Mixed Media Mojo September Challenge

It is the first of the month and time for a new monthly challenge on Mixed Media Mojo.  The challenge this month is Back to School with the added element of Book Pages.

Yes today is the day our students go back to school.  We can't start school until September 1.  I remember when we started in August.  Of course, the weather is going to be very hot and very muggy for the first days.  The poor teachers with all those smelly bodies in the classroom.

I decided to make a small canvas.

The canvas is covered with book pages.  A layer of gesso was added to the book pages.  The yellow color is a combination of two distress inks.  I love how the color turned out.  I have accumulated many dictionaries so I cut the definition of "teach" out of several of them to place on the canvas.  The A, apple and notebook edge were cut with my Silhouette.  I colored them with paint and then used Brushed Corduroy distress ink to add color/shading to the letter and apple.  I had also used the ink on the yellow.  Everything was adhered to the canvas with gel medium.  Embossing paste was added in two corners for some extra texture.  I then dug out my rub ons and started adding them to the canvas.

 I struggled with this challenge but I am very happy with how the canvas turned out.  I believe it will be a gift to a couple I know who are both teachers.

Please come join us on Mixed Media Mojo with our current challenge.

Mixed Media Mojo June Challenge

How did it get to be June 1 already?  May was a super busy month for me if you will notice I had very few posts on my blog.  I did do something creative which I will share this week.  I just have not had the time to post.

But June 1 means it is time for a new challenge on the Mixed Media Mojo challenge blog.

Summer can mean many things.  For me, it means flowers.  I love to watch the different flowers bloom throughout the summer.  A tealish color is one of my favorite colors in all shades so I chose to do my project in that monochromatic color scheme.

I bought two bottles of acrylic paint - a light shade and a dark shade.  I had a embossing enamel called sea glass and the teal pleated canvas trim which is along the bottom.

The tag is a Paper Smooches die.  The tag is made from painted book page.  I stamped over the tag with a background stamp with a Hero Arts teal colored ink.  The sentiment is from Dina Wakely.  I thought it was very appropriate for the new path I am taking in my life in July - retirement.

The flowers are a combination of purchased flowers and handmade flowers.  Starting on the upper right side the two little flowers were white felt which I painted.  The large flower was a book page that was painted front and back and I cut out a flower with my Silhouette and layered it together.  The polka dot flower was also cut with the Silhouette from patterned paper.  The next light teal flower was also cut with the Silhouette.  The last three flowers were in my flower stash and I just added acrylic paint to make them coordinate.

The lace trim with the polka dot paper woven through was actually cream colored.  I put the lace in a watered down acrylic paint and let it dry.

The canvas board was painted with gesso and then acrylic paint.  The floral background is a Hero Arts background stamp.  I inked it with VersaMark and used Sea Glass Enamel powder from the Rubber Cafe.  Unfortunately it did not stamp all the way across but it is amazing what the tag and flowers can cover.

The upper left corner seemed off balance so I used some scalloped die cuts.  Inked them with VersaMark and used the Sea Glass enamel on them.

I then started layering.  The tag does have a double layer of foam tape on the back so it pops up a little higher.  Luckily I had those sparkly dots in my supplies which matched perfectly and were used for flower centers and on the tag.

I really love how the canvas turned out.  I now want more of that enamel in different colors.

Come join us at Mixed Media Mojo this month and create a summer mixed media project.

Creativity - Mixed Media Canvas

The monthly challenge on the Faber Castell blog by Mou is CREATIVITY. How are you creative, your favorite creativity quote, is creativity your life style or just a hobby... whatever it means to you, create a project around the idea of creativity.

Being creative is such a wonderful part of my life.  It brings some beauty to each day that I am able to create.  It eases some of the hardness of the day or makes a good day even better.  But everyone will tell you I work in a mess.  A horrible mess so I thought this quote was quite appropriate for me.

Creativity is messy and I am very creative.  

This is a 5 x 7 canvas that I gessoed.  I added several shades of paint on top of the gesso.  I took the Tim Holtz splatter stencil because I thought it looked messy to add the brighter orange color on the back.  I added some blue paint through another stencil.  The flower was cut with my Silhouette.  I needed something to ground my sentiment.  The sentiment was generated on the computer and colored with watered down paint.  I stamped the circles and colored them green.  I added texture paste through a stencil in several locations on the stencil.  On top of the black flower I brushed a layer of Glitter and Bead Gel.  It really sparkles.  

Thanks for stopping by.  I did enjoy my creative therapy this week end.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

I have a great 6 x 6 pad from Authentique with beautiful fall colors in it.  I have had this paper for awhile.  I did not look for the year on it.  I cut the leaves with my Silhouette and also the thankful phrase.

I used some old background stamps to add texture to my leaves.  I believe one is from Penny Black and the other from Hero Arts.  I always have a supply of doilies in my doily drawer.  I used some tea to stain them a brownish tint.  The embellishments have been hanging out in my box for quite awhile also.  A little inking around the edges of the leaves and the sentiment plus I used the Tim Holtz distresser on the edges of the layers.

Thankful - so many things to be thankful for - family is one of the biggest ones, health and our friends.

Enjoy your Monday.  Spending the day with a friend.  We are going to shop till we drop today.

Paper Smooches Spark Challenge and Oldie Moldie Monday Collide

Monday - time to show some love to your old supplies.  I needed to make a get well card for my granddaughter.  She had to have her tonsils out on Sunday.  This is not something you want to do at any age - but at the age of 18 - it is not fun.

I decided to play the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge - Anything Goes.

I got out some American Crafts paper that has a date of 2012 on it.  Not as well aged as some of my supplies.  I love the bright cheerful colors in the 6 x 6 pad. Teal is one of Emily's favorite colors.  I paper pieced the balloons.  After cutting out a shape that you have stamped, always run a black marker around the edge.  It gives your cut a neater finish.  The get well sticker is from SRM Stickers. The white border was cut with my Silhouette.  The yellow ribbon is from May Arts and it was just laying there on the floor waiting to be used.

I don't know if I like the enamel dots on the card but there was so much white space.

If you wish to buy your own Paper Smooches stamps, just pop over to their online shop.

Remember to show some love to your old supplies.  They do still make beautiful creations.

Happy Monday - is it Friday yet?

Design Team Post

I did my first tutorial as a Design Team Member for the Mixed Media Mojo Challenge blog.

Please stop over and let me know what you think of my step by step - I know I need to take more pictures next time.

Make sure you enter the monthly challenge which is Fall and to use embossing paste.

Messing Around with Mixed Media

I have been doing bunches of messing with canvas, paint, gelatos, gesso, stencils, embossing paste, my Silhouette Cameo.  I have been having fun.

I had this lovely purplish paper bag so I glued it to my canvas with gel medium.  Isn't that pretty.

The I started layering all kinds of things on top of that pretty paper.

then some more stuff.

I believe at this point I laid a stencil over the top and dabbed teal paint through it.  It just adds another dimension to the canvas.  I then cut a flower and words with my Cameo Silhouette.  I painted them.

So once again I started adding layers, rub ons, embossing paste that I colored.  It did not turn out as bright as I wanted so I added paint in bright pink.  I then decided I needed to add a little white to balance the white in the letters.  Oh - I also added glitter.  Now do you want to see the final result.  I sure hope so.

Here it is.  I am sending this to a young lady who I am so proud of.  She has accomplished so much and overcome some bumps on the road.  I know she will appreciate this.

I am going to enter this in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog where the challenge is to Go Boldly.  It is very vibrant.

Thanks for stopping by.

Fall Is Approaching

I am in the mood to make fall cards.  I had found some vellum with scattered leaves on it so wanted to use it on a card.  Of course once you layer things on it, you don't see many of the leaves on the vellum as on this card.

I used the weekly sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - I liked all the layers.

I have a packet of paper (old packet) from Cosmo Cricket - the colors are great.  The package has stickers with it so I decided to use some of those for my layers.  The sentiment and the arrow are part of the collection.  The vellum and greenish square of pattern paper is just stitched to the under layer of red.  The leaf is cut with my Silhouette.  

