Remembering Marilyn

 

 

That is what I titled my mixed media canvas that I created for my BIL's birthday which is today. Happy Birthday Ray!!! He has always been an admirer of Marilyn Monroe so when I saw this amazing canvas HERE on Pinterest a light bulb went off in my head. Bingo! A custom piece of art for my fave bro-in-law. :) I scoured my inspiration piece and added a lot of the same elements while adding a few unique touches of my own. I will confess that my chicken wire is not the "real thing" as hers is but created from a Pop-Tart box and a fabulous new die, Die-namics Chicken Wire, which I acquired from My Favorite Things. It worked like a charm and I'll have more MFT goodies to show you on his birthday card in a minute.

 

I followed the artist's directions and hot glued the embellishments where I wanted them and covered the whole canvas excluding the photo with Gesso. The great thing about this is you can use any color flower or metal embellishment you like. If you have paper flowers that have been in your stash for a while but just don't work for you anymore this is a great way to transform them. Once everything dried I covered the photo with a towel and sprayed Rangers Lettuce and Sunset Orange Ink Sprays and Dylusions Melted Chocolate Ink Spray onto my canvas. After everything dried again I went back with Bundled Sage and Vintage Photo Distress Ink and highlighted some of the embellishments. Another drying cycle was needed and the final step was a coat of Deco Art's Decoupage to seal it.  

 

Here are a few close ups, sorry for the glare.

 

 

I used a lot of Tim's Idea-o-logy goodies on this piece.

 

 

See the mesh in the upper corner? I recycled a shallot bag
to add texture so save those fruit and produce bags. :)

Spare Parts and Tim's Idea-o-logy metal embellies add a masculine
touch. The chipboard clock was in a set of 4 by Dusty Attic.

A metal key, plastic M,
Idea-o-logy crown and
Melissa Francis resin scroll
adorn the left side of
Marilyn's photo.

True Marilyn fans will know what the 26 stands for. She
was born on June 1, 1926 and would have turned 87 in two
days. Cogs/sprockets are from Tim's Idea-o-logy and TPS's
Spare Parts product lines.

I threw the kitchen sink in can you tell lol. Cogs, pen nib,
key chains, memo pins, locks, keys, tags and charms.

I Google'd the photo of Marilyn and ended up using the same
one as the canvas that inspired me. It was a better fit than
the others and shows off her beauty.



 

 Here's the birthday card I made for him and it too was inspired by a CARD which I ran across on Pinterest. Both inspiration pieces can be found on my altered art and cards Pinterest boards plus lots more. Pinterest has been my go-to place for kick starting my mojo lately. :)  I've been running around at Mach 5 with my hair on fire and sometimes you just have to go with the flow and CASE (but always give credit where credit is due). I do hope you'll check out the mixed media canvas and card which inspired me. They are very talented people!

 

 

MFT goodies on this card are:

Die-namics Feathers and Arrows

LLD Document It-Bingo stamp set

 

I used a Spellbinders pennant die set to create my flags and a Notebook Plain Jane by Verve which I fussy cut and distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The chipboard circular piece is by Basic Grey and the metal clock is from Tim's Ideo-o-logy line. The feathers and chevron banner were cut from MME Kraft Funday collection and the rub ons are from Christy Tomlinson's She Art collection.

 

 

Thanks for hanging in there! I'm grateful that you dropped by and I'd love to know what you think of my media media tribute to Marilyn Monroe. I do hope it has inspired you to preserve a memory or create a keepsake for a loved one . :)

 

Have a super day!

Lisa xx



Top Tip Tuesday-Numbers

 

 

Over at Top Tip Tuesday I am the host for the next two weeks and we want to see numbers on your paper projects. Like I said on the challenge blog numbers are a fantastic way to personalize your birthday or anniversary cards. Here's my tip: I used a die to create numbers from chipboard, made another set of numbers from designer paper and adhered with adhesive spray. Easy peasy! 

 

Here's the link to the digital image I used from Bugaboo Stamps, Cupcake Circle Tag.

 

 

Bugaboo Stamps



Prize is 7 Digis of winners choice!

 

Thank you for providing the DT with images to create with. :)

 

 

Shape EZ

Prize is 2 Shape EZ templates of winners choice!

 

Thank you for providing the DT with templates to create with. :)

 

 

 

 

Helen 

 

 

To see more inspiration from the design team click HERE. Hope you enjoy this challenge as much as we will enjoy seeing your projects linked up in our gallery. Don't forget-if you'd like an opportunity to be a guest designer at TTT leave a tip for us in your post and put TIP beside your name when you link up. Good Luck!

 

Lisa xx

Make It Monday #142

 

 

Hello and welcome!

 

The new linky party at Make It Monday is officially open. Congratulations to our featured entry and winning commenter, way to go!

 

I'm super excited to share my card this week for two reasons. It honors the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. No written word will ever be enough to express the appreciation that my family has for those brave and courageous souls. Here in America we are currently celebrating Memorial Day so this image, Strength and Courage, by Stamp Art Design caught my eye. Many thanks to the owner and designer, Kathryne, for providing the team with digital images to work with. She offers a wide variety so click the link to see her entire collection at Whimsy Stamps .

 

The second reason I'm excited to share this card is that it's for my son. On May 30th he will graduate from the U. S. Army's Advanced Individual Training as a Biomedical Equipment Technician Specialist. We are so proud of him! It has been a long ten months but he made it through and he's on the Dean's list. WooHoo!!! You might have noticed that I used the title of this image for the sentiment on the front of my card but reversed it. I searched my stamps for these words and it just looked better in this order. :) One thing is certain, it does take courage and strength to serve in the Armed Forces. Sometimes it is physical but often it is mental strength which is required and these heroes should be honored every day.

 

 

Sponsored by

 

Stamp Art Design

 

 

Prize is 5 digi's to the winner.

 

 

 

Pick of the Week is...

#71 An

 

I absolutely LOVE the stamped scene she created. It is perfect for a masculine card, don't you agree?  Fabulous card An! 

 

Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday!

 

 

Now for more inspiration using digi's from Stamp Art Design by Kathryne check out what the design team came up with by clicking HERE. Thanks for dropping by and spending some time with me, as always your comments mean so much and I truly appreciate each one. :)

 

Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

 

 

 

Top Tip Tuesday Clever Boxes Challenge

 

 Half-way Reminder Project - Dad's Toolbox

 

Make It Monday DT project HERE

The Squirrel and The Fox DT project HERE

 

Hi everyone! I'm popping in to share this fun little toolbox I made using a template I discovered on Pinterest (the template is pinned to my template board). I plan to give my hubby for Father's Day. My DH is currently involved in a major project for our daughter. He is building a custom bed for her which she designed using the headboard from my childhood French Provincial bedroom set. Talk about recycling lol. I thought it would be cool to create a mini album and house it in this little toolbox. I think he'll love it and I'll share the finished pages in the next week or two. There's a lot going on around our house with graduations, travel, yard projects and life in general. ;) 

 

If you do use this template you'll find that the dimensions are small. I wanted something larger so I used the basic design and created my own template. Here's what I did-trimmed a piece of paper to 8x11, made the base of the box 5" wide with 2" sides, inked all edges with distress ink and made the template for the two sides which attaches to the handle. As for the clip art it is part of the template download and each image was fussy cut and all edges inked. Here are a few photos that might help.

 

Scored at 2" and 6" (creates front and back sides)

Scored at 3" and 8" (all sides scored now)

I made a pen mark so you can see that you will cut the top
and bottom panels out on the left and right side. NOTE:
Before you cut mark a .25" line above the line I marked
on the top panel and a .25" line below the bottom
panel on both sides. You need to leave this quarter inch
piece to attach the inside of your box together. You can
taper the ends of your tab for a professional look.

My finished box

To make the graduated sides I cut a piece of paper the
height I wanted and the width of my box. I found the center,
marked it with a pen and left a one inch strip at the top.
Using a ruler I ran a diagonal line from each end to the
corner and cut the excess out. For the handle I trimmed
a 1" x 8" strip and attached to each side. I scored where
my paper would fold down on the side and inked all edges.



Hope you enjoy my quick tutorial, if you have any questions send me an email and I'll try to help. For my pages I used recycled boxes, cut to my specifications and adhered paper with double sided tape. Again the edges were inked and for my project I used Faded Jeans Distress Ink by Ranger. Hopefully I'll have the pages ready to share next week.

Thanks for looking! For more inspiration check out what the guest designers and design team created for the half-way reminders by clicking HERE.


Sponsored by




Happy Crafting,
Lisa xx



 

 

 

Make It Monday #141 with Bugaboo Stamps

 

 

It's time for a new linky party to begin at Make It Monday, are you ready? Our sponsor once again is the fun and whimsical Bugaboo Stamps. I'm using Kitchen Jar on a card I made for my daughter. She's off to college in August and I've included a gift card to help with needed kitchen supplies. I can hardly believe the time is near for the "baby" to fly the coop but as the saying goes I am putting my big girl panties on and dealing with it. ;) Ugh!

