Dec 30, 2017

2017 Highlights


I am so pleased to have shared 2017 with my amazing blog buddies!  I truly appreciate the support and comments from each of you.  I've enjoyed visiting your blogs and seeing your amazing ideas and inspiration.  As this year has been quite a whirlwind for me, I thought it would be fun to take some time to look back and share some of my favorite projects with you again.


2017 started with a hustle to finish my projects for Tim Holtz for Creativation 2017.  We were having quite the financial struggle through Christmas and I could not buy anything to use for my projects - yikes!  Nevertheless, I managed to finish five or six projects using the beautiful new dies.  I was so happy to see several of my projects photographed professionally and uploaded to the Sizzix inspiration board on Scrapbook.com.  Check out each of my Creativation posts HERE.


Of course, at the same time my Creativation projects were due, SSS offered me a guest designer spot for the month of January.  :)  I had the pleasure of designing alongside some of the best talent in the industry.  The above Scrabble panel was my favorite of those projects and the lot can be found HERE. 


I continued to design for the spectacular Rachel Greig of Darkroom Door and created some of my favorite journal work ever through my contributions to the Darkroom Door blog.  I am ever so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to showcase these amazing stamps.  See my Darkroom Door projects HERE.


My biggest joys of the year were getting to meet a couple of my favorite bloggers face to face!  I was able to hand deliver THIS canvas to Marty Fishman of Merry Marty's Cards on our first visit.  Later in the year we were able to visit again and I hope to make this a habit!  Love ya Marty & Gail!  <3

I was also able to meet up with Sara Emily of Sara's Closet in June.  Though we were both in paint clothes and too gidy to even think of taking selfies, I truly cherish this memory.  Can't wait to see you in 2018 Sara Emily!!!  <3


This year I fulfilled my second year term with Stamps and Stencils and though I have stepped away from the DT for now, it was one of the most amazing experiences to create with abandon alongside these talented ladies!  Find this tag post HERE.


Though I only served for six months, it was amazing to work with the talented DT at Scrapy Land.  These ladies are so talented and kindhearted and I truly appreciate Anne and each DT member's friendship and support.  My favorite project was this card, which you can find HERE.


My second favorite would have to be THIS card with the newly released Distress Oxides, which I picked up at our local stamp convention.  Wouldn't you say DOXs are the product of the year for 2017?


I finished a year long stint with Tutti Designs, which means I have made 52 cards using their dies!  WOAH!  THIS card was one of my absolute favorites.  


In May I was invited to join the A Vintage Journey team and am still on cloud 9!  Being a part of this team was secretly one of my biggest dreams and I am so thankful for these wonderful ladies and their commitment to blogland!  THIS That's Crafty house assemblage was my favorite project of the year, but you can see my other designs HERE.


In June I finished a year long term with IndigoBlu.  This teeny journal is a favorite and can be found HERE.


Don't get me wrong, I would never have managed all of these things without God's favor and blessings!  There was a lot of coffee drinking - and coffee crafting along the way!  THIS card was my favorite project from this year's Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  


Then in June - oh happy day!  The amazing Linda of The Funkie Junkie asked me to come aboard the Frilly & Funkie Design Team!  I continue to have the time of my life designing for F&F, but THIS first project is most memorable.  


In September (pinch me) I posted my first projects for PaperArtsy.  Working with PaperArtsy was my biggest and wildest dream and I shall grow old and grey while creating with these beautiful images, of which Lynne Perrella's designs will always be a favorite.  Check out my PaperArtsy projects HERE.


I'm honored to have some of my contributions featured in the Year in Review posts at PaperArtsy, so please visit and see these very fun posts.  What inspiration!  THIS framed panel was a favorite entry in the 2017 topic challenges.  


September also came along with a new passion and blog, my very own Mini Album Makers Challenge!  My first project, a handmade journal, featured another of 2017's product of the year, the Eileen Hull Scoreboard Travelers Journal die.  I made THIS one with Seth Apter products.  


THIS Prima Wild and Free album is my favorite from the year.  Oh how I love Prima Marketing papers!!!  <3  


My one little word for 2018 is "savor" as I am determined to take a slower pace and enjoy the smallest of moments and situations.  I pray I will be more thankful, more generous, and more intentional than ever.  My prayer for you is this...

via


"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
Jude 24-25 KJV
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Dec 28, 2017

Mixed Media New Years Star Tag


I can hardly believe another year has come and gone!  I pray 2017 was a good one for you and 2018 will be the best yet!  Today my teamies and I are sharing my favorite posts of the year, Tag Fridays at A Vintage Journey.  Anytime we find a fifth Friday in the schedule, we add in a post filled with inspiring tags.  I thought what better time to do a sparkly New Years tag!


I embossed this gorgeous stamp by Tim Holtz repeatedly in gold, then gave a spritz of golden Glimmer Mist.  I wanted to allow lots of white space.


I computer generated the numerals and layered the hand cut banner over some tulle.


I simply tied a knot in the middle of two sections of tulle then stapled them to my tag, forming a circle.  


I cut several Spellbinders stars and gave them a crackle treatment.  I used black gesso and IndigoBlu Goldfinger paint in the cracks.  I mixed my shiny new Distress Glitter from my friend Sara Emily (a lovely little Christmas gift thank you!) and gold microbeads with DecoArt Decou-Page and brushed along my elements.


I added a few white stars to the mix and some glitter stock golden snowflake die cuts.  I finished with a few sequins and a Tim Holtz crystal embellishment.  I really enjoyed making this!  Happy New Year to you!  Make sure to visit the A Vintage Journey blog to see my teammates beautiful tag inspiration.


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Dec 27, 2017

12 Tags of Christmas Mittens and Embossed Tree


It's a two for one post today, because time is getting away with me!  I trust you each had a very merry Christmas.  We certainly did!  My first project today is my number 11 tag inspired by Linda of The Funkie Junkie's brilliant tag HERE.


I was so lucky to get to use my friend Bonnie's new stencil for this one.  I made the background with Iced Spruce Distress Oxide and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink.  I inked through the stencil with Chipped Sapphire DI and clear embossed.


My favorite part of Linda's tag was the mittens, so I used this tiny cheapy die and punched snowflakes from the centers.  I used DecoArt Snow-Tex over the white and layered over a second cut of navy.  I don't have any Distress markers, but I tapped my pads onto my surface and used a watercolor brush to dye my seam binding to get this two-toned effect.  :)


I had this crackled snowflake in my leftover pile and added some Snow-Tex to the center to make my words pop.  I piece-milled the words from several Quote Chips and inked with Cracked Pistachio DOX.



For my final tag, I was inspired by the amazing use of vintage imagery in Linda's tag 12.  I had this handmade chipboard embellishment leftover from my canvas project I posted HERE.


I layered it over a background using a new stencil from my friend Madelyn.  First I lightly scraped DecoArt crackle paste over my tag, then used texture paste for the stenciling.  I inked with Antique Linen DOX and Frayed Burlap DI.


The crackle provided a beautiful resist.  I embossed the edges with Stampendous Frantage and embossed a chipboard tree as well.



I added the mixed media thinlet, inked with Festive Berries and Aged Mahogany to give the background a bit of contrast. I thought it resembled the beautiful background in Linda's tag. 


A few weeks ago I hung this awesome metal thingie that I have been saving for years and years on my art room wall.  I used tiny clothes pins to hang some of my favorite tags.  It has been a great source of inspiration throughout this 12 Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style challenge!


My local friends and I each bought this spinner thingie and I hang their beautiful works on it.  What do you do with your tags? 


Next year, I aim to fill this little tag book I made.  Have you seen the tutorial?  Do check it out HERE.

Visit each of my 12 Tags of Christmas posts HERE.


Make sure to visit the challenge sponsor, The Funkie Junkie Boutique, where you'll find these and many other amazing craft supplies.



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