May Day

Happy May Day!!!

Is that something that you celebrate???

I remember when I was a little girl that we would leave flowers on our

adoptive grandmothers front step...

I think this is maybe a long forgotten holiday to bring in Spring!

It is sort of comical since it's been over 100 for the last 3 days here in Phoenix!

But I wanted to play with some of my new washi tape!

I got the sketch from Flutterby Wednesdays,

and I just love this awesome butterfly washi, and the new little blue washi too!

Do you celebrate May Day??  Take a minute to look it up, it's a fun little holiday!

 

 

Also linking up with:

Flutterby Wednesdays: Sketch

Crafty Sentiments: Letter B (butterfly, blue, bird feather)

Pinspirational Challenge: challenge 55

The Pink Elephant: Washi Tape

Card Makin Mama's: Washi Tape

Wizard of oz card!

It's fun to have a piece "commissioned"

My friend Steph loved the wizard of oz tags, 

And asked me to make this wizard of oz card to go with it.

The images are from Saturated Canary,

And I typed out the sentiments on my typewriter!

The background paper is hand sprayed, and then I used my dylusions inks

To paint on the grass.

For the yellow brick road, 

I layer out the bricks using my glossy accents,

Then I inked over with my wild honey and rusty hinge distress inks.

The glossy accents act as a resist, 

When the ink is wiped away the glossy accent is left.

Pretty cool huh?

Entering this into:

Nearly mine challenges: anything goes

Anything but a card: ATC's

I missed my last posting for the Anything But a Card Challenge

I was off on vacation, and although I had tried my hardest to get something up for the challenge,

it just didnt' happen!
No such thing this time around.

The new challenge is ATC's or Artist's Trading Cards.

I have made a number of these, and I just love how small and quick they tend to be!

This time around I colored up a "christmas" image from Saturated Canary.

I think just cause it's a Christmas image doesn't mean I can't use it any time of year right??

For the background I spritzed a few different dylusions ink sprays, 

I love the mottled look I got!  Super cool!?!

Finally I added a little strip of new washi tape across the corner,

and the sentiment "fly high on wings like angels."

If you've never made an ATC before, now is a great time to try it out!

If you have, you know how fun these little creations can be...

So come join in the fun!!

Also linking this up with:

Saturated Canary Challenge: All things Bright and Beautiful

Wicked Wednesday ATC's: Things with Wings

Bearly Mine: Digi Days

also linking up with the serendipidous challenge over at: Paper Issues

Wizard of oz tag

Happy weekend y'all!

I just am hopping in real quick like to share a tag I made for a swap

The theme was Wizard of Oz

Either the old one, or the new one.

So I used the lion as my main image, it's from The Octopode Factory

you can find that fabulous shop here
My fun tag......

I tried to represent as many of the characters as possible, so I have the lion,

and the twine coming out of the bottom is to represent the scarecrow,

the balloon is for the wizard, and the ribbon on top is just plain red ribbon

that I covered with aluminum tape, to represent the tin man...

I loved the definition of courage for this tag.

Hubby said afterwards that I should have used some glimmer mist on the background,

and now looking at it I sorta agree!

Oh well what's a girl to do???

I hope you're getting your craft on this weekend!

Entering this into:

Octopode Factory Friday Challenge: Tag, you're it

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Anything goes

Striped card and some vintage shoes

Good evening!

 I had a semi productive afternoon....

Hubby and I went to the Goodwill where I found an awesome pair of vintage

Puma's. Wanna see??? 

Aren't they fun??  and OMG are they comfortable!

I'm wearing them at work right now, and my feet feel like they're in slippers!

Ok, ok, on to the crafty goodness...

Remember the other day I posted about how I used a coke can to make my card??

I've got another one for you...

The stripes are twine from the twinery, and I'm going to link this up with

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Color

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

Recycling!

Do you celebrate Earth day??

I don't mean like a big party, and such, but did you know that April 22nd, 2013

was Earth day.  Do you recycle?? Do you make conscious choices to do things better for the environment?  I can say that since we moved to Phoenix almost 6 years ago

we have definitely become much more aware of doing things for the environment,

and in turn I guess more Earth Conscience.

So, here is a little tribute that I made!

I started with these two coke cans that I fished out of the garbage at work!

Yep, at work!!!

I cleaned them out, and cut them down so I could use the aluminum.

See....  I cut the can down, and then I used my alcohol inks in green, and purple.

I added some brads on the corners so the aluminum would stay on the paper!

I added a little bit of twine from the twinery, and the "Thank You" sentiment in the middle,

I'm gonna send this off to my sister and bro-in-law in Florida who were gracious enough

to let me and mom stay with them for a few days while on vacay!

