Happy Places: our anniversary, cheap art/craft supplies, and video games with the husbunny

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Its been a week, that's fo sure!!! Managed to squeeze in a visit to my hair dresser for a trim, which was much needed. Pixie cut = regular trims or it looks...bad!  Sunday last week the Bink and I hosted my bestest pal, Neverness, his parents, Hanzmo, and two visitors from England.  They were divine!!! Nah, really, the personalities all click.  It was good times.  Sitting around our table all, just hit my in my happy place.  It was a nice dinner and easy hike to the South Holston Dam.  I say easy hike, maybe for the Bink and I, but not so much for others...  Most take that in consideration in the future!!!

Speaking of Happy Places... Yesterday was the husbunny Bink and I's wedding anniversary.  We toyed with the idea of going to Oktoberfest in Kingport, but it was all nasty rainy weather here on the hill, so we decided to stay home.  We opted instead to do something we haven't done in awhile, Video game co-op...  Borderlands 2 to be precise.  We got it all set up in two rooms and played for several hours.  Yelling between rooms because the feedback from the Kinect has this really bad echo.  It got a little annoying after awhile.  The stupid compatibility pack on that game is super annoying.  I had like 4 copies of the stupid thing on the hard drive.  Had to delete them all and reinstall, which took its own sweet time downloading.  So, now my Siren is back in action after an extended hiatus.

Happy Place 2...

I've mentioned it before; I have a stamp fetish... Love them... soooo much...  I'm gonna say 'cause its due to my unicorn stamp that my dad bought me when I was little girl.  So, dad,  its all your fault.  haha nah really, love you. I do try to purchase all my supplies either with sale, coupon, or clearance.  Most of my extra stuff I get clearance out, 'cause I have the weird thing that if I'm going to use for art journalling I don't want to pay full price.  'Cause after all the layers I add to my pages you may or not see it.  I had my arm twisted a while back by Angie, one of my scrapbooking girls, to join a couple of mailing lists. One is called Peachy Cheap.  Every day they have scrapbook supplies discounted super cheap.  Sometimes they have what I'm looking for and sometimes they don't.  There's another site called scrapbook daily deals.  Most of the time they have nothing I want and I window shop and move on.  This past month... Ho boy.  They caught me big time.  They had an offer for 7 different packs of October Afternoon journaling cards for less than $9 bucks!  Two packs alone full price are more than that!  I couldn't say no; especially because of Project Life!  A couple of days later they offered October Afternoon's Daily Flash Apple Cider clear cling stamp sets: Game On! and Rake, Pile, Jump.  Good Golly, two sets for less than the price of one... yup they got me again.  And just last week they offered October Afternoon's Apple cider pack with a 6*8 paper pack, stickers, 2 packs die cut shapes, and squirrell washi tape.  It matches the stamps I got, needless to say. I now have a bunch of stuff to pretty up my Project Life! pages.


Happy Place 3...


I've taken a week off from Project Life! after the crazy progress I made end of August and to wait on my photos to come in from Persnickety Prints.  They turned out fabulous and they package them so securely, I love that about them.
Trying out the 2x2 and 4x4 size photo.  I like the 3x3 got those the last order I placed.  I'm seriously considering trying the polaroid print option they have for Project Life!  Really thinking about it.







Happy Place 4...

We made one trip out yesterday for an Anniversary Breakfast and made a couple stops and there at Tuesday Morning, the hit or miss store they had a bunch of Tim Holtz items (yeah, still obsessed), a We R Memory Keepers Binder (for 2014), and a host of other pieces priced between .99 and 7.99.  I made out like a bandit!  I don't need to go on a supply buying trip for another month at least. Did pick up a script alpha stamp set and sleeves at the local target also.

Any way tata for now see you on the flip side...

Catch the Star Train - Found Poetry 'n Art Journal Page

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Hey Everyone!!!

Here's a quick drive by of a post 'cause I wanted to share a very down and dirty art journal page I did this week.  I'm calling this Catch the Star Train.  Hope you like it!

Catch the Star Train

the door to a reliquary

     defined their lives

I almost feel our strange voices

Sound carries on the hills

     an ancient order of things

Train of scattered stars

     go silent all at once

The night is big and quiet

     except the shooting stars.

Ingredients:

gesso

lamp black craft paint

Tim Holtz Star Tag stencil

book text

star punchinella

star glitter

titanium white acrylic paint

big brush pen in black

big brush pen in white

Copic Pen .05

iridescent medium

ice blue DecoArt craft paint.

So long art fans, sees you later in the week.  Also, you can follow me on Facebook and Etsy, the links are located in the side bar!!!

When a Pear Dreams - Art Journal Page

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I've been wanting Tim Holtz's Stamper's Anonymous Classics #1 stamp set ever since my Pen Pal sent me the dragonfly on a collaborative journal page end of 2012.  It's now mine! mawaawahahahaha... Everyone that sees the set goes gaga over the pear stamp and I gotta tell ya I'm not a fan of Pears in general; something about the funky texture when you eat them.  Since everyone seems to enjoy that stamp; I decided to break it out and use it on the Super Simple Background from Tuesday's blog post.

Since I don't really have much to say about pears; I went surfing the interwebs to find something and found this poem...

While I slept you stood in the 

colorful night market

with pyramids of bright

fruit piled high.

Where those who loved you, 

rushing back to their intimate stalls, 

held but pears that had been

dreamed for you

And would the dream 

pear not come gladly

Once it know this was you

wanting to take it in?

The dream pear chose 

reality, wanting your mouth as I did - 

Honestly, it was happy

to be bitten.

by Brenda Hillman

there you have art fans where ever you may be... until next time...

Journaling withdrawals

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I hadn't realized until I was sitting in at the table across from my scrapbook friend, Debbie that since about October my "me" time at the art table with my art journal open in front of me has been zilch, nada, nothing!  No wonder I've been a little grumpy. Well, work may have something to do with the stress and not just withdrawals from not having paint permenantly affixed to my fingertips.  I was looking forward to a day with the girls catching up from our Holiday hiatus, but due to the frigid weather the rest of my chicks decided to stay home.  So, it ended up being just Debbie and myself!  Tables all to ourselves! woo hoo. I wanted to work on Project Life but didn't have any pictures printed or prepped, so I packed up the art supplies sparingly.  I've gotten quite a few new art supplies in my travels in the past few months, but haven't used them so I packed those so to challenge myself in using them.

One of my favorite techniques is to layout Distress Inks on my craft matt and add a little water to use them like water colors; which is what I did here. I then started stamping a few of my favorites.  The Star is a die cut from Tim Holtz that I had tested with white card stock and used Distress Inks to colorize it.

The Jar is from Little Yellow Bicycle and the fairy is from Hot of the Press, Inc.  The little stars are from the Martha Stewart all over the page star punch.  I'm in love with the Prima Washi Tap stamps, with a little shading and some white ink they really pop.

I added a little bit of doodling here along with a quote from Shakespeare, " Though she be but little, she is fierce."




On this side I started with the doodling along the wire and then added the flower, which is from the Indie Bloom Collection by BasicGrey.  I colorized it with my copic markers. I had my circle template with me so I drew a circle around the flower in pencil and used it as a guide for my text.  It reads, "Bold Bloom * Flower of Beauty True."  I later added the bee and I colored it with copics as well.

It was a well spent Saturday playing and catching up with my friend.

How do you get back in the art/craft groove?

Supplies/Hoard/Secret stash... A Tim Holtz Fetish

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    If you're creative at all, then you know what I'm talking about.  You have that hoard of items that you will use... one day.  Oh yeah... I got one of those.  okay maybe more than one.  I've admitted in the title I have a huge Tim Holtz fetish! In love with his product line.  Anything from distress ink, fragments, paper, stamps, and adornments.  So... When one of my chick's said to me, "Tuesday Morning's Ad has some Tim Holtz in it." I was like WHAT?!!! what, what, what....!  I dragged the husband along with me at opening on a very cool rainy Sunday morning to see just what exactly they had.  OH BOY! Did I score a haul!!!

Top left: Advantus Trinket Case, Mini Gears Dies, Heart Wings Die. Bottom Left: Advantus Cargo Case, Chain Tassels, Mini Flourish, Holiday Lamppost. 

I've had these Idea-ology Cases on my Amazon Wishlist since I first saw them.  I love to shop for supplies and can easily get carried away even with the $1 bin at Michaels.  9 times outta 10 I will shop clearance and/or with a coupon before I will pay full retail for most things.  So, the Amazon price tag did a whole lot for curbing my enthusiam for these cuties.  The Advantus Cargo Case, which is the bigger case retails at $50.00.  The Advantus Trinket Case retails for $35.  Tuesday Mornings.... ah how I love thee.  The Cargo I picked up for $20 and the Trinket $15.  Yeah buddy!

I was a little disappointed when I picked one up.  They are constructed out of Paperboard and Metal.  The handles, clasps, and corners are marvelous!  Very sturdy and oh so Tim Holtz.  I'm a little let down in the papercovering.  There are gaps at corners and the faux stitching tape is askew in places where the paperboard is visable.  I keep thinking to myself if I had bought these from Amazon full retail I would've been highly peeved.  Tuesday Mornings statisfied my Tim Holtz fetish without breaking my budget.  BUT....! what really made this shopping trip worthwhile was the Alterations Dies they had that were NOT in the sale add.  I find that Dies are pricey and I've purchased all of mine one at a time with a Hobby Lobby coupon, 'cause its the way to go!  Okay, there is one that I paid full price on, but I was out of town and the local Michael's/Hobby Lobby are woefully lacking in the Tim Holtz selection.  ANYway... I picked up 4, yes 4 Dies: Heart Wings, Mini Gears, Mini Flourish & Holiday Lampost.  Dies I wouldn't have blown a 40% coupon on, but are all super cute.  I like to purchase dies that I can use in a variety of ways.  There are some Dies out there that you may only ever use once and that's not the diversity that I'm looking for in my Secret Hoard.  Not that its that much of a secret anymore...

Did you guys notice the Distress Ink Chart in the photo behind my haul?  Oh yes...Fetish much... I even have his app... yup...

What's your Secret Art Hoard item? Inquiring minds do want to know!

Hello My Pen Pals!

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Hello my Friends,

I've been working on a little Christmas Present for my Pen Pal Bonnie. The letter I sent her in October was delivered in the envelope that is pictured below.

I normally decorate  her envelopes and I wasn't expecting the rave review that she sent me in return.  So, I decided she needed another angel, but this time on canvas board.

So here's Bonnie Angel!...

 There's a couple of things that I noticed when I scanned it in that I may go back in a touch up, but for the most part she's done! and I Love Her, hope Bonnie Does too!!! 

I've decided that scanning for the most part is better than trying to photograph it, but you can't quite get the feel of the gold paint.  

So Long Muse fans where ever you are!

Can't Stop Thinking Big!

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Can't Stop Thinking Big... Rush

     Here it IS! Woo Hoo! I'm amazed at myself.  Wouldn't have ever thought it possible, but it has happened.  I have completed my very first Mixed Media Canvas!  I'm in shock and I'm really excited about all the blank canvases sitting patiently in my closet.  So without further adieu. I present to you...

The Fairies' Secret!

"Every Wall is a Door"

The Hidden Text is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson

You must find your own key to open your walls.

My favorite key and a pair fairy wings. (I made those a while back and they were perfect! I got the idea from a book, that I think is titled, Enchanted Adornments.)

Traps, Treasures, and Secret Doors!

Pin It Now! Having watched the 2001 sequel to Secret Garden, The Return to the Secret Garden recently.  I've had floating around in the ole brain pan the thought that my current Journal, Secret Garden needs to have a secret door.  Also, being slightly addicted to Pinerest (first stage is denial, right?!) I've seen that there are a few cards being made now that use an embossing resist for the central design.  When I started this layout those two thoughts were forefront. I started out by stamping the branch and leaf pattern then embossing with clear powder.  I then took the same stamp and using Mowed Grass Distress Ink stamped again.  I used my heat tool to dry it a little bit and lightly wiped off the ink from the embossed surface. I then stamped the Lock and Key.  I had the butterflies floating on my desk so I transferred them using gel medium.  The embossed surface also resisted the transfer so the butterflies look like they are behind the branches.  Very cool!!!

That green really needed additional color and I've had these Prima flowers in my stash for quite a while so I starting gluing them down.  The larger flowers I used brads to secure and then glued to the page.  After all my elements were down I drew the framework of the door around them, which you can see in the photo below.

I took out my Prometheus Pen and Black Magic and inked in the door frame.  I couldn't help adding the tiny red bird to the foliage.  I'm currently debating on whether or not to paint the door a different color or leave it as is. hmm...

TGIF! Friday background sneak peak...

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 I'm working in the center of my journal and though the 8x8 size is unique I'm thinking of making the 8x10 journal I started with once I finish this one. Here's a sneak peak at the background I'm working on.
     It's kinda funny because I was inspired to do this technique by the rugs that are scattered throughout the dungeons in the Skyrim Xbox game.
     It's a light back ground with a darker stamped image on top that is outline in white. I used my Neocolor 2 crayons to create the blue/purple color. Stamped in faded jeans distress ink and outlined with a white Gelly Roll pen. The left side took about 45 minutes, but the effect was worth the effort.
     The stamp is by Hampton Art 4x4 cling mounted stamp and every time I've stamped with it the square shape is very apparent.  I very pleased with this out come.

So Long Art fans, you with your visions and dreams...

In my Studio - distress ink reVamp!

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Before

I have a tray on my art table that houses all the inks that I tend to use frequently.  My Distress Inks by Ranger take up a lot of room on that tray.  I did a lot of re-stacking looking for the right color. Watching a YouTube video a fellow journalist referenced Ranger's (Distress Ink manufacturer) website.  So, spent a little time surfing and found these...  a Distress Ink color chart and Distress Ink Labels.  Pretty Sweet!

After

It didn't take very long to color code the labels and attach them to the ink pads. Stamp the chart with the coordinating color too.  I now have more room on my tray for supplies I reach for every day.  I transferred my Matte Medium and Gesso to plastic containers.  Much easier getting brushes into. I can now have those on the desk within easy reach now.  I even have space available on the tray still.


So long Art fans, back to the two page spread I'm working on. Its looking good.


Distress Ink Labels
Distress Ink color chart