A Reflection On "Being Grandma"...

I LOVE being a Grandma!  My grandboys are giving me the opportunity to be the Mother I "would have been" if I could do it all over again with more money, more time and more experience.  I recently had two of my grandboys for an entire week while their parents were off having a rest and it was NOTHING like back when I was raising my own children!  I had more patience and I had More Fun!  I didn't sweat the small stuff - and let's be honest, since I knew that they were eventually going home, it was a LOT easier to be patient! 

 

Today I wanted to share with you this layout of Grandson #1 all fresh and new, ready to start grade two...sigh.  He's going to be NINE in a few short weeks and it has just FLOWN by!  So I wanted to pass on this very important piece of advice to all you future Grandmas out there "DON'T WASTE A SINGLE MINUTE!!!" you have a very small window before hanging with Grandma isn't "cool" anymore so get in every single experience you can... it is so very, very SWEET!

I used myStamp Box Floating Leaves set and my watercolor paints to create this gorgeous background paper

Thanks for stopping by to look... and I would LOVE if you left me some "love" via the comment section of my blog...
Product Used in this Layout:
myStampBox Floating Leaves stamps
core 'dinations Sandables cardstock
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper String
Basic Grey Brads
Watercolor paints
Clear embossing powder
Tsuniko Gingerbread ink for edges
Tim Hotlz tiny fastener

Doodling, Stamps and Watercolors... WHO KNEW?!

I would like to dedicate this page to one of my favorite instructors - SUSAN K. WECKESSER for showing me how to access my Inner Doodler!!  This layout is a combination of Doodling, Stamping and my very first efforts at watercolor backgrounds... I Love it!! Sigh...

I am also submitting this layout as an entry into Susan's April, Create to Live Challenge on her Blog, check it out you have until the end of the month for this one and there is a new challenge every month.

More than a year ago I took an amazing scrapbooking class from Susan Weckesser about doodling on your scrapbooking layouts.  Susan is one of "our own", a Canadian artist, instructor, scrapbooker, photographer and business woman with her own line of paper, stamps and stencils (of which I own most and LOVE them ALL!)  You can check out more about Susan HERE!  

Now, I struggled in that class and by the end of it my page looked a lot like the top of my desk in grade 10, small scribbles everywhere and NOT what I was hoping to achieve. I was a little discouraged, but I did not stop and for the past year or so, I have kept at it acquiring some doodling confidence, being less critical of myself and getting bigger and more colorful... and now LOOK WHAT I MADE!!

Thanks for stopping by to share... and now please go Leave me Some Blog LOVE in the form of a comment!

Smeared And Smudged Design Team Throwdown #4... Leather and Lace!

Well here we go AGAIN... it's the fourth round of the Smeared and Smudged Design Team Throwdown  - Leather and Lace!  But first a HUGE Congrats goes out to Haunted Design House for winning Round #3 - Mini Albums.  This week's challenge is right up my ally as I have been playing around with leather tooling these past few months, but STAMPING ON LEATHER... Who KNEW!! For this challenge I created my own personal Leather Art Journal... all serious and leather on the front cover and colorful and lacy on the back! 

To create my journal cover image I stamped the image onto a piece of leather using Stayzon ink and stained bits of it with leather dyes.  I then cut out the image using my Tim Holtz scissors and glued it onto my cover using E6000 glue.  It all worked like a darn!

For the back cover I gesso'ed some thick cardboard let it dry and then sprayed it with my Dylusions sprays.  I used a thick layer of mod podge and pressed the black lace right into it.  I LOVE how the colors peek through the lace.  Some Grungeboard letters sprayed with more Dylusions and glued down using more E6000 and voila - My new ART JOURNAL dedicated to Doodling! And Inspired by my amazing artist friend Janet Joehlin because she doodles DAILY and shares her results - you HAVE to check out her BLOG!

Now the inside cover was pretty beat up so I decided rather than covering it up I would create a sort of Graffiti wall with sayings that mean something to me and my first page is of course more Dyan Reaveley stamping and my own version of Doodled Hair... a Great start don't you think! 

Now don't forget to go check out all the entries this week at Smeared and Smudged and VOTE!... Here' s the LINK....

A "Use Your Stash" Challenge...

