Holiday Cheer

The Desert Ridge Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona was decked out this month in Holiday Cheer. Beautiful Flowers and trees were displayed throughout the lobby..... but that wasn't all.... Every year the resort constructs the most extraordinary gingerbread village which is placed in the center of the lobby for all to enjoy.
The theme this year, as you can see in the picture is: Wonkaland.

I could not resist to share a few pictures of the delicious structures that make up the village.

Who is in the pipe?

The shapes and colors used look so delicious.

No village is complete without a railway system.

This house was made out of the shiniest hard candy.

Yummy!

A Christmas Story

For the past few years I have had great intentions to get out my art supplies and make cards for all the relatives and friends to send our love and best wishes, however, it seems like time has escaped me and I had to pick up a box or two at the store again this year and, I fell in love with this card. It is, of course, from the film "A Christmas Story" I just think that film is so sweet. It reminds me of my childhood in Chicago. It makes me laugh at the many quirky things that kids and parents do, just like the recess scene pictured on the front of the card! I know that I am not the only one who enjoys this movie, as I received an ATC card inspired from this movie awhile back. Whenever I look at it, it always puts a smile on my face!

I wish you all A Merry Christmas!

So Cute

Snow is fun to be in as a child and adults, however it may hinder plans made to travel. I have been watching the news and marvel that it has delayed travelers in the East and throughout Europe. In my early twenties when I went to visit my friends in England during winter break, I too, had to reorganize my trip due to being trapped under snow.

Now that I live in Arizona, I look at the snow with fond memories, and when I want to see it, I jump in the car and head for the hills! It really is enjoyable to go to up in the Mountains and spend some time in the snow playing and building snowmen.

This adorable snowman was sent to me by my friend Lisa, it's so cute and festive. I love his little top hat and his rosy cheeks. Sooo Cute!

Christmas Carols

Mystic paper has some great papers to create the sweetest vintage projects. It's so much fun to browse the shelves to find new items to add to the "creative stash". I could not resist this charming paper when I saw it among the vintage Christmas display. It reminded me when I was young and my family celebrated Christmas with the whole family, aunts and uncles and all of my cousins. There are the three boys Richard, Raymond and Robert in little choir robes singing their hearts out! I had to buy this paper and make a quick last minute card to send to those three men to share this sweet memory.

Paper : dasyd's, melissafrances, smartpaper
Punch : martha stewart
Ribbon : offray
Purchased : red rhinestones
Ink : distress - vintage photo, old paper

O Christmas Tree

Participating in swaps is exciting and fun!
Just in time to add to the holiday decor is the holiday INchies.
This arrived at the house yesterday!
It was such a joy to open.
When you send the INchies to the hostess of swaps in this group,
the INchies are returned in a most spectacular display.



The hostess Marylin displayed the INchies on a cute little Christmas trees.
They are most spectacular when lined up like a little forest!

Shabby Comfort

Last week I had begun a quick quilt project..... pictured is the pieces of the quilt after sewing the pieces together. I really enjoyed selecting the fabric for this quilt, it's from the Life's a Hoot line of fabric.

There are seven different patterns used to make this quilt, six for the front and a soft coordinating flannel for the back. Purchased were three yards for the front, half yard cuts in six different patterns and three yards for the back.

Each of the prints were cut into three forty inch long and five and one half wide strips and for the back eighteen strips of the same measurements as the front.

Then one of each of the front strips and six of the back strips need to be cut in half and sewn to the matching full strip making twelve of the front and twelve of the back.

The strips are ready to be sewn together, placing a front strip to a back strip wrong sides together and sewn to the next strip in the order that you would like them to lay. When the strips are all sewn and the quilt is one piece, it needs to be sewn all the way around the outside two times.

Once the pieces are sewn together and the outside sewn, the seams are ready for clipping. Clip all the seams at quarter of an inch intervals. Be sure that the no seams are clipped. The quilt needs to be washed about tree times to fray the clipped edges.

When completed, the quilt will look like this:

Max absolutely loves it. It is so soft, comfortable and warm! It was so much fun to make!

Charming

Back in the fall, I participated in a charm swap. It was the first time I participated in a swap of this kind. I have been reading blogs and looking at all kinds of clever charms crafters are creating and I have become challenged to create some kind of charm to swap.
With the basic collage supplies, text background, images, chipboard 1" circles, diamond glaze, tiny rhinestones, beads, jewelry pins and jump rings..... a small paper charm is created.

This is the result of my efforts.

The little charms were sent off to the swap hostess and the return was so much fun to receive. It was so much fun getting so many different little treasures back!

Shabby Seams

It's always exciting to have additions to the family. This fall it seems that there have been quite a few baby boys born into the family! Not only do I have a grandson, my little cousin gave birth to a set of twin boys! I am so excited about the boys, I have to take up a little sewing and knitting for these little ones! This will be my first project! A quick quilt. The fabrics are just wonderful. The prints are from The Hoot Collection, they are the cutest little Owl prints with the colors, green, orange and brown and a little aqua thrown in. Keep an eye out for the finished product, I know I will be posting it for all to see!

