Kiss A Frog?

Since it was cold, rainy and snowy, I couldn't work in the yard.  That meant, time in the craft room.  Yeah!  I had an idea a while ago and was able to put it all together today.

I started by collaging the background with the intent of making it look like a pond.  I used Tim Holtz Crazing medium.  I applied it using my finger because I saw a video where it seemed to craze better that way.  The brush marks seem to cause the medium to craze less.  I had to wait a long time for it to dry and wasn't very patient about it, BUT, it was worth it because it did "Craze" and added nice texture to the background.

I took two pictures.  This one with a flash, which ended up getting washed out.

And this one that is slightly blurry but you can see the true colors better.

I found this vintage Photo on the Internet and I just bought a pad of scrapbook paper called Once Upon a Time.  When I saw this page:

 ......in the pad, I had the idea for this page.  The rest is History.  I used water color pencils to colorize the little girl and I cut out wild flowers using Tim Holtz Wild Flowers die.  I added Stickles to the flowers, glued everything in place and shaded using Pitt Big Brush pens.

This is "almost" finished, without a flash.

With a flash.

Then I decided to add a dragonfly (Tim Holtz Dragonfly Die) to the picture.

This is with a flash.

This makes me giggle when I look at it.

Love Trying New Techniques! Today, I Tried Two New Techniques.

This is a background that was created using tags that were embossed.  You can find the full tutorial HERE.  It gives the background a LOT of texture.  I also tried stamping on tissue paper and using gel medium to adhere it to the page.  Not so sure I like that part.  Mine looks like I glued a cut out to the page.  The one from the link, blends into the background.  I'm not sure what I did different.  I may have to give it another go another time.  I gessoed the page and used watered down acrylic paint to color the page.

Next, I die cut Sizzix "wildflowers" Thinlets.  I colored them with Distress markers and then used Gel Pens to add some detail to the one that looks like lavender.  I also die cut two of the Tim Holtz "Layered Dragonfly" and embossed them.  I colored the body with black marker.  I colored the wings with "weathered Wood Distress paint.  Once the paint dried, I went over the them lightly with a sanding block.  This took off some of the paint on the embossed veins of the wings.  I then went over the wings with "black soot" using a blending tool.  I added some highlights using gel pens and a white Signo pen.  I rubbed "Crystal" Stickles over the wings for some sparkle. I used a background stamp with "coffee" Archival ink to add some more dimension to the page.  I glued the two dragonflies together and then glued everything to the page using Matte Gel Medium.

The tissue stamped images don't look as bad on the real page as they do on this photo.  They blend into the background much nicer.

Here you can see the two dragonflies layered together for dimension.

I was trying to get a good picture of the sparkle on the wings but the camera just wouldn't capture a true image.

On to the second technique.

I have always wanted to try image transfer but thought I had to have an image from a Laser printer....But, I saw a video from Donna Downey that showed you could transfer an image from an ink jet printer.  I took two pictures because taking it with the flash washed out the image.

This is with the flash.  It is hard to see my vintage lady.

This is without the flash.  It gives a truer picture of the color.  I love how not all of the image transferred.  It gives it an old photograph look to it.  I love Donna Downey's how to videos.  If you haven't checked her out I strongly suggest you do.  She is loaded with ideas and techniques that will keep you busy.

I Love, Love, Love This Page

 This page in my journal is very personal, which is one of the many reasons that I love it. I had an old picture of my grandfather and I wanted to use the Tim Holtz cabinet card die to display it in my journal.  I won't go into all the methods that I used because honestly I don't think that I could remember.  One thing led to another and then another.

  I used Tim Holtz cabinet die and the mini "movers and shapers" cabinet die to create the cabinet card on this page.  To see how I cut out the pieces using these two dies, check out the video HERE.  She gives a very easy explanation.
  

I will explain some of the details that I used.  The letters above the card are his initials.  I used Rock Candy crackle on them to age them a bit.  I stamped the year that my grandfather was born on the front cover.

This is a closer look at the front cover.  I covered chip board with some scrapbook paper that looked like old leather.  I would love to take credit for making it look like worn leather but luckly for me it is just the way it came.  The pocket watch is a stamp that I stamped on some scrapbook paper and used a Perfect Medium Pen, went around the outside of the watch and embossed it with Pirate's Gold embossing powder.  My sister gave me some watch faces and they were a perfect fit. 

