Caardvark Heart challenge just gettin it in there.

This is the card I made for Caardvarks heart and red challenge. The papers are all stitched together. The flower paper is from BG as is the paper flower. The heart is from a pp unknown. Added lots of hand made mist and some red crackle paint on the heart.

I just made this in time! I'm so glad. I said I wanted to do every challenge this year. It'd be kinda bad if I didn't get the second one done for the year already!

Thanks for looking!

Gina

Remains of the day book

I finally finished my cover to my remains of the day book. I'm so happy with it. Now I wish I had got better pictures than what I will be showing you, but I have realized I have no time to take new ones that will be any better....so I figure I will live with the slight imperfection of these photos so you can see what I've been sweating over now. ;)

I'm still working on the pages to go inside. This is not a weekend project let me tell ya. Well at least not for someone like me who has two little ones. I guess if you had many hours over the weekend and weren't interrupted by yells for milk or sibling wrestling injuries, then you could probably do it in a weekend. If you wanted to. Its kinda fun having an on going project.

Here is my cover to my book. With out the tie closure.





























After I sewed on the tie closure and being tied up.




























The back cover of the book.





























The book laid flat.




















Things I love about the book. My tree I appliqued to the book. I cut all that stuff out myself, wonder undered it down then sewed over it. I added the buttons last. Its gorgeous. Big mistake on my part I put it on the back not the front cover. Duh.. I'm not an expert sew mistress.

Another oops I'd do differently next time is I forgot to cut off the tip of the flap so that it wasn't pointy. Mine has an envelope flap and it techinically was supposed to have a flat edge flap. Like this one.

For my first book I'm thrilled so far. I can't wait to finish the pages. I ordered a japanese hole punch off ebay to be able to bind the book easier. Did I absolutely need this? No, but I had no idea there was such a thing and I think I'll be using it alot. Here's a video on you tube showing one being used. Its so cool!!



I can't believe tomorrow is February already!! What? How did that happen? I have a cool year long project I started a few weeks ago that I'm going to show off tomorrow that I'm doing. Its digital scrapbooking at its finest.

Also there is a new Pink Ninja prompt up. I still need to do Caardvarks too. I think between sewing pages for my book today I'm going to work on that.

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my mad sewing skills leave me a comment. I love em! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Week 5 Heart the Art prompt

Okay so I'm really feeling doing these art pages. I get giddy knowing that Saturday is coming up and I need to work out my creative brain for the next week's prompt. I love seeing what everyone else comes up with.

I was really impressed when I heard the quote from Mary Ann Moss "I encourage you to ABANDON the idea that your journal is precious and something that can be wrecked....If you can try not to think of the journal as a decorative object and instead a book used and 'lived in' by YOU."

I love that. Its so true. Sometimes I get down because one or two pages...Okay who are we kidding more like many of my pages aren't what I am in love with. But really thats what I'm living right now. They can be a wreck. Its my little hidey hole of an art journal who cares if a few pages aren't works of art!

So this week's prompt..

Week four heart for the art journal prompt is.... Thrive



















This is what I came up with. I first painted the sheet with pink acrylic paint. I distress inked the two white tags. I tied the two tags together with white embossing thread. I then glued down the tags. I stamped and inked a bit more and then gesso'd over it. I then ink dabbed over the white gesso with the worn lipstick pink distress ink. I then stamped the black swirls.

I glued down the cut outs and journaled on the page. The thrive letters are paper letters by BG. I traced the tags with my black sharpie pen I was journaling with so it would make them stand out more. I wanted to layer alot on this page. I didn't do as much layering as I would have liked. But I got to a point where I really liked where this was so I stopped.

Next time I would like to keep going with layers more. One of these times I just need to challenge myself to do 20 layers. No matter what. Just keep adding.

Maybe next week. Can't wait to see what you all do!

