Twinkle Twinkle Little Star {Art Journaling}

Art Journaling -- this Sunday from 1-3pm

We'll be introducing vintage book pages and papers, going over the pros and cons of clear gesso, heavy gesso and more. In class I'll demonstrate an almost identical page in a bit more "boy" / Adventure theme. 

Bring your art journal or book and $10! I'll have all the other goodies there for you to use.

Drop ins are welcome, but it's easier for me to plan with an /idea/ of who might be coming. So if you know you'll be there, shoot me an email :) : deedee430@gmail.com

Products from Prima (including their brand new art line with Finnabair,) UmWowStudio and Viva Las VegaStamps!.

Don't Be Late {Tag Duo}

Here's a tag duo I did for the 7 Dots Studio blog!

And a mixed media background tutorial found on my Youtube Channel:

Supplies
7 Dots Studio Cold Country and Nature Walk, UmWowStudio chipboard, Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamp, Petaloo Flowers, May Arts Ribbons, Tim Holtz Ideology, Distress Ink, Versafine Ink, Watercolor paint, gesso, drywall tape.

King For A Day {12x12 7DS}

Hello Hello!!

it's been a few days since I posted, and I meant to share this one sooner, but there's no time like the present!

I'm sharing a 12x12 that I created for 7 Dots Studio. It's titled 'King For A Day' and documents Gabe's 3rd birthday :)

The base is Dreamer by Finnabair for 7 Dots Studio with a layer of watercolor paper and stitching in black. I worked on the background with some masking tape, drywall tap, coffee splatters and a tiny splattering of iZink in gold, Then I stamped in Yellow Neon by ImaginCRAFTS, Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and Archival Black by Ranger with Illumination Stamps (7 Dots Studio) and the new Periodic Table by VLVS!.

Next was a bit of clustering and laying, you can see the stamping really in this photo. I also layered up stickers from 9th wave, diecuts from Nature Walk, From The Heart Flair by UmWowStudio, thread and sequins (some from Gauche Alchemy, some from Pretty Pink Posh)

The focal point of my layout is two photos of ickle goobaloob on his Birthday. He had a crown and everything! the top has been adorned with a crown from UmWowStudio's Photo Booth Props set, painted in iZink gold. I also gave it a few little crowning gems; stars from Star Confetti and a pearl. The alphas come from Pink Paislee (gold) and Domestic Goddess (square alphas.)

And lastly... the bottom right embellishing is more stamping, a splatter of those sequins and a yellow enamel dot actually taken from the center of Dear Lizzy's wooden buttons. 

Us 3 {12x12 SATW | 7DS}

Today I've got a 12x12 to share with you as my first official project on the 7 Dots Studio team!

7 Dots Studio is a super sponsor over @ Scrap Around The World and today The 7Dots team is inspiring you on their blog using a superb mood board created by Tusia herself! 

I did a 12x12 utilizing a piece of paper from the 9th Wave Collection by Finnabair for 7 Dots Studio and a giant sheet of watercolor paper.

I trimmed off a 3inch piece of a sheet from 9th wave and adhered it down to my watercolor paper. Then I gessoed over the break in paper to help the two blend together, spreading the gesso out on the two papers. I layered up some background bits like coffee splatters and rings, mist splatters, and 2 favorites of my designs for Viva Las VegaStamps! (Invoice/waybill background and Clockface.)

This bit underneath the photo is comprised of a Nature Walk diecut tag, a big fussy cut Chevron from the Nature Walk Songbird sheet, some May Arts Webbing and Burlap string, and a tag reinforcement from UmWowStudio's Soar Tag Set. You can really see the texture of the gesso in this photo.

This little cluster at the bottom includes the Invoice stamping,  some layering of 9th wave Leaf diecuts using a Magnolia die, some Nature Walk diecut elements, and a Prima flower.

The date stamp is just from a date stamp where you can dial up the appropriate date. There's a paper doily, a piece from the Airmail Grid Pocket Chip, a piece from From The Heart flair, and the #3 tab from Round Numbered Tabs all by UmWowStudio. There's also a few more leaves from 9th wave.

I also layered up a large tag from Nature Walk, the punch label stickers from Nature Walk and some staples. You'll notice a few brushes of gesso and some more coffee splattering around to help the continuity of the page.

♥

Mechanical Hearts Tag Duo {SOD Guest Spot}

I'm officially starting my Guest Design spot for Scraps of Darkness with a Mechanical Hearts tag duo using the Perfectly Stunning kit! The kit is gorgeous in turquoises, tans and browns, vintage balloons, steampunky goodness and just all around delicious! 

So.Good!

I also got to participate in the awesome Embellishment Add On Kit.

And here is my tag duo:

I started with a sheet of the BoBunny paper included in the kit, cut some tags and did a bit of layering and framing with black cardstock. The outside edge of the tags has been distressed with Prima's Comfort tool. The background layer on top of the paper consists of some stamping using Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps I've designed (Clockface and Invoice/Waybill) in archival ink by Ranger Ink. The bottom borders are from the Diecuts pack included in the Embellishment Add On.

The top of the right tag has a perfect little triangle sticker from the 7 Dots Studio Dreamer collection, a bit of sewing, and some gorgeous May Arts Ribbon (Burlap String and Sheer Stitched Edge.)

The bottom of the right tag is adorned with UmWowStudio Chipboard Gears that have been covered in iZink gold, Archival Ink by Ranger, and some Glimmer Glam by Tattered Angels. I also layered up a small set of leaves cut from 9th Wave by 7 Dots Studio using a Magnolia die, and a Prima flower that's been embellished with eBeads and Glimmer Glam.

The top of the left tag is layered with another diecut from the Embellishment Add On, and one of the Prima Resin pieces and flowers from the main kit. I gave the Prima Resin heart a set of the metal wings from the Embellishment Add On. I also colored the heart with the awesome teal colored Mixed Media ink from the Main Kit. The bit of brown you see in the crevices of the heart is coffee. 

The bottom of the right tag has a diecut from the 7 Dots Studio Nature Walk collection, a bit of sewing, a paper clip, a Tim Holtz Game Spinner and a small white Prima bud. I then just finished the tag duo with some letting from the BoBunny Sticker sheet from the kit, and my Dymo Label Maker. That's all she wrote!! Stay tuned for my other Scraps of Darkness posts using the Perfectly Stunning kit :)

Double page spread {Art Journal}

Hiya folks :)

I am ... LOVING art journaling. to.the.MAX!

You can see a double page spread I did for Viva Las VegaStamps! here. It's very vintage and rustic. No words or sayings, no people. Just.. good ol' techniques and colors, fibers and stamps, chipboard and paints.

Today I'm sharing another double page spread here.. I started it before that VLVS! one, but left it to sit while I pondered how to finish it. Now I'm excited to show you how it ended up!

The page base is a mixed media Strathmore journal. I actually bought 2, and am trimming papers out of one, working on them, and gluing them into the other. I picked this little trick up from Finnabair. It lets me open and free, messy and wet without ruining the journal. 

The left page's base has Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Radiant Rain by Splash of Color and coffee stain from a cup of instant I keep at my workplace.

The right page's base has Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Fireworks by Imagine Crafts / Tsukineko and some more coffee stain.

After my  background was dry I adhered down some of these awesome GIANT plastic baubles from Prima Marketing. Then I used some super thick awesome gesso from Blick to circle the baubles and a bit o' water to spread out the gesso. It gave the baubles this sort of cool halo effect. I stamped the Dictionary Page from VLVS! around the page in Archival Black by Ranger. In this photo you can also see the brand new Waybill/Invoice Background. It's been stamped in Memento Luxe Bahama by Imagine Crafts / Tsukineko. I used the Blick gesso through the Checker Board Mask from UmWowStudio. The Distressed Harelquin chipboard background has been covered with gesso, stained with coffee and stamped with the same Dictionary Stamp as mentioned before. Both stamps (The Dictionary Page and Waybill/Invoice Background are stamps I designed for VLVS!)

I also used some Dry Wall tape and some beautiful May Arts Crocheted Ribbon. The little chipboard circles come from the Soar Tags set of chip by UmWowStudio.

As a final little touch of goodness I drew a few patterns around the Prima baubles by hand with an Archival Micron pen by Sakura of America.

And there you have it! Just laying goodness like stamps, stencils, chipboard, inks, paints, mists.. you name it.  I'm working on another spread I hope to have up tomorrow -- it's monochromatic; browns and golds. And has a bit o' special meaning... can't wait to get home and work on it. BUT here's this one now :)

Straight out of a Storybook ....

There's a new challenge @ Scrapki-wyzwaniowo inspired by "Books" 

and I automatically thought of this picture; my hubs and kidzilla blowing bubbles in the warm warm sun. So I put together this layout using my Nature Walk collection from 7 Dots Studio. 

disclaimer: I DO have the other new releases from 7 Dots Studio by Anai and Finnabiar, and I VOW to use them!! Stay tuned :)

I stamped the Ornate Corner Left and Ornate Corner Right from Viva Las VegaStamps! in Cloudy Gray StazOn. The gold sequins are from Pink Posh Studio and the gold splatters are iZink. I've also added a little water to some iZink and washed over pieces of chipboard from the Banner Mash set by UmWowStudio. Spray 'em with a little tarnished silver Glimmer Mist and they look like dirty old metal. 

I used some amazing Kroma Crackle through the UmWowStudio Circle Confetti Mask and layered up a bit o' black thread and some stars from the Diecut Elements sheet of Nature Walk.

This portion of the layout is entended for my title... "Straight from a Storybook" but I can't seem to find quite the right lettering yet. So for now it's been left blank and only titled with the date. This gold netting is from May Arts and is so amazing to rip and tear. The two tags layered are from the Diecut Tag sheet from Nature Walk.

And that's it! Super fun layout with some great movement. I love the neutral color with a splash o' gold! ump over and be inspired by some sort of book (or books in general) for Scrapki and enter to win!

New Beginnings Are Often ...

Dreamz Come True ♥

Here's a 12x12 layout with a photo of the uber talented Finnabair and myself @ Winter CHA 2014. I remember when I first met her. Fell in love with her style, her sense of purpose. I got to know her and ended up falling in love with 7 Dots Studio.... then I met Tusia ... and it blossomed into me designing my own paper line. Hence the title of my page :) 

The base for my layout is the gorgeous (If I dare say so myself ;) ) Chevron side of Songbird from Nature Walk by 7 Dots Studio. When I designed this piece, I wanted the iconic chevron pattern, with some natural grunge and deterioration. There's a big open spot on the bottom right corner perfect for embellishing and layering.

Most of the embellishing and layering has been kept to previously mentioned opening including 2 pieces of beautiful May Arts Ribbon (Burlap Twine and Striped Grosgrain), 2 pieces of UmWowStudio chipboard from the Floral Collection that coordinates with Nature Walk, gesso, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, my Dymo Label Maker, and an UmWowStudio Mask.

To balance the page I stamped a Viva Las VegaStamps! stamp (Washi Grid) in the top left corner and layered it with thread, another piece of the Floral Collection chipboard (this time covered in gesso and Charcoal glimmer mist), a date stamp and a Flair piece from Moon Shine by UmWowStudio.

Just to the left of the main embellishing is some splattering of Glimmer Mist and a Bark Star and Engraver brad by Prima Marketing. 

And this is definitely my favorite piece using Nature Walk so far. I've still got loads to use and tons of ideas to use it on, so stay tuned.