I've spent the last several minutes trying to get logged in. Every time I tried, google brought up my author account or my homesteading... even when showing this account. I'm so over tech issues!
I wasn't sure I'd have a video or post this morning. I've spent time over the past few days filing all of my digital print outs on to Scrap Rack spinders and eliminating one more tote bag off the office floor. While working, I started planning this week's tag. I knew I wanted to use the packaging from the bunting decor I bought several years ago. I used four packages for these tags.
I won't explain here. Today is Bob and I's 42nd wedding anniversary. I got up early to record the video. He's waiting patiently for me to go nap then we can play an all-day game of Double Triominoes.
After a horrid week last week, I'm finally getting into the flow. I'll be posting about the issue last week on tomorrow's WOYWW blog.
Today, I'm kicking off six weeks of Share the Love. While that is the title of the series, I may use papers other than the Share The Love 6x6 DSP (Stampin' Up! 2017 spring)
Each tag will be 2.5 x 5 using the Heavy Weight cardstock from Ollie's as the base. I'm also only using items from my stash.
Week 1:
You can see how this tag came together on today's video:
Coming in late this morning. I got home Monday afternoon, spent yesterday with Bob with the exception of making a short video. Bob left this morning for 5-6 days to visit friends in IL and IA so I'm on a mad cleaning spree.
I had a great time on the crafting retreat. There were four of us including the hostess. One of our group drove up for just one day to play with friends. She needed the day.
Then I spent five days at the hotel working on my book. Only a few new words but I have an order going forward. I'm hoping for a Mid-May 2026 release. Positive vibes appreciated. ;-)
Question: Do you clean better when you are the only one in the house?
Here's my desk:
The item in the top left, in front of the tool caddy, is an iPad holder with a magnet sheet for catching all of my dies when I'm working on a project. No more losing them on the desk!
Here's the tag you can't see very well:
I'm doing 31 Days of Halloween here, on my YouTube channel and on my IG account. Crazy, right?!
The background is washi tape and the item in the center is part of a thrifted treat box.
I have a theme schedule for every day of the week. Tomorrow is 'Thrifty Thursday'. Whether I'm using items I've thrifted or 'thrifting' from my stash. I have a full list of the Daily themes in the description box of each of the videos. Here is the video for Day 1:
That's it for my desk (and story)
this week. Who's Miss Sarah and why am I here?
When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Sarah’sCraft Shed for all the details. Miss Sarah has a long list of other studios you
can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We
open the doors wide and welcome you.
Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.
I got so caught up in a project yesterday that took much longer than I anticipated and I'm still not done. Does that happen to you?
So here is Day 13:
The papers are more black/ gray than they show in the picture. Even the tree. So I added a pop of color with the word snow from a strip of ribbon that had some light blue. I brought the blue in with the snowflake (which shows up better in person) and in the bling.
DAY 14:
I took a liberty with this tag by adding a scalloped mat behind the main image. I thought this add a bit more dimension as well as a bit of femininity. The trees were fussy cut from the same paper line.
Remember, if you’re
playing, I’d love to see your creations. Share on social media and tag me.
Busy morning. After feeling a bit off yesterday, I'm feeling like I could almost tackle the world but I'll settle for the massive amount of office stuff I need to catch up on.
First, here's the tag:
I used Daisy Garden dsp and the Free As A Bird stamp set. The whale tale tab is from a multiple-size set of dies I purchased from Spectrum Art Creations. You'll find the set HEREThe set comes with three different sizes of the tab as well as the ability to cut multiple at one pass through your machine. The set also includes multiple hole reinforcer dies.
Only one more day in the garden. I've decided to write the theme categories on bits of paper and draw them randomly.
Back to Make It Mail it Monday!
I have a Sterilite tub full of card kits from when I was in the Card Chicks group. Today's card is courtesy of Vikki Selix.
The paper and ribbon are from Stampin' Up! - Flower & Field (retired) The bear is from PSX.
I layered the dsp on white cardstock on a Cherry Cobbler base. I used layering ovals to punch out the bear and water-colored the image using Stampin' Up! watercolor pencils. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! A Little Lace stamp set. (retired)
I'll see you back here tomorrow for our final tag in the garden series.
Scurrying around to get some things done before dinner with Bob.
