Happy Birthday to Me

Happy birthday to me! 

I had to share some birthday cards on the blog today that

I received from my wonderful friends. 

Humming bird from Kat.

Party hats from Lisa.

Cool stitched card from Marianne. 

and this one is from my birthday twin Cindy. I met Cindy on a Pocket

Letter group that I joined on Facebook. 

Great cards girls! Thanks so much for thinking of me! 

The family is taking me out tomorrow to a Chinese buffet. Everyone

has to work today. I made a cake yesterday, and today I think

I'll make a big pot of chicken noodle soup. Its raining and a bit chilly. 

So the soup will be great today. 

I was up at midnight opening up birthday gifts from friends. 

Received some very cool stuff. 

Big thanks to all my friends!!!!! Now I have to get busy and

make thank you cards. I've been getting caught up lately with swaps. 

Going to have to pace myself, or I'm going to take on too much. 

They say its your birthday......

happy birthday to you

Karen 

Turkey Crazy Bird?

This tag was made for a Harvest/Thanksgiving tag swap.

Couldn't resist putting feathers on one of Tim Holtz Crazy Birds. 

I cut him out of a manilla tag then added the color with an

aqua paint and inks. 

Feather thinlit by StampinUp. 

The greeting is also from StampinUp call For all Things. 

Misc designer paper used for the feathers. I stamped the papers first

with the matching feather stamp and Early Espresso ink. Hubby saw

I was having problem yesterday fussy cutting out the wattle, so he cut

it out for me. 

Of course I also added an easel to the back of the tag with the new die I bought. 

 

Today is National Coffee day!

 

 Dunkin' Donuts has been around 66 years and to celebrate they are

 

 selling a medium cup of coffee for .66 cents.

 

Krispy Kreme is  giving away 12oz coffee with a free glazed donut.

I think I'll be hitting Starbucks today for a tall Latte.

Stamping trails

Karen

More about my Art Journaling Book

I went to another class on art journaling books last evening. 

This is a photo of the lower half of the cover of my book.

The heart frame has a picture of my mom holding my big brother Tony when

he was just a baby. 

A few years ago I went through my jewelry box and took

out things I no longer wore. At first I was going to just throw it all 

out, but then........

The crafter in me said stop are you crazy? You should put all the jewelry in

a container and use it for projects. I'm so glad I listened to my crafter voice

and kept it all. 

This is a beautiful old lidded tin that my mother gave me. 

It belonged to my grandmother. The only thing on the bottom of the tin

reads Made in England. 

I'm using it to keep all my ephemera in. 

Here is one more page from my art book. This is photo of my Aunt Tootsie. 

Her real name was Sarah Catherine. My Sarah is named after her, and (me, and my grandma as

we all had Jane as our middle name).

I was thrilled last night when the class instructor came over and looked at my book. She

asked me if it was okay for her to show the rest of the class. Everyone liked it. 

On the 18th of October we have a show and tell. We will get to show the books and

tell how we came up with the theme. Oh I also started two more books while I was

at class. I've got them folded at least. I'm thinking of doing an elephant book. 

So to my friends out there if you come across any photos of elephants keep them for me. 

These can be from anything. I did find a few in a magazine that I put aside to use. 

Okay this post is getting long! Happy hump day! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Crazy Bird Vampire

Look what I made yesterday. I'm thrilled how this tag came out. 

Uses Tim Holtz Crazy Birds. This little guy is

dressed up as a vampire. 

I drew the fangs and drops of blood. 

Spooky circle is from Among the Branches stamp set Stampin'Up

And the coolest thing......is the easel stand! 

I bought the Tim Hotlz small easel die on Amazon. Perfect

to get tags to stand up, or a one layer card. 

Big Congrats to our Cleveland Indians who won the

 

Central Division yesterday. Go Tribe!!!!!! 

 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Art Journal Page Share

So I took a class at the library last Tuesday. We learned how to 

make art journals. I started working on the journal a few days ago. 

Won't show you everything that I have done so far, but I did want

to share these two pages that I have completed. 

The left side was done with Tim Holtz collage medium and distress

crayons. 

On the right I stamped directly on the paper used on the

accordion folded book. Which was a mistake. The paper

that was provide at the class will not work with the ink I have. 

Won't dry even when I used a heat tool. So....in order to 

save the page I threw some clear embossing powder on it and heated it

again. The embossing powder sealed in the wet ink. YAY the page was 

saved, and I really love how the color pops. Also gives some added texture to the

page. 

The theme of the book is Family of Smiles. I'm using lots of old

black and white photos that were passed down to me from my mother. 

Thought it would make a great keepsake for Sarah. 

 

The photos are of my mom. She made the skirt that she, and her cousin are wearing. 

Yesterday I joined a quick turn around 3 pocket Halloween swap. 

Instead of doing a full pocket letter we had to do 1/3. 

So I whipped this up yesterday afternoon, and its ready to be mailed soon as

I get my partner. I'm having so much fun with these swaps! 

The weather was so nice yesterday me and Skip went to the park and took a 

nice long walk. So great to take the nature trail. Still suppose to be

nice today, so its time to wash my car. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Micro Binders for ATC

Squeal! How cute are these micro binders? 

When I took the art jounaling class on Tuesday the instuctor

had some on display with her art journals. Her friends also

do ATC (artist trading cards) and had some of them in the micro binder. 

 

I took my monogram one that Julie sent to me and placed it in the front of one of the binders. 

 

These are only sold at Staples, and guess what.........they are only 1.00 each. 

I started putting some of my ATC swaps in the binder. Now of course holes

will have to be punched in the cards to place them in the binder.

Now I have some special cards that I won't display this way. Don't

want to punch holes in those. Oh the binders do come 

with notebook paper size to fit the binder. 

I only bought the two, but I'm thinking I may need to get more. 

Well Cherokee is getting up in the world. John

was carrying her around last night on his shoulders. 

Which by the way she was protesting. Who heard of a cat 

who was afraid of heights? 

 

Sending a shout out to my friend Lisa. Today is her birthday. 

 

Have a great day! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Sewing/Couture Theme Halloween Pocket Letter

My latest Halloween pocket letter. 

I wanted to do a sewing/couture theme with the witches. 

I used Tim Holtz dies to create the dress form with a bird cage skirt. 

The ribbon I sponged with purple on white seam binding. I know it looks like

blue in the photo, but it is purple. 

I used black glimmer paper for the skirt. The broom was made 

with a Sizzix die, and the little cat is a sticker. So cute!!! 

I the "stitched by a witch" was printed on the computer. 

The center row is the witch's laundry. "double, double toil, and

trouble; laundry boil, and laundry bubble" was also printed on the computer. 

 

 

 I didn't know if the frog was a good fit on this theme, but

hey witch's do change people into frogs, so maybe one of the witches

changed herself into one by mistake. Could happen...right? 

Stamping trails

Karen

Fall Leave Tag, and Welcome Fall

Wish you all a very warm welcome to the first day 

of Fall! 

Speaking for myself Fall is my favorite time of year, and 

 

I can assure you it has nothing to do with the fact that my birthday

 

happens to be in the Fall. 

 

Its cooler in the morning and evening, and perfectly warm during the day. 

 

The leaves start to turn lemon yellow, and crimson red....okay now I'm

 

quoting John Boy Walton....moving on....but you get the idea. I love Fall!

 

Okay getting back to the tag I made. The background it stamped with Hardwood background.

 

The leaves were die cut with Tim Holtz tattered leaves die. 

 

I inked with with distress inks, sponged the edges, and brushed them with crystal effects to 

 

make them shine. 

 

 

The ribbon is white seam binding. I sponged it with a tea colored ink then

crumpled it up and stuck it in a clothes pin till it was dry. Which didn't take to long

and the effect is wonderful. I got this nice crinkled ribbon. 

I'm very happy how this one came out. Next time I add vanes to the leaves I'm

going to use a lighter color. I think the black was to dark. You know I'm my own

worse critic.

 

Enjoy the day! 

 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Shopping

Just a few new things I picked up at JoAnn's the other day. 

They were on clearance so what else could I do? Just walk

on by them and pretend they weren't there calling my name? 

And you know I'm a sucker for Tim Holtz stuff. 

Really love the pop bottle caps embossing folder. Yes I'm 

from the North and we say pop not soda. The package

also has a tape measure folder. Perfect to go along with my sewing stuff. 

The other two pack has clock faces, and gears. They will be great for

guy cards.

Adding to my layer stencils with this sunburst. 

I also got Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die. Which was also on clearance. 

I had a good class at the Brunswick public library last night. 

We got started on making an art journaling book. I'll share photos when I get more

pages done. The teacher Suzanne has a degree in Arts. Very nice lady and helpful. 

Its a three night class. One more next week, and the last one in October. 

Well time to say goodbye to Summer. Today is the last day. Going to be 

in the 80's so I'm going to go out and enjoy it. Can you believe that Fall starts tomorrow? 

Where did the time go. Only 9 more days till my birthday. Hubby asked me yesterday

what I wanted and I told him I didn't have a clue Normally I know the answer to that

question. I'll have to think about it. 

Warm Last Day of Summer trails

Karen

Sparkly Season Halloween Card, and Squash

I used Sparkly Season stamp set to make this card. 

Also used a Tim Holtz thinlit set that Kat sent me. 

I brought a lot from last year's SU Holiday mini, but since

I had the knee replacement last year I really didn't get a chance to 

play with some of the stuff I got. So this year I made a decision not

to buy anything from the Holiday mini. I know big shock right? 

Want to play with the stuff I already have. Even though there are a few

things I would really love to have from the new mini. Like the stamps that 

go with Jar of Love set that I got from the main catalog. SIGH!!!!

I wanted to share this pic I took of hubby yesterday. 

He picked a wheelbarrow full of butternut squash. Most of 

them are pumpkin shape. 

Yup these are butternut, and not mini pumpkins. 

We have this load but a ton more! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Mailable Monday #169

So with all the Halloween goodies I've been making my

thoughts are now turning to Thanksgiving. 

I used a clear mini stamp set I picked up at Michael's years ago

and never used. Why oh why do I buy stamps and never ink them? 

Must be an addiction, but forget that 12 step program I'll just keep the illness! 

I did use a homemade defusser. First I stamped the pumpkins and

greeting on the cream layer. Next I put the layer in the wallpaper 

embossing folder with the defusser on top. I like how

I can omit the embossing over stamped images. 

Not much going on today. I need to run to the post office and pick up more stamps. 

Have a few birthday cards to mail, and ATC swaps for September. 

Tomorrow I'll be going to the local library. I signed up to take an altered journal class. 

The class is broken up into 3 days. Excited to be taking that. I don't even have

to bring my own supplies the library is supplying them. 

 

Gotta love that! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Halloween Pocket Bag

I finished my very first Pocket Bag. This was really fun to make!

 

It all began when I joined a group on Facebook. They swap pocket letters

 

and other things. So I signed up for the pocket bag swap. 

 

The bag I got at Hollo's. Its black and the size of a standard brown lunch bag. 

 

The bottom of the bag was folded up and glued to form a pocket. 

 

 

Here is a view before I added all the other goodies. 

The witch hat, shoes, ghost, and moon were all dies from 

Sizzix. I punched a hole in the side of the bag and added a plastic spider. 

There are also some stickers, dots, washi tape and star rhinestones. Love

the cardstock I used as it is textured. Not sure where it came from just found

it in the stash.

 

 

Some of the goodies I filled the bag and pocket with. 

The stacked pumpkins is a chip clip. One bag is filled

with die cut ghosts, and the other with Halloween designer paper pieces. 

Door hanger made with a coaster base. I used the same witch hat die

cut as I did on the front of the bag as it also had brooms and I wanted to use those. 

I found the skeletons at the dollar store. He is just sitting over the pencil

I thought about gluing him to the pencil but decided not to. There 

is some misc die cuts, fibers, and washi tape to fill the pocket. 

Trio of tags. 

Love this large tag. 

Ghost clip. 

So I'm hoping my partner will love her pocket bag. Thinking I'm going to

have to make Christmas ones. They would make great gifts. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Another Halloween Pocket Letter, and Candy

Made another Halloween pocket letter. 

This one is pretty simple. I just decorated all the 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 pieces

of designer paper. The paper is from Basic Grey and has

long been in my paper stash. Glad I could use some of it up. 

Stamps are from different companies. 

The center witch card was done with a stencil on cream cardstock. 

Used lots of washi tape and some stickers to accent the cards. 

Closer view. 

Of course I filled the back of the pockets with goodies. 

Hope the person I'm swapping with will like it. 

I was on a quest this week to find a certain candy bar, and

while I was searching I found this bag of pumpkin spice puffs. 

I love the peppermint puffs they have for Christmas and I love 

pumpkin so I had to pick up this bag. Only one dollar at the grocery store. 

And by the way.....YUM!!!!

And after looking several places I did find the candy bar I was looking for. 

If you love peanut butter and chocolate this is the way to eat it! 

Found them at Drug Mart. So if you are also searching for these try a drug store. 

My friends daughter Amber was looking for them also and she found some at CVS. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Shaker Swap

Last month I signed up to be in a shaker card swap 

with the Midwest Stampers. Just got the returned swaps yesterday. 

Like this one. Cut little froggys! 

Pretty in pink. Looks like there are lots of sprinkles on those cupcakes. 

One of my favorites. Butterfly Kisses greeting in the center panel. 

Very cute! 

Another pretty in pink one. This one was done with think foam so

there is a lot of bling inside and it shakes really well. 

And we have a birthday shaker. Like the bugle beads. Lets

celebrate and light another candle! 

This was a fun swap. I guess I must be in a swapping mood as

I signed up for a flip bag swap. What's a flip bag? I'll let 

you know soon as I make one! 

Stamping trails

Karen