One more fall card done.  I think I will send this to my Mom - she is such a blessing to all of us.  

Come back tomorrow for a fun announcement.

Another Friday Unity Creation and Mixed Media Mojo Tag

It is Friday - time for Friends with Flair on the Unity Blog.  I used a couple stamps from Unity.  The poppy image and the sentiment.  I used bright colors - they should make you "feel the joy".

The tag was cut by hand using a pattern from the Silhouette.  It is multi media paper with magazine page on top of it.  The two were adhered together with gel medium.  The magazine page was covered with gesso - I tried to achieve an ombre look with yellow, orange and red gelatos.  The image was stamped in Versamark and white embossing powder was used.  The same was done with the sentiment.  Some embossing paste was put through a stencil at the top of the tag.  I used another stencil to add some white squares with a Big Pen.  I used the end of a pen to add some pink dots to a couple places on the tag.  The bottom fringe is a piece of dictionary page that was gessoed and colored with gelatos.  I then pleated it and added to the bottom of the tag.  When I added this to the tag - it took an angle.  I added a layer of cord which was the perfect colors and then pop dotted the sentiment above the cord.  So the bottom elements are not straight but I think that is OK - I had better think - it is OK since I really can't do anything about it at this point.

I am entering this into the monthly challenge at Mixed Media Mojo where the challenge is to make a tag.

I am not sure what I will do with the tag.  It may go on a card.

Have a good Friday.

Tag You're It - Let's Try It

There is a new challenge blog - Tag You're It - and you make tags - clean and simple tags.  I do hope it is clean and simple - I do struggle with that.  They give you a tag that you take your inspiration from.  Here is the tag to inspire you.  It is beautiful.

The inspiration I am taking from this picture/tag is the hello and the flower.  I cut my shapes with the Silhouette and it is a small card in the shape of a tag.  It is going to my young friend in Australia.  Looking forward to seeing her in the fall when she returns and learn about all her adventures.

I off set my flower so that the white showed underneath it to pick up the white of the hello and also the center of the flower.  I layered 3 cuts of the flower together to have it be off the card base without using dimensionals.  I chose the colors because teal and pink are two of her favorite colors.  I added the pearls to pick up the color of the yellow strip I added on the bottom.  The paper is from American Crafts.

Operation Write Home and Our Daily Bread Designs

Every month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors a challenge on the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog.  For each 25 cards - up to 50 cards - they will pay the postage on two boxes of cards being sent overseas.  How wonder is this.  Postage adds up so fast for a non profit such as OWH and the shipping of the cards overseas.  This month the challenge is stars.

I decided to use my Silhouette to cut my design.  Everything but the stamped sentiment and the stripe across the middle came from one file I purchased from the Silhouette Online Store.  It was hard picking the colors I wanted to use.

I think I am going to use that background for a stencil.  The Silhouette has so many wonderful files that are so versatile.  Last Friday - if you want to scroll back - I made a shaped card - the shape was a large spool of thread.

Well everyone enjoy your Sunday.

Anything Goes With Paper Smooches

Can you believe it is Wednesday and I am posting a card to the Paper Smooches Sparks weekly challenge?

The challenge this week is Anything Goes.  Those are good challenges. This week I needed to make a card for a bridal shower.  I always struggle with cards for bridal showers - what do you use.  I guess anything goes.

I have been taking the Online Card Class - Stretching Your Stamps.  The first two classes are on using your background stamps.  You ask - what does that have to do with this card.  Well - I did s background and used a rainbow background.  I liked the background so well I decided just to make rainbow watercolor background for my card.  I had this die cut sitting around so I thought why not use that for part of the front of my card.  I then used the dies that coordinate with Denim and Daisies to cut all my flowers.  I had colored watercolor paper in the same colors as my rainbow background.  I thought the sentiment was very appropriate to the background and for a bridal shower card.  

