CCC # 27 and wedding update

My youngest daughter is getting married on April 1.  I am making her invitations.  For the last week or two I have been finalizing the design and ordering supplies.  I decided to create the background for the invitations myself.  I came by that decision quite by accident.


I will be back to edit this post . . . gotta get the CCC challenge posted.  There is a tie between this week's challenge, well at least my project for the challenge and the wedding stuff I have been working on.


For challenge 27 Linda at StudioL3 has us turn to page 60 in our Compendium of Curiosities book for Distress Misting Masks.  I created my own mask using "leftovers" from some flowers I made using "tattered florals" die.  I carefully cut around the edge to create the mask.   

So here's my challenge project:

(Please note, the color is MUCH better in person than in this photo.  I will try to get a better picture).

I will be back later to finish this post.

I'm baaccccccccccccck! (and I "talked" a lot! lol)

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I made the decision to make the background quite by accident.  The original plan had the invitation printed on vellum then embossed. (Did you know if you print on vellum using an inkjet printer and you cover it with embossing powder as soon as it comes out of the printer, then heat with a heat gun you get embossed printing?  It looks fabulous!)  

I made a prototype of the invitation but didn't have any light blue vellum, so I printed the invite on plain copy paper and proceeded with the rest of the invite.  I didn't like the plain white paper so I took a blending tool and added a bit of tumbled glass to make it easier to "pretend" it was light blue vellum.  I went to my favorite store (Stampers' Corner [SC]) to show them the prototype and see if they could get what I was looking for.  They brought out the catalogs of specialty  paper.  I liked the light blue vellum, but couldn't find another blue to go with it.  (The wedding colors are light blue and white.) Amber & Brenda (two of the awesome ladies who work at SC) and I were throwing out ideas when one of them said they liked the background the way it was with the tumbled glass, the other quickly agreed.  I thought about it, then we tried matching the background paper I had created to other blues!  EUREKA! We found the right accent blue!  

All I can say is THANK YOU to everyone at SC, especially Amber for all her patience in working with me to get the invitation supplies and all the times I changed my mind (and there were lots of changes).  I am sure she was VERY glad when I finally went in to pay because then I couldn't change my mind, well I guess I could, it'd just cost me.  

 Sorry, I digressed a bit from the background.  Here is a peek at the background.  I used a blending tool with "tumbled glass" distress ink then spritzed with Perfect Pearl Mist in Perfect Pearl.

Here's a close-up you can kinda see the Perfect Pearl Mist.

The only reason I am mentioned the background for the wedding invites in this post is because my project for week 27 started with a sheet just like the one above.  

I was in the mood for flowers and thought this would make a great background and I had a "few" laying around.  Maybe it was the cold foggy day were were experiencing and I wanted to counteract it or maybe it was because I am looking forward to my first trip EVER to Hawaii next month but I wanted something bright.  First  I went with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls.

But that wasn't quite what I was looking for.  So then I tried blending some Spiced  Marmalade and Rusty Hinge Distress ink into the background then spritzed with some Fade Jeans Distress Ink and True Blue Sparkle Perfect Pearls.  Ahhh, much better (and they really do look much better in person than these photos).  I manged to get the backgrounds completed on Thursday or Friday.

I have some vintage style Hawaiian stamps I wanted use, but alas they are in a safe place so I had to come up with plan B.  Yesterday I devised plan B - incorporate the flowers I used as masks into the card.  I inked the flowers a bit more and set them aside to dry.  Then I got involved in wedding stuff and didn't get back to them.

Today (Sunday) SJ came over to help with the invites.  I needed some more paper for the background so we started the day with a field trip. . .only we were there an hour before SC opened.  Luckily  I live VERY close to the SC.  Today we worked on the RSVP and some background paper.  The RSVPs were prined so we just had to cut them to size and emboss a custom design on each one.  I had an idea for a stamp and the WONDERFUL, AWESOME Kate from KS Designs created the digital image, then SC sent the design off and yesterday I received a rubber stamp!    (My daughter LOVES elephants and the wedding theme is "enchanted jungle".)

Isn't the stamp adorable?

