I Had Some Help

 This card is for my great-nephew Dan's 14th birthday.  I used the new Martha Stewart papers I bought from TJMaxx; along with Tim's rosette die as well as his new blueprint stamps on the envelope.  I had help...

Here is my assistant, Rain.  She has picked this spot to join me when I'm crafting.  Why there, with her head resting on a bowl...I have no idea.  Maybe it's the polar fleece eye mask that serves as her pillow?  (do you really care to know that the mask is at the ready near my sewing supplies because the strap needs replacing...and that it has been here for months years?) 

A Bit of Fun

 Yesterday and this morning I put aside most everything and headed to the studio.  I needed a birthday card to accompany the chocolates I purchased just for the occasion.  I followed a design from one of Tim's 2012 tags, using the good stuff:  a vintage millinery flower and leaf, some antique crochet lace (more of it is exposed on the back side of the tag/card), backed with old dictionary paper. 

I was overdue to get a card out to Josef.  I followed Denise Hahn's 10 minute card design, which produces a nice result in a short time.  I'm loving this fruit label paper from Reminisce. 

Then a little bookmark just for me.  I bought this cute Martha Stewart Halloween paper pad for $4 from TJMaxx the other day.  I've already got more projects started with it, awaiting my return to the crafts table.   

View Into My Life

Garrett has spent this week with me.  We started out with some house rules, one of which was that his computer was to be set-up downstairs, under no circumstances to be moved into his bedroom.  Because we have an 11 pm 'go to bed time" and I know he will play PC games all night if allowed to.  A couple nights later, guess where the computer was moved to?  I have battled this kids over so many things, usually with me losing the battle: brushing of teeth (or all hygiene, for that matter), hair grooming, wearing his jeans well below his butt crack, picking up after himself, on and on.  Really?  I tell you, teenagers are hard to appreciate sometimes. 

 Yet, if you will give up the reins, they can surprise and delight you.  This is what greeted me this morning  at noon when I went to check if he was still breathing.  First I had to push open the bedroom door which was blocked with his box full of Legos.  I guess he wanted to be alerted to any intrusion?  Reggae music was softly playing in the background, Lego alien standing guard.  Teenager wrapped in a blanket as opposed to under the sheets and blanket.  Another battle that isn't worth fighting.  I mean, if it doesn't kill him, shouldn't I just let him live and learn?   I'm not too old to remember my teen years.  Oh, my. 

Meanwhile, this was the scene in my bedroom.  I don't often leave my door open because delicates are a magnet for the kittens.  Noon Sunday and all is quiet. 

Bonus Fairies

 Just for fun I made a Fairy Booklet page for Karla, our swap hostess.  There are 100 swap participants.  Meaning Karla made 100 front and back covers for the booklet.  Think about that.  For each of these covers she decorated the front and back  of each; that's really 4 sides.  4 X 100 = 400!  Can you even imagine?  And she doesn't just slap on some paper, either.  So the very least I could do is show her a little love of my own. 

I'm thinking Karla looks something like this wonky witch as she assembles the booklets.  Whew. 

Fairies All Done

At last, I am ready to send off my Fairy Booklet pages to Karla's Swap.  Whew.  I have spent many many hours of pure fun on this project.  I go into Karla's swaps with no fear because 1) I know she is game for just about anything 2) I know I will get some wonderful pages in return.  I was losing a bit of steam with just 2 pages left to do.  I made a quick trip to my friend in Salem, which requires a stop at her nearby craft store, The Craft Warehouse.  While I dithered in the scrapbook section, she was browsing the fabric fat quarters.  And that's where she took me to point out some perfect fabric.   Just the thing I needed to get to the finish line.  In the top pic I used as background a botanical pattern, with the fairy "fussy cut" using my Grandma's pinking shears. 

 These little fairies are surely sisters.  Stitched onto a sheet of old hymnal paper, with a bit of batting for dimension and some bling. 

Background here is another of the fabrics I found in the fat quarter section.  I thought this little sprite showed the spirit of an early explorer.  Allrighty then...next. 

Fairy Booklet Almost Done

 Here is a page I made just before my quick trip to Salem.  I put the stamped image of a Scaredy Fairy on a tag that could be removed and used as a bookmark.  Background papers are Graphic 45, naturally! 

This is the flip side.  I was running out of steam so I went back to a page from the vintage Robin Hood story book I bought specially for this booklet project.  The fairy is from an Alpha Stamps college sheet I've had for a while.  Only 2 pages left to do. 

$75...like that!

 I can't remember what started me on my latest eBay shopping spree.  Something I needed wanted, maybe a Dylusions or Tim product?  Soon I was well over the $25 mark; in fact the stamp set with the draftsman look, from Stamper's Anonymous (Tim's line) was around $25.  I kept shopping.  Then I noticed that the seller offered free shipping on all orders above $75.  That kept me going and going and going.  The seller had a wonderful selection of stuff, but not much in the Dylusions line, which I am just learning about. Her style is a departure to anything I'm presently doing.  I feel another "Ca-ching" coming on.  Anyhoo, here is what $75 looks like. 

I made a quick tag for my Weekly Tag Journal using some of the new stamps and the fine gold embossing powder.  Now to put everything away...

Tim's August Tag

I really liked Tim Holtz' tag for August.  I think the colors are pretty and he used a silhouette for the center image and I like silhouettes.  The day prior to Tim posting his tag I ordered $75 worth of his merchandise, but deliberately did not buy the silhouette stamp set...because I'm holding out for his die which is coming out in Sept.  So once again I'm improvising.  I actually do have a number of his elements to use, like the texture fade and the diffuser, an edge die, his festive foliage die and of course his Distress Inks.   Here is my cheeky version of Tim's tag. 

Here is my feminine version.  I used the same tag, swapping out the center image and some of the embellishments. I used the "No 45" because the lady is from Graphic 45's Ladies Diary paper collection.  Hmmm, not sure which version I'll glue down.  Thank you, Tim, for another great example to play with.  ps  I glued down the skull version, 'cause this tag is gonna go to my galfriend with a wicked sense of humor.