Two Wanderlust Journal Pages

Today I have two journal pages to share that I made for the Wanderlust Book Prompt challenges.  Every two weeks Kasia has a word prompt for us to inspire a journal page.  I have trouble figuring out what I want to do on journal pages so I got a little behind on the challenges!   So this weekend I was determined to sit down and get the latest 2 done!

For this page the prompt was " What I really want is......."

and I decided what I want at this moment is to travel!

To make this page, I first covered the center of the page with Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste.  I didn't layer it on smoothly - leaving some lumps to add texture to the page.  Next I dripped some brown Calligraphy Ink onto the page - pressing on the large drops that pooled at the ends with a paper towel to mop them up.  Then I added lines with a pen nib and black India Ink.  I adhered an Idea-ology Pocket card and Flash Card overlapping on the page.  I drew some squiggles with a brown Neo Color Wax Pastel  on the page and brushed over the marks with a water pen.  To finish my page - I stamped the January stamp from Kasia's new Paper Artsy stamp set, since this prompt was a January challenge.

My second page was made for the Feb 6 Wanderlust Book Prompt "Write a lot, write fast, fill the page"  We have had several classes on using all kinds of pens and markers to journal with and also how to 'scribble' write.

For this page - I first brayered Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Snow Flake paint over most of the page.  Then I brayered a little bit of Paper Artsy Claret and Guacamole Translucent paints on the page.  When that was dry, I wrote some thoughts, writing quickly so it's almost drawing rather than writing - using a Big Brush Dark Indigo PITT artist Penn B.  The things that I wrote are from stamps I have:  In Every Ordinary day there are a thousand miracles; Live by Faith one day at a time; Take joy in today; and Counting My blessings.  I stamped February 3 times in the top corner using Kasia's new stamp set.  My page seemed to need a little something more -  so I took a Hi-Lite yellow marker, dipped the round end of it in some Yellow Oxide Golden Acrylic Paint and 'stamped' the circles randomly adding black dots in the centers with my PITT pen.

I am really enjoying the wonderful Wanderlust on line classes I'm taking.  I'm being challenged to try new areas of art that I either have never done before or have only done a little bit so I'm learning a lot!  I'm already feeling more comfortable doing journaling pages!

You can check out Wanderlust at Everything Art here.

PapertreyInk February Blog Hop

It's time for the PapertreyInk February Blog Hop - always such a fun challenge to participate in!

And here is the lovely inspiration photo Nicole picked out for us from Real Simple Magazine:

I focused on the colors, the little frog and butterfly, the glitter, the design on the green napkin and gray pattern on that little pink panel sticking out on the bottom left!

Pretty much everything on my card is PTI, accept for the embossing folder, the butterfly, sequins and gems.  All the stamps I used are now in The Vault (older sets).  The frog is from  - Pond Life, the sentiment is from Flower Garden Sentiments, the stem stamp is from Beyond Basic Borders.  The tag is Tag Sale #10.

The papers are Limeaide Ice, Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream (card base), Vintage Cream Linen (tag base), the ribbon is Spring Moss Top Notch Twill that I tied with a piece of twine.  The striped background is from Simply Chartreuse Paper Pack. The frog, the scalloped tag piece and the tag base are all layered with foam dots.

I always enjoy seeing what stamps the other blog hoppers are inspired to use!  You can find everyone linked up over at Nicole's Blog.

I'm also linking my card to:

Cut it Up Challenge -  Leap Year (use a frog and a die cut)

Stamps:  Pond Life, Flower Garden Sentiments, Beyond Basic Borders - PTI
Paper:  Vintage Cream, Vintage Cream Linen, Limeaide Ice, Sweet Blush, Simply Chartreuse Paper Pack - PTI
Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Stormy Sea, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Tag Sale Die #10 - PTI, Martha Stewart Butterfly punch, Avery Elle Winter Blend Sequins, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions, Herringbone Embossing Folder - Provo Craft, Spring Moss Topnitch Twill and Twine - PTI.

The Christmas Bell

Yes - here's another Christmas card I've made for my stash!   But it's also a card for a rather sad occasion -  Claire has announced that she is closing Waltzingmouse Stamps on March 31, 2016 :(    I have been on her Design Team since she first gathered one almost 7 years ago and I have just loved using her creatively designed stamps, templates and dies for all of those years.   You will find her announcement here.

The one star in this dark sky is that Tara and Deborah - over at Waltzingmouse Fanatics - are running a blog hop to honor Claire and to let her know we care about her and want to show her some love  - where everyone can link up their cards (newly created or old ones)  made using Waltzingmouse stamps. The link will be open until March 31.

So - here is a card I just made using Folk Art Christmas Additions stamps and dies as well as the Pretty Circles die.

I embossed the sentiment onto dotted vellum and layered the panel over the gold foil panel.

I die cut and gold embossed the bell and layered it over the Pretty Circles die with foam tape, looping a piece of thin gold thread through the top.

 I added a few sequins to finish it off.

I'm also linking my card to the following challenges:

Merry Monday - Use a Bell

Freshly Made Sketches

So Thank You Claire - for all your wonderful Waltzingmouse stamp designs - I have so enjoyed using them all these years - and I wish you the very best in your future endeavors!

Stamps:  Folk Art Christmas - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White, Sheer Basics Pattern Pack, Luxe Foil Designer Papers - PTI
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Dies - Folk Art Christmas Additions, Pretty Circle Die - Waltzingmouse, foam dots, gold thread from stash, gold embossing powder, heat tool.

The Presence of Wonder

Today I'm sharing a journal page I created for a challenge at the Wanderlust year-long classes I've signed up for.  Along with having a new lesson each Friday by one of many featured artists,  once a month there is a challenge based on something we have learned and there is the opportunity to win some crafty supplies from a sponsoring company!

For this challenge Kasia asked us to look around our homes, at our clothing or on-line to find a pattern that inspired us -  we were not to copy the pattern exactly but be inspired by it.

I was inspired by this Suzani Textile pattern

 (Kasia introduced Suzani Textiles to us in her Lesson last week - and I'll be creating a canvas based on this same pattern as soon as I get a minute!!)

Here is the journal page I created for the February Challenge.  Part of Kasia's lesson was teaching us about different kinds of markers and pens and how they interact with various surfaces - so we also had to use some pens and markers on our design.

First I brushed Gesso over my page, then colored over it with blue and green Neocolor Wax Pastels (they look like crayons).  I then used a water pen to blend the pastels. 

I used white embossing paste with a concentric circle stencil for my 'flowers', coloring over the dry paste with Copics.  I used PTT Faber Castel black pens to draw the borders, stems and leaves and some x's on the dots.  I used a White Acrylic Paint marker on some of the dots as well.

I stamped a crackle background stamp from Impression Obsession randomly over the the page .

and a sentiment from Hand Written Thoughts from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous in the top right corner.

I love all of the new creative techniques I'm learning at the wonderful Wanderlust classes - I'm getting a little more comfortable journaling with each page I make -  you can still sign up (through July 2016) as all of the lessons are downloadable - so you won't miss any of them!

One Layer for Christmas

I'm continuing to build up my stash of Christmas cards for December - and today I have a one layer design to share.  Simple and sweet!

The sentiments from PTI Christmas Cheer are embossed in gold.  The holly and berries from WMS Festive Foliage are stamped in Simply Chartreuse and Pure Poppy.  The sentiments really shine IRL  and elevate a simple design to elegant - don't you think?  I also gold embossed the sentiment that I stamped inside.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - Anything Goes

CAS on Sunday - One Layer Wonder

Stamps:  Festive Foliage - Waltzingmouse, Christmas Cheer - PapertreyInk

Paper:  White - PTI

Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy - PTI, Versamark

Accessories:  gold embossing powder, heat tool.

Being Happy

Today I'm joining in on the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  Geni is our guest hostess today and she chose a wallpaper web site for our inspiration - Total Wall Covering.

I was inspired by this border paper - Cottage Garden Border 

 I die cut the watering can out of matboard and embossed it using Tree Branch Ink and Watering Can embossing powder. The flowers are die cut using PTI Button Dies. I tied twine through the button holes to give a little texture.

I made the background using Zig watercolor brush pens - drawing over the area with the brush pens - then going over it with a waterbrush. I stenciled the leaves and grass and added the sentiment after the background was dry.

I'll be sending this card to my sister who is going through some difficult times right now.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

The Friday Mashup - Birthday or Use Stencils or both (I  used stencils)

 Creative Artiste Challenge - Anything Goes with Mixed Media 

(I used watercoloring, stencils, wet embossing, die cuts, stamping)

 

Stamps: Forever Art - Wendy Vecchi Stampers Anonymous
Paper: watercolor paper, Vintage Cream and Stormy Sea - PTI, Grey Bazzil, Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix.
Paper Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Ink: Wendy Vecchi Archival watering Can, Tree Branch, Leaf Green, Archival Jet Black,
Accessories: dies: Watering Can - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Button Stack Set - PTI, Zig Water color brush markers - Black, Light Green, Yellow, twine - PTI, foam dots, From the Garden Stencil - Wendy Vecchi, heat tool, Wendy Vecchi Watering can Embossing Powder.

Tim Holtz Feb 2016 Tag

Well, more than half of this short month of February is past - so I thought I'd better get shaking on making my Feb Tim's Tag!  I love both of the techniques he has reintroduced - Monoprint from his June 2014 tag and Embossed Texture Paste from his March 2015 tag.

See his instructions here and this is a photo of Tim's Tag.

Since Valentine's day is long gone  - I decided to use an Easter theme for my tag.  For the monoprint background - I first sprayed my tag with Antique Linen Spray Stain and water - then dried it with my heat tool. 

I used the Blossom Stencil with Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Shabby Shutters Distress inks rubbed on the back of the stencil - spritzed with water - then pressed onto the tag.  I used the same Blossom stencil for the Embossed Texture Paste technique using Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste and Ranger Gold Embossing Powder.  I rubbed a little Frayed Burlap Ink through the Burlap Stencil along the left side of my tag. I thought it might give the illusion of a woven basket.

For my bunny, I used Tim's Rust Effect Technique (found on page 44 of Vol III Compendium of Curiosities) I took a piece of mat board and  covered it with Cracked Pistachio and Weathered Wood Distress Paints, dried it with my heat tool, then rubbed Antiqued Bronze Distress paint to cover the panel - immediately spritzing it with water and then pressing a paper towel over it and removing it quickly.  I die cut the bunny and bow from Movers and Shapers Mini Bunny and Bow.  For the eggs, I used the Sized Ovals - Medium and Small dies cutting them out of mat board.  I rubbed Salty Ocean on the small one and Mowed Lawn on the medium one - flicking water on them to create water spots and drying with my heat tool.  I sponged the edges of the eggs with Distress Ground Espresso ink. 

For a little dimensional decoration - I die cut 3 small butterflies (Movers and Shapers Small - heart, butterfly and star) out of the same colored mat board I used for the bunny, folded their wings up gently and adhered them just along the middle body to my tag.  

I added some Small Talk/Occasion stickers that I cut and sanded as well as a Vial Label with a Bontanical Remnant rub on it.  I colored the Crinkle Ribbon with Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn inks spritzed with water.

I had so much fun playing with these techniques on my bunny tag.  What a great idea Tim had to revisit and revise techniques from past tags for 2016!

