Favorite music and some hints

The new challenge is up at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/ and it is What's your favorite style of music?  I am actually very eclectic in my music choices - classical, jazz, rock, pop, country, new age - it just depends on my mood but since I had my ticket from the Chris Botti (is he not gorgeous?!) concert that we attended last fall I decided to go with jazz. I found this photo of Botti and Sting (they are friends) and used it - I love Sting's music and used some of the core'dinations cardstock and a couple of Prima flowers along with some American Crafts and Michaels ribbons. The journaling card is K&co and the small alphas are October Afternoon (I love these and bought them in every color I could find). So be sure to come over and check out the DT layouts (as always, so fantastic!) and show us your stuff!!!!!!

Tomorrow is May 1 and lots of things are happening - National Scrapbooking Day and some other cool stuff!!!!!  Lots of layouts to be posted for ScrapGal and The Sampler and Candy Shoppe Designs and somewhere else too!!!!!!! but can't tell till tomorrow!  I have been scrapping and painting like a fiend so you will be seeing a lot of new stuff very soon.
Hope you are having a good day and have a super weekend - but I will be back tomorrow.
ttfn
Chris

Making art

When we went to Epcot last month, I took 161 photos of which I think 10 are really good (that's about standard and we always need to remind ourselves that only a little bit of whatever we do is truly brilliant - the rest is practice). I love the above shot taken in the Morocco exhibit - I was fascinated with the hint of mystery in the vivid interior. I wanted to scrap this photo and also I want to paint the scene in watercolors.  Last week Prima had a video class on collaging so I watched parts of it and used some of the ideas to create this collage - I hadn't intended to use this photo - in fact, when I made the background, I had no idea what photo that I would use but the whole thing just came together

 I added some Prima flowers and some Glimmer glass - the background was very fun to make and I took photos as I went along so I could do a tutorial later. Then, since I had my paints out, I decided to paint an abstract of the photo (later I will do a more traditional and more realistic painting - this was strictly for fun and to loosen up)

I then used a pen to draw in the lines.
So far I was having so much painting that I just wanted to keep on so I painted a background using glimmer mists and stamping - not sure what to scrap on it but I know the perfect photo will come along. I actually scanned this piece so I can print it out on cardstock and use as patterned paper.

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday - it looks to be a beautiful day here. Right now I have some laundry in and I am going to watch Coco before Chanel and eat some breakfast.
Thanks for reading
ttfn
Chris

Winner winner and a "little" art

Good morning!!!! hope you joined us for scrap bingo last night at ScrapGal - we had a great time! The winner of my rak from the blog hop last weekend is per random number generator - 25 - and that is trace-e. Congrats trace-e - please email me your address or pm me at ScrapGal and I will mail you the rak of scrapping goodies. Thanks so much to everyone who played along and please join us next month on the May 14/15 for a fantastic crop.
A local gallery is having a special Cinco de Mayo exhibition of 5inch by 5inch paintings on canvas so I am entering one. Canvas is for acrylic or oil, not watercolor so I painted a watercolor on paper, cut it, and then adhered it to the canvas. The sealant caused some of the watercolor paint to shift and blend but I think it gave it a softer look. All the paintings will be for sale. Here are some side views

 Since I changed my artistic philosophy recently about not creating to display product and to create based on my own feelings and intuition, I have been painting quite a bit and also creating layouts that I am much much happier with. Yesterday I actually spent 4 hours on one layout, making flowers for it and hand painting a Prima flower to match. I am super happy with it but can't show it yet. I have also been playing with the May Sampler kit (sadly my last one) and have done 2 layouts so far. I got so engrossed in my studio yesterday that I forgot to start our leftovers soup (we usually have soup every couple of weeks using up pretty much whatever is in the fridge - yesterday was a beef vegetable). I had meant to start it about 3 and let it meld. When Dan got home from golf at 5:30, he called me out of the studio for a glass of wine and suddenly I realized that I had spaced dinner - he began to laugh - he says that my studio is a time warp and that I lose all track of time - he calls my studio THE WARP.  Anyway, he thought it was very funny and took me out for pizza - yum! Tonight we will have the soup.
Thanks for reading my ramblings and come back tomorrow - I am going to post a collage that I did after watching one of the Prima online workshops and some paper that I created with mists and stamping.
Have a great Saturday - it is beautiful here!
ttfn
Chris

The Sampler Blog Hop

Welcome to The Sampler’s Very First BLOG HOP!! 

If you have just joined us, you may want to start at the beginning at Holly’s blog: http://www.experiencelifewisely.blogspot.com/

The Sampler Design Team has LOTS of inspiring projects, tips, and techniques to share! Please hop along with us to see what everyone has in store! 

Here is our Blog Hop rotation for today:
Holly: http://www.experiencelifewisely.blogspot.com/ 

Jeannie: http://jclutz54.blogspot.com/

Sarah: http://www.theoccasionalcreation.blogspot.com

Karen: http://makeandcreate.blogspot.com

Chris: http://chrisaiton.blogspot.com/       *YOU ARE HERE*

Danielle: http://danielleholsapple.blogspot.com/

Guest Designer Sarah: http://redoaklines.com/

End at The Crop Spot, with Sandy at our Blog!: http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/blog/article/recent/?blog_id=10001

Now I'd like to share my project with you made with products from The Sampler!

 I posted this layout earlier this month for the Sampler Kit reveal but now I am doing a tutorial to show you how to make the sewn fabric flower. Cut a long strip or several short strips of fabric 1 1/4" wide and a fabric circle just a bit smaller that your finished flower will be  (mine is 2 1/2".)
Fold the raw edges in until they just touch in the center. Pin to hold.

Make a knot in the end of your thread and sew in a zigzag right-angle pattern

making sure to loop your thread over the fold before you start sewing the opposite direction. This will allow the fabric to form into puckers when you pull the thread. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT OR THE FABRIC WILL NOT PUCKER INTO PETALS

At least every 8 inches or so, hold the fabric with the fingers of one hand and gently pull on the thread. The line of stitches will be pulled straight, thus creating petal puffs on either side.

Once you have the strip gathered, begin to stitch it in a circle to the backing. Start in the center and be sure that the front of the strip is on top.

Continue to secure the strips, tucking the bottom of the outer strips under the top of the inner strips. Add a button or brad to the center.

For my layout above, I used these items from the April Sampler: Core'dinations embossed card stock in Deco Coral Sparkle and Red Kitchen Dot, Sassafras patterned paper, American Crafts teal plaid ribbon, Sassafras apple glitter alphas, Sassafras cherry flag banner stickers, and a Maya road leaf pin.

Not only do we have some awesome projects to share today, but you also have a chance to win a PRIZE! By leaving a comment on EACH Design Team member's blog today, you have a chance to WIN an amazing prize sponsored by Scrapbooking Supplies R US!  You have until Tuesday April 27^th to leave your comments for a chance to win!!!

Hop on to find out whatDanielle: http://danielleholsapple.blogspot.com/  has created to inspire you today!

Mother's Day album

Good morning! I thought I would share a new project just finished that is very dear to my heart - a memorial album to my Mother. My Mother was one of the best people I have been privileged enough to have known - she was a loving mother, an excellent nurse, and just a fantastic person - she is my inspiration to sew and cook, and I have never met anyone more fun to go shopping with. After ten years, I still miss her.

When I got these beautiful blue Prima flowers, I knew that I wanted to do something with them en mass to show off their beauty. My wonderful friend and "boss" Julie had sent me some fantastic ruffled blue lace and it looked perfect with the Primas so I made a bigger flower from the Julie lace and an old K&co brad. To house my little album, I used an old AOL advertising mailer. I pulled off the outside laminated cover which left a sticky fiberboard container. I cut a long strip of cardstock to fit inside as fold-out pages on to which I adhered Gecko Galz patterned papers and ephemera, photos of my mother, and embellishments.

I added vintage laces and lots of buttons (most are Gecko Galz beautiful vintage style buttons) and a few other odds and ends that called to me as I looked through my embellishments.

Hope you enjoyed this little album and be sure to check out my posts from Thursday, Friday and yesterday about the blog hop and challenges. Have a wonderful Sunday!
ttfn
Chris

Prima picks

Pure love - you could win some http://prima.typepad.com/prima/

Some challenges- CSD, The Sampler, and Sketchy Thursdays

The new challenge is up at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ and it is "It's raining, it's pouring". We want to see your layouts about raindrops or teardrops - pretty wide range but it's be gotta be about water and drops. I took this photo in my yard after a heavy rain - I love how GREEN and shiny the leaves are and how the water droplets just pop. The paper is about a year old - I received it in a kit that I won and could never figure out how to use it because it is so unique - the black stems and leaves are flocked like velvet. So I decided to add some button flowers, a scrap of fabric, a Maya Road April calendar (it is actually April and of course, April showers bring May flowers. LOL!) and some scraps of Basic Grey Origins paper. I used part of a poem by Langston Hughes - I have always loved his poetry.
"Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

Candy Shoppe Designs is also holding a design team call so check it out. I will be staying on as Lemon Zinger but some of our Lollipop Girls are leaving so we need to add some new designers. Check it out - it's a fun group!

