Woven Paper Tags...Oh MY for Week 2 of Anything But a Card Challenges #11 "Tie it Up "

To view the VLVS! "BLAST FROM THE PAST"

Challenge Bloghop - please click here!

Good Sunday Morning!!! Welcome to week two of the current Anything But a Card Challenge... Challenge number 11 - "Tie It Up". 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 a brand-new challenge #11 of "TIE IT UP." 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 11 is "TIE IT UP". I have been doing a lot of greencrafting this month and doing some of my "BEEN WANTING" to do projects. This altered book spread is totally inspired from this challenge...and it's totally OUT-OF-THE-BOX. This is entirely made up of recycled dry cleaning tags. Yes! I'm a packrat of all sorts of interesting things that has potential artful re-use...and dry cleaning tags are some of my prized goodies. I have them in all colors and sizes.

I'll let you in on a little secret "there are different color tags for each day AND for different processes". I have a routine of the days I drop and pick up my husbands dress shirts and I would always get red or blue tags...I squealed with delight when I got an envy of all the days' tags {occasionally the girls at my dry cleaner give me a whole envelope of saved tags headed for the bin}. It's so interesting to learn about how the system works - a series of numbering and labeling to keep the clothes on their cleansing journey.

So I have woven a variety of these tags together and affixed them with staples. The few safety pins actually came on the tags {from shirts I've gotten back}. The orange ones are long appox. 4" long tags that say "PRESS ONLY". These tags are so colorful and each have their own journey. I'm happy to give them and artful place that makes me smile every time I look at them. Perhaps a perfect quote will come to me in my daily travels that will be perfect to go along with this creation.

Happy Creating!!!

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

Thanks for stopping by!!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and have some time to create. A reminder... next weekend debuts a new ABAC Challenge - I'm sure you will all LOVE it. Are you looking for creative playtime and inspiration on Saturdays? Please join me live at 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 share my projects, how-to's, tips, and more. The weekly event starts at 2pm EST with three hours of fun - I hope to see your there.  : ) Sb

I Love Stamping! A Declaration of Love for LeslieRahye's National Hobby Month Bloghop

To view the VLVS! "BLAST FROM THE PAST"

Challenge Bloghop - please click here!

WELCOME to LeslieRahye's National Hobby Month Bloghop. It's no secret that I have a hobby {or several} and one of them is STAMPING. Thanks for dropping by - I am sharing with you some STAMPED Valentine inspiration ... complete with a Vampiress!

Another hobby, or perhaps a slight obsession is going to concerts. I love music - especially 80s alternative and hair bands. I'm already planning for my trip to Vegas in April to see my favorite "hair band" Def Leppard, whose ballad "Love Bites" is the inspiration for this Valentine ATC. As you can see, inspiration can come from anywhere.

**A TIP** Stamps are versatile and can be used for many projects: from cardmaking to home decorating, to altered books and ATCs - or even embossing a design into velvet.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination - not to mention the themes! Be wild and crazy and break out those off-season holiday stamps and make them work for other holidays, too! For this ATC, I've used stamps from Halloween, Christmas and more. I   just love playing around, experimenting while I have FUN getting inky!!!

There are a plethora of techniques to use with stamps also. For the detail on the heart, I melted several layers of gold embossing powder onto a chipboard heart shape. I inked the Steampunk Heart Large #16020 stamp black pigment ink, reheated the gold embossing powder and pressed stamp into the hot melted embossing powder. For balance, I stamped the words "love bites" and embossed with gold embossing powder to finish this "Vampy Vixen" ATC off right. The golden heart is finished off with a ruffle fashioned out of crepe paper stamped with "23, 24, 25 measuring tape" from PLATE 1430.

Supplies used: all STAMPS from Viva Las VegaStamps! - Steampunk Heart Large #16020, Washi Chevron Background #19072, Chicken Wire #5757, Tree Writing Collage #18914, "23, 24, 25 measuring tape" and Mini distressed letters from PLATE 1430, and Pretty Witch #1639; Also used Miracle Tape; Ranger Distress Markers, Several colors of Ranger Distress Inks; Ranger Embossing Ink, and Ranger Perfect Pearls.

Thanks so much for dropping by. Please click the blocks below to visit the other fabulous stops on this celebration of hobbies bloghop. I hope you have a wonderful weekend doing what you love. Sb

Blast from the Past Challenge - a Bloghop with Viva Las VegaStamps!

Welcome to this special event hosted by the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team and to my stop on the  "BLAST from the PAST" bloghop. We are going back to the 70's to the heydey of the DISCO era. Meet "Lola", Barry Manilow's muse for one of the most popular dance songs of all time - commemorated in this new page in my Clairefontaine art journal.

For this challenge I received the ShowGirl High Hat #4341 from Viva Las VegaStamps!. What a beautiful image with such possibilities. I stamped a border with her and also created a vintage hand-colored photo using my Ranger Distress Markers and accenting with metallic watercolors. Using ultra-high gloss embossing powder, I used emboss-resist technique to  stamp my words using Alphabets from VLVS!

I created a faux 45 record by scoring metallic black cardstock. YES - I made that. I used my "OLD SCHOOL" EK Circle Scissor with a stylus to score concentric circles to mimic the ridges of the LP. Then I rubbed the paper with black ink in areas to bring out the depth. I found the images of the actual album cover and center of the LP via GOOGLE {what can't you find online}.

I also used my showgirl stamp to create a border detail around the edge of the page. Even though I collaged over it with green tissue paper and clear gesso; then painted with mists and metallic watercolors. The detail is interesting and accents the texture.

Supplies used: STAMPS - ShowGirl High Hat #4341, Neon Alphabet #6359 {currently on sale for $7.50 for the whole set of 1/2" letters!!!}, and Plain Alphabet #8800 {also on sale for $5 for whole alphabet set approx 3/8" tall}. Also used recycled green tissue with silver confetti; Liquitex Clear Gesso, VLVS! Ultra High-gloss Embossing Powder, Miracle Tape and Miracle Sheets; Ranger Distress Markers; Green, silver and iridescent mists; Ranger Embossing Ink; and Niji Pearlescent Watercolors.

Thanks for dropping by - please click the links below to visit all the stops on the hop. Don't forget to comment on each stop of the hop to be entered to win the prize. ENJOY!!! :) Sb

Grab Your Ribbon and Lace!!! Anything But A Card Challenges No. 11 - TIE it UP!

Good Sunday Morning!!! Today debuts a brand new Anything But a Card Challenge... Challenge number 11 - "Tie It Up". 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 a brand-new challenge #11 of "TIE IT UP." 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...and my project next week really takes this challenge out of the box.

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 11 is "TIE IT UP". This is a great challenge and gives you a reason to un-tangle your stash of ribbon, string and twine! USE ribbon, twine, jute, fibers, seam binding, lace, ric-rak, cording, trims, etc., EVEN wire too! I hope you are inspired to play along and I can't wait to see what you create! 

Today I am sharing the altered bra I made for the Charity Wings Flash Mob fundraiser that opened the festivities last weekend at CHA in Annaheim, CA. This is a bra that was from my wedding and I was happy to spray it pink and alter it with all sorts of goodies from my creative stash. The idea for the flashmob was to alter a bra and wear it on top of a pink t-shirt to be flashed at a certain point of the dance. Well, since I couldn't use the clasps to wear this bra that is "two sizes too small" now, I altered the back as well. Now my bra has "CORSETTED TIE-UP" straps. So using strands of cut up t-shirt string, I tied them on to the clasps and transformed the back of the bra in "ROCKER CHIC" style.

Isn't this so FUN!!!

I also have to admit - that at about 3am before the event it dawned on me that I was decorating a hanger for a "STRAPLESS BRA"!!! This was so hilarious! And in my bag of pink stashed goodies, there was plenty of ribbon, some safety pins and two small pink clothespins to fashion some hanging straps - VOILA!!!

Happy Creating!!!

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

Thanks for stopping by!!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Want to play on Saturdays? Please join me live at 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, how-to's, sharing tips, and there's prizes, too. Next weekend I will be showing how to make custom DIY embossing templates out of chipboard. Hope to see you there!  : ) Sb

Make a Birthday Wish - Fun and Festive Card using Unscripted Sketches #194

Welcome to Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches and today's new sketch #194. This week we also have a PIGGYBACK Challenge to use stickers. For today's project, I have shopped in my jumbo ziplock bag-o-scraps and my accordion file of stickers to create this fun and festive birthday card. 

I love the challenge of dumping out my scrap bag and seeing what I can find to create with. The pink solid background paper and the border stripe are scraps of My Minds Eye patterned papers. The "happy birthday to you" and the polka dot pattern I received in a scrap swap. To go along with the color palette, I found some fun metallic star and balloon stickers and some grosgrain word ribbons I have turned into stickers with my Xyron sticker machine. All of the elements are held together using Miracle Tape.

**A TIP** use your pens and markers to add some details to make elements "POP". The sketchy words in the "happy birthday to you" were already sketchy and I went around "happy" and "you" with yellow and blue Ranger Distress Marker to highlight those words. I also used a white gel pen to add some sketchy outlines around the star stickers on the border strip and hand doodling confetti pieces in the background. I also used a black Millennium Pen to add strings to my balloon stickers.

All I have to do is write a sentiment on the inside - and this card is ready to send!

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. Have some time this afternoon? Please join me live at 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's prizes, too. Today I am upcycling a tequila box into an asian themed lamp. Hope to see you there!  : ) Sb

Are you Ready to Go Back in Time???

Save the date for an exciting adventure!! Please join me and the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team as we accept the challenge to go back in time and create with some of Viva Las VegaStamps! oldie but goodie stamp imagery. Each one of us randomly received a stamp from the VLVS! vault to create with abandon for this special "BLAST from the PAST" bloghop. 

All will be revealed next Friday,

January 25th, 2013! 

See you then!!! :) Sb

INSPIRING Art Journal Cover using Unscripted Sketches #193

Happy Thursday!!! I have just returned from sunny and FRIGID California where I attended the CHA Winter Show and I'm playing a little catchup. Today I am sharing my old dusty art journal that I have renewed for the new year and I have embellished the cover using Unscripted Sketches #193.

All of the elements in today's creation using sketch #193 are inked and stamped using a blackboard technique that was featured on the Viva Las VegaStamps! Blog. CLICK HERE to see the how-to. I have used these Supplies: STAMPS - Sun Background #18366 {a DELINQUENT DIE}; several stamps from Plate #917: Six Hexagon Background #19076, Washi Chevron Background #19072, Washi Reverse Grid Background #19075, Washi Lines Background #19073, Washi Grid Background #19074 and quote "Writing Arrow #19078" and "Inspire" #18888; Also used Kromecote Cardstock, VLVS! Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder, Miracle Tape; 3-D Foam tape; Ranger Black Soot and Dusty Concord Distress Inks; Ranger Resist ink and Ranger Embossing Ink.

This art journal highlights my word for the year "INSPIRE" and I am filling some pages up with techniques I'm learning through Nathalie Kalbach's 2013 Creative Jumpstart Summit. I have been on a bit of a creative break while at CHA - but I made an altered bra that I wore at the Charity Wings Flash Mob, and I made an asian themed altered lamp that was taped for an episode of Craft Time TV. It was a busy week and so many amazing things are in store for me in the coming months. I can't wait to continue to fill this book up with creative goodness.

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. Want to play on Saturday? Please join me live at 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's prizes, too. This weekend I am upcycling a tequila box into an asian themed lamp. Hope to see you there!  : ) Sb

"Things with Wings" Anything But A Card Challenges - Week 2

Happy Sunday and welcome to WEEK TWO of Anything But a Card Challenges challenge #10 of "THINGS WITH WINGS" 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 10 is "THINGS WITH WINGS". This is a great theme full of possibilities and I'm sure you all are going to have tons of ideas fluttering about. I hope you are inspired to play along!!!

I am sharing today a "Steampunk" style pin made from stuff in my crafty stash and standard beading bits and pieces. The sheild of the pin is a silver pin that created a mold using Amazing Mold Puddy, then I resin casted using Amazing Casting Resin then colored with alcohol inks and acrylic paints. I finished off by polishing with antique gold rub and buff to bring out the patina and detail. The wings are hammered chipboard that are embossed with gold embossing powder, then added patina with alcohol inks and acrylic paint. I finished it off with suspending some beads, pearls and an old key and also some adhesive gems for a little bling. This piece is currently on display at the Amazing Crafting Products booth #1418 at CHA where I am demonstrating and playing this weekend :)

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

THIS IS THE WEEKEND!!!

Get raffle tickets to be entered to win over 50 prizes.

CLICK HERE for tickets.

I am at the CHA convention right now...yes and demoing at the Amazing Crafting Products booth, too! I plan to meet as many creatives as possible, learn a few things and come back INSPIRED and I promise to share it all with you, too!! The Live from CHA event is FREE for all to see all that 2013 will bring for our creative passions.  :) Sb

My Word Found Me... INSPIRE!

Hello everyone! I hope the new year is being good to you. I am trying very hard to stick to my new year plans and I'll admit...I'm a little frantic - but I'm loving it! I'm doing Nathalie Kalbach's Jumpstart, exercising, making time for me, and everything that was already going on when 2012 ended. PLUS, I'm trying to add a new thing in {albeit small} each day, too!!!

Everyone is choosing a word to define their year and I just wanted to share my word. I really couldn't decide on one...but one word FOUND me... INSPIRE. I had to scan something on my upstairs computer and has a nice layer of dust it's been that long since I've cranked my PowerMac 7200 up. But affixed to the base of my monitor is a river stone with the word INSPIRE engraved in it. So my word chose ME.

I just finished the cover of a blank art journal I found while dusting the bookshelves with my word. Have a great Tuesday!!! CLICK HERE to see the whole cover. :) Sb

Things with Wings - Anything But A Card Challenges #10

Happy New Year!!! Today debuts a FABULOUS, brand new Anything But a Card Challenge #10... Things With WINGS. 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 a brand-new challenge #10 of "THINGS WITH WINGS" 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 10 is "THINGS WITH WINGS". This is a great theme full of possibilities and I'm sure you all are going to have tons of ideas fluttering about. I hope you are inspired to play along and I can't wait to see what you create! 

Today I am sharing my very favorite project from 2012... my "STEAMPUNK EGGSHIP". This is created using Amazing Crafting Products by Alumilite Corp. and some chipboard and metal gears, buttons and other findings. When I saw the new theme for Challenge #10, I knew I this was perfect for the theme. To see a HOW-TO on how I created this...PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Hope you like my Steampunk Chick!
He's ready to zoom off to his next adventure!

Get raffle tickets to be entered to win over 50 prizes.
CLICK HERE for tickets.

Things are so busy and I am enjoying the start of the new year. I'm INSPIRED to create as much as possible and learn new things. I look forward to the Live from CHA event to see all that 2013 will bring for our creative passions.  :) Sb

"HELLO" it's not a CHRISTMAS CARD... Pretty in Pink using Unscripted Sketches #192

Happy NEW YEAR! Today is my first card of the year... AND it's NOT a CHRISTMAS CARD! This pretty in pink floral saying "HELLO" using the new Unscripted Sketches #192.

Today's creation using sketch #192 is elements leftover from a Basic Grey Cardmaking kit that have never been used. So I added a double layer of coordinating ribbons, a matted cardstock rectangle to pop the "Hello", and a gem on the center of the flower to complete a beautiful card.

What will my challenge be for 2013???

I'm not sure yet. Now that the New Year is here and I have much going on these first few weeks, I am focusing on finishing up things that have been started and using up supplies leftover from other projects. It's mind boggling how these things can accumulate. So I am going to get through the whirlwind over the next couple of weeks and see what comes to me... I promise - it won't be Christmas related {at least until July...hehe}.

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 around later on today, please join me live at 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. Today I am greencrafting in the new year and coloring an old t-shirt to give it a brand new life. Hope to see you there!  : ) Sb

Greencrafting in the New Year for the Saturday Crafts Fair - Painting Tshirts

Tomorrow begins another fun-filled month at the Saturday Crafts Fair on Linqto! And it is growing - with 3 hours of viewing pleasure. The fun begins at 2pm EST {11am PST}. Can you believe I've done 5 shows already??? I even brought the show on the road with me to Chicago. Join me tomorrow for some fun as I give new life to some old t-shirts.

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

A scheduling update: the Saturday Crafts Fair will be taking a break on Saturday, January 12th - so that everyone can enjoy UNINTERRUPTED viewing of the Live from CHA by Charity Wings {it's three days this time}. It's FREE to watch, but you have to purchase raffle tickets to be entered in all the giveaways benefiting Bernie Berlin's "A Place to Bark".

DID YOU MISS A SHOW???

No worries! All shows are recorded and you can watch the playbacks at your leisure. Here's a recap of my shows in December:

Dec. 1st, 2012

{I am on during second half of Episode}

Dec. 8th, 2012

Dec. 15th, 2012

  

Dec. 22nd, 2012

Dec. 29th, 2012

The Saturday Crafts Fair is a weekly event so come on by TOMORROW...the fun starts at 2pm EST!!! It's three 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 {sorry, 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 hope to see you there! Have a great evening :) Sb

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year! Today was spent lazily and relaxing with my husband. With the Christmas Buzz over, this ELF needed a long rest, time to reflect - and just some peace and quiet.

I'm not planning any official resolutions - but I am going to focus on things that are easily neglected in the day to day grind. I want to find joy in the little things - spend time focusing on my family and friends, my health and MOST IMPORTANTLY... my creative journey. Eating a salad everyday wouldn't hurt either.

I have made a good things jar and put a few things in today. This year is a fresh start - a new adventure and I'm rested and ready for everything it has to offer.

I hope your New Year brings you everything you heart desires! Off to catch up on some creative time now that the world is all asleep.  Sb :)