Distress Emboss Resist - Take Two

Hello strangers! My apologizes for the long spacing in between posts. My job has been in overdrive for the past few weeks and having time to craft has been a challenge. This is a project I actually created almost a month ago! It's taken me that long to have some time to upload the video and get a blog post written. Goodness...mama needs her life back! LOL!

Today's project features new products from Sweet 'n Sassy (and one older set), which were released earlier this month. The new stamp sets are the alphabet set you see in the background along with the "bring Him glory" stamp shown next to my photo. Those darling bees are from an older set. My video below will take you through all of the steps I took to create this page. This was a super easy project, using my favorite emboss resist technique. You could use this same technique with any stamps you have in your stash. Enjoy!

PS - I still have not heard from my last prize drawing winner so if I don't hear from Nancy Bilton in another week, I select a new winner.


Supplies:
-My Minds Eye (Follow Your Heart)
-Distress Oxide Inks
-Bring Him Glory
-Sweet as Honey
-Skinny Minnie Alpha
-Detail Blending Tool
-Mat Minis (Words)
-Hickory Smoke Distress Ink
-Enamel Accents
-Stickles 

Emboss Resist Technique on Scrapbook Page

Hello crafty friends and welcome to today's project...a scrapbook page! This page features a resist emboss technique along with a brand new stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy, Through the Trees. Below are a few close up pictures of my layout along with a step-by-step video. Enjoy and happy crafting!

Supplies: -Tonic Non-Stick Craft Sheet - -Junque Gypsy Paper - Sorry guys, this line has been discontinued! -Through the Trees Stamp Set - http://bit.ly/2DU6hJB -White Embossing Powder - http://bit.ly/2zKnEdu -Watercolor Paper - http://bit.ly/2u7HWu8 -Majestic Butterflies Stamp Set - http://bit.ly/2nhoXbL -Distress Oxide - http://bit.ly/2AdbqdE -Typewriter Text Stamp - http://bit.ly/2Eja94R -Wetland Grass Stamp Set - http://bit.ly/2CMYbCa -Finnibair Rust Paste - http://bit.ly/2BA9CZi -Blue Fern Studios Frame (I couldn't find the frame that I used, but here is an alternative - http://bit.ly/2DHTBpP) -Lokta Paper Pack - http://bit.ly/2rKfQWK

Thankful Scrapbook Page Featuring The Crafters Workshop Products

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing one of my Crafters Workshop projects that I created a few months ago. (To be honest, I have so many things to share...I just need to find some time to blog! And...I've been working on creating videos! Need to work through my technical issues, mostly with my very old and slow PC, but am hoping to have some new videos to share soon...stay tuned!!) OK, back to the project!

I'm sharing a step-by-step tutorial of how I created this scrapbook page...it was super easy!

I started with a piece of 12x12 cardstock, the Zia Sun Bit (TCW2016) and three coordinating Dylusions Ink Sprays. I laid the mask on the paper, gave one good spritz with an ink spray, and then moved the mask, and sprayed again with a different color. Here's the first half of my page:

Next, I used the Tribal Fish (TCW594) stencil, three more coordinating ink sprays and followed the same steps listed above.

Once my ink sprays were completely dry, I added some stamping using the brand new Seth Apter stamps...LOVE them...by stamping in black Archival Ink. Next, I selected my photo and added a bunch of designer papers and embellishments. It's really all about layering papers, die cuts, words, pins, whatever you have on hand. Here are a few close up shots of my completed scrapbook page...A list of the products I used, stencils, stamps, etc. are linked at the end of the post.

Thanks so much for joining me today! Happy Crafting!

Supplies:

-Tribal Fish Stencil (The Crafters Workshop)

-Zia Sun Bit (The Crafters Workshop)

-Dylusions Ink Sprays

-Seth Apter Stamps - Solar System

-Catherine Scanlon Stamp - Words of Wisdom

-Wendy Vecchi Art Parts - Banners

-Tim Holtz - Chit Chat Stickers

Scrapbook Page Featuring Masks

Hi friends, welcome to the weekend! I have a project posted on The Crafters Workshop blog this morning, featuring masks, ink sprays, and these two cuties. **smile** Hop on over to check out all of the details!

Happy crafting!

The Adventure Begins

For those who haven't heard...I was asked to join The Crafters Workshop design team last month! Woot! Woot! I'm so excited! TCW is one of my all time favorite companies, not just because I am obsessed with stencils, and they produce the best stencils ever, but because I love the owners...a wonderful group of crafters and friends!

Today I'm happy to share my first TCW project...I'm sharing just a sneak peek on my blog, hop on over to The Crafters Workshop blog to see a step-by-step tutorial.

Enjoy and happy crafting!

Inspiration Wednesday - Week Four

Welcome to week four of Inspiration Wednesday! This week's lesson focused on keeping things simple, and this has to be one of my favorite layouts to date. I adore the white text surrounded by little bits of gold...it's the perfect accent to the one colored pages. Divine... (If you read the text on my pages you'll see it's from an old history book on China, the Soviet Union, and other nations. It's probably a fascinating read...and no doubt makes for strange crafting materials! LOL!)

I started by attaching my book pages to my art journal with matte medium. I then created a whitewash, using gesso and water, to brush across all of the pages.

My next step was to apply gold paint, I used Dina Wakley's Gilt paint on these pages, to all of the edges. I also went over all of the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

The small mailing tag is one that I had in my stash and I simply added a date stamp, inked the edges, and attached some twine and a heart. The tiny heart is from the new Wendy Vecchi Mat Mini - Hearts collection. Her mat minis are shapes die cut from an extremely strong chipboard that can handle paint, ink, heat embossing...anything! I just cover this one with gold paint, applied with my finger, which gives it a nice textured look.

