Tiny Dolls, Glitter, and Wings....seriously? How could that POSSIBLY be a bad thing?

It can't and that, my friends, is why I have brought these wonders together in my latest Coffee Break Designs Shrine from Retro Cafe Art

Life is a Fire. Bottle it.


Life is like a fire. Sometimes it burns hot and other times it reduces to embers and barely warms the air around it, but it is fire. There is rage, there is warmth, there is beauty. Life is like a fire. Bottle it.











If you haven't thought about entering the contest over at Retro Cafe Art yet, you TOTALLY should! These are a blast to create and the prizes are AMAZING!!! And mine are just samples, so we don't even have to compete! Yay!

Oh! And if you missed the other project I did with these shrines, you can check out my Steampunk Art Doll here!

Supplies used:

Classic Winged Heart Shrine Kit
Classic Brass Charm
Frozen Charlotte
Tim Holtz Corked Vials
Tim Holtz Trinket Pins
Steampunk Parts Collage Sheet
Martha Stewart Fine Glitter
Vintage Lace
Glimmer Mist
Alcohol Ink
One-Step Crackle Medium

I'm going Cuckoo! {Friends With Flair Friday}

Yes, I truly think I may be going mad. It's one of those times when I have tons to do and work is kind of in the way, but wait...oh, yeah, I have tons to do there, too. ACK! The good news is, today is FRIDAY and that means the weekend has arrived and with it at least some time to do some of those things! Oh...and there may be ice cream involved with breakfast. Just say'n.

I have a super fun card to share with you today for Friends with Flair Friday! I created this card using the BRAND SPANKING NEW Cuckoo Clocks set designed by Samantha Walker for Unity and I LOVE IT!!!



The patterned papers are also Samantha Walker (for Creative Imaginations, of course). They are part of the absolutely adorable Kokeshi line!



I hand cut the image and paper pieced it, but you don't have to do that if you have a die cut machine! Nope! Now you can buy the brand new die that goes with this set from Spellbinders! How cool is THAT? Now I just need a machine for dies! HA!

Anyway, I hope you have a super fabulous Friday! Oh...and for those wondering...my desk is kinda messy again because I started a mixed media piece! Ooopsies!!! I'll probably clean it up again this weekend, though. I think I like having space to work ... it's unusual! HA!

What's Your Favorite Color?

Mine is red, but you won't be able to tell that from my Pixie Dust Challenge card this week! The challenge, however, is to create a monochromatic card and I DO love to create in whites, so I chose to do a clean and simple, white card!



The image is one of the cuties from the Critter Cluster! I love him!!! SOOO cute! I left him mostly white and used a Tombow marker to give just a *touch* of color to his little nose.



So head on over to the Pixie Dust Studio Challenge blog and check out the challenge! You don't have to use a Pixie image, but you get an extra entry if you do and, of course, when you buy them you get them right away because they are digital! I'd love for you to play along with us!

I hope you have a Pixie-fabulous day today! Don't forget to peep your little head out of your hole today to tell someone Hi! (I work in a cubicle, so we get the 'prairie dog effect' quite often in my office! HA!)

What you are about to see just might shock and amaze you. Just say'n.

This is my not-even-close-to-wordless-Wednesday post and my WOYWW! Just say'n.



I know, right? Yes, I cleaned up that massive insanity that was my desk. It was honestly beyond workable, so it had to be done. The rest of the room still needs a LOT of work, but at least this is a start.



I do have a project or two sitting there waiting for me. Along with an envelope at the end that I am just now remember I was supposed to prepare and take to the Post Office today...I guess I will be doing that tomorrow, then. HA!



These lovelies will be worked on this week for sure. They are waiting for paint and proper clothes and such. One of them is for a swap and the other two are just for fun. 'Cause I love making dolls. This body type is new for me and I don't know if I like it or not yet. We shall see once they are completed! HA!



Many of the things I currently am storing on my desk need new homes, but that won't happen until I get some reorganizing done in the room as a whole. I am, however, now just ITCHING to jump in and make stuff on that nice clear desktop!

