I don't have a Work Desk this Wednesday

Last night I got the Spring Cleaning bug.  I think they look a lot like ladybugs, but they bite.  You know the cleaning urge that hits about the same time as the sun comes out and temperatures reach the 50 degree mark.  So I don't have a work desk today.  Today it is buried beneath things that used to be on the store displays.  Lots and lots of things.   It should be put back together soon, freshly scrubbed, vacuumed, and rearranged in a more Feng Shui manner.

In the meantime I'll share my work desk from this weekend at Vintaj:

Alcohol (ink) was involved.

Polymer Clay Bezels and Faux Enamel & Patina

My inky pieces.  Two of these are polymer clay we modeled from the metal.  So cool.

Shortly after this I got so involved I forgot my camera, so, you'll just have to be patient while I assemble al the pieces into finished works and post them :-)

You can see more class pics on the Vintaj blog HERE.  I'm the one with the crazy buns and the green shirt.  Or to see some arte metal hammering mayhem (about 20 people hammering at once) check this video out.

A great experience.  If you ever get a chance to take one of their workshops, jump at it.   It was about a semesters worth of art jewelry technique in one day.

Bonus!  Finished Project from last Wednesday:

I'll be teaching this May 8th at Backroads Plum Crazy.  If you're in the area, stop by!  If you are not in the area, I know a great bed and breakfast, haha (I live and cook there, if you are new to the blog ;-)

To see more fun work desks, go to the Stamping Ground and join in!

On my work desk; a Summer Fantasy

Has it been a week already?  Craziness.  I've been a busy bee this week, making banners of various forms out the whazoo.  I did manage to back off from having taken over 4 tables and a counter at the shop and am back down to my usual two.  Definitely an improvement. Gold star for me :-) !

The banner on the table is the last one to be finished of a seasonal series I'm going to be teaching at Backroads Plum Crazy.  This one is Summer.

Antique Linen Crackle Paint makes pretty good sand!

The Old Lace Glimmermist on the canvas word doesn't show up too well in person or in the photo.  I may paint over it, or maybe leave it as is, with the barest hint of glitter.  More is less and all.

A few pretty beachy flowers. Positively minimalist compared to the other seasons, but it helps keep the airy feel.  None of this is glued down yet as I ran out of hot glue and wasn't brave enough to ransack the office in search of a fresh stick.  I get the urge to organize whenever I go in there.  And by "organize" I mean take everything out of the lawn like a TLC show and put a great big "Free to a Good Home" sign on it. I'll try and sweet talk Michelle to get me one out later today.

In other news, this weekend I'm going to Galena.  What is in Galena you ask?  Nothing less than Vintaj, darling!  Oh, and a lot of other cool historic things, but mostly (for me) Vintaj.   I'm going to take their Art Metal Workshop.

And maybe a dash over to a stamp store ;-) I'm so, so, so, excited.Plus I'm staying a the Irish Cottage Boutique Hotel (ooh lala) which has a fairy ring and Woodchuck Cider on draft.  Perfect for just before St. Patty's day.

Lil' Sprout

Here's the baby cards for card club, made just in the nick of time.  I was drying the stickles with a embossing gun just as the first car rolled in, lol.

The stamps are from Rubbernecker, a great little stamp company.  I especially like their Goddess stamps.  They remind me of Alphonse Mucha paintings.  Lovely and unusual.  Now that I think about it, I bet they'd look great with Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante collection.  Anyway, train of thought back on the rails, you can check out everbody else's cards here.

Workdesk Wednesday

Here's what my table looks like today and most days :-)  This is actually the second table I'd made a fine mess of.  I'll be doing an uber ten second tidy before card club tomorrow for sure!

I'm working on a banner for Door County Rubber Stamps, where all these little girl stamps are from.  Oscar in Door County is a few weeks behind me here in northern Iowa, seasonally so I thought she could use a Happy colorful Spring banner.  I need it, too.  I clued in about 7:00 when my fingers started getting really cold that the furnace had been out for about 2 hours.  Brrrr!  I must have gotten a little wrapped up in my project if I didn't notice a 10 degree temperature drop.

 

My iPad playing an old Live With Prima show while I work.  If you haven't watched these, go, do, they are so amazing.  So much technique it makes me a bit giddy with inspiration when I watch.

  

Panel 1 was pretty much together already, I just added some flowers today.

 This is my favorite one so far.

 I had planned to use these flowers on another project, but they fell on this one and I kinda loved them and glued them down, so I'll be needing another package.  Darn! (hehehe)

 Put it all together and whaddaya got?  HAPPY!

I'm planning a little kite flier for the last panel and am toying with the idea of some stripy paper ruffles and lace along the bottoms... It's so hard to stop embellishing!

And here we have what I had really meant to work on today- Baby themed cards for Card Club tomorrow night.  Don't they look great? lol.  I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow if I can tear myself away from that darn banner!

Love Notes

My first fling with Cricut Design Studio.  Oo la la, the romance, it has begun!

  

1. Weld the shadow from LOVE from Home Accents with the square from George.  
2. Add a few wings from Indie Art to a Door County Girl to turn her into a sweet little cupid.
3. Dangle the smallest scallop heart from a string.

Katy Cat

So this layout gave me fits this morning.  Ever have those moments when you feel like you are putting together a puzzle and you don't know what the picture is?  Yah, that feeling.  Sometimes followed by grumbling and a trash can.  Ok, no trash can.  That's too much Prima goodness to give away.  Luckily my frustration/need to take a nap level maximum coincided with the noon hour.  An, Lo, the benevolent gods of scrapbooking did smile upon me- Prima posted their April Build A Page sometime during the morning.  I love their Build A Pages.  I have folders full of their sketches and samples.  Oodles.  And this Build A Page was perfect for what I had already laid out on my table, plus a few leftovers from my Raspberry Tea Album kit (which I'm teaching May 8th, if you want to have lots of good leftovers too)   Inspiration, such a Good Thing.  Thanks Prima! 

Oh- and ridiculously cute cat, that's my adorable Katy, who is currently attacking my laptop case.

Made with Love

The challenge is use only cardstock and the papers from a Basic Grey paper pack I've had in my stash for about a year.  A friend of mine was also feeling uninspired by the Scallop Heart Nesties she had bought, so to make things interesting, use this set of dies on every. single. one.   Turned out limiting your supplies is a great way to get inspired.

I stamped the my little baker twice.  Once on the oval and then on a scrap so I could cut her out and layer her over everything with foam dots, making it look like her little kitty is behind her skirt.  Ah, I love dimension.  Speaking of dimension, if you haven't used liquid pearls may I highly recommend them to you.  The red makes great little holly berries, or in this case, cherries and the other colors have a ton of uses too (perhaps a line of ivory pearl buttons marching down the back of a Victorian girl's gown, which you can see larger if you click on the image below).  I don't empathize with this stamp, nope.  Have you checked out Joy the Baker today?  Or the Cupcake Bakeshop?  Stamping and complex carbohydrates, there really is no better combo in my book.  Plus the occasional adorable cat trying to trip you and make off with the goodies.



Card number 11:

Supplies:
Door County Rubber Stamps Holiday Baking
Inkadinkado Sentiment
Ranger Ivory & Red Liquid Pearls


May Arts Burgandy Silk Ribbon
Copic Markers
Kaisercraft Pink Rhinestone, Rhinestone Strips
Basic Grey Bittersweet Paper Pack


Spellbinders Classic Ovals, Scallop Ovals, Classic Hearts & Scallop Hearts