Saturday, May 29, 2010

My name is Elise...

Hello, Elise.

This is my first meeting of "Embossing Tools Anonymous..." I used some embossing folders today..... {APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!}

And it W-A-S.... R-E-A-L-L-Y ...... FUN!!!!!!!! Fun, fun, fun, WICKED fun!

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Are you a member?



Ask yourself this question... Do you now, or have you ever owned more than ONE embossing folder for each day of the week? Better yet, do you own, old school EMBOSSING plates! The little brass beauties, the kind that could double as Christmas ornaments.... You thought you'd use them like crazy, chalking, tracing, maybe to push some plaster through and get REALLY artsy, or, possibly, REALLY and truly embossing with them? Well, if you answered YES to any of the above questions, then you must run, click and slide right on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge this week! It's WILDCARD time, babies!




What a terrific reason to join "Embossing Tools Anonymous!" It's my {mythical} support group to encourage myself, AND OTHERS, to use their fabulous embossing tools! How timely that the JUGS girls got busy with a dry embossing challenge! After I just carted off, almost more than I could or should carry, T!m Holtz embossing folders from that wonderful LSS I shared about in my previous post.... {*Swoon!*}, this worked PERFECTLY for me!



On this card, I even OLD school embossed with a big oval plate and even some little circles for this adorable little pup's "thought balloon!" He had some VERY big thoughts, for a lil' pup. I guess I was feeling a little sarcastic in my state of embossing... Oh, and..... COLOR!!!!!!




Oh, HAPPY DAY! I have finally found a little slice of time to PLAY some good, old fashioned CHALLENGE!!! Whooopeeee! The Color Throwdown GIRLS, at last I can proudly post your juicy swatch of color upon my wee-little blog! "Hey, guys! Mom said I could play until supper!"

Aw, forget supper - I've got my CRAFT-ONNNNN!



I felt like really FEELING these fabulous colors, so I busted out some very wonderful WATER-COLORABLE images from Pink Persimmon! {If you can't locate Pink Persimmon on the web, e-mail me! They've got some awesome stuff!} Holy 1950's READER images - ain't they the cutest! In this one set, Little Red Wagon, there are images and sentiments a-plenty! I've played with these guys a LOT, and when you have the urge to color, or even paper-piece your little heart out, thems the guys! I love the playful vintage potential, and even though they come with a host of terrific sentiments, I was feeling a little sarcastic and silly today. Once I had created my little scene, I wanted them to say something kind of sassy... That's when the dog told me he had something to say. Suddenly, I pictured an engagement card... A real fun, sarcastic one. The kind you give to a couple, who has, say, been living together for a VERY long time..... So long, they are almost legally married, anyway! So, I hope no one takes offense to doggy's thought balloon. I couldn't find a stamp that did the job I needed, so I created a little paragraph, and then embossed the whole thing oval style. I cut away sort of a cloud shape and the bubbles to the dog's head kind of followed.... A fun, but unexpected path for this card.

Just so there was no mistake, I created a sentiment for the inside of the card, as well. I like it SO much, I'm wishing I'd thought of it before my big bro got married to his longtime sweetheart in March.... He's a COMEDIAN, he could totally handle it!



Anyway, fun friends of blogland! Hope you're enjoying the first part of the long Memorial Day Weekend! I took a NICE lil' break from the "end of the school year to-do list", to play in Scrapland today, but tonight, it's back to costume production for the little girl's end of the year play... I'm probably going to have to share then final results with you when it's all done. { I hope you don't mind...} For now, here's a quick pic of my darling BANANA PEEL #2..





{Horsie GRAIN SACK art!} We had fun with these! Stay tuned for more wearable art and costumes with RECYCLABLES!

See ya soon, sweet friends!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Pink Persimmon
Ink - Stampin' Up! & Staz On
Embossing Folders - Tim Holtz/Sizzix & Cuttlebug
Oval Shape Embossing Plate - (?) So old, I have NO idea!
Small Circles Embossing Plate - Stampin' Up!
Font - Jester

Friday, May 28, 2010

PAWS-itively WONDERFUL!

New paper! New, new, and freshly printed ~ NEW!

Yum, yum, yum, WHAT a wonderful thing! PAWSITIVELY wonderful!!! I'm shamelessly delighted because I took a lil' road trip to the TERRITORY this week! For you Northern Cali. types - we're talkin' Berkeley! The jewel of our BAY - Scrapbook Territory! {The place where I met... T!m....*gasp!*} Anywhoo, DARLING girlfriends, a glittering warm day {which have not been as plentiful as you'd think in "sunny" California this season...} And a bunch of WELL-GUARDED birthday $$$, gift cards and hard-earned paper crafting bucks! Oh, friend, I'm sure I heard angels singing... GREAT FUN!



