Mandevilla

I won't be around this coming Tuesday for tea, so I thought I'd leave a photo, just in case anyone drops by.  And right now, as I post this, I'm enjoying a cup of double bergamont, earl grey, black tea   :)

 Mandevilla. 

It took a rest over winter and now is covered in flowers and buds.

  Drop by Kimmies at http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/  and check out the list of others.  Join us by simply making a comment at Kims, everyone is welcome---we all have a cup of something while visiting  :) 

Family Album

This is a Close To My Heart, 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" album.  I used CTMH paper on the covers and pages, plus I added a folded page.  The pages are all sponged and I've added cardstock pieces to make pockets and tags to put in them.

There's a chipboard flower and frame for a photo, a piece of grunge paper that I inked black for the spine and held that down with a scalloped piece of chipboard.  The beads along the bottom are attached to the back cover so they are out of the way when turning pages.

The back cover has a raised frame around the saying.  There is actually a little diamond in the center of the flower also--but it's lost in the folds.    

A closer look of the raised frame.

Inside front cover and first page. Pocket, tags and chipboard flowers

The little vine is a flocked sticky strip.

More chipboard pieces and frame for photo.

I love this pocket with the lace.

Another big pocket and Tim Holtz film strip--I'm so stingy with that stuff  :) 

 Rain dots on the sticky tape, pocket and tag.

Folded page I added--closed...

...and open, another pocket.

Lots of room for photos

 Chipboard, covered piece on left page.

A pocket on the inside back cover.

   

This album will hold a lot of photos and journaling!  

Good Things in Small Packages

It's nice to know that we are all keeping the postal services in all the countries working  :)  Even though the internet took away a lot of the 'old' ways of communicating--letters and such.  I think scrappers and card makers have helped to bring it all back  :)

Anyway, I was a lucky winner over on Kimmies blog, http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/  and here is the gift I recieved last Friday!  And she's right, good things DO come in small packages  :)  Aren't these handmade things beautiful and even more special is that Kim made the stamp too!  Thanks again Kim, I love them!

What I've been working on periodically over the past 3 weeks.  No it hasn't been here on the kitchen counter that long  :)   I had to pack it away and bring it out a few times. 

And I never work on one thing at a time  :)  

Anyway, it's coming along!  It will be finished soon and I will post more pics.  

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to come again  :)



Holiday Tea on Tuesday

I'm not sure what moves a person towards any particular tea.  My choice today is a packet I found in the tea cupboard--two left from last Christmas  :)

So I had to use one of my favourite bowls for my fruit and cereal too!  I chose not to put them away after the holidays and every once in a while pull one out to use, just for fun.

It rained again overnight, everything is looking very green and the buds are really coming out on the trees and shrubs.  Little shoots are popping up in the flower bed--nice to see   :)

My humble tea cupboard  :)

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to look around and have a wonderful day   :) 

Come and join others out on Tuesday at Kimmies, check my side bar for Art In Red Wagons.

  

My Page for Let's Get Shabby Challenge #23

This is the beautiful photo for the challenge over at Let's Get Shabby.

http://letsgetshabby.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-23.html 

Use these colours and some spots. 

This is my 12 x 12 scrap page for the challenge.  I clear embossed with a doily stamp, diamond and cheesecloth stamp, then inked over the page with cranberry crisp and cool caribbean from Stampin Up!  I also used distress embossing powder--broken china, but most of it is covered with the photo, you can see it just beside the word 'today'.  The large butterfly is one that I crochet.

Be sure to check out all the beautiful entries at Let's Get Shabby!

Thanks for stopping by and come again  :) 

Reflecting with my Tea on Tuesday

This is the reflection I see as I walk into my bedroom, makes me feel as though I'm entering from a beautiful garden---maybe in a faraway country or time---I love it, I'm such a dreamer  :) 

I'm still enjoying my morning coffee, reflecting on a wonderful Easter weekend spent with my kids  :)

Come and join the group at Kimmies http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

  

Paper Bag Card and Other Stuff :)

I went to a cardmaking evening with Friends and we all made a paper bag card.  

I'm quite pleased at how it turned out.  There's a tag to pull out and room in the back to add a little goodie   :)   Very easy to make, just fold the bag in half, creating the front 'pocket' for the tag.    

