The Bunny Nest

Hey Girlfriend!

2011-12-30T14:58:00.000-06:00

I am getting back into the swing of things, finally. We had a big push getting VSN samples out the door, and then I had a writing assignment, and some other art due in December. Finally, I have rested my muse enough to start feeling the need to create again. Does that ever happen to you?

Well, here's a card that I made for Virtual Stamp Night, but never got around to sharing with you. I used the salting technique with alcohol inks to create this stained glass or tie dyed effect in the background. The bird is from Gina K Designs Falling For You set, the sentiment is from the You Go Girl set, and the tree is from the Strength and Hope set.

The new year is upon us. Wherever did the time go? I am working on my visions for the new year and would love to hear about your plans. Let me know you stopped by!

Ta for now!
♥ ~ky

Me and my muse

2011-12-20T22:51:00.000-06:00

Me and my muse have been in touch again. Here are some more cards I made for the latest Virtual Stamp Night on Splitcoast.

This was created for the blue Christmas challenge, and was sent to my Dad for him to enjoy.

I had a great deal of fun creating this card for the unseasonably warm challenge to make a Christmas card with non-Christmas images. Love the Cat's Pajama's stamps - so funny!

This card was perfect for my sis-in-law and her family. I hope they enjoy their gifts. We had a great visit over thanksgiving and her husband is a darned good chef! The challenge was to make a card with six or more layers.

This tag (I love tags!) was made for the music challenge. Our projects had to feature music, so I decided to showcase what music makes me want to do - dance!

I hope you find some inspiration here. I am always happy to have you visit me! Oh, and if you need more inspiration, check out my Art Journal blog, the Gesso Dragon!

Ta!
~ky

There's Still Time!

2011-12-11T10:43:00.001-06:00

Did you know this was VSN weekend? Did you know you still have time to play along? I didn't get all of the challenges completed because Santa came early. I plan to finish my cards and projects today or tomorrow. Yep, VSN is open until 10 p.m. EST on Monday night! Here's a sample of what I made:

{Click on any image to enlarge}

You don't have to make just cards! I channeled my inner Tim for this tag. This challenge involved making a project from packaging or wrapping paper - celebrating all those wonderful gifts we get!

I made this card for my sister because her birthday is so close to Christmas. This challenge was to find inspiration in your wardrobe. I love the Narnia reference for this challenge!

And you know I couldn't go through the night without a bunneh!! Lydia challenged us to make a project using the CUTEST bunneh photo as inspiration. We were to represent what gave us the warm fuzzies! SQUEEE!!

Ok - so there's a little sampling of all the fun you can have at Virtual Stamp Night. It is a wonderful time to share inspiration and laughter with other stampers.

Alrighty - I'm gonna be busy today. Hope to see you over there!

♥ ~ky

Upcoming Fun

2011-12-08T14:50:00.000-06:00

Hey friends - do you know what this weekend is? It's Virtual Stamp Night over at Splitcoast Stampers! Woohoo! We are gonna have a lot of fun challenges for you!

Here's a little sneak of one of my samples. I wonder if you can guess what it is?

The fun starts at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, December 9th, and we'll have a new challenge every hour until 9 p.m. Eastern. Now, don't worry - you have all weekend to do the challenges - uploads close Monday night. Here's another teaser...

I know, I'm so mean! We'll start back up on Saturday, December 10th, at noon Eastern time with a challenge just for kids, then resume the regular schedule at 1 p.m. The party goes until 11 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, so everyone will have a chance to at least come chat and hang out. It's a Winter Wonderland theme!

Ok... I'd better see you there. Promise? Great!

♥ ~ky

Greeting Farm's Customer Challenge

2011-11-12T02:01:00.000-06:00

Hey friends and neighbors! I just wanted to let you know about the very FIRST Greeting Farm Customer Challenge event, and I was fortunate enough to be the very first hostess for this challenge! Woohoo! I feel so blessed and honored!

Our very first challenge was MOVIE NIGHT! We had an absolute blast talking about all the wonderful movies that we love. Not just the new stuff, either. Not just the outrageously popular ones, too. We went way back in time, and out to the edges of the future. It was fantastic fun just getting to sit and chat, and talk about all the WONDERFUL images the Greeting Farm has that can be used to make movie-themed cards and projects.

This first card uses my trusty Best Mates set together with Tim Holtz Idea-ology Kraft Resist Paper map. I used the big star stamp in the set to clear emboss over the map so I could add some distress inks to it. Love that effect! Totally matched up with my ideas of Pirates of the Caribbean!

Then I thought back on some of the older movies that I have loved, and another stamp that's a little older too. I love Izzy (Twinkle Tots), and I colored her like more Victorian-era beach attire.

Yes, the movie I'm representing here is Beaches. That movie tore me up, and is probably single-handedly responsible for turning me away from chick-flicks. I avoid those movies like the plague. But this card? Yeah, I could watch this card forever!

Got a movie in your head now? Good! Go grab your Greeting Farm images (or buy a digi!) and get to creating. You have until Monday, Nov 14th at 9 p.m. Central (US) time. You can combine this challenge with VSN (Virtual Stamp Night), so go rock it out! Details for this challenge can be found by CLICKING HERE. There are two full clear stamp sets up for grabs! What are you waiting for?

Go!
~ky

Halloween Wristers

2011-11-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been drawn back to an old love, crocheting. I made these wristers in one day. Yep, both gloves, one day. I love projects that go like that. It makes you feel so accomplished.

I used a free pattern Easy Crochet Wristers from Coats & Clark. It takes some careful counting but it was an easy pattern to follow, even for my rusty crochet memory.

Yesterday was Hallowe'en, so you know I just had to carve some pumpkins! Here's the witch:

And of course I have to have a spider (because I just love those creatures, and they are sooooo Hallowe'enie)!

Today marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) and National Non-stop Journaling Month (nanojoumo) - I hope you will be participating. If you do, stop in and leave me a link so I can check out what you're doing. Alrighty - I'm off to write and journal and do laundry and all kinds of other stuff.

Ta!
♥ ~ky

Oldie!

2011-10-28T16:38:00.001-05:00

Oops - I've left my blog unattended! No telling what someone could have stopped by and stuck on it. Ok - here's a little project I made awhile back but didn't have time to blog about at the time.

I used Verve's Beautiful You set for this card, and I really love how it turned out. It was one of the sketches the Verve gals post for the monthly challenge, back in September (week 3). I really love their challenges, and they are so sweet to let you play with any stamps.

I really liked the center band - it's a page out of an old book I have, that I folded into an accordion, then colored with Distress Inks. There's just a hint of Sakura glitter pen, and a pearl for the flower. This card makes me really happy.

I hope you've had a happy day. See you again soon! I promise not to leave the blog alone nearly as long!

Ta!

♥ ~ky

Recipe:

Gina K Designs pure luxury cardstock, tan leather

SEI patterned papers, Granny's Kitchen (retired)

Verve Beautiful You stamp set

Misc Spellbinders dies

EK Success border punches

Offray ribbon

Bazzill brads, misc pearl, Gina K button

Memento and Distress inks

Book paper

2011-10-18T15:58:00.000-05:00

A bit ago, I made a part of a set of Christmas cards. I finally got back around to finishing the last 2 in that set. Life has been crazy lately! So - here they are all together!

I used Gina K Design's My True Love Gave to Me set to make these. I think they make a great set. All of these are on their way to Operation Write Home. Thanks for stopping by!

♥ ~ky

Retro at the Farm

2011-10-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

I have a quick little project for you today. The Greeting Farm has a challenge over at the Farm Fresh blog, and I made this card to play in it. I hope you'll come play along too!

{click to enlarge}

The challenge is to use older stamps (these are from 2008), and animals (stamps, paper or embellishments). The set is Best Mates and I just adore those cut monkeys - especially the one with pizza!!

Here's a little close-up of the button flower I created. Fast and easy! I hope you like this little project and it can bring a smile to you. I'm sending it to Operation Write Home because I think a family member would love it.

Thanks for stopping by today!
♥ ~ky

Recipe
Gina K Designs pure luxury cardstock
My Minds Eye patterned paper, Lost and Found Market Street
The Greeting Farm stamp set Best Mates
McGill and SU punches
Spellbinders tag and oval dies
Cuttlebug embossing folder, paisley
Robin's Nest dew drops
Heidi Grace rhinestone
Copic markers
Gina K button, misc jute twine

Suggles

2011-10-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

Aahhh we've been enjoying such lovely weather the last 2 weeks. We've even had to turn on the air conditioner! I'm pleased to say we are returning to more autumnal weather in a few days.

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I like to play the Greeting Farm challenges. I really loved the Friday Spy-Day challenge where the DT picks a card from the gallery and we get to use it for inspiration. I decided to use the sample layout for my inspiration. I recently won this set over at the Greeting Farm's SCS forum on their release day. He's part of the My Guy Ian set. I lurrrves him!

{click to enlarge}

This little cutie is Snuggles! Can you guess why I love this image?? Tee hee! Just so many cute ways you could work this image. It was a special gift (thanks, Jess!) that I will treasure for a long time. I made this card to play another Greeting Farm challenge to use black, white and just one other color.

Speaking of snugly bunnies and warm weather...

There's Miss Tinker hanging out during our bunny romp time. All the buns just love their grassy yard, and sunshine. I really thought we would be stuck indoors by this time of the year, but not just yet...

I'm so glad you stopped by today. Don't forget, you can still donate to Operation Julie's Smile (button, top right)! Have a great day!

♥ ~ky

Recipes:
Ian -
The Greeting Farm, My Guy Ian stamp
Gina K Designs, Holiday Greetings
Distress and Memento inks
Gina K pure luxury cardstock
Misc pieces of very old patterned paper
Copic markers
Jute twine
Robin's Nest dew drops
EK Success and SU punches

Snuggles-
The Greeting Farm, Snuggles
Gina K pure luxury cardstock
My Mind's Eye Lost and Found patterned paper, Breeze
Distress inks with Spellbinder's die mask
Gina K button
Copic markers
Hobby Lobby ribbon
Twinery twine pom pom
Robin's Nest dew drops
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Operation Julie's Smile!

2011-10-07T06:46:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my blog! We're here today to join together to help fellow crafter, Julie Ranae, get her smile back! If you've come here from Eva Dobilas' blog, then your in the right place. If you just happened upon my blog today, we'd love to have you start at the Sweet Stamp Shop and see all the wonderful projects!

The Problem

Julie Ranae had some pretty major dental surgeries in her lifetime due to medication she had to take as a child. It was in her plans to think about having all of her teeth replaced at some point in the next 5 years, a decision that was pretty easy to plan out. But then it happened…she chipped her front teeth on a weekend a month ago. The dentist told her there was no way to save them and that it was his recommendation that she give in and have them all her teeth removed soon, but for that day, they needed to get her front teeth done so her gums could begin to heal.

He said he would 'work out payments with her to have ALL this work done...but when she called to make her appt for the first step of impressions, they told her the amount of money that was needed and that the 'payments' applied only to the two teeth that were extracted that day. Her husband Paul was with her and that too, was his understanding as well. So this is how she has found herself in this situation…Needing at least $4000 to get started and another $3000 to finish the process…a total of $7000.

The FIX

Nicole Rixon, owner of Sweet Stamp Shop, put together this benefit after finding out about this situation and before Julie Ranae knew it, it took flight! Because Julie is an event organizer by trade, she has taken on the job of organizing all of the blogs in this hop as her way of ‘working overtime’ for what she needs, the same as if she were able to work overtime at an outside job to pay for the work to be done.

It is the goal of all of these generous friends and sponsors to help make this situation more do-able for our friend so that she can share a brand new smile with all of us soon. If there is anything you can do to help with a financial donation, please click the link below to a secure PayPal donation site. Any amount is appreciated and ALL DONORS will be eligible for prizes from our sponsor pool of over $2500.

{click to enlarge}

I'm so glad you joined us on the hop today, and I hope you can participate. I made this card while thinking that some of the best gifts in life do not fit in a box or come with a bow.

I'd like to give a big, warm SHOUT OUT to Kellie Winnell of Tickled Pink Stamps for gifting me this beautiful image of Christina, which was the PERFECT image for Operation Julie's Smile. Thanks, Kellie, and I hope you are feeling better!

Thank you so much for stopping by - remember, a simple donation puts your name in the hat for one of the many generous prize packages up for grabs! There's over $2,500 in amazing product that's going to be given away, so leave a comment, donate, and keep on hopping for Julie's Smile!

Your next stop is one of our wonderful sponsors - The Twinery!

Happy hopping!
♥ ~ky

Recipe:
Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Cardstock, Smoky Slate, Sweet Corn
Authentique Patterned Paper, Blissful
Tickled Pink Stamps, Lil Victorian Christmas Lolita Christina
Papertrey Ink, flower die Beautiful Blooms II #1
Sizzix Alterations, Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die, Regal Flourishes embossing folder
Stampin' Up, scalloped punch
McGill, branch punch
EK Success border punch
Spellbinder's Nestabilities punches
Hobby Lobby crocheted trim
Michael's metallic ribbon and rhinestone brad
Sakura Star Dust glitter pen
Inkssentials Glossy Accents
Ranger Ink Distress Inks, Wild Honey, Barn Red
Copic markers
Misc sewing thread

Old News is Good News

2011-10-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so you've probably heard by now, but it bears repeating. The Greeting Farm is the newest member company of Splitcoast Stampers! Woohoo!!