The color of the printed info on the wedding stationary is very similar to Faded Jeans Distress Ink.  I had planned to use FJ but had not tested to see which embossing powder I would use with it.  So SJ & I tried 3 different ep with FJ, but it wasn't embossing "right".  We tried Tumble Glass, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire and Stormy Sky but the Distress Ink did not seem to be "holding" any of the embossing powder.  Then I tried Staz-on Ultra Marine, that held the ep, but was really dark and from a distance looked almost black.   Another field trip.  (Like I said, it's a good thing SC is soooo close to my house! lol).   Carol helped us and then Nellie helped us and after much conferring we decided to try Staz-on Hydrangea Blue.  We got home and gave it a try and it was PERFECT.  

I was quite surprised that the Distress Inks were not working as I usually use Distress Ink when I emboss.  The only thing we could come up with is somehow the Perfect Pearl Mist "interfered" with the ink and it being able to hold the embossing powders.  Have you ever had a problem with Distress Ink not holding embossing powder?

Guess I've rambled enough for one post, so I will say bye for now.  I wish a FABULOUS week and hope you get time to do what you want!

Linda

CCC #26 and some rambling

I am not sure how time flies by so quickly but days seem to go by faster than I can snap my fingers!  It seems like I was just posting CCC  #25 and here it is almost at the end of CCC #26!  

Made it with a minute to spare!  I really need to work on not cutting it quite so close.  This time it wasn't because I forgot to create something, I started working a project yesterday but I've been fighting a cold for 2 weeks now not really motivate to do much.  When I did try to post tonight, I ran into some technical difficulties.   But all is good now!

The bookplate from one of Tim's grungeboard packs was altered using the instructions on page 45 of Compendium of Curiosities.   The "Only U" was created & printed using PrintMaster 16. I went over "only" with a black Sakura Glaze pen.  The background paper is from Tim's Lost & Found Stack.  

Be sure to check Linda's blog every Monday for a new challenge, there are still about 9 to go!  

In other ramblings. . . 

What little time I have spent crafting these last couple of weeks has been mostly devoted to designing my daughter's wedding invitations.  I think I finally came up with a design I like.  Just have to get final approval from the bride & groom then for the next couple of weeks I will be creating the invitations!  I am some really AWESOME friends who have volunteered to help me prepare the invites and any other items we need created.   If you are wondering why the bride, the groom or the attendants are not helping is because they are scattered across the US - literally - from Maryland to Hawaii and from Seattle to Los Angeles.  

A couple weeks ago, Sherry had a crossword puzzle to solve.  It was all about the group Earth Wind and Fire, a group she LOVES.  I know who they are and remember them from "back in the day" but didn't know a whole lot about them.  I decided I was up for the challenge.  So I did some research and learned a thing or two along the way.  Did you know an African thumb piano is called a Kalimba? Neither did I.   I got some help from a couple of co-workers (thanks Kate & Derek!) and was able to fill in all the blanks!  I sent a note off to Sherry with my answers.  She responded that I was the first one with all the correct answers!  Yippee, I won!  

My prize arrived last Thursday in a yummy looking box.  I had dashed home from work before heading off to the dentist.  When I saw the package I told myself to wait until I got back to open it.  Yeah, right who was I kidding. . .I was NOT going to wait, so I tore into it and found yumminess was definitely packed inside!

I pulled ribbon after ribbon out of the box and then found some more goodies

and finally the last thing I found!

But "OH NO!  I thought, even though a "Tiny Attacher" is on my 'wish list' I don't have one" What I am going to do with a box of refills?"  "But wait! I received a couple of gift cards for Stampers' Corner!"  I hurried off to the dentist and since I had to literally drive right passed Stampers' Corner to get home (pur house, Stampers' Corner and the dentist are all on the same street) AND one of those gift cards happened to be in my pocket,  I made a little detour into the store. And now I am the proud owner of a new 

THANK YOU Sherry for the awesome prize pack and for reminding me I wanted a Tiny Attacher!

Have a fabulous week!

If you are in Northern California

did you see this? or this?   Yes, I will be there! I KNOW, I just got back from a cruise with Tim. . .but really can you ever have too much Tim?  I didn't think so!   lol Hope to you see you there!

