Some Ustream Inspiration

Nearly everyday you'll

find me on Ustream or YouTube searching for inspiration. Yesterday I watched this show, then created this...

The background is

scraps from Basic Grey's 6x6 Basic Manila paper pad. I put this together following Limor's instruction only using the product I had on hand. I did have Golden's Cobalt Teal, but my Yellow Ochre is by Artist's Loft.

I stamped Unity's She

Was A Daughter onto a piece of copy paper and colored her up with Distress Ink... Bundled Sage, Evergreen Boughs, Peacock Feathers, Worn Lipstick, Vintage Photo and Tattered Rose. Fussy cut it and glued her to the page. I then did some stamping with Unity's She Art Doodles plus some of my own doodling with a Faber-Castell Pitt pen. Added some Black Soot DI around the edges and some using my Chevron Arrows stencil. 

I wanted to enter this

at Word Art Wednesday's weekly challenge, so I added the verse to my page. After it was totally done, I realized I had wrote Psalm 107:1-2 and of course, it is only 107:1. Am I asleep or what????? 

In spite of my mistake,

I'm still happy with the results... and I needed a day of journal play!

I'm linking my page at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day/Use a Quote

Word Art Wednesday - God's Goodness/Anything Goes

Thanks for the visit today!

Hugs!

Linda

In Everything Give Thanks

This is one of those

quick, hurry up posts that I need to get done NOW because the challenge is closing... yikes!...

Word Art Wednesday's "Give Thanks" challenge.

This paper is from the

Prima Fairy Belle collection and is called En Pointe. It's teamed with white and Chocolate Mocha cardstock from Core'dinations. I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink on the edges.

The flowers and leaves

are I Am Roses and the feathers came from Hobby Lobby.

The blue organza ribbon

is by Darice. The metal butterfly is from Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Sorry to have to run.

I just might get this in on time.

I'm linking my card to:
Crafting For All Seasons - Thank You Cards
Papercraft Star - A Thank You
Sentimental Sundays - Thanks/Thanksgiving
Tuesday Throwdown - Thankful For You
Word Art Wednesday - Give Thanks

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda 

Give Thanks

This is one of those

projects that just made me feel good to create. You know... where everything you've used came really cheap or free, and half of it was already put together when you started.

Let me explain...

1. The journal was purchased at Hobby Lobby at 40% off.

2. The leaves, tag and burlap string were given to me free along with a purchase made on Etsy.

3. The alphas came in a kit purchased at a discount. 

4. All the inks and paints used were bought on sale.

5. The white rings were made with a toilet tissue cardboard roll... have to recycle, ladies!

6. Most of the background was already down as I always use all my inks and paints from previous projects... like you see on that opposite page! Waste not, want not... an art journalists creed.

This all adds up to a "happy crafter"!

As, like I said, a lot

of the background was already on the page, I just sponged on some Vintage Photo and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. I laid down the Crafters Workshop Chevron Arrows stencil and spritzed with plain water, let it sit a minute, then dabbed with a paper towel and dried with my heat tool.

Added Vintage Photo

Distress Stain to the center of the white circles, then Ripe Persimmon went on using a CW Mini Chicken Wire stencil. I stamped on a verse from the TPC Studio Autumn Harvest clear stamp set (bought at 40% off last year) with Coffee Archival Ink.

I inked the edges of

the alphas and glued them down, highlighting them with Yellow Ochre acrylic paint. Applied the Alterations mini leaves and the tag/string that I stamped with Nov 22, 2012, our Thanksgiving Day in the US.

I real bargain, if I must say!

I'm linking my page to:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Crafting For All Seasons - Falling Leaves

Sentimental Sundays - Dimensions

Shopping Our Stash - Best Deal Ever or I Had To Buy It, It Was On Sale

Stamping Sisters In Christ - Colossians 1:3-5 Thankfulness or Prayer

The Play Date Cafe - #156 Cinnamon, Squash, Vanilla & Sage
Word Art Wednesday - Give Thanks

Thanks for the visit!

Hugs!

Linda

Rejoice... And A Pen

Do you ever struggle

while making a card? Sometimes I just can't seem to come up with the right combination of patterns or images/stamps. As was the case of this one. The Penmaker was working on one of his masterpieces to give to a friend, and he had asked me to make a Christmas card to go along with it. Naturally, I wanted it to be special... but had a total brain freeze. It took me two days of hard labor on this...LOL! Seriously... I did struggle, but I'm pleased with the results. I hope our friend will be also!

