Top FIVE Posts of 2012

It's New Year's Eve and as the hours wind down to close out 2012... I am gathering creative inspiration to JUMPSTART my 2013. I will be participating in Nathalie Kalbach's Creative Jumpstart 2013 Summit which begins tomorrow. CLICK HERE to sign up {hurry}. I began 2012 with her 2012 Jumpstart and it helped me step out of my creative box and hit the ground running. I am so thrilled she's so generously offering this again!

In reading my daily blog feeds, I came across a great post by my creative friend Laura Bray. She shared a post of her BEST of 2012 - top five most popular posts of the year. Her fun and fabulous fabric projects are wonderful and I've marked many to make myself. CLICK HERE to read her top 5 post - it's a MUST READ full of MUST MAKES!!!

I shared my favorite projects with you the other day... BUT I was curious as to what my most popular posts for the year were {meaning most viewed}... and set off to the stats area in the blogger dashboard.

So here are my top five most popular posts of 2012 - ENJOY!!!

#5 - Custom Halloween Lightswitch Plate: CLICK HERE for post.

#4 - Frozen Charlotte Fairy Shadowbox: CLICK HERE for post.

#3 - Stamped Paper Halloween Lantern: CLICK HERE for post.

#2 - 5 Year Blogiversary... Altering Spoons Bloghop: CLICK HERE for post. Please take a moment to check out the fantastic spoon players on the hop.

...and DRUMROLL PLEASE!

{my most favorite project also}...

#1 Steampunk Eggship CLICK HERE for post.

Thanks for following my creative journey and cheering me on. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I wish all of you the very best in 2013!!

:) Sb

ANYTHING GOES for Week 2 of Anything But A Card Challenges #9

Good Morning! It's two days before a BRIGHT and SHINY NEW YEAR! How are your preparing??? I am color coding a brand new calendar with all of my creative challenges, assignments and classes - my 2012 calendar is falling apart, but full of crafty goodness. 

Today begins week 2 of Anything But a Card Challenge... Anything goes OR share your fave project from 2012. Now that Christmas is over, I have time to sneek off and CREATE... I invite you to join me and play along!

There's two weeks to play along and link up via inlinkz froggy. Anything But a Card Challenges is a bi-weekly challenge and today, the Design Team showcases NEW projects using a brand-new challenge of Anything Goes OR share your fave project from 2012 Please click here to head on over to ABAC and see all the fantastic projects shared by the fantastic design team AND submissions by all of you. 

REMEMBER this challenge blog is ANYTHING and EVERYTHING... except for Cards. ATC's aren't greeting cards...so please link up your ATC's!!!

Anything But a Card Challenge 9 is Anything goes OR share your fave project from 2012. Please enjoy my project featured for week two of challenge #9... I apologize for the length... but I hope you can feel my excitement and joy.

I travelled home to Chicago to spend Christmas with my family and I was CREATIVELY prepared for my travels...I had a craft show on Dec. 22nd for the Saturday Crafts Fair live from my hotel room and I also had a project to create for Viva Las Vegastamps! on Christmas Day. My Christmas day VLVS! project is my "ANYTHING GOES" for this week's challenge {I was going to share a FAVORITE project, but I LOVE THIS ONE MORE}!!!

I planned in advance, and of course, I had my brand new stamps sent to meet me there. On Christmas Eve, my husband and I spent the day walking around downtown soaking in the sights and this journal page was the perfect end to a day filled enjoying the Christmas spirit. 

I created a page in my Christmas SMASH book Travelogue that I started on the Saturday Crafts Fair and I showed how I made my own VLVS! Tissue Tape using Miracle Tape and the Jingle Bells #10686 stamp.

LOOK AT ME!!! I hold in my hot little hands my Police Box illustration that has been turned into one of the new Viva Las Vegastamps!!!

Stamps used: Jingle Bells #10686 to create Tissue Tape on Miracle Tape and three stamps from Plate #909: Blue Police Box #19054, "Otto's Sweet Ride" #19049, and quote "Ink, Drink & Be Merry #19058".

 

My Smash book is crossed with an art journal and I am totally having fun with it. I painted my recycled 1998 calendar with a gesso mixure, then I collaged my tissue tape, paper scraps and parts of fussy cut sightseeing brochures - all nestled amongst my stamped images. I used my Ranger Distress Markers to color in the images and paint in a faux skyline. The finishing touch is a Jolee's Santa cap to adorn "Otto the Octopus", one of Brian Kesinger's illustrations on Plate #909.

Look WHO's Visiting the WINDY CITY!

I hope you are inspired to play along and I can't wait to see what you create! I can't wait to break out my new Gelli Plate on New Year's Day!

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Have you heard about the "Saturday Crafts Fair" on Linqto??? It's two hours of demos, prizes, and chatting with friends. Get ideas for cards and gifts; paper crafting, mixed media, crafts for kids... creative projects for any budget and skill level. There are GIVEAWAYS, too - for lucky viewers present watching the live streams {you have to be present to win}. All streams are recorded so if you miss one, you can watch the playbacks at your leisure.

All are invited next weekend for the Saturday Crafts Fair ... the fun starts at 2pm EST!!! I have my own room, sbartist : daylight musings at the Saturday Crafts Fair! So I invite you to please drop by and join me for some creative time weekly. My demos begin at 4pm EST {1pm PST}.

Here's the link to my room:

http://www.linqto.com/rooms/daylightmusings

Thanks for following my creative journey and cheering me on. I hope you all the best in 2013 and I wish all of you a very bright and shiny NEW YEAR!!

:) Sb

Let it Snow...Ho..Ho..Ho my Challenge is Complete with Unscripted Sketches #191

Happy Saturday! Today debuts my 52nd Christmas card for the year using Unscripted Sketches #191 AND thus my challenge is complete!!!

Today's creation using sketch #191 is on a My Minds Eye giant snowflake patterned base. Layered upon the base are paper scraps in coordinating colors and topped off with Sandy Lion glittery stickers. A quick and easy card born of this weeks sketch.

What will my challenge be for 2013???

Now that my challenge of making Christmas cards all year is complete - I'm undecided on what to do. I would LOVE to start a new challenge for the new year? Any ideas??? Please leave a comment with your suggestion. ATC's, art journal pages, collages... a certain theme...please shout out - the NEW YEAR is here :)

What is Sketch it Saturdays at Unscripted Sketches? Every Saturday morning a new sketch is posted for the week. Flip the sketch, rotate it… create a card, a scrapbook page, a wall hanging, digital, paper, fabric, paint, anything your imagination comes up with! There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are using the Unscripted sketch as the inspiration for your creation! And everyone is invited to join in the fun... and post your creation on their page via inlinkz for all the world to see!

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Thanks for stopping by!!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a bright and shiny HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! If you are around next Saturday, please join me evat 4:00pm EST {1pm PST} in the Daylight Musings room at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! I am demonstrating there every Saturday and I'm sharing my projects, showing how-to's, sharing tips, and there's prizes, too. Hope to see you there!

 : ) Sb

Sharing some of my Favorite Projects from 2012

WOW!!! Christmas is over and New Year's is days away. 2012 has flown by and it has certainly been an exciting year and a creative year, too! As I look back on the year, I hold a tattered and worn out color coded calendar full of completed deadlines and challenges. There's oh' so many!!! In working week-to-week on deadlines, one gets caught in a cycle of looking ahead... so I'm taking a break to look back and reflect on all I've learned and accomplished, and sharing 12 of my favorite projects from 2012 {one for each month}. 

You can click each month's name to jump to the accompanying project post for each.

In  January, I began a Challenge to create Christmas Card each week for my weekly Unscripted Sketches project. This cutie is holiday card number 3. Tomorrow I will debut card number 52 to complete my challenge for Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches.

