Engraver Hanging Mini Album

Last week I watched

a Ustream video on how you can make a hanging mini album with an Ikea Tolsby frame. Since the Penmaker and I were going to Ikea on Friday, I put that item on the top of my shopping list. I bought two.

After going through

the video three more times... I began...

This first step is

really messy. I had to call to the Penmaker to bring me some baby wipes, which had gotten moved to another room, as I couldn't even open the door for the gel medium coating my hands.

You need to tear your

 paper into strips, ink the edges and glue them to the frame with the medium. It goes fast, and all in all, well worth the effort.

I love the combination

of the Printery and Engraver papers... both from Prima. Here are the pages in order, front to back.

The flowers are all

either from Prima's Engraver collection or I Am Roses.

The chipboard pieces

and stickers are part of Prima's Engraver.

Prima Engraver brads,

Say It In Crystals and clock piece.

The game spinner is Idea-ology.

The album theme is

couples... the Penmaker, me and our four children with their spouses.

I'm still waiting for

two more photos, so I just left a blank tag to adhere them to when I receive them.

I printed the photos

in sepia to match the paper collections.

The eyelets are from Memory Keepers.

The metal corners and key are Momenta.

Black chipboard by Graffix.

Metal gears, pen nib, wings and pin by Idea-ology.

Rifle charm and paper

doilies are from my stash. The Distress Ink I used on all the paper edges is Walnut Stain.

I think that in time

this will hang a little flatter. If I make another, I won't use as many bulky embellishments. I must say I'm very happy with this project, and I thank Limor for the idea. 

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

A Sneak Peek

I'm late getting

things done this morning... still in my pj's. I was excited to get back to work on a standing mini album made from an Ikea frame, and forgot to write my post... tisk tisk! To top it off, my desk is loaded with supplies and I have eyelets sticking to my arm as I try to reach across this mess to type. 

Just have to show you a peek at this...

It's Prima's Engraver

collection with some Printery thrown in and hanging from an Ikea Tolsby $1.49 frame...

but onto today's project.

This is just a couple playin' around mixed-media pages...

I bought this cheapo

composition book at Staples last year to use as a practice work journal. It's where I brush on my leftover paint and gesso. The problem I have with it is... the pages are ruled and thin. I have to glue two together and pile gesso on to cover the lines... then they wrinkle. (Anyone else go through this? Ideas?)

I'm linking up at:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

I hope you all

have a wonderful Thursday... hey, the weekend's coming fast! Please check back tomorrow if you can... I'm dying to show you this hanging album.

Remember to watch for our Giveaway coming soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Washi Tag

When I read about the

challenge hostess Kirsty came up with this week at City Crafters, I just knew I had to drop my paint brush and gesso, and get in on this instead. Pull out your washi tape and tags, girls, and create a Washi Tag!

I recently bought some

black #8 tags, so I started with one of those, and my new Prima Engraver washi tape.

This morning I had 

downloaded three freebie tags from Prima's Facebook page. I cut out one of those and added it to the mix along with the Prima Engraver collection. I kid you not... I have nearly every product in this collection... just a couple more items I need to find. I LOVE THIS COLLECTION!!!

This pretty wood berry

piece is from KaiserCraft. When I received it in the mail, it was broken, so I just cut it up even more and used the smaller sections.

Be sure to check out

the Design Teams projects... some pretty stuff!!! And you must see their Guest Designer Wendy's blog... WOW!

Now... The Penmaker presents...

When he was 

buying acrylic blanks last week, I asked him to get this one... French Country right?

He's doing styluses

now. He made one for me a few weeks back, and I can't do without it for my Kindle. Mine is blue to match my case.

Watch for a Giveaway soon!

The Penmaker and I are working on something special.

I'm linking up at:

City Crafters Challenge - Washi Tag

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Rejoice... It's Spring Or Is It?

As I'm writing this,

snow plows are cleaning up the three inches of snow we got during the night. It was gorgeous when we first got up at five thirty, but now there appears to be an icy rain falling with dull, grey skies... not so pretty any more.

To brighten my day,

I thought I'd create something springy. I pulled out some random 6x6 papers leftover from a CupCards To Go kit, a sheet of Recollections kraft cardstock and a pre-made white 4x5.5 card base. 

The first green layer is 

embossed with the Cuttlebug folder that came with my machine... such cute, petite flowers. A little machine stitching, some stamping on a pennant layer, a ton of 3-D foam squares, a Prima Shabby Chic bird trinket and Momenta metal corners.