 Here is the inside of the card.  My handsome Grandfather probably in his early 20's.  Some of the methods that I used putting this together were new to me and I did learn that vellum does not work well with glue.  Hence the bubbles in the images on the left.

A closer look.  Although I was extremely disappointed when it happened, now I think it give it character.

I chose a "Dream" charm to add because I thought that this picture was taken before he had made any decisions about the path of his life.  I wonder if at this moment he new that he was going to go to law school, become a lawyer and eventually aspire to be a District Court Judge.

Some Journal Fun On A Snowy Day

 
I did this page a while ago and didn't have time to post it. It is my fist try at Steampunk.  I'm happy with it.  It could probably use some more grunging up or  something but it is as steampunk as I could get.

 This is a tag that I did using a method I saw on the internet. First I used some scrapbook paper and covered a tag that I had.  I blended Vintage Photo around the edges and smudged it over the tag.  I used a stamp and black archival ink around the edge.  Then I went around the edge of the tag with a gold leaving pen.

 I used Ferro "Metal Effects" Modeling Paste through a key stencil.  Then I went over it using Viva Modeling Creme (Mother of Pearl).  I let that dry, which surprisingly didn't take long at all.  Then I used Silks acrylic glaze (Nutmeg) with my finger and I lightly tapped this on the areas of the Modeling Creme.  I love the way the key looks.  Nice and old and gungy.

 

I added some scrap lace to the bottom and some ribbon that was originally off white but I colored it with Distress spray Vintage Photo.  

 

 This cute little girl I found HERE (the page is photo intensive and takes a little while to load) As soon as I saw her I thought of the child's poem "Mary had a little lamb and wanted to do a page based on that.  I did a search for school houses and I found this  (HERE):

 

  I copy and pasted this picture into Microsoft Word and sized it to fit the page that I was using.  I cut out the desks and half of the chalk board.  I covered my background with scrapbook paper and added some stamping.  I embossed a clock stamp using a mixture of black and copper embossing powder.  I love how it turned out.  I don't think the picture does it justice.  Then I inked the edges with Vintage Photo ink.  I colored the little girl using Distress markers and a water brush and glued everything in place.  I only glued the sides and the bottom of the desks, leaving the top open so that I would be able to insert a tag.  I wrote Mary had a little lamb, added some ribbon to the top and glued some paper flowers to the top of the tag and placed it inside the desks.  So cute, if I do say so myself.

Butterflies!

Isn't she something?  I collaged the background with various scraps of scrapbook paper using a gel medium.  I went over the whole background with Tea Dye Distress ink, then around the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I covered the entire background with a coat of Gel medium to seal the distress ink.  I pieced the lady using a photo I found on the Internet and Tim Holtz Caged Bird Die.  I cut the bird cage from chip board and covered it with embossing ink.  I coated it withe Recollections Pirate's Gold embossing powder and heated it.  I love the look of the Pirate's Gold!  Once I tried the lady to the cage, I thought it was a little too big, therefore I cut off the outer two bars of the cage.  Much better!  Then I added some legs that I found on some printable paper dolls that I found on the Internet.  I LOVE her!  Then I went through my stash and found all the butterflies.  I added the flowers.  I typed the quote in Microsoft Word, printed it, cut it into strips and colored them using Scattered Straw Distress Stains.  Once they were dry, I used a black Sarpie pen and drew a boarder around each and glued them down.  I think it turned out pretty nice.

I Love A Good Fairy Tale.

Isn't she sweet?  She looks so dismayed. I can't even begin to say how the background was done as it was several mistakes...or attempts that I didn't like and covered over with gesso to start another try. The pictures are from various images found on the Internet. The gold border are flourish stamps embossed with gold.  I added gold flourish to the pumpkin with a gold metallic pen.  The rays for the moon were done with a white signo pen but It looked too odd so I went over it with a yellow alcohol marker.  The saying says, Once upon a time, this pumpkin was a coach, the mice were horses and I had TWO shoes..."  Someone had quite a night out!

Oh, the little girl was a black and white photo that I printed on white cardstock.  I colorized her using water color crayons and a water brush.  I enhanced her facial features using Distress markers. Then I went around the edges of her with Vintage photo distress ink.

Twinkie's Happy Place!

I bought a couple of new Stampotique stamps and I couldn't wait to play with them.  Meet Twinkie and his Mushroom Garden.

