Saturday, February 25, 2012

Graphic 45 Design Team 2012 Audition

Hello my friends ...  I've decided to try something ... something that I haven't tried before ... and yes, I am going out on a limb here, and yes ... it is kind of scary, especially because my "Audition" is out in the world for all to see ... eeeeks, I must be a little crazy to do this, but hey ... just another fun experience to add to life's book of ... well stuff!

Without further adieu, here are my 6 projects for the audition!


Project 1, a 12 x 12 layout using the Graphic 45 Le Cirque collection ... I loved this collection, you are going to see a lot of it in my audition.

Project 1, details ... i deconstructed an old Prima Lollypop flower and added some new layers made from G45 papers, the circles are distressed and edged in white gesso.  The hand cut banners are coated with glossy accents and little bit of my favourite glitter to bring some shine to the page.  I added a bit of zipper just to add some texture to the border.


Project 2, Graphic 45 5 x 8 Altered Art Box ... Again using Le Cirque line ... The box is covered in it's entirety with paper from the line.


 Project 2, details, there is a lot of technique here ... after coating the box with paper I used a combination of black ink, white and copper paints to distress and add dimension the edges and sides.  I also aged the large metal embellishment and covered the paper within it with glossy accents.  I made some paper pinwheels and coated the edges with glitter, the chipboard heart was also glittered on the edges. I distressed the frozen charlotte doll, and made it a little hat from the paper.


Project 3, Graphic 45 Mini Album.  This is the folded mini that sits inside the Altered Art Box

This is the box opened, with the mini sitting inside.  This project was a lot of fun to make.

I added two 1/4 wings to extend the length of the album.  This mini is full of fab pictures my DD and her friends took when they went on a Halloween Circus Train Ride ...

The little "wings" are covered with black ruffled ribbon.  They also hold secrets in their pockets!

This part of the album has a 3D component, the bakers twine is strung between two parts of the album and is strung with "flags" and a rosette.

The noticeable fold on the right side hinges upwards to hide some photos.  The photo on the larger left side is actually two skeletons doing a tight rope act ... hilarious, but hard to shoot from a moving train in low light.  This was so much fun to make ... The pictures totally worked with this line!

Project 4 a 12 x 12 layout using the gorgeous Tropical Travelogue line.  DD was clowning around in a public art piece ... so i kind of kept the circle in a square them going with the mini canvases and stickers.
Project 4, details ... this was fun to make (okay i say that about each project, but it really was fun!)   The mini canvases are dry brushed with small amounts of tan and copper paints.  I did a lot of fussy cutting on this layout ... fussy cutting is one of my favourite techniques.  a lot of ripping and curling and distressing as well.  The flowers were made out of kraft glassine paper and scrupled up a bit, and had copper paint sponged on in places.  I immediately thought of the "concrete jungle" when looking at this photo, hence the use of leaves and curls. And the title ... well i don't always do titles ... or journalling ... sometimes i just date my layout and add a card to the back with the journalling.


Project 5, a 12 x 12 layout using more of the Tropical Travelogue.
Project 5, details, Again, fussy cutting ...  Stamping my journalling and/or my titles is another one of my fave things to do on a layout.  I enhanced this relatively flat layout with little bends and twists to the leaves, glossy accents and stickles to the flowers and popdots under the birds.  I just wanted to do something warm and tropical with the cold wintery photo.



 Project 6, two cards from the Tropical Travelogue line.


Project 6 Details, Sadly I had to shoot these photos indoors using flash ... The wind outside was snapping branches off trees, so shooting in natural light just wasn't feasible.  I used to do a lot of cards with loads of layers ... but my current style is very random.  I just love grabbing a few little bits and fussy cutting a few things to make rather informal looking cards.  The card on the left uses a feather, some swiss dot netting, hemp twine, a bit of lace, and ink.  the card on the right uses an inked doily, the patterned paper has been dry brushed with tan, so fussy cut flowers and a die cut border and flower.

Well friends, if you have read down this far, I applaud you!  And G45 Team, I am honoured that you took the time to review my submission.  Thank you so much!




Sunday, February 19, 2012

and on the 12th day of February ...


ah yes, my life on the 12th day of each month ... now if only i could get these posted a day or two after my post instead of a week later ... my procrastinated life is oh so slow sometimes ...

Anyways, the 12th ... Lucky me, that was a week ago Sunday and I got together with a bunch of great girls and spent the day scrapping ... and i actually did 3 layouts that I loved!  It was a great day!

 Sue C brought me this pretty little doll to enjoy ... I'm thinking, wings and crowns and purples ....

 Sue C and Izzy, merrily playing with paper ...

 Izzy and her new Instax camera ... this cameras are a whole lot of fun, i just love the mini photos it makes! 

 Diane scrapping away ...

 Sue F, Iris, Sue C & Diane ... of course you  need champagne when you scrap!!!

 Raise a toast to Sue F ... she is retiring after 33 (?) I think, years of service, travelling the sky and making flights enjoyable for thousands and thousands of weary travellers!!!

Awe, Yes ... me, mid hug with Sue F!

 See, I really was making some layouts using that beautiful Graphic 45 line, Tropical Travelogue ... you can pick some up at Tiny Seed, (she has the best prices around and great service)
So later ... too tired to cook after an exhausting day of nothing but fun, I drag my DD off to the Well.  They make the best "Yorkies" ... yorkshire puddings stuffed with roast beef, and topped with horseradish cream and little au jus sauce for dipping ...


 oh wait, I wanted to take a picture of the food when it arrived and looked pretty ... but here we are munching away ...

Me!  don't know what i was doing with my fingers ... lol!

  

DD ... poor kid, tired from writing a killer term paper ... and making a silly face!

Another month, another busy 12th day ... I wonder what March will bring ...

Thanks so much for visiting!!!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Saturday Centus - eeeks!!!

Well, our dear hostess Jenny Matlock, has thrown us for a loop this go round ... today, we are to write our autobiography in 6 words.  You read that write, 6 little words!  hence the eeeks!!!  Here's my wee offering!

maiden to crone
dreaming
loving
learning.



So now that you know, just about everything there is to know about me, take some time to read some of the other offerings ... just click on Jenny's button below!

Jenny Matlock

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Love is all you need ...


It's Alphabet Thursday, and I am joining in on the letter L ... my word for L is love ... 

Is love truly all we need?  I think … more than food, more than water, or shelter … we need love.  Close your eyes and try to imagine living without this precious commodity … think of going through life without someone to love … be it a partner, friend or family member … just imagine how much more difficult life would be without someone to love, and someone who loves you back.  Truly, no man is an island …  we all need someone, or even something to love. We have pets, to care for and love, and they love us back, and they can improve our well being just by loving them.  Think of the fictional Chuck Noland and the object of his love, Wilson …  Wilson kept him going, kept him somewhat sane … and in all probability, kept him alive …

I cannot possibly imagine a life without love, so it saddens me that so many do not have it to give or receive … I think of the hundreds and hundreds of children stuck in the foster care system, going through life without the love of a parent … children in far away countries, parents dead, and trying to survive the world alone, animals stuck in kennels at the local animal shelter.

So think of love, and act with kindness towards those that are unfortunate enough to not be able to experience this most amazing state of being …

 … she loves you ya ya ya …


I love these two!!!

Jenny Matlock


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Saturday Centus ~ The Superbowl

Once again I am joining Jenny's Saturday Centus meme!  This weeks prompt was written by Nonna, and is "two peas in a pod".  You know the drill by now, i have 100 words plus the prompt words to come up with a nifty little tale ...  I hope you enjoy my offering


“Ma’am, can you tell us anything, that will help us figure out what happened at that house and how you know the two deceased?”

“Detective, they are  … were my older sisters, identical twins  and for all of my life they have been as close as two peas in a pod.  They lived together, ate the same foods, wore the same clothes, voted the same ... well except for one thing,” she sobbed.

“What’s that?” asked the detective.

“Football, one liked the Giants and the other liked the Patriots.”

“Death by Superbowl?” the detective queried. 

“Yes”, she cried as she burst into tears.

And now, I am off to a SuperBowl party ... Go ______ Go!!!!
Just click on the button below to read other nifty short stories

Jenny Matlock

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

K is for ... Sue?


K … K  … K … killer, kobo … kindle ???  I stumbled around for a long time trying to  to find a K word that I wanted to write about …   The first three K words that came to me are up above, but I really don’t feel like writing about killers or e~book readers

I could write about “kind” … but wait, I think I blogged on that topic a couple of years ago … so repeating it would be … well, kinda boring.

And then it hit me … my dear friend Sue  always ends her emails with “Be kind and leave the world a better place.”  Isn’t that a wonderful mantra? 

My dear friend Sue, is probably one of the kindest, and gentlest people that I know … she is wonderfully thoughtful … truly thoughtful, the kind of friend that always seems to know what to say in every situation … she is so attentive to people that she is fully tuned in and just seems to know when things are off.  She gives wonderful hugs, and wonderful words.  And the best part … out of this seemingly quiet, humble and kind person, can come the most hilarious, like pee your pants hilarious … zingers!!!   Oh she can truly get anyone laughing … real good down in your gut laughter … So yes, Sue … I will be “kind” and leave the world a better place.  And thank you for your reminders to do so!


Sue, shortly after she shaved her head to raise funds for Cancer Research ... what a beautiful gift she is to this planet


K is for Sue!

Jenny Matlock