Handmade Santa

 I planned on starting my Christmas cards but instead I purchased a Santa pattern to make some Santa dolls. This Santas is 9" tall.
 I started making Santa dolls the afternoon on the 20th of November, 5 days later I had 5 dolls finished. Two of those days, I was gone through the day.
 The dolls were made with good quality muslin I had in my stash. I had a scrap piece of vintage red wool felt to make five coats and hats. I wish I had more of this nice vintage material that is no longer available.
 I looked at a few places to buy wool for the beard and hair but didn't find any at three craft stores. I know I've got some but with my back like it is now, I didn't go looking through my stash.
At JoAnn's I found this yarn by Bernat. I used double sided tape and glue to apply the yarn for hair and beard for my Santa dolls.
 I painted the dolls arms, legs and face with gesso. A portion of the legs was painted with Dina Wakley Night paint to look like boots. I used a watered down Dina Wakley magenta scribble sticks over the gesso on face.
 I sewed on a small jingle bell on each hat, this size of bell was purchased last week at HL in Christmas area. White felt from HL was cut using a ruler and rotary cutter. I wish they had what I used years ago on my larger Santas.
 Everything was made using needle and thread except the beard. I have a Bernia sewing machine but it wasn't used to make my Santa Dolls.
 Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Handmade Bears

While recouping from pacemaker and other health issues I made these 11 plus more June through July this year. (2018) 

Most of these bears have gone to family near and far. These bears are 5 inches tall if they could stand up. To make those tiny stitches on my bears I have to use magnifying glasses because I can't see the stitches without them. 

The graduate bear (below) was made for one of our granddaughters that graduated from her two year college this year.

The last bear (below) was made for my mother, I made her bear a dress and a red bow with white curls in her hair. (October 17, 2018 my mothers will celebrate her 93 birthday.)

It takes me 6-8 hours to cut-out and hand stitch the bears and longer if I make hand stitched clothing.

I've made a bunch of bears in the last 2 months. They consist of blue, red, purple, burgundy, grey, beige, teal, cream, medium brown and dark brown. 

Update: It's now August 10, I finished my last bear (No. 25) to give to my husband he wanted a blue bear and then I shipped out two bears one to Arkansas and and one to Wyoming. They were just like the first bear below. 

Butterfly Tag

SHARING: This is a tag I made some time ago.

Instructions: 

1)    I used my Vagabond with Movers & Shapers bookplate die to cut a tag. 

Designers Note: I use 14 pt. heavy-duty file folders with my tag die; the smooth finish works well for many of my crafting needs.  

2)    Place tag on craft sheet; apply Dusty Concord inks to foam applicator; in a circle motion cover the right side of tag working down and across bottom of tag. And then add Brushed Corduroy on clean foam applicator in center and then apply Tumbled Glass to the left of tag. Next, apply Broken China over the Tumbled Glass. And then, add Fired Brick over the Dusty Concord. Blending as needed to get the colors desired.  

3)    While still wet sprinkle a little water over the tag. 

Designers Note: This is done by taking the tag to the sink. Add a very small amount of water in the palm of your hand and sprinkle the tag with a few drops.

4)    Quickly heat set to dry.

5)    Stamp script with Sepia ink over the inked background.

6)    Stamp butterflies with black ink. Heat set to dry.

7)    Stamp an addition butterfly on white card stock using sepia ink. 

8)    Cut out butterfly.

9)    Add multi-medium matte as an adhesive to center of butterfly, adhere butterfly to tag.

10)    Add Distress Stickles over butterfly. Heat set to dry.

Flower:

1)    To begin: crumble one sheet of Kraft glassine papers three times. 

2)    Cut three flowers in one pass using Tim Holtz Alterations “Tattered Florals” die with you’re choice of a die cutting machine. I used my Vagabond die cutting tool.  

3)    Layer the three flower die cuts; punch a tiny hole in center. Add brad to hold the flower together.

4)    Add rhinestone to center.

5)    Crunch the flower to resemble a real flower.

6)    Use multi-medium matte to adhere flower to tag.

7)    Place brass stencil on tag, use paint brush to paint the number 5 with black dabber paint. Remove stencil and clean with water. Allow to dry. 

8)    Add fibers to finish this tag. 

This is something I made this past week

I've been crafting since childhood, making stuffed dolls and animals from early 70's and stamping since the early 90's. I've been published on paper magazines many times but nothing recently because I haven't tried.
In 2004, I was asked to join SSReflections online magazine, I purchased some of the books and DVDs while others were supplied for me to do book and DVD reviews.
Some of the supplies were furnished to do monthly samples from each team member.
After SSReflections closed 2009, I joined Rubber Road Adventures where I did projects for online and major companies in industry. When they closed I didn't join another online magazine.
Although I have been a design team member for several stamp companies.

Moving on....
A couple weeks ago I saw someone show a project on Facebook. The comment was made; "you had to go to her class to see how she made the booklet"
Now, this is where it comes to my mind, I know that I've made that booklet in the past or something very similar to it. It came to me, it's similar to a star book I made years ago. 
I won't be showing how I made this booklet but will show the first two pages. I have four pages but this will be the only one I will share for now. Small tags come out through the top of each page. Lots more work before its finished! 

Fabric Flower Bouquet

These are some of the crinoline and buckram fabric flowers I've made since December 19. I used two Spellbinder dies by Tammy Tutterow; Shabby Posies and Pom Pom Posies.

Delight in the Beauty of the Day!

Sharing a card I made with my Gelli Printing Plate and a few rubber stamps. The round of roses stamp was inked with Memento black and then Copic markers were used to color image. A white gel pen was used on large rose. 

I have more artwork over on my main blog:

http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/

Day 2 of Creative Chemistry 103

I made this project today using stamping supplies in my stash. Tim calls this technique: Distress Paint Resist.

