Criss Cross Card with Blue Flower

Good morning everyone!  It's hard to believe we are starting a brand new week again.  It seems like only yesterday we were starting last week!  My goodness I can hardly keep up! It is really true when they say as you get older the time goes so quickly!

It's been awhile since I made one of these and just needed to revisit the fold again.  I made  a flower using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die from long ago. I still love these petals and love the shade of blue I achieved.  The inside is plain and simple and you tie it all up with a bow.




Well that does it for me this morning.  I'm off to do a little blog hopping and see what is going on in the crafting world!  No matter where you go or what you wind up doing today, take a moment to "Breathe"!

Working on Christmas Cards For 2015

Good morning everyone.  I don't really do New Year's Resolutions but I did sort of promise myself I would work on Christmas cards all through the year.  So today is my first card.

I made a 41/4 X 5 1/2 sized card and used a embossing folder by Anna Griffin. The picture of the bird is one I found online and printed on my printer.  I used a technique with Ultra Thick Embossing Powder where you have several layers of the UTEE and then you place the piece in the freezer for 45 minutes and when you take it out you just bend it and it cracks.  You can then use some Ranger Distress Ink to go over the piece and it gets down into the cracks giving it a more aged look.  Then just take a piece of paper towel and gently rub off the Distress Ink and what went down inside the cracks stays there.

When you are doing the embossing powder just do the first layer like you normally do and then while it is still hot, sprinkle more powder; heat it up and keep adding more layers.  I did 6 layers on my piece.  This is a technique I love and need to visit it more often.

The close up shows part of the cracking...sorry about the photography. The gold pieces on the corners is from my new Spellbinders dies (Regal Frame)  I love the pretty pieces but it's delicate and hard to get the cardstock to release.  I'm trying different techniques trying to find one that will work for me.

Well that's it for me this morning.  I hope your day is a good one!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday # 293

Good morning everyone.  I'm just running through this morning on my way to Julia's blog and participation in WOYWW!  Each week we  take a picture of our space and blog about it then link it to Julia's blog and it becomes a world wide blog hop.  Loads of fun if you  like poking around in other people's spaces like me!   Several of you were asking about my closet of shame and I decided I would show it one more time, just because we are friends.

This cabinet holds so much "stuff" and I love that I can just close the doors on it and pretend like all is well here in my space!  It holds most of my paper supply and things that I don't use everyday and just need to be able to store.

and here is my desk this morning.  I know, I know....no excuse for this hot mess! I'm working on some note cards for a neighbor and there is a Christmas card for next year in the background.  I use the embossing powder in layers over the circle photo and then placed it in the freezer to crack.  It gives it an aged look and I like the vintage feel of the card.

OK, I'm going to hush now this morning as I've gone from short post into the long post category and I don't want Julia to be after me.  Hope your day is a good one and we will talk later!

Craft Hoarders Anonymous January 2015 - Challenge #23 - Choose your Challenge

As you may have heard Craft Hoarders Anonymous has changed up how we do things just a bit and we are going to one challenge a month.  This will give more of  you time to join us in our little bit of madness and play along.  We strive to use our stash and encourage you to do the same.  For years I have hoarded things and now I'm playing with things I'd forgotten about. This past  year has been a real awakening for me.  I've seen how I hoarded things and now realize it's time to use them!

This month you can create any type or style of project you wish as long as you pick ONE (1) item from each category in the chart below!  Choose your cardstock, printed paper, or other base (box, canvas, tray, etc.).  Next choose your adhesive.  Finally, from the chart below, choose  your coloring medium, fiber, technique, texture and embellishments for your project.  The combinations are almost endless!  (You may choose more than one item from each category, but you MUST have AT LEAST ONE from each!)  Have fun, and welcome to a NEW YEAR at Craft Hoarders Anonymous!



Here is my project for this challenge.  I have to confess I purchased new Spellbinders dies in December.   (They are my passion)  Consider them my Christmas present to myself! Is there a 12 step program for hoarding dies?  (My name is Glenda and I'm a Hoarder!)

