12 Tags of 2015 - My May Art Journal Pages

Procrastination is my thing. Here I am sliding in at the last minute with my art journal pages inspired by Tim Holtz and his 12 Tags of 2015. I honestly didn't realize we were at the end of the month already. Time is just flying by!

As Tim creates his awesome tags each month, I then push myself to use his techniques and theme toward art journal pages. Sometimes it transfers easily, other times it gets a bit tricky. This month was indeed a tricky one.

Take a look at Tim's fabulous tag...

Burlap, 3-D flowers, metal embellishments, ribbon... God bless him, it's a gorgeous tag, but these are things I just can't do on a journal page, so I really have to stretch my creative process to get it to work for me. I tried not to stress...

I forged ahead and created these pages in my journal. I still can't decide if it's a hot mess or if I like it. I try not to judge myself. And this is sometimes why people have a hard time with art journaling. But you know what? I had such a great time making these pages, I don't even care if they are amazing or perfect. And that's what it should be about more than anything, right?

If you're interested in how I created these pages, read on and I'll take you through my humble process.

The pages started with a spritz of Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Stains which I spread in strokes with a paper towel, first vertically then horizontally. Once dry, I stenciled the Burlap stencil with Potting Soil archival ink, moving the stencil around until both pages were filled.

Texture paste was then applied through the Blossom stencil across the top.

This sat for about a half four to dry while I worked on other parts.

Once it was completely dry, I colored the textured areas with Distress Markers. Mostly with Worn Lipstick, then several of the other newest colors: Fossilized Amber, Abandoned Coral, Twisted Citron, and Cracked Pistachio.

From the Emporium Ephemera Pack, I pulled this image of birds which is black and white and colored it in with Distress Markers. Some of which I employed the water brush to tone down the color.

I applied Antique Linen Distress Ink over the entire surface and then inked the outer edges with Gathered Twigs.

I pulled more pieces of ephemera from the pack and did the same. I LOVE this pack!

Okay, this is the step that will likely freak you out. I dabbed blobs of Distress Paint onto a full sheet of Ranger's Mixed Media Cardstock. Again new colors: Twisted Citron, Fossilized Amber, Mermaid Lagoon, and Abandoned Coral.

Then I spritzed the sheet generously with water and dabbed the color with a baby wipe. This idea is based on something I learned from Ranger Designer Dina Wakley. She taught us that while it might not appear to be much at this point, once you die cut smaller pieces from it, something really cool happens...

I cut a 2 1/4 inch wide strip and ran it through the Tattered Floral Garland die. See what I mean? Pretty cool. 

After inking the edges of the leaves and flowers I selected for my pages with Gathered Twigs, I began layering all my elements onto my pages.

I adhered everything with Glue & Seal and also spread some over the texture paste flowers and leaves. This gave a slight sheen and blend to them. I added some Big Chat stickers and ruler ribbon, then stamped some random stitching to simulate Tim's actual sewn stitches.

The only bulky item is the single vintage button in the middle of the flower on my left hand page.

While I'm no art journaling expert, I enjoy it tremendously. And if I had one tip for you, it's to remember to have some elements go off your pages' edges like this flower and several other elements on my pages. People tend to want to keep everything within the pages, but there is more visual interest and beauty when you go beyond the edges.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Now, I'd love to know from you...

Hot Mess

or 

Pretty Pages?

An ABC Primer Interactive Display

I don't know about you, but I just love that Graphic 45 has been bringing back some old favorites. As I've probably mentioned before, they are called Deluxe Collector's Editions and one of the most recent ones is An ABC Primer. A true favorite for those, like me, who love the vintage school themed imagery and colors.

I'm featured on the Graphic 45 blog this fine Sunday with my altered ATC book box, which I transformed into a fun interactive display. Wouldn't this be fun to hang on a child's bedroom wall or playroom? There are flashcards in the drawer, a mini envelope with alphabet pieces, and much more. I hope you take a moment to check it out.

Here's a peek at the project below, but be sure to hop over to the Graphic 45 blog for more close-ups, details and the supply list. While you're there, you're sure to love Keri Sallee's envelope mini album also made with An ABC Primer. It's amazing!

Thanks and enjoy your Sunday!

Graphic 45 Botanical Tea Art Journal Pages

Hello and happy Wednesday everyone. Hope your week is going well.

I'm featured over on the Graphic 45 blog today with some art journal pages I created using fussy-cut imagery from the beautiful Botanical Tea collection. I'm no expert, just a dabbler in art journaling at this point, but I hope it inspires you just the same.

Here's a look at my pages below, but be sure to hop over to the Graphic 45 blog and check out more photos there. I've also got a YouTube video there which takes you through my process. Thanks for stopping here first. Have a great day!

Costa Rica, anyone?

Good Monday morning, all. I hope you've had a relaxing weekend. I'm busting with some BIG news that I can finally share with you!

That's right, me and my creative gal pals are joining forces on an artistic adventure we'd love to share with you! 

Each of us will be teaching a mixed media class, unique to our own styles in art in 

COSTA RICA 

September 25 - October 1, 2016. 

You can view more details and contact information on the Craftours website, and also in the May issue of Craftposium Magazine here. Go to pages 6 & 7 once you sign in and check out the beautiful two-page spread describing the trip. This is a free digital publication. Also, while you're there, you can read a wonderful article about the master of Distress himself, Tim Holtz.

Here are the official details of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints Mixed Media trip...

Join Craftours with our special guest educators

ANNETTE GREEN

CANDY COLWELL

CHERYL GRIGSBY

HELS SHERIDAN

LINDA LEDBETTER

MARJIE KEMPER

YVONNE BLAIR

for an extraordinary event in one of the most beautiful countries in Central America. This trip includes seven different projects and workshops, mixed media exhibits by all the instructors, painting, photography, lectures, sightseeing tour of the Doka Coffee plantation including the butterfly sanctuary and the craft village of Sarchi, special dinners and a lot more! This tour and workshops getaway is personally escorted and organized by Craftours founder, Jim West.

The package includes first class hotel accommodations, airport transfers, daily breakfast, lunch and special dinners, workshops with all the educators and for a limited time airfare is FREE! Visit Craftours to book your space today!

All questions about this amazing trip should be addressed to Jim West at Craftours.

What fun this will be! Spread the word and share in this adventure with your creative friends and become part of the Sisterhood too! I hope you can join us. 

Compendium of Curiosities 29 - Eroded Metallic

Happy Saturday everyone. These weeks are flying by! With a teenager finishing another year of high school soon, it's a busy time around here for sure. But it's never too busy for some creative time and it's time again for another Compendium of Curiosities Challenge.

The Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge is hosted by our lovely hostess Linda Ledbetter on her blog. Each challenge comes from the wonderful book "A Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III" featuring amazing products and techniques by non-other than Tim Holtz. This week's challenge can be found on page 44 in the book and is called "Eroded Metallic."

Join us with your creation based on the featured technique and your project could win you an awesome prize pack from Tim and Mario and you also have a chance to win the random draw from our generous sponsor this time: Inspiration Emporium. All the details, rules and links are at the end of my post so be sure to keep reading all the way through.

Okay, away we go! I've had Tim's little trophy cups in my craft room for a few weeks, just waiting for the right project, so I finally gave one a go with the Eroded Metallic technique.

Since it's Memorial Weekend here in the U.S., I was feeling patriotic so I created this little home decor piece. I have other Americana projects that I like to put out this time of year, and everything stays up until the end of August.

Here's a nice close-up shot of the trophy with the Eroded Metallic technique. I used Mermaid Lagoon and Cracked Pistachio Distress Paints, then Brushed Pewter. I love these little trophy cups! They are so darn cute.

I later rubbed the trophy with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink for a more tarnished look.

Part of my base is a wooden cube from the craft store I painted with Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint, then added some papers from the Correspondence paper stash that were inked with Vintage Photo.

Also from the Correspondence papers, I die-cut two smaller sized rosettes and the small star from the Star Bright 3-D die. I cut two stars, each from a different paper and pieced the two together, then inserted a tarnished brass brad in the center.

I painted a wooden candlestick holder with a reddish burgundy acrylic paint, then tarnished it up with some Brushed Pewter DP. Once dry, I glued my cube on top of it. With strong glue I adhered two metal wings behind my star, and glued the larger of the two rosettes on top of the cube.

I added a bit of Correspondence Tissue Tape around the red base.

The smaller rosette was then glued on top of the other, then the trophy cup.

From the "Bow-Tied" Sizzix die, I die-cut a small bow using red Kraft Core card stock and attached it to the front of the trophy.

I created three tiny pinwheels from the same paper stash (using the 3" x 3" page) and attached each to round toothpicks I painted red. A brass brad goes through their centers. I added some Big Chat stickers to two more toothpicks, cut them like pennants and inked with Vintage Photo. All the picks stick down into some modeling clay I pressed inside the trophy cup. I cut some tiny strips of paper and crinkled them up for filler to cover up the clay.

Here's another look at the finished project from a different angle. This little tribute sits on my foyer table with my other Americana-themed home decor pieces.

Okay, now it's YOUR turn to play along. Grab that book and try this fun and easy Eroded Metallic technique!

*   *   *   *   *

Do you have the fabulous Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III book by Tim Holtz? (the master of all things vintage and distressed.) If not, you can find one at your local craft store, scrapbook store, or you can get a signed copy by Tim himself by going here. 

You can find all the CC3 Challenge details and FAQs here.  The lovely Linda Ledbetter is our hostess of this fun series of challenges, and all you have to do to participate is create your project, and upload to her site. Be sure, though, to read through all the FAQs so you're eligible to win...

We're working our way through this fantastic book of techniques and tips, and challenging you to join in the fun. This round's challenge is sponsored by the great folks at Inspiration Emporium who have a fabulous gift voucher to give away to one lucky random winner. Also, the Curiosity Crew's Choice scores a giant prize pack of goodies straight from Tim and Mario!

And don't forget, you can find many of these great products I've used today at Inspiration Emporium's online store. 

Correspondence Mailbox, but first A Winner!

Hello All! The other day I posted my Raining Cats & Dogs album which was featured on the Graphic 45 blog and promised a prize to one lucky winner. All the person had to do was leave a comment on my blog containing what they thought might be my secret mystery word. Well, my mystery word was Suki, of course. I had four commenters say Suki in their comment, so I drew from those four names and the winner of my special Graphic 45 prize pack is Sandy Young!

Sandy, now I just need you to e-mail me your mailing info so I can get this prize out to you ASAP. Email me at AnnetteGreen@me.com if you please.

Now, on to the Correspondence Mailbox! We created this in my monthly club "Friday Follies" this month.

What started off as a basic KaiserCraft Beyond the Page 2-Drawer Dresser, shown left, became this fun little mailbox covered with all sorts of Tim Holtz goodies like...

Correspondence paper stash, Industrious Stickers, Curio Knob, Foundry Frame, Metallic Kraft Core, and Distress Paints and Inks.

I'm no engineer so I had to really work on figuring this part out. It's the curved roof top of the mailbox that will be hinged, have a mail slot, and have side supports. I started by cutting and curving a piece of cardstock and lining the sides with some of the paper, then rounding the corners. I held this in the curved position with a rubber band while I worked on other stuff.

Then I added this paper to the outer area.

I cut some half circle shapes from sturdy cardboard for the side supports, covered them with the grid paper on one side, then more paper on the other side, making sure to have excess. Then I trimmed around about 1/2 inch and cut little slits. This reminded me of "clipping curves" when sewing in a sleeve on a shirt.

Even though I didn't end up using this striped paper, I did the same treatment with the Scor-Tape to each of the little tabs.

I put a bead of glue along the cardboard ridge, then pressed it into place in the "roof" like this, then when the glue was set I peeled each piece of Scor-Tape off one at a time and pressed the tabs into place. The large grid paper in this photo actually came in later to hide all the little tabs. (This was my prototype).

I built a 1/2" foam board platform, covered it with paper, and hinged the grid paper from the inner lining of the "roof" to the platform so the top could open and close. You can see that I added a brass handle too. Now letters that get dropped into the mailbox can be retrieved by opening the lid. The platform was necessary so the "roof" could over hang, but not get in the way of the hinged front door, which you'll see in a minute.

I cut away the slot in the top of the "roof" and then trimmed it out with some Industrious Sticker borders for a finished look.

I added this hinged door to the front. It's simply a piece of thin cardboard covered with paper, trimmed with Industrious Stickers, and embellished with a Curio Knob and Foundry Frame. I put some gold metallic kraft core yardstick behind the frame and spelled out MAIL with the Typeset die and red yardstick. Some hinges from the craft store where glued on then eventually reinforced with little screws on the sides and matching brads on the front. (See main, finished photo)

Here the door hinges open and stays secure when closed with a very strong, round magnet. See it? I dressed up the inner drawers with more Correspondence paper and painted the wood areas of the dresser with brown paint.

I made some very small envelopes to fit into the slot using my Envelope Punch Board, making my own custom size. Smaller than the smallest setting on the board.

And now people can leave me sweet, funny or nasty little notes in my mailbox when they come to visit.

 You can find all these great Tim Holtz products at one of my favorite online stores right here in Florida, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. KaiserCraft sells all sorts of alterables and you can find them just about everywhere online like Scrapbook.com, Amazon, etc.

Thanks for stopping in today. Have a good one!

Raining Cats & Dogs Board Book Mini Album - the whole deal

Hi again everyone. Thanks for stopping in. I know I've teased you with my Raining Cats & Dogs mini album a few weeks ago, but now I can finally share the entire project with you. I'm featured over on the Graphic 45 blog today with all kinds of photos as well as a video walk-through of the album. I hope you take the time to hop over there and check it out. It's a fun and simple mini that you pet lovers might really enjoy.

And while you're there, check out fellow design team member Ginny Nemchak's "Good Ol Sport" mini. She's got a Snapguide tutorial for that one. It's great! And a great idea with Father's Day not too far away.

After you've watched my video, be sure to come back here and let me know what you thought about it AND if you happen to use a certain (my secret) word in your comment here, then your name will go into a random drawing for a little Graphic 45 special prize pack directly from me! Sound fun?


Okay, here's a few close-ups here, but be sure to go to the Graphic 45 blog and see even more! And OH!.. you could win over there too! So leave them some love as well.