Introducing Auntie Kelso

My daughter doesn't have any living siblings of her own, so she knew that she would never have the chance to be an Aunt. (at least not by blood) She is very close to my baby sister, so she convinced her to let the baby call her Auntie Kelsey, but because of a childhood joke, my sister's husband quickly changed it to Auntie Kelso. While my daughter hated this name as a child, I think right now she doesn't care as long as she can be considered an aunt.

So for this layout, instead of introducing the baby to the world, I present to you Auntie Kelso. The smile on her face says it all. I wanted to use a lot of hearts on this page to show the love that Kelsey has for Sophia. The background hearts are tinted molding paste pushed through a heart stencil which I cut on my Silhouette. The other hearts are wood veneer that I misted. And one is a chipboard sticker. I used strips of washi tape and stickers from a paper collection to complete the embellishing.

 

My journaling is written directly on to the page, a technique that I am getting really used to doing, even though I don't care for my handwriting. And the title is a combination of a sticker, alphabet stickers, and Thickers.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Dani

WOYWW 180/December Daily Prep

Well, my kitchen is now 90% done and I have finally been able to get back to scrapping, just in time for the holidays. I have been missing my weekly snoop investigation of desks over at The Stamping Ground. On my desk today, I am working on getting the supplies pulled to one spot for my December Daily album. I never thought we did enough to justify getting in on this project, but I did my first one last year and was surprised at how much I enjoyed doing it. It really is nice to go back and see the things that we enjoyed during the season.

I have decided to use the Echo Park This & That Christmas collection and mix in some Lily Bee holiday line. I am using a red Sn@p album and a combination of sizes in page protectors. I cut my papers down to match and created journaling cards from the office paper that comes with the album. I mix alphabets from both lines and added some dimensional stickers from Echo Park. I then raided my stash and pulled washi tape, stick pins, twine, buttons, sequins, and yo-yo's that I made to finish off the embellishment selection.

I still have to get together my Christmas stamps and a few ink and paint colors to mist and splatter pages, but this is pretty much it. All collected, put together in one spot, and ready to do some quick late night scrapping, even during the busy holidays.

Are you doing a December album or some other similar project? How do you go about getting those other December projects done?

Thanks for visiting!

Dani

First Day of College

Good Morning! Today's layout was inspired by this Memory Keeping Monday's video, over at Two Peas. I liked the use of multiple papers and the fact that I had two similar photos that I wanted to use made this layout a good choice for this page. I am getting really comfortable journaling right on the layout, thanks to Shimelle.

I am happy to report that I have survived the start of college and that she is doing well in her courses. She even starts a new job at the end of this week. I am feeling really grateful that she is starting to adjust to her life here. And that she still allows her Mom to take first day of school pictures.

Thanks for visiting!

Dani

Turquoise Place



Over the summer, we took our first vacation in over ten years. It was wonderful! My mom and dad, along with my baby sister and her family also joined us. It was a week of pure bliss. And after this 6 week kitchen remodel, I sure am wishing I could be back there now. Or at least in a hot tub.

 

I did get a chance to scrap a bit this weekend and these pictures were the ones I was drawn to the most. I think it was because the trip was so relaxing and I could use some relaxing right about now. I can't get to the beach, but scrapping helped do the trick. I wanted to include quite a bit of photos, so I created a collage in Picasa that was 8 x 10. I then kept the rest of the design simple by using my embellishments in clusters and adding my journaling in strips to fill the bottom of the page.

 

I did get a few more pages started that I will share once the journaling is done. I also pulled supplies to start my December Daily base pages, but I need to decide which papers I will be using first.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a blessed week!

Dani

Silly Girl

Morning All. I hope you had a lovely weekend. A front came in and we had gorgeous weather full of sunshine and chilly temps. It was great! While the cabinets were being painted, I sat in my scrap room for a few hours and managed to get some pages done.

The layout below is one of my daughter from this summer. I had the camera outside to take a few nature pics and of course she had to get a few in too. She was such a character yelling, "Do me, Mom". So we had a quick, impromptu photo shoot. She is so silly and can brighten even my gloomiest of days.

Thanks for visiting. Have a blessed week!

Dani

Holiday ATC's

Just wanted to share a few of the ATC's that I was playing around with on Wednesday. I created three. They are all fairly simple with some sparkle added in for good measure.

Like I said before, nothing fancy. I just wanted to play around a bit while the work is being done in the kitchen. A girl has got to stay creative even during chaos.

Have a blessed weekend!

Dani

WOYWW 176

There really isn't too much going on here today, well, at least not in the studio. The kitchen remodel is in full swing. The floor was completed yesterday and now the cabinets are being started. The dust and mess is horrible. Worth it I am sure, but yuck!

So here is my desk this morning. I am playing around with Christmas ATC's just so I can stay inspired. I don't want a lot of my supplies out because they will get covered in filth, but a girl has to have a little fun amid the chaos. I have out my stack of holiday stamps and a few copics. I am fussy cutting a few images in between loads of laundry. (The washer and dryer were put back in early this morning.) Like I said, not making anything too fancy, just trying to stay creative.

 

That's it for me this week. I will try to be better at getting around to more desks than last week. If you want to see more spaces, then join our wonderful hostess, Julia for a peek into what others are crafting.

 

Thanks for your visit!

 

Dani

Checking In

Morning all! I have been MIA the last few weeks due to lots of things going on around here. First, my computer did some automatic updates and somehow downloaded a virus to the motherboard, so the keyboard would freeze up and start typing on its own. Really freaky, huh? Evidently, this is a problem going around according to the HP website. Then my dh and I started a major kitchen remodel a week ago, starting with the removal of tile. What a mess! YUCK!!! I feel like I even have dust in my teeth. Fortunately, the new floor is starting to go in today. Next up, cabinets, paint, backsplash, and new fixtures. Trying to get it all done before the holidays.

So as you can see, I haven't had much time for a lot of scrapping. I did manage to get a couple of pages and a card done before we started. Todays layout is from the Fourth of July, which just happens to be my birthday. My dh loves to grill and this is one day I don't mind letting him do so. I get the day off from cooking and cake too!

This layout was created using the Simple Stories Summer collection and inspiration was taken from from a Pagemaps sketch from Becky Fleck.

Well, I hope you are all having a good week! Thanks for visiting and I hope to not be away for such a long time, again.

Dani

WOYWW 173

There is not much going on here, today. My desk looks exactly as it did after finishing yesterday's layout. I really need to clean it up so that I can start on a card or two that needs to be done. Can you see the photo of Nanan's beautiful baby having her first lollipop? She so has my heart!

The layout below is one that I created last week. It is the last photo of us as a family before my father-in-law passed away of cancer, last year. It is not the best picture, but it is so treasured.

That is it for this week's show and tell. To join in, please visit our hostess, Julia.

Have a blessed week!

Dani

College Bound - Allison Davis Class Review

I know a few of you were wondering if the Allison Davis 6x6 paper pad class was worth it. In my honest opinion, yes!

First, let me say that I am NOT affiliated to them in any way. I just happened to see this class and wanted to give it a try. I own quite a few paper pads and I wanted to see if I could get my money's worth out of them. The class contains 11 double page sketches, plus samples. I downloaded the whole class handout as is to put in my online class binder. I also printed out just the sketches to go in my sketch binder. Yes, I have a lot of binders.

The layout below was created using one of the sketches from this class. As you can see, I only used one side of the sketch. I scrap mostly one page layouts and most all of her sketches from this month are conducive to turning into one pagers, which I love. I followed the sketch exactly as it is, even down to the stitching, so that you can get a feel for her layouts.

Like I said before, this is just my opinion of this class. If you were on the fence about getting this one, I hope this helps you a bit.

Thanks for visiting!

Dani

Another Amy Tangerine

Each year, I look so forward to this day. I am a autumn person and to me, this signals fall. I try to get one on the first day of service every year. It also helps that I live across the street from the Starbucks.

I thought the new Ready, Set, Go collection was perfect for this photo. I used a sheet that was pre-printed and added some dimensional elements on top. I stitched on top of those corrugated letters, which by the way, I love. I may have to pick up more in the black because I can see using them a lot. It adds texture without bulk. I used the strips from the bar code section of the papers for my strips at the bottom. They have some nice ones on this line, so be sure to save those cut offs.

Well, it is a nice day here, today. It is in the low 80's and breezy. I may just be off to Starbucks and then sitting outside with my pups. I hope your day is blessed, also.

Dani

Hello Mac

I just love football season. It is the only time of the year that I can scrap at night and not feel guilty about not spending time with my DH. Monday night football and some new Amy Tangerine resulted in a couple of pages being made.

Below, is a layout of my daughter with her new MacBook before she started college. She was so excited that it arrived a week earlier than predicted. I was excited that she actually paid for it by herself and is learning the value of buying big things on her own. I guarantee she will be more careful with it at school since the money came from her own pocket.

I wanted to keep the layout simple since the photo collage was from her IPhone and the quality wasn't that great. I tried to print the collage larger, but it became very pixelated, so this size is what I had to work with. By keeping the embellishments to a minimum, the photo and the journaling are still the focus.

 

Thanks for visiting and I hope that you all use your football/baseball/basketball/etc... season wisely!

 

Dani

WOYWW 171 * with ATC update at bottom of post

Don't hyperventilate! You are at the right blog. I know this is quite messier than what you are used to seeing on my desk, but I have been having so much fun playing with inks and such these past few days, that the mess isn't even bothering me. I am working on a series of Halloween ATC's (gasp!)  just for the fun of it. I know it is Tuesday night, but when do you get the chance to see my space this bad?

As you can see, I have pulled out the inks, a bunch of stamps, and even the heat gun. A gaggle of embellishments have even made their way on to my desk. I will try to post the finished ATC's tomorrow if I get the chance. To join in or just see more desks, just pop on over to our wonderful hostess, Julia, and see what this desk hopping is all about.

And here they are:

Have a Blessed Week!

Dani

Santa's Wish List

Just once, I wanted to have my Christmas photos scrapped before the next time the holiday rolled around. I have never before achieved this until now! Yes, thanks to hurricane Isaac, I managed to get 2010 and 2011 holiday photos scrapped and in the album. Amazing what you can do when you have no internet!

Below is the wrap up layout that I do each year for our family album. The rest of the Christmas pages go in our Christmas albums.

We celebrated the holiday on the 24th. We have ever since our daughter was younger. It makes for a less stressful holiday morning and no need to wake Mom and Dad up early. Then on Christmas morning, we have a special tradition of monkey bread and holiday movies. It is great!

So, what's on your wish list this year?

Dani

Best Buds

Today's post is just a quick shot of the layout that I was making on Wednesday. I used a Scrapbook Generation sketch for the base and I loosely added in the rest with my title, journaling, and a few extra embellishments.



 

The layout came together quickly, which was good because I had other obligations for the day. This is why I really like to use sketches or starting points for some of my pages. I can get in a bit of scrapping without having to waste valuable time creating the main design of the layout. I can then add my own style by what I choose to embellish with and how and where I add the title and journaling.

Have a great weekend!

Dani

WOYWW 170

Well, I have survived the start of college and hurricane Isaac all in the last two weeks. I finally have Internet back and couldn't be happier. I am still praying for those who are without power as yesterday we were in a heat advisory and it was really HOT!!!

Okay, on to better things. My desk this morning has the starts of a layout of my daughter and her best bud. Last time, I had a lot of questions about my mist storage, in the upper left corner of my desk. It is a three tiered cupcake holder that sits on an el cheapo lazy susan. I bought it during a 50% off sale so the whole thing was under $15; lazy susan included. I love that I can spin it from the front to see all of the colors.

 

 The layout below was the one that was on my desk last time that I was struggling with. I have re-done it and still am not 100% satisfied with it, but with the help of a sketch from Shimelle, in an album it went. I think I just had too high of expectations with those photos.

Well, I hope you are all having a great week! To see more desks, pop on over to Julia's, but be warned. It's addictive!

God Bless!

Dani

WOYWW - College Bound

Okay, so not much crafty business going on here today, but I did just receive a nice box from Two Peas that I need to get in to. No, today is COLLEGE DAY!!! Yes, I did take pictures of here leaving. Only a few tears in my eyes as I was watching her go, but they were tears of pride, not sadness as in the past years.

And just to share a little craftiness, in compliance with WOYWW, here is the layout I completed last week of her senior pics. She is my free spirited, guitar playing, artist/painter of a child. And I love her so!

Thanks for visiting!

Dani

WOYWW 167

This week, I am back to scrapping. Even though blogging has been put on the back burner for right now, I am still creating. The summer is being enjoyed so thoroughly, and these last few days with my daughter before college are being savored. But I do have a desk shot to share with you this week.

On the left is a stack of purged papers that need to be given to a new scrapper in my area. The layout is one that I have been working on for two days, but I just don't like it, no matter what I seem to do to it. I think it is because I do not like those papers and I can't seem to find embellishments to go with it. I am going to toss it and try again later. This is not something I really ever do, but this time for my sanity, I think it is best. And the jar of sour raspberry strings that look like they have never been touched, well, that is my second jar full.

And on to a layout that I really am liking right now. This was a fun day and such a fun layout to create. I love working with collage photos.

That is it for this blog post. To see more desks this week, you know what to do. Head on over to the Julia's and join in on the blog hopping fun!

Have a blessed week!

Dani

WOYWW 166

Not much to show you on the desk this week, so I will show you last week's teething worms in use.

She loved them and held on to a couple all day long. They certainly are a mouthful.

To see actual desks with more going on than mine, hop on over to Julia's and link up.

Have a blessed day!

Dani

Delight

Today's layout is titled, "Delight". And that is exactly what we have been doing around here. Delighting in all the sights, sounds, and tastes that this season has to offer.

I hope that you are enjoying your summer. Have a blessed week!

Dani

WOYWW 165

Be warned! What you are about to see is not the norm for me. You see, my desk this week is at the sewing machine. Now you might ask, why is this not normal for me. I am always sewing on paper. Actually, that was the reason that I bought this machine. But today, gasp, I am actually sewing on fabric!!!

Yes, you heard correctly, fabric. I am working on some teething worms for my beautiful, little niece.

What are teething worms you ask? They were first made by my children's great-grandmother when they started to teethed. It is easy for them to hold, they can bite and suck on the ends, and the fabric, well, not to be gross but it soaks up the excess drool and helps to keep their clothes dry. They can easily be tossed in the washer and my kids LOVED them. My sister asked me if I could make a few for Sophia, and of course I would do anything for either one of them, so here I am tonight at the machine.

*NOTE: The teething worms are filled with cotton batting as the cotton is very absorbent.

And last week, a few of you asked what that pointy thing on my desk was. It is a tube turner. I am not quite sure the picture shows it well enough, but basically you use it to turn tubes right side out. I also have used one for threading elastic through casings.

Well, that is it for this installment of WOYWW. Hop on over to the Stamping Ground to see more desks from around the world.

Thanks for your visit!

Dani

Starting Point Layout

Last week, I saw a starting point from Sue Althouse, and I decided to use it as a base for my page below. I kept it as is, except I flipped it to the left side of the page.

I wanted to use only a paper collection without any embellishments other than the cardstock stickers that were in the kit. I used modeling paste that I dyed with re-inkers to match the color of my bricks. I then stenciled the bricks over the layout. Once dried, I applied white paint with a dry brush to mimic the white painting of the bricks in the photo. I inked all of the edges of my papers with brown ink and distressed stained my letters to match. Simple strip journaling was added and done!

Thanks, Sue!
And thank you for visiting!

Dani

AC Stamp

Yesterday, on my desk, was a new American Crafts Christmas roller stamp. I purchased it at Hobby Lobby with a coupon so I didn't have to pay the $5.99 retail value. It is with the holiday themed items and not in the scrapbooking section.

The photo below is a sample of the sayings found on this stamp. I thought some of them might come in handy for a December Daily. I also plan on making some index tabs to use on scrapbook pages.

Well, I just thought I would show you for the ones that were interested.

