A Non-Halloween Break!

Hello Everyone:)

Well it's been an exciting couple of weeks

on my blog with the Co-Hosted Giveaway

with Kristin Hubick 

of 

Retro Cafe Art Gallery

which both of us enjoyed so much!

So I thought, I would give a little break

to all the Halloween 

colours and projects, for all of our eye's 

to have a rest, 

So, I took on another 

Project Challenge 

from Kristin and

it's in conjunction with her latest 

Giveaway

on Retro Cafe Art Gallery in 

Celebration 

of her 

New Venture with

Land of Enchantment

Graphics Sheets by

Debrina Pratt!

I have been a collector of Debrina's Graphics

for a couple of years now, so I was thrilled

to see that she and Kristin have this 

New Venture together and

with this 

New Giveaway 

on

Retro Cafe Art Gallery's Blog

You all can Win too!

So here's my answer to Kristin's Challenge:)

This is my 

'French Peacock Shrine'

(and as some of you know from pictures of

my Art Room on Facebook, this is right

up my alley! LOL) 

( If you'd like to see, send me a 'Friend' Invite

on Facebook/Denise Phillips:)

I made this from 

Kristin's Coffee Break Design Kit

ATC Shrine and Land of Enchantments Graphics Sheets :)

(Background sheet to display also one of

Land of Enchantments 

Graphics Sheets:)

I love these colours and graphics!

I also used Coffee Break Design's 

Arch Trinket Shrine and Fancy Brass 

Feather Crowns and of course

Mr. Tim Holtz Hitches as feet!

(Becoming a regular feature on my pieces!)

I so much enjoyed making it that I decided to go

a bit further with these wonderful graphics sheets

and Kristin's Coffee Break Design Kits.

Of course for me, it's all about the Birds! LOL!

Debrina's Graphics of her birds have always

been a Favourite of mine!

But check out those mini crowns!

Teensy Tiny Brass Crowns from

Retro Cafe Art:)

I loved playing with this little kit of Mini Stand-Up Houses,

and my ideas are 'flying' 

on how to use more of them!

But until then, 1 more project I finished this

week, which I used some of Land of Enchantments

Graphics, and a Vintage Photo from my own

collection, 

a few extra vintage goodies I've collected 

from Kristin along the way and 

also of course my favourite

Alphabet Beads!

This is an 8 x 10 Collage piece I'm calling

'Thrill Seeker'

( I just love that woman's expression!)

I photographed it before framing...

I mounted it in an 8 x 10 Shadow Box frame:)

So there you go!

I've had a wonderful week of being creative thanks

to Kristin's Challenge! 

Non-Halloween!

So I hope you all will pop over to Kristin's 

blog at

and get your entries into her latest

Giveaway! Kristin is giving away FIVE Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets to FOUR lucky winners! All you have to do is leave a comment on her blog post!

And just a head's up....

more Giveaway's to come on my blog from

some more 

Wonderful Shops all in the works!

So hope you've enjoyed my latest flurry of

creativity, and hope you'll sign on as a 

Google Follower if you aren't already one,

and do come by and send me a Friends 

request on Facebook too!

It's isn't quite Halloween yet, so there's at 

least another blog post in the works to

Celebrate!

So until then, as ever

Enjoy!

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!!

And the Winner is in the

$25.00 Retro Cafe Art 

Gift Certificate Giveaway 

is......

.....Well, (don't think you all are getting 

off that easy do you! LOL)

It's been a long two weeks!

But a Fantastic Experience!

With my Artist Heart, I want to give a Big Thank You

to

Kristin Hubick

of 

Retro Cafe Art Gallery

who has been my Co-Hostess

with this Wonderful Blog Giveaway that

she and I both have enjoyed!

The amount of Wonderful Comments, 

New Followers, and for Kristin 

New Customers

has been amazing!

We both Thank you all so very much!

So Thanks again, and I'll keep in touch!

....oh I think I forgot something:)

And the Winner is!

Robin!

(Horns blowing, confetti flyings, dogs barking, 

husband yelling...whoops, you didn't need to know that! LOL)

Congrats Robin on being

the Winner!!!

I have passed along to Kristin your name and email and

she will be sending you your $25.00 Gift Certificate!

Thank you all so very much for entering!

There's more posts coming up with new eye candy of

projects I've been working on

And I'll even be sharing a few pictures of

a Halloween Project that my

Art Pal Leslie has made for my 

husband and myself that

I just have to share with you all!

There's also more Giveaways and a possible

Contest all coming up over November and

December here on my blog so

stay tuned, check in, and sign on if you've

just found me:)

Till then, Congrats again to Robin our Winner!

and as ever...

ENJOY!

P.S....if any of you think I should do another 

cake, maybe for Christmas leave a comment....

and please take your dirty forks with you!

LOL!

Need's A Card With That Cake! '$25 Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY' continues just a few more days to Enter!

HELLO EVERYONE:)

Well this has been a very exciting time for me,

having this fantastic 

'$25.00 Gift Certificate Giveaway' 

with the wonderful

Kristin Hubick 

of

We're in the home stretch, only a few more

days to come by and enter on both of our blogs

as the deadline for entries  in our

Co-Hosted 'Giveaway' of

$25.00 Gift Certificates to 

Retro Cafe Art Gallery

is thru 

Saturday, October 15, 2011

with the Winner's on 

both Blogs 

being announced on 

Sunday, October 16th, 2011!

I have been 'gobsmacked' at the great comments

on both Kristin and my blogs!

You're all wonderful and very encouraging!

And I so appreciate all of you signing on as

Google 'Followers'

So, just a little more eye candy,

 as it dawned on me

that if you have 

Halloween Birthday Cake

there has to be a card.....

In my usual state of 'humour' (grin)

of course for my 

Best Art Pal Leslie's

Halloween Birthday

what would be more fitting than a coffin!

Just the card to go with that cake!

All the wonderful bat and spider cut-outs and

the alphabet beads are from

Retro Cafe Art!

'Look Ma! No Head!

LOL

I love the 'Brain in a Jar' Cut-Out from

Retro Cafe Art!

Kristin's selection of these 

Lazier Cut-Outs

for all sorts of Seasons and Art uses

are wonderful!

So there you go!

Some ideas for a Halloween Birthday Card and

some Cake....

Disclaimer!

Do not give the Coffin Birthday Card to 

anyone over the age of 60 as you are

liable to end up in it!

(grin)

Now get to it! 

Leave a Comment on either this post

or the previous 'Giveaway' Post

and sign on as a Google 'Follower'

and you'll be entered in the Giveaway

on my blog 

and pop on over to

Retro Cafe Art Gallery

to also Enter and you'll have

2 Chances to Win!

So I'll see you all on Sunday, October 16th

to see who is the WINNER!

Enjoy!

BIG NEWS!!!! ANOTHER 'GIVEAWAY'

Hello Everyone:)

THAT'S RIGHT!!!

ANOTHER WONDERFUL GIVEAWAY HERE

on Birdnuts Mixed Media!!!

But the BIG NEWS is that I am 

Co-Hosting with one of my 

all time Favourite People:)

Kristin Hubick

of

Yippie!!!

I'm so thrilled that Kristin was interested 

in Co-Hosting Giveaways on both of our

blogs!

So here's the skinny:)

Like I've done before, to place an entry into the Giveaway,

Sign on my blog, (Right Side of the Page),

as a Google 'Follower' and then

leave a Comment on this Post and you will 

be entered to 

Win a $25.00

Gift Certificate

to 

Retro Cafe Art!

(If you are already a 'Follower' of my blog,

then just post a Comment and remind me

of it, and you'll be entered!!)

Then

Go to Kristin's Blog

Retro Cafe' Art Gallery

Sign on as a 'Follower' on her blog,

Leave a Comment on her blog to

tell her you've entered, and

you could 

Win a $25.00 Gift Certificate 

from Kristin's Shop too!!!

2 Chances to Win!!!

As many of you who 'follow' my blog,

 already know that I LOVE

Coffee Break Design Products

that Kristin has in her

Retro Cafe Art Shop!

This is just a sampling of some of the Great 

Coffee Break Design Products

she produces that I currently keep in supply:)

And here's some Samples of some of my 

latest projects I've made using 

Coffee Break Design Products:)

I made this recently with Kristin's

'ATC Shrine Masonite Kit'

Absolutely a blast to play with!

The whole kit comes in a flat board,

that you break apart and then put together

and embellish in what ever way you want!

I lined this kit with Old Farmers Almanac

pages, after inking them.

I used this wonderful 'Inkadinkado' Brand Stamp

of the Koi, mounted it in the shrine,

Stamped and Inked an old domino to also

mount and added Kristin's wonderful

Acrylic Bobbles to create the Bubbles:)

Really enjoyed making this piece,

and I'm still thinking of it being 

mounted into a shadow box at a later date to show it off more.

The bottles are also from Retro Cafe Art, they're Mr. Tim's

(Tim Holtz) 'Idea-ology' Bottles.

I filled them with 'Natural' Real Vintage pearls and

real tiny sea shells in the bottom bottle:)

Once you start playing with Kristin's 

Coffee Break Design Kits, it's like an

addiction!

Her assortment is wonderful. With choices of 

little mini kits through to major project kits.

Massive Assortment of Stencils and other

goodies too that she produces!

Here's another project that I've used

Coffee Break Design Products

with, it's a Special Project as

it is for my Art Pal Leslie's 

Birthday, as she is a Halloween BABY!

I'm not a very clever Baker but I do make a 

wicked Paper Cake!

Ta Da!

(Don't tell Leslie!!! Grin)

My Halloween Birthday Cake has been a great

pleasure making, and I used a ton of

Coffee Break Design Products all over it!

The top, is another great kit of Kristin's made of

masonite so it's really easy to put together and

to embellish:)

I even used her 'ballerina' that she has in her

shop, and altered the lovely blue colour that

she comes in to black and glitter purple!

And of course, no project of mine could

go without my favourite Alphabet Beads

that you will also find in Retro Cafe Arts Shop!

I just kept layering embellishments onto

this thing, having the best time making

it over the top for my Art Pal Les!

(Spider Web Cut-Outs of Kristin's

embellished with a silver Sharpie!

That was quick and easy!)

( So don't tell Leslie her Birthday Cake is ready:)

LOL

So there ya go!

Some new project ideas for you, and 

a BIG GIVEAWAY

Chance of Winning $25.00 Gift Certificate

to Retro Cafe Art to boot!

The Giveaway is going to run until October 15th, 2011

with the Winner to be Announced on October 16th, 2011

So jump on board, Sign on as a Google 'Follower'

Leave a Comment on this Post and you're Entered!

Then jump over to Kristin's Blog

Join on and Leave a Comment and you'll be

Entered in her Giveaway as well!!!

And as a side note:) Kristin also has another Contest

Going, ( I refer to her affectionately as the 'Contest Diva':)

'Anything Goes Halloween Contest' that You still have

time to make something and enter into her Contest

as it too is open until October 14th! 

So there's your homework class! LOL

Lot's to do and have fun doing!

Wishing you all lots of luck in the Giveaway,

I'm thrilled to be doing another one!

And let all your friends know so they can enter too!

Spread the Love!!!

ENJOY!!!!

It's late Saturday Night and I'm thrilled with all of your wonderful comments and signing on as 'follower's 

You all have made my weekend, so I just have one more thing to say.....

I hope you all brought forks, 'cause I'm not doing the dishes!!!

LOL

Enjoy!

It's almost October, Halloween Month!

Hello Everyone:)

Well, everywhere I've been this weekend in the 

local shops, it's all about Halloween...

My house is now filled with tons of treats....

over a month to go, so you can figure out who

the treats are for, LOL!

But it's put me in the mood, so I've been

busy creating all sorts of Halloween oriented

projects, but dragged out a couple of 'oldies'

to post while I'm currently working on a 

couple of new ones:)

(Sorry, not the best picture)

This is a Halloween banner I made last year,

using tons of commercial graphics by K&Company.

Once in a while, their packs of cut outs are just

too tempting to play with. Not being into

scrapbooking, I have to come up with other uses

for these packs....

Here's a few:)

got a little carried away with the glitter....:)

Something about plain old black and white 

I love about Halloween...

although orange and purple too is fun.

bats, and fly's and ants...oh my:)

A bit of Retro Cafe Art creeped into this one:)

(Mini Coffin Shrine, great fun to put together

and play with some Resin:)

(Link in Favourites Listing:)

I love these plastic skeletons! 

I bought cards full of them and still need more!

LOL

...some people are scared of clowns....pumpkins

are pretty scary too!!! (grin)

eeeeek!

Love the cat on this one:)

One of those moving pictures that changes into

a skeleton, I think I managed to get him in 

'transition' LOL.

I can say honestly, after playing with this project,

I have a new appreciation for Scrapbooking...

it was a ton of work amazingly, but a lot of fun!

So here's another Halloween Project

that currently I have entered in

Retro Cafe Art Gallery's

Anything Goes Halloween Contest

(Link in my Favourites Listing).

The Contest is running until

October 14th, 2011

and Kristin is accepting entries, and it isn't necessary 

to use Coffee Break Design Products in this contest!

You are also allowed up to 3 entries!

So here's another of mine:)

Halloween 'Peek a Boo!'

(This was actually started last year for a local

contest, but I didn't get it finished in time,

so it's been put away unfinished until this past week:)

It looks pretty simple right?

Well let me tell you, this project is absolutely

one of the more involved I've ever done...

take a black lace bra, 

Hand sew, ( and I don't do this usually!),

liner completely inside the bra.

(Love this cotton fabric of cobwebs:)

Completely hand sew lace and bling ribbon...

Stuff the inside of the cups with a really expensive

dyed orange carded sheep's wool...

(yes, I am exhibiting attitude! I went through

two full bags of my special wool!!!)

And the pictures don't reflect the cool orange 

colour that shows through the lace! Darn it!

The Black Chipboard Cat had bottles of 'Stickles'

all over it, and it took 3 days for it to completely

dry...but loved it's 'bling' in the cleavage:)

A few glittered spider's here and there,

and some bling lettering, and walla!

An Art Room note....Storage Ideas:)

I have a plain white tall storage cupboard to

the right of my art desk, and the blank space

kept my imagination running wild with ideas...

so I took this vintage printers drawer and 

bolted it to the side of the cupboard to 

create shelves for some of my wood mounted

stamp collection.

(It's completely full now, and I'm needing at

least another 4 of these! LOL

And just above it, I made these cool shelves,

(actually did myself! Power saw and all!)

Using vintage rulers for the fronts, then

mounted some peel and stick cork for

mini bulletin boards:)

This I made a couple of years ago, and is an 

ongoing project, as you just have so much 

wall space...especially after hanging tons

of art projects, LOL~I love these shelves

and I'm quite proud of myself for making them

on my own! My husband was so taken that he

actually bought me my own power tools!

'Liberation!' (grin)

....so there you go! More projects in the works!

(As I can never do without at least a couple going

all at once:)

So more postings to follow soon!

Till then, have a great week,

and

Enjoy!

Bits and Bobs:)

Hello Everyone:)

Here it's only just the end of September coming up, and already Halloween is 'flying' all over the internet, and in some

cases even a bit of Christmas is already popping up.

Being that my previous post was a Halloween project,

(and as some of you know, Halloween is a major

holiday celebrated in my home:), I find that

I'm looking for something else to work my brain with....

Journaling:)

Started another journal, a basic one, and have started

using some of my vintage photos as a dive in point

to get motivated. 

Seems it's the new 'thing' to get into, and I'm 

gobsmacked at all the talent and flurry of ideas

out on the net, so I figured with my huge collection

of vintage photos, and some of my personal family

photos, and my dry wit, I'd find a 'style' of my own...

In honour of my parents, LOL!

This one took days! Layers of paint, inks, stencils,

then tons of computer paper stamped, inked, cut out,

but my favourite part is the pen inking...great way

to relax!!!

Whoever this woman was, she lends herself to

so many different comments....I love her:)

The original photo is a beauty, and in wonderful

condition, and she is so tidy...(something I'm 

certainly not known for, LOL).

And last but not least.....me:)

I had fun with this one, but for the reason was the

chair....it's from a great graphics sheet that I recently

purchased from Gail at Shabby Cottage Studios,

(Link in my Favourite's Listing:).

The minute I saw this chair, I remembered this 

photo and the hand placement, (ok, so my

mind does go to to weird details sometimes:)

so I played around with my computer to get

the size of both the photo and the chair about

the same, and walla!

So there's some examples of one of the projects I'm

currently working on...

And here's what arrived this week in my mail:)

My order from Kristin Hubick at Retro Cafe Art

(Link in my Favourites Listing:)

of my new Fav Rave

Dyan Reaveley's 

'Dylusions'

Stamps from England!!

Oh, look out world! LOL.

I've recently chatted with Dyan on Facebook,

and I absolutely love her English Humour

and Wit!

And I can't wait for some art time to sit and play 

with my new toys:) Great fun!

Speaking of new toys.....

My 'ToyBoy' that I married, and I just celebrated

our 24th Wedding Anniversary September 17th.

We spent a wonderful day together going to all

of our favourite places. 

He treated me to my favourite art supply store here

in town and then we went to Michael's Craft Store.

You'd think that the trip to Michael's was for me....

but, every year my husband loves to get the

Halloween Lighted Village collection that

Michaels exclusively sells.....

(an annual trip now,

5 years in the making....every year, at least a dozen

or more pieces in the collection....do the math!)

He had a wonderful Anniversary...

(I'm investing in ear plugs this year, as each of

these and all the rest of his collection are also

noise makers!)

We ended the lovely afternoon at our local

'Cupcake' Store and treated ourselves

to a dozen totally decadent cupcakes

that even the next morning tasted wonderful!

(Diet going on throughout this week:)

Well that's what I've been up to:) Have lots more

to share but will save for my next blog post,

as I have a couple of other assemblages and projects

that I'm also working on for the next post....

so until then, Have a Great Rest of the Week!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and do sign

on as a Google 'Followers' if you haven't already,

as I'd love to have you join me in this journey:)

Happy Anniversary to my 'Toy Boy'!!!

Enjoy!