It's A Girl Thing.

HIYA!!  How's it goin', eh??

Things are winding down 'round here...

Summer break is officially over.  Done.

On Monday, the beasties head back to the old school house!

Although I'm not particularly relishing the great comeback of alarm clocks and homework, I do have to admit to a certain amount of joy at the thought of a brand new school year.

Now, said 'joy' isn't for myself.  Oh, no!! 

It's for 'Little Sister'.

She's a stone-cold, school-lovin', social-butterfly. 

She's ecstatic at the thought of headin' back to school!  New shoes.  Pencils, paper, folders---FRIENDS.

She's definitely my favorite awesome nerd :-) 

Sooo, here's a fun SMASH* page homage to GEEK-OCITY!!

How fun are splatts??  I've really been digging color splatts, lately.  These were created with my Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst spray in Wild Honeysuckle Coral and the Old Hairy dauber top.  Seriously, Old Hairy rocks my world!!

I'm also really lovin' the Spectacle stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop!  The fab glasses and the sentiment came from that quirky little set :-)

And here's a little close-up of the Sushi Doll digi I've colored up.  Her name is 'Geeky' and you can find her, and tons of other seriously cute Sushi's HERE.  LOVE me some Sushi!!

And that, my friends, is that.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  I'll catch you on the flip side ;-)

xx,



CLICK.

Hello, Everyone!!  Today, I have a fun project to share---aaaand it all started with a challenge...A self-imposed challenge.

Yep---I TOTALLY threw down the gauntlet!! 

 

The Challenge:  Create something fabulous using the paper currently taking up residence in your scrap bin.

 

Ok, I won't let you think that I've got a mountain of paper scraps taking over my scrappy spot.  Honestly, I'm pretty good about only buying what I can and will use in a reasonable amount of time.  But, I do have a hard time throwing away good junk!!

 

So, in the interest of assuaging my inner thrift monster, I set out with scraps in hand to create one rockin' project that would use up those bits of leftover scrappy gold :-)

 

Here's what I came up with...

 

Since I rarely have enough time in the day to scrap all of my favorite photos, this fun little 4 by 6 inch, camera-shaped mini album is the PERFECT way to display photos from this year.  It's my answer to a full-fledged 'scrap-your-whole-year’ album.  Just print ‘em off and stick ‘em in!

 

 

Here's a few tips to help you pull those misfit papers together and make the wide range of colors and patterns you're bound to find in your scrap bin work for you... 

 

Tip #1 -- Use a color wash!!

 

A simple wash of color gives you a fresh start and will go far in making contrasting colors play nicely together.  Whether you use watered down paint or your favorite spray, you'll be amazed at how different printed papers react to your wash of choice. 

 

I've used a few of Lindy's Stamp Gang Flat Fabios (my fave!) in Danny Zuko's Denim and Caribbean Blue.

 

Tip #2 -- Add LOTS of texture!

 

Stencil, stitch, splat, stamp, doodle, embellish---YOU NAME IT!!  The more layers of love you pile onto your 'new' paper, the more it's gonna look like the crazy mix of pattern you've achieved was on purpose. 

 

I've used my sewing machine, a bit of doodling, dripped and splatted paint, the Lindy's Stamp Gang stamps Kidz Kapz Gang, some chippies from UmWowStudio, and Gauche Alchemy punchinella to stencil and embellish as well as bits and pieces of a few of their infamous mixed media color kits.

 

Now, that's how you texture, my friend.  

 

If you wanna see this project come together, check out my process video HERE.

 

Ok, Friends, that is THAT!!  Are you down??  How about a little kick in the pants to get you going ;-) 

 

Hop on over to Lindy's Stamp Gang and join in on their very first Color Inspiration Challenge...

 

 

...and stop by Gauche Alchemy to check out the festivities as the Alchemists join forces with  UmWowStudio for the week to inspire and give stuff away!!  Ya just can't beat that with a stick!

 

If you're a fan of Lindy's Stamp Gang like me, throw your hat in the ring for the current DT call they are running the rest of this month.  Find the deets HERE.

 

See ya THERE!!

 

xx,

 

Whooooo Loves Summer???

Hiya, Folks!!

 

How goes your summer??

 

All's smoooooth sailing around these parts.

 

Well, mostly.

 

My baby girl is a big lover of school, and she's missing it terribly!  She misses the work.  She misses the structure.  She misses her friends.

 

Sooooo, to help bust up some of that boredom, I whipped her up a little distraction... 

 

 

 

This cute little dolly/dollhouse combo is the perfect cure for a bit of my girl's summertime blues! 

 

I love this cute little kraft monogram tag!!

 

How cool are the ABC's on the roofline??  Maybe a little subliminal ABC action is just what the doctor ordered.

 

Her sweet new friend is the perfect size to peek out at her from inside her new house.

 

And finally, here's a shot of the dolly herself :-)  I've used Sushi Owl Mug from the Sushi Dolls digi shop and my Ragdoll tutorial to whip her up in a jiffy!

 

 

Here's hopin' this little distraction does it's job and gives my girl a smile.

 

If you want to hear me talk a bit more about the construction of the house and get a sneaky peek Paige's reaction to her sweet new friend, you can check it out HERE.

 

Okee-doke, that's it for me!  Thanks for stopping by today and I'll see ya next time!!

 

xx,

 

Message In A Bottle.

Hello!!

The summer sun has me dreaming of cooler locales.

Micro-cations.

Sandy feet, sweater sharks, blue water...

Beachy Times.

Here's a little 'canvas therapy' I created to help keep me grounded until my next tropical getaway...

This canvas is a mix of all of my favorite things---starting with a picture of the three best things I ever made :-)

In addition to being a fabulous way to display a really sweet photo of my kiddos, I wanted this canvas to reflect all the things I loved about the beach as a child.

The soft pink of a shell.  A perfect shell, without a crack on it!  One that you found yourself.

The emerald hue of warm, east coast ocean water.  Water that you loved playing in!  Until you saw Jaws for the first time, anyway...

Even the gross feel of seaweed as it brushed your leg underwater!

Yep, that was summer for me.

To help my photo feel more like part of a whole and not just an element, I covered the edges with some of my fave DIY texture paste.

A little AMAZING Mold Putty to create molds of shells my kiddos 'found' for me over the years and a bit of hot glue, and I had all the shell-tastic texture I could ever need!

Seriously.

Hot glue.

It's an amazing medium for molds!!  And here's my favorite part...

No.  Drying.  Time.

Seriously, dude!!  That's gold, right there.

 A little Helmar LOVE to hold everything together and some Lindy's in lieu of paint to color it up and she was finished.

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek, today.  If you're diggin' the seaweed bouquet on my canvas, hop on over to the Gauche Alchemy blog and see how she was made.  I bet you'll never guess how I did it ;-)

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll catch ya next time!!

xx,

Owl Always Love You!

Hiya, Folks!!

 

Sooooo, I totally got my color on...

 

...aaannnd, my stitch on...

 

 

...which resulted in one pretty, summer tote bag!!

 

 

So, yeah---lemme break it down for ya...

 

Ever since I saw Carissa's fun t-shirt-transfer-meets-Copic-markers-tutorial, I've been jonesin' to give it a go.

 

It's been forever.

 

Like years.

 

And I still hadn't got to playin'!!

 

So. I got off my toosh, grabbed by iron and got a little crafty :-)

 

I have to tell ya, I just love everything about this bag!

 

Love the owl I the image (You can find 'Owl Always Love You' in Krista's shop HERE!).

 

Love the ruffle and buttons.

 

LOVE the pink gingham lining!

 

Here's a close-up of the image, colored with Copic Markers---which was a bit difficult, due to the non-porous nature of the fabric transfer sheet! 

 

It's a bit sticky, and you do have to allow for drying time in between colors (much like watercolor!), but I think she came out just fine :-)

 

Ok guys, you ready to play??

 

COOLIO!

 

If you wanna see a bit about how this bag came together, check it out HERE, on the Saturated Canary YouTube channel.

 

xx,

 

Was It All A Dream?

"Was it all a DREAM?"

Hey, everyone!  I'm here with The Greeting Farm today and I'm happy to report that no, it definitely was NOT a DREAM!

That's right!  Today is the super special mid-month RELEASE DAY for the brand new mixed-media DREAM kit... appropriately titled "DREAMY"!   This jumbo-sized, 8.5x11 FULL sheet of stamps is available starting NOW over in the TGF STORE, so be sure to grab yours before they sell out!

Lately, I've been on a mission to create a banner for every month of the year.  Yep!  A banner a month for the whole year.

It may take me ten years to accomplish this feat, but the cute little houses stamp in "DREAMY" inspired me to take one step closer to my goal with this colorful cutie :-)

 

This banner is sportin' butterflies, bows, watercolor, embossing, free form stitching, punchinella (from Gauche Alchemy!), gold doilies and a whole lotta "DREAMY" stamp love!!

 

Here's a peek at each individual piece...

 

Ok guys, that's it for me, but wait---THERE'S MORE!!

We have a super awesome lineup of Guest artists for you to visit today, so if you're just getting here, be sure to start on the TGF BLOG for all the details, or you can continue here and just make sure you've visited everyone because ONE LUCKY WINNER who completes our hop today will WIN the DREAMY kit!

Here's the order for today's special release hop:

JENNIFER SAGER

SPIKE

MARY BROCKWAY

CARA BOOHER

KAREN CROSSEN

SHIRLEY STARK

SANNA FRIEDNER

KIM HUTCHINSON

KELLI GREEN

Be sure to stop right back over on the TGF BLOG to let us know you've completed the hop and you're entering to WIN the "DREAMY" kit!   Winner will be announced first thing MONDAY morning on the blog so you have the weekend  (through Sunday, June 16th at 11:30pm CST)  to relax, hop, and DREAM of the possibilities of creating with this awesome new kit!  

Thanks for joining us, everyone!

 

xx,

 

Dreamy.

Hello!!  Today, I have something absolutely DREAMY to share with you.

 

A preview of the 'DREAMY' kit, to be exact.

 

The 'DREAMY' kit is a fabulous 8.5 x 11 inch set of stamps, that's being released on June 15th over at The Greeting Farm.

 

Stamps that are awesome.

 

Stamps that'll knock your mixed media socks off your mixed media feet, but are totally rockin' for your more traditional cardmaking projects!!

 

Alright, enough with the chitchat, and on with the paper and glue and stuff :-)

 

 

This sweet little canvas was created using several stamps from 'DREAMY'.

 

I have to say that this set of rubbah has it all.  From background love to sentiments, this pretty girl and more!

 

How sweet is she??

 

 

A little paper piecing from the Maggie Holmes paper collection for Crate Paper...

 

...aaaaaaannnd some dimensional sparkle, and she was complete :-)

 

 

 

Okay guys, I hope you've enjoyed my little peek into 'DREAMY'.  If you want more eye candy created with this fab new set, hop on over to The Greeting Farm!!

 

And if you want a little tut on how I've created the canvas above, check it out HERE ;-)

 

See ya on the flip side! 

 

xx,