no tricks...just a treat for you!

Happy Halloween to you!

No tricks or teasing today...
just a treat for you!

Here's the weekend giveaway...
an apron from the cruise...
YIPPEE!

On the cruise, we adorned them with studio 490 grungepaper flowers...

but instead of sewing them on...
we attached them with tie-tacs...

so now they can be removed for laundering...



The winner will get the apron & plenty of tie-tacs to load it up with flowers!
and...
maybe a little something extra will be tossed in the package.

Hey...don't you LOVE surprises??

We'll keep it simple...
just leave a comment to be entered!
We'll do the random drawing thing @ 7am on Monday morning...

TO-DO list update...

16 Ranger arts done!!!
just 8 to go, for this round...

We'll get more assignments I'm sure, when the new products are sent out...
YIPPEE!

I have to tell you that I came up with a cool new use for tim's...
oops...can't say...

SORRY, I wasn't going to tease today...
that just slipped out!

I even impressed me with that bit of brain activity!

I hope your Halloween is spooky...
and...

I hope you all know that...


I

all my arty blog friends!

Take care!

make art...

wendy

ps...yep...a mini felted heart...

so simple...

15 minutes...

I already know where it's going...

stay tuned!

grungeboard to the rescue...

* WARNING...*
if you are a seamstress...
this just might make you cringe...

I know nothing about sewing, so I used my paper tricks to make this work...

I had to try this...IT WAS BUGGING ME...

OCD? who me?

QUITE POSSIBLY...yes...

I've been wanting a little pouch type thing that I could toss in my purse, when traveling...

a safe place for my jewelry...

and...

a place I could put them @ night & leave it on the nightstand in the hotel...

So...I had this wool...

already washed & dried...and ready...

calling me...

I thought it should have a black felt lining...

simple so far...

just 3 straight lines of machine sewing...

but...the problem?
it was too flimsy...what to do to make it stronger?

Lucky for me I hadn't sewed the sides yet...

so I cut some grungeboard & slid it in the slots, then zipped up the sides...

It looked like this...

Hmmm...how to keep it closed?

2 Basic Grey really strong magnets...
one hidden under the flower...
and the other here...
PERFECT!


TADA!!!
DONE!
Now I have a cute (sans flower) pouch, that's very sturdy, thanks to the grungeboard...

I looked in my stash & found the perfect ugly rusty button for the finishing touch...

I'm sure a real seamstress would be appalled that I used that fabric edge that's probably supposed to be chopped off...
but hey...
it looked like trim to me...

Other things on my mind???

HOLIDAY HIDEAWAY is coming soon...
YIPPEE!
I'm counting the days...

And I just found this... on AMAZON...!!!

My sweet friend Lisa Pace's book...
YIPPEE!!
FINALLY...OMG!!!
2 years in the works...
it's worse than waiting 9 months for a baby!

It's not available 'til the end of January...
but you can see the cover here...
it might not be the final cover...

If you're coming to CHA-W ...she is teaching a class & also has a book signing scheduled...

Lisa is a Making Memories Master from 2008...
she's "THE QUEEN" of glitter...done with vintage flair...
her projects are always awesome! trust me!
Plus...she is THE SWEETEST friend ever...

So...
CONGRATS, my friend...I want my copy autographed!

Want to..."make art"...like Lisa?

She does wonderful on-line classes...
here's the scoop ...
She has a "very vintage workshop" starting soon...
check it out!

Now about those 24 pieces of art?

7 done! 17 to go.........

You know where I'll be...
mak(ing) art!
wendy
ps...giveaway details tomorrow! See you then!

if you are 100% wool...

BEWARE!!!!!!

I just might chop you up & make you a flower...

Ok, let's start @ the beginning...

This might be long...so you just might want to get some coffee...
I'm just saying...
LONG...

Last winter, I was teaching somewhere...
I forgot where...
hey...I'm old...
so, forgive me...

Anyway, a gal walked into my class with THE MOST AWESOME SWEATER ever...

Lucky for her I'm honest...
I really wanted to swipe it right off her back...

Lucky for her it was cold & I would have felt bad...
for all of about 10 seconds...

So...the class starts & she's still wearing that sweater...

I was getting sweaty...
Does she not realize we're using ink?

INK...that just might get on that sweater?

So, I nicely say to her...
"if you get ink on that sweater, I just might puke..."

She said... no big deal...
that's why I wore it...it's junk...
WHAT????

She proceeds to tell me that this sweater cost less than $10.00.

another...
WHAT?????????
I NEED to shop where she does...
and save Rick $$$...
yeah...right!

So I get more info...

Long story short...she found a damaged sweater @ Goodwill...and added the fabric patches to cover the holes...
they were...
100% wool...
thus the post title...

I've been dreaming of that sweater for a full year...

Then, last month I taught @ Prairie Art Stamps in Springfield, Illinois, where Terri introduced me to needle felting...
again...
100% wool...

Terri...I don't think Rick likes you anymore...
(I really SHOPPED)
but...
I sure DO!
Because...

I've been looking for something to entertain me on flights & during long ugly airport waits...

This stuff is lightweight and requires very little in the way of tools...
and...you can make...
FLOWERS!
I'll save that part of the story for another day...

Back to the sweater...

I was shopping @ JoAnn's a few weeks ago & saw some awesome...
100% wool material...
and it was brown...
and they had a grey too!
PERFECT!

I do NOT sew, except on paper...
but I remembered the info the sweater gal gave me last year...

Just wash & dry the wool & you can cut it, make patches & it does not frey...
no sewing needed...

Also, on that same trip I bought this 100% wool jacket...


which now looks like this...

I die cut some...

FLOWERS for the pockets!

and since the front looked better...
I thought I'd add one to the back, under the collar...
an idea I got from JJill...


So now I'm REALLY thinking...
what else can I do?

HEY...
some studio 490 stamps are just outlines...
see where I'm headed???????

rubber stamps are versatile...

I don't have a finished project yet...
but just you wait and see...

Whoever thought of Goodwill as an art supply store?
You can bet I'll be headed there soon...

Now about that late week giveaway...
NO...it's NOT the stamp & suitcase...
we had just enough for our cruisers...

Here's a little peek...



Don't forget...
GIVEAWAY...later this week!

While we were on the cruise, someone added LOTS to my to-do list...
starting with...
24 Ranger projects due by next Thursday...
I have 4 done...
only 20 to go...

YIKES!!!!!

so I NEED to get going and...

make art!
wendy

featured on & a giveaway or even 2!

Rick & I fell in love with 2 of our cruisers.

They are Heidi & Terra...owners of "SIMON SAYS STAMP", in Ohio. They have been in business for 8 years and have a very successful online store.

Here's what Terra had to say...

"We do ship all over the world and have free shipping specials for USA and CANADA over $60 and all other international over $150"...

*

Since we're in Illinois & they're in Ohio...

only Indiana separates us...

even if it's a warehouse...it's still filled with stuff...

like 100,000 products...

OMG!

and the girls are sooooooo cute...

*

They stock all of my studio 490 stamps, acrylic binders and also my book.

*

They also have my favorites brands in stock...

Maya Road, 7 gypsies and a whole lot more stuff you need to...

make art!

*

That's Heidi, above...working on her inspiration board.

Anyway...they were so kind to feature me on their blog.

Thanks gals for thinking of me and being so very sweet...

NOW...

What does this mean for you???

*

A chance to win ANY studio 490 stamp you choose & my book too...

What an awesome prize...

Just leave a comment on their blog, for a chance to win & tell them your fav studio 490 stamp set...

It's SIMPLE!

Good luck to all!!

*

And the title of this post says a giveaway or 2...

So...

Coming soon...

like @ the end of the week...

a giveaway here...

something from the cruise...

something you can't buy in a store...

something limited edition...

something you can USE & have fun with...

SO.........

stay tuned and

make art!

wendy

continuing with the cruise info...

good morning from rainy....UGLY Illinois...
which explains why these photos are blurry...
no sun = ugly photos!

Here's the very last gift the cruisers got...
it's a very cute tiny suitcase...


with a custom limited edition stamp.
It's the cruise logo...designed by tim & donated by Ted & Michelle, from Stampers Anonymous.



Next...
Here's my mega workshop...it's an inspiration board...
a place to keep track of ideas...inspiring ads...intriguing color combos...anything that jump starts your creativity.

Take my word for it...
there's a large framed corkboard on the bottom...
that photo was really bad...

We started by covering the board with vintage dress patterns, using Claudine's multi-medium. You'll see the spatter (fly poop) stamp was used on the background. It's subtle with my fav coffee archival ink.

