Sharing "My Tin of Awesome"...

If you have been following me you know that this year (2015) I am committed to doing ART for MEEE... and so I have signed up for Life Book 2015. (Find out more about Life Book HERE).  One of our first Bonus lessons was to create a "Joy Jar" the idea being that throughout the year, when ever you do something joyful or receive something joyful or just FEEL GOOD about something, you jot it down on a slip of paper and put it in your jar, which you then open on the first day of the following year and review all the joy you have received... GREAT IDEA Huh?

So as I didn't have a jar handy but I DO HAVE lots and lots of Coffee Mate tins... So I created "My Tin of Awesome"! Which says:

"if it makes you Happy...If it makes you proud... If it matters... WRITE IT DOWN!

I am sharing this with you for my February Design Team post over at Altered Eclectics, where Anything Goes all the time as long as it is an Altered Item or New Creation, but NOT a Card or Scrapbook Page or ATC.

And because I am always looking for scraps of paper that I can USE - becasue in a room FULL ofpaper there is never a piece I can just USE (grin), I also added a tiny pouch full of slips so I can jot things down IMMEDIATELY!  

Here are some more views of my tin: 

which I covered in scraps of paper, added texture over top of that using my stencils and modeling paste; and then covered the entire thing with gesso and used my Tim Holtz Distress Stains to color in the panels...

(so WHY Did I cover it in paper first? 'cause that's the process- Grin).

I find that having this tin sitting on a shelf in my Studio helps me to focus on all the joyful and good things in my life so that I can keep putting slips in My Tin... and I encourage you to go create something similar for yourself, 

and if you do why not share it with us over at Altered Eclectics? You have until the end of the month (February 28th) to link up!

As always, thanks for popping to see what I am up to, and if you like what you see... let me know in the comments section...Smile.

Cheers!

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

Spreading a Bit of Sparkle & Joy...

Today I want to share a bit of sparkly JOY I created to send out to some of my friends who need a bit of extra loving this month.

All the inspiration for these pieces came directly from Unity Stamps {BE INSPIRED} Challenge for this month (running until February 11th), and from the two stamps I used from Unity's September 2014 Kit of the Month (KOM).

Now the following is a brief description of what I did and a very "photo heavy" bit so you can see the changes as each layer was added. This New-for-Me format of description first and lots of photos to follow is inspired by an amazing "Artiste" Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith, whose blog I am now following. You should ABSOLUTELY check her out  at Inky Dinky Doodle out of the UK. Smile

To create these pieces I started with a piece of cut up a piece of scrap cardboard that I collect (hoard?) to use for my embellishments, to which I applied a layer of gesso. When it had dried I played with my Faber Castell gelato's, adding and taking away color using my spray bottle and paper towels, until I had a soft, swirly background. To soften the colors a bit more I sprayed a layer of Tattered Angels' Marshmallow glimmer mist over it all.   

 

Next I stamped my main images onto white tissue paper using a black Archival ink and used a Liquitex matte fluid medium to apply them to the backgrounds, and after they had dried (it only takes minutes with this product).

I used my Twinkling H2O's to add a soft layer of color to the stamped images. After everything had dried one more time, I added a final bit of even more sparkle with my Ranger's Stickles and CTMH Liquid Glass. 

For me the sentiments are added at the very end of the process, selected specifically for each of the people I am sending them to.  I again used the stamped tissue technique and adheared them using a matte fluid medium - in this case Liquitex.

For this particular tag I stamped my images onto 140lbs watercolor paper and painted them with Twinkling H20s and then adhered them to the card using foam pop dots, which adds another layer of dimension and interest.

For this card I applied several layers of stamped tissue paper overtop of one another and then I "jeweled" only the dragonfly so the effect is to make that image pop off the page.  Swoon!

I love the overall effect of this technique... each dragonfly looks like a bit of jeweled loveliness and the subtle shimmer of the background enhances rather than competes.

 

I am linking this up to the Unity Stamp's {Be Inspired} Challenge (FEb. 11th)

and to the Southern Girls Challenge - Sparkle & Shine (Feb 10th) for this month so wish me luck!

As always Thanks for Popping by to see what I am up to and please do leave me a comment if you like what you see!

Cheers

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

Today, Hug Someone You Love, OK?

It is with a subdued energy that I type today's post... I received the news of someone's passing that has deflated my usually boyant and energetic personality.   It was expected, which doesn't make it any easier to bear, Sigh, and it was not expected today.  For me this news was a reminder again to BE GRATEFUL for what I have in my life (instead of moaning about what I don't have).  And to remember that Life Really Truly IS about LOVE - Who we Love, How we Love and How we allow ourselves to be LOVED back.

