Curly Q Mosaics

My Mind's Eye Challenge & A Sweet Gift for Cindy...

2012-01-20T20:38:00.000-06:00

My Mind's Eye has Card Challenge #31 going on over at their blog, so I thought I would play along. I am recently obsessed with all the glitter MME has been using on lots of their papers. Lost & Found II is so beautiful! I also adore the new FunDay Collections, I think I must have purchased every single bit of it. The kraft paper and the wood veneer banner pieces are the coolest! As for the card itself, the springboard for my creation is that of Anam Stubbington's amazing sketch. I used to work on her design team at Twisted Sketches, and I loved every second of it. Anam's designs always "push" me to a new level of thinking with my creativity. She always couples it with a theme to make it extra challenging. :)

My cousin Cindy's birthday was on Wednesday, and what a perfect excuse to create such an elaborate card. :) I used lots of different MME products to create this little gem...

MME Lost & Found II: Sunshine "Memories" Blossoms Paper, Rosy "Everything" Acrylic Stamps
MME Lost & Found Christmas: Peace Paper
MME Lost & Found: Union Square Brads
MME Kraft FunDay: Everyday Fun Wood Banners, Happy Days Die-Cut Borders

There is lots of layering on this card which includes machine stitching and foam dots for extra dimension. (I told you I would be showing off my new found sewing skills!) Love, love, love the feel of a sewn card. It has such a finished look that seems to "hold" everything together. :)

In addition to Cindy's card, I found this sweet "hat box" purse at an estate sale a year ago. I have been hoarding it since then to find the perfect way to update it with a little extra. I created the big flower on the front using burgundy and red dupioni silk. I did lots of layering underneath to give it a more rounded, realistic look. I also added a Webster's Pages Berry Bouquet & some black pokkadot feathers. On the inside I added a baroque frame around the mirror. I filled it with fluffy kraft krinkles and a journal with matching red houndstooth pencils for a finishing touch. I love the way the gift "ensemble" turned out. I know I get a little crazy with the way I coordinate my gifting, but to me the presentation is the most fun. :)

I thank you again for stopping by and always appreciate your comments. You all inspire me to continue doing what I do. Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!
Amy

All We Need Is Love @ Paper Issues!!!

2012-01-15T17:12:00.000-06:00

Valentine's is officially one month away, and what a great time to start preparing for the love! Paper Issues' newest theme is "All We Need Is Love." From now thru February 14 we will be celebrating the upcoming holiday by featuring some "sweet" creations made by you! Be sure to link up your images and share the love! :)

To get your creative juices flowing, I would like to share with you some of my Valentine creations...

"Wings of Love" (pictured above) has to be one of my favorite mosaic creations I have made to date. I made it a few years ago and thought I would share it with all of you! Basically what initially inspired it was the very ornate embossed heart in the center. It is the lid of an old ceramic jewelry box...one of my many treasured estate sale finds. I created the wings from a vintage vase. The background paper is from Paper Mojo. The damask aqua & copper were the perfect dramatic backdrop. Don't you agree?

Also, here are two of some of my rather intricate Valentines I created this past year. The XOXO card was created for a Valentine Swap. The red heart on the wings is actually a functioning heart lock. Isn't it the cutest? The LOVE card I made for my husband. You are probably wondering why I added the kelly green? He loves all things Irish, and I thought it would add a nice personal touch. :)

I hope to create lots of Valentines sweets to share with you over the next month. Won't you share your sweets with us? http://www.paperisssues.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Sewing Love & ELEVEN83 Designs Giveaway!!!

2012-01-12T09:33:00.001-06:00

I was at my mom's house the other day and decided it was time to just hang out and piddle around with her sewing machine. There are lots of you creative geniuses out there who drive me nuts with your sewing capabilities, and I have been very anxious to "try" and sew on paper like many of you do. I took home ec like 20 years ago and I don't recall anything about sewing other than it was extremely frustrating...needles breaking, string tangling up like crazy, sewing hideous darts and zippers. No thanks!

Basically I have not attempted to sew anything with a machine since then. My mother is a sewing guru, so I have always just gone to her with any sewing projects. Three years ago my mom got me a sewing machine for Christmas and I had yet to take it out of the box. Yes you heard me right, three years! After tinkering on her machine for 3 hours the other night, those days are over! I just took it out of the box this morning, and I must say that it looks beeeuutiful! I need to clean and better organize my craft area and find it the perfect home...permanently on my crafting table for quick access. Plan to see lots of sewing on my creations in the near future...it is so addicting and fun! Check out what I did on mom's machine the other day...I think I did a pretty good job following the curves if I do say so myself! :)

Now onto the really good stuff! I have a dear friend, Ms. Lindsi who is extremely creative and rather new to the blogging world. I encouraged her to start a blog awhile back and she took the plunge! Won't you stop by her amazing blog and show her some love? Let's welcome her to this crazy blogging world we all live in! :) When you are there, be sure to check out her gorgeous Valentine's canvases...Valentine's canvases...she is giving away TWO of them! Lindsi's blog is ELEVEN83 Designs.

That's all I have for now. Stay tuned on Saturday, as we reveal the newest theme over at Paper Issues!
Amy

We've Got Your Number & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T19:18:00.003-06:00

Paper Issues has unveiled the latest theme, "We've Got Your Number." What a perfect time for me to share another one of my most recent calendars. :)

Since Jack has been in Kindergarten, I have presented each of his teachers with a handmade calendar for Christmas. With Jack being in the 2nd Grade now, this is the 3rd one. Trying to get custom orders completed for the impending Christmas deadline, I always run short on time for this special gift. Jack really stressed as to whether I would get it done this year. It was two days before Christmas Break and I still hadn't even started it. To ease Jack's mind, I approached his teacher and told her that Jack would be bringing his gift to her the next morning. She smiled and said that she was really looking forward to it. (She had been told by Jack's 1st Grade teacher that the calendar she had received last year had to be the best teacher's gift she has received in 20 years of teaching!) Needless to say, I knew a gift certificate wouldn't suffice so I was determined to burn the midnight oil until complete.

I created this calendar using lots of my typical vintage ephemera with some scrapbooking pretties thrown in for extra color. The background paper is from the Rosy "Remember" Lost & Found Collection Two by MME. I LOVE the glittered damask border and the imagery at the bottom. When photographing the calendar, I really tried to capture the "sparkle" but unfortunately these photos don't do the paper justice. In addition to My Mind's Eye, I used some Jenni Bowlin, Pink Paislee, Maya Road, Prima, Fancy Pants & Martha Stewart to name a few.

I truly hope that Ms. Estes adores her new calendar. I know Jack was beaming upon presenting it to her, and that makes me happy. :)

As for Paper Issues, we would LOVE to see what you have to share! What do "numbers" mean to you? Please link up your projects here! Also, be sure to check out Paper Issues on Etsy. Loads of fun goodies currently on sale for 20% off! Just use code LOVE20 at checkout.

Thanks for stopping by; but most of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR'S 2012!!!

Merry "Belated" Christmas!

2011-12-28T15:38:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone! It seems like forever since I have shared with you on my blog. This month has been such a whirlwind of magic, excitement, memories & festivities. I hope yours has been just as wonderful!

Today I would like to share with you my Christmas Card creation for family & friends this year. It is a hybrid card if you will...both digital and hand created. The boys had a photo shoot back in September, and I knew right away this is the photo I wanted for the card. I have this overstuffed baroque frame and thought it would be fun to have them peeking through it. It is so fun and playful. As for the the beautiful imagery around the photo, that is from the uber talented Rhonna Farrer. I am absolutely obsessed with her designs...they are so full of details and intricate patterns. I used both the Christmas Junque Pieces Kit as well as the Christmas Word Art Brush Kit. I really hope that Rhonna comes out with this collection in paper /embellishment form like she did with the Daily Junque Collection this last year. That collection has to be one of my favorites. Ever.

As for the card, I basically took the electronic photograph and worked with the digital images to create the card. I printed on matte photo paper, and adhered kraft paper to the back for extra durability. I then printed extra birds with the hats as well as the "merry" flag. I fussy cut around the images and put foam dots under them to give the cards some extra dimension. I mailed them out in clear plastic envelopes. I am a fanatic when it comes to the clear envelopes....great for presentation and mailing....definitely will not go unnoticed! :)

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a picture of my "spooky" Santa as my son calls it. Everyone knows I am a nut for vintage anything, and my mom picked this dude up for me at a local antique store! He is from the early 1950's, from the Rushton Star Company. He looks to be from the same company that created Zippy monkeys. Did any of you ever have one of those sweet little guys? Talk about a blast from the past!

I will be back soon to share with you the calendar I created for Jack's teacher this year.
Have a safe & memorable New Years! May you create lots of wonderful memories! Love, Amy

PS, if you love the fluffy frame as much as I do, they are on sale over at Uncommon Goods! Regularly $50, they have them in purple and hot pink for $30!

I am a winner @ Two Peas & December Madness @ Paper Issues!!!

2011-12-01T17:09:00.002-06:00

I am bursting with excitement! I have entered a few challenges in the past over at Two Peas & A Bucket and found out today that I have actually won for the Webster's Pages Challenge! :)

Not only will I receive $50 in Webster's Product, but this calendar is a custom order so that makes me even happier! My client had seen the "Out of Print" birdcage calendar I had done a few months back, and wanted one with more of a nature theme. After seeing Webster's "Botanical Christmas" Collection, I knew it would be perfect. The red bird on the right adds just the right touch I think. I fussy cut the bird out of one of my Cavallini Postcards and attached actual black/white polka dot feathers for extra dimension. There are lots of birdies and I particularly love the 2 little birds in a nest for the #2. :)

I used a wide variety of products to create......Webster's Pages paper, sparkler, bloomer...
Prima paper, lasercut felt...
Tim Holtz Bingo Texture Fade (to create the fab copper #22)... Martha Stewart's daisy fan punch...
American Crafts memento, rub ons, thickers...
Cosmo Cricket chipboard numbers...
Making Memories rub ons...
Maya Road bingo marker...
Girls' Paperie number...
Fancy Pants stamps...
In addition to loads of vintage ephemera...game pieces, rulers, etc...

Now onto the important news!
Paper Issues has a current theme running through Christmas titled "Holiday Madness." What does that mean to you? Please share your fabulous Christmas creations over at Paper Issues and while you are there, be sure to like us on Facebook for your chance to win a super giveaway of American Crafts goodies! Paper Issues is only shy 13 followers to reach the 700 mark on Facebook! Way to go Paper Issues!!!!!

I love you my wonderful friends! Happy December 1st, may the "Holiday Madness" begin! :)
Amy

Thankful For Fall...Family...& Friends...

2011-11-13T18:18:00.017-06:00

Hi Everyone! Paper Issues has revealed the newest theme...Thankful For Fall. If you ask me, what a great platform to create from...things that we are truly thankful for and just in time for Thanksgiving, right around the corner!

A family tradition that we started a few years ago is going to Branson, MO for Thanksgiving. With the extended family in tow, we all load up and stay in a huge cabin to accommodate 12 of us. I am truly thankful that we get to spend this memorable time together...watching movies, playing games, eating, shopping, going to the amazing Christmas shows and taking in all the natural beauty that surrounds us. What a perfect way to welcome the Christmas season. :)

As the trip quickly approaches, I thought it would be a nice time to make a card for my mother letting her know how grateful I am for our family. The card I created is not your typical colors when you think of fall is it? My color scheme is totally inspired by Tara Anderson, one of the designers at Crate Paper. She always does monthly color challenges...funky color combinations I typically wouldn't dare to even conjure up in my head. Lately I have been attempting some of her suggested schemes and am truly enjoying it.

For this card, I used a scrap piece of the Crate Paper Farmhouse Farmers Market. I had recently created some cards using one of the Tim Holtz dies, Regal Crest. I decided to cut around the negative scraps, and it looked like a pumpkin to me so I kept it. :) The same holds true for the copper leaf. It was from negative diecuts too. In addition to the pumpkin, I used an In Stitch'z Formal Flourishes template to create my swirls for stitching. I am loving the magenta floss against the Crate Paper Random Denim. I used AC "Forest" Thickers as well as a diecut from Crate's Random Collection. I dug into my older stash of goodies for the metal "family" piece from K&Co's Life's A Journey & the cute 3D acorns are from Anna Griffin.

I hope my card has inspired each of you to get out there and create for what you are truly thankful for. Please be sure to share with us over at Paper Issues. We would love to see your works of art. :)

Not only am I thankful for my family, I am thankful for you my friends!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous week!
Amy

Happy Halloween from my Barber Shop Boys!!!

2011-10-31T22:26:00.002-05:00

These are my little guys, Jack & Sam. For those that know me, costumes for my kiddos are a huge part of Halloween. I am always planning them out months in advance. Since the mustache craze is so big right now, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into the boys' costumes. Back in July, I saw these straw hats and totally started thinking barber shop quartet. Since I only have 2 boys (not 4 thank goodness!) I decided that they could be a barber shop duet. Yeah, that would work. After researching the internet long and hard for the accessories, I came accross these adorable red/white striped vests on etsy. Jennifer of The Little Dressing Room has impeccable sewing skills. I absolutely adore the way the vests look and fit my boys. The polka dot ties are from The Belle & The Beau. If you have boys, they make the coolest ties for boys in the trendiest fabrics out there. The costumes were coming together nicely. Black shoes check. Black pants check. White oxfords check. Red/black arm garters check. I still needed the much coveted mustaches for the boys. I kept thinking, what could I use that the boys could deal with and not tug and play with all night? Paint no. Furry sticker staches no way. Black sharpie tried it....smears & toxic. Then it hit me...temporary tattoos! Okay, so then I was on the quest to find them. Shockingly enough they are practically nowhere to be found. Everything I came accross were the fingerstaches only. They are tiny tattoos that you place on your index finger and hold up to your lip. Cute, but not what I needed. Eventually I came accross Brittany's etsy shop, Love Stitched. She was so kind to create some larger 2" ones for my kids and they turned out perfectly. So if you are ever in the market for life size temporary tattoo staches, now you know where to go!

I hope everyone has had a safe Halloween. My boys have finally drifted off to sleep after their sugar high!
Thanks dearly for stopping by!

Halloween Crows or Bird Clowns?

2011-10-30T17:26:00.014-05:00

I have been working on several of these birds over the past few weeks. My little Sam has been watching me create and keeps referring to them as "clown birds" which gives me a chuckle. I guess it is the hat and the ruffles around the neck that might have given him that idea?

The 2 birds on the pedestals (pictured below) I created for my sister & brother. They both have October birthdays so the numbers on the hats represent their ages. I created the bigger bird for myself with the "31" representing Halloween. (Yeah, I wish I was 31 again!)

Basically all the birds started out as a brown resin and I painted them all black to make them look more like crows. I sanded them to give them a distressed look and then added some fun black and polka dot feathers to the tails for added interest. I made the hats from an old art instruction manual and black pom poms. Mine actually has an orange bell at the top that I recently received in a Halloween box swap. For the ruffle I called on my wonderful seemstress mother to create. Basically she layered orange and black crepe paper, straght stitched and then gathered. I really need to start sewing...she made it look so easy! The polka dot ruffles I created out of polka dot cupcake liners! I added some silver Stickles for some extra sparkle. Lastly, I typed on some little kraft banners and attached to the legs.

Other than the Halloween Curiosities Box Swap and these birds I have not done too much crafting this month. Usually this time of year, I am frantically getting ready for the insanely fun Girlie Show but I thought I might take off this year and just enjoy the fall with my kiddos...the mummy & son masquerade ball...the pumpkin patch...the zoo...carving pumpkins...making goodies for school parties...warming up by the fire outside while eating hot stew & s'mores...this has definitely been a fun October for me and my little guys. Time goes by way too fast...sometimes we just have to stop and enjoy the everyday. We have made some fantastic memories over the past few weeks and it makes me so very happy.

I will stop back by tomorrow to share with you the boys' costumes this year. They are always fun to put together. :) Until then, be sure to link your Halloween projects over at Paper Issues through tomorrow. We would love to see what spooky goodies you have to share!

Hello Friend! BINGO Card

2011-10-09T09:57:00.022-05:00

So I have this fabulous blogger friend that lives halfway across the United States from me. How I wish I could "hang out" and create with such friends but I know that is a very difficult feat. To show my appreciation for such a dear friend I have never met in person, I wanted to create her a special card. Isn't it interesting how we meet so many people on the web and feel like we know so much about them and haven't even met in person? My how technology has changed our world!

For my "friend" card, I wanted to incorporate both mine and her sense of style and flair. I always like to incorporate vintage into my work...she always has edgy designs and uses lots of fun techniques...together we both incorporate lots of vivid color. With this combination of style, I present to you this BINGO Card. I have never attempted to do misting/masking on any of my work because it honestly scares me. I feel like I have no control of the spray, and once it is there it is there. Do some of you know what I mean? It is sort of like water colors...I have never had much luck with them as a child or even now. I guess I am too much of a planner in my creations and it tends to limit & slow me down. My friend, Michelle truly takes chances and I love that about her. She inspires me to do so in some of my work, so that is why I took a chance on this card. Crazy enough, I am satisfied with the way it turned out. :)

Here is my ecclectic mix of materials I used...
Chipboard Alphas: KI Hip Hop, Cosmo Cricket Vintage Mix, Pink Paislee Weathered Wood
Rub-ons: Kaiser Craft & Hambly
Damask Sticker: Heidi Swapp
Bird Mask: Tattered Angels
Mist: Smooch Spritz (love this lipstick red)
Vintage: bingo card (with funky orange windows), black & cream bingo markers, wooden lotto marker, red button & black polka-dot butterfly brooch

I hope sharing my card will inspire you to "take chances" as well. You might just enjoy the result!
Amy

It's Halloween over @ Paper Issues & "Curiosities" Halloween Box Swap

2011-10-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

Paper Iss ues is celebrating "31 Days of Halloween" this month. All month they will be featuring lots of spooky, cutesy Halloween projects created by YOU! To make it even more enticing, if you link up one of your Halloween projects...you will be entered into the Halloween Mini Kit Giveaway! They will be giving away SIX kits!!! They will announce the winners on October 7, so you still have time to play!

For my initial Halloween creation this year, I decided to participate in Heather's annual Speckled-Egg Petite Inspiration Swap Box, "Curiosities Edition." I am a huge nut for Halloween so I thought it would be fun to do...it totally gets me into the spirit and I get to share some of my vintage lovelies with others. :) I had 2 swap partners, so I created 2 boxes. Both very similar but a little different; taylored to individual tastes.

I covered the boxes in some super creepy "witch" wrap I picked up at the Paper Source. Those eyes on the witches are just downright scary. Don't you think? To give the paper some dimension, I added silver Stickles to the hat buckle. I then made accordian medallions from a super old dictionary. I topped them off with a vintage black bingo marker. Then I tied bakers twine with a cute crepe paper accent from The Girls' Paperie, Toil & Trouble Collection.

As you can see from the photos, I cram packed the boxes with all kinds of vintage goods in the Halloween color palette. From buttons & trims to a little black bird and a vintage owl card, the collection of findings is sure to jump start a fabulous Halloween project or card for my partners. As for the fantastic boxes I received in return, I was floored with all the fun goodies! From a circus font "Happy Halloween" stamp to a black crow, skeletons & felt pumpkins, I got some sweet little gems myself that I am very excited to work with. Thank you dearly Jeanne & Kathy!

If you have never participated in a swap before, I recommend you give it a try at least once. The great part is you make new friends and you get lots of cool treats in return! To see lots of the boxes in the swap, you can check them out over at Flickr.

Don't forget to link up your projects over at Paper Issues and have a festive month. The holiday season is upon us!

The winner of my Blog Hop GIVEAWAY is...

2011-09-19T18:01:00.001-05:00

..."Willieburg Scrapper" also know as the infamous Michelle! Congratulations! I truly appreciate each and every one of you for stopping by during the Paper Issues Blog Hop. It was lots of fun, and I hope you were inspired with tons of creativity along the way.

Speaking of Paper Issues, yesterday Cassie introduced the newest theme/challenge: Tree Hugger! What does that mean to you? Someone that loves nature or perhaps someone that is really into recycling and/or repurposing...the interpretation is totally up to you. Won't you join us in sharing your Tree Hugger creations? The featured project might just be yours! :)

Paper Issues Blog Hop!

2011-09-16T08:27:00.002-05:00

Today I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop! Yeah! This hop is so exciting as there are so many talented girls on the Paper Issues Team to share and inspire you with their creative greatness! :) If you are joining me from the fantastic Peg Hewitt's blog, then you are right on track. If not, I encourage you to join the hop starting at the beginning with Paper Issues. There are tons of amazing giveaways/RAKS on many of the blogs so be sure to check them all out for your chance to win! Also during the hop, Paper Issues is offering 25% off your purchase at the Paper Shop!

The creation I am sharing with you today is a little congratulatory gift I gave to my sweet niece, Allison for winning 1st place in a huge soccer tournament last week. It was very intense for her and her team; and they came out on top, victorious! To help her always remember such a special time in her life, I decided to create her a fancy little trophy and card.

As you can see, this is not your typical trophy. I am a huge nut for repurposing old junk and giving it new life. Perhaps that is the "tree hugger" side of me. :) One day I was "junking" at an antique shop and came across a big box of old trophies. I decided to start taking some apart and putting together different components to create my own. The whole thing only cost me $3. The initial look was rather yuck with the brass and old wood, but I definitely transformed it!

Here is a quick how-to on the trophy, in case any of you would like to give it a try. :)

1. Unscrew all the pieces of the trophy.

2. Take the plastic part of the trophy and completely cover in spray adhesive.

3. Pour super fine glitter all over it, and watch the beauty transform. (As you can tell, I am a huge sucker for bling!)

4. Spray a fine coat of fixative over the glitter.

5. Paint the wood base.
6. Create the sentiment with stickers and place on the trophy plate.
7. Make a paper medallion and glue to base of the trophy.
8. Screw all the pieces back together, and voila!

I used lots of materials to create both the trophy and matching card...American Crafts: Honor Roll & Class President Papers from the Teen Collection, Black Glitter Thickers, Making Memories, Jenni Bowlin: Chalkboard Alphas, Maya Road: Black Pleated Ribbon, Glitz Design: Love Games Peek A Boo, Daisy Hill: Acrylic Alphas, Other: hot pink fine glitter, old trophy parts, black paint and scallop punches.

Okay, now onto the fun part: the Giveaway! Since Paper Issues is all about "paper" I purchased this fantastic book, "Deocorating with PaperCraft" by Clare Youngs. The book is filled with absolutely fabulous ideas and how-to's for beautiful paper crafts. You will love it. In addition, I am including other things I love...overlays and of course vintage ephemera to include tickets, game boards, & book plates. I will be drawing the lucky winner on Monday, September 19. To increase your chances of winning, there are several ways...

1. Leave a comment.
2. Follow my blog.

3. Follow Paper Issues!

I hope you have enjoyed the hop so far, and that you will visit again soon! Don't forget to stop by Paper Issues and show them some love! Now onto the extremely talented, Leah Crowe!

Magnetic Lunchboxes!

2011-09-13T21:36:00.017-05:00

I have some unusal ideas when it comes to my creative endeavors sometimes. Tonight I would like to share these fun tartan plaid lunchboxes I have altered just a bit. :)

Since it is back-to-school time still, what a perfect opportunity to share this kooky idea with you all! Basically I first found a vintage tartan lunchbox and then later found some newer versions from Restoration Hardware. To create, I stamped a big Fancy Pants flourish stamp onto the lid with white Staz-On ink. It really pops wonderfully against the black/red plaid. To create the magnets, I used lots of Basic Grey June Bug goodies. From the paper & layered stickers, to the felties and brads they were the perfect match for the tartan boxes. All the fun doodads on the lunchboxes are totally magnetic, even the bird! Whether sending darling little girls to school with a sweet note inside attached with one of the magnets, to being a lady with some funky flair, these are great for girls of all ages.
Being a mother of 2 boys, I needed something a bit more masculine. My oldest son, Jack needed one when he started kindergarten. As you can see, his is a little beat up now. Originally it just said Jack with the little Paul Frank monkey at the bottom. Now that he is a little older, I trust him with magnets. I turned these 1" buttons into magnets for him to play around with. I am sure it puts a smile on his face when he opens his lunchbox with a note from mom that says, "my mom thinks I'm rad" on it. Don't you? My little guy, Sam started pre-school a few weeks ago and of course wanted one just like his brother's. Naturally, I made him his own without the magnets. Now he looks like the "little" big man on campus like his brother. :)

On another note, don't forget to share your Learning Curves creations over at Paper Issues! The challenge is still open through Friday, the 15th so you still have time. Also, I am sharing these tartan lunchboxes with Punky Scraps "Tartan" Challenge this week. The inspiration photo is punky funky fabulous, so be sure to check it out! Have a great rest of the week!

Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

Paper Issues "Learning Curve" & Football!

2011-08-28T16:46:00.014-05:00

Happy Sunday all my friends! I hope everyone is doing well getting into the groove of fall with the kids starting back-to-school. Paper Issues reveals the newest theme today, "Learning Curve" which is perfectly fitting for this time of year. To me, the first thing that naturally pops into my mind is first day back-to-school photos, school supplies, and everything that comes along with it...cooler weather & football! I live in Norman, Oklahoma which is a huge football town. Known for the competitive football here, the University of Oklahoma resides at the epicenter of the chaos. When the kids start arriving for the fall semester, our town suddenly has 30,000 more residents...the OU college students! Talk about a major transition each fall for the remaining 70,000 of us that are permanent residents of this college town. Hosting 9-10 home football games each season, the whole town is painted varying shades of crimson & cream. As our town prepares for all the exciting madness of it all, I thought it would be fun to create a calendar focusing on football and all it entails.

To create, I have been purchasing/collecting football stamps for months. The outer border of the circle corkboard is covered in lots of different stamps from Hampton Arts, Karen Foster & Fancy Pants. Using black StazOn, it gives each image a crisp clean image. I created the numbers using my 1" button maker and lots of assorted papers from GCD, October Afternoon, Prima, Cosmo Cricket, Graphic 45, Teresa Collins, Pink Paislee, CTMH, Simple Stories, My Mind's Eye, Crate Paper, Basic Grey, Creative Imaginations, 7 Gypsies and some vintage papers. In addition to the paper, I used some stickers and rub-ons from Echo Park, American Crafts, Karen Foster, Hambly, Making Memories & The Paper Studio.

For a fun twist, I created 3 felt pennants for the calendar. These would be used in place of the number on corresponding game days. For those that are big football fans, what a great way to look forward to the big game day cookouts and tailgating parties! If you are interested in creating one of these yourself, I will share with you some quick details on creating these fun little mini pennants. If not for a calendar, they would make great embellishments on a layout or card too.

Mini Pennants Tutorial:1. Stamp directly onto sticky backed felt using stamp slightly dipped into paint. With a fine tip paintbrush you will want to repaint the image since felt tends to absorb the paint initially.

2. Once paint dries, cut out the pennant like a long skinny diamond since you will be folding it in half. For the pin, I used quilting T-pins since they are longer than reqular stick pins. To make the pennants bendable, here is a fun little trick for you...use some copper or metal sheeting on the inside! That way once you have folded over the felt with the pin and metal securely tucked inside, the pennant can be folded, rippled or wrinkled to your liking!

This is my "Learning Curve" project for you today. As Paper Issues unveils this new theme, be sure to play along and share your projects with us. Your project might just be featured! Remember, it can be anything that you interpret it to be. I look forward to seeing all of your amazingly creative projects!

Thanks for stopping by my sweet, beautiful friends! :)
Amy

"Out of Print" Bird Cage Calendar

2011-08-05T22:06:00.009-05:00

So I am sure it seems that I have been MIA from the blogword, but I am still around! Wonderful life experiences like birthday parties and big family vacations have gotten in the way, but I am not complaining. :) My little guy Sam turned 4, and we went on a long road trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. It was beautiful, green & not in the 110 degree heatwave like here in Oklahoma! I can't wait for this intense heat to subside. Unlike Michelle, I am ready for the fall! (yeah willieburg, I am talking to you! :)

As promised, I told many of you that I would eventually share a tutorial on my perpetual calendars and today is the day! I present to you this one-of-a-kind bird cage calendar. Truly unique because I didn't buy more of these cages, and I am kicking myself like crazy because they are all sold out. :( I created this calendar using the lovely Basic Grey "Out of Print" collection. I have always been a huge fan of Basic Grey, and they nailed it again with this line. In addition to the papers I used, I incorporated some of their new "bow ties" and "lace it up" stickers.

Here are the details...
1. Choose a metal surface for the base of your calendar. Be sure that magnets will stick to it before you begin. It can be very deceiving but magnets definitely don't stick to aluminum but do stick to tin and other metal substrates. My best advice is to take a magnet with you when shopping to be sure it will work.
2. Choose the background papers and cut accordingly to the shape of the metal.
3. When adhering the paper to the metal, it is crucial that you use an adhesive that will hold permanently and covers every bit of the paper! Through trial and error, I have found that when there is moisture in the air the paper tends to warp a little. If it is not absolutely stuck to the metal, the magnets won't stick to the metal...and if the magnets don't stick well poo! That wouldn't be good! My favorite recommendation is to use a 5" Xyron machine. Just cut your paper down into 5" strips and reassemble accordingly onto the metal.
4. Create your grid in pencil and then come back over it with a Sharpie. I always do 7 rows accross and 6 rows down to accomodate for the months that start & end mid-week.
5. Put your permanent days on there via stamps or Dymo tape.
6. Stamp around the edges of the metal as desired or add sweet embellishments like flowers, ribbon, etc.
7. Raid your junk drawer for unique numbers like keys, dice, dominoes. Next, raid your scrapping stash for chipboard letters and rub-ons.
8. Once you have decided what numbers to use, glue heavy duty magnets onto the backs of each number. For paper thin pieces like tickets for example, you can use magnetic sheeting. That stuff totally rocks! For your adhesive on the numbers, use E600. Yeah, it is rather toxic smelling but it definitely has a good solid bond.
9. Lastly, create your days of the month using scrabble tile. To be able to form a complete set for all the months, keep in mind you will need several of some letters and some not at all. Here is a handy little list of the numbers you will need...A:2, B:1, C:1, D:1, E:3, F:1, G:1, H:1, I:1, J:1, L:1, M:1, N:1, O:2, P:1, R:2, S:1, T:1, U:2, V:1.
10. Guess what? That's it! Now you can make a calendar that you can enjoy for many years to come!

I hope as you create your calendars as I know many of you will, please be sure to share! I would love to see all of your fabulous creations!

As always, thanks for your sweet comments and support on my blog. You all inspire me to create! Happy Weekend to one and all! :)
Amy

"Sugar & Spice" & Everything Nice...

2011-07-15T16:07:00.031-05:00

...that's what little girls are made of. :) One of the hottest lines that came out this Spring is Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe. I don't have any little girls of my own, but as soon as it was unveiled in early Spring, I knew it was a must have for me! I love creating with such sweet, girlie, vintage imagery. Not to mention that it is filled with lots of RED, PINK & AQUA!

I have a large stash of old windows and occasionally I come accross an unusual one. When I found this one in my piles and piles of windows, I knew this would be a perfect fit with Emma's Shoppe. The subtle buttercream paint on the window pane ties in perfectly with the yellows in the paper. How fun it was to create and play with the colors & design just so. Totally perfect in a little girl's room don't you think?

As many of you know, I was recently appointed to be on the Paper Issues Creative Team. Last week they revealed the newest theme, "Life Is Sweet." What better project could I share for this theme than "Sugar & Spice!" I hope you all will share any projects that you have that play along with the "Life Is Sweet" theme over at the Paper Issues Blog! You might just have your spectacular project featured!

TGIF! Have a great weekend!
Amy

Birthday Card & Moxie Fab World Challenge!

2011-07-11T17:05:00.003-05:00

Awhile back I created this cork calendar using stamps, and I had such a positive response I decided I would make a birthday card using the same basic concept: lots of stamps & cork. With the amount of texture in the cork, it amazes me that the stamped impressions turn out so perfectly. Nowadays, manufacturers have come a long way to make the coolest, most detailed stamps out there...its hard to resist going on a shopping spree! :)

As for the card, I created it specifically for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World which is still going on through Wednesday, July 13. If you enjoy playing around with stamps, you still have a few days left to create and enter!

Now onto the sweet details...I started with a 5X7 kraft cardstock base. I cut out a piece of thin cork sheeting and adhered it on the front cover. Next I used one of my scrap cricut diecuts shaped like a bracket for my masking template. I taped it down temporarily as I randomly stamped all over the borders of the cork using black Staz-On and stamps from Pink Paislee's Daily Junque Collection & The Girls' Paperie Jublilee Stamp Set. Both sets contain fun vintage imagery like the typewriter, camera, numbers, starbursts, & postage. I continued to stamp until all the spaces were filled in. After removing the diecut, it revealed a nice bracket shape. Next I took Poolside Powder American Crafts Thickers and stamped patterns on each letter using CTMH stamps from both the Spot On & Noted Background sets. To add some color, I used some of the spankin' new goodies from Pretty Little Studio's Antique Store Collection. Isn't this banner the cutest? I created it using the Vintage Feed Sacks Mini Paper Ribbon and some black & white twine. To "pin" it to the corkboard, I used yellow & white star stickpins from Maya Road. Besides, you have to have tacks or pins on cork don't you? Lastly, I stamped BIRTHDAY using a Stampin' Up stamp from the Happy Everything set.

I hope you enjoy my newest card, and be sure to check out the Moxie Fab World Challenge! Thanks for stopping by my friends! Amy

Pretty, Patriotic & Paper Issues!

2011-07-02T17:08:00.013-05:00

I have some super exciting news to share with you today! I am officially on the Creative Team over at Paper Issues! I am so excited to be working with a huge group of talented girls. :) To celebrate, Paper Issues is having a 30% off sale on all their scrapping goodies. Be sure to check it out, you will be glad you did! I just went on a little shopping spree myself. :) For all the details, please visit Paper Issues.

Speaking of Paper Issues, they always host themed parties for me & you to link up and share our paper projects & creations. Right now, the party is Red, White & Blue! Definitely link up some of your 4th of July creations, I know lots of you out there are making them as we speak! It is lots of fun, you should join in!

As for my pretty/patriotic creation, I have to give full credit to the talented Michelle Jackson over at Vintage Street Market. She shared this project on the Vintage Street Market Blog back in May, and I knew I wanted to make one like it. It is a wreath made out of a vintage slide tray as the base. Isn't it genius? Since I went so cuckoo over it, I roped my mom, sister, aunt & cousins in and we had a party creating these! We had a great time reminiscing, crafting and we all walked away with one of these pretties! To see the tutorial on this fabulous creation, here it is...Patriotic Wreath.

I hope you are enjoying the summer! Happy Independence Day, and stay safe!

Amy

Birthday Present & Gift Bag/Reusable Tote!

2011-06-30T16:00:00.025-05:00

Happy Afternoon Everyone! Today I would like to share a quick and fun present and bag all in one! One of my friend's birthdays was the other day, and I always like to suprise her with something unique & different. She is one of my dear friends that truly supports my artistic endeavors. I wanted to give her something inspiring and as soon as I saw it, I just had to get it. I am sure that most of you already know Rhonna Farrer of Rhonna Designs. She creates the most amazing, visually interesting digital images I have ever seen! She is the designer behind Pink Paislee's Daily Junque line just to give you an idea of how talented she is. Rhonna recently created a digital image titled, Focus and here it is in all it's wonderful glory. The sentiment underneath reminds us to make time for ourselves every once in awhile! I purchased this wonderful image and decided to print and frame it for my friend. The funky colors and style I knew would be perfect. After framing it, I decided to make a rosette out of fuschia/orange dupioni silk. It ties amazingly well to the flowers in the image. Additionally I added the vintage blue tickets to make it more like a prize ribbon. I love the way it turned out, and she did too. :) For the gift bag, rather than using the typical throwaway ones; I decided to give her one that she could use as a beach bag or tote bag in the future. Since we are all about using totes these days for shopping, etc isn't this perfect? I also have noticed that burlap is becoming a very hot trend. I purchased this burlap bag and added the rosette/ribbon to the front. To make it a permanent fixture to the bag, I adhered it using E600. You can never go wrong with that stuff! As for the materials I used to create the rosette, I used some beautiful new Webster's Pages Ribbon, cream dupioni silk & some vintage pink/white trim I had in my stash. To give it the folded appearance, I simply used a Cosmo Cricket Gluber. My goodness, those things rock! To give the bag a little bit more of a festive flair, I added 3 pennant flag pins from the Girls' Paperie as well as the "joy" pin. Those are easily removable, and she can take them off before carrying the bag. Clever huh? I thought it would be fun to share this idea with you all. Not only was it fun/quick to put together, I think she truly likes it. I know if I was on the receiving end, I would love it. Which reminds me, I am totally going to print/frame Rhonna's "Focus" for my bedroom. It has such a funky flair...so totally me:)

Thanks for stopping by. I have some exciting news to share with you soon so stay tuned! Amy

DIY Wedding Share the Love Challenge by Crate Paper..."Love Birds"

2011-06-23T12:38:00.001-05:00

Last week the Crate Paper blog hosted a challenge to create using "wedding" as the overall theme. When I saw the Portrait Collection in the early Spring I knew it was a must have. The combination of creams, black, aqua greens & that floral woodgrain just screamed out to me. Absolutely gorgeous, I knew that I wanted to create with this collection for the challenge. Since we had severe storms and power outages last week, I was unable to enter the challenge by the deadline. :( That's okay. Because of the challenge, I forced myself to find time to be "artsy" and now have a sweet creation to show for it. :)

The baroque frame that I used is a vintage one I found about 5 years ago at a garage sale, just waiting for the right moment to shine. It is a heavy wood that is golden with a white wash distressing over the top. Isn't it downright lovely? For the background, I used all the Portrait Papers and with a scalloped ruler I created the "feathered" look. After placing the glass on top, I then did a mosaic with 2 "love" birds. The aqua green spotted tile in the center says "love" in a romantic cursive style. I wanted to give the illusion that the birds were looking at one another. I created the eyes using the Portrait Brads & Buttons. The feet are made from copper wire. Lastly, to add more dimension I wanted the birds to look like they are standing on branches. Using my Wild Card Cricut Cartridge I cut the branches out of my favorite paper in the collection: that gorgeous floral woodgrain. I know this is a rather unusual mixed media piece but I am truly happy the way it turned out. As for the wedding themed aspect, I thought this wall piece could hang as decor at the wedding to represent the "love birds." After the wedding it would be hung in the new couple's home as a forever reminder of their most wonderful day ever!

Thanks for stopping by, and as always thanks for the wonderful comments and words of encouragement!

Amy

The Joy of Magnetic Paper Dolls...

2011-06-18T20:54:00.045-05:00

My friend's daughter had her sweet little birthday party today. So what does one get for a 4-year-old child that surely has every princess accessory and Barbie doll under the sun? You make them something handmade, that's what! In addition to a cute little kitty cat purse, I decided to make her some paper dolls! This was lots of fun for me, let me just tell you it brought back great memories of playing with them as a child. Remember when the tabs would get all worn and tear? The clothes would never seem to stay on very long. Well, I came up with a great solution. Magnetic sheeting!

First of all, I must say what inspired me to do the paper dolls was an adorable digital collection by Pretty Little Studio. Have you ever heard of them? They have the most fanstastic vintage imagery of children, clowns, bunnies, etc. If you love vintage like I do, then you will definitely want to check them out at http://www.prettylittlestudio.com/.

The set I chose to work from is the "Mary" Nursery Rhyme Collection. The size of the doll and the cut-outs print out at approximately 4 - 5" each. The perfect size to fit into a tin Maya Road lunchbox! (I had this in my stash of old packaging that used to house Maya Road chipboard.) These are perfect for sweet little gifts like this as there is even a little clear window on one side to "peek" in. Since the box is made out of tin, the magnets stick to it perfectly. The back of the case is the ideal platform for creating/dressing Mary in all her fancy outfits.

If you are interested in making some of these for a little girl, or even for yourself I will share with you a brief tutorial on how I created this one-of-a-kind gift.

1. Order the digital images at http://www.prettylittlestudio.com/. The set is only $3, that is what I call a deal. Or if you prefer, you can order the actual paper dolls and work from them. As most of you know, I am more of a traditional crafter; but sometimes in a time crunch, digital is definitely a great way to go.
2. Print out all the images on high quality photo paper.

3. Place all the images on magnetic sticky backed sheeting and fussy cut around the doll, each dress and hat. No need to include the tabs since it is magnetic. Where the lines are dashed, you will use an x-acto knife to cut the openings...this is typically where Mary's head slides through for the hats.

4. To add additional texture to each of the dresses, I added vintage lace, silver/red ricrac & pom poms. For the hats I added a blue gem, a pink feather, red velvet ribbon and gold flowers from Jolee's Boutique.
5. Take the tin lunchbox and clean/take off all stickers. Next cover the back of the box with a gingham red paper. I used some from GCD Studios Artsy Urban Collection.
6. Included in the digital images is a cover page that has the title, and the illustrator details. I used this as part of my packaging. I took some kraft paper and cut a strip that would wrap completely around the box. I then cut angles & glued the title to the kraft strip.

7. For the inside of the box, I added kraft krinkle stuffing at the bottom. I then tied all the dresses and the hats together using baker's twine.
8. To finish it, just stick Mary to the back of the box. I added the "Pretty Little Studio" as a magnet so that it can be removed when the little one is playing with the paper dolls. Next wrap the label around the box and you're done!

I hope that little Lucy will enjoy this gift. I am a mother of 2 boys so I don't get to do too much of this girlie stuff. It is so refreshing to be a little girl again every once in awhile! I hope you enjoy the tutorial, and I wish you all a wonderful evening! Amy

Arrow Perpetual Calendar

2011-06-12T17:20:00.009-05:00

As some of you know, I won the entire Pink Paislee's Daily Junque Collection a few months ago. Definitely one of my favorite collections ever, I am really gravitated to the vintage imagery, the whimsical feel and all the numerical graphics. What perfect product to create one of my well know perpetual calendars! This is the first one I have created in the shape of an arrow...I think it is a good match with the Daily Junque line, don't you? In addition to many scrapbooking products, I used lots of vintage ephemera as I do on all my calendars.

Here is a list of the goods...

Paper: Pink Paislee, October Afternoon, Prima, Teresa Collins

Stickers: Echo Park, EK Success, Martha Stewart
Rub-ons: Jenni Bowlin

Journaling Spots: Jillibean Soup
Die-cuts: Pink Paislee
Bingo Marker: Maya Road

Other: arrow shaped metal sheet, aqua computer key, 1" buttons

Vintage other: scrabble tile, ticket, rummikub, boyscout patch, playing card, dominoes, lotto, marquee numbers, typewriter keys, bingo markers/ball, poker chip, dice, wooden ruler, checker, skeleton key

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday afternoon!

PS, I have had several requests for a tutorial on my calendars. I plan on doing a comprehensive one in the future with many pictures. Sound like a plan?

I will be back soon,

Amy

Curio Window

2011-06-04T19:09:00.018-05:00

Happy Saturday My Friends! I just came in from working in the yard the past 5 hours. Talk about worn out and covered in dirt! It is 95 degrees out there, but something about working in the yard and the flower beds is very therapeutic for me. How about you?

Today I would like to share with you a custom window that I just completed yesterday. My customer wanted a window for her remodeled kitchen and chose to do incorporate colors that were in her wedding: olive greens, tans, browns & creams. After working together, we came up with this design using the ever so gorgeous Basic Grey's Curio Collection. I think the window turned out wonderfully and it has a fresh botanical feel that is so popular right now. I hope that she truly loves it. Creating a one-of-a-kind piece that she can enjoy for many, many years to come makes my happy. :)

I hope all of you are fantastic; have a fun & restful Saturday night!
Talk to you soon!
Amy

School's Out For Summer!

2011-05-29T16:15:00.017-05:00

My little guy, Jack finished his last day of 1st Grade on Friday. When I picked him up from school, his face was all red and tears were streaming down. My sweet little Jack. He is my sensitive little one who definitely takes after his mama. I get all tied up in emotions and tend to cry at the drop of a hat. (Even tears of joy, I can't seem to hold back.) Even though most children are reveling in the fact that school is out for summer, Jack is sad. He has been filled with excitement all week from the year end festivities at school, but knew that at the end of the week it would be time for goodbyes. He adores his teacher and several friends in his class. One of them is even moving away to Oregon permanently. He knows deep down that he most likely said bye to his friend forever, and it is so much for his little mind and heart to grasp. We as adults know how hard it can be, and sometimes it breaks my heart to watch my kids grow and learn that we all have to encounter times of sadness and goodbyes in our life. Wow, I thought this would be a lively post, but I have progressively gone downhill! It doesn't help that I just watched Charlie St. Cloud, what a tear jerker movie!

Today I am sharing with you my final card for http://www.twistedsketches.com/. Yes, my term is up and it was a fun & exciting experience! The card is sketch #061 with "summer" as the twist. I thought this would be the perfect time to create this card for my Jack to signify that "school is out for summer" is a time to celebrate! He will have enough things to worry about as an adult...he should embrace being a child and enjoy every single minute of it. What I wouldn't give to be a child again! How about you?

The products I used are as follows:

KI Memories: lasercut Swirls in teal from the Pop Culture collection

Jenni Bowlin: Play Date Die-Cut Label Paper (I wanted to use it, but the overall image was way too big for a 5X7 card, so I decided to scan and shrink the image. It worked out perfectly. I used one print directly on the card. The other one, I hand cut the sun rays, curled them up and applied some chalk ink for extra dimension.)

ColorBox: Yellow Citrus & Sky Blue chalk inks

The Girls' Paperie: cardstock stickers from the Kitch collection

Cosmo Cricket: cardstock stickers from the Oh Boy! collection

Pink Paislee: Weathered Wood Scarlet chipboard alphas

American Crafts: Thickers Vinyl Poolside alphas

Other: kraft cardstock & white embroidery floss

I hope you all have enjoyed all the cards I have created for the Twisted Sketches Design Team. :)

Amy

Twisted Card #060 JOY

2011-05-21T18:58:00.006-05:00

Today, Twisted Sketches has revealed our newest card creations for sketch #060 with "joy" as the twist. When I heard the word joy, I immediately thought of "comfort & joy." A dear loved one in my life has been through some major tough times both mentally & physically so I made this card especially for her.

I used lots of materials to create this card. Here is a comprehensive list of all the supplies and products used...Cricut Storybook Cartridge, Li'l Davis Designs chipboard alphas, Doodlebug Loopy Love sticker alphas, Pink Paislee's Cherry Chipboard ampersand, Jolee's Boutique Parcel gold flowers, K & Company Naked Chipboard Tags, Sassafras Life Is Beautiful paper & Cosmo Cricket Lil' Man: Silly Sam paper. I also used some ColorBox chalk ink around the dotted/embossed edges of the K & Co kraft tag...it really added some nice dimension.

Please be sure to check out the absolutely fabulous cards the rest of the girls on the design team created. They all had different takes on the word joy in fun and unique ways. While you are there, you can see the card sketch too! :) http://www.twistedsketches.com/

Have a fun & relaxing Saturday evening. Tonight is the season finale' of Saturday Night Live with Justin Timberlake as the guest. I know what I will be watching later tonight!

Cavallini Bird PEACE Window

2011-05-17T21:29:00.008-05:00

Hello! I just wanted to drop by and share another one of my recently created windows. For the background I used some of the luscious Cavallini decorative paper "Flora & Fauna Birds & Music." Don't you love the patchwork/collage feel to the paper? I think it is absolutely dreamy. On the top of the glass, I added my signature mosaic swirls, the word "peace" and added a vintage copper trivet to the center. The diameters of the window are appx 3' tall X 2.75 ' wide.

I hope you like it, and as always thank you so dearly for your supportive comments and your sweet friendships! :)

I think I am going to go get some shut eye...I am feeling rather exhausted after a long day...sweet dreams! Amy

CURLY Girl!

2011-05-14T18:56:00.007-05:00

Happy Saturday to all my fabulous friends! Today I would love to share with you the most amazing gift I received for my birthday (aside from the aqua typewriter ;)...

I love making handmade gifts and love receiving them just as much. My cousin Nancy presented me with this masterpiece. Talk about tons of detail with all the painting, misting, stamping, rubbings, etc...I look at it over and over again and every time find something new to admire. The title says, "No matter how straight you get your hair, you will always be a "curly" girl inside." Isn't that the sweetest? Nancy and I are first cousins and we have always shared the trials of having super curly hair all our lives. With the invention of straight irons, I have started straightening my hair more and more. This is just a sweet reminder of how close her and I truly are.

Please be sure to stop by her blog and let her know how truly inspiring her creative talent is at
http://justaboutthedetails.com/?p=3298

Thanks for stopping by, and thank you dearly Nancy for this gift I will cherish forever. I love you!

"HOOT" Owl Window

2011-05-10T22:25:00.002-05:00

This window is one of my newest creations. It is definitely one of the smaller windows I have worked with, but it was fun to work with as I was able to see my finished product much quicker! :)

The background paper is specialty wrap designed by Carolyn Gavin. Have you heard of her? Her designs are so fun and whimsical, I stalk her blog regularly...I think she dreams up these cute creations in her sleep...she is always coming up with something new and different. She had a complete collection with K & Company a few years ago called Greenhouse. (Of course I have the whole collection, they sold it at Michael's.) All of her creations are now produced via Ecojot...with lots of fun journals, stationery, etc...you will love it once you lay your eyes on it. Her blog is http://www.designerjots.blogspot.com/.

Back to the window: the background is covered in funny, kooky owls...all different and unique. I decided to create a large scale version with my own twist. The body, wings, etc are all created with vintage plates, tile and grout. I created the feet with thick copper wiring. Since I try to continually evolve with my mosaics...I find myself trying to incorporate other things...making it more of a mixed media piece if you will. The left eye is a vinyl flower from Bella Blvd. The eye on the right, I created using an American Crafts Mini-Mark Rub-on (the white circle scallop) and a vintage bingo marker. The last piece that I found to be very essential to the piece is the light aqua crepe paper ruffle...it almost looks like a tutu or a short apron on the owl. It gives it lots of fun texture. I truly love the way it turned out. Wouldn't it be cute in a little girl's room? As always, thanks for stopping by! Happy Tuesday!

Twisted Card #058 LAUGH & Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T13:04:00.019-05:00

It's time for Twisted Card Sketch #058 with "laugh" as the twist. I have always loved the inspirational phrase, "To Live, Love, Laugh & Dream." Mother's Day is upon us as well, so I decided to incorporate the twist into the card I created for my dear mom.

I used lots of different products to create this card. Here is a comprehensive list of all the goods...The Girls' Paperie: Jubilee Striped Paper & Sticker Market Alphas, Kitch Flower Market Crepe Papers; Making Memories: Hudson Aquamarine Rub-ons; American Crafts: Mini Marks Wedding Rub-ons; Prima Red Polka Dot Transparency; Echo Park: Everybody Loves Christmas scalloped sticker; Jenni Bowlin: Reverse Red Alpha Stickers; Lil Davis Designs: Love Bottle Caps; ColorBox Ice Blue Chalk Ink; In Stitchz Edgy Borders; CTMH: Over the Rainbow Stamp Set & Breeze Ink, as well as kraft cardstock, white embroidery floss and pinking shears. Whew, what a long list!

For the inside, I decided to create my sentiment using my "new" vintage typewriter! It is one of my wonderful birthday presents. Isn't the color absolutely fabulous! I could just sit and stare at it for hours. It took me awhile as it is a totally manual typewriter from the early 1950's. Man, talk about spoiled! We really take for granted how easy it is to type using a computer keyboard. I kept looking for a return key...but there isn't one! You have to pull the silver lever on the left to get to the next line! I don't know about all of you, but I learned to type on an electric typewriter as a child. My goodness how things have changed!

Please be sure to stop by http://www.twistedsketches.com/ to see the actual sketch and all the other beautiful cards the other Twisted Sisters created.

Well, I need to start getting ready for our Mother's Day festivities. I wish all of you fabulous women out there a fabulous Mother's Day. :) Be sure to share the love with your babies, old or young and take it easy...you deserve it!

Love, Amy

Perpetual Calendar made of Cork!

2011-05-02T17:52:00.017-05:00

This is a new take on the perpetual calendars I make. Rather than doing it on metal, this time I decided to create one on cork. Same concept, but rather than using magnets...all the numbers are pushpins!

To create my calendar let me first talk about all the fabulous images around the edges. It may look store bought because the images are so crisp, but no! Those are in fact stamped images I put on the cork...amazing, huh! About a month ago I hit up a garage sale that had thousands of amazing stamps...all brand new with intense details...full of fabulous vintage imagery. I bought about 20 stamps that day and am kicking myself now that I didn't buy more. For $1 & $2 a piece, what the heck was I thinking! 90% of the stamps used on this calendar are of those garage sale beauties...the rest are a few from Pink Paislee & the Girls Paperie. I created a mask so that the center of the cork would be untouched for the calendar grid. I placed a bracket shape piece of paper on top of the cork and started stamping away. Since there is so much texture with cork and there is so much detail in the stamps, I had my reservations at first. Let me just tell you, the key is to use Staz-On. That stuff is the bomb...I use it on practically everything! Next, I drew my grid with a Sharpie and stamped the days of the week using one of my Fancy Pants stamp sets. To create all the numbers, I went through tons of my paper & sticker stash pulling anything with numbers on it. I also used some pages from catalogs, magazines, etc. I used my handy dandy button making machine, as I have told many of you before...this is a fun, must have gadget for all you crafters out there. :)

I hope you enjoy it! Tell me which you like better. The magnetic or the corkboard, I really am curious about your thoughts. Just want some input as to whether I should make more of this kind or continue to focus my efforts on the magnetic. As always, thanks so much for your support and your sweet comments.

I turn the big "40" today. I can't believe it, where has the time gone! I plan to spend it with my sweet little Sam (3) by my side as well as many close family and friends for lunch & dinner. It is supposed to be in the 70's today & sunny...my absolute favorite kind of weather. :)

The Paper Crown's SPRING GLITTER MARKET!

2011-04-25T18:19:00.006-05:00

The big day is almost here! I will be one of many unique artist's at the upcoming Glitter Market going on this Saturday, April 30th from 10 AM- 5 PM. If you live anywhere around the Oklahoma City Metro area, it would be worth your while to come and peruse the gorgeous work that will be available for purchase. The best part, there will be tons of pretty things just in time for Mother's Day and upcoming graduations. To read the full list of artists participating, please check out The Paper Crown's blog at http://papercrownokc.blogspot.com/. Cindy Winter, the owner of Paper Crown is enticing her viewers daily with a countdown to the upcoming show. Be sure to check out her countdown posts revealing some of the gorgeous goods that will be available. I hope to see some of you this Saturday!

Twisted Card #056 "YELLOW"

2011-04-23T19:22:00.002-05:00

Today Anam, creator of http://www.twistedsketches.com/ has revealed her latest card sketch with "yellow" being the twist...any how any way. Let me just tell you, my Twisted Sisters did a fabulous job. Their cards are all so cheery, bright & beautiful! Be sure to stop by and check them out, you will be glad you did! :)

For me, I wouldn't say that yellow has ever been one of my top favorite colors; so I struggled with this for awhile. Digging through my mountains of paper yet to be touched, I found some fabulous papers in one of my K&Company pads. The line is called "Handmade" and it is filled with beautiful papers in yummy yellows, hot pinks, purples & greens. In addition, I used Cosmo Cricket Ready-Set-Chip Red Line Alphas, yellow glitter alpha stickers from my stash, a sweet yellow Jenni Bowlin butterfly, yellow seem binding, foam dots, & Colorbox Lipstick Red Chalk Ink. I decided to do some hand stitching with hot pink floss and created the pattern using my handy In-Stitchz Edgy Border template. Lastly, the bright pink cabochon in the center of the bow is made out of Sculpey Clay. I created the fab texture on it using bisque stamps I purchased from Charity Elise on Etsy. These are lots of fun to work with...if interested, you can check out her shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/chARiTyelise?ref=pr_shop.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always thanks for all the sweet supportive comments you leave me!
HAPPY EASTER to you and yours!

I am a Guest Designer @ For Your Inspiration!

2011-04-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

Hello Dear Friends! A fellow Twisted Sister and friend of mine, Stephanie Castro asked me awhile back to be a Guest Designer for her new Challenge Blog, "For Your Inspiration." Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, Stephanie presents a fabulous photo for inspiration. We invite you to come play along and see what all the talented design team members are creating! To see the inspirtation photo and other gorgeous interpretations, please visit http://foryourinspirationchallenges.blogspot.com/2011/04/fyi-challenge-4.html. They are definitely "out of this world!" :)

Onto the details of my card...

When I initially saw the photo, I thought about a show I used to watch as a child..."Big Blue Marble In Space." Do any of you remember that show? It was like a science show for kids and I loved it...yeah, I am showing my age. :) Anyway, I opted to create a card for my niece that turns 13 next week. She will be an official teenager...I can't believe how time flies. Creating this card for her was perfect once I decided what the sentiment would be..."you R outta this world." Of course, something any teenage girl loves to hear...basically that she is truly "fabulous" and she truly is. She loves bling also, so it was the perfect fit!

The blue, graduated dot overlay is from Prima. I decided to put black paper behind it to sort of mimic that it was bluer at the bottom like the earth and darker up in space. The black/white baker's twine sort of represents the horizon...the divider between earth and space. I used Bazzill self-adhesive jewels randomly to mimic stars. I created the sentiment/title out of several different fonts to make it more playful...Making Memories Shimmer Jigsaw Alphas, Doodlebug Design Loopy Love Swimming Pool Stickers & American Crafts Sarah Script Letter Stickers. To represent the earth, I tilted the "O" and put some fun argyle map paper behind it...the Danny O line from K & Company. To give it a little more pop I also put a round die-cut from Cosmo Cricket's Tank Mix. The bracket behind the title is LUXE 's Sprinkles Bell Bottoms paper. To achieve lots of dimension, I used lots of pop dots. I am thinking Miss Jordyn will like it. Don't you think this is a card a teenage girl would appreciate? Yeah, yeah I am sure she would rather some cute, designer clothes instead. Look out world, here she comes! Happy Birthday Jordyn, I love you!

Easter ATC Swap & Moxie Fab World Challenge!

2011-04-17T18:05:00.024-05:00

Hello Everyone! With Easter quickly approaching, we all have that feeling that Spring is in the air or hopefully arriving soon. (Sadly for some of you, I have been reading that you still have snow!) Well, today I would like to share with you my set of Artist Trading Cards I created for an Easter Swap sponsored by the Paper Crown in Oklahoma City. Not the average scrapbooking store, it is filled with luscious displays that make you drool with excitement every time you walk in the door. Seriously, it is ultra-fabulous and for me it is every bit worth the almost hour drive up there. Fortunately for those of you who live far away, they are currently in the works of an online store. In the meantime, you should check out their blog for lots of fun inspiration and over-the-top mixed media classes they offer. Check it out at http://papercrownokc.blogspot.com/

Okay, onto the cards. Since the theme was Easter and I love anything vintage, I started searching through my vintage card stash/inspiration and came across this super sweet card of a fluffy bird nestled in the basket of an egg-shaped, hot-air balloon. Being that the standard ATC is only 2.5" X 3.5", I copied/reduced the image down to fit the card. After printing on photo paper, I pierced all the ropes of the balloon and hand stitched a light brown embroidery floss on each one. To keep the stitching securely in place and to not reveal on the other side of the ATC, I then ran it through my Xyron machine and adhered it to the playing card. To accentuate the clouds, I drew/cut out clouds from some Making Memories Slice glitter dot paper. Isn't that sweet robin egg blue color so dreamy? I pop dotted several of the clouds to add more dimension. Then I rubbed some light blue chalk ink around the edges. Lastly, I created the whimsical banner by printing "Happy Easter" directly onto kraft paper, cutting out my ribbon banner shape and topped it off with some silver Stickles around the edges. I curled the banner in the center and edges, and that's about it! I covered the entire back with the same glitter dots paper and put my personal/website information on it. This is my first time to create Artist Trading Cards and it was super fun. How cool is it to share a little slice of your art/creativity with someone else and receive some of theirs in return!

These ATC cards not only were to share with others, but they are playing double duty! :) Moxie Fab World is hosting a challenge/contest through tomorrow titled, "In My Beautiful Balloon Challenge in the Moxie Fab World." Have you heard of Moxie Fab World? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? They host tons of fun contests, challenges and inspiration...be sure to check out this challenge and many others at http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2011/03/next-moxie-fab-world-challenge-in-my.html iefabworld.com/2011/03/next-moxie-fab-world-challenge-in-my.html. If you have any fun, hot-air balloon creations, make sure to hurry and enter as this challenge closes at midnight, EST Monday, April 18.

Here are the lovelies I received from the other ladies in the swap...aren't they so fun! I just love all the sweet colors of Spring incorporated in each one...all handmade with love. They are all so beautiful...check out the "Faberge" black/hot pink egg card that actually opens up to reveal a vintage photo inside...talk about an amazing amount of detail...and the one with the 3-dimensional robin blue egg...that has to be the most adorable thing ever!

Twisted Card #054 "BRIGHT" & The Girls' Paperie

2011-04-09T15:24:00.012-05:00

Hello Everyone! How are you? I hope all is well! Today I would like to share with you my most recent card creation for Twisted Card Sketch #054. This week's twist is "bright." I am sure you can tell right away I decided to use a "shining" star to signify my take on the twist. As for my scrapping yummies, I decided to go totally Girls' Paperie. I don't know if you have heard yet, but Margie (the creator of the Girl's Paperie) has decided to close the Girls' Paperie Company and move on to other adventures. I was devastated to find this out, as the Girls' Paperie is so fun and fresh, definitely one of my favorite companies in the scrapping industry. After hearing the news last week, I went to my LSS and bought every possible GP product they had available!

Onto the details...I started with a bright pink 5X7 cardstock card by American Crafts. I covered the front with Making Memories Slice specialty paper, Shimmer Aqua Dot. Next I used my Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge to create my diecut flourish out of the Girls' Paperie Jubilee Paper. One side is floral, and the other side is pink with text. Both sides of the paper are so fabulous, I decided I would incorporate both! After cutting the diecut, I adhered the floral negative space onto the card. I then flipped the flourish onto the pink text side and adhered it with foam squares to give extra dimension and also expose some more of the yummy aqua dot paper underneath. Next, I used Webster's Aqua Trim to give the color some extra pop. I glued the crepe paper star in the center, also by GP. I then took some satin robin egg blue ribbon from Michael's and created the word "shining' on top of it using Cheeky Shimmer Stickers from Making Memories. Lastly, I added the text stickers at the top left...from GP's Vintage Whimsy Sticker Market. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I think I will give it to my niece Allison for her upcoming 10th birthday. It would look very cute in her room on a bulletin board or something.

I hope I have inspired you to create today! As for the actual card sketch and other fantastically "bright" cards, please be sure to stop over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/!

PS, be sure to go buy some Girls' Paperie before it is all gone! :)

Que Sera Sera Calendar

2011-04-01T16:07:00.015-05:00

Happy Friday Friends! I hope everyone has had a pretty decent week, despite the occasional ups and downs! :) Today for your inspiration, I would like to share with you my most recent calendar that I made last week. It was a custom order with very limited direction. I love when my customers give me full artistic realm as to what to create. The calendar was to be sold at a sorority auction. The main colors of the sorority were blue, silver & gold/yellow. Feeling the need to include red into practically everything I do, I chose to do the calendar with lots of red...highlighting it with bursts of blues and golds. As you can see, the majority of the calendar was created using lots of vintage ephemera and lots of fun doodads.

For all you scrappers out there, here are the products I used...patterned papers: K & Company's "Que Sera Sera" & Amy Butler, Glitz Designs Scarlett for the handmade rolled flower; borders: GCD Studios Artsy Urban, vintage yellow tickets; flocked blue sticker: Anna Griffin. Tools I used: Imaginisce's Roly Rosies as a template as well as the big Fancy Pants swirls stamp I use all the time. :) As for the actual magnets, I used a Jillibean Soup journaling jot for the #7, a Maya Road bingo marker for the #14, a crown rub-on from the infamous Jenni Bowlin for the #21 and lastly a sweet felt cupcake to commemorate birthdays from Martha Stewart.

I hope you enjoyed this little burst of color this afternoon! Let's all do our best to have the best weekend EVER! :) As always thank you dearly for stopping by and all of the fabulous comments you leave me, I truly feel the love. :)

Twisted Card #052 "FRAME"

2011-03-26T05:36:00.016-05:00

Happy Saturday Everyone! Today Twisted Sketches has revealed the newest card sketch #052 with "frame" as the twist. Let me just say that when I first saw the sketch I thought it looked rather complex for just a card. Man was I wrong! I created this card for Nancy (my artsy cousin) and for some crazy reason it came together so smoothly. I would have to say this is my favorite card I have made to date. It is fun to create for Nancy as she truly understands every painstaking detail I put into everything I make.

Onto the details...I started with a square card base and covered it with Doodlebug Designs pink glitter dots paper (love this stuff!). To create the vertical band down the center, I punched some Bazzill aqua cardstock with my Martha Stewart Deep Fan edge punch. I then put vintage yellow tickets on top. To create the bracket, I simply used the actual sketch for the template using LUXE's Sprinkles Bell Bottoms paper (what a fun name!). The focal point of the card is definitely the baroque frame that I absolutely adore! I found it in the $1 section at Michael's! It is resin and has lots of fun texture/detail. To give it even more dimension, I dry brushed some light pink paint over the top and love the way it turned out. :) As for the ultra fabulous vintage aqua flower button and the super cute black bird clip, I received those from Tiffany. (One of my partners in the recent Box Swap that I participated in.) So fun! Lastly, I topped it off with a vintage "N41" bingo marker. The N stands for Nancy and I'm sure you can figure out the rest! :)

I think I have just about covered every fun detail. Please be sure to check out Anam's fantabulous sketch and the other amazingly creative cards at http://www.twistedsketches.com/! You will be glad you did!

Thank You Nancy!

2011-03-20T16:34:00.008-05:00

For Jack's birthday, my cousin Nancy presented Jack with the most amazing gift for his room. Nancy Hanttula aka Miss Scrapbook Diva Extraordinaire recently started taking Christy Tomlinson's "She Art" Workshop that teaches all types of fabulous mixed media techniques incorporating scrapbooking goodies, tools & supplies. This masterpiece was Nancy's first attempt at this new art venture she is exploring with. Let me just say, if this is just her first one I can only imagine what is yet to come. If you think this is amazing, you should see all of Nancy's over-the-top layouts she creates for Twisted Sketches and Scraps of Darkness. She can be "stalked" at http://www.justaboutthedetails.com/. I warn you now, you will be hooked instantly. : )

For additional photos and all the yummy details of Jack's newest artwork, please visit Nancy's post at http://justaboutthedetails.com/?p=2778. The fabulous photo taken is courtesy of Nancy's blog.

Thanks again Nancy for the fabulous gift. Nothing compares to such an amazing handmade gift from the heart. I love you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2011-03-17T14:35:00.015-05:00

I just wanted to wish you some Irish Luck on such a festive day! And of course to share some "Irish" inspiration! :) As I mentioned in the previous post, Jack's birthday party was on Saturday. Since he was turning 7, we decided to go with the "Lucky 7" theme. Jack's actual birthday is March 16 so it was also fitting to go with the whole Irish colors and decor. As seen in the top photo, this was the cake table. The fun framed print was provided by the ladies over at the fabulous blog http://www.eighteen25.blogspot.com/.

The invitations were all handmade using the St. Patrick's Day Noteblock Stamp by Purple Onion Designs. I love the subway poster look they portray. To see their entire line, you can check them out at http://www.purpleoniondesigns.com/StephanieWheelerStamps.html. Basically I heat embossed the stamped image with some funky lime green powder from Hamilton Arts a' la mode collection. I then used the Cricut's Graphically Speaking cartridge to diecut the "Lucky 7" out of vellum. Next I applied Shamrock Medley rub-ons from Hobby Lobby. Lastly, I decided to cover up part of the stamped image with Making Memories Rummage Alphabet rub-ons so that it would say Happy "Jack's" Day for the party. The kids had a great time at the party, and of course it helped that the weather was beautiful! :) They had leprechaun relays, hunting for gold coins & playing"lucky" horseshoes. As for the cake, my mother and I made it using a shamrock shaped Wilton cake pan and covered it up with kelly green fondant. (Thanks mom for always helping me with these cakes, I couldn't do it without you! )

As I have mentioned before, my husband Frankie is an Irish fanatic. He went to Ireland 2 summers ago in search of confirmation of his distant heritage and has been hooked ever since. Our last name is Baldwin, but in fact it was originally Flannery. Frankie's great-great-grandfather's name was Patton Baldwin Flannery. In the late 1800's he and his brothers were in trouble with the law. Apparently he fled and dropped the Flannery in hopes to not be found. Very interesting indeed. Through lots of determination and research, Frankie found an old newspaper clipping dated January 19, 1899 that documents the 4 brothers referred to as bandits fleeing arrest in the southern hills! Of course Frankie always loves anything from Ireland anymore. He purchased a Bodhran; an Irish drum for Jack's birthday and had me paint the skin. The top says "O'Flannahbra" which means Flannery in Ancient Irish. I created the shamrock using my Cricut Indie Art cartridge for a template. Using the celtic heart image, I created the clover shape and painted it with a dark green acrylic.

Since Jack's birthday was yesterday, the entire day was centered around him and what he wanted to do. After meeting MeMe & Papa for lunch, we went to the duck pond to play and feed the ducks. Jack decided he and Sam would dress in their Irish best...their Irish kilts. I leave you with this quaint picture of my little guys...don't they look precious? I must go as the festivities are about to begin! Happy St. Patty's to you all!

Twisted Card #050 "PRETTY"

2011-03-13T18:59:00.015-05:00

Wow, it has been a weekend and I am truly exhausted. My little Jack had his birthday party yesterday and I am totally worn out from that. I literally tried to post my card yesterday evening, but I kept dozing off at the computer! Pretty sad, huh? For this week's sketch, the twist was "pretty" but I knew I wanted to create a special card for my son's birthday. Since he is turning the big "lucky" 7, I decided to incorporate things that symbolize good luck...like 4-leaf clovers and a horseshoe to commemorate this special occasion. As for pretty, I chose the fancy paper collection that Little Yellow Bicycle came out with last Spring, called Lucky Me. Not only are the colors so vibrant and festive, there is "antique foil" on the paper that gives it that extra pretty shine! : ) As for special techniques, I sliced around the edges of some of the clovers, inked them & curled them up a little to give it some dimension. The products I used on the card are as follows...Little Yellow Bicycle's Lucky Me Medallion & Denim Clover paper & Clear Cut Shapes; Karen Foster's Green Houndstooth paper; Fiskar's Upper Crest Edge Punch; Fancy Pants All About a Boy Mini Blue Pom Poms; black ink; staples; Pink Paislee's Daily Junque Mini Notes & Labels for the "No. 7" (from my fabulous prize pack :)) and last but certainly not least a fantastic mini cast iron horseshoe I scored at an antique flea market last month. That is my favorite part about the card...my Jack is artsy fartsy like I am, so I know that he will totally appreciate it for what it is.

Thanks dearly for stopping by, and be sure to check out the other fabulous cards over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/!

Don't Hate Me Because IT'S Beautiful!

2011-03-10T09:59:00.006-06:00

Let me start by saying I am the world's unluckiest when it comes to winning anything. Through the years the only thing I recall really winning was when I was 9 years old playing bingo. My prize was a brown "pleather" briefcase....boy was I thrilled. Let's just say I don't even think it made it to the toy box! Well it seems my friends, my luck must be changing! Please don't be too jealous when I tell you this, but I won the ENTIRE new collection of Pink Paislee's/House of 3 "Daily Junque." Can you believe it? I still can't. There are so many beautiful new lines that have come out of Winter CHA, but my most favorite one was this one! :) The wonderful gals over at http://www.pinkpaislee.com/ did a reveal back in January for one person to win, and there were 570 entries! Courtesy of Pink Paislee's blog, above is a snapshot of all the goods...

To see all the goodies in more detail, please visit http://www.pinkpaislee.com/2011/01/sneak-peek-week-day-4-daily-junque/ Thanks so much Pink Paislee, I love you! Now excuse me while I continue to freak the freak out! :)

Speckled Egg's Petite Inspiration Box Swap

2011-03-07T16:38:00.020-06:00

Hi Ladies! I hope all is well with everyone! Today I would like to share with you the first ever box swap I just participated in. Heather, the blog owner of http://www.speckled-egg.blogspot.com/.speckled-egg.blogspot.co m/ has such fantastic inspiration you will definitely want to check her out. She also has a fabulous online store, http://www.speckled-egg.com/w.spe ckled-egg.com/ filled with what she refers to as "vintage treasures and artsy treats." That is the perfect description, I love her stuff. Anyways, this wonderful gal put together this "Flea Market Swap" so that we could share some of our goodies in exchange for someone else's. When I heard that it was vintage inspired, I was all over it. If you want to do a fantastic swap sometime, Heather's are phenomenal. She apparently has lots of experience at these as she has hosted many in the past. So fun and inspiring...

Onto the details of the boxes I created...

The lovely girls in my swap share similar taste in vintage goods like myself. That is how we got grouped together. At the beginning, we were to choose our "flea market style" from the following...

(a) neutrals, whites, aged, chippy, rusty

(b) Victorian, pastels, florals, foof, cottage

(d) anything goes!

Can you guess what category I picked? Yeah, if you know me I am definitely letter (c) bright, bold, kitsch, retro & funky. Isn't it great that we were grouped with people sharing similar interests? I love it! We even got to visit with one another beforehand just to share specific things we truly love. My first partner was Tiffany...a lover of reds, sky blue, kraft & vintage office supplies. My other partner was Jessica...a mother of 3 girls who loves anything with girly imagery, Dick & Jane illustrations, embroidered ribbon, lace & buttons. What a treat it was creating these boxes for them. It also gave me a chance to go through my goodies to see what I actually have in all my boxes of vintage ephemera. Everything on the outside and inside the boxes is 100% vintage. I covered the outside of the boxes in pages from a 1948 children's "My Very First Picture Dictionary." I tied vintage lace, ric rac & some super luscious scalloped red trim around the box and adorned them each with 2 vintage buttons. The contents include so much stuff...I am amazed I was able to "cram" so much stuff in them! Here is a comprehensive list included in the boxes...vintage lace, embroidered ribbon, ric rac, buttons, flashcards, flocked wallpaper, playing cards, sequence nursery rhyme cards, price tags, lotto cards, tickets, marquee letters for their names, wooden ruler, book envelope, graph paper, ledger paper, vintage short-hand dictionary pages and more!

I hope you enjoyed taking a "peek" inside the boxes I made for my new friends! To see lots of the other amazing box creations included in the swap, please check it out at ww.flickr.com/groups/petiteinspirationboxswap.

I have received my fabulous box from Tiffany and have already put some of the delicious goodies to use. I will be able to show you that creation later on...it is a future Twisted Sketch Card with some super fabulous embellishments on there! Thanks Tiffany, I am going crazy over the vintage aqua buttons! I am anxiously awaiting my box from Jessica as I am sure it will be fabulous too! How fun, it feels like Christmas in March! :)

Have a good one! Amy

Twisted Card #048 "FOLDS"

2011-02-26T08:28:00.013-06:00

Hello Friends! It is time once again for Twisted Sketches newest card sketch. This week's twist is "folds" anyhow, anyway. For my take, I decided to make a card for my distant cousin's baby shower this weekend. She is getting ready to have her first baby, a sweet girl she plans to name Eden. So sweet. I am still struggling on what to buy for her, as I hear the nursery is overstocked with absolute girly sweetness. Not to mention, the baby already has enough clothes to wear for the first 5 years of life....if she could only manage to fit in 0-6 months for that long. : ) I think I will go out today and purchase her a "Hooter Hider." Have you ever heard of those? I had one with my youngest, and it was a pure Godsend. It basically is like a fabric apron that goes over the mama's neck to cover her up while breastfeeding. Doesn't the name just kill you? Talk about funny, I crack up every time I think about the name. :) As for the card, I thought it would be nice to give her something handmade with a little "extra." As most of you know, I love incorporating something functional into lots of my cards that can be taken off and used later. The functional embellishment on this card is a sweet little headband for the baby. See the flower and the fuschia yarn trim going accross? I basically slid it onto the cover of the card to have it serve as an embellishment too. I have been dying to make some of these rolled flowers for over a year now, and finally sat down to make my very first one and this is it. I am pleasantly surprised how easy and elegant it turned out. That dupioni silk is so gorgeous and easy to work with. Onto the delicious details on the card....

I started with an American Crafts pink 5X7 cardstock card. I then decided to use some Hambly goodness...oh how I love. The "onesies" paper is perfect for a baby card. The onesie are a funky green, and to give it a little more of a girlish look I decided to "x-acto" out the center of one of the onesies to reveal the pink cardstock underneath. I then took some pink paper and "folded" it into a little tutu to play along with the "folds" twist. I created lots of fun scallops with Hambly's Baroque Overlay and some Prima Flights of Fancy paper underneath. I also used a glittered paper strip from K Company's Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse collection. On top of that is Pink Paislee's Bayberry Cottage Ribbon Pleats. The title was created using the new American Crafts Forest Thickers & Colorbok's ooh-la-la glitter stickers. Lastly but certainly not least is the headband created out of hot pink/green dupioni silk, vintage fuschia yarn trim & the fabulous Webster's Pages Sparkler in the center.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit http://www.twistedsketches.com/ for the actual sketch and other fantabulous creations!

Have a wonderful weekend! Amy

More Valentines...

2011-02-20T15:18:00.015-06:00

Yeah, yeah I know Valentine's Day is over and we are all starting to focus on everything Spring...St. Patty's Day & Easter this way comes! I have been extremely busy and haven't had much time to sit down and devote any time to my crafting world in awhile. I thought before time slips by any further, I would share with you my Valentine's Mobile I created as well as my little Jack's Valentines for school.

The main part of this mobile was created using Making Memories Je t'Adore Chandelier Kit. For the amount of goodies packed into the kit, it was a great price. However, I wanted to give it some extra pizzazz. (Pizzazz? What a funny word. :)) With the help of some glamorous goodies from my cousins, I think the "chandelier" was a success. My scrappin' girls came over and we all created these to give that extra holiday flair to our homes. The glamorous goods that were added were the "big" crystal baubles, the dainty crocheted flowers and the felt lasercut hearts. I also added vintage red pom pom trim at the top. The photos I added are of my Jack dressed in his tux for my brother's wedding last year, my sweet little Sam in his red dupioni silk outfit blowing bubbles at the wedding, Jack sitting on my lap in my hot pink party dress, and the last is of my Frankie and I the day before we got married. Those were the days, so young and fresh! :)

I created these black, red & baby blue valentine's over at http://www.tinyprints.com/ for Jack's classmates this year. Yeah, it was a major cop out not helping him create "homemade" valentine's. I know, shame on me but time got away from me as usual. To give them more of a personal touch, Jack wanted to give cards that represent something that he is growing more and more passionate about every day...his music. (He had his very first guitar recital yesterday, and did fabulous! Look out Justin Beiber!) He chose the "rockstar" guitar design and we were able to add a photo of him in his rockin' shades. He delivered them in clear envelopes, my favorite. Inside we put little "ROCK star" pins for each child. I created those, hey at least part of it was handmade! The stars were stamped and embossed in silver embossing powder to give them the extra shine!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous week!

And the winner is...

2011-02-14T23:00:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Sherri! You are the owner of a new Curly Q Handbag! Please e-mail me at curlyqmosaics@cox.net with your full name & mailing address, and I will get it shipped out to you right away.
Sherri said... that's really cute. never seen anything created that way before!
To all of you that participated, I truly appreciate it. Thank you all dearly for taking part in my creative adventures. I consider all of you my friends, and I hope that we can continue to inspire, support & create for one another!

Happy Valentine's!
Amy

Twisted Card #046 "HEART" & Valentine Swap

2011-02-13T09:42:00.011-06:00

With lots on my plate at the moment, I thought I would allow this card to play double duty as both my Twisted Card & for a Valentine Swap hosted on Tara Anderson's blog, http://www.thepinkcouch.com/.

The card sketch this week is another fabulous creation by Anam Stubbington. The twist is "HEART" and you can see the actual sketch and other fantabulous interpretations over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/.

Here are the "sweet" supplies/details on this card...cardstock: American Crafts, Michael's; patterned paper: My Mind's Eye Lush Pink Houndstooth...also notice the cloud looking shape behind the heart? It is the "Lush" label they used at the bottom of the paper!, The Paper Company Red Starburst Translucent; acrylic: Creative Imaginations; sticker: Heidi Swapp Pink Damask; embossing powder: Ranger Embossing Tinsel , CTMH Heavenly Blue; punch: Martha Stewart Starburst, CTMH mini punch (to create the perforated fringe at the top); Cricut Indie Art Cartridge (for wings); stamps: CTMH Priceless Love Word Puzzle, brad: Making Memories hul.la.ba.loo; sugar pink DMC floss; black Staz-on; and the "piece de resistance" is the working heart lock with keys!

As for the Valentine Swap, it was lots of fun! Have you ever participated in a swap before? I haven't, this is my first one. I am sure lots of you have, but for those of you who haven't I suggest you try it out sometime. It is a great way to meet new people, and create for someone else. In return, you receive a creation from their heart as well. Jamie, I hope when you receive this on Monday, you truly enjoy the Valentine. PS, be sure to remove the heart lock and wear it proudly on a necklace! As for swaps, I have another one I am preparing for on http://www.speckled-egg.blogspot.com/. It is a "Flea Market Swap" where we stuff lots of vintage goodies into a box for each person in our group. I can't wait to put these together for my partners, you know that I have tons of vintage yummies in my stash!

One last reminder, don't forget the drawing will be tomorrow for the giveaway! If you haven't already, be sure to leave a comment under the following post...http://curlyqmosaics.blogspot.com/2011/02/50th-post-giveaway.html.

See you soon! Amy

Vintage Chalkboard Calendar #2

2011-02-10T09:49:00.013-06:00

Hello My Wonderful Chicas! I hope all is well in blogland and in real life too! Today I would like to share with you my 2nd chalkboard calendar creation. A kindergarten teacher contacted me to create this for her classroom. I hope she will love it, as she has yet to receive it. If this snowy winter weather decides to cooperate, hopefully it will be in her pretty little hands by this weekend. I hope she adores it and that she will be the envy of all the other teachers around! As most of you know, I am a lover of vintage things so I thought I might share with you some of the vintage sweets as well as the other goodies included in this calendar...

#1 Tennessee license plate

#2 pencil (thank you Nancy for the fantastic idea!)

#3 Circus font patch

#4 vintage playing card

#5 wood block

#6 vintage red wood block

#7 Jillibean journaling sprouts

#8 8 ball off of a keychain

#9 varsity patch

#10 vintage boy scout patch

#11 vintage board game block

#12 vintage rummikub game piece

#13 1940's flint playing card (very tattered)

#14 vintage cream bakelite domino

#15 vintage flash card from my great Aunt :)

#16 wooden bingo ball

#17 vintage adding machine keys

#18 vintage porcelain numbers

#19 vintage wood checker w/CTMH rub-ons

#20 vintage wood lotto game piece

#21 vintage black wood domino

#22 vintage red vegas dice

#23 vintage enamel domed plate

#24 vintage cattle tag from the 1800's!!! (my latest find :))

#25 vintage red bakelite domino (a personal favorite)

#26 white dice

#27 aqua keyboard keys (how fun & unique!)

#28 old ruler

#29 button I created using Teresa Collins paper

#30 vintage wood bingo marker

#31 EK Success varsity stickers

The cupcake is Martha Stewart and all the months are created using vintage Scrabble, Anagram & Keyword game pieces. If you would like to see the first chalkboard calendar I created, check out my older post http://curlyqmosaics.blogspot.com/2010/10/vintage-chalkboard-calendar.html. If any of you have some old child chalkboards to sell, let me know! I prefer the ones with all the old vintage imagery. They are extremely hard to find and I am alway on the lookout for more!

As a reminder, I will be drawing for the Star Handbag on Monday, February 14 so you still have a few days to enter! For all the details, please see the giveaway post at http://curlyqmosaics.blogspot.com/2011/02/50th-post-giveaway.html.

Thanks for stopping by and I will be back soon!

50th POST & GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-02-05T13:08:00.009-06:00

So what girl doesn't love butterflies, bags & bling? In celebration of my 50th post, I thought it would be fun to do my first BLOG GIVEAWAY! I hope you are as excited as I am about doing this! The winner will receive one of my Patchwork Star Handbags. What a fun bag for you, your daughter or even a dear friend. The star is totally created from tons of vintage fabrics & ribbon. Also, the 3 buttons are removable as well as the whimsical star. It is a brooch you can take off and wear on a jacket, etc. There are so many things to look at, you will be pleasantly surprised! There are several ways to win...

1. Leave a comment. (worth 1 entry)

2. Become a follower, at the right. (worth 2 entries)

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog. (worth 3 entries!)

So, basically you can have up to 6 entries to win this handbag! (Those of you that are followers already, never fear! Once you leave a comment, you will automatically have 2 chances!)

I will announce the winner on Valentine's Day, Monday, February 14. What could be sweeter than that!

Hugs & Kisses! Amy

Blue Bird Hybrid Calendar

2011-02-02T12:48:00.008-06:00

Hello Everyone! I would like to share with you my first "official" hybrid creation! What is hybrid you ask? Maybe most of you know, but I had not a clue what it meant until Julie Ann Shahin approached me to do a hybrid project for the debut of Ginger Scraps Street Magazine. Hybrid basically means the combination of both digital and actual hands-on product. For my first hybrid attempt, I chose to use the digital Joy Page Kit by Michelle Underwood. (Two Peas in a Bucket) Filled with lots of wonderful reds, silvers & aquas I knew this is exactly what I wanted. After printing out lots of the patterned paper and imagery I was ready to go. As for the actual project, it is a totally interactive magnetized perpetual calendar. I used a few different techniques to give it added dimension. I paper rolled all the edges of the scallops to mimic the feathers on the wing. I also did lots of fussy cutting on the digital images and put pop dots behind them. You really have to look closely at the calendar, as it is truly hard to differentiate the printed images from the real objects!

As for materials, I used a combination of scrapbooking product, digital as well as my signature vintage goodies. I think when you throw vintage items into the mix, it makes your creation that much more unique and valuable. Don't you agree? Here is a comprehensive list of all the goodies...Digital Supplies: Joy Page Kit by Michelle Underwood; Hybrid Supplies List: Paper: Teresa Colins Ty's: Sports Words, Prima Youth Collection, October Afternoon Vacationer Motel; Rub-Ons: Jenni Bowlin Studio Red Kindergarten Alpha, CTMH Love Letters, Hambly Black Stamp Alphabet; Tags: CTMH; Transparency: Creative Imaginations Clear Acrylic; Stickers: Jolee's All That Bling Blue Puffy Dimensional, SRM Clear Numbers, Making Memories Cheeky Shimmer Silver Alphabet, EK Success Pep Rally Embroidered, Jenni Bowlin Studio Vintage Red, Karen Foster Designs Clearly Calendar; Buttons: Jenni Bowlin Studio Vintage Style, assorted vintage; Charms: Tokens Number Pendant; Markers: Sharpie; Thread: Martha Stewart Baker's Twine; Floss: DMC Lime; Magnets: Hobby Lobby, Creating Keepsakes Heart; Stamps: Fancy Pants Designs Acrylic Create a Calendar; Other: Three By Three Magnetic Bulletin Board, Webster's Pages Bloomer, red Dymo tape, aqua keyboard key, Spare Parts mini bottle caps; Vintage Other: bingo markers/ball, key, offset letterpress, red die, Diet 7UP bottle cap, boy scouts patch, scrabble tile, bakelite dominoes, wood ruler, register keys & lotto game marker/card.

If you want to see the actual article, please visit www.scrapstreet.com/11gss/1janu/organized.htm.

Thanks for stopping by and for all of your sweet comments! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Twisted Card #044 "TWINE"

2011-01-29T22:12:00.022-06:00

Happy Saturday Everyone! I must say I am in the most delightful mood today, I could do cartwheels! The past few days we have had unbelievably mild temperatures. Today it topped out around 75°. My favorite type of weather. Why is it that as the warm weather approaches, it tends to put a spring in our step? Needless to say, I spent most of the day soaking up the sun and no, I didn't actually do cartwheels...I wish I still had that strength & agility!

Okay, onto business! Today, Anam has revealed the newest card sketch #044, with "TWINE" as the twist. Unlike most of my cards, I usually have somewhat of an idea as to what I plan to do beforehand. However, this time I didn't. I just basically started grabbing things off my desk and items quickly within reach. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to use more baker's twine and to try something different with it, rather than the typical wrapping, stitching or tying it in a bow. Needless to say, through some frustration I am satisfied with the end result. :)

If you want to create a similar look with the twine, here is a quick & easy tutorial...

1) cut paper to desired size (mine is approx 5X6")

2) choose top paper and cut to same size as bottom piece

3) cut out the center to create a window

4) take the bottom paper and run a line of adhesive all around the perimeters

5) cut twine & adhere to adhesive in diagonal pattern

6) cover with the top "window" piece (basically sandwiching the twine in between)

7) for added strength, use staples at the corners

As for the rest, I just played around with it. I took a vintage "See & Say" flashcard, punched the edge & very carefully tucked it under the weaved twine. In addition, I did some fussy cutting, embossing & added rub-ons, chipboard, die-cuts & the fun wooden scrabble stickers from Jolee's Boutique.

Here is a list of all the materials/supplies I used...

Paper: Sassafras Life is Beautiful, Bazzill, American Crafts, My Mind's Eye, kraft; Rub-ons: CTMH Love Letters, Prima Meredith/Fenwick Designs Youth Collection; Stamps: CTMH Love Birds; Punches: Martha Stewart Loop Edge & Starburst; Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket Vintage Mix Blackboard; Die-Cuts: Graphic 45 Times Nouveau Collection; Twine: Martha Stewart; Embossing Powder: CTMH; Other: Jolee's Scrabble Stickers, Cricut Storybook Cartridge, Tombow, foam dots, Swingline green staples & a vintage flashcard

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the sketch & more amazing interpretations over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/. Off to watch Saturday Night Live!

The Nie Nie Dialogues

2011-01-26T21:04:00.021-06:00

Have you heard of it? If you haven't you definitely NEED to check it out. It is the life changing story about a wonderfully beautiful woman named, Stephanie Nielson. I myself hadn't heard of her or her story until just the other day, and I have since been deeply moved. I totally see everything in a different light now...she is truly inspiring.

Last Friday, I received the most delightful package in the mail. It contained the first ever Nie Nie Dialogues Calendar. Stephanie collaborated her creativity with the super talented Megan Hastings; the creator of http://www.shabbyblogs.com/, to make this beautiful calendar. They definitely hit the mark on this whimsical, heartwarming & beautiful creation. It is not just a calendar, it is a masterpiece all in itself. I know that I will be going back for another next year and the next...

When you have a moment to be truly inspired, and have your heart touched by an angel, please visit Stephanie at http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/.

Thank you Megan for the absolutely wonderful gift. I will cherish it forever!

Always Make New Mistakes...

2011-01-18T16:42:00.005-06:00

A very clever lady, Maureen called me back in December wanting a custom window done. Her favorite saying/words to live by are "Always Make New Mistakes." Pretty inspiring don't you think? For me, I take it as a challenge to try new things. Not worry about making mistakes, and if I do, make sure I don't make the same one twice! As for inspiration, she had seen one of my pieces, "Eat, Drink & Be Merry." (for image, see older post..http://curlyqmosaics.blogspot.com/2010/08/eat-drink-be-merry.html) The piece she wanted had many more letters to create, so it was very tedious and time consuming indeed. I teased her that I would never attempt to make such a piece again. I am glad she ordered it, as it pushed me to create on another level. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I am just grateful that the word wasn't supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! As for the funky paper in the background, don't you just love it! It is specialty paper from a company called Iota. Known for their paper & stationary, they have unleashed an entirely new line...all adorned with their zany, bright patterns. From journals & totes to baby shoes and aprons. To check out some of their fabulous goodies, go to http://www.everyiota.com/.

Thanks for fueling my creativity by stopping by and visiting!

Twisted Card #042 "DIECUT"

2011-01-15T16:34:00.011-06:00

Happy Saturday! Today's newest card sketch is up over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/! The twist this week is "DIECUT." As soon as I saw the twist, I knew I wanted to put my beloved Cricut to use...which I don't use nearly enough. So, I busted it out and decided to create a few birds from the Indie Art Cartridge (such a hip cartridge with tons of cool imagery). I also decided to check out my newest cartridge, Cindy Loo. This cartridge contains lots of swirly, floral, lacy images...so very flirty. If you like real feminine, elegant designs then this cartridge is for you! Also playing along with the theme, I incorporated a red lasercut sheet from the Basic Grey June Bug line, Tablecloth. Additional materials used: American Crafts 5 X 7 rouge cardstock, Glitz Design's Floral & Polka from the vibrant Scarlett Collection, Making Memories Love Notes Sampler, Best Occasions pearl paper, Little Yellow Bicycle's Sweet Love Clear-Cut, Prima's Say it in Crystals Pink Swirls, & a super cute, puffy red heart sticker from Michael's Made with Love line.

Enjoy your evening, but be sure to stop by http://www.twistedsketches.com/ and take a peek at the actual sketch as well as the other grand creations! Thanks for making me a part of your day! Amy

Vintage Carnival Post #2

2011-01-07T15:48:00.010-06:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, Tammy Smith is a diva artist extraordinaire. If you are a fan of whimsy, here are some of her amazing creations, guaranteed to knock your socks off...

Enjoy your weekend! www.homemadecircus.com

Enjoy! http://www.homemadecircus.com/

Vintage Carnival

2011-01-06T18:01:00.014-06:00

Lately I am completely obsessed with anything that looks remotely like an old vintage carnival. When I think of carnivals, the colors that automatically come to mind are red, aquas, pale yellow, black & white. The images that run through my head are of elephants, carousels, huge (bald-headed) muscle men with barbells & swirly mustaches, tattoos, and scalloped canopies. I think it is a major trend right now, lots of great vintage images to look at; not to mention all the amazing scrapbooking materials out there to incorporate into your next masterpiece. GCD Studios has come out with a new line, and I know there are some that were released this last year that are amazing too. A few weeks ago I completed a large custom cake dome that totally reminds me of the old vintage carnivals...the scallops, the colors, and the funky pedestal. The only thing missing was the pale yellow...I definitely plan on making a true "carnival" one in the future. Anyways, there are some other inspiring things that get me revved up about the whole vintage carnival craze. Have you ever seen some of the amazing stamps over at http://www.purpleoniondesigns.com/? Talk about insanely cool. Some of my faves are the "Antique Fair"...the mustached dude with his huge mouth wide open is just the best! Also, the fonts of the "Living Room Floor" stamps are indescribable. (Definitely on my wish list!) Also, if you like to read (which I am not a big reader myself, but it was an easy read) I loved Mitch Albom's "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven." Have you read it or ever seen the movie? The entire story is centered around Ruby Pier, an old amusement park of sorts. You should definitely check it out if you haven't before. As I have said there is tons of inspiration out there, but the most amazing vintage carnival masterpieces hands down are by a truly talented artist by the name of Tammy Smith out of Westwood, Kansas. She has unbelievable works of art completely inspired by an abandoned carnival pier she once saw in England. Please take time to view her whimsical sculptures & creations. She also makes shirts that say hilarious carnival phrases like, "circus freak," "ringmaster" & "trapeze artist." (Another definite on my wishlist!) Please check out Tammy's amazing creations at http://www.homemadecircus.blogspot.com/ or http://www.homemadecircus.com/.

Thanks dearly to all my amazing friends for all your comments and words of encouragement. You truly inspire me!

GingerScrapsStreet Magazine

2011-01-03T13:17:00.004-06:00

I have some exciting news! The ever so talented and lovely Julie Ann Shahin contacted me last month to create a "hybrid" piece for the NEW online, GingerScrapsStreet Magazine! The Premier issue debuted on Saturday, January 1, 2011. I am truly honored to be in the very first issue! Attached is a "sneak" at the project I created. Please go to http://scrapstreet.com/11gss/1janu/organized.htm to see it in it's full glory, as well as some other truly amazing inspiration. Congrats GingerScrapsStreet on your debut as well as the super creative Queen, Julie Ann! (Her beautiful layout got the debut cover!) Be sure to check out Julie Ann's blog too...talk about wonderful!!! http://julieannshahin.blogspot.com/

Happy Monday Everyone!

Twisted Card #040 "HOPE"

2011-01-01T13:35:00.018-06:00

Let me start by saying, "HAPPY NEW YEARS" everyone! If you are here, I truly appreciate you stopping by and supporting me with my creative endeavors. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it is very hard for me to find "creative" time. However, whenever I have obligations I always somehow "find" the time to get those projects done. With that being said, Twisted Cards #040 is up over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/. The twist this time is "HOPE." Whenever I hear the word "hope" I always think of the saying, "faith, hope & love." I knew right away that I wanted to include it on the card. My cousin Cindy's 37th birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so I wanted to find a way to incorporate the theme into a handmade card from the heart for her. As you can see, the outside of the card reads, "faith, hope & love." The inside reads, "may this upcoming year be filled with all 3." I think that works. : ) As for the 37 on the front of the card, that is basically a 1" pin/button I created for her to remove and wear on her handbag, etc.

Here are the details on all the goods I used on the card...

I started with a 5X7 corrugated kraft card. I then diecut a bracket out of robin blue cardstock using my Cricut and the oh so lovely Storybook Cartridge. Before gluing the blue to the base, I wrapped/tied red baker's twine at the top left and bottom right. Next, I used my piercing tool to add extra interest all around the edges of the bracket. The scalloped edges were applied next. The bottom one is a decorative edge from the GCD Studios Artsy Urban line. I used one of my tiny hole punches from CTMH for the holes in the bottom of the scallop. The top one I created using a scalloped ruler and red paper from Hambly's Doily Decor line. To give it extra dimension, I added foam dots underneath the scallops. As for the button embellishments, the one that says "love" is a CTMH round metal tag that is covered by a red epoxy sticker from Target. The "love" on the top is a rub-on from CTMH's Love Letters. As mentioned earlier the "37" is a button I created. The red ruler paper is from Teresa Collins' Sports Words Collection. Of course to create the button, I used my very handy 1" button maker machine. Do you have one of those? If not, it is truly worth the investment. Not only for instant embellishments, but for instant "flair" as well! Not to mention all the great possibilites for your kids...for their backpacks, for school, for birthday party favors or even to sell. You can't even imagine how many people will pay $1 per button! Okay, focus Amy...back to the card deets...I used American Crafts white Sarah Script stickers for "faith," K & Company's K-Ology Addison Glittered Chipboard Letters for "hope" & the "ampersand" is from American Crafts Thickers in a yummy aqua. Wow, that sounds like a lot of detail!

Again, I truly appreciate you all! Please be sure to stop by and check out the actual sketch that was the catalyst for my creation as well as the many other interpretations! http://www.twistedsketches.com/

Family Heirloom Calendar

2010-12-30T14:43:00.008-06:00

So I have been creating these perpetual calendars for 2 years now, and I don't even want to think about how many of these little suckers I have created! Although it can be monotonous at times, occasionally I get to create one that means so much more. Yeah, there are tons of vintage pieces on each one with a secret history of its own, but never for us to know. We only can collect and appreciate its beauty for what it is. A few months back at the Girlie Show, I met such a passionate lady that truly treasures her history and family. After lots of phone calls and meetings, I finally created what I hope she & her family will treasure for many years to come. Rather than just having me create from my own stash of goodies, she provided me with MANY of her own to incorporate into the piece. How cool is that? Here are some of the absolutely fantastic trinkets of her family history she provided me...

-a Susan B Anthony $1 coin dated 1889 (the year of the Oklahoma Land Run) (day #1)

-an Indian Head/Buffalo nickel (her grandmother had been a collector of coins over the years and these were some of them from the collection) (used as day #5)

-an old wrist watch that her grandmother used to wear (used as day #12, added Prima gold flower to the base/band to give it more presence)

-an old glass doorknob that had been in her grandmother's old house (I used Prima diecut felt and a pokkadot cupcake liner to accentuate it at the top of the calendar for more visual interest) (see image at top)

-a little red glass knob (added a vintage #9 typewriter key for day #9)

-several letterpress numbers (used for day #4)

-a copper/wood letterpress block of Santa (used as day #25 for Christmas)

-as well as wooden letterpress letters that she had bought back when her son was just a baby, spelling out his name, Ryan (I used them to create/spell out 12 months of the year)

I will never forget creating such a special calendar for such a special lady. Thank you Cheryl for entrusting me with your keepsakes for awhile!

Twisted Card #038 & Joy to the World!

2010-12-18T12:50:00.010-06:00

Twisted Card Sketch #038 is up over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/! What a fun sketch, and the twist is "chipboard." For my interpretation, I decided to do a Christmas themed card since the big day is only 1 week away! Yikes! Are you ready? I know I'm not! It's like everything else with me, I simply never finish...I just run out of time! :)

As for the actual card, I used lots of fun glittery details. My chipboard incorporation is the use of Pink Paislee's Glitter Chipboard Alphas in Limeade and the scroll shaped "raw" chipboard piece at the bottom is from The Paper Studio. Since the base of my card is simply kraft cardstock, I thought it would be a good idea to keep the embellishment, raw in it's natural state. I think it tied the card together nicely. The other goodies I used on the card are as follows....My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Portobello Road "Boy" Dapper Dots Paper, Creative Imaginations Art Wharehouse Epoxy Christmas Tree Sticker, Making Memories Vintage Findings Embossed Metallic Silver Alpas, CTMH Paper Tag & Love Letters Rub-ons, Baker's Twine, October Afternoon's Hometown Journaling Card & the lovely bird is a transparent shape from GCD's Melody Ross Homespun Chic line.

I have so much to do and so little time. If I get to post again before Christmas, that will be wonderful. If not, I wish each and every one of you a wonderfully joyous holiday. Merry Christmas and "Joy to the World!"

Twisted Card #035 "Alphabet"

2010-12-04T19:20:00.010-06:00

The first time I saw this sketch & twist, I new right away what I wanted to do. The first thought in my head was the contagious Jackson 5 song, ABC. (You know you gotta love some Michael Jackson!) When I started thinking about the lyrics, I thought it was an absolutely perfect sentiment for an elementary school teacher! Teacher's Appreciation is in the early Spring, and I think this card has my son's 1st Grade Teacher written all over it. : ) So the outside is "ABC easy as 123" and the inside reads "or simple as DO RE MI." Then I modified the song lyrics just a bit and had Jack handwrite, "I'm so glad, you teach me!"

As for materials, I used lots of yummy new products....Pink Paislee's weathered wood alpha chipboard in cotton & scarlet, Webster's Pages' silver tinsel, KI Memories' School Days patterned paper & star lace cardstock, Fiskar's upper crest punch, Jenni Bowlin's chalkboard alpha in black, lots of foam squares, & kraft/black cardstock for the base. Other fun items I incorporated were red/white baker's twine, white crayon, red dymo tape & part of an old yellow measuring tape!

To see the actual sketch and other spectacular interpretations, please visit http://www.twistedsketches.com/. Come on, sing it with me now.... ABC, easy as 123, or simple as DO RE MI, ABC, 123 baby you and me....

Dad's Birthday Card

2010-12-01T13:59:00.007-06:00

So my stepdad turned 49 on Sunday so I thought I would make him a sweet card. Imagine that! I have been a little fixated with the clear cards these days, so I thought I would create him one with bright, bold graphics and a simple sentiment. Supplies used: a clear acrylic card by CTMH, red houndstooth Hambly paper & a found clipart image of a VW bus. Don't you just love the wooden 49 in the center? It is actually from a vintage lotto game! The fun part about clear cards is that they have such a dimensional feel, and you can add your image to the front leaving the perfect hidden place for your personal message on the inside! Thanks for stopping by!

Alice in Wonderland Cake Covers?

2010-11-27T17:07:00.015-06:00

So, I recently made several cake domes on pedestals. Here is a pic of the 3 different sizes I made as a trio. Obviously they don't go together collectively, but it was fun to have them all together for display purposes. When they were on display at the Girlie Show, several times I overheard people saying that they had an unusual, whimsical feel....they said they automatically thought Alice in Wonderland! That is funny to me now, as the boys were dressed as the Mad Hatter & the Rabbit for Halloween. (see post below) I guess when I am in the middle of a hefty production timeframe, everything around me influences my creations. Literally!

Advent Calendar Drawing @ Tulips!

2010-11-25T17:32:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! If you are in the Norman area tomorrow, definitely try and make a stop by Tulips on Campus Corner. They will be having an amazing Black Friday sale! Talk about savings on the most beautiful home decor items...30% off your entire purchase from 8-9 AM, 20% from 9-10 AM & 10% off from 10-11! Another incentive to stop by is this Advent Calendar! I have donated it to Tulips for a drawing to be held on November 30, just in time for Christmas! Every purchase made between now and Nov 30 will be entered into the drawing. For any custom calendars ordered between now and then, your name will be thrown into the hat 2 times! I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving, and may the festive, Christmas frenzy begin!

Twisted Card #034 "Edge"

2010-11-21T09:12:00.008-06:00

So this week's challenge at http://www.twistedsketches.com/ was to create a card incorporating "edge" as the twist. The card I created was for my aunt's 65th birthday. I incorporated the "edge" in several ways. The card reads, "live on the edge" and on the inside it says, "have the best birthday ever!" In addition, I used lots of different "edge" punches on the card itself. Edge punches are all the rage these days, and they are so fun to use. The edge punches I used are Martha Stewart's Loop Edge & Double Loops, as well as the Scroll & Dots by EK Success. Additional supplies used were: orange glitter alphas by Little Yellow Bicycle, black Dymo tape, swimming pool Loopy Lou stickers by Doodlebug Design, Sculpey hot pink clay, a sweet flower created using my Cricut Paisley cartridge and the yummy Hambly overlay, Vintage Patchwork. As for the actual papers, I used several sheets from the American Crafts Teen line...Class Clown, Class President & Honor Roll. The cool background paper that has the composition notebook pattern, is by Carol Wilson Fine Arts. Lastly I used lots of pop dots to give everything dimension.

To see the actual sketch, and other amazing interpretations please be sure to check out http://www.twistedsketches.com/ today! Thanks for stopping by!

Scarlett Arched Window

2010-11-18T21:10:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone is starting to get into the spirit of the holidays! I know I am! I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas! I love all the reds, funky greens & silver....I am getting excited just thinking about it!

Today I would like to share with you one of the largest, unusual windows I have created to date. This behemoth measures a little over 45" tall, almost 4' tall at its highest point. I found 2 of these super amazing windows for $35 a piece back in the Spring at an estate sale. Although most of the 100+ windows in my possession are either donated to me, or picked up off the curb; I occasionally can't resist shelling out some $ for something quite this unique. As I mentioned, I have been holding onto these babies since March and have been looking for the perfect papers to fill the panes. When I laid eyes on the recent Scarlett line by Glitz Designs, I knew it was it. The green paper with the flowers in the corner just kept beckoning me back. I waited for several months to get my hands on it, and it was well worth the wait. I truly love the way it turned out. I am a total sucker for damask patterns at the moment, so I knew such a large window would allow me to create one of such intricate magnitude.

I still have one of these beauties left to create with. Any suggestions on succulent papers out there I should use? My sister-in-law has first dibs, so I know she will want some deep reds in it for sure. I am really eying the new Circa 1934 line by Cosmo Cricket. Thanks in advance for all your wonderful thoughts and suggestions! Amy

For the Luv of Art Member of the Week!

2010-11-15T08:13:00.004-06:00

Julie Ann Shahin, an extraordinary mixed media artist chose me as the Member of the Week over at http://www.fortheluvofart.com/! What a wonderful honor, and Julie Ann's write-up about me was more than complimentary! Be sure to check out all the fun and inspiring creativity; the girls are so talented and I'm sure once you check it out you will be hooked! Definitely take time to see Julie Ann's amazing creations too! Her blog is http://julieannshahin.blogspot.com/. Here are one of my mermaids she featured in the post...I haven't created this little lady in awhile. I have a custom mermaid I am currently getting ready to create just like this. It used to be so much fun to create, and I look forward to making one more exist in this world! : )

Architectural Salvage...

2010-11-11T18:08:00.006-06:00

Have you ever enjoyed an afternoon scouring an antique store or an estate sale rummaging through old architectural pieces? I LOVE finding such unique remnants. They are so old, and serve such an elegant piece of history. Occasionally I stumble across such pieces, and I do literally stumble in excitement. I found these lovelies at an antique store in Bethany, OK called The Rink. If you have never been there before and live in Oklahoma, it is definitely worth the drive. If you go,plan to spend an afternoon there. When I say an afternoon, I mean an ENTIRE afternoon. It is 27,000 square feet of the most unique, ecclectic, antique collectibles you can find. Check it out at http://www.rinkgallery.com/antiquemall.html

Now onto the details...

I took the architectural pediments and used them as the base. Already painted white with many, many layers of paint peaking through in shades of pale yellow, pink & mint green these babies were calling my name as soon as I saw them. To start with, I stamped text all over the center of the block using StazOn ink. For the center, I took a red/white pokkadot cupcake liner and cut out the center. I then, formed a smaller circle and made larger accordion folds. I applied silver Stickles around the outer edge of the liner and adhered it to the center of the board. Next I took a 4" cast iron star and topped it off with a vintage bingo marker. To accentuate the carved indentions in the wood, I took kraft paper and cut/glued it into the leaf shapes. At the bottom, I used vintage black wooden dominoes. To complete the found ephemera look, I decided to play along with the star since it is after all the focal point of the piece. Each wall hanging is intended to be separate with the titles of "SHINING," "SPARKLE," & "TWINKLE." At first I thought they had a festive Christmas feel. The more I think about it, how cute would one of these look in a child's room? I hope to make more of these very soon. As soon as I can find some more of these pediments! All 3 of these pieces are available for purchase at Tulips on Campus Corner, Norman, OK. Have a great evening, and as always thanks for stopping by!

OklaVision features Amy Baldwin of Curly Q Mosaics!

2010-11-10T12:27:00.003-06:00

I am telling you, I can't even express the gratitude I have for all the media attention I have received these last few weeks! Yesterday, OklaVision featured the Girlie Show from Friday night on their daily TV show. If you live in the OKC or Tulsa, OK areas you have probably seen the tv show on Cox Communications, channel 3. If you haven't watched it before, it is a great resource for checking out arts & entertainment in our area. If you didn't see the segment on tv yesterday, it's okay! You can see it in it's entirety by going to http://oklavision.tv/#/home. Go to Program Guide, and look under Nov 09. The Girlie Show segment begins at 00:04:53. It will be permanently archived on their website after this week. Be sure to check it out to capture the pure essence of this year's show. Enjoy!

The Girlie Show 2010 = Huge Success!

2010-11-08T20:13:00.005-06:00

Well, the Girlie Show has finally come to an end and it is time for me to finally stop and take a deep breath. Talk about lots of work, but so much fun too! Thanks to my many supporters and fans of Curly Q Mosaics for helping it to be a continued success. Having so many of you stopping by just to meet me or to let me know that you were there just for my art, was so wonderful to hear! I sold lots of pieces at the show, and have many custom pieces in the works. With all the heavy marketing & advertising the Girlie Show does, it creates such a buzz around OKC. This last week I was a featured artist in the article titled, "Powered by estrogen, 'The Girlie Show' enters it's seventh year of offering female artists a platform to sell their wares." Having been in the show 4 years previously, they wanted a seasoned artist's perspective. What great exposure for me! To see the exciting article in the Oklahoma Gazette, please visit http://www.okgazette.com/visualarts/11-03-2010/Powered_by_estrogen_The_Girlie_Show_enters_its_seventh_year_of_offering_female_artists_a_platform_to_sell_their_wares.aspx

Twisted Cards #032 "Punch"

2010-11-07T08:09:00.020-06:00

Let me start by saying that when I first saw this sketch, I thought I would have difficulty creating something exciting and different. Wow was I surprised! I think I must of had some major creative mojo going on that day! I made this card for my mother-in-law's birthday and I think this has to be my FAVORITE card I have ever created. I tried to think outside of the box, and pulled out all the stops on this one. From stitching to layering and "fussy" cutting, I think I covered almost every technique I know. (I would have to say that my cousin inspires me to go the extra mile, and do the very best I can.) I am sure most of you know this super amazing chick, Nancy Hanttula. Yeah, she has been on the Twisted Sketches team for over a year now creating the most unbelievable layouts known to womankind! If not, you MUST check her out at her blog, http://www.justaboutthedetails.com/. I warn you now, you will be jaw dropping and drooling like crazy!

Okay, here are all the yummy details about the card. First I started with just your basic kraft cardstock. I folded it in half and cut it down to a standard 5 X 7. Then, I took solid red paper (My Mind's Eye) and punched 4 "Fancy Squares" at the top and bottom of the rectangle. (McGill) After mounting it to the cardstock, I punched holes and stitched around the squares using black embroidery floss. Recently purchasing the new Basic Grey Jovial papers, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into this card. Using the Winter Garden paper, I chose to cut out the flowers & leaves. To accentuate, I found a black & white patterned cardstock to create some contrast. (Crate Paper's Crate Avenue Collection, Simple) To make the flowers and starbursts, I used the Martha Stewart Daisy Fan Deep Edge Punch. As you can see in the images, I took 2 punches and put them together using a brad. The flower was then done. Taking it one step further, I cut the scalloped edge off to create the starburst. For the last finishing touches, I used pop dots to give everything dimension, Pink Paislee's Cherry Chipboard Alphabet for "happy", Stampin' Up's Happy Everything for "BIRTHDAY", Ranger's Black Embossing Powder for intensity on the leaf, Swingline's green staples, & CTMH's Liquid Glass & Prisma Glitter to give it extra sparkle. I hope you truly enjoy this as much as I do.

Anam Stubbington, creator of Twisted Sketches creates the amazing designs that inspires us to create. Won't you stop by and check out all the other wonderful creations? http://www.twistedsketches.com/

Homespun Chic Calendar

2010-11-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

Just in time for the new year, I have been creating more of my fun perpetual calendars. Sometimes a new line of paper comes out and I know right away I am going to put it to great use somehow, someway. When GCD came out with the Homespun Chic line this last summer I went crazy for all the fun patterned papers and embellishments. Here is the calendar I created using it, don't you just LOVE the vintage sewing patterns and the chic women? I know I do! This calendar along with many others will be available for purchase at the upcoming Girlie Show in just 2 days! After that, you can find many of my creations at Tulips in Norman, OK. Please stop by sometime, I know you would love it! http://www.tulipshome.com/

Featured Projects in Scrapbooking.com

2010-11-01T11:49:00.007-05:00

As a follow-up to my post back on September 24, Scrapbooking.com asked me to be a featured artist in their online publication for November. The projects they chose were my Brotherly Love & Happy Mother's Day layouts as well as the frame/card I created for Ms. Lizzie. Scrapbooking.com maintains a comprehensive directory for just about everything in the scrapping world. It is a great source to go for ideas, tips, & how-to's. Please check it out over at www.scrapbooking.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Papaya Peace Window

2010-10-30T07:29:00.005-05:00

Have you ever heard of Papaya? It is a company that creates and sells the most delightful array of merchandise that includes giclees, prints, cards, stationary, and so much more. One of their newest items is their specialty wrapping paper. It is heavy duty, high quality. It is not just paper, it is a masterpiece all on it's own. The way it is packaged is indescribable beauty. All the pages are bound together by thick velvet ribbon and come in 4 different sets. The set I purchased is the Flower Paper Wrap Set by the phenomenal Anahata Katkin. I knew that this paper was the exact quality I was wanting for one of my larger paned windows. With it, I have created another one of my popular Peace Windows. I typically don't create much with the color purple, but this is one I am very glad I did. The plum purple in the tile really enhances the purple within the absolutely succulent paper. If you are looking for unique and superior quality products, I definitely suggest you check them out at http://www.papayaart.com/. Have a great Saturday! Amy

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-26T15:33:00.017-05:00

As we all know Halloween is just around the corner, in just 5 days to be exact. My how time flies. I thought I would share with you these goodie bags I created for my son's upcoming Fall Party at school. I found the cutest orange & black polka dot bags at Hobby Lobby. I used a scalloped circle punch on black cardstock as well as on an irresistible Hambly overlay. It is the lime green damask pattern I love so well. I used pop dots to give them dimension and then topped them off with glittered pumpkins and some with a little kooky eye. Lastly, I used all kinds of random letters to create the kiddos names...chipboard, stickers, rub-ons, you name it! Very fun to make, and I'm sure the kids will enjoy. I also wanted to say Happy Halloween! Well, so long for now as I have many more creations I should be making at this very moment. As my children would say, "you're late, you're late for a very important date!"

Twisted Cards #030 "Music"

2010-10-23T12:20:00.007-05:00

It's rainy and dreary outside , but that's not going to get me down. I am excited for today is my debut on the Twisted Sketches Design Team! The card I created was completely inspired by the wonderful Anam Stubbington's design. The twist was music, so I decided to create a card for our niece's baby shower. The title on the outside reads, "rockabye baby" and the inside reads..."may you hum this sweet song from your heart forevermore." I also incorporated music paper to go along with the theme. The list of materials I used are as follows...American Crafts: 5X7 Card Lip Gloss, Thickers Scroll Accents, Thickers Candy Stripe Alphas, Creative Imaginations: Brown Glitter Foam Alphas, Making Memories: Spiral Journaling Book, K Company: Brenda Walton Madeline Die Cut Cardstock, Love Elsie: pink music paper, & Martha Stewart's Cornice Edge Punch.

I truly appreciate you stopping by and all the wonderful feedback you leave. To see the actual sketch and other amazing interpretations, please go to http://www.twistedsketches.com/.
Amy

The Girlie Show is just around the corner...

2010-10-20T08:08:00.006-05:00

I can't believe The Girlie Show is almost here! In less than 2.5 weeks, the big show begins! I am busy cranking out lots of mosaics for the upcoming event. I have tons of ideas reeling in my mind, so much to do and so little time. Oh well, my creations happen during the 11th hour. Doesn't the same hold true for all creative minds out there? Last week we had our annual pre-party for the show. It was nice getting to meet some of the new artists and of course chatting with the lovely Dawn, Marilyn & Erin, founders/creators of The Girlie Show. They unveiled the poster for this year. Super cool isn't it! I am getting excited with butterflies already! Attached are my gifts for the opening night goodie bags. They are pinked out bling domino necklaces! That's right, the first 50 lucky people in the door will get a bag stuffed with all kinds of wonerful goodies from the artists, food vendors, and local retailers. Keep in mind, you will want to get there early to receive one of these coveted bags....the line usually starts forming 3 hours prior to the doors opening! Isn't that crazy cool! Believe me, when I show up 45 minutes before the show and see all the people and excitement, that is the one time I feel like a superstar! (at least for the moment!)

Baby Gwendolyn

2010-10-16T20:44:00.003-05:00

So our niece Britane' had her baby shower last week. Her baby girl, Gwendolyn is due in December. Britane' is doing the nursery in chocolate browns and light pink. She is a lover of horses, and has blown up a giclee image of her own childhood horse above the crib. I can't wait to see it in person, I am sure it is absolutely precious. Wanting to create her something for the baby, I decided to do a diaper cake and a "Gwendolyn" banner that she can hang in the nursery. I created the banner using the Maya Road Mixed Scallop Triangle Banner Album. I covered all the pennants with assorted patterned papers from Basic Grey, Anna Griffin, My Mind's Eye & The Paper Studio's Flutter Loft. To give it extra interest, I ruffled pink tissue at the tops of alternating pennants and created crimped medallions to all the other ones. The name was created with pale pink chipboard from the Li'l Davis Designs Charming Love Affair line. An absolutely adorable font I think! Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Saturday everyone!

Vintage Chalkboard Calendar

2010-10-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago my mom and I were driving around with the kids, and we stumbled upon a garage sale that enticed me to stop and look further. I found this amazing, old chalkboard for $1 and just knew I had to have it. Not sure what I was going to use it on, and my mom came up with the great idea of using it as the base of one of my many calendars. Although it is quite large, measuring 24" X 24" overall, I absolutely loved the way it turned out. I purchased some metal sheeting and cut it down to 16" X 16". My super talented hubby helped me to attach the metal to the board using rivets. How cool is that! (My favorite new tool by the way!) There is something so satisfying about incorporating the past into the present in a new way. As many of you know, I get butterflies whenever I get a find of the day on one of my many excursions. Have you ever bought something old and gave it a new life? I challenge you to stop by a yard sale or even the thrift store and transform something old into something super cool. Please share your great inspiration, I would love to see!

I am a TWISTED SISTER!

2010-10-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah I know that some of you already think I am a little "twisted" in the head but this is the real deal! Anam Stubbington, the amazing designer/creator of Twisted Sketches has officially given me the privilege of being on her Design Team! This is my first time on a team, so I am very excited. To find out all the details, please visit http://www.twistedsketches.com/. I hope you will check out all the other amazing artists and consume the wonderful inspiration! Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

Happy Birthday My Sister & Friend

2010-10-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

Today is my sister's birthday, and I decided to create this card for her. She has always loved earth toned colors like harvest gold, chocolate brown, orange/red, etc. Whenever I think of Julie and her birthday, I always think of the fall and thought it would be fitting to make her card in the rich colors she loves so.

The card design was inspired from the very clever scrapbooking website, Twisted Sketches. The twist was "friend." Make sure to check out their wonderful sketches over at http://www.twistedsketches.com/.

Happy Fall to Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Amy

Exciting NEWS!

2010-09-24T18:48:00.000-05:00

I was contacted the other day from the Editor-In-Chief over at Scrapbooking.com. It is a huge worldwide online magazine. They have chosen 3 of my projects to be featured in their November Publication! As I understand, it will go live on November 1st. I will keep you updated, I promise! In the meantime, go over and check them out and be sure to sign up for their weekly newsletter for all kinds of tips, ideas & products at http://www.scrapbooking.com/.
Have a great weekend!

