Thursday, July 31, 2014

Having fun with old, long unused die cuts

I loved the photo on this page, however, for some reason, Mr. Mojo packed his bags and headed out. I became frustrated and decided to call it day. Sometimes its good to just walk away.

As I was pondering lack of things, as my frustration came mostly from what I could do to embellish this page.

And shazam! I have all these diecuts that somewhere along the line I became to lazy to use. So I dug those bad boys out and tried to figure out what I could use to layer.

And for the most part I love the layering and the dies that I used the same configuration basically on all the embellishments.

I broke out my Quickutz squeeze and perused the fat book loaded with 2x2 dies and picked out a nested heart, jacks, xo, a do-dad and chili pepper.

And found several bits of papers and whacked away. The base of the embellies I used round punch.
AND wa-la!
 It was fun and all the dies while look odd at first add to it.
 Of course the hearts
and XO mean love - for the kidlets and Phillies.
The jack is cool and can be used
as jacks or cross stitches, and the do-dads are the white taps on top of the circles.
Sadly the chili pepper didn't make the cut. So to speak.
My pal Holli came up with the title.
And doesn't it annoy me that I didn't think of it.
LOL.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Handwritten titles - go for it

I had a lack of mojo yesterday and was frustrated.
I forgot all about this page as I try to add them to my album immediately.
When I was adding another page to the album I found this one.
Geez. Talk about oldheimers. 
Love this photo of Connor and Christopher and wanted to make it special.
It was also Christopher's birthday on the 30th and wasn't I surprised.
Even after I had been warned by my calendar notifications for a few days in advance.
Sigh. 
Heavy Sigh.
Love the Studio Calico and bits and pieces of Basic Grey
and Pink Paislee AND Simple Stories.
I wanted the title to be simple so I handwrote their names and
called it a day.
I have a love/hate relationship with my handwriting.
When its not important - my writing rocks (say that 3 times fast)
and when I put it on a page - my writing stinks.
I decided to roll with it anyway.
Whenever I find handwriting from my ancestors, the first thing I do is swoon.
And then I felt so thrilled to have that connection.
Back in the snail mail day, I couldn't wait to get mail from family
and friends and I would always recognize their handwriting
without looking at the return address.
Always and it never failed to thrill.
NOT ONCE, NO NEVER have I ever said 
OMG...their handwriting stinks.
It never occurred to me. 
Because to me it was beautiful. 
So I decided to throw caution to the wind and hope somewhere
down the line, my kids will recognize my writing and be 
thrilled too. Not only that it totally worked on this page.
Therefore, in addition to handwriting your journaling as much as you can,
-----go for the title as well.

Monday, July 28, 2014

The splatter of mist that's sort of covered up

Which is just the opposite of the post from yesterday.
You can do it -- no splats...
Still working through the Lawn Fawn supplies when a bottle of 
Mr. Huey arrived - and had to be tried.
You can kind of see it you look really really hard.
Its called Sunset.
And once splattered I thought it looked
well stupid.
Therefore it need to be covered up as best as could be.
And that explains the design.
Because I was quite liberal with the splats.
Took a stroll through M's and was drawn to the kraft jar (Recollections).
With Avacado arts bugs flying inside.
Then picked up the Webster Pages arrows.
Swoon.
And then there you have Annie & Owen rearranging the dirt.
Love it.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

You can do it challenge

I was invited to become part of a challenge group called
"you can do it".
First challenge!!!!!
Create a page using kraft or white and KEEP IT COMPLETELY 
SPLATTER FREE basically.
Soooo here's my version of the challenge.
I had some leftover paper that I used water colors on and
I repeated the circle theme around the page.
And it was a REAL challenge because
I still really really REALLY wanna splat something on it but I find
it different. I kinda like it.
YOU Try it.
And if you're a person that likes to keep it plain then
YOU get to splat it up. 


Artists Falls

Another hipstamatic photo..
Artists falls - Yellowstone National Park.
Its beautiful, stunning.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Devils Tower

More hipstamatic fun on our trip out west.
Sometimes I wonder why I have a high end camera.
And yes, its even more awesome in person.
The state of Wyoming is beautiful.
People actually climb it.
I admired it from below because that's how I roll.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Studio Calico Patches

I only used one but patches sounded better than patch
which I believed I also used yesterday.
I'm getting redundant.
However, a patch in this case is like a girl scout patch.
And to be honest I had no idea what to do with it.
I have no clue why I was intimidated by it -
 I've used stickers bigger than this patch.
Anyway, the colors fit, well the red was a surprise
as it was the only color not in the arrow paper, and I loved
the sentiment, especially since this is Quintin's 
first no-training wheels ride down the street.
A rite of passage conquered.
Love that.

