Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Spring"

Here's a tag for a new Tag Tuesday challenge-Tag Tuesday has moved HERE; Rebecca at BelleSouth has generously offered to continue this challenge, as Louise, who originally created and hosted this challenge, has many obligations right now-she will still be continuing to showcase her beautiful art on her blog, Kard Krazy.

GOTHIC ARCHES-"Spring"

This arch for the current Gothic Arches Challenge theme of "Spring" came out sort of "frilly and fancy" I suppose, but I just got going with it and couldn't stop! Anyway, I'm glad to have a new Gothic Arches theme to play with, and I love the season of Spring so much, I might make another arch later on in the week! (I think the arch background and the glitter both show up better if you click twice on the photo to enlarge it!)

Playing Around

My sweet hubby found a coupon, and ordered a book from Barnes and Noble that I'd wanted for quite awhile~Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities! I was so excited when it came in the mail, and I've been playing around with some background techniques of his. It's very hard to see the background of this tag in the photo, but basically, it's just Antique Linen Distress Ink that I applied and dampened a little--and then used the same ink to stamp a background image on the tag. I edged the tag with dark brown chalk ink, and used the same chalk ink to stamp the flourishes. I made the "shabby flower" out of paper from a brown grocery store bag; I punched circles out and trimmed the edges with decorative scissors, and then crunched up the paper after I'd sprayed it with some Glimmer Mist. I opened the circles out while still damp, and then dried them with a heat gun and layered 6 individual pieces, gluing them in the centers--and then added a vintage button when I was done.*** I've had the Paper Whimsy image for a long time, and thought she'd be perfect for this tag!
***I got the idea for the paper bag flowers from this wonderful video by the VERY talented "ER" on YouTube--here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHy9xEK8eww

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Surprise Me"

The current Tag Tuesday Challenge over at Kard Krazy is to create a tag that has a little surprise to it. As I'm not very innovative, my "surprise" is pretty simple: I had been experimenting with a couple of Tim Holtz ink backgrounds on a tag, and I had this tag that I'd inked and stamped on both sides. So I decided to make a 2-sided tag; you look at the tag and then turn it over, and there's another image on the back. Not super exciting, but since this is a two-week theme I'll put my brain to work and maybe come up with something better before the challenge ends!

Thank-You Card

I made this little card to send to my sister. She is living in Germany right now; her husband is working over there--I miss her terribly, but am so very glad she's having wonderful adventures! She says the people are so nice, and she's been able to do and see so many fantastic things! I am living vicariously through her stories and her photos . . . buying fresh-baked baked in nearby France, hiking in the Black Forest, exploring old castles, driving on the Autobahn, going to the Christmas Markets and Oktoberfests, going on a river cruise, having breakfasts in quaint villages, visiting ancient churches--ahh, what fun!

Tag Tuesday Challenge-"Postcards"

I made a little tag for Louise's Kard Krazy Tuesday challenge of "Postcards"~ such a fun theme!

Teacup Tuesday

I thought I'd share my blue teacup--my only blue and white one! It is not an antique, although it looks similar to my antique cups; it was given to me as a gift a few years ago. As I've said before, the lighting in my house is awful, even during the daytime, so the photos aren't great, but I'm glad to have the chance this morning to participate in this fun event. Hop on over to Artful Affirmations to see all the beautiful entries!