Monday, March 11, 2024

Playing CMSS & CalvinBall!

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


I just have so much crafting I want to do, sometimes something has to give.  Tell me in the comments, do you get all the crafting done you want to do?  I watched some of the videos on the Card Makers for Success Summit last weekend, and tried some of them, while still trying to keep up with making at least one project for CalvinBall per day.  Oh, and junk journaling, and SplitcoastStampers daily challenges, our blog challenges.  I have to just confess; I can't do it all!  And then there is this blog to keep up with.  And life!  Tomorrow I am headed to a wedding, so no crafting tomorrow.

I will share with you the project I made following Jess Crafts on the summit.  I liked this because you can use a lot of stash.  I really kept these cards from this sketch clean and simple, because I entered them in today's Clean and Simple daily challenge at SplitcoastStampers to be monochromatic.

The Jess Crafts sketch uses a whole sheet of 12x12 patterned paper, three pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock for the bases, and 3 more pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 of colored cardstock for the panels.  My dsp was two sided so I could varry the cards. On 5 of the cards I used some of my hundreds of Project Life Cards.  Stash Buster!!!


And the 6th one, I stamped and colored a Stampendous Bird Image with Copics.  I submitted this one for the challenge at CalvinBall.  I got points for it being a card, for sharing it at two sites, blogging about it, polka dot paper, stamp, stripe paper, sketch, fussy cutting, banner, flower, aqua, gold, sticker, orange. 15 points out of a possible 70 points.  They add points every day.  It is wild.  The points don't mean anything, just using as much as possible of your stash!





Here is the info about CalvinBall:




I am also on my way to the tea party over at TSFT at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.
Here is my ticket:  A card I made several years ago.  I no longer have the image stamp, but I do have the sentiment.  Happy T day.



Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Playing Calvinball

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7



It is March and I am playing Calvinball with Alice Boll.  It is a crazy time with lots of inspiration.  No one wins anything except the glory, and just getting some scrapping done.  So, I actually have done two pages.  Just will show you one, for which I got about 17 points for anything from a star, a heart, a flower, handwritten journaling, date, etc, whatever the rules were as of today!  They change every day!






Watch the video on how you can play: How to Play Calvinball | Scrapbooking Challenge (youtube.com)



I think I will stop over at the Tea Party that happens every Tuesday over at Altered Book Lover with hostess Elizabeth and co-host Bleubeard.  Come on over, just be sure to include something drink related in your blog post.

Here is mine:




My favorite tea cup.  Have a great week!  See you next time.  Maybe I will come back with more Calvinball entries.  They can be cards, journal pages, scrapbook layouts, tags, even non paper projects.

Happy T Day.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Playing in my Craft room!

 Hello readers!  Yes, it is me again.  I will post once in a while, I guess.  Right now, the only reason there will be a post for Tuesday Tea Party, is I am actually scheduling it ahead of time.  It is Saturday afternoon, and I am playing in my craft room.  I was inspired by a mixed media challenge on SplitcoastStampers and by Viki Parson's Keep it Light February Challenge over at **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY*

Actually, it all began with me earlier in the week looking at my mixed media supplies and finding some had dried up.  I had a large jar Teresa Collins modeling paste, but it was hard as brick.  That took me down a rabbit hole on You Tube looking for how to restore it.  I really couldn't find anything but decided it would not hurt to put water in it and try.  So, water, mix with popsicle stick, twist, still hard; added more water and did it some more.  I did this off and on for a couple of days.  Finally, I got it so I could use it.  

When researching on You Tube, I did find some good advice: Buy smaller jars, and when you use it, make a lot of tags, papers, whatever, while you got it out.  Next time it might be dry!  I thought that was very good advice.  It might be more expensive buying smaller jars, but in the long run cheaper, because you aren't throwing out the jar of hardened stuff!

Once I got the paste workable, I began playing with my favorite colors of TH oxides, and fun stencils.  Since the challenge I was doing called for a napkin, I then looked through my napkins that I have received in swaps.  Imagine my surprise and joy when I found a napkin with not only the colors I used, but some same shapes that I used from my stencil! I used some various TH stamps, faces, & Bible Verse stamp.  I sprayed the whole thing with some white glitter mist.  I added the punched dove by the Bible verse.  I dated it, because that is what Elizabeth taught me to do!  