Lawn Fawn, studio calico, quickutz cookie cutters-lemonade.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Patching together a base page

That you can't see.
Because I didn't think to take a photo because
in the first design - 
you'd almost have seen it.
This is an 8x8 page.
Somehow when I whacked into it, it became a lesser size.
So I squared it off to 8x7.5 and used the remaining paper, the B side
and washi'd them together.
I then decided that looked really stupid and added some water colors
and running colors.
Found some vellum, the die cut and a photo and decided that
it needed to be over top the patch.
Because I found the awesome tag at the top and it took up room.

So that blue streak at the bottom is a studio calico stamp, along with 
everything else on the page except for the bazzill, qk die cuts and punches.
OH and I handwrote the title.
And I tried to go for a less beachy looking page. Not that I'm 
against beachy looking pages but I've done them the same way lots of times.
And I wanted something different.
Snap!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Going green with the color green

The color green!!!
It just sort of happened and of course it works well with wood.
Like that's a stretch.
However, it just seemed to work especially with the different greens.
There was a time when if the greens had not matched perfectly I'd be quite
neurotic about it. 
But not any more and its quite freeing.
Like Lou having a ball.
bwahahahaha!
He's just too stinkin' cute.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Title inadvertently matches some of the embellishments

I KNOW.
Just occurred to me.....although potatoe / potahto.
Circles or rings.
Ring master.
Get it!!!
I can be sooooo witty.
or Not.
However I had the design going on with another title until my pal
April the titlemaker came up with ringmaster.
And it was like a head slappin' DOH moment as to why I didn't think of it.
And when I was looking for something witty as a title for my blog,
I happened to notice the similarity.
Clever eh?
Love the rings as an embelishment and whipped out the ole QK cookie cutters
and used each and every one of them on the page.
Everything except the thickers and washi is Studio Calico including the mr. Huey mist,
 and those stars came in this cute lil glassine package
 and I used every one of them too.
I'm totally on a roll here and using supplies.
Yay!


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Leaving busy paper - well busy

I wanted the numbers because its a birthday page and grandpop really
 needed more candles on his cupcakes.
However, because anticipation was high and the wait was long, its probably best
not setting the house on fire and making 2 littles wait.
It was the second celebration of grandpop's birthday while visiting in NJ.
And how fun was that.
Liz rocks the cupcakes and they didn't last long.

The page is busy but I feel those beigie/white arrows actually 
bring it down to a mild roar along with the matting
and border strips and washi tape.
The B&W photo also tends to bring in your focus as well
calming down all the busy-ness around it.
I'm totally impressed and you should be too that I worked in a journaling
sticker with a cupcake on it. 
I tend to have a hard time with stuff like that.

All Basic Grey except for the Studio Calico wooden arrows, word strips, the
recollections washi tape and
 I got to use some really really OLD BG alphas.

Flamingos

Another hipstamatic photo.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Sunset on a beautiful cathedral spire

Church of the Blessed Sacrament at sunset.
Sacramento, CA.
(hipstamtic photo)

I love the hipstamatic app much better than instagram - however, they were late jumping on the bandwagon soooooo I jumped ship. I found it much easier and more fun to use. And faster.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Feathers and feathers

Love this paper by Studio Calico- feathers.
Honestly I didn't know what to do with it at first.
And this set of photos came together.
Found some cutouts and punches and FEATHERS.
Love the feathers on the page and then the wooden veneers feathers.
And don't they all play nice together.
There's some Jillybean soup patterned paper going on.
Evidently, in addition to duck face - there's mean mugs.
I can do mean mugs.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Scrappin' with scraps

Every now and then I get overwhelmed by all the hacked up
half-used papers in my "hacked up half-used paper basket.
All these awesome papers whacked up in the name 
of creativity.
That happened the other day.
Therefore I grabbed some white cardstock (on which I'm running sadly low-although
I have about 10 lbs of all colors of the rainbow cardstock lying around) 
because white is white and said to go with everything.
I also grabbed other stuff in the box - but not being really picky about any of it.
Instead of just laying it out - I adhered it as I went.
GASP!
Then I decided that my sadly and often forgotten to be used grey gelato (and most all 6 gelatoes
I'm in possession of) was applied around and about. 
I decided grey was blah! and how about some orange mist.
That turned sort of muddy.
I then yanked out the watercolors so I could make things run.
As you can see the direction of where I was going with page is in the paint running.
And I changed my mind on the orientation.
GASP! again.
And it wasn't because of the photo as I didn't have one in mind yet.
However, when I did choose one.
Magically it all worked out.
I could say I planned it - but it would be a lie.

