Forever Young Ladies in Shadow

The weather is great this day as compared to yesterday.  It was cold, windy and snowing and I was not in luck coz I had to work BUT this day I'm free so I got busy in my craft room NOT cleaning nor sorting but simply playing.  The first play I did was with the Forever Young Cartridge.  It has been a long time now since I really wanted to cut those ladies in shadows specifically for my art journaling.  I'm not good in illustrations so either I cut human images from magazines or use stencils/templates/masks. 

I'm happy with all the cuts I did.  Yeah, I did cut all the ladies in the cartridge - 20 all in all and each is 7" tall just the right size for my art journaling.

 Definitely I will NOT throw the negatives from the cut coz they're oh-so-delicious to use in art journaling, too.

 Ok, time to cook dinner =)

Happy Crafting!

Welcoming Spring 2014 Hybrid Pleated Card + TUT

It has been 4 days now since our cute dog Kasper, a Yorkshire Terrier died peacefully.  He was 14 years, 3 months, and 10 days old but he was like a puppy to everyone who meets him.  Our house is empty without him and we still can't hold back the tears even if we justify the truth that it was really time for him to go.  I try to drown myself into exhaustion just so I will not feel the pain.  Most of the time I'm at my craft room playing with my cricut or cleaning or just create something.

Here's what I have made since last night:  A Spring Card.  Kasper loves the Spring season and if I close my eyes I can actually see him running around and enjoying the wind.  We would take long walks during this season.  Spring has started here in Sweden and although it is painful to embrace the season, I decided to create a happy Spring card.

The main cover of the card.  I adhered band, then the dragonfly brads and of course applied stickles, too.

The middle part of the card .  I applied stickles on all the flowers.  I used EK Success edge puncher for the grass effect.

 The Tutorial:

Print your choice of digital background and make pleats.

A closer look of the pleats.

Secure the folds/pleats with a double sided tape. I often use power tape when Im using heavy cardstock.

This is how it should look like.  You will have 3 hills and 2 valleys.  In the valley part that's where you will adhere your middle part of your card.  On the other valley that's where I adhered the grass effect using EK Success edge puncher.

Happy crafting everyone!

(Week 13) - Journal 52 : How Does Your Garden Grow?

Are you asking me?  Are you sure?

Hubby and I were laughing tremendously when we read the prompt.  He has been teasing me about gardening.  We have a big front lawn and big back garden.  When we bought the house I was itchy to create an area where I can plant my own vegetables but it was put on-hold coz I gave birth and breast-fed my son for 3 years.  We actually tried planting and growing our own carrots but we got disappointed coz the carrots didn't grow to its normal size.

Our garden in some mysterious ways just grow beautiful flowers season after season.  I am so amazed that our roses can grow as big as a saucer - red and yellow.  We have a lot of typical Swedish flowers growing and flowers that give signs of a coming season.  We are now looking forward to the tulips in different colors.  Butterflies just love our garden during summer and they can come in batches, too.  I sometimes wonder why here in Sweden anything I plant it dies but back in the Philippines I really have a green thumb.  I guess when I gave birth to our son in a normal way, all my gardening powers came out with him hahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahha.

Honestly, I feel very very sad whenever someone will give me a plants or flowers in a pot because it will surely die!  Hubby calls me a flower/plant murderer hahahhahahahhahaha.

Now, to ask me how does my garden grow, well it's simply wild and woolly!!!!!  Everything just grows and I just make sure once a year, ye only once a year that I remove unwanted grass so that the flowers can grow freely.  I really have no talent in creating an oasis garden BUT I really appreciate every flower that grows in our garden.  We also have trees:  green summer apple, red winter apple, plums, and cherries.  Our berry bush died a long time ago and in fact our cherry tree is dying and hubby and I can't save it at all but we'll see this summer if we get to harvest some cherries again.

Let's check out the prompt before I show you my journal page for the week.  It says that "

Week 13: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Spring seems to finally be arriving here in Pittsburgh, and we’re starting to think about one of my favorite things: flowers and gardening! Even though I don’t have much of a green thumb, there’s always much inspiration in gardens.

For this week’s prompt, create your own garden in your journal. It can be any type of garden (flowers, vegetables, rock gardens, etc. etc.) and you can either paint/draw or collage – make it realistic or abstract, whatever you’d like to do!"

Ok, for this week's prompt I played a LOT with my cricut.  I had to find a reason why I should buy the latest cricut machine :  Cricut Explore.  At this point I do feel that I need to buy the machine but how will I justify to hubby that I really need one when I haven't tried my Brother Scan N*Cut machine neither my Cricut Gypsy then my Silhouette Portrait I only played with it twice.  I think I will wait a little before I buy the machine.

During my cricut play for this journal page, I had a difficult time cutting the Tinkerbell Filigree in a smaller size.  Even when I cut it into 4" I was not at all satisfied (but still not enough reason for me to buy the Cricut explore hehehehehehe), maybe I should change the blade I really don't know ... yet.

Anyway, here's my journal page:

I opted to create the page using a card style =)

The Cricut Carts I used are:

Art Nouveau - the lady in yellow dress in 7"

Country Life - grass in 2,3, & 4 inches;  sunrise scene in 2";  apple tree in 3"; and "Wild & Wooly" phrase in 2"

Garden Soup - "Growing Garden" phrase in 3";  worm in 1 1/2"

Heritage - lamp post in 8"

Ornametal Iron 2 - the gate in 5 1/2"

Tinkerbell and Friends - tinkerbell in 3 3/4" (filigree)

plus lots of stickles and red crystal beads

double sided cardstock which I bought in a pack at Lidl years and years ago

Here's a closer look of the cover:

Closer look of the Inside Page:

Now, I have to conceptualize for the next prompt =)

Happy Sunday and Happy Crafting!

Thanks for dropping by =)

(Week 12) - Journal 52 : A Day in the Life of Me

Oh yeah I'm not late to submit my entry this week.  Although I'm still recuperating from flu in whcih I suffered the whole week last week, I was just too excited to create my page for this week's prompt.  At Journal 52 blog, everyone will be able to find every week's prompt so go check it out and join the fun or just simply do your weekly pages if you don't feel like joining.

What's exactly the prompt this week?  Here it is:

Week 12′s Prompt: A Day in the Life of Me…

What do you do everyday from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? For this week’s prompt, create a page in your journal about your favorite part of the day or the things you do each day. You can collage, paint, doodle – whatever is most fun for you!

I decided not to enumerate what I do upon waking up till I go to sleep but opted to highlight my favorite part of the day ... everyday =)  For this prompt I decided to use my Cricut coz it has been ages I think since I played with my machine.  Yeah, I still need to find time to play my Brother ScanNCut for the first time.  Hhhmmmmm, maybe next week or maybe tomorrow... we'll see !

My favorite part of the day is (drum rolling......)

Having a quiet time with the Lord!  I read the Bible based on the Scriptures for the day then write down what I learned in my Bible journal.  Sometimes I write a prayer based on the readings.  It is the best part of the day for me because I get to intimately talk to God.  I have a habit of praying no matter what I do even when I'm cooking or have to finish my obligations at work or waiting for a bus or riding the car.  I see to it that God is part of my every single move everyday.  Yeah, even crossing the street or taking a walk with our dog, crafting,  etc., etc., etc.

Oftentimes I sing this particular song before I start or after reading the Scriptures for the day with a big smile on my face.  I believe almost everyone knows this song from The King and I :  Getting to Know You.

Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to (like) know you,
Getting to hope you like me. 

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day. 

The materials I used are :

So there you go!

Happy crafting and peace be with you =)

(Week 11) - Journal 52 : STARS

This journal page is really a late entry submission!  I do have a valid reason and I have been vocal about this right from the day I got the prompt.  Before I dwell on the matter let's take a look at the prompt as stated at Journal 52.  It says.......

Week 11 Prompt: Stars

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” – Vincent Van Gogh

For this week’s prompt, take inspiration from stars or the night sky. You can doodle, draw, collage, paint – whatever medium is most comfortable for you.

---

When I got the prompt I knew I will have a difficult time doing my page!  Stars!!!!!

Here's a poem I have written so you will know what STARS mean to me.

I love the twinkling stars high up in the sky.
No one knows how many they are
but one can just imagine that it covers the entire universe.

I always watch the stars at night with my mom and dad
We make a wish ... even wishes from falling stars.
Some wishes were granted some wishes were forgotten.

The dawn has come for my mom to say good-bye
The day has come for my dad to say good-bye
What's left of me is emptiness
Tears were uncontrollable
But I have to live as long as God wishes.

The last words mom told me...
I will be watching you
I will be with you
All you have to do is close your eyes and think of a star
shining bright smiling at you ...
that's me.  I love you!
Thank you for your love and care my daughter.
I know you will be alright for we have raised you
so well with God' love.

The last words of my dad to me ...
When you are sad, happy, confused, worried
uncertain, joyful, victorious, or in pain
Look in the sky and find the 2nd best shining star
for that is me and your mom as one
watching and guiding you.
We can never be the first best
for the best shining star is God.
Look for it and feel HIS love and peace.
I love you
Thank you for taking care of me up to my last breath.

Honestly, it took sssssssssssssoooooooooooooooo much effort doing this entry ... laughter but more tears were part of the process due to memories but I did my best so here it is:

Materials:
Canvas sheet
Black Gesso
Flourescent (Neon) Acrylic Paints by Panduro
Studio Acrylic Paints - Pearlescent
Silver Acrylic Paint by Panduro
Letraset Neon Markers
Glitters - silver, snowflake, and crystal
Crafters Companion Stick and Spray
Balzer Designs Stencil - Burst
Star Beads
Nylon thread plus big hole needle
Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen - White

The Process:

• Cover canvas with black gesso and let dry.  I used heat tool to dry it faster.

• Drop randomly all neon acrylic paints on the sheet.

• Spread it wildly using a paint spatula and I got this look..... love, love, love the texture!

• Once dried, spray glue and scatter glitters all over then let dry to make sure it adheres properly.

 

• Get your stencil ad using a spatula add silver paint and spread evenly.

•  While it is still wet add more glitters and let dry!  FUN!!!!

•  Make a star and adhere then cover it with silver glitters.  I added red on the sides of the star using Pearl Maker pen.  I used Yellow Neon Letraset marker to highlight the rays =)

•  Let it dry for 30 minutes coz there are a lot of layerings.  Sew star beads around the edges and write your sentiment.

 I really love the texture, layers, and twinkling of the different glitters I used =)


Ok, now I have to end and post this coz my son is coming home any minute now.

Happy crafting!