Challenges 4 Everybody #19 DT

Well 2 weeks has rolled around and its time for a new challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody This week we are sponsored by Sassy Studios.  We where overwhelmed with entries for last weeks challenge 468 people joined in and had a chance to win.. Have you joined in yet? As always its everyone's favourite Anything goes. 

We are also sad to say goodbye this week to AJ   The male card maker from our Design team his coloring and design is amazing, we will miss you on the team AJ.. 

I have been busy making these junk journals.  My daughter came home with a heap of house plans she looked at them and then said, hey mum I think you can make something out of these.  So this is what I made out of house plans, cardboard cereal box and a necklace that I pulled apart for the beads.

The covers where cereal boxes covered in gel medium with some packaging brown paper crumpled up on top of it. They came out really quite tough and hard with lots of lovely texture. Painted and stencilled. Flowers on the purple are the Tim Holtz tattered floral garland.  The blue one is one I made in a card class last year and has been sitting in my stash of bits and bobs waiting for me to use it, so it finally found a home here.  

The page on the left is made out of a baby wipe dried from doing the stencilling.. Thought it added a bit of interest to it and was so soft.  The blue one turned out so much neater but the purple one is still my favourite because of its shoved together junky look. I put pockets on every page of the blue one as my daughter likes to collect dockets and ticket stubs, so thought this would be handy for her that way to use.

The middle pages where very sturdy paper so they where great for that bit of added strength.   Pocket on each side for the middle. I made tags out of the scrap from the cereal box and painted and stencilled to match the journals.

3 steps to recycling the house plan pages. This was step 1 at the top just a house plan. Step 2 is with gesso on it and the final product at the bottom, with painting and stenciling..I stuck 2 of these together to give it strength and popped pockets on them so can fit tags and things  inside..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I watched 2 youtube  tutorials on how to sew them together Stash and smash journal and Jenniebellie Make an Art journal with greeting cards these where so helpful and full of ideas.. 

I would like to enter this in the following challenges 

Simon says stamp and show Color

Make it Monday

Have a great day

Sandy :)

Creative dare...

This month for Tracy at Mixed Media Monday we have a creative dare... 

I struggled with this and nearly didn't do it.  I had the background done weeks ago just waiting.. I painted the tree and thought it would look good with my words on it then its been three weeks of it just sitting there, looking at me.. I kept telling myself its not hard its just 5 words.. 

So these are my 5 words 

Courage- well I love to have a go at new things. 

Caring- care deeply about everything.

Creative- I am always creating something.

Loving- Love my family and friends enormously. 

Laughter - Well I love to have a good Laugh.. 

Think I got there in the end but gee it made me think.. 

April's Creative Dare:

Your Creative Dare is to think of FIVE WORDS Describing what your life means.  Your purpose!  What FIVE WORDS encompass what you want to be remembered for? 

have a great day

Sandy :)

WOYWW #203

Hi all and hows your Wednesday?  I have been shopping and I got a bargain on ribbon rolls, don't you love it when they have clearances.. Those little books of watercolor paper where on clearance too so thought hmm ATC size they will come in handy..  I have been doing more pages in my art journal its such fun and am trying all different techniques. This one that is on my desk is a paper transfer with Gel Medium and lots of rubbing.. I have blogged about it Here if you would like more info.. Well that's it for me for this week. 

Its no 203 this week for WOYWW . Julia from Stamping ground gets us all together every Wednesday to have a look at desks from all over the world.. Grab a cuppa and take a browse..

I would love to take this opportunity to say a big hi and welcome to 2 new followers to my blog Anna and Sharon.  Thanks for all the lovely comments I have been receiving on my blog.. I really appreciate the time it takes.

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Love.. Precious.. Memories...

I watched this youtube video from Donna Downey. I had already printed out these butterflies to use somewhere was going to cut them out then saw the video and thought wow have to try that..  So you need to watch the video but the essence of it is really clever.. Print out the butterflies on ordinary printer paper.. Then using Gel medium cover your pages.  Then pop printed side down on your gel medium and rub on the back of the paper.  You have to leave it for a minute or so and it transfers the image when you peal the paper off. You will need to rub some of the bits of paper off and timing is everything with this. So I ended up with all these lovely butterflies over my pages.  Painted lightly with pink acrylic paint.  I used Kaisercraft rubons for the words and little locks.. Tim Holtz Washi tape and the birdcage is a movers and shapers die one of my favourites to use..  I ran some watered down Gesso over the top to kind of white wash it.
So really love this technique and so great that you can use free images from the Internet to do it.. 
So the beautiful butterflies are a free printable and  I got them from Swirlydoos here.
I would like to say a big hi and welcome to a new follower to my blog Julie.

I would like to link this up to the following..
Balzerdesigns Art journal everyday
Paint party Friday
Artists in blogland

Have a great day
Sandy :)  

WOYWW #202

Had fun with lots of acrylic paint color and water color's, this photo was from last night, I took this photo before it was all cleaned up.. Posted about this art Journal page Here if you want to pop and have a look.. I read not to throw the baby wipes away after using them with paints and inks as they make nice inclusions and add texture, once they are dried out..  They are very bright after all these colors.  My coffee cup is there and my water bottle, paint brushes have made it on to my table now, but pippin my owl is still there watching over everything. I love having my windows open now with my huge table to work on. My friend laughed when she saw how much room I had taken up, hey no one uses this space really except me and I really like all the light from the big windows.. I was thinking when the kids moved out I would take over one of there rooms but don't know if I will, I like it here its nice and warm in the winter.  Depends really how much more stuff I am going to accumulate. The TV cabinet next to me has 2 big draws at the bottom, hmm maybe I could take over that space and move those DVD's, will think on that one. Got my eye on that space though.
Here is my desk today all cleaned up and tidy, thought you would like to see the messy one more...

Does anyone else do that where they start with all that room and end up with only half the craft matt to work on?  Its a crafting mystery..
Its no 202 this week for WOYWW . Julia from Stamping ground gets us all together every Wednesday to have a look at desks from all over the world.. Grab a cuppa and take a browse..

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Aussie Tag Swap. April Poppies..

This month for the Aussie Tag Swap our theme was poppies to honour our fallen diggers. Judith my partner for this month has received the tag now, so I can show you my tag for April.. I really struggled with an idea for this one. Then Kaisercraft came to the rescue with there new stamp range of poppies and I was saved.. I brought the stamp set and I love it.  I stamped it on some red card stock and cut it out. Then I painted the stems and background and stamped some green leaves that came with the poppy stamp at the bottom.  I like the way they looked at the bottom a little like grass.  So did all that on the tag and then I didn't like it at all, there was just something missing.  I thought it needed something, some interest to it. So I cut it with the bigshot and the jigsaw die and then put it on another tag covered in black cardstock.  Then it looked better.  Think I went for the jigsaw as to me war is a puzzle. Judith from Creative studio said in her email to me that.. "Just loved the idea of the broken jigsaw (great reminder of the broken lives from terrible wars)"  The red tie at the top is red and white wool that I plated.  The paper underneath is tissue paper that I wrapped the tag in to send off, stamped with the same set of poppy stamps. 

I would like to enter this tag in the following challenges.

Scrap Creations creations using flowers

Make it Monday Anything goes

Have a great day

Sandy :)

Create....

I Love water color!!! I have just discovered how much fun it is.. I just brought the water colors last week and have only used them once, so had to have a go with them today. This is a mix of water color on the right and acrylic paints on the left boy did I have some fun.. You should have seen my hands..  I am trying to incorporate my handwriting into my pages and reading today a post from cloth paper scissors magazine, thought I would have another go.. 
 I have done something similar before with my writing but played with this a lot more.  Did some doodling on the black with my white pen and enjoyed doing that.. Used the dylusions stencil luscious leaves for the shapes on the left and just moved it around and used all different colors should see the stencil.. Its very pretty now.. Think maybe I should put the black border on the left with the spots but I kind of like it like this.. So to me this is finished and love the bright color.. Tracy at Mixed Media Monday went out of her comfort zone and went grunge.  So I went out of mine and went lots and lots of color and my own handwriting..  So think that was big time out of my comfort zone.. 

I am going to link this up with 
Artists in blogland
Balzer designs

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Aussie tag swap.. Red poppies

This is the tag I received from Eels from Craftee Owls my partner for this April in the 12 month Aussie tag swap. Our theme this month was poppies to honour our fallen diggers. Eels really hit the mark with the poppies and I loved the beautiful  coloring on her flowers.  They really look like the real thing.  That braiding is just lovely and really adds pop to her tag.  I am so enjoying getting this wonderful mail and look forward to next months theme Mothers day. I will reveal the tag I made when the recipient receives it in the mail.. Hope they like it..

