Swirlydoos: No People No Pets Challenge

Messing around yesterday

 I was able to complete a layout for the

Swirlydoos SGC Challenge.

NO PEOPLE, NO PETS!

Lucky for me I had taken this photo 

of the sunset from my driveway one night 

as I was leaving to pick up my daughter from soccer practice.

The paper is from Bo Bunny & Authentique

Magical Micas and Mist from Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Modeling Paste through a stencil.

Stamping with a Prima stamp and Archival ink.

Art Anthology paint through several stencils.

Make sure to head over to 

Swirlydoos

and see what everyone else has done.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Documented Life week 13

It's time for another challenge in

The Documented Life 

project.

Week 13:

The Challenge

March 22, 2014 Challenge - Ask someone else to draw on your page - finish it!

Well ok then….

This is what I wound up creating.

My eldest did up the 4x6 zentangle.

Because I loved it so much as is all I added was the butterfly

and the document tab.

Up close;

Isn't it cool.

Lifting the flap that was held with Washii Tape.

I journaled on the back of it.

Added the Life tab (get it :front is document back is life ;) )

and another butterfly.

The die cuts are from Kaisercraft.

The opposite page in my planner was covered with Gelatos.

A layer of clear Gesso.

Then Distress Paints through a TH stencil and a 

Stencil Girl Stencil.

A sharpie pen outlined the bits from the stencil girl stencil.

Bit of stamping using a Prima stamp and Archival ink.

I love how my planner is getting chunkier and chunkier every week.

When I started this project I had no plans to follow through

(I tend to start things and never finish)

But my oh my am I loving this.

I so look forward to the new challenges each and every week.

Make sure to check out bot the Flickr page and the Facebook page

and see what everyone has done for this challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Sharing a Mixed Media Background Tutorial Today

Ever feel like your "mojo" has left the room?

You want to create but can settle on what to do or how to do it.

Many time when my "mojo" seems to have left,

I find that just by messing around I can help it come back.

Lots of times I wind up creating backgrounds to be used at a later date.

Just by pulling supplies out and creating without rhyme or reason and soon there is no block.

Today I'm sharing a quick background tutorial that you can use for a variety

of projects.

Keep it large and it's a scrapbook page

cut it down and you have a card, Art journal or ATC background.

I start out by covering a 12 x 12 piece of old card stock with torn book text.

Add a thin layer of Gesso to tone it down and provide a unified starting point..

If the Gesso is too thick, spritz with water and wipe some off with a paper towel.

Take some acrylic paint and squirt it onto the page.

(technical isn't it? lol)

Spread the paint with a paint brush or old credit card.

Take a paper towel and lay it flat onto the paint while it's still wet.

Blot the paper and remove the towel lifting some of the paint.

Mist with your choice of spray.

(here I used Concrete Shimmeringz by Shimmerz Paints)

Mist enough that you get drips down the page.

Dry.

Taking a background stamp color with a Faber Castell Big Brush Artist Pen 

(you can use ink instead but I really love these markers for stamping)

Randomly stamp across the paper.

I wound up using 2 colors for added interest.

I then took a NeoColor II crayon and scribbled onto my craft sheet.

Added water and created a paint...

Randomly brushed it across the page.

A Script stamp and Solvent ink.

Randomly stamping.

Some Shimmerz Paint brushed randomly.

Just to add some sparkle and shine to the paper.

Here is the finished background.

Ready to be used in my next project.

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock

Book text

Adhesive (I use Gel Medium)

Gesso

Acrylic Paint

Paper Towel

Mist of your choice

Faber Castel Big Brush ARtist Pens (2 colors)

NeoColor II crayon

Stamps

Solvent Ink

Shimmer/ Metallic paint

I hope this inspires you to try creating something when you can't decide what.

Lots of times doing the random creating without an ultimate goal can give the

kickstart that you need.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Live in the moment

Often times I will take blank pages in my art journal and cover them quickly with color and pattern.

Eliminates the "blank page" syndrome

where I sit and look at the white page and don't know

what direction to go in.

Later when I go back and am ready to work I have pages already to go.

This page is covered randomly with book text and Gel Medium.

Distress inks were rubbed directly onto the paper and the color was spread 

with a wet paintbrush.