I'm finding I need to either make my tag the night before or first thing in the morning to have the best light for photographing in the morning. I'll be checking the weather next week as we're to have storms. I may need to make up & photo a few ahead just in case.
Here is today's tag:
I used retired papers from Stampin' Up! - Petal Garden 6x6 paper, Barely Banana and Soft Sky card stock.
I think the baker's twine is also SU. I braided a yellow/ white with a single strand of solid black to make the tassel.
The bee is from #T stamp set - Garden.
The embossed honeycomb on the yellow strip and the hole reinforcer as well as the sentiment are from a Cardmaking & Papercrafts magazine (2018)
Remember, if you’re
playing, I’d love to see your creations. Share on social media and tag me.
Yesterday was just one of those days where nothing seemed to go the way it should. I'm getting a late start today because I'm still chillin' from yesterday's stress.
I didn't do WOYWW this week or post Day 4's tag:
I used a Mintay paper pad - Graceful
The sentiment is from a retired SU set - Grace's Garden
Day 5 (today):
Thanks to my late start this morning the Garden Green of the foilage and the strip on the right look black. They really are green. Just waited too late this morning to have the sunlight.
The base is Dandy Daisy (retired SU), that bird is a bugawump stamp. I got it probably 16 years ago at a Scrap & Stamp festival in Collinsville MO and this is the first time I've used it. The background circle, as well as the coloring on the bird and the ribbon at the top, are Soft Sea Foam.
One of the things I'm loving most about this challenge is I'm USING my stuff!
Remember, if you're playing, I'd love to see your creations. Share on social media and tag me-
Today is MAGICAL!!! I love numbers so this one speaks to me..
02-25-2025
I see I've changed the Subject line from how I was doing it on Day 1. I will keep the subject line starting with the day.
Here's my tag for Day 3:
For this one I used one of the stamps from Garden Florals - a freebie set from Cardmaking & PaperCrafting. I also used Regency Park 6x6 paper pad from Stampin' Up!
6x6 pads lend themselves perfectly to this as I'm using 3x5 manilla tag bases I've had for over 10 years!
Remember, if you're playing, I'd love to see your creations. Share on social media and tag me-
Normally, I'd be posting a Make It Mail Monday but I seem to have picked up a stomach bug. Didn't kick in until after I'd made the tag for today but not the card. I hope to be back to regular posting schedule the first week of March, so stay tuned.
In the mean time, here is my tag for Day 2:
I used Butterfly Brilliance 6x6 pad from Stampin' Up! and the 'Garden' stamp set from Dollar Tree.
I'll be back tomorrow for Day 3 (thankfully, I made it this morning before this hit)
Coming of the great writing conference this past weekend, I barely got the videos done--let alone posting here.
Let's start with yesterday.
I made Hidden Paperclips from the cookie box packaging I've been using for the #allthingsaltered journal.
I originally made 3 in the VIDEO but realized I was out of frame most of the time so the third one from the left was the make for the final video.
Aside from the cookie box for the base, I used the same paper pad I've been using, lace & ribbon from my stash and the floral stickers from $Tree.
For today's Tag Tuesday, I made what I'm calling a French Door tag with pocket. I got the idea from a video a couple of weeks ago but can't find who the creator was. She offered a template for the tag where I just did the math, as you'll see in today's video (it's still uploading).
OUTSIDE
INSIDE w/ TAG
After I recorded, I did wind up putting a bit of velcro behind the jelly fish to help keep the doors closed.
I used Enchanted Ocean from Sara Davies at Crafter's Companion. This is also for the nautical challenge in the Spectrum Art & Friends FB group. As soon as the video for this project is done, I'll link it HERE.
That's it for me. I'll be back tomorrow with WOYWW and possibly a Friday project.
I am really battling sinus' today so not here for long.
Here is the Day 2 of #31DaysofHalloween Memory Dex:
REMEMBER: You can always check out my channel for all the videos.
I used digitals from Heather A. Hudson at My Artistic Adventures on Etsy. Here is her LINK. She has some nice vintage-styled digitals. I bought three of her Halloween themed and will be buying more.
First off, if you saw this last Monday, I made the post forgetting I had one scheduled LOL. Life is always interesting & busy when Bob is home.
I am part of Natalie's FB group - Line Dot Arrow. Lovely & talented lady from the Netherlands. I'll leave all of her links below so you can check her out.
Each week she offers a challenge. Last week (due the 13th and I just made it LOL) was to create a mixed media tag. She's just starting to play with mixed media and wanted us to explore the medium with her and maybe learn from each other along the way.
Here's the tag I made:
I sandwiched a 3.5" x 7" file folder tag between two of Natalie's digital tags. Then I took a third digital tag and torn that to create the pattern in the bottom right side. I know it looks like a pocket but I do have the piece glued down completely. I layered a strip of another of her tags on that then added a fussy cut image from the same tag as the triangular piece. The oval at the top is from her digitals as well. I used all of her free digitals from the Facebook group. I want her SPRING BLOOM COLLECTION but waiting for money to transfer to my paypal. The laces as well as the burlap, leaf and tag tie were all from my stash. I made the dangle from part of an actual dangle attached to a wrapped paperclip. Both the wrapping and the 'thank you' were from one of the digital sheets.
Mixed Media can mean different things to different people. For me I think pattern, texture, fabric/ lace, metals. I would like to have added some texture paste/ stenciling but last week was crazy and I didn't get to the FB group until Friday - when the challenge was due! LOL But that's pretty much how I roll most of the time.
Here's her video for the Mixed Media Tag:
Our next challenge is to make a stuffed Paper Bag. Not sure what that entails? Check out Natalie's video as she begins constructing hers:
You will find all of Natalie's links via her linktr.ee
With eleven projects in my arsenal I thought I'd share another one today. With the cold air in a lot of parts of the country (did you see the snow in AZ?), I thought this tag was perfect to play with.
I used STAMPERIA - Cozy Winter. I added a double layer of Cathedral Lace ( Hobby Lobby), fibers I had in my stash and Crystal Stickles. I cut the tag using a Tim Holtz largest tag die.
In this side of the tag I cut the basket of gifts, the tree, and the individual presents from the fussy cut image sheet and layered everything. I added stickles to the ornaments on the tree.
For this side, I centered the die over the sentiment in the 6x6 paper pad and added stickles to the florals and cotton boles. This was actually the front. I chose the music sheet for the back based on the wording here.
I'll be back tomorrow with Week 3in the January Color Challenge.
Start with a Mango Melody cardbase - 5-1/2" x 4-1/4"
Cut a piece of DSP 5-1/4" x 4" and layer on top of the card base
Cut a second piece of DSP 3-1/4" x 4-1/4"
With this dsp portrait 3-1/4" wide across top & bottom - cut from the top left corner to the bottom right.
Glue to card front
Cut a coordinating piece (You could also use a piece of Mango Melody) 1" x 4"
Stmp the sentiment on a piece of either the DSP (as I did) or from Basic White cardstock, then cut out using the 3rd smallest layering circle die.
Line up 2 Stampin' Dimensionals across the back of the circle - lining up with the Thank You. Place on the card.
For the tag, you'll need a piece of 3" x 4" then cut to make the corners. (Directions in video HERE
Cut a piece of ribbon 3", fold in half then staple to top of the tag.
For the inside of the tag, cut a piece of Basic White cardstock 4" x 5-1/4". Stamp a design on the inside using the Flowering Tulips stamp set then add a note or additional sentiment.
Your card is ready for the mail!
I'll be back tomorrow with a belated Card Chicks card. Until then...
I am way later than I wanted to be with today's post. I'm still trying to get scheduling in place. I'll be more effective with that after Bob leaves on Tuesday.
Bob has decided to semi-retire in October, which means I have six months to make this an active day job with a routine we can work with. Wish me luck! LOL
I chose to make a tip in pocket with coordinating tag. I gotta tell you, this project drove me nuts! I put the prototype together in about 10 minutes but every time I tried to film a walk-through I messed everything up - 4 times! LOL
Technically, this post is supposed to go live on Monday the 12th. But the deadline to enter a challenge is today so I'm scooting in under the wire.
I love taking part in challenges. While I've had good intentions in the past, I've never gotten very far.
Challenges are a good thing. They encourage us to stretch our wings and we can be inspired by what others are doing.
This week I'm at Crafty Cardmakers. Challenge #204 encouraged us to 'Get Inky/ Messy. While my tag doesn't look very 'messy', there was a fabulous shade of Metalic Amethyst infused Gesso on my mat. After creating the background for the tag, I brushed the remaining gesso on the 2-page spread in my junk journal designated for all things purple. Then I spritzed water on the mat and swiped a piece of white cardstock through the remainder to clean up my work surface. Nothing went to waste.
