Gypsy Chicken

Cupcake Cuties

2010-04-06T14:13:00.003-05:00

I'm always searching for unconventional ideas using paper! Gluing fun hats onto these little cherub faces and using them on cupcakes was one of the best yet - especially loved the little glitz and fuzzies on those hats! Happy One Year Riplets!

My B-I-B-L-E

2010-03-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

My Bible cover was getting pretty stained and ratty looking - while usually I might consider it "distressed" it just wasn't working out for me! I used some really great Graphic 45 papers and Tim Holtz embellies to doll it up - yup, that's the book for me!

For Grammy

2010-03-24T12:01:00.004-05:00

"Nothing is as strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength" was the inspiration for this Memory Frame necklace. My Mom epitomizes this caption, so it needed to become a necklace for her. I added a photo of her as a little girl, and embellished away. My hope was to create something as special as she is!

Revamped Candy Jar

2010-03-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

I have had this really cool jar saved forever and this paper inspired me to finally make it useful. As much as I hate to admit, there are many things just too good to throw out! I cut out the detail on the floral project paper and overlayed it onto a Core'dinations sheet that I embossed and sanded. The top is adorned with all the pretty leftovers, formed into a loopy bow, fastened at the bottom with my tiny attacher from Tim Holtz. If you have not yet checked out the tiny attacher, you really should! It's the handiest, cutest little stapler ever!

(ps - If you stop by the store to peek at this one, I am holding a disclaimer as to the quantity of M&M's :)

2010-03-18T05:20:00.000-05:00

The Fab Five paper today was so pretty, it didn't need much enhancing! I added a photo of my girl, Josie, sitting by her favorite flowers - Daisies! The letters are from 7 Gypsies, and you need to see them in person to fully appreciate them. You will note that many of my projects use the same Spellbinders label Nestabilities. I love the versatility of these little frames, but I'm thinking it's time to spring for another set!

Mirror, Mirror

2010-03-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

I found these cute little mirror circles at a Ben Franklin in South Dakota awhile back and couldn't pass them up! Finally, an opportunity presented itself when my purse compact mirror broke and inspiration hit. My Fab Five project was using the double sided pink stripe paper, that I adhered to a piece of grungeboard. Inside, I stamped a "Live Big" image on mulberry paper, added a little bow, and I'm tickled "pink" with the results!

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into our product giveaway. . .

Yellow Dots of Happiness!

2010-03-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

The challenge today was the paper with yellow dots (big and bold on one side, little and feminine on the other.) I added a touch of pink stickles to the floral pattern for a little pizazz. For the sunshine, I cut a circle from the back side of this paper and then ran it through my Cuttlebug, spraying it with Tattered Angels when done. The photo and frame were cut from my Spellbinders Nestabilities label set. Loved the versatility and "girly" feel of this paper.

Boardwalk Journey

2010-03-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

The blue on white Basic Grey paper was our challenge paper today. I distressed the edges and added a strip onto a My Minds Eye brown polka dot - double sided so the inside of the card is pretty too! The "journey" stamp is from Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous and the bathing beauty is from the new Graphic 45 "On the Boardwalk" collection. I added a memory capsule with a little sand - this would be really fun to do on a scrapbook page with "memoir" sand or shells.

March Fab Five!

2010-03-14T21:59:00.003-05:00

Here we go again! Not only do we have a great time playing with our challenge papers, but we've had lots of comments at Picture This about how much you appreciate the inspiration. Remember to leave a comment on the blogs to be entered into our drawing!

Compendium is in the House!

2010-03-02T13:17:00.002-06:00

Tim Holtz's new book - Compendium of Curiosities - has been released and is now available at Picture This! This video shows it in detail, thought I'd share.

Embrace Imperfection

2010-02-18T20:36:00.000-06:00

I love stuff - lots of stuff - and mixing it all up! BUT, sometimes it's nice to just have simple. The project for today is based on the black Core'dinations paper. I ran it through an embossing folder, then sanded it up a bit to show off the beautiful tan core (if you haven't tried Coredinations yet, give it a whirl, it's too fun!) I added a little Queen Anne's lace I had pressed from summer, and a T!m "embrace imperfection" stamp, and voila! - imperfect simplicity!

Rosie Toes Giggle

2010-02-17T22:27:00.004-06:00

The challenge paper today is a pink rose pattern - you'll notice it on the girls' dresses and the frames around them. Lots of odds and ends and altered, focusing on the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous "Girls" stamp. The acrylic set includes both of these little sweetie girls and the "giggle" - love it! A fun technique in this one is to stamp your image on a patterned paper and cut it out (that's how I got the pretty flowered dresses.) With four manly men in the house, not sure where this little beauty will end up hanging!

