Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!  Happy 4th of July!  However you commemorate this day, let's not forget the adoption of our Declaration of Independence and the lives that were sacrificed to gain such freedom. 

These darling little gals are starting off the day with a bang!  

I purchased the doll images on Etsy and thought they'd be perfect perched atop a couple of old red and white spice tins that were hiding in my closet of shame for far too long.

The Tim Holtz Idea-ology Baubles were colored using Red Pepper and Stonewashed alcohol inks. LOVE!!

Each young lass got a paper pinwheel, a paper flag and a smattering of glittery garland.

I had this envelope sitting in a pile of mixed media materials and I thought the red stripes on the envelope would make a perfect patriotic altered piece. 

A few book pages and paper scraps later and viola!

  

A good use of a tiny dictionary page.

I filled the envelope with some paper ephemera to give to a friend who also likes to create vintage altered art.

While you're here, do you want a look into the stepback cupboard all decorated for July??
 

Pretty much everything in the cupboard came from thrift stores at one time or another.

The gingham plates are from The Pioneer Woman.  Milk glass is always abundant in thrift stores.

Some of the many jars in my collection have been found during excavation at my dear hubbies different job sites.  A little soaking and elbow grease can clean them up nicely.  I love the look of cobalt glass!

These old parade flags have 48 stars.  They were in my great aunts house when we were cleaning it out.  I think they were from our town's parade in 1976, celebrating our nation's 200th independence anniversary.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today.  I know it was a long post, but thanks for sticking with me if you did.  

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sugared Candy Canes ~ Mixed Media Monday

Hello friends ~  I've got a Mixed Media project for you today, featuring Honeybee Stamps Lovely Layers: Candy Cane Honey Cuts.  

These candy canes are pure sweetness when they're glittered up!  I started by spraying Bundled Sage distress ink onto my craft mat, dipping watercolor paper onto the mat.  After drying it with my heat tool, I repeated the process three times, finally adding Heidi Swap Gold Shimmer Spray to the mat for a final layer on the paper.  

   

I did the same thing to another piece of watercolor paper using Pine Needles Distress Ink and Gold Shimmer.  I cut the pine sprigs from the Candy Cane die set out of the first colored piece of cardstock and I cut the holly leaves out of the second colored piece of cardstock.  Using a paintbrush, I added some texture paste to the edges of the holly leaves and sprinkled them with Elizabeth Craft Designs Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter.  I added a bit of white paint using a paint pen to the tips of the pine sprigs then set them aside to dry.

I cut the candy cane layers out of white, red and pink cardstock and layered the candy cane together using liquid glue.  I pressed the candy cane onto the Be Creative Embossing and Watermark Ink Pad and dipped it into WOW! Clear Gloss Ultra High Embossing Powder, quickly sprinkling it again with Silk Microfine Glitter and then heat set it again.  I love how this step really set the glitter in place.  The glitter won't rub off and it gives it a bit of an aged look.  I did the same thing to the numbers.

These candy canes look good enough to eat and the sparkle and shine on this card is amazing!  I added a bit of Copic and white gel pen detail to the berries and added just a touch of Real Red Silk Microfine Glitter around the edges.  

Here's a list of products I used today:

Honeybee Stamps Lovely Layers: Candy Cane Honey Cuts
WOW! Clear Gloss Ultra High Embossing Powder
Bee Creative Clear Embossing and Watermark Ink Pad

Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry Fields ~ Mixed Media Monday

Hello friends ~ Welcome back to another installment of Mixed Media Monday.

Today's art journal entry features a wonderful collection from Simple Stories called Simple Vintage Berry Fields.  I just love the sun-shine colors in this collection!

I started by covering a page in my Create Happiness Art Journal with a sweet country yellow, gingham paper from Simple Vintage Berry Fields 6x8" Paper Pad.  If you look closely, you'll see the subtle image of a mason jar.  So reminiscent of farm fresh country.  I distressed the edges of the page and splattered on some Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I layered on some ephemera bits from Simple Vintage Berry Fields Ephemera.  The strawberries are stamped using Sunny Studio Berry Bliss.  I love how real these look when stamped!