Crimson & Cream

2010-09-17T19:03:00.000-05:00

This is my newest baby, hot off the press! The girls and I were talking up at Tulips about doing some unique "red" pieces to attract that huge group of OU fans out there! I plan on creating several different works using the Crimson & Cream motif, and this is just the first of many. Stay tuned for future creations. Besides, who doesn't need some red in their life? I know I do! As for specifics on the pedestal cake cover, it is the 2nd one I have created. The piece itself is very time consuming, but very satisfying once it is complete! : ) The holidays are coming up, and you will be the queen of the party when your guests arrive and take notice of this delectable kitchen accessory! Be on the lookout for more of them to show up at Tulips on Campus Corner, Norman, OK. Good luck to OU on Saturday, GO SOONERS!

Clear Cards

2010-09-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Lately I have found myself playing around with clear cards. Have you ever tried using clear acrylic for your cards or mini albums? Talk about challenging yet so fun at the same time! Not only are you thinking about how the top layer is going to look, but also needing to remember the under layers as they show as well. Here are 2 birthday cards I created for some of my kids little buddies. The Olivia Card was created for a little 4-year-old sweetheart named Sarah. Her mother says she loves watching Olivia, so I thought I would make her a card to match her birthday presents. It was so fun creating this card, as I didn't stress and redesign it over and over again. I somehow let the pieces fall into place, and enjoy the way it turned out.

Here is how I created it...First I searched Google for images of Olivia. I found this sassy one and saved it to my computer. I then printed it out on white cardstock. After diecutting around her, I assembled assorted papers & ribbons I thought would emphasize and flatter Ms. Olivia. The base card is from CTMH. It is a round scalloped 4.5" clear card. It is covered with a clear film to protect it prior to using. Here is a great tip for you cardmakers out there: whenever you have a clear film, make sure to keep it as you decide how to assemble the design. I was able to put my "happy" stickers down on the clear film to determine placement without destroying the paper underneath. Once I knew what I wanted to do, it was pretty easy to peel the stickers from the film and place directly onto the card. Back to the project details...I traced around the scallops of the card onto the red dot paper. I then used the xyron to adhere the paper to the inside base of the card. This allowed a place for my kids to sign the card, and it not interfere with the overall design of the card...it was secretely hidden behind Olivia! I used a silver paint pen around the edges of the scallop. On the top flap of the card, I cut out a circle on the white/red paper and adhered to the card using foam dots. I tied red/white candy striped ribbon and blue/white postal string to the top half of the card and tied into a bow. After that, I glued Olivia down with foam dots and stuck the "happy" stickers accordingly to the very front. To dress Olivia up a little more, I stamped a crown from Autumn Leaves onto white cardststock and embossed it in silver. I found a round white metal rimmed tag that was perfect to complete the sentiment. One side I stamped BIRTHDAY, stuck on a candy striped thickers "2" and then wrote YOU in Sharpie.

Another card I created a week ago was for a 7-year-old "mad scientist" named Lorenzo. He had a super cool party at the Oklahoma Science Museum where all the kids were decked out in lab jackets and goggles! (His mama is a birthday party nut like myself! ) To stick with the theme, I found a great collage image on PowerPoint of all places! The galaxy, the telescope, the earth...perfect for what I wanted! I printed out the image, and adhered it to the inside of a square CTMH 4.5" clear card. On the outside, I traced around the galaxy using silver Stickles. Talk about giving it some sparkle! I then stamped BIRTHDAY accross the telescope, and hand wrote part of the message. I created "THIS" using red dymo tape. The "world" is Making Memories silver stickers. Something cool about this card is that the birthday $ is hidden at the back! When gluing the image to the inside, I only adhered it on 3 sides creating a pocket that the dollars slid into perfectly! I hope the kids enjoyed these little cards...surely not as much as I enjoyed making them! : )

Oh yes, have you heard of Twisted Sketches? If not, you should check them out! They have weekly challenges for both cards and layouts. Check out the "clear" card challenge they had last week, and see what other great sketches they have to spark your inner creativity! http://www.twistedsketches.com/

It's Official! I am going to be a Girlie!!!

2010-09-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

Every year I anticipate applying for the Girlie Show in Oklahoma City. Every year I hope and pray that I will be lucky enough to be chosen again. I am ecstatic to say that I am in!!! For those of you that have been, you know where the party is at! For those of you that haven't, what are you waiting for? I can tell you that it will be the time of your life! From the most delicious food, to the hippest rockin' tunes, and the most unique, and unbelievably cool artwork...this is the place to be! This is my 5th year, and I enjoy every single minute of it. Mark your calendars for November 5th & 6th, 2010. Check out the details @ http://www.thegirlieshow.net/.

Also, attached is a documentary clip of the Girlie Show created by Ackerman & McQueen out of OKC. I am so proud to say that I am in it! Check it out... www.am.com/#/home/VideoModule/2181

Lastly, make sure to become a fan of The Girlie Show on Facebook. It has the most up-to-date info about the show, you won't want to miss! I am off to start creating some masterpieces...I hope to see you there!!

I'm so EXCITED!

2010-08-31T13:21:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I found out that I am the winner of the August Hambly Contest over at For the Luv of Art.com. What an inspiring website, and a bunch of super clever, cool chicks reside there. Come check it out and share your inspiration! http://www.fortheluvofart.blogspot.com/

Tooth Fairy Love...

2010-08-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, as usual I am fixating on the innocence of childhood. Remember those days when we thought of the tooth fairy often...it seemed like once we started losing teeth, it would never end. I love those memories as I child, to this day I still remember seeing the sparkling tooth fairy flying up to my window when I was about seven. Being my anxious self, I ran to my mom to tell her all about it. Needless to say, when I got back to my bed the tooth fairy had already paid a visit! What an imagination! I love telling my kids that story, and I love hearing the thoughts and images that go through their minds. My oldest turned 6 back in March, and has yet to lose his first tooth. Unlike anything else in my chaotic life, this is something I want to be prepared for...the first loose tooth. For quite awhile, I have been in search of the perfect tooth fairy pillows for my little ones. I found the sweetest little birds & elephants a few years ago on etsy and stored them in the back of my mind since then. The creator of these adorable creatures is an artist named Melody Miller. I contacted her a few weeks ago to see if she would make some of these for my kids....

Yesterday I received a package in the mail and was overjoyed with its contents. Melody Miller you rock! Her presentation, packaging, merchandising & marketing of her products is insanely cool. Not only were the sweetest elephants wrapped in funky tissue and ribbon, but she has designed her own temporary tattoos with her signage. Too cool for school I say! She is currently creating a new fabric line called Ruby Star Rising. It is supposed to debut this fall. I can't wait to see it! To check out more about this super clever girl, here are her websites... http://www.melodymiller.typepad.com/ and http://www.lettermdesign.com/

Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

2010-08-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

Here are two more of my newest pieces. Once I again, I have incorporated those yummy ceramic letters I told you about in the last post. On both of these, I used black grout. Very unlike most of my creations, I typically use a dark tan grout. For these, I decided I would try something different, something unexpected. On the wall piece, it was so fun playing around with different materials...a large black baroque frame, vintage psychadelic gift wrap from the 1960's, a cork coaster, and some glitter green tile. I wish you could see this paper in person, as the picture doesn't capture the true vivid colors...super rich hot pinks, fuschias, lime greens, funky yellow and black, all wrapped up into a disco frenzy of beautiful swirls and flowers. Enjoy!

Dream A Little Dream...

2010-08-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my newest creations. I saw something similar to this in an old craft magazine, and gave it my own "mosaic twist" if you will. The black frame is actually a deep window box. At the back I created a mosaic of dominoes, all vintage with varying color, widths and lengths. All the images I stamped onto the back of the dominoes are comprised of many different textures, patterns, and wonderfully inspiring words like joy, celebrate, believe, happy, cherish, imagine, etc. The word DReAM in the forefront of the box is very interesting. I wish I knew all the history behind the letters. All I know is that they are made out of some type of white ceramic/bisque from the late 1940's...they were sold at a chemist's estate sale, lots of vintage goodies from his lab that had been stored in a basement for decades! There were tons of numbers and letters for sale and I managed to buy most of them at $0.50 a piece; a small price to pay for something so unusually unique from the past...treasures I can incorporate into my work to give it that extra wow!

Thanks again for stopping by!

Brotherly Love

2010-08-05T08:23:00.001-05:00

This layout is featured on Scrapbooking.com's online magazine! (Nov 2010) Please go to http://www.sc rapbooking.com/ for all the details!

I created this layout using the wonderfully vivid new line by My Mind's Eye called So Sophie. The layout is about our adventure to the annual Medieval Fair this last Spring. Neatly tucked away under the image is another image of the boys holding hands as they walk up to the fair. Also included is my narrative about the day and their silly hats.

The insert reads as follows...The annual Medieval Fair at Reeve's Park. What a festivity of eccentric sights and fantasies all wrapped into one. There is tons to see, from fairies & mermaids to knights & kings. Jack tackled the bungee jump again, completely fearless. Add to it, the elephant & camel rides and the oh so yummy food, you guys never wanted to leave. The weather had been very cold, rainy & windy on Saturday, so we decided to take a chance and go on Sunday afternoon. Talk about PERFECT weather, we all had a great time. You both were bundled up in your matching red sweaters and those oh so crazy & colorfully fun beenie hats. Daddy found those for you guys at an antique store down in McAlester this spring. The hats are extremely old and very unusual. Made out of different panels of tan, aqua and red leather, they are covered in tiny trinkets that apparently would have come from old Cracker Jacks back in the 1940's. Daddy did some research, and we also found that the hats were possibly sold at the World's Fair back in the 40's as well. Either way, the hats are so cool and we hope that you all will treasure them for many years to come. Not to mention that you both look like the "Little Rascals!"

As for this picture, all I can think of when I look at it is pure LOVE. Jack you are such a nurturing big brother to Sam. Sam looks up to you for everything. He copies everything you do, and goes to you for protection. I hope that he always feels that you will be there to protect him as I hope he will always be there for you. Talk about a troublesome duo when you are together, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Our Little Monster is 3!

2010-07-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

A few days ago we celebrated Sam's 3rd birthday in true monster fashion! I know I have an obsession with my children's birthday parties. I completely go over the top. From the invitations and goodie bags to the cake and birthday attire, I cover it all . My poor children fall victim to my excessive behavior when it comes to such grand events but they sure make for wonderful memories, fun and GREAT pictures! I typically plan the party theme almost a year in advance. Then, my mind starts reeling with ideas from what the theme will be to party colors and entertainment for the children. My mother and I collaborate and have a sometimes stressful but great time doing it. She bakes the cake, and then we decorate it together...yes, another one of my obsessions...making fondant cakes. My mother and I have always dreamed of having a "birthday" business that includes every detail...almost like birthday planners instead of wedding planners if you will. In the future I might post images from the infamous Fred Flinstone & Sam I Am Green Eggs and Ham parties just to name a few. Enjoy some of these sweet images of Sam's party...

Our Little ROCKSTAR!

2010-07-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

I created this layout using a design over at twistedsketches.com. The layout commemorates my son Jack's 6th birthday party. His daddy is a musician and Jack has always had a love for music because of it. Since he was little, his dad and I said that he would get his first electric guitar at 6. To celebrate our son entering into the musical world, we decided on having a Rock Star themed birthday. Anyone that knows my husband and I, we go a little crazy insane on our children's birthday parties. I know it is a little excessive, but it actually is a lot of fun planning, creating, decorating, etc. At Jack's party we had all the kids come dressed as rock stars. We had lots of great dance party music playing and the kids had a blast. A few of the highlights were the life size "Pin the Guitar on Jack", as well as the dance off. Saylor and Lorenzo were amazing!

Make sure to check out the wonderful layout designs at http://www.twistedsketches.com/.

Oh Hambly...

2010-06-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying I am a lover of Hambly products. The colors are so wonderfully bright and vivid, and the images or so fun and playful. What makes their line even more inticing is that all the papers and overlays are directly screenprinted on. In college I spent many years learning the process of screenprinting aka serigraphy. Such a fun medium...understanding the whole process makes me a fan that much more. Their line is truly unique and I had so much fun using their products for my 2 newest creations. Both the "blue birdy" and the perpetual calendar are available for purchase up at Tulips on Campus Corner, Norman, OK. Here is their link...http://www.tulipshome.com/

Sweet Little Lizzie

2010-06-28T21:14:00.007-05:00

This layout is featured on Scrapbooking.com's online magazine! (Nov 2010) Please go to w ww.scrapbooking.com for all the details!

My cousin's sweet little daughter, Elizabeth just recently celebrated her 3rd birthday. She is such a prissy, sassy, and feisty little girl. She is the epitome of all things girlie. When I sat down to create her birthday card, I knew I wanted to do something extra special. (Her mother is a scrapbooking diva extraordinaire, so it is really hard to top her beautiful creations!)

Here are the details....

The photo I used was one I took of Ms. Elizabeth on Easter a year ago, just prior to her 2nd birthday. To give the image a vintage feel, I first printed it out in color. Then, I printed directly over the image in grey scale. It muted everything a bit, while still maintaining the "sugar" pink of her tulle dress. Next, I cut out Elizabeth and mounted her on a new photo that was printed in grey scale only. The frame I love. I found it at Target around Valentine's Day. The pink damask pattern is great. As far as the pennants go, I created them using different papers from my stash. I don't know all the brands, but basically some of the pennants were created from scrapbook paper, from flocked specialty paper, & Martha Stewart gift wrap. I used CTMH rub-ons for the HAPPY ELIZABETH. The BIRTHDAY is from Stampin' Up. I created a crown for Lizzie using a stamp from Autumn Leaves, Talking In Circles. To give it some extra pizazz, I used silver embossing powder and cut it out. In addition to these goodies, I used red/white twine by Raffit for the pennant string. Also, at the bottom of the frame, I used a CTMH stamp from the Just For Girls set. I then heat embossed it with black Staz-on and shimmery clear powder. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking.

Please be sure to check out my cousin's amazing creations as well. She is the one I mentioned above at http://www.justaboutthedetails.com/

Thrift Store Treasure...

2010-06-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the local thrift store and came across this shirt. The pattern on the shirt immediately reminded me of scrapbooking paper. Knowing that it was a shirt that I would never fit into, I thought I might share the wealth of it's beauty. Feeling the need to be creative this afternoon, the shirt kept beckoning me to "transform" it into a masterpiece.

Here are the details...
I scanned/copied the shirt and printed it out on photo paper. It is amazing how the image looks just like the fabric, texture and all. Next I planned on cutting up the shirt. My son, thought I was crazy to do such a thing. Anyways, the other day I had seen a tutorial on spiral paper roses and thought why not try it using fabric? I have a great obsession with the new "rosette" craze and figured it is about time I try it out myself. To my satisfaction, it actually was pretty easy and I think the rosette turned out great. With a little imagination and lots of scrapbooking goodies from Hambly, etc this is the finished product. I plan on creating more of these recycled fabric rosette/card combinations. The rosette will be a hair clip that easily attaches to the card, and would make a great simple gift for a friend or co-worker. Let me know what you think!

Oh yes, if you want to see the tutorial on the spiral roses go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiB3soNy4e8

Flocked Wallpaper Window

2010-05-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite windows I have created to date. The reason why it is so special to me, is that not only does the old window have a story of it's own but the paper does as well. This was my first attempt at using vintage flocked wallpaper. It is truly one-of-a-kind. I purchased the samples from a wallpaper warehouse in Illinois. As I understand, these papers date as far back as the 1930's. I would LOVE to have several roles of this stuff. How cool would it be to cover the walls in a bedroom? Unfortunately, 1 roll of this stuff will run you $325!!! This particular piece was on display at the RETHINK, RECYCLE, REDESIGN exhibit held in conjunction with the Festival of the Arts back in April. Now it is available for purchase up at Tulips Home & Gift Store in Norman, OK.

www.rethinkrecycleredesign.org
www.tulipshome.com

I appreciate you stopping by and hope you will do a few things for me before you leave. Tell your other blog friends about me, and be sure to become a follower of Curly Q Mosaics so that you can be updated on my latest news and events!

Dream Window

2010-04-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

This is my most recent creation. I designed and created this entire window over the last week as I prepared for the Dustbowl Market that was held yesterday in downtown Norman. With the exception of the 30+ mph "wind sweeping down the plain" it was a great experience. Lots of good company, getting to see many friends, family and artists all in the accompaniment of great music. (It was in conjunction with the 3rd annual Norman Music Festival.)

This window is one of my favorite newer creations. I am not usually the butterfly type, but I truly love the multitude of patterns contained in this Cavallini paper. I have TONS of old plates, china, etc. I was able to retrieve some of my vintage aqua/green dishes to compliment the paper nicely. The tile coordinates very well with the butterflies. The word "DREAM" was created by cutting down glitter tile. Talk about cool. I love anything flashy and that definitely gave the window some extra pizazz. I guess a customer loved it too. I had just finished grouting it yesterday morning, and it sold during the show. I think the grout was still drying. I wish my art always flew off the shelf like that!

Introduction

2010-04-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, let me just say that I am anxious and excited all at the same time about starting my first official post on my blog. I have had a website for several years now, but this is the first time I can create and write down what is going through my wacky mind for all the world to see! I hope you will find it to be inspiring, enjoyable and humorous too!

My name is Amy Baldwin. As many of you already know, I have been a creative creature my entire life. For the last 6 years I have been diving deep into the world of fine arts and craft. I am a self-taught mosaic artist. My art has evolved since my initial debut. I am always challenging myself to create new techniques, designs and experiences through my art and the world around me.

To see my gallery of work, check it out at www.curlyqmosaics.com.

Thanks for dropping by, and hope to see you again soon!