The Journey

****Swirldoos September Kit****

Wow!  This kit is so gorgeous.  It was delivered today and I was working a page in my head and when I opened up the box, well, it was perfect!

I was rolling the idea of this page through my head.  SNR was looking for pages that included items you find in a hardware store.  I remembered reading in a book about how someone took foil tape and painted it.  Strange how my mind works because I haven't looked at the book in over a year.  Any way, that's kind of what I ended up with.

This is a pic of my DD at our last camping trip.  I took a few snaps of her on this huge boulder on the edge of the river.  This is one of those shots.  The paper says "journey" and I felt that it went well with the photo.  She has this contemplative look on her face as she looks down the river and I couldn't help but think of it as a metaphor for looking forward, the road ahead, your life is all in front of you.....I think you get the idea.  I printed it in black and white and sanded up the edges a little bit by hand.

This page features my faux metal technique.  It is the black damask-looking strip along the side.  The tutorial is below this post.  This was one of the items that I found in the hardware store.  It is made using foil tape.  In real life I think it is used for heating and air conditioning ducts and things.  I really don't know, but this is what I've been told LOL!  The other hardware store find a set of decorative brackets.  I painted them in Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and then added a black pear on them.  I placed them at the top and bottom of the faux metal.

There are 3 pieces of Dusty Attic; the long border along the side and the damask flourishes above and below the photo.  The first thing I did was use my Pitch Black paint dabber and paint all 3.  Then I covered them in Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint.  Once that dried I added a little bit of Adirondack Distress Embossing Powder in Black Soot.  I really like the way they came out. 

I made the two white flowers using a tutorial from a really talented and lovely person.  I'm glad to call her a friend.  Wendy posted this tutorial for a ballerina flower and I had to try them.  Click here to go to her tutorial.   I added some decorative buttons that I found at Micheal's.   The reddish blooms are from Prima.  The leaves are from a stamp I got from Heartfelt Creations.  I stamped them using black archival ink and then used Bundled Sage Distress Ink.  I cut them out and then used Peeled Paint Distress Ink around the edges.

Thanks so much for looking!!!!

Faux Metal Tutorial

This was so much fun!!!  My page titled The Journey (above this tut) features this faux metal.  Here are the supplies you'll need:

 Foil Tape (you will find this at any hardware store)
Any color card stock
Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Slate (I forgot to put it in the picture...my bad)
Adirondack Paint Dabber - Pitch Black
Cuttlebug
Sizzix - Tim Holtz Alterations Embossing Folder - Damask & Regal Flourish

The first thing you need to do is cut your card stock to fit the embossing folder.  Then cut (in my case) 3 strips of foil tape and cover the card stock.

Once you get it covered, turn it over and fold over the ends the tape so that you have clean edges.

Next, take your alcohol ink and dab it onto the tape and cover it.  I had to do two coats in order to get the depth of color I was looking for.

Now you will need to place this in your embossing folder and run it through your Cuttlebug.

As you can see, I needed to cut off the excess paper. This is what it looks like after it comes out of the Cuttlebug.  You can't really see the Slate colored ink but trust me, it's there.

Lastly, take a paper towel and Pitch Black Paint Dabber.  Apply the paint to the paper towel and blot it all over the paper.  I wanted the paint to go into the cracks and crevices in a few places so I dabbed a little extra paint in those places.  You will notice that the faux metal will bend and crease just like the sheet of metal you can buy so keep this in mind when you work with it.

You're done!  I hope you have as much fun making this as I did.

Make a Wish Come True

http://www.scrapbooknewsandreview.com/

HUGE Announcement!!!!! Crazy, Exciting News!!!!!!!

I can hardly believe it!!!!  I've been invited to become a staff member for Scrapbook News and Review !!!!  Wha.....huh.....I KNOW!!!  How crazy exciting is that?! AND, I will have 3 of my pages published in their upcoming August 29th issue.  ***Pardon me while I fall over backwards.  Quick, somebody fan me!*** You have no idea how excited I am to be a part of this incredible online magazine. 

There is sooooooo much stuff going on over there.  There is an online community forum and information on scrapbooking, digi, cards & stamping, inchies, mixed media, tons of articles and product reviews......oh my!!!

You really owe it to yourself to go check it out, but ummm, pack a lunch 'cuz there are so many nooks and crannies with lots to read and videos to watch!!!  If you are anything like me and like to learn new techniques, make new friends and just drool over some really incredible art work, then you MUST click the link above (or the staff badge on the top left) and go check-it-out! 

Keep checking back here to learn about some upcoming "things" that you may find exciting, interesting, (insert favorite adjective here)...yes all of that AND a bag of chips!!!  Woo hoo~ 

Live in the Moment

This is a photo I took at our most recent camping trip. I wanted it to have an earthy, natural look to it.  My DD was sitting on a really big boulder next to the river.  It was early in the morning and she just had that look on her face.  I was just snapping away and when I saw this shot, I just fell in love with it. It's almost like I can read her mind and she is saying to herself..."yup, here she goes again with the camera...."  I think I need an intervention.....NOT! LOL

I did this page for the August SGC challenge over at Swirlydoos.  I used a lot of new products as well as some items from past Swirlydoos kits.  First, the paper.  It is all from the BG Capella line.  I used Robin's wet distress technique and turned the square so that it wasn't, well, not so square.  I wanted it to be kind of crooked.  I used a mask that I got from Layers of Color and my Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I only used a small part of the mask and wished I had used more of it in more places.  Have you ever stepped back from a page after it was done and said "doh!"....I shoulda, I shoulda....that happened to me with this page.  I then took some Smooch and highlighted a few places on the mask.  I used PSE to give the photo an old world sepia finish and then used my scissors to distress the edge of the photo just a touch.

I made the flowers using a tutorial by Craftsprinkles  If you click her name you will be taken to her tut.  I used a purple and cream paper I had in my stash and then used Moon Mist to add some color and highlight.  I love this spray!!!!!!!  You can't really see it in this photo but the spray is iridescent.  I used a lace flower center for one and a cluster of really small flowers for the other.  The really small flowers are from my stash.  I sprayed them to match and added some pearls in the center.  The big chipboard flourish came in a past kit.  I used Rusty Hinge Distress Ink and Espresso embossing powder in a few places to give it an aged look.

I just love this butterfly.  I used stamps that I just got from Layers of Color.  The first thing I did was take a transparency and blotted some alcohol ink on it.  I used two different colors and then blotted a little bit of blending solution on it.  When you blot the ink with the solution it will separate and come back together in this little pools.  Kind of reminds me of what old movie projector film looked like when it started to melt.  When I had the effect I wanted, I waited for it to dry and then turned it over and using black archival ink I stamped that gorgeous musical butterfly onto the transparency.  I used my exacto knife to cut out the butterfly.  I used a fine line of glue in a few places and added fine, purple glitter and a few iridescent jewels to finish it off.  I used another musical stamp from the same set and placed it so that it looks like the swirly air from the butterfly.

I used some lace from Prima and a small metal filigree from Ruby Rock It to accent this puffy bracket from Pink Paislee's Artisan collection.  I used a part of a Tim Holtz stamp that says "live in the moment" and threw in a feather for good measure.  I cut the leaves using an svg file.  It was a vine that I cut up and used what I needed and where.  Click here for the svg file.    TFL!!!!!

Summertime Fun

**Swirlydoos August Kit - Shabby Ambition**

This is my DD at one of our recent camping trips.  She was in the lake and have so much fun.  I got my big lens on and was able to zoom right in and get this shot.  She is soaking wet and covered in sand but it isn't keeping her from having a good time.

I used Creative Imaginations IOD, and 7 Gypsies paper.  First I cut the darker 7 Gypsies into 3 pieces; two thinner ones (different thickness) to go vertically and the other to go horizontally.  Then I cut another piece of IOD in a coordinating color and gave it a distressed scalloped edge.  I fussy cut around the edges of my main background paper so that the other pieces could slide in behind it.  Before I glued down the paper, I used a Tim Holtz stamp and black Archival Ink and stamped the wildflower bunches.  

I used an SVG to cut the face frame.  The frame is cut using two files.  Click here and here  to download the file I used.  The frame is really supposed to be used with two different papers.  I knew that I was going to have a lot going on with this page so I decided to use a tone-on-tone paper.  I cut all of it out using gray card stock and then inked up the main the frame.  I then added diamond Stickles to the all of the little pieces that you would normally throw away and glued them all into place.  Lastly, I added white pearls on the ends of the flourishes.  

I cut all of the leaves out using SVG files as well and inked those up.  I distressed a book page from Glitz and added that behind my photo.  The tag came with my kit as well and I inked that up and then added one of my favorite Tim Holtz stamps "the journey awakens the soul".  I thought it was fitting when I looked at her face and hoped that this would be a fun and wonderful memory for her.  The bigger flowers are all Prima and the little ones were in my kit as well.  The rhinestone flourish came in a prior Swirlydoo kit.

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy the svg files!!