Friday, March 23, 2012

All Things Altered BLOG HOP 3/23

Ok, so this is actually the first creative project that I completed since all my personal drama. And I have to admit if it hadn't been for Pammejo inviting me to participate and being so encouraging...(along with my other scrappy sisters around here) I don't know if I would be able to do anything yet. I also have to say that completing this project made me feel SO GOOD!!! (and really, I knew it would so why couldn't I do something sooner, maybe my muse wasn't ready)

You should be hopping over here from Jess B. If you just popped in to check my personal blog then the hop begins at Pammejo's so come on and join the fun, there are prizes to be won and lots of cool inspirational things to see!

I found this at a local thrift store:


The canvas measures 36 inches square. The frame adds another inch.


I couldn't have bought a canvas this size on sale for this price!
So I took out some lovely gesso and got to work on Plan A for this giant canvas.


Now I needed some words, for texture:

And to apply the pages/words I needed my favorite medium :)


One coat of Gesso later:


Then I started adding pages.


Then breaktime was over so I went back to work with evidence that I was creating at home.


All the words are added now for some lovely COLOR!


Bright, happy, energetic this is what I was feeling and now for the phrase I wanted to add.


I cut the lettering out of vinyl with my Cricut.


Then I carefully layed out my phrase. We are almost at the part where I had to go to 
Plan B.


Now a layer of Black Gesso.


And even more Color!


And now, when I tried to peel up the vinyl letters, it peeled up everything, even my dictionary pages. I blame impatience and using the wrong type of vinyl. I should have used a lower tack vinyl and let the stuff dry way longer before trying to add the letters and then paint over... ugh impatience is NOT a virtue. 
But again my fingers bore evidence of some well spent crafty time at home, and my mood was super elevated!


Plan B involved cutting paper letters out and then altering them with stamps and glimmermist for a really cool look. I used painter's tape as a guide to position my letters.


Yeah this would work!


I liked it so much, I signed and dated the front! Now how to make the frame look good...


Oh yeah, there's still that dictionary!


Right now I can honestly say that this is the best thing I've ever created for myself. 
All my pain went in and all the joy I crave came out.




This quote is from the original Muppet Movie. In fact, I looked it up for you, thanks youtube!



Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my project. I hope you had a great time and good luck on the hop! Next stop is Laura so get have fun! 




Sunday, March 18, 2012

St Patty's Day!

I've been not scrapping so long... well, so long for me. I just haven't been able to put my "new" space together, I go upstairs and walk in the room and just get so down I can't function. I was supposed to go out with friends for St. Patrick's Day, but my plans got cancelled this afternoon. I didn't think it was a big deal, then it was. I didn't realize how much I had been looking forward to the company. I got sad, I wanted to get motivated to do some much needed work around here, but that wasn't happening.

I got a text from another friend asking what it was I liked so much from Jim and Nick's (the answer was pig in a potato patch btw...) and then she asked what I was doing. When I said my plans had gotten cancelled, she told me to get over to Archiver's to scrap.

I said ok, and it was possibly the best thing I could have done for myself :)

Here is what it was like...







And even more exciting, here's what I made: (note... it still needs to be bound, and I'm missing a photo that I need to find and print but here's most of it anyway... I'll do a video when it's all done, ok?)