Swirlyhues Challenge at Swirlydoos.com

Things over at Swirlydoos are crazy right now! So crazy that we just got our September kits!  Why is this such a big deal you ask? Well there is this new challenge called Swirlyhues. It's open for anyone who wants to participate. Requirements are that you use the sketch and only the colors they specify but we are also allowed to use black and white in moderation. The colors were inspired by the kits that we hadn't received yet. So I got to make my own kit from my existing stash! This was loads of fun. It's not due until October and I could have waited until I got my kit...but where's the fun in that?!

Here is the storyboard for the challenge so you can see the sketch and palette I had to use.

This is the finished piece. The title is Skate like no one is watching. This is a photo of my oldest son skating on his rip stick at a 4th of July party this year. The smaller photo on the right is a few years old but it's still my baby.

 Here is a close up of the flower cluster. I made these with my Big Shot and torn out pages from a waffle cookbook! Didn't they turn out fabulous?!

 Here is a closeup of the TA chippy frame. It's misted like crazy but it has this patina to it where it looks like tarnished metal. It's so cool.

 Here is a closeup of the vine.  I made the vine myself with stuff from my stash and an online tutorial. I painted one of the pearls with gesso and covered it in smooch to get the seafoam green color that was required.

 Part of the challenge was to use techniques from the Swirlydoos site. Here is a rusty hinge and paper distressing based on their tutorials.

I wanted to show my leaves off because they are crocheted leaves that I made! While I was off for my surgery my mother came over and taught me to crochet so I could make flowers and leaves for my scrapping. I painted them with TA Glimmer Glam so they would go better with the LO. 

That's my scrappy LO. Blogging a day earlier than usual. Who's a rebel now?! Can you handle it?

I got ink WHERE?!

Happy Friday! That's right I'm blogging again and back on track. This is twice in one month! *shocked face*

After the pages I sent to my sister I just couldn't resist, I had to make one for myself. I laid everything out the night I completed her pages and had the plan already in my head. I knew what I wanted to add, spray, paint, glue...it was already finito as far as I was concerned. I finished the page in one afternoon...this is a record people.

I was painting, and spraying, and bending with pliers...I had a blast. That night while we were in the bathroom brushing our teeth my DH says "What do you have on your elbow?!"  I hold my arm high above my head while looking in the mirror and find walnut stain all over my elbow and the back of my arm! Nothin' but the sign of a good time if you ask me;)

Before we begin let me apologize for the lighting. This is a night shoot using my OTT light. The white piece on the right is only there to see the feather. It was getting lost against my black desk. Also, if you click on the pictures they do get bigger.

This is my masterpiece after getting ink WHERE?! I finally started to use some of the ephemera that I have been collecting (hoarding) over the years. A ticket here and card from there, a trinket from some hair gunk that I bought. I have boxes of this stuff and never use it. Here you can see I used a card from Liam's 8 wk check up with the dr. I used a ticket from when we all went to Mackinaw fort and the converse tag at the top is from a box of shoes that we bought Liam for his uncle's wedding. I truly have no idea why I haven't been using this stuff all along.

A close up of the tag

This is a piece of glimmer glass by TA. I used alcohol inks to stain it.

 The ticket is another piece of glimmer glass but this time I used glimmer glam and heated it. The gear is made with my usual technique but this time I used red paint underneath so the undertones would match the LO a tad better. Don't you love the dots on the feathers?

Here is a close up of the vine I made with pieces from the dollar store, a bag of feathers, and some flowers from the swirlydoos kit.

 The large clear piece is a giant button. I have had these for years and have a hard time using them. The chipboard is from the TA line. I sprayed with red glimmer mist and heated. Then followed up with some walnut stain to give it some grunge and topped it with gold brilliance ink. I love how the embossed area stands out with the ink against it. The yellow spray you see is Starburst from Lindy's stamp gang in marigold. You can't see it here but all this spray has a beautiful shine to it.

This pic is specifically for my dear friend. She gave me her old sewing machine when she decided to upgrade. Since I was scoping Goodwill an Salvation Army for a used one anyway I just thought this was the best gift ever. That was almost 6 months ago!!! I have never even taken it out of the case. I decided that this would be the page where I would finally sew with my new machine. It ran so smooth and did in only minutes what it takes me FOREVER to do. The watch is the other piece of TA chipboard. It's been inked and sprayed and heated and sprayed and inked some more. Then I layered buttons and metal and dimensional paint inside and covered it all in gesso. I am still experimenting Finnabair style. Once I find my own way with it I'll be able to do so many things. Again, thank you for the inspiration.

Have a wonderful week and whatever you do...don't be afraid to get your elbows into it!

Andipants

Curiosity may have killed the cat...but THIS definitely brought her back.

Good golly miss Molly...is it September already? If anyone is wondering why it took so long to post, let me enlighten you. 

Summer vacations were a blast. The hubby and I went on a motorcycle trip to Maine with my in-l aws for 10 days at the end of July (Do I hear a mini album in there somewhere). It was gorgeous and I have tons of really fantastic pictures. I'm still waiting for my in-laws to give me their pics.

The very next weekend after we got back, the hubby and I packed the kids up and headed to Tahquemenon Falls in the upper peninsula of Michigan. The kids had a blast. It was only a small weekend but I took just as many pictures as I did in Maine. The Monday we returned the kids started school. First day already and it was only the beginning of August. 

In addition to my regular hectic life, yours truly became the new tiger den leader of pack 173. I now have a boyscout, tiger cub, and WBLOS. Youth group started at church and being the insane psychotic that I am, both hubby and I volunteered to help with that. I think my head spins on a regular basis. 

So now that you are all caught up on my summer, let me catch you up on my scrapping. Little background info: My sister was in the military and overseas. It was the first Christmas without her, I missed her, and KNEW she was gonna miss the fam. So I found one of those incredibly cute little scrapbooking tins and made one up and packed it full of pages. My goal was one page per month but just guess how that went. Last year I gave her 6 pages for Christmas and every now and then I bust out a few more pages. Since she herself is an artist I started telling her about all my awesome new toys and her response was "make me some pages".

What a fantastic idea!! The pages for the tins are only 4x6 so if I mess up it will only be a little mess.  

This is the first of 2 pages. That's me, the hubby, and all the kids on Mackinac Island a couple of years ago. I ran the page through my Big Shot to emboss and then just went to town with my glimmer glam. I totally have to give props to Anna Dombrowski because she has been such an inspiration to my work lately. 

This is just a little bit different angle so you can see all the different iridescence and sprays on the page.

Here is a close up of the heated glimmer glam. I love the way it bubbles and texturizes when you heat it. The metal is actually scraps that my hubby gave me years ago from parts he was making.

And of course, my rusted chipboard. Still one of my favorite techniques. I added some TA Glimmer Mist in coffee shop while the distress powder was still wet and I LOVE the coppery look it took on.

This is my second page. My boys. Gotta give props to Kate Palmer for the dimensional paint that I used on the edges. Just fabulous stuff.

I used a combination of gesso, glimmer glam, glimmer mist, and hot glue to achieve this look along with a little moon shadow mist in a paint pot from Lindys stamp gang.

The title is stamped with a new set of stamps from my Swirlydoos kit. Yup, still at it! I love my monthly kits. I also love the way the Glimmer mist really blends the picture into the page.

Again, one more angle to show some of the iridescence on the page. I have to admit this is one of my mostest favoritest pages. The colors are so bright and just lovely. I sincerely hope my sister likes them. TTFN

Can you say Hiatus?

Yes my fellow scrapper/bloggers I have been on hiatus. In fact I haven't even touched my scrap stuff in the last 2 months at all *GASP*!!!

But fear not...I scrapped this labor day weekend and it was glorious. Waking only well after the sun has risen and crept oh so near to the noon-time apex, a lingering cup of coffee donning my lovingly cupped hand, and the luxurious feel of perpetual pajamas, I scrapped from the time the sun came up until the time I retired back to bed (yes still in my SAME pj's) and I loved every minute!

Not only did I scrap...I got to PLAY! I found glimmer glam at such a ridiculously low price that it was practically a steal...and steal I did. I went from one lonely jar of Tattered Angels Rustic glam to 11 glitter jars nestled snuggly in my distressed wooden tray. I glopped and heated and shmeared and spritzed and glued and sprayed and sanded and burnt (my skin that is) until I could no more.

What is the end result  you ask? Check back this Friday to see!

HA! Got YOu! I'm tired and going to bed. I have to upload the photos tomorrow. Au revoir.