We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

I'm so sorry I've been absent lately.  I just wanted to pop in and let you all know that I'm still alive!  I am in the midst of taking not one, but TWO online classes right now - both of which are COMPLETELY AWESOME - but which are consuming ALL of my time...leaving me little time for blogging!!

However, you can catch me on Fridays (sometimes it's Thursday) over at Craft Test Dummies, and every so often over at Crafts Unleashed, in the meantime.  Here's a preview of what I'll be posting this Friday on Craft Test Dummies...

And I *highly* encourage you to check out both of the classes I am taking right now!!  The first is one by Melody Ross and Brave Girls Club, called Soul Restoration I.  It is already in Week 4, of the 8 week class, but they are keeping registration open through May 1, and are keeping the classroom open for an extra 4 weeks after the 8 weeks are over to give late starters a chance to finish the class material.  It is truly a wonderful class and I cannot say enough positive things about it!  Watch Melody's video intro HERE.

The second class is the She Art Workshop by Christy Tomlinson, and I just started it a couple days ago...but I am already LOVING it!!  I was only introduced to Christy's work in the last couple months, but have admired her from the beginning and had hoped to one day be able to take her workshops.  When the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't pass it up!!  I am learning so much!

I am definitely being bombarded with art, art, art right now...but it's been so good for me.  It's been refreshing and rejuvenating...challenging and stretching...faith-building and growing.  I've been reminded of things that I'd forgotten, urged to let go of things I'd been holding on to that I needed to let go of, and have had my eyes opened to new things altogether.  (And I'm talking both literally and spiritually.)  I needed this break right now, just me and God and some art.  (If only I didn't have all these other responsibilities...right?)

So...I'll be back soon, I promise!  With all kinds of new and fun ideas to share!  In the meantime...maybe I'll see you over at Brave Girls Club or in the She Art workshop!!

Bottle Caps, UTEE and Distress Inks - a new tag!

I had the pleasure of reviewing some great products from Bottle Cap, Inc., for Craft Test Dummies - you need to go check out my review posted today over there!!  They really have some cool stuff to play with, including some fun jewelry!!

One of my creations while doing the review was this tag, and I wanted to share it with you all.  It was super fun to make!

I started out by stamping the tag with the big background stamp from Tim Holtz's new stamp set, Papillon.  (LOVE this set!)  I inked the stamp with four different blue distress inks to get some variation in color.  Then, while the ink was still wet, I used a floofy brush to swipe some Pearl colored Perfect Pearl powder over it - the shimmer is just gorgeous!  (Though, in retrospect, the shimmer did dampen quite a bit after my further steps...)  Then, I used foam ink blending tools to add color to the tag - blues and browns.  I edged the tag with Walnut stain.  I sprayed some water in my hand and dripped it onto the tag, let it sit on the tag a bit, then used a towel to mop it up - it left a watery look on the tag that I love.  I used black Archival ink to stamp the butterflies, and I used my Viva Decor Pearl Pen in black to add the little dimensional dots to the butterflies.

I punched the side tag from some of Donna Salazar's Artistic paper.  I inked it, and attached it with my Tiny Attacher.  I colored some alphabet stickers from Making Memories, using Distress Inks, and put them on the tag to spell "Fly."  

For the bottle caps, the top one is a punched image from Bottle Cap Inc., covered by an epoxy sticker, and the lower one is a punched image from them as well, but I melted UTEE over it (in my toaster oven).  

I added fibers to the top of the tag.  I put one of Tim Holtz's tiny safety pins through the fibers, and attached one of his typewriter key tags to the pin; I added a tiny punched butterfly (from a Martha Stewart butterfly punch), and put the epoxy sticker over it.  

I had so much fun making this tag - I definitely will be doing more things with melted UTEE!!!  And this stamp set is quickly becoming my favorite...so you'll probably be seeing a lot of it!

Have you been making any art lately?  I'd love to see links!!

Easy No-Sew Tutu With Butterflies

With Easter fast-approaching, I know many moms who are looking for non-candy Easter basket goodies for their little ones.  This super sweet - and sugar free - butterfly tutu definitely fits the bill.  What little girl wouldn't LOVE to find this in her basket on Easter morning?!  To find out how to make this sweet fairy-tale tutu, at very little cost (both time and money-wise), head over to Crafts Unleashed today for a step-by-step tutorial.

And this doesn't have to be limited to Easter, either!  Dress-up trunks, birthday parties, tea parties...these are so easy and affordable to make, your little girl will probably want one in every color, for every occasion!

Winner of Elmer's Giveaway!!!

And this is no April Fool's!!  :)

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:1Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Okay - so seriously...I've never ever seen #1 win!  I never thought it happened...but apparently it sometimes does!  And who was comment #1??
*For some reason, I'm having trouble getting the random number thingy to copy and paste into the post properly, but I promise you, the output number was number 1!!*
Rochelle Jimenez said...

If I were to win this great box of crafty goodies,my kids and I would be able to have a crafting family night.We could make stuff for school,make some picture labels for our upcoming garden project and just use our imaginations.

Wed Mar 30, 08:12:00 AM PDT

Congratulations, Rochelle!!  I'll be emailing you shortly!!