Back to preschool

Which is just as important but way more fun.

I find I'm using tags a lot

especially in little clusters.

I like that.

 Another little cluster with some

EK Success words.

Love those.

 And this 'wise ole owl' seems to be excited.

 I have had this 12x12 die cut in my paper box

FOREVER.

Way before the cameos came on the scene.

Finally thought to use it but I have

no clue who the mfg.

At first I thought black cardstock and it popped

but it seemed a bit too much.

Balanced it with some black and dots at the top and bottom.

I think this is kinda fun and works

for the tykes.

Sam and Lou hanging out.

Happy Friday Happy Moment

Don't know who was more excited about this

mom or Amelia. Mom has been

waiting for a little girl in order to attend this bash.

This Studio Calico paper is perfect for the

Fairy Garden Party and of course Miss Amelia is

dressed for the part.

 Fun layers going on as I picked out gold and pink

to accent the page.

 Lots of fun little doodads scattered about and I'm

in a pearl and bling kind of mood this week.

It'll probably roll into next week too.

How about those gold birds?? and doesn't that bow

make you swoon too?

Love having gold paper around that I can punch

different accents out.

It was fun to do and I love Miss Amelia being a beautiful

little fairy flitting about.

Some old Basic Grey for a boy page

I really love Basic Grey - that was always

almost my go to paper when I was

scrapped. I'm still bummed it went out of business.

When I saw this photo of Owen and Lucy I knew

that this really old paper would do the trick.

 It has the outdoor feel as well as leaning toward "manly."

 That PL card is also perfect as an additional title

and that little bird still slays me.

 A PL card at the top also adds to the "journaling."

Add tidbits on the side to kind of balance out all the

action that happening in the middle of the page.

It turned out to be a fun page with the photo 

in between all the "fireworks" of brown that also highlight
the photo and all the action down the middle!

Lucy is such a sweet dog and adores her kidlets.
She loves me too - always greeting me by knocking me off my feet. LOL.

Its also really neat to have a photo of their house in the background.

Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Tim Holtz stamp, EK Success, M's $1.50 bin.

Going for a bit of whimsey

My first idea was to make my own cutfile type "stencil"

for lack of a better word by using those spellbinder diecuts

gluing them together and then back them

using the Sassafrass Lass paper.

I wasn't crazy about the outcome when I backed a couple.

It just looked too heavy for the page.

However they are cute to use somewhere else.

However, I did like the bird and those wheel thingies or slices and hearts

so I began fussy cutting, punching, and tossing them about on the page

using the die cuts separately and not backed.

 There are clusters and then some tight clusters going on.

 Sadly that is the end of the Sassafrass Lass paper. I really love it-because its fun.

I'm not sure why I added pink and orange either except I liked it.

I think it plays off the whimsey I was going for

and then I tossed some Heidi shine and Mr Huey mists about.

And that is a sequence of photos of Amelia playing.

I didn't catch that at first when I first saw the photo....that I've had for awhile.

The rest is Studio Calico of course, and that adorable bow punch.

Inspiration can change

It all started with this gorgeous paper from Studio Calico

and those two bows.

Until a photo came my way.

 It's okay to kick off from an inspiration piece and

let things go and make changes that are even better than the original.

I loved those two bows on the green strip but

they were too much and I wanted to bring out the yellow in the photo.

I also wanted it to be a bit girly so break out the flowers.
I haven't done real flowers in like forever.

I am also trying the tissue paper backing that Missy Whidden

loves to do and it does make it a bit airy and girly too.

 I was also having issues because there's a bit of

blue-green in the photo that I was originally gonna roll with

 but I loved this paper so I decided no one will notice.

So.....don't notice. LOL.

I also thought about using some mixed media

but.....I just couldn't do it.
I know!!!!

I love all the "white space" that makes you concentrate on the photo

which is totally adorable Annie.

Some prima, Maggie Holmes, Heidi Swapp and EK success.

Different font alphas and a mix of colors

 I used watercolors on this mixed media page

and didn't use any gesso because

it sometimes leaves an outline that annoys me.

I pulled the colors from Sam's shirt

and also used watercolor to make a border around the page

because when I roll on something you see it a 

couple of times. 

And it needed it to not be so bare.

 Instead of journaling I decided to make the title

swing both ways.

And I love how it turned out.

Then there's that cluster which is totally adorable

moved around the page a few million times.

 I love the simplicity that focuses on the

photo and his intense concentration.

I'm so glad to see Thomas the Tank Engine is still around

they were fun books and did you know that 

George Carlin played the conductor in the Saturday series?

It was also my favorite youngest son's books and TV show when

he was that age and I still have his favorite book "Catch Me Catch Me" memorized. 

LOL.

Reworking a cork embellishment

TGIF Everyone!!!

This baby came in the April kit and there was a photo

that I knew would be perfect with it.

However, its a huge embellishment that I had to

figure out how to work in.

First it was naked cork, I love naked cork but it

didn't seem to go with the page I was putting together.

So I decided to shabby chic it up with white paint.

That didn't work either.

So I have some Inka gold paint - Not the same paint as Adele (Inky Quill)

but its gold and it works so.....

I slapped it over the white paint.

Cork sucks a lot of paint.

Just sayin.....

I kept the mats and embellies simple.

Actually I chose this paper because it totally rocked the photo

and using any kind of mat would've taken that away.

So gasp - I left it bare except for the doily that

actually anchors the huge title.

 Broke out some more punches, and gold dots and stars

and some messy stitching.

Studio Calico, except for the punch and EK Success stickers.

Did a smidge of mixed media with some water colors.
Fussy cut the flower from a PL card.
I love that flower.

Another "steal" from Inky Quill is that I purchased a sheet of gold/glittery paper

and with a heart punch - well, totally adorable inexpensive

GOLD hearts to scatter about the page and make it girly.

Paper with writing on it

and a new cute bird stamp.

What a great combo and reason to do a page.

I've been using more scraps and

punches lately in case you haven't noticed.

 And there he is. Is that bird too stinkin' cute.

WARNING.....

You'll be seeing him a lot.

 I kind of kept the design simple using vellum and
black with just a bit of pink because

of the busy-ness of the background

paper and wanted the photo to be front and center.

Broke out the die cuts which I'm hoping 

to not be lazy and do more often.

Love that photo and when I saw that card -

wa-la the perfect title.

Studio Calico papers and dies, EK success.

Really really old paper

I did go with the obvious here again especially

when I found this paper in my stash.

This is really really old stuff - Creative Imaginations,

Marrah Johnson design, Creative Cafe Tag which is really

more red in real life. 

I also broke out the die cut machine.

Love those feathers.

 I paired that 6x6 number paper from Studio Calico

with the striped transparency because 

it seemed like the thing to do.

Even those tabs are big die cuts from Quickutz

long time ago.

 The cuteness factor of this photo is above a level 10. 

LOL.

He  has all the instruments he needs to lay down a track.

No doubt he'll rock it.

Both parents are musicians.

Banners and mixed media

I am really on a mixed media roll this week, here I

used molding paste and paint for the "stars" and

ink and stencils for the dots.

Of course the packaging technique came into play using

green and orange mists because I felt the brown and grey were too dull.

These are the photos I had in mind for Monday's page

that just didn't quite work out.

 For some reason I only mixed media half the page and felt the

bottom looked really plain - even with 3 photos so.....

banners. A mix of triangle and fishtail.

 I did get inspiration by watching a ton of Missy Whidden's videos.

I've been binging on videos since I got home.

She uses different mats for each photo.

I found I like that.

I did use a quite obvious title but hey

sometimes you just gotta roll
with it.
Studio Calico, Basic Grey, Paper Issues,
Tim Holtz and Crafters Workshop stencils.

Brand new Recollections mists I forgot about

Can you believe that?

Well I stashed them with my stash of inks where

oddly enough they don't fit back into now

and decided they needed to be used.

If you look below in the corner - You see a bit of them

as well as the rolling stamp I used just

to make the background a bit busier

because who doesn't love a busy background.

 I also added some droplets of each colors 

because it looks cool.

 I sprayed and rolled in 3 areas for the triangle.

 I love that huge tag and that is my last one. 

I totally need to get more of those.

Since I have my sewing machine back I decided that some

edging was required and zipped it around 3 times.

Good thing it really didn't need to be straight.

I totally love the dangly threads.

Studio Calico, Simple Stories, Paper Issues Swag Bag,

EK Success words, thickers and homemade enamel dots.

Remember those little EK Success word stickers?

I love them.

Well.... they quit manufacturing them but

Tim Holtz has some going on - so I tend to mix them around.

Of course they don't have every word I neeeeeed

so I get to blend my handwriting in there, 

beause the cool thing about EK is that they used a bunch

of fonts - so no one will ever know.

Shhh.....

 I am also diggin' the Shimelle stickers more and more.

There are some I'm having issues with in trying to apply, such as,

I'm just not feeling the love on the one that says "oh rubbish". 

LOL.
I just need to get the whimsey going on.

 But the records, radios and glitter and shine stickers are perfect for girlie pages.

Of which I have a girlie page going on.

I also used my cookie cutter die cuts here as well!!

Love the circles for movement.
Used the rolling triangle stamp in the background - I think
it gives it an extra umpfh.
And the cluster....oh my.....
I adore my feather die cut and leaves.
And tthen there are those little EK/TH word stickers
and my handwriting amongst them.
Annie is so dainty and tiny and is getting ready to practice
her dance lessons.
I love the flirty look on her face.

Some more Studio Calico going on with lots of diecuts

and stickers and sequins.

And my homemade enamel dots.

and the Second-to-Last Homemade Tag is on a page....

As of today - there is only one tag left.

I feel pretty good about getting all of these on pages.

 Very close to meeting that goal.

 Digging the layering with bits and pieces from Paper Issues Swag Bag

and Kaiser Crafts.

 Love the anchor die cut - I found that I have used it a lot.

I hand wrote the title resembling the old EK success word ones.

I love those - Tim Holtz has a similar word thing - be cracks wasn't 

one of the words lol!

This is such a great photo. 

Cavin cracks me up with his fun laughter

which I'm sure Mz Amelia had something to do with.

Bo Bunny, Paper Studio, Kaiser Craft, Paper Issues Swag Bag.