Erin's Craft Ideas View RSS

Not too cute to ROCK! 24 Sep 2016 10:04 AM (8 years ago)

Hi!  Today I played in an inspiration challenge on splitcoaststampers.com.  I haven't done a challenge in SO long!  The last time that I uploaded anything to that site was 3 years ago!  Crazy!  I didn't realized I had been away from there for that long!  Well, I'm back!  I hope to continue making cards!  As well as doing other things.....

So today's challenge was inspiration from Mo's Digital Pencil.  I chose an image that reminded me of a stamp that I have from My Favorite Things called The Poppies.  Of course, any stamp set that I use will be RETIRED!  I haven't purchased stamps, minus Stampin' Up! because some of those are new, in FOREVER!  Part of the challenge was to diversify your style and do something different from your norm.  Well, for me that's creating a CAS card, or as I like to say, a white space card!  LOL!  To me, white space is a BAD thing.  I love to layer and layer and add goop and flowers and ribbon and then try to fit it into an envelope!  Hahahaha!

But today's card IS all about white space!  And I held back from adding anything more than pop up dots!

That's it!  Have a great day!

Some new cards! 16 Sep 2016 3:52 PM (8 years ago)

I recently gave away some of my SU! sets to my cousin who has taken up cardmaking to boost her variety.  Plus, I wasn't using them anyway!  After leafing through my binders full of SU! stamps, memories of cards and working at my desk started swirling around in my head.  When I made cards all the time, I was always online and I had a blast!  Then, my attention focused on other things, and the cards fell by the wayside.  I only have really been making cards since that time when necessary.  And even then, I have been known to buy a card instead of pulling all of my stuff out!

Well, a friend of mine just posted about baskets that she is collecting for an event that her son is participating in.  And I told her that I would submit a basket.  A basket of cards!

I had an absolute BLAST using my SU! stamps!!!!!!  LOVE!!!!!!  I definitely need to continue using my stamps!  I have them, why not use them????!!!!!

I made 8 cards.  I am not posting all of the ingredients.  Just pics of the cards.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!!!

Snowman paintings! 18 Jan 2016 10:49 AM (9 years ago)

Hi there!  I have been super busy painting up a storm!  I have 3 paintings that I would like to share today.

These first two paintings were Christmas gifts for my cousins.


















This is the first one!  I painted this on a piece of drywall left over from a renovation.













For the texture, I mixed my acrylic paints w/ joint compound.  The technique I used is similar to impasto painting.





Here you can see the height that I was able to achieve.

Here's the second one:













































And the one that I SOLD!!!!!  Yes, you heard that right!  I actually got paid for doing something that I LOVE!!!!  I have done other projects for people, but this is my newest type of art!!!!!


















This was done on canvas.


















































Thanks for looking!  Have a great day!

A Wedding Keepsake 22 Nov 2015 9:16 AM (9 years ago)

Hi!  Today I would like to share w/ you a keepsake that I made for my brother and his new wife for their wedding.  I was given a brass clock from my parents that no longer worked.  I knew I could transform it into something spectacular, I just had to wait for the right moment!  That moment came the week before my brother's wedding.  I was sorting through my alterable (hoarded) items like pickle jars and cardboard, and unearthed the clock.  I instantly knew what I was going to do with it!

I wound it to the time that the ceremony would start, 2:30pm.  Then, I started decorating it!
I wasn't sure what color it was going to end up being, so I gesso'd it.  Then, I sprayed it w/ metallic sprays from Tim Holtz's Distress line.  Some of the gesso didn't take to the brass, so I ended up sanding some of the other edges to make it look like it was done on purpose!  Haha!  It gives a distressed, old look, which was what I was going for anyway, so it worked out! :D  Love when that happens!

The wedding colors were pink, gold and silver, so I incorporated those colors w/ the flowers.  My mom had picked up rings to use on pumpkins for the rehearsal luncheon centerpieces.  I took two of them and added them to the top.  Added the lace and that was it!  Some pearls to finish it off elegantly, and called it done!

A Spooky Halloween! 28 Oct 2015 11:09 AM (9 years ago)

Ah, finally, I am right where I need to be, timewise!  Halloween is coming up in a few days, and so this post is perfect!  Last Friday evening, we hosted a Halloween party for our daughters and their friends.  It was a fun evening filled with screams, laughter and karaoke!
I went Pinteresting and found a few recipes I wanted to try!  And I decorated as well!  And then I decided to keep the decorations and move them into the house from the garage where we held the party!  I had been in search since we moved into our house, for a table for our foyer.  Luckily, since my brother is getting married, he is getting a new table and chairs, and I was able to take his other table off of his hands!  It's a perfect fit for all of the decorations throughout the year that I plan on putting on there!

Have a WONDERFUL Halloween!

A Tea Party Shower! 28 Oct 2015 10:34 AM (9 years ago)

My brother is getting married this weekend!  For the bridal shower, the theme was a Tea.  I made all of the scones as well as lemon curd and devonshire cream!  Thank you Pinterest for the recipes!  I received lots of compliments on all of it!  YAY!  The scones were super fun to make!  I just love baking, so it's easy to have fun in the kitchen!

I also created two teapots from SVGcuts.com and they were used as decor.  But first, the shower card!  I cannot tell you the last time that I made a card!  Holy moly!  It felt good though!  And last night, as I was going through my stamps looking for something in particular, I felt that wave of nostalgia from when I was a huge cardmaker on splitcoaststampers!  Oh those were the fun days!  I would do a lot of the challenges, chat w/ friends from across the country, buy stamp set after stamp set after stamp set!  LOL!  Fun fun times!  I will have to get back to that!

All of these pics are unedited because I don't have time to go through and crop!  I have to get this stuff on here and updated!  LOL!

See ya in the next post!

Boy is it dusty in here! 28 Oct 2015 10:05 AM (9 years ago)

Wow!  February was my last post!  Probably the last time that I did anything of mine.  For a while there, I was caught up in doing things for the store I worked for, and all of my stuff was put to the side.  I have since quit because of that fact, and now have time to create for ME!  Yay!

What shall I show you today?  Well, let's take a look through my camera and see what I've been creating since February!

First up, my oldest daughter's Valentine box!  It's a Lemonade Stand!  Isn't it so cute?!  I had such fun creating that with her!

What's next?!  My son played Minors baseball this spring season and their All Star team won the Regional Championship!!!!  I made ALL STAR stars for all of the players!  It was a fun time!
















September brought the beginning of school and with that, new grades and a new child entering school!  Everyone on Pinterest and facebook have their chalkboard signs that their darling little ones hold up.  I decided to be a rebel once again and create something completely different!  When we moved into our house last year, I didn't have a place for my mini Christmas tree that was in my old craft room.  So, I put it in a lonely corner in my kitchen and have decorated it throughout the year.  I decided to decorate it for the beginning of school this season!  I have buses, apples and rulers as ornaments and then each of my kids' grade levels as a topper!























That's it so far!  On to the next post!  Lots more pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hopefully I won't be a stranger to my blog anymore!  I signed up for Lifebook w/ Tamara LaPorte for 2016, and I would like to post my creations on here each week!  We'll see how well I do!  LOL!

Happy Valentine's Day! 14 Feb 2015 6:17 AM (10 years ago)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I hope you're enjoying your day with your loved ones!  I have a new project that I am sharing that I made for my husband for Valentine's Day.  He LOVES tulips, and I recently discovered impasto painting and decided to try my hand at it for a special gift for him!  He loves it!  I'm so glad!  I feel like the jury is still out, but this IS my very first art piece!  So, with time, I will grow!

To start, I pulled out a piece of drywall.  I mixed beige Liquitex paint with joint compound and scraped it onto the drywall.  With a paint brush, I added hints of dark yellow for contrast and to look like the sun is pouring through the background.
The stems were created with different colors of green Liquitex paints and joint compound and laid onto the drywall with pallet knives.
The tulips were created with different reds, again, Liquitex, and mixed with joint compound and laid onto the drywall.
I took white Liquitex and joint compound and added highlights, as well as the vase outline.
The water is white and blue Liquitex paints mixed together.

Here's a detail shot of one of the tulips:





















Here's a detail shot of the depth that I was able to achieve!  I hope to get higher and more depth as I continue to explore this amazing technique!





















Have a great day!

Painted Organizer 30 Jan 2015 9:35 AM (10 years ago)

Hi there!  Today I would like to share a crafty altered project with you!  I have had a fascination with acrylic paints for quite some time.  I don't really know what to do with them, other than what I see on pinterest, and I try to mimic what I see, creating my own canvases and artwork.  I HATE copying and will NEVER copy anyone's work!  But, I like to take different ideas and put my own spin on it.  One of the techniques that I learned from browsing pinterest is impasto painting.  WOW!  What an absolutely COOL technique!  It totally appeals to me because it's 3-D, and it shows movement where there really isn't any.  It's absolutely awesome and I definitely want to stay on this avenue of art!

Back to my project though.  I was given an organizer by my dad to use however I wished.  He didn't need it any longer, and I can ALWAYS use organizational stuff!  I thought it would hold all of my paints and would be strong enough to haul wherever I go!  As I put my paints inside, I thought it would be cool to decorate the outside!  Well, a week later, it's finally finished!  Haha!  I didn't work on it every day, so really maybe 4 days to complete it...  Hey, I have 4 kids and a life!  Unfortunately I can't spend ALL of my time in my craft room!
Here's what it looked like when I got it:

I started by painting a thin layer of gesso over the entire gray surface:















Then, I started to create!  I drew the letters and the tube of paint by hand, and then painted them.















Closeup of the tube:















On the first side, I wanted to do something different and cool with the acrylic paint.  I mixed my pink paint with Liquitex Pouring Medium and turned the organizer upside down and let it drip.  Once it was dry, I turned it right side up again and it looked like little mountain islands in the middle of the ocean!  I added some white paint and tried to make it look like water.  I felt a bit of Bob Ross coming through!  LOL!  Too bad I didn't paint any little trees!





















On the back, I drew and painted a painter's palette.  I painted it as if I was in the middle of a fantastic canvas painting!















And, last but not least, my favorite side!  The impasto side!!!!  Ok, can you tell that I painted lilacs?  I REALLY need to learn freakin shading!!!!  Sheesh!  But, oh the fun I had!!!  I literally glopped paint on a palette knife and slapped it on! SO freeing!  The green leaves, stems and grass I put the paint in a ziplock baggie and piped it on!  Absolutely what I LOVE to do!  I used joint compound as my medium to mix with the paint to create the depth that you see.  That's the only thing I have in my arsenal that would be bulky enough to stand up like it does.  I did go to Mike's to look for impasto paste, but God forbid they should have it!  Guess I'll have to go online once I'm better at this new and awesome technique!!!!!





















You can KIND of see the height that I was able to get here:





















On the top, I went mixed media, as that is my other true love!  I'm still not an expert, but it's so fun to do random stuff and it all turns out looking cool!  You literally cannot mess up!  Just paint over it!  Haha!


































That's it!  Now it's back to work on a new project for March for the store and my ongoing Disney album!
Have a great day!
Thanks for stopping by!

Frozen wand 10 Jan 2015 8:53 AM (10 years ago)

I'm back again with another project that I created for my daughters and one of my daughter's friends!  We initially were going to make fairy wants one afternoon, however, when I went shopping for materials, I found really pretty sparkly turquoise blue snowflake ornaments and thought that they would be perfect for the ends of the wands!  After that, they became Frozen wands!

To create this, I took 4 wooden skewers and glued them together w/ a strong glue.  Then, I took florist tape, and taped them up and down the entire length for added support.  I cut my ribbon, and adhered the ends to the top of the wand, and taped them securely with florist tape.  I added the snowflake, and the ribbon, and toile and it was done!!!








































Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Happy 2015! 10 Jan 2015 8:47 AM (10 years ago)

Hi there!  I feel like a stranger to my own blog!  It's been so long since I've posted anything!  I'm hoping that with the birth of my 4th child, I will now have my creativity back and I can create again!  It's almost like I had to take a sabbatical from crafting!

Today I wanted to share with you a little gift that I made for my cousin for hosting our annual Christmas family gathering.  She invites Santa to come and hand out gifts, she makes all the food, and it's just a wonderful evening celebrating Christmas with family and friends!

I had stopped in at Scrapbook Station, where I work, and picked up a Prima birdhouse only because it caught my eye!  When I got home, I decided to make it a Christmas themed birdhouse and give it away as a gift!

This is from the Prima site:

And here's my finished product!
























































































































The snow is Fiber Paste that I put on w/ a spatula.  The wreath that I hung inside is also fiber paste that I sprayed green and then added red flower soft for the berries because I couldn't find any beads small enough to work!
The cardinal on the top is colored w/ my Copics.  I cut a rug out of fabric from my stash and adhered w/ red line tape.
There really aren't lights inside!  It's just awesome paper that I found!!!

Have a great day!

Dusting off the cobwebs of my blog! 19 Aug 2014 4:51 PM (10 years ago)

Hi there!  I cannot believe that I have neglected my blog for several months!!!!  That just never happens!  I am currently expecting another girl, so my creativity took a leave of absence!  I didn't want to walk into my craft room, or do any crafting whatsoever!  When I did have to create something, mainly for work, I would ask someone for their opinion to see if it was good enough!  That is SO out of character for me!  For those that know me personally, you know that I NEVER seek anyone's opinion!
Well, hopefully and thankfully, those times are history!  I was able to complete my first layout in over 4 months!  And I like it!  A lot!  LOL!

This was Olivia's second dance recital!  The name of the song was Rockin' Robin.  Get it??????

Here's a close up of the bird.  I drew the bird free hand and then colored him in w/ watercolors on regular cardstock.















Hopefully I'm back for good!  I'm trying to get myself interested again in scrapping!  Hopefully it will work!!!!
Have a great day!

Elephants for the new Baby! 6 Apr 2014 5:30 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there! Today I would like to share with you a gift that I created for my sister and brother-in-law and their new baby that's due to arrive in early May!  Their baby shower is today, and I wanted to create something that will continue and last far longer than clothes or diapers will!  Plus, art is kind of my thing, so I wanted to create something special for my new nephew to be!

To create this is very easy!  I had a piece of scrap wood and painted the front with white gesso.  Then I took several ink sprays including Dylusions and Heidi Swapp to create the blue.  Before it dried, I dropped large and small droplets of alcohol blending solution  just to see what it would do!  I tilted the wood up and let it all drip!  This is how I achieved this look!  It looks like it's raining and the elephant is reveling in it!

I took a paintbrush and white gesso and free hand drew the elephant.  I wanted the trunk to go up to add more of an abstract look, and to not have a lot of empty space in the middle of the painting.  I drew the letters 'Baby Mine' and a heart with a red copic marker.









Here are some close up pics!



































































And here is the card that I made!  My clean and simple friends will be shocked!  Lol!

It's Baseball Season!!!!! 3 Apr 2014 12:08 PM (11 years ago)

This last one just shows the dimension.  I have a thing for Tim Holtz's Film Strip!  LOVE that stuff!  Love how it comes out of the jar already curly!  I just glue it in place and call it a day!

All of the paper and everything on the bat are from the G45 Good ol' Sport 12"x12" pack.  I did add a stamped bat and ball to complete the look.  And of course the film strip.  But, you can find the rest in the pack and you can find the pack right HERE!

Have a WONDERFUL day!  We hope that you can come and play in the ePlay challenge this month!!!!  If wood is not your thing, that's ok!  Just wait til May!  Oh my, now I'm rhyming!  It's time to end this post!!!
Bye!

Fairy Cottage! 19 Mar 2014 8:05 PM (11 years ago)

I have my Fairy Cottage post up on the eclectic Paperie blog today!  Come and check it out!

www.eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com

Swirlydoos Round Robin challenge 27 Feb 2014 5:04 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there! Today I would like to share with you my Round Robin challenge page that I created for the Swirlydoos forum that I'm a part of!

I was the last week spot for the month, so I followed 3 different scrappers!  From their pages, I took the following: placing the picture in the middle of the page, use of butterflies, pastel color scheme, dripping technique, use of a doily, and having a splotchy background.

I was already late in submitting this, so I didn't add all of the cutsidella that I would normally add.  This is pretty basic for me, and actually FLAT!  What???!!!!  Can you believe it?!  The only thing not flat are the flowers!  Gasp!

But, like I could have done a better job w/ the butterfly trail.  I was trying to use my distress glitter in a different way, and using it with 3 in 1 glue just doesn't cut it.  :(  That's my FAVORITE glue EVER!  But, for some things, it just doesn't work. 

Anyway, another page done!  Whoo hoo!

Ingredients used:
Paper: Floral stack by DCWV, kraft c/s, white c/s
Ink: Sassy Pink Smooch, Blue Ice color smooch, Bubble Gum Pink Dylusions Spray
Stencils: Hexagon 12" x 12", Splatters (TH)
Embellishments: Aqua Dolce & Bubble Gum Gelatos; assorted flowers, LYB flower pins; Sizzix SU!
                            Embosslits Beautiful Wings; Picked Raspberry Distress Glitter, assorted resin
                            swirl, doily

Have a great day!

Pallet Decorating 5 Feb 2014 8:31 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there!  I have a new love and appreciation for altered wood projects!  Pallets are my new favorite surface!  I have a HUGE industrial pallet that my friend gave to me last week.  I'm still working out what to do with that!  But, today I am sharing a much smaller pallet with you!  You can find this exact pallet at the store where I work, which is where I picked it up!  We had 3 in stock, and every time I would pass by them, it felt like they were calling my name!  Pick me!  Pick me! So, I gave in and picked one up.  I also picked up some new paper from Kaisercraft, Key To My Heart.  LOVE this paper!  And I know that the first thought for this paper would be valentine-y.  I wanted to go in a more Victorian shabby chic direction so that I could display this in my house longer than the one day of the Valentine's holiday.  I also decided to showcase pictures of my family, and not just about "love".  The reason for this is to not only be able to keep this project out longer, but also to show the versatility in the paper!  Thirdly, to give you a jumping off point for what the heck to do with a pallet!  Haha!

So, how did my project come together?  Well, when I brought the pallet home, the tops of each board were kind of yucky.  So, I sanded it all down so that it was nice and smooth.  

I painted a thin coat of white gesso to further smooth it down, and to catch any errant splinters.  I had a little problem after this when I went to adhere the paper.  I painted a coat of Matte Medium on top of the gesso so that the paper that I cut to fit each board perfectly, would adhere.  Well, it came right up.  I tried painting the Matte Medium over the paper thinking that it would smooth out and adhere.  No again.  Ok, round three.  I sprayed each backside of paper w/ Elmer's Craft Bond Spray Adhesive.  I laid each piece down, and the edges came up!  Annoying!  So, finally, I reached for my 3 In 1 glue which is my all-time FAVORITE glue, and covered each backside and using a bone folder, I smoothed the paper down each board and made sure it stuck!  Whew!  FINALLY!  

Once the glue was dry, I painted a thin coat of Matte Medium on top of each board.  I just like what it does to the paper.  It gives it a subtle sheen.  Once that dried, I sanded the edges of all the boards, rounded the corners, and sanded away some of the paper.  That's how I am able to get the shabby look.  














