Here's a few more things!

This page was so much fun to make. Lots of techniques. I mixed a gel medium with pink paint and used the same mixture on both pages. They both had gesso on first. I put the medium on over a heart stencil. On the left page, it is pink, on the right page, it came out orange! Don't know why, but I went with it. Next I cut out some white card stock with my star dies and then decided to paint it with gesso so I could paint the paper with acrylics and lots of water. I was using what I now call my scrap card stock pile. The back was a denim looking blue - just turned those stars over and glued them in the holes! I also tried a technique that you transfer the card stock pattern onto paper. See that blue tag on the right page? That is cloth! Somewhere online I found a free feather pattern. I printed it smaller and glued it to the back of card stock and cut it out. I love that feather! I used a border sticker between the two pages. Didn't know that not much will stick to gesso without glue. Do now. I decided I didn't like the white background so I colored it with those finger dabbers and just used the ink that was already on them. I did use a lot of stickers and gems, but I really enjoyed putting them on. And boy is my stashed going down!

Remember those stars? Well the middle of this page is the scrap I used behind it while I gessoed it. I added some Tim Holtz ink. The photo is colored in the background with water soluble oil pastels. Who knew? They are super cheap - at least the ones I bought. It made such a difference in that photo. Behind me is a mirror and you could see the flash from the camera as well as the huge mess all over the place. This was at a recital and little girls are big pigs! I could hardly find a place to stand! I used a doily - tried spraying one first but decided I liked the white better. I probably could have put more time into finding and making just the right embellishments, but it was fun to do it this way. I loved the memory of this photo but hated the way it looked before. This was a great fix, in my book.

This was just a page with an all blue background. I had punched a whole lot of little flowers out of a then new punch and glued them all over the right side. Unfortunately, the card stock was a blue and orange plaid that looked awful on the rest of what I had done. It stayed that way for almost a year until the other day when I had to "fix" it. First I used  ink with my little daubers through a flower stencil. I liked it much better but it was a bit touchy over those little flowers I had glued on. The new flowers didn't stand out as much as I wanted them to, so I used My colored sharpies to outline, etc. It was getting better. I decided to do another feather and edged it with ink. Then I did embossing paste leaving it white over some more stencils. Those flowers that I had glued on still looked horrible, so I ended up using stickles in gold and boy did they cover up the flowers! It is now what I could call done! I actually like it and the gold was just what I needed. I am so glad I have so many of them at my disposal. I have another 3 weeks of this class and have just been having a ball with it. Hope you are enjoying looking at my stuff. will be making cards soon and posting as soon after as I get time. Hugs to you all,  and thanks so much for sticking around! Barb F

Happy

This is the latest addition for my Mixed Media class over at Studio Calico. I am really enjoying this as I love mixed media since the only rule is there are no rules. I do want to tell you a little bit about this one first. My daughter printed me a bunch of photos on printer paper and even though I loved them, I didn't know exactly what to do with them. I decided to use this one on my first lesson scrapbook page. I also decided to use a color combo that I never have used before - peach and blues. This photo is darker than in real life by a couple of shades. I still like it. We used "modeling paste" to add texture to a background. I learned a slick way of putting down gesso in a very thin layer first. Then I glued some white paper flowers down with matte media and let the whole thing dry. I had cut out parts of a doily and was going to use them to frame my picture. So far, every thing was white and ready. Then was the application of modeling paste - this can also be embossing paste or are you ready for this enlightening info - caulking! My friend and I compared caulking ( something like 6 oz for less than $3 at the most) to embossing paste ($10 for 4 1/2 oz). They work the same! And actually I like that the caulking has a tube so you don't waste any and it doesn't dry out because you don't keep putting it back in a little jar! Anyhow, I added mine with stencils. And then I sprayed inks through stencils and then I added some color here and there using water soluble oil pastels. Then I had fun embellishing with gems, sequins, paperclips, flowers, etc. Lots of stuff and so much fun. Of course there is distress ink in several places and stickles! My two main staples!

Hope this makes you happy to look at it. And forgot to tell you the best part - I put the picture on crooked! That was after I mounted it. So I found a little border sticker and made sure I had the edge straight and now it gives the illusion that the photo is straight. It is a blue sticker. I also found that a rose pen looked like it was peach when I drew on the frame for the photo. 

Hugs to you all! I probably won't be adding all these to my groups since I am always low on time lately but I will continue to post as I do stuff. Barb F

A whole lot of catchup!

Will start this one off with a couple of cards colored with copics one using digital images, the other cricut images. Then a scrapbook page that I needed to make for quite awhile and finally some art journal pages. Hope you enjoy and I am open to questions about any of them. Sorry the photos came in all over the place and I did want to post them for you. I just don't have lots of time today so I do apologize for the order. Hugs to you all, Barb F

March BD Cards

This is a larger than usual square card. I copic colored it and realized that my sight is finally improving a bit. It was still a challenge. I chose my colors from the card stock that I used for the inside. I loved that paper with the celebrate and thought this was a good use for it. I cut waves of grass and layered them. This was so far the best idea I have had for grass. Not so many stickles, but they are still there. My son said he thought I was good enough to sell cards! Thought this was so funny - I know he hasn't a clue how much time and money we spend making one card. And I took it as the compliment he meant it to be.

 I can assure you I will be looking to use more of my 6 x 6 card stock as cut outs from now on. It has been so long since I have gotten to buy something new - have to make a bigger dent in what I have first.

 This one is for a young grandson. I had never made him a pirate theme so it was his turn. The ship came directly from a 4 x 6 paper pad. The ocean came from a 12 x 12 paper that I have been hoarding for something special. I cut the letters out on my Cricut - actually they are from 3 birds on parade which is where my pirate bird came from. He is 3 " high. I finally figured out that any smaller and its super hard to glue them together for me. I have this lovely stamp that does beach grass and on the kraft background it looks great. I embossed the stars on the front and there are stickles here and there. I adore this Edwin.
Had so much fun with my "bird" that I may be making lots more of them in the future!

I managed to get rid of some more "stuff" that I will never use. I can't believe how much nicer it is to do anything now. I know where everything is and I am using everything I have. I am really looking forward to buying new paper, however that is way off in the future! Hugs to you all, Barb F

Scrapbook page

This one is from a Studio Calico sketch. I always wanted to try using a sketch and this is the one I chose. I found it on their blog. I am guessing that they put a new one on each week. I thought the sketch was really nice and it was quite a challenge for me. After I thought I was finished, but knew something wasn't right, I added ink drops, another sticker and a whole lot of other word stickers. I finally put it in my album - my absolute place - when its in the album, I have to know that page is done. Although I have been known to add stuff even after I put it in the album. Guess there is no absolute for me!

If you were interested in trying this one, here is a link to the sketch: http://www.studiocalico.com/blog/2014/3/16/sunday-sketch-emily
This photos is at least 12 yrs old. It was such a fun time for all of us. The colors are pretty subdued for me which added to the challenge. I also did quite a bit of journalling for me. I am not thrilled with how crooked I write and am thinking next time I have a lot to say, I will do it on the computer! Stick around as I have a few birthday cards for this month to post yet. Hugs to you all! Barb F

Hot Glue - How Fun!

Saw a youtube accidentally on Mod Podge Mini Melts and it looked great, but the greatest part came when I saw they sell finger covers made of silicon! As most of you know, last summer (or was it a year ago?), I had a major accident with my glue gun and burned myself rather badly. I hated having that gun defeat me. I watched a lot of videos before I went to Amazon and the place I bought from is "Stuff4" who was nice enough to combine my shipping costs since I bought a mold, the gluesticks and the finger protectors separately.
On youtube I saw a gal coloring hot glue with crayons - well, you have to have a mold that you are pressing the glue into but it does work - even I did it first time. Not the best but certainly useable. The molds that Mod Podge makes are the first like that I have ever bought or used. They are great and very detailed. Then I watched a video that showed a gal making stencils and stamps with hot glue. I was amazed that I could do this and also found one making those little dots we are all using on our scrapbook pages and cards. So here is my take, I am practicing using glue sticks as they are cheaper by a lot. Perfect pearls makes a wonderful glimmer and shine on anything I make. Your finger and a tad of water assures you get it smooth and lovely. Having purchased all the colors available when I first started in 2010, I have plenty of product and colors to play with. (After organizing all my stuff, I am done "hoarding" and want to use it!) So here is my results from my first play with both the mini melts and hot glue. These are all made from mini melts white.

The blue is Tim Holtz paint. For some reason, they stay wet a pretty long time. The other color you see is Twinkling H2O done with a tiny paint brush. I loved the look. I trimmed these with a craft knife on a cutting board. This was my first attempt at anything. The blue one has a bit of regular glue in it as there was some left in the gun.

These were my next try. All made out of glue sticks. I am not quick and tried these drops over glitter as opposed to sprinkling glitter over the hot glue. Not good. But the drops came out pretty good. I think I may buy some colored glue sticks next time I get out. I used a gray crayon on the gray ones and a  pink crayon on the pink ones. They cooled very matte and I didn't care for it, so I used Perfect Pearl pearl color over them. Dipped my finger in a tad of water and then pearls and "painted". I also tried lightly spraying the glue, but that is too much water. These are the first gray embellishments I own. These are very small and I put them in baggies and away.

These four are the results of trying to make stencils/stamps with the glue. They are colored from the spray inks and regular inks I tried them with. I sprayed through them onto an art journal that I had prepped with gesso. It worked just like any stencil worked with the exception that these are very easy to lift off. Then I tried them as stamps (tried both sides) the back, flat side is the only side that works well enough. Believe it or not, they clung to the Tim Holtz blocks good enough to stamp an image. It wasn't an image that I liked well enough for all the time it took to make these. I won't be stamping again, I don't think. I would rather use my real stamps or my multi media junk to stamp with. They did show stamping with acrylic paint and I only tried ink. Maybe next time I will try paint. So while I was all messy, I decided to use my glue creations one last time and here is the double journal page I made. I used some pink glitter and tried different ways to get it to stick after having put it on the page - I know backwards, and what was I thinking? Ended up with Mod Podge matte on my fingers pressing it over the glue. It worked to some degree. Then I put matte iridescent on with a brush and sprinkled more pink glitter. It worked much better. Of course!

The black is acrylic paint and the pink lace has distress ink on it. It is not really white in those spots, just very shiny. I think its so pretty in real life that this photo isn't the best. Hope you enjoy this and I know I am going to be playing with the glue until I get it right. The mini melts was much easier to use and less trimming than the glue. I also found that my little scissors works better to trim than the craft knife. I like the heart the best and will be making that again. Hugs to you all, Barb F

Another Really Old Photo

This photo is close to 20 yrs old. My grandson was all dressed up and acted the same. He was just so cute and when I came across it in my photo sorting for the Scraprack class I am taking, it went into my have to scrap pile. Honestly, there are not a lot of photos that made it into this pile. I kept thinking about the photo and just knew I was going to make a page pretty soon. You know how that is - find something you just have to use and it like burns a hole in your "pocket"!
Since he looks so grown up, I didn't want to use the kid type papers I have. I pulled the colors out of the photo and realized that it was pretty much the same colors as a collection I had. It is called Reflections by Echo Park. I only have a few collections and I have managed somehow to keep them together which is why I was able to tell you the name. I have used quite a lot of the papers and didn't have a whole lot to choose from. When I saw this book text paper, I knew that was going to be my main paper. Almost all of the stickers came from that collection. The white cherish the moment is part of the paper. I had some neat paper clips that I decided to use. The border paper for the journalling and photo is another paper that looks like wood. It is not very distinguishable but the color is exactly the same as the benches. I had to take the photo on my table so all that wood in the background is really wood. The page ends with the dark brown border. I just adore being able to find things so quickly. If you haven't heard about it, go to thescraprack.com and sign up for the free organizing class of 2014. Do it soon or it will be gone for another year. I think its the best system for organizing that I have found. I do not use any of their products, just the ideas. However, there are a couple that I have been eyeing for over a year now. I am going to the Megameet (hopefully) and they are one of the vendors, so I am going to be able to see in person and then decide. The gal who does the class, Tiffany, is constantly saying to try to use what you have. I do not buy anything anymore until I know that I have a place to put it. Then when I get the new stuff, I know exactly where to put it away. Amazing! But it makes doing anything a pleasure. I have enough things that I need to sort through (she says if you already have things in a system that works for you, don't reinvent the wheel).  So far, all the work I have put into this class has paid off in huge rewards. It also gave me back the desire which I had lost due to that eye operation. I still can't see as well, but it no longer is dragging me down. I have lots of cards to make for March and beyond so I will be back to posting when I make them. Hugs to you all, guess if you are following me, you get the bonus posts? Barb F

Knew it!

I knew that as soon as I did a post on this journal page, I would finish it. It needed something  but at the time I did it, I could think exactly what. As soon as I saw it online, it hit me - the wheels in my head go round and round - that old song kids used to sing at school. Well I just related it to scrapbooking and shazam! (Haven't heard that one in awhile). The page had a way to finish it. I used my doodling pens in the same colors as my pages as well as black. It is hard to see in the photo but there are some other colors of words. Let me know what you think, please. Does it need anything more? Any ideas? Hugs to you all, Barb F

Lots of Catchup

 First things first, right? This is a birthday card for one of our grandsons. He is going to be 8. I have been organizing along with the lady from TheScraprack. com. I don't plan on buying a unit but am thinking about some of the other products. Will maybe get to see them at the Megameet in May in Novi, MI. In the meantime, her free online class is wonderful!
Getting back to the card, I had a goal to use stickers on a card - never did it before. My vision is still not right but I think Edwin came out ok. He is fussy cut and on dimensionals. My other goal was to use up as much paper as I could. This is a pretty hefty card. I used way more paper than I ever have. Its a little different for me, but I like it as I hope he will.  I do have lots to share as I have also been scrapbooking and working in my art journal.

