Happy Birthday America!

I started this art journal page knowing I wanted to use the Declaration of Independence as my background. When I saw Katie Pertiet's Americana Vintage Mini Mix 16, my inspiration was complete. 

It was a struggle at first, and I ended up starting all over... but we will get to that later. 

I started by inking up my edge with Distress Ink: Faded Jeans and Frayed Burlap. 

I printed the Declaration of Independence on Vellum, trimmed it down, and used my Xyron Creative Station to add adhesive. The Creative Station was my saving grace in this project. I originally used Matte Medium to adhere the vellum and once dried, I used clear gesso on top to prep the surface for what I had planned. My pages curled and creased, and it just wasn't what I wanted at all! 

Using the Xyron Creative Station, I rolled my background vellum right through. It peeled off and went beautifully on my art journal pages. The Xyron Creative Station allowed my vellum to be adhered securely and lay super smooth.

My original plan was to use the Katie Periet Vintage Mix flowers on one side of the art journal. But I clicked something when I went to print and instead of fitting to my page it blew them way up and it worked out perfectly. I printed them on vellum as well and used the Xyron Creative Station to adhere to the journal. 

I then added the butterflies that I had printed on vellum. 

I loved how it looked so much! I almost didn't want to do anything else to it! ...but I forged on and added journaling around the flowers, which are parts directly from the Declaration of Independence. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,"

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Because I was working on vellum, I had to be careful with what mediums I used. I ended up using Faber Castell Gelatos, a light mist of Lindy's Moon Shadow Spray, and a few white speckles. 

As mentioned above, I did end up starting a whole new page when my first attempt did not go as planned. Maybe I will get back to it and try to salvage it. Maybe I will leave it alone forever. Or, maybe I will gesso over and transform it into something else. Only time will tell! Below are some photos from the first attempt. One thing I always told my students/customers is that you can never mess up. There is always a way to fix it or start over. Create without fear! 

It was definitely a journey to my finished project. But one that I enjoyed. 

Until next time, HAPPY CREATING! 

Dare to Fall (Transfer Technique using Matte Medium)

 Good Morning Creative Loves! 

Today I have a transfer technique to share. I first learned this in an online class I took with Claudine Hellmuth. We actually learned how to do it using several methods, but today I am going to share the one I use the most. All you need is your printed image and some gel medium.

Here is the art journal page I created using this technique: 

I started with my blank journal page. Using Liquitex Matte Medium and a paint brush, I applied a thin layer on my page where I wanted to place my image. Next, place your image down in the matte medium. REMEMBER: You want to place the image face down. 

Let the matte medium completely dry. 

Then, grab your spray bottle and wet you image down. Not dripping, but more than a light mist. 

Using your fingers, rub off the top part of the paper. As you rub the top off, the image will be revealed! 

The possibilities with this technique are endless! 

Until next time.... HAPPY CREATING! 

The Evolution of a Hot Mess...

 National Scrapbooking Day was an absolute success. I spent the weekend in my studio playing and scrapping with my friend via video chat. 

Now, let me tell you a tale... a tale of a Hot Mess. It all started as normal. I grabbed some cardstock, applied some gesso, and went to town to turn my idea into a layout. Very quickly it turned bad... it turned into a ....Hot Mess! (cue horror music and screams!) 

I was pretty sure it was a lost cause.  

As it started to come together, I joked with my friends that I was going to call it "The Evolution of a Hot Mess." 

So, without further ado, here it is... 

The start: 

I traced the size of my photos on the paper and then used the Prima Metallics to create these frames. I sprayed water on the paper first, thinking it might give me a watercolor effect... well, not sure what you would call what I got??? 

A little stenciling with modeling paste I colored with Lindy's Magicals. 

Then some sprays: 

This was the point where I thought, maybe, just maybe, this could be saved.

Added some stamping... 

then using my Silhouette Cameo, I cut out my title... 

...and all this turned the hot mess into this: 

I am so excited about how it turned out. As it kept coming together, I got more and more excited. I used the Silhouette Cameo to cut out the logo for Bailey's to use on my layout. 

I am so glad that I did not give up early on in the process because then I would not of had the opportunity to push myself outside of the box to, not only salvage the layout, but to create a layout that I truly love. 

Have you ever turned a Hot Mess into a Masterpiece? Comment below or tag me on Instagram. 

Until next time... HAPPY CREATING! 

One Cute Puppy and lots of Mixed Media

Another St. Patrick's Day mixed media scrapbooking layout. I had a lot of fun with this layout... even though at times I thought, "Nope, I have messed it up good this time!" But I kept going and I just love how it turned out. 

I used stenciling, embossing, spray inks, and doodling to create this layout.  

This piece of paper below: I crumbled up into a ball and then smoothed back out. Using a Versamark pad, I lightly went over the peaks in the paper. Next I sprinkled with Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powder and heated with my embossing gun. I saw a technique like this online a while back and finally played with it. Needless to say, it is one I will use again and again! 

Once my Deco Art modeling paste dried, I used Archival Ink and stamped on the stenciling as well as throughout my page. 

The Clover heart was cut out from my Sihouette Cameo and then inked up and embossed with Distress Ink Embossing Glaze. 

Until next time... HAPPY CREATING! 

A little scrapbooking is good for the soul...

Happy Weekend! I have been making it a point to get in my studio a little bit each day. Sometimes it is just a few moments and sometimes it turns into hours of getting lost in creating! The past few weeks has been filled with the latter! 

Here is a layout that I did recently for my St. Patrick's Day photos. I started with a Crafter's Workshop Stencil and Distress Ink and then built up the layout from there... a little stamping, a little misting, watercolor pencils, title with the Silhouette Cameo and Diamond Press Dies and some doodling. 

 Until Next time... Happy Creating! 

Do You Want to Make a Snowman

Continuing on my Christmas card journey with Tim Holt's 12 Tags of Christmas... 

2007 - Day 2 

The technique I used from his tag was using paint to stamp and emboss. I really do not think that I have ever done this, but I really like how it turned out. Also, to do the background, I used the tried and true techniques of Distress Ink rubbed on your craft mat and mist with water, then run your paper through it. You can see these techniques in detail HERE on Tim Holt's blog. 

For this card, I started with watercolor paper because I knew I would be using water with my Distress Inks and I wanted to make sure that my paper would hold up... sometimes I am quite the heavy mister! 

Once I got the background complete, I finished my card with my own flair from being inspired from the whole process. 

The photo above shows the Distress Inks and stamps I used. Below, you can see how the background turned out. 

The snowman was a lot of fun to make. I cut him out using silver paper and the Tim Holtz snowman die. Then I ran him through my Sizzix Texture Boutique to emboss him. Next, I inked him up, did a little embossing, and dusted him with Distress glitter. 

Once I adhered the Snowman to the background, using pop dots, I inked up the edges to make them darker. 

I am off to spend the day in my studio. I cannot wait to make more Christmas cards, I have canvas I am working on, and I am part of a traveling Art Bible group, so I will be working on Bible Art Journaling today too! 

Until next time... Happy Creating! 

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas Cards! I have been wanting to make Christmas cards for quite a while. Every year I buy more stamps and Christmas Paper in hopes to make Christmas Cards and to scrapbook that Christmas. Well... my collection is quite big now! 

So the other night I was thinking about how much joy I had sitting down every night following Tim Holtz as he did the 12 Tags of Christmas. Oh! I was one happy scrapper! Learning the new techniques, connecting with scrappers all over the world, and pushing myself to use what was in my stash. More than not, my tag turned out completely different, but that time I spent in my studio is something I will always remember. 

2009 is the year that I truly discovered Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink. I had Distress Inks, but weren't they just regular stamp pads? I remember buying my very first Distress Ink Pad. Worn Lipstick. What a pretty color. What a cool name. ...little did I know. 

I cannot believe I am sharing this photo, but here I am, 2009, sitting at my desk doing the 12 Tags of Christmas for the very first time. I was married at this time and he snuck in to take a photo, knowing how excited I was to be following along... 

A lot has happened since then. But here I am, still absolutely in love with creating. While sitting in my brand new studio I designed and renovated this past year, I was thinking about that first year and the following years of doing the 12 Tags of Christmas, and I thought, why not start at the beginning and do it all over again. I was so incredibly sad when Tim Holtz announced he would no longer be doing the 12 Tags of Christmas. It wasn't about having to run out and buy new product or make the exact tag. It was a creative and magical time to kick off the Christmas Season. A time to learn new techniques and connect with the crafting community. I still miss it all these years later. 

That is probably what inspired the "12 Tags of Christmas, revisited" idea. So, the other night, I came into my studio, went to Tim Holtz's Blog, back to December 2007, and started with Day 1. (Click Day 1 to be taken to his blog post of the first day of 2007) 

...and here is what Day 1 inspired for me: 

I wish I would of taken a selfie to show how big my smile was. The Christmas music was playing and I just got lost in creating. The inspiration I took from his tag was Distress Crackle Paint. And that is where I started: 

From there, I used various green and red Distress Inks, Distress Mica Stain in Tree Lot & Peppermint Stick. The stamps are from The Poinsettia stamp set. 

I hope you follow along to see what each tag inspires and I so hope you play along as well. If you have any questions leave in the comments and I will make sure to answer them. My hope is to continue to have fun and get lost in Christmas creating as well as inspire you to jump in and see where it takes you! 

Until next time.... HAPPY CREATING! 

Back to the Basics... Playing with Paper.

Happy Friday! The past few weeks I have been in my studio more than I have in a long time. Most of what I have been doing has been scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is such a passion. Recording my memories using my love for creating. Reliving the moments that were captured in a photograph. 

Today I have one of those layouts to share with you... 

I created this using the brand new paper line from Blank Page Muse: Cyan Consortium, designed by Pam Bray. 

I started by picking four of my favorite patterns from the paper pack. Then, after going through my paper stash... (You know the thousands of sheets of paper we have collected over the years), I chose papers by GCD Studios. I remember buying these papers. Picking them out to coordinate to go together for a layout. ...like 10 years ago! 

Once I gathered my papers, it was time to play. If you imagine the layout as a sketch, it is a fairly simple one. But dressing it up with the beautiful papers from Blank Page Muse and, of course, the most precious picture of my puppy in her winter coat, the layout comes together looking elegant and, "snow cute!" 

EMBELLISHMENTS: 

The flourish was unfinished chipboard that I painted with Distress Paint and then embossed with Distress Glaze. (I LOVE the Distress Glaze Embossing Powders!) 

Some metal embellishments mixed with some scraps of paper and fabric, some alphabet stickers and embellishing was complete. 

The title was something I had a lot of fun creating. I used a new program and was able to draw my title and then import it into my Silhouette Design Studio and cut it out on my Cameo. I was so so excited about learning how to do this!!! 

Once the title was adhered the layout was complete. 

I hope you have been inspired to play with paper this weekend and record some of your own special memories.

Until next time... 

Happy Creating!