I was inspired to do a large tag by one of the gals in the Splitcoast challenge. She is using a 4x12 tag. I went with a 4x10. When I'm done this year, I'll bind them into a tag book.
I cut a 4x10 tag from a manila file folder. I mixed the white gesso with the FolkArt Metallic Amethyst then brushed the entire surface of the tag. After the tag had air-dried a few moments, I gave it a spritz with watered-down Folk Art Metallic Antique Gold
This next part may scare a couple of you. Shhh don't tell Tim Holtz this next step.
I cut his Wings embossing folder apart! Then I set it back together, aligning the folder so the image nested properly. Then I taped the folders together on one side to create a hinge. This allows me to place the embossing folder anywhere along the tag I want and still have everything line up properly when I close the folder.
After running through the Vagabond, I brushed Brilliance Moonlight White Ink using a finger dauber over the raised surface of the wings.
Remember that piece of white cardstock I used to clean up my mat? I cut an oval from the Stampin' Up! Stitched Framelits, using the largest oval. I used alpha-stickers from The Paper Studios to spell Achievement. The gold star was from my stash.
I laid down a strip of washi tape from the new Stampin' Up!Myths & Magic collection. then glued the oval over top. The heart lace edging at the bottom was from a sticker pack I bought at $ Tree several years ago.
The image is the focal point for this tag. I found the quote on the internet. After cropping the quote out, I printed it on vellum. I tore the edges then glued to the tag. The fibers are from my stash. I thought they paired well with the colors and the wings.
I'm happy with how the tag turned out. Our next one is to do a collage about our word. Hmmm this one is going to take some thought.
Remember to come back next Monday when we have our own Color Challenge! But I'll be here tomorrow with a Tea Pot Tuesday card. Come be inspired!
I'm a bit behind getting this tag posted but the February tag became a revelation for me. While Tim encourages us to do our own thing with his challenge, I make an attempt to stay within his colors - something that is not the norm for me. However, I just could not get this tag to play nice in that vein. So after the second attempt I decided to use his techniques when possible but to play within my own color pallet. For me, that is a soft, Victorian style most of the time.
This is how my tag finished out. Third time really is the charm:
MY SUPPLIES:
Manilla Tag Base
SU ink - Real Red & Pink Pirouette
Sizzix die cut heart - Heart #2
Book Pages
Prima and The Paper Studio papers
Fineabair Stencil
Royal Longnickel rub on
Lace remnant
SU Mini scallop punch
mini heart punch (to create stencil)
Valentine pin
TIM Items:
Small Talk sticker
Ephemera - Thrift Shop
Photo Booth
I used his background technique with a stencil from Fineabair. The hearts were a stencil that I made with my small heart punch and the texture paste/ gold emboss LOVE was done using an ABC stencil from Plaid.
I distressed the tag all over with SU Pink Pirouette then stenciled with SU Real Red. The flowers were punched from book pages and a sheet of floral paper from The Paper Studios (Vintage Amore).
First, I distressed the scrip sheet with Pink Pirouette then I punched all the flower layers with the SU Mini Scallop. Then I alternated a book sheet with the Vintage Amore flowers and secured with a jewel brad to create the 3 flowers.
The heart was punched from a script sheet out of the Prima 6x6 pad (Printery). I distressed the sheet with Pink Pirouette and edged it with Real Red. Then I heat set the ink before adding Dimensional Glaze and let this dry over night. I also applied the glaze to the '14' paper bingo chip from Tim's Ephemera Thrift Shop pack. The little label tag is from Tim Holtz. I added a rub-on of a Feb. 14 xoxo postage seal from Royal LongNickel rub ons.
The sentiment - 'I'm happiest when I'm with you' is from TH Small Talk and truly expresses how I feel about my Valentine. The charm on the end is a pin I've had in my stash for a long time...
okay, not the best pick but it was 5:30 a.m - without coffee ;-)
Once I stepped into my favorite color pallet this tag came together pretty fast except for the drying time.
Each Monday's post will be dedicated to Mixed Media. For me that narrows down to three main areas - Art Journals, Tim Holtz, Mini Albums.
