Happy New Year

Happy 2013!  I won't share my personal resolutions with you, cause I'm still trying to decide what is most important to me to change.  BUT 2 of my crafty resolutions are :

to complete 1 scrapbook layout at least once a week

to work in my art journals daily if even for just a few minutes

I have really enjoyed the journey that I began this year in Art Journaling.  It provides for such freedom of expression as nothing is wrong, anything can be layered over, and I can mix and match whatever products that I wish since its for me.  I am also beginning an Art Journal Calendar for this year and I'm working on my January pages right now...they are drying!

So I thought I would share a page that I completed at our first "Dylus-a-thon" at Bettys last month.  We spent an entire Sunday chatting and spraying and journaling.  Most of what I used on this page was borrowed from someone else that day...but I have since bought one of the stamp sets and one of the stencils that I used!

The background was created with Dyusions ink sprays then I ghosted the stencil with water spray.  Below is the left facing page....LOVE this quote that I borrowed from Donna!

I still haven't bought the Dylusions bird set but my collection has grown to like 18 sets...Geez.  Can you say addict?  But guess what?  I am soooo excited that I get to take a class from Lady Dyan the day after CHA!!  Can't wait!!

                                     

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope 2013 is all that you want it to be!

Meet Captain Hook...

I can't believe this year is almost at an end, but CHA is right around the corner and so is the return of Once Upon a Time!  I've been having withdrawal from one of my new favorite shows and in honor of the hottest eye candy on ABC here's a Captain Hook card for you.

But first, here's the eye candy himself, Colin O'Donoghue...

I couldn't resist picking up this Captain Hook image from The Octopode Factory even though he looks more like Johnny Depp than Colin, but I love him!

Here's a closer shot of him all colored in (not-quite-fifty) shades of grey (LOL) from Spectrum Noir.

AND I downloaded the pirate border from TOF while I was at it!  Loving Lily's images!!

PLUS, did you know there is an anything goes chalenge at The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge right now?  Hurry and go play!

Spectrum Noir colors:

IG9, IG8, IG7, IG5, IG3, IG2, IG1

BG8, BG6, BG4, BG2, BG1

GB11, GB7, EB7

FS9, FS4, FS2

DR7, DR5, DR3

Frosty Fun at Dreamweaver Stencils

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!  Mine was quite hectic until Christmas day which I spent relaxing :)

Well its the ast week of the month and the last Thursday of 2012...where does time go?  I have my last Frosty and Fun challenge card for you today and then next week with a new month a new year we will begin a new challenge at Dreamweaver Stencils.

I know its past Christmas but these adorable Heart Ornaments are so cute for winter and even Valentines day that I thought I would give this stencil some more love this week.

I began by spraying my background with mists then I paste embossed the Heart Ornaments stencil with Pearlescent Paste.  While that was still wet I tapped on some Ivy Garden and Glacier Lake Metallic FX powder with a q-tip.  I then heated this with my heat tool for some bubbly molten magic fun!  Lastly I added a touch of Diamond Dry stickles glitter to part of the branches and ornaments to add a bit of sparkle!

I hope you'll join us this week for our challenge and you coud be the lucky winner of a brand new not-yet-seen 2013 CHA stencil!  And also please visit my teammmate's blogs to spread some love :)

Pam Hornschu   

Laura Drahozal  

Louise Healy  

Wendy Jordan  

Terrece Siddoway 

Kristi Van Doren 

Georgia Sommers 

Lee Kellogg 

Liz Martin

 Cyndi Bundy 

Cherylynn Moser 

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas in case I don't get tomorrow's post up!  I hope all my friends and family and readers have a wonderful holiday!

Just another fast card today...this is one I had colored some time ago and decided to finish into a card this weekend.  This is Special Delivery from Crafters Companion, from the Strawberry Kisses line.  I just loooove all the cute kitties and poochies in this line!

Spectrum Noir colors used: 

IG1, TN1

DR5, DR3, DR1, CR11, CR3, FS8

CG4, CG3, CG2

BT4, BT2

Winter Tortellini and Spinach Soup 

papers and sticker from Jillibean Soup

Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

No peeking!

I still needed a few last minute Christmas cards, so I will show you these over the next couple of days!  First up is one using Peeking from The Cat's Pajamas.  I just love this little bear and had to create another card with him this season.

He's paired up with new papers from October Afternoon and colored to match with my Spectrum Noir markers:

DR5, DR3, CR11, CR9, CR6

TN3, TN2, TN1, GB2

JG1, DG3, DG2, DG1, CG2

I also used one if the newest CutUps dies from TCP: Toppers.  They new Topper and Holiday Topper CutUps come as sets that you can snap apart for multiple options!

And lastly a shot of my tag using one of the sentiments from the same Peeking set.  ALSO I got to pull out some more new Washi tape...this one coordinates with the new OA papers :)

My layout is based on this weeks Split Coast Stampers sketch.  OK, now its back to wrapping prezzies...so no peeking!!

Frosty and Fun

Good morning!  Oh my gosh this week has been so nuts that I didn't even realize it was Thursday and time for another edition of our Dreamweaver Stencil Frosty and Fun challenge until after midnight last night!  So....I am pulling up a card that I posted in August.  HERE is the link for the full details on this card.

Sorry to be so quick...gotta do a couple last minute things for the holidays then off to work!

Have a great weekend :)

CAS Skipping Stones Christmas

Good morning!  I cant believe Christmas will be here in just one week!  So in the spirit of the season I pulled out the gorgeous Christmas Song set for a fast card that would be easy to make multiples of at the last minute.

I simply sponged my white cardstock with Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn Distress inks using a Foam applicator then I embossed the ornament in Detail white EP.  Add a couple of CAS layers and some hemp and you have a quick card thats easy to duplicate!

I hope your holidays are merry and your spirits are bright!

Laura's Birthday Blog Hop!

*** Post 2 of 2 today, please scroll down for this week's Dreamweaver Stencils Challenge post***

Guess who's having a birthday today? Stampendous' mega awesome  Graphics Manager and Design Team coordinator Laura Weed!!  Happy birthday baby!!  Thank you sooo much for all you do for us!  You are one in a million :) Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks!

So, I happen to know that Miss Laura loves her some Steampunk so I thought I'd create a steam-punky birthday wish.  I pulled out one of my favorite Halloween stamps, Halloween Magic, and colored her in reds and grays using my Spectrum Noir markers.  Of course I just had to include some glitter so I added some Silver Halo Glitter mix and also Red and Black Crushed Glass Glitters.

My background was created with pieces from Steampunk Gears Perfectly clear set stamped in Versafine Onyx black ink.  My sentiment is from Wonderland Perfectly clear set.

Here's the list of the rest of the hoppers for today:

Kristine Reynolds

Wendy Price

Krissy Fossmeyer

Lea Kimmel

Tenia Nelson

Janelle Stollfus

Suzanne Czosek

Cyndi Bundy (me!)

Yana Smakula

Mary Dawn Quirindongo

Asia King

Melinda Gleissner

More Frosty Fun

Welcome back to week two of the Frosty Fun challenge at Dreamweaver Stencils!  I have a quick post for you today since its a hectic time of year :)

I began my card by paste embossing the Mittens stencil in Glossy white paste on navy pattern paper.  after that was dry I reapplied the clean stencil over that and the Large Plaid stencil over that and added stripes in brown and blue using Versamagic and Brilliance ink and a stencil brush.

Pattern papers are from Bo Bunny, punch by Martha Stewart, and crochet ribbon from May Arts.

I hope you'll join us with a quick wintery fun card for our challenge this month...you could win one of the NEW 2013 January stencils!

An Elf's Lament

Its my turn over at the Spectrum Noir blog today and I am doing a feature on using your species in Art Journaling.  For a tutorial on the coloring please visit the SN blog at THIS post.

  I was so in love with my Octopode Factory images from last week that I had to add the Elf to my collection.  I printed her out huge for my page and then colored her with my Spectrum Noir markers, cut her out, and set her aside.

My borders were stamped with Further Around the Edge from Dylusions on white Neenah cs and also colored with my species.  I found that many things don’t seep through to the backs of the journal pages, but the alcohol markers do…so color on scrap and cut out and adhere!  I also stamped one of the borders from In-betweenies directly to the page down the side then stamped more hearts, colored, and adhered them on top.

My trees were sprayed with Crushed Grape, Vibrant Turquoise, and Cut Grass Ink sprays on white cs and then outlined with a micron pen.  I also stamped the small trees from Dylusions Christmas backgrounds stamp set on each tree. 

The background page was sprayed with Lemon Zest Dylusions ink spray then I sprayed CrushedGrape ink through the small letters stencil before adhering anything to the page.

My page is titled “Elfs Lament” which is the name of my favorite ever Bare Naked Ladies song.  This cute little elf reminded me of the song the moment I saw her.  This is actually the first page of a series and I’ll share more when I finish them.  (The facing page will mst ikely have the lyrics of the song on it)

Above is a closer shot at my elf.  Spectrum Noir markers used:

LG5, CG4, CG3, CG2, CG1

GB4, GB3, CT4, CT3, CT2

BT5, BT4, GT2, BT2

PL2, PL1 LV2

FS9, FS8, FS4, FS1

IG7, IG5, IG2