More Alice in Wonderland

Here's another bookmark in my Alice in Wonderland series. The vintage page quote and illustration is mounted on two layers of textured cardstock. The flying pig is rubber stamped and cut out, and the clock is computer generated. I've attached fiber and two beads to complete the piece. This is a favorite of mine - I just love the Walrus's philosophy - click on the photo to get a better read.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

These are the first two tags in my series of Alice in Wonderland bookmarks. Well, I originally made them as bookmarks, but I think they would also make wonderful tags for scrapbooking. I found a vintage book that was a MacMillan classic, in poor condition for almost nothing, and I'm using it to make these tags. The addition of some printed quotes and chalk ink complete the look. These are quick and fun and there will be lots more on the way.

Flickr Photostream

I've just joined FLICKR and would love to have you come and see my photostream. As I develop new cards I'll be adding them to my album, so please stop by often!

Organize Your Junk!

I am definately a saver. I hate to throw away anything that I might be able to use at a later time. This is especially true with all those great patterned papers I've accumulated. So I pulled out my punches and started using all those bits and pieces. It's so much easier to be inspired and create a project when you have your supplies all ready to go! So far I'm into squares, but I will progress on to circles and other shapes. You can pay a ridiculous amount of cash for pre-cut paper and cardstock, but with a few punches and all your scraps they won't cost you a thing. You just need to set aside some time and focus on making your own.

Hand made Vs. Store bought.

Which would you prefer?

Back to Business

It's been quite some time since I've made any new cards, and I think it's time to get back to business! Here's a new set of cards I just finished. They're all assembled on gold pearlescent cardstock and the greeting is stamped on vellum, then layered over the patterned retro scrapbook paper. While working on these cards, I decided I need some new retro punches or dies, so it looks like I'll be doing more shopping in the near future!

We're all a Little Bit Bad!

Although I love creating new things, I also love a lot of things I've done in the past. Sometimes it's a shame to design a great card, collage or aceo, then put it away or sell it and forget about it! So I've decided to resurrect some of my past favorite altered postcards into new projects. The original postcard was a vintage image that I stamped and decoupaged. I printed the photos I took of those cards, then laminated and attached them to chipboard, thus creating a whole new postcard! The backs are stamped with a postcard stamp. They can truly be sent in the mail, or just saved as a little piece of art. These were fun because I loved the messages they convey, and I'll definately be working on lots more similar projects. These are available on my Etsy site.

"Bad Girls Postcards".....

New Poll for Card Buyers

I've posted a new poll on The Card Chronicles to help all card designers determine the type of card the buying public wants to see. There's been a lot of discussion on the Etsy forums about single cards vs. multiple card sets. But I also want to know what type of card you're looking for. Please take a look at our poll and cast your vote.

Adopted Ancestors

I often use vintage photographs in my art and I'm always amazed to find them at garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets. I wonder why anyone would sell these snippets of history. Vintage photos are family treasures that I feel strongly should be preserved and given respect, so I always snatch them up when I see them. I have very few pictures of my grandparents and none at all of my great-grandparents. I don't know if they were lost or destroyed, or if they were too poor to afford the luxury of photographs. Here are some of my adopted ancestors. Oh - and by the way, if you happen to recognize anyone, please let me know!

An Award with a Twist

I've been honored to receive an I Love Your Blog Award from Jan of Expressive Papers. In accepting this Blog Award I'm required to answer the following questions with ONE WORD. So here are some things you never knew about me....

1. Where is your cell phone? PURSE
2. Where is your significant other? KITCHEN
3. Your hair color? ASH BLONDE
4. Your mother? STRONG
5. Your father? HONEST
6. Your favorite thing? FAMILY
7. Your dream last night? LOST
8. Your dream/goal? BUSINESS OWNER
9. The room you're in? OFFICE
10. Your hobby? CRAFTS
11. Your fear? SLOWING DOWN
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? HERE
13. Where were you last night? HOME
14. What you're not? STUPID
15. One of your wish-list items? RETIREMENT
16. Where you grew up? BUFFALO
17. The last thing you ate? CREAMSICLE
18. What are you wearing? JEANS
19. Your TV? NEW
20. Your pet? HUSKY
21. Your computer? GATEWAY
22. Your mood? CALM
23. Missing someone? MOM
24. Your car? JEEP
25. Something you're not wearing? MAKEUP
26. Favorite store? FRESH n EASY
27. Your summer? HOT
28. Love someone? SURE
29. Your favorite color? YELLOW
30. When is the last time you laughed? TODAY
31. Last time you cried? YESTERDAY

Tag Christmas Card

Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I always like to do the unusual. Well here's my unique Christmas card for this year. I pulled out my library tag template to make a birthday card and decided it could make a unique Christmas card. The inserted greeting could also be used as an ornament on the holiday tree. I had lots of fun creating this card and plan on experimenting with a few more.

Tag - You're It!

I've been "tagged" by The Spotted Sparrow, a great artist and papercrafter. Make sure to check out her blog for her projects and tutorials.

Playing tag is a great way to get to know each other and find some really great blogs. The rules of the game are these:
Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.

Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



Now for my facts:
1. I'm a baby boomer who still feels like I'm 20 - well, maybe 30!
2. As a young adult I loved "Peter, Paul and Mary" and played folksongs on the guitar.
3. My husband and I moved to Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps, after living a rather conservative life in Buffalo, New York. And just in case your wondering - I'm just a recreational gambler that loses more than I win!
4. As a child, I never had a dog, but since I "growed up" I've always kept Siberian Huskies.
5. I love natural whole foods and could easily become a vegetarian.
6. I love walking, riding my bike and gardening. In Buffalo, I raised all my own vegetables, but here I can only raise cactus!
7. I've always loved creating things, but only started cardmaking and altered art about 10 years ago. It all started when I decided Christmas cards were way too expensive for the quality of the card you got. I made my own one year, and I never stopped.

I've chosen the following bloggers to play the game. Sorry if you've already been tagged - but it just lets us get to know you better!

Expressive Papers
Crafty This and That
Homespun Heaven
Quixotic Cards
Paper Lady Invites
Heart Hugs
Posh Doodles

Custom Mini Envelopes

Went crazy with cards this weekend - well, not really cards - envelopes! I love these mini envelopes for thank you notes, gift cards or small items. If you want to make your own, find a small envelope you like and open it up to make your own template. Transfer the template to chipboard or plastic and voila - and easy to use template for no cost!

My Newest Project

I have so many beautiful papers, diecuts and small embellishments that I decided to try my hand at making some mini note cards using these pieces. Now believe it or not, even though I love making cards, I really don't send that many! But I definately think I will be using some of these tiny treasures as gift cards and "thank-yous". I mounted the embossed and inked diecuts on textured cardstock and lined the card with parchment paper. Each card measures 2 3/4" square. I think it's a great way to use some of these under used, highly detailed die cuts.

New Card to Share

As promised, here is my newest card creation to share with you. My favorite style is collage and my favorite theme is the vintage woman. This is a 5" x 6 7/8" card - large enough for the longest love letter! The collage is mounted on textured cardstock. The pensive woman is a computer generated copy of a vintage postcard. The corner heart is a Spellbinder diecut. I've used a button brad, lace and faux stone lettering for lots of dimension.





Now it's your turn. Leave a comment with the link to your newest creation. We can all use daily inspiration.