The gold letters were in my stash, and following a tip from Donna Downey, I painted the sheet of letter stickers with gesso and then gold paint. What do you know...gold stickers! What a great idea!

I decided to include a photo this week...call it a combination of scrapbooking and mixed media art journaling! This is a photo I printed out a few years ago and it's just been collecting dust waiting for me to use it in a project. I can't think of anything better than including my sweet Bean in an art journal spread. (You know what's funny? This photo is from a mini golf course in CT..not far from our new home. I can't believe we ended up moving to the same town where we took a vacation three years ago...Crazy!)

This week's lesson included lots of layering, which is love, and so I added lots of layers behind the photo. This is a great way to use up paper and ribbon scraps, pieces of tags, tissue paper, and I even threw in some punchanella that I found in a bin. The little forever banner was a paper banner that I painted with more gold paint. I stamped the word on using tiny alphabet letters. My last step was to add just a few gold paint splatters...'cause every good art journal pages needs paint splatters!

Happy Crafting!

Love You Scrapbook Page

 

Today, I'm sharing another project from the "I can't believe I scrapbooked" series! (Seriously, I probably won't scrapbook for another five years! LOL!)  And can you believe this photo?  It's from my honeymoon...16 years ago!  Check out that hair...oh yeah, baby...

My hubby and I got married just five months after our first date (it was love at second sight), and not wanting to wait to save the cash for a big wedding, we ran off to Monterey, CA with only my brother and sister-in-law in tow!  (We also had some good friends fly out to attend the wedding)  Our sweet wedding was followed by two weeks in northern CA...it was a blast!  This picture was from the end of our stay...exploring around the Golden Gate bridge.

 

I love chipboard pieces and little banners...

 Me and my hubby in all of our youngness....sigh...it goes by too fast!

It only took me 16 years to scrapbook one photo from our honeymoon...I wonder what's next on the list... 

 

Family Outing

It's another scrapook page from the "seriously, I scrapbooked?!" series!  This page features photos from a trip that we took as a family.  We ended up finding this great walking/biking trail through the woods and along a river. If I lived in this part of CT, I'd be using this trail every day...it was a great walk and featured tons of fishing spots.  When you have two boys...you have to spend time in the woods so this was a really fun part of our trip (and a great way to let two little boys run for a while!)  After dinner, we hit a mini golf spot and indulged in ice cream.  Perfect end to a perfect day!  I do love the memory keeping part of scrapbooking...maybe I should do it more often...I confess I even purchased a scrapbook album...Humm...

You Have My Heart

 

That's right...I made a scrapbook page!  I actually made four pages a few weeks ago, after spending an evening with some fellow crafters, aka scrapbookers.  I came home with a fun little kit full of paper and embellishments that was begging to be used.

I have a great frame hanging in my living room, which is made to showcase 12x12 scrapbook pages.  It's a great way to easily change your artwork!  I figured it was about time for me to create a few new pages for my frame, featuring my kids now vs. them four years ago!

Here are a few more shots of this page....super easy to create, just a bunch of layering of papers and adding embellishments.  A whole lotta love...just in time for Valentines!

Enjoy!

  Aren't those sweet tart brads to die for?!

 The chipboard pieces are super beefy...really thick.  I love them.  And I thought the paint swatch paper was so clever.  And those two cute boys...they're a-ok too...I think I'll keep 'em!

Travel Album - Yes, I Scrapbooked

I have a photo heavy post for you today...sharing a mini album that I created using supplies from a kit club.  I'm not much of a scrapbooker (I've been working on one album for about six years...I don't think it's going to ever be finished! LOL!), but I'm a sucker for mini albums.  They're easy to create and you can finish one up in no time flat!  And I love documenting one moment in time, such as a trip, a holiday, or only travel photos, such as the theme of this album.

This is a fun folded album, which I learned how to make in a Julie Balzer class.  Seriously easy to make, using just a few sheets of 12x12 paper.  The cover is folded in and I opted to create a larger front cover spread that is partially hidden when the album is closed.  Here's the open view:

I just couldn't part with the "life is a daring adventure" sentiment...love that!  This is a tough album to photograph because it accordion folds and is about three feet long when unfolded...it rocks!  One entire side has pockets, which I'll show you below, and the other side is just plain paper, which you could use for journaling or more photos.  Here's a shot of one side...

On the right hand side of the photo, you can see where the cover folds.  Each page is held together with special painted masking tape...another Julie technique.  (If you haven't taken one of her classes...you must!)  I'll keep commentary to a minimum from here on out and just let you enjoy the inside pages.  Most of the embellishments are from the kit and coordinate with the paper collection, all from My Minds Eye.  The stamps you'll see are old Ali Edwards designs that I believe I purchased through Technique Tuesday.  Mini letters seen throughout are sticker sheets from Authentique.  I buy every Authentique letter and word sticker sheet I can get my hands on...they are an amazing tool and I use their stickers in everything from cards to scrapbooking to mixed media projects.  Enjoy the show!  (Leave a comment if you have any other questions!)

Forgive the glare on some of these pages...Photographing pictures in my studio at night is a bear! LOL!

The end of the pocket pages...Here's a look at a completed insert.  Each of the photos were mounted on cardstock.

I adore stamping right on to a photo... (And what's that?  A text circle on almost every page...you better believe it!)

I kept the non-pocket pages pretty simple.  Just mounted the photos and added some decoration and/or text and stamping.  All of my photos are printed to 5"x7".

I have one empty page left in the album and that's where I'll be putting more of the stories of our trips this year.  My plan is to use my old typewriter for the journaling...fabulous!

That's my completed album!  Super fun to make and a great keepsake.  My next album, the one I created in Julie's class, is going to focus on photos of all the amazing designers and teachers I've had met over the past few years.  I can't wait to get started!