Believe . . . Mixed Media Canvas

Hello there!!! Today I would love to share with you my latest Christmas project(s). Actually, I made three of these canvases but the other two I will share later as they are Christmas presents for my mom and sister.

I follow Creative Embellishments blog and challenges every month. I think my next creation will involve more gears as this photo definitely has a lot of cogs and wheels going on in it.

Without further ado here is what I came up with. I also planned on submitting to the More Than Words mixed media challenge but I forgot to add stamping. Oh well.

However, Lindy's Stamp Gang also has a color challenge this month as well.  I do not have the exact matches of their color challenge, but I do have the Jingle Bells spray set and embossing set.

I was extremely inspired by Olga Ravenskaya's Winter Forest Canvas that she made back in January 2018. I don't have her talent, but I sure did have fun making this.

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY TODAY!

This canvas is a mixture of Creative Embellishment's chipboard pieces, dies by Sue Wilson at DiesRUs, Finnabair products, Lindy's Stamp Gang products and random collections from my stash.

The scroll is music pattern paper by Graphic 45 "12 Days of Christmas" collection. I used embossing powder Bougainvillea Red Teal on the poinsettias. The reindeer is a mixed of the red teal and Scotch Broom Yellow.

Here is a layer of the embossed dies and chipboard, all embossing by Lindy's products. Believe has Silver Moon Turquoise  and the leaves are all embossed using Fiddlehead Fern Green.

My favorite piece in all this is the frame. I had no idea that mixing Scotch Broom Yellow and Midnight Gold embossing powders would create such an effect.

Supplies:

Lindy's Stamp Gang:

--Jingle Bells Starburst Spray Set

--Jingle Bells Embossing Powder Set

Creative Embellishments (frame, reindeer and leaves)

CE Stencil

Finnabair Art Stones and Melange Art Pebbles

Straws from Hobby Lobby

Graphic 45 "12 Days of Christmas" - scroll

Ribbon

Christmas Flair

Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson

Poinsettia Craft Die by Impression Obsession Stamps

(can be found at www.DiesRUs.com)

Journal: Life Is A Balance

Today I'm sharing a journal page made for the challenge blog, Mixed Media Art. I was greatly inspired by DT member Marie Johansson's journal page. This challenge reminds me so much of BoBunny's old Etc. line, I just had to pull out my scraps and play.

LIFE IS A BALANCE OF HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO

I had no rhyme or reason to the making of this journal page, except I knew I wanted to use my Tim Holtz's bird stamps and BoBunny paper. I do always look for quotes that inspire me and reflect on how I'm feeling now, but it's funny how I do that after I've made the background.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Supplies:

--BoBunny's Etc. Line (a few years old and still one of my favorites)

--Etc. Line - stickers for the title

--Not sure where the music paper is from

Stamps:

49 and Market

Tim Holtz (birds)

Blue Fern Studios

Lindy's Stamp Gang:

Moon Shadow Mist - Golden Doubloons

Starburst Spray - Azure Sea Asters

Faber Castell Gelatos:

Cotton Candy

Gold Champagne

Scrap The Boys: Merry Christmas

Hey! It's December 1st and you know what that means!!! Time for a new challenge at 

Scrap The Boys!! 

I was greatly inspired by Missy Whidden's summer piece from a couple years ago.

I didn't quite pull off her bright design but it's all good anyway.

I added a light layer of white acrylic paint, instead of gesso. With a small chevron stencil, I then

colored in the pattern using metallic gelatos Ice Currant and Gold Champagne.

I followed that up with stitching! Pattern paper is by Teresa Collins: Tinsel & Company.

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Thanksgiving Gift Basket

Hello and welcome to my blog! It's time again for me to have made something for "Adopt-A-Staff" program at my son's school. At the beginning of the school year, I had to pick one staff member or teacher and volunteer to anonymously bring that person a gift every month.

Yeah . . . I'm choosing to show off a little bit and hopefully she really likes what I've done so far. My goal is to hand make her something every month. So far, I've been using the awesome projects designed by Dreaming Tree. 

Next month is not only Christmas, but it's her birthday month too. Hmmmmm........

Without further ado, I made this basket from the Harvest Time bundle at Dreaming Tree. I have made several of their projects and have found them not only easy to do (relatively speaking) but really hitting the spot on what I'm looking for when it comes to handmade 3D projects.

My harvest basket is made using the Simple Stories: Forever Fall collection.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Canvas: FAMILY

Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I would love to share with you my latest mixed media canvas using my favorite Fall colors.

I made this project with two different challenges in mind; Creative Embellishments and Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Lindy's Stamp Gang

Creative Embellishments

I would love to enter both challenges every month but sometimes the colors aren't quite in my arsenal. For whatever reason, I still don't have a really good red from Lindy's or a deep blue. First world problems, right?!

I am especially proud of this project because I did not "lift" from anyone else. This is 100% out of my head. Now, countless hours spent watching others create certainly helped, and I do recommend that for anyone learning a new way of crafting. The supplies used are listed at the end of my post.

