So, I'm not Tim Holtz...

I REALIZE that! REALLY....{!}

But man, oh, man! I can't get over what a delight it has been, completing my "Twelve Tags of Tim." I have to apologize for the redundancy, as I mentioned following my last tag. For that reason, I'm going to just throw down my final three tags... And then I'll try to put it all to bed....

Until NEXT year.... heh heh heh...

Fun, fun and F-U-N-N-E-R! That's what I have to say about THAT!!!!! {Sorry, English teachers!}

If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands,
and perhaps an emotional load that's a bit heavy....

I really and truly MUST recommend that you look up that old Tim fellow...
and his ANY of his most recent {or any year!} Twelve Tags of Christmas... PICK one!
And then just make it! Using ANYTHING you've got - no stressing over "right or wrong!"
This whole process was TRULY therapy for me. Thank you for indulging me!

SO, now that THAT'S done... CHALLENGE TIME, babies!

And, I REALLY am, "tickled PINK!" for a whole bunch of reasons!
The FIRST reason is because I'm throwing in some color work
for my dear friends at the Just Us GIRLS challenge! Check it!!!

{*Gasp!*}
Aren't these colors BEAUTIOUS! WAIT until you see what the JUGS DT has done!
{*Swoon!*}

And what's a fun color combo, without a GREAT sketch!?!
Hellooooooooo... calling CARD PATTERNS!
How YOU doin'?




It's been TOO lonnnnngggggg since I've had some time for multi-challenge FUN!
So, babies - THIS was my day! {I know! It WAS a good day!}

Oh, FRIENDS - I REALLY am tickled PINK! But MORE on that.... another day! {Yipeeeee!} You'll have to stay tuned for my EXCITING news! Eeeeeek! For now, I'll just have to THANK YOU, once again...... I ADORE the fact that you took some of your precious time to visit my creative spot here in BLOGLAND! It REALLY, really makes me a happy girrrrl! Here's hoping you've got YOUR happy onnnnnnnn! Take care, friends!

Supplies - {Card}

C/S - Stampin' Up! & Papertrey Ink
D/P - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - WPLUS9 design studio {clouds}/ Jillibean Soup {pig & sentiment}
Ink - Stampin' Up! & Staz On
Paint - Liquitex
Bling - Michael's
Fluffy Yarn - Adornaments Fun Fiber
Ribbon - Recollections
Flower - {My STASH!}
Baker's Twine - Paper Treats
Circle Punches - EK Success & Sizzix

TAG #9 - Feelin' FINE!

It's just a WHOLE lot of fun! SERIOUSLY!

Making these tags is SUCH a hoot! I feel like I'm taking a twelve day, intensive class with Mr. Holtz, himself! I mean, SERIOUSLY! If not for him, I just don't know that I'd get waist deep in my materials and techniques.... this many days in a row! I really and truly am going to stop gushing {SOON! I promise!}, but I just can't get over how much I feel like I am pushing myself {and loving it!} to use SO many materials, I'd otherwise leave in a drawer. I had to have all this stuff to begin with...{RIGHT!?!}! But in my day-to-day card craft, I usually find reasons NOT TO EMBOSS... Or do anything that requires DRYING time... etc. Just letting myself get swallowed up in technique-rich crafting is like boot camp - for the crafty! It's just THAT exhilarating!

Here's to you, crafty friends! Thanks for letting me share this little journey. I hope you got deep in your materials, today, as well! Good crafting IS my effort to create "peace on earth..." at least in my own mind!

Enjoy your day!

TAG - I'm IT!

Woopsie do!

Missed you! I guess I was still tired from the baby, I gave birth to, 13 years and several days ago... {hee hee}

Anywhoo, I'm back, friends! More Tim TAG art to share!

I can't even remember which one this is, but it's my 8th... {PHEW! - Imagine, I'm just replicating the work of the Holtz-man, not even c-r-e-a-t-i-n-g from scratch... and it's work.} My biggest challenge, is recreating Tim's fine pieces, without all of his supplies...

(Insert sarcastic "wooo!")

