A3C #s 29/30; the opening; the closing...

THIS has been an awesome little challenge-myself type month. I kind of hoped I would be able to do the whole month out, but wasn't really pressuring myself to do so (life, eh, gets in the way of some of my best intentions at times). I am SO very glad that I was able to complete the whole month...every day doing something. A little teeny bit, a doodling thing, or a whole-hog fest worth of techniques...all included...along with little pieces of life picked up along the way - some day I will look back with awe and wonder at the lists that I had to write for myself (because I'm sure I will have to add things later like "get dressed" "tie shoes" or "underwear goes on FIRST"...so this will look like child's play hahahahahhaa) Lots of pictures below, so hold on tight...

First we have the 29th which spread on two pages because I had stamped this reaaalllly cool thing with paint, chopped it up and wanted it in there...so there it is LOL

Second, we have the 30th, which was better "said" with photos....playing with the camera is next on my personal agenda (in the midst of like 2309309 other friggin things I have to do in REAL life over the next few months....the camera will be a cake walk in comparison...maybe I can toss in some chemistry and calculus? eeeeeeeeeasy).

Then we have the "first" page, ie. the page right after the cover....title page I guess?

These are more like the introductory pages....the APRIL definition was from a framed thing I had received as a gift many-a-moon-ago, which actually was connected with another name/definition, but I kept the part I liked and used it (reduce/reuse/recycle intact hahahaha)...

and FINALLY....the FINAL page...I am loving this coarse dry brush technique with the acrylics - LOVING it, not to mention the transparency-type butterflies which came on small sticks- from Michaels, they just POP and are perfect for the month, yes?? Yes.of.course!!

OKAY ----- just so you know, the project "technically" isn't over. BECAUSE I did all of the INSIDES Of the journal -- but I actually did NOT do the cover first. THAT is never the case. Ever. In fact, this is the first time I've EVER done something completely backward.

This madness, however, did have a method. I surmised that the reason I may not want to "complete" something, is because I plan too much of it in advance, then the theory or the theme somehow shifts in the middle, so then it doesn't feel like the cover originated it...and I feel discontent with it continuing, so I abandon the project. THIS project is different.

I can only say that I would love for :real life: to mimic THAT particular theme for me ;)

I digress. At some point tomorrow I hope to have the cover finished. Thank you so much to everyone (or Lynn??) that has kept up with my ramblings and random yakking about products or techniques, etc.

This has been a great month!!

A3C #28

You know the month is coming to a close...right? *sigh*

Oh the Wisteria of it all...ugh. Not feeling it much today again.

Hopeful for tomorrow....the month is coming to a close!! I will have to find something else to be doing with myself after that I think. This has been fun :)

A3C #27

instead of me feeling "blue" --- I think I feel a bit of "wisteria" today :)
Today I used an acrylic wash technique -- with MakingMemories Wisteria paint mixed with a bit of ModPodge, giving it the ability to cover without completely covering (seeing the thesaurus page through the paint ...loooove it)

Perhaps tomorrow my journal will have more "journaling" stuff in it - but that's what the process is all about. Ms. Gracie helped me today - a self-portrait of her with her bubbles -which she did at her brother's baseball game. ...which she felt was a tortuous activity today overall, but at least the bubbles and the drawing gave her a pause for a while.

A3C Two days at once :)

PIcture by ChickenLittle --- her friend has a turtle in a bucket - good photo op I suppose :)


And the A3C 25 & 26... Lots of mist in these...

Yesterday I felt icky -- like sicky icky so I actually came home from work and went to sleep for a good long nap. Today, well today is an odd-feeling kind of day and I didnt have much to add. *shrug* I guess it's just one of those things - some days I'll be busting with a bunch of everything and then days like today...blah.

A3C Happy Easter

I am reposting yesterday's entry, with today's: Happy Easter.

More tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed their day today and hopefully got to spend it with those you love.

A3C 22 & 23 and book flower wreath project!

Okay -- big post, only because I neglected to actually POST the one from friday and yesterday ON TIME. *sigh* Just now noticing of course that it's also past midnight and voila now I've missed posting 2 days. I am proud to proclaim though, that while I didn't post it on time, it was actually finished on time (personal goal, I know that whomever happens to be reading this is thinking, "uh, so what April, what is the big deal" -- but it seems to be one for me).
More watercolors - friday with the pencils and saturday with the crayons...love watercolors..love love love.

