Simon Says Stamp and Show Me...

..some BUTTONS!

For other details, to see other wonderful creations, AND to enter your own, check out the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog!

 

I have a gazillion buttons. A million from one Gram, another million from the other Gram, several hundred thousand from Mom, and never mind the ones that have been saved from numerous shirts and sweaters, just IN CASE you might need one.  So, when I saw the challenge was buttons, ding ding ding, opportunity to use some of them up. I decided to go with a layer of buttons for the "roof" of my bird house.

The birdhouse is sitting on a base made using the Art Parts Spool, covered with Paddington Paper by 7 Gypsies. A LOT of flowers were cut from grungepaper and regular cardstock using the Tattered Florals die. I decided I needed a bird for the bird house, (what did you think I would put on there? Ok, I know, with me, you never know...lol), so I cut a bird from grungeboard using the Caged Bird die .

I added a red grungepaper rose for a splash of color!

I cut a grungeboard bird, also covered with Paddington paper, and adhered him to the perch, but he's hard to see against the busy paper background here in the pic, he's a little more visible in real life. You'll have to trust me on that one. lol.

Back view. The flourishes are cut from black cardstock using a Sizzix die.

This week, our wonderful sponsors at Simon Says Stamp are giving away another $50 voucher!  So, be sure to create something and enter it for a chance to win!

Here's a list of the other design team members blogs, be sure to check out their wonderful creations!

Lynne

Nancy W

Nancy C

Linda C

Dan

Kim

Terry
Candy
Sarah

Linda E - the DIRECTOR

Thanks for stopping by!

Simon Says Stamp and Show Me...

...a Tim Holtz Technique!

For other details, to see other wonderful creations, AND to enter your own, check out the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog!

I decided to go with one of the basic techniques, embossed grungeboard, using the Rays Texture Fade.  Some Studio 490 stamps from Gentleman's Art, Tools for Art, and Rose Art Part 2;  Idea-ology Sprockets and Gears and the Sizzix Gadget Gears die helped complete this "taste of Steampunk" hanging!

This week, our wonderful sponsors at Simon Says Stamp are giving away another $50 voucher!  So, be sure to create something and enter it for a chance to win!

Here's a list of the other design team members blogs, be sure to check out their wonderful creations!

Lynne

Nancy W

Nancy C

Linda C

Dan

Kim

Terry
Candy
Sarah

Linda E - the DIRECTOR

Thanks for stopping by!

Grungy Monday #3 and Making Art!

Couple of challenges today, one being down to the wire....yep, talkin' about Grungy Monday!  Well, ok, I still had a day left, but it's late for me...

The theme this week is (was) exploring colorwash..Adirondack, to be brand specific. And you can see more info about colorwash on Ranger's site or Tim's website.

I needed to make a few Easter cards, so I used Stream and Lettuce colorwash on a background stamped and embossed with white powder, to create a resist. I then used paper from the Seasonal paper stack, and some vintage trim and buttons.

And on to the next challenge, which is over at the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo! Group...use three buttons and a dimensional grungepaper/grungeboard object.  I decided to keep it small and made a thick ATC.  By thick, I mean, out of a piece of masonite board, for lack of a better term.  I have a ton of the stuff left from some flooring packaging. Makes a great substrate. Any who...here it is...

No surprise there....that I chose a flower for my "dimensional object".  At least I don't disappoint.  Much.  All the stamps are Wendy's, of course. Now, when you read that sentiment, doesn't that song just pop in your head? lol! 
Ok, on to the bonehead move of the day.... I was attempting to cut the edge of some cardstock in one of my new Fiskars border punches. Well, here's a little tip...don't try to do two layers of cardstock at once. Heavy cardstock. Yeah, it gave a little resistance, but I thought, well, the paper IS a little thick....so I put all my weight behind it, or should I say, on the top of the handle... and.... BOOM....blue plastic shattered everywhere, yep, the handle busted. Darn near put holes in nearby bottles of stickles and glue with the flying shards of plastic. So, there's another piece for the trash. Apparently they're only made for ONE piece of LIGHTWEIGHT paper. And you wonder why I buy steel rule dies?? Snort.
Hey, I wonder if the Sizzix dies will cut that thick flooring packaging I was talking about earlier??? Hmmm.....I'll let you know if I need a new Big Shot....lol...have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Humor ATC Swap...RESULTS! And a few extra things...

...so, a while back, I had asked if anyone would be interested in a Vintage Humor ATC Swap, three for three. I was fortunate enough to have several responses to my call, and I'm going to show you the wonderful art... with humor....that the gals sent to swap. Now, there will be a little glare on some, as I was feeling more lazy than usual when taking the photos, and didn't remove the ATC's from their plastic sleeves. Hey, nobody's perfect.

Err, just realized the top middle one is sideways...any who... upper row by Pam, bottom row by Rhonda

Upper row by Elaine, bottom row by Eileen. How I so thoughtfully put the E's together is beyond me.

Left by Wanda, right by Electra

 Mine you had already seen in previous posts. Are these not hysterical?  I could seriously look at these five times a day or more, and still get a good laugh each and every time.  Thanks for participating ladies, it was a lot of fun! If anyone else would like to enter this swap again sometime in the future, just click on Rocky in my sidebar to the right and email me!
I had also whipped up a quick card for a friend, using the alcohol ink splatter tech and some Wendy stamps:

Simple, but I like it. And yes, the AI's are a little over done. Quite frankly,  I was going to throw it in the trash, but after I stamped it with the images and sentiment, I rather liked it, and I think the recipient will too.
I apologize for being somewhat MIA these past few weeks, but a lot has been going on.  This week, after being unemployed for a bit, I started a new job. So, this working thing is really cutting into my art and blog time....lol... gee, I hate it when that happens. I'm kidding. 
I'm very thankful for the job. Seriously.