On to new things, here is a Word book I started last Fall.  And a new book from Close To My Heart--as is the lovely paper. 

Just had to show you my Mandevilla in bloom, there are a bunch of new buds coming  :)  It just kind of 'hung out' in the living room all winter and is now coming to life.

Another metal flower, love this one too.  Put the largest petal through the cuttlebug.  

And last but not least, three of the pets (one cat still sleeping) sharing a sunny spot this morning  :)

  

Thanks for stopping by for a visit  :)

Canvas Frame and Springtime Card

A canvas....to show my flowers. I pulled ink pads over, added sparkly modge podge, lace, my own flowers and leaves, small swirls of grunge paper, butterflies (from a lovely friend), pearls, lace and sheer ribbon.  The crown (walmart) which I added crystals and pearls, is glued on with crystal effects--hope it stays put  :)    **Forgot to add that I used rub-ons for the words.

Now, I played with the colour on this so it is a wee bit dark, but after doing it, your eyes go a little wonky :) so I left it alone.

Still playing with the Once Upon A Springtime paper pack---a lot of mileage out of a 9" x 9" pad.  Everyone seems to be cutting the flowers and fairies out, so I gave it a try too  :)  fiddley, but I sure like the results.  I added an acrylic window. 

Thanks for coming by to look  :)

Metal Flowers and Fabric Flowers

The fabric flowers are the ones I made last Tuesday.  I love making these things  :)

Then, here are some that I started about a year ago.  I put pins on the back so they could be worn.  

Then....I tried making metal ones  :)  Looooove these!  I found a tutorial an Artfully Yours (lovely blog),  here  http://yoursartfully.blogspot.com/2010/11/flower-powerday-1tattered-florals.html

Very easy to make.  The metal that I used is from Stampin Up!  It has a sticky back and next time I do them, I think I'll take off the paper backing and stick them to cardstock or printed paper (thinner) because as you work with them, the backing paper comes off. 

I used the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die, then painted with black acrylic paint, swiped it off right away leaving an antique look and when dry, added alcohol inks---check out the site above for easy peasy directions and more flowers, or come back here in a few days, I'll probably have more made--addictive, lol. 

This is what it looks like after cutting out.  I used only my stylus, a pen top to make the centers and my little tool from Stampin Up! to score the large flower--being careful not to go through the metal!  

You can see the 'half' daisy that I practiced on  :)

I'd like to add that these are fairly soft so I wouldn't use them on a card or album, but they would be awesome on a canvas!  And having said that, I'm just thinking that if I back them with other paper, they may be strong enough for a card, hmmmm....



Thanks for stopping by, come again  :)

Tea on Tuesday and Making Flowers

I'm up early and getting right to it today.  The sun is shining, it's going to be a lovely day!

My tea is acai berry, I love the colour and aroma!  Goes perfectly with making flowers.

I'll have to finish my buttered-up raison cinnamon bagel first  :)

I spent a wee bit of time yesterday, cuting these out, but it took almost an hour to curl the edges over the candle--but I was talking on the phone, love multi-tasking  :)
I think I'll use pearls on most of them but I got out a bunch of brads, my bead container, Mom's old button box and needle and thread.  I'll post the results when finished.

   

There are many sites and you-tube videos on making flowers. But I saw them on Gabrielle's blog  http://gabriellepollacco.blogspot.com/   She does a tutorial for them and does a beautiful job of using them on her scrap pages!

Join us for Tea on Tuesday over at Kimmies blog  http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

Arch Book, My Dad's Side

This is the 'other' side of the Arch book, showing four more techniques.  I followed along with Roni over at Ink Stains blog--check my sidebar for the link. 

I have already changed a couple of things on my Mom's side of the book--nothing major.  Sometimes when you look at something for a bit, you realize this or that could be added or fixed up  :)   

On the page that says 'good times' I missed a step in the technique.  I realized, too late, that I had not used the waxed paper!  Oh well, I like the way it looks  :)  There is a little pull-out picture tucked in behind the other pictures.

  

On the rounded arch, we were to use a page of definitions, but not having that, I wrote some words.  I didn't add much more than the photos so as not to cover my words describing my Dad  :)  

If I were to do this page again (which I'm not), I would put a sunburst window at the top and put words in the angles.  

