2015: It's a New Year

Yes, it's a new year full of new ideas, goals, and challenges.   I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, but I do like to sit down and think about what I want to accomplish in my horsemanship program for kids with challenges as well as my own personal equine goals.

I must say, putting it down on paper in this way was so fun.  This scroll is going to hang out in my tack room.  I have divided it into 5 sections and will unroll it as the year goes on.  I'll see it everyday and the kiddos will also be able to see what the goals are.  They will see I have personal goals to achieve as well as goals for them!  My hope is they will understand learning continues throughout our lives and when we love something and feel passionately about it, we want to learn!

This was also a great way to explore the words and phrases in the CTMH Artbooking cartridge.  Almost every cut is from that cartridge.  There is a horse and boot from Old West.

I used several CTMH stamp sets; let's see if I can remember them all as I type!

Love Life, Take Note, Curlicue Alphabet, Country Born, Lovely Buckles, and Camper Crazy.

CTMH Embellishments:  Brad and Button from Mini Medley Gold,  Washi Tape, Baker's Twine, Foil from Dakota, Bronze Shimmer Trim, Glamour Glitter Alphabet, Floret Paper Flowers, and Aqua Dots.  

Other Embellishments:  Letters from Sticko Stickers; the music note was cut previously and I don't remember what cartridge I used for it!  Miscellaneous pens, pencils, adhesives, inks, etc.

Well, thanks to this project I have reiterated my motto from last year:  "Think it, feel it, do it!" and I've created my 2015 idea: "There is quiet strength in balance."
My new idea is teaching if our life is balanced, we will be stronger just like if we are balanced on the horse, we are stronger riders!

Last year it was about thinking things through and considering how it will feel and then doing it!  Again, with horses we think about the action, feel it (usually the horse reacts at this point, but if he doesn't- we cue it physically or--) do it!

Well, now I'm ready to get started on this list of ideas, goals, and chores.  Let's see, Jan/Feb/Mar.......I've been out to ride a couple of times, signed up for some CE credits, and outlined some lesson plans!  Woo hoo, I'm on my way!

Now I have to get motivated to do the paperwork!  Yee gads, I really don't like doing taxes, making new forms, organizing the old paperwork.

I'm hoping this year it will be a little easier since I made a book to keep track of things last year:  Book.  It is stuffed full of receipts, ideas, notes, pictures, and scribblings!  I should make a new one for  2015.  Hmmm.............

Ok, you've suffered through enough rambling!  Thanks for coming by today!

My scroll is off to:

Heart 2 Heart:  Old is New - that scroll has been sitting waiting for quite a while

Sentimental Sundays:  New Beginnings and a sentiment


Bitten by the Bug 2:  Cricut Letters or Phrase(s) 

Perfect Colors for Vintage Layout

 Thanks to a few challenges this week/month, I was inspired to get Dad's old photo album out again!  I love old photographs; I truly enjoy everything about them: the history, stories, fashion, facial expressions, everything!  Nothing makes me feel more relaxed and still full of life than old pictures.  My Grandma Kathryn kept her albums in a black trunk in the 2nd bedroom.  I remember as a child going in there and looking at the books wondering about the people.

My dad is in a nursing home due to a stroke.  I spent several hours there with him going over all the old pictures and getting as much history as I could.  Now, I'm making copies of the images and scrapping them in a new way to put in a book for him to enjoy all over again!  I know he'll love it; he seems to be fascinated by all the embellishments and papers.  Of course, this shouldn't surprise me.  He always enjoyed art and woodworking.

Anyway, enough about Dad and my love of vintage photos -- on to the page!

First, I'll share the 3 challenges that inspired me!

Color My Heart:  Bamboo, Black, and Champagne (white optional)

Stuck? Sketches:  Sketch

123 Get Scrappy:  Gems, 3 different Patterned Papers, and Stamped Image

What I used -

CTMH CS, Fabrics & Papers:  For Always (retired), Champagne, Daisy White, Fundamentals Bamboo and Champagne, and Black.

CTMH Inks:  Bamboo, Champagne, and White Daisy Pigment Inks; Black Archival Ink

Paints/Gesso:  CTMH Create a Shade and Liquitex Gesso mixed with rubbing alcohol for the splatter on the bird.

Cricut Cartridges:  Artiste, Artbooking, and Heritage.

Embellishments:  CTMH Black Epoxy Bubbles and Black Shimmer Trim;  pearls from stash

I added paint to give more
and texture to the bird
cage and key.

CTMH Stamps:  Pick a Posey, Amour, Sweet & Lovely, and Fabulous You.

I machine basted and gathered the fabric under the key.

These flowers were cut using a pattern cut from
Art Philosophy.  I cut the flower in 3 sizes.  I cut 2 from
fabric and one from old lace.  I put a few stitches in to
hold them together and give them dimension.  I dabbed
the vine with the paint.

This little guy is speckled with
Gesso mixed with alcohol.

This was such a great project for me!  It's nice to be up in my craft room remembering fun times with my grandparents.  I still need to get their wedding date and pen that into the right hand bottom corner of the white journaling spot, but then it will be ready to put into the book for Dad.  

Thanks for coming by today!  If you need any CTMH goodies, visit KatiesCorner and see what is going on there!   

Let It Go!

Time for another canvas!  If you've been following, you know the story of these canvases.  If you are new to my blog, you can check out some previously posted canvases for the story:  Yankee Doodle, Ode to Joy, and Happy.

I can show the face in this picture; she's my little grand-girl!  She looks like Anna from Frozen with her blue eyes and red hair; she acts a little like her, too!

I started by mixing Sky re-inker with Create a Shade Pearl Paint (retired) and painted the pretreated canvas.  (The canvas was already pre-gessoed.)  While the paint was wet, I sprinkled with glitter down the diagonal of the canvas where the snowflakes would be.

I cut the snowflakes from the Artbooking cartridge.  I adhered the white CS to the canvas.

I printed/cut the Frozen images, downloaded from KraftyNook, using glossy photo paper on the Cricut Explore.  Ok, I'm going to digress a bit----- I really never thought I'd use this feature!  However, I really like it.  It's a real time saver when you are doing intricately pieced or small cuts.  It's also great if you are in a time crunch and need something quickly!

My title is cut from Everyday Fonts-Best of Times.  I finished it off with some blue gems left over from the wedding.  I must have a thousand!

This canvas is heading over to these challenges who just happen to have some snowy themes this week!

Bitten by the Bug 2 - Let it Snow Snowflakes
Fantabulous Cricut - Winter Fun

It's such perfect crafting weather here: it's cold, snowy, icy, slick, etc-----also great online shopping weather.  I ordered the promo item, along with some other goodies, from CTMH and I can't wait to see the paper!  I think I have some items for the Seasonal Expressions 1 book, also!  You can check all of this out at KatiesCorner!

Thanks for coming by today; stay warm and safe out there!

 

White Chocolate Cappuccino!

Who doesn't love a hot drink when it's negative degrees outside?  Especially if you have to work out there!  I get to the barn quickly and get 'er done; then I'm back inside and drinking hot coffee or cocoa to warm up again.  I much prefer crafting over horse work in this kind of weather!

Challenges inspired this one:

Color My Heart:  Snowhaven colors
Pile it On:  Something edible
Sentimental Sundays:  Winter Sparkle

The fun for me on this project was creating the background!  I saw a pre- made BG on a video from Clips n Cuts.  I liked it and wanted to duplicate it with CTMH stamps.  I started with Black CS and stamped with CTMH White Daisy Pigment Ink.  Here is the list of stamp sets:  Believe Caps, Believe Lowercase,  You Are My Happy Icons, Curlicue Alphabet, Cup of Cheer, and Skylark.

The cup and whipped topping are cut from two different images in Love You a Latte.  The cup colors are Cranberry, Slate, and Glacier.  The whipped topping is sprayed with adhesive and sprinkled with glitter!

Cranberry Baker's Twine is from CTMH.  Red gem was from my stash.

You still have time to play at all the challenges listed!

Thanks for checking out what is happening here!  Stay warm and enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, cocoa, or whatever is your desired beverage!  ; )

Love

I have been so inspired by the incredible challenges coming out this morning and the past weekend!  Lots of new inspiration and technique challenge.  Since it's cold and icy here, I'm holed up in my craft room with nothing but the wind howling outside the window and a hot cup of coffee.  I'm ok with that!

The idea for this card template and layout is from Such a Pretty Mess.  Gabrielle is so talented and I find myself wanting to recreate her projects quite often.  She uses a lot of Bo Bunny and Dusty Attic. As you might guess, I'm a CTMH fan----since my daughter is a consultant!  Now, let me add even if she weren't a consultant, I'd still be a fan.  So, this is my CTMH take on her card!

