Distress stickles: A Studio L3 Compendium challenge

This week's Studio L3 Compendium challenge, Distress Stickles, resulted in two completed projects for me. How about you?

Actually, by the official end of the challenge week (Sunday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. Mountain Time), I'll probably have a couple more ... because who doesn't enjoy glitter-covered fingertips?

My "official" project is the one you see here with stickled flowers and strangely compelling octopus. This piece has a lot of squeal in it.

First, there's the copper sentiment plate ... it's from a pack found on the clearance aisle at Joann's. Have you checked out Joanns' clearance? You should. Every other week or so. Because Jo, she understands clearance. This once-upon-a-time $3 four-pack of plates was marked down to fifty cents. FIFTY CENTS! A few weeks ago we picked up about two dozen packets of embellishments for less than $10.

I'm especially "Eeeee!!" about these finds because our Dear Mr. Holtz has taught us how to alter things so that what began life as Cheap Craft Store quickly becomes Chic. Yay!

Alright, so the next thing about this colorful underwatery, ahm, thing ... those flowers! Yay again!

Last week, perhaps the week previous, one of the Compendium Challenge participants had created some really outstanding flowers which made me very jealous. Basically, this artist of whom I'm ashamed to admit I can not remember the name, had punched a bunch of flowers. All exactly the same except she had colored, curled and layered so that they appeared to be multiple cuts of different sizes and shapes.

Cool, huh? OK, so I was determined to copy this neat and simple, but beautiful, technique. I figured that between my current limited craft budget and even more limited local craft options ... might be months before I could emulate these awesome flowers.

But, My Guy, Jebus love him, he found a Fiskars extra-large Oopsie Daisy punch, used a Michael's 40-percent off coupon and brought the punch home for $9!

Finally, the octopus paper is from K&Company and it represents something of a new move for me. You see, I'm a saver. Not a hoarder, a saver. I can throw away garbage: That's the distinction, in case you were wondering.

As a saver, I flip through a stack of paper and, if a page seems really, really cool and unique I will probably want to use it. And probably won't. Because then it'll be used, you know?

What if I can't find more? What if I can't afford more? What if I ruin the paper before finishing the project? Can you tell I'm a worrier?

Then, about a month ago, something happened that reminded me ... well ... can't take it with you, you know? Silly people, no one died. I turned 40. For Tee.

And I have sheets of paper I've been saving since I was a teenager. No kidding. Do you remember the Mrs. Grossman's teddy bear stickers from the 1980's? The ones people would stick to paper and draw balloon strings from the paw to little sticker balloons? Yeah? Those stickers. I still have a sheet of them.

I'm saving them. For what? In case.

Because if Armageddon comes and the survivors are those who still have 80's teddy bear stickers to protect them from Big Scary Shit, stand behind me people, I'm ready.

Anyway, the point is that for the rest of my life I'm going to Use My Stuff. And if I run out? Huh. Guess I'll jump that empty craft bin when it tips over.

Oh, yes, the second creation was actually my first one that started out "Ouu, love monochromatic with real computer screws" and ended up "Uh-oh, too monochromatic to photograph well."

I'm sure glad I started again, though. I've got nothing against the very brown and tan project, but I really love the sea life flower thing.

Thanks for stopping by and reading all of my blathering this week ... now get over to L3's Compendium Challenge and Use Your Stuff!