The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #14; Moving Parts... Baa, Baa, The Found Sheep!

     As I ended the last blogpost with; we attended "America", the 70's band, in Lafayette, (Indiana) with our Besties and I really enjoyed it. It was a Bucket Lister item for me- since I was a little girl and first hearing "Sister Golden Hair". They played just about everything as they ran through all their albums over the years. A truly enjoyable evening- hot though it was for others!  July 4th roared past in a frenzy, as we were blessed to be able to keep all three of our Grandbabies with us here in our home. The younger couple Kids were back in Indiana for a short week of surprise vacation before Nuclear Engineering Son reported back for some intensive training up in New York. Older Son was off also, so we had a great family day on Saturday the 2nd and then all of our Besties, as well as all of our Kids/Grands again, on Monday the 4th. My favorite holiday with all my favorite people- you can't get more blessed than that! And I am so very thankful! Funny; I always had a hard time getting our own 2 boys to pose for anything, and when it came to picking out the best photos, I notice the Apples don't fall very far from their Trees. Starting with trying to get that first one of the 3 together on July 4th before the fireworks began... only mine. Oh, GOD bless me; only my Peanut can keep doing that, lol! From there, it was a trip back to Lafayette for Columbian Park: same place the new Ball Park is, as well as Water Park, an awesome Zoo, and not only SIA-donated play parks all around, but a train ride as well. (The Carousel was not in operation.) The three babies absolutely love animals- the oldest wants to be a Farmer. They totally enjoyed the Zoo, and the little Pygmy Goats totally enjoyed jumping up into Pawpaws lap, lol! The intense heat over those days made us get in plenty of time in the pool at home with our 3 "fishies" who can't get enough of the water. The last thing we did was get to have lunch with ChiefHubby's Dad- retired FF of 30 years. Last chance for Memaw to snap one more good pic...or not. But they're all mine, and I love it!

    When this newest challenge leader came up with the theme of Moving Parts, I thought it was a great idea and automatically started piling up my TH Gear and TH Gears 2 dies, as well as lots of IdeaOlogy items, and thought this was my chance to make a killer shaker card! While I was at it, I started working on the next Sunday School Lesson for my PreK-1st Class. To test my idea of a candy holder, I got out the die for it and the pattern (I keep one in every die just for quick looks). I used some temporary tape and stuck the candy I chose (puffy "cotton" candy) inside. As if the crinkling was not enough (I can feel the "noise" I just know it's going to make in Church (which comes after Sunday School), the shaking of the candy inside was DEFINITELY going to make NOISE. That would annoy my ChiefHubby to no end and that was not good. Last time he was annoyed by my choice of treat: Peanut had his packet of trail mix falling out, but each time he bent over to get what fell out, his packet ended upside down in his hands and spilling more out. It was a never-ending process that seemed to have everyone around us snickering well into the sermon. So that's why I was testing this idea out a bit. However,... while shaking it, I happened to glance over at my pile of Tim Holtz stuff and had one of those moments of 'breaking the 4th wall' while shooting a film- you know; the character looks directly at the camera in a "DUH!" moment. Why not use THIS as my "Shaker" for this theme?!?!

I started off with the basic things I thought I might use.

In order to get the Bible Verse or wording needed, I use my computer.

I have made up 52 Lessons that coordinate with the "101 Favorite Stories from the Bible"

(by Ura Miller) which is our PreK-1st main Bible. It has one page with the story and verses

found from The BIBLE, as well as one page for a photo matching the story. Very simple!

I was saying in my TFJB Saturday Challenge; Pirate's Chest 

how I was done with the TH Black Kraft Stock for a while. 

I lied.

The leftover pieces from that project proved to be just enough for this project!

I was able to cut "legs" for all my sheep- using one of the label dies included with the pillow cut.

Note: This TH Alterations Pillow Box Die is off the Movers and Shapers sets and is retired. 

My TH Scissor 7 inch Snips  (and Shears and Mini Snips)

are my go-to scissors for all my Sunday School Lessons.

They're a VERY important tool all around in my life!

Next, I die cut the Pillows using the middle Circle from the 3-set of Movers and Shapers Circles.

This allows a window to appear as the Pillow is cut.

Here is the correct placing (worded side up and at top with Circle on bottom end)

to get the words into the INSIDE of the pillow box. 

I save the Tim Trash- wrappings from Tim Holtz products purchased at

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

 in this case, I used a large celophane wrapper and cut it into 12 squares

then rounded the edges of those squares by fussy cutting with my TH Sheers.

