Gather Together & Zen Leaves Fall Card

I don't know about you, but I am ready for fall.

Texas is doing it's best to keep fall far from us with temps still in the upper 90s, but playing with some fall stamp sets, fan going in my craft room I could almost sense it coming in.

 

I started with two ATS (artist trading stamp) sets. I love these, because they are smaller sets for a great price! I chose to use the Zen Leaves and the Gather Together sets on this card.

 

 I knew I wanted the background to look like a pile of fallen leaves, so using my Misti, I aligned the stamps were I wanted and started stamping. I used Pumpkin Bread for the first stamping and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

 I then aligned the stamps again and this time I used Tangerine Fusion. I decided to use my Misti as I made 4 of the same card and using it saves time lining things up for multiple stampings.

 The third stamping was with Cranberry Bliss and this added a nice richness to the background I think.

 And finally I added one Summer Days leaf just to add to the fun autumn colors.

 Next I got out my new Bread Tag Die and cut 4 out with Pumpkin Bread cardstock.

 I really like this Gather Together stamp, but didn't want the "eat pie" part on this card, so I did a little trick.

 I used some post-it tape and cover the "eat pie" before I stamped with Versamark. I pulled the tape off before I stamped.

 I then embossed with white embossing powder, which I think really pops on the brown background.

 I used some Candy Red twine and a button I had laying around in my room and completed the card. I wish I would have put the yellow leaf where it was more visible. I ended up making sure on the other 3 cards that I did, but forgot to take a picture of those.

Hope you like this easy tutorial...a fall card.

Creating my new craft space - Part 2

After a few weekends of unpacking, decluttering and figuring out how I really wanted to have my space organized, I am done!
Here is a picture of the new space.

 My chair from IKEA arrived and helps add to my color selection. I love the color combination of teal and red, but added grey and white as neutrals in this space.
First up is my shoe organizer.
My cousin Jessica gifted this to me a year ago and I've been holding onto it, knowing it would be perfect in my craft space. So I put it up using some pushpins and put all sorts of small embellishments in it. I've got twine, tags, sequins, buttons, brads, etc.

Next up is the left hand side on my desk area. I had purchased a Your Way container from a 31 party and had it embroidered with "Markers and Such" on the front a few months ago, knowing I needed a good bin for them. I have my Copic markers next to it in a plastic container. I've got a box which I put dowels through to store ribbon and washi tapes. I purchased some smaller grey cube boxes at Dollar Tree (yes I said Dollar Tree!!!) and I have one for adhesives, one for small ink pads, one for full size ink pads, one for tools, a plastic bin of glue guns (thanks to years of teaching for VBS, I've got 5 of them), and boxes of envelopes and a space for my coloring books.
Those cute cactus, you ask?? Well those are from Dollar Tree too! I had to add them, you know now being in Texas and all.

Moving on to the right side of my desk is stamp sets, die sets, embossing folders, paper cutters, 6x6 papers, paints and my normal miscellaneous junk area. Oh and one more cactus!

The main desk area is made from the desktop I saved from IKEA with a couple of legs on the front and the back and sides are attached to the cubes via L brackets.
I've got my OTT light, which is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I bought this light 8-9 years ago with a 40% off coupon and I've never had any issues with it. It's moved many times now, taking it to countless retreats and craft events and the bulb is still the original. I've got my trusty pampered chef utensil holder that is also very old (10+ years!) that holds all my colored ink pens, waterpens, little tools, ruler, craft knife and more. I've always got my score board within reach too! A little bin on the desk for trash, the flower pot is still trying to figure out what it needs to be. Maybe to replace the utensil holder? Just not sure yet, but I got it at IKEA for like $5 and I just love it...maybe I'll get a plant for it, who knows.
Under the desk I have two bins, the left is full of embossing powders, my heat gun and glitter. I need to reorganize those, but haven't done it yet. One the right is a bin with all of my watercolor papers, and 12x12 cardstock. The inbox on the wall I got from 31 and I put cards I've received in the top, so that they stay safe. It also helps keep me on task to see cards for inspiration.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my studio. I love looking at other peoples and incorporating things I see into mine.
Love and Ink,
Annie

Creating my new craft space - Part 1

Moving is challenging...especially when moving over 1200 miles. In our last home we had an office and I turned that room into my craft room. Here is what it looked like.

It was perfect. I had purchase a Kallax cube system from Ikea and had a fun chair, nice work area and rolling cart for extra goodies......well not everything made it in the U-Haul. The chair and the rolling cart were left behind. But I decided that the Kallax would work in Texas in my new space.

 So on Friday I started by attempting to find pins to make the cube work, but no luck. So I found the closest option and started to get to work. Saturday I got the dowel pins glued in place and attempted to rebuild the system. But after multiple broken dowel pins, hitting my finger repeatedly with the hammer and having a slight cry fest I concluded the although it was easy to put together in NC, in Texas it was not going to be the case (basically you can't move Ikea stuff without damage).
Here is the shelving unit and my messy room before I began.

After my cry fest, my hubby attempted to help me, which only helped it break into more pieces and I felt totally discouraged....that was until hubby said, look to see what you can get at Wal-Mart or Lowes. This is the time when phones are completely our friends, I searched and found similar replacements and measured to make sure that everything would fit. So we purchased a 9 cube and a 6 cube units and I was able to use the tabletop and legs from my Ikea system.
I was able to put the two cube systems together and add the tabletop in under and hour....I had been working on the other trying to rebuild for over 3 hours!
So here is the beginning of the finished project.

So now I just need to weed through the boxes of supplies and get it organized. I am hoping with this set up that I can always have my big shot set up on one of the tops of the cabinets. I did get a chair ordered to replace the one the didn't make it. I also did purchase some new containers to put in the cubes.
I'll post more once it is completed and give you a tour of my new craft area.
Stamp happy!
Annie