Swap Fever

I'm back!
I have been away for awhile....I was suffering from a case of art cards and crafts fever, well not actually, but I have been recovering from an illness that prevented me from participating in swaps and trades for a while.

This is the last live swap that I was able to participate in! Pictured here are all the wonderful swapping friends, who design and make such delightful and fun ATC's that are fun to collect!

The theme on the street that night was Steam Punk!!! My favorite !!! The trade was great, there were so many participates and so many cards. These cards are a wonderful addition to my collection, I know they will always be some of my favorites!

Winner

Amidst all the rushing around for the past month, I was lucky enough to win this informative little collage book. I entered to win on a blog that I found on the craft gossip site. It was fun getting it in the mail this week. My favorite part of the book is the back section , which has a fun mix of background and collage papers.

Speaking of paper, it was the Bazzill Paper Warehouse sale this weekend. I really didn't need to go, as I need to complete my project line up. However, after thinking about it for about an hour I drove over to Chandler to see what was left. The deals that I picked up today were the little coverall 6 x 6 books that were $1.50 each. There were coin folders for .25 each, so I picked up a few. Also a great buy, spools if nice ribbon, 15 yards for $1.50. There were a couple of items that were there on Friday , but were sold out. I did buy a couple of kits that were available from the Creative Escape. And finally I bought several packages of inch size chipboard circles and squares to use for swaps. It's fun to go to these sales, they are truly like going on a treasure hunt.

Round Robin Fun

It's time to grab the books and start to play.

The Round Robin Altered Book Swap is about to begin.

A group of fabulous artists have signed up to play.

Each one has selected a theme for her book and we get a few weeks to create a spread according to the selected theme.

I have had this book for quite sometime and thought it would make an excellent carpet bag...... is there a better theme for it then "Steampunk"?

I was inspired by the Gail Carriger Books - Soulless, Changeless and the new book Blameless. They are marvelous~full of Intrigue, Vampire's and Werewolves and of course love and dysfunctional relationships. They take place in London and are full of Steampunk!

Fabulous read!

Chamber of Wonder

Quite awhile ago, the Inchies group, put out a challenge to do a another "Inchie swap". I love to create these petite collages. They are challenging and they are so much fun to make.

This challenge was to create an inchie to represent something that would be found in a "Cabinet of Curiosities" A Cabinet of Curiosities, was an encyclopedic collection in Renaissance Europe of types objects whose categorical boundaries had yet to be discovered.

Saturday, I received an envelope with this package inside it.

I was excited to open and see what was created for each individual participant this "Wunderkammer" inchie swap!

This is what was inside the paper. My own Cabinet of Curiosities!

Deborah made this wonderful books to house these little eclectic gems of wonder. She listed each artist as an architect, a creator, designer, a pioneer, etc. This was such a fun swap and the presentation is fabulous!

Ready for The New Arrival

In anticipation for the little boy that will be arriving soon, our first grandson, I made his mother a little book so that the parents can document their experiences as new parents. I selected some neutral solid papers and some matching printed baby papers and put them together for a little book to add photo's and memories.

The pages were cut to two different sizes to create a little interest. The book has no theme, a preference of the father.

A great 12 x 12 sheet was found and cut up to add to the book, which will help with the documentation of Doctor visits and different experiences that these new parents will have.

The book is big enough to chronicle the nine months of preparation as well as the first precious days of this little boys life.
I am so excited for Breeanna and Eric to fill the pages with their memories and photos of this special time of their lives!

Grosgrain: SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

A Creative Life

Bring creativity to the for front of your life with this nifty machine.
I discovered this machine on the Craft Gossip Blog. If you haven't discovered that blog, it is worth a visit. There are all kinds of crafts projects posted on a daily basis. If you are looking for a project, you will be sure to find something here.
I followed a link to the Grosgrain Blog and read about this amazing machine. There are a few more days to enter to win one of these fabulous cutters! Let me know what you think of the projects created by this digital cutting machine!

Art Day

This has been a great Saturday for art. The swap group was very fun......We swapped the ATC's from the Paris Stationary, pictured on a previous post. They are just beautiful. They are bright and shiny! This challenge was great fun.

Next month's challenge is even more fun. We were given a small stamp set of our choice and some paper to create our ATC's. This challenge is fabulous because stamping is so much fun! The creating has already. The paper began as two 12 x 12 sheets- and it's already cut down to ATC size!

After the live swap, it was off to Mystic Paper, where Trish of Vintage Bliss , had a class to create a mini scrap book from these darling 7 Gypsy booklets with pictures printed 6 up on the Selphy, it was so fun and there were such wonderful women at the class! Thank you Trish!

Print This

Paper Arts are a wonderful thing! I recently received this little printer as a gift from my husband, Don. He has seen it demoed a few times at Mystic Paper where my long time friend, Trish was showing what it can do. As I love creating mini books, I can now print off all kinds of pictures right from my memory card, anywhere I am. It is very easy to use and it creates the most beautiful, long lasting prints right before your eyes! Trish will be featuring this printer again, if you get the chance....come for a look, but don't forget your memory card!

Dog Days of Summer

It was doggy Night in Mesa on Friday Night. There were dogs of all sizes and they were walking their people up and down the street to the beat of the live bands. It was a hot night, but we had a good time. Mystic paper participates in the 2nd Friday Nights on Main, by hosting a live ATC swap. There were only three of us swapping during the event and what fun cards!

Thursday Night Art

Tomorrow is the 2nd Friday on Main Street Live ATC swap at Mystic Paper.
I thought I would create a cute card to swap with the currant theme "Raining Cats and Dogs" The dog in the ATC is a poodle , however Max looks very similar he being a Bichon Frise. Max sometimes joins me on these Friday Night Romps. He enjoys it! It's been so hot the last couple of months so we haven't really stayed very long!
It being a cat and dog night, I will bring Max along! I just have to get back to the table to add the additional elements to the cards....So please join me at the next post to see the completed card or create some cards and come out and join us!

Rolodex Swap

It seems likes its been ages since the last Rolodex swap. However it's only been one short month! This month the theme was fabric and I had every intention of doing some decorative stitching and I was quite looking forward to it. However life got in the way and before long the project was due. So I got our the stamps and some ink pads and did some painting with alcohol inks on fabric. To finish the card glitter and a ribbon on a safety pin were added. I really am anxious to explore more stamping and coloring on fabric, the Eiffel Tower Barbie was the start of it!
I think this design would look gorgeous with some stitching added to it, perhaps to add a little texture to the hair and then some metallic thread throughout the background for more color. The possibilities are endless....and isn't this what is what makes art fun and magical!

Live Swap Challenge

After a brief break of several weeks, the Saturday morning live swap group that I participate in has met up again. It was delightful to see everyone who attended with their latest creations ready to swap.
I love a live swap,(yes I usually always attend the Second Friday on Main Street Live ATC Swap, also)I am a big fan of collaborative projects! Working in a group is such a rich experience. The results are usually more rewarding, as well as being a lot of fun!
This past meeting we were given a challenge to create this month's ATC with this beautiful collection of Paris papers. The images on the papers are gorgeous and there are a lot of elements to use, I envisage a fabulous creation of a gilded vintage collage! It will be a beautiful collection of cards after the swap!

Stamp Club

I meet up with a group of women once a month for a fun night that I fondly refer to as "a cut and color"- however it's a night that we get together to learn some fun stamping and card making techniques.
The "Thanks Tin" was one of this months projects. It was so quick and simple to make. How fun would it be to create a tin to match a collection of ATC's for a live swap?
The supplies needed are: one tin, solid background paper, printed paper, a sentiment, three circles for the roses and one pointed flower cut into pieces, a little ink and some glue.
The result....A beautiful presentation for a gift card or a special gift!

Having Fun

Here they are! The finished Barbies....and Ken. Now they are Lady Gaga, Tim Holtz, I Love Paris,and the Pierrot. They were so much fun to plan and create.
Jennifer has the complete collection on display at Mystic Paper
If you happen to be in Mesa, go in and see them, there is some great dolls on display. My favorites in the collection are: The album cover Barbie, she is sure to bring a smile on your face! Jennifer created a great Frida, her sandals are fabulous. ( I didn't get to add shoes...have you ever noticed the shoes are either always missing or there is only one?) I love Kevyn's dolls they are out of this world!
It's funny, as a girl I never played with Barbies.....as an adult, I have grown to love Barbie. I have fallen in love with her through the many artists who created signature Barbies.
Do you want to play? The next swap will be in the fall, the details will be posted at Mystic Paper.

Current Events

It's really hot here in the valley. Not only is the thermostat rising, but Barbie , that little "hottie"Pin Up doll, manufactured by Mattel for girls of all ages to adore and dress has been the hottest topic at Mystic Paper in Downtown Mesa. It has been several weeks since Jennifer posted the Altered Barbie Swap and the shop has been filling up with long legged looks of all kinds! The Barbies will be featured in a display beginning on Saturday, July 24, so if you are in the area... stop and take a look. Jennifer is offering a sneak peek as well on the store blog too.
A few weeks ago I began the creative process when I saw the photo of this famous magazine cover:

I just had to create a Barbie of her. She was the my first one! I have to admit, I did use a few more bubbles!
My second barbie is not really a Barbie at all.... It's a Ken, my inspiration.....well let's just say he's that well known craft icon that we all know and love. Yes, you guessed it, I got my inspiration here.
The last two Barbies are not famous people, they were inspired from fun and fantasy. You can see a glimpse of one in the photo on the store post! If you see her, let me know what you think!
If you haven't altered a Barbie...try it, not only is it fun, it's addictive!

Swapping Is Hot

The heat isn't the only thing sizzling out here this summer, the live ATC swaps here in town have been really hot too. It has been a busy summer running around town to participate in the Live Swaps Events and it's also a lot of fun to see everyone around their trip and vacation schedules to share a little art. The themes have been perfect for summertime creativity! There has been Music, Summertime Fun, Gypsy, Ocean and Stamp themes! If your staying in town, come out and join us. Next weeks card theme is "Travel to a Another Land!