It's a Birthday BLOG HOP!!

CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration turned one this month, and we've been celebrating with fun and festivities all month long. But what's a birthday party without presents?
We are rounding out CSI's birthday celebration with a huge pile of presents! The talented and very generous CSI design team, aka the CSI Detectives, have prepared special blog posts for you this week, and all you have to do is leave a comment on participating design team members' blogs for a chance to receive a present from them! The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you'll have to receive a gift!
We also have the brand-new company Blue Fern Studios joining our blog hop! Our very own Detective Michele Singh is the designer of this company's beautiful chipboard, and we are delighted to have Blue Fern Studios join us to celebrate our birthday on the month they were introduced to the world!
The CSI Birthday Presents Blog Hop will run from January 25 - 29. Winners will be announced in our Full Disclosure (Announcements) Forum the following week. A newsletter will go out to members once this announcement is posted.
Here is a list of the blogs you will want to visit:

Adrienne Ford

Anna-Karin Evaldsson

Annette Gearside

Ayeeda (Aida Domisiewicz)

Blue Fern Studios

Debbi Tehrani

Debbie Standard

Eila Sandberg

Heather Jacob

Helen Wallace

Jasmine Shea

Jeanette Lee

Lindy Gillespie

Michele Singh

Riikka Kovasin

Sascha Schmidt & Maria Schmidt

Shaunery Wharton  (you are here!)

Tina Walker

Yumi Takasaki

Zanka (Zaneta Glowa)

 Whew what a MONTH!!   I'm just gonna get to it, since this is a long post.

My evidence includes:
CLOUDS:  I used fabulous chippie clouds that I covered with G45 papers and distressed and the other I inked with ColorBox White pigment ink, Picket Fence Distress stain, Iced Spruce Distress Ink and some Memento London Fog
Strings:  I just left the strings from my manilla tags on...
Something that dangles or hangs: I stamped some fabby skulls Ketto" by Stamping Bella (LOVE HIM!) onto some vellum.  I then applied clear embossing powder and set.  I also used a spider stamp from an old MYB acrylic stamp set. (Spiders do dangle!) He's been set with black embossing powders.
Wet Medium: I used embossing powders to create a "wet look", I also used Perfect Pearls Mists "Perfect Pearl",
Something translucent: Again, vellum and embossing come into play here.  I printed my photo directly onto vellum.  While the ink was still wet, I applied clear embossing powders and set it.  I loved the result!
Plain Cardstock Background:  Black Bazzil

My testimony is very simple and was inspired (but doesn't follow) the 13 Hints for a Happy Life  prompt.  I liked the #13 so I used the imagery.  I also made a vellum envelope for my tag that holds my journaling:

Also, I'll be drawing one lucky random commenter to win a RAK from ME!  Another
great chance to win some Blog Candy!!  Hope you enjoy and love hearing from you!

Addicted to Tags

 I'm addicted to tags.  I can't get enough.  I'm actually obsessing over getting my 12 Tags of Christmas done BEFORE Christmas.  I have eight completed.  So I thought I'd share my two latest.  One I created at home.  This one above.  I used papers from Tim Holtz Core'dinations, chippies from G45, and my new Poinsettia die by TH.  I love this die!  After I cut all my petals, I inked and distressed them.  Once the ink dried, I applied a nice heavy coat of Crackle Accents.  Instead of squeezing it out onto my projects, I've popped the top off and am using my paint brush.  I'm so impatient!  While it was still wet, I sprinkled on some Diamond Dust.. GREAT huh??

This tag I started in Nanci's Tag Class over at Cat's.  I covered this tag with papers from FabScraps called Victorian Angels.  I then tore some pages from an OLD Hymnal and ran them thru my die machine.  I scored the trees down the center and then adhered them to create a three-dimensional Christmas Tree.  From there it was a matter of just adding trims and embellies.

If you're hear looking for my latest layout for CSI.  It's under construction.... I've been terribly distracted by the holidays and well TAGS..  :(  My apologies.  But it will be up before this weeks reveal!  I promise!  :D  Thanks for stopping by and viewing!

Whoa.... Wednesday!

 Happy Wednesday everyone!  We're into week five at school and I'm slowly getting my life "organized" and establishing MY routine!  CSI is keeping us hopping this month with their collaboration with Once Upon a Sketch.  I didn't have my layout finished in time for the reveal last Friday, but there's still time to play along with the current challenge!! 

My evidence includes:
tree/branches - TH Holly Branch die and some old faux wood fence Paper Studio papers
birds - I used my MS bird punch and some really old Colorbok Transparencies
flowers - I created my flowers with a mini heart punch and scored them down the center.  I then adhered the hearts to a piece of scrap paper and built up my flower.
newsprint pattern - Pleated Bazzil border cut in half
border - I layered MME Andrea Victoria papers, Golden Damask and back of Stripes after punching w/ two of my favorite EK Success punches. 
misting - I misted my TA Mists on my G45 paper hearts to bump down the brightness
woodgrain - the faux wood fence Paper Studio papers and a tag made from Creative Imaginations wood paper.

My journaling is in the form of a "newspaper article", 
Day At the Zoo
by:  Mom  October 2004
Today, Mom took Erin & Sarah to the Ft. Worth Zoo.
There the family enjoyed viewing gorillas, tigers, bears
and lions...

My second tag documented the "Daily Routine" we had developed since moving to Texas.   And both of these tags are tucked up and behind the picture of Sarah. 

If you're looking for some color ideas, or some product prompts or need a sketch to jump start your creativity, now's the time to head over to CSI and play along.  We have two fabulous sponsors and there's still an opportunity to throw your hat in the ring!

Not in the mood to scrap this week but still want a chance to win some Blog Candy??  Well here's your chance.  Head over to Cat's Blog.  Hop thru the blogs being shared.. be sure to leave comments at EACH blog as well as AT Cat's Blog... one random kitty can win some fabulous Blog Candy!!  And you'll see some wonderful creations by some great women.  You might even be inspired to join along there too!!  :D  Come on... here kitty kitty kitty....

Senior

Oh I'm so over due for some scrap time!  But it's Taylor time right now.  My dear son is graduating, thus so many layout featuring him lately.  Bittersweet I'm telling you!!
This week over at CSI, Case File #20 was full of some wonderful challenges!  For me I actually struggle with reds.  And my usual philosophy is to embrace my unliked color and RUN!  But I love greens and brown way to much and since time is the essence for me, I took the "easy" way out.  I kept things simple and even tucked my journaling under the photo to preserve "space".

My journaling is very straight forward this time.
"Taylor ~
Know this and keep these present in your thoughts..
1. You are loved so much.
2. We will NEVER stop loving you, no matter what
3. There is ALWAYS a solution to every problem.  It just depends on how hard you search for the soluction
4. Video games are a source of entertainment and escape.  Not a lifestyle or considered a means to an end."

My evidence for this challenge are:
Spirals -  I attempted the journaling in a spiral and found I suck at it.  So, instead I took twine and created spirals on double sided tape. 
Dots - I used several patterned papers.  red & yellow MME "From the Bright Side" line & an English brand I won like three years ago (it's the dark green circle)  it matched so well!
Insects - Not very sure if they're an insect but I used cut outs from G45 with the moths, and fussy cut from some Pink Paisley.
Stitching - I attempted some machine stitching down the right side of my page...not sure if you can see it.. but it's there.
Kraft background - I used TIM HOLTZ resist kraft!!  LOVE it...
Felt Accent - I had one random piece of vine felt left from another project, perfect!  Slapped it on and called it good
Retro - My old junk, gears, gadgets.. junk on my desk.   Taylor has an old soul and doesn't even know he's "retro" but he is.

That's about all for now... off to the next project and to tackle that mile long "To do" List.  Next week is the Baccalaureate and then the Graduation.  Family and friends.  Then we head to Austin for Solo State Finalist Competition!!!  So many photo ops and so many I need to catch up on!! 

Lightbulb Moment Cover Page

 

So here is the cover to my mini-album made from scraps and items I don't feel like putting away.  The flourish is a Sizzix die using scrap G45 Steam punk Debutante paper.  A Heidi Grace flower spritzed w/ TA Glimmer Mist in English Ivy, a paper flower with it's petals quill rolled and then dipped in melted UTEE.  A bit of twine and some sticky back canvas leaves...  

Now what should I title this??  This mini album will house all the pics of my son from all the little buckets and pails that are currently home for these lost photo's.  Any suggestions?  Let me know what you think!  I'd love to hear!

Adore

Getting back into the stride of things now.  While the desk still looks like a hurricane hit it, I still managed to complete this weeks Color Combo Galore challenge.  What I liked most about the challenge was there wasn't a single speck of white, black, brown or grey as one of the four colors.  THAT can be very challenging.  Throw in red, pink & peach... I'm now perplexed and intrigued.  Can I do this?  Not a huge fan of pink and peach??? 
I decided to use my stash of Graphic 45 papers, these came from the Steampunk Debutante collect.  Found a page of Basic Grey - basic collection and at the time it "appeared" to be peach.. just to be certain, I also used a piece of Color Core'dinations, that I dry embossed with a basket weave plate from Tim Holtz.  

Since I'm shamelessy promoting and drooling over Tim Holtz, I also used my TH dress form die for my Big Shot.  I then "enhanced" it with some vintage ribbon I bought while visiting Hannibal, MO.  I used my Tattered Angels mask as a template and traced onto some Prima paper.  After some fussy cutting and tracing I layered them all together.

Did some more fussy cutting and then started digging thru my stash.. I have TH tissue tape, American Crafts rub-on's, Glizt Rub-on's, ancient Making Memories metal and 7 Gypsie hardware.  I also piddled with some Twinkling H2o's and Perfect Pearls for some random touches. 

Erin in Nauvoo, IL

Erin, my daughter, was patient enough to pose and let me piddle around Sunday morning while exploring Nauvoo, IL.  We had traveled all the way to partake in the annual Family Reunion, that we haven't been able to attend for years.  I think it made my MIL happy to have her son & family there.  I know I enjoyed the time with my husbands cousins that we rarely get to see.  I certainly enjoyed the beautiful area and the time w/ the extended family.

Musical Memories

Oh boy oh boy.  This was actually a very fun Color Combo Challenge.  The colors were Bing Cherry, White-Washed Wood, Key Lime & Lime Ice...the twist on this was use a woodgrain pattern within the project.

I pulled my papers from Graphic 45 Times Nouveau Collection.  It has several sheets full of these cute cherries and the greens were PERFECT!  The next thing I used were several wood grained patterned papers. One is from DCWV's Green Stack.  I used watered down gesso and wiped it on with a sponge.

My other woodgrain paper is some old Paper Studio.  I took my Color Box White Pigment ink and stamped onto my craft mat.  Then I gave it a quick spritz with some water...with this thinned out solution, I wiped it "with the grain" of my paper with my TH Ranger ink applicator w/ the sponge .  Before it even dried, I painted with a coat of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and set in my garage to 'bake'.  Since yesterdays high was around 110.. it was ready to use pretty quickly.  I then wiped it with some Walnut Distress Ink and a little more of the left over white ink.  Once the inks dried, I went back over w/ a fine tip brown marker and "enhanced" the lines and the nail heads of the paper.

For embellishments, I built up coordinating tags from Graphic 45, stickers from forever ago..some fussy cutting of the cherries from scraps, rub on's and a mirrored bird from Heidi Swapp. Some metal embellishments from Tim Holtz and even a hinge I borrowed from a df helped to build things up.  And some altered grunge paper hinges by Tim Holtz.  Being a stickler for these color challenges, I also altered my papers...

The Graphic 45 has lots of cream and golds in it.  The creams I could deal with but the golds, well there was so much it looked orange. my solution??  Markers...copic, sharpie and some SU that I've had forever...

Original Paper

After coloring over the gold with my markers...

There you have it folks.  Well I'm off to play a bit.  I have several challenges I'd like to finish and post.  I'm so behind on my journal.  Been busy getting my dd off to Missouri for some time w/ her grandparents, running ds to choir clinics and choir sectional practice and spending some quality time w/ dd #2 while the siblings are out of our hair for a wee bit.  Lots of drive time involved, but we've been having some fun!  Hope to get caught up over the weekend!! :D  Wish me luck.