Open Your Mind

I love this plaque, with such an amazing quote from Gerry Spence. Check out more of these works from mb art studios on Etsy. I very much want this to be on my wall...

Lita x

A Creative Odyssey Blog Hop - My creative goals for 2011

Another year rolls to a close, and we all tend to look back at what we've accomplished, and then set goals for the coming year. In this vein, the luvverly Jess of Epheriell has set up A Creative Odyssey Blog Hop, for a group of crafty peeps to share their goals and plans for their creative future in 2011. And today - it's my turn! So grab a cuppa and brace yourself for my ramblings lol Be sure to check out the other participants over at Jess's blog, aswell as Studio MME, my posting partner for today! I hope you find inspiration from all the wonerful participants!

When I signed up for this blog hop, I knew what I wanted to do next year. Quite simply, I wanted to do more. I wanted to create more. I had big plans on applying to work with more of my favourite digital scrapbook designers. I wanted to take more classes in paper craft techniques. I wanted to get back to my regular Friday night scrappy get togethers with my bestie. I wanted to just do more. But, as we all know, life doesn't always care what our plans are, doesn't always want to follow along with them. It's been a rough year, and now my plans have changed.

I want to create for me. I spent alot of 2010 creating for other people, blogging and spreading the word for them. And whilst I loved it at the time, it doesn't fit with where I am at the moment. So, I've pared down my commitments, and plan to take 2011 back for me. I've had a lot of ups and downs through the past year, and I find that I am most calm, most happy, most me, when I am at my craft desk, just doing what I want. No pressure, no deadlines, no demands, no limits besides my imagination. So I'm getting back to my paper crafting roots. I plan to be covered in ink and glitter, with paper scraps all over the place, ribbons and trims as far as the eye can see. I want to make a mess, try new things, step outside the box and get off the bus.

But beyond that, I want to share what I know with others. Lord knows I'm no expert lol Jack of all trades, master of none - that's me lol However, I often come across awesome articles/blog/pics etc that strike a chord with me, or fab tutorials that I would love to share, but am hesitant to do so. I always second guess myself, like, really Lita, who wants to listen to you? In reality, maybe no-one does, maybe no-one gives a hoot. And that's ok. It really is. This blog is more for me than anyone else. But maybe...just maybe...someone might benefit from something I have to say. They might get a chuckle from a joke I share, be inspired by an article I point them to, or create something from a tutorial I write. They might take comfort in hearing my story, they might learn something new or find a corner of the online world they never knew existed..

So this year, be prepared to hear a whole lot from me. I'll be sharing my creations, my online finds, inspiration, challenges, crafty goodness - anything that tickles my fancy! I can't promise comedy or wit, or heck, even intelligent thoughts, but I can promise that what you'll get is me. No bells and whistles, no airs and graces, just me. Want to come along for the ride?

Joy

Those of you that know me, will know that I am a total fanatic when it comes to all things Tim Holtz. I adore his products and style, and each year I look forward to his 12 Tags Of Christmas event. They were, of course, gorgeous this year, but I fell in love with Tag 9 in particular, and decided to experiment with some of those techniques myself. And the tag below is the result! Obviously, I didn’t do an exact copy, instead I put my own spin on it with traditional colours and a few changes.

Materials used:
Tim Holt Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Pine Needles, Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Old Paper), Tim Holtz stamp (Natures Discovery), Tim Holtz grungeboard letters, Tim Holtz Paper Distressing Tool, Ranger Glossy Effects & Crackle Effects, Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Jenni Bowlin bingo card & music paper, Tattered Angels Glimmermist Prima lollipops flower, Kaisercraft crochet trim, vintage seam binding (dyed with Tim Holtz Inks-Vintage Photo & Fired Brick), manilla tag and assorted upcycled buttons & charms.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow – I’m taking part in A Creative Odyssey Blog Hop and it’s my turn to share my creative goals for 2011!

Lita x

Love: Altered mini canvas

Today was a rough day for me, so most of it was spent just staring off into space. But I did manage to get my act together long enough to alter this mini canvas. Excuse the shoddy photography – it’s too dark for a decent shot at the moment!

 Materials used:
Jenn Bowlin paper, upcycled trims, Tim Holtz grungeboard, adage tickets & distress inks (Black Soot, Vintage Photo and Fired Brick), Ranger crackle effects, random flowers from my stash, mini canvas picked up at the $2 store.

Thanks for stopping by – feel free to leave me some love! I love comments…just sayin…

Lita x

Handmade paper flowers

A couple of weeks ago I came across a tutorial for making paper flowers and since it seemed super easy so I decided to give it a go! I am now addicted – and here are some of the results!

I wanted to link you to the tute, but unfortunately the blog is now private so you won’t be able to see it :( So I’ll try to give you a super simple rundown.

You’ll need:
Paper – cardstock is best, or thicker than average patterned paper (lines such as Basic Grey are perfect)
Brads for centers
A spray bottle or dish of water
Flower stencil or punches (or you could print shapes, or freehand)

Cut/punch 9 flowers – 3 large, 3 medium, 3 small. Pierce a hole in the center of each and join them together, with largest on the bottom, then medium, then smallest, rotating each one so that they are not perfectly lined up.
Give the flower a generous spray of water (or dunk it in a dish). You then need to fold each petal toward the center, pinching and scrunching it all together as you go. Spray as often as needed – the paper needs to be fairly pliable for this to work. Continue until all petals have been folded in, and you have what resembles a small rosebud.
Now comes the point where you can make this as neat and tidy or as messy as you want. Start to unfold your little bud petal by petal. Be gentle as it is rather wet. You can flatten the petals out a fair bit, or just unfold them slightly to give a more scrunched, rustic look. You also have the option of unfolding every petal so that you wind up seeing the brad you started with, or you can leave the center petals folded in to resemble a small bud.
Allow plenty of time to dry, or use a heat tool to speed things up. Once they are completely dry you can remove the brad if you like and replace it with bling, buttons, ribbon or anything else you can think of. You could also add glimmermist, stickles etc.

I hope that made some sort of sense to you all lol If you’d like me to take pics for each step, let me know and I’ll pop it on my to do list.

Heading out now to relax with a book or nap. I miss sleep…we used to be such great friends.

Lita x

Vintage rosette

I’ve been spending a lot of time cooped up in my room, playing at my craft desk. I love getting out my ink and things and lets face it, it’s cheaper than therapy, right?
I’ve been seeing a lot of rosettes popping up around the web, and decided to give it a try myself. Me being me, I had to go with a vintage theme, and I am so happy with the result! I didn’t think to take pics of how I made it, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask! Materials and tools are listed below, with many items available at Simon Says Stamp.

   Materials used:
Jenni Bowlin-paper, Hand-dyed ribbon by Sugared Songbird, Flowers & Leaves-Prima & Kaisercraft, Tim Holtz- Adage Tickets, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Distressable Doodads: Wings & Things, Range- Clear Embossing Powder, Glossy Accents, Upcycled doily and watch face.
Tools used:
Heat gun, hot glue gun, Ranger mini mister, Inkssentials ink blending tool, Tim Holtz paper distressing tool

Thanks for popping by,

Lita x

Do you have what it takes?

The December Girl Vs. Scrap challenge is now up! Head on over for complete details and a looky at the samples provided by the GVS Creative Team!

Why not join in  - have fun & snag a freebie at the same time?

Lita x