Place value mat

I had to make this place value mat for math class I think it came out pretty cute. It's just a creative fun way to teach place value. I'm thinking I may make a set with Disney cars theme for when my nephews are older. I was sitting here cutting out the hearts after laminating them and thought why didn't I think of that sooner. Grrr. I was thinking I can get the little micro sized cars and make a little garage to symbolize the tens place. I'm going to have to get on it. This stuff is what I love about teaching. The other day I was thinking how it seems like creativity is being taken away with the electronic portfolios and appr. I want to be able to create posters and fun things to help kids learn not buy stuff out of a catalog and teach based on a test. And pray that the kids performance makes me look good. Luckily I don't have to worry about some of the stuff right this second. The life of the sub/grad student is pretty nice. We will see what my future holds when I'm done with school I might just stick with subbing for awhile. Time will tell.

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Valentine's party get together

Well this past Saturday I had a get together at my house with The Queens of the Vintage Room.  I made them mini whimsy jars which included these little handmade rosettes and no these were not made using Tim Holtz die. I don't have that one yet and haven't figured out how to use the long dies with my cuttle bug yet.  I made them using a scallop punch.  You can find the directions on my friend Maura's blog Two Crafting Sister's.  They were really easy and came out super cute.  I also made the ladies Eiffel Tower place cards from the Cricut!! I just haven't taken pictures yet.  This will be one of many blog post I will make this evening cause I've been bad and haven't been posting, but I have been doing crafting so I guess its not a bad thing to be back logged on the blog entries.   

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Fun with the Cricut

Well Today I had in my head I wanted to work on cutting a few things from my cricut (of course using my gyspy)  So I sat down and cut out some paper hearts to put in my craft room window for Valentine's Day and I made the 3-D Eiffel tower just because.  Yesterday I altered a few baby food jars for an up coming art gathering.  I just cut K&company paper into strips, cut a bunch of heart out using a sizzex die with my cuttle bug and embossed Happy Valentine's Day in black embossing power.  I think they are simple but very cute.

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Valentine's Day Altered Tag(s)

tags 1 and 2 side by side

Tag 1

Close up of the altered "Be mine"

Tag 2 close up

Back of tag 2

Back of tag 1

So I was inspired after completing my first tag for the Tag swap in the Vintage room, so I moved on to the next month already.  There are a lot of techniques used in this tag.  I started with a blank tag then I inked it (using the blending tool) using Tim Holtz distress inks (Spun Sugar, Victorian Velvet, worn Lipstick).  After letting it dry I took heart shaped paper doilies and put it half on and half off the paper then sprayed with Brick Tattered angel glimmer mist, then lifted the heart leaving the pattern on the tag.  After letting that dry I put a light coat of Distress crackle paint (clear) over the whole thing.  I let it dry before layering stamped images in Vintage Photo distress ink and stickers.  The metal "Be Mine" embellishment was originally pink with would have went fine with what I was doing but I wanted it to stand out so I used Tim Holtz idea from this years twelve tags of Christmas and painted it with white paint then covering it with embossing power (white) then heat embossing.   I think it really makes the tag more eye catching.  At the end I added Glitter glue and some ribbon and altered pompom trim ( spray with Brick and Cupid pink glimmer mist).  Now I'm moving on to March already.   Pin It Now!

Love Blocks and Paper Roses

I have been working very hard on these 2x2 blocks.  I'm not going to give you every side because it would be picture overload and I don't feel like uploading all of it tonight.  Blogger needs to do something alittle different for their picture up load I don't like the current one. Any who I also created a bunch of Paper roses.  I was told that I could create the Tim Holtz grudge paper roses using water color paper.  So I borrowed a similar flower punch to the diecut that Tim uses and went to work.  I played with color, stamping, and glimmer to get different effects.  I really love making these, but I dont' have the patience to wait for them to dry, but it didn't much matter if they were still a little wait. Here are my pretty creations.

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Valentine's and Winter theme

I have been busy today finishing up some projects one of which is due next weekend.  Besides that I haven't really done much today because I spent all day yesterday for company my parents were having over, so my house is already pretty clean.  This morning didn't start out so well.  I awoke to my bedroom a lot colder then it should have been.  I over heard my parents disscussing the furnace and decided it would be a good idea to stay where I was.  Warm under the covers with Penny and Raven.  I got up at my usual time and got ready for the day as my mother waited for the repair guy, who couldn't repair our furance she went off to work some time later and I got to wait for the second repair guy, so what else can I do but sit in my craft room with a cup of tea and create.  I completed these two pieces.  The First is my LFB page for next month's meeting with the ladies can you tell I can't wait to go back I already complete the page for it which I normally wait till the last second. I am beyond inspired by Valentine's day.  I love the Reds and pinks it means we are getting closer to spring and color in the world no more bare trees, cold weather and snow.  Don't get me wrong I like snow just can't wait for it to be gone.  So lots of V-day art to come!!

The other project has been kinda hanging over my head for awhile.  It is an altered Chipboard mitten.  I love the idea just not the idea of create something celebrating the cold.  I just didn't feel it... I think it is not my best work.  I have moments where I feel this way.  I don't even know if I want to trade it because to be honest I wouldn't want my own in return.  If that makes sense.  I already had the front started so I kinda had to stick with it.  I thought about doing a valentine's themed mitten but that would mean starting over and I don't want to start over!! So here it is my boring altered mitten. 

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Valentine's Day LFB pages

Well yesterday evening I spent some time at my local stamp store Stampassion and did some creating.  It was a wonderful evening that got me out of the house for a couple of hours and allowed me to visit with some friends (old and new).  And by old I mean friends I have only known for a year or so but couldn't imagine life without now.  Now normally when I visit the ladies for LFBC I don't get much done.  I use it as a social time and get easily distracted by all the goodies in the store, but last night was an unusual evening I guess.  I completed 2 LFB pages.  One for my self you can see on the left and one for a trade the one below.  The theme for the trade was Valentine's day and we had to include three inchies from other artist.  I find it fun to create a two part trade.  Something different.  I'm always looking for something different it keeps me creating.

Well I'm off to do some organizing in my scrapbook room maybe some purging.  I might start a new friend on scrapbooking and I love to pass stuff off to the next person who will use it cause I'm not. Enjoy and keep on crafting!!!

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Who knew...

Something so small could make such a big mess.


This is Tabitha fault. I was playing around last night and getting frustrated that I could not produce three concepts for three atc in our Effil Tower swap, so I decided to play with my new valentine's day supplies I picked up yesterday when I went to Micheal's with my grandmother. So I created a couple inchies which lead to more inchies and in total I ended up creating 9 inchies last night. So in total in the last two weeks I have created 15 valentine's day inchies. Addicted for the moment much. lol Pin It Now!

Yippie I created some art

Well I said I was gonna get back to work in my art studio and I tried. I sat there for awhile the other day... and nothing I pulled stuff out and looked at mags for inspiration... nothing. so I did what I normally do when I'm not inspired I walked away and bummed around for a couple of days then created 80 invitations for a baby shower for a friend with my mom, said friend's sister and my bestie Tabitha. I'm proud of them but I really wanted to do something in the altered art relem of things. Well today I decided was the day. I took apart my vaccum and cleaned, vaccumed my rugs, did some dishes, played with the dog, cut the cats nails, uploaded pictures to facebook and then I finally made myself go in to my art room and start working. I picked out the images, stamps and anything valentine's day-ish and started to play. I have only done inches once before at christmas time and Tabitha told me the rule of thumb was an image, a word, and a little do-dad (aka gem, etc) to me this concept is too simple. I of course had a hard time going from a 12x12 page to an 8x8 page, then 8x8 to 6x6 as a scrapbooker then Tabitha pushed me to play with 2 1/2x 3 ATC then of course LFB which are 4x4 and now 1x1. So after making my first one for this swap I thought that was too simple so I gave myself I little challenge. The six inches I needed to make needed to be contected some how so I came up with "Love is..." each inchies includes a word that completes that sentance. And yes those words are no completely true in the real world cause nothing is perfect. lol, but it work with my concept. Enjoy my "Love is..." inchies and hopeful I will be posting more art this evening and then again maybe not. TTYL Pin It Now!

Heart art

I bought these cute hearts at micheal's awhile ago not sure what to do with them, but today I pulled them out and started painted with Tim Holtz Distress paint. Then I made a little trip with my gram to Joanne's and got some pretty copper embossing powder to use a long with some new stamps. It took some time but I figured I would drill holes into the hearts and hang them where I plan to put some cute short curtains to hide all my moms "other" craft stuff. I really like how these came out. Pin It Now!

Busy busy busy

Well I have been super busy lately with ATCs. I'm loving do these little works of art. I am a member of a couple of yahoo groups. One is HUGE and the one is small and local. The big group is good for some swaps, but I will focus more on my local group. So would you believe that I completed these all in about a week!! Like I said super busy!! Enjoy!

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Long time no Scrap

Okay I haven't scrapbooked or blogged in awhile. I recently started to sit down in MY NEW scrapbook room (I just moved) and have been creating some stuff. I couple of pages of my new cat Raven and his brother Smokey(my brother's cat) and some ATCs and LFB pages thanks to my bestie and fellow tree killer Tabithia. SO I figured I would share at least my atcs and lfb pages. I will have to clean up my scrapbook room then take pictures to share.

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