WELCOME!

WELCOME!

Hello everyone! I am thrilled to have you visit with me and I hope you enjoy your stay. I absolutely love company, sharing, and making new friends so I hope you find something here that inspires, motivates, or just pleases you in some way.

Of course, I love to visit and be inspired also. So if I don't already drop in on you, please let me know where I can find you and I'll hop on over to see what you're doing or to just say "hi".

Before you go, I would love it if you'd please leave me a comment letting me know you dropped in! Actually, I'd just love to hear from you -- comments, opinions, or questions you'd like me to answer.

In the meantime, relax and make yourselves at home... you're family here!!!

I'll be seeing you!


Friday, October 15, 2010

I'VE GOT IDEAS... COME ON OVER TO SEE ME PLAY!!!

Happy Friday, everyone!!! I truly hope you're all doing great!!!   I have to say this is such a beautiful Friday for me; I woke with no ear throbbing!  Still some tenderness when I swallow but not painful as it was, isn't that fantastic?!!!  The only downside is if I belch I can taste the antibiotics -- oops, did I tell you I belched?!!!  LOL!!!

Before I get started sharing all my playing with you, I'd like to thank my friend Dawn for sending me this wonderful belated birthday card:

Thank you, Dawn!!!

If you want to meet a beautifully spiritual and inspiring woman, please visit my friend.  Her name above is a direct link to her blog, just click on it.  You'll find the most amazing layouts and miscellaneous crafts.  Someone else I've fallen in love with!!!

Okay, are you ready for fun?  Well, pull up a chair because this post is going to be a bit longer than usual.  Let's begin with the few small enamel ideas that turned out well enough -- not great -- but good enough to share.  I'll also share with you what I found out and my further opinions on this stuff:


The top example is on an acrylic tile and I was trying to imitate stained glass; it didn't come out too bad but there was still quite a bit of puddling during the outlining.  The one with the tassel is an old jewelry finding (yes, I made the tassel). On this one I let the white enamel completely dry before adding the black dots to keep it from puddling; popped it with a clear gem.  This seems to work and the enamel did not run, and couldn't mix with the hardened white enamel.  The last one was my playing with those poker chips again (remember my earlier poker chip projects?).  On this one I "barely" kissed the tip of the black enamel nip to some unhardened white enamel and attempted to swirl it.  Eventhough the black and white pretty much stayed separate, the black did run more than I would have liked.  Overall, came out better than most  of my other attempts, so I popped this one on a a round ribbon.  Not as grand as I would like them to be, but fairly decent, and I can't wait to use my stained glass replica on a card or something.  In the meantime, I'll keep playing and continue to let you know my results.

Now let's move on to these other little things I "tinkered" with:


Here I used an assortment of items:  a button, another poker chip, bottle caps, and assorted old jewelry pieces to make these embellies.  Most of them I covered and/or filled in with either Glossy Accents or UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder).  The ones I left unfilled I haven't decided yet what I want to do with yet -- everything doesn't have to be Christmas stuff, you know.

Now, here're some ribbon bows and a flower I made:


All right, now watch me have some fun with the embellies, the ribbon bows and the flower:


I haven't even began  to imagine all the combinations and other ideas I have zooming in my head!!!  And not only for cards, but box and bag toppers, ornaments, pins, albums, etc.  And, not only for Christmas as most of these are but for weddings, graduations, birthdays -- ENDLESS!!!  Use your imagination and creativity!!!  I have so many other combinations I want to get to playing with!

OH NO, my playing did not stop here.  Have you ever bought these acrylic stickers?:


Well, I won't be buying them anymore because now I'll be making my own; like these:


I put pieces of colored paper behind the the top 2 stickers so you can see they don't have to be clear.  It really took a while trying to figure out a way to do this because the ink will run as soon as you apply anything liguid to the transparency.  I tried using a sealer; I even tried reversing the print and applying the dimensional medium to the reverse side of the transparency but that didn't work because the gloss medium still seeped beneath the transparency and made the ink run.  But, being persistent and really enjoying myself, I did figure out a way!  Here's one I made for you guys:


I hope you like it!!!  Now are you ready to know how to make your own?  Okay, first get some transparencies designed for ink jet printers (other transparencies will not hold inkjet print, the ink will rub right off); I got mine from Staples.  Next type whatever you like onto your transparencies and print it out;  cut out your stickers and carefully apply clear packing or sealing tape across the print; , apply Glossy Accents for dimension or any dimensional clear medium you chose; let it dry, trim the edges with a pair of scissors, and add some double-sided tape to the back!!!  Easy-peezy!!!  You're done!  If you do some I wanna see!!!