Stamping All Year Long by RSM

 RubberStampMadness published this new rubber stamp art book; 

Stamping All Year Long

The book has over 100 examples of stamp art, including Valentine's, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. At 116 pages, the book is filled with inspirational artwork. 

To order a copy, go to http://rsmadness.com/rsmstore.html and then scroll to find the "New Book." 

Also, can you do me a favor, please mention my other blog Stamped Impressions in the "special instructions" section, when you order. Thanks so much for considering this when ordering your copy of this new rubber stamp art book.

Christmas Card

This is one of the Christmas cards I made this year. The last bunch went off today, yes I know I'm late.
 I made three styles; Tim's festive gent bigz die (as seen here), Tim's angelic bigz die and stamped and watercolor snow scene cards.
To make this card, I die cut the main piece in black, and then using small pieces of red or green I ran the die through again to make the extra pieces. You have to free hand cut out the bow, wreath and scarf. These were layered using glossy accents. It doesn't show very much in photo but I used Distress Stickles in clear and rubbed over scarf and wreath.

Happy Holidays Everyone! 

Trick or Treat Card

I made this card using Tim Holtz stamps, stencils and thinlits dies. 

You can see more details on my other blog: http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/2015/08/trick-or-treat-card.html

Thank you for looking and have a nice day!

12 Tags of 2015 ~ June

This is the tag I made to share on Tim Holtz blog for 12 Tags of 2015 for June. I used stencil, paper, ink pads, idea-ology, dies and stamps by Tim Holtz. Other supplies from my stash. 

12 Tags of 2015 ~ May

I used my Vagabond to make a burlap and manila tag using Tim's tag die. I used my xyron to adhere the tags together. 

Next, I used Tim's layering stencil with texture paste on tag. Later after paste was dry, I used distress ink to color the numbers with ink blending tool. 

Walnut and burlap distress inks were used on burlap before adding other items to tag. 

I used three remnant rubs; it a wonderful life and both numbers on stamped image. Distress markers were used to add color to stamped image. Black distress marker was used around the finished words at bottom of tag. 

Crinkle ribbon was inked with distress stain. 

Tiny buttons were used with loop pins and attached to bow. 

We waited on the mailman to bring the tiny tattered flower die before going on to my mothers on Monday. I know my mother will have fun playing with Tim's newest tiny flower dies. A glue gun is the only way to finish the flowers as Tim suggested. I added a tiny bit of distress ink to each flowers on this tag. 

On the upper right and bottom left are photocopied portions from a vintage hang tag that was on a bolt of organdy I bought years ago. I used matte glue n seal over photocopied pieces.

I applied a photocopied rose postage stamp from 1995 on my tag and then sealed it with matte glue n seal. 

I had fun making my tag! Thanks Tim for the inspiration!

 This is a link to Tim's beautiful tag: 

http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-may/

12 Tags of 2015 ~ April

It had been over a month since I sat down and did any stamping when I made this tag. We had to remove everything in my stamping room to make way for new floor from the joist up. After the contractors left, my dear hubby and I put down the laminate floor.
 Many of my supplies are still in boxes but I knew where these Tim Holtz supplies were; distress inks, distress markers, distress stain, a kraft tag, water brush, distress spritzer, craft sheet, distress tool, heat tool and craft sheet. Also using a flower stamp and my sewing machine. My word beautiful was painted with black soot distress stain.

I found out my tag was a winners May 1, 2015. 

Happy New Year 2015

It’s January 2, 2015, 

I’m here making a January tag with Tim’s tutorial. 

See Tim's here: 

http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-january/

Here are the results:

Postale tissue wrap was applied with Glue n’ seal on #8 manila tag and then using my finger I applied Chipped sapphire, Broken china and Salty ocean distress paint. A little spray of Brown spray ink was applied over tag with excess wiped off. 

I added chitchat, followed by Glue n’ seal over tag and then black soot marker underscoring quotes.

Pumice stone distress glitter was applied to die cut 2015 numbers and then applied to tag.

Watered down Distress white picket paint was used with stiff brush to apply a sprinkle of paint over tag. 

Salty ocean and broken china are used to color crinkle ribbon.

A mirrored star was added to tag with glue n' seal.

Always and Forever

I made this tag for my April 2014 tag, it was inspired from viewing Tim Hotlz tag. I used a photo of my sister and me with Tim Holtz products and paper supplies from my stash. 

Happy Halloween

This is one of the tags I'm sharing over on my main blog: http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/2013/10/count-down-to-halloween-day-7.html

Count Down to Halloween

This is a sample of the tags I've made over on this blog: http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/2013/10/count-down-to-halloween-day-3.html

Hop on over to see what I made since Friday, October 25th, come back each day and then on Thursday, October 31st my dads birthdate, I'll share a few more tags to round out the month of Halloween tags. 

My dad passed away in 2002. 

Count Down to Halloween

Starting today until Halloween I'll share tags on Stamped Impressions blog. 

http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/2013/10/count-down-to-halloween.html

Creative Chemistry 102

I recently completed Tim Holtz online classes. These are the tags I made from the class. The class is open forever once you complete CC101 and then go onto CC102. You can view videos, techniques and artwork from Tim Holtz as well as other artist around the world in gallery.

Here is the link:
http://www.onlinecardclasses.com/timholtz/class-info/

These are the tags I made from the Creative Chemistry 102. 

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Cricut Cartridge Box Idea

What do you do when you have empty boxes Cricut cartridges? You cover them and make sturdy little containers to hold ATCs or watercolor pencils. I have several of these boxes and plan on altering each one. Here is one box.

This my last project to share as a design team member for VLVS.

Distress inks were used on this project alone with Archival black ink.