Remember the book flowers that I got the NEED to do from reading Lizzy's blogpost?? WELLLLLLL....I did them up good - with help from my sweetie's kids (as mine were with their father, or I'd have had an assembly line 4kids long muhahahahahahaha crafting minions!!) Mine have different sizes, and I added two birds to it ... one of the kids said "awwwwww...just like you and my dad" and that was so sweet to me - I couldn't disagree ;)

TOTALLY loving the project idea, thanks again Lizzy - have an idea for the next one which will involve glimmer mist (because that stuff is aaaawesome). and another idea for one involving styrofoam cone/tree shapes?? would that not be amazing??

Another project for another day...

A3C #21 Simple and Complicated...

The simple was my entry for today.

The complicated (made it that way myself thaaaaanks!) is my egg. That's right. I did ONE. The kids did many many by themselves...while I worked on one. They laaaaaughed...

Used black sharpie, silver sharpie, and white and yellow paint pens...was a brown egg :) Going to do a few more with black and teeny splashes of color. SO excited.

And yes, the chaos that my chaotic egg is resting in IS one of the book-page-flowers.

A3C #20 and inspiration thanks to Lizzy :)

Don't know who Lizzy is?? Go HERE to Lizzy Ford's blog . She is fantastical...inspirational...and I am SOOOOOO all over making this rose wreath and have like 2394083843 more ideas in my head about what else I could use...what else I could use these roses for...my brain is almost explosive about the whole subject. I am seeing mist in their future *sigh*

So these were born from a book that my lovely BostonTerrorist - Boomer - decided to actually EAT THE FRONT COVER from. And no, I don't just mean the paper jacket cover...I mean the FRIGGIN COVER. *ahem* I digress.

"THe Host" by Stephanie Meyer (while a good book when I read it) is now....a box full of flowers for my wreath *maniacal laughter here*

THIS is a one of the layouts that I was yakkin about yesterday (haha @ me) because I couldn't post it yet. We have a montly layout tag at TheMoments and this was my contribution. We rocked it this month because we're done 10 days early! :)

AND FINALLLLLY....A3C #20 for today --- the flowers....obsession of the day (love vacation) complete with scissors and good ol' fashioned glue :)

THANK you for looking....until tomorrow! :)

A3C #19 and a frame...oh my!

Took pics of the frame that I spraypainted yesterday (VERY messy sloppy OMG can't believe you're leaving it that way)...and as messy as it is, I like it like this so it's staying.



Also, today's entry for my own challenge that I am patting myself very firmly on my back for participating in....not that much longer, and I've not skipped a day :) VERY big accomplishment! Thanks LYNN for playing along with me as well, even though you beg me to finish your entries daily (knock it off, I like yours so keep it up chickie). CUTE little stamps which were $1 at Michaels (studio G things: color your world/flowers/hearts) and some studio G glitter glue stuff which I managed to get ALL over the place. However, it had a friend with the mist that I also got all over the place HAHAHA. Ahem.

I've also done two layouts today, and BOTH of them are for challenges that I can't even show to anyone yet -- and that's HORRIBLE because I am SO excited about them and want to share!!

I will do some more projects tomorrow and hopefully that will keep my mind off of:

• the still mildly irritating remnants of the computer virus - oh, like the fact that I'm missing 1.5 years of photos (that's a folder for each month missing, I'm no math genius, but a LOT of stuff is missing according to my approximation).



• the 2 layouts that I can't post...boohoo



• to clean my attic or not (hahahahahhahaha not a difficult question LOL)

I promise one thing that is certain! More ramblings tomorrow....I know, I know. How WILL you rest until then?

A3C #18...with a router issue! yay!!

Last night my router kept going uppppp and dowwwwn...I finally got tired of messing with it, then realized WOW -I didn't post my own challenge. Grrrr. Yesterday was (mostly) packed full of goodness. I did a new project with buttons wooohoooo...A3C entry...and also kept the chickens entertained (lovin' spring break and me having time off) and took them to the beach. OOOOOOOOOO....and I also took a frame that was "natural" wood and spraypainted it a classic black ;) Gotta love free goodness transformed! The frame I did not take a photo of, as it was still rather tacky feeling and I had to make myself stop touching it. (shocking I know).

