You and Me

My oldest always will have a special piece of my heart because for a long time, it was her and I spending a lot of time alone together. We filled or days with adventure and play.

Now, I always get excited when she and I get to spend some alone time together, especially when we are working on a project, or searching for adventure.  She is such a sweet, happy soul, and I can't help but laugh spending with her.

Day 2 of Luck- Card

I wanted to make my friend a good luck card for some news she has been waiting patiently to hear. I put together this card for the occasion.

However, with me being me, I forgot to send it, and probably won't get it to her before she hears. They say that it is the thought that counts, but I am kind of wondering if that is really true in this case.

Lucky- a layout

Somehow, as the years go by, I get more and more perspective on my wonderful husband. We have been through a lot, and somehow, it still keeps getting better as time passes.

I wanted to make a layout that celebrated the warm feelings I have had lately about the direction we have taken together. I'm not saying life is perfect, but I truly have been feeling lucky each day.

Focus- A layout

My sweet youngest child spends most of her time in  her own little world.  She moves at her own pace, which is usually a meander, and she has to look at everything as she goes.  I struggle with this sometimes because getting her to do what I need or want her to do can take quite some time, and I really wish she would focus. The thing is, she really is focused, on what the sun is doing, where the clouds are, the shape of the moon, the color of the leaves, and the amazing world in which she lives.

Today, when were leaving the house, she found a spider web tucked between a bush and the stair railing.  She insisted I stop, look at the spider web, and hear her opinion of spiders (she does not like them, for the record). It was so sweet, and so very her.

Gift Box

 

 I first learned about Kiwi Lane through Scrapbooksteals.com, and I picked up a few templates to play with.  I've done a few layouts that I will share later on, but I also used the templates to make this gift box.

I started with a Kraft colored paper mache box, and selected some papers that I wanted to use for the holidays. 

I used the mini wildflower templates, scallops, and the strip templates.  I plan to give my Mother-in-Law this box with her Christmas gift (nope! it's not bigger than a bread box!)

For me, the magic of the holidays is beautiful wrapping and decorations. It makes everything seem so very special, and I try to make sure my family gets to enjoy the beauty in even simple gifts.
Have you begun your holiday planning yet?

 

 

 

Gratitude- 8-11

Another few days of gratitude to share for November.   One, my oldest daughter's gorgeous eyes.  They are just amazing.  Next, our cozy little home.  I adore how my house feels, and it is always a treat coming home to the warm welcome of my family.  Then, of course, I am so grateful that I feel loved.  It is such a blessing to have friends and family that support me and encourage me.  Finally, I am grateful for Facebook, because I am able to connect with people that are true friends daily. 

30 Days of Gratitude Days 4-7

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Another November gratitude post.  It is amazing to think of the things that make me happy, and a really good exercise because I usually struggle in November emotionally.

Simple thing- My fuzzy slippers.  In the evenings and on the weekends, I live in these slippers.  I adore them. They are just the Costco knockoffs, but I adore them so much.

Silly thing- My youngest and her tippy toes.  She is forever on tippy toe and I wanted to capture that sweet moment, because it always makes me giggle.

Sweet thing- My husband.  There is so much I could say here, we've been through so much together, so many good things, so many bad. Right now, I am at a point where I feel like we are reconnecting and realizing how much things have changed, all for the better.  Every day I feel luckier to have him in my life.

I couldn't think of another "s" thing- Wine.  In the fall and winter I love a glass of wine. 

 

Guest Mid-Week Mojo!!! Scrapbooksteals.com

OMG!  It was sooo hard to keep the secret that I got to be a guest Mid Week Mojo sketcher at Scrapbooksteals.com !!

Check out my post here!!!
http://scrapbooksteals.stealnetwork.com/wp/2012/11/14/mid-week-mojo/

Here is the sketch so you may play along!

 

Urban Grunge Tattoo Heart Tutorial

  I wanted to create a 3-D version of the classic winged tattoo. You will learn the ins and outs of creating this project, and a little of my creative thought process. I’m a klutz, and kind of messy, so have fun! 