Dani

WOYWW 164

What's on my desk this week? A mish mash of stuff waiting to be put away or used for a project. The little sunflowers are what I just finished making last night. The Spiderman card is due to go out to a friend of my daughter's. The American Crafts roller stamp that I bought last night (more on that tomorrow) and the wooden birdhouses to be altered for a holiday project for my sister. *Nikki, if you are reading this post, forget that last part. And let's not forget my giant jar of sour blueberry strings and ribbon candy. They have become my new summer treat.

If you are wondering why I am showing you my desk, head on over to The Stamping Ground and see what it is all about. But be warned, it is addictive!

Thanks for visiting!

Dani

Summer Lovin'

I blame it on summer. The lack of creativeness going on, on this blog. Between celebrating my birthday, the Fourth of July, the beach vacation with my family, painting my art room, the rain, the sunshine, etc... The month of July is just going to be a creative bust for me, but that's okay, because I am enjoying this time in my life. The back pain is at a minimum and getting out in between all of the rainstorms that we have been having lately is a must to keep me sane.

I did manage to get one layout done this week, but it is very simple, as you can see below. I feel like I stepped back quite a few years and created this layout. But sometimes, simple is best. The hardest part was doing the photo.

Thank you for your visit! I hope you have a "colorful" week!

Dani

WOYWW

Well, not much has changed from last week. The desk is cleaner and some modeling paste and color have been added to my journal page. Not sure where I am going with this one yet. If you scroll down one post, you can see my first ever journal page. I guess you can say that I am hooked. I picked up the new Art Journal magazine to look at while I was at the beach. Other than that, all is quite on the home desk front.

Here is a close up of the page so that you can see the texture left by the stencil and paste.

And if you still haven't heard what this desk stuff is all about, hop on over to Julia's, at The Stamping Ground and see what it is all about.

Happy WOYWW! Thanks for visiting!

Dani

First Journal Page

It is so nice to be back from the vacation to the beach. While there, I spent some time on the beach soaking up the sun and listening to the surf, all the while sketching and thinking about journal pages in my mind. It was great! I really do have a whole new perspective to the things that I have been creating lately and what mediums I have been using. I finally feel that my art is starting to reveal who I am. I wanted to create a journal page with these thoughts and so what better way than to use a desk shot with some of these things in use.

Below is the first journal page I ever made. I gessoed my page, then used a credit card to add three colors of paint. Once dried, I added the photo and drew in my journal lines. The title, new artitude, just felt right. When dried, I stamped over with some white paint and bubble wrap, making sure to stamp over the photo. And I must admit, that for my first shot at this, I really love this page.

Thanks for visiting me today!

Dani

WOYWW 161

Just dropping by for a quick view of my desk. It is my birthday today and I am off with my Mom, sister, daughter, and niece to the beach. My first vacation in over a decade!

Last night, my hubby treated me to a wonderful night out with my sister's family. It was so nice since they just moved about an hour and a half closer to me. Now I have easier access to that lovely little girl of theirs. Only one hour away. Yeah!!!

On my desk this morning is a gessoed journal page waiting for me when I get back. I plan on stenciling in with the half moon shaped stencil when I get home from the beach. Not sure what it will become yet.

Below is my cover from my first art journal. I was afraid to start, so I started with the cover. I really like how it turned out. Stayed tuned next week for my first ever journal page.

I hope you all have a blessed week and weekend! See you next week!

Dani

Captured

The layout "captured" does not contain any moldeling paste in case you were getting tired of that. It does however have a lightly stamped background that was misted over. I love the paper collection that I used, but my old mind can't remember what it was. haha! And that was just last week.

The journaling was typed on scrap paper then ran through the printer with a journal block attached over it. I left enough space to pop dot the camera slightly over the photo. The letters are scripted foam Thicker's. And a little tag was added to the side of the photo. And lastly, so stitching was added to a couple of the paper strips. It is not a colorful layout, but it has quickly become one of my favorites.

Thanks for visiting - Enjoy your weekend!

Dani

WOYWW 160

Another week, another Wednesday, okay, Tuesday night in my case. Another peek, thanks to our hostess Julia, into the work desks of fellow crafters from around the world.

