Hello???  Hello???? Is anyone still out there?!!

It's been a loooong time since I last posted!! I had to just walk away from it all.

Walk away from the mess created from moving from my craft room to a corner of my bedroom.

Walk away from the overwhelming task of downsizing.

Walk away from trying to figure where to put everything.

Walk away from blogging and looking at blogs.

And then  literally, I started walking and exercising again.  Which takes up quite a bit of my "free" time.

The mess is still present.  I'm ready to start dealing with it again.  I need to deal with the clutter so my messy creative self has room to throw paint, pull out papers and make a whole new pile!! LOL!!

Yep.  I'm ready to get back to my creative journey.

That journey starts today.

I am very excited (and a bit nervous!) to be joining once again with the E-Team as a Guest DT blogger for the month of April!!

Head on over to the eP blog  to get more details on how I used these products-----

to make THIS!!!

She's BAAACCCCKKKK!!!! lol!!

'Till next time.................make a mess!! Explore some creativity!!

Inspired By

TODAY IS THE DAY!  The BIG reveal of the project you have all been anxiously awaiting! Just go with my disillusions here! hehe.   The E-team is starting a new series that I think we will all enjoy and hopefully grow from!

This new blog hop is featuring our own personal journals as we embark on a journal that is

INSPIRED BY WORDS.

Visit each E-Team blog participant and leave a comment between today, April 25 to Sunday, April 29th for the chance to win a $25 eP gift certificate.  Winner's will be announced on the eP blog, Monday, April 30. PLUS!!  Join the E-Team in our journal adventure and post your journal cover on the eP blog by May 4th and we will pick 2 people to join us next month for the next journal adventure!!

Daisy, eP blog

Broni

Linda L

Micki

Sherry

ME!

I'm really excited about this new series!  I have been wanting to do an art journal for a while, but just never jump off the ledge. Add my love of inspirational words and this series has become the icing on the cake!  I'm so glad the Daisy snuck up behind me, and shoved! LOL!

I decided to make my own journal book instead of buying one.  My thought is that this will allow me to add what ever type of base paper or medium I would like to work with for that particular entry.  And I can add as many pages as I can fit my binding rings around! haha.  For my journal cover, I wanted to combine a couple of my favorite mediums; paint, metal and most recently, Ice Resin.  I started with a couple of Zutter book covers and painted a base coat of TenSecond Studios Verday paint in Bronze.  

Tips:  shake the paint well before applying.  The Verday paint is an acrylic paint that has actual metal particles in it.  You want to make sure that those particles get dispersed from settling on the bottom of the bottle.  

After letting the base coat dry for a couple of hours, I took a rough sea sponge and lightly dabbed more VerDay Bronze paint randomly onto the cover.  Immediately, while the paint was still wet, I misted with the VerDay Patina.  I put my Verday Patina into a cheap, fine mist bottle (like "hairspray" bottle), found  in the area where travel sized accessories are at Target.  

Let the Verday chemically react with the paint overnight.

After drying, I felt that I had gotten a bit heavy handed with the sponging/VerDay and had too much patina. I then just took my course sea sponge again, dipped it into a bit more VerDay Bronze paint, dabbed off on a paper towel and "dry" sponged randomly on the top of the covers to add more copper

Here is a picture, deliberately angled so that you can see all the wonderful metallic bronze shine

I have to say, I hated to cover up all this wonderful patina!!  LOL!  But cover it up I did!  Here is the cover to my journal.

I die cut various layers from the Tattered Floral die and from Spellbinders Carnation Creations from TenSecond Studio's Barn Red metal. I ran some of the flower layers through the Big Shot with an embossing folder and some layers I just hand doodled squiggle lines and others I used a decorative wheel tool on the metal to make patterns.  I then intensified the color with some alcohol inks 

I then shaped the flowers and applied a thin layer of Ice Resin to both sides of the individual layers using a small paint brush.  I recommend wearing gloves for this step.  It gets rather messy and you will get Ice Resin on your hands while trying to paint both sides of the petals.  I left a small portion of the bottom of the flowers unpainted so that I could set them down on my craft sheet to dry.  I was hoping that the Ice Resin would harden the metal enough that the flower petals would be more stable and would not bend as easily.  The Ice Resin DID help stabilize the metal.  I'm thinking that if I were to add another layer, it would make the metal really solid.   After letting the Ice Resin cure for a couple of days, I glued the layers together with Beacon's Glass, Metal and More Permanent Glue.  This is the first time I have used this glue and I was pleased at how relatively quick it set. I would highly recommend using it in a well ventilated room though! It has a bit of a strong odor!

The leaves were die cut using a combination of Spellbinders Carnations Creations and Foliage from TSS's Peacock metal.  

Here is my tutorial , with a video link for making flowers out of metal.  

And a close up of my "first" journal entry.  

The journal entry was typed on the computer, then each word cut out and sponged with Distress Vintage Photo ink.  I cut off a flap from a cardboard box, saturated it with water and peeled off the smooth layer of cardboard, revealing the rough layer underneath.  Distress Stain in Picket Fence was randomly applied.  The words were then attached using glue dots.  

The final touch was adding some swirling bling from Want2Scrap.  

I also finished the inside of the cover. 

I like to think that the TOTALLY different look is reflective of what I hope to accomplish with this journal.  No preconceived ideas.  No limits.  Just go for it.

I first covered the inside with Claudine's gesso.  I didn't really worry too much about how thick the coverage was.  Since I was totally impatient, I heat dried the gesso with my heat gun.  I then dropped random spatters of alcohol ink onto the gesso and hit them with a blast of canned air, dispersing the inks.  A light mist of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Tuscan Sun  was added on top.  After drying, I stamped the sentiment from Wendy Vecchi's I Am My Art set, using Archival Jet Black Ink.  Tip:  I would HIGHLY recommend that you do the inside of the cover before completing all the dimensional work on the outside.  It would make getting a clean, crisp stamped image soooo much easier and you will be able to avoid having to go over the stamped image with a black Sharpie.  Just sayin'.  

I'm really excited about this new adventure!  I hope that you will check out all the other E-Team's journal cover's and be inspired to join us!!

CAS--Military Style

Have you ever had one of those projects, while perfectly fine and acceptable, just doesn't tickle your fancy?  That would be this project.  I have spent most of the day debating whether or not to even post it.  But, obviously, posting won out.  Here's why:

1) While everyone "oooo's" and "ahhhh's" over the WOW cards/projects, not all projects are meant to be WOW projects.  Take, for instance, cards for 11 year old boys.  Let's be realistic here.  This is a card that is going to be lucky to survive 5 minutes after being opened.  The gift card will be snatched up and the card, if lucky, will be tossed onto a messy desk, only to be noticed again when said child is threatened with a life grounding from his Xbox if he does not clean his room to his mother's standard. 

2) There are days when the MoJo is just not up to par.  Par being what ever realistic or unrealistic level one has set.  Yet, much like the real world, sometimes MoJo just has to suck it up and still produce. 

3) The card had the Youngest Kiddo's approval.  And since he is the peer of the birthday boy, one has to accept that the card, (and MoJo) met to his level of Par.  And when it comes down to it, that is all that matters.

OK!  Enough rambling!  Here are the essential details needed for this card:  1) 11 year old BOY.  2) Birthday theme Call of Duty/Military. 

Creative musing while making this card.  Three stars---like a "Three star General".  Pearls, like buttons on a uniform.  CAS--like it or not, the military is precise, orderly and CAS. 

Card base:  Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip card stock cut to 5.5" square.   SU's Sahara Sand is lighter layer.  Cameo paper is a scrap from my stash. Pretty thin paper.  My guess is I found it at Michael's.  Stars were die cut and embossed with Spellbinder's Stars Five.  Sentiment is from Papertrey's Faux Ribbon set and was stamped with SU's Chocolate Chip ink.  Pearls are from Want2Scrap.

Template for gift card found here.

Blank strip on the base is where Youngest Kiddo can write his birthday message. 

The Youngest Kiddo came home with cupcakes in cameo liners.  Kudos to MoJo for remembering the cameo paper!!

Want to Scrap?