 Here is my art journal page in an 7x10 Canson 98 lb mix media book.







Now for my ticket to the tea party:


This is a photo from 2018 when we visited Maine.


My view of Penobscot Bay from where we stayed in Belfast, Maine.



Remembering a wonderful day, when looking at this.  Right now, it is beautiful here.  I walked outside and got hot today.  It is 69 and on Tuesday will be 80!  For crying out loud, this is February, but I am loving it.  Our normal temps are 50s for February.

I look forward to hearing what you think about the mixed media pastes.  Any advice?  Does it ever happen to you?  Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, January 22, 2024

T Stands for Time to Blog Again!

 I thought it was time to start blogging again, as I haven't since August of 2023!  Mia, even reached out to me and ask where I had been!  I just am always so busy it seems.  I have taken a trip to Canada and been to Banff, and other sights in Alberta & British Columbia.  I am sure I will share photos.  Then it was the time of the year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the festivities that go along with that.  Also, we have had family come and visit, for which we are so thankful!  Just wish our family wasn't spread all over the place!  I have been leading a Bible study, and also have been hostessing regular challenges on SplitcoastStampers.   And I am crafting quite a bit.  I will share some travel photos as well some of my photos of the junk journal travel journals I made for my traveling companions.

But first here is my ticket to the tea party.  I have missed you all!  I even see new ones.  I will have to go around and visit and get to know you.  Elizabeth introduced me to Bagatelles when I first started reading her blog, and that is where we had lunch last week.  They always have great specials, but you have to get there early!  So we were there shortly after 11.  It was a great day, to go because they were passing out complimentary pieces of Black Forrest cake to everyone!  Wow, everything was so good.  Thank you, Elizabeth!  They are also so reasonable, $7.99 or $8.99 each I think.

Here is where the tea party is: T Stands For Tuesday


We had the enchilada casserole, with roll and soup.  Hubby had pork and Beans soup, (I had never heard of that, but he said it was delicious.)  I had chicken tortilla soup, scrumptious!

Here are some photos of my trip to Alberta & British Columbia.  Gorgeous country!

Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia.


Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta.



Lake Louise again




Emerald Lake, in British Columbia, Yoho National Park



Me, at foot of  Takakkaw Falls, British Columbia, Yoho National Park. 

I will show you what I made for the group of girls I went with:  I made each a travel notebook size junk journal.  Each journal was in their favorite colors and each one completely different.  I really had fun creating them.













Waving to all the T-Gang and all my other followers.  I hope to begin to blog more often, but we will see.   Thank you all for stopping by.  Happy 2024!









Monday, August 7, 2023

T Stands for Time in my Craft Room

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I have been in my craft room for quite a while today to make this art journal page for **Art*Journal*Journey* for Chris's Where in the World Challenge this month.  I do not plan out my projects I just start in.  I had found this old ephemera from our 25th anniversary trip to Paris and went from there. I liked these colors of color bursts and prepared my background.  I sprinkled the Canson 7x10" Mix media paper with my powders, too many, and then spritzed with water.  I had a miss!  Then I daubed with a paper towel.  Then I didn't know what I was going to do besides putting on the little map actually of our boat trip on the Seine.  I got the idea then to put what the occasion was with the die cut words and a stamped remember.  I put on the scraps that I tore off, only used the other side.  I put a rub-on in the top left corner and the today's date in the bottom right corner.  I did some inking of the edges.  I think that is about it.  Oh, I added fiber!  I enjoyed the process. And I used my colors!


The rub on IRL is black, don't know why it shows white in the photo.


Anyone read French?


This will be a fun way to remember.  The photos in my album are old school, not digital, so not on my computer.  It would have been nice to print some off to put on here, or just to show them to you at this point.  Maybe someday, will take photos of the photos and put them on here.

It is time to share a drink for TSFT over at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.  They are our hosts for this tea party.  This is from my archives.



Happy T Day to the T Gang!  Have a great week!  See you next time!


Monday, July 31, 2023

T Stands for How Can it be Time for TSFT Already?

  6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


That is exactly what I feel like!  It can't be time already! It seems like I should have more time since it is too hot and humid here to even walk at 6:30 in the morning.  I have a lot more time. It still sneaks up on me.  I missed last week because I didn't even remember till late Tuesday night!

