Creative Blog Hop

Hi everyone!!!  Hope you are having a great day. I know I am cuz today I am participating in a “funtastic”  Blog Hop called “Creative Blog Hop”. My dear friend Heather asked me to participate, and I jumped at the chance. What a great way to meet new creative people, by visiting their blogs, being inspired by all their fabulous posts, and leaning some new tips, tricks and  techniques. Check out Heather's Blog and see what inspires her by clicking this link… http://kraaftshaak.com/the-creative-blog-hop/

Now, I gotta tell ya a little bit about this gal that inspires me daily and how we met:

Heather has been a crafter for many years and we met in an online class Tim Holtz conducted called Creative Chemistry 101 several years ago. We became steadfast friends, and we have actually had several opportunities to “meet in person” which just sealed the deal. We have been staunch supporters of each others “craftiness”, as Heather likes to call it !!!  

She has a great presence on Google+ with a community, page, and YouTube channel.  She has been instrumental in establishing Business HangOuts On Air as the premiere way to share her “crafty bone”, as she calls it, with great LIVE Events on a weekly basis that are recorded on her YouTube Channel for later viewing for those who can’t attend the live event. Please visit her web site www.kraaftshaak.com to see all her “kraafty” genius, where she has links to all her social media sites.

As part of this Hop, we have been asked to answer the same questions:

How do I create/Where do I get my inspiration… wow, that’s a loaded question. Sometimes a idea will just pop into my head, or I will hear a song that speaks to me in a way it never had before and I see a vision in my mind’s eye of how I want to express that. Or, I see a sunset or sunrise that touches my Soul and I gotta just “do” something. Then there are the people in my life that I need to “do” for and I just love making little books/booklets for them to do with as they please.

I have commitments to my wingsiifreedom FaceBook page and Google+ community to get stories done and create digital art that goes along with those stories. I also love recycling items , and I have a YouTube channel -- taboriginal -- where I post simple crafting idea called KISS -- Keep It Simple Sylvia.

So I guess in a nutshell, the answer to this question is  “Life” --  that’s what inspires me to create. All I see, hear, feel, smell, and taste, stimulate my senses and I just gotta make something with my hands. But with all this said, it is truly God who puts all this into my head, my mind’s eye, my hands, my thought processes and that inspiration sometimes just makes me sit back and say/ask, “ I did this??!! “ It might have been my hands but it was His guidance...

What am I working on...  Boy that's a full one as I have several projects going. 

I belong to a Bunco group that meets monthly and this month is my time to host the event. I have been busy making individual score sheets with pencils attacked. Pencils ---aurgh --- they are the one item that get’s lost on every table. Some players take them with them as they move to each table, some leave them behind, then a table will have 9 pencils, another has 3 and one will have none. So I decided to make each score sheet with its own pencil attacked to it so it will follow the player from table to table.

 Plus I made treat boxes to place at each players spot,

and I made table score sheets for each set of games

I also made cute utensil/napkin holders for each player out of a paper bag. They can just toss away when meal is done

I am in the process of making name rings to put on the glasses so each player can keep track of their drinks

I also belong to Heather’s Kraafters Kommunity on Google+ and we have a Kaards By Kraafters Project where we make cards for various causes

I also have an event in October that I am making cards and other items for

Also, I am working over in Google+ on a community called -- wingsiifreedom -- which honors all our Veterans. I have one on -- FaceBook also. But the neat thing about Google+ is, it allows me the opportunity to record live video. I have lined up a few people to interview via BusinessHangouts On Air where they can tell their stories “in their own words”. First up will be a writer friend who is a Military Wife, Military Mom, and Military writer. I have two great Vets from WWII that will be speaking later and hopefully another writer who just journeyed to France to walk in her Father’s and Uncle’s footsteps as paratroopers in WWII.

Finally, I am a Close To My Heart Consultant. You can visit my -- website -- or my -- Google+ Page -- for more information.

How does my work differ/describe my style...

