Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Happy Spring!

I recently joined the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group. Like many other online groups, they host various challenges.  The one I am playing along with is the Making Art! Challenge #6, or MAC #6. The challenge was to create something green and with leaves. This morphed into a 3/3 ATC swap as well. I am excited to be participating in another ATC swap. (I think I might be addicted!)

I have been battling round 18 of the crud... I might be exaggerating. But seriously, this flu season has hit our house pretty hard. There hasn't been a time yet this winter where someone isn't feverish, coughing or oozing gross snot. I created this ATC, Happy Spring, in hopes that I might possibly be able to will spring to arrive for real (we received 8 inches of snow yesterday!).






Special thanks to Kim Schofield of Eclectic Paperie for shipping my Wendy Vecchi stamp lightening fast so I could participate in this challenge/swap.  ~Awesome!~


Friday, March 22, 2013

Made New

If you possibly missed it (perhaps you've been stranded on a deserted island for the last three weeks), Tim Holtz is having a little challenge on his blog: The Tattered Floral Challenge. The requirements are simple - create your own layered creation using the tattered floral die. The deadline is today!

I cut tattered flowers out of everything you can imagine. My work table looks like a floral explosion. It took me some time before I settled on a creative path. Of course the destination I had planned is not where I ended up.

I am also entering this piece in two other challenges:  Eclectic Paperie's March eTeam picks Challenge ~ Corrugated cardstock/cardboard and Our Daily Bread Designs weekly challenge ODBDSLC148 He is Risen- The true meaning of Easter (religious).


I was lead by the renewing power of Jesus' resurrection as we approach Holy week. My prayer is that you, dear reader, know this renewing power in your life. The most amazing gift from God is that this is not just a one time renewal, but a constant and continual renewing. I am but a broken woman who in my own power can only screw things up by my own selfish motivations. Through His power something beautiful, like flowers booming the springtime, are possible.


Thursday, March 14, 2013

March Calendar

I finished my February calendar for the The Kathryn Wheel 2013 Calendar Challenge. This is the month where I went two weeks without journaling. For the days I drew a blank on what happened, I journaled about making time to journal daily. I am finding that I journal regularly when I do it first thing in the morning.


I made my March calendar right on time, but am just now blogging about it (The Kathryn Wheel 2013 Calendar Challenge). The background came together quickly. There are so many things I like about this one: the vibrant colors, the background details, the bunny...

Too many techniques to list. I just kept adding more and more.

I love how the colors of the journaling squares pop against the background!

Adorable little bunny!

I used glue and velvet flocking on the sun rays. It came out great!
 
 

 
 


Friday, March 1, 2013

Compendium of Curiosities

Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3 hosted a weekly challenge on her blog called the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, or CCC. Every week she would select a technique for the challenge from Tim Holtz's book, A Compendium of Curiosities.
 
When I first came across these weekly challenges I did not own Tim's book. (hanging head in shame) But my mother-in-law came to the rescue and gave me his book for Christmas. Yay! Finally I could play along with the challenges!
 
The first week I played along was CCC # 26 - Rusted Grunge. This is one of my all time favorite tags that I have created thus far. LOVE.IT.
 
Rise Above
 
The next week I played along again! CCC # 27 - Distress Misting Masks
 
Valentine
 
 
Strong Lady
 
 
Great Guy
 
 
Alice in Wonderland
 
 
I had a fantastic time playing along with the weekly CCC. Having a week to work on and complete a project was more realistic given the commitments of my real life and the need to sleep more than 5 hours a night. I was sad to see the challenges end when I was just getting into it. Thank goodness Linda had something else up her sleeve... (love that lady, btw!)
 
 
 

Thursday, February 28, 2013

February Calendar

I made my February calendar for the The Kathryn Wheel 2013 Calendar Challenge and have been journaling in it all month. I took my sweet time posting it, though. The curse of the working mother: never enough time!



I snapped a picture of the page before I put all of the journaling blocks on it. I like how the texture and colors pop off the page. Although journaling on all those hills and valleys has been interesting.



I finished up the January calendar as well. The hardest part has been taking a few minutes to journal every single day. In February I went two weeks without journaling! I have a whole week of "not sure what happened on this day" entries. Sad face.



While I was at it, I also created a title page at the beginning of the book. I re-purposed a found holiday card for the focal image. It seemed a shame to let such a beautiful laser cut star go to waste. Happy face.



I worked on my March calendar last night and made a beautiful page that I am quite smitten with. I hope to get a picture of it posted in the next few days.


How It Started

Tim and I go way back. Almost back to the beginning... It was December 2007 and I came across a creative holiday marathon being hosted by Tim Holtz called the 12 Tags of Christmas. WoW! Tim's style was like nothing I had seen yet or since. The world of papercrafting was on the verge of being turned upside down by the inky, grungy, distressed style of the creative genius of Tim Holtz. I have been an admiring fan ever since!

Not only is Tim's artwork a joy to behold, but he SHARES HIS TECHNIQUES openly for the world to learn from. Following one of his tutorials or videos is like sitting shoulder to shoulder with him. I can't tell you how much I have learned from this man!

The product line that has been created around him is phenomenal! First in quality and second in how they all complement each other. From his Distress Inks, stamps, grunge papers, and embellishments. It's enough to put a working girl in the poor house, I tell ya!

In 2007 my scrapbooking stash consisted of the bare necessities. I was focused on scrapping my older son's school years and my younger son's baby stages. The papers and products I had at the time were focused on those subjects. Seeing Tim's tags was an explosion of my senses; textures, deep colors, shabby chic accouterments.

Playing along daily was not something I could realistically accomplish. Getting ready for Christmas is taxing enough without throwing in a major craft project every.single.day. using products I did not even have on hand. It was fun to log on every day and see what wonderfulness Tim had created overnight. But I had to limit myself...

At the end of the 12 Tags of Christmas, I selected the tag I liked the most and purchased the products needed for that project. That was Day 9 - hardware holiday. Peeled paint and fired brick still are my two favorite Distress Ink colors.



Not too bad for the first tag I ever made. The next year, for the 12 Tags of Christmas 2008, I did the same thing. This time I picked two days that were similar, Day 10 and Day 5. I mashed up the techniques between the two days and created a hybrid tag. I was still very controlled in my execution. A big part of the distress/grunge style is letting go and getting inky. Something I have had to learn to do.



Last year Tim finally came to his senses and launched the 12 Tags of 2012. He created one tag at the beginning of the month and gave participants the rest of the month to play along and get their artwork posted. Even still, I was only able to complete two of the monthly projects. (Still working on building up my Tim Holtz stash!) In February, Tim launched the new tag program. I was glad to have more time to get my supplies, learn the techniques, and make the tag.



I played along again in November. I found that I enjoyed the process much more with the relaxed time constraints. From the first tag in 2007 to this one I can see a lot of improvement. I am learning to use more ink and to add layers of stamps, color and/or texture.




I thank Tim Holtz for opening my eyes and my creative spirit to this art movement. I feel like there is still so much for me to learn, but I am enjoying every moment of it. Well, maybe not the checkbook balancing part.


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Butterfly Kisses

Here is the tag I made for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013 - February challenge. I just wasn't feeling the love, so I deviated ever so slightly off the path with kisses. There is nothing sweeter than giving and receiving butterfly kisses.

I struggled with this tag and still am not that pleased with it. I had numerous trials and errors. Some tags all but make themselves, while others have to be coaxed along. I enjoyed using my new Grunge Butterfly stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs and the companion stamps and die.

 
Leave a comment for a chance to win the ATC below. I will draw one random winner on Monday, March 4.
 



 




Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Green Paper Collage Challenge

One of the artists I have come to admire is Mary Green of Green Paper. Her vintage glue books are divine!

At the beginning of the month she would host a collage challenge on her blog. She would select a few images from her vast collection of vintage/antique ephemera and ask participants to create a piece of art using at least part of each of the images.

I played along a few times and really enjoyed it. You can go back through the older posts on her blog and pick up the collage sheets if you would like to give it a try.

Precious - February 2012 GPCC
Fly With Me - January 2012 GPCC
Promise to Wed - September 2011 GPCC

Mary is on a "Grand Tour" and hasn't hosted a monthly challenge for quite some time. I really miss her and hope she will come back soon.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Card Craze

I started scrapbooking after the birth of my second son nearly six years ago. The first page I made for his album was nice aesthetically, but I had a lot to learn about adhesives. In particular, the warping effect of liquid glue used in excess. I have learned since then, thankfully.

The next year I spent scrapbooking my older son's school accomplishments in preparation for his high school graduation. Hundreds of hours later I had two books bursting at the seams ready to display at his graduation open house. Whew!

After that marathon scrapbooking year I started dabbling in other paper arts and mediums. I can't tell you the last time I made a scrapbook layout. Another one of my goals for this coming year is to get back into documenting my family and enjoying the creative process more than I have before.

In 2009 I went on a card making jag. Everyone got a handmade Birthday card that year! Handmade Valentine cards? -Of course! Even handmade Christmas cards. (The recipient list was much shorter that year! LOL!) I still make my Christmas cards every year, but the Birthday cards and other holiday cards have all but ceased.

I can't say that I dislike making cards, per se. I made one last week for a RAK project. They just aren't the huge creative deal that making other art or scrapbook pages are for me. I don't even take a picture of them before I send them out.

That's the great part about paper arts - there are plenty of options and creative outlets for every passion. The creative journey is as much about learning what I do like as it is about what I don't like nearly as much.

So here are some pictures of the cards that I made that card crazy year...


Birthday card for my MIL


 Valentine card for my sweetie (Changito)

Valentine card for my little one
  
Masculine Birthday card
 
Another masculine Birthday card
 
Birthday card - recipient unknown
  
Father's Day card for my sweetie (I.Love.Changito!)
  
4th of July card for a Soldier

Birthday card for my SIL. (She didn't like that I put her age in such large numbers on the front of the card! LOL!)
  
Birthday card for my niece.
 
 
Thanks for looking!
 

 
 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Calendar Challenge

One of the goals I set for myself for 2013 is to make more art on a regular basis. What better way to accomplish that than a daily journal? The thought of keeping a daily art journal is a bit much for me to commit to this early in my creative journey. However, creating a monthly art calendar with daily journaling spots is just right. I am participating in The Kathryn Wheel 2013 Calendar Challenge. Here is my blank calendar for January.



I purchased a mixed-media art journal just for my calendars. I had a lot of fun picking the paper for the journaling spots and creating the background in complimentary colors. (By the way, PINK is my favorite color, if you haven't already guessed!) I think next month I will try smaller journaling spots so more of the background will be visible. Overall, I am quite pleased with how my first calendar turned out.

It has been challenging to journal every day. I try not to skip more than two days at a time. I like that I am forced to distill the most important memories of the day into a 2" square. At the end of the month I will post a picture of the completed calendar with the journaling blocks filled in. I have already started working on the calendar for February!


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Time Flies

For Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2013 - January challenge, I chose a theme related to time flying. Boy does it! When I look at my baby, in Kindergarten and about to turn 6, I wonder where the time has gone.
 
 
I pointed the clock spinner to "5" to remind me of this time with my little one... And I may tuck a little photo of him in the filmstrip later.

The deets: the embossing folder I used is from Cuttlebug. The Time Flies stamp set is from Graphic 45. All other items and products are from Tim Holtz. The Disress Ink colors I used were Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain. I colored the ribbon with Weathered Wood.

I stuck pretty close to Tim's demo on this one. Leave me a comment for a chance to win a Grungy Goodie Pack.

 
~*UPDATE*~
 
The winner of the Grungy Goodie Pack is:
Comment #6 - Tarnished Rose ~ Marilyn! Congratulations!!