I save all my tape ends from other projects and it's usually enough for the things I need

for Sunday School Lessons. This is a plain double-sided score tape.

The assembly line begins.

I've been ordered to cut down on my beloved Diet Coke to one can a day.

By this time; I was dying for one!

Just follow the SHEEP!

But wait; there's MORE to this Lesson...

I really should have been done with ALL the Lessons by now, but thanks to Covid19, I still have 

about 6 or 7 left to make entirely. The rest are all finished and can be found in my 4 file boxes. Each Lesson is complete with printed sheets to copy off and cut, fold, assemble as needed before 

teaching the lesson to kids ages 3 to 7. I teach cutting, but it depends on how much time we have.

Each child has their own tool caddy, filled with washable markers sets and colored pencil sets. Each also has a tablet "Bible Journal" for their verse from the last Sunday

to begin by pasting into their Journals as I hash over what it was about & ask questions if they remember. Then we begin the new lesson. I always have games, and am totally hands-on

so, they can actually touch, feel, try-out, and learn firsthand. 

I take this 'job' seriously and am very aware I will be judged for my teaching.

As long as GOD supplies what I need (by supplying my ChiefHubby), I'll keep doing HIS work!

"Goliath" the 9-foot giant whom David fought, just went to a week of Camp with the ChiefHubby.

We went table-less for the lesson in this photo, and

there are more things on the wall than this photo taken in 2021 (Jonah and the Whale).

I have anywhere from 4 to 10 kids in my class, including my 2 oldest Grandbabies.

We've had a busy 2022!

Tools, such as dies, glues, scissors, and work surfaces are important no matter what you

are crafting; a card for adults, or pillow box candy holders for kids!

Here's a list of links for tools I used on this project, 

and most others, on a weekly basis in my Sunday School Lessons:

Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents

Tim Holtz Tonic Studios Kushgrip Snip w/Non-Stick Blade & Cap 7"-Small

Tim Holtz Dies and Embossing Folders 

Sizzix Dies and Embossing Folders

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Kraft Stock, Black

Once again, it's YOUR TURN!

Keep it as simple as you like, or as complicated as you like.

The most important part is to keep it YOU:

Your artwork is unique and special- unlike anyone else's!

Be sure to follow the rules for this 

MOVING PARTS theme at

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog

Sponsored by

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

I look forward to seeing YOUR PROJECT !

Until next time... 

Stay Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!

The TFJB Challenge Blog Challenge #18; Let's Do It Again!... "Love You To The Moon And Back"

    Oh my goodness; those Grandbabies of ours! I always said that we were blessed with our Sons, and then they in turn, blessed us with Daughters. But Grandchildren just have to be straight from GOD to our heads as crowns of rewards! These first two are just too precious for words, and it's got us looking very forward to adding the third baby come November! I keep trying to think of the words that fit the emotions of love you feel for these tiny humans who seem to just latch onto your hearts even more than your own babies did- IF that's even possible! But, oh, that first time they look straight into your eyes, grab onto your finger, and especially- that first smile and laugh... pure Heaven!
     Honestly, when The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog announced the theme for this one; I knew there would be MANY things I wanted to do - or more aptly put; Redo. After all, everyone just loves a 'Do-Over' and it's only a repeat of previous fun, right? But what if there's something you never seemed to get right, and you just wanted ONE more chance... or two. Or three. I've included at least 2 techniques in this project that I really enjoy doing. And, let's be fair here; the one thing I really hated doing was going to either make- or break- this project with my constant failure to make it turn out right. So lets jump right in and see what happened...

I started by getting out everything I knew I'd want to use for the background

I've been wanting a do-over on.

This time around...I really REALLY worked that ink in!

I took my time and just kept blending the colors I wanted and 

worked in a shape of a highlighted area to look like ground-meets-sky.

Think "Joshua Tree National Park at dusk".

Then I took an old toothbrush and slowly worked on spraying the top to middle sections. 

Next was trimming away the excess to form a large Tag.

Then using a TH Stencil- Dot Fade- to add a little bit of highlights,

and used the TH Spritzer to lightly spray some Distress Black Soot Marker around. 

Edging the Tag with the TH Distresser and then giving it a depth with some

TH Distress Regular Ink in Black Soot.

Some TH Paperie in Correspondence made a good background trim-

as well as support cardstock backing.

A Bestie (who is an extremely talented painter), suggested adding some highlight in white paint,

so I used a bit of TH Distress Paint in Picket Fence with a tiny headed paintbrush.

After Distress Inking and heating, I kept crumpling, sprinkling water, and reinking,

until I got the desired look I wanted- on BOTH sides of the paperie.

This side would be the FRONT trim around the Tag...

...and this was planned for the BACKSIDE of the entire Tag.

I gathered everything I thought out in my head as to what was going to be the theme.

I began with the main feature- the MOON.

Inking, embossing, drying, until it was perfect- in MY eyes, anyway.

Then, it was taking the TH Dolls out to play again.

This is what happens when you put all your TH Dolls away,

and keep feeling throughout the day that SOMETHING is in your shoe,

but each time you take it off, you find nothing.

Because she finally fell off my foot and I was able to catch her and put her back

into the package from which she'd escaped. 

I sincerely hope she didn't get upset at the ones I ultimately chose... & go after them.

Luckily for those chosen; they have copies LARGER than her! lol!!

After putting some sets of TH Transparent Wings to a few 'kids' TH Dolls,

I chose a young couple just married- and added some bits of color to the flowers 

with Distress Markers (Spun Sugar, Peeled Paint, Barn Red, and Mowed Lawn).

And I wanted to use some Flower Soft I got earlier this spring on a Destash.

(THANKS 7 Crafty Sisters !!! LOVE you gals!!)

THEN I finally got ready for the MAIN (dreaded!) EVENT;

Tim Holtz's Chalk Embossing Technique.

CLICK HERE for TECHNIQUE

Back in 2014, during the making of that Tag; I actually gave up

and just used white embossing. But- like any perfectionist- it stuck in my mind.

Starting out, I cut 4 pieces of black cardstock, thinking I'd get a good one by the 4th try.

Hahahahahahahahaha !! Right.

I did this step EIGHT TIMES until I got one I thought was going to work out ok.

Again- I did this step also 8 times...

… and each time, I THOUGHT I got it right.

But along the way, I learned a couple of things:

1) keeping the stamp clean is an easier way to avoid a messy looking blob...

… and much like humans- stamp pads aren't perfect either.

2- A big lesson was learning to LOOK at the shape of my pads in order to make sure the ink

was correctly covering all of the stamp's face. That helped a lot!

It was important to get the right amount of ink in order for the

TH Distress Embossing Powder to stick.

3- get the TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS POWDER!

I found that most of my problem was from the "other" powders- they just weren't the same.

Out of 8 tries, I let the ChiefHubby choose which looked best.

He chose the same one I thought was best- the very last one.

It was time to add a few touches of more Do Over... a leftover TH Faceted Heart

became a faux rusty heart.

And some TH Crinkle Ribbon (SCORE!!) treasure found at Tuesday Morning...

...along with HUGE TREASURES of TH Assemblage (SCORE!!!) found their

way into my cart veeeery quickly!

I had a good idea I was going to use at least one of these on THIS very project!

And lastly; one more Do Over on the backside:

Cutting out a silhouette using a photo. 

I actually found a color cut of one I did earlier and thought I'd go ahead and use it

as a "then" in color up against the silhouette of a black "now". 

The idea came together in a pretty cool way.

The babies have grown- all three with the last in utero-

but this Memaw has managed to lose 25 pounds since this photo.

Doctor's orders, with another 18 pounds to go. Fun. But I feel better!

Here's the end result:

FRONT

BACK

Transparent Wings got them up there!

Rusty faux Faceted Heart...

with that TH Crinkle Ribbon; yesssss!

That Assemblage was perfect to show off

"The Cutest Grandbabies in the WORLD"!

Texture on the moon is dope!

My fave IdeaOlogy: TH Heart Charms.

And a camera charm- clearance deal from The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

That sweet seal again.

Flower Soft just ROCKS!!

Not too shabby a job!

I figured out how to just GENTLY rub the chalk, not SCRUB!

The fun of an interactive flap on a Tag...

And that's a wrap for this Challenge!

Big THANKS to TFJB Challenge Blog Design Team for the

beautiful inspiration they always have, and for the work they put into it all!

Another THANKS to

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

for sponsoring the Gift Certificate drawings each time!

I've been asked WHY I only follow one Challenge Blog/

The answer is simple:

I found it at a time when I was ready to 'go public' with my crafting.

The site was helpful and the people were all VERY ENCOURAGING!

I have since made many friends through The Funkie Junkie Boutique and Blog,

and following just the one has been more than enough for me.

I am very blessed to be able to do just that, and it's been all GOOD!

BE SURE: to check back in on

Thursday; August 29th,

when I will be Guest Designer for 

TFJB Challenge #19!

Until then...

Be Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!