Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter Blueprint Cards

Just a quick post to share some Easter cards that I made with the TH Easter Blueprints stamp set.  The card base is kraft cardstock.  The backgrounds are Core-dinations Distress kraft core embossed with texture fades that were sanded and inked with distress ink. The blueprint images were colored in with distress markers using the detail water brush.  Have a Happy Easter!






















Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Frilly and Funkie Challenge - Easter/Spring Gifts

Welcome everyone!  Today I have my DT piece for the weekly Frilly and Funkie challenge.  Rebecca is our host this week and she wants to see Easter/Spring gifts...but not in a basket!  Think of different ways to package those Easter treats!  Here's mine...




I've had this paper cone since Christmas before last!  It was an after-Christmas clearance buy at my local craft store.  At one time I coated it with gesso and then still didn't do anything with it.  So when I read Rebecca's challenge theme I looked up at this cone and knew I would finally be able to use it!

I started by covering the cone with Victorian Velvet Distress Paint.  It was darker than I wanted it to be so after it dried I covered it with a crackle medium and then added a buttermilk acrylic paint over that.  It crackled beautifully!

Next, I stamped the bunny and egg from the Blueprints #2 set on tissue paper using Ranger black archival ink.  I heat dried the images and cut them out.  Then I applied them randomly to the outside of the cone using matte medium.  Once they were dry I hand painted them with Distress Paint using the detail water brush to pick up the different colors from my craft mat.  Perfect!

The new Tapered Fringe decorative strip was die cut from green kraft core-dinations paper.  I sanded the die cuts and then distressed them with Brushed Corduroy distress ink.  They I glued them around the edge of the cone in two offset layers.  For the final touch, I added pearls and a piece of Idea-ology tinsel for a handle!  And just like Valentine's day...I get to eat the yummy candy that I used for the photograph!!!  I haven't yet though.  I'm trying to hold out until Easter!!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.  I hope you like my project and that you are inspired to create an Easter "un-basket" project of your own and share it with us at Frilly and Funkie!

The following items that I used on my project can be found at The Funkie Junkie Boutique! The boutique offers it's merchandise at up to a 20% discount from the typical retail price! That's a great deal and you should check it out!!



Tuesday, March 26, 2013

12 Tags of 2013 - March

I want to first apologize to all of my followers, and blogging friends, for not paying visits and leaving comments regularly.  I've not been entirely engaged in crafting and blogging outside of my DT responsibilities.  It was confirmed, just after the beginning of the new year, that one of my dogs has nasal cancer.  Over the past several months I have learned more about canine nasal cancer than I thought was possible.  Surgery isn't an option.  Chemotherapy isn't effective.  That only leaves radiation which is expensive and can be painful.  And radiation will only add months to the survival time...it won't cure the cancer.  Average survival time without treatment is short, 2-6 months.  Willie, my dachshund, is being treated holistically in an attempt to slow down the growth of the tumor.  Only time will tell if it's working.  Infections are recurrent so every few weeks I have to give him antibiotics to clear that up.  Otherwise, aside from a little snorting he seems happy and is not in any pain right now.

I'm not very good at "one day at a time".  I've been wondering how long I have with him, and worrying about how my other dog will handle the loss.  She's just three years old, has separation anxiety, and I actually got her so they could keep each other company while I'm at work!  I left her alone once, when I took him to the vet for a day-long test, and had to come home from my work because my neighbor could hear her crying and barking frantically because she was alone.  This whole experience has been emotionally draining and I'm pretty sure that I won't be getting another dog once he's gone.

So I've been trying to adjust to this development and I'm starting to get back to doing what makes me happy.  I'm on vacation this week so I'll have time to catch up on things at home and in blogland!  To start, I decided to make my March tag for Tim's 12 Tags of 2013.

I love Tim's tag but I was in the mood for something a little more funky and colorful.  So here is my version...


The photo doesn't reflect how bright the colors are.  I tried to do better but finally gave up!

The harlequin patterned background paper was black and white.  I distressed the edges with Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers.  Then I went around again with Brushed Corduroy.  I distressed the label/bunny die cut with Peacock Feathers and then sprayed it with Biscotti Perfect Pearls mist.  The crinkle ribbon around the bunny was dyed with Squeezed Lemonade and Spiced Marmalade distress stain.  The crinkle ribbon at the top was dyed with Peacock Feathers and Mowed Lawn distress stain.  The rest of the tag was done like Tim's.  I love the little flower stick pins!!  Aren't they so cool?!  What a great idea!  

I made two while I was at it...one I'll give to a friend and the other that says "Life is Good" is for myself.


So thank you for stopping by and for listening to me pour out my problems!  I hope you have time to make your own March tag for Tim's challenge!