Beautiful Place Canvas

Remember how I've talked about how into mixed media techniques my local scrapbook store is? Well, I tried my hand at another canvas for them. The only things Dala asked me to use were some Bo Bunny embellishments and the new(ish) Mod Podge molds, the rest was up to me. 

There's lots of tissue and modeling paste. I don't know what those gem things are but I got them for super cheap when Archivers was going out of business.

Here you can read the sentiment a little better, it's from a Donna Downey Unity Stamp. And check out that little pink frame! That's one of those Mod Podge molded shapes, I just painted over it. 

The creamy colored border here is another of the Mod Podge shapes in the original color. I love that the texture is so rich with these things! If you have no idea what I'm talking about - Mod Podge released a series of silicon molds that you use with their special glue sticks. You use a high temp glue gun and squeeze the glue into the mold. I've read about people using regular glue sticks with so so success (I'd definitely want to paint them if I did that!). This was my first time using them though so I didn't play around at that level, plus the molds were ones I'd borrowed from the store. Now that I have my own...

You Make Me Happy - MWM Rose 5

I was so excited when Melodee asked the ScrapbookSteals design team to use our Silhouette die cutters to create the layout inspiration for this week's Mid Week Mojo - Rose 5.

Here's the sketch that we all used:

And my layout:

I used the Silhouette stencil material to create a textured background for my page. Using embossing paste instead of modeling paste gave me a slightly translucent finish. After the paste was dry I spritzed and splattered two shades of Mister Huey's on the page. 

This was only my second time using the stencil material and I have to say it was pretty cool to make custom backgrounds - and using something that's reusable. I super love that since it has a sticky back that I got cleaner images than I often do.

While those layers were drying I worked on using the off cuts from the stencil to make this banner - I stuck the stencil material directly to some MME Chalk Studio paper and then cut a bunch of triangles. I then sewed all of the tiny triangles into one long strand. I also sewed some large triangles from one of the Chalk Studio embellishment packs into a second strand and then crisscrossed them across the page. 

I used more of the Chalk Studio embellishments to decorate the large cluster on the left side of the page. Mmmm, and shaped enamel dots are yummy.

I didn't like the way my journaling worked out visually so I did a bit of doodling around the edge and then added the banner for depth. Decorating it made all the difference!

Unless - PS layout

I'm so excited about this month's Practical Scrappers layout sketch, this layout was a work of love. But before I get into that, here's the sketch that Christine worked up for us: 

And my layout, you can definitely see where I paid homage to the sketch but let it take it's own course. 

So here's the story. A couple of weekends ago I was teaching a class about using the border strips and skinny scraps based on this layout I made ages ago. I can't believe I didn't blog about it, but I can't find the post so here it is: 

The class had been scheduled closer the to creation date and was rescheduled because of poor attendance (fall is a busy season in the midwest, who knew!?). Well, I'm sitting there watching the ladies piece their scraps together and decided that I needed to do a layout with the strips at an angle and stick to a mostly monochromatic scheme. They were pretty excited about horizontal stripes, you can only imagine how that process went down!

While we were working I asked about classes they'd like to see in the future. They specifically mentioned using some mixed media type techniques on layouts. Well, I sort of felt that the page needed something to help unify all my strips even further so while they were sewing down their pieces I set to work adding modeling paste. The white paste was a little stark on some of the strips so I misted it with two shades of yellow, since most of the papers were yellow and because the first yellow was waaaaaaay to yellow and I needed to mute it a bit. 

It was all a bit to yellow still once dry so I also rubbed a distress ink pad, probably walnut stain, across the top. That made it so much better. The page was to warm and sunny for the snowy pictures I'd packed so I was excited to see that these ones about our tree had weaseled themselves into the stack. 

The story about the tree: the city had to cut down the only tree in our part of the apartment complex, it was growing so into the lines that by the time they cut out the parts necessary to trim the problem spots the tree was basically a large stick in the ground. The boys had watched the process through their window. When they started to cut the trunk itself, well, Vance got really mad. You see, we let him watch The Lorax, and in the movie/book cutting trees is bad. Period. They never deal with sustainability practices of using what you have and planting more as you go, so I had to explain all those parts to him. Again. While I finally talked him out of his frustration, I was sad because the tree was really pretty and provided tons of shade in the summer. For our safety we weren't allowed out there while the crew was working, so when the crew went home for the night I went out and got a couple of pictures of the trunk pieces. The stump reminded me of the "Unless" thing that the Lorax leaves behind and I knew then that I had my title for this layout. 

See, so lots of fun to make the layout AND it was a story that I really wanted to tell. 

Authentique Seasons Calendar

My friends, I am so beyond excited about today's post! Scrapbooksteals sent me some of the most delicious Authentique papers for my design team post today - it was mostly from the Seasons Petite Collections, and oh was it fun to come up with a use for all that goodness. There's so much paper in today's steal that even after my project (which used a lot) I have plenty of leftover paper and stickers to hoard for some cards and layouts.

The biggest quandary I faced was how to use the paper to feature all four seasons at the same time. Teaching my five year old about months and seasons must have gotten to me because I decided on a calendar. You'll see that I used this as an excuse to play with a friend's WRMK Cinch (still on my wishlist because Santa apparently didn't like me that much this year) and used the calendar pages from Graphic 45 Place in Time to complement my layouts.

