Surprising you with "Things I Do Not Like"

Oooohhhhh....Aaaahhhhhh....GAK! I don't like this vintage/mixed media stuff.

I know you're surprised by being 'vocal' about things I don't care for...being that this blog is all 'sunshine and light," this juxtaposition may unnerve some of you. But be assured...your hostess is STILL filled with all the flowery sweetness you've come to expect from her.

I HATE this mixed media/vintage craze. Don't get me wrong...II LOVE looking at it and think that this genre is incredible when OTHER artistes produce it. I love how things are jumbled together yet form a message...a work of art.

When it comes to ME, my philosophy is to throw all the Tim Holtz 'ephemera' (a much prettier way to say cr*p, I think) on something and try to do some strange things to it and VOILA! I did it!! But with this challenge, I told myself to try to figure out a 'theme'. I need 'themes' in my life. Desperately. So, my theme here is to say 'travel, go, do'. The butterflies are punched out of a map, there's a compass and balloon. It's also a 'thanks to Tim Holtz for having occasional sales of all KINDS of 'theme ephemera' for me to throw on the tag. I resolve to stop being afraid of...well...whatever this genre is and go forward, confidently. With Xanax.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and more Blog Candy...TBA! Check back because, this week, we're getting down and dirty with Gift Certificates from one of my FAVES...yours too, I bet!!

Exploding Magic Boxes, REVENGE and Judgement Day.

Oh, please. I'm no amateur. I can tie all three into a cohesive narrative with no problem! It's a gift.

I think.

My day started around noon. I started watching this show called 'Revenge'. My sister and mother are in love with it and I have to say, I'm down with a show in which you get to see other people's karma come and kick them in the a**.

The show is okay. I guess I expect a little more 'Revenge-ing' to be going on. I play the Powerball and Mega Millions twice a week, hoping to create my own little personal 'Revenge' scenario. You see, like most everyone, I have the fantasies of winning and doing nice things for friends and family, and you have my word that I'll do every bit of it; it'll be the SECOND thing I do.

The FIRST thing I plan to do after winning the lottery is to destroy my enemies. I get more enjoyment out of planning the downfall of those I despise than thinking about how I'd get my mother that Paris apartment she always wanted or how I would hire really high-end nannies for each kid, buy a huge house and probably wouldn't have to see them until they turn 18 and the security code they have expires and they're on their own...

Wow. I HAVE put some thought into this, huh???

Anyway, I know I'm not making Jesus especially happy with this line of thinking (although I think He would TOTALLY agree on the security code thing) and trust me when I say that Judgement Day will probably be a little more 'involved' for me than most. I picture it being like I'm the person in the express line who just HAD to write a check and-even worse-didn't even START to write the check until everything was done and the clerk is just standing there waiting. Same thing on JD.

I guess I should give you a little head's up on the pics at the top of the page! There's a woman named Elaine who makes these 'Magic Boxes'.  Her blog is here and the Magic Halloween Box will stop you in your tracks! I stumbled on the boxes while on HRH Kittie Caracciolo's blog. I've been dying to have a go at this and today was the day.

The way I learn techniques is via CASEing other projects. The main reason being that I don't want to get bogged down trying to come up with design details for a project I haven't even tried. The CASEing lets me focus on the technique. I've CASEd a LOT of Kittie's stuff and today was no different. Now, you've seen the box top and the box itself at the top of the page. HERE'S what happens when you remove the top!

All four sides fall open to reveal some design or scene. Yes...those three butterflies are 'floating' on acetate. Granted, most of my time was spent in the somewhat extensive (yet SO dang gorgeous) design but this was a second attempt. One thing I wanted to do for you is give perspective...I first thought the boxes were huge, but here's mine to scale next to a regular Sharpie.

If you take Elaine's tutorial, be sure you have a metric ruler and I actually increased my box top size from 82-85 cm's and I thought it worked much better.


Congrats again to Carole on winning the Goddess Giveaway #2...on Monday, we'll start again and THIS time, you get to PICK your prize!

See you then!

I make one...ONE...smart-a** remark about New Jersey...

...and I forget that I'M on EST!!

Actually, I didn't forget. I had lots of fun stuff happen tonight....like the flu-like symptoms I'm struggling with now. GAK.

But I REFUSED to let the NyQuil kick in before I mentioned the blog candy winner tonight~

How many EF's are currently residing in my craft room after-literally-ONE year of doing this? I actually had someone nail it right on the head!!

Carole Robb BissonJanuary 2, 2014 at 5:05 AM

Hi peony lover and bug despiser. I circle my bed in the spring looking for the first shoots to appear and it is a very happy time. As to your embossing folders, the number you have that it, you said you over spend so hopefully it is just double digits not triple. so I am going to say double mine which would be about 64.
Blessings
Carole 

64 is dead on. Spooky. It's like you people know everything about me...like you're peeking into my home!

But I know I'm silly...only the NSA does that on a regular basis. It used to bother me...now, it's kind of kinky.

Congrats Carole!! Email me your mail addy and I'll have that package out first thing in the morning!! New contest starts Monday and I'll have you pick your OWN prize!!

Oooohhhhhh.....y'all done got lucky!!

It's a rough one today for me, so that means it'll be an easy one for you!!! 

I'm buried in my down comforter, trying to regain feeling in my numb limbs. No, the numbness is not from the herniated disc this time, but from the fact it's 90 below zero here in North Carolina  

The thermometer says 35 but don't be fooled: it's so cold that if every man and woman here stepped outside naked, everything would freeze and fall off and you couldn't tell which was which. 

Or some southern euphemism similar to that effect. 

Don't forget that today we announce our 2nd blog candy winner! 

I asked you to guess how many embossing folders, to include embossing plates, that I currently have snuggled up in my Stamp-n-Storage tote. I'm talking full folders: I'm not counting the strips. 

Feel free to answer up to three times, on every post, under your actual name. Then, feel free to create fake ID'a and answer up to three times on each post with that one too. The way I see it is if you're that determined to win, then you should! LOL 

Origunally, I thought about announcing the winner this afternoon, but let's make the actual announcement at 8 PM tonight, EST. For those of you in foreign places I'm not familiar with, ie. Nova Scotia, Guam or New Jersey, I would suggest google. 

Besides, it may take me a bit to get my sister over here to count. She lived in Atlanta, Georgia for most of her life and that's two states even farther south than North Carolina. So if I'm hurting, you know SHE'S probably comatose. 

I wish you all good luck and thank you for participating! If you're having fun with this, I can guarantee I'm having more!

It's a Challenge, Challenge, CHALLENGE Day!!

Mark's Finest Paper/Speedy TV Color Challenge 4-Yellow and Grey...Sympathy Card...Hopefully, I'll get extra sympathy points for the crappy camera work. SU! Regarding Dahlia's, So Saffron and Basic Grey Ink, Stampabilities Faded Text Background, Clear detail EP, Masking Paper

Tutorial Time on Speedy TV Challenge 81   Bo Bunny Paper, SU! Baroque Motifs  LOVED this sunburst technique!! It really is a terrific look and since I'm building cards for my depleted stash (hence the absence of sentiments on most of these) it's a wonderful way to add variety and use up those scraps!! 

Back in a bit!

It's a Teeny, Weeny Peony!!

Recipe: McGill punches, Verve Decorative Label and Sentiment, SU! Small Butterfly Punch, Delicate Doily, Copics for shading and tips
Entering into Mark's Finest Papers Speedy TV Inspiration Challenge #44 Baby It's Cold Outside!

http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/inspiration-challege-44-baby-it-s-cold-outside-01-02-14

OH, I just LOVE saying that!! Especially since it has only been two years since I quit pronouncing it "Pee-oh-nee" and got it right. I would say 'teeny, weeny peony' to remind myself how to say it. Of course, I would advise that if you choose to use my Mnemonics trick, only say it in your head...especially if your husband is around. I'm really ready for Spring. I want my flowers to come out-especially my beloved roses-and allow me to enjoy the 15 or 20 minutes I get before the effing bugs start chewing them up and I choose the nuclear option to get rid of them. When I was young, I loved Junebug season! You could catch them and tie strings around them and they'd fly around above your head. Now, I load the end of the hose with poison and shoot them in the air and scream with hysterical laughter when they fall out of the sky. I point at the fallen bug and make it a point to use it as an example to the rest. "You see this? You little &%&&^, I've got enough sh*t to wipe out your GRANDCHILDREN!!!! Get OUT OF MY YARD!!!" You know, I'm not kidding that-as I was writing this-my heart rate jumped. Crap. I have to go take another blood pressure pill. Wow. Talk about some gardening PTSD. WOW!

Tomorrow...well, make that TODAY, someone will win a FABULOUS prize pack! Guess the # of embossing folders that are residing in my craft room (and SWEAR not to tell my hubby) and you can win, win, WIN!! Leave your guesses..up to 3 a day, in the contest post dated last Monday and you're in the running! Good Luck!

It's Teapot Tuesday!!! It's also blog candy time!!

 Recipe: Art Impressions Fence, AI Fronts & Backs, MFT Clouds, Impression Obsession Butterflies, Strawberry Slush and Pretty in Pink SU! Cardstock, Copics

Hey...I'm not a big fan of the handwritten 'Resolutions' either!! But I have NOTHING that is really 'whimsical' and, quite frankly, my idea of a good New Year's Eve is to have a couple of drinkie winkies (as I taught the children to say) and turn the front porch lights off and on several times while yelling "Happy New Year"! That is, if I MAKE it to midnight without passing out from sheer fatigue, moreso than from Vodka.

New Year's was such a great party time when I was in my 20's. Back when I could actually move my hips and dance, without throwing my actual hip out or herniating a disc in my back. I had the energy to party until 2 or 3 in the morning, throw myself on the bed and wake up with smeared make-up. Naturally, I would shower and underneath the make-up was the smooth skin of a 25 year old. Nowadays, I wake up with smeared make-up-you know-the black under your eyes and streaks, WITHOUT EVEN WEARING MAKE-UP.

I also enjoyed flirting with the boys all night. Back then, they tried to brush against me while opening a door for me...today, they have to stretch as far back from the door as they can, to make room for my cane.

Ahhhh...New Year's Eve. A time to resolve to have a consistent relationship with your Botox provider and hope that you qualify for a hip replacement on Obamacare. Oh, Lord. Where's that drink????


***Blog candy giveaway. Until I get a little more creative, let's have fun figuring out how many EMBOSSING FOLDERS-including plates-that are currently residing in my Stamp n Storage box. Winner will be announced on Friday the 3rd. You can enter up to 3 times a day and please make sure to enter on the PREVIOUS POST. Not here. Thank you  and GOOD LUCK!