This was so much fun and so relaxing to do.  Almost everything on here was a stamp of some sort.  I added a little doodling to some of the stamps so that they dripped and oozed a little more.  The flowers are from the Tim Holtz Flower Garland die.  Everything is colored using Distress and Copic markers and the background was colored with Gelatos and gone over with a water brush.  The saying was typed, printed, cut, colored and glued.  It's so cute but yet so gross!  LOL.

It was done on plain white card stock.  If I were to do something like this again, I would probably use water color paper.

I Am Excited That This Turned Out As Well As It Did!

I saw a technique on Pinterest and thought it looked intriguing and I gave it a try.  I couldn't find the video or tutorial or whatever it was but I figured it wasn't that complicated and I could remember the steps.  I used Gesso that I added some color to.  I can't remember what I used for color because I did this page about a month ago and I hated how it turned out.   Basically, I scraped the colored Gesso through a stencil using a very thick coat.  When it dried the next day, I had no idea where I was going to go with the page so it sat and sat and sat some more.... Until today.

 When I opened my journal to this page all of the sudden I thought it looked like a tree. So I got my Walnut Stain Distress pen and colored the white space of the stencil.   I should have taken a picture before I did the brown so you could see how plain it looked.. 

Then I used TH Gardern Greens Die and cut several leafy branches.  I colored them with Peeled Paint Distress Markers and the colored the branch part of it with Walnut Stain.  This way it would match the branches of my tree.  After they were colored I used the word stamp with Vintage photo to add some texture to the leaves.

I used this die and cut it from white card stock.  I cut two of the birds off and colored them using Distress Stains and a water brush.  I distressed the outside of the birds with /Walnut Stain.  I cut the "Garden Greens" leaves and glued them to the page

This is the final product.  I added the bird nest by cutting up some threads that I pulled from some burlap.  I stained some of them using "Walnut Stain" Distress stains.  I glued the nest in place with Tacky glue and shaped it as it was drying.  The eggs for the nest came from some items in my stash.  I also took my "Stormy Sky" Distress pen and outlined the background around the branches and rubbed it with my finger to give it a little more color and definition.

I really like how it turned out considering I thought I was going to trash this page.

Window Treatments

I started my project with the thought that I wanted to use the Tim Holtz Window & Window Box Die.

Then I added a window topper using Cricut Ornamental Iron 2 (I cut it at 4 1/2).  I cut it all from black paper and used a white Signo pen to add highlights to all the creases on the window and window box.  I also added highlights to the wrought Iron top with the Signo pen.

 

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 I did the background using brick red acrylic paint that I dabbed through a brick stencil.  I sponged on some brown on top of the red. I dried everything with a heat tool and used Vintage Photo and Walnut stain Distress ink over the brick to fill in the spaces between the bricks.

I stuck the window topper, window and window box to the page using bits of foam tape.  The white foam tape really stood out on the wrought iron window topper so I used my black Pitt brush pen and colored the foam of the tape black and presto you don't even notice it now.

 I used this photo that I found on the Internet for the view inside my window.  I glued some lace curtains with some lace trim that I had in my stash.  Then I glued the window to the picture.  I had to cut the bottom of the picture off to fit the window

Then I used my two favorite Martha Stewart punches to add greenery and flowers to the window box.  I cut strips of each punch from white card stock an colored them with Peeled paint distress marker. 

I used my distress markers in Wild Honey, Fire Brick and Scattered Straw to color the flowers After I colored the strips of flowers, I cut the flowers from the vine so that I could add them randomly through the greenery.  I used this stamp and Vintage photo distress ink on the flowers and vine.  I also used Tim Holtz

Garden Greens die to add a variety to the mix of leaves.  I colored this with a marker of a yellow green color. (I don't know the name of the markers. Just some random markers in my stash.)  I added some stamping to this also.  Then I cut everything to fit in the box and glued everything where I wanted it.  As a final touch, I added bling to the center of each flow.

 Then I added this little bird...also fund on the Internet.  I copy and paste him into a Word document.  Then I sized him to fit in with my page by grabbing the corner grab bar on the image.  Once he was the size I wanted, I grabbed the left grab bar on the image and pulled it to the right, which gives me the mirror image.  I cut him out and glued him in position and this is the final page:

I would love to read your comments.

I Made Sand

This is another Vintage photo that I found on the Internet.  When I saw her it made me think of the children's song, Little Sally Ann.  I cut her out and colorized her with water color crayons.

