Gold Digger

I couldn't help but share this layout with you all.  It was too funny not to.  My family and I were at a Globetrotter's game and in the gift shop, my son spots this #1 hand.  Does it get used properly..... NO!  Did we buy it.....NO!  I feel bad for the guy who does!  I guess boys will be boys:o)  On my layout I stayed with a monochromatic theme.  Collected all my yellow goodies and got started.  Yellow, of course, to highlight the yellow in my crazy photo!  This is thrown together with a mixture Echo Park, Lilybee Design and Basic Grey papers ( all can be purchased over at Eclectic Paperie!).  Embellishments from Dear Lizzy, American Crafts, Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon, My Mind's Eye and Ranger.  Notice the vintage buttons, sequence, and enamel dots scattered throughout.  To get the sequence in a hap-hazard formation, I drop them from above the layout.  Where they land is usually where they get glued.  Looks more random that way.  I then added yellow Stickles where I needed a little more pizzazz.  Now, the Flair.... "Capture this" is perfectly pointing to my sons silly antics!  I must also tell you that his father WAS present and heavily influencing the situation!

This "Today" flair, matches my colors perfectly and is highlighted by layering chipboard and stickers beneath it.  I hope that you have enjoy some behind the scenes of everyday life with a boy.

Mary-Ann

CK Magazine!

I am super excited to featured in this months digital version of Creating Keepsake Magazine!  My creation is on page 39.  I designed a double page layout featuring FarmHouse Paper Company's Fair Skies collection of paper, chipboard and stickers. 

It has been a very bust two weeks here in the Maldonado household!  Roman had his last day of second grade (boo-hoo), we went camping (double boo-hoo), went to a wedding and toured Salem MA.  Here are a few photos of our journey.

On our way to Baxter State Park.  We were happy!

Still happy!

After 5 days of camping in the rain.  I think we were ready to be heading home.

At my Cousin Jason's wedding.  This was before my coughing fit, smack dab in the middle of the ceremony.  Can you tell my ear is clogged??

That is my handsome cousin in the back with his beautiful little girl. (This is my clogged ear!)

My boys planning our attack of Salem MA.  Watch out witches!!

The Hulk being attacked by a really creepy guy who just put out his cigarette!  

I think maybe I am a bit too short for this board.  If I were a tad taller I know that you would have believe that this was me with my handsome pirate!!!

Not sure if Bubba knew this witch wasn't real!

I need a torture device like this at home.  I think it would certainly straighten these boys out!

And then, there is happy mail!!!  Thank you A Flair For Buttons!  I love them all:o)

Now, off to get packed for our next vacation to Oklahoma. 

Mary-Ann

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!