New Mixed Media Canvas class

Coming soon to LBH buffet!

Details will be available soon - you can create this cheerful and fun canvas in any LBH buffet!

You will use several new "Totally Tracy" stamp sets from Dare 2B Artzy and the new Tim Holtz Distress Crayons, along with other media, to create this happy, textured piece.  Lots of techniques in this class! I hope you will join me.

April PACs - Weeks 3 & 4

WEEK 3

I'm a little late finishing up my PAC for week 3. The art challenge was to create a pocket and fill it.

I actually copied Rae's PAC for the week as I thought it was adorable. I used a library card pocket which is a bit larger than the 2.5" x 3.5" PAC. In the DLP kit we received a sheet of "artist paper" with tiny square stickers. When you remove these, you are left with a "holey" colorful paper which I used to cover the front of the pocket. In the negative spaces, I alternatively colored black solid squares and black dots. At the top I drew black stripes with a Sharpie.

To fill the pocket I made a black tag and added two tiny photos of Carl and Mitchell who I was babysitting that week. I added a bit of washi tape at the top, doodled with white pen and added a hand-dyed ribbon.

WEEK 4

This week's challenge was to "fill your art with numbers."  I started with a card that had been painted with pink, orange and white paints.  First I stamped a background number stamp in black ink. Then I stamped with larger numbers in both white paint (didn't show up) and then pink paint.  I used a favorite roller stamp with white paint all over the card but that was very faint also. Finally I stamped the large numbers with orange paint and outlined them with white Signo pen. I also wrote around the numbers what they symbolized. (2 for my husband and I as a couple; 5 for my children; 4 for my grand boys.)

And here they are in the page protector. I cut a 4-pocket protector in half vertically and used washi tapes on the "spine" and the cut edge.  The pockets were a little too big for the PACs so I cut about 1/2 inch off the top and then sewed the bottom one up about 1/2 inch.  I've been loving the variegated thread!

Still have to finish the weekly view calendar and the monthly pocket picks and then on to MAY!

Back from a long birthday weekend!

We spent Thursday thru Monday in Austin celebrating this little guy's first birthday - I can hardly believe that he is already one!  (Sorry, lots of photos!)

My five kids, their spouses/significant others and the four grand boys were all together for a fun, boisterous, crazy busy weekend. Loved every minute, but it will take a few days to recuperate!



COUSINS

Grant and Mitchell

Drew and Carl

Grant loved riding the rocking horse

Visited, picnicked and played on playground at Treaty Oak Distillery

Sand and water table

Four boys in a pool

Out for a drive

Fun with water pistols

Just hanging out

Four boys in a tub

Killing ants

AT THE ZOO

Train ride

Feeding the goats

 

New Layout Classes - "Sugar 'n Spice" and "All Boy"

I have two new layouts on display at The Little Blue House which are available now to purchase as kits or for class in any "buffet".

These are very similar layouts - one for girls and one for boys - using the new Authentique paper collections "Darling Girl" and  "Darling Boy."

Drop by the store to check them out or sign up for class, or click on the link above for more information.

Documented Life unPlanner - April Weeks 3 and 4

I am calling last week (April 11-17) Week 3 as the first few days of April I considered as Week 1.

This was my Week 3 planner page - filled with flying to Austin to babysit the boys for a few days and catching up on writing instructions and prepping for two layouts I created for the LBH. I punched the little banners for the days of the week from the linings of security envelopes and stamped the numbers on.

And this is the current week (18-24). I scraped Dylusions paints in pink and purple over the entire calendar. To tone it down, I added the days in white and black and punched half-circles from black dot paper for the dates. I also painted large white scallops in the center of the page to break up some of the color. This page isn't completed yet as we are leaving tomorrow for Austin to celebrate little Mitchell's first birthday. (His birthday isn't until May 1 but everyone could make it this weekend so we are celebrating early. All of my kids are flying in for this and all four grand boys will be together. It will be such fun!)

The "List Ten" for April is to list ten special guests you would like to have lunch with. There were so many to list, I could have gone on and on! On the back of the list I printed a "to do" list on kraft paper as I have quite a lot to keep track of right now. Hope this will help me get things done!

Documented Life unPlanner - April Week 2

I printed my second week of April on the back of the first week to save room in the binder. I scraped pink, blue and yellow paints across the page to add some color. The dates are stamped on banners I punched from security envelopes - love the tiny patterns inside these junk mail envelopes. Then I just started added stamping, doodles and stickers for the things going on this week. I finished this up early as I will be flying to Austin tonight to babysit for a few days.

I am not doing the "Dare2B" card this week. For the PAC, the challenge was to draw a face. Eek! Oh no! I thought about stamping a face but then figured that wouldn't be meeting the challenge and a challenge isn't a challenge if it's easy, right?! 

I loved what Rae did for her PAC t his week. (See below.) She started with a water-soluble oil pastel background and some white paint where the face would be. Then she glued on a used tea bag before starting to draw and paint the face.

Rae Missigman's face PAC for DLP2016 Apr. Wk.2

So I started in doing as she did. I didn't have a tea bag so I used a piece of sewing pattern tissue - same color and a good start for the flesh of the face. I loosely drew a face with pencil and then started adding acrylic paints and then watercolors.  I tried hard not to overwork it - it's not perfect but neither am I! And I do like it far better than my attempts last year! Still need a lot of practice...

I finished it off by stitching with variegated thread. The DLP gals have been doing that all year and I found some very old variegated rayon thread in my sewing stash that I am happy to use up! The colorful thread just adds a nice touch.

Documented Life unPlanner 2016 - April Week 1

Here we are in April already! How time flies!

April Challenge - Reaching for Rainbows: Creating Outside the Lines

I am running out of room in the binder so I printed the monthly calendar on the back of the April divider using kraft card stock.  I used sections of the April printed divider from the kit to edge my divider and painted with Distress crayon.

 The pocket is a journal card from the April paper from the Bo Bunny "Calendar Girl" collection. (I bought a paper for each month and will be using bits and pieces from them for the planner.)  Since April showers bring May flowers, I doodled raindrops in white pen.

I am continuing to add a tag to a pocket on each monthly divider with the monthly theme on it.  For this tag I used gesso through a stencil and then added spray inks for a rainbow effect. The zigzag border is a very old sticker and I added a hand-dyed ribbon and computer-generated text.

On the back of the divider is the month's calendar. I used collage paper for the spine and half-circles for the scallop edge. I'm sure this will fill in more as the month progresses. I managed to use up more of that zigzag border too!

The first week only had three days so I used the remainder of the last week's page from March.

On the back I sewed a colorful printed transparency to form a pocket for the first week's PAC.  The challenge for this card was to use just black and white. I stenciled white paint on black cardstock, rounded the corners and machine-stitched around in black thread. Then I added a bit of fibrous handmade paper with two stamped butterflies. The top one is on vellum and just glued along the body. It fits down into the pocket and you can see it through the transparency.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can fit the remainder of April in this binder. Many people have already started another one!

Documented Life unPlanner 2016 - Catching up on March

I've managed to stay caught up on working in the actual planner, but not on posting my progress on the blog. So here are the remaining weeks of March.

The top PAC below is from Week 3; the bottom one is from Week 4 - celebrating white space. I used Rae Missigman's marbling technique this week using shaving cream and alcohol inks. So fun and I marbled lots of cardstock pieces using up the mixture.  I cut down a 4-pocket page protector and used washi tape and paper for the edges.

The last week only consisted of four days, so I cut apart a full calendar sheet.  Below is the front where I added some stamping with white ink as well as a photo of Mitchell since I was babysitting him those days.

On the back I journaled about the month - so much going on!

I am loving the "Monthly Pocket Picks" where we recap the little moments of the month that were special to us. I've added some photos of my little ones since we spent time with all of them in March, a "lucky" shaker pocket for St. Patrick's Day and a portion of the church bulletin for Easter.

I've used the black tag before and love the look of it with photos and doodles with a white pen.  I also added some photos of fun purchases I made during the month.

I'm ready for April!

Pinterest Party and Girls' Weekend

I spent this past weekend at my friend's house near Waco, Texas, about two hours from here. She invited 7 gals to join her for a Pinterest Party. Everyone brought a project inspired by Pinterest, complete with kits for all, and we created some fun things.

Two gals made their projects beforehand and gifted them to us. One was a DIY "Poo-pourri" spray and the other was a package of DIY essential oil "bombs" for the shower. Both included recipes so we can re-create these on our own.

First up was a beautiful project using an old Graphic 45 paper collection, "A Lady's Diary." These papers are still my favorite collection from G45.  I hesitate to call this a card as it is much more elaborate. It's a trifold with a "belly band" for a closure. Isn't it gorgeous?

Here you can see it open. Love it!

This is a decorated gift bag using a Julie Nutting girl stamp and paper scraps. We colored the skin with colored pencils and stamped the doll a second time on patterned paper for the dress. I think this would be darling on a canvas as well.

This was a simple card but with such an impact. The flowers, lace and satin bow just add such special elegant touches. It's very dimensional so would probably cost a fortune to mail! But I doubt I will be parting with this for awhile.

This was another scrap project done on a canvas. We simply hand-cut different sizes of pointy ovals and Mod Podged them in place.  This is a great idea for using scraps and would be fun on different colored backgrounds. I can just see it on black making the colors really pop. This canvas is 8"x10" but how cool would this be on a huge canvas!

And this was my project - a spring banner.  The pennants are paper rectangles with one end dove-tailed. The letters are glued to die cut scalloped circles. Holes are punched in upper corners of each pennant and then threaded on twine. Torn fabric strips are tied between each pennant. Simple but sweet.

This was such a fun party. There are so many ideas on Pinterest - I suggest you gather a few friends and host your own Pinterest Party!