Celebrating Summer Blog Hop

Beach greetings to you!  As you may know I have had sand and sun on the brain for a few weeks now which is perfect because today it's time for our Celebrating Summer Blog Hop.  If you arrived via Barbara's blog then you are on the correct sandy path, if you have not been hopping along with us before than you can start back at the Sparkle and Sprinkle blog to learn about the five fun prizes being given away.

For my project I wanted to create some embossed polymer clay jewelry.  Rather than stamping into raw clay this time I rolled, cut, and baked a piece of polymer then once it cooled it was stamped and embossed with detail black powder.  The saying " The voice of the sea, speaks to the soul"  is part of a stamp set called Ocean Treasures.  After the embossing is finished,  the polymer clay can be drilled at the top to make a hole for the bail and again at the bottom to hang a little shell.  

directions are here

Be sure to leave a comment...it's kind of like digging in the sand, every once in a while you will unearth a treasure...or in this case maybe dig up a prize.  Next you will want to hop over to Karalee's fantastic blog, to see how she is Celebrating Summer.


SNS Home Blog addy:  http://sparklensprinkle.com/blog
April Williams   http://stampwillydesigns.blogspot.com
Marie Berquist  http://craftemarie.blogspot.com
Shona Erlenborn   http://shonasstampingstage.blogspot.com
Julie Zippel  http://backtobasicsandbeyond.blogspot.com
Shanna Shands   http://scsdesigns.blogspot.com
Barbara Bruder  http://www.artandsoulcreations.blogspot.com
Angie Blasingame   http://hopemorestudio.blogspot.com  (that's me!!)
Karalee Ingram  http://kareescardsandcraftsofcourse.blogspot.com
Jill Jacobsen http://www.stampinhands.com/
Gerlinde Townsley   http://mycreativecorner-gerlinde.blogspot.com
Charlene Driggs   http://www.paperandinkplayground.com
Karin Martin   http://karin-withaniforpaper.blogspot.com
Brenda Smalle   http://www.rubberroomantics.blogspot.com

Sweet Bead Button Swap (Blog Hop)

In March, Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio offered to host a Button Swap/Blog Hop.  I couldn't resist joining in considering the mounds of buttons I have collected and those I've made.   

The handmade polymer clay buttons received from Billi were so wonderfully whimsical I really had to think of a fun way to show them off. 

My mind kept coming back to a circus theme but I couldn't quite get focused on what I wanted to make. On Thursday kismet intervened when Debbie gave me a Cinch machine, perfect for binding journals or notebooks.

  I spent the rest of the day stamping, glittering, and sewing away on this altered bingo card. Billi's buttons are now the highlight of this altered art sketchbook cover.

Thanks so much for stopping by and thank you Cindy for hosting.

 Below is a list of all the participants in alphabetical order, I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone else created!

Alice Peterson  and Kim Bender

(that's me!!) Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

 Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

 Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

 Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

 Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

 Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

 Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

 Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

 Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

 Christine Stonefield and Dana James

 Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

 Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

 Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

 Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

 Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

 Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

 Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

 Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

 Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

 Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

 Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

 Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

 Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

 Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

 Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

 Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

 Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

 Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

 Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

 Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

 Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

 Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

 Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

 Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

 Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

 Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

 Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

 Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

 Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

 Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

 Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

 Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

 Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

 Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

 Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

 Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

 Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

 Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

 Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer 

 Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

 Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

 Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

 Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

 Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

 Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

 Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

 Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

 Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

 Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

 Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

 Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

 Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

 Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

 Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

 Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

 Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

 Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

 Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

 Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

 Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

 Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

 Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

 Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

 Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

 Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

 Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

 Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

 Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

 Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Button Swap Preview

Just popping in to share a picture of the buttons that arrived back in April for the swap.  I'm partnered with a wonderful gal, Billi R.S. Rothove, her blog is called Artist at Work.  An artist Billi certainly is, she works with many mediums including polymer clay and paper batik.  The buttons she sent were the very colorful, in a style I would call 'caned' though I'm not sure if that is the right term.  What I love about swaps is they usually push you out of your comfort zone, I did manage to find a way to blend my vintage style of altered art with these beauties.  I will leave it up to y'all to tell me if I pulled it off....on Sunday.

(I included a hint in the picture)

Angie

Beach Dream'n

In 2.5 weeks my kiddos will be out of school. The unusually warm winter weather with no snow days are playing a part in the early start of summer vacation.  Ms. Maria has been asking questions like...are we going on vacation..or..can we go the beach this year?  Unfortunately Bob's IT job revolves around a school schedule as well and that means lots of summer projects to complete, hence no vaca away.  This year I am with Maria, dreaming of time at the beach with my toes in the sand. Maybe if I pack my suitcase it will become a reality.

This little altered suitcase was made using Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps and embossing powder.  To see the directions or links for the stamp set just click HERE. 

Angie

Lumberjack Workout

Several trees in the backyard didn't leaf out this spring.  Found out many neighbors are having to remove dead or dying ash trees because the Emerald Ash Borer had done it's damage.  We lost 3 trees so far but there are at least 2 others that will eventually die, it's just so sad.  All the trees were larger than the house, so we hired a tree removal company cut them down, but to save some money we had them leave the logs instead of hauling them away.  A landscaping friend helped us rent a gas powered wood splitter...what a time saver...but work was hard.

Need wood?

 

 Now that that the hard work is done I did a little playing, getting ready to teach a card class at the local scrapbook store this week.

~Angie

Parisian Post

Tonight I worked on a gift for a friend who loves to send snail mail.  While on the phone with her the other day she was reminiscing about a trip she and her husband took to Paris.  I remembered these vintage souvenir cards my mom handed down to me and decided I could use them to make her a some blank stationary. They were looking a little ho-hum with just the picture and stamping, at this point my mind usually travels to glitter as an embellishment.  I wanted the effect to be subtle so I used coordinating colors from my Sparkle N Sprinkle collection.

Glitter colors: Misty Blue & Shimmering Seas

Gold Dust and Bronze Splendor

Golden Silver and Celestial

 Charcoal and Black Ice

Thanks for stopping by,
Angie

Easter Fun

(for you Fer)

Easter tradition was in full swing yesterday, the family came over for dinner and an egg hunt.

The guys had a bit too much fun with hiding places this year.

 Here is the small kid crew, several family members didn't make it home...and oh we missed them!!

 Of course we live for these moments...

They are all getting so big, don't know how much longer they will see egg hunts as a fun thing to do.

Hopefully we can get a few more years out of these kiddos.

Angie