Fun and Mental Changes

I hadn't realized until just recently what a blessing my "mostly stocked" craft room is.... honestly, that little space of heaven might really be saving my life!!!  Not a bad way to start off my new year!!! My husband and I recently met my sister and her husband for one of those "paint nights" where you meet at a bar, recreate a masterpiece and have a bit of fun.  When my husband asked my sister why she decided to plan this outing she explained that as part of her breast cancer recovery, her holistic doctor recommended she take up something artistic to help relieve stress.  She was quick to point out that I've always had paper crafting for stress relief and artistic expression and I realized that she was right!!!  When I sit down to work on a project, I can COMPLETELY lose myself... truly not a care in the world.  HUGE chunks of time can fly by unnoticed when I'm in the throes of creative inspiration, even if it is only recreating a masterpiece.... ...

This is the one that's getting away.  I made this book for my mother-in-law for mother's day using my ALL TIME FAVORITE stuff.  Suddenly I DON'T want to give it to her.  This turned out WAY better than I envisioned and I want to keep it..... is that bad??? I have to keep telling myself that this is MORE than a just a pretty bound book, this is a problem solver.... a problem solver for my mother-in-law!!!!  My mother-in-law forgets things as we all do.  So to combat this, she writes everything down in notebooks, many notebooks, notebooks that get lost with her thoughts.  So for this mother's day I decided to make her a "master memory" book.  The problem is I used all my favorite things.... I should probably just keep it shouldn't I????   I haven't made a bound book in a LONG time.  WHY didn't I expect to love this so much? Here's a side view.... check out all that dimension!!!  I used some of my favorite ribbons fro...

Yep!  That's me!  I play with Shrinky Dinks!!!  But here's why.... ***So be sure to click on the pics to check out the AWESOME details that show even after shrinking!!!** Imagine taking a thin sheet of plastic that you die cut with, oh let's say one of the Stampin Up Chalk Talk dies, after stamping this plastic with, uh let's say the Stampin Up Yippee Skippy and From My Heart Stamp sets, and then (using a heat tool) shrinking it down to make the CUTEST charm to add to a project or gift!  I did and THESE are the results.  Each finished charm is pictured inside the die I used to cut the shape out with to give a good perspective on how much the Shrinky Dinks really shrink. These I inked with Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay before shrinking!  These turned out GREAT!  The charms pictured here are going to be wine glass jewelry!  SO FUNNY RIGHT?!?  Click HERE to check out the video tutorial I used to learn how to use shrink...

HOW does someone leave her blog for so long and actually accumulate more followers???  You guys are WONDERFUL!  Thank you for all the kind words and emails I've received over the past few months!!!   I have not fallen off the earth.  I really am thinking of all of you... I promise!!!   Today I want to share probably one of the COOLEST alteration projects I've ever done, but first I want to share where I've been and what I've been up to because it plays a HUGE role in this project I'm sharing coming to fruition!!!  In a nutshell, we are buying a new home. Welp... after months of working to sell the home we were in, moving into an apartment (that is screaming to get us on an episode of Hoarders), we are finally getting ready to call the newly built house our home.  Yes, I will have TONS of pics to share as soon as we close and get settled... God-willing we'll be leaving this apartment in three weeks!!!  All the female decorator cells I have in my ...

... and for those who aren't so crafty but are curious.... THERE'S STILL TIME!!!!  Tim Holtz (a ROCKSTAR in the art and papercrafting world) is giving away new release items from CHA 2013 and there's still time to enter and win.  His last post shows his new Stamper's Anonymous lines (Tim Holtz Blog HERE ), but be sure to read his last few posts for an awesome recap of the CHA show.  Honestly, I think I developed a permanent stutter as I looked at Tim's CHA recap... my tongue didn't work and I began to drool.  I'd be quite embarrassed if it weren't for the fact that it was going on 1 a.m. and the house was dark.  But I gotta say, the Blueprint Series is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!  Check out what Chelle Fowler created for the CHA show!!! Click HERE to see the rest of her AMAZING creations!!!  When life slows down and I can play in my craft room again, I'm SOOOOOOO scrap-jacking this wonderful card!  Have a great one gang!!!...

YAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!  IT'S HERE!!!  Breaking Dawn pt. 2 opens today and we're kicking the fun off with a Twilight Breaking Dawn Blog Hop!!!!  You should be arriving from Kelli's blog.  Isn't her tag AWESOME!?!?!   If you're just now joining the hop, you WILL want to start the hop at the beginning... trust me, you don't want to miss anything from this group of talented ladies.  Here's the whole hop list: Alison Laura Rebecca Kelli ME<== You Are HERE!!! Sugar Stephanie And now for MY project.... BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BLOG CANDY AT THE END!!! Here's my Twilighty keepsake box!!!  I had an absolute BLAST making this box and will be using it to hold all my pictures from Forks and La Push as well as pics from the various premiere parties I've attended/hosted over the years. This originally started out as a faux book box.  I painted the spine black using acrylic paint and covered the rest using paper from the DCWV Immort...

Yep, here is my entire rubber and clear stamp collection... about 300 stamp sets in all.  None of my stamps are on wood.  If I purchase a stamp that is attached to a wood block with foam, I am quick to remove the rubber from the foam, adhere the rubber to a piece of EZ Mount cling foam,trim and place in a cd case.  Luckily many of my favorite stamps are already mounted on cling foam so there is no wood/foam removal.  The stamps shown in the cd case below were all ready to place in a cd case!!!  Shown is Graphic 45/Hampton Art's Magic of Oz II set with Stampendous' Count Jack and Mumpkin.  How do I know what's there so quickly you ask? Well, once my stamps are in a case, I assign a number to the case (if you click on the top pic, it will enlarge and you should be able to make out the numbers that are labelled on each case).  I then stamp the images on a page in my stamp catalog which, along with the stamped images, includes the name of the stamp s...

Ok gang... today is Super Bowl Sunday and I'm going to PARTY!  This year it's the Patriots vs. the Giants.  I honestly haven't kept up the football teams but I can tell you that the same was true for the last Super Bowl Party I attended and it ROCKED!!!  It was 18 years ago (GEEZ... that long really?!?) and my buddies Lynn and Wayne put it on.  It was the most memorable party I ever attended... I had THE BEST TIME!!!  My only regret is that my husband can't join me this year, although remembering that last party, I'm thinking it might be for the best.  HAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, I thought I'd put together some goodies to take with me.  The pic above is one of the commemorative goody boxes I made using Stampin Up's Sizzix Matchbox die.  This die is actually one of the most used dies I own.  If you're on the fence about this one...its a MUST HAVE!!!  As you can see in the pic, four Hershey's Nuggets fit in it perfectly.  It will also hold...

Did I not post pics of the cards that we were going to make in yesterday's class?  Whoops!  I just received a message asking to post them.... so here goes.  These cards feature Sookwang double-sided tape, Elizabeth Craft Peel Off Stickers, Glitter Ritz, Creative Imaginations H2O and The Purple Monster (American Tag HomePro). All were very different and REALLY fun to make!  I hope they inspire... LOL!

***Click HERE for the Fun And Mental Changes give away deets!*** ***This post is one of two post for today.... scroll down to see my project for The Burtonesque Dolls, Musical Interlude challenge!*** Paper Vineyard is rolling out the new Grapevine Designs Custom Albums and Kits and this cupcake album was one of the first albums Grapevine Designs featured. As soon as I saw that chipboard "cupcake in the raw" (I mean before any paper got cut or any decorations added to it), what you see here is EXACTLY what I saw! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't you love it when design ideas become reality JUST how you pictured them???? There are going to be PLENTY more where this came from..... stay tuned!!!

The upcoming Twilight: Breaking Dawn is scheduled for release on November 18th and I've got a jump on the festivities!!!  Well, I sort of HAVE to... that is, if we want to reserve the auditorium!!!  All we need is 200 people!  NO PROBLEM!  hahahahahaha!  So, to help out, Paper Vineyard (in Chandler, AZ) has offered to be "Party Central" for the release festivities and to act as the hub for all interested parties to sign up.  If interested in joining us for Twilight games, prizes, fun and crafts, and to receive discounted movie tickets for the day of the premier (no waiting in the long lines, we just head to our auditorium), then truck it over to Paper Vineyard and sign up.  You MUST sign up by September 1st!!!!  Payment will not be required until October, but in order to reserve the auditorium, we need a head count. Now for MORE fun!!!  I created this Twilight-inspired notebook for our party (click on pic to enlarge)....

So, I just got the Paper Vineyard newsletter and read the AMAZING congratulations message from the owner, Adriana for extending my Copic certification last month!  Here's a link (click HERE ), but OF COURSE I'll quote her here cuz it's just that cool:  "A big congratulations to Danielle who completed her Immediate Copic Instructor certification.  This is a new level/process for Copic certification and we are very proud of Danielle for being one of the first to complete this level.  Danielle teaches the Copic Coloring Palooza and Copic Tech (Alcohol Ink Anonymous) classes each month." Adriana, THANK YOU for the awesome shout out in your newsletter!!!!  The class was definitely fun and I love being doubly certifiable... uh, I mean "certified"!  LOL!  Anywho, here's the super fun project that I did for May's Copic Palooza at Paper Vineyard.  It features Kraftin Kimmie's Brigitte... a girl enjoying a little relaxation.  PERFECT for the m...

So, four days ago I got the Tim Holtz Rosette die and YESTERDAY found the Sizzix Accordion Fold Flower die!!!  I am now a MASTER of folding, flipping and attaching those wonderful rosettes!!!  Check it out... I made 20 in one hour! Let me share the secret grasshopper.... I discovered yet ANOTHER use for my oh-so-beloved Tonic Studio Glass Cutting mat.  Because the mat is lifted up off the crafting table by rubber feet, it is SOOOOOO easy to prepare the surface (in this case, a glue dot in the center of a flower)  that the accordion folded flower will be attached to, place it next to the cutting mat.... actually pushing it up under the lifted cutting mat so the glue dot is right next to the bottom edge of the mat, preparing your rosette ON TOP of the mat, then SLIDING the rosette off the cutting mat onto the waiting glue dot.  No lifting or trying to maneuver the rosette!!!  Let gravity do all the work!  I then finished...

This is what I'm doing at 2 AM!!!  I got the Tim Holtz Rosette die two days ago and decided I needed to use it at least once, so I got to work.  Well, since I was already cutting the rosette, I decided to pull out my scalloped circle Spellbinders and make another paper flower.... AND since I was making flowers, and one of them was a rosette bringing to mind roses, I decided to make some ribbon roses.  I have to say, the one made with the tule-type material turned out a bit better... crisper.  But MAN!  I cannot get a good shot of it! The white one definitely photographs better and I'm so freakin tired, I really should just leave it at that... if I knew what was good for me.  News flash.... I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME!!! So here I am STILL trying to get a good shot of the black rose....[**YAWN**].... I love this rose.  Nope, not enough detail.  Maybe if I get out of direct light? Crap!  NICE SHADOW!!!  Someone put me ...

I LOVE it when I get sneak peeks and get to use new stuff that has just come out!  Today I got to hang out and watch Donna Salazar teach a class using the Zutter corrugated board, the Zutter Distrezz It All and her new Spellbinders dies (they totally freakin rock!!!).... here's the notebook I got to make with everything.  Now, I will say that making the dimensional flower on this project was a bit lengthy with more than a few layers, but I will give it to Donna, she definitely put some thought into the new die shapes and this project that she showed how to make today.  It turned out AWESOME!  Check out all this dimension!!!!  EVERYTHING is popping right off the cover!  And I am head over heals in love with the gear and butterfly dies!!!  I walked out of that class with more corrugated board to play with as well as an issue of Donna's Crafty Chronicals (photographed in the background as well as used to make the flower).  NICE!!! I am ...

So I've decided to start up a little Copic club to support all my fellow alcohol ink addicts!!!  I'm calling it Alcoholics Anonymous... perfect huh???  Welp, I have developed a 12-step program to support your habits, walking you through learning the basics all the way to perfecting your Copic techniques and creating WONDERFUL Copic projects. Preliminary sign up is open all through March, and our schedule will be set up based on interest... so be sure to call right away to sign up to let the healing begin!  hahahahahhahaha!  To sign up, call 480-656-2058.  All we need is your name, contact information and the day that works best for you.  Once we've compiled the list, we will schedule accordingly.  Also, during the March Copic Palooza at Paper Vineyard, a sign up sheet will also be available, so if you are planning on attending the Copic Palooza in March, you can just sign up then! :)  Speaking of the March Copic Palooza.... check out March'...

Ok, so this past weekend, Els with Elizabeth Craft Designs paid Paper Vineyard a visit and her visit SURPASSED EVERYTHING I expected.  Not only did we play with the tape/sticker/glitter/Copics, but we also learned how to apply masks to the tape and burnish glitter to it to create patterns..... LIKE THE AWESOME-NESS ABOVE!!!!  Yes, it's worth all caps!  That's how incredible this weekend with Els was.  Aside from her unbelievably charming accent and her ENDLESS compliments to all her students, this woman knew her products rocked and knew just how to demo them.  I spent her entire visit transfixed by the glitter, the stickers and the gel pens (usually with a shocked expression, my mouth gaping open and my eyes bulging out of my head)... I was beyond "wow'd"!  Needless to say, I bought  A LOT!  So guess what you all can expect over the next week or two - LIKE I REALLY NEEDED ANOTHER OBSESSION!!!   The fact that it also included ...

Ok gang... just a quick post today letting you know that I will be teaching a Copic class at Paper Vineyard in Chandler, AZ, on December 12th. You will receive all materials to make the cutiepie pictured (except for the items listed below) and that even includes the stamp to take home with you for future creations! The list of items to bring to class with you are: Copic Markers Scissors Paper Trimmer Adhesive Sukura Gelly Roll Pens (optional) I will also be demoing the Bow Easy for making quick work of GORGEOUS bows, like the one featured here. The class starts at 1 p.m. Reserve your spot by calling 480-656-2058. I look forward to seeing you there! * Copic markers I used to make this card: Dress - G40, R20, R29, R89, YG63, YG97 Boots/Basket - E42, E44, E49 Hair - E2, E8, E39 Skin - E50, E51, E53, R20 Misc. - W0, W3, W5 *** Stamp Set included with this class:  Kraftin Kimmie, Yvette

** The following blog post is the insane rantings of an Alice In Wonderland freak. This post may not be suitable for all audiences.... * I can usually get inspired by a trip to my local craft store, but today I've got a story of being overtaken and molested by it. I was going through the clearance aisle of my local Joann's craft store when I spied the mother of all punches. In fact, this is BY FAR THE COOLEST punch I've ever seen!!! Now WHY was this punch being given away at the mere price tag of $3.00 (ok, and there were TWO THERE...that's NUTS)? HOW did I manage to be in the right place at the right time to snag this hidden gem? And WHY had I never seen this punch before? I gotta be honest, I not only would have paid full price for this beauty, I would have probably paid double on steal-bay... that's how great this punch is. There HAD to be a catch here.... did this punch not work? At $3, who cares! I took it and RAN to the checkout. Well, you can tell by the abov...

* This is my THIRD post for the day (YIKES), please scroll down to catch my design team project for The Town Scrapper and the winner of the Crazy Halloween Challenge!!! * Ok, I'm teaching another Copic Palooza over at the Paper Vineyard! This class will feature the uber-cute Kraftin Kimmie Stamp Lillith for "Girlz Rule"! Check her out! CLASS: Sunday, November 21st @ 2 p.m. COST: $30, price includes materials to make the project INCLUDING the Kraftin Kimmie Lillith stamp to take home with you for future creations! TOOLS TO BRING: your Copic Markers, sharp scissors, adhesive, paper trimmer, pop dots and an attitude! LOL! CONTACT: 480-656-2058 to reserve your spot Below is the original design with little Lillith standing out on the card... well, that was until I found the crown ribbon!!! Suddenly I wanted that to stand out instead... I wonder why? hahahahahaha! Isn't it just great? Have a great one gang!