Studio Calico, bazzil c/s, simple stories, authentique.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

That paper you're afraid to cut into

This blue and yellow paper called to me when I first opened
up my Studio Calico kit.
I loved it.
I cherished it.
I was afraid to use it.
I finally decided to man up.
But there were still decisions.
HOW?
Use the blue as a bit of background?
NO NO the YELLOW.
A mat, a half, a third.
Sigh.
Well I went with thirds.
With the red branding strip.
Whew.
I canNOT tell you how tough that was.
And then the photo.
Modern, heritage, kidlets. YadaYA.
Heritage is the way it came out - especially with the doily.
I love the travel paper, and Jillybean soup.
Simple Stories.
It actually all works.
Shocked me too.
I decided I needed a banner and didn't want the same ole same ole.
Hearts seemed like a good choice for this.

My brother and I having a tender moment.
It's sweet and perfect for this paper I was afraid to cut into.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Hanging by a thread

The Studio Calico paper was totally cool and came that way.
It was perfect for the photo.
I wanted to use something a bit more ethereal than twine.
I saw this somewhere, but for the life of me can't remember who or where
but the artist used thread and scattered and curled it about the page and it looked amazing.
 Therefore I decided to use thread being the copy cat that I am.
It was easy to adhere it behind the title that I have wanted to use forlikeever.
The thread  was put at the top left corner because it needed something.
So I adhered the thread behind the photo corner.
I tossed the thread upwards defying gravity and popped on some gold enamel dots
to help with the gravity thing.
I had the prima foliage with butterflies forlikeever and yay!!! Finally used it.
Love the photo.
 Ms. Amelia entranced by water.
Studio Calico for everything except: the doily, foliage, bow, tag and noteworthy paper.
I thought I saw the thread artist on google + and I've looked and looked.
If you know who it might be, please put her name in the comments so I give her credit.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Using leftover wordy cutouts paper

I had used that wordy cutouts paper inidividually until it was that size.
A mat behind the photo and didn't the best words stay on show 
and aren't they perfect with the photo.
Love it when a non-plan comes through.
The ticket paper was a side "b" to me and I fussy cut them along they way 
as well so that fit perfect too.
And I love the star paper. 
The flower is Basic Grey - the colors rocked with the rest of it.

And there's daredevil Annie.
I love the perspective of the photo.

All Studio Calico - except the flower and washi tape.
The TITLE was the first thing that came to mind - it couldn't be helped.
(I usually can't think of a title so that was a win-win).

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Embellishments from pattern papers

It appears that someone is having a bad hair day.
And isn't she mz grumpy pants.

I loved the camera paper from Studio Calico of course,
and simmered it down a bit with some gesso.
Also because I made the page 8x8 I had leftover paper and
that allowed me to fussy cut the cameras out 
to use as embellishments.
Inking around the edges hid the unfussy edges I made.
Did some layering.
Found the ticket at the top that says make time for happy 
which cracked me up with the photo.
It also has boxes to check; today - tomorrow.
My check mark is by tomorrow since
 today wasn't looking too good for Mz. Amelia.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Color blocking sort of

I used Basic Grey patterned paper I got in my warehouse box
and wa-la there was a 6x6 paper pack too.
So I ripped out 2 papers and blocked them in opposite corners.
I really worked at the layering using some
of the basic grey stickers from the pack and really old tags.
Also, Studio Calico stamp, sticker and wood veneers.

As you may or may not know I love books. 
I inhale them.
I adore them
 I respect them 
and keep them looking good.
So imagine your surprise when I tell you that I ripped 
that page out of an old dictionary
GASP!
Even old books I really really have a hard time messing them up.
I really do. 
But I wanted a book page behind the photo
because it goes with mom - the librarian.
Along with the libary journal card.

And toddlers are so easy to please.
Looks like a tupperware container filled with water and ice.
Lou could go on for hours with this.

And who could resist Vanilla Ice's hit song.
NOT ME.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Using an old and hardly used die cut

Guess which one is the die cut???
LOL!!
It's the MONKEY - I was in a giddy mood when day
and it was on sale at 2peas I believe.
Enough said.
Not many calls for monkeys on a page but
every now and then you can work that baby in.
Like now.
And googly eyes. More giddiness.
Monkeys on pattern paper - basic grey.
I used some gesso to simmer those monkeys down.
Punched out the banner and fussy cut
the tape the monkey is holding in his hand and embellishments
on the left side.
And also punched out the circles and music notes
making my own embellishments.
Very fun page.
Dad is a musician so this totally works.
Monkeyshines music man.
:)

Monday, July 7, 2014

Using a hashtag in your title

OR a number sign.
 Depends on what era you're coming from.
Jill rocks the hashtags so I thought I'd take one out of her book and 
make the title a hashtag.
Love how it turned out because totally they could be #to be partners in crime.
Yup. They totally look up to no good. 
I have to hand it to August (the dog) she does look a bit more innocent.
Amelia is looking like the ringleader.
Just sayin.............

Anyhoo, Studio Calico, Recollections, twine.
Nothing tricky except for some layering going on
with some mists.
Love how fun it turned out.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Off the Rails Scrapbooking - July Challenge!!!

Come join us over at OTR blog and see all the amazing posts going!!!
The challenges are fun and the prizes are amazing.

July's challenge is this color pallette!
Don't the shoes make you swoon.
Join our Over the Rails Scrapbooking facebook page 
and post your entry
 for the July color challenge to win this amazing prize.

OH! And here's my interpretation of the color palette.!!!

I had a great time with the colors.
I love teal with most any combination.
But red. YUM!!! Red happens to be my favorite color.
I used an old Basic Grey line Out of Print
as the base paper - the flowers work as part of an ocean them.
And the straw was a touch of whimsey along with
some rubon and die cut sea critters.
Spritzed some mists.
And that bow was just waiting.
And the photo of Amelia.
Swoon.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Independence Day!!!

Celebrating our independence with friends.
God Bless America always!






 HAPPY 4TH!!!
STAY SAFE!

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Another Watercolor/Stamping Disaster made right

This is the page from yesterday where I had stamping issues. So I covered it up with white to get a clean slate And sworled some green around to help wipe out some of the black.

If you make your watercolors really really REALLY wet and smushy - you can do this............

Smush on the page.

Hold the paper up and wa-la - running paint. I cut the 12x12 down to 8x8 and used the "other" watercolor parts for the mats.

In putting the page together I flipped it so the watercolors were at the top. Just to amuse myself.

And that left the bottom clear for some neeting, fun fish, and bunches of anchors.

I adhered the bunches of anchors with modge podge; fling them about. It was fun......

And there's Quintin - quite the water bug with a great smile.
Most all again, are Studio Calico except for the
anchors and splats.
My pal Holli bought the 2 anchor punches (big and small) and a splat punch and did a punch
marathon and gave me 3 bags full.
I will be using them alot.
Because I have alot. :)
And that's awesome - because I don't have to punch them out.
AND........
The letters are SC and what were the odds that I'd have 3 A's.
Um...slim to none.
SOOOOOO I used a V and the dot for the I and/or J.
TA-DA!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Orange, Pink and Blue with a side of cream & white

Perfect colors for this photo.
And isn't it a hoot.
Amelia being, well Amelia.
She's funny, loud, demanding, and goes for it.
And that made the title perfect.

I didn't do anything tricky here. 
Tricky has been well kinda tricky in working out for me.
So in full disclosure, once again, 
I had different papers and tried stamps
and paints with some less than stellar results.
Sigh.
I kept the paper, and have smeared gesso all over it.
Clean slate.
Sortof.
We'll see how that works out.
I believe everything on this is Studio Calico.
I broke out my quickutz 4x4 die for the snazzy arrow.

And the button at the top?
Says, Don't tell me what to do.
Perfect.
Remember the song "You Don't Own Me? by Leslie Gore....
Hook - and don't tell me what to do, 
don't tell me what to say
and please when I go out with you 
don't put me on display.

I LOVED that song when I was a kidlet.
And I know you'll thank me for having that tune in your head
all.day.long.

You're welcome :)