In February, this was a repurposed chocolate box that is beautifully transformed with Creative Paperclay and Sakura Crystal Lacquer.

An early Easter project I created in March using Viva Las VegaStamps!

In April, this greencrafted project was for

the May Arts "Candy Coated" Challenge.

This fun "QUIRKY BIRD" card is from the Memorial Day

Operation Write Home Bloghop in May.

In June, I ventured into the world of art journaling...

This is an old mirror I revamped using vintage Altered Pages images and Sakura Crystal Lacquer in July.

In August, I celebrated my 5 year blogiversary and hosted my very first bloghop - featuring altered wooden spoons!!!

Even though I'd been creating Christmas cards all year, in September, I started in on other holiday projects like this handstamped rondela ornament.

In October I made this gorgeous paper hat adorned with a gorgeous gem spider nestled in a feathered fascinator.

Getting back to specialty of making paper folded ornaments in November with this Kusadama beauty in a black a white Robin's Nest glittered paper.

Saving the best for last from December - a vintage cookie cutter all dressed up for the May Arts "All That Glitters" Christmas Craft Challenge.

Thanks so much for following me all year and cheering me on, too! I wish everyone a very joyous and Merry NEW YEAR in 2013. I hope that your new year is filled with creativity, magic and LOVE!  Sb : )

P.S. Hope to see you tomorrow at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto!!!

Greencrafting on the Road... Creating a Holiday SMASHbook Travelogue

Saturday was another fun-filled day at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! I brought the show on the road with me to Chicago, along with a recycled 1998 calendar, a baggy full of scraps and found objects, rubber stamps and some supplies... which I transformed into my very own "HOLIDAY SMASHbook Travelogue". I showed how to make DIY tissue tape using Viva Las Vegastamps! and Miracle tape that appears in the "Season's Greetings" card on my book cover. I also had a very special guest demonstrator, too - DeeDee Catron of UmWow Studios. DeeDee showed how to make this fabulous library pocket with tag.

{in case you missed it - you can watch the playback}

PLEASE CLICK HERE

The Saturday Crafts Fair is a weekly event so come on by next Saturday...the fun starts at 3pm EST!!! It's two hours of demos, prizes, and chatting with friends. Get ideas for cards and gifts; paper crafting, scrapbooking, quilts, knitting, embroidery, crafts for kids... creative projects for any budget and skill level. There are GIVEAWAYS, too - for lucky viewers present watching the live streams {you have to be present to win}. All streams are recorded so if you miss one, you can watch the playbacks at your leisure.

I have my own room called sbartist : daylight musings at the Saturday Craft Fair! My demos begin at 4pm EST {3pm CST / 1pm PST}. Here's the link to my room - 

http://www.linqto.com/rooms/daylightmusings

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

I hope to see you there! Have a great rest of the week :) Sb

Sharing a Greencrafted FAVORITE for ANYTHING BUT A CARD Challenges #9

Good Morning! It's two days before Christmas and today debuts a brand new Anything But a Card Challenge... Anything goes OR share your fave project from 2012. Time to go sneek off and get ready to CREATE and play along!

There's two weeks to play along and link up via inlinkz froggy. Anything But a Card Challenges is a bi-weekly challenge and today, the Design Team showcases NEW projects using a brand-new challenge of Anything goes OR share your fave project from 2012 Please click here to head on over to ABAC and see all the fantastic projects shared by the fantastic design team AND submissions by all of you. I will have a project featured next Sunday for week two of the challenge. 

REMEMBER this challenge blog is ANYTHING and EVERYTHING... except for Cards. ATC's aren't greeting cards...so please link up your ATC's!!!