They had a wonderful release party full of chatting, prize drawings, and all around fun over on their new forum. Yep - a whole new forum with challenges and contests and, oh yeah - their heART journaling forum, too!

Speaking of release... did you see their new, totally Ca-UTE sets? They are doing some of their sets in clear photopolymer acrylic. Now, I haven't bought any of these yet to try them out, but the reviews indicate that their polymer is superior to those cheaper, tear-prone, hard to ink polymers. I'm gonna try them really soon!

This is Furever - and it's adorrrrbz! You don't need to have pets to need this set. How fun would it be to keep in touch with these cuties? Or how about some tea??

YES it's Tea-rrific! Totally ready for an Alice-style tea party. I think these are gotta-haves!

Ok - so TGF is also having a special World Card Making Day/SCS challenge. The gist is to CASE (copy and share everything) a member of the design team. You have until Thursday night to play along (please see the link for details).

I decided to CASE Joni Wilson's card:

Isn't this DARLING? I adore the black and white, with just a hint of warm grey. I didn't have the exact paper or image, so I just played as closely to her elements as I could. This is what I made:

{click to enlarge}

I just love the Sweet and Toxic set. It's perfect for so many applications. I colored her up with my Copics, added just a hint of the subtle greyed-yellow from the SU! paper, and a little Tim Holtz embossing folder. I really like how this came together.

It's your turn, now! Go play the challenge, and upload your card. Check out the new forum, and the BRAND NEW design team. Jump on in, the water's fine!

Ta!
♥ ~ky

OWH Blog Hop

2011-10-01T01:00:00.009-05:00

Welcome to my blog! If you've stumbled here, join us - just click the button to whisk yourself to the beginning of the hop!

Hippity hoppity - are you having fun? I bet you've seen so many beautiful things today. Do you have your shopping done? I have a Christmas wish... maybe you could help me with it?

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I love making cards. I don't mind buying all the paper and ink and spending my free time doting on soldiers and families I'll never meet. It fills my heart with JOY!

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I don't mind buying envelopes, cataloging them, and paying to ship them to my favorite shipper! However, to get those cards into the hands of those soldiers - we have NEEDS! Do you have a few bucks to share? Please? Then I will have my Christmas wish!

{donation code removed, please visit Operation Write Home for donation information}

Thanks for stopping by!!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Gina K Designs pure luxury cardstock, Gina K Designs My True Love Gave to Me stamp set, BoBunny Father Christmas patterned paper, misc ribbon, brads, rhinestones; Copic markers, GKD A Very Merry Christmas stamp set, GKD Vintage Borders stamp set, and a little glossy accents.

CASEing Deb Felts

2011-09-25T21:29:00.003-05:00

Deb Felts, as you may know, is a VERY, VERY DIRTY GIRL. And I adore her! She makes the most beautiful cards, and Stamp TV's challenge this week is to Copy And Share Everything, or CASE, Deb! Woohoo!

I picked this card to copy:

{Please note, this card is DEB's property - respect it!}

I just love the perfectly coordinating paper she used - look at those happy bunnies sharing a little laugh!

{click to enlarge}

I wanted my bunnies to be on a fall background, because they go to Operation Write Home, now. So, I changed the color palette to some Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg and Gina K Mango papers.

Instead of grass between the bunnies, I made a little trellis. We have 2 neighborhood (i.e. wild) bunnies that convene in our backyard almost every morning. They sit by the fences in the yard, and look a bit like this. I gave them some Flower Soft cotton tails - tee hee!

As usual, Deb made the perfect little sentiment setting, so I simply followed her lead. I hope you got a little smile from my work.

Please note, we're having a Blog Hop for Operation Write Home on Oct. 1 showcasing great Christmas cards. I hope you'll join us - OWH hops are always a LOT of fun!

THEN, Oct 3rd-5th is the benefit hop for Operation Julie's Smile. You definitely won't want to miss this hop, and your chance at some of the $2,100 worth of donated prizes!

Both hops give you a chance to connect with fabulous designers and companies, share the camaraderie with others, contribute to an amazing cause, and show why crafters are simply the BEST.

Ok - got to go get my bunnies to bed. They've had a busy day indoors for a change. Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

Ta!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Gina K Pure Luxury cardstock, Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, Gina K stamp set Basket Blessings by Melanie Muenchinger, Gina K ribbon, Prismacolor pencil coloring, Memento ink, Heidi Grace bling, Spellbinder's dies and EK Success punch.

Let a White Out Greet You

2011-09-23T10:59:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I'm looking forward to snow. Hey, somebody's got to do the lovin' of snow! The Greeting Farm Fresh Friday challenge last week was to make a mostly white card - a White Out. Now, that got me excited. Talk about a challenge! Here's what I made:

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I recognized 2 directions this challenge could go - clean and simple, or built up and textural. I chose the latter. I love this older set, called Set Sail. I stamped it in Rich Cocoa, Memento ink, then added just enough warm grey Copic coloring to give hints of shading.

{click to enlarge}

I stacked a punched flower (SU), a button (Gina K), a beading flower (Michael's), and some liquid pearls (Ranger). Love how that looks! The eyelets on the first class tag are stars from probably 10 years ago, and I added a gem to the center of each.

I had a wonderful time yesterday teaching art journaling to two young ladies and their mom. I'm so excited to be taking this adventure with them! I'll be back tomorrow with my art journaling play-along with the Greeting Farm. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Don't forget we're getting ready for Operation Julie's Smile. The prizes they've gathered are amazing, with more rolling in every day. Every person who donates money, no matter how small the amount, will be put in the hat for the drawing of many prizes - about $1,800 worth so far! Come join us!!

Click for more information.

Ta!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Cardstock, Gina K pure luxury, Set Sail stamp set by the Greeting Farm (retired) and 'first class' sentiment from Gina K's Special Deliver set by Tami Mayberry, Memento Rich Cocoa ink, Copic markers, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Gina K ribbon, button, Michaels star eyelets and rhinestones, Spellbinder's dies, SU punch, Gina K button, Michaels bead flower, Ranger's liquid pearls.

Wiped Out Wednesday!

2011-09-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week. I don't know why - it probably isn't really any busier than usual. I didn't get a card made today, but here's one from last week.

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I used the Stamp TV release challenge by Donna to use her color block sketch. I really like that sketch. I decided to add some texture to the bottom squares and highlight them with Distress and white Memories inks.

I used Rupa Shevde's Magic of Christmas set, and some older My Mind's Eye paper I've hoarded - old school Christmas set called Frost (2006). I colored the dove with Copic markers. The next card also used the Magic of Christmas set, and our challenge was to use non-traditional colors for a Christmas card.

{click to enlarge}

This time, it's my hoarded My Mind's Eye in Ooh La La for Him (2009). I tell ya, when I go back in time, I go waaaaay back! The sketch was by Amy Sheffer (ooh just LOVE her style!) for Verve.

Ok - it's time for me to start on the next round of challenges - I hope you follow along and join in! Don't forget, we've still got a big charity hop coming for Operation Julie's Smile! It's not too late to get involved. Over $1200 in prizes have been contributed to be split among the donors! Click the logo for more info.

Thanks for stopping by!

♥ ~ky

Share a Smile!

2011-09-19T12:55:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! Some of you may know stamping scrapbooker, Julie Renae and her fabulous art. Well, she's fallen on hard times after a dental emergency. Some of you may also know that I have a $60,000 mouth because of all my dental work. You might say I'm a little 'sensitive' about it - LOL.

Julie did what a lot of people do - when she found she had a problem, she enlisted professional help to see if they could correct a lot of problem with as few surgeries, visits, trauma as possible. She was told her best option was to remove her teeth and replace them with permanents.

She went to the oral surgeon to get started. After the consultation and scheduling the surgery, the surgeon's office informed her that she would need to bring $4000 back to the appointment with her and they would proceed. This amount would not include the replacements she would need. Now, Julie has her front 2 teeth pulled, with no immediate replacements as she was led to believe.

You know how supportive the paper arts community is - this is where you come in...

LOTS of crafting companies and the Sweet Stamp Shop is putting together a good ol' fashioned donation hop!

Let's help Julie get her smile back!!

There will be a benefit blog hop called 'Operation Julie's Smile' that will take place Oct 7-9. There are a variety of companies and design teams who will be participating in this hop to help raise funds for this benefit. So far, nearly $1,000 in prizes have been made available and will be awarded for both participants and those who donate.

Operation Julie's Smile is now accepting designers/teams who would like to be a part of the benefit hop. If you are interested in getting involved in this creative fundraising event, please contact Nicole Rixon. The deadline to be a part of the hop is Wednesday, Sept 28th. Participants will be notified of the blog hop order between Oct 3rd-5th. I will be participating!!

This blog hop is an opportunity to have fun, feature your design work and raise money for a friend in need.

I have a donation button in the top right corner of my blog to make it easy for you - AND - it doesn't matter if you donate today... tomorrow... or durning the hop... *everyone* who donates will be entered to win one of *several* BIG goodie bags (or boxes).

Any amount is appreciated - would you give up one latte drink for Julie's smile? Forego one doughnut? Skip on a new pad of paper? Every little bit helps!

Don't forget to RSVP over on the Facebook Event (optional)!

Thanks so much, dear friends. I can tell you from experience that 'sick' teeth make for a miserable existence.

♥ ~ky

Love You a Latte!

2011-09-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend! Here's a little card I put together for the My Favorite Things Getting Sketchy challenge on Splitcoast.

{click to enlarge}

I adore Flopsey. Who wouldn't love a sweet bunny with house shoes and coffee? Hmmm - need to train the boys to see if they can bring coffee...

This little embellishment is a half-flower (EK Success punch) with a metal decorative washer, Twinery twine and a brad. I had mixed feelings about a half-flower, but I think it's growing on me.

You can play along with the challenge, and get a chance to win a My Favorite Things gift certificate. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Ta!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Gina K Designs pure luxury base cardstock, My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Union Station patterned paper, My Favorite Things I Need Coffee Flopsey stamp set, Memento ink, Prismacolor pencils with Odorless Mineral Spirits, EK Success border punches, Misc brad/washer, Twinery Twine, and Spellbinder's dies.

Well Hello!

2011-09-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

I seem to be following a pattern here. Three posts in a row with Greeting Farm stamps! I love them. The Greeting Farm suffered a major server melt-down and lost a lot of their gallery. I lost a few images, but others lost a lot more. Bless TGF's hearts, they've been working round the clock to get their gallery back up!

{click to enlarge}

I made this cutie for a TGF challenge awhile back. I just love these bunnies. It's a really old set, called Lucky Bunnies, and I made the card for Mystery Monday's when Amy's card was featured.

I created this flower using an EK Success border punch, a big button and some embroidery floss.

Really loving some new, inexpensive goodies to hold me over until we get some bills out of the way. I'm always up to something! Thanks for dropping by today, it really means a lot!

I can't believe this week is nearly over. Do you have fun plans for the weekend? I'm toying with a motorcycle trip, if the weather is favorable. I'm so glad that we have football going on now!

Ciao, baby!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Gina K Pure Luxury base paper, Basic Grey patterned papers, May Arts ribbon, DMC embroidery floss, Copic and SU! markers, Michael's tulle and rhinestones

Creepy Crew

2011-09-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

Ahh autumn. How I love thee... Today we are back in Indian summer, though. I don't mind. I think of it as a dying foe who's snatching at anything to save him, knowing it's a lost cause. Tee hee!

I love fall - the harvests, the Hallowe'en, the Thanksgiving feasts. The colors are changing, and I'm seeing lots of little goblins and ballerinas popping up over the neighborhood. I just had to play along and combine Hallowe'en with Indian summer.

{click any image to enlarge}

This flower is made with a new EK Success punch that I got recently. I added tulle behind it because it's perfect for ballerinas!

What costume would be complete without a button? And stitching is a must, because those costumes are often handmade or require adjustment!

Here is my girl, all dolled up and sassy! I added distressing because parents often are when escorting their little pumpkins around for treats. Every princess needs her bling! I just love this card.

I'm so happy you stopped by today - every visit means so much to me. If you have any questions, just leave me a message and I'll get back with you right away.

Have a blessed, wonderful day!
♥ ~ky

Recipe: Stamps by The Greeting Farm, Sweet and Toxic set
Patterned paper by Stampin' Up
Cardstock by Gina K Designs, Pure Luxury
Inks by Ranger (distress) and Memento
Coloring by Copic markers
Stitching by Janome
Flower by EK Success border punch
Misc: Pearls and Rhinestones by Paper Studios,
staples by Tim Holtz tiny attacher

Happy Birthday to The Greeting Farm

2011-09-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

Yep - this little company has grown so much in their 3 years since creation. I am amazed to watch them develop new stamp lines, to see their creativity grow, and of course - their generosity. This is truly one of the better and nicer companies out there.

So, I pulled out my rather limited supply of their stamps to make these cards. I really need to invest in more because they are uplifting, cute, snarky, adorable and guarantee a smile!

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Isn't this little angel the cutest thing? I love his expression - a bit of naughty with a lot of nice. I paired him with manly colors and, yep, duct tape and staples! Bwahahaha! I love duct tape, and it's so manly! He's part of the Sweet and Toxic set. You're gonna see his 'sister' in a post here soon!

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This is Syren, from the Creeper Crew. You all know how I adore mermaids. Look at those eyes. I could see her alongside a host of sentiments. Both images are colored with copic markers. I added some glossy accents so she would look fresh out of the ocean.

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I just adore how she looks 'wet'. Sakura clear star glitter pen gives her a shimmer like fish scales. I am looking forward to working more with these images.

Congrats to the Greeting Farm for a wonderful 3 years - I wish you many, many more!

Ta!
♥ ~ky

Feel Better

2011-09-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome friends! If you just popped in here, be sure to see my companion project over on Melanie Muenchinger's blog! I've been fighting a bit of a summer cold, so my craftiness took a bit of a hit this week. Even that inspires me!

When I am under the weather, there are a few things I can count on to help me feel better: Kitties snuggled up with me and a good book. I thought a gift card holder using those two things would be perfect to have on-hand as needed. Yep, I would totally give this gift to myself! LOL

I used Gina's gift card tutorial here: Part 1 and Part 2 from Stamp TV. She makes the best tutorials! I used pure luxury Kraft cardstock for the base, and Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers patterned paper. Before I adhered the patterned paper, I inked up all the edges with Ranger's Vintage Photo distress ink.

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I stamped the kitties from Melanie's Basket Buddies set on white pure luxury heavy base weight paper, and colored them with my Prismacolor pencils, blending with odorless mineral spirits. I gave them just a hint of a background using my Copic markers. I cut the oval and scalloped oval using Spellbinder's Nestabilities. I stamped the "feel better" sentiment (from Springtime Silhouettes) on coordinating cardstock, and used my Spellbinder's Fancy Tags #2 die to cut it.

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From there, it was easy to adhere all the pieces, cut and make a two-layer loop with Gina K's wonderful twill and grosgrain ribbon, and attach the oval image. I put a Borders card in, just so you can see how cute it will be - obviously I'll be getting a real gift card from an open business when the time comes (hahahaha, boo).

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I want to thank Melanie for giving me this wonderful opportunity to showcase her darling stamp sets! It has been a wonderful experience for me. And of course, I want to give a big shout out to Gina K for creating such wonderful, high quality stamps and the BEST stamping forum. If you aren't a member of Stamp TV, please take this as your personal invitation to join (it's FREE)!

Don't forget to go give Melanie a little blog love, too, for sharing generously with her guest designers!

Hey - thanks so much for stopping by and checking out what I make. It really brightens my day. I hope you get a little inspiration and make something. Please feel free to leave me a message if you do, so I can go check out what you made!

Ta!
♥~ky

It's Almost Time!

2011-08-25T15:43:00.005-05:00

Yippee!! I get to announce my first on-line art journal class! It's going to revolve around healing your inner soul and exploring your creative one. Take a look!!

If you would like to sign up for more information as the class date nears, please email me using the little envelope button over on the right. Squeee! I hope to see lots of you there!

We start September 19, 2011, and go for 6 weeks. Thanks so much for checking it out!

♥ ~ky

Busy Busy Bunnies

2011-08-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

Hello friends! I have been busy these past few days. Today, it's all caught up with me. I got 9 hours of sleep over a 72-hour period. I kept up my physical therapy 3 days in a row. I did the normal, nominal house keeping (thank goodness for Cabana Boy or we would live in a pig-sty!). Today, I can hardly walk. Every fiber in my back and shoulders is screaming. It's a flare, and will keep me company most of the week. Fun stuff!

I made it to the studio (hello, it's downstairs, right next to the living room) and pulled out stamps. I made... this!

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There are seven... 7 ... images on this card. Some are stamped several times, but there are 7 unique images. Most of them are from Theresa Momber's new set Heartfelt, available from Gina K but I also used the salt grass image from her By the Sea set.

So, a couple weeks ago, I mentioned I would be announcing my class in a couple weeks. Here it is, time already. I need to make a little video to tell you all about it. If my body will cooperate, I will get it done today! Class won't start for a couple more weeks, so save your pennies. You're gonna want to go on this ride with me!

Two days ago, we had a big scare. I had Tinker out in our bunny romp pen, and we were chatting with the neighbor. Another neighbor came over with his lab following along, and the lab saw the bunny and oh my oh my. Tinker never was 'got' but she set about crashing the pen and shrieking that horrible bunny death-cry. Oh my HEART! She was terrified, and whimpered even after we were safely inside. For the next day and most of today, I haven't been far from her.

Please understand - I have no problem with my neighbor or his lovely labby (we miss our girl). It was just one of those chance situations. It reminded me how quickly the whole world can change. Hug your babies! Find your happy, share your hellos, and try to not take life too seriously.

Ciao!
♥~ky

Recipe: Gina K pure luxury papers (white 120 lb., tan leather, chocolate brown), Bo Bunny patterned paper, Bazzill textured red, Gina K brown stitched ribbon, jute ribbon, jute twine, Gina K brads, Ky's faux stitching, Copic markers, Spellbinder's nestability dies and ribbon tag die.

Homecoming

2011-08-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my little corner of blogosphere. If you've come here just on a random whim, welcome! I'd love to encourage you to visit Melanie Muenchinger's website, because I'm featuring stamps she designed. Besides, you will learn so much from her!

I have really been enjoying bringing you projects using Melanie's Basket Buddies this month. Wow! There are so many ways to work these stamps. They play nicely with all sorts of other sets! I've used Melanie's Hip to Be Square today to make 2 cards to welcome some of our heroes home!

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I simply created a 'sofa' of Basic Grey paper, overlaid clear plastic, and superimposed the cross lines for the window. The plush bed works great with the sentiment from Nina's Lovely Labels 3 and a Spellbinder's Fancy Tag #2 die. Just add some ribbon (wide ribbon on the left is May Arts, across tag die is organdy) and some bling, and there you have it!

I followed the same design with the kitties, and their sofa. I stamped the critters separately, and colored them using Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits.

I created the background using distress inks and blending foam to mimic the light inside a house as they await their master's arrival. This card uses Spellbinder's Fancy Tags #3 die and gingham ribbon with a Prima flower and a gorgeous little button from Gina K.

A finishing touch I love to use brings light to their eyes with glossy accents. I also use it on the puppies' noses - you know they are always wet! I hope you enjoy both of these cards. I love this set so much, and am honored to showcase their uses!

This set can be put to so many uses. Is your child going off to college and leaving a loved pet behind? Do you know someone whose heart is breaking at the loss of their family member? Do you just want to send a silly note with an adorable image? This is the puuuuurrrrfect set!

Thanks for stopping by!
♥~ky

Gorgeous Weather

2011-08-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

Everyone has been suffering with the heat lately. Our weather finally turned and it is just lovely. Beautiful blue skies, a little rain every few days, temps in the low 80s. Football is on the schedule, and we're heading into my favorite season, fall.

I guess that's what made me pull out my Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper pad. Flowers in winter aren't all that common, beyond the usual poinsettia, but it felt right. More like Christmas wrapping paper flowers and boxes that get ripped open.

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Or this one with some Robin's Nest gems tucked in between?

Oh yeah, those little stringy bows. They are custom colored dental floss. Give a great look and a nice fragrance, too! When you put it all together, this is what you get:

Notice all the summery green in the background? Yep, it's a great time to be in Chicago. I hope you enjoy a little cool breeze today. See you soon!

Ta!
♥~ky

Recipe: Gina K pure luxury cardstock, Basic Grey patterned paper, misc cardboard, Tim Holtz Alterations by Sizzix Tattered Flowers die, EK Success border punch, Robin's Nest dew drops, Hobby Lobby organza ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Memento ink, Gina K stamp sets Warm & Wonderful, and Lovely Labels, and Gina K buttons.

Basket Case

2011-08-13T07:30:00.005-05:00

Wow - this has been one of "those" weeks. Cabana Boy is back and we're trying to get back into the routine. The weather has broken, finally, and we are having *GOR-JUS* weather. All the critters want to be outside, including one pain in the rumpus Tater who's been escorted home 3 times this week. Anyone have any tips on keeping a strong-willed man kitty in the yard? Bueller?

If you hopped over here from Melanie's blog - welcome! If you didn't - welcome!! LOL It's a joy for me to have you visit. Here's my card using Melanie's new set, Basket Buddies. I wanted to spend a little time anticipating fall and winter, so I made a winter card!

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How cute are these pups?? I love all the ways you can put them together with other sets. This one uses Rupa's Warm and Wonderful set for the hat on the grey pup. It reminds me of how people love dressing up their pets, and how some pets let you, but clearly show their reluctance. LOL

I used my secret (top secret) faux stitching technique. I have GOT to get a video done for that so you can do it too! The 'life is good' sentiment is from Theresa Momber's Life is Good set from Gina K.

If you want to know 2 tips for Copic coloring and cut-out images, hop on over to Melanie's blog where she'll be spilling the beans. Come back in a few days for a little more inspiration. I'm going to be filming this weekend, so there will be some new stuff to fill your dreams.

Ta!
♥~ky

Recipe: Gina K pure luxury cardstock and Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses. Basket Buddies and Life Is Good. Inks - Distress and Memento. Ribbon - May Arts and the Twinery. Embossing folder - Cuttlebug, holly ribbon. Die cut - Sizzix Tim Holtz elegant flourishes. Other - filigree disk and brad, Michaels; rhinestones.

Did You Dare?

2011-08-10T11:34:00.002-05:00

I did. Splitcoast Stampers hosts an annual, week-long challenge for members of their fan club as a thank you for subscribing. It's called Dare to Get Dirty. While I have been a fan club member in the past (it's really affordable), this was the first year I participated. Let me tell you, it was VERY worthwhile.

Membership is either $14.95 for 6 months or $24.95 for a year. That's really cheap considering all that goes on in the background of this wonderful site. If you've never been part of Splitcoast, you should check it out. It is free to everyone, but you get perks when you join the fan club.

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There are all sorts of challenges. The card above was entered in the handmade flowers challenge. I love how soft this one turned out! There are 37 challenges to play over the week-long event.

This card was created for the masculine challenge. I love making a scene!

This pair was created for the Christmas in July category. I really like these border embossing folders. You are going to see a lot of these in my future posts. They make elegant cards quick and easy - perfect for holiday cards!

Hey - thanks for stopping by today. I hope these cards inspire your muse, and that you will give some thought to participating next year. Did I mention there are a dozen prize packs at stake? Yep - the member companies have wonderful gifts!

I hope you have a wonderful, creative week!
♥~ky

Card Recipes:
Happy Day: Gina K cardstock & stamp set (Whimsical Wishes), Basic Grey patterned paper, Memento ink, Tim Holtz/Sizzix tattered florals die, My Favorite Things flower die, Prima flowers, Gina K buttons, twine, jute ribbon.

Thinking of You: Gina K cardstock & stamp set (By The Sea), Memento and Distress inks, jute twine, Copic markers and rhinestone.

Christmas Bells: Gina K cardstock & stamp set (A Very Merry Christmas), Memento and Distress inks, rhinestones and Copic markers.

Cooler Weather, Simple card

2011-08-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. It's finally cooler here in Chicago, and that's a big relief!

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This is a simple card that packs a big punch. It's one layer of Gina K's Pure Luxury cardstock, stamped with Melanie Muenchinger's Basket Buddies (brand new!) in Memento tuxedo black and colored with prismacolor pencils. I put two border treatments together, and added a few bits of bling to make the embossed border pop. A simple, thin dot ribbon frames the image.

If you want to get out there today, this is the kind of quick card that will let you get to it while still having time to get crafty. Happy stamping!

♥ ~ky

Exciting News!

2011-08-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got to do something I've always wanted. I got to be part of the talented group that creates samples with brand new stamps, and then post them live at the show. My penultimate stamping genius and pusher, er, supplier, Gina K had a release last night over at Stamp TV! I got to show off and it was exhilarating! I need to give a

HUGE

shout out to Melanie Muenchinger for asking me to be a guest designer for her BRAND NEW stamp set, Basket Buddies. Melanie is ubber talented and has been my stamping IDOL for some time! I have to admit I felt like getting called on in 3rd grade to complete a math problem at the chalkboard, all nervous, wondering if your pigtails were straight... I think I like the feeling of those butterflies, tho *giggles*.

Isn't this set Ah Dooor Able?? LOVE it - perfect for all my critter card needs. This set works with other sets from her line, Spring Basket and Basket Blessings, but it's great all on it's own. For example, here I've used only stamps from this set:

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I used the beautiful black and white papers provided in the Vintage Chic Stamp TV kit. I went polka dot crazy on this one because the Splitcoast Stampers are still having the Dare to Get Dirty Challenge for fan club members. Those challenges close on Monday, August 8th.

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For this card, I paired Basket Buddies with Spring Basket with a ton of layers and distressing. I colored my Tim Holtz tattered flowers die with distress inks to match the Basic Grey Max & Whiskers papers. The flowers were cut out of Basic Grey Basics Manilla paper (LOVE). I love how this turned out, and I know some hero serving overseas is going to use this for that perfect letter back home.

Now... there's another secret coming soon. As soon as I can get all my projects caught up and have some camera time, you'll get to see what all I have in store for you! Thanks so much for stopping by - if you have any questions, please leave me a note.

Don't forget to play along with the Stamp TV release challenges and check out the AMAZING samples all the gals put together. Happy stamping!
♥ky

CHA Gone Again

2011-07-22T06:28:00.000-05:00

The summer session of Craft and Hobby Association has come to an end (the industry side, that is). I'm always a little sad about that, but energized at the same time. I know new products are coming our way! It is my heartfelt prayer that everyone has safe travels home.

Everyone knows the heat is a big issue right now, and we've been struggling to keep cool. The kitties haven't had a romp in a week, I'm 5 days since my last phys-therapy, and the bunnies don't even want to move. We've all been huddled in the ArtLab hiding from the sun. Here's a glimpse of what I've been doing. As always, you can click on the images to see a closer view.

I colored a whole set of this beautiful anime faerie with copic markers, so I have a stash to just pull out and play with. I also used Sakura gelly roll star pens on her wings. Now, this isn't a problem unless these images are on cards heading to Operation Write Home (where 99% of my cards go). Yes, tiny bits of glitter will rub off on your finger, so they have to be sealed. What to do...

I didn't want to use a whole bottle of glossy or matte accents on these wings (there were 20 images!), nor did I want to pile on clear embossing powder. I thought maybe spray fixative would work, but then I discovered I didn't have any on-hand. Doot doodle DOOOO! (yeah, cheesy music here) Hairspray! Yep, I sprayed 2 light coats of aerosol hairspray over the images, and voila! Sealed! It also adds a subtle sheen to the image.

So there's your tip of the day. Aerosol - not pump sprayers, folks. Oh, and another sweet thing I'll share? See all the stitching on both cards? That's not real. Looks it, but it's not. Best of all? I can make it any color in the world and don't need to drag out my darling sewing machine. Yep, heat embossed Tim Holtz stitching stamp, then rub over it with a soft cloth to reduce the gloss.

Big news is coming soon for a new workshop from the ArtLab!! Happy experimenting, everyone!

♥ky

Jack's Here!

2011-07-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

I made a set of cards for my cousin who just had her first baby, Jack. I also sent them a gift card, so I needed a folder for that. I know she will also need thank you cards. This is what I came up with:

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This tabbed folder card from Stampin' Up was the perfect size to hold a gift card. I dressed it up with Basic Grey paper, and images from Tami Mayberry's Special Delivery set. I created the little blue flower (tutorial coming soon!) and added touches of ribbon and distress ink.

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This is the set she will receive - a dozen thank you cards and envelopes along with the gift card. The card image is from Stenciled Spring by Gina K. I know these will help her celebrate her beautiful son. Thanks so much for stopping by today - it means a lot to me!

Have a beautiful day!
♥ky

Independence Weekend!

2011-07-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

Wow - where has this year gone? I guess I shouldn't complain. It's July 1, and we haven't cracked 100 yet (or been too warm much at all). Here's a little something to stir your muse.

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So, this set shows you how the same products, design and placements can dramatically alter a card. The card above was put together with no distressing, and no textural elements.

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This card is the same with the addition of distressing to the horizontal patterned paper, and a different edging on the border. The ribbon treatment is a little less flamboyant as well.

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This card returns the flamboyant ribbon, uses the distressed edges on the patterned paper, and adds a different textured border along with a little stencil work. I will be teaching these techniques in an at-your-own-pace, video class soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I hope you have a great celebratory weekend (Independence and Canada Days). See you soon!

♥ky

Something Fun on Monday

2011-06-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I spent some time in the ArtLab today tinkering with papers and ribbon. Lately I seem to gravitate towards stencils and a certain sentiment from Gina K's latest Stamp TV kit.

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I know I've said it many times, but I just REALLY appreciate how well all of the Gina K Designs sets work with one another. I love that she thinks about the font styles over time with different releases so that your finished products look so pulled together. She makes our work look so easy!

I painted my stamps with SU waterbased markers rather than ink this time. I'm also loving the marker technique. All the cardstock is Gina K's (in a class all their own) and the patterned papers are Basic Grey - Sugar Rush (do I use anything else??). I did a little stitching, accented with nailheads, tied Twinery baker's twine through a button to create the Prima stacked flower, and tucked the image (from Stenciled Spring) and sentiment under a scrap of ribbon.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I hope this brings a little brightness to your world. Your visit brightens mine!

Ta!
♥ky

Piece of Cake

2011-06-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! One of this week's challenges at Stamp TV is to use the paper piecing technique on your project. So, I pulled out a great stamp set, Melanie's Inspiration Mosaic, and some wonderful Basic Grey and Bo Bunny papers to make this card.

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I stamped the mosaic on 5 different papers, then arranged a selection onto a base grid for this patchworked look. The upper sentiment is from Signs of Autumn, the lower is from Framed Greetings with the line-art flower from Nina's Hugs and Prayers in the background. It's hard to see, but the two sentiment panels are popped up, one higher than the other. I love the wild fibre flower/bow, and the playful brads on the corners.

I hope you enjoy this sample, and that you'll head on over to Stamp TV and play along with the fun challenges. As always, this one's headed to OWH! Thanks for stopping by!

♥ky

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T08:29:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate Dads. I love it. Here are a few cards I created to help our soldiers send positive messages to the men in their lives - be it Dad, son, brother, uncle, friend....you get the idea.

You can click on any card to enlarge it.

All cardstock is Gina K Design's Pure Luxury, and the patterned paper is by BoBunny. I hand cut the glass and faux soldered the edges, added a little bling, embossed one feather and there ya have it.

Don't forget - I make card sets for all occasions, and I'll be starting on Christmas cards for our heroes in July. Hope you have a great weekend!

♥ky

Wear White!

2011-06-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

This week, Cat challenged us to wear our whites, now that it's past Memorial Day. That used to be such a big thing when I was little. We couldn't wear our white shoes after Labor Day. I always thought it was weird!

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This card uses Gina K's Pure Luxury Base Weight (Copic-proof) cardstock (white & baby blue). I masked the card with the nestability die and sponged the sun, sky and water with Ranger Distress Inks. I colored the images with Copic markers.

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I used a border die from Tim Holtz Sizzix line to create the left edge of the tag, cut glass and soldered the edges to highlight the phrase "Stand Out", added a button with nautical twine, and added a seagull. I played up the unique factor with 2 'plain' nail heads, and a ruby crystal brad.

The images are from Theresa Momber's By the Sea set, and the sentiment is from Vintage Chic, the latest Stamp TV kit, both from Gina K.

Hope you get to play with some paper and ink this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

♥ky

Wacky Wednesday

2011-06-15T00:01:00.007-05:00

Hello there my friends! Here is a card I made recently. Yes, this is heading to Operation Write Home for our heroes to send home - we're working on the 2nd million cards!

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I made this card for one of the recent challenges over on Stamp TV (it's already closed, but they have more!). I created my own background pattern on the lower half of the card, smooshed a Nestability die into the face of the card, and lightly stamped the wand and rings.

I can just imagine a soldier sending this home to his young bride. I love this sentiment - it's from Tami Mayberry's Fairy Tales set from Gina K Designs. I love it, and I really need to pull this set out to make a bunch of Daddy-to-princess cards. It's a great set!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - I really appreciate it!

♥ky

OWH Spotlight

2011-06-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! I'm so honored and excited to share some cards with you. I was asked to make samples for this week's Operation Write Home sketch challenge! Here are my samples and info, and you can play along. Simply create a card using the sketch and link it up on the OWH challenge post.

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I used Bo Bunny patterned papers, Gina K pure luxury cardstock and stamps, EK Success and Martha Stewart punches, Hobby Lobby ribbon, Sizzix and Cuttlebug embossing folders, Memories and Distress inks, Prima flower, seed beads and fishing line.

Now, you don't have to make your cards for OWH, but it'd be nice if you did. We just passed 1 million cards shipped to our heroes, and we're starting on the 2nd million. There are a few requirements for cards being shipped out to our deployed military, but that's easy to follow. Read up on the OWH blog.

It's your turn, so get busy!

♥ky

More OWH Stuff

2011-06-11T22:03:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy week. I worked on art journal things part of this week, but I did manage a little card time for our overseas Heroes.

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I made a whole bunch similar to this, with different colors and arrangements. You can see these and more in my gallery at Stamp TV. I used Gina K's pure luxury cardstock and Basic Grey patterned paper. The images are from By The Sea (Theresa Momber) and Vintage Chic (GKD), Ranger Ink distress inks, Copic markers, misc. twine, eyelets and embossing powder. I also pierced the lower right corner and added rhinestone accents to the corners and the light of the lighthouse.

What ya think? Did I do ok? I hope you have a great weekend (what's left) and a good start to your week. See ya soon!

♥ky

More OWH Goodness

2011-06-07T18:34:00.000-05:00

Here are a few other cards I made for the big OWH hop over Memorial Day.

You can click on any image to enlarge it. All stamps are from Gina K Designs, and I used her cardstock as well. Patterned paper is Basic Grey. Side note: the ring in the lower right corner of the last card is a flattened milk jug seal ring.

Thanks for stopping by - I'm always happy to share a little sweetness with you!
♥ky

Manly Cards

2011-06-03T13:09:00.000-05:00

Here's some of my recent work. I really took a lot of inspiration from Theresa Momber from Stamp TV for these cards. She is one of the best scenery background creators I know.

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I used stamps from Theresa's Sending Sunshine, Gina K pure luxury papers, and going grey ink from SU.

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The train is from Theresa's set, Life is Good. I added the scrollwork from Lovely Labels 3, sentiment from Springtime Silhouettes, and trees from Follow Your Dreams. I love how these sets all work together. Gina and her artists are nothing short of genius!

These will be heading overseas to our Heroes to send back to their families. If you would like to help our heroes stay in touch with home, check out Operation Write Home.

Thanks for visiting,
♥ky

Memorial Day Weekend - OWH Style!

2011-05-28T08:50:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my stop along the Memorial Day Hop! You should be coming here from Dixie's place. If you've just lucked onto my site, you might want to start over at Operation Write Home for the whole list! I know we have a lot to do and see today, so I'll get right to my card!

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Thanks so much for hopping by - if you have any questions about products, etc., please leave me a comment so I can get back to you. Next up on our hop is Heather - hop on over to her blog at We Grow by Our Dreams!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day and remember to thank a veteran!

Ta! ~ky

Ingredients: Gina K Designs cardstock and Autumn Beauty and A Year of Leaves stamp sets, Spellbinders Nestabilities Large and Small Labels, Basic Grey patterned paper, Tim Holtz Notebook texture fade, Ranger distress ink - old paper, EK Success diamond lace border punch, Hobby Lobby ribbon, Prima flowers, Recollections pearl brad.

Exercising your muse

2011-05-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

My muse periodically runs off, or just hides. Keeping the house cool is more important to my muse. Whenever I plan to do less pleasing tasks - say, housekeeping - she pops right up with a ton of creative ideas designed to side track me from my mundane plans. Sometimes, I even let her!

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Gina K has 2 weekly challenges over on Stamp TV. This challenge (closed now) was to make your own patterned paper.

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I love this boat image. I stamped 8 and colored them with my Prismacolor pencils. Each card is unique even though I created each pair with the same materials. I find it most efficient to create multiples since your leftover pieces are often perfect for another card.

If your muse needs a little pick-me-up, or you just want to hang out and chat - this weekend is Virtual Stamp Night over at SplitcoastStampers. There will be hourly challenges around a Pirate theme and it's always a grand time to work and chat. I hope to see you there!

Ta! ♥ky

More OWH Father's Day work

2011-05-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

Yep, Cabana Boy is on the road this week. I'm taking full advantage making Father's Day cards for Operation Write Home. Here's the latest:

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I used Gina K's cardstock, Basic Grey patterned papers, and one of the new sets, Follow Your Dreams by Theresa Momber; and Lovely Labels 3 by Nina Brackett. I colored a bunch of images with Prismacolor pencils using Odorless Mineral Spirits so that I could make a bunch of cards quickly.

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This card uses Gina K's pure luxury cardstock and Bo Bunny patterned paper. The stamps are from Nina Brackett's Lovely Labels 3 (sentiment) and her Vintage Backgrounds (circles stamped in white on black cardstock to make my own patterned paper). I strung beads on fishing line along with the truck charm. I used 2 eyelets to make sure the fishing line wouldn't tear the paper.

So, that's what I have for you today. Stay tuned, I'm always busy! Don't forget to check out Operation Write Home. We're celebrating the one millionth card made for the soldiers to send home! WOW!

Have a great day!
♥ky

Father's Day for OWH

2011-05-13T18:56:00.000-05:00

Father's day comes early for Operation Write Home crafters. Our deadline for Father's day cards is May 21, to give them time to ship them out so soldiers can send them home. I was feeling a little uninspired until I found some great color combinations on Pinterest, and wonderful card sketches from Gina K's Stamp TV.

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I found this BoBunny paper this weekend at my Archiver's store. I love the entire pad! I used Special Father's set by Nina Brackett and colored the clock with my Copic markers.

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I made a stacked sentiment with my Nestabilities, and I wanted something to create a splash, but being a Dad's card, it couldn't be flowers or ribbon. I raided the Cabana Boy's tackle box, and got his fishing line. I cut the line into segments, and glued seed beads to both ends. I love how these add a little masculine sparkle to the cards. And just to be safe, I glued the beads to the card, too.

Give it a go sometime - what a terrific addition it will give those fishing styled cards! Now I'm off to make up a few more for soldiers to send back to their dads.

♥ky

A Bevy of Birthday Cards

2011-05-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

Today I got a few cards made. These really fought me, but I think I won.

Yes, they essentially follow the same design and use the same stamps. These were made for Operation Write Home for our soldiers to use, so I like creating them in batches. The first two use all Gina K Designs papers and stamps (Framed Greetings), the last two use Basic Grey patterned paper.

I hope you find some inspiration from these pieces. Until next time!

♥ky

Rather Busy

2011-04-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit busy lately, so the blog has been neglected. But taxes are done, and life is settling back into a routine (I hope). Here are two ATCs I created for a swap over on Willowing's website. She has a themed swap every month and it's lots of fun.

The ATC on the left reads - "The only way Red could rest was to shed her hood." I used Alicia K's Wishes and Dreams stamp set, and elevated the mushroom top for dimension. I added Flower Soft, and two plastic flowers with beads in the center. I colored the images with Copic markers. The base paper for both is Marah Johnson's from Creative Imaginations.

The ATC on the right uses a segment of Tim Holtz's Neighborhood die cut from two colors of Gina K papers. I created my own poem on my computer, printed it out on cardstock, distressed in and the homes, using Ranger Ink's distress ink. I added an architectural Sizzix die for the upper corner embellishment. The poem reads: "When it was all done, and news died down, she and her dog, The Wolf moved to a condo in town."

Thanks for visiting!
♥ky

Manic Monday

2011-04-04T00:05:00.001-05:00

I have lots of things to do today, and I'll bet you have too. I'm so glad you took time out of your schedule to join our Ippity Hop! This starts the new month of Ippity's twisted challenge - so be sure to check that out on the Ippity blog. Now, I'm not privy to what the challenge will start out as, but it's always fun.

This card features 2 of my favorite Ippity sets - Sweet Thoughts of Spring, and Love in Return. I appreciate so much how all of my Ippity images work together. They work with other products too, like Nestabilities dies - I've used 3 of them here. This layout is cool, too, because just a quick change of the colors and you're all set for a teenager or a man's card!

Next up on your hop is the very talented Chris! Be sure to leave love along your way. I hope you have a great start to an awesome week.

Ciao!
♥ky

Bachin' It

2011-04-03T11:54:00.001-05:00

Cabana Boy is on the road. I have the house and schedule all to myself! Right now, I'm wanting a nap, though. Here's something I've been working on for Operation Write Home.

I love this faerie by Alicia Krupsky (Wishes and Dreams set, Gina K. Designs). The love stamp is by Asela Hopkins (Dream Birds, Gina K. Designs). The base and back ground cardstock is GKD, as is the patterned paper on the left. I colored the images with Prismacolor pencils, and added some fun ribbon work using Offray sheer ribbon.

She's so cheery - I know someone will love receiving her with a message from their soldier. Thanks for stopping by today!

Ciao,
♥ky

Time Passes

2011-03-26T12:45:00.000-05:00

Wow - it's been 5 days since I've posted. You guys need to poke me or something! LOL

You all responded so pleasantly to my previous masculine card, that I decided to do another. This card uses Sizzix (Tim Holtz) texture fade, bird cage die (cage embossed with silver powder), and Spellbinder's die for the sentiment. Lots of Ranger distress ink, and a sentiment from Gina K Designs. There are 4 brads on this card, and three of them have a metal nail head on them. I added a drop of glossy accents on the bird for an eye.

This card just makes me happy. I created another that is very similar to this, so I won't show it. These are off to Operation Write Home next week!

Wishing you a happy, creative weekend!
♥ky

Another Ippity Hop!

2011-03-21T00:05:00.002-05:00

I'm on a roll!! Yay me! Really, with surgery this week and no preparation, I didn't think I would have anything to show you today. Thank the Lord for His healing touch!

Mother's Day is about done for Operation Write Home, so I've started thinking about Father's Day. Fortunately, we have the BEST stamp set for Father's Day!

{click to enlarge}

I love old cars, especially for father's day. Who hasn't either been give a car, helped to find a car or instructed in how to care for a car by a dad? My father was very instructive, but he didn't know I'd been sneaking out for years to drive for my half-brother at dirt tracks! I still have fond memories of my first car, and those memories inevitably lead back to dad!

I hope everyone had a very good weekend and your week is smooth sailing. Don't forget to set a little time aside for you to do what you love! Next on the hop is ArtsyEm with Art from the Heart!

Hugs!
~ky

Supplies: Ippity Authentic Man stamp set
Bazzill cardstock
May Arts wide ribbon
Offray silver twine
Spellbinder's nestabilities dies

Home! And Resting

2011-03-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

Surgery went well, and I'm home now. I thought you might find it silly, but the doctor thought I was coloring with crayons in my room at that hospital! We had a good laugh and a brief discussion about the healing power of art.

I have 4 weeks before I'm supposed to be up and around like I was before. What will you bet that I won't make it 4 weeks?? My legs already feel heavy, so we took a stroll around Walgreens when I picked up my medicines.

I guess I'll be entertaining you with more than my usual number of blog posts. Here's a card I made the night before surgery.

All lovely in green - Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you are enjoy a bit o' the Irish today. I'm Irish, so you know I am - no corned beef or green beer for me, but I am loving some Celtic music and dance.

This card is old Leisure Arts patterned paper. OOOOollllldddd hoard. Gina K Designs pure luxury cardstock in asparagus and soft sand. Did you hear? Gina is releasing a new cardstock color! Tonight! Over at StampTV! 7-9 p.m. Central US time - I hope you can join us!

So, I'm sending you sunshine from my recliner today. If it's not beautiful where you are, then create something beautiful!

Ta! ~ky

Other supplies: flower soft, cuttlebug embossing folder, Nestabilities die, May Arts and Gina K ribbons, Neocolor II watersoluble wax pastels.

Ippity Butterfly Extravaganza!

2011-03-13T00:58:00.004-06:00

My dear friend, Eva, got a brilliant idea to have a blog hop focused on butterflies - not on a company or a color palette, but a theme. I love theme hops! Eva - thank you so much for doing this!

So - if you've just stopped by because your one of my adoring fans (insert laugh track here) - you might want to go over to Eva's blog and hop through all the sites. There are chances to win some wonderful prizes (thank you to all who are providing these goodies!), and tons of inspiration!

You know I have a few weaknesses: Ippity and Sweet Pea Stamps, Spellbinder's dies, Cuttlebug embossing folders, lots of texture, steampunk anything, and coloring. Wow - I managed to get all of that into this one card:

{click to enlarge}

I adore this luna moth inspired stamp created by Brigid Ashwood. The sentiment is from ippity - Just Wanted to Say. I know you'll want more details so here's a close up.

I've colored the image with Prismacolor pencils blended with Odorless Mineral Spirits. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but all the gearing, support bars and pin-striping is done with metallics.

I was blessed in my career as a biologist to have some very special butterflies in my care. I got to spend days exploring their biology, and captured the first photograph of mating behavior for the Diana Fritillary butterfly. One of my favorite projects was crafting a neglected landscape into the perfect habitat for this creature, and the other butterflies, plants and animals that share that habitat. Warm fuzzies here.

Ok - you've got several places to hop along to, and I do hope these flighty creatures can brighten your day. Spring is coming!

Hop on over to Sylvia's blog for a *gorgeous* butterfly project! You'll love it!

If you're here for the {ippity} blog hop, head over to Carole's blog!

Cheers!
♥ky

More Cards!

2011-03-11T11:38:00.000-06:00

Yes - the muse is rolling with the cards. Great for the soldiers, so I don't really mind at all. Besides, it's fun!

{click to enlarge}

I have this OCD thing - if I have to cut a base for a card, then I have a leftover base. My head can't let go of that orphaned base, so I'm compelled to complete the other card. Same thing with leftover pieces-parts. You would think I could just put them away for later, but no - they *must* be used right away! LOL What do you struggle with?

I also feel the need to stamp multiple images. This is Charlotte with a Rose, made by Sparkle Creations. I stamped 5 of her, then colored her with my Prismacolor pencils, and used odorless mineral spirits to blend and smooth. These two cards were created using Stamp TV's current sketch challenge.

I think Charlotte is beautiful. What soldier wouldn't love to send her to his mom or sweetheart back home? It's even good for the women soldiers - perfect for mom, or to send a piece of their heart home.

Ok - I'm off for now. I need to get things done so I can't hopefully get messy with paints today. I have awesome ideas for a new canvas and a couple of art journal pages.

Be creative!
♥ky

P.S. if you need specific information regarding any technique or supply used, leave a message and I will get back to you!

Oh Monday!

2011-03-07T23:53:00.001-06:00

It's been quite a day - lab tests, blogs to read, the mess in the ArtLab to sort, and a Monday on top of it all. I've been making cards every day for many days now. I'm hoping this is a good trend, but soon I know my art journals are going to start screaming that they are being ignored. LOL

This is what I made today

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I still have this lovely May Arts ribbon in stock (in two colors) if you're interested. I used the OWH Stars and Stamps weekly sketch as a starting point. That's Gina K Designs pure luxury cardstock, Basic Grey patterned paper, Gina K's Lovely Labels stamp set that goes oh so beautifully with Nestabilities, Tim Holtz Sizzix texture fade, and the May Arts ribbon.

Now, I know you're dying to find out who won the drawing. It was Patricia Hays! Congratulations Patricia! You really need to visit her blog to see her beautiful creations!!

Tuesday's on it's way, and it comes with a long list of things to be done, so I'm off. Thank you all so much for playing along for the soldiers' sake, and for visiting my blog.

♥ky

H{ippity} Hopping again!

2011-03-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hello dear friends! It has been quite awhile since I joined you on the hop. I'm so thrilled to be seeing my friends and meeting new {ippity} fans! You should be hopping here from Mary's blog.

There's a new twist in the Unity forum - a weekly growing twisted challenge in {ippity}!

This looks so cool - it's a building challenge! Love it - {ippity} chicks come up with the greatest ideas! So - you're here for the hop, and to see what I got:

I used the Regal Greetings set (yes, it's an older one, but a classic) to make this card for a soldier. You all know I make cards for Operation Write Home, right? In fact, I have a challenge that you can play along with if you link me to two new cards that you will be sending to OWH for the soldiers to use. Details are in the post below (just click here).

I try to stay clean and simple, yet elegant for our soldiers. They deserve the best, and many of these cards will become treasured keepsakes. Won't you help?

I'm so glad you stopped by today to see what I've been up to. It's so good to hop among friends! Next, hop on over to the lovely and ever-talented JenMarie!

Cheers! ~ky♥

I got the Bunny!

2011-03-05T06:00:00.004-06:00

No - I do - the real one!! So I didn't make a bunny card for the hop.

(this is MacMiller, my rescue, getting caught using the Vagabond. Oh my!)

I'm so glad you are here! You should be coming here from Jennifer's blog, The Sparkle Within. Are you lost? Just dropped by? We're having a wonderful hop for Operation Write Home, a non-profit group that sends homemade cards to soldiers so they can use them to write home. Want to start at the beginning? Click here, or on the icon up to the left! You don't want to miss out - tons of eye candy, some blog candy, challenges, tutorials - get inspired!

I have a little challenge for you. If you create 2 new cards for soldiers - that's all, just 2 - and put them on the internet (your blog, Facebook, Flickr, wherever there's public access) then link them back here, you can be entered in a drawing for this prize package. You'll have until 10 p.m. CST, Monday, March 7th to post a link to your work, here, to be eligible for the drawing.

(Play along and you could win this!)

Here is my little bit of inspiration for you:

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This is a clean and simple (CAS) card design set with hand watercolored flowers, embossed nestabilities dies, and extra pages on the inside for sending thoughts toward home. Some have sentiments, some don't, but they are all spring themed. I used Gina K Designs paper and stamp sets for these cards. Please read the OWH blog for guidelines for sending multiples of a design.

The deadline for you to get your Easter cards to our shippers is March 18th!

{click to enlarge}

I made all three of these cards using a Gina K Designs stamp set, and of course, her Pure Luxury cardstock. I embossed the images in gold, and colored them using Neocolor II watersoluble wax pastels. Please read the OWH blog for guidelines for sending multiples of a design. These cards say All My Love, and are perfect for Mother's day and more.

The deadline for you to get your Mother's Day cards to OWH for shipment is March 31st.

I love browsing through the Operation Write Home website. There's so much information there, and it's very easy to come away inspired. My favorite post, hands down, is the description of the average soldier making use of our cards. Check it out (bookmark it for later!) then head over to:

Samantha at Expressions of a Craftaholic

Thanks for hopping along with us!! ~ky

More is More!

2011-03-03T10:58:00.000-06:00

First let me say that I lost one of my most favorite cousins to cancer this morning. She was a very strong lady, and I am so sad to know she's gone. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers for my family's safe travel to western Texas for the funeral. Thank you!

Many of you know that I make cards for soldiers. We have a blog hop coming up to celebrate and highlight this cause, so I'd love it if you could come back to visit on Saturday March 5th to enjoy that. I will have links to the beginning of the hop to make it easy for you to start at the beginning. Here are some of the new things I've been making:

I love Gina K's stamp sets (Spring Mix, here). They coordinate with other products so well - like these Cuttlebug embossing folders, and the Spellbinder's nestabilities dies. Basic Grey papers work beautifully with Gina K Design's Pure Luxury cardstock, which is so yummy to use with either Prismacolor pencils or Copic markers. I just love how quickly they come together, too.

Thanks, once again, for stopping by my blog. Be sure to visit again on Saturday, because I will have a challenge with a prize for you! I hope happiness is in your path today.

Hugs!
~ky

Pair of Pears!

2011-02-27T21:51:00.000-06:00

More fun stuff! I had a good weekend making cards for our soldiers, and writing an article. Here's a pair that I made using Gina K's sketch challenge on Stamp TV:

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This is old paper. Yes. Basic Grey Nook and Pantry. Remember how popular that set was? And I still have a 6x6 pad. Ha! Hoarder! This also conforms to Gina's color challenge for this week, so if you want to play, you can use Lemon Drop, Creme de Menthe and Red Hot.

{click to enlarge}

Same sketch here, just a little difference in colors. All the base cardstock is Gina K's pure luxury line, and patterned is Basic Grey.

Thank you for dropping by to see what I've been up to. Have a good week!
~ky

OWH is Important Business

2011-02-24T20:33:00.000-06:00

Another set of cards made for our heroes. I just love doing this - it makes my soul soar.

{click to enlarge}

All the patterned paper is Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket. The cardstock is Bazzill except for the first card, whose base is Gina K Pure Luxury. Lovely Labels and Inside and Out stamp sets (both by Gina K Designs) were used on both with Memento inks. Lovely Labels are wonderful - they were created to fit perfectly with several of the most popular Spellbinder's Nestabilities Labels dies. LOVE!!♥

These projects, while created for our soldiers, were entered in Gina K Design's Stamp TV challenges. What? You don't know about that place?? You really must visit - it's free to sign up, and everyone there is so gracious and helpful. Gina gives wonderful tips, freebies, and video tutorials. There are challenges you can enter to win stamp sets, and you don't even have to have Gina K stamps to play!

Oh - in case you didn't notice my two big blinkies over on the left... Yeah - those. Just a reminder that you can do something a little bigger, and that I will be joining the Bunny Hop for Operation Write Home. I will be issuing a challenge to my readers on that day, with a prize. Lots of blogs will have prizes, tutorials, challenge, great info - put it on your calendar and hop along! March 5th. Start at Operation Write Home. If you have a blog, you can sign up to join us! You don't have to have a tutorial, prize or challenge, it's easy!

Get your kids, or grandkids, involved in writing letters to heroes - seriously, they LOVE getting mail! Check the Homefront Blog for inspiration, and the Schools and Scouts page for guiding kids wanting to help.

Thanks, for taking the time to visit here.
~ky

Multiplicity

2011-02-22T17:31:00.000-06:00

Are you familiar with Operation Write Home? I have a link to them on the sidebar. It's a national movement of crafters making cards. Those cards are collected, sorted and mailed out to military stations with little or no Base Exchange opportunity to purchase cards. The soldiers at those station can pick their choice of cards and have a personalized way to keep in touch with those back home.

Why hand made cards? Don't they have internet video chats, satellite phones and the like? Yes and no. Not every post has access to the things we take for granted. Like you and me, they enjoy putting words on paper. They know the value of handwritten bits of love showing up in the mail box. Cards are more tangible than that video chat. It's tactile.

I traveled to every post to which my Dad was assigned. However, the anti-American sentiment got so bad when we were in the Middle East, families were sent back to the US without their benefactor. We spent 6 long, frightening months hearing about all the attacks on Americans in that area. It was hard not to imagine something had happened to Dad. That short walk to the mailbox each day was our lifeline to him. Mom did get to talk to him about once a week on a crackly phone line with imposed time limits.

She kept every letter we received. We made it through (there were 2 scares when we awaited that military vehicle in the drive to tell us the unthinkable), but those letters... well, they are worth more than gold, even now. We didn't have the luxury of cards. It's just a little bit of love that I can bring to our servicemen and women that might help families back home keep it together until their soldier returns.

If you make cards - share the love. When you make a card, there are almost always left over bits that are the exact opposite of the card you made.

I made this card, and had a card base of green leftover from making the green panel. I also had enough yellow to make a base like the green panel, and enough printed paper to make the triptych.

It only took stamping a second butterfly and the time to adhere it all together to make 2 cards instead of 1. Give it a go - keep one, send one to OWH to make a soldier and their family's day. Or send them both!

Cheers!
~ky

Supplies: Gina K Designs Pure Luxury cardstock, Tim Coffey patterned paper, Versamark and Memento inks, Stampendous embossing powder, Scor-bug, Tim Holtz Sizzix die - Flourishes, Gina K Designs stamp set Hope for Haiti.

Can't Fence Time

2011-02-10T21:23:00.000-06:00

No matter what we do. No matter how much we like today, want to stay this age, want to stop our angels from growing up - time is going to keep moving. It's like a conveyor you can neither stop or get off. Things change, apple carts get up-ended, relationships change, hearts break, it's just how it works.

{click to enlarge}

Change isn't always a bad thing. Time moves us from good to better as well as from bad to worse. We keep the memories, the pictures, the events, the ephemera. It keeps us warm in later life to hold those pieces. This art journal page was created to remind me that Time will not honor a fence, and like the quote says:

"What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it."

So today, I'm announcing that time has brought change to this blog. This blog will continue to exist, and will be devoted to things in my life that fall within creative, but not original, art. In other words, I will post mainly things that I make that utilize someone else's art prominently. Things like stamped cards, combination projects that are more about assemblage. Just as important and fun, these artworks take less of my energy, and contain less of my uniqueness.

I will be working on a new venture, with my own domain that hopefully will combine my several blogging venues into one, neat location. I will be sure to let you know once I get things rolling. In the meantime, keep creating. Keep documenting time in your own unique way, and be sure you're getting a good return on your daily investment!

~ky

Make Art!

2011-01-29T16:16:00.000-06:00

I'm slowly posting pages of my ArtHouse Sketchbook project. I thoroughly enjoyed making this book and tho some things didn't turn out the way I wanted - it was an awesome experience.

Here's the inside cover, the title page of my book. My journal theme was First thing in the Morning, Last thing at Night. I started with an idea in mind, but found my art didn't want to play with that idea. After weeks of pushing and pulling, I realized I was in my own way. I let go and just let the page develop as it wanted.

{click to enlarge}

What I learned by letting the art take it's own form was that first thing in the morning and last thing at night, I'm thinking about making art. So this naturally became the title. I'm amazed by the other artists. Take a look through their work. I feel like such an amateur! Oh yeah, I am! Doh!

This page was completed using acrylic paint, dried acrylic rings of paint, letter stickers (painted over and layered for dimension), and hardware. Gorilla glue was very necessary for this page. I love to use things that are not common to art to create art.

Hope you have a great day - feel free to leave a comment if you'd like.
~ky

On the rebound

2011-01-26T18:16:00.004-06:00

Yes, I will resume my life. The haters held sway for a period of time, but I spent a lot of thought about what I should do, and what I should allow. My Cabana Boy and my dearest friends (all those who commented and prayed or sent positive energy my way) reminded me that quitting was the WIN the haters were after.

Can you believe this? That awful night was bad enough on it's own. But it got worse. Someone... SOMEONE called the local police department.

They said their name was Carrie, and they were calling on behalf of PAULA, from Missouri, but didn't leave a callback number. Convenient. So, it's nearly midnight. Cabana Boy is asleep, I'm in my PJs. The cops ring the doorbell. All three of them stationed strategically around me door.

Flashbacks. Just like we used to do. Oh - and I hear one Rita H. Cobbs is spreading lies that I didn't live my life. Her po-dunk sheriff don't know beans, but she's parroting what he doesn't know. If I really wanted to, I could sue the pants off all of them.

Cabana boy is NOT happy. I can't believe that petty women still live in high school spreading lies and making prank FELONY calls to the police. I've given the local law enforcement groups phone numbers and names. They will track back on any future calls.

So - all that said, I'm rising above. I'm not stopping my art, nor my sharing and teaching. Be true to you, fight injustice, rise above.

~ky

P.S those of you who think you can "abort" me because of your "better knowledge" just link me you doctor and I'll ask him directly. If you aren't willing, you're a liar. Accept it and fade away.

Wild. Precious

2011-01-17T19:55:00.000-06:00

A friend of my, Effy Wild, has started a new Ning group for art journalists. She's got challenges, soul introspection and lots of inspiration. This week's prompt is to use owls. I love owls. I was responsible for owl surveys on my last assignment as a biologist. I was very happy when I was out in the wilderness, alone in the dark, listening for sounds and smelling the cool night air. So here is my art journal page:

{click to enlarge}

The owls always had a lot to say. They never would tell me where the owls for which we surveyed were hiding. Funny little things! I made these cuties with 2 round punches and a scalloped punch, and their bodies are from nested Spellbinders dies. I sewed the ribbon to be the tree, added some felt trim for grass and painted their head pieces. I admit it, I'm a sucker for googly eyes. LOL

{click to enlarge}

This is a close up of the branch and bird I created to accent the journaling over a mix of acrylic paint. The journaling was done with a Sharpie poster paint pen.

I hope these birds bring a smile to you. These pages are in my ArtHouse Sketchbook project that will go in the mail tomorrow. Thank you for visiting and feel free to comment if you have a question.

Ciao!
~ky

CHAPTER 45: Remembering Holiday Dreams

2011-01-08T10:24:00.003-06:00

`Oh, I've had such a curious dream!' said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, `It WAS a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late.' So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been.

-- Chapter 12, Alice in Wonderland

I hope you have some wonderful holiday dreams to remember! We are still locked in winter in the northern hemisphere, and that makes me think of an icy blue color scheme. It is also time to start scrapping those Christmas and New Year memories!

Our generous sponsor, Nikki Sivils, is offering a huge prize to help you capture those memories! One randomly drawn winner will receive a 6x6 inch pad, 12x12 inch designer paper, and burlap covered buttons from the Happy Holly-Days Collection!

So the challenge this week, should you choose to accept it, is to share something that helps you capture your holiday memories, like a layout, mini-album or picture holder of some kind, OR to use an icy blue and white color scheme!

The design team this week will be showing off some fabulous paper from our generous sponsor, Nikki Sivils. They will be using the wonderful "Something for Everyone" collection in beautiful Alice blue or the Happy Holly-Days collection. Take a look!

{click to enlarge!}

These two ATC cards (2.5 x 3.5 inches) are made with Nikki Sivils paper and images from The Greeting Farm (so cute!) colored with Copic markers. I hope you like them - they make me happy!

You have until Friday, January 14th, 8 p.m. CST to submit your creations to the Oh, Alice! challenge blog. Remember you can either share a holiday memory or use an icy blue color scheme, so show us your stuff and one luck winner will walk away with the prize pack from Nikki Sivils!

Good luck!
~ky

A NEW YEAR...Lots of NEW sponsorships...and a WORD of THANKS...

2011-01-01T00:05:00.000-06:00

Hey EVERYONE!

We hope that you are enjoying a little hiatus from the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year's and cannot WAIT to resume our challenge on January 8th! 2011 is going to be bringing you some EXCITING new themes, challenges, guest Designers, and TONS of new sponsorships thanks to my awesome coordinators, Margie and Tasha!

I want to thank EVERYONE for their support of Oh, Alice as we are coming up on a year of challenges-I cannot BELIEVE IT! It wouldn't be possible without you and without my AMAZINGLY TWISTED team :)

On that note, we are just stopping by today with a note of THANKS for all of our valued players and sponsors!!

All of our projects today are done using NIKKI SIVILS papers and embellishments...and not only are we SO grateful for that, we are THRILLED to announce that NIKKI SIVILS will be our first sponsor of 2011 and we have a HUGE surprise for you all NEXT WEEK, right here at Oh, ALICE!

Stay tuned and until then, please accept our SINCERE Thanks:

This project features a SomeOddGirl image colored with copics and distress inks, Nikki Sivils paper (gorgeous!), letter stickers and button, and some Stampin' Up fabric ribbon.

Stay home, enjoy the new year, and stay healthy! And again - a HUGE thanks to all our sponsors and participants! You rock!

~ky

Reverb10 - Core Story

2010-12-31T00:52:00.001-06:00

December 31 – Core Story

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) (Author: Molly O’Neill)

For me, the central story is God will Lead. God will Guide. He knows the path, and I may divert but I cannot divert His path.

If you follow Christ - you know. If you don't, I respect you. If you have questions, ask. I am here. I may not have "the" answer, but I won't lie to you.

I simply follow my Lord.
~ky

Reverb10 - Gift

2010-12-30T17:17:00.001-06:00

December 30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)

My most memorable gift this year was stumbling across a new artistic pursuit: Art Journaling. I don't have many reasons to take photographs anymore, but I still wanted to document life. I am an accomplished scrapbooker and teacher, but I needed something to keep me going. Cards and stamping were fun, but they really weren't practical - so few people to write to now days.

I stumbled across art journaling, and quickly found two people I admire - Jonathan Manning (Blade the Artistic Biker) and Paula Phillips (Journal Artista). I watched videos on youtube and was instantly hooked. I met others, I learned from them - I'm still learning. There are over 100 people I've met and learned from so far.

My memorable gift this year is two-fold and keeps giving: grasping a new set of skills, and all the wonderful relationships that I've built along the way.

Keep giving!
~ky

Reverb10 - Defining Moment

2010-12-29T12:11:00.001-06:00

December 29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

I know my readers can already answer this one. It was the series of events that began with an application, and culminated in the keys to a house in Chicago. It consumed most of our year, and you're sick to the teeth of hearing about it! LOL

We'll leave it at that. ;-)
~ky

Reverb10 - Achieve

2010-12-28T12:34:00.001-06:00

December 28 – Achieve

What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

(Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

My big thing this year is money management. I want all our debt gone! I know it will feel awesome because I've been there before. I will feel free, like a weight is gone, like fear is abated. We will have plans when we buy things and get out of this "Oh, it broke, we have to replace it now." pattern. Unfortunately, it's a real condition - the need (not want) to replace it NOW.

1. Start budgeting now

2. Adjust all excess money (even if it's just $1) to savings

3. Couple the budget and savings with mental pleasure and reflection

4. Create a list of statements as sifters

5. Re-evaluate all expenditures - pass them through the #4 sifter above before agreeing to buy

6. Change where we shop for things

7. Donate functional items to those that can use them

8. Purge, purge, purge

9. Have monthly reviews and discussions - does this thing work? Are we on target?

10. Consider it an adventure. Find ways to make it fun.

Wish me luck! ~ky

Reverb10 - Ordinary Joy and Soul Food

2010-12-27T18:11:00.001-06:00

December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

I would have to say it was seeing my husband peacefully sleeping in his new recliner, in our new (to us) home, in our new city after his first week on his new job. I've never seen him so thoroughly and totally happily relaxed.

Then, there was the look on our kitties faces when they discovered they had green grass and trees to play among again. Or, maybe it was the look on our bunnies faces as they discovered grass under their paws for the first time, ever.

December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

I love to cook. I write my own recipes. We seldom eat things thoughtlessly. Favorites this year? Stews made using our own garden-raised tomatoes and tomatillos. Coming home to all live dinners unique to our palettes and hands.

We had a few other meals of memory too. We enjoyed a wonderful seafood dinner as a treat in Salt Lake City at McGrath's. Karl got to enjoy scallops and oysters while at a training event in Iowa. We shared an expensive bottle of port to celebrate his acceptance in the DOT Academy.

Most recently, we savored Hereford rib-eye, aged with exquisite marbling from the Fresh Market. Fresh Market is a brief (yet pricey) trip down to Wonderland for groceries. We enjoyed an olive bar, fresh fish steaks, kumquats, and heritage tomatoes, all brought to our kitchen, prepared and lovingly consumed. It was a tasty year!

Next year? I will reintroduce bread to our home! Fresh, crispy, tender, chewy bread. Sigh...

Reverb10 - Photo

2010-12-25T18:01:00.001-06:00

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and [...]

I'm usually behind the camera. I'm the photographer - ran my own dark room, everything. Now I take snapshots more than structured photos. I rarely photoshop things tho - I prefer to at least get my composition right when I push the shutter. Still, I remain the cameraman and have few photos of me.

{Dyna and me, with short hair, cuddling on the couch}

A photo that best captures me very likely wouldn't need to have me in the frame. Being a photographer, that picture would allow you to look at the world through my eyes.

{Scrap being tough}

I used to do a lot of scrapbooking. In those books, I have a lot of my photography, and a lot of family and pets. These are two quick ones that I love. I hope they will bring you a smile!

{Cabana Boy and Tinker, Mollie and Tinker lower left}

Happy Christmas to you all!

~ky

Reverb10 - Everything's OK

2010-12-25T17:16:00.001-06:00

December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis)

There was a moment. I think it was when we got the final paperwork officially establishing Karl's job here. We had been in the house a couple weeks, lost Jinge-bear, and things finally found a rhythm. We still have turmoil, there's always something going on, rearing up, falling apart; but, it's tolerable. Bills get paid, things get done, we enjoy each other, we enjoy ourselves, we work and we play. This will carry-over into the new year granting us the peace of knowing this too shall pass. Just ride out the storm - another period of calm is coming.

~ky

#Reverb10 - Travel

2010-12-23T12:43:00.000-06:00

December 22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

I traveled the most miles by truck in 2010. My trusty, big, burly Hootie. I love Hootie - he takes good care of me. He's always ready to go, but doesn't like mornings (my kinda guy!). He loves the road untraveled, and finding new places. He is my ultimate travel vehicle. We carried on across the country this year. He's playing in snow in Chicago - always a delight when his tires are in crunchy snow or dancing over ice. He is a silly, playful bull of a truck!

I tried something new this year. Yes, I cheated on Hootie. Hoot needs a break now and again. He's getting older, so I let him see me off on this adventure. I booked an AmTrak seat in summer to help bring an extra vehicle home. It was a short trek, but quite stimulating. I learned a lot about how people traveled a century ago. It was a 3-hour ride. We stopped at road crossings, sat on a side track until passing trains went by. It was amazing.

Based on that experience, I booked a longer trip to see my family for the holidays. It was an 18-hour ride, and it gave me a great opportunity to study human travel behavior. I am still fascinated, and am leaving later today for the return trip. I really enjoy this new mode of travel that lets me wander around, sit in an observation car with my art tools, and watch movies in my chair. There's more room on this train than on the train used for shorter distances.

I'm hoping Karl and I can take a trip together on the train. Maybe we will visit his mother next year, and take the train on that adventure. That would be suppa fun! Wherever you travel and by whatever mode, I hope you enjoy it, have a safe trip, and a wonderful time!

~ky

Reverb10 - Future Self

2010-12-21T18:11:00.001-06:00

December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

Five years from now: I will be 30 lbs lighter, 100% better organized, in a home that we will keep for several years. I will be accomplished in some art endeavors that I struggle with now. I will still be head over heels in love with the man I married five years ago. I will be stronger in my health management, I will be weaker in some ways physically, stronger emotionally but more resilient over all. For the year ahead, my advice will be: this, too, shall pass.

As for the 10 years past - that might be a novel, so I will add that to my other writing assignments.

~ky

Reverb10 - Beyond Avoidance

2010-12-20T23:23:00.001-06:00

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

I laughed when I read this. I mean, big-ole-belly-laughed at this. What didn't I avoid? We moved 1,600 miles across the country with 2 bunnies and 3 cats. Karl was in the academy for 8 weeks, and on the road a lot once we got moved. I was busy finding new specialists and managing a new household that we were blessed to find on the exact day we needed it. Thank you, Lord, for that huge miracle.

We know this is essentially temporary housing, and neither of us has had the time or energy to put into decorating. My focus is for me to keep my body working, and getting Karl comfortable downtime as he learns his new job. Unpacking and picture hanging has not been the priority - especially when we know we will turn around and move within a year. We're still catching our breath!

Will we do it? Some of it, yes. Most of it, no - not until we have firmer plans on housing, the effort does not equal the need. Life is too short and uncertain to waste resources when you could be riding the open road, playing with a bunny in the summer grass, creating an incredible piece of art, cuddling in a quilt whispering sweet nothings with your love, writing a lingering story or getting caught up in a fabulous book or movie. The key, my friends, is choosing the right things to avoid!

Happy avoiding!

~ky

Reverb10 - Healing

2010-12-19T13:45:00.001-06:00

December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

I'm still waiting for the healing. So far, it's been a year of ripping me down to my core by everyone I dare to care about, and many whom I don't. I'm tired. I'm having thoughts of suicide again, but I recognize that for what it is and deny it serious access or consideration.

Being healed? Ha. I would be happy if people who just live up to what they promise. Don't lie to me, don't steal from me, and realize that I am allowed to have opinions, feelings, and imperfections. Don't build a box of perfection for me to live in. Don't define me by your expectations. Nevermind the physical battles. I just want to be allowed the space to breathe and live. Is that too much to ask?

~ky

Reverb10 - Try

2010-12-18T22:51:00.001-06:00

December 18 – Try What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

In 2010, I tried needle felting. I got supplies, a nice machine, and lots of bookmarked videos and blogs. I didn't have a good set up space in my studio, and we had other priorities. So, needle felting (the way I wanted to do it) got shifted aside.

For 2011, I have an additional desk upon which to keep my felting machine (called an embellisher) available all the time. I have storage for the supplies, too. I will revisit felting and give it the effort it deserves.

I also plan to tackle another problem area: specialty flour mixing. Yes, I suffer from Celiac's disease, which is an autoimmune reaction of the body to the presence of gluten - the protein found in wheat, barley and rye - in the digestive tract.

I love to bake. There's nothing quite like the smell and feel of freshly baked bread. I want to have that in my home again, and it will involve a big learning curve. I will make many inedible things along the path, but that's just experience. I will be getting a wonderful kitchen scale and buying different flours which is exciting for me. I love gadgets!

There are other things I want to explore next year. These are just the two at the top of my list. I hope you have some exciting things to look forward to!

~ky

CHAPTER 44: `Curiouser and curiouser!'

2010-12-18T15:17:00.001-06:00

`Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). `Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure _I_ shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can; --but I must be kind to them,' thought Alice, `or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'

Hello from all of us here in Wonderland! This week we are Curiouser and curiouser to see if you are willing to play along with our weekly challenge. The challenge is a simple one, and one that most of us should be able to play along with, we would like to take Wonderland and turn it into a Winter Wonderland! Yes, that's right.....put your boots on, hats, mittens and lets play in the snow! Alice with a hat on? Rabbit in the snow? Anything that reflects a Winter Wonderland. Have fun with it!

This week we are being sponsored by SUGAR NELLIE! The winner's prize will be an awesome set of 6 Leanne Ellis Alice In Wonderland stamps!! Woohoo!!

Here is what I made to inspire you!

{click to enlarge - sorry for the poor quality, I'm on the road!}

These art journal pages were created using acrylic paint, SnoTex, Glitter, Pixie Dust Studios images (LOVE), Copic markers, and Gelly Roll stardust pens.

I really appreciate Kathy sponsoring us last week, and was so sad that my schedule and preparations for this family trip got in the way of my project work. So - feel free to go visit Pixie Dust Studio and check them out!!

As usual, you'll have until midnight Christmas eve (Friday, December 24th) to show us your work. Just link a picture of it (or your blog post, etc.) to the Oh Alice! Challenge Blog. Take some creative time for yourself this week during all the hustle and bustle. Best wishes!!

~ky

NOTE ~ We will be taking a short time away to play in our Wonderlands through the holidays. We will resume January 8th, 2011 with more challenges and fun giveaways!

Reverb10 - Friendship & Lessons Learned

2010-12-17T12:03:00.002-06:00

December 17 – Lesson Learned - What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)

I learned that I have more patience than I think, if I will just use it. I also learned to let go of wrong lessons in expectations for others from childhood. Going forward, I will apply this knowledge more often!

December 16 – Friendship - How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

My gradual change this year is a result of many new friendships I made. I have always been tolerant and appreciative of the differences others have in their perspectives, backgrounds, taboos, etc. However, I got even better at respecting those differences, and even adding their views to my way of thinking.

However - I also learned that people who pose as friends are not always capable of being friends.

Thanks to everyone who helped me grow this year!
~ky

Reverb10 - 5 Minutes

2010-12-15T09:59:00.001-06:00

December 15 – 5 Minutes Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

I want to remember that I began art journaling in 2010. That way, if I lose my memory, all I need to do is pick up my art journal where I documented it.

Yes, you can cheat - it's a hectic, busy time of year!
~ky

Reverb10 - Appreciate

2010-12-14T01:04:00.000-06:00

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

Technology. There are a lot of other things I appreciate from this year, but technology is what has held it together.

The internet allows me to be "out" among friends without risking infection. It has allowed me to learn many things, especially at 3 a.m. It kept Cabana Boy and me together when he was away at the academy for 8 weeks. It allowed him to find this great new job, and me to find this nice rental home we enjoy.

I think I express my gratitude by making sure I'm never without it. I share my knowledge of it with friends. I honor the lessons and people with things I create from what I've learned and who all I have met. It occupies both my time and my budget in a large sort of way. :-)

~ky

Reverb10 - Action

2010-12-13T19:25:00.001-06:00

December 13 – Action When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

There's the idea. Then there's the list. I list out every step, and sometimes specifics of the sub-steps as I begin considering implementation of an idea. I am a planner by nature.

I consider audiences, benefits, costs, negatives, positives. I think about the outcomes - if it's perceived accurately or negatively. Then it all gets over-ruled if I like it more than I care about how it's viewed.

There's a lot of product juggling too. I want to use what I have, so there are those adaptations. Then, there are unavailable product substitution when I can't find specific products. Eventually, the project takes on my personal touch through my personal product choices, my personal abilities and biases, and finally, my limitations and preferences.

It is indelibly MINE.
~ky

Reverb10 - 11 Things and Body Integration

2010-12-12T21:45:00.000-06:00

December 11 – 11 Things What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

Eleven things. Can I just name family? Oops - I really did write that out loud. LOL

We got rid of three really big problems this year (location, control of schedule, financial stability). It really did change our lives. So, what else do we need to clean up for 2011?

1. Clutter! We need to take a serious look at our possessions. I'm not really a feng shui fan, but I do feel my house isn't "happy" with all this clutter. We just moved, and know this isn't where we plan to stay for long, so it's really hard to do a thorough unpacking and deal with all this crap!

2. Debt. We're fairly good so far as funds go, but with some "surprise" expenses we are feeling a little less than easy about what we do buy. It would be freeing to get that cleared out again.

3. Our own home. We won't buy our own home in 2011, but I do expect to make some significant strides financially to be prepared for that eventually. So - we would be getting rid of some financial uncertainty, and having to ask before we can paint.

4. My own motorcycle. I want to enjoy being out in the summer with Cabana Boy on my own machine. Yes, it's fun to ride on the back of his, and Yes, he wants me riding "bitch", but there's something about having the power to go out on your own. Again - it's a financial planning thing, but I like it. We'd be getting rid of having to do things together all the time, and the feeling of inequality. Yes, I have bad gadget envy!

5. No Babies. We have three bunnies that have their replicators still intact. We need to get that taken care of so we can let them run together. It also lends to better long-term health, so it's important. We lost too many family furry friends in 2010. We want to make them safer.

6. No surprises. Same as #5, but for the human.

7. Fears. I still struggle with my inner demons. One day at a time, I need to address and conquer them. Personal stability is a better place to be.

8. Physical conditioning. I need to get rid of some weight this year. I need to gain fitness and tone so that I feel better. Feeling better, I will be able to do better and more in 2011! Hello 5-mile challenge!

So - I will count those 8 with the 3 we've already attacked my 11 for 2011.

December 12 – Body Integration This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

Running. Physical activity. When I feel best and most alive is when I am at my healthy best. Running clears my mind. Opens my heart, renews my spirit. I think best when I run. So much so that I'm frustrated by not being able to remember some of the great creative ideas from my inner muse.

Maybe you've heard of a runner's high? It's real. I crave it. It is addicting and that's no bad thing. I love it when I hit that level. It only takes me about 1.5 miles now to reach that plateau - but it lasts so long that I just keep going. That's why I love a 5-mile run. After 5 miles your body has consumed the energy, hydration and electrolytes available, and needs replenishment. I love a challenge - 5 miles is a great race distance and can easily be stretched to about 10 miles with preparation. Finishing is such a natural high!

Can you see it? Running, biking, weights - my Doc requires me to partake for disease management. I require me to partake to feel fully alive. Don't waste your time. You only have so many days. Grab it!

Introspectively yours,
~ky

Reverb10 - Wisdom

2010-12-10T00:39:00.000-06:00

December 10 – Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

Wisdom. Hmmm.

I know a lot of information. I know where to find even more. (intelligence)

I've done a lot of things. I know how to figure out how to do more. (talent)

I've made a lot of decisions. I know I will be making many more. (experience)

I know how to juggle priorities. I know I will juggle more. (prioritize)

Does the sum of these things equal wisdom? I would argue, no.

What could be missing?

Sensitivity - I am aware of how choices affect the balance of a home, a friendship, a project design.

Love - if you do not love the process, you likely won't stick around to see fruition.

Timing - like baking the perfect cake, you need to understand when things are ready or they fail.

There are so many other variables in what comes to be recognized as wisdom. Leave out any one, and what seems to be wisdom crumbles into base motives. How many times have our decisions that we thought came from sheer well-intentioned and hard fought, anguishing decision making melts down into what you "wanted" for the outcome rather than what would have been the truly wise path.

Wisdom, therefore, has another necessary component: Surviving over time with the outcome providing reliable results.

This year - we made a lot of decisions and some major changes. Life's path led us to the door, but it was up to us to make the choice to open it, open it NOW, commit to following through, and trusting that it was the right choice when weighed against the disruption and risk. We started the search for Karl's new career path in January 2010. Here we stand at the end of 2010, and it is clear, looking back that this choice evidenced wisdom. It took courage, commitment, trust, communication, and tons of other things.

In short? It was a LOT of work (remember that zendoodle page, and the other journal entries along the way this year?). The results we hoped to see are beginning to appear. The path remains true, and hasn't collapsed into a temporary up-turn, a remorse of stepping on this course. It truly was the wisest decision we made this year, and we are determined to stay faithful to the effort we've begun.

I'm looking to different expressions of wisdom for 2011. I want a break to enjoy the fruits of 2010. Oh - and the runner up wise-choice? Switching over to Art Journaling (wink).

Be strong, be brave, believe.
~ky

Reverb10 - Party

2010-12-09T12:05:00.000-06:00

December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

There were a few gatherings this year. I typically don't attend anything public, or larger family gatherings because of my health. However, I was so PROUD to attend my husband's graduation ceremony from the Academy. It wasn't all that fancy, or even much of a party. It was just good to meet a lot of the people embarking on the same career as him, and see him happy and beaming.

We moved to our new location shortly after, so we didn't have another "gathering" until Thanksgiving. This was fantastic. We visited Karl's sister's home in Cincinnati, and I finally got to meet their Mom. She was awesome! And funny! Karl's Sis has the most beautiful home, lovingly decorated. I finally got to meet my puppy niece and nephew, Zoe and Baxter. We spoiled them rotten!

My brother-in-law cooked the most AWESOME Thanksgiving feast! He found a fantastic dressing recipe (although it wasn't gluten-free, I risked a sampling) that turned out to be heavenly. We had baked beans, a huge turkey, mashed potatoes - all the trimmings, even pie! We sampled a lot of wines over that visit, too. Best of all? We treated the whole family and one of my niece's friends, to the newest Harry Potter film, and it was wonderful too.

Baxter & Zoe

Sadly - we lost Baxter just 10 days later. Baxter had been in the family a long time, and as a large breed (boxer), had a naturally shorter life expectancy than some other breeds. I was so grateful to get to spend time with him - we knew he was on the way out - so I let him lay on me as much as he wanted. Such an adorable, sweet soul.

Have a lovely day! ~ky

Reverb10 - Beautifully Different

2010-12-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

I am definitely different. It took me a long time to realize I have my own beauty. It took me a long time to realize I had any value. I was the last child, a surprise, and was plainly told that I was unwanted. I was told our resources were not to be wasted on the child who would not amount to anything.

On top of that, I was a very sick child, requiring more energy and resources than they wanted to spare. Schools constantly pushed me into the corner, accepting my parents dismissals that they knew I was a waste of effort. I spent more time outdoors, finding comfort in critters, and a lot of time reading. I became very good at observing, imagining, absorbing and playing along in my own little world.

STOP. Do not feel pity. It's my story - it is what made me what and who I am. I'm alright with it - each step I took brought me here. I love HERE. There were a few points along the way that stand out - my 6th grade science teacher; becoming a college instructor; realizing I make lovely things.

Do you see the pattern? First, there was an outside influence - my science teacher. I wasn't at the school long, but he made me feel smart. Second, there was a personal effort rewarded with peer-voted success. Third, there was personal confidence. Now? There is recognition and understanding.

I didn't understand when I was little why I was treated the way I was. Now that I'm a bit older and more detached, I realize I was dealing with child-to-child relationships rather than child-to-parent. I was stuck in a warped world of "normal". I didn't know this could be (should be?) different. The "other" child was elevated to royalty status - all things revolved around that child's desires and the need of the parent to prompt that child for any opportunities.

I can't change the past. On a good day, I can't even do a lot about that argument at breakfast yesterday. That's ok - we do our best and let it go. I can, however, recognize things in others. Hopefully by sharing, I can help them take a step they wouldn't have. I can see pain - maybe I can make someone laugh, forget their pain for a moment, rest in a ray of guilt-free sunshine. I lift up animals - who then lift up the spirits of others. I can make pretties - send them out to the world.

I am beautifully different, just like every unique stone the river has polished lovingly to it's own, unique perfection. I am enough and I am not yet finished.

(so are you)
~ky

Reverb10 - Community

2010-12-07T09:39:00.000-06:00

December 7 – Community Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

Community. Wow. Where do you begin? There are so many communities. So many types of communities. We belong to the community of family (sometimes, we'd rather not).

We belong to the community of neighbors (sometimes dysfunctional, sometimes a very small community).

We belong to the community of shoppers, coffee-housers, commuters, pet owners, parents, gossips, gripers, whiners, moaners, polly-annas, doom and gloomers, chronic medicine, caregivers, girlfriends, boyfriends, friend-friends. The list can be never ending. There are communities you want to be in, and ones that you didn't even realize you were in, plus those you wish you could opt out of.

Then there are the communities we relish. Those that inspire us, lift us, give us a chance to lift others. There are communities where you wish you could spend every moment because it's safe, warm, encouraging. Some of these are creative communities. I'm very fortunate to be part of a couple of those.

I have the most delightful group of crafters - artists, musicians, writers - that love to share among YouTube and Ustream. They encourage, nurture, even smack you on the head when you need it! This group is what I term, ALIVE, active, interactive. Someone finds a new thing, and we all run to watch and learn!

There are more static but just as profoundly influencing groups. These tend to attract those who are too busy for the above mentioned alive group. These people need not feel slighted - they just don't have the time (or actually have better self-discipline) to spend all day hanging about the internet. They post their projects, and scour projects and ideas in a more private manner. These groups favor Ning and Flickr groups where they can come and go without a schedule.

I have great communities for creativity. The biggest issue I have is needing to open myself up to new things, but not go so fast that I learn, buy and never continue to play with new media or tools. With health issues, the harder community, for me, is the "in-person" type. I often think about my Mom. We moved around a lot, and she seldom had a reliable community. She would have loved to participate in online communities, and would have been a wonderful addition.

I'm not looking for a new community, but I fully expect our community to grown and morph over the next year. I'm excited by what the future may hold! What's that you say? You want to join my community? Follow me on twitter, find me on Flickr or hang out at some Nings. Share where you lurk, and your enthusiasm!

~ky (the Scrapacat)

Reverb10 - Make

2010-12-06T11:52:00.000-06:00

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

I try to make something every day. Most days I succeed, some days I don't. Some days all I manage making is a royal mess. Those are sometimes the most fun days because it means I've tried something new! I love it when my studio functions like a science lab. I'm a science geek, boldly admitted!

Yesterday, I created a blog post about a memorable turning point in my life. I used my heart, my fears, my hopes, and my gratitude to create it. I hope all who read it and know or can relate, recognize that their name and their art could easily be added along with Kerri's. She led me to know so many fantastic people who have affected my creativity in HUGE ways. I want to thank each and every person along the way personally. Clearing some time for it would be a never ending task in itself. So, I'll just have to trust each of you to fill in your name. :-p !

Now - I'm off to create again. Have a great day!
~ky

Reverb10 - Let Go

2010-12-06T05:11:00.000-06:00

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)

Earlier (Reverb10, Day 1, One Word), I spoke about accepting. The funny thing about opening yourself to accept something new - it means you must be ready to let something else go. Very few things come into your life, that you want or need, that don't require you to clear some space off your plate, table, mind, house, etc.

"It just means you are letting it go so that your hands are not so filled with past hurts that they cannot grasp onto the goodness waiting to be held." ~Melody Ross, Brave Girls Club

In thinking back over this year, I see a lot of letting go. Just read Day 1's post - everything I accepted was because I had first let go. I was tracing my path that led me to meeting a wonderful and unexpected group of people. I was trying to remember exactly how I came to know this group of mixed media and art journalers that quickly fueled my interest in shifting away from stamping to mixed media. It was a fortuitous meeting - I feel far more comfortable with my art in this venue.

Well, it occurred to me that there was a specific event that propelled me into contact with these people. Like most rockets, a catalyst is the mechanism for such propulsion. For this event - it was the death of my beloved Jinge-bear, my rescued bunny.

I posted the sad news on Milliande's Ning site. I was heartbroken but having just moved, had no one to share the burden with (besides Karl). I reached out. I didn't expect much in return, but it felt good to just send my pain out to the Universe. Bunnies aren't considered pet-material by most people, yet are the third most popular group of pets. I didn't realize, at the time, but I was taking steps in preparation of letting go.

{artwork by iKerriLove}

By reaching out, I was opening myself up to a blessing. iKerriLove (screen name) read about Jinge's short life, and was compelled to create this beautiful page. Soon, Kerri and I were chatting online, and eventually she introduced me to her favorite creative people. The rest, as they say, is history. I was smitten not only with the creative outlet (I'm feeling much at home with art journaling), but with the generous people who give of themselves to teach and encourage budding artists.

I had to let go of Jinge to accept the blessing of new friends, healing art, and eventually these two cuties:

What are you holding onto?

~ky

Reverb 10 - Wonder - Land and Alice!

2010-12-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

This post is dual-purposed: Reverb10 and the Oh Alice challenge!

Today we awaken to fresh snow - half a foot. The neighborhood has transcended into a quiet, magical land. How appropriate that today's prompt is Wonder!

My art focus helps me see things from that most magical perspective - child-level. I'm not afraid to ask those questions that we, as adults, are frowned upon broaching. I ask myself "What if..." a lot. I purposely stop and pick a random item, then imagine what else it might be, or if components can be put to a different use. I love doing that!

I've been struggling lately with life - just getting things done, making sure priorities were met, and finally, I'm close to seeing the end of the tunnel! I rewarded myself by exploring a medium I know little about - encaustics. I spent some time on YouTube watching videos. I spent some time looking at materials and considering how I could try this medium without a lot of investment. I set off shopping and came back with some definite maybe products.

I will do a little video soon to tell you about the products I used, and the mess I made. [Insert very silly childlike grin here!] Here is one view of my Encaustic mixed media ATC:

{click to enlarge and see all the wonderful details!}

This ATC features a wonderful image from Some Odd Girl stamps. I just LOVE this image - it's me and Tinker! The background is all melted, colored wax, and I made my own adhesive tape with a text background stamp, Paula, the Journal Artista's glimmer glam paint formula, and medical tape. Fun! I colored Kaylee Cuddle (the image) with my Copic markers. This ATC will be included in an art journaling page describing how I love to enjoy days filled with wonder!

Now - you notice I had "And Alice" in the title? Well, I wasn't able to get my project completed yesterday, in time for the challenge blog to post. So - this is a reminder that YOU can play along with the Oh Alice Twisted Thirteen for a chance at winning your own Some Odd Girl stamps! Hop on over to the Oh Alice challenge blog for all the sweet details! You don't need to do encaustics to play - just use a handmade flower in your project! What are you waiting for? You have until midnight Friday, December 10th!

See you soon!
~ky