This is the card open

This is a 12 x 12 scrapbook page. The center of the page is a very old photo album that one of my daughters sent me. I have been sorting photos (see the class I mentioned) and found it. Decided to not reinvent the wheel and use it as is. Since I reorganized my paper and embellishments, it took me probably 5 minutes to pick out the papers and embellishments!! How great that was and not only that, my desk is clear so I had lots of room to work!!
The round things are sequin like things that I turned up in the organize. I was going to journal some but then realized I had nothing to add, that the title did it all. The photos have a date stamp on each one. She wrote a little caption about each photo on the inside back cover.

With the photo book open. See how the photos cascade?

Another 12 x 12 of my newest grand baby. Again I didn't journal. There is a lot going on here. Lots of little stories about the embellishments. I bought little alphabet beads years ago and finally found a really good use for them. I found a wooden banner that fit her name. Used a pink ink over it and didn't care for the look so I added stickles over the ends. I was subscribing to an English magazine that always sends a goodie with the magazine. (It is pretty expensive, but a fab mag). They sent a bunch of punch out gorgeous paper. I used a lot of it on this page. Also see the little wooden family? The proud Papa here is the little boy in the photos on the page above!!

And here is an art journal page in progress. I used acrylic paints and lots and lots of stamps. Had a really good time with it. Started with stencils and just kept going. I know its not finished but one of these days I will know why and finish it.
I sure hope this post helps make up for my absences. I have been doing things, just not as much as I was. No excuses, but seeing and handling all my "stuff" has sure helped me get back on track. Guess that is my mojo. I am one of those "neat" people, love to organize if it makes it easy to find things, since I can't remember much anymore. Now I don't have to waste all of my time looking for things.  Next time I will share my room with you - as a matter of fact, I forgot I did a video and put it on youtube so my daughter could see what I had done. Its pretty long, but you can go see it if you wish, my name on youtube is Barb F. Fancy that!
Looking forward to hearing from you. Need a lift up from all this snow!! Hugs to you all, Barb F

My Take on Tim's January 2014 Tag

Thought this year I would keep up with Tim's 12 tags of 2014. This was lots of fun and due to my constant organizing lately, I was able to actually find stuff I had!! For those of you who are still following me, thank you, and here is a kind of blow by blow of what I did. First I cut a tag from Tim's Sizzix tag die - it also is what I cut that bookplate shape from. I don't particularly like using stain even though I have it so I just used antique linen distress over a gear stencil that I just bought. Sorry I don't know whose it is, maybe Heidi Swapp? I did do the edges in black soot and when I realized I didn't have black soot paint, I used chipped sapphire instead. So I also went back over the edges of my tag with chipped sapphire distress so it would go together. I did have grungepaper and the foil paper and followed his directions but used my bookplate and the piece it cut away instead of his pocket watch. I have a lovely embossing folder with stars on it - probably my favorite shape. Since I am in the process of organizing my stickers, I found the rub offs quite easily. Of course before last week, I didn't even know I had them! I also have never used rub offs, so it was a bit of a guess according to watching people use them on youtube. I loved it! Also didn't realize you got more than one sheet in the package.  Then I was going for some word stickers and remembered some that were gold and thought I would change things up so I could use them. Turns out, they weren't stickers and they included silver and there were 2 sheets of different words each color!Don't know whose they were or where or even when I got them. I cut out what I wanted - they are on black paper, leaving a tiny bit of black showing and glued them on. The TH mirrored stars are my favorite things so I put some of them on also. There were some places begging for something so I stamped the TH line of stars where I needed a touch. The little charm at the top is a tiny type but I stamped a star and put the clear thing over the star and cut it out. I glued it in place after tying a ribbon on the tag. I am going to make an art journal page with the tag . I decided that I have enough tag books for awhile and now I will use that tag as an embellishment in my journal.
As a little bit of an update - I haven't improved much on my vision and its very difficult for me to color. I do it only for very special things. I have gotten more into scrapbook pages and art journalling as they are much less precise. I miss coloring and have so many birthdays to do for but if I can find another way to make a card, I have been. Sorry again for being so absent - it did really upset me that I wasn't coloring. Here's hugs to all of you!!!Barb F