What would Jane do - she'd scrap

Lots of challenges this weekend (the ScrapGal crop continues tonight and tomorrow there will be a challenge posted for the May Sampler at scrapbookingsuppliesrus) but today - right now - is the newest challenge at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/ What is your favorite book? I have quite a few favs based on time of year and what I am into at that time - fav romance, fav fantasy, fav mystery - you know.......but when we went cruising on our sailboat, I only had a small bookshelf by my bed into which I could place the books I wanted with me (we also had a bag for trading libraries along the way - mostly paperbacks) - Anyway one of my favorites that I returned to time and again was this copy of Jane Austen's novels in one volume - my absolute favorite JA book is Persuasion but I also love P&P, S&S, and Emma. Northanger Abbey is good for a laugh but Mansfield Park is my least fav but it does have some great quotes.  I made the flower from a vintage hanky - the paper is "vintage" K&co with Lilybee diecut squares.  We would love to see your favorite read! Be sure to check out the fabulous DT layouts and then show us your stuff!!!!!

And also today is the new challenge for http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ Cotton Candy - it is to use the colors pale blue, pink, black, and red - check them out - it's a fun color combo. The photo is of a compass rose that we had on our boat and now is on our front porch. It is weathering to a gorgeous patina and always reminds me of the many changes in latitude that I have experienced in my life. The paper is Stampington, the transparency is Hambly, and the alphas are October Afternoon.  Come on over and see what the DT has created with these colors and then show us what you can do!!!!!

I also have a blog post up at The Sampler for http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/ . This layout was made with the May Sampler - check it out - it's full of wonderful products and also check out the new DT which includes Sarah de Guzman, who is a fantastic designer and one of my fellow designers at TAAFOMFT. Congrats to Sarah!!!!!

Thanks for reading and hope you have a wonderful Saturday!
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!

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

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

A sampler of photos

The new challenge for Candy Shoppe Designs will be up tomorrow and it is to show us your unloved or funky or bad photos - use them in a layout. I used some proofs from some photos taken when I worked at a CPA firm - they were doing a brochure and wanted to show some of the employees - they gave me these little proofs and selected a different photo for the brochure. These photos make me laugh - I look like a dedicated little accountant. ROFL!!!!!!  We would love to see your layouts so come on by and show us your stuff!!!!
I did this layout with some of my new favorite products - I just love that Dear Lizzy paper and those Maya Road calendar and journal cards.  I added some alphas and lace from my collection, and a crocheted bookmark and ribbon from a box of candy.
ttfn

Chris

Just charming or you may be my lucky charm or....

We have a new challenge up at the Sampler (scrapbookingsuppliesrus) to do a layout with your lucky charm. I used this fantastic piece of Dove of the East paper (it is almost too beautiful  to scrap) from the March Sampler to showcase a photo of my son when he was in Italy. The round embossed metal piece is a Chinese good luck charm, and most of the embellishments came from the March Sampler (so much goodness!) - Jenni Bowlin buttons, Hambly transparency, Maya Road journaling card, and packaging from the Tim Holtz mask. I also used a few buttons from my personal collection - the funky tan and cream buttons came from Trinidad. Please join us in the challenge and show us your lucky charm, and check out the March Sampler.

Our azaleas are in full bloom right now and I will post some photos this weekend. It is sunny here but still not very warm - way below normals - but with all the rain we had last week, everything is popping. So many tiny fluorescent green buds and leaves, and lots of tiny lizards etc. Yesterday afternoon we had a flock of ibis eating in our yard, and it was so entertaining to watch the squirrels and ibis eating so close - the ibis are so tall that they ignore the squirrels, but the squirrels will start barking at the ibis if they get too close - so funny!

Hope you have a great day and a super weekend, and thanks for reading.

I am trying to finish up several projects before the end of the month and don't forget the Mini Crop tonight 7-12 EDT at Scrapgal.

ttfn,

Chris

Playing catch up or catch me if you can or something like that

First of all, I want to show you my layout for the Candy Shoppe Designs March 1 challenge (you still have plenty of time to enter) - it is to go green and recycle something - I recycled the green mesh vegetable bag. The prize is a really good one - from the etsy store WILD OLIVE KIDS - definitely check it out!

