August ATC, and Tags

 Well I'm playing catch up. Month is

almost half over, and I just now finished my artist trading cards for 

August. I added distress oxides inks to the white card base first.

Next I placed the stencil over it and inked with black soot ink. 

I like the look. 

I hand wrote tea time on the pot. 

Thinking I have tea on the brain since I'm busy planning my Tea Party for my

birthday next month. 

I'm also swapping tags this month with the artist trading

card group. I bought the precut tags

at Pat Catan's way back when they were closing. Got 

them for .50 cents a pack. Used a Tim Holtz stamp set

and inks to make these. I still need to add a ribbon through the top. 

Now just to address the envelopes and get them in the mail. 

Still raining, and storming. No progress made on the living room remodel. 

This weather is getting old!!!!! Day three of the rain. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Vellum Pockets with Bug Theme

 I made some vellum pockets yesterday. 

Made from cardstock weight vellum. One sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 sheet

makes two pockets. 

I used a doily on each one then layered up some

bug ephemera that a crafting friend Cara sent me. 

I added some black rub-ons on the left side corner. These

are from Tim Holtz field notes collection. 

Rain yesterday, and more coming today. I'm beginning to

think we will never get the wood floor put down. Hubby

has to set up the table saw outside to cut the pieces, and

he can't do that in between rain drops. Oh well I didn't

think the remodel would get finished before September anyway. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Monday Night Craft Haul from Marc's

 Yesterday's haul from Marc's. 

Love that aqua crochet trim! Just 2.99 for 12 yards. Made by Simplicity.

Two spools of ribbon on top of that was a whopping 2 for .99 cents. 

I got one black, and one ivory. Love the little fringe on the edges. Ribbon

is 10 yards, and 2 inches wide. 

Oh and the beads!!!!! I'm so excited about these little flower petal cases

full of beads. Hubby was laughing at me as I was like a little kid that had to 

get them all. There were 6 different colors, and yes I got one of each. At 1.49 each

what a deal!!!! 

Here is the gold case opened. 

Each one has a coil of clear nylon thread, jump rings, and lobster clasps. 

These will be wonderful to use on bulb pins, and to make dangles for my

junk journals. How fun!!!! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Three Altered Playing Cards

 Playing around with making altered playing cards. 

I used a stencil with texture paste to create the background. 

Added color with distress inks. 

Used a image from a magazine for the focal point. 

Added some black thread under the image before gluing it down. 

Background for this created the same way. I used 

a piece of ephemera for the focal point added some cheesecloth

under it with gears on top. 

This one is my favorite of the three. 

Used a brick stencil with texture paste, and colored

it with fire brick distress ink. 

I used a piece of pattern paper with a brick wall image and

popped it over the bottom of the card. This gave the girl 

something to sit on. Added wings to the back of her. 

No update on the remodel as it rained yesterday and hubby couldn't

finish doing the subfloor cutting. 

Sarah and Jason came over for a visit so that much better

than remodeling! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Peacock Wedding Card, Tea Party Junk Journal Cover

 My daughter's best friend Melinda got married three weeks

ago. This is the wedding card I made for the happy couple. 

Melinda likes peacocks so this was perfect. I tried 

to match her beautiful teal color that she used for the wedding. 

Inside view. I used an embossing folder for the layer on 

the card front and used the same folder on teal card stock to 

connect the inside card with the outside. 

We are still working on the living room part of the remodel. 

Almost all of the subflooring is in place. Next comes the wood flooring. 

Hubby put up the other vertical blind on the window in the kitchen yesterday. 

Looks so good. I'll share photos when it is finished. 

I've been busy planning the tea party for my birthday. 

I started a junk journal yesterday, so I can do all the planning, 

and have the guests add to the journal pages while they are here. 

Sneak peek at the cover. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

What's for Breakfast, Flavored Water, and Remodel

 So what's for breakfast? 

Lately I've been making parfaits. 

I make two layers of blueberries, and cottage cheese. Then

top with a bit of cinnamon toast crunch cereal. 

YUM! 

Since the cucumbers are coming in fast I've

been using them with lemon in my water. 

So refreshing! 

Even though it is summer this girl still needs her morning cup of coffee. 

My friend Kathleen gave me this mug a few years ago. Love it! 

The words pretty much sum it up! 

Hubby is working on the subflooring today. 

Hoping we can get started on the wood floor by tomorrow. Can't

wait to get the house back together!!!!! On a side note Riot can't wait either. 

All the remodeling is getting to her too. She pretty much lives in my craft room now. 

Good to have company! 

Sometimes she doesn't have enough room to lounge

in my sewing chair, but she tries. 

Stamping trails
Karen 

Coffee Sleeve Journal

 This is a coffee sleeve journal I made for my friend Deb. 

The base is a Starbucks coffee sleeve. 

Top has two natural coffee filers attached. I folded them over

an turned them into pockets to hold additional things that Deb could

used in her bee themed journal she is making. 

