* Currently Playing With *

* Watercolor Pencils, Stencils, Gesso, & Watercolor Paper…

* Oil Pastels…

* STAEDTLER Artist Tape!

Gotta finish playing and experimenting, but I’ll Be back tomorrow with a new tutorial!

Creatively Yours,
April

{Lucky}

Every year around my birthday, I make it a point to create a layout about me and what I am into or how I’m feeling. This year I made two different layouts for the occasion. The first one above I titled “Lucky”. I realize there is not a big bold title that say’s “lucky”, but I don’t always feel like layouts have to have a title. My lucky number is 7 and I have had several things happen this year involving that number. I am actually going to make a layout just about those things, but on this one the 7 was there for decoration and because I love it!

* Supplies Used For Project:
- Core’dinations Tim Holtz Kraft Core Cardstock
- Canvas Sheet: Strathmore
- Spray Mist: Ranger Color Wash, Tattered Angels
- Flower: Prima
– Butterfly: Prima
– Pearls: Prima
– Patina Paint: Ranger
– Wooden Buttons: Prima
– Felt Leaves: Prima
- Paper Tape: 7gypsies
- Tissue Tape: Tim Holtz
- Chipboard: Echo Park
- Product Packaging (scallops around photo and clock): Prima
- Stick Pen: Maya Road
- Stickers: Tim Holt Chit Chat
- Pen: STAEDTLER
- Other: Sewing Thread, Picture Show iPhone App used for editing

* To create the background for this project, I started by laying some stencils on a large sheet of raw canvas and misted them with a variety of spray mists. Really I was just playing around when I made the canvas and at the time just set it aside to dry thinking I would create something with it later. The other day I got it out and decided to cut it down to fit inside of a 12 inch frame which is a sheet of Tim Holtz Kraft Core that has been sanded to distress it. I sewed the canvas sheet to the cardstock and then used my fingers to fray the edges of the canvas up a bit.

* I added a variety of embellishments like paper and washi tapes, wooden buttons, chipboard etc…There were a couple of embellishments that I dressed up a bit to coordinate with the layout. I used Ranger’s new Vintaj Patina paint in Verdigris to color the burlap flower and leaves.

I also used the same paint to color the swirl of pearls from Prima that I placed by the butterfly. The butterfly was originally a bright orange red, but I added a couple of coats of Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam to darken it a bit and add more sparkle. Not sure if you can tell or not, but I manipulated the felt leaves so that their stems actually come around the butterfly and serve as it’s antennas!

* I cut up some of Prima’s product packaging to use as the scallop borders around my frame and the clock also came from the packaging too!

{Mini-Van Mom}

I went to the kids school the other day and ran into a friend I haven’t seen in quite a while. I told him I was there to pick up cookie dough and he offered to help me carry it out. In the parking lot I pointed to show the way and said, “That’s me in the Gold Mini-van”. He paused for a moment and acted like he was thinking and then said, ” Oh yeah…well you do have three kids I guess…” lol So I thought it would be funny to make a page based on the fact that I am indeed – a mini-van MOM now!

* Supplies Used For Project:
– Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
– Stickers: 7gypsies, Jenni Bowlin, Tim Holtz, Echo Park
– Mini Staples: Tim Holtz
– Chipboard Letters: Basic Grey & Girls Paperie
– Flower: Petaloo
– Pen: STAEDTLER
– Spray Mists: Tattered Angels & Ranger Color Washes

* The background technique I used for this actually resulted from creating my “Mr. Potato Head” layout. I laid a circle template from Crafter’s Workshop on a sheet of cardstock and used several different spray mists to color it. Then when I went to lift the template off of the cardstock, I noticed there was still a considerable amount of ink left it so I quickly grabbed a sheet of patterned paper and pressed the wet template on to it – kind of like using it as a stamp. When I lifted it up, I was left with this super cool almost tye dye paint effect. I have done this several times since and my advice would be to plan on having a few extra papers, canvases, etc…laying around anytime you are spraying or painting over a template for a project. You can almost always re-use the wet template afterwards to create another unique background!

Creatively Yours,
April

{Love Life}

* Supplies Used For Project:
- Core’dinations Tim Holtz Kraft Core & Graphic 45 Signature Collection
- Authentique “Carefree” Collection

This week, Core’dinations has teamed up with Authentique for a blog swap providing tons of inspirational layouts and projects! Check out more projects on the Core blog and enter for your chance to win some great prizes!

The layout above is one of three projects I created for this special blog swap. I will post the other two a little later this week.

* I also have a new layout and tutorial posted on the Stampendous blog today!

*** Announcing the winners of the STAEDTLER Spring Giveaway:

* Barbara Washington

* Isha

Ladies please email me at aderrick@gmail.com and send me your full name, address, and phone number so we can get your prize packages sent off asap.

Creatively Yours,
April