And as a special bonus, I whipped out this cute little card from the leftover pink! I used my Spellbinders label to enhance the verse: "Who plants a seed beneath the sod, and waits to see, believes in God"

Yucky Peacock Paper!

2010-02-16T20:19:00.001-06:00

OK, gotta be honest, I really hated the blue paper! But, when I looked, really looked, the possibilities came popping up! The blue background and cute little star on my flag are cutouts from a sheet of paper that inspired me to create one of my favorite projects yet - hurts to say it, but it's true!! When you look closely at this one, it says "Generations will reap what I sow, I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I may never know." Hence, the reflections of family, faith and country, all things near to my heart. I used a Tim Holtz stamp and lots of leftovers - just goes to show, with a little imagination, trash really DOES become treasure! **and don't forget: if you leave a comment on ANY of our posts, you are automatically entered into our drawing giveaway!**

Yellow Floral Challenge

2010-02-15T20:10:00.002-06:00

Our challenge was to use the yellow floral paper from Webster. I chose to use it as a background, creating cut outs with my Spellbinders Label die. I embellished the front with a Glossy Accented bird, a Cherish token and, my favorite, a little "pocket" of seeds using a Memory Capsule. I glued the front (& a matching back) to a little brown bag to create a cute basket. When I tuck in a few "treats" it makes a fun gift!

Oh....By The Way!!

2010-02-15T08:45:00.002-06:00

If you leave a comment on our blog posts during the five days of fab five, you will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate AND a sheet of the paper from EACH of the products -- comment away, Captain!

Zig-Zaggy Challenge

2010-02-14T19:52:00.002-06:00

The first day's paper is a zig zaggy stripe, which worked out great for a cute little "roof" on this altered tag. The little blue butterfly is a cutout that was embellished with some Glossy Accents. Behind the sweet little keyhold from Tim Holtz's line, you'll notice a strip of paper that was painted with the Distress Crackle - a tiny little bit of glitz!

Fab Five Kickoff!

2010-02-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

Monday, February 15, starts a fun new "treat" at Picture This, my favorite scrapbook store! I am honored to be on the "Fab Five" Design Team, which will be creating five projects in five days! We are each given the same sheet of paper and told to "go wild" - this will be fun!

Office Art

2010-02-14T00:17:00.002-06:00

I needed a wall filler for my office - on a budget! I found this really great piece of paper and mounted onto a blank artists canvas. Once there, I applied a little gesso and a nice thick layer of Glossy Accents Crackle finish. The finished product cost about $5 and looks like a really cool textured modern art piece. I love it when a plan comes together!

Season of Blizzards

2009-12-20T22:24:00.006-06:00

We took the trek to Uncle Andy's creek bottom to cut our Christmas tree. As a thank you, we gave him some Dairy Queen gift certificates and a special holder to present them. The inside is my favorite with snowflakes, FlowerSoft Polar White "snow" and a little "Wishing you a season filled with blizzards" verse. When he removes the certificates, there's a picture of our family with the tree tied to the top of our car. Quick and easy, but it's so much fun giving a hand made card!

For Goodness Sake...

2009-12-10T12:34:00.004-06:00

Oh, I love this one! Tim Holtz gave us a bunch of freebies on this day's post, so despite the strong urge to make a tag, I had to do a little necklace work first! Loving those Memory Frames and all the goodies -- and did I mention that Holtz guy? We love 'em at Picture This - in fact, have dedicated an entire section to him - biggest in Wisconsin, I'm pretty sure!

Ornament Tag

2009-12-10T12:25:00.003-06:00

Fragments were used here with the G45 papers adhered with Glossy Accents. I wrapped the top of each "ornament" with Memory Foil Tape, added a little wire, and my ornaments dangle beautifully on the rustic tag -- thanks, Tim Holtz!

Warm Wishes Tag

2009-12-10T06:13:00.003-06:00

This happy little snowman made me smile! I had never used the Glossy Accents Crackle finish before, but certainly will be in the future! The entire project looks like it's ice-coated and crackly - very "cool." The flourishes were painted with Stickles Perfect Pearls, and some Stickles Frosted Lace for the icicles on top. The warm wishes was done on my Dymo labelmaker.

Christmas Tags

2009-12-09T06:04:00.000-06:00

This tag was a quick and cute stamping project! I just didn't have the patience to do Tim Holtz's fancy technique, so I cheated and used pretty paper instead! Some pretty embossed trees, flourish and a little jute-tied star and I'm ready with a gift tag or to pop it on a card. Sometimes simplicity beats all!

And the reason for impatience on the above project....this one was putzy, but SO COOL! I bet it will go quicker now that I've done one, too. This is actually a tag - blended with Distress Inks in pretty shades then stamped with a Tim Holtz Christmas stamp. Now for the fun part....the little embellished bird house is a pin! I used memory glass, a memory capsule and a metal corner, added a little Flowersoft "snow" and voila! Stop by Picture This to get the full effect of how clever this project really is!

