Here's Frankentini...

I got my hands on some of the new Appletini Metal from 10 Seconds Studio today! Yup, that and the new Slate. I haven't done anything with Slate yet but I already know what I'm going to do with it, I just need some time. Maybe after this blog post. Oh, yah, and if you're interested, I bought my Appletini and Slate at the Scrapbook Cupboard. Bev got all the colors in today! Maybe they will last until my class on Sunday, maybe not. This stuff is HOT, HOT, HOT!

So, when I woke up this morning, I thought Gee, you know I think that new Appletini Metal would look cool as Frankenstein. And I had the perfect stamp to do it...

After I made dinner tonight, while waiting for the trick or treaters I made this card. I call him Frankentini...

I thought I'd also share a bat that Bryce and I made a few weeks ago. It's cute. Bryce might only be 5 but he loves to play with the metal!

And now, I can't sign off without sharing a picture of all the boys dressed up and ready for some trick or treating.

I hope you all had a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Have you seen the latest Taco Tuesday?

Taco Tuesday is the name of the series of videos that 10 Seconds Studio makes. They publish a new one online every Tuesday. This week... it's hilarious! I've had the pleasure of meeting Megan and Cheryl and they are a hoot! Funny, funny ladies! These gals know how to have a good time. I met them in April at my certification workshop. Both women are witty, funny and extremely talented! If you've got about 15 minutes of time to spare this evening, check them out. This week was a funny Halloween special.

Cheryl and Megan made rings this week and it got me thinking. You know, I haven't made a metal ring. I've made all this other jewelry from 10 Seconds Studio metals and molds, but never a ring. I guess I'm gonna have to call Megan and order me up a ring tomorrow!

So... when Robin Beam was at the Scrapbook Cupboard in April, I made a beautiful piece from an Amate blank...

I made a few more than that but I couldn't place my fingers on them just at the moment.

When Robin left, I had begun thinking about expanding the metal into jewelry. It seemed a no brainer. So I put some metal into Amate blanks, Ranger Memory Frames, created some of my own pieces too... I held this class last July at the Scrapbook Cupboard. But I still love to pull them out and look at them!

Here's a close up of some of my favorites...

I even created a little video on how to make these beautiful butterflies. I was pretty happy with myself when these came out. They have a nice sturdy backing that I covered in fabric so when they lay on your skin it's not sharp and believe it or not, I've never had a problem with the antennas. They've stayed on nicely. The one on the left is made with aluminum metal wings colored in wild plum, eggplant and butterscotch alcohol inks. The body is made from the Dark Chocolate metal. The right one uses the same colors on the wings but it's over the Pearl metal, a subtle difference, huh? And the body is made from black metal. The wings are made from Big Daddy Mold Number 2 and the bodies are made from Big Mamma Mold Number 10.

Now what do you think? It's metal just great!

Getting ready...

This coming Sunday, I'm teaching the Metal Bookbinding class again at the Scrapbook Cupboard. So I'm going to be cutting the kits tomorrow. But, I have a few fabulous pictures of the inside and outside of the book and I thought I'd share. I didn't do any art today but it's top priority tomorrow. That and laundry (does it ever end????) I hope you enjoy the pictures. I LOVE this little book. It's surprisingly sturdy for starting out as metal foil, chipboard, a little floss and white cardstock...

I hope your day was artful!

A spooky good time ...and some art too!

Another busy weekend, I feel like every weekend is busy. I guess that's just my life. Friday night I taught the Have a Shiny Christmas ornaments class at the Scrapbook Cupboard, I got home late and then had to be up early the next morning to get ready! Caleb's cub scout den went to C.N. Smith Farm to a haunted hayride. Of course this one was during the day so not too scary but enough. I took loads of photos and I'm gonna share here so that the Grandparents, Aunts and Cousins can enjoy. But if you're here for the art, don't despair... there's art here. Some new and cool art too! See below.
What started as a beautiful hayride turned into a scary scene!! I was so busy taking photos of the scenery and then...

I nearly fell off the back of the wagon! The I just thought that last headstone was perfect. Orange U. Scared. Yup, for a moment, I was!!

The family went home, I did some laundry, we had lunch and then headed off the the cub scout's pack meeting. It was the Halloween party. Check out Patrick's costume and how much fun the boys had...

A fun filled family day. We needed that! Sometimes life gets so busy you can forget about what's important. I love my family time. I'm so glad we spent the day together having fun!