Then  I thought, surely someone on the Internet has found a way to make sand.  I did a few searches and Of Course, Tim Holtz has a great tutorial on how to make sand HERE  He did it on a tag and I wanted it for my journal.  I wasn't sure how well it would come out but I think the end result is pretty good.  My sand isn't done drying yet.  I was too excited and wanted to get it posted.

This is a closer picture of the sand.

I would love to read your comments.

My Bumble Bee Found A Home!

Remember this little bee that I made a couple posts back?  He is from the Cricut "Art Nouveau" cartridge.  I think he is adorable but I didn't know what I was going to do with him.

 This is what I ended up doing....

I LOVE it!  I started by covering the page with a sheet of scrapbook paper from "Vintage Essentials"  The paper is like tissue paper.  It is very thin and fragile.  I used Matte medium to stick it to the page.  If you look close you can see in the bottom left corner, that the paper tore.  I figured this would be added texture and kept on going.  In the past, this would have made me think the page was ruined and I would have torn it out of the book.  So I am learning that sometimes mistakes add to the beauty of the finished picture.

Next, I used some stencils and distress inks to the background.  The stenciling was very subtle and you have to look close to see it.  I found the poem on Pinterest and typed it up.  I tore it out and used the same colors of distress inks on it.  I went around the edge with Walnut stain.

 I used  Sizzix Honeycomb die to cut a couple from cardboard.  Then I cut sections off of one of the die cuts and glued the two pieces together to give it this shape.  I added a couple of the punchout pieces of the die to the top.  I randomly coated the Honey come with Perfect Medium embossing ink.  Then I used a mixture of Antique Linen" and "Vintage Photo" distress embossing powder.  One I heated the embossing powder, I thought it looked like a pale yellow, which wasn't the look that I was going for.  So I went over it with Spiced Marmalade.  I glued the honeycomb to the page and added the bee using foam tape to make him pop on the page.  I added the flowers that I made using the Tattered Flower Garland Die.  I cute them from scrapbook paper and distressed them with a little Vintage Photo.  They are held together with a brad that I added a little bling to.  The leaves are from my Martha Stewart edge punch below. I use this a lot too.

So my cute little bee has found a home in my art journal.  Love him.

Would love to read your comments

Blocking Out The World For Just A Little While

This week has been filled with a lot of emotional turmoil and stress, both at home and work.  It seems to have really taken a toll on me.  So I blocked out the world by turning off my phone and shutting myself in my craft room to play for a while.

I have  had Dina Wakely's "Scribbly Birds" Stamps for a while and I have been dying to play with them.  They are so adorable! 

I inked the background with Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint distress inks using a blender tool.  Then I splashed water on it, let it sit for a minute and blotted it with a paper towel.  I went over the pages again with Peacock Feathers ink. Then I stamped the birds on white card stock.  I colored them with Tombow markers and blended the colors with a water brush. I used my white Signo pen to go around the eyes and to define the highlight of the eye.  Then I cut the Sizzix  Die "Branch w/Leaves" out of white card stock.  I cut three of these.  I used one for each page and the third one I cut in pieces to add more leaves and berries to the branches.  Notice the page with the bird facing front has more leaves behind the bird.

I colored the Branch's, leaves and berries with my Tombow markers.  Then I turned

the branches over on a piece of Fun Foam and used an embossing stylus to create lines in the leaves.  Afterwards I used a blending tool with "Tea Dye" ink over the leaves, berries and branches.  This was to give definition to the leaves and to tone down the bright color of the markers.  I glued the sections of branches and berries together and added the highlight to each berry with a white paint pen.

I cut my little birdies out and glued them on the branches.  I cut two tags using my trusty tag punch.

 

I LOVE this punch and use it ALL the time.  For the first tag, I glued a piece of scrapbook paper to some white card stock.  The second one, I cut the word "HOPE" from white card stock, using the Tim Holtz "Movers and Shapers" die.  Then I used the tag punch, centered it over the word and cut the second tag.  The one shown in this picture wasn't centered very well....oops.

I used Wild Honey and Spiced Marmalade Distress inks to color the "Hope" tag.  I distressed the newsprint tag with Vintage Photo and glued the two tags together.  I used a black Pitt Pen to outline the word Hope and give it a little more definition.  I distressed the edges of the tag, added an eyelet and a ribbon and glued it in my journal. I added the quote "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear" from the movie "The Hunger Games".  To finish I went around the edges of each page with Vintage photo" using a blending tool.

I would love to read your thoughts and comments.