Art From The Heart

New Card Class . . .

Saturday, February 13

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

 

Here are a couple of the cards we will be making

in class.

There will be 4 all together

with various sentiment phrases

for you to mix-and-match

according to what you need.

 

tearing . . . and inking . . . and making our own brads

with the Imaginisce Brad Maker

and stamping

  

and die-cutting and creating roses.

Please join me for this creative morning of cardmaking!

 

NOTE: IF you'd like to pre-order stamps or die-cuts for this class, please let For Keeps Sake know asap.  The girls will be going *to market* in a week and can pre-order for you there - if you want your own - and you know you're going to want your own!

Here's what I used:

Hero Arts Stamp: Dandelion Frame

Big Shot dies:  Tim Holtz Alterations: Tattered Florals

Big Shot Die: Bird with Swirls

Cuttlebug Polka Dot Embossing Folder

Imaginisce Brad Maker with 2 sizes of punches (punch out the shapes you need instead of tracing and cutting!)

Some of these items are brand spanking new and FKS will probably have to let you know about the pricing of each item.  Just thought I'd give you a heads-up (just in case you're interested).

In addition, if you'd like to BYO stamps to class, we will use a writing background stamp and a border stamp (any will do).  I will bring mine to class for your use.

Sign up for this class by calling

For Keeps Sake Scrapbook

(314) 487-8131

Playin' . . .

with some new Hero Arts stamps.  Made this very simple card using Adirondack (Ranger) Lettuce Embossing Powder. Added a Tim pin and a bit of ribbon.

Tried it again with a writing background stamp and Tim Holtz Distress Inks (any light shade of brown will do).  Heat set that ink.  Then overstamped with the Hero Arts stamp and Adirondack Embossing Powder.

Thank you . . .

to each of you who took classes from me in 2009. 

I very much appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Yesterday afternoon, the For Keeps Sake instructors gathered with Nancy N & Timi

for a brainstorming session

to keep bringing you the newest

.....................................ideas

.................................................products

....................................................................classes

......................................................................................in 2010

..........................................................................................................and beyond.

 

 

Looking forward to sharing 2010 with you!

 

 

PS: Card cut on the Silhouette
 

 

Tomorrow's Class . . .

If you're joining me Sunday, January 3 @ For Keeps Sake for the Christmas Album class, please bring:

• basic supplies
• crop-a-dile
• red-line tape (that really sticky tape that looks red - you know what I mean - thin size is best)
• glue dots 
• really good white glue that dries clear (I like Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Medium)
• popsicle stick or small old paint brush for spreading glue (if you're using Claudine's Matte Medium)
• any cute edge punches you may have
• needle to thread buttons (it's easier if you have a needle.  we will be threading needles with 6 strands of embroidery floss.)

We'll be moving right along to finish this album

so you can take it home and load it up with your

Christmas photos.

Reservations required.

A challenge for the New Year . . .

Happy, happy everyone.  Hope you rang in the new year exactly as you wanted to whether it was at a grand party, a small celebration - or sleeping . . . as I did . . . until our neighborhood lit up with booms, starry skies and party celebrations with fireworks.  I love our neighborhood.

Today starts a new challenge at Frosted Designs.  We were to create a layout for the New Year.

Here's mine:

  

and some close-ups:

painted chipboard numbers and overstamped with white ink to create some texture

 

a cliche . . . clocks for the new year

the top & bottom of the hour glass was red.  painted it over with Copic Markers.

the small clock was bright silver.  inked over it with brown then gold dabbers.

buffed off some of the paint for an antique look.

spinners from Tim Holtz Idea-ology collection.
 
 

and some history in a brown glassine envelope

 

 

with cut-outs using the electric Big Shot with Spellbinder dies

  Play along with Frosted Designs!

Who knew . . .

. . . I'd have so much fun cutting things out with my Silhouette.

. . . there are so many designs to choose from.

. . . today 99 cents buys you any of Silhouette's designs

. . . you can use your own fonts to cut out any words or phrases

. . . For Keeps Sake carries the Silhouette

This design is from the Silhouette online design studio

purchased for a mere $.99

cut on the original Silhouette

using Bazzill cardstock.

 

Going shopping now for more cool designs.

It was not Mickey Mouse . . .

Yesterday . . .

slept in and woke up at 5 a.m. (hey, that's good for me!).

Proceeded to the basement, craft room, art studio aka Nancyland

to make my coffee and work on some

art pieces.

Bill had just emptied the trash the night before so I put in a new bag in the waste basket

to find one of these

in the bottom of the trash can.

FREAKING OUT is putting it mildly.

I hate MEECE.  HATE THEM is too mild a statement.

I ran screaming up two flights of steps.

All 500 pounds of me.

I didn't know I could move that fast.

May have taken the steps 3 at a time.  Not sure.

I almost passed myself up trying to get to Bill.

Who by this time had woke up to the sounds of my screams.

And was thinking about reaching for his gun.

Thought I was being attacked.

Well . . . I was . . . by a MEECE . . . in the trash can . . . I HATE MICE (did I say that already).

Bill was in no hurry to get out of bed

at 5 a.m.

when he's used to now sleeping until at least 7:30 a.m. - maybe later (since retirement)

but since I was still screaming like a maniac (and with good reason I might add)

literally standing at the foot of the bed shaking violently

(and believe me when this body shakes it is violent)

he got up      s   l    o    w    l    y

put on his jeans - one pants leg at a time . . .

*for god's sake Bill can't you jump into those things and hurry up!

there's a mouse in our house*

and walked down to the basement

to find the mouse

and set him free

outside

in the field.

Now by this time I am not even thinking about stepping foot in Nancyland.

After all, there's been an invasion.

And I want no part of it.

So I'm dressed and out the door for my morning coffee.

Then to the grocery store

and of course . . . mouse things.  Not traps.  Even those are a little cruel for me.

Well, sort of.  I hate mice.  Did I say that already?

And returned home.

Not leaving Bill's side for one minute. He's a hunter. 

That's the kind of guy you want to be around at times like this.

So we he put those mouse things out - I think I bought about 30 of them.

One can't be too sure.  Those mouse things are all over now. 

The gatherer came home with dozens of them and the hunter dispersed them

behind refrigerators

under stoves

behind the washer/dryer.

See how well the gatherer and the hunter work together?

I'm starting to feel a little more confident, but not enough to venture into the basement again.

That may take awhile.  I miss my basement.

All my play toys are there.

So about every hour I ask Bill to go check on the mouse thingies.

The hunter gives me a look (you know - that sideways one that says *you're crazy*)

but is nice enough to do it anyway.

Probably because he doesn't want me running around screaming any more.

The neighbors may talk.

More importantly, the hunter probably is tired of me following him around saying

*have you seen any more mice?* every two minutes.

The day progresses and we go out for dinner with friends.

I'm relaying my mouse story of the day and I said

*I know these little guys travel in two's and I'm worried about there being more than one.*

to which Kurt (who is supposed to be one of my best friends in the entire world)

says

*Two! They travel in dozens.*

OMG. OMG. OMG.

Guido and hot coffee . . .

'tis the season to carry around a cup of really hot coffee - that stays hot - for a while - in the car . . .

Had this really good insulated cup but didn't like how I had it decorated.  So picked out one of my favorite stamps from Stampers Anonymous. 

I call him Guido.  Doesn't he look like a Guido? 

Stampers Anonymous calls him U3-697.  He has waaaayyyyy too much personality for just a number.  I mean, look at his shoes.  I swear I had a pair of those in my skinny days.

Anyway, decided to take Guido

+

a little Cavallini

+

a little Graphic 45

+

Basic Gray

and give the insulated mug one more chance.

If you decide to decorate your mug

remember that you can't put layer upon layer upon layer

as your design has to fit within the confines of the container.

But I think Guido is lookin' good!

 

Another great rose tutorial . . .

Paper roses (wasn't that a Bobby somebody song? - Vinton?)

have become the latest curiosity among paper crafters and I am no exception.  I love that we can do them with grungepaper.  Seems to make them a little sturdier than just paper.  And with Tim's new die coming out soon . . . hmmmmm . . .

Found this tutorial on my google reader today and the photos are up close and easy to understand - even without reading the directions:

Here's the finished product:

go here to find out how:

http://meholder.blogspot.com/2009/03/paper-flower-tutorial.html

From trying these roses myself

there's a couple of tricks that work best for me:

use Claudine Hellmuth's matte medium (super strong adhesive)

let the adhesive dry between steps

use strong clamps to hold the glued pieces together until dry

 

HTH

 

 

New Years with a nod to history . . .

Don't ask me where I've been all these years, but I never new the history behind New Year celebrations.  This week, I have a design due for Frosted Designs based around the New Year and decided my layout will include a bit of historical knowledge.

Thought this was interesting enough to share with you (although I'm probably the last to know this):

"The New Year is the oldest holiday celebration in the world, first observed in ancient Babylon in 2000 BC in March during the Equinox. The Romans continued this tradition but their calendar continually changed, depending on what the current emperor wanted. With these calendar changes, the new year quickly became out of sync with the Equinox. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar established what is now known as the Julian Calendar with January 1 as the beginning of the New Year. The first of January was dedicated to the Roman god of gates and doors (and thus new beginnings), Janus. "

Disclaimer:  I know the Notre Dame nuns probably drilled this into me for 12 years, but I think I probably was busy writing notes to my best friend. Feel free to pass this history lesson on to anyone who might have been exchanging notes for me during class.