Then today I spent at the Scrapbook Cupboard. We had a fabulous Holiday Bus Tour. I was feeling quite inspired by some things I have seen lately and after I created the metal embossed Naked Trees, I really felt like I could push this idea further. So here they are...

I'm so happy with these that I've already made it into a class. The picture on the left and the picture in the middle is done with the dream weaver paste and stencil. The picture on the right is done with dark chocolate and pearl metal from 10 Seconds studio. I'm really enjoying this product.

Tomorrow I've got to make a wreath and finish putting together those Harvest Canvas kits.

Harvest Canvas...

A few months ago I created this Canvas from Beeswax, UTEE, Perfect Pearls, To Dye For, Mica and a few other things...

I taught the class at the Scrapbook Cupboard on October 10th and we only had a few people sign up. I ran the class and those that came did a phenomenol job. Well, since that time, the canvas has sat on the shelf there at the store and people have been going nuts over it. So, I'm going to create a kit. My job tomorrow is to type up step by step instructions for it. Then, I'm going to have to heat up my melting pot so I can create those leaves to put in the kit. I know not many people will have those. Anyhow... I was thinking about submitting it to the Ranger Ink Link Group. Their challenge this month was a Harvest theme. Perfect, right? Well, it's a challenge and it was supposed to be made this month. And I made this in September so it doesn't really count. Oh well. I did post it to Suze's Yahoo group so she could take a look. I hope she likes it.

Now, if I can only find what I need for a Winter themed one. People are asking. I'm gonna have to do some searching... anyone know of an online store with some cool Winter themed decorative napkins?? If so, send me an email or post here...

ATC's

Forget Artist Trading Cards, I should start calling it my Artists Traded Collection. I took a look through these tonight and I've been creating and trading ATC's since the Fall of 2005. What a wonderful, beautiful collection I have. Take a look at this book...

It's still got room to grow!!

Tonight was another great ATC night at the Scrapbook Cupboard. There were 10 different, unique and fabulous cards created. Take a look at all the wonderful cards traded tonight...

We had a last minute drop out so I created two of them for this swap. These are my two...

The one on the left is red paper that was run through the cuttlebug in the distressed lines embossing folder. I then swiped the 'hills' with white pigment ink, and embossed it with white UTEE. I cut half up and folded the sides to look like a tent. The collage photos inside and on the top is from Inka Stamps. And the ATC on the right has a circus tent. The tent and little guy is from a Close to my Heart stamp set. I embossed the tent in red and cut out. The background was stippled using Frayed Burlap Distress Ink from Ranger, a green dye ink from Close to my Heart and Sail Boat Blue and Cloudy Blue Pigment Ink from Ranger. The little guy was colored in using a white pigment pen and a red slick writer. Oh, yah and the grass area has some Ice Stickles swiped on it.

It was fun to create these little masterpieces. I really enjoy this swap. I'm looking forward to the next meeting!

Stencil Tutorial!

First, let me say that I had a wonderful class tonight at Blue Hills. I met some wonderful women and their wooden keys all came out wonderfully. I believe they are all hooked on metal now! (maybe there should be a support group!) Our next meeting is next month where they are going to cover a Maya Road chipboard journal. Thanks ladies, for a great class. I'm so happy that you all had fun.

Now, I had a couple people ask me about the card in the previous post. So I decided a tutorial was in order. I've tried uploading it as a slide show. I hope it works...

Let me tell you what I used... RockStar Black Metal, Dream Weaver Naked Tree Stencil, Cuttlebug, Spellbinder Charm Mat Set, Sanding Block, Humungo Adhesive, Inky Binky (or paper towel), alcohol ink applicator, ginger applicator, cardstock, distress ink.

If you have any questions about this tutorial, let me know. And let me know if you try it. I'd love to see what you did!

Family Fun and a Fresh New Technique!

I've had a busy weekend, again. The family went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday night and by family, I mean, My Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister in Law, Nephew, Niece, Sister, Sister's Fiancee, another Sister, Husband and 2 Sons. There were 13 of us, out for a Hayride and to pick pumpkins. After the Pumpkin festivities, we went back to my house, had pizza from Venus Cafe and Cake with Ice Cream for my Sister in Law, Jess. Her birthday is on Tuesday. Happy Birthday, JESS!!! Here are a few pictures from the hayride, not many as it was dark and my 'good' camera is broken so I had to use the small stand by. These are mostly from standing in line waiting...

After everyone left, I remembered that I needed to make a card for Theresa Winters. Theresa was at the Scrapbook Cupboard today. She taught two fabulous classes with several demos. The amazing things you can do with those Dream Weaver Stencils! I took photos of all of her demo boards and I learned a trick or two while helping out. So, anyway... I remembered at about 12:30 AM that I wanted to make a card. So, I grabbed the only Dream Weaver Stencil I owned (the Naked Trees), the Cuttlebug, alcohol ink and some Rock Star Black Metal from 10 Seconds Studio. Here's the card I made...

Here's a picture of some of the things I used as well as the metal before I used Ginger Alcohol ink on the trees...

It's kinda funny to look at that photo. It almost looks like the stencil with black paper behind it, huh. But that's embossed metal with a Dream Weaver Stencil. Very cool, indeed! It's a super easy technique and I think I might embellish a little on it. I see a bat floating in the foreground and maybe a moon in the background? Or maybe I'll do this with regular aluminum and then alcohol ink it to have a purple-blue hued background and brownish black trees. Hmmm... The things I could do with this stencil. It's a good thing I ordered a few more, I'll be having fun playing for a while!

Up next, I need to make 10 ATC cards for the swap on Wednesday. Circus theme! I'll post pictures when they are done. I already know what I'm going to do, I just need about 10 more hours in my day...

Lots to share...

I've been busy the past few days. And kinda moody. ...Not enough sleep, I've been up late reading Stolen by Kelley Armstrong. I know I should go to bed before 1AM on a school night but the book is just what I was looking for and it's only quiet here late. I've been walking everyday and while walking, I've been listening to music and then when working in my studio, I've been listening to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It's a good story too, written for Young Adults. I'm almost done with that book and then I'll start on Eclipse and hmm... I don't know. Maybe the new Demon series I saw that Jennifer McGuire is reading.

Anyhow, I promised some photos today of what I've been working on. Here they are...

I joined a Rolodex Swap a while ago. Long ago when I had more time to spare. Now, I've found myself several letters behind (we're doing it alphabetically) but I'm happy to say that I'm just about caught up! I'm working on the "M's" and they will be done before tomorrow night! Yah!! As for some other things I need to work on, well they aren't done yet. But I'm still plugging away. Let's see, I'm not usually good at telling people what I used for product but the women on the right, I printed those from a collage sheet and I must give kudos to the owner. I bought the collage sheet, Flirtation from LunaGirl.com. It was cool that I could buy and print immediately, just what I was looking for!

I promised a while ago that I would share the gargoyle. Well Caleb was sitting at my desk yesterday and noticed the heart shaped mold and pour that was there, waiting for me to do a test run on my Sister's wedding centerpieces. He asked what it was for and when I mentioned told him it was used with the melting pot, he asked if he could see. So, today after school, I pulled it out and poured a heart. He wasn't happy with the heart, didn't I have something else? Something "cool"? Well, of course I do! I have a gargoyle! So I created one for him and one for me. Bryce requested the Fleur de Lis (of course he did!). Here are Caleb and my Gargoyle's hanging out by my haunted house...

I told you they were cool!

I have a few cute stories and pictures to share... When Caleb was sitting at my desk yesterday he was playing with my trimmer. I don't care, as long as he didn't cut what I was working on. He didn't. When I went to start working again last night, I found that he had been stamping! Now, this is something Caleb never does. He used to draw ( I wish he would some more...) but now he's in between. He's not quite sure what he wants to do. Although, now that I think of it, I should take a photo of the piece of art he brought home yesterday. I'll take one tomorrow of him holding it! Anyhow, so I went to sit back down at my work station and this is what I see...

I'm getting such a kick out of it... him calling himself, "the boy". Too funny! Caleb has grown so much over the last two months. Emotionally and academically. He's bringing home 106's on Spelling test and 100's on Math tests, I'm thrilled that he's doing so well. It had been a struggle there just to get him to sit and do his homework but finally now, he does it with minimal problems. I'm happy for him and so proud!

Bryce has absolutely loved school since day 1. But he's grown a lot lately as well. He rides his scooter or bike every morning to the bus stop (ok, it's the end of my driveway... but I live on a busy street so back and forth on the driveway is fine with me!). But bubbles are his latest obsession. The weather might be getting cooler but bubbles are still flowing...

And I finally got a decent picture of my dog. She's extremely camera shy, when she hears that machine turn on she runs the other way with her head down. This time I backed her into the corner... (sorry Krystal).

Isn't she purdy!

OK! Well, I'm off to read some more and maybe catch a little of the Red Sox, they just scored and tied the game, 7-7 in the bottom of the 8th! I wonder how many innings they will play tonight? I'm betting 12. We'll find out...