ATC Swaps

Kinda fell off the craft wagon.  Been busy with family stuff.

However, I'm working on my kids' collections of pics, newspaper clippings, certificates and awards--putting them in binders.  I'll be adding a few scrappy pages and Project Life cards after everything gets put in order.  I could just hand each of them a tub full of stuff, but I'm enjoying reliving the memories as I organize it all.

I'm sticking to ATCs at the moment because they are small pieces of art that seem time manageable. Plus I just got my markers refilled with ink so I can color.

I made this ATC for the Vera Lane Studio (digital images) Mix It Swap.  Some of the hearts are glittery.

Today I got in the mail these two Mix-It ATCs from Nikki Woodward.  Yup--a bonus--traveling companions!  They are even more amazing in person. Very 3-D. Here's a link to Nikki's blog where you can find more of her fabulous artwork: betwixthisandthat.blogspot.com




And I just signed up for this All Things Alice ATC swap due in April.  You know I love everything Alice!  ( I can't wait for the movie, Through the Looking Glass, to come out later this spring. )

http://bockel24.blogspot.com/2016/02/announcing-my-10th-annual-blog-swap-all.html

More Journal Pages

The Wanderlust 2016 year-long on-line class from Everything Art is absolutely amazing!  I'm learning so much!

Right now I'm working on composition, balance, repetition, and focal point.  I'm also trying to be better at layering with paint, stencils, stamping, etc.

Here's a two pager using acrylic paint.  I also die cut circles and ran them through various embossing folders.

I'm going to enter my Believe the Sky is the Limit double journal page in the ARTplorations challenge over at STAMPlorations.  You must use a stencil.  I used several, including the ARTplorations Retro Circles and Bubbles stencils.  The mixed media challenge is due January 31 HERE.

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2016/01/stencil-sunday-january-3.html


Here's one incorporating paper collage, a Gecko Galz digital image, and liquid watercolors:

I've entered this one in the Wanderlust 2016 January challenge, open to those taking the class.

2016 Goals and Wanderlust Journal Entry #1

2015 was a bizarre craft year for me. 

My design teams vanished, but I must admit I was ready for the break.  Ever since I started crafting, I have been on at least one design team.  I was working full time and still had one child at home.  I just knew that when I retired, I'd want design team work to be my "new job".  Retirement afforded me freedom from responsibility and deadlines, and I soon realized I wanted that in crafting too.  I decided to stop being on design teams when 2016 rolled around.  Little did I know the stars were aligned because the design teams also were disbanding in 2016.  (Admittedly, two pretty much had disbanded in 2015.)

My craft room became a disaster.  Definition of "room": the entire basement.  Everywhere I have piles of unfinished projects.  My goal for 2016 is to finish those projects.  They are personal projects which is why they always were on the back burner while design team projects met their deadlines.

My artistic style floundered.  With many family commitments, I found myself creating in comfort--mostly papercrafting that was familiar and therefore easy to get done.  I did try a couple new things. I took a Finnebair class to learn her techniques and style.  I watched some Carolyn Dube You Tube videos while experimenting with the Gelli Plate.  Other than that, I bought products but didn't try them out.

2016 is my break out year.  I'm breaking out those half-done projects.  I'm breaking out those unopened products.  I'm refilling the Copic markers that dried out from years of unuse.  I'm breaking away from craft crap that has collected over the years but never gets used. I'm participating in a year-long mixed media class to help me break out from my comfort zone.

Free from Design Team Deadlines, here's what I'm attempting in 2016 (all of these being in the no pressure, if nothing else going on category):
Wanderlust year-long on-line mixed media class
Vera Lane Studios FaceBook group- (playing with her digital images)
Complete the unfinished personal projects
Coffee Loving Papercrafters Blog Hops
40 Bags in 40 Days (decrapifying the craft room)
Digital scrapbooking

We're in Week One of Wanderlust.  
We're encouraged to keep an art journal.  We'll be provided 2 prompts per month.  Here is my first attempt.  I think it would have been easier to do one page instead of a 2 page spread.  I need to get away from thinking I need to "make a scene".  I will work on abstract backgrounds.  I did enjoy the doodling and scribbling so maybe there's hope for me yet.

The word "free" denotes my freedom from design team deadlines in order to pursue my craft. I found it ironic that when I finished, it looked like a "flower child" from the 60's/70's when the word "free" had another meaning.  A fluke because I was experimenting with gesso and sprays on textured flowers which also seemed like a good place for the fairy to stand.

The fairy is a digital stamp from Vera Lane Studio (which I digitally colored before placing on the page).

I'm going to enter this in the STAMPlorations ARTplorations Mixed Media January challenge HERE.  You must use a stencil.  I used one from the Crafter's Workshop to make those black rectangles with texture paste and the Dylusions stencil for the trees.  I also used several of the background stamps from the STAMPlorations Mixed Media Grunge set.

Surviving Christmas

Santa and I have a quirky sense of humor.

I paired the free colored Dearie Dolls digital image with Becca's sentiment (STAMPlorations) for a quick card.

If you celebrated Christmas, I hope you are relaxing today with a good cup of coffee!

Entering

STAMPlorations December Challenge:  Stamps and a Holiday

Books for the Creative Soul

For the first time, I "get" Google Connect. 

I was looking to respond to a person who left a comment on my blog, got "connected" to a few of her G+ comments, and ended up with a list of books to inspire our creative soul HERE. (FYI the list is a year old) The snippet quotes under each title were enough today to inspire me.

I think I'll get a couple of these books. 

Which one would you read first?

Another make from the archives:

Merry Christmas

It's a family tradition (on my mother's side) to make pierogi for Christmas Eve.

How cute is this apron?  My oldest daughter gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. You can find it on Etsy.

My grandparents immigrated from Poland near the Russian border.  That said, I've never had a pierogi filled with mashed potatoes.

Here is a pic of me with my babcia, and of course, my siblings.  This is how I remember her.

The two fillings my babcia made were:
1) ground beef with onion and hard boiled egg
2) farmer's cheese with onion and raw egg

We've adapted the recipe over the years, including following the ravioli dough recipe in the Fanny Farmer cookbook, using ground chuck and ricotti cheese.

This afternoon I managed to get 3 dozen made (3 batches of dough, 1 lb chuck and 1 container cheese; dough rolled, filled, boiled) in two hours.

Then comes the delish part, frying them in butter (Kerry Gold, of course) and dollaping with sour cream.

I like to serve them with spinach salad and cranberry sauce.

I'd like to serve pickled beets, but I'd be the only one eating them.  However, my nephew has a great recipe that doctors them up with balsamic vinegar, feta cheese and pecans.  I think I just talked myself into that for next year!

Whatever your holiday traditions, I hope they are memorable!

And just to throw in some papercrafting.... this is a Gecko Galz design team make from last year.

Blog Hop Winners

Definitely hop hang-over!  But so much fun!  And I can't wait for the next Coffee Loving Papercrafters Blog Hop.

Winners of my 2 Holiday blog hop candy prizes:

$10 Starbucks gift card:  Sue Reynolds

Hot Chocolate packet (Snowman Soup Mix):  Chark

Please email me your snail mail addies!  I plan to mail these out on Tuesday, December 22.  If I don't hear from either winner by December 29, I will re-draw for that particular prize.

Holiday To Go Cup

Yikes!  I skipped yesterday!  Here's my sixth make for the Coffee Lovers Holiday Blog Hop.

It's been busy.  A trip out of town today included a stop at Starbucks to get the ugly sweater cozy.  I had my cup filled with Chestnut Praline.  It was delishl!

I used the template we worked with at my last craft club meeting.  I used an actual cardboard cozy to wrap around the middle.

The papers are Little Yellow Bicycle Christmas Magic from my stash.

Here is the sample from club and what I had started there.  I always take pictures so I can remember what it's supposed to look  like when I finish the project at home.

I changed it up a little as I put white on the backside as well and also wrapped the cozy all the way around.  I added a Starbucks gift card.  This one goes to my brother-in-law.

Here's the completed insert.  I used a sentiment from that awesome freebie digi set given to us by Verve Stamps for this hop.  

I  HAVE BLOG CANDY FOR THIS HOP.  JUST LEAVE A COMMENT HERE.  NO NEED TO  "FOLLOW" ME UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO. LIMITED TO COMMENTS FROM THOSE LIVING IN THE U.S.A. ONLY.  (I will try to do something digital for international visitors in the next hop.)  One winner will receive a Starbucks gift card. One winner will receive a hot chocolate packet. Picture on this post.  When you leave a comment on Day One HERE, please let me know if you'd like to be included in the blog candy drawing.   I will draw names Saturday evening, December 19.

Of course, I'd love a comment here, too, telling me how you like this gift card holder! Thanks so much for visiting!

Entering this card here:

Coffee Lovers Holiday Blog Hop.  I'm entry #630

Verve December Inspiration Challenge due January 5  I'm entry #47

Teabag Gift Card Holder

Today is International Tea Day!


I love the free Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps.

My four-year-old granddaughter and I enjoy coloring them together.  It is a special time we share since we both love to craft.

And I use the pre-colored versions on cards.

I would like to share with you a Dearie Dolls link.  I hope you find it as delightful as I did.
The Snowman Song

Here is the latest card I made using a Dearie Dolls Digi. It's actually called Little Hot Chocolate Snowman.  I placed it on a teabag gift card holder. 

Why is it a teabag?  Because of the valley/mountain fold in the middle which can then hold a gift card or cash.  

Additional materials used:
Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch
DCWV glitter card stock
Tombow Fasterner Tabs (velcro tab to hold it shut)
Misc. scrap of 2 sided card stock
Really Reasonable Ribbon - silver


This is my 5th entry for the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. This one is #443.

There is a special post on that site for International Tea Day.  You can see it HERE. There still is time to enter the blog hop.  Flash prizes are being awarded today.

I  HAVE BLOG CANDY FOR THIS HOP.  JUST LEAVE A COMMENT HERE.  NO NEED TO  "FOLLOW" ME UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO. LIMITED TO COMMENTS FROM THOSE LIVING IN THE U.S.A. ONLY.  (I will try to do something digital for international visitors in the next hop.)  One winner will receive a Starbucks gift card. One winner will receive a hot chocolate packet. Picture on this post.  When you leave a comment on Day One HERE, please let me know if you'd like to be included in the blog candy drawing.  

Of course, I'd love a comment here, too, telling me how you like this gift card holder! Thanks so much for visiting!

ALSO ENTERING THESE CHALLENGES:

Tuesday Throwdown:  #274 Anything Goes I'm #13 until January 4, 2016 x

Crafty Hazelnut's December Patterned Paper Challenge  I'm #253 x

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #340  I'm #15 til Jan 1, 2016?? x

Mug Shots

Continuing with the coffee themes:

I was looking through my digital files when I came across the sentiment "mug shots" in the Crafty Secrets kitchen collection.

The idea immediately came to mind to show a film strip of mugs.  I found a film strip in my Pixel Scrappers digi collection, made by Janet Scott.  Using my Photoshop software, I filled the strip with cups from the Cup Collection found at Vera Lane Studio etsy shop.  The photographer and bow also are from Vera Lane Studio.  

This time I wanted to create a mixed media tag for my coffee themed album.  I started with Stampin' Up very vanilla card stock and printed out all the digis.  Then I used another piece for the background.  

I made a Gelli Plate print using Lumiere Crimson paint, Deco Art Primitive chalky paint, and dry wall tape.
Once my print was dry, I placed on top of it the STAMPlorations ARTplorations Holly Background stencil and used a sponger dabber with Ranger Pine Needles Distress Ink.  I tried a red Sharpie on the berries.  

Fussy cut images and tag edges are edged with a black sharpie.  I used Stampin' Up dimensionals with the photographer and word strips.  The ricrac is The Paper Studio trim.

Entering this card here:

Time Out Challenges  #46 Christmas photo inspiration


Stamplorations ARTplorations Mixed Media December challenge--must use a stencil and can't be a card


Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  This is my 4th entry.  This one is #383

I  HAVE BLOG CANDY FOR THIS HOP.  JUST LEAVE A COMMENT HERE.  NO NEED TO  "FOLLOW" ME UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO. LIMITED TO COMMENTS FROM THOSE LIVING IN THE U.S.A. ONLY.  (I will try to do something digital for international visitors in the next hop.)  One winner will receive a Starbucks gift card. One winner will receive a hot chocolate packet.  When you leave a comment on Day One HERE, please let me know if you'd like to be included in the blog candy drawing.  

Of course, I'd love a comment here, too, telling me how you like this mixed media card! Thanks so much for visiting!