Inspired! canvas art

I was not only inspired by the challenge of the week, but a video I had seen on Donna Downey's blog. I made this canvas piece for my sister's birthday (next week) using her favorite quote and both metallic and basic acrylic paint. The letters are Doodlebug stickers from one of the stores and the flourish is a template, yes, also from Paper Pals. The photo doesn't show it, but there is bling on this too...

I know my sister will love it!
Anita

A Preview...

Hello Friends,
Here's a preview of the project sitting on my dining room table for the last week...more to come soon...:)

two peas...

hey, everybody! well, i did it...i became a member of 2 peas in the bucket and started posting some layouts in the gallery...it was a lot easier than i thought it would be, but even more addictive...it's so much fun to look through all the other work!!! so i have a question: where should i put the design team info? should i put it in my bio or on each layout that was done for design team? what do you think? does anyone else have work there? it'd be fun to swap usernames! have a great sunday!

Doodlebug!

Hi! This was a fun page to do of our cat and dog! They were the best of friends!

The cards were fun to make! It's fun to play with stickers every now and then! :)
Thanks for looking!

Ode to Tim Holtz: My 12 x 12 Altered Canvas

Karen challenged me to design a 12 x 12 canvas using the new Tim Holtz image CDs. Paper Pals sells three different versions. Some are borders and frames. Others are clip art images. They all have a vintage-y feel.

I used some school-related images from the CD. I emphasized the face of one particular boy with a Heidi Swapp clock. Then I painted around the edges with black Ranger crackle paint. And I used both letter and number grunge board that I distressed with black ink (Ranger Distress ink, of course!).

The patchwork colors on the right-hand side are some Bazzill cardstock samples that Karen gave me. Whenever Bazzill comes out with new colors, she gets a new ring of sample papers, so the old ones were going into the garbage...and I couldn't let that happen :)

Then I added an antique celluloid baby doll that I got at Deluxe Goods antique store awhile back. There are pencils I've found while out on walks. I shaved down the back side of each pencil with an exacto knife so that they would fit flat on the canvas.

Finally, I edged the bottom with a colored ruler I found while out junking and added my very favorite piece: a pair of broken glasses, complete with the elastic head strap. For that, I have to thank A., who picked up the broken glasses in their case and knew I'd find a use for them in a collage some day--and I did!

Working on canvas can make ANYONE feel like an artist--you'll have to try it for yourself!

April: Making Memories, "Animal Crackers"

just a fun little lo commemorating our birth class reunion after the birth of my first son...all those little cherubs are big 3-year olds now!!! we're still very close friends with Angelina, so looking back on these is pretty cool. i popped up the patterned paper block with dimensional tape to try to enhance the cut-outs. also used that same paper as a stencil for some smudgey little stars on the outer edge. hand-cut title letters from the insert that comes with the Making Memories "jack" border & tag stickers... (come on...with a pattern this cute on the "trash" you know they were thinking we'd be using it up, don't you think?!?!) very cute papers for babies (and other creative topics i'm not thinking of at the moment)!!!



this next lo came together faster than either of the other two, and i think i like it best!! using patterned paper (yes, a WHOLE piece, Shawna...look at me go!! ;-) ) as the background paper was kind of new for me...popped up the picture again for some interest and to lift the photo up and away from all the layering action around the edges a bit... letters are also Making Memories...LOVE these for their versatility...thesaurus page highlighting "precious", and other random bits. this is a cool touchy feely page b/c those letters on the background paper are FUZZY!

April: Karen Foster Design, "Time to Play"

simple as the design is, this lo took me FOREVER to figure out...i'm pretty happy with the result! some basic squares helped tone down the potential busy-ness of the patterned paper, the number of photos, and the journaling blocks. in the outdoor spirit of the photos, i added some sticks my boys and i gathered on a recent walk and used buttons for a hint of boyish floral. finished off with the painty smudges and some embroidery floss...very fun...isn't that little tongue poking out so stinkin' cute?!?!

April Project Challenge

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA. All your pages are rockin this time around. Some of the new paper lines are killer! I love all the bright colors! I want to challenge all of you to make an altered canvas! Think of it as a layout in 3D! I had so much fun making this that I want to see what everyone else would come up with.

