scrappassion

The New Me

is the title of my layout for "Once Upon A... Sketch" May 1st challenge:

 

Our journalling criteria is : to write your journalling on a journalling spot (if you are making a card/altered item you only need to use a quote) and this is the sketch ...

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this layout both for the techniques I used and for the subject matter:)

The journaling reads: The first photo was taken on April 20, 2010 and the second one exactly one year later: the difference is not only notable in 25 kilos (55 lbs) lost but also in my mood. A year ago I was depressed, I didn't want to go out, I didn't like myself. I didn't like anything for that matter. Now I'm bursting with joy, I have bought new clothes, I want to go out and I am happy!

I glued with Mod Podge a brown paper bag on the background paper, gessoed it, stamped numbers on it, splashed and spritzed glimmer mist, added the strips of paper behind the photos, added the journaling and the fiber, re-gessoed and added the title. For the final touch I sewed around the borders.

Carpe Diem

I created this for CCG#191. Loved this palette.

I took inspiration from the flowers. My photo in my layout is of my yellow rose which I looooove.

I worked the background with book papers, doilies, gesso, stamps and acrylic paints. The leaves (old Scenic Route paper) are fussy cut and positioned on top of some EK Success flocked leaves with foam dots. I flicked a little bit of black paint and added some left over rub ons, stitched around the edges, added the title which is very important to me and hid the journaling behind the photo.

You'll see it in the detailed shots of the layout.

 

 

 

 

CHEAP TOOLS AND TIPS

So many of my friends at The Color Room praised my stencil/misting on this layout

that I decided to do a little post about my stencils or better yet about the things I use as my background stencils or for stamping/misting/painting.

I do own a bunch of Crafter's Workshop stencils (and others too) which I use although now there are so many cool new ones that it's a blessing I don't have easy access to those: otherwise I'd buy them all, especially the geometrical ones (I own a lot of 12" x 12" swirly stencils, anybody wants to trade?)

Anyway I took pictures of my new "stencils" that I use almost in all my layouts and some examples on their use.

Here goes:

 gauze

   
 one layer of glimmer mist                     two layers of glimmer mist

 

medium bubble wrap

   
  acrylic paint                                                                glimmer mist

 

     
big bubble wrap                                                acrylic paint

 

non slip mat (one of my faves)

glimmer mist                                                same mat, same glimmer mist, flipped over (negative side)

 

punchinella (the base for sequins= sequin waste)

studio calico mist                                        same mist, flipped the punchinella over = negative side

 

dish drying mat (used in the above mentioned layout)

glimmer mist                                                flipped over = negative side

the image will be a little bit different if you start misting from the other side (don't have an example here, sorry)

 

corrugated cardboard

ink                                                                     re-inked and turned 90°

you can also stamp holding the cardboard piece at 45° angle to obtain the "diamond" shape

 

 

a plain plastic bag                                      scrunch it in your hand

 

 
paint it with 2-3 strokes of fairly dry paint        and dab it on your background paper

  
you can add more paint                             and re-dab it on the paper

 

 

 

and some real examples where I have used these stencils in my layouts 

the dish drying mat

 

non slip mat

 

punchinella

 

bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard

 

plastic bag

 

Hope you enjoyed this!

 

 

 

 

GRUNGY MONDAYS #5 ...

and # 4 and #3 . Yeah, I'm on track once again after a slight slow down (read: procrastination) in the great celebration of Tim Holtz's techniques and products in Grungy Mondays on Linda's blog.

I'll go straight ahead to the project #5 which is due in a couple of hours (talk about arriving by the skin of my teeth). Well, the last will be the first.... doesn't the good book say that too?

This week's - actually this time we had TWO weeks, hence my participation, heh - technique was  Dimensional art described here

This is my art piece which turned out quite different from what I had in mind when I started, but I 'm very happy about the result.

 I used book paper to cover the tag, which I embossed with white embossing powder using Tattered Angels' swirl stamp. I then distressed it using Worn Lipstick, Barn Door and Peeled Paint. Around the edges I swiped Walnut Stain Distress Stain (stain-stain, well). The background paper for the key is an old Basic Grey paper from the Blitzen collection. For the heart I used a red metal sheet (Ten Second's Studio?) which I die cut with Tim's Alteration die, I glued it on chipboard and then dry embossed it using Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots. I used sand paper on the raised dots and Fired Brick on the outer edge. I then attached the key using humangous tape and the heart with foam dots. Added the words printed on computer and the fibers. ( I usually don't like fibers but I think they are ok here.)

 

Here's my #4 using this technique 

Texture Fades and Distress

I'm not completely happy about how my technique turned out but well, I did it. On the other hand I'm very happy about the birdie's crown which is actually a metal star (the other 2 points are under the head). Can't remember what I used, probably Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed and Rusty Hinge. And then I stamped Tim's quote to a piece of cardstock and attached it with foam dots (Hey, I like the rafia better than the fibers)

 

And here's the #3 using  Adirondack Color Wash

I was kinda put off at first since I own only ONE color wash and that's purple - actually it's Wild Plum. I know, I really do have to get other colors, I mean, how am I supposed to survive with only one bottle of color wash??? Hmm, what's a girl to do with only one color? She uses it. 

 

 I sprayed it on my craft sheet, sprayed it with water and swiped it several times on a sheet of white cardstock which I then through my Bug using Tim's Tattered Floral die and then again embossing the flowers with Tim's texture fade (or maybe it's the Cuttlebug's - can't remember nor tell the difference. Why on earth do I have two texture fades/embossing folders that are almost the same????) I glued Nathalie Kalbach's patterned paper on the tag, added the flowers after having curled some of the petals, put a blingy center piece for the bigger flower and a metal button on the smaller one, stamped a few swirls and added a zi zag rub-on on the bottom under the metal word (which must be almost as old as I am, well, not quite, poor thing). At the end I added a Heidi Swapp ribbon and the number 3 was done. Waaaaaay after the dead line, but it was done. *said with a proud smile*

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO SHOOT WITH VALENTINA - part 1

Had a photo shoot in the park near our house with Valentina a couple of days before she left for Tokyo again.

Had a lot of fun and learned a lot (the bright sun is not a photographer's friend).

Here are some of the photos I've edited so far.

 

Featured in The Color Room

What a nice way to start a day. I was featured in TCR 

 

 

 

LIVE IT UP

This layout is for KIU's (Kraft It Up) May challenge. KIU is an Australian challenge blog where all the layouts have to be on kraft paper. In addition to that, every month there are other criteria to respect. May's challenge is to do a layout WITHOUT patterned papers. That really is NOT a difficult challenge for me: lately I'm using less and less patterned papers and more and more paints, mists, gesso, fabric, stamping etc

So here goes:

I used paint, gauze, mists, inks, stamps and rub-ons and a piece of a pleated ribbon. I made the flower strings for Julie Balzer's online workshop. We cut and punched shapes (I chose flowers) and sewed them to form a long string. I punched my flowers from different papers I had previously misted and stamped so no patterned papers there.

some details

ART JOURNAL

I've been contemplating for quite awhile now (let's say like a year or so) to start an art journal but either  had too much to do, too little time, not enough confidence or lacked the inspiration until yesterday when I finally took the plunge! I took 10 sheets of my watercolor paper pad (23cm x 30,5cm or 9" x 12"), folded them in half and sewed in the center with my trustworthy Doris and started PLAYING. I enjoyed the process immensely and finished around 2 am!

I misted and inked, painted and stamped, doodled and used oil pastels, glued book pages and added rub-ons and I am truly happy how it turned out.

Here it is in all its splendor ;)

 l loved making it so much that I made another page today!

During this last year I have been inspired by many artists starting with Donna Downey (I've done workshops with her and have been following her Inspiration Wednesday for quite some time), Claudine Hellmuth (did an online workshop with her and got through to like half of the lessons and then life happened and I haven't been able to finish it like so many other online workshops I've taken... shame on you, Helena!), Dina Wakley with whom I've never done any workshops but she's on my "next to have a workshop with" -list, Nathalie Kalbach with whom I've done workshops and from whom I've learned a lot as far as mixed media goes, and last but not least Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I have to say that she's the one who really made me gain confidence and courage to start an art journal. I'm presently also doing her It's Sew Easy online workshop which is awesome - no need to say that I'm falling behind also on that one but thank god it's a self-pace class so I can finish my projects whenever... well in the next year that is... I hope......*insert rolling eyes and whistling here*

Portraits

When I took Karen Russell's Photographer's Workshop 2 years ago (one of the best things I've ever done in my life) , I didn't imagine what a change it would bring in my life. Since then I have improved my photography skills and I enjoy taking pictures. Most of all I love to shoot portraits.

Following Karen's suggestion, I bought Erin Cobb's Clean Color workload video (another excellent decision I've made) and I loooooove it!  I want to become a good photographer but there's no doubt that you have to know something about editing too. And another fact of life: you'll never get a good photo out of a crappy one even with the best of editing skills but you can change a good shot into a magnificent one if you know how to edit. Well, I'm still learning both photography and editing:)

Here are some EDITED portrait pictures of friends and family. 

Franco, Mykonos -  June 2009

Giulia, Rome -  May 2010

Giulia, Rome -  May 2010

Valentina, London -  May 2010

Andrea, Finland  - July 2010

Andrea, Finland - August 2010

Iira, Crete - September 2010

Kata, Crete - September 2010

Andrea & Helena, Rome - April 2011 (photo taken by my dear hubs)

Helena & Andrea, Rome - April 2011 (photo taken by hubs)

Andrea & Valentina, Rome - April 2011

 

I  had a little photo session with Valentina last week but I still have to choose and edit the best photos. When that's done, I'll post them here.

heart Shopping in Athens

The color palette of TCR #56 is really not one of my faves but having found a photo with just the right colors + adding the turquoise I came up with a layout that I'm really pleased with. Maybe also because I was so pleased with my shopping:)

Used mists, paint, stamps, watercolors (on the mat behind the photo), alcohol ink (behind the Heidi Swpp transparent heart) rub-ons and bling :)

some details