Scrap Inky

I am inkier now than ever before & sometimes that makes it hard for me to traditionally scrapbook. This layout is inky but has traditional elements like chipboard pieces, flowers, journal box- they are all echo park. The journal box was distressed & the stencil I used dylusions spray but not as a spray I put it on an piece of foam and applied like it was ink. What I love about this technique I got the brilliant color of the sprays but the precision  of using ink. I randomly stamped on top of the stenciling like I would in my art journal.

 I think this is an original of mine-I usually write on the back if it is scraplifted...I don't want to ever not give credit etc. It was definitely inspired by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer & may be a copy so go check out her blog!

Project Life Journal Box

The challenge of project life can be coming up with photos for a spread on a week where I didn't write everything down. I always have the photos but sometimes not the details for a particular week. I started a "filler list" of stories, daily occurrence, or not date specific events to fill in if I don't have enough. Here is one of those photos. I took a picture of my sons walking home from morning swim practice. They did this almost every morning for 6 weeks so I could use it at anytime. What I love about the photo is they have no idea I am poised with my zoom lens to get a natural photo of them chatting as they make their daily journey. 
I created this journal box and used Echo Park paper "For the Record 2". I took some of the paper and added the stickers, photo and journal block-bam a daily snapshot memory.

Tim Holtz Was Here!!!!

ScrapbooksPlus Art Journal Club plus Mario, and Tim-photos by Laura and her faithful camera.

 Those of you who know me know I love Tim Holtz- heck Tim knows I love Tim Holtz. Yes I told him the last time I saw him. The art journal club I run counts the number of times I say his name in a class. This is not a crazy stalker love (well it used to be but...I've grown) it is a wow- you are awesome kinda love. Awesome teacher, awesome designer, can I just stand next to you, so some of it will rub off? I had the chance to take Tim's classes at the Queens Ink in Md in August and yes you guessed it- awesome! Aside from his classes being crazy fun, filled to the brim with great instruction (trust me I already know a ton about the ranger products but I still learned) and super entertaining. Yes that's right entertaining- stories of hilarious mishaps in crafting. Even in a class of 100 students Tim manages to be accessible. You would think you wouldn't get to say word one but he is always around to give a comment or tell a story or answer a question.  He patiently and thoroughly answered all my teaching questions, trust me there were a few.

 Here Tim is telling me my project is "perfect" that's right Tim told me I was perfect...(listen I take it where I can get it). Luckily my friend Laura immediately seized her camera and got a photo. I am sitting next to my talented friend Deborah Mahnken.  

 Mario also was there to chat and his kitting is awe inspiring. As someone who has ran the vagabond to kit 20 kits, their output of 1000's is mind boggling. Throughout the 2 days these guys were super friendly and approachable and signed countless items and took many, many photos. Tim exemplifies the kind of teacher I want to be when I grow up. Although I think that his childlike enthusiasm might have something to do with his dynamic teaching...While my projects were almost finished in class I am slowly completing them. 1 out of 3 are finished so here is the one. It was the Pandemonium Quilt- aptly named for there was a lot going on in class. Mainly cause it was so much stinking fun. This project was jammed with technique and serves as a visual reminder of "what could I do next".

Of course I had to add shrinky dink Umbrella Man!

 

 The next time you have the opportunity to take Tim's classes seize it - well worth the price of admission!

SDC64: Combining Stamps

Over on the Stampotique Designers Challenge this week, is to make something that combines 2 stamps. Of course I love this idea & the challenge immediately became well what about 3...on this back to school art journal layout. Every now & then I like to add photos (printed on paper) to my journals,back to school is the perfect time for this. This page started out with dylusions spray, random stenciling & the circle was done with texture paste. Once the paste was dry I added more spray but with a paint brush so I could control it, keeping the purple in the circle. I stamped the border with Stampotique's ribbon boarder#2 in archival ink and using my dylusions (in waterpens) colored it in. The reason I love using dylusions this way is the color is so vibrant & it builds on top of itself so the color really shows up. All you  have to do is take an empty water pen & after shaking the dylusions a bit fill the pen 3/4 of the way full-that's it done. I leave them at my desk with all the colors so I have quick access- very addicting! I added my title-stamped on paper & cut out with those old scissors we all have that we bought 10 years ago with funky edges. 

Next it was time to layer my stamps. Kitty & Mr. Stripes are from Stampotique and they are standing on the border, followed by stamp #3-an owl for kitty and a hat for spidey. I am very tempted to give owl a hat & make it 4 stamps! Head over to the Stampotique designers challenge site & see what they have cooked up over there!

Wear Teal

Today is wear teal day in awareness for ovarian cancer. I decided to honor this day with a tag. The stamps are from Stampotique and impression obsession. I was very happy to use the Prima flowers from my stash in my quest to actually use the products I own instead of "saving" them for the perfect purpose that never seems to come along. Sound familiar? My friend Suzie has done a wonderful layout with team Moxie & they are having a hop with prizes! Check out her blog at My Time To Play!

Stampotique Fun

I was playing around with my Stampotique stamps and bemoaning the end of summer-this is what I came up with. I took some craft resist paper, cut it with my tag die and spritzed with Dylusions sprays. Next came some random background stamping and than I added my cut-out "twinkie". Stampotique is having a blog hop that is going on right now. You can check out their new releases from the last 4 days as they blog hop with new stamp designs being showcased every day. You can catch the fun here.