The Big One!

Today is The Day!!! WOOHOO!!!

Hels wants to know "What Makes You Happy" over at the Sunday Stamper. All of you make me happy!

18 months ago, it was only a dream to be able to create something everyday, much less talk about it to anyone who would listen. Then, after being fortunate enough (Thanks Hubby!) to attend Tim Holtz's last cruise (no brown nosing here people!) and hearing his words of inspiration and motivation (heard before but never stuck), and seeing (really seeing) the joy he gets from creating and teaching (Thank you Tim!), I was lit on creative fire and knew what I had to do...learn html language...well somewhat learn it. It took a week to get the blog up. I read everything I could and downloaded mounds of tutorials on how to blog (sort of a nerd), and still cried like a baby when I couldn't make my pictures line up (still can't). There was no cooking, cleaning, very little mothering and wifeing (;D) going on, and I had about 16 hours of sleep that week (yes, I counted). I stole as much space as I could from the family room, and started building my cave, instead of repeatedly ruining my kitchen table with inks, glues, scratches, that sort of thing.
It's been a year...A WHOLE YEAR! I still don't know squat about html language, but I've done my best, and with a lot of help from some of you. This creating/blogging thing really blows my mind, and I can't believe I am still waking up every morning ready to go again, even after this, my 200th Post.

If you will allow me a little more rambling time please, what I really have to say to you all is ...SO...

So many projects have been made...some I like and some I don't, yet you all keep coming back!
So many swaps have been done, and my collection runs a muck...yay! I love receiving your work!
So many opportunities opened up...being on DT's for fab people (Artistic Outpost, Our Creative Corner, Frilly & Funkie)...WOW! I still get nervous over every single project!
So many goals have been made. Me a Ranger Educator? Me teaching? WOW! I still pinch myself!
So many viewings have been logged in. I keep wondering, there's gotta be a mistake!
So many people are following me, and I am humbled! Why would you do it? I hope I don't go over a cliff!
So many comments have been written, and none have been unkind, not one single one. WOW!
So many of you have me listed in your sidebar! I am SO honored, truly!
So so so cool that people pin my work on Pinterest! Say what??? I'm blown away by that!
So much weight has been gained sitting down at this computer. I have to start exercising...yikes!
So many friends have been made, and I treasure each one, truly!
So many blogs have been discovered, and I learn from each one of them every single day!
So many countries have been visited. Art is the language we all share!
So many talented people have enriched my life and opened my eyes to the ways of Art!
So much inspiration, oodles of it, has been given to me and is felt in my creative soul!
So much love and kindness has been seen from these eyes, and I feel so fortunate to see it every day! 
So many blessings have been given, and I could never list or count them all!

So...thank you everyone (hubby and children included)...seriously, THANK YOU!!! To know a little bit of you is a treasure, and I want you all to know, I cherish every single one of you and the time you give and take for this wonderful thing we all call Art. You all make it SO worth while, and I SO love what I do!!!

You don't have to be a follower to win, but if you decide to, that is HUGELY appreciated...just leave a sugary comment! ;D And, I had so much to give to you, that I decided to break it down into 3 giveaways! SOOO, stop by on Saturday morning to see if you are one of the lucky three that are randomly drawn. Cyber hugs to you all!

Spring/Summer Pack

Halloween Pack

Christmas Pack

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

A Wendified Halloween Tag

***Two more days until my 1st Blogiversary and a major giveaway to one of you!

Simon Says Stamp celebrated "Stamp"tember like none other.  One of the days last month, they highlighted an Artist who inspires me immensely by the bucket's full. Her products, especially Art Parts, are to me like Lego's are to my son. I just want more, and more time to play with them, and don't ask me to clean them up. It's my creative crack so to speak! Of course you know that I am talking about the amazingly talented Wendy Vecchi!

I am also proud to be apart of the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group, and I try to participate as much as I can. They...or should I say Lori...hold Making Art (appropriately named) Challenges (MAC) about every two weeks, and this challenge, #51, is to use a product that I've only seen Wendy utilize. She has many techniques for using it, and I've been fortunate enough to see her demonstrating with it personally. She is a genius people! You can watch  Wendy's video using Ranger's Adirondack Lights Snow Cap Pigment Ink from her Simon Says Stamp Guest Spot, where she demonstrates one of her techniques using this ink.

I decided to basically copy her steps, but use a Halloween theme instead, and of course, lots of Art Parts. 

For the first time ever I gathered everything I thought I would use in my plan, and I used it all, and everything came together. That has never happened.

I stamped the Wendy's footprints and the scroll, which will now be a wing, in Adirondack Pigment Ink in Snow Cap. I made a mask for the wing and stamped over it again with another to make the opposite side. I dried this with a heat gun. I used Distress Markers to color and blend the wings and feet. This was also dried. I then stamped the sentiment that the witch will be saying in the Pigment Ink as well.

I used Antique Bronze Metallic Distress Stain to stamp Tim's Halloween script. I used this to edge the border of the tag as well. I used his Splatter image (fly poop) to make random splotches using Brushed Pewter Metallic Distress Stain. My images were sort of lost after all this, so I outlined my wings using a silver pen, and gave the feet some Rock Candy Stickles.

I stamped Wendy's images in Jet Black Archival onto their coordinating Art Parts, put instead of using the man's face, I used Tim's skull.  I colored these with Distress Markers. I also stamped the skull on Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper, cut it out, and adhered it to Skeletor. Both of them received the Stickles treatment, and some Black Glaze Pen highlights.

I used a small Residence Art Part to cut into a witches hat. I inked this with Black Soot Distress Ink and gave it a little Stickles bling, and attached it to the Hazel's head.

I used a small Art Part Hand, cut off the 3 lower fingers and thumb. I adhered the thumb to the reverse side of the hand, inked it all with Black Soot, and drew on the bones with a white pen. I added a coat sleeve made of scrap paper to the hand, and adhered it to Skeletor. I used a scrap piece from the hat, and made another finger. I glued it onto the 3 fingered part, inked these, and drew more finger bones.

I stamped Wendy's Love Potion image onto Tim's Label, but left the number part off. I drew in a 31 with an Orange Glaze Pen, and used it to trim the label border. I gave it a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and trimmed it to fit Wendy's Blossom Bucket Bottle. I colored it green with a Distress Marker and dried it, but it didn't stay very well. I inked the top part with Jet Black, then added a little Glossy Accents potion drippage. I adhered the 4 fingers on this and added to Skeletor.

I copied Wendy's technique for coloring Blossom Buckets. The bird is so shiny and wicked looking. I adhered it to Skeletor's sleeve. He also got a top hat.

Seam binding was colored like tie dye with Purple Twilight Color Wash and Antiqued Bronze Metallic Distress Stain, and used for the tags ribbons. I also stamped the main sentiment in Dusty Concord Distress Ink and heat embossed it with Ranger's Fine Clear Embossing Powder. I inked the edges in Black Soot, and attached it with foam tape.

I am also submitting this to The Blogger's Challenge for "Countdown To Halloween", and to Inspiration Journal's monthly challenge of "Spooktacular Halloween Decor".

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!