my reads for 2012 Artful readers challenge

In one of my previous posts I said I was going to do the Artful readers challenge that Darcy is doing for next year. We are to pick 12 books out and read 1 a month and at then when you are finished with the book write a small review and also do a piece of art based on the book you read. I picked out my 12 books. it was pretty easy as I picked a bunch out in my to be read pile in a drawer and have them on a shelf. I had 11 already out, so just needed to find one more. Here are the 12.

In no order in how I will read them in 2013

A brisket a Casket by Delia Rowen

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat by Claudia Bishop

Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy

Delicious Suspicious by Riley Adams

Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton

Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson

Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay

False Impressions by Terri Thayer

Big Hair and Flying cows by Delores J. Wilson

Killer Curise by Laura Levine

The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs

Yes they are all cozy mysteries, but 1. and yes a lot of them are food related. lol I hope I am able to zip them month by month.

First book I am going to read is Killer Cruise by Lara Levine  I read the book previous to this one in the series last month. If i have more than one book in a series together I like to read them in order. lol I'm weird like that. :D

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas

Its the the Holiday Season! This year I deiced to make some Christmas cards using Viva Las VegaStamps! of course!

 This first card is a quick fun card I made using Kromecote and Ultra High Gloss clear embossing powder for a fun emboss resist technique.

I stamped the Harlequin Diamond background stamp in clear embossing ink on the Kromecote. I poured the Ultra High Gloss embossing powder over it. After I melted the embossing powder with my heat gun, and it cooled, I took Barn Door distress ink pad and one of the foam pieces and went over the embossed image with the ink. I then took Fire Brick distress ink pad and did it again. I then took a paper towel to wipe off the ink from where it is embossed. it looks like this.

 I trimmed the Kromcote a pit so it can fit on the Kraft card base. I used Miracle tape to attached the Kromecote to the card base.

On white cardstock I stamped the Snow woman in flower hat with black Memento ink pad. I colored her hat and purse with markers. I stamped the head part of the stamp and painted the nose orange. I cut it out and glued it on her. I glossy accented the band of the hat and her eyes. I added some rock candy stickles to her body. I used foam tape to attache her to the card.

On a piece of scrap cardstock I stamped the sentiment, "have yourself a merry little Christmas" and edged it with Crushed Olive distress ink pad.

Stamps I used:
Harlequin Diamond Background
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Snow woman with flower hat

items used:
Kromecote
Ultra High Gloss Embossing powder
Miracle tape
bard door distress ink pad
fire brick distress ink pad
kraft cardstock
white cardstock
black memento ink pad
orange craft paint
markers
rock candy stickles
foam tape

crushed olive distress ink pad

This card is another fun card to make. Its a triple stamping card technique  I saw a friend make one, then saw a youtube video on where she got the idea from. While watching her make the card I got an idea to use a VLVS! stamp with it. Turned out really cute! This is what it looks like uncolored.

I took the 3 white cardstock layers and stack them on top of each other. I then stamped the Santa hits plane with Black Versafine ink pad and then embossed in Ultra High Gloss clear embossing powder. After I embossed the powder I mounted the three white layers onto the green cardstock using Miracle tape. I then colored the image Artist Loft watercolors. I also used pearlesnt watercolors. I should of done that first before mounting them on the green. but live and learn! :P 

Taking a cue from George of the Jungle I stamped out "Watch out for that plane George" with the small alpha's from the plate 1430 on scrap of white cardsock with black soot distress ink pad. cut the words and mounted that on the bottom white layer. 

stamps used

Santa hits plane

plate 1430

items used

Miracle tape

Ultra high gloss clear embossing powder

white cardstock

green cardstock

black Versafine ink pad

Black soot distress ink pad

artist loft water color

pearlesent water color

Challenge for next year

So this year I sort of did the postcard challenge that Darcy did over on her blog. I did really good. then I don't know what happened but Halfway I like stopped and never really went pack.

Well next year Darcy is going to do a  new challenge that I going to do. and I really hope to accomplish this challenge. She is calling it The artful Readers club.  I will be picking 12 books in my To be read pile that I will commit to reading next year. They don't have to be art related. they can be any gene.

I know I tired to to read at least a book or 2 a month this year but I fell flat. I use to be a big reader. One year i think i read 80 something book. Another year 60 something. Then I discovered ustream and the great friends I made from there and youtube and my reading went south since, no matter the goals I set for myself for reading. My favorite thing to do i get on the computer and turn on some music and just read, taking breaks once and a while to check mail or facebook.

I got the new Kindle Fire HD for Hanukkah  don't have many books on it yet. Though I did borrow a book to read from my month trial on Amazon Prime today and read the whole thing today. lol (like I said I turned on some music and read.) But for this challenge I will be using the books I have in my to be read pile. So be on the look of next year for that post of what I'll be reading next year! :D

Finn inspired altered coaster

I know I haven't posted much in a while. after my picture storage disaster I didn't want to blog other projects I have done and post pictures taking away space for when I post for the Viva Las VegaStamps! DT stuff. Well I figured out how to lower the pixels of the pictures so it won't take much space on here(i hope).

So a few weeks ago I took a coaster and did a Finn inspired piece of it. Everyone I know was doing one, so I deiced to take the leap. It was very fun to do. I am hoping to do a canvas with with a VLVS! stamp or two in the future. :)

The stamp I used in this piece is from Octopode. After I sprayed and everything he did get ruined even though I did put a post it not on him to protect him. luckily I had another one the same size I used.

Before

After

Holiday coaster cards

Today is the first day of Hanukkah. This is what I celebrate  But lets face it, there is not very much fun Hanukkah stamps out there. There are lots of traditional looking stamps out there. I kinda over look those stamps, mostly because i'm not traditional type of girl. LOL I like the fun and different type stamps. When I was looking at the Viva Las Vegastamps! online store I saw this stamp, I had to get it.

A few years ago, me and a friend went to a Micheal's and they had a big white bags filled for previous $1 bin items for sale as grab bags for $2 each. Of course we got one. I have a bunch of coasters. One set I deiced to use and try to make Christmas mini's I had the coasters all cut and cover with paper, and that's all that I did with them....Til now.

Paper I used was Secret Santa by K & Co. They were already cut and glued onto the coasters last year. I stamped on white cardstock the Holiday cats in black memento ink pad. I colored them with Prisma color pencils. I added rock candy stickes to the white of the Santa hat. With the extra pieces of cardstock I stamped Oy to the world and Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Cut those out and went over the edges with black marker. I attached everything to the coaster with Miracle tape.   then went around the edges of the coaster with bronze craft paint.

Yes I know I need to fix this one. This is the first one I did. Didn't realized I colored part of the white trim of the hat. :/

Stamps used

Holiday cats

Oy to the world

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Items used

Miracle tape

White cardstock

prisma color pencils

rock candy stickles

black marker

bronze craft paint

paint brush

decorative paper

coaters