A Play with Mixed Media

 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

I have been playing today with mixed media.  I had watched Nadine Milton (Hop-A-Long Studios on YouTube Channel) on the Art Expression Summit.  I used her ideas for this page.  I stamped, watercolored, stenciled with acrylic paint, and collaged with a napkin and with stamped and die cut acetate pieces.  I just totally had fun!  I am submitting this for the Art Journal Journey Challenge to use birds this month.  Thank you, Mia.  There was a bird on the napkin I used, which by the way is from our napkin swap a few years ago for TSFT.  Also, there are birds in the stamped image with the lighthouse.  I also submitted for the ACOT Rewind Challenge of the Mixed Media Hidden Journaling Challenge and to SplitcoastStampers for their Free4All challenge to use paint and for their Mix-Ability challenge to use the letters of the word Grads for elements in our project:

G- green
R- round, the stamped acetate pieces are circles.
A- acrylic paint, acetate
D- daubed paint
S- stamping, stenciling

I used Ken Oliver Color Bursts which I have had for years!  I used Stampers Anonymous TH Leger Script background stamps, Stampendous stamps, Art 101 acrylic paints, napkin, and acetate, using Ranger Archival Jet Black ink and Stazon Jet Black ink.

I hope you are having a great week!  Playing in my craft room today was very relaxing.  I hope you have something you like to do for relaxation.  

Here is a photo of another relaxing element in my life:  A cup of tea.  (photo from archives).  I am posting this for my ticket to TSFT.  However, I am posting early so I can get in on May's AJJ Challenge. 

9Thanks for stopping by everyone. 

Tuesday Stands for Too Busy!

  ​¹ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

Yes, too busy to post, but doing it anyway!  I wanted to do the Art Journal Journey November challenge.   Wendy’s challenge is A Moment in Time.  Mia generously offered photos for this challenge for free on her blog.  Thank you, Mia!  I remembered these time quote stamps from My Favorite Things.  I am doing this challenge for two other challenges:  sketch challenge on ACOT and the Alpha challenge for letter Q on SplitcoastStampers.  I included a stamped image of a lady writing a letter with a quill.  I thought it worked well with Mia’s photo.

I used stamps from 3 different sets, Stamp'n Up! "Vintage Postcard", Stampin' Up! "Sense of Time", and the My Favorite Things "Clearly Sentimental about time".  I used a coffee filter for the element in the sketch, I followed.  I added postage stamps just because I thought it worked with the whole theme, of the photo.

I am doing zoom with friends while doing my blog, although this is photo is from another time, but it is my ticket for the party at Elizabeth & Bleubeard's at Altered Book Lover for TSFT.

Happy T Day to the T gang.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week.  See you next time.

T Stands for Too Hot!

 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"  Philippians 1:3

Although, I tried to go walking this morning, it is still too hot.  I walked about a mile at 9:00 this morning.  I did errands and was home by noon, and it was hot.  I am so over this heat!  Maybe by September I can walk again.  I haven't even crafted much, only made a couple of cards and printed off some photos for scrapping.  

What I have enjoyed is reading.  I have read a couple of good books.  One was Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, and Living Forward in Hope by Angela Correll.  I really enjoyed this book.  The writer has also written a trilogy of fictional books called Grounded, Guarded and Granted.  I haven't read those yet but loved her book of her renovations of a home in Italy, and restored faith.  It was a beautiful story of the little village and people in Tuscany and even included photos. 

What else is going on this Summer?  We have discovered a new place to eat, Magnolia Cafe.  We love their Chicken and Waffles! We went for lunch.   I forgot until we were almost done to take a photo.  We were full after eating the large waffle and one of the chicken pieces so we each took home two pieces of chicken, and had that for dinner, later.  Everything was absolutely delicious.  The chicken was drizzled with honey.  Oh, my goodness, scrumptious!

I recently was reminded of this sunburst technique when perusing the Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers.  She had a link to the way to cut it.  For a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card or A-2: You cut 2 strips of three different patterned papers of 1 1/4 x 5 1/4.  You then cut those strips diagonally from opposite corners.  This is great way to use up those scraps!  You glue to a 4"x5 1/4 panel.  Arrange how you want and cut off what is off the card and cut off the points instead of gluing down.  I put another panel to cover up the points. I distressed everything with TH Vintage Photo Distress ink.  I submitted this for three challenges on Splitcoaststampers: Featured Stamper, Clean and Simple &  the Fan Club Monthly Challenge for Back to School.  The image with the books is from a free digital from Sande Woodson or Sande's Poema on Facebook and You Tube.

