Be wrapped in love...

I do not like to shop.

There, I said it.

I'll say it again.

I do not like to shop.

However, I do like finding the perfect gift for someone. And because I do not shop often, I browse for good gifts all year long. Sometimes, that perfect gift is a gift card (like to their favorite scrapbook store...hint, hint). And, while a gift card may sometimes seem impersonal, when it's wrapped with something hand-made, it seems to be wrapped with love.

The Linnie Blooms shop is full of some new fun holiday shapes, and this stocking is perfect for a stocking stuffer (it doubles as an ornament too).

First, I took out a white crayon and freehand drew some zig-zag shapes on 2 of the Linnie Blooms Canvas Stockings.

With a little bit of Distress Ink and some water, I painted over those zig-zags (one side is Festive Berries and the other side is Evergreen Bough). The white crayon acts as a resist.

                                                  

Then, I used Tacky Glue to line the edge of one of the stockings and glued them together.





Next came the fun, embellishing part. I glued a thick, furry felt as the top of the stockings and rubbed in some Rock Candy Stickles. I added silver glitter glue as stitches on the toes and heels. I went outside and clipped my spirea shrubs to get some natural sticks that I added to some silver berries and wrapped them in a bundle with some twine. Some Copic-colored Linnie Blooms leaves top it off.

And look...it's the PERFECT size for a gift card!

So don't despair if you don't find that perfect gift...

wrap it in LOVE...then it is perfect!

~Kelly

www.kellystarsallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

Be seasonal...

It's time to stop and smell the leaves.
It's also time to stop and shovel the leaves.  So many have fallen in the last few days, that I can't even see my driveway.  I'm not complaining, because I would much rather shovel leaves than snow.  That white stuff will be here soon enough.

Today, I'm bringing the leaves indoors too.  I'm adding another season to my Four Seasons project with the Linnie Blooms canvas long blanks.  Linda has been adding new shapes, and these Linnie Blooms leaves absorbed the color from Distress Inks and Distress Stains so vividly.  I stamped a subtle swirl pattern on top too. I used hot glue to attach my leaves to the wire stem and canvas long blank so that I could "sculpt" some shape into the leaves.  Using a hot glue allowed me to push, raise, and wrinkle the leaves to give them even more texture and dimension. 

With mason jars a hot trend right now, I traced one onto vellum paper from clip art I found online.  Once again, I painted a chevron background by taping off the pattern with Scotch blue painter's tape (my new love).  There is also some twine and wire in there too. 

I didn't want to overwhelm this canvas...sometimes it's hard for me to tell myself to "STOP ADDING MORE ITEMS".  But, I'm happy where I stopped with this one. 

Autumn is a second spring,

and I am taking time to recognize each leaf as a flower.

~Kelly

**Remember...just for my beloved followers, I have a SUPER discount code for you. If you want to place an order at Linnie Blooms online store, you can shop here... http://lindabarutha.com/shop/. Use the code LB2013KS and you will get 10% off your order. Enjoy!

 

Be daring...

This whole "mixed media" art is still very new to me. Sometimes it is difficult for me to move out of my comfort zone. What am I? A scrapbooker? A paper artist? An artist? I feel like I'm neglecting my scrapbooking if I start dabbling in other media. I feel like I'm "cheating" on my scrapbooks if I play with something else.

I really, really need to get over it...

it's not like my supplies have feelings!

When I have been at the Linnie Blooms store, I have drooled over Linda's "mixed stitch journals". So I finally bought one. And, I dove in. When I should have been paying attention in church the other day, God had another plan for me. He led me to find a theme for my journal. This is just the cover, but slowly it will develop into a big fat work of art highlighting some of my favorite songs and lyrics. Now, I wasn't really zoning out in church, because it was one of my favorite church songs that led me to this project. I think it will be the next page, so I'm not going to go into a full reveal just yet.

For now, you get the cover... "songs in my heart". I inked the cover with Distress Inks and Stains and water, using some stencils in spots. I used paint markers to make a frame around the edge of alternating black and white rectangles--sometimes I think every piece of art should have a black and white checked frame. I will try to resist from including it on every page of this journal, but I won't make any promises. I stamped a sheet music background stamp with Stazon ink and random stamped in every direction. The canvas hearts are also from Linnie Blooms...the pink one is colored with Copic markers and the smaller one is covered in washi tape. I placed and replaced 100 different ribbon and lace scraps before settling on the ones pictured...I was so PICKY! Lastly, I added the title. I cut the words with my Silhouette Cameo (LOVE it) and hand wrote "in my" with Stickles.

Oh, and I mentioned "stencils"...that's because the Scrap It Girl November challenge is STENCILS...check it out HERE and join in the fun this month.

This journal is just the beginning of a new journey. I need to focus on what makes me happy and not worry about my supplies "feelings". I do this for me. It's what I need right now. There are no mistakes. Just possibilities.

~Kelly

**Just for my beloved followers, I have a SUPER discount code for you. If you want to place an order at Linnie Blooms online store, you can shop here... http://lindabarutha.com/shop/. Use the code LB2013KS and you will get 10% off your order. Enjoy!

Be thankful...

Sometimes, a simple "thank you" isn't enough. 
Sometimes, a paper "thank you" isn't enough. 
Sometimes, any  kind of "thank you" isn't enough, but something will have to do.
This is one of those times.

