Mixed media canvas in the making

First of all, let me apologize for not being around. As you already know, I had been working on costumes but another unexpected event happened. A long-time family friend passed away and I have been in charge of managing the estate. So instead of bringing this down, let's just say I have been busy.

I did manage to finally get all the costume pieces out of my house. We did a quick trial run at the Urban Paradise festival at Riley's dance school last weekend. Here is a peek. I can finally breathe and can come up from "Under the Sea."

Now onto the canvas. I have yet to finish but I will walk you though how I am making this as I go along. A bit different than the way I usually show you things as completed projects. You'll have to excuse the photos as I took them with my phone.

First I started off with a 6" canvas panel. I've had a ton of these since Quick Quotes started making canvas projects several years ago. They get to be really cheap at Cheap Joes or Dick Blick (online). These are pre-gessoed and the sheet on top is a piece of left over pattern paper. I chose not to go with designs on the paper. I use the Tracy Bautista collage medium because I wanted to try it and it was cheaper than Mod Podge. It works well. So I squirted it onto the canvas and used a stiff brush to paint it on across the entire surface. See that wrinkle/fold? I left that and you'll see why. This all creates texture in the piece. I don't care for the brown pattern paper so I reapplied gesso on top so I'd have a white surface for brighter colors.

I then use watercolors to paint the sky and grass. The fold that I created was used as the line for the top of the grass.

I used Stamping Bella's clothes line and accessory stamps with Stazon ink. Don't worry about the messy stamping as we will cover up some of it later.

I used a new Hero Arts background stamp with chalk ink to emboss the impression with American Craft's Zing embossing powder. While wet, you may apply another layer of powder for extra dimension after you heat the first layer.

Here is where my mess began. I used another shade of Zing embossing powder and a Stamping Bella texture stamp to give the grass dimension. On top of that is Glitter Ritz glitter.

Use a stiff brush to wipe away the excess. It was a little too sparkly for me, so I applied collage medium on top of it. Not only to make sure it wasn't going anywhere but to dull it down. If you've ever worked with Glitter Ritz you know how wonderful and vibrant this glitter is. 

If you look close enough, I used another Stamping Bella background stamp (bubble wrap) in the sky. It is clear so it is difficult to see in this photo. To make it pop a bit more, I added a little bit of ink on top as a resist and some to the grass as an accent.  I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted because my blue ink was too dark, so I shot some Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist onto the canvas. If you find that it is too dark in spots, wipe them away or even spritz with water to remove. Then I covered the piece with another layer of collage medium.

I cut a circle (My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose) and applied collage medium to the canvas. Next I put the circle on top and trimmed. Another layer of medium was used to seal the circle in. I next used a Close to My Heart glue pen (back from when I was a rep) and sprinkled yellow Glitter Ritz around my sun. 

 Finally my last step for today (I am waiting for my mom to call me to pick them up from the airport after a 3 week trip. . . they could almost be done clearing customs). . . was to add Dew Drops as my sun rays. Actually these are from Cat's Pajamas. 

I will be back with part 2 on Monday!

Creative Scrapper's January Challenge

I felt like mixing things up a bit and in my de-stashing mode, I needed to hit the challenge sites. I found Creative Scrappers and decided to take a lift for a whirl. Here is my take on the sketch 139 below.

 Here is the photo under the flap.

Materials: My Mind's Eye paper and rubons, Prima flower and flower centers, Tim Holtz die and inks, Diamond Glaze, Diztress it all.

Spring mini album

Here is a tag album I created for the XOXO design team challenge for the month of June. The album is a bit larger than 4x6. Each tag was designed and cut on the Pazzles. I used alcohol inks to color some of the bling butterflies. Traced over the Crate Paper rubons to make them black (vs brown). You know the drill. . .Prima flowers, My Mind's Eye paper.

