It's FALL Ya'll

Hello!  I am so excited to share with you my project that I did as a Guest Designer over at the Craft Hoarder's Anonymous Challenge Blog!!! The challenge was "It's Fall Ya'll" and I decided to do a layout about one of my favorite fall decorations. I found this pumpkin at a flower shop years ago and just fell in love with it! 

I started with some Fall paper that I have been hoarding... I think it may be a couple years old... haha! I then took a leaf stencil from Crafter's Workshop and some Gesso: 

While the Gesso was still wet, I went in with various spray inks and gave it a little color and shimmer. 

Once the gesso was dried, I went in with various Distress Inks and added color. The Gesso resists the inks, so you just wipe the ink off with a baby wipe. I then did some layering with paper and some more stenciling. This time with Multi-Medium Matte tinted with green:

For my leaves, I cut them from the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves Die and colored them with my Gelatos.

Once I misted with water and blended they turned into beautiful Autumn leaves. I added a clock that I cut from my Silhouette and a few other embellishments as well.

I through in a little twine to give it a rustic feel....

Then a little fall quote I found one day that I fell in love with... I used the same leaf stencil for the background here, but instead of Gesso, I used Distress Ink to stencil with... 

I had so much fun creating this layout about my little pumpkin. ...and oh how I enjoyed getting all inky too! 

It is an exciting thing to be a Guest Designer over at Craft Hoarders. There are several other guests today that have amazing projects. I recommend going to look and being inspired! ...and don't forget to play along! 

XOXO,

Say Cheese!

Wow... it is October! Where has this year gone? I was told once that as you get older time goes by so much quicker... I think that just might be right! 

I have another layout from my 30th birthday to share today, but before I get to that I want to tell you something pretty exciting! This month I am a Guest Designer over at Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog!!!  I will keep you posted on the details.... but go over and play along. It is a great challenge blog that encourages you to use all that stuff you have been hoarding... and don't deny it, we all do it!!! 

So without further ado, here is the layout that I have to share with you today: 

It has a little mixed media, some embossing with the Teresa Collins eBosser, by Craftwell, (oh I love this machine!) 

I am still using Echo Park's Capture Life paper line. I started with my background paper and a little Gesso: 

I then did a little stamping and started placing the pieces as I designed my layout... 

The strips are embossed with the Teresa Collins eBosser. This machine is just amazing! I have so much fun playing with it. It embosses 8 1/2 x 12 so the possibilities are endless! 

The die cut is the Tim Holtz Frameworks Hexagon Die. 

Here are some close ups: 

I hope you guys have a lovely, creative Sunday. I am going to go play and then tonight I am going to go see Katy Perry in Concert! 

XOXO,

a little sketch inspiration....

Today I am sharing a layout I did based off a sketch over at C'est Magnifique Kits' Blog. I stumbled across this sketch and thought it was pretty inspiring... 

I am continuing to work on my birthday pictures and with Echo Park's Capture Life Line. 

I really had fun with this layout using all kinds of mixed media goodness.

Here is my take on the sketch: 

the details:

 I started by painting a thin layer of Gesso on my patterned paper.

You can see here the difference, the bright piece of patterned paper is what my background originally was before I cover it in Gesso. 

 A little stenciling with Art Anthology Dimensional Gel Paint and a Prima Stencil.

I thin went in with another Prima Stencil and Super Heavy Gesso and then sprayed it with Ranger's Dylusions Mist and Water. 

CLOSE UP: 

Using my Silhouette Cameo, I cut out my frame. Before I took it off the mat, I laid my stencil down and sprayed it with Dylusions Ink Spray. 

Then the layering of paper begin. Once I got things where I wanted and adhered them, I went back with my stencil and Super Heavy Gessso. Then a few embellishments and wa-la! 

The Best Little Brother

Happy Monday. I hope you all have had a fabulous weekend... and were able to have some time to create! 

I have another layout to share with you from my 30th birthday... I am still using Echo Park's Capture Life Line.  This time I am using a little bit mixed media...

I started by using some of Dina Wakley Media Heavy Body Acrylic Paints. This was the first time that I have played with these... and I am in love! I used Turquoise and Lime. I started with the Turquoise and just dabbed it on with my paint brush. I then brought in the Lime.

Using a Prima Stencil, Staz On Ink, and a Blending tool I added a little more pop to my background. 

