Birthday card

So my friend Pam over at PAO issued a challenge using a piece of Victorian Scrap.

I cut the piece apart, pulled out my new Distress Stains and went to work.

I used Spun Sugar, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Stains for the background, ran it through my Cuttlebug and rubbed Chestnut Roan Chalk ink over the embossed area and around the edges.

Stamped Happy Birthday (Club Scrap) onto a piece of scrap Basic Grey paper, tore the edges and adhered both bird image and saying.

Then stamped a few musical notes (CLear Art Stamps) for a bit more background and finished it up with a yellow fiber on the side.

Now I have my MIL's birthday card

Fly

This is my Father in Law. When the Korean War started he was drafted. The day he received the draft notice from the Army he went to the Air Force recruiter and joined them, figuring he'd have a better shot at advancement and training. Remember this was the 50's, and opportunities were not always the best for African Americans.

He wound up being trained as a fighter pilot and was stationed in Japan for the war. His squadron led many raids into Korea and on one mission his plane was the only one to return. For many years he really didn't talk about his time. Now though he is very very sick. We have been scanning old slides by the hundreds (lucky for us he had his camera with him while stationed in Japan and some of the pics are amazing)and he has slowly been telling stories.

His friend took this pic of him during the war standing in his flight gear next to his plane.

I used the Feb Swirlydoos kit

Seldom Tidy....

I have had the background for this canvas painted for a while now. Yet I couldn't decide on how too use it. Last night after hunting high and low for something I "KNEW" was on my desk I decided it was once again time to clean.

Things happen for a reason and while cleaning I found this little die cut phrase. I don't even know where it came from, but when I discovered it I knew where it was going.

A nice little 5x7 canvas for my art room now. And a reminder, mess is okay :)

Get Out and Play

Did this layout up for the 2/17 sketch challenge at Sketchy Thursdays.

I used the Dixie Pieces Krafty Lime September 2010 kit.

Paper is Crate Paper, Glitz & Bazzill

My middle daughter is a soccer fanatic. These are a few shots from her fall 2010 (U11) season.

PLAY an Art Journal Page

So here I am, supposed to be getting ready for a hoard of fifth grade girls who will be descending on the house shortly for a Birthday Party Sleepover.

But distracted by a new shipment of Distress Stains by Ranger. I just had to PLAY immediately.

Whipped up this little page in my Art Journal. Some paper scraps followed by a layer of crumpled tissue paper. I then applied Antique Linen, Faded Jeans & Spun Sugar Distress Stains over all of that.

I made some of my homemade paper tape, blocked out a rectangle and then stamped PLAY in using Making Memories Foam stamps & Black Acrylic Paint. Outlined with the paint as well and then added some silver highlights with Silver Lumiere paint.

Sometimes Play Time is the best time.

Now I REALLY have to get ready for the party

Sunset in Kiawah

I did this layout today for the sketch challenge over at Get Picky. Still working on summer pics and these were a few from our vacation on Kiawah Island.

I used the House of 3 resist paper for the background, coloring it with Milled Lavendar, Tattered Rose & Dusty Concord Distress inks, the spritzed with Vintage Pink Glimmer Mist.

I made my swirls with puff paint today, just wanted something different. Don't know if I like them all that much but my 11 year old oohed and ahhed over them so I guess I leave it alone.

Victorian Distressed Background Paper

So Scrapbook News & Review had this technique as their video of the day

background paper.

I had a few free minutes so whipped up my own samples.

The top one is Frayed Burlap, Stormy Sky & Aged Mahogany Distress Inks

stamp is Stampin Up Vague Vintage.

Bottom one is Frayed Burlap, Bundled Sage & Aged Mahogany Distress Inks

stamp from Club Scrap Fossils

Easy Technique and stunning results

Signs of Spring

Some people consider Robins a sign of Spring, or maybe the crocuses popping up in their yard.

For us...It's the first bare toes of the season.

Come on Spring----We Are Ready!!!!

Journey... a 3x3 book

I made up this 3x3 book after watching a video by Tim Holtz

(mini book video). Now I didn't want a Valentine book, but have made a gazillion of these, just not finishing off the way he did, I was inspired to pull out a sheet of 7 Gypsies paper, 2 collage sheets by Enchanted Merchantile and Rub ons by 7 Gypsies and Glitz.

I love how this came out

Fortune

a 2 page spread in my Art Journal. It's based on a fortune from a fortune cookie I ate last week.

I used a Club Scrap stencil, Golden Acrylic paint, pages from an old dictionary, Tuxedo Smooch Ink, flower stamp from Oxford Impressions and Crushed Shells Glimmer Mist.

The page was in part inspired by Donna Downey's video last week.

Timeless Memories

Layout done for monthly Round Robin challenge at Swirlydoos. My in laws on their wedding day-1956. They have been together now for 54 years and are still as devoted today as they were their wedding day.

I used all paper from TPC-Grandma's Attic. The background was sprayed with Latte Glimmer Mist & then TH mini mask & Vintage Photo Distress ink.

