Birthdays And Penturners...

what a weekend!!!

Are you finding that in spite of the unusual weather we've been having, you are really busy with activities? We certainly are... and happy for it, because most of that activity has included family. Granddaughters Katie and Faith are having birthdays. Our daughter had one big party for both, as Faith is just turning one and really isn't into all the celebrating yet. But... what a bummer... can you believe, when we got to their house, my camera batteries went dead... so no photos. 

So I'll just show you Katie's card...

With her turning ten, 

I thought I'd go with a more feminine look, and used the Prima Lyric collection. It's loaded with beautiful images of chandeliers, roses,  music scores and all sorts of the girly things Katie loves.

The flowers and leaves are 

all from I Am Roses. Even though I have the Lyric collection flowers, I thought these were prettier.

Our second big event

of the weekend, was a penturners gathering in Oakwood Village at Woodcraft.

We met a lot of fellow

enthusiasts, had a discussion about starting a group in our area and had a drawing for prizes. The Penmaker and I both received IAP caps, which we are thrilled to have. (I was really wanting to win one when we went to the Richmond gathering, but instead won a package of very high end pen blanks.) 

Our speaker, Glenn McCullough,

did a demo on turning a calligraphy pen. Now this is something I could get into! These are great for art journaling.

Afterward, Glenn was

encouraging me to get started turning my own, and he even gave me this beauty as further incentive. (Thank you so much, Glenn!)

Hummm... I am really considering making these!

Jim Fischer presented

me with this fabulous bud vase... turned from segmented wood. (Thanks again, Jim!)

Here's another shot of

it along with my cap. The vase has a plastic insert for water, so it can actually be used for fresh flowers.

Sorry to be so long

with this post... but I really wanted to share these great wood pieces with you! It might be something some of you may want to try, too!

I'm linking up at:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Printery Paper Bag Mini Album For A Sweet Little Lady

This is Brianna.

She's my daughter-in-law's niece, and she was here at our house on Sunday afternoon, along with her family. They are missionaries to South Africa and are back here for a few months. I had the pleasure of showing her and her sister my studio and all the projects I had recently made. Happily, I was able to give her a little memento of her visit. I think she was pleased.

This is the album

made from just two little kraft paper bags from Michaels and Prima's Printery 12x12 papers and the 8x8 stack.

There are a ton of

photos, so I'll just list some of the product and you can scan on through.

Prima - tile, chipboard stickers, Say It In Crystals

Flowers - I Am Roses, Prima

Brads - My Mind's Eye

Dies - Spellbinder's Foliage

Punches - Martha Stewart Scallop Dot and Doily Lace

Distress Ink - Vintage Photo

Wide eyelets - We R Memory Keepers

Doilies, crinkled seam binding and pearls - from my stash

I'm linking up at:

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Scrappin' With Katie

My bags were packed,

and the Penmaker and I headed off for some scrappin' time with our soon to be ten year old granddaughter, Katie.

This is my new

Rolling Scrapbook Tote by Darice (you can get it here). The Penmaker bought me one for our last trip to Virginia to carry along some of my projects. This case is absolutely great for carrying supplies... tons of space, lot of pockets and pouches... and half price to boot. I LOVE a bargain.

I finally had gotten some 

kraft paper bags in the small size at Michaels (they had been out of stock for the longest time), so we decided to make Steff's paper bag mini album. (Check it out here.)

 I gave some instruction,

passed the materials to Katie, and let her do the work.

The Tacky glue

bottle was almost empty and we had to take turns squeezing it out... hard work for her small hands and my arthritic ones. 

After four hours of

work, this little gamer finished her project, never letting up for a minute... endurance plus!!!

 Front

If you look close, you can see that she even used a stencil and added some molding paste.

Back

I am super proud of

our Katie. She has the makings of a first class paper crafter.

I'm linking Katie's album up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

(Proud Grandma)

An Altered Frame

First... I want to say

thank you to all the new followers who have added their name to my list. I so appreciate it, and love having you all come to see what I've been making. You guys are the best!!! I hope I can in some way encourage or inspire you, as you all do for me. I spend a great deal of time looking at your blogs, You Tube videos and Ustreams. Retirement is such a happy time, friends!

A couple of years ago,

I purchased a quantity of these wood frames on close-out, used a few and promptly forgot I had the rest. After watching this You Tube video by Miranda, I was inspired to use her ideas on a frame... and then I remembered these forgotten gems tucked away in my studio closet.

I pulled one out,

gave it a coat of gesso, and applied the Pink Paislee Hope Chest paper with an application of Mod Podge. Using the Ledger stencil by Crafters Workshop, I put down some molding paste.

I sprayed on a bit

of Lindy's T-Bird Turquoise Flat Fabio and Clam Bake Beige Starburst. Then brushed on more gesso, spraying it with water and dabbing up the excess with a paper towel. After drying with my hair dryer (a long story- still waiting on a replacement Heat Tool from Ranger), it was ready to embellish.