Anything But a Card Challenge 9 is Anything goes OR share your fave project from 2012. This is wide open - so if you have some time to steal away from all the holiday festivites to create...or play with your new creative goodies from Santa, link up and share your works -OR- Share your FAVORITE creation from 2012. Either way, you can play during the holidays :)

For today I am sharing a GREENCRAFTING project which is one of my favorite projects I made this year and this was featured over at the Altered Pages Blog back on April 21, 2012. ENJOY!!!

This is a special upcycled project using a recycled liquor bottle dome packaging. I have transformed this container into my own butterfly aviary using Altered Pages Victorian Butterfly image sheet AP-1066. It is so easy to become inspired with the Collage Sheets from Altered Pages. With this project - flat butterflies come to life in a 3-dimesional decorative piece.

I began with these items: an empty recycled dome, Victorian Butterfly image sheet AP-1066 and paper shred. Then I began cutting...

There are so many butterflies on this sheet {AP-1066} that I only fussy cut 2/3 of them. I printed out this page twice, once as is, and the second I flipped horizontally. Then I fussy cut the butterflies, inked edges using ECO Safe Paris Trunk Sepia Ink and added antennae with a super thin silver wire. I glued matching fronts and backs together. I used a piece of recycled imagesetting film {which is thick clear acetate} to form a cone inside the dome to support a paper floral stem in the center. I attached butterflies around as desired and suspended them inside the dome and on acetate cone with double sided tape. For moss in the bottom of the dome I placed actual shredded money {no...I didn't shred any of my own money - it was repurposed from a gift I received}.

If you are inspired to go and alter something, please visit the Altered Pages website for Collage Sheets, Rubber Stamps, blank items ready to alter, Project kits and more! It's where I get all of my collage sheet and goodies for "ALTERING MY CREATIVITY".

"My Personal Butterfly Aviary"

I hope you are inspired to play along and I can't wait to see what you create! I am traveling home to Chicago to spend with my family, "CHILL OUT" and maybe see a little snow, too.

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Have you heard about the "Saturday Crafts Fair" on Linqto??? It's two hours of demos, prizes, and chatting with friends. Get ideas for holiday cards and gifts; paper crafting, scrapbooking, quilts, knitting, embroidery, crafts for kids... creative projects for any budget and skill level. There are GIVEAWAYS, too for lucky viewers present watching the live streams {you have to be present to win}. All streams are recorded so if you miss one, you can watch the playbacks at your leisure.

All are invited next weekend for the Saturday Crafts Fair ... the fun starts at 3pm EST!!! I have my own room, sbartist : daylight musings at the Saturday Crafts Fair! So I invite you to please drop by and join me for some creative time weekly. My demos begin at 4pm EST {1pm PST}.

Here's the link to my room: 

http://www.linqto.com/rooms/daylightmusings

It's only 2 days until Christamas - this ELF is done with all crafting for gifts and I am MERRILY enjoying the holidays with my family. I wish all of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

:) Sb

Peace and Joy with Unscripted Sketches #190

Happy Saturday! It's three days before Christmas and I'm sharing this "Peace"ful Holiday card in Pink and Green using Unscripted Sketches #190.

Today's creation using sketch #190 is on a shimmery hot pink paper base. The "Peace" patterned paper I received in a scrap swap layered on a scrap of green cardstock. The three accents are cut from a 12x12 patterned paper by DCVW.

**A TIP** Make your own embellishments from patterned paper by cutting it up into smaller pieces. These accents were cut out from a 12x12 patterned paper with a grid pattern of these shapes in varied pinks and greens. So I trimmed out a few and used them as accents. Easy peasy.

New challenge for 2013???

I have ONE more card to complete my challenge of making Christmas cards all year. I'm undecided on what to do...should I start a new challenge for the new year??? Or should I keep on creating Christmas. I think I should start something new. Any ideas??? Please leave a comment with your suggestion. ATC's, art journal pages, collages... a certain theme...please shout out.

What is Sketch it Saturdays at Unscripted Sketches? Every Saturday morning a new sketch is posted for the week. Flip the sketch, rotate it… create a card, a scrapbook page, a wall hanging, digital, paper, fabric, paint, anything your imagination comes up with! There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are using the Unscripted sketch as the inspiration for your creation! And everyone is invited to join in the fun... and post your creation on their page via inlinkz for all the world to see!

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Thanks for stopping by!!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!! If you are next Saturday, please join me evat 4:00pm EST {1pm PST} in the Daylight Musings room at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! I am demonstrating there every Saturday where I'm sharing my projects, showing how-to's, sharing tips, and there'sprizes. Hope to see you there!

 : ) Sb

All is Bright in Who-Ville... for Week #2 of Anything But a Card Challenge #8

Hello! I hope you are enjoying your Sunday and that you are having a fabulous weekend!!! Today's post features a fun T!m Holtz inspired creation for Challenge number EIGHT... "Celebrating the Light or Seasonal Holiday". Are you ready to CREATE and play along??? 

There's two weeks to play along and link up via inlinkz froggy. Anything But a Card Challenges is a bi-weekly challenge and today, the Design Team showcases NEW projects using challenge #8 "Celebrating the Light or Seasonal Holiday". Please click here to head over to ABAC and see all the fantastic projects shared by the fantastic design team AND submissions by all of you. The best part...there's still another week to play along and link up via inlinkz froggy.

REMEMBER this challenge blog is ANYTHING and EVERYTHING... except for Cards. ATC's aren't greeting cards...so please link up your ATC's, tags and everthing else, too!!!

Anything But a Card Challenge 8 is "Celebrating the Light or Seasonal Holiday". Create anything that represents light (sun, candles, flame, stars, fireplace, sunrise/sunset, lantern, etc. and/OR something related to Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, etc.

This is my version of T!m Holtz' lighted ornament...I call them lil' Who-Villes. I have a battery powered LED tealight inside and it even flickers a little, too :)

I've been elving away preparing for a craft show today... but I will share little how-to tomorrow on how made this.

"Lil' Merry and Bright Who-Ville"

I hope you are inspired to play along and I can't wait to see what you create! 

*********

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Have you heard about the "Saturday Crafts Fair" on Linqto??? It's two hours of demos, prizes, and chatting with friends. Get ideas for holiday cards and gifts; paper crafting, scrapbooking, quilts, knitting, embroidery, crafts for kids... creative projects for any budget and skill level. There are prizes too if you are present watching the live streams {you have to be present to win} - yesterday each room gave away a $50 gift card to Michaels - YAY!!! All streams are recorded so if you miss one, you can watch the playback.

All are invited next weekend for the Saturday Crafts Fair ... the fun starts at 3pm EST!!! I have my own room, sbartist : daylight musings at the Saturday Crafts Fair! So I invite you to please drop by and join me for some creative time weekly. My demos begin at 4pm EST {1pm PST}.

Here's the link to my room: 

http://www.linqto.com/rooms/daylightmusings

It's only 9 days until Christamas...and a week left until CHALLENGE #9! I'm packing up my handmade goodies for a craft show today. Hope you have a great Sunday!

:) Sb

A"MAZE"ing Christmas CD TIN using Unscripted Sketches #189

Happy Who-La-DAYS!!! The big day is drawing ever closer and week are just over a week to the big day. 

Today's creation for Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches using sketch #189 created from patterned paper and die cuts from my never ending Grinch paper crafting kit. This week we have an additional "PIGGY BACK Challenge" too. The challenge is to do something to alter the circle in the sketch to make it stand out or the feature of the creation. I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Add some fun and movement by adding a party favor maze game.

**A TIP** Have a fresh tube of super glue on hand to reglue the backing to the maze front. Since my three tubes of super glue were dried up, I used Diamond Glaze to adhere the plastic back together after placing my Cindy Lou Who inside the maze. Despite my most careful efforts...my ball bearing managed to get glued to the small bit of adhesive that seeped up through the cracks - LOL!!! But my CD tin looks fantastic and will be the perfect home for my favorite collection of Christmas music to bring on my trip home to Chicago for the holidays.

