A VINTAGE HEART

TAG TUESDAY-"Vintage"

2012-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here's my tag for the "Vintage" theme on the Tag Tuesday challenge blog. I found a wonderful, fun technique on the Splitcoast Stampers website for the background on my tag. I took pink chalk ink and rubbed it on the surface of one side of an embossing folder, and then placed my tag in the folder and ran it through my Big Shot machine. Here is a great video by Diana Gibbs, showing how it's done. (It shows up better in person than in the photo--shouldn't have chosen a dark pink background when I took the picture!) My buttons and pink seam binding and the little printed message are all truly vintage, and the rest is just "faux" vintage!

TAG TUESDAY-"White"

2012-01-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here's my tag for the weekly theme of "White" over at the TAG TUESDAY blog--everyone's tags are just so lovely--click on my link and pay them a visit!

GOTHIC ARCH-"New Beginnings"

2012-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Gothic Arches challenge is back--hooray! This week's theme is "New Beginnings" and this is my humble entry! (Sadly, my camera isn't the best, as it's old, and the glitter on my arch doesn't really show. The arch in the center is actually quite sparkly, and looks much better in person!)

TAG TUESDAY-"Snow Sports & Games"

2012-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Tag Tuesday is back! Here's my tag for this week's theme.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

Crazy Amigo Challenge- "Oh Christmas Tree"

2011-12-27T14:24:00.000-08:00

The challenge for this week at CAChallenge is to show at least one Christmas tree on your card . . . here's my little offering--I found this stamp at Archiver's in Boise a year ago--it was only a few dollars, so I bought it, and I just love the vintage "folksy" image on it; it makes me think of an old-fashioned Christmas at a cabin in the mountains, for some reason . . .

BLESSED HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL

2011-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

. . . Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. . .

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART-"Poinsettias"

2011-12-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

Finally got some time to play! The photo isn't great--didn't come out well, and the glitter doesn't show up that well, but I had to get something posted after such a dry spell! I took a piece of cardstock and colored it with Distress Inks, and then went from there . . . did it too fast, so it isn't perfect, that's for sure! The poinsettias are from K and Company. There are wonderful entries for this week's theme over at the Sunday Postcard Art blog! Hop on over there to see!

I Will Be Back Soon!!!

2011-12-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T14:38:00.001-08:00

GOTHIC ARCH-"The Color Green"

2011-11-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Here's my "green" arch for this week's challenge over at Kris' Gothic Arch Challenge

GOTHIC ARCH-"Witch"

2011-11-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here's my arch for this week's challenge--the theme is "WITCH" over at Kris' Gothic Arch Challenge. My "witch lady" is a beautiful free download from Land of Nod Studio's blog--the Bingo image is from Digital Collage Sheets, and the raven may be from The Graphics Fairy, but I'm not sure where I got it. Thank you, Kris, for hosting a new Gothic Arch challenge each week, as I've truly missed that challenge while it's been on hiatus. Be sure and visit Kris to see all of her fantastic art at both her blogs, Nostalgic Collage, and A Nostalgic Halloween. There's lots and lots of wonderful eye candy there!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Have a safe, fun, and happy, happy, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

GOTHIC ARCH-"Blue"

2011-10-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here's my arch for this week's theme of "Blue" over at Kris' Gothic Arch Challenge. My arch background was created using an arch I cut from a manilla folder--I stained it with China Blue Distress Ink. The gorgeous little girl image was purchased from Debrina at Land of Enchantment--I can't recommend Debrina's wonderful images highly enough--they are not only gorgeous, but very reasonably priced. You can find them at Paper Pixieland. The paper flowers are from one of K & Company's Ephemera Collections--I bought mine from JoAnn Fabrics. The words are cut out from an old (read "falling apart") children's fairy tale book. (I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the letters on the arch, so I haven't glued those on yet . . . what do you think? With or without?)

GOTHIC ARCH-"Classic Literature"

2011-10-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

The theme for Kris' Gothic Arch Challenge this week is to choose a favorite author or book. One of my favorite authors is Daphne du Maurier--although I had heard her name, I never really knew who she was when I was young. I first discovered her writing many years ago when I purchased one of her novels, Jamaica Inn, from an estate sale. The book sat in my bookshelf for quite awhile, as I was just collecting vintage books because I loved antiques, and not really reading them at the time. Well, when I finally read this book, I loved it so much, I went and got another one of her novels, Rebecca, (which Hitchcock made into a movie in the 1940s), from the library--that one was wonderful, too. Until I was making my arch, I hadn't known that she also wrote "The Birds"--remember the old Alfred HItchcock movie? Because of this challenge, I know much more about Daphne now, and also am anxious to read some of her other novels.