OH! Guess what? So, we had that heat wave last week and I thought my ac in my car was just struggling because it was slightly over one million degrees outside and extremely humid, HOWEVER, as it turns out, I discovered yesterday when it was just normal hot (like 85 or so and muggy) that it still didn't seem to be working...after a bit more investigation, alas, my ac is NOT working and needs to be recharged. Seriously? I went through a freaking heat wave with a less-than-functional AC and lived? Wow. I must like hot more than I thought! HA! Anyway, hopefully taking that in on Monday to get the recharge done. In the meantime, it's gonna be some warm, cozy hour long commutes home for the rest of the week! Fun stuff.

On another note...if you were looking for the sketch over at Skipping Stones Design yesterday and found it wasn't up there yet, it has been posted, so you can check it out and play along with this week's sketch for your chance to win! Also, two wonderful stamp sets are on sale this week, including the recently released Victorian Summer, so check it out!

Happy Wednesday!

Have I mentioned that I love Paper Piecing? How about Hot Air Balloons? And Skipping Stones Design?????

Have I mentioned that I love all of those things super lots and lots? Hmmmm....well, just in case:

Hi, my name is Jingle and I love paper piecing, hot air balloons, and Skipping Stones Design.

There. Now you know. And knowing is half the battle!

(We won't mention that according to GI Joe, who made that phrase known, violence is the other half....just say'n.)



Ummm...yeah. I know. I LOVE that balloon and I LOVE that October Afternoon Paper!!! It is, of course, from the ever fabulous Uplifting set over at SSD. This is quickly becoming a favorite of mine! (Shh! Don't tell Healing Wings that I'm cheating! Just say'n. That could get ugly.) I love how pretty the sentiments are in this set, too! I framed the balloon image with fancy bracket thingies (yes, of COURSE that is what they are officially called!) from the beautiful and terribly useful Sentiment Frames set. I kinda love both of these sets.



The beautiful sketch was created by Kim Kesti. *Love* Just say'n.

AND...seriously, I know I say this a lot, but you HAVE to see what the other Stamp Tramps created! Seriously. There are some REALLY gorgeous cards in the line up this week, so totally check them out because I told you to and you do everything I tell you to do. HA!!! TOTALLY kidding....although, feel free to do so...I generally like it when you do what you are told. HAHAHA!!!


Kim Kesti
Amy Tsuruta
Barb Turpin
Karen Baker
Brenda Weaver
Gladys Chia
Karen Christensen
Kandi Phillips
Wendy Jordan
Tammie Beaton

And it's HOMEWORK TIME!!!! Yup! It's homework time. Go get your adorable little self over to Skipping Stones Design, check out the sketch, make an awesome card (it doesn't even have to use SSD stamps!) and link it up on today's sketch Tuesday post for your chance to win some free stampage! It's a win-win-win kinda deal, here, folks! I get to see your fabulous card, so I win. You get to give a fabulous card made by you, so YOU win. The person you give it to gets a beautiful handmade card from you, so they win, and...if you happen to WIN win you get free stamps, too! That's a lot of wins and stuff, so seriously...you should just do it. Now go get all Nike and stuff. (HA!...get it...'just do it'....nike....*fizzle*fizzle*crash*burn*)

Well, anyway, have a super fantabulous Tuesday! And really....I would so LOVE for you to play along with us!

Happy Jingle OUT!

*(call me)

Good Morning and Happy Monday, folks! Thank you all for the super kind comments on my steampunk doll! I am always a bit worried when I share my mixed media and my dolls because I know some of you are just here for the cards and scrappy stuff, but you are all just super sweet and said such nice things! Thank you! That makes me happy!

Today I have a fun card for you using a SUPER stinking fun stamp from 100 Proof Press!



This is the Dial Desk Phone stamp and I. LOVE. It. For reals, people. Love it. Just say'n. I stamped the image several times across the front of the card and then added a couple of strips of patterned paper and some baker's twine below it. I am loving those big Doodlebug Alpha stickers I used for the sentiment!



I am also super excited because I had to stop at Micheal's the other day to pick up some yellow gold glitter for another project and while I was there I found the Martha Stewart flock on sale for $1.49! I bought two new colors of that and I also picked up the notebook edge punch I used for this card, also on sale and then I had an extra 25% off coupon so it turned out to be a pretty good deal! I was excited!

In other news...the heat broke today. It is supposed to be only about 78 at the high today! I enjoy the heat, but I'm looking forward to this reprieve! 100+ temps combined with good 'ole Massachusetts humidity gets pretty darned warm! Just say'n. Anyway, I hope you have a stupendous day! (Doesn't Barney the Dinosaur say that? Yikes! Let's not be talking like him, k? K. Good. Glad we got that settled.) Soooo....I hope you have a super fantabulous extra-jingle-tastic kind of day! (That's Jingle, not Barney. MUCH better! Yay.)

