Creative Chemistry 103

I know it has been awhile since I posted on my blog.  I have been busy and not taking time to create or enjoy my hobby.  This has made me really sad.  I have been taking Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry Class 103 in hopes it will jumpstart my love again for the hobby.   I will be posting a few blog posts to share my technique tags with you.

Today I am sharing a fun tag using the Distress Ombre Technique.

This was a fun technique using the products I have in my stash.  I look forward to incorporating it into my card making.

Thanks for visiting!  I have missed this!

Reclaiming My Card Making Joy Using a Crazy Bird!

This summer I have been on the go a lot and haven't had time to blog or even create many cards.  I have missed it and hope things are settling down to where I can get back into the swing of things.  Summertime is NOT my favorite season as I don't fare well in the heat, and after a long day of work and commuting I just don't feel like creating.

I thought I would share a pair of cards with you today.  The first one I made for a fellow fountain pen lover who is celebrating a birthday.  I used one of the Crazy Birds stamps by Tim Holtz as I think they are just so adorable and happy in feel.  Decided to perch him on a fountain pen, of course!

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous, Hero Arts, 100 Proof Press
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Ranger Archival Inks, Memento Black
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Copic Markers, Tim Holtz Distressing Tool

The next card up I made for an upcoming birthday for a dear friend.  I decided to use some fountain pen ink that I received from my favorite online fountain pen shop Goulet Pens.

Supplies:
Ink: Various Fountain Pen Inks
Paper: Watercolor, Gina K Designs
Misc: Ribbon, Stampers Anonymous Stencil, Tim Holtz Distress Tool


Sitting down to make cards again has really lifted my spirits and reminded me of all the joy this hobby brings into my life.   Hoping you have a fun-filled day!

WOYWW #306 - Saying Good-bye To A Wonderful Store

Today is Wednesday, so I am sharing what is on my work desk with you!

I am sure you are all a bit like me.  You have a local hobby shop you love to visit.  Scrapper's Playground is a scrapbook shop that is nearby and always has just what I am looking for.  Unfortunately, I found out they are closing their doors.   I spent Saturday afternoon shopping there and picked up a lot of goodies.  While shopping, I felt just a sad feeling like I am saying good-bye to a good friend.  This store is where I met a lot of lovely people, and even got to attend a class taught by Tim Holtz.

You will notice that a lot of my goodies are by Stamper's Anonymous and Tim Holtz and Ranger.  It seemed fitting for me to purchase these items from the store since they made it possible for me to attend a class with Tim.

I am looking forward to many happy hours of stamping and creating and will remember Marie and the staff of Scrapper's Playground for all the good times!

Thank you to Julia for the desk-hopping fun!  I look forward to seeing what you are all working on!

Until next time!

Happy Birthday, Cowboy Bob!

On Saturday evening, my husband and I went to a party in the city to celebrate one of Alan's long-time friends, Cowboy Bob, who was having a birthday party.  Bob is one of the founders of the theatre company that Alan belongs to.  Bob is always wearing a cowboy hat and boots no matter where he goes.  He also has a love of horses, and always portrays the Lone Ranger when the company performs it.  So I decided to make this card for his birthday!

Supplies:
Stamps: Lizzie Anne Designs
Paper: Core-dinations, Gina K Designs
Ink: Memento Black, Distress Ink (Walnut)
Misc.: Ribbon, Tim Holtz Alpha Tiles, Oval Scallop Die, Tim Holtz Paisley Embossing Folder, Tim Holtz Sanding Block

It was a lovely evening of friends enjoying each other's company.  Alan and I are very glad to call Cowboy Bob our friend.  Wishing him many years of good times ahead!

I hope you are able to find some quality time with those friends who bless your life!

Until next time!

You Are A True Friend

Hope you had a nice weekend!  We had snow again on Friday and it made for a bumpy commute, but I am glad that it is melting fast!  I am hoping that this was winter's last snow for the season.  It has been brutally cold and I am itching for Spring weather to arrive and match what the calendar is saying!

Today I am sharing a birthday card I made for my dear friend, Mariola.  She is someone very special and she is a cat lover.  Her cat Brownie is the light of her life.  When it came time to make her a birthday card,  I knew I had to put a cat on it!

Supplies:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp (Furry Cat & Box),(Hello You 3x4)
Paper: Gina K Designs
Ink: Archival Inks
Misc: Copic Markers, Corner Rounder

I find the two stamp sets I used for this card are reached for very often.  There are lots of fun sentiments and ones that are perfect for most occasions.

Wishing you a purr-fect day!

Donut Worry Be Happy

For today, I am sharing a sweet card I made for a pen pal who sent me some of her illustrations in a letter.  I am not someone who draws or sketches, so I thought it would be fun to make her a card with my letter to her enclosed.  I found this funny sentiment stamp and knew I had a donut stamp in my stash that would go with it.

Supplies:
Stamps: Studio G, Stampabilities 
Ink: Archival, Memento
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Copic Markers

After making this card, I really had a hankering for a donut (I have a major love for crullers.) Thankfully for my waist there weren't any in the house!

Hope you have a fun and sweet-filled day!

Letters Galore!

Many of you may recall that I participated in InCoWriMo in February.  The idea behind it is that you write a letter each day of the month of February.  By the end of the month, I had written 55 letters!  So far 30 letters have rolled into my home.

I must say, after a long day at work and a long winter commute home, finding fun letters and cards in my mailbox was especially nice.  I have 15 year-round pen pals, and wonder if any of these new writers will join them?

Do you write letters?  If not, I highly recommend you give it a try as it really makes the world seem smaller and kinder.

Until next time!

Tea Time Tuesday - A Precious Teapot

Today is Tuesday, and I am sharing a special teapot with you today.  A friend of my husband lost his dad recently.  While packing away his father's things and home, he came across a teapot that belonged to his family for quite some time. It belonged originally to his grandfather.  Steve wanted the teapot to have a good home and since he knows how much I love teapots, he gave it to us for Christmas.

Isn't she lovely?  I love her gray hair and the painted details on her hat and cape.  I noticed that the teapot was made in the USA, which is something I haven't seen on a teapot in a long time.

You may have noticed I haven't shared since Christmas, as I haven't been feeling well, but am now feeling much better and hope to be back on Tuesdays sharing my love of tea and tea-related goodies with you!

Today I am sharing tea at:

Tea Time Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Hope you have a tea-riffic day!

Stay Strong! Stay Brave!

Today I was able to spend some time in my stamp room after a long absence.  I wanted to make a card for a dear friend who is going through some serious health issues currently.  I decided to use three stamps from two stamps sets by Dina Wakley.  These stamps really said what I needed them to say.

Supplies:
Stamps: Dina Wakley
Ink: Archival
Paper: Gina K Designs


I sure hope this little card helps her know how much she means to me and that she is never alone while she is undergoing her treatments.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope to be back blogging regularly.  I sure have missed it and all of you.

Saying "Happy Birthday" With a Jane Austen Birthday Card

Hi, guys! I know it has been a long time since I shared a card I made with you. Truth is, I haven't been making any since I was in the hospital.  This week I was finally in my stamp room making cards again. The card I am sharing today I made for my dear friend Amy who celebrated her 50th birthday (and I missed it!).  Amy is one of the ladies in the Jane Austen group I mention from time to time.  What better way to say Happy Birthday to another Jane lover than with a Jane card!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink (Jane Text Paper), Gina K Designs
Ink: Versafine Black, Old Paper & Antique Linen Distress Inks

When I gave my friend her birthday gift, I made sure to include a vial of ink that is called Jane Austen.  It is a lovely dark green shade.

It is great to be back on my blog.  I look forward to visiting with you as well.  You don't realize how much you love your blog until you don't get time to work on it!

I thought I would share a photo my husband snapped today.  We have been having a snowy/icy and cold winter here.  He found my garden sign poking out from the snow!  I have been itching to get outside and after this winter, I will have PLENTY of work to do to get it ready for Spring!

Have a great day!  Until next time!

WOYWW #296 It's InCoWriMo Time

It has been a while since I got to join in on WOYWW!  I have been in the hospital and not well for the New Year, so I haven't had anything on my desk to share with you.  I am beginning to feel better so I am excited to join in today and also look forward to visiting you and seeing what you are up to!

Today on my desk you will see a bunch of handwritten letters waiting to get posted.  I decided to join in a great program called InCoWriMo which stands for International Correspondence Writing Month.  The idea is to write a note, letter, postcard or card to someone every day for the month of February.  I am on my second batch of letters.  You may recall I am a lover of fountain pens, so this is an excuse to break them all out and put them to good use.  I dug out my wax seals and wax, and a bunch of fun stamps for the envelopes.

So far I have three letters going to the Netherlands and a bunch to various addresses in the states.  I received my first letter from a kind woman in Minnesota who wrote on parchment and has an amazing hand.

Thank you to Julia www.stamping-ground.blogspot.com for the desk hopping fun!  I sure missed our visits, and can't wait to catch up!

Until next time!

Where Has Winnie Been?

You may have noticed that I have not been blogging or visiting for a while.  After Christmas, I fell ill and was hospitalized for seven days.  I spent New Year's in the hospital, ringing it in with my husband and toasting with plastic cups full of ice water,  and it was rather depressing.  Thankfully, my doctor is working on my medications and soon I will be like my old self.  I will never take being home for granted again!

My blog relies on sharing my crafting with you, and since I haven't created anything lately, I haven't been able to share.  I thought I would share the Christmas card I made for my husband.  We both love fountain pens and I gave him two of them for Christmas.   I decided to make a tree out of ink spots with nibs for a trunk.  It was a lot of fun to make and he really enjoyed it.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Hampton Arts
Ink: Wendy Vecchi Ranger Inks
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mirrored Stars, Twine

Speaking of fountain pens, while I was sitting in the hospital, my husband brought his laptop so I could watch my favorite YouTube videos to cheer me up.  I came across one on gratitude by SBRE Brown and after watching the video, I asked my husband to bring my fountain pens and paper the next day, and I spent the day writing thank you letters to various hospital staff who had been so helpful and kind while treating me.   By taking the time to show my gratitude, I feel as if my recovery was made easier.

I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season.  Thank you all for all the fun and support this past year, and I look forward to sharing more of my cards and my inky fingers soon!!

Christmas Cookie Swap and a Favorite Christmas Teapot

The past few weeks have been filled with lots of activity.  Lots of work, and time for some fun as well. I hosted my first ever Christmas cookie swap.  I had 19 friends and family members join us for the fun and we each baked three dozen cookies to share.  I have never seen so many cookies on a table in my life.

I had two of my nieces come and they were a tremendous help.  Little Grace (age 7) even made a Grinch guacamole for the party.  Very sweet and tasty too!

I think the party was a hit, and hope to make it an annual event.

Since it is Christmas week, I decided to take out another of my Christmas teapots.  This one was given to me over 25 years ago by my friend Sherri. Times have changed, as I used to type on a typewriter at my first few jobs, and this teapot always makes me smile to see it.  I wonder if I could still type on one after years of typing on computers!

Today I am sharing tea at:

Tea Time Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Until next time!

Merry Christmas, Dear!

I have been busy in my stamp room making more Christmas cards.  Today I am sharing a pair of them with you. Both cards were made with a Simon Says Stamp set called Gnome For The Holidays.  I won this stamp set a while back, and find it fun!

Hoping to find some time to make more cards soon.  Really miss having inky fingers!

Until next time!

Christmas Cards For Pet Lovers

I was in need of a pair of Christmas cards for pet lovers.  Luckily, I have a lot of stamps perfect for the occasion.  This first card I am sharing was made using a House Mouse stamp. Aren't they precious?  I thought the use of the plaid paper and the touch of Glossy Accents on the Christmas ornament added to the holiday feel.

For the dog lover, I decided to use a new stamp in my collection by Gourmet Rubber Stamps.  I used various washi tapes and Wink of Stella for some shine on the hat.

Do you have a pet? How do you include them in the holiday festivities?  I used to have a cat named Emily.  I had a special stocking made for her and she had treats under the tree each year. I remember waking up Christmas morning to find her sitting on her stocking smelling her goodies.  Such good memories!

Until next time!

Tea Time Tuesday - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

This Friday my husband and I started decorating our home for Christmas.  The tree is trimmed and I started bringing out my Christmas teapots.  Today I am sharing my Santa teapot with you.  He is just so jolly and always makes me smile.

This weekend I started making Christmas cards for my friend Erich to give.  He asked for a dozen cards and he tends to like the humorous or sweet cards.  So the first one I made was this one.  I used a favorite vintage Santa image and a fun stamp from the Hashtag Stampers Anonymous set I won.  Hope you like it!

How are you preparing for the holiday season?  I am attending a Christmas party this weekend, and am hosting a cookie swap the following week!  Lots of holiday cheer coming my way!

Today I am sharing tea at:

Tea Time Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Hope you have a tea-riffic day!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the USA.  I took off work today to get the house ready for the feast.  I thought I would share a pair of cards I made for my parents and my husband's father.  I used the Maple Leaf image from the Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous stamp set.  Both cards used the same stamps, but I made one an top open card and the other a standard side open card.  Distress Ink pads were used to give them a watercolor look.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous, Inkadinkado
Paper: Gina K Designs, Watercolor paper
Ink: Archival, Distress Inks
Misc.: Twine, Distress Tool

The backgrounds were colored with more Distress Ink (one is Antique Linen, the other Rusty Hinge).


Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I am truly thankful for so much, and count each of you among my blessings.

Tea Time Tuesday - Tom Turkey Teapot

With Thanksgiving approaching on Thursday, I thought I would share my Thanksgiving teapot with you.  I love the shape and the turkey!

I really enjoy breaking out my holiday teapots. On Friday, I will be breaking out my Christmas teapots for the season.  I have many to share with you!

Today I am sharing tea at:

Tea Time Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Hope you have a tea-riffic day!

Finally, Time For Card Making!

I haven't had much creative time lately.  I have a lot of home projects in the works as well as end-of-the-year busy time at work.  This week I was able to make a pair of cards for very special occasions.

The first one I am sharing is a card I made for my sister to give a friend who gave birth to a precious little boy.  I thought it would be fun to use the Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous stamp of the alarm clock.  I added the baby sounds coming from the clock! Small touches like blue gingham and safety pin were added to embellish the card.

The second is a card I made for a co-worker to give her daughter for her 16th birthday.  She asked that I use dark purple and gold as that is her daughter's favorite color combination.  The stamps I used on this are from a new stamp set I picked up by Dina Wakely.  The butterflies were heat embossed using Ranger Gold powder.  I think they really stood out great against the dark purple.

We are in the midst of a bathroom remodel at the house.  So a few more weeks of disarray and I will be back to crafting and blogging more regularly.  I sure miss it, and all of you!

On its way to lovely!

Hope you have a fabulous day and get to spend some time doing what you enjoy!

Little Boo Teapot

Today is Tuesday, so I am sharing one of my Halloween teapots with you!  This one was given to me by my sister many years ago.  I love this little ghost coming out of the pumpkin! Isn't it adorable?

I thought I would also share my candy bowl that I decorated with candy corn.  I have had this bowl for years, and when I come to the door the kids and adults alike want the bowl!

I am really looking forward to Friday night when the little goblins and witches come to visit!

Today I am sharing tea at:

Tea Time Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Wishing you a great week ahead!