Mixed media birthday page

Another birthday celebration and again, in Soaphouse Mama style.

Bits and pieces, with scraps and some mixed media

tossed in because I could.

 Isn't that owl adorable. 

A Technique Tuesday stamp I had forever.

 The card with the star is homemade and I lifted the

idea from this PL card and using bazzil cardstock and

a star from my die cut box - well it worked out

really well when the 

colors on the card below wasn't quite right.

I did pop up the star and used my white pen (I know) to give some dimension

and added more bits and pieces.

 Laid down some gesso (which I need to get some clear 

it appears) and used the packaging technique

to lay on the mists.

The blues aren't quite right but I like the

bright fun colors so its all good.

I love the collage photo - again the same as Amelia's

from birth to 8 and another birthday page

not using "themed" papers.

Its kinda of wild-I like that.

Again, reusing elements on different layouts

I seem to be diggin' circles lately.

And borders - they do create a lovely feel.

And again employing their use on another page even

the same color.

It does make an album cohesive, however, there's really nothing

cohesive about my everyday albums.

And a lot of my pages go in the grandkids 8x8 albums

so that doesn't help with the cohesiveness,

and doesn't that give me the license to use whatever I want,

whenever I want. LOL!

This was basically a driveby page as I couldn't make up my mind

about a lot of things.

I know you're surprised.

It was the new Echo Park I've been working with and

I love the heart page - and all its busy-ness.

So I threw on some gesso and watercolors and then

couldn't decide if I liked it.

Therefore, its mostly covered up.

I also had a couple of leaf branches where the feathers

are now, and decided that looked too girly

and went with just feathers.

Did some stamping, the music is Studio G and the100% boy

is from Recollections and both work perfectly.

And then there's the wood veneer alphas and stars.

Well finding the letters was fun.

NOT.

For some dumb reason that, I in my infinite wisdom, dumped

every single wooden embellishment I had from Studio Calico

into one big ole bowl.

Every.single.one.

And doesn't that make for good hunting when you need to make words.

I proceeded to dump everything out of the bowl and now I have

them all segregated according to alphas, hearts, people, and arrows that

I have an amazing abundance of.

As you can see.

Watercolor and enamel paints oh my

Some more instagram love going on and its a fun photo of Amelia. I used bits and pieces of left over papers for this and love and the transparency was a fun addition. I started the base with flinging paint around - 3 colors; grey, pink & reddish mist. I forgot to take a photo of it mostly because it was taking FOREVER to dry and I was getting annoyed. LOL.

Most of the paint has been covered up.

 What I wanted to point out was the golden color - I took the idea from Ashli (SoaphouseMama)  when she used it to highlight this page she was making and it added that little something to it. I used it at the bottom to help highlight that area. This was the 3rd alpha thickers I pulled out - getting frustrated with the lack thereof of alphas I needed. I did a play on words of the title (thanks April) in order to make it work. I only had 2 t's and needed one for cute. And I lacked an E so therefore whacking off part of an ampersand - and wa-la an E (I didn't have a 3 in the pack). Woo hooo!!! The A at the top can start off the title or just be A for Amelia (AND she's 2 in the photo). Genius. LOL!

And then a splash at the top to bring it all together. Its really not hard, just smoosh your brush in the color and then smear it where you want it. I am happy to report that I am slowly working my way through a stash of flowers that I've had forever. And I still can't remember the mfg. of the huge one - I do know its not one of the top flower makers.

Finally got that title....whew!

Most of you that know me, always know I'm

usually in search of a title.

April is my go to as well as my pal Holli, 

my husband and and a title book that has 

come through in a pinch.

This time I asked my blog buddies and you came through.

Thank you!

Pointing out Amelia's pretty red lips I came up with

"Sugar Lips".

And that brought me to remember a bouncy tune from Al Hirt

(a trumpet player) called Sugar Lips.

And didn't that just date me. 

 So I got my Wilna from in the mood to scrap from 2peas on. 

I love her stuff.

There are mists, inks, stamping, glitter and paper tearing going on.

A lot of fun.

The thickers are the ones that you can "customize". 

ooooooooooooo

 So I did with Martha Stewart's glitter. Her glitter

isn't scary - because its like a salt shaker.

Just shake it on out and it mostly goes

where you shake it.

I designed this page and put it all together then

I needed to search for a photo.

And because of the pre-done mat I needed

a 2.5x4 photo. 

I love the runs and dots of the ink amongst the

generous misting and stamping as an additional layer.

I also broke out the sewing machine to give

it a finishing touch.

Bazzill, Paper Studio, Primas, Ranger alcohol inks, Heidi Swapp & Mr. Huey mists, Abbey Road brads, MAMBI hearts, Thickers, Inkadoo stamp, Studio Calico do-dads & pattern papers.

All dressed up

Almost back to the land of the living. Not hacking up a lung everytime I cough - progress! Staying in an upright position longer and doing little things.

I was in a giddy mood one day and decided that I needed to play with my watercolors. I saw someone - somewhere  just doing some swirls and sworls and wa-la a flower.  So I gave it awhirl.

Well...I wasn't impressed that day so I put it aside and happened upon it again and suddenly it didn't look so bad. And I decided it wouldn't hurt to run my new rolling stamp from SC over it in various directions and there it was looking even more better.

I remembered the paper that sort of was the inspiration for it and had a bit left over. Studio Calico stuff adorns the rest of it - except for the die cut flower- Tim Holtz, a bit o'prima bling.

The fun part about this photo is you can tell that we are dressed up; me more than the brother which is often the case. I am wearing a dress, carrying a clutch and I have stockings on and a garter - only thing in hosiery wear back then.

And we are visiting Sunken Gardens in Florida, in April. Its botanical gardens outdoors and I'm dressed up like I'm visiting royalty. That's how it was done back then. It was considered an event. Can you imagine? I had to be totally uncomfortable. But I was looking good. LOL!!!

& could not resist

I know ya'll were waiting with baited breath for the use of that apersand I did a tutorial on here.

TA-DA!!!

I know - surprised me too. I did cut it down from the rectangle I had it on and dropped some mist and ink on it to make it work with the papers.

Basic Grey, Little Yellow Bicycle, and a punch - of which I used the extras. (I really need to figure out how to get itty bitty bits randomly strewn without looking NOT randomly strewn).

I also wanted to use the & in the title but not be so lame as to do a "you & me" etc. I had to dig deep for this photo. Long time ago. And so much fun.

That is my boy not resisting dipping his toe in the reflecting pool in D.C. Memaw and I were planted at the top of the Lincoln Memorial and I'm keeping an eye on him with my camera. Sigh. And he's so casual and nonchalant about it too.

Of course this photo is included in my roadtrip book of the entire adventure but felt it needed a page of its own. The story is just too much fun.

3 of us...

This was another page in a series of picking out the papers

and putting the page together and then picking

out the photo to go with.

And it has been a blast because I did what I wanted.

I'm very good at that. 

I got out some Anthropology spritz from Tim Holtz

and some cranberry glimmermist which

isn't quite red or pinky.

OH WELL.

I also broke out the pinking shears.

That's a photo of me, mom and brother Billy.

The decor slays me.

I think where are at friends of my parents (because I KNOW its not our house)

Don and Blanche Remaley on Berwick St.

except I did get confused by the lamp - it was popular.

Love how turned out. 

Another Heritage page bites the dust!!!

Although hmm...we still need to define heritage.

I mean come on. Moi???

She said/He said Hello love....

Underneath the pp and photo is a hot mess of 

gelatoes and mists.

The page was inspired by Wilna that does In the Mood

to Scrap on 2peas using mixed media

She also uses a mood board where she gets her inspiration from.

Of course, I didn't do that.

I just willy-nilly started to toss mist and

gelatoes about.

And wa-la a blob

 - that of course I didn't photo

because I was too busy trying figure out how to cover it up.

I didn't have a photo planned when I started

tossing and really no paper direction either.

I just started pulling from my huge collection of scraps.

I finally got to use the she said/he said card I got from somewhere.

Anyone know????

And pear/pair get it. Snort. 

Loved the big flowers from Josephine Kimberling and cut 

the big blue one in half.

And the Studio Calico stamps from this month's kit.

The b&w striped paper came from Hobby Lobby - Paper studio

its really a light paper so I backed it with some white bazzil. 

The rest of the pp's: creative imagination, basic grey.