Fairies

It seems like there are fairies everywhere these days.  Especially garden fairies, or fairy gardens.  A few weeks ago I had a mixed media class where we made an unusual little house that stood on feet.  It also held a mini album in the back.  I built a miniature one to help with a visual of how to make it.  As the class went on I decided to embellish my little mini house as well.  I always have some odds and ends in my class bag, so....

 I made a mini fairy house!  There is a fairy garden started in Scrapp ' n Savvy's window so this is the perfect addition.

Wings and a bow.  Pearl paint.  A place in the back to add some pretty flowers.   It turned out so cute!

I am working like a crazy woman these days so I apologize for the lack of posts.  I will have some yummy good things to share with you very soon.

Have a wonderful day and stop back by!

Engraved Memories class

Good evening ladies.  Tomorrow is the Engraved Memories class!  Woo hoo!  I am so excited.  I have some new things for you all.

No special supplies needed.  Just your basics:  paper trimmer, scissors, ruler, pencil, distress ink in black or a dark brown (I used black soot), your favorite liquid adhesive or UHU stick, 1/4 " red or scor tape, glue dots, pop dots, a Tim Holtz tiny attacher, and a cropadile.

I will also have a special treat to share.  See you tomorrow!

Secret Garden Mini Album

Wow.  I did not realize it had been so long since I posted something!  It has been, and always is, chaotic around here.  Just wanted to do a quick post about the Secret Garden Mini Album class.  The class is FULL!  yeah!  Class is Monday at 10:30 ladies!  I'm bringing goodies....

I fell in love with the Graphic 45 paper collection the moment I saw it.  It is just so lovely.  Every single sheet of goodness has amazing beauty.  If you have not held a sheet of this in your lovely little hands and drooled a bit over  how pretty it is, then you are seriously missing out!  It might be as good as chocolate.  Well, ok.  A close second!  But really.  It's pretty.  This is the cover of the mini album (measures a good 7 x 9 and is perfect to hold 4 x 6 prints).  We will use the whole paper collection in this one.

Ladies, supply list:  Your basics including paper trimmer, scissors, pencil, UHU or favorite liquid glue to "wallpaper" with (brayer if you use one), 1/4" red line or scor tape, pop dots, glue dots, and crop a dile.  You will also need something to "cover" the edges of the chipboard pages with.  I used picket fence distress stain.  You could use acrylic paint, paint dabbers, white sharpies, inka gold, or other colors of distress stain.  Your choice.  There are some options at the store as well.  I also used distress inks in victorian velvet, frayed burlap, and shabby shutters.  Obviously, you can use any colors you desire.  Just letting you know what I used.  Some of these colors are at the shop.  The optional for this class is the Banner set and the Chipboard #1 set - both are available for purchase at Scrapp n' Savvy.

I am looking forward to a fun morning with you all.  See you Monday.  Oh, full pictures will go up in the Tutorial section on Monday morning.

a little bit of mixed media

I have been playing around a bit in my art journal lately.  I actually made a goal at the beginning of the year to do something artistic every day.  Sounds easy right?  Well, sometimes not so much!  I doodle a lot.  I also have found that I love mixed media art.  I really enjoy the layering and using different types of media on one piece.

Today I decided I would share some of my mixed media pieces with you.  I am working in a 9 x 12 bound journal with 120 lb. paper.  Depending on what type of medium I am using I might gesso the page to prime it for painting or inking.    Here we go...

 This is a new work in progress.  I like to prepare multiple backgrounds at once.  This is one that I made the background about 3 months ago.  I used Tattered Angels spray mist in a dark pink then added gelattos in different pink shades and turquoise at the top.  I heavily sprayed the turquoise so it would run and drip down the page.  I am planning on flowers of some sort.  Had the pretty papers leftover from a scrapbook project, so.....

 By far one of my favorites.  I love the dimension (a bit hard to see here, sorry).  I love using my leftovers from other projects and the little bits and pieces that are left as well.  The main houses are first made with paper.  I have added various things like ribbon, flowers (whole and cut up), and even a metal label holder.  The stems are made of cork.  Love the colors.  (You can even see at the bottom where a previous page leaked through onto this one!)

 Just a corner of one that has more subdued colors.  I love how the words seem to lift from the page.

 Another of my favorites (is it a blue thing or what?).  I started with acrylic letters that I temporarily placed on the page.  I added paper, paint, and pastels all around them.  I lifted the letters and played with colors within the letters and then outlined them.  I like how some of the letters disappear into the houses.  

 I finished this one yesterday.  Not so happy with the bird but love, love, love the rest.  Multiple layers of papers, paints, pastels, Pitt pens, modelling paste.

A close-up of the upper corner.  I really like the bleed through effect here.  I originally had used the Golden fluid acrylics.  Added coarse modelling paste with a mask.  Then I used pastel pencils and Pitt pens (india ink) layering them.  I really like how you can still see the dictionary page beneath but also that the colors are so vibrant.

 I took advantage of some of the words that were on the paper I had used.  Unexpected, but just right.

 Lots of layers of purples.  I was after the color on this one.

 Multiple layers of mists and sprays, modelling creme and masks, and fluid acrylics.

I had been dying to try this technique for awhile, so....  I used clear liquid glue (like elmers) and made a pattern on my paper.  Let it dry completely.  It acts like a resist but also like a "barrier".  It created this awesome stained glass effect.  I used gelattos and Pitt pens to get the deep colors and shading.  A cool thing happened when I was coloring it.....I had used gelattos but wanted to make sure they were dry.  I decided to speed things up and use the heat gun to dry it.  Well, obviously I held it too close to the paper and the glue began to bubble!  It looks so cool!  I just could not get a close up that showed it well.  It really fits since the page is beachy!  Oh, I stamped the images first with black staz on ink then added the glue lines, then gelattos, then finally Pitt pens.

My favored mediums right now are:  gelattos by Faber-Castell.  These little gems are creamy little twist up goodies of color.  They look like chapstick tubes.  I just love them.  They are water reactant and so much fun.  I also love using Faber-Castell pastel pencils.  Creamy and very easy to use.  Perfect to add that just right shadow.  Pitt pens.  Oh my goodness!  I became addicted to these at CHA.  Again, by Faber- Castell.  These pens come in two sizes:  large and regular pen size.  They are india ink.  I love that they can be "rubbed" with your fingers to move the ink around.  I love to use them to make things pop from the page.  I also have found that when I color with several of the same color family it makes awesome blended images (think grass, or sky).  I love that I can use them to "color" on my stamps and stamp the image on my paper.  Much quicker and easier than getting out the stamp pad sometimes.  And the colors are endless.  

I also use Golden's fluid acrylics.  Wonderful, wonderful product.  I love that it is not as viscous as the heavy body acrylics.  Perfect for light color washes.  Mixes perfectly.  Colors are great.  Also love that I can buy them in 1 oz sizes that fit perfectly in my cases.  I also use the Golden gesso (white and black), pastel ground, coarse modelling paste, and a new one for me fiber paste (very cool effects).  Of course, I always have Sakura pens around to doodle with; Copics to add some color; watercolor pencils; true india ink to dribble with; mists and sprays; perfect pearls to add some shimmer with.  I just love to add different layers

I hope you enjoyed looking.  Be creative today!

Love this canvas

Thought I would share a canvas that I made yesterday.  I made it for my secret teacher at school (shh!  Don't tell!)  I was working with such limited info:  She likes the color blue.  She likes animals. She is a bit of a girly girl.  She is faith filled.

So, I just pulled out some of my stash and started creating.

Sorry about the poor picture quality.  It is pouring down raining right now and I had to deal with only indoor lighting.

The base is made using several different blue colored gelattos from Faber Castell.  I then added some old gospel music pages, cheesecloth, and then covered the whole thing with white crumbled tissue paper.    I let this coat dry then lightly drug a gesso filled brush down the whole canvas.  It "stuck" on the textured parts and left a nice effect.  Once all that was dry I decided that the color was "too blue".  So, I gave it a color wash using the Golden liquid acrylic phalo green.  I like how the music paper shows through and how the gesso has created some interesting texture along the edge.

While this was drying I laid out my elements.  I tried to use rich texture papers and deep, lovely colors.  Adding the vintage ribbons just gives the canvas some depth.  I used pastel pencils on the edges of the papers smearing as I went along,  to give some dimension.  Once I had chosen the papers, I attached them with foam tape, sometimes 2 of them stacked, to allow the papers to pop!  All of the other embellishments were added at the end.  The "love" letters are cork and have been slightly distressed with pastels and gesso that I colored with shavings of the pastels (kinda cool effect that does not show well in the photo above.  Sorry).

I really like how it turned out.  I added the bow around the edges to finish it off.  I hope she likes it.

Ok....the day begins at a dead run!  Go.  Be inspired today.  Or, go inspire someone today!

Prairie Chic Class

Good morning all!  Just a quick posting about the upcoming Prairie Chic mini album.  Monday we will make this adorable little mini that is perfect for your springtime pics.

The mini is full of surprises and I think you will have a great time making it.  You will need to bring your basic supplies for this class:  adhesives including 1/4" red or scor tape, distress ink in your fav brown, scissors, paper trimmer, uhu stick or fav quick drying glue, pop dots, glue dots, etc...  I think you know what to bring!  You MUST bring a score board and scoring tool.  A crop a dile is optional since there are only 2 holes to make!

You know where to find the rest of the pics for the album.  I will see you Monday morning!  If you have not already signed up, please go to Scrapp n' Savvy and go can either register online or call the store.

Graphic 45 Design Team 2013 Audition

That's right!  I am auditioning for G45!  Exciting!!!  I will warn you that this post will be heavy on pictures since they only get this one blog to know my style.  So, you might want to go grab a cup of tea and stay awhile!

Now, down to business.....I adore G45 papers!  No way around it.  Hoarding comes to mind when I think of G45 (and I KNOW some of you that feel the same way!).   Be honest now,  how many of you have paper stacks that you have yet to cut?  Well, just remember, you are not alone!  G45 papers are rich in color and amazing designs.  The patterns speak the visions we have in our minds.  Designs often grab your heart and don't let go!  

First, let me tell you a little about what I do.  I love to create unusual ways to keep memories.  I like to think out of the box (or sometimes inside the box!).  I like to use things in a way that they were not intended.  You will find vintage, distressed, re-purposed items, lots of pockets, and a way to hold a ton of memories in a small package.  Most of my mini albums do not exceed 8 x 8 and many are smaller still.  I have a passion for boxes and ways to use them.  I love vintage lace and old ephemera of a bygone world.  I also love to paint and mix my paper and embellishment stash with painting (mixed media art).  As crazy as it sounds, most times I look at the paper and I can see the project.  Pictured below are some of my recent favorites.  I tried to find examples of the different types of things I like to make.  

The audition asks for 6 of my projects (not only G45 papers).  Only 6.  How do you choose which ones to send in?  I hope you enjoy looking at these and reading about them.  If nothing else, I hope they inspire you to create; to express yourself.  Life is nothing without creating from your heart for the sheer joy of it!  And so I begin...

Vintage Beach Suitcase Mini Album

This project is by far one of my favorites.  I love the beach and this little treasure is perfect to hold some memories of our time there.  I used the Authentique Fresh paper collection.

 2 canvases made to form a suitcase.  Aged to perfection with distress inks and some paint.  Perfect embellishments to make it look just like a real suitcase.

 Inside is a different story.  One side is a shelf for small memorabilia (like the hand-painted mini canvas) and the other side is a mini album.

 Don't forget the lock and key!  And yes, you can really hold it by the handle!

 Front of the mini album including a bit of fish net.

 A few pics of the pages of the mini.  There are small multi page books in the mini including a tabbed mini book.

And pockets.  Lots of pockets.  This page and pocket was made using an envelope folded and cut to the right size.  The mini album has 12 pages but can hold about 40 pics including those used as tags in the pockets.  

Fly Away altered canvas

 This is a 12 x 12 canvas that I have altered with paints, gelattos, some gesso, papers, and oh so much more!  This was so much fun to create.  I pulled out some of my stash to use on this (love birds!) and just let my mind go.  Since this hangs in my craft space I wanted a mini album somewhere.....so I added the small tag album at the bottom.

 A glimpse inside the mini album (my wonderful little man!).  I used tags, cut papers, and other ephemera pieces that I had on hand to make the album.  I really think I wanted to use the mini hinges I had!  So, there is one (seen in the above pic) to hold it all together.

 Close up of the top left.  This shows some of the many little elements I used.  (Can you see the "B" I doodled to put in the frame on the paper?  love the little details)

And of course some of my vintage lace stash.  (These are my gorgeous girls!)

Engraved Memories Mini Album

This mini album is really not so mini. It measures in at 7 x 9.5.  Perfect to hold.  Perfect to put pictures in and let them do the talking.  This is an example of how I like to use every element of a paper collection, in this case Engraver by Prima.

 The cover showing small tags with a variety of sentiments on them.

 Inside every page flips, turns, or has some type of pocket.  Every page is a pocket itself opening either on the top or the right hand edge (see the tab tops peeking out?)

 A little different angle to show the small pieces that flip open on the edge.

 I told you I love vintage.....notice the small envelope on the right hand page?  I picked up a whole stack of these at an antique shop.  All are dated from the 20's, 30's and 40's and are in amazing condition.    I wanted to stamp and postal markings to show but not the address, so I added a mat for a small photo.  I attached it on the side and left the opening to place my own tag in it.

 This is the back of the envelope.  I used this type of flip several times in the album but with different types of envelopes and different sizes.

 A cascade within the album so I can place lots of pics here!

 A close up of the back cover.  I used a distress ink and different distress methods to get a really distressed and vintage look.

Again, inside with a large pocket page (at an angle for large tags) and the left side flips open.

Prairie Chic mini album

This is an adorable mini album using the Bo Bunny Prairie Chic paper collection.  I have a penchant for mini albums but there is one difference.  I like my mini albums to do "things".  They need to have "secret" opening, pockets, interesting tags, etc...  This one works hard at doing that and looks pretty too!  The cover is held closed with a cute little clip that has some fun charms dangling from it.

 Side view showing 6 pages of yumminess that will hold 40 - 45 pics!

 As I said before, my pages need to "do something".  This shows one of 2 pages that pull out for journaling.  I took advantage of the frame on the paper to have a secret lift up piece for a picture.  (Fun story of how the page came about:  I had purchased a fast food meal for my little man, I know, not good, but anyway, my son had finished eating and was playing with the toy....a book.  I was fascinated by how the book pages pulled out and slide back in.  When he was done with the book I painstakingly took the page apart to figure out how to make one.  And voila!  This is one of my most requested pages in class.)

 Each page either flips open, pulls out, or is a large pocket for tags.

 This is the inside of the page above.

 Vintage lace on the flip side and a large pocket opposite.

 Pearls.  Who doesn't need pearls?

The other pull out page.  This one has an acrylic mason jar that will allow you to put a photo underneath it.  A few pages but it holds quite a few memories.


Mother's Day Flower Box with mini

I adore boxes.  Any size.  Any shape.  Any color.  The more unusual the better.  I made this cute little box for my mother.  It has an acrylic window up front to allow you to peek inside at the super cute mini album inside.

 Hand rolled flowers cover the top.  The tiniest of brads are the centers of each flower.

 Can you see inside?  There is a little mini album waiting to be seen.

 Pearl feet complete the box as well as a magnetic clasp under the bow.

 Open the top and find a cute little mini album.

Perfectly arranged to hold Easter pictures of the kids for my mom.  The box was made completely by hand (no wallpapering an existing box for me!).


Secret Garden Mini Album
The best for last!  I told you I love G45 papers.  The instant I saw these I knew I wanted to make a mini that had different aligning pages.  The album is about 7 x 9 and is made using Melissa Frances chipboard pages.

The cover has a Melissa Frances resin frame to perfectly frame the little girl on the paper.  I have added banners, chipboard pieces, pearls, lace, and so much more.  G45 makes adorable chipboard pieces to accompany all the collections and now the precious mini envelopes and tags.  Oh my!  I have used most of the pieces throughout giving the person looking through the album some serious eye candy!  

 The page on the left has a tabbed mini album on it to allow more pictures in the album.  The colors of the collection are wonderful.  And the flowers.....I can almost smell them!

 Interactive pages....I love to have the person looking through one of my albums be a participant......tags, pockets, flip pages.  This page has a large pocket for tags and pics.

It also holds a special surprise...a talking tag from Sizzix.  I have recorded a minute of a cute story about my kids using the talking tag code (You must use your smart phone to hear it).  Just one more way to involve my audience!!

 The page on the right has a fold out mini album with 6 medallions that were cut from the collection and strung together with ribbon.

And of course "simple" pages perfect for dropping a photo on....already matted and ready to go.

Six.  That was 6!  Loads of photos I know.  I hope this gives you an idea of what I do.  Did I leave you wanting more?  I hope so!  I love to create and share my enthusiasm.  There are so many possibilities with the perfect papers.  For those who have not purchased G45 papers.....do it!  You will not be disappointed.  

Wish me luck everyone!  Go....Create....Inspire.