 

It's a simple card that I created using a Recollections value pack of premade cards, blue cardstock and a striped paper by The Paper Studio. My image was colored with Copic markers and a red glaze pen adds a touch of faux stitching to my gift card pocket which I created using a Spellbinders Large Label die. Martha's Lace Doily border punch was my choice for creating a division between my papers and adding a pop of color. The sentiment is from Taylored Expressions The Moka Collection-Olivia and was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.  

 

 

 

Now for my PICK OF THE WEEK which is...

 

#93 Suzette

 

Suzette did a fabulous job coloring this image and I love the variety of papers, embellishments and texture she used on her card. Those clouds just draw you in and her card is gorgeous! She has more photos on her blog so be sure to check those out and leave her some comment love. :)

 

Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday!

 

 

Sponsored by...

 

Bugaboo Stamps

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digis!

 

Remember, to be in the running to win the prize from our sponsor this week just leave a comment for another entry. Be sure to mention you saw them on Make It Monday. The more entries you comment on the more chances you have of winning. Good Luck!

 

 

To see more inspiration using Bugaboo Stamps digital images click my teamies links on my right sidebar or click HERE. We look forward to seeing your old or new paper creations linked up in our gallery this week!

 

Happy Crafting,

 

Lisa xx

It's All About the Girls

 

 

Hello and welcome to Challenge #44 at The Squirrel and The Fox!

 

Congratulations to the Winner and Top 3 of our Mother's Day challenge. :)

 

For the next two weeks It's All About the Girls and our sponsor is Make It Crafty. I enjoyed working with the Ginger House Wife digital stamp. She's baked a batch of delicious cookies so I thought it would be nice to use an apron template for my card design. Moms know that a homemade cookie will brighten up any day and make her loved ones feel special. 

 

On a personal note, we celebrated Mother's Day last Sunday and my loved ones made me feel extra special. I'm blessed to have two special young women in my life, my daughter Sara and DIL Jessica. Each of them wrote a heartfelt message in their card that I will cherish forever. My blessings are overflowing. :)

 

Here's a close up of this pretty lady.

 

Sentiment is by Taylored Expressions-Sweet Friends

 

 

 

Sponsored by...

 

Make It Crafty 

 

Prize is an AU $15 voucher to spend in their online store.

 

 

Thanks for dropping by and I do hope you'll check out my teamies inspiration by clicking HERE or you can access their links on my right sidebar. We're excited to see your paper creations and remember, It's All About the Girls!

 

Good Luck!

Lisa xx

 

 

 

Clever Boxes at Top Tip Tuesday

Housewarming Gift Box

Clever Boxes is the new challenge at Top Tip Tuesday and Samantha will be your hostess for the next two weeks. She has a fantastic tutorial for a six-sided box on the challenge blog that you'll want to check out. For my box I used this versatile template, added some personal touches and attached the Tied Tag by Meljen's Designs, our current sponsor. I tucked a Target gift card in it for my son and his wife since they recently moved into their first apartment. I'm sure they'll have no problem spending it. ;)

 

 

 

 

Meljen's Designs

 

Prize is 4 images of winners choice.

 

 

 

 

 

Anda and  Helen 

 

 

 

It's your turn now and we can't wait to see your clever boxes. For more inspiration visit the challenge blog to see the amazing boxes my teamies and our guest designers created. :)

 

Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx



Make It Monday #140 with Little Miss Muffet Stamps

 

 

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Hope every mother enjoyed her special day! It is such a privilege to be a mom and I'm so grateful for my son and daughter. My youngest is graduating high school on the 21st of this month so this Mother's Day is s little bittersweet for me. ;) On a bright note the new linky party is now open at Make It Monday. You can link up a new or old paper creation and the more comments you leave for the other entries the greater your chance will be to win the prize from this week's sponsor, Little Miss Muffet Stamps. I used Snuggly on my card and I colored her with Copic markers to match the colors in the Echo Park Little Girl collection 6x6 pad. I stamped a sentiment from Waltzingmouse Stamps Half Pint Heroines in Memento Tuxedo Black on the front. The pretty pink flower is by Prima and was a recent blog candy win. Thanks Tricia! I fussy cut my image and popped her up on dimensional foam tape which unfortunately you can't see. A trio of Kaisercraft hot pink pearls and a lace heart MS border punch wrap up my card.  

 

 

Sponsored by

 

 

Prize is three digis to our winning commenter!

 

 

 

Pick of the Week is...

 

#115 Donna BMC

 

Wow, I love her beautiful Easel Box Card! The pretty papers, flowers, image and embellishments are stunning. What a wonderful gift for any teacher.

 

Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday Donna!!!

 

 

That's all for me today, please drop by the challenge blog to see my incredible teamies' inspiration for the week. You can also click their links on my right sidebar if you prefer. :) 

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Make It Monday #139 with Saturated Canary

 

Hello and welcome to a new linky party at Make It Monday!

 

Congratulations to our Featured Entry and Commenting Winner of MIM #138.

 

We are sponsored this week by Saturated Canary and I'm using an image called Hatress which was a freebie some months ago. I've been wanting to color her up so I just went for it. I never dreamed she would end up in lime and hot pink though. Not sure where that came from but as I sat looking at her I realized she too was destined for a page in my design team art journal. I didn't start out with a plan for this page and it totally took on a life of its own. The tea cup in her hand sparked a thought and I'm glad I followed through with it. She reminds me of a girl who likes to drink her tea hot and read a good book at the same time. ;) Lucky for me, I found the perfect quote by C. S. Lewis and I wrote it around the perimeter of my page using a white glaze pen. It reads, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. " I totally concur with C. S. Lewis. :)

 

For starters I sprayed Dylusions Bubblegum Pink, Black Marble and Fresh Lime in puddles on my page. Like Dyan recommends I misted the page with water and let the colors run up, down, and sideways. Next I blotted with a roll of paper towels and dried my page using a heat tool. I inked up a large diamond pattern stamp with Staz On Black ink and randomly stamped the page. Since I was using a quote about reading I thought book paper would be nice but found some Tim Holtz tissue paper that I've been hoarding for a while and used it instead. White acrylic paint and a high tech tool (a used paper towel roll) created my circles. Once they were dry I didn't like how stark the white looked so I retrieved my Faber Castell Gelatos from a nearby drawer and toned it down with yellow. It incorporated another color and I liked it so I used it on the tissue paper and colored in the circles. Pink was also used on the paper pieces and I outlined the edge of my page with a black gelato. White did come into play with rub ons and I added a few black and purple rub ons too. Hand drawn scallops around the circles and my hand written quote give my page a personal touch. A few MS butterflies were punched from a dp in the Sweet Nectar 6x6 pad and finish off this page. Note: I used Deco Art decoupage glue to adhere the tissue paper, digi and butterflies and seal my rub ons. Faber Castell Pitt Pens were used to shade my image and along the edges of the torn tissue pieces. That's my offering this week and I hope you like it. (Can you tell I was typing in a hurry? Sorry if I rambled too much)

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

 

 

Krista is generously offering 2 Digis to our winning commenter.

 

Remember, to be in the running to win the prize from our sponsor this week just leave a comment for another entry. Be sure to mention you saw them on Make It Monday. The more entries you comment on the more chances you have of winning

 

 

 

 

I don't have a Pick Of The Week because this is a scheduled post. I am probably returning, as this post goes live, from a week of vacation in sunny Florida. I kept my commenting up but they made me promise not to blog while I was away. :( My teamies do have a POTW so be sure to visit their blogs to see who they chose and their weekly inspiration. Click HERE to go directly to the MIM challenge blog or click their links on my right sidebar.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx

 

Mother's Day

 

 

Hello and welcome!

 

Congratulations to our Winner and Top 3 of the Furry Friends challenge.

 

We are celebrating mothers for the next two weeks at The Squirrel and The Fox and we have a brand new sponsor, Pink Cat Studio, to introduce you to. They provided the design team with adorable images to work with and I chose Betty Holding Flowers.  She's a cutie! There was a pre-colored version in the digital file so I decided to change it up a bit and let the sponsor do the work for me. ;) With more time on my hands I wove blue ribbon through the die cuts on this pretty Spellbinders lattice die and embossed a base panel with a Cuttlebug Polka Dots folder. A pink rose and a simple sentiment complete my Mother's Day card. The message is carried over on the inside, here's a peek...

 

 

and a close up of sweet little Betty ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsored by...

 

Pink Cat Studio

Prize = Five Free Digis

For more inspiration please see what my teamies came up with to inspire you. You can see their amazing creations by clicking HERE to go to the challenge blog or click their links on my right sidebar. We hope you'll join us in celebrating wonderful mothers everywhere!

 

Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx