I have a couple of albums going on...

Mostly because I've been playing with watercolors, Tim Holtz inks,

sprays, crayons, and oxides oh my...

However, I was dabbling in this album before I binge watched

Tim and decided that I had to have his product.

But I digress.

Saw this photo of our beautiful granddaughter and I was like

SO WHEN DID SHE GET TALLER

and more grown up.

When did that happen?

Obviously, when I wasn't looking.

This is my "Wonder" album - mixed media artist album

from Michael's, I think.

I created some pages uses watercolors, sprays and dylusions

that you may have seen some previews here.

Anyway the rainbow drips did the trick, add a TH sentiment

with a doily and and inked up butterfly from

messing the TH inks.

Love how it turned out.

I'm totally hooked on the Tim Holtz Tags

Say Tim Holtz Tags 3-times FAST.

LOL.

These were so much fun to make.

Fortunately, my pal Holli has a ton of TH stamps and we had

a great time at her place making these tags.

These were stamped on regular watercolor paper by Canson.

(sorry Tim) I'm hoarding yours LOL.

Anyway, after watching his demos (using Ranger products)

I jumped in and found that regular watercolor paper 

 doesn't flow as well as the Ranger products.

Once I put oxide inks on the Canson watercolor paper

 I couldn't mush it around.

The ink stayed right where I put it turning out bold and bright 

and no matter how much water I used I couldn't

diffuse the ink and make it softer.

 I was bummed at first that it didn't work

like the demos 

 DOH.....

However, it was fun - and I think I'll continue to use both products

now that I know what's what 

because I like what I get from both.
 

TN-Pages and this album is complete

It appears I need to create a new album as this one

is chock full of goodies and quite thick.

I also rearranged some pages so my bad if you're seeing reruns.

I love these tags I made and had no good reason why they

couldn't be included. 

Creating these tags has been a lot of fun and

you'll see more no doubt.

 I changed up using colored cardstock because well while

white is fun - I was bored so here we are.

I love how they turned out.

 I didn't overthink things - I know shocked me too

but it was soooooo FUN and liberating. 

On the Louisville Slugger page I had at first made smaller

photos but decided big was better, so I fussy cut

the smaller photos and popped them in the title - and the extra bat.

I handmade the baseball - I know such as stretch for my talents. LOL.

I handdrew the flower under hello - and fussy cut those flowers.

I also managed to use EVERY SINGLE license plate and state

embellies on these pages - and I have like 6 USA state sticker packets

mostly thanks to my pal Holli.

 Love how the pages turned out it was fun stamping,

fussycutting and digging through

my pile of alphas for the titles and premade embellies.

Love using the premade watercolor papers I made using TH

inks, crayons and markers. They make such pretty embellies like the

flowers in Run for the Roses page.

I rolled with that too.

I'm really happy with this album - it is quite thick

and I feel it's getting too cumbersome.

I'm debating whether to roll with a "real" premade TN

but I get so aggravated because once you use one thin pop dot

the book blossoms even more - 

even one thin photo on many pages it plumps up so 

dimension makes things worse...

So.....decisions decisions.

Studio Calico, Bo Bunny, Tim Holtz

x

The Battle of the Bridge

Also could be known as the Battle of Green River, Battle of Munsford

lots of battles happening around here.

 This is now a preserve that protects a couple hundred acres of land.

This is the Woodson's house.

 Sadly, I couldn't go in, but I love these farm houses.

They are soooo cool.

 Info board.

The trails were closed and there are a few monuments 

on private grounds.

 It was a battle to cut off supplies Union supplies as

the bridge was actually railroad tracks.

 Both conferate and Union soldiers camped on their farm.

 The Woodson's house may or may not have been in the Underground RR.

It was a beautiful setting.

The battleline was 500 ft from the front door. 

 Evidently a Brigader General on the Union side decided

to stomp his way to Munsford without order.

It was a three day battle.

The Union eventually surrendered to the Confederates.

TN - New pages in the album

I've been lazy, lackadaisial, and laidback.

My bad. 

In the meantime.

I love where this traveler's notebook is going. 

The different sizes, papers and style.

Got some TH going on here - been crushing on his stuff

since I spent a couple hundred hours watching

his videos.

The tag is a heritage pix from back in the day.

Makes me swoon.

 The blue tag the back of the tag for the one above

with the journalin. Not too much

because I have scrapped that photo before, but

I find it fun using my heritage pix rather than Tim's paperdolls.

I can just seen my family losing their minds

trying to figure who in the family that paperdoll might be.

On second thought it could be FUN.

LOL.

That PL card is an old Studio Calico that came in the 

kits, and the bird is cleverly covering up the year 2016.

I believe I'm whining about COVID-19 on the back.

I am whining on the back of the PL card.

Everyone is whining LOL.

Anywhoo, using an envelop to scrap about roasting,

watching tv and having a cup - outside.

Back of the envelope had to have something on it.

 I love envelopes.

And another PL card from Studio Calico with another

clever cover up for the year.

 The PL card needed a back so there that is,

and playing cribbage with dad.

Not a lot of journaling because I yacked about it 

in a lot of other places.

Using up lots of stash and odds and ends.

Love it.

There's a story to this page

If you're an ancestry buff you can relate.

Out of the blue a descendant of a great great grandparent

was apparently left off my tree and a DNA

match brought this omission to a cousin of mine.

He was baffled.

As I was.

And then had a hand's on deck with the 

other family historians or anyone in the family

that actually remembered him.

But, at some point I said hmmm....because I remembered

Charles and his family would come to the family

reunions (held around father's day) and

I remember as kid visiting Uncle Charles in NJ.

Well....Charles was not on my tree, not a footnote not even a question mark.

In my defense, he was not well-known amongst the 

secret keepers. Not that he was a secret, but

he never appears in any of the federal census showing

Nils & Mathilda as parents.

However, when I was invited to the "whistleblowers" tree

I noted that she had a 1905 NJ State Census that

was proof Charles was the first born in the family.

Later there are census when he was older and in my defense

those census were not available when I was on ancestry like

8-9 years ago and I haven't checked since.

Oh it's not for lack of ancestry trying.

Even though I'm not a paying member I can still acess my tree

and they tease me by keeping me updated on all the 

flapping leaves on my tree, to entice me back.

Well, I caved and joined because now my tree needed updating 

and while I was at it, I took care of the 99 waving leaves.

Very interesting, although I do find the ancestry

process somewhat cumbersome. 

But alas, my tree was up-to-date for about 30 minutes. 

LOL.

So I made this page that'll eventually get into the "album" or

actually just have an album of its own, but the other

2-3 albums go back 12 generations on some - although

something happened to my tree that I neglected and some/a lot

of what I had in there is gone.

Anyway I can't wait to do more, because alas, I have more info.

Sigh.

Tim Holtz fussy cut papers collage papers and distressed them and a tag, stamping, there

is journaling on the front and back, and Prima.

Page in my Trippin' 8x10 mixed media album

When I make random pages I really don't have a plan.

Shocking I know.

But I love to be surprised when I'm done.

So this page turned out to be quite patriotic.

Using some modeling paste I used my TH star stencil.

And then watercolors in the "red and blue" category.

Since I had NO photos to go with I decided to "jack" my

son's amazing photos of NYC that he took

dangling out of a helicopter because that's how he rolls.

Like Nick Collins visuals on FB.

When I grow up I wanna take photos like this.

So using some TH labels (need more) and word stickers.

AND I hand drew the NYC letters.

I know you're suprised.

Anyway, poor NY is having a tough time and need our prayers.