Fact #41 I Love To Play With New Craft Items

I received my order from CHF (Cornish Heritage Farms) a few weeks back but have not had the time to play with my new stuff. I love discovering new things to play with even if I don't know what to do with them. On this page I used the new background stamp with the dried up ground, and the new foam swirls, and this pearly colored 3D stuff that I don't actually know what it is for yet - LOL! Hence this is where the "Playing" comes into play.
I 'needed' to buy a new trimmer (right!) and I loved the fact that it had interchangeable blades with different uses! I am having a great time playing with it. So far I have made some tickets for my son Ben to draw on and I have been able to cut through 10 pieces of paper at one time. I still want to purchase different blades for it as I don't have them all yet. I am waiting to do this until I know that I absolutely must have them and will use them.
I LOVE TO PLAY!

New Journal Page With (Of Coarse) A Tree

I went shopping with my gal pal Nancy and her Mom Bev last weekend at Paper Past Times and I found this funky little template/embellishment underneith a shelf on the bottom of a little basket of sale items. It is a foil with (glue gun glue) shaped like scales or something. I bought it thinking I would use it for an embellishment but then I decided to put it on the page and spray my glimmer mist on the page and use it as a template. It worked out well but I needed to wipe off the access mist with a towel. Then I used my tree template that I purchased at The Scrapbook Pantry where Nancy works and I cut out the image, colored it and then put two layers of self-leveling gel, then I put a few drops of alcohol ink into the gel to ad deeper colors. It turned out so nice as it dried. I decided to add it to this page and I think it goes really well. What do you think. I haven't written anything on the page yet because I'm not sure if I want to write on it or leave it the way it is.
I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Creating Everyone!

Fact #40 - Collages

Collages are one thing that I have never really enjoyed creating. I never understood what they were all about. With looking through different art blogs I have noticed the rise in the amount of collages being created. So many artists have perfected this art and maybe that is why I have never really caught onto it ~ if I can't perfect it my way, why do it? I am getting much better though. I am trying new things and getting more comfortable with the idea of things not being exactly perfect.
This collage is made from different pictures of women in the 1500's-1800's. I went googling to find different pictures of women's fashions during these times. I love looking at the fashions but I know that I would hate wearing them day in and day out! I couldn't imagine having to wear layers and layers of heavy fabric on my body - even in the summertime. Sure their gowns were exquisite and beautiful but I think that it would have been rather difficult to pull off every day of your life.
I covered this page with a sheet of laminant and then stamped images on top with Staz-on ink. I really like the outcome of this page.

Fact #39 I am a Romantic

I love romantic movies - where chivalry still exists! Where courting was something that occurred without "going all the way"! Where women blushed at the mere thought of their betrothed passing by. I love period pieces of artwork that captures moments like these, books, artwork etc. I drew this picture from the cover of a book I am currently reading. Although there are a few words I don't like in the book, (these words only occur once or twice)the book in itself is very innocent and romantic in a sense that the main character keeps her purity for her marriage bed. I loved the picture on the cover of the book Philippa by Bertrice Small. The main character looks strong and bold and beautiful. I distressed the background to make it look like a "London" grey day. I wrote out some of the idea of the story of the book around her because I really liked the story.

Fact #38 I LOVE BABIES

I think I have a radar for babies! I don't know how it works but it seems the second a baby is in my vicinity my radar goes off and I am all goo-goo and ga-ga over them. My son's make fun of me because they know that I am going to get like this. They tease me saying "Mom it's okay... we know you like looking at babies more than you like us!". I know they are just joking. I got to hold little baby Sarai all through Church yesterday and I was in my glory (she is just two months old - unfortunately I didn't hear much of the sermon because I was so concentrated on the beautiful little miracle in my arms. Every newborn is such an amazing little miracle. Thank you God for each and every one of them.

What Happened to My Puppy????

Just yesterday my little Mila was a little "fur-ball" and then I dropped her off at the groomers... so... I was a little shocked when I came home from work to find we had exchanged our toy-poodle/papillion for a Chiauaua. I had to go to Petland to find a sweater for her because she was shaking so much. The day before yesterday I needed to tie Mila's hair up so that she could see! She does not look too happy in either pictures does she? She looks so frail now I am not certain as to how to hold her except to cuddle her like a little baby. LOL. My poor girl.

Fact #29

I wish I could be more organized at home! I find that I do not know how to be organized. I gather so much "stuff" that I don't know where to put it! I am a 'collector' of things, meaningless things to anyone else really. I don't think anyone would be able to organize me. It is rather strange that I can be so organized when I am working, but a total mess at home!

My New Journal Dedicated to My Dad

My girlfriend Alice has asked me to bind up some journals for her. She is making up a number of "gemmed" journals to sell at a Greek Festival she is involved in. I have really enjoyed binding them up and it has gotten me excited for making my own. This is my third gemmed journal. The gems I chose for this one came out of a tin box my Mom gave me with a number of different items that my Dad collected while metal detecting. He passed away in 1994 so the items I used meant alot to me. I have a 15 year Union pin that my Dad received from his work. Somes rings and earrings and chains etc. I used red and black buttons to accent the journal as well because to me they represented my Dad's blood, his life lived I guess. The other half I painted yellow to represent where my Dad is now - Heaven. I also put a heavy chain around the outside of the front cover and a thick heart attached to the chain that represented to me the addictions my Dad had in his life to alcohol and smoking, yet the heart represents the overcoming of these addictions during certain periods of time through his life. I also used some other items that meant something to me in different areas of my life... a pin from my sister that says "sister" with an angel. My hubby's tie clip, a little ring my son gave me from a vending machine. I also included some keys; diary, bike and apartment keys from my teen years; some necklaces that I had been given from friends and other miscellaneous items. I chose the items very specifically and colors were important to me because I wanted it overall to represent life and death, but death as a hope to new life through Jesus.
It is much darker than my other journals but I think it will inspire me to draw and journal.
The first entry was inspired from the back of an Archie Comic. I saw this bird and it made me think of how busy people are. So I started by drawing the bird and then journaled around the bird. It looks like a bird going after it's prey and that made me think of what really 'busy' people look like. They are so busy minded and physically busy going from one place to another... but in the end what do they accomplish? ... are they happy? ... do they have peace? What has all their busyness achieved for themselves? I think we can get much too busy and it is so easy to lose track of what really matters. This thought occurs alot with me ~ maybe God is trying to tell me that I need to slow down and appreciate my blessings.


Happy Creating everyone!