Friday, December 9, 2011

SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW...SOME ELEMENTS OF TIME

Happy December everyone!
The Countdown to Christmas has begun!

I love advent calendars.  However, somehow, when the time comes to make such
a calendar, it is past December 1 before I realize that I have not even
started to gather the materials I need.  
So...when Simon Says Stamp presented the challenge for this week, I decided
that I would make an advent calendar for the final countdown before Christmas.
My advent calendar starts the countdown on December 21.

This is my entry for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Elements of Time Challenge.
http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/12/simon-says-stamp-and-show-some-elements.html.

Just last week, I picked up this lovely little wooden shadow box.  I did not know exactly what I would do with it, but I just knew that I had to have it.  When this challenge came along, it fit the bill to a "t".

The top of the box shows the title of my project...
Christmas Final Countdown.



Here is a full view of my project entitled
 "Christmas Final Countdown".



The shadow box has a glass door on it.  I opened the door so that you can see all
of the lovely little "bits and bobs"  (I love that expression!) that are inside the box.

To start the project, I lined the inside of each compartment with misc. paper from my stash.  Then I trimmed each compartment with some tissue tape from Tim Holtz's collection.  I glued a wooden bingo number (Maya Road)  to the back of each compartment for each day in the countdown.
Here is a picture of one compartment shown before any figurines have been added. The blue felt trim is from a Martha Stewart collection of ribbons. 
 


The very first compartment  (DEC) holds a plush dog figure  that was taken from a key chain and has been recycled for this project.  "December" has been represented by
a wooden stamp.    The "Rejoice" embellishment was taken from the packaging for a Bo Bunny Christmas card kit.


The second compartment  (21) is the same one shown above but with snow figurines added to it.  All of the snow  figures and the mini Christmas tree are being recycled here.  They were originally part of a lighted mini display .The lace at the top of the box is from a Maya Road collection. 



The third compartment  (22) holds another recycled snow figure.  The crystals on the right side of the box are from a Martha Stewart collection, and the "Merry Christmas embellishment is from the Bo Bunny packaging as in the compartment containing the plush dog.  The metal snowflake is a brad buddy from a Hot Off The Press collection. 


The fourth compartment (23) holds a miniature teddy bear.  The teddy bear has been embellished with a wool yarn scarf and hat and some holly.    The heart embellishment is from the Bo bunny Christmas card packaging as mentioned above.



The fifth compartment (24) contained a recycled snow figure.  The polka dot trim is from  a Martha Stewart collection.  The background paper (misc. from my stash) has cardinals on it and so I decided that the snow figure needed his own birdhouse to attract some bird friends.  The mini birdhouse that I used (bottom right of compartment) was part of a mini straw wreath (which is now broken) and the birdhouse was just too adorable to throw out.  I am glad it found a new home in this compartment.





The sixth and final compartment (25) holds an old-fashioned miniature Christmas tree. I used a mini fastener from a Tim Holtz collection to attach a dangling bead ornament to the top of the compartment. Some misc. ribbon and a wooden bingo number from Maya Road are the finishing touches for my Advent Calendar.


Here is a final picture for you to enjoy.  It is a view of the shadow box when it is closed.  It has been decorated with holly and ribbon from a Martha Stewart collection.
  The stocking that is attached to the bottom right-hand corner is a misc. piece from my stash.




Unfortunately, I could not find the mini chocolates that were to go in each compartment. (Did somebody eat them?)  Oh well, I still have a some time to replace them before my
Christmas Final Countdown begins.

I hope you enjoyed having a little sneak peak at my
Christmas Final Countdown advent calendar.
I enjoy receiving your comments and I sincerely thank you for visiting my blog.

Karen

























Tuesday, November 29, 2011

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER - NOVEMBER SKETCH CHALLENGE

Hi everyone!


I just have to face up to the fact that...
I love paper! 
I always have. 

However, there is paper...and then there is paper.  
Don't get me wrong...I do have my favourites.
But, recently, I have found myself having a love affair
with a certain paper from a certain company.

The company is Authentique Paper.
Their paper...
is extremely high quality,
has original designs,
has both a vintage and a modern feel at the same time,
makes your projects look professional,
is never boring,
and carries a reasonable price tag. 

You will have to get your hands on a sheet of two of their paper because this company is really going places!

I am head over heels in love with it!


Okay...so now onto the challenge.

Authentique Paper had a Sketch Challenge for November.
Here is the link http://authentiquepaper.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-sketch-challenge.html.


Here is the greeting card that I made for the challenge.



I used a piece of paper from Authentique's Blissful collection for the base.
This is from the front side of the two-sided paper called "Happiness".




Authentique's two-sided papers are so well-coordinated that you can use the flip-side of any of the papers to make embellishments.  The yellow strip of paper that is to the right of the ribbon(misc. from my stash) has been cut from the flip-side of the Happiness paper.  The paper is so lovely that I only needed to add the word "hi" (which is made from American Crafts' alpha Thickers) to complete the project.

Thank you for looking at my blog.
I look forward to receiving your comments.

Karen      

Saturday, November 5, 2011

SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW ... A HOUSE

This week's challenge for Simon Says Stamp and Show is .. Show A House.
http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/10/simon-says-stamp-and-show-house.html


I created a Baby Shower card for this week's challenge.

I wasn't sure how to fit the house into the Baby Shower theme, but then I had an idea...
I could use Tim Holtz's Rickety House die! 

I used pink paper from Authentique's Foundations collection for the house, and the base of the card.  I added dimension to the house by cutting out two copies of the house and putting one on top of the other and separating them with Helmar's Scrap Dots.  Helmar Scrap Dots is a liquid adhesive that you can use instead of foam dots.  You can squeeze out a scrap dot from the tube of adhesive and make it as thick (high), or as thin (low) as you like.  I decorated the house with the words "baby shower" using SBW's alpha stickers (watermelon).



I wanted to use some of my beautiful stickers from K & Company to create a clothesline full of baby clothes.  I added a clothesline post at the right side of the house so I could string the line between the house and the post.  I used two lengths of Martha Stewart's butcher's twine for the clothesline.  I used a mini fastener from Tim Holtz's collection on the left side of the line, to attach it to the house.



I completed the scene by adding some chipboard cutouts from  American Craft's Dear Lizzy Collection (fence, hearts, flowers and tags).

Here is the final product...






Thank you very much for visiting my blog.
Please come back and visit any time!
I welcome comments.





































Saturday, October 29, 2011

SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE - SHOW ONE COLOUR...ANY COLOUR

Hi everyone!


I wasn't sure if I was going to have time to make a project for this week's
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge...but...I did...yeah!
This week's challenge was Show One Colour...Any Colour.
http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/10/simon-says-stamp-and-show-one-colour.html


I chose purple for my project.  I thought that it would be simple to make a card using just one colour. As it turns out, in making this card, I had to make sure that the tones of purple that I picked could be blended and contrasted in a pleasing manner. Therein lay the challenge.



HERE IS THE CARD THAT I MADE USING SHADES OF PURPLE




I always say..."You can never have too much bling", so I chose a glitter paper for the base of the card.  The paper is from Craft n Craftin' and is lavender cardstock. 



I used some miscellaneous ribbon and threaded it through the birdcage to give the card some dimension.  I put the bird on top of the birdcage and folded its wing back to add some more dimension to the card.  In order to make the bird stand out on the card, I used a dab of Helmar's Liquid Scrap Dots on the back of the bird. 



I wanted to give the sentiment a personal feel, so I used a purple Gelly Roll pen to add the sentiment to the tag at the top of the card.   The finishing touches were the flower and button at the bottom of the birdcage.  These were from my stash. 



I hope you enjoyed viewing my project.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Now, go out and create your own project and Show One Colour...Any Colour.


Please note that on my posts, I give credit to all manufacturers whose products I use in the making of my projects. However, when products are of unknown origin, I indicate that they are either miscellaneous or from my stash.






Wednesday, October 19, 2011

SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE - SHOW SOME STRIPES

This week Simon Says Stamp and Show has a challenge - Show Some Stripes.
http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/10/simon-says-stamp-and-show-some-stripes.html

Since it is close to Halloween, I am in the process of making some Halloween Treat Bags.

I wanted a Treat Bag that was versatile in that it could be used as a Treat Bag for a candy stash or
as a Wine Bottle Gift Bag for an adult Halloween Party.

I decided to make the Halloween Treat Bag from raw canvas.  Since I do not sew, I knew I could use Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive instead of a needle and thread or a sewing machine to construct the
bag.
Here is the finished product....

HALLOWEEN TREAT BAG FOR A CANDY STASH



I cut out a strip of canvas and simply glued the sides together (using Helmar's 450 Quick Dry Adhesive for gluing the fabric together and adding paper to the bag) to make a rectangular shape.
I made sure that the piece of canvas was wide enough and long enough to hold a bottle. Here is the piece of canvas laid out on top of the Halloween paper I used to embellish the bag.





I folded and glued the bottom of the bag.




I  rolled the top of the bag to form a cuff and glued the cuff down.  This is the bag shown from the back.



I used a strip of paper from a grocery bag as a wrapper for the bag.  I put the wrapper through
my Cuttle Bug and used Tim Holtz's Halloween Words texture fade folder to emboss the
words  on the wrapper.  I inked the wrapper with Tim Holtz's distress inks - black soot, dusty concord and spiced marmalade (on the front side) and peeled paint on the back.



I then wrapped one large border around bottom of the bag and this is where the stripes came in to play.  This border can be used as a pocket (stripes and bats)  The stripes and bats border and the Happy Halloween border is from Echo Park's Halloween Border Strip.


Here is the same treat bag being used as a Halloween Wine Bottle Gift Bag.  


       HALLOWEEN WINE BOTTLE GIFT  BAG


A CARD FOR THE HOST/HOSTESS CAN BE PUT IN THE POCKET.



Have a Spooky Scarey Halloween!

Thank you for visting my blog.
Comments are always appreciated.



Saturday, October 15, 2011

THINGS WITH WINGS - SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE

This week Simon Says Stamp and Show had a challenge....Things with Wings.http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/10/simon-says-stamp-and-show-things-with.html.

I have been thinking about how time has been flying lately and so I knew I wanted to use that as my starting point. 

My friend, Sheryl Baker, from New York has a wonderful  on-line store for scrapbooking and crafts  and and she sent this body form to me from her shop A Bit of This N That http://www.abitofthisnthat.com/.

I have had this form for a while and I knew that I wanted to dress  her up somehow but did not
have the inspiration until last night (in the middle of the night).  So...I jumped out of bed around 2:30 a.m. and started on this project...LADY TIME IS FLYING.

This is the finished artwork....

LADY TIME IS FLYING




 VIEW OF THE BLING....YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH BLING.






VIEW FROM THE BACK





 THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT



I wanted the costume to be very form-fitting because I thought that the form was very beautiful to begin with and I did not want to hide the curves.  I began by applying a layer of tissue paper from Pink Paislee's Soiree collection.  This is the same tissue paper that I used to make the skirt for the costume. 

I used Tim Holtz's Nostalgic tissue tape to cover the form and make the bodice of the costume.  I needed something that would mold itself to the form and Tim Holt's tissue tape  worked beautifully. 
I used the Nostalgic tissue tape because it is a favourite of mine and because it has an artsy Paris theme on it.

I needed to make the form taller so that I could add a skirt to the outfit.  I mounted the form on a glass jar that was thinner than the form to keep the curves of the form in proportion.



I created the skirt for the outfit using layers of  the Pink Paislee Soiree tissue paper.  I arranged the tissue paper so that the bottom of the skirt fell in elegant folds.







I think you can never have enough bling.  I made a necklace and belt from the rhinestone chain in Pink Paislee's Soiree Collection.  It added just the right touch of elegance.







Then of course, I needed to add the flying clock.  I had an antique clock face in my stash and thought that would be the perfect piece to add to the artwork.  I mounted the clock face onto a set of Tim Holt'z grungeboard wings (inked with Tim Holtz Mustard Seed distress ink.)......

and voila ----  LADY TIME IS FLYING







Thank you for visting my blog. 

For wonderful scrapbooking and craft items please visit my friend
Sheryl Baker at   A Bit of This N That.  http://www.abitofthisnthat.com/






Wednesday, October 12, 2011

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER - OCTOBER SKETCH CHALLENGE

I have only recently discovered Authentique Paper but I have quickly become a big fan. The quality of the paper is excellent and the colours selected for the collections are sometimes bold, sometimes muted, but always exquisite. I began my collection of Authentique Paper with a single sheet of cardstock. It was a sheet from the Blissful Collection - a two-sided paper "Pleasant". One side has a birdcage scene and the flip side has an argyle pattern.

I have used a sheet from the flip side in the argyle pattern as the base paper for creating my card for the Authentique Paper October Sketch Challenge http://authentiquepaper.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-sketch-challenge.html






Using a strip of the same paper and Tim Holtz's Rosette die, I created the rosette (below).




