Fiesta Time - Paper Issues

Morning taco loving friends.

I recently did a live video one on the Paper Issues Friends and Fans page with a Free Cut File and Distress Oxide Inks.  Thats about it.  I only added a couple embellishments to the side after I was done.  You gotta see how it came out.  I LOVE IT!

Watch the video here:

https://www.facebook.com/1635582489/videos/10223955773555612/

My dad and boy made a bet on eating the big Grande Taco at Margaritas.  They both succeeded.  I think Romans was less full because he took a lot of the yucky stuff off when he ordered.  Smart boy.  

Pumpkin Carving - Paper Issues

It is that time again where I create a mood board from inspiration on Pinterest.  It is called Pinspire Me Mood Board.  It is so fun.  Draw inspiration from anything in the board and create a project.  Upload it to the PIFF FB page and be entered to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store.  Win win!  You can see more of the team designs on the BLOG today.  

Every year, we carve pumpkins.  This was our first year carving without our chums.  My friend Kathy seriously should offer carving classes or carve professionally.  Although our carvings are not perfect or exciting, we have so much fun making the mess.  Some of us take it seriously while others pretend to eat it for the camera.  Sigh.

I used Simple Stories Simple Kit for my papers.  A touch of mambi washi and Tim Holtz rub-ons.  I couldn't help but add black gemstones to the spider bodies from Queen & Company.  

Here is a peek at the mood board itself.  

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Desperately trying to forget I'm 43!

I guess if you can't forget it, you might as well announce it.  

I am divulging too much information about myself over at eclectic Paperie today.  Ugh, can you believe it?  I often feel 43, if not older.  I have just recently started seeing things in the mirror that didn't used to be there.  I could list them but you probably don't care:o)  

So instead, I will share a layout with you using Fancy Pants Me-ology line.  

I don't often scrapbook about myself, so this is new.

Head over to eP and see more closeups of his layout.  But please,  do not wish me a happy birthday.  It was last month and I refuse to celebrate.  Until next year of course!

Family mini album part duex!

It is my turn over at Eclectic paperie and I am finishing off this mini that I submitted a few months back for the Get Altered - altered book challenge.  

Go here to see what I mean!  

Well, I am gonna share the rest of this mini with you today.  I seriously finished this guy while my family was camping in the deep woods of Maine.  I stayed back while my family hiked deep into bear country.    Hang on while I take you through this photo heavy journey of 2013 family selfies!  I believe if you click on each photo separately, it will make it larger for you to read my journaling.  Only if you are interested:o)  

Here is proof that I scrapped while camping!!!

Tata!

Third Grade Biography and Typical Expression

Today I have two layouts over on eclectic Paperie's blog. 

The first is of Bubba doing research for his third grade biography.  He wanted to do a sports figure but we assumed that is what all the other kids were going to do.  So, off we headed to the library to research possible war hero biographies.  He was attracted to the Green Berets books but decided to report about Norman Schwarzkopf.  He can actually spell this guys name!!  I had to use spell check! 

The second layout is of Bub's typical facial expression.  

These layout were created using eclectic Paperie's kit of the month.  Although the kit is packed with amazing goodies, a little flair from A Flair for Buttons never hurts!

Thanks for stopping in.

Mary-Ann

Family Mini album

Today I am over at eclectic Paperie, sharing this mini alum in the works.  Be sure to stop over for supplies used and a bit more detail.  

Thanks for stopping in.

Mary-Ann

Family

It is my turn to post over at eclectic Paperie today and this is what I shared.....

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving last year, my mom, my sister and I were together.  It wasn't until last minute, when the sun had already gone down that we decide to capture a picture.  With the wrong lens (cause the right one was 4 hrs way!) I had my friend snap a few.  Even dark and dimly lit, you can tell that we were happy to be together.  I thank God daily for blessing me with two of my best friends.  

I created this layout with the amazingly beautiful Botanical Tea by Graphic 45.  You can probably tell by now, that something like Graphic 45 most often intimidates me.  This line, however, has got to be the best they have ever made.  It is stunning.  You have to see it to believe it.  Of course it is for sale in the shop!!

You can see here where I added a little gelato with water to create a small pink watercolor effect.  I also colored my Maya Road Butterfly with green gelato and water.  The stamps that you cut from the paper, are just delicious, back with foam tape for embellishment.