 

Oh, and I'm also playing along with the challenge over at.....

pretty pink posh

pretty pink posh

 

This cute little card took me 9:07 to create!

I will say that I did cut up the can's prior to starting,

I didn't want to rush that too much and cause a major cut!

Thanks for stopping in and checking my creation out!

 

 Also linking to:

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

 

U rock

Hey all! 

I'm just stopping in real quick to share a card I made for hubby.

I think he was a little bored while I was out of town,

I was lucky enough to come home to a sparkling clean house,

clean clothes, and even fresh linens on the bed (that's hands down my FAVORITE!!)

I wanted to thank my #1 guy, so I made him this fun card...

the background paper is all sprays, no pattern paper here!

I added a few buttons from my stash, and

also a few strips of ribbon from my stash as well!

And those arrows!  Ahhh I've had those little stamps for a while

it felt good to pull them out and ink them down!

Here's a peek at the inside...

Just a little note of encouragement..

 

 

Entering this into:

Crafty Catz: For the boys

Card Makin Mamas: Ribbon

Chocolate, Coffee, Cards: Sketch

Clear it out: Button Up

Crafty Creations: No patterned paper

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Color

 

 

Bathrooms

Yep, you read that title correctly, it says bathrooms!

If you read yesterdays post you know that I very rescently visited the Donna Downey Studio's

in Huntersville, NC.  While there I was given a brief tour, and it was a great surprise to

see a couple of very awesome bathrooms in the studio.

Yep, those are all paint swatches!  Pretty cool huh??

You don't really expect the toilet and stuff when you glance in this room.

Very cool right??

Then the bathroom next door looks like this.....

With these amazing altered paint brushes that have been sent to the

Studio from all over the world.

Here are some close ups

I just love this idea, and hope I can get my hubby on board with some changes to the guest bathroom.

Maybe not paint chips, but something else fun and cool?? 

I appologize to any of you that may have come from Anything But a Card,

with being on vacation, and then sick all week I haven't had much crafting drive.

I do hope to finish my Oz tag for a tag swap with my craft group

next Saturday!

I hope you all are having a safe and blessed Sunday!

My adventure to Donna Downey Studios

So it's been ohhhh 10 days since I posted a blog! 

My 1 year blogiversary came and went... I did have cake that day, but it was for my nephew's 19th birthday!  Yeah!  Happy Birthday De de!

So as you may know I have been on vacation! 

I came home tan and sick... yep, sick... it seems I almost always come home from vacation sick.

Probably because I just go go go on vacay, and then bam! I'm sick...

So tonight while I home sick from work, I figured I'd catch up on my blog.

I'm not saving the best for last, this very first post is the best I've got!

 

My parents are lucky enough to live about 20 minutes (or less!) from the Donna Downey Studio

in the beautiful Huntersville, NC.

About a week before vacay I mentioned to my mom that I'd love to check it out if we

had time one day.  That time came on my last full day in NC. 

We started the day cleaning (my mom owns a cleaning company, and I helped her out at her job)

Then we headed to the Hobby Lobby, stopped and had lunch with my dad, then we ventured over to the Joanns, and finally the time had come..

I loaded the address into the GPS (or what I thought was the address... see I had written it down on the back of the Joann's coupon that we had just surrendered!) and we headed on our way.  The GPS said it was 15 minutes, and it seemed we knew where we were going.

We came to the address I had loaded, and there was nothing but an old house there...

Sigh, I don't have a smartphone, so we kept driving...

About 5 - 10 minutes later I saw this

I apologize for the sorta crappy picture, if you can't tell, this is the Donna Downey Studio logo!

We had arrived!  I was excited, and I grabbed my camera from the back seat.

My mom said, are you gonna ask her for a picture.

I was feeling sorta shy (not normal for me!) and I said well, if she's available.

We entered the store, and the paintings are amazing!

I'm kicking myself now for not taking more pics, but this is what I snapped of the paintings!

Just rest assured, there are lots and lots of them... up and down the halls, ect ect.

 

We were promptly greeted by a lady that we would come to know was Melissa.

She welcomed us to the store, and let us know if there was anything we needed she was available.

On the Studio part of the store we could see a lady and another male employee that we found out was Stephan. We perused some of the merchandise, and Melissa was there again asking if there was anything we needed help with.  Mom took the lead at this point and said well, my daughter is here from Arizona, and was just so excited to see the Studio.  It had become apparent that Donna was not at the Studio. Melissa so graciously showed us around, and even let me get a sneak peak at the project that Donna had just been doing with Dina Wakley (a local Arizona artist!)

She said it was still a secret, so I didn't snap a pic of it! 

