Another very snowy day -

The weather forecast was really off for my area in upstate NY a couple of days ago - and now here again it was off - last time they really over predicted and I think this time they under predicted.  It's really snowing out there - my tire tracks from earlier are almost completely filled in and all the sweeping and shoveling I did - now looks like I didn't.  Oh well, welcome to the great northeast!

Today instead of showing more of my art and craft works, I'm just putting up a few pictures from my sunroom window - the birds predict the best - my side yard feeders are filled with the busy feeding feathered friends.  Its a flurry of bird activity out there - the last storm that didn't happen but this time - wow - my feeders have been packed non stop - good think I refilled them too.  I may have to refill in a little while - it's supposed to dropped dangerously cold later and stay that way for a few days - don't want to do it then.

Woodpecker on suet cage and cardinal in the feeder.

Lots of birds under the black walnut tree.

Some activity under the birch trees.

Many birds moving around in the birch branches.

Of course as soon as I tried to take pictures quite a few of the birds flew off.  Its really nice to be inside and watch all of the activity of the outdoors.  It was nice outside earlier - but I'm over that now.

My next posting will be showing some of my polymer clay jewelry.  Hope to see you back again for that.  Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog post.  I hope that you are safe and happy - have a creative day.  Be well.  K

Final day of my participation in the Facebook 5 Day Art-Doll Challenge

Today is the last day that I will show three photos of my art-dolls on FaceBook - doesn't mean I won't post my art - just not because of this challenge.  LOL.  This has given me a taste to get back into making dolls and art items again.  I hope that you follow my blog and my YouTube channel so that (if you're interested) you will see when I have something new to show.

These are today's dolls:

Hansel and Gretel Candy Witch

Crazy Quilted Cape

Graveyard Witch

Boo to you too!

Grandfather Cloud Walker

The link to my 5th day on YouTube is here:

http://youtu.be/QlYcLD5jVfY

This video goes into more detail about each doll and more of the work involved is displayed.  I hope you enjoy it and that you like and subscribe to my channel.  I would really appreciate it - shameless self promotion here!

Be well!  Thank you for looking - I certainly love that you've looked.  K

Shall we dance? The Art-Doll 5 day challenge

Today is day four of my participation in the 5-day Art-Doll challenge.  I shared some photos for today which I will also share here.  Cloth doll making is a long time love that I've gotten away from in recent years.  This challenge has made me want to get back to creating them.

Cloth Rag Doll - Forgetmenot

This rag doll pattern was one of my very favorite beginning patterns.  This doll I have kept for myself - I love her.

Navigator Bear

This little bear with his flight jacket I made for my late husband, Ted.  Ted was a Lt. Col. navigator when he retired from the Airforce.  He loved his LT Col. Ted E Bear.

Minuet

These dolls are a dancing duo - yet unfinished.  I really enjoyed making these dolls.  They are from a class/pattern by Barbara Schoendorf.  If you would like to see more detail I've included the link to my youtube video here:

http://youtu.be/MnVdLwjb76A

Thank you for taking a look at my blog.  I hope that today finds you happy and healthy and in just the right frame of mind.  Take care - K

Snow Storm pending - Crafting tomorrow!

I've had a very busy day today - seems like now that I'm retired I am busier than ever - how did I ever find the time to work?  LOL

Yesterday I completed three sympathy cards.  I think they came out pretty nice.  These are for me to use.  Two say "Thinking of you" but are actually extra cards I will send to my friends who are sisters of the woman whose funeral I attended on Friday.  The purple sympathy card went to her family.  I am hoping to make some really happy cards - have to break the sympathy rut.

Here are pictures - one sympathy card to another friend and then the two thinking of you cards.

Sympathy card and envelope with the inside verse above

Two "Thinking of You" cards - blank inside.

The rest of my busy was taking care of the house in preparation for the anticipated coming storm.  It's supposed to be a pretty big one - but I have a wood stove and a generator (which my oil furnace is connected to) and lots of food, blankets - and yes my well is also connected so I will have water too.  I just hope that it isn't that bad and no one gets injured or worse due to the weather or related incidents.

Maybe tomorrow I will have more to share.  Be well - be safe and be happy.  K

Sympathy card materials

Card Base: Core'dinations 12X12 Card Stock Super assortment, Canvas Texture
Printed base cover paper - Hot Off The Press 12X12 purple sponged - HOTP-20070
Purple 1/2" organza ribbon Offray by the spool
Right side prayer stamp: N033 Blessing by Stampendous
Middle verse: Going to the chapel precut - Heartfelt Creations
Shapes were cut on the Brother Scan & Cut machine

Purple organza ribbon - Offray by the spool
Scalloped ovals from shapes on Brother Scan & Cut
23rd Psalm stamp - Stampabilities (Hobby Lobby)
Cross: Cross & Lilies precut - Heartfelt Creations

Heartfelt and Handmade by from Stampendous Friendly Phrases SSC11141

Envelope made using the We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board.
Deepest Sympathy stamp is Heartfelt greetings by Hot off the press

Inks used for the sentiments:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Ink used for the Cross:  Imprintz Pigment Ink - not sure this is still available.
Embossing powder on Cross: Ranger Black puffs
All colored card stock used is the Core'dinations Canvas Texture from Michael's.
All white card stock is the Staples brand 8.5X11"

This is just a basic gate fold card using basic stamping, embossing and design techniques.  I created the layout as I went along using supplies that I have at hand.  I recommend that we all use what we have and create what we like - it makes crafting fun and makes time fly.  K

Faith Journal - 2015

I should probably say that this a Faith "Art" Journal.  A place where I can put out in color what different scripture and biblical thoughts about God mean to me.  I really enjoy this kind of journalling

One of my craft spaces - cramped but do-able

These are some of the items I've gathered to start working on my journal.  As you can see it's a spiral bound mixed media blank journal.  Lets see where it goes...

Outside covers of Journal

No longer yellow.  I sprayed them with dylussions sprays, some ranger spritz spray in frost, silver and gold, and splattered on some FW inks.  I really like the results - I was going for the shapeless teaming void pre-creation.  I know it's supposed to be dark but I can't imagine it without color.

Finished covers

I really like this journal.  The front cover just says "In The Beginning" and the back cover says For Him.  The sticker in the upper left corner of the back cover says, "And now these three remain:  Faith, Hope & Love.  But the greatest of these is...Love."  1 Corinthians 13:13

Inside front cover and the first page

The inside cover goes with the outside, and follows the creation theme, and the verse - "God blessed them", is Genesis 1:22.

Page 1 is Psalm 96:4 - The cross shaped word stamp is anyway and the prayer stamp next to it is very fitting - and my prayer for all who need.  This is what it's all about - LOVE and saying yes to love is something that I can't help.  The colors on this page are from my KOI water color kit and done with a water brush.  I had a great time creating this rainbow of color for the back ground for this page.

Well, this is what I've been up to - it's been fun.  I hope that this day finds you well and happy.  K

Wally's adoption anniversary - and well...Fred

Oh no, Two posts in one day.  (This one is not craft related in any way though...)

I almost forgot to make an entry about today and Wally!  I can't believe that it's been two years!  Wow! His second birthday was November 6th and today is the day in 2013 that he came to live with me and keep me young!  Wally is a speed demon and races around here like a crazy man.  He makes the whole house shake!  Hard to believe that he's a dachshund / Jack Russell mix - lots of power in that small little dog.

Wally today

This is the best selfie I could get - he was more interested in the cat.

Fred - the older and wiser

Fred is always interested - my biggest problem with taking this picture was waiting for him to stop kissing my face.  LOL.

The weather here is sunny but cold.  It was 12 F today when I left for blood work - and my driveway is a sheet of ice.  Treading carefully.  Wally raced out yesterday and slid down the drive - he's much more careful today.

driveway from the side of the garage

I feel like we are holding our breath for the coming large snow storms - I think this year has been cold but relatively little snow - we will probably be pounded shortly.

Hope the day is a good one - not every day is good, but every day has good moments - cherish every one.  Take care - K

Three Cards completed today!

Today has been another day spent in my craft room - I'm enjoying myself and even showing a little productivity.

I finished the two cards that I started last week.  The small pink one has turned into a thinking of you card that I'm going to send to a friend.  The green one is a Miracles Happen card and may have a home too.  The third is a 6X6 gatefold Sympathy card for the family of a woman who died tragically on Monday in a car crash.  She was a friend of my late husband, Ted, a teacher at the school, and in summer volleyball league with my daughter.  Very sad.

I will show pictures of all of the cards.  I will be doing a separate blog post to show the materials that I used in the gatefold card; information that is appreciated by fellow crafters - I am a big proponent of using what you have - good things happen - and not necessarily because you used the same things I did.

The first card is the Thinking of You:

She does look like she's thinking of someone - doesn't she?

This is the inside of the card.  The sentiment in the white oval is raised from the card by foam.

The second card - Miracles Happen:

The stamp on the front is about Faith

Simple inside - Miracles Happen
('nough said)

The third card is the Sympathy card.  I really needed this card to be good enough to give away - and I think it worked out well.

I made the 6X6 envelope on my memory keepers, envelope board.  It was very easy and came out really well - the card fits inside easily; even though it has some dimension.

I hope you've enjoyed this post.  I will post more detail about the sympathy card and will be putting a post up about my 2015 Faith Journal.  I'm really enjoying my craft room.

Hope you are all having a great week.  Take care - Kelly

My Valentine face pendant and two cards -

Hi!  I didn't get a chance to post yesterday about my Valentine pendant.  She is complete finally - nothing kept simple here!  I went with Kumihimo cording and some chain for the necklace cording.  I've decided that this one will just be a pendant necklace - no pin back.

close up of pendant

finished pendant with adjustable closure length

chain ends showing lobster claw closure

I enjoyed making her but I'm glad she's finished!  Hope you like her.  (My granddaughter says the faces kind of freak her out - LOL- maybe that's why I like them?)

Today I've been working on the two cards I started last week.  I stamped out some of the Santoro stamp images and colored two of them.  If you remember, I used Prisma color pencils.  I finished the images up with Copic markers and a little glitter.   I used die cutters to create a frame shape on one and a scalloped oval frame shape on the other - both are raised from the surface of the card base by matching foam shapes - I think they came out pretty well.  The cards still need to have a sentiment added and the pink card needs more embellishment too.  The green one with a frame speaks for it's self - but there may be an opening sentiment added to the front.  See what you think:

Pink - Thinking of you...

Green - Wish you were here...

Pink is 4.75" square and green is 5X7

I hope that everyone is having a good Martin Luther King day here in the states.  It seems long ago that he captured the hearts and minds of the nation - may we all capture his dream and find peace together.  

Until next post - be well and take care - K

Three videos up on YouTube today!

Well, I finally put the Kumihimo video up.  It gave me fits with trying to edit; so outside of adding some text and shortening it - I posted it.  I think I need to find some other software to do this with - we'll see.

The Kumihimo video is in two parts but the second one is very short - just a look at how the cord finished out and how it looks on the face pendant.

Valentine face pendant on the Kumihimo Cord from the video

 I really struggled with the words making this video - I hope it gets better with practice.

The third video is another short and sweet one just showing that I received my Heartfelt Creations order. Their new release is called Birds and Blooms and it looks very pretty.  I'm hoping to get some use out of this one.  I have the complete Sunflower release too which I love - just haven't played with it a lot - although I do have some Sunflowers made that aren't too very shabby - if I do say so myself.

Heartfelt creations new release - Birds and Blooms

It's very cold here today and I have the wood stove going and a couple of small heaters as well as my oil furnace.  I've come to realize with trying to make videos to share things that this house is far from quiet.  My oil furnace is so loud that you can hear it running in the background of every video.  Oh well - real life - and of course my dog, Wally, just loves to bark - I think he thinks I'm talking to him or that I'm saying someone is coming - he makes a racket.

Wally in the sunroom where I do my videos

I am hoping to go up in my craft room and sort some things out.  I have a huge stash/collection of stuff and it's everywhere - it really needs to be organized and I need to use what I have.  I am a veteran crafter so I take up a lot of space.  LOL.

Card design - almost done

I hope where ever you are, that you are having a creatively happy day.  Until we meet again - be well and God bless,  K


YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/KellyBellcambridgegiftsbykelly

Trying to make a card....

Happy Friday, January 16th!  Can you believe we are more than half way through January already? Wow!

Yesterday I spent most of the morning trying to edit a video on Kumihimo for YouTube.  Editing and I don't really gel.  It's very frustrating to think that you have it finally only to realize that it didn't save right and it's back to the drawing board.  Oh well - I will persevere.

I spent yesterday afternoon playing around with my bigshot and cuddlebug die cutting machines.  For the amount of time I spent you would think I would have more to show for it but oh well - not on any schedule but my own.  (Thank goodness!)  The later part of the afternoon I spent stamping out some images to color and try to make something with.

Today, after spending most of the day on bird feeders and groceries and cleaning; I've finally started a card.  I'm not really a card maker but I think it may be okay.  I'm including a photo of the image I colored this morning and then a photo of the start of the card.  The card isn't put together - I've only added the polk-a-dot paper to the card base and attached the image to the die cut frame.  I'm still working on what I want it to be.  The image to me looks very wistful or thoughtful.  It's one of the Santoro Stamps that I posted about a few days ago.  I really love these images.

The image, below, is colored in Prisma colored pencils.  I use many colors and to be honest I don't know which colors are where.  I can tell you that I color a light base color and then go over that with another color.  The shadows are shaded in both of those colors but I've also added gold.  (The first photo is a shot of the pencils sitting on my table.  These are the pencils that I've used for this image - and it's little "added bits".)

Prisma pencils, tortillion, sandpaper sponge and the box from my new Col-Erase Prisma pencils.  (The ones with erasers.)

This is only a few of my prisma pencils - the rest are just out of the shot in one of my pencil cases.  I've used Prisma colored pencils for years - even on my Dolls.

Colored image - not quite finished

Bits that came in the set - and a sentiment and inside card idea that  I may use.

Image attached to die cut frame sitting on the card and matt.

I kind of like how this is going and hopefully it finishes well - I feel like I must be one of the slowest crafters in the universe - I still have to embellish the image some and figure out how to do the sentiments and put it all together - like I said - I'm lucky I'm only on my own schedule.

Back to trying to edit out the Kumihimo video - more when I get something finished!  Take care and stay warm.  K