Turning 17

Today is the birthday of #2. My only son and second eldest child is turning 17. Since springtime , I have had several moments of freaking out. Usually when I utter words like, my oldest will be turning 20 in November.... I swear my throat tightened up as those words were coming out.... This next bit sends me into another tailspin.... My son is entering his senior year and he... is... 17! Here is the card I created for him.

Recipe:paper:DCWV, Dylusions spray ink and alpha stencil,Chicken wire stamp Christy Tomlinson, Distress ink and playing cards from Tim Holtz, Dymo label maker for lucky, homemade stencil with circular design Happy birthday, #2!

March 12 tags of 2012

Squeezing in my tag on the last day of the month for Tim Holtz's 12 tags of 2012 http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/
March's tag included a pretty cool mosaic technique. I didn't have the exact supplies Tim used, so I just used what I did have to get the same kind of feel. The background was stamped with stamps by Dyan Reaveley , Ranger's newest signature designer http://www.dyan-reaveley.blogspot.com/, and my latest obsession. The mosaic pieces were sprayed with Dylusions spray inks http://rangerink.com/, glued down and remaining area embossed.
This was just a first attempt, so I think once I can play with the technique, I'll be happier with the results.

recipe: Adirondack ink pad, clover, archival ink jet black, Dylusions stamps, Tim Holtz sentiment stamp, Tim Holtz flower die, distress marker black soot around flower edge,sakura clear star pen

12 tags of 2012

New, fun monthly project from Tim Holtz http:www.timholtz.typepad.com. Discontinuing the 12 tags of Christmas (insert sad face here), but here is the birth of a brand new project ( happyface). A new tag every month.... I like this.... spreading out the fun over the course of the year . Had to spend some time and add my own tag....

Tag stamped with snow cap Adirondack paint, barn door and fired brick distress ink, tim holtz tissue paper tape, pom pom made from plain tissue paper sprayed with Dylusions spray ink, safety pin with seed beads, Tim Holtz word, and Maya Road crystal. Phrase Tim Holtz seasonal paper pack.

Happy birthday to me.....

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! After a year of wanting, wishing and drooling, look what I received for my birthday this year. Da da da.... Tim Holtz's dream machine, the Vagabond. I fell in love with this cute suitcase, all ready for travel and ready to fulfill all my cutting and embossing needs. Let me tell you this baby is a powerhouse. I have cut out grungeboard and soda cans like running a knife through room temperature butter . Embossing with Tim's texture fades gives a gorgeous, deep, beautiful embossed image. I am in love with this machine! I am working on a special birthday card with the birdcage die, will post that when it is finished.

And, of course, because all occasions call for cake, here is a photo of my birthday cupcakes complete with butterfly rings as decorations.

Coffee and cream

Here is my submission for this week's challenge over at SimonSaysStamp.com. The challenge was to use the colors of coffee and cream.... and it dawned on me that maybe the reason I crave coffee so much is that it really is the color of CHOCOLATE ! What could be better than that?

Ingredients: DCWV paper from the At Home collection,Technique Tuesday paisley stamp and life sentiment,Celebrate stamp by Autumn Leaves, dragonfly by Inkadinkado, all inks by Color Box, glossy accents on dragonfly, Tim Holtz flowers, assorted gems

This makes me ridiculously happy

How I do love getting "crafty mail". This was truly a bonanza of happiness. http://www.cricutmachine.com
had a lovely sale. Lots of Cricut cartridges on sale for $15.95 and others for $17.95.... couldn't help myself....a few older cartridges I have been wanting..... Now, I get to pour over the little books that come with the cartridges (one of my favorite things) then it is on to cutting and layering. I am really loving the looks of Rock Princess so far....so fun!

wish me luck

In January, I was inspired to resume journaling as a daily activity. I used to be a devoted journaler but life, children and seemingly the loss of the written word dulled my resolve to document life's daily events.
I found a journaling primer here : http://www.chookoolonks.com/blog that freed me from my conventional ideas about documenting....I was inspired enough to start looking at other journals. art journals... then I found  : http://www.violette.ca WOW! I had been missing out on an entirely different experience....I was never an art student, but she made me wish I were one.....
I have been journaling since the new year and today...... I bought....gulp.... an honest to goodness, 11x14 inch art sketch book....it is a bit intimidating to look at but I hope to fill it with....yes....ART! Art of my own....wish me luck in my new adventures.....