Theme Thursday: Vintage

This week's theme at Theme Thursday is "Vintage." Here I used a Vintage type photo stamp from I Brake For Stamps from the With Love sheet. The word "Love" is from the Journaling sheet found here (I love it-all sorts of great works in a cool type :) For this theme I used several other things that are vintage-paper, lace, and a very old gummed label. I colored in the photo image with a combination of Caran D'ache crayons mixed with water, and colored pencils blended with Gamsol. The frame around the Image is a piece of HVAC tape adhered to cardstock and ran through the good ole Grand Calibur using a Tim Holtz Embossing folder. For the aged look, I applied some black gesso over it, let it dry, and sanded off the raised areas. I also applied some rust colored alcohol ink to give it a little more age, but it is very subtle. Print paper is from Basic Grey.
As a side note-I used some Scor-tape for the first time today. Oh My! Its now my favorite tape-that stuff is GOOD!!!! I highly recommend it!

Wednesday Stamper:More Than Words

I guess I was in the animal mood today............both of these images spoke to me :)

Images are from I Brake For Stamps .

art journal entry-feeling balanced

I have been feeling soooooooooo balanced and truly happy lately.................:)

ingredients used here: Caran D'ache crayons, watered down acrylics, printed image of scale, graphite pencil, Sumi-e ink, printed paper

Daily Life Collage

I just did an exercise this morning out of the book Collage Journeys by Jane Davies. Added color with a red Caran D'ache crayon

Art Journal Page-Mixing Things Up

This one was soooooooo fun to do..........grabbed a fashion magazine and a magazine on rabbits and went to town!

Other ingredients are Caran D'ache crayons, printed papers, graphite pencil, sumi-e ink and titanium white acrylic paints

Grungy Monday # 4

This is my submission for this week's Grungy Monday Challenge using Texture Fades embossing folders!

I LOVE using the Tim Holtz Embossing Folders-they are my favorite :) Stamp image is from I Brake For Stamps .

I used a Wild Orchid Crafts Flower for an embellishment. I purchased some of these and it seemed like a perfect embellishment for this tag. I inked it up a little bit with some Tea Dye ink.

These flowers are amazing! I am not much of a "flower" girl, but I had to see these for myself after I heard that each one is individually handmade. They are gorgeous! I Brake For Stamps is the distributor for them here in the US. Check them out here

Art Journal Page -its about the process

I have had such a huge creative block for so long........I guess it takes "exercise" to get it going again. I need to make sure I am getting a little bit of art time each day, like I used to. I used to be able to sit right down and get right at it, and the creativity just is not flowing like it used to, darn it! I remember well a wise friend, Kelly Kilmer, once told me that its important to do something each day to keep it going. I know she was right, because it worked before :)

I dug out one of my art journaling books and did an exercise out of it and this is the result. I kept telling myself that its all about the process, not necessarily the result. I feel like I am starting at the bottom again. I want to get back on track so I can create just the way I did before. I can see that is going to take lots of effort. Ah well, I will get there.

I guess my daily walks were on my mind as I did this page. Walking each day has brought me lots of joy-I enjoy it so much.

Art journal play day: Good Heart

I have longed to play around in my art journal for a LONG time and just have NOT had the umph to do it at all (heavy sigh). But for the past week I have been feeling SO good. I mean, really REALLY good. The hormones have kicked in and I have been taking really good care of myself. Wow, what a difference. I don't even feel like the same person I have been the past couple years. I have more energy and such a good outlook on everything-nothing can get me down (and I won't let it!). I am like, seriously, GIDDY happy. Its amazing!

Today I felt especially inspired so I went and dug out my art journal. Actually I started playing in it yesterday, and went back to it to finish the page. I have my supplies laying all over..........and my daughter has been doing art right along side me today. Anyway, here's today's art journal page, with a quote from Dalai Lama. My, how I adore Dalai Lama-what a great, wise man he is.

For this page I used:

Caran D'Ache Pencils, watercolors,

gouche paints, Stabilo pencil, stencils, found papers, patterned packing tape, and a Pitt Pen.

I'm a Chocoholic

I guess you can tell what I have been thinking about today! Chocolate. (Insert Happy Sigh here).

There is nothing quite like chocolate (another sigh). I have not had much chocolate lately-and seeing these stamps reminded me of that. I think I need some, don't you? LOLI have been an extra extra good girl-doing really good on my HEALTHY diet. I think I have eaten so much Broccoli and other veggies that I have them growing out my ears! A girl needs chocolate once in a while! Rules are meant to be broken, right? LOL

I made this first by slapping some Gesso all over this tag, applying some text, and some Distress Inks. It was not quite as vibrant in color as I would like, so I drug out my Caran D'ache crayons (love love love) and scribbled them on and rubbed them with my fingers to get the look I wanted. I did the same for the background on the "Chocolholic" image and I adhered that to grunge paper and inked around the edges.

Stamps are from I Brake For Stamps:

Chocolate Set (Embossing Arts line)

Swirls (Stampinback)

Holly's Tattered Background

Easter Card

I know this is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy cutesy for me-but it was so fun to do :) I made this for my two little nieces for Easter-I do hope they like it. I colored the image with Copic Markers and added some Stickles glitter glue and pearls to the egg. Image is from I Brake For Stamps and the image is called "Hatching Cat" and it makes me giggle :) Phrase on the inside is also from I Brake For Stamps and can be found here