Enjoy the journey...

Yes some mornings I need to remind myself of this as I lay awake hours before the alarm goes off. Sleep is not my friend lately so this morning I decided to get up and make the most of it. I had my challenges tag finished before the Tin Man even got up for work!

I felt a little cheated with this one because I used some paper that already had the background collaging done for me. That's the part I quite like to do the best. Well it did make for a quick tag.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Kard Krazy- "postcards"

CCC- Pg. 56

Simon Says Stamp and Stripes

If you haven't checked out the Challenges on these blogs yet, get over there and enjoy some wonderful creative works.

Friends tag.

Yes another tag challenge over at Kard Krazy for Tag Tuesday. The theme this week is Friends.

I thought I'd try something a little new to me for this tag. I seem to be drawn to a lot of scrap booking blogs and videos lately. Do you think it's trying to tell me something, like get those boxes of photos off the pool table and get scrapping! Oh maybe that's the Tin Man sending me mental vibes again! LOL.

So I decided to try a scrap page layout that I came across recently. It's called the L design because you use some kind of L shape to frame your photo. Of course mine is backwards but sometimes that's the way things work out. It was a quick and easy layout to do and definitely makes me think more about trying to tackle all those boxes of photos. But where to start!!

Hope you're having a great weekend and finding some creative time to yourself.

Tag challenges.

It's been a busy week visiting so many wonderfully talented OWOH participants. I've received so many lovely comments that I've added 2 more tags to win. If you haven't entered yet there is still time to do so here until Feb.17.

I did find a little time to make some tags for a few challenges this week.

The first is a Valentine's tag for Red/Romance Theme Thursday over at Sheila's blog. I'm loving the red theme for this month. I already have next weeks idea ready! Go share your link for something red/romantic.

My next tag I'm going to enter into 3 challenges. First is Compendium of Curiosities (CCC) at Studio L3 blog. This week we were to use the technique on page 41 called Rusted Enamel. This was a new one for me and I think I would use more ink on the top layer next time to give it more of a rusted look but it came out okay anyway.

The second challenge was Simon Says Stamps and show some embossing. Well the stamping is always easy but I just had to go look at it again to see if I did stamp although it's odd when I don't have some kind of stamping on whatever I'm working on but it was there in the background, just a few swirls added. I love to emboss and there is just so many different ways to do it that it was just a matter of deciding which way to go. Well obviously I chose the metal embossing. I used a new mold I got recently for Ten Second Studio for the zipper and dress form. I just love this one and have been waiting for the right thing to put it on.

The last challenge was for Tag Tuesday over at Kard Krazy with the theme "tag on your tag". I had this tag almost finished when I found out about tag Tuesday's theme and I had planned on using a Graphics 45 element so it worked out well to use one of their tags.

So once again I've managed to combine a few challenges into one tag. So much fun.

Early Valentine's...

It may seem early for Valentine's but that's the theme this week over at Kard Krazy. I pulled out a stamp that I've had for a few years but have almost never used. When I first got it I didn't know much about the different kind of inks and when I tried it out the image didn't work very well since it was so detailed and I was probably using pigment ink, so I put it away and kind of forgot about it. So when I was leafing through my binders of stamps and came across this one I thought it was time to try it again since it would work so well for the theme. I used VersaFine ink and was amazed at how well the image turned out. It definitely won't be so long until I use this stamp again.

I'm also entering this tag into the Compendium of Curiosities challenge over at Studio L3. I've been wanted to try this since I got the book for Christmas but just haven't been able to squeeze it in. The theme was Weathered Wood Grunge on page 50. I know it doesn't look like I made any weathered wood but I used the technique on the hearts. I hadn't used this technique yet and I think it turned out pretty good for a first time.

I actually made a few more Valentine's tags today but I'll share them with you another day. I'm making them for Laura who is going to be bringing them to a few seniors homes on Valentine's Day. Isn't that a great idea!

Tag Tuesday

Yes I know I'm so off my days but such is the creative movement this week. I have such great intentions to try more challenges this year but the time keeps slipping away. Oh well such is life. I did get my tag done this week. The theme over at Kard Krazy this week is "a bit of fabric". I had visions of making an all material tag but then I realized that would entail using the sewing machine or a needle at the very least and that just wasn't going to happen this week. So I pulled out some scraps of material and used my die cutter to make my bird. Wow how easy is that! It cut the material really well, definitely something I'll be trying again.

