Romance

It starts with a kiss....

If you are a follower of my blog, then you know I posted earlier that I changed my blog background after Christmas to one of romance to celebrate my wedding anniversary, daughter's wedding and Valentine's Day. So no surprise that you'd find this romantic card here today.

Supplies Needed:
Gecko Galz Valentine image (Love is In the Air collage sheet)
Geckog Galz digital background paper (Blue Willow digital paper pack)
silver glimmer cardstock mat

white card

silver doily (Wilton)

filmy or satin ribbon to coordinate
embellishments (Maya Road metal roses and Stampin' Up metal bling snowflake in center of bow)

Directions:

crop and print image from collage sheet and paper from digital paper pack

cut silver glimmer mat

layer items

wrap ribbon around layers, make and adhere bow

adhere to white card
add embellishments

Entering These Challenges:

Use Your Stuff Challenge 120; Wedding:  new challenge for me found at Julie Short's blog (Time to Create Handmade Treasure)

Take a Word Challenge:  Couples   I've seen this challenge blog and have been wishing I had time to enter it. This looks like the week!

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge # 87: Valentine's Day/Love and Ribbon

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge: Winter/Snowflakes --this is my second entry

Paper Piecing with Rubber Stamps

This is my design team sample for Rogue Redhead Designs.  Since I do a lot of fussy cutting,  paper piecing is a natural extension.   I used digital papers from my other design team, My Artistic Adventures.

For my patterned papers, I chose the Nontraditional Christmas digital collage sheets from My Artistic Adventures Etsy.  These included the BINGO card for my base and the tree.

The image of the woman reading in the chair is from RRD Relish Reading plate.  I stamped her on beige card and then again several times on the patterns.  After fussing cutting the chair, skirt and pillow, I pieced them all together.

I found a scrap of felt trim to anchor the chair and tree to the "floor".  Hero Arts turquoise gems on the tree, Stampin' Up snow flury die for the snowflake and an antique bingo card cover/button from my stash complete the card.  I used Ranger distress markers to edge the papers and try to alter the red to pink on the bingo piece.

The temperatures are frigid here with schools closed due to dangerous wind chill factors.  Sitting in our cozy attic library with a good book helps warm us up--physically and mentally.

Check out the paper piecing Rebel challenge at Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC HERE

Check out the My Artistic Adventures challenge HERE

I'm entering my card in these challenges:

Try It on Tuesdays:  Celebrations
Digitally Sweet Challenges:  DSC#72: Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnuts Challenge:  Extra- Month of January Anything Goes
Frilly and Funkie Challenge: The Warmth of Winter
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge 178 Bling   First time entry here--found this on Challenges for Days site
As You Like It Challenge:  Your Favorite C&;S and Why  First time entry here--found this on Challenges for Days site   My favorite C&S is to use a pre-made background and then place a scene on it, either with a digital image or stamping.  I do this rather than a lot of layering with stamps or several matted papers.
The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Winter: Snowflakes  First time entry here--found this on Challenges for Days site  Winner announced Feb 4
Crafts4Eternity:  Challenge 160: Tic Tac Toe:  blue, paper piecing, stamping x

I will also share this at Make It Monday #176, a place to create, share, and inspire

Cupid

Tag Tuesday players are working with the theme legends or myths.  This close to Valentine's Day, you know I have to go with Cupid.

After checking a few internet information sites, I've come to the conclusion that the Greek god of love,  the slender youth Eros (son of Aphrodite) was transformed by the Romans into Cupid, a chubby cherub, son of the love goddess Venus.

This transformation made me think of Tim Holtz' stamp and word band. 

And so the tag evolved, complete with stamping on graph paper. Per chance, the scrap of paper was something left behind by the Romans? Ranger weathered wood distress ink was added for an aged look. This time I went with less is more in order to appreciate the Crafty Secrets background paper. Chipboard heart is covered with Ranger Distress Pewter metallic stain.  

I'm entering :

Country View Challenge:  Monochromatic

Fantasy Stampers Challenge:  Anything With Wings

Paris Perfume Tag

Playing at Tag Tuesday-- this week with the theme, Capital Cities.  To enter some other challenges, I went with Paris, France.  Please visit Tag Tuesday to see what the other players created for this prompt.

The woman is looking at the perfume bottle label and thinking, I must buy some so that I can look like that!  Advertising at its best.

Materials:
manila tag lightly rubbed with spun sugar ink then edged with worn lipstick
Lunagirl Moonbeams digital collage sheets:  Label Potions and Meet Me in Paris
Stampin' Up:  A Banner Christmas and Hearts a Flutter stamp sets for the chevron designs
Inks:  VersaMagic Gingerbread, Ranger Distress:  Spun Sugar, Vintage Photo,  Worn Lipstick, Black Soot; Memento:  black tuxedo
7 Gypsies Avignon clear stamps
Flowers and ribbon from stash (dark pink flowers from Michael's' wedding dept.) I went with black ribbon because it made me think of  black choke collars worn by fashionable women (although the women in these images are wearing pearls).  Those are tiny black organza roses along the bottom of the tag.
Blue Moon Beads metal charms: Travel
foam adhesive dimensionals:  some Stampin- Up

Entering these challenges :

Live and Love Crafts:  Challenge #19 Perfume  pink perfume label and et de Toilettes stamp


Stampin Royalty Challenge #210  Picture Inspiration  -- WINNER!
(can only enter their challenge and two others for maximum of 3 challenges)  Like to see some Stampin' Up products.  In addition to the stamps I used and dimensionals, perhaps I'll get extra points for placing tag on chevron Stampin' Up bag as photo background.-- LOL!  You can tell I really drew from the photo-- both women are wearing pale pink dresses--that and the dark pink label and mix of pink flowers along with the chevron and touch of black.

 
Luna Girl Moonbeams Challenge Blog: Meet Me in Paris

On the First Day of Christmas

What? What happened to Valentine's Day?  We're back to Christmas? You betcha. Remember one of my resolutions was to work on Christmas all year long. And I've got a little help from my friends.

This time it's Heather Hudson with her second challenge:
My Artistic Adventures Challenge #2 : On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me.......
(Please check her site for challenge details and inspiration from other design team members.)
And please don't forget the coupon code good for  15% off a $5.00 or more purchase in Heather's etsy  The code is: MYARTISTICADVENTURES

This is how I completed the phrase:
 a token of his affection
 filled with sweet confection 

 

How else but with a little heart shaped box found hanging on the Christmas tree, filled with a Panera gift card  (I love that place!) and some candy.

I used earthy textures rather than bling:  
Some items are printed on heavy textured beige card stock
Some items are printed on Claudine Helmuth's sticky back canvas Corrugated cardboard die cut snowflake (3 pieces--one on front, two stacked on back).
raffia handle/bow.

My Design Team inspiration piece includes the following digital collage sheets from Heather Hudson's My Artistic Adventures Etsy shop HERE:

Music heart pocket shape to make treat box.  Wouldn't this look cute hanging on the tree?

Primitive Victorian Vintage Valentine's Day Heart Pocket

Christmas word and number labels and candy canes  printed on sticky back canvas.  I fussy cut the two candy canes together and folded them in half so there would be a matching front and back design..

Vintage Mitten Candy Cane Christmas Tree.

Cherub is riding candy cane like snowboard.

Vintage Valentine's Day Cute Cupid Cherubs


Entering this in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania:  Distressed  until January 20
This is a new challenge site for me.  I'm glad I found it because I use my Cuttlebug for everything!
I distressed (roughed up) the edges of the red canvas hearts
I distressed with ink the edges of the beige card stock pocket heart
I used my Cuttlebug to create the 3 snowflakes with the Stampin' Up Snow Flurry die--using corrugated thin cardboard packaging material; then distressed surface with ink

Digitally Sweet Challenges DSC #70  Anything Goes

ABC Christmas 2014 Challenge:  Anything Goes--Christmas

Home

I'm playing at Tag Tuesday with this week's theme just about over:  Shelter or Home
Please stop by Tag Tuesday to see how the players interpreted this theme.

I'm entering this tag in a couple of challenges.  Below you'll see a weather related description that explains why this not only is home but also shelter.

This is a photo of our backyard looking out to our carriage house garage (you can see it in the upper right window pane).   This photo was not taken in black and white.  It actually looked like this in color.  The photo was taken by my husband from his library window located on our third floor.

I framed the photo with my Grand Madison Window die (Poppystamps) and ran it through the TH wood embossing folder.

One of my new year resolves was to work on Christmas tags all year long.  The kids really seemed to like the old photo tags I put on their gifts this Christmas.  So I'm making some more, using different photos.

Entering these challenges:

Tag Along:  Tag #20 Home Sweet Home

So Artful Challenge:  A House With Something A Little Bit Different
This may not be what Sheila had in mind for her challenge (something "off" ).  What is a bit different is the polar vortex that paralyzed our region and kept us inside, just looking out the window, waiting for the (minus) " -38 degree temperature with the windchill factor" to subside and the 15 inches of snow to melt.

Also sharing at
Make It Monday Linky Party #174 where we share and comment to support each other's work.

Best Friends Valentine

 I'm so very pleased to introduce to you the latest Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC half plate:  RRD0014 Christmas Cheer

I chose these two lovely girls from the set to stamp and color.  This is quickly becoming my new favorite stamp!  You can see my post on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog HERE

I stamped them onto a ready made tag from my friend Heather Hudson's digital collage collection:
My Artistic Adventures Vintage Shabby Oval Tags printed onto Stampin' Up Very Vanilla card stock
Word labels from My Artistic Adventures Vintage Birds Roses Valentine Tags 

I used Ranger Distress Markers to color and edge papers:
vintage photo, bundled sage, picket fence, spun sugar, and wild honey 
Copic ciao Y11 for hair
Sakura Gelly Roll Clear Star pen to highlight pink dress and pink roses
Clear Glaze pen on hobnails to accentuate oval
white pen
pink ribbon from stash

Entering these challenges:

All Sorts:   Week 240 Free and Easy

Cheerful Stamp Pad:  Use Some Ribbon

Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog:  Your Favorite Stamp
This is a brand new challenge site and this is the first challenge.  I really have several favorite stamps but I love all the Rogue Redhead vintage stamps in their Vintrigue line.  I'm a sucker for rubber stamps depicting vintage little girls. 

Frilly and Funky:  New Year's Resolution --second entry for this challenge.  As stated in a previous post, I want to make time to keep up with the happenings and latest artwork of my blogging buddies.  I've become "best friends" with several who reside in cyberspace.

The Paper Girls Challenge 47:  Wishful Thinking   We all wish to stay BFFs (Best Friends Forever).

Really Reasonable Ribbon: Challenge #86 Pink and Ribbon


Sharing and supporting each other here:

Make It Monday #173

Hope you have time to scrap/stamp a lot  !

Looking Back at 2013 and Looking Forward to 2014

January's Unruly PaperArts blogozine features a new look.  Check it out HERE.

This month's theme is Image Transfers.  New articles will pop up all month displaying various techniques to use to transfer those images.

Along with the monthly articles, UPA is having it's usual Readers Art Quest (RAQ).  This month you're asked to submit your Favorite Project from the Year that Was 2013.  Easy Peasy.  Just link it up HERE

Since I'm an UPA columnist, I knew this was happening so I didn't do my own "year in review" of my art on my blog.  Instead, I'll show you what I've got displayed over at UPA.

First, is my paper shoe made for the Paris Issue.  This is an Editor's Pick:

And this is my team choice as my favorite columnist project in 2013--my chunky ATC for the ATC Extravaganza Issue.

 

What is your favorite project from 2013?  Be sure to link it up to Unruly PaperArts RAQ HERE by January 31.  And when you link up, don't forget to also leave a comment about what your favorite article or issue was at UPA last year.  We'd love to hear from you!

Digital Valentine Page and a Contest for You

This year the Gecko Galz design team has been asked to show how Gecko Galz products can be easily combined with products from other companies.

January features our cross promotion with BasicGrey AND you get to join in the fun!

Create your own valentine project using Gecko Galz and BasicGrey products and win the new Basic Grey True Love digital paper pack and a $25 shopping Spree from Gecko Galz.  Talk about a great duo!

Just email a picture of your project by January 31st to

 geckogalz@gmail.com 

And then on February 14th we will announce our winner and show off the winning product on the Gecko Galz website!  SWEET!

Do you hoard all those luscious BasicGrey papers?  I do.  So I was happy to try out their digital line and found the True Love products so easy to work with.

Here is the 12x12 inch scrappy page I made to inspire you.   I thought about printing out the elements and making a tangible item. But in the end I chose to make my project totally digital as a personal challenge to create outside my comfort zone.  The image inside the circle is from Gecko Galz January release, Love Is In the Air collage sheet.  The rest is from the BasicGrey True Love digital pack.

Please visit the Gekco Galz website to see all the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. 

Submitting my scrappy page for 2 entries (because it's totally digital) to
Digitally Sweet Challenges   DSC#69 Anything Goes

Winter Tag

This week's Tag Tuesday prompt is Winter Landscape.  

We got five or six inches of snow last night.  We are expecting up to eight more inches by Sunday.
A Vintage Winter Landscape indeed.

The dh took this photo looking out his 3rd floor library (man cave) across our backyard to our garage a block away.  Sometimes that walk is like being on an ice skating pond!

I'm entering this digital hybrid tag in:

CHNC Challenge Extra for January 2014:  Anything Goes--as long as its Christmas--this will make a lovely tag on one of next year's packages.  (See my earlier post about making gift tags all year long)

Frilly and Funky: New Year's Resolution
(If you recall in that aforementioned earlier post, I also said I would dig out all those supplies I've been collecting and actually use them.  In this instance, it was Tim's tattered poinsettia die.  (Those puppies are too expensive to have them just sit in a drawer.)  Of course, there is the other resolution I mentioned above about making gift tags.

Our Creative Corner:  No More Shopping Sins:   I am a paper hoarder AKA paperholic.  I used on this tag very old Christmas papers.  Why am I still hanging onto them?  I even placed the tag on some old paper to take the photo!  They need to get used up so that I can go buy more!!!!

Lunagirl Moonbeams Challenge Blog:  Vintage Winter 

 

Materials:
Luna Girl Images: Christmas Children collage sheet
SizzixTattered Poinsettia die
Stampin' Up Adornment Dahlia (flower center)
recycled ribbon
Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses patterned papers
Michaels Melodies and Lace Craft Paper

Love is In the Air

I refuse to let the winter blahs get to me.  Several inches of snow fell last night.  But the snow fairy sent a snow shoveling angel to us this morning.  This is important because our walk is a block long from the house to the garage.  Bless you!

Instead of snow and frigid temps, I'm focusing on love.....our upcoming wedding anniversary, Valentine's Day, and our daughter's wedding...

And what better way to get in the mood than by helping launch Heather Hudson's first challenge at My Artistic Adventures with ---  what else---- a Valentine challenge!  Challenge #1  Love or Valentines

First things first....

Here's a link to Heather's blog where you can get the straight scoop about her challenge directly from her:

My Artistic Adventures

And here's a link to Heather's Etsy Shop where you will find her amazing, vintage style collage sheets:

My Artistic Adventures Etsy Shop 

Here is what I made for my first challenge inspiration:

Here are her wonderful collage sheets that I chose to use for my first challenge inspiration along with a mini tutorial or recipe:

Pink Roses Victorian Boys Girls

I fussy cut one girl and one boy, edged them with marker, and used pop dots (dimensional adhesive foam) behind them.
Use sparkle gel pen to highlight grapes.













Romantic Roses Birds Victorian Vintage Collage Set--I used something from all 3 sheets. 
(Endless possibilities here.....)

Fussy cut the 2 plain hearts from the centers of the larger tags from this page.  Use a dark brown ink to edge the hearts.  Crumple the hearts and distress the creases with the brown ink.
Position the girl and boy behind the hearts, draping arms over the front of the hearts; adhere  pop dots to the back of the hearts.
An option would be to skip the pop dots and instead create a pocket by adhering with glue only along the edges of the heart.  You could then put a little Valentine treat in the pocket which would create the same 3-D effect!





Cut word labels of choice, edge and distress with marker.   Use  pop dots on the back of these.

Cut an extra rose from one of the sheets to place in the girl's hand.













Print this page twice.  Cut out the two tags that have the plain heart centers.  Edge with glue and dip into glitter.

From the same tags on the duplicate page, fussy cut the bird/rose.  Edge with marker and use pop dots to adhere to tag for a nice dimension.

Adhere the smaller heart/girl to center of heart on aqua tag. Add a matching glitter bow.  Repeat with boy on other tag.  Add a matching glitter ribbon in the shape of a V (for Valentine). 

Add word labels.
Use glitter gel pen to highlight petals on all roses.







I'm looking forward to seeing what you make for Heather's challenge.
Don't forget to use your discount code for 15% off a $5.00 or more purchase:  MYARTISTICADVENTURES

And of course there's a badge to display on your blog to let your visitors know you've found a great new challenge!  You can snag the html code when you're visiting Heather's blog.

I'm linking this to Make It Monday MIM#172, a blog where it's anything goes to share with others and leave comments for others. And you just might win a prize for being nice and leaving others comments about their crafting!   Or as they say over at Make It Monday:   Create, Share, Inspire....

Winter Bird Card

Happy New Year and welcome to the first of my design team projects for our Gecko Galz January 2014 product reveal.

Gecko Galz is starting off 2014 with a buy one/get one sale.  We also are doing a cross promotion with BasicGrey.  You will see my sample later this month.  You can join in the fun of combining BasicGrey and Gecko Galz products by entering our Valentine contest.  See all the details HERE.

Winter Bird Card 

A short tutorial:

Crop out and print image of bird from Gecko Galz Winters Garden collage sheet

Crop out, re-size and adjust color to match bird, then print diamond pattern from Gecko Galz Background Jewel It 

Using Stampin' Up Crumb Cake paper, position embossing folder so grasses line up with those in picture and emboss a portion of the kraft paper.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Unfortunately my attention to detail requires lining up the grass shoots.  matchy-matchy

Edge papers and top right corner of kraft paper with various matching inks.  I used Ranger Distress Inks in Weathered Wood and Broken China as well as Stampin' Up Crumb Cake.

Stencil word "Winter" in top corner.  I used a Red Lead Paperworks stencil and Crumb Cake marker.
Stamp with coordinating diamond shape.  Mine was a blog candy gift from Gerri Herbst. I used Broken China ink, stamping once off paper so image would be lighter when actually stamped onto the card.
Layer papers onto matching aqua card.

Mimic snow in photo by using Snow Marker on kraft paper, including highlighting some bumps from the embossing folder.  When dry, use heat tool to puff up snow.

Embellish with straw tied with twine. I pulled apart the straw.  The piece furthest to the right is aligned exactly over the piece on the photo.  Yes, once again, you read that correctly.  matchy-matchy

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Crafts4Eternity: Challenge 156:  Something New:
January Gecko Galz release of digital images;
Red Lead Paperworks word stencil;
new to me first time used diamond pattern rubber stamp

All Sorts Challenge Week 238/239:  Brown with Blue/Aqua/Turquoise