For this I used a transparency to print the photo on, with the natural canvas it created a look similar to a transfer. I tore a page from one of my favorite books and highlighted words that spoke to me. (if you really like a quote or story this is a cool way to preserve it) The hambly rub ons went on smooth, and i love how bright they are! I cut phrases from magazines that went with the mood and glued them on. it was a cool way to use some scraps and really get my hands dirty! So if you want a new challenge try canvas!

Sassafrass Sunshine Lollipop Line - by Deb!

This month in our scrap kit club the members were challenged to try stitching, either by hand or with machine. Deb had such a great time with it, that she used it on her DT layouts as well. On her first layout she hand stitched the papers and buttons onto the page. For her second page she used her sewing machine to stitch on the ribbon. For added coolness the second layout is created on a piece of cardboard from a box that once contained toys!

Sassafrass Robotics Line by Deb!

Deb had a great time with this line (and so did her son Roman). When she came in yesterday to turn her projects in, she decided that her mini album needed the cool robot rub-ons. In true Deb fashion, she let Roman help her decide where to place them. She also used staples and paint and pretty much every bit of paper in her kit!

Pretty Serendipity Paper

This bright new 'Sunshine Lollipop' line from Serendipity lent a much needed bit of irony to a layout about running a race in the snow. I am a card-carrying fan of the cool scalloped edges that Bazzil puts out and think they just make any page even more fun. I made the circle embellishments using punches and metal-rimmed tags all covered in a thick coat of Diamond Glaze. They take a while to dry (I let these go overnight) but I think the effect is worth it.

The leftover scraps made a cute little tag that could be used as a page embellishment, on a card or used as a gift tag. It's easy for me to just toss all my paper bits and scraps in a plastic bin and forget about them, but there really is so much more I could do with it all. I need to remember to make cards and tags and mini-books. Scrapbooking isn't just about 12x12 layouts, right?

New Basic Grey - Sugared

This new line from Basic Grey is gorgeous! Fun whimisical paper! I have stacks of "studio" photos that I have never done anything with! So I thought this paper was perfect for this picture of Jessica when she was about 2 and a half!
The card with the long ribbon is a door hanger with shhhhh... baby sleeping printed on the backside.

Afraid to Work with Patterned Papers? Don't be...

Hi Evveryone,

Do you ever pass by the paper with the busy or "wild" patterns, not knowing how you would use t? You may get some ideas from these layouts. ..but either way, don't be afraid. Give it a try...patterned papers are vibrant, fun, and can even help tell your story.

The New Basic Grey line is spectacularly gorgeous...but isn't it always with BG? I chose these "snow day" photos because I loved the lighting, expressions, etc. But, I've had enough of the snow, and made enough snow pages this winter to last us a couple of years. So, I focused on my kids...how they felt about the winter we just survied. The "seek" quote just spoke to me!

Next, I worked with the "robot paper" by Sassafrass. OK...if you're like me, you might wonder when you'd have an opportunity/purpose to use robots. Then, I realized, the youthful whimsy of the paper, can help tell the story about my 5 year old, Harrison. He is a "spirited", clever, and genrally hillarious child, and I think the robots can help convey that about him. You really must stop by the store and read the 3 stories I put on the layout... you'll have a much better understanding of a "day in my life" after reading them...LOL.

The great thing about lines with matching stickers and rub-ons is all the "extra" small projects you can make with them....check out these two cards:)

Hello Everyone!

I arrrived back from vacation to find a bagful of goodies awaiting me at the store...mmm what could be better? Here is the first part of my kit..."Sweet Spring" by Jackie Eckles.

I loved the colors and pre-distressed look of this line as well as the diecuts and card quotes...super cute, fun, springtime-y.

I've been trying to break out of my mold a little lately...let me tell you, it isn't easy. Baby steps. Paint, staples, ruffles, crooked letters...and an actual page layout...who knew? ;)

Cheers!

Show and Share Challenge - Stamps!

Stamping on your scrapbook pages!

