Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

I'll be back after Christmas, ready for a thorough round of blog visiting--have
a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

(One of my favorite Christmas movies!)

a simple set of sewing themed, winter-white ornaments

Are you Christmasing?  I certainly am, almost non-stop it seems, and am trying
to challenge myself to use non-traditional colors in some of my creations.  Here
are some winter white,  vintage sewing themed ornaments:

The stamp (from Altered Pages) measures 2.4 by 3.4, so it's a perfect size for ornaments.

I wrapped the cut-out cardstock with vintage trims and silk ribbons.

(accented with glittery Wink of Stella pen.)

Some Christmas challenges to inspire you this weekend:
Kitty Bee Designs--Christmas
Stampin' With the Dragon--Christmas Gifts & Decorations
Totally Paper Crafts--Anything Christmassy but a card
Dream it UP!--The Holidays in a Hurry
Inspire Me Monday--not really a challenge, it's inspiration by the bucket!

been Christmasing like crazy--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #235

Christmas, that's what's on my workdesk!  I need to snap a few of the
advent calendar (yes, another one!) made at my friend's arty party Saturday;
still adding trims and embellishments, but it's hanging on the mantel, and getting
extra attention a bit at a time, as she stitched us all 25 tiny muslin bags to stamp--
don't you wish she was YOUR friend, too???

Anyway, here is some of what's been on my desk lately--kind of a recap of
the last week, sorry if you've already seen these, been Christmas-ing like
crazy lately:
Shabby Christmas themed tag book for Unruly Paper Arts--

easy tutorial on the Unruly blogozine

 Altered baby shoe and altered canning jar band ornaments for the annual
FREE Christmas issue of Altered Arts Magazine:

Yes, it really is a free issue--enjoy!

There are directions for these in the free digi mag

Have a great What's On Your Workdesk, Wednesday, everyone!!!  I apologize
if I missed you last week, and will be sure to check the comments and visit all my
bloggy buddies from last week first this week, yes?  :)

PS--Google+ users, sometimes I can't find blog links, but will try and hunt you down!
Also, the envelope advent calendar (not the fabric pocket one) is posted HERE.

shabby little Christmas tag book

It's time for the new issue of the Unruly Paper Arts blogozine, and since it's
December, the new theme is Tagged For Christmas.  Here are a few inside
photos of the shabby little Christmas themed tag book I made for the first
article this month--if you wanna see cover pics or try a tag book of your own,
please check out the Unruly tutorial, it's very doable. 

yummm, vellum!

All stamped images are from Something Tattered

 There are lots of glittery highlights on the pages, but you know how that is, they
just don't photograph very well!  See you over at Unruly Paper Arts, okay?

And a special hello to one of my favorite challenge blogs, Word Art Wednesday,
where you can share an inspirational/uplifting art.

Altered canning jar band ornaments

Here are pics of a couple different styles I've tried so far:

collage image from Altered Pages

velvet milliner's leaves and jingle bell "holly"

There are several things about these ornaments I really like, first being the size--
not too big, not too small.  They are also very easy to customize for the person
you're planning to give them to, by selecting colors and things you know the
recipient would like. Third, and this may be the best:  these are super easy to
make!  If you'd like to know more, you can find complete directions in the annual  
FREE Christmas issue of AlteredArts Magazine.

Ooooh, look, there they are!  It makes me grin to see them in "print."
AND, through Deccember 15th, you can take $7 off a one year subscription 
by using the code bonus7 when checking out from the website!

Something Tattered Holiday Hop (ended)

Hello to all my bloggy friends, and welcome to the First Annual Something Tattered Holiday Blog Hop.  If you came here from the Something Tattered Blog. then you came from the right spot.  (If not, hop back real quick like and leave a little comment/follow.)

These are truly beautiful stamps, designed by the very talented Beth Neumann.  Something about them makes my heart happy, and I always describe them as elegant/romantic/vintage/shabby chic.  One of my favorite aspects of the Tattered stamps is that the sets have pieces that are, for lack of a better word, interchangeable.  For example, many of the sets have "charm" type stamps that can dangle from any of the monograms or month set elements, as well as stamps that can work as frames.     

There will be a chance to win a monogram set of your choice for every blog that you visit and complete the steps below.

 Click here to see the entire alphabet. 

Here are some examples:

 

 

      The Grand Prize is a complete set

of French Months Stamp Sets!
(SERIOUSLY, A COMPLETE SET!!!  That is definitely a GRAND prize!!)

Here are some examples, and you can see the entire set here.

 

 Grab a mug of something warm and yummy and start hopping!

 The Blog Hops ends at Midnight, Monday, December 2,2013

 To play along:

1. Become a follower of the Something Tattered blog

2. Visit each Designer's blog and become a follower if you are not already.

3. Leave a comment on each blog so we know you were there!

4. Enjoy the projects! (Optional, but encouraged. ;)

4. If you have a blog,post our button on your blog (see sidebar on Something Tattered Blog)

5. Like our Facebook Page  and let us know you completed the hop.

One winner will be selected at random from each blog and all participants that complete the hop will be eligible to win the Grand Prize.

My Christmas creation for the hop is an advent calendar, created with little envelopes, made to be hung bunting style.  Please be kind--buntings are notoriously difficult to photograph!

 

See what I mean about the interchangeable charms and frames?

There are glittery highlights on all of the envies, you can almost tell here.

butterfly collage image from Altered Pages

Your next stop on our Holiday Hop

 is Misty 

If you lose your way here is the entire Blog Hop Order:
Something Tattered Blog

Trisha You are here!!!  
Misty 

Vicky

Teresa 

Irena 

Dunja 

Emilia  

Mandy 

Tracey 

Something Tattered Facebook Page

Have a happy hop and a Merry Christmas!

Altered Arts Magazine--free Christmas digi issue!

Altered Arts Magazine has a special, free issue every Christmas, and it's out just
in time for Thanksgiving.  (I'm especially thankful, as that altered baby shoe on the
cover is mine :)

Free Christmas issue of Altered Arts Magazine

Anyway, here is the link:  Free Christmas Issue.  It says if you purchase the print
the digi is free, but in reality, the digi is straight up free, so just click on the "Buy Digital Free" button to view it.

AND if you like what you see, now through December 15th, folks can take $7 off a one-year subscription by using code bonus7 when checking out from the website!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

:)

advent calendar #3 pieces--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #234

First, as it is almost Thanksgiving here, please allow me to say a big THANK YOU
to all my bloggy friends.  I am very grateful for all of you, some I've "known"
for years and "visited" with many times, and those of you I'm just getting to know.

Thank you, too, to Julia, for hosting What's On Your Workdesk?  Wednesday.
You're an inspiration to us all.

So this is what's been on my workdesk:

Stamps from Something Tattered, butterfly image from Altered Pages

These are pieces of yet another advent calendar (yes, I've made three so far this
year, and have a date with an arty friend for Saturday to make another!).  If you'd
like to see the rest of this one, please consider yourself invited to come back Saturday, Nov. 30 for a blog hop, okay?

(The wedding bunting is almost finished, by the way--yay!)

I get to stay home ALL DAY tomorrow, which makes me downright giddy
(seriously, it really does), so I'll be making a WOYWW round then.  :)

UPDATE:  Bunting = finished, whew!  AND if you came via woyww direct link,
don't miss the annual free Christmas issue of Altered Arts Magazine (see HERE).

a tiny tussy and some Christmas ornaments

Been making a few things lately, not as much as I'd like, but still getting a little
time to play.  First is a tiny tussy using Rogue Redhead Designs stamps:

Happy Birthday, Rogue Redhead Designs!

Rogue Redheads is celebrating it's 3rd birthday this month--you can check out
the birthday challenge HERE, with the chance to win $15 of beautiful Rogue stamps.

Also made several Christmas ornaments in shabby blues for a swap:

Nest tag (it's actually glittery), stamp from Something Tattered

Something Tattered has luscious shabby chic/romantic/French inspired images. 
I couldn't decide whether or not to keep these little tags on the ornaments, but then
it occurred to me--the recipient can remove the tag off if they prefer it without, right?

Very glittery in real life--can you see it?

My bloggy friend Lynne was the inspiration for using the corrugated for the base
of the ornaments.  She makes beautiful things, and is, in my eyes, the Queen of Monochrome.

Some fun and inspiring weekend challenges:

For the Tussy:
Delicious Doodles--No Designer Paper (made my own with the music stamp
Aud Sentiments--Any Sentiment (Happy Birthday)
Inspired By Stamping--Use Ribbon Or Crocheted Trim (crocheted trim)
Crafting By Design--Anything Goes with a Birthday Twist

 For the Ornaments:
A Creative Romance (don't you love that name?)--Vintage Style
Totally PaperCrafts--Add a Bow
Fairy Tale Challenge--#81, photo inspiration (colors and glitter)
Eclectic Paperie--Recycling  (corrugated and old hymnal music)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!  :)

stitching up a little book--What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #233

Working on a little book--will be filling it today:

for an upcoming article at Unruly Paper Arts

(By the way, the bunting is no further along than last time--you're right, I really do
need to finish that off!!!)

Thank you for stopping by this What's On Your Workdesk, I look forward to
seeing what's on YOUR desk.  And as always, a big THANK YOU to Miss Julia
for being such a gracious hostess each week.

"See" you soon!
:)

are you Christmas-ing yet? (an advent calendar)

Happy Friday, everyone!  Isn't it nice when something turns out better than
you expected?  I started working on an advent calendar, and am so happy
with the results, I'm showing a bit of it today as part of my Altered Arts Magazine
share:

collage images from Altered Pages

The next issue is the FREE Christmas issue--I'll let you know when it comes out,
there are always lots of great ideas in that one, and well, it will be free, so why not, right?


Let's check the challenges--
Altered Pages Artsociates, it's elves and gnomes right now, does Santa count as
the biggest elf of all???  Hmmm . . .
Crafty Hands Challenge--Vintage
The Crafter's Cafe--lots of embellishments
Crafting by Design--anything goes with a Christmas twist
Frilly and Funkie--vintage Christmas

wedding gift, wedding bunting--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #232

This WAS on my workdesk--the wedding shower was Sunday afternoon, I
went with ink on my fingers from using the new stash of stamps.from my last
WOYWW post.

And, for the same wedding, I've been sewing up the bunting--here is the pile
of stitched flags on the floor behind the sewing machine:

Was a little slow linking up this week, I hope some of my woyww friends
still drop in.  I'll be around to see you later!  Happy WOYWW to you!  :)

easy altered jewelry box ornament tutorial

If you've stopped by here before, you probably already know I have a
thing about candy--like it.  A lot.  No big surprise, then, that this elfy candy
label got me going on a little Christmas crafty:

collage image from Altered Pages

Made a little candy box from a small cardboard jewelry box to hang on the tree,
oh yes, gonna fill it full of goodies!  It was so easy, I couldn't make just one . . .

It was super easy, simple enough to make with children.  I got the idea from some
gorgeous ornaments a friend made years ago, but hers were way more fancy fine--
here is how I made mine:

Stuff you need:  small jewelry box, patterned paper, collage image, glue stick,
hole punch, ribbon.  I also added some ink, a bead and some glitter, all totally
optional.  You may want to add even more embellishments.

First and Second:  Cut out a collage image that will fit on the front of the box, and
cut a piece of patterned paper that will fit all the way around the box.

DON'T glue the collage image on!!!

Third, or somewhere along the line:

Punch a small hole in the box, in a spot on the box half (NOT the lid) that isn't

covered by the lid when the lid is on the box.  Does that make sense at all?

Thread a piece doubled piece of ribbon through the hole:

AND TIE a knot in it, so it won't come through the hole.  If you want,
thread a bead or two onto the top (outside the box) ribbon:

totally optional bead

Fourth:  Wrap the patterned paper around the box, creasing it at each edge,
leaving plenty of overlap to glue the paper together.

DO NOT GLUE THE PAPER TO THE BOX!  But DO make the paper
tight enough that you must physically slide it off (like a matchbox), not so loose
that it just slips off of its own accord.  That way you can still open the box, see?

Simple, right?  Big enough to hold something fun, but small enough to
be an ornament.  Easy to add extra embellishments, too--I added some
Glitz pen glitter, but wouldn't these be cute with some German scrap,
or using wire and glass beads instead of ribbon.

PS--Playing along with Inspire Me Monday!
and Lunagirl Moonbeams Hidden Things challenge

mess, bunting pieces, tiny book pendant--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #230

Here is what is on my workdesk (the daughter came home and said, "Mom,
did you have a little stamping party today?")

Here are the pieces of a fabric bunting, ready to be stitched together--it's for a
wedding, a good friend of our son's--

And I can finally show you the whole piece from the sneak peek a few weeks
back (peek link):

A tiny hand bound book, made into a pendant, with lots of charms.  It's
got a steampunk kind of thing going on, but it really is a book, not just a
pendant . . . it's in this issue:

You can find them on facebook and at the site.


That's it for me this week, fellow WOYWWers--I'm a little late to the party, but
hope to "see" you soon! 

happy mail!! What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #229

Happy mail, happy mail is what's on my workdesk this Wednesday--this pile of
brand new stamps is from my brand new design team, how fun is that?

These are from Something Tattered--lovely vintagey, romantic images.  You can
see some on a wedding gift in the post below, or just clickers HERE.  (I'm going
to stamp on some silk, thus the tub of trusty fabric inks is making an appearance.)

And here is MORE happy mail--thank you to Tarja in Finland, Anne S. in New
Zealand, Anne C. in France, and our own WOYWWer Dianne for all the delightful
atcs--and all the lovely bits to create with, Dianne!  The sweet dress birthday card
is from my friend, Rhonda--isn't is beautiful?

See what I mean?  Happy Mail!!!

I think I caught up with all of you who visited last week--I apologize if I missed
anyone!  Will see you later--looking forward to my weekly snoop, you know?
Happy WOYWW, everyone, and a big thank you to Julia for hosting.

PS--Still looking for more addresses for the ATCs Around the World project, so
if you know someone who might like a little happy mail of their own, please check
the link tab at the top of the blog for the list of countries not "taken."  (While it
would be nice to get an e-mail saying that the atc arrived at its destination, this isn't
a swap, so no need to feel as though something needs to be returned.)

SO excited to say . . . (seriously excited, okay?)

So I've been waiting to tell you all--I am delighted to say I am now a member
of the first ever Something Tattered Design Team.  (If you aren't familiar with
Something Tattered stamps, you may want to take a look at the site--so many
truly lovely images, with a French-shabby-vintage kind of vibe to them.
Really beautiful.)

Here are my new dt sisters, hailing from around the world:

Tracey Gregory (USA)

Design Team Leader

Mandy Zimmerman (USA)

Design Team Education Coordinator

 Emilia  van den Heuvel  (Netherlands)

Dunja Ducker (Germany)

  

 Irena Kowalczyk (Poland)

 Teresa Abajo (Australia)

Vicky Alberto (Canada)

 Misty Christensen (USA)

 If you're one of my cardmaking or scrappy friends, you will for sure and certain
want to visit these talented ladies--I'm not really sure how I was fortunate enough
to end up among them, but am ever so thankful to be given the opportunity.

Now you know I can't get a bunch of awesome new stamps and not play, right?
And coincidentally, we were going to a wedding Saturday, so what better chance
to crack open the new stuff and ink it up?  Here's a look--went with the bride's
colors (a dove grey and champagne), and made up some wrapping paper:

See what I mean?  French-shabby-vintage, right?? 

Thank you again, Beth and Something Tattered!