i've shown a glimpse here and there of this card. but here it is in all it's glory. these owls. i seriously don't know how the designers at unity continue to make stamps that i simply can't refuse to buy! smart cookies, they are!!
who doesn't love a hedgie? or a little note? i recently discovered masking fluid. i'm pretty sure it's been around forever, but i just learned of it. talk about an awesome thing! makes things so much easier than making a paper mask or something.
little note stamps: unity cardstock: white, craft ink: tumbled glass, shabby shutters, jet black other: prismacolor markers, masking fluid
this is week 2 in my inspiration journal. i haven't done a ton with collage, so this was a big stretch of outside my comfort zone. i also really don't love butterflies, but i wanted to use the tissue paper i had because it had cool printed images. and i have to say i love how the butterfly looks on the page! i also got to use one of the new totally tracy stamps! there is a lot going on here, but i'm happy with the result.
brave
supplies: gesso, acrylic paint, distress ink, washi tape,
india inkbubble wrap, tim holtz tissue paper,
dictionary page, alphabet stickers
wow. it's august 8th. july was one of the worst months i've ever experienced. it started out with one surgery, two weeks later turned into an emergent surgery due to an infection followed by two weeks of terribleness. but it's all behind me now thanks to the amazing help of my family. i don't know what i would have done without them.
and the creative dare from tracy for the month of august could not have been more therapeutic for me. the dare is to "let it go." which is what i've done. the past is done, and i'm moving forward! the challenge was to use a favorite quote, make our creation in less than an hour and a half, and just "let it go" while we created. i saw this quote from the brave girls club a week ago and it rang so true. there were days i wasn't so sure i would fly again. but i am. i branched out and used watercolors for this page, which was new and different. brought me back to my grade school days.
thanks for another awesome creative dare, tracy!!
fly again stamps: unity ink: jet black, island indigo, basic gray, paris dusk embellishments: tissue paper other: watercolors, montana ink pen, mod podge, pitt pen
what? never heard of mmm?? it's mixed media mondays with tracy weinzapfel. a weekly gathering to get a little crafty. and we had a swap of altered/painted coasters. turns out the peeps i spend every monday night with are a crafty group of ladies! you can see all the coasters in this post on tracy's blog. here are the two sets i made.
here's a set of atcs i made for a paper piecing swap christy is hosting. i cheated a little and used my silhouette to cut the circles. because if anyone knows me, they know i hate cutting little things out!! i know, i know...why did i join a paper piecing swap?? cause i'm silly!!
snowy stamps: stampin' up cardstock: midnight muse, echo park pp ink: lady bug, ripe persimmon, faded jeans, broken china, mustard seed, onyx black embellishments: book text
nothing says fall like pumpkins. for some reason last year, i didn't have any. not going to let that happen this year...i'm going to get a bunch for my porch as soon as i see them! here's a card using this week's {ippity} fabulous feature, fall for you. be sure and check out what the other chicks have created over at the {ippity} blog.
pumpkins stamps: ippity cardstock: echo park pp, simple stories, cosmo cricket, white ink: cajun craze, more mustard, early espresso, dusty durango, tangerine tango, island indigo, old paper tools: prismacolor markers
no this isn't a naughty post!! it's a post about being on the naughty list around christmas time!! this is another awesome new release from {ippity}. i just love this little santa! i even busted out the liquid applique. i was totally surprised it was still good since i haven't used it in ages!
naughty stamps: ippity cardstock: echo park pp, white ink: onyx black, cherry cobbler, tumbled glass embellishments: liquid applique, silhouette
don't forget this little guy is on sale right now. click the link below to shop!! don't forget to pick a {chick} before you checkout! or just add my name in the comments section.
ever feel like you are stuck in the muck and need to "just keep swimming" to get out? thanks to certain fish with a short attention span (hmmm...ring a bell?), i find myself saying that mantra a lot!! i made this card for the diecut diva blog using a cool fishbowl card base from creative cuts & more. (find post here). i used an awesome {ippity} set that was perfect for the fishbowl!