These papers really aren't

my style, and the farther I went with this card, the more I disliked it. I was actually thinking of throwing this one into my Ikea wire mesh waste basket, but held off for the sake of thrift... and the thought that if you (sometimes) work long enough with a project it will turn out alright in the end. I grabbed two boxes of I Am Roses flowers in desperation.

Now my world seemed

to brighten once more... what is it about flowers that just seem to put things in place for me? I can't answer that... I just know it does!

Happy place!!!

I hope you all have a grand day!

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Stitching

Simon Says Stamp - Easter/Spring

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Mixed-Media Canvas

You have probably seen,

as I have, that lately there is a a trend in mixed-media using a lot of metals, flowers, gesso and sprays originating with the work of Finnabair (Anna Dabrowska). I first became aware of Anna's unique style last year at Creative Jump Start Summit 2012, and have been keeping an eye on her growth in the scrapbooking/mixed-media industry ever since. 

When my daughter

asked me if I would do a canvas for my granddaughter's room, I thought this would be the perfect time to try out this technique.

I first began with

a 12x12 canvas, and quickly realized I was being a bit too ambitious. I ended up with an 8x8, and thankfully they were on sale at 40% off at Michaels.

I put down bits of

torn dress pattern, patterned paper, lace from Hobby Lobby, and a torn paper doily using Mod Podge to adhere, covering the sides as well.

I then did a layer

of molding paste with a Crafters Workshop Confetti stencil.

I printed Katie's picture

(same one I did in b/w for my Christmas mini album yesterday) in a larger size, adhered it to some thin chipboard and fussy cut it. For stability, I made some "pop dots" from medium weight chipboard (two pieces glued together) to attach the photo to the canvas. I chose out some of the embellishments I thought I would use and gave them a coat of gesso. Now I started gluing them all down... lots of layering. After I got things pretty much like I wanted them, I went over everything again with another coat of gesso.

The wood bird and

cage came from Michaels, the flowers are Prima and I Am Roses, the gems are Prima Say It In Crystals, the metal pieces are Momenta and some from my stash.

I covered the Photo 

with a piece of bubble wrap and started spraying... first with Cotton Candy Pink Starburst, then Tattered Rose Glimmer Mist and finally Patina GM. Heat setting between colors. The shimmer on here is amazing.

Here you can see

some of the texture from the doily, pattern and molding paste.

I'm not sure I'll

attempt this again, but you never know. In the end, it all just takes practice.

Have a wonderful day, friends.

I'm linking up at:

 Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for Stopping by!

Linda

Christmas Album Pages

With all the snow

we keep having, I'm still in the mood to work on my Christmas album. Here are two more pages that were added...

These are featuring two 

of our granddaughters with their American Girl dolls.

Katie was wearing

a bright pink outfit that clashed with every single piece of patterned Christmas paper in the collections I've been using in the album. So I had to go with printing the photos in b/w. I really like the vintage look they gave to the layout.

Like the other completed

pages, I kept these pretty simple so the album doesn't end up too bulky.

Since these two

layouts are companion pages, I printed one of Penny's in b/w also to be uniform.

I don't think I'm

biased, but I really do have two of the prettiest, sweetest granddaughters in the world.

I hope that you

aren't in one of the areas in the US where this next snow storm is heading. If you are, try to remember... this can't last much longer.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

A Sympathy Card Plus Work From The Penmaker & Son

 

I did a sympathy

card for the mother of my daughter-in-law's step mother, who's sixty-two year old son died this week. She is a dear sweet lady. Over the years she has lost two husbands and three of her five children, yet is always a testimony of God's love.

I kept this quite simple

in color and design.  Using white and ivory cardstocks embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots and Textile Texture folders teamed with My Mind's Eye Meadowlark 6x6 paper pad, it went together very quickly. The only embellishments are the two TPC Studios black rhinestones at the bottom right corner.

Next up... 

a razor, two bullet pens and a pen with a boot and cowboy hat inlay made by my two Penmakers...

The Penmaker and I

had our grandson Grayden with us today. What a blessing that boy is! We did some shopping and he kept insisting on opening doors for us... such a gentleman at seven. 

I didn't get to do 

any creating today, so I'm looking forward to an evening in my studio working in one of my journals and watching some Ustream craft shows.

I'm linking up my card at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda