Finally!

 

Good Morning!

 I am seriously over the snow and freezing weather. I am so ready for sweatshirt weather again! My absolute favorite season is Fall, but I will take Spring too. I really do live in the wrong state for someone who despises the cold. The older I get, the more sensitive I am to extreme cold (and heat!). I hate leaving my house on these super cold days!
Okay, onto my project. 

Ever since I started card making, I have tried to making my own flowers. Roses, to be more specific. I have NEVER been able to make them look the way I want them to. Again, I have watched Youtube videos, and tried step by step instructions I found on different blogs. You ladies make it look so easy, but it sure isn't! I think I have tried every kind of punch and die for making them, but I was never happy with any of the results.

I placed an order for some new roses the other day at Wild Orchid Crafts and didn't realize I forgot to get some rose buds! They are one of my favs, but I had only purchased one set the last time, so I have been using them very sparingly lol. So last night I decided to try one. more. time.

FINALLY!!

 

I actually made one I would be happy putting on a card! I was so excited that I decided to make more:

 

 

 

I made 3 of each color I thought I would use first. But now I'm ready to make a ton more. And maybe once I perfect them, I will try making the entire rose again. Maybe.

 

That's all for now. I hope you have a crafty day!

 

Christine

 

 

 

Trying Something New - Again!

 

Good Afternoon All!

 

I have had this set of Prisma Colored pencils for a few years now. The BIG set. I take them out once in awhile and try using them, but I am never happy with the results. I could never get them to blend right.

I was on Youtube and ran across some videos on coloring digis with them. They showed some people using baby oil, or Mineral Spirits to blend the colors. I actually have a small bottle of Mineral Spirits in my stash. So I decided to pull them out and try again!

 

Here is what I got:

 

 

I wasn't happy with the skin combo in the first picture. That's why I didn't finish her lol. The second combo was better.

I think it turned out alright for my first try. What do you ladies think?

 

That's all for today. I'm off to sit on my brand new couch now. It was just delivered. Very exciting!

 

Have a fun day!

 

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Score!

 

Hello Ladies!

 

Just a quick post this afternoon to say - I'M SO EXCITED!

 

I had some errands to do today. While I was out and about I decided to stop into Joann Fabric

to see if by some miracle they stocked the new 'Magnolia Ink' yet.

No such luck (it takes months to get the new issues in for some reason). BUT. What I found made me very happy.

 

Issue 47 of  'Complete Cardmaking with your PC'!!

I have been checking all my craft stores, as well as Barnes and Noble ever since
I saw online that it contained Saturated Canary digis (LOVE those girls!).
I actually gave up looking. I assumed none of my stores carried this magazine.
Apparently, it's just VERY popular.
So today turned out to be a happy day for me :).

Now I'm off to color up some adorable Saturated Canary girls!
If you haven't checked out Krista Smith's girls, yet, click on the link.
I promise you will fall in love with them like I did!

Happy Coloring!

Christine




 

Just Jump in!

 

Good Morning All!

 

I'm excited - and scared - BUT...

Today I am entering my very first challenge ever.

I'm not entering to win (although of course, who wouldn't love to win!?).

I'm entering to help push me through this fear I have about putting my creations out there

for anyone and everyone in the world to possibly see.

I don't know if this is a normal fear. But for me, I have always been this way. No matter what craft I have tried. The funny thing is, I don't do it for anyone but me. So if someone doesn't like what I create - oh well. So why this fear?? It really is rather irrational lol. So I'm jumping in and entering 2 Challenges. 

I will be entering:

 The Magnolia-licious Pretty in Pink Challenge 

and

The Marvelous Magnolia Anything Goes Challenge 

 

 

For my card I used Hip Hip Hooray Tilda, colored in Copics.

She's mounted on Spellbinders Labels 22 and Decorative Labels 22.

I made the bow with my new Bow-it-All.

 

 

My card is clean and simple, as I still have not mastered the art of layering!

But For my first entry, I'm happy with it.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Holtz Luminary Die

 

Hello Ladies!

 

Today I want to share with you a project I did last week.

A few months back I came across the Tim Holtz Luminary Die online. I was excited to find it at Hobby Lobby.

 No waiting for the mail man this time lol.

Although! My Spellbinder Big Kick decided to stop working. So I did have to wait for my machine to be repaired.

Here's my first candle:

 

 

 

I used a Saturated Canary image on this one. I love these girls!

 

My girls loved this. They asked if they could have one for their bedrooms. Then some of their friends wanted one too.

 

So I made a few more!

 

I let them chose the image and colors. They all chose Magnolias. I actually still have one more to finish. They are fun to make. I think they would make cute table decorations for a wedding, or any party, really.

 

 

That's all for today.

Happy Crafting!

 

Christine

More Happy Mail

 

Good Morning!

