Time is running out ...

A journal page in my Memory Journal ...

"Time is running out to capture memories of the heart!"

This is in my Strathmore Mixed Media Journal 9x12.  TH Tea Dye Distress Ink blended over the white background which was textured lightly with Gesso. That background was added to with a non-readable Text stamping in Momento Tuxedo Black and a small rose stamped with TH Vintage Victorian Distress Ink. On top of all that, I decoupaged the "Memory" text cut from a sheet of tissue paper ... and part of one of the new napkins with Roses on it ... both of which were gifted from my friend, Kelly Hoernig.  The face is one of Jane Davenport's Faces stencil. I scanned it, enlarged and printed on cardstock, coloured with Pan Pastels and Prismacolour. The tag was covered with more of the napkin, a Clock Brad attaches it to the page and a red ribbon strung thru the Metal Heart ring was glued to the tag upon which I wrote my thoughts in Red Sharpie:

My recent Birthday and a day yesterday where I kept forgetting one thing after another in large and small venues made me realize ... I must work faster on capturing the Memories I want for my keepsake journal.

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My contribution to a Christmas Card Challenge - so fun!!

Christmas is coming soon!  :-)

The Love Affair Begins

For my birthday, I received gift cards to fund an investment I'd longed for, for quite some time.  My friend Kelly Hoernig had gifted me a Pan Pastel sample she'd picked up for me at the Create Mixed Media Convention in Lisle, IL this Summer.  I'd longed to experience the Pan Pastels as I have enjoyed an inexpensive set of Soft Pastels I'd purchased through a craft de-stash group and knew the Pan Pastels were touted to be uniquely better!

And so ... my birthday present arrived!

Pan Pastel - 20 colour Painting Set and 6 colour Metallic Set and Tools

It didn't take long for me to start playing.  I chose an 11x14 Canvas.  My painting is a combination of two photos from the references available at Paint My Photo -- the swan, offered by Rachel T and the water lilies extracted from a waterscape offered by Craig Johnson.

Sunset Swan - 11x14 Canvas - Pan Pastels

Papa has encouraged me to save and invest in the other three key Pan Pastel Colour Sets.  I believe it will be a smart idea as I've already fallen in love with them.  :-)

Festive Fall

Another group challenge given this week was with art aMUSEment.  The directive was to create something using the colours of the Fall Season.

Now, if you know me even a little then you probably know that oranges, browns, rusts, and quite often, yellow too are not on my preferred palette of colour choices.  Not that I can't appreciate them ... just that they aren't my favourites.  :-/   This challenge made me turn up my nose. 

I didn't cry though -- I'm a BIG girl artist don't you know!  So I pulled up those big girl panties and walker-hobbled over to sit down at the desk!  I grabbed a book of vintage images and browsed to see what I might find (this time it was the Birds and Nature book) and saw something that, while not conventionally Fall oriented, had the Fall colours.  YES it just might work!

And so it did!

Autumn Is

This is an 8x10 Canvas Panel, based with an acrylic khaki tone mix.  The Fall colours you see behind the bird are all the colours taken from the bird - they were rendered through a myriad of stamping pads dyes and inks, blending with a make-up sponge wedge.   The bird was printed from the Book's CD-Rom onto cardstock with our HP Inkjet Printer, fussy cut, and distress inked around its edges with Vintage Photo.  White Prima Flowers were alcohol inked in orange and yellow and distressed for a little more colour before being given center dots of wooden beads.  The quote was hand-written and says:

Autumn is a second Spring

When every leaf becomes a flower.

--Albert Camus--

This is one of the times I so wish we had a better camera as it just wasn't possible to get a perfect colour match from either of the cameras used today. 

Oh! My grandson, Max, who happened to be running by and glanced into our bedroom, did a "Hey now!" when he spotted it ... he was very impressed with his Mimi's creation. :::beam:::

Birthday Memories & Challenges

Birthday Album Front

Part of my 60th Birthday surprises came about through my daughter, Cassandra, who coordinated through FaceBook, a Celebration of Birthday Cards for me!  I received oodles and oodles of cards from family and friends near and far.  It was completely delightful and especially since I was stuck at home on my birthday due to a knee ailment which had landed me in urgent care a few days before.

I wanted to do something special with the cards and thought of a way to preserve them.  Last year, I found a small Christmas journal in the clearance section at IKEA's, an after Christmas Sale.  It was perfect!

I painted the grey snowflaked cover a pretty pink to complement the pretty image found at The Graphics Fairy (linked at right). I added the text to it with my graphics software program.

Birthday Journal - side view

The cameo and ribbon with sparkly buckle bling just finished it perfectly for my simple, personal tastes.

I adhered the card envelopes to the paper stock that came with the little album, and tucked in the envelope flaps.  This allowed me to slip the cards inside each one so I can remove and read the greetings inside the cards and on the backs of some, whenever I wish. 

I absolutely love having something special like this to capture a special birthday year of greetings and am so grateful to Cassandra for thinking of coordinating it for me!

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Last weekend was a busy one, trying to catch up with group challenges as I'd been down with the knee for almost all of the week!!  David rearranged my creative center and moved my most used things within reach so I wouldn't have to get up or even roll to create anything!  Bless him! :-)

Fall Card

The art aMUSEment Group challenge was to use a stamp.  My stamp was the text:  Fall is when
nature turns to GOLD. 

This card was sent off Monday with a love note to my former mother-in-law. :-)

hope - dream textured art piece

The OWSE group requested we use texture (or modeling or molding) paste of some sort in our piece.

I used Liquitex Modeling Paste with stencils for the text, heart and flower heads.  Shimmering H20's were used for the corner pieces, text and textured pieces.

I am delighted, tickled and pleased to tell you that this piece won the challenge at the group!  

Yellow & Grey Combo Challenge

This week's group challenges have begun already! 

The card at right was challenged to use yellow and gray - a rather difficult combination!  This butterfly and pansies image is from a book & CD of vintage images I purchased recently (fantastic vintage images!) semi-fussy cut and adhered to dark grey cardstock.  I inked, embossed the greeting and then diecut and embossed the cut oval.  Yellow bling bits finish the ribbon embellishments.

More group challenges await this week.  FUN FUN!!  It always stretches me to try something new!!  Hope your week is offering you creative challenges too!