Scraps of Darkness September Kit Project #4

It's been a crazy, busy week for me but I wanted to share with you another project I created for Scraps of Darkness Kit Club as guest designer for September. I've so enjoyed working with this kit and I highly recommend that you check it out!

The idea for this project came from Jack & Cat Curio who have the most incredible ideas...have you visited there site yet??? 

Got to run and take care of business. Have a great weekend !

Ribbon Carousel and HELMAR Blog Hop

Today the Helmar Design Team are teaming up with the designers at Ribbon Carousel, to bring you a jam packed Hop filled with crafty goodness!  

Ribbon Carousel has some wonderful ribbon organizers and that is how this amazing company started. Today, we get to feature some other wonderful products that they carry, so hop along with us and have fun.

What does one do with black and orange ribbon? Hmmmm....let me see...oh yeah...HALLOWEEN! Let me share with you today 3 very quick projects utilizing ribbon from Ribbon Carousel and HELMAR Adhesives.

The 1st project is a card created from the former House of 3...a digital Halloween card. Once printed out I attached the card to solid card stock using Helmar Acid Free Professional Glue. I then pleated a gorgeous butternut squash colored sating ribbon and attached it to the card using Helmar 450 Quick Dry...you do know that it will not discolor your ribbon which makes it a perfect choice for a card.

A small canvas was created from a Tattered Angels chipboard card that was misting with Tattered Angels Cinder Glimmer Mist and Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist. I attached 3 ribbons utilizing Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive and Helmar Zap Dots in medium and small to apply the Tattered Angels Halloween calling cards. The buttons and alphabets utilized Helmar Zap Dots to complete the canvas

The last project really is just a quick way to utilize left over ribbon and dimensional stickers. I folded over the fabulous orange grosgrain ribbon and closed it with a dab of Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, then added the 3 stickers and a button and plastic spider with the same 450 Quick Dry. A fun little wall hanging I'm sending to my grandson.

Now, lets talk prizes!   

Hop along with us today and leave some blog love for our The Designers of Helmar and Ribbon Carousel for your chance to win!!

The Helmar prize is a complete 12 pack of Zap dots, including clear, black and white in circles and squares both in 1/4" and 1/2" sizes! 

The other prize up for grabs is a $20 gift certificate to the Ribbon Carousel Store!  

Thanks for stopping by and now are you Ready to hop?

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now

I am so excited to announce a virtual gallery walk, ARTISTIC INSPIRATION: THEN AND NOW, a collaboration between several artists...and I'm one of them! The brainchild of Liz Hicks, the idea is to share where and how we get our inspiration for designing the projects we create and share. Starting October 1, 2012 through  October 5, 212 you will have the opportunity to visit everyone's blog to see the creative process that happens in our studios.

Now I have to admit...here and now... that I'm in awe of the artists that are part of this group. I'm going to have come with my A++ game because the talent here is incredible!!! Here is the list of contributing artists:

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Camille McClelland: http://shesonehotmama.blogspot.com/

Catherine Matthews-Scanlon: http://cmscanlon.blogspot.com/

Cheryl Waters- http://www.artsyfindings.com/

Jen Cushman: http://www.jencushman.com/

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Lorraine Bell: http://actsofrandomkindness365.blogspot.com/

Martha Richardson: http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/ <--ME

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

Jamie Dougherty- http://jaylynnscraps.blogspot.com/

To get the complete scoop hop on over to Liz Hick's blog for moredetails!

Helmar and Art Institue Glitter...oh my!

This week on the Helmar Design Team blog we are working with Art Institute Glitter. Now I'm not much a of a glitter user but I had to give it a try!. I must say I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the help of HELMAR GEMSTONE GLUE applied to random chipboard pieces.

 I actually took 3 different glitter colors from Art Institute Glitter and sprinkled 3 piles of the color next to each other. I then covered each chipboard piece with a thin layer of Helmar Gemstone Glue {with my finger because that's how I roll} and tossed it onto the glitter piles. With a tweezer I then lifted it out of the piles and set aside to dry. I love how the chipboard pieces look with the multicolored glitter.

A mini poster from GLITZ was attached to my handmade background paper with Helmar Acid Free Professional Glue. I attached 3 lantern crystal beads from Blue Moon Beads after using a border punch. Once the chipboard was dry I attached them using Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. To complete this and turn it into a small wallhanging I dug through all my metal embellishments and found these small clips from Tim Holtz Ideaology and some pink tulle.  I just love the quote and I'm going to hang this in my studio just to remind me to BELIEVE!

