Polka Dot to Dot Sledding Tag

It's always amazing to me how the things we use in projects - evolve from one to the next!  In the fall, I cut out dozens and dozens of flowers from wrapping paper to use in a project.  Around the flowers were various colored polka dots.  As I was doing this while I sat in my chair at night - I decided... why not cut out the polka dots too!!!  Alas... now I had them for this tag project.  Also from my stash, I had three little left over red balls that I added! 

The tag was hot pink. I added the various colored wrapping paper polka dots with glitter modge podge. 

The next layer was a piece of white lace which I added with mat gel right over the top of the polka dots!  

Now the tricky part... adding the white netting!  I decided to gather it up like a bow and tie the center tightly together.  Then I hot glued the tied center to the tag.  The little person on the sled was easy to glue on between the two tails of the white netting!  It was a die cut to which I added some embossed blue glitter bling.

It needed a bit more bling so I added the little red balls and a few white crochet lace flowers. Although they are flowers, they reminded me of snow on the ground!!!  White organza for the attaching ribbon seemed to match the wispy look too.

That's my polka dot adventure! 
Hope your new year is off to a fantastic start! Joi@RR
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Thanks to the following challenges for the opportunity to play!


http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/



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Brrrr  Blues... it's cold outside...

even here at the ranch in lower Texas.  No snow though!!! Yeah!

This is a 2.5" by 4.75" tag. For some reason, I enjoy making tags.  

As always, I used some nature from the ranch!  

I put gesso on the tag first - it used to be bright pink!!!  The added ink sprays to achieve the brilliant blue color.  Before it was completely dry - I stenciled on the leaves with modeling paste so it soaked up just enough of the blue color to make a pretty silhouette.

I also sprayed the crochet leaves with an ink and added some moss around the log.  A little white embossing powder helped to add the snow on the log.  The log and twigs are from a COLD creative scavenger hunt for this project - all from here on the ranch. 

We have deer at the ranch too - every evening they are right outside my window.  I used a little silver metal deer for this snowy scene. He has a little snow bird on his tail... looking for warmth!! Brrrrr... it's cold outside!!!   

The star is a die cut with added glitter.  And the ribbon has a silver edge to compliment the silver deer.  

Thanks for letting me share! Joi@RR

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Please check out these challenge entries... 
so many great creations! 
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Brrrrrr Blues is the theme for: 

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/

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Vintage Christmas Ornament - Owl Family

I made this ornament for my daughter and her family.  She and the grandkids are in love with owls!!

We had a fantastic pecan harvest at the ranch this year.  Seems it's an every other year thing so I have been crafting with pecans as well as shelling and canning them!

Every year - it's tradition for Grammie to send them a new Christmas ornament.  This year - for the first time - I made them one!  Even added my grandson's gecko since he's part of the family!!!

Hubby fashioned me a small board from one of our fallen cedar trees.  It was 3.5" x 6".

I modge podged it to seal the cedar and to add the die cut silhouette of Santa and his reindeer!!

After that was dry, I added some embossed white snowflakes but they don't seem to show up too well in my pictures.

Can't you just hear the four baby owls getting excited as Santa flew over their tree!!!  I added this poem on the back... for the grandkids to read.

Hope you are smiling!!!!

The branch was - of course - from a walk around the ranch to find the right items from the project. I liked this branch because it had a little white in the bark - more wintery looking!!  

I painted the white on the owl eyes and painted the little beaks.  Then added some tiny filigree beads to make the center of the eyes.  The wings are made from leaf charms that I cut in half.  

Mom is holding a gemstone heart and three of the owls are girls so they have a little gemstone bow on their head.  And of course, on the branch is the gecko pet!!  

The chain is an old necklace that sparkles much more in person so it will catch the lights on the tree and add some more bling. I also added some opalescent glitter over the top of it all!

It was a fun project and I think the family enjoyed it too!  It was honestly much cuter in person!!!  Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year to all!! Joi@RR

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Challenge Project For: 

The Pink Challenge - Eclectic Ellapu

http://eclecticellapu.blogspot.co.uk/

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Recycle RePurpose ReInvent Challenge

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JANUARY TAG 

for 

Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2015!!

http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-january/

I'm so excited!  This is my first year to do this challenge.  

This first tag of the new year was wonderful for me... very therapeutic... in it's own way.  

As much as I wish I did... I didn't have all of the incredible products handy and I live 2 hours from the nearest craft shop so... I used what I had!  It was so much fun.  

My card was 4.75 x 2.25 and the letters/numbers I had were way to large for my card.  So I had to put on my thinking cap! Of course, my first thought always goes to the natural products from right here at the ranch. 

Sweet hubby cut me some tiny flat rounds from a branch and that worked perfectly for punching the numbers into the wood. I added some mat gel to make sure the bark stayed on and to enrich the wood a bit.  

I didn't have the WONDERFUL tissue paper (but I want it!!!) so I used regular tissue with mat gel and after it was dry... I used inks to make the background colors.  I had a Tim Holtz Schoolhouse number stencil and made my own numbers down the side - to be similar to the numbers on Tim's tissue paper.  They were in gold but you can barely see them now with the words on top.  

I didn't have any words either... so I printed them and did alot of cutting!  It took quite a while to find them all but... I really enjoyed getting in touch with my feelings about the year ahead.

I had a couple of "crafty" charms which make me smile so I thought they were perfect for a touch of bling!  And in the end, it just seemed like the chain looked perfect with the entire effect of the tag.  I use chains on my tags more than any thing else.  Perhaps because most of my tags have a touch of some kind nature item from the ranch!!!  

Thanks bunches for the opportunity to be a part of this 12 tags challenge and for giving me the inspiration to think about the year ahead in such a fun way.  

Wishing everyone twelve months of expressive creativity and fun!!  joi@RR

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Your Ticket to a New Beginning!

New Year - 2015 - full of new beginnings if we choose to take the "ticket"...

Trying mixed media ideas NEW TO ME.... because...

Beginning this year with the incredible Creative Jumpstart (CJS) Workshop with Nathalie Kalbach and 22 other mentors... has been simply marvelous in every way.  I am already dreading it's ending! 


This project was made as a result of a challenge from Jimmy Leslie to make a mixed media collage.  Would you believe I had never used spray paint or fabric on a project before? 

The suggestion was to use a wooden board.  This creation measures 16" x 20".   It is done with gesso, modeling paste/spackle, spray paint, regular paint, geletos, markers, stamps, ink, everything but the kitchen sink... and I spent some time there too!!!  

For extra dimension and color there are small pieces of pointed wood covered in gelli print paper, a tiny puzzle that I painted with a new design, frayed fabric cut in a circular shape, a red heart doilie, some silver metal bling shapes, and some chain.  

I added the small collage of watch parts because even though the new year is just beginning - the older I get - the faster time flies by... so any "new beginning" seems to be focused to some extent on the passing of time!  

And of course, a key attached to the chain - with the words New Beginning and 15 for 2015!

Will you take the new ticket, work the puzzles of life and make it a year of growth (especially artistically - hehehehe)???  Or will you tear up your ticket (see the one laying at the bottom left?) and leave the fun challenges behind?  WHICH WAY???!!!!  

Thank so much for the great challenge idea - it worked perfectly for the CJS learning process.  j. 

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Honored to create for the following challenges: 

Design Memory Craft

http://designmemorycraft.typepad.com/design-memory-craft/2015/01/take-the-challenge-with-mou-january-2015-.html

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Anything But A Card Challenge. 

http://anythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-new-year-brings-new-beginnings-for.html


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Fresh Beginnings is the theme for the Artist Trading Post but I'm hoping New Beginnings will find favor as well!!! 

http://artisttradingpost.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/fresh-beginnings.html


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New and the number 15 - the theme from Mixed Media Mojo.  Another great challenge for our new, fresh beginning to the year 2015! 




http://mixedmediamojo.blogspot.com/


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For the Mixed Media MC - trying something NEW for the new year...  definitely did that!!! 



http://www.mixedmediamc.blogspot.com/

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AND... for the awe inspiring CJS - Creative Jump Start Workshop with Nathalie Kalbach and 22 other mentors.  WOW. 

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Larky from Larkyville 

Christmas Leftovers.... read on.... :)

Wow - hard to believe that the New Year is going strong already! This is my first post for the new year and believing there will be MANY more :)

My grandchildren are always so disappointed when Santa takes Sparky - their elf on a shelf - back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.  So this year, Grammie (that's me) created Larky - the gingerbread boy to stay awhile after Sparky leaves. He is on an 11 x 14 canvas - turned upside down - like a shadow box.  Then  my sweet hubby mounted it on a piece of cedar from the ranch!

I actually finished this on New Years Eve and Larky finally arrived by mail last week to their home. It seemed to help ease their longing for Sparky! PLUS....every year my grandchildren have a tradition - making gingerbread houses on Christmas eve.  I printed pictures of their houses on cardstock and used them for Larkyville - where Larky lives.  So now the grandkids think they created a place for Larky to live!!!!  He gets to stay until Valentine's Day.

Here he is and the poem that I put on the back!! 

Larky’s Goal

Santa took Sparky away in his sleigh

Now Larky will stay til Valentine’s Day!

He lives in the house you built for him…

going outside to play amongst the limbs.

Larkyville is a happy and safe place

Where everyone wears a smiling face.

Sparky will miss you but he loves the North Pole

Bringing a HAPPY NEW YEAR is Larky’s goal.

XOXOXOXO,

Grammie and Pappy

©2015

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The project was done with gesso, mat medium, molding paste, stencils, colorful ink sprays, embossing powder, glitter powder, prima leaves, die cut trees and grass and more! Plus there is some sparkling lace around the edge of the canvas frame.

 Larky was two pieces of blank wood shaped to form his body and head. I painted on his clothing and designs!!  The path in the village is made from an old necklace. The logs, twigs, pine cone, acorns and pecans are from the ranch (of course)!  And then I added some little charm animals - a deer, 3 geese, 2 owls, an eagle, a turtle, a little bird, and a gecko because my grandson has one for a pet!  

I added a little quote metal plate that says:

"What one loves in childhood, stays in your heart forever".

Maybe someday my grandchildren will make gingerbread houses with their children and remember Larky from Larkyville!  And talk about Grammie too!!!

Thanks bunches for allowing me to share my gingerbread adventure with you! Joi@RR

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~ ~ Entered in the following challenges: ~ ~ 
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http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/2015/01/christmas-leftovers.html



The " Christmas leftovers" were the gingerbread man vintage Christmas wood set, the gingerbread house pictures from the original grandkids homemade houses this Christmas, the silver deer, the red pine cone and the glitter lace around the canvas edge.  There were also a 3-4 green flocked leaves!

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I am also THRILLED to have just found the Funkie Junkie Boutique - beautiful.
Thank you for this opportunity to enter my first project with you!


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Purple Team - Eclectic Ellapu - LOVE that name!
So glad to have found you! 

http://eclecticellapu.blogspot.co.uk/




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The Mirror Cracked - stencil in and on project

http://themirrorcrack1d.blogspot.com/



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