Destashing with Mixed Media

What is the correct plural of the word "yeti?"  I have seen both "yeti" and "yetis" used as the plural form.  For now, let's just say that "yeti" is both the singular and the plural.  I have a very good reason for this.  The reason is...I ran out of "S" stickers in the font that I wanted to use on this scrapbook layout.  :)

Supplies: paper from Lily Bee; stickers from Bo Bunny; paint from Deco Art; colored pencil from Faber-Castell; pen from Zig; upcycled postage stamps & bubble wrap.  Loosely based on the sketch from page 33 of the January 2015 issue of Create magazine.

The topic of this scrapbook page may be yetis...oops, I mean yeti, but what I really want to talk about today is destashing with mixed media.  Now, I have a love/hate relationship with mixed media.  I love all the "playthings" (paints, mediums, tools, etc.) associated with the style.  But I hate waiting for wet media, such as gesso, texture paste, etc., to dry.  Still, I know that using mixed media can be quite green, so I decided to give it a go on this page, and I'm happy with the result.  I think I've found some mixed media techniques that require little to no drying time--hooray!

First off, I modified my patterned paper background by stamping with acrylic paint on bubble wrap.  Can you see it in the photo above?  Acrylic paint dries quickly, especially if you only use a thin layer.

Before putting the paint away, I also used it to make these snowflake embellishments.  Treating the negative pieces of some Bo Bunny snowflake stickers as stencils, I applied acrylic paint to patterned paper.  Again, I kept the layer of paint quite sheer, since I wanted the herringbone pattern to peek through from behind the paint.  After the paint dried, I outlined the snowflakes with colored pencil--a medium that requires zero drying time--and cut out the finished embellishments.

I also added swipes of acrylic paint and red pencil to the borders of a couple photos.

Finally, I used the mixed media trick of embellishing with found objects--postage stamps, in this case.  Even though I used mixed media techniques (stamping, stenciling, colored pencil, found objects), I was able to create this layout in a single sitting.  It was great to get some use out of my mixed media supply stash, so I'll definitely be making more pages like this one in the future.  Who knows, maybe my love/hate relationship with mixed media will someday become just a "love" relationship. 

I Love Christmas Cards (OUAS)

Every Christmas I get cool cards from friends all over the world.  Over the years, I've used many different methods for saving the cards in my scrapbooks.  I've tried scrapping all the cards, but that takes more than one page.  I've tried putting all the cards in a clear pocket, but that makes for a bulky page.  Last year, I cut out my friends' signatures from the cards, and that worked really well, making for a fun, interesting, sleek page.  I decided to do something similar this year, cutting out and scrapping bits and pieces from my friends' cards, as well as one complete red envelope.

Supplies: mitten paper & dotted paper from Lawn Fawn; snowflake paper, border sticker, & journaling spot from October Afternoon; alphabet stickers from Imaginisce; rhinestones from Dee's Place; pen from Zig.

To design the page, I used this sketch from Once Upon A Sketch, where the theme for the month is "It's December..."  I substituted the red envelope for the photo (since they're about the same size), and I journaled on the envelope. 

I filled in the rest of the journaling/embellishment area with the bits and pieces trimmed from the cards.  Here you can see Christmas greetings in English, French, Dutch, German, Polish, Russian, and Hungarian.

The pièce de résistance is this paper star, which one of my friends created from folded tea bag wrappers and a pretty button.  She did such a fabulous job on it, I just had to feature it prominently on my page.

Creating an international-themed project seemed especially appropriate this month, to honor OUAS's international team on the occasion of their final challenge.  Thanks for all the great memories, OUAS.  This is not good bye; I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around the Internet.  :)

10 on the 10th: Matchy-Matchy

I was going to begin today by saying that after three consecutive posts with vacation photos and a red/white/blue color scheme, I have something different for you today.  But then I realized, today's post is only sort of different!  The photos I scrapped for today's post are from a different vacation (South Dakota instead of Lake Superior), and the red/white/blue color scheme also has some gold, pink, and aqua/teal thrown in.  I guess it's a variation on a theme.  :)
 

Supplies: 10 on the 10th items (listed below); envelope from Canvas Corp.; corner punch from Creative Memories; stickers from Bella Blvd; Candi dots from Craftwork; pen from Foray; ink from Hero Arts; household stapler.

I made this page about the South Dakota Badlands as one of my "Ten on the Tenth" de-stashing projects.  This vacation was like an unofficial second honeymoon for my husband and me.  I made the layout using "matchy-matchy" supplies, mostly from the Pebbles "From Me to You" paper line.  Here are the ten types of supplies that I used for this "10 on the 10th" project.

~10 items~

items 1 & 2 (cardstock)--gold & teal cardstock from Bazzill

items 3 & 4 (paper)--floral & dotted patterns from Pebbles (flipsides are ledger & text prints)

items 5 & 6 (embellishments)--ribbon from ReStyle & cut-apart cards from Pebbles

items 7 & 8 (non-consumables)--smiley face stamp from All Night Media & flower stamp from Darice

items 9 & 10 (throwaway items)--earring card (tag) & canceled postage stamps
 

As always, I used the ten supplies for this month to create three projects--a scrapbook page, a card, and a use-up-the-scraps project.  You saw the scrapbook page at the top of this post, and in the photo above you see the card that I made.  It's a cheerful, all-purpose card.

For the final project, the one that uses up all the scraps, I made...more cards.  I made six in total, and you can see them all together in the photo shown above.
 

I decorated the insides of some of the cards as well.  These cards have served me well; I have already used a few of them.

That's all from me for today.  I wonder whether my next post will also include vacation photos in some form.  Time will tell.  See you next time.  :)

С Днём Св. Валетина! Happy Valentine's Day! {СП--этап 3 Belle Fleur}

Привет, дорогие мои!  /  Hello, bloggy friends!

Задание для третьего этапа СП День Св. Валентина на блоге Belle Fleur--сделать баннер или другой тип декора для дома.  Мой муж программист, поэтому я ему сделала баннер для компьютерного экрана.  /  The task for the third phase of Belle Fleur's Valentine Joint Project is to create a banner or other piece of home décor.  My husband is a computer programmer, so I surprised him with a decorative banner for his computer screen.
 

Источник фотографии/image source: http://octoberafternoon.typepad.com/october_afternoon/2011/09/tutorial-tuesday-happy-birthday-monitor-banner.html

Почти три лет назад дизайнер Данни Рид показала вот этот баннер (вверх) на блоге October Afternoon.  Её милый баннер я всегда помню.  Денни сделала баннер к дню рождения мужа, а я решила сделать баннер к Дню Св. Валентина.  Спасибо за вдохновение, Данни!  /  Nearly three years ago designer Danni Reid shared this banner (above) on the October Afternoon blog.  I never forgot her sweet banner.  Danni's banner was for her husband's birthday, but I decided to make a Valentine banner.  Thanks for the inspiration, Danni!

Вот отдельные части баннера / Here are the individual parts of the banner...

центр / center

левая часть / left side

правая часть / right side

И ещё некоторые детали / And a few more details...

Мой любимый деталь--розовый бегемот!  Какой деталь вам больше всего нравится?  / My favorite bit is the pink hippo!  What part do you like best?

Материалы/Supplies: ниточка/twine (Canvas Corp.); клейкие животные/animal stickers (Hallmark); фатин/tulle (Wyla); красная лента/red ribbon (Berwick Offray); скотч/tape (We Call Her Happydaks); дотсы/candy dots (Craftwork); клейкий резиновй леденец/rubber lollipop sticker, бумажные формы/die cuts, наклейка "Just for you!"/sentiment sticker (October Afternoon);  наклейка "Lovely"/sentiment sticker (Echo Park); розовая бумага/pink paper, наклейка "Smile"/sentiment sticker (My Mind's Eye); дырокол/punch (All Night Media); блесток/rhinestone (Petaloo); накопившие вещи/stash items: скрепки/paper clips, почтовая марка/postage stamp, пайетки/sequins.

Спасибо, девчонки, за визит на мой блог.  С Днём Св. Валентина!  /  Thanks for visiting my blog today, ladies.  Happy Valentine's Day!  :)

CPC February

Hello, everyone!  It's the first Wednesday of the month, so it's time for the reveal at Child's Play Challenges.  I did something a bit different this time and made a romantic, mixed media page.

