Foofy Phonebook Flowers

Say THAT three times fast!!

Anyway, I'm enjoying both scrunchy and foofy flowers lately - even some fabric flowers, but more on that later.

I've been really mad about my junk mail lately. I don't understand why my trashcan gets smaller and more expensive, and why we are all supposed to drive glorified tic tacs and quit using hairspray, but companies can still fill my mailbox every day with pounds of unsolicited garbage that I have to throw away. And PHONEBOOKS. Who in the world uses a phone book? And why are they dumped on my porch when I certainly would say no if I were given the option?

But I'm not. So if the world gives you phonebooks,
Stamps: Vintage Vogue Ink: Summer Sun Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Phone Book
Accessories: Sending Love epoxy brads, Vanilla satin ribbon, Sizzix takeout box die

give the world foofy flowers. Hmph.

I saw a tutorial for these here, so I won't recreate it. Hers is beautiful.

(PS - I do NOT have the shredding scissors - I just used regular scissors!)

Make some. Foof it up!

Speechless

This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. If you don't see a video player, click here.

If I Missed You Enough...

Would this bring you home?It's a suitcase, with a map of land and sea, so you can get your bearings. When you get closer, the little flower, which you can learn to make here, is a map you can use to find me.Stamps: Stampin' Up Old World Map Ink: Chocolate Chip Paper: Kraft, old atlas

Accessories: Big Shot & Bigz Box #2 die, Scallop Punch, Brad

Who needs a Tom Tom or Magellan, when there is such beauty in these paper routes?

Shimmery Russian Trees

I love my used Russian dictionary so much it's hard for me to use big pieces of it, so I went small with this one, but did something very fun for this week's 2S4Y.

First, I took a piece of the page and painted some Stampin' Up! shimmer paint on part of my dictionary page. It was sooo beautiful and didn't obscure the print, just made it all silvery and frosty.LOVE this look.

Then I took the three little trees fromDoodle Factory Into the Woods and stamped them on my silvery text and cut the tops out so I could paper piece them.


The rest of the card is made with specialty Stampin' Up! brushed metallic cardstock, Basic Grey patterned paper, a Stampin' Up! rubon, punches and ribbon.

Stamps: Doodle Factory Into the Woods, Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Paper: Basic Grey, Stampin' Up!
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, dimensionals, Square and Round punches

One of the things I really like about the DF images is the amount of white space they have - great for filling with patterned paper or security envelopes or book pages. Perfect reanimation stamps!!

Hope you're having a great Tuesday!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! I made a tag! :)

This is an often neglected part of my holiday preparations, for some reason, so I was determined to make tags this year. This is a Nativitag! :)

I wanted a light background for the little scene, but the white was too stark against my pretty metallic paper, so I went with a magazine page instead and I think it works nicely.

It's my fave reanimated magazine - Food and Wine - because of the matte paper it's printed on.

Stamps: Doodle Factory O Holy Night, Sentiments Christmas Nativity
Paper: Stampin' Up! metallic DSP, Whisper White, Magazine Page Ink: Copper Memento, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copics, Copper Embossing Powder, Stampin' Up! Ribbon Originals

I need to re-subscribe to a few magazines - my supply has dwindled! Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

It's all About the Gifts

Tis the season of gifts, right? Well today's card started with one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten. My friend Lisa gave me a little bag of antique findings she had had for many years. There were beautiful, one of a kind buttons, quilt squares, a gorgeous old pattern, and several varieties of vintage trims, including this one.I hated to even take it out of the package, with its fun retro typography and beautiful yellow label, which I carefully saved. But I promised her I would use it, so I did. It is black and stretchy fine mesh organdy trim, with the most delicate and interesting scalloped crocheted edge. It is a work of art.

It inspired me.

Great, thoughtful gifts like this are so rare and wonderful. Since it tis the season, I thought about three gifts in particular for a special baby boy. I thought I would do a little piece where the givers were not the focal points, but the gifts.

So I took the new O Holy Night set, and colored the wise men in shades of grey Copics. The only color on them is on their gifts, which I carefully glittered.
It's hard to photograph, but they are brilliant and sparkly, I promise.

I added the vintage trim under their feet, and put it all on some Graphic 45 Communique paper. I stamped the Noel and sponged it until the colors blended with the paper.

Remember this holiday season - it's the thought that counts!!

If You're Like My Family...

We went through this phase where we all bought the same books for everyone at Christmas. One year, everyone got 4 copies of The Firm. One year, Into Thin Air. One year, Little Green Men.

It was hilarious. We'd open copy 1, copy 2, copy 3. We'd redistribute to anyone that hadn't gotten the ubiquitous book of the year, but then still have extras.

If this has happened to you, I suggest you make cards out of the book(s). :)

Here's a little Christmas ditty made out of books as homage to the Blakley conundrum.
Stamps: Patterned Pines Ink: Perfect Plum Paper: Very Vanilla, Book Page Accessories: Glitter, Sponge

PS - We've solved this by eliminating all Christmas gifts that are not either regifted - something you already own, or handmade with things you have on hand. Best Christmases ever!!

What are your holiday traditions?