Canning Lid Pumpkin

This pumpkin was actually my mom's project, but since I contributed a little something I decided to share it with you here.  She got the idea from the current edition of Country Sampler magazine, but if you Google "pumpkin made with canning lids" you'll find numerous links to blogs that include step by step instructions on how to make your own (it's ridiculously simple).

We didn't purchase anything new to make this pumpkin, but my mom did have to borrow a few canning jar rims from a friend and paint two white pipecleaners gold (one was used to tie the lids together; the other was made to create the curlicues on top).  For the stem she cut off the end of an old tree branch that my dad had in the garage (it may have been used previously as a "mushrooming stick").

My contribution was the leaf.  It's made out of Grungepaper colored with distress inks.  I drew on the veins with a Tombow marker and creased the Grungepaper along the veins to give it some texture. This was a fun little project and will look super cute this autumn when my mom sets out some fall-themed decorations.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Canning jar rims (20-24); two pipecleaners; gold paint; tree branch; saw; Grungepaper; peeled paint, forest moss, and frayed burlap distress inks; Tombow marker.

Vintage Poppy Moo

Since I had so much fun making moo houses earlier this month, I decided to sign up for a moo swap on ATCs for All.  It's an open-theme swap, meaning anything goes in terms of subject matter and medium.

My first moo (I have to make six) features this lovely poppy image that I stamped on smooth cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  It was trimmed closely and adhered to a vintage French book page that I whitewashed with acrylic paint and tinted with distress ink.

Have a great day!




Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; vintage French book page; Adirondack white and gold acrylic paint dabber; antique linen and dusty concord distress ink; poppy image by Oxford Impressions; Stazon black ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; white, natural, and medium charcoal pencils.

Happy Engagement

Here's something I don't say very often:  one of my friends got engaged!  (She's one of my younger friends--LOL).  Because the happy couple will be relocating soon and probably will not have a public wedding, they're throwing a big engagement party instead.  I've never had to make an engagement card so I went searching online for some ideas and came up with this fairly simple but elegant card.

The lavender and ivory cardstocks were chosen to match the color scheme for the party.  I used a lot of Nestabilities, including the Grand Labels 1 for the base of the card which is approximately five inches square. 

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Lavender cardstock from Stampin' Up; ivory and black cardstock by Bazzill; bridal couple by Stampendous; Versamark ink; black embossing powder; Anna Griffin embossing folder; Nestabilities: Grand Labels 1, circle, scalloped circle, oval, scalloped oval, foliage; pop-dots.

Sending Love and Sympathy

One of my aunts passed away this week, so I created this clean and simple sympathy card to send to my cousins.







Supplies:
Poppy red and whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; sentiment from Stampin' Up; green cardstock by Bazzill; black Stazon ink; Marvy makers; oval, scalloped oval, and label Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Cuttlebug embossing folder; corner rounder punch; pop-dots.

Fancy 50th

I created this card for some friends of my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month.  My mom originally requested a different color scheme (based on the couple's favorite team's colors), but it just wasn't coming together for me and it was simply too dark for such a joyous occasion.  Once I switched to a lighter color combination (AND changed the sketch, AND made the card larger, AND went with different flowers), the card started to come together.

I bought the flourish and banner Nestibilities just this week at Tuesday Morning for the mere price of $6.99 per set.  The anniversary sentiment by Stampin' Up is the perfect size for the small banner.

Have a great weekend!  Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies:
Green and shimmery white cardstock from Stampin' Up; gold stationery from Target; sentiment from Stampin'  Up; Versamark ink; gold detail embossing powder; Nestibilities: circle, scalloped circle, lacy circle, flourish, and banner; die-cut numbers by Provocraft (cut on the Cuttlebug); border punch by EK Success; paper flowers by Recollections (Michaels); Anna Griffin embossing folder; corner rounder punch; pop-dots.

Baker's Dozen - Family Photo ATCs

We had a family reunion Sunday and I decided late Saturday (crazy, I know!) that I would make some ATCs to give away.  I already had some old family photos scanned, all I had to do was print them and get busy.  I made all of the backgrounds first, assembly line style.  Then the challenge was to make sure that all 13 kids in my dad's family were represented!  I ended up with nine ATCs that I gave away via a drawing. 

 

 

Thanks for dropping by!

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC blanks; patterned papers from Stampington magazines; scraps of vintage book text and sheet music; titanium white acrylic paint; Heidi Swapp and Tim Holtz stencils, rubber stamps by Stampin' Up, Stampabilities, Stampa Rosa, and Inque Boutique; various distress inks; light charcoal pencil; Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers.

Thank You

For the second year in a row, some friends of mine held a "Pre-Independence Day Throwdown" the evening of July 3.  The challenge this year was chicken breast:  bring a dish to grill and win prizes.  The party was a lot of fun and you find out who really has a competitive streak.  I'm proud to say that my tandoori spice rub chicken with herbed basmati rice took second place in the best tasting (homemade sauce) category.  I received a fabulous prize: a set of four button steak thermometers and a bag of Dove chocolates.  First prize went to an appetizer consisting of chicken wrapped in bacon.  Who can beat bacon?! 

I created this card to thank my friends for a lovely evening and for my prizes.  I thought about using a chicken image or a patriotic scheme, but in the end decided to go with a cute card in colors that I know the hostess will enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Ivory and yellow cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by My Mind's Eye; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; stamped image by Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz collection); Stazon black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; vintage photo, Victorian velvet, and antique linen distress ink; rectangle and scalloped rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders; paper flower; copper brad; corner rounder punch.

Artist Within - Moo House

Artist Within

This is the final mini house I made during the ATCs for All Mini House-athon last weekend.  I used the same eyes (a rubber stamp), that I used on this mini house, but by angling them differently they look like animal or bird eyes rather than human.  Based on that discovery, this card ended up much darker and eerier than what I initially envisioned.  It has a kind of Halloween vibe to it.

Have a great weekend!

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; patterned papers by Jenni Bowlin; titanium white acrylic paint; eye images by Hampton Art; text stamp from Red Lead; door/window image by Silver Crow Creations; black Stazon ink; white cardstock; transparency; number rub-on by 7 Gypsies; Adirondack black and snow cap acrylic paint dabber; charcoal pencil; Golden matte gel medium.

Altered Monopoly Cards - Moo Houses

Green Green Grass of Home

After having so much fun using a Monopoly title/deed card to make this mini house, I went in search of a used Monopoly game so I could make more.  My mom and I went to Goodwill and two other thrift stores last weekend, but struck out.  A friend suggested I check Craigslist and...SCORE!  A complete Monopoly game for a mere $3, and the person lived less than four miles away.

Clockwork Orange

Once I had the game in my hands, I set about making these two additional mini houses.  I had a fabulous time doctoring up the cards with distress inks, rub-ons, and paint. Next I think I'll use one of the Monopoly cards for an ATC background.

Thanks for popping by!  
Have a fabulous Friday.





Supplies:
140 lb. watercolor paper; Monopoly game card; fine grit sandpaper; distress inks; clock and wine glass rub-ons (Michaels); number and flourish rub-ons (Basic Grey); white distressed rub-ons by My Mind's Eye; Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers (black, snow cap, and pearl); vintage floral bead.

The Houses Had Eyes - Moo Houses

That sounds like the title of a mystery novel, doesn't it?  But in this case, it refers to a couple of mini houses I made over the weekend.

The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul

I had so much fun making this house.  I started with patterned papers and vintage sheet music dry brushed with titanium white paint and inked up with pumice stone distress ink.  The eyes were stamped separately on cardstock, trimmed closely, and adhered.  I love how the Basic Grey rub-ons look like foliage hanging over the house.

