Keep This... By Elena for Cheryl

I got some pictures from Cheryl in May and I have been working on them ever since. For a while it was planning in my head, then I got to putting it on the canvas and boy did it just keep evolving! I really love the finished project.
There is tons and tons of texture. I painted the back ground green, then covered it with tons of crystal lacquer while it was wet and added diamond dust. Then when it dried, I used a spatula and smoothed some orange paint mixed with copper over it. I love the way it made it look like sand paper kind of. I learned the spatula trick from Nina at an art gathering. I am soooo not a painter and it made so much sense. keeps the paint just on the peaks!

I had some raffle tickets on my table from the Scrapbook Royalty Black White and Craft All Over event. They all said KEEP THIS TICKET and were all different colors! Perfect! KEEP THIS is exactly what I wanted to say about Cheryl's Daughter Abby. I just love her.

I wanted even more 3-d element because I can never get enough... so I made this butterfly/dragonfly whatever it is with raffia and some vintage buttons. I can't wait to show the whole page. At the end of this journey!!

Aim for the target

Layout Created By Jane for Stephanie Ackerman When Stephanie sent this photo to me of her hubby Kenzie, I knew I had to match the layout with all the great personality in his expression- as it popped out at me;)

after masking and painting the yellow started to look like a paint ball splat:::

so I added some solder splats that I am always accidentally making when soldering charms::

trying to pull it all together I than added some homemade soldered links on the far left,

had fun working with this photo, creating a "chain reaction"(tee hee)

The Lucky 3 at the Provocraft Gypsy Gala

I was lucky enough to spend time with Elena and Candice at the Gypsy gala. I of course decided we needed a video of the event. i should have asked someone with a steadier hand to take the camera from me. I am so happy we were able to hangout. Oh did I mention that Provocraft gave us each a gypsy and a new cartridge too cool. This thing is the bomb I can not wait to get mine and start playing. Have a great day.
Michelle

Donna's Denim Pocket By Nanny Goat

On my post last weekend, I told you about finding all the little treasures as a result of my packing and unpacking during my move. Here is another layout I created that – I think – benefitted from my finds!

This layout is for my friend Donna-Goat. That is, Donna Salazar. You see, my close friends know that my family calls me Nanny Goat, so I usually reciprocate by calling them “their name” - Goat right back. Donna is Donna Goat. LOL!

Donna sent me a whole bunch of fun photos of her from CHA Winter in Anaheim in January. Donna likes to do the whole self-portrait sorta thing, with the camera outstretched and the faces tight in the frame. It’s like her own personal photo booth. Great fun. So I had six photos to arrange on one – what felt like suddenly – very small piece of 8 ½” X 11” canvas. What to do?

I put them in a pocket. A denim pocket. And anyone who knows Donna knows that she love love LOVES denim. It’s Donna’s Denim Pocket of Friends. But that’s all I am going to tell you. These sneaks will have to do for now! Ha!

Hope you all are having a great summer! xoxoxox
Nan

Donna Goat and Jennifer Goat!

Donna Goat and Elena Goat!

Donna Goat and Nanny Goat :)

Jane's Laughter Layout by Nan

Isn't this such a joyful photo of a mother and daughter? This is Jane and her daughter, Candace. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Jane in person yet, but when I saw this photo I just had to smile. I want to laugh with her!! What fun!

I love their expressions, I love the frothy blue of the clothes and the texture of the sand. Oh, I so wanted to make a glorious layout from this photo! But alas, I was tied up in moving this past month and I couldn't get my creative mojo going. But now just 12 days in the new house, I am unpacked and realize the advantage of unpacking and discovering all the long lost delights of scrap supplies long forgotten. I completed two Lucky 13 layouts this weekend, and both benefitted from the "oh, look what I have" revelations of my scrap unpacking! LOL!

First I found this jelly tag that reads "a laugh is a smile that bursts".....perfect for this photo! Then I found some buttons, brads and crystal beads that I loved the look of. A little stitching and a great orange color to offset the blue, and I was so loving this layout!

I hope Jane and Candace love it too.....

And, by the way, I so want to know what you two are laughing about in this photo.

Nan :)

Blue, White, & Blue

I created a Lucky 13 page today for Elena with photos of the Mother's Day celebrations in her family. For the page, I chose a photo of her and her mother as the focal point. Elena's mom is wearing a pretty blue shirt which I used as a starting point for my *mostly* monochromatic design. To start, I painted the entire canvas page blue. I used a nice pretty star spangled banner-like blue since 4th of July is in just a couple days, time to get in the spirit and all. Then I started the decorating!

A few weeks ago I got a great deal on some felt doilies by Martha Stewart. I cut one of the doilies in half and stitched it to the canvas page. Then I added some Prima felt Voila, lots of flowers, and some grungeboard elements that I Glimmer Misted. After everything was assembled, I Glimmer Misted the page with Irridescent Gold Glimmer Mist.

One of the big challenges in working with paper and canvas is finding a good adhesive. I've been trying different things with varied success but today I tried Glossy Accents. It worked pretty well - I was surprised! If you have any ideas about good adhesives for this kind of project, please share!

Off-Road with Melanie - A Page by Jennifer

One of the cool things I've learned about Melanie through this Circle Journal process is that she and her hubby have a close, fun relationship. They have some really awesome adventures together! Melanie sent me some photos of an off-road trip she and her hubby took across the Mojave Desert in So Cal - I chose one of she and her hubby to use as the focal point on the page.


Their closeness in the photos inspired me to choose warm, comfy colors like the papers from the "Early Bird" line from Cosmo Cricket. Melanie is also fond of "vintage" so I added some baker's twine and other well-loved looking items. And of course stitching always adds that home-made touch!

Melanie also sent me some awesome photos of a cave and other things they saw during their trip. I created a pocket from a 7Gypsies Photo Carousel folder and inserted extra photos and some journaling spots for her to fill in if she chooses.

I love the 7Gypsies Photo Carousel and ATC carousel refills--the shape of the cards and envelopes is fun and doesn'nt have to be used on the Carousel. I don't even own a Carousel ;) but I still have tons of the refills on hand to use.

Thanks for checking out my sneak peeks of Melanie's page!