SequoiaLynn's Studio

New Year's Eve Already

2009-12-31T09:54:00.005-05:00

It is hard to believe that another year has passed and even harder to believe that I haven't posted here since June. So for the last year I have not been in my usual artist frame of mind. Just been blah and not really into the whole thing, which meant that I couldn't make anything that I was happy with. So with this new year I plan on making a greater effort and making some new art!
Ok well it is time get my creative juices going and get some artistic vibes flowing. I have been cleaning, sorting, and purging in my studio for the last two days and I am slowly making some progress. I can even some a few squares of the ugly brown carpeting.
Last night I cleared a path through the middle of the floor and scooted a 6' tall shelf from my living room into my studio corner, I wiped off at least an inch of dust and added some risers that my grandpa screwed together for me. I gathered all of my wood mounted stamps that were visible together and put onto a new shelf display. I have one more shelf to add and about 500 more stamps to display. Ok maybe not 500 but I sure do have a lot. I’m happy to be able to see so many of my stamps and I think I will use them a lot more this way. No more dragging out boxes upon boxes of stamps.
I even cleaned out one of my plastic storage towers and bagged up two heaping full grocery bags of supplies that I haven't used in YEARS to pass along or sell at a yard sale. That felt good and gave me 2 large drawers to fill with alterable items. They had previously been in random piles, boxes and bags for a long long long time never to be seen again. I also resorted all my ribbon pieces into the old fashion candy jars I bought just for them and sorted through my ink pads and eliminated about 10 large and about 20 small ones. Now all my fave Distress and Adirondack inks fit into the little cubbies. it is still full but all the ink pads on it. :) Ahhh Happiness!
Still a lot of work to do but I feel like I am making some progress. Stay tuned because I'm back in the studio and ready to CREATE!

Cards from Sketches

2009-06-20T18:05:00.006-04:00

Roni from Ink Stains with Roni has been sharing some original sketches on her blog and I have finally gotten a bit of time to give them a try. Here are my versions...
Used the Modes Couture Stamp with Jet Black StazOn to stamp on cream cardstock. Also used the StazOn on the paper edges and the ribbon on the second card.
Punched out a circle then used the Nestabilities to make the embossed scalloped boarder. Used old paper and ribbon from my stash. The buttons are from my grandma's stash.

Used more paper from my stash. Sorry it doesn't have a brand name on it.
Stamp is from Hampton Art Company. I stamped and inked all the edges in Timber Brown StazOn. I must admit I think I am addicted to the smell of StazOn.
Flowers and brad are from The Paper Studio Spare Parts Line.

Used Basic Grey Aged & Confused Vagabond papers and letter stickers.
Brads are from Joann's Etc.
Stamp is from Hampton Art Company. I stamped and inked all my edges in Jet Black StazOn.

Thanks for stopping by my Studio hope you are having a great Saturday.

Made it to the kitchen today...

2009-06-18T16:02:00.005-04:00

Tomato and Basil Pesto Bagel-wich.

To make a bagel sandwich only to discover I didn't have any pesto so I decided to make some myself and see how it goes. I have really been into trying new recipes lately...some good, some not...but hey it is the effort that counts here.

I mixed up a simple Basil Pesto to use and this how to do it...

2 cups fresh packed basil leaves (A few handfuls should do it)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (get the Kraft kind in a can and save yourself some work)
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts or whatever)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 tablespoon of prepared minced garlic and your hands will still smell nice)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (gotta have acid so it doesn't turn brown if you aren't using it right away)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a kitchen staple)
Makes about 1 cup of prepared basil Pesto!

Directions
Step 1 - Pick the leaves off of the stems.
Step 2 - Wash the basil.
Step 3 - Chop the basil leaves, olive oil, cheese, pine nuts, and garlic in the food processor, blender, or chopper. Chop until it forms a thick, smooth paste.
NOTE: If you intend to freeze the pesto, leave the cheese OUT and add it when you thaw and use the pesto. Cheese doesn't freeze well.
And that is it! You're done!
Adding 1 teaspoon of sugar or Splenda to the batch really seems to bring the flavor alive.
The pesto will keep in refrigerator for about a week, or you can freeze it and it will last for 3 to 6 months.

I quartered this recipe which made the perfect amount for my bagel sandwich and I left out the nuts.

Here is how to make the sandwich

Separate the bagel into two halves, spread a layer of pesto on each. Add a couple slices of fresh tomatoes and a slice of Swiss Cheese.
Microwave for about a minute or until cheese is melted. Fold into a sandwich and Enjoy!

Don't my new dishes look great with this bagel-wich?? lol

June 15th

2009-06-15T15:17:00.002-04:00

Ok Seriously where did this month go? It is already half way over. I have been busy getting ready for the big Yard Sale last weekend. We sold lots of stuff so that is a great thing. We still have some stuff left so we may do another sale and see if we can unload some more treasures.
Two weeks ago I bought a bread maker at a Yard Sale of all places. We let me tell you I got a deal. Used once and still in the box for $2.50...yeah exactly I got a bread machine for the price of a loaf. SCORE! I made a loaf of Rosemary bread right away and it was delicious! It was so good in fact I am going to share the recipe with you so you can try it out.

Rosemary Bread

Prep: 10 mins
Cook Time: 3 Hours

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

DIRECTIONS

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

Now you give it a try, cook an awesome Italian Dinner and invite me over. :)

On the work front I am about to join the land of the unemployed. As of June 26 my place of business will become a warehouse. Say a little prayer that I will be placed in one of other companies.

Items I have made in the last week or so....

2009-06-03T14:51:00.004-04:00

Here is my second ever tear bear. I got some new Extra thick mulberry paper and LOVE LOVE it. I just sorta made my own pattern, inked all the edges, and used my rockin' new bear face stamps by Peechy Keen. I'm loving these stamps! Doesn't he look adorable with his "who me??" face?
Next up are some paper pieced cupcakes for a card candy swap over at MM Scrapbooks. You can't tell here but the yellow is Citrus Stack Bling paper. I only used scraps for these. These are I think about 3 inches wide.

Some more cuppies. These scalloped circles are cut with Nestibilities but with this photo you cannot seen the embossed edges. It is there I promise. I used Inkadinkadoo stamps and then colored with Bic markers so there are shaded areas. Once dry I highlighted with some stickles to make them glitter.
I made this LO to post on my Etsy. I used the Cricut, Paper Dolls Cartridge, Pooh Font Cart, hemp, and lots of ink so this layout sure looks dirt! I also used my new Peechy Keen Face Stamps on this little boy. Love them!

So Amy is coming to stay in about a month...

2009-05-30T06:51:00.002-04:00

and this is my spare bedroom...do you think she can find the bed??? LOL FYI those huge black trash bags are not trash they are packing supplies LOL
Ok so this is my plan for the day. Honestly I opened the door and said to myself "Not as bad as I thought" HAHA So this is by far my junk storage room and I know I have boxes of stuff in here for my upcoming yard sale. So I will get them out today. Wish me luck and if you don't hear from me soon...send in the rescue dogs...

A few page kits I made and a sunrise picture

2009-05-25T06:27:00.005-04:00

Hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Please remember all of the people who have served and are serving in our military.

This is the last day of my long weekend and I have really enjoyed it. Even gotten some stuff done around the house. Today I plan to tackle the kitchen and plant a few plants that I bought on Saturday. That's about it for my plans today.

Here is the sunrise from yesterday morning. I took it while standing on my porch.

I made these two page kits for a swap at MMscrapbooks. Love the gals there. I made a third one but packed it before taking a photos...ooops I hate when that happens.

Altered Dominoes

2009-05-23T05:43:00.011-04:00

Here are a few dominoes I colored with Alcohol Inks. You should plan to do several dominoes at a time because Alcohol Inks really cover a lot of ground on two small drops. Plus when you get started you won't want to stop.

To do this technique you will need:
Regular Dominoes
Alcohol Inks
Blending Solution
Applicator Tool and Pad (the felt one not the foam one)

Once your tiles are inked you can do so many cool things with them here are only a few examples:

Here I used Timber Brown Stazon Ink (You can also use Archival Ink) and acrylic stamps to stamp a pattern. Take notice that I am pressing the domino onto an inked up stamp pad not the other way around. This gave me more placement control. Don't worry if you make a mistake with Stazon you can wipe it off using the Blending Solution. Trust me I'm a pro at that.

I started with regular sized Dominoes then used Alcohol Inks to color them. Blasted them for a second with my heat tool to make sure they were completely dried and then used Archival ink in Jet Black to stamp my images. Again I blasted them with my heat tool. For any images that don't turn out great or you change your mind you can use Blending Solution as an 'eraser' then stamp them over again. I did this several times myself. I used a dremel tool and very small drill bit to make the holes and then used a black sharpie to color the back and the edges and then sealed everything with Matte Finish Mod Podge. Again I dried with my heat tool. I used craft wire and beads to make the bail. Not sure what these are going to be used for but I like them anyhow.
And my current work in progress (along with about 6 other works in progress... are these little gems)
These are actually old wooden Dominoes that I found at a yard sale last year. Yeah, I know it took me an entire year to get them out. Anyhow, these Dominoes are coated with Mod Podge and covered with paper. I also added some Stickles for glitz.

Dominoes are super versatile and that's why I think they are so fun! Stay turned for class instructions on how to Make these Wizard of Oz Dominoes.

Busy Busy

2009-05-20T14:50:00.004-04:00

Sheesh it seems like I have been way to busy. I have been working, babysitting, getting ready for a yard sale and just doing life in general. Today is around 80* and way to hot if you ask me. I sure do hate summer time. Cyrus and I took naps then went to the ice cream shop and then came home and played in the grass. Good Times I tell ya. Here are a few pics.

Little poser even in his sleep even with one shoe on one shoe off even with one sock on one sock off.
Just waking up. Checking to see what is going on outside the window. Bear Bear is hanging onto Cyrus' pocket.

YUMMM Black Cherry Ice Cream

I'm working on a new lesson to share with you so get your sharpies, and Shrinky Dinks ready to go!

Weekly Challenege 5/3 - 5/9

2009-05-03T06:26:00.003-04:00

Let's see how we do with a weekly challenge. You will have from Sunday until Saturday to complete your project and either post the link to it in the comments section or email me a picture of it. These are just for fun and geared to get us all to step outside out normal box. So here we go this week I challenge you to....

Create a layout, card, ATC, canvas, or anything you want using items only from....

YOUR JUNK DRAWER

I know everyone has a junk drawer, or pile, or basket and if you don't you can come snoop in mine...all of them! Since I can't be there to watch you are on your girl scout honor to really shop from your junk drawer and really make the item this week! Since this is the first week of doing this challenge I will add all the names of the participants into a basket and pick a name out to win a prize. WOO HOO You can't beat that. Don't forget to leave me a link or drop me an email.

Finishing Your Altered Altoid Tin

2009-05-02T18:18:00.006-04:00

The next step in our project is adding the memory glass piece to the tin. Follow the directions I posted for creating a image transfer with Glossy Accents and continue reading when you have that part ready to go….
….
……..welcome back here we go. Use Glossy Accents to adhere your Memory Glass to your tin. I added mine over the Magic Mesh portion but you can add yours anywhere. It will only take a minute or two to dry. I also used a fine line of Glossy Accents to draw around the edge of the glass. I quickly sprinkled seed beads onto the glue and gently tapped them into place. Add Glossy Accents over the beads so they are extra secure. Now you are all set to add a quote of your choice. I choose a beach theme one since my image was of a beach. I glued them down and covered the entire top one more time with a thin layer with Mod Podge. Now you are all set to fill your box with trinkets, give with a gift card inside or make a tiny mini album.