I created this canvas to express how I am feeling right now because sometimes there are just not enough words, and this image Phyllis Harris created with this Unity stamp (Your Wings Exist) says it so beautifully and gives me comfort when I am feeling  low today.  It is also a reminder to me that the energy that created this amazingly beautiful world we live in will always be there to hold us in the "palm of it's hand".

I am sharing this with all my friends at Unity for Friday's "Friends with Flair" ... and I am asking if you will please hug someone you love for Me today, OK?

"Nameste"

Scrapbook Lynne

What's on YOUR Workdesk Wednesday - WOYWW #295

It's WOYWW#295 over at the Stamping Ground!!! Ok, this morning I am coming CLEAN, because I just don't have time to CLEAN UP!  I know I am blessed to have this FANTASTIC space to play in ... but the down side is I also have more room to spead out into and get MESSY! Grin

So here is what My Space REALLY looks like when the creative juices are flowing, the husband is out of town for the week and I don't even have to get dressed (let alone clean up ... Big Giant GRIN!)

And here is what I was working on last night and will be working on all day today... creating a Special "You Are Loved" tin for a dear friend... 

I am stamping these Suzi Blu images onto pages of a Maya Anjelou book and painting them with Twinkling H2O's and I will then be applying them to that altered tin in the background - I think it will be SWEET!

And for those of you that popped in last week and want to know, here is what I did over top of my canvas covered in personal journaling and inky paper towels... which I created for my Life Book 2015-Lesson #4.

And here is where my birdies are right now... awaiting a quote I want to add to them...

and here is me ... still in my housecoat at 11:00 am on a winter morning in Canada!

Thanks for popping in today and yes PLEASE, do leave me a comment if like what you seeeee!  And if you haven't already... pop over to the Stamping Ground to see what people all over the world have on their work desks this Wednesday!!!

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

It's a Snarky Anniversary Celebration!

ONE YEAR .... Whooo Hooo! It's been one year since the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers was born and one year that I have been creating cards for this awesome site!  Again WHO KNEW being on a design team could be this much fun?!?  As a group we are just as snarky, silly and sarcastic "in person" as we are on our bi-monthly posts and it has been soooo much fun hanging out with this amazing group of creative snarky sisters!  ((hugs to my PEEPS!))

For our First Anniversary we thought we would do "The Best of Edna" and make it a SNARKER'S CHOICE!  So pick your favorite from this list of all the challenges we did this year and make a card!  I picked "Z" is for Zoo.... because I must have missed that one...

This is a valentine card that I have created for my hubby this year.  I am totally safe showing you because he NEVER reads my blog... no really... NEVER!  (grin)  Inside it says "Thanks for being my living, breathing animal!"  He'll LOVE It!

Now for those that want to know, I used these awesome Stampin' Up block stamps I scored at a garage sale a few years ago and stamped them on this BoBunny Animal Print patterned paper;

I then fussy cut them out and popped them on more BoBunny cardstock.  The sentiment was typed out on a real honest-to-goodness manual typewriter which I found last summer at my local small town, second-hand store! And I didn't use any stickles or liquid glass because my hubby is so NOT that person.. Grin 

Here is a better view showing all the layers I created with my pop dots:

Now to sweeten the "prize pot" for this challenge I will be doing a draw from all the commenters on my blog for some of my artwork and few goodies from my stash... So Come On Down! and let's PLAY at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers. You have until February 6th to make something, post it on your blog and link it up over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers. Besides, we always choose our top three favorites to be Queen and Princesses of SNARK and you get BADGES for your blog!  GO HERE for a more detailed list of all the Challenges from the past year.

I am entering this card into the following Challenges:

Hiding In My Craft Room (HIMCR) #184 - Any Holiday (Jan 31)

Simon Says Stamp Blog: HAVE A HEART (create something for someone you love) (Jan 28)

Open  Minded Crafting Challenges #29, Movie Inspiration (Jan 30) For the movie NOAH of course!

As always, thanks for stopping in today to see what I am up to... and especially THIS POST... don't forget to leave me a comment if you like what you are seeing!

Cheers!!!

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

It's Another "Friends with Flair"

I managed to get these two special Valentines finished just in time to share with today's Unity Stamp's Friday Friends With Flair...

This one for my daughter using another of My Suzi Blu Stamps

and this one for my Good Friend Erin using one of my favorite Angie Blom Stamps... because she looks exactly how I see myself in my head! (Grin)

And there seems to be quite a Valentine theme over at Unity's Blog today, so go check it out at Friends With Flair! 
I am entering these cards into the following challenges:
CAS.ology Challenge #130 - Friends (Jan 26th)

As always Thanks for stopping in today to see what I am up to and please do leave me a comment if you like what you are seeing!

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday #294 (WOYWW)

Another week has flown by and it's another sharing day for the Stamping Ground's WOYWW#294.  Today I am sharing the beginning of my 2015 "Intention" of making Art for MEEEE... which has turned into "Just DO It" (grin)... 

and yesterday I allowed my creative instincts free reign as I created this mixed media piece with no pre-planning or pre-conceived notions except for the word SUNRISE which was bouncing around in my cranium like a pin-ball in a pinball machine the entire time I was working on this... It's not finished yet, but I am already loving where it's headed... 

And here is a sneak pre-view of the other project I am working on as part of my Week#4 Lesson for Tamara LaPorte's Lifebook 2015... it's the background for a canvas of quite "large-for-me" proportions ... the first layer being strips of very personal journaling that I did for a soul-healing group I attended this fall and which I want to keep but for my eyes only,

so I am covering them up with a second layer of these inky paper towels I have kept on hand from past spray ink projects.  They are just too lovely to throw away and I have an entire basket full of them to use as inspiration hits... I am loving the way the words and doodling peek through for added texture but you cannot read them, only I know what they those words mean to me...

Hopefully I will have two completed projects to share with you next week for WOYWW#295!

As always, thank you for taking the time to pop in to see what's on my workdesk and don't forget to pop by all the other desks this week at the Stamping Ground's WOYWW#294  ... as well as leaving me a comment if you LIKE what you are seeing!

Cheers... Scrapbook Lynne Mizera

A Tribute to Women (and to Rubber Dance ART Stamps!)

Today I am proudly sharing with you a small 5x7 inch canvas I created to link up with Rubber Dance Art Stamps monthly color challenge and to FEATURE some of their stamps... Now I need more stamps like I need another Child! (NOT - Grin) but this company makes some stamps that I just haven't seen before and I just had to get me some.  Here is my project using Rubber Dance Art Stamp's Da Vinci set ... I am Over-the-Moon Happy with the finished results:

First let me share that I have ordered stamps on-line from this little home-based Norwegian company, paid using my paypal account (easy, peasy), and my stamps arrived quicker than anything I've Every ordered from Blitzy, and in a BEAUTIFULLY wrapped package with a lovely personal note from the owner, and she threw in a Thank YOU gift to boot! Oh yeah and did I mention FREE World Wide Shipping on orders over about $75 Canadian and Flat Rate Shipping of about $8.00 Canadian on all other orders!  Now THAT's Customer Service (You can check out their store HERE).  Nope, I'm not working for them nor am I  being paid to endorse them either, Grin... but when you find a great deal you just HAVE to SHARE!

And here in pictures is a quick breakdown of how it all came together: 

Step 1. glue scraps of torn paper to a canvas using a gel medium or mod podge.  You can add sprays or inks to intensify your colors.  You can also add background stamps for interest in a waterproof ink, like Stayz-on, and use modeling paste and stencils to add texture (after you stamp).

Step 2. Choose a simple shape and create a mask, using paint or gesso paint out all around your mask... it's up to you whether or not to cover the background completely or to let some of the color show through.

Step 3. Stamp your images onto a thin white tissue paper using a waterproof ink like Archival.  Note: the thinner the paper the less you will be able to see it once it is down. Cut out and Paste your images onto the canvas with a liquid gel medium. I find Gel medium easier on tissue than Mod Podge. Use a light hand and a soft brush as the wet tissue is very fragile.

Step 4.  Using paint, gesso and sprays add and take away color until you are happy with your background, highlighting the texture and adding shadows to pop your stamped images.

Step 5. Stamp your sentiment and it is at this point when you are finished adding paint that you can add things like rub-ons and stickers.

Step 6. Embellish until you feel it is complete. 

I love the end result and I think I will frame this little canvas and hang it on wall where it can shine like the little jewel it is!

I am linking this up to:

The Rubber Dance Art Stamp January Color Challenge (until January 31)

I am also linking this to another of my favorite challenge sites: Craft Stamper January Challenge "Take a Stamp", Anything Goes but you have to use a Stamp on your project - (until January 28th)

And to a new to me site that I discovered through my arty friend Julie Short:
Rhedd's Creative Spirit-January Challenge- Anything goes mixed media or altered art only (January 31st)

So wish me luck and as always, Thank YOU for popping in to see what I am up to and please do leave me a comment if you like what you are seeing!

Cheers!

Scrapbook Lynne Mizera