Button Goodness BEFORE...or during...I made a MESSSSSS!!

I used GlueDots to hold em all down....I mounted it directly on a white textured mat board that I had, and used a black mat around it as well. SO happy with how this turned out!

you wanna touch the buttons don't you...I know you do...

THIS little thing ... it was a journal someone had given to me years ago, I had written in roughly 6 pages of it back then and then left it alone. well, I decided to give it a bit of a "face lift" with BoBunny papers and a little charm fashioned from buttons and a tag that I snagged off of one of my boy-chicken's shorts ... or shoes...that my little "A" typewriter sticker fit in PERFECTLY. Meant to be! so there -- when you snag little things and think "oh I'll use it for something" -- here's an example (you know, for when people look at you like HUH??)

Thanks for reading along with this -- and today gets to be the day of two posts! Until later - have a great Tuesday (as great as Tuesday is allowed by universal law to be anyway).

A3C #17

Here is my extreeeeeemely drippy journal entry for today (as I giggle to myself). Steve and I had a great time this weekend - sorry it had to end (don't like sunday later-afternoons =go home day). *sigh*

Okay -- wanted to scrap something, went to TheMoments and someone had posted a DTmemb.challenge to "use your stash". Now, originally it was to use paper/embellies that were the oldest in your stash. The buttons on my stash are NUMEROUS...so...in my mind, this qualified. I used inspiration from the cover of the PaperCraftingMag - "you color my world" in a frame. Well THIS frame that I used, I found at a thrift store for 78 cents...YES 78 CENTS~ with a roughly 6x6 opening in the mat. I used some stitch-flourish stamps as well...good buy for 1.99! Okay....now buttons used...awesome frame used....I'm all set to scrap something!

My bestest buddy pal Lynn did a layout today for a challenge at TheMoments - the OneLittleWord challenge --- "best" and AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW she did a layout of ME :) Love her to pieces and all back together again LOL

A3C #16

Today's entry...along with a guest journaler :) *heehee* Stevie *insert stupid smile here...and it'll stay* LOL Today has been a rather lazy one...relaxed, i like it a lot. Today was a "good for the heart" day in my opinion. Did I mention that I like this??? Well I do. No pictures taken today - no scrapping done - but I did get my A3C done and he assisted.... *stupid smile* told ya. ;)

A3C #15

Due to the fact that I am supposed to be either A. in an airport meeting my pal ...or B. driving from an airport with said pal...or C. having arrived earlier in the evening, we would be fed, drinking margaritas by the pool while driving G-forces bff Tom bananas with our maniacal laughter. Alas....none of these being the case, I had to switch to Plan#2.

HEY - don't get me wrong. it is a friggin AWESOME plan!! My man visiting me IS an awesome plan. He had his booty kicked by traffic though, so my mojo was playing "haha april you can't scrap today" after finding out that information. Soooooooooooooooooooo...I STILL did my project as I ordered myself to do and here it be:

A3C #14

annnnnnnnnnnnd I missed the cut off of "before midnight"...sucks! Couldn't get myself together to post earlier ha!

Okay so this looks a bit chaotic. I am LOVING the mists...really. maybe a bit too much? I don't really care. they make me happpppppy! Stamps for each child that was in my house after work today (yep, my 2, my sister's 3....a blast had by all). It's always interesting to peek into even one of the conversations, but I snipped a piece from a conversation with each of them (priceless) LOL

Due to the fact that I was babysitting, my "to do" list that I normally write in the mornings (it was written in the morning, yes) --- well, it was rather short. "get self together/pack kids' bags/sort something"....hmmm...I'm still in one piece (thus together), kids have clean clothes even though they're not in bags (has to count for something), sort something...ummmm well I think that scrap supplies have to count, and I did sort through some things, so YES!!! my ToDos were all DONE. hahahahahahahahahahaha.

May inspiration visit you and stay a while.

A3C #13

I have to say that this was an irritating day. No particular reasons I guess...other than just about everything (hahahaha).

So my kind of "subtitle" for this one (bottom right) would be *Just one of those days...*

A lot of things floating through my head today. Some want to come out and some have to bounce around a little while. It'll all work out in the end, I know, I know...the process *sigh*

Hopefully something inspirational or something tomorrow...didn't play with much product today - a shame!! :)

A3C #12

Twelve.....one of my favorite numbers :)

This one was almost too simple. I had a loooong list of stuff to do....blew off the whole list and basically did nothing on it. Well except for banking shenanigans sorting...I DID do that. Kids and I had fun (whether the 13 year old will ADMIT THIS OR NOT is a different story and Im alright with that.whatever). They tormented ME in the grocery store - I returned the favor and took them to the craft store where I proceeded to touch and look at EVERYTHING. muhahaha

Well...no paint today on the journal...but colored myself (and the kids I guess) happy anyway!

A3C #11

I am "kind of" veering away from my original in-my-head plan for the journal --- but I am actually VERY glad that I am because I'm getting to try some new techniques with different mediums and I'm soooooo liking it :)

So. Today I had to work -- and then work on some challenges for a few different things....got two done that I had wanted to. Now to wait to post them on the appropriate days. I'm thinking that I'm 2 weeks ahead of myself with my journaling challenge at The Moments as well...as it is not due until the 1st. woohoo me. Staying ahead of SOMEthing will feel good in comparison to the running behind things usually does. Bah.

Given that I generally have 349823479 things running through my head at the same time - in no apparent order - I have to strive very hard to get things done in the order that they are needed sometimes. Like anything else, I suppose, some days are more difficult than others. At least today I haven't been overwhelmed with artistic projects and driven myself to the point of wanting to take a nap to try and turn off the brain (does it turn off then? I don't think it does. I think I can overwhelm myself while sleeping too. True story --- who else could wake themselves up with a panic attack?)

Annnnyway...today's April's Artistic April Challenge. Now to see if I can do a few more things before bedtime :) Have to do my own ManicMonday with the absence of my Lynn *sigh*

A3C #10

Sunday :) a little help from Reader's Digest LOL Hahahaha I like to rip stuff apart and glaze it and glimmer it and stuff ;)

A3C #9 -a day late oops.

Well I DID finish this last night, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the originator of the trojan virus that jacked up my computer -- and has "hidden" my own C-drive from me. I wish a lot of things for you, but I know that Karma will care for you in time. Computer issues aside- yesterday was one of those days that made me scratch my head and say "whaaaat?" at just about every turn. My journaling purpose, therefore, was to try and remember some positives of the day (and yeesssss, this used a lot of brain power LOL).

Something that I just don't "get" about the creators of virus-type things. These must be some special-angry-irritated with breathing-type people. I mean, you are creating something for the PURPOSE of ruining someone's stuff....randomly. why?

A3C #8

Wow. Well first I am going to say -- FRIDAY!!! Then, I am going to marvel at the fact that I've done every day of my own challenge so far. I have used cool techniques - with more to come! I've also stalked...er....found some REALLY cool blogs!! (yes, I will post links as promised...the other computer i was on earlier today would NOT COOPERATE with me...very irritating. But first, I would like to add today's entry. watercolors, splattering, pencils, wonderful Sakura pens and sewing with the machine *swoon* I haven't done that in SOOOO long. OH - and I almost forgot!!! Also a scrap page from tonight as well --- LOTS of cool stuff tossed about on that one - sketch from Friday Fast Track challenge at ScrappingTheMoments.

Okay - now for the list of things that I've found absolutely stunning and just oozing with phenomenal creative talent!!

• claudine helluth GORGEOUS collage-y goodness (and yes, that is a word - now)


• donna downey check out her link to Fabric Journals...like a melding of all things artistic and yummy......


• alisa burke mixed media extravaganza...I think she has blown me completely away nearly every friggin day this week and that is NO lie!


• heidi swapp because she IS!!


• {A} Ali E ... because I still want to be her assistant ;)


• jbs mercantile Holy cow the monthly kits to drool over...


• cocoa daisy Holy WOW another kit...awesome butterfly stamp included *swoon again*

Hope the eye candy will help your "gotta have"....and the artists inspire you :)

A3C #7

A3C for the 7th...

I have been inspired lately by lots of different artistic people. Some scrapbook people...some sketch journal people...some mixed media artists...I think that tomorrow's post will include links to these people that absolutely ROCK.

Lynn will LOOOOVE this one >:)

ripped apart and glued a flower today...watercolor pencils...innnnk...equals love LOL

A3c #6

YES - I am making my own title of my month-long challenge WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY harder than it needs to be. *sigh* it's a gift really :) A3C is now what the April's Artistic April Challenge is known as. Yay me.

This journal actually had paint. marker. colored pencil. yummmmmmmy. ANd to answer any questions, yes, I actually CAN read and did read part of a book today and learned the 12 things couples need to receive in a relationship (STOP LAUGHING)....there were 6 on the SHE side and 6 on the HE side. it made sense to me, it clicked, a lightbulb went on, etc. Brilliant!!

G-force and I went to Bren's baseball game tonight - a win!! (6 to 3).

I had an epiphany about the "luck" of colors - being that extremely happy colors (or what a person percieves as their happy colors) can actually be a lucky thing....I'll let you know how that goes!

Hope to scrap something tomorrow ! and hopefully not JUST my journal challenge...though I am SO excited about that actually working out thus far.

AAAC #5

This is for today. Leaving the job that I've had for nearly 5 years - first as an only job during a transition, then as a 2nd job to supplement, then as - something else. I did myself proud on the journaling...of course I'm all teary eyed now (go figure). Journaling for me has always been a very therapeutic way for me to deal with emotions, particularly if they are overwhelming or difficult to express. Sooooo...the subject of today is a very emotional one and well, here it is. The typed journaling reads as follows (cause I don't think it's readable LOL): "Today marked my last day at the Picture People studio. I know, I know, it was “only” one (maybe sometimes two) days of the week anyway. I thought that as a tribute, I’d say what the job gave to me…and not in an hourly-wage kind of way….I have learned by close proximity to families, how important photos can actually be. As a photographer, you have a responsibility to put a little of yourself in every portrait that you create, so that the photos have importance to you as well. This job has been something that has fed my soul. I have said this more than one time over the years, and I have meant it each time I’ve said it. I have met some wonderful people as well…coworkers who have become close friends, nearly like family. Also I have developed a closeness with a few of the people that I‘ve met as they were customers. Finding out that one of my “customers“ who I always had a great time with, was actually coming to see me for her appointments and booking a fake appt for the one following -- just so she would have extra time with me -- made me realize that it‘s not just a “customer“ -- but is then a friend, and a good one at that. Just shy of five years…I have literally seen some families grow up, expand, lose some members….seen newborns that are getting ready to go to kindergarten…and I’ve helped to capture moments in time for the families. *I* have done that…it is an awesome AWESOME thought!! Yes, yes I will miss this “job”. More than I ever thought I would. "

AAAC #4

This is allllllll I gots for today! A kid with a case of strep throat that came without fever...without even a sore throat...just a bizaaaare rash nd a stomach twinge. Figures. I get all the exciting stuff LOL

This is my entry for the 4th for the AAAC (April's Artistic April Challenge of course). You get to see my bizarr-o way of drawing sometimes...holy cow ;)

So - even though I have no cover decoration/design done, the major point of this is the ribbons...AmericanCrafts ribbons - correlating colors/stripes and stars (yummmmmy) and the numbers I guess...though I only have 5,6,7,8,9 left...and nowhere to get these (wonderful Teresa Collins chipboard alphas from what feels like lightyears ago).

Thanks so much for looking - hope you're playing along as well!!

April's Artistic April Challenge...day #3 (and bonus)

Day #3...kept to one page. Animal stalking, cooking, scrapping, boyfriend missing, chicken gathering kind of day.

and THIS blast from the past .... seemingly placed where it wasn't supposed to be (behind my fave books and magazines?? really??) and then also....unfinished as it was never dated (that soooooo irritates me). BUT, due to the journaling I would have to gather that it was about the same time my life was becoming out of control and this humor was the way that I dealt with it. I read this --- and I literally laughed out loud at myself. LOVE IT.

I have a kid home from school today -- but am planning on some fun play time tossed in there at some point :)