QKD Royal Wednesday Hop!!! Alter Me Please!!!

Welcome to this week's Royal Wednesday!!! If you're hopping you should have arrived here from Alex!! This week we were issued an alterable challenge. Instructions were...alter a frame.

I've had this frame in my possession since...Mayish...

Let's just say that it's *kind of* a regift...in BAD need of repair!!! I could have just tossed away...not wanting to put the work and effort into it but...it needed and deserved to be made beautiful again.

So I set it aside for when I felt I had the time. Well, then the September Challenges were issued and the last week of the month was an ALTERED FRAME.

BINGO....
So...now I had a reason to set to it and make the time. It became, in my opinion, a eclectic and GORGEOUS jewelry holder for my everyday jewelry. My bracelet, couple pair of earrings, my wedding rings and ring that I wear on my right hand. And the ladybug or spider silver (depends on the day) stud that goes in the top of my left ear now all have a happy and fun place to reside when not in use.
The frame was an ornate, faux gold leaf, intricately carved, something reminiscent of the Renaissance Period. I wanted to destroy it completely and bring it back to life totally new!

I found my new Imaginescene paper which has been calling to me for some time now. I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with it. I started sanding and sanding and sanding the gold off and found a white resin below...not wood. The "faux patina" totally drew me in!! I sanded it down quite a bit and went to the paper and pulled the blue out of it and tried to match it as best as I could with my handy acrylic paints that I have. I used my large acrylic block as a palette and set to work just haphazardly mixing these colors. I eventually figured it out and just really slathered on the paint...knowing that once it dried I was going to sand it again. The paper that I used as my muse is Imaginisce's paper Twitterpad in Hey Foxy. (I used a few patterns from that line) I measured twice and cut once and used a paper weaving technique to come up with the "patchwork" inside design under the glass. I have this FANTASTIC magnetic matte that can hold even the heaviest of cardstock so that you can play and move things around and not have to play Twister with your fingers to hold it all together to see what it looks like!!

I tore off anything from that back that I could - the stand...the hardware...everything to make it as flat as possible. The pink faux fur is cut from a vest of my daughter's that she wore everywhere from year one to year 2 1/2. She adored it and I adored it when she was in it. It was a staple in her wardrobe. So even though it was supposed to be one of those things that you don't typically let a child wear every day...I did.

I didn't care to save it for "special occasions" because you know what? We don't have that many!!! A few family gatherings, a few bday parties but then the vest wouldn't have gotten it's necessary attention!! So she wore it daily. It was tattered, sticker covered....which left horrible grey fur in it's place from the left over sticky after washing. Anyway...I wanted to keep it...but what was I going to do with it? Just sit and look at it? So I grabbed it out of it's folded spot in my studio closet and set to it with my scissors. I made the bottom of the jewelry tray covered in this divine pink fur that now I get to look at multiple times a day and think about my baby...and functionally it really helps so that my dresser does not get scratched!!

I love how it came out!!
The one thing that did go wrong...and yes...you live and you learn.

I used the flower, crown and heart trio from QKD's awesome set Happy Skullz Stamp set. I initially stamped them in black Staz-on. I think my pad must be dry or defective as it's not that old and the initial stamping came out very faint and a terrible mess. It looked AWFUL!! Don't you hate when you get ONE SHOT at the stamping and it doesn't work? The glass on this frame was already sealed shut so there was no way of taking it out and putting another one in. So I grabbed my Brilliance graphic black pigment ink, which has never failed me and set to trying to match the images EXACTLY. I missed by a hair. But...I didn't have much time so I put embossing powder on it and heat it up.

When the embossing had finished I tipped the frame over to tap the excess embossing powder that had fallen into the corners out and into the trash can. After the first tap I hear "crackkkkk". I turned it over and the entire frame had shattered. (note to self: next time...wait till glass is cool! grrrrrrrrrrrr...it looked WAY cool before it was cracked)

So...now I sat and looked at it for a long time. My husband looked over my shoulder and said "can't you seam it with hot glue?". I said no that hot glue doesn't dry invisible. It's pretty goopy. BUT (and I credit him f0r I would never have come up with this on my own) I can use my clear stickles to make it look PURPOSEFUL!!!!! So that's what I did. I covered the initial breaks with Stickles and then set to adding a few "cracks" to make it look even but not so even.