Anyway, this one was SUPER fun!

And, speaking of fun, I had a MARVELOUS time leading my wee-girl's 4H Arts & Crafts project the other day {Gee, maybe THAT'S why I'm still tired!}, as a guest project leader.... It was a super fun privilege to work with this enthusiastic group, let me tell ya! You might not be exactly surprised to learn that the project was influenced by this project... (I know, I know...)


Some pre-Valentine's Day collage...

And a lil' something for the "other folk".... MAN! {Never seem to have enough "craft" for them fellas...}




These are teeny tiny canvases, available at most craft stores... They are wrapped, backwards, so the "back side" of the canvas, is covered and the flaps are glued to the solid, canvas surface. The "opening" of the stretcher bars, becomes a framed opening - a teeny tiny curio. So CUTE! So fun! Soooo much possibility! Check out what my friend, Dana - PAPER DAYDREAM, did with the same "influence" here.... {She's done an EXCELLENT tutorial, as well, so get ready to DROOL!}

I'm tellin' ya - the fun never ends!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

SPARKLY wire, got some twistin'!

Oh, friends - it SURE did!

Where am I? Tag NUMBER 7, if memory serves! {The one that helped inspire my little song...!}

This was one SERIOUSLY technique rich, tag crafting festival, folks!
I really, really enjoyed this one! Talk about creating a miniature CHRISTMAS wonderland!
Honey, baby, sweetie - this one REALLY had my materials dancing!

WHAT A BLAST!

Meanwhile, did someone see where the week went? Goodness, GRACIOUS! It was a fast one. I hope yours was lovely and that your weekend is choc full o craft time....! Mine has changed its plans on me a FEW times, but one thing that's sure to change, oh say, the next 6 years or so.... As of tomorrow, I'll HAVE A TEENAGER! Ack! What? How? Oh, noooo! What happened to my BABY!?! Oh, dear....

{Heh Heh}

Here's hoping your weekend treats YOU right!

It's {still} looking a lot like CRAFT-MAS...

Every WHERE you gooooo..... dum da dum...

Okay, don't hate me because I'm still humming CHRISTMAS carols... I know some of you who begin to tune in the season, round about JULY!
Just because I STILL HAVE MOST OF THE DECOR in my house - {HA!} It just means I'm spending plenty of time, CRAFTING!!!

I'm in love with GRUNGEBOARD!!!! In case you didn't get the memo..

And, since I'm still up to my elbow's in mojo, here's another painting to share!

So, here I go again - I have to THANK YOU! You stopped by and MADE MY DAY!

{I love, love, LOVE this bloggy/crafty place!!!}

Twelve tags of BLISS...

Number F-I-V-E!

Yep, I'm still at it! I know it's a little redundant - I mean Tim's tags were a WHILE ago, now.... But, THE MAGIC OF DEEP-TECHNIQUE paper craft, never gets old!

{heh heh}

And since you pretty much know where this is all going, I can't resist sharing some of my own twists... LIKE THESE! {Yep! You guessed it, Kare!} Tin sheets are behind all my tags. I did this with last year's collection, thinking that I'd use them as Christmas ornaments, or possibly turn them into a garland... {I thought it was a good idea...duh, duh, duhnn! } Funny, though, I never got tired of looking at them - they've been on display in Scrapland, ever since! {!} Tim loves his manila type tags as "canvas" for these creations, and I completely agree.... But for all the wonderful work involved, I like it to be attached to something a little more hearty.

Believe it or not this tin material cuts easily with heavy craft scissors. These are pieces I have left over from an environmental study we had done a while back {!WHATEVER, SALAMANDERS!}... They are mostly pre-cut, and are a little smaller than a standard card. My tags have to be a slightly different scale, but, hey, I'm crafty...

I, now, look at ALL my Christmas goodies from packaging and "obsolete" ornaments with brand new eyes, these days! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED on the huge bag of plastic holly and crazy "Christmas" foliage collected by husband's granny back in her day... {Husband and I dug out a bunch of WAY retro gems from storage, thanks to, none other than the "Tim-man!" THANK GOODNESS, MY man is a good sport! heh heh}

Sheesh - now I can't part with ANYTHING!