swimming stamps: ippity cardstock: island breeze, white ink: melon mambo, gumball green, tumbled glass, black craft embellishments: clear embossing powder, glitter
don't forget there is an awesome sale at unity right now (through tomorrow) and it helps out an awesome cause. and there is some {ippity} on sale, too, so pick me as your chick for your entire unity purchase!
i love that it is friday. and i love unity. and who doesn't love phyllis harris stamps? this one is so cute! i merged three different stamp sets for this card. and it's friday (have i mentioned that i'm stoked that it's friday??) so it's time for friends with flair. awesome!! check it out over at the unity blog.
miss you stamps: unity, phyllis harris, stampin up cardstock: island indigo, ocean breeze, white ink: island indigo, onyx black, tumbled glass, soft suede, shabby shutters tools: distress markers
love the way this card opens. it's like a little surprise in the envelope! the card base is from creative cuts & more. hope you have a great weekend!
it's time for another fabulous feature over on the {ippity} blog! this week the set alphabetically adorable is featured. i made a fun 'wish' card using the letters. so check out the other projects for more ideas using this cute set!!
happy set stamps: ippity cardstock: echo park pp, studio calico pp, tangerine tango ink: burnt umber, antique linen, soft suede embellishments: ribbon tag tools: silhouette
have you figured out yet that i have a huge love for bubble wrap? not only since i was a kid, because who doesn't love popping the bubbles, but as a crafter, too! i love using it on mixed media stuff, since it is great to paint on and stamp with. but i've also experimented with it on cards lately. it can make an awesome background. i used it on this card for the diecut diva blog. (check out the blog for more details on the card) i inked it up with chalk ink and viola!! gives it a distressy look! (distressy...a word? is now!!)
earth laughs in flowers stamps: unity, susan weckesser cardstock: kraft, white, old olive, purely pomegranate, pink pirouette ink: soft suede, cherry cobbler, shabby shutters, chalk ink embellishments: cottage cutz flowers die
and ps. tonight is monday, so it's OUR time! which is the ustream crafty session with tracy. the best way to start a week. can't wait! come join us if you can!
it's wednesday, so there is a new fabulous feature over on the {ippity} blog. this week, the focus is on the set dream to be. i love how diverse this set can be. during the monday night ustream session, i had an idea of what i wanted to make using this set, so i whipped out my small art journal and started creating. this is the end result. did you know rub ons work out awesome on art journal pages?? true story. the "live life" is a rub on. cool beans.
live life. stamps: ippity paper: art journal ink: jet black, peeled paint, bermuda paint: gesso, watercolor crayons other: bubble wrap
the bermuda ink is kind of subtle on the green background, so i tried to do a close-up of the "dream to be" sentiment.
happy friday, peeps!! i know it's not even close to christmas, but i'm showing a card i made for the creative cuts & more christmas in july bash over on the diecut diva blog. and wouldn't you know i used all unity goodness on it!! so it's perfect for friends with flair!! and if you are unfamiliar with fwf, it's a friday ritual where unity peeps post creations. and the bonus is two winners will get free unity stamps! so check it out over at the unity blog.
yay!! friday is finally here!! time for friends with flair and the unity gang. check it all out here. this is one of those "blast from the past" posts, since i have been a slacker with the camera this week. but it's a goodie!
about you stamps: jillibean soup+unity, unity cardstock: early espresso, walnut cream, bo bunny pp ink: early espresso, fired brick distress embellishments: prismacolor markers, twine
and in honor of mr. unity's birthday yesterday, they are having a birthday sale!! 378 itty bitties to choose from. awesome!! click the picture below to shop!! and pick me as your {ippity} chick if you get any of the awesome {ippity} itty bitties. they are on sale too!!
so are any of you fans of the show, next food network star? i love it. i know...what does this have to do with crafting? well, on this season, the room where team giada goes after the competitions, there is a lamp. and it's the coolest lamp! and every time i see it, i love it more. so when i saw this quarterfoil stamp, a light bulb went off! (hehe) i used this stamp from the stamp of the week and created a card inspired by the lamp i love from the show! now it's time for friends with flair friday on the unity blog!
life brighter stamps: unity cardstock: not quite navy, summer starfruit, white, authentique pp ink: not quite navy, onyx black, walnut stain, spun sugar, black craft embellishments: clear embossing powder
ps. i was able to copy a picture of the lamp from the show!
i bought a new mixed media art journal the other day and as soon as i got home, i wanted to get it started. i saw this quote on pinterest and thought it's so true. so this is going to be kind of a long post. i did a bunch of things with this page so i wanted to explain them a little bit.
here are some close-ups of the page. i cut some flowers out of muslin, then sprayed them with glimmer mist. and you see my favorite bubble wrap stamped all over!
i love using pages from books. it gives such a cool look. with this one, i wanted to leave the 'create' definition unpainted so it would stand out.
used more muslin to mat the piece of paper i stamped 'hobby' on. also used a button for the 'o'.
using some of these plastic ghost alphabet letters, i laid them out, then sprayed glimmer mist over the top of them so they were like a stencil. i outlined them with my favorite new pen. if you like writing or doodling on anything, you need this pen!!
i loved this gelato thing where you make paint using gelatos, then realized halfway through the process i could do the same with thinned out acrylic paint. but i do love how it turned out. i did add some white to the paint to make it a little lighter.
after i mixed up the paint, i used a very technical process i learned from tracy, know as "drippies", it left some tiny flecks of the gelatos that didn't get dissolved. the result looks cool.
and if you are still following this long post, here is the whole thing (when i remembered to take pictures!) from the beginning!!
i hate when i need to send sympathy cards. and i don't keep a supply around for that reason. but i needed to send one to a friend's sister. i used the new {ippity}set dream to be and one from unity (with sympathy) that is awesome for sympathy/condolence cards. inside sentiment says: with love and hugs.
one moment stamps: ippity, unity cardstock: crumb cake, white, authentique pp ink: soft suede tools: distress markers, corner chomper
so i have been off work for the past four days. it's been great. the mister has also been off work. we were going to go away on vacation, then decided to stay home and just hang out. so we've done a lot of just relaxing. he found a new game he likes (he's a little bit of a nerd, but who isn't?) which works for me because it gives me lots of time in my craft room!
i was obsessing over discovering new things on pinterest the other day and saw a cute owl canvas that was adorable. so it gave me the idea for this 8x8 canvas. consequently, this one looks nothing like what i thought it would, but i'm still happy with how it turned out.
night owlie stamps: unity patterned paper: lilybee designs, authentique, we are memory keepers, american crafts ink: shabby shutters, walnut stain, seedless preserves paint: gesso, acrylic other: india ink-black, mod podge, modeling paste, bubble wrap
i have had a few goto places for insiration for all this mixed media madness. i have to credit my friend, cindi, for prodding inviting me to monday night ustream with tracy weinzapfel. that pretty much started the spiral down this path! so kuddos to tracy and cindi! i also love things by donna downey and christy tomlinson. those women are so crafty!!
a few people have asked to see how i do my canvases. so i made a little video of one. i made another butterfly canvas that i used from the mystery project to show what i do.
and if you are still with me after all of that...don't forget tomorrow is the {ippity} new release blog hop. i have to say, once again, that i love this month's release!! so stop on by tomorrow at 6pm mst (that's 7pm cst) and check out the new goodies! there might be a prize involved!
and don't forget i'm giving away some unity goodness with this post!
who's the hot chick this week over at the {ippity} chick challenges blog?? that would be me!! so go get your {ippity} stamps inky and come play along. did i mention there's a prize involved???
here's the card i made for this challenge. my friend christie had her tonsils out last week so i made this to send her. i saw a cute die for a flower box somewhere (who knows where!). actually i think it was a window die, but i saw it turned into a flower box. so i tried making my own out of cardstock. i used a little white paint over the crumb cake cardstock to give it a white-washed effect.
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! if you need some {ippity} you can order them straight from the unity site and pick {me} as your {ippity} chick or you can visit my{ippity} blogfor all the details!!
and one last thing...new release blog hop coming up on wedneday, june 13 @7pm cst!
