Be as a Bird...

Hi friends! Happy Hump-day! I hope you are enjoying your week so far. I just had 2 days off so I was able to get in a little bit of crafty time. I had hoped we would also get to visit the park again one afternoon but it's been really windy here and rainstorms coming thru. Better comparativley to the snow we had about a week ago, but still yucky out. I did enjoy some time in my studio, the more time I spend back there I realize even though its small it's a place that makes me so totally and completly happy, surrounded by all my fun stuff, usually a cup of hot tea or iced coffee depending on the time of day, my pandora blasting away and plenty of inspiration from friends and fellow DT members. Today I wanted to share my 2nd ever art journal page that I did last night. I haven't tackled all of them and the million ideas that I have yet, but I am going to make it a goal to do one layout + one art journal page per week for the rest of the year. I think I can do it. I think it's nice too to go between the two, art journaling loosens up your mind and helps your creativity flow better, which in turn helps you scrap a page faster when you have good ideas!!! So the one I worked on last night was inspired by Sandee's " Out On A Limb" post on the FD blog a while back, like I said I am still catching up, hopping around here and there, I don't have as much free time as some, but this page probably only took me like 2.5 hours. That's about how long it takes me to do a layout too, I'm not sure if that makes me a slow scrapper!

Here is the inspiration photo:

And if you want to read more about how Sandee created her page, you can visit the FD archives here: sundays-with-sandee-is-out-on-limb. She has a great video & pictures.

Here is my page:

I did use the understamping for my page like she did, however I stamped directly on to my art journal then used some tissue paper that I misted with inks & water then dried. I found a great quote that I did on the side after drawing straight lines, then I started coloring in behind it with gelatos. I wanted some texture so I later added the chipboard flowers and washi tape.

The birds in the tree actually came from some old Basic Grey paper, I fussy cut them then decoupaged it onto my page. I went back over it with various pens and markers then stamped my other musical notes and did some doodles around those. I went back in with 3 different colors of stickles: christmas red, fruit punch, and tiara.

I dont know why but I felt like I needed something else at the top of my page, so I stamped this decorative frame and stuck a puffy sticker inside it. It's kind of random but I feel like it gives visual balance to the page, so much for WHITE SPACE, ha!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. i hope to have at least one more layout and art journal page to share this time with you next week! Maybe even some stuff for challenges coming up....who knows. The crafty bug has bit again and I am so glad!! It makes me happy to share and get feedback! I would love it if you followed my fb page here. Also on instagram @khhollister. Peace Yall! ~VV

FDFF Challenge: Embossing + CSI Case File #82

Hello friends! It's time for some more inspiration and fun over at Frosted Designs for our Fabulous Friday Challenge! This time we are asking you to create any OTP project, layout, or card using any type of embossing! I happen to love embossing...actually heat embossing in particular is my favorite, so I couldn't wait to get going on this challenge! I  was very pleased with my result, and I hope it inspires you to create! Our wonderful sponsor this time is Molossi! They have some awesome stuff !!

I used the palette and inspiration over at CSI...it's my first time incorporating one of their challenges. I just really liked the color palette, it made me think outside the box and get the creative mojo going. I knew I was going to do heat embossing for my background and some paper elements, but when I saw Case File #82 I knew it would work! I used all of the colors for the scheme. I used the following Evidence: stamps, hearts, doodling, cursive, funky scallops, masking, wet medium (gesso). I used the following Testimony: I heart 8 things, prompt words play and fun, handwrite in cursive

This was the CSI case file:

I hope you will join us over at FD for the Fabulous Friday challenge! It's a great prize from our sponsor, there are quite a few stamps they are carrying that I'd like to get my hands on myself! Good luck and we can't wait to see what you create! Until next time, Peace Y'all~VV

love.of.rock.....out.of.print. by BG

Hi friends! I am here today again to share another layout I did the week after the wedding. I was so excited to get to scrap some girl's weekend photos and do an LO that was not for the design team. I say that now and yet I have been away from my DT girls for a little over a month and I am totally missing them!!! I can't wait for the next meeting and to get our kit and blog assignments..ready to get creative this month!! Check back with me daily as I challenging myself to post at least 2 times a week for November! I totally think I can do it!!! Ok, onto the photos:

Here is a view of the whole thing, photo I took on instagram :) my love!!

 Here a few close ups. I used several different things from my stash for my clusters. Retro wooden buttons from my Purple Pumpkin lucky dip, twine, felt borders, resin flowers, fussy cut camera, a film strip that i inked and heat embossed, flowers and bling o' course!!

this photo shows the larger cluster that i started layering first by using the heat embossed film strip cutout, then felt border, then flowers, then some smaller elements, wooden button and another Tim Holtz fragment that I made with Monica at convention. Off to the side of my cluster I stuck some tiny white apoxy heart stickers and doodled around them with my Tim Holtz distress marker in picket fence. I also used a large dew drop that I modge podged some chevron paper to the back of. The other paper I used is Echo Park note to self from the 6x6 pad.

I really like how the bright colors I chose pop off this page with the black background...really goes well with our Hard Rock Casino photos too that I took and printed all with instagram!!!!

Again I used a basic manila tag for my journaling... guess I need to spice things up when it comes to my journaling blocks but I am totally obsessed with these little tags lately!! LOL

Sorry, this photo didn't rotate! It's the title using Thickers Dear Lizzy- Serendipity. I guess that is it for today! I hope I have inspired some of you to get snapping with your phone and use those instagrams for your layouts...they are always the perfect size and you can get so many on a page which I love! Also another tip from today: use a black background to really make your photos and embellishment colors POP off your page! Until next time friends, Peace Y'all~ VV

Supplies Used:

Basic Grey 'Out of Print'

manila shipping tag by The Paper Studio

cream and black cardstock by Bazzil

Echo Park 'Note to Self' 6x6 paper pad

retro wood buttons, black resin rose, teal and white twine- Purple Pumpkin

hot pink stars felt border-Michael's

large dew drops- The Robin's Nest

pink chevron paper, fussy cut camera from Amy Tangerine ' Sketchbook' paper by AC

flowers and brads- Oriental Trading Co.

Tim Holtz distress marker picket fence

Tim Holtz fragments- decorated at convention

Smooch Spritz by  Clearsnap in 'river mossy' and 'pralines and cream'

Colorbox chalk ink by Clearsnap in 'blush rose' and black

Stickles by Ranger in Aqua

Thickers by American Crafts Dear Lizzy 'serendipity'

crown mini stamp- Prima Marketing