Thursday, November 19, 2015

THE CUTTING CAFE Thanksgiving Art: Peacock Feathers, a Gold Doily, and Rolled Roses, Oh my!



























Peacock feathers, little pumpkins and a yummy graphic work together for this Thanksgiving piece I created! And can you see the huge spray painted leaves in the back? Oh those were fun!






































Those large brown and gold leaves in the back started out green until I got crazy with some spray paint. The same paint I used on the gold doily I cut with my Big Shot that is underneath the Thanks Graphic. I also upcycled a square board for my hanging. Added a whole lot of gold paint on the edges and some ink to grunge it up a bit!

The graphic that is the star of the piece is from THE CUTTING CAFE and is in the With Gratitude Set. I printed it on printer paper & then scalloped the edges.





























Normally I wouldn't cover the very edges of the graphic with flowers...but I might of accidentally left an orange finger print on the image...so I added a few flowers! oooopsie!

And speaking of yummy things...



Visions of Sugar Plums will be starting very soon...I am posting three days of projects & give aways and am planning on making up at least one project from THE CUTTING CAFE!

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The Seventh Punch Cup of Christmas for the Funkie Junkie Challenge






































I am getting really excited to put these ornaments on my new Christmas tree! I've passed the half way point! Only five more left to go, sob! My new tree has put me in quite the state...it's flocked so I'm all kinds of crazy about sparkle and snow right now....hence the sparkle coating on the glass cup...I'll tell you how I did it in just a few....first up, lets take a peep at Linda's tag which features silver, blue and snowflakes!

I really loved the snowflakes and that blue color, so I wanted to work with that first. I started by inking up one of my large glittery snowflakes a blue color and hot gluing it on the back of the cup. I figured if I left the cup clear you would be able to see it through the glass. Then I got the bright idea of spraying some clear spay in the inside of the cup and then sprinkling in glitter...it's hard to see through but ohhhh so pretty!


Depending on the angle though, you can still see the big flake on the back! I also found some delicious 3-D snowflakes at the second hand store that I glued in with some holly leaves & berries. I found that I needed to add just a little color to all that sparkle & white.






































That big gem reminded me of snow crystals! And I added little blue flowers to bring out more of the blue...also used blue on the tag & parts of the key! Love that silver on the key too!

Linda's Shop, The Funkie Junkie is sponsoring this challenge. I've been over checking out all her goodies and making a shopping list!

Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Mercury Glass Pumpkin with Krylon Looking Glass Paint


Although all the stores are playing Christmas carols & selling gift wrap, let's face it, we still have Thanksgiving yet to celebrate! Although I'm planning this year's tree with great anticipation, I still have my fall decorations out. Out they will stay until AT LEAST THE DAY AFTER Turkey Day! I had to write that in caps in case I forget...I really do want to put up that new tree of mine...

One of my favorite new decorations is this sweet little altered orange glass pumpkin. I happened to pick this one up at the second hand store & it was already orange, but I wanted it to look vintage.





The best way to get that old mercury glass look, is Krylon Looking Glass Spray paint & vinegar. A simple spritz or two of vinegar and some very light coats of silver spray & you end up with the result above. Before it dries too much, you can even blot lightly with a paper towel. The vinegar keeps the silver paint from sticking so you'll actually see the vinegar bubbles..those can be blotted off and it makes it look aged.


Letting coats dry and then reapplying more spray deepens the metallic look. I also kept rolling the pumpkin slowly to get the paint to apply evenly. I was REALLY pleased with how pretty the orange color looked with the silver under it. If you are really brave, you can add little gold spray paint in with the silver!

Look how cool the inside looks even! Fun times! Now, a word of advice, if you start spraying and you are not pleased with how mottled it looks, blot a little, let it dry and then add more spray. I promise it will get better!

Hope your Tuesday is awesome!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Good Bye Bottle Hunter: Me on a Monday



My Mom asked me the other day if I remembered Howard Dean.

Absolutely I said, thinking in my head that he was one of the few cool adults at church when I was growing up.

She told me he was sick & they hoped he could kick it. I was impressed to hear he was 99 years old. Just because I get older every year I'm amazed that it's something that happens to everyone else. She reminded me about the bottle hunt that Howard, my friend Brian Balfe and I went on years ago. It was epic during a time in my life where most things were pretty ordinary.

Howard invited along Brian (in Mom's opinion) as he wanted someone good with a shovel. Brian lived right around the corner so it wasn't a big deal to swing in and grab him. We were off to some dump in Utica that was full of old bottles. Howard had boxes & newspaper for wrapping up our treasures.

My find for the day was a smashed china doll head which I carefully cleaned and glued when I got home. My Grandma Skip "borrowed it" and showed up weeks later with a real doll that my Great Aunt sewed for me. Not sure what Brian came home with, other than to get an ass whooping 'cause he was in trouble for being late. These days you just text your kids and there was no phone at the dump, just lots of overgrown brush & glass.

The green bottle came from Howard as a wedding present. According to his handwritten note it was used 1865-1878 to hold mineral water. Sadly I found out Friday that he passed away so I slid into the weekend with a bit of sadness in my heart.

Saturday am was an early one for me. I got the morning shift to take the boy to the airport. He was dressed in his blues as Civil Air Patrol had been asked to stand honor guard for the vets from WWII and the Korean War who were taking a special flight to Washington DC in honor of Veterans Day. So at 4 am when I was staring bleary eyed at my cup of coffee I could feel deep sadness ready to pounce but couldn't think of what was bothering me...

I had to think for a brief second and then Paris...oh Paris...We had just gotten home from a birthday dinner Friday night for Luke when we turned on the TV & heard about the atrocities in France.

Going back to bed at 5:30 in the am after the airport drop off was not an option so I turned on the TV for more breaking news & decided to make Christmas cards in the quiet and dark house. It was the only thing I could think of that would help keep sadness at bay.






































As I mass produced Christmas cards I thought about little acts of happiness...like bottle hunting memories, making cards, to dropping your youngest off in early dawn hours to show respect to his elders & how proud he made you..We really can't change what evil happens in places far away but we can keep going on with the good stuff and that is what I did this weekend....

A wave goes out to the Me on the Monday Girl....dear Sian who I do hope had lots of happiness her in weekend!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

CAP & Sea Planes Layout






































Finally getting around to getting this photo scrapped! Earlier this summer Luke and I went up to Hammondsport for a Sea Plane Event for Civil Air Patrol. It was an awesome day! We managed to grab this group photo with a sea plane before all the action started. The event was sponsored by The Glenn H. Curtis Musuem and they asked that the CAP kids help with crowd control when the sea planes came to dock.































Really loved those little blue leaves and a smudge of white out I used so I could do some journaling. I must have been channelling my inner Lizzy Hill with those stars & the white out!




























The yellow and the blue really shine together on this layout! And yes, those stars do rock!

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Weggermans & the Stolen Cart

View of Little Joe & Wegmans

It is with great trepidation that one changes up where they shop on a weekly basis. There is that whole comfort of knowing just where to find the boxed raisins not to mention that route that you have carefully cultivated over the years.

In fact, if you shop at a big box store like Walmart, you are pretty much guaranteed nearly the same shopping experience if you are here or if you are there. Having once been to a Walmart in Alaska, I can assure you that it's just the same as ones here in New York although the fishing section might be a tad bigger.

That being said, there is also greatness in changing something that has been a weekly habit for over ten years. It's also terrifying.

After the Great Shopping Cart Incident of 2015 I was forced to change stores by my 15 year old. You might say, but she can't drive yet so how is she making you do anything? Logic it was pure logic and I couldn't fight it...but I digress. Let me start at the beginning of the horror...

Walmart was crazy crowded. I put on my best I can't stand this store face and we started at the end by the pharmacy. We picked up stuff there and then moved onto pets...from pets we wandered over to the school supplies. Lexi had a small list so I left her browsing down the aisle. I had to leave the cart by the end cap as someone was sweeping the school supply aisle. Likely they were trying to hide as the front of the store looked like a zoo up by the registers.

I ran a couple of aisles up to grab something else and a few minutes later returned to find my cart hijacked.

SINCE the damn thing had my stuff in it and my kid was only four feet away, it seemed quite rude. I kept looking..someone must have just moved it on me. Nope, the stuff that had been previously IN my cart was piled haphazardly on the end cap. I stationed Lexi by my "stuff" and went off searching for a new cart. There were no carts to be found anywhere up front. I finally located one that was randomly empty by a pile of newspapers, but by then my shopping trip was ruined.

Lexi and I were hissing at each other by the time we pushed the cart up front. I mentioned the zoo like status to the lady checking us out and she stage whispered...it's the first of the month!

On the drive home Lexi kept pushing me to find out WHY I had to do the weekly shopping at Walmart. I mean, besides it's easy since I know the whole store and that I'm lazy because then I'd have to buy different stuff for dinner, and all that?

I said, Lexi, Wegmans doesn't sell glitter glue. I was pretty sure this argument would take me far.

She didn't even miss a beat. No, they don't, but Amazon does and that's better.

So yes, for months and months now I'm a Wegmans convert. I grab a chi tea (extra milk and yes to whip cream & cinnamon) from their beverage bar by the door and push my cart through the cheeses & past all those amazing smells in the bakery and deli. I fill my cart with goodness.

Duncan and I pop over there for lunch weekly. I mean, he stays in the car while I run in. The other day, we grabbed lunch from their huge hot food bar (I pretend I'm on a cruise ship, only that I got there in a car and leave in a car) and then we took a walk down the trail that follows the river. It's easy to just leave the car right where we parked it and trek up the bank. I'd have grabbed a chi tea as well, but the last time I wore part of the tea, so we kept it simple.

