Scrappin In The Smokies Back Flip Mini Album Part 2

I've debated as to whether

or not I would post more of this album as it's SO hard to photograph with all the flips, flaps and pockets. In the end though, reasoning that I wanted to TRY to show you what I have finished so far, I've attempted to give you an idea of just how much real estate there is in this Back-Flip Mini Album.

This is the second

signature... six signatures total. The papers I've used are from Prima's Engraver collection with odds and ends from others by Prima and Basic Grey.

A flip out half page.

A tag in a pocket.

Flips down to reveal 

another pocket with a tag insert...

which then all flips

back to show lots more fold outs.

This is a challenging album

to create, but believe me... even more so to photograph. If you like to embellish, this album is for you. So much space to fill up. You might want to try this one... check it out here.

Beautiful sunny weather

here today, although once again we woke to an inch or more of snow on the ground and very icy roads. I wonder if this is the last we will see of that white stuff, or if there will be a recurrence another day soon. I'm sure of one thing... I do not know if it will and am resigned to the fact that it may snow all spring! 

Have a happy day, friends!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Some Linky List Love From Julie Balzer & Secret Garden Thank You Pocket Card w/Tag #3

Each Friday Julie Balzer

puts out an inspiring post on art journaling called Art Journal Every Day and wows us with her talents. It's due to these posts, that I've continued to try creating in my own journals. At the end of her post is a linky list where you can share your work and see what other journalers are creating. What is so encouraging to me, is to visit their blogs and see the different mediums and techniques they are using.

Well today, I was surprised,

thrilled and humbled to see one of my pages spot-lighted along with several others on Julie's blog. 

I want to say thank you to 

Julie for her Art Journal Every Day posts... thank you for encouraging us to keep trying new things... and thank you for allowing us to display our work as a collective group of artists who want to inspire each other.

It would be wonderful if

you would link-up your art journaling work with us, friends! Please check out Julie's blog here and her Art Journaling Every Day posts on Fridays.

My Secret Garden

thank you pocket card w/tag #3...

Featuring Graphic 45's 

Secret Garden papers, Alterations Baroque and Spring Greenery dies and I Am Roses flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Secret Garden Thank You Card Pocket w/Tag #2

As I explained yesterday,

I needed a few envelope friendly thank you cards and chose to make them in the pocket style using Graphic 45's Secret Garden. Again I used Alterations dies... Baroque and Spring Greenery. I purchased these dies from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and when the order arrived I had a gift packet inclosed with this piece of ivory burlap, pink burlap string and this gorgeous rose button.

I am truly loving the

Spring Greenery die. After cutting and inking, I take my narrow tweezers and bend up the leaves just a bit for some dimension... I love the look!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Secret Garden Thank You Card Pocket w/Tag #1

I've been working on a

series of thank you cards this week... six to be exact. I needed something fairly flat to fit into regular envelopes, so I chose to make pocket cards with a tag insert to write a brief thank you note. Since I still had out the Graphic 45 Secret Garden papers from the pocket card I made earlier, I decided to go with them.

I used pre-made ivory card

blanks and machine stitched each to form the pockets. On this one I used the Alterations Spring Greenery and Baroque dies; the flower petals are from I Am Roses; the gems are Prima Say It In Crystals; the butterfly and filigree were a gift from The Funkie Junkie Boutique (where I purchased the dies); the ink is Brushed Corduroy Distress.

Five more to come!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Love Your Art

My art journal page

is all about the background. I took down an Ikea glass candle holder that houses my cheapo Reeves Watersoluble Wax Pastels, pulled out some greens and a couple blues and did some scribbling. I wet them a bit with like colors of spray inks and water. Lots of blending followed be a heat set and a layer of molding paste... using my new Prima Lattice stencil.

The inks I used were:

Dylusions - Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise

Lindys Flat Fabios - T-Bird Turquoise, Pineapple Paradise

Crafters Workshop Tile 

Texture stencil used with a spray of Lindys Pineapple Paradise. The Vintage Doily dies by Sizzix were cut from copy paper.

Love Your Art is a Tiny

Text sticker by Cosmo Cricket. The bauble was a clearance item by Recollections.

I'm linking my page up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

A Secret Garden Thank You Pocket Card w/Tag

I've been wanting to buy

Graphic 45's new Botanical Tea collection, but instead I ordered Stationer's Desk from Prima. So to pacify my longing for some G45 flowery goodness, I pulled out what I have left of the Secret Garden papers and created a pocket card with a tag insert.

I wanted a place to tuck

a little something into a thank you card, so I made it a pocket card. Such a simple design and quick to do! I cut a 12" x 12" sheet into a piece 4" wide... scored at 2" and 7 1/2" and folded. I took my idea from this design here on the Sizzix blog.