I did this layout for the March 10 Crop Spot at Scrapbookingsuppliesrus using the March Sampler - don't you just love that Dear Lizzy Spring paper (sigh), the cool Prima stars, the Hambly overlay (I cut the borders off of a frame), and the Maya Road journaling card. The kit actually has Dear Lizzy alphas in it but unfortunately American Crafts didn't ship them quick enough for our DT kits so I used some old Jenni Bowlin alphas.

And for Scrapgal, we are celebrating the 40 days up till Heather's 40th birthday and the challenge for this week is to scrap your teen years or the 80s - I picked the 80s - this will be another page for my mini constructed of Prima packaging. Be sure to come over and check out our contests and challenges - we have some fantastic prizes this month - Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts- really awesome!!!!!

This layout is for our year-long on-going challenge to scrap top 10s - March is 10 things to do before you die so I picked 10 places that I would like to visit before I die - I read travel books and cookbooks about places that I would like to visit so I piled some up and took a pic. The expatriates page is one I scanned from an original Banana Republic catalog that I have - back from the days when BR was pretty much all mail order - I loved their clothes - and then they started doing stores and they were so cool - they looked like stores in exotic places - sigh - can you believe that I still own and wear a long sleeved top and a silk chiffon scarf that I bought way back then! Ah, memories........Back to the layout, you can see that I am obsessed with those Hambly frame transparencies. LOL!

thanks for reading and hope you find some time to join us in the challenges. Have a great weekend!

ttfn

Chris

March Sampler reveal

The March Sampler at http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/ is out and will ship prox March 15. It is filled with some super new stuff - Dear Lizzy, Dove of the East (wait until you see this paper!), the cool stitched paper I used in the above layout, Maya Road tags and calendars(used above), ribbons and Prima lace, American Crafts paper, Tim Holtz sprockets, mask, and distressed ink(also used above), Basic Grey Origins(used above), and Precious Metal alphas(used above). We will be having a challenge this month and we will be doing some RAKS on the DT members' blogs so be sure to check back here later in the month.

The last few days and nights have been quite cool but it's supposed to warm up nicely this coming week; and just in time as we have two sets of company coming to visit (that's Florida during spring breaks). I have been super busy working, sewing, painting, and scrapping - life is good!

Hope you have a great Saturday - I have lots to do but I hope to post again tomorrow.

ttfn

Chris

Cameo bracelets

I have a post on The Crop Spot with a little tutorial on how to make these bracelets from items in the February Sampler - I just love those Webster's Pages cameos, and the velvet ribbons are luscious! Be sure while you are there to leave a comment on the earlier post about the giveaway - it's a good one.

Hope you are having a fun weekend. Yesterday I received my package from Scrapgal with new Cosmo Cricket and Dear Lizzy toys along with some paints and other stuff. I did 2 layouts yesterday and a wallhanging. This morning I went out to the beach, to the Farmer's Market, the art museum for a bit (just love their library), and the grocery store. Now I have to go into work for a while and then pick up a dvd and some books for Dan at the main library. I am making split pea soup for dinner (I have the best recipe that I found in an old Cook's magazine, and tomorrow Dan requested meat loaf so I am making it in the crockpot -another fantastic recipe that was given to me by our nutritionist where I used to work. You wrap it up a special way in foil so it comes out perfect! Maybe I should start a cooking blog! LOL!!!!!!

Thanks for reading - depending on what I get done tonight, I might be back tomorrow.

ttfn

Chris

The February Sampler and a little experiment with lighting

Poor Holly over at Scrapbookingsuppliesrus has water in her phone lines so she has been without internet for a bit so she asked us to go ahead and post the Feb Sampler (and it's awesome). I did the above layout with the kit - so loving the velvet ribbons and the vintage lace and the buttons and the fabric and the paper and the Maya Mist and the Stickles and the............ I have to admit I was inspired by Jessica Prosper's LO at XOXO so I lifted her idea to layer fabrics and fibers

It's a super kit with so many toys - don't you love the Webster's Pages silhouettes????

I decided to so a little experiment with lighting when I was photographing the kit. Which of the two photos below do you like the best - for lighting that is?

My personal choice is the bottom one - so much more romantic and vintage looking; however, the colors are much truer in the top one.

Hope you are having a good day (despite the snow for many of you).

Thanks for looking

ttfn

Chris

Challenges, sketches, and watercolor

This post will be heavy on photos and light on prose as I have a bad cold, and my brain is not functioning very well. I did the above painting as part of my painting a week goal - I am happy with the flower and leaves but the background bothers me - I think it is competing with the flower too much - I will try another approach this coming week.

Join us over at Scrapgal for a challenge this week to do a layout, atcs, art journal page, whatever about your dream. (Since we can't all go to CHA, those of us staying at home are dreaming about it.) You have until Thursday, and Kim will be giving a RAK.

Numbers 5 and 6 of our sketch contest at Scrapgal - in total we will have 8 sketches (2 more will be posted tomorrow) and you have until the end of January to do them - we will be giving a prize!

This layout is for The Sampler Challenge 4 - come on over Scrapbookingsuppliesrus and click on The Crop Spot to view the sketch challenge and the DT layouts.

Thanks for looking and have a great week!

ttfn

Chris

Playing catch up

I will start out this post by admitting to one and all that I am a candy *ss about the cold weather - it is totally wearing me out as our house is so cold, our plants are withering and brown, and I am so concerned about the animals here, especially the birds. You can all expect produce to be expensive as all the crops here have been devastated as well as all of the fish farms (did you think that tilapia, catfish, etc. came from lakes or the ocean?) I know it is so much colder in other parts of the US and Europe and I totally sympathize (having lived in northern climes most of my life), but this weather is really miserable for Florida and for the Bahamas and Cuba.
Anyway, I am trying to stay busy and also trying to keep up with all the scrapping and painting that I need to do. The above layout was done with the January Sampler kit from Scrapbookingsuppliesrus - the kit is filled with bright cheery papers and embellishments, a cool mini album, wonderful flowers, and some fabrics - check it out! I so love this Hambly bicycle paper and I find myself using those red October afternoon alphas on everything (I need to see if they come in some other colors too).

this layout is for the Let's Get Shabby summertime inspired layout - their poster example has a sunbrella on it so - just looking at the bright colors makes me feel a little warmer (I wish).

this is a card for the Sketchy Thursdays card contest - the prize is a set of Copic markers and I am dying to win those.

This is for the Sketchy thursday's GD contest from a sketch - mine went off on its own tangent - I made the ribbon flowers for a tutorial for Scrapgal - I am loving the turquoise and brown together. The photo is of a brass compass rose that we have on our front porch - it used to be on our sailboat so it really means a lot to us. We also have some of our old anchors sitting in the flowerbeds - that always gets comments from people coming to the house for the first time.

This layout is for the Artastic Pro Hart challenge - I had never seen his work but after seeing the painting shown as the inspiration on the blog, I goggled him, and his work is brilliant - so happy to learn about a new (for me) artist - I am surprised that art journalers don't mention him as an inspiration - he does 2 very different styles of painting, and the bright semi-abstracts would make great art journal prompts.

So ------ now to do the linkys but before I go, be sure to get us your favorite layout at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/

and your "I" layout at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/

and your top 10 resolutions and your sketches 1 and 2 at http://www.scrapgal.com/

I finished a painting on Saturday so at least for one week, I kept my resolution to finish a painting a week - I need to get quite a few finished so I can put them in my etsy shop (I will announce it here and put a link on the sidebar). This weekend I have a painting in the Art by the Sea show at the Vero Beach Art Museum, and there will be a reception at the Museum on Friday night - it's supposed to get up to 70 that day and I am really hoping that it does because I want to wear something that looks arty and not look like a bag lady (which is what everyone looks like as we don't really own heavy coats so like yesterday when I went to BAM and Michaels, I was wearing an undershirt, a long sleeved teeshirt, a cardigan sweater, a light wool blazer (from my working days), a big scarf that I had knitted several years ago, jeans, loafers, and SOCKS.) I know you are laughing but it worked, and I was warm. Dan and I went to a gallery opening last Friday and I wore an undershirt, long sleeved tee, and a patchwork jacket that I had made from Japanese fabrics when we lived in Jacksonville - it was relatively cozy. Dan is golfing today and he was definitely bundled up.

I need to finish and get busy painting - I worked all weekend on DT stuff for blog posts, Valentine stuff, and altered items, none of which I can show just yet - but it's fun. Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day and stay warm! Don't forget the RAK in the previous blog - I will announce the winner on Friday when I post the next Fav Things challenge - see you then!

ttfn