PDCC107 - Happy 46th Anniversary, Mom and Dad

My mom and dad just celebrated their 46th Wedding Anniversary!!  WHOO HOO!  

Their card uses the Color Splash Challenge from the Play Date Cafe.  The butterfly stamp is from the retired SU! Wonderful Wings set.  It was one of my first stamp sets and has been used SO many times - it is a set that I will always keep.

Lots of glitter makes for a super shimmery image!!  The sentiment (Essential Sentiments), texture (Woodgrain/Harlequin Impression Plate) and Black Twinkle sticker are from a muse|studio.

LIM40, CAS143 - True Friend

Seems like forever since I've made a CAS card - in fact, I missed out playing on many of my favorite challenge blogs last week.  In an attempt to remedy this egregious error (does that make me sound smart?), here is my card for the CAS143 Sketch Challenge from SCS and the Less is More Challenge (Red and Orange).  All supplies used are from a muse|studio including the sentiment (On the Wing) and the leaves (Wild Rose).

Tomorrow will be a fun (please, oh please, be fun) excursion with the boys.  My man-sized 14-year old has grown out of nearly everything in the past few months.  No school tomorrow so it is time for a new winter coat along with new jeans, etc.  While he hates shopping he does love to eat so when I told him we'd eat at Schlotzsky's he was game to go.  Maybe (most certainly) I will drop by Michael's to check out the Martha Stewart new line of craft paint - mom needs to have something to look forward to too, right?

Art Journal - Circles

More goofing off in my art journal - today I played with circles - lots of circles.  The background was painted with yellow and tan acrylic paints then a bit of shimmer was added with Tim Holtz Metallic paints.

Then lots of circles with art pastels made the scene.  I never had an art class in school and only know a very limited amount about art supplies but I do know that I enjoy smooshing my fingers around in the pastels to get them to blend.  Don't know that I could ever achieve anything that looked identifiable so circles seemed pretty safe.  By the way - do I need to spray this with any type of fixative or will it be okay on its own??

Found a cool quote that seemed perfect - "Circles create soothing space where even reticent people can realize that their voice is welcome."

My art journal is getting thicker all the time!!  So many things to try -

I feel some wire coming soon - - - Linking up to the Just Journals Link Party on Marcia Beckett's blog.

Art Journal - Leaves

A big weather front just went through these parts and now there are TONS of wet leaves all over the back yard!!  Everytime I look outside I think about how we are going to need to be raking, raking, raking so when I wanted to make an art journal page yesterday the first thing that popped into my head was LEAVES.

First step was to take watercolors and paint fall hues onto dictionary paper followed by a liberal dose of splattering. Stamping followed with my handcarved chevron stamps (inspired by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer). 

Then it was time to draw - sketched out some free form leaves and added details with a white ZIG opaque writer.  LOTS of Crystal Effects added the sheen to the leaves (and I do mean LOTS - it took all night to dry!!)

YUP - These leaves are much prettier than the wet, soggy ones in my backyard that include the added potential danger of accidentally stepping on a hidden "dog present" - sigh. . . .
I am linking up to Artists in Blogland and Art Journal Every Day:  November.
Have a great weekend and watch where you step!

Moxie Fab World - Textured to Perfection

The Moxie Fab World - Textured to Perfection challenge will be closing in about an hour.  This is about as close as I've ever cut it in submitting to a challenge but I had a "painty, messy good time" last night that was just itching to be made into a card.

Gobs of texture on this baby - lots of layers of paint, sprays, oil pastels, gel medium with glass beads, scribbling, etc.

Made a big mess on my table too - please note the most important ingredient for successful crafting - Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

I covered an entire watercolor sheet and planned to cut it into pieces for using in several projects.

More texture and finishing touches are added with a muse|studio supplies - the Harlequin/Woodgrain Impression Plate and the sentiment (Marvelous Marigolds) is stamped on a panel cut with a Labels die and enhanced with a black twinkle sticker.  BTW - I also like the texture added on the black layer panel - you too can have that shreddy look when you completely kill your cutting blade by slicing through textured watercolor paper with glass beads on it - 'doh!!

"M" Monogram - A thing that I love!!

If you've been around this blog much you know that I love the letter "M"!!  My good friend Kim knows that too.  Look at what she gave me today - 3 new beauties to add to my burgeoning collection!!  She picked these up when she was on vacation recently to Portland and Seattle.  YUP - I'm jealous too!!  Kim and I hadn't had a chance to get together in forever - today we went to Glendale, KY and visited lots of antique stores including this one - now you can be jealous of me too!

OLW69, LIM38, PDCC104 - No chatter thanks

Alas, I have no time for chatter but I do have a card to share.  The One Layer Challenges for Less is More and One Layer Wednesday were Polka Dots and Stripes.  How perfect is the PTI Vintage background stamp that incorporates both?! (all stamps are from Papertrey Ink).

The colors are from the current Play Date Cafe Challenge - it is their 2 year anniversary.  LOVE that blog - so many inspiring creations every week.

The bits of blings are from a muse|studio.