Supplies:

Pre-made paper-mache heart

Decoupage Glue
Black Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens: Small, Medium, and Brush
Faber Castell Pitt Monochrome Graphite Pencil
Painter’s Tape
Sepia Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens: Brush
Faber Castell Art Grip Colored Pencils: Blue and Red
Faber Castell Metallic Gelato: Gold
White Ribbon
Flower Embellishment
Glue Gun
Plastic Garbage Bag
Sponge Brush
Plastic Clothes Hanger
Shrink Plastic

 

Instructions:

1. Cover the work surface with a flat garbage bag. If you are like me, decoupage can get messy. If you are not like me, then you may disregard the need for the bag. Gather your pre-made heart, and a 12x12 sheet of red (or your favorite heart color paper). At this point, you have to make a choice, some people are precise, and the torn edges on the finished project would drive them nuts. If that is you, cut the paper with scissors. If you like the torn look, then sit down and tear up some paper. Take all your aggression out on it. You’ll feel better.

 

2.Get your decoupage material and sponge brush.  I use Collage Pauge, mostly because my craft store did a demo of it one day and let my kid glue marbles to their table for a half hour or so while she was supposed to be making magnets. She wasn’t intentionally gluing them, but when you are six, more glue is better, and everything gets glued together. When we were done, she wanted to make more, and I had to purchase the products they used, because when you are six, you do what the teacher says. I guess the lady on the front label is famous, I don’t know, but she does make a good decoupage medium.  
3. Use the garbage bag as a palate, and just squirt the decoupage medium on the plastic. If this would drive you crazy, then go get a plate, or something in which to put the medium.  Brush the medium on the paper mache heart and all over the paper.  For me, using the brush lasted about ten seconds, and I ended up dipping the paper in the pool of medium, placing it on the heart, and smoothing it out with my fingers. Either way works. Place paper all the way around the heart. If the paper doesn’t want to smooth, tear it into smaller pieces.  When you are done, hang the heart to dry.  I didn’t really think of that part beforehand, so I was wandering around with a sticky heart and hands trying to figure this mess out. The beautiful thing is that once I figured out to hang it from a kid’s plastic hanger, the garbage bag folded up nicely, and my mess was gone.


4. For the wings, I used shrink plastic; remember shrinky dinks? This is the same thing, but not preprinted, so it can be whatever you want it to be.  I wanted it to be wings, so I sketched out a wing with a  Graphite Pencil. If you prefer, you can find a wing image and trace it.  Whatever works best for you.  I secured the shrink plastic with painter’s tape because when I do not, it slides all around, and I mess up my tracing. I used Black Artist Pens to trace the sketch, and build up the lines for more dimension. Be careful tracing, as the artist pens and the shrink plastic work like a whiteboard, and if you drag your hand across tracing you have already done, it will rub off.  I learned this the hard way, so don’t be like me on this one, or you’ll end up with missing lines and a black smeared hand.  This is useful, however if you mess up, just rub it off and try again. Flip the image on the second sheet so your wings face out opposite and complete the second wing.


5. Once you have the tracing done, you can add some color with Colored Pencils.  Don’t color against the black lines, or you will rub off the black. Then, cut your wings out, and place them on a baking sheet.   At this point, I noticed I forgot to flip the wing so they would each point outward correctly, so I quickly retraced the image through the plastic.  I like to live under the rule that if I mess up and it turns out ok, then it was on purpose.  So, I on purpose decorated both sides of the wings. After your oven has preheated, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for shrinking the plastic.  Don’t get too creative here, no one wants melted plastic in their oven.  It smells bad and is a pain to clean. 





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6. Take your ribbon and distress it by running the SepiaPen along the edge, and by rubbing the Silver Metallic Gelato on the top of the ribbon.  I used a plain white grosgrain ribbon. Once I was happy with my distressing, I laid out another garbage bag and set up some more collage pauge and ran the ribbon through the medium, and then laid the ribbon across my heart artfully.  Then, I placed the heart on a new garbage bag, and set it so the ribbon had a bit of a wave to it and let it dry.  The medium gives it a bit of stiffness, which works well with the end project.

Once the heart is dry, you can use the Black Art Pens to add wording to your ribbon.  Glue on the wings and flower embellishments, I use a low temp glue gun because I am clumsy and burn myself on high temp, but you can use your preferred adhesive. You too now have an Urban Grunge Tattoo Heart to call your own!

Hope you liked my tutorial!

~Venetia


 
 

Gratitude

Here's my first three days of gratitude. Done in pen and ink.

I love my pen collection, and it was an easy place to start. A flair and a Zig Pen, two favorites.

Red cups at Starbucks always make my day. I don't know why. Maybe the shade of red, or perhaps the reminder of the season.

Tacoma us a beautiful city, and although I doubt you could ever catch the landscape in this precise layout, I love downtown best.