A Few Christmas Tags

Today is the last day of November which means December 1st is tomorrow. Christmas will be here before you know it!

Today I just wanted to share a couple quick Christmas tags I did for a swap over at Swirlydoos.

I made 13 different ones with the intention of making a dent in all my holiday themed supplies. Instead the pile seemed bigger once I was done.

   The first tag is just a large red poinsettia on sheet music. I put a little bit of Rock Candy stickles on the center button to give it some sparkle.

 The second tag uses the same sheet music background. I fussy cut the angel from a collage sheet and painted her wings with the Rock Candy stickles.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Shine

Over at Paperartistsonline we have a Secret Sister swap going on for the Holidays. Besides buying your sister some scrappy gifts you need to include at least 1 handmade item.

I made this piece for mine.

   It started out on a 6x6 piece of Gessobord. All the paint used is from Creative Inspirations, I love how you can layer and change the appearance with water. Stencils from Crafter's Workshop, RubOn by Prima, Frame by Glitz Design, and of course my favorite Washi tape.

  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Encourage your hopes...

Not your fears!

                 I did this piece for the Logo Colors Challenge on The Art Studios's blog.

 The base is a piece of watercolor paper cut to 5x7. It was misted with Lindy's Stamp Gang mist and then with water for a mottled appearance. I used my Kaisercraft script stamp and StazOn ink in Stone Grey to stamp randomly over it once the mist was dry. For a little contrast I used Gesso and bubble wrap to stamp some spots onto the background.

 The image is from my personal photo collection. I cut it out and after adhering it to the background outlined it with a charcoal pencil.

 The top piece is a 5x7 piece of glass I saved from a broken picture frame. I stamped the quote (from Stampers Anonymous) using Jet Black StazOn. I further inked the edges to draw the eye in. To hold both pieces together I just used a clip found in any office supply section.

  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Germany

Sharing today a few layouts from our Germany trip.

The first is from our visit to the Krefeld Zoo in Germany. There was a butterfly house that was filled with the most amazing butterflies. They were everywhere and if you stood still in seconds there would be a number of them sitting on you. It was definitely one of the better butterfly houses I have been in over the years.

  The second is from our day trip to Koln. We took the train from Krefeld to Koln for a day of shopping and sightseeing. I couldn't believe how windy it was around the cathedral, yet the minute you stepped into the side streets there was none. The cathedral was so imposing on the skyline.
 For the base of this layout I actually used a city map of Koln and swiped gesso over it to mute it down.

  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Family

Today is Thanksgiving in the US. A time to reflect on what we are thankful in our lives. While the turkey is in the oven cooking I had some time to play. I used the Off the Page project from November's kit at Flying Unicorn.

A 10x10 stretched burlap canvas from Canvas Corp was the base for this.

GEsso was swiped randomly, misted with Olive Vine Glimmer mist and then some Pan Pastels rubbed through a Crafter's Workshop stencil.

Once those layers were dry I used Gel Medium to apply some sewing pattern paper and then misted with Latte Glimmer mist. The layering then began. Tape and paper strips from Teresa Collins, words from the die cut sheet and Cosmo Cricket stickers. The flowers from Prima and wood from Kaisercraft.

 In the right upper corner I put a small banner inked with Olive Vine ink and added this adorable wooden bird also by Prima.

  Finally my favorite idea on the page...hold your love ones close.

 May you all have a wonderful holiday surrounded by those you love the most.

Happy Thanksgiving.

3 Silly Girls

Another sketch challenge has been issued at Scrapping Everyday Miracles.

I love the circles on this and immediately knew I was going to use my Crafter's Workshop stencil.

   I started with a piece of My Mind's Eye paper which I misted with Heidi Swapp's new Color Shine mist (OMG) in georgia peach. I let it dry and used my stencil with some new Silks Acrylic Glaze from Luminarte (again OMG) and circled them with a charcoal pencil I smudged. The banner is from Prima and I inked the edges with Black Coal ink.

  In January we went to Disney so the middle one could play in a soccer tournament. Of course we had to get some park time in as well as food. During our visit to Epcot we ate at the Biergarten in "Germany". The girls thought the menus shaped like steins were hilarious and all insisted on posing with it. By the end we were all cracking up and several of our neighboring tables had also joined in on the fun.

  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Journey

One of the things I really enjoy doing with my scrapbook pages is taking pattern paper and by adding more to it create my own look.

Here I took a piece of Kaisercraft patterned paper and using stamps, stencils, mist, ink and gesso created my own background.

The paper had a subtle pattern to it so first I added more using a script stamp by Kaisercraft and Stone Grey ink. I distressed the edges and rubbed some Teal Damask ink by Prima in spots before sponging Gesso through a Crafter's Workshop Diamond stencil. When it dried I lightly misted with Turquoise Blue Glimmer mist and rubbed Dry Sand ink through another Crafter's Workshop stencil.

 The page was finished of with some Prima flourishes, Petaloo flowers and butterflies, some Washii tape and a tag from Iron Orchid.
  The picture is my 2 younger ones posing in front of a fountain while on vacation in Italy. No matter how much they got on each others nerves on the trip they would still stop and pose any time I asked (now if I could only get them to stop fighting).

 Most of the supplies used on this page came from the November Swirlydoos kit.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Art Journal Play

Learn how to make an art journal page just like this one for only $5

   Head on over to The Art Studio and sign up now. It's the first page in a series of Art Journaling ideas and inspiration. For the next couple days you can sign up for the class for only $5. You'll receive step by step downloadable instructions as well as a videos taking you from the blank page to finished product.
  Have questions as you create? I'll be there to hold you hand and help you along.

Join me as we go and soon you'll have your very own art journal filled to the max with art YOU created.

Head on over now to The Art Studio to take advantage of this special offer. It won't last long....

Take a Class at the Art Studio for $5

  

  For one week only, you’ll get the deal of a lifetime. You can take as many classes at The Art Studio @ SNR as you like for only $5 each.  It’s our way of thanking you for being a part of our awesome community and a great opportunity for us to show you how incredibly talented our instructors are.

  Class content may include PDFs, videos, slides, templates, sketches and/or cutting files, depending on how the instructor has set up their classroom. You’ll also have full access to the instructor, either via a private group or e-mail. This also depends on how the instructor has set up their classroom. Full details are listed in each class description, so you’ll know what you can expect when taking the class. 

  You can purchase each class at the $5 price between November 17, 2012 and November 23, 2012. Please note that you’ll only have access to class content for one month rather than lifetime access as you would with the regular class fee. At the end of the month, if you want to, you can renew the class at a deeply discounted price. If you purchase the renewal, your access to class content and materials will never expire.

 There are no promo codes to enter. Please note that there are a few classes that aren’t eligible for the $5 price and they will be clearly marked. 

So make it an awesome week and come play with us at The Art Studio @ SNR!

Love Blooms

Another Scrapbook News and Review layout to share with you.

Lots of pink which usually isn't my favorite color to work with. The large heart was a piece of chipboard from my stash, heavily misted with Glimmer mist and then stamped using StazOn and a script stamp.

The Rub Ons are from Daisy D I believe.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Inspire

Another Mojo Monday sketch at Flying Unicorn.

 I went masculine with mine. Seeing as it was released on Nov 12, Veterans day in the United States, I wanted to show our family hero. My father in law who was a fighter pilot during the Korean war while stationed in Japan. He lived a hard working quiet life rarely talking about the past. Not until the end did we begin to hear about the things he had really accomplished in his life.

 I used the October Flying Unicorn kit. Most of the paper is Prima which has been gessoed and misted.

Resist This

I have a new class starting Monday over at The Art Studio. It's called Resist This: A Class All About Resists and in the 2 weeks I show you 18 different resist techniques and how to incorporate them into all your projects.

This layout is just a sample of one of the many types of pieces we'll be doing.

 
  All the techniques that we do will have full step by step instructions as well as videos. There will be finished samples for most and tons of inspiration to get the creative juices flowing. No matter what type of papercrafter you are there is something for you here, be it scrapbooking, card making or mixed media.

 Still need more...there is a short video with a bonus technique HERE.

 I hope to see you Monday.

Have a great day.

It's a free sneak peek!

   We’re blowing open the doors for a good cause! We want everyone to know what an awesome magazine Scrapbook News and Review Magazine is and the best way to do it is to show you.