The outcome: 

I used a Hero Arts Background stamp and stamped a little here and there. I also used the Tim Holtz Frameworks Hexagon Die. I cut it out and then pop dotted the center pieces. 

Using my Cricut I cut out the title. I then traced the letters in Brother with a Copic Atyou Spica pens. I hand journaled "little".

I kept with the theme from my previous layouts and used the arrows and hearts.

I hope that you guys have a fabulous week filled with blessings and inspiration! 

XOXO

30... umm.... wow!

My time has flown... and it has been so long since I have been here. To be honest, it has been quite awhile since I have created. I lost the inspiration there for a moment... or two. The beauty of having a passion for something, though, even though lost for a moment, it will slowly creep back... or, in my case, it comes back at you full force and you are almost knocked down! It has felt so good to be back in my studio. To be creating again. Searching the Internet to learn new techniques and just experimenting myself with different mediums. I have gain a part of me back that was lost for so long and I can't tell you how happy that makes me!  

I turned 30 in August! 30! WOW! So over the next week or so I am going to be sharing with you the layouts I have created to document the memories captured from this day.

I am using Echo Park's Capture Life Paper Line. I saw this paper and fell in love! I have so enjoyed working with it. 

This layout started with two sheets of yellow cardstock. The cardstock has some texture to it. I took my Ink Blending Tool and Distress Ink in Seedless Preserves to ink it up a bit. I then just started playing with the layout. The title was cut with my Cricut.

The Details: 

The heart and arrows I stamped on to the pattern papers and cut out to use as embellishments.  

I used twine to attach my hearts to the layout. I love how they look like they are hanging from the swirl stamp. This is one of my favorite stamps... and oldest! I pulled it from the archives. 

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend.... and have time for a little creating!

 I am so happy to be back! 

XOXO

...a favorite place

Hello! I just wanted to share a layout from the Archives. Spring is here and the weather has warmed up nicely and I am so excited to be able to go back to my little happy place. It is a local park I like to go to, to sit, reflect, and journal. 

Here is a layout I created to capture it all: 

Layout Favorites: Stenciling

Hello. Sorry I have been gone so long. Lots of things going on in life right now. I wanted to pop back in and check up and say Hi. There is lots of fun things coming up, including some great ideas with Unruly PaperArt and some fun projects using Genuinely Jane Studios' amazing wood books. Until then I thought I would showcase some of my favorite layouts and techniques. 

We will start with stencils. I LOVE stencils. They are one of my go to products for so many of my projects. Recently, I was completely blocked creatively, and once I brought my stencils out it was on! 

 A layout I did with The Crafter's Workshop Brick Stencil and Modeling Paste:

A little more stenciling. This time using one I created with old sticker packaging: 

....and two more: same stencil. 

So, what is one of your favorite go to products or technique? Come back to see more of my favorites. Unitl next time: Happy Creating! 

XOXO!

Sunday Scrapping

Happy Sunday... I am actually doing things a bit differently today. I am blogging as I create. Kind of capturing the ideas in my head. I am working on a project right now for Genuinely Jane Studios. I am really kind of excited about it. Lots of Distress Paint is going into this project. SNEAK PEAK: 

I love all things paper crafting and altered art, but my passion is scrapbooking. I love creating layouts. So, while this is drying I am going to do a layout or two. I have so many scraps on my desk and in a pile on the floor right now, so I want to use all these to create a layout... 

OK, I have my pictures selected. They are printing now. One of the BEST things I ever got for my studio was my Epson PictureMate. The ability to print photos as I scrapbook is like a freedom. THANK YOU Mom & Dad for this Christmas present!!! :) 

Ummm... I told you I had a lot of scraps on my desk... Everything on this layout was a scrap! Except the 12 x 12 patterned paper I used as the base. (But it was laying on my desk...) 

A little ink to start the layout. I used a spray ink I made with a Distress Ink Re-Inker and water. Then I just splattered the Glimmer Glaze on to the layout. Once dried, I started layering the papers. 

...and this is what was created: 

Very happy about how my layout turned out... the sad thing is, I still could probably make 10 more layouts with the scraps and embellishments on my table! Maybe it's time to clean. Well I am off to create a little more and maybe take a bubble bath.... Lazy Sunday before work tonight...

Happy Creating! 

XOXO