The "Oh Happy Day" stamp is from 49 & Market Vintage Artistry Dream stamp set.  The acetate butterfly, leaves and flowers were found on Amazon and the postage stamps are actual vintage stamps found in my vintage stamp collection.

Here's a list of products I used:

Simple Stories Simple Vintage Berry Fields

Simple Vintage Berry Fields Ephemera

Simple Vintage Berry Fields 6x8" Paper Pad

Create Happiness Journal

Sunny Studio Berry Bliss

 49 & Market Vintage Artistry Dream

I hope you enjoyed today's project.  Do you keep an art journal?  Let me know in the comments.  I'd love to stop by for a visit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Flower ~ Mixed Media Monday

Hello friends ~ It's time for Mixed Media Monday once again so I'm here to share an entry that I recently did in my Garden Journal.  

This page came together fairly quickly, since I didn't use a lot of mediums on this.

Keep in mind, the pages in my Garden Journal measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/2", so slightly larger than an A2 sized card.  I had this beautiful floral image that I found in a Junk Journal Collection on Amazon, and I didn't want to cover it up too much. 

In Focus:

 After  collaging the floral image onto the page in my journal, I found a page from a dictionary that I ripped into small pieces and added distress ink to all the edges.  I used those pieces to collage a frame around the entire flower image.

I did some random stamping using stamps from Stampers Anonymous Field Notes, and then added some Flea Market Finds ephemera elements from Spellbinders Coat Check Miscellany.  The gold washi flower is from Pinkfresh Studio's Garden Bouquet Washi.  

This design would look great on the front of a card as well, don't you think?

The Junk Journal Kit from Amazon has so many beautiful papers in it, just like this one.  I think I might make a set of all occasion cards using them.

 

I'll be adding this art journal page to the following challenges:

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Here's a list of products I used and where you can find them:

Junk Journal Collection on Amazon
Stampers Anonymous Field Notes
Flea Market Finds
Spellbinders Coat Check Miscellany
Pinkfresh Studio's Garden Bouquet Washi

Thanks for stopping by!

Think Pink ~ Mixed Media Monday

I saw pink and thought of you.

Good morning crafty friends ~ I have a pretty pink entry in my art journal to share with you today.  It all started with this beautiful background paper from Spellbinders Flea Market Finds Florals Palette. 

 I was struck by the bold pink flowers and vines cascading across the paper.

I started the process by using a Brick Stencil and a craft spatula, applying Translucent Distress Texture Paste over the stencil all around the border of the page.  Once that dried I added Picket Fence Distress Paint over the top.  Using a damp paper towel, I wiped the paint off the brick, allowing the paint to settle between the bricks like mortar.  I love how the colors of the printed paper show through the translucent bricks, with a faint white detail between them.

In Focus:

Using a Tim Holtz Specimen die, I created the butterfly slide, adding stamped images from Cathe Holden's Sign Here stamp set.  The Delicate Dogwood die cut flower is from Poppystamps.  I colored it using Copic markers and stamped it with a script stamp.

 

 I added some ephemera pieces from Flea Market Finds Coat Check Miscellany and Meadow Lark Miscellany, after distressing the edges of each piece with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink.  See those pretty vellum flowers with gold details??  Those are from Pinkfresh Studio Garden Bouquet Washi.

I added some stitched lines to the left side of the page that was from an old rub-on, but I messed it up when I was painting and rubbing the bricks, so I covered them with a strip of glitter washi tape.  I love how this page turned out.  In fact, I'm tickled PINK about it!!

I hope you like it too.

Here's a list of products I used today:

Spellbinders Flea Market Finds Florals Palette
Brick Stencils
Translucent Distress Texture Paste
Picket Fence Distress Paint
Sizzix Specimen dies by Tim Holtz
Coat Check Miscellany
Meadow Lark Miscellany
Pinkfresh Studio Garden Bouquet Washi

I'll be adding this project to the following challenges:

Creative Artiste Challenge ~ Anything Mixed Media Goes

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge ~ Anything Goes without Mood Board Option

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Altered Envelope ~ Mixed Media Monday

Hello dear friends ~ While I've been in California, I found myself having crafting withdrawals during my free time, so I looked for a kit of some kind that would have everything I needed to create.