I've always wanted to do Tim Holtz's tags but just never made the time or space. Last year, while I was between studios, I attempted the tags for the first time and loved the TWO I made. This year, I have the studio and am back at them. If you missed my January 2016 Tag, you can see it HERE.
One of the other things I want to do on Mondays is to revisit some of his old tags... tags I wanted to make but never did. This week, I've started with his very first tag... 12 Tags of Christmas 2007 - Day 1.
I liked playing with the colors. Tim's version HEREcalled for using his Crackle Paints. I did not have those so I chose Folk Art colors and a bottle of crackle medium. Here's the thing... Use HIS crackle paints. By using paints and medium separate, you have 3 steps... aka 3 drying times. With Tim's - just ONE step - one drying time. You can bet his crackle paints are on my shopping list now!
I also did not have a Santa stamp. (Another item on my 'buy' list). So I chose the vintage sled from SU Winter Memories, as well as the sentiment. The 'S' is from Colorbok Monogram grunge board letters.
The tag came out very bland and you can barely see the stamped image. After letting the tag sit for a couple of days, I tried again. When I painted/ crackled the first background, I had enough paint to do a second base - so I did. No wasting paint and I'd have another base for something down the road. Didn't realize 'down the road' would mean 3 days LOL
On the redo I stamped the image in VersaMark then embossed with Midnight Black. I also punched a snowflake using my SU paddle punch. I coated the snowflake in VersaMark then embossed with a custom mix embossing blend.
For the background I used Folk Art Linen. Then I blended SU Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke along with TM Distress Ink - Vintage Photo. The sentiment is stamped on SU Very Vanilla then I toned the color down with the Vintage Photo.
The snowflakes in the background are from a Studio G stamp using Brilliance Moonlight White.
I'm diving into Tim Holtz's tag series again. I fell off the wagon in March of last year due to frustration. Frustrated at not having my tools where I could get to them or the right tools. I'm hoping this year will be different.
So first thing this morning I went into my studio to start on the tag .... and couldn't find the crate that holds over 100 pre-cut tags. I know they are in that room somewhere because the cabinet they were in is in the room... and has been for several months. However, I've not paid much attention to getting the mixed media side of the room organized. That was the project for last weekend but a horrid sinus infection moved into two cavities and I didn't do much of anything but sleep all weekend. While I'm making progress in the room, I still have a long way to go to have everything the way I want them.
This year Tim is mixing things up a little bit. He is going back into archived tags to put a new spin on past techniques. For JANUARY we are playing with metal tape (available in plumbing at your local home improvement store). Here's the tag I came up with:
You can see his list of supplies by clicking on the JANUARY above. I did not have some of the items he used so I improvised.
MY SUPPLIES:
Manila Tag Base
Foil Tape
Folk Art Paints; Licorice & Whicker White (substitutes for Black Soot & Picket Fence)
Brilliance Moonlight White ink
Stamp: InkaDinkaDo
Darice EB Folder: Assorted Clocks
DCWV Black cardstock
TH: Word Band (Live In the Moment), Spinners
Foam adhesive, The Paper Studio Washi
I failed to do any of the heat embossing or crystal effects. I might redo this one later. But for now, I'm thrilled to be playing again.
There is still plenty of time for you to join us! Go HERE and share your creative journey!
I will bump this post to Monday for my regular viewers but for now I needed to get this uploaded and linked over at Tim Holtz' challenge. Today is the last day.
Thanks to my creative friend, Angela Radford at Felix the Crafty Cat for acknowledging my blog on her Tim Tag post. Not only was she also down to the wire for getting her tag in but she was one of the 12 tag winners for February. Congratulations! I hope you'll pop over and see her beautiful tag - made from Tim Holtz Fabric!!
After studying the elements in Tim's SAMPLE tag, I've had the ideas brewing in my head while I finished that article I had to turn in yesterday. So this morning I could sit down and put everything together. I did the base last night then the embellishments this morning.
Never mind the shadowing over the bottom part of that #14 heart. That is a reflection from the window. I will be thrilled to have a real lighting set up in the new studio.
One thing I have decided is that I think all of my tags will incorporate a key somewhere on each one. Tim had an arrow on his tag (ie cupid's arrow) but since I did not have one, I opted for the key and that's where the 'key theme' came from.
