Artsy Addicts Technique Blog Hop: Freehand Embossing

Hi all. Welcome to the 1st Artsy Addicts Technique Blog Hop. Whoot Whoot!!!

When Marion first told me she us to have a blog hop I was equally excited and nervous. I've never participated in a blog hop before. I am a blog hop novice, newcomer, newbie, noob, fish, neophyte.....Totally NOT in my comfort zone here, people. Marion hosts Ustream crops through Prima Marketing, she makes tutorial videos via Youtube, I mean she's a pro at these sort of things. I'm just a girl who collects way too much scrapbooking stuff.

But one thing I'm not is a person who backs down from a challenge. So the challenge here today is to share one of your favorite techniques....Oh is that all? Cool beans. I can do that.

So here goes.

Let's start at the beginning:

First start off with a messy desk. I always seem to work better when there are lots of things around me that I can draw from quickly and play with.

Hello messy desk that I love so much. Just looking at it gives me inspiration.

 

Next, gather a few items that you've been thinking about all day. You know, paint, stamps, flowers, etc., etc., etc.

Love that lady stamp. Just picked that up at Michaels today, along with those little clear beads at the bottom. Found those in the floral section, and they have a flat back. Got a huge bag of 'em. Plus a few die cuts and my newest stamps from the latest Papertrey Ink release.

Now on to the my project.

I have fallen in love with freehand embossing especially on vellum.

I punched this butterfly out using a Fiskars "All A Flutter" squeeze punch from PaperTreyInk linen vellum cardstock. Next I took my McGill Paper Blossoms Tool kit and used the 2 mm stylus to emboss an outline all around the butterfly "freehand." I placed the vellum cardstock on a few pieces of cardstock for a little cushion so that the impression would be deep.

Next I took the 1 mm stylus from the same set and traced my outline on my cutting mat. The hard surface makes the embossed outline bright white on the vellum.

I added a few rhinestones to the center of the butterfly for the body and attached it to my project.

 

 

And here is the finished project.

I simply love this technique because you can change up the look of any die cut or punched shape with just a stylus or bone folder and a few squiggles. How about doing a cross hatch pattern or open polka dots... That would be so much fun.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did putting it all together. My first blog hop post. I'm so proud.

I am the first leg of the blog hop and up next is Darlene Carroll. She is a super fantastic crafty lady from Australia and I know you are going to love her technique.  You can click  or click on the Artsy Addicts picture above to be taken to her blog.

 

And I can't forget about my GIVEAWAY:

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your blog or your favorite blogger to win a 2 Greeting Farm Stamp sets.

Miss Anya Love Stamp Set

 

Special Autumn Stamp Set

 

So don't forget to leave your comment for your chance to win.

 

Here is the complete blog hop list for reference. If you happen to get turned around somewhere you can pop back here and get back on board. Or you can click on Artsy Addicts at the very top of the page.

 

You are here.

Darlene Carroll

Stephanie Gradzki

Liz

Lilly Marguez

M-C Graves

Purple Lily Studio

Flora Garcia-Alvarez

Angelia

Heidi Bound

Kim Dunson

Chrys Kamp

Karla Guijarro

Kimberly Gillaspy

Lisa James

Limor Webber

Dawn Love

Claudia M

Danielle M

Teri Dorowsky

Sue C

Marion Smith (Head Artsy Addict)

Katherine Lonuzzo

Peggy Lee Baker

 

 

Happy Hopping.

 

Angee Lee

.::Daily Thanks 4.23.11::.

Today I'm glad to have time with people who love me. Friends and family. Time to relax, time to play and have fun, time to hang out with my mom and dad, time to hang out with the girls. Time to be me, happily.

.::Daily Thanks 4.21.11::.

Today I'm thankful for friends.

I have some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I've never been a girls girl. Growing up I've always had a few girl friends but I've never really understood or gotten along with girls. Now that I'm a woman I've aquired some great girl friends. My very best has been around since 6th grade. She's definitely my bestie. And in the last two years I've added 3 more ladies to that list. They are my co-workers and I call us "Teach-In-the-City." These ladies keep me sane in the crazy world of education.

What I love about my girl friends is that they accept me for who I am right now, they don't try to change me, and we have alot of fun. Before I met them I was a work-a-holic. I actually took my very first vacation last year when one of my girls was getting married on a caribbean cruise. Isn't that a shame. I was 28 and had been working since I was 15 and had never taken a vacation.

Don't worry, I have lots more vaca's planned for the near future.

Artsy Addicts Blog Hop Sign Up

 

Hi Artsy Addicts,

So Marion, Karla, and I have been secretly scheming planning some super fun stuff for you guys. Of course I can't mention it just yet but I'm so excited about all the new Artsy Addict events coming up. But there is one I get to share.

 

Aren't you excited??

 

I love blog hops and now we have one all our own.

 

As you can see this is a technique blog hop.

 

That means you need to create a project using one of your favorite techniques that you will share on your blog. What technique should you share? Anyone you like no matter how extensive or how simple.

 

Use the linky below to sign up for the blog hop.

 

It will only be open for signups until Monday, April 25, 2011 at 8 AM so get your name and your blog link in there quick.

 

I will compile the list and post it to the Artsy Addicts Facebook Group page on Sunday night along with a blog hop image similar to the one above that you can post to your blog for the hop.

 

For your blog post, all you have to do is show a picture of your project and give directions showing your technique that are easy to follow so others can replicate it. Then you will post a link on your blog of the person who is listed below you and the last (but not least) person will post a link back to the first person on the list completing our 1st Artsy Addicts Blog Hop. Yay!!!!

 

And since we're going to be hopping along.......I might just have a "little" greeting farm giveaway to go along with it. Feel free to do the same on your blog.

 

.::Daily Thanks 4.20.11::.

Today I'm thankful for Tylenol. After my visit to the dentist (orthodontist) I'm in a bit of pain today. It's still been a great day and I'm getting closer and closer to finding out what makes me happy.

I've be on a quest lately to be more of a producer and less of a consumer. I had a epiphany moment a few weeks back (probably after watching Oprah, I'm not sure) that I was consuming way way way too much. From clothes, to shoes, jewelry, furniture, books, and way too many scrapbooking supplies. I needed to make a change, so I committed to becoming more if a producer and less of a consumer, starting with my online presence.

So I have this blog thing that I infrequently posted things on and I figured why limit myself to crafty things when I really want to document my growth and my mission to live life more authentically and find my true identity. So I decided to just do me, in every and whatever form that I can with no qualms or apologies about it.

And here I am with no regrets. Like it, love it, or find another blog to read.

*ok, that's just rude, well not rude but not nice so if you don't like it or love it, please excuse yourself at this time. Thank you. :-D

**as you can see I'm a work in progress.

How exposed are you?

Did a quick Google search for one of my favorite bloggers this morning. I was looking for a previous post that they'd written about techie stuff, when I happened across SPOKEO.COM. Initially the search result gave me a list of links associated with my blogger but then it showed a map of the USA with all the placed marked where someone of the same name LIVED. I was a little taken aback by this so I did a quick little search of my name. Oh My Word. I did a little more digging and actually found a one search result that showed my previous address as well another one that showed my current one, a picture of my current home with the ENTIRE address listed, my home phone number listed, and my personal email address. WTH?!

I'm a pretty open person and all but I make sure that nothing about me is out there that I don't want to be out there. I Google myself at least a few times a year just to see how long it would take someone (or perhaps an disgruntled student) to find me and and my Facebook privacy settings are check regularly. There are quite a few people in the world that share my name but this information was a bit too much. So I did another quick Google search to find out how to have this information removed.  I completed the removal request for both profiles and had them both deleted within 2 minutes. It was easy peasy. Here are the steps.

1. Visit Spokeo.com

2. Use the search bar at the top of the page to search for yourself. You might have to be a little diligent here but most creeps are so you should be as well to protect yourself.

3. After you find the result that lists your information go to http://www.spokeo.com/privacy and enter in the link for your profile, your email address, and the captcha.

4. Spokeo.com will send you an email with a link where you can delete the profile that you requested.

5. Click the link and the profile is deleted automatically. Done and Done.

Just wanted to give you all a heads up. Take care.

Angee Lee

.::Daily Thanks 4.19.11::.

