SDC143-April Showers

Perfect time for this challenge over at Stampotique as everyday that I have worked on this, including blogging it today it has been raining. I had a lot of fun with this art journal page playing with their awesome stamps. 

I started with a background of Heidi Swapp Colorshine then built my page from there. You can't see from the photo but the clouds are glittery shimmery as I used Glimmer Glam on them.

One of the things I love to do is to figure out new ways to use the stamps. For example I used part of the Octopet stamp as background grasses, and the skirt of Glimmering Hope to make clouds. Heehee cracks me up-love it! Of course no rain page is complete without Relaxin- one of my all time favs- I took her off her chair & had her sitting on my stencil image. 

Which is a great segway to talk about the stencils I used. My friend Patti Tolley Parrish has a brand new stencil line with istencils -YAYAY PATTI!!!! 

One of the nicest people you will ever meet she sent me some to play with. Over the next few blogs I will be using her stencils so check back to see how cool they are! This stencil is called "Outback" PTP007-her stencils come in 6x6 & 8x10 sizes and she has tons of cool geometric shapes-love them. I used Viva pearl modeling creme with the stencil-love how quickly this stuff drys and it has lovely pearl finish. You can check out Patti's blog for tons of great instructional videos here. Now go get inky!

JYC Days 7-9.

I am currently on Prednisone for a wrecked shoulder. It has interesting side effects like making me super speedy & putting my already racing artistic brain on fast forward. The good news is I am getting a ton done! Although the constant overdrive I am sure cannot last- I don't know when I am going to crash but for now my to do list has a dent in it!!!!

Ok Day7 of my Journal your Christmas- the backside of the pocket pages. Shimelle's prompt is "Sensory Overload" totally appropriate for my current state of mind.

 

However on Day 7 just a few random pictures that I wanted to include in the book.  

 

  The front side of Day8 is a pretty cool embossed Christmas card I had received that I wanted to include. It was perfect the way it was but I added a little heart "handle". 

 

Shimelle's prompt was trees but as I had already done that I went to an earlier one on planning. This was one of the nice benefits of this class- if I didn't have a photo for that day I could go to the prompts for inspiration. Just a simple tag added to a cardstock attached to the back of my previous pages card.  I am trying to keep some of the pages simple which is hard with so much fun embellishments around.

Shimelle's prompt today for Day 9 is "Sweet Treats" I kept it down to just a few which now as I write this I wish I had added more. Simple page with some some glittery stickers. The most exciting thing is that as I do my blog I am now posting the pictures into Shimelle's forum too- yay "all forward movement counts".

SDC142 Use a Pen Challenge

A challenge is always a great way to force myself to get some playtime in. Spring is crazy for my family- 3 kids, different sports, coaching, teaching in 3 stores- def-com 10, some days we can barely get everyone where they need to be. Due to high school sports camps, going on Spring Break was not an option, so I took off time to play & recharge my creative batteries!!! I have discovered a cool mix media blog so I am doing their challenge as well. Mix Media Place has the challenge of using the word "Curiosity". I never have a problem "Embracing Curiosity" I love to learn, look around at what is going on and I am the one stopping to be curious while my kids are dragging me away. These words fit in perfectly with 2 of my favorite things- mermaids & octopus. Makes total sense to me!

The 2nd challenge is here at one of my favorite stamp sites, Stampotique doing their challenge. This week it was to use a pen. Super easy for me I always use pens, to doodle, outline, add words... 

Using a few of my favorite stamps- Daniel Torrente's Smushasha & Octopet- I always seem to reach for these 2, as well as hexagon by Jo Capper-Sandon. I painted my background using acrylics & lots of gold nummy metallic. Embrace was cardstock cut out with a stencil & curiosity was drawn using a stencil so if you are not good at writing out letters- use a stencil!!!

In this pic you can see the gold metallic sheen from the paint-love this! I used Jo's mushroom stamp for Smushasha to sit on- of course there must be mushrooms in the sea- or is she sitting in the forest?-hum curious! I painted her in using Silks beautiful luminous paints-great as they are translucent & let the cardstock I stamped her on show through, adding interest. Behind her I stenciled modeling paste & while a bit damp painted it with Silks to give it a pearl finish. Than while it was still wet I pushed some gems in to add sparkle. So go Embrace your Curiosity!!!

Quick Page

Falling amazingly behind in everything- it is the crazy time of year. Full on sports, coaching, teaching and I tend to want to sit and read because life is too busy to face sometimes. The one great thing is I have taken the time to crop with my besties. I justify it as I am catching- up on Project Life- brilliant!!! Here is a super quick layout I did that I love!

 

Fun & inky, the paint is iridescent blues with lime & looks amazing! Paper is DCWV & glossy emboss- makes it so easy to do a quick page. I was cropping with Deborah Mahnken and used one of my favorite apps to turn the photo into a comic book picture. Enjoy.