Supplies used:
Art Institue Glitter ~ #38 Sea, #23 Periwinkle, #285 South Seas
Helmar Gemstone Glue, 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Acid Free Professional Glue
Prima Chipboard
Glitz Designs - I Believe die cut
Hand made background paper
Blue Moon Beads

Thanks for stopping by! Time to go run some errands before the weekend. Wishing you a great day & weekend!

Scraps of Darkness "MY GUY" Kit Project #3

Hello...hello! Today I'd like to share with you another project I created for Scraps of Darkness using supplies from the September kit "MY GUY".  It revolves around a picture I've wanted to scrap for a very long time.

The photo is of my Dad and his father working in there Gladiola farm in Bath, NY. My grandfather was a professional photographer {specializing in postcards} but in the 1920's stock market crash his business ground to a halt. So what had once been a hobby for him turned to a source of income, selling flowers at a roadside stand. My dad was in his early teens and I believe this photo was also hand colored by my Grandfather. There are still postcards of his photos floating around the Finger Lakes region of NY.

Kit Ingredients used:

Authentique paper ~ Academic
Kaisercraft paper ~ Sears & Son collection
Prima Craftsman paper
Kaisercraft  Sears & Son Die Cuts
Tattered Angels Chalk Glimmer mist
Tattered Angels Natural Elements paint kits ~ Aged Mahogany ~ Granite
TCW Gear stencil
Helmar Acid Free Professional Glue ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive
Ribbon
Sulky Thread
Janome Memory Craft 6300

If you are looking for a kit club to subscribe to I suggest you take a look at Scraps of Darkness...if grungy & alternative isn't your style there is also Scraps of Elegance for the romantic souls!

Thanks for spending some time with me. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Have an ARTSY day!

Scraps of Darkness "My Guy" Kit Project #2

Today I would like to share with you another project I created from Scraps of Darkness Septemeber kit...MY GUY! I love working on canvas or canvas boards so that was my base for this project with some Steampunk added for good measure. Here is all the information you need on this months kit ingredients ;)

Supplies used:

Prima Marketing Craftsman Collection

Prima Marketing

Kaisercraft Sears & Son Collection

Handcrafted Wood Tiles

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist ~ Post Card, Blue Skies

Viva Decor Croco Transparent

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Gathered Twigs

Tim Holtz Distress Stain Tarnished Bronze

Tim Holtz Stamp

Eyelet Outlet brads - "Screw"

Misc. Embellishments ~ 7 Gypsies, Prima

Helmar Adhesive ~ 450 Quick Dry, Acid Free Professional Glue, Liquid Scrap Dots

Off to do some more creating...have a fabulous day!

Scraps of Darkness MY GUY Kit REVEAL!

I highly suggest you check out this monthly Kit Club SCRAPS OF DARKNESS...I love the concept...for THE ALTERNATIVE SCRAPPER. 

Al-ter-na-tive: adj. - 
1. offering or expressing a choice.  
2. different from the usual or conventional.  
3. Scraps of Darkness Kit Club.

Over the next month I will be sharing several projects using 

materials from My Guy Kit. I would like to share with you the 

LO I created using the September challenge sketch included with 

the kit. It was perfect to create a LO around my father,

the man I called POP. He was such a snappy dresser, amongst other

intriguing things about him...at 15 he was playing in The Cotton 

Club in Harlem, as President of his student government he introduced

Robert Frost to the student body at SUC at Fredonia, NY and saw 

Toscanini's last performance...just to name a few.

Kit ingredients used:

Prima Craftsman Paper Collection

Kaisercraft's Sears & Son collection

Kaisercraft Sears & Son Collectible Die Cuts

Creative Impressions Twill Ribbon - Ruler - 1 yard

Eyelet Outlet brads - "Screw"

Prima Metal Trinkets - Typo Bulbs

Tattered Angels Post Card Glimmer Mist

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar Acid Free Professional Glue

Make sure to check back to see more projects this month!

Scraps of Darkness Guest Designer Sept. 2012

I'm really excited to finally be able to announce that I've been asked to be Septembers 2012 guest designer for Scraps of Darkness Kit Club..."For the Alternative Scrapper."

The kit reveal will be tomorrow Sept. 15, 2012 and it's a fabulous collection...make sure you check it out!

The Whatevers #3 Creative Storytelling...The Beach

Yay I got it finished in time for the next challenge to be released on 9/15...are you in?

Here’s my story & I’m sticking with it!!!

Hidden journaling behind tag:

It was another rainy day at the beach…the kind of rain that would go on all day. Grandma decided to bake my favorite gingerbread cookies and I kept her company working on all the pictures she gave me.

I found one of the four sisters all dressed in their finest summer whites, sitting for a formal portrait at the beach. Gosh…weren’t they hot, why would you wear dresses to the beach?

As the afternoon went on I kept digging through the box of photos and was so pleased with the treasures I found. I actually found pictures of my aunties Tootsie, Mamie and Weezie in bathing dresses…still in dresses at the beach. Then I found a photo of my Mom & her siblings…I would love to know what they were laughing about. And then one of us.

Although time has marched on those 4 sisters were always at the beach with us.

Hidden journaling{upper right corner}

1^st generation born in America. L to R. Adolf, Emma & Sophia {my Mom}. Grandma & her 3 sisters would sit on the beach and watch as  they frolicked on the beach, always properly dressed…do they ever go swimming?

Hidden journaling {lower left corner}

Going to the beach was always a family affair…it was also a daylong adventure that included a picnic lunch and dinner. It was 3 generations enjoying the sand, sun and water.  We are the 2^nd generation born in America {Grandma & her family immigrated from what was once known as Loetzin, East Prussia in the early 1900’s}. For some reason there are only 4 of us in the photo and I suspect the 2 youngest were in baby carriages.  L. to R. Michael, Melinda, ME, & Michele…missing Mary & Mark.

There is still time to play along with this fun challenge and you can find all the details here.

Color Theory with Tattered Angels

Color is usually where a project starts for me…it has to whisper to me, it has to strike the right chord. I actually taught color theory in my classroom when I taught Clothing & Textiles, Interior Design and believe it or not in my Foods classes for the past 40 years. LOVE Color Theory ;)

This project looks at ANALOGOUS (uh-NAL-uh-gus) colors which sit next to each other on the color wheel. They tend to look pleasant together because they are closely related. If you want to learn more about it color I suggest you visit COLOR MATTERS website.

If you look at nature for inspiration you will find perfect examples to draw inspiration from. Here is a picture of a Moonflower blossom that I took while on vacation this summer, it is a perfect example of an ANALAGOUS color combo.

I created this 5x7” canvas envelope from Canvas Corp using the Analagous color scheme of blues, greens and violets.

Supplies needed:

Tattered Angels Chalkboard Glimmer Mist ~ Fairway, Calypso, Splash, Boogie Board

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Key Lime Pie, Moss & Icicle Blue

Canvas Corp: 5x7” canvas envelope

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Pink Paislee Pleated Ribbon

Balzer Designs Stencil: Peacock Feathers

Delta Texture Paste

Misc: Hand Cut canvas leaves, peacock feather, dragonfly belt stud

Have a creative day...thanks for stopping by:)

MY "Weekend Five": Favorite Instagrams

I love this concept created by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer! I really want to play along but sometimes time just slips away from me so today I'm making it a priority to share. If I run out out of time I can always share my favorite 5 Instagram or Hipstamatic photos of the week...and that's what I'm doing today.

Me @ 3

Mop Tags

I've got a secret to be revealed 9/15

Shane & Dahlia

New product

Have a great weekend!

And MORE Stencil Storage!

I believe that anyone who has a studio or a designated spot in their house is always looking for better ways to store tools & products used in creating art. My last blog post was about storing 12x12 stencils and you can read it here. After reading a blog post by Ronda Palazzari and her method for storing 6x6 stencils I knew that I had discovered how I would follow suit.

I purchased the 6x6 page protectors from We R Memory Keepers. You may have a favorite from another company and I don't have any connection with them.

They arrived before the weekend so I had the opportunity to work on it. I used various sheets of left-over 6x6 cardstock to create a background for ease of viewing.

There is room to place another stencil in back of the cardstock so you can actually store 8 - 6x6 stencils in one page. I'm so pleased with the concept but I still have some stencils without a home. As I was doing some organizing a stumbled upon an 8x8 album with photo protectors included...you would have thought I struck gold when I found this because it answered the problem for these stencils. I wish I could tell you the manufacturer but it's one that I've had for several years.

Perfect for the 5x8 Dylusions Stencils

Perfect for 8x8 Prima Stencils

Now I have one more size stencil to store and I have an idea of what I'm going to do. When it is finished I will share. For me this creates a visual of my stencils, keeps them neat & orderly and I can quickly find what I 'm looking for. 

Thanks for stopping by, make sure you come back to see the final method of storing border stencils.

Have a CREATIVE day!