We used...
*PLENTY of studio 490 stamped images...

*grungepaper flowers

*grungeboard alphas...
each person received a complete package & chose their favorite word/saying...

*7 gypsies metal page edges...makes a perfect border...

*tim's film strip ribbon to make eye glasses for my art chick...

* tim's idea-ology snaps...I'm seriously addicted

*a custom necklace for the art chick, from vintaj...
and...

*we made the rose with jenni bowlin mini papers...



Here's a sample of the tac...using Maya Road's trinket jewel pins to make push pins...
just trim them to make them shorter...perfect!

You asked for more photos & more cruise info...

so here's some cruiser blog links...

Grab a coffee & check them out...

Helena...from Italy...

http://scrap4all.typepad.com/

Eileen from NYC...(she's the art chick who won the HUGE Ranger giveaway we did here!

http://artsaveslives-paperqueen.blogspot.com/

Sarah...from Texas...

http://vintagefigments.blogspot.com/

Sherry from California...

http://gotart4u.blogspot.com/

Tiffany...scroll down on her blog...

http://www.scraptiffany.com/

after perusing all those blogs...

I'm betting that you'll be inspired to...

make art!

wendy

one of the gifts...

that our cruisers got was this fun black box from Cosmo Cricket...

They also donated a complete set of 12 x 12 papers, cool journaling cards...
AND...
the coordinating stickers too...

so...each cruiser got the whole shebang!
WOW!!

Since we had a day off...everyone had a special surprise project and plenty of "studio @ sea" space to play and enjoy the day...

Here's the naked box...


I got mine before the cruise & had a sample made to show...

I used my flower stamp again...
I like it as a flower, but...
it's PERFECT for a pumpkin!

Once it was cut out & inked, I overstamped it with polka dots.

The grungeboard vine was cut with a Sizzix die and stamped with this screen stamp.

The small pumpkin, bat & cute cat are from tim's seasonal grungeboard set.
The bat & cat are painted with black crackle paint.

Just an fyi...I see that there is a SALE on the crackle paints...
just incase you happen to NEEEEEEEEED any...
I'm just saying...
SALES are good!

"BOO" is Maya Road Noah chipboard alphas...they are mini & oh SOOO cute! For me...the smaller...the better...

I'd LOVE to wallpaper a bathroom in this AWESOME paper...
Hello...Cosmo Cricket???
Can I buy a million sheets??




And a closer look...
"pumpkins for sale" was computer generated...



Here's the inside...
MORE awesome papers from Cosmo Cricket...

The price is $4.90 each...
Get it???


LOTS of you asked for more photos and project photos...
I think I forgot to take some before the cruise...

but...I'll do that just as soon as Mr Fed-Ex delivers my cruise boxes.
It should be today!!
YIPPEE!

Come back on Monday...
I'll be waiting for you...

Have a GREAT weekend & take time to...
make art!
wendy

now that was...FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where to begin???
first of all...

From the bottom of my heart...

THANK YOU TIM, for inviting me to teach on this AMAZING art adventure...
talk about FUN...

Rick & I had a total BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks sooooooooo much to MARIO for his AMAZING organization of all the supplies...

Think about it...
that was the basis of everything working smoothly.

193 boxes...and total PERFECTION...what a guy!!

Thanks so much to Rick for helping with everything from kits to classes...and all your support.
You are the BEST!!

Thanks to Jan from ScrapMap for your help in my workshops...
I sincerely appreciate it.

We had great teamwork...packing, unpacking, setting up..moving boxes...

THANKS to Keychain, Michelle, Jim & Jaci...we had so much FUN! I keep saying that...
but...it's true!!

And we had absolutely wonderful sponsors...

and last, but certainly not least...

THANKS to all 160 of our cruisers!

You ALL made it a very fun week.

I'm so glad we got to meet & make art!!!

I now have more friends from all over the USA...Italy, Greece, Australia, Canada...and NovaScotia... It was my pleasure to meet each & every one of you!!

***

Don't FAINT...

I actually have some photos to share!

The ship was PERFECT...REALLY HUGE...almost like a floating city...

The BEST we've ever been on...

Here's a shot of the promanade...

like I said...huge... about 4 stories tall...

This made me laugh...ignore those toes...geez...

Anyway...you get so immersed in ART & FUN...

they have to remind you what day it is...

Our workshop spaces were perfect...

Private and VERY comfy...

Perfect for...

MAKING ART!

we had plenty of room...

Working hard...

Some people, like Heidi...

REALLY got into their project...

Here's a look @ the closing cocktail party...

For the finale...

Jim gave away a FREE spot on Tim's next cruise!

What an AWESOME prize!!!

Congrats to Sally!!!!!

***

So, once again...

THANKS to TIM and everyone involved...

it was 1000 times more fun than we even imagined...

SERIOUSLY!

***

Want to see more?

Check out tim's video...

***

Now...

I'm off to make art!

wendy

ps...Rick & I both want to thank you for all the sweet anniversary comments & emails...

37 years and one day...

and they lived happily ever after...

for 37 years...

We're off to celebrate the day!

The AWESOME Artful Voyage in Mexico report coming...

soon!

make art...

wendy

by land, by air, by sea...FINALLY!

2 hours to Midway airport...

4 hours to LAX...

Tomorrow...

the big boat.

FINALLY!

We're ready...I think...

and so very excited!

And we're happy to be leaving cold...ugly...rainy Illinois.

maybe it will be sunny & WARM when we return...

but then again...

probably NOT!

Here's the cruise logo that tim designed...

It's grungy & AWESOME...

Just what I LOVE!

Now...Some art...

If you're a frequent blog visitor...you'll remember last month Robin sent me an adorable vintage coke bottle

filled with studio 490 grunge flowers...

Well...now it's fall & she's done it again...

Here's some inspiration from Robin...

even the back is cute!

Here's the front...

Thanks Robin for sharing this cool idea...

hmmm...

I wonder what she's got planned for the winter arrangement?

THANKS SOOOOOOOO MUCH for the emails & well wishes for the cruise...

YOU GUYS are the best!

We'll be back next Monday...

Until then...

take care &

MAKE ART!

wendy

gone..........

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey...it's fall & it's really chilly here...
like 40 degrees last night!
YIKES!
Almost frigid...

I have NOTHING to wear............
seriously...

shhhhhhhhhh...
Rick believed that...
so MUM's the word...OK?

Just one quick photo for you...
A page from Maya Road's new canvas album...

A really FUN project....

I'll go now & shop...

while YOU...

make art!

wendy

wishing you...

comfort & joy...

ok...it might be a tad early for Christmas sentiments...
but I had this idea...

another 6x6 art piece...
square is good...

I'm in LOVE with these graphic 45 papers...
it's easy to create a coordinated look, by inking all of them with the same distress ink.

I used brushed corduroy over the entire piece.

and...they FINALLY arrived...
the Maya Road mini houses and mini alphabets...

I like to mix 2 fonts...
jonathan & noah...are my favs...

I LOVE the ability to put larger words on a small space...
another reason why I love minis...

Want to see ALL the adorable MINI'S?? LOOK here.

studio 490 stamps on grungepaper made the trees & holly...

Just add some vintage trim & an old ruler piece...
some of tim's idea-ology snaps...

tada...done and fun!


oh...
and rock candy distress stickles on the mini letters...


and on the holly berries too...

this time the holly is gingham...
but any background stamp is cool...
the holly is versatile...
because it's an outline...

same story with the tree...

Studio time for me now...

getting MARKET PLACE stuff done & ready for our cruisers...

I'm just saying...
the shopping will be so much fun!

So, my wish for you today...

May you have comfort & joy while you...

make art!
wendy

oops and inspiration...

here's the oops...

A NOT SO NICE UPS driver dropped this off for Mario...
he LITERALLY...
dropped it off...

WHAT?




Now take a look...
behind that car...

***a LONG way back...***

is the garage...
aka...Mario's studio...
aka...cruise shipping central...

What was he thinking???



So...in addition to getting 8 pallettes ready for our cruisers...
add this task to the TO-DO list...

UNWRAP...UNLOAD...
and CARRY each box into the studio...
to be RELOADED...

GEEZ.............

What a BAD BAD UPS boy...
no Christmas card for him this year...

I found the labeling very interesting...
(Mario just might have another word for it...)

Look @ what's needed for just one box...
@ last count, Mario said he's labeled 172 boxes...

Can you even imagine?

I think he's earned a mojito or 2!

The freight hauler arrives on Wednesday & is responsible for getting all 8 pallettes delivered to the ship...


and yes...
CRUISERS...

that label says
MARKET PLACE!

We've heard loud & clear that you guys are so looking foreward to...
SHOPPING!! (me too!)

I think we can help you out!!

It won't be long now...
Let me tell you that we're all VERY excited!
We leave early Saturday morning...
not that we're counting the sleeps...

On to the inspiration...

like I said...
it really IS everywhere...

This is a Talbot's ad that came last week...

The sweater is cute...
but the colors were what caught my attention.



It inspired me to make this...


The heart is cut from a vintage quilt...
I picked these up @ an antique store...
probably 2 years ago.

It's one of those things that I would take out of the drawer...
admire...
and put right back.

But this ad inspired me to actually USE it!

It's amazing what a little bit of machine sewing adds...
a very small detail...
but it adds a lot to the end result.

Here's a closer look @ the odd bits & pieces...
They all just seemed to work well together.

Stamps?
studio 490, of course!

Flower?
grungepaper...

Paper?
it's mostly graphic 45...
but the tiny text on the left is 7 gypsies...

a vintage bottler cap?
My new fav embellishment...

a vintage ruler?
Yep...I like it there...



The moral of today's post?

Keep your eyes wide open...
to really SEE what's around you...

there REALLY IS inspiration...
EVERYWHERE!

Now...
I hope you're inspired to...

make art!
wendy

on my lunch break...

I made art!

I found this 4 1/2 inch square piece of wood in my stash...
it's about 1/4 inch thick...
I have no clue why I had it...
or where it came from...

anyway...

This time I mixed the mini jenni bowlin papers with a graphic 45 that I fell in love with...

there's that canvas heart again...
I stamped the scrolls right on the fabric with jet black archival & heat set it...

another grungepaper rose...
this time with a bit of gold paint from the dabber...
then rock candy distress stickles accents...

that stamp on the kraft cardstock is this one...
it doesn't look too cute in the package, but it is one of my fav backgrounds.

Try stamping it with coffee archival...
or olive archival on a peeled paint background...

whoever said that leaves don't have numbers? wrong!

the gold paint dabber makes a quick finishing edge...
quick...
easy...
NO MESS...
even for me!

here's the result...


and speaking of edge...
this is another simple idea that just finishes off the art...

lay your background stamp rubber side up on your table...
ink with archival ink...

then press the edge onto the stamp...
dry & ink with a coordinating distress ink to color the bare wood...
or you can use the distress ink first, then stamp as above.

it's simple to get it perfectly straight...

see...


You can also create an edge on a canvas that way too...

That's the Friday update...

I know you'll enjoy your weekend...
if you take time to...

make art!
wendy

it's october...

REALLY???????
Are you sure?

Yep...no sun here...
the furnace is on...
I'm looking for sweats...
I want home made soup...
I made hot tea last night...
I HATE Illinois in the winter...

anyway...

YIKES...
If it's really October...
I must have slept thru September...

And speaking of being asleep...
I just got an email...forwarding my reservation..?
WHAT reservation?
Where am I supposed to be?
OMG??
Did I forget something?

NOPE...it's from Ranger... for CHA already...
in January...2010...
WHAT???
I just got back from CHA...how is this possible???
But...
It got me excited...

I LOVE working/demoing @ CHA for Ranger...
I LOVE seeing friends...

I'm thinking winter will be really exciting this time...since summer CHA was done on a smaller scale...

Lots of new stuff...
Lots of awesome displays...
new studio 490 stamps...
another book??
YIKES!!
How many more days to get ready?

I'll keep this short today...
All the products I used are listed on yesterday's post...
if you want to play along...or if you NEED to shop!

Here's a shot of the canvas again...
finished...


And here's the film strip ribbon idea...

those little holes are PERFECT for hanging...
stuff!

HOW SIMPLE...


I stapled the film strip ribbon to the bottom of the canvas with an old fashion stapler...the kind that opens all the way...
I used string...you could use jump rings...
DONE!

I have a few more of those canvas hearts...
more mini jenni papers...
I want to mixed them with graphic 45...
I'm thinking...RED...
all I NEED is 30 minutes...

maybe later today...
I'll skip lunch...
I WILL get it done...
and...
I'll show you tomorrow!

That's it!
Take care...

make art!
wendy