home for the holiday

It's been almost a year since my last post.  2017 was not my most favourite year.  In fact, I would classify it as challenging - extremely challenging - and not the fun kind of challenging.  Just challenging.  

I decided pretty early on in the year that the blog was not getting as much traffic as my Instagram account and, at this time, Instagram is a better fit for me.

The issue: entering craft challenges.

I don't mind breathing life back into the blog to use it as a platform for craft challenges.  It is fun to look around the corner to see what I have done over the years.  Kind of like a digital journal but a lot less messy.  In a fun way.

I am entering this home for the holiday card in Emerald Creek's Happy Holidays Anything Goes Challenge.

Keep getting messy!

there are always flowers for those who want to see them - henri matisse

I feel like I should have better prepared to for this once in a lifetime moment .. it's my 100th post! .. how does one celebrate a 100th blog post milestone?  I think I'll get a green tea frappuccino.  Mmm.  Now you know my weakness.  Use it wisely grasshopper.

And I will also celebrate my 100th blog post by entering my not so perfect photo layout in the mid-August picture this! challenge.

This was a really fun layout to put together and I had tremendous inspiration watching donna downey's design team create gorgeous art pieces with her new stencils.  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I first chose the photo for this layout.  Yes, it is a photo of me around the age of 2 or 3 taking time to enjoy life and smell the flowers even though those flowers were not, um, authentic.  A few years ago I "borrowed" a bunch of my mom's photo albums as I readied myself for a milestone birthday (40) and came across this great shot.  Yes, it is blown out.  Yes, the flower makes me look like I have a horn on my nose (thank you monkey muse for pointing that out).  And yes, the quality of the photo is terrible.  But it is, and has been, one of my favourite photos of all time.  I cannot explain.  It just is.

And, as I mentioned, based on this photo I pulled out donna downey's flowers in vase #1, applied some modeling paste and added some delicious creamy colour with gelatos.  The flowers turned out great.  The vase, not as much.  Here's a tip.  If you want crackle paste to crackle do not add acrylic paint to it until it dries and crackles.  And then do not add acrylic paint to it after it has dried and crackled.  Use something else.  

The photo may not be perfect.  The memory may be blurry.  The sentiment is the same.  Enjoy every moment and take time in life to get messy.

12 tags of 2016 - august

Here is tim holtz's august 2016 tag:

And here is my version:

I finished the tag by the second week of August and I thought about pulling out the sewing machine.  Many times.  But it never happened.  And then I thought about doodling on the stitches and I came to the conclusion that if it was not the real deal it shouldn't happen.  I also was not 100% certain that I wanted to fill every spot on the tag.  I can see you all shaking your head.  Yes.  I showed some restraint.  It's progress.

Here are some close-up photos of the top bird, middle bird (oi.  I'm not giving you the middle bird.  It is all about posturing and by coincidence he turned out a bit blurry) and bottom bird.

I just came back from a fabulous gelli plate class and pulled 35 amazing prints.  The plan is to share the prints with you, my blogosphere friends, over the next few weeks and journey the adventure as they turn into journal pages for a trip we took to the Caribbean a little while ago.

Keep getting messy!

ever tried. ever failed. no matter. try again. fail again. fail better - samuel beckett

Blogosphere friends, you will have noticed that I wasn't the successful picture this! challenge blog design team member this time.  Don't fret.  It wasn't my time and I will keep trying.

This was the moodboard that inspired me to design a layout filled with aqua and pink bubbles.  As you know, I love bubbles and will add bubbles and circles to everything if it wasn't just plain odd.

I adore Audrey's elegance and style and have been using photos of her in some of my layouts and journal pages.  I have been waiting to find the right inspiration to use this photo and design this layout.

I love using bead paste and see it appearing more often in my work.  And I love creating embossed inked backgrounds.  You'll see this technique in quite a few of my other recent projects.

I am submitting this layout in the august 1st picture this! challenge: moodboard.

the traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see - gilbert k. chesterton

Participating in this month's tim holtz 12 tags of 2016.

This is mr. holtz's inspiration:

And here's my version:

I had so much fun making the july tag that I decided to make a second tag with a slight twist.  For the second tag I added gesso to the tag first and removed the distress stain (broken china, cracked pistachio, hickory smoke, stormy sky) through a stencil (carta bella vintage airplane).  I die cut the word travel (tim holtz thinlit die adventure words script) and added a piece of burlap behind the tag and the journal word world to the bottom front.  I watercolour-resisted the globe (tim holtz schoolhouse blueprint stamps), added some staples to the top and bottom of the watercolour piece and wrapped the tag in thick twine.  Through the twine I wove chain and attached let's get lost and pack your bags charms with thinner twine.

Have fun, keep crafting and get messy blogosphere friends.

picture this! challenge design team submission

Hey there blogosphere friends.  It's been a long while since I've been on a design team and I thought I would up my game and apply to be a part of the picture this! challenge crew.

I'm going to sneak peak my submission here today and if I'm one of the lucky selected design team members I will have the big reveal on August 1st.  Remember you saw the close-ups here first .. wish me luck!!

The picture this! challenge for the design team call is this very colourful mood board:

 

If you know me well, you would have guessed that I was immediately focused on those amazing giant pompoms in the image on the left and the coloured discs on the right.  Those colourful little dots became my focal point in the form of bubbles. 

Take a peak at the bubble splatter top right of Audrey's head.  That's bead paste medium mixed with finnabair silver mica powder through tim holtz's splatter stencil.  Crazy awesome result.  I'm hooked.

Come back on August 1st to see if I'm one of the lucky new design team members.  Even if it doesn't work out this time you have to come back to see the full layout which I'll post on August 1st.  It really was a fun one to put together.

Stay crafty.  See you soon.

interpretation of tim holtz's 12 tags of 2016 - technique remix - january

 

I had to make some paint adjustments because I realized that I do not own black soot distress paint as I pulled out my tools in preparation to make this tag.  I know.  I was pretty shocked myself.  It took me a good half hour of searching in a state of disbelief to concede that I would need to find a decent, but different, replacement; raw umber and black acrylic (sorry, you might not be black soot but you're both very dear to my craftiness).

 

I also went with the most adorable robot stamps and complementary gear embossing folder. 

 

This was my first attempt (you're seeing public version number 2; I had to make an adjustment to my choice of embossing powder.  When Tim Holtz says use this particular embossing powder because it works you should listen and not get distracted by watching Hell on Wheels on the telly) at the chalkboard technique.

 

I added a few fun embellishments and some copper outlining which works well with the raw umber.

 

And here it is, my interpretation of the January 2016 tag:

 

 

Today is my birthday and I want to thank my amazing friend for the most incredible birthday gift.  It is truly a thoughtful gift and I cannot wait to free it from its packaging, warm it up and create something crafty. 



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.

winter is a season of recovery and preparation - paul theroux

I designed and crafted this birthday card for my amazing aunt who is very much enamoured with everything winter.  I have to admit, I don't really get it.  Sure snow is pretty when you're inside and you're not expected to travel anywhere and you're in the mountains, however, winter when you're heading out to work and it's minus a bazillion and there's ice and the mush covers the back of the work pants you just washed and ironed is pretty darn crappy.

Regardless, this little gorjuss foxgirl and her adorable companions make my winter-grinch heart warm and happy.

thank you for helping me grow

Last year Alex and I borrowed a fellow blogosphere friend's idea for teacher gifts and because we're at an entirely new school this year I decided to go with the same idea (Alex helped decorate the flower pots and he made the tie-dye t-shirt).

 

It's a fun easy and inexpensive project.  Before painting I like to apply a layer of gesso even though the acrylic paint has pretty good coverage.  The gesso just makes the application of paint easier and apply more evenly.

 

I taped off the bottom to allow for nice clean lines.  And then with permanent marker, Alex decorated the flower pots and chose begonias for planting.

 

 

I inked the base of the manila tags with distress inks (twisted citron, cracked pistachio, peacock feathers, abandoned coral, worn lipstick and victorian velvet)and added bokeh circles with white permanent ink.  I then layered on tim holtz tissue wrap (mélange), added the dina wakley silhouetted women stamp, banner and thank you sentiment (tim holtz thinlit dies celebration: script).

I found the adorable music box at Chapters.  Alex's music teacher had taught the class the words to what a wonderful world this year.  It was a perfect find, and addition, to our thank you gift.

 



 

 

This is definitely a quick and easy little gift to say thank you to someone special in your life or for no other reason than to bring a bit of colour and happiness to their day xx

 

remembering a mixed media collage with finnabair; dreams do come true

Last summer I participated in a Finnabair class.  I have always loved her style and craft elegance.  After the class I can honestly say she is one of the most talented, incredible and lovely people you can hope to meet.  Her teaching ability is as great as her talent.

The class focused on building layers using an image as a focal point, gesso, sprays, little treasures you find around your home and odds and ends from other craft projects. 

I'm participating in another Finnabair class this July.  This time we'll be working with paper instead of canvas and although I didn't think I could top last year's excitement, I am simply over the moon with anticipation.

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.

happy new year! resolutions and rememberlutions for 2015 and january dt project

Resolutions have never been my strength.  They tend to be monster-sized goals that seize your attention for a few weeks until your best friend says to you, as you're carrying your gym bag out to the car with the greenest of green smoothies, there is a super sale at (you fill in the blank) and we will need humungous lattes to survive the rush.  Resolutions can be behemoths if you let them.  

But resolutions really are simply goals; we just tend to make them at a critical time when the world is bellowing sentiment of new beginnings and fresh starts.  Therefore we often take a reasonable, probably meaningful, goal and turn the little critter into a mountain of an accomplishment.

With that said, I have made two "resolutions" this year (I have many goals but two of which I really want to be mindful): (1) Organize better so that I may (2) spend more time with family and friends.  The first resolution may surprise those of you who know me.  I am quite the organized person.  Everything has a home and events and activities are always well planned and prepared.  What I need is a schedule.  

I read this article (Here’s What You Should Do Instead Of Making New Year’s Resolutions It’s called a “rememberlutions” jar and it’ll make you feel good all year) posted by Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine and decided to, in addition to my two resolutions, celebrate the smaller resolution successes as they come as well as all of the magnificent things, memories and accomplishments over the next twelve months by creating my own rememberlutions jar.

That coupled with our design team inspiration, I was off to the races.

I created a pendant for each of the four seasons of the year so that I have something to look forward to at the end of each season as the jar turns.

winter:

spring:

summer: 

autumn:

And here they are all together and assembled:

Whether you create resolutions this year or a rememberlutions jar, do what makes you feel good, makes you giggle and smile and let's you celebrate you all year long.

I'm entering my rememberlutions jar in the Sweet Stampin Challenge: New, Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #8: Something New for the New Year and Anything But A Card Challenge New Beginnings.  The rememberlutions jar is a new project created for the new year.