The Gel Medium resists the inks and creates a varied color depth for the background.

Here is the page I created later on the 

pre made background.

Stamping, stenciling

(still loving my new Rebekah Meier stencil)

by TCW.

An old sticker from Club Scrap...

And rub ons from my stash...

Some stamping also with a piece of

corrugated cardboard and acrylic paint.

Finally some flowers were drawn across the page using a white gel pen.

Sometimes it's fun to pull out pre made backgrounds and go to town.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

The Documented Life Project week 12

It's time for WEEK 12

of

The Documented Life Project

This week's challenge:

March 15, 2015 Challenge - Week Twelve - Cut up a magazine - add!

Easy Peasy

I started with a Gelli Print I made a while back.

Added some more stenciling on top with a Rebekah Meier stencil

from TCW and Golden Fluid Acrylic.

Used an old circle die and my Cuttlebug

 (had to dust it off first lol)

I cut a ton of various sized circles from an old magazine.

After adding the circles I covered everything with a layer of

Clear Gesso to give a uniform working surface.

Once dry I went around all the circles with a fine tip paint brush and Gesso.

Sharpie markers used to add dots.

Some stamping with a Prima stamp and Archival ink.

More doodling on the edges with Golden paint and Sharpie markers.

The words come from a pack of Kaisercraft Die Cuts.

Make sure to head over to the Facebook & Flickr pages to see how

everyone has interpreted this week's challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Swirlydoos March Round Robin

It's time for another layout done for a 

Round Robin

at 

Swirlydoos.

In case you don't know how it works,

week one someone shares a layout, the next week someone shares their take on it 

and so on and so on.

Kind of like the game of Telephone but with scrapbook layouts.

Here is mine for this week.

I follow Andie for Team 2

This month's twist:

Now, what could be more appropriate than DIE CUTS? From your crank-operated Bug, from your Vagabond, from your Cameo, from your Cricut… Now is the chance to show off your collection of shapes!!!! Don’t own a machine? No problem: I just know that all of you Savages have a hoard of die-cut chippies!!!!!

I used the March kit from Swirlydoos.

The paper is from Prima

Flowers are Petaloo.

Added Gesso

Some Dylusions in Vibrant Turquoise and some stamping

with a Prima clear stamp and Archival ink.

Prima ink in Worn Jeans was rubbed through a new

Balzer Bites stencil by TCW

(I am digging the new stencil sizes)

Red Velvet Art Anthology paint was brushed through

Rebekah Meier stencil

(also by TCW).

The chipboard I used is from a recent purchase from 

UmWow Studio.

I just love the star confetti.

I colored it with some Lumiere 3D paint.

Lastly I flicked some Liquitex Acrylic ink across the page .

Make sure to check out the Round Robin thread on the forum to see what others 

have created.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge 4…Show your sparkly side!

It's time for another challenge at Craft Hoarders Anonymous!

Can you believe we are already up to 

the 4th challenge?

Thanks to everyone who has shared their art,

and to those who haven"t….

What are you waiting for ?

Use your stash so you can shop some more ;)

                                                   Graphic 45 is our sponsor this month. 

                          They are known for their fabulous vintage products and papers. 

                                             To pay homage to their glamour and style, 

                              create a project that shows off your hoarded sparkly items.                       

  Show some glitz. Pump up the glam.

                                                Use this photo collection for extra inspiration.

 One lucky person will win this AWESOME

prize (did I say awesome yet) pack 

from 

Graphic 45.

Graphic 45 is an award-winning scrapbook and paper crafting company­— owned and operated by a mother (Diane Schultz) and her two daughters (Aimee and Charee Filimoehala). Together they create vintage inspired crafting products that capture the flamboyant style of the 1920's and 30's - with vibrant color, irresistible texture and imaginative design to create products with decades-old appeal that's both fresh and familiar. Let our products inspire your next scrapbook layout, card, album or home decor project. Please visit the Graphic 45 Website or Facebook page for more information.

And here is the project I created.

I used a wood panel from Kaisercraft and went to town.

Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime

and

A Place in Time 

were used.

The coloring on the background was done first with 

Lindys' Stamp Gang Moonshadow Mist.

