Inspired by Jimmy Buffet's "Fins"

Hello, hello my Monday friends! We have a great theme for you this week at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Inspired by Music!! I love music and listen to it often while I am crafting, just about every time I am behind the wheel, and even in the wee hours of the morning when hubby is playing guitar. 

So, can you imagine how hard it was to decide on one song? But the one that kept coming back to me was "Fins" by Jimmy Buffet, maybe because it takes me back to my younger self? Maybe because like in the song, at that time in my life, I was the girl from Cincinnati? Maybe because I just liked the imagery? 

How appropriate is it to use old cleaned anchovy and herring tins to create the base for my mermaid? Well, I thought it was perfect!

I glued them together, let that dry, then painted them with black gesso.

I am so impatient waiting for things to dry, so in the meantime I started to freehand cut waves out of Graphic 45 Voyage Beneath the Sea papers, and a few extra bits.

I inked up the waves a bit, then glued them around the tin's base.

Next step, adhere some green tulle at the base of the waves.

I am repurposing this beautiful mermaid that I made quite awhile ago and had on a tag - time to give her a new home! She has all kinds of fun details like seashells and bits of ocean treasures, and I love her gorgeous white and purple hair! I think this is one of my favorite Julie Nutting doll stamps.

I seated my mermaid on my tins, added rocks I had collected from the beach, and then added wire with sharks to circle her.  

Can't you feel 'em circlin', honey? 

Can't you feel 'em swimmin' around?

You got fins to the left, fins to the right,

And you're the only bait in town. 

To get my mermaid to sit up straight, I added a popsicle stick to her back and glued it to the tin. In order to hide that, I cut out another mermaid and put her on the back.

and here are a few photos I took of her outside...

Thanks for the inspiration Jimmy Buffet, and a big howdy to all the ParrotHeads in Paradise out there!!

I really hope I have inspired you to think of a song, or how music inspires you so you will join us this week for our challenge. As you know Simon Says Stamp always has an awesome giveaway each week, and you could be the winner of the $50 voucher!

SUPPLIES:

                                       

                                       

A great place to shop!!

Simon is on Instagram! Be sure to use #sssmchallenge so we can find you! 

Now, I wonder how music has inspired the rest of the DT? Do you wonder what songs they will choose? Head on over to the challenge blog to see their amazing as always creations!

For the Love of Books!

I am in a doll swap and our theme for February is love. Since I love to read, and love books, I chose this for my theme, and here are the tags I made.

I cut open one of the doors, and sketched in some bookshelves, then stamped books and laid them on the shelves. What do you think of the giant glasses? I started reading a lot when I was young...probably why I had to start wearing glasses at an early age :)

I Speak for the Trees!

Time for the January doll swap, and this month's theme is Dr. Seuss. The Lorax is one of my favorite Seuss books, so that is where I went for my inspiration.  I will also admit, I am a tree lover...I started my working career as a forester before I went into teaching.

No fancy photos, just a couple as I was working...

I used watercolor paper tags, sketched my truffula trees and seed, then just had a ball playing with color! I decided to add in some texture with inka gold and a stencil.

Added my little boy dolls to speak for the trees. One of these will be mailed out for the swap, and one stays home.

SUPPLIES

   

   

   

Steampunk Challenge: Top Hats and Moustaches

Time to dive back in to some steampunk! Great challenge over at Sandee and amelie's Steampunk Challenges this month which I am entering. Be sure to check it out HERE!

I started out with a cute paper doll stamp from Julie Nutting, then steampunked her up! Perfect project to pull out my G45 Steampunk Spells paper pack and get started.

Add lots of gears, skull, cut out a lovely lady's head in her top hat, keys, sign, and we are headed over into the steampunk world. 

All of my lovely ladies in their top hats, just shaved off their mustaches, because they are heading out to party!!

Once I got started dressing this lady, I just kept going and made three more. Each one has her own style.

And look, a whole slew of top hat styles! Do you have a favorite?

Bet you will never look at a paper doll stamp in quite the same way again. It was a lot of fun dressing these little ladies up for the Steampunk Halloween Ball!

Ah, for the Life in Paris!

I just returned from a wonderful trip to France with my sister. We spent about 12 days on a riverboat, followed by renting an apartment in Paris for 5 days. What a wonderful journey! Here are a few photos from my adventure, just to get you in the mood, and I've posted more on Instagram and Facebook, if you follow me there.

Les Halles - a market in a small village

Chateau

Arc de Triomphe

Seine River

Le Tour Eiffel

Le Pont D'Avignon

So, this is just to set the scene for my doll swap! The theme this month is "vintage fashion" and let me tell you, Paris is the place for fashion!! Of course, I had to create my dolls with a Paris flair! 

I wanted a vintage feel, and am really liking the cream, black and maroon. You just never know when you go out of your color comfort zone, how it will work out. These three I am swapping, and the one below is for me.

Vive la France!!