Sketch Challenge for Friendship's Garden

Hello again!!
Things in the Deeply Rooted house are in full packing mode, which means chaos abounds! If you missed my last post, my family and I are packing up house and moving out of state...new job, new home, and hopefully some new crafty friends!!! There are a million things to due with half as much time to do them in, more projects in my head than hours on a clock face (am I describing most of your lives?!), and did I mention we're having a birthday party this weekend?? Yikes!! Little Miss O will turn the big 0-2 during the move, so we're having some family and friends over this weekend to celebrate a bit early.
You know, "Just another manic Monday"...and Tuesday...and Wednesday...

In the midst of the chaos of it all, I managed to sneak through my packed-into-boxes craft lair (that's a whole depressing post all in it's own!!) to mellow out and make a card for the sketch challenge over at Friendship's Garden.

Becky, our resident botanist, has given us a great sketch to create from this week:

I love the simplicity of this card! It would have taken no time to make, had the thread not run out on my bobbin and pierced holes where thread should have been! Yeeeeahh, with that being the last element to add to my card (and not wanting to start completely over!), I reloaded the bobbin, lined my card back up on the machine, and painstakingly cranked the hand wheel to exactly line up with the holes so lovingly punched the first go round. Live and learn, right?!


I can't wait to see what you come up with using this sketch!! Use the link on the Friendship's Garden site to show us your Valentines card. While you're working on that, I'll be trying to get "M-I-C-K-E-YYYYYY, M-O-U-S-EEEEEE" out of my head from this party!! I promise to do a post about it (and the cake...always the cake!) so you can share in my misery celebration! :)




Materials used in this card:
Cardstock base: Hollo's Papercrafts
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye - Union Square
Letters: Thickers
Image: Vintage sewing pattern
Staples: Making Memories
Hearts: Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge, paper scraps from stash
Sewing machine with green thread

Tina's Big 3-0 Birthday Bash Blog Hop

Tina's Big Birthday Bash Blog Hop!

First we would love to welcome you to celebrate Tina's Big 3-0 Birthday Bash Blog Hop. With that being said, Happy Happy Birthday Tina! We wish you the happiest of birthdays with all your wishes and dreams come true. This hop is to celebrate Tina's birthday and shower her with birthday wishes! Be sure to stop and make sure you wish Tina a Happy Birthday.

There is a phenomenal line-up today showering Tina with birthday wishes and don't want you to miss a single thing!!!

There is some wonderful blog candy if you remark on each stop along the birthday trail of wishes along with becoming a follower, if you aren't already! This blog candy will blow you away so, be sure to leave your comments along the birthday trail!!!

1. K Andrews Design Stamp Set- Scripture Sayings 
2. $30 GC to Scraptastical Kreations!
3. 11x14 Print from My Family Keepsakes

If you happened to visit my blog by accident, I want you to check out the complete hop by stopping first at the beginning of the birthday wishes! You should have come from visiting Enjoli's blog.


On to my project!

 I created a Happy Birthday tag. I just got the My Mind's Eye Rosy "Everything" Stamps from the Lost & Found line, and I couldn't wait to use it! I used my typewriter to type the sentiment, and used the Wood Background Stamp from Scrappy Cat for the floral background (stamped with Studio G ink). The bracket is felt from Inque Botique, and I added a bit o' twine from Doodlebug.

Your next stop along wishing Tina the Big 3-0 Birthday Bash Blog Hop Wishes is Jamie's blog.

Just in case you get lost, here's the whole line up:

1. Tina
2. Ashley
3. Caroline
4. CallyAnn
5. Barbara
6. Susan
7. Ellen
8. Amanda 
9. Shawnee
10. Amy Jo
11. Nikki
12. Lynne
13. Monica
14. Anita
15. Enjoli
16. Erin {you are here}
17. Jamie {go here next!}
    
18. Shannon
19. Janet
20. Lori Apgar
21. Debbie

Thanks again for stopping and checking out my project for Tina today!!!! Happy Birthday Tina!

A CAS for Friendship's Garden from an upside-down house!

 While things are starting to wind down in recovery from the holidays in households across the world, things at my house are just starting to get crazy.

You see, in just three short weeks, we're moving!!

We'll be traveling 250 miles and 4.5 hours to a new job (for me -- hubby will still be a Stay-At-Home Super Man!) and temporary housing. The temporary arrangements will be nice, but as for the crafting space...that will be an issue! I'll be getting creative on crafting time, location, and hopefully not be using the same piece of paper for every project!!
If my projects come together as smoothly for my upcoming work as well as today's card did, I'll be good to go!!
Today's project for Friendship's Garden was to create a CAS (clean and simple) card using a sentiment. While my son was playing with his lego monster trucks at the kitchen counter, I ran downstairs, picked up materials for my card:

Using the monster trucks as inspiration (ha!), I picked one sheet of the 8x8 stack, sentiment sticker from MME, flower and ribbon. I folded the paper hotdog style (that's how my 3rd grade art teacher described it...), added my sticker, and finished it off with my ribbon and flower adhered with micro Glue Dots.

Love that flower! Prima Flowers (found at Hobby Lobby)

Total time for the card (including fixing El Toro Loco's body after crashes with Grave Digger) was less than 5 minutes!

And just to sneak one last picture in, here's a picture of my {almost} two year old daughter playing with her balloon just after nap time today :)

Get your CAS cards linked up to the Friendship's Garden blog! I can't wait to see which monster truck inspires you!!!

Snow Days Blog Hop * Day 2!

We're so happy you could join us for Day Two of this super-fun hop showcasing cards, layouts and projects that feature everything about Snow Days!! You'll find an array of ideas throughout the hop -- We hope you'll enjoy each and every project along the way!!

If you'd like to join our Snow Days Fun, then you are in the right place. Keep alert for blog candy along the way as some hop stops will be offering some goodies...

For Day Two of the hop, I've re-purposed a Christmas card into an ATC (Artist Trading Card)! I had my first try at ATC's here with Friendship's Garden. I always hate throwing out (or worse yet, storing for no apparent purpose) Christmas cards every year, but I'd never come across a reason to keep them...until now! Depending on the design on the Christmas card, you can easily make two to three ATC's per card and end up with an entire set by the end of the Season!

 I fancy cut around one of the trees to be able to pop it up off of the card a bit. All of the elements here are from the Christmas card, with the addition of a bit of ric rac trim, colored staples and some Stickles for a bit of shine! I stuck everything down with Glue Dots.

Hope you've enjoyed Day Two here at the Snow Days Blog Hop. Thanks for coming by! Hope you haven't thrown out those Christmas cards yet!!   ... Now hop on over to Amy!

Here's a list of the entire hop, in case you get lost along the way or want to revisit anyone:

1. Lisa P
2. Bonnie
3. Sherry
4. Doris
5. Theresa D
6. Beckie
7. Erin {you are here!} 
8. Amy {go here next!}
9. Eva
10. Cathie
11. Ashley
12. Lisa G
13. Melissa
14. Kristen
15. Theresa 
16. Anita
17. Lynne
18. Barbara B
19. Amy Jo
20. Mickie
21. Janet

Snow Days Blog Hop * Day One!

Welcome to the Snow Days Blog Hop!!

We're so happy you could join us for this super-fun hop showcasing cards, layouts and projects that feature everything about Snow Days!! You'll find an array of ideas throughout the hop -- We hope you'll enjoy each and every project along the way!!

If you'd like to join our Snow Days Fun, then you are in the right place. Keep alert for blog candy along the way as some hop stops will be offering some goodies...

For the hop today, I've created a 12x12 scrapbooking page. I've had a few pictures of my little man in my 'to scrap' stack for years, and I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to get them out and finished!

Thank you again for checking out my project... Now hop on over to Amy!

Here's a list of the entire hop, in case you get lost along the way or want to revisit anyone:

1. Lisa P
2. Bonnie
3. Sherry
4. Doris
5. Theresa D
6. Beckie
7. Erin {you are here!} 
8. Amy {go here next!}
9. Eva
10. Cathie
11. Ashley
12. Lisa G
13. Melissa
14. Kristen
15. Theresa 
16. Anita
17. Lynne
18. Barbara B
19. Amy Jo
20. Mickie
21. Janet

Thanks for stopping by, please come back tomorrow for another great project!!

 

Materials Used in this Project:

DCWV Christmas Stack  *  Stampin' Up! Ornaments & Diecut Paper   *   Making Memories Staples   *   Making Memories Scrapbook Paint   *   Oriental Trading Rub-On's   *   Baker's Twine   *   Hobby Lobby Red Lace Trim   *   Tag - Hollo's Papercrafts   *   All adhesives from Glue Dots   *

Friendship's Garden Bonus Week - ATC!!

Christmas morning in the Deeply Rooted House

Christmas is over, the tree has been taken out, lights and decorations have come down and things are returning to a normal pace.....wait, right? Things slow down now right?? THEY DON'T?!?

Of course, my life would speed up even more!! Details about my upcoming ventures to come later, but don't you worry your little self. I'll still make time for crafting!!! And speaking of crafting....

It's a bonus week here at Friendship's Garden! Becky has challenged us to come up with ATC's in a vintage kid's theme. How fun!!

First things first, though...what's an ATC?!?!

Why, hello, Google!!

http://painting.about.com/od/paintingforbeginnersfaq/f/ArtTradingCard.htm

OOooook. My first challenge?? The size!! These babies are TINY! I started by cutting out a piece of plain cardstock that was 2.5" x 3.5" to give myself some guidelines.

My second challenge? Vintage kids theme? The other Garden Girls have made fabulous cards in past weeks using a vintage-y theme, but I haven't been able to hit the mark there yet. 

So. Vintage. 

Vintage, vintage, vintage.

{insert light bulb over the head moment here}

DRESS PATTERNS!

I found three or four older dress patterns at a yard sale this past Summer that would work perfectly for this!

I started by fussy cutting (cutting away all of the 'white space') one of the pictures from the front of the packaging.

I cut the fitting measurements from the back of the packaging for my background, and cut a piece of the actual pattern and sewed that onto the top.

I added my girl, a bunch of items cut from the packaging, an old button (threaded, of course), and some baker's twine.

Your turn!! Get your mind into 2.5" x 3.5" mode and show us what you've got!! Can't wait to see what you come up with! Make sure to post your projects here.

My First Mixed Media Canvas and a HUGE Thank You!

Here it is!! My first mixed media canvas. I had a lot of fun making this. I did it in several steps, spanning over at least a week. I like to be able to do a layer, step back and take a second look at it, and come back to it with a fresh perspective (plus I needed a lot of drying time in between!). I have to admit that I got a lot of inspiration from a fabulously talented artist/designer/everything else named Mou Saha. Go check out her blog sometime. It's definitely worth linking up to! (and I'll just go ahead and admit now that attending one of her classes in Florida is on my bucket list!!)
This canvas was a Christmas present to a wonderful friend who is taking life by the horns and really proving and shaping themselves right now. I wanted to make something that would be an inspiration during the hard times and somewhat decent to look at during the good times :) Luckily, we exchanged gifts early this year, so I can finally post about this project!!!

I feel like I've crossed over from making projects to actually creating something with this piece. For the first time, I understand what artists feel when they are composing artwork. Each element, from the dress pattern layers to the color underneath, the images to the fibers, mean something to me. Every item added to this canvas has a meaning. And while someone might not 'get it', or even appreciate anything about it, to me, it means a lot (and hopefully to the recipient, too!!)

Babble, babble, babble, right?? Ok. On to the steps.

Step One: Prime canvas with gesso, let dry (overnight-ish). This particular canvas came pre-primed, but I'd rather play it safe.

Step Two: Get crazy with gelatos!! Faber Castell makes these amazing little color sticks called gelatos (more info about them here). They go on like a crayon, and once they're wet, they blend amazingly! I tried several different methods to blend my colors (wet paintbrush, baby wipes, fingers) and ended up liking using my hands the best. It was a lot easier to control how much got blended. Once you're happy with the coloring, let dry (doesn't take very long!)







Step Three: Next I decoupaged old dress patterns onto the entire canvas (they're in the bottom of that picture up there). No real rhyme or reason to this part, just overlapping a bit as a go. Drying time for this was a few days!

Step Four: Play!! Once your canvas background is all ready, you get to create and play! I inked up some Grungeboard letters and used some Grungepaper through the Cricut to cut out the bird house (from the Serenade cartridge). The bird was cut from the Serenade cartridge from cardstock, traced onto a piece of plain muslin, and decoupaged onto the canvas.

added some curled wire for detail

popped this off the canvas slightly

inspirational phrase

I can't wait for inspiration and a few extra days to work on my next one. I think I'm hooked!! (plus my canvas came in a two pack!)

This will definitely be my last post before I'm off on a holiday for a bit. Thanks, everyone, for a GREAT 2011! A huge thank you to Glue Dots and Becky at Friendship's Garden for taking me on as a designer this term. This blog was started because of you all, and it's turning out to be such an amazing journey!! 

I'm looking forward to all 2012 has in store. It's going to be a great year!! Merry Christmas!!