WOYWW #134

WOW it has been a busy week this past week. I can truthfully say I am glad that Christmas is over and all I have to do now is enjoy the decorations until I am tired of them and want to take them down. I usually leave them up until after the second weekend in January so I have time!

I very blessed this week because I have been very lucky this week with winning things. I won a package from Ranger Ink because I made a comment on some ornaments they were sharing with us. I don't know when it will come but I am excited cause it contains reinkers, stamp pad felt, etc. Here is a pic from their blog! and I won a pack of Whitewash cardstock from Core'dinations because of a comment and last but not least I left a comment on Neils blog a few weeks ago and my name was drawn as a secondary winner...Yay!! I am clueless as to what the prize is but it doesn't matter I am a happy camper! I love leaving comments and try to visit each of the blogs on WOYWW each week and comment, some would argue I am long winded which I can be but how will people/businesses know how you feel if you don't leave a comment?


Okay back to my desk and you won't believe what a mess it is! I haven't been in there in two days and it seems to have grown and propagated to the point it will takes me a couple hours to get it straightened around. What a mess!!! I am almost ashamed to show you the picture...
On the lower right corner of my desk are some bead boxes that I used to make baubles for my tags. My new punches my daughter got me for Christmas are there too. On the left side is a prize I won from OWSE for submitting a minibook for a challenge. I love surprizes and that was a roll of terrifically tacky tape, a package of flowers, and a paper pack! Like I said it will take a good hour to get that desk cleared off!!

Wonder what all this talk regarding desks and WOYWW is all about? You need to go to Julia's blog, Stamping Ground, and check out WOYWW and come play with us. It is a lot of fun visiting other peoples workspaces around the world without ever leaving home!

I am scheduling this so I hope it works because I have never scheduled a post before. Anyway...Hope everyone has a good week and Happy New Years!

Happy Holidays!

It is Christmas eve and the house it quiet the fur babies and Poppa all tucked up snug in their beds. The stocking are filled and the presents all wrapped, pies are baked and Christmas is here at last! I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday and the most prosperous of New Years! We are planning on spending a quiet day with Heather and Michael and enjoying a delicious Christmas dinner later today.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule!, Solstice, or Snowman Day as we are celebrating here this year! Enjoy your time with loved ones and friends both near and far!

Sentimental Sundays Blog Party!

Sentimental Sundays is having NEW YEAR's PARTY done blog hop style!!!! They will be giving away gifts and sharing lots of ideas and fun. Want to get in on the fun just click on the link and go to their blog and Check it out!

WOYWW #133

Happy Holidays to everyone! I was going to go take a picture of my desk but decided against it today because I have a project on it that I am making as a Christmas gift and since all my kids and family read the blog I don't want to give up the surprise. This year my daughter and I decided that a homemade gift giving was the way to go and unfortunately I procrastinated a little longer then I should have. Anyway in lieu of a desk I will show you some of the other stuff I have been up to this week! If you are new to my blog then you are probably asking yourself what the hell I am talking about. Take at look at Julia's blog Stamping Ground and she will explain it all!

First picture I want to share is a picture of my new Christmas tree this year. I have been decorating a 7-1/2 foot tree for years but this year with health issues etc. I decided to downgrade a bit to a 5 foot tree and fewer ornaments. I have about 400 lights on the tree and I have no idea how many ornaments. All of them (except for a few) are snowmen except for the plain jane red, green, and gold balls!
Don't you just love Snowmen? I have a few in various sizes so I set a few of the stuffed ones about under the tree too! I was asked by my husband to stand by the tree and since he was so nice to take the pictures for me I couldn't refuse!

Not to be outdone the tree topper is also a snowman we have had for umpteen million years. See the pictures of the children toward the lower left of the tree? Those are my no longer babies Heather (32 years old) and Chad (35). I love hanging those each year...memories. Remember that old Barbara Striesand song from the 1970's, The Way We Were?
Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were

I just love that song... I guess if you are going to become a blathering sentimental fool this is the time of year to do it!

