Sparkle Designs

Glenda's Random Amusing Challenge #100

 
Glenda, over at PaperScissorsRocks, has been doing a weekly challenge for quite a while now. Sadly, I rarely have time to participate in many fun challenges. But when she asked a bunch of us to participate in her 100th challenge, I had to say yes.

The challenge was to make a project using red. Easy, peasy since my color of the year is red! She's giving away blog candy, so be sure to participate. You need to make a card using red, upload it to your blog or online gallery (keyword: GRAC100) and then leave a link on her blog.

Here's a list of all the other paricipants.I can't wait to see what everyone created, so be sure to check out all the blogs.

Allison Fillo    http://stampinwhenican.blogspot.com/
Allison Miles    http://allistamps.blogspot.com/
Beate Johns    http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Belinda Chang Langner http://cadnileb.blogspot.com
Carly Robertson   http://carlyrobertson.typepad.com/
Cheiron Brandon   http://www.cheironbrandon.typepad.com/
Chris Sather    http://cattsscratchingpost.blogspot.com/
Dawn Stein    http://www.lavendergiraffe.blogspot.com/
Donna Hitz    http://www.frozenstamper.blogspot.com/
Elena Shacochis   http://thestampingshac.blogspot.com/
Geeta Suggs    http://www.craftyengineer.typepad.com/
Jenn Shurkus   http://jennshurkus.typepad.com/creative_chick/
Jennie Moczan   http://www.simplycaffeinated.typepad.com/
Jill Grace    http://creativegrace.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Joan Jeffery    http://www.j-jcreations.blogspot.com/
June Gibbons   http://perfectlikeacurl.blogspot.com/
Kamila Younkman  http://littlescrapsofheaven.typepad.com/
Krystie Lee Hersch  http://www.cupcakemartini.com/
Lori Barnett    http://www.loribarnett.blogspot.com/
Lyndsay Breid   http://craftynerdspecs.blogspot.com/
Meghan Fahey   http://driventoink.com/
Melinda Matsen   http://www.melinda-musings.blogspot.com/
Michelle Clark   http://www.sparkledesigns.typepad.com/
Michelle Mathey   http://msmathey.blogspot.com/
Michelle Woerner  http://stopandstamptheroses.blogspot.com
Nance Lempinen-Leedy http://nanceleedy.blogspot.com/
Riley Fitzgerald   http://dancerriley.blogspot.com/
Sherry Czarnecki   http://littlestampsbiglife.blogspot.com/
Silke Ledlow    http://silkeledlow.blogspot.com/
Teresa Kline    http://www.enjoythevasunshine.blogspot.com

Happy Monday!!

art journaling

 
Art journaling is something I have wanted to do for a few years. However, the excuses were many and kept me from ever starting.

I am not that kind of artist

I don't have the right kind of journal

If I have time to be creative, I should be doing other more productive things.

I won't be able to fill an art journal.

People may judge my art or lack of it.

I like my art to be clean, simple, and organized. Art journals are not.

Well, it's a new year and time to throw away all the excuses. I didn't have a journal, so I made one. I thought I had a large notebook of watercolor paper, but it was just drawing paper. However, I have some Gesso, so I just cut the paper the size I wanted (5 1/2 x 8) and gesso'ed the front and back of each. I decided that I wanted to be able to add or move pages, so I just punched holes and used book rings.

Then there was the cover. Oh no, what can I do! I had the thought to paint it red and then use black crackle paint, so that I could see just a bit or red poking throught the dark black. Last year was a year full of really high highs and really low lows, so the red to me represesnted 'coming out of the dark' for lack of a better term. Again, I didn't have the right stuff. So I just painted it red, colored over that with a black water color crayon, and wiped some off to reveal the red. It seemd a bit dark and morbid, so I added light pink numbers and around the edges and darker pink butterflies. I like how the paint removed some of the watercolor crayon and just left an outline of the butterflies.

I am really liking the juxtopostion of a more dark design with extremely feminine elements. A study of opposites, if you will. It is so me! Is there a name for that design?

 
Here's the inside cover (super feminine) and the first page featuring my One Litte Word for the year.

Just a few days in and it has already been great. Its relaxing to just throw some paint on a page with no real plan of what it will become. It's freeing to try new art techniques without worrying about 'messing up'. I even used acrylic paint on one of my beloved A Muse wood block stamps...that's just unheard of *wink*. I may not share every page, but I will share more along the way.

We are on day 3 of crazy snow and mostly being snowed in. Here's to hoping that I can at least get some things done today.

Pretty Pastels Color Challenge

 
This may be just a tad bit too girlie for me. I was looking for a challenge to get the ol' mojo going. Moxie Fab World is always a great place to find challenges. So, I did this card for the Pretty Pastels Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week in the Moxie Fab World.

I made this card for my mom's birthday today, but there won't be any celebrations until later this month. We are on day two of this crazy snowed in business and I am about to go completely stir crazy. I dunno why I can't manage to get anything done when I have all this extra time. Hope  you are having a great week. Tomorrow I'll share the beginning of my art journal.

I'm back...

My week away from stamping and blogging quickly turned into two weeks. I had a wonderful holiday week spent with all of my favorite people. We had a white Christmas. After weeks of not really looking forward to Christmas and feeling like a total Scrooge since I wasn't buying any gifts, I must admit I had one of the best ever! It was very relaxed and spent with the people that make me happy- no obligations, no expectations, just perfection!

Took the boys, Josh and Connor, out for a day at INK- Interactive Neighborhood for Kids! If you are in the area and have little ones, you should totally go!

 

My pilots for the trip to the Bahamas!

 
And a little grocery shopping. INK is a fun place for kids with an airplane, fire engine, police car, doctor's office, vet's, 50's diner and many others that make it feel like your in a cool neighborhood.

After a day with boys, one needs a little girlie time. A little shopping.

 

And a trip to the American Girl store. Wow, that's all I can say about that. Becca is the only person on Earth that I would do that for *wink*. If you go through that craziness, you better take time for an afternoon tea at the AG Bistro. We had hot cocoa, but it was still all fancy and girlie.

 
Of course I was evil and made her wait for a photo!

Lots of time with kiddos had to be followed by quiet time at the High Museum of Art for the Dali exhibit with friends. Quite scary that people in line thought they were gonna see the Dalai Lama. I didn't see any llamas *wink*.

 
It was a fantabulous holiday and new year. I am so looking forward to 2011!

I am working on a project that I have wanted to do for ages, but kept putting off. So, stay tuned for that!