The Heart of a Home

I'm still busy pulling everything together for my big sale, but I did manage to squeeze in just a teensy bit of stamping time...

I pulled out my Home set and came up with this. I stamped the image onto white paper, colored with prismacolor pencils, then covered with strong adhesive (that red liner tape stuff, except sold by the sheet) and then sugar beads. I love that look, but just don't pull out my beads that often because I'm always afraid I'm going to make a big mess :) I used Bazzill cardstock for the base and the accent band; I used a Martha Stewart punch on that, and was pleased that it went through the Bazzill so well.

All righty, I have to get back to work now. Hopefully I'll be back Monday with reports that I sold everything (hee hee!)

Haven

These past few months I've been really into the home and house images, quotes, etc. Some of that is probably because of the MOPS theme (Home Factor: Dwell Well), and my devotion to HGTV might play a small role, too. Anyway, this is another card I made using the smARTworks' House Warming and Home sets. I started by stamping the house, coloring it with prismacolor markers, and then trimming down the panel with a portion of the house outside. "Home" is spelled out with Cosmo Cricket chipboard letters, and then I masked off the sentiment to use just the three words. Hint: cover unwanted words with scotch tape, ink normally, then remove tape and stamp. Obviously I made this as a card, but I think it would be really nice as a small framed piece for an entryway or side table (wow, did I just sound like an HGTV groupie or what? :)

Also wanted to let you know that smARTworks is releasing some GORGEOUS new images tomorrow. The online catalog has been updated, and the new goodies start at page 126. (If you want to click through quickly, then click through to page 126, and then just enter 127, 128, etc. on your browser's address bar). I cannot wait to get my hands on those Trios (flowers, and even a coffee mug!)... oh, and a beautiful house set that's just begging to be watercolored.

Hope you're having a great day, and hopefully you have just a bit of time to enjoy your own haven...

Bright Houses

Just wanted to share these cards I made using the House Warming set. I have to admit this set isn't necessarily "my" style, but I really love the houses. This first one would be a great way to welcome a new neighbor, don't you think? I stamped the row of homes onto a Fabriano notecard, added color with watercolor crayons and prismacolor pencils, then added the sentiment (Combo Sentiments). The final touch was some swirly black ribbon and little key charm I had in my stash. Love it!

This second card is waaay out of my comfort zone - those colors are borderline obnoxious :) It all started with the coral card base (DCWV) and then I found this stripe in one of my old stacks. It matched beautifully, so I just picked several other colors from the print to color the house (using prismacolor pencils). I stamped the sentiment (Home) on a scrap of white - had to break up the crazy stripes just a bit...

And don't forget that smARTworks still has the amazing Spring Fever special going on. A few sets are now out of stock - click here for the list. Head on over and get some rubbah at a fantastic discount!

Tagged

I've been itching to make a tag ever since Tim Holtz did his "12 Tags of Christmas." I started playing around with this house image and sentiment (House Warming and Home) and decided the time had come... The papers are all from the DCWV Old World Stack (although they've been altered pretty heavily). I started by stamping the house onto the brown paper, then thin metal, and finally a coral print. Cut out the individual pieces and reassembled onto the base. I knew I wanted to give the house wings, so I pulled a set out of my grungeboard elements, covered it with some versamagic ink, then ran it through my Big Shot with the textile folder. I then went over the edges and raised texture with platinum brilliance ink.

For the tag base, I started by stamping the sentiment onto a 3x5 piece of light blue paper. I stamped on a few images (Screen, script from One Smile) then misted it down with latte & snowflake glimmer mists. I brushed on a tiny bit of blue crackle paint, but it looked awful so I cleaned it off with a baby wipe and was happy with the blue wash it left behind. I then stamped the clock (Bits of Time #2) and accented the edges with brown ink. I layered the piece onto navy cardstock, then added a green print as a hole reinforcer, and punched it all with a slot punch. Next, I dug through my ribbons and fibers until I came up with a handful of pieces, and threaded them through. The tag still needed something on the bottom, so the final touch was adding a small metal key (from my embellishment stash). Whew! Finally done :)

But my post title has another meaning - Jacki was picking on me yesterday (her words! :) and I've been tagged. First off, seven random and/or strange things about me:

1. I love to read. Magazines, cereal boxes, billboards, novels, whatever. When I was growing up, I would often curl up in my bedroom (down in the basement) and lose myself in a good book. Mom would yell for me, but I was in another world and wouldn't hear, so she'd often "call" for me by flipping the breaker. Yes, I noticed when the lights went off.
2. My first car was a '71 Dodge Coronet. I even had vanity plates (super cheap in MT) that read "BLU WALE."
3. I used to say that I wanted 4 kids. Now I'm absolutely convinced that 2 is the magic number for us. Oh, and I knew way more about children before I had my own :)
4. Spring is my favorite season. When I start seeing daffodils, I know that it won't be much longer before I can start wearing flip flops again.
5. I can't stand curry. I've tried many different varieties, but there's some base spice in all of them that seriously triggers my gag reflex. (Turmeric maybe?)
6. I have horrible vision and am legally blind - but thankfully fully correctable. Glasses are the very first thing I reach for in the morning (so I can read the clock).
7. I used to work in HR, and once had a dream I was drowning in resumés.

Jacki also rated my blog "E" for Excellent. Wow, thanks!! She is a gifted artist (her coloring skills are amazing!!) who freely shares her knowledge - but even better, she has a godly spirit that really shines through.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but feel free to play along with the "randomness" if you'd like. And as for other excellent bloggers, I kindly direct you to my sidebar of recommended reading :)

Have a great afternoon!!