Gothic Arches Challenge "OPENINGS"

Gothic Arches theme this week is "openings" and my translation for this is "Keep an Open Mind". I just love steampunk and just received these wonderful stamps in the mail from Oxford Impressions, You have to check out their website... great collection. I used black soot distressed ink for stamps and then clear UTEE to emboss. Then got real dirty with my distressed ink pads, smeared and spritzed them and then ran my arch all over. Really liked how it turned out, kind of like old rusted machinery. Then just for added pazzaz. hung some metal charms and washers and got this really neat little flask from Zinnia (coolest little art store in South Pasadena), filled it with micro beads and wired it shut. TFSB :)

SCD birthday challenge "twinchie/Crown"

Poo... I'm really going to miss doing these precious little twinchies... this is the last of them for this birthday month over at Something Completly Different challenge blog. Next month will be a different project. The theme is "crown". Life brings on many different jobs and roles to play every single day, and I find I am always juggling from one hat (or crowns ) to another. Whether, it's being a mom, going to work at my job, being a friend, a daughter, a cook, a crafter ( haha...had to throw that one in)... Exausting but I wouldn't trade it for anything :) Cjeck out SCD design team twinchies... they are awesome...

Mixed Media Monday challenge

This week's theme for Mixed Media Monday is "Marie Antonette". Wanted to mix things up a bit and thought this was the perfect opportunity to use my "special paper". I purchased some handmade paper from Bali and it's been hiding away for awhile. Time to bust it out. I used it as my canvas for this piece. Also wanted to try out a technique that I picked up on the internet... I'm sorry I can't remember whose website I got this from otherwise I would give you kudos.... But the clock was just a cut out on regular paper. I glimmer misted it then applied 3 coats of UTEE...then popped it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. When it came out I bent the paper and it cracked like glass. Pretty cool technique. I think I would like it better on something a little thicker, like chip board, or grungeboard, but I just love the fact that their are so many wonderfully talented artists out there that are willing to share techniques with us all.

Not sure where I'll use this piece, but it really doesn't matter.... my hands are full of ink and paint, I have glitter on my nose and I feel artistically satisfied... Time for bed nighty night. :) xoxo

Gothic Arches Challenge "Home Sweet Home"

Many of us have or will experience the "empty nest" syndrome, in which our children will go off to pursue their adult life which we as parents have worked hard to help prepare them for. My one and only child (daughter) went 3000 miles away to get a college education and I missed her terribly. But as a mom I knew that is exactly what I needed to do,...let her go. She was sooooo excited to be out on her own, and it was so worth it when she would tell me, that "there is no place like home"... They may go away for a bit, but what a blessing it is when they flutter back to the nest for a visit. TFL

Some products I used to make this project are...Tim Holtz bird cage die cut, glimmer mist for back ground, Mudd Puddles for texture on bird & PK Glitz embossing powder to add bling 0n birdcage.

Art on the Darkside"Ghost Whisperer"

Over at Art on the Darkside challenge blog, the theme this week is "Ghost Whisperer". This project really hit home with me in a personal way... you see the man in the window is a picture of my grandfather, whom I never knew. But worse than that, my mother never knew him either. He walked out on her and her mother when she was only a couple months old. All my mothers life she has carried with her a sense of abandonment, anger and hurt.

I never realized how much my mother looks like her father until I saw this picture... If I were able to speak to him "Damn you" is what I would say to him ....for breaking my mother's heart, but I don't think it would be in a whisper....TFL :)

Gothic Arches Challenge "Bollywood"

It is with great pleasure that I hosted this week's theme at Gothic Arches challenge and I chose "Bollywood". Thought it would be fun to do a little research to find out just what Bollywood is all about.

You take the colorful culture of Bombay India (which is now Mumbai) and combine it with the theatrical film industry of Hollywood and you get ... "Bollywood". Per Bollyworld.com, Bollywood films are usually musicals. Few movies are made without at least one song-and-dance number. Indian audiences expect full value for their money; they want songs and dances, love interest, comedy and dare-devil thrills, all mixed up in a three hour long extravaganza with intermission. Such movies are called masala movies, after the spice mixture masala. Like masala, these movies have everything. Hope you enjoyed the history lesson and have fun making your arch. :)

Something Completly Different Challenge "Flowers"

Over at "Something Completly Different" challenge blog we are concentrating on twinchies for the month of May. Itty bitty
2 x 2 squares and this week's theme is "flowers". I used "Flower Soft" to make my dimensional flowers. If you are a card maker or scrapbooker, check out their website. The product is acid free and is really fun to work with. TFL :)

Fairy Dust Anyone???

