inspiration sticks

I found this idea on Facebook.  I have always struggled with a blank journal page and I really like the idea of having at least some parameters or some items not left up to chance.  The inspiration sticks posted on Facebook were really stunning with a framed circular top and fantastic designs along the sticks.  As a perfectionist with enormous fear that I would mess up terribly and have to redo a bunch of sticks (which, by the way, took a much longer time than I originally thought) I created something that is very much my style but with limited room for error.

I painted each stick with acrylic paint, added some washi tape (the glasses are very me), added the inspiration and sealed it with gel medium.  I left the tops with their original wood finish, added tissue paper and sealed it with gel medium as well.   Sounds simple, right?  Well all of those layers multiplied by 35 inspirations took more than a few days to finish.  The process was amazing fun and I'm super pleased with how it all turned out.

I'm right in the middle of the Valentine's Day swap with the stamp club: 45 cards in progress but if I start to run out of steam I might just take some time to give these little ones a good test run.

What inspires you when journaling?  I would love to hear how you overcome the blank journal page.

tim holtz march 2015 tribute tag

I have been wanting to play along with mr. holtz in a monthly tag adventure for a super long time and I finally did it.

As many of you know, I cannot help but add my own style to whatever I do.  I was planning on making two tags; one that more closely resembled tim's version and a second which followed the same techniques with some interpretation.  The first tag never happened.  I simply ran out of time to craft it.

So here is my interpretation of tim's march 2015 tag:

In lieu of tissue tape I stamped tim holtz flower garden petals onto tissue paper with black archival ink and adhered it to a manila tag using gel medium.  I added mustard seed, abandoned coral, cracked pistachio and salty ocean distress paints using tim's paint swipe technique and once dry, I doodled with a white gel pen.

I stamped and clear-embossed one of the crazy birds over the tissue paper images and paint.  By chance, and less by design, he ended up over the flower with petals which look like bird feathers so I simply emphasized the feathers with my white gel pen.

I added the tracks using tim holtz tracks stencil, gel medium, silver paint and glitter paint.  After I peeled off the stencil I covered the wet medium with silver embossing powder.  When heated it has a gritty silver texture.

The crinkle ribbon was dipped into tea dye and salty ocean distress paint and heat set.

Thank you mr. holtz for great craft fun.  I'm looking forward to April's tag!

I am entering my tag in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #10 Birds of a Feather.

they invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything - bil keane

I used santoro gorjuss the runaway stamp set to create two slightly different versions of this Valentine's Day card.

I created a second layer by stamping elements onto tissue paper.  The images were painted using pink, brown, black and grey pearlescent paints and highlighted with glam pink and gold stickles.

I am entering this card into The Mixed Media Challenge #9: Think Pink and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: All Things Bright and Beautiful.

two layer inspired necklace

A friend was sporting a really truly fabulous necklace this summer.  It was complex and had diversity and fantastic busyness.  And so, I decided to re-create it with a little everythingshetouches' flare.  I don't have a comparison photo for you, however, I promise I was true the concept: two layers with many different hanging beads.  Ét voilà.  My version of the two layer necklace:

Other than figuring out the length of the two strands of chain so that they overlapped without interfering with each other, there was no complicated thoughtful design.  I found great freedom in random beading.  I used gemstone and wood beads and Czech glass pearls.  The diversity in texture, colours, opaqueness, shape and size makes for a very interesting piece, do you agree?

Perhaps December will bring a pair of earrings to make up the jewelry trinity: bracelet, necklace, earrings.

you can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me - c.s. lewis

Each summer, the daycare that Alex attends, has a tea party for children and parents on the last day before summer vacation.  It is incredibly charming to watch one and two year old children sipping lemonade and juice from proper china tea cups and munching on scones and sandwiches.  The staff dress up in elegant tea party wear and floppy sunhats and the outdoors are transformed into a lovely tea party.  It is quite the dichotomy if you get to witness the effects of International Mud Day which occurs only a few days earlier.  The photos used in this layout are from the tea party three years ago; Alex's first summer at daycare July 2010 when he was one and a half years old.

I'm entering this layout in three challenges:

1. Berry 71 Bleu September sketch plus mixed media challenge

2.  About A Boy September 1 black white + one challenge.  Creating a layout using black, white and one other colour (green).

And 3. Scrap Around the World September 2013 Challenge 5 bold graphic.  The mood board is striking and definitely inspirational:

The bottom centre image of the child holding the adult's hand inspired my selection of photos for my layout.  It's often fun to observe our children engaging in more "adult-like" behaviours, such as gently sipping tea lemonade from tea cups, however, I don't want Alex to grow up too quickly.  I want him to truly enjoy, savour and value his childhood.  

I covered the 12x12 manila cardstock with gesso and white acrylic.  Across the bottom and up the right-hand side I added homemade crackle.  It worked out so well that I decided to use the same technique on the tea cup itself which was cut out with, along with the black and white butterflies, the Silhouette Cameo.  The tea cup, saucer and steam were cut out of Tim Holtz grungepaper and the two vellum butterflies were cut out using a Memory Box die cut.

I added green (Dylusions Ink Spray dirty martini) and black (black acrylic paint mixed with water) splatters across the entire layout and a tea cup stain at the bottom right for some whimsy.  The black paint mixed with water created tiny bubbles and the effect as they popped was fantastic.  Alex is very familiar with the bubble technique.  He sometimes uses dishsoap, food colouring and water to create his own bubbly art in a larger bubble version.  On small or large scales bubbles are fun, beautiful and make very lovely art pieces.  

I punched out the three little butterflies from vellum and tissue paper, placed them on the tea cup and doodled some bits both on the butterflies and tea cup.

 

I love the layered and rough frame in Debbie's sketch, especially against the delicate butterflies and flowers, and recreated my own pseudo-frame with two different layers of washi tape.

The butterflies were stamped with random images and one was embossed.  I was aiming for non-uniformity.  Success.

Inspired by Holly's (in the fun lane) post on dipped beads I tried my hand at dipping.  I like dipping.  A lot.  But I have made a mental note to make sure that I (a) secure my dip object to the wire better(one poor bead took a plunge and got a green bath) and (b) secure a proper drying space before dipping instead of running around with a dripping dipped bead trying to find a good location to dry.

I modge podged one bead with green tissue paper and the tissue gave the bead a really nice texture.  I love modge podge and tissue.  Wonderful and dangerous duo (tissue loves modge podge as much as I do).

I love Alex's expression in this photo below.  

Years ago, just after Alex was born, Canadian Tire had an incredible sale on sewing machines.  Although I had not sewn anything since Home Economics in grade 8, I had ambition to start sewing.  Major project: create new cushion covers for the couch, love seat and chair in the sun-room to match the developing naval theme.  Minor project: sew paper and material to incorporate stitching in my paper projects.  My ambition remained in the planning stage - until now.  I'm still working on lightening up on my lead foot but with a few attempts the end result was successful.  Onto the major project!  First step: find naval-type fabric.  Second step: Check my sewing apprehension at the door and go for it!  Maybe step (1a) is: create a small-sized cushion cover.  Until then, I will definitely be stitching all over my paper projects.