OH! And I'm featured over on Samantha Walker's blog, so if you get a chance, check that out, too!

Jingle Out.

HAHAHA!!!

Be Present - A Steampunk Art Doll and a Contest!!!

***I have THREE new posts up today! Please don't miss out on the other two! Scroll down for more, or if you came directly to this one, click on the banner to be brought to the main blog page where you can scroll down! Thanks for reading!***

Okay, so when was the last time you saw a doll on this blog? It's been TOO LONG, I can tell you that! The good news is that is going to change today, my friends, because I have a really fun Steampunk Art Doll to share with you! This is honestly one of my favorite pieces of all time. It's right up there with the Mad Hatter I created many moons ago!

This piece started with the Elevated Shrine Kit by Coffee Break Designs Available at Retro Cafe Art. I covered it with Tim Holtz Tissue Tape and then went to town!


Be Present

The title of this piece comes much from the state of mind I was in while creating it. I had such an amazing, calm focus as I chose which bits would be used and where they would be placed. Everything was intentional. I was present.



For the curious minds out there, the arms are spark plugs and the head is a thermostat. The plugs are from my Mini (Yes, I changed them myself, thank you very much!) and the thermostat is from The Hubbums' Mini. (I let him change that one. Just say'n. HA!) The image in the background is from the Steampunk Parts collage sheet and there are a couple of Tim Holtz spinners in there along with a light bulb (which I had to replace before I could use - it didn't work, but we had to go to the store with it to figure out the right one to buy, so it led to my lamp finally working correctly, too! YAY!).



I used foil leafing over Tombow Mono Multi to add the metallic texture to the Coffee Break Designs Steampunk Gears. Finally, I added some rusty bits to the base. I collect these when I go on walks. I love stuff that has naturally rusted!



Now...I mentioned something about a contest, right? Well, the good news is you DO NOT have to make a doll! HA! But, you do have to make something that is totally your style with one of the amazing Shrine Kits over at Retro Cafe Art!

The prizes are AWESOME! I can't even begin to encourage you enough to head on over and pick up a shrine kit to enter this contest. I would be SO THRILLED to see your work!!!! Here are the rules:

The Rules:
1. Create up to 3 pieces of art using any Coffee Break Design Shrine Kit (any of the kits in this category count, even the shelf shrines and tiny shrine charms - it doesn't matter where you purchased the kit, or how long ago it was!) and send us your photos. You can have 1, 2 or 3 entries. The art can be whatever you wish. A stand alone shrine, a shrine as part of another piece, jewelry, etc. Just as long as each piece has at least one of the products in the Shrine Kit category!

2. Email your photos to retrocafeart@gmail.com subject: Shrine Kit Contest. Please do a separate photo for each entry. Files between 200 -300 KB preferred. I will post these photos on our Facebook page in a special album as they are received. Please include your full name in your email. Again, we only need photos, not the actual art!

3. Deadline is September 2nd. This will give you 6 weeks to get your shrine photos to us!

4. We love our International customers and you are welcome to play!

The Prizes:
1. $200 in gift certificates will be awarded - our biggest contest yet! Two winners, which will be selected using a random number generator will each win a $50 gift certificate to Retro Café Art Gallery! I’ll be using the photos in the Facebook album to create the number system.

2. A THIRD and FOURTH winner will also win a $50 gift certificate to Retro Café Art Gallery. Christopher, the unbiased judge, will pick his top 5 favorites which will be posted to this blog. Then YOU will vote for your favorite by leaving a comment! The top 2 will win the certificates.

3. ALL players will receive 2 special digital collage sheets just for playing, so everyone WINS!

4. There must be at least 6 entries for the contest to take place. In the event that there aren't enough entries, all contestants will be given a prize!

Spread the Word and get a Gift:
1. If you would like to help spread the word about our contest, you will get our brand new Beautiful Roses Digital Collage Sheet free as a Thank you! One sheet per person, though you are welcome to post in multiple places with great appreciation.

2. Post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, website, etc. and link back to THIS post. Email me at retrocafeart@gmail.com and show me where you have posted, and I will email you your digital collage sheet! So even if you don’t play, you can still win! Feel free to use the button above, though it’s not required.

