Spring Snowmen and a Guest Post

Guest Posting

Today I am over at the PaperArtsy blog sharing a journal page. It’s another fun layout in my mermaid journal so go have a look. You can see it HERE.

We just got 10 inches of snow today. Yesterday we went to Dairy Queen to get free ice cream cones for the first day of spring and today we are building snowmen. Mmmmm? Something doesn’t seem quite right with that picture. If you want thoughts of warmer weather, check out my journal page over at PaperArsty.

Happy Spring!

Kate

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Potty Talk and a Guest Post

Can You Say Potty?

This week I have started potty training my daughter and let me just say it is just as awful as I remembered. I was traumatized when I tried potty training my first son. I learned my lesson not to push until they are ready. Three tries later and lots of M & M’s, he was trained in a day.

So, back to my daughter, we just finished day 3 of training. Between breakfast and lunch I counted 21 times to the potty one day. As you can imagine, I got a lot done with my day;) The time between getting my boys off the bus and getting dinner on the table is the hardest. Listening to my boys do homework while trying to keep an eye on my toddler with a naked lower half AND keeping my food from burning is all a little over whelming for me. So today I took the easy way out and put a diaper on her for the evening. This week I have been praying for patience and results. My poor hubby has come home to chaos all week but thankfully he goes with the flow.

So don’t expect a lot of crafty things out of me over the next few weeks. 😉

Sneak Peek

I am over at PaperArtsy today sharing a stamped purse using some new whimsy themed stamps. I have combined fabric and stamping so go have a look HERE.

I would love to hear what you think.

Kate

 

Asiatic Dynasty: Mixed Media Fabric Journal

Thinking

The remodel of our family room/craft area is finally complete! My hubby has worked so hard and it has paid off. All I have left to do is organize and get more storage. I will share pictures in my next post. Hopefully by then my wall storage will be up and I will have less boxes on the floor.

I have been living and breathing the remodel since after Christmas, so it was so fun to be able to clear off my craft table and create this week. Not just once but three times! It felt so wonderful to unleash some of the ideas swirling around in my brain. I will be sharing some of those journals soon. But for now, I am sharing an oldie.

Creating the Fabric Journal

I have already shared all the pages in my Asiatic Dynasty Fabric Art Journal with the exception of the cover and this layout.

This was my first and only fabric journal to date and I am excited about making more.

All of my images are Lynne Perrella by PaperArtsy and the paints are Fresco Finish chalk paints. But my favorite part is the decorative stitching around the edges. And now you have seen the whole journal!

You can view the rest of the layouts by clicking on the links:

It’s All In the Hair

Swimming through Algae

Up In A Purple Haze

I Dream of Ice Cream

A Country Escape

Thanks for stopping,

Kate

Tea In The Garden: Mixed Media Art Journal Layout

Tea In The Garden

The garden…exactly where I want to be right now as I look outside my window and see snow.  I would  love to have a pretty spot to sit in my garden. It is on the smaller side right now but we have future plans to expand. And then I would love a bench next to a waterfall under a trellis of wisteria. Or a glass greenhouse doubling as a she-shed. A girl can dream, right?

I have been thinking about what I am going to plant this spring and hoping that I can find a way to get better yield. I had my soil tested but the results came back fairly good. Not sure what I need but I know that it could be better. One strawberry a day won’t make a pie.

Do you have any suggestions of natural things to help fertilize my soil? I was thinking of getting some manure this year. I have also heard that chicken feces helps but we won’t be getting chickens for a year or so I need some ideas until then. I would love to hear what works for you.

Creating the Journal Page

This layout is part of my Splashes of Tea Art Journal which happens to be one of my favorite art journals. Because I am obsessed with tea!

 

Since today is Tea day I am playing along with Elizabeth and I am sharing a picture of my new favorite brew. I received this tea as a Christmas present. If you want something yummy to try you can click on the picture to see it on Amazon. Seriously, it is SO GOOD!!

Happy Tea Day,

Kate

Challenges Entered:

 Country View Challenges: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: January Mixed Media Garden

 

Guest Post for PaperArsty: Mixed Media Art Journal

Guest designing

Just a little peek at my post over at the PaperArtsy Blog today. The theme is ripped, torn and burnt. I won’t tell you which one I chose so you will have to go look. I don’t have a lot of time for chit chat today because I have a lot to do. Saturdays’ in December always seem to be busy busy busy.

You can find the post HERE.

I hope you have a productive day!