 



If you would like to see my Mom's side of this book, check this post:

http://bitsbynancy.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-page-of-arch-book-for-this-side.html

Thanks for looking  :)

Tea on Tuesday

It's been a busy weekend with my Son and Grandson here for a few days.  I love it when the kids come to visit--never long enough  :)

But I did get some paper time.

The state of  my table never changes, just the projects on it.  Do you see my cup in the corner---coffee this morning   :)  
I'm working on the 'other' side of my house book and the other tea book.  I love it when you can work on a few projects at a time--glue dries....

And this morning, a wee bit of snow!  I was actually planning on raking the grass because the snow was gone!  Now it will have to dry up a bit  :)

This is one tea book done and sent to a dear friend for her birthday.

On the inside back cover is a picture I took from a site offering free pics and I will add that site when I remember which one!  I changed the colour to add a bit of pink.

***note  :)  this image came from Graphics Fairy, here:  http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/03/old-photo-postcard-5-beauties-profiles.html

  
Thanks for coming by and especially to all of you who leave lovely comments--Thank You  :)
Enjoy your day and if you would like to join others for Tuesday Tea or whatever your special drink is, hop over to Kimmies for the list  http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/
   

Morning Glory Muffins

These have to be the yummiest muffins ever  :)

I halved the recipe and got exactly 12.  I used muffin cups and I used apples from the freezer and chopped almonds (out of walnuts).  These are very moist and freeze well.  Enjoy  :)

Morning Glory Muffins



3 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp cinnamon



1 1/3 cups raisons

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/4 cup coconut

1large or 2 small apples

4 large carrots

6 eggs

12 oz. canola oil

4 tsp vanilla

I mix eggs, oil and vanilla then add the second group (raisons etc.) and lastly the dry ingred.  I don't get fancy and use a bunch of bowls  :)

Preheat oven to 350F

Bake in 24, well greased muffin tins for approximately 25 minutes.

Coffee on Tea Tuesday

It's coffee this morning  :)   gathering energy to get myself going and out of the house for half the day!

My treat is called Morning Glory Muffin.  They are so delicious! Carrots, raisons, almonds, coconut!  I will put the recipe up if anyone wants it.  Just don't have time this morning. 

I'm working this week on a couple of these little tea books.  I found the directions on the Zutter blog.  They are so quick, easy and sweet for a little gifty  :)

Well, yesterday I tried these organza/tafeta flowers that everyone is making--you know, the ones you hold close to/over a candle.  I have to say I charred the edges of a couple and had to trim, but all-in-all, I think they turned out very pretty and I may make more! 





Have a great day and if you'd like to see what happening  :)  check Kims blog  http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/ 

   

Once Upon A Springtime Book

I believe this book is finished  :) 

I love this paper, but that's no surprise because I love paper, period!

If it's got fairies or flowers on it, that's a good thing   :)

I'm entering the book in the  Lets Get Shabby Challenge here:  http://letsgetshabby.blogspot.com/2011/03/challenge-22.html

All the pages are chipboard covered with Once Upon A Spingtime paper by Graphics 45.  I used the Bind-It-All to bind it and added a bunch of ribbons, which I heated with the heat gun. 

The front and back covers use the front and back covers (over chipboard) of the small paper pad, thereby making good solid covers.  I made the dragonfly and the butterfly and added just a few stickles to the flowers, fairies and leaves.   

The flowers I made using various dies and punches, they all have stickles around the edges.

On the lower left there is a tiny round mirror.  You'll see another round and heart shaped mirror on a couple of other pages.  I used tape to put the ruffled ribbons on the pages.  

All the paper is from the set plus I used a bit of SU cardstock for the mats and CM lined paper for journaling.  There's a couple of buttons on this page. 

The mushrooms are a couple that I made using the same technique as the dragonfly--as seen on earlier posts with the wings.  I did a wee bit of sewing on the journal card. 

There are a few pearls on this big flower and pearls on the tag.

I love the sticky tape from Tim Holtz!  And there's the shamrock I made with the wire and crystal effects.   

I wrapped up some ribbon and stuck three little button brads to hold it together.  The butterfly here is one that I cut out and put crackle paint on. 

The little dots with the words are from the front cover of the paper pad.  I punched them out, stuck them on and put crystal effects on them.   

     

Thanks for looking,  I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did making it  :)