Red Lead Paperworks 100 Day Project Swap

I haven't done any stamping in ages, but I couldn't resist when I saw that the Art Sisters (Chris and Sharon) at Red Lead Paperworks were doing an extraordinary thing - swapping mail art with everyone who sent mail art into them.... for 100 days! They're doing this as part of the 100 Day Project, where people pledge to do art every day for 100 days.  They're posting lots of their own projects on social media - check out their Instagram feed here: https://www.instagram.com/redleadpaperworks/

I think I used a dozen different stamp sets for this folding tag. I had fun doing all the pockets with lots of inserts.

Love the quote by Victor Hugo.

The little butterfly girl with the hat is retired, but I thought she was so cute doing her little "egg-laying study," patiently watching and waiting. (She's available in a slightly different form, linked below.)

Here's a list of some of the stamps I used - many that I have are retired, so in some cases I've listed similar images, in case you're interested (*not* a sponsored post - I'm just a fan and purchased them all, over the years!)

Bird Watch Bird Rubber Stamp

Paris Rubber Stamp Madame Visits the Eiffel Tower

A Bird Sweetly Singing Songbird

Bird Nest Feather Your Nest

Dear Art Girl Rubber Stamp

REDlead Valentine Swap

Back again with another swap - this time it's RedLead Paperworks' Valentine swap, which included two sets of a tag, an ATC, and a little folder to hold them.

My first set included a cute couple from the Ancestors Collage Sheet 100.  Lots of sprays, papers, and embellies on this one, along with some stamping using the Love is the Music... stamp.

The ATC in this set uses a ticket image from the Valentines Tickets stamp.

The wings are die cut using Tim Holtz's Layered Angel Wings die from Sizzix.

Next up is a set using a lot of the same stamps and dies...

The image on the tag is from the Ancestors 48 collage sheet.

That cute little wooden key can be found here.  And an ATC for this set -

As a last little add-on, I made a couple of embellished paper clips.

I always enjoy REDleads' swaps!

RedLead Christmas Ornament Swap

I love making Christmas ornaments, so of course I had to participate in RedLead's Christmas Ornament Swap.  We received two, 2-piece chipboard ornaments to alter.  For the first ornament, I used white paint, modeling paste, a star stencil and glitter to create the base.  The image is from RedLead Christmas Collage Sheet #27, with a background stamped using the O Christmas Tree stamp.  I embellished the ornament with some beads and baubles, a brass snowflake, a rustic snowflake that I painted and glittered, and some vintage trim. (Please excuse these horrible pictures - I had to take them with my phone because my camera was temporarily out of commission.)

For my second ornament I wanted to create a mercury-glass type of effect.  Don't know if I really succeeded but it does sparkle (more than my phone photo can show!).

The images (both in the center and the snowman charm) are from the same collage sheet (#27).  For the mercury glass effect I first used white crackle paint, then a layer of pewter rub-on paint, then clear gloss, into which I sprinkled silver glass glitter while it was still wet.  Here's the back:

Still not a good picture but maybe you can get the idea.  I added some more baubles to the bottom of this one too.  Here's the pair:

Can't wait to receive happy mail in return!

RedLead Pocket Letter Swap Details

Back again with some details about my RedLead Seaside Summer Pocket Letter Art Swap.  The letter required three ATCs using RedLead stamps and/or collage images.  I chose to use two collage seashell stamps for two of my ATCs...

For the starfish collage I embossed in white over an alcohol ink background, then glued gold micro beads into the starfish shape. I stamped the image again on vintage text and cut out the starfish definition. The tiny starfish charm was from Alpha Stamps.

I used a similar technique for the seashell collage, then colored the text side with chalks and colored pencils. Added some wire and iridescent beads for accent.

The third ATC uses Stars of the Sea Ticket stamps, stamped on vintage text and colored with Copics (the text did better with the Copics than I had anticipated). The music was from another stamp set (Bird Watch). I also added some "raindrops", cheesecloth, micro beads, and a tiny shell charm.

The remainder of the pockets could be anything, really, but the guidelines suggested die cuts, ephemera, photos, a bit about ourselves, stamped art, etc. I did a little greeting and a short chat about myself inside a bifold ATC:

I used some Darkroom Door montage images and stamped images to fill in the glittery diecut.

I included another collage-style ATC using a free image from the RedLead website.....

And filled the rest of the pockets with goodies.... seam binding in seaside colors wrapped around a misted and stenciled tag, a set of diecut sanddollars and starfish with cut out words and cheesecloth inside a pocket with another collaged tag, some vintage clip art that I downloaded from The Graphics Fairy and resized to ATC size and altered a bit, and finally a vintage "Ocean Pearl" mother-of-pearl button card.  Oh and one more ATC from a while ago...

This swap was so much fun!  I can't wait to see what the others have done. 

RedLead Seaside Summer Pocket Letter Art Swap

I'm participating in the Red Lead Paperworks art swap for July/August, which is Pocket Letters.  This is the first pocket letter I've ever done, and I'm totally hooked!  You use a trading card sleeve and fill it with ATCs, tags, ephemera, crafty supplies, a letter to the recipient... pretty much anything goes.  The theme was seaside summer, which I love!   The three ATCs in the center row all use Red Lead art stamps.  I'll have more pics of the individual components when the sun cooperates for me.

Ravens with Gingersnap Creations

If you love all things Poe, all things Halloween, all things spooky.... check out the new Random Redhead challenge over at Gingersnap Creations - Ravens!  How fun is that?  Well, I can tell ya, I had tons of fun with this one.  I started with an extra large chipboard raven from Red Lead.  I painted him black, then went a little wild collaging all sorts of scraps to make him a party bird.  I had tested out my new Halloween stamps from Stampotique in the margins of some vintage sheet music.  I just couldn't part with that little scrap, so it became the bird's belly (my sick sense of humor... a cat in a bird's belly... yep, I'm losing it!).  There's some vintage German text, and scraps of old Halloween paper.

He's wearing a dapper hat that is actually a stamp from Red Lead (retired?), stamped in orange over patterned paper.  Also stamped some bats, added a rhinestone eye, and a beak from some scrapped alcohol-inked paper.  The ruffle is crepe paper edged with stickles.

Mmmmm, yummy kitty, LOL!  The "Nevermore" is made from stickers from the Apothecary Emporium line.

The bit from The Raven poem is from *this* stamp, stamped on an alcohol-inked background scrap.  (You can see some of my messy embossing... I just went with the grungy-ness of it all.)

And, if you need a bit more incentive to play along.. there's a wonderful Alpha Stamps giveaway to be had by one lucky participant in the Raven challenge.  Fun stuff, I tell ya.  I hope you'll check it out!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Where does the time go???  I'm coming along slowly with my Halloween pennants for my swap... here are two that feature a Paper Whimsy image (the girl, along with a hat from Lisa's Altered Images), and stamps from Red Lead (the small ravens with Poe quotes) Oxford Impressions (large raven and ouija board), and Tim Holtz (Halloween ticket).

Lately I've pretty much had time to scrap only on the go, and even then, I haven't done much.  I mentioned in my last post that I was feeling mojo-less and wasn't even happy with my gluebook pages.  So I will share... the good, the bad, and the ugly.....

First up, the good.... those little cuties are my dad and his twin brother, and the sentiment is from a piece of vellum patterned paper that I've had in my stash for centuries....

Next up.... a Poe page that I am basically happy with.... it's just that I cannot for the life of me seem to complete the page next to it.  There are some scraps in the foreground that I'm trying to use... I think I just might have to actually stamp or go gather something "real" from my stash that will work.....

Okay, as promised, the ugly.... this is waaaay too busy.  It seemed a good idea as I was putting it together.  I closed it up, ran off to some school event or other... came back and opened it up again and really had to say "What was I thinking?!"  But that's what's so great about a gluebook - you can try things, experiment, and if it doesn't work out, it's no big deal.  All you've done is use up some scraps that weren't making it into anything else anyway!!  Totally forgiving, and really, a learning tool.... a record of what does and does not work.  (I'm trying really hard not to rip this out, LOL!!!)

Still hoping to find more time to visit all of your lovely blogs.  Unfortunately, today I have to go out and spend way to much money on a dishwasher... ours totally gave up the ghost (I had been making do with certain features not working, but now it's finally dead and not worth fixing).  I've been spending all of my time online trying to figure out which models are best, etc.  But I'm tired of doing dishes, so I'm buying today no matter what, LOL!  Have a happy Wednesday. 

