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I love it when companies like 7 Gypsies and K&Co print their inclusions on the backs of their packaging. I collect those too . . . and cut them out when I need a little embellishment on something like an ATC or card. Too cute to throw away!
Just call me Nancy Collectibles Wethington, heir to the throne of Uncle Ephemeron.
create something using ephemera.
According to Webster's dictionary, the true definition of ephemera is something of no lasting value such as paper items, posters, tickets; items that were originally meant to be discarded after using but have now become collectibles.
Collectibles! We are scrapbookers and paper artists whose middle name is COLLECT. At least mine is.
Nancy Collectibles Wethington
I'm sure you've heard of me. In fact, we're probably related through the Collectibles side of the family! I think it was when Uncle Ephemeron married Aunt Collectible.
Actually, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of ephemera is 7 Gypsies and Crafty Secrets. These are two companies that have taken ephemera to a new level. Their lines are based on entire collections of ephemera. So off I go to Nancyland to sort through some of my 7 Gypsies and Crafty Secrets collections.
Here's how I store my ephemera:
with a special drawer for 7 Gypsies:
and a special drawer for Crafty Secrets:
There's a serious addiction to these two companies going on . . . but we'll discuss that another day.
To say I was thrilled with this week's challenge on Simon Says Stamp & Show is putting it mildy. I had an idea stewing for quite a while and this was the perfect catalyst.
So out come the drawers and things start getting strewn all over the planning table. (It ain't pretty!)
The result is one of my favorite projects ever. Using a 7 Gypsies ATC drawer, I have/am taking some photos that didn't get put in scrapbooks for one reason or another: maybe they weren't perfect; the focus wasn't right; too many photos of the same thing. Since I have a hard time throwing those photos away, I had been looking for something to do with them and out pops this project.
I'm using what I call *every trick in the book* to use up some of my ephemera as well as the various techniques I've learned at Ranger University and the classes I've been able to attend all over the U.S.
You know that saying *use it up*!
These projects married 7 Gypsies tags with ATC cards and Crafty Secret images.
I've done a similar project using the 7 Gypsies photo carousel. That project was used more as a year-long calendar.
Still adding to the 7 Gypsies drawer. That has been so much fun. No pressure of putting things in date order or using large pieces of scrapbook paper. It's instant gratification. One tiny work of art and you're finished. Add as you go or as you have leftovers and soon your drawer will be chock full of memories.
Oh . . . I see a class in the future!
Now it's your turn. Run on over to Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog and enter something so you have an opportunity to win this prize
I make these each morning with my calendar open to make sure I don't miss anything.
Otherwise, I do.
Big time!
And, having spent my formative years (22 years and up!)
with an airline who was a stickler for *on-time performance*
and shut the door to the briefing room the second the clock struck the hour
and I do mean the second
I do not like missing deadlines.
In fact I don't miss deadlines
and am usually early.
However, I was sort of stressing over this one because the people in this trade are really good artists.
And you know how that ups the pressure.
So here's my offering which will be put in the mail today.
It's a Spring-time tag trade.
I used my favorite little ice cream spoons
found at a local flea market.
Turned the paper spoons into tarnished silver.
Stamped images are from
Mrs. O'Leary's/Artful Illusions
and
I had these all planned out, stamped, colored
and ready to assemble.
when I remembered they needed a signature.
Drat.
Best laid plans . . .
So I created another tag (this one round)
to hang off another stamping.
Stamped the front with a bird's nest,
added a butterfly + a little bit of bling
to the front
and my name and blog info printed on the back of the hanging tag.
More sparklings and pretty paper on the back with this Cavallini bird.
Now they're all ready for the mail today. Finally.
And I'm off and running to my next project
which will be a 3 part (or maybe weekend) class in April
(I think)!
I made two extra kits for this class:
Class kits include everything you need to create this Springtime fold-out canvas booklet including written directions and photos.
You can see more photos here:
http://art-from-the-heart.typepad.com/art_from_the_heart/2011/02/this-weeks-class-features-.html
Class kits are $40 and I will mail them to you (either U.S. or International) for an additional $8.
If interested, please e-mail me personally. You can pay via PayPal.
I'm so honored.
Cindy Roderique from Cindy's Cropping Corner sent this:
The Liebster Award.
I am trying to find out who originated this blog award. Although it keeps getting passed down from one blog to another, the origin escapes me.
As a recipient, I can now award 3 - 5 blogs to *pass it forward*.
Time to *pay it forward* girls!
Once you get this award please pass it on to your favorite blogs (3 to 5 blogs only please).
Hope you visit their blogs and enjoy their beautiful creations!
Thanks Cindy!
is coloring.
whether it be via paint
with ink
with crayons
doesn't matter what the medium.
I LOVE TO COLOR.
