collage-y birthday cards

You may know that card making is my inspiration blocker,
creative juice drainer--
for whatever reason, the thought of making a card stops
me dead in my tracks almost every time.  BUT it's Aunt
Helen's birthday, and by golly, she deserves a special card.

So I made her two, just in case:

embossed collage background, vintage alphabet, charm

bird and ephemera from Vintage Page Designs

The bird and ephemera are all from Vintage Page Designs, the butterfly
transparency is from Altered Pages, and that awesome alphabet set (my favorite
du jour) is  from Blockheads

detail photo, just like the cool kids do . . . ;)

The collage bird easel card wants to play along here:
Frilly and Funkie--Let's See Some Texture--the handmade, embossed paper behind the bird
Fashionable Stamping--Nature
It's All About The Vintage--summer/butterflies

woyww? 160--stamping on fabric

Well, my workdesk is the kitchen table today, and it's covered
with fabric inks . . .

VersaCraft fabric inks
 

 
Have you ever used fabric inks? Mine are so old, they still have the Fabrico name, but now they're called VersaCraft.  The butterfly and bee
are from the Nature Medallions set from Blockheads.

Sorry this post looks so weird-- not sure why I can't just type UNDER the pic, but whatever, blogger!

Happy WOYWW!  I'll be around this week to have a look at what's on YOUR desk, and thank you (again) to everyone who left comments on last week's
WOYWW, Daughter Edition.

"Butterfly, bird, and bee agree . . . "

"Butterfly, bird and bee agree--"
that's from an episode of Mr. Rogers.
I used to be in love with Mr. Rogers.
I figured I'd either marry him, or Captain Kirk . . .
No, I'm not kidding.

ANYWAY, my in-laws have a print shop, and I
tend to get some of their cast-offs, like this
nice black cardstock.  AND some nifty little
envelopes, into which this cute card happens
to fit quite nicely.

These sweet summery images are from the
Vintage Illustrated Birds set, and Nature Medallions

Happy Sunday!
P.S.--there is crayon on the black cardstock,
but the images are stamped on paint monoprinted background paper



Challenges!
Dream Valley Challenges--things with wings!
Fashionable Stamping--nature
craftymess challenges--use paint (the backgrounds)
Crafty Catz--pastel colours

blackberries and two tags . . .

Our big, scary blackberry hedge is in full swing right now.  Have you
ever tried to pick blackberries?  It requires a certain degree of caution.
Most blackberry bushes do NOT want to share.

Our giant thorn bushes.  I mean blackberry bushes.

YUM.

I make lots of tags, but usually not big ones like these--generally
it's little ones, to fit inside other projects (such as the All Aboard
book, HERE and HERE, or the Sew Sweet book).

These were simple to make, and I'm thinking, why not use them
instead of a card?  It's not a card shape, but wouldn't it be fun to
find a big embellished tag inside an envelope?

Starbirds from Stampotique

Honeycomb and bee from Rogue Redhead Designs

In the mood for a challenge?
Starbird tag:
Stampotique Designer's Challenge--Twin Images
Stampavie and more--something with wings
Crafty Sentiments--use bright colours

Honeycomb tag:
Word Art Wednesday--use scripture or uplifting word/saying
Crazy Amigo Challenge--summer colours
Happy Daze--June Bug (used Antique Linen and Scattered Straw
Distress Inks, plus Jet Black StazOn) "bug" is bee stamped along
the seam binding

I'm feeling a little distracted today . . . as if I misplaced my
concentration . . . let me know if you find it, okay?

What's on YOUR Workdesk? Wednesday--Daughter Edition.

My workdesk is the same dreadful mess, and I can't even show any
of the stuff I've been working on, yet.  So, it's time for What's On Your
Workdesk?  Wednesday--The Daughter Edition!

Earlier this spring, I was delighted to be the fortunate getter of Kim's (aka 
Tabby) giveaway, which was full of art journal inspiring goodies.  The teen
daughter promptly confiscated most of it.

She's already been
away at camps two
weeks this summer,
and started working
on her art journal
in earnest just the
other day.

I don't even know
where the metallic
paint came from,
but it has a great
sheen.








Here's the funny thing--she found this book while we were out
garage sale-ing one day, and decided it would be perfect for
her journal. I think she's right!

  

Happy WOYWW, everyone--I'll be having snoop around

later today--and thank you to Julia for hostessing.

:) 

NO Father's Day card! embossed tp, of all things . . .

Nope, no Father's Day card, but it IS a card using the embossing
technique described HERE, image from the  Years Ago set by
Blockheads.  (If you don't have this set yet, just trust me on this, you
need it--well,okay, want it!)


Have you joined in the challenge hop yet?  What?  No?  You DO
realize there is $25 worth of Blockheads awesomeness at stake here,
right?  And here's a little tip--if an entry is from a dt member, we just
aren't eligible to win . . . ***sigh***

The information you need is at the "here" link above, and you can
click the blue frog face below to see the collection of entries.
Happy Father's Day, and Happy Sunday to you!

More challenges:
Gingerloft--Vintage
Speedy and Friends--Vintage
Crafty Catz--embossing
Hotshot Craft Blog--distress inks
:)

This is the story of the three bears . . .

you know the pics will enlarge if you click on them, right?

Just look at the expressions on their faces!

Are you ready to Get Grizzly with it?  Gotta say, that honeycomb background--
it is YUM-MY.  Did you see the intro post at Rogue Redhead Designs yesterday? 
No?  Check it out HERE.

(This is what happened with the monoprints that I showed yesterday!)

woyww 158? monoprints!

Yay!  Gelli Plate!

One of my favorite friends called yesterday, and she always inspires me to
go make something! Got out my new Gelli Plate, and printed off a bunch of
backgrounds.  Could have made monoprints all day--that was some great
art therapy, let me tell you!  Instead, however, started making them into a book . . .

Come join in the what's on your workdesk? Wednesday fun HERE--
thank you, as always, to Julia for kindly hostessing the weekly party!

:)

hand bound, origami wallet book--inside!

center layout, pockets full of ephemera and tags

Here is the inside layout of the hand bound book with origami wallet signature.
It was SO much fun to make, I'm thinking about doing a tutorial for it . . . the images
on the pocket fronts are from the Sewing and Vintage Light and Form sets. The trim
is silky seam binding, that stuff is a delight to play with.

first pocket, tags and ephemera pulled, first side

Here you can see various tags and ephemera (from Altered Pages) pulled from
the first pocket--these are stamped with various images from the Years Ago set,
Vintage Illustrated Birds set, and Nature Medallions.  Lots of ribbon and buttons,
lace and sequins waste with paint, too.
 

Here are the same tags, flipped--that script background I use all the time is from
the Years Ago set , the images are (you guessed it, right?) The Sewing Set.

Here is the other pocket with the tags pulled--wish the shot of the faux postcard
was closer, that postcard/postage stamp image is amazing!  The flowers are from
the Honey Bees set, and the insects are Nature Medallions.

That was a lot of pics for one post, at least for me--I hope you enjoyed this book
as much as I did making it.

Oh, yes, a challenge, please:
addicted to stamps--one or more pins (each tag has a lightbulb pin in the top)
Creative Inspirations--butterflies (second pic, two tags feature butterflies)
Gingerloft--vintage
Let's Ink It Up--use favorite embellishments (pins, sequins waste, seam binding, those velvet leaves!)
Quirky Crafts--something you'd see in the sky (bird, butterflies, ladybug, bees)
Stampalot--bingo (first row across)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

:)

woyww 157--a day late . . .

Well, here's my "what's on your workdesk" this week (late)--it's the aftermath of THIS book and this tag:

The Rogue-ish tag was created using one of the sylish Milliner Misses.  (I
think she's quite pretty as is, but now wish I'd given her a little Rogue rouge!)
The the main tag is stamped with the netted background from the Just Sayn'
plate, and the smaller tag uses a sentiment and one of the lovely roses from
the Floriculture plate. The butterfly is actually a transparency image, it's from
 Altered Pages. 

So, what's on YOUR workdesk? My internet is being super slow, so may have to go somewhere for a cup of coffee and some wifi time . . . that will give me a better chance for a snoop around the WOYWW crew!

Challenge, anyone?
Sassy Studio--use something wet (spritz of Lilac Walnut Ink on the background)
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop--lots of layers
Through the Craftroom Door--distressing
Crafting for All Seasons--many layers
Crafts and Me--lace
Word Art Wednesday--(always) use an encouraging or uplifting sentiment or verse

hand bound book with origami wallet signature

Here is a 4 by 5 inch hand bound book--the inside signature is an origami
wallet, sewn to the cardstock front cover and vellum end papers.  Today
I'm going to show you the first and last pages/pockets, along with all the
ephemera they hold . . .

I REALLY like that vintage light post!

AND the ticket stamp, it looks so official

Those are real railway tokens attached to the tags, from Altered Pages

Years Ago set  --those dreamy faces
Vintage Railway set  --the train and ticket ephemera, plus the "All Aboard" sentiment
Vintage Light and Form --the vintage light post, and the light quote.  It also has a
great dress form stamp, which I used on the inside pockets, but you can click the
link for a sneak peek at the stamp!

Is anyone else fighting with blogger today?  It's Saturday, and the DH and
I are heading out for a long weekend away, so I'm trying to schedule this.
Let's just say blogger and I don't always get along . . .

Happy Weekend, everyone!

:)

best bouquet!

It's a new month, and time for a new round of Reader's Art Quests at
Unruly Paper Arts.  Quest #1 is Spring Thing-- who couldn't use a
dose of spring inspiration?  Reader's Art Quest #2 is Best Bouquet.  I used
paper to create my bouquet, but let me tell you, it took a little longer than I
thought it would to get the hang of it, so my bouquet is only two flowers . . .

You know you don't have to make actual flowers, right?  Stamped images,
embellishments, whatever your personal interpretation of "Best Bouquet" may
be.

You just can't go wrong with flowers, especially ones you don't have to water!

Oh, look, some challenges:
The Cheerful Stamp Pad (Hi, Vicki!!) --the sweet life/things that make life sweet
Simon Says Stamp-- anything goes
Shelly's Images--pick two (for mine, blue and flowers)
Waste Not Wednesday--use your forgotten stuff.  See those flower centers?
They've been lurking around the art room for at least five years.