Shades of Spring

So I've been playing with a paper tye-dye like effect as you can see from the paper I created on the right.  It is a technique that uses alcohol and a few drops of several different reinkers.  I was playing with colors and did a couple of combos.  It was really fun but a bit messy -- not sure how long I will have blue and green and purple finger nails!

I haven't decided what I will use all the papers for but I had fun making them.  Here is a card that I did using the Real Red, Yo Yo Yellow and So Orange.

Introducing Crafty Kids!

Hey Moms and Dads-

I've just added a new chapter to the Crafty Girl odessy  -- Crafty Kids!  I wanted an outlet for young girls or boys to be able to do some arts and crafts projects and have an outlet.  Plus a couple of hours for mom to be able to run errands is an extra bonus!

I have kind of a history of kids and art.  I love working with kids and teaching them about things I love to do. 

A couple of months ago, I invited my GA niece (no relationship by blood but big relationship by heart), Amanda, and another girl (whom I also love like a niece), Olivia, to my craft pit.  We took some pics of them with my dogs and decided to make a scrapbook page.  I went through my paper supply and had them pick out their favorite colors and favorite patterns.  Then we started punching circles and cutting strips and using the crimping tool.  We used the Big Shot and made some butterflies and I taught them how to use different glues and stamps.  Although each girl was using the same materials it was so much fun to see how different each girl's page came out. 

Last but not least, I brought out the bling -- rhinestone brads, silk flowers, felt flowers, epoxy brads.  Amanda loved the bling and she filled her page with flowers and jewels. 

Olivia  turned to her and said, "The focus of the page should be on your picture, not on all this stuff!"  Olivia very sparingly used the embellishments and carefully chose which ones and where they would go. 

Honestly, when it came time to take them home, I called up their moms and asked if I could have them longer!  I love kids so I really have to utilize my friends' offspring.  I always wanted to be a Girl Scount Leader. 

One year, our local elementary school didn't have enough parent volunteers to be "Art Mom" so I did it.  It was so much fun to incorporate art projects and music to the kids.  I had a 3rd grade class and they all wanted to know who's mom was I.  When I said no one, one incredulous kid asked, "Why???" with his big eyes looking up at me. 

This was the test, the make it or break it moment that the kids would either accept me or not.  I answered honestly and told them that I didn't have any children but I really liked kids and I really liked Art and another mom told me about this opportunity. 

The child looked at me for about half a second and said, "OK."  I guess my answer was enough. 

May 7th is the first Crafty Kids session. $15 includes all supplies for the make and take projects (and two hours minimum of baby sitting).  We will have a snack (please let me know any dietary special needs).  If you want to stay for the class feel free to...you can do the craft too!  Class starts at 3:30 - 5:30 on the first Friday of every month.  I'm also available for birthday parties or group events like youth club at church.

Easter Cards

So dear readers, many of you know that I've been sick since I got back from Germany so I haven't been especially creative.  Creative and sick do not equal completion of projects!!!  I did manage, however, to get a few Easter cards done that I wanted to share with you.  I was trying out some different techniques - layering cutouts of the same stamp to add dimension and then glazing over the petals with our Crystal Effects which is a self-leveling adhesive/glaze.  You can sprinkle in some glitter while it is drying and it is absolutely awesome!  I was really pleased with the result.  I also used a paper sueding technique for the "ribbon".  I tore of a piece of coral pink paper and ran it through the crimper (one of my favorite tools!!!!).  Then I took the end of a long, thin paintbrush and pulled the paper like I was curling ribbon with a pair of scissors.  I did this a couple of times to break down the fiber in the paper.  It is important that you use paper that is made of color fiber throughout and not paper with a white core.  With the Stampin' Up cardstock, I never have to worry about white core showing through because it is colored throughout the paper.  As the paper fibers break down, you'll be able to peel the layers of paper apart leaving a very soft, suede-like texture that is really flexible.  Then I just laid down some terribley tachy tape and ruffled the paper.
The rose itself is a stamp from our Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set which I absolutely love.  In my Crafty Girls-Suwanee Chapter we used this stamp with white ink on black paper and then used the pastel chalks and an aqua painter to color the flowers.  It is very versatile.  We even have a Sizzix texture folder that matches the big rose stamp.  I stamped three copies of the rose and painted each real red using a couple of drops of reinker and the aqua painter (I just put the drops of ink on a paper plate that was waxed top).  Then I went back over with a few drops of Elegant Eggplant and the aqua painter and did the edges of the petals.  Then I cut out the "heart" of the rose from one stamped image, a mid-layer cut and then on the bottom I had the whole stamped image.
Before I layered the stamped images though, after the watercolor had dried, I applied a coat of Crystal Effects to each layer.  Crystal Effects is a glaze that is self-levelling.  It is a great adhesive but when you want to ad some dimension and some shiny texture to your project, think about using Crystal Effects.
Once the Crystal Effects dried, I layered each layer with Stampin' Dimensionals.  The final step was using the small hole punch on my Cropadile through the middle (Dimensionals and all) and then I placed a rhinestone brad in the center. 
If you'd like to make this card for Mother's Day, it is one of the items we'll be making in our April Crafty Girl workshop on Tuesday, April 20th.  We we also be making a gift for Mom!  Join the Crafty Girl Club (a six month commitment for a $25 monthly purchase) or come for $10 per workshop to cover the cost of materials.  All Acworth chapter classes are held in the Crafty Girl Craft Pit (I took over my husband's man pit!) at my home -- 6125 Fairlong Run, Acworth, GA 30101 in the Brookstone II subdivision.

Zentangles for Sanity!!!

So dear readers, I return from Germany pretty much craft-less!  I worked (and worked).  I got ill and slept (and slept).  And then I worked and worked some more.  Meanwhile my craftiness was trying to get out and I started drawing in this little blank page notebook I keep in my purse.  Then I got some markers while we were in Heidelberg one afternoon and started to put color to my drawings.  I'm not the worlds greatest drawer for sure but it kept me occupied for hours which was great since the only English language TV stations were BBC and CNN.  No matter if it is on this side of the pond or the other, the news is the same and the same stories play over and over and over and over.  So having some markers (because I didn't pack my own) was nice.  I discovered a little something I've heard called Zentangles which is a doodling technique.  On a piece of paper, put four dots for a rectangle (or square).  You'll join the dots to form the outside of your rectangle.  The best thing about Zentangles is that nothing is supposed to be perfect.  This is a technique to make you relax!  It's like raking the sand in one of those Zen gardens which to me seems pointless so that annoys me so I don't do it!  But Zentangles calms the brain.

Once you have your rectangle, you'll make some squiggly lines and cross over them.  The point is that you want to have different segments of your rectangle to randomly doodle in.  In the first picture, is my first zentagle...it actually took me a couple of days (not nonstop but doing a little where I can) but the calming effects were amazing!  It's very freeing because there is no right way or wrong way.  The first one I did in pencil but then I experimented with different colored markers and shapes.  Zentangles really don't have to be rectangular or square.  It's just a doodle.  So try a zentangle today!  I will add pics later but my camera has died.

What can I take with me to keep my creative soul going?

Well readers -

I have a 10-day trip to Germany for work.  To the average person, it sounds exciting but because my company is there, I average usually three trips a year with little or no time to sight see.  What can I take with me to keep the craft addict happy?  I thought about taking my personal laptop because I have My Digital Design Studio on it and I could build pages (new thought -- how about creating scrap book pages specifically for your digital frame?).  But to lug another laptop through security and through the airport - yucko.  So I have a couple of beading projects I think I'll take.  They can fit and this cute little carrying case and be very unobtrusive in my carry on luggage.  Then of course pictures...I'd really like to get better as a photographer and really use my camera better.  It has some very funky features that I'm just now understanding.

what else can I work on?  I guess I can cut supplies for Easter cards and do them over there.  And I could finish MarieOdile's album finally!  Yay...that's the game plan! 

Ok so on to the creativity for the week -- it was very difficult to be creative due to a lot of pressure and time sensitive deadlines at work.  But I have been playing around with the Easter theme this week, chalks/watercolors and mini milk cartons.  Yes I said mini milk cartons!  Soo cute and fun to make.  I have a die template for the Big Shot that cuts them out.  See the picks to see how cute they are!  And also some of my other Easter themed creations.

PS I just realized that I didn't post this before I left!!!

I stayed up way too late last night!

Ok readers - I have to admit that I didn't really do anything creative today.  About 4pm I was going cross-eyed at my desk and I had a killer headache and some weird restless leg stuff going on so I quit working on the paying job.  Maybe it was my lack of sleep last night...or maybe it was that I didn't have any Coke Zero today (ok I broke down later tonight and finally had one) but I could not get creative! 

But...let me tell you about my fun last night.  As I mentioned, I've been collecting packaging and things that I thought I "might" be able to use for creative endeavors.  Last night I took the acrylic packaging from a big shot die and used my five petal punch.  Then I put several of the punched out acrylic flowers into the polka dot embossing folder.  Next I mixed a little bit of gold shimmer with some Close to Cocoa reinking ink and using a sponge dauber painted the shimmer color on the textured side of the flower.  Once it dried, I punched a hole in the middle and using a pink brad attached it to a design I am working on.  It is very cute and my packaging went a long way. 

I will post a photo soon...I forgot to bring the camera down to the craft pit and I was too lazy to go back upstairs to get it!

March 11 - Day 39: Can I be creative if I never got the chance to get out of my PJs?

As many of you know, sometimes my real job can be brutal!  Today was one of those days.  Of course it didn't help that I didn't go to bed until after 2 am.  I was a bit wired when I came home from Bunco last night.  I love my group of L-Inked Ladies and Bunco nights!  As usual, Mandy had a really cool "make and take" for us using several techniques.  I have to say I had more than a little trouble with using the corner punches BUT once I figured out you gently (I know that is usually not in my vocabulary) place the paper in the punch the new circle scallop border corner punch is so pretty! 

But today there were many phone calls to be taken and many documents to create and many deadlines to make.  It was a high performance day for sure -- one thing gets done and I'm immediately onto the next project. Exhausting day with several hours of sleep missing from my beauty rest.  But I'm here feeling energetic and ready to start a project! And I don't think it is the Italian Blend coffee frappacino I just made myself either!

My goal tonight is to come up with some creative ideas using some creative material.  I've been collecting a nice little supply of material from packaging from cereal, Crystal Light, some acrylic packaging, corrugated cardboard, etc.  I'm off to my workshop to see what I create...I'll upload pictures later!