GOTHIC ARCH-"Marie Antoinette"

2011-10-19T12:37:00.001-07:00

I didn't get this completed in time for Kris' Gothic Arch theme last week, but wanted to post it, anyway. I used watercolor paper for my arch; I soaked it first in water, and then colored it with Distress Inks. Then I put it through my Big Shot die-cut machine, using one of Tim Holtz' Alterations Texture Fades. The image of Marie and the cake is from the Graphics Fairy. The beautiful Iris flower and the bee are from K & Company. Stickles and Stampendous sparkle dots, and a Recollections rhinestone brad complete the arch!

TMTA-"Witches"

2011-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Haven't made an ATC in awhile! I'd forgotten how much fun ATCs were! My ATC was created using images from Digital Collage Sheets, along with embellishments and stamping, for this week's TMTA Challenge theme of "Witches" and you can see all the entries HERE

(PS--my background was a manilla ATC that I colored with Distress Stain, using a Tim Holtz technique for backgrounds)

Blog Garden Tag Challenge-"Tattered Romance"

2011-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here's my tag for this week's theme over at BelleSouth's Blog Challenge theme of "Tattered Romance"

GOTHIC ARCH-"Autumn"

2011-09-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

As the beloved Gothic Arches challenge has been on hiatus since last April, and I have really missed creating in this genre, I was delighted to discover that Kris of Nostalgic Collage has generously offered to host a temporary gothic arch challenge each Sunday! You can see her beautiful arches on Sundays and join in on the challenges here.

My arch for this week was created using watercolor paper for the arch, colored with Distress Ink Pads, and stamped with a music background stamp by Recollections from Michaels. The beautiful image that I printed on my computer was provided by the Graphics Fairy . The flower and butterflies are from K & Company, as is the rhinestone brad in the center of the larger butterfly. I used Stickles, Colorbox Chalk Inks, (both of which you can find at almost any scrapbook or stamping store), a snippet from some vintage sheet music, and words cut out from an old children's book, to finish my arch.

Finished Frame

2011-09-15T17:21:00.001-07:00

I used K & Company's "Madeline" papers, K & Company's adhesive chipboard embellishments, and a Prima paper rose, along with Glimmer Mist and Stickles, chalk ink pads, and a Swarovsky crystal to finish this frame. The glitter doesn't show well in the photo, but it's sparkly on the image in person--I just love this beautiful woman, don't you? Someone generously shared this image on their blog, and I can't, for the life of me, remember who it was . . . maybe someone can help me so I can give credit where credit is due!

NEVER FORGET

2011-09-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

9/11--We will never forget--America, the land I love, the land of the free, and the home of the brave . . .

Fun with Frames

2011-09-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I really had fun making this--the photo isn't very good, but the finished frame is sparkly and pretty in person! It looks better if you click your mouse once on the picture . . .

Blog Challenge Garden Tag-The Letter "A"

2011-08-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here's my contribution to this week's Tag Challenge at BelleSouth--"A" for Art. I started with a plain manilla tag and used Stewart Superior Transfer Ink to imprint an inkjet image of a rose. I then used stamps and embellishments, including a vintage button and paper flowers from Prima to finish.

Blog Challenge Garden Tag

2011-08-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm just coming in on the tail end of this week's theme of "Vintage Photo"on the Tuesday Tag Challenge at BelleSouth--the challenge is to use a vintage photo or copy of one on your tag this week. I used a favorite Paper Whimsy image and tried to keep it simple this time around. The words came from an antique children's book.

"Sweet Pea" Frame

2011-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

I loved turning this:

Into this!

(Sorry about the lousy photos--couldn't get good pictures this time, but if you click twice on the lower image, you can see the details a lot better--the sweet image is from Paper Whimsy)

Paris Tag

2011-08-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

Wanted to get this in for last week's Theme Thursday challenge, but was late in finishing it--still, I love making tags, and had fun with this one!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"A Face"

2011-08-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

This week the challenge over at at Belle South's Challenge Garden is to make a tag featuring a human face as the focal point. I colored my tag background using Tim Holtz's Distress Ink and one of his background techniques. (Here is a video of Tim's, showing the technique.) Then I got some cardstock out, and stamped my face, using an old "Tin Can" stamp from Inkadinkado. After I cut that out, I colored it with watercolor pencils and chalk. I added some butterfly wings from a Luna Girl collage sheet, and then attached the wings and faceto the tag, using a gluestick and brayer. I added some sparkles, (crystals and Stickles), and ribbons, and there you have it! (And I'm so glad I didn't have a 10 minute limit on this one, lol!) PS: The glitter on the wings doesn't show up, but they do sparkle! The tag looks so much better in person, but my photography skills are clearly insufficient--Click twice on tag to see it up close!)

Ten Minute Tag!

2011-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

The challenge over at Belle-South this week was to make a tag in 10 minutes--no cheating! I gathered a few embellishments, my glue stick and brayer, a Paper Whimsy image, some scrapbook paper, and a tag I'd colored with Distress Ink awhile back--set the timer, and went to work . . . I ended up having 1 minute and 2 seconds to spare! I didn't know I could put a tag together so quickly; it usually takes me FOREVER to get anything completed because I'm so slow! It sure felt good to be creating again, though, after such a long dry spell!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

The day we celebrate our independence and freedom; how very blessed we Americans are! Have a very safe and happy 4th!
(Thank you, Graphics Fairy, for the beautiful image!)

Theme Thursday - "ATCs"

2011-06-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

I took a blank canvas paper ATC and coated it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink. I then decorated it with scrapbook paper, paper lace, and a stamped image I'd made on plain paper-which I enhanced with watercolor pencils and chalk. I added a real pressed flower and a butterfly image, and then sprinkled the ATC with a little glitter. Lastly, I added a word cut from an antique children's book. Have fun visiting Theme Thursday, where you can see all the lovely entries this week!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2011-06-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads and step-dads and grandfathers . . . I miss my own father terribly, but I am so fortunate to know other great dads who are in my life today . . . my hubby, my sons, my son-in-law, and my brothers-in-law . . . hoping all have a lovely, memorable day!

ATC

2011-06-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Thank-You Card

2011-05-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

I love the Texture Fades by Tim Holtz! The raised texture on the brown panel of my card was created with one of those and my Big Shot machine. So much fun!

Butterfly Card

2011-05-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Found a little time recently to make a "thank-you" card for my sister; I've been playing with the Sizzix "Big Shot" die-cut machine I received for my birthday last month. The little flourishes with the flowers on the corners are die-cuts I made. The butterfly is a sticker I've had sitting in a box forever, and the paper flowers are Prima. It feels so good to be making something again!!!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2011-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MAY DAY!

2011-05-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-23T22:46:00.001-07:00

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Easter"

2011-04-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything--was out of state helping to care for my mom and then back home taking care of the grandkids--it feels so good to be able to create a little tag! My photo isn't very well-lit, but you can get a better look if you click twice on it. You can see all of the wonderful Easter-themed tags over at BelleSouth, here!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Vintage Sewing"

2011-04-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Finally finished my tag for this week's Tag Tuesday challenge of Vintage Sewing; ironically, my sewing machine kept jamming up and my "sewing" around the edges didn't work out too well. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed . . .

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Spring"

2011-03-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a tag for a new Tag Tuesday challenge-Tag Tuesday has moved HERE; Rebecca at BelleSouth has generously offered to continue this challenge, as Louise, who originally created and hosted this challenge, has many obligations right now-she will still be continuing to showcase her beautiful art on her blog, Kard Krazy.

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Spring"

2011-03-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

This arch for the current Gothic Arches Challenge theme of "Spring" came out sort of "frilly and fancy" I suppose, but I just got going with it and couldn't stop! Anyway, I'm glad to have a new Gothic Arches theme to play with, and I love the season of Spring so much, I might make another arch later on in the week! (I think the arch background and the glitter both show up better if you click twice on the photo to enlarge it!)

Playing Around

2011-03-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

My sweet hubby found a coupon, and ordered a book from Barnes and Noble that I'd wanted for quite awhile~Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities! I was so excited when it came in the mail, and I've been playing around with some background techniques of his. It's very hard to see the background of this tag in the photo, but basically, it's just Antique Linen Distress Ink that I applied and dampened a little--and then used the same ink to stamp a background image on the tag. I edged the tag with dark brown chalk ink, and used the same chalk ink to stamp the flourishes. I made the "shabby flower" out of paper from a brown grocery store bag; I punched circles out and trimmed the edges with decorative scissors, and then crunched up the paper after I'd sprayed it with some Glimmer Mist. I opened the circles out while still damp, and then dried them with a heat gun and layered 6 individual pieces, gluing them in the centers--and then added a vintage button when I was done.*** I've had the Paper Whimsy image for a long time, and thought she'd be perfect for this tag!
***I got the idea for the paper bag flowers from this wonderful video by the VERY talented "ER" on YouTube--here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHy9xEK8eww

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Surprise Me"

2011-03-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

The current Tag Tuesday Challenge over at Kard Krazy is to create a tag that has a little surprise to it. As I'm not very innovative, my "surprise" is pretty simple: I had been experimenting with a couple of Tim Holtz ink backgrounds on a tag, and I had this tag that I'd inked and stamped on both sides. So I decided to make a 2-sided tag; you look at the tag and then turn it over, and there's another image on the back. Not super exciting, but since this is a two-week theme I'll put my brain to work and maybe come up with something better before the challenge ends!

Thank-You Card

2011-03-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

I made this little card to send to my sister. She is living in Germany right now; her husband is working over there--I miss her terribly, but am so very glad she's having wonderful adventures! She says the people are so nice, and she's been able to do and see so many fantastic things! I am living vicariously through her stories and her photos . . . buying fresh-baked baked in nearby France, hiking in the Black Forest, exploring old castles, driving on the Autobahn, going to the Christmas Markets and Oktoberfests, going on a river cruise, having breakfasts in quaint villages, visiting ancient churches--ahh, what fun!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Postcards"

2011-03-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

I made a little tag for Louise's Kard Krazy Tuesday challenge of "Postcards"~ such a fun theme!

Teacup Tuesday

2011-03-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share my blue teacup--my only blue and white one! It is not an antique, although it looks similar to my antique cups; it was given to me as a gift a few years ago. As I've said before, the lighting in my house is awful, even during the daytime, so the photos aren't great, but I'm glad to have the chance this morning to participate in this fun event. Hop on over to Artful Affirmations to see all the beautiful entries!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Butterflies"

2011-02-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here's my arch for the current theme over at the Gothic Arches blog! I took a replica of an old postcard that I found in one of my drawers and scanned it and then printed it--the artist's name was Ryan. I love how the lady has butterfly wings! You can see all the lovely arches for this springtime theme here.

Fairy Frame

2011-02-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

I made this altered frame for my oldest daughter's birthday a few days ago--I'm afraid I didn't get a very good picture of it, but I did enjoy creating it for her. Sometime last year, I think it was, I got the idea to cover an inexpensive wooden frame with scrapbook paper from Nancy Maxwell James, who always creates the most beautiful, vintage-inspired art; I love, love, LOVE her blog, Sugarlump Studios! Nancy very kindly told me where to get the frames (Michael's) and also the name of the beautiful paper she used back then for her frames (K&Co's Madeline line). The paper I used here is from Graphic 45. They have the most wonderful vintage images and themes printed on their paper! I thought I'd figured out how to attach the paper by cutting out a template I made and using decoupage gel, but it was very difficult and time-consuming. Lo and behold, I found a much easier way to attach the paper to the fronts of the frames by stumbling on a tutorial by Tammy Tutterow, who provides great video tutorials on her webpage. So, many, many thanks to these wonderful ladies who are always so generous about sharing their art and ideas; I am always so grateful for all of you lovely bloggers who share ideas with the rest of us!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Friends"

2011-02-21T13:26:00.001-08:00

Well, here I come again, always at the tail end of challenges! I'm just glad I had time today to make something! This is for last Tuesday's Kard Krazy challenge of making a tag with the theme of "friends"--hopefully tomorrow, when there's a new challenge, I can be at the beginning of things . . . oh well, one can always try, right?

OWOH WINNER!

2011-02-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! Thank you so very much, all of you who visited my blog and entered my OWOH giveaway--I used a random generator to choose the winner, and Carol, of Stitch Across the Border, you have won my giveaway! Congratulations!!!!!!! I will be contacting you today-- And a huge thank you to Lisa Swifka for all of her hard work in creating and maintaining this wonderful blogging event for the past 5 years--thank you, thank you, Lisa; I’ve had so much fun participating and visiting so many fantastic blogs and artists!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Hearts"

2011-02-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

The bi-weekly challenge at Gothic Arches is to use hearts in your arch, with thoughts of Valentine's Day arriving soon! The beautiful image I used was generously provided by Marie's Freebies.

