PTI February Blog Hop Art Journal

Hey everyone!  I'm so pleased to be participating in this month's PTI Blog Hop.  I've begun an Art Journal recently and was excited to see what I could do with altered art to capture the essence of this month's blog hop picture.

I started out creating alcohol ink on Yupo panels in different colors to die cut the gorgeous PTI Etched Easter Eggs Dies from.  One of the things I learned was that Yupo paper is actually 2 pieces of Yupo placed back to back.  So when you die cut something as intricate as the Etched Eggs from the Yupo paper, you need to peel of the back layer to get a clean looking egg.

I will be having very serious surgery tomorrow, so I wanted to express what the journey really means to me, and how I will have to approach life from here on out.  Letting your heart go, letting yourself feel, letting yourself be free is what I've been feeling these last few weeks.  So here is my Art Journal page.  Now, I have to say that I don't have all the supplies that I need to be able to get some of the looks that I want, but this will have to do for now.

First I made the background with Distress Oxide Inks.  I just kept layering, layering, layering the ink on until I was happy.  Then I did a little bit of stamping with a script stamp set.  I just stamped a few spots by folding the background stamp and using just parts of it.

I then adhered the eggs and then grass with Multi Matte Medium from a jar with a paint brush.  (Just keep the paint brush in water when not using it and then wash with light soap and warm water to clean.)

I stamped the sentiment using an old Close to My Heart alpha set and the PTI Outline Alpha Set with Black Soot Distress Oxide and used Black Sakura Microperm pens to darken the black up and make the doodles around the page. 

Hope you enjoyed the Art Journal page!  Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think!  I'll be hopping along later today after I prep for surgery.  I'm feeling a bit terrified so please say a prayer that all goes well. I'd so very appreciate it! (((HUGS)))

Papertrey Ink MIM Framing Sentiments: Art Soul Life

Hey there! Today's post is all about framing your sentiments and images for the 313th Make It Monday challenge over on the PTI Blog this week (Have you ever stopped to think of how many challenges that is?! Wowzer!!).  Framing and Matting do similar things for your images and sentiments, but framing gives you so many more options to really make those focal points shine.

PTI 11th Anniversary: Day 8 Color Challenge

Hey there!  Today I am participating in Papertrey Ink's Day 8 Color Challenge.  We are to use one of the color combos from today PTI Post in our creation.

PTI 11th Anniversary: Day 7 Dies Only

Hey there!  Have you been as busy as me creating lots of fun cards and projects along with the PTI 11th Anniversary Challenges?! I love this time of year and sure do get a LOT of projects done during the anniversary week.

PTI 11th Anniversary: Day 5 Retirement Challenge

Hey there! Hope you're enjoying the PTI Anniversary week as much as I am!  It's thrilling to see all of the new additions that will be added this coming year in terms of inspiration and new products! Now, on to the Day 5: Retirement Challenge.

PTI MIM: For Sale Sign and Alcohol Art?

Hey everyone!  I know, y'all are busy watching the Superbowl, friends, food and folly.  I on the other hand, am very close to my surgery date, so I MUST behave and lay low.  Thus, here I am blogging the PTI Make It Monday #311 Use Different Papers at the 11th hour.  BUT I discovered something sooooo remarkable, that my family just urged me on to blog these cards I made today.  I hope you like them, and perhaps even take a tip or two home with you. :D

First up, a PTI clear CS card with alcohol ink on vellum that was die cut with Stitched Rectangles.  The outer piece frames the front of the acetate card and the background is on the inside of the card.  You can really see the beauty of the inks and blending by letting the light hit the backside of the card and shine through. 

I found a beautiful set of napkins featuring lemons, outline doodles, script handwriting and die cut one with a large doily die.  The right side has a spray of "Fancy Foliage" cut from green tissue paper inked with New Leaf for dimension. 

The sentiment is 3 layers of stacked Rustic Cream CS, 1 layer of Smokey Shadow CS and the Alcohol Ink layer all cut and slightly off layered with a faith die.

To make the alcohol blended "Faith" word, I used a "For Sale" sign from our local Lowes store.  The back of it is white and is made from a material that mimicks Yupo Paper really well.  Honestly, using both this weekend, I could barely tell the difference for paper crafting purposes. 

I just cut the bottom corner out, layered the alcohol ink one color at a time and let each color dry completely before adding the next.  

Once satisfied, I die cut the sentiment.  So don't be afraid to use a For Sale sign and a few colors of alcohol ink just to get your feet wet.  I used 99% rubbing alcohol and rubber gloves.  No need to use the Blending Solution on a small project like that.  Just like the challenge, use what you have in your stash already to try new techniques.  No need to make major investments.

The next card is also a PTI Clear CS with another napkin die cut with the stitched rectangle die.  The napkin has beautiful dimension on it making for a gorgeous background. 

I cut PTI vellum with a beautiful die (that I can't recall the name of) and used it as a guide to layer Gathered Garden sprigs and bow to frame lemons from the Make It Market Mini: Still Life Kit.  

I stamped in ink and then added some copics for depth.  The "thanks" sentiment from the kit was layered up with Rustic Cream and Bazzill's Rock Candy CS.

Inside I layered another cut napkin and yellow CS to write on.  I really love them both and hope y'all do too. :D . Thanks for visiting and let me know what you think! Happy Crafting! :)