A CREATIVE DAY

I am so happy to say that today was a really productive day.  For starters I did my Ugly Paper Challenge for Scrapbook.com  

These are the papers I was provided:

I used some gesso and a Crafters Workshop template to disguise the Halloween words.  

Here is what I turned it into:

 

Next I took another collage photo from the 2013 Philadelphia Women of Faith Conference.  This one is going to be for the Scrapbook.Com Monochromatic challenge.

This is the color I chose:

And here is my layout:

I took a break from working on layouts to do a card but I can't share it now as it is for my DT assignment for April on Scrapping Everyday Miracles so be sure to look forward to it until April 1.


And now it is getting late and I need to be heading off to bed, but before I do I have one last layout to share.  This one was for Scrapbook.com's PageMaps challenge sketch #1.  I rotated the sketch 1/4 turn counter-clockwise.

Here is the sketch:

and here is my last layout for today:

I am also going to share these layouts in the Anything Goes #122 at Word Art Wednesday.

It felt so good to get so much creating done.  It has been so long since I have had such a productive time.  

Thank you for joining me in remembering my time at the Women of Faith 2013 conference in Philadelphia last September.

MOJO SUNDAY

The mojo was finally flowing yesterday and I was able to create these three layouts from my day at Rockwood Mansion and Park.  They all used sketches from the 2 Broke Girls Spice and Sugar Sketch-a-Thon.  

The first sketch is #1 which I did a mirror image layout of:

My Layout:

The next was sketch #10 which I rotate 1/4 turn clockwise:

My Layout:

and the last one is sketch #13:

My Layout:

For this layout I was also inspired by Colorful Creations Favorite Things challenge which was to use a new supply that I have been hanging onto but have not yet used.  I chose to try out Gelatos and used a Crafters Workshop template that I had not yet used.  Wow were they fun!  I am going to be using them again really soon!

Hope that you have enjoyed these pages - there should be more to follow later today...and if I get to the photo shop there may be more of the wedding present!  Thanks for stopping by!  Comments always appreciated!

KRAZY CRATING CREW'S VACATION BLOG HOP

Welcome to the Krazy Crafting Crew's Vacation Blog hop!

Summer is almost over (gasp!) and hopefully you've gotten some great vacation memories. 

This hop is all about crafting our vacations.

To start from the beginning of our trip head on over to Cicily the PinkDalmatianScrapper. 

Be sure & comment on our great vacation inspiration to win some awesome CTMH blog candy!

For my project today I scrapped some photos from our road trip in 2010.  We started at home in New Jersey and drove 6 hours to Virginia Beach spent a few days, drove another 6 hours to South Carolina and spent a few days and then drove another 6 hours to Orlando, Florida for a week at Disney World.  Going home we did the same thing in reverse.  These photos were from Virginia Beach.

I created this layout for the 4th challenge over at The Memory Nest.  It was a color challenge with the twist of using chevrons.  I created my chevrons with my Crafter's Workshop template and Distress Inks.

I am the end of the hop so I hope that you have enjoyed all our travels and left comments along the way at all the stops so that you will be in the running for a wonderful prize!  

If you get lost in your travels the complete lineup is below:

Cicily - www.pinkdalmatianscrapper.com

Lissa Marie - http://www.somanycrafts.com/

Zenita - http://www.scrappinwithz.blogspot.com/

Lori - http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/

Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/

Katina - http://www.lovinglifeslittleblessings.com/

Paula - http://www.preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/

INDEPENDENCE DAY IS NEARLY HERE!

I love the 4th of July!  I love the history behind it.  I love the fireworks and celebrations!  Here is a layout I did for my Anything Goes challenge on Colorful Creations.  I am also entering it into the "Let Freedom Ring" challenge at Little Scrap Pieces and the Red White and Blue challenge at Outlaw Women Scrapbook Emporium and the Independence Day blog challenge on Kraftie Kre8tions.

I chose some photos from the 225th reenactment of George Washington's historic march out of Valley Forge that we attended in 2003.  I chose my base paper and went to work.  I used an Adirondack Paint Dauber in Snow Cap and 2 Crafters Workshop templates.  I did a bit of painting and started looking in my Patriotic embellishment stash.  I found this wonderful quote by George Washington from I swap I participated in about 10 years ago.  I embossed some red and blue cardstock and cut stars.  I added ribbon, trim, bling and some tiny sticker stars and a cute little tag also from that swap.

And here we are:

I hope you have enjoyed my first patriotic layout for this month.  I'm sure there will be more.  I have so many reenactment photos to scrap.  I just may have to go out and get more patriotic papers though as that pile surprisingly is dwindling down.  Shocking for a total paper hoarder like me...my total paper is certainly not dwindling a bit!

Thanks for stopping by!

T.G.I.F.

Happy Friday!  I am finally getting to sit down and start creating.  I started with my Daisy Yellow Index Card a Day challenge using the prompts definition and stencil, which I did using Twinkle Twinkle's Summer of Color Week #2 color palette of orange and hot pink.

I used a bit of hot pink acrylic paint and then some tube watercolors in hot pink and orange and moved them around with a wet finger.  I next used a Crafters Workshop Template and an Adirondack Paint Dauber in Snow Cap and randomly added to it.  I had some old Prima rub-ons one saying Be Inspired and several designs so I added those and then a definitions sheet of the word inspire which I colored with orange and pink chalk.  I finished it off by randomly stamping parts of a Donna Salazar stamp.  

And here it is:

Next I decided to work on a card.   I used color palette #187  from The Play Date Cafe and sketch #203 from Tuesday Morning Sketches.  I am also entering this in challenge #85 on Word Art Wednesday.  I used a great orange card base which I stamped with my Donna Salazar background stamp.  I chose some papers, a flower and some leaves, stamped my sentiment and put it all together.

The color palette:

The sketch:

and finally my card:

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY

It seems today I've got the blues - I used sketch #298 from Mojo Monday and a Monochromatic Color scheme for Random Wednesdays at Colorful Creations to make a birthday card.  The Flying Unicorn is also having a Use Your Stash challenge.  To create the card I used all paper scraps, a chipboard star from a box of chipboard I've had probably 4 years, tiny tags that I've had for at least 2 years, and paper ribbon that I've had for over 10 years.

The sketch:

My Card:

And I just joined Daisy Yellow Index Card a Day Challenge and for my first index card I used the theme stitching and the prompts polka dots and stencil.  I colored my card with Distress Stain Broken China then used Distress Ink Salty Ocean and a Crafters Workshop template for the dots.  I used a Bazzil Stitch template and pricked in the word LAUGH which I then stitched in navy blue embroidery thread.

Here's my first Index Card:

It's getting late so I am heading off to bed.  Thanks for stopping by.  Sweet Dreams.

YOU ARE NOT STUCK

WHERE YOU ARE
UNLESS YOU DECIDE TO BE.

                                                                                Dr. Wayne Dyer


Tonight I decided to work on another art journal page.  I started with a technique I saw today called glue stick resist.  I used my glue stick and a few different Crafters Workshop Templates.  I then used Denim and Eggplant Color Wash and misted the page.  I wiped them off and some of the resist worked - some didn't.

Step 1

Next I took Wild Plum Color Wash and a variety of Crafters Workshop Templates and sprayed them at various angles until I had covered the page.  There was a lot of mist so I then rolled over it with a roll of paper towels.

Step 2

I then took some bright pink acrylic paint and rubbed it over Crafters Workshop Templates with a credit card.  I was not very happy with the turn out.

Step 3

I took some light pink acrylic paint and some smaller design Crafters Workshop Templates and used a sea sponge to add the paint.  This worked out much better.

Step 4

Now it's time to add my quote.  I chose several different fonts in complimenting colors and added them to the page.  I wrote the authors name in the corner with silver gel pen.

Step 5

Finally it is time to embellish.  I am not sure what I am going to use so this may take some time...

And time it did...it is now 2 days later.  I opted for some chipboard buttons and a chipboard ribbon slide and some ribbon.  Here is the finished page!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

WELCOME TO WEEK 1 OF SUMMER OF COLOR 2013

Today started another session of Summer of Color challenges.  I had done it last year and really enjoyed it. You can create absolutely anything as long as you use the color palette provided for the week.  Our first prompt for 2013 is the color combo of Citron Green and Turquoise.  

I opted to work on an art journal page as well as 2 small canvases.  

I will first show you the art journal work:

Step 1 was done using reinkers that I added to spray bottles of water and misted my page.

Step 2 I gathered some of my Crafters Workshop Templates and the inkpads and blending tools and went to town moving them all over the page randomly.

For Step 3 I searched for a quote I liked and added that to the page using my favorite black Pitt pen and an assortment of letter stickers.

and now to add some finishing touches and texture and embellishing!  

Step 4 I added dimensional pearls and stickles and drizzled reinkers.  Next I took the Donna Salazar crackle stamp with black archival ink and stamped randomly all over the page.  Finally I added some Sassafrass chipboard button flowers and some fabic flowers that I inked to match with coordinating button centers.

I am also entering this into the Colorful Creations Say It With Words challenge using the word 'happiness'.

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep your eyes open for the canvases to follow soon...

ONE COLORFUL SUMMER

Brought to you by the Krazy Crafting Crew

Our independant hop team is bringing you colorful delightful creations for summer time projects!

If you have just stumbled upon the hop, Robin Lane from "Create-a-Latte" will be your hostess today, you can start from the beginning and work your way through, to get all the inspiration we have to offer. The whole line up will be provided at the end of this post.

Here is a photo of the blog candy our hostess has up for grabs:

For my project I opted to do an art journal page.  I started by coating my page with gesso.  I was impatient and did not allow it to dry enough when I started adding my Derwent Inktense Blocks and my Watercolor Crayons.

Next I added water.  I smeared them with a cosmetic sponge.  Usually the lines disappear but since the gesso was not quite dry it left some there.  I wish I had started with my Distress Inks.  

I then started adding acrylic and dimensional paints.  I don't often use those little bottles of sticles so I took them out.  Of course I squirted too hard and the bottle burst open and I got too much.  I added and added and the paper was saturated.  I rolled over it with a paper towel and got some interesting lined texture.

Next I had to wait forever for all those layers of paint to dry.  Eventually I got to add my favorite texture medium - DryDex Spackle with a Crafters Workshop Template.

And now I will make my sun a glorious yellow and add my title!  I sprinkled some pink and yellow alcohol inks but they were very dark so I added some gesso over them.  I put gold perfect pearls over the whole sun.

I created my title from Basic Grey Hip chipboard letters and colored them black with my Pitt pen.  I found this great swirly transparency which I cut apart and placed in the corners.  I also added some black rhinestones.

I hope you have enjoyed my creation today, I would love for you to visit again, we have hops with new themes every first Sunday of each month.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for some blog candy offered throughout the hop. Some blogs are offering extra perks! They all have their own wishes for you to win, so don't forget to read the rules for each one as when they are offering every blog has different requirements for entries.

Thank you for stopping by and hopping with us! We love to inspire you so be sure to come back for more!

Here is the line up to help you navigate through..

Create a latte

So Many Crafts, So Little Time

Pink Dalmation Scrapper

CardMonkey's Paper Jungle

Love 2 Create it all

Lorby's World

Anita and Bugs

Precious Pages with Paula

Janet's Creative World

Scrap and Chat

BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE

IS LOVE.........


I finally did my art journal page on Love.  Over the past few weeks I have done Faith and Hope and it just seemed reasonable that I would follow them up with Love.  I am using this for my entry for the Colorful Creations  Creative Monthly Project which is to make something other than a card or layout using the theme or word LOVE.  I am also going to submit this to Word Art Wednesday for the Anything Goes Challenge #65  I used various different mediums on here starting with 2 shades of acrylic paint, 3 shades of Distress Inks, Snow Cap Distress Paint Dauber, and two colors of Stickles as well as using a Crafters Workshops Template.  I did the word LOVE with my fingers and joint compound.  I finished it off using stamps.  And now...here it is:

.  
Thanks for dropping by.  All comments gratefully appreciated.

A CLEAN HEART

I checked out this weeks Word Art Wednesday and found one of my favorite scriptures, Psalm 51:10.  Right away I wanted to get to work on something for it - which is a great thing because as you know I have not been creating much at all in recent weeks.

Normally when I create for Word Art Wednesday I make a card but today I felt more inspired to work in my art journal.  This week's theme was Hearts/Anything Goes.  The plan was to use this scripture:

and to use hearts.

I start my page by misting with 3 shades of pink/purple Adirondack color washes.  Then, I took a watered down gesso mixture and pulled the color across the page.  When that was dry I took out 2 of my favorite Crafters Workshop templates and Snow Cap and Silver Adirondack Paint Daubers.  I wrote the word Create across the upper left and Renew along the bottom right with an embossing pen and used some Violet embossing foil.  I mounted the scripture to some pink patterned paper and then onto a light pink dotted paper which I ran through my Sizzix Embossing Folder with linked hearts.  I took some Raspberry Distress Ink and blended over the hearts.  I attached this in the center of the page.  Then I took out a large pink heart doily.  I cut the center out of it and adhered it to my page using heavy gel matte medium.

Here is my creation:

Thanks for dropping by.  Hopefully I will have something new for you over the weekend!

LAYERS OF LOVE

Just finished this pretty in pink card and wanted to share it with you.  For inspiration I used color palette #130 over at The Color Room, a Love scripture for Word Art Wednesday challenge #48 and My Mum's Craft Shop challenge #78 Love is all around.

This is the palette:

For my card I started with a layer of banana leaf in Cranberry, then a mat of SEI pink patterned paper, my next layer was a pink dotted paper from Creative Imaginations which I embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder and then inked with Distress ink in Raspberry.  My center layer was done with a Unity stamp and a background of dots using the Distress Ink Raspberry with a very light touch and a Crafters Workshop template.

Here is my card:

Thanks for dropping by for a spot of love.  Have a great day!

Work In Progress MONDAY!

For this week's WIP Monday I decided I would share some art journaling I have worked on this past week.  The first two pages were done with a base of water soluble wax pastels and the last one was a collaged napkin technique.  All pages used gesso, distress inks, Crafters Workshop Stencils and stamps.

Hope you have enjoyed viewing some of my inspiration pages.  Have a great week!

TAKING MY PENCIL TO THE SECOND FLOOR

The sixth challenge on the Second Floor was to use your pencil.  I rarely use pencil so this was a stretch but I knew what I wanted to try right away.  First I took my Tim Holtz Spring and Summer Distress inks and covered my pages.  Next I sprayed them with water, let them drip, mushed them together and eventually rolled paper towel over the last of the dampness.  I loved the color combination.  Next I took out several different Crafter's Worshop templates.  Using a pencil I added them randomly all over the page until I was satisfied.  Here is the result:

I usually use quotes over my art journal backgrounds but I was afraid that the words would get lost in the pencil so it took a bit of deciding for what came next.  I was just at EXPO and picked up a few word stamps at Rubbernecker that I felt would work well on this background because they were bold.  Here's the result:

I hope you have enjoyed another trip with me to the Second Floor.