So there we have it. I'm marching though tag madness! Ur, wait, what did I call it? Oh, yeah, the TWELVE TAGS OF BLISS! Wicked fun, I'm having! Positively!!!! What about YOU? I surely hope, and expect, that you're getting some crafty bliss cooking, WHEREVER you are! Thanks for stopping by! I plan to keep up my pace {too many craft product pounds shed to slow down now!} Tomorrow, I hope to have another painting to share as well!
{Oh, the creative mojo! - I mustn't turn off the spicket when things are flowin' fine!}


Have a terrific day!

Maybe I'll start every NEW YEAR this way!

It can be kind of hard to justify extra craft time during the height of holiday activities...

But, babies - the kids are BACK at school, normal routine kicking in.... And taking a little time to get my craft onnnnnnn.... It's FOR REAL beta endorphins... Wooooo Hooo! I'm on a program!

It's the POST CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S EXTRAVAGANZA, twelve tags of bliss, diet...

My scraproom has shed ALL kinds of "extra" pounds! Ain't life grand! Yipeeeeeeee!

I'm so glad you took the time to stop by! Additionally, I must THANK YOU, so much, for all of your kind thoughts and words regarding my dear uncle, and the picture I shared in my last post. It's pretty magical when someone in your life shares words of comfort, a similar experience or even a hug, during a sad time: to receive it from blog friends - just fills my heart in ways that cannot be measured. My intention was not to solicit pity, but rather to strengthen a bridge that already exists - and dear ones, it's stronger than ever! Thank you!

Reality, kicking in...

A little good, a little sad...

Please indulge...

The good is still VERY good! More tag fun, influenced by the Holtz man... I'm still just kind of being inspired from the final image of Tim's tag... Where I don't have HIS stamps, die-cuts, etc., I'm totally improvising. One of the grandest things I have discovered about grungeboard, is that it's SO easy to detail cut! Where chipboard can rip or stress when you cut into small areas or round corners, grunge board is soooooo forgiving - AND bendy!

Here's a close up of the birdy.... I used my details scissors for the whole THING! {*Swoon!*}

THANK GOODNESS I have been hoarding grungeboard. This is my NEW go-to material for 3-D fun! I LOVE IT! And just for all you purists out there -
you can bet I'll probably acquire ALL the dies, eventually! But for now, I'm not slowing for lack of product.

{I KNOW! Do you remember what my middle name is? It rhymes... with.... RANGER! Ack, ack, ack!}

Now, on to reality. New Years... they don't stay all that new for long.

My MOST favorite uncle, Uncle James... passed away on the second day of this brand new year. He was 79 years old. Quite a guy! A Korean war hero, one of 8 children from Irish immigrants and one DANDY of a man. When I was little, Uncle Jim WALKED a little taller than mere mortals. He was handsome, generous and charming. These are the memories I'm going to keep, most tightly in my heart.

I wanted to share some of the darling photos of he and I from my childhood. At further review, not so darling. At least, not enough to put on BLOG. They were darker and more 70's ish than I recalled. Drats, growing up in such challenged photographic times. Instead, I went back FURTHER. 1942, to be precise {much BETTER photographic history, I'll say!}. This one's for Mom ~ She's the baby, in the arms of her eldest brother, John. Next to her is my angelic grandmother, Maryanne. Uncle Jim is the dapper-lad with the GREAT hair! Next to Jim is my dear Aunt Nancy... Just LOOK at their amazing style. Gosh, now THIS was a photo!

I used to look at photos like these and wonder how people's faces could CHANGE so much. Now I look at each, exquisite person and see the soul and familiarity of fine people - those whose lives touched mine, and those I never had the good fortune to meet, yet I know them! Their features are as familiar as my own. I yearn for conversations never heard and cherish moments I still recall.

God Bless you, sweet Uncle James. I pray that you are doing a fine jig in the company of those who preceeded you. I love you.

