Tag at The Art Studio

I have a tag tutorial featured on The Art Studio's blog.

Head on over and learn how to create a tag like this using acrylic paint, stencils and stamping.

While you are there make sure to enter to win a set of Liquitex Acrylic Inks by  emailing games@scrapbooknewsandreview.com by March 1, 2013 and put Liquitex Me in the subject line. We'll announce a winner soon after. 


Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Genuine

Getting this month's sketch challenge in just under the wire this month for Scrapping Everyday Miracles.

28 days in a month is NOT enough!

I used the provided sketch as well as the twist (distressing), hey not too tough this month.

This was my take on the sketch.

I used the February kit from Flying Unicorn to create my page.

Several pieces of Kaisercraft paper from the Forget-Me-Not collection were used to create my distressed layers.

I used a photo of my middle daughter. She's a Valentine's Day baby and definitely shows the love. The smile that is on her face is one you see often, whether she is hanging with friends, go to school, or running flat out on the soccer field. She has this love for life that just pours out of her.

        Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tag share day...

Sharing a bunch of tags today that I've created for Scrapbook News and Review.

I love creating tags. They are the perfect way to try new techniques, color combinations and papers.

They go together fairly quick but the small space doesn't cause you to use up a ton of supplies.

You can attach them to cards, packages, hang on the wall and leave as is. 

I always try to do at least a couple of them a month just to keep the mojo flowing.

This Gothic Arch tag is layers of acrylic paint over book text followed by stamping & more paint.

I did it as a top 10 as to what I am loving about my daughter right now. She's the middle one and often feels overlooked and constantly persecuted (the true middle child syndrome lol). 

By doing up this quick colorful tag I was able to show her that YES we do appreciate and love you!

This tag incorporates inchies on it. The background is a crumpled sewing pattern applied with Gel Medium and rubbed with some brown ink.

There are a bunch of rub ons as well in random spots to simulate stitching. While I do love my sewing machine it's quick and easy to pull out the rub ons.

This tag uses a bunch of Graphic 45 scraps. I save even the tiniest pieces of paper and tags are a fun way to use them up. The black & white image is from an old magazine from my stash that seemed to go perfectly with the papers.

I finished it off with a flower made from book text.

Office supplies are another fun item to use on tags. You can get large quantities cheap and they add fun accents.

Here the background was created with Distress Stains and rub ons. I used some of those hole reinforcers and paperclips from the office supply store. The image is from a package of a sewing pattern and I pulled in more scraps and a bit of Washii tape.

Finally this is my favorite tag that I have created recently.

The background is a painted paper towel that my oldest provided me with. I used a stencil and Pitt Pen to created the circles under the image. I added a collage image and 3 ribbon strips to finish.

The colors on this one are outside my normal color palette but I love how it turned out.

Tags are another way to try new color combinations.

  I hope next time you are stuck in a color rut, want to try a new technique or use up scraps you are inspired to try a tag.
  They are so much fun to do I bet you can't stop at just one.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Swirlydoos Ultimate Designer Challenge WEEK 6

It's time for the 6th and final challenge of the Swirlydoos Kit Club Ultimate Designer Challenge.

The last 6 weeks have been an amazingly creative challenge and I thank the Ladies at the forum for hosting it.

This being week 6 the challenge was upped. You needed to A: use the following sketch AND B: incorporate the following techniques/ themes

Create your own background, layer mediums, mist etc.

Paper layering & distressing

Multiple photos, best clustering

AND

technique of your choosing 

(I altered chipboard)

This is the sketch we used, created by Beggahuna.

And this is how I went about creating my layout.

First I completely covered a 12x12 piece of watercolor paper with scraps from past Swirly kits and book text. The watercolor paper will prevent warping from occurring as I layer on mediums.

I then took an old credit card and swiped a layer of Gesso over the whole thing. Not to hide the patterns but tone it down and give it a uniform feel.

While the Gesso was still wet I misted it heavily with South Shore Sand mist from Lindy's Stamp Gang. I then dried the paint & mist with my heat gun.

I then pulled out my new favorite blue mist Tiffany's Blue also from LSG and misted randomly over the background.

Using a Pink Paislee stamp and a Prima stamp along with StazOn ink I stamped randomly over the bg. I used Stone Grey ink as I wanted it to sink into the background a bit instead of popping off.

I misted some cheesecloth with Crushed Shells glimmer mist from Tattered Angels and used Gel Medium to adhere it to my bg. I also traced a circle so I would have a reference point as I continued to build my lo.

More stamping, this time with a script stamp from Kaisercraft.  I also began tearing and layering paper from 7 Dots Studio as well as some Washii tape.

A few border stickers from 7 Dots Studio were also applied over the tirn paper layers and in the upper left corner. Chalk ink was rubbed through a Crafter's Workshop stencil in spots for more layer.

I took my sewing machine and sewed on a circle of lace over my drawn circle. I then took Modeling Paste and put it through a snowflake stencil also from Crafter's Workshop in places.

I altered chipboard from Dusty Attic (snowflakes I had been hoarding) by first painting with Lake Mist paint dabber, then stamping on once dry with a script stamp and StazOn. I then covered with watermark ink and Holographic embossing powder to give it sparkle but still show the underlying pattern.

Once all the chipboard had been altered I layered it with my photos and some flourishes I cut into pieces. 

I also used my palette knife to apply Clear Granular Gel in spots. Once that dried I covered it with white Gelato to mimic snow.

The final bit was my tittle. Cork letters by Little Yellow Bicycle which I also rubbed white Gelato on again for the snow look.

Finally I was finished. I matted it on a piece of dark brown card stock to give an almost framed look and distressed the edges rubbing on some final brown ink.

A few closeups:

here of some layering and paper tearing

here of the Modeling paste and chipboard

My cheesecloth, cork letters and Granular Gel

and just a shot that makes me happy. The grinning face of the little one

  6 weeks of challenges have come and gone. This has been a wonderful inspiringly creative time. I'm so glad I clicked on the "join now" button.


Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Perfect Together

Every month I take part in the round robin challenge in the Swirlydoos forum.

A take on the old telephone game that we used to play as kids. Although I think this one is more fun, we get to use paper and scrap stuff.

As always there is a twist each month. This month's twist by host Peggy was to think EVEN. As in even numbers of embellishments and such.

This was my take on it. I have 2 of most things and then 4 flowers.

 I used the January Swirlydoos kit with Prima and FabScraps paper. Perfect for the photos of my little one and her special friend. The butterflies are from Kaisercraft, covered in ink and then clear embossing powder.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Swirlydoos Ultimate Designer Challenge WEEK 5

It's time for WEEK 5 of Swirlydoos Kit Club's Ultimate Designer Challenge.

This week's challenge was to create ART JOURNAL pages using paper scraps. You need to incorporate all sorts of left over bits and pieces from scrapbook layouts, masking, layering, doodling and more.

I found that once I started this challenge my mojo took over and had a blast (while creating quite a mess in the process)

I started with a pile of patterned paper scraps. To add to it I took some of the larger pieces and cut them 9.5 x 11 inches, folding and sewing to make a signature measure 5.5 x 9.5".

I started thinking I would do a page or two but wound up filling the entire signature.

My muse for this project was a piece of 7 Gypsies paper from the Trousseau line that had all these vintage images on it.

This is the first page. On the bottom is an envelope that has a pull out tag in it.

By layering the paper and then covering it with a wash of Gesso then misting it doesn't matter if the patterns on the scraps match or not, it all blends together.

Using Modeling Paste through stencils also adds some really nice texture to your pages, You don't need a lot as a little goes a long way.

Adding a bit of lace or fabric in is also another fun way to add some texture.

 I love sewing on my pages with my sewing machine as well. For this project I sewed on them before adding them to the signature, other times I'll sew right onto the pages and have stitching on both sides.

Layers, layers, layers...

Some pages I made into a 2 page spread. Not only did I use Modeling Paste through a stencil here I also used ink through a different stencil.

Stamping randomly with a script stamp and StazOn over the layers adds a neat touch.

Life is good.

The final spread. I also free hand cut a heart out and use both the positive and negative of it. Doodling around both pieces.

 I hope you can see that Art Journaling doesn't require special products....Even the tiniest scraps from your scrap bin can make some beautiful pages.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

2 Goofy Girls

What happens when 2 goofy girls hit up the photo booth at the local movie theater?

I get primo photos to scrap!

This layout was featured in  Scrapbook News and Review.

My middle dd and our German exchange student goofing off the day they went to see Hinger Games at the theater.

    I scraped gesso first onto a piece of patterned paper and then layer over it. One layer was made up of colored paper towels my oldest did one day when she was supposed to be paying attention in class (sigh) another is a piece of muslin.
   There is also lots of mists, paper scraps and film strip bits to tie it all.

  I always forget how fun these photo booths are, I should try one with all the girls in, just to see what I get (chaos I'm sure lol).

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!