Yeah...so basically, you get to make an awesome project that you get to keep. It gets posted online for others to see, AND you could win some serious spending money!!! Fun? Totally. Wicked crazy fun, actually...so you totally need to enter! *Promise???*

I am also entering mine in the Gingersnaps Spicy Supply Challenge!

Well, that's all for this one, but don't forget to check out my other two posts for today! It's a busy busy day on Just Jingle!

Jingle Out!

Skipping Stones Design FEATURE FRIDAY! I'm Playing With Green Birthday!

***This is the second of three posts today! I KNOW, busy, right? But be sure to check out the others because they all make me happy! Just Say'n.***

Okay, so I, of course, wanted to reach for my Healing Wings set, or perhaps the new Victorian Summer for this Feature Friday post, but let's be honest...I 'feature' those all the time! HA! So, I decided to pull out a GREAT SSD set that I really don't use as often as I should! And that, my dear friends, led me to Green Birthday! I love this one! It's funny, it's cute, and it's all around useful!



And the answer is yes. Yes, I have fallen in love with this Skipping Stones Design set all over again! Seriously? CUTENESS! The patterned paper is Making Memories and I paper pieced the cake using different parts of one sheet! FUN! The sentiment is an AWESOME sticker from SRM Press! I added a bit of sparkle with some Stickles and now I want a pretty birthday cake. y half birthday is in August....does that count???? HA!



Jingle Out.

It's Pixie Dust Studio Release Day and I'm a New Pixie!!!

Yes, folks...as you most likely gleaned from yesterday's post, I was asked to join the Pixie Dust Studio Design Team and with images this cute, WHO could turn that down??? Yeah, I know! Right?! Right. Totally. You can check out all of the new Pixies over at the Pixie Dust Studio blog! (Oh, and by the way, I LOVE that I can actually CALL myself a Pixie, seeing as I have the blue, kinda spiky, pixie hair cut going on. Just say'n.)

Today's release is called Oh...Baby! and Oh, is it ADORABLE!!!



You saw the cutie patooty dear yesterday and today I have a Noah's Ark image to show off! TOO CUTE!



I colored this one with watercolor pencils. I love those!

Here is the entire Oh, Baby Collection! CUTENESS!

SUCH CUTENESS! So head on over to Pixie Dust Studio and pick up an image or two, or maybe the complete collection! The great thing about digi stamps is that they are SUPER affordable! Love that!

Be on the look out! I have two more posts coming up today! LOTS of fun stuff going on!

Oh, Dear! The Cuteness that is About To Ensue Is Simply Immeasurable

Well, my friends, I have a treat for you today! You see, I have some good news to share...but...it won't be officially announced until tomorrow, so I will wait until then. However, you may get a STRONG inclination as you read this post as to what that may be! *wink*wink*nudge*nudge* Just Say'n.

Pixie Dust Studio, an absolutely fabulous digi stamp store, has a brand new release coming out tomorrow and today I get to share a sneak peek with you!!! This release is all about little ones and the cuteness simply CANNOT be contained! For reals, people. Sheer and Utter Cuteness!!!

ACK! You see what I mean? And tomorrow you can see the WHOLE release! Absolutely adorable images, folks. A. Dor. A. Ble.



This is the card I created to give you a little sneak into what is to come! I KNOW, RIGHT? It's okay...you can go to the dentist now. With this kind of sweetness, it's just unavoidable! HA!



I colored the adorable Pixie Dust Studio image with PrismaColor pencils and mounted on layers of super stinking fabulous My Mind's Eye papers. I love them! The stickers layered behind the image are part of the new CHA release from SRM Press! Love them! Just a bit of ribbon along the side with a couple of Flair Buttons from American Crafts to finish it off! I used the fabulous sketch that is debuting today on the Pixie Dust Studio CHALLENGE blog!

Yup! You could TOTALLY win a Pixie Dust Studio image just for playing along! Here is the sketch:

Now, head on over to the challenge blog to see what the rest of the Pixie's created and then get your cuteness on, folks! Yes, you have homework again today! Come join in the fun over at the Pixie Dust Studio Challenge blog!

Piles, Cases, and General Mayhem

Yup. That's pretty much what's on my workspace. The Allstate guy. (P.S. If you happen to live outside the US and you don't know about the Allstate guy and haven't seen his commercials, you should totally google them because they are freaking hilarious. Just say'n.)

