Tim Holtz Tag

Tim Holtz is continuing his '12 Tags of' series this year and I have attempted a version of January's tag myself! As usual I saw his tag and thought: I have most of those items; I should give it a go! Did I have Grungeboard? No. Did I have the gears? No. Did I have all the colours? Nope. Did I have the bulldog clip? No - not even an old, non-crafty one. Did I have the same embossing folder? No. Did I have the stamps? No, but ones similar enough. Substitution is fine I'm sure. For once I am really pleased at how it turned out! (Yes, I did just admit that out loud). Ta Da!

What did I have that Tim used? Why, the film strip, the new metallic distress stains, spinners and the stickers. To be honest I had most of the distress ink (not the orange but rusty hinge worked fine) and I am building up my stash of distress stains (I did have the weathered wood one in my cart for my last order but took it out). I'm just happy cos I got to create and it turned out fine!

What Am I known For + Washi + + +

Another creation for a couple of challenges today. The first challenge is for Simon Says Stamp - Use Washi Tape. I have quite a stash (and did order a few more rolls over the weekend - but only to support a kiwi girl just starting out mind!) but I don't use a lot of it. I wasted quite a bit trying first this one, then that one and then I tore some paper as I lifted it one too many times. Never fear, what wasn't ruined is still stuck to my clear desk covering waiting for the next project - waste not; want not.

Where's the washi you say?  It's the black strip running horizontally.  This layout was based on a sketch from the Better Scrapbooking newsletter last week and I was going to enter it for their challenge too but I just realised today that that challenge closed on Sunday. The layout was completed in time but I wanted to submit it to an Aussie mag before I loaded it online.  That flower on it is not stuck down; it was only added now as I took another look at the sketch and saw the embellishment spot on it and realised I should at least see how it looks with a flower on it. Turns out it needed the flower! I will write the important details and glue it down once I have finished blogging for the day.

Megan at Better Scrapbooking has extended the sketch challenge so I am submitting this layout for that now too (yay me!)

I'm also going to load this layout to Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge: What are you known for?
I am known for using my stash and altering things to suit the project (instead of buying a complete matching collection - too expensive for my budget!).  On this layout I altered plain chipboard by embossing them with pink embossing powder. I often try and colour my titles to match doing this or colouring with markers/ink.  I have tried this technique before not as successfully as I would have liked and this layout was the same! The embossing powder isn't even and the chipboard layers lift. The pieces blow away under the heat gun and they are hot! Someone remind me to just give up and buy matching chipboard letters!

I'm also known for inking the edges of everything! If it's going to be glued down it's going to have it's edges inked (and most days I remember before adhering them to the layout - most days).

My final challenge entry is for A Blog Named Hero's - Golden Oldie Challenge (again) as I used one of my favourite, old Hero Arts stamps (Write Your Message). Love the mix of simplicity and elegance of the message lines!

Details:
Simon Says Stamp - Use Washi Challenge:
http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/simon-saysuse-washi-tape.html
Simon Says Stamp & Show - What Are You Known For?
http://www.simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/challenge-what-are-you-known-for.html
A Blog Named Hero - Golden Oldie
http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/challenge-18-golden-oldie.html
Better Scrapbooking Gallery Challenge - Challenge 3 www.betterscrapbooking.co.nz

Materials:
Cardstock, Paper (MME), Washi (Lawn Fawn), Chipboard (Bella, American Crafts), Flower (Prima), Paper Strips (K&Co), Stamp (Hero Arts),  Ink (Versa, Stazon, Stampin' Up!), Bling

Ueber Excitement Going On!

Nope, that's not a typo it's just the updated spelling of a u + umlaut (I also can't remember how to access the alternative keyboard).  It was quite ironic (annoying) that right at the end of my studies of German  'they' introduced new rules removing the umlaut and replacing it with an 'e' after the vowel instead. They also removed the symbol for double 's' meaning you had to write 'ss' instead.Not so pretty looking any more. Sigh, change is good so they say. Good old 'they' ;-)

Anyways, uber exciting news for me (that looks a little better, but still wrong).  I mentioned earlier that I had submitted a layout I created on Wednesday to two mags. Well, Scrapbooking Memories Australia have requested it for publication! Uber excited!!! It is not confirmed until I send them the layout and they photograph it then make final decisions for galleries. Fingers crossed!!! I've never been this close before. Sadly, it means I can't show it to you until 2 months after it is published (if it is published).  Once you see the faces of my nephews in the pictures you will scream with laughter (totally scrap worthy!).

I'll stop boasting, I mean sharing, now.

A Blog Named Hero Challenge #18 - Golden Oldie

Remember I mentioned a second card I was making specifically for the A Blog Named Hero challenge? Well, I looked up the rules and found out I can submit more than one card - yippee! So guess where this little beauty is headed?

I saw a card somewhere online using the notebook edge with a simple stamp on white cardstock then placed on a black card. Sorry, I can't remember who or where and you know I like to give credit where credit is due. The colour scheme was again inspired by the lapsed Simon Says Stamp Challenge (black/white + a splash of colour). I went for a masculine blue this time and really like how easily it came together but looks pretty good too.

The golden oldie stamp is called Quotes Background. I used a versamark pen to draw the dots in the speech marks to hold the embossing powder. Nice to pull out colour embossing powders for a change rather than the basics of black, white and clear.

Here's the details for the challenge:
A Blog Named Hero Challenge #18 - Golden Oldie
http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/challenge-18-golden-oldie.html

A Golden Oldie

This card was supposed to be for a Simon Says Stamp challenge but true to my form it closed yesterday! Luckily, it also fits the bill for the latest A Blog Named Hero challenge #18 - Golden Oldie.  The idea behind this one is to use an older stamp. Unfortunately, the stamp I used here was for another challenge and therefore not a Hero Arts one. I was also making a card specifically for the Blog Named Hero challenge with a Hero Arts stamp but it is still in pieces. I just need to decide on the final stamp on the cover and finish it. I wonder if I can submit more than one card to each challenge?

I have scraplifted (what's the card version of that saying?) my card from Lisa Carroll for Simon Says Stamp.  The colour scheme also came from Simon Says Stamp: Black/white + a splash of colour. The happy birthday in the middle isn't very clear but I'm sure the BFF will know what it says when she receives it next week. Thanks goes to Jennifer McGuire too as she gave me the idea to colour my bling with copic markers. The gems were originally just clear.

Materials: Stamp (Stampendous and unknown), ink (Stampin' Up!), copic marker, border punch (Stampin' Up!), bling (Kaisercraft), embossing ink (Stampin' Up!), cardstock Stampin' Up! and unknown)

Here's the link to Challenge #18 - Golden Oldie - at A Blog Named Hero.
http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/challenge-18-golden-oldie.html

I am hoping it is ok to mention Simon Says Stamp here because SSS sponsors both blogs - apologies if not acceptable!

How Can You Not Love A Face Like That?

How's your new year going? Did you set any new year's resolutions? I'm going to keep my personal crafting challenge of using more of my stash. I lost my mojo for a wee bit (more on that later) but today I have a layout on my desk that is coming together. It is just waiting for me to finish blogging to come and adhere everything down, add journaling and final touches. I'm thinking of submitting it which means I can't show it to you yet.

It is summer here in New Zealand and my craft space is the hottest room in the house; fortunately it is the warmest one in winter. The weather turned cooler and rainy this week - perfect for creating.  I'm so grateful for a boss who told me to take the rest of the week off - how convenient! I'd had a short break over Christmas but the rest of our summer break just flew by without any creating (more on that later). Thanks boss; I will make the most of my free time!

Last, the reason for my loss of mojo and lack of time over my summer break was that my beloved dog became suddenly ill the day after I returned home from holiday. My boy was almost 9 years of age but I thought I would have him much longer. The vets had been telling me what signs to look out for concerning his heart but I didn't expect it to fail so quickly and suddenly!  He was a real treasure to me and my family - every one's name had a prefix of Aunt, Uncle or a title like Gma, Gdad, big sis when we talked to him. He was the 5th grand child to my parents and my 'best boy'.  This boy was loved I tell you. I had to make the difficult choice of allowing him to go to peace even though I wanted to keep him to myself for much longer.  I know that my sadness will not last forever but the joy he brought to my life and the life of other's will last much longer than the sadness.

How can you not love a face like that?
Thanks for the love and memories Mr Brown and know that you will always be my favourite.