the mystery project...

what happens when you make a stranger's day?  that's the question that the people over at the art house co-op wanted to know.  so they created the mystery project.  each participant received a little package that contained  the following:  a thank you for signing up, a new prismacolor art marker (side note:  this made my day since you all know i love my prismas and  i didn't know they have prismacolors with a brush tip.  BRUSH tip!!), and a card with your chosen theme.

i excitedly ripped open my package the day it arrived and checked out my theme.  and my excitement was quickly deflated.

if tomorrow came yesterday

what the cuss?  what in the world does that mean?  i was stumped.  i had this phrase running through my mind for weeks.  i had no idea what it meant or what i could do with it.

then it hit me.  it meant going back in time.  and one day i was working on my art journal and had a butterfly in  mind.  and like a ton of bricks the idea came to me.  if tomorrow came yesterday...there wouldn't be butterflies.  because the caterpillier would  never change in to a butterfly if tomorrow never came.  right?  well that's  my take on it anyway.  so here's what i created.  a little 4x4 canvas.

butterflies
cardstock: authentic pp
paint: gesso, acrylic
embellishments:  butterfly cutouts-making memories,
other:  prismacolor marker, india ink

the other thing that stumped me was where to leave it?  i had no idea...i've been thinking about it for days now...where to leave it.  as i was running out of time, i decided to leave it at a park near my house.  i figure lots of people visit the park.  so i drove up there tonight as the sun was setting, and planted my little butterfly piece.

i attached a little note that says "read me."  inside explains a little about the mystery project and telling the finder to keep the canvas.  hopefully it will find a good home!!

one shot...

here's another installment in the mixed media file.  on monday, tracy threw down a challenge.  she dared us to do something out of our comfort zone.  we had to create something using this quote, "let go of whatever holds you back and no longer serves you because you only get one shot in life."  check out her blog post here.  i saw a mixed media canvas the other day while surfing the web (my guess is on pinterest!) and of course can't find it now to save my life.  but what i got out of it was inspiration for this.  and i thought the quote went well with it.

strength

stamps: hero arts

cardstock: fancy pants pp, basic grey pp, authentique pp

ink: burnt umber

paints:  acrylic, gesso, gelatos

embellishments:  glimmer mist; cardstock stickers-october afternoon, authentique, dear lizzy-american crafts

other:  india ink

here's a little more detailed view.

you should join along with the dare!!

journey like no other...

some days do you ever feel like this? that you are on a journey like no other? good, bad, or indifferent, i guess every day is a journey like no other...

this is a set of atcs i made for a swap where we had to use an acrylic block for the background.  i have to say i like the effect!

thanks so much
stamps: unity
cardstock: white, soft sky, basic grey pp
ink: old paper, broken china, spun sugar
tools:  corner chomper

thanks so much...

thank you to all those who protect and serve

 to make this an amazing country to live in.

happy memorial day.

thanks so much
stamps:  stampin up
cardstock: white, crumb cake
ink: burano
embellishments:  ribbon, staples

be bold...

well, it's another friday.  i've been dreading this friday, however, because i have to work tonight.  you can do anything for 12 hours.  right?   friday also brings friends with flair from the peeps at unity.  so that is a good thing!  check out the unity blog and visit the other fwf chickies.

this set of atcs was made for a swap i hosted.  we had to use book text to make flowers.  i am loving that lately.  and i'm also loving this set of donna downey stamps.  makes my heart happy.  and it happens to be on sale for the huge sale this weekend. some unity kits are on sale, and all {ippity} is 31%  off.   

be bold
stamps:  unity
cardstock: white, pool party, dictionary page
ink: bubble gum, shabby shutters
embellishments:  buttons
other:  acrylic paint, gelatos, silhouette

so after you are done checking out the fwf goodies, go shopping for some {ippity} goodies! pick me as your chick and shop away!!

syd's day...

how time flies.  just five minutes ago (i swear!)  i was hanging out in the yard with my neices and nephew, doing what kids do.  enjoying being little.  and now, they are all grown up!!   one is graduating  from high school today.

congratulations, squid!!

xoxo

your day 

stamps:  unity

cardstock: authentique pp, crate paper pp

ink: broken china, early espresso, shabby shutters, old paper

embellishments:  twine

big sale!!

haven't got any {ippity} yet? why not??? confused on how to get some? well click below to find out how easy peasy it is.

 then take advantage of the sale!!

be true.

so i made a card the yesterday. i made it for the latest challenge over at the at the {ippity} chick challenges blog.  i showed it to my husband after complaining about having lost my mojo.  his reply was "well, it's not your best work!"   gotta love brutal honesty from your hubby, but he was right.  so i tossed that card and spent the day shopping with him instead.  i made another attempt today, and this is what i made.  it is a HUGE improvement over the one i tossed!!

be true. stamps: ippity, unity
cardstock: echo park pp, dictionary page
ink: tumbled glass, early espresso, shabby shutters
embellishments:  gelatos, button
tools:  silhouette

so go grab some stamps, get inky and come play along with the challenge!  remember you can use both {ippity} and unity for these challenges!

just be.

i haven't made a lot of atcs in the past few months, but i do have a few swaps coming up.  so it's been nice working with the small little creations again!  i made this set of atcs that had to use distress inks.  i used watercolor paper and then embossed the images.  i colored the whole thing with the new distress markers from tim holtz.  then i spritzed them with water.  love that effect.

one thing about these markers.  i wasn't that impressed the first few times i used them.  maybe it was because i really didn't know how to use them or what, but the more i've played with them, the more i like them.  it's fun to color stamps with them and get a multicolored stamped image.  and making the background of these atcs was a breeze!!  i also love this saying.  makes me happy.

just be.

stamps: ippity, unity
cardstock: watercolor paper
ink: versamark, spun sugar, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, tumbled glass, milled lavender, worn lipstick
embellishments:  distress markers, clear embossing powder

dreams you dream...

hello peeps!!  it's friday.  and it's my cute dad's birthday.  so a big happy birthday to him!!  love you, dad!  it also means time for friends with flair!  a gathering, so to speak, of unity lovers around the world that show off some crafties they have made.  so check out the blog for all the other creations. here's a card i made with one of my favorite new co-brands by phyllis harris. i also used this stamp from the stamp of the week club. she makes such cuteness in her stamps! i used the new tim holtz distress markers and gave it a water colored effect.

have a good weekend!

dreams you dream

stamps: phyllis harris-unity
cardstock: cherry cobbler, early espresso, white, stampin up pp
ink: broken china, soft suede
embellishments:  prismacolor markers, distress markers
tools: decorative label punch

white flowers...

i know i've mentioned once or twice how much i am loving this whole mixed media thing.  and i wouldn't have ever realized this unless my friend, cindi, wouldn't have convinced me that i needed to watch a ustream thing on monday night with tracy weinzapfel.  a few weeks ago, tracy made a vase of flowers in her journal.  i loved the idea so much, that i wanted to make one to give to my mom on mother's day.  so i held my breath and went straight to a canvas instead of doing one in my art journal first.  here's the finished project.

white flowers 
supplies:  acrylic paint, gesso, charcoal pencil
embellishments:  flowers

tools:  silohuette

happy mother's day!

happy mother's day!  

i have the best, cutest mom in all the land and i'm so thankful for everything she has ever taught me and done for me.  love you, mom!!

mothers

stamps: unity
cardstock: jillibean soup pp, crumb cake, pink pirouette

ink: burnt umber

embellishments:  ribbon, distress markers

tools:  top note die

strength...

i know, two posts in one day.  must be a record!!  but i had to post this before the deadline.  it's my entry for unity's contest from national scrapbook day.  and no, i'm not a scrapbook-er, but you could make something other than a scrapbook layout.  so  i made a mixed media canvas.  i also used two of the new {ippity} sets released yesterday!

strength
stamps: unity, ippity
cardstock: watercolor paper
ink: worn lipstick, burnt umber, tumbled glass, walnut stain
embellishments:  muslin, staples, glimmer mist, distress markers
tools:  acrylic paint, gesso, molding paste, silhouette

here is the sketch.

i used my silhouette cameo to cut out the banner and the butterflies.  i used the new tim holtz distress markers to ink the butterfly stamp.  i'm starting to like the markers a little more.  here are a few close ups of the canvas.

thank you...

happy friday, peeps!!!  it's time for friends with flair from the unity crew.  check it all out here.  did you have fun seeing all the new {ippity} and unity releases yesterday?  so many cute and awesome new stamps to choose from.  if you didn't get a chance to see the {ippity} release, there's a great blog hop you can do.  it starts at the {ippity} blog.

thank you
stamps: unity
cardstock: crumb cake, vanilla, bo bunny pp, blushing bride
ink: crumb cake, walnut stain
embellishments:  baker's twine, prismacolor markers

there's a big sale going on so if you need some new rubber to get inky, now's the time. don't forget if you need any {ippity} goodness, you can shop two ways... order them straight from the unity site and pick {me} as your {ippity} chick or you can visit my {ippity} blog for all the details!!

half full...and a blog hop...

it's time for another {ippity} chicks blog hop!! must be  the second thursday of each month.   you should have arrived from the awesome jen and her blog jen's cup of creations.  if you did not, then don't forget to start at the beginning over at the {ippity} blog.  (click the blog hop image below to go there!)  here's my card using the new {ippity} itty bitty, live half full.  so cute!!

half full 

stamps:  ippity

cardstock: white, pink pirouette, bo bunny pp

ink:  black, spun sugar, broken china

embellishments:  rhinestones

tools:  silhouette, distress markers, prismacolor markers

way to go!  you've made to the end of the hop.  thanks for hopping with the {ippity} chicks this month!  now go shopping  for the new (or not new!) {ippity} releases  because there is a huge sale going on.  remember you can now order them straight from the unity site and pick {me} as your {ippity} chick or you can visit my {ippity} blog for all the details!!

below is the list if you got lost along the way.

{ippity} blog 
rona - a little inspiration from rona
rebecca - blooming pink
susan - paper and joy
sabrina - ippity online
 maria - ria creations
barbara - {ippity} do da
jennifer -  mitten's papercrafting
noelle -noelle scraps alot
andrea - ippity stamps 4 you
cheri - the paper freak
joan - tails in the stamp room
jenmarie - taylor-made by jenmarie
heather f. - i heart {ippity}
lisa - schnauz scraps
patricia - my crafty creations
jen - jens cup of creations
angie - {stampsings of the shug} **you are here!**
{ippity} blog 

new set...

i made this atc for a friend who had a new grandson earlier this year.  she's collecting the atcs and making a baby book.  what a cute idea!!  did a little paper piecing and added some bling. what babe doesn't like bling??

new set
stamps:  unity
cardstock: cherry cobbler, bo bunny pp, unknown pp
ink: onyx black
embellishments:  rhinestones

dream with your heart...

another card i made using the april {ippity} release (see the awesome stamps here).  it's funny because i loved the way the blog hop button turned out, so i made a card similar!  it's fun finding inspiration in places you wouldn't expect.

dream with your heart
stamps:  ippity
cardstock:  white
ink: pool party, crumb cake, so saffron, grape
tools:  corner chomper

can you believe that it's time for may's release? thursday is the day!! 7pm cst is the time. hop with us, won't you please?

party.

who doesn't love a good party?  one week ago, a bunch of my crafties were having a good old party.  i can't believe how fast it came and went.  kind of like this week.   i made this card using one of the unity stamp of the week stamps, {balloons to...you}.  i love getting a little rubbery love in the mail each week!!  so let's get on to friends with flair.  check out the unity blog for the rest of the peeps in fwf.  and comment, too, because you could win some rubbery goodness for yourself!

inside card says:   happy birthday.

party.
stamps:  unity
cardstock: bermuda, lime
ink: jet black, bermuda
embellishments:  glossy accents

reasons...

last night i finally finished an art journal page from a couple of weeks ago.  felt good to get it done. do you know what i was missing?  one of those old school dymo label makers.  the kind you get a cramp in your hand from using too much! i love it!! i am still so loving this mixed media stuff. good for the soul, i tell you.  can't wait to try the new things i learned from last night's u-stream with tracy.

reasons
cardstock: watercolor paper
ink: forest moss, shabby shutters
embellishments:  label tape
other:  acrylic paint, tissue paper