AFCI Creativation 2019 Recap #1 - The People

Whhhhhhhhhhhh!!! That's the sound of me blowing dust off of this blog! Sorry, it's been so long everyone. It's about time for me to recap the people, goings on, and sights of the AFCI Creativation a few weeks ago...finally.  I didn't even make the 100% decision to attend until about a week before the show, and I am so glad I did as it was an absolute fabulous week for me both professionally and personally. I took loads of photos, and still didn't get all the ones I wanted, but here are some of the peeps that fill my heart, and I hate that I didn't get pics of so many others...sorry.

Eileen Hull graciously invited me to stay with her and her minions at an AirBNB. All the ladies were wonderful, and we had quite a fun time when we were awake, and there wasn't much time for sleeping as we played and goofed off a bunch when not at the show. All together there were 10 of us staying at the house...it felt like college all over again!

Every night I attended some sort of dinner networking and visiting. This was the AFCI Designers Dinner, and there were a bunch of us. This was just one of four tables.

Several of us were leaving another dinner just for Bloggers...dinner number one, as there were two more after this. I'm telling you I ate so good in Phoenix, and the company and fun were sublime.

I demoed in the Photocentric Booth, showcasing my stamp line with WeCraft, everyday at the show. I forgot to get photos of my samples, but you can see parts of them behind me. Photocentric is the company that makes them, and Dom, the owner is so good to me.

I stole this photo from Esther...yikes. She was just a doll, and wanted to have her pic with me. Why I have my tongue hanging out of my mouth is beyond me. I talked to so many people while demoing, and have made more friends. My cup truly runneth over!

You may recognize the guy sitting down. This is James Burke, who was also demoing with me in the booth, and his Art Journals are the bomb! He has a fantastic line of stamps as well. He blew me away with his talent, and you all can expect some huge things coming from him! I am happy to have this new friend.

I am so proud to be an AFCI Designer. It has opened many doors for me. If you have the opportunity to join and grow your business and theirs, do so!

In the Designer Booth, the theme was Sharing the Creative Heart. We were asked to bring a piece of Art that contained a heart, told something about us, and was no bigger than 9x9. Remember her? I decided she fit the bill. She is old, but still hanging on.

This is me clowning around  (Go figure!) with the wings backdrop. I made everybody who walked by pose and really work it as I took their photo, even strangers! So FUN!!!

I believe I can fly!

There were four booths I was constantly stalking...not too hard to guess which ones...Ranger, Stamper's Anonymous, Sizzix, and Tim Holtz Idea-ology of course! This lady was probably sick of me as I stuck to her like glue it seems every chance I could. I just love me some Wendy Vecchi!

This is Simon Hurley, Ranger's newest Signature Designer. He is a doll people!

Oh you know I was never too far from these peeps! Each and every smile here warms my heart...aside from my own.

And here the girls (The ones left.) and I are on our last night together. I think I peed myself several times from all the laughter!

Along with Texas Trash and goodies for everyone I knew, I made these canvas ATC's for the roomies and a few Designer friends of mine. I came home with so many goodies as well...good thing I drove! I love my peeps!

I'll be back with one more Creativation post tomorrow... a long one. Thanks for stopping by! Until then...

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

"Wise Men Still Seek Him" - Day 12 Christmas Tag for The Crafty Scrapper

I'm back with my last project for Christmas and for the year, which happens to be Day 12 for The Crafty Scrapper's 12 Days of Christmas Tags. A big thank you for having me Guest Design for this special event Carolyn and Crew...I'm so honored to be asked again. Carolyn asked me to do a mini version of my Starry Night Wisemen canvas that I just taught, and I was happy to do it as the new Wisemen Thinlets Die from Tim Holtz and Sizzix is my favorite from the last release.

I cut a piece of navy colored cardstock to fit the 8 inch Tim Holtz Mini Etcetera tag from Stamper's Anonymous, that Carolyn requested we use, as a background tag.  I applied Peacock Feathers, Blueprint Sketch, and Faded Jeans Distress Oxides from Tim and Ranger, to a glass media mat and misted the inks with water, and then swiped the tag through, drying between layers while swiping through again. Once I liked the look I gave it a thorough drying.

I applied Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide and drops from a Picket Fence Distress Reinker to the glass mat and misted those with water, and swiped the cardstock tag through one more time, to mimic the Starry Night look, and dried that.

I flicked droplets of Fossilized Amber and Picket Fence onto the tag for more of a starry look.

I painted the edges of the Etcetera tag with Black Soot Distress Paint, and cut another tag a little bigger than the blue cardstock tag from silver Metallic Kraft Stock. Then I die cut the blue tag with stars from the Snowy Stars, Swirling Stars, and Wisemen Thinlets sets, trying to get the Starry Night look. I misted the tag with Wendy Vecchi's Mica Spray in Pearl for a more cosmic look. Then came more die cutting with the actual Wisemen using more silver Kraft Stock.

After I mounted the blue tag onto the silver and added the Wisemen, I decided the tag needed more bling. I stitched around the sides and upper edges of the tag with silver metallic thread. BUT, I thought it needed even more bling, so I die cut another Wisemen from black cardstock, and glittered them up, as well as the edges of the Etcetera Tag, with Tim's concoction for making colored glitter...a cup of Clear Rock Candy Distress Dry Glitter with Pitch Black Alcohol Ink mixed very well.

I loved all the sparkle from the glitter...it's just what the tag needed.  I added the glittered Wisemen slightly left of the silver Wisemen for a shadow look, and then mounted the tag onto the Etcetera Tag base. I painted the hole of the tag with my new favorite DecoColor Premium Silver Leafing Pen from Marvy, added that on, and then tied a bow with starry ribbon. I had manger and star charms in my stash so those went on with a jump ring. Then I pondered a sentiment, but one that wouldn't cover up much. I decided on computer generated words, appropriate I think, and mounted them on more silver Kraft Stock, and added them to the finished tag.

 

And with that I bid all of you a wonderful and happy Christmas! May you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year as well, with a wealth of creativity!!! Thank you truly for a year of support and encouragement. Mwah!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

A Silver Anniversary Christmas Ornament

I have a hard time wrapping my head around the date of this day. I loved being a Christmas bride, and 25 years ago I married the hubs. We are thankfully still going strong and are so blessed. I cannot even fathom life without him, and truly look forward to the next 25, God willing. Instead of a card this year, I thought the silver milestone called for something a little different. I made him an ornament with lots of symbolism, which cannot even express my love and our years together of course, but hopefully he likes it...even if it is a little bit cheesy. :0)

A wood plank, a wood dowel, a ritzy frame, wired rhinestones, glittered 25 (not just for Christmas anymore hehe), gold and silver Tim Holtz Idea-ology trimming, metal ribbons and  story stick Idea-ology, lace left over from my wedding dress, and a cocktail napkin left over from then too, is all what I started with.

I painted over the wood panel with one coat of Brushed Pewter Distress Paint from Tim and Ranger. Once dried, I inked the edges of it with Hickory Smoke Archival and heat embossed it with Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder. Then I lightly inked in some of the words from the Valentine Layering Stencil from Tim and Stamper's Anonymous...the hubs birthday is Valentine's Day too by the way.

I printed out a wedding photo of us in black and white, placed it in the frame, and took off the easel on the frame so it would lay flat when I adhered it down on the panel with Multi Medium. I began tying 25 ribbons to the wood dowel, staggering them into a Christmas tree shape, each ribbon signifying a year of our marriage. The three burgundy (a color in my wedding) signify when a child was born, and the strips of lace from my wedding dress scraps mark a 5 year interval. I was tempted to throw in a few black ribbons for less than stellar years, but I figured those years shaped us into who we are so I left the pattern alone...gold, silver, ivory. Once I tied all the ribbon, I wired in the rhinestones, and painted the ends of the dowel silver. I adhered the tree with Multi Medium and added the glittered 25 to the top. I also collaged the sentiment from the napkins onto cardstock, and matted it into a small tag.

I used Currant and Crimson Alcohol Inks to color in the ribbons and story stick. I added the large ribbon and story stick to the frame so it looks like a present, and the smaller under the 25. I drilled holes in the panel for the hanging part, which was more rhinestone wire.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be back Monday for sure with my last project for this Christmas and for the year, but hopefully I'll finish my huge Christmas project by the end of the weekend, however, it's not looking good and might have to wait until next year. We will see. Thanks for stopping by, and I truly hope all of you are well.

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Alcohol Ink Lift Poinsettia Christmas Cards

Here are the Christmas Cards I sent out to family this year. I LOVE Tim Holtz and Ranger Alcohol Ink and the new Lift Ink is sublime with the inks....just love the stuff...and without out these would be blah to me. I love the toile look, as that motif is in abundance throughout my home, as well as the buffalo check, so these were totally so me. Hope you enjoy!

 

I pounced four different colors of reds and grays onto White Yupo Paper.

I used poinsettias from three sets of Tim's stamps from Stamper's Anonymous, and stamped them onto the Yupo with the Alcohol Lift Ink. Then, I stamped the lifted images onto Distress Heavyweight Cardstock. I did this twice to ensure great images and lift. The stamp platform is essential in doing this so you have perfect placement every time. Finally, I laid a paper towel on top of the Yupo and stamped again to remove all the Lift Ink left behind, and this made perfect ghosted images.

I sewed and mounted the papers onto kraft, metallic, and colored cardstocks, and added layered ribbons as well. I used a toothpick and Silver and Gold Mixatives to add dots in the centers of the flowers and berries.

I die cut poinsettias using Gold and Silver Metallic Cardstock and more Distress Cardstock, and them embossed them with the coordinating Texture Fade. I also die cut the words from the same Metallic Cardstock.

I pounced on Pitch Black Alcohol Ink onto the silver poinsettias and Crimson on to the gold poinsettias, and then foam taped them all together.

Gun Metal and Tidings Stickles finished the centers of the poinsettias.

I had to finish these on the road, and so it was assembly line style, which was fun.

 

Thanks for stopping by again everyone. I'll be back again tomorrow.

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!