More Sampler goodies

What did I do for Mother's Day? I stayed in and scrapped of course. Here's a layout I did with the 7gypsies fleur de lys paper that is in the May Sampler kit. Then with the remaining TPC Studios stickers I created the background mat for the photo. There are three border stickers which I cut apart. One contained flowers which I cut down and placed one in the middle of each Prima flower set. Then I cut out some butterflies and gave that a bit of a 3D effect by sticking down the middle and using a bit of powder to take the tackiness of the adhesive off the sides of the wings so they would not stick. I also popped the flower and butterfly on the "carefree" sticker as well. I left the Cosmo Cricket letters alone to go with the black Making Memories frame.

She sure doesn't look too happy in this shot. Once I got the settings correct she wasn't cooperating. I told Riley to sit by the window and she sat right up against it. Anyways, I took the American Crafts fabric paper again and tore them into 1-1/2" strips (x12"). Then I sprayed each with Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist. I put one aside. Then I sprayed the other two with Seafoam and placed one aside. And finally sprayed the last one with Patina. I dried them with the heat gun and could see it gave it a bit more curl. Next I did the twist and spiral. I first created a bit of a perfect rose center then did a carefree twist of the fabric and spiraled it around.  A bit of hot glue on the back held the roses together while I figured out what I was going to do with them. Then I just cut a small rectangle of the fabric, grabbed a headband. I glued the roses on then I placed some glue on the rectangle and sandwiched the headband in between. Riley really loves headbands so I just may have to go out and get more of the fabric paper because my fabric straps tend to be too busy for something like this.

I started this mini album for Riley's Musical Theater Summer Camp. I used Summer Song from My Mind's Eye. You'll only get to see the cover because I obviously haven't finished the album. On the cover is a really old My Mind's Eye Bohemia "Summer" rubon. I also used the letters to spell out "camp" from another set of Bohemia rubons. And I got the glittered musical notes and stars on Friday at the MeriMeri sale. I think it was $0.25 a pack. I finished off the cover with Cosmo Cricket tiny type letters in the Sampler kit and added ribbon and trim.

Lipstick Chicks design team

Last week prior to leaving for my trip to Utah, I found out I had been selected as one of the new designers @ XOXO. I came home to find out I was soon approaching the layout deadline. So here's the layout I produced. Plus before I forget, try lifting one of the pages from the design team to win a prize from this month's sponsor, Color Me Miki.

I used every item on the challenge list. Here is my supply rundown for "You Make My Heart Soar" layout:

12" square cut from my husband's old jeans
Spray starch
Making Memories Varnish Floral Findings CS (it's like an oil cloth finish)
My Mind's Eye Signature Life - Golden Locks CS
Pink Paislee Black letter rubons
Jenni Bowlin floral rubons
Stazon  Jet Black
Distress Ink
Glimmer Mist: Red Velvet, Peach Delight, Patina, Seafoam, Cosmos
Prima felt (bird/branch)
Oriental Trading copper brads
Making Memories Birds and Bees charms (used the bird w/ heart and two butterflies)
Glitz Girls Distress script stamp
Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die
Book pages from left over altered book project
Making Memories velvet die cut ribbon
Lace applique scrap
Creative Imaginations heart bling
Pazzles
House of 3 negative frame
Font: Dafont Vintage

I like to use my husband's jeans for layouts and have a stack of 12" squares ready to use. I keep the pockets as well. I starch the squares then iron them. I then sprayed a coat of Glimmer Mist Patina on the denim so that it would match the paper. Stamped the script with Stazon and placed on the bottom. I contemplated doing the entire thing but it would have really gotten lost in the design (although already light). The background brackets were cut with the Pazzles. I used a wet adhesive to put the paper on the denim.

The flowers were sprayed with the five colors of Glimmer Mist, dried with a heat gun then crumpled. Sprayed the applique scrap with Peach Delight. Layered the ribbons then placed the felt and cut the pieces so I wouldn't waste any under the photo. As for the picture, I used House of 3 Negative frame and added my title to the photo prior to printing; matching the font colors with the colors in the floral paper. Then I finished off the title with rubons.

Prepping for Utah!

I'm heading out to Utah for the Making Memories warehouse sale. I still haven't packed but making a mental note on things we should do. I'm kind of bummed that it's going to rain the entire time. Oh well. It'll rain here at home too. Anyways, I think I'm so excited to go that I'm not in the mood to scrap. I did manage to pull out one layout before we leave.

Since My Mind's Eye is right up the road from Making Memories, I pulled that out with wishful thinking of stopping by and they too having a sale. Random bits and pieces including tags from Riley's pair of Converse.

Shimelle.com weekend crop

Here is a layout I just completed for the online crop challenge at Shimelle.com. This was for the digital brushes challenge. I used a kit from Little Dreamer Designs to document our trip to the American Doll store in LA.

Next was a quickie. I had to use 4 squares for the background. Actual paper layout. My Mind's Eye, Distressed Ink, Creative Imaginations, and Distrezz it all. Seriously this took five minutes if that because there are so many challenges I have to complete.

Today was opening day for Riley's softball team, which btw still has no name.  Most of my time really went into changing the colors of the kit. The challenge was to create a layout that uses two-4x6 photos. I'm not one for blocky layouts but I needed to change it up a bit and journal.

I am into my 3rd Redbox movie tonight doing these layouts. We've watched Astroboy, Chipmunks, and now I am watching Brothers. Everyone is asleep. So I'm ready with my 5th layout for this evening. How can anyone not love Mickey! I think I need to do a whole album of this now. This was for a lift challenge where we had 4 layouts to choose from.


Ok one last layout for the night. The movie is now over and I guess I should go to sleep.

Fabric scraps on layout

Now that I can sew a straight line (or a line at all), I decided to use the left over fabric for a layout from Riley's skirt that my mom made for her. Remember the one she said I could pass off as my own work? Yeah we don't need to mention how it got me in trouble when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade. She had written my essay on world peace for school. It was so damn good that I had to read it in two school assemblies. Guess that's why I can write a paper now and get an A even though I have no real clue on the subject. But I won't be doing that again any time soon.

I used Prism cardstock (left over from Memory Works retreat), May Arts twill, Oriental Trading brads, My Mind's Eye "today" cardstock saying, American Crafts acrylic letters, Zip Dry, and Maya Road rubons. Oh and the fabric was from JoAnn's. I wanted to originally make Riley's American Doll Riley (I can't believe she named her doll after herself but it is what it is) a matching skirt but there wasn't enough length.

De-stashing mode

I've really been in a de-stashing mode. I get tired of looking at the same paper. Maybe it's not de-stashing that I need to do but reinvent how I use product. 1) I am horrible at using up scraps. I am a scrap creator; a mess maker. 2) I get bored looking at the same old thing. Seriously (2) comes probably from ordering a lot of stuff wholesale just to get the discount. My bad. So here's my take on using scraps and recreating a new me/using the tools I have at hand.

I used My Mind's Eye, BoBunny, Pink Paisley, Prima and K&Company. No big surprise there.

Last night's layouts

Here are two pretty quick layouts I did last night. The first uses My Mind's Eye. The second is a combination of Bazzill, Basic Grey, Best Creations, Copic airbrushing, Hamptom Arts, Glimmer Mist.

Saturday morning layout

Riley stayed over with her paw paw last night so I got up and started scrapping. Here's another fabric layout. I cut the bracket shape with the Pazzles (I just love this bracket and I know you see it all the time from me) on My Mind's Eye cardstock and the fabric. Then I layered striped fabric behind the photo as well as Prima packaging. Put on some leaf ribbon I got the other day at the sewing show and made the fabric flower. Used K&Company fabric brads my step sister Susan gave to me. Then added some accent Prima flowers + bling. Oh and can't forget the Prima canvas tag. It was amazingly quick. Oh and I added some Glimmer Mist to the fabric flower to make the flower stand out from the background.

Day 11 layout - using scraps

Not what I started with. . . I actually wanted the circles larger and in the bottom corners so I had to do something with it. Since I'm trying to clean up, I used some stuff I wouldn't normally --like stickers. I used colored pins for the flowers and placed them through the felt leaves which were left over from another flower product from Daiso. Never thought I would use them.

Riley's Teacher Appreciation Week Gifts

Since I was out of commission most of last week (even though I posted layouts), we never got around to making Riley's teachers gifts for Teacher Appreciation week. So yesterday we dusted off the old Cricut machine and grabbed Walk in the Garden. With a bit of My Mind's Eye papers I had sitting around, I let her go to town. She did them by herself. They're refrigerator magnets using green painted clothes pins. Her teachers this morning were so surprised.

Jenni Bowlin/MME layout

Here's the layout I did for today's LOAD. I actually used the left over Jenni Bowlin book paper which had an offset hole in the middle from a layout a while ago. Layered and inked a bunch of My Mind's Eye papers and cut the bracket shape on the Pazzles. Theme for today is to use ribbon. I was going to make ribbon flowers but I had to figure out what pictures I haven't scrapped yet.

Plus I did another where I was supposed to let someone else layout so Riley did this one with a bit of help. It's from a fairytale shoot oh gees almost two years ago.

New LOAD layouts

Ok so I have to go to work in the morning and take Riley to school. It's going to be hard for me since I haven't had to get up to go to work in over 2 months. I'm dreading waking up in the morning which means I have to get up early enough to get Riley to Spanish class on time. BTW I'm not just crazy to do these layouts at midnight. I have to wait for the laundry to dry.So on my birthday I did nothing but taxes all day. If you only knew how much we had to pay in 2007. . . geesh a nightmare. So to avoid paying someone's IRS salary for the year, I sat down and played with numbers all day. But to think back at my day 19 layout (My Mind's Eye papers). . . I did have a Fruitista! Day 20 was to have a winter layout. Yeah everyone knows we don't have snow in San Fancisco. But we did go up to Tahoe about two weeks ago. Here's some We R Memory Keepers for ya!

Here I think is my favorite of the three. It was a resolution layout. And as you may recall, I said that I would use up scraps. I still have to post the Pink Paislee mini album (which I did feel I over paid for) but I used scraps. Almost three months and I'm still keeping with the resolution. Used some Prima flowers as well as Fancy Pants ribbon on this and the Fruitisa layout.

12x12 canvas panel album

Here's a 12-inch album using a canvas panel I did for our trip to San Diego (2007). Used a bunch of the My Mind's Eye papers from Costco. Punched the scallop borders with EK Success corner rounder.

No shopping for me!

Riley has decided that since I've been sick with a sinus infection for over two weeks that I needed to stay home. I really think it's because she wants to play with scissors but that's fine as long as she doesn't cut into another pair of my pants. Oh by the way, I had serious reactions to Augmentin and it has set me back probably a week's time of recovery. Riley and Michael had to pick up my new prescription of Amoxicillin today.

Anyways, here's a few layouts Riley and I did last night. It's been a while since I've produced a layout with more than one picture. Pretty quick and easy. I've been longing to do something intricate but it just isn't coming to me. I'm actually thinking the one in the middle isn't quite done. But at least I got Riley's first recital scrapped in two pages.

Sorry been MIA

Ok sorry I've been MIA. Just got laid off at Yahoo! No that's not excitement. . . part of the name. Anyhow. . . I've officially kicked off my 12 days of layoffs.

On the first day of layoffs Jerry (Yang) gave to me, my pay and some scrapbook cre-a-tiv-ity.

I picked up a box of My Mind's Eye warehouse sale in June ready to design Christmas cards while in Layton, UT for Memory Works and well. . . could not think of what to do with it. So late last night I got to stickin'. Made tag for each "pocket" and soon to rock it with some photos. Didn't know what to do with it because it was already pre-folded and white inside. . . only thing that made sense were pockets. Cosmo Cricket ribbon, Fancy Pants stamps & Distress Stickles.

Tomorrow a new adventure. . . . (including the transition meeting with all the poor unfortunate souls who got laid off yesterday-- Could Jerry be my Ursula? Sorry too much Little Mermaid)