Another Teacher Gift! :) I love METAL!!

Ok.  Why can't my son have one teacher like normal kids??  Noooooo........ he has to have 2 teachers and a student teacher in his class!!  So, here is Teacher Gift number 2!!  (this is for his "Friday" teacher)  Mrs. "L." job shares and comes in on Fridays.  She is the "fun" teacher!  LOL!!!  She covers art/science/poetry/current events, etc.  She is a great gal and the kids LOVE her!  (as well as their M-Th. teacher, Mrs. Brown)  She has a thing for shoes and quotes.  So, here is the gift that I made for her.  I figured a Dr. Seuss quote would be appropriate for a 3rd grade teacher.

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I used the FABBY new metal color "Peacock" from Ten Second Studios.  It is a beautiful color.  It reminds me of Hawaii and tropical flowers.  I found the flip flop image and the poem online.  I designed my layout and then embossed away! :)  I used the TSS flower mold for the background and the flip flops have a Sizzix plate design on them.  I did puff the straps of the flip flops, so I spackled the back.  Note to self:  let spackle dry BEFORE you try and adhere double sided tape.

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Thanks for a great year, Mrs. L!  Hope you like it!

This piece is sealed with PYMII to protect the paint from being worn or scratched off! Great stuff!!!!!!

Metal Flowers: C.R.A.P.

Well, I have been inspired! :)  I was watching the Taco Tuesday over at Ten Second Studios this week.  They had an awesome tutorial on making metal flowers.  You can see it here:  http://www.tensecondsstudio.com/videos/050410.html

I really liked the flowers made in the tut, but wanted to try something a little different.  Then I saw another great tutorial on a blog:  Crafting in Croatia on how to make rosettes from paper spirals. 

I decided to combine the two and I came up with my version of a metal flower. 

I dub thee:  C.R.A.P.!   California Rosettes and Peonies  (LOL  ok, a stretch, but I had to make the acronym work!  hee hee)

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I cut a piece of square metal, embossed a quickie pattern on it with one of my Ten Second pattern molds, sanded the metal, cut a freehand spiral with patterned scissors, and rolled it up like in the Nina B Designs blog tutorial.  I worked the metal quite a bit after it was rolled..... bending and squishing and "fine tuning" the flowers.  I added a little bling in the middle .........and........... voila!

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Whattya think???????
(click photo to see more detail)

Stamped Blog Candy!! (Some Cards n' Stuff.......)

APRIL 23, 2010
**WINNER!!**
FibreJunky said...



What a nice thing to do!!
Carole
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Carol, I'm sending you an email.. Send me your snail mail addy and I'll get your candy out to you!! 
Thanks to all who "played" this week.  I'll be posting MORE candy on Monday! ;)
Hi All!

I have decided to give away some of the cards and tags I have made over the years.  Hopefully they can go to homes where they will be appreciated and not sit in a lonely box in the closet!!! :) :)

For a chance to win this group of cards/ATCs/tags, just leave comment and I'll draw a name at random next Friday. (April 23, 2010)  Make sure you leave your email address so I can contact you next week to get your address!!!!  :)

***If you are feeling creative and like GRAB BAGS, check out my auction on Ebay.  I'm "cleanin' out the stamping drawers"!!  Awesome stamps.... many retired or from companies no longer in business!!!***

You can see the listing here:

 http://shop.ebay.com/boog_dog/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Have a great weekend!!!!!

xoxoxoooxoo

More Metal and THANKS, CHERYL!! :)

Well!  I'm very excited to have a shout out from Cheryl Darrow over at Ten Seconds Studio's Blog!  Thanks!!!!  Kyle and I are loving our metal and playing with it!!  (Kyle has his own paper stump and burnishing block) Here are a couple of pieces that my son, Kyle, has done.  (and, for the record, he is 9 :) :)

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Here, Kyle used decorative wheels to emboss a "cover" for his DSi gaming system.  No one will mistake Kyle's game for their own! :)

This sign will be hung on Kyle's bedroom door.  Very important, girls, that you have a ticket to enter......  I'll have to find out if Mom's get a waiver.

Here is Kyle and his latest creation.  A Super Mario characature for his wall.  (we may frame and put in the living room! :)

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Here are 2 pieces that I recently finished.  I just love this saying!!  LOL!!!  For any of you out there with teenage children, you know what this is all about!!  This will hang on my daughter's bathroom door! :)

And, here is a Monogram.  I'm not too crazy about how it turned out, but I finished it off anyway.  I like the color combo......just not too crazy about the entire piece.  But, what the hey......... I can always "enhance" it later!! :) :) :)

Off to sort through my new birthday toys that came in the last couple of days!!!!!  Hasta la pasta!

xoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxo

Early Teacher Gift - Metalized Coffee Plaque

I've had this idea swirling around in my head for quite a while.  My son's 3rd Grade teacher is quite the Starbuck's Maven.  I envisioned a coffee cup and coffee terms on a plaque for her wall.  I  hope she likes it! :)

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I used the Ten Seconds Studio Dark Chocolate metal for my piece.  The coffee cup image is actually a cut file that this INCREDIBLY talented man created.  You can see oodles of fabulous images designed by this man on his blog here:  http://scale-files.blogspot.com/   Thanks, Paulo!!!  :)

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I printed out his image and then traced onto tracing paper.  Then I taped the tracing paper to the back of the metal and used my refining tool to outline the image onto the metal.  I then "freehanded" the lines and sayings on the front of the metal.  Therefore the coffee cup image is embossed on the front and the lines and sayings are debossed.  :) :)  I then sanded the entire piece, wiped clean and adhered to a Big Lots Plaque I bought for $1.25!! :)  (It had this awful image of an apricot on it.... it just peeled right off! :)  I glued a piece of wallpaper to the back and then added the eyes for the hanging wire.
As a final touch, I sealed the entire piece with Preserve Your Memories II.  Because the piece is uncovered and may be touched, (who doesn't want to touch metal and feel the "ins and outs"?? :) I wanted to make sure that the piece is protected.  PYMII is a fantastic product for protecting and sealing ALL sorts of projects.  Paper, metal, clay, waterbased inks and paints, pencil and graphite.... the whole enchilada!!  LOVE IT!! :) 

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Mrs. Brown Plaque Front

CLICK PHOTO TO SEE LARGER IMAGE

Mrs Brown Plaque back:

Hope you like it, Mrs. Brown!! :) :)  Happy EARLY end of the year!

More Embossed Metal..... Purty Flowers

Holy Posting, Batman!  2 in one day?????  I think I'm done for the year!  LOL

Here are a few more pieces I did the other day on my "art play day".  I took some aluminum sheet metal (in a roll) and cut out shapes with my Sizzix Big Kick.  Then I embossed the metal using Ten Seconds Studio molds and a couple of Cuttlebug Embossing folders.  Then I painted with the Tim Holtz Adirondack Paint Dabbers(by Ranger).  Love the colors of this paint!! :)  After the paint dried, I sanded the flowers/leaves so the embossed pattern shows up nicely! :) 

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The great thing about using metal is that you can then bend and fold the pieces to give a really nice 3D effect.  I have the flowers/leaves arranged on a canvas board that I colored waaaaaaaaay back when dinos walked the earth.  I do believe I used some of my homemade color wash on it! :)  Now, I just need to find the perfect photo and frame it up!!!!

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8x10 Canvas board with metal flowers:

Close up of the flowers and leaves:

Heavy Moving and Metal!!

Well, let's see............

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy MLK Day, Happy Presidents Day, Happy Valentines Day, and Happy St. Patty's Day.  Whew!!!!  I think I'm all caught up now! :)

Let's just say.........moving is NOT fun!!

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Waaaaaaaaay back in December, I got a whole bunch of Ten Seconds Studios toys for Xmas.  (If you have not seen a "Taco Tuesday", you must go check out the site!!  Fantastic product and tutorials....and, a terrific blog!!)  I have finally been able to find some time to play with them a little.  Here is one piece I did.  I just have to find the rest of my "stuff" so I can mount it for a wall display! :)

I started with a Fred Mullett fish stamped on the back of the metal in StazOn ink.  I then embossed the outline, fins, and face.  I was going to try and emboss all of the little scales, but decided that my refiner was not small enough to do them justice.  So, I improvised and "filled in" my fish with one of Ten Seconds Studios molds. (Big Mama Alphabet Mold:  BM05)  Then I refined, sanded, and did a touch of Payne's Grey acrylic paint over the image.  I then used one of my texture wheels to add the "water" around the fish.  I'm pretty happy with it for my first try! :)

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Here is the stamped image of the fish on the back of the metal:

Here is the front:

Gary Farrell Art Show!!!!! WooooHooooo!!

OMGosh!! I have been stressing and working for months on my pieces for my first art showing! :) My friend, Sherre, and I have the November Art Display in the Gary Farrell tasting room!! It is very exciting!!!!! I was able to finalize my last pieces THIS MORNING!!!! (lol... how typical!!)

Here is the tasting room and our pieces! :) Come by in person if you are local..... it's a GORGEOUS tasting room!!

(p.s. Thanks, Mom!! for helping us set up!!)

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Leaf prints on cotton panel by me, grape painting by Sherre, small leaf print by me:

Framed leaf prints by me:

Paper collage by Sherre:

Grapes by Sherre, Leaves by me:

Same wall, different angle:

Leaf print and embossed copper leaves on grape branches by me, grape paintings by Sherre:

Embossed copper leaves by me:

Close up of one of my embossed copper leaves and grape branch:

Overall, I'm very pleased on how the room turned out!! Sherre's pieces are fabulous and I think our work compliments each other nicely! A big pat on our backs, Sherre!!!!! Yay, us! :)

(p.s. all of my prints and canvas pieces are protected with PYMII. I really have to plug them here.... fantastic product for protecting your work!! check it out here: http://www.precision-blue.com/)

Blog Candy Link and Checkin In

Just a quick note to say HI! I have not fallen off the planet, but I'm trying to spend all of my spare time on some art projects for a November deadline. I'm still quite BEHIND!!!! :)

However, since one can never have too much stuff, here is a link to some awesome blog candy!!!! Check it out and Happy October!

http://twinklesglow-glowbug.blogspot.com/2009/09/birthday-blog-candy.html

xoxooxoxooxoxxo

Susan

An ATP Swap! :)

Hi All! :)

School is in session and I'm hoping to get back to some creating!! (I better find some time because I have a showing in the Gary Farrell Winery tasting room in November!!)

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Here is my latest creation. An "Artists Trading Pin" for a swap over at the Arttechniques Yahoo Group. I used some "starts" I had from my Tim Holtz class a few months ago. I "jazzed" them up a little and ....... voila! a pin! :)

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The flower is made from Grunge Paper, a button, a little wire, flower die cuts, Glimmer Mist, Radiant Rain, Distress Inks, Archival Inks, and rubber stamps. The butterfly is Grunge Board, Distress Inks and Stickles, and some Mica Magic Ink.

Hope my partner enjoys her pin!!!!! :)

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Click on the Pic for a nice close up!

Woo Hoo!! Some Cool-io new Cutting Files!! :)

I watched a great tutorial today on how to create a Pattern Around a Path in Inkscape. Ok, that may sound like Martian-speak to some, but it means that I can now create almost an unlimited amount of "neato" frames, borders and mats! Yippie!!!!

A huge thank you and shout out to "ScrappyDew" for the fantastic tutorial!!!!

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Here are the creations I made today after watching the tutorial. If your cutting system uses .svg files OR if you can convert .svg files to a format you can use......please feel free to download the files!! I sure hope someone can use them!!! :) :) :)

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Would love to see your projects if you use the files. Drop me a line and let me know!!

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Ornate Mat or Frame.

You can download the .svg here!

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Square Star Frame or Mat.

You can download the .svg Here!

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Sun/Flower Frame or Mat.

You can download the .svg HERE

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Saw Blade Shape Frame or Mat.

You can download the .svg HERE

2 Cards for the Sonoma County Fair

Hi Everyone!!!

I always try to enter a few projects in our local County fair. This year I made 2 cards, a magnet, a pin, and an altered laminate tag.

Here are the 2 cards.

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The first (the rose card) is entered under the "simple" category. Only paper and ink are allowed. I just love this rose image from Toybox Art Stamps! :) The colors are a bit bright, but it was fun to put together!!

I stamped the rose with clear embossing ink and colored by chalk pouncing. I then overstamped the rose with white pigment ink.

The second card is entered under the "embellished" category. All materials are allowed. I made this tag a few months ago and liked it enough to use it as the focal point of my card. I added some layers, corner punches, and colored edging and that is about it.

Normally both my kids enter items in the fair, too. This year my daughter has 3 big summer assignments due the first day of 9th grade. She is only entering veggies and herbs this year. My son made a "mini bullwhip", 2 lego creations, and a diorama. He'll also enter veggies/herbs and some chocolate chip cookies. We always have a lot of fun trying to find all of our creations at the fair!!

Thanks for looking!

xoxoxoxoo

Some "Request" Aperture Cards

Hi there, folks!! Long time, no blog! ;)

Between end of the school year in May, vacation and kids home in June.... it has not been a very productive "art time" for me.

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I had a special request from my Mom to make some cards for one of her dear friend's birthday. Well, who can turn down Mom?!! (not to mention her friend, a wonderful lady!!)

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So, here they are. More Aperture Cards cut with my Cricut and designed with the software: Sure Cuts A Lot. I had a lot of fun putting the cards together and I like the look with the corner cuts. (by golly, I might have to get a few more! LOL!!) I also used some of the paper scraps on the envelopes. Just a small strip of paper across the bottom corner, but I think it adds that little extra "something". :)

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Peg likes bright colors, so I think she'll be pleased. :)

2nd Grade Teacher Gift

Wow! Where has time gone?? It's the end of another school year. My son's class took a fun field trip to Safari West. A very unique wild animal preserve right in our own backyard! The private owners have over 400 acres and house several birds and mammals from Africa and Asia. (including giraffe, many different antelope, rhinos, cheetahs, flamingos, and oodles of other critters) It is a wonderful place to take the kids and the owners of the park offer very reasonable rates to school groups!

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Here is the teacher gift I made from a class group picture taken at Safari West. Not the greatest pic, but I think Mrs. Maas will like it! :)

I used my Cricut and some cool jungle-themed papers that I have had tucked away for months.

Now........to start thinking about Summer Vacation! :)

xoxooxoxooxoxo

Susan

A Day with Tim!

Well, it has come and gone! The 2 classes I took with Tim Holtz..... what a BLAST!!!!

I know you have heard it a million times before, but the man is incredible! Both classes that I took were fantastic. A non-stop creative marathon! If you ever, ever, ever, ever get a chance to take a class with Tim, leap at the opportunity!!! He is positive, patient, funny, well-prepared, generous beyond words, and extremely approachable, helpful, and encouraging!

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Here is a run down of the day:

Sherre (my art buddy and partner in crime) and I took off at 7:30am to head to class. We arrived early and got a little coffee and bagel. We were allowed to check in for class and grab our seats early. Got both got great "front row" seats! ;)

The classroom was big enough for all 50 student with room to spare. Thanks to Scrapbook Territory for holding the classes in such a wonderful space!!!!

Our first class was : Idea-ology Intrigue - A class of working with Tim's Idea-ology line of products. We completed 6 (yes, 6!!!) projects!!! We were all given complete kits for each project and we worked through all of them in the 3 hour allotment with 1 minute to spare! :)

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Class supplies and set up:

Complete kits for each project.

Tim's class samples on display.

Tim displaying the project we were going to work on next:

Here are the creations that I made during this class. Aren't they all wonderful??!! I do LOVE the Memory Glass Collage piece. The Grunge Paper Flower/Ornate Plate is pretty darn skippy as well!! :) Ok, they are all great!!! :)

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Birdhouse Pin made with Box Corner for roof.

(Remember, you can click on the individual pics for a close up view!)

((Sidebar comment for those of you who attended class: I could NOT get that pretty black ribbon to tie into a straight "blankity-blank" bow, so I opted for the pink bird charm! LOL!! I think it looks cute! ))

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Simple, yet gorgeous Sprocket pendant.

Memory Glass Collage pendant

Grunge Paper Flower and Ornate Plate pendant.

Ornate Plate and Keyhole pendant.

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Whew!!! We all needed a good leg stretch, lunch, and little "pick-me-up" break between classes:

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After lunch, it was on to the next class: Generation Grunge! If you have ever wondered what you can do with Grunge Board and/or Grunge Paper, this class is for YOU! :)

Here is a terrific sample of Grunge Flowers that Tim had displayed: Aren't they beautiful?????

((**You really must click on this pic to see the detail!! Fab!!**))

Here is Tim's sample of what we were to make in class: A fantastic Grunge Board Memory Book:

Here is our class set up and project kit:

This class was VERY intense and the 4 hours FLEW by!!! We were able to get our base book done and several embellishments completed. I don't think anyone was able to finish (or even start) decorating their books. The whole point of the class, however, was to show us WHAT you can do with Grunge Board/Paper .... and we learned tons of different techniques!!!! Thanks, Tim!!!!!!!!!!

Here I am working away on my book!! Our workspaces were QUITE messy during this class! LOL!!! :)

Sherre concentrating on peeling the excess paper off of one of her pages.

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We were QUITE worn out towards the end of class (in a good way! :) Scrapbook Territory had the answer.................

You want an instant "pick-me-up"?? Forget the caffeine.....go for the sugar!!

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Here are my pages and embellishments that I created in class. I'm looking forward to completing my book and I'll post my final version when I do! :)

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It was an absolutely unforgettable day! I just cannot recommend Tim enough as a teacher. He is fantastic.

Behind every great teacher is his support system. James Brown may have been the hardest working man in Show Biz, but I can tell you that Mario is the hardest working man in "Mixed Media"!! THANK YOU, MARIO, FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT!!! This man was running around like crazy all day helping students, assisting Tim, and basically doing whatever needed to be done!! I'm sure Tim could not do any of his classes without Mario!

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Here we are at the end of the day! Exhausted and happy beyond belief! What an awesome day!!!!!!!!

Does this guy ever take a bad photo? I don't think so. He may be the most photogenic person I've ever met!!!! :)

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On a personal note: Tim mentioned in class that he designs his products with other "crafters" in mind. (I must say he does live up to that promise.....!!) I found it curious that he would refer to himself as a crafter. To me he has the heart and soul of a true artist. He's openly generous with his creativity and talent. He holds nothing back and makes it quite clear that his creations, inventions, and ideas are free for us to share with each other......... he is a true inspiration.