I used the Doily Lace border 

punch by Martha Stewart on the top edge of my pocket and added a bit of lace and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. I fussy cut the rose and popped it up with 3-D foam squares. The flowers are from I Am Roses. The foliage was cut with my new Alterations Spring Greenery die, shaped with my tweezers, then shaded with Walnut Stain DI. I added a wide eyelet to the tag and looped on a piece of light peach seam binding that I distressed with Brushed Corduroy.

Have a wonderful Sunday, friends!

We've had a beautiful sunny day here in Ohio although it snowed on and off this morning and looked like we were going to have another gloomy day. Ahhhh... love that sun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

You And Me Layout

Here is a layout I created

yesterday with Prima and Alterations products. The photo is from our trip to Florida (Epcot's English garden to be exact) a couple of winters back. 

The papers are from Prima's

Delight and Lyric collections. As I started working an order arrived on our doorstep from The Funkie Junkie Boutique (fast service and great prices). I pulled out the die I ordered (above), and began cutting foliage. 

This is Alteration's Spring

Greenery. As you can see, I did a bit of shading with Brushed Corduory DI... loved the effect.

I also used their

Postage Stamp Frame (both the positive and negative cuts) and File Tabs dies. Then for a little flair, I cut a few flourishes with Die-namics Fancy Flourish. The Blessed sticker is an Idea-ology ChitChat.

The flowers are all from

I Am Roses and the metal filigree is from Recollections.

This foliage was cut with 

Martha Stewart's Branch punch.

The wide silver eyelet

is from We R Memory Keepers and the jump ring and bauble are Idea-ology.

The wood button is Prima Lyric.

Cold weather here again. The

Penmaker and I took a drive to the orchard in Walnut Creek to pick up apples (Ohio's finest) and grapefruit (obviously not from here) and nearly froze while shopping. I suppose I shouldn't have taken the wool lining out of jacket just yet... but it looked so pretty out there!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Next week is my mother's

birthday, and not wanting to wait until the last minute (my usual), I made her a card using Graphic 45's Secret Garden and Place in Time.

It's done rather simply,

with just the papers and I Am Roses flowers.

I made one of the mats

into a pocket and tucked in a couple small tags. I added a wide eyelet and green seam binding to one.

Made some foliage to

go with the flowers using Sizzix Branch w/leaves Sizzlet die and Martha Stewart's Branch punch.

Remember I told you we

were going to Ikea? Well when we met our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter there, Katie presented me with a card she had created for me.

She's ten now and doing

amazing with her crafting. I'm always thrilled to see what she makes... so proud of her!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

United And True Art Journal Page

This art journal page started

with two sheets of 6 x 6 paper from the Farmhouse Fair Skies Paper Pad... both of which I really didn't like and a piece of old dictionary paper. I tore them in strips, glued them to my page and gave it the once over with watered-down gesso. 

I scraped on a little heavy-

weight gesso. Getting out the molding paste, I applied a layer using Crafters Workshop Tile Texture stencil. I then tinted some of the paste with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink and put it down using CW Art Is stencil. I then sponged Brushed Corduroy around the page. Now my background was ready for some toppings.

I went through my scraps

and found a nice piece of My Minds Eye Heirloom and what was left of the dictionary paper I had used on the background. I sewed these together on my machine. I pulled a torn sheet of copy paper out of the trash can and cut a doily using the Alterations die... Distressed Doily. I sprayed it with Lindy's Starburst Clam Bake Beige.

A layer of Prima Music 

Sheet resist canvas distressed with Brushed Corduroy, a chipboard piece from the Fair Skies collection, a Graphic 45 Staples sticker butterfly, a heart cut from the My Minds Eye Heirloom collection and a rose trio applique. The banner sticker is from the Fair Skies collection topped with Recollections pearls. The sentiment is from the Idea-ology Seasonal Chitchat stickers pad. The lace, twine, seam binding and scrap of the French Lace paper doily are from my stash.

  

I trust you had a

relaxing weekend and are ready for another Monday. We awoke to the ground covered again with snow, but the day turned out quite beautiful and tonight we are back to a bare lawn and road.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Christmas Mini Album 1 - 6

page 1

This is a quick post...

Adelaide will be waking up at any moment to eat and grandma's got to be ready (who rules this household? lol... love it!)

 page 2

Page 3 is my gift list.

 page 4 & 5

I'm going to put my

cinnamon roll recipe on page 4 when I get a spare minute.

 page 5 inside flip up

 page 5 inside another flip up

 page 6 large double sided mat

page 6 a pull out double sided mat in pocket

Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

We are planning a trip to Ikea with our daughter and her family... more grandchildren time... YES!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda