A Year in the Life

Hi, Everyone,
I have been very busy creating 12 two page layouts & 12 double-sided inserts for my latest year long project A Year in the Life. This is a cross between creating beautiful layouts & Becky Higgins' Project Life.

Becky Higgins created Project Life to scrapbook Daily

Ali Edwards created her version of Project Life to scrapbook Weekly

I created A Year in the Life to scrapbook Monthly

This is a fantastic project for those of you who would actually like to finish an album, work at your own pace, & have 1 on 1 instruction for your album.  You will create 12 stunning 2 page layouts & learn how to add more totally embellished photos using double-sided inserts.

A Year in the Life

Create 12 Two-page layouts

& 12 double-sided inserts ALL for $168

(ie. $14 per two-page layout & double-sided insert totally embellished!)

. . . All you need is a 12x12" Binder Photo Album, paper trimmer & adhesive

An Open Class . . . For those of you who would actually like to finish an album,

work at your own pace & have 1 on 1 instruction for your album.

Bring your photos to class once a month, create stunning two-page layouts & learn how to

 add more totally embellished photos using a double-sided insert . . . for a totally Finished Album!

There will be 3 Paper Versions available with 5 class spots each.

Version 1:  Graphic 45, Tim Holtz & vintage papers (available starting Feb 9)

Version 2:  Kaiser Craft Forget-me-not papers (available starting Feb 24)

Version 3:  Baby vintage pink/blue/ivory papers (available starting Feb 24)

(All paper is pre-cut & separated. Kits will have a large photo of each page. No written instructions) 

Join me for this Open Monthly Class

A Saturday evening 5:30-9:30 p.m. or a Sunday afternoon 12-4 p.m.

on any of the following dates:

Feb 9, 24. . . Mar 9, 17. . . Apr 13, 28. . . May 11, 26. . . Jun 8, 23. . . Jul 13, 28. . .

Aug 10, 25. . . Sep 14, 22. . . Oct 12, 27. . . Nov 9, 24. . . Dec 14, 15

Phone Treasured Memories to Reserve your Version

A Year in the Life . . . Get Started Now!

Vintage Home Decor Tags 28, 29, 30, 31

Hi, Everyone,

Today I am showing you the last 4 Vintage Home Decor Tags. 

When you want to create a project made of several pieces & you want the eye to flow smoothly from piece to piece. . . one way to achieve cohesiveness is to use the same colour palette for all of the pieces.  All 31 of these Vintage Home Decor Tags were created to coordinate using shades of ivory, cream, sand, tan & brown with a sprinkling of black & white.  All 31 tags are different yet they all match.  Try this method the next time you create & see what you think.  It also makes the designing process much easier too.

Now for the tags!

Tag 28 highlights every single product used on the tag:  heavy crystal cardstock, wood grain paper, Tim Holtz house numbers, 7Gypsies metal sticky back edging, metal screw brads, 7Gypsies clips (used as hinges), Tim Holtz crystal paperclip, & the large metal brad (used as door handles).  Love those embellishments!

Tag 29 features an image printed onto sticky backed Canvas, attached to white corrugated cardboard, over a paper doily, then glued onto a tag.  The edges of the tag are dipped in embossing ink then Vintage Photo Distress Embossing power.  Distress embossing power has some silica particles that do not melt when heated which is what creates the "distressed" look.  After you heat set the powder remember to gently rub the excess powder off with your fingers.  This creates a great vintage look.

Tag 30 showcases clocks, watch parts & gears in all their glory.  The metal pieces are either attached with Fabri-tac or brads.  (I have used Fabri-tac for the past 10 years to hold all of my heavy metal embellishments vertically on canvases & other altered art pieces, none of which have fallen apart yet.  Embellishments that I have hot-glued or glossy accented on have dropped my heavy embellishments over time or when bumped.  That is why I swear by Fabri-tac.)  

Tag 31 compares the same products used in different orders to create a different look.  Compare the edges: On the edges of the tag I applied Walnut Distress Ink first, then Brass Distress Stain, then UTEE.  On the edges of the popped dragonfly image I applied Brass distress Stain first, then Walnut Distress Ink, then UTEE.  Distress Ink is formulated to react with moisture so it blends/smudges when the Distress Stain is applied over top even after the Distress Ink is dry!

Have fun creating!

Vintage Home Decor Tags 25, 26, 27

Hi, Everyone,

I have been very busy creating 12 two page layouts & 12 double-sided inserts for my latest year long project A Year in the Life.  This is a cross between creating beautiful layouts & my version of Becky Higgins' Project Life. . . stay tuned for the big reveal!

Today I will show you 3 more tags from my Vintage Home Decor series.

Tag 25 showcases Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine paper cut in a banner shape, with 2 metal vintage buttons anchoring the corners.  The banner is layered with a paper doily, vintage sheet music that is as soft as flannel, & a Tattered Floral flower cut from Kraft Glassine, interfacing, canvas topped with a jewelled metal flower brad!

Tag 26 is all about layering & dress forms.  The paper's design was that of peeled paint so I layered the same 2 papers on top of one another & ripped the top layer to create a 3D effect, tucking in a piece of Tim Holtz's on the edge doily die.  Dress forms were pop-dotted on top of one another & embellished with a metal Tim Holtz heart keyhole.  I created my own washi tape by applying score tape to ordinary gift wrap tissue then stamping a dress form image onto the tissue. I ripped around the image, peeled off the score tape backing, then attached it to the tag. Part of a vintage crocheted doily & my mother-in-law's 60 year old lace wedding coat is draped from a metal hanger, then finished off with a dangling pair of scissors!

Tag 27 is all about embellishments.  We start by layering script gloss photo paper with  a doily image stamped & heat set with black archival ink.  We then layer paper flowers, a Paris door image, a jute wrapped wooden ruler, crocheted lace trim & pearl brads!

Tomorrow we will see the last 4 remaining Vintage Home Decor tags.

Happy creating!

Marbled Metallic Technique - Dragonfly Tag

Hi, Everyone,

I've been working on 7 more Vintage Home Decor Tags for 2 great ladies, Jeri-Jo & Ivy.  The techniques will be featured on Treasured Memories Inspiration Blog - Technique Tuesdays starting January 29.

Today I am showcasing a tag created with a Marbled Metallic Distress Stain background.  This is a fantastic technique & there are several cards & tags on the Internet using this marbled technique as well as Tim Holtz's blueprint stamps because they are soooo beautiful.  Have a look!

- First, apply 6 daubs of "Antiqued Bronze" & 6 daubs of "Tarnished Brass"  Distress Stain in 2 areas side by side on a craft mat; sprinkle water droplets on stains; swirl tag through water stain mixture until you are happy with the colours; add more stains & water droplets to the craft mat if needed & repeat --- this is a MARBLED METALLIC Technique; (sorry, next time I will photograph the actual technique for you to see, prior to adding things to it)

- to prevent tag from curling, I swirl tag in marbled mixture on both sides

- DRY tag with a heat tool

- Stamp alphabet background stamp with black archival ink over entire tag

- Stamp ink spots with black archival ink randomly over tag

- ink edges of tag with Walnut Distress Ink; coat edges with Embossing Ink & UTEE then heat set (twice)

- Apply 2 rows of tissue tape along top & bottom of tag

- Stamp the word "Artist" onto ivory cardstock with black archival ink; tear around the word & ink edges with Walnut Distress Ink; coat with Embossing Ink & UTEE then heat set (twice); attach to bottom of tag with pop-dots

- Stamp Dragonfly blueprint stamp with black archival ink on watercolour paper; tear around the image; Rub "Tarnished Brass" Distress Stain dauber along 1 torn edge then IMMEDIATELY dip your finger into water & smear along edge to blend (repeat to all 4 edges separately); ink torn edges with Walnut Distress Ink; coat torn edges with Embossing Ink & UTEE then heat set

- Attach pop-dots to back of Dragonfly image & centre between tissue tape on tag

- Stamp 2 Dragonfly blueprint images with black archival ink on ivory cardstock; Rub "Antiqued Bronze" Distress Stain on 1 set of wings & "Tarnished Brass" Distress Stain on the 2nd set of wings & body; fussy cut around Bronze wings only; fussy cut around entire Brass Dragonfly wings & body; coat Bronze wings & Brass Dragonfly with Embossing Ink & UTEE then heat set (twice); apply pop-dots to Bronze wings & attach to Dragonfly on tag; apply pop-dots to Brass Dragonfly & attach to Bronze wings on tag

- glue pen nib to body of Dragonfly with Fabri-tac; glue white flower to centre of "Libellule Dragonfly" circle on tag with Fabri-tac (see both photos above for flower)

I absolutely love the Marbled Metallic background & applying UTEE to the edges greatly highlights the tag!

Try this Marbled Metallic Technique & let me know what you think.

Have fun creating!

She Art - Week 3

Hi, Everyone,

I've been creating in my She Art Journal & am now finished with the She Art I Class on-line by Christy Tomlinson.  The class taught me how to develop my own She Art style, which I call my Paper Dolls. 

I've learned that I like to use . . . scrapbook papers & vintage ephemera glued on with Scotch Quick-Dry glue for my backgrounds rather than painting backgrounds on.  I like to use . . . vintage book paper for my Paper Doll bodies rather than painting the bodies on (thank you for the old book Jeri-Jo).  I like to use . . . paint Daubers (rather than paint brushes), Faber-Castell Pitt artist pens, Distress Markers, & Precision pens.

Have a look at my 2 Paper Dolls!

Girl 1 . . . I love how easy Paint Daubers are to use, how there is no clean-up & how they create backgrounds with punchinello.  I discovered that on my 4 oz. paint bottles I can replace the pour top with a Dauber top which makes my crafting so much easier.  Treasured Memories sells Dauber tops for $1.25 which are also interchangeable with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays.  I bought 10 dauber tops!  Too bad the daubers don't fit my 1 oz. bottles.

I love Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pens. They are a high quality pigmented India Ink that is permanent, acid-free, archival & odorless.  I outline my dolls & other elements to create shade.  If you work quickly, you can also blend them with a waterbrush.

I love Distress Markers.  The brush tip is perfect for creating flowing hair & the colours Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick & Spiced Marmalade blend together so beautifully for my signature hair colour.

I love Precision Pens.  The tips are perfect for outlining absolutely everything on my project, highlighting all the elements, & bringing my Art to life.  Check out the denim I used for her pants, the flower in her hair, & the banner.

I've also punched out tabs with matching paper & glued them to each page for ease of turning.

Now I'm off to create a Class Series which I will be teaching at Treasured Memories starting soon

. . . A Year in the Life - two 12x12" Monthly Layouts with plastic inserts for added embellished photos!

My version is a cross between scrapbooking & Project Life that Becky Higgins & Ali Edwards do. 

Becky Higgins . . . daily photos in assorted plastic sleeves.

Ali Edwards . . . weekly photos in assorted plastic sleeves.

My version . . . monthly photos on two 12x12" layouts & in assorted plastic sleeves between the layouts.

That will be my next post. 

Have fun creating!

She Art - Week 2

Hi, Everyone,

I've been creating in my She Art Journal, continuing with the She Art I Class on-line by Christy Tomlinson.  The more you work with different mediums the more you develop your own style & realize what products you do & do not like to create with.  My style seems to be a self-portrait & my products of choice seem to be paper, stamps, paint daubers, Faber-Castell Pitt artist pens, Distress Markers, & Precision pens.

When working in  this She Art Journal, I wanted to create a 2 page layout.  The 1st page being only the background layers & the 2nd page being the finished project on the background.

Girl 1 . . . I love paper.  I love how it looks, how it tears, how it creates backgrounds, paper figures, elements & sentiments in my Art Journals.

Girl 2 . . . I love stamps.  I love how they add interest to the background, how many choices in design they offer, & how they create backgrounds in my Art Journals.

Tomorrow I will show you my girls from week 3.

Have fun creating!

Vintage BELLOWS Camera

Hi, Everyone,

There are a few Vintage Cameras on the internet which are made from paper & I really wanted to try making one for myself.  I've been searching the internet to figure out how on earth I was going to make the bellows for my camera.  After much trial & error I came up with my own solution using hockey tape.  The camera is not modelled after any one particular brand, but rather a combination of a few different models.
Have a look!

This project took me about 1 week to create with lots of internet surfing & many proto-types being thrown in the garbage.  It's a combination of 2 handmade square boxes & 2 handmade round boxes put together using black cardstock & black matboard.  I've used Tim Holtz Grunge Paper, Mirror & Box Corners to finish it off.  This is a beautiful Paper piece of Art which I will enjoy looking at in my Scrap Room every day.

I will be offering these completed Vintage Bellows Cameras for sale at Treasured Memories very soon.

CC2 - January Card

Hi, Everyone,

A New Year brings a new Class Series . . . a Card - Compendium of Curiosities Style!

I will still be creating Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2013 & displaying it at Treasured Memories & on my blog for you to see however, for the Monthly Tim Holtz inspired Sunday Class we will be working on a Kraft Corrugated Card rather than a Tag.  If Tim's monthly tag uses a technique that we have already discovered (like this month's water droplet distress inking), I will choose some techniques from Tim Holtz's book, A Compendium of Curiosities, Volume II for our inspiration.  Below is what we will be creating!

Everyone is welcome to join in as we explore the products & techniques

 set out in Tim Holtz's book, A Compendium of Curiosities, Volume II.

A Compendium of Curiosities . . . is a collection of useful hints.

In the 1^st class will explore the innovative surface of Kraft Glassine,

 how to create Faux Suede & how to successfully stamp on it,

& how to create a Faux Patina to change the colour of metal.

Join me

Sunday, January 13

1-3:00 p.m. $10

Supplies:Craft sheet, Fabri-tac, double-sided tape, Stapler, Paper Piercer,
Paper Distresser, Scissors, Tweezers, Distress Ink Blending Tool,
Alcohol Ink Blending Tool
Distress Inks: Walnut, Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn, Faded Jeans
Alcohol Inks: Pool, Lettuce, Pitch Black & Silver Mixative

Graphic45 Corsetted Mini-Album

Hi, Everyone,
As promised, today we will be viewing the Corsetted Mini-Album that tucks away in my Gypsy Wagon.
Each page is corsetted in a different way creating variety & uniqueness to each page.  I absolutely love the Graphic45 Olde Curiiosity Shoppe papers.  Check it out!

The hinged gusset system allows for plenty of room for embellishments . . .

& how we love our embellishments!