Not to be forgotten I carried my Snowman theme to outside the house this year too! Here is a full front picture. My daughter came over and climbed the ladder to put the icicle lights on the guttering around the front step and the first tree. I didn't string lights all across the front cause I have a new roof and we didn't want to climb anyway!

I also have been busy baking and making yummy goodies. I have made fruit cakes, fudge, cookies etc. Here is a picture of the chocolate chip cookies I made a couple days ago. One has mint chocolate chips in them and the other has mini M+M's.

One last picture then I am going to find a cup of tea and surf around the web for an hour or so before I go to bed. It is only 2:20am here so I still have plenty of time for a quick look around!


This picture is of my granddaughter Teresa aka big sistah! and Hannah. Aren't they darlings. Teresa gets to go meet the jolly old troublemaker himself today. Can't wait to see those pictures.
Okay as I promised. I am off for a look see! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

WOYWW #132

I just got home from going to Weight Watchers and WalMart...what a nightmare! Not the Weight Watcher I really enjoyed that meeting...I got rid of another 3# making a grand total of 15.6# for me. I joined WW with my sister about 2 months ago cause she asked me to and even if I am not losing weight like she is it is still coming off! After the meeting we went out to eat at a local eatery and then home. Walmart is an entirely different story! OMG!


This is what my desk looks like right now! The post lady came today bearing gifts from a far! I have a box from Oh My Crafts, a big envelope from a Splitcoast Stampers swap group (card tops), and a smaller box from an All Things Tim swap group. Oh my goodness such pretty cards and tags in those boxes but since they aren't my works I am hesitant to share them without asking permission of everyone that made them. I will share what is in the two other boxes though! If you would like to see tags etc I made this week check my previous posts.

The big narrow box is from Tuire here on WOYWW! Tuire made my daughter and I PIF gifts and sent them to us this month. I am ashamed to say that I still haven't finished mine yet but I still have a month to go so don't give up hope if I owe you one.
There were two books in the box but I gave the second one to my daughter and she took it home before I got a picture of it. Isn't this a gorgeous book? It has pages or journaling, keeping records etc., pages with vintage photos, and stamps etc. I love it Tuire thank you! See the cat with the beautiful eyes and butterfly that is in the picture above sitting perched on a stamp pad? Tuire made that for another swap and I got lucky that time too! I keep it sitting on my desk cause it makes me feel calm!

The big box is some stash from Oh My Crafts! It is one of my favorite online stores for buying products you need and can't live without.
Everything in this box I need...my life is dependent on it!! That's my story anyway and I am sticking to it! I actually do need the inks (I got alcohol inks and 15 reinkers for the pads), the Noel die, the cut and dry ink pad felt and more tools etc. Can't do ink and paper crafts without it. I also won a couple of their 12 days of Christmas prizes this week on days 11(Bazzill cardstock) and 12(Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Frame 8 Dies!) Yahoo! More stuff will be coming! I enjoyed the 12 days of Christmas contest cause each day that number of persons were chosen to win a prize ie 11 on the 11th day.

Anyway that is what is on my desk tonight. Check out Julia's blog, Stamping Ground for the reason for this post!! I am going to go make the round and see what everyone else is doing these last two weeks before Christmas. I should probably get busy getting cards out and last minute makes done but...they will wait!

12 Tags of Christmas Tag 4

YAY!! Tag 4 is finished! This was a lot of fun to make and I learned a lot of new techniques I can use in my tag/card making journeys! I made a tag a few weeks back that is similar to this tag, of a snowman using same dies and colors but I added a touch of red. I like them both! For some reason unbeknownst to me my glossy accents picked up a brownish tint to the 25 which isn't bad but...you can hardly see the music behind the gloss.

Here is the tag that Tim Holtz made:


I love snowmen so this is one of my favorite tags! I am still working on the rest of the 12 Tags of Christmas and Tim Holtz posted the tag 12 last night...I am sad but at least I still have the others to make...then I might start on last years!






UPDATE: When I posted Tim Holtz tag I noticed I hadn't gussied up my hat so I went back and did it...here is an upclose of the hat! The feather is compliments of my grandbird Nyasa...



More tomorrow!

