2008 December »

Almost Ready for Christmas!

Copic Markers, Rubbernecker, Techniques 9 Responses »

Dec 232008

Good morning! If y’all are like me, you are running around getting last-minute holiday stuff together and making sure everything is just so! I’ve got the handmade gifts done, all the presents wrapped and the menu is planned. Now I only have to finish . My family will be here Christmas Eve for dinner and then on Christmas Day everyone is free to go visit other family members.

I hate to admit this one. Even though I’ve been making Christmas cards for weeks, I haven’t gotten one mailed out. I’m ashamed of myself and maybe, just maybe, I can get Mallory to help in the next day or so and get them out in the post.

I did find some “me” time last night, and got into the studio to stamp a bit. I looked through all my Christmas stamps, and decided that I just couldn’t make one more. I settled on something fun and cute instead.

Before I get into the deets on the card though, I should remind you that today is Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker. It’s been a year now since we started the Treasure Hunt and Mr. Rubbernecker has decided that next Tuesday will be the last one. So all you Treasure Hunters, you have today and next Tuesday to hunt for that free stamp. Don’t worry, I do believe that there are things in the works to replace the Treasure Hunt! You can find out more info and the Designers who are participating in today’s Treasure Hunt on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog.

Get this . . . . how cute are these little cupcake mice? I’ve had this image for some time (I picked it up in the booth while working a show one weekend) and finally decided that it needed to see some ink. Plus I thought I would start working on my birthday card stash.

The image was colored with Copic Markers and the little chips in the cupcake (because it is chocolate chip) were highlighted with Glossy Accents. To add just a bit of sparkle to the frosting a small bead of Crystal Stickles were added.

Stamps: Stamp Oasis Little Lovin’s Collection Cupcake Mice SKU:1049 SO and Rubbernecker Happy Birthday, USA sentiment from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Baja Breeze and Basic Gray; BasicGrey Dasher
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black; Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Baja Breeze
Accessories: Copic and Spica Glitter Markers; Ranger Glossy Accents, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen and Crystal Stickles; Venture Foam Tape; SU Circle, Scallop Border and Photo Corner Punches; Ribbon

I hope y’all have a great day today and with any luck I’ll have a few more posts this week.

Friday Focus - Ink Water Colored Tag!

Rubbernecker, Tag Art 8 Responses »

Dec 192008

Happy Friday! Well, I’m still working on gifts, which I can’t show you here because my sister reads my blog. What I do have for you today is my project for the Friday Focus on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog. It was completed earlier enough last night for me to write the post and get it published, but when I went to take pics of the completed project, the batteries were dead. Recharge was needed!

Before I go into great detail on the tag, the Friday Focus is about water coloring the tag with Distress Inks. You can find a step-by-step tutorial on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog for this process.

Once the tag was completed and dried, the Heart Background was stamped and embossed with Queen’s Gold EP. The image panel was stamped on a smaller tag, trimmed down and then inked and distressed. The woman was water colored with a touch of Worn Lipstick to match the tag. For embellishments, a Grunge Board Heart was inked and the wings were painted with Tarnished Brash Distress Crackle Paint. The Destiny Philosophy Tag was added to the heart with a long fastener and the key is tied to the top with the ribbon.

Stamps: Stamp Oasis Background Collection Heart Background SKU:1129 SO and Romance Collage SKU:1902 SO from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Manilla Shipping Tags
Ink: Ranger Worn Lipstick, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Distress Embossing
Accessories: Clover Craft Iron; Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Glossy Accents, Mini Mister, Ink Blending Tool, Queen’s Gold EP, Tarnished Brass Distress Crackle Paint; Tonic Piercing and Distress Tools; Tim Holtz idea-ology Grunge Board, Word Key, Philosophy Tag, Long Fastener; Sanding Block; Ribbon; Lighter

Have a great day today! Mallory is due in this afternoon and I need to get my laundry done before she hits the door with hers. Hopefully we’ll be able to have movie night – I purchased Mama Mia earlier this week!

OMG Christmas is almost here!

Christmas, Copic Markers, Holidays, Spellbinders, Stampin' UP!, Techniques 7 Responses »

Dec 172008

I can’t believe that Christmas is so close! I actually didn’t realize it, until Kate came in today and was talking about the Christmas Eve Menu. When I told her I really hadn’t thought much about it, she informed me as only Kate can . . . Well mom, it’s next week! What are you waiting for? Hmmmmm, couldn’t answer that one except that I thought I had one more week . . . . and guess what? I don’t!

So anyway, Kate came delivering a spiral sliced ham that she received at work this week . . . along with various other items. WOO HOO at the least ham is here! While she was here, we decided to head up to Kohl’s and do some Christmas shopping. Actually I went up to look for a certain skillet and when I didn’t find it, I ended up getting the guys in the family their presents.

Of course, it also dawned on me today that since I only have one week (and not the two I thought), that I NEED to get some presents made. So starting tomorrow, I will be switching into mega-stamping present mode. In the meantime, I’ve had one other idea running through my head that I just had to get made. After I posted this star santa, I received in the mail the Stars 5 Nestabilities from Spellbinders. So this evening I just had to try making my own Star Santa ornament.

The very first Christmas set I ever purchased from Stampin’ Up! was Star Santa. Yes, I still have it and will never part with it. But I just knew when I saw the Stars 5, that the Star Santa would definitely work. The ornament is made with the 3 largest dies in the Stars 5 set. I cut two pieces of thin chipboard with the largest star die and painted them both with gold acrylic paint. I taped the ribbon to the backside of one of the stars, and then glued them together using Ranger Glossy Accents. This gave me the hanger that I needed for the tree, as well as making a sturdier ornament. I colored Santa with Copic Markers, die cut the image out, and then started working on his suit.

I don’t know if you can tell from the above picture, but his beard and fur on his suit were painted with Tulip White Puffy Dimensional Fabric Paint. I sprinkled glitter on the fur while the paint was still wet, and then heated all of it with my heat gun. I knew I had some jingle bells somewhere in my stash, and after a 30 minute search I found them in the top of the closet. Luckily these two were already attached to the gold ribbon so I grabbed them out and tied them into the bow.

Stamps: Star Santa from Stampin’ Up!
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Kraft; Fancy Pants Happy Holiday; Thin Chipboard
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Stars 5 Nestabilities; Copic and Gold Spica Markers; Ranger Glossy Accents and Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber; Tulip White Puffy Dimensional Fabric Paint; Sulyn Crystal and Diamond Dust Art Glitter; Venture Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Ribbon; Jingle Bells

Hope ya’ll had a great day today and you’re not like me thinking that you have more than a week left for the holiday prep! Duh . . . just slap me upside the head!

Stamps: Star Santa from Stampin’ Up!
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Kraft; Fancy Pants Happy Holiday; Thin Chipboard
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Stars 5 Nestabilities; Copic and Gold Spica Markers; Ranger Glossy Accents and Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber; Tulip White Puffy Dimensional Fabric Paint; Sulyn Crystal and Diamond Dust Art Glitter; Venture Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Ribbon; Jingle Bells

Hope ya’ll had a great day today and you’re not like me thinking that you have more than a week left for the holiday prep! Duh . . . just slap me upside the head!

Its Treasure Hunt Tuesday!

Christmas, Copic Markers, Holidays, Rubbernecker, Techniques 6 Responses »

Dec 162008

Good morning! I never made it into the studio yesterday, so I have no stamping for this early morning post. At least I got caught up with some administrative tasks and the household chores which will leave me free to stamp for the remainder of the week. Well, hopefully free anyway!

Of course, this being Tuesday, its Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker . If you hop on over to the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog, you’ll get all the info and deets for participation. You’ll also find a list of all the Rubbernecker Designers so you can poke around and find out who has blog candy today. If you bypass the blog, which you shouldn’t because you might miss out on some blog candy, make sure you check out the home page. There are some big announcements there today!

I’ll be back a little later after I check in on the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge! In the mean time, have a great day!

Okay, as promised – – I’m back! I did get a card made for today’s Splitcoast Color Challenge. We are having yucky weather today but no snow. Sleet, ice, rain. What I wouldn’t give to have big ole snowflakes instead!

Stamps: Rubbernecker North Pole Collection Snowflakes On Tongues SKU:406-01 and KK Originals Christmas Collection Snowflake SKU:21-13 KK from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze and Basic Gray
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Ranger Distress Embossing
Accessories: Copic and Spica Glitter Markers; Ranger Frosted Lace Stickles, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen, Polysparkle EP; Diamond Dust Art Glitter; Venture Foam Tape; DecoArt Snow-Tex

Bits of Babble!

Her Badness 11 Responses »

Dec 132008

Happy Saturday! What a week it’s been. For the last few days I’ve had a little stomach bug or something that has kept me on the couch for most of the day. I woke up this morning feeling better, but now I’ve got a little congestion going on. Oh well . . . life in the fast lane!

What do you think of my new banner? I made it myself with a kit I downloaded from Shabby Miss Jenn Designs. I found out the hard way that their blog banner kits won’t work with WordPress blogs. At least I never found a way. In my pursuit to have a new banner, I decided to go for the full kit of paper and doodads. I think I’m gonna like having all this paper at the push of a print button.

One day last week, when I was talking about vintage ornaments, I promised pics of mine. Well, I finally got them made.

The plain wreath was given to me years ago and all the ornaments on it are those from my grandparents’ house. There are few from my parents, those that broke and I just couldn’t get rid of them. The broken or cracked side is turned toward the wreath so I can still enjoy the colors and designs.

This little tree holds all the ornaments from my parents’ house. Mom has started decorating in a different way, and I was lucky enough to get all their old ornaments.

I do have a bigger tree up. It is the family tree and is decorated with ornaments that we have collected since 1978 when Lance and I first got married. Mallory decorates this one for me every year – actually it is the only decoration she will mess with. I think she just likes to hang her own ornaments in prominent positions.

While I was sitting here on the couch the other day, the dogs started going nuts. I looked over and they were into a game of tug-o-war with the stuffed squirrel. You see – they really do hate squirrels and if one is spotted through the door or window, they bark until there is no tomorrow. Let’s not even talk about trying to walk them. At the first squirrel sitting, the legs tremble, ears perk up and I find myself being dragged down the road.

Guess who won? Miss Ellie of course!

Actually, Syd saw me with the camera and came over to investigate what the hell I was doing! She was proudly sitting on my lap when the picture of Ellie was taken. I guess Syd thought she had actually won because she was taunting Ellie a tiny bit . . . the fight for my lap was on!

I hope you have a great weekend!