For one weekend only, you can have UNRESTRICTED ACCESS to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine and there are two issues available for you to enjoy.

Check out how big it is. There are literally hundreds of layouts, cards, mixed media and altered art projects as well as scrapbook and card sketches, product reviews, Featured Artist and Digital Designer Spotlights...too much to list.

Head on over and see for yourself. Keep in mind that this double issue doesn’t have any public submissions. All content was created by our talented staffers because we want you to see how much you get when it’s just us. Can you imagine how large it is is when we have other crafters joining in on the fun???

So, how does it work?
 Head on over to the magazine 

Login or register for an account.
Go to Subscribe on the top menu.
Click on One Time Only, click on subscribe

IN ORDER TO SEE IT, YOU MUST USE PROMO CODE FREESNR12.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

   Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost is probably my all time favorite poem. I first read it many years ago when reading The Outsiders by SE Hinton. Imaging Ponyboy sitting in the church as he recited it one morning is a favorite memory of mine.

One of the challenges at Flying Unicorn this month is to create a layout using a poem. The photo must represent that poem. My oldest daughter took this picture last winter at one of her sister's soccer tournaments. The frost on the bushes and grass glittered as the sun came up and immediately brought the poem to mind.

  I used the Authentique paper from the November Flying Unicorn kit and misted with Olive Vine Glimmer mist. I used Crafter's Workshop and Pink Paislee stencils along with ink from Prima and Ranger.
  My poem was printed onto canvas paper and inked before being applies.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Together

The monthly challenge at Scrapping Everyday Miracles for November is Family Ties.

I have lots of family pictures but wanted to show this one. My oldest and youngest. 12 years apart yet they have this bond that is hard to describe. The 2 of them are inseparable when together and now even though one is off to college they still talk daily. The miles can't break the bond they have. Something that as a mother makes me so happy.

 For my layout I used a piece of Simple Stories paper misted with Smooch Spritz. The title is from Dusty Attic and was misted with Dylusions Black Marble mist.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Peace

One of the challenges at Flying Unicorn this month was to scrap a picture of a non living. I wound up using this picture of a statue found in one of the alcoves of the Duomo in Florence, Italy.

  The background paper is from Riddersholm Design. I scrapped a bit of gesso over to tone it down even more before lightly misting with Graphite Glimmer Mist. The edges were distressed and inked with Tin Can by Prima.

  The eyes of this statue were mesmerizing. They seemed to follow you throughout the square.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Logo Color Challenge at The Art Studio

In all the excitement about the GRAND OPENING over at The Art Studio several of the instructors decided to create art using the beautiful new logo that owner Kate Koch has created.

Head on over to the TAS Blog to see what the talented ladies have come up with.

Happy Memories

It was my turn to start off the sketch round robin at Swirlydoos this month. There were several twists we needed to incorporate on our layouts; specialty paper, more than one pic and rub ons.

I wound up using 3 pictures of my little one from our trip up to Maine this summer. She didn't care that the beach was all rocks, she couldn't wait to get in the water and play. Lucky for her the water was an acceptable 60 degrees (which if you know Maine ocean water that's warm!).  Her pink suit stood out among all the greys of the rocks and I was able to keep an easy eye on her. She had an absolute blast.

 On my layout I used Kaisercraft Magnolia Grove paper for my background. Gesso was swiped and it was misted with Vintage Pink glimmer mist from Tattered Angels before distressing it. For my specialty paper I created a matte for my photos from torn dictionary pages. I also created some flowers using my Tim Holtz die and sewing pattern tissue paper. The 1,2,3 and memories came from a piece of Prima paper. For my rub on I used the word happy.

 I attached my page to a piece of cardstock for more stability using my sewing machine and contrasting thread.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

One in a Million

One in a Million...That's what I always tell my littlest one. Course it means different things on different days. Usually though it means its a good thing there is only one of her. Many more and watch out!

This picture is from right after she was born. It stills seems like the blink of an eye when it's been 6 years already.

  The background paper is from Pion. It's a brand hard to find in the US but when you can, snatch it up, it's beautiful. Petaloo flowers and Prima Bling are all that I needed after matting the photo over a large red doily.
  That's my baby, she's one in a million!

  This layout was featured in Scrapbook News and Review.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.