Mice by the Sea

Hidy ho, crafty peeps!

Texas...in late June...is hot, no matter how you slice it.

I wish I lived near a beach. To me, there is nothing more relaxing than wandering down a beach, on an overcast day, hunting shells and sea glass--delighting in the cold shock of the effervescent surf breaking over the tops of my feet.

What I wish more, is that I could be the type of person who was able to lay out on a beach towel, roasting in the summer sun--a fruity drink with a paper umbrella in my hand...and a cabana boy at my beck and call.

But alas...I am a redhead with redhead skin. The sun and I aren't on speaking terms and haven't been for...ever.

*sigh*

It's mid-way through our current challenge over at  

House Mouse and Friends

Our current theme, "A Day Spent with Friends", made me wistful for a day at the beach, spent with friends.

Thankfully, I had this cute stamp on hand...and it satisfied my longing for more...melanin.

I used 2 copies of the image, so that I could paper tole (decoupage) various elements. The mice, shells, and umbrella are all fussy-cut out and mounted with foam tape over the background. I really had fun coloring this. I used my trusty Prismacolor pencils. I tried to make the umbrella appear as 3-D as possible...using dark grey for the innermost struts. Don't they look like they're having a blast?

*sigh*

You still have a few days to get your "A Day Spent with Friends" project entered at House Mouse and Friends for a chance to win one of our fabulous prizes!

And remember, you always have the "Anything Goes" option--as long as you use a House Mouse, Gruffies, or Happy Hoppers image.

We are thrilled to be welcoming back our AWESOME sponsor,
the Official Mousey Family, House-Mouse Designs(R)
 

who is offering a lucky player a $20 gift certificate to go shopping at the House-Mouse-Designs site!
 ****************************************************
Our second, generous sponsor is: 

STAMPENDOUS!

Winner will receive a Fabulous $20 Value Reward Card

Fluttering By

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

Today marks the mid-way point of the current challenge over at 

House Mouse and Friends!

This means you still have PLENTY of time to create something for our current theme

"Butterflies"

You always have the option of "Anything Goes"...So, hurry on over and enter before Saturday night!

We are proudly Sponsored by;

SIMON SAYS STAMP
We're happy to welcome back Heidi and her fab team at Simon Says Stamp!

Winner will receive a RANDOM ASSORTMENT of Premium Dye Ink Pads

Here is my take on the current theme!

For my entry, I used the oh-so-cute Butterfly Express stamp. I wanted to make it look like the butterfly literally pulled our little friend right off the background of the card. To achieve this, I cut the stamped image apart and suspended the butterfly above the card with a piece of acetate. I used embroidery floss for the "kite" string. I couldn't decide on what color I wanted the butterfly to be...so I made it every color. I wish there really were rainbow butterflies!

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like to enter the challenge, click on the image below!

Something Old...Nothing New

Hidy ho, crafty peeps!

It's Monday, so that means it's time for a new challenge at 

House Mouse and Friends!!

The theme this time is

Something Old...Nothing New

I happen to be the hostess for the challenge this time around.  Here is how I came up with the theme...

Did you know that May 17 was National Pack Rat day? This prompted me to look around  my uber-cluttered studio, which made me realize that the time for cleaning up and moving stuff OUT is LONG overdue. 

I have this little cartoon that my mom clipped from the newspaper and gave to me about 8 years ago. It still hangs on the front of my fridge--held in place by a magnet from Wisconsin of a 3-D polymer clay cow head with a real, teeny-tiny cowbell (don't ask). I thought I'd share that comic with you. I actually took it off my fridge, dusted it off, and scanned the sucker.

Looking at it now makes me cringe...because it's SO true.

It was funny 8 years ago...but as I get older, the humor has been replaced with the horrible realization that I, too, (like both my parents) am a pack rat. What horrifies me is the fact that I do NOT have kids that I can "save" MY stuff for, let alone all my parent's stuff. When I go...I will leave behind a veritable TREASURE TROVE...of STUFF.

So, for this challenge, I challenge you to make a project using NOTHING new. That means ONLY OLD cardstock, patterned paper, embellishments, stamps, ink, coloring mediums, adhesive...NOTHING can be newer than 1 year old. I think that's MORE THAN fair. I was actually thinking about making people use nothing newer than 10 years old...but I'm nice.

Of course, there is ALWAYS the option of "Anything Goes" if you just HAVE to use new stuff. But come on...I KNOW how paper crafters are. We are the penultimate hoarders to end all hoarders! So dig through your stickers, papers, stamps, embellies and create something FaBuLoUs!

Here is my project:

I used the oh-so-cute "Dipped in Chocolate" stamp from the now-defunct Stampa Rosa company (may it rest in peace). I colored it up with my Prismacolor pencils. I found this REALLY old patterned paper from "Paper Pizazz" by HOTP in my stash...remember them? 

Back then, they were the ONLY patterned paper manufacturers. It was all 8.5 x 11 inches in size and a great many of their designs were photographs (like this lovely chocolate chip paper--which my husband actually really wanted me NOT to cut into--ha ha ha ha). 

Following is a list of what products I used and their ages.

• Dipped in Chocolate stamp (Stampa Rosa) - 17 years old
• Chocolate Chip patterned paper (Hot Off the Press) - 16 years old
• Striped paper and "be silly" sticker (Colorbok) - 5 years old
• cardstock - 5-8 years old
• Prismacolor pencils - 6 years old
• Ribbon - 8 years old
• Oval die (Spellbinders--before Nestability dies) - 12 years old
• Deckle scissors (Fiskars) - 17 years old
• ATG adhesive - 4 years old.
• Paper trimmer (Fiskars) - 17 years old
• scissors (Cutterbees) - 7 years old

We have wonderful prizes (from fabulous sponsors) to give away for this challenge!

*** SPONSORS ***

We are thrilled to be welcoming back our AWESOME sponsor,
the Official Mousey Family, House-Mouse Designs(R)
 
HMD is offering a Lucky player a $20 Gift Certificate to go shopping at the official House-Mouse Designs(R) site! Eeeeek!!  How exciting is that? 

*******************************

Second SPONSOR is

STAMPENDOUS! 

Winner will receive a Fabulous $20 Value Reward Card

  

In July 2013, Stampendous was proud and excited to become the official rubber stamp licensee of House-Mouse Designs®. Since that time we’ve released over 235 House-Mouse, Happy Hoppers, and Gruffies images as wood mounted or Cling Rubber stamps that can also be purchased at: www.STAMPENDOUS.comFor lots more inspiration from Stampendous, be sure to check out their other sites:
 STAMPENDOUS! Blog, The official Stampendous! Website (to Purchase Products).
 You can also find Stampendous! on Pinterest  and on Facebook.  

Winner MUST reside in the USA or CANADA to win the Stampendous! prize. 

*******************************

ADDITIONAL PRIZE

(being the consummate pack rat that I am)

I am gifting a surprise goodie bag 

(bits of vintage paper crafting goodness collected from my coveted stash)

to the person who uses the OLDEST stuff!*

To qualify for a chance at this prize package, please tell me, in your post, what it is you used and how old it is!

One catch...the winner has to live in the U.S. 

(sorry, but international postage is a killer).

*In the event of a tie...I will put all the hoarders' names

into a hat and draw out one (maybe two, or even three).

To enter, just click the picture below

Sew Glad You're our Mom

Happy Monday, crafty peeps!

It's time for a new challenge over at  

House Mouse and Friends! 

The theme this time around is  

"You are My Sunshine!"

Interpret that any way you like! And if you can't come up with anything...you can always do an "Anything Goes" project...but you MUST use a House Mouse/Happy Hoppers/Gruffies image!

We have a terrific sponsor this time around!

Simon Says Stamp

and they've offered a random selection of their premium dye ink pads!

 

Simon Says Stamp has been in business since 2002, offering you the best selection of Rubber Stamps, Altered Art, Scrapbooking, Artist Trading Cards and Paper Crafting Supplies in the world. Stock includes over 100,000+ items along with the latest and greatest releases from the Simon Says Stamp brand Hero Arts, Tim Holtz, Lawn Fawn, Copics, House-Mouse Designs and so much more. With such an amazing variety and awesome deals on shipping, it’s always good timing to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp store! 

 *************************

Here is my project! When I hear the phrase "you are my sunshine" I immediately think of my mom. And, since yesterday was Mother's Day, I offer the card my sister and I made for her. The best part about this card (besides the FaBuLoUs House Mouse image on the front) is the sentiment I put inside. 