Snow Flurry Necklace

2009-12-08T22:49:00.004-06:00

I took a quick break from tags to make a "snow globe" necklace. Using the rich vintage Graphic 45 Christmas, a memory frame, Tim Holtz Foliage, and a little stickly bling, it was a speedy project. The crowning glory on the little beauty is that the top is actually a Memory Capsule and I put in a dab of FlowerSoft Polar White for the cutest little snow shaker ever! The only trouble with the little darling is that it was tricky to photograph :)

Christmas Tag

2009-12-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

This tag gave me the warm fuzzies! I stamped and embossed the truck and tree images on grungeboard, cut them out (even the truck windows) , and "tied" the tree to the top with jute. I used Flowersoft to make the road a little more slippery and "fluff" up the tree.

Christmas Tags

2009-12-07T09:53:00.003-06:00

For two years I've wanted to do the "12 Tags of Christmas" by Tim Holtz. Tada - year 3 and I'm getting to "dabble in the merriment"!
My first tag was done with alcohol inks on glossy paper. After making stripes with the felt applicator, I cleared a spot with the blending solution and stamped this beautiful vintage Santa. (This was a really cool process) After mounting it to a tag painted with crackle paint, I added a few Stickles for bling. Of course, all products I mention in these tags are available at my favorite scrapbook store - Picture This!

Grandma's Cookbook

2009-12-07T09:42:00.004-06:00

I've been blessed by a heritage of great cooks. Grandma Ruth is known as "Grandma Cookie" for her endless supplies of the greatest sugar cookies ever made. Grandma Moen had shelves and shelves of the greatest canned goods ever - she didn't know how to make "little batches"! Grandma Glady had the best rye bread recipe ever - and a reputation to go along with it! When Granny cooked, there was flour from one end of the kitchen to the other - and it was worth every delicious taste. I miss her so much, but was lucky enough to inherit her recipe box. From my grandmas' inspiration, I compiled a scrappy little cookbook using the Graphic 45 Domestic Goddess collection. My favorite is the little pocket containing the cookbook presented by her daughter in 1947. These memories really were "preserved with love."

Scrabbled Coffee Can

2009-12-02T19:37:00.003-06:00

When I bought this coffee, I knew right away the can was just too cute to throw away! Low and behold, the weather got chilly and we pulled out the Scrabble game. A little paper, glue & embellies, along with a few leftover pieces from a discarded game - we now pull our Scrabble letters from a quirky little vessel!

Smiley Litttle Snowman

2009-12-02T11:03:00.003-06:00

I found this cutie-patootie stamp at the Picture This Thrift Sale back in April and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use him! Using my sweet little Cuttlebug, Nestabilities and a swirly embossing folder, I adorned a 4" bag to make a perfect holder for a gift card or other small "thinking of you" gift. I added a little FlowerSoft for a "felted" hat, some Glossy Accents & Stickles for pizzazz - and tada! (Can you tell I enjoyed getting crafty again :)

To Grammy, With Love...

2009-11-08T08:44:00.000-06:00

Inspired by the onslaught of school pictures each year, I made a little "bag book" with a pocket for each of Gram's nine grandchildren. On the front of the pocket is a favorite baby pic, while the back has a more recent photo of the child and their passion. Inside the pocket is a pull-out of their recent school picture. After it was all assembled and bound, it proved to be a gift that I was not only proud to give, but a little binder of treasures for our very special Grammy!

Autumn Tags

2009-11-06T08:59:00.001-06:00

I love doing tags! They're quick and easy, and you get the added benefit of playing with your various mediums. I tied each of these letters together with some pretty fall ribbon to make a warm and cozy autumn accent. It's just paper and glue - go wild and your imagination will follow!

A Trusty Sidekick

2009-11-03T08:26:00.002-06:00

A few years ago, while renovating an old building, we uncovered the scraggliest, wildest, hungriest, no-tailed cat ever. After luring her in with some food, we caught her and learned that not only was she really wild, she also DID have a tail, and it was like a little curly pigtail!

In the process of getting her to a shelter, she got loose in the car, worked her way up into the dash, resulting in a complete dismantling and a disgruntled husband! Since this is a fairly typical rescue by this girl, I have a first floor bathroom that is actually more animal shelter than human facility! Someone left the door open, and the kitty, while wandering unnoticed, wild, in my house, was here to stay! Although she had put the "fear" in "feral", she was a good girl in the litter box, and eventually decided that we weren't such bad housemates.

She has gone from "Milly the Hellcat" to just plain Milly, a treasured member of our family. When mama is home, she is not far behind, and since I spend lots of time in front of a computer monitor, she, too, has claimed her spot. Although she is a nuisance, and really not much help at all, she is, indeed, a trusty sidekick that I treasure and love. Besides, although she cannot verbalize it, I can tell in her eyes that she has a sincere appreciation of everything vintage!

Necessary Beautification

2009-11-03T08:14:00.005-06:00

My keyboard tray had seen better days and was in major need of replacement or repair. Having developed this new decoupage addiction, my paper, once again, came to the rescue! I added extra coats of glue to the top to ensure durability, and stayed away from any bumpy or rough textures. A quick fix with the added benefit of surrounding myself with gorgeous papers! Remember -- paper is much more than cards and pages!

Tattered Tray

2009-10-14T09:32:00.006-05:00

My niece, Gracie, and I had so much fun with this project! We found an inexpensive wood tray and embellished it with LOTS of G45 papers, Tim Holtz embellies, 7 Gypsies scraps, buttons, and too much ephemera to list! We applied a topcoat for durability, and it is now a handy tray for our Grammy to use for her jewelry, treats, or just to sit and look pretty! Happy Birthday, Gram!

Revisited Cookie Sheet

2009-09-22T09:19:00.002-05:00

This project was brought forward with all out reckless abandon in alcohol ink! I used the Tim Holtz adironack inks, mixing, fixing and playing until I got the look I wanted. Then, adding magnet backing to Tim's oh-so-cool Salvage Stickers, and a little metal edge, I have the grungiest little calendar & message board I wanted. The fun thing is, I will keep adding to this by way of magnets, buttons, fragments, and anything else I might find on the bottom of the washing machine!

Once Upon a Time...

2009-09-20T09:11:00.001-05:00

This is the Kaiser Craft castle album , all decked out! Using lots of glitzy papers, Stickles, Tim Holtz Fragments, and, of course, many "found objects" I created a fairy tale for my oldest son and his "beautiful princess"!

Recycled Relic

2009-09-18T08:47:00.006-05:00

This project was so much fun! I have shared with you that I am a "collector" - I also LOVE Mary Engelbreit's bright, cheery style. This project came to fruition after realizing I had accumulated 10 years of really cute calendars - much to cheery to toss! I cut them all apart (yup, shed a few tears realizing that the backs of some of them had appointments for little boys that have long since grown up) and "decoupaged" them onto a yard sale suitcase treasure. It became what I would consider the cutest little briefcase ever! AND, and I have the added bonus of a big chunk of space that used to house old calendars!

Coffee, Tea, or...?

2009-09-15T15:46:00.012-05:00

I'm big into tea parties - the dress up, the fancy food, the pinkies in the air! As a memory gift for my guests, I altered plain brown coffee filters for pages, cut a cover from chipboard, of course lots of embellies, and even a real tea bag for "aromarecollection". Lots of little pull out pockets, where treasures & keepsakes abound! Although mine was for a tea party, it would be even more fitting for your favorite little group of coffee clutchers.

A Princess Diary

2009-09-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

I am very partial to altering little themed books. The sky is the limit for materials & creativity, they're fun, funky & fairly quick...

The front & back covers, bound together with book rings and oodles of ribbon.

A little peek at the inside, where I found inspiration in some sweet Teresa Collins vellum - "keys" to the city....."crowns" around town! It all came together as a perfect fit commemorating Ellen's year of royalty!

Supply list: Board book (not sure of the vendor, but available at Picture This in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where I can find most everything I need and lots of stuff I don't!) and more miscellany, scraps and ephemera than any girl should be able to use up in one sitting.

Dressed in Time

2009-09-03T18:37:00.004-05:00

This sweet little dress form needed a lift! I equipped it with some pretty pink plaid paper, gathered with thread. Some ruffled paper edges on the bottom and adorned it with some little handmade embellies. My favorite here is in the details -- Graphic 45's Fashionista verbage worked swell.

Supply list: G45 Fashionista, 7 Gypsies Measurement gaffer tape Cuttlebug Daisy, and a little Tim Holtz bling (philosphy tag & fragments) and a wee tad of Stickles. (I also threw in some buttons & ribbon from my stash!)

Autumn Simplicity

2009-09-02T22:48:00.003-05:00

As the nights get cooler, I start to feel anticipation for a little fall color. I "rushed the season" with some beautiful, warm shimmery paper and a few new Spellbinders dies. A touch of the new Cuttlebug embossing folders, a little Stickles bling, and ta-da -- my very first blog post!

Supply list: Spellbinders - Labels Two, Autumn Leaves Two, Cuttlebug Ironworks embossing folders, Cinnamon Stickles, Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Orange Marmalade, Vintage Photo & Antique Linen