Steampunk and ArtChix style cards swap

at Craft Therapy Facebook group. (I did two sets).

Vintage ATCs for a swap

Vintage ATCs for Robin’s Swap

Made for Robin’s swap at Craft Therapy. Images are from GeckoGalz. I made the background by stamping a text stamp with StazOn ink over plain cardstock. Ribbon from Stampin’ Up. ATG adhesives. Think the paper and diecuts are DCWV. Will correct later, if not. Cutterbee scissors to fussy cut. Paper flowers.

And NOW, I will stop changing the themes and share this…

LOL.  I’ve also joined a journal swap at Willowing, am taking the Strathmore workshops again (sooon—Starting March 1, go sign up now and join me in anxiously waiting it out!!), and am finally following through on some artist/sketch journaling that I hope will lead to some stand alone art pieces.  I gave up painting and knitting about the time my youngest opened her beautiful little peepers because her vision is great and her hands are quick!! The great thing is she is quite the artist herself, like her big bro but he didn’t take to it quite as much and has entered that self judging stage where his art is concerned *SIGH*.

Stately Lady–my journal cover to honor those strong ladies who inspire us.

Rockin’ Robin–journal page

So you’ve wondered where I’ve been…here’s a few more…

Infectious Smiles–my first attempt at a portrait of a real subject

Think the house is headed to bed.  Thanks SO much for visiting!!

What I’ve been up to (at least part of the time)…

and trying to learn about my camera & revive my green-ish thumb to provide sketching subjects.

It seems it’s been FOREVER since I posted and I’ve missed ya! Hope you’ve missed me too. (fluttering eyelashes, slightly pouty lower lip) so…last spring I coached my dd’s t-ball team and in the fall I coached her soccer team.  I picked up a little extra work from spring to fall.  THEN in October, my beloved aunt passed away after being in failing health for about 4 months, rapidly progressing the last 6 weeks.

Then life got interesting, heh heh.  I got a sinus infection then developed walking pneumonia while on the antibiotic around the first of November.  A couple of “colds” later, and in January, still having the cough and a new sinus infection, they wanted to test me for whooping cough.  The only good news there was that if it was whooping cough, I had already been treated AND I was midway of the duration.  Feeling better now but still tire easily and cough some evenings, esp. if it’s cold.

BUT I did manage to start back to being a bit creative this year 🙂 YAY!  With everything going on last year, I hadn’t had time to continue on my design team duties and honestly hadn’t done much crafting on my own.   So enjoy….

Good friends are always in fashion

Encourage altered puzzle pieces

Valentine tags

Valentine Tags

Some GeckoGalz projects to share

The Valentines above are from the fabulous collage sheets from January 2012. The Christmas box below was a gift, and uses the Postal collage sheets from December 2011.  These are just a sampling of the great images and papers offered with new ones coming each and every month.  Working on some ideas for the beautiful products for February to share soon. (Didn’t fall off the face of the Earth. The family, all four of us, have some sort of angry respiratory bug that we’ve been fighting since the first of the year. Hoping this round of antibiotics kicks it to the curb!) Happy, healthy crafting all ;)! –P

Day 8—internet delays and holidays

Sending Christmas Greetings

So I had my day 8 post ready to post but something happened.  :(.  When I got home and got the chance to try to figure it out, I had full strength signal from the modem but no internet service.  I’m guessing the wind and rain did something.  ANYWHO—another row house.  The window is printout of a painting I did to use as a prop for a Christmas play.  I added a Recollections stamped swag overhead and a wreath, along with a lovely lady reflecting from Gecko Galz–I think she’s from the postal collage sheets set for December. So, better late than never, I guess.  Be back for another Smeared Ink feature day tomorrow and don’t forget to check out the Smudgy Antics blog for this week’s challenge (Inspired by a Poem, Book, Movie…).

Day 7 of Smeared Ink’s 12 Days of Christmas 2011

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I was in a swap for Christmas rowhouses and I thought I’d share one today. The papers are from Recollections. The finished size is about 4″x6″. Santa is from Hampton Art–Graphic 45 collection, stamped with Archival Jet Black and colored with Bic Markers. I cut him out and placed him at the door with my ATG gun. The wreath is Vintage Christmas Flower Soft. The door is a True Blue Wood Tile sticker from the Woodstone Collection by Cloud 9 designs. Hope you’ll enjoy! The hop list is included in the right sidebar.

Would you like a Charlie in the Box?

Would you Like a Charlie in the Box ? "Rudolph & The Island of Misfit Toys"

This week’s challenge at the Smudgy Antics blog is “Inspired by a Poem, Book or Movie”. I took my inspiration from “Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys” where we encountered a ‘jack in the box’ who no one wanted because he had the unfortunate first name of anything but Jack. I think it was Charlie, so mine is named Charlie. There was also a barking duck (or quacking dog, maybe, It’s been a while) and loads of other one of kind toys needing love from someone who could appreciate their “uniqueness”. This is an ornament in transition, as I have to find something to make him sturdy enough but I don’t like this format, BUT since he has glitter glue drying as I type, I have to wait to play with him again. He’s from Smeared Ink & was a rubber stamp set. Be sure to stop by the Smudgy Antics blog for more details on the challenge & prizes for playing along!!

DAY 6 I’ll remember this when you do the fireworks for Independence Day!!

VERY funny guys!!

Thinking this card may get reworked into a wall hanging/decoration. I stamped the Lil Grumpie from the Holidays collection, cut & colored him in his predicament & placed the presents around him. He’ll go great with the Smeared Ink presents from the new release too (but someone went shopping yesterday and needs to print the presents for next time.) Be sure to visit the rest of the hoppers in the list at right, leave them some love & the hop will be back on Tuesday. There’s a new Smudgy Antics challenge going up on Monday too. Enjoy!

Gecko Galz ornament!!

Gecko Galz ornament featuring November collage images

Here’s an ornament I created using a GeckoGalz image available in the November collage sheets collection.  I printed, cut them out & selectively accented the image with glitter glue and Distress stickles.  The base is a silver cardstock with a plaid background added.  The hanger was purchased at Lowes (aren’t they pretty??) but if you’re jewelry crafty, you probably have some goodies to make one similar.  The flower is Prima with a little extra Distress stickles (it had a little glitter out of the box).  The ribbon says, “Merry Christmas”.  It’s about 4×4 inches finished–a little bigger than I would usually make an ornament so it’s a wall hanging now–that and my tree still isn’t up just yet.  Hope you enjoy!!