of paper and glued them to the outside of the lid. I just couldn’t part with all that Tim Holtz paper for the outside.

Though I used many different pieces of his Lost and Found papers on the inside, to collage the boxes.
The clear plastic cover has a little glare on it. So here are some closer shots without the cover.

I have a large stash of these frozen charlotte dolls that I was able to find just the right sized to include in my collage.

The stamped metal in the middle reads "roses do not have to be red". I am more partial to yellow myself. To give the metal a little distress/aged look. I took one of the fillable pens of black alcohol inks and scribbled in the letterings. Took a bit of blending solution and lightly dabbed the black off the flat part of the metal. Used a bit of sand paper to dull some of the metal and tahdah. Between some Luv and Happy.

Same thing for this "look in to the future" metal piece. I had to add a crystal, but how. Well this one has a hole at the top. So I took some wire and looped it through the hole and bent the wire to a 90 degree angle. Flipped the box upside down to glue the wire to the top of the box. So that my crystal would dangle and move. As you try and look in to the future.

For the outside I added a bit of tissue tape to four old thread spools. Then glued them to the bottom for the collage feet.

I hope you enjoy the many photos. If so please leave a comment and let me know what you like. I always enjoy hearing from my readers. Or follow my blog, as I will continue to bring even more creative creations through out the year.

Alcohol Inks light up

Hello readers. I worked on creating this soldered chandelier a while back. But it was just recently that I revamped the bling dangling from it.

I had purchased these little glass charm bottles in different shapes a while back as well. Sitting around one day my light bulb went on.

Alcohol Inks would work great on these glass charms to color.

I then figured I’d have enough that I could hang them from the different loops on my chandelier. It creates a great ambiance hanging in the corner of my living room.

It makes me

Just a little something I thought I would share. While I'm working on finishing up some other projects on my plate.

Have a Nice Day.

Frozen Charlotte dolls and heads

I was fortunate to come across a great lot of these dolls and the heads.

These are a great piece to use in any of your 3D collages that you might do. Or in my case jewelry I might create. I made this lovely bottled angel doll using one of the charlotte doll heads.

Though what if you have a flat canvas or board that you want to add one of these charlotte heads to. Well, that came to my mind. So I thought about it and…. Resin or Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. I have created several molds of these doll heads using Knead a Mold. I let the molds set up. Then mixed the two part resin together and poured into a mold. Making sure it stays level for the resin to harden with a flat back. So I set it aside and it’s usually a couple days later that I come back to it. Pop it out of its mold. I get this clear doll head with a flat back.

Just right for gluing to a creative block or such. Though what fun is a clear faced and haired doll head. Thinking this further, I pulled out my stash of Alcohol Inks from Tim Holtz Adirondack line. Using the new fill able pens, I colored the dolls. Here are just a couple examples of the first ones that I had done.

On the back I colored one with a solid silver color. The other I left alone. The sky is the limit with these dolls.

I am working on a couple creations using these dolls. So stay tuned to see that I do with them.

Happy Birthday Sister

You are gone but not forgotten. You are a part of why I bring out my creative side, life is short. You have to find time to do the things you love to do. It is an interesting fact I found out earlier this week. Yours is a special day that you share with Tim Holtz. Happy Birthday to you both.
Ok, in my life I have come to a realization things happen for a reason. Even the things you so badly didn’t want to happen. It’s not until many years later that I realized the path my life was taking, was leading me to where I am today. Right where I should be. I’m sure everyone has those “what if” thoughts and moments in their life.

Even in my creating, I have done a lot of over thinking in the past. That “what if” I use these colors or put this paper there or use this stamp on that. There is some thought to what you’re creating. Though now in my creating I stand in front of my supplies in my studio and ask myself “what do I want to work with today?” Pull those supplies or tools out on my table and start at it. As far as what goes where, I don’t know until I come to it and put it down somewhere. I already over think too much stuff in my life. When I create I want to get away from that side of my brain. That is what I want to continue to work on for this year. So my What if is going out the window. Just do it, is knocking at my door.

I am sharing some of my newest creations that I've worked on. Tag size #8 is the perfect size to work on. You can create back grounds on these to then combine into signatures for a journal book, for a great size to carry around with you. Putting those thoughts and ideas down on paper when they come to you. I also like these tags for when I am done I scan them into my computer. Print them off in small picture form. To put between two pieces of glass and solder to finish it off. Now I have a mini master piece I can carry around with me and share with people. I will share some photos of my pendants that I create from these creations.

Stickles are great. Before stickles I steered clear of glitter. this tag I used Diamond stickles to bling out the blue rays at the top.

Now on to starting my configuration. It has been sitting on my shelf for the last couple weeks. Though I have been gathering my ephemera and such to go inside.

I'll leave you with this thought.
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and of unspeakable love.

12 days of Christmas Tree

So are you surprised. Two posts in one day. I worked on getting my ornaments on to my tree. It is a metal tree that I have hanging on my main door. No need for floor or table space. It's great when you don't have much of that to spare.
So enjoy the photo I took of all the fabulous ornaments. I would like to thank all the great artists who came together for this Ornament swap. I had lots of fun creating my ornament. And the anticipation of opening each ornament once they are received was well worth it.
Now getting to enjoy the holiday spirit every time I look at my ornament tree.
Happy Holidays to all!

12 days of Christmas Ornament

Hello there,
I know it has been a Looonnnnnnggggg time since blogging. My day job along with other activities have kept me busy. Though I thought I would share with you the ornament I made as part of an ornament swap I was in. I chose Four Calling Birds