Watercolor World

February 19, 2017February 20, 2017 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

What do you do on a depressing day, when everything appears dark and gloomy? Answer: Watercolor Away. Today, I had a little time to play around with my Kuretaki Japanese watercolors, resulting in 12 “Thank you” cards to begin my 2017 365 Cards Project. I experimented with several interesting techniques, which I plan to use again in the future. Maybe it is not too late to get some of my delinquent sentiments mailed to friends and family, who have helped us through some very difficult times. Once again, the cards are much prettier in “real time”. Watercoloring definitely perked me up a bit.

TK’s 365 Greetings of Giving

March 5, 2016March 6, 2016 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever received a handwritten note or personally, created card in the mail? Didn’t it give you great joy? The payback for the sender is the personal PEOPLE CONNECTIONS you will receive in the most unexpected forms! Send a hand-written greeting 365 days of the year to a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, a long-ago friend, a neighbor, someone who needs a boost, someone you suddenly run into, or ANYONE with whom you want to RECONNECT. It will fill your heart with lovely thoughts and memories. Inspired by: 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik

FIVE-CARD HANDMADE SENTIMENT KITS, 2016

Butterfly 5-card “Wishes” Kit

Materials used: Stampin’ Up Butterfly Basics Stamp Set; Stampin’ Up card stock; Assirted background paper prints, and Stampin’ Up Butterfly Framelits.

Pirate 5-CARD “ARG” Kit

Materials Used: Assorted black/white prints; assorted STampin’ Up colored card stock, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and Stampin’ Up Hey Valentine Stamp Set

LOVELY 5-card “DAMASK” SENTIMENT KIT

Materials used: Assorted Damask paper; sequins; Stampin’ Up oval scallop punch; Stampin’ Up heart punch, and Wetlands Stamp set sentiment.

CARDS SENT WITH CARE:

Materials used: Stampin’ Up, Stamping Bella stamps, and Penny Black stamps

Scrapcat Card Camp #1

March 6, 2014March 19, 2014 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

03062014 Brooklyn

After inviting approximately 12 friends to my first Stampin’ Up card creating party, I spent the afternoon preparing for at least 5 people. Of course, I experienced the usual fear that no one would come, in spite of several SS reminders. BG was so helpful by picking up the pizza, while I made the salad, in spite of his just being diagnosed with early pneumonia!
Creating three very different cards, including new techniques and use of tools, resulted in a big “get ready”! Eventually, I decided to set up 4 tables, just in case some of the “maybes” decided to show. I held the event from 3:45-7:00, to allow for work schedules. Mary and Jean arrived first, creating the arrow-embossed historical car/bicycle Happy Birthday card. Sophia joined them for my demonstration of making the pansies for the pansy Get Well card. Next, Pam arrived with her adorable granddaughter, Brooklyn, who helped her GiGi make two cards and beginnings of a third. Brooklyn discovered her favorite activity to be grinding the handle of the Big Shot machine for embossing everyone’s cards. She loved it, as evidenced by the sweet smile on her face.

Cheryl arrived with her son, Jackson, who was very creative in designing his own cards. We all worked on the Noah’s Arc baby card, followed by free design by participant choice of extra cards. Everyone seemed to enjoy spending time together creating.

Pansy Card: Stampin’ Up Window Pane Textures, SU Label Collection Framelits, SU Pansy Punch, SU Eggplant Paper, SU Mango Paper

Noah’s Ark Card: Stampin’ Up Dots Textures, SU Noah’s Ark Stamp, SU Brights Markers, SU Eggplant Paper, SU Whisper White Paper ,We R M Corner Rounder

Chevron Card: Stampin’ Up Chevron Textures, SU Chevron Brown Ribbon, SU Decorator Label Punch, SU Sentiments, SU Very Vanilla Paper/Gold Paper

Happy New Year, 2014

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ 1 Comment

As another new year is upon us, it is time, once again, to jump start my fitness kick, record all of those calories, walk briskly around the boulevard, budget, and vow to make the most of our time on a slim dime! Of course, after projecting much more time for creating for others in December than I actually had, I continue to work on a few delinquent Christmas gifts. Hopefully, the receivers will consider them worth the wait! I did start the new year off right by spending an entire morning in every book store in town. My delightful excursions resulted in a boatload of “good reads” to enjoy and prevent me from spending dollars I do not have!

We attended a holiday party last night and made a number of new acquaintances, many of whom were McMurray professors and spouses. I tend to enjoy the “outsider” approach from afar when attending such events, but after receiving a little help from my friends and forcing myself to “step out” a bit, I considered it a highly entertaining evening. Actually, the first week in January is a perfect time to host a party. Everyone is ready to escape the comfortable, yet at times tiring ” room with a view” of home, with the opportunity to listen to fresh conversation. It was a wonderfully, cool night on the LeMaster’s beautiful, covered porch overlooking the creek. I believe BG looks similar to this picture of Mr. Buttons, following his partying, though he is not inside of a box today.

At the party, I was able to find out this year’s location of our previous neighborhood creek visitors , two Great Horned Owls. Apparently, they are “hooting” during this, a later time of year than usual, off of Rivercrest, where my Aunt Ginger and Uncle Hubert used to reside. I want them to return to us very badly, as photographing them was one of my favorite creek activities!

I saw a great deal of evidence of our large fox population in my backyard yesterday afternoon. I need to replace a light bulb, so that perhaps I can catch a photograph of them one of these evenings.

My endless project of card creation continues:

Cards

August 13, 2012August 13, 2012 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

THANK YOU CARD

I love designing cards. Cards connect people. Recently, I became acquainted with two inspirational card-creating sites: Simon Says Stamp and the Simon Says Stamp blog, to boost my card-making idea bank. I created the following thank you card for some friends with the materials listed below:

Materials used to create card:

Basic Grey precision cutting mat,

Tim Holtz Vagabond

Tim Holtz Alterations die movers and shapers, cut in half

Tim Holtz Walnut Distress Ink

-Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps

Prima Embellishments

SMILE CARD

I wanted to use a slanted tag on this card and, of course I had to use my favorite Stamping’ Up Old Olive ink. I also tried out my lighted Imaginisce CUTBRIGHT cutting tool-just love it!! The materials used to make this card are listed below:

CUTBRIGHT tool

Basic Grey Precision Mat

Stamping’ Up Old Olive Ink

Twine

Green Brads-tiny

Zip-Dry Glue

Will ‘n Way Clear Creative Stamps-Smile

Cards Created with Tim Holtz’ Vagabond

February 26, 2011February 26, 2011 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

The Vagabond

January 16, 2011January 16, 2011 ~ childoftherockgarden ~ Leave a comment

I have had a wonderful Saturday with BG feeling better and playing with my latest “scrapbooking toy”, my Vagabond. I have cut out tags and leaves, textured the leaves with Tim Holtz texture folders, blended colors on the tag and I’m ready to ink the leaves. I’m still working on documenting mom and me in New England-aaaah! What a trip it was and it is so much fun to relive it in pictures. I’ve also been working on some cards with a new ribbon technique I invented myself. I think it’s really pretty. Enjoy! My Vagabond creations are on their way!!