I tend to be more “grunge”, with a slight Victorian look, vintage style. I love earthy colors -- those seen in the trees, flowers, and grasses. My name means “forest” and I am so drawn to them for sure. I love their smells, their colors, their denseness, the sound of the wind as it kisses the branches, the leaves -- oh the rustling of those leaves on the ground, is true music to my ears!!! 

The colors of Fall are by far my favorite. Nature puts forth her glory in Fall and paints a picture that words can never capture, for it is felt in our Souls only.  And then there is Spring, I love her colors also, they are awakening colors, with beautiful new hues. They are rebirth, we get to begin again and nothing is more Glorious.

Victorian lace, vintage items, and antique tones, with their timeless beauty, softens the grunge and adds just the right amount of historical tie-back to a gentler time, a peaceful era of Gentleman and Ladies. I try to achieve that with rounder edges, and softer lines and borders, with inky edges, and scratchy pictures, and recycled items that speak to simpler times. 

To continue this Creative Blog Hop, I have asked a couple of friends to join us. Please visit their blogs and see the crafty, creative, heARTistry they do...

Peg is a creative Soul whom I met via a Tim Holtz OnLine class a few years ago. She has her hands in so many different media from inks, to paints, to copics to jewelry and is an avid gardner -- oh her flowers, you can almost smell them via her pictures.Then there are the veggie from her garden… yum is the best word.  If you are ever fortunate to see her “studio” you would drool, just drool and then understand her love of everything artsy. Hop on over to her blog and be dazzled. She will be sharing her Creative Blog on Monday Sept 1^st. Until then, hop over to her blog and she what she is up to today -- Bits n Pieces

Next up is Patty. I met her in a Google+ community I belong to. She makes cards every Monday Night with a group of ladies from her church as part of their Card Ministry. They give their cards to local hospitals and charities. She also writes an amazing blog, full of wit, humor, treasures she creates, and life’s happenings -- snakes invoked quite the chatter among some of her blog followers!!! Check it out at -- Rose Tresures.  She always closes with a Scriptural affirmation that warms the Soul. She, too, will be sharing her Creative Blog on Monday Sept 1^st, so be sure to check it out.

A Jolt From The Past

Hi everyone!! I got a jolt from the past I had totally forgotten about, but upon receiving an e-mail notification, I remember that day well...

Over a year ago, I was sitting with my 8 year old granddaughter in Starbucks before the start of school. She was showing me the website she made, (yes, 8 years old and she made a website) and it completely blew me away.  I asked how she did that, where upon she proceeded to show her Nana how. I was flabbergasted on how easy it was, so when I dropped her off at school, I hurried home to attempt my hand at creating my own site.

Like most things on the web, I had to create an account, and you have to answer alot of questions and keep clicking through until you finally get to a starting point to create. And I did. I put alot of "stuff" on it, cuz I just did not know where I wanted to go with it, nor what I really wanted it to accomplish. But, hey, I was there, it was easy and it was "free".

I recall I spent the better part of the morning playing with it. Then I got interrupted by life, closed it down and completely, without giving it another thought, forgot about it -- erased it from my mind. Never to enter that void again, or so I thought...

Over the past weekend I received an email letting me know, I had renewed my domain name for XXX dollars. Domain name??? Really, what domain name? Now normally I do NOT open any email i know not from whence it came, but something, SOMETHING, about this one seemed familiar, so I clicked it open and BAM -- instant recall!!!

There was that website I had made over a year ago, and I laughed, and of course, chided myself for forgetting, for not utilizing something I had paid for. And speaking of paid for, I really don't remember clicking that, but I surly did cuz they had all the right info. Apparently in my eagerness to CREATE, I just clicked all the buttons I could to just get me to that starting point, and quick!!

So today, since I have paid for another year, I decided to actually USE it (how novel). I have spent the better part of the morning fixing all the silly stuff I had put in place and actually making it a website that gathers all the places I am present on that vast intricate web out there.

It's a simple site, unpretentious, that just tells ya where to locate me in all the social media sites I am on, well most of them.  Slowly I will add all the spots like pinterest, twitter, instagram, linkin, etc when I become proficient in them.

The problem is, I find, there are SOOOOO MANY sites now where one can create an account and be seen, followed, +'d, circled, befriended, defriended, added, liked, hearted, tweeted.... aurgh!!! Too much!!

After appearing on Google+ Community's  Kraafters Kommunity "Kraaft It Live" show yesterday and being asked by Heather, "So, Sylvia, how can our viewers find you?" and I really had nothing except this blog, which I don't maintain well, I thought, no, remembered that website, and told myself to get busy and use what ya got, crimony!!!  So I listed the sites I use the most, for now.

Please be kind when ya mosey on over there. The programmer in me just wants it done to a working degree cuz the crafter in me wants to get busy and get inky!!!

To visit it, if you wish, please click this      www.taboriginal.com

Altered Book

I picked up a very cheap sketch book, which I took apart, Gelli Plated all the pages, then altered the covers. I was able to make 3 books from that one purchase. I found when I Gelli Plated all 100 pages, front and back, they would not fit back into the book with the size of the d-wire included. So I made 3 books, of 33, 33 and 34 pages each. The Gelli Plate process expanded the thickness of the pages, even though the paint is thin on each page, it is just enough to make a difference.

This is the cover I made for my daughter's book. I gessod the covers, spayed Perfect Pearls mini mister sprays I made up, added embellies, then spray varnished to seal.

I love how I was able to get 3 books from this one $6.00 purchase!!!

ErodedMetallic

In CC102 on Day one, Tim showed us a technique he calls Eroded Metallic. I loved that look, but do not have all the required "stuff" to accomplish it. So... .since I took CC101 where Tim taught the CHEMISTRY of Distress, I thought... make it up!!! I mixed Ripe Persimmon and Gathered Twigs DP together with some Antiqued Bronze Distress Stain. Got the color I wanted, but not the complete metallic look. Granted it is more of a rusted/eroded metal look, not metallic.  But, I do like the effect this gave...

DistressPaintMarbling

Taking Tim Holtz's Creative Chemistry 102 class and I must say, Day 1 was PACKED with info. I just got the first technique completed, with 5 more techniques to go...WOW!!! Busy day in class today!!!!

What I love about Distress Paints is their vibrant colors, while still retaining that marvelous Distress look. Plus they feel like suede when dry!  I used various combinations of Dusty Concord, Gathered Twigs, Scattered Straw, Ripe Persimmon, Crushed Olive and Pumice Stone on these tags.

Ode to Nat...

This photo was taken by a friend while on vacation thru Washington State. I just fell in love with this, as he's siting there reading Jane Eyre, drinking wine and the quote could not be more apropos...

I used Dylusions Sprays, and Tim's Distress Inks, trying to match the colors in his photo. My printer could not get the colors right, no matter what adjustments I made. 

Thanks Nat for sharing this wonderful photo and allowing me to add it to my Journal.

Our Yorkie Site

My precious 8 year old granddaughter and her best friend, created their own website. They did this all on their own, using their own words, and ideas. I am so proud of both of them. My Grand Daughter has a passion for technology, which never ceases to amaze me in what she shows her Nana..

press HERE to visit her website...

 I also put a link to it on the right of my blog under FAVORITE WEBSITES

Be the Man Your...

Dyan Reaveley just posted a video on Ranger's YouTube and I just love her Patch Work technique, so, I had a go at it...

I made many ink pens using her's and Tim's Inks, then doodled as she suggested and just started coloring all in. It was fun.

I did not have a "man" stencil, so I chose a silhouette from the internet, printed it onto a transparency, then carefully cut it out.  Love the English Gentleman!!!

Brayer Technique using Distress Inks

I have always wanted to try the brayer method of rolling ink onto a page. I tore paper for the mountain shape, and circle cut for the moon.  I started with braying the lighest ink first using all Distress inks:

Squeezed Lemonade, followed by Mustard seed around the Moon.
The mountains were colored using Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord
On the  forward mountains, I used Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire
For the evening sky, I used Stormy Sky and Black Soot
I finished with tree stencil, and stamps for rest of trees and birds using Staz On Black Ink, and Platinum Sticklers for the stars

52CardPickUp--weeks 1-5 (January)

I am so excited!!! I finally finished the first 5 weeks of 52CardPickUp. I decided to do a "Monthly Theme" for this creative endeavor, showcasing what each month means to me... the colors I associate with it, little family tidbits, quotes, definitions, just anything that I think about when I recall that timeframe.

January has always signaled a New Beginning for me, a doorway to new adventures and colors I find crisp, clean yet inviting. I had no idea how complexed this little exercise would be. I thought due to the smallness of playing cards, it would be a breeze to complete 5 in no time. Boy was I wrong. I had too much fun creating backgrounds!!! I had to force myself to stop so I could begin working on the cards themselves!!!

First I had to decide how I wanted to cover the cards... I wanted them similar but not the same. They had to be my most favorite color combo of iced blues, pearly white and Cardinal red or garnet Red.

I wrapped all 5 in various Tim Holtz Tissue Tape. I then lightly painted each with Tim's new Distress Paints White Picket Fence. I heat set this as I did not want the paint to mix with the stains I was going to put on top. I painted a few cards with Tim's Crackle paint for texture in a few places, but not the whole card.

I put Iced Spruce and Weathered Wood Distress Stains into my craft sheet and dragged the cards thru those colors. I also mixed some Distress Paint Picket Fence with the stains for a marbled look. I heat dried all sides.

On the cards with the Crackle Paint, I added Iced Spruce directly to that area, making sure the stain got into the cracks of the paint, then I blotted the excess off with paper towel.

I wanted the cards to have a sparkle, a subtle sheen, so I mixed Iced Spruce with a tiny dab of Golden Pearl White Acrylic Paint, spread it on the craft sheet and dragged the cards thru. Gave then all a nice iced look in several places.

Card 1,  the Cover Card -- week 1:

A play on the popular book, "50 Shades of Gray" (although I have not read it, yet)

.
Added the wise old owl... hopefully I will remember the lessons of the past year(s) as I move forward into this New Year...


Card 2 -- week 2

White snowflakes from embossing medium and Title Card for story on back...

Recalling a great remembrance with my daughter when she was around 6 years old, so fitting for the month of January when it snowed in Phoenix many years ago...

Card 3 -- week 3

Winter's bare trees, with January's bird, a Cardinal

Loved this quote.... a lesson I can learn from, although it IS difficult to let go at times, it serves no purpose to hang on, and trees let go so freely, as a course of their lives, cause if they survive the winter, they will begin again and what a glorious ideal to look forward to... renewal

Card 4 -- week 4

 

January's flower is the Carnation... I have always loved that flower and its sweet cinnamony fragrance. Made these little beauties with Tim Holtz's Tattered Floral Die using the smallest flower. I cut them from coffee filters, cuz I knew the filter would hold up to being wet. I made a stain from Lindy's Stamp Gang Magic Micas Bougainvillea Fuschia, dragged 10 little cutouts (for each flower) thru it and let them dry. I gathered them all onto a tiny brad, making sure the petals were not in alignment as I added each layer. Once I got them on to the brad, I closed the feet, and lightly spritzed with water to crumple the layers together. I held onto the flower with long tweezers and heat dried it, scrunching the layers together to form the flower. Did this to all 3 pictured. Added floral wire for the stems

Thought this quote was apropos, besides loving the actual words, flowers bring so much to my world.., their colors, their smells... each distinct with its own beauty, how can one not smile??

Card 5 -- week 5

          

Last card for this month... I love how January has been defined as the doorway, which it is to a new year... a passage of all things that were to all things to be...

So I thought a door was a fitting way to close the month, with tidbits about January hidden behind... but the most precious story of January is the birth of my beautiful granddaughter Caitlyn, 3 years ago.

WOW, that was a long story... hope you like these cards. I tried to use all things symbolic here, the red text for the birthstone Garnet, as was the red of the carnations, along with the red for the Cardinal. Plus the icy blues for the coldness of the month, yet that ice has a beauty all its own, a shimmer, a calming of my Soul...