I altered this preprinted envelope using the stamps and vellum stickers that I had purchased earlier and used on this art journal page HERE.

The Holiday Wishes Card Kit from ARToptions is a sweet  kit that includes enough cards and envelopes to make eight cards. There are also two sheets of rub-on transfers and eight sticker seals.  It's designed by Katie Pertiet and I just love her work!

Just a quick and easy project using limited supplies that will help keep me on track for Mixed Media Monday until I get back home in June.

Thanks for stopping by!

Art Journal Using Limited Supplies ~ Mixed Media Monday

Hello friends,  I'm writing this post from sunny California!  I'm staying at my son and daughter-in-loves house until June.  I flew out the end of April, to come and babysit my sweet little "P" until her mama gets out of school in June.  

I shipped a large flat rate box of craft tools and very few supplies so that I could get my craft on while I'm here, but I realized right away that I did not have much to create with.  I only had one stamp set that was for a design team project but I can't share that card with you until later. 

 So, I hopped on Amazon and found this super cute, all in one kit in a vintage style, which you know I love.  

The kit came complete with an art journal, pretty botanical printed papers, die cut ephemera and vellum stickers.  Now, I've never used vellum stickers before and I've just discovered that I love them!  They have a translucent look to them, that gives them a little halo look around the image.

I also purchased a clear botanical stamp set that will get lots of use in my art journaling when I return home.

I had no distress oxide inks and no blending tools, no stencils or other mediums so the page is pretty basic.  But it still gave me plenty of joy creating it and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

If you haven't seen me commenting on your blog for a bit, now you know why.  My computer time is very limited, as I am here for sweet "P" and the computer can wait.  I'll try to play catch up, as well as I can, when I can.  Until then, I'll try to share the few things I'm making.  I had a sweet visit and a surprise from a friend, which I'll share in a later post.  

I'll be adding today's project into the following challenges:

The Card Concept:  Garden Birds

Triple B: May Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Nothing Is Impossible With God ~ Mixed Media Monday

Happy Monday friends!  I'm back to share this sweet entry in my Create Happiness Art Journal for Mixed Media Monday.  

 Life's journey is filled with mountains and valleys.  The valleys can be a difficult road to travel if it weren't for the promises of God to help get us through.   Truly, Nothing is impossible with God!

 I wanted this page to reflect the brightness of God's goodness in our dark days.  For my art entry, I did a bit of sponging on the background using a cloud stencil and deep blues DOX Inks.  The text was stamped using Leaves & Film Clear Stamp Set.  I added in some hand drawn stars using a white gel pen.  They are very faint, but if you look close you'll see them. 

The hot air balloon and flowers are from Pink Dream Ephemera.  I added a few more white gel pen details onto the die cuts.  I typed the verse from Luke 1:37 on my computer and printed it on my home printer.  In keeping with the style of other entries in this journal, I cut the sentiment into chunks and outlined them with a fine tip black marker.  

The border was stenciled on in black ink using Border 1 Stencil from the Create Happiness line.  I traced the border with a white gel pen.  This really made the border pop.  This reflects the silver lining in in the clouds.

I hope you enjoyed today's project, and maybe find a bit of hope if you're struggling through something right now.  Remember that He is with you and NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.  

Art Journaling is a creative outlet that helps me work through my thoughts and experiences of every day life.  I'm not one to keep a written journal, though I've tried.  Starting this art journal has been a huge blessing to me.  I can get lost for hours in ink and paper, while reflecting on the Goodness of God. 

Here are some links that will bring you to the products I used today:

Create Happiness Art Journal

Leaves & Film Stamp Set

Pink Dream Ephemera

Border 1 Stencil

Entire Create Happiness Collection

Thanks for stopping by!