Feed Your Soul

Here is the first completed set of pages for my brand new art journal!

Totally channeling Anna Debrowska for this...

...I had to use the new techniques I learned from her this past weekend along with a few of my favorite old ones including some certain supplies used.

The pages started out as cut pieces of paper from the longitude and latitude portion of a giant hard bound atlas. I used TONS of bits n bobs, some cast and some original pieces to form my wave of Magic. There are also some Prima flowers, Ideology gears and game spinner, Making Memories frame, and a clothespin spring. I used black soot distress stain to distress the edges as well as paint through the Gauche Alchemy star punchinella mask. 

I misted over the goodies with Charcoal Chalkboard glimmer mist by Tattered Angels, and dry brushes gesso over the top. The Umbrella man is Tim Holtz's sizzix die cut out of black cardstock and highlighted with gesso. 

I used Amazing Mold Putty to cast some of my favorite resin pieces.. a giant button, lots of smaller buttons, a cameo.. etc. They can easily be seen here:

Of course I used VLVS! Stamps... "Art is the last form of magic that exists"

and "feed your soul" both stamped in ranger archival jet black

well??

Mixed Media LOVE

I can't believe how much I love mixed media and the different styles associated with paints, mists, collages, found objects and anything and everything else that goes into it!!

This weekend I had the utmost pleasure of meeting one miss Anna Debrowska aka Finnabair, who taught a mixed media journal class at Treasured Memories in California. 

here we are together:

It was all I could do to not be a screaming little fan girl.. not talk her head off.. not stalk her and not just pack her up and take her home with me. I must say I was very well behaved! 

Here is the journal we made:

And here is the background for a set of pages for the inside! I've always used vintage photo distress stain for my "tea stained" look.. but anna says go straight for the tea! it's the only thing that actually LOOKS like tea. and I must say.. it was fun splattering a big bowl of tea! 

And she had the most ingenius idea of adding a pocket to the end of your journal for ephemera, bits n bobs, inspiration pieces and mementos from trips as journal page starters! In mine I've got a bit of prima paper from our kit, our beach parking stub and two embossed pennies from the trip. 

It was truly magical watching Anna work.. basking in her creative process was astounding and I'm so thoroughly happy to have been able to do it! I'm excited to gather a few more supplies from the class and get started on some of my own pieces of work!

And of course I couldn't NOT represent VLVS! --- I used the chicken wire background and the birds on a wire stamp :) They're both in Archival black.. without a block though, so that they're grungy sort of "misstamped" on purpose! 

"Us"

A recent art journal page:

Supplies used: Clairefontaine journal, spiced marmalade distress ink, charcoal tattered angels glimmer mist, Viva Las VegaStamps! chicken wire background, gesso, art blanche alphas, black memento reinker, 7gypsies file tab, woven ribbon from my friend Paula!, a star punchinella from Gauche Alchemy. 

If you haven't heard...

Yesterday morning I got a bit of GREAT news....

I've been chosen as one of the May Arts Ribbonistas!!! YAHOO!!

Here's the list ;)

Prima Ribbonistas

Written:

• Candy Rosenberg
• Charlene Driggs
• Christina Colón
• Gini Williams Cagle
• Jen Shears
• Jennifer Ingle
• Karen Baker
• Monica Edwards
• Nicole Martel
• Virginia Fynes

Video:

• Alexcia Patterson – Schroll
• Erika Taylor
• Kendra Wiggins
• Leah Farrar-White
• Sandy Allnock

Cameo Ribbonistas

Written:

• Erin Thiem
• Jenifer Cowles
• Johanna Descoins
• Lalo IK
• Marie Otake
• Montina Burt
• Vera Wirianta Yates

Video:

• Ashley N Newell
• DeeDee Catron
• Susan Lui

I'm very excited to be working for May Arts and all their gorgeous ribbons! Can't wait to do my first (or second..) video! :) 

Big prima giveaway by Ingvild Bolme!

Miss Ingvilde is having a ginormous prima giveaway to celebrate the new look of her fabulous blog! 

Something I'm working on...

First off I just noticed...... THIS: 39999 pageviews

WOW WOW WOW..

Thank you all! Thank you for your sweet comments, and encouragement, your continued reading and your support :) 

I recently had a request for some resin clouds.. and as I've been pulling them out of the mold I couldn't help but mess around with a couple... check this out:

available in the etsy shop this weekend :)

Full Reveal of the WOW Piece (AT CHAAAAAAAAAA!)

I just saw THIS POST showing WOW's CHA booth! CAN YOU SPOT THE PIECE?!?

I'm not even on their DT.. or really affiliated.. I'm just so GIDDY about having projects @ CHA, again!!

Products used: WOW embossing powder, Bobunny vintage double dot, kraft paper, Basically Bare oh so minis, pennant pieces and fanciful frames 2, Tattered Angels glimmer mist and glimmer glaze, half pearls, UmWowStudio resin owl, UmWowStudio Peony, UmWowStudio July Kit floral spray, gesso, baker's twine, various glues

CHA Bound Sneak Peek! and a July Kit Project

Being on Design Teams really presents you with some wonderful opportunities.. and in this case it was way out of left field.. 

WOW embossing powder needed some booth fillers, and they asked the Basically Bare DT to help them out :) 

So here is a sneak peek of a piece that will be in the WOW booth - and yes... that IS part of the UmWowStudio July Kit :) -- though I doubt that will be mentioned at CHA ... lol. 

Dear Child - Let your creativity SOAR tag

I recently got the chance to work with some fabulous Gauche Alchemy pieces.. they put together vintage and ephemera kits. Super fun!! I teamed up the VLVS! DT with the GA DT and fun was had by all :)

here is my finished piece for the team up:

p.s... yes.. that is my Goobaloo bent down coloring with chalk :) he loves it so!!

I used the Bird In Flight stamp from VLVS! and I used a star punchinella from GA as a mask. I also used some beads from a trim they sent me to form my clouds. Which by the way are held together using Gel Medium! What a super neat effect it is has so thick and "gloopy".

I also used Distress Ink in walnut stain, broken china, and pine needles, the TH ray embossing folder, TH soar alphas and bubbles, TH tags die, memento ink, white cardstock, an american crafts pen, turquoise wire, water, crystal lacquer, pop dots, hot glue and recycled packaging.

I'll be entering this in the Layered challenge @ SimonSaysStampandShow as well as the pastels with a pop of color challenge @CropChocolate.com 

How do YOU Measure Success?

In being happy with yourself?

By the amount of work you get done?

by reaching end goals in general?

I think today success means to me... having five projects attend CHA for 2 different booths :) 

Four in the HobbyBaby/Globecraft Memories Booth - and one in the WOW Embossing Powder booth!

I'll share sneak peeks throughout the week and let you know where you can find such goodies :) 

May Arts - Round 2!

Our round 2 submissions are due Friday for May Arts.. Yay for getting it done before the last second :)

For my submission I've chosen to do a wedding ensemble. I gathered supplies to make a ring barer's pillow, a cuff (either as a gift for the bridesmaids or for the Bride) and a hair piece.

First off we need a gorgeous center piece for our ring barer pillow.. And May Arts Ribbon certainly fills that slot! Prima had a flower called the Gatsby Collection in which they used ribbons folded over and tied in the middle to create a flower, but they were sort of flimsy and didn't have much body. Using May Arts Ribbon gives us an endless supply of possibilities in texture, color, material and width making our flowers absolutely customizable to whatever we're working on. For this particular flower I chose three substantial sturdy ribbons eliminating the need for tulle or other "fillers".

The three used for this portion of the project are:

350 5/8"x50y SHEER/RUFFLE EDGE (350-58-94)

384 3/4"x20y LACE/PEARL CENTER

and the
SD 3/8"x50y - SOLID/CENTER DOT

The ribbons are wrapped around a center spot and tied together. They're fluffed and spread apart to mimic petals on a flower and are finished off with a pretty center. You could use stamen, vintage jewelry, beads, and anything else. I chose to use two pearls and a bicone bead. Here's a video with the details:

And here is the whole ensemble:

I also utilized two other ribbons by May Arts:

.398 2.5"x10y Burlap/Wired
and the
392 58"x10y SHEER / BOX PLEAT (392-58-09)

as well as pearls, a bicone bead, burlap thread, muslin, glue, a needle, thread and a sewing machine, pillow fluff, vintage buttons, cardstock, cheese cloth and vintage photo distress stain.

If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them :)
-DeeDee

Kit Reveal!!

Introducing.. AROUND THE WORLD!

Here is my limited edition July 2012 handmade embellishment kit

You get:

One distressed vintage map tag

One untouched ivory shipping tag

One hand twirled vine with glittery leaves

Two lime green bobunny double dot vintage roses

One bobunny double dot leaf

One miniature kraft leaf

One 16 inch longitude/latitude banner/bunting

One 8 inch vintage map bunting/banner

One kraft weathered clock die with hands

One cast Globe resin piece

One cast Ship resin piece

One wood burned map square

One layered paper and chipboard hot air balloon

Three vintage sewing pattern flowers with cast resin buttons

All materials used are acid free so preserving your memories is easy!

Shipping is $3 to the US, $5 to Canada and $6 anywhere else ♥

--RETIRED--

Wellllll... is it what you were expecting?? :) 

Around the World Sneak #3

Each kit has one set of these cute little resin pieces..  a globe and a ship for all your traveling needs =) 

Around The World Sneak #2

umm YES PLEASE!!

Each kit comes with one full set, one large, one medium and one small vintage pattern paper with resin buttons in turquoise and white :) And if you need extra, they're also listed in my etsy shop :) 

Giveaway WINNER!!

I used Random.org to tell me who gets the random set of flowers... and it came up with

Send me a private message, Sheri and we'll get you a set of flowers :) Be sure to browse my Etsy and have your set picked out!

Around the World - Sneak One

Check these puppies out!! You get one vintage map tag with my signature distressing!

Available 5 for $4 in the etsy shop in case you need extra :) 

Introducing.. Around The World!!

I know I know.. I'm a day late.. and a buck short ;) - I broke my glasses last night.. so I'll blame my tardiness on that ;)

Anyways.. here is AROUND THE WORLD!!!

I made the collage, but the photos I did not take.

photo source : - | - | - | - | - | -