New challenge for 2013???

I have two more cards to complete my challenge of making Christmas cards all year. So should I start a new challenge for the new year??? Or should I keep on creating Christmas. I think I should start something new. Any ideas??? Please leave a comment with your suggestion. ATC's, art journal pages, collages... a certain theme...please shout out.

What is Sketch it Saturdays at Unscripted Sketches? Every Saturday morning a new sketch is posted for the week. Flip the sketch, rotate it… create a card, a scrapbook page, a wall hanging, digital, paper, fabric, paint, anything your imagination comes up with! There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are using the Unscripted sketch as the inspiration for your creation! And everyone is invited to join in the fun... and post your creation on their page via inlinkz for all the world to see!

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Thanks for stopping by I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!! If you are crafting today, please join me later today at 4:00pm EST {1pm PST} in the Daylight Musings room at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! I am demonstrating there TODAY and live every Saturday sharing my projects, how-to's, tips, and prizes. Hope to see you there!

 : ) Sb

December Daily Spindle...the Beginning of a Holiday Tradition

Happy Friday! With just a little more than a week to go until Christmas, I'm going to be sharing my December Daily Altered Holiday Card Spindle project in several posts over the next week.  

My December Daily Spindle project is a LABOR of LOVE and will comprise a collection of Christmas' past, present and future. This has been a project I have been dreaming about for years and this year I have finally begun to tackle it. Each year, I have been methodically saving and stashing my Christmas cards - many with envelopes, too {this helps me remember the year}. 

One thing I will say... this project would not have been possible without the coordinating hand slot punch made for the 7 gypsies spindles. I have all three 7 gypsies spindles and this punch has helped tremendously.

This all started with my 7 Gypsies Revolving Clear Stamp Holder that has been saved for this memory project - an Altered Christmas Card spindle. Gathered all my saved Christmas cards from over the years {and this project needs a LOT of them}, the December Daily stamp plate from Viva Las VegaStamps!, recycled 6x9 envelopes for making pocket pages, tag/label and various paper punches, black and brown dye inks, miracle tape, and misc holiday patterned paper, ribbons, stickers and ephemera... it's safe to say anything and everything saved for that holiday scrapbook! 

Best part - I travel home to Chicago every other Christmas - so I have tons of photos to put in here also. Since the advent of the iPhone...I have loads of smaller size photos that will be perfect size for this project and this spindle will be the perfect home.

Over the period of several days... a little at a time - I punched tons of cards, envelopes and patterned paper pages {over a hundred to fill this all the way around}. I have plenty of room to grow. I then mounted all into to the spindle along with the 20 vinyl sleeves that came with the spindle that I've reserved these for special cards and photos. 

NOW THE FUN PART! EMBELLISHING!!! I began creating an assortment of embellishments using the VLVS! December Daily Plate #1430 stamps by stamping on assorted patterned and misted papers and tags.

Tags are so much fun, come in all shapes and sizes and are quick and easy to make. Layer patterned paper, stamping and embellishments, then punch around the stamped image. **A TIP** turn your punch upside down so that you can see the item you are punching around for a precision placed cut. 

In no time at all I have a table full of holiday goodness to add to the endless pages of cards and holiday photos. The next post I will share individual altered pages that I've completed from cards that have been arriving this year! 

**********

https://apps.facebook.com/mylinqto/saturdaycraftsfair

Thanks for stopping by I hope you have a fantastic weekend planned!!! If you are crafting tomorrow, please join me tomorrow - Dec. 15th at 4:00pm EST {1pm PST} in the Daylight Musings room at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! I am demonstrating there TODAY and live every Saturday sharing my projects, how-to's, tips, and prizes. Hope to see you there!

 : ) Sb