So, I thank you Wegmans. You make me a better person as there is less hissing in my life. Also a huge thanks to Amazon who sells glitter glue in packs of three and with free prime shipping. A fond farewell to Walmart. It's been nice and I'll probably pop in from time to time but I really don't miss the rudeness. I'll live better my way, thank you very much!




Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Sixth Punch Cup of Christmas for the Funkie Junkie Challenge





























Who knew I'd have quite so much fun painting glass! And then there is the fun of putting it all together from Linda's inspirational tag! Totally digging these punch cups!




Let's start at the beginning first though. I finally remembered to take a photo of my spray paint combo and what the punch cup looked like before decorations!


Linda's tag had me a little stumped until I decided that that heart she used at the top looked like a gingerbread cookie! Well I jumped on the gingerbread cookie bandwagon and didn't look back! (in other words I got a little cookie crazy!) The gingerbread is a download from Studio Shine.





























Next thing you know I am nestling a vintage green glass ornament behind the lovely fussy cut cookie image, adding pink gem branches, some glittery gold holly, and green sparkly pine bough...somehow I took a left turn at vintage and ended up on a sugar high....I did manage to match up a single wood snow flake that is similar to what she used!






























One more photo so we can enjoy the gold paint on the key and those little Tim Holtz stars. Speaking of Tim Holtz, if you are a BIG FAN like me, you'll enjoy Linda's Shop that has a WIDE selection of Tim Holtz. She usually has stuff I have never ever seen before anywhere!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, November 9, 2015

Me on a Monday: Wine Touring, Spray Painting, a Dog & a Red Cat




WOW, busy weekend!

You can tell the end of the year is approaching. Just like every year, things start speeding up. Pratt Inc. starts their birthdays with Lexi, then THE MAN, wrapping up with Luke. He turns 13 this Friday. Yikes!

On Sunday, Luke went on an Oriention Flight for Civil Air Patrol, flying to Ithaca & over a Veterans Day parade. Thankfully the flight was in the middle of the day so I was able to sneak in some early morning spray painting. I'm all kinds of pumped about making a cloche with some goodies I snagged from the second hand store!




Others of us choose to nap away Sunday. That is the ONLY piece of furniture that Duncan is allowed on, honest! It's my chair and we came to an agreement. I think he likes it because it's a good look out to keep track of everyone...that is when your eyes are actually open!



On Saturday THE MAN and I went out wine touring with some fun peeps! My favorite was Hazlitt, but then again I've always been fond of Red Cat. They tell the story about some hot cougar holding up a glass & chanting:

Red Cat! Red Cat! It’s an aphrodisiac! 
Red Cat! Red Cat! It'll get you in the sack!

Whether or not this is actually true, it's a fun story to tell when you are not actually IN the Finger Lakes where everyone knows this story already and can point wisely to the HHJ on the wine bottle in the hot tub label and explain what it means...Hazlitt's Horny Juice. Honestly I liked the wine slushies & the house cat the best!

What's great though about a wine tour all day on Saturday is an early evening nap on the couch and then up early on Sunday to get lots of things done so you are ready for Monday! Fun times!

Happy Wave over to Sian who is our Me on a Monday Girl






Thursday, November 5, 2015

Swan Lake Dress Form for LESSology and THE CUTTING CAFE


Candlesticks are one of my favorite items to pick up for cheap at the second hand store! Love the glass ones as a little spritz of vinegar and some mirror spray gives you an awesome mottled vintage look! I am always on the look out for them as they make a great starting point.

Here I'm using the candlestick as a base for this hand made dress form. Our current challenge over at LESSology is to alter a dress form! As I could not find one to use, I decided to make my own. Regina over at THE CUTTING CAFE has great a file called Fun with Dress Forms that works like a champ for such a thing! It's actually a card, but that just gave me more layers to give the dress form extra stability.


Here is a close up of the candle stick that used to be clear but I added that mirror paint and then just a wee spritz of gold right at the end to get a mercury glass look. The snowflake made a great transition piece for my Swan Lake Dress form doll.


What I'm REALLY proud of however is printing on canvas! Can you see that canvas texture on the dress form and the photo with the prima ballerina and her prince?


Here is what the canvas looked like all printed. I just cut a small piece and adhered it to a very thin sheet of card stock and fed it through the printer. I was so pleased it worked and that I didn't have a huge jam to clear!


Did you notice the wings move? They were spread out in the first photo. Just used those red sparkly brads so they could move. The whole piece makes me really happy. Something pretty out of next to nothing!

Hope this has inspired you to play along with our challenge at LESSology & to check out the cutting file over at THE CUTTING CAFE

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The Fifth Punch Cup of Christmas for the Funkie Junkie Challenge






































Been having fun with the spray paints again. And the nice part about a glass cup is that you can see through it! I envison that perhaps the lights on the Christmas tree may show through as well but who knows...we'll have to see!


Linda's tag number 5 really challenged me. I liked the colors she used the most, so I started there with the copper colored spray paint and the verdigis snowlake/cup edges. I used a vintage red cardinal to match her writing.


I also pulled out the seam binding in hopes of coming up with something epic like her little snippet of ribbon, but alas I couldn't figure out her secret to the stripes! Or perhaps my hand is not steady enough! You can see that I made an attempt...


I made a nest out of moss and also added a few pieces of greenery. Love the scotch tape leaves! I had found some tape with that cool pattern and just covered a few pieces of paper with it and then ran it through my Big Shot!

Fun times! I am excited for the 6th Punch Cup which is all country. I took a sneak peek at it already! I've also been taking a cruise around Linda's Store, The Funkie Junkie! Her store is hosting the challenge and the items she carries are top notch!

Happy Tuesday!




Monday, November 2, 2015

Old World & a Copper Spray Painted Knee

The other day the kids texted me from the bus and suggested we eat lunch at Old World Cafe down on Centerway. They had a half day and it sounded like a good idea to me. We packed up Duncan and drove down the hill. I had forgotten what a mad house Market Street would be with kids making their way home and people out for lunch. We had to park MILES away.

After one kid got us a parking pass and the other one got the dog hitched up we proceeded to drag Duncan over to get lunch. He is still quite horrible on a leash and we are trying to take every opportunity to get him socialized and able to walk nicely.

Duncan was already wound up. I had accidentally spilled bird seed on the sidewalk so the squirrels and chipmunks had been out in force. He had been watching them all morning and at one point even ran at the glass window to get a wayward squirrel. Thankfully he only hit his head a little...

Lexi waited with Duncan in the park just outside Old World and Luke and I ventured in. It was plainly obvious nothing would be happening fast. We eventually put our order in and Luke walked over to the other counter to get a strawberry shake.

Lexi texted us. HOW MUCH LONGER? Evidently Duncan had pulled a Marmaduke and knocked over a few metal chairs. I can only imagine.

I started to mildly panic. Duncan is a big dog and Lexi is very capable...however I could see him pulling her off her feet and taking off on a dead run down Market.

I walked over to the counter and asked nicely if I could pay. My theory was then I could leave Luke waiting and join Lexi outside. Nope, you pay when your food is ready.

Just then an entire battalion of upper management suit type people stormed the counter. They had their smart phones and fancy dress shoes. I started to feel pretty shabby. The women were those tall skinny smart looking ones with perfect suits, nails, and hair.

I had gotten ONE OF THOSE WORK EMAILS in the wee hours of the morning so opted to wear ripped shorts and a very comfortable t-shirt to assist with any possible mental aggravation. Besides, working at home, duh!  I also had copper spray paint on one knee from an early morning trip to the spray paint stump.

 Thankfully they called my name so I could pay and leave before I felt too terrible.

We dragged Duncan back to the car and drove back up our hill to lunch.

Mid bite I texted THE MAN.

Hey baby. I am sorry I am not skinny, taller, super smart and beautiful. 

Immediately he texted me back.

You are a smart, beautiful and sexy woman and I like you just the way you are.

Even with copper spray paint on my knee? 

Yup he answered. 

Yes, he's a keeper.

Thankfully I am also a bit like Duncan. My email dinged and I forgot all about my shorts, knee and  got back to work! Squirrel!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Pick Three Layout for Another Freaking Scrappy





































This month's challenge over at Another Freaking Scrappy was scary! Guess it fits that yesterday was Halloween here in the States!

Anne wants you to:  close your eyes and grab 3 items blindly from your stash and incorporate it into a layout. EEEEK!



So, I decided to randomly reach in one of my paper drawers and pull out a package of paper. I keep them in plastic bags so at least I was somewhat guaranteed the papers would match. Ended up with a big bunch of Graphic 45, Renaissance Faire collection. Also out popped a large piece of left over chipboard from Technique Tuesday. I also randomly grabbed a stamp out of my stash!















































Since the chipboard was white, I decided it needed a heavy bath of inks and sprays so it would match the very rich paper. I also embossed some gold diamonds on the edges with the stamp. 















































I thought all the rich paper & gold went really well with this vintage photo of my Grandma Ireland. She was likely married to my Grandpa Harry in this photo so I used her last name at the time, Lotz. I also snuck in some little plastic pieces dyed with alcohol inks and made them look like they were rolling around in the chipboard. 

I do hope you have a chance to give this a try. It's a little unnerving but I was really pleased with using up old stash and the result!

Happy Sunday and first of the month!