 I started with these 

patterns from the collection of Christmas papers from My Mind's Eye called All Is Bright.

The base is Kraft by 

Recollections and matted with a dark red from Core'dinations.

The cardinal is from

my new Artistic Outpost set called MidWinter.

I stamped it onto a

scrap of white cardstock and colored it using a Ranger Craft Nib and Festive Berries, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce and Vintage Photo Distress Inks plus Ink It Up's Cranberry. I fussy cut it, inked the edges with Vintage Photo and brushed on a coat of Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy. When it was dry, I adhered it to two layers cut with My Favorite Things Die-namics Layered Labels die set that I stamped with Rejoice (from an old Sweet 'n Sassy set).

Here is the point that

everything went awry... but I digress.

The Alterations Distressed

Doily, Pine Tree and Mini Pine Tree were all cut out of paper from the Core'dinations Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection pad, and the trees were embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots. I wrapped the tree trunks with May Arts brown burlap string.

There's a bit of cheesecloth

tucked under the tree here to give a snowy effect. A ChitChat sticker was put into the Label Pull... both are from Idea-ology.

I added bronze metal

corners from Momenta... popped up the trees with 3-D foam adhesive... and my two day card was complete.

Oops... I forgot to do the inside!

I already had the papers

in for the message, but I thought a verse should go inside as well. So out came the Layered Labels again, and I stamped them with Luke 2:11... For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Here is our completed set.

The pen is Black Ash,

and the clip has a Swarovski crystal in the tip.

I'm linking my card up with:

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Die Cuts/ Punches

Make It Monday - #114

The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

Prima Pixie

This verse from Psalm 94

is a new favorite of mine, so it just had to go in my art journal.

This page began with 

a piece of Prima's Nature Garden "Pixie" paper that I adhered with gel medium. Along the top and left edges, I rubbed on Forest Moss and Peeled Paint Distress Ink using the Dylusions Chequered Dots stencil. Then came Vintage Photo DI using the Crafters' Workshop Mini Punchinella stencil. With Jet Black Archival ink, I stamped the borders top and bottom with one of the stamps from Christy Thomlinson's She Art Doodles stamp set, then filled in down the left side using a black Faber-Castell Pitt pen. Grabbing another of Christy's stamps, I filled in some white space at the bottom with more Archival. Next I applied molding paste using CW Mini Tile Texture stencil.

Now for some coloring.

With Distress Inks, I shaded and colored in the flowers, stems and buds on the paper, just making them more to my liking. I applied Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed and Forest Moss with Ranger's Craft Nibs. 

The verse was stamped

on using an alpha set I bought at Michaels and Coffee Archival ink. I went over the letters with a black soft charcoal pencil, then smudged with my finger for a shadowing effect.

I finished up by sponging

Vintage Photo DI around the page edges.

I'm linking my page at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs!

Linda

In Thy Presence

I haven't done any

art journaling for a couple weeks. It's something I really need to stay up with... like stretches and exercises. It's vital!

This page started out

with a piece of primitive star tissue adhered with gel medium... some dry brushing with Yellow Ochre and Red Ochre acrylic paint. Shadowing on the stars with soft charcoal then a bit of stamping using Archival Jet Black ink and Stampers Anonymous Curious Possibility set. Grabbing my Crafter's Workshop Mini Punchinella stencil, I randomly laid down some Coffee Archival. Now a little finger painting with Titanium White acrylic for some highlights.

The text was stamped 

onto a book page that I glued to cardstock for reinforcement. It, too, was applied with gel medium... then outlined with my White Gelly Roll pen and shadowed with charcoal. I finished with Black Soot Distress Ink rubbed around the edges of my page. Quick and easy! 

I'm linking my page at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Be sure to visit Julie's

blog here and check out what's coming for December!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

What Do You Do On A Rainy Day

I am really loving

paper pads! I find when I have them on hand, I don't have to search for long to find what I want to put together. As with this ...

I pulled out these...

and created a card.

I did a little

machine stitching and distressing - Black Soot Distress Ink. From my stash, I added a paper doily and some teeny tiny buttons, along with May Arts Red Burlap String. Next came the fun stuff... a couple of blossoms from I Am Roses that I sprayed with Lindy's Stamp Gang Scintillating Silver Glitz Spritz.

The Prima bloom

is an old one... it got a mist of SS Glitz Spritz as well, and was teamed with an I Am Roses skeleton leaf and two pearl stick pins left over from my son's wedding.

Pretty simple... huh?

The verse on the Graphic 45 paper reads:

What do you do on a Rainy day,

Out in the pouring wet?

If your umbrella you have brought,

Laughing beneath you get!

Laugh, then, whether it's wet or fine,

It is your laughter gay

Makes the bright sun seem to shine,

Though 'tis a rainy day!

I thought of several occasion I can use this card for, and when the time comes, I will most likely add an additional sentiment at the bottom of the card.

I am entering my card in these challenges:

City Crafters Challenge - Be Inspired

Word Art Wednesday - Be Ye Kind

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

Basic Grey Clippings

Our daughter-in-law's

dad had a successful gallbladder surgery this week and I wanted to make a card to send along to him. To make the creating of it a little more interesting, I looked up some challenges and made the card to fit the specifications of each. Here is what it looks like...

I started with the new

Clippings paper from Basic Grey that I bought at Archivers on Monday. It's teamed up with Bazzill's Raven cardstock and a piece from my old faithful BG's Basics Manila 6x6 paper pad. The vintage music sheet is from my stash, and the Distress Ink I chose is Walnut Stain.

The Alterations Mini 

Ticket was cut from a piece of canvas from Canvas Corp. The Psalm 33:1 verse was this week's free art  from Word Art Wednesday.

The black burlap string is 

May Arts, and the brads are My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday collection as are the kraft button and banner. I also used Spellbinder's Nestabilities Large Standard Circles.

The challenges I'm entering are:

Crafty Ann's - #71 Circles

Frilly and Funkie - Get Crafty with Canvas

Sugar Creek Hollow - #23 Something Old, Something New
The Shabby Tea Room - #126 Soft Neutrals

Word Art Wednesday - #40

Have a fun evening. The

Penmaker and I are heading out for a Mexican dinner with our son, Seth.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

A New Song

I recently went through

 an envelope full of fabric samples from Country Curtains. Each time I've placed an order with them, I've ordered samples before hand to be sure the fabric was the right color, texture, etc. Over the years my collection of these treasured little swatches has grown and I haven't been able to part with a one, always thinking they will come in handy someday. Will guess what... that time has finally come! I'm breaking out the goodies and I'm going to use them. 

The first swatch I

chose is this delightfully silky bit. I believe the curtains were stripes... gorgeous fabric. 

I rubbed teal Artist's Loft acrylic paint on with my finger, let dry then covered it with some music note tissue paper adhered with Golden's soft gel medium. Applied the fabric the same way. I stamped the verse on a frame transparency with jet black Archival ink and glued it over the swatch.

I cut the Alterations

Mini Heart and the Vintage Market alphas using a very old sheet of red corrugated cardstock. I sponged Black Soot Distress Ink on the edges, and outlined the reference with my black Faber-Castell Pitt pen. Stamped on the poppies next, coloring them with Festive Berries, Wild Honey and Peeled Paint Distress Inks

The finished up with

sponging on Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink all around the edges of the page.

I'm happy as can be

that I finally found a use for my little material squares, and I think the good folks at Country Curtains would be pleased to know that their samples weren't thrown away. (By the way... nearly every window in our home is draped with curtains from Country.)

I'm linking my page to:

Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #39

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

Never Give Up

I had every intension

of making another card, but when I saw this quote by Winston Churchill as this weeks free word art at the Word Art Wednesday Challenge #38, I knew I just had to do a journal page with it.

My page started with

a torn sheet of Webster's Pages Yacht Club paper. I added color to the edges with Reeves water soluble wax crayons in Yellow, Sahara Yellow and Violet blending with a damp brush and my finger. Now a coat of white wash (watered down Liquitex Titanium White acrylic). Using the Mini Chicken Wire stencil from Crafter's Workshop, I dabbed on some Dusty Concord Distress Ink. Applied a bit of Wild Honey DI with a stamp from Stampers Anonymous Bitty Grunge set, and Black Soot DI sponged around the edges. Doodled over the rope with my Faber-Castell Black Pitt Pen. Finished up with lots of soft charcoal.

Never Never Never Give Up...

a good quote for all of us to remember when things get tough. I need this page handy to look at every now and then along with this verse...

