Play Date Cafe Challenge #142 and Moving!

This Thursday, I'll be posting my first official Play Date Cafe challenge post, but in the meantime, I wanted to encourage you to check out this week's challenge! There's only one day left to get your entry in!

I actually started on a background for this, but then had to pack all my art supplies up because I am moving later this week! Here's a peek at our new place:

This is our very first home, our first place with our own walls and backyard, with a washer and dryer, and with three bedrooms! We are super-excited. It is an awesome house that I hope we can live in for many years to come!

CR84FN#59

I'm on a roll with creating lately, and I participated in the CR84FN#59 challenge:

Here's my submission, an art journal page:

 

I actually recorded my process making this, on my ipad, just as a test to see if it would work. Unfortunately, it took several videos to get it all, and now I'm not really sure what to do with all the videos. Should I post them to Youtube? Is that anything that anyone would want to see? Maybe I will post them in the future but I am too chicken right now!

Supplies used: mostly acrylic paint, punchinella, book paper, masking tape, etc. Also the bicycle stamp is from some off brand set, not sure who, "Journey" stamp is from Memory Makers, and the harlequin/diamonds and the left side quote are Tim Holtz acrylic stamps. I layered the flower myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm on The Play Date Cafe Design Team!

Look at this!

You can see the reveal of the first 3 designers, including me, at The Play Date Cafe blog! Today me, Angi, and Veronica are all being revealed, and there will be more each day through Wednesday.

Here's a little info about how this came to be: Ever since I took Christy Tomlinson's She Art course about a year ago, I have been dabbling in mixed media and art journaling. But I have found that in order to really get better at something and be motivated to do it, I need external deadlines. I am really bad at meeting my own goals, but if there is some outside pressure telling me to do it, I will! Weird, I know. This is why I love being on digital creative teams. It gives me a purpose and a reason to scrapbook almost daily (I've made over 2,000 layouts, and the vast majority of those are creative team layouts)

 So anyways, a few months ago, I discovered that there are these neat challenges out there with color swatches. So I created and entered an art journal page into PDCC121. Having these challenge deadlines was good, but still not enough to get me to participate weekly. So when I saw that The Play Date Cafe was having a design call, I had to try, even though I did not think I would make it! Imagine my surprise when I got the email telling me they wanted me on their team! I was so elated! So here is a peek at an example of what you can expect from me in the coming months...here is my entry for PDCC141:

And I swear that the colors are much closer to the swatch in person! I even made this reference for myself:

Supplies used: Acrylic paint, stencils from Crafter's Workshop and Balzer Designs, Punchinella, flowers from Kaisercraft, a chipboard piece (arrow) from Stampin' Up, masking tape, a vintage plastic doily (as a mask), a white tag, and book paper. The "bloom" stamp is from the dollar bin at JoAnn's...Inkadoo, I think?

I also used this awesome and super-easy tutorial I found on Pinterest:

Source: birgitkerr.blogspot.com via Lynn on Pinterest

I LOVE how this worked and am going to be using this all of the time.

Well, I think that's it for now! Please check back weekly, as I will have at least one new project for you each week!

Something big is coming....

Stay tuned, because I have a really fun announcement coming soon!  Well, it is more exciting for me than for you, but that's ok, you can celebrate with me.

In real life news, we bought* a house and are moving in less than two weeks! It will be so nice to have our own walls and backyard, and washer and dryer. Those are the things I am most excited about! Oh, and actual water pressure will be nice as well.

*Jay would like me to clarify that we will be renting from the bank for 15 years, so we are not technically homeowners yet, more like "bank-renters."

Now here's a look at a few digi layouts I've made recently:

Make sure to check back next week for my news!

Another Steampunkish Girl

For some reason, I really love creating these old-timey girls. I really like how this one turned out in person, but just couldn't get a great shot of her on my camera.

I made this one a bit differently. Usually I start with a pencil sketch, then cut out each clothing item from pieces of paper, then mod podge each piece into the book (then paint over it, etc). This one, I sketched her, and then cut out the entire sketch and modpodged that into the book.

Also, I added a parasol, which I LOVE! Too bad there is a bit of glare in the photo there. I also added the Tim Holtz stamp quote....can't decide if I like it or not.

Lastly, I realized after doing her hair, I need a new hairstyle for my girls. They almost all have the same one...hmm...



To see more of my little girls, check these out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnirene/6718275193/in/set-72157626389232557
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnirene/6022237003/in/set-72157626389232557
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnirene/6153805436/in/set-72157626389232557
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnirene/5905621824/in/set-72157626389232557

Recent Projects

So last year I took the SheArt workshop with Christy Tomlinson and I just love all the girls I have made since then. Today I decided to make a girl on a card! I made this girl for the CR84FN challenge:

Here she is, I am pretty happy with the results, but her proportions are a bit off:

I also made a fun mixed-media style digital scrapbook page:

(click for credits) And finally, here's a random art journal page I made just for fun:

Enjoy This Crazy Life

I am on a roll, I have completed another color challenge from The Play Date Cafe. I love their color choices, they are always very inspiring, and it truly is a (good) challenge for me!

After I used these colors together for my background, I decided that they looked kinda crazy, and then I used ink to make the title. My life, like most people's, is pretty crazy but I also have to remember to enjoy it!

And my kitty Asmodean wanted to be in the photo, too:

And finally, here's an old one I never got around to posting, for Play Date #133 a few weeks ago:

Both of these used mainly acrylic paints, punchinella, typekeys roller stamp from Stampin Up, foam stamps and alphabet from Making Memories, stamps from Claudine Hellmuth, collaged paper, gesso, and SEI spray inks, and a lot of found objects.