Go check out some of the other amazing tags over at Kard Krazy. I'm off to finish an Art journaling page.

Mosaic tag.

Almost didn't get this posted before the next tag Tuesday challenge over at Kard Krazy! So this will be a quick post. The theme this week was "mosaic". The first thing that came to mind was some kind of paper mosaic. Then I remember a technique I did a few years ago on some cards. I cut up lots a different sizes of paper and used embossing powder for the "grout" . Lot's of fun and a great way to use up scraps.

Now on to some journal pages!

Tag Tuesday

Hey I had time for a little fun this week. It's been so long since I've done a Tag Tuesday challenge I thought this one was an easy challenge to get me back into it. The theme is Black and Orange. And although it wasn't necessarily for Halloween. of coarse that's the first thing that came to mind so I went for it.

I'm not actually a huge Halloween fan. We live in the country and don't get any trick or treaters and with no little kids anymore to take out we ignore it for the most part. I don't even buy those little chocolate bars for the Tin Man any more. How mean is that!! Well someone has to have some self control around here.LOL!

So my tag is made with a back ground of Distress Inks and Glimmer mist. I put them on my craft sheet and then smoosh(yes that's the technical term) the tag around into it. All the elements are from the seasonal grunge package. I have very little left of this package other than the Halloween sheets. So I thought this was the perfect time to use them up. They're all inked up again with distress inks and a few are frosted with some stickles for a little sparkle. An easy peasy tag, maybe next time I'll be up for a bigger challenge.

Check out some of the other participants over at Kard Krazy. See what people can do with Black and Orange and not all are Halloween.

Thanks for stopping by.

Butterfly tag.

It's been a long time since I've done the Tag Tuesday challenge over at Kard Krazy. I've checked it out a few time in hope of finding the time to do a tag but alas the time did not cooperate. So when I checked the theme for this week and saw that it was butterflies, I had to agree with Louise that it was an easy one and I too have more butterfly stuff than even I realized.

My work table was already set up(read overrun) with card making supplies since I've been taking some time to replenish my card stock for up coming shows. So all I had to do was change my stamp choices from sewing to butterfly and away I went making a tag and some butterfly cards. If only tag tuesday always fit into my work schedule so well!!

The main stamp with the girl with butterfly wings I found still in the package not even mounted yet. (Shame on me!!) What a beauty she is. How could I have left her unattended for so long. So now that she's mounted I'm seeing some shrink plastic jewelry for her future.

I'm off to move son #1 this weekend. I'm not sure if there's room for the lap top in the truck so blogging may have to wait for next week. If I can sneak it in without the Tin man noticing I'll keep you posted.

Have a great day!

Steampunk tag

I had a lovely day yesterday at the Perth Farmers Market despite the rainy start. After having a recuperating nap when I got home I stayed up late working on my tag for this week.

The theme over at Kard Krazy is "A few of your favorite things". Well I've never been good at deciding my favorites because they change from day to day or is that moment to moment, so I guess these were my favorite things last night.

Of coarse just playing with a tag is a favorite of mine. I started off with distress inks and glimmer mist as a base and then just as in my daily life I used music for my background. I had some gears already cut from Tim's new gear die so there started my steampunk theme, a new favorite fascination. Another all time favorite is metal embossing so I used some brown Ten Second Studio metal with their new Time kabuka mold. Add a little alcohol ink and it's ready to adhere to the corner. I love old keys, I've been using them in my jewelry lately, so it's seemed a given that my favorites should have one too. Added a few more embellishments here and my favorites was revealed.

Music Tag

A little late in the week but here is my Tag Tuesday contribution. The theme this week at Kard Krazy is music.

This was great timing because I recently bought a large sheet music stamp that I was able to use for the background. As usual I started with Distress ink and Glimmer mist for the background colour. The image is an old photo is from my collection of vintage photos. A few flowers, some lace and it was done.

Time to go check out what everyone else has created.

Back to tagging.

After missing a few weeks of Tag Tuesday I was glad to get back at some creative tagging.

The theme this week at Kard Krazy is By Your Own Hand meaning write or draw or do something of your own making.

It got me to thinking about my Art Journal which I had every intentions of working on each day but lo and behold it didn't happen. So I thought I'd get out my Art Journal box of stuff that I had put together for it and use it for my tag. I started with an extra tag already inked and glimmer misted that seem to always be hanging around and just started to doodle and play. I thought I would just doodle a bit and then go find some stamps and other things but the doodle bug got me and before I knew it the tag was complete. I know what Louise means by not liking your own hand writing but a while back I decided to ignore those thoughts and just let the creative process flow through me. What ever happens...happens!

