Wedding Quotes, Proverbs, Sayings, Sentiments

Been a while since I've added some new quotes, proverb, saying lists so today I wanted to share a few with you.

Today I've got some famous and not so famous wedding quotes, wedding sentiments, sayings and a few wedding related proverbs thrown into the mix.

I've been compiling these for a while now so the list is pretty long ~ I hope there is something you can use....

…and remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.

…and the greatest of these is love.

... if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

A bell is no bell 'til you ring it, A song is no song 'til you sing it, And love in your heart

Wasn’t put there to stay -Love isn’t love'Til you give it away.~Oscar Hammerstein

A dress that zips up the back will bring a husband and wife together. ~James H. Boren

A fellow ought to save a few of the long evenings he spends with his girl till after they're married. ~Kin Hubbard

A first-rate marriage is like a first-rate hotel: expensive, but worth it. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

A good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust.


A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love. - Pearl S. Buck


A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short. ~Andre Maurois

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~Ruth Bell Graham


A hundred hearts would be too fewTo carry all my love for you.~Author Unknown

A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time. - Anne Taylor Fleming

A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he's finished. ~Zsa Zsa Gabor

A man marries to have a home, but also because he doesn't want to be bothered with sex and all that sort of thing. - W. Somerset Maugham

A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married. ~H.L. Mencken

A man's wife has more power over him than the state has. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals

A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers. ~African Proverb

A perfect marriage is one in which "I'm sorry" is said just often enough. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

A psychiatrist asks a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing. ~Joey Adams


A single man has not nearly the value he would have in a state of union. He is an incomplete animal. He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors. ~Benjamin Franklin

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. - Mignon McLaughlin

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney


A wedding is just like a funeral except that you get to smell your own flowers. ~Grace Hansen

After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world. ~Douglas William Jerrold


After the chills and fever of love, how nice is the 98.6º of marriage! ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

All you need is love…

All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble. ~Raymond Hull



Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage. ~Sydney J. Harris

As an Old Indian Legend Goes: Anyone who desires a wish to come true catches a butterfly and whispers the wish to it. In gratitude for setting the butterfly free, the wish rises to the heavens and will be granted.

An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. ~Pliny the Younger, Letters


And two shall become one…

Any intelligent woman who reads the marriage contract, and then goes into it, deserves all the consequences. ~Isadora Duncan

Anyone who desires a wish to come true catches a butterfly and whispers the wish to it. In gratitude for setting the butterfly free, the wish rises to the heavens and will be granted. - Indian Legend

Anything, everything, little or big becomes an adventure when the right person shares it.

Are we not like two volumes of one book? ~Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent. ~Socrates

As you share the memories of the past,May you look forward to even greater joysIn the years to come... - Ruby Burns


Bachelor: the only man who has never told his wife a lie. ~Author UnknownBachelors know more about women than married men; if they didn't they'd be married too. ~H.L. Mencken

Before marriage, a girl has to make love to a man to hold him. After marriage, she has to hold him to make love to him. ~Marilyn Monroe


Before marriage, a man declares that he would lay down his life to serve you; after marriage, he won't even lay down his newspaper to talk to you. ~Helen Rowland


Between a man and his wife nothing ought to rule but love. ~William Penn


Bigamy is having one husband or wife too many. Monogamy is the same. ~Oscar Wilde


Bride, n. A woman with a fine prospect behind her. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911


But rich or poor, quick or slow, May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward.

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. ~Socrates

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. - Simone Signoret

Come, let's be a comfortable couple and take care of each other! How glad we shall be, that we have somebody we are fond of always, to talk to and sit with. ~Charles Dickens

Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means. ~Henny Youngman

Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without. ~James C. Dobson


Don't smother each other. No one can grow in shade. ~Leo Buscaglia

Each person represents a world to us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it only by this meeting that a new world is born.

English Law prohibits a man from marrying his mother-in-law. This is our idea of useless legislation. ~Author Unknown

Eventually, it's the silences which make the real conversations between friends.

Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love ...

For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.

For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked. ~Bill Cosby, Love and Marriage

For you see, each day I love you moreToday more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.~Rosemonde Gerard

From this day till forever ...
From now until Forever

God created sex. Priests created marriage. ~Voltaire



Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!


(Groom), take (Bride)'s hand and place your hand over hers. Now, remember this moment and cherish it... because this will be the last time you'll ever have the upper hand!"

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning

Happily Every After…

He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, So we're tying the knot!

Health and a long life to you. Land without rent to you. A child every year to you. And if you can't go to heaven, May you at least die in Ireland.

Here's to a sweetheart, a bottle, and a friend. The first beautiful, the second full, the last ever faithful.

Here's to my bride: she knows everything about me, yet loves me just the same.

Here's to the bride - may she share everything with her husband...and that includes the housework.


Here's to the groom, a man who kept his head even while he lost his heart.


Here's to the groom with bride so fair, And here's to the bride with groom so rare! Here's to marriage: one soul in two bodies.

Here's to health and prosperity, To you and all your posterity. And them that doesn't drink with sincerity, That they may be damned for all eternity!



Here's to matrimony, the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented! ~Heinrich Heine

Here's to the new husband, and here's to the new wife, may they remain lovers, for all of life.



Here’s to the prettiest, here’s to the wittiest, here’s to the truest of all who are true, here’s to the neatest one, here’s to the sweetest one, here’s to them in one – here’s to you!

Home cooking: where many a man thinks his wife is. ~Author Unknown

How beautiful is the day that is touched by love.

How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being. ~Oscar Wilde

Husbands are like fires. They go out when unattended. ~Zsa Zsa Gabor


I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, A church filled with family and friends. I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for, He said one that would make me his wife.


I guess walking slow getting married is because it gives you time to maybe change your mind. ~Virginia Cary Hudson

I have great hopes that we shall love each other all our lives as much as if we had never married at all. ~Lord Byron


I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. First, let her think she's having her own way. And second, let her have it. ~Lyndon B. Johnson

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. - Rita Rudner


I love thee - I love thee,'Tis all that I can sayIt is my vision in the night, My dreaming in the day.~Thomas Hood

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I never knew what real happiness was until I got married. And by then it was too late. ~Max Kauffman


If our two loves be one, or thou and ILove so alike, that none doe slacken, none can die.~John Donne

If someone believes in you, and you believe your in your dreams, it can happen.

If two stand shoulder to shoulder against the gods,Happy together, the gods themselves are helplessAgainst them while they stand so. - Maxwell Anderson

If you made a list of the reasons why any couple got married, and another list of the reasons for their divorce, you'd have a hell of a lot of overlapping. - Mignon McLaughlin

If your husband and a lawyer were drowning and you had to choose, would you go to lunch or to a movie?

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. - Robert Anderson


In marriage there are no manners to keep up, and beneath the wildest accusations no real criticism. Each is familiar with that ancient child in the other who may erupt again.... We are not ridiculous to ourselves. We are ageless. That is the luxury of the wedding ring. ~Enid Bagnold, Autobiography, 1969

In the end, what affects your life most deeply are things too simple to talk about.

In the opinion of the world, marriage ends all, as it does in a comedy. The truth is precisely the opposite: it begins all. ~Anne Sophie Swetchine



In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced. ~Robert Sexton


It is not marriage that fails; it is people that fail. All that marriage does is to show people up. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick


It isn't tying himself to one woman that a man dreads when he thinks of marrying; it's separating himself from all the others. ~Helen Rowland, Violets and Vinegar



It takes a loose rein to keep a marriage tight. ~John Stevenson



It's easy to understand love at first sight, but how do we explain love after two people have been looking at each other for years?



Join us as we exchange our vows and help us celebrate the beginning of our new life together.



Just Married!


Let all thy joys be as the month of May,And all thy days be as a marriage day.~Francis Quarles


Let your love endure beyond the last sunset.

Like good wine, marriage gets better with age - once you learn to keep a cork in it. ~Gene Perret

Live the life you've imagined ~ Thoreau

Look down you gods, and on this couple drop a blessed crown.


Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage. - Ambrose Bierce

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, ... and now these three remain; Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love ...

Love at First Sight

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle. - Amy Bloom

Love endures all things, Believes at things, Hopes all things, Love never fails.
Love Fills a Lifetime!

Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery



Love endures all things, believes at things, hopes all things, Love never fails.

Love is a flower which turns into fruit at marriage. ~Finnish Proverb


Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. -Jean Anouilh

Love is blind, but marriage restores its sight. ~Samuel Lichtenberg

Love is Friendship set on Fire!

Love is the opening door, Love is what we came here for.

Love is ... To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night, To know the pain of too much tenderness, To be wounded by your own understanding of love, To wake at dawn with the winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. - Kahil Gibran

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. ~Zora Neale Hurston

Love me and the world is mine. ~David Reed

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig


Love one another, but make not a bond of love Let it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls



Give your hearts ... And stand together, yet not too near together For the pillars of the temple stand apart and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow. - Kahil Gibran

Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, and the joy in a heart. ~Author Unknown

Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. ~Mark Twain

Love, the strongest and deepest element in all life, the harbinger of hope, of joy, of ecstasy; love, the defier of laws, of all conventions; love, the freest, the most powerful molder of human destiny; how can such an all-compelling force be synonymous with that poor little State- and church-begotten weed, marriage? ~Emma Goldman, Marriage and Love

Love-matches are made by people who are content, for a month of honey, to condemn themselves to a life of vinegar. ~Countess of Blessington

Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl. ~Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses, 1910

Many are the stars I see, but in my eye no star like thee. ~English saying used on poesy rings

Many marriages are simply working partnerships between businessmen and housekeepers. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960


Marriage - n. - A community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves, making in all two. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911


Marriage is a mistake every man should make. ~George Jessel

Marriage ceremony: an incredible metaphysical sham of watching God and the law being dragged into the affairs of your family. ~O.C. Ogilvie

Marriage halves our griefs, doubles our joys, and quadruples our expenses. ~English Proverb

Marriage is a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters in prose. ~Beverley Nichols


Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution. ~Mae West


Marriage is a ghastly public confession of a strictly private intention. ~Ian Hay

Marriage is a meal where the soup is better than the dessert. ~Austin O'Malley


Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open. - George Bernard Shaw


Marriage is not a word - it is a sentence.

Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins. ~Langdon Mitchell

Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity. ~Author Unknown

Marriage must constantly fight against a monster which devours everything: routine. ~Honore de Balzac

Marriage: that I call the will of two to create the one who is more than those who created it. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Married life teaches one invaluable lesson: to think of things far enough ahead not to say them. ~Jefferson Machamer

Matrimony is a process by which a grocer acquired an account the florist had. ~Francis Rodman
May a flock of blessings light upon thy back. Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

May all your hopes and dreams come true, and may the memory of this day become dearer with each passing year. May all your ups and downs come only in the bedroom.

May "for better or worse" be far better than worse.May God be with you and bless you. May I see you grey And combing your grandchildren's hair.


May the best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrows.



May the blessings of light be upon you, Light without and light within. And in all your comings and goings, May you ever have a kindly greeting From them you meet along the road.


May the future hold your happiness, May the future hold your health. May your heart hold your love, and may your arms hold your babies, yet to come. Here’s to your future happiness together!



May the joys of today Be those of tomorrow.



The goblets of life Hold no dregs of sorrow.

May the joys you share today be the beginning of a lifetime of great happiness and fulfillment .



May the light of friendship guide your paths together.



May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.



May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.



May the love you've expressed to each other today always be the first thoughts during any trying times in the future.


May the most you wish for Be the least you get.



May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be ever at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rain fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand. And may you be in Heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.



May the saddest day of your future be no worse

Than the happiest day of your past.


May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
- Irish Proverb



May there be a generation of children On the children of your children.

May this day you share be filled with love and laughter
May all the days ahead be happy ever after! - Ruby Burns



May thy life be long and happy, Thy cares and sorrows few; And the many friends around thee Prove faithful, fond and true.



May your voyage through life be as happy and as free As the dancing waves on the deep blue sea


May we never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.

May you be friends to each other as only lovers can; and may you love each other as only best friends can.


May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, Slow to make enemies, And quick to make friends.



May you both live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.



May you get all your wishes but one, So you always have something to strive for.



May you grow old together on one pillow.



May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold— And at the end of all your rainbows may you find a pot of gold.



May you have food and raiment, A soft pillow for your head, May you be 100 years in heaven Before the devil know you’re dead.


May you have love, health & wealth; but most importantly, may you have the time to enjoy them all.May you have warm words on a cold evening, A full moon on a dark night, And the road downhill all the way to your door.



May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.



May you live each day like your last, and live each night like your first.



May you never lie, cheat or drink. But if you must lie, lie with each other. And if you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with us for we all love you and wish you both the love and happiness of which you deserve.



May you see each other through many dark days, and make all the rest a little brighter.


May your glasses be ever full. May the roof over your heads be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

May your heart be light and happy, May your smile be big and wide, And may your pockets always have a coin or two inside .



May your heart be warm and happy

With the lilt of loud laughter

Every day in every way

And forever and ever after.


May your hearts be as warm as your hearthstone.



May your joys be as deep as the Ocean, and your troubles as light as its foam.


May your love be added, may it never be subtracted, may your household multiply, and may your hearts never be divided!!



May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever!May your refrigerator always be filled with Budweiser, and may all of your ups and down’s be under the covers.


May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.

May your hearts be as light as a song.

May each day bring you bright happy hours,

That stay with you all year long.

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more.

And nothing but happiness come through your door.

Mistress: something between a mister and a mattress. ~Author Unknown

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. - Doug Larson


Most wives think of their husbands as bumbling braggarts with whom they happen to be in love. ~Jackie Gleason

Mother-in-law: a woman who destroys her son-in-law's peace of mind by giving him a piece of hers.

My heart to you is given:Oh, do give yours to me;We'll lock them up together,And throw away the key.~Frederick Saunders

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,The more I have, both are infinite.~William Shakespeare

My mother said it was simple to keep a man, you must be a maid in the living room, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom. I said I'd hire the other two and take care of the bedroom bit. ~Jerry Hall



My whole heart for my whole life. ~French saying used on poesy rings

My wish is that your marriage will be a thing of beauty and a joy forever, always as beautiful as you are today (bride). And may the loveliness of your marriage increase with each year. Here’s to the bride and groom.

Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you. ~Jean Rostand, Le Mariage, 1927



Never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.

Never get married in the morning, because you never know who you'll meet that night. - Paul Hornung

Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. - Phyllis Diller

Never marry for money. Ye'll borrow it cheaper. ~Scottish Proverb


Never strike your wife - even with a flower. ~Hindu Proverb


Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work.

No day ends if it makes a memory.

No matter what troubles or travails may loom ahead of you, do not let yourself be cheated out of the joy of today.

Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid. ~Harlan Miller

Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. ~Marlene Dietrich


One advantage of marriage is that, when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again. - Judith Viorst

One of the good things that come of a true marriage is, that there is one face on which changes come without your seeing them; or rather there is one face which you can still see the same, through all the shadows which years have gathered upon it. ~George MacDonald

One should never know too precisely whom one has married. ~Friedrich Nietzsche


One shouldn't be too inquisitive in lifeEither about God's secrets or one's wife.~Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

Only choose in marriage a man whom you would choose as a friend if he were a woman. ~Joseph Joubert

Open your mind, open your heart, open your arms, take it all in.


Our everyday life blossoms suddenly into bright possibilities.

Our marriage has always been a 50-50 proposition - with the possible exception of closet space. ~Gene Perret

Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. ~Gene Perret


Pity all newlyweds. She cooks something nice for him, and he brings her flowers, and they kiss and think: How easy marriage is. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.-Roy Goodman

Remember the love you feel today. Look back on it daily and measure how much it has grown.

Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a Dream!

Sharing, caring, loving, laughing…today and forever more.

So heavy is the chain of wedlock that it needs two to carry it, and sometimes three. ~Alexandre Dumas

Some marriages break up, and some do not, and in our world you can usually explain the former better than the latter. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then. - Katherine Hepburn

Spouse: someone who'll stand by you through all the trouble you wouldn't have had if you'd stayed single. ~Author Unknown

Strange to say what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition. ~Samuel Pepys

Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him. ~H.L. Mencken, A Book of Burlesques, 1916

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. - Barnett R. Brickner

That quiet mutual gaze of a trusting husband and wife is like the first moment of rest or refuge from a great weariness or a great danger. ~George Eliot

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt.

The big difference between sex for money and sex for free is that sex for money usually costs a lot less. ~Brendan Behan

The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly. ~Peter De Vries

The chief reason why marriage is rarely a success is that it is contracted while the partners are insane. ~Joseph Collins

The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character. ~Peter Devries

The friend given to you by circumstances over which you have no control is God's own gift.

The greatest lesson from the mystics is that the sacred is the ordinary, that is is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard.

The highest happiness on earth is marriage. ~William Lyon Phelps

The husband who doesn't tell his wife everything probably reasons that what she doesn't know won't hurt him. ~Leo J. Burke

The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin. ~Honore de Balzac, The Physiology of Marriage

The miracle of love is that love is given to us to give to one another ...

The marriage state, with or without the affection suitable to it, is the completest image of Heaven and Hell we are capable of receiving in this life. ~Richard Steele, The Spectato

The most dangerous food is wedding cake. ~American Proverb

The path that leads to love is so narrow that two cannot walk on it, unless they become one.

The problem with marriage is that it ends every night after making love, and it must be rebuilt every morning before breakfast. ~Gabriel García Márquez

The sum which two married people owe to one another defies calculation. It is an infinite debt, which can only be discharged through eternity. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. ~Martin Luther


There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for granted relationship. ~Iris Murdoch

There is no such cozy combination as man and wife.

There is so little difference between husbands you might as well keep the first. ~Adela Rogers St. Johns

Think not because you are now wedThat all your courtship's at an end.~Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza

Though marriage makes man and wife one flesh, it leaves 'em still two fools. ~William Congreve

Though women are angels, yet wedlock's the devil. ~Byron, Hours of Idleness

Throughout the years ahead,May all your sweetest dreams come true,As each future anniversaryBrings more happiness to you. - Ruby Burns


The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly. - Peter De VriesThe reason for much matrimony is patrimony. ~Ogden Nash



The man who never in his life

Has washed the dishes with his wife

Or polished up the silver plate -

He still is largely celibate.~Christopher Morley, Washing the Dishes


The path that leads to love is so narrow that two cannot walk on it, unless they become one

There is no remedy for love but to love more. -Henry David Thoreau

Think not because you are now wed

That all your courtship's at an end.~Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza


To have and to hold…



To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup, whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up.

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. -David Viscott


To love someone deeply gives you strength Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.

Today I marry my friend The one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love.

Together for a Lifetime of Love!

Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever. ~Author Unknown

True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach


Truly, Madly, Deeply

Two Hearts Beat as One

Two hearts joined in love.

Two Hearts, One Love

Two lives, two hearts, Joined together in friendship, United forever in Love.

Two mothers-in-law. ~Lord John Russell, on being asked what he would consider a proper punishment for bigamy

Two such as you with such a master speed cannot be parted nor be swept away from one another once you are agreed that life is only life forevermore together wing to wing and oar to oar. -Robert Frost

Two souls, one heart. ~French saying used on poesy rings


Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one.

Valentine's Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is. ~Author Unknown

Wasn't marriage, like life, unstimulating and unprofitable and somewhat empty when too well ordered and protected and guarded. Wasn't it finer, more splendid, more nourishing, when it was, like life itself, a mixture of the sordid and the magnificent; of mud and stars; of earth and flowers; of love and hate and laughter and tears and ugliness and beauty and hurt. ~Edna Ferber, Show Boat, 1926


Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. ~Emily Brontë


We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

We have the greatest pre-nuptial agreement in the world. It's called love. ~Gene Perret


Wedding rings: the world's smallest handcuffs. ~Author Unknown


Wedlock is the deep, deep peace of the double bed after the hurly-burly of the chaise lounge. ~Mrs Patrick Campbell

What a happy and holy fashion it is that those who love one another should rest on the same pillow. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne


What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. ~George Levinger

What God has brought together, let no man put asunder.

When a girl marries she exchanges the attentions of many men for the inattention of one. ~Helen Rowland

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. ~Sacha Guitry, Elles et toi, 1948

When just being together is more important than what you do, you are with a friend.

When the one man loves the one woman and the one woman loves the one man, the very angels desert heaven and come and sit in that house and sing for joy. ~The Brahma Sutras

When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part. ~G.B. Shaw, Getting Married, 1908

When you are with a friend your heart has come home.

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. ~Nora Ephron


Who, being loved, is poor? ~Oscar Wilde

Who shall explain the extraordinary instinct that tells us, perhaps after a single meeting, that this or that person in some mysterious way matters to us?


Wishing you a happy marriage and hoping that your life together will be rich in joy and love. - Ruby Burns

With the lilt of loud laughter Every day in every way And forever and ever after.

With this ring…


Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses. ~Francis Bacon

Women hope men will change after marriage but they don't; men hope women won't change but they do. ~Bettina Arndt, Private Lives, 1986

You can never be happily married to another until you get a divorce from yourself. Successful marriage demands a certain death to self. ~Jerry McCant

UTEE Flower Card

Today I wanted to show you how using different colors of embossing ink effect UTEE.

This is a card I made for Ranger for the Winter CHA show. I used clear and black embossing inks paired with a variety of UTEE colors on several pieces of chipboard. I also mixed in some white UTEE with the purple which I'll show you up close below.

This photo is a close up of the leaves and stem of the flower. I used clear embossing ink on the stem while I used black embossing ink on the leaves. Both were covered in Green Zinnia UTEE. You can see that the UTEE on the leaves appears to be darker than the stem and it also has a fine crackle where the black embossing ink floated up in the UTEE while heating. I love this effect.

You can see the embossing ink especially nice in the photo corners which I also used black ink and Green Zinnia UTEE.

Here is the flower close up. You'll notice the purple flower is bi-colored. I thought I'd give it a bit of spark by sprinkling white UTEE into the molten purple UTEE. No additional heating was necessary.

Now for the flower I used....well, wait a minute ~ I've shown you the photo of the flower and explained a bit about the difference between the clear and black embossing inks so it's your turn....

YOU tell ME what colors of embossing ink I used with each set of petals.

I'll tell you I used the same color ink for both sets of blue petals so it's not a trick question.

You can either post here or e-mail me and tell me what color of embossing ink I used on the....

Blue Petals.....

Purple Petals....

and

Green Center.....

You have until 3-4-09 to post your guess at which time I will draw a winner at random from all the correct answers.

The winner will receive a sampling of several colors of UTEE!

So, now think about it, post or e-mail and give it your best shot!

Good Luck Everyone!!

TYV Collage & Altered Arts - Chapter List!!

As promised, here is the list of chapters that is going to be in the book...I hope you all find something in there you'd like to check out :) I still haven't done a full project count but I should be able to soon. I'm almost done with the appendix - so far 30 pages worth so there are loads!

TYV Collage & Altered Arts

Ch. 1 - Intro to Collage & Altered Arts
Ch. 2 - Getting Started (filled with all sorts of supplies you'll need)
Ch. 3 - Aging Tech. for Paper, Photos & More (10 sections - lots more tech)
Ch. 4 - Paper Collage Techniques (10 tech)
Ch. 5 - Paint, Ink & Rubber Stamping Collage Tech. (8 tech)
Ch. 6 - Image Transfer Tech. (8 tech)
Ch. 7 - Altered Charms (11 tech. but many, MANY different examples of each)
Ch. 8 - Fabric, Fibers & Trim (6 tech)
Ch. 9 - Assemblage Art (8 tech)
Ch. 10 - Altered Book Tech (13 sections)
Inspiration Gallery - (40 extra projects)

So, what do you think? Look like fun? I have to say I had loads of fun writing it and even more fun making all of the projects which are included.

Foam Core Board - II

Yesterday I shared why I love using foam core board so much and told you I would share a fun way to jazz up this type of collage....

Now, don't get me wrong...there is nothing at all wrong with this collage as a starting point BUT if you add a bit of paint ~ maybe Jacquard's - Lumiere metallic paints you could kick it up a few notches!

Foam Core Board is also very easy to cut. If you've checked out Tim Holtz's blog he shared a project which incorporates dimensional items into a lay-out using FCB. Place the item you want to incorporate on the FCB, trace a rough opening; remove the item and use a ruler to straighten up your lines. Cut with a craft knife and you're good to go.

I decided to make several little niches for this particular collage to incorporate my title...

Painted and glued the letters into each niche then added some clear micro beads for a bit more texture and interest....

By covering the collage with the paint it brings it all together. You forget about the array of colors (of each piece of paper) and makes the images the focal point while emphasising the texture of the specialty papers. It's a great trick to unify any mixed paper collage.

Pretty neat huh?

You know I am so excited about all of the techniques everyone has been asking for. I must say it it is more a boost than you know because many of the techniques requested are in the BOOK!!!

It makes me feel so much better knowing that I have included many techniques that people really want to learn about!

Tomorrow I will post the chapter titles which will give you a bit of a sneak peek into what's included in the book.

I am also going to be starting on some of the requests which aren't in the book so be sure to check back then.

Go create something people!! :)

Foam Core Board

Today I wanted to talk a bit about a fun material that doesn't get as much credit as it should...

Foam Core Board

I know ~ sounds pretty boring huh?

WELL, it's not ~ once you start playing with it you'll soon realize just how cool this stuff really is. I knew when I started the book I'd need a foundation a bit more substantial than plain old cardstock or chipboard for many of the projects I had planned on making. I used canvas for many of the projects but wanted a bit of variety ya know so I turned to foam core board.

Now, I'm sure if you've used foam core board you've more than likely covered it with cardstock, pattern or specialty papers. It works excellent for stiffening up projects that will be handled frequently, need to travel or will be displayed for long periods of time out of a frame. Many stores and instructors use this material as a backing for items they will be used in classes or store displays.

One aspect I love about foam core board is how sturdy it is. It handles wet applications just as well as dry applications with no damage to the work surface.

This example is a piece of foam core board completely covered in a paint/glaze mixture. As you can see I used a thick enough layer of the paint mixture that I was able to drag a texture comb through. The FCB didn't warp, bend or ripple at any time during the process.

While being very sturdy it also has a bit of give. You can easily deboss the FCB by using any number of tools. This example was made using the cap of my White Pigment Ink Pen! For smaller thinner lines you could use pens, an embossing stylus, paint brush handles, just about anything that has a smooth rounded surface that you could write with. I chose to work free-hand but you could use stencils, masks, templates, or even die-cuts as patterns.

To highlight the debossing after I was satisfied with the pattern, I painted the entire piece with black acrylic paint then went over it with metallic rub-ons. Of course you could use any number of mediums or color combinations.

Since it was a collage book I wanted to make sure it worked well with collage mediums so I made a few test runs by creating a mixed paper collage on several pieces of the FCB. I kept adding more and more layers of specialty paper and collage mediums till I had a pretty hefty piece. The FCB was able to withstand it all....never once did it deteriorate as other foundations might have.

Tomorrow I'll take this collage one step further by adding a bit of paint and dig out my exacto knife to have a bit of fun ;)

Till then friends, have a wonderful evening!

oh...

you're saying ~ hey, wait a minute...you forgot the flowers!!

LOL....no, I didn't, I just wanted to check and see if you remembered ;)

The random winner is.....

LaNell!!

LaNell said...
Love the flower ideas. Must get some more daubers! Thanks for a chance to win.February 21, 2009 8:32 AM

Congratulations LaNell!!!

Please send me you snail mail addy and I'll get your goodies in the mail to you.

Thanks to everyone for playing!!

Remember if you didn't win tonite you can sign up to win one of the goodies in the 2nd Chance Give-a-Way!

Have a wonderful evening everyone!!

Stamp Diva Sale & Newspaper update....

Hey there everyone!

Well, I made it through the interview! Shannon was right, once I got started out something I really love it was easy. Talking about myself...well, that wasn't so easy but I got through it. The photographer was great. I had pulled several projects from the book and she loved some of my favorites so that was cool. One canvas features Cecil (the basset) when he was a puppy so he's making the paper too...she took a pic of me holding both ~ the canvas and the dog ;) Dh is thrilled his dog is going to be "famous" - LOL!! Sheeze! The article is going to be the front page story of the Sunday living section on March 15th! I can't wait to see it, I'm excited to see what they use.

The reporter asked if you had to be a pack-rat? Of course I answered yes and showed him my 2 box full of goodies that were just a sampling of what I used in the book. It brought to mind a conversation I recall about someone discussing they were trashing stuff they had in their stash for a couple years saying if they hadn't used it by then they never were.

WELL....I'm here to tell you that is just not so!!! I am SOOOOOOOOO glad I am a pack rat - LOL!! I had so many goodies to incorporate into various projects that I've had for years and YEARS!!! I knew I was waiting for just the right project and so many of them found their perfect homes recently.

For example, I bought a box of very old silverware (not even sure they were silver) for $2.00 at a garage sale a few years ago. That box has sat in my cabinet for 3 years untouched BUT I pulled it out and used several of the pieces in a variety of ways...one baby spoon is on a cool canvas, a few of the serving pieces are now charms and I had ideas for some other fun goodies that didn't make it into the book due to space issues.

I also had a movie reel tin a friend sent me for my b-day one year. Now, this thing is awesome...very cool vintage metallic blue color - my fav. color and all. I knew the project was going to have to be something fitting and deserving - you know you just can't waste a perfectly good tin like that ~ after all they don't come along every day you know. Well I turned it into a very cool piece of art that I can't wait for everyone to see. I was so tickled with how it came out :)

That is the only complaint I have with writing a book....having to WAIT for everyone to see the goodies I made - LOL!! I want to share them all NOW! Of course my guys have seen them but I think after months of projects they are immune to them ~ "yep, uh huh..." is about all I get anymore.

Well, anyway ~ I don't have any projects or techniques to share today but I do have a sale I wanted to mention...

Stamp Diva is having a free shipping day tomorrow - February 25th - for US residence or $7.00 off shipping for international orders. Use coupon code - feb25 If you've never ordered from there you should, Susan is a great lady and offers excellent customer service!

also,

Eyelet Outlet has some really cool new brads and quicklets you should check out. I LOVE their baby animal brads...they are "cute" which I don't do much but I still love their adorable little expressions. They also have some great new martini and olive (black & green) brads as well!

Well, I think that's about it for me today...have a darn cold that's just kickin my butt.

I think I'm going to grab a cough drop and go read till I get sleepy.

Hope you all have a great evening!

Fabric Heart Pocket

Hey Everyone!

It's so good to hear what you want to see. I'm making a list and will get to work on them for you. Very soon you should all be seeing some of these techniques that you requested.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I tried to squeeze too many techniques/projects into the book so today I have one of the extras that didn't fit. It's a fun and easy project which incorporates fabric by way of Streuter's GlueFilm.

NOTE: The GlueFilm may darken the material. If you're using a light colored fabric you may want to use fusible web or a spray adhesive to attach it to the chipboard.

Supplies:

Thin Chipboard

Vintage Sheet Music

Fabric

Streuter Clear GlueFilm

Heart Pattern (I free-handed mine but there are loads of patterns on the net)

Wire

Eyelets

Vintage Applique or other embellishment

Craft Iron

Ink Blending Tool - Ranger Industries

Distress Ink - Ranger Industries

Needle & Thread (optional)

Paper Piercer (optional)

Crop-A-Dial - WeRMemoryKeepers

Instructions:

1. Cut the following using the heart pattern: 2 hearts from sheet music; 2 hearts from fabric; 2 pieces of thin chipboard; 4 pieces of GlueFilm.

2. Distress edges of sheet music using the Ink Blending Tool and Distress Ink.

3. Layer the following in this order:

Front half of the pocket - fabric face down, GlueFilm, thin chipboard, GlueFilm, sheet music - face up. Iron this stack of materials to melt the GlueFilm and adhere all of the layers together.

Now repeat the same steps for the back half of the pocket.

4. (optional) If desired, poke holes around the outside edge of the heart which will become the front half of the pocket. Sew a blanket stitch around the entire heart.

5. Attach applique or other embellishments to the heart that will be the front of the pocket.

6. Punch 2 holes in the heart which will be the back of the pocket. Secure eyelets.

7. Glue the 2 hearts together by applying adhesive or GlueFilm along the bottom of the heart. Don't apply glue further than half way up the sides so the pocket can be opened once finished.

8. After the pocket has dried or been secured with GlueFilm, twist and attach the wire.

This neat little pocket is now ready to be filled with whatever your heart desires.

Well, tomorrow the reporter and a photographer from the local newspaper comes to interview me about the book. I'm very excited but at the same time very VERY nervous! I am SOOOOO shy...no - seriously, really I am - LOL!!

Wish me luck - I may need it....I'm already shivering with nerves!

2nd Chance Blog Give-A-Ways

I'm finally getting caught up around here. I've had some goodies that should have been mailed a while ago that I'm just getting to now (don't worry...everyone who won something that hasn't rec'd it will be getting something extra in their envie!!).

Hels, Cabbie, Liza & Trine -

your goodies and extras will be going out in tomorrows mail!!

As I was packaging things up I was surprised when I realized that I have several unclaimed goodies setting here....namely 3 packages of bamboo tiles and 2 sets of the new Distress Crackle Metallic Paints!

I can't believe people too the time to enter then didn't take the time to send me their addresses...

odd....

SOOOOOOOO

I'm offering them up to you all!!!

What do you have to do to win???

It's really easy, just tell me a technique that you'd like to see demonstrated

AND

if you win, send me your snail mail addy so I can actually send it to you!

That's it!

Doesn't get much easier huh?

*****As an added bonus you will be able to enter more than once...you will earn one entry for every technique you post!!! So, come on...let me here what you'd like to see!!*****

You'll have until March 1st to post at which time I'll draw at random 5 lucky winners...you won't know what you're getting ~ it'll be a surprise so come on and post post post! And be sure to check back next week so you know who won!

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend!

Sad news - LuminArte...

I heard some sad news yesterday that I wanted to be sure and share with you all....LuminArte - the makers of Twinkling H2O's (my personal favorite!!), Radiant Rain and Primary Elements is going out of business. I had heard rumors about this very thing but I was hoping it was just talk. Unfortunately they have updated the front page of their site and it's true. They are offering a 40% off sale I suppose to clear things out so if you're a fan of any of these wonderful products I would suggest you grab them now while they are still available.

I know I'm going to update my color chart to determine which colors I have and which ones I don't and try to fill in at least some of the gaps before they are gone. I will dearly miss this wonderful color medium option as I know many of you will as well.

If you've never tried Twinkling H2O's this is the perfect time to give them a try but hurry...if you find you love them then you'll want to stock up before they are gone.

Faux Batik Dyed Flowers

Ask and ye shall receive!!

I got to thinking about GailnGA's request about doing something with colored flowers.

You could stamp on them with Archival or other permanent inks...

But then I thought about trying a variation on one of my favorite techniques - Faux Batik!

Again, the supplies are pretty basic:

Supplies:

Flowers to dye

Clear Embossing Ink - Ranger Industries

Clear Embossing Powder - Ranger Industries

Stamps

Spray Dye Ink - Glimmer Mist-Tattered Angles; Adirondack Color Wash - Ranger

Embossing Gun

Instructions:

1. Ink your stamp up very well...you want to be sure to get good coverage as there are no second chances on flowers.

2. Stamp the flower - if your stamp is smaller than the flower, re-ink and continue stamping until the flower has been covered. Don't worry about the ink drying out, embossing ink stays wet for quite a while.

3. Place the stamped flower in a tidy tray or box top lid and sprinkle the clear embossing powder over the whole flower...

make sure you cover the entire piece since you can't really see where all of the ink is.

4. Heat to melt the ep's. Move the heat gun around frequently so you don't scorch the flower.

5. Once the flower has cooled, spritz with your favorite spray dye ink....

6. (optional) If so desired, you may place the flower between two sheets of copy paper and heat with an iron to remove the embossing powders. I thought the embossed images were pretty cool so I left them. The shiny images gave the flower more dimension.

You'll end up with a flower that has taken on the color of the dye with the original color peeking through where the images have been embossed....

Of course this works with white flowers as well but it just doesn't have the same pizzazz that colored flowers offer.

And once combined with solid colored flowers they really make the finished flowers pop!

So there you go GailnGA ~ a fun technique to try with those big tacky colored flowers ;) I hope you give it a go and let me know how you like them.

Good luck and have fun!

~

Ye ole weatherman is predicting anywhere

from 2-8" of snow for our area this weekend.

I had hoped we were done with the white stuff but I guess Mother Nature has decided we need a bit more.

Ahhh well...such is life in Indiana!

I hope you all have a safe and relaxing weekend!!!

Tie Dyed Flower ?'s & more....

I had a few questions about the tie dyed flowers so I thought I'd post them here as well ...

Q ~ Are they stiff when dry?

A ~ Nope, you don't use that much paint and the water dilutes the paint enough that it is still very soft and pliable.

Q ~ Can I use paints other than the dabbers?

A ~ Yes you sure can...I would suggest applying it with a sea sponge or something similar. You are looking for a light coat, not total coverage. You want the splotchy effect that a sea sponge would yield.

Q ~ Why don't you cover the whole petal/flower?

A ~ You only use a light coat of paint because once you mist the paint with water some areas will be darker while other areas lighter giving the tie dyed effect.

Q ~ Will it work on colored flowers?

A ~ I think it will...I've never tried to dye colored flowers before. I would suggest trying it on one to be sure of color fastness since I'm sure every mfg. is different and I don't know what type of dye they use.

I also wanted to give you a heads up...if you happen to subscribe to or pick up Stampington's - Somerset Studio check out the inside back cover. Streuter has a full page ad in this months copy and all of the ATC cards along the top are mine!! I finally got a copy and am tickled pink! Love how the ad turned out :) I don't have any photos of the cards or I'd share them with you. I will take a pic of the ad though and post it as soon as I get a chance.

Hope you had a great day....

Going to be sharing a few more ideas for dying flowers tomorrow so be sure to check in!

See you then!

Tie Dyed Flowers

I was in a flower swap last year ~ you know where each person sends in one type of flower and they get an assortment back. Well, everyone was talking about what color of flowers they were going to buy to trade. I was the odd ball...I bought white flowers. I always buy white flowers!

Why?

Because I dye my own to match whatever project I'm working on!

Today I want to share how to make Tie-Dyed Flowers.

I LOVE making these...there is no set in stone color combo ~ you can make them any color under the rainbow ~ whatever your heart or project desires.

Supplies:

White Flowers - silk, mulberry, paper, etc

Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers - Ranger

Mini Mister (filled w/water) - Ranger

Heat Tool (optional)

Instructions:

1. Dab desired colors of paints onto the petals. Be sure not to over-lap the colors...you'll end up with mud if you do.

2. Once you've got the flower covered, mist with an ample supply of water. You want enough water to dilute the paint so it runs together.

3. Carefully lift the flowers off the craft sheet and place on scrap paper to dry or speed drying with a heat tool. (Be careful not to scorch the flowers!!)

After the flowers have dried they are ready to be used alone or paired with other flowers!!

Now the reason I love these flowers so much is they can be paired with your rubber stamping projects and match perfectly!! No worries about trying to find a pre-dyed flower to fill the bill!

Pretty cool huh?

Quick, easy and it matches perfectly!

Couldn't ask for more.

Look like something you'd like to try?

Well, post a comment here and I'll put your name in the hat for a chance to win an assortment of white flowers and a couple paint dabbers!

You have until 2-25 to post at which time I'll draw the winner using random.org.

Good Luck Friends!!

Rubber Stamps & Paint Clean-Up

Deb e-mailed me asking how to get paint off of rubber stamps once they have dried. I have had this happen a time or two ;) Here's what I do..... I like to get a shallow pan and put just a bit of hot water in the bottom of the pan...just enough to submerge the rubber die section...not the foam. I also add a drop or two of Dawn dish washing liquid. Let it set for a few minutes then take an old toothbrush and brush away the paint which has loosened. You may need to soak it again but it will come clean.

To help prevent this when I'm working with paints & rubber stamps I keep a towel, squirt bottle filled with water and my handy dandy toothbrush. I simply place the stamp on the towel, give it a few squirts, brush any paint from the crevices and wipe dry. I do this when I'm done of course but I also do the same thing if I'm making more than one impression.

Since we're talking about rubber stamps & acrylic paints I thought I'd share a project I made with them.

ETC! Altered Journal

This is a journal that my mom gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. Well, it was laying on my desk one day and I set it aside to work on something. I didn't realize until later that I had placed it on a still wet project soooooo it was in need of a fix.

I decided to create a whole new cover for it and this is what I did....

First, I stamped on a piece of green Club Scrap cardstock using a Postmodern Design background license plate stamp and Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers.

Then I covered each letter with 3 different layers of paint letting each layer dry before adding another.

I added a bit of binding tape along the edges (7gypsies & club scrap) to finish it off.

So even though it started out as a duh moment,

I love how the "fix" turned out!

Hope everyone is staying warm & dry ~

we're experiencing another Indiana weather moment...

cold winds and ice!

Going to be a nasty start to the a.m.

BRRRRRR.....I'm soooooo ready for Spring!

Take care everyone and have a great day tomorrow!

Happy Day...

Hey all!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! My sweetie surprised me with a very nice day out. He started the morning by telling me to dress nice...meaning - don't put on your cleaning attire - LOL!! I've been trying to get my house put back together after months of the guys doing the cleaning.

So we ended up spending much of the day in Mishawaka where we visited 2 scrapbook stores; Borders and ate lunch at my very favorite restaurant - Don Pablo's....mmmmm love them fajitas!

It was a great day!

Yesterday was spent cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. I finally can see my kitchen table again, have a place to sit and eat and everything smells wonderful thanks to Lysol, Murphy's Oil Soap and Febreze! I am only in mild discomfort due to my day long cleaning spree but it's worth it...I was about to go nuts not being able to clean things how I like.

Today I wanted to share a scrapbook lay-out I made about my sweetie which incorporates a bit of stamping and a whole lot of UTEE. You'll see what I mean....

Always & Forever

This is a 12x12 lay-out that was created by cutting 2x2" squares from pattern papers and chipboard squares. Each of the pattern paper tiles was inked using clear embossing ink then covered with 3-4 coats of clear UTEE. The solid colored chipboard tiles were inked using a black embossing ink then covered with 3-4 coats of either black or red UTEE. I love using black ink under colored UTEE - You can see in this photo below how the black ink comes through the UTEE creating a whole new effect.

Sorry about the blurry stamped image on the photo...I was using a stitching program and I so don't get along with technical stuff like that. Chalk it up to operator error... ;) If only they would make some of these programs idiot proof - LOL!!

Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful weekend and here's to a fine week!

Take care all!

ATC Holder - Additional Examples

Hey Hey Hey!

As promised I have several more examples of some ATC holders I've made in the past.

These particular holders are all very feminine...3 of them were covered in pattern papers from a variety of mfg. and the fourth was stamped and stippled with dye inks.

As you can see there is no limit to the type of embellishments you can add to spice the holders up a bit. I love to add fringe along the back side of the flap...I think it gives it that extra little something by incorporating a bit of flash and movement.

I made this ATC holder for a guy using the Dimensional Pearls. The clasp is one of the Basic Grey magnetic clasps which I alcohol inked to match the cover.

If you will notice the variety of designs you can use for the front flap. You can leave them square; round the corners; trim the edges to look like the top of a shipping tag and so much more. I have made scallop edged flaps but when you go to cover them it is very time consuming as you will need add several tiny relief cuts so the paper will conform to the rounded edges.

As I mentioned before you can create this type of holder with virtually any size of envelope available. The only thing you will have to keep in mind is the larger the envie, the larger the cover. Once you get up into the large envelopes (6x9 and up) you're probably going to have to go to the larger sheets of paper or rolled papers to get a piece large enough to cover the chipboard without having to piece together several sheets.

As to the measurements for the chipboard, here is what I do.... for this example I'm going to be using a 6x9 envie folded in half giving me a pocket size of 6 x 4 1/2". The following are the sizes I'd need to cut the chipboard

Flap - 3 x 7"

Top - 1 to 2" x 7"

Back - 5 1/2 x 7"

Bottom - 3/4" to 1 3/4" x 7"

Front - 5 1/4" x 7"

The size of your cardstock; canvas; pattern or specialty paper would vary depending on how wide you make the top and bottom pieces.

All directions to assemble remain the same.

These types of holders make great gift card organizers and if you use tyvek envelopes to create the pockets these holders will last for a very long time!

Hope you have enjoyed these critters and give em a try sometime!

Take care and have a great evening everyone!!

ATC Holder - Step 2 & 3

I will get to the ATC Holder in a sec...I just wanted to clarify a little something before we continue. Trine posted and a couple people e-mailed me yesterday that Club Scrap had a project similar to this in one of their kits last year. I wanted to be sure and let you all know I did not copy their kit and call it my own. Nobody suggested I had but you never know.

I originally designed this particular envie style holder back in 2005. At that time it wasn't designed for ATC's - it was larger and was meant to hold a years worth of greeting cards (using different envies of course). I played with sizes and in 2006 I designed the ATC size holder for an ATC swap the members of Ranger DTU were hosting.

Whew....I feel better now - you know, the whole Catholic guilt thing gets the better of me even when I'm not doing anything to be guilty over - LOL!!!

Anyway, on with the Holder....

Step 2 - Creating the Envie Pockets

1. Since all of the envies are bone dry from setting overnight you will need to fold each envie in half. Be sure to crease the folded edge with a bone folder.

2. Trim all envies to 2 1/2" wide - BE SURE NOT TO CUT OFF THE FOLDED EDGE!!! You want to trim off what was the ends before the envie was folded. I have gotten in a hurry before and just cut that puppy right in two. If you do by chance cut off the wrong sides they are still usable but not nearly as nice as the folded pieces. You'll just have more gluing in the next step.

3. Apply a small line of dry adhesive to the center of the envie.

4. Continue to add the rest of the envies adding a small line of adhesive to each as you go. Be sure to apply glue to the centers of each folded section as well.

You should end up with a stack that looks something like this.....

That's the end of Step #2!

Step #3 - Cover

Now when I originally created these folders I used stamped & painted tag board or cardstock as the covering for the holder. By using a bit of book binding tape to reinforce the folded areas it held up very well. BUT...I happened to think about Ranger's new Sticky Backed Canvas and thought I'd give it a try today. It worked like a charm!!! It is designed to accept paint very well and since it's already sticky it makes assembly a dream. Very quick and easy and no need to use the book binding tape! I will include how to work with both in case you don't have the Sticky Backed Canvas ava.

1. Paint the canvas as desired using Dimensional Pearls and the IBT with foam. Once dry stamp if desired using Archival Ink.

Cardstock -

Canvas - you will notice the canvas tends to curl when you apply the paint. Not to worry, once you remove the backing paper it flattens right out.

2. Cut 5 pieces of chipboard in the following sizes:

Flap - 1 1/2" x 4"

Top - 1" x 4"

Back - 3 1/2 x 4"

Bottom - 3/4" x 4"

Front - 3 1/4" x 4"

Cut the cardstock or canvas to 5 1/2" x 11.

3. (cardstock) If you wish to strengthen the joints of your holder with book binding tape, position the chipboard pieces on the cardstock and mark where each fold falls. Remove the chipboard and place a strip of the book binding tape at each fold mark.

4. Adhere the chipboard to the cardstock using dry adhesive or remove the backing paper and carefully place the chipboard pieces in order on the stick back canvas.

5. Cut notches at each fold and at the corners.

6. (cardstock) Crease along all edges and folds with a bone folder.

(both) Adhere each flap to the chipboard by folding over and securing as shown.

7. Cover the inside of the holder with cardstock or the remaining piece of sticky canvas. Crease each fold with the bone folder.

8. Adhere the envie pockets to the inside of the holder.

9. Decorate the holder as desired.

10. Add closure of your choice. - Ideas might be magnetic closures; Velcro; button & string; snap; etc.

11. ENJOY!!!

So there you have it...a fun ATC envie pocket holder to keep for yourself or give as a gift! Remember you can vary the number of pockets by adding or removing envies.

Tomorrow I will share a few examples of other ATC holders I have made and give you some ideas about how to create larger and smaller holders by varying the envies and chipboard sizes.

Have a wonderful evening everyone!!