Most embellishments came from the Feb kit from Swirlydoos.

The Dusty Attic frame was colored with Smooch Ink and then sprayed with Glimmer mist

Bloom where you are planted

and my art journal page for today.

Once again Ruth Ann gave the prompt over at PAO. Had 10 free minutes so went at it.

Beautiful

My layout for this months sketch challenge at Swirlydoos. My MIL on her wedding day.

For the background I took a piece of Sugar Cream Bazzill and sprayed with Sunkissed Peach & Crushed Shells Glimmer mist. I used a Prima Clock Mask & Vintage Photo Distress ink as well.

I made my swirls using Crafters Workshop Stencil and E-Line Pearls & Crystals. The Technique Tuesday frame was painted with Brown Acrylic paint and rubbed with Shimmerz paint in Buttercream.

The Dusty Attic word beautiful was painted with pale pink acrylic paint followed by Mocha Shimmerz.

If I am Not

So the page was a 2 part inspiration. Journal Spilling by D. Trout, and Ruth Ann over at PAO.

I already had the background done in one of my art journal signatures--basically sewing pattern paper, acrylic paints & stamps.

I altered the pic of me (taken by my 4 year old) and my own paper tape to hold it down. Wrote out script with Pitt pen. Gessoed and area for journaling then rubbed black StazOn around the edges.

Stamps by Club Scrap & Oxford Impressions

Journaling reads

I am a Mother, Wife, Sister & Daughter. I DO NOT follow the pack. I am a free thinker and a free spirit. I am an artist. I am what I am and I will not change.

2/9/2011

Put a Bird on it video

So Feb 5 I made an Art Journal page with a bird theme. Cloth Paper Scissors also asked for readers to submit their bird creations.

They made this awesome video with all the submissions.

If you are a bird lover check it out... (mine is towards the end)

Put A Bird On It

Leibster Blog

My blog was tagged by my scrappy friend Maggi. Maggi does some of the most amazing layouts of her furry friends.

You should stop by & check it out

http://scraptravelbark.blogspot.com

The Liebster Blog award is given to bring new blogs to light. It's a great way to share blogs that might not otherwise be seen.

If you have been tagged and want to participate, create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image. Then choose 3 - 5 favourite blogs which you also link in your post.
Here are my 3 picks:

Nancy Y's Squirrely Art where she does all sorts of altered projects, cards and journals

Julie's Juju's Folly here cards and mixed media pieces are to die for

Rachelle's Orezonia where her art is a true feast to look at.

Stop by and give them a shout out.

Spring Soccer

My youngest has to be just like her big sisters, which means that she too needs to play soccer.

This was her Spring 2010 pic, already has played for 3 seasons by this time.

Paper is Crate Paper Restoration collection, Rub ons by & Gypsies, and another sketch from 2007 Pagemaps

Snow

Looking back these pics were an indicator to just how bad our winter was going to be. Usually early Dec the weather is still really nice here in NC. This year though it brought the first snowfall.

I used a sketch from Feb Pagemaps 2007. My background paper was white. I stamped the snowflakes with versmark and embossed with Clear embossing powder. Sprayed page with several Glimmer mist colors to color paper but resist the snowflakes.

Seining

I did this layout up covering 2 bases at once.

The current sketch challenge over at Stuck on U Sketches

http://stuckonusketches.blogspot.com/

and the monthly scrapbook challenge at paperartists online to use rub ons

http://www.paperartistsonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6359

paper is Club Scrap, Bazzill, Prima & Paper Girl.

I used rubons (joy of discovery & alphabet letters.)

Bird Art Journal page

so Sue over at

http://www.paperartistsonline.com/forum/

is hosting a mini challenge this weekend with the theme of birds. I had this bird image on my messy messy desk and with the challenge in mind created this 2 page spread in my AJ. The background is Neocolor II and various stamps.

Solitude-a Gothic Arch

I got around to finishing up my arch for the February challenge over at Swirlydoos.

The background is a piece of 7 Gypsies paper. I then took a book page, covered it with gesso, Black Soot Distress Ink & Black Magic Glimmer Mist. I tore it to be the background for my collage image from Altered Pages.

Used a few Kaisercraft white swirl Rub ons and added a snip of Prima Say it in Crystals swirls.

I cut a piece of DUsty Attic chipboard (picket fence) down to size and painted with Silver Lumiere paint.

Tore a piece of scrap down & wrote Solitude with a Pitt Pen.

Added fibers & Tim Holtz Bauble to the top

Imagine, Inspire Believe...Gothic Arch

Well this started out as my entry for the Gothic Arch challenge over at Swirlydoos, but oops I forgot the chipboard. Still I was happy with it and as making Gothic Arches is pretty fun I left it alone and will make another for the challenge.

My background is the heated Distress Reinkers from the other day. Stamped with Jet Black Staz On and Flourish stamp by Club Scrap.

The collage image is from Altered Pages. Rub Ons by 7 Gypsies & Kaisercraft.

Petaloo flowers and 7Gypsies Velvet Leaves