Gingersnap Creations - Embossing Powder Challenge

I have been wanting to participate in the challenges at Gingersnap Creations and have created this heart shaped minibook for their Spicy Supply Challenge #38 which is embossing powder. My background uses one of my favorite techniques - embossing powder resist. I sprayed the background watercolor paper with Glimmer Mists. The photos and the heart edges were edged with Versamark then sprinkled with embossing powder. One side effect (or maybe you could call it a "happy accident") of this technique on the photos printed on ink jet glossy photo paper, was that the emulsion got a little hot and cracked, but I think it adds to the vintage look. I also stamped into hot embossing powder to create the heart seals, and finally stamped and embossed on vellum for the labels under the pictures. Images: Luna Girl, Stamps: Stampers Anonymous, Inkadinkado, One Stamp Dreamer.

One World One Heart

I started my blog just over a year ago mostly because I wanted to participate in various challenges, but I never expected to make connections with people all over the world. I have loved the comments left about my various creative experiments and have been inspired to keep creating by seeing the wonderful work that my new blog friends post. I became aware of the One World One Heart event last year and thought it would be really fun to participate and continue to make connections and friends throughout blogland. You can check out the details of the event HERE which was started by Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian. So if you're on your magic carpet ride through blogland and have made a stop here, feel free to leave me a comment and enter my giveaway (My very first one!) for a handmade blank piano hinge mini-book for you to decorate! This is one of my most favorite things to make and it uses 4 1/2" ceramic tiles that are alcohol inked for the book covers. I had a decorated version of one of these books published in the Stampers' Sampler magazine. I know you would have fun decorating it - don't forget to leave a comment with your blog link or an email address - the drawing will take place on Feb.15.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

****ADDITION FEB. 6: Logged on to check my blog this morning and we've had more than 100 comments! Thank you all so much!!! I never expected to have that many entries, so to celebrate, I'll offer a SECOND prize of another book just like the first!!! Thanks again for all your comments :-)

Gothic Arches Alphabet Pages

I wanted to share pictures of some fun collages I completed this weekend for a project with my altered book group. The idea is to make gothic arched shaped pages using a theme of letters of the alphabet. We randomly drew letters and these are my 5. I'm really pleased with how they turned out and they're done a whole week in advance!

B is the first one above. My picture of Lina Cavalleri is from Digital Collage Sheets. I just love making cut up flower hats! I also added a cuttlebug embossed piece of foil tape on cardstock that I alcohol inked and sanded.

My next letter is N and I chose a numbers collage. This was fun to pick out stuff from my stash to utilize.

Next is T for Typewriter. I wanted an excuse to collage from Graphic45 paper.

W is for winter. I started with a Glimmer Misted background using snowflake screens, added crackle paint on the edges and acetate snowflakes adhered with picket fence stickles.

And finally Y for yellow. My little girl image is from Paper Whimsy, the butterfly stamp image from Piddix, and the tulip stamp from Oxford Impressions. This one also has a nice shimmery Glimmer Mist shine to it in real life.

Now I can't wait to see what everyone else creates - I think it will be a really fun book when they're all combined.

Art Creations Friday Challenge

This is a tiny canvas (about 2 3/4in square) used to create a shadow box for this week's challenge at Art Creations Friday. I thought I'd try stamping directly onto the wood and was pleased that it was a pretty crisp image (good old Versafine!!). I also played around with creating layered flowers from bits and pieces of Prima flowers and was able to make a rolled and folded rose from stray petals for her to hold in her hand. I placed a paper scrap into the frame's recess of a background created with embossing powder resist and Glimmer Mist - it seems like I try to fit pieces of those backgrounds in all kinds of projects - I just love that technique! Stamp credits: Prima and Hero Arts.

Theme Thursday - Hearts

This is my heart project for the challenge at Theme Thursday. I recently acquired this terrific stamp from Paperbag Studios and stamped it onto vintage text paper and embellished it with punched hearts from a scrap of an embossing powder resist with Glimmer Mist background (stamp used is Hero Arts brocade background). I also tried out a technique of paper transfer onto canvas after watching a video posted from Stampington. I used a patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket and Claudine Hellmuth's multi medium - this stuff is so fantastic for transfers!! Try it if you haven't - I get the best results with it.

Tag Tuesday - Happy Birthday

Here's my tag for Tag Tuesday this week - and a big Happy Birthday to Louise!! I've had this fun stamp from Art Declassified for awhile and hadn't used it yet so this was a good opportunity! I also had fun creating the flower using a folded big flower, pieces of another tucked in, and gems - don't all girls like "bling" for their birthday?

Art Creations Friday Challenge

This cute image from Art Creations Friday made me think of a flower girl/little bridesmaid. I added her to a piece of watercolor paper sprayed with Glimmer Mist which I then stamped a Stampers Anonymous flourish using a puddle of Glimmer Mist for my inkpad. There is also Glimmer Mist on the lace and painted onto the bouquet.

Theme Thursday - Paris

This is a skinny made for the challenge at Theme Thursday. Why does a Paris theme seem to cry out for red and black? It just seems to fit I guess. My image of Lena Cavallieri (oops she's Italian!) looked like someone dreaming of some far off place - maybe she was soon to be performing in Paris! Image: Digital Collage Sheets, Stamps: Oxford Impressions.

Tag Tuesday - Polka Dots and Stripes

I finally found some time to play and made this tag for this week's challenge at Tag Tuesday. My ticking stripe stamp is from B-Line Designs and my polka dots are stamped using the eraser end of a pencil - my favorite way to create polka dots! The girl image from Paper Whimsy even has a polka dot dress!!