Over at the Simply Create TOO blog this week it's a "Use Your Stash" Challenge and it has actually caused me to share this project I have been working on that used A LOT of my Stash... and resulted in an amazing piece for my Studio Wall!  

It started with a can of these super cute chipboard letters that were missing only the "M" and the "E"... Missing ME?  

 

Which lead me to remembering one of my most favorite Dr. Seuss sayings...  "Remember, BE who you ARE, those that mind DON'T Matter and those that MATTER Don't Mind." And with a little bit of red paint and some mod podge I made this lovely canvas in NO Time... But now I needed an equally great Frame....

Which caused me to finally USE an old frame I had bought at a secondhand store on holidays years AGO... which I doctored up  with Distress Inks and crackle paint and finished with some bronze inks.

Which caused me to finally break open my metal flowers that I have been SAVING for three years and this caused me to use up a whole WHACK of paper and cloth flowers and brads and buttons 

and beaded pins and even some wooden elements I found in a dollar store last summer!

So you can see how this project should have put a serious dent into my stash.... maybe if I made 10 or 12 more you would be able to SEE it... Grin.  I Challenge you to go a little crazy and use up some of your stash this week!

PS: I entered this project into the Simply Create Too Challenge #35 - Use Your Stash

"EveryT'ing is Gonna Beee All Right!"

This month's myStamp Box Design Team All-play is a color challenge, and as soon as I saw this image I thought Cheerful & Uplifting, Effervescent .. Just like ME!

Now, I am a positive person and just like "PollyAnna" in the Disney film of the same name I can almost always find some kind of silver lining in even the most dour of circumstances.  But I do have days when I feel like the world has gone grey or even worse, Black, and it's on those days that I need a little reminder that everything happens for a reason and that it will all turn out in the end.  So I created this cheerful and uplifting little tag to hang on my studio wall to remind me that there is a plan and things typically turn out fine!

the myStamp Box stamp sets on this tag: Lovely Houses; Fleurishing Punctuation; and Wishing You Sunshine

I am so happy YOU stopped by to share in my sparkly optimism for the future and I would love it if you left me a comment sharing how you raise your spirits when they are down.  And please stop by the myStamp Box design team blog to see what my fellow members have created using this color pallette.  And remember.... "Everyt'ing is Gonna Beee, all right!" (Imagine steeldrums and regae music here - grin.)

Creatures of the Night!.. Drunken Stampers Challenge #124

It's time to make a Scary Card! The Drunken Stamper design team challenge for this week is the Movie Twilight OR Creatures of the Night... (can you hear the creepy organ music... Grin).  Just make a card using either or both of these themes, take a photo and post it to your blog and then attach your blog post to the Drunken Stampers Lounge using our Linky Tool... That's It!  You will be entering to win the coveted "Life of the Party" Blinky... Come ON, join in the fun... you have until this Friday to play!

I had so much fun with this theme I made THREE cards.... here they are... ENJOY!

The LIEBSTER AWARD!

Oh MY GOSH!!!  I was absolutely blown away this passed week to have received the Liebster Award from my fellow Drunken Stampers designer Chris of CRISPY'S CREATIONS!  She is an amazing crafter with an irreverent sense of humour and I just LOVE all she creates as well as her Blog so to have received this from her BLOWS ME AWAY! 

This award was designed to promote blogs that have less than 200 followers. Once the award is accepted, the idea is to pay it forward to five other blogs you enjoy, encouraging others to visit, leave comments, and hopefully follow.

To accept the award: Thank the person who gave it to you and link back to their blog. Post the award on your blog. Give the award to five other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Write a comment on their blog letting them know they have been nominated.

Well, I have spent a gruelling few days creating a short list of five bloggers to pass this wonderful award on to and believe me it was TOUGH! but here it is - my list and why:

Janet Joehlin  - Happy Reminders: Janet and I met at Brave Girls Camp in June, 2012 and she created this blog shortly thereafter to share her journey of creativeness as she allows herself to be an ARTIST... she is an AMAZING Artist (as you will see) and my creative juices just start flowing every time I read her blog and see her work!