My sister, Heidi, picked out the papers and the buttons (which she threaded just for my bff Jodi who can't stand naked buttons). I taught Heidi how to use the Big Shot and she did the diecutting! (I helped her a little with the parts that exceeded beyond the margins of the diecut area). It was also Heidi that chose the sentiment for the inside of the card. 

I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and did my best to match the colors of the papers Heidi chose. For the pin heads, I added a tiny blobs of dimensional fabric paint, and colored the pins themselves with a metallic silver colored pencil. I added glittery sparkle to the thimbles since Heidi said they weren't shiny enough.

They're shiny now, Heidi!

And, here's the inside!

 (We all know that I'm her favorite, but we won't tell the others.) Hee hee hee!

 

Nap Time

Hidy ho, crafty peeps!

Hard to believe it's halfway through April already. I truly believe that time accelerates as I get older. I think I'll call that phenomenon the "AARP conundrum"...the older, and slower, I get is directly linked (as an inverse) to the passage of time.

It's time for a new challenge over at

 House Mouse and Friends.

The theme this time is  

"In the Garden"

So, put on your gardening gloves and grab a spade and hoe! Of course, if you don't feel all garden-y  you can ALWAYS enter an "Anything Goes" themed project!

We are sponsored this time by our friends at Simon Says Stamps

The winner will receive a random assortment of their wonderful ink dye pads!

I used a "vintage" House Mouse stamp for my project today. Sometimes the oldies are the best! I stamped several images, colored them up with my Prismacolor pencils, and then fussy-cut parts out and decoupaged them into several layers. And I totally agree with the sentiment I put on there!! Naps...they're a good thing! I just LOVE these Gerber daisies!

You have until April 23 to enter.

And now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for my nap.

Stampendous Hop Midway reminder!

And so the hop continues!

There is still PLENTY of time to come play in our super-duper mega Spring hop--featuring wonderful inspiration from:
Here are links to each site's blog-hop! Be sure to check them all out!

Stampendous

Woodware Craft Collection

The Stencil Specialists

House-Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge

IMPORTANT: This is a CHALLENGE Blog-Hop!

You are NOT automatically entered to win simply by commenting on the blog posts as in some blog hops (although you DO have to comment). You MUST create a project and link it to the Linky Tool on the HMFMC website found HERE. For Instructions how to do this, see below (at the end of this post).

THEME: House Mouse and Stencils

We’re celebrating stencils, and using them with our House-Mouse Designs® images. We’re going to bring you tons of inspiration over the next two weeks, and we can’t wait to see what you enter into the challenge! You may use ANY House-Mouse Designs® images or characters on your project, and any stencils and stenciling techniques that you like. There is never any purchase necessary to enter. 

And, of course, as always on the HMFMC, “ANYTHING GOES” is always an entry option. 

Link your entry to the linky tool by the end of Friday, April 8, 2016 (11:59 pm in your own time zone).

There are prizes!! Three entries, chosen at random, will win 1-HMD Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamp, 1–Large Dreamweaver Stencils Background Stencil, and 1–Jar of Embossing Paste.  This contest is open to everyone!! 

We are also very happy and proud to be welcoming back our 2nd AWESOME sponsor
the Official Mousey Family, House-Mouse Designs(R)
HMD is also Offering another Lucky player a $20 Gift Certificate to shop at House-Mouse Designs(R)!

And now for my mid-way inspiration for you!

I used the same stencil as I did for my last project, but this time...instead of using embossing paste with it, I applied Versamark ink directly through the stencil to the paper below...then embossed it in my Big Shot so it's slightly raised. The Versamark ink created a tone-on-tone effect which makes the splats actually look wet! 

I used the super-cute HappyHopper Puddle Fun stamp.

Stampendous supplies used:

• Stamp: Puddle Fun
• Stencil: Paint Splats   

Once again, I am the caboose of this section of the hop, so you should have already visited all the other DT member's blogs. But if not, here is a list of all our Mousey DT, so you can hop on over to see their fabulous makes!! Just click on their names to be whisked away to their blog!

• America 
• Beth Brovold  
• Christine Craig 
• Diane Williams 
• Dorte Kvist 
• Karin van Eijk 
• Kate Wiles 
• Lori Barnett  
• Snoopy 
• Sue Drees 
• Sue Kment 
• Torrey Moseley (you are here!)

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Comment on DT's posts and Create something fun and a little bit wonderful. It’s not a talent show, winners are randomly selected. Use an HMD image PLUS a stencil on your work (or choose “anything goes”). It doesn’t have to be a card, it can be any kind of project. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
2. Post your creation online. You can post it anywhere that will give it a unique URL (internet address). Most folks have a blog, but you can post on Flickr, or PhotoBucket, sites like Split Coast Stampers, or even on your Google+ account. (ps…creating a blog is free! What are you waiting for?)
3. Get the URL for the specific post that contains your project – click on the title of your post, copy the URL from your browser’s title bar, click on the inLinkz picture on the HMFMC post, paste your URL into the tool. Add your name and email address and voila, you’re entered!

TO WIN A FABULOUS PRIZE...
You’ll need to COMMENT AND ENTER a PROJECT into the Challenge. So get ready to be inspired and you Hop along. You'll get one entry for each comment you leave on a post at HMFMC Blog, HMFMC Team member’s blog, Stampendous blog, and/or Stampendous Team member’s blogs.  (please, only one comment per post, per person)  

There will be 3 WINNERS, yes 3, for THREE Lucky players! 

 Each will win a stencil, a jar of paste and an House-Mouse Designs stamp. Open to everyone with the understanding that international winners may have to pay customs duties and fees to collect their prize.

WOW! How FUN is that??  Don't MISS OUT!  Be sure to play to win!

A Stampendous Hop!

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

Today is a momentous day in crafting for all you House Mouse fans! Today House Mouse and Friends is teaming up with the talented crew at Stampendous along with their partners -- Woodware Crafts and the Stencil Specialists!

"Why?", you ask.

Why not!!

But, for those of you who are interested, here is the history.

In July 2013 Stampendous was proud and excited to become the official rubber stamp licensee of House-Mouse Designs®. Since that time they’ve released over 235 House-Mouse, HappyHoppers, and Gruffies images as wood-mounted or cling-back rubber stamps. In January of 2015, they added the Dreamweaver Stencils company to their family, and they’ve been thrilled to release their stencils to their customers as well. Now, they’d like to have some fun combining all their new friends, and have invited us here at House Mouse and Friends to join in the fun!

IMPORTANT: This is a CHALLENGE Blog-Hop!

You are NOT automatically entered to win simply by commenting on the blog posts as in some blog hops (although you DO have to comment). You MUST create a project and link it to the Linky Tool on the HMFMC website found HERE. For Instructions how to do this, see below (at the end of this post).

THEME: House Mouse and Stencils

We’re celebrating stencils, and using them with our House-Mouse Designs® images. We’re going to bring you tons of inspiration over the next two weeks, and we can’t wait to see what you enter into the challenge! You may use ANY House-Mouse Designs® images or characters on your project, and any stencils and stenciling techniques that you like. There is never any purchase necessary to enter. 

And, of course, as always on the HMFMC, “ANYTHING GOES” is always an entry option. 

Link your entry to the linky tool by the end of Friday, April 8, 2016 (11:59 pm in your own time zone). 

There are prizes!! Three entries, chosen at random, will win 1-HMD Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamp, 1–Large Dreamweaver Stencils Background Stencil, and 1–Jar of Embossing Paste.  This contest is open to everyone!! 

We are also very happy and proud to be welcoming back our 2nd AWESOME sponsor
the Official Mousey Family, House-Mouse Designs(R)

HMD is also Offering another Lucky player a $20 Gift Certificate to shop at House-Mouse Designs(R)!

So, make a project and be sure to hop around to each designer’s blog and leave a sweet “eek” of delight at their inspiration! They’ve worked hard to create something you’ll love! Please give them some love right back! Here are the links to the Sponsor’s blogs and our designers playing today: (If a blog isn’t live when you visit, they might still be sleeping! Please, check back  in a few hours!)

Here are links to each site's blog-hop! Be sure to check them all out!

Stampendous

Woodware Craft Collection

The Stencil Specialists

House-Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge - (you are here!)

Now, on to my project for this AWESOME hop!

I made a gate-fold card that tells a little story as you open it up. It's sort of an inspirational story of creativity!

My story begins with little Mudpie looking quite distraught. It appears he's made some type of... mistake. But how could that be? Certainly Mudpie knows there are no mistakes in art.

AH! Now we see why he's upset! In his exuberance, it seems as though he painted Muzzy's poor tail green! Uh oh! Let's open the card up to reveal what is really going on!

 It's a reminder to all of us artists (big, small, fuzzy, or not at all) that there are NO mistakes in art...there are merely "Flopportunities"! 

Now for the 411 on how I made this card!

• This was the first time I've worked with embossing paste with stencils. I will admit, it took me a few tries to get the technique down to where I wasn't making a horendous mess everywhere...but only a few tries.  I squeegeed the paste onto black cardstock for my first 2 attempts. Then, I got brave and stenciled onto transparency film. I was surprised that it was actually much easier going onto the transparency than the paper. It produced a much cleaner stencil. Surprise, surprise! 

• I was working with pearl white embossing paste, which left me with the freedom (and challenge) of adding color to it. I've read about several methods of adding coloring mediums to wet paste, but I decided to let mine dry in its natural pearly-white state and THEN add color. 

• I experimented with several different methods...alcohol ink, alcohol markers, Sharpies, Twinkling H20 paint, Pearl-X powders...they all worked, but some were messy, some were too dark, some too light. 

• I finally pulled out my Crafter's Companion Spectrum Aqua markers (watercolor markers) and tried those. THEY WORKED GREAT. Not too light, not too dark, translucent coverage, easy and clean to work with, and permanent when dry.

• I didn't want to waste my early efforts on the black cardstock, so I cut them to size and mounted them behind the die-cut panels on the front flaps of the card. I love how the color is just peeking through the die cut here and there, plus, it hides the inside of the card! The inside background of the card is the transparency film I stenciled onto...I cut it to size and mounted it with foam tape so that it's slightly elevated off the background.

• For the final touch, I added the stamped image (which I fussy-cut and separated). I colored my image with colored pencils. The sentiment is hand-written and cut out of cardstock that has been washed with color from the Spectrum Aqua markers.

Stampendous supplies used:

• Stamp: Painting Pals
• Stencil: Paint Splats   
• Embossing paste: Pearlescent  

Other supplies used:

• Dies: Diorama Gate Fold (Sizzix Thinlits Plus)
• Spectrum Aqua pens (Crafter's Companion)
• Prismacolor colored pencils 

I am the caboose of this section of the hop, so you should have already visited all the other DT member's blogs. But if not, here is a list of all our Mousey DT, so you can hop on over to see their fabulous makes!! Just click on their names to be whisked away to their blog!

• America
• Beth
• Christine
• Diane
• Dorte
• Karen
• Kate
• Lori
• Snoopy
• Sue D
• Sue K
• Torrey (that's me!) 
• Stampendous Design Team entries  
• Woodware Craft Collection Design Team entries
• The Stencil Specialists Design Team entries
  

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Comment on DT's posts and Create something fun and a little bit wonderful. It’s not a talent show, winners are randomly selected. Use an HMD image PLUS a stencil on your work (or choose “anything goes”). It doesn’t have to be a card, it can be any kind of project. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
2. Post your creation online. You can post it anywhere that will give it a unique URL (internet address). Most folks have a blog, but you can post on Flickr, or PhotoBucket, sites like Split Coast Stampers, or even on your Google+ account. (ps…creating a blog is free! What are you waiting for?)
3. Get the URL for the specific post that contains your project – click on the title of your post, copy the URL from your browser’s title bar, click on the inLinkz picture on the HMFMC post, paste your URL into the tool. Add your name and email address and voila, you’re entered!

TO WIN A FABULOUS PRIZE...
You’ll need to COMMENT AND ENTER a PROJECT into the Challenge. So get ready to be inspired and you Hop along. You'll get one entry for each comment you leave on a post at HMFMC Blog, HMFMC Team member’s blog, Stampendous blog, and/or Stampendous Team member’s blogs.  (please, only one comment per post, per person)  

There will be 3 WINNERS, yes 3, for THREE Lucky players! 

 Each will win a stencil, a jar of paste and an House-Mouse Designs stamp. Open to everyone with the understanding that international winners may have to pay customs duties and fees to collect their prize.

WOW! How FUN is that??  Don't MISS OUT!  Be sure to play to win!