Making New Years cards

I have been wanting to play with inks and techniques and decided the perfect time was now to make combination Thank you and Happy New Years cards.

 

 

I know why the last stamp was on sale so cheap... the town scene isn't cut deep enough and it makes a very poor impression.   I had to bring it out with Copic markers.    I had a lot of fun making these very simple cards using 140 lb. Aquarelle Arches watercolor block paper.  It works just as well with inks and chalks.

I finally found the pregnant woman silouette (Dusty Attic) at my local scrapbook store so was able to finish this layout that I have been wanting to do ever since I saw this photo of my niece:

Scrap Addict Blog

I have just discovered Helen Tilbury's blog.  Her awesome November giveaway is open to her followers and can be seen at http://helentilbury.blogspot.ca.  Helen lives in Durban, South Africa (formerly Zimbabwe).


 


Helen is married, has 4 children and 3 furbabies!  I like her already!

Before and After

Oops... this layout got a little "busy".  Oh well, it was fun to do.  No chip board this time?  That will never do.

Great niece, Brooklynn Christina Freeman

Welcome Brooklynn!!  I can't wait to meet you!

 

This was a Scrappy Ladies Challenge:

 

and another SL challenge:



 

 

 

With Brooklynn's birth coming in winter I decided to ink some chipboard snowflakes to add to the page and I used a Dusty Attic name plate which I coloured first with Copic pens and then covered the whole thing with Plaid's Liquid Embossing - Antique Glass Finish.  I love working with this stuff.  Its slow drying but love the gloss finish.

Labour Day Weekend - Oregon Coast

My husband is very camera shy so I have to sneak any pictures I take of him.  I liked the scenery here at Fort Stevens State Park, and he wasn't watching me... so thought this was a good opportunity.

I have used Dusty Attic's Grass Clusters #1 (DA0660) and cut a portion from Garden Frame Set (DA0606).  Both were inked with Dew Drops pigment ink.

Newport, Oregon

The other half to my double layout on our day in Newport, Oregon.   I could have spent several days there if it hadn't been so windy and cool... a place that felt like home, with fun, quirky shops and great views.

Neither of us had ever seen how you fish for crabs so we were very curious to watch the fellows on the dock.   He had an actual basket attached to the end of his fishing rod and he just flung the basket out on the line and voila!  That fast he had a few in his basket.   They use chicken for bait because otherwise the sea gulls will steal the bait.   And, get this, if you leave the chicken out of the fridge "thawing" for 2 or 3 days it works even better.... where do you keep the stinking mess for 2 to 3 days??????????

Anyway, I decided to use some chain and metal findings that I've been saving and I used Dusty Attic's Grass Clusters #1 (DA 0660) and 2/3rds of a Fish net Panel (DA 0654) which I gesso'd white.   I didn't use gesso on the grass pieces this time, only Dew Drop pigment ink.   The muckier my hands are, the more fun I have had!  Surprisingly, I can even get my hands stained while wearing disposable latex gloves.   Its a talent.  ;P

Brooklyn Christina Freeman

I am a great aunt again; to Brooklyn Christina Freeman, born November 3, 2012.  I love this picture:

Kirstin looks pretty proud of her baby sister.

Newport, Oregon September 2012

I used the remaining 1/3 of a Dusty Attic Fish Net chip board DA0654 (painted with gesso and inked with Tim Holtz's Weathered Wood Distress Ink) and Dusty Attic's small birds first gessoed and then inked with blue pigment ink.   The "boardwalk" is a disposable coffee cup heat sleeve turned inside out and trimmed and the wharf pilons are popsicle sticks also stained with Weathered Wood Distress Ink).

Oregon Coast Vacation

 

 

 

Fort Stevens State Park (between Warrenton and Hammond, in north western Oregon) is absolutely huge. The site of the Peter Iredale Wreck is only one of many great viewpoints we found. 

 

 

 

If I'd quit oogling every one else's blogs and beautiful layouts I might get my own layout done!!   I've found another blog I want to follow... http://kerentamir.blogspot.ca
Great inspiration.  Thank you Keren!