Head on over to The Crop Spot at Scrapbookingsuppliesrus for the latest challenge - to use chipboard on your layout. I used some Maya road chipboard fruits - I painted them with acrylic paint and added felt leaves. I also used some of the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl and Garden Variety papers from the April Sampler kit as well as a piece of the Core'dinations cardstock, the rick rack, and Prima lace all from the kit. While you are there, check out the DT call - I only have one more month with The Sampler but I know that it will be a good one and you should apply - the kits are great!

Be sure to get in on our bloghop from yesterday at ScrapGal - check out my blog post from yesterday or head over to http://www.scrapgal.com/

Hope you have a great weekend. My DH had to open at the golf course today so he got up at 5:15; unfortunately I also woke up so I got up and watched New Moon while I drank coffee - I have to admit that I really liked Twilight better. I have to go in to work at the gift shop for a while today, then pick up a book and an audio book from the library, and then go grocery shopping. A busy day!

 I did this layout for Sketchy Thursdays challenge blog - just love their sketches but I don't seem to find the time to do them . I was playing around painting and when I saw their sketch, I just thought - why not do a layout without a photo? I used some really cool real wood paper for the background, some masking tape, and Pink Paislee alphas.

thanks for reading and
ttfn
Chris

ScrapGal Blog Hop

Welcome to the ScrapGal Blog Hop!
There are 10 total letters you will need to collect.
They will spell a two word phrase. Once you have collected all 10, head over to ScrapGal http://www.scrapgal.com/scraptalk/and reveal your words in the forum thread. You will be entered into a drawing for some fabulous American Crafts prizes!!
Let’s get started!!
Leave a comment on this post for an additional entry into the drawings and to be in a drawing for some scrapping goodies, some of which you just might be able to use for our May manu of the month contest. Deadline for comments and the blog hop is Monday, April 19 at midnight.
If you visit all 10, you will earn another. If you play Bingo Friday night on April 23, you will receive an additional 10 entries.
Your next stop on the blog hop is to Judean's blog  http://www.sukeydookiedoo.blogspot.com/
If you just found us, make sure you go back to Kim’s post at http://thegalblog.blogspot.com/ and get her letter and continue through the blog hop. Good luck!
_________________

What's your favorite city?

The new challenge at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/ is up and it is to show us your favorite city. Come on over and check out the fabulous creations by the DT and by some of the Kiki Arts DT (Kiki Arts is the sponsor for this challenge, and the winner will receive some Kiki goodies. Yay!!!!) We always go to Asheville NC every summer to escape the heat here and I just love it - the restaurants, the art galleries, the boutiques, the crafts, and the scenery. I used some Kiki Arts paper for this challenge along with some Prima and Maya Road flowers, a Crate Paper butterfly, a mega paper clip from Pier One, some Prima and vintage laces, and some leaves from Michaels. Hope you join us!

And don't forget to come back here tomorrow for the ScrapGal blog hop - you will be glad that you did - just sayin.........................................................

This will be short as I have lots to do today - go to the dermatologist for my annual skin cancer screening (I have had problems with skin cancers in the past - from living in Colorado, Florida, and the Caribbean - so much sun even though I always use sunscreen and wear sunglasses and lots of times a hat - my heritage is pale skin so.......   Then by the library to pick up New Moon (just got an email that they are holding it for me - Yay!!!) and then in the afternoon join some friends for a painting session. Tonight Project Runway is on. Hope you have a fabulous day and see you tomorrow!!!!!!!
ttfn
Chris

Little pieces of color and joy

With spring-like weather finally here, my energy level has skyrocketed and I am busy, busy, busy.  I thought I would share a few scenes around my house since I can't share much of what I have been creating in my studio. There are so many events coming up in the next month or so, and all the projects need to get done now - both ScrapGal and the Sampler will be having blog hops, I scheduled tutorials for theirs and my blogs already, I have a painting that will be exhibited in a gallery exhibition for Cinco de Mayo, Gecko Galz is having a competition for Mother's Day projects, and there are a couple of DT calls that I am thinking of entering, Right now it is early early Sunday morning, I am drinking coffee, and have a load of laundry in already. Lots to do today!
One of my goals this year was to finish a queen size quilt for our bed - I had pieced most of the quilt in the summer of 2004 just before we were hit with 2 hurricanes in September. I packed it away. I got it out in February of this year, finished the piecing, and began quilting - I finished it in late March, washed it, and now it is on our bed. Another goal accomplished!

For some relaxation and meditation, I am on and off knitting this free range Tuscan Olive wrap from a pattern by Jane Thornley. She writes out a general pattern but then in true free range style, you do a bit of this and a bit of that,  and don't really stress over it. It's hard to tell the true colors in this photo but they are soft olives, deep greens, and golds and rusts. I am 2/3rds finished with the wrap.

My next knitting project will be a scarf or shawl that looks like a huge leaf - frond, also a Jane Thornley pattern. I am collecting variations of greens and yellows with which to do it.

This is my sewing corner in my studio. Right now there is no sewing happening but I have some fabrics to make a couple of summer tops and a sundress. Notice my girl scout badge sash and my inspiration board.

And finally, a layout - with all the things I have to do, I just decided to do something I wanted to do. I had this scrap of watercolor paper on my table, I painted it with some of the watercolor mixtures on my palette, softly stamped on it for texture, and the colors made me think of terra cotta and of southern Europe so I remembered some old photos of when Brian went to Europe when he was in high school and found this one when he was in Italy. Hambly rub ons and a transparency, Pink Paislee alphas (I think I like their funkiness better than the uniformity of Thickers). I did this whole layout in less than an hour which is incredible for me - I am a very slow scrapper - I start thinking about a layout, play with some photos, papers and elements, let it sit, then put it together, and then if it doesn't feel quite right, it usually it sits for a couple of days or even a week until suddenly the right thing occurs to me, and I finally glue it all together, etc. Occasionally Hana moves elements around if it sits out too long. LOL! Sometimes I even dream the solution to a technical or embellishment problem.
I thought I would mention a couple of books that I just finished reading - Dreamwatcher by Elizabeth Knox - loved it and I am now reading the sequel Dreamquake. Sort of fantasy/steam punk about an alternative place (possibly New Zealand or Australia) in 1902 where people share dreams - very cool idea - and how evil people try to use the shared dreams for their own political ends.  I also read a very cool medieval Noir mystery called Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson - I will get the sequel at the library this next week - it is Serpent in the Thorns. The mysteries are sort of a Sam Spade type investigator in 1384 London - the good looking dame, murders, bad guys, and money. Very cool and clever! I just got Help by Katherine Stockett and the new one by Robert Crais from the bookstore so I have to read them quickly so I can take them back - we are allowed to borrow books to read from the store. Have you read any good books lately? I always like suggestions and finding new authors to read.
This was going to be a short post but I have been chattering on. I need to check on my laundry and get going for the day. Thanks for reading and have a super week. I really appreciate your stopping by to read my ramblings, and your comments always make my day!
ttfn

Chris

Berry delicious banner

Please come over to http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/ and check out my post on the Crop Spot blog - it's a tutorial on how to make this cute berry delicious banner with products from the April Sampler.

Don't you just love the Core'dinations cardstock - I love how you can sand it, tear it, distress it; and it looks so cool! My banner also includes some Sassafras and Cosmo Cricket papers and some of the embellishments that can be found in the kit.

and here's a layout I did with some of the leftovers from the banner and other items from the April Sampler along with a ruched fabric rose that I made.
Hope you enjoy these and thanks for looking.
ttfn
Chris

10 things that restore my soul and bring me JOY

On Scrapgal our top 10 for April is things that restore your soul so I did this layout to list mine. I created the background by inking textured Bazzill paper with several colors of distress ink and then softly stamped over and over the same image of some Oriental characters. I heavily distressed the edges. I cut out the picture from a page of Dove of the East patterned paper and added my photos - of the ocean and beach and of Hana, and then Prima flowers and Tim Holtz gears, and my journaling.

Most of my layouts and projects lately have been very product oriented and I have to admit that I haven't been having as much fun creating as I used to so I want to return to that more playful and artsy time. Today after I got off work, I went by BAM and bought the new issues of Somerset Memories and Artful Blogging - such a splurge but so filled with inspirational eye candy. I really needed this stimulation! Fortunately I have been able to purchase some new paints and some other toys like bee's wax (Scrapgal had a super sale) and a melting pot (50% off Michael's coupon) and I plan on playing for a while - who knows what may emerge???????????

I have already finished several projects and layouts for DT assignments so I have most of my deadlines covered so let the playing begin.................

thanks for reading and hope you have a great week!

ttfn

Chris

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and happy day to everyone. this is an ancient layout I did when I was first scrapping - of old Easter photos. I always got new clothes for Easter - new dress, sometimes a coat depending on how early Easter came that year, a new hat, a new purse, new shoes, and new gloves.  How funny to think back on those years of such rigid clothing rules, and yet, I still unconsciously follow quite a few of them. Honestly, white shoes in winter - no way!

Have a wonderful day!
ttfn
Chris