Party Time Tuesday... A little late Love!

It's Party Time Tuesday!  Over at the Party Time blog, I am sharing a Pinterest-inspired project.  I love decorating my mantel and house for the holidays.  Valentine's Day needed some new decor so I searched Pinterest and found an adorable chevron/ arrow inspiration here.  This is the image that got me excited for my holiday banner!

These are made from paper and are hung from the molding... I wanted a banner to hang across my mantel area. So, I used felt, twine, and glue.  Here is my version:

 Isn't it adorable?  I love the color scheme... pink, red, aqua, grey, and ivory.  Just makes me smile!

 You can see how the banner is attached here... held on under a glass vase. LOL! I filled the vace with handmade arrows.  Thin wooden dowels, felt hearts, small chevrons with feathery edges, and washi tape.

 Found this baby at Michaels and painted it up with Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft's Textural Accents Chalkboard Paint and Gold paint.

 

So, to make this cutie banner, I cut chevron pieces out of the different colors... basically I made a cardboard tracer and folded the felt in half and cut half.  When I opened it, there was a perfectly symmetrical arrow shape. I used the same color on the front and back.  Put a little glue in the center and lay the twine between the layers. I spaced them out a bit to allow them to twirl as they wanted.  

 

Here you can see the pattern of color.

 

I made it too long so I cut a bit to drape over the chalkboard frame and added some to a wreath I made too!   I hope you liked the project!  Now, go on over the Party Time Tuesday Blog and participate in our Pinterest challenge!!!  You know you spend enough time over there on Pinterest, so have a party, make your own decor or art project based on inspiration you've pinned and link us up! You can win a prize! 

Party Time Wednesday... Friends

 Do you have a friend that no matter how long it's been between get togethers, you pick up right where you left off?  A friend who knows you and still wants to hang with you no matter what craziness you bring?  Well, I'm blessed to have a group of friends like this.  We just get each other... we just click when we hang out... we are bound by creating art but also because we just like being together.  We try to plan a girl's night out once a month (or more if possible) but we are all busy moms with busy lives.  We try to meet up when we can but if it is months between hang outs, we still just pick up where we left off.  I love these girls!

 My best friends are talented, beautiful, funny, real, truthful, and passionate.  They love their families and have real hurts and successes.  They mean so much to me!  This layout was made to celebrate them!

 I added Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® Gelatos® colors in Snow Cone, Watermelon, BubbleGum, Margarita, and Mango to the background.  I smudged them with my finger and added some water to create a more fluid look.  Once that dried, thick chevron washi tape was added and then papers and stickers.  Studio Calico stamps and cork embellishments were added. I LOVE cork!

Thanks for visiting!  Don't forget to visit the Party Time Tuesday blog for more inspiration from the other party planners!

Snow Day...

Today I'm sharing a layout that I did recently.  It's not for a design team or anything, just for me.  I was at a crop and wanted to challenge myself to use my stockpile of papers and kits that I never get to use because I usually have some deadline to meet.  It's so nice to sometimes have NOTHING to do except what you want to do.  I am thankful for the many DT positions with amazing companies and people that I have been on but sometimes it's refreshing to have no pressure... no deadline.  I felt renewed after doing this one!  Which makes it easier to be creative in my deadline work!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do and this is just an added bonus.  So, this layout started with a Studio Calico kit that was from December.  I cracked that baby open and dug into my stash of doilies.

 I also used some circle punches and border punch to create a fun border with a peek to another piece of paper beneath.

 Some Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® Glass Bead Glitter Gel through a dot stencil and some Glimmer Mist Glaze dripped around the page makes for some snowy looking texture.

 Loved this "december" stamp from Studio Calico.  I used Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® Stamper's Big Brush Pen in black.

 My stash of doilies had some really pretty snowflake-ish ones so I used them to continue the snow feel. Love this one from a shop on Etsy (can't remember which one...sorry).

These photos of my boys throwing snowballs on our first snow fall of the season is perfect for this page!  I added some epoxy dots, vellum, and glittery ribbon to complete the theme!

Thanks for letting me share this bonus layout with you!  Keep warm everyone and head on over to Party Time Tuesdays Blog for more inspiration!

Blog Hop with Scrapbooking From the Inside Out... Intention

It's blog hop time!  To celebrate this month's kit, Intention, we are sharing a layout from this month's kit that features our One Little Word for this year. One Little Word: Do you set an intention for the year, using the one little word concept or perhaps by making New Years resolutions? My word is CREATE and I "created" this layout with my intention to create a more healthful life, create more family time, create comfort and peace, create time for myself...

 

 Each year I pick a word, but I don't usually get very far exploring that word (or at least documenting it).  I lose interest after a month.  I am really going to try to stick with this word because it means so much to me.  I want to CREATE more opportunities for making art.  It applies to so much in my life.  I really am trying to create more healthy choices, family memories, and a more loving home.  I hope that it will stick with me this year.  This word just resonated with me right away.  I knew it was perfect for 2014!

Now, go forth and visit the other blogs listed below and leave comments for more chances to win an awesome prize!  SFTIO owner, Rachel is giving away a lovely eco-friendly SFTIO tote bag with artsy surprises inside.

Hop in this order:
Melissa
Me... you are here!
Stacey
Heather
SFTIO Blog Rachel

Leave a comment on here to be eligible for a prize. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win. You must comment by 9 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday and the winner will be announced Monday.  

Winner and a Journal page

Sorry I'm late in announcing the winner of the Faber-Castell Mixed Media journal... A random chooser picked... Mallrat!  Shoot me an email so I can mail this out to you!

Okay, now to share another page in my board journal!  This is a page full of fun collage details...

 

I created a "skin" from a photocopied image of a moth with 8 layers of gel medium. It takes awhile because you have to wait for each layer to dry before adding more.  A stamped circle that is embossed with glitter embossing powder by WOW Embossing powders makes a great base for the moth.  I also whitewashed the page with watered down Gesso (I used Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® Textural Accents Gesso, Whipped Spackle, and Gel Medium on this page.).

 Some sketched circles with a PITT® Artist pen and word stickers and little tiny doily finishes up this page!

I love this page for it's texture and neutral color scheme.  Lots of fun techniques make it one of my favorites!  Thanks for visiting... more to come!

Art Journal page

 Usually, I post techniques on the various blogs of the design teams I'm honored to be on, but one of my resolutions is to post more on my own blog.  I am going to do this through the help of my participation as a designer with Party Time Tuesdays Challenge Blog.  It's a goal and I'm hoping I can stick with it!
So, today, I have a fun page I did in my Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft mixed media board journal.  Below, I have detailed the process!  Leave me a comment below by Friday, January 31st by midnight EST and I'll pick a winner of a Mixed Media Journal book for your own art!

          I started with cutting a piece of patterned paper to fit half the size of the page.  I ripped one edge and adhered down with some Textural Accents Gel Medium.

 Next I used some Washi tape (Lord knows I have too much of it!) to create 4 lines of varying lengths.  I like that the washi tape is easy to rip and also easy to remove when I'm done!

 Now, time to get your fingers dirty!!!  See my dry and messy fingers?

 Using Banana, Mango, Tangerine, Squid Ink, and Blood Orange colored Gelatos, randomly apply and smear with your fingers or foam applicator (if you can't stand to get your fingers dirty... which I love to do!)

 Peel off the tape and dispose.  You are left with masked areas that are white and patterned paper. 

 See?

Next, I stamped words of inspiration using WOW! stamps and Fiskars sets and Versamark ink.  Using WOW black and white embossing powders, I created contrasting sides of words.

The embossing powder will act as a resist for the drips of Gelato spray that you will apply next.  I like to grudge up my page a bit with drippage.  See this post for directions on how to create sprays from Gelatos.  The Gelato mist Kit is awesome for all that you need for this process!

 There is so much you can do with these books and Gelatos, that I'm sure you will have a blast playing!  Remember to leave a comment and you could win a Journal book!   I will announce the winner on Feb. 1st!

Party Time!

I'm excited to announce the first challenge on the NEW Party Time Tuesday blog! We are kicking off the new year with a challenge!  So excited to a part of this team!

Here's my take on the challenge.  I love these colors and this layout from a previous Scrapbooking From the Inside Out kit fit the bill perfectly!  I love this layout of my mom and I!

Please visit our new blog and create a challenge project for a chance to win a prize!  Check out the other DT member's blogs too!

Empathy

I am so honored to be asked back to the Scrapbooking From The Inside Out design team again!  The first kit that I get to work with is January's Empathy kit!  It's full of gorgeous goodness!

I created five layouts with this kit this month!  I still have product left and might even create a few more before January is out... Here is the link to my first blog post detailing this layout:

Happy New Year 2014- One Little Word

Happy New Year!  I can't say that 2013 was awful but it was stressful and crazy fast!  I can't believe we are already into 2014!  Time is speeding up as I get older.  I have a few things to share on this 1st snow day of the year!  Yep, we are having an arctic cold snowy day... So, I will catch up on blog posting today.

My word of 2014 is going to be:

I want to focus on 

CREATing a happier home

CREATing a healthier me

 CREATing more Art for ME

CREATing memories and documenting them

CREATing blog posts

CREATing opportunities for growth

CREATing more love in my marriage

CREATing schedules that include "me time"

CREATing laughter

CREATing solutions rather than problems

I even made a bracelet cuff with my word on it to remind me of these goals...

 

I will be posting more here on this blog with projects, techniques, and links to my other DT blog posts!  Here's to 2014 and CREATING lots of art and memories!