As you saw on my recent post, I accidentally deleted my blog template. Thank goodness for so many wonderful tutorials out there that help us computer challenged people get back in the game. I've been having fun loading, and reloading new templates and just messing around. One blog I always seem to keep going back to is "First Floor Flat"... you gotta visit this blog. Lots and lots of wonderful info. They had a tutorial to add twinkling stars as your cursor moves across the page. How fun is that !!! Pay the blog a visit, you won't be disappointed. Thank you Susie for sharing your tutorials with us. :)

Forgive the mess

Trying to make some changes to my blog and oops... I deleted the template. So I guess it is time for a face lift. If my blog looks a little messy its cuz it's under construction...Hang in there with me. :)

Gothic Arches Challenge "Music"

Gothic Arches Challenge this week is "Music".... which has always played a huge impact on my life. I was a "wanna be" hippie in the late 60's early 70's but a little young for the whole scene, but I remember my very first psychedelic album I purchased. It was Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida... I still have the album to this day.
The the original name for the song was "In the Garden of Eden" but as the story has been told, the singer was a bit intoxicated and slurred his words, and this is what the rest of the band heard, therefore it stuck... lol... gotta love the 70's...
Anyways... had fun blowing through a straw moving my alcohol inks around on my paper. Used a bit of black embossing for pop. The "peace sign" was made using shrinky dink (so much fun) and the flower was handmade... (which will be sold very soon on our Etsy account) . Anyhow... loved the theme, got to go down memory lane for a bit. Hope you enjoyed :)

Happy Mother's Day

This picture was taken of my mom and me when I was about 1 years old. I was able to enter into several challenges this week with this one project because it fit the bill in a few different ways. First Mixed Media Monday theme is "Mothers". Next up is Theme Thursday challenge blog theme is "Vintage". Then we're off to Collage Obsession challenge and their theme is "Mother". Had so much fun doing this canvas collage, found the sweetest little buttons that fit into the armoire perfect for that special fun touch.

Want to take this time to wish all the wonderful women out there a beautiful Mother's Day. Hope my mom will like this, she is getting it for a gift tomorrow...... :)

Something Completly Different Challenge "Butterflies"

Here is my entry for Something Completly Different challenge. The theme this month is "twinchie" and this week butterflys. When my daughter was a baby we loved giving each other butterfly kisses...Happy Mother's Day to me and to you ... :)

Our Vintage Affair - Bags

The month of May challenge over at "Our Vintage Affair" has a theme of BAGS... in other words purses. This is a nice challenge blog for those that would like to have a little more time to create. There is only one theme a month. Here is my version for "bags".
It's a cardboard book I made from left over pieces of card board from the back of paper packs. (I keep everything...lol) Cut it in the shape of a purse then covered with black and hot pink suede paper (yummy). The handle is made out of wire twisted and big beads added for whimsy. The slide show will show you different pages that I incorporated in it. The star of the book is my daughter Brittany. I named my purse "Younique" because that's just what my daughter is.... beautiful and unique... I hope you enjoy and drop "Our Vintage Affair" a visit. You won't be disappointed.

Art On the Darkside Challenge "Scary Dolls"

Art on the Darkside is cool challenge blog that I have been wanting to participate in for quite awhile. We all have in us that little quirky, darkside... and to be able to create something reflecting that is envigorating...lol...

My little girl lost her head over the love of her life. I purchased this paper mache manican and made the dress from suede paper as well G45 paper. Used old patterns to make the sleeves and the back ruffles. Hope you enjoy :)

College Obsession Challenge "Flowers"

This weeks theme at Collage Obsession was "flowers". They provided a beautiful picture of flowers in a vase. I took their vase and filled it with my own handmade grungepaper roses. Blinged them up a bit with German glass glitter. The leaves were made by used vintage flower press molds. I named this piece "Bloom Where You Are Planted". Hope you enjoy :)

Dress up Challenge... "May Dress"

Alice and Camilla dress up challenge is for "May Dress". This is one of my most favorite times of the year. When earth gives birth to birds, and flowers and just beauty in general. Love this time. Hope everyone has a beautiful month of May...xoxo