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

I touched up the entire project at the end with shimmery acrylic paint: ginger magic.

I am particularly fond of adding pebbles and stones to my canvases. 

It's such a simple and easy way to add texture.

I would have liked to use deeper colors on this project, but I chose to stick with what I had 

in my stash. Funny thing about budgets, right?

I did use several chipboard pieces by Creative Embellishments. They did get a little buried

underneath all the flowers and pinecones. That being said I have learned to build my

canvases with pieces that will get "buried" because it all adds to the final art.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY TODAY!!

Supplies:

8x5 canvas

Creative Embellishments:
--Apples
--Apple basket 
--Flourish and stems

49 and Market flowers

Prima Marketing
--Flowers
--Gold Rust Paste - Finnabair
--Acrylic Paint: Ginger Magic - Finnabair
--Art Stones - Finnabair
--Melange Art Pebbles - Finnabair
--Burlap
--Shabby Chic Treasures: Leaves
--Thread Letters: Family

Finnabair:
3D Gloss Gel
Moldeling Paste
Soft Gloss Gel
Stencils

13@rts:
--Pinecones

Lindy's Stamp Gang:
Starburst Spray: Tibetan Poppy Teal
Starburst Spray: Cowabunga Copper
Starburst Spray: Red Hot Poker Orange

KaiserCraft: Mini Paper Blooms: Aubergine

White Gesso
Glue Gun

Scrap The Boys: U + Me

 Hello there! It's that time again for a new challenge at Scrap The Boys!! 

Thanks for stopping by today!!

I have lots of photos of my son and I'm not in many of them. I have even fewer photos of me and my husband, but we did get family photos taken last year. So I thought this was a great opportunity to make a page about us! I was greatly inspired by Natalie DeSousa's page with Simple Stories. 

I used leaf cut files from the Silhouette Design Store. All the pattern paper and extras are by Fancy Pants "Golden Days" collection.

You can really bring a page together just by adding stitching.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Paper, stickers and die cuts by:

Fancy Pants - Golden Days

AC Cardstock - smooth white

Sewing Maching

Silhouette Cameo

Trixie Treat Box

Hello there! Today I would like to share with you my second teacher project for this year. My son's school has a "secret santa" type program for all teachers and staff to receive a gift once a month. So for the entire school year, I am to anonymously give my selected staff member a gift. Last month I started with a bag with Suzy's Apple, also by Dreaming Tree.

With October being Halloween, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make this Trixie Treat Bag, by Dreaming Tree.

These treat bags are super easy to make but I did add a few delicious details of my own to really "dress" her up.

I have more than enough pattern paper in my stash to work with my 3-D projects. I think it can potentially add interest to your work, like using pattern paper for the face. Kind of makes her look like she's got chicken pox scars, huh? I also added extra pearls for more freckles on her cheeks. But I wanted her to have a feminine, soft side so I added a bow, pearl earrings, and highlights to her hair using Stickles.

Hope you like her, and thanks for stopping by today.

And don't forget you can really change a character's eyes using pattern paper. So my soft, feminine witch with scars also has a bit of a "wicked" side.

I had the hardest time really getting a good photo of her without losing the effect of the highlights.

I miss my light box . . . sigh.

Supplies:

--Bella Blvd. - Spooktacular
--Bella Blvd. - Halloween Magic
AC Cardstock - Black and Purple

Brads and Pearls

Stickles - Turquoise

Glossy Accents (on teeth)

Handmade Bow

Scrap The Boys: Love You So Much

Hello! It's the first of the month which means it is time for a new challenge at Scrap The Boys!!!

I went with the white, pink, and blue for a layout about my son on a swing. He had the best toothless smile only a mother can love!!!! (Hint: I have another photo of him missing so many teeth it's hilarious.)

Making a page about my son in his younger days means I get to reach for bright colors! Woo hoo! And I'm rolling in bright colors and paper packs by Pretty Little Studio.

Hope you like my page and thanks for stopping by today!!!

Supplies:

--Pink Fresh - Dream On - (background border)

--AC pink and white cardstock

--Pretty Little Studio - Ain't Life Grand collection of paper, dies, cut-aparts, and stickers

Sewing Machine

Free Cut file by Paper Issues (scribbleclouds)

Sillouette Cameo

Dymo Label

Mixed Media Project: Adventure Awaits

Hello there! Welcome to my blog! Today I would love to share with you my beautiful canvas that I made for the September's challenge at 'More than Words'.

Summer is all about play. It's about ice-cold lemonade and sweet tea on the back porch. It's about trips to the water park and being endlessly stuffed into a bathing suit. In Texas, it's about being hot with so much SUNSHINE!!!

But the end of Summer 2018, for me, is about heartbreak. It's about extreme conflict and betrayal between family members.

My husband and I are slowly picking up the pieces of ourselves and putting one foot in front of the other. We have been keeping busy with rebuilding and reorganizing our home, which is especially true for our son as he got a whole extra room to stretch out into. We did lots of painting and reorganizing, but none of those colors were yellow. He's an 11 year old boy, what can I say.