Supplies: cardstock from Bazzill; alphabet stickers & herringbone paper from Lily Bee; floral paper from Graphic 45; word stickers from My Mind's Eye; border stickers from Basic Grey; washi tape, leaf masks, & resin heart from We Call Her Happydaks; roses from Marianne Design; spray ink from October Afternoon; stamping ink from Hero Arts; flower stamp from Darice; starburst stamp from Inkadinkado; purple paint from Clearsnap; white paint, pink paint, & glitter from Ranger; chalk from Stampin' Up; pens from Zig; upcycled used postage stamps.

Our inspiration at Child's Play this month is the TV special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.  There are lots of ways to be inspired by this show, from paper hearts to the chevron pattern on Charlie Brown's shirt.

In the TV show Charlie Brown keeps checking the mailbox, to see whether any Valentine cards have arrived for him.  This inspired me to use real postage stamps as embellishments on my romantic layout.  Here are a few detail shots of my upcycled postage stamps.

Here are a couple more shots, this time showing my mixed media work.

I used the negative pieces from a border sticker to stencil with Liquid Pears and Stickles.

One of the fun things about mixed media is that it allows for layering without adding much bulk.  Here, I've layered paint, mist, and stamping, then added my photos and embellishments on top.

I hope I've inspired you to embrace your inner child and play along with CPC.  You have until the end of the month to create and link up your Charlie Brown Valentine-inspired layout.  Be sure to stop by the CPC blog to see what the other DT members have cooked up, as well.  Have fun!

Открытка "Вечная любовь" / "Eternal Love" Card (Belle Fleur & The Card Concept)

 

Supplies / Материалы: red burlap & dotted cardstock / красная ткань и красный картон (Canvas Corp.); kraft notebook paper / коричневая бумага из блокнота (Cachet); floral kraft paper / цветочная бумага (Neenah); label sticker/ клейкая этикетка (October Afternoon); clock face/ циферблат (We Call Her Happydaks); paint & glitter/ краска и блеск (Ranger); stash items / накопившие вещи: postage stamp / почтовая марка & bits of lace & twine / куски кружевы и шнурочки.

Привет!  Получила вдохновение для этой Валентинки из русского блога Belle Fleur и из канадского блога The Card Concept.  Сначала расскажу о Belle Fleur.  Они там дали вот этот рецепт (вниз, на графике).

Hello!  I got inspiration for this Valentine card from the Russian blog Belle Fleur and the Canadian blog The Card Concept.  I'll tell you about Belle Fleur first.  The DT there had a card recipe.  The recipe, shown in the graphic above, calls for four items--a heart, trim, glitter, and flowers.

Снимки деталей показывают мою интерпритацию рецепта.  Сердечко--на старой почтовой марке.

These detail shots show how I interpreted the recipe.  The heart is on an old postage stamp.

Я употребляла и кружеву и шнурочки.

For trim, I used both twine and lace.

Цветочки--напечатаны на бумаге.  И блестки--ну, блестки везде!

The flowers are printed on the kraft paper.  And the glitter--well, it's everywhere! 

Here is the photo prompt for The Card Concept.  I used the red and brown colors of the house from the photo.  As far as texture goes, I think you probably already noticed it--burlap, lace, twine, glitter, etc.  :)  I'm entering my card in the "Freestyle Collage" category.

Вот фото-вдохновение из The Card Concept. Я использовала красные и коричневые цвета домика.  Надо было использовать текстуру на открытке.  Думаю, что вы, наверное, уже заметили текстуру моей открытки--ткань, кружева, шнурочки, блеск и т. д. :)  Сделала "фристайл коллаж".

Спасибо, что заглянули сегодня на мой блог!  Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Colors! (T-Tues & CPC)

Hello, all!  It's going to be a colorful post today.  First off, since it's Tuesday (well in most of the world it is; we still have a few more hours of Monday here in Minnesota), I'm joining Elizabeth and Bleubeard's virtual tea party.  Today I'm not drinking tea; instead I have a tapioca dessert/beverage.  It's made with coconut milk, passionfruit juice, pineapple juice, tapioca pearls, mango chunks, and a maraschino cherry.

To consume this treat, first you drink the liquid at the top, then you spoon up the fruit and tapioca from the bottom.  This dessert is my own concoction, loosely based on the tricolor dessert/beverage that is sold at Twin Cities Hmong markets.  (To see an example of real Hmong tricolor, I recommend this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhMYhZQBtA)  

Moving on to scrappy topics...

Supplies: assorted scraps & stickers--too many to list individual manufacturers :) ; flair badges from October Afternoon; upcycled netting from fruit packaging; upcycled postage stamp; faux brads from Craftwork; pink flower from Petaloo; black flower from We Call Her Happydaks; stamps from My Mind's Eye; ink from Hero Arts; pen from Zig; household paperclips.

The 8.5 x 11" layout above is my take on the "xylophone" challenge at Child's Play Challenges.  Here is the image prompt:

image source: http://childsplaychallenges.blogspot.com/2013/11/team-c-november-classic-toy-challenge.html

I was inspired by the rainbow colors of the toy.  To replicate that rainbow on my page, I collaged a background of scraps and other tidbits.  (This was a great way to use up stash!)  I also used a quote sticker ("The lovers, the dreamers, and me") from Bo Bunny with lyrics from the song "The Rainbow Connection."

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Hope that your day will be filled with color!  :)

Togetherness (SATW & T-Tues & B71B)

Hello, everyone!  Today I have a single-photo layout called "Togetherness" to share with you.  About the photo I wrote this journaling: "It doesn't show where we are...  It doesn't show what we did...  Funny, but this is my favorite picture from vacation.  It shows the love between son and father.  Duluth 2013."  I wanted to create a special layout to showcase this special photo, so I ended up drawing inspiration from three different sources.

Supplies: black cardstock from Pioneer; B/W dotted paper & gold argyle paper from Vintage Street Market: starry paper from Jillibean Soup; gold tone-on-tone ticket paper from Echo Park; tiny alphabet stickers & pre-made gold die cuts from Lily Bee; negative heart stickers & gold paper banner from Simple Stories; stamps, ledger paper, & lavender dotted paper from My Mind's Eye; tickets from Jenni Bowlin True Vintage; die & cutting machine from Ellison; larger alphabet stickers from October Afternoon; upcycled postage stamps, envelope fragment, & bubble wrap; watercolor paint from Angora; acrylic paint from Deco Art; Distress Stickles, Liquid Pearls, Distress Marker, & crackle glaze from Ranger; thread from DMC; assorted colored pencils; Crayola crayons; stamping ink from Hero Arts; ribbon from Scrapbook Fantasies; colored staples from Target.

First, I was inspired by the mood board from Scrap Around The World.  I especially liked the black and white image of the child clinging to an adult's hand.  This is what inspired my photo choice for this layout.  It also inspired me to convert my photo to black and white before printing it.  I think black and white photography conveys a timeless, sentimental feeling--perfect for this page.

image source: http://scraparoundtheworld.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-2013-challenge-5-bold-graphic.html

I decided not to limit my layout to a black and white palette, though.  I thought that my B&W photo would stand out more if it were matted on colored paper.  I drew color inspiration from a box of (yummy!) jasmine tea.  I loved the watery blueish purples and the smudgy green-golds of the artwork on the box, so I used these colors on my page.

For design inspiration, I used the September sketch from Berry 71 Bleu.
 

image source: http://berry71bleu.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-challenge-sketch-plus-mixed.html

This month Berry 71 Bleu is also requiring participants to use mixed media in their projects.  Here are some detail shots of my mixed media work on this page:

stamping with green acrylic paint and bubble wrap

wax resist borders with crayons & watercolor paint

adding shading & detail with colored pencils

masking with alphabet stickers & Distress Marker

stenciling with Distress Stickles (chunky glitter glue) & negatives left over from used stickers

stamping with archival ink

crackle glaze edging on photo (tinted with watercolor paints)

And that's about it!  Now that we've examined all the little details on the photo, I'll close with an image of the whole layout, to refresh your memory.  Take care and have a great day!