Hit or Miss

Hey folks! I've been diverted from blogging for so many reasons. One sick person, then another, trips here and there - you know, just life. I'm trying to get back into the habit of creativity. That is important to me, and my well being, especially since work on my studio keeps getting interrupted, too.

I've been dying for autumn to arrive. We should be getting our first real cool-down this weekend. I hope so! I love fall because of the big bold colors and the feeling that something big is about to happen. The season just seems to put a big shot of potential into the world - kids going back to school, holidays approaching, sports waking up for new seasons. It's just a wonderful time in my mind.

I'm playing a challenge over on Stamp TV with this card. Cat challenged us to CASE GKD illustrator, Theresa Momber. Theresa does these amazing scenes and the stamps she creates for us let us follow along with her AWESOME step by step tutorials. Seriously - you should visit her blog. This image was cut with my new Silhouette Cameo using the matching cut file.

These images are from Country Roads stamp set, and it evokes so many memories for me. I spent 3 years in upstate New York, growing up. There were beautiful covered bridges like this one, and many hours spent soaking up the flaming forest full of fall leaves.

Oh even the smells still linger in my mind! Back then, Simon & Garfunkel were big, and one of my Mom's favorite songs was Bridge Over Troubled Water. Yeah, so I CASEd Theresa's card, but it took me for a long, loving stroll down memory lane. Just like autumn, thoughts of Mom are still sharp though she's been gone 11 years.

Hey - why don't you play along? If you need more inspiration, check out the blog where my friends and I play with all our older supplies and images. Check us out at Stamping with the Oldies!

Ta for now,
~ky

Recipe:
Stamps, GKD Country Roads (by Theresa Momber), Springtime Silhouettes (GKD STV)
Cardstock, Gina K Design's pure luxury
Patterned paper, Basic Grey Origins
Ink, Memento, Ranger
Coloring, Copic Markers
Cut File, Silhouette Cameo, Country Roads (GKD)
Miscellaneous ribbon, brads, EK Success border punch.

Getting Antsy

It has been a hard, long transition. The heat has been unbearable, so work on the new studio is progressing very slowly. I'm hoping to get my things out of storage after labor day, if I can get the last bits of the building done. We've been dealing with serious illnesses, too, but I think we're finding our feet again (all three of us).

So that's progress - all the insulation is now in, and yes, I'm putting in plenty of sweat equity! A friend of mine, Sherry, struck on a great idea. She's created a new blog (Stamping with the Oldies) where each weekday we post a project using *only* our old stuff - old stamps, old paper, old techniques. You should check it out! We hope to have occasional challenges with prizes, but we would love to see what you make!

This is one of my favorite older sets by Theresa Momber - By The Sea, made by Gina K Designs, and a newer set, American Made by Becky Oehlers, also through Gina K. I'm so thankful that Sherry asked me to work on her team because I needed a little push to get going again.

Summer is almost gone - I hope you had a great one, and are ready for fall. I sure am!

Hugs!
~ky

Fell off the earth...

Or so it seems. I selected a word in January, and that word was Distance. I thought I knew where this word would take me, or where I would see it in my life, but I had no idea this was coming. I am now single, again, and have moved home to help my Dad in Texas. That is quite a distance.

I don't have room yet to pull out my crafting supplies, nor the space to really work with all my usual tools. However, my Dad is graciously helping get a studio building put in his back yard so I can set everything up, and have a place for the critters to live. In the meantime, I challenged myself to make a card with the limited supplies of just 2 boxes from my packed studio.

I love this new set from Tami Mayberry - it's called Vintage Notes, and this month's Stamp TV Facebook challenge was to use things from your office supplies to make the project. I started with a small manila tag, and stamped the distressed lined note on it in Memento Rich Cocoa. Then I added "Take Note" and the numbers in Ranger Distress marker Rusty Hinge. I took apart a hinge clip, so it would lay flatter, and placed it over a stacked layer of paper to look like a miniature clip board.

The tag is tucked into a trimmed down Glassine envelope. When I worked in an office, I usually could count on a random button or two and a roll of dental floss, so I added those to the side. Cardstock is Gina K Designs pure luxury, and patterned paper is Authentic.

Thanks so much for dropping by today. I hope my posts will get back to a regular schedule soon, although my new studio is still several weeks away. Have a great weekend!

Ta!
~ky

Up to my elbows in Color!

Hey all - I'm in Milwaukee taking the amazing Copic Certification classes from the talented Debbie Olson! I am so thankful that I finally was able to take the classes. I hope to be teaching soon!

I made this cute bookmark for a friend who's kiddo loves to read. I mean, how cute is that! I am going to need to make another one for me! I used Tami Mayberry's Fairy Tales set, by Gina K Designs. I paper pieced the frog and crown, used punched hearts for little flowers, and layered punched branches over crocheted and velvet ribbons. The crown is covered in Sakura Star Dust pens for a gorgeous, camera-unfriendly sparkle. I used the Corner Bookmark tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers as the template.

I hope this project brings a little smile. I will have a twist on this theme in the near future, and I'm really excited about it. Now, go out and have a fantastic weekend!

Ta for now,
♥ ~ky