Sketch Challenge on Paper Craft Planet

This is this week's challenge card at paper craft planet:


Here's my take:


I'm a little fried on using Christmas papers and making Christmas things at the moment, so gave myself a jumpstart on Valentine's Day! Just some random Basic Grey and specialty papers I found in my scrap box tied together with some CTMH chocolate organdy and Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick Distress and CTMH Chocolate Ink.

Enjoy!
Inky hugs, Lissa

Found It!

Things are a little tight (okay, they are super tight) this Christmas so I have been trying to make lots of gifts for everyone.

The girls are a challenge though as they are at the age where they want American Girls, Wiis and all kinds of material things and rarely are they things I can knock off with ease. Then, I came across the Found It game.....perfect since we spend hours in the car running from one Homeschool Activity to the next some days and we also live in the middle of nowhere and my average drive ANYWHERE (we do seem centrally located to Akron, Cleveland, my dad's in Ashland county and my sister up in Norwalk) is 40 mnutes.

So, this is my take.....it cost me some supplies from my stash and around $1 worth of dried rice and then I wandered around the house and found little odds and ends. A great present for a buck?! What more can you ask for?!

If you don't know how this game works, you give the kids a list and it is like a little scavenger hunt. They have to shake the box and find all the objects on the list (Um, lesson learned make a list of the objects BEFORE you seal it up...duh!). This is seriously an addicting little toy, I had fun (and so did the ladies at crop night) shaking it up seeing what came up.

Materials:
Tin (other options might be a mason jar or 1 litre pop bottle.....I had a tin leftover from Maya Road chipboard and it is perfect!)

Alcohol inks to cover tin

Ribbon and patterned paper and stickers and flowers and buttons and whatever to decorate

Rice (Birdseed or perler beads could be used as well)

Liquid Glass

Objects for inside....you have any of those cutesy buttons lying around you don't know where you got them? They are perfect for this! I found a mitten, butterfly, ladybug, hat, shoe, tree, cat and all kinds of other things. A button with an anchor, a worry doll, a dime, a penny, an earring, a shell, a pinecone, a rhinestone star and moon, a Spiderman symbol from a ring Livy had, old charms (Pooh, Tiger, Cinderella).

Instructions:
~Mix up your objects with the rice and dump them in....be sure to leave just enough room for them to move.
~SEAL the edges with liquid glass so no rice escapes and it cannot be opened.
~Decorate

Joy to the World

So, since the wreath can't make it to my mom (mom if you see this, back away from the blog NOW) I had to come up with something else.

Started playing with some acrylic blocks I had and this is what I came up with:



The background is alkie inks (slate, stream and silver mixative). Then I inked some chipboard letters, covered it with Crystal stickles and threw on some bling and some stickers I had sitting here (yes, I used stickers, but they are pretty stickers! lol)

Enjoy! Hope this brings you a bit of joy and inspiration!

Inky hugs, Lissa

It's Only Natural......

Whew! We got hit by the flu HARD the last week. I got it first and I cannot remember the last time I felt that bad. Horrible timing with Christmas on the way and so much to do!

Before the germs invaded, I took an all natural wreath making class at our local parks center. I can't even begin to name all the pods and dried stuff we used, I know I have rosehips, chinese lanterns, hydrangeas and pinecones on there, but don't ask me what else!

It came out really gorgeous, imo! I was going to send it as a Christmas gift to my mom, but it just isn't going to hold up as it is far to delicate to make it to GA. So, guess it will grace my wall for now.



On Sunday, it was their Trim a Tree Open House, so although Trin was taking her term with the germs, she stayed home with her grandma and I took Livy for some one on one time. More natural products, this is my attempt at a bird:



I've got a ton of gifts I am working on, hopefully I'll get a chance to share them with you! But, today I need to get back to my cleaning so we can get a tree in this house tomorrow!

It's Christmas and the presents are already starting!

What a fun week! I haven't been able to get on much as my nephew was visiting and OMGOSH, wanna find out how dirty your house is? Invite a busy 14 month old boy over for 2 days! I LOVED having him, but it also made me realize just how much I enjoy having the girls out of that stage!

Having Andrew was quite the gift, but it was nice to be able to give him back too. And now I appreciate Trin and Livy all the more.

Ihad a nice surprise when I started catching up on emails! I was picked as Scraptacular Spectacular on ScrapNMoms this week for this page:



And I was a winner in the November blog challenge at Crazy for Scrapbooks for this layout:


I have a gift card coming from their store and I can't wait to spend it!

Today is a busy day! I need to run by the library and pick up some holds (somehow I missed reading one of Mary Kay Andrew's books, she is such a fun author! Usually I'm not a big fiction reader, but her books are so great), pick up a wreath to decorate at the class I am taking tonight and need to fnish up shopping for a couple secret sisters that I'd love to get out tomorrow.

I have got the neatest little project started and I'm hoping to find time to work on it as well. Oh, and I need to clean the house! Didn't get much done with Andrew here!

Hope everyone is having an awesome December!

Oh, and if you haven't already...check out Tim's blog, he has started posting his 2008 12 Tags of Christmas!

Inky hugs, Lissa

Tag for All Things Tim grunge tag swap

Didja know that there is a group devoted to All Things Tim (Holtz)? Yep, there is and I am a card carrying member (it's nicely grunged and distressd, of course).

This is a tag I just finished for the grunge tag swap that is due this week (once again, the deadline is the ultimate inspiration in my world). Tell me what you think, I'd love to know!

I actually LOVE how it turned out with all the layers and I am usually my own harshest critic.



Supplies needed: Tag (I get mine at Hollo's, it's just a standard 3x6), distress inks (dusty concord, milled lavender, and broken china), masks (flourish & borders by Tim Holtz ideology line), crackle paint (broken china)silver adirondack dabber, CTMH liquid glass (ranger makes a line of the stuff too, just whatever you have), grngeboard sheets (mine are swirls, harlequin and stripes), Heidi Swapp chandelier stamp, Azure Staz On ink, vintage buttons from my hoard, ocean waxy flax, lace doilies from my stash, turquoise stickles, & microbeads, rhinestones, and ribbon by Darice.


Steps to make:
·
Using November Challenge Technique from Tim’s blog, do background of tags (Broken China, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord)
·
Using flourish mask direct ink over with Broken China Distress
·
Using silver dabber make polka dots and cover reinforcement at top of tag
·
Using Borders mask, paint on Broken China crackle paint
·
Using blender tool, rub dusty concord into cracks for more depth (on crackle paint)
·
Stamp in corner (HS Chandelier, sorry don’t have any Tim’s yet)
·
Add grunge letters made with stencil and sheets. Ink with dabber, fill in with microbeads.
·
Rub on turquoise stickle with finger
·
Direct Ink on ‘lace’ in broken china
·
Add embellishments
·
Make tassel for top

Gift Card Holder Card

I learned this a few years back from a SU demonstrator and it is one of my favouritest and quick cards to make. Sooo easy as well.

Supplies:
Cardstock base 4.25x5.5 inches (you are going to want a fairly heavy weight)
Coordinating Cardstock 4x5.25 inches
Length of organdy ribbon (you could use any ribbon, of course, organdy just ties and unties nice)
standard envelope from the office supply section
Stamps, Ink or other embellishments (this stamp set is Beauty of Winter by Close to My Heart, it is retired as they love to do to my favourites!)

1. Adhere coordinating cardstock onto cardstock base and then attach ribbon with adhesive, centering it on the coordinating cardstock.


2. Fold envelope in half and decorate front. (Shoudl open like regular card). Then attach to coordinating cardstock over the ribbon.



You can also decorate the inside of the card if you want or add a sentiment


3. Insert your money or gift card and close the envie, tie the bow and you are all set to go!

Kicking off Christmas Crafting - Fantasy Box

Care to join me in kicking off your holiday crafting? I LOVE doing these and they look way impressive and time consuming. In reality, they really aren't that hard! I have done lots of these, but this one I did for an online class a few years back so rather than take all new pics, I am recycling....stamps I used now retired.

Supplies:

(1) 6.5 x 12 white cardstock
(1) 4 7/8 x 10 white copy paper (do NOT use carstock for both, it will be too thick and bubble when you bend)
(4) 2.25 x 5 chipboard or heavy cardboard
(1) 1x5 chipboard or heavy cardboard
(4) 6x6 colored cardstock (for inside boxes)
(1) 6 x 6 colored cardstock (this one is for lid)
Tombo or adhesive of choice
Stamps and Inks of Choice
Chalks, Pearl Ex, etc for embellishing




Directions:

1. Stamp both pieces white cardstock in desired manner

2. Apply adhesive to one side of chipboard and arrange as shown, using spare piece of chipboard to make a space between panels laying on 6.5 x 12 cardstock. Trim corners and tuck like you would wrapping a gift.



3. Adhere 4 7/8 x 10 inch cardstock for inside lining.

(You might want to use a bone folder or embossing stylus to score between the panels for easier folding at this point)

4. Make 4 boxes using 6x6 pieces of colored cardstock (if you would like these decorated do so before folding!)

SEE DIRECTIONS FOR HOW TO MAKE THE BOXES BELOW, FOLLOWING THE PICTURE OF THE FINISHED PROJECT

5. Boxes finished? Time to move on..... Place 1 box on each of the 4 main panels, spacing them evenly, these should form a stepped effect. I closed it after attaching each box, this helped to ensure that it was spaced properly and helped to get them to stick better since they were held tight for a few moments.



6. Now, let's make a lid: Take 6 inch square and score in 1 3/4 inch on each side. Cut a tab on each side. Fold and adhere.



7. Your box is done, add some more embellishing with ribbons or other lumpy stuff and then enjoy!





EASY FOLD BOXES:

(You will make 4....I recommend doing any stamping prior to folding)

1. With a pencil and ruler make an X running from both corners



2. Starting in the bottom left, bring corner to center line and fold. Then fold again flat (see example)





3. Repeat with remaining 3 corners

4. Cut the paper on the fold marks as shown in photo


5. Fold large traingles that are wing shaped (see example)



6. Open halfway, the edge of the triangular wing will make flaps. Fold all flaps towards the center.




7. Remaining wings that have been cut will now fold to center.

8. Glue in place


Get your own done and link it to the comments on this post and you can win a gift from me!

Scrapping on a Snowy Day

I have been a busy girl! Of course, Christmas is coming and I saw a sneak peek of the CTMH spring catalogue and there are a ton of other supplies I want, so that means I need to make space!

This layout I did for a challenge on ScrapNMoms posted by My2Midgets (and I used this month's kit from www.thescrapqueen.com This is the BoBunny one, she also has a Basic Grey, but this was more my taste). We were supposed to write about ourselves, who we are, what we like, hate, etc. So, I chose the title "Right now....."

Right now.......

.....I am reveling in the calm that exists in my world. We are in that quiet time when all our fall activities have ended, but the holiday craziness has not kicked in.

......I am loving the inspiration I am finding in every day and expressing it through my art.

......I am so blessed to have two beautiful little girls who think I am 'the best mommy in the world!'

......I am so thankful for all that we have, which isn't much, but it is certainly better than many.

......I am thinking about teh things I have done to make my community a better place and the positive impact that is will have on others.

.......I am looking forward to another magical Christmas with my girls.

.......I need to be cleaning instead of scrapping!

......is my time and I am going to enjoy it to the fullest!

Tag reads

No. One

size: Larger than Life

Style: All my own

Price: less!



Then, I read the Crazy for Scrapbooks newsletter for this week and saw they had a challenge posted! Over I went (you can find their link in my profile under blogs I follow) and this is what I came up with.


I am infinitely grateful for my chickeepoos and that darlin' nephew of mine!


Back to scrappin'! My challenge to myself today is to finish up all the half finished pages I have sitting around!

I'm Free!

WooHoo! Co op is wrapped up for the fall, zoo school is out til spring, the environmental center classes are done until January and in a nutshell, I have NO PLACE to be this week! YAYYY!

So, hopefully that means I can get some art done, hang out with the chickeepoos and watch girlie movies and eat appetizers for dinner (think Mermaids food!) since it is going to be just us for dinner A LOT the next couple weeks.

Last week was uber busy, but so satisfying! We got the art hung at the Children's Center, so nice to see their walls brightened up and the kids did SUCH a fantastic job!

Here's Livy putting the finishing touches on one of hers:


Then, last Saturday was Tim Holtz inspiration night at Sarah's. I had out the crackle paint, distress ink, alkie inks, dabbers, scratcher, grungeboard and of course, packing tape and all kinds of other fun stuff. Meant to show the faux mica technique with the alkie inks, but didn't get to that.

AND I learned the soot stamping and masking don't mix. Oops, my Tim Holtz flourish mask MELTED! It was a brave little mask though, giving itself up to my artistic cause the way it did! Really, there was a tear in my eye as I cut off the curled shriveled section and through it away (I tried to think of something to do with it, but couldn't)

The coolest thing I came up with last week though was this:



It's what you get when you use packing tape transfer on a stamp (a friend sent my some Tim stamped images, I'm wanting them all, but darn it, we live on Stan's commission and Orecks aren't flying off the shelves right now so those will have to wait a bit). Anyway, it was just black ink on white cardstock. Very glaring for what I was working on. So, as chance had it, the girls knocked into a cabinet just as I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. A roll of packing tape fell off! Brilliant!

So, I did my transfer and then loaded up the back of the tape with crackle paint. It looks so cool I think!

This is the layout it went on then for my Book of Me (Tracey posted a challenge on my ScrapNMoms group last week to do a page about why you scrap, so I will do the journaling on a tag and tuck it behind)




Anyway, we were playing with the video camera so hopefully it turned out decent and I don't look like a troll and Sarah will be posting it the crop group.

Something else cool last week was our field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art. I walked away with a ton of inspiration! And took this photo:


Look familiar? If it doens't it probably will soon. This is the Botticelli painting chosen to be this years religion Christmas stamp. We have the original hanging here in Cleveland.

Hope everyone else had a great week and looking forward to checking in with you more now that all my fall homeschool craziness is over!

Inky hugs as always, Lissa

Getting ready for winter.......

Seems like we have so much to do before the really cold weather hits and sadly, not much time! And Christmas is coming up fast too!

I am trying to get all my crafting ducks in a row and need to think of some little things for my dds' friends that won't take much time. I think I am going to be going back to my tried and true Snowman Soup cards. The girls can help, they are inexpensive to make and UBER CUTE!



This is just a paper bag card that I used a favourite snowman stamp on (retired from CTMH, they seem to retire all my faves!) the front. Then, printed the poem and attached it inside. The pocket holds the hot chocolate mix and a candy cane. You can get a whole pile of these done in under and hour and the kids will love to help colour the snowman in and stuff the pockets!

I so need little projects like this right now as we are, as always, crazy busy (but in a good way). Today we are going to make altered canvases with the homeschoolers and I know all the kids are looking forward to it.

I'll be sure to get some pics to show off their artwork!

So, finally got around to playing yesterday and got a canvas done to show the kids for my altered art class tomorrow. I'm still trying to think of what it needs, but DH said he loved it and I wasn't allowed to give it away!

Um, that IS the purpose since the class is for the Children's Center. Might have to make another one today in between the girls class at the Environmental Center.

So, really easy to do......I used a 6x8 canvas (you can get these in 2 packs at the dollar store) and using my craft mat and distress inks, used the technique challenge featured on Tim's blog for Novmber (which is the same technique demo'd by a store at Adventures in Stamping in 2006, it is what got me hooked on distress products!)



Then, I used azure blue staz on and stamped trees from a retired CTMH stamp set on my background.


Next, I added a border of blue china crackle paint and then, to finish, I added an acrylic word (peace) and covered it with stickles, a few sparkles, a branch that I added liquid applique to for snow, a metal bird (I LOVE these, will have to hunt for more of them at Catan's as I only had two) and a few Heidi Swapp ghost snowflakes that I ran through my xyron and then sprinkled with glitter (this is the EASIEST way I have found to do glitter on these). After the fact, I thought of a few other things I wanted to add, but too late now. Maybe the center will get this one and I'll make another one very similar for me and include those steps.



And yes, I see I will be playing today as the other thing on my agenda was cleaning and I just wandered out to the family room to start. DH was sorting his models last night (and THIS is why I am allowed to have ANY scrapping supplies I want, my hoard PALES in comparison) and until he is done, not much I can do.

Christmas projects anyone?

I had SUCH a great weekend! It was so nice getting to meet new people (and papercrafting addicts at that) over the weekend at the craft show and party!

As I said, I am full on Christmas production mode and crafting mode as this week I am teaching an altered canvas class for kids that is also a community project as the end result is going to a local children's shelter to make it a little nicer. And I have a card workshop.

Over the weekend I had several ladies purchase card kits to make these great mini albums! So, as a reminder for them and to give all you bloggers an idea, here is the quick and simple how to!

First, I used the CTMH Originals card kit, these are on average 12.95 and you get 3 completed albums out of them in minutes! How awesome is that?!

(You could also use any predesigned cards)

1. Supplies: 4 cards and stickease sheet (this set is retired)


2. Adhere a ribbon across the center inside of one card and sandwich another card on top. You should have a design facing out on either side.


3. Repeat, omitting ribbon, with last 2 cards


4. Add your photos and then stickease to embellish your album on inside pages:


5. Punch a hole near the top and bottom (going through all 4 cards) and run ribbon through to hold it all together. Decorate the front cover (I used liquid glass and prisma to jazz up my stickease a bit and flocking along the bottom). You are done and you have an awesome quick gift!


I also told someone that I would post my pinecone ornaments, haven't started on this years batch yet, but here are some faves from last year:

A Tisket A Tasket....I have a cardstock basket!

Okay, I mentioned this earlier this week (Month? where does the time go?!) This cute basket is made out of one sheet of 12x12 cardstock folded (I used CTMH bamboo) and 8 3.3/4 inch sqaures of B&T (that's patterned paper in CTMH lingo, y'all....this is from the Paper Garden collection since it is double sided I just cut 8 sqaures and flipped four)




1. All you do, is score the 12x12 at the 4 inch line and 8 inch line.
2. Then, turn the paper 90 degrees and do the same. Fold it all in, so you have 9 equal squares.
3. Then you take your corner squares and fold them inward to meet so you have the basket.
4. Attach all the B&T (for the corners cut yoru squares into two equal triangles)
5. Punch a hole just a bit below each corner.
6. Bring opposite corners together and connect with a pretty ribbon (I used garden green and pink carnation organdy) tie it into a not, bow whatever strikes your fancy.

EASY!

And since I am going off to a Christmas craft show today for promotion my Crop, Create and Learn fundrasier I guess it is time to go full on Christmas!

Here's a card I did for a swap with some other CTMH consultants. It used this month's stamp of the month.



Here is a selection of the cards I rec'd back.....clockwise they were made by (not sure), Cathy Gill, Robin Coleman and Jo Gress. Aren't they great? I am not good at doing traditional cards, so it is so awesome to have these! Enjoy!


Have a great weekend everyone and find some time to create!

Tooo Busy!

I am dying here! I have not had time to scrap in forever it seems! Next week I am teaching an altered canvas class and I haven't even had time to stop and think about what to do with the kids! The art is going to go to a local children's shelter, so you would think that would get me to make time!

But, I have to get things prepped for my fundraising promoting this weekend along with a gathering. And of course, I have a co op class to teach today and 2 tomorrow. Plus the girls have a field trip (to Auntie Anne's pretzles, yum!) and are supposed to go skating tomorrow. I think I am feeling a bit at loose ends.

I did this canvas a bit ago and LOVED it, maybe looking at it will inspire me. If not, hope it inspires you!

Remember, Remember, The 5th of November....

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King! he gunpowder treason and plot




Okay, so I'm not British, but one of our little traditions in our house (attesting once again to us being massive geeks and loving our graphic novels) is to watch V for Vendetta every November 5th. Just one of those things that makes our family unique.

Sounds like a great topic for a scrapbook page, no? Maybe this afternoon I'll work on that!

Need to get myself together as I have to leave in a bit, we have Zoo School today, I think this is the girls favourite activity that I got them involved in. The class I sat in on was soo not challenging, but they loved getting up close and personal with the animals.

We are in the midst of Indian Summer here as well, so perfect day for being out enjoying the zoo!

This is one of my favourite projects that reminds me of fall, a scrapbook in a jar....(obviously, this was done BEFORE I discovered alkie inks)

Crop, Create and Learn!

I am sooo excited about the upcoming fundraiser I am doing! If you aren't on my mail list, here are the details in a nutshell.

When: December 6, 11-5
Where: Black River High School, Co Rd 40 Sullivan Ohio
Why: To raise funds for the Post Prom Committee
Cost: $20 if you prepay by November 8, $25 thereafter
What's included: Half a table of crop space, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Goodie bags, 2 complete 2 page 12x12 layouts and demos. Opportunity to win some cool prizes in a child free atmosphere.

Here is an example of one of the layouts (we will be using different paper)




And an example of one of the make and takes:



Want more information? Contact Marcy at marcee00@yahoo.com or come out and see us this weekend at Christmas by the River at Black River High School! I'll be there to answer questions!