Oh Joy: Scrapbook Layout

These last couple of years, I've really been trying to use up my stash before buying new products.  However, I'm not always successful.  There are just so many wonderful new releases every few months and I have weak moments! 

When this AC Amy Tangerine "Sketchbook" collection was released in 2013, I bought multiples of EVERYTHING.  I've recently gathered all the elements (ephemera, stickers etc) and papers into one bag, and I've been pecking away at "killing" it.  No sense in hoarding, as I need to make room for all the new goodies being released in January.

Here is my latest layout using the collection.  I also played around with my Cameo and cut this cute heart file from the Silhouette Design Store.  Filling in the background pieces takes some time, but I love that kind of mindless work while I watch one of my favorite TV shows! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Here's hoping the Stashbusting will continue in 2016!
Steph
xo

Foxy the Cat: Mixed Media Painting

This painting had so many different lives.  It began as a bunny with wonky ears, then covered with black gesso and started a new life as a fox... or a cat.  In all honesty, I was going for a fox, but it didn't quite work out!  Everyone I've showed this to says that it looks like a cat...I  guess I just can't help it!

Other then the fact that I tried to paint an entirely different animal and failed, I'm loving the look of this painting.  The background, texture and colors are lovely and soft in person. 

Foxy the Cat was painted on an 8x10 Wood canvas, using acrylics, ink, modeling paste and all the other usual supplies (punchinella, pen, tissue paper)

Roxy Baby: Scrapbook Layout

Roxy is our 3 year old Silver Doll Faced Persian, and she is such a sweet little girl.  She loves to  fetch, and brings us her favorite foam balls when it's time to play.  She's lean and long, and has a fur coat that can mat after nothing more then a sneeze. 

Grooming her has always been a challenge; she's not aggressive, but sooooo squirmy!  She's also very smart, and knows that I'm a softy.  I let her get away with the wiggle worm routine and half heartily scruff her when I try and comb her out.  So after trying to maintain her fur on my own for about a year (and failing miserably), I asked our groomer to give her a lion cut. 

She didn't enjoy the process much the first time, but within about 5 minute of it being finished you could tell she felt so much better!!  No more mats and she started playing and carrying on like a kitten.  Since then, she is cut every every fall when the winter coat starts coming in... and she hardly squirms at all for the groomer now!

I still maintain her cheeks/tail/nails on my own, and she pulls the wiggle worm routine on me all the time, but I'm getting better at it!  Unfortunately, since I'm the "bad guy" in our house, she tends to ask Dave for snuggles and not me.  I can hold her and give her some love, she's such a sweetie... but I'm not her favorite.  It makes me sad, but I'll win her over one day!!

The layout was created using papers from Gossamer Blue, with some diecuts from Dear Lizzy and embellishments from Studio Calico.  I'm loving all things hand cut these days, scallop borders being my favorite!  (the wonkier the better!)

Hope you're enjoying the weekend!
Steph
xo

Sweet Ralphie - Scrapbook Layout Process video

OK.  So I gave it a try.  I've uploaded my first scrapbook process video.  Disclosure: I am not doing anything mind blowing or new.  It's a layered mixed media layout using Studio Calico inks. 

After I posted a few layouts using this ink technique a couple of months ago, I had a few folks ask for details on the punchinella dots.  The layout is random, messy and full of hesitation... but that's how I roll!  I'm such a SLOW scrapbooker!  I tend to spend more time pushing paper around my table then gluing anything down... and in the end, they always look same. 

It is what it is, and I'm just going with it <grin>

Had lots of fun with this... and the only thing that was left out of the video what the bit of pen that I used to outline the page title and underline the inked journaling.

Have a look, let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Steph
xo

Supplies used

Paper: American Crafts and Studio Calico/Seven Paper

Foam title: Pink Paislee

Ink: Studio Calico

Word stickers, vellum hearts, enamel dots and vellum letters: Studio Calico/Seven Paper

Yellow Washi Strip: AC Amy Tangerine

Black and White Washi: A Beautiful Mess

Punchinella

Dear Lizzy Date Stamp

Michaels Dollar bin Alpha stamps

Cards - TAWS Bird brain

I love the idea of making cards.  I can spend hours watching YouTube videos about making cards, and drooling over online card galleries.  I even have my own Pinterest board to ensure inspiration is at my fingertips!  I've even taken a Copics coloring online class to justify all of those yummy markers I have in my stash.  All of this, and I just can't seem to get the hang of it! 

Every single time I sit down to make a card, I draw a blank.  I don't know if it's the smaller canvas that intimidates me, or that my coloring doesn't ever look as nice as I would like it to look.  I'm not certain, but the creative struggle is real.  <grin>

However, it's that time of year when I attempt my hand at making a stash of cards for my Mom using my leftover scraps.  I dug out my stamps, markers and card stock and had a bit of fun last weekend.

This is my favorite card so far, mainly because of the cute little bird.  The stamps are by The Alley Way Stamps and the set is called "Bird Brain".

Am I the only one who struggles this much with cards?  Give me a 20x24 blank canvas and I don't even blink... but these tiny cards just mess with my head!  LOL

Hope you're all having a great week
Steph
xo

Yellow Stripes & Kitty - Twinkling H20 Process Video

Ahhh yes, another kitty watercolor!  I just can't seem to get enough of drawing these cats!  I used Twinkling H20 watercolors again, my absolute favorite paints.  They are so creamy, bright and shimmery!

The pen that I use is a discontinued Pilot Permaball Pen, when I found them on sale a few years ago at the local art store, I was so thrilled I bought the entire lot.  I'm not sure what I'll do when they are all used up, but hopefully I won't have to worry about that for some time.

The watercolor pooled here and there on my paper, but that's all part of the learning process.  When I do these sketches and paint them with various watercolors, I really try not to over think things, just do what feels right and let the water do most of the work.  I am not seeking perfection, thank goodness!

The scribbles with ink really help me let go and get over the perfection angle as well.  I know some may look at my work and think "why the heck does she do that?!"... it's just my way of letting go. 

Some days I let go a little too much, and that's ok... a few of my favorite pieces (and my best sellers in my shop) are the paintings that I did on a whim with no thought of the end result.

Here's the Process Video for this watercolor, hope you enjoy! (and yes, next time I paint a bunch of tiny flowers, I will speed up that section of video a bit more LOL)

Steph
xo

Banana Phone - Scrapbook Layout

This catnip banana toy was the best money I've spent in a long time!  Luna just loves carrying the thing around the house, from one room to another and even up and down the stairs!  It's a bit awkward for her, but oh so cute! 

She is the most playful cat!  She's just turned a year old, and I don't see her slowing down at all.  She plays fetch at least once a day, always chirping at me whilst dropping her furry mice at my feet.  She is so adorable and quite the character!

The scrapbook layout is just a bunch of scraps from one of my Studio Calico kits (or perhaps a combo of a few?) and a few items from my stash.  I'm still on a layering/sewing/pops of yellow kick... and I don't see that changing for awhile yet!

I usually like my stitching a bit messy and random, but this time I just did some simple straight lines, to add texture to the layout and to ensure my chipboard Thickers stay on the layout 10 years from now!

Thanks for stopping by!
Steph
xo

Bandit the Dog Twinkling H20: Process Video

OK. Full disclaimer.  I love dogs.  I know, I know... my website and everything that I post here is usually all about cats.  I understand your confusion.

Growing up, my Dad and Sister were allergic to cats, so we were never able to adopt any sweet kittens (no matter how many times my sister tried to sneak the neighbours cats into the house and hide them in her toy box. True story.)

So we always had dogs (and a cockatiel, 4 turtles, 3 hamsters, 2 salamanders)  My entire childhood can be time lined by the dogs that were part of the memories, which is really quite lovely.  Sox, Trousers, Elizabeth, Dino, Daisy and Michaela.

Here is my very first attempt at sketching and painting a dog.  I see so many things I don't like about it, however I am so happy that it actually LOOKS like a dog and not a cat!  Earlier last week, I tried a mixed media Fox, and it turned into cat instead! (I'll post about that in a few days).

Here's the process video, using Twinkling H20s.  Hope you enjoy!
Steph
xo

Flower Kitty: Gouache Process Video

Here's another new media for me: Gouache paint!  It's essentially an opaque watercolor, and there are some pretty amazing colors out there!  I picked up a cheap set of 12 at Winners, and splurged on my one tube of Windsor Newton Opera Pink.  This one tiny tube of pink cost  more then the entire color set from Winners, but I couldn't resist.  It's such a beautiful pink!

What I love about gouache is that it reacts to water, but has more coverage like an acrylic paint.  It's a change from a transparent watercolor palette, and I like having the variety in my studio depending on my mood. (although I think I'll stick to my cheapo paints for now, I'm not ready to invest in better quality paints just yet)

I recorded a process video since it was my first kick at the can, hope you enjoy!
Steph

xo

A Look Into My Creative Space

My scrapbook space is located in the basement of our house, in what most would call their "Rec" room here in the maritimes.  It's quite a large room, and my area takes up a little less then half of the space.  I moved in with Dave in 2009 and my scrapbook area has slowly crept from just one desk and a flimsy shelf, to two full office desks and lots of organizational furniture! 

I'd love to take over the other half of the room, but alas, our house is a small one and so the other half is used for miscellaneous storage and things like a piano, grooming bench for the cats and a treadmill.  It's the catch-all area for things that don't have a proper place in our home.

On one of the smaller walls, I have a section of white pegboard that helps me keep my embellishments organized.  I try and keep things out in the opens as much as possible, because I need to see it to use it on a project.  In the past, I've organized supplies in drawers, and forgot what I had in my stash, and sometimes bought duplicates!

One of my most favorite pieces in the room is this quote from Joss Wedon.  It was part of one of this year's ABM Happy Mail kits, and I just love it!  The fact that it was hot pink was just icing on the cake!

Above are the workhorses in this space: 3 Ikea Expedit shelves (renamed Kallax) and the Raskog carts.  The shelves are a lifesaver, and really help me keep my various hobby supplies organized.  You see, I don't only scrapbook, but I make jewelry, sew, paint, knit/crochet and cross stitch as well.

The two Raskog carts are filled with Mixed Media supplies, Project Life cards and most of my cling stamp collection (organized by manufacturer in Avery Elle Sleeves in the pink containers).  I love being able to wheel these around as I need them.

*Disclaimer: there are 3 paintings on the top shelf: girl holding kitty, Hawaiian girl, and girl lounging... that are inspired by one of my favorite indie artists: Tascha.  They are total copies of her work, no original thought at all!

In the above photo you can see the Michael's cubes and Ikea Alex storage cart, along with a very helpful Luna and Athena lounging on my main desk. The cubes are handy, but I would not recommend putting anything really heavy in them as they aren't very durable.  Dave has had to reinforce/reattach almost all of those drawer handles for me over the years.  The Alex cart to the right is awesome, and I wish I had the money to have 10 more of these! 

I have a LOT of things in this small area.  Almost all of my crazy is on display here, and I tend to leave the rest of the house somewhat grown up (well, for me anyway!).  This is my 0.0.0.0, where I love to be creative and most importantly, be myself.  What better way to find inspiration, then to surround yourself with things that you love and make you smile!

I've always been a collector, and having a few of them on display in my scrappy space is lovely.  The Smurf collection began in 1982, most of those figures are original from my childhood.  I also have Strawberry Shortcake dolls, Mr Potato Heads and my Blythe dolls. (The Super Mario belongs to my step son who just turned 16.  He didn't want to give them up just yet, and suggested I put them up on a shelf for safekeeping.)

I also have a many Buffy the Vampire Slayer figures and collectibles, but they are so delicate I haven't found the appropriate solution to display them where they would be safe from the cats explorations and antics.  

Well, there you have it!  My creative space in all it's cluttered organized glory!  The secret to keeping this much stuff manageable is to 1. Use what you have 2. Clean up after each project 3. Purge your supplies at least every 6 months. 

I hope you enjoyed my mini tour! 
Cheers,
Steph
xo