Susan K. Weckesser - My Sweet Earth:  I met Susan at a Crop 4 Kids scrapbooking event in Calgary about three years ago and we spent a wonderful hour together where she shared with me her story of just having left a career as an art teacher to follow her dream of being a full-time artist.  I have been following her closely over the past three years and Susan now has a wonderful line of stamps with Unity Stamp Company, stencils, a paper line and now I hear is launching another line soon... I absolutely LOVE everything she does and I LOVE that she is (to me) a Canadian success story!  Check out her blog, smile.

Jill Hildebrand - Create This: I met Jill over five years ago on my very first scrapbooking cruise in 2009 and I have been following her ever since.  She is the instructor that CHANGED MY LIFE (well my scrapbooking life! grin) and I still hear her voice in my head saying 'Commit Lynne, Commit! Just GLUE IT DOWN!" LOL) She is another amazing Canadian woman, mother, farm wife, substitute teacher and ARTIST with a unique style that is all her own...Everything she does always includes her family and I love following her and their life on her blog as well as getting amazing inspiration from her work.

Jaine Drake - Confessions of a CraftAholic:  I have just recently begun following Jaine - she is on the myStamp Box design team with me this term and she resides in Luxembourg, Germany.  I love EVERYTHING Jaine does and she is amazingly prolific! You just have to check out her Blog!

Melanni Partridge - My Garden of Eden:  I met Melanni about two years ago at a scrapbooking weekend in Calgary just after she had moved here and had not yet really connected with anyone in our crafting/scrapping community... and we have been on a wonderful journey of sharing and learning ever since!  This year we both decided to dip our toe into the world of art journaling and creative canvases and following Melanni's blog as she shares her journey on this very "Outside-her-box" medium is inspiring.  If you've ever said to yourself... "No, I couldn't possibly do THAT!" Please come check out Melanni's latest creations -  you will be Inspired!  

 

"RE-Purposing" ... What a GREAT Word!

Since I turned 50 I have found that I have been trying to find a use for things before I just throw them away.  It used to be called "being thrifty" but these days we have a new word:  RE-PURPOSING:  to find a alternate use for an unwanted item to make it WANTED again!  I just LOVE this word!!

myStamp Box set used: Wishing you Sunshine; Fluerishing Punctuation; and Lovely Houses

Today I am sharing with you how I Re-purposed some old playing cards, turning them from garbage into little pieces of happiness by creating mini-truth cards.  A Truth Card is a  message from the Universe that speaks to your soul.  You can create one for yourself or someone you care about.  A truth card is always uplifting and NEVER preachy, it comes into your life at just the right time and speaks directly to your heart.  It is a wonderful gift to receive a truth card and nothing makes ME feel more loved and cared about than getting one unexpectedly! 

to create these mini canvasses I covered the front and back of each card with gesso and allowed them to dry overnight.   I then used my dylusions sprays, stencils and babywipes to create different colored backgrounds.  On some cards I used my Fluerishing Punctuation stamp set to create a second background. I then stamped and colored various myStamp Box images and used Mod Podge as both a glue and a sealer.  I typed some of my "truths" out on the computer using a wonderful old typerwriter font called "my Underwood" and others I just used my colored pens to doodle.  You can use whatever method appeals to you.

  

Here are a few tips before you start:  Use a waterproof ink for stamping like Archival or Stayz-on.  And if you use water soluable inks and sprays or watercolor paints like I did, remember the Mod Podge will cause the colors to run and smear, so to prevent this I apply one thin coat of mod podge to my card very delicately without brushing back and forth and allow it to dry.  This seals the inks and sprays so I can apply a second thicker coat, or paste on the sentiments at this point without fear of smearing the inks. 

 

That's It... you can decorate your truth cards any way you choose, you can do one side or both, many truths or just one... the sky is the limit.  

If I am making a truth card for myself I like to put it somewhere that I can see it everyday, like my bathroom mirror.  If I am making one for a friend I don't "overthink" the sentiment but let the Universe guide my hand.  It is amazing to me how many times it is the absolutely RIGHT "truth" at the perfect time.  But don't believe me, try it for yourself today ane then come back and leave me a comment .... I'd LOVE to know how it worked for you!

So Lynne, Tell Us How You REALLY Feel!

Well our Drunken Stampers design team is still hanging in there and giving it our BEST for this third round of the Smeared and Smudged Design Team Throwdown 2013... This weeks challenge: Mini Albums - no larger than 4 inches containing at least 5 pages.  

