Just Collage It!

I am really super excited to share my projects with you guys today! Cath over at the Moxie Fab World just posted the most beautiful Tuesday Trigger inspiration. It took all but 3 minutes for me to jump right in and start playing. So it's a little dash of extra specialness because I created an art journal page AND a card to match.

Collage!

I used 4 different texture and background techniques that I learned in my Donna Downey class. The base of the background is a collage of pretty patterned papers.

Are these perfect summer colors or what? I want to eat it with some ice cream. So I covered the page with random pretty paper bits, then created an additional 'collage' with washi tapes. Then there are a lot of layers of white, teal, and pink acrylic paint.

This little picture above shows every layer on the page. There are gesso-ed diamonds, newsprint stamps, teal paint applied with bubble wrap, yellow paint applied with cardboard, India ink, washi, paper, and word veneer.

Materials: 
Paper - Basic Grey "Soleil", Studio Calico "Everyday Eclectic", My Mind's Eye "Up and Away", Dear Lizzy "Neapolitan".  Stamps - Unity Stamp Co "Classified Newsprint", "Quiet Essence". Paints - various acrylic paints in white, yellow, teal, pink, India ink from Speedball. Inks: Memento "Teal Zeal", Distress Ink "Spun Sugar" and "Mustard Seed". Liquitex gesso, Mod Podge. Washi tapes from Recollections and Freckled Fawn. Wood Veneers from Basic Grey.

Now here's a matching card, still inspired by the collage Trigger, and using a lot of the same products...

I layered a lot of papers from My Mind's Eye "Up and Away" collection, which came in my Simon Says Stamp card kit (my favorite kit yet!). I used more Basic Grey wood veneers and kept them natural to off-set the super busy background. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp "Exchanging Friends" set.

Thanks for joining me today :) I always feel a little more vulnerable sharing art pages than cards. I appreciate all the support you guys give! Happy Hump Day!

<3 Rachel w k

My First 'Artsy' Class!

This weekend was pretty amazing for me! I did something I have never done before... take an artsy class! Not just any class, though... Connecticut was graced with the presence of Donna Downey over the weekend and I participated in 'The Big 40'. We all put together our own art journal full of 40 different layering techniques. Donna is an amazing woman and a fabulous teacher! I only wish my budget would have allowed me to take all her classes!

Super strong coffee and my fresh art journal. Ready to play!

!

omg there she is!

ahhhh! so excited about my Donna Downey Studios apron and finished art journal yaaaay!

I just finished my first art journal page using techniques from the class. But that will be shared on Thursday for the Play Date Cafe new color story post ;)

Now I'm sharing the only card I completed this weekend. This is for the Avery Elle monthly challenge, using this inspiration photo:

I was inspired by the colors and the crisp lines formed by the straws.

I used a lot of the small and otherwise forgotten stamps in the 'Petals and Stems' set. The stem created a great outline to anchor my sentiment. Did you notice it's a one-layer card? Not even a Stickle! I'm proud :)

Have a beautiful week ahead :)

<3 Rachel w k

materials
stamps - Avery Elle "Petals and Stems", "Handwritten Notes"
inks - Versamagic chalk ink "Pink Grapefruit". Versafine "Onyx Black". Hero Arts "Soft Pool" and "Butter Bar"

Original Beauty

TGIF! I am excited for this weekend because I get to take my first ever art class... with Donna Downey!! I can't wait to learn fun art journaling techniques from the master :)

I have two cards to share for Unity's Friends with Flair Friday. First one uses the free digi stamp Ang gave all of us to play with!

This card was a rough ride for me. I really didn't like anything about it... I won't even tell you how long I spent just rearranging the flowers with the sentiment to figure out the placement on the card. Way too long. But when the very final dab of Stickles was added, the cute washi tape stuck on... I could say I was a proud mama!

My next card plays with my Donna Downey Unity stamps... fitting right!? I am also entering this card into the Unity color challenge this month.

I created the background by placing Distress Inks directly on my craftmat, spritzing with water, and then lying the cardstock on top of the inks. I then used Gesso with my Dylusions stencil to get those bright polka dots. Once everything was dry, I stamped the flowers three times. The sentiment was inked with all the colors in the background.

materials:
Stamps - Unity Stamp Co w/ Donna Downey "Insightful Meadows"
Inks - Distress Ink "Wild Honey", "Picked Raspberry", "Chipped Sapphire"
Gesso, polka dot washi tape, Dylusion stencil

<3 Rachel w k

Add Some Neon Yellow

Play Date Cafe is having a COLOR SPLASH this week! And this is a color splash FIRST... neon! Have fun with the splash of neon yellow

This funky circle card uses a big variety of stamps, so it was a lot of fun to create! I die-cut the circles from white card stock and lightly stamped the honeycomb background in yellow. The fun arrows were arranged to stamped vertically down the left side. Then I stamped the days of the week, but first stamped on a scrap paper to make the black ink softer. I die-cut the circle border to pull everything together.

Add your project with some NEON YELLOW to the Play Date Cafe gallery!

materials:
stamps - Unity Stamp w/ Christy Tomlinson 'Honeycomb', Hero Arts w/ Basic Grey 'Oh Snap', Basic Grey 'Hello', Simon Says Stamp 'Happy Every Day'
Ink - Memento 'Dandelion', Versafine 'Onyx Black', Memento 'Tuxedo Black'
paper - Studio Calico 'Atlantic'
enamel dots - My Mind's Eye
dies - Spellbinders 'large circles'

<3 Rachel w k

On the Lake - Scrapbook Layout

I feel like I accomplished something that only the most organized, timely scrappers ever achieve... A scrapbook page was created within ONE WEEK of my vacation. That just doesn't happen. But thank you to DCWV July Stack-a-Holic challenge for the motivation :)

I printed off three of my favorite photos of Lake Chautauqua from our trip last week (it just happens to include three pictures of Meeko, too). Once again, for the third month in a row, I used only papers from DCWV "My Sunshine" stack.

In addition to the DCWV papers, the wood veneer arrows are from Basic Grey "Carte Potale" and the alphabet stamps for the title are Ki Memories. This was one of the easiest sketches to put together and it includes 3 photos! Bonus!

Meeko and Matty along the lake

Meeko and me in the lake

 Isn't that just the cutest scaredy-face ever? Loves my Meeko.

Dad, Mom, Me, and Meeko butt. Love my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak!!!

I'm already craving more time at the lake. Or any cool body of water right now. Happy Monday!

<3 Rachel w k

Under the Sea Birthday Party

With this insane heatwave we're all dealing with, it seems like the best place to be right now is Under the Sea! It would be so nice to swim with some little fishies right now. I'm excited to share my Under the Sea birthday party ensemble for the Birthday Ensemble challenge in the Moxie Fab World. I am also entering this project into the Simon Says Stamp challenge 'By the Sea'.

I first created the cupcake toppers, and didn't know what else to make so they sat on the desk a couple days. Then I found the amazing card Kristina Werner made, and I just had to play with the technique... and it fits perfectly with my little fishes!

The cupcake toppers use white cardstock and pattern paper from Studio Calico "Atlantic". Stamps are from Paper Smooches "Surf n Turf", colored in Copics and Distress Ink 'Tumbled Glass'. Since I didn't have any cupcake wrappers to match my theme, I tied basic ribbon around each one.

The second part of my ensemble is a set of mini thank you cards. They measure 2.5" square, with blue shading on the top and the same pattern paper on the bottom. Sentiment is from Lawn Fawn 'Blue Skies' and fish is from Paper Smooches 'Surf n Turf'.

The third piece of the ensemble is the centerpiece. I followed Kristina's fun technique to layer distress inks on watercolor paper to create the look of water. Each fish is colored with Copics and trimmed, a couple even have little birthday hats! The little scene is placed inside a black frame.

I had so much fun making this background. It will be the only way I create a water look from now on (or for a long time, at least).

Thanks for checking in on this Saturday evening... I just couldn't wait til Monday to share it!

<3 Rachel w k

Love Begins With a Cocktail ;)

Happy Friday! This card was a magazine submission 'reject', but I am very excited to be sharing it for Unity's Friends with Flair Fridays. It was a win/win :)

I didn't really think this card could pass for 'Valentine's Day'.... but it is perfect for summer lovin'!

I used my brand new Unity stamps "A Round of Cocktails" and "Summer in a Jar". The pretty cocktail was colored with Copics and accented with Stickles. The paper is from Studio Calico "Atlantic" collection.

Meeko and Matty - Meeko got blessed while on vacation. Blessing of the Animals :)

Have a fabulous weekend

<3 Rachel w k

Christmas in July

I really hate to say that I was inspired to make a 'Christmas in July' card because of HSN's holiday sales going on today. So I won't say it. Instead I'll say that I was inspired by the Paper Smooches Sparks color challenge, the romantic Tuesday Trigger, and the CAS-ual Fridays polka dot challenge! ;)

This may be one of my favorite holiday cards. It also uses my hands-down favorite paper from My Mind's Eye "All is Bright" collection (remember this advent calendar I made with the set?? I love this paper!)

I was inspired by the lace top and vintage-y beige colors in the Tuesday Trigger. I also used polka dot paper for CAS-ual Fridays and the color inspiration for Paper Smooches.

The paper collection is great because I can cut out all these little elements and piece them to the card however I want. I also used the collection to paper piece the snowman and mittens (two left thumbs!).

Happy Christmas in July! I'm celebrating with a heat wave!

<3 Rachel w k

materials:
stamps - Paper Smooches "Christmas Sampler", "Swanky Snowdudes", and "Warm Hearts"
paper - My Mind's Eye "All is Bright" and "Festive Christmas"
washi - Freckled Fawn "White on Gold Sta"
ink - Versafine "Onyx Black", Memento "Tuxedo Black"

Good to be Home!

I've been away the past 2 weeks without television, without internet, and without my crafty things. It was a beautiful vacation with my family but it feels good to be back to normal!

There will only be two vacation photos in this post...

Me, Matty, Meeko, Mom, Dad on our porch with the best view in Chautauqua!

About to kayak on Lake Chautauqua :)

 Ok just one more because Meeko is just so stinkin' cute...

Meeko!!

Being back home with my pretty paper is so nice. It's even nicer when I have so many pretty goodies waiting for me from Two Peas!

Happy Mail!

I used my new-to-me Lawn Fawn stamps to join in the newest Lawnscaping Challenge. It just so happens to be my favorite challenge... paper piecing!

I saw a comment on an Instagram photo that read, "I don't even know how to send a postcard!"... this one's for you, Internet Person!

<3 Rachel w k

materials:

stamps - Lawn Fawn "You've Got Mail"

paper - Studio Calico "Atlantic", Basic Grey "Soleil"

ink - Versafine "Onyx Black"