She showed us the Pantone and Paintbrush Bathrooms (that will be tomorrow's blog!)

I was blown away! 

And then she showed us all the fabulous paintings!  WOW!

If I had an extra couple hundred bucks hanging out, I'd have brought something more fabulous home!

 

Melissa then said "I'll call Donna and see if she'll come down"

I was so excited! 

A few minutes later after browsing some more, Melissa said Donna would be down in 10 minutes,

but that she was wearing her painting overalls

I certainly didn't care!

About 20 minutes later Donna came in the store, (Not in her paining overalls,) but fabulous none the less!  I had mom snap this picture. I LOVE the peacock in the background!

Let me tell you all, this was a fabulous treat, and if you are ever in the Charlotte, NC area,

it is definitely worth the stop!  Donna is fabulous, and her studio is as well!

 

Tomorrow I will show off the bathrooms! 

Lets just say I think there might be some bathroom changes in my future! 

 

 



Crafters Cafe: ATC or Fat page

Helllllo!

Today I'm sharing my DT creation for the The Crafters Cafe 

Where this month's challenge is an ATC or Fat page (4 x 4)

I've never done a fat page, and may try that for the 4th week post,

but today I've done an ATC using a fabulous image from Limited Runs called Goober

I colored him up using my copic markers, and added a button for his eye...

For the background of the card I used my aluminum tape 

and some stamps from 7 gypsies. 

I apologize for the way the picture is, the aluminum tape just doesn't photograph very well!

I hope you'll come and play along with our ATC Challenge this month!

 

Entering this into:

Creative Inspirations: anything goes with the option of a heart

Pink, black and white birthday

And.......

Here's the card I made for my mom!

Mom is a pink kind of girl!! 

In fact I think I'm headed out to the store today to buy some pink shorts

just so we can be twins on vacation!

Sooo anyways, I just had to make a pink and girlie sort of card for mom!

Plus this card also doubles as a bookmark!  yep, that cute little fairy comes off

and is a bookmark too!

Cute??

Linking up with:

Bearly mine Challenges: sketch

Chocolate, Coffee, Cards: Color inspiration

Cute Card Thursday: Something Borrowed (I borrowed the sketch!)

Flutterby Wednesdays: Flower

Oozak: Anything Goes with pearls and lace

Simon Says Stamp: Birthday

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Anything Goes



It's your birthday... Go batty

Happy Birthday!

Yep, a few birthdays to celebrate while I'm gone on my trip!

Lucky me I get to see my nephew for his birthday,

and I leave just a few days before my mom's birthday too!

(that post will be next)

So I made this card for my nephew!

The image is from Angie Delarie

And here's a close up

I know the bat has a bow, and that's not so boyish, but I tried to color him up in boy colors!

Entering this into:

Desert Island Crafts: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10

Crafty Catz: anythng Goes

Simon Says: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp: Happy Birthday

Tuesday Morning Sketch: Challenge 192

Crafty Bloggers: Anything Goes



12 tags of 2013: April

Hello!  Happy Wednesday!

Ok, I know for some of you that it's already Thursday,

but I'm getting a later than usual start to my day as I took a late afternoon nap

and then I'm headed off to work!

I wanted to share this tag I made for the 12 Tags of 2013: April challenge

over on Tim Holtz blog

He is showcasing the new metalic distress paint dabbers,

and as I don't have any of those, I used what I do have...

Which are the original paint dabbers in red, orange and yellow.

The butterfly stamp is from Stampendous,

the owl is from a set of metal embellies and the compass I got from a fellow blogging friend

the 9 is a grunge letter that I attempted to do some patina on...

the pic straight on doesn't really do it justice.

Here is a different view where you can see the way the wings are flipped up

And here's a close up of the owl... he was originally a bright silver color,

and I was able to paint him up and use some of my metalic distress stains

to make him a more rustic coloring

And here's a close up of my placard, and the 9

I love all the pretty bright colors, a little brighter than I usually use, but I really like the way

this tag turned out!

So I want to take this opportunity to apologize for the lack of posts over the next few weeks,

I am headed off to Florida and Charlotte on Saturday,

and I'm afraid I may not be online too much!

I hope to have my DT posts on auto pilot, but there may not be much else other than that.

I'm also super excited to be hopefully stopping by the Donna Downey Studios

when I'm in Charlotte with my mom!

How exciting is that???  I also signed up for an art journaling class with Dina Wakley

at a local Scrapbook store here in Glendale, az at the beginning of May! 

I know there's lots of great stuff going on over the next month!  

I hope you had a blessed Easter, and are having a glorious Spring!  

Linking up with:

Simon Says Stamp and show: Anything goes