This one is a submission for a card challenge of ACOT to use a inspiring sentiment.  The DSP for both these cards is from a 6x6 paper pad by Authentique.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are staying cool and having a great T Day.  Stop over at Altered Book Lover and check out TSFT.  See you next time.

T Stands for Tea

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"  Philippians 1:3

Happy Tuesday!  I am a little late to our tea party!  I wanted to finish a journal layout for Art  Journal Journey for Chris's August Hot Summer (Nights and Days) challenge.  I am still working in my Smash book and using leftover photos from my scrapbooking.  These are Summertime photos from different years. Besides leftover photos, I used leftovers from a Simple Stories kit that I got at a scrap retreat in K.C. Mo. in 2018!  The journaling was printed off with my label maker.  After everything was down, I covered the photos, and spattered with Mango Lemonade Memories Mists.  I kid you not, that is the name!  That could be my ticket to the TSFT, couldn't it?  It is a drink related reference....  but, see below, as I have a more normal ticket.

This is also for a Splitcoaststampers "Summer Fun" Clean and Simple Challenge and for the Art Journal Art Journal Sketch Challenge on A Cherry on Top, (ACOT)

Here is my ticket to TSFT over at Altered Book Lover:  This card is for the Alpha Challenge on Splitcoststampers. The letter this week is F for furniture.  These were gifted dies, so I am excited that I could actually use them!  I layered the scene on a heart embossed panel, another gifted item.  I stamped and punched Just for You from Tea Shoppe, an old retired Stampin' Up! set. This is also for a challenge on A Cherry on Top (ACOT) to use some shiny paper and to use at least 5 sequins.  I inked the edges and over the raised hearts with TH faded jeans Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by.  I will see you next time.

T Stands for Taking it Easy

  Delight thyself also in the LORD;

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

⁵ Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37:4-5

By taking it easy, I mean less walking; it is just too hot, and I can't get motivated to get out early! It is just nice to stay in the A/C and play in my craft room.  All week-end I watched videos for the Card Makers for Success Summit.  I got a lot of ideas and have several cards started.  I was inspired to begin making a few Christmas cards.  

Let's get to what I have been working on today.  I looked up the Art Journal Journey Challenge and found that Chris aka Pearshaped Crafting's theme this month is Hot Summer Nights and Days.  Great theme!!  I am journaling/scrapping in my smash book just to use it.  It lay unused for many years!

I used some 49 and Market papers, and ephemera, but the feathery paper was what was in the smash book.  Every page in the smash book has different patterned paper, which makes it nice.  I also entered in the VSBN Challenge on Splitcoaststampers to use a sun on your layout.  Also, it is a submission for the Art Journal sketch on ACOT.  I used some leftover zoo photos, which I liked and really wanted to use.

For our TSFT party over at Altered Book Lover, I show our meal at Bagatelle's recently, with our free cake.  I had a wonderful chicken peach poppy seed salad and soup.  Everything there is always so good, and the portions are always generous.  This time they gave us our dessert right with our meal!  We usually go about once every 5 or 6 weeks.  So good!

Happy T Day!  Stay cool!  Thanks for stopping by.  I will see you next time, dear friends.

Playing CMSS & CalvinBall!

   ⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I just have so much crafting I want to do, sometimes something has to give.  Tell me in the comments, do you get all the crafting done you want to do?  I watched some of the videos on the Card Makers for Success Summit last weekend, and tried some of them, while still trying to keep up with making at least one project for CalvinBall per day.  Oh, and junk journaling, and SplitcoastStampers daily challenges, our blog challenges.  I have to just confess; I can't do it all!  And then there is this blog to keep up with.  And life!  Tomorrow I am headed to a wedding, so no crafting tomorrow.

I will share with you the project I made following Jess Crafts on the summit.  I liked this because you can use a lot of stash.  I really kept these cards from this sketch clean and simple, because I entered them in today's Clean and Simple daily challenge at SplitcoastStampers to be monochromatic.

The Jess Crafts sketch uses a whole sheet of 12x12 patterned paper, three pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock for the bases, and 3 more pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 of colored cardstock for the panels.  My dsp was two sided so I could varry the cards. On 5 of the cards I used some of my hundreds of Project Life Cards.  Stash Buster!!!

And the 6th one, I stamped and colored a Stampendous Bird Image with Copics.  I submitted this one for the challenge at CalvinBall.  I got points for it being a card, for sharing it at two sites, blogging about it, polka dot paper, stamp, stripe paper, sketch, fussy cutting, banner, flower, aqua, gold, sticker, orange. 15 points out of a possible 70 points.  They add points every day.  It is wild.  The points don't mean anything, just using as much as possible of your stash!

Here is the info about CalvinBall:

I am also on my way to the tea party over at TSFT at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.

Here is my ticket:  A card I made several years ago.  I no longer have the image stamp, but I do have the sentiment.  Happy T day.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

What's On Your Desk? Wednesday

  ⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV

 It is time for us to share what is on our desks over at Miss Julia's Stamping Ground for WOYWW.  

I have been making a House Mouse card for House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge-Anything Goes.

As you can see, I stamped the House Mouse image of "Signing a Card -Muzzy."  I then colored with Copics.  I backed the image with red and cut out with my pinking shears to look like a postage stamp.  I ran my base through with an embossing folder then mounted the red panel with the image.  You see all of my tools and mess from making this card right there on my desk.  A few other things which I am not sure why they are out. LOL

So, here is the finished product.

Not only is this an entry in the House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge, it is also my submission for the VSN Mini One Word Blank challenge, and the CAS Challenge for no sentiment, both over at SplitcoastStampers.

I hope you check out the other deskers and these challenges.  Very fun to see what others are doing and to get inspiration.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Have a great week!

T Stands for Totally Done With DTGD!

"He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber." Ps 121:3  ESV

(2nd memory verse for our Revive Our Hearts Esther Bible Study)

Yes, I am totally done with all the Dare To Get Dirty Challenges on SplitcoasStampers!  It is still going on if you want to take part.  They are celebrating the 15th Anniversary of  The Dirty Dozen, SCS's design team, so they opened the challenges up to all on SCS.   Every year about this time the Dirty Dozen, past and present members give the Fan Club about 30 or 40 challenges made up of fun techniques, and  special folds, and even some are non paper challenges.  This year it is for all  registered users,  and not just those who join the Fan Club on the site. I will show you my stash I now have or had, because I already mailed out at least three of the cards.  But the good news is I now have a good collection of Christmas cards for this year already made.  

For the challenges, I made 11 Christmas cards, 1 Christmas critter, 1 Christmas tag, 2 anniversary cards, 7 birthday cards, 3 thinking of you cards, 1 thank you, 1 get well and 12 for anything I want to use them for.  I had a blast learning to techniques, using some older techniques.  Several of my cards were using prints I got off my gelli plate.   I also learned that some of my alcohol inks were old!  I even had a purple one crackle and explode when I tried to squeeze drops out.  I had purple hands the rest of the day!  Yes, I forgot to wear gloves!  I learned some new folds.  
Notice the card at the top.  It is a tri-box card.  The one in the middle is a pull up card.  I made a critter and a tag that I put in a couple of my goodie plates I prepare for friends and neighbors at Christmas.  

Now for a drink related post so I can join our hostess, Elizabeth over at Altered Book Lover for our TSFT Tea Party.   Thank you Elizabeth for doing this so we can all get together!

 We recently ate at Abuelo's Mexican restaurant.  We usually don't eat Mexican as it plays havoc with my dear husband's digestive system.  But, we had a coupon! LOL

My view, if I stood up beside us.  We had a divider so we really couldn't see the other side of us.

Love their décor.  Interesting and fun to look at while we ate.  This was my view over my husband's head.

Lovely dinner.  We actually had raspberry tea instead of our usual lemon water.  That was because we had a coupon and the second entry was free if we each had a drink.  We do like raspberry tea, so it was a treat. I had a Chimichanga, and he had an enchilada.    Also, here, you can substitute garlic mashed potatoes ( or they call it papas con chile. )for the rice, and I even also substituted for the refried beans!  (Yes, I had a double helping of those potatoes, because I don not like the rice or the refried beans!) They also have Seniors lunch specials all day.  Nice to know these bits of info!

Oh, and reporting that my dear husband was not ill after, but he was very careful, and did not eat any salsa with the chips!  I think he avoided discomfort this time!

Thanks for stopping by, and for your encouraging comments.  I hope you all have a great crafty week!