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Queen"

2011-02-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

The bi-weekly theme this time around is "Queen" ~ my arch doesn't show up very well in the photo, but if you click twice on the picture, it will show up better. It is very sparkly in real life--I kind of went crazy with the "bling"~you can see all the beautiful arches over at Gothic Arches!

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

2011-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

ONE WORLD ONE HEART is a wonderful event that Lisa Swifka started 5 years ago to celebrate blogging and to bring bloggers from all over the world together. I feel so fortunate to be able to participate for the 3rd year in a row, and I have met so many, many wonderful artists from all over the globe and I've made many new friends because of this celebration event. I'm sad that this will be the last OWOH, but look forward to hearing from old blogging friends and to forging new friendships as well. So, welcome to my blog, please leave a comment (you must have an active blog, as this is an event for bloggers) for a chance to win my little offering (pictured below) and I will pick a winner when the event ends on February 17th. I will post the winner's name and also send an email out. GOOD LUCK, and I look forward to hearing from you!

My little "event prize" started out as an unfinished wooden frame; I embellished it with scrapbook paper from K & Company, and added paper roses, vintage buttons, and rub-on words, and a bit of a flourish. The image inside the frame is a freebie that Magic Moonlight Studio generously provided last year.

Wednesday Stamper-"Tag"

2011-01-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

This week, the challenge at Wednesday Stamper is to make a tag--I used only a couple of "flourish" stamps this time; my stamp collection is fairly limited, but I do love looking at all of the wonderful stamped cards and tags that are featured on this wonderful challenge blog!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Winter"

2011-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here's my "Winter" tag for this week's Tag Tuesday Challenge over at Kard Krazy.

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Faeries"

2011-01-13T17:12:00.001-08:00

Here's my arch for the Gothic Arches challenge this week; the theme is "Faeries"~my favorite subject! I'm sorry for the poor quality of the photo--the lighting in my house is rather dim because we have those "energy savers" and it was a gray afternoon outside . . . There's actually more "sparkle" in the real arch!

BONNE ANNEE-HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-12-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

A blessed, safe, and prosperous New Year to you all!

Joyeux Noel

2010-12-24T20:37:00.001-08:00

May you all have a warm, safe, and peaceful Holiday!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Snowflakes"

2010-12-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness--after a week-long trip to see my family in Idaho (and to meet the WONDERFUL Lynn from "Trash to Treasure Art"-more on that later), I have been crazy-busy trying to get ready for Christmas! I am so far behind, but I had a few minutes to create an arch for the Gothic Arches current theme of "Snowflakes" and I PROMISE to get around soon to visiting and thanking all the lovely people who have left comments on my blog this past month!

Addendum--I forgot to mention that the sweet vintage image that I used was generously provided by The Graphics Fairy!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Harvest"

2010-12-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

The theme at Gothic Arches the past couple of weeks has been "Harvest"--here's my arch--I've finally been able to purchase a couple of bottles of Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mist, and I love it! I hope to get more one day, but it's a start! I sprayed my arch with a gold glimmer mist, but I don't think it really shows in the photo. It's been nice to be able to play with my art supplies today!

Teacup Tuesday

2010-11-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

Here's one of my small teacups--I think I purchased it at an antique shop years ago--there was no saucer, and there isn't a stamp on the bottom of the cup, so I don't know anything about it, except that it's pretty, and the handpainting on it is beautiful. The pearlized finish and the gold leafing seem to lend a "fairy-like" air to it, don't you think? I am not a "teacup connoisseur" but I do have a collection of sweet cups that I love. Hop on over to Artful Affirmations to see links to all the beautiful teacups this week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2010-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

May you all have a safe, peaceful, loving and warm Thanksgiving Holiday!

Another Embellished Frame

2010-11-15T16:02:00.001-08:00

This was another plain, unfinished, wooden frame that I painted, sanded, and then embellished with Prima and Doodlebug flowers, rub-on words, paper doilies, and a bit of antique lace, an antique button, and word from an old children's book. The background paper is from the Madeline line by K & Company, and the sweet image is by Paper Whimsy.

Embellished wooden frame & PW image

2010-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

I had decorated an unfinished wooden frame for a weekly challenge earlier this year; I didn't like the image that was in it, so I took that out, changed the frame a little, and added a Paper Whimsy image that I've had for awhile, along with some embellishments. A lot of fun to work on!

