Online Extravaganza Begins Monday!!!!!

Our biggest online sale of the year, Online Extravaganza, begins Monday, November 19, and ends on Wednesday, November 28. We've got a fantastic selection of stamp sets, accessories, and tools that will be discounted up to 50 percent!
Plus, you won't want to miss the first 24 hours of the sale when the Big Shot, Doctor's Bag, and Simply Scored Diagonal Plate will be 20 percent off retail price!  Log in to my Online Store on Monday morning to take advantage of these 24-hour-only savings, as well as oodles of other popular products discounted up to 50 percent!

Owl Occasions Thank You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Get Up And Go!!!!!
I was sitting on the couch the other night watching TV and I decided to give myself a challenge.  Rather than sit there and stare stupidly at the TV during commercials, I decided to Get Up And Go every time a commercial came along!  Rather than have that be wasted time I used the time to wash dishes, go through junk mail to recycle and to make this card :)  What time can you use to Get Up And Go?
I was so excited to ink up these stamps!  The branch and owl are from Owl Occasions - I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of this stamp set!  I inked up the owl using markers - More Mustard, Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip and Basic Black.  The branch was inked with Early Espresso.  If you want the owl to sit perfectly on the branch you can always use your stamp-a-ma-jig.  I decided to just wing it (pun intended ;)  The sentiment is from Made For You and I inked it up with Marina Mist ink.  I love making simple, clean graphic cards and this stamp set lends itself so well to this style.  I hope you like it and I hope you have a phenomenal weekend!!!! :)  Get up and go!!!!!! :)

Angel #7: A Face In A Flower

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's Nice To Be With Family & Friends Who Go At The Same Pace
We just got back from the most wonderful trip spent with family and friends (and a touch of work thrown in as well).  What we really enjoyed about the trip was spending time with people who seem to operate at the same speed we do - we didn't have to change our rhythm.  Sometimes you go on vacation and you are required to alter your pace - for us that alteration would look like us having to dart from place to place, restaurant to restaurant, at a frantic rate.  That just isn't us.  Instead, this trip was spent lounging around kitchen tables, sitting on sofas and chairs, lingering in restaurants with perfect meals and even more perfect companions.  We walked around art galleries and sculpture gardens.  Sat in homes and played blocks with a little one.  Watched the deer munch grass on the side of the road and in the fields.  Yes, it's nice to be with family and friends who go at the same pace :)
Are you tired of my angels yet???? :)  Hard to believe this one is only angel #7.  I may have to give you a break from posting my angels, but don't worry - I won't take a break from making them - I am definitely on a mission!!!!! :)  Today's angel grew (no pun intended) from the idea to use a flower as a head.  I used silk flower that I had deconstructed and then created a quilted muslin painted face that I hot glued to the center of the flower.  The body was made from paper cloth that I stamped, sewed and stuffed.  Michael came up with the wonderful idea to use the silk leaves to construct the wings!  They are a bit hard to see due to the green tree...but if you look closely you can make them out.  Here is a close up of the paper cloth that I stamped with the mini serif stamp set.  I hope you like it :)

Angel #6: Pinecones and Paint

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's Right In Front Of You!
I sat there - not knowing what my next angel would be like.  Okay - I really didn't sit there - I was actually lying in bed thinking about these angels.  I find that when I'm going to sleep and when I wake up my mind seems to be very receptive to creative ideas.  I have been gathering pinecones for awhile - not quite sure what I would do with them.  And, when I was lying in bed about to fall asleep, the pinecone shape appeared and yes, it looked just like the body of an angel!  So I grabbed my journal (I keep one by the bed so I can capture these sleepy thoughts) and in the morning I went through a few pinecones in my stash and chose this one!  I painted most of the pinecone gold and added some sparkle glaze.  The stamping on this one is obvious - just a word from Loving Thoughts on Crumb Cake card stock.  I used ric-rak to create her hair and thin tooling foil for her wings.  Sometimes the idea you need is right in front of you (or on either side of your dreams :)

Angel #5: Tiny Tags

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take One Idea And Run With It!!!!
I have been having a great time (and sometimes a frustrating time!) running with the idea of creating 30 angels in 30 days!  At times I wonder if I'll be able to figure out what to do next.  At other times, once idea sparks another and off I go!  This angel was actually inspired by the organza in my last angel.  I loved how the organza started to create a skirt for the angel and I decided to take that idea and use muslin to sew together a "skirt" for this angel.  I created a small body "base" and the muslin skirt was handsewn to the base.  I added some wire for hands and stamped a small tag using the Tiny Tags stamp set.  The wings....oh the wings...can you tell what they are made from????  I actually dried out some tea bags from my morning tea and cut them open and composted the dried herbs.  I then glued 3 of the tea bags together and, after they were dry, covered them with a sparkle glaze.  I then cut out the wings and sewed them to the back of the angel.  I hope you like Angel #5...now go find an idea and run with it!!!!!
If you came here expecting Two Ways Tuesday, bare with me!  I'm off on an angel quest!  Two Ways Tuesday will be back once I have succeeded in my quest :)

Angel #4: Wire, Wings and Organza

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Create A Community
We have grown to love our neighborhood.  I think we have Buddy to thank for many of the wonderful people we have met in our neighborhood.  Taking Buddy for walks immediately puts us into contact with other people walking around the neighborhood and over time we learn each other's names and sometimes move from small talk into deeper conversations.  The other day there was an assault in our neighborhood and it took only a short time for the emails to start coming, the phone to start ringing and the conversation at the park to start happening.  Each person reaching out to let another know - to provide information and to make sure we were all on the look-out for anyone or anything suspicious.  It is this sense of community that I cherish.  How can you create a community in your neck of the woods?
Today I am sharing angel #4 with you.  For those of you following my blog, you are aware of my 30 Angels in 30 Days challenge with myself :)  I was inspired to try using wire to create the angel skirt and wings.  Can you see where the stamping is?????  I actually made the structure of the wings from wire and then used my stamped tissue tape (you can watch a similar technique video - embossed tissue tape - HERE) to cover the wire armature of the wings.  I love how the light can shine through the tissue of the wings!  I hope you like Angel #4 :)  Here is a close up of the wing: