Lori's Artsy Obsession

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Two of a Kind

Happy Sunday,

Like father like daughter, I think that's how the saying goes. I guess my son is teaching my granddaughter early to have a love for cars. No he didn't get her the cute little Barbie car he had to get the sporty one that looked like his. Either way she loves it.

Thanks for visiting my Blog. Please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear what you have to say about my post. If you dont have the time to leave a comment please check one of the reaction boxes. I appreciate all feedback. Hope you can stop back soon. ((Hugs)) Lori

Sunday, May 24, 2015

A visit to the Vineyards Mini Album

Happy Sunday,

Today I am sharing a 6x6 mini album in the works. It will be an ongoing project as I visit some of the CT Vineyards. I wanted to make a small album of the Vineyards we go to and have a picture of the bottle of wine we bring home with us. I thought this would be the best way to do it.

The CT Wine Trail brochure has 25 vineyards listed. I figure I could cut that out each time we visit a vineyard and add it to my page. The brochure and receipts can go in the center of the pocket.

I still plan on adding more to the cover and things come to me.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Spring Fever

Happy Sunday,

Today I am sharing a really quick layout I did. I loved this picture so much I didn't want anything with it. I'm letting the pictures speak.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Mini Album for Logan

Happy Sunday,

This weeks project is a mini album a co-worker asked me to make for his daughter who is having a baby.

I used My Minds Eye Stella Rose Collection papers from a 6x6 paper pad. To strengthen where the bird bands are I cut a 3/4" strip of the same paper pattern and added it to each page. I used the same circle set for each of the 12 months and used the same background paper for the journaling blocks so it would all tie together. I also stamped and colored a little critter/animal for each page.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Fauxbonichi Journal Travel Bag

Happy Sunday,

As many of you know I am a huge You Tube Viewer. I watch You Tube more than I watch TV. I have about 50 favorites I tune into faithfully. Well about a month ago I came across a YouTuber talking about a Fauxbonichi (a cheaper version of the Hobonichi Japanese Style Journal). It really caught my attention, looked like a lot of fun and something that I had to try so I ordered the MiquelRuis gridded journal from Barnes and Noble for $9.95.

This is were the fun begins...

I had my journal for over a week and didn't know where to begin. I watched watched more and more You Tube videos on setting up to actual flip throughs on pages others have completed. In the end I just decided to stop thinking so much and just do something so I did. I decided to just keep it unstructured and do what I feel at that moment.

Here's a quick side view of the pages I did. I actually journaled more than I thought I would. I think with having the pages with the grid it was easier to break up sections with colors, stickers, stamps, doodles etc. it's not so over whelming. I actually look forward to jotting down about my day, thoughts or feelings. I'll color, draw and stamp if I feel something fits I add it in.

Now after doing this I started thinking it would be good to get all my old stickers and ephemera together, you know the ones that you would never use on scrapbook pages but really don't want to throw away and keep them with the journal. Then I started thinking I need pens, markers, color pencils, water color pencils, and stuff to use in the book. That's when I remembered I purchased a purse from a consignment shop about two years ago to use for my art journals and supplies. I pulled it out of the closet and started filling it. Now I can take this with me outside, when I travel or just upstairs when I want to work on it and have everything I need.

This was the bag I purchased I think for $5.00 at a consignment shop.

Here's how everything fits in it.

Here's all the stickers and ephemera.

Glue dot sheets, washi tape, glue stick, pencil sharpener & scissors.

I used the Crystal Light containers to separate the pens, markers and pencils. These are sets I purchased when I first started crafting and since have bought some better quality supplies so these were really not being used but the hoarder in me could not get rid of them. Now I'm glad I didn't because they work perfect for this travel bag.

I was going to try and make a video of all this but after four failed attempts I gave up and did the pictures. Once I get a few more pages done I will do an actual flip though of the journal so you can see my progress.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Happy Sunday,

So as the saying goes... "April Showers Bring May Flowers" is a challenge at the FaceBook group Post Your Project.

Here's my take on the challenge. I did a journal page. I used Gelatos for the background. Stamped the houses and flowers with StazOn Ink and colored them in with Faber Castell Big Brush Markers. Then used Inktense Block shavings to color some Liquitex Modeling Paste and with a Prima Raindrop Stencil made the raindrops.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Water Color Crayons

Happy Sunday,

Today I want to share a journal page I made using my

What I did was wet the page and then wet my brush and pulled the color off of the crayon and let it drip and smear on the page. Some areas I let the colors run and in others I dried between layers. I tried to turn the pink blobs into flowers. I think I should have stamped a flower rather than try to draw as you can see I don't draw very well.

I was inspired to try this technique from watching CreationsCeeCee on you Tube. She did this painting and hers came out beautiful mine not so much but the important thing is I had fun trying.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Paper Flower Give-A-Way

Happy Sunday,

How about a give-a-way???

Would you like these paper flowers to use on one of your projects???

All you have to do to be entered into the drawing is...

1. Follow my Blog
2. Leave a new comment below
3. Share and link the give-a-way back to this blog

I will use random.org to pick a winning number on Sunday April 19th.

Sunday April 19, 2015 9:09am....

And the winner is...

Lisa St.Germain - Congratulations! Hope you can use these flowers on some of your projects.

Thanks for visiting my Blog. Please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear what you have to say about my post. If you dont have the time to leave a comment please check one of the reaction boxes. I appreciate all feedback. Hope you can stop back soon. ((Hugs)) Lori

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Serenity

Happy Sunday,

My project share this week is a painting. The painting is called Serenity. We went to MUSE paintbar in West Hartford, CT. as a surprise for my mother-in-laws birthday.

This is my finished painting.

From left to right...
Elaine, Pat, Carol (my mom) & Claudette (my mother-in-law) with their finished paintings.

Here are a few of the pictures during our session. We had a private party and brought in some pizza and cupcakes.

My mother-in-law Claudette and my husband Dave. He can be such a goof ball.

Can't forget the wine... Moscato

Everyone had a great time and tons of laughs. Although my mother-in-law had a great time it's not something she would do again. She said painting is not her thing.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

All Tuckered Out

Good Morning,

Today I have a quick layout to share.

It's tiring to play hard. Time for a little rest.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Miss Brooklyn

Happy Sunday,

This weeks post is a layout of my Granddaughter Brooklyn. The picture reminded me of Vintage and Victorian. I rummaged through my stash to see what I could find that would match with the style and color of this photo (Sepia). I got lucky and found a few papers layered them up and added a printed velum mat over the photo. The colors in this picture are a bit off from the original, but all the papers are almost a perfect match to the ones in the picture.

Hope everyone has a scrappy happy week.

Thanks for visiting my Blog. Please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear what you have to say about my post. If you dont have the time to leave a comment please check one of the reaction boxes. I appreciate all feedback. Hope you can stop back soon. ((Hugs)) Lori

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Survey

Happy Sunday,

This week I don't have a project to share because I have been busy packing up some of my supplies to go on a scrapbook retreat. I will be off to Mountain Meadows Lodge in VT for 5 days and I'm so excited.

I thought I might host a short survey and see what your three favorite supplies are.

Here's what mine are...

I love the Faber Castell Big Markers. The colors are so vibrant and even though they are a big brush you can still use in small areas with no trouble.

I use the Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive for almost everything. I like that you can stand it upside down so you always have the glue at the tip.

These pencils are fantastic. Smooth and creamy and blend very well with Gamsol. Once blended they almost look like you colored with markers and not pencil. Colors are fabulous.

So there are my 3 favorite supplies. What about you?????

List your 3 favorite supplies in the comments section below and maybe will give us all some ideas to try something new.

Till next time, have a great crafty week!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Birthday Cards

Happy Sunday,

March is a busy month for birthdays and so far I made these 5 quick and easy cards.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

The Farmer Came Home

Happy Sunday,

To day I'm going to share a completed ATC JAM from start to finish. This is one of my all time favorites. I think it turned out Jamtastic!!

Step 1: I started this JAM. I used patterned paper for the base, stamped and colored the farmer with Spectrum Noir Color Pencils and blended a bit with gamsol. I then stamped and added the quote to the card.

Step 2: I sent the card off to Mary Knapp. She would be what our group calls the Middler (2nd person or so called middle person). She added the piece of denim and the brad.

Step 3: Mary the Middler then sent the farmer to Stacy Weaver who dirtied him up and added the straw before sending him home (what we call a Homer).

You would expect this Farmer to be all dirty after all his travels. He started out in Connecticut went to visit New Hampshire, passed through Ohio and ended up back in Connecticut.

And that my friends is the process of an ATC JAM.

Our group has an address file. If your name is on the file list you are open to receive JAMS at any time in any quantity. If you remove your name from the list you are not receiving JAMS to work on (you would just get your completed JAMS back). So no one ever knows when they are getting any to work on or who will be sending them to you. We only post our pictures of what we did before we send them off. It's so much fun. I've been doing this for over two years and still can't wait to get to my mailbox everyday to see if I got any happy mail. When I am JAMless I make bases to send out just as I did with this Farmer.

Hope you find this as fun and interesting as I do. You never know how these JAMs will turn out as once they are in your hands you do whatever you want to them. Till next time Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC crafty week.

Thanks for visiting my Blog. Please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear what you have to say about my post. If you dont have the time to leave a comment please check one of the reaction boxes. I appreciate all feedback. Hope you can stop back soon. ((Hugs)) Lori

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Mixed Media Scrapbook Page

Happy Sunday,

I hope everyone had a fantastic crafty week. I haven't been doing much in my craft room this week but I did manage to get one project completed.

My boss sent me a picture, via text, of his newest family member. The tan dog (a rescue) who is loving this photo opportunity.

I thought it would be nice to do a scrapbook page for him so he can put it in his office. I didn't just want to do a plain paper page so I decided to try some different mediums. I gessoed over a printed 12x12 scrapbook paper. Then I used stencils and modeling paste that I colored with acrylic paint to get some texture. Sprayed some Dylusions Ink in black and brown over more stencils to give it some interest. Added some Inka Gold in copper and pewter colors. Sprayed again with some brown Dylusions Ink and then added some yellow acrylic paint with another stencil to try and pull some of the color from the picture. I matted the picture on a printed scrapbook paper after I added the texture with modeling paste and brown acrylic paint and the inka gold. I then added the fibers around the matte (hoping it would look like the trim around a blanket) before adhering it to the 12x12 base. I stamped some paw prints with brown StazOn up the side. Added it to the 12x12 shadow box and called it done. I'm pretty happy with the way it came out.