It's New Year's Eve

and the 5th anniversary of this blog was yesterday!  Wasn't sure I would ever start one let alone keep it up for 5 years with 700 posts to date.

I want to thank you for stopping by to see what I've been creating.  Please come back as you never know what you'll find.  It might be a card or it might be a 3-D project.  It might be clean and fairly simple or it might be dark and grungy.

It's been a typical year...full of ups and downs, curve balls and wild pitches.  But I'll carry with me all that I've learned and experienced into the new year.  I wish you much health and happiness in 2015!

Red, white, black card stock/Stampers Anonymous CMS156 Worn Text, CS154 Mini Blueprints 4/Jet Black Archival Ink/Krylon Gold Leafing Pen/Sakura Glitter Jelly Roll Pen/Sizzix mini movers &  shapers numbers

Another pair of altered playing cards

Time for week 15 of Claudine's challenge.  The theme is embossing paste and I have quite a bit so this was a fun challenge.  Claudine chose black and white with different sprays; the difference in the results was amazing!  The Adirondack spray is more splotchy in appearance while the Dylusions sprays are more subtle.

Studio 490: black, white embossing pastes

Stampers Anonymous stamps: Mini Blueprints 7 CMS203, Christmas Nostalgia CS207, Mini  Handwritten Holidays CMS211; stencils: Festive, Christmas

Ranger: archival inks (Jet Black, Watering Can, Red Geranium): Black Fude Ball Pen; distress inks (Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Festive Berries, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany); Adirondack Sprays (Lettuce, Pesto); Dylusions Sprays (Calypso Teal, London Blue, After Midnight)

Sakura:  white, glitter gelly roll pens

I'm so glad there isn't a strict time frame to complete these mini works of art.  Because of holiday happenings it took me most of the week to even get time in my art room to play.

Merry Christmas!

 Bazzill card stock; Poinsettia Pattern embossing folder (Sizzix); Hero Arts sentiment in Jet Black Archival Ink

White card stock; Sizzix (Karen Burniston) house dies; distress inks; Hero Arts sentiment in Jet Black Archival Ink

Candlelight trio

These are much safer than real candles!  The entire display is approximately 9" across by 3 1/2" high.  I do have a small cardboard rectangular block behind the candles to allow them to stand upright.

Grungeboard, kraft core core'dinations, distress paints (antique linen, scattered straw, wild honey), brown distress ink, Sizzix dies (distressed doily, tattered pinecone, candlelight, holiday greens, mini poinsettia), Glossy Accents, butterscotch alcohol ink, pearls (flower centers)

Hope your Christmas is merry and bright!

Faux graniteware technique

Have you tried Wendy Vecchi's faux graniteware technique?  This was my first attempt on something metal and certainly won't be my last!  I found an old grungy muffin pan at the thrift store.  Cleaned it up and sanded the top just a bit.  I created masks to cover each muffin because I wanted a nice, clean rim around them.  I pounced Red Geranium Archival Ink over the top and masks then poured Red Geranium Embossing Powder over the wet ink.  After removing the excess I pulled off the masks so I could heat set the embossing powder.  Once the metal had cooled I overstamped it with the background stamp from Ticket To Art LCS001 (splatter) using Snow Cap White Pigment Ink.  Let dry.  Added my tea lights and this is now ready for one of our dining tables at Christmas.  I accent my kitchen with red so this can be left out year round.  Yay!!!

Before....

...after!









If you haven't tried this technique and love the look of granite ware but maybe can't afford to buy the vintage pieces, this is the answer!  Thank you, Wendy, for such a great idea!

My first gingerbread house

LOL!

I toasted the bread then let it air dry.  Had to use toothpicks to keep the roof on.  Not my idea but saw it on the internet.  Too fun to not share!

Reindeer

14 sets and counting!  It's time for another Altered Playing Card challenge hosted by Claudine.  The theme is reindeer or Christmas.  I chose reindeer.  While I follow along with the steps and note the images she used, it's amazing how similar they can look yet so different.

Sizzix: Snowflakes texture fade; mini movers & shapers reindeer & snowflake; Ranger:  clear embossing ink; Red Embossing Tinsel, Stormy Sky distress ink; JustRite Stamps; misc card scraps

Stamps:  Mini Holidays CMS066, Mini Holidays 2 CMS096, Christmas Nostalgia CMS207, Mini Handwritten Holidays CMS211; Ranger: distress paint (Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky); Adirondack pigment inks (Juniper, Bottle, Cranberry, Espresso), clear embossing ink and powder


Following along is so easy...no pressure, small enough you can make them in a short amount of time, you try new techniques or stashed items.  Hope you decide to join in the fun!