Bad Chemistry!

I saw test tubes in the mood board, I was felling like I should get ready for Halloween and I came across the test tube set at Michael's one Sunday. The above photo was taken in a "tent" made of a blanket and jackets while using a black light to show some glow. I need to take a photo of it's "natural" glow, but I'll have to wait until tonight. But I really wanted to get this in the Creative Embellishments Challenge!! 

The September, Creative Embellishments, Mood Board

Video: I have the parts, I just need to get it edited.

Close Ups:

Products:

• Creative Embellishments
• Distressed Harlequin Pieces
• 13 @rts
• Ayeeda Mist
• Pearl Turquoise Light
• Ayeeda Paint
• Red Bronze
• Ayeeda Powder
• Rusty Bronze
• Prima
• Finnabair
• Heavy Gesso
• Black
• Ranger
• Tim Holtz
• Distress Paint
• Hickory Smoke
• Ground Espresso
• Recollection
• Ephemera Insects
• Ashland
• Decorative Filler
• Halloween
• Test Tube Set
• Art & Glow
• Casting & Coating Epoxy Resin
• Foam-It! 5
• Rigid Polyurethane Foam
• Glow In The Dark Pigment Powder (NOT an affiliate link, just a link to the ones I used)
• Kelly
• Gold
• Teal
• Violet
• Lemon
• Red
• Orange
• HXDZFX Glow in The Dark Pigment Powder (NOT an affiliate link, just a link to the ones I used)
• Pink
• Blue
• Unknown/Unbranded
• the "webbing"

Origin (Canvas) - MTW Sept. 2019

Over on the More Than Words Challenge blog this month we were tasked with finding inspiration from the word "Origins" and using the colors of our country. I love genealogy, so for me "Origins" is "where did I come from?" I love seeing faces of people I never knew and finding some resemblance!

For this project I used a photo from Ancestry.com of my great-great grandparents and eight of their ten children and maybe a grandchild (the youngest being held). Based on records on Ancestry.com, this photo is over 104 years old. (The youngest girl passed away in 1905 at only 12 years old.)

I chose this photo for this project for a couple of reasons. First, it is representative of the Cherokee I have in my family history. Besides the red, white, and blue of the United States, I (tried to) incorporate the colors of the flag of the Cherokee Nation, orange, yellow, green, and black. The following is from Cherokee.org's FAQ page regarding the flag and seal:

The seal of the Cherokee Nation was created by an executive Act under Chief Lewis Downing in 1869. The Act calls for the seal to contain a seven-pointed star inside of a wreath of oak leaves, symbolizing the eternal flame of the Cherokee people. The star is not designated to point a specific direction, but in the original version from 1869, it rests on a single downward point. The points of the star represent the seven traditional Cherokee clans. Within the rings of the seal, the words Cherokee Nation, September 6, 1839, are included, recognizing the date of the signing of the first Cherokee Nation Constitution after relocation to Indian Territory, as well as the date of the Act of Union, uniting the Old Settlers and Eastern Immigrant Cherokees into a single Cherokee Nation government once again.

The Cherokee Flag contains the Cherokee Nation seal (see the question above for the full symbolism of the seal) in the middle with seven stars in the outer field along with a single, black star. The seven stars in the outer field represent the seven clans, and the one additional star, which is black, is to remember those who died as a result of the Trail of Tears.

In addition to the Cherokee in my history, the "white" part of this particular branch of my family has been in the United States since before it was the United States! So, there you have it! The colors of my country and what "Origins" means to me!

Process Video:

Close-ups:

Products:

• [From the] Tres Jolie Sept. 2019 Mixed Media Kit
• 9x12 Canvas
• 13@rts
• Mixed Media Stencil
• His & Hers Remastered
• Mechanical
• Ayeeda Paint
• Red Bronze
• Snow Cap
• Ayeeda Powder
• Rusty Bronze
• Rust Reagent
• Ayeeda Powder 3D
• Old Gold XS Microspheres
• Lindy's
• Starburst Squirts
• Beaver Tail Brown
• Hockey Puck Black
• 13 @rts
• Ayeeda Mist
• Patina Bronze
• Prima
• Prima Flowers
• Item #637682
• Item #632014
• Resin Icons
• Item #573355 (Feathers)
• Finnabair
• Metallique Paint
• Royal Blue
• Ranger
• Tim Holtz
• Mini Blending Tool
• Splatter Brush
• Distress Paint
• Lucky Clover
• Candied Apple
• Dylusions Paint
• Tangerine Dream
• Glossy Accents
• 49 & Market
• Vintage Shades Flowers
• Yellow Cluster
• Graphic 45
• Rose Bouquet Collection
• Triumphant Red
• Folk Art
• Enamels
• Yellow Light
• Liquitex
• Matte Gel
• Matte Super Heavy Gel
• Unknown/Unbranded
• Texture Pebbles

