You're My Everything

You're My Everything by Santa Esmeralda is a very old song and was our wedding song over 28 years ago. Why did I use these words on this card? That's because this is a Valentine for my hubby :)
I had to come up with last Friday's weekly challenge at ECS and I challenged the girls to make a Valentine card for their partners. It would also be a good challenge for me because I am not into anything masculine. So I did my best and this is what I came up with. I just had to add a butterfly for some reason, but that's ok, my hubby loves them.

The round piece of paper I printed is an image from The Vintage Moth. You can find some great vintage clip art there, check out the button in my side bar. The couple is from my own collection of graphics.

I don't know why some pictures looks so blah when I upload them, but you are always free to click and see the full size if you want which as you will see is much clearer.

Folding Heart Card Tutorial

Several of you have asked or said you would like to make one of the folding heart cards, so I took some photos today so I could give you a little tutorial on the folding of the card. I have to tell you I messed up the first time, it is a bit tricky when you havn't done one in a while, and I hope I can explain it well enough for you to understand.
So, here goes........

Take a piece of 12" x 12" cardstock.
I suggest trying it on a piece you don't mind messing up the first time, just incase :)
Fold your card stock in half... ok that part is easy.

See how in my photo you can see the crease? Well make sure you now turn the paper over because you need to fold it the opposite way in the next step.

Fold this time from corner to corner, then keeping it on the same side of the paper, fold the opposite corner to corner.

It should now look like the picture below.

Note, it might help to click on these pictures and view the full size photo.

Holding one of the larger unfolded portions in front of you, fold the card inwards until it lays flat like this one below. I will show pictures of my finished card on the inside below so you know what I mean, and how it looks, just incase you did not see it before.

Use something like paper clips or clothes pins to hold paper together for drawing and cutting.

Using a heart shaped template, (I have no idea where I got it from, but it fits perfectly.), trace around the heart with pencil incase you need to erase some later. I always do.

You can also draw your own heart.

Next step is to cut out your heart. The edges may look a bit rough but you can tidy them up after it's cut.

Now it should open up and look like the picture below.
If not, then I am terrible at explaining this, or you did it wrong *giggle*

I cut out heart shapes in patterned paper and glued inside of mine, but on the heart shapes that fold inwards you will need to cut half a heart for those or it will have trouble folding in afterwards.

I then collaged mine using gel medium to glue everything, but, you can do whatever you want to decorate it.

Below you can see the inside of mine.

I also punched holes through all pieces except the very front, threaded some red seam binding and tied it.

Please, let me know if it works out for you :)

ATC Nature Girl

I made this ATC for last weeks Fun Friday Challenge at ECS. All images and background are from Digital Collage Sheets.

OK, sorry, but I just had to share my fur baby Cooper again because........I found he was missing his two bottom teeth and he looked so cute. He couldn't hold onto his little ball so he was leaning it against the couch and trying to escape from me.
If you click on his picture you can see his two missing teeth. I have never found any teeth anywhere but they were so tiny, I doubt I would :)

My Soulmate

Just look at this sweet, sweet digital art of my fur baby. He is now a butterfly fur fairy :)
Anitra at Cute Art World commented on how cute little Cooper is and asked if she could use him to make a fairy. I said of course, and sent her this photo, and look at what she sent me. I am going to print the original copy and frame it :) Thank you sooooooooo much Anitra, this was so kind of you , I will treasure it always.

Hope you are all having a great Saturday, I have spent the best part of my day, or should say all of my day trying to organise my studio.

Pretty Paper Hearts Challenge Multiple Hearts

This weeks challenge at Pretty Paper Hearts is to use multiple heart shapes.
I made this Valentine card which is folded on a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock , then cut to make a heart shape. I used multiple heart shapes on the front of the card, including a tiny heart charm.

Holes are punched and ribbon threaded through to tie the card together and just give a pretty finish. It could also be used as a wall hanging.

The inside of the card is collaged with all things lovely to me, including Angels, cherubs, birds, butterflies and flowers :)

Paper Dolls

I've been practising again and I have to tell you, this time, I am soooooo happy with these dolls :) YES! I can actually say that, I am even proud of myself for a change. What a good feeling that is.
Oh, I know, you have seen so many pretty girl faces out there, cutsey, whimsical girls, but that's ok, these are mine and I have Suzi Blu to thank for her amazing class. It was not required in class to do this, but I was tired of just sketching and needed to experiment with color, so I drew the girls on a water color paper pad, then used paint, colored pencils, pastel chalks and pitt pens. After this was done I decided to cut them out and add some papers for their clothes and next step is to decide what to do with them.
I am still afraid to try arms in front, or legs, but I will :) I am making art for "me", I am no longer intimidated to try, and I am loving the process :)

Linens and Lace

This beautiful vintage girl was our challenge image this week at ECS Mixed Media group. I almost made an ATC with fabric , then I decided to add fabric to a canvas board and I went from there, and I have to tell you I just enjoyed this so much.
I had to use the flash to take a photo which makes it look a bit washed out and shiny. Believe it or not the wall it is on is actually green. I was not going outside anytime today at -13c to find a spot with no snow where I could take a picture :)

Once upon a child

I mentioned last week about not having many stamps, well my order came and so far I have tried this one. She is my first artsy stamp, and I just love this little girl. I had to try a few times on paper to get her stamped right because I am just not used to stamping like this, then I colored her slightly with chalks.
I made this piece on a small flat canvas board. The gold swirly chipboard is from a sheet of swirlies for only $1 at Dollarama :) They only had the gold glittery ones when I was there. To make it blend in a touch I added some gold leaf pen around the edges then I didn't like it, so I sanded it off as much as I could without ruining it altogether then rubbed tea dyed ink over it.

Did you know?

Did you know, that the magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors has gone digital? Well know one told me, but I found out today you can now get a year's subscription for digital copies, and it is so neat. If you want to find out more about it, go see their sample copy. You can even zoom in to read it, save a copy to your desktop or print an article you want to keep.
This certainly is a good way to save on paper, and for me being in Canada, on shipping too.

I was just saying to my friend Sherry a couple of days ago I don't subscribe to magazine subscriptions, but I think I am liking this idea and I may just sign up :)

One Lovely Blog

Maybe it's the British side of me, but I use the word "lovely" a lot , and so I am honored to recieve this award from Lisa at Simple Journeys.

Thank you for thinking of me, and it is even more special because I didn't know Lisa until she posted to me about this award.

There are two rules that come with this award:

Link to the person you recieved it from.
Pass it on to deserving recipients of your own.

So here are the lovely blogs by the lovely ladies who have inspired me this past 6 months through my journey with mixed media. They always leave comments for me which are so encouraging. Thank you all :)

Viola at Viola

The Paper Girls

Heather at Creative Solace

Gabi at Colorful Adventures

On another note, I am not sure if I told you, but I deleted my other blog The Rose Cottage, so if you have links to that blog you may want to remove them and follow me here.
I have been trying to streamline some of the things I do online and this blog is where I am in my life right now so this is my focus. I need to do as much as possible to allow me more time to create.
I run the Ning social network Etsy Cottage Style, I am taking online classes and I do still have an Etsy shop for my vintage linens, but I don't really spend much time on it at the moment. I am just like most of you trying to find some balance in each day, so cutting back has been a must right now, I even deleted my Flickr account.

I also have an adorable four month old puppy who I am working so hard to train right now. I am hooked on watching "The Dog Whisperer" and have learned so much. My baby is becoming a very respectful little dog :)

Isn't he sweet?

Pretty Paper Hearts Challenge

Two posts in one day? I am shocked at myself :)
I found a challenge site called Pretty Paper Hearts which has a weekly challenge, and I just felt the need to make a heart. Then tonight I realised that I was doing last weeks challenge, so I had to snap a photo and get it up on my blog
The theme was outdoors in winter, so I used a clip art of a vintage boy in his winter gear outside feeding the birds and the bunnies who are always looking for food this time of year.
I used natural papers for the background, even added some bits of leaves from outside and bits of fabric and twigs. It is hanging from hand dyed string a friend sent me.

This weeks challenge is posted tonight I believe at Pretty Paper Hearts

Altered Envelope

This weeks Fun Friday challenge at ECS is to alter an envelope. This is what I came up with using some new digital art sheets I purchased from Digital Collage Sheets.

I also used some new stamps.
I have a confession to make. I am afraid of them. Yep, stamps. Afraid I will make a mess or something. I always test them first on a scrap paper but for example when I put the word "love" on this envelope I was so nervous that I would smudge it, or I would hate it.

I used two envelopes for this little project, back to back, to make it sturdier and used the back one as a pocket. I stuffed some mini envelopes and a mini card in this one to show you. I am not happy with the back of it, the inks turned greenish on me when I aged it, but maybe it will fade over time.

I am new to stamps, and am waiting for some new ones I just purchased last week at Stamp and Scrap Canada during Wendy's half price sale. I am so excited because they are all beautiful stamps , and fantastic prices. They should be here any day now :) I just checked and looks like this spectacular sale is still on so if you want to save big time, check it out.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all my blogging friends.

Out with the old and in with the new, that's how I look at today, as a brand new start. I don't make resolutions because I never keep them, but I do make short term goals and mine for 2009 for the next few months are to learn more about mixed media art, take more time to create and wake up my body through excercise, and to live a more concious life .

I am ready to honor myself.

Honor Yourself

You are unique. You are a valid and special part of the universe.

You are important.

You are here to create in your own very special way,

a way no one else can.

Know this, in the deepest core of your being.

Author ~ Shakti Gawain

From the book "Awakening" A Daily Guide to Concious Living