OH CANADA

I was recently in Buffalo, NY with some of my closest friends.  We worked.  Or so we say we did!!!  We ate.  Shopped for Starbucks mugs.  You know, the ones from different places you go...we got Niagara Falls and Canada.  I only got them because my friends did.  Since then they have bred like rabbits and I have different people looking for them for me.  I have exceeded the limit on how many coffee cups one person should have.  Ask my husband.  I need a storage unit.  It is true.  No joke!  We also went the wrong way and was forced to cross the bridge into Canada to see the falls.  We were going to walk but it didn't work out the way we hoped and had to pay $30.00 in parking instead!  But the crossing guard was hot, as in oh-la-la!  Crossing guard?  That is the person who does the school bus crossing, I can't think of his title.  Might be because we were giddy like school girls when he said "chow" as we drove away.   Here is the super pink, bright, fun layout I created using Studio Calico's Round About kit.  It features: American Crafts, Studio Calico, Simple Stories and Crate Paper.  I threw in a Chic Tag free printable, My Mind's Eye enamels and Crate Paper frames.  I think the pink stars are from last months Studio Calico kit.  I am almost out:o(

I think this should have been an indication that we went a little too far!

See that yellow geo tag?  Came with the kit.  I tried to punch a hole in it but it would not go through.  I wanted to sew it onto my page.  Once I destroyed the center of the geo tag, I had to cover it with something because not using it was NOT an option.  Wish I had more!  I heart the new Crate Paper Chipboard frames.  They go with anything and everything.  There are so many in one package, you can use them forever!

See the camera?  made from the same stuff as the yellow geo tag.  WARNING:  NOT PUNCHABLE!    Another free printable from Chic Tags with enamels as headlights:o)  Do you spy the second Crate Paper frame?

How about the third?  See the Buffalo button?  My friend gave it to me.  We had a pack that we would scrapbook these pictures.  I think I am the first, I have yet to see theirs....hint hint!  This layout makes me happy.  It may be a combination of the people I was with, along with the beautiful colors provided in this months kit.  

til next time,

Mary-Ann

My Chalk Famly

Hello "REAL" people just wanted to share "My Chalk Family!" layout with you.  Just recently I attended an open house at Eclectic Paperie's new store front location and got my hands dirty with some really cool product.  I felt like that really clean girl in a fancy fluffy dress, not wanting to play in the mud puddle with all her friends.  But, with much encouragement from my mixed media friends, I jumped in....with only one foot!  I enjoyed seeing the creations of others and decided I would buy Gesso.  What?  I am still not sure what it is but I like it.  I tried my hand at what I thought was reaching WAY outside the box, for me!  This is what I started with. (Everything highlighted can be purchased over at Eclectic Paperie.)

Lily Bee Designs - Pinwheel 6x6 Paper Pad, Claudia Hellmuth Studio Gesso, TCW 6x6 template - Circle Explosion and my super cute chalk art photos!

Then I thought that the white Gesso was to stark on my choice of blue paper, so I dug deep and found some old blue embossing powder when I dug out my heat gun to help dry my Gesso.  Maybe that is why I am not hard-core mixed-media, I have not patience when allowing things to dry.  I like instant gratification folks and my heat gun helped.  So did the powder!  LOOK!

After I changed the  Maya Road- You've Been Framed Wood Embellishments with Distress Stain - Pumice Stone, I added Gesso and embossing powder to the bottom.  Which I actually turned on its side.   I added stitching to help hold some of my embellishments in place.  I layered papers, tucked tags and added random chipboard pieces.  I also added the perfect color flair from A Flair For Buttons - My Life Words 1.

I added some more little touches of My Mind's Eye enamels, Jillibean Soup Sugar Picks and The Twinery - Platinum Shimmer twine.

Here you can see that I changed the Basic Grey - Hipster - Wood Veneer banners with Pumice Stone like before and the word "awesome" with Forest Moss Distress Stain.  I added another flair and a Wendy Vecchi - Blossom Bucket - Red Heart. 

Ta-da, a Mary-Ann style layout with a mixed media twist!  Thanks for getting a "little" dirty with me!

Bring your kid to work day!

This is one of my favorite layouts.  Is it the layout or the photo?  Last summer, my husband decided to bring my son to work with him.  With all the loud equipment and noises, he was required to wear protective ear phones.  I guess it was sooooo quiet that within minutes he was fast asleep on the job.    It is times like this that I wish I could pick him up and rock him like he was a baby.  Fear not, I am not that delusional, I realize that I would either drop him or be admitted for back surgery soon after.

This layout was created with this months Studio Calico kit - Roundabout.  Its a collection of Crate Paper, Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Simple Stories along with my own stash of October Afternoon, Silhouette Cameo, washi tape and of course, A Flair for Buttons.  I layered tags, layered acetate and rounded it out with several circle embellishments.

At least one or more Flair can be added to any layout.  "Dude" is just perfect here!  You can get your Flair here!

I used the following on this layout.........."Whatever Flair."

Hope to see you again soon!

Mary-Ann

Buried treasure with Seth Apter and Eclectic Paperie

Today is a little different for me, so bare with me.  Seth Apter is having a Buried Treasure blog hoppy kinda thing that Eclectic Paperie is participating in.  I am very excited about this opportunity but fear that my style is the farthest thing from Mixed Media.  (My definition of Mixed media - getting dirty!)  Oh well, there are all types of designers and artists out there, right?  So I said, "Why not?"  I am to share with you one of my favorite posts from my blog. I looked back and thought that many of the very first blog posts were just to embarrassing to re-live again!  The dark photos, weird subject matter and some definite lack of creativity!  If only I could share with you so of my very first scrapbooking pages, "they" would, for sure, cancel my blog and ban me from sharing any thing I create evah again!

 (Thought I would throw in a little of my Maine accent!)

So I went back to October 2012.  I know this is not too old but it is the subject matter that I adore so very much.  If you click on the photo, it will enlarge.  You may want tissue, trust me, it is worth the read.  So here it is again!

TEXT ME:

My nieces were here last week.  I picked them up in Boston and they stayed with me for the night then we headed to Maine for their mom's wedding.  Roman was so excited that they were coming and acted really shy when they first got here.  It was hard for him to communicate in person but not through text.  He was able to spend 5 days with his cousins and was completely depressed when we left Sunday morning.  This is the text between him and Felicia the morning that we left.  WARNING:  it is heartbreaking.

Thanks for stopping by, again!

Mary-Ann

Bon Appetit

With FarmHouse Paper Company starting to ship the Country Kitchen Collection, how could I NOT create a recipe box for a class at Ink About It.  The class will be held on June 20th from 6-9 in Westford MA.  You can click here to connect with the store to sign up.  

I decorated this paper mache recipe box with several different papers, chipboards and stickers from the Country Kitchen line.  I love the vintage feel and the color pallet.  My favorites.....the green scale and wooden spoon!  

Look at the rich colors and layering on the inside and out!

I have been working all morning trying to figure out how to take photos that will not blur my edges.  I think I have conquered that dilemma but the sample is already at the store.  So this my friends, is a blurry edged photo.  Sorry.  Here are a couple inside photos.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to head over to FarmHouse Paper Company to see where you can purchase this collection for yourself or if your local, Ink About It has just received their shipment of Country Kitchen!!!  Hurry, it will NOT last long.

Mary-Ann