Play Time

Last week I played with my Perfect Pearls, a push from the Online Card Class Kick Start. I painted with the Perfect Pearls and water on black paper. It was okay but rather shiny.


Perfect Pearls on black paper

This week, after much, much practice, I found a combination I like. Actually two.

For the first one I used water color paint (which is another product I bought over a year ago and hadn't used) with the Perfect Pearls. The shine from the pearls is subtle. Also, there is a the ability to mix colors. 

Water color paint and Perfect Pearls

For the second, I painted with my Distress Re-Inkers and water. I put one drop of the re-inker on my Non-Stick Craft Sheet, several separate drops of water and a small amount of the Perfect Pearls. As I was able to control the amount of ink, water and pearls, I had color variation.

Re-Inker, Perfect Pearls and water

The three, top left Perfect Pearls, top right Water Colors
and bottom Re-Inkers

I doubt I'll do the straight Perfect Pearls again. But never say never! The other two I go back and forth as to which is my favorite. It's like my children, I can't pick a favorite! :)

I used the Re-Inker method for this card and entered it in the Taylored Expressions Wild Card Spot for Last Card Standing competition, here.

Paper: Echo Park 'Springtime', Choice Cardstock Snow White, Neenah Brilliant White Text and Strathmore Watercolor Paper
Stamps: Taylored Expressions 'Forever in Bloom', Sentiment printed from a word document
Inks: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Crushed Olive & Gathered Twigs; Re-Inkers - dusty Concord, Milled Lavender & Crushed Olive
Embossing Powder: Ranger Super Fine Detail Black
Perfect Pearls: Forever Violet, Interference Violet & Forever Green
Dies: Taylored Dies 'Hydrangea Blooms'; Spellbinders S4-110,
S4-111, S4-114, S4-128 & S4-129
Ribbon: United Ribbons Seam Binding, dyed with Dusty Concord and Forever Violet in a Mini Mister
Thread: Madeira Supertwist & Madeira Opal
Pearls: Basic Grey Opaline
Other: Sewing Machine, Cuttlebug, Glue Dots, All Night Media Pop Dots

This is probably more then you wanted to know but I'm in a writing mood! Thanks for stopping by.



Something Old and Something New

The Online Card Class, Kick Start, is getting me to use product I've had for years. And allowing me to play! :)

I bought a bunch of Perfect Pearls, I don't know how long ago, years! They stayed in their packages, for months probably years, until I decided to mix them with my Distress Reinkers in Mini Misters. Perhaps I should try using them as the package suggested.

I stamped some hydrangeas (the new) with the Perfect Medium and dusted a few of the Perfect Pearls over them. I didn't like it, it looked muddy. Was it the white paper I had used?

I decided to try painting with them. Didn't like the look of that either. Okay, I'll try black paper and see what that looks like. That worked for me. However, I know I need to play with them more so I really like the look of them not just 'it works.'

Cardstock: Choice Cardstock Buttercream; Black scrap from my stash. (I need to put together bundles!)
Design Paper: Teresa Collins 'Sweet Afternoon'
Stamps: Hero Arts CL140 'Thinking of You', 657773 Antiques Flowers & Butterflies; Taylored Expressions 'Forever in Bloom'
Inks: Distress Ink 'Brushed Corduroy'; Ranger Perfect Medium; Tsukinedo VersaMark
Embossing Powder: Stampendous Ultra Detail White; Ranger Super Fine Detail Black
Perfect Pearls: Blue Patina, Interference Violet, Forever Green, Sunflower Sparkle
Dies: Spellbinders S4-114 & S4-115; 657773 Antiques Flowers & Butterflies; Taylored Dies Hydrangea Blooms
Other: EK Success Powder Tool; Sewing Machine; All Night Media Mini Pop Dots; Queen & Co Pearls

I've keep my Perfect Pearls in this Tupperware Container. The Reinkers are in a matching one so I can quickly spot the two of them for making my mists.

Now on to the farming, a momma pig is having babies... And, of course, DH is gone on business. Never fails.

When I checked her earlier her, she had five babies. This time she has 10. Here is a picture of six. The other four were under the heat lamp.

Organized?

My dream! I tell DH he has four greenhouses (about 5,500 sq ft), I need at least half that space for my crafting. And I want it added to the house, with a floor and real roof (the greenhouses have roofs but I would prefer something other then plastic over my crafts). Well, I probably don't need that much space but he has always said figure out what you need and double it!

If I was willing to give up some hobbies, I could get by with even less. However, my sewing machines aren't leaving nor all the fabric I have. Then there are the patterns I like to buy. Add to that my passion for cross stitch. No way am I giving up that linen, silk thread or charts. Toss in the paper crafting, you know how much space that takes, and my 12 x 13 room just isn't enough. Then when our granddaughter spends the night, this is the room she stays in.

Upon further review, yep, I need about half the greenhouse space.

Last week I decided to go through some of the boxes in my room. Yes, I found things I had forgotten I had bought. I'm thankful I didn't buy them a second time! And guess which box they went into! Yes, To Use. I didn't know that was it's name until today in the Kick Start class.

As I look around my room, this is the only thing I am willing to put out there for the world to see...

My Copics. And even this is iffy, after I took the picture I realized some of the pens are in upside down. They are now fixed (I like them brush tip down). DH drinks Crystal Light and I found the empty containers to be perfect for holding my pens. It helps that it was a cheap storage system! 

So, now to the HUGE task of Day 3's homework. The rest of the room is just too messy for anyone to see. Does anyone else make a bigger mess of things when cleaning then the mess they started with?

Before I hit 'Publish' I was looking around to see if there was anything else I would photograph and add. Then I had to laugh, right there with my stamp cleaners is a cross stitch chart. What can I say?

At least it is a small one.

Thinking of You

I received my Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kit yesterday (actually, Monday). Today (really Tuesday) I took it out to play. I can't believe I waited a whole day! (I got a card made and wrote the post, but the camera didn't want to work for me. So, now the real today, Wednesday, I got some taken.)

Again, I used tips from the Online Card Class, Kick Start. And I used a stamp from Taylored Expressions so I could enter their challenge.



The Sketch and Inspiration Paper

The not even close to the sketch card!
 

I guess organizing my thoughts means nothing to me! What can I say? At least I used the paper?

The paper and ribbon are from the Key Ingredients kit. I love having everything put together for me. And I enjoy looking through Taylor's Coordinating Products section.

Cardstock: Choice Cardstock Snow White, Red Rock
Design Paper: My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing 'Tangerine'
Ribbon: Satin ribbon from the kit
Stamps: Taylored Expressions 'Summer Wreath', Hero Arts CL140 Thinking of You
Copics: G21, G24, G82, R20, R22, R24, R27, Y21, Y26, YR24
Spica: Buttermilk (it's in the flower centers)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark
Embossing Powder: Ranger's Super Fine Detail Black
Dies: Taylored Expressions 'Seasonal Wreath', Lifestyle Crafts 'Nesting Lace Squares'
Other: Sewing Machine, 3D-Dots

Yes, I am slightly crazy. I stamped the wreath twice so I could cut some of the flowers out and pop them up. I've yet to see a flat wreath and I couldn't have one on the front of my card. The wreath is also popped off the Lace Square. What fun is flat?

Now to work on Day 3 of the Kick Start class. Thank you for stopping by.

Last Card Standing

Do you like Project Runway or Chopped? Without leaving home, you can show your stuff in a similar type of competition at Taylored Expressions.

As I was trying to figure out what to do, I watched the first day of the Online Card Class, Kick Start. Yes, Organizing Ideas, what a great way to start a card. And yes, I do need organizing!

So I came up with a sketch. Did I follow it? No, but it's close. That's okay, isn't it? After I finished the card, I read this post from A Blog Named Hero. I tell you, it couldn't have worked out any better for me.  


The Sketch



The Card

 

I made a baby card because I fell in love with the background paper. I don't know why, but it just called to me. I guess phrases like 'New Baby Smell', 'Tiny Fingers', 'Tiny Toes', 'Pride and Joy' to name a few.

Stamps: Taylored Expressions "Welcome Little One"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Copics: B21, B23, G21, G82, R30, R32, Blender
Spica: Clear, yes it is there but the photo doesn't show it
Cardstock: Choice Cardstock Snow White, Bazzil Basics Hillary, Flamingo and Lagoon
Design Paper: Fancy Pants Designs "Baby Mine"
Dies: Taylored Dies "Curly Border", Sizzix "Tags, Scallop Combo #2", Spellbinders S4-247
Twine: My Mind's Eye Follow Your Heart "Be Happy"

I don't know how many photos I took of this card but I can't get a good one. I guess I need to find a Photography for Dummies class. Or maybe I need to learn how to edit. Either way, I need help.

Thank you for stopping by. If you have any photography tips, please leave them! Obviously I need all the help I can get.

Last Day

Today is the last day for the CDAC Progressive Challenge. Tiffany Doodles provided an image with three surf boards. I don't surf. I don't have a clue about surfing. I would rather hang in a hammock.

The image had three surf boards so I lined them up in the back, twice. Then I took one, enlarged it and put it in the foreground.

The card base is Hero Hues Powder and the sand Kraft cardstock. The monkey image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Copics.  Yes, I wrote down which colors I used but I can't find the list. Too much going on here!

The surf boards and palm leaves were cut from Echo Park's Everyday Eclectic paper. I used dimensional adhesive on the palm leaves, under the foot and hand of the monkey and the blue board.  

Finally, the sentiment is from Create with TLC, cut out with Spellbinders S4-143 and colored with Distress Ink, Squeezed Lemonade. Oh, I used my white Signo pen around the edge. That's all I could allow for clouds.  :)

I'm counting the minutes until the Online Card Class Kick Start begins. I need a good swift kick to get started! My brain is going in slow mo and I know Jennifer and Kristina will get me started again.

Lost

I have been AWOL and decided to quick check in.

DD#3 has taken us for a ride. In June it was discovered she had high calcium levels. That led to a parathyroid hormone test which was way over normal. Then she had a scan done on her neck. Yes, one parathyroid glowed quite nicely. We met with an endocrinologist and then an ENT. She had two parathyroids removed last week.

As she has a lovely incision just above her collar bone, she isn't driving and I get to take her everywhere. She is trying not to turn her head too much as she doesn't want a big scar.

Yesterday DD#3 had follow up appointments with both doctors. At least they are in the same building. However the building is 75 miles away. The surgery was also done 75 miles away. We are blessed DD#1 lives close to the hospital so we don't have a motel bill.

Tuesday evening I caught DH pressing on his cheek. He had a toothache. Last night he couldn't sleep and admitted he should go to the dentist. Got in there, had an exam and we were sent to an oral surgeon. They took the tooth out. DH is now happy due to pain pills.

I feel like a medical transport driver. I want to lock myself in my room. Tomorrow I take DH back to the oral surgeon. Maybe next week I will get stay in my craft cave and no one will need to go to a doctor.