The last ten days!

So the last ten days have just been jam packed full around here with work and school and SNOW! I believe I am over the snow.
That is really weird coming from me, but I have had a terrible cold and was worried about not completing class assignments (which is funny because the campus was closed so I'm pretty sure I could be excused for turning in work late, even online just because of the weather and having to have my preceptor sign off, etc...) loads of stuff going on here and I have started some steampunk themed charms for another charm swap with my friend Michelle. There's still a place for one more swapper as of tonight, so why don't you go sign up, it'll be fun, I PROMISE!

I finally hung all my charms from the Alice in Wonderland swap I did with her on a swivel clasp from Tim Holtz and they are on my scrap bag to be shown off. I LOVE IT!

Anyway I'm working on my Creative Retreat class at Big Picture Classes. I'm getting so much encouragement and May Flaum is just jam packed full of inspiration. I've been kind of stuck when it actually comes to making things, but she's helping me work through it. I know that a lot of it has been the being sick and the anxiety and I just couldn't get to that place where my creativity comes from, not from the desire though. It's been just out of my grasp.

I thought I'd share with you a little of the process  I was using to make a tag.

First I selected the remains of a "Vintage Findings" Love themed kit from making memories, see the thing with the brown swirls on the bottom of the pile, I used that as the base of my tag. See those Acrylic ATC pieces from Clearscraps? I used those too...

I did stamp both of these images that I just got from Unity Stamps. They had a super bowl special of grab bags made of "leftovers" from their old kits of the month. 15 stamps for only 12 dollars (plus the flat rate shipping of 6.95). I ordered with a friend so we could split the shipping and we wound up trading a couple of stamps with one another but LOVED them all! The paisley shaped stamp is a peacock and it's really cool. I stamped both of these images with distress ink, waited too long to try to emboss my bird so it didn't quite go like I expected, inked around the edges, gave up for a while and walked around talking to my bestie on gtalk saying how I had scrappers block, pulled out some fringe, ribbon, and distress crackle ink, played with some Maya Mist (first time and OH YES I LOVE IT), decided to emboss with my Tim Holtz Retro Circles embossing folder (embossed the acrylic).

After I embossed the acrylic, I got a second wind. I cut out the circles. Picked out enough for my scallop. Sprayed the daylights out of them with the maya mist. Dried it mostly with a heatgun, wiped off what would come off after I overheated them and then made the scallop. Then I pulled out stickles because the blue ribbon looked all wrinkly. Decided that the butterfly needed more than Santa Baby Red Glimmer Mist so I added copper colored Glimmer Glaze. Then I painted with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. Sprinkled some black glitter and little red Beedz over the paint. Found the Cherub (which was an xmas tree ornament from hobby lobby, Thanks Ang). Put it in the butterfly frame. Then I punched the top of the tag to put some fibers through. I ripped the hole right off the tag. I "fixed" the hole with Tim Holtz Tissue Tape, then just tied a bow :)

It was a really, really involved little tag, but now I feel my mojo running and it's not good because it's getting late LOL!

I'm really happy with the way my tag turned out, especially the little acrylic scallop.

Hugs!