The sentiments "Hello" and "thinking of you" are Stampin Up rub-ons. The tag attached to the rosette, the tag attached to the ribbon flower (Donna Downey collection) and the border down the centre of the card have been altered and are from Authentique's Tabloids embellishments from the Blissful collection.




I used Tim Holt'z distress ink (Frayed Burlap) to ink the edges of the card and all the embellishments. My finishing touch is a wooden bingo heart embellishment from Maya Road, which was perfectly attached and anchored using Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots.

Thank you for visiting my blog.
Comments (especially compliments) are always appreciated.

















Sunday, October 9, 2011

SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE - WENDY VECCHI STYLE

I have been gathering Wendy Vecchi stamps and art parts for
a little while now.  I have used her stamps before but this is my first  piece of artwork that incorporates some of her stamps with some of her art parts.

This is my artwork for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge
Wendy Vecchi Style.








I was sorting through my Wendy Vecchi stash and saw the large circle in my Wendy Vecchi Sample Pack of art parts and I thought it looked like a full moon.   Then from that point on, I knew that I was going to make a Halloween project.
I covered the large circle with yellow construction paper.  Then I thought, that it would be different
to use Wendy's Queen of Art stamp to create "Queen of Halloween". 

I then went on to use Tim Holtz's Rickety House die to create some spooky houses to go in the queen's neighbourhood.  I cut out 3 houses and slightly altered each one by removing either a chimney or a porch.  I used Halloween paper from My Little Yellow Bicycle  (Harlequin), Teresa Collins (Damask) and Making Memories (Toil and Trouble).  I backed the houses with red construction paper to make the windows look like they were glowing.  The silver numbers are also from Tim Holtz. 

Then I made a rickety fence out of black construction paper and used Tim Holtz's long fasteners for the nails in the posts.  For the title plaque I used a rectangle art part from Wendy's art part Sample Pack.  I inked the plaque with Tim Holtz's Rusty Hinge ink and added some more long fasteners as nails.  I used some misc. ribbon and webbing to give the piece some dimension and attached it with staples from Tim Holtz's tiny attacher.  Lastly, I hung the artwork on a 7 Gypsies Hanger and added the word "boo" to it. 

I hope you enjoy this bit of Halloween fun.

Friday, September 30, 2011

CARD FOR MEN (AUTHENTIQUE, TIM HOLTZ, MY MIND'S EYE and TERESA COLLINS)



How often have you searched for just the right paper and embellishments to make a Card, Scrapbook layout, or other handmade artwork for that special man in your life?  Be it your husband, a family member, or a friend, it is sometimes difficult to find the appropriate materials. 

 This week at http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ the challenge was to create a piece of artwork for Men Only.

Authentique has come out with a collection called Blissful.  In this collection there is a very nice paper that has an argyle pattern.  The rich, yet muted brown, grey and silver tones were just right for the background of this Thank You card that I created.  I used PageMaps for the design layout.
 
Next I used Tim Holtz's Umbrella Man die and My Mind's Eye paper from the Lost and Found collection to make an embellishment that is sharp and whimsical. 

Then I only needed a slice of Teresa Collins' paper from her Giving Thanks collection to add the sentiment and a piece of ribbon from my stash to finish it off. 

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Let me know what you think of my card.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

SEPTEMBER PAGEMAPS LAYOUT with PINK PAISLEE and TIM HOLTZ products



This is the first time that I have used PageMaps (September 2011) to create
a 12X12 piece of artwork. I enjoyed being given a design to work with and
putting my own spin on it.

I have a few favourite lines of papers and one of them is Pink Paislee.
I like the quality of Pink Paislee's paper. The paper is thick and each
collection includes rich colour palettes and exquisite embellishments.
I used paper and a star metal embellishment from Pink Paislee's
Old School collection and a rose metal embellishment from its
Sweetness collection.

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am a big Tim Holtz fan.
I used Tim Holz's Nostalgic tissue tape to add some interesting
borders to the layout.


Thank you for viewing my blog.   Comments are always appreciated.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

ATC CHALLENGE FOR SIMON SAYS STAMPS

Here is my entry for the Simon Says Stamp ATC Challenge

I used paper from the Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland Collection, gems from Bo Bunny,  Tim Holtz distress inks - Spicy Marmalade and Dusty Concord, a Happy Halloween stamp from Tim Holtz's Mini Halloween set and misc. beads