Let's see what you gals have done or come up with! Titles - Backgrounds - On Photos - Ink - Paint...

New My Mind's Eye

The new '29th Street Market' line from My Mind's Eye is really versatile and easy to use. I made a tough and manly "guy" layout highlighting areas that have changed since Dan and I got married 6 months ago. I made the photo mosaic using the free photo software, Picasa, available through Google.

This paper is also great for kids' layouts. My sister snapped some great pics of my little niece, Sandy, in all her cute, giggly chubbiness. We thought she looked like a round little lady bug. I couldn't decide what color to print the title on, so I printed it on a transparency and tried it on different colors until I liked what I saw. I also ran a line of stitching along the left side.

I recently read an article in Creating Keepsakes by Jennifer McGuire about using staples in creative ways and thought I'd give some of the techniques a shot in these cards. I really appreciated that these papers worked so well for so many different applications.

Fun Baby Papers in Moscow

I had a lot of fun with the new "Born to be Wild" papers from Momenta. They are not you typical baby papers in pastels and cutsie graphics. They were a ton of fun! I loved that they were bright/bold colors.

Another Welcome is in order!!!

We have added another amazing and talented member to our design team. Everyone please join me in wishing a warm welcome to Wendy! Wendy also teaches classes and works at our Moscow store!

Wendy is always trying new techniques so I know she will have exciting things to share!

Music Challenge

I just created this page with this picture that I absolutely adore of Ry. She was being little miss sassy pants, but she looks totally innocent. I used the words to "I hope you Dance." I hope she does everything in life that she wants and I hope that she never sits in the shadow of someone else. I want her to Dance, to do things without reservation, to live everyday, just as she does right now at 3!

1st half of April Design Team, Sharon Ann Timeless Collection

I had an amazing time with this collection! I have been going through a rough time and this kit allowed me to think about my family and what is really importnat to me. The stickers allowed me to make tons of cards, a mini album, and the 12 x 12 layout. Very fun collection!

April DT layouts...

I had SO much fun today playing with the brand-new Fancy Pants papers designed by our very own Paper Pal, Jackie Eckles!! (Way to go, Jackie!!) These papers are fantastic...so bright and colorful and very versatile, you are going to love playing with them too!!! They are available at the Moscow Paper Pals.

Cosmo Cricket DT Layout...

You gotta love these bright, new patterned papers from Cosmo Cricket's new "GET HAPPY" line! One of the papers is two-sided with lots of great quotes---I love this one:

"If laughing makes you live longer,

You would make me live forever."

Also used in this layout is one of the new chipboard arrows from Bazzill.

This little guy makes me happy every single day!! Love U, Baby L!

Music Layout

The summer before my sister got married, she lived with me and worked in Pullman. We were both HUGE Pat Green fans and his music definitely was our summer soundtrack. Imagine our excitement when we were able to attend a free concert! I remember when I was scrapping this page and thinking how great it was that I would always remember how fun the show was, but now looking at it, it makes me remember my sister - before she became a wife and mother and was just my little sister who I loved to hang out with. It makes me remember and appreciate the summer we shared and it makes me really kind of miss her. I guess music (and music-related scrapbook pages) are more than just about words and melodies.

March DT Kit, Part II

a few fun blank note cards... these colors are so fresh and vibrant, they don't need much embellishment!

Leif's cutie finger poking into one of the first little flowers of spring...it may be a bit delayed in coming, but it WILL COME!!! I LOVED the patterns on this sheet of Basic Grey patterned paper...used a straw dipped in paint to add some extra circles here and there, mimicing those found on the paper.

a couple of painted journaling blobs, some strips of paper, a couple of painted chipboard accents...the satin ribbon strips don't show up well in the photo, but they add a bit of shine in person...

ode to the husband-finishing-PhD-stage-of-life!!! the little stapled green tab on the right of the jounaling block helps fold over this piece to reveal more journaling underneath.

these Making Memories letters are great, too, b/c you can use both the positive and negative pieces...before you use up the negatives, you can also use them to stencil with...AND if you get paint on them while you're stenciling, no worries....just paint over it!!

These Basic Grey papers were very fresh and pretty...fun to work with!