Mixing Up the Mixed Bag Even More!

It's a really good thing that I settled on the name Bev Ann's Mixed Bag!  Because here I go again, changing directions.  I just simply love to do too many different things!  I guess if I would do them all on one piece of art at a time, I could call it mixed media and be done, but I'm way too scattered for that. Ha Ha  That would be much more simple, but not me!

So this month I will be saying good by to Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator.  I should have made this decision a long time ago, but just couldn't let go.  When I lived in town I had such a great group of ladies in a stamping club.  It was a blessing and I sold enough to make it all worthwhile, at least it paid for most of my stuff!  I was never a super seller demo like some of the women I follow, but it was fun.

Now I live out in the country too far from my ladies and so it's just me.  I have too many other interests now to spend my money just on stamps and paper, so the end comes on the 30th!  I have begun selling retried stamp sets on ETSY, with great success, so I'm also paring down the stamping stuff.  After all, there's only so much room and I need to add my new tools!

For as long as I can remember I wanted to cut out wooden decorative yard pieces.  I got the chance to do a few last December, when I made the awards for the winners of our neighborhood lighting and decorating contest.  I made a tree and a Christmas light bulb. I really want to do farm animals - sheep, cows etc. to scatter around my back yard, but before I get to that here come some Halloween decorations!

 A week or so ago I saw a cute witch shoe wreath and some witches legs in a pot  on Pinterest and decided to try and make some.  My amazing husband took me to get the plywood and I drew some patterns and I started to cut them out when he said, "Do you want to go in town and get a jigsaw that sits on a table so you can feed the wood and not be balancing it and holding a saw in your hand?"

 I said, "Yes".  So we closed up the garage, jumped into the truck and headed the 25 miles into Lowes!  We got a scroll saw and got home, only to realize that I really needed that jig saw.  So we jumped back into the truck and he took me back and got me the other saw too!  I told you I had an amazing husband!!!!!!  He added in a palm sander and a few other little treats and we headed home to set up my work area in "man land".  Guess it's "couple land" now, but I'm not saying that to him!  Just thankful for the space and to be working with him so close by.

Sunday after church I began to cut and before I knew it I had three sets of legs and three shoes all cut out!  And my arm didn't feel like it was going to fall off from holding that vibrating hand saw.  The funny part was I used all three of my saws on the legs!  It's not a very good picture of the shoe, but I'll have more pix next time.

So for now I close! I've got painting to do and I want to have these ready in time for Halloween.  I've got other projects going right now too and I'll be showing some of them soon.  As I said at the beginning, I chose the perfect name for my blog!  I know some of you follow me just because of Stampin' Up! and I will be sorry to lose you, in fact, I hope I don't.  I hope you will enjoy my new adventures and look forward to the surprises over the next months!  In fact, this isn't my only new equipment, I got a Silhouette Studio a few weeks ago too, so new projects are everywhere!  Wow, I sure wish I had 36 hour days! Bet you do too!

See you soon!

Fun DSP Two Pocket Card

For those of you not familiar with the term DSP, it stands for Designer Series Paper in Stampin' Up speak! I have tons of it! Every new catalog entices us with new and beautiful paper, but I don't use it like I should so I have lots of it on hand and a few days ago I found a pattern and video for this fun card! I follow Patty Bennett's blog  (you probably should, too) and saw this card. I am so excited because
1. It's easy
2. It's fun and
3. It uses a sheet of DSP for each card!

So I've made my first card (won't be my last) and have it ready to send to a Bible Study friend who has had a number of health issues this spring. I added a flower with brad to the front, but if

you don't want to pay extra postage you can punch out a shape, add a piece of ribbon and have a great easy to mail card. The tags for the two pockets are made using the two tag die and the Big Shot. Tags can be in either pocket and the best part of the card - it can be reused by the recipient! They can take out the tags, write a new note or sentiment and off it goes to a new friend.  And the tags would make great book/bible markers. The ultimate in reusing!

