Banner Day!

Yesterday my friend Terri (terrisbloomingideas.blogspot.com) came over for some creative fun. She had cut out these cute banner shapes for us. She wanted to do them last week, but obligations and time did not allow us to make them. So we were going to work on them here at my house.

We started the day cutting some shapes from some dies I had, for future projects Terri is working on. While I decided to cut a set of the little pennants (Terri had brought along her die) for Vicky, who was going to stop in to pick up an order from Terri. She had been feeling a little frazzled lately and I thought she could have a set at home to work on when she felt up to it. When Vicky arrived she pulled up a chair to visit for a couple minutes, after seeing the little kit we had prepared for her, decided to play along. What fun! We bought out the glimmer mists, beads, glitter, and ribbon.

Soon we were all laughing and having fun. My sweet husband was home (plant shut down for the week), and he surprised us with pizza for lunch, and kept hot coffee ready. I love when things seem to come together, I could not have planned a better day.

Huge Tag Die!

Okay, while perusing Ebay one night, I came across a die for tags. I put a bid on it on an impulse , then fretted because I should have read the dimensions. The tags are 10" x 4", I immediately panicked, what was I thinking?

A couple of days ago I was on Skype with my friend Sarah, from Scotland, we joked as I showed her the die that had just arrived. She said she would be checking my blog to see what I would do with it. Well I cut a couple of them out. As I worked with them a few ideas came to mind, they would make a great mini album if I stacked them and edged them with a die, or maybe make a door-hanger (like the do not disturb kind). For now though I thought I would just make a "large" tag, and play with my new edge dies from Sizzix and Tim Holtz.

I have to share with you there is something about Tim Holtz dies that do not like me. I have had issues with his flourish die, and now these. They stick something fierce on chipboard. So after many disparaging remarks made under my breath, I managed to get the snowflake die to cut and not shred my paper.

Using the Ella Blue paper collection, and some Sizzix snowflake dies (which worked very well), They are still not complete, I think I want to add a couple more things before considering them finished. I just couldn't wait to post them though.

Shadow box Charms

Okay these are officially a pain the butt! First getting them to stay together to foil, (yeah those little hearts are stuffed and stitched!) then of course the paper shifts, and to top it off the glitter on the back does a weird funky thing (on one of them). I was asked by my daughter to make one. I did two, just in case. I am glad I did, since I don't think there will be a third! LOL!

Charms

I have not been very active on my blog. Well it all started with a soldered charm I made for my friend Linda. She celebrates Halloween and decks out her home every year. I am always invited to the "open house" held by the people on her block, they go all out for this holiday. so as a token of appreciation I try to make or bring a little something as a thank you. This year it was a coffin shaped charm with her initial "L" in drippy red glitter, and some scary little clown children on the back (I should have asked, it seems Linda has a real aversion to clowns, who knew?)

From there it has snowballed to making them for friends of Linda's and mine. I have to tell you working with the lead-free solder is a pain, but I am having a lot of fun. I have been fortunate enough to sell a few of them, and have had interest from a local store. I just wanted to share what I have been up to. I feel so neglectful but with work I do not get much time to get online it seems.

Well I hope you like them!

****Check out my blog shoppe (upper right hand corner button) for charms and prices.

PeTiTe GhOuL Pt. 2

Finished!!! Just applied the beeswax and buffed the finish out. It is dark in my room but any brighter and the shine causes glare. I will take a photo during the day!

A "blurry" close up of her face. I really need to take photos in the "daylight".

One more of her, again please excuse the lighting, wanted to grab a photo before bed. Below her another painting waiting for the finishing touches....

PeTiTe "GhOuL"

I have taken Ms Suzi-blu's Mermaid class. I took her first class a couple years ago, as well as others, and really enjoy them. I have not posted my Mermaid drawings, but I have a couple ready to start. However, soon it will be Halloween and I have been inspired to create a "PeTiTe GhOuL" for the occasion. My other Halloween Kitte Girl sold and I was asked to create another painting for the Holiday. I am also a big fan of Tim Burton, and found myself creating what looks like a hybrid of Suzi/Tim type character. I love her. Here you see the beginnings. She has been transferred to the wood and her face has been started.....

A couple layers done....and some black glitter and she is off to a great start. Yes several more layers to go, and then to paint the trim. I gave her pale skin a greenish/gray hue, and she has "pumpkin" orange eyes. Little skull earrings and some spiderweb (complete with spiders) trim.

I will be working on her tomorrow, so much more to do yet. Things to add, and painting the trim. It is hard to get a good photo because the trim at the top does not allow the piece to lay flat so scanning it is difficult. I will take better photos when she is done. Then you can see the sparkly glitter on her dress!

Cold and Wet Days...

It was cold and damp out today. Steve went to our son's to work on his truck, which left me to putter around the house on my own. Stephanie was off to a baby shower with her in-laws, and Kim away at school in Kalamazoo. My friends busy with their family, so I was on my own. So I made these cards. I have to make some for our Art Group meeting this month, and with all the baby showers I have coming up, I decided to make cards that could be used for showers or baby birthdays. I cut, punched, colored and glittered. They are almost finished. I had a chance to play with my copic markers. I have been buying a few here and there. They are a lot of fun.

My son received these wonderful copics from a friend. He gave them to me today since I have started buying a few myself, and well, don't have that many. He is a wonderful artist and can draw, but prefers his music (for now). So he decided to let me play with them a while....lucky me.

So although the weather was dreary Saturday and overcast today, I did manage to accomplish few things here at home. Time is slipping away. It seems to speed up the end of summer, and gather steam thru the Holiday season. Too fast, too fast. Although I look forward to getting together with family, the thought of snow and winter makes me wish for it all to slow down.