I'm playing with Linnie Blooms shapes again, and this time it is the new canvas pocket (available soon).  It's the perfect size for a gift card or...

a pull-out message.

I stamped the pocket with Distress Inks (I love that they don't bleed on the canvas) and then added some Distress Stain color on the flap along with some washi tape and some buttons.  Inside, I used more Linnie Blooms shapes (pockets, pennants, and hearts) to make a mini banner.  I used acrylic paint, Copic markers, and more Distress Stains along with more washi tape to complete the banner.

Wondering how I got those letters on there?  I laid down some alpha stickers and painted right over them.  When the paint was dry, I lifted the stickers off and a perfect stencil remained (no seepage). 

 

 

 

 

It may be small on size but it represents a BIG, heart-felt thank you for a dear friend (hope she's not reading this before I send it to her).

 

And, it's the gift that keeps on giving because it can be passed on and on and on to new recipients.

 

Spread the love.

 

~Kelly

Be hopeful...

 

 

Unfortunately I have had to send 2 sympathy cards in the last few weeks.  I have always loved this sentiment...

 

 "Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." 

 

It is a message of hope when it doesn't seem like there is a lot of hope around.

 

 

 

This week, over at the Linnie Blooms Blog, we are challenging everyone to use Distress Inks.  The Design Team is continuing to show the endless versatility of the Linnie Bloom canvas shapes. 

 

I applied Distress Stains (faded jeans, weathered wood, and tumbled glass colors) directly to the canvas overlapping the shades a bit.  I spritzed with a little water to facilitate them to bleed together and then spritzed with some Close to My Heart Pearl Paint (that I mixed with water and put in a spritz bottle).   

 

When it dried, I cut stars into the square using my Sizzix paddle punches (remember those?)  I like the way it caused the stars to fray (and I pulled a few more string to get them to look even more distressed).  I placed some silver glitter paper behind the canvas to make it look like the love in the stars was really shining. 

 

I loved the way this card turned out.  But I am hoping that I won't have to make anymore sympathy cards for awhile.

 

Hopeful.

 

~Kelly

Don't forget to show us how you use your Distress Inks over at the Linnie Blooms Blog.  The challenge ends August 31st.

 

Whatever is orange (and black)...

 

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Fiskateers ORANGE Blog Hop!  If you are hopping along, you should have come from...
Divinity #6688 www.scrap-n-patch.blogspot.com

If you are joining us in the middle, go to www.fiskateers.com to start from the beginning.  Today, we are celebrating Fiskars' signature color, ORANGE.  Almost everyone is familiar with Fiskars' famous orange-handled scissors, but Fiskars makes so many other wonderful products for crafting, sewing, gardening, and more.  Each stop along our Blog Hop will feature different Fiskars' products with a big helping of ORANGE!

 

 

For my ORANGE project, I decided to make something a little scary!  Just a little scary for me too...I had never made a home decor collage project.  Although, all scrapbook pages are sort of a collage, and I'd created banners, this was different for me.  Lots of steps and layers were a bit intimidating, and I placed and re-placed and positioned and re-positioned all of the elements a zillion times before I started gluing.  I started by arranging (and re-arranging) an assortment of Halloween stamps onto my Fiskars stamp press as seen below.

 

 

Then, I stamped randomly on some white tissue paper using black Stazon ink.

 

 

I glued the tissue onto a thick sheet of cardstock.
Next, I started inking with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Stain...more randomness

I started punching and cutting...I spy with my little eye Fiskars Grandma's Doily, a small cloud (as clouds and ghosts), a small bare tree, and I used my Fiskars Ultra Shape Xpress to cut this tree from the Woodland Tree Template (the checkerboard-like, flocked paper is from My Mind's Eye).

Then the arranging and layer began (that part lasted a long time).  Finally gluing.

Thanks for stopping by...
Now, all fun blog hops have a few sur-prizes thrown in!  Leave a comment below, telling me one thing you want to create but never have yet.  I'll choose a winner on Monday who will receive some "happy mail".


For more information about Fiskars and the Fiskateer program, you can go to http://www.fiskateers.com/join/.

Now, along to my friend Maya #351 at www.mayadahan.blogspot.com,

she's the next blog on the hop.

 

~Kelly

whatever is original...

I was hoping to get some "original" designs posted soon, and I am happy to announce that I have one for you TODAY!  This simple leafy stamp from Hampton Art was perfect to begin my attempt to watercolor with ink.

I used StazOn black ink on regular cardstock to stamp the background image.  I gave my Distress Inks a squeeze (Peeled Paint and Evergreen Bough) to put a little color on the lid of the inks.  With my waterbrush I just sloppily, randomly colored over the stamped image.  When it was dry (with the assistance of my handy, dandy heat gun--because I'm an impatient artist), I colored some of the leaves with a Gelly Roll pen (by Sakura) in "clear star".  The photos don't show the glimpses of sparkle that this adds to the card--it's really a dazzly delight!

Once I added the sticker sentiment, I was "rejoicing" that I have a "Kelly original" to send to a friend who needs some happy mail. 

As summer begins (last day of school/work is tomorrow), it's time to play in the water...

                                       watercolor that is!

~Kelly