GelliPlate Prints

These are my very first Gelli Plate pulls and I could not be happier. Such a cool way to get color and patterns onto paper and each pull is unique... amazing...

This is my very first pull:  didn't use enough paint here, but i liked the effect. I just added more paint ontop of what was left on the Gelli Plate and used different stencils. I kept adding different color paints and mixing the stencils, never cleaning the plate, so what was left would come up with the next pull...

Valentine Tags

I just finished creating these little Valentine Tags and I love how vibrant they are.  I used Ranger's Manila Tags, size #8 (3.125 X 6.25 inches).

I stamped each tag with Tim Holtz new Distress Paint: Picket Fence using Stampington & Company Rosette Heart Stamp. I heat dried the image to set the paint. I planned to spray with water based sprays and did not want the paint to blend.

Once the paint was dry, I sprayed each one with:

Tim Hoiltz Distress Inks:  Seasonal Winter Festiver Berry, and Seasonal Summer Picked Raspberry made from Re-inkers

Dyan's Dylusions Sprays:  Postbox Red, Bubblegum Pink

Tattered Angles Glimmer Mist: Creme de Rouge

I then sprayed each tag with water to blend and soften the inks, using paper towels to remove ink that puddles, and from the stamped image.  I then used the heat gun to dry each tag. Once dry, i edged each tag with Tim Holtz new Distress Paint: Black Soot.

I used Perfect Pearls Medium Bullet Pen to write "Amore"  (Italian for Love), then embossed with Ranger Black Embossing Powder.

On the inside, I stamped another heart image and embossed that too. I used Dyan's Inbetweenies with Brilliant Moonlight White Ink to stamp the stuble heart images onto the background.

To finish the tags, I sprayed the same inks used above onto the flowers on the font of each and onto Color Ready Ribbon, which I tied along with other ribbon to the tags.  They are now ready for me to add my sentiments and send to my Daughter's Family.

Finished!

MultiMedia Canvas

Be kind... This is my first attempt at a multi media canvas. A dear friend posted this pic on FB, and I instantly feel in love with the colors, so I "begged" (not really, he was forthright with sending the jpeg when I asked, but begged sounds cool) for the jpeg so I could scrap it. I had originally thought of doing a 12x12 page, but opted to try my hand a "Finnabair" type canvas. Anna so inspires me with her art!!!

I deviated from normal practice of using house hold junk and opted to use kiddy toys as this was for a child. I have an airplane, a car, a bowling pin, lizards and dinosaurs, along with nuts, and bolts, tiny screws, drawer pull, paper flowers (all I made from paper scraps) tree twigs, a beer bottle top (had to drink it to get the top...lol), ribbons, burlap, beads, gears, beads with his initials, keys, and precious Tim Holtz wings for the sweet little cherub pictured!

The Making of...

I bought an 8x8 inch canvas, adhered tissue paper to it, scrunching it up for texture on the top and all the sides.  I left a 5x5 inch square for the picture.

I layered textured ribbons over the tissue paper, making sure to cover the sides also, as i wanted texture all around the canvas. And to make sure there was enough texture, i used my glue gun to add mored to the sides...

Instead of covering this layer in white gesso as most do, I used black gesso. The Arizona's Cardinals' Football Teams colors are black, red and tan. Black made the perfect base to build upon...

I added a label drawer pull with a dictionary definition of football as the label, adding Glossy Accents in the window to seal and highlight...

Then I just started adding all the "stuff" I bought at Party City, Dollar Store,  and Lowes,  filling in with the paper flowers I made, twigs from a grapevine wreath and the angle wings...

I covered everything with white gesso, except the sides and some of the top cuz i wanted the black gesso as a base...

I left the football off until the end. Did not know if I wanted to leave it it's natural color of brown, or paint it along with the rest of the canvas...

As you can see, I choose to paint the football... the tan color was too much so I toned it down with black paint mixed with gold Tattered Angles Spray, which I lightly kissed over the whole canvas.

I am sooo happy how this turned out and I love all the kiddy embellishments. I think my friend will be pleased with this precious pic of him and his son.