Happiness: the Undones

I was tidying up my space when I found a box of Undones that I thought had been done. *le sigh*

I started this layout at The Paperie's Fall 2012 Retreat with some Dylusions spray inks: London Blue and Cut Grass. But I didn't stop there...



I also added some gesso through a stencil and got a neat ghosting effect.



Then I added some photos and a chipboard title.



And that's where I stopped.  I'm not sure why because it was pretty quick and easy to finish.

I added some Studio Calico wood veneer stars...



...and typed up some journaling on my vintage typewriter.



And ended up with a page that looks like this!



Happiness is also a finished scrapbook page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathie

I Love That...

...Blazonry stencil by Balzer Designs.

Oh, yes I do. I use it all. the. time. Like on this page...



...and this one.



And it's all over my art journal, too.





I've always wanted to try paper piecing with this stencil and finally took the time last week to try it out.  I traced the pod shape on some patterned papers from Dear Lizzy's 5th & Frolic and Maggie Holmes' collection. I used both the 12x12 ad 6x6 Blazonry stencils. I also added some stitching with my sewing machine.



Then I grouped the papers together and layered them up.



And, of course, some Studio Calico Clay splats and a few other embellishments.



And here's the final page.



I love how many different looks I can get from one stencil. And the paper piecing was both a lot fun and a lot of work. I don't think I'll do it all the time but I know I'll do it again.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathie

A Retirement Party for my Art Journal

I have reached the end of my first Dylusions art journal. I can't say it's finished because  I never consider my art journals "finished". There's always one more thing I could do or a tweak I could try. But I'm all out of blank pages so I'm retiring it. Today, I'm t sharing the good times I've had with my Dylusions Art Journal #1.

This one about coffee is one of my favorites.



I love this one with letter stickers, too.



I stuck a bunch of old letter stickers on the page. Covered everything in gesso, painted the whole thing blue and then added some drips for good measure.

Here's a closeup.



Here's another page with letter sticker leftovers.



And my favorite stencil, of course, Blazonry by Balzer Designs. I used it a lot in this journal...



Here's another of my favorites.



I played around with silhouette stencils.



This one looks like a superhero to me.



I photocopied photos (which I like quite a lot).



And covered a whole spread in tape.



And also stuck in a piece of wax paper that I had used as I made the journal as drop cloth to contain the mess.



All in all, I had a wonderful time. I've already moved on to Dylusions Art Journal #2 and I'm having a blast. I may go back and add more to DAJ #1 but probably not. Art journaling is about moving forward for me. I want to learn and try new things and for that I need blank pages. The blank page doesn't scare me. 

So, thank you Dylusions Art Journal #1. You were and still are awesome.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathie

A Wedding Layout

Hey Friends!

I'm back today to share a really quick and easy layout I made with some leftover pieces from The Paperie's March kit.

It all started with the background paper by Creative Imaginations.  The paper is a beautiful, heavy-weight cardstock  and has a resisting image printed on it. - perfect for mixed media techniques. I took out my favorite stencil, Blazonry by Balzer Designs, and my favorite mist, SC Mister Huey Clay and spritzed. I thought this was going to be the first of many layers but I loved how it looked so much I stopped right there.



I added a sheet of vellum to soften the pattern...



...and thought, "wow, I'm done". I've never ever made a background so quickly.

I grabbed a sheet of kraft paper and typed a favorite quote by Mary Anne Radmacher.



It reads:

Live with intention.
Walk to edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Continue to learn.
Appreciate your friends.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

And here is the whole page.



A super simple layout but I love it.  And, as it turns out, this page is just perfect for this week's challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Vintage Challenge blog. The challenge is Quotable and everyone who makes a project and posts it on the SSS Vintage Challenge blog is entered to win a $50 gift certificate - sweeet! So, quote the quotable (or unquotable) and post your project. I'll be looking for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathie

Designer Duo Mixed Media Class

Sara and I are teaching another Designer Duo class this Saturday (January 12) at The Paperie.

I used some of my favorite techniques and products and made this layout for class.



And here's a closeup so you can see the texture.



And Sara has used some of her favorite techniques and products to make a gorgeous, textured canvas which you can see here on her blog.

Designer Duo classes are so much fun. You're guaranteed to learn so much, have a ton of laughs and get a little messy in the process.

Hope to see you there!

Cathie