I remember sitting on the front porch of my growing-up house with my childhood friend Sandy.
With a box of 64's and a coloring book
we would wile away the hours.
Blending colors was my favorite - lights to darks and vice versa.
When I turned 16 (and could drive myself)
my Mom enrolled me in tole painting classes at Maude's Tole Shop in Webster Groves.
Heaven on earth.
Tole painting meant blending colors
with oil paints
and learning about color wheels
and how colors blended
and creating your own colors with the basic colors
and . . . and . . . and . . .
Today, on my google reader I saw this post from Zarah
http://zarischka2.blogspot.com/
Loved the coloring and blending.
Told her so . . . because it's always nice to share.
She told me she did this with Distress Inks.
I've been working on these little birds for my upcoming tag trade.
The birds are stamped with another bird image from Artistic Outpost.
The bird chipboard is sort of glossy, so hard to get anything to really *stick*.
I ended up painting the bird on the bird (uh?) with Copic Markers.
Then added Glossy Accents on top of the Copics to make the bird stand out a little more.
Needed to color the background of the big bird (not that one!)
Thought about using Copics again but the color wasn't really taking to this shiny paper background.
Alcohol ink - no - too afraid it would bleed into the Glossy Accents and give the Glossy Accents color.
Enter Zarah and her fabulous coloring.
Hmmmmmmm.
Hadn't thought about coloring the background with Distress Inks. I used to use inks a lot to color
and then totally forgot about it until Zarah.
I started by dipping my paintbrush into the ink pad itself but that didn't give me enough color.
So I went to my Distress Ink refills and put a small dot on a non-absorbent plate
and used that as my
palette
with my favorite *go-to* colors
Wild Honey for the background
and
Rusty Hinge for the shadows.
Just another reason to go to For Keeps Sake and purchase your Distress Ink Refills at the same time you purchase the Distress Ink pads.
Playing along today with WOYWW.
I was so proud of myself. Had the *big work table* all cleaned off . . .
and then . . .
turned around . . .
and each of my work stations were filled with stuff . . .
albeit fun stuff.
Working on a trade I'm in that involves
tags
and
Springtime.
I'll show you one as soon as they're complete. The Swap Master said the magic words to me:
I'm in craft heaven with those two words!
Mark your calendars for a fun night of cardmaking.
Monday, March 14
6 pm - 9 pm
when we'll create 4 cards
in studies of pinks & greens
+
bling
+
vintage images
+
stamping
+
acrylic
all ready for
Spring-time
+
birthdays
+
Easter
+
Mother's Day.
So much fun for just $18.
Sign up today
@
For Keeps Sake Scrapbook
(314) 487-8131
PS: I'll have several sentiment stamps with me so you may stamp your cards with the appropriate sentiment night of class!
That's what this week's challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge blog is all about. For my DT entry this week, I found one picture of my uncle and cousin from the '50s, a photo of my Mom at a Florida beach (I think from the late '50's or early '60's) and a pic from somewhere in Europe (my guess is Spain).
Gathering these photographs was fun and seeing my Mom in that swimsuit immediately got me thinking of Graphic 45's Boardwalk. I love the images of all those people in swimsuits on their papers and wanted to mesh their images with mine.
The theme of *stripes* is right up my alley. I love stripes. It is an easy print to mix with other prints that are floral. Whenever I need another pattern in the mix, it's those good ole stripes that come to the rescue.
Looking at this picture of my Mom at the beach, in that lounge chair and with that umbrella near-by immediately brought to mind the Boardwalk collection. To complete this layout, I got busy cutting out some of my favorite images, those that I thought would mimic the photos.
Of course, there's always ink involved and this week my go to colors were Black Soot and Rusty Hinge. Don't know how this works out for me but it seems that almost all my projects use Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.
Hope you enjoy my entry this week for the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge blog. Run over to the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge blog and look at the entries my team members designed this week. They are amazing!
Now it's your turn.
Find your favorite stripes
- or make your own with paint, ink or paper -
and you could win this:
at For Keeps Sake, St. Louis MO.
Yep, I'm hosting a *Girls' Night In" at For Keeps Sake
Friday, April 15
6 pm - 10 pm
when we'll create this magnet board
that measures approximately
16" x 16"
with the inside magnet board measuring approximately
12" x 12"
and party a bit along the way!
All supplies you see here will be included
+
I'm on the look-out for great ephemera we can add to this project
the night of our get together.
You bring you basic class supplies
(I'll post the list closer to class)
and
I'll bring the alcohol
(ink that is!)
Join me by calling and reserving your spot
@
For Keep Sake
(314) 487-8131
$40 per student.
Wouldn't this make a cute bulletin board for a graduate?
or a kitchen catch-all?
or a laundry room note board?
Just a note to thank Katie Watson
from
for such a cute idea!
Thanks Katie!