12 Tags of Christmas Tags 2 and 3

I have completed another couple tags for the 12 Tags of Christmas I have been following on the Tim Holtz blog. Each year he does such awesome tags and every year I say I am going to make all 12 of the tags but never get started. I am started now and having a blast doing them! I think I am on a roll here! I am hoping to get a few more tags turned out today so that I will be all caught up by the 15 December and I can focus just on Christmas gifts! My daughter and I decided that if you are giving a gift this year it has to be homemade and I have very little completed! Oh well, it is the thought that counts!

Day 2 tag was a lot of fun to work on but I wanted to pull my hair out cause I had trouble finding canvas much less self stick canvas anywhere in my town. I had a piece of canvas card stock so I used that to cut my out deer. My tag was changed up a little more today and I added the stars to the base of the card rather then the brads because I don't own the distress mallet and I liked the stars better! I don't have The lighting is pretty dark tonight (DUH! night time!!) so if I can get a better picture tomorrow I will swap it out!


Here is Tim's Tag 2...isn't it gorgeous!

My tag 3 was a little more of a challenge then what I thought it was going to be but...I persevered and I think it turned out okay. I put a little bling and some fake holly on it rather then cutting out leaves etc. I like it.


Tim's Tag 3...very nice!


Hope you are enjoying the 12 Tags of Christmas as much as I am. I will post more tags soon!

12 Tags of Christmas Tag 1

I have been following along with the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas that started on his blog December 1st! Sir Tim is definitely a very talented artist and I am really enjoying see what he makes each day and trying to use the techniques he is teaching. I will definitely be sad when it ends tomorrow night!!

Here is my version of tag 1 of the 12 Tags of Christmas!



I think I am getting the hang of the pinecone die now cause they are starting to look more like pinecones and less like roses! I used a glitter card stock rather then glitter to make the Noel and I really think that glittering the old fashioned way is better gives the script more depth.

To be fair I thought I should also upload Tim Holtz tag each day so you can see what the master created! This is his first tag that he made this year! Isn't is gorgeous?



More to follow...there are 12 tags!

WOYWW #131

Welcome to Wednesday and this weeks version of WOYWW...what's that you say? Well in my humble opinion it is one of the best days of the week for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is the blog posting of what's on your work desk to share with everyone around the world...literally! Check out Julia's website Stamping Ground and join us for a passport free trip around the world to check out what other crafter's and artists are doing!


This is my desk after my third attempt to do the alcohol ink technique Tim Holtz used on his Day 5 tag a couple days ago! OMG! This is harder then what I thought it was going to be for such an easy sounding technique. The third attempt all most had it but it didn't suit me too well so I wiped the ink off the tag with alcohol and after I get this posted and I am going to do it again...last time cause it will be perfect...or not!
I just won't be as picky this time. Have you been following along with the 12 Tags of Christmas that Tim has been doing on his blog? The green holly tag is for day 6 that I need to finish because I didn't have the folder he used for his and I improvised. As soon as I get a chance I will post my tag each day with a link to his tag you you can see what I did compared to his.

Another project I have had going on this week was making card fronts for a swap on Splitcoast Stampers. It was a lot of fun making the card fronts and I will be getting back a similar count from other cardmakers in the group. In total I made 16 of each card front and I kept 3 of each kind to use for Christmas cards this year. Every year I send out a lot of cards, about a hundred, to family and friends so having the extras from this swap will come in handy! Unfortunately I have problems parting with the little pieces of art from my friends and have to hustle to make more to send out!

Well that's it for me. I am going to go get a cup of tea and a cookie and take a leisurely look around the other blogs today. Hope everyone has a good week and is getting all their holiday baking and tree trimming done! I have the tree up but not enough lights on it to suit me so I haven't decorated it yet. Maybe tomorrow...

