My 2013 Blog Year In Review

I spent some time reviewing my 2013 blog posts and sadly my blogging shows that my health has been poorly this year.  Unfortunately I was not able to meet many of my design team commitments.  I'm grateful to the design teams of Crafts and Me Stamps, the Digi Bells of Elisabeth Bell's Designs and the lovely ladybugs of Ladybug Crafts Ink who have been patient with me while I recover as they have allowed me to continue to participate on their teams whenever I can.  I am on the mend and expect to show more projects in 2014 as I enjoy being part of introducing more of their amazing images.

I began the year as a more-experienced blogger. I continue to be inspired by you uber-talented artists who show work that I've come to know and love.  Some of my favorite 2013 occasions and projects are included below.  Basic card art rocks and fancy folds and other projects are especially fun and exciting to see!  I still enjoy my classically-shabby style - LOL!!!

There are five individual cards shown below so I enter this post in Debby's My Favourite Five of 2013 for a chance to win her fabulous favorite things candy.  (You can click on each pic to link to the posts for more details.)

Enter until Jan. 11, 2014

In January, I enjoyed rockin' in the New Year with KennyK's ElenaK . . .

February shows my use of the lovely Martini Nikki and several of my coordinating handmade flowers that I really love to make . . .

In March I was officially crowned as a Ladybug with a beautiful tiara - LOL!!!  This tag using Queen of Hearts seemed appropriate to celebrate.

I had way too much fun adding stamped seasonal scenery through the window of Window Seat Billie and paper-piecing drapes to coordinate . . . (winter, spring, summer, fall)

In May, I played around with Photoshop until I learned how to merge digital images.  This example shows Geraldine in Paris . . .

I struggled through the Summer but was able to begin Christmas-time cards using this 'Twas the Night Before Christmas image . . .

I was honored to accept a guest design team spot at Sweet Stampin' for the month of September then sadly I was unable to meet their needs for my final week.  I did however add my first "no lines technique" on a scenic side-step card . . .

When MiC and LMM hosted their first Graffiti Party, I couldn't wait to challenge myself by using their urban images and created my first screen card . . .

Finally in December, I got inky and messy and had a ton of fun working on this alcohol-inked, stamped, ornament-window tag . . .

While I've been unwell, unmotivated and less than creative, it's been another wonderful year in papercrafting and blogging.

I am ever grateful for your kind words, encouragement and inspiration throughout 2013.

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy New Year that's overflowing with all good things!



As always, I'm so glad that you stopped by to visit!

~ Rose

Tag Art with Alcohol Inks and Die Cuts

Ellen Hutson has hosted her annual 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist.  Is this really the fifth year?!?!  Ellen and her designers have shown step by step guides for some really fun and gorgeous tags.  It's always a pleasure to see how Ellen's talented team inspires and this year they've shown more fabulous work.  Ellen has offered amazing prizes for each day's commenters with a whopper of a prize for showing how you've been inspired by entering one or more of your own makes.

I've played, got inky, brought out some products that I haven't used for a while and I have a few backgrounds ready for embellishing.

Here's my tag as inspired by Day 12 by Ellen Hutson . . . This tag has an alcohol inked monoprint background, an ornament die cut window, stamped and die cut branches and it was a ton of fun to see it come together.

I put a few dots of Denim, Stream, Stonewashed, Meadow and Lettuce Alcohol Inks onto my non-stick craft sheet.  A few dots of Pearl Mixative seemed like a lovely addition.  I used Sizzix' Bigz Tags and Bookplates die cut to shape my glossy cardstock then swiped that tag through my alcohol ink layers.  Alcohol Ink dries sooo fast that I kept swiping until there was no white showing through my tag.

My small original green Sizzix ornament die was the perfect size to fit my tag and so I die cut a window from my monoprint tag.

I dug out my Stampers Anonymous Letter to Santa and Mini Holidays stamp sets and began stamping the branches along the edges using archival inks in Versafine Toffee, Ancient Page Pine and Archival Ink Library Green.

A few die cut pine branches from Sizzix' Tattered Pinecone die were colored with the same archival inks as the stamped branches.  Small amounts of Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Gesso were painted along some of the branches.

The Christmas Greeting sentiment added at the bottom of my tag was included in a free stamp set with October 2013's Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine.