 

I mentioned the other day that I try not to order online too often. But when I do order something, it can't just be one item. So when I start surfing, I'm usually on all day picking and choosing which
 rubber stamps or die cuts I really REALLY want. I add things to my shopping cart. Then add some more. Then realize I can not spend that much, so I go to my shopping cart and painfully decide which ones I should keep, and which ones I should wait on. when I finally make my decision
 I immediately make the mistake of going back into the shop and surfing some more. I then end up adding more things to my cart. And so the cycle goes! It's a very hard choice with soo many awesome stamps and dies out there!

So anyway, when I ordered my latest Spellbinder, I also ordered a couple rubber stamps.
Or 6.
They FINALLY came today (It's like Christmas!!)

 

Of course ordered some Magnolias. I also ordered 2 new Saturated Canary stamps. I have quite a

good collection of SC stamps from a little while back. I'm excited to have a couple new ones to play with. And I also ordered my very first Some Odd Girl stamp.

I'm very excited to color her up :).

I still have one or two more orders coming. New Die cuts. So it looks like I will still be stalking my postman for a little while longer.

 

Have a Great day!

 

Christine

 

Try, and try again

 

Good Morning All!

I spent a good part of the day yesterday trying to color with my new Tim Holtz distress markers.
I tried jumping right in - flying blind.
As promised, I'm posting my attempts, good or bad. And the first one is... bad lol

As you see, the skin color was just a wee bit off lol. I colored her outfit, But I was so unhappy with her skin that I decided to move onto a different image.

But first I went on Youtube and watched a few different tutorials.

 

Here is my second attempt:

Not any better. 

So back to Youtube. An hour of videos later (I really do think I watched every single video on Distress coloring they had) I was ready to try again.

 

Here is my third attempt:

 

I'm happier with this one. I still have a long way to go. But I think if I keep practicing, I may get good enough to actually put one on a card!

 

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Christine 

 

 



Trying something new

 

Good Morning Ladies.

 

I don't know about all of you, but I am more than ready for some warm weather! I love the snow - from inside my house! I absolutely despise going out on bitter cold days. Thankfully, I have a hubby that doesn't mind running the kids to school, and going to the grocery store on these cold, yucky days. Or any other day!  I admit to you  (but not to him ;) ) that I may be a tiny bit spoiled.

 

Okay, moving onto what's on my mind today - coloring!

 

As far as crafting goes, I think I have tried just about everything I have found interesting. Some I can do, some - not so much. I have done beading. I have done Polymer clay. I have done Donna Dewberry's One Stroke Painting (I even taught a class at my local craft store). I have tried Bob Ross's oil painting. I have tried Quilling, Embroidery, sewing and crocheting. I'm sure I am forgetting some. I think I will dedicate one of my posts to some of my past projects. My point is, if I see something fun, or love the way a project looks, I get it in my head that I have to try it. And I do.

But coloring goes back to childhood, like for most of us, and it's always been my favorite past time.

 

I always color my images with Copics. ALWAYS. But I love the look of the distress marker coloring I see in blog land (you ladies are amazing at coloring). As always, the more I see it, the more I want to try it.

 

I already have a plentiful supply of Copics.

 

 

(Another little issue I have - when I try these new things, I have to have EVERYTHING I might possibly need to try out a project.)

Now I am itching to try Distress coloring. I've watched some videos on this and it seems very similar to water coloring, which I have also tried, and I wasn't very good at it! But those markers keep calling to me.

So, as always, I had to have them. I spent an afternoon going to all my local craft stores and buying all the colors I could find. If I couldn't find the color in the markers, I got the ink pad.

(Come on, someone else out there has to have this issue as well. It can't possibly be just me!!)

 

Here is what I came home with:

 

And of course, the water color paper and Staze on ink pad as well!

So now I'm ready to try this new technique. Hopefully it wont be a complete fail.

I'm excited to get started. I will post my attempt tomorrow - good or bad. I'm hoping for at least

mediocre!

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Tilda Sticky note holder

 

Hello!

 

Finally! I have completed my project that I have been putting off for far too long.

I still need to finish tidying up my craft room. Hopefully today I will get to it. Or maybe I will try out my new Spellbinder and worry about the mess tomorrow...

 

This is a sticky note holder I made for my Aunt.

(I hate when I don't have sticky notes to match the sticky note holder!)

 

I used Magnolia's Tilda with a Cross. Colored her up in purple (my absolute favorite color!) with Copics. Of course used a Spellbinder background and Spellbinder leaves, added some Prima flowers and embellishments from my stash. Oh yes, and Frantage - love it!

I fussy cut my image. This is my first attempt at layering.

It was hard to get a good angle to show all the layers!

I also forgot to take a picture with it closed. Next time I will remember. Hopefully!

 

That's all for today.

Have a fun and crafty day!

 

Christine

 

 

Gotta have it

 

Hello Ladies!

 

I spent the better part of today straightening out my craft room. You know, that mess that 'mysteriously' appeared the other night? I didn't get very far, but far enough that I can sit at my desk, so that made me happy.

