Nancy Wethington

FREE . . .

I thought that would get your attention!

Go here http://misscutiepiegoes80s.blogspot.com/2010/10/free-vintage-christmas-printables.html

for some beautiful vintage-looking Christmas gift tags and tickets. 

Downloadable and free!

Simon Says Stamp & Show . . .

a tag.  This week's challenge is to make a tag.  Of course, shabby, eclectic and/or vintage is what Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog is all about so trying to stick with that, I came up with this:

 
Love this Bluebird stamp set from Artistic Outpost and decided to use it in a cross between a shabby and vintage-style tag. The background is first stamped with Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Ticket to Art stamp then overstamped with Studio 490's Berry Tree stamp.

All the stamps used were first inked with several different colors of Distress Ink.  Using the corners of a Distress Ink pad, you can add color variations to the stamp.

For the little boy I used Corduroy for most of the stamp; Black for the right edge (to create a shadow); Rusty Hinge for the wheat he's holding.

For the tree I used two shades of green, Rusty HInge, Vintage Photo and Wild Honey.  The tree is stamped twice (for height).  Once with fresh ink and one second generation for a shadow.  Second generation means that ink is not put on a 2nd time - just stamp with the *old* ink (or 2nd time you use whatever ink is left on the stamp from the first inking = 2nd generation). 

Please visit Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog for inspiration from my Team Mates.  Then add your own tag and you could win a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor

http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/servlet/StoreFront

Let's play poker . . .

the paper crafter way.

Take a look at this brilliant idea from Cathe at Just Something I Made:

 

You can find the directions here: http://justsomethingimade.com/2010/11/poker-chip-tray-repurpose-studio-pen-pencil-holders/

"Bill, where's our poker chips" she yells excitedly from her craft room.

You know you're a scrapbooker if . . .

you're a hoarder (in a good way - sort of).

I'm getting ready for 2011 classes.  IF I was a pro I may be able to get by with just one, two or three lines of products with two to four of the same classes taught over several month period of time.  But I'm not.

So when Missy, Sue and I get ready for our classes, we need to come up with two to four different ideas each month.  That requires a lot of brain power - at least on my part.  If you've ever been to For Keeps Sake, aka, the paper crafters mecca, you know we have tons of lines and product from which to choose. 

Trying to figure out what would be best for 2011, I've come up with a couple of classes that paper and ephemera hoarders may enjoy (I'm hopin').

Here's the first I've been working on:

 
 

Been hoarding this 7 Gypsies Photo Carousel for at least a year.  Decided, since I really don't create 12x12 albums anymore, that a year-long photo carousel may be my answer. 

I'm using:

• 7 Gypsies Photo Carousel

Plus the following 7 Gypsies products made to fit the Photo Carousel:

• black tabbed dividers
• calendars
• envelopes
• blank cards

4x6 photos are perfect for this project. PLUS (and here's the bonus), the pages are small enough that I'm using my *stash* to decorate/collage each page for that particular month.  Then all I have to do is add my photos throughout 2011.  Hopefully it will get me to take at least 1 photo of my family each month - and commemorate the highlights of that particular month.

If you'd like to join me (exact date TBA but sometime in January), you can find the photo carousel at For Keeps Sake in the 7 Gypsies *corner*. This will be a *use your stash to decorate* class - actually more of a creative get-together with friends.  Watch my blog for exact date and time.

Gobble, Gobble . . .

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Today . . .

The dining room tablescape is set

 
 

and the kitchen's signature Thanksgiving tablecloth

is waiting for the 2010 signatures

 

 

We will have a new little one

celebrating Thanksgiving in St. Louis.

Welcome baby Luke!

and one new little Baby Kertz (born November 23)

celebrating with her sisters at the Lake of the Ozarks.

And wishing baby Mason (born November 15) a very happy and healthful Thanksgiving.

Luke, do you believe you're the oldest (new) baby now!

 

Off to prepare my mis-en-place

which I think is another name for teary eyes from chopping onions.

Silver Bella Swap . . .

You must visit Laurie's blog, Indulge Your Shelf, for some of the best photos of Silver Bella Swaps!

*must* meaning

I'm not going to make  you,

but if you don't

you'll be missing some great inspiration!

It's Monday and that means another challenge from . . .

Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog.

This week's challenge is to

use your Distress Inks.

As a Ranger Certified Educator,

I've learned so many ways to use Distress Inks.

The one - extremely simple - way to use

Distress Inks is on cut edges.

We are paper crafters

therefore, we cut paper.

 

Most paper that we cut has a white core.

It's important to me to cover up that white core.

I think it makes each project look a little more professional.

So each time I cut paper,

I grab my Distress Ink

and

a sponge applicator

and

run it along the edge hitting just the white core.

 

 
I do the same thing when using die-cuts.

Sand off those little nibs.

The sanding helps the raw edge of the paper

accept the ink better/easier.

Then apply Distress Ink to the sanded edge.

 

 

Using Distress Ink on just the raw edges doesn't mean

you have to add lots of color onto your paper.

You can keep the integrity of the paper design

and just *hit* the white edges. 

 

 

 

Hope you join the challenge at

Simon Says Stamp & Show

and let us know how you use your

Distress Ink.

You could win a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor

Simon Says Stamp Superstore!

 

 

 

 

Another project with Lisa . . .

Fabulous Lisa Kaus taught us this project.  Both classes I took from Lisa used watercolor crayons and graphite pencils which I loved!  The colorations you can get from watercolor crayons were amazing!

 

Each of us brought our papers and ephemera to add to

our own little masterpieces.

Lisa taught us the techniques

and then let us go to experiment how we wished.

Love that kind of class!

 Each person's was unique and beautiful.

Lisa Kaus project . . .

I love Lisa Kaus and her artwork.  Whimsical.  Thoughtful.  Colorful.  This artist has it going on.  We took two of her classes and they were two of my favorites.  I learned new techniques.  And it was one of those classes where everyone's project looked different - even though we all started with the same base.

Here's mine: