ABAGADASSETT ART

Unique Crafters Challenge

2012-02-16T06:50:00.001-08:00

I am delighted to have been chosen as a guest designer for Unique Crafters Challenge. I have recently gotten into challenges since they tend to make you think outside of your comfort zone. Unique Crafters Challenge blog will have a challenge each month and would love for all of you to play along. I will be guest designer for the month of April. Stop by their blog and take a look at the gallery of projects and make sure to check back frequently to see challenge work posted each month. Have a wonderfully creative day!

Paper Flower Wall Hanging

2012-02-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

I am teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner, ME on March 17th. We will be making this lovely wall hanging. Although it may look difficult and with detail...it is actually very simple. I will be guiding students on filling their pot of flowers to make it easy.

Mini Mason Jar Pies

2012-02-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

I saw these little lovelies on Pinterest and HAD to make them for my friends....

Wedding Flowers

2012-02-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

A little bouquet for a little flower girl! Two Boutonnieres also!

An ArtRoom to Play In

2012-01-31T08:03:00.001-08:00

This is the art room that I play in. It has taken 2 years to get it to the point that I love it! Many of my friends love to come play and are very inspired while working in the room. It is well stocked with supplies, tools, and creativity!

Winter CHA Surprise!

2012-01-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

I was shocked when my friend Catherine Scanlon sent me the above photo. It was taken at CHA Winter 2012 in California. This photo of Claudine Hellmuth also includes a little topiary that I made for her last year. The topiary has handmade roses that I made using Claudine's product - Sticky Back Canvas. I also used her awesome Studio Paints to paint the teal colors prior to making the roses. I just love this photo!

Vintage Wall Hanging

2012-01-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying the quiet after the holidays by working on this multiple layer wall hanging. I used Tim Holtz dies along with wood, sticky back canvas, burlap, wax, sheet music, chipboard, ink, paint, and ribbon. The ivy is stamped, colored and hand cut. The buttons are vintage bone buttons.

Day 5 of the 12 Tags of Christmas

2011-12-08T06:03:00.001-08:00

I decided to enter this tag into the Dolce Stamps and Cards Thursday Challenge (DSAC07). This is my first entry with this group and it looks like many quality submissions to the challenge.
This was the best tag so far for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas! I had got so much enjoyment from making this tag. All of the work is done on the back side of the acrylic tag with the snowflake embellishments on the front of the tag. Believe it or not...the snowflake background is stamped with black ink! Love it!

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas

2011-12-05T05:34:00.001-08:00

Day 1 is all I have had time to play with...my mission is to do all 12 tags this year! Here is my first one of the season.

Rosette Snowman

2011-11-25T05:58:00.001-08:00

I have had so much fun using my Tim Holtz Rosette Dies for the holidays this year. I started with Pumpkins and have moved on to Snowman. I saw one on the Archiver's website, but I did not like the shape of their snowman. So here is my version! Have a great day!

It's All Wrapped Up!

2011-11-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

I have a dear friend that needs a little cheering up...so I wrapped up some crafting goodies and will drop it off to her today. I love the waxed tag with the Cardinal. Most of all, I love the pinecone embellishment that I made using the Sizzix Die (Tim Holtz line). They are tricky to make at first, but with a little practice, they are so cute!

2011-11-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time making this Christmas Wall Hanging. I love making flowers so this was a labor of love. I can't wait to hang this on the wall the day after Thanksgiving!

Paper Rosette Pumpkin

2011-11-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed making a few of these this weekend. They are so sweet - I am using some for place setting cards at the Thanksgiving table this year. Instead of the "FALL" tag, I will have guest names on the tag. Super cute and super simple!

2011-10-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Harry takes a ferry ride to Isleboro, Maine. He loves the ferry ride, but HATES riding in the car!
Rosie at Acadia National Park. She always looks so impressed with life. I love my furry kids and always love taking them on our day trips.

New Classes

2011-10-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

Stamp-n-Scrap has just sent out the new class listing for October, November, and December. There are some pretty neat classes and I will be taking one of them also! Check out the classes here.

World Card Making Day!

2011-09-29T04:44:00.000-07:00

Every year I look forward to World Card Making Day at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner. Those that attend are so jazzed up for a day of fun. This year will be no exception! I will be doing a demo at 10 AM showing how to use your ink pads to create gorgeous backgrounds (finished sample cards and projects will be on display also). After the demo, I will be teaching a make-n-take for the mummy card (see the next post for the photo of the card). I made a little ATC to match and a Chuckie too! Speaking of Chunkies, Cheri Weston will be doing a demo at 1 PM showing how to make these adorable Halloween Chunkies! You won't want to miss her demo!
After Cheri's demo, Grace Lange Way will be giving a demo on making small boxes and decorating with Rubber Tapestry Stamps. Ruth Ann has lots of door prizes to give away (one of the door prizes will be a free class with me!) as well as refreshments and inspiration. Make sure to attend part of the day if you can't make it for the entire day!

Mummy Card

2011-09-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

How cute is this card?? I found the pattern on Splitcoast Stampers and fell in love with it!Super simple to make. Thanks for taking a peek. Have a great week!

Halloween Shadow Box

2011-08-22T08:23:00.001-07:00

I made this shadow box for a class that I will be teaching at Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, MA. I made the box from chipboard and then had plenty of fun stuffing it with lots of cool goodies and techniques. The class is on October 2nd and I can't wait!

Shadow Box Class

2011-08-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner, Maine on August 27th for this adorable Shadow Box which would also make a great frame for photos. The class will teach you how to make the chipboard "box" and "frame" and then how to fill it with great stuff!

First Class at Absolutely Everything

2011-08-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

I taught my first class at Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, MA this past Saturday. It was such a nice experience. The ladies in class were fun and very focused! Here is a photo of the wreath that we made:
I am looking forward to a few more classes that are scheduled for the upcoming months. If you have not been to AE, you are missing out on a great shopping experience!

A Trip Downeast Maine

2011-07-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Mark and I took a day of vacation to visit the Penobscot Narrows Observatory located near Fort Knox in Maine. It is 42 stories high and such an experience! The views are spectacular!
View from the base of the Penebscot Narrows Bridge.
At the base of the Observatory....here we go....up, up, up!
View of the bridge from the Observatory. If you are frightened of hights, then this adventure will probably make you a little dizzy. It took a few minutes for me to feel like I was not going to fall!

Candy Cupcakes

2011-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I really got into Valentine's Day this year by making these sweet little treats. I used silicone baking cups and lined them with melted chocolate. Then I made Starbucks coffee truffles and rolled them in chocolate jimmies and crushed pecans. Yum!
If you were ever to dive into a plate of chocolate, the above photo is what the view would be!
Ready for some chocolate???!

Whimsical Loki

2011-02-11T10:38:00.001-08:00

I love Claudine Hellmuth's artistic style. Using her product line, I made this 5" x 5" canvas. I used an actual photo and worked it into the painted/stamped theme.Loki has to be one of the cutest puppies I have seen! Of course he is grown and quite large now, but I will always love this photo of him!

Paper Rose Topiary

2011-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

I recently make this topiary using a topiary form that I purchased from AC Moore. I handmade approx. 125 paper roses to embellish the form. This piece is one that I will hang on too! It is residing in my studio for every time I feel no creativity, I glance over and the juices start flowing!

Giant Pillow Box

2011-01-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Paper Craft Planet has a neat 3D challenge every week. This is the first week I decided to play along. This week's challenge is a GIANT 3D Pillow Box. It was quick and fun to make!

It's Spring in Richmond, Maine!

2011-01-07T11:21:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun making this wreath the week after Christmas. I made it as a project to try out for the Spellbinders Design Team. I did not make it onto the team....but I ended up with a pretty wreath to display in my art room! The roses are all made by hand, the other flowers are made using a Spellbinders die. Add some buttons and glue and you have a wreath! Have a great weekend!

MAKE-n-TAKE Holiday Ornament

2010-12-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

I will be doing a Make-n-Take on December 11th at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner, Maine. We will be making this easy and beautiful ornament using a new Alterations Die, Spellbinders Die, paper, studio paint, and glitter. It is quick, easy, and adorable! I will also have a wreath on display using these ornaments to decorate it. Other samples showing how many different ways this ornament can be used will also be on display that day. Join us and learn a new technique!

Fall Tag

2010-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

I have been collecting the Tim Holtz Dies that are manufactured by Sizzix.This fall tag uses the new leaf die, a Stampin' Up! rubber stamp (background) and a Fiskars acorn punch. I absolutely LOVE this tag!

January Class Samples

2010-11-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

The 12 Months, 12 Tags, 12 Techniques class that I taught at Stamp-n-Scrap was a huge success. I had so many excited students in the 2 sessions that were offered. The ladies that attended class had never used Studio Paints and by the time they left the class, they were each artists using artist mediums! Here are samples for a class I will be offering at the end of January. These cards and tags can be used for Valentine's Day or to send as a sweet "thank you". I recently purchased a Tim Holtz (Sizzix) die that cuts the tags - it's awesome!

Rosie-O-Rosie-O-Rosie!

2010-11-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Just a short post with some special photos of Rosie. She attended a beeswax class with me in September (above photo with Claudine Hellmuth).
She supervised cooking out on the wood fire (above photo) in October.

And in November she goes into the water treadmill at work twice a week for arthritis (and treats!). She loves going into the tank for her "run". She is up to running over 2mph and goes for 13 minutes!

The Webs We Weave

2010-11-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have been fascinated by spiderwebs but absolutely HATE spiders! I created the following ATC for a swap in October. I belong to an ATC club through Cropping for Special Olympics. I have received some pretty nice cards through this swap!The next photo is of a card I made for a cards swap I belong to. I love the sewn spider web on top of the sticky back canvas. I had a lot of fun making these cards!

Beeswax Collage Class

2010-09-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was SO much fun. I took a three day workshop with my two good friends Kelley and Catherine. Our instructor, Claudine Hellmuth is a doll! We had tons of one on one time with her. We worked with Beeswax to create little works of art. Once I find my USB cable for my camera, I will post more photos. Yes, that is Rosie you see in the photo. She attended class on Sunday. I was so proud of my Rosie....she is a superstar! She also went home with black acrylic paint on her hind end! That makes her a true artist :)

New Card Demo

2010-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be teaching a class making this card and two other cards. I love the new techniques and think students will be very happy with their cards :)This is the only card that will be using Spellbinders dies. I saw this card on the Spellbinders blog made by one of their international guest designers. I fell in love with it and was surprised at how easy this was to make! The demo will be held at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner, Maine in September.

Rosie in Gesso

2010-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love Rosie in real life, in photos, and now I love her in Gesso! What a face!
I experimented using a colored photo for a transfer. These darling little antique shoes had flowers planted in them at Brimfield. How cute!

2010-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am creating tags for a class at Stamp-n-Scrap called "12 Technique Tags of the Year". We will be creating 12 tags using a different technique on each tag. I started with Fall since it is my favorite time of the year!
Close up of Watermark Resist Stamping for the background. Very easy and very elegant!

New Gesso Project

2010-07-08T10:55:00.003-07:00

I have been so inspired working with Gesso! I made this little number last night. This time, I mixed acrylic paint into the Gesso before doing the photo transfer. I love the way it came out! I started using some of the rubber stamps that I have accumulated over the years to make the photos for the transfers. I have been loving every minute of my class with Claudine :)

Claudine Hellmuth Class

2010-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a 12 week class with Claudine Hellmuth at Big Picture Scrapbooking. The cost was rediculous in that it was only $79 for 12 weeks. The first week we learned 2 new techniques (gesso transfers and gesso etching) to create a "recipe" book of techniques AND we also made a 5" x 5" canvas (shown above). I have had a great time playing with new mediums and just plain relaxing in my newly renovated room. It has been good to just sit down and play!

If you are interested in taking this awesome class, it is not too late! This is a self paced class and you will have access to the class and materials forever! Claudine is also participating in live chats and she is very active in the forums to answer questions and give guidance. I can't think of a better class to take this summer!

Ft. Point State Park

2010-07-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

We took the two pups to Ft. Point State Park for a picnic and swimming. Harry was a really brave boy and ran into the water! He used to be afraid of EVERYTHING! Rosie loves to go into the water also. I had to keep them both on leashes because bulldogs sink like lead in water. She does not know enough to stay in wading water. Harry will just keep swimming and never come back!Harry's big eyes when he realizes that he is about to have to "sink or swim". You can tell when he is nervous because his eyes bulge!
Rosie takes a well deserved break after swimming. She loves the sand and seaweed :)

A view from the beach. We go to the rocky beach and stay away from the sand beach. The sea glass findings are much better and it is much quieter. We were there for about 3 hours and only saw one other person on the beach.

Crackle Paint Art Box

2010-06-23T09:45:00.001-07:00

My friend Catherine made me the prettiest birthday gift! She used canvas, chipboard, and various crackle paints. For a full version of my pretty gift, visit Catherine's blog. I loved the piece so much that I used the same technique on a new 9 drawer art box that I purchased recently.Have a great day!

My Beautiful New Art Room!

2010-06-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

We spent the entire weekend working on my new art room. Mark has been non stop making shelves, cutting and installing the window trim, and even made a paper unit for my 12' of paper.
I did a little quote above one of the windows. I love the way it came out!

My new paper unit. Not only does Mark build this stuff, but he spent most of yesterday helping me sort all of the paper into piles to place in the unit. He's the BEST!!!!
Another view of the paper unit with a set of shelves on the far end of the room. The spare bed is in the process of being painted also. Love this bed on a Sunday afternoon for a 1 hour nap!I went from a dark, unfinished room to this bright and cheery room that inspires me to create!

Brimfield 2010

2010-05-14T07:58:00.001-07:00

We had another great trip to Brimfield this year. We added Hanna to our little group and I am so glad! She is a delight! Here is a sampling of photos taken over the two days in MA. I will be adding more as I get some extra minutes!
Who would not be interested in wondering into this booth with such an inviting display as you walk by. Loved this booth!Amazing colorful paintings on glass mounted behind window frames. I loved the paintings but they were pretty pricey.This booth was great to visit. The three men were making kettle corn and it was selling fast! They are dumping the corn into the storage container prior to packaging. What a hoot!Ink bottles are a new love of mine. The colors and shapes are endless!I think the above photo is where the girls "dared" me to lick my plate! The meal was so yummy that I have been craving it again!

Grungepaper Roses

2010-05-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I am teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap on May 10th to make tags using Grungepaper Rose. I have been amazed at how much I have grown to love Grungepaper. It can be die cut, molded, painted, and you can load tons of wet product on it and it won't warp or bubble. My kinda paper!

I got out all of my misting paints (Memories, Tattered Angels, and Smooch Mist) to give each rose a misted special effect. I love making these roses and am experimenting with making different sizes.

Art Room Renovations

2010-04-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

I started the project with the room shown above (yes I am embarrassed!). Unfinished craft room, storage room, etc...Mark finished renovating our bedroom so we are both working on this new art room project.

And this is what it looked like after finishing up ONE WALL last night! Mark built awesome shelving for my baskets of "stuff".I keep most of my embellishments in my old milk bottles. They look nicer on the new shelves!Collecting vintage wooden boxes is a love of mine. I love the old cheese boxes and there is one for Necco Valentine's!A touch of vintage in front of a storage area door. I have more crock to bring up to this room. I think a Pitcher and Bowl from Brimfield on a vintage stand would be great to add to this area!

New Basket

2010-04-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

I love making round baskets from paper. People often ask how I make the bottoms of round baskets. I actually use the same technique used in traditional basket weaving. I used jute cord to weave the bottom of the basket. The following view is of the outside of the basket.

Here is a view of the inside of the basket.

And the final completed basket. The basket is approximately 3-1/2" in diameter. I love working with small pieces :)

Kelley's Cake and Candle Day Celebration

2010-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Monday was a great day to get together with Catherine and Kelley to celebrate Kelley's birthday at Little Tokyo and Fiasco Gelato. Yum-O!Delicious food - Teriyake Chicken, Sushi, Salad, Soup - it was all so good that I have craved this place ever since Monday!The server and kitchen staff were so nice. They found out that it was Kelley's birthday and brought her a strawberry dumpling dessert which she shared with Catherine and I. The dessert looks a little dangerous with the fireworks shooting from it. What a very nice place to relax and enjoy good company and good food!

Ukrainian Egg Class

2010-04-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to learn how to make Ukrainian Eggs. I have seen a couple of classes, but for one reason or another, I was unable to attend. I FINALLY had the opportunity to take a class at Sweetland Retreat in Manchester, ME - the class was taught by Heidi Boyd. I don't think we did bad for a beginner class! Once my art room renovations are complete, I will focus on more of these types of projects. The eggs shown above are my eggs that I made that day. Of course my crazy cat that drives me INSANE broke the eggs within an hour of me getting home. I was so bummed, but it was my fault for leaving them where he could get at them (silly me for wanting to display my eggs!).
These eggs were made by Heidi during class. She does have the artistic knack! My sheep would have look "challenged"!The class is working hard on their eggs. Everyone was so into their art that at times you could hear a pin drop!
Another student focused on egg art.
This little cutie dropped into class at the end. She was SO adorable!

Doogie

2010-03-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

I picked up Doogie at an adoption event on Saturday. He is such a good boy....loves kids, loves life! He settles down extremely well when he is in the house and loves to go for long walks to work off some of his energy. He has gotten along well with 4 other dogs in the house! He weighs 25 pounds and has very tall legs :)

70 degrees and Snow

2010-03-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

After having 70 degree temps on Saturday, this was a huge shock on Sunday morning when we had little snowballs falling from the sky (check out the white stuff on the steps)! Lily loves going outside, but even she wondered what was going on!

Easter Egg Cards using Spellbinders

2010-03-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

A great example of how one die can make so many different cards! The above card was made using border punches to make the long fancy lines, and Stickles for accenting the lines. A little quick sewing around the edges finishes the card.
I used the same set of egg dies to make this card. I love the bunny! The bunny came from Karen Foster paper that I purchased at "Wholly Scrap" in New Hampshire. Wished I had gotten more of it!

March Special Olympics Crop

2010-03-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Each month our fearless leader, Rick Roy, makes adorable name tags for our seating arragement. Lots of pieces and great designs!
Kelly has a great smile and she is always smiling! It is my mission every month to get an updated photo of her smiling :)
Steve is Kelly's fiance and he ALWAYS wins a door prize. So much so that this month I pointed to the big basket of goodies and said "Steve, see what you are going to win today?". I'll be darn....he won it!!!!
Our fearless leader, Rick. Endless energy, giving man, and all around nice guy! The amount of work that goes into this crop each month is amazing and he always gets it done and makes it look effortless!
Me and Kelley cropping together. It is always a treat when Kelley joins us! We plan, scheme, and laugh alot!
Diana is new to our crop and has been coming every month. She brings 5 bags (yes, I said FIVE bags) to the crop and always has what she needs and whenever someone is looking for that final little something for their layout, Diana has it!
Karla...what can I say about Karla?!?!?! She is a hoot! We laughed so much on Saturday that I really need to start wearing Depends to this crop (kidding!!!!!!). I love her energy and sense of humor :)
Kelley and Kelly with Deb in the background. What a cheery day with great friends!

Leprechaun ATC

2010-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here is another ATC that I made using the design shown at our February crop for Special Olympics. I really do enjoy reducing the size of projects to make these ATC's. What a challenge sometimes! But....to take it one step farther...I made a card using the same design. Here is the beginnings of the card so that you can see the Leprechaun in the different sizes.

OLD Ranger Ink Pad

2010-03-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

We have spent the winter cleaning out the darker areas of the house. As Mark cleaned out his office, he found this old Ranger Ink pad. We think it is from the late 60's. I love Ranger products and teach classes using the products. This was a real gem for me!

Prima Flowers

2010-03-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I love Prima flowers. Not so much the silk flowers....but I LOVE the paper flowers. The last time I went to Absolutely Everything, they had just gotten a new shipment in. I was asked if I wanted to go behind the counter and go through the box to pick out what I wanted!!!! The flowers are beautiful on Scrapbook layouts. Luv, Luv, Luv em'!

New Spellbinders Card Class

2010-03-10T06:23:00.001-08:00

I am teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap on April 24 using the new Faire Isle Pendant Dies. It is a class to show folks how to use all of the dies in the set to make 2 completely different cards.
We will also be using another set of dies to make this sweet ornament card. A little scoring here, a little snip there, and presto! a beautiful card.....

Harry visits Reid State Park

2010-02-23T08:02:00.001-08:00

Harry loved going to Reid State Park on Sunday. He was very afraid of the crashing waves at the beginning of the walk....then he realized that he could run like the wind and the waves were not so bad afterall! I adore little man Harry.The new bathhouse at Reid State Park. After the controversy that surrounded this new structure, it turned out nice and very non offensive to the scenery.
Looking out at the Atlantic Ocean from a picnic spot.
The location where the bathhouse used to be located. Now you can see the steps leading down to the lagoon area of the park.
A front view of the new bathhouse. Love the stone structure!

7 Gypsies Printers Tray

2010-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased this great printers tray for an upcoming class at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner, Maine. I chose the Ivory color over the black color since I am into Ivory in a big way right now! I also thought more of the softer colors would look better in the tray. It comes complete with a metal handle on the top of the tray also!
Here is a sneak preview of one of the slots. Love the grungeboard from Tim Holtz!

Paper Stack Card

2010-02-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

I broke my hard rule of not buying paper stacks at JoAnn's!!! I flipped through the Mariposa Stack (DCWV) and decided that I would compromise and buy the 8" x 8" stack. To justify the purchase, I made another rule....I must sit down and make at least one card using as much as I can in the stack. I used 4 pieces of the papers, selective cutting what I needed from each sheet. Then I stamped the saying using SmARTworks "Heartwings" rubber stamp set along with Versacolor "Pacific" ink. I actually had to dust off the ink pad since I have never used it since buying it 8 years ago!!!!

Stampin Up! Card

2010-02-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

When my artsy group met at Catherine's last month, Molly brought all of the pieces/parts for us to make this cute little card. All supplies are from Stampin Up!. The candy can come out of the card for your eating enjoyment :)

The Bowl of Cat

2010-02-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

I turned my back for one minute this morning and when I turned back, Lily was making herself comfortable in one of my crock bowls that I have had out for years! Why today?!
Buzzy decided to try to join Lily in the bowl. She decided that there was not enough room for her AND Buzzy while still having room to take a full bath!

My Little Antique Pharmacy

2010-02-04T06:36:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon was spent reorganizing the bottles, tins, and other assorted whatnots! After getting stuff pulled from all corners of the house, we installed shelving in the bathroom and turned it into our little pharmacy.
I love anything with old advertising so tins and bottles are perfect!
Anyone remember any of these products from your childhood?!?!?!

So Pretty!

2010-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

Another basket is made and with a different twist. I used pearl rhinestones and beaded trim from JoAnn's.

After Saturday's craft day with the girls, I have been inspired to make more baskets.

New Stampin Up! Punches

2010-02-03T06:31:00.001-08:00

I recently ordered some Stampin Up! punches. Last night I sat down to play with them. I used the new Scalloped border punch with the coordinating Scalloped corner punch. The bird, wing, and branch are all one punch also. This card is going to my friend Kelly as a thank you for the cool felted mittens, handbag, bracelet, cards, and candy! Whew! The goody bag was awesome and I really appreciate her thoughtfulness!

Heeeeee's Back!

2010-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Harry, the little dickens, decided he did not like his new adoptive home and really put the new owners through the ringers! He did fear charging and nipped at the owners without breaking skin. I got a call to pick him up on Friday morning. He has been just the opposite in my house...guess Harry has learned how to work the system. Needless to say, he is in Puppy Bootcamp to socialize him to more men and strange surroundings. He did not have a very good start in life...living in a cage in a makeshift shed for 2 years. He was so scared of humans and was nothing but bones. He now has meat on those bones, goes to work with me each day, and loves life.
Harley is a 4 month old puppy that I was fostering until Harry was returned. Harley has to be the most laid back puppy I have ever met. He is gentle, and very easy going! His adoption is in the works and we hope he gets his forever home soon!

Crop for Special Olympics

2010-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

I have found a special monthly crop that I really enjoy attending in Bath, Maine. The money raised goes to Special Olympics and we have tons of fun each month!
Steven shows off his door prize at the January Crop. Lucky guy wins door prizes regularly!
Kelly is Steven's fiance and always has a smile on her face. She loves working on pages having to do with children and family. I love her creative pages :)
Diana joined us for the first time at the January Crop. Her Cricuit was a huge hit! We all left the crop feeling like we needed to relook at the Cricuit!

Baskets - Revisited

2010-02-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of friends came over on Saturday to play in the Craft Room. We decided to make some Valentine Baskets. This was the first time either Kelly or Diana had made baskets with paper, so they were pleased to have finished each of their beautiful baskets!

Fabric and Stickles

2010-01-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with Fabric and Stickles. I have learned how to "fuse" wet layers of stickles to get some pretty neat effects on cards. I also used fabric on two of the cards shown above. Can you guess which two cards have fabric in them? I will be teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap in Gardiner on February 6th using these two techniques to make the two sets of cards shown. Each set will have the paper version of the card, then we will make the same card using fabric.

Fun Stuff!

2010-01-05T06:36:00.001-08:00

I have been playing with fabric and paper together. While our 18" of snow piled up outside of our door this past weekend, I stayed inside playing with my cool stuff! I used the Spellbinders snowflake dies, fabric, and stickles. This is an ATC that I made for my ATC club at our monthly crop for Special Olympics. The theme in January was to incorporate fabric into your ATC. Well! As usual, I am obsessed with this technique!

Felted Santa

2009-12-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

I bought a kit at Halcyon Yarn a couple of weeks ago to make this felted Santa and his elf friend.The kits come with pre-made bodies and you make the face, clothing, and anything else you want on your felted folks. My friend Catherine taught me how to make the bodies so now I am obsessed with these little people! My kitty kat Buzzy loves to take these guys apart while we are sleeping at night. I have to keep them under lock and key!

Christmas in Old Hallowell Days

2009-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful afternoon and evening we had going to this event. The fireworks lasted 30 minutes! We went out to eat at one of our favorite chinese restaurants, did some window shopping, antique shopping, stopped for coffee and dessert and attended the parade. It is always a highlight of our holiday season.The above photo was my favorite store front window! I love the ivory/pink theme.Antiques in the snow...Crispy, cold, and windy. That was the theme of the day!
Love the fireworks! I spent most of my time taking photos!
The snowplow is decked out for the parade!
Window shopping along the parade route.
View of the restaurant across the street from where we had coffee and dessert. Slates Bakery....a must when you are in Hallowell!

Street dancers in the parade. It was windy and COLD that night...these poor girls must have froze!The Precision Shovel Drill Team. The first year we went to this event, there were three ladies in the group performing with plain ole' shovels. It has grown. This year there were about 15 ladies and their shovels were all decorated with lights and holiday greens. What a riot!
The dancing Santa in front of one of the stores. What a funny dude! The kids loved him.

It Snowed Inside AND Outside

2009-12-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

We had some snow overnight and woke up to everything being white outside. I had gotten my new Spellbinders Snowflake dies and started playing with them yesterday. Here is a sample of what I did:

It looks SO much better in real life! I used the new Bo-Bunny Serenity Christmas paper as the background and the snowflakes.
Gotta love Stickles! :) Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Ten Two Studios Countdown to Christmas

2009-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ten Two Studios has their countdown to Christmas printables available! If you are looking for some neat artwork to use on your holiday art, make sure to stop by and see what it offered. There will be a full month of downloads or you can get everything downloaded sooner for a small fee. Check it out!

Santa Card

2009-12-03T07:01:00.003-08:00

I am STILL stuck on making these cute Santa ATCs. I made this card to send ATCs to Rick R. Rick puts on a crop each month to help raise money for Special Olympics. It's a lot of work to host the crop each month PLUS he makes us all lunch, snacks, and breakfast foods - and the food is always delicious! The card we made in the November class inspired me to make the little ATC (see the original card in a previous post). What better way to utilize them than to make a full size card :)

Ahhhhh, Starbucks!

2009-12-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love coffee. The stronger the better! Over Thanksgiving, I got hooked on Starbuck's Thanksgiving Blend. I am now stuck on their Christmas Blend! Thought I would share the perfect cup of coffee with my friends this morning. Enjoy your day!

It's That Time of Year!

2009-12-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am talking about Christmas in Old Hallowell Day! We usually get there in the afternoon, do some Christmas shopping or window shopping, watch the parade at 5:00 then the fireworks at 5:15. It is such a fun afternoon and evening since we top off the day with a nice dinner in Hallowell. This event will give you a boost in the holiday spirit department. The fireworks rival 4th of July!

Special Olympics ATC

2009-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

I made this ATC for a club that I belong to at a monthly crop for Special Olympics. This month's theme was "Your Favorite Recipe". Since I had the cute little egg die, I made my recipe "Quiche Lorraine".
The file folder opened to reveal the recipe.
All of the little file folders that I had to make. Each ATC had 16 pieces x 13 ATCs. I loved making these and love the binder of cards that I have received from this group!

Relaxing Weekend

2009-11-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend had to be one of the most relaxing weekends I have had in a long time. We did errands on Saturday and spent yesterday working around the house and I did some crafting.I made these Santa ATCs yesterday. I will keep some as ATCs to give away, and will make the rest into holiday cards. I set up a space at the old desk in the livingroom while we watched A Christmas Carol on Sunday afternoon. Mark put lights on one of our evergreen trees outside. I look forward to lighting it up each night!

Raincoat Rosie

2009-11-30T08:23:00.001-08:00

Rosie bought a new raincoat at Petco on Saturday. She HATES the rain, but she HATES the raincoat more!
Sporting this trendy apparel, she refused to "do her business" outside in the rain this morning. I waited about 15 minutes, then took it off her. She went potty instantly!
The hood was a bit snug, but only when all of her neck wrinkles slipped through the neck opening!

Glass Bird Frenzie!

2009-11-27T13:05:00.003-08:00

I wanted to share a couple of photos of glass birds that I am cutting from glass. The glass is very thin so it is a little more difficult to cut without breaking:
The stacks are so sparkly - I should have made a "nest" for them to reside in! I am making 12 kits of these birds for an order I received.
The photo below shows the finished bird. Twelve people will be getting this little bird in their stockings this year!

So Cute!

2009-11-24T05:34:00.001-08:00

I went to an all day crop on Saturday. This monthly crop is so much fun. Along with a make and take, there is also a class offered at each crop to make something new. We made the large santa card (on the right) using various sizes of circle punches. Well, I decided to spend some time shrinking it into the proper size to make an ATC (the small version on the left). I love it! Thanks to Rick and his crew for making this monthly event enjoyable and inspiring!

Rosie!

2009-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

We cooked out on the wood fire on Sunday. Tubba-Bubba Rosie had to supervise the cooking part. She placed herself on a stone bench in the rock garden and stayed there until the meat was removed from the grill. I had to fall in love with her all over again after taking these photos!
She had her acupuncture treatment on Friday so she was all bright and sparkly for her weekend photo session.
She is such a Diva!

Demo Card

2009-09-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing two demos at Stamp-n-Scrap on Saturday. My demos will be about using Ranger products. Using Dabbers, I made this winter card. It is soooo easy to do - yet the results are pretty spectacular!
A close up of the "woods". I did this card while sipping on my first cup of coffee this morning. THAT is how easy it is! You can do it while you are still half a sleep!

Finished Rubber Stamp Tapestry

2009-09-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a finished card using one of the Rubber Stamp Tapestry stamp sets. Simple stamping, simple ribbon = simple card.

On the Road Again

2009-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

We had a glorious day on Saturday. We started out in Westport and worked our way along the coast until we reached Rockport.These feathered friends were begging for their photo to be taken! We stopped on a little dirt road and snapped this photo.Rosie loves to go to the beach. We visited Birch Point State Park for this photo opportunity.
Rosie loves to get Mom (me) in the picture. She loves to cuddle and would love to be a full time lap dog!Rosie is maneuvering amongst the rocks. She would not win an agility competition, but she can hold her own! Visiting the Andrea the Seal monument in Rockport, Maine.A sample of the Lime Kilns and the train used to bring the lime from the mine to the kiln.This little dirt road had the best little cemetery. The history of the family is interesting to read about and the place is so peaceful! We got out to stretch our legs and take in the scenery.

Pumpkins Galore!

2009-09-25T07:11:00.001-07:00

I know I was supposed to post a finished card using my newest Rubber Stamp Tapestry stamps...but...I am obsessed with the stamping part right now! I have a few cards stamped and will do the sewing and embellishments this weekend in production. Instead of doing a circular design, I did one to enhance the new Spellbinders Labels 8 die set. Have a great weekend everyone!

Tapestry Stamps

2009-09-23T06:42:00.001-07:00

I have owned a set of Christmas Tapestry Stamps for a few years now. I used the set like crazy the first Christmas Holiday that I had them. Then I never used them again. Stamp-n-Scrap just received a shipment of new designs and improved packaging. I HAD to have the pumpkin set! The above photo shows the set in it's box.
Here is my first try at the design. I love it! The first one is the hardest...getting down the placement and colors. You can't really make a mistake with these sets. It is your creative space. I have fallen in love with these stamps all over again!
And here is the set of stamps and my version. After doing this first one, I know what I will do differently on the next version. One thing I will do different is to die cut a circle using Spellbinders dies to use as a template for the round wreath. When finished, you can mount the stamped die cut directly onto a card. I will have the finished card posted tomorrow. If you are interested in these stamps, you can find the company and all that they offer here. Stamp-n-Scrap will have a demo using these stamps on October 3rd, World Card Making Day.

Domestic Goddess Chipboard Album

2009-09-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Even if you are not a domestic goddess, everyone needs a place to store recipes, coupons, household lists, etc... Graphic 45 has come out with the new line Domestic Goddess and I absolutely love it. The colors, designs, and of course, the feel of the paper make this line fun to play with. I will be teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap using this design. The binding is uses the Bind-It-All machine.

Little Loki

2009-09-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

I started a new pet sitting job at lunch each day. Loki is a 9 week old Lab and is toooooo stinkin' cute! I'll let you judge for yourself:

Class Projects

2009-09-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have a number of classes scheduled for September and October at Stamp-n-Scrap. Here are a few samples for some of those classes:A beautiful ornament made with alcohol inks and a Spellbinders die. This was fun to make!
A mini chipboard album made with Spellbinders Dies. These dies are awesome!
Alice In Wonderland Cards. This theme seems to be making a reappearance and I am glad. I love this theme and have kits available with companion stamps the day of class.
The next sample that I will be posting soon is the Domestic Goddess Album. If you have not seen this new Graphic 45 line, you are missing some pretty awesome paper!

Autumn Card

2009-09-04T07:05:00.001-07:00

I am teaching a class at Stamp-n-Scrap called Spellbinders Art. I love the dies and always try to find a way to use them in any project I am working on. This card is one of the projects for the class.
We will also be making a beautiful ornament and a mini chipboard album. It's time for fall themes!!

Sassy Antics

2009-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

I thought it was time for a Sassy update. She is such a sketch and loves to act like a 2 year old. Recently she was on the back of a kitchen chair and decided inch her way down to the floor. Lily, the cat, decided to lay on the seat of the same chair as Sassy was getting down. WELL! Sassy decided to inch her way back up the chair and tug on Lily's tail until Lily got down. The above photo shows Sassy "tugging" on Lily's tail.

Then Sassy ran over to me and got her face in the camera lens and laughed! When I told her that she was not a nice girl, she yelled "LOVE YOU MAMMA!!!"

Sewing Display Case

2009-08-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

We went to one of our favorite junk places on Sunday....The Fairfield Antique Mall. We are usually able to find very cool junk at reasonable prices. Here is the BIG find this past weekend:

This store display came without the wooden bobbins with thread. I had those at home and was able to fill the fronts of the drawers. Now we are on the lookout for more colorful thread bobbins to go into this treasure!

Junk Purchases

2009-08-12T06:41:00.001-07:00

Junk shopping! The above photo is some of the new (used) bottle openers Mark purchased. This makes 103 bottle openers that he has collected.
Over the past few months I have started collecting the red and green handled kitchen utensils. These few pieces, along with what I already collected, now reside on the wall above the stove in the kitchen. The wall is full!

And the bobbins....aaaaaaah, the bobbins! Vintage sewing notions have become "my thing". I have 21 antique bobbins that are all different. I am also filling a vintage sewing basket with old sock darners, seam smoothers, wooden sewing bobbins, button hooks, snaps, etc...It has added a little bit of "awesome" to my craft room :)I started out with 2 pair of wooden shoe molds. I am now at 23 molds and counting! We were very lucky to find the old cast iron molds that were used in shoe shops to make the soles of the shoes. I love the kids sizes! The wooden mold in the back with the pointed toe was used to make the fancy, shmancy pointed toe boots with heals at the turn of the century. The little lovelies reside on a shoe shop rack with vintage shoe polish bottles in my craft room. It is kept there to keep the cats from making themselves at home on the rack!
The printers tray was a deal! $6. I plan on mounting onto a wall in the craft room to display bottles and vintage sewing notions. Love it!

A Trip to the Dairy Bar

2009-08-11T06:27:00.001-07:00

Rosie is the first one in the car for ice cream! The local Dairy Bar has puppy cones for $.25 each! The kids that are usually at the dairy bar always love to see Rosie eat ice cream. No photos of the event since I am usually feeding her and can't photograph and hold gooey ice cream cones at the same time.....
What a goober she is!

Maine Antiques Festival

2009-08-11T05:42:00.001-07:00

Saturday was an awesome day....the antique festival in Union Maine. We spent quite a few hours there and made 2 trips to the car to load our purchases. We have always said that our home is decorated in the "early american garage sale" motif :) The above photo is the seafood place where we ate. They only had fried seafood...and our ages are catching up with us...the fried side did not settle well with Mark or myself. Man, are we getting old!
I loved this "booth" with the simple cottage look. It was mostly whites and pastel pinks. Very pricey!
My goal SOMEDAY is to set the house up like a general store. The one piece we are missing to do the general store is the cash register. After looking at the price of this register, it will be a loooooooong while before we reach General Store status!
Love this guys foot! I was told this little fellow could be mine for only $750!!! Wow! Although the little fellow appeared on TV (so I was told), $750 is a lot of dough for a doll!
You could tell that these trucks were pieced together to make the "whole". I loved them anyway because of the colors and style of truck.

I saw this bowl of typewriter keys and went NUTS!!!! That shift key in the lower center of the photo? It came home with us to be used on an altered art project.Love this Open House sign. Love the clown head even more!
An of course, if I had a ton of money, this sewing display would have been MINE!! Love the cabinet and all of the colors of old thread spools....but I did not love the price!
Fiesta! Love the colorful palette of Fiesta. Way too nice for our working household.I love the junk bowls and bins to paw through. Mark bought more skeleton keys and bottle openers. We are now the proud owners of 103 bottle openers!

Crafty Afternoon

2009-08-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Kelley and I went to Catherine's house yesterday for a great afternoon of crafty stuff yesterday. We brought our own lunch and followed up with a terrific batch of brownies that Catherine had made from the Martha Stewart Magazine: Catherine kinda looks like Martha in her new apron, huh? She can do a great Julia Childs impersonation too! Her son was home and I got a couple of shots of him with the whipped cream can:Canned whipped cream is made for kids! Catherine has done a great job as a mom. Her son loves life, is polite, well behaved, and fun to be around. Catherine is sorting through a huge box of chipboard stuff to use on future EK Success projects. While we were there, Fed Ex arrived with another box full of stamps. The photo below shows Catherine with 2 of her favs in the box:
Kelley finished her journal and was very pleased with her finished piece. She is working on a rug using a wooden frame and beautiful material in various blues. It is stunning in real life!
Next is a great photo of Catherine after we messed up her perfectly neat and clean island in the kitchen :) We had such a fun afternoon. After leaving Catherine's house, I drive approx. 1/2 hour north. The ride home was awesome - warm, sunny, and no traffic on the country roads. I love summer in Maine and I love spending time with my friends.....

Tubba Bubba Butt

2009-08-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes if butt shots offend you! My sister, Mo, LOVES Rosie's butt shots so this post is a celebration of Rosie's cute little butt and the fact that Mo misses Rosie :) The butt is cuter in real life since she does the wiggle butt dance when asked too!The above photo tests your skills....can you tell the front end from the back end - they look very similar, lol!

Tag Using Alcohol Inks

2009-08-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a class sample for an upcoming class I am teaching. The background is alcohol inks as well as the butterflies and the round piece of mica. Twill ribbon tops off the tag. I love using "sherbert" colors and this tag sure lends itself well to the summer theme and colors. This is one of 4 projects that will be made in class.

More with Mica

2009-07-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Mica and alcohol inks work very well together. You can apply the ink with the felt pad, sponge pad, or directly onto the mica. I used Stazon Ink to stamp a small sentiment onto some of the pieces. Mica can be cut with regular scissors. These pieces will be sandwiched between Memory Glass with photos and embellishments. Stay tuned for more photos of completed pieces!

Bee Balm

2009-07-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite flowers in the garden is Bee Balm. Love the colors, smell, and look of this herb/plant. I was on my way out the door this morning and could not resist this photo.

Show and Tell

2009-07-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the samples from the watercolor paint class that I took in MA last week. This was one of the first pieces that we did - a background color wash. Dave was nice enough to autograph one of my cards so I made a 12" x 12" layout using the card. The butterflies are made using alcohol inks on glossy paper. The butterfly stamps are from SmARTworks and the bird stamp is from Memory Box.

A view of the Basic Gray laser cut paper that was layered onto Bo-Bunny paper. Buttons and Butterflies complete this simple layout. What does the entire layout look like? Stay tuned!