Have a great day 
Sandy :)

Challenges 4 Everybody #18 DT

We have a wonderful brand new sponsor this week at Challenges 4 Everybody its Lacy Sunshine Stamps.  First place gets a $20 gift voucher to spend at Lacy sunshine stamps and second place gets to choose 2 digis.. What wonderful prizes as its chosen by random generator everyone has a equal chance of winning. As always its anything goes, so come on and join in on the fun.

I chose this beautiful pre colored image by Heather Valatin isn't she just adorable.  The image is called Birthday Cake Girl and I had a lot of fun playing with this image that was so different for me to work with..  I so loved the bright colors and I chose this lovely Mpress embossing folder for the background as I really liked how it had spots and splashes, so that's when I decided to make a square card.  I love brads and ribbon  and this ribbon that I found in my stash I thought matched the colors so well.

I would like to say a big welcome to a new follower to my blog Evalila.. Welcome and thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments I have been receiving on my blog. I really appreciate the time it takes.

Have a great day

Sandy :)

Imagination...

With these journal pages I started with tearing an embossed piece of cardstock up into pieces.. I stuck them on with modpodge then I used texture paste and the diamond stencil from crafters workshop to add a few diamond shapes with a spatula.. I then got the baby wipes and some lovely mauve and pink paint and dabbed all over it.  I stamped on masking tape with the Tim Holtz warehouse stamp set to make my version of washi tape..  I then made a pocket for the page because in my stash I had made this tag with the same colors a few weeks back and it matched my colors perfectly.. Well they are my favourite colors to use.. So stamped over the pages randomly with the warehouse stamps then used the Dylusions alphabet stencil to add a few letters, here and there.. Went over the home made washi tape with Gel medium so it is glossy and it wont come off.

These pages where so much fun to do I loved the soft texture of the texture paste feels really rubbery to the touch like plastic on the page.. The pages are so heavy as well but really solid. Will post another post about the washi tape. I did take pictures of it as I have made little book to hold it in all. Its an ongoing project but could not wait to try it out and really like how I can make it look to match anything I am working on.. 

Will link this up with Balzer designs Art journal everyday..

Have a great day
Sandy :)

WOYWW? #201

So what is on my desk? I have been doing more in my art Journal I am really enjoying doing this.. I love the experimenting with paint something that still feels so new to me.  With this page I have popped a tag in a pocket, the tag I found in my stash was the same colors as my page so finished it off to match my pages.  Just taking a few photos of it so will post that up next on my blog. The card with the teddy is from Eels it was with this months Aussie tag swaps lovely poppy tag that is hanging up there on the top right..  I also brought the Tim Holtz movers and shapers key and lock cant wait to add that to a few things.  Found some music pages so will be tearing that up and adding them here and there, on future pages. 
I have also been doing a little reorganising with my stamp collection, it had outgrown the basket that they all used to fit in.  So I popped all the DVD's no one was watching into a cupboard and put all my stamps in this stand.

Well these are not the all of my stamps but ones on wood blocks and the ones that are in DVD cases.. They all fit in here really well and I have room for just a few more..  Upright storage is so great takes up hardly any room and I can see them all really well in here.  
Its the 201st WOYWW this week. Julia from Stamping ground gets us all together every Wednesday to have a look at desks from all over the world.. Grab a cuppa and take a browse..
Would love to say a big Hi and welcome to 3 new followers to my blog Rohz, Von and Connie.  

Have a great day.
Sandy :)

Hearts...

Last weekend I was playing around with a few things I had been collecting and wanted to see what they looked like with paint on them..  So I have been looking at a few youtube videos and this kind of stuck with me.. If you want to journal and you are stuck for an idea of how to start.. Grab the scrap paper pile and start tearing and gluing. Now I have no idea who it was that said it but that's how I started this.. Its totally random cut out some pretty paper with hearts on it, then just ripped it up.. I had made some stencils out of plastic with some of my punches that's the hearts on there.. Had my stitching stamps out still as I had been using them on another page, so the stitching stamp went through the middle of the hearts.. The little diamonds are an onion bag that I saved and wanted to see what it looked like with paint on it.. Dropped purple ink on the pages and let it run as had not done that..  I just love purple and pink together and that lovely magenta just pops.. The love is some new alphabet foam stamps I brought for really cheap so they worked quite well, would probably put more paint on them next time to make it a bit darker or should have popped gesso on them first maybe..  So these pages are filled with learning so that is always a good thing.

I would like to say a big Hi and welcome to 2 new followers to my blog Robin and Craftydebs.

Have a great day
Sandy :)

WOYWW #200 New desk!!!

Its the 200th WOYWW this week!! Julia from Stamping ground gets us all together every Wednesday to have a look at desks from all over the world.. Grab a cuppa and take a browse..
I have a new big wooden desk Woohoo!! Well its a dining table all to myself. No more shakes with things falling off.. With the dabbing of the painting my other one really got the shakes and was starting to bow in the middle.  It also had a big split in the middle because it was a folding table. I rearranged everything and had a big clean up..  My trolley did not fit under my new desk so was just going to put it at the end of the desk. Then thought hmm have got this other table that is not that big that it fits under so moved that to the end and made a spot for my bigshot.. So have really extended my work area now and it still fits in the same area, just a little bit longer and wider shhh:)  I opened up the blinds for you to see better.  This window looks into the backyard.  I love the natural light and find I need it with painting.. That is why everything blocking the light has been moved to the side so I have all that lovely light now coming onto my table.. I painted yesterday and so enjoyed my new spot. 
Here is my painting so you don't have to squint.  I joined along with Tracy at Mixed Media Monday. More info Here  

Well what a surprise to see that I made it to 100 followers.. I would like to say a huge welcome to Denise and my 100th follower Eddyth..  I hope you all like the mix of things that goes on.. I have thought about splitting my painting and mixed media to another blog but thought hey this is what goes on with my crafting.  I so love to mix it all up, so hope you all like the mix of crafts I have to show.. 

Have a great day 
Sandy :)

Dream a little Dream...

Today with Tracy at  Mixed Media Monday there was a few new techniques for me to try..  Tissue paper and mod podge hmm would have never tried to use this without the excellent instructions on how to do it.  It was such an easy technique and gives so much lovely texture and so cheaply.  Must not throw any tissue paper away from now on.  Tracy had a beautiful stencil and then adapted it to suit what she wanted. Well I didn't have a stencil so just did a sketch and tried my best to paint it.. My painting skills are sadly lacking and sketching is new to me too but a little charcoal pencil, a black marker and a bit of help with my new stitching stamp for the stems was a great place for me to start.  The pink was supposed to look quite swirly and I don't think I quite got it but hey I am learning something new all the time and thoroughly enjoying the painting find it quite relaxing..  Love incorporating my stamps onto the paint another use for them and that's great.  The dream a little dream stamp, its the first time I had used that one its from Kaszass, such a great set of stamps lots of little sayings..  This painting is on craft wood its only 6 inches square has holes in the top so will probably put on some kind of hanger with some beads.. I have done one this size before and was thinking maybe might attach them all together I have 7 of them. They where supposed to be a calendar but have found them great for trying out new things not too big to be too daunting, but you still have it on something nice and solid.. 

So another technique tried out and loved it..

I have been looking at Art journal everyday there is so many wonderful pages to look at so will link this up there as well.. I have been trying to do something everyday as I figure the only way I am going to get better is with practice.. 

Have a great day 

Sandy :)

Challenges 4 Everybody #17 DT

Well its time for a new challenge over at Challenges 4 Everybody We have as our sponsor this week  Bugaboo stamps  If you link up with your entry and you are randomly picked, you get to pick 7 free digis of your choice. So come on and join in the fun as always, its Anything goes..

This week I chose to make an easel card.. I had not made one of these for a while and so like the way they look opened up.. I had a hard choice again with all the lovely Bugaboo images but kept coming back to this Butterfly Silhouette I used some new die cuts for the circles so that was fun to see how they looked.. I cut the butterflies wings out with a craft knife but left the centre attached.. Then I lifted the wings so it looks like it is sitting on there about to take off. Well that's what I was going for, added some sparkle with some stickles.  The wording stamp is one from Kaszass its a favourite of mine so pretty.. The swirl is from Tim Holtz a movers and shapers die. Happy birthday stamp and punch are both Stampin'up.

Saying a big HI and welcome to 2 new followers to my blog Mekofosho and Linda.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges 
That craft place  Animal challenge
Make it Monday

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter. 
Sandy :)