 

I am a frequent visitor of Pinterest. I tend to go on a few times a day. I love seeing the cards you ladies make and I'm in awe of the talent out there. I kept coming across this particular Spellbinder set. I kinda liked it. The more I saw it, the more I liked it. So I went from kinda liking it, to really liking it, to HAVE to have it! Of course my local craft stores don't carry this particular set. I've been checking constantly for the past couple of months. I try not to purchase online too much, but this set has been calling my name. LOUDLY.

I gave in.

I went online and ordered it. It only took 1 1/2 days to arrive (a new record!) so today was a happy day for  me! Who doesn't love getting presents in the mail?

 

Here it is:

 

 

Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles. 

 

 Now that I gave into my little addiction, scratched that little itch, I sit at my desk and draw a blank on all those great card ideas that ran through my head every time I saw this baby. Isn't that always the way? *sigh*

There's always tomorrow. But for today, my collection just got a tiny bit fatter. And my addiction? A tiny bit stronger ;)

 

Have a great evening, All!

 

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Little Addiction

 

Good Evening Ladies!

 

 

So I was totally ready to get in my craft room and finish my project today . Seriously . Truly .

But then I entered my craft room . It looked like a craft store bomb went off in there . Someone MUST have snuck in there in the middle of the night and decided to play with my supplies . They got into all kinds of  things . There were digi stamps strewn about . Pads of paper, scissors, glues, punches and spellbinders, tapes and markers all over my desk and tables . Even the floor had stuff lying around . Whoever played with all of my stuff didn't leave a surface uncovered . Surely I didn't leave my favorite room looking like THAT ! Nope . Not Me . never .

So it looks like it's going to take me a week just to clean up that mess that someone left for me.

I started wading through some of the explosion and picking up my Spellbinders and Sizzix dies when it occurred to me I may have another... little... addiction. My Artbin Spellbinders Magnetic Die case is so full it doesn't close anymore. And I have a couple more coming in the mail.

 

 

 

I feel like the picture doesn't give this stash any justice . Seeing them in the picture, it doesn't look like much . Looking at them spread out in front of me - looks like I may have a slight problem . I wonder if there's a support group for this special kind of addiction ? Oh well, it's not like I would go anyway ;) . I suppose with all the terrible, debilitating, dangerous, life altering addictions that a person can develop in this world, I am perfectly at peace with my particular poison :) .

(By the way - Wow that little box is heavy!)

 

Have a good night!

Christine

 

 



Good Morning!

 

      Or should I say afternoon? It's been a crazy few days. I've had appointments every day this week with my son, so it doesn't leave too much computer - or me - time!

      With that being said, I am still procrastinating on my current project! So I decided to post another project I did a few months back. I suppose since this is a brand new blog, it doesn't matter too much what I post - new or old projects - since it's pretty much all new to blog land.

 

 

  This is another project I made for my sister. A desk calendar for her office cubicle.  

 

 

 



 

 

      I have to say it again, sorry about the rotten camera work! Another Magnolia image, of course. They are my new addiction. Did I say that already? Anyway, I colored her with Copics, framed her with Spellbinders (again, I'm sorry I haven't learned the names yet. I will have to make a list of everything that I have. I am so unorganized!), embellished with lots of Wild Orchid flowers and some lace I had in my stash. I also used some Frantage for the first time (kinda love it). For a personal touch  I added a banner with her name on it.

      So there it is. My second project, my second blog post. Maybe someone will actually run across it and read it lol!

 

 

If you live up North like me, try and stay warm and

    Have a wonderful day!

 

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   Good morning and Welcome to my very first blog and very first blog post! If I'm going to be honest, this is a little nerve-racking! I've never been really great with sharing. but I have realized that I need to find something to do for me. I have 4 children, 3 of which are still at home, so most of my time is wrapped up in them (as I feel it should be) and of course my very understanding hubby.
  Over the past 13 years I have played with jewelry making. I have played with polymer clay. I have played with different styles of painting. Unfortunately, Arthritis in my hands has made some of these very hard to do! The last couple years I have been focused on card making. I love it. I love coloring. I always have. My favorite coloring medium is Copics. I love Magnolia stamps and Saturated Canary stamps and digis. I always tell my husband they are a grown ups version of coloring books and crayons lol!
    I am always nervous to share what I make with people outside of my family and close friends, so this is kind of a big deal for me, but here goes! Please excuse the photography. I still haven't figured out how to take a "good" picture. If I manage to keep this blog going, I promise I will learn lol!

 

So here she is. I made this as a gift for my sister for Christmas. It's a shaker tree ornament. I used one of my fav Magnolia images (I'm sorry, I don't know her name. I guess I need to learn to keep track of that too lol but she's popular since I see her all over blog land!). This is also the first time I have colored in all black and white - copics of course. I was happy with how she turned out. I antiqued it up a bit. Or is it called shabby now?

         So this is where I will leave you. Thanks for looking. I should be back tomorrow with another project I have been procrastinating to wrap up. Now that I said it, maybe it will push me to actually finish it!
                                                           Have a great afternoon!

 

Christine