Kate

A Very Pearly Christmas Gift Bag: PaperArtsy Guest Designer

Designer Gift Bag

I am over at the PaperArtsy blog today sharing a DIY Christmas gift bag. The holidays are approaching quickly and this project is perfect for those last minute packaging ideas.

I love beautiful packaging. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to DIY Packaging. But then I start to think of the unwrapping process and how all that hard work usually ends up in the trash. Quite disappointing for those of us who make wrapping a gift an artistic expression. The great thing about gift bags is they are reusable. Not to mention that they can be really expensive at the Hallmark store. The kraft bag I used for this project was found at the dollar store. And get this…it came in packs of TWO! Not only is it unique to you but it also comes saves you a lot of money!

You can see the full Gift Bag HERE!

Thank you for looking!

Kate

A Country Escape: Mixed Media Fabric Journal

Escape To The Country

Have you ever seen that TV series ‘Escape to the Country?” It is basically the UK version of HGTV’s House Hunters. I just love the unique homes with their rustic charm, the English country side and the amazing accents. The only thing disappointing about this show is the unrealistic budget that most of these couples have. I mean, crazy high budgets.

So, when my hubby and I moved to the country from a busy suburban area it was culture shock. At least for this city girl.We searched the countryside for our little escape a year later after our house sold. My original criteria was: 3-4 bedroom house, master suite, two car garage, a few acres to raise farm animals, a mountain view, and most importantly not in a development. I told our realtor that I didn’t want to have neighbors…haha. We looked for months and couldn’t find anything. We found our little escape a couple months before our daughter was born. While it didn’t meet all my criteria it met all of my husbands, much to his delight. I didn’t get my multiple acres of farmland and a lack of neighbors, but I did get a 3 bedroom house with an amazing master suite, 1 acre surrounded on 3 sides by woods (which hides our neighbors in the summer and gives us a mountain view in the winter), huge windows that let the light in and a porch that goes from the front of the house to the back. Sometimes we feel as though we are at a vacation house in the mountains and I am so thankful that I get to live in my vacation house all year round.

So, this was a bit of the inspiration behind this page.

Creating the Journal Page

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Here is the very last layout in my Asiatic Dynasty Fabric Art Journal. (sad face) I had so much fun creating this little book but because I never do anything without the bulk, I had to limit the amount of pages. Maybe I should be calling this book the Big Fat Fabric Journal instead.

The Process

My page is kraft paper sewn onto a fabric base. I used a fancy stitch on my quilting machine. I like fancy better than a plain straight stitch. There is a Stencil Girl Stencil in the background, several die cuts, chipboard and Lynne Perrella stamps from PaperArtsy. I combined some of her other collections along with her Asian collection for this page.

More Fabric Journal Pages

Asiatic Dynasty Journal Cover And a Layout

It’s All In the Hair

Swimming Through Algae

Up In a Purple Haze

I Dream of Ice Cream

Challenges Entered:

Mixed Media World: #29 Anything Goes

Stamps and Stencils: Metallics (Foiled Tree)

 

 

I Dream of Ice Cream: Mixed Media Fabric Journal

Ice Cream or Froyo?

First off, I want to thank everyone who took the time to write encouraging words on my last post. I am still feeling a bit apprehensive about returning to work but I know that I am not alone and am trying to look at it as a exciting new adventure in my life! I guess that calls for a celebration of ice cream/foyo when I make it through my first day.

Can I hear it for Frozen Yogurt?! I don’t know if the froyo craze has made it to your hometown but it sure has where we live. Our little town recently welcomed Sweet Frog with open arms. I love that you can fill your own cup, pick you own flavors, toppings and that they charge by weight. In fact, a few weeks ago we all celebrated the end of summer with frozen yogurt. When we got to the checkout counter we all put our cups on the scale. I pulled out my $10 dollar bill and the girl tells me the total for 4 cups of frozen yogurt comes to…$18. Ummm, what? Apparently, my youngest son decided to go overboard and loaded up his cup with lots of yogurt and yummy, heavy toppings. The total for his cup alone was $7. Needless to say, he will have careful supervision at the yogurt machines from now on.

Are you a Frozen yogurt or a ice cream person?

 

Creating the Journal Page

Inspiration

My inspiration for this journal layout was a European woman traveling to Asia. I added the adorable bowl and chopsticks and thought about titling the page ‘Rice Dreams’ but I didn’t have stickers to fit that title so I went with Ice Cream dreams instead.

More Pages

Only one more Layout to go in my ‘Asiatic Dynasty‘ Fabric Journal. If you follow my blog you know that this is a Asian themed Fabric Journal originally made for PaperArtsy. You can view the other pages as follows:

Asiatic Dynasty Fabric Journal Cover

It’s All In the Hair

Swimming Through Algae

Up In a Purple Haze

The Process

My background is kraft paper sewn to a fabric page base. I applied gesso, Fresco Finish paints and used my favorite Stencil Girl stencil. The background embellishments are painted with gesso and I doodled with a black pen. Most of my stamps are Lynne Perrella’s by PaperArtsy and some of the Asian Stamps are by Hero Arts.

I think that pretty well sums it up.

Thank you for stopping! And let me know if you prefer ice cream or froyo. And of course…let me know your favorite flavors and toppings.

Kate

Challenges Entered:

Scrapki-Wyzwaniowo: Journey

Mixed Media Monthly: #40 Vintage

A Inky Mess: Challenge 13

More Mixed Media: Anything Goes, optional Brown

Craft Stamper:Anything Goes

Simon Says: Stamptember Stamp It

 

Up In a Purple Haze: Mixed Media Fabric Art Journal

Up In A Purple Haze

Wow! Life has been crazy with the start of school this week. My two oldest boys started on Monday and I am home with my 18 month daughter. For now. Since my hubby’s job is on the rocks I have decided to go job searching. I was a Registered Nurse…once upon a time. Ok, it has only been 3 years but it seems like ages ago. When we moved states for my husbands job I didn’t bother getting a job right away. And than we had a baby.

Now that I am staring it in the face, I am hesitant, unsure of my medical skills and lamenting my future lack of time for leisurely activities. (Otherwise, known as crafting) I knew I would go back to work someday I was just hoping that day wouldn’t come. I have even entertained the idea of having a home business, but haven’t come up with anything tangible to sell.

Perhaps, it all stems from the thought that once I go back to work my babies won’t need me anymore and I am done mothering little ones. Letting go of that baby stage has been so hard for me. There is something unforgettable about smelling and caressing the soft skin of a brand new human. Holding a helpless miniature person that reeks of perfection makes my mommy senses go haywire. In the moment, I would choose to do it all over again even though I just barely made it through labor.

For me, getting a ‘real’ job symbolizes a new phase of life that I am unsure I am ready for. My time with the little’s has gone by in a haze. But a purple haze of course because that is my favorite color. And one of the colors on my art journal page.

Creating the Journal Page

Here is another layout in my ‘Asiatic Dynasty’ Fabric Journal.

You can see the other pages in my Asiatic Dynasty Journal here: Cover, Swimming Through Algae, It’s All about the Hair, and True North.

Again, Lynne Perrella’s Asian collection by PaperArtsy was the focal point throughout this journal. I used stamps,sprays and a stencil with green embossing powder in the background. I used a few die cuts and chipboard pieces to add dimension.

Thank your for taking the time to visit my blog today. I would love to hear your thoughts on overcoming jitters when it comes to moving past your favorite phase of child rearing or job searching.

Kate

Challenges Entered:

A Bit More Time To Craft: #51 Anything Goes

Simon Says:Anything Goes

Create Artiste:  Challenge 30 Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics: Anything Goes Mixed Media/Altered Art

Art Journal Journey: Colour In My World (Purple)

Lost Coast Designs: Tip Your Hat

 

It’s All In the Neutrals: Index Card Art

 

The Neutral Zone

Speaking of the neutral zone, my hubby and I watched the newest Star Trek ‘Beyond’ movie. If you haven’t seen Star Trek than you probably have no idea how ‘Neutral’ fits into this paragraph. But that’s alright because I am not going to dwell on Star Trek but on the ‘movies’.

We usually wait for movies to come out on dvd before watching them. Not only is it difficult to find time for a date, but there is something exciting about saving $10 a ticket, $6 on supersized artery- clogging popcorn and most importantly being able to watch the movie in non-approved movie theater clothing. And I admit, I am a talker. I like to as questions, gasp, laugh and cry with however the emotional roller coaster plays out. My husband, on the other hand, loves to go to the movies because he is all about the huge screen and the surround sound. It must be a guy thing. Sure, I like to be able to see the picture but I can see it just fine if not better from my comfy spot on the couch. And if I may add, I will never have to worry about sitting behind a tall person that takes up part of the screen. Or giggling teenagers that laugh every time the leading man and lady kiss. Which, by the way, totally destroys the mood and obscures the following dialogue. (Yeah, I watched Twilight in the theaters.)

So, what do your think? Team Movies, Team Couch or Team Neutral?

Ok, onto the neutral index card.

Creating the Index Art

I pulled out my pack of index cards to create a portfolio card recently and decided to try out index card art. I have been seeing a lot of the ICAD’s which seems to be the new craze. While I don’t have time to craft every day (gasp), I have been trying to make more time in my schedule than before.

Let me just say that index cards used to be cards. Now they are thin, flabby pieces of paper being passed off as cards. So disappointing! Because of this, I had to add bulk to provide more support. I added a piece of vintage paper, followed burlap trim, coffee stained muslin and another layer of stamped muslin.

I cut a chipboard tile and stamped it with and Asian lotus, wound black thread around the card, affixed a few UmWow chipboard circles and splattered the finished piece with gesso and coffee.

I am usually all about color but I thought I would try something different for this piece.

If you enjoyed this post, check out a few of my other Asian themed pieces: A Little Asian Box, PaperArtsy Asian Tag Trio, Bird Song Canvas, Konnichiwa Pop-Up Card, The Chinese Tea House

Are there any great TV series or movies that you have watched recently? I need more suggestions.

Thank your for reading!

Kate

Challenges Entered:

A Inky Mess: Challenge # 13 Anything Goes

Aall and Create ITAC 2017: Challenge 2 Asia #itac17 #AALLtournament2017 #aallandcreate

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

That’s Crafty: Only Cards

 Frilly And Funkie: A Little Rusty (Coffee Stained)

Swimming Through Algae: Mixed Media Fabric Journal

Swimming Through Algae

Lately, our lives have been chaotic and I feel as though we are swimming through algae. Tangled up and not going anywhere. That is, anywhere that we can see. We just remodeled a bathroom downstairs. My hubby installed the toilet Saturday evening and then Sunday morning the downstairs stunk of pee. Looks like we need a extra thick wax seal around the toilet. And then Saturday evening I found wet carpet downstairs followed by the discovery of water damage and mold growth in my crafting area! On the bright side I get a whole new crafting space but that is only after we discover where the water is coming from and then my craft spot will be out of commission for possibly months. And my littlest man has a ear infection despite an Ear Tube placement back in February. My hubby is still looking for a job (he gets laid off in December) and I am now a weekly visitor at the chiropractor’s office. I left a few things out but you get the general idea.

I am so thankful to God that these trial and testing periods don’t last forever. That by no means diminishes the fact that it is very difficult while going through these periods but it is encouraging to know that it is only for a season. Some seasons seem longer than others don’t they?

Despite these bumps in the road, I am blessed to be going through this with the people I love and a God who cares about me. But I am not going to lie, I am ready to get through the algae fields and into the clean, open waters of security again.

So, onto the journal page.

Creating the Journal Page

I have another page in my ‘Asiatic Dynasty‘ Fabric Art Journal to share. In case you missed them you can check out my Cover, It’s All In the Hair Layout, and True North Layout.

Challenges

This was my last layout to be completed. I finished the background but when I went to embellish with stamps and such I couldn’t find anything I liked. I worked on it on several different occasions and each time I came away disappointed. I figured the problem was the background so I tweaked a few things and WA LA…it came together. I love when that happens!

A Few Details

I used a lot of PaperArtsy stamps and paints. The journal page was made first and then machine stitched to a fabric base.

What do you do with failed projects/attempts?

Thanks for stopping!

Kate

Challenges Entered:

Aall and Create ITAC Challenge 2: Asia   (Motifs inspired by Mandalas, geometric shapes, tiles, Calligraphy, Asian flowers in the circle motif and fabric page) #itac17 #AALLtournament2017 #aallandcreate

Craft Stamper: Anything Goes August

Mixed Media World: #28 AMMG With a Twist (Mood board)

 

It’s All In the Hair: A Fabric Art Journal Layout

Tags

Fabric

It’s All In the Hair

While looking at the stamped image on my journal page, I was reminded of Hair. This Asian girl has fabulous, silky spiked hair. My hair is anything but fabulous. When that humidity hits, my hair looks like someone held a balloon to my head and rubbed all the ‘fly-aways.’ By ‘fly-aways I mean those short, 1 inch pieces that won’t stay down despite using every hair product available with the exception of Krazy Glue. I know it is probably a girl- thing or maybe just a me- thing but I sit in church and look at the backs of peoples heads and wonder how their hair looks so smooth and frizz-less at 9:30 on a Sunday morning in the heat of summer.

To be honest, I am lazy when it comes to hair care. I hate wasting precious time on  hair. I would rather be reading, crafting or eating…none of which I can do while washing, blow drying or curling my hair. And to top it off I wash my hair only twice a week! I have considered trying the ‘No Poo’ method to limit my chemicals use and to save time and money. Have any of you every tried this?

What is your hair-care routine?

Creating the Journal Page

This layout is part of my new Fabric Art Journal entitled, “Asiatic Dynasty” featuring Lynne Perrella’s Asian stamp collection from PaperArtsy.  You can see the cover, my first layout and read about the inspiration behind the project HERE. You can view my second layout HERE.

In the previous posts I talk a little more about how I made the pages but for the basics I used Kraft paper as my base. I then added my gesso, paints, stenciling, embellishments and stamping. Lastly, my page was stitched onto a fabric page and added to my fabric Journal.

Fun and easy! Have you ever attempted a fabric book/Journal? I would love to see it. Leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Kate

 

Challenges Entered:

13 Arts: Abstract Art

The Artistic Stamper: August Anything Goes

Creative Artiste: Anything Goes #29

Altered Eclectics: Anything Goes

PaperArtsy Guest Post and a Journal Layout

Guest Post At PaperArtsy

I am over at PaperArtsy today, sharing a fabric book that I made for our book theme. Above is a sneak peek of the outside of the book. You can also see a inside page layout that I will not be sharing here on my blog. It has all sorts of fun details so go take a look.

Creating The Inside Layout

Here is one of the layouts from the inside of my fabric book/journal. The entire book was made using Lynne Perrella Stamps and Seth Apter Paints.

I kept all the stamps white and used color and texture in the background to make the stamps the focal point.

My background is kraft paper covered in gesso, paints and stamping. I stitched around the edges to attach the pages to my fabric base.

And that is it. I am keeping it pretty simple today. Don’t forget to stop by the PaperArtsy Blog to see my Fabric book and a layout.

Challenges Entered:

More Mixed Media Challenge: Optional Brights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate IX: Art Journal Layout and Some Recent Reads

Recent Reads/to-Read List

I can’t think of much to talk about that goes along with the title of this post, so I thought I would talk about some of the books that I have been reading or am going to read.

Back in February I started reading along with the yearly challenge at our local library. Read 75 books by the end of the year and you get entered to win a $175 gift card to Amazon. We buy everything on Amazon so I thought that was a great incentive.

I love reading but up to this point I have found it difficult to prioritize this into my schedule. You know, kids and life tend to get in the way of snuggling under a blanket with a warm cuppa tea and a good book. Well, it is almost August and I have read 62 fiction/non-fiction books this year minus the cozy blanket. I forgot how addicting reading can be when you find a great author. I guess I proved to myself that reading can be a priority. That just means that something else gets bumped down on the list. At this point in time that happens to be my sewing and maybe a few household chores. 😉

So, here are my recent reads.

A few on my to-read list:

Reading has nothing to do with this journal layout but here it is.

Creating the Journal Layout

I am having so much fun using my new Seth Apter stamps from PaperArtsy! My pages were made using a brown grocery bag.  Of course I used paper scraps, gesso and paint for the background.

To embellish, I used a few stamps from 7 Gypsies and chipboard circles.

This layout will go perfectly in my new steampunk art journal.

Related: In case you missed my other steampunk art journal pages: The Distant Wanderer and It’s All Perspective

Challenges Entered:

Simon Says: You’ve Got the Edge (Doodling around the edge)

 

 

 

 

The Book of Memories: A Mini Art Journal

A Book Of Memories

Memories…something that we never forget, as least, I hope that is the case. I have so many wonderful things that I want to remember. I wish our memories were like flash backs in the movies- vivid color, crisp images and and the ability to quote a conversation word for word. I for one can remember none of these things. But I recall the feelings and emotions associated with a certain event and that in itself is enough. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all had books filled with our favorite experiences and memories, playing back the event as seen through our eyes? I really want someone to invent that!

Instead, you will have to settle for this mini book I made using some new stamps that I LOVE!

Creating the Mini Art Journal

As I mentioned above, these stamps are newly released by Seth Apter for PaperArtsy. They are so amazing! I feel as though I cannot say this enough. They are full of detail and are the perfect blend of grunge and vintage.

For the Cover, I stamped one of the main images, aged it, colored it and used chipboard to create a cover.

The inside pages were made using white card stock and covered with old book pages. I stained everything using Distress Stains to create an aged page. All the stamped images and background stamps are from Seth’s new sets. You can see my release project for Seth new stamps HERE. Also, I just completed a art journal centered around my all-time favorite drink, TEA! It is called Splashes of Tea.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Kate

Challenges Entered:

Craft Stamper: July Anything Goes

Love To Create: Challenge 13 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Creative Artiste: Challenge 28 Anything Goes

A Inky Mess: Challenge 12 Mixed Media