Hello From California on WOYWW!!

We've been here 3 weeks today!
This was what my studio looked like until last weekend when my DH helped me uncover, rearrange and recover the room

 EEEeeekkkk!!!!

To this:

Aaaahhhh!  Better!

I actually created two cards for two birthdays this weekend.

Not very involved but the best I could come up with in a hurry since they had to go into the mail today.

Good to back in the saddle!!

And for a little treat, here is the view outside where I walk one of the dogs most days.

Not bad huh?  See that little yellow and red building (far right center)?  That's The Chit Chat Cafe where I am using the wi-fi to post today.  All this is a 15 minute walk from the house!

So yeah... I think it was definitely worth the last few months of stress to get here!!!

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll try to get around to see y'all as soon as I hook up to wi-fi again!

Hugs!!!

kat

The Move. The Update.

The 53 foot truck arrived today and yes, it got filled, completely.

One of the last things loaded was a tote of my paper.  Can you believe it!?!?

After the truck left I walked down to the end of the driveway.  I spied something on the ground.

OMG!  It was a little piece of my paper!!  Coincidental?  Sad?  Omen?  Ridiculous?  Yes to the latter.
I'm hopeless.

Hugs!
kat

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

Visit the wonderful Wednesday Workdesk Folks here: http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Well, Dearest Blog Hoppers, yesterday was a very emotional day for me.  I had to pack the last of my studio because the movers will be here today.  That meant my "precious" paper hoard, um collection.  I don't know what it is about the paper with me.  There must be some clinical name for my "condition".  Papyrus-hoardis?  My Indian name would be "She Who Hoards Paper".  I even went through my scrap pile and sorted it out by size.  My criteria was to save anything over 3 inches.  I now have three boxes of just scraps.  In all fairness (to me) I do use the scraps.  The plain ones are used for experimenting stamps and ink on.  I can't really explain what to do with the patterned paper scraps unless they are large enough.  Sometimes when I'm rummaging through the patterned scraps it's like reminiscing about past cards I've made.  Aaaww.   Oh For Goodness Sakes, Woman!  (you are all saying as you read this)  I will be without television/cable, living out of boxes and sleeping on a futon for the next three weeks, fine.  I love camping.  But, I'll be thinking about my paper and how it's getting along without me.  Or visa versa.  Ridiculous.

At least I'll have the internet to keep me company until I leave.
It's already started to echo in here.  Hello...Hello...Hello...

Thanks for visiting me on this sad sad day *sniff*  I'm sure I'll be fine once I am reunited with my studio in California.  Won't that be a glorious day!
Love to all!
kat 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

Halloooo again!
It's Wednesday again and already!  Time for WOYWW! http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Last week I "pre-posted" and linked up while rushing out the door.  I'm terribly sorry that I didn't get to visit all of you, especially those that left comments here!!  I'll be home today and plan to visit as many as I can while cleaning and packing for my move to California next week (eeekkk!!!)

Whilst packing my studio for the move, I wanted to take advantage of making some wine bottle toppers for gifts for my galfriends.
The work desk:

 As you can see from my work desk, it was pretty involved and required a lot of clothes pins!

Ever wonder what you could make from empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls?  I "recycled" them this way...

 My demo:

Cut lengths of the cardboard tubes.  I learned that at least 3+ inches is best.  The first ones I made were shorter and I had to add ice cream sticks to support the backs.

I inked the tubes.  You can also spray paint them or spritz them with inks.  (I spritzed the insides of the tubes)

I have some trims from K & Co.  I used my Zig glue pen (shown) but ended up using a heavier glue.

Using my MS score board I made a 12" length of scored paper for a "medallion"

I find it best to have your backing for your medallion already punched and waiting to be glued

I had this tag from a set and I stamped "Enjoy" with little letter stamps and hand wrote "If You Dare" and edged it in silver glitter glue

The finished products

And, naturally you have to finish the backs because they will show.
There are sooooo many possibilities to decorate these toppers, endless!
Thanks for visiting and your comments!
Hugs!
kat
PS: That Witches Brew wine, um, no!  Awful!!!  Might be ok mixed with warm cider, not sure.  Buyer beware!  The Velvet Moon... yummy!  Just saying... ;)

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

My work desk is not much different from last week so I didn't bother with a picture.  Instead I chose to show you what I worked on...
An Autumn version of what I now call "ink and puff".
I thought that a less spooky version of the tree technique could be done for my autumn cards that I send to the family.

The finished card

The first step.  Ink and puff with the canned air, a tree.  Spritz green Glimmer Mist on the bottom and blot with a paper towel to get a mottled look.  Spritz blue Glimmer Mist very lightly at the top, over the branches and blot as well.

I then made ten copies on my copier and trimmed them to size.

Then I smudged orange ink into the edges.

Next I sprayed orange and red Glimmer Mist onto a scrap of plain copy paper.

And proceeded to punch out about a million little leaves.

Then I glued leaves to the branches.

I glued the leaves so that I could pull the edges up to make them more "life like".

I'm thinking of the sentiment that I will stamp on the back/inside of the card.  I'm also thinking of adding a pumpkin stamp at the bottom.  We'll see.  So many possibilities!!!  
Thinking this technique would do well for a cherry blossom branch for spring... hum?

Thanks for visiting!  Check out WOYWW here: http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  It's great, inspiring fun!
Hugs!
Kat

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

GOSH, its been soooo long!!
I'm moving to California next month and have been trying to get everything in order.  I'm actually suppose to be cleaning the garage right now so, sshhhhh, don't tell my DH!!  Well, he doesn't read my blog that often, maybe I can sneak this in!
Visit the fun on WOYWW here:  http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

As you can see,  my studio is messy and neglected!

But... last night...  I just couldn't fight the "creative urge" any longer!
Yesterday I watched a video by Tim Holtz.  He demonstrated dropping alcohol inks onto shiny cardstock and then "puffed" the drops with compressed air from a can.  Like you would use to dust your keyboard.
Halloween is my very favorite theme.  So, I thought "this could be a good technique to make creepy trees!"
Boy, is it!!  And, so much fun too!!!
I actually did a little demo for you.

I used my Glimmer Mists in Graphite, Tiger Lily and Olive Vine.  The stamp
set is by Martha Stewart.

Unscrew the sprayer from the bottle of the ink and drop some ink on the paper.

Puff the ink with air in the direction you want it to go.

Want to make a branch?  Add another drop of ink and puff it in another direction.

Just add ink and puff to your hearts desire!

Want grass?

Next, spritz the bottom with green.

Want a moon?  Lay a circle to mask the area where you want the moon to be.

Spritz with orange mist.

While the circle is in place spritz with the Graphite all around the outer edges.  If you get too much, just blot off the excess with a paper towel.

Now you can stamp bats, crows, an owl, a witch whatever...

Smudge ink into the edges.

Here are three I made last night.  The two on the right were one piece that I cut into two.

I had stamped the crow onto the image but I didn't like the way it looked so I stamped another one on a scrap, cut it out and adhered it to the image.  Gave it more dimension.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope you enjoyed my little demo.  I hope you try it for yourselves, it's so much fun!
Hugs!
Kat
PS:  Hey folks, don't waste any more money on baby wipes or stamp cleaning products.  Plain 'ol rubbing alcohol and a paper towel work a hundred times better and is cheap too!
Just sayin'...  ;)

Grandson's Birthday Card

For my middle grandson, Grey.  His daddy said he is into hunting, fishing and rodeo.  Did rodeo last year so, fishing it is.  I've had this paper by American Traditional Designs for a long, long time.  It's called Great Outdoors-Earthtones, Game Fishing.  I cut out matching fish and mounted them with foam tape then curled the fins and heads with my fingers to make them "jump" off the page.  The tag is printed and a real stringer hook is attached.

Thanks for visiting and your comments!
Hugs!
kat