Note the bulging eyeballs, simulated by some dimensional adhesive and one of the BEST Basic Grey Collections, EVER! Soooooooo, cute!!! This may have been how we looked, crossing the threshold of this gargantuan store, SBT, which, I affectionately refer as "the closest thing to Utah!" {If you've ever shopped Utah, you KWIM! We're talking SELECTION and INVENTORY!!!} Oh, babies, pups and kittens and a HOST of darling lil' creatures featured in this outstanding collection... BUT, then there were stamps! {*ACK!*}



I created this fun lil' card, super quick {for ME!}... I'm going to be getting DOWN with this collection, I'm telling you! After all, I've got a few dogs....{*cough!* FIVE ~ if you count Granny's lil' dog}, but I could NEVER get them to stand together like these adorable lil' guys!



The only thing better than THIS collection would be... HORSES! {I'll wait, Basic Grey folks...., you'll get to ME!} hee hee "I BEEEEEEEEELIEVE!"

Okay, dear friends! HAPPY FRIDAY! {Where did the week go? ~ Sheesh! Where did the year go?}


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Basic Grey
Stamp - Basic Grey
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Crystal Effects - Stampin' Up!
Ribbon- May Arts/Practicing Creativity
Metal Rivets - Joanne's
Fire Hydrant - ?

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I'm drinkin' my coffee...

...from SUCH a lovely cup, today!



I am humbled and so DELIGHTED to have been chosen by the fun and fabulous talents from The Play Date Cafe, for this entry, featuring the ultra beautiful stamps from Courtney Baker and Practicing Creativity! And what a fun date to have! I was {*secretly!*} so smitten by the fabulous graphic, to begin with... Posted my entry with a little, hopeful sigh of possibility... "How cute would THAT lil' number look in my side bar!" hee hee

So, today, I am enjoying my cup-a-joe, that much more sweetly!



Thank you, so much, Play Date friends! YOU made my day a whole lot more DEAR! Yipeeeeee!

If you're shopping for some juicy challenge fun, check out The Play Date Cafe and their new swatch of fantastic color inspiration ~ YUM!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Cosmo Cricket
Stamps - Sassafras
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Border Punch - Fiskars
Circle Scallop - Sizzix/Stampin' Up!
Ribbon - Recollections

Monday, May 24, 2010

Hooooot ARE you?


Or is it... WHOOOOOO are you?




How 'bout HOW are you? I sure hope the weekend was refreshing! I got caught up on a few projects AND got ready for another fantastic collaboration on behalf of Dawn Woleslagle's awesome WPLUS9design studio stamp line... I'm so pleased to announce that this week, Dawn is sponsoring 2 Sketches 4 You with Laura and Kazan and their awesome challenge site! Yipeeee! Check out their cool sketch!



It was love at first sight for me and this awesome composition! I played with a symphony of Dawn's images, including my {*swoon!*} most favorite owl of all time, from Funky Flowers, and the ever useful and versatile Woodgrain Silhouettes and Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions... {As always, please visit Dawn's Blog and check out links to her store and more specific info about her products!}




If you've hung out in my neck of the woods a time or two, you KNOW that I am powerless over this darling and versatile character... It's artwork like this that makes me so thankful for STAMPS! {If he was only a rub-on... *gasp* I shudder to think what a difficult time I would have parting with his adorableness... } Anyway, I thought "Mr. Owly" was just the right character to sell the Dad's day greeting! I'm hoping that you'll agree that this creation, with colors inspired by October Afternoon, is versatile enough to be a masculine father's day card, made by a GIRL! hee hee {I'd be lost without ribbon to tie!}

So THERE we have it! So much inspiration in the collaboration between the creative powerhouses of 2 Sketches 4 You and WPLUS9 .... {Am I dizzy or did the earth just move a little!!!} I can hardly wait to see what the 2 Sketches gals, Dawn and the other W9 ladies did! {Since I am preparing my post early, I'd like to reserve the right to come back with proper links as I get them! Thanks for understanding!}

All righty then, folks! May your Monday be blessed with terrific inspiration and fun! I'm positively honored that you stopped by for a visit!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - October Afternoon
Stamps - WPLUS9design studio
Ribbon and Charm - Michael's Recollections
Circle Punch - Creative Memories

Saturday, May 22, 2010

I've seen ANOTHER scene!



There is a certain way I've approached art for as long as I can remember... LITERALLY.

Literally. I "see" with a realistic lens, and have, since drawing the stitches on patches of the Tin Man's clothes after watching a production of the Wizard of Oz, when I was in the first grade.

Not long after that I discovered that people have veins in their eyeballs{!}, hence a series of "allergy-eyed" portraits between first and second grades... it went on from there. The reason I'm sharing this with you now is, to, first of all explain, perhaps, why I'm so often drawn to create little "scenes" in my cards.

Equally, I'm "design" challenged. CAS cards, mystify me. I'm dazzled by those of you who work with minimal color and JUST THE PERFECT sentiment then tell the tale, beautifully! Bold and crisp, perfectly PUNCTUATED, sophisticated designed... IT'S DIFFICULT ~ your work AMAZES me!



Equally, monochromatic work, MYSTIFIES me. I'm so thrilled and delighted when I see beautiful work in subdued tones. IMAGES that are stamped in colors that we are not accustom to seeing in nature.... It hurts my brain to think of doing that, but I ADORE it when others do it...

SO, now I've really challenged myself. I was dying to use Courtney's stamps from Practicing Creativity. They've been burning a hole though my stamping table for months, and I haven't found a way to incorporate them into "just the scene" to do my REALISTIC heart justice... Until this challenge!




This beautiful color scheme and fantastic challenge site is BRAND new to lil' old me! I was positively drooling over Maile's latest card for Wplus9design "All Eyes On" AND it's her guest designer INSPIRATION, the Play Date Cafe! You all probably know about that fun spot ALREADY, but I haven't been able to catch too many challenges lately and I was mesmerized by the DT's work, so HERE I GO! A card/a scene/stamped images that BREAK ALL OF MY SILLY LITTLE RULES!




{I know! - my middle name is DANGER!}

Okay, so not exactly a walk on the wild side, but for me, I really strained the creative muscles! I RESISTED floral images... Wedding cake and BABY cards.... I decided not to let another card be made unless I used Courtney's DELICIOUS stamps! And, oooooow, baby! They were worth the wait!

MY DEAR MOM {God love her!} tried, she really tried to free me from EARLY creative binds. She must have seen my need for realism, right after I exited the womb... PRIOR to my scarecrow and veiny-eyed self portraits, she introduced ART HISTORY! We had this wonderful coffee table style book, appropriately named, The History of Art... In it, she showed me an artist named, Marc Chagall, and triumphantly explained that he helped make it okay to paint a PURPLE COW and many other such wonderful celebrations of image and color....

Mom, this card's for you!

Have a great Saturday, and thanks, always, for sharing your CREATIVE pathways and inspiration with me! I'm ALWAYS better the artist, for it! {Wonder what Mr. Chagall would have done with a BLOG!?!}

Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Practicing Creativity
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Glitter - Stickles
Brush Pens - Stampin' Up!
Border and Corner Punch - Stampin' Up!
Swiss Dots - Cuttlebug

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

All Eyes On ... BABIES!

Hey, babies! {Yep, ANOTHER baby card!}



My craftilicious friend, Dawn, from Stamp Away With Me and Wplus9DESIGN STUDIO, has another one of her cool tutorial posts "All Eyes On", and it's featuring PAPER PIECING! And, ooooow ~ oooooow, how I loves me a little paper piecing!!! Check out her inspiring tutorial and what the other girls, Kerrianne and Maile did with this juicy assignment...!!!



I got RIGHT on board with this fun technique! After all, it's PAPER! {And aren't we ALL crazy for paper!?!} I sooooooo love creating "little scenes" and for some reason, WINDOW scene jumped into my brain... I created a REAL window using some awesome heavy transparency material, sandwiched under the pink, outer layer, of my card and then added some vellum drapes, doodled with some tiny daisies for perspective...

But on this card, the PARTY IS ON THE INSIDE!!!!



I LOVE the word "congratulations".... Even more, I love a stamp that EXPERTLY conveys that sentiment, in the right scale. I wouldn't keep gushing about Dawn's use of font and terrific sentiments, if I didn't really mean it ~ DAWN keeps making the best stamps and SENTIMENTS! Although, I've been hooked on all things "Kisses & Cuddles," I was SO happy to pair this sentiment from "Just A Note" for the perfect peek-a-boo combination! {See Dawn's blog for more details on her terrific stamp collections!}

Double click on the above photo for the down and dirty details of the paper-piecing magic.. I had fun sifting though designer paper trying to find the right scale of design for my vision of this darling baby carriage.. Using a small bit of ink and aqua brush, I added a little bit of detail shading to the carriage, just because... THAT'S HOW I ROLL!!!

{Oh, I'm corny tonight ~ SORRY!}

Anyway, lovely friends! Thank you from the bottom of my fluffy, happy, baby-lovin', floating hearts... I'm delighted that you stopped by!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - October Afternoon & Stampin' Up!
Vellum - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - WPLUS9design studio
Sentiment die-cut - Cricut {Wildcard}
Heart Punch - Martha Stewart Crafts
Ribbon + Bling Flower - Maya Road
Heavy Transparency - Hambly

Friday, May 14, 2010

Catching my breath and some COLOR CUE!



*Pant*Pant!

In the parenting "contract" that I'm pretty sure I signed AFTER reading the fine print... I don't recall the section that said "after the end of Spring Break and until the last day of school, the time space continuum will swallow you and your calender, whole. Sanity breaks will be short lived while lacking the restorative power you require to face this period, but you will not waver in the commitment to your kids and their scholastic requirements and necessary support in the home..."

Wait, W - H - A - T !?!

I'm just saying, this time of year is particularly challenging. It feels insane, like the holidays, but no tree or presents. But speaking of CHEER... Cheerful things that made me sign up for this wild ride to begin with...



Another baby card, to remind me that when they were babies, I thought it was JUST AS DIFFICULT!!! {But they sure were cute!} Meanwhile, these images, and a slice of priceless craft time equaled ... a great way to celebrate the colors of Dawn's latest Color Cue ~ this one's number 4!


So, in spite of my, ample, self pity... I made this to feature these happenin' colors and Dawn's latest release, Kisses and Cuddles....



Aside from HOW ADORABLE this train is and HOW MUCH FUN I HAD COLORING IT and adding smoke from the wee-little chimney, easy-peasy with a small smudge of ink and my aqua pen!!! I had EXTRA fun with the word, "welcome."



I'm REALLY coming around to the wonders of the clear stamps (although I'll NEVER give up my wood mounted - just sayin'...!)..... But this was huge for me! I tapped the sentiment in light blue and then, because you can literally see though it, tapped the top part of the word, lengthwise and the underside as well in navy ink... Oooooooowwww! Two-tone! HELLO!!!! Easy, fun and memorable!

Just enough creative juice to re-invigorate me to go back out into the trenches of academic commitment! {hee hee}

But speaking of CREATIVE JUICE..... ! And, if you HAVE the time, AND you'd like to add some extra inspiration to your OWN fantastic ju-ju, check out everyone's inspirational pieces with these dynamite colors and give 'em a good yee haw {!} from me!

All righty then, lovey doves!

I'm off to bed and then to the Petaluma Cruiser's in the AM to help the 4Hers and their popcorn sales! Much fun and fabulous photo opportunities to come! Have a great day/night/weekend - you name it!

Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Wplus9designstudio
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Ric-rac - Brytex Fabrics
Button - My stash!
Ribbon - Michael's
Punch - Martha Stewart
Thread - Gutterman

Friday, May 7, 2010

Hopes and Sweet Dreams....

Ahhhhh, babies.

Warm and soft, powdery and snuggly.... Yup, I get "in the mood"... sometimes... TO HOLD ONE! {Two is ENOUGH for this girl!} But aren't new babies - the BEST! *Swoon!*

I'm so excited about Dawn Woleslagle's latest release, in particular, the BABIES! That darling collection of baby images and sentiments in her "Kisses and Cuddles" collection.... From her WPLUS9designstudio of FANTASTIC stamps and digital images... Whoooopeeee!



Oh, the fonts, the fonts, the fonts! Dawn is a master with using fonts in her sentiments ~ LOVE IT! Anyway, I had fun using MORE of these, surprisingly beautiful, colors together from Dawn's latest Color Cue! There are still a few more hours (as I post this) to play... If ya have a hankering, I'd love to see your stuff!!! I have been a naughty DT girl and not gotten to visit all of the submissions, but DON'T WORRY, I will! Since Dawn asks all of us to pick our favorite, there's excellent chance for recognition! I love that she gets how much that motivates our creative efforts, so by ALL MEANS, play along!

On the "not naughty" DT topic (hee hee) Dawn has selected TWO new members for the design team! She had SO many brillliant entries, she couldn't possibly narrow it down to one! So, make sure you get some time to check out the SUPER-SONIC talents of Hannah Craner and Heather Pulvirenti! They are the WONDERFUL winners of Dawn's DT search, and I, for one am honored to be on the same team as those two wonderful talents!

Life is good!

Thanks for visiting my bloggy spot today! I'm off for a few days to SCRAP with buddies at a local church! - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, me! Hee Hee (Hey, you have to use the "mother" points for all they are worth!) Enjoy!

Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - WPLUS9designstudio
Ribbon - Recollections/Michael's
Corner Rounder - Stampin' Up!