Halloween Pennant Swap #1

My local mixed media group is swapping individual Halloween pennants this month... it's 10 for 10, so that in the end, we have a banner (bunting?) that will fit across a doorway or small mantel.  I wanted to use up bits and pieces of Halloween papers, stickers, images, etc., so I'm making them all different, so of course, it's taking me forever!  Normally I would probably fly right through this (I loooooove Halloween!), but I'm having a prolonged period of totally missing mojo.... I just can't seem to get out of it, everything is a huge challenge.  I don't even like what I did in my gluebook today... maybe I'll share that tomorrow, the good, the bad, and the ugly....  full disclosure, LOL!  Ah well, we've all been there, right?  I'll stop whining now. ;)

Here is the first installment of my swaps.  Collage and stamped images are from Red Lead, Crafty Secrets, Oxford Impressions, The Graphics Fairy, and Lisa's Altered Art.  If you have a question about a specific image, just email me, I'll let you know what's what.

I hope your week is going well.  The kids are back in school this week, trying to get back into the daily grind.  It means I have extra time to craft... just wish that ol' mojo would join me. ;)  'Til next time.... have a happy.

Tag Tuesday - Orange and Black

The new Tag Tuesday Challenge over at Blog Challenge Garden is Black and Orange and Not Halloween or Autumn Related!  I knew immediately what I wanted to do, thanks to tons of inspiration from Godelieve's blog, Stamping Matilda.  I adore her work, and she has been doing a dictionary series that is gorgeous.. you can see the posts HERE.  I thought this challenge was perfect for a little CASE of that work.  The butterfly stamp is from Red Lead, colored with Prismacolor pencils.  The little flower stamp is from Oxford Impressions.  That's all for now... I've got a new Gingersnap Creations challenge piece coming tomorrow - hope to see ya then. :)

Paint Chips and Fibers Swap

Just a quick little share today.... my mixed media group had a swap, and the criteria were to use paint chips and fibers in some way.  Bookmark tags were the first thing to pop into my mind (I'm always in the middle of a book, and so is my daughter!).  Here are a few.  I've used stamps from a variety of sources, including Rogue Redhead Designs, Tim Holtz, Red Lead, Oxford Impressions, Unity, Serendipity, and Darkroom Door (umm.... yes, I'm a bit addicted to stamps, LOL!).  If you have a question about where to find a specific image, feel free to email me.

Hope everyone has a happy Friday and a great weekend!

Tag Tuesday - Postcards

This week's challenge at Tag Tuesday is Postcards - use a postcard, have the word postcard on your tag, etc.  It's a 2-week challenge this time, so there is plenty of time to play along.  I have desperately needed some challenges to try to summon my still-missing mojo!  I sit down to create something, and it's like it's advanced calculus or Greek or something - what a struggle!

Anyway, the deets: the beautiful image is from Paper Whimsy.  I covered a manila tag with Tim's tissue tape as a base.  Swiped some red ink across the bottom and added the lace trims.  The "postcard" stamp is from Stampin' Up!, and the butterflies are from Red Lead (colored them with Copics and popped them up a bit).  Also added a little red postage stamp and some flowers.  Things were looking kinda "blah", so I framed the image of the girl in script patterned paper, then went to work with some colored pencils to sorta define certain areas.  Finally had to just say "done."  After walking away from it for awhile, it's growing on me.  I might add some Rock Candy Stickles to the butterflies.  Or not.  Hmmmmm......

Hope your week is going well - stay warm, snow-free, artsy and crafty. ;) 

Tag Tuesday Orange + Black

The Tag Tuesday challenge at Kard Krazy for the next *two* weeks (Louise is apparently going to be partying so hard she will not have time for tags next week, LOL!) is Orange and Black.  So fun, cuz you can go Halloween, or *not* Halloween, as Louise did with her gorgeous birdie tag.  I of course chose to go the former route, since I still have a bazillion Halloween 6x6's to make for my swap, and I thought a tag on a page would be nice.

This tag uses a Red Lead stamp of a classic vintage Halloween postcard, which I colored with Copics and shabbied up with Distress Inks.  A chipboard button, some ribbon, some vintage text (my fave things), and a glittery swirl in place of a string - all fun, all done.  (P.S.... I just went to the Red Lead store and can't find this stamp at the moment.... it may be out of stock. Send them an email if you "need" this stamp - ya never know...)

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather wherever you are. :)

P.P.S.  If you haven't already, you can comment for a chance at my blog candy by clicking HERE!

Haunted - Gingersnap Creations Creative Connection

Hello friends!  It's Friday and the beginning of a beautiful weekend. :) Today I am participating in a Gingersnap Creations Creative Connection (GCCC).  The idea is to first create a piece of art using a particular theme as inspiration - and this month's theme is "Haunted." Then, once you've posted your piece to your blog, mention my post and the Creative Connection post on Gingersnap Creations.  Whoever is inspired by the post on your blog should similarly link to both your blog and to GCCC.  We all "craft it forward" so to speak, and see how far we can get this connection to go.  Sound like fun?

I heard about this month’s "GCCC" - Haunted - from Aisling of Aisling's Hobby Blog.  Her piece is delightfully spooky and has a theme similar to mine.... that's all I'm sayin', you'll have to go check it out. :)

For my piece, I created a 6x6 stamped collage inspired by my very favorite poem to read around Hallowe'en. All (but one) of the stamps are from Oxford Impressions; the "Raven" ATC stamp with the quotes from the poem is from Red Lead.

For the background I used the glimmered distress technique from Technique Junkies.  I then built the collage with stamps, some directly on the background and some on separate cardstock and cut out.  The "lace" is stamped on vellum and embossed.  I popped up the tombstone and the little raven just a bit for dimension.  This page is part of a 24-page (!!!) Hallowe'en swap I am participating in locally.  Since everyone's tastes and styles are different in the group (very fun, BTW... since I love all kinds of styles and can't settle on just one, LOL!) I decided to do a set of spooky/scary/macabre and a set of vintage shabby chic not-so-dark pages.  So next up is one of the latter: 

The adorable Hallowe'en postcard is from Clearly Vintage, and the batty stamp is from Cat's Life Press.  The background is the same as the one above (glimmered distress), plus I embossed it with a Cuttlebug pumpkin folder.

For both pages, I left about a half-inch area on the side free of embellishments (the right side for the first one, the left side for this one) so that they can be bound in book form - I will paste the two sides together, forming one page.  I am writing this here as a way of cementing this idea in my head so that I don't forget to do it for the next ones, ROFL!!! 

Hope you've got fun plans for the weekend.  We're all about the sport, of course, and hopefully some more fall decorating as well.  Have a beautiful one! 

Butterflies at Tag Tuesday

A fun little tag for Louise's Tag Tuesday "Butterflies" challenge over at Kard Krazy.  If you like butterflies, (even just a little bit) you will want to check out Louise's *gorgeous* butterfly tag book - Oh! My!  Absolutely stunning. (Be sure to check the challenge post and her newer post, which shows the inside.)

For my tag, I used my new Butterflies 2 Defined stamp from Red Lead (they are *so* becoming one of my fave companies, I tell ya.... another addiction), and some absolutely yummy paper from Crate Paper (the new Restoration Line, makes my mouth water).  Some Copics, lots of distressing (in both ink and edge distresser form), some rub-ons, some brads, some crochet trim, some vintage text.... all favorites. 

Hope you're having a fantastic weekend - the weather here is gorgeous (finally "only" in the 80s, LOL!).  I'm being naughty and doing nothing but reading outside on the deck, crafting, and watching the US Open (go Roger!).  Hope you're getting inky. :)

Tag Tuesday Crowns

Just a quick little post on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  The sun is out but the sky is white here..... rather too humid for my taste.  So I'm tucked away, cleaning and crafting.

This little tag is for Louise's Tag Tuesday challenge this week, which is Crowns.  I got some new rubber and had to try it out, crowning the "king of birds" - the Bluebird, of course, LOL.  The main stamp is from Red Lead *here* - a new favorite company of mine (to add to my many other favorites!).  The papers are from Kaiser's Secret Bird Society collection in 6x6.  The little crown is out of one of those Making Memories Vintage Findings kits - still lovin' those, too. :)

Hope the rest of your weekend is peaceful and fun.