You can see all the DT entries over at the Smeared and Smudged forum and I would LOVE if you would go check them out and vote for us!  You’ll need to be a member of the forum to vote but it’s fast and easy. Voting is open until Friday, April 12th at midnight!  

This is what I came up with It's a MatchBook Album and I absolutely LOVE it!  It is sooo ME... Grin.  I used only my Dyan Reaveley Dylusions stamps, stamped with Archival Ink onto water color paper and painted with my watercolors. I used lots of ModPodge as both an adhesive and sealer and a black waterproof marker to doodle around my pages.  I had a lot of fun with the cover using gesso and a plastic fork to create some texture, and acrylic paint in two colors and some bubble wrap to create some interest.   

I think I am going to keep it in the bathroom for guests to read (Bigger Grin).... So without Further ado.. here it IS:

 

 

 So that's It Now PLEASE click on over to the Smeared and Smudged forum; Become a Member and VOTE!  Voting is open until Friday, April 12th at midnight!  

It's Raining It's POURING....

It's Time to PLAY at the Drunken Stampers Lounge again... come and join me for Challenge #122... "Singing in the Rain" OR "Umbrellas"!  Make a card using either or both of these two themes, take a photo and post it to your blog and then attach your blog post to the Drunken Stampers Lounge using our Linky Tool... That's It!  And you will be entering to win the coveted "Life of the Party" Blinky... Come ON, join in the fun... you have until Friday!!!

Here is what I created using some Ranger stamps by Dyan Reavley and Tim Holtz and some watercolor paints....   Waaaay tooo Fun!

Some Spring Sunshine... on a Canvas

For my blog post for myStamp Box this month I thought I would create a little sunshine as we longingly await the arrival of spring here in Alberta, snug up against the Rockies.  It has been a loooooong winter and we are more than ready for some beautiful Alberta blue sky and the sound of birds in the morning.

I had so much fun creating this little 6"x6" canvas that came together in less than two hours, and I used some pretty simple techniques that I am going to share with you now!  The background is an old paper towel I pulled out of the garbage that I had used to blot my blue/green watercolors, which I separated into two thin sheets, tore into strips and ten mod podged onto the canvas.  I cut out butterflies from the Little Yellow Bicycle's Bloom paper pack and stamped and cut out clouds and the sun and the sentiment from myStamp Box "Wishing you Sunshine" set, and I used mod podge both as a glue and a sealer once all was in place.  I popped the butterflies using foam tape and used yellow and diamond stickles right over top of the mod podge to add that little bit of glitter that I always seem to need.   And Now I have a little bit of sunshine hanging in my house as I wait for the arrival of Spring!  Why not pop on over to the myStamp Box blog and see what else you can make to welcome Spring!

It's an ARTchix BLUE ATC Swap AND My First EVER Give Away!

Have you checked out "ARTchix Studio" yet?  In my opinion these women have created the ultimate arty, scrappy store and they provide us with some truly unique products and classes as well as great customer support and service.  They even have a tab called "Inspiration"!  You can check them out here ARTchix Studios

This month I am participating in their "BLUE" ATC swap... For the first time ever I created seven Artists' Trading Cards (2.5" x 3.5" cards) in the theme "blue".  I was required to use at least one ARTchix product, but since they have the most amazing digital ephemera that you can download right to your own computer after purchasing... that was pretty easy to do!  I have to say the miniature canvas was a bit of a challenge, but once I realized my card was a mini scrapbook page I had no problems.  I am now mailing six of these cards off to Nikki Smith in Oregon and she will sort through all the ATCs she receives and mail me back six cards ATCs created  by other people from all over the world... HOW COOL IS THAT!  But since I made SEVEN ATC's I thought I would do a little give-away... just leave me a comment on this post by April 10th and I will do a random draw for the 7th ATC and mail it off to YOU! (if you want one....grin)

 

Water color paint background and silver foil

Heavy bodied paint and a platic fork for the background and a taperunner and gold foil... waaaay cool!

Gelatos gave me the blue background and modpodge and silver foil gave that great distressed look

Heavy body paint and double sided sticky rubons with a silvery foil gave me this simple yet elegant look

Water colors and tape runner with goild foil

So Good LUCK everyone.... Leave a comment if you want a chance to have one of these ATC's...Grin