Just Us Girls Wild Card Challenge

It's wild card week with JUST US GIRLS!  This week we are going to do the Puzzle Piece Resist Technique.  You can check out a great tutorial on Splitcoaststampers here!

I used stamps from Sweet Stamp Shop: Distressed Chervon and View Finder.

A different view:

Be sure to stop by the Just Us Girls team to see their amazing creations:

 Elise

Lisa

Marisa

Tangii

Vicki

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your project for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS182. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, April 4th. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning. Thanks for playing with us this week!

  

Thanks!

Maria

Unity Friends with Flair Friday / Art Journal Friday

Unity Friends with Flair Friday / Art Journal Friday

Happy Friday everyone! So today I had all the intentions of sharing another journal layout but my kids were sick most of the week so I didn't have the time to finish it.  I did however get a background done so I thought I would at least share that along with another video.

Here is what my background looks like.  I took 2 Unity background stamps.  These aren't the big ones they are the smaller ones.  Using Rangers Perfect Medium I stamped the backgrounds any which way and using Clear Embossing powder I heat embossed the images.  Then I took 3 Dylusions sprays and sprayed away (sorry the yellow bottle is not pictured below).  And the end result was a nice resist.  I did a resist technique on a card recently and thought why not in my journal and with my sprays.

ETA:  So this morning I was able to work on more of the journal spread and wanted to share the part I did finish:

So is it truly finished, we shall see.  I have some stuff going on on the other side as well to complete the entire thing so as I finish the whole thing I'm sure I'll play with this side some more.  SOOO.... I will share the entire finished version for next week's FWF!

To this page the Pink I used is the Hero Arts NEON inks, LOVE THEM!  And I stamped the "title" on a ATC sized Canvas sticky pack by Ranger.

Now for the video.  This is a short video sharing the different type of journals that I have.  The majority of my stamping in general uses Unity stamps so odds are most stamped images you see in the video are Unity.  This video was actually part of my first video I posted last week but I cut this part out so I apologize for the abrupt start to it.  I'm still learning how to edit.  But more importantly I need to figure out why it's grainy.  My original raw video was clear and fine, then I brought it into iMovie and that's when it became grainy.  I used a webcam to record and I wonder if it's not a good one to use with a Mac because its features are limited now that I have a Mac.  Anyhow....  I'll keep trying to figure that out.




Now in other news, I'm organizing a Art Journal Blog Hop which will probably be at the end of April. So if anyone is interested in participating please let me know!  If you already art journal or you want to try come join us it will be fun!

As always I appreciate you stopping by!

Maria

Unity Friends With Flair Friday

It's Friday and time for a little FWF!  I'm still on the mixed media kick for sure!!  This week I didn't have time to create a complete journal layout but I did record a video, I will share below.

But first here is my project for this week, I made a tag:

Here is a closeup:

On this tag I used Dylusions Sprays as well as Crafters Workshop stencils.  The Unity kits I used are:  Tiny Vintage Banners and Moment by Moment.

Here is the video I created.  It's a little grainy, it was clear as raw video then I edited it in iMovie and it came out this way.  I am going to try to edit it another way but for now here it is.

ETA:  I just hear that Blitsy today the sale is going to "dylusional", I'm assuming that they will have these DYLUSIONALS for sale! EEKK!!  Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Maria

Happy 7th Birthday

Today my little ones (boy/girl twins) celebrate their 7th Birthday!  WOW, how time flies!!  They both love my cards and do love to craft with me.  SO I had to make them each a card and I stuck it in their lunch boxes!

Here is what I made:

I used stamps from Sweet Stamp Shop.  The sets I used are: Sweet Tooth, Under the Sea and View Finder. All my papers are from Stampin up.

Thanks for stopping by today!


Maria

Just Us Girls Color Challenge & Unity Challenge

This week we have our color challenge of Green, White, Orange!  I pulled out some Unity Stamps and followed the current Unity Inspired Sketch challenge.

This is the sketch:

Here is what I came up with:

Check out the JUGS DT:

                                                                             Vicki

Marisa

Elise

Lisa
Tangii

Andrea

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your project for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of the JUGS post.  If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS180. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, March 21st. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning. Thanks for playing with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by this week!

Maria

Friends with Flair Friday

TGIF!!  Wow it's been a very busy week for me.  I didn't get too much craftiness going on but I did another journal page (or spread) last night!  I love having something to post for Unity FWF.

As I have mentioned many times in the last few weeks I've been into art journaling lately.  Just simple fun with paint, sprays, stencils and stamps.  I've been a card maker for many many years and I guess sometimes you need to switch gears.  However, that does not mean I won't and don't want to make cards anymore because I do.  But what fun to take all those rubber stamps and use them for something else like  journal pages, layouts, project of life.

Earlier this week I signed up to take 2 Tim Holtz classes!  I am so excited for that.  I mean how very cool to meet and take a class with THE Tim Holtz.


While at the store signing up for the classes guess what I picked up:

This things is pretty cool.  It's literally a gel like plate.  Feels rubbery almost.

Here are some of the very first prints I made:

Used stencils and stamps to create all the "images".  I will definitely play much more with this.

So onto my project for this week.  Yesterday Angela released a few new Phyllis Harris stamps and put them on sale.  I thought I'd use one of the ones that I have in my art journal.  This is from the set called "All About Balance"  and too is on sale!

I used so many things on this spread.  Starting with for the background Dylusions sprays and Crafter Workshop Stencils.  MANY MANY Unity stamps on the background, around the edges etc.  The banner across the top is from the Unity itty bitty called Tiny Vintage Banners.

This section is a Ranger Artist Trading card (sticky back) - Canvas surface.  The sentiment is from the All about balance kit and the circle is from a SMAK kit.

Some close ups of the pages:

The hearts underneath are actual paper dollies which I sprayed with Dylusions sprays and stencils.

Well I think that's all for now!  I hope you enjoy checking out my journal pages.  I haven't actually "journaled" yet.  I'm not really into that even when I scrapbook.  I just LOVE using all the stamps I have instead.

Thanks and Happy Friday!!

Maria

Just Us Girls Technique Week

This week's Just Us Girls challenge has been chosen by our very own Vicki and she picked using a negative die.  I used the mover and shakpers  mini butterflies along with Styled Labels by Tim Holtz.  The butterfly is my "negative", I think I did that right, right? :-)

My card stock and pattern papers are by Stampin Up.  And the sentiment is from Sweet Stamp Shop.

Check out the JUGS DT:

Vicki

Marisa

Elise

Lisa
Tangii

Andrea

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your project for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of the JUGS post.  If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS179. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, March 14th. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning. Thanks for playing with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by this week!

Maria

Art Journaling Fun - FWF!

Happy Friday!  Yes I'm back with more art journaling.  I told you I'm addicted right now!  I started to get bored with just making cards.  Don't get me wrong I will I do love to.  I will still try out for DT's for cards etc but right this very second I'm having fun with my art journals!  Just playing with paints, stencils, sprays.

Yesterday I did a purge in my crafty space and tried to organize a wee bit.  Now I have a bunch of stuff I want to list.  Will work on that.  But while cleaning I found something I bought a while back (surprise surprise) that I haven't used.  They are plastic sheets to make stencils of your own.  SO I decided to use one of my favorite Tim Holtz dies for the big shot and create my own:

I haven't used them yet but will soon and probably make more!

So I did a 2 page journal spread.  This one I started with the background a while ago.  I can't remember what I used for the colors but I think it was watercolor.  On top I used a Crafters Workshop stencil and some matte medium which creates a nice texture that is raised and cool.

Next up I took the background and added some more stencils and stamps.  I decided to "paint" a flower in the middle and this is what it looked like:

How horrible is that?  Oh my I decided to try and play with my SU reinkers for the heck of it.  But it didn't quite come out looking good so I decided to take it another way.  I cut out freehand flowers from some pattern papers that match the page and came up with this flower in the middle:

Here you can see some of the background Unity stamps.  I used a small butterfly, the punchanella stamp by Christy Tominlinson, the sentiment "Life".

This is the left side.  "happiness" is an old Unity sentiment from way back, I decided to use that on both pages for a title of sorts.

This is the right side.  Around all the edges I used a blue polka dot washi tape, then distressed it a bit with black ink.

Here is full final spread:

Thanks for stopping by today!  I will be posting this for Unity Friends with Flair Friday and to Balzer's Designs for Julie's art journaling daily.

Maria

Queen Kat Designs New Release

It's time for the new release over at Queen Kat Designs!  Be sure to swing on by their Facebook page for all the latest!

Here is a new image from Maigan Lynn:

So with my girls for this month I finally decided to water color all my images!  And I loved it!  They came out great I'll be sure to share the others!

Now be sure to also go over to the QUEEK KAT DESIGNS STORE and check out the release!

Release party starts at 7:00pm PST tonight on the QKD FACEBOOK PAGE!

Till later

Maria

WINNER WINNER and a Sneak Peak!

Hi there!

For those who hopped along on Friday and over the weekend for my friend's Julie's Blogoversary I'm here today to announce my randomly selected winner of 2 Unity Itty Bitty Stamps!

The winner is:


Karen of Karey2005 - Craftily Yours

Thank you Karen for hopping and for the kind comments!  Thanks to all who hopped along with us and all the wonderful and inspiring comments!

Karen please contact me for your prize!

Julie also has some winner's she announced so if you haven't be sure to swing on by her blog to check it out!

So I am messing around yet again in my art journal this week.  Did I mention I'm loving it?!

Here is a small snippet of what I am working on:

Well that's all for now!

Till later!

Maria

Julie's Blogoversary Blog Hop & FWF Friday

I have been invited to participate in my crafty friend's Julie Odil's Blogoversary Blog hop and today happens to be Friends With Flair Friday for Unity!  

The theme for this hop is Celebrate Friendship!   If you arrived here from Gwen's Blog then you are on the right track!  If not head on over to Julie's blog to start this hop from the top!

There are some fun prizes to be had along the way.  And I know that Julie will be picking 5 random winners from the blog comments for some super awesome prizes!

Be sure to leave me a comment here (I would love it if you follow me as well) and I will randomly pick someone to receive some Unity Itty Bitty's!

I've been into art journalling a bit lately and created this art journal page.  I have this fun canvas from Pier 1 which I loved and wanted to create or recreate it in my journal.


Here is the canvas from Pier 1:

Here is what I came up with:

I drew the pictures and used acrylic paints and some stamps. My sentiment stamp is from Unity Stamp Co. I just loved how it looks in my journal it's a happy page.

The official line up:

Julie Odil http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com

Rebecca Daniels www.bloomingpink.blogspot.com

Polly Zastawnik www.pazasproductions.blogspot.com

Mary Shriver www.mkbugs.blogspot.com

Angel http://scrappyscrappy.blogspot.com

Miwa Lee (Chocolatier Miwa) http://miwannascrap.blogspot.com

DeeDee Catron http://umwowstudio.com

Brenda (centralnyscrapper) http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com

Gwen Teerink http://windchimesandlilacs.blogspot.com

Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com

Christina McAdams http://thriftysisters-chris.blogspot.com

Paula McClane http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/

Lucy Evans http://littlescrapsoflucy.blogspot.com

Karen Nofziger http://karey2005.blogspot.com

Corrie Wagner http://corriescrafts.blogspot.com

Kary Lim http://karyg.blogspot.com

Erin (CelticCrafter) & Ruth http://celticcrafters.blogspot.com/

Laura Sanchez http://lauraannsbreakfastpizza.blogspot.com/

Theresa Krout http://inkyfingers1.blogspot.com/


Now be sure to swing on by to Christina's Blog!


Thanks!

Maria