Yes, Christmas, Here I Come

It was a beautiful weekend here and I created some tags, some may be an understatement, because I made 20 Xmas tags.  I need at least 15 for my presents for my co-workers exchange gifts.  There is one difference in making my tags = most are not made with Christmas themes.  I used NON-TRADITIONAL papers.  Do you have that scrap pile of papers that keeps building and building?  So do I and my tags ate into those 4 inch approximately square pieces of paper that don't get used.  I still have way too much scraps, but I still have time to use them before Christmas.  

Without further ado, as they (who is they, anyway?) say:  Here is my first set and how long I've had the paper.  Upper Left is an old note card (3 years) , upper right card (5 years), bottom left card (only one year), middle bottom card,  6 years), and last but not least, paper is made from strips of papers glued onto a piece of copy paper and only 3 months old.

Now that you know I've gone scrap happy, I won't make you go through each one, but the left two bottom tags are from a card stock type ring calendar and the dog is from a commercial Christ card I received. 

Give it some thought and use those old scraps for making tags. This was so quick that I had fun just pulling scraps out and running through my Cuttlebug.

Guess what!  The Christmas Tree dis I used is on sale at A2Z Scrapbooking, right HERE for only $5.00.  What a steal.  .     How can you turn that deal down?

Meanwhile please come join us in a little water coloring challenge for the month of April.

You can use code Arlene15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more (before tax and shipping).  Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!

Hope you’ll join in our April Challenge of Water Coloring with your Hero Arts stamps, dies and stencils. And, if you need some new supplies, don’t forget to shop at a2z Scrapbooking..  You can find me at A Bit of This and That.

Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotion

Time to Get your Watercolors on

Time to get your watercolors on.  You have a tie-dyed T shirt?  My granddaughter does, so it's not totally out of style.   Here's my tie-dyed card, well, kind of.  I got my water-color paper out and started puffing (yes, puffing) the color on the paper.  I used Ken Oliver crafts Color Burst and took a brush and water to it.  I love the background and thought it was perfect.  I didn't want to hide the background, so kept stamping and die-cutting to a minimum.  

Supplies:

Hero Arts Color Layering Butterflies Frame Cuts DI135 Dies Matches CL867 - A2Z

Hero Arts Color Layering Butterflies CL867 - if we don't have it in the store, you can REQUEST CUSTOM ORDER.at the store.

Elizabeth Craft Designs dies

Distress inks on the butterfly

I will be posting something different on the A2Z blog tomorrow.  You won't believe what I'm going to do with my scraps of papers.

You can use code Arlene15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more (before tax and shipping).  Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!

Hope you’ll join in our April Challenge of Water Coloring with your Hero Arts stamps, dies and stencils. And, if you need some new supplies, don’t forget to shop at a2z Scrapbooking..  You can find me at A Bit of This and That.

Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotion

Gina K Extra cards

I loved working with Gina K Designs stamps.  I couldn't stop, so here are some extras I worked on. Sponging on Distress inks on backgrounds make these cards go fast.  

 The two cards above are from "The Northwoods 2" stamp set

Copic markers on the trees & Distress inks on the backgrounds

This card is from the "By the Sea" stamp set.

Copic markers on all but the sky

Distress inks on the sky & sea

Elizabeth Craft Designs anchor from the Lighthouse die set (appropriate, eh?)

Cloudy Skys

See Die Cut Divas for the challenge 

holidays, rain, spring, IRS, taxes,Easter, Storms 

The sponsor is Gina K Designs

Below is my sample

I think my sky says spring and the colors I used for the weeping willows seem to denote spring.  I used Copic markers and inked the sky with one of my favorite distress inks, Broken China.  I used a torn piece of paper to sponge on the sky to give it depth.   I swiped Copic marker E31 across YG 61 for the ground and I think that turned out perfect.  The card is about 5 inches by 5 inches.  

I didn't like this at first, but it's grown on me.

Supplies:

Gina K Designs The Northwoods 2

Copic markers
Distress ink broken china

QuicKutz Dies - these are large circles 

Die-namics Blueprints 11 - sentiments

Cuttlebug

Live in the Sun

Check out Die Cut Divas 

 the  Sponsor for April is none other than

  Gina K Designs

This is my sample for the challenge of April holidays, rain, spring, IRS, Taxes,Easter, Storms

I mostly think of lighthouses in the spring, seeing the California seashore up by Crescent City where you can walk out to the lighthouse at low tide. 

 have so enjoyed working with these stamps.  I love lighthouses and of course had to make a card with one from the stamp set By the Sea.  I hope you enjoy her stamps as much as I do.

I used Copic markers on the lighthouse image itself and then used Distress inks to complete the sky and hint of water or grass, depending on your perspective.

Supplies:

Gina K Designs By the Sea

Die-namics stitched oval STAX

QuicKutz cutting dies - Oval - large die cut

Copic markers 

Distress Inks - shabby shutters, peeled paint, mustard seed and I think the last was scattered straw

Cuttlebug

Color Me Purple

I do love the background.  Surrealistic. You can imagine this background as anything you want.  I see a sky with a forest where that long line runs above the word Dream.  Or maybe it's a city in the future on another planet.  Hey, dream!

Supplies:

• Hero Arts Color Layering Butterflies 
• Hero Arts Color Layering Butterflies Frame Cuts   (DI135 dies match CL867)
• Elizabeth Craft Designs Dream
• Ken Oliver Crafts Color Burst Orchid (watercolored background)

You can use code Arlene15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more (before tax and shipping).  Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!

Hope you’ll join in our April Challenge of Water Coloring with your Hero Arts stamps, dies and stencils. And, if you need some new supplies, don’t forget to shop at a2z Scrapbooking..  You can find me at a2z Scrapbooking here.

Don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!

I took the image apart - The Guy is a Hunk

The theme for this two week challenge at Morgan's ArtWorld is "For the Men".  This guy is certainly masculine in his warrior stance.  I thought that just his image alone was so intriguing.  That's why I cropped the image to show just this warrior.  The artistic work makes this an easy color.  The original image is so finely sketched and every line just perfect.  I will work on this image as a whole later this year, but I just had to work with this strong image first.

The challenge may be for the guys, but (heart beats faster) he certainly isn't hard to look at for the women either.  I hope you enjoy the card because it was delightful to color in.  Come join the challenge and have some fun.

Original stamp below.  The entire image is beautifully done.

Morgan's ArtWorld Celtic Warrior

Arlene, DT - Morgan's ArtWorld