Going digi

I always say I am not a digital "scrapper".  But I think I have to change that.  Lately I find I am using quite a few digital images that I print and use in projects.  I just realized designed a digital layout for some of my ATC backs!!   Who would've thunk it?

I don't know about you, but when I make ATCs, I end up with some that have really neat and clean back sides and others that are, well really messy.  They typically look something like this:

Not sure what I do that some come out looking so bad, but I do it really well, don't you think? lol  I dislike seeing a mess on the back of my ATCs.  I also have issues with leaving brads (or other things) exposed on the backside of ANYTHNG.  For ATCs my solution is to make a full-sized back.  That's where my digital layout comes into play!

Since the "messy" ATCs ended up with an awesome (in my opinion) backing, it just wouldn't be right for the ones with a "clean" backs to have a plain ol' label slapped on them, right?   I had to come up with another great idea.

I was about 5 minutes from home after work today when I got a call from my FAVORITE LSS (Stamper's Corner) telling me my Tim Alteration dies were in!  Of course I HAD to detour by the store to pick them up.  I really had to.  An idea came to me and I had plans for the "Tattered Leaves" die.  It was going to become the background for the "clean" ATCs!

Here they are: my digi design background and the background using my new tattered leaf die (which just happens to fit in my small xyron)!



What do you think?  Besides the fact I need to practice centering the text in the die a little better (it was so much easier to line it up on the practice  sheets [plain copy paper], lol).  I was pretty happy with the results, until I noticed something.   Are you good at spotting differences?  First one to correctly identify the error in the above picture will win a small pack of goodies. (I will ship internationally too!)  Just leave a comment on this post  The error I am looking for is not the centering (or lack thereof).

good luck!

Linda

PS - the leaf image in the full-size back  is from Microsoft Office.


EDIT - Terry is right, the date is wrong on the full background. (Terry please send me an e-mail with your address and I will get a package out to you this weekend!)   I was not too happy with myself when I realized I put the date we are leaving instead of the date of the cruise.  On the bright side, I only mounted 8 backs on ATCs so I don't have a lot of corrections to make.  Not sure if I am going to cross off the "29" and  hand write "30" or print 30  and "patch" them.   Any ideas or sugguestions?

And to answer Lori's question, YES it is a PAIN to try to align the printing in the die hence the off centered look of the leaf.  Not sure if I am going to do a lot that way, if I do, I may switch to plain copy paper as I was able to align the practice one up easier and just use lots of ink to add some fall colors.

Celebrate!

Hi!  I know I have been AWOL for a while. . .I was working on projects to enter in the California State Fair.  Today was judging day!  I won't know how I did for another week or two.  I was told they would send letters to all entrants. . .either a "Congratulations - here are your free tickets to see your project on display" or "thank you for your entry, please pick it up".   Obviously I am hoping for a "congratulations! letter.   I'd share pictures with you, but I forgot to take pictures before I dropped them off! 

I did take pictures of what I walked into when I got home from work tonight!  I should have known something was up when I had to unlock all the locks on the front door.

Yep, it's my birthday today!  To celebrate I am giving someone a present!  I don't know who the lucky person is yet and I don't know what the lucky person will get yet. (This is kind of a spur of the moment idea I had! lol)   I do know you have to leave a comment on this post before 6:00 p.m. PDT on Sunday, May 23, 2010, to have a chance to win.  I also know it will be an awesome prize package.  (I am going to the stamp show on Saturday and my FAVORITE store [Stampers' Corner] is having a huge moonlight sale from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday after the show.)  Who knows, I may even add stuff from my stash!    The more comments I get, the bigger the prize package!   If you are not a follower, become a follower and I will give you an extra chance to win!  If you are already a follower and leave a comment on this post, I will give you 2 extra chances to win!  I will ship internationally.  One last thing, make sure I have a way to contact you!  (You can e-mail your e-mail address to me if you don't want to post it in a comment, there's an "e-mail me" button on my side bar).

We are off to dinner!   Hope you leave a comment!

Edit -  10:36 p.m.

We went to Vince's for dinner and had a great meal!  Erinn & I shared a huge steak sandwich!  Dave & Joseph each had a steak.

Responding to X-needles' (Charlene's) comment - Dave gets credit for the card and the flowers. Erinn went shopping for the decorations. Erinn and Joseph put up the decorations. Erinn also made some awesome mini chocolate cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing!! Yummy! Joseph washed the dishes Erinn used for the cupcakes and icing!  Rebecca (in Hawaii) and Kristine (in Texas) both called to wish me a happy birthday too!

Am I lucky or what? I love my family, they are AWESOME!!!

EDIT #2 - May 23, 2010 

Here's a picture of the prize pack so far. . . if you want details, go to my "Score" post dated 5/22/10. At the bottom of the post there are details as to what is in the picture. Good Luck!  

Friends!

We had a beautiful spring day today!  Hunter came by to see if Max could play.  Since we had nothing pressing, I let Max go out to play!   They ran up and down the street chasing each other (we have very little traffic on our street), retrieiving the ball and playing in the sprinkler!  (Max is our Golden Retriever and Hunter is the neighbor's Black Lab.)

I stopped by Stampers' Corner earlier in the day, I needed some "special" paper for some cards I am designing and spent some time wandering around the store.  I had my camera with me and took some pictures!  I have not been published, but I have some roses on display!  It's a great feeling to one's work displayed!

And as long as I was there, I took a picture of Tim's corner too. . . well most of his corner, I couldn't quite get everything in one shot. lol

As I took the picture, I was standing next to the display unit with the Alteration dies. You can see some of the re-inkers on the left, further to the left are all the Distress Ink Pads and Crackle Paints as well as more Dabbers.  On the shelves above the products are some of the things Carol and Mike (the store owners) have made at various classes and workshop they have taken with Tim.  Definitely LOTS of eye candy and inspiration!  If you are ever driving up or down Highway 99 in Elk Grove, it's well worth the short side trip (just over a mile).  If you are on I-5 it's about 9 miles to the store. . .still well worth it!

Haven't had much time in the studio. (I was sick the week of Aprl 5 and still trying to get up to par this past week, think I am OK now!)   I plan on having some quality studio time this weekend!  Hope you get time to play too!

Linda

Lucky me!!!

I have been very fortunate for the last week or so as I have had one of Tim's new Sizzix dies in my hot little hands!  Well, it has not been in my hands (or in my Big Shot) as much as I would like, but I have gotten to spend a little time playing!

Without further ado, here are the flowers using the "Tattered Floral" Alteration die with Grungepaper:

On this first flower I used 3 of the large 6 petal flowers inked with Barn Door distress ink.

On the 2nd flower I used 4 of the large 6 petal flowers inked with Wild Honey distress ink spritz with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls mixed with water.

On the next two I used the medium daisy looking flower. The lily on the left I used Rusty Hinge and Spiced Marmalade distress inks and the lily on the right I used Victorian Velvet distress ink.  I used alcohol ink on the stamens of both lilies and I think I spritzed both with some perfect gold perfect pearls and water.. 

I am working on a couple more designs, hopefully I will have something to show you soon!

If you live in the Elk Grove area and you want to see the Wild Honey rose I post here it is on display (or at least it was last time I was in) at Stampers' Corner (and like the flowers above, it's nicer in person)!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Take care,

Linda

Email

I returned to work today, first time in 2 weeks.  I had 204 e-mails waiting for me.  I got through about a good portion of them.   When I got home I had 10 e-mails waiting for me including one with the subject line of "ATTENTION ALL TIM HOLTZ FANS", I knew it was going to be the best e-mail I looked at today!

It was from Carol at Stampers' Corner!  They expect Tim's new book, Compendium of Curiosities in this week and are having an introductory special.  They are offering the book for 19.99 (plus CA sale tax) instead of the retail price of $25.00. So I am sure you can figure out what I ordered today when I stopped by the store!  I am really looking forward to getting it!   If you want one and you don't live nearby, they will ship it for $5.00 via priority mail!  Stampers' Corner, phone number is 916-686-0651.  Tell 'em Linda sent you! lol

They also have an introductory special going on for the new Distress Inks - buy 11 and get the 12th one free!  I've had mine for a couple of weeks, not that I've had much of a chance to play with them yet.  I will tell you all the colors are AWESOME!   I managed to play with them a bit tonight. . .I'm in the process of making a lily and some roses.  I will show them just as soon as I can!

Take care,

Linda

21st Birthday

No, not my 21st birthday, although I am not THAT much older than 21 (I was VERY young when I had my children, like 4 or 5)!  lol Today is my youngest child's birthday.  My only son.  My baby. (Forget the fact that he's 6'5", he's still my baby and always will be!  And yes each of his 3 sisters are still my "baby girls".   I know I've probably scarred them all for life, but that's their problem! Love you!)

As I've mention, my mom has been in the hospital (for 2 weeks) and is now at a rehab center and seems to be improving daily!  Since this "adventure" began,  I've barely stepped foot in my studio as I have been too drained. 

On the way home from visiting my mom, the van made a left turn (all by itself, I didn't help at all, really!) to go to Stampers' Corner instead of a right turn to go home.  Darn van!  I "needed" some glaze pens. After I found them I wandered around.  Somehow I came home with a pack each of black and green glaze pens, a couple packs of  "Tim Tags" and some Ten Seconds Studio's metal , a pack of "Humungo Killer Tape" sheets and a Big Daddy #7 mold!  

When I got home, I went into the studio and this is what I created (the bottom of the card goes about 1/2 inch beyond the bottom of the picture, I need to work on my photography skills.):

I was quite pleased with the results, more importantly Joseph thought it was "AWESOME"!!!!!! 

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and a fantastic week ahead!

Take care,

Linda

Some random ramblings

If you know me, you know I LOVE eBay and Tim Holtz' stuff! Put the two together and I can get into BIG trouble (but it is oh so fun! lol) Last week I was checking out stuff (because I need more, lol) I found a "few" Visual Artistry sets listed, I put bids in on 10 auction. Didn't win one of them. Not one to give up easily, I found more auctions including one for "The Journey" set and put a bid on it (at the same price I had bid on a previous auction I didn't win.) THEN I found an auction with a lot of 7 sets of the stamps that included "The Journey". I debated for a bit on whether I should bid or not since there would be a duplicate set if I happened to win both auctions. The debate was short! The lot of 7 sets arrived today!

Last Sunday I stopped by Stampers' Corner (my fav LSS) to get some more tape for the nifty tape gun we received on the cruise. I was being good, on a mission, just the tape, NOTHING else. Honest, that was the plan. I ran in, got the tape, walked up to the cash register so far so good. . . and then I see boxes and boxes in the classroom being rifled through by some women. "Is that a sale?" I asked Amber. It was. Wood stamps for F I F T Y CENTS each!!! No matter what size!!!!! 4 sets of clear stamps bundled together for $2.00 for each bundle! How is a girl NOT to buy stuff?? Well 30 minutes (maybe an hour. . .who keeps track of time when shopping a sale?) and $48. lighter I left the store! (Too bad I can't lose weight as fast as I can spend money. lol!)

Now I just have to find time to play! Speaking of playing I am having a Scrappin’ Saturday at the house on January 16, 2010. If you are interested in dropping by, let me know.

December 30 my AWESOME husband and I celebrated our 8th anniversary! We went to Frank Fats (the original one on L Street) in Sacramento for dinner! Before dinner we wander through a couple of antique stores I had just discovered. In one of the stores, they had bags and bags of used stamps for sale for $1.00 per bag, so I grabbed a couple with thoughts of using them on ATCs for THE cruise.

Today, I went to Scrapmap to get to Jim West's blog to add it to my list of blogs I follow. I haven't been following it, but I always mean to . . . because last time I was there he had just giveaway some trips. While at www.Scrapmap.com, I noticed there was a new logo picture for Tim’s New England/Canada cruise. . . it includes a used postage stamp. lol Great minds think a like!!!!!! (PLEASE let me have my delusions that I have a great mind too, please! Thanks! lol)

A couple of weeks ago, I won a prize on Lori’s blog The package arrived earlier this week! She was EXTREMELY generous!! Thank you again Lori!
I will post a picture when I make something with the goodies you sent!

Take care,
Linda