On my desk this evening is a lot that needs to be picked up. The new October Afternoon that came in a few days ago. My Thickers and easel from my shopping trip on Monday. And a new mixed media art journal and art journaling book. I know with the light it is hard to see, but the first page has been stencil with modeling paste through a heart stencil that I created on my Silhouette. I am hoping to add some color to it today. This will be my first attempt at an art journal and it is part of my trying new things attitude.

And finally, the layout that I finished tonight. I used the starting points from Shimelle's challenge last week.

Thanks for visiting today! Hope you are having a great week!

Dani

Create Art

Over the weeks of being out with my back, I have had to learn to be patient when it came to my crafting. Since I couldn't sit for more than 15 minutes at once, I had the time to allow things to dry, something I didn't have the patience for before. Now, I had the perfect excuse to try some things that I have always wanted to do. The modeling paste techniques from last week were on that list.

Below, is a small canvas that I made one afternoon, during my early weeks of physical therapy. Since it was a small project, it was very manageable for me to do standing at my kitchen counter. I now have it hanging in my playroom to remind me that I need to "create art" even on my darkest days. It is the thing that helps me get through a lot in my life. And all of the "playing" has made me look at my art in a different light. Some things I have really enjoyed more than I ever thought I would. You will see more of these things reflected in my work in the future.

While I am not happy that I had to suffer back issues to make me slow down and enjoy the process, I am glad that I had the time to try. Now that my hubby has made me a standing desk, I am back to being able to craft for longer periods of time. So while I am back to finishing a card or layout in one session, I also promised myself that I will still take the time to just sit stand and play. I hope that you will grant yourself the same.

Have a blessed day!

Dani

Senior Prom

Today's layout was a challenge from Camp Scrap, with May Flaum. This week, she issued a no pattern paper challenge. Wow! A whole page without any pattern paper? Since I was already on a modeling paste kick, I figured it could be done.

I only used part of the stencil with the paste. When dry, I misted it with Glimmer mist and wiped off the excess. As you can see, the paste only slightly takes the color. I then removed the sprayer off of the bottle and tapped bigger drops on to the page.  I added some strands of bling for some additional sparkle. I know you can't see it in the photo, but the tree branches are draped with the same kind of bling.

So, what do you think? Might you give it a try?

Have a great weekend!!!

Dani

WOYWW 159 on Tuesday

Since the post is already up at the Stamping Ground, I have decided to add mine early. I have so missed playing along each week. It is great to be back!

As you can tell, my pretty yellow work desk has been pushed to the back wall, so that my hubby could make me a standing height table. Due to my back issues, standing is the way I have to craft for now. My dh took down my stacked cubbies and made a mock up of that famous Pottery Barn table. Since I had to push it against a wall, he turn one of the cubbies to the inside of the desk. This is where I store rarely used materials. I still use the yellow desk for sewing, since this is something that I can do rather quickly and not have to sit for a long time. And let me clarify, it is sewing on paper that I mostly do, not fabric.

Tonight, I am working on a layout from my daughter's homecoming, but below are two cards that I made earlier today. Both cards are quick ones, of course, with machine stitching.

Have a happy humpday!

Dani

Playing with Paste

Thank you all for such nice comments that were left yesterday. It really is so nice to be blogging again. I showed something that I had been playing with yesterday, and today, I would like to explain a little more on how to do the technique.

On the layout below, I started with a Kraft sheet of card stock. I placed a 12x12 stencil on top and used masking tape to hold it in place. I then spread light molding paste through and leveled it off with a palette knife. I then removed the stencil and waited for it to dry. (it takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on where you live) Once dry, I choose two colors of dye re-inkers and place small puddles side by side on a piece of wax paper. Any nonstick surface would work. I rolled a rubber brayer in the ink being careful not to mix the colors too much or you will end up with a brown mess. Then roll the brayer down the paper and hold upright so that the ink runs. Repeat. Once dry, I spray with a purple mist and added splotches with my Picket Fence Distress stain. To do this, I stamped the stain really hard on to the paper and it splats out. You might want to do this step outside and while wearing old clothes. Ask me how I learned this. And then, just build your layout on top of your design as usual.

Thanks for visiting!

Dani