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