Saturday, January 2, 2010

2010....A year Later (plus some candy!!)

Edited to add that comments for the blog candy are now closed!  Thanks for participating!!  The winner has been announced on post date 1-10-10!
A year ago today I started blogging!! Wow!! How time flies!! My first post stated my goal of exploring some new creative ideas and to revisit some old ones.  I think I met that goal, BUT!! (ya had to know there was going to be a big ol' BUT in there!!) I think I just skimmed through the "magazine" of creativity.  I didn't really LOOK  and EXPLORE in depth.  So, this year, it is about DIGGING deeper.  I want to try pushing  myself to get out of my little comfort zone and see where creativity can lead me.  This means I'm going to have to put my big ol' fear of failure and rejection behind me and just leap. 

So, what better way to kick of this new year goal than with some BLOG CANDY?!!  Yep!! To celebrate this NEW YEAR of creativity, I'm going to give away some goodies!  We're talking TWO of T!m Holtz's idea-ology Masks, Papertrey's Holiday Treats clear stamp set, Penny Black's clear Critter Party stamp set, Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade and some SU ribbon just to start.   BUT!! (there's that big ol' BUT again!! hehe) You've got to give me some feedback:  To be elegible for for this candy you've got to leave a comment telling me TWO things:
1) Tell me at least ONE creativity goal you'd like to try this year
2) Tell me at least one (or more) suggestions of creativity that you'd like to see happen on this blog (besides posting something every day....let's be realistic folks! hehe)

I will have RandomKid pick a winner NEXT SUNDAY, January 9!! 
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I do have a couple of projects to share today.  Both use the same color scheme and main image.  Both have a CAS (clean and simple) look to them, but I think they each have a little different feel.




This first project is more of a decorative piece. It measures 5x7" and could be displayed on a side table or in an office.  I wanted to use this wonderful winter image from Just for Fun stamps called River's Edge.  While I was looking at this image Robert Frost's "Walking Through the Woods on a Snowy Evening" kept running through my head.  I figured that it was a sign so I took a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and using the wrinkle free distress techniqe I applied Antique Linen, Aged Burlap and Brushed Corduroy to my craft sheet and misted with water and smooshed my paper into it.  I repeated until I got a look I liked them dried it VERY well with my heat gun and little mini craft iron to get out as many of the waves that I could.  I then typed out the poem and printed it out on the custom made background paper.  Using my stampamajig, I stamped the main image using Versafine Vintage Sepia over the text.  Pulling out my favorite Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Pearl, I added that little extra shimmer that is not seen in my very basic photo (yes, folks, I'm still taking suggestions for photo programs!!  Need to get something soon as this basic program on here is NOT cutting it!!).  I ticket punched the corners and matted the image on SU's Soft Suede.  That was matted on a slightly bigger piece of SU Very Vanilla and then the whole thing onto the large 5x7 piece of Soft Suede.  I used SU's ribbon punch twice to make an opening large enough for my ribbon and made my ribbon treatment (I guess you'd call it a faux bow).  I then added some 1/2 back Martha Stewart pearls in the corners. 
                                       
                                  

The next project came from the same image I had stamped onto Very Vanilla using Versafine Vintage Sepia again.  I then took some Ranger Glossy accents and ran some thin lines along where I wanted some "snow"  I sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds glitter over the glossy accents to give just a soft hint of glittery snow. I matted this over a slightly bigger square of Soft Suede and then that on a larger square of Very Vanilla.  I wrapped my Polka Dot Soft Suede ribbon and made a faux bow.  This was all mounted on the base of 5 1/2x 5 1/2" base of Very Vanilla.

Thanks for dropping by again!!  I look forward to the new year of creating and appreciate the "company" that you give on the journey!!  The ride is always more fun with friends along!!


 

8 comments:

terriavidreader (IN-USA) said...

These are so nice! I like CAS cards and things.
I want to try more adventurous cards than the basic CAS I usually do. As for your blog, I'm not good at advice, so just keep doing what you're doing, and trying some new things too!

gocanucksgo said...

Hi! Brand new follower here =) I love clean and simple looking cards so these are perfect to me lol. One of my creativity goals is to be more adventurous. I tend to just make cards cards but I would love to try and alter different items. Maybe that's something you could try on your blog as well lol although you do more than create cards (you're ahead of me in that aspect =). Well good luck and have a fantastic 2010!!

Starla said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amber (bambi64) said...

Love your cards, Starla. My creative goal for this year... gosh, i really don't know. Maybe try to step out of my box more, enter more pub calls, things along those lines. I'd like to see some scrapbook pages on your blog and just maybe a card or two with more than 5 layers on it?! :)

katrynka said...

Hi, I am new to your blog from Paperlicious. I am a pediatric physical therapist, have been for 24 years, and I love my job!

My goals for this year are to return to scrapbooking, learn something about manipulating my digital images and take a class or two on watercoloring.

As for your blog, since this is my first time, I do not have an opinion specific to you, but I always love clean and simple!

Thanks for the chance to win. (Please delete this if it is a double comment, I was "summoned" just as I hit the post button, and I am uncertain if you moderate, as I came back and my comment had disappeared.)

Anonymous said...

what I want for the year is to use my craft stash to its fullest, push myself in new directions so I get the most out of what I have.
Mybe thats what you could have once a mth have a push myself out of your perfered style.
megan nz

Janet L. said...

Happy New Year! I'd love to push myself to use some of the stamps that I have that have never seen ink and to learn to use my new Cricut machine. I'd love to see more cards that you've made along with the step by step instructions. Thanks for the chance to win some cool prizes!

Anonymous said...

I am also new to your blog coming from Paperlicous. I am mostly a card maker so am always looking for new ideas. I see that you are giving away some tim Holtz items. I like his things but have been afraid to try his style. Maybe you could have a column for those of us who are intimidated but would like to try doing something similar. I am not sure how to get a comment with my name on this post so I am posting as anonymous. Louise