ATC Canvas

2010-11-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

I decorated a little ATC-sized canvas with an image I purchased from Paper Whimsy a few years ago. I've always loved this little girl-she's just so sweet and adorable!

Tag

2010-11-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tag I made using a sweet Paper Whimsy image. Hope everyone's having a good week!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Text"

2010-10-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

The challenge over at Gothic Arches is to create an arch and use text on it--my background paper has text printed on it, but it's too small to read-even with magnifying glasses, so I don't know what it says, but it's Halloween paper, so I thought it would work today! I had fun with several Halloween-themed stamps this time, too.
Happy Howl-O-Ween, everyone!!!!!

TMTA-"Halloween"

2010-10-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

This week the theme over at TMTA is HALLOWEEN! Always a fun subject for me! And it's been so much fun to finally make an ATC, which I love to do and haven't had the chance in a long time . . . my daughter was in the hospital Monday and Tuesday, and I've been helping out with the grandchildren . . . it's been wonderful for me to have some of them here staying with us, and exhausting at the same time, with all that's been going on. I really enjoyed this challenge--the little girl and her witch hat on my ATC are from Paper Whimsy, and the wording and little skull are from Digital Collage Sheets. I used Stickles around the border, and the little sparkles on the hat, web, and spider, and the skull's eyes are from Stampendous. Finally, my spider web stamp is from from PSX (can be found at many scrapbooking stores and on the Internet); the spider stamp is from A Muse Artstamps. (Can't remember where the background papers are from--they were scraps I had in my scrap box. Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Orange and Black"

2010-10-21T13:47:00.001-07:00

My tag for this week's challenge--hop on over to see all the wonderful tags at Kard Krazy!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Moon"

2010-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Squeaking by the deadline on this one--I keep thinking life will slow down some, but it keeps moving busily and quickly in my world right now--there will be a new challenge tomorrow, but, for now, Kard Krazy's challenge is to create a tag featuring the moon-one of my favorite subjects! My 2 images are from Paper Whimsy.

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Jester"

2010-10-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to have found some time for creating-finally!!! The current theme over at Gothic Arches is "Jester"~the sweet image of the little children is from a collection I have on my Vintage Images, Volume 3 CD from Tuscan Rose. Wish the glitter showed up better in the photo--the arch is very sparkly in real life! You can get a better look if you click twice on the arch. The little caption is from an old children's book.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-10-05T10:24:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos . . . the lighting inside my house is awful. Our home was a model, and the paint inside is rather dark, and as this is an "energy" home, all the lightbulbs (sockets, too, darn!) are those energy saving ones. I am all for saving energy and I am respectful of our planet, but, darn, I hate those things! They just aren't bright enough for anything! Anyway, I digress . . . I bought this little demitasse cup in an antique shop several years ago. It didn't come with a saucer, but I thought it was so pretty. It's Royal Doulton bone china, made in England, and that's basically all I know. I want to thank all the sweet ladies who commented on my teacup last week; hopefully I will get around to all of you to thank you personally--the past couple of months have just been crazy-busy around my house!

Tea Cup Tuesday!

2010-09-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is the very first teacup I ever owned~I received it as a gift in 1971, and am quite fond of it~it's very small and delicate, and I love that it's hand painted. My first paying job was working in the snack bar of a Ralph's grocery store; my boss was this no-nonsense Irish lady with a thick accent and a stern demeanor, and I was rather afraid of her at first. Three years later, when the snack bar had been remodeled into a deli, and I had moved on to become a checker at the market, Lena, my old boss, was leaving for another store, and she surprised me by giving me this gift. I don't remember the backstory of this cup; I thought she said it was one of hers in a collection she had and that she'd brought it from Ireland. I truly can't remember now. I do remember that my mother had her over to dinner one time at our house. As you can see, the bottoms of the cup and saucer are stamped with "Ucagco China-Made in Occupied Japan." Interesting to see the words, "China, Made in Japan," isn't it?

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Daisies"

2010-09-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

The bi-weekly Gothic Arches Challenge theme is DAISIES. I thought this sweet image from Paper Whimsy fit the bill, as did this pretty scrapbook paper from My Mind's Eye. The caption "The poet's darling" is one of the lines in which William Wordsworth defined this lovely flower in his poem, To The Daisy. This was definitely a challenge for me, as at first, I didn't know what to do with the theme. It just sort of came together after I looked through my "image stash" and thought about it a little. Takes me awhile, that's for sure!!!!!

Tea Cup Tuesday!

2010-09-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been admiring all of the beautiful teacups that Terri of Artful Affirmations posts each week, and thought since I have a small collection that's been slowly growing for years, I'd join in! This teacup and saucer belonged to my paternal grandmother. It's one of my more unusual cups, being painted a very dark green and having the raised gold-leaf edging around the flowers, and slightly scalloped edges around the rim. My grandma's sister, my great aunt, was a nurse in the military during WWII and was stationed in Japan; she brought home several teacups when she came back to the States. You can see the stamps on the bottoms of the cup and saucer stating that they were hand painted in "Occupied Japan"~at the end of WWII, Japan was occupied by several foreign powers, hence the name. I don't know much about Fleur de Lis teacups, but I do think that they are beautiful.

Kard Krazy Tag Challenge-"Butterflies"

2010-09-03T17:58:00.001-07:00

The theme this week at Kard Krazy's Tag Tuesday Challenge is BUTTERFLIES! My favorites!!! I have been fond of using butterflies in so many of my little projects for years--I just love them! The image I used on my tag is one from the Graphics Fairy. I thought it was perfect for this!

Kard Krazy's Tuesday Challenge-Scrapbook Tag

2010-08-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

It took me forever to figure out what I wanted to do with this Tag Tuesday challenge-I am not a scrapbooker and envy those who are-but I finally came up with something the day before a new challenge comes out-late, as usual! Anyway, these little photos are computer copies of my paternal grandparents, who were very much in love for the entire time they were together. Sadly, my grandfather passed away only 4 years after their 25th wedding anniversary, in 1955. My grandma lived a full life, but remained devoted to her sweetheart, never marrying again, even though she was a widow at the age of only 54, and lived until 1979. They were wonderful, wonderful people. My dad is now gone, too, but his brothers are still with us, one turning 80 and the other turning 69 this year. This wonderful theme over at Kard Krazy has inspired me to look into learning how to scrapbook so that I can try and preserve the precious memories of my family. Thanks, Louise for a great theme! (Click on tag twice to see pictures up close!)

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Not on Paper"

2010-08-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

This was a fun Kard Krazy challenge-to make a tag from anything except paper! I had a package of very small wooden tags that had been sitting in a drawer forever, and so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use one of them! I painted this one with acrylics and used a Paper Whimsy image, rounding out the tag with a word from a vintage book and an antique button. Very fun! You can see all the beautiful entries here!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Back to School"

2010-08-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's my arch for the new bi-weekly challenge of "Back to School" over at Gothic Arches. I used a Paper Whimsy image of a darling schoolgirl on my arch, and a computer printout of the cover of an old reader, as well as vintage words from a very old, tattered, children's book, some ribbon and lace, paper flowers, and antique buttons to finish. Click on this link to see all the wonderful arches created for this theme!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Crowns"

2010-08-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

This past week, the theme at Gothic Arches is CROWNS--got one finished just in the nick of time! The crown image that I printed on my background paper is a lovely one from The Graphics Fairy.
WHOOPS--just hopped on over to Gothic Arches, and can't post, even though it's Saturday afternoon on the west coast--oh well, that's what I get for being late, I guess!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Mannequin Template"

2010-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Once again, here I am coming in on the tail end of a challenge, but at least I was able to get SOMETHING done this past week besides grand-babysitting and housework and yardwork, etc.!!! Kard Krazy had a guest hostess for this wonderful challenge, Sarah of Vintage Figments. What a fun idea to use a mannequin-themed tag in the challenge! You can see all the wonderful entries here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LILY!

2010-08-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY to my darling granddaughter Lily!

TMTA-"Lovers"

2010-07-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a little ATC for the TMTA challenge this week; the theme is LOVERS. My background was taken from an antique French book and colored with Colorbox ink pads. The lace and buttons are also vintage. Have fun looking at all the entries here!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Marie Antoinette"

2010-07-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

All of the lovely arches for this week's theme of "Marie Antoinette" can be seen here at Gothic Arches!

Tag Tuesday #60-"Faces"

2010-07-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

This week the theme over at Kard Krazy is "FACES"--The beautiful girl is on an image sheet I purchased from Land of Enchantment on Etsy--the images are just gorgeous there, and reasonably priced. Hop on over to Louise's blog to see all the entries. Have a great weekend, everyone!

"Something Blue"

2010-07-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

This past week the challenge theme at Mixed Media Monday was "Something Blue" and, technically, I'm sort of still on time--it's Sunday evening here, although a new challenge has already been posted for tomorrow, (Monday), which is "today" in other parts of the world! Anyway, here's a little ATC.

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Hearts"

2010-07-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here's my tag for the weekly challenge--you can see all the lovely entries at Kard Krazy!

Kard Krazy's Tuesday Challenge #58!

2010-07-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I was coming in on the tail end of this challenge, too, but then discovered that this challenge lasts for 2 weeks--yay, I'm not late! The Kard Krazy challenge is to make a tag with your interpretation of the theme of "Summer" -- summer for me always brings back happy memories of going to the beach every week when I was growing up. My mom and her friends would all get together on Tuesdays, make big lunches, pack up the beach towels, umbrellas, blankets and air mattresses (yes, we rode the waves on THOSE old floppy things, believe it or not!) and they'd head for Santa Monica beach in southern California, (with all of us kids in tow, of course!) Those were fun, fun times. I also love summer because my roses are blooming then, and roses are among my most favorite flowers; I sort of combined both of those ideas in my tag. You can see all of the lovely tags for this challenge here!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

2010-07-04T07:40:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful gift our forefathers gave to us! And how courageous they and the people who fought for our freedom were! I love my country!!! (Photo courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

TMTA-"Diamond Pattern"

2010-07-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't know how everyone gets such beautiful art pieces created on the day the challenges are posted, but I just have so little time to work on things, and I'm always behind in the art department, it seems! This week the theme was to use a diamond pattern when creating your ATC--I started this last Monday and just finished it this afternoon. So, rather than put it away, I thought I'd post it and keep it out for a few days, even though a new TMTA challenge will be upon us very soon! The lovely image of the little girl is from Paper Whimsy and the diamond background paper is from Foofala.

Green is the Theme!

2010-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, Theme Thursday's challenge was to make something featuring the color green. I guess they are way ahead of me, as the new challenge is already posted, and it's still Wednesday where I live! Anyway, I painted a canvas with acrylics, then decoupaged part of a pretty napkin I'd saved from a Paper Whimsy order onto the front. I then added the little girl, which came from Lisa's Altered Art. I finished with a few antique buttons, some glitter, some old lace, a green crystal, and there you have it!

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Open Theme"

2010-06-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

The past 2 weeks Gothic Arches has had an open theme, and I am coming in on the tail end of this one, but finished an arch that I'd been too late for when the theme was the Mona Lisa. I scanned this one, so the red crystal on her mouth doesn't show up well, but, for better or worse, here is my humble offering this week . . .

Tag Tuesday Challenge #56-"Men"

2010-06-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally got something done besides housework, yard work, mom-work, grandma-work, etc. I found this old tintype photo in a box and a page from an old book, and thought those would fit the bill for this week's tag challenge. Please hop on over to Louise's Kard Krazy blog to see this week's wonderful tags!

Lily and Layla

2010-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

I shamelessly pilfered these photos from my daughter-in-law's Facebook post; the last time I saw these little ones was four months ago--I miss them so much! Grandchildren are such a gift!!!!!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco . . .

2010-06-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I took my 81 year-old mother to our favorite city, and we walked on the Golden Gate Bridge. Although I've driven across the bridge many, many times, the last time I was there on foot was almost 40 years ago when a girlfriend and I roller-skated across the bridge...we were 18...fond memories!

MEMORIAL DAY - 2010

2010-05-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
(Moina Michael)

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Home Sweet Home"

2010-05-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

The theme over at Gothic Arches is "Home Sweet Home" and I am so glad to finally have had a little time to put something together! I would have liked to have done something more with my arch, but have too many obligations today. The little fairies are freebies from the generous, sweet Debra at Land of Nod Studio. I haven't blogged much lately because we've had so much going on in our family. I hope to post about it all soon. Meanwhile, hop on over here to see all the beautiful arches this week!

2010-05-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

A dear blogging friend, Lydia, of "Beauty Will Surely Save the World, just lost her beloved husband yesterday. If you have time, please stop by Lydia's blog to leave an encouraging word, or offer up a little prayer for their family.
To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"

Sisters!

2010-05-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in a week--here are my two youngest granddaughters, Lily and Layla, with their daddy, my son, Joe--Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2010-05-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

To all the beautiful, wonderful, kind, sweet mothers and grandmothers~and especially to my own precious mother, Happy Mother's Day~I hope you all have a lovely day!