Today I am going to start a daily series called Daily Thanks. I figure with all the changes that are happening in my life right now I need to take the time to give Thanks. Now I know it's called "Daily Thanks" and I'm committing to write this daily, but things happen and I hope my blog readers (who I love so much) will encourage me in my newest endeavor.

 

 

It's been a long day today with many challenges and successes. I'm still the worlds biggest procrastinator. Got to get better at that.

Today I'm thankful for crazy voicemails from a dear friend that make me laugh uncontrollably. I'm thankful for hard work and just rewards however small. I'm thankful for ambition that keeps me distracted from where I fear my thoughts may linger too long. I'm thankful for inspiration all around me and the keen eye to see it. I'm thankful for friends who accept me for who I am right now. I'm still learning to do the same. I'm thankful for the phrase "fake it until you make it" because it might be the only reason I have self confidence to this day. I think I've finally made it in that area.

I'm thankful for flowers and the beauty they have within. I hope to be like them. And my favorite are these.

[caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="Source: Jess Nichols via Pinterest"][/caption]

With all the different layers of the petals, I just feel like these flowers are beautiful, and hold a little mystery between those petals. Just like me. :-)

Forgive yourself...

"Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others."

That was the line that struck a chord, hit a nerve, tugged at my heart, or whatever you may want to call it. It hit home in a very big way. It came from this book:

 

Tuesday's with Morrie

I was sitting in my reading chair in my classroom while my students were silently reading and I came across this line in my book. There have been many times when I've been reading during this time and I'd come across something that reaches right to the heart of ME or the "ME" that I desire to become. I'd want to jump, scream, shout, or (more often) cry but that really would not be  appropriate while I'm sitting in front of a room full of 8th graders. I know this could be what we educators call a "teachable moment" but don't quite think they'd understand.  I digress.

This quote happens on page 164 and as much as I want to keep reading I stop and close my eyes for just a second, again I'm in a room of....well you get my point. I recall all the moments that keep me up at night; all the time I've spent worrying about other people opinions of me because I've said no to a request; all the times I've been called selfish because I didn't do what someone wanted me to do. This quote just resonates deep within me rearranging my thought process, my definition of who I WAS, and my goal of who I want to be.

FORGIVE YOURSELF. I hear it all day over and over in my mind, just loud enough not to distract me but persistent enough to keep it at the forefront of my mind ALL DAY.

FORGIVE YOURSELF. For all the inadequecies that you think you have. For all the goals that you have yet to reach. For all the paths you were too afraid to take.

FORGIVE YOURSELF. For all the years you tried, in vain, to live up to everyone else's expectations of you while losing your own definition of self.

FORGIVE YOURSELF. For all the years spent finding yourself again and pissing so many people off because you stopping being their "YES MA'AM"

FORGIVE YOURSELF. For all the things you can not control nor change.

Right now I'm working on forgiving myself for all those things and more. I don't know how long it will take and I don't know where I will be when it finally happens nor how I will feel about myself or you then. And after that I can start to forgive them/YOU. (Colossians 3:13)

Edited to Add:

Saw this on Facebook today and it so matches my feelings above. Sometimes things just happen to coincide. Or you can say GOD confirms things in many ways, even via Youtube. lol.

Artsy Addicts Challenge No. 1

 

Welcome to the Artsy Addicts "Time Challenge"

 

This month's Challenge is all about TIME. You interpret it any way you like.

The Rules:

All you need to do is create a 4x4 mini album cover using this theme

Upload a photo of your album cover to your blog or online gallery

Submit a DIRECT link to your entry on this blog post

The Contest:

Marion, Karla, and I will pick our Top 5 entries at the end of the challenge term.

We will then randomly select a winner who will WIN A PRIZE FROM MARION.

The challenge will end on May 1st.

That's all folks. Easy as pie. (Is pie easy?? I don't normally do pie..he he)

 

As submission come in I will do a weekly round up of the posts and repost pictures and links back to your blogs and galleries here for all to see.

Don't forget to link up on our facebook group page as well.

Don't forget to leave your link in the comments below.

We can't wait to see them.

Update: In addition to the prize pack from Marion Smith you will also win a 12 month subscription to Paper Crafts Magazine from me. Yay!!!