I added a few leftover Fancy Pants Resin Flowers and metal trinkets from Farmhouse Paper Company that I had in my stash.  A few drops of paint and my layout was complete.  

Thanks for looking.

Mary-Ann

Believe

I don't know where December went or the first part of January!!!  We did have two snow days that postponed back to school, so maybe that is where the time has gone?  Snow days = NO time for mom!!  When I was planning my layout to share with you today, I decided I would choose my all time FAVORITE  photo from Christmas and use up some of my leftover stash from Fancy Pants, Merry Little Christmas.  I have also been watching a ton of tutorials from other design team members and think I did a pretty good job of incorporating mixed media with my traditional style of scrapbooking.

I started with a clean white cardstock base.  Added Gesso, rubbed distress inks into my stencils, dropped some splashes of inks and Distress Paints.  I still needed something more.  I used the same technique I used on my Fall Swim layout (click here to see). I sprayed colors onto my mat, added a little water, turned my cardstock face down on this pretty mess of colors, rubbed it a lightly and voila, smudgy drippy awesomeness.  The splotch looks a bit bright and large here  but most of that gets covered by my paper layering.

Then I began layering.  I cut my title and deer embellishment with my Silhouette.  I tucked a Fancy Pants Glassine Bag behind my picture and tucked my journaling in here on a really large tag I had on hand.

To create these droplets of silver, I used a dry paintbrush, dipped it into my Brushed Pewter Distress Paint and let gravity drop the liquid.  If you let them air dry, they will be slightly raised to the touch.

Hope you have enjoyed my creation.  I look forward to seeing you again real soon.

Mary-Ann

PS:  Head on over to the Eclectic Paperie blog,  find out which items I used and where you can purchase them!

Blizzard

  No.....I am not ready for the snow to start falling just yet!  This is from last year, the photos that is!  We had snow halfway up our back door and took hours to dig out the driveway.  It is funny though, with the snow drifts, my husbands truck was spared from the white stuff.  He says it was scared to touch is rough and tough truck, that it knew better!  Rigggghhhhtttt.  With 50 things on my to-do list, I completely forgot it was my turn to post over at Eclectic Paperie today.  I wanted it to be simple, clean and to the point.  I need to plan better:o)

Head over to Eclectic paperie for a breakdown of how I created this Blizzard layout.

TFL,

Mary-Ann

Fall Swim

With watercolor being an up and coming challenge over at Eclectic Paperie, I decided I'd try my hand at watercoloring on this swimming layout.  Fitting don't you think? WATERcolor with swimming!!  Anyway, I also tried a new technique.   

I laid out my non-stick craft sheet and lightly sprayed color mists directly on the sheet and then diluted this by spray by spraying water directly on top.  This helped thin my colors.  It is hard to see in this photo but look closely!

I then turned my paper face down onto the wet puddles of spray.  When I lifted and turned my paper over, I could see where the colors mixed on my paper.

Once I decided where my photo and papers were going to be, I got out my Tim Holtz Stars Layering Stencil and with a gray watercolor pencil, I traced where I wanted random stars.  With a blender pen or water brush, I lightly went over the pencil marks to make them blend like watercolor.

See the stars?  I then took the same colored pencil and drew light lines and lightened those with the same blender pen.  

Layered on my tags, ephemera embellishments and resin flowers.

This Fancy Pants line, Happy Go Lucky, was PERFECT for the colors in my photo.  I must say, I have tons of product left that would create a completely different style layout.  After this layout was complete I trickled droplets of gold spray in various places and used gold thread to sew.  This time, the sewing helped keep my tile and small embellishments in place.  

You can find the items from this layout at Eclectic Paperie or link on the item below.

Mary-Ann

Fancy Pants � Happy Go Lucky 6x6 Paper Pad	Fancy Pants - Happy Go Lucky - Small Decorative Tags	Fancy Pants - Autumn Hues Resin Flowers	Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Stars	Idea-ology - Cabinet Cards	Copic Sketch - 0 - Colorless Blender	Inksessentials - Mini Mister 3-Pack
Dylusions Ink Spray - Calypso Teal	Dylusions Ink Spray - Bubblegum Pink	Scotch Foam Mounting Tape	Beacon - Zip Dry	Glue Dots� Vellum Transparent 3x4 10 pc Sheet	Mono Adhesive Tape Runner - Permanent