Check out Patty's video or let me know if you want instructions. This would make a great "stamp a stack" event, so if you would be interested and live close to me let me know and we'll get one on the calendar!


Off to make some more cards and more pictures will be coming soon.

Happy Crafting,


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweet Cake Thank You

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted!  I must get back to this - I've made a number of cards, but time has just been flying by, something I know most of you can relate to in this busy time of our lives.

A sweet young friend gave me a gift recently and I wanted a special card to say thanks and so I pulled out a set I hadn't used yet. I really bought it for birthdays and because I love cupcakes, but it works great for a thank you or a valentine!  It comes with three different stamps to place in that blank spot and I know we have many others that would fit.  I love stamp sets that can be used in different ways and as I said, "I love, love, love cupcakes!"

Now I must add that Debbie loves glittery things!  All things glittery, so I added glitter to the icing and embossed the greeting. If you look closely the glitter even shows up in the photo!

I really debated on this set, but now I'm so glad I got it - there are so many ways to use it and would make a great stamp a stack set.  Using the big shot and some corner chopper you can make quite a cute card in just a little bit of time and the colors you choose can change the look in so many ways.

Hope you enjoy and this encourages you to get out some stamps and paper and make a card!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Watercolor Flowers and Lavender Scented Paper

Good Morning!  I love Fridays - I thought I might need to take my car in for service today, but no appointment available until Monday morning, so I get to play! I want to share some of my newest cards and or card fronts. I used to stamp all of my cards and I still do occasionally, but mostly I now draw and watercolor them.

 I've recently become the worst card sender ever and I really must change back to the sender extraordinaire. With this in mind I've begun to watercolor some card fronts so I will have them ready to go when Facebook or my calendar suddenly remind me of a birthday!  For those of you who didn't get a card recently, I'm sorry!  Hopefully, next year you'll be at the top of my list!

Just this week I've completed several and mailed them and I'm going to share them today before I go up and start to play. 

The one on the right is my go to hibiscus.  I've painted a lot of other flowers, but always seem to go back to my comfort zone!  I did two different ones this week and forgot to take a picture of one so only the recipient gets to see it.  I'm really good about snapping pix, but occasionally one gets away from me.  That's ok - after all, I'm painting to share, not to keep.  And that's the problem with my stamped cards.  I have boxes of cards I stamped and never sent.  I must do something with them, any ideas?

This card on the left I made for a new friend in Minnesota.  I met Sue online in one of my stamping groups.  She was looking for a stamp set and I happened to have it and now it's hers.  I included this card in her package along with a couple of my bookmarks.

I have been explaining to her that my direction in cards has changed and that's why I'm selling so many of my stamp sets, so thought I should give her a real example.





And this leads to my last two pictures.  The one on the left is the front made out of my own freshly made paper and die cut with the Top Note die from Stampin' Up! using the Sizzix BigShot.  The picture on the right includes still another handmade paper.  The lavender colored paper backing the picture actually includes lavender buds in it and has such a nice scent.  Sure wish you could scratch and sniff! This card is for a very special cousin who shares my love for creating.  I started my paper making while she was visiting and we talked about making paper with lavender buds, so only right that she should receive the first card using this paper.  I was really pleased with how easy it was to use this paper for drawing.  It's a different texture from my usual watercolor paper, but worked like a dream and making lavender scented paper is so easy!  I hope she enjoys the fruit of my labor.

Those of you who know me personally, know I could sit here and talk for ever, but that doesn't get pictures on paper, so I'm closing and heading up to my studio, pulling out some paint and paper.

Oh, by the way, I've changed my Etsy shop name to BevAnn's Mixed Bag - the link is www.etsy.com/shop/bevannsmixedbag.  I did this for consistency, now my blog, my FB Page, my physical shop in Katy and now my Etsy shop all have the same name! Right now the Etsy shop is mostly stamp sets, but keep it on your list and check back often as I add more vintage items and some of my art cards, bookmarks and maybe even a foot or two!

Now, I'm really gone - later,

Moose You So Much

Moose You So Much - available now

What a couple of days!  I'm learning that working in a store is hard work whether it's physical or virtual!  I've been filling up my little booth in KT Antiques in Katy, TX and my Etsy store.  One is filled with collectibles and the other has one collectible (Charlie Tuna) and rubber stamp sets.  I have plans for much more, but right now I'm concentrating on the rubber stamps.

As I try to make some much needed space in my craft room, I'm sorting through my Stampin' Up! stamp sets and placing them for sale in my Etsy Store.  I listed the first of the sets on Friday and sold one on Saturday - very exciting!  Now just about another 100 and I'll have some room.  :)

If you would like to check out my Etsy Store - my shop name is Bev Ann's Attic, of course, when you see it there, it's all together, so here's the link, BevAnnsAttic.

I just have about 12 items listed right now, but will be adding more each day, just as I also fill up my store in Katy.  

And during all of this, I'm also trying to make some paper, sew a stitch or two and paint on fabric and garden stones. Hopefully, I'll have some fun things to post soon.  Hope you're just as busy, but with more time to craft.  Check back soon to see what I'm up to next and encourage me by commenting below and telling me what you're up to.  What's going on with you in this new year?

Later,

Things They are a Changin'

Today I changed the look of my blog and gave it a new name. These changes were necessary as my focus has moved in a different direction.

I still use my stamps and am still a Stampin' Up demo, at least this quarter, but that's no longer my focus. I'm now what they call a hobby demo. I've begun to do a lot of watercoloring and am making bookmarks and note cards and enjoying it ever so much.

In 2006 I began painting for the first time. I began with round garden stepping stones, painting a variety of flowers on them and they were quite a success. You can see my stones on my Obedience Stones blog. I still paint the garden stones, but my focus is on watercolors and so many other things such as making silk paper and needle felting, that I changed the blog.

I will be posting again, but now rather than the focus on cards, one day you'll see some bookmarks, another some note cards or just the watercolors waiting to be used on a card. Other days mixed media projects, or silk paper will fill the blog.

I hope you will enjoy the new look and the new focus (or lack there of) as much as I am! It's fun to wake up and try something new each day. So as the title says, "things they are a changin' "- hope you'll stick with me and enjoy the ride.

See you again soon.

C is for Cat

I took one day off from stamping and made my journal cover last night.  I thought I might take several days off and do some painting or some other crafts, but tonight when I headed up to my craft room I had an entire card jump into my mind and before I knew it, it was done!

This almost never happens to me, I mean never!  I usually have to think about a stamp set and then play with paper, colors, sentiment etc. etc. etc.  Making cards is often very stressful for me and although I love doing it, it certainly doesn't usually come very easy.  I have found that during this blog challenge ideas have some times come more quickly, but not like tonight!

I walked in and new I wanted to make this card layout.  I haven't made this type of card in a long time, but I saw a picture on my computer yesterday and I guess it just stayed in my mind.  I thought about papers and I don't have many current DSPs so I chose the Newsprint design, pulled out Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock and knew it had to be "C is for Cat".

I no longer had the dimensions for cutting the layers fors this card, but that came to me and I cut the papers without even looking up the information and they fit! 

The only thing I wasn't sure of was what I wanted on the front with the cat and then suddenly I remembered I had an embossing folder of cattails!  I know it isn't a Stampin' Up! folder, but I couldn't resist the cat with the cattails and so the card was now designed and complete.  I love it!  It's probably one of my most unusual cards.  I may have to send it to myself so I can keep it.  Heehee!  It's like a days break just gave me a renewed spirit and I didn't play it safe or over think what I was doing.  I just had fun!!!!

Hope you enjoy - can't wait to see what comes next.

Happy Stamping,