 II Timothy 4:7

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

Thank you Karen, for the reminder.

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

J Is For Journey

This card is a combination

of My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday and Simple Stories Documented papers. I am crazy about anything kraft, and these papers fulfill that love. I hope our young friend that recently graduated high school will like it also!

The card base and

mat are of kraft from Core'dinations. The two brads I used are also from the MME Kraft Funday collection.

The car was cut with 

Alterations Mini Old Jalopy & Arrow Set and the cord is Divine Twine Baker's Twine from Etsy shop Endless Inkabilities.

I stamped the cap

with Jet Black Archival Ink, fussy cut it and popped it up with 3-D foam adhesive. Sponged Vintage Photo Distress Ink on all the edges. 

I had a Bible verse on the inside, but forgot to get a photo of it.

I'm entering my card at:

Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #36

Tuesday morning the Penmaker

and I were shopping for a new mat to put under my desk. My chair has wheels and is not very good on our carpet. My last two were purchased by the company I worked for, so we had no idea as to the cost. We had a rather rude awakening when we got the the mat section of the office supplies store and discovered that the style we needed was $69.95... for a floor mat???

While we stood there, mouths open, a stranger approached us. I assumed he worked there. He started up a conversation... now if you knew the Penmaker you wouldn't think this at all odd, because where ever we go, people always stop to talk with him... he just has a kind and friendly face, I guess. Well anyway, this man told us he had several mats he wasn't using in a storage unit at his business and if we wanted to drive over, he would give us one if we liked it. ARE YOU KIDDING!!! We went... turns out he was in construction, had a beautiful business he worked from and not only gave us a fabulous floor mat, better than any we ever had before, but insisted on carrying it to the car for us. The catch... absolutely none! 

The Lord is so good... what a blessing to start our day!

Thank you for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

What Time I Am Afraid,

After watching a You Tube

video, I attempted to make a similar background. My idea was then to post said video so you could enjoy and learn also. However, I can't find where I bookmarked it to... now how stupid is that????

Plan #2... I will try to describe how it's done...

Rub your Distress Ink 

pads (I used Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass) onto your craft mat and mist with water. Lay your page onto the inks picking up a good amount then dry with your heat tool. Repeat. Now using your sponge applicator, apply more full strength ink directly onto the page filling in all the bare areas... here I added Walnut Stain DI also. Using the Mini Time Travel Crafter's Workshop stencil, I dabbed on Navy Ink It Up Ink randomly on the pages. I then stamped script with Archival Coffee over all. Next I tore some pieces of an old dress pattern and applied them with Golden Soft Gel medium.

I cut this Alterations

Tick Tock die with copper sheeting, Kraft cardstock and Bo Bunny Timepiece Dot paper, piecing it together, gluing it down with Tombow Mono Multi glue, then edging and smudging with extra soft charcoal.

I fussy cut some of the

clocks from the Bo Bunny paper, edged them with Walnut Stain DI and applied with the Soft Gel. Did the same with the verse, then sponged more Walnut Stain onto the edges of the pages. Complete!

I'm entering my project at:

Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #35

Am also linking to:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for the visit!

Hugs!

Linda

Fairy Belle Love

I'm still working 

with Prima's Fairy Belle Collection and I'm entering today's card at the Word Art Wednesday Challenge #33. I really cut this one close as it ends on Tuesday. Check out the Design Team and Guest Designer's projects... fabulous!

 I added the Deuteronomy 

verse to the inside of my card because I wanted all of 32:2 through 4. Here it is...

I cut a doily with

the Alterations Vintage Doily Die and topped it with a 4inch paper one from my stash. I sponged Tattered Rose Distress Ink on the edges as well as on all the papers.

The crocheted lace

is by American Crafts and the ribbon from Michaels. The pearl baubles and mini paper clip are Ideaology, the heart trinket pin is by Maya Road and the flat-backed pearls are by Queen & Co. The feathers are from a mixed package I purchased at Hobby Lobby.

Deuteronomy 32:2-4

A few more shade garden  photos...

Looks like the old

clubhouse needs a coat of paint. It's funny in that this house was for our kids, but they didn't play in it that much. Now the grandkids are doing the same. The most expensive toys seem to be the least used ones. At least Cassidy likes hanging around it!

Thanks for the visit!

Hugs!

Linda