The fold on this swing card is interesting; I'm not much into measuring and such, but I wanted to give this a try!  You can see the dimensions and the card in action at her site.  I have yet to get into the video part of blogging.  Maybe this will be the year for that.....hmm.....  I'll think on that one!

Anyway, as I always do, I have digressed.  This card has lots of "bells and whistles" besides the cut.  I cut the burlap hearts freehand from the CTMH burlap ribbon.  The top two layers of the flower are cut from Art Philosophy; the rest of the flowers are from the CTMH Floret Paper Flowers (retired).

Note the twine in the upper left hand corner as well
as tied on the button.  That is a strand
I pulled from burlap used on another project.

The background on this Barn Red CS was created by
sanding the CS on top of an open embossing folder.
The button, little piece of lace, and thread were all laying
on the table from a past project!  There are some
advantages to being messy!

Everything here is from CTMH except the buttons, thread, embossing folder and seam binding.  Here are the supplies:

CS:  White Daisy, Barn Red, Paper Fundamentals, and Seaside

Inks and Powder:  Barn Red, Chocolate, Archival Black, Daisy White Pigment and Hollyhock Pigment; White embossing powder

Blush and Chocolate Homemade shimmer mist:  Re-inker colors, water, and Create a Shade paint (retired)

CTMH Embellishments:  Burlap, Gems, Floret Paper Flowers

CTMH Stamps:  Universal Backgrounds, Just to Say, and Art Philosophy Stamp Set

Techniques:  Sanding over an embossing folder, distressing, sewing, stamping, inking edges, hand cutting the swing card, hand made flower, heat embossing

I was inspired by the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge Blog - X-periment:  this was a new card cut for me!
Craft Hoarders - Choose your Challenge from a chart:  ink, fabric, seam binding, thread, lace, stamping, die cutting, folding & scoring, mixed media (?), distressing, sand paper, heat embossing, buttons, bling, flowers, and found items!
Heart 2 Heart - bling, ribbon, Cricut or stamping distressing, ribbon
613 Avenue - 1001 Techniques

Check out the challenges above!  Lots of fun.  While you are surfing around, be sure to stop by KatiesCorner and take a look at the new ideas over at CTMH.  If you haven't seen the new Seasonal Expressions Idea Book, you should take a peek!  There are some great new products and ideas in there!  Did you also know there are inspirational videos at that site!  Yep, click the tab CTMH TV and you'll find them.

Hope your weather isn't too bad where you are.  But if it is, stay in and enjoy some crafting time!

the sweetest!

My cousin is now a grandma and that is the sweetest news!  She has the cutest little grandson who I'm sure will be the joy of many lives.  I thought I'd send a card off to the delighted grandparents as well as the happy parents!

This cut is from Life's a Party.  The sentiment is from Cutie Pie a CTMH Stamp of the Month.  The embellishment is a partial cut from one of the CTMH Flourishes.  For some added interest, I used the CTMH Dot embossing folder on the white CS.

Colors were inspired by the Color My Heart challenge this week - perfect for the new baby boy!

Thanks for stopping by today; be sure to check out Katiescorner for the January deals!

Yankee Doodle

Charlie and student during practice
assisted by Miss Audrey.

In the fall PATCH by Design had the Pumpkin PATCH Fall Classic.  This is a horse show for all the students who have their weekly lessons at the barn.  These are incredible kids who experience life challenges of one kind or another.  Each student had the opportunity to ride, show a miniature in a showmanship class, and do an in-hand musical freestyle to the music he/she chose.  I was so inspired by their freestyle performances, I chose to do a canvas for each of them.  This young lady chose Yankee Doodle.

I started with a canvas and gesso.  I used CTMH inks to spray the background.  I then found the words to Yankee Doodle (who knew that song was so long?), copied it onto neutral paper, and went to town on it.  I tore it, distressed it, inked it, and stamped it with the stamps from CTMH Love Life set.  I glued that down to the canvas.

Next I went to the Cricut and cut the frame, flag, title, shooting stars, and silhouette.  I inked and/or glittered those and set them aside.  I made a stencil out of Acetate Alternative cutting stars on the Cricut.  The stars are from CTMH Art Philosophy.  I then got out some homemade texture paste and added a drop of Sky re-inker to stencil in the stars.  

Now for the assembly!  Yay, that's my favorite part!  I laid it out and it still needed more embellishing.........hmmmmmmm.  Wait, I have some 4th of July embellishments from forever ago!  Ok, now the trick is to find them.  Dig, hunt, look,,,,,,,,,,,, there they are!!  Talk about finding the old and scrapping stash!  Ok, I looked it up, they are from Summer 2006.  I think it's one of the first CTMH sets I purchased!  

