Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Week 4

Over at the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog the challenge this week was your Layers. Any layers you want. I decided to make another Holiday card. This one for Fall / Thanksgiving. My layers include, paper, ink, ribbon, metal and even an actual leaf thats been dipped in Copper! Another yard sale find.

Hope you like it.

I WON, I WON, I WON

Doing the HAPPY DANCE on a Hump Day in August.


Got up at 4 am... Ugh.. Worked all day, went to the Gym where a trainer kicked my a@#.
Came home started reading email and what do I find... An email from Stacy saying that I won the Tim Holtz Blog Candy Giveaway on her blog. How Great is that? Just look at all this stuff.



1- Film Strip Ribbon (Idea-ology)
1 - Muse Tokens (12 tokens)
1 pkg - 48 Charm Fragments
1 pkg - Grunge Flakes - Stampers Anonymous Stamps
1 pkg - Journaling Tickets - (Idea-ology)
1 pkg - Grungeboard - Basics - Plain (10 sheets)
1 pkg - Grungeboard - Plain Elements (94 shapes)
1 pkg - 3 sheets of 12x12 Grunge Paper
1 pkg - Ruler Ribbon (36 inches)
1 pkg - Timeworks Masks (5 pieces)
2 pads - Distress Ink (Brushed Corduroy and Frayed Burlap)
1 pkg - Tissue Tape -Symphony (2 rolls- 16 yards each)

Stacy you are the greatest!! Several of these items I didn't have I will put them to good use. Especially the new stamps. I'm in major Holiday mode right now...

I'm in Heaven

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Week 3

OK its week 3 already over at the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. Well this week its anything Lord Tim of Holtz Inspired. Well due to time constraints I'm going to have to use a tag that I made last year in Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas. It vintage Tim style with a twist of my own for all the photos are my family and the little boy in Santa's lap is yours truly. Thanks Simon Says for giving me an easy to accomplish challenge this week.

Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge week #11

Week 11 Already.... This week is Tim's Blended Batik. A technique that gives you a faux batik image. The technique calls for clear embossing powder which I didnt have so I had to use white. As Tim says ' Embrace your Imperfections" Just like in a lot of the other challenges I'm using these weekly entries to help me get ahead of my holiday card making. This week is no different with another Halloween offering. At this rate I'm gonna be way ahead and all ready for when Tim starts his 12 Tags of Christmas!!

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge Week 2

Over at Simon Says Stamp and Show blog they are hosting a weekly challenge. Its week 2 and this week its create art in the style of Wendy Vecchi. She has even donated a prize for one of the winners this week. How Cool is that?

I have to honestly say that I was somewhat nervous about this challenge. I have some of her stamps but not sure I could pull off her art style. My entry is #50 and Im 50 years old....hmmmm Its all about numbers isnt it? LOL

Above is my entry and if I do say so Im pleased in the way it turned out. Thanks to Simon Says for the challenge to push myself to go outside of my comfort zone.

Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge week #10

Can it be week 10 already in The Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge happening over at Linda's Blog ? Better known as Studio L3.

This week the Challenge is Distress Stickles. As I have been in the past I'm using these challenges to help me get a head start on all my holiday cards and tags. This week is no different. I created another Christmas Card using the technique and even managed to use one of my new found bottle caps in the piece.

I love the rustic feel of it. Hope you do too. Now on to the Simon Says Stamp Challenge..... LOL

I got RAK'D

Usually not a good thing for a man, Getting racked that is, LOL .

However today I got RAK'D a Random Act of Kindness. Imagine my surprise when I see the big envelope in my mailbox from my Birthday buddy, Angie Hall Haviland.

More like my much younger little sister who just happens to have the same birthday as me. Birthday, not Birth year. I'm like the much older brother..... Anyway.....

Angie sent me the most amazing package of ephemera you can imagine. Bingo cards, book pages, old report cards, photos, advertising, you name it, she sent it to me. Just all sorts of wonderful vintage paper to play with.

Thanks so much I owe you one.

Friends

Stephen

The Worlds Longest Yard Sale

The Worlds Longest Yard Sale 2010!

OK, a week later I'm finally getting around to blogging about my wonderful finds this year from the Worlds Longest Yard Sale. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this once a year event you can read about it here.

My sister and I have flown to Ohio from Atlanta for the past 4 years in a row now and always have a great time. You have to love yard sales, swap meets, flea markets etc... to do this for it is busy and hot. But we both love it and always find lots of treasures. I thought that I would share some of the items I got this year that will most likely show up in some of my art this year.

My first purchase was a box full of stamping goodies for only $2.00!! Just look at all this stuff.

In the box was several wooden mounted stamps along with a complete block alphabet, some All Night Media stamps, a set of All Night Media color brushes, an All Night Media idea booklet, 2 sets of insect stamps, a rainbow Colorbox stamp pad along with 2 unopened Colorbox black pads. Some kind of deal huh?

Next I found some vintage unused cork lined bottle caps. Check out the patina that's already on these. The box had 86 caps all for $3.00!!

At another stop I got a bag full of vintage ephemera all for a Buck!!!

Just look at some of these items. I got ticket stubs from the 40's, a blue ribbon from 1937, old travel pamphlets, Christmas cards, Airline ads, calenders, even some old Blue Horse images from the old school paper packs. Too Cool!!

At several other stops I picked up an item here and and item there that can be seen in the next photo.

As you can see I got an unused vintage Crown stamper that was most likely made for a bank or an accounting firm for it has mostly numerical images for 2 dollars. A Bingo game with cards and makers for a quarter and something I had never seen before a printing kit that has two handles with two different sets of fonts that you can use to spell out whatever message you like for only a buck!! Had to have it. LOL

For those of you that have read this far you see that your local yard sales and flea markets can be treasure troves for vintage goodies of all sorts that you can pick up for pennies on the dollar. In past years I have bought such items as dictionaries for a dime, and the brass keyholes I used in the Chaos swap, all 12 of them for $3.00! Don't over look these places when looking for your next treasures to make art with.

Friends

Stephen- Bearcrazyman

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge

Over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog they are having there first ever Challenge. This week ... the theme is Things with Wings!

Above is my entry for the great prizes they are going to be giving away. Hop over to their blog and check it out.

Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge week 9

As I stated last week the Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge that Linda over at Studio L3 is hosting has me in a Holiday mode. I guess its a good thing for I'm getting a great head start on my tags and cards this year.

This weeks challenge was Distressed Crackle another one of my favorites. I used Tim's Baroque Alterations die to cut the grungeboard and use as my base. After finishing the technique on the piece I topped it off with a double stamped and distress powdered cat from Tim's new Halloween stamp set. Layered on top of some paper from Cosmo Cricket's Haunted paper pack and wa-la.

Comments welcomed.

Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge week 8!

Yes its week 8 already. I literally just finished week 7 but since I'm going out of town for the Worlds Longest Yard Sale, I knew I had to jump in early this week with my offering to the
Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge happening over at Linda's blog Studio L3.

I don't know why these challenges have me in the holiday mood but they do. This week its Inked Grunge and what could be grungier than two tickets to the scary picture show on Halloween. This reminds me of countless Saturday afternoons sitting in the theater being scared half to death by Frankenstein, the Wolfman, Dracula and the like. Maybe it will bring back some memories for you too.

Hope you like it.

Christmas in July? Well August Technically...

No its not Christmas in July or August for that matter its my latest offering in the Compendium-of-Curiosities-Challenge happening over at Linda's blog Studio L3

We are up to week 7 now and if you haven't joined the fun be sure to check out her blog for the details. There are some awesome prizes and you get to learn some great techniques in the process. I made a card for this weeks challenge. The girls holding up the giant snowball in the fragment are actually my sisters in a picture from the 60's. I will give it to one of them for their Christmas card this year.

Let me know what you think.