Once the board layer was complete, I wanted to incorporate some sort of bling.  I hate to waste (I'm such a hoarder when it comes to embellishments!) those large pearl bling swirls for something that I have to essentiallly cut up since the boards aren't side by side.  So, what's the next best thing?  Viva Pearl Pens!  And a stencil of course!  I picked up the Stars stencil by Dreamweaver, which is a new line that we're carrying in the store!  These stencils are metal, so it's so nice when you're working with a liquidy material, it doesn't get under the stencil like regular vinyl stencils will do.  Well, not much anyway.  When I took the stencil away after using the Viva Pearl Pen, my "pearls" went flat.  So, I went w/ a different texture and used my Liquid Pearls.  It turned out to work perfectly!    And everywhere that there was a star, I made a flower to take its place.  (You can see a closeup of this at the beginning of this post).
 
The flowers I created using the following dies: Sizzix Tattered Florals & Sizzix Tattered Pinecone.  The pinecone die was also helpful for the greenery around the flowers.  In the very center of this large flower are just a grouping of microbeads.  (Just an FYI).





















I wanted to make this pallet more than just a piece of "art".  Something that you just hang on a wall and forget about.  I want it to be a conversation piece.  I always like my creations to pull double duty, and to be interactive.  I pulled out my brand new Accordion Flip 3D Album die by Sizzix, and cut out several pieces of cardstock, and matching Kaiser paper.  I chose my pictures and created my little mini album!  I looked on the Sizzix site as to how the pieces went together, and from the pictures, it was easy to see how it works!





















And then, here's the finished piece!






















I hope that this has inspired you to try some new mediums instead of just scrapbooks!  Working on different surfaces is fun and opens up your creative mind to new possibilities!  Will you try something new?!


Ingredients:
Paper: Kaisercraft Key To My Heart Collection: Irresistable, Dreamy, Charismatic, Devine, 
                                                                                     Magnetizing, & Charmed
             pink cardstock (for making album more sturdy)
Ink: white gesso, matte medium, gold pen
Embellishments and Misc.: 11.5" x 11" wood pallet; Tattered Florals Die; Tattered Pinecone
                                                 Die; Accordion Flip 3-D Album Die; Stars Dreamweaver Stencil;
                                                 Viva Pearl Pen - Ice; Platinum Liquid Pearls; glue dots; 3-IN-1
                                                  glue; sandpaper (any grit)

You can pick up any of these materials at our store!  Scrapbook Super Station, Butler, PA

Have a wonderful day!

Sketch layout 26 Jan 2014 6:24 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there!  Today I would like to share a quick layout that I started earlier this week, and finally finished this morning!

I am a part of a facebook group where a sketch is posted each week.  It's just a motivator and a way to get scrappin'!

I participated in last week's sketch, so here it is!  This week's was just posted yesterday, so I'm still ok!  LOL!

I am completely in love with the Bo Bunny line Country Garden!  I'm using the heck out of this paper!

I followed the sketch very closely, which I don't always do.  Sometimes I get an idea in my head and go off on a tangent.  But, I have more ideas for future pages, so I just wanted to get this one done!  Esp. since I had been looking at the pictures that I had chosen earlier in the week for a few days, ready to be placed on a page!

I doodled the date and title for this page.  I didn't feel like cutting letters out, or using stencils to create my lettering.  I'm pulling a Julie Fei-Fan Balzer!  I love how she can just start writing and it's considered art!  I want to be like her!  LOL!  My writing is very blocky and boring, but that's ok!

I used joint compound for the chevrons, and my Donna Downey chevron stencil.  It's bigger than what the sketch called for, but that's all I had, and it looks fine!  

In the sketch, it looks like there are mini dew drops on top of paper buttons.  Well, I have more buttons than I know what to do with, so I added real buttons and I can't believe my good luck, but I didn't throw out my dew drops that I got a zillion years ago!  Ok, maybe 4 years to be exact.  But, I still had them!  I added them all around the page to act like actual dew drops.  See, the picture is taken in front of the Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach.  Plus, we're at the beach.  Sun, sand, and ......water!  Are you getting my line of reasoning???!!!!

So, that's it!  I'm off to start another page!

HOPE 23 Jan 2014 9:05 AM (11 years ago)

 Hi there!  I FINALLY had time to photograph, albeit not very well, my HOPE project for the eP eTeams Picks challenge: HOPE!  My friend Andie is in charge of this challenge!  It was so awesome to be able to create a project that she challenged us with in her presence!  To see what this challenge entails, click on the eP link.

For my project, I decided to make a vertical banner using tags.




How was this created?  Well, all of the tags are the same except for the letters.  I pulled some Bo Bunny papers, and using Matte Medium, adhered the papers to the tags.  I sponged the edges w/ Black Soot.

I added strips of drywall tape along the R side.  I used a stencil and smeared some white embossing paste and sprayed w/ Dylusions sprays.  I used different stencils and more Dylusions sprays on the letters.  I used silver embossing paste on the edges of the butterflies.  For the honeycomb in the top corner, I sprayed Black Marble Dylusions spray onto my Tim Holtz Honeycomb stencil and then stamped onto the paper.

For the letters, I drew them, as I didn't have any stencils or anything large enough.  And I didn't bring my Cricut, so I had to draw them freehand.  Then, once I cut them out, they were really boring! So, I laid each letter down on black paper and drew the shadow layer.

I attached each tag to a ribbon and knotted each end.  I cheated and added red line tape to the backs of each tag to insure that the ribbon doesn't move as it hangs in my craft room.


If this was inspiring to you, you should definitely head over to the eP blog and create something!  Once you link your creation, you are entered to win a gift cert to the eP store!!!!!

Have a wonderful day!

My MI Swirly Girls Gathering Creations 23 Jan 2014 8:23 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there!  Today I FINALLY took time to take pictures of my layouts and projects that I created while away this last weekend scrapbooking in MI w/ some of my Swirlydoos friends!  I only had met my friend Adriana Templeton, who is on the eclectic Paperie design team w/ me, in real life last fall when I invited her on a scrapbooking weekend in West Virginia!  What fun we had!  Anyway, this past weekend, I met some more Swirly girls that I chat w/ occasionally on the forums and 2 more that I just knew from the forums.  The most wonderful part of this weekend was that we all scrapped the same way!  No Creative Memories crap to be found!!!!  Call me a snob, but it is what it is!  I learned to scrap the Swirlydoos way, which is gaining fame everywhere I look, which is incredible!, and LOVE that I only need ONE picture to create a complete layout and along w/ embellishments, it becomes a stunning page!  I was in GREAT company this weekend!  I wish the weekend didn't have to end!  But, reality has to step in at some point and we all had to go back to our normal lives.  :(
I was really motivated this weekend and ended up making 5 layouts and 2 projects!  I taught an Inky Fingers class at Scrapbook Station this past Monday, and the main focus was Studio 490's Embossing Paste!  I actually got all of my pastes from eclectic Paperie, so I worked w/ the different colors on all of my creations.

Take a look!

To create this page, I started w/ a 7 Dots paper.  ( I have no idea which one it is!)  I sprayed it w/ Leather Tattered Angels spray.  Then, I went a little crazy w/ the texture!  I smeared some white embossing paste along the L side, and adhered a small lace doily.  I added more paste, and then sprayed w/ Dylusions Sprays.  I added some silver paste to the page w/ Tim Holtz's Honeycomb stencil.  Oh, and I added some drywall tape on the horizontal panel, smeared some white paste, sprayed w/ Dylusions, and then peeled off the tape.  I love that it took off some of the paper!!!!

I added the picture and embellishments, and that's it!

















This is my least favorite textured page.  I love the picture, obviously, but the textures aren't really present in this page.  That's ok!
I used 7 Dots again for this page.  I used circle stencils and translucent embossing paste.  I got the shell at Jo's in the clearance section!  The clear buttons are from SU!.


















This is the first page that I created this weekend.  It's fairly simple, with not a lot of height and dimension.  That's ok too!  I wanted to show off my fussy cutting w/ this paper!  I have no idea what paper I used.  It might be Bo Bunny, but I'm not entirely sure!

I used a bowl to cut out the circle layer.  I used Andie's large leafy flourish dies, and then I cut out the flowers w/ my exacto knife!  I added drywall tape, watered down white gesso, and gold embossing paste to the gate behind the picture.  added some lace and gold paper and my first page was done!





























To create these pages, I used Bo Bunny's latest Winter pages.  I LOVE this paper!!!!  I am going to have to replenish before we run out of it!
I created my own large label shapes from a cutout I have in my stash.  The fence was chipboard from Blue Fern Studios.  I cut it to mirror each other and sprayed w/ Slate Tattered Angels spray.  Then, I applied the white embossing paste onto each fence to make it look like snow.  I smeared some along the bottoms of the pages as well as the tops of each picture to mimic snow piling up.

I'll have my HOPE project in my next post!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a wonderful day!

PEACE 10 Jan 2014 1:00 PM (11 years ago)

Hi there!  Today I would like to share a project that I created for one of the Swirlydoos challenges this month, to create a project using one word.  More points if we DON'T create a layout!

I got my thinking cap on, and suddenly remembered my goal that I have this year, to be at peace, especially when I drive on the roads.  I'm pretty impatient, and when people aren't driving as fast as I want them to, or are just annoying to me, I tend to fill up with rage.  And then my blood pressure skyrockets, and then I'm exhausted before I get to wherever I'm going!  Not good and not healthy. 

After praying about it and trying to figure out how to NOT be that way, I decided that as soon as I start to get hot, to just calm down immediately and think peaceful thoughts.  It's actually working!  YAY!  I'm a happier person when this happens too, so the results are positive!  :D

Ok, where am I going with this?  I decided to create a cross that I will hang somewhere in my car that I will see when I'm getting annoyed, or annoying others, a.k.a my husband! Ha!  Here's what I created!

The cross itself is made from 2 manilla tags.  I reinforced the main part of the cross by cutting a third piece of a manilla tag and gluing it to the bag.  That's why it can stand so tall without wanting to lean!


















I used a stencil for the main letters, but then, I drew the halos around each letter myself.  I cut them out from Xpress it cardstock and then colored them with copics.  I used the dot technique that I found in a copic technique book.  I wanted the letters to be light where the halos hung, and then gradually go to stone.  The dot technique seemed to work the best to achieve this look.  I wanted the letters to look like stone, but softer.













Ingredients:
Paper: manilla tags, Mother Nature paper (2 types), Xpress It Cardstock
Ink: Y17, Y13, Y35, Y32, O, C1, C2, C3; Metallic Gold Embossing Paste
Embellishments and Other Things:  Chalkboard Letters Stencil, Resin crown, Swallows dies (Amuse);
Fancy Flourish (MFT); gold elastic ribbon (from a Christmas gift)

Have a great day!

12 Days of Christmas sale going on over at eP! 16 Dec 2013 12:04 AM (11 years ago)

Today's my day on the eclecticPaperie blog!  Check out what I'm doing! 

See the whole thing on the eP blog!  Don't forget that you can stock up on your Dylusions spray at a discount today using code: 12DAYS7!  If you buy 3 sprays, you get one for $2.99!  What a deal!!!!  Go get your sprays today!

Have a fantastic day!!!

Celebrate with a wine tag! 5 Dec 2013 10:46 AM (11 years ago)

Hello everyone!  Today I am joining my fellow eP Design Team for our monthly Get Altered Challenge!  This month, the lovely Sue, is our host, and she challenged us to alter a bottle!

I, unfortunately, don't have any empty bottles to alter (much to my dismay).  However, my friend just celebrated her 40th birthday, and she's a wine lover.  So, I created a Wine Tag for a bottle of wine that I will give her the next time our group of friends gets together!













































So, how did I create this tag?!  Let me share!!!!

The first thing I did was take a piece of 12" x 12" craft, and cut a 2" strip.  Then, I folded the top over so that it could be reinforced and would prevent damage when hanging on the neck of the bottle.  I punched a 1 1/4" circle for the hole (which fits perfectly!).  Then, I started to get crafty!

I painted some gesso for a base.  Then, I took my Climbing Vine stencil, sprayed it with Dirty Martini Dylusions spray, and then stamped it onto the tag.  Then, I took my Wall Flowers stencil, and w/ Lavender, Guava and Banana Gelatos, I created the flowers.  I sprayed the entire tag w/ water, and then used a paint brush to spread out the gelatinous medium to look smoother and less like a crayon!

I took the Mini Chicken Wire stencil (My all-time favorite stencil on earth!), and using a Silver Gelato, I added some texture and detail randomly.

I took a Recollections numbers stamp set and stamped the 4 and 0 w/ Milled Lavender Distress Ink.  I cut it out, and then created a shadow layer out of the scrap Kraft c/s that was left over from cutting the tag.  I sponged the whole tag and numbers w/ Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I added some flowers from Prima and Petaloo, and cut out some cupcakes from Authentique's Wishes stack.  I added a rhinestone swirl for some glitz, and some lace to complete the tag!

Can't wait to see what everyone creates for this!  Link up on the eP blog!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Drywall Portrait 21 Nov 2013 6:31 AM (11 years ago)

Hi there!  Today is the eclectic Paperie's ePick's challenge!  This month's theme is recycling!  FUN fun challenge!  Tracy has kicked off the inspiration on the eP blog!  Check it out here!

Here are some details on the challenge:
The eTeam Picks Challenge is held on the third Thursday of each month and each challenge is an opportunity for you to be inspired by one of our eTeam’s creations and to be entered into our challenge prize drawing!



-You do not have to use products sold in the eP store…but we do love it when you do!



On with my presentation!
I spent this past weekend w/ some very dear friends of mine at a scrapbooking event in OH.  What a blast we had!!!!  My group of friends are not scrappers.  So, we gathered to create cards and mixed media all weekend!  FUN FUN FUN!  Lots of laughs, some spills, and lots of creating going on all weekend!

I was one of the ones that worked on mixed media all weekend.  I brought all of my stencils, joint compound, drywall tape, sprays, inks, and canvases.  Another thing that I brought was a piece of drywall.  Earlier this year, we had our upstairs bathroom completely gutted and redone.  We had the purple drywall put up that is resistant to mold and moisture.  I thought that this would be perfect for my crafts!  So, after our contractor was done w/ it, he stored the rest that would be thrown away on the side of the house.  I decided to scavenge!  I picked up a piece that was about the size of a standard computer keyboard.  Then, since I wasn't ready to work on it, I stored it in my craft room and forgot about it!  Until recently!  I pulled it out and applied a generous amount of gesso.  I was going to create a Christmas themed scene on it, and the gesso would act as a piece of wood w/ the texture of the paintbrush mimicking the lines in a piece of wood.  Well, I got distracted waiting for the gesso to dry, and after looking at it for a week, I put it back again. 
Then, this weekend got closer and closer, and finally it was time to pack!  I spied the drywall, and thought, "What the heck!  I might as well take it and see what I can do w/ it!"
Well, I was scanning the internet for sunset pictures for a different project and I came across this picture:


















I LOVE how the sky is so full of color!  I wanted to re-create that look with the clouds changing colors and layering upon each other.

So, this is what I came up with!



To create this look, here are the steps I took after I applied the gesso.

1.  Sprinkle droplets of water all over the surface of your piece.
2.  Spray with your sprays to completely cover your surface.  (I used Dylusions sprays)
3.  Using a heat tool (Tim Holtz's is best to use as it's not as strong as an embossing gun), swirl the colors around to create the swirly cloud affect.
4.  If there's too much moisture and it's not drying as quickly as you would like, you can always blot it dry w/ a towel.  That creates the lightness and darkness that you see on my piece.
5.  Once it's completely dry, you can apply gesso w/ a paintbrush.  I wasn't sure where I was going w/ this, just that I was trying to capture the trees from the inspiration photo, although on my piece, it's actually a grassy knoll!  I'll have to work on the difference between trees and grass!  LOL!
I got a little carried away and w/ a very slim paintbrush, I painted a tree and my 3 kids looking towards the sunset. 

And that's it!  It's fairly simple!  Seriously!  And you can use the colored background and stamp on it instead of painting w/ gesso.  You can do so many things!!!  Your possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:
piece of drywall
white and black gesso
Dylusions Sprays: After Midnight, Bubble Gum Pink, Squeezed Orange, Crushed Grape, Lemon Zest, & Funky Fuschia.

I look forward to seeing your creations!

Have a wonderful day!

Mother Goose Decorative Boxes 15 Oct 2013 9:53 PM (11 years ago)

 Hi there!  I am LATE LATE LATE in sharing this project, but we went away for the weekend, and I FINALLY finished it!

This project was originally for the Altered Challenge on the eclectic Paperie blog last Thursday, by Micki!  The challenge was to alter a box.  A while ago, I purchased a set of 3 boxes.  I set them on my bookshelf, just waiting for the right time to alter them!  That time has come!

Here's a little tip about the challenge!

The Get Altered Challenge is about exploring your creative journey, about stepping outside of your comfort zone, experimenting with new products, and creating altered and mixed media art. We want to see your work and hear about your inspiration!  

The winner will be announced right before the eTeam Picks Challenge.

I am SO excited that Graphic 45 has come out with their Mother Goose line of papers and stamps and oodles of embellishments!  And I am SUPER excited that eclectic Paperie is carrying this line!  You can do SO many different things w/ this paper!  It's amazing!

I have a Mother Goose book from when I was a child.  The cover of the book looks like this:
















I took the black and white around the edges and used that as a backgound per se, for the project.  

Here's what I started with:














And here's the finished product:
 Such fun!!!























And here are all 4 sides, plus the insides, of all 3 boxes!  Lots of pictures!!!!

This is the inside of the first & smallest box.



















Side 1 of the smallest box.

















Side 2 of the smallest box.



















 Side 3 of the smallest box.


















Side 4 of the smallest box.

















Side 1 of the middle box.


















Side 2 of the middle box.



















Side 3 of the middle box.


















Side 4 of the middle box.


















Side 1 of the largest box.




















Side 2 of the largest box.





















Side 3 of the largest box.





















Side 4 of the largest box.






















Inside the middle box.















Inside the largest box.















So, how did I make this?  Well, it all started with some black paint!  I covered the entirety of all 3 boxes.  Then, I started w/ the smallest and worked my way up from there.  I only used the 8x8 and 12x12 Mother Goose stacks, along w/ some white cardstock.

The items that were created using white cardstock are:
all the squares that were used on the entire project
the fence behind the hay on the Little Boy Blue side
the paths on several different sides: Mary Mary Quite Contrary side, Mary Had A Little Lamb, the side w/ the two girls and the geese (I'm guessing Mother Goose?)
the tree branch on the Rock A Bye Baby side
the brown tops of the cattails on the side w/ the two girls and the geese
the clouds on various sides as well

To create the 3-D look to each side, I cut each image out w/ my exacto knife, and created a scene for each nursery rhyme.  Yeah, some are quite boring, but others really are cool!

I used Walnut Stain and Tea Dye Distress Inks for all of the shading around all of the edges.  I also used Gathered Twigs for the paths to make them look rocky and pebbly.  For the fence, I swept the sponge applicator so that it created wood lines.  I went back in w/ the Walnut Stain and Tea Dye to make it look more authentic.

I hope that this sparks your creativity!