I adhered a QuicKutz ric-rac die to my non-stick craft sheet then swiped Mountain Rose and Copper Acrylic Paint over it.  I removed my die cuts before that paint started to dry around them.  Once that paint dried, I layed a piece of packing tape over it, using my bone folder to adhere it well.  As I pulled the tape up, the dried paint stuck to my packing tape!  Where my ric-rac die cut left empty space, I filled it with white Perfect Pearls.  I tried to adhere a 1/8" strip of wonder tape between the ric-rac but had some trouble with that.  Where possible, I tried to make a line of sparkle using Sparkle N Sprinkle's Golden Silver glitter.  More Golden Silver glitter filled the top of the ornament for additional sparkle.  That colored tape adhered to the back of my tag and filled my ornament window nicely.

Finally a Sizzix star reinforcement holds some Adornments' blue/green ribbons and fibers.  The sparkling gold ribbon accents the gold from my ornament.

Take a look over at the CLASSroom and be inspired to get inky and experiment while you create your own Christmas tags . . .


I'm entering this tag into the following challenges:
Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom "12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist" (here)
Craft Your Passion "Christmas ABC - Anything But a Card" (here)
Simon Says Stamp and Show "Stamp Out" (here)
Divas by Design "Anything Goes" (here)
Cute Card Thursday "Christmas Catch Up!" (here)
Paper Crafting Journey "It's Christmas Time" (here)
Sweet Stampin' "Last Minute Christmas" (here)
Dream Valley "Christmas" (here)
Through the Purple Haze "Here Comes Christmas Day" (here)
Crafting with Dragonflies "Christmas Tags" (here)

"Top 3" Jan. 15, 2014 Crafting with Dragonflies

Ina of Crafting with Dragonflies chose the top 3 and said, "19 -Rose C - Love all the colours and elements here with the mixed media."



As always, I'm so glad that you stopped by to visit!

~ Rose

Card Art with Copics: KennyK's Jet Setter

With the holidays on their way, many travelers are making arrangements so they can share special times with their families and friends.  With that in mind, I've opted to use KennyK's Jet Setter, complete with luggage, to share loving thoughts with my dear daughter who sadly won't be able to join us this year for our holiday celebrations.

Here's a closer view of my Copic-filled image.  I've painted a light coating of Walnut Stain Distress Stickles over her coat to add some sparkling texture.

I layered Bo Bunny's A Gift of Love "Believe Peace" over black cardstock then used Memory Box' Grand Heart to create my double gatefold card with a heart window.

This view shows my card when fully opened so the heart windows show on each side . . . I've added an Inkadinkado Warm Holiday Wishes clear stamp then tried to fill the stars with the brush tip of a Wink of Stella clear pen.  I'm unhappy with the uncontrollable blobs of sparkle that fell over my stars.

Prima's Tea Roses Sweet Teal and Heirloom Paper Leaves Willow are clustered with a Basic Grey's Fabric Yo Yos button flower and cotton flower with Michael's Celebrate It Sparkling 3/8" ribbon, Morex Corp's white 1/4" Organdy ribbon and Petite Stitch 1/8" ribbon to embellish the lower right of the front of my card.

This scanned view shows how the card front looks when the sides are closed and overlap . . .

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
KennyK's Krafty Krew "Button, Boots and Bling" (here)
Divas by Design "Anything Goes" (here)
Cute Card Thursday "Christmas Catch Up" (here)
Paper Crafting Journey "It's Christmas Time" (here)
Crafty Catz "Anything Goes" (here)
Sweet Stampin' "Last Minute Christmas" (here)
Crafty Ribbons "Anything Goes with Ribbon" (here)
Totally Gorjuss "Special Christmas" (here)
Southern Girls "Christmas-themed Projects" (here)


Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93, BV00
hair, suitcase - E31, E35, E47
sweater, stickers - RV63, RV66, RV69
pants, stickers - BG70, BG72, BG75, BG78
suitcase - YG21, YG23, YG25
boots, wheel - T0, T6, T9
suitcase hardware - C1, C3, C5
grounding shadow - W5, W3, W1
airbrushed background - B72, speckles BG78, R89


As always, I'm so glad that you stopped by to visit!

~ Rose