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Sometimes, just sometimes, I feel the need to do a project that has no real purpose. That's where art journaling comes in. In this case I wanted to use/remember this quote by Former First Lady Michelle Obama from her book Becoming:

Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.

I think it is probably a good thing art journaling doesn't have to have a purpose, because this looks nothing like what I was hoping for. But it did let me just experiment, which can be helpful when suffering from a mental road block. Basically, I was going for something shinier and dreamier, but I'm okay with the end result.

My only inspiration, besides the quote, came from this months Creative Embellishments Color Challenge. It helps that my favorite color is blue! I even managed to get the twist in (clouds or waves) when I stenciled on some clouds!

I can't guarantee a video. I recorded as I went, but my computer was acting up. In the end it actually decided it wanted to restart while in the process of recording. The last step is actually not recorded because it involved texture paste & paint and I couldn't wait for my computer to stop being temperamental.

I, more or less, know what is recorded, the problem is my computer cooperating during editing.

While I see how the video is willing to come along, here are some photos!

Products:

• Silhouette
• Silhouette Curio
• Silhouette Design Store
• All three fonts & the flowers are from the Silhouette Store, but I can only say with certainty that one of the fonts is "CG Free Font," the other two I can't remember (and I broke them apart for editing, so they are no longer "type" in the file).
• Creative Embellishments
• Heart Flourish
• Flourish 24 (Maybe...I didn't buy it myself, it came in a 3rd party kit so I am not sure. It might have been Curly Flourish. I forgot to compare to the CE website before cutting it apart & gluing it in!)
• ReneaBouquets
• Chunky Glitter Glass
• Diamond
• Butterfly Kisses
• Delicate Beauty (The two largest I received in a swap from Jenn D!)
• Shimmerz
• Vibez
• Snow Way Man
• Paste-eez
• Puttin' On The Glizt
• 13@rts
• Acrylic Modeling Paste
• Hip Kit Club
• Star Stencil (Sept. 2017 Kit)
• Cloud Stencil (May 2016 Color Kit)
• Tonic
• Tim Holtz
• Paper Distresser
• TCW
• Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste
• AC
• Vicki Boutin
• CreativeFX
• Iridescent Glaze
• Prima
• Finnabair
• 3D Gloss Gel
• Color Bloom
• Summer Sky
• Stampers Anonymous
• Tim Holtz
• Mixed Media CMS125
• Wendy Vecchi
• Rectangle Collage WVBG035
• Ranger
• Dina Wakley
• Large Art Journal
• Scribble Sticks (Set #1)
• Night
• Sky
• Acrylic Paint
• Marine
• Archival Ink
• Jet Black
• Perfect Pearls
• Perfect Pearl
• Blue Patina
• Tim Holtz
• Distress Oxide
• Weathered Wood
• Stormy Sky
• Dylusions
• Ink Spry
• London Blue
• Liquitex
• Clear Gesso
• Daler Rowney
• White Gesso
• Unknown/Unbranded
• White Cardstock
• Watercolor paper

Beach Junk Journal

A little, beach themed junk journal I made for the ReneaBouquets Mood Board Challenge this month.

Flip Through Video:

The Process Video will go here when I've finished editing & uploading it!

Process Video 1: Cover & Construction

Process Video 2: Ephemera & Such!

And here are a few close ups:

I received that beautiful, floral applique (along the spine & other bits on the inside) in the ReneaBouquet Canvas Swap (Oct. 2018) from Wendy M.!  (Thank you, Wendy!!)

A close-up of the beautiful mermaid from ReneaBouquets!

A ReneaBouqet Beautiful Board Starfish!

Here you can see all three paperclips I quickly altered using ReneaBouquets Beautiful Bits - Seashell.

A closer look at the layers of lace! The scalloped lace I used on the edge of two of the pages I just received from Jenn D. in the ReneaBouquets June (2019) swap! (Thank-you, Jenn!)

Products:

• ReneaBouquets
• Beautiful Board
• Tiny Starfish
• Beautiful Bits
• Seashell
• Printed Beautiful Board
• Tiny Ocean Orchid Starfish Mermaid
• 13@arts
• Acrylic Modeling Paste
• Shimmerz
• Paste-eez
• Puttin' On The Glitz
• Creameez
• Berry Hot
• Prima
• Frank Garcia
• Golden Coast
• 12 x 12 Paper Pad w/ foil
• Ephemera (Item #995126)
• Ephemera (Item #995133)
• From Swaps
• From Wendy M.
• Floral Applique
• From Jenn D.
• Scalloped Lace (white)
• Kraft Tag & Sleeve
• From Yvonne (scrapbook.com swap ... Sept. 2018)
• The ribbon used to tie the journal shut
• Webster's Pages
• Adrienne Looman
• Designer Trim
• Plum Seed
• The Paper Studio
• Bright Lace Ribbon Scrap Pack
• American Crafts
• Vicki Boutin
• Blue Hawaiian Acrylic Paint
• Ranger
• 4" Brayer
• Tim Holtz
• Mini Blending Tool
• Distress Oxide
• Tattered Rose
• Antique Linen
• Distress Spray Stain
• Mermaid Lagoon
• Tonic
• Tim Holtz
• 5" Scissors
• Heidi Swapp
• Stencil (it doesn't appear to have a name...)
• Momentum Brands (pretty sure I got it at the 99¢ store)
• Happy Holidays
• Decorative Ribbon
• Mod Podge
• Antique Matte
• Art Glitter Glue
• E6000
• Beacon
• FabriTac
• JudiKins
• Diamond Glaze
• Unbranded/Unknown
• Paperclips
• Pink & White Bakers Twine
• Hairclips

Adventure

For the More Than Words July (Main) Challenge: Discover & Stash

Discover made me think of maps, right away. Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something. After that I didn't really have a plan, I just went where my stash led me.

Stash:
Clipboard - I don't know how old it is, but I've owned it for almost two years now.

I think Tea Dye was one of my first Tim Holtz ink pads I bought! Way back when I wasn't sure what "distress" really meant, but hey, "this Tim Holtz fella has stuff to make new stuff look like old stuff!" My husband could actually make a pretty good case claiming Tim was an original "supplier" that got me hooked leading to an entire spare bedroom being filled with paper craft related items! I love Tim Holtz so much I have hoarded his papers waiting for just the right time. I have been working on accepting the fact that it's a lot more productive to make the right time myself rather than expect a sudden epiphany. Plus, I'm having a much harder time remembering EVERYTHING I own...so if I can't even remember everything, how will I ever use everything?

Anyhow, all but 11 of the items on the product list are at least a year old (and that includes adhesives, the 3D Gel, the wax & such), of those 11 items, I think 5 have "appeared" within the last 6 months.

I used as much from my stash as I could, and I can't tell. You'd never know anything was "missing." I tell myself I should stop buying until I get my stash knocked down, but every time I think that something new is released & I realize I need to just stop thinking nonsense and do more projects!

Process Video:

Close-ups:

**Postcard Image from: Public Domain Pictures


Products:

• ReneaBouquets
• Glass Microbeads
• Rose Gold
• Creative Embellishments
• Moroccan Lattice Panel
• 13 arts
• Ayeeda Mist
• Patina Bronze
• Lindy's
• Magical Shakers
• Grab A Guy Gold
• Bratwurst Brown
• 7 Gypsies
• Architextures
• Ornate Garden Stakes
• Silhouette
• Cameo 3
• Design Store
• Design ID #34811
• Ranger
• Perfect Pearls
• Blue Patina
• Archival Ink
• Jet Black
• Tim Holtz
• Distress Ink
• Tea Dye
• Distress Spray Stain
• Rusty Hinge
• Mini Blending Tool
• idea-ology
• Tim Holtz
• Paper Stash
• Memoranda
• Lost & Found
• Ephemera Pack
• Expedition
• Sanding Block
• Tiny Attacher
• Small Talk
• Tonic
• Tim Holtz
• Paper Distresser
• 5" Scissors
• Stampers Anonymous
• Tim Holtz
• Harlequin Stencil
• Prima
• Finnabair
• Metallique Wax
• Bronze Age
• 3D Gloss Gel
• Julie Nutting
• Tag Pad
• Hancock
• Fancy Pants Designs
• Me-ology
• Button Set
• Dear Lizzy Date Stamp
• Mod Podge
• Antique Matte
• JudiKins
• Diamond Glaze
• Art Glitter Adhesive
• Krylon
• Workable Fixatif
• Liquitex
• Clear Gesso
• Unknown/Unbranded
• Twine
• Metal Stars
• "BINGO" Card
• The "other," non-Tim Holtz, ephemera
• I got the roll of map paper at Hobby Lobby, so it's likely by The Paper Studio.

Butterfly Lights

"Butterfly Lights"

In honor of her one year anniversary of Tres Jolie Kit Club, Kim had an online (Facebook) crop! The first challenge posted was a "bingo" challenge, and this is what I made using [most of] the products that came in the Tres Jolie June Mixed Media Kit!

Challenge #1 Scrapbook Bingo: Complete a project (card, scrapbook page, altered project, etc) using the any of the items list in a row. That row can be straight or diagonal. Upload your project to the Crop challenge file by Midnight (CST) tomorrow [June 9, 2019] for a chance to win a prize. You don't have to use one of our kits, but it would be nice to see (just no promoting any other kits).

The row with the yellow box is my "BINGO!"

The breakdown:

• Watercolor: I know, I know. HOW is there watercolor on there?!?! It was messy, but I added Concentrated Watercolors by Art Philosophy to the project (on top of the Acrylic Modeling Paste, which is where the Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer came in! I used it to keep those watercolors in place after they dried!!)
• Twine/String: Jute String by Tim Holtz on the top knob
• Wire: Wire lights by Prima
• Beads: Teal Glass Beautiful Beads by ReneaBouquets
• Glitter: Diamond Chunky Glitter Glass by ReneaBouquets

The good news, I've managed to (finally) make my computer capable of recording videos!

The bad news? I haven't edited the video for this project yet! (limited project submission time and all)

BUT...I'm going to edit it! I swear!!

UPDATE: I finished the editing...sorta. I mean, there's video, but no sound [Update #2: I added music after my son said it was "creepily quiet" LOL!]. By the time I "dealt" with my computer I was too tired of trying. Plus, it's been many, many years since I've played with video editing, and I am still trying to get my groove back! As I continue recording projects I do, the videos should theoretically improve...but for now, here is the video that has had almost 4 hours shaved off!

Here are some photos!

A close up look at the Chunky Glitter Glass at the bottom.

A closer look at the top.

A close up of [three of] the ReneaBouquet Glass Beads (there are nine total on the project)

Products:

• [From the] Tres Jolie June Mixed Media Kit
• Prima
• Finnabair
• Graphite Texture Paste
• Wax Cire Cera
• Peacock
• Lumies
• Item # 584771
• The "moss"
• Darice
• Metal Candle Holder Stand
• Floral Embellishments
• 30062044 Mini Sachet Roses
• Pastel, 0.75in, 25 Pack, Assorted
• ReneaBouquets
• Glass Beautiful Beads
• Teal
• Chunky Glitter Glass
• Diamond
• Magical Miniatures Double Side Printed Butterflies
• Watercolor Spun Sugar
• 13@rts
• Acrylic Modeling Paste
• Chalk
• American Crafts
• Vicki Boutin
• CreativeFX
• Iridescent Glaze
• idea-ology
• Tim Holtz
• Jute String
• Tonic Studios
• Tim Holtz
• 5" Scissors
• Prima
• Finnabair
• 3D Gloss Gel
• 2" Silicone Brush
• Art Philsophy
• Concentrated Watercolor
• Bora Bora
• Onyx
• Liquitex
• Black Gesso
• Daler Rowney
• White Gesso
• Mod Podge
• Matte Acrylic Sealer
• JudiKins
• Diamond Glaze