Help [ME] Ronda

Beginning Tomorrow

 

Remember this post?  Gearing Up!  I made a promise to myself to take on this photo challenge.  I am ready.  I printed out the sheet & have it sitting in front of me as a reminder.  I have a photo board on Pinterest where i have been collecting photography stuff.  In there you will find cool poses & ideas plus some great camera tips & tricks.  

Like this one for day 12 on how to make your own bokeh .  I have heard it pronounce bo-ka but all it really means is cool blurry bits.  Photojojo also sells a cool kit bokeh kit with 21 pieces. There are lots of Bokeh groups on Flickr with some awesome images.  Don't let this intimidate you.  I have never done one before but i figured this is my opportunity to try.  The photos may not turn out but at least i tried & will have learned something.  I am ready for that challenge.

I will be posting on my blog my pictures.  I am debating about posting them on flickr or even doing a board on pinterest.  any thoughts?

Are you ready?

Warmth of Summer

Cocoa Daisy's Cherry Soda will be up for sale June 1st bringing the warmth of Summertime.  Oh how i love the colors of this kit.  The add-ons are so spectacular as well & very hard to resist.  This kit reminds me of hide & seek, hopscotch, roller skating, the ice cream truck, and playing until that last bit of sun drifted away. 

I was digging in some old photo boxes that line my studio shelves and had to laugh.  We look so young.  Believe it or not, i was 21 and Andy was 23.  I remember the exact day i met him, January 25th, 1992.  I remember at that moment thinking love at first sight does exist.  Better yet is the love that grows every day.  

Strips of Sassafras, stacked on an angle adorn the left side.  I used a crafter's workshop stencil with the coordinating paints found in the add-ons.  Love tucking in stickers & the tiny paper clip.  The little sticker at the bottom right  reads "You make life so sweet." 

Its been a couple weeks and i think we all are adjusting to the reality of a graduate.  I know it will hit big time when i take her to college.  And so life will shift & change, we will adapt and move forward. 

Lots of little layers here & there on the layout.  The ampersands are repeating in the background.  I love the patterened paper so much on both sides that i scored & flipped it up so i could get a bit of the backside peaking up.  I then place the white patterned paper at the bottom and stitched the pink punched border strip.  I cannot wait to play more with this kit!

Take Action

Crayola water colors + Watercolor paper = creative play

I have been spending more time on Create Mixed Media already.  I found some awesome video tutorials from Diana Trout thanks to the site.  Sidenote: i am digging her book Journal Spilling...very cool techniques.  Then Julie tweeted about this blog post: 10 Traits of a Successful Artist by Leslie Riley.  Totally love it.  My favorite part is #8 "They create the mediocre to get to the diamonds."  Such wise words can be found there. 

Then make sure you check out this post by Austin Kleon titled How to Steal Like an Artist.  I saw it floating around on pinterest.  Iso  love his words and the graphics that accompany them.  It is a brilliant post. 

Love finding inspiring words.  I think you will find some gems in these posts.  Would love to hear your thoughts.

Love

Art Journal Delights

I just love creative play & a gradual buildup of layers.  I have been playing around with this page for a while.  This one started with:

1. Gesso
2. small bubble wrap resist
3. red paint
4. pink paislee rub-on
5. Fabric patterns tissue paper
6. Maya Road Sunflower mist (my fav yellow)
7. some more paint with big bubble wrap
8. Fontwerks rub-on
9. Tim Holtz tissue tape
10. two stamps: (Ampersand and 7 gypsies key) & black ink
11. Jenni Bowlin pattered paper (the red label)
12. Jenni Bowlin Pennant sticker
13. bakers twine
14. Tim Holtz tiny staples
15. a fabric yo-yo & button
16. Ranger Bees wax (hot) & Hake Brush
17. delight word stamp& black ink
18. and finally some black pen journaling.

and now she is done.  there is something about completing one of these that completely frees me.

playful love

For the love of the 80s

Nice hair right?  Let's be honest, i have posted much more embarrasing pictures of myself.  Last week a friend posted lyrics to a somewhat obscure 80's song that got me reminiscing about the fabulous music during that decade.  I am partial to that decade since i am a child of the 80s & graduated high school in 1989.  I noticed my 80s itunes playlist is seriously lacking.  Must remedy that right now.  I love the mainstream music but i also love the obscure, one hit wonder, alternative kinds of music too.  I started a post on my wall on Facebook but thought i would open this up on my blog too.  I want a really good list.  I am thinking i might have to sub-divide up that list as well.  We will see. 

Here's the start of my list:

•    After the Fire - Der Kommisar
•     A-Ha - Take on Me
•     Animotion - Obsession
•     Asia - Heat of the Moment
•     Bangles -
•     Basia - Time & Tide
•     Beastie Boys
•     Berlin - Take My Breath Away/Metro
•     Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself (is my fav)
•     Bow Wow Wow - I want candy
•     Bryan Adams
•     Cameo - Word Up
•     Chicago - Stay the Night
•     Cory Hart
•     Crowded House
•     Culture Club
•     Cyndi Lauper
•     David Bowie - Blue Jean/China Girl
•     Def Leppard
•     Depeche Mode
•     Devo - Whip it
•     Dexy's Midnight Runners (Come On Eileen),
•     Duran Duran - Decade (that album is amazing)
•     Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
•     Elvis Costello
•     Erasure - Who needs love like that (Pop! great collection)
•     Eurythmics
•     Falco - Rock Me Amadeus
•     Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
•     Foreigner
•     Genesis
•     Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me
•     Go-Gos -
•     Golden Earring - Twilight zone/Radar Love
•     Guns & Roses
•     Howard Jones - Things can only get better
•     Human League - Don't you want me
•     Information Society - Pure Energy
•     INXS
•     Janet Jackson (ms jackson if you're nasty)
•     Joe Jackson
•     Jon Parr - St Elmo's Fire
•     Juice Newton - Queen of Hearts/Angel of the Morning
•     Katrina & The Waves - Walking on Sunshine
•     Level 42 (Something About You)
•     LL Cool J
•     Madness - Our House
•     Madonna
•     Men At Work
•     Michael Penn - No Myth
•     Motley Crew
•     Mr. Mister - Kyrie
•     Naked Eyes - Always something there to remind me
•     New Edition
•     New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle/Blue Monday
•     Nu Shooz - I can't wait
•     Oingo Boingo - Weird Science/Dead Man's Party
•     OMD - If You Leave/Dreamin'
•     Pat Benetar
•     Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls/Opportunities
•     Police -
•     Prince -
•     psychedelic furs
•     REO Speedwagon
•     Rick Astley
•     Rick Springfield
•     Rob Base - It takes Two
•     Rod Stewart
•     RUN-DMC,
•     Salt N Peppa
•     Sheena Easton
•     Simple Minds - Don't You
•     Sly Foxx - Let's Go All the Way (talk about a 1 hit wonder)
•     Soft Cell - Tainted Love
•     Squeeze - Tempted
•     Starship - Nothing's gonna stop us now
•     Steve Nicks
•     Styx - Mr. Roboto
•     Taco - Putting on the Ritz
•     Tears for Fears
•     The Cars
•     The Clash - London Calling/Rock the Casbah
•     The Cure
•     The Fixx - One thing leads to another
•     The Hooters - And We Dance
•     The Outfield - Your love
•     The Pretenders
•     The Smiths
•     Thomas Dolby - Blinded me with Science
•     Thompson Twins
•     Tone-Loc
•     T'Pau - Heart & Soul
•     U2
•     Van Halen
•     Violet Femmes - Blister in the Sun
•     Wang Chung
•     Wham -
•     Yaz - Situation (Move out)

So let me have it.  What's your favorite 80s songs? I will keep adding to the list as you do. It can be a song or a band.  One hit wonders welcome!

EDIT: it was driving me crazy to not have it alphabetical order!

Stamp it Out

This week's focus on projects at Lily Bee features their stamps.  I have been waiting to use that little birdie stamp found in the Happily Lost set and thought this story was perfect for it.  I started out with gesso on the Slushie Stationary paper.  Once it was dried, i splattered some Sunflower Maya Mist on the background.  Next i stamped the images using black ink.  After adding some layers, i stamped the banner image onto the Mushroom Stationary paper and added my title.  I so love this picture from graduation night.  It was so cute to watch them & see their happiness.

This cute little card was made using the Happily Lost set too.  Those tiny butterlies are so adorable & so detailed i had to use them.  I stamped on a strip of a piece of the oatmeal stationary paper using multiple inks from Tim Holtz/Jenni Bowlin.  I had a few extra butterflies once the strip was cut down so i popped them up to give the card a little dimension.  I love that rub-on from Hello Sunshine. 

All my Love

United By Art: Jaszmurka

One of the things i love about this industry, this hobby, this art is how it brings people across the globe together.  How we can find inspiration across the world and bridge our cultural gaps, make new friends, and learn from each other.  Even though we live in so many different places and speak so many different languages, we are united by art.

I love to blog hopping and finding this inspiration, seeing other peoples approach to scrapbooking & mixed media art.  I want to share (with their permission of course) people i find along the way.

United by Art #4: Jaszmurka

Country: Poland

I found Jasmurka through Pinterest.  I was immediately blown away and had to go read more about her.  I am telling you these Polish girls really know how to create art.  What i found at her blog was nothing short of amazing.  I could spend hours on her blog not only looking at her art but reading her posts.  She's got this wonderfully quirky sense of humor that makes me smile.  I hope you will jump into her blog and take a look around at her beautiful creations. 

United Love

Cherry Soda Anyone?

Here's a beautiful sneak peek at Cocoa Daisy's luscious kit for June.  Plus the gorgeous add-ons.  Christine has also upped the quantites so there is more to go around!  Join us on the 28th for the full reveal!

 

Cherry soda

Rootbeer Float

Chocolate Malt

Fruit Smoothie

Strawberry Milkshake

The Paint Add-on

Isn't it yummy?

Wordless Wednesday

 

Today is the Day

Graduation is tonight.  I cannot believe my baby girl is graduating high school and will be going to University in the fall. We had her party this past weekend.  She asked for rainbow food & decorations with her high school colors.  My sister Ro (short for Rose) and my Mom really helped me make this day special. They put out a beautiful rainbow spread while i concentrated mostly on the decorations, desserts, & beverages.  They even brough touches of Chrissi into the celebration with touches of butterflies.  It was a great celebration.  The only thing missing was Andrew but we did get to skype with him a little bit before the celebration began.  Once the people started arriving, i forgot to pick up the camera.  So here are a few peeks into the celebration.