Documented Life – Week 50

This week, our weekly Documented Life Project challenge was to pick a fantasy vacation spot and create a packing list. Since I was fortunate enough to have had my main dream vacation fulfilled a few years ago, spending 3 weeks in Italy, with side trips to Germany, Austria & Switzerland, Spain is now at the top of my list.

I wanted to keep this layout simple so to create the base I rolled Dina Wakley media acrylics in Ruby and Tangerine onto my gelli plate to get an ombre effect and pressed my journal, face down, onto it.

I then pulled a print using the Lace Doily stencil by Kaisercraft onto deli paper and cut out the Spanish couple using my Silhouette Portrait. A little fluid medium adhered everything to my journal and I added my packing list around the edges of the circle.

Thank for looking!

Documented Life – Week 48

This week’s Documented Life challenge was to depict gratitude in a creative way. I had such much fun creating this layout, the challenge just may be my favorite one so far! It was a wonderful opportunity to sit and think about all the many things that I have to be grateful for.

For my base I used torn pieces of sheet music and added a layer red and orange acrylic over it. For the flowers, I hand cut the petals out of gelli prints that I had previously pulled and stashed away for future use.

I finished it off with a few more pieces of torn sheet music, a bit of stamping, some doodles and marks, a bit of paint sponged over a piece of punchinella and of course all the many things that I am grateful for.

Thanks for looking!

Just 2 Days Left To Enter The Art And Whimsy Giveaway!

We’re giving one lucky follower a spot in the Documented Life Project Cover Story workshop!

The winner of the Documented Life Cover Story workshop will be announced Saturday, Nov 22nd. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time!

To Enter: You Must be following the blog at ArtandWhimsy.net AND leave a comment on the blog post HERE telling us what having a creative outlet like art journaling,  scrapbooking, etc has done for you.

To find out more about The Documented Life Project or the Amazing ladies at Art to the 5th, it can be found Here.

Documented Life project – Week 47

This week’s challenge was to incorporate a map of our state or the world. I must’ve stopped reading after “attach a map”, because I missed the “of your state or the world” part and used a map of downtown Seattle, a trip that I took with my Beloved a while back.

No matter, I decided to roll with it anyways. It was a wonderful trip and I’m happy that I got to add some of those wonderful memories to my art journal.

I’ve opted to no longer incorporate the planner page for DLP so I had 2 pages for my layout.

I used a leaf shaped cut out from a gelli plate print that I previously pulled, various pens for doodling and some of my new Paperbag Studios stamps.

I also got to use my new sewing machine for the first time to sew the Seattle tag which I created out of baby wipes! As you can see, I’m a total sewing novice, but it was fun. It’ll be great to be able to add more stitched elements to my layouts from now on.

The heart element underneath the Seattle tag I created from a brochure that we got while on a tour during our trip. I placed a heart shaped stencil over it, gave it a little airbrushing then cut it out.

For the tip in I used a scrapbook journaling card and added a photo us that I took this weekend.

Documented Life Project – Week 46

This weeks challenge was to incorporate fabric onto our page. What I had planned to create isn’t at all what turned out, but I’m happy with what resulted, despite having had some issues with the white dimensional paint. It was also a fun opportunity to try out some of my new stamps from Paperbag Studios! I used a Traci Bautista stencil and my gelli plate to pull a print onto canvas then cut it out. I used fabric dimensional paint, gel pens and fabric markers to give it some color then added the one word that I’ve been carrying with me for a week now… Grateful. For this page I turned to my box of happy mail and this card, sent to me by my friend, Jana, jumped out at me. I cut some hearts out of the left over canvas to give it a pop of the turquoise color and week 46 done!

It’s Giveaway Time On The Blog!!

That’s right, all you Documented Lifers or those wanting to get started, Art & Whimsy is giving away, to one Lucky Follower, The Documented Life Project’s Cover Story Workshop!

*The workshop was created for The Documented Life Project 2015: The Journal but suitable for any journal cover.

To Enter: You Must be following the blog at ArtandWhimsy.net AND leave a comment telling us what having a creative outlet like art journaling,  scrapbooking, etc has done for you.

That’s it…easy peasy!

Our giveaway is open worldwide and will run until November 22nd, when the WINNER will be announced!

To find out more about The Documented Life Project or the Amazing ladies at Art to the 5th, it can be found Here.

Documented Life – Week 45

This week’s challenge was to incorporate a Tab onto our page, so in an homage to Dyan Reaveley, who will be adding to our DLP fun for 2015, I created a collage using an image of a bottle of Tab soda and a face that I printed from the internet.

The background was made with Dylusions Inks, some stencils I had on hand, “collaged hearts” stamps by Dina Wakley, acrylic paint and my own doodles. Lastly, I stamped on a personal affirmation.

 

 

 

Documented Life Project – Week 44

This week’s challenge was to incorporate leaves. I had originally wanted to create botanical gelli prints, but I just couldn’t find a good selection of leaves where we live in San Diego so I turned to a 12×12 Balzer Designs template that I love by Crafters Workshop.

Using a brayer, I rolled on a layer of fluorescent pink and yellow acrylic paint onto my 8×10 gelli printing plate and placed the stencil over it to pull a print onto cardstock.

Picking up the stencil, I rolled on a layer of black onto my gelli plate and laid the stencil down again, being careful to match the original placement as best as possible, and put my print back on top to pull another print over the stencil.

I’m super pleased with the results. Can I just say again how MUCH I love my gelli plate!

For the middle page, I first prepped my journal page with black gesso and set it aside to dry. Adding some more fluorescent pink and yellow acrylic to the gelli plate, I pulled a print using deli paper. If you haven’t tried using deli paper I highly recommend it, especially for layering it over other mediums.

Next, using a different template by Crafters Workshop, I pulled 2 prints using black paint, onto separate pieces of cardstock and set them aside for use in later projects.

Using the same deli paper print that I had previously used, I pulled a ghost print of what was left on my printing plate. I really enjoy the subtle, gradual look that ghost prints yield and often find that I like them better than the original print.

After trimming the deli paper to size, I used a little fluid medium to adhere it to my page.

I’m often tempted to go with the “a little is great, more is better” concept, so this time I made a conscious decision to declare the page finished and let the subtlety of the ghost print shine.

Supplies Used:

Art Deco Leaf template

Flower Frenzy template

Gelli Plate

 

 

 

Documented Life Project – Week 43

This week’s challenge, to sketch what was in front of us, was one of the most challenging for me. My sketching skills are in much need of some development and I had my moments of arrgghh but I persevered and ended up with something perfectly flawed and uniquely my own.

 

My inspiration for week 43. This little bunny lives on a shelf in my studio.

For the tip-in I used a “Happy” tag from the Gossamer Blue October kit, layering it over a painted and stamped background. I added “Make your own” to complete the sentiment and cut out some hearts and the little bird from some 3×4 Project Life cards I had. To finish off the tag I used a bit of silk sari ribbon, by Darn Good Yarn and journaled some thoughts in the hearts.

The Documented Life Project – Week 42

This week’s challenge was stars, which I always enjoy playing with, so I was excited to get started.

For the middle page, I started with an acrylic base in “sea glass” that I applied with a cosmetic sponge. Using my gelli plate, I pulled some deli paper prints in a couple of different shades of blue that I cut and used for the stars and adhered them to the page using fluid medium. To add a bit of texture, I used a crackle background stamp by Darkroom Door and a foam star shape that I dabbed in ink and used as a make shift stamp and two transparent titles that came as part of the Gossamer Blue August 2014 Life Pages Kit. I just repainted the lettering black and voila, they fit the week’s theme perfectly. I just love when it works out like that!

For the tip in I used a base of “wild salmon” and layered torn pieces of a deli paper gelli print on top of it with more fluid medium. This is one of my favorite layering techniques; it’s fast, easy, and builds up nicely. Once that fluid medium was dry, I used the crackle stamp again, as well as a couple of different star stamps from Stampin’ Up.

For my focal point, I used a cut file from Erin Doran and my Silhouette Portrait to cut the “Fairytale Princess” and finished it all off by adfing “Notes and Things” rub-ons by Crate Paper, a few doodles, and a stamped sentiment from the Urban Chic stamp set by Stampers Anonymous.