2S4Y card Birthday oil pastel

Here's what this week's sketch was.
I thought it would be fun to make an oil pastel drawing like I've been doing and make it into a card. I thought another birthday card is always needed in my stash of made cards.

Here's what I made.




























The balloons were hand drawn by me onto thin chipboard in pencil then colored in with oil pastels. I sewed around it onto orange cardstock. I then sewed the white silhouette paper I found at Joann's onto the yellow cardstock. The Heidi stickers were sewn down. Then the ribbons on top of each other. The orange cardstock with the balloon was glued down. This was all mounted onto red cardstock card. I think it turned out pretty cute. Again I keep making things that I don't want to part with. I love that little drawing and now I don't want to send to someone who won't keep it.

Fun sketch this week. I need to get on the ball and work on some more cards!

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget tomorrow is the new Heart of the arts art journal prompt!

Week Three Art collage of pics

1. June
2.Sarah
3. Chili
4. megmormel
5. Lauren
6.Stef
7. Lisa
8.fourchet
9. below Sue who just caught up with the prompts!














Okay I managed it again! Woo! I love seeing what everyone comes up with. I'm so glad you all are sticking with me. It keeps me so motivated. I love the creativity and energy that comes from seeing what you all come up with. Its so inspiring!

I did something I don't normally do last night. I bought myself jewerly. *gasp* I know. But I came into a little extra money. (Thanks uncle sam) and I saw this on Etsy. I could NOT resist. It screams me. Its so goth and dark, but pretty at the same time. God I hope its a pretty in person as in the pictures. I can't wait to get it. You have to go check out this girl's Etsy. Its so neat! Watch out though. You might fall in love like I did and can't resist! I planned on buying some more clothes instead of this locket. But well... clothes I can live with what I have. This is something I would have kicked myself if I hadn't got it. Here Etsy is here MStevensondesigns.



















Last night I finished the cover to my remains of the day book. I have to do the tie sash today then I'll show you what I came up with. I LOVE it. I wish I had done one thing different but other than that I'm totallly thrilled. I can't wait to make another. Its alot of work.

Tonight I'm going to have Logan's best friend spend the night. Pizza for everybody! New prompt and page tomorrow. :) Thanks for stopping by.

Darth Vader sicky

Yesterday I spent the majority of the day digging and trying to organize my scraps. Seriously though I think I might drown in them. I would love to do a scrap swap too. I think it would be fun even if it was just a vintage papers swap.



























After messing with my papers and getting a few paper cuts in the process I made this card. I am going to a little girl's birthday in a week with Logan. One of the little girls from his class is having a party. I didn't have any little girl birthday cards. I make so many boy ones its unreal. So here it is. Its not really what I typically do, but I like the clean cuteness of it. I guess after digging through all that paper this was the mood I was in.

Its Thursday everyone! Here's my mosaic for flickr favs this week.....



























1. Jellyfish 26, 2. Mint frosted brownies, 3. Potion Jar Label, 4. Autumn leaves, 5. glass reflecting the morning light, 6. Hansigurumi Owl, 7. crafting 365 - day 237, 8. wip, sampler, 9. bookmarks

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

I ate way to much yesterday. I hate this week has been such a wash for going to the gym. I haven't been able to go all week! I'm dying! I won't be able to go tomorrow either because Leo still sounds like Darth Vader. He's even lost his voice. Its so pathetic. :(

I hope he gets better soon. Poor little monkey. I'm just glad its not a gastro thing. Those are the worst!

Plans for today:

Target run. I didn't leave the house yesterday and it is mandatory today. I need trash bags, milk, diapers, shipping envelopes, and coke zero.

Send an Elephant stamp out to its new owner. Post Office here I come!

Logan goes to school, but its only a half day. Half days are the pits. They mess up my flow.

Eat really really really light. Seriously get it together, Gina.

Print out the circle stickers you want to and list the new stamps you carved last night on Etsy.

That should be all. I changed the needle on my sewing machine so it is up and running again. woo hoo.

More creative stuff coming!

Thanks for stopping by everyone.

Gooberness

Yes I too have total duh moments where I am amazed I'm able to walk straight. I did a craft swap via Skunkboy's blog and got this lovely girl out in Japan as my swap buddy. Now she has the coolest Etsy shop.









Well I decided to make her a hand carved stamp of course! I mean its what I do right? So I drew a monkey similar to those she sells and carved it and then carved a stamp of her Etsy store name. The Eleventh Monkey. Now if you notice in this picture what is wrong I'll give you two points. lol. I MIS-SPELLED the Eleventh.!!! Seriously! I didn't notice till I stamped it. lol. When I carve I kinda go into a little mind hole. I'm thinking about clear lines, not cutting myself and just zoning out. I'm not really looking at the letters. I'm looking at the shapes of the letters. Needless to say I carved her a new one and sent it out the other day. Hope you like it Louana! I can't wait to get my stuff from you.

I also in a dumb moment forgot to take a picture of the "fixed" Eleventh Monkey stamp so...you all get to witness my oops. :) Makes me human right?


I have been searching and gathering and obsessing about my remains of the day journal. Ooh I love that class. Worth every penny! It makes you look at every little thing you own and get as an opportunity to use it in a cool way. All those little sheets of prettiness too cool to throw away, but you have no idea what to do with. Voila! This is the class for you. It also makes you kick yourself a bit if you have recently gotten rid of things you wish you now had to make said book.

And if you are like me and have a pile waiting to be given away you will be digging through it "saving" things when really you don't need anymore clutter.

The other day I managed to make another quick drawing with my pastels that I love and I used it on an art journal page. I used a pencil in the pastels to write the journaling. Its so pretty I can't stand it. This is my favorite page this year so far.


















I first distress inked a sheet of cardstock and splattered it with my own colored spray ink. I take a Mini mister fill it with water and a bit of perfect pearls and some drops of reinker distress ink and spray it on the page. If you heat it dry with an embossing gun it gives you a cool effect. The excited are K &company stickers. The bottom strip is colored cardstock with oil pastedls and pencil scallops. The rose art is just oil pastels and pencil. The jellyfish are rubons. (unknown)

I am planning on doing nothing today. I might drag the boys up to Target. I could use some garbage bags, milk, and a new printer cartridge. Otherwise its alot of laundry. Logan is home with me today because at school they were going on a play field trip to see Cinderella or something play. Girly he called it. I figured he could just stay home. He doesn't miss many days of school. He's only missed a few other days this year.

Thanks for stopping by! If you want to see a closer up version of the art journal page click on it!

I just updated my Etsy store with new stamps!

May 2010 can't wait!

Okay first off I'm am THRILLED to see that there will be a new Sookie Stackhouse book this May!! Yippee!! I can't wait as usual. I started reading the books about two years ago. I instantly fell in love with them. I've been stalking Charlaine's website for years seeing when new releases will be. Can't wait!

I wanted to show off this new journal page I did the other day in my book. I watched a really touching video on Julie's blog about why this old man keeps journals. It made me want to do one more day in the life like. Especially since I don't scrapbook traditionally much anymore. I did one with our daily routine as it is right now. Love my elephant stamp. He's so stinkin' cute!


















You know what is annoying. How much of my time is spent calling companies I'm dealing with trying to fix what they did NOT do right. I'm so annoyed. I hate it. I HATE it. I have to call my phone company because they sent me a bill they shouldn't have. I have to call my car insurance company that just sent me an extra bill for crapola they shouldn't. I'm so over it. SO over it. I don't want to call ANYONE!

Sorry I had to vent. I makes me crazy.

I need to make coffee. I'm helping Logan do homework this morning since it did not get done last night. For whatever reason I totally blanked out to unpack his backpack last night. Duh!

I'm not in the mood to argue with a 6 yr old who knows it all at 7 in the morning. :(

Wish me luck today! I think I've decided since today looks so blismill I will plan on tomorrow being my fun day. I'll look forward to it. Today is doing what I have to. I will call the endless people and wait on the phone while they drone on with elevator music. I'll be transfered on the phone to different people and hate it. I'll go to class tonight and listen to my professor talk on and on about things we'll never be tested on. (he likes to hear himself talk) But then....Tomorrow watch out! I'm going to play with my stuff all day! I'm going to start sewing my remains of the day journal. I'm going to go to the gym. Fun stuff!

Now just to get through today. Blah..

Gina

Frenchy Munster

I finished what I wanted to do with this art journal page. How cute huh? I printed out lots of fonts of what I wanted to say on computer. I put the fonts on top of a digital watercolor page so thats the blue background of the fonts. I used a few stamps, rubons and stickers too.

I've been doing so many art journal pages they've been multiplying like bunnies.

I worked out my new layered art journal page for next Saturday. I did another one I'll probably post tomorrow.

Yesterday, I spent the day taking care of Leo. Poor little guy is sick again with the croup I think. I'll be taking him to the doctor today. While he was not in the need to sit on my lap and snuggle, I was looking at the online class I'm taking! I'm so excited. Lewis encouraged me to drop the money to take the Remains of the Day class. Eeeek!! It is so neat. So far I'm thrilled with the class set up. There's a blog, pdf's, videos, flickr group and a yahoo group.

I'm loving it, but I need more fabrics!!! I've been saying this forever. My fabrics consist of stuff to make little boy things. Blankets, pillowcases, washcloths, baby clothes, cloth diapers...

I have nothing that is stylish to make a journal out of. Nothing even anything remotely adult fabric wise. Unless you count the black velvet that I used on the Lily Munster box a million years ago. Oh yes.. I did make a Lily Munster box. It had her painted on wood like this. The box was painted black and was lined with black velvet. I sold it on Ebay.











Other random thoughts going through my head/caught my eye. I've been thinking I want to do this behind my backsplash in the kitchen instead of doing glass tile. I wouldn't want to do a calendar like this, but I like the idea of the mismatched color squares you can write on. They are chalkboard paint squares! Now Martha made her own chalkboard paint to get this color varation. I am not sure I'm ready for that. I did find a place online that sold different color chalkboard paints but they were all VERY bright bold colors. I wanted something more subtle in color varations. I mean its chalkboard paint for goodness sake. What do you think?



























I am thrilled that the Colts and Saints are going to the Superbowl. I can not wait to watch it. I love both teams as I am a born Hooiser and my Hubby is from New Orleans. I really want the Saints to win more.

Well I have to get moving. Leo needs to be getting up as does Logan. Its pouring down rain. I have not packed lunches or made coffee yet this morning. I have class tonight. Bankruptcy Law.
I hope to see some CHA updates from other bloggers soon. There are so many things I've seen I want. Especially some Tim Holtz stuff and those new Glimmer Glaze by Tattered Angels. eep!

Thanks for stopping by! Love all your comments.

52 book review and some new stamps

This weekend is going too fast! I'm not ready to go to school on Monday! I want an extra day. I've been working all Saturday on some new art journal pages. I figured I should give the stamps a bit of a break. I did make some new ones. Here's a few new stamps I've carved. They'll be in my Etsy hopefully tonight. A small mouse, small elephant, frog, and new butterfly. :) Thats right Lauren!! Its yours. :) If its what you were looking for.





































I also finished reading my new book, "52 more challenges" by Elizabeth Kartchner.
















I can say its a pretty good book. I got it for 13 bucks on Amazon and well thats better than some of the "magazines" I splurge on. Its all layouts of course. Good ones. The challenges really aren't anything new, but her layouts are great and so are Mou Saha's pages. I'd get the book just to see Mou's work. I love her stuff.

My fav part is the layout that Mou did from being inspired from this stamp. It totally makes me want to do something inspired by this stamp too!

Last thing I wanted to share was my book of inspiring pieces that I collect. I was getting so sick of having a bazillion magazines laying around a year ago. So I made up this clear binder with baseball clear insert sheets. After I've read a magazine way too many times I go back to it and look through it for pieces of images that inspire me. Whether it be how they sewed over a piece of the title or the color scheme or what they did to a certain picture to alter it. I cut it out of the magazine and make it into a 3x2 pic. I slip it in the clear protector sheet.


For those ideas that are too big to size down to 3x2 I glue them on regular sized paper inserts in the back. You can see this in the pics. I love this folder. I grab it anytime I need inspiration.































It'd totally be one of the things I'd be grabbing if a hurricane was coming and I had to take only certain things. Really! I'd grab this and my journals, copics, and my camera. Clothes be damned. Certain things can't be replaced.

I have to get moving and get on with my day. I'd like to make a few cards. I want to do the new Caardvark challenge. Red and Hearts? Sign me up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heart the arts week four journal prompt

Its Saturday again! Wow these weeks are flying by! I can barely keep up. As I've been saying lately on here, that I've been struggling with my weight. I just feel like its been so difficult these last few months to get my diet and eating under control.

Thats where this art journal page prompt came from this week.

What do you need to get under control? Is your house constantly a mess? Are your thoughts running a muck and making you feel like you can't do things you need to? Do you have the same problem as me and want to pig out on ice cream at 8 o'clock and night and eat all your husband's popcorn? God what I wouldn't give right now to eat a few ice cream bars and maybe go buy one of those sickening Little Debbies. You know the oatmeal ones with the cream in the middle. Num Num..

Okay back to getting things. This week's prompt is: Under Control...


















I drew this out and then used watercolors to paint it. Nothing too fancy, but it got all my thoughts down and in a pretty way. I know I'll appreciate looking at this years from now. Next week I hope to be a little more "fancy" for ya all. I think I'm really going to work on layers in my art journal page next week.

Tonight I've been carving more stamps. I got 9 new carving blocks in the mail. I always stock up once I run out. Here's some new stamps that will be in my Etsy soon! They are all designs of ones I've done before, but some were never sold on Etsy. The Cherry Blossom branch and flower are like the other one I had, but a much smaller version.

Well thanks for stopping by! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Bathroom plans

I'm still thinking and planning my bathroom set up. A few comments on my blog said I could make that mosaic mirror myself. I'm sure I could....but I tried to make a mosaic breakfast tray a few years ago and it was a pain in the butt! I didn't finish it. I still have it. I'll have to find it and post a picture of it.

Sometimes when I start a project, (not often) I realize that its more trouble than its worth. This being said I still HAVE the tray and will finish it one day when I have an area where I can cut glass pieces with out worrying about little fingers getting into the shards.

In the layout above many of the ideas on there are from Marthastewart.com. That is a droolable website for sure. I've been thinking about getting a subscription to her magazine. I get it every once in awhile and its so good. I'm all about eye candy and crafts.

Yesterday the boys wanted to paint while I was painting. They are too stinking cute. Logan says Leo is going to be an artist when he grows up. *swoon* That makes my heart sing. I would love that. Logan wants to be a police detective. Isn't it funny what kinds of careers you'd kinda like your kids to have? Like for both my boys if they could find creative careers that they make good money at I would be thrilled. If Logan was an author and Leo was an artist. Wow that'd make my lifetime.



















My mom wanted me to be a pilot or a nun. (Needless to say I was a bit of a let down on those)

I'd love to hear what your parent or parents wanted you to do career wise. To me its always funny/interesting.

Doing good with the gym. Plan on booking our cruise today. In March we're going to be kidless for 4 days in the big blue sea. The ship has a rock climbing wall. I'm ALL about that. I can't wait. We'll also go snorkeling if the weather is permitting. I got Lewis prescription goggles from this site a year ago and they are great! If you have any questions or can't figure out what prescription to get call them. They are so nice and helpful.

What art stuff should I take?? I wonder if I can take this class to make a travel album to take with me. We'll see. I need to make a bit more paypal dough. Today I used paypal to send money to Red Cross for Haiti. I hadn't donated anything yet and felt that it really needed to be done. I took all the money from my recent stamp sales and paypal'd it to them.

I wish it could of been more. Maybe in a few weeks I'll have a bit more to donate. I know how devastating Katrina was to my family in New Orleans. I can't even imagine the devastation they are dealing with there. Its almost unfathomable and so scary.

You can go to the Red Cross website and even text donations to them! I hope everyone is having a great day. Almost the weekend!

Gina

Get Sketchy 21

I found a new card challenge blog called Get Sketchy. I love it. Its so neat. I saw the sketch this week and thought...hmm.. A little difficult. I was a little intimidated. I mean sketches sometimes scare me. Is this only me? haha Probably.

Well here is the sketch. Cool huh?


I knew I wanted to try alot of glitter. I took two sheets of red double sided tape paper. I cut out two rounded squares and added them to the BG patterned paper. I added Martha Stewart glitter to them. I sewed down the ribbon to the frame around the card.

I had embroidered one of my stamped hand carved lily on canvas. I stamped the hello title on the same canvas. The hello font is from CTMH.


I added the threaded buttons and orange paint and fell in love with this card. It turned out perfect. I just will cry if whoever gets it does not at least keep the lily off of it.


























Yesterday, unable to go to the gym. This bummed me out. I need to go. I rejoined Weight Watchers online so that I can get my eating under control. I've put on 9 lbs since November and am NOT happy about it.

Hubby and I are talking about taking a 4 day cruise soon. Maybe around his birthday. I really want to get down to my new goal weight by then. That means the days of me baking yums for winter are over! Means less yummy half and half coffee from Starbucks. I really want to fit into this really cute Limited purple shirt dress I have. I would love to wear it on one of the dinner nights on the cruise. It fit. I haven't tried it on since I put on few lbs. It was tight then.

I'll post pics I swear! Will have to do an hour of cardio today to make up for yesterday. Eep! Wish me luck. I weigh in on Monday. I do online Weight Watchers and weigh myself on my scale on Mondays. I did this for over 14 mths to lose 87lbs. I hit my goal weight of 135 last August.

Here is a layout I did awhile back of my weight loss journey. Some of you might have already seen this. I had it posted on my other blog and the posts got deleted. I figure I'll post it here so you can understand why I write so much about the gym and my weight. Click on the layout if you want to see it bigger.


























I have to constantly work at it. I'll never be one of those naturally skinny people. I'm a foodie. What can I say? Hubby has also lost 40 some lbs. Isn't that awesome? He's doing it on his own. Where I really needed Weight Watchers and a gym membership to get my butt in gear.

My new get in gear goal is to get down to 130. The lowest I got so far was 135. Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by.

Week two collage of Heart the art pages

3. Lauren
6. Chili
2. June
1. Lisa
5. Stef
4. Fourchet

Here is a few of what the Heart the art'ers came up with for the prompt Someday. (week two)

I love seeing everyone's creativity. These are all so cool. Sorry I didn't list the numbers in order. Its a bit early over here and I had a hard night with Leo. I'm being lazy. I got up the links. I figure thats good.

Leo was sick last night and I had to put Logan in bed with hubby and I had to sleep with Leo in Logan's little twin sized bed. It was not fun, nor good. He is warm though and thats always nice to feel a nice little warm body up against you. Thats the one thing different I've always loved about Leo. He's a snuggler. Since the day he was born. He's always prefered sleeping touching you. Logan never even liked to be held much as a baby so that was a big difference when Leo came. Well all of it was. lol. Leo is like his name. A little lion.

I guess my plans today have changed because of last night. I will now be cooking pot roast in my slow cooker, cleaning up Logan's room and hopefully doing two cards. The one hour gym spin class is going to have to be put off. I really wanted to go today too. I can't bring Leo there sick. Of course where do you think he got sick? lol

I did want to post the valentines I made to go in Logan's lunches the few days around Valentines day. I love how they turned out. Simple, cute. I'll write cute notes on them in the morning and slip them in his lunch bag. I stamped them on little white 2 1/2 x 3 cardstock and then colored them with copic markers.

















I'll finish off this kinda short post with a cute pic of Leo. He was chilling and watching tv. It cracks me up when he puts his hands behind his head like that. So cute. He was not amused I took his picture. He wasn't ready to do his "cheese" face.



















Have a great day everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Gina

Crabby Decor

Lately I've been mad with thinking about decor. I don't know why. It always makes me crazy. I love design I do! But I get discouraged for various reasons.

1. I have small children. I can not put knick knack crap all over the place and expect it to stay unbroken. I LOVE THE LOOK though.

2. I'm cheap. Really cheap. I am trying to get more into the thought process of buying only what I really really love and then I'll keep it forever, compared to that'll do and I'll want to change it in a few years.

3. Redecorating for me always includes painting walls and baseboards. This is difficult with a small child. I have to actually get someone to come watch him to do this or do it late at night, by myself. Either option blows.

4. I always want to make custom things for my redecorated space and never seem to find the time or complete the project. Big bad no no for me.

5. I always feel either the lighting or flooring needs to be changed to get the look I want and well those are expensive and a pain to do. This always stops me in my tracks.

Those are my fab decor five of why I have a house that I've lived in for almost 4 1/2 years and still do not have it decorated as I would like.

Why am I going on about this you ask? Well I've been obsessing about doing up the boys bathroom to a respectable pretty guest/boys bathroom. Right now its very kid like. Plastic frog shower curtain, kids toys, kid wall art, white walls. Boring...

I figure I must start somewhere. This is where I'm planning on starting. I found this fabric at IKEA. I want to make this into a shower curtain. Now again.. will I take this fabric once I buy it and actually make said shower curtain when I've never made one before? Not sure. Anyone want to place bets? I'm at 50/50 whether I think I will. haha

I do love the fabric I would paint the room a really pretty turquiose blue. All the tile and countertops and such are white. The tile floor is like a beige tile. I think it'll look pretty. I'd get more white towels and pretty green rugs to match the curtain I think. Not sure about rug colors yet.








I drew this up today to frame and put in the bathroom when its set up. Its oil pastels and pencil on chipboard inside of a cereal box cut up. I will never throw away another cereal box again! (I recycle they go in the paper recycling box, but not anymore!) The scan is a bit brighter than the actual drawing, but its close. I know its not an exact match to the fabric, but I really liked where this was going. Maybe I don't even NEED the fabric. I'll just go to decorating the bathroom from the colors in my drawing. hmmm..





















I followed this tutorial on Kal's blog.


I also found this mosaic mirror at Pier One's website that would be perfect with the fabric from IKEA. I love it regardless. Its 40 bucks on sale. Is it wrong I balk at that? I think do you know how much art stuff I can get for 40 bucks?? I might have to go and check it and see what it looks like in person.

Anyone know any good sites for checking out cool bathroom decor? What is your fav site? Right now I'm loving the new group on flickr I found called Interior Styling.

This wallpaper I found is featured in some of the rooms on that group like this one. The wallpaper is from Anthropolgie. Lovely absolutely lovely. I hate wallpaper though. The thought of having to take it down makes me cringe. Putting it up, not so much.

The picture is linked to the original poster on the site.

I just got finished reading all my chapters for school. It feels nice not having that hanging over my head. No class tonight because of Martin Luther King Jr Day, but tomorrow night I have Torts.

I feel ready. I do like being back in school after the month break. It feels good to be learning. Educating myself. Working on getting a real career. I just sometimes would rather play with art stuff so I get kinda put off by reading about law. Is that wrong? I don't think so.

Had a great weekend, but hubby was sick. I hope he's better today. Tomorrow he has to go back to work too.

Off to the gym. Must make up for my food sins this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

2S4Y card at the last minute woot!

I got so inspired by seeing Lauren bust a card through on the last day for this week's challenge on 2S4Y I figured heck! I might as well do one too! I didn't have an idea in mind of what I wanted to do. I figured I'd find a patterned paper I like and go from there. This is the sketch from this week on 2S4Y.
















I came up with this...


























The patterned paper is BG. I sewed around the card with my sewing machine. I took the BG tree chipboard and colored it with green alcohol ink. Then I painted on it with white acrylic paint. I then used UTEE and embossed the tree heavily. Once it cooled I added the colored wire to the tree.

The little blue frame I've had forever. I added a small piece of pp from an unknown source and then a little heart that was a BG chipboard piece that I painted with acrylic pink paint and also UTEE embossed it. Added the ribbon and small stamped letter title.

Its so pretty and cute. I love doing cards. Its really the only time I feel like I can go totally girly and use my girly stuff up!

There is one other thing I've been working on the last few days. I figured I'd show its work in progress. I mentioned it yesterday in my blog. I'm trying to make another Christmas ornament out of clay. This time I used a new clay called DAS. Its a pain. I don't like it really. Here's a picture of my sad little flamingo in process of hopefully turning out cute.

At the moment Lewis calls it my "pink turkey with tube socks". haha He's a nut that one. (also a bit spot on too unfortunately) Anyone in need of a pink turkey with tube socks on for their Christmas tree? Hope everyone is having a blast this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Heart the Art journal prompt week 3

I'm so excited for this week to come! I can't believe its week 3 of Heart the Art already. Wow! January is buzzing by.

This weeks prompt is: Clearly..

You can interpret this however you would like.

















I really wanted to document the fact that I now can see things so much clearer than I did in 2009. I took my little fish bowl drawing and goldfish and used patterned paper to cut out the shapes of the things in the bowl. The green plant is a BG sticker, and the tan plant is a cut out from SEI pp. I used my sewing machine on the fish bowl and colored with pen and colored pencil in some areas. The title was masked stickers with black paint then peeled off.

The journaling says "to me how much you love me now. I couldn't see it before, but you show me now everyday. I love you for it. I won't take it for granted."


Yesterday, I started trying to mold a new ornament with my new DAS modeling clay. Eh.. What a mess. Give me FIMO or Sculptey any day. This new DAS stuff is smelly and dries out very quickly. Its hard to get a smooth surface or to get it to stick together. I'm not scrapping it yet, but you might get a bit of a chuckle when I finally do post the weird little bird ornament.

This weekend I hope to get a card done or maybe another art journal page. I have to read my chapters for school and that is going to dig into my time. Its weird too, Monday night I'm already off school for Martin Luther King Jr day. I wish I had already read the chapters. I feel it looming over my head.

Last nights date night was great. We went and had a nice adult dinner out (Lebanonese restarant at this website) and went to the bookstore where I wish I had got the new art journal Sommerset mag. I didn't. I hate spending 15 bucks on a magazine. But I love magazines SO MUCH.

Yesterday, I added two new listings to my Etsy. I added a group of small stamps as a set to be sold. It has all kinds of my small stamp carvings in one group at a great price! They work well with word phrases or with the frames I included in the group.



























I also listed a new little ice cream shake dessert hand carved stamp. Really cute.

Tell the weekend to slow down already! I have too much I want to do and not enough time!























Thanks for stopping by you guys. I really love all the comments and love from everyone.

Can't wait to see what you all do with this week's prompt.