2016 Muse (and a guest spot)

So today I have a post over on the Words & Paintery blog. and it is a good one if I say so myself! First I should say that I'm guesting there as a sponsor via UmWowStudio. Words and Paintery has some really great monthly challenges and prize opportunities. The challenge for this month : 

A very wintery and appropriate color scheme paired with a beautiful sentiment. I chose to wrangle it all together and create a muse that I can hang in my studio. My hope is that the muse will continue to inspire me throughout the year, whispering words of wisdom and calming my fears. The muse will be there to embrace me when I need it, challenge me to try harder, do more and be held accountable.

And HERE SHE IS! She stands for creativity and honesty. for beauty and equality. She stands for all that is good. 

She started off as a raw piece of the Wire Cage Dress Form from UmWowStudio. I painted the chipboard in a whitewash of gesso and did a quick image transfer of text. The skirt is made from a single sheet of dictionary paper that was also whitewashed. I cut the dictionary page into strips and then used my Fringe shears to create even ribbons of paper. The strips were then scrunched into a skirt form and adhered to the chipboard with Gel Medium by Golden. 

To cover up the harsh edge of the paper skirt I tied a bow out of May Arts Silk Ribbon. The 1/4 inch is in gray and the 1/8th inch was originally white. I colored it using three new Zig real brush markers I got for Christmas! Then I created a bow tying it all together with a piece of Silver Cording from May Arts and a vintage shell button. YAY! This is sort of the little shining star that represents the color combo from Words and Paintery.

At this point I needed to step back from the muse herself and work on the background.. I need a place for her to live. She was ending up much too big for a normal sized tag.. so I pulled out a JUMBO tag from Ranger Ink. I was already in the whitewashing mood so that's what I did to the center of the JUMBO tag. then I did a bit of stamping with Distress Stain Spray (Hickory Smoke) using my Numbers Set from Viva Las VegaStamps!. I also splattered a bit of the ink on the background. The texture of the gesso on the tag covered in ink is delightful! Then I sewed a border and glued the tag to some chipboard to make it super sturdy.

With a nice sturdy base I was able to start gluing pieces down... including a pair of chipboard Tattered Wings from UmWowStudio. Then came the dress form.. and then this BEAUTIFUL handmade clay face. I get these from another artist.. her name is Mary Vogel Lozinak. I adore this one.. mustache and all! And finally I topped my muse off with a chipboard Crown from UmWowStudio. the crown has been covered in Fluid Matte Medium by Golden and doused with Prima Marketing Inc / Finnabair Art Glitter. 

The final touch.. my sentiment that I'd like to live 2016 by... Let's Get Lost. A stamp I designed for Viva Las VegaStamps! stamped in Archival ink by Ranger. 

I want to get lost in art... in creating. in things handmade. in adventures. in friends. in family. in laughter and music. It's TIME. 

New Collections!! ♥♥

I have new collections up @ 7 Dots Studio and UmWowStudio! <3 

The first is YULETIDE >> A big delicious christmasy mashup of vintage and modern icons and colors. Can't wait to get my dirty little fingers on this baby to create a december daily. 

 You can see Yuletide larger on my website here.

The second is Lost and Found --- a super delicious collection of vintage paper patterns and graphics. The colors speak to my soul and reach the depths of my heart.

 

 

You can see Lost And Found larger on my website here.

Oh So Precious {Scrapki 12x12}

There's a new challenge @ Scrapki-wyzwaniowo -- What do you hold "Precious"?

This past Christmas my sister flew to Vegas and spent a week with us. The time she spent with Gabe is oh so precious.

I picked up a piece of Dreamer from Finn by 7 Dots Studio and got to work! I started by using a nice thick gesso by Blick through the UmWowStudio Checker Board Mask. I love having the smaller white squares both mimic and contrast the larger colored squares of the paper. After the gesso was dry I stamped a couple Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps  (Bingo Card and Spinning Circle) around to build up the background.

I mounted my photos on some watercolor paper and layered up behind them a paper doily, some stickers from the Dreamer collection, and Lace, Silk and Sheer ribbons by May Arts.

My lettering consists of my Dymo Label Maker and some of the awesome alphas from Domestic Goddess. I used my machine to sew black thread around the layout and stamped my Arrow design from Viva Las VegaStamps!.

A closeup shot of the left photo. This sticker from Dreamer has been popped up with a pop dot. I also put a couple of super old BasicGrey rubons on the actual photos. At the top you can see a heart circle sticker.. I used a Lyra Watercolor Crayon to make the heart stand out.

And this final shot is to show off this resin embellishment! For details on this technique you'll want to stop by the Amazing Crafting Products blog and visit Cat Kerr on THIS POST. She pours some Casting resin onto an embossing folder, lets it cure and then has a super cool plastic version of the folder. I chose the Bingo folder by Tim Holtz to compliment the VLVS! Bingo stamp. It's been covered in black distress paint and wiped clean. A few small black sequins finish off this baby.

Figure out what's super precious to you and enter the Scrapki Challenge!

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!

Jingle Hells CATCH UP

I'm seriously adoring my altered book december daily, and I really think I might do this type against next year.

here are a few more pages I've gotten to finish :)

This is the inside cover with a short introduction, and my 1st page on Tradition.

Uses: Viva Las VegaStamps! (Pointed Pen Tip, Stars), Glitz Designs alphas, Gauche Alchemy Washi Tape, Splash of Color Radiant Rain, TA Glimmer Mist Charcoal, UmWowStudio December Daily Kit, Ranger Archival Ink, Sakura Of America Micron (PERFECT! They're PERMANENT!), Echo Park brad, plain black cardstock, May Arts Ribbons (Red Burlap Twine), cheesecloth, adhesive, crop-o-dile, gesso.

Pages 10 and 11 !

Uses UmWowStudio (Layered banners, Love speech bubbles and Checkerboard Mask), Viva Las VegaStamps! (December Daily Plate, Stars Arrow), 7 Dots Studio (Domestic goddess paper and alphas), Washi tape from Gauche Alchemy, Pink Paislee alphas, Dymo Label Maker, May Arts Ribbons (Black Webbing), Basic Grey brad, Sakura of America Micron, cheesecloth, thread, adhesive, staples, gesso, crop-o-dile.

(♥) Scrapki Card - STRIPS

Hiiiii!! Today is a new challenge over @ Scrapki-Wyzwaniowo and it's MY CHALLENGE!

I'm challenging you to... use STRIPS on your project. Strips of paper, journaling, fabric, etc. Just use good ol' strips somewhere! Then.. enter to win some BEAUTIFUL 7 Dots DREAMER papers!

My inspiration for you today:

The paper base is corrugated cardboard in white layered with a 6 x 3.5 inch bit of distressed 9th wave from 7 Dots Studio. 

 The strips really come into play with a bit o muslin I put behind my embellishing. On the right you can see a tear in the 7 dots along with some Prima goods (Junkyard findings and a white leaf.)

 The biggest cluster of embellishments is made of Prima Flowers, May Arts Ribbons (White Leaves and Tan Burlap Cord,) an Ideology arrow, MM jewel brad, and thread. It's all been made "cohesive" with a few sprays of Tattered Angels mists in Mustard Seed, Teal High Heel, Inch Worm and Tarnished Silver. Then it's been grazed with a bit o' white gesso. 

 Here you can see two bits from UmWowStudio (Swallow and a heart speech bubble,) and one of my favorite designs from Viva Las VegaStamps! : Arrow with Stars.

Congrats Ribbon Lady!!!

As you may know I get to be part of an amazing team of artists called the Ribbonistas who create crafty projects and tutorials inspiring the masses with May Arts Ribbons! Well at the top of our team is one insanely gracious woman -- Bethney (or more widely known as The Ribbon lady.) All of us Ribbonistas are so grateful for everything Bethney does and is to us. She's so giving and delightful, we're just OVER THE MOON that she's engaged and found someone to be happy with! So we put together a little hop full of well wishes♥

The girls helping congratulate Bethney are:

Candy Rosenberg
Charlene Driggs
Emily Lanham
Jen Shears
Jenifer Cowles
Karen Baker
Lalo IK
Virginia Fynes
Christina Colón
Courtney Lee
--> DeeDee Catron <--You are here
Gini Williams Cagle
Jessica Kephart
Latrice Murphy
Rhea Weigand
Shellye McDaniel
Erin Thiem

And Here's my card that Bethney will be receiving ASAP!

I feel like I can't say enough how excited I am for Bethney and her guy! My card base is made of 7 Dots Studio (1 sheet from Messy Head, 1 sheet from Queen's Heart, and alphas from Domestic Goddess,) it has a piece from the Love Speech Bubbles and a piece from the Potty People chipboard from UmWowStudio.

 The chipboard has been altered using a thin white Gesso from Golden and a Melon colored Gelato from Faber Castell / Design Memory Craft. You can see the same Gesso in the background of this corner, it was applied through the Star Confetti Mask from UmWowStudio. I also used cheesecloth and Burlap Twine by May Arts.

 I finished the card with a tear, some distressing, a White Faux Burlap by May Arts, a Line of Chevrons stamp by Viva Las VegaStamps!, a Prima flower, staples, and a Sakura of America Micron Pen.

Now... We're ALSO offering up a huge prize pack of goodies to one lucky random person who goes over to the May Arts facebook page and wishes Bethney a HUGE Congratulations on her recent engagement!

Prize includes a mix of products from Faber Castell / Design Memory Craft, Authentique, UmWowStudio, DCWV, Graphic45, Gauche Alchemy, Viva Las VegaStamps!, Core'dinations, Scrap n Art Magazine and Amazing Crafting Products.

One of my most favorite cards "Full of love" - so I'm linking up to Paper Issues "Fill 'er up" 

Another Reason 2 Smile

There's a new challenge up @ Scrapki-Wyzwaniowo -- we're to use SMILE + Bright Colors!! Come join me and win some fabulous 7 Dots Studio goodness!

I'm inspiring you with this tag:

 The paper is from the Love Is In The Air collection. I also used May Arts Eyelet Lace, UmWowStudio Layered Clouds, Viva Las VegaStamps! images (SM;)E and Winged Girl Under Umbrella,) Archival Ink by Ranger, Sakura of America Micron, Glitz Alphas, Prima Bark Star and Metal Button, thread and my sewing machine.

Have TIME Will Travel {Tag}

I have a new tag project to share today! If you're familiar with my projects on the UmWowStudio blog you'll know I do A LOT of tags.... because I just love them!! And if you read my earlier post you'll know I just got on the UBER FAB Scrapki Wyzwaniowo DT. Today starts a new challenge.. CHESSBOARD. And I've created this tag to inspire you and maybe get your own creative juices flowing. Enter the challenge to win! 

The tag base is 7 Dots Studio All I Ever. I cut out the middle gray portion of one of the patterned pieces and die cut it with the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tags and Bookplates die. (The hole reinforcement is just plain black cardstock.)

I used the Steam Train and Directional Circle stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps in archival ink by Ranger to set the scene for my tag. The train has been embellished with cotton from qTip for steam. The checkerboard you see is a stamping technique using Solar Gold Silks from Luminarte and a new (SNEAK PEEK!) UmWowStudio piece.

The directional Circle has been embellished with the Gear Mash from UmWowStudio and an ideology watch face and spinners. The chipboard gears have been colored with Archival Ink and both the ideology and chipboard has been doused in the Solar Gold Silks Acrylic Glaze by Luminarte.

The TIME Letters are from an old My Mind's Eye line and I finished off this beauty with a little doodling from my Sakura of America Microns.