Thank you, blog friends, for indulging me. Bless you, too.

HA-PEE NEW YEARRRRRR!

Did you watch the ball drop? Kiss your sweetie...? Catch up on some zzzzzzz's?

I hope it was WONDERFUL! I'm SO excited about 2011 - it's just so fresh and full of possibility!

I stole a little time in Scrapland to get the New Year off right. Nothing like a little post-holiday, holiday craft to make a girl's spirits bright...

FINALLY, a little time for TAG!

Forever, OVERLY optimistic about how productive my pre-Christmas
craft time will be, this year, I'm just proud to still be standing.... uh, crafting...
from an upright position! Tag NUMERO UNO, officially done!

This year was every bit the Christmas of giving. Making sure the holidays were magical for my kids was my top priority {somehow, even more than when they were tiny!}... and from their continuing good manners and loving salutations, we're still floating. It was a complete and total hat trick, but somehow, mission accomplished. Here's hoping your celebrations were just as magical!

In addition to this fun, juicy, technique-bloated, tag-craft extravaganza, I'm still working my fine art, as well. Here is one of the smallest pieces I've created, maybe EVER! It's kind of outside my box.... {Okay, it's not an animal! That's how you KNOW it's outside my creative box!}

Once again, dear friends of Blogland, I hope your holidays were PERFECT in every way. If you have some little ones around, you're probably looking forward to some regularity in the old schedule... aka SCHOOL TO START! THEN, we can really get back in the game... of crafting!

Have a GLORIOUS rest of your weekend! From where I'm sittin', the New YEAR sure looks bright! May it shine for you, too!

Walkin' in a {Tim Holtz induced...} Wonderland!

Bloggy WONDERLAND, that is.... Rancho Durenberger STYLE!

{Hold on to your ear drums - I'm going AUDIO!}






Update: In case you were unable to access this {oh, HEAVENS! :o)} - the link has been updated! I'm a You TUBE "newbie!" Doh! Thanks for your patience!

Accccckkkkkk!

If THAT was "TMI" about life at Rancho Durenberger, you may just want to hit the mute button and read the words, for yourself:

Over the house, lies a mantle of laundry
My empty pantry is QUITE a quandary,
But here in the blogland, we’re clickin’
And CRAFTIN’… TOGETHER!...

Bam, bum, ba-bum, bum…

Splarkly fluff, is a-glistnin, shiny wire needs some twistin’
It’s a beautiful sight, Tim’s Tags done up right,
Craftin’ in our Bloggy Wonderland!

In the studio Tim can make some Ta-ags…
He’ll festoon with bits of vintage charm.
Dies and grungeboard crunching though the Vagabond,
And now we have to have one of our own!

Later on, we’ll be a-stalkin’, bleary-eyed
Checkin’ the clock, and, it’s a beautiful sight
When we get it right, waitin’ for Tim’s Tags
to come on line!

In the background is a glimpse of Mario!
He’s a smilin’, swillin’ Starbuck’s, too….
Without him, Tim would be much less AMAZING!
Wish I could have a friend like Mario, too….

Splarkly fluff, is a-glistnin, shiny wire needs some twistin’
It’s a beautiful sight, Tim’s Tags done up right,
Craftin’ in our Bloggy Wonderland!

That's right, friends! We're FLYING though the Twelve Tags of Tim and I am HAVING a good time! So good, in fact.... {aw, shucks - I'm SO flippin' giddy!} I'm going to get a little shameless, once again... I won TIM HOLTZ blog candy today! YEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAWWWWWW! Oh..... myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....... goooooooodnessss! I'm so freakin' happy I had to write that lil' ditty, in an effort to channel my excitement and rekindle my "tradition" I started last year with my "Ode To Tim"! Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the lovely and talented Mr. Holtz and the ever so funny and delightful, MARIO! You two ARE Christmas!

Meanwhile, hope you can forgive my lack of papercraft - I'm preparing some art for a little, local showing at my FAVORITE coffee haunt.. Here's a mini-preview:

{THAT'S "Auntie Cow! She's Mamacow's B-A-B-Y! All THIRTY SOMETHING years of her!}

Anywhooo, dear ones! I hope I didn't scare you: I do, soooooo, get silly around this time of year! Thanks {!} for visiting! I hope you're having a blast getting your "Tim" on!

December Release Day & JUGS Puffy Embellies!

According to my close personal friend, Tim Holtz, {hee hee} it's all about the journey!

Funny that I thought of him when THIS project, for Day 2 of Dawn's WPLUS9 December Release, went in a TOTALLY unpredicted direction. I RATHER did, enjoy the journey!

Of course, I'm curating over every bauble, bit and button in preparation for the Twelve Tags of TIM!!! So, I guess I shouldn't be shocked that this lil' cluster of jingle bells and flocked and glittered chunk of snowball talked to me. SCREAMED at me, is more like it. Combined with a terrific sentiment from Dawn's latest, Sweet Nothings, I embarked on my journey! {see DAWN'S post for all of the details from this SO useful and all-season of possibility stamp collection!}

Here's some explanation from where my head is still spinning:

{Awwwwwwwwwwww... I still get swoony when I gaze upon this collection of some of the MOST delicious and delightful TREASURES via Tim Holtz, and a few of my own, just to make it personal...} Anyway, one of my FAVORITE additions, after the fact, was this lil' guy:

I am, now, SOOOOOOO caught up in the hunt for ancient Christmas ephemera. {I KNOW!} How thoughtful of Tim to get me so in the mood, just in time for the holidays and the TWELVE TAGS OF TIM! Anywhoo, in customizing my piece from my recent class with the MAN, himself... I've been obsessed with ancient goodies. Memories of the old family Christmas Ornaments... the one's I thought were "too old" and scoffed at when I was a kid... The ones that were destroyed by mice one year. Sadly, not many could be saved, but they are ETCHED in memory, so I get all sentimental for them, especially when someone AMAZING uses old stuff in such artistic ways ....
{Check OUT that vintage lightbulb! That's WHAT I'm talking about!} Anywhooo, I found these:

Totally confessing that, YES, I purchased them at a big box {!} store... {With coupon, of course} But with the leftover "belly" and a HUGE chunk of inspiration from these fun and CRAZY talented ladies...

I performed "surgery." {I LOVE the premise of this week's JUGS challenge! JUST LOVE IT, I say!}

A brad, some black embellishment wire and a snip of left over wire from my original snowman "body" for the nose... Hee Hee {Shall we call him "Parson Brown" ???} He's LUMPY, mirrored and I'm smitten! I glued him to a mirror that I planned to place in the center of some peek-a-boo stamping... and a round window...

I stamped with W9's Poinsettia Patterns, around a circle template, to create a frame...

After getting busy {No rulers were harmed in this process! I swear, I am an EYEBALL girl, only!}, with some FUN stamping and some creative "coluzzling"...

Frame.... STAMPED!




Sentiment, STAMPED! Embellies, TIED! Circle, COLUZZLED!

Card... DONE! WPLUS9 December Release Extravaganza, IN FULL SWING!
Drop your sleigh by THESE lovely ladies' inspirational spots for MORE, g-r-e-a-t fun!

Dawn
Jinny
Kerrianne

Maile
Savitri

Hannah

A winter chill + a warm heart! Great inspiration and FABULOUS stamps and I am ON MY WAY to Christmas {and THE TWELVE TAGS OF TIM!!!!!! - Do you think I'm a BIT excited? Naww!} and the FULL magic of the season! Hitch up the reindeer and CLIMB into your creative sleigh: it's going to be a WILD ride and one fun, stampy season, friends! THANKS for stopping by!

Supplies {For CARD} -

C/S - PTI
Stamps - WPLUS9 Design Studio
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Ribbon - Michael's Recollections
Baker's Twine - Paper Treats via Etsy
Jingle Bells - Michael's
Mirror - Darice
Circle Cutter - Coluzzle {God rest its soul...}
Glittery Styro Ball from Floral Snowman Stake - Michael's