So that's what I have for you today!! I hope you like reading about this as I had fun making it!!

Now...onto Linda!

QKD: http://qkd.blogspot.com/
Shannon: http://shannonssentiments.blogspot.com/
Jules: http://julietds.blogspot.com/
Penny: http://penny-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/
Tina: http://woodedviews.blogspot.com/
Vicki: http://qksc.blogspot.com/
Maria: http://www.riacreations.blogspot.com/
Kelly: http://www.kellystamps.blogspot.com/
KellyJean: http://dancingwithstamps.blogspot.com/
WIS: http://whimsicalinksorority.blogspot.com/
Bev (SG) http://getcreativesg.blogspot.com/
Victoria: http://eatstampsleeprepeat.blogspot.com/
Lara: http://www.youwantthecookie.blogspot.com/
Anessa: http://alienanessa.wordpress.com/
Helene: http://2amscrapper.blogspot.com/
Nina: http://creatinginsolitude.blogspot.com/
Alex: http://www.paperandstring.blogspot.com/
Meredith: http://www.papercanteen.com/
Linda: http://linda-scrap-atc.blogspot.com/
Nancy: http://craftynancy.blogspot.com/
Anita: http://happypapercrafthappenings.blogspot.com/
QKD: http://www.katstamps.com/store---------

XOXO-

Cutie Pie Spider!!!

Greetings!!

I have something totally fun and sparkly to show you today!! I've been LOVING my new Robyn's Fetish digi images!! I purchase them on her site, download them and then have the flexibility of printing them in whatever size I need!! I just open the image in something like MS Paint and resize! It's SO easy! I'm lucky to have a good printer that runs most cardstock through so that's helpful!!
I LOVE this adorable spider. Who ever said all spiders needed to be scary anyways? ;) Yesterday morning I was reading the funny pages from The Boston Sunday Globe...yes...I'm 36 and I *still* read the funny pages. I don't find them funny and I didn't as a child but the images are cute to look at.
This week's Fox Trot cartoon really caught me with it's colors. Super bright, funky and fun! I was so inspired that I went up to my studio with coffee in hand knowing exactly what I wanted to do with these funny pages and my new spidery image!! My fantabulous husband took over hanging with our two babes and let me create uninterrupted until I was done. Phew...he's so good.

I layered some of my FAVORITE SU! DP, stitched, heat embossed the web using my Versamark Pen and clear embossing powder, and then ran silver Stickles over it. I let it dry and then EVER so carefully using a self-healing cutting matte and my Exacto knife cut the insides out of the web to show the cool cartoon colors beneath.
I simply ADORE how this came out!!! The adorable spider was colored with my Copics and the 'sweet' sentiment is an SU! stamped with Brilliance Pigment Ink in Pearlescent Poppy and then heat set.
I hope you enjoyed my creation!!!

Happy Crafty Monday everyone!!!
xoxo

Verona Saturday Challenge!!!

Ok sooo come, one come all...Play along!

Nothing gets your crafty mojo going like a good challenge! And, you'll get a FREE MERMAID stamp as your prize!! Anyone who would like to participate please leave the link to your creation in the comments section of this post and you'll be entered to win!!! Those who use anyQKD stamps in their challenge creation will be given 2 chances per entry to win.

This weeks challenge is a color challenge!!!

Green, Silver (or gray), Purple, and Red

Knock yourselves out!! =) I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

As it turns out...I made a door hanger!! I think it'd look adorable tacked up right in the middle of a little girls door!! And I already have a little girl in mind for this!!!

I used Pearl today. It was my first time inking her and I LOVE how she came out!!! QKD's Mermaid collection just keep growing and growing!!! The fabulous art of Maigan-Lynn and her gorgeous girls astounds me!!

I hope that everyone has a fun time playing and has a great weekend!!!

XOXO-

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

I want to introduce you all to one of my new favorite sites!!! You MUST check out Robyn's Fetish!! Amazing digital images at amazing prices! And there's a freebie!! Right now on the challenge blog!!!
It's so cool, easy and fun working with digi images!!

I used the bee with flower image to make this adorable birthday card!! The number 4 is intentionally detachable. I would include it within the card so that it would just pop out of the card when the recipient opened it. Everything is colored with my Copics,stitched with my sewing machine and sparkled up with a glue pen and black glitter. The buttons are hand stitched with silver thread to make them stand out!

I just love how this came out with the coordinating envelope!!

And as an aside...Robyn's Fetish is having a Design Team call right now! Here are the details!!

Thanks for visiting!!!

XOXO-

My WIS post as today IS Temtping Lorali Thursdays!!!

Greetings! I'm mixin' it up a little bit this week and I've got something extra special Fantasy-like to show you. I've been working a lot with the Mermaids lately so I wanted to bust out and try something new. Working with solid images has always been challenging for me as I'm used to coloring, paper piecing, painting my images in some way so when it's solid it's just that...solid!
So I thought for a while. And I started to dig through my scrap bins. The first piece I pulled out was a scrap of SU! paper in a roughed up blue color. It was from their line of scrapbook paper a few years ago where all the pages were in a variety of colors meant to look like old car paint. So that was my jumping point.

And then...I've been just dying to ink up Juniper!!! She gives me this sassy vibe - honestly...the first time I saw her the Aretha Franklin song R E S P E C T came into my head. I think it's her pose...but she's just sassy and fabulous! I inked her up in Brilliance Pigment Ink in Pearlescent Beige and heat set her. I then ever so carefully trimmed her out. I zazzed her up a bit with a blue Sakura sparkly gel pen. (I couldn't help myself!! I had to do SOME kind of coloring on her!!! ;)
Then I found an old 'card' - a store bought kind that I had never used from years ago. I *think* it was a sympathy card but I tore the sentiment off because it's applicable in any situation. I then used a variety of SU! paper scraps in Chocolate Chip, Vintage Violet (retired) and Soft Sky (also retired). The dragon is an SU! die cut. I did some cool zig zag stitching on my sewing machine and then worked on placement. For every card I use my Basic Grey magnetic mat so that I can position and review and then position and review over and over again until I find what I consider perfect placements for all of my elements.

I've also been dying to use my sparkly, glittery, rub-ons. They're like regular transfers but they are sticky and come with extra-fine glitter so it sticks really well. I chose the Happiness one for this card.

Lastly - I pulled out some quiet blue ribbon and the pearl 'buckle' that I've literally had in my stash since I started card making...years ago. You know...you go out...you get all excited and you buy all this stuff....and most of it goes unused because you have no idea what you need when you start. Ya...that was in a pack of stuff like that. =)

I had one petal style envelope from The Paper Source that I had leftover from my best friend's Ali and Craig's engagement party that I threw oh so many years ago now! It spoke to me so I used it to coordinate with the card. This time I inked Juniper in Brilliance Pigment Ink in Pearlescent Sky Blue. I love how the set came out and I hope you do too!

Thanks for reading!!

XOXO-

QKD..."Come Play With Me" - Inspiration Challenge

Welcome to this week's Royal Wednesday!!! If you're hopping you should have arrived here from Alex!! This week we were issued an inspirational challenge.

This gorgeous image was given to us as the inspiration. I've never done a challenge such as this before so I had to force myself not to necessarily feel compelled to go forward with just using the colors in the picture. But to figure out what the image made me feel...and go with that. So I just brainstormed a bit and came up with these
thoughts:

• calm
• inviting
• serene
• comfortable
• welcoming
• crisp
• clean

So here is what my interpretation of this was:


Enve: 6 3/4 x 3 1/2
Card Base: 6 1/2 x 3 1/4 - Basic Grey
L1: 2 3/4 X 4: Misc blue paper stamped with QKD Library Card Stamp. It inks BEAUTIFULLY and I used Brilliance Pigment Ink in Coffee Bean - heat set
L2: 2 1/4 x 2 1/4: Making Memories Embellishment Paper in "Chandelier"
L3: 2 x 2 piece of dictionary paper that was in the QKD SEPTEMBER 09 FINDINGS KIT which TOTALLY rocks. I've used things from it 3 times alone in just this one card!!! ( YOU MUST RUN AND GRAB ONE!! ) These papers are stitched together with a zig zag stitch with turquoise thread. The crystal button (the extra one from some shirt I own) is filled with Cinnamon Stickles. (you guessed it...from the FINDINGS KIT!)
L4: 3 1/2 x 1 1/4 Basic Grey
L5: 3 1/4 x 1 - Basic Grey - Romani - stamped with QKD "Playing Happily Ever After" stamp which is an exclusive set included in the FINDINGS KIT!!! =) Inked in the Brilliance Pigment Ink in Coffee Bean and heat set. These 2 pieces were stitched with a straight stitch with the same turquoise thread.
L6: Cut out flower from MM Embelli. Paper in "Geometric Flower" - embellished with Cinnamon Stickles
L7: 3 1/4 x 2 - Misc Blue Paper
L8: Chance Monopoly Card - ALSO included in the SEPT 09 FINDINGS KIT!!! LOL!! You're going to get sick of me linking you there but I PROMISE the stuff ROCKS!!! I crumpled up the card and edged it with my SU! Chocolate Chip regular ink pad. I then covered it in Dazzle Versamark and heat set it so it shines! I added a yellow, flower button purchased at my LSS and filled it in with Cinnamon Stickles. Lastly I added a little touch of ribbon from Michael's and stitched it onto the card with a zig zag stitch.




I hope you enjoyed my interpretive creation!!!

Now...onto Linda to see how she transformed this image into her creation!!

QKD: http://qkd.blogspot.com/
Shannon: http://shannonssentiments.blogspot.com/
jules: http://julietds.blogspot.com/
Penny: http://penny-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/
Tina: http://woodedviews.blogspot.com/
Maria: http://www.riacreations.blogspot.com/
Kelly: http://www.kellystamps.blogspot.com/
KellyJean: http://dancingwithstamps.blogspot.com/
WIS: http://whimsicalinksorority.blogspot.com/
Andrea: http://www.mystampingheaven.typepad.com/
Victoria: http://eatstampsleeprepeat.blogspot.com/
Lara: http://www.youwantthecookie.blogspot.com/
Anessa: http://alienanessa.wordpress.com/
Helene: http://2amscrapper.blogspot.com/
nina: http://creatinginsolitude.blogspot.com/
Alex: http://www.paperandstring.blogspot.com/
Meredith: http://www.papercanteen.com/
Linda: http://linda-scrap-atc.blogspot.com/
Nancy: http://craftynancy.blogspot.com/
Anita: http://happypapercrafthappenings.blogspot.com/
QKD: http://www.katstamps.com/store---------

TCP Color Challenge!!!

My bestiest friend Joanne has issued us a challenge from TCP!! It's easy, fun and the colors she chose are RIGHT up my alley!! ;)
Click here to read the details of the challenge!

Since we're nearing Halloween (one of my favorite holidays, up against Valentine's Day and my birthday) I instantly gravitated towards the holiday theme using the colors that Joanne has chosen. I've been DYING to ink up this awesome Amuse fence stamp since I purchased it weeks ago along with the designer papers shown.

I've had Big Sprinkle for quite a LONG time and I've NEVER inked her up!! FOR SHAME! I know, I know. But she's getting her center stage today!!!

Here are the details of my card:

Enve: 5 3/4 x 4 1/4 - from The Paper Source in Poppy.

Papers:

• Card Base: 5 1/2 x 4 - PTI in Hibiscus Burst - Edges distressed.
• Bo Bunny Love Shack Paper in Boogie - 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 - Edges distressed.
• Bo Bunny Love Shack Cut Outs (the one Sprinkle is stamped on) 3x3
• SU! Basic Black: 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 - edges distressed
• PTI Hibiscus Burst backs the skeleton paper mentioned next - 4 x 2 3/4
• Creative Imaginations - Skeleton Paper 3 3/4 x 2 1/2

Stamps:

• TCP : Big Sprinkle - stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black Pigment Ink and heat embossed. Her collar is studded with Sakura pink sparkly gel pen as is her cute little nose.
• Amuse: Frightful & Delightful sentiment and Crooked Fence - both stamped in the same black ink and heat embossed - the crooked fence took some serious lining up to make it straight but I think it worked nicely!!

Embellies:

• Black thread and my sewing machine!
• White ribbon with black and orange dots - Michael's house brand
• Pink Staples are from an OLD mini desk set that I got at a Yankee Swap one year when I used to work out of the house
  
• Stick Pin - JoAnn Fabrics - notions department
• Hardware - was from the back of an old frame. It was headed towards the trash when I needed that extra 'something'. And there it was =) Don't you love when that happens??

Safety Measure! - I didn't have a base for the stick pin and I don't want anyone getting poked so I cut a large 3-D glue dot in half and rolled it in my fingers and then in chunky, pink glitter!! Essentially making a custom-made stopper!! No ouchy fingers around here!!

I hope you enjoyed my creation!! Thanks Jo for picking such a great challenge!!!

XOXO-

COME PLAY ALONG!!!!!!!

C'mon Y'all!!! Play along!!

L'Shanah Tovah

Happy New Year! Today we are going to my oldest and dearest friend Erica's house!! Well her Mother's house to be exact. Deb has ALWAYS been like a surrogate Mom for me...especially during my childhood. She was there....enough said =)

So today on one of the holiest of Jewish Holidays - Rosh Hashannah Deb and Erica have graciously invited my family and I to celebrate with their family and friends. I am excited and thrilled. I am looking forward to spending time with new people and people I have not seen in a longgggggggg time. I know it will be a great day for all - including all of the children that will be there to celebrate as well!!
I wrapped up a Mason jar of honey, wrapped with papers to match my card, a variety of apples and a chocolate bar - also wrapped in the same papers to match the card as my expression to the hostess to have a sweet New Year!!! I am looking forward to a Sweet and Happy New Year for all!!

L'Shana Tova (pronounced [ʃaˈna toˈva]) is the traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah which in Hebrew means "A Good Year."


Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "first of the year", or "head of the year," Ashkenazic: [ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh], Israeli: [ˈʁoʃ haʃaˈna], Yiddish: [ˈrɔʃəˈʃɔnə]) is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year." It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar,[1] as ordained in the Torah, in Leviticus 23:24. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), or Asseret Yemei Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance) which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur.

		Official name	Hebrew: ראש השנה‎
		Also called	Jewish New Year
		Observed by	Judaism and Jews; Samaritans
		Type	Jewish; Samaritan
		Significance	New year's day according to the Hebrew calendar. Commemorates the creation of the world as narrated in the Bible. it begins the ten days before Yom Kippur Beginning of the ten "Days of Awe" culminating in Yom Kippur.
		Begins	Start of first day of Tishrei
		Ends	Ends second day of Tishrei
		2008 date	sunset, September 29 – sunset, October 1
		2009 date	sunset, September 18 – sunset, September 20
		2010 date	sunset, September 8 – sunset, September 10
		Observances	Praying in synagogue, hearing the shofar. Festive meals with challah. Auspicious foods such as apples dipped in honey, fish heads, as well as new fruits on the second night. Refraining from work.

I made this card in traditional fall colors with lots of stitching, heat embossing and layering. I LOVE how it turned out! I have a jar of honey - which symbolizes the sweet that is to come in the new year, that I am giving to the hostess ... my other Mom...Deb =)

I hope that everyone has a sweet, great and creative weekend!!

xoxo-