It's photo heavy today, go grab a coffee and plan to sit a spell because I really want you to see how much fun there is to be had with this kit!

January - in addition to the Winter Petite Collection I used some buttons from KI Memories, flowers from Prima, and twine from MME.

As a Midwesterner, I don't perceive seasons as a fixed point. There's an ebb and flow with hints of the previous and future season and I wanted to bring that into my calendar, very few months have only one season represented.

February - uses both Winter and bits of Sweetness (for that touch of Valentine's pink). I also added some MME twine, Prima flowers, and used a WRMK Lucky 8 punch.

March - features Sweetness with a touch of Winter. There's also ribbon from Paper Studio and American Crafts, KI Memories buttons, Stazon Ink, and a MME transparency.

April - more of Sweetness with a touch of Winter. There's a custom rosette from fussy cutting the ice cream parlor banner from one of the pages with a random button on top, an American Crafts rosette and some stashed ribbon paired with modeling paste, a TCW stencil, and Mister Huey's pulled in some of the blues from other pages but kept it springy.

May - Sweetness paired with Summer papers and embellishments. I also used some stickers from Authentique's Original. In addition, I pulled in a Pink Paislee Artisan Element, Lawn Fawn flower bobby pin, and stash ribbon. The shiny word bracket was cut out of packaging from those Prima flowers I used on winter pages, I used a Tim Holtz die and then covered it with Glossy Accents. The background was customized with a TCW stencil, modeling paste and then Peacock Feathers and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks.

June - my first Summer layout, you'll notice I pulled in a bit of Sweetness. There's also another Lawn Fawn bobby pin, and more MME twine. The wooden sun is a MME veneer that was misted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.

July - Summer and Autumn with a few pieces of Glory and Original because I couldn't stay away from the 4th of July idea. 

August - Summer and Autumn again, but to evoke the haziness of a Missouri August I used my hand to apply modeling paste in one corner and as it dried misted October Afternoon Sprinklers across the page. 

September - Autumn, Summer, and Winter. There's also more of those KI Memories button and a Graphic 45 Staples flower.

October - Autumn with some fussy cutting out of a sheet of Enchanting to make the page "spookier." I also worked some MME twine into a spider's web and accented the page with Girl's Paperie Toil and Trouble charms. 

November - Autumn papers. I added in some torn papers, leaf die cuts, KI Memories buttons, and MME twine. 

December - Winter with a few touches of Autumn reds and Festive stickers. To make the banners I used a Glitz Design stamp and fussy cut and sewed them together. The other embellishments on the page are Pink Paislee Luxe stars, Prima flower, and stash buttons. 

As you can see I used a lot of paper on each page, this kit is loaded! I'm so glad that Steals sent this particular kit to me, now I get to hang this little beauty in my kitchen. *happy dance* Now to decide which photos to put into the layouts. 

Bloom where you are planted - 10 Things Flowers

I have a secret, nay forbidden love of flowers. Probably, it's been exaggerated because as a boy mom there aren't many excuses to bust them out! 

Well, one day recently I wasn't feeling like entering any challenges and thought I should work on some sort of ephemera that I could give as a housewarming present for some friends this summer.  The only mission I had was to use premade flowers (the Ten Things feature today at Practical Scrappers) and to get really messy. 

Bloom where you are planted

I used modeling paste over a stencil from The Crafters Workshop. As it was drying I stamped and heat embossed with gold Zing using a Mini Market background stamp. 

While the paste continued drying I watered down some old grey acrylic paint (read clumpy craft paint) and started washing it onto the page. Then I dripped one of my misters across the top - later it evolved into flower stems. Have to say that I l.o.v.e. the way the ink filled into the cracks in a very moss/ivy/organic way.

Most of the flowers are from Prima's Sprites collection, the netted and sheer ones are from Imaginesce, the big cream ones were saved when my mom did a little destashing. All of them got a little rub down in some Ranger Distress Gathered Twig ink. And some of them were garnished with some Distress Stickles Pine Needle. 

Now I just need to buy a frame the next time they're on sale. 

Other products used:

Large Alphas: American Crafts Thickers

Small Block Alphas: Authentique

Twine: won it in a scrappy challenge, the tag said honeydew on it but I think that refers to the color

Brads: Paper Studio (small) and American Crafts (large) 

Big Attitude

Welcome to Tuesday! Today is a new reveal over at Use It Tuesday and guess what we have for you?! A fairly open-ended challenge is what! 

We're asking you to answer: "What was I thinking?"

I know several on the team went with fashion choices in their photos, some went with the purchase of supplies, I explain in the journaling why I've hoarded that title card for two years! 

Basically, I thought the word attitude had to many negative connotations but then I realized how big of a difference their attitudes are. Both have such big personalities and on a day to day basis we embrace that in how we interact with them, but I needed to finally own it by using that card! 

The first hoarded item on this page is the 12x12 BasicGrey doily that I misted and then applied modeling paste over, two years old. The various scraps of papers came from my scrap drawer but all of them are at least a year old! I don't remember when I bought the green flocking, but it has to be pushing three years by now (and rarely used). The oldest things here though are the paper clips and border strips - those were from my mom's stash (that I rescued) and are at least four years old.