I have also been reorganizing myself back into the craft world. I have been barely hanging on, wanting to do so much more, but holding myself back due to so much anger and sadness.

I'm through with that nonsense. Although I still have a long way to go to find true healing, finding my creative self again has been a blessing.

Without further ado, here is my "beginning of a new adventure" piece filled with all the bright colors that "sunshine" and "summer" provides. I list all supplies used at the end of my posts.

Thank you for stopping by today.

The challenge:

First, I must give immense credit to Nadia's piece that she made for GDT at Faber-Castel. She made a video tutorial in which I followed her technique closely, adding several twists of my own along the way. I do this because I'm not quite confident enough yet to make a piece that doesn't turn out muddy. I don't know why I find gelatos intimidating, but I am so grateful there are people out there willing to make videos to help us "head-scratchers" along.

Supplies:

Fabel-Castel Gelatos: Tangerine, Cotton Candy, Lemon
Strathmore Watercolor paper
Stamps by 49andMarket

Finnabair products:
Art Stones
Melange Art Pebbles

Lindy's Stamp Gang:
Flat Spray C'est la vie Cerise
Flat Spray Luminous Lemon

Stencil and homemade paste
Tim Holtz's Quote Chips and metal butterfly
Prima Marketing Mold and Red Amber Wax
Flowers by Blue Fern Studios
Versa Magic Chalk Ink: Pumpkin Spice
Die Cuts Stitched Circles
Twine
Gloss Gel Medium

Back to School Gift: Suzy's Apple

Hello there! My son's school has a "adopt a teacher" campaign in which parents can give a gift to a teacher or staff member once a month. Of course, all of my son's teachers were taken so I chose the vice principal.

It's been quite a while since I made a 3D project. I don't think I've lost my touch. This was quite fun to make and rather easy as far as 3D projects go. This is actually an elaborate gift card holder that I hope the vice principal will display in her office.

This project is called Suzy's Apple (although I prefer Suzie since that was how my BFF in high school spelled her name). You can find this project and how to make it at Dreaming Tree.

Thank you for stopping by today!!!

I had fun choosing my own floral sprays to fill in this project with from Hobby Lobby.

I did add Liquid Pearls "white opal" to the cheeks of this worm.

I'm going to deviate from my usual blog posts and not list supplies. Honestly, Dreaming Tree has already done all the work in listing everything you need to know to get started. I did deviate slightly, but that is just normal creative process.

Scrap The Boys: Precious Baby Boy

Hello there! Welcome to my blog! It's the first of the month and that means a new challenge at Scrap The Boys!!! This month's challenge is "baby boy".

I decided to go the mixed media route for this challenge, even though I usually like making large die cuts for my Scrap The Boys DT. I wanted to keep it simple since the photo is so busy.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

I used Lindy's Spray Flat Merry Go Round Green and Luminous Lemon. I also reached for stamps by 49 and Market. The chipboard is by Blue Fern Studios.

Love You Mom - Mixed Media Plaque

Hello everyone! I recently made this for my mom's birthday. She's a musician, specifically a french horn player, so I wanted to make something which embraced that side of her.

I was inspired by two different challenges. One at Mixed Media Place. Here it is:

The other by Creative Embellishments:

This is my first time submitting with either of these challenge sites. I have been following these sites for a while, but too nervous to do anything about it. I really liked the color scheme and the mood board in the lower left hand corner of Mixed Media Place. With Creative Embellishments, I used Lindy's embossing powder Cleopatra Copper with cool colors (trust me it's shiny), Denim, Azure and Lemon sprays. I also used Creative Embellishments Instruments on this gift. There is so much to be inspired by both of these challenges.

Thank you for stopping by today!!!

I'm a avid paper scrapbooker with lots of various embellishments in my stash. As I explore the mixed media world, it seems silly to me to not incorporate what I already own with my art.

Here I'm showing how fun it is to be messy and add lots of texture. 49 and Market flowers are gorgeous and don't need a lot of "help" but I felt it really added to the piece to add Finnabair art stones to the flowers.

I made this as a birthday present for my mom, but really didn't want it to say "Happy Birthday". I love that she displays my art around her house. So I reached for my Dymo label to add 'love you mom' to this piece.

I have a LOT of flair buttons for some reason and don't use them enough. I also have a stash of gems from Hobby Lobby collecting dust. No reason not to use them, right?

On my International Scrapbook design team, we were given lots of musical instruments in our very first kit from Creative Embellishments. They are perfect for those musically inclined people in your life.

Supplies:

Lindy's Stamp Gang:
---Flat Luminous Lemon
---Starburst Azure Sea Asters
---Flat Danny Zuko's Denim
---Embossing Powder Cleopatra's Copper

Creative Embellishments: Instruments

49 and Market Flowers

Finnabair Art Stones and Pebbles

Tim Holtz' metal butterfly

Bling

Dymo Label

5x7 wooden plaque