Santa ATC

Thought that I would share a simple ATC that I made for a swap on creativeblock-stampersanonymous, a Yahoo group I belong to. I love Stampers Anonymous stamps because I love red rubber stamps more then the clear stamps and SA has red rubber cling mount and the foam backed cling stamps. I have bought a lot of the Tim Holtz(TH)line of stamps from them and this ATC was made using one of them.
I love the old vintage Santa from the TH stamp set called Holiday Collections and the green pine bough and calender are from Mini Holidays. I used gathered twigs ink to stamp the image then distress around the sides in the same ink. The pine sprigs are stamped in Pine Needles and then I made little flowers out of some red, white,and green beads to adorn the top of the ATC. The ATC was made from Very Vanilla cardstock from Stampin'Up! using the TH ATC die. Real Red ribbon from Stampin'Up! was used on the left side. The calendar is held on with a mini paper clip.
I like this ATC so I think I will enter it in the ATC challenge on ATC's With Attitude! this week.

WOYWW #130

This week has been busy in more ways then one around the hacienda! The cabinet men came and finished installing the cabinets in the laundry room and put the cornice moulding around the kitchen cabinets. Today the rain gutter company came to finish up the new guttering we had installed on the house. I have tried to do as much as possible in my craft room and managed to get some Christmas tags made that you can view in the previous two posts if you would like to see them. Thought I would get a jump on Tim Holtz and make my 12 tags of Christmas then see if I could follow along with his tag making extravaganza starting this Thursday at midnight. I also have been busy making card front for a swap on Splitcoast Stampers that have to be mailed out tomorrow. I will post those tomorrow or Thursday.

My desk this week is a mess! I need to stop and straighten up a bit before I start another project because there are bits and pieces of paper, embellies, and other stuff lying about. My table behind my chair has been piled higher and deeper this week and I can't find a stamp set I know I had just yesterday. Guess I will make an effort to straighten tomorrow when I get back from the post office....grrrrr....I just want to play not work. Anyway on to my desk here it is in all its messiness. At the front of the desk is my desk is my Tim Holtz/StampersAnonymous Christmas stamp binder and stamps. I am going to make ATC's tomorrow and was looking at the stamps after finishing my card tops. Behind the binder is the three sets of 16 card tops that I made for the swap. I love these swaps cause you never know what you will be getting back and I get so many ideas and have so much fun with the challenges. I did and up close shot this weekend to cover all the debris I mentioned above.

If you would like to know what all this is about check our Julia's blog Stamping Ground where we gather each week in our journey around the world to check on one another's desks. Called snooping by some it is great fun to share projects and lives of other artists.

Hope everyone has a great week! I am going to put the tree up tomorrow (after I straighten up a bit!) and then try to do some blog hopping on WOYWW!

More tags!

Ready for a few more tags today? I am having so much fun in my craft room that it is starting to look like a tornado has blown threw it and scattered all my treasures to the four corners of the world! I don't know about you but I love having everything right at my finger tips and I also don't know how to put it up once I have finished using it especially when I am in a creative mood so everything just gets tossed here and there so I can just reach out and grab it. Anyway on to the tags...

This first tag is made using the Tim Holtz (TH) Tag die then embossed with the Snowflake Flurries texture fade. I used the Seasonal distress ink iced spruce and denim jeans. The red layer is the festive berries in on a strip of paper I embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder called Sheet music. The snowman from his Retro Holiday stamp set was stamped on Stampin'Up!(SU) Night of Navy card stock and white embossing powder was used. I cut out the snowman and pop dotted him on the top of the red layer. Snow flakes are made with the Winter Wonderland die from TH and Whisper White cardstock from SU! The bling is SU!



This tag is made from an ATC I had left over from a swap in December. I love the old vintage Santa from the TH stamp set called Holiday Collections and the green pine bough and calender are from Mini Holidays. I used gathered twigs ink to stamp the image then distress around the sides in the same ink. The ATC is made using the TH atc die, TH tag die was used for the tag and then it was embossed with a Sizzix folder. The tag is distressed with iced spruce and pine needles distress ink. I used some beads I had left from another project and crystal glaze to adhere them to the atc and a snowflake brad! Red and white ribbon and Real Red satin ribbon is from SU!



Lots of different dies and folders were used on this tag. Dies used were tag die, Vintage Cabinet Card, movers and shapers townscape, TH Christmas background and Sizzix music embossing folder. The Santa stamp is from the TH Holiday Wishes and was stamped in Basic Black from SU! and colored with Real Red on the hat! I used the Winter seasonal ink pads for coloring the various components.



I am off to the room of stash to play some more! I am having so much fun!

Tags!

I spent the Thanksgiving weekend doing some tags, card fronts, ATC's and having a good time playing by myself...Can't get in trouble that way. My husband came home from China on Saturday and it was just so comforting having him home again I think my Mojo went wild with excitement.

The first tag I made used the Winter Wonder and Snow Flurries edge die from Tim Holtz. The hat is cut out of the die and trimmed to fit. The snowman was coated with first white crackle paint then the rock candy crackle paint and allowed to dry. I used the new seasonal Distress Ink pads from Ranger ink to make most of the tags this weekend. This color is evergreen bough a beautiful blue green ink! The ticket is from TH ticket stamps and the red on the ticket is festive berries and I covered the 25 with Christmas Red Stickles. The fibers are from Lion Brand.


A second tag I made was cased from Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas 2010...day 12. I used the Carved ornaments, Movers and shapers, Joy, and Tattered Pinecone dies to make this tag. The ornament was colored with festive berries and then covered with rock candy crackle paint. The tag is from the season stash stack of papers and I used Graphic 45 paper to make the pinecones and greenery.

The third and last tag for today is made using the Tim Holtz lamp post and holly die, Christmas Backgrounds and Borders texture fade, Winter seasonal inks, golden honey distress stickles, and the ticket stamp. I really like the way that the distress stickles seem to make the light glow!!




That's it for today! More tomorrow....

WOYWW #129

It has been an interesting week with Chuck gone to China and trying to get everything done that I need to get done by Thursday...finally gave in and realized that I had to be completely nuts to set such unrealistic goals for myself.



My desk is a mess...part of the goal setting for the week. I keep lists but it seems I keep getting side tracked and things keep piling up on the desk. On the right you can see a canvas I have created for a class at WLS next month. Here is a closer look at it!




This is made with Graphic 45 papers and a 12x12in canvas. I glued a piece of holly paper to the canvas then cut out the Santa and other paper bits from Graphic 45 paper. The Holly under the bow is using the Tim Holtz die and Stampin Up! card stock. I love glitter so I used Stickles to brighten it all up!







The tag towards the back in the middle is for another class in December and I am thinking about using it in a swap I signed up for.





I had started a second tag for that swap but I love the blue green color of evergreen bough in the Seasonal Distress inks from Ranger. The second tag has a red ornament but it just doesn't spark my follow through today. I love this Tim Holtz snowman die called Winter Wonder Bigz die from Sizzix paired with the Snow Flurries edge die! I used glitter on this piece too cause it seemed not as snowy without it! I am entering it in the Simon Says Stamp and Show...some tickets challenge this week!





I completed a candy tin also this week for gift giving and another class.
I used Little Yellow Bicycle papers and the Tim Holtz/Sizzix die called Tattered Pine Cone to make the flower and the pine cones! It took a little work to get the hang of making pine cones and after watching the video by the man himself I realized I could make the roses and the pine cones for this project.


A little different view of the flower and pine cones on the band that holds the box together!



Okay that's it for my book writing today. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Drop by Julias Stamping Ground and check out WOYWW and do like I am doing grabbing a cup and snooping through the other blogs. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

WOYWW #128

UPDATE! I have so much ribbon I am almost embarassed by the comments left but I collect them when I can get them cheap and this way keeps them safe! I bought small curtian rods from IKEA that slide right through the center of the rolls and viola! instant organization!

Happy Wednesday! Today is the day that all bloggers at WOYWW look forward to with such anticipation and enthusiasm...what's that you say? It is a group of artist/crafters that get together and share there desks and projects. To find out more go see Julia at Stamping Ground! My desk is covered with stuff that I am digging out to use on a project I am planning on making tomorrow. I am using some Little Yellow Bicycle papers and a tin box with a window to make a candy box to give to a teacher, friend, or even the postman.

I spent the past couple days organizing my craftroom a little more to make things more accessible and handier to use. Having been gone on vacation for so long I guess my mind forgot where I hid stuff and I couldn't find half of what I wanted! I went to look for an embossing folder and couldn't find the one I was looking for and spent the next 5 hours finding all my dies, embossing folders, and letterpress plates.



I decided to put them in a plastic box with dividers for types and I even wrote the name of each folder on the folder...not too OCD! The dies I organized into place bins under the low table that sits behind my desk chair. Don't look at all the crud accumulated on top of the table...thats what happens when I start moving stuff around!!




I will leave you with a picture of an ATC that I made for a swap this week. The challenge was to use red and green...I did, barn door red and pine needles. The ATC seemed to be way to dark to me so I stickled the moon in and put some frost on the trees to lighten it up a bit! Hope everyone has a great week!

The Craft Barn

I ran across this blog candy advert while searching the web for a product that I 'need' to purchase to make my Christmas cards. Thought I would share it and get into the drawing for all the goodies that The Craft Barn is giving away. All sorts of fun "products such as Tim Holtz, Sizzix, Cuttlebug, Impression Obsession, Cosmic Shimmer, Dreamweaver DVD, some wooden goodies to alter, gilding flakes, tissue tape, embossing folders, dies, inks, paints, embellishments etc. etc. etc....." Now that makes me totally happy! Lots of awesome goodness here!
Hurry over and join the fun at The Craft Barn Blog!

WOYWW #127

Wednesday again? I know I say this a lot but it seems like yesterday was Wednesday and now here it is again!! I look forward to Wednesdays and What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday where artist and crafters from around the world join together to snoop around one anothers desks and meet and greet friends from their travels about. If you would like to know more about WOYWW check out Julia Dunnit's blog Stamping Ground and come join us in the fun!

This week I would like to share some tags I made for a class that I taught tonight at a local scrap book store here in Norman. I usually teach one tag class a month cause I love to teach, love to create these tags, and love to share that love with others who are like minded. The theme of the tags was Thanksgiving and I created 3 tags for the class using techniques from the Compendium of Curiosities by Tim Holtz.

This tag I call Give Thanks. I love the new seasonal distress inks and used them on these three tags because of their warm fall tones.
Materials:
Tim Holtz (TH): Tag die
Branch Tree die
Thankful Background and borders texture fades
TH Distress Inks:
Seasonal Inks: Seedless Preserves, Gathered Twigs, and Ripe Persimmon. Walnut Stain and
Vintage Photo
TH Distress Stains: Bundled Sage and Dried Marigold
TH Distress Stickles
Rock candy
Martha Stewart Leaf Punch
Stampin’Up! (SU):
Pumpkin Pie card stock
Soft Suede card stock
Very Vanilla
SU stamp set Give Thanks
SU Label punch
Various ribbon remnants



The second tag is called Happy Thanksgiving!
Materials:
Tim Holtz (TH):
Tag Die
ATC Die
Thankful Background and borders texture fades
TH Distress Inks:
Seasonal Inks: Seedless Preserves, Gathered Twigs,
and Ripe Persimmon.
Walnut Stain
Vintage Photo
TH Card stock:Seasonal Stash Paper stack
TH Ideology: Token and Tiny Pin
Stampin’Up! (SU): Pumpkin Pie striped ribbon
SU stamp set Day of Gratitude
Mulberry Paper Roses
Mulberry Paper leaves
Dew Drops



This tag is called Gratitude and it was definitely the hardest of the three! I loved using the new Distress Embossing Powder while making it.
Materials:
Tim Holtz (TH): Tag Die
TH stamp set Falling leaves
TH Distress Stain Old linen
TH Distress Inks:
Seasonal Inks: Seedless Preserves, Gathered Twigs, and Ripe Persimmon. Walnut Stain and
Vintage Photo
TH Card stock: Seasonal Stash Paper stack
TH Distress Embossing Powder: Spice Marmalade, Walnut Stain, and Peeled Paint
TH Ideology:Tiny Pin and Charm tag
Versamark Ink Pad
Stampin’Up! (SU): Old olive striped ribbon and Old Olive Cardstock
SU stamp set Day of Gratitude
SU Label Punch
Paper Flowers, button, and dragonfly
EK Success leaf punch



Several people asked me to post pictures of my trip to Spain but I haven't had time to do it yet on the blog. I do have pictures posted on my Facebook site if you would like to visit there it is www.facebook.com/vdoswell. There are a lot of pics to view.
Well thats it for me I am off to visit the kitchen for a cup of tea before I start visiting the blogs of the other WOYWWer's. Come join us...it's a lot of fun.

Twilight Tag

I don't know about you but I am a big Twilight fan and have read or listened to all four of the books (I don't consider Midnight Sun or Bree Tanners part of the series) multiple times. It angers me that someone let Midnight Sun out before it was published but Stephanie Meyers says that she is convinced that Edward deserves to have his story told and has left us with a promise to finish it. Bree Tanner is interesting but not an integral part of the series to me. The Twilight series is such a story of love conquering all that it gives me a sense of hope and renewal every time I read it or watch one of the movies. I have tickets for the second night of the Breaking Dawn part 1 showing this month and I can hardly wait for it to come cause it is Edward and Bella's wedding! Hooray!!

Here is the finished tag I promised that I would show you from the last WOYWW post.
I bought a set of stamps from ArtfulInkables called Fictionally Inspired several years ago that had a lot of words that relate to the Twilight books...all the characters names, statements about vampires, wolves etc. The second ArtfulInkables set is called Into the Moonlight. I haven't been able to find out what happened to the ArtfulInkables people or store but nothing has been on their blog or in the store since November of 2010 so it is like it just doesn't exist anymore.

Any way it is a simple tag with just names, words, etc pertinent to the books. Hope you like it.

Materials used:
Artful Inkables stamps: Fictionally Inspired
Tim Holtz Tag Die
Distress inks black soot, fired brick
Stampin'Up! (SU) cardstock, whisper white, basic black, old olive, always artichoke
SU Dazzling Details
SU cherry cobbler seam binding
DCWV Immortal Love Stack
Mulberry Roses
EK Success leaf punch

This is the 200th post on this blog. I am going to have to think of something to do to celebrate. Keep tuned...maybe some blog candy would be a good deal!

WOYWW??

I has been more then a few weeks since I last was able to participate in WOYWW and it has been missed I can tell you. Not that I didn't have great fun on my vacation in Spain but there is nothing like traveling around the world from the comfort of my computer chair! If you would like see what I am talking about you need to visit with the Queen of Snoop, Julia Dunnitt, at Stamping Ground and join in the fun.

I haven't been able to do much crafting/art and wasn't able to do any while I was gone so I have been in the craft room at my workdesk several hours a day since we got home last week. Today I am working on finishing up some tags that are for a swap. The fourth movie of the Twilight series is due to come out on Nov. 18 and this tag is to do with Twilight. I will post more on it later!

I am looking forward to visiting the blogs this week and hope to catch up on who is doing what and visit with friends far away. Hope everyone has a creative week!

bird cage tag

Wanted to share some pictures of a tag that I made for the bird cage swap at Frankie's last month. I hadn't heard from the person that my tag went to that she had received it but decided she must have gotten it or I would have heard otherwise.
I used the Tim Holtz (TH) tag die to cut the tag then embossed it with a TH folder after using the wrinkle free distress technique to color it. The birdcage and bird are cut using the bird cage die and colored with the silver Adirondack® Metallics Acrylic Paint Dabber. Bird is colored with fired brick distress ink.
the floral ribbon is colored with Broken China Distress Stain and a silver dew drop placed in the center before gluing it to the birdcage. The sentiment is from TH and stamped on cardstock and embossed with clear embossing powder then cut using a Stampin Up! punch. There is glass glitter "bird seed" in the little bottle.
I embellished the tag hole with Fun Fur and added a Word Stick, a key and a fob I made from a bead. The mulberry roses were tipped with Broken China Distress Stain.

Hope to be home next week from Spain and get settled in a bit so I can start playing in my craft room again by Thursday or Friday! I have enjoyed all the travels but since the first of September until now is a long time without all my toys to play with. Looking forward to creating lots of fun things that I have running around in my head. More later!