My quote says: Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Glossy Accents and Water Image Transfer

2009-05-02T13:58:00.007-04:00

Supplies Needed:

Image printed on plain printer paper
Glossy Accents
Ranger Memory Glass I used size 1 ½ x 1 ½
Water
Finger
Coat your memory glass with a layer of Glossy Accents. You do not need to use a ton but be sure you entire piece will be covered. Now lay your glued side down on your printed image and wiggle your glass back and forth so that you get glue all over the back of your glass and squish out any air bubbles. Leaving air bubbles under your glass will make your image come off completely when we rub off the back.
Now let your Glossy Accents air dry or heat it with a heat tool to dry it. Be sure not to get it so hot that you crack your glass. Unless you globbed on the glue it will dry in just a couple of minutes. One of my favorite reasons for using glossy accents! Now you are ready to remove the background paper. You can use a spray bottle or splash on a bit from you sink. Start with just enough water to wet the back let it sit for a minute to soak in. Now working on the backside of your project gently rub your finger over the paper surface. You will see the paper beading up and peeling off. Rub until the majority or the paper is removed adding a bit more water if needed. Viola! You can now add this unique piece of Memory Glass to any project

You can use this same technique on many different projects. Give it a try and send me link to check out your work.

Altered Altoid Tin ~ Day 2

2009-05-02T05:42:00.005-04:00

Welcome back to Day 2 of my Altered Altoid Tin Class

Now that all you paint has dried you are ready to embellish. This is of course my favorite part.
Follow the directions for the Frayed Edge Look with Mulberry Paper and get your pieces ready. Brush Mod Podge over the area you wish to cover and then press your mulberry paper into the glue. You will be able to move them around just a little bit before they are too sticky to be moved. Once all your papers are added cover them with another layer of Mod Podge. Make several layers so that any raised words on your tin (such as the word Altoids) is no longer visible. I learned this after I had done the next step so it is mush easier to do now. Again let your glue air dry a bit or hit it with your heat tool (no mircowaving metal folks!). Once dried trim the edges even with your tin.

The above photo shows my tin with one layer of papers. Notice how I left some of the painted background showing and also notice you can still see the raised work Altoids. Layers are the key!

Now you are ready to add your magic mesh layer. Mesh already come with a sticky side but I wanted it to be extra secure so again I covered the area with Mod Podge before adding my Magic Mesh. There is no rhyme or reason to where you should put it. I just made sure I covered the bottom portion on a diagonal. I'm not really into straight lines. Once your mesh is stuck down trim off the edges with small thin scissors. When I trim my mesh I try to leave it attached to the roll (notice the straight piece hanging off the end) because you never know when you will need only a small snip! So this makes the fourht layer we have added to our box. 1. Spray Paint 2. Acrylic Paint 3. Mulberry Papers 4. Mesh You should be getting the idea ~ Layer Layer Layer! I will return with another short tutorial on how to do an image transfer on memory glass this afternoon.

Frayed Edged Look with Mulberry Paper

2009-05-01T16:52:00.004-04:00

Working with Mulberry Papers – Frayed Edges
Supplies Needed:
Paintbrush
Cup with water
Mod Podge
Heat tool
Mulberry papers

Dip your paintbrush into the water and while it is still dripping wet run it along the edges of your paper. Draw random shapes if you want. These are the tearing lines. With your fingers gently pull your paper apart following the wet lines. Depending on how fibrous your paper is you will get different looks. Right away you will notice the fuzzy edges showing. Do this to all the pieces you will need for your project. Now you need to either let your pieces air dry or dry them yourself. Like I have mentioned before I am not at all patient so I laid my pieces flat in the bottom of my microwave. I worked with about 15 second intervals until my papers were dry. You can leave the edges as they are now or fluff them a bit more using a toothbrush and gently brushing them outwards. Now you have your dried pieces and you are ready to add them to your project.
Even though the photo was taken while I am working on an altered tin you can use mulberry paper for tons of projects including scrapbooking, card making and it is also used for making those adorable Tear Bears!

Photo Share ~ Kingwood Center

2009-04-30T17:56:00.004-04:00

Here are a few photos I took earlier this week. When we arrive this peacock was hanging out on the park bench. We ate our breakfast on the next bench.

This guy was such a poser, he just paraded around in circles so I could snap so pictures of him.
Ooohhh Pretty Flowers :)

Oh it has been such a hard morning. All this fresh air is just too much.

Altered Altoid Tin ~ Day 1

2009-04-30T17:46:00.004-04:00

Ok so as promised I have been working on a special project to share with my readers… so today I will share a supply list as well as the first step so you will be all set to go tomorrow when I share the steps to completing this project.

Supplies Needed:
Small mint tin (I am using an Altoids one)
Spray Paint
Acrylic Paint
Mod Podge
Glossy Accents
Memory Glass
Small photo the size of your memory glass printed on regular printer paper
Mulberry paper (1-3 colors, scrap size is perfect for this)
Magic Mesh (Scrap size again)
Short quote printed in about size 8-9
Seed Beads
Sharp Scissors
Heat Tool
Paint Brush
Small dish of water

These are the basic needs of creating this altered project. After I show you how I got to this point you will be on your own for any other embellishing.

The first thing you should do is clean your tin and get rid of any minty residue. Once you are clean and dry move to a well-ventilated area (outside) and spray paint your tin, inside, outside, top, and bottom. Use several thin coats and let the paint dry completely between each. Be more patient than I am to avoid some creative fingerprints on your project. EEK! You can also add a bit of acrylic paint to the top of you tin. I just dry brushed it on for a super thin coat because I wanted to see my gold spray paint. I ended up covering most of my acrylic paint during the next steps so doing it is up to you.

See you tomorrow as I give you the steps and the pictures to create an Altered Altoid Tin.

Sunday Snippits

2009-04-26T17:51:00.002-04:00

Hey all...ok maybe just one reader...I had a reader and even a comment!!! WOO HOO Thanks for stopping bye.
So today it is hot again. I went to church this morning, did some visiting afterwards, came home then napped for about an hour. Then I got the bright idea to rearrange my living room...what was I thinking??? So everything got scattered around and then as I was sorting through a pile of stuff I came upon an altoid tin. I knew I had recently emptied it and wanted to decorate it so that is why I am no longer cleaning. At least I started right? Anyhow I got this little tin out on my porch drying right now. I got it all spray painted (think 24 Karet) gold on the outside and still need to give the inside a coat before I get some sleep before going to work. I wanted to be up as I have several ebay auctions ending in the next little bit. Anyhow just wanted to stop by to say Im working on something cool to share with you. Hope you are all well. Leave me a comment when you visit so I know you were here.

Hey Readers

2009-04-25T17:08:00.010-04:00

Hey folks is anyone out there??? It has been a beautiful day here in Ohio...in the 80's so I'm hot!!! How do we go from the 30's to the 80's in less than a week?? Anyhow I hit another yard sale today...I know I know I have a problem. Guess what I found though...I bet you will never guess so here it is...
Yup this entire box of vintage photos in a metal file box. SCORE! There are Thanksgiving pictures, pet pics, beauty shop, beach, setting up an aquarium, and a entire serious of putting a vault into a bank...very cool! All pics were dated 1967-1969. WOO HOOO The best part was the price...$1.00 can you believe that...a buck?!?! Score for me!
Also my Aunt Shells found me these awesome mannequins. These were free can you believe that? I plan to use them when I sell some jewelry online...woo hooo I was super excited about these.
Let's see what else happened today...Oh yeah some yard work...yucko but it has to be done. I took a few pics of my flowers this evening. These are tulips of course and the bushy green plant is a Lupine...they are beautiful when they bloom.
Here are a few Jonquil in bloom and some Grape Hyacinth which is just budding out.

And here is a lonely tulip that is blooming in the creek behind my house. It sure stands out there all by itself doesn't it?

Good News

2009-04-23T15:21:00.005-04:00

No rebuilding of the birds nest yet. I do however have a mess on my porch to clean up yet though. Anyhow I just wanted to share the sun is actually shining today and it is slowly warming up. I am pretty happy about that. Warmer weather also means YARD SALES! Ok so I admit I am a bit of a junkie and went to about 5 today. I did find a few goodies though. I am always on the look out for cool stuff I can REUSE. Today I found a few deals and here they are.

Check out those old looking keys. One set even says SEARS on them. On a crafty note...I am have working on some dominoes. I bought some awesome Wizard of Oz college sheets to use. I love them! Here they are... I have just started them. Will post them as the next step gets done.

So what did you recycle today? I reused Wooden Dominoes!!!

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

2009-04-22T15:43:00.002-04:00

Hope each and everyone of you are doing something for the Earth today. Turn off lights when you leave the room, turn the heat down a notch or two or reuse something you might normally throw away. Let me know what you did for the Earth today. We need to take care of her, she is the only one we have.

So on the note of reusing...can you pick out anything in this photo that was reused??? I see string and there was some pieces of plastic in there as well but the most noticeable reused item is my porch light. UGGG Literally about a foot away from my front door. This nest was built in a matter of hours because it wasn't there when I went out to get the mail but was about 6 hours later. So I grabbed a chair to stand on, and of course my camera and went out there in the pouring rain and freak hail storm yesterday to take a photo and peek inside to see if I could remove it. Well nothing inside so I put on some gloves and gently picked it up and then carried it through the storm to put it in a tree. All done...or so I thought. I got home today at noon and there were no signs of rebuilding going on...good I got rid of the problem...not so. When Larry picked the baby up today there was the prettiest cardinal sitting on my porch rail...ut oh he's back and so was his nest. Again I removed it. These little guys build fast! I guess we will keep playing this game. I can't have birds flying in my house everytime I open the door and the messes on my porch would be old quick!

I Won on Ink Stains!

2009-04-22T15:40:00.003-04:00

WOO HOOO Makes my day! Thanks so much Roni! Here is the link to Ink Stains with Roni. I suggest to everyone that they should check it out. I love it there! She also has a great list of recycled crafty ideas.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

2009-04-21T16:36:00.002-04:00

You should know Earth Day is celebrated tomorrow. If you didn't know you should make yourself aware. Here are two quick facts about Earth Day.

* Earth Day is held annually during spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
* April 22; Created in 1970, global day of observance of the need to protect the earth

Since I am a paper crafter I feel like I am sometimes contradicting myself. I believe in doing all you can do the environment but I’m not one of the psycho obsessive people. I don't feel guilty about using paper products but I am aware of things I can do to protect the earth.
I am going to share a few ways I "recycle" everyday items into craft room worthy ones. Call me a pack rat if you must but why not get a second or third or tenth use out of items when you can.

Use buttons off of old or ruined clothes, save the extra button that comes in the baggie on shirts in case you lose one....save that baggie as well. You can use it for storing small items or use it to hold shaker box fillers in a Layout.

Save pop tabs and bottle caps...paint them and viola instant embellishment. Smash that bottle cap with a rubber mallet or Sizzix machine or leave it As Is and fill the inside with tiny trinkets and then fill in with clear glue.

Save the peel off seal from Daisy Sour Cream...they have pretty pics with a neat quote...why not use it? Use the plastic container for storing odd and ends (label it to save your sanity) or use it as a tub to wash out paint brushes.

Save soup and veggie cans...wash and dry them then cover the outside with pretty papers and make a pencil or pen holder...you can also store paint brushes, scissors, rulers and lots of other items to keep them at your fingertips.

Use soup cans with the Pop-Top for gift giving...remove the bottom of the can with a can opener that cuts around the edge of the can instead of cutting inside the rim. Fill with goodies and glue the bottom back on with a strong adhesive. Cover the can with pretty paper and embellishments and tie some ribbons to the Pop-Top. Give to someone special.

Use cereal boxes and products with similar packaging for cutting chipboard shapes out of, use them to strengthen envies when shipping items, use them as your shipping box.

Use old greeting card for new projects. Cut out the pretty pictures on the cover and reuse to make other cards, embellishments, ornaments or mixed media art.

Use tags and labels off of clothing. Zandi jeans, for example, have awesome tags! Use the entire label or just cut words from labels to use on colleges. I couldn't tell you how many times I have cut the word NASCAR off of something.

Use pickle or spaghetti sauce jars to store embellishments. My silk flowers find their homes in these jars and look great!
Ok so here are a few ways you can reuse and recycle items. Give a few a try and you will quickly find yourself thinking of ways to reuse everyday trash.

Making Silly Faces!

2009-04-18T10:42:00.000-04:00

I figure I better start off with the most serious one and slowly ease you guys into this little guy's true personality. These photos were taken of my nephew Cyrus yesterday morning. I wanted some pics of him in that hat because it was just so cute on him. Well everything is cute on him but then again I'm a bit partial. Well it seems whenever I grab my camera he wants to make silly faces. I thought kids started doing this at like 5-6 not at 1. :) Anyhow here is my little guy. Isn't he adorable? Gotta love that face.

Covering Grungeboard with Paper

2009-04-18T07:46:00.015-04:00

Ok so those of you who know me will know I HATE cutting anything with scissors or a craft knife...well I don't so much hate it as it looks awful. So while UTubing I stumbled on this neat little trick. I did it, took pics and viola...It worked! So here we go Step by Step.

Step 1: Gather Supplies Grunge Board pieces, Paper to use as the covering (I used old Dictionary Pages), Mod Podge, Paint Brush, Glue Dots, Non-Stick Craft Mat

Step 2: Use a glue dot to hold the Grunge Board Pieces in place on your craft mat. Cover with a thick coat of Mod Podge and smooth paper in place. Take extra care to get all the edges and corners as they need to be covered well. Remove as many air bubbles as possible but if some remain that's ok because this is ART.

Step 3: Let air dry completely or be like me and grab your trusty heat tool and dry your gluey mess. Pay attention so you don't burn yourself, your paper...or catch anything on fire.
Heat Gun = HOT

Step 4: Lay project on your craft mat with the grunge board side up. This is so you can see what you are tearing. Now grab a piece of the paper and RIIPPPPP. That felt good didn't it?? Grab another piece and RIIIPPP again. You like this don't you? Ok keep tearing until all the paper bits are removed. You will see how easy it tears along the edges when you give this a try.

Here is what it looks like with all the paper removed. Notice there are a few spots where I accidentally ripped the paper off the grungeboard...I'm going with it no stressing...remember what I said??? This is ART.

Step 5: I used Cuttlebug embossing folders in my Sizzix to create a little extra Ummph. You can do this or not... ART remember??

Step 6: Supplies Needed: Distress Ink and Foam Blending Tool
Ink the edges of your pieces with Distress Ink and rubbing your Blending Tool in a circular motion over your grunge board. I like to start my circles while still on my craft mat and move inward over my piece. This prevents any lines on my piece where I first started.

Here is the final piece ready to use. Stay tuned to see what I make with these pieces.

Spring is on its way.

2009-04-18T07:17:00.000-04:00

All of these photos were taking on Easter day. I didn't take a single picture during dinner but at least I got a few photos to remind me that spring is finally arriving.

I love this birdnest photo. I just think it looks beautiful. Also it was a pain in the butt to get. It is about 10 feet above my head so it was one of those deals where you hold the camera upwards and hope for the best...well after several tries I finally got a shot where the nest was actually in the frame...and it turned out to be this one. Love it. I love that piece of string that is hanging down.
Random flower shots from my mom's house. The daffodils are blooming everywhere down there so I marked a few that I plan to steal for my own house when they fade away. For some reason I don't have any. Weird I know. Everyone has daffodils. She also has big hyacinths that smell amazing!

Charlie's Angel I am not

2009-04-18T06:53:00.000-04:00

OK so it looks like I am not being very safe with this gun but I swear I am. That's my brother Chris teaching me how to shoot his new gun...ya never know when you will need to know how. That's what he says at least. Ok so I must admit I didn't hit a single target with this small this handgun.

In the next two photos Tim and Chris are showing me how to do it right. They were hitting the target everytime! Brats!

BUT here is the money shot baby...Oh yeah Give me a rifle and Im finally getting the job done. I exploded some concrete deer antler thing. I was pretty pumped and decieded to quit while I was ahead. For some reason I have to shoot rifles like a lefty. Im not sure I can't see if I try to do it from my right shoulder. Weird...