I need to find some heavier vellum.  I guess I will put that on my card making shopping list.  If you wish to shop for your own stamps from Paper Smooches pop over to their store.  

Well time to get ready for bed.  

Keep It Simple Sticker Card

I have found a new challenge blog and have played along a couple times.  It is called Keep It Simple.  I struggle doing simple cards.  I love to do lots and lots and LOTS of stuff on a card.  The post office loves me - I think personally card makers will keep the post office in business with the extra money we spend on postage to mail our cards.

The current challenge at Keep It Simple is to use stickers.  I have two favorite sticker companies.  SRM Stickers have the best sentiment stickers and they also have some small images (the daisy on this card is from SRM Stickers along with the sentiment).  Penny Black also has wonder image stickers which help you make a great card very easily.  The card at this link uses a Penny Black sticker image and a SRM sentiment.

As I said I struggle with CAS cards.  I have thousands of sheets of white card stock which are recycled from commencement programs.  It cuts down on my cost so much.  The card base and the dry embossed card front are recycled card stock.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the flower shape in the center of my front.  After it was cut out I dry embossed the front.  I did cut 3 flowers out of regular white card stock with no texture on it.  They are layered together to add just a little dimension to the flower.  I colored the top layer with Copics.  I then glued it in opening.  I had used all the big sentiments on a Thank You sticker sheet from SRM Stickers and have all these daisies left over so wanted to find a way to use them.  I thought I needed a pop of color so added the pinkish red mat and also put my daisy sticker on top of it.  The sentiment and daisy are pop dotted for some extra dimension.  I added a pearl in the center of the daisy.  Thank you card done.  I kept it simple or at least simple for me.

Everyone enjoy your Sunday.  I must go to the grocery store and clean my card making area since I am taking the Stretch Your Stamps Online class.  Looking forward to it.  I never thought you could take an online card class - well - I prefer to take an online class from this group than to go to a in person class.  Fantastic value for your money.

Paper Smooches Snowman Greetings

Once again, I am sliding in at the last minute with my card for the weekly challenge at Paper Smooches Spark Challenge blog.   

This week it is their Designer Drafts Challenge - or sketch challenge for July.  It is a cute sketch.

Of course, I had to add lots of layers.  Lots and lots of layers.  I was hoping the white and kraft will offset the business of the patterned paper.  It is time to start on those holiday cards so I found one of Paper Smooches wonderful snowmen for the card.  Instead of the scalloped edge on the picture, I cut a scalloped frame with my Silhouette Cameo and offset it from the picture.  The snowman and greeting are pop dotted for some dimension.

I am hoping there is a new set of snowmen coming out this year from Paper Smooches but in the meantime you can go shop at their store and fine other great stamps and die sets.

Well now that I have had some paper therapy it is time to go outdoors and get some dirt therapy.  The flower beds need a little attention.  Enjoy your Saturday.

Big Hugs

I have not done the Clean and Simple Stamping Challenge for such a long time.  I really like the design of the card.

My card only has a stamped sentiment on it.  I used my Silhouette to cut the circle designs from white or cream paper and I then colored then with Copics.  The background paper is a patterned paper with a little design in it.  I glued the big heart circles onto the card front and then I dry embossed it with an embossing folder.  I always feel that when I do that my die cuts are very glued to the card front.  Since this card will be for Operation Write Home, it needs to travel lots of miles and I want to make sure everything stays stuck.  I stamped the sentiment on the same patterned paper as the background.  It is pop dotted on the card front along with a few more circles.  The one circle looks like an olive to me.  I am really happy with how it turned out.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Friday Mashup Word Bubble

The weekly challenge on Friday Mashup always has three options with it:.  This week it is color, word bubble, or color and word bubble combined.  I seem to always forget the second part of the challenge.

My Silhouette Cameo can cut so many different shapes and I love all the different word bubbles I can but.  I found this design.  I had to size it down so it would fit on an A2 card.  My card is slightly smaller than 4.25 inches.  The white and purple are both recycled cardstock from commencement programs.  I have lots of this paper - especially the white so I make my own white cardbases all the time.  I stamped a couple sentiments to pop on top of the word bubble.  I cut out a couple little hearts to add around the sentiments.

This card will go in my next Operation Write Home box.

Washi Tape Hello

When I saw this sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch I immediately thought of washi tape.  What do you think of when you see this sketch?

I did two version of the card.  The first card the washi tape was lined up on the right side.  On the second card I offset all the tape more like the sketch.  I guess when you work with sketches you can do just about anything  as long as it looks like the sketch.  I added some dry embossing with my Cuddlebug.  I am always afraid washi tape will come unstuck so I usually emboss it.  I figure it is stuck forever to that cardstock now.

The first card I am also entering in the current challenge on Stars and Stamps Operation Write Home card blog.  Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors a monthly challenge.  The will pay the shipping for a maximum of two boxes of cards to our Heroes.  The cardmakers just have to make 50 cards for that to happen.  I don't think we have not gotten two boxes shipped each month.  The challenge this month is to use a die cut.  The Hello on the top card was cut with my Silhouette.

Well Happy Tuesday to you.

Oldie Moldie Monday and Friday Mashup Collide

When I saw the challenge on Friday Mashup - I got so excited.  Mix patterned paper.  Sometimes I think I am the queen of combining patterned paper.

We have a new co worker starting in the office.  Several years ago I started making monkey cards for the new employee and leaving it on their desk for their first day.  Welcome to the jungle is what it says on the inside.

I am slowly working on this 6 x 6 pad of Basic Grey paper.  I don't seem to get more than one card made a week out of it.  Busy times here and lots of cards to make.  I finished up a canvas this week for a graduation present and am working on a wedding card for this upcoming week end.

Here is my card with lots of layers of patterned paper.  How many layers are on it?  There are only six layers on this card.  What is your record for layers on a card.

The monkey is from Stampendous.  The patterned paper is from Basic Grey.  I cut the hello from recycled card stock and glued 4 layers together so it has some dimension.  After I glued them together, I used the pile on lots of weight to make sure it dried flat.  The card is a little smaller than the standard A2.  I like it when you can let an element hang over the edge of your card.

Everyone enjoy your Monday.  Another day of peddle to the metal this week at work and home.

Oldie Moldie Monday

On Sunday we had an event in Milwaukee for Operation Write Home to introduce people to the organization and making cards for our Heroes.  I made some kits to work on while I was at the event.  I did use some of my supply of paper.  Here is one kit.

The sentiment is a digital designed by Paula - an active Operation Write Home cardmaker.  She has several other digitals on her site.  I have a file saved with 6 of these on a sheet.  They fit perfectly in a spellbinders circle die I have.  I cut my other circles with the Silhouette - so much faster.

Here is my next kit.

This is a birthday card (duh - that is pretty obvious).  The paper is from Imaginisce.  I have an entire of birthday paper so I need to make some more cards out of it.

Too bad it is Monday.  The week ends go so fast.

National Scrapbooking (no Cardmaking) Day

Today is National Scrapbooking Day but I am going to rebel and make cards.  Well at least a couple cards.

This card is for the ODBD (Our Daily Bread Designs) monthly contest on Stars and Stripes (Operation Write Home Card Blog).  For each 25 entries ODBD pays for the shipping for a box of cards to our Heroes overseas.  We are trying to reach 50 posts today.  Here is my card for the challenge - embossing.   I chose to do dry embossing.

I cut the flower from cardstock with my Silhouette and colored it with Copics.  The patterned paper is from a 6 x 6 pad from Lawn Fawn.  I glued the flower to white cardstock and embossed it.  It basically melts your design in the cardstock.  Since I could not find any cardstock to match the blue of the flower, I colored my own paper for my sentiment and to be the base layer for my patterned paper.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

Thanks for stopping by.  I really need to do something productive in the way of housework.  I did gather all my plastic bags together - OMG - I have a trunk full - you can recycle them at Walmart and that is my first stop tomorrow to get rid of all those bags.

Enjoy the remainder of your day.