Although this tag is a little out of my comfort zone it was a lot of fun. There was a time where I would never have shown any one this kind of work but I think it helps to share all of our creative endeavors even when they're not our best work.

Glitter Tag

Here's my tag for this weeks Kard Krazy challenge finally. I didn't think I was going to find the time to get one done this week but I managed to work on it this morning while I was working on a scrapbook order. The challenge this week was glitter. I have some glitter but don't use it much and I definitely wasn't in a glittery mood for this. I seem to be stuck on my Graphics 45 papers and some fairly new flower stamps lately, so this tag turned out similar to a few others I've made lately. I've been out cleaning the gardens so with that on my mind as I created this vintage gardening tag. The glitter I used is Ranger distress glitter. I like it because it's so easy to use and is subtle which works great with the vintage look of this tag.

Now I think I'll go check out the other glitter tags.

Have a great weekend!

Two Tags

Well it's Tag Tuesday again over at Kard Krazy and the theme is to use a word or saying that inspires you. I found this weeks theme just happened. I love when that happens. So I made two.

I had two tags sitting on my work space already base coated with metal and a few different kinds of texture mediums. I was experimenting for another project I'm working on. I thought I'd use every kind of texture medium I have and see how they react with the tag, paint and inks. So I covered one tag with metal in one corner and Frescolino and Crackle Texture past in the center and the other corner. The other tag I covered with Relief paste and Modeling paste along with the metal. Then I used paint to base coat one colour and added Distress inks and Glimmer mist with stamping, applicator and masks. The clock on the Journey tag is my first ever shaker bubble. I used the acetate from a Ranger package for the bubble and stamped the top with Stazon. I wasn't sure what to fill it with so I used some seed beads and glitter. I think next time I'll skip the glitter it seems to be sticking to the acetate so you can't see through it very well. Oh well create and learn:)

Did you make a tag this week?

Now I'm on my way over to check out the other tags this week. Come on over with me and take a look here.

Oh yeah and if you haven't checked out the beautiful jewelry over at the Vintaj blog, their is still time to vote for your favourite.

Tag challenge

I'm really enjoying these tag challenges. Well anythings wonderful that lets me play with my tags and ink and glimmer mist and stamps and...oh how I love my stuff.

I was thinking while doing this tag though how odd the creative muse is. I thought this would be a really easy tag to do with just a sketch to go with but it took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I started off with a tag that was already misted and was still sitting on my work table from doing Easter tags and cards on the weekend. The flower is a stamp set I haven't used too much yet so I thought this would be a good time to try it out. It's stamped on grunge board and then cut out and inked and misted. The semi-circle is a piece of scrap I found that just needed a little extra ink and glitter. The border and Create sentiment were made from metal scraps. As you can tell I love to use my scraps on my tags and card. You usually only need such small little bits so it works out really well.

I'm off to check out the other tags from this weeks Tuesday tag challenge over at Kard Krazy. Have you seen them yet?

Black and White Tag

Here's my tag for this weeks tags challenge over at Kard Krazy. The theme this week is Black and White. This was a little more challenging than I thought it would be. I've never thought of myself as very colourful but I guess I'm not just black and white either. It was hard not to but at least a little bit of some kind of colour on the tag. Well that's what challenges are for!

Tag time

I found some time to participate in Kard Krazy's Spring tag challenge this week. I actually made a few tags but this is my fav. Hope you like it! Head over and check out the other tags on her blog.

Quick tag

Just had to do a quick post for my tag before leaving for the weekend. We're on our way to Toronto and Oakville to visit family and son # 1 while son #2 looks after the dog who needs a little extra TLC right now.

I found this website last week Kard Krazy that has a tag challenge every Tuesday. How awesome is that!! I didn't get to it last week but finally found a little time this week to get one done, so here it is. So check out her web site to see the other tags.

Oh yeah, the theme for this weeks challenge is Arches. It was a bit of a challenge for some reason but I did manage to get an arch on my tag.

Oh, and the little orange head in the corner is made of UTEE. I got together with two amazing friends Sheila and Renee for an afternoon to play with our melting pots. So this is one of the pieces I made.

Have a great weekend.