I am SO happy with the way this card turned out. It’s my second for the latest Lawnscaping “Critters” challenge. I got to thinking about the different animals in the sets and realized one has an owl and another has a cat, so I die cut a boat for an Owl and the Pussycat card. Stamps are from Lawn Fawn, papers are from My Minds Eye and the boat die cut is a Silhouette shape.
Here’s a card for another Lawnscaping challenge. The theme this time is “Critters”, of course I couldn’t resist make a couple of cards. This one will actually be my step mothers birthday card, she and my dad just got back from Florida and I thought this would be perfect with the sweet dolphin. Stamp is from Lawn Fawn and the pattern papers are from My Mind’s Eye.
There are lots of great “challenge” blogs out there, especially for stamping. I don’t usually have a lot of time to participate but there’s a great new one called Lawnscaping and it’s for Lawn Fawn stamps, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite companies. The challenge this time is to take a stamp and use it in an unconventional way (a way it wasn’t intended for) so I took the Lawn Fawn winter bunny riding a sled, cut off the sled and his scarf and turned him into a woodland bunny. I also used the log from another Lawn fawn set, clouds from Hero Arts and words from Close to My Heart. I think it turned out pretty cute!
Since we got our house almost 7 years ago I’ve been using half of our guest room as a “studio”, using one of my husbands small old computer desks and an unused entertainment center as my work space. It was not ideal, I made it work but of course I wanted something a little nicer and better organized. For a long time I looked at different computer desks, shelves, cabinets, etc. and finally came across what I thought would work for me and my limited space. I wanted a long desk top space so I could keep all my big tools (like my Cuttlebug, sewing machine, Stampmaker, etc.) out all the time. I found if they were packed away I didn’t use them as much having to drag them out and make space on my tiny desk for them. I also needed lots of open storage space for cardstock, books, etc. What I finally went with were units made for closet storage, I got four shelf units (one with a door) and two long pieces of shelving wood which I laid over top of three of the shelf sets and screwed into the top. I added the other shelf unit at one end and on top of the desk a small double shelf. It’s surprising sturdy considering it wasn’t meant to be put together in this way. I’ve now got lots of desk room, lots of storage room (though I filled most of it up:)) and it all cost me less than $150! I’m so thrilled with it and find it’s so much easier to create now! Big thanks to hubby for all his help.
Now for some pics. This is my “studio” before:
Our dog Mahogany “Mommy, whatcha’ doin’?”:
and now this is how it looks………….
I added a shelf to display some of my favorite pieces, published items, etc. (thanks to my friend Marti for the “create” letters!):
across the room is my stamp storage, plastic bins with pull out drawers:
extra points for those that noticed all my Twilight items, calendar, cup, trading cards 🙂
Melting wax that is. I decided I hadn’t played with bees wax for awhile so I got my little crock pot out and played around with it the other day. I made some more captured fairy in a jar art cards, like I did in the past, dipping the collaged jars into the bees wax, they always turn out cute. I also did a bird collage I’m really happy with. I started with a wooden tag and collaged vintage music sheet and images of a bird and egg and the word “fly” cut from a vintage book. Then I took a brush and covered the tag with the melted wax. One of the cool things about wax is it can be remelted. So in a couple spots were it was too thick and cloudy I used my heat tool and melted it a bit to thin it out. You can also use a mini iron to melt the wax as well. I then added some game pieces that spell “egg” and faux grass for a nest. I covered a 5 x 7 canvas board in vintage dictionary paper, mounted the tag in the middle on cardstock and then added a few vintage buttons.
Here’s a couple of my fairy art cards:
doesn’t he look shocked to be captured?:
and this is my bird and egg collage:
Early spring cleaning in my Etsy shop! I just marked down a bunch of collage art and vintage illustration soldered pendants to only $7 each!! Hurry before they’re gone. Click here for P is for Paper on Etsy.
I found these cool little metal bird cages at the craft store and thought they were fun. I turned this one into a captured fairy cage. I used a photocopy of a cute vintage girl and adhered her to chipboard and cut her out, then added some chipboard wings behind her and a rhinestone. I put faux grass in the bottom of the cage and set her inside. Pretty simple but pretty cute too 🙂
I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post. The year has hardly begun and already it’s been rough. I’ve had alot of health issues and almost two weeks ago I unexpectedly lost my Grandfather (which has been terribly hard for the whole family).
But I’ve been trying to keep busy, mostly by redoing my work space. I’m almost done, it looks so great and functions so much better than before, I feel so organized! I’ll post before and after pics soon.
In the meantime here’s a few collages I’ve made recently with the thought of Valentine’s Day and love. I took white chipboard and cut out a heart shape (aprox. 5 1/2″ square) and adhered some vintage music sheet and patterned papers that I’d whitewashed and “sponged” with painted bubble wrap. I then added German paper scrap birds, vintage text, ribbons, sewed on buttons, etc. I punched holes at the top and added eyelets and wrapped cream wire for hangers. I think they turned out really pretty, they have a very shabby chic look to them. I love the blue one so much I might even keep it for myself:) The other two are currently for sale in my Etsy Shop.
Are you ready for the holidays? The house is decorated, I’ve gotten all my gifts bought and wrapped, and my cards made and mailed, I think I’m ready! I wanted to share a few of my holiday cards with you today.
This first one was inspired by Tim Holtz (I love his 12 Tags of Christmas each year!) I stamped the image (from Recollections) with black Staz-On ink and then took cosmetic sponges to rub the red and green inks over the images, blending as I went. I added some sparkle with Tim’s Distressed Stickles too.
This next one I stamped the snow globe and snowman (from Inkadinkado) on vellum and colored on the backside of the vellum with colored pencils, it gives it a nice soft look.
This cute little scene was put together from stamps from a few different companies, the deer is Colorbox, the snowflakes and text from Inkdinkado, the tree and bird from Close To My Heart. The deer was kinda of plain so I used a black marker to add his eyes and spots, it helped give him more dimension. The berries on the tree were made with the blunt end of a red marker and I added Stickles to the branches and on the ground around the tree and deer for lots of sparkle.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!!
-Heather
I’ve got some new pendants being listed in my Etsy shop, just in time for the holidays. Here’s a couple of new vintage dictionary illustration soldered pendants. BTW if anyone is looking for a certain animal or illustration for a custom pendant let me know, I might have it and I’m glad to do special orders if I can.
Here’s a cute koala bear:
this hedgehog is so fun, although he looks more like a porcupine to me 🙂 :
and I love this tapir, he’s really cool and unusal:
