MONTHLY CARD CHALLENGE - Let's Get Beachy!

I belong to a Monthly Challenge Group on Splitcoast stampers. The first of each month someone has a month to send out a standard envelope of goodies for us to play with. Then between the 21-24th we post pics of the cards we made. We can add to whatever's in the envelope to make the cards our own.

We were given the DSP, the blue paper in the first card, 2 copies of the girls' image, the enamel dots, flip flop stickers and 2 each of 2 different sentiments.

I was a bit busy with the girls last week so my cards didn't go up until last night.

But here's what I came up with:

For this first card, I mounted the sun DSP and the blue paper to a Brown Sugar card base. I colored the ladies using colored pencils then fussy cut around them. Then I colored the umbrella and cut it out of the second image and popped it up on top of the first for a bit of dimension. Then I used dimensionals on the entire image to allow the ladies to create a bit of shadow. The yellow button and fiber were also from the kit.

I went simple on this one. The dsp is mounted on a Melon Mambo card base. The other mats are Tempting Turquoise. 

I had fun with this kit once I figured out what I wanted to do. I can't wait to see who has July and what they send us.

Creative Blessings!

SUMMER RETREATS

I am loving having the granddaughters here. We are doing so much together. But I also need a little 'me' time so I'm taking part in not one but TWO art retreats this summer. I'm not sure how much I'll accomplish on either one but it least I'll have something creative to contemplate in a quiet moment here and there.

One begins in July. I'm talking about The Reset Girl 'Camp Reset' with Cori Spieker. I love her retro vibe and I think camp with her is going to be a lot of fun.

The other one is a Full-On soulful journey with 25 amazing ladies. The Women Unleashed On-Line Retreat is totally FREE!

This retreat is filled with sessions on art, movement, and all kinds of mini workshops to help you slow down and nourish yourself. Sessions are led by world renowned artists, teachers, speakers, authors and healers from all over the world. 

When you attend the Woman Unleashed Online Retreat you can...

•Attend the retreat sessions around your schedule.
•Wear your favorite comfy yoga pants. No need to brush your hair!
•Drink tea (or wine) from your favorite cup.
•Be a part of a global tribe of women who are saying YES!! to themselves.

You’ve been taking care of everything and everyone... now it’s TIME FOR YOU!

Reserve your spot in the retreat today.

I hope you'll join me for either... or both.. of these artful journeys.

Creative Blessings!

Kelly

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Art Journal Page

The girls had fun using ink on glossy cardstock yesterday. They puddled ink, spritzed with water, tilted paper, blew with a straw (grandpa's suggestion) and had a really good time. Abby's came out a bit muddy but blotting with a roll of paper towels revealed a very pretty background.

Unfortunately, those pictures are on my phone and not on my regular camera. But, I do have a plan for those backgrounds so I'll show everything in a couple of weeks.

Now that the girls are acclimated to their new surroundings, this week we begin a regular routine. A routine that requires integrating their 'summer schooling' and weekly library trip in with my already established household routine.

So in the business, it's nice when I can take some 'me' time as I did yesterday.

Using some of the negatives from items I'd cut out to include in ATCs (which I will show as soon as recipients have seen them first), I created the second layer of an existing background (sunflower yellow)

I also used the relief from the labels that go on the backs of unmounted rubber stamps from SU.

I love using the negative spaces to create journaling and doodling blocks on my pages. 

I taped the edges down with blue tape...

and got busy with (Folk Art)  Red Violet, Light Blue, Yellow Citron and Podge Pink

After drying, I removed the stencils and started doodling with my Precision Pens from American Crafts. 

I outlined everything except the burgundy tag in the bottom left with a 08 and did most of the lettering with a 08. The tag was outlined with a signo white as well as the embellishments to the pink floral doily at the top. I colored in the doodle snake with Studio G paint markers from Michaels.

Not much of a page but was relaxing to just sit and play while we watched tv before bed. 

Do you doodle? Art Journal? play with paints? Link me to your creative goodness in the comments below. Inspire me!

Creative Blessings!
Kelly

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Shaving Cream!

I'm late getting in here but it's a bit busy around here. LOL The girls are having a good time so far. They even totally forgot about asking for their tablet/ phone yesterday!

Today, I've had several webinars so they've had their devices part of the day.

So what have we been doing?  Well, yesterday I introduced them to the shaving cream technique. They used them to make card bases which became Father's Day cards they could mail to their daddy. We used all Stampin' UP! reinkers

I took the opportunity to make bases for my bases for the WOYWW 8th Anniversary ATC's. The full sheets are mine.

Abby (age 5)

She used Melon Mambo, Old Olive and Gray

We added mats from the SU Color Theory Designer Series Paper

Heart - SU

Sentiment - SU - Sentiments

We used the Stitched Framelits dies from SU for the small squares

Adrian (Age 9)

Adrian chose Real Red, Marina Mist, Black

Adrian used inks to color the edges of Whisper White cardstock.

She used the Stitched Framelits dies.

She chose SU - So In Love for her flower/ sentiment

 and SU - Wonderous Wreath for the bow

Because Adrian is older and been playing with my toys since the age of 2, she had a bit more freedom to be creative such as using the dauber to color the edges as well as learning to use the Watercolor Pencils. She thought those were pretty cool. 

Both girls got to use the Vagabond to cut their dies with plenty of supervision. Adrian will be using the Vagabond more as the summer progresses. 

I know you guys have been waiting to see the paper cabinet. I hope to have pictures on Wednesday.

TIME OUT!

As much as I tried to avoid this, I have to take a Time Out with this blog. I was hoping to get some things scheduled to carry me over until the girls got here and we found a routine. A vehicle breakdown and trying to get the house ready for two additional little girls has really cramped my creating time.

On the upside, Adrian LOVES to craft so we can stamp together and I'll have stuff to share from both of us.

I haven't forgotten to show the paper unit. That should happen a week from Wednesday. I'm not planning on being away from the blog very long... just not going to happen this week.

Creative Blessings!
Kelly