Getting Artsy - Mini Art Journal

I used a stencil (Plaid Folk-Art: Fleur) and foam blending tools to create a pattern on Watercolor paper. I used Close To My Heart ink pads in Sweet Leaf, Topiary, Buttercup, Hollyhock, Vineyard Berry, and Indian Corn Blue. Then used the patterned paper to create a mini-book. I learned how to create the book from the class video Art Journaling 101 taught by Erin Bassett at True Scrap 4.
All this stencilng was inspired by Stencil 101 it's a FREE class by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer at Balzerdesigns. I'm also currently taking The Curious Scrapbooker's Field Guide taught by May Flaum at Big Picture Classes, this is the 2nd session I've taken this class because it so inspired me to step into some new areas with my supplies.
 

Next I stamped and embellished each set of pages.
CTMH stamp set Tailor-Made, CTMH Buttons, CTMH Glitter Gell in Stardust. Page sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle

CTMH Stamp Set Chairs To You, watercolor pencils, Tim Holtz waterbrush, CTMH sparkles colored with CTMH alcohol marker in pear. Page sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle. Ribbon CTMH. CTMH Glitter Gell in Stardust.
CTMH stamp set Trees & Things. Washi Tape from Pick Your Plum, flowers by Prima, Bakers Twine from Fancy Pants Designs. Flowers sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Silver & Sparkle.
My first art journaling. Now I just need to decorate the outside cover.

Birthday Retreat Pages: Twitterpated

OK I have scrapbook pages from my marvelous birthday weekend get away. I took these photos yesterday. I was so happy here at this retreat that the only pages I wanted to work on were pages about the retreat I am on. So here are the first pair of pages. Hot off the press thanks to CTMH Studio J online scrapbooking software!

Paper Pack: Twitterpated
Click for larger view.
Journaling Detail

I'd also like to point out that this is the same page template as I used on the Easter Morning Pages, but the left hand page is rotated, I love that I'm able to get such different results with the same template.

This Girl Could Use Some R&R

I'm so scattered these days I feel like I'm running toward all points on the compass at once. I thought I'd run down a list of them real quickly, but if you know me, you know I'm not a girl of few words. I am still planning to do further installments of the How I Learned To Scrapbook story - but want to show you photos of my first scrapbook & when I went to photo it, was a different album in that box.

The Biggest thing I've been concentrating on is Organizing Digital Photos. Get it Together Keep it Together This is a photo organization class taught by Molly Newman that I took at ReneePearson.com It was a 4 week class on organizing photos and digital elements using a program called ACDSee. I found out about the class from Julie Johnson 4 days after it started - so I had to hit the ground running. I am well on my way to categorizing, keywording, & rating my digital photos so that I can easily search them and find what I want.
It's been time consuming and exciting, and a lot of work. Due to the technical nature of the class I was trying to keep right up with the lessons in order to be able to ask questions of the instructor at weekly online video chat sessions.

During the class I also got an external hard drive. Half my photos are on my laptop and half on a desktop computer that I never use. I am in the process of migrating all the photos onto the External Hard Drive so that I'll have access to them at the scrapbook retreat I am going on for my birthday at the end of this month.

I feel like this is the most PRACTICAL of all the online classes I have taken as I am putting a system in place that I will use for everything I do. I am very pleased with the experience & am planning to take a Photoshop class from Renee Pearson in June. http://www.reneepearson.com/classes/basics.html

In the middle of all of this I also Created 8 CTMH Studio J double page scrapbook layouts in a 5 day crash session. I blogged about that Studio J Posts are here.

Design Your Life - a 12 week design concept course taught at Big Picture Scrapbook just wrapped up, I a behind so I have a LOT of materials yet to go through. This class included layered templates for Photoshop Elements and prompted me to make my first ever digital scrapbook page. Holy Cow! that seems like forever ago.

I am in the final week with Adventures in Scrapbooking: Go Hybrid taught by May Flaum also at Big Picture Scrapbook. This was a 6 week course about incorporating digital elements into traditional paper scrapbook pages. Wonderful class. I feel behind due to the photo organization focus, and am looking forward to finishing out the rest of that content. I feel like It's a little surprise package that is waiting for me to go back and play with it.

I also convinced my husband that it was better to share "the good camera" (seen in photos) with me, than to have to buy me a brand new camera. Hurray!


Gracious me if that wasn't enough now I've signed up for several future classes:
Everyday Adventures: Becoming an Explorer of your World. A 4 week class beginning April 15 taught by Tami Morrison.
Textuality A class about incorporating text and print into scrpabook pages. 4 weeks starting April 22 taught by Amy Sorensen.
Get Great Photos with Any Camera a 4 week course beginning May 13, taught by Elisha Snow.

I was also contacted by Mardel Christian & Education Stores. They asked me to review a copy of a soon-to-be-released book that they are very enthusiastic about.
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. I have been hearing great buzz about this book. I can't wait to dive into it!

It is a beautiful afternoon! Dinner is in the crock pot, I have a glass of iced tea ready & I'm taking it outside to read on my lounge chair as soon as I finish this post.

I made my deadline!

I made it! I made my scrapbooking deadline and got all the pages done & ordered by last night March 31 in order to take advantage of the introductory special I was working toward.

I did want to give you a heads up that when I was all done I tweaked the first set of zoo pages I made. I added the updated image to the original post. Here's a link in case you want to go back & see. http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-studio-j-scrapbook-pages.html

I ended up only making 8 instead of 10 layouts because I convinced my Dad to get copies of 2 of the layouts that were shared memories. I don't know if I could have made it, otherwise.

All the layouts are on my blog & I'll be updating those posts with some additional info like fonts & etc in the next few days.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement & comments on this project, they really kept me going. I now have 8 new 2 page layouts, 16 pages that might be more than I scrapbooked all of last year! And what an experience it was making 8 pages in 5 days; 5 of them in the final 2 days.

On top of all that Cathy Zielske commented on my blog! Squeee!
Yesterday I was also contacted about reviewing a book that has yet to be released. Wow! this week life has suddenly taken off in the creativity category! My one little word for 2010 is: Purpose!

Liberty - Houston Zoo's Bald Eagle

Final set of pages, I met my deadline!

These pages are made in CTMH's Online Software Studio J. Kit used is Route 66.
Journaling Detail.

Here is a video about Liberty.

Zoo Two: Expedition

"If you can jump on it, climb over it, hang from it, crawl under it, or hide in it. My boy will!"

That's the journaling on this page. These are pages 3 & 4 from the earlier Houston Zoo pages! It's still CTMH's Online Studio J and the Kit is Expedition. More later. I have one more set of pages to make by tonight if I'm going to make my deadline!

Easter Morning 2008: Caprice

CTMH Studio J Digital Layouts. Kit: Caprice 2 more layouts to make, today, if I'm going to make the deadline. More details on these later! Very happy w/ them for at first panicking because there weren't any Easter kits & Ethan's robe didn't match typically Easter colors. GO ME!!!

Title very pleased with combination of fonts, here.

Journaling

I'd like to point out that this is the same page template that I used on my Birthday Retreat Pages, I got a different look by rotating the left hand page.

The One About The Big Box

You may recall these photos, I blogged about this day. I think this is the first blog post that turned into a scrapbook page. I'm terribly pleased with the outcome.

These pages are made with CTMH's soon to be released Studio J online software. Grace Paper Pack and Stickease are also available as traditional product. I used the Jazzy Combination Pattern.

I feel like I really got the program to go outside the box this time. Oh dear, when I first typed that I didn't even realize I was punning.
I decided to go for a Sewing Notions theme with my embellishments on these pages so I used a lot of stitches and it was my intention that the brads would look like decorative pins.
I hope you can see that I added stitching to the date font... the font already had those crosspieces, I just put yellow stitches on top of them.
I stole the stitches from buttons and in some cases sized them up to 130%.

Here I discovered that you can apply Background & Texture paper to a journal box space. I layered and re-sized several of the My Stickease to take up this extra journal space and tried to continue the pin & stitch theme.

Here is the journaling. It's so handy to be able to lift journaling off your own blog!

Cathy Zielske if you're reading this (and I'm sure she's not) I've felt TERRIBLY TERRIBLY clever for at least 20 minutes, now! (Squee! She read & she commented!!!!)
Oh yes, the mentioned Uncle Brent is not pictured, as he refused to be photographed that day.

Cockrell Butterfly Center: Emporium

Detail of ribbon text & My Stickease

These pages are made in Studio J by CTMH using Dramatic Fashion design.
Emporium Paper Packet and My Stickease are also available as traditional product.
See My Blog Post & Larger Photos from this Day.

Dewberry Farm Pages 3 and 4: Sarsaparilla

Pages made digitally in CTMH Studio J. Page design is Dialogue.
Sarsaparilla Paper Pack and My Stickease assortment also available as traditional product.

Dewberry Farm Pages: Sarsaparilla

Second set of pages made in CTMH's Studio J
Page design is Sideline Surprise. Digital Papers are Sarsaparilla

First Studio J Scrapbook Pages

It's March 31 and I updated the zoo page to this. Original is below.

I made these pages in CTMH's Studio J. Its an online digi scrapping software that is set to roll out to customers in late April.

These pages were so easy to make & I feel like I was still able to make them my own. Sorry I can't get a bigger image for details. I have added great sanding & ink sponging effects and staples that just don't come across at this size. I enjoyed being able to set the color of all the embelishments, they begin un-colored and you select the color you want. The embelishments are so detailed that you can select which color you want for buttons & also customize the color of the thread stitching on the buttons too.

The titles are created by using the same title in a different color behind the title to create a drop shadow and help the title show up against variously colored backgrounds.

Here is a detail of the journal block. I actually used 2 additional journal blocks with transparent backgrounds over the top of the vellum journal block that you see... in order to be able to use 2 different fonts & sizes of text. Journaling font is CTMH Inkling. Title & Date info font is Prestige.

These pages are made with the CTMH Expedition paper pack. These elements are also available as traditional scrap materials.

Cricut Creations

There has been a lot of interest lately in Cricut machines, so I'm posting Cricut artwork that hasn't previously been on my blog. Most of these are things I posted to the Cricut Message Board before I had my own blog. I'll give a link to project details on that board when possible.

Click Artwork for Larger view

Harvest Layouts http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=408620

Thanksgiving pages. Made with CTMH True Fit Folios.

Valentine Pillow Box http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=340541

Christmas Tags http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=197746&mpage=1&key=&#197746

Thanks a Latte card - (cuttlebug swirl texture) http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=962366&mpage=1&key=&#962366

Thanks tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175736&mpage=1&key=&#175736

Santa Tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175733&mpage=1&key=&#175733

Sparrow Fan Book - Craft Your Heart Challenge 1

Here is the project I created for my very first blog Challenge. It is a little sparrow fan book.
Click on the photos for a larger view.

The Story:

There are some days that my heart wells up with happiness and I have to open my mouth and express it in singing. There are other days, when I miss my mother and am filled with loneliness or my heart is heavy with worry about my little boy - those days have other kinds of songs, songs of sorrow, songs of care. Even on those days of lament, somehow through the singing, I journey through them into comfort and peace.

On these days - days of music, I have always thought to myself... "I know why birds sing. I know they can not help it, that it is just something that comes burbling up from inside them.

On the inside pages of the book are the words to "His Eye is on the Sparrow" a song which means so much to me because it comes so near to expressing those many singing days.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

when songs give place to sighing; when hope within me dies;

I draw closer to Him, from care He sets me free:

His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.

Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

His eye is on the sparrow,

and I know he watches me.

‘Let not your heart be troubled’, His tender word I hear,

and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

though by the path He leadeth, but one step can I see:

His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.

Here is the book fanned out so you can see the pages.
The book is assembled with a Bigger Brad threaded through the eye of the bird.
Here are all the pieces the inner pages, front and back covers, and brad and they eye which I applied to the top of the brad using Liquid Glass

Cardstock and Patterned Papers are from the Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Pack by Close To My Heart. The patterned paper on the two birds are cut from the same paper, the reverse bird used for the back cover used the reverse side of the patterned paper.

The words were printed on vellum, which was then run through a xyron machine, trimmed to fit and adhered to the pages. Font: Constantina.

I cut the pieces using Cricut Design Studio Software and my Cricut machine. The bird image is from the Sleeping Beauty section of the Happily Every After Cartridge. Pieces were cut at 5 1/4" - the largest I could cut with my machine.

This was my first project using the Cricut Design Studio Software. I got a bit frustrated with it from time to time, but in the end I prefer the control that I have using it. I have no desire to go back to "cutting blind" and all the paper wasted with mistakes. I am happy with the software investment.

Click Here to see the challenge.

Craft Your Heart Challenge - 1

I'm trying something new that I think will be a lot of fun if y'all will participate. If this sounds like fun to you too- jump in and take the challenge!
Click Here - to see my project for the challenge.

What is important to you...
Do you have a theme, or a motto... words or an idea to live by or is there something important you have learned lately? Give yourself permission to step away from the traditional celebration of just events and milestones...

Craft something to express what's in your heart. It can be a card, scrapbook page... decor item, paper craft, pillow, bookmark - anything... it doesn't matter... make something to expresses what's in your heart.

When you've created your project post a comment with a link so we can all see what you've made!

Here is a prototype of my project. Click Here to see my final project for the challenge.
Papers and Cardstock are from Close To My Heart Emporium
The bird cut is from the Happily Ever After Cricut Cartridge.


This bird is made using the Emporium Paper Packet by Close To My Heart.