Mixed Media Canvas "Life is Better at the Beach"

I tried something new. I have seen many videos on art journal pages and sometimes I think what a cute picture that would make so I finally tried it. I was asked by a friend if I could supply something that her non-profit could raffle off and I didn't have a lot of time to create something. I decided to try something similar to what Gerda van Dijk did in one of her art journals. I didn't have the exact things she used for the background and the foreground I did totally different. But she was the inspiration for my piece. 

I put gesso on the canvas before starting. Then I drew the lines for the separate areas for sand, sea, and sky. I didn't have any heavy gesso and the local craft stores didn't carry it so I had to use something else for the water. So I tried to use some Golden Molding Paste to try and create the waves in the water. Then I used Prima Finnabair Texture Paste White Sand for the sand area of the canvas. I used the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool to dry everything. I then took some Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink in Vintage Photo to color the sand. Then used a light blue to cover the sky and water sections of the canvas.  Then I mixed some acrylic white paint with some Liquitex Glass Beads. Added them with a small flat brush at the edge where the sand and water meet on the canvas. Also, I placed everything on the edges of the canvas for a more complete look. Then let that dry over night.

Now it is time to finish the canvas. I wanted some more waves in the water since I didn't use a heavy gesso and the molding paste didn't create enough of a lift. I used some Golden Regular Gel Gloss and mixed it with some darker water colors. I placed the gel gloss mixture in the area where the molding paste. It actually dried darker than what it looked like while it was still wet. So that is something to watch if I use watercolors again. I imagine if you used acrylic paint it wouldn't be as much of a change in color. But it still turned out cute. I cut a beach chair with an umbrella from my Silhouette Cameo. I chose that because my friends non-profit is called Women on the Beach (WOB) and the logo is an umbrella. I stamped some small sandpipers using the Stampendous Seaside Chair stamp set, colored them with some Tim Holtz Distress Markers, and then cut them out. I glued everything down and covered them with some multi-purpose glue and sealant. Then I printed out the phrase and cut it out. Glued it down and covered it with the sealant. I added some extra white sand texture paste around the chair legs and as it dried it took on the color of the ink. I let it dry and then I took small tiny shells that I had previously gathered on our beaches and glued them in various places over the canvas. I took a Faber-Castell Big Brush Marker in black to out line the pieces of the phrase because I didn't have anything with a smaller tip. It worked but next time I think I want to use something with a smaller tip.

My friend loved it and they made over $300 from it. Hope you enjoyed this.  It was really easy and fast to make!

2016 30 Days of Thankful album review

Hello everyone! I am currently working on the 30 Days of Thankful album for the third year. I really like doing this album because you really have to stop and think of something each day that you are thankful for. Sometimes in this crazy world we are always so busy and so many things happening constantly, good and bad, that we don't stop and think of what we are thankful for each day. It doesn't have to be something profound everyday. Just something, anything, that you are thankful for each day no matter how small or even large.

I decided to do a walk-through of my past albums although there are only 2 since my first one was in 2016.  I didn't buy a lot to do it with, just an album with sheet protectors and the class that came with some digital products. If you are interested in learning about the class to do your own or want to purchase some 30 Days of Thankful digital specific items you can check out Cathy Zielske's website.

Here is my walk through...Enjoy!

Happy Cat: CSI Challenge Case #262

I finally did another challenge over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. The challenge (#262) was to use the scheme (colors) of black, white, lemon yellow, chartreuse, and fuchsia. The evidence (page elements) I chose: stripes, cat, flower pot, hearts, Nuvo drops, and buttons. The testimony (the story) I chose to document a pet. Dori is one of my cats. She was my daughter's cat and when she left for college and then was living on her own she left her with me. She is a very loving cat and loves to snuggle and always be with me. Sometimes that can be a nuisance when you are trying to get some work done and she is always trying to be with you.  

Happy Scrapping!

I Love Right Now

Wow...it has been a while since I've been on here. Well, I've been really busy at work but have managed to get a lot of page kits put together. What I love about making page kits is that I get to mix older and newer supplies and get them used up and out of my stash. And they can be really addictive. If you are curious about making your own page kits, check out Nicole Jones 911 on YouTube. She has a series of videos on she makes hers. Then you can adapt it to fit you.

I finally started doing some layouts from those page kits. On this one I used a selfie picture of me and my daughter that she took at my sister's wedding several years ago. And I have almost finished another layout which I'll post soon.

Enjoy!

Photobomb Layout

I can't believe how quickly and easily the page layouts come together when you have a page kit. Making my own page kits from my stash is actually fun and a great way to use up what you have. Nicole Jones 9-1-1 on YouTube was my inspiration for how to put the kits together. One thing she said was it always seems to work out with your pictures and she is right. Either you come up with what pictures will work with it while you build the kit or later on you when you have pictures out you will find the right kit that will work. I had this picture I took off of Facebook because I just loved it and it makes me smile every time. When I was creating the kits I was matching the embellishments with the papers and came across this cute 3D sticker of a seal and I immediately knew that picture of the seal was the perfect picture for the layout.  Here is the layout I created. 

Page Kits

Hello Everyone,

When I posted my last layouts my intentions where to keep it going but alas Hurricane Irma messed all my best-laid plans. But I'm back and I wanted to tell you about making your own page kits. Over the years I always seem to buy more product than I actually get used on my projects...way too many pretty things if you know what I mean. So I've been watching Nicole Jones 911 on YouTube and she makes page kits out of her stash so I thought I would give it a try. What have I got to lose right?!?! So I started by getting a lot of papers out and I brought in some really old papers that I've had since 2004 and even older along with newer stuff (meaning the last couple of years). Matched up papers that worked well together then added embellishments. So I've used three of the kits since finishing putting them together and let me tell you it was awesome! I didn't have to do a lot of searching through all of my very extensive stash of scrappy goodness to find things etc. The pages came together quickly and while putting a few of them together I knew immediately what pictures to use which you will see with the old photos of my parents. I will definitely be doing more of this and maybe get some of my stash used up and quit looking like a hoarder...LOL!

Nicole Jones 911 has done a complete series of videos on how she puts her page kits together as well as doing layouts using them. Below I have her 1st of I believe 7 videos she did this year of how she puts her page kits together. She has a playlist called Prep Video which has all the videos in that playlist. She also has a playlist called CalvinBall where she did the same thing last year. You can get a lot of inspiration watching them and then you can change it up to suit your needs and you can see how she uses her kits to make pages. Now here are the three layouts I made using my stash which like I said some of it was very old so it feels good to use it up and get pictures and stories done and in the albums!  The first layout I did for a Victoria Marie challenge which I did of a conference I went to earlier this year. The second layout is a gigantic statute I seen in Sarasota, Florida when I was there for some training the instantly remained me of my parents so the center picture is the statute and the pictures of my parents on either side. The third layout is of my beautiful daughter who can take the most amazing selfies I have ever seen. She is so photogenic and I am not! Below my layouts is Nicole's first video of her series from this year.  Enjoy!

Las Vegas 2015 Trip

Hi all my scrappy friends! Although I haven't been on here much I have been getting some layouts done in between all of my work. I am trying to finish up the pictures from my Las Vegas trip in 2015. Although it was a work conference we did have some time to explore a little. One thing I love about these conferences is that I get to go to places I wouldn't have gone to otherwise. Here are some of the layouts I have completed:

This was about the mountains you can see in the background around the town. Makes for beautiful pictures.

This was the view from my hotel room.  You can see the Lexorand the airport.

This was different sights and you can see the walkways that go over the main road, Las Vegas Blvd., so you can get to all the attractions without having to try and cross the busy street.

 This was pictures of the rollercoaster we road that goes in between a lot of the buildings. I used a 6x8 pocket style page protector to the right of the layout to add extra pictures and the journaling.

This was a lot of fun! We went exploring and went to the M&M Store which was 3 stories and they had the M&M race car on the 3rd floor. We had fun acting like tourists.

There are some more layouts to come which includes a layout using the backside of the pocket style page protector.  I took these pictures before adding most of the journaling and I did add some splatters to some of the layouts that isn't shown in some of these pictures. You know how it goes, you sit there and look at the layouts and think I need something else...ah ha...splatters! Or enamel dots, etc.  LOL Sometimes we are never satisfied.