And, just last week, I returned from a little vaca, where I got to spend some quality time with some art friends (ok, all around friends, but I thought I should mention that we all have that in common, lol), whom I met on the 2009 Timinator Mexico cruise..... Louise, Sarah and Pam. We had loads of fun, made a little art, did a little sightseeing and shopping, and ate a lot of food...and M & M's. 

Many thanks to Pam for putting us up for a week, or I should say, putting up with us for a week. lol.  Pam has some good pics up on her blog, including a very nice shot of an empty Captain Morgan bottle....argh!
So, I'll share some pics too, mostly taken by Louise, as I am usually one to forget my camera. We had some great southern seafood at Waddell's in Hartselle, Alabama.  Oh man, I've never had FRESH shrimp before. Wow. Oh, and we got to try some crawfish, aka Mudbugs or Louisiana Lobster. Actually they were pretty tasty.

Here's a couple that got out of control:

A great pic of all of us, and there's that crawfish, still out of control and running wild, taking a break on my shoulder, lol:

 

Louise felt it necessary to play with her food, (although she did have a little prodding), and make a stick man from sweet potatoe fries and fried pickles:

 Eek, these guys are trying to escape:

 

It was a fantastic trip, and I enjoyed getting to know these gals better. And, thanks for sharing your pics, Pam and Louise!

Simon Says Stamp and Show Me...

...some DISTRESSING!

For other details, to see other wonderful creations, AND to enter your own, check out the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog!

I chose to make some Easter home decor in the shape of a chunky ATC, using the Tim Holtz Seasonal Paper Stack and Stickers, which I distressed using the Tonic Paper Distresser. I also used the  Spring Sprung stamp set, and some Art Institute Vintage Glass GlitterArt Institute Dries Clear Adhesive adhered with .

Machine stitching round the edge, some glitter, and a pretty ribbon from my teamie, Linda C!

Added some stitching around the edge, some paper roses, and some glitter

Stamps from Spring Sprung in Coffee Archival, dotted here and there with Vintage Glass Glitter, and grungepaper butterfly colored with Scattered Straw

Salvage stickers, the stamp behind is from Spring Sprung in Coffee Archival

Top, crepe paper colored with Weathered Wood Distress Stain, sprinkled with vintage glass glitter, and a small paper rose adhered to the center

This week, our wonderful sponsors at Simon Says Stamp are giving away another $50 voucher!  So, be sure to create something and enter it for a chance to win!

Here's a list of the other design team members blogs, be sure to check out their wonderful creations!

Lynne

Nancy W

Nancy C

Linda C

Dan

Kim

Terry
Candy
Sarah

Linda E - the DIRECTOR

Thanks for stopping by!

Grungy Monday #2!

Here we are at week #2 for Grungy Monday!

This week, the challenge is taken from RangerInk.com, and is shown as a video clip, Distress Ink with Studio Multi Medium.

Ok, perhaps I shouldn't have done the dots and dashes inside the wish.
I cut the Mover and Shaper WISH from craft foam, using it as my stamp. The paper is from the Vintage Shabby stack, and you can barely see the pattern on the paper, probably should have used a more predominant patterned paper, the WISH looks like white paint, but it is "the product" we were supposed to use.
I then used the Fairytale Frenzy stamp set for the rest. I stamped the floral in Archival black, hoping (wishing? lol) it would look like a hanger for an ornament (the WISH). I also sprayed the tag with Kiwi Perfect Pearl Mist prior to stamping. Can't see it here.
Pretty simple, but some days you have that! 
Thanks for stopping by, Go Be Creative!

Simon Says Stamp and Show Me...

...ANYTHING BUT A CARD!

For other details, to see other wonderful creations, AND to enter your own, check out the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog!

Again, not a hard theme for me... lol 

I chose to make a jewelry piece using Darcie's Acrylic House Charm , 7 Gypsies Conservatory paper, and Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type. When it's not serving as a pendant or brooch, it can be attached to a small framed piece with some jump rings and a hitch fastener!

Another shot:

Err, the charm does stand out from the frame in real life, it kind of blends into the background in the picture here...
Obviously, this is just a matter of cutting paper and gluing with glossy accents. The bird's nest, well, that's my first attempt at a wire bird nest. I just kept circling the wire and smashing it as I went. All very scientific.
The frame is a Sizzix die, covered with more of the Conservatory paper, and I gave it a spritz with some Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls. There is some Peeled Paint distress ink under there, too, and some Brushed Corduroy in the center.
I love these little charms. They come with the plastic liner on both sides, so when gluing, you can keep the liner on one side so you don't get glue all over. When you're done, just peel off the top liner!  It's a little bit thinner acrylic, too, they come with a hole in the top, but if you want one in the bottom, just use a Crop a Dile, cuts like butter and doesn't crack. Awesome!

This week, our wonderful sponsors at Simon Says Stamp are giving away another $50 voucher!  So, be sure to create something and enter it for a chance to win!

Here's a list of the other design team members blogs, be sure to check out their wonderful creations!

Lynne

Nancy W

Nancy C

Linda C

Dan

Kim

Terry
Candy
Sarah

Linda E - the DIRECTOR

Thanks for stopping by!