Yankee Doodle is off to these challenges:

Scrap our Stash

T twine, title, and texture paste

W words

I ink

N neutral parchment color; new stencil I made 

E  embellishments

Lasting Memories - Simple Pleasures - for me that's kids with horses!

Bitten by the Bug 2 - All time favorite Cricut cut---uh, not fair!  If I have to choose it's the horses from Old West.  I use them a lot over here!

Heart 2 Heart - Old is New - Embellishments from 2006

This month there are some great promotions over at KatiesCorner.  I haven't placed an order yet; but believe me, I'm on my way over today to check out the fun!  One of the promotions is the Year Noted Paper Kit.  You can check out the video here!  Of course, there is the Stamp of the Month as well as some others.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kraft, Daisy, and Glacier

What a great color combo!  The challenge over at Color My Heart is to use White Daisy, Glacier, and Kraft.  However, I didn't have any Glacier except for the cardstock.  Therefore, when I colored my bird I had to use Sky Blue marker.  Everything here is CTMH except the blue gems and black embossing powder.  

The stamp is CTMH Fabulous You.....a Christmas gift from my fabulous husband!  

This month there are some great promotions over at KatiesCorner.  I haven't placed an order yet; but believe me, I'm on my way over today to check out the fun!  One of the promotions is the Year Noted Paper Kit.  You can check out the video here!  Of course, there is the Stamp of the Month as well as some others.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Yuletide Carol

I know, Christmas was a couple of days ago; but we'll be celebrating through the 1st over here!  I'm sure many families need multiple days to fully enjoy the holiday with family and friends!  I have to say I'm glad we start celebrating on Christmas Day and continue on through early January.  That gives me time to play longer with my holiday papers and stamps!

This card is the actually the gift card holder on page 55 of the Artiste Cartridge Handbook.  The poinsettia is from SVG cuts.  All the paper and gem is from the Yuletide Carol Workshop on the Go.  

I further embellished with some lace left over from......you guessed it, Katie's wedding -  (I'm going to have that stuff around for years!) - and some gold raffia.  

I have to say, the Yuletide Carol papers and the Christmas Post Stamp set are definitely my favorite CTMH has ever done for the holidays!  I am loving this combo!  

My little poinsettia is off to Color My Heart for the last color challenge of the year!  

If you are in love with this paper, you can find it at KatiesCorner!  There are lots of other beautiful papers, embellishments, and great offers there!

Happy Winter Solstice!

It's a lovely Sunday here, full of sunshine; but I think we may have some snow on the way in the forecast.  Winter is so wonderful when I can stay inside by the fire drinking white hot chocolate topped with whipped cream -- yum.  However, with winter comes lots of extra work in the barn:  carrying buckets of water to troughs, cleaning stalls all the time, and carting the hay out to the pastures.  Just thinking about it makes me want to grab a hot cup of coffee/cocoa!

This card is made from scraps of all retired papers from CTMH.  I believe they are Forever, Skylark, and last year's Christmas papers.  There is also a retired button, silver shimmer trim,  jingle bells and ribbon from Katie's wedding!

The snowflakes are cut from Art Philosophy and the sentiment is from CTMH Blessings of Peace stamp set.

These little snowflakes are flying off to:

Heart 2 Heart:  Use Lagoon, Silver, and Black
613 Avenue Create:  Use a snowflake/Winter Solstice
Pile it On:  Anything Goes Holiday Christmas

Candy Cane Bear!

The CTMH stamp of the month for November had this cute little bear and candy cane in it!  I couldn't resist adding some shimmer trim and snowflakes for a card for my grand girl!

The tickets are from the stamp set included in the Yuletide Workshop on the Go.  I really like the ticket trend!  These coordinate with the ticket cuts from Artbooking.  I believe the stamp and snowflake cuts were also from Artbooking.

Quick post today, hope everyone is moving along quickly with their last minute holiday preparations!

This little guy is going off to the Candy Cane challenge at Curtain Call!

Victorian Country Christmas

This is definitely a mash-up of my favorites:  country and Victorian.  I was inspired by the stamp set Christmas Post from CTMH.  It has to be my favorite of all my Christmas stamps right now.  I can't stop making cards with it!

I started with 3 shades of blue:  Sky, Crystal Blue and Twilight.  I stamped the pads directly on my mat, sprayed them with some alcohol, swirled the colors together and dropped the Champagne CS on it.  Then using the Twilight ink, I stamped the trees and house scened in the background.