I hope you enjoyed having fun with me and, hopefully, you were inspired with a few ideas.

Now, it's time for me to visit with you all before I get back to having more fun...!!!

I'll be seeing you!
 


 


15 comments:

flowerdisco said...

LOVE the embellishments you made...every single one but my fav has to be the Santa with the snowflake.
Thanks for all the work you did to teach us the technique.

Hugs!

Carol L said...

WOW... You have been a busy... Everything is super nice! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!!! I love the ribbon bows, they look very elegant. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,
Carol L.

- - Sheryl - - said...

Oh my goodness - I love your creations - from the bottle cap to the bows to the mini stain glass.

Now - your printing on the clear sheets- at first I thought it was shrinky dinks! very nice - so glad you are feeling better! Just in time for the weekend.

Sheila aka SassyLady said...

Wow what unique items! and you are having just too much fun. Hubby is going to start watching items around the house and will start accousing you if they come up missing!!! LOL (Nothing is sacred in my house either!)

Teresa Kline said...

thanks so much for your visits and comments to my blog...you are a doll! I really adore your bows and the stickers you made...perfect...have a super blessed weekend!

enjoy *~*

Dawnll said...

Just popped in and I see my card up there, I thought you made one like it..forgot I sent it to you. (I am blonde you know- more some days then others)
I love all the new ideas you shared today, I love how your mind works, like a little squirrel collecting and making new treasures. I can't believe you thought of the transparencies.
Always enjoy all the inspiration.
Hope you are getting better each day sweetie, I am off to a craft convention tomorrow in Milwaukee

Barb Turpin said...

What fun! So glad you're feeling better!

Sandy from Ukiah said...

Oh my goodness, you have been one busy lady. AND what beautiful things you have made, they are all just GORGEOUS. AND how fun you made your own acrylic stickers, you are simply amazing my friend. hugs

Ladybug said...

You are quite the "tinkerer"! But your tinkering produces such gorgeous items!!! :-)

Kingston's Kreations said...

Audrey you are too creative! I so enjoy your posts. Your embellies are amazing and when added to your beautiful bows and flowers...just speechless! :) Also, I am going to have to get some transparencies and try making my own stickers. How smart! I love any way to save money on crafting (and so does my hubby LOL!) Great post and super projects. Hugs to you, my friend!
Wendy

Do What You Love said...

OMG Audrey! I knew you were talented but you are seriously TOP NOTCH talented! What a lovely sight to behold first thing in the morning for me, girl! I just love everything you did! Each project was more amazing than the next. The first set really had me smiling with amazement as each piece was done perfectly - I couldn't see the puddling at all - thought you had a vintage "find" you wanted to share. Then the bottle caps; alone were a real treasure and coupled with those magnificent bows - talk about magnificence! FANTASTIC! You are amazing and then we get to those lovely epoxy stickers, which I have and here you made your own! Who would have thought....my word! I love yours! YOU are exceptionally talented girl and I love seeing all that you share with us! Thanks for saying how to make the epoxy stickers as it will be great to try these out! Woohoo --- talk about a fun inspiring day!

ScrapCrazyyyy! said...

Wow, looks like you had a lot of fun. Everything looks so professional. I love the little embellsihments you made. I have never seen acrylic stickers...well maybe I have but didn't know what they were, I love how yours turned out...Wonderful!!!

Sorry, I missed your birthday, I hope it was GREAT!!!!!! When is it?

DonnaMundinger said...

You are sooo clever and unafraid to try anything! I'm easily discouraged when something doesn't work and usually just give up, but not you! WooHoo! Great job with all of these. xxD

Jess (aka Sparksgal) said...

You've been mighty busy my friend! Love the ideas you've shared -- will have to keep the acrylic stickers in mind.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Pamela Levingston said...

Being sick seems to agree with your creativity, Never the less I'm glad you are better now!