I used the following from the chart:

Coloring Medium - Ink
Fiber - yarn/thread
Technique - Stamping-Die Cutting and Folding
Texture - Embossing
Embellish - Flowers

You are next, join our challenge; create a fun project of your own using some of your hoard then link it back to the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Blog.  I can't wait to see what you make! You have until 12 PM Pacific Time on 2-8-2015 to create a project and link it to the blog.

You can visit the design team by clicking on their names below.  Go see what they created; I promise you will find something that will inspire you along the way.  We all love hearing from you and we are all excited to have you join us!

Design Team:
Amber Milone
Christy Butters
Debbie Seyer
Donna Idlet
Ginny Nemchak

Glenda Brooks
Gloria Stengel
Kathy Clement
Nancy Dynes

Pam Bray
Teresa Horner
Wendi Robinson

Supply List:

HCPC 3608 Arianna Blooms PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

HCD 748 Arianna Blooms Die (Heartfelt Creations)

Spellbinders Dies:  Foliage, Majesty, Lacey Squares

Life Lines from Flourishes

Half Pearls
Fibers from Really Reasonable Ribbon 

Winter Banner.......

Good morning everyone and welcome to Winter!  The temperatures have dipped down to ridiculous levels and It is definitely very cold in these parts!

I've been working on a banner and I gave you a tease on Wednesday and I have finished and want to share!  I encountered problems when I tried to take pictures of the piece and understand now what everyone is talking about when they say they are difficult to photograph! They are!

None of the details come through on this photo so I kept trying.  You can at least see the size of it but none of the pretties are showing up.

So next I laid it out on my desk and was able to do a little better with some of the details. Notice my cute little bows?  That is from my Bow-It-All.  Still learning how to use it but I love it.  Of course I had to use Spellbinders dies  (Venetian Motifs)!

Now here we go!  You can see all the pretty embossing on the cardstock and the distress ink I used on the pieces and my pretty little bows!  My friend Kathy Clement inspired me to want to try these...Thanks Kathy!  I'm seeing more in my future!

OK that's it for me this morning!  Hope  you guys are all nice and warm wherever you are and keeping your pets warm and safe as well!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #292

Good morning everyone from a cold and frigid East Tennessee.  We are a brisk 24 degrees this morning and the forecast for this evening and overnight is for temps in the single digits!  Brrr...Winter has arrived!

This morning I'm here to share what my desk looks like this morning.  I took this photo as I was finishing up yesterday afternoon and it looks the same this morning.  If you have a curiosity about WOYWW you can head over to Julia's Blog and have a look around.  Julia hosts this world wide blog hop each Wednesday and I love being a part of it.  I'm totally addicted to peeping in on everyone each Wednesday and love to see what you all are doing with your creative side!

First, notice the sun is shining outdoors!  I'm so happy to have had that for a day or so; it just helps my attitude.

I am working on a winter banner for my closet of shame and I'm not quite ready to share yet so I'm sorry but I turned it over .  I will share that the Spellbinders die in the photo is the focal point of each banner and the banner will say "Winter".  The rest is going to be finished in a couple of days and I will share with you then.  The rest is just a general collection of things that really need to be put away.  There are some bottles of spray color that I haven't opened yet, a roll of dimensional tape and some Scor-Tape. My plan is to continue decorating the banner and have it finished so I can move on.

Well that's it for me this morning.  I've shown you my mess, now show me yours!  Join us and become a member of the WOYWW group!

Quick And Easy Out The Door Birthday Card.......

I needed to make a quick birthday card for a male member of my family and he is a no nonsense, no frills kinda guy.  So no little extras on this card.  The ribbon is actually stretching it a bit but I'm hoping that will be acceptable since it is a simple bow.  I just love the picture of the sweet little bird and berries.  I started with a white pearl and used an alcohol marker to make it match the berries.  I love that you can take white ribbons and pearls and color them to match your project. So I keep white pearls and white ribbons stocked and ready to go.

It's cold here this morning...32 degrees and the wind is whipping.  Snow flurries are forecast with no accumulations expected.  Winter is here!