A few more JB layouts

I finished up a few more layouts for the Jenni Bowlin crop - these are the end of them. The above one is a pleated paper challenge - I am not much into pleating but I asymmetrically pleated a piece of an old dictionary page for this one.

 this one is for the watercolor challenge - I cut a sketchbook book painting out and added some ephemera to display my love of tea!

This last one is about using negative parts of your scrapbook supply packaging or negative parts of die cutting. I don't have a die cutter and haven't bought any supplies in over a year but as I was pulling labels off an October Afternoon sheet of labels for another of the challenges, I saved the negative part of the label sheet and used it here. It is too slick to write on so I used dymo labels but even they didn't want to stick. As I was taking the photo, one of them literally jumped off the page. Too funny!

This was a fun little break from my usual studio time - I think it's good to recharge your batteries by doing a few different things occasionally but now back to drawing and painting (and knitting and sewing a new top).

thanks for reading and have a great day,
Chris

A little cropping

I decided to join in with the crop at Jenni Bowlin this weekend - the above layout is of my sweet little Hana cat - the challenge was to use three mediums - I used acrylic paint, misting, and ink along with a few little embellies

this one is a two-fer - one to make a layout for someone (my husband) and two, to only use half of the page. I cut out words etc from some junk mail, added a few little things, and threw some paint and ink at it

this challenge was to scrap a place - the photo is of my son feeding the birds in Italy. I hand painted the background with watercolor and scattered salt on it to create texture

this is also a two-fer - to use labels and to focus on the photo - I just love this photo of my husband

this challenge was to scrap an action sequence - I went to my vintage photo file for this funny photo booth sequence

the one is also a two-fer - both JB and http://thestudiochallenges.blogspot.com/ to go with the negative - so I left lots of negative space - the frame and photo are mounted in the middle of the black paper - I tore the word "fragile" from one of my vintage dictionaries.

This was a great little break from painting (although I did paint all yesterday afternoon and also drew out a new painting) and I have a few more of the challenges that I want to finish this week.

Thanks for looking,
Chris

Jenni Bowlin Vintage challenge

For this layout I used a vintage Easter postcard that I inherited from my grandmother (in a box with lots and lots of postcards), part of the March Jenni Bowlin kit (which I had gotten with my gift certificate that I had won - still have another one to spend - maybe on the tart tins???), some vintage ribbon (be sure to check it out - I love the puppy/bunny/clown design on it), a fabric flower that I made, machine stitching, and some paint.

Be sure to come back on April 15 for the newest These are a few of my favorite things challenge!
ttfn
Chris

A little madness in the spring is good for the king (and the queen too)!

Right now..........
I am painting flowers

I am enjoying our fabulous weather

I am relishing the soft pastels of spring (really on a color kick - my library got exploring colour by Julia Caprara through interlibrary loan for me - it was recommended on Julie Balzer's blog and is a fantastic book about - what else - exploring color! Filled with exercises on thinking about and experimenting with color - it is really a book about using color in embroidery but the concepts are perfect for painting or any other art - I am working on - no, I am playing with a personal color collection and am getting some great ideas for using color in my art)

I am drinking a cup of tea

I am listening to Immortal memory by Lisa Gerrard

 I am loving this little thrifted vase (I love to get these little things out from my linen closet - it's the best of both new (like shopping) and old (like cherished friends)

 I am loving all my new Jenni Bowlin toys (and the old ones too)

I am playing with my spool collection - putting on display some of the most spring-like colors

So, there you have it!

Yesterday I was pretty down - the whole Japanese disaster is beyond my comprehension and I feel such sorrow for their plight. Plus on a personal level, the bills are coming in for my little surgeries, and our home insurance bill came - up 15% - just killer for the budget!

BUT you just have to laugh in a black humor way when the Federal Reserve tells us that we have no inflation - I loved the story in the NY Times about the NY Fed chief talking to a crowd in Queens who were complaining about inflation in food and energy. He told them that we don't have inflation - after all, the new Ipad2 is the same price as the original Ipad - so the commenter said "Let them eat Ipads!!!!!!" and someone else said, "Well, you know, Queens is a tough audience!"  My DH and I were cracking up at lunch today, he made a joke about eating a "big mac" but I said if you got indigestion from eating your Mac, would that be a "mac attack"?  and of course it degenerated from there.......I am wondering though about how to season my old laptop - definitely some garlic and possibly some rosemary (for memory/remembrance, you know!!!)

Anyway, today I am enjoying the abundance of my life. I am truly thankful for my family, my home, my health, my cat, and my friends - and that includes you - thanks so much for reading!
ttfn
Chris

Crop crop crop

This challenge (for the Jenni Bowlin crop) was to use a vintage photo or to journal about your family. I made the flower from some laces and a paper pattern.

This challenge was to use a funky 1960s ad for inspiration - the ad was in pink and had lots of circles

And finally, this was for Dina Wakley's challenge to scrap yourself - little did you know that I am really a tiger underneath this sweet little shell. LOL!

I am on a little trip this week so I am posting this on Sunday - I am soaking up rays on another coastline, seeing some new sights, eating yummy food, doing a little shopping, taking lots of photos, and doing lots of sketching.  I will be back home on the weekend, just in time to work at Art under the oaks, our biggest art festival of the year. If you live anywhere near Vero Beach, FL, you should come and take a look!

See you soon,
Chris

and even more cropping with Jenni

This challenge was to use 4 patterned papers and to not use a paper cutter. I was lucky enough to have some JB paper and embellishments to use on many of these layouts and projects.

This challenge was to use the color scheme of turquoise, espresso brown, ivory, and a touch of silver. I laid this photo down on the paper and saw the line, "They, too, like the bird", and I thought it worked for a humorous title.

This card is not JB products - the paper is Glitz. the challenge here was to make a card in an hour and it had to have something hanging on it - see the little charm.

Just a few more pieces tomorrow. See you then!

Some more cropping with Jenni

The above layout is based on a sketch - unfortunately you can't read the yellow alphas but they read "Let there BE" LIGHT and below I wrote "here comes the sun, nah nah nah Nah"

This challenge was to use as many photos as your could - I don't play well with lots of photos so this one was very hard for me

This challenge was to put a banner on the layout - I love the look of banners but honestly, they are so over-used right now - I tried to put a little different spin on it

This challenge was to use a black background, something about Starbucks, and if possible, a Polaroid style photo(that I didn't do). Maybe you remember the gingham flower from the altered baking tin yesterday - I admit that I ripped it off this layout because the little tin was telling me that it needed it - do your creations ever talk to you, or even talk back to you? Sometimes mine change the entire concept as I go along - they refuse to cooperate until I do things their way. LOL!

Another thing that I  have been thinking about (that's dangerous - me thinking! LOL!)  Several years ago Heidi Swapp used to recommend a book titled She... by  Kobi Yamata and now I see that Christy Tomlinson of Scarlet Lime is doing a She painting online workshop, which sounds really fascinating. The thing is ---- both the book (which I own) and Christy's paintings all use the past tense in all their sentences. What struck me was - is "she" no longer doing these things, is "she" dead, or ?????? For example, "she was an artist and her life was her canvas" - as it relates to me and the women whose art I see on the web and IRL, it is "she is an artist and her life is her canvas".  I realize in the book that Yamata goes on to write on the opposite page "celebrate her brilliance." but somehow I find using the past tense a little disturbing. What do you think?  And to take it a step further, whoever wrote the dust cover liner notes for the book used present tense in describing who the book was about: "she is someone gentle but powerful....someone who cares."  I really like the concept of the book and the painting class in that we should celebrate those women who inspire us (and obviously some of them are gone, and so past tense should be used in that case) both in the past and in the present.  I am thinking this might work into a project celebrating my mother, my grandmother, and many other women who have been and continue to be inspirations in my life.  Maybe it is good to think after all! LOL!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Cropping with Jenni Bowlin

I have been a scrapping fool this weekend - there was (and still is) a crop on Jenni Bowlin's ning site. So far I have done 9 layouts, 2 cards, and an altered project.  I will post a few things each day this coming week. Above you can see the altered project - it is a small baking tin that I had as a little girl. The challenge was to use this funky green, black, and ivory; to use polka dots, butterflies, die cut card - actually there were lots of options. I have been thinking about using this little tin ever since I saw the tartlet pans on the web. I used some JB buttons, butterflies, and journaling card. I made the little ruched gingham flower.

Hope you are having a fun weekend - I am!!!!!

Jenni Bowlin Grid Challenge

I have to admit that after all the craziness last fall, I have not scrapped very much.

It was a struggle even to do DT work - I was bummed and fried

BUT

my creative juices have returned this month and I am doing a few layouts for selected challenges.

This one is for the Jenni Bowlin grid challenge - I used JB paper, journaling card, red buttons, and pearl-headed pin. The cream buttons are vintage from my collection; the photo is of my step-father; the fabric scrap, embroidery floss, and seam lace are also from my stash; and the definition is cut from an old dictionary.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend and staying warm!

ttfn

Chris