The E-Team is excited to share in fun blog hop with the Want2Scrap Design team. If you are new to eclectic Paperie or Want2Scrap, here is a little information about these two creative companies. Each offer a unique line of products for all paper crafters.

eclectic Paperie(eP) is an online boutique for all who love paper crafts. There is an eclectic assortment of products, supplies, tools, and materials to assist you in your quest for creative expression. Stretch your basic paper crafting skills beyond simple scrapbooking and cardmaking. Take the next step into artistic expression by "feeding your creativity" at eclectic Paperie. You keep up new product offerings by following eclectic Paperie on Facebook, Twitter, or the eP Blog.

Want2Scrap™ manufacturers rhinestones lines including the Nestabling™ line that coordinates with the newly released Nestaboard™ chipboard line. A variety of Nestabling and Nestaboard shapes correspond with specific Spellbinders™ Nestabilities™ die templates. Want2Scrap also manufacturers their own line chipboard albums and accents, acrylic albums, and multi-layered laser designs and other fine scrap booking products. Want2Scrap brings ease of use and flexibility in their product lines by offering products uniquely tailored to its customers’ needs. Follow Want2Scrap on Facebook and the Want2Scrap Blog!

The E-Team and Want2Scrap Design Team were on a mission to create some fun projects using the Nestabling, Nestaboard with any coordinating Spellbinders dies, too. Come blog hop with the two teams to see what kind of creative juices resulted.

The E-Team

Daisy/eP Blog

Broni

Latrice

Linda D

Micki

Sherry

and

Me!

Linda L is actually on a cruise this week!!  Lucky gal! But stop by and let her know she was missed!

Want2Scrap™ Design Team

•Heidi Blankenship

•Dana Gustafson

•Elise Durenberger

•Karen Taylor

•Linda Duke

•Mimi Leinbach

Twice the number of blog hop participants means twice the fun that includes prizes, too!! Visit each E-Team and Want2Scrap participating member and leave them some feedback about their creations. One comment per person per blog, please. You have until today, Friday, September 30th to Sunday, October 2nd to visit each blog participant. eclectic Paperie and Want2Scrap will each be choosing 3 random winners from the blog hop participants. Three random winners will win an eP $20 gift voucher and three will win a Want2Scrap $20 gift voucher.   Winners be posted on the eclectic Paperie Blog and on the Want2Scrap blog on Tuesday, Oct 4th so make sure you check back to claim your prize.

OK!! Onto the project!

I started with this empty Brie cheese container that I had saved for altering.





I then pulled out one of my favorite Graphic45 paper lines, Curtain Call, Want2Scrap Nestaboard Stars Five, the coordinating Spellbinders dies and some Idea-ology Film Strip Ribbon.  A combination of Studio matte Multi Medium, Antique Linen Distress Ink and some left over bling that I altered with a black Copic marker and this is what I came up with:

 



But wait! There's more!!  Take off the lid and inside is a little mini album of various pictures of my kiddos, in costume at differnt stages of their young lives, ready to play the leading men in the show!!

 



I covered circles cut from thin cardboard (the 12 x 12 cardboard that comes in paper packs) with more of the Graphic45 Curtain Call and used them as my background for pictures that I edited to a sepia tone in PSE. 



 

 

The "pages" of the mini album where adhered to a piece of black ribbon and covered over on the back with SU's Riding Hood Red card stock with Scor-tape.  I'll write the details of the photos on the back for journaling.  I did add a loop to the top of the ribbon, just in case I decide that I want to hang the collage for show.





A couple of observations:

 

1) The Nestaboard is sturdy, yet light weight.  And I was very impressed that it matched PERFECTLY with the Spellbinder's coordinating dies.

 

2) The Multi Medium held up the best to adhere the Film Strip Ribbon. I tried to use Humungo Sticky Tape, as it adheres metal wonderfully, but the twisting of the ribbon caused it to pull off.  The Multi Medium is still holding strong.

 

3) It would appear that my children stopped posing for pictures at age 3.  I really have no excuse not to get caught up on my scrap booking (I'm only behind about 12 years) as I would only have a total of 6 years to scrap.  sigh.............

 

I'm thinking that this idea would be great gifts for the grandparents for the holidays! 

 

Till next time...............enjoy some creativity!!