Paper:  #8 Manilla Tag - Ranger, True Black - PTI, Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix
Ink:  Ranger Distress Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Shabby Shutters, Ground Espresso, Frayed Burlap
Accessories:  Blossom and Burlap Stencils - Tim Holtz, Movers and Shapers dies - Small/Butterfly and Mini Bunny and Row, Ranger Distress Paints - Cracked Pistachio, Weathered Wood, Antiqued Bronze, Antique Linen Ranger Distress Stain, Idea-ology - Vial Labels, Remnant Rubs/Botanicals, Crinkle Ribbon, Small Talk/Occasioins, foam dots, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste, Ranger Gold Embossing Powder, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

Fusion Challenge - Feb 18 - Pretty in Pink

There's a new challenge up at the Fusion Card Challenge Blog.  Just what we need here in the Northern Hemisphere where winter has it's grip on us!  Take a look a the lovely spring colors on the pillows of the inspiration photo!

I went totally with the photo this time using the colors and flowers for my inspiration.  I got out the PTI horizontal stripes coverplate for the background - stamping this wonderful sentiment from Birthday Cheer directly on the die cut.  I layered it over a Hibiscus Burst card base.

I die cut the flowers out of cardstock and patterened paper using Spring Flowers dies from Lil Inker Designs - layering them with foam dots and adding rhinestones to the centers for a little shine!

So please join in with us and link your card over at the Fusion Card Challenge.

What inspires you this week - the photo or the sketch - or will you do a FUSION and join the two?!??

Here also are links to the talented Design Team blogs!

Deanne Kay 

Jeanne Jachna

Julia Aston - me!

Karren Johnson 

Katie Brooks

Kimberly Wiener

Lyndal Higgins

Lynn Mangan

Michelle Williams

Michelle Lupton

Sandie Munro

 Shannon Jamarillo

Stephanie Severin

 

Also linking my card to the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Anything goes

Stamplorations - February 2016 challenge

Stamps:  Birthday Cheer - PTI

Paper:  White, Enchanted Evening, Hibiscus Burst, Textstyle In Bloom - PTI

Ink:  True Black - PTI

Accessories:  Dies - Cover Plate Stripes/Horizontal - PTI, Spring Flowers - Lil'Inker Designs, rhinestones Kaiser, foam dots.

 

PTI Make it Monday - Customize Patterned Paper

I'm joining along in this week's PTI Make It Monday Challenge -  Lizzie Jones is showing us how Customize Patterned Paper - by adding colors or lines.

So I'm looking through all of my PTI patterned papers and I came upon this piece of red with a white grid-like pattern on it from the Nostalgic Notions Patterned Paper Collection. It already had a busy pattern on it but it was just red and white -  I wondered what it would look like if I drew thin black lines diagonally from one top corner to the opposite bottom corner and then from the other top corner to the opposite corner - and here is how it came out!  Pretty COOL huh?! 

I used an S fine point Black PTT Artist Pen by Faber Castell with a ruler and just drew the lines - the white pattern helped me stay even - I didn't want to measure anything -  I just eyeballed it so the spaces between the black lines aren't all the same - but I think it came out great -  It made the paper look really masculine.

I cut the paper into two pieces - and then cut off a little more from the bigger piece to make a space for the sentiment.  I die cut the thank you out of black cardstock and glued it to the top panel.  The red panels are up on foam dots so the stamped sentiment (from Birthday Cheer) is recessed. Then I added 3 black rhinestones to draw the eye around the card.

I'll be looking at all of my patterned papers with a new eye from now on to see how I can make them pop in a new way!

We have until Monday 6 am EST Feb 22nd to enter the challenge - a random winner will get a $25 PTI gift Certificate!

Stamps:  Birthday Cheer - PTI
Paper:  White, True Black, Nostalgic Notions Paper Collection - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Wonderful Words Thankyou die - PTI, black rhinestones - Kaiser, foam dots, PTT Black Artist Pen S - Faber Castell, Fine Tip Glue Pen - SU