Followed with Modeling Paste through a Donna Downey stencil, 

and finally Pan Pastels over the whole piece.

Many of the images (i.e. the bunnies, pink flowers and fairy)

were fussy cut from my very last sheet of 

Once upon a Springtime.

(I think it was the very first Graphic 45 paper I ever bought)

The image of the mother and baby came from 

A Place in Time.

I love how both the bunny & fairy seem to be 

looking at them.

Little tiny Prima flowers and metal findings are on the panel.

Rhinestones from Couture Creations are in the center of each.

Prima flourishes were also cut up and tucked under bits

to pump up the glitz.

Supplies:

Kaisercraft wood panel

Graphic 45 paper: Once Upon a Springtime & A Place in Time

Pan Pastels

Lindy's Stamp Gang Moonshadow Mist

Distress Paint, Gesso

Donna Downey Stencil

Prima: flowers, metal findings, flourishes

Rhinestones: Couture Creations

Book Text, Washii Tape & Doily

Make sure to check out what the rest of the design team has done for this challenge

                                         Donna Idlet - http://myblogidlet.blogspot.com/

                                         Glenda Brooks - http://glendabrooks.blogspot.com

                                         Gloria Stengel - http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

                                         Karen Zueger - http://lostcoastscrapper.blogspot.com

                                         Pam Bray - http://www.pammejoscrapbookflair.com/

                                         Tammi Bennett - http://www.tjsmemoriesblog.blogspot.com/

                                         Amber Milone - http://pinkchicpaperdesign.blogspot.com/

              you are here-----Christy Butters - http://creatingwiththegirls.blogspot.com/

                                         Debbie Seyer - http://www.debbieseyer.com/

                                         Ginny Nemchak - http://pollyspaper.wordpress.com/

                                         Jan Marie Ennenga - http://re-creations4him.blogspot.com/

                                         Kathy Clement - http://www.kathybydesign.com/kathy-by-design-news/

and make sure to head HERE 

to link up your project for a chance to win this awesome prize pack.

Seriously ???????

I'm not a huge fan of journaling

on my layouts.

I fall into the school of thought that the picture can usually

tell the story.

However once in a while there is more to the story,

and I need to get it down.

Case in point was this layout.

It's not my normal style, 

no heavy distressing or inking or all the other things I like to add.

Still it makes me smile.

The pictures and story behind them are priceless.

3 years later we still talk about the little one's ride through

Krefeld, Germany.

I only wish someone would have pulled me around.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

The Documented Life Week 11: Put a Bird on It!

It's time for Week 11

of

The Documented Life project.

This week's challenge:

March 8, 2014 Challenge - Week Eleven - Draw, photograph or collage a bird onto your page.

How easy is that????

I was so excited to start,

and while I was working I decided to photograph it 

along the way so once again you can see exactly how I created my page.

The background began when I gave the 7 year old a task;

Pick me 2 colors (and only ONE could be pink or purple)

She brought me

Liquitex Basics in Primary Yellow & Medium Magenta.

I scraped the 2 colors randomly across the paper with an old credit card.

Then some stamping with 

Prima stamp and Archival ink.

Finally for this step some 

Golden Cobalt Teal through Large Punchinella.

Next is

Ranger Lake Mist Paint Dabber through a

Martha Stewart Stencil.

Now I outlined the circles I had created with the punchinella

using a

Prussian Blue Copic marker.

I also randomly wrote words over the paper in pencil.

Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise

was misted through a large flower stencil.

Later on I went back and outlined the petals with a fine Black Sharpie.

I stamped randomly over the paper using 

Golden Phthalo Green (blue shade)

and a Piece of Corrugated Cardboard.

Changing directions occasionally to give the impression of some cross hatching.

The bird was drawn onto the page the painted in with

Gesso.

Color was then added to the branch and bird using

Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels

blending with my finger.

A quote was added using

Liquitex Arcylic ink in Carbon Black

and my pen nib.

And here is the finished page when it is open.

A piece of scalloped chipboard was paint and attached to the flap.

The flap closed:

I am just loving these colors.

Need to let the 7 year old pick for me more often.

Make sure to check out the Flickr and Facebook page for the

DLP project.

Seriously the art there will blow you away.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!