Inside cover and first page. 

I used Tim Holtz paper dolls and other ephemera to decorate the pages. 

Added some pockets. 

another little pocket made with a butterfly. 

On the other side of the "noteworthy" is a pull down

spot for additional writing. 

I held that space together with a paper clip. 

and the back cover. I was happy to be able to use some of my coffee

dyed paper. I'm trying to make enough of it to last 

me through the winter. So much easier to dry it outside in the sun. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

More Bee Embellishments

 Made a few more embellishments for my friend who likes bees. 

This is made from the bottom of a paper lunch bag. 

Decorated both sides and added a tab. 

When you pull a tab the bag opens. I stamped some bees

on a book page and layered that on yellow before 

attaching to the bottom of the bag. 

This will be great as an embellishment for a journal. 

I also made some adorable tabs. The top row was sponged 

with honey ink over a honeycomb stencil. 

The bottom ones are black glossy cardstock. 

Really happy with how this came out. A flat tassel done with

black, and yellow ribbon, lace, and fibers. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Bee Happy Journal Cover

 A friend asked for a journal cover. I knew

she liked bees, and vintage sewing. 

I was in a bee mood seeing how it is summer, so that is what I went with. 

Started with a piece of white cardstock.

Added some stenciling using distress ink. 

Then added the bees using jet black StazOn ink. 

I thought it was a little plain so I did some more stamping with

a script stamp. 

The word bee was made with little letters thinlit set from SU. 

Happy is also a from a SU set. Both were cut out using glossy black

cardstock. 

The panel was then layered on glossy black cardstock. 

Happy that I'm finding some ways to use this cardstock as I found

a big stash of it that I forgot I had. Bought it from Hollo's some years ago. 

I think you will be seeing me use much more of it. Halloween is coming

so it will be perfect for those projects! 

Happy 1st day of August! 

Stamping trails
Karen 

Artist Trading Cards Paper Dolls

 Playing around with some artist trading card ideas. 

These were made with Tim Holtz paper dolls, and ephemera. 

Background is pattern paper. 

Each one has a word piece. 

I think this one is my favorite. Love the little ballerina dancing

in front of the tall mushroom. 

Painting the living room walls today with primer. Can't wait

to have all this done! Remodel has been going on since the end of May! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Stitched Butterfly Card from Kym

 I received this beautiful stitched card today from my friend Kym. 

Just love it!!!!! So elegant. 

Card is blank inside so I can use it how'd I'd like, but I don't think

I'll be sending this to anyone. Thanks Kym! 

I've been playing around with coffee dyed papers the last few days. 

Some are done with stencils, and others are done with a plastic lace doily tablecloth. 

I have to take advantage of summer to get all my paper dying done. Too hard to dry paper

inside during the winter months. Oh no....did I just say winter?!!!!!!

We started the remodel in the living room. Trim, flooring, pictures, wall hangings, outlet covers all

removed. Hubby taped around the ceiling and walls this morning. He is getting ready to paint

the ceiling. Want so bad for the remodel to be finished! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Little Bee Clusters for Junk Journal

 Relaxing this morning, and make bee themed clusters. 

One of these days I might make a bee themed journal. Maybe

next summer. We have been so busy here! 

John came over yesterday to help move furniture out of the living room. 

Kitchen floor is finished, and now we have to continue it through the living room. 

I keep telling myself it will be wonderful when finished, but this

remodel of the main floor is three months in already, and I'm just tired of it all. 

Kitchen looks wonderful of course now it is full of living room furniture, and we

can barely open the fridge. I have to be happy that I have a beautiful counter, sink, and

my stove is in. At least I can cook again. Going out to eat really gets old. I'm craving

home cooking. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Happy Mail from Kym

 I got happy mail yesterday from my good friend Kym. 

Take a look at these specimen cards. So pretty! 

Great job! Love them. 

She also make me two vintage tags. 

Just darling! Love the little girl with flowers in her hair. Too cute! 

and she made me two rolodex cards. Love the colors, and background

paper! Thanks Kym! 

Kitchen floor is in! So happy that it is finished. Today we are 

heading out to get the trim. Hoping we can move the fridge, stove, table, chairs and

hutch back. Will be wonderful to have a newly remodeled kitchen! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Bee Butt Tags

 These were fun tags to make. I got them as a free printable download. 

Added some distress ink. 

Some of the honeycombs were colored then I added

diamond glaze over them. Did the 

same with the bee wings. 

This one was the from the first group I made. 

Not overly loving how they turned out. I added some 

gold foil over some of the honeycombs. Some of them

have the diamond glaze on them with diamond fine glitter

added over that. Lots of splatters. I think I went a bit overboard with it. 

Kitchen sink and backsplash done. Hubby was going to start the wood floor today, 

but it has been raining off and and on all morning. He won't be able

to take out the saw to do the trimming. Floor may have to wait for

another day. 

Stamping trails

Karen