The Alterations Weathered

Clock is cut from chipboard. I brushed it with a coat of gesso, dabs of Distress Stain in Tarnished Brass and finally Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

The ornate metal key

and key hole by Graphic 45 were dry brushed with gesso to blend in with the shabbiness. The pearls are by Queen & Company.

Peeking out from under 

the I Am Roses flowers and leaves, is a Prima resin Shabby Chic Treasure and a piece of cheesecloth. In with the flowers are some fern and leaves cut with Spellbinder's Foliage die set. They were brushed with gesso to continued the shabby look... and I think that's it! I added the photo of the Penmaker and I at our son's wedding last month... my, how time has a way of flying by!

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

She Sings

On this rainy

Tuesday morning, that's what I need to do to chase away the dreariness.

Remember in my last post,

I mentioned pulling out a piece of crinoline? This is what I did with some of it...

Using that same Artist

 Outpost Serenity set, I stamped a 4x3 inch frayed rectangle in Jet Black Archival Ink and colored it with Distress... Wild Honey, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage.

I used Graphic 45

Secret Garden papers on a white textured cardstock base and mats, all sponged with Vintage Photo DI. I added another of those "final few" Recollections baubles I referred to here, a Prima Lyric metal music note clip, May Arts ivory burlap string and flowers from I Am Roses.

I still have three

crinoline roses and a stamped flourish on canvas laying on my desk. I have to figure out something special for them. Maybe with that DCWV Timeless Type paper again... or the Prima Engraver or Printery... I even have a few sheets of Almanac left... hummmm!!! Ideas are appreciated!

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Have a happy Tuesday, dear friends!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

2nd Anniversary

Can it be?

Our baby boy and his wife have been married for two years already? No... I can hardly believe that, but it's true! So I took some special care and made them this card...

I pulled out my 

Prima Lyric papers that were restocked this week (here), and my KaiserCraft 6.5" Timeless paper pad. Wow, these two went perfect together... don't you think so? The base and mats are Recollections kraft cardstock along with some white textured. All is sponged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The paper doily is a 4" French Lace... I used half.

The calendar pocket

is by Studio Calico. I circled the date in pencil and glued on an Idea-ology Mini Numeral that I painted with a mix of Tarnished Brass and Vintage Photo Distress Stains. I added another layer of the Timeless paper, then put two regular sized eyelets (bought at Scrapdoodles) in the holes at the top and tied with 1/8" black ribbon. Tucked in two Alterations Mini Tickets cut from the Lyric "Overture" sheet. The pocket is popped up with 3-D foam adhesive. The flowers and leaves are all from I Am Roses.

Lots to do today,

so I'll be off. Have a fantastic Wednesday friends.

I'm linking my card up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Christmas Mini Album Cover

Here is what I ended

up doing with the cover. Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. I thought the acetate would be great, but was unable to find the right way to pull that off.

 So in the end,

I went to my go to flowers. I cut some leaves with Alterations Mini Holly die and added I Am Roses red/white blossoms and red roses in two styles.

Memories is written

in Idea-ology Ransom Alpha Parts. I didn't think it covered up too much of the fabric.

I tied an Idea-ology

bauble into the twine binding. Believe me, that twine certainly had shortened up from where it started out. I really meant to keep this album thinner than most of mine, but failed miserably. As you can see... quite the chunk!!!

I love this Prima

packaging sticking up at the top... lots of fun elements in this book. 

Happy place!!!

I bought the Idea-ology

Worn Cover at Hobby Lobby last week, so I'll be starting an album with it next... or so I think. I do have three cards to make yet today in between weeding the shade garden and planting lettuce. Busy spring days... but isn't it great to get out in the sunshine! What all do you have going this week?

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Trip Preparations And A Masculine Card

Hello friends!

Sorry, to have been dragging my feet this week as far as blogging goes. I've been creating as usual, just not getting any visiting done nor photos taken. The Penmaker and I leave for a trip to Virginia in a couple days and I have been busy getting things ready. As in the past three years, our friends have given us their condo in the Massanutten Mountains, which means extra packing... have to take scraping stuff, hiking gear and some food preparation items. Am really anxious to get going.

One of our views.

I started this post this
morning, and am just getting back to finish it... tisk, tisk! Terrible!!!
I did, however,
make another card and get four projects and a pen photographed. Here is a masculine card I did yesterday using Prima products...

This is a little bit
different, wouldn't you say? I had lots of fun playing around with the gears and other metal pieces. The papers are Prima's Printery and a scrap of KaiserCraft's 75 Cents.

This chipboard piece
is from the Romance Novel collection. The timepiece, wing and gear collage piece are Prima. The button is by My Mind's Eye. The gears on the car and the one beside the collage are Idea-ology. The tiny key and bottle cap are from my stash. The nut is from The Penmaker's jar full of nails, nuts and bolts, screws and miscellaneous metal treasures.

Now... (equal time)...

the gorgeous new
pen my sweetheart just made.

I won't be around
much for the next week and a half, but I'll have some new cards and an album scheduled. Please come back and have a look. I promise to visit you as soon as I get back... the Penmaker is taking his laptop, but I'm just no good using it. Have to have my Mac.

I'm linking up at:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!
Linda