ReStore Contest Living Room

Lexi and I stopped down to the Southeast Steuben County Library the other day and were pleasantly surprised to see this lovely little set up. Each item has tags on them so you can vote for your favorite. In all, this makes a lovely little upcycled living room! See my mirror up there on the wall and Lexi's epic starry night guitar? I feel like we're hanging out with some pretty big rock stars though....

I am in LOVE with this bench. In fact, I do intend to bid on it & the side table. All the pieces eventually make their way back to the ReStore and then there is a silent auction. Since I helped pick those metal legs out of the scrap pile and I had been looking at that bed frame for ages and ages, I feel like I'm part of their creation.

Lexi's art teacher made that little planter. Isn't it adorable with the record player flowers? These are only a few of the pieces too! I think they go to the Art's Council of the Southern Fingerlakes next so I'll have to stop over and see how they set them up. Pretty excited on how successful this first endeavor has been! Love to see upcycled stuff!

Happy Hump Day!

Pile O' Cards Party

Recently I got invited to hang with a different bunch of girls than I normally hang with to craft. The hostess made us supper and her Mom brought card kits. Water color was involved and knowing that most people hate it when their colors get mixed, I was on my VERY BEST BEHAVIOR. (It was hard!!!)

What I didn't do was actually follow along with the designed cards but kinda just winged it. Thankfully nobody was watching too much...besides shimmery sequins, splatters and glitter glue were added as soon as I got home because hello sequins! I did distress and ink up the edges while I was there though. I can't do neat & tidy!

Loving the stack I have now! I got invited back so I must not have been too messy...

Check out the lovely paper flower centerpiece! Pretty pretty!

Have a great Tuesday!

Memorandum Monday: A Legend, Cupcakes & Spraypaint

I know! I am hanging out with a rock star and you guys are gunna be so jealous....we even crafted together AND went to Hobby Lobby...For those of you who don't know Lisa from Life of a BZscrapper, allow me now to introduce you to the legend herself. She is on eight trillion design teams though so you probably know her quite well already. Lucky for me she is originally from New York, so on one of her trips back, we planned a camping trip to Niagara Falls so I could hang with her.

We made a couple of things using spray paint. In fact, when THE MAN came back from visiting the falls with Lexi, he gave Lisa a verbal lesson on how to spray paint his way. My way is much more organic (drippy?) so I was glad he told her how to do it right. We even shanghaied one of the dudes running the campground in a yellow shirt to bringing us a drill bit to attach the knob to the canister. I will bet you a vanilla cup cake that some time in the near future there will be glitter on those flower petals...

I showed Lisa how to use Mirror Paint which is one of those spray paints that you must be patient with. It says apply using thin coats, but what the directions leave out is that it will look crappy for at least a couple of the coats but keep going. We started with some wee little glass containers and sprayed the inside. Aren't they pretty!

She stayed for dinner and a campfire and we were so sorry to see her go. THE MAN said later it was like we had known her for a very long time. So fun!

Speaking of someone I'd love to meet in REAL LIFE, it's the legendary Sian From High in the Sky. She is our host for Memorandum Monday!

Happiest of Mondays to you and safe travels back to AZ, Lisa!

Shark-Tini Layout

We always like visiting the Sweet Shoppe in Lake George Village. It always smells awesome in there! This time around THE MAN opted to run with buying gummy sharks. Then as a joke we added them to a dirty martini! They didn't actually melt, so it was mainly just funny!

I have been REALLY enjoying printing out big photos on plain white scrapbook paper as a background! Aren't those blue wine glasses pretty? So much fun. I have also been using flatter embellishments too, oddly.

Love that photo of my family! They are so good to me posing when I ask!

Well, the weekend is nearly upon us! Big adventures await! Tell you all about them soon in Memorandum Monday!

Sorry About your Liver Card using Crazy Dog Stamps

Today I am showing you another Doug card. Only this time it's a different Doug! We went to conference with this dude in Detroit two weeks ago and he was constantly complaining about his liver, each time we had an adult beverage with dinner. The poor thing, out and about with these older, sophisticated, and bossy women!

I must admit, I probably wouldn't have made a card, but these new dog stamps from Tim Holtz HAD to be used and this one looking loopy was perfect! So was the huge water color swirl that was given to me by Lexi and I fussy cut ages ago. Added some washi & some dog die cuts that came with a recent order from The Funkie Junkie and it was a pretty quick card!

I'm not big on coloring, but stamping this dog on a grayish paper worked a treat! I only had to color in his ears, collar, nose, and I added some white to his eyes. I think it worked!

Have a great Tuesday and perhaps it will contain an adult beverage at the end of your work day!

Happy Homes & Sparkles: Memorandum Monday

Saturday at work we officially started rehabbing my first Habitat Home. I've been working for Habitat for around two months and so far the projects have involved mostly exterior work as part of collaboration projects with other local not for profits.

It's sadly a home we are getting back into after the first home owner didn't work out. To say the house is trashed is an understatement. Thankfully the rock star guys I'm working with weren't too sad even though they built it six or so years ago. They just tucked in and got to work on repairing all the siding that was damaged & we made a list to start work on the master bedroom & half bath. From the amount of houses around the area that have been built by Habitat, it seems this kind of thing is rare. These houses are lovingly put together by a crew of volunteers side by side with the potential new homeowner.

I saw this quote the other day and it reminds me of this build.  Piece by piece we will repair that home and by the end, it will be sparkly, new, and a beginning for a family who will care for it. Looking forward to that day, but on the way I will enjoy the process & the laughter that goes into hanging with some of the best peeps on earth, Volunteers.




At home, there was some crafting...Not too much mind you, someone forgot to pick up more adhesive and printer photo paper at the store...but enough to get the fingers inky! I did get to use a new stamp that I have been anxious to try that also came in the mail. I am also in the process of staring lovingly at some new stash.....

I won a gift cert for Paper Sweeties over at ChouxChoux Paper Art earlier in the week and those lovely delish sequins just came Friday. I have been walking past them since and haven't the heart to open them just yet...It's kind of like looking at a lovely cupcake for a bit before you chomp right into it!

Happiest of Monday's to you. I have a hot date with ordering some sheet rock, a new toilet, and a few 2 by 4s! Also waving over to Sian From High in the Sky who is likely back by now from her holiday and our host for Memorandum Monday!

Candy Bar Dude Doug Apple Thank You: THE CUTTING CAFE

So the other day my boss asked me to get a card for Doug. Doug is one of our volunteers at Habitat. He is known best for arriving right after lunch with a big bag of those little bite sized candy bars, picking up after the job is done, and his meticulous paint jobs. Being a wee bit unsteady on his feet, he usually avoids the ladders. It's entirely possible he is my favorite, but then I have a lot of favorite volunteers. Doug is getting a card because on every new build, they place a tree as a memorial for his wife Debbie and we wanted to thank him for buying trees this past spring (ok so it's a bit belated, but things in not for profit land generally take a bit longer). And of course I couldn't BUY a card for this cool dude...oh no. I had to MAKE one by hand.

I thought this awesome Apple Shaped Card Template from THE CUTTING CAFE worked a treat as thank you for someone buying trees (and candy bars, those are important too). I opted to take apart one our pins for the front. Getting the white embossed dots was simply a matter of inking up the embossing folder before I ran it though the Big Shot.

I stamped the thank you with StazOn ink on some of the clear cardstock that Regina sells over a the Cafe which I then stapled on. Added a few hearts and some flowers to go with my tree theme.

Sparkle glitter around the edges and some paint splatters and I'm ready to get this card to Doug! We're off working on a rehab tomorrow so we'll need all the help we can get from Candy Bar Dude Doug!

Happy Friday!

BlackTulip Table with Marble Top

I could tell THE MAN missed me when I was gone. He actually worked on my table for me! I'll show you the part he did shortly, but let's take a peek at how pretty the black paint turned out. Love those tulip shapes now much better in black! I distressed it a bit too so it would look old. 

He made a frame out of a pine board for my marble! Even chisled the sides down for me so it fit nice and snug! Made painting it and attaching it a breeze! My table was the first thing I worked on when I got home over the weekend. Was so nice to hang out in the garage with a sander. 

I'm so happy I have a little table back to hold my Big Shot in my office. I gave up my other one for the fish tank that we moved. And if you are wondering what this table looked like before? I blogged about the Topless Hot Pink mess a few weeks ago! The actual table was around $5 and the marble top $10. A few cans of spray paint later, a pine board, and some sanding? Plus, this one has a drawer that I added some wood scallops to. A vintage rock star!

Hope your Thursday is awesomeness! 

12 tags of 2016-August & One Little Quote

The nice part about a tag is that it's a little but you can totally get your bling on in a small space. In this case I managed to add a die cut, fussy cut stamped flowers, and a fussy cut butterfly, not to mention paper flowers, a scallopy metal piece, and some crinkle ribbon!

Of course insprired by the Tim Tag of August, but using colors more suited to the little airplane baggage ticket I upcycled which happened to be hot pink. Betcha can't tell. Gesso works wonders for most everything!




























Tim was using a honey comb die cut that I didn't have, so I substituted the trellis one instead. Added a few pieces to fill in spots of the trellis in burgandy, but then left the rest of it empty to show off the pretty background on the tag. Of course I had to stamp some flowers that looked similar to the one he used. I also added one of the words from the One Little Quote I'm following this year. Only four more months to go and it will be revealed! ;-)

That little dangle was upcycled off a necklace and I thought worked well with the colors I used. And check out those adorable little flowers from the Funky Junky Botique. Only two months to go before the 12 Tags of Christmas that she hosts...not to scare you!!! 

Well, we still have a smidge of summer left to enjoy so I'm off to make the most of it before the snow flies! Happy Hump Day!

Lake George Layout: I like big boats I cannot lie

Ah the smell of paper, the feel of a roller running over the paper & adhering down pretty scraps! How I've missed you! I thought I'd start with a simple layout to get me back in the grove after being away for a week! I used a really big photo that I took out the back of the boat printed out on plain white paper as a background to my boat photo of THE MAN and Uncle Don. Aren't they cute? I had that song I Like Big Boats running through my head as I made this....oh wait, I think the song is a little different....

Are banners still a thing? I never know. I like them though. They work really well for scraps and by the time I was making this page, I had gotten down to those from my paper packet. I thought the photo of Lexi with her hair blowin' in the breeze worked well as a banner so I could fit three photos on my layout...

Incidentally the one photo that didn't make the layout was the floating tiki bar...Kinda wanted to try that at some point! Doesn't it look fun?

The epic part of this page is that it will actually fit nice and flat in a book. I know, it seemed weird to me as I made it...But I ran with keeping it simple!

Happy Tuesday! I'm back tomorrow with my Tim! Tag for August...again, nice and simple!

Memorandum Monday: Back to Normal and Big Ass Blooms

I'm actually giving you a sneak peek of a project I'll be blogging about this week...it's a real rock star if that helps give you a hint!

I just got back from a week away in Detroit, Michigan for NeighborWorks training for my new job. I hung with my boss and some peeps we collaborate with. Lots of learning and a tour of the city. As much fun as it is to be away, it's awesome to get home and back in your groove. I turned into a homebody and spent some time working with my hands.

This weekend was spent doding raindrops and I hung out mainly in the garage! I did venture out for some grocherying, but only because the kids claimed we didn't have any food. Really I think they felt we were out of cookies, but anyhow...

While I worked on my project, THE MAN worked on building a bike rack for the truck. We'll use it camping and he picks Luke up a lot after track. Part of Luke's workout is to ride down to the school from the house.

I did also want to show you a photo I took for you peeps. Big Ass Blooms. Are they not epic? Check out the floor and the wall for scale. I spotted them while touring a revitalized church. They decorate the former nave which is now used for Zumba. Three generations of women come daily for a Zumba class and the building is full of energy.

Detroit is a tough place to visit. It's a city in decline and so many houses, businesses and big buildings are in decay. I leaned that 200 houses a week are taken down. Others are burned out and schools sit empty. Yet, there is hope as places are rebuilt and rehabbed. I could feel that hope as I walked through the former church where women now meet and work their body as well as their spirit. I'll leave you with these happy flowers and hope you have a most awesome week!

Waving to Sian From High in the Sky who is off on Holiday for a bit but I am sure will be around at some point to see what we're sharing.

You Look Fabulous Mirror for the ReStore

Yes the very fugly Meant to Be Frame  now has a home and a purpose! It's off  to the Corning Library who is hosting the artists for the Corning ReStore contest. John from the ReStore hooked me up with a very old mirror for $8 and I retaught myself how to cut a mirror to fit in the frame. It wasn't pleasant and in fact, next time I will go to Lowes who I learned later was able to cut mirror. (did you read yesterday's post where I mentioned mirror shards on the floor, lol!)

What WAS pleasant was watching this MakerBot Replicator 3 D printer make those letters. It was humming to itself as it worked along. I imagine the little robot was thinking to itself, WHY YES I AM FABULOUS! I did add a coat of spray paint but as I learned after gluing down the first letter, I should have also done the backside...as I get a smidge of pink showing up now with the mirror. 

Part of the contest allows artists time on the Bot to make their own stuff. I went with letters as I thought they would be similar to chipboard...not really honestly. They are plastic so are a class of their own and much harder.

One more photo of my frame and Duncan, the wonderdog. I am pretty sure he was thinking his dog mommy IS fabulous! Happy Thursday and wish me luck! There is a $100 ReStore Gift Cert up for grabs! Pretty sure I can't win, but hope this frame makes them a little money!

Memorandum Monday: Toes and Traveling

I had great plans of writing this post on Sunday night, which is when I always write it. It would be really hard to write something about the weekend say like on Friday night when it's still looking bright and shiny and full of promise.

Instead our plane got in late (thanks Delta!) and then we ate and then I crashed hard on a hotel bed full of white blankets and pillows. Of course I tossed and turned a little since a big dog wasn't helping me sleep and I knew I had to register and go across town on the PeopleMover. We've got a conference here in Detroit and it's already Wednesday! See this is how you know something is really going well, when you have to think about what day it is.

It's not been all busy though. I am enjoying the various rooms where I have my training session. We get long breaks and time for chatting and coffee. So far I've learned a ton of things. I'm working in a new industry and it's all new to me. Pretty awesome.

Talking about Trump, not that I want to...but he was here in Detroit and at the same hotel some of the training is for our conference....Hilary is here tomorrow for good measure. So anyhow, tell me the truth...I am sure all you peeps not from the US are having a bit of a chuckle at the Hot Mess Reality show our elections are here....It's OK, I think we deserve it.

This past weekend we were camping, because yes normal people would schedule a big camping trip and then go away for a week. To be honest, camping was scheduled before the trip or job for that matter, but we could have moved it around a smidge. No need though, it has all worked out.

Got to relax there too! We were on the bank of West Canada Creek and the sound of the rushing water was the most enjoyable part. Anyhow I'm off to hit Wednesday hard. I am missing the boys back at work who are painting today but I'll try to struggle through it!

Waving a little toe at Sian From High in the Sky who hosts us for Memorandum Monday.

Rock Star Guitar and Mommy is a little Nutz

Everyone needs two large art projects in the week before they are leaving for camping, trying to do a new job to the best of their abilities, and also leaving the week after to go to Detroit for a conference. I mean, don't they? Lexi and I took over THE MAN's garage, left black feathers on the work bench and mirror shards on the floor up by the tractor. Not to mention, there is still the other Hot Pink Mess (which is now black) yet to finish up. The fact I am still married is an ode to the long standing fortitude THE MAN has. So, let us give him a brief moment in the spot light here and thank him for sharing his space and abilities...

Let's not get too crazy though, we have pictures to look at....

So they are having a contest at the Corning ReStore. Basically the gist of it is that they allow you to pick out items for free that you then make into something lovely that they auction off. They have prizes for the winners, so Lexi was ALL IN when she heard the word prizes. And when I mean in, her Dad actually mentioned that there wouldn't be a lot of time and all that but she was on it like a bulldog on a hot dog with ketchup.

John helped her pick out this guitar that was really nothing special. A student model with a broken string. She decided to spray paint it silver and then do a galaxy theme painted front just like the Be A Rock Star container she painted a while ago. It's pretty epic...including the Tim Holtz clear stars...so pretty! She even went as far as asking at the local music store Marich Music how much it would cost to restring the guitar and he donated his labor for free! So, this guitar is ready to rock and roll!

She tried to add black wings on it too, but due to some issues with rivets and timing, we kinda gave up. It still looks like a crow exploded in the garage so I think she has some shop vac work to do on the work bench...

I have a project that I worked on...I'll share that in a bit...that is where the mirror shards on the floor came in!

Happiest of Hump Days and a huge hug to THE MAN who puts up with squirrel behavior the week before camping & conferencing...and also feathers on a work bench.

Knoebles Layout: One for me and One for Teri

It's always nice to make a page for someone else. In fact, it's even nicer to just steal their photo, print two of the same background photos and then fancy them up a smidge differently so you don't get bored...Of course finding the same set of letters and having enough isn't likely so you'll have some variation there too...

I made the page with the pink for Teri as that is her little person in the middle sitting between Lexi and her friend Kayla. Just a simple flat page, but I used a bit of that shimmer spray that you can't see that makes it sparkle...so pretty!

I figured out later that I used the purple to match Lexi's shirt on mine...isn't that weird. I do love that paper. It's a pack from Close to My Heart that I have been hoarding with all the berries...so delicious!

Hope your Tuesday is awesome! I'm off to class today at this conference in Detroit!

Happy Mail for THE CUTTING CAFE

I really do enjoy making Christmas cards. Each year I tell myself I'm going to start them a little earlier so I don't have a marathon session of cutting and gluing. Is August early enough? Thank you Regina from THE CUTTING CAFE for giving me a little kick in the pants and asking for a Christmas in August project! The little mitten shaker is from the Christmas Shape Shaker Card collection. I set up the Silly to print three sheets so I have plenty!

(Side note:  so weird to be taking this photo without snow in it!)

 I used just glitter in my shaker. Trying to go for the more flat concept making cards! They always give me THE LOOK at the post office when I drop off 25 bulky envelopes. Those little ferns were upcycled from a Christmas piece I got at the Corning ReStore. It's pretty big so I will have plenty of foliage to use when I make the rest of my cards and start projects.

I even have a set of clear stamps ordered for the return address label. Regina over at the The Cutting Cafe Shop makes those too! Lexi and I designed them and she got them made & sent to me. So cool.

Can't wait to make the rest of these! I might tweak the design up a little. For one thing I need to get my hands on more paper...I think I've finally busted through the Christmas card paper stash...oh such troubles!

Have a Happy Friday!