We spent a fantastic 3 weeks August and September travelling through Idaho and Washington (to get to Oregon and tick off something from my bucket list).  I'm trying to incorporate my holiday pictures into the Scrappy Lady weekly challenges (and believe me, it IS a challenge).   I have a tough time cropping scenery pictures.   We collected so many tourist and travel pamphlets throughout Oregon so I decided I'd use some of them for journaling as I know they can say it much better than I can. 

This picture was taken last week:

and this one was taken today (after a couple days of melting - Sunday night was our first snowfall of the season):

 

 

The Fall layout started out with a 12 x 12 white cardstock which I sprayed with three earth tone Smooch Spritz's (blended) and  stamped a few Stampendous leaves using Dew Drop's Brilliance Cosmic Copper (my newest favourite pigment ink).   The flowers were made with an EK Success punch out of bright yellow cardstock which I inked with various Tim Holz Distress Inks and curled the leaves around a thin paint brush handle.   BUT, what is most fun, are the centres of my flowers.   These are seeds taken from that tree and inked with copper and red pigment inks.  The two flourishes are Dusty Attic chipboard, also inked with Cosmic Copper and a burgundy Recollections Ink pad.   The mini vines (DA 0370) http://thedustyat.cart.net.au/store/laser-cuts/ peaking out of the fibre in the bottom left corner were inked with Dew Drop's Brilian Pearescent Ivy and Lime.   I used a Spellbinders embossing folder on one-half of the background leaf paper. 

This darn cold is getting the better of me.   Finally, I have gotten a layout done - Challenge 40 of the Scrappy Ladies weekly challenges... I am soooo behind!

I haven't followed the sketch to the "t" but pretty close.  "100% Boy" is Dusty Attic DA0026.  I usually gesso them before I ink or paint them but decided this time to apply ink to the unfinished chippie.    Without gesso, the chippies tend to absorb too much ink.  I used Smooch Spritz (water-based acrylic paints, rich with mica particles for shimmer) "wood stain" and another that looks orange/red in the glass bottle... unfortunately I tore the label and only have half the name!  (...a Party).   Because I wanted to use dark brown on the layout I decided that the chippie was still too dark so I distressed the edges with Dew Drop Brilliance's Cosmic Copper.   These pictures look very dark but the chippie really does stand out now. 

Speaking of not being very tech savvy when it comes to blogs, I have never had a Follow Me button and decided yesterday to try to add one.   My blog has always been more like a "dear diary" and I feel foolish adding a follow link, especially when there are no followers.  For what its worth, I learned how to add it. 

Bearly Mine Crafts

As I'm prone to do, I've been surfing my blogs and finding more awesome blogs to see others gorgeous layouts, tips, and how-to videos.  And look what I found!  A very cool site you will want to see.  Check out Bearly Mine Crafts at http://bearlymine.blogspot.co.uk/.  I've just started my tour through the site but decided to stop and add the link here.   I'm fairly new and inexperienced at blog layouts...when I add things they don't always show up where I want them to!   The blog candy contest picture I want you to see ended up at the bottom of my page instead of in the right column, so here it is again ... don't wait too long, the web site is great and the contest ends November 30th!

Time for Halloween Nails!

You can't really tell here, but the black fingernails have an orange sparkle applied over top.   I asked Cheryl if she could paint a spiderweb.  Apparently the black gel runs worse than all the other colours so she suggested we only do the ring fingers.  I think she did a great job!

THANKSGIVING 2012

Cody asked that family photos be done while everyone in his family was home for Thanksgiving and I was asked to do the honours.   Wish it hadn't been so windy on Sunday(and that Karen hadn't chose the dimly lit kitchen to pose for pictures).

Karen and Ross with their grandchildren.   Millie will be a big sister in March, 2013:

There must have been 8 or 9 takes of this photo.  This is the one with the most smiles (and majority paying attention):

Millie, Matea, Karen, me, Ross and Larry
Dorothy and Colten (sitting)

Great Grandma with Emilia, Colten and Matea:

Three generations (Grandma Karen):

Family Reunion - August long weekend

I've done some reunion layouts, trying to follow the Scrappy Ladies challenge sketches..

2012 Reunion

I have finally got back on track - well, it will be short lived as we are getting ready to do a trip down the Oregon coast in the motorhome.    I did manage to get challenge 30 done though (due July 28th):