The File Folder Has it!

SOOO...a few Crew Members were given a Social challenge....

watch Shannon Green's video on making File Folders...

and see where it lead us!!

My thoughts....just because I ALWAYS have to mess with things
....I really don't need any more file folders
....but this might be a kinda cool idea for a mini album.

So, upon my return to my studio...I watched Shannon's video
and let the creating begin!
SADLY, I have had internet and modem issues and
the video I created couldn't be loaded so....
finished PICTURES it is!!

To create my "folder"I pulled out
2 sheets of patterned paper from
7gypsies ~ Gypsy Seamstress Collection
12 x 12 Tape Measure
12 x 12 Buttons

I chose to fold the Buttons paper at 8", creating a deeper pocket
I then cut a 6"x 12" pieces of
 Tape Measure and adhered them together.
I then cut my folder in half.
My mini album measures 6" x 8".

I painted each of the pages with a 50/50 mixture of Gesso and
Perfect Paints Glaze Medium.
I love the texture of the Gesso with the transparency of the glaze.

Now......this is when I became impressed with the
7gypsies ~ Gypsy Seamstress paper...

I layered on Perfect Paints Polishing Plaster,

then spritzed and splattered with Glimmer Mist

AND MY ALBUM IS FLAT!!! LOVE IT!!!

Now, I love to tell on myself,

I recently had a conversation

that I have thousands of photos on my phone

and NEVER PRINT THEM OUT!!

SO....I went to my phone and

printed pictures of the family last Thanksgiving
to fill my mini album!

I have to say.....

Yvonne Blair Designs/Impression Obsession ~ Words for Art stamp set
was PERFECT to capture my thoughts!

I pulled out a piece of CCB Handmade papers

various colored Burlap and a bit of Flute to accent my photos.

Well.....there you have it!

My take on the "Make your own folder Challenge"!!

What inspiration did you get when you watched Shannon's video??

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU CREATIONS!!

I FINALLY was able to resolve my internet issue....

here is my video...
or should I say part of my video...
I got caught up in creating and forgot to turn
my camera back on!!
HOW DO I SURVIVE this thing called life!??!??!

To see what the other gals came up with.....pop on over to
the Canvas Corp Brands Blog!!

Canvas Corp Crew

I am sooo EXCITED to be a part of

Canvas Corp Brands CREW!!

For our first assignment,

we were asked to create a 4 x 4 canvas

to best express our creative style.

Here is my canvas.....

my canvas is all about
Texture and Color!!

I have plastic containers that I keep all my
Canvas Corp Brands pieces parts in.

So, I pulled them all out
and chose a bit of Burlap,
some French Script TissueStock.

E Flute ~ Black

and various Black on Ivory patterned papers.

I laid the little pieces out on a 4 x 4 piece of
Canvas Corp Brands ~ Canvas
and adhered them with Multi Medium.

I used The Crafter's Workshop ~ Love Post Stencil

and applied a bit of texture medium, through just the hearts.

I then sprayed randomly

with various Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Mists....
all over the canvas.

Now, no project would be complete without
a few flowers and a quote,

now would it!!

LIVE LAUGH LOVE....because life is tooo short not, too!!

Textiles and Templates

I LOVE using textiles in my creations....
vintage fabrics, lace, burlap and canvas
are among my favorites.

So.....when I received my Canvas Corp Burlap Pillow Round...
I couldn't WAIT to play with it!!
.....and here is my finished product!

I do have to say this was my first try at stenciling on burlap....
I was very unsure of how it was going to work
due to the weave of the fabric and the density of the fibers...
but I was going to give it a try anyways!

I chose the Crafters Workshop ~ Quatrefoil Reversed 12x12 template and
a bit of Precious Metal Effect Paint ~ Mother of Pearl
and a makeup sponge,
.....can I say.... it worked WONDERFULLY!
Just a hint of color on the Canvas Corp Light Pink heart....PERFECT!

I just LOVE how it came out!

Now when it comes to stenciling on canvas....
to me.....that is easy peasy!
I used the Crafters Workshop ~ Mini Chickenwire Reversed 6x6
and Sketch Grid 12x12
and applied small amounts of
Precious Metal Effect Paint ~ Gold
with the same makeup sponge
and applied it to Canvas Corp ~ Mini Shapes ~ Flags
and a heart I cut from a Canvas Corp ~ 12 x 12 Canvas Sheet.

I accented the pillow with
Mother of Pearl Buttons and 7Gypsies Hardware and Metals.

I finished off my pillow with a Canvas Corp Burlap flower
accented with
more 7 Gypsies Hardware and Metal and a big ole Mother of Pearl button
and LOTS of hand stitching and Multi Medium to hold it all together.

I haven't decided yet if I am going to stuff it and use
it as a pillow or hang it on my wall....
WHAT do you think??

I hope you have enjoyed my experiment....
may just have to TRY this AGAIN!

the Crafters Workshop Design Team

.....Melancholy it is!

It's been a LONG HARD WINTER....

but Spring has FINALLY SPRUNG......

I've been trying to put my finger on my mood

and I think I would say I've been a tad

MELANCHOLY...

of late!

a bit pensive...

....quietly sad....thoughtful!

Big changes have happened....

the arrival on my new housemate
my grandson Izaya...

with more changes coming....

....the impending graduation
and departure of

my son Douglas....

So.....I have been doing ALOT thinking....

questioning my own path...

creative abilities...

FUTURE.

Have I become stagnant in my creativity?

Does everything I create....

LOOK THE SAME!

.....so I decided I needed to experiment with
COLOR...

TEXTURE...

Vintage Embellies...

.....things that make my heart sing!

and this is what I came up with....

....a bit dark

....part of my melancholy state, I think

but FUN!

I began with a tag cut from Canvas Corp ~ E Flute

and Die~Namites Dies ~ Mom's Nest die

(can I tell you I had no idea that was the name of the die
when I was working with it! HOW APPROPRIATE!)

....and I just followed my creativity from there on!

....a piece of paper from 7gypsies ~ Maritime Collection

....various Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Glazes and Glam Glimmer Paint

....a bit of burlap and wire mesh

.....a couple of The Crafter's Workshop stencils

...a few Petaloo flowers

.....and I don't think I even looked up until the process was over!

The finishing touches of the tag...
are a Mother of Pearl button

I pulled out my stash....
and a piece of Vintage lace!

Items that TRULY make my heart sing!

I then went on the hunt for quote....
and this is what I settled on...

...NUFF SAID!

Changes are good....

but no one said they would be easy!

....so I will keep pressing on

walking through...

headed towards that goal...

......trying to enjoy life

while on the journey!

I'm Grateful for.....

The most AMAZING little man

my grandson Izaya....

He has stolen my heart....
my house...

and now my creative process!!

If you know my creative style.....
EVERYTHING has a flower....
now I will be creating
"Lil Bug" manly pieces....
what of what shall I do??

Put a flower or two on it anyways!!!

I began with a piece of Canvas Corp Kraft Paper,

made a few water rings using Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Mist ~ Kraft.

Applied a bit of Tattered Angels ~ Baseboard ~ Soil

through TCW Cubist stencil.
I, then, added a few spritzes of
Tattered Angels ~ Chalkboard ~ Cornflower Daze

here and there.

MY FLOWER......is a spiral flower created from a 

circle cut from a piece of Canvas Corp ~ E Flute ~ Black.

Accented with two Petaloo ~ Burlap Flowers
colored with Tattered Angels ~ Chalkboard ~ Cornflower Daze and a 

diecut of Die~Namites Dies ~ Field Grasses
from a piece of Tattered Angels ~ Mistable Papers ~ Brushed Cotton Cream,

spritzed with Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Mist ~ Kraft
and accented with Cornflower Daze.

....and oh the layers!!

Canvas Corp ~ Canvas Sheet ~ Denim ~ Unsewn

Canvas Corp ~ E Flute ~ Chocolate

Canvas Corp ~ Burlap Sheet ~ Chocolate
Canvas Corp ~ Burlap Sheet 

OH MY!

I hope you have enjoyed my new creative journey....

documenting the life of "my lil bug!"

SPRING.....Die~Namites Dies Blog Hop

Howdy Die~Namites Fan!!

We WELCOME you to our 

SPRING....a time for plans and projects Blog Hop!

We are so excited to share with you

our new Die~Namites Dies Spring Release.

Did you know Die~Namites Dies are Made in America??

and are compatible with most die-cutting machines on the 

market today. Die~Namites dies will cut cardstock,

patterned paper, fun foam, wool blend felts, craft foils

handmade papers and more!

Shimming may be required for some thicker materials,

just add one at a time and test frequently.

Do you want to keep updated on the latest releases

and creations made with our FABULOUS DIES!

You can do so by.....

“LIKE”ing us on Facebook??

Also, by becoming a Follower of our blog???

As you are hoppin’, make sure to leave a comment on each of the

Design Team Member’s blogs....

several of our Randomly chosen Gift Certificates 

will be chosen from your comments on their blogs.

You will have until Midnight EST on March 22
 to leave your comments and to be eligible for our

Grand Prize of a

$50 Gift Certificate

to www.Die-Namites.com

along with 

5 - $10 Gift Certificates

Are you ready to see what our Design Team has created for you??

If you have arrived here from Tonya’s blog, your are in the right place,

if not head back to the Die~Namites blog to begin the hop. 

I was blessed with a Grandson on March 12th.
When he was born I decided I wanted to
teach him a life skill....

and I have chosen to teach him how to plant a garden
and to grow his plants from seeds.

I created a book for us to chart our progress.....

My creation revolved around two AMAZING DIES!

Die~Namites Dies ~ Sunflower Trio

and the
Die~Namites Dies ~ Spring Doily

I diecut the Spring Doily 

from a piece of Canvas Corp ~ Black on Kraft paper.

I then diecut the Sunflower Trio
twice from a piece of Canvas Corp ~ Kraft paper.

I painted the Kraft Paper diecuts with
Silk Acrylic Glaze
Mallard Green and
Spicy Tomato.

I trimmed one of the diecuts to be just the stems,

and adhered it to the whole flower image
only on the stems and moulded
the leaves for a dimensional effect.

I then, took a piece of Canvas Corp ~ Tissuestock,

I cut the Tissuestock into 12 ~ 3" x 3" piece.

Because the Tissuestock is so thin

I was able to cut multiple layers at once with the

Sunflower Trio Die.

I placed a brad in the center of the flowers and

scrunched up the layers.

Using a fan brush I painted on a bit of

of Silk Acrylic Glaze ~ Spicy Tomato

spritzed it with a bit of water,

then dried, forming as it dried!

I then adhered the flowers to the whole

diecut image.

I adhered the 

Sunflower Trio and Spring Doily

to the front of my book cover that consisted of layers of

Canvas Corp Brands ~ Burlap, Serengeti PP and E Flute.

I hope you have enjoyed our Spring Release Blog Hop!!!

THERE IS STILL TIME

to join our March Sketch Challenge and Dare....

another fun opportunity to win more

FANTABULOUS Die~Namites Dies!

Believe in YOUR SELF!!!

Sometimes LIFE has a way

of sneaking up behind you...

and slappin' you on the back

of the head!!

Seems like I've had a few toooo many
head slaps lately....

I NEEDED to make something
to encourage myself....

...to BELIEVE IN YOUR SELF!!!

A Chunky ATC!

I colored the piece of wood...brown.

Then, I cut  a 5"strip of 7Gypsies ~  Mabango paper

 from the Serengeti Collection.
Followed by distrezzing the edges of the Mabango paper

and adhering it to the Chunky ATC.

I trimmed a piece of Canvas Corp ~ Leather paper

and adhered it to the top of the Chunky ATC.

I picked another piece of paper from 

7Gypsies ~ Serengiti Collection ~ Wanyama.

I tore off a piece big enough to cover

the front of the Chunky ATC.

TIP: spritz the paper, front and back,

and help crumple the paper easier.

I created a spiral flower using 

Canvas Corp ~ Burlap Sheet ~ Wheat.

I colored the outside edges of the spiral, 

dried it and then rolled it into a flower.

Using the Flowering Branch die from Die~Namites Dies,
I diecut a piece of Canvas Corp ~ Kraft Cardstock,

colored it and crumpled it while I was drying it.

I thought the 7Gypsies Antique Brass Corner

just set the Chunky ATC off!!

Whether it's the best of times

 or the worst of times, 

it's the only time we've got.  ~Art Buchwald

Snow Wreath.....Canvas Corp and Petaloo!

Snow Wreath

Canvas Corp and Petaloo Crazy for Christmas Blog Hop!

When I opened my box filled with 

 Canvas Corp Canvases and Petaloo Flowers and Trims,
 the first thing that popped into my mind was Winter,
 all the beautiful hues of Teal and Purple. 

I had recently purchased some silver snowflakes
 from one of the big box stores and knew they would be the PERFECT
addition to my wreath. I then pulled out a Grapevine Wreath
 from my stash and let the creative process begin.
 I knew I wanted to create a half wreath, 

something a bit different from the norm.

I wrapped the canvases with pieces of
 Canvas Corp Burlap, Petaloo Fancy Trims and Vintage Lace
 tied with Canvas Corp Jute and accented them with various Petaloo Flowers,
Textured Blooms, Velvet Hydrangeas, and Chantilly Mixed Blooms.

I then stacked the decorated canvases on the wreath.

I then created a focal point on my wreath, being the Canvas Corp Burlap Flower, wrapped with Petaloo Fancy Trim and accented with Canvas Corp ~ Canvas Fringe loopy bow and a bit more Canvas Corp Jute.

I hope you enjoyed my "Snow Wreath" and that it has inspired you to think outside of the box 

when creating your holiday wreath to 

adorn your front door, mantle or wall.

Product Used:

Petaloo Chantilly Collection ~ Mixed Blooms ~ Blue/Green

Velvet Hydrangeas ~ Blue

Textured Elements ~ Mixed Textured Mini Blossoms

Ivory and Teal

Canvas Corp

2 x 2 Stretched Natural Canvas

2 x 2 Stretched Burlap Canvas

3 x 3 Stretched Natural Canvas

3 x 3 Stretched Burlap Canvas

Jute Rope

Burlap Flower

Canvas Trim

I HAVE A GIVE AWAY GOING ON

RIGHT NOW.....

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!!