Mild Eyes

This house started with the same type of background, but the face was stamped on acetate to allow the background to show through.  I found the text in my favorite 1920s novel and the number 12 rub-on indicates that this was the twelfth mini house I made during the marathon.

Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; Jenni Bowlin patterned papers; vintage sheet music; vintage dictionary text; titanium white acrylic paint; pumice stone distress ink; eye stamp by Hampton Art; face stamp by Hampton; doorway stamp by Silver Crow Creations; black Stazon ink; white cardstock; overhead transparency; white grunge rub-on by My Mind's Eye; charcoal pencil; foliage rub-on by Basic Gray; number rub-on by 7 Gypsies; Dresden trim; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber.

On the Boardwalk - Altered Wooden Cubes

I thought I'd give you a break from the mini houses and show you a mixed media project I recently completed.  I think it qualifies as my first 3D collage (no special viewing glasses required!).

I started with three plain wooden blocks.  The smallest block is just shy of one inch across; the largest block is two inches across.  I gave the blocks a coat of gesso to prime them, then covered them with a variety of patterned papers from Graphic 45's On the Boardwalk collection.  

Then I worked my way from bottom to top, creating a mini collage on each side of each cube.  I used images clipped from the same Graphic 45 papers as well as stamped images and words from Artistic Outpost's new set, Boardwalk.  The images work so well together, it's hard to tell which were stamped and which were not!  I also used some vintage book text and a couple of 1920s postage stamps.

Plenty of distress ink, colored pencil, and charcoal pencil was used to integrate all of the various images.  The feet are small wooden disks painted gold and adhered with heavy gel medium.  The seashells were also adhered with gel medium.  After everything was thoroughly dry, the final step was to seal the entire piece with matte acrylic spray sealant.

I am so pleased with how this project turned out, especially since it was a birthday gift for my friend Barb.  She has made so many wonderful things for me, and she is the one who bought me the Artistic Outpost stamps.  I was concerned about mailing it across the country, so I wrapped it in two layers of bubble wrap and surrounded it with plenty of packing material.  I'm happy to say it arrived safely and in one piece, and I hope she enjoys it for many years to come.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Three wooden blocks and four wooden disks (Michaels); Graphic 45 patterned papers; rubber stamps from Artistic Outpost; vintage book text; vintage postage stamps; black Stazon ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Colorbox burnt sienna ink; antique linen and vintage photo distress ink; sand paper; charcoal pencil; seashells, sand dollar and star fish (Michaels); Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; Golden heavy gel medium; Krylon matte clear acrylic sealer.

Live Laugh Love - Moo Houses

Are you tired of mini houses yet?  I hope not, because here are three more that I made over the weekend.

The backgrounds started with a bingo card that I trimmed to size (1 x 2.75 inches for the base; 1 inch square cut diagonally for the roof), sanded, tinted with distress ink, and dry brushed with white acrylic paint. Barely visible is a stamped flourish in Stazon dove gray.  Then I set to work coloring and inking these three lovely ladies from Artistic Outpost.  I added the stamped words and some espresso acrylic paint around all the edges before adhering the roofs.  The final step was to add the numeric rub-ons.  I'm using the numbers to keep track of the number of mini houses I made during the Mini House-athon on ATCs for All. 

ETA:  My lovely moo houses were selected by the Artistic Outpost Referral Program as a "Top 3" for the month of July!   For that honor I received a blog badge which I've added to the column on the right.  Such a happy and unexpected surprise.

Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
Bingo card; antique linen distress ink; titanium white acrylic paint; flourish and word stamps by Inque Boutique; Stazon black and dove gray ink; female stamps from Artistic Outpost; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; charcoal pencil; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber; number rub-ons by 7 Gypsies; mini black rhinestones from Michaels; matte gel medium.

The Exes - Moo Houses

What can I say?  Sometimes a gal is feeling a little snarky!

Happy Monday!