 Most of June and all of July as a hostess for Dare to Get Dirty on SplitcoastStampers, I have been making samples for the 46 challenges and some with multiples of cards.  There were lots of technique challenges, too.  So fun.  So, now that we are done, I can share some cards but not the details because you have to be a Fan Club member to see the challenge details.  It seemed I sent the cards out almost as quick as I made them, but luckily, I did take photos! Apparently, I haven't sent the Christmas cards yet though. But there will be no group photo this year.  Here is just a few:




My personal favorite!  Which card is your favorite?





I guess I better show my ticket to the party over at Bleubeard's and Elizabeth's at Altered Book Lover.  They all kinds of abstract pictures on the wall of the food they serve, and I took all kinds of photos, but just sharing a couple.  We ate lunch there.  They open early in the morning and close at two, so we can get there and eat lunch before they close.  We liked it, and will be going again.  Good food, good service, and atmosphere was a diner. :)  And we found one closer to us!














Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week!  See you next time!

Monday, July 17, 2023

T Stands for Ten Years of TSFT!

 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


It is finally time for our big anniversary party for T Stands for Tuesday over at Altered Book Lover with our host and hostess, Bleubeard & Elizabeth!  They have been holding these parties every week for ten years!  I haven't been here that long, but some of the others have been, I am sure. I joined 1/23/2018.  It seems like I have come for longer than that, but I just looked back!  So, I have only been coming for a little over 5 years!  It has been fun, Elizabeth!  Thank you!

Now, let the party begin!  First, I will show you how I made the ATCs I sent out.

I Water colored on the cardstock.  It was a watercolor cling wrap technique.  Puddles of watercolor, then blot with cling wrap. You are supposed to see lots of texture. I did mine wrong, but here is where the technique is demonstrated: 










Then I glued the napkin over that.  Did I get this napkin in our swap last year from one of you?  Anyone recognize it?


Then I cut apart the piece.





I edged each piece with a black marker or ink. 






I then doodled around each one.






Finished: 



Now, to show what I got from my swap partner, who was so generous!  Oh my goodness!  My official swap partner was Mia in Greece! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fat envelope sent priority!  Wow!


overview of everything!  Maybe those tea bags are my ticket to TSFT!



The ATC is very dimensional, and sturdy!  The one layer is up on dimensional tape. This is so beautifully done!  My photo doesn't do it justice.  She probably has a better photo on her blog. 



Lisca, look I have post cards!  A whole packet, plus a large one.  The one that says Greece is a large post card.  Gorgeous, gorgeous scenery on these cards in the packet!




This journal cover was handmade by Mia.  It is beautifully made.  I will treasure it.  


A note from Mia.



She handmade this child's apron.  But it fits me! LOL I love all the pictures on it!










Here is a close up of the larger post card, and those are book pages in Greek, to use in art. 



And neat napkins, bling, tea, buttons, candy!  It is like Christmas!



Well, I also had an unofficial swap partner because Jan and I know each other on another website: SplitcoastStampers.  So since I made 4 ATCs, we swapped, too.

So, I got a fat envelope from Spain, too!




Here is Jan's beautiful mixed media ATC.  Since it says Time for Tea, this is my ticket today to TSFT, although, I think there are lots of beverage references in this post.  Do you see them all?







These were some more goodies from Jan's envelope!  Beautiful dies and embossed panels.  Thank you, Jan for everything.  I can't wait to use some of these goodies!


This is really turning into a long post.  But I still must post one more thing!

This 8x10 art journal page is for both this month's **ART*Journal*Journey Challenge of 'Come Fly with Me', and our picture of a 10 for our Anniversary Celebration for TSFT.  I think it fulfils both.
I die cut and stamped the number 10, a total of 10 times.  There are ten birds on here counting the Flamingo.  I first put on color bursts powders, and sprayed water on it.  I made a complete mess even though I put down newspaper under the whole thing and plastic under the page.  There will be other pages with these colors! LOL I then put on a napkin with the flamingo.  I am pretty sure this napkin is from our swap last year.  Who recognizes it?  The reason I am not sure is because I was in at least two napkin swaps last year.  After the napkin came the die cut numbers, punched birds and stamping.  


Happy 10th Anniversary to TSFT, & Bleubeard & Elizabeth, and the rest of the t gang! Thank you for stopping by. Be sure and join us over at Altered Book Lover for this great TSFT Celebration!
 Have a great week.  See you next time!