However, at the moment, he is pretty much standing on my desk. No. For reals. There is the Mayhem Guy ... and he is standing ON my desk in my studio. Wanna see? K. Here ya go!




I have, at this point, honestly considered paying someone to come organize with me for a day JUST to help me get this room under control. I know I usually just show you the desk, but trust me...the Mayhem is not contained! HA! There is just that little detail that when you pay someone you have to actually give them money....HAHAHA!!!! I guess I will be doing it myself. *sigh* LOL!




This is my XXL, which remains half unpacked. Yup. Totally the one I took with me to the Crop for Tornado Relief. Yup. Totally should be unpacked by now. Just say'n.

*sigh* The problem is simple, really. I like to make stuff. I work full time, commute 10 hours a week, and have many responsibilities in my life. Therefore and forthwith, I like to spend the time in my studio actually CREATING and not cleaning. All well and good until the place explodes into it's current state. YIKES!!!

The good news is that I have a little card to show you today!




This is just a fun one I created rather quickly. I used Echo Park paper, lots of ribbon, and a cute little sentiment from Unity.




I hope you have a super fantabulous Wednesday! It's gonna be a hot one here! You won't see me complaining, though...I do a lot of that come winter! HA!

If you'd like to join in on the WOYWW fun, link up at The Stamping Ground!

True Love with Skipping Stones Design

Not that it's hard to find True Love with Skipping Stones, I mean, REALLY! With stamps like these ANYONE can fall in love! HA! But seriously, folks...it's Tuesday and that means we have a BRAND NEW sketch for you over at SSD! And, even better, it is from our SUPER FABULOUS AMAZING guest sketch artist, Kim Kesti!!!! Yay, Kim!!!!

I have to be honest, some sketches I struggle with, yet others feel like they are made for me. This month, I have been nothing but LOVING these sketches! They have all suited my style and my inspiration so well! *Love.* *That.* Just say'n. Thanks, Kim! You pretty much rock. For reals.



Yup. Awesome sketch. Yup. Awesome card. Wait...am I not supposed to say that? Ooopsies! I'm ALWAYS doing that! Hrmph! Oh, well. I like it, what do you want from me, here, people? I used my FAVORITE Skipping Stones Design set, Healing Wings for this one along with some fabulousness from Crate Paper and my sentiment? That beauty, my friends is a STICKER from SRM Press! For reals....I KNOW! Right? Right. Totally. No...really. I know. It's totally okay. Just say'n.



*sigh* Such pretties.



So, here's the part where I give you your homework! Yay! (I know, I know...it's summer, but the good news is this is the FUNNEST homework EV.A. For reals. I know. 'Cause I did mine already. Just say'n.)

Go pull out your supplies, use this sketch, make a super fantabulous card, and then link it on up to today's post for your chance to win some free stamp action! K? K. Thanks. You better do it, 'cause I'm grading based solely on participation, here, folks.

And...if you would love a bit more inspiration don't forget to check out what the Stamp Tramps and the Guest Designers have created for you this week! Here are their blog links:

Kim Kesti
Amy Tsuruta
Barb Turpin
Karen Baker
Brenda Weaver
Gladys Chia
Karen Christensen
Kandi Phillips
Wendy Jordan
Tammie Beaton

Happy Tuesday, folks!

I Picture Me With You

Today I have a card for you with a really fun 100 Proof Press image. I love camera images. There is just something fabulous about them. I actually created this card for a magazine call, but it wasn't chosen, so now I get to share it with you! YAY!



I chose three tones of blue and stamped the same image multiple times to create the overall look. I kinda love it. Just say'n. I added my favorite little Tiny Type letters and a bit of twine (because everything is better with twine) and there you have it!



I hope you have a happy Monday!

In Loving Memory

Yesterday morning we lost a beautiful woman to cancer. She was a wife, a mother, a friend. She and I have known one another via message boards, blogs, and emails for several years. As a matter of fact, she and her husband created the graphics for my blog. Yes, my wonderful little gnome, mushrooms, and general cuteness. She was such a wonderful, fun person and a beautiful, creative spirit. She will be missed so very much. It is just amazing how easily people we may never actually meet in person become such wonderful parts of our lives.

Chris, we love you and we miss you. Many tears have fallen.