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; patterned papers by Jenni Bowlin; titanium white acrylic paint; rubber stamps by River City Rubber Works and Artistic Outpost; Prismacolor Premier pencils; antique linen and vintage photo distress ink; number rub-ons by 7 Gypsies; book text; charcoal pencil; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber.

The Key to Tennessee Avenue - Moo House

The background for this mini house started with a Monopoly deed card (for Tennessee Avenue) that was in my goodie bag at ARTzona 2013.  I sanded it lightly so it would take some distress ink, then added the white rub-ons.  The large key and number 4 are also rub-ons.    I felt like the card still needed something, so I went digging for the miniature metal key which was the perfect size.

Guess who now plans to hit the local Goodwill stores in search of a Monopoly game?  hee hee

Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; Monopoly game card; rusty hinge and pumice stone distress ink; distress rub-on by My Mind's Eye; key rub-on by Recollections (Michaels); number 4 rub-on and mini metal key by 7 Gypsies; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber; waxed linen thread by Books by Hand (available through Dick Blick).

Union Suits - Moo Houses

I bought a miniature reproduction of a 1900 Sears and Roebuck catalog at an auction a couple of years ago.  Some of the text is so small you can't read it without a magnifying glass, but many of the graphics are the perfect size for ATCs, inchies, twinchies, or in this case, moos.

I created these two cards using graphics and text from that catalog.  One could buy a man's cotton union suit for 85 cents back then!  A woman's cotton union suit (with a drop seat) was a mere 75 cents.  Can you imagine?  And they probably really needed them, since they depended on fireplaces to heat their homes.

I hope you're having a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; miscellaneous scrapbooking papers; white acrylic paint; French script background stamp from Stampin' Up; crackle background stamp unknown; Stazon black ink; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber; number rub-ons by 7 Gypsies; graphics and book text from reproduction Sears catalog; charcoal pencil.

#1 Star - Moo House

This is a mixed media collage mini house I created during a marathon on ATCs for All.  It's almost a little ridiculous the number of products I used for such a tiny piece of art!  (But oh, what fun I had.)  Stay tuned for more mini houses over the weekend, as I'm kind of on a roll.

A belated Happy Independence Day to my American friends! 

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; miscellaneous scrapbooking papers; white gesso; script stamp from Stampin' Up; Ranger Archival black ink; Victorian velvet, tumbled glass, and vintage photo distress ink; eyes cut from a reproduction Sears and Roebuck catalog; blue and black cardstock by Bazzill; ledger stamp from Artistic Outpost; small circle punch; number rub-ons by 7 Gypsies; white distress rub-ons by My Mind's Eye; charcoal pencil.

You Are the Cat's Meow

I created this card to send to a friend for her birthday.  I ended up using one of my favorite color combinations: black, red, ivory, and gray.

The images and sentiment from Artistic Outpost were stamped on ivory cardstock and sponged with pumice stone distress ink.  The focal image was also lightly tinted with Prismacolor Premier pencils.

Thanks for stopping!

Supplies:
Black and dark green cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla and red cardstock from Stampin' Up; stamps from Artistic Outpost; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor pencils; pumice stone and black soot distress ink; oval, scalloped oval,and leaf (foliage) die cuts by Nestabilities; paper flowers by the Paper Studio; sheer silver ribbon from Michaels; pop-dots; Golden heavy gel medium; Crackle Accents (just on the headlights).

Bridge Invitation - ATC

I've been working on a special project this past week, but can't post pictures yet because it's intended as a gift and I don't want the person to see it in advance.  So I sat down and created this ATC last night in order to have something to share with you.

The background is an old handwritten letter that I doctored up with a clock stencil and distress inks.  I found the handsome gent in a magazine and created his playing cards by cutting up an actual card.

Can you believe it's July already?  Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC blank; vintage handwritten letter and postage stamp; postmark rubber stamp from Artistic Outpost; book text; magazine clip art; Heidi Swapp stencil; antique linen, pumice stone, soot black, weathered wood, and festive berries distress ink; charcoal pencil; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber.