a looming deadline...& an enabler alert too...

September 16 is THE final day...

all my art has to be in Ohio @ Blossom Bucket...

so...that explains my lack of blogging this past week...

YIKES...BUSY...

my poor old brain is on overload!

let me explain...

our initial plan was for 12 pieces of my art to be magically transformed into gift items...

however...

the plan changed & the boss said...

DO MORE!

so I completed 21...

a huge YIPPEE!!!

those 21 ***things*** will be released in July...

and...there's more ***ART*** that is top secret...

I'm telling you...I've been VERY busy...

I ***think*** the top secret stuff will make up for my lack of blogging, when you see it...

believe me I'll spill ALL the beans just as soon as I get the word from the BOSS, Cindy...

this is KILLING me...........

SERIOUSLY. KILLING. ME.

ok...I wanted to pop in & let you know that my friends over @ Simon Says are having a 15% off Ranger sale...

SATURDAY & SUNDAY ONLY...

ALL RANGER PRODUCTS!

so if you've been NEEDING tim's NEW STAINS....

or some of Ranger's new cool KRAFT TAGS...

some of the NEW ARCHIVAL INK colors...

my most favorites...

Vermillion...

SIENNA...

SAFFRON...

French Ultramarine...

if you don't have coffee or olive...

they're on sale too...

anything RANGER!

do you need some of Claudine's Gesso...

it's COOL STUFF...

or some of Claudine's sticky back canvas...

I'll be posting about this soon...

and don't forget the NEW Perfect Pearls Mists...

bling in a bottle...

and last but NOT least...

THE CRAFT SCRUBBIE...

how did we live without this little gem?

they make GREAT guy stocking stuffers...

they remove grease from hands like MAGIC!

it's never too soon to start the holiday ideas...

ok...I'll be back next week with the WINNER from the last post...

and hopefully I'll be able to include a photo of something...

arty...

until then...

sending healing thoughts to everyone affected by 9/11...

now...

make art!

wendy

ps...GO BEARS!!!

a week & a day?

since the last post???

YIKES!!!

So...what happened during those days?

I went to Maryland to see the QUEEN & co...

& had a TOTAL blast...

The classes were really fun & inky (thank God for the new Ranger craft scrubbie)...

it cleaned 310 inky fingers, in just one class...

and did a great job all weekend long...

I got to meet some blog friends, which is so cool for me...

to have a face that goes with a name...

I also got to visit with friends from last year's cruise...so FUN!

THANK YOU everyone who came to the Queen's INK!

I spent Tuesday @ home catching up, and then on Wednesday Rick & I took off to Chicago for a little retail therapy...

just doing my civic duty...

shoes x 2...couldn't resist...

Wednesday evening we had an awesome dinner @ Gibson's in Chicago (actually Rosemont)...

giant steak for Rick...

the best lobster ever for me...

we checked into the hotel...

then went to the Rosemont theatre to see the top 10 finalists from America's Got Talent...

minus Jackie Evancho...boohoo...

The show totally exceeded our expectations...

and the performances were so much better than seeing them on TV...

the little getaway was to celebrate 38 years...

I can hear those calculators going...

I was 10 when we married...

I hope you believe that!

And speaking of celebrating...

we came home early on Thursday morning for Paul's LAST CHEMO treatment (we hope)...

he's done...YIPPEE!!

he's got another rough 10 days, but then hopefully he'll be on his way back to normal...

He brought flowers for the nurse who had been with him for every treatment...

we LOVE LORI!!!

he surprised me with some too...awwwwww...

I had treats for everyone to thank them for their kindness & expert care...

and told them if we ever see them again...

we hope it's out of that building...

he has a PET scan before Thanksgiving...which will tell if he's done...

then repeats every 3 months after that...

hmmm...what else?

next stop on this art adventure is For Keeps Sake in St. Louis...

I LOVE that place & ALL the folks there...

they will be the first to use art parts to create Christmas decor with some of tim's new ideology goodies...

I'm looking forward to returning & doing some brand new projects with them...

hmmm...what else has happened???

oh...I know...

I made a little art...

trust me...

it REALLY IS...

little...

just 2 1/2 inches tall with the memo pins...

but it was soooo much fun...

once you use up tim's film strip ribbon, you are left with the cutest mini tin...

the idea has been brewing for quite some time,

but when I got all of Claudine's new stamps & saw she had flower stamps...

I HAD to take a short art break...

here's what you'll need...

an empty film strip ribbon tin...

some of tim's tissue tape...

willow alcohol ink, ink applicator & felt...

grungepaper...

tim's idea-ology curio knob...

tim's ideology lost & found paper stash...yum!

coffee & jet black archival ink...

tim's stormy sky, scattered straw & peeled paint distress inks...

gold paint dabber...(I'm officially addicted)

memo pins...

Glossy accents...

Ranger's Enamel Accents (black)...

Claudine's Bloom stamps...

Claudine's multi medium...

studio 490 screen stamp...

studio 490 text stamp...

my look inside stamp...I ADORE this set!

1 1/4 circle punch...

1 1/2 circle punch...

scallop punch...

just a few tips...

start with these...

apply one strip of tissue tape to cover the base

of the tin...then color with willow alcohol ink, using the ink applicator...

use the gold dabber to accent the edge of the lid & the bottom edge...

use jet black to stamp Claudine's flowers & leaves on grungepaper, cut out & ink...

stamp backgrounds with coffee...

make a few custom epoxy memo pins...

and you'll end up with this...

another angle...

I liked it...

remember I LOVE mini...

but I flipped when I saw that I could add the curio knob as a base...

too stinkin cute if I say so myself!

just remove the screw & you have a nice flat surface to glue to the bottom of the tin...

tada!!!

upside down to show the base...

inside the lid...

a mini Claudine flower, stamped on grunge & overstamped with my text stamp...

inside the base...

I made this to fit the lid, but I liked the funky effect of using it in the base instead...

hello...

I AM looking inside...

makes me laugh!

trying for a better shot...

so there you have it...

Claudine's stamps, studio 490 style...

I think these will make adorable little gift containers for earrings or folded up $$$...

just a little holiday idea for you!

or really...

it's perfect for any gift giving occasion...

that's the update from here ...

time to get going on kits for St. Louis...

once those are done...

I have tim's brand new configurations calling me...

this one might be first...

or I think this one...

but then I REALLY like this one...

decisions...decisions...

have a great weekend &...

as always...

make art!

wendy

a few FUN photos...

HELLO!

Not a whole lot of time for chit chat today...

CHA is soooo close & I still have soooo much to accomplish before I leave on Sunday...

YIKES!!! It always gets done...

but there are a few scary days...

the extra benefit...no time to cook! ha!

A HUGE YIPPEE!!

This morning I was up @ 4:30...

to do the edit for book #3!

Stay tuned...

I asked for a change on the front cover...

just as soon as Matt gets that done, I'll show you ...

it has a very fun project...

I'm pleased with how it looks...

speaking of FUN...

this turned out to be one of the MOST FUN projects I did for Maya Road...

Here's the brand new keyhole album...

it's got 4 chipboard pages & 4 kraft pages...

the cover has the cut out & the inside pages are solid...

I turned it sideways and made this...

Remember I told you you NEED snow cap white pigment ink??

Here's a good reason why I LOVE it...

it's an easy way to create a shabby chic whitewash look...

I LOVE the chalky matte finish...

next...

I finished the small acrylic cover for my new stamps...

the paper is scraps of graphic45...

I used some grunge & a small art parts flower & an art parts rectangle frame...

art parts & GRUNGE = the perfect combo... IMHO...just saying'...

FUN!

and FINALLY...

how long have we NEEDED this?

it works like MAGIC...

we used it @ Ranger U last month...

MAGIC I tell you.

you will LOVE it...I DO!!!

Now after my inky classes...

everyone can leave with clean hands!

It's REALLY... MAGIC!

you'll see...

That's it for today...

back to the studio to...

make (CHA) art!

wendy