I stamped the Post Card in Slate and the horse (an old stamp from who knows where?).  Merry Christmas was stamped in Archival Black.

The swirl embossing was done with a Cuttlebug folder on Outdoor Denim CS.  I then went over it in Slate.

Embellishments topped it off -- a little Victorian lace and pearls with some country burlap and a tulle bow.

You can find this amazing stamp over at KatiesCorner.

Challenges:

Take Heart Ideas:  Anything Goes Use CTMH
Pile it On:  Anything Goes Christmas
Sentimental Sundays:  Anything Goes

Inside the Window at Christmas

It seems there is something magical about windows at Christmas.  It seems there is something so inviting about them whether you are in the city looking at the lovely displays or driving in the country seeing the warm glow radiating from within homes and barns.  There's something about being out at dusk and seeing the lights of the tree through the window.  It's just so,,,,,,,well, it's simply family, love, joy,,,,,,Christmas!  

I started with the window cut from Christmas.  I cut the window shape from Colonial White CS.  I then used a stencil cut from Artbooking and stenciled the bricks with texture paste.  I glued together my other window pieces and glued them to the front of the card.  I adhered acetate alternative on the inside of the window.  

I inked the greens cut from Home for the Holidays, Winter Frolic and SVG Cuts.  The little bird is from Art Philosophy.  The tree is decorated with some scrap sequins and it is adhered to a scrap of Ariana paper.  The card front is adhered over the tree with 3-D tape from CTMH.  

The inside is decorated using a Cuttlebug embossing folder and a kitty from A Child's Year.  The sentiment is from CTMH.

Great deals from CTMH this month!  If you have had your eye on the stamp sets, now is the time!  Check out the Deal of the Decade at KatiesCorner!

Off to these challenges:

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge:  Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create:  Anything Goes with opt gift packaging
Pile it On:  Anything Goes/Holidays

No red, No green!

No sun for pics today!  Should've taken the photo yesterday,
but I was taking advantage of the weather and working
in the barn with some other horses!  

Cricut Print and Cut........I remember thinking, 'That's a feature I won't use.'  

Ok, I was wrong!  

I decided to make the cards again for the families in my PATCH by Design program (therapeutic horsemanship) and I fell in love with this image from A Quilted Christmas.  I knew I'd never have time to piece that image for so many cards.  Then I remembered......Print and Cut!  That's the answer!

I chose the filigree card base from A Quilted Christmas, also.  

I selected the horse and changed the colors.  Then I flattened him and attached him to the filigreed card.  Easy!  Yay!!  

On the inside I inked paper with CTMH Sky ink and stamped in CTMH Lagoon and used shimmer trim to attach it.  The sentiment is from the CTMH Christmas Post.  Ribbon and gems are still left over from Katie's wedding!  

Since I chose a blue color palette, I'm sending this handsome guy off to the Beyond Red and Green Challenge at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.

Seasonal Expressions I just came out at CTMH!  You can see all the new items at KatiesCorner!  While you're there, check out the Deal of the Decade!  This is a great opportunity to get all those beautiful stamp sets you've been eyeing!

Guest Designer: Lucy

Hi, my name is Lucy.  I am a guest designer today at ScrappyHorses!  I love making crafts and when I come over to Gram's house I like to play with the Cricut!  I am in Kindergarten; I'm 6 years old.  I like to work with sparkly things.  I like to stamp.  That stamp is in pink because I like pink.

My daddy married Miss Katie and she sells CTMH.  We have lots of CTMH paper!  This paper is from Lollydoodle.

This is a tree with a face!  I saw it on the computer and picked it because it was my favorite tree.  It is red and the back is light purple.  I like purple, too.

I sewed it.  Gram helped me with that!  I couldn't reach the thing you step on to make it go.  I did get to push it through.

I found a bag of sequins to decorate the tree.  I got to use the camera to take a picture!  That was fun!  I hope you think it's beautiful.

Lucy

A few facts:  The tree cut is from Create a Critter 2.  The stamp is from the CTMH Scandinavian Wishes.  Silver Shimmer Trim is also CTMH.  All sequins are from my stash--I think I've had them around for over 20 years!  ........and yes, the sewing was very closely supervised! hahaha  

Katrina (Gram)

This tree is going off to the following challenges for Lucy!

Bitten by the Bug 2 - Christmas tree cut from Cricut
Take Heart Ideas - Anything Goes using at least 1 CTMH product
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - Celebrate the season