My Top 10 For 2012 and a Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

I've only been blogging for a year and a half so this is my first top ten list but I wanted to do this to remember  what I've done in 2012 as it seems to have zipped right by!

In terms of scrapping, this was a big year for me. It was my first year to get brave enough and apply for Design Teams. I also had the opportunity to guest design for several groups which was really exciting too:)

What does 2013 hold? I think it will be more of a personal journey...I want to make more art journal pages, take classes and be more inspired creatively...I also want to take more photos and document it more frequently...maybe a loose version of Project Life? I mean the kids are growing so quickly and I really want to capture those memories!

Now, before I move on to the layouts, I'll just announce that I've got a giveaway at the end of this post so stay tuned....

This is one of my all time favorite pages. It was DT work for True XOXO Scrapbooking. I was going through a canvas stage and I really just wanted to play with mists and paints and make backgrounds. The inspirational quote doesn't hurt either!

This was for an online challenge. I was playing around with masking tape and dripping colors. This is my ideal of scrapping...white background, lots of negative space.

The design for this page just popped into my head so I went with it. I really enjoyed making those clouds.

I got the inspiration for this page from CSI. Again, I loved making everything up!

This was DT work for Basically Bare and I can't help but smile everytime I see this just for the photos themselves! 

More DT work for Basically Bare. I wanted to challenge myself with layers and patterned papers more so than inks and paints. Those kites were fun to make!

I had a GDT stint on Do More With Less and I made a tutorial about those clouds. I was still really into masking tape:)

This was for a CSI challenge. I think I loved the messy look and mixed layers of this. This seems to be the way my mind wants to scrap. 

Again, another CSI page. I so rarely scrap with flowers but if I can make splatters and a mess in the background I'm still content:)

I made this page for as a GDT for CSI. I loved the happiness of this page but I remember it being challenging. Again, I think it was the paper layering...going to work on that!

And there you have it, my faves. It's good to look back and see how my style has changed or stayed the same, what I found my strengths and weaknesses to be. Thanks for joining me in my reflecting! I'm so thankful for all my followers and friends I've made along the way! You've all been a huge source of encouragement!

Now for the giveaway....

Faber Castell has generously donated the prize and I'll ship worldwide so it's open to everyone! All you have to do is go and LIKE Faber Castell Design Memory Craft on Facebook and  leave me a comment here. Feel free to follow my blog if you'd like too because the more the merrier! I'll announce the winner January 11th..............

Here's to a peaceful, prosperous, and creative 2013!

Cheers,
Miae

Party At True XOXO Scrapbooking!

Hi everyone!

Have you heard about the month long party we're having over at True XOXO Scrapbooking? Everyday there's a new December project featured...tons of ideas for this festive season! I'm telling ya, it's a great place to stop by for inspiration!

I made my project for Xmas last year but we'll still be pulling it out anew this year! It's very easy to make and a great way to use your scrap papers...

I gathered matching scraps of paper and fabric, gessoed, stamped and painted them up, rolled up the bits

and glued them on a piece of canvas. I'd prepped the canvas beforehand with silver acrylic paint and splats of orange. The frame is from the dollar store and I sprayed it white beforehand. My little star is handcut out of foil tape and wrapped in orange string. That's it!

Hope to see you at the True XOXO Scrapbooking party!

Cheers!

Thank You Gauche Alchemy!

Hi everyone!

OK, this post is a little overdue but better late than never, right?

This was my last project I made with the wonderful, awesomely cool kit I got from Gauche Alchemy! Their Dia de los Muertos kit was so unique, I really enjoyed working with it!

 I dedicated this one to my friend Dora (on the left)..I've known her since we were five years old! Way before anyone ever coined the term BFF she and I were chums. This is a fairly recent photo of us...we'd met up in Mexico with our families and it was close to the Dia de los Muertos holiday so we got this fun shot of us next to our skeleton friend. I love our pose, it's kinda taking me back to a 1980's-minus-the-pumped-up-hair thing!

Lot's of layers here..I cut circles out of punchinella, used a cool skeleton sticker, threw in a charm of my own.
In the background is emphemera paper, layered with gesso, stamps and paint.

I had some fun here with the cameo and frame! First I painted the frame (originally grey/silver) to suite my page.
Then I took some Rub 'n Buff in Gold Leaf and applied it to the cameo so that you could really see her face. A little
Rub 'n Buff goes a long way! I also added a little rosette charm into her hair. Finally I placed  a little mirror charm..you know, as if she is looking at herself :)

I globbed on the Lumiere paint! Love the texture it creates.

Do you remember the earrings I made with Shrinky Dink and stamps? Well I had a bunch of these charms left over so that I could use them as embellishments on other pages. Came in handy here!

Thanks to Gauche Alchemy for having me as their guest!

That's all for now...thank you everyone for your visits and comments!

My Last Special Investigation for CSI

Hi everyone!

Well it was a fun month playing along with CSI and their November cases! I'm sharing with you the last case I've cracked...no. 48..

I love the fall but who couldn't use a little reminder about the great memories of summertime!
I did a little word association as my journaling.

As my evidence I used clocks (stamped in the background), mosaic ("tiles" made out of canvas), silver metallic elements (butterflies and hearts), and glossy accents (swirls and dots doodled in the background).

For my testimony I listed words to describe my topic (summertime). 

I took a sheet of canvas and had covering it with tissue, paints, mists, and
colored molding paste. Then I cut them out into squares as my mosaic tiles. I used
Glossy Accent to doodle all over the background and after it dried, took watercolor
to it for the resist effect.

I used a Martha Stewart punch with my foil tape for the butterflies.

OK, I LOVE these fabric alphas from AC for Studio Calico! The font is so cute and I can customize to match any color scheme! I now covet them!

I just love the colors and challenges to solve this weeks case...come join in!

Looking forward to all visits and comments..thank you!

During the Holidays...

Hi everyone!

Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving (even though it was already over a week ago)? We had a wonderful day spent with family and friends followed by some tourist fun! We took family towards the Marin Headlands for some beautiful views of the Golden Gate bridge and then headed off to Disneyland!

Thank you Bay Area for a gorgeous weather day!

Wheeeeee! 

Disneyland all dressed up for winter!

And of course I have a page to share with you....

I know that working with patterned paper is not something I do with as much comfort as solid paper so I'm pushing myself to "practice" :)

This layout is for Faber Castell Design Memory Craft. I made a post about how I used their products to alter or make elements on a project...you know, to make it more your own. Go check out the link!

Alpha stenciling, border doodling, painting all done with Faber Castell pens, gelatos, and watercolor pencils.

I used my masking tape technique with gelatos to make the stars.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Thank you all for your visits and comments!

Made a Little Canvas

Hi everyone!

Before I enter into a tryptophan stupor from all the turkey tomorrow I thought I'd quickly share another project I made for Gauche Alchemy with their Dia de los Muertos kit. 

Stone skulls, ephemera paper for the hearts, braille paper for the wedding gown, washi tape,
background skull stamp, and Crafter's Workshop mask all courtesy of Gauche Alchemy's kit!

The holiday is past but I'll have a little something to put up for the special day next year! I loved working with  those stone skulls and that mask!

I got heavy handed on the heavy gel medium and Distress Crackle paint and though it took FOREVER and then some, to dry, I'm loving the result! Aren't they a cute couple ;)

OK, that's all for now! Have a wonderful rest of the week however you decide to celebrate!

Scrappy and Not So Scrappy Stuff!

Hello everyone!

I'm going to spend a good part of this weekend prepping for Thanksgiving festivities because I've got my Aussie in-laws flying in Thanksgiving day! So before time totally gets away from me I wanted to share with you two projects I'd been working on...

First up is my page for CSI case no. 46..

Look at that beautiful room! I love the colors purple and green in and of themselves but I don't often make pages with those colors together. And that's why I love working with challenges! They encourage you to try new or rarely done things, don't you think?

For my evidence I incorporated frames, animal accents, pom-pom trim, painting, textured element, and translucent element. As for my testimony I created a translucent "pocket" (the window) to hold my journaling tag.

I've always loved this quote and on the tag I write a letter of encouragement
to my oldest daughter to do just that.

I shaped the window outline with floral wire and used vellum as the "glass" to create my transparent pocket.

I had some fun making a collage element to this photo. The fairy hat is foil tape
stamped and decorated with glitter.

I'm not huge into fussy cutting but I'm glad I worked on these frames, I really liking
the effect...

My second project is very un-scrappy. A first for me...jewelry! I made it with the November Gauche Alchemy Dia de los Muertos kit  Talk about inspiration! Their kits are so cool because they include such unique, not-usually-found-in-scrap-kit type items! These were pretty easy to make and I've got a quick tutorial right here.

Aren't those stone skull beads fun!

Well hello there friend! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Hanging Out With Gauche Alchemy!

Hi everyone!

Gauche Alchemy asked me to be their guest designer for November for which I was all jazzed and elated! I had the chance to work with their very unique and awesome Dia de los Muertos kit...

This kit is full of all sorts of goodness!

 It definitely got my creative juices going! I'll be sharing with you all the fun I had with my kit....see ya soon!

Never Too Early For Christmas?!

Hi everyone!

Head on over to Faber Castell Design Memory Craft to get a head start on some Christmas project ideas!

Today I have for you an ombre wreath made of small ornament bulbs, stamped tissue paper and my Faber Castell Gelatos!

A lot of Mod Podge and several glue sticks later I had my wreath! I've got the step by step directions up so  go check it out here!

That's all for today and thank you everyone for your visits and comments!

Investigating for CSI!

Hello everyone!

CSI is a challenge blog that I love to so when I was asked to be their Special Investigator for November, I was over the moon! Here is my take on Case no. 44...

Here's what I worked with...

For evidence I used flowers, swirls, transparent elements, and a doily pattern. For the testimony I wrote in a swirl along the bottom.

This is my baby girl Audrey who is now 16 months old! The photo was taken a few months ago...as the title says, this little girl has absolutely stolen my heart!

I worked really hard to layer paper here. In my CSI interview I admitted my challenge with layering patterned paper...paints, inks, stamps, no problem but papers I've got to work at it:) Oh well, practice makes perfect!

I make these hearts with some Hero Arts stamps and shrinky dink. I'm certainly doing that again!

SO, I hope you play along with CSI this month!

Thanks for your visit and comments!

Art Journaling on Video

Hola everyone!

Just got back from a fun, much needed, trip to Cabo! Went with family and met up with friends to celebrate a belated birthday :)

OK, I've got another post up at Faber Castell Design Memory Craft and this time I've made a video. I decided to make an art journal page using my Stamper's Big Brush Pens and Gelato and I filmed the process. It's my first edited video ever and...ehem...it shows (but I hope you enjoy it anyway!).  Here it is:

And I have to say, I have a new found appreciation for all you people who make video tutorials because WOW that was a lot of work editing! The filming, not too bad. The page, fun to make. The editing?! Yee gads, does it always take that long?

So I have a question for all your video makers out there....what software do you use to edit? I am no professional and I don't want to spend a ton of money on software or equipment so what do you recommend? I used my iPhone to film and then used PSE 7. I dunno, the learning curve definitely had an incline! Photos seem so much easier....

Great words to live by! Hope you all follow yours!

Thank you for visiting!!

Hello With Faber Castell!

Hi everyone!

As some of you know, I'm guest designing with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft for the next several months! Well, I've got my first post and tutorial up on their blog so please go and check it out!

I show how I created the blossoms on this page with my Faber Castell goodies:

And a little sneak peek....

I hope you enjoy! Thanks everyone!

The UN-Halloween Challenge with True XOXO

Hello everyone!

I've been very absent around here and I apologize! I been making and creating like crazy, I swear. It's just that I can't share most of it yet!

But thanks to the challenge going on over at True XOXO Scrapbooking I can share one page :)

Come join in our challenge to scrap Halloween without black and without orange. The orange I could handle but the black?? now that was tough!

Here's now mine came out:

Those webs are GREY, I swear.

Silhouette Studio had this lovely background so I printed it onto cardstock and started from there. OK, so I love the way that purple background turned out and I have Heidi Kelley to thank! Check this video out...

And some close ups...

If only you could FEEL those tombstones! I mixed grey paint with Snow Tex and layed on the thick paste to the diecuts. Tough to tell here but they look and feel like stone!

So, join along, play and show us your un-halloween pages!

OK, that's all for today. Thank you everyone for reading and following along here, I appreciate you all so much!