"Bright" card

Quick post.  Just had to share a cute little card I made using the Torendi "Bright" kit. 

May 2011 issue

Everything on the card is from the kit except for the white cardstock and the orange microbeads covering the heart.  (Oh, and of course the thread.)

You know me, everything has alter potential so I don't usually feel constrained by the color of anything.  Often there are items in kits of which you randomly receive one of many different choices.  In this case, there were a variety of colors of heart brads I could've received.  I just happened to get yellow ones which didn't go with the feel of my card so I covered it with microbeads that did.  Easy peasy!  

I had so much fun this month playing with the Torendi "Bright" kit and I'm sure you will, too!  It's so wonderfully colorful and fun.  Wouldn't it be great for documenting those upcoming Valentines Day parties and Easter celebrations?

Well, I'm off!  I'm being urgently summoned to attend a teddy bear tea party replete with Tinker Toy cookies and tea served in Barbie boots and toy lipstick containers. 

Cheers!

Heidi

Details:  All items from the Torendi "Bright" kit except - Stampin' Up! white cardstock; Martha Stewart microbeads; thread. 

My Bowl Is a Perfect Fit

I think I may have mentioned I have been recently inspired by many different sources (notably this one and this one) to give an art journal a go.   And these last couple months I've been neglecting some of the fun challenge blogs I love to play along with, including Category Stories.  They have such creative prompts and I simply just had to play along with this month's which is "Perfect Fit".  

Now, I could think of all sorts of lovey-dovey perfect fits for which I have oodles of photographs I could use but I really wanted to do something in the art journal so I racked my brain for picture-less representations of a perfect fit in my life and this is what I came up with...

This is a combo of oil pastels, watercolors, and stamping. 

The fishbowl (which is supposed to look like it's got its reflection under it, which now looking at it I realize doesn't work but that's a whole other story...) is done with oil pastels.  I remember loving to use oil pastels when I was a kid so when I purchased my art pad I also picked up a new set of them.  And my memory was not disappointed...they're like fingerpainting.  I'm probably "doing it wrong" but I've always liked applying them with my fingers for the most part.  Otherwise I feel like they make too sharp a line.  Actually, I tend to apply lots of medium (paint, Stickles, etc.) with my fingers.  I feel like I have more control than with a brush and it's just more fun that way!!!!  The little fish is a Basic Grey stamp. 

The journaling says, "My husband says I'm a goldfish.  No matter what it is...time...space...relationships...whatever, I expand to fit my allotment.  Maybe he's a little right...  But I say my bowl is a perfect fit." 

All the background area around the bowl is done with watercolors. 

I do concede maybe he's a little right sometimes.  I'm usually the last one to submit my layouts for my design team reveals and you could give me an empty Taj Majal and I'd fill that sucker to the hilt in no time at all, but I don't think I'll share with him that maybe he's right.  Nah!  We'll just keep that between us.  (You can keep a secret, right?)

Hope you liked my maiden foray into the world of art journaling.  I hope to keep it up because it is super fun!  (Like totalleeeee, ohmuhgawd!  Sheesh, when did I turn into a teenage girl??)  I am hoping to participate with the weekly prompts over on the Tyggereye Art Love blog.  This week's prompt is "under control".   Check it out!

- Heidi

p.s.  Torendi is back from CHA and they brought goodies!!!!!!!!  Jenn will be giving away various YUMMY CHA scores to Torendi followers at 125 followers, 150, 175, & 200!!!!  Check out this post to see all the swag.  Here's just a peek:

ALSO for all you BamPop! fanatics out there, all BamPop! in the Torendi store is ON SALE right now.  This includes some new arrivals!! (Of which I've already snapped some up, thank you very much!)  Woohoo!  A taste...

i is for ice cream stamp set

bots like us stamp set

I bid you go forth and shop Torendi!!!  ;oD

Get Down With Your Bad Self

It's time once again for a fabulous sketch from Sketchy Thursdays!!!!!

Isn't Diana just the most talented??!!! The girl has mad skillz in all areas! Sneak on over to her blog and give her some love!!!

This is one of my all-time favorite sequences of pictures, my son getting his groove thing on. Can't you just see him shaking his booty?

Had to get a bit of bling in on a dancing layout!

Head on over to the Sketchy Thursdays blog to see what the rest of the Design Team made for your inspiration. If you play along with us, hook up a direct link to your project to Mr. Linky in the sidebar for your chance to win this gorgeous kit from Kenner Road:

That is truly yummy.

Have a great Thursday!

Heidi

Details- Paper: American Crafts, Scenic Route, Shutterfly calendar (orange pp); Fibers:  Wrights, DCWV, Darice; Jewelry Essentials rhinestones; EK Success alpha stickers; thread. 

Sheesh! Just Do It!

It's time for our next Pink Ninjas prompt.  This one is brought to you by our Ninja Star Christina.  If you missed it, click here to learn a little more about her.  She is so much fun!!!!!!

Prompt:  Personal Motto
Technique:  Stamping
Pink Twist:  Transparencies

I admit I was a bit stumped on this one at first.  I just couldn't think of anything new to do with a transparency.  And then the mojo gods smiled on me and brought me inspiration in the form of THIS awesome layout by Mme. Leah L'Orange herself!!  Transparency + gesso = happiness. 

So, I went to town on an old Creative Imaginations transparency I'd been hanging onto forever because I've been unsure how to put it all together.  Let me tell you, I will now be scouring my stash for all transparencies contained within (and there are a "few") because they're all getting painted and stamped and generally "piled upon"!!! Woohoo!!!

~back detail~
I began by masking taping down my picture and then just slathering on the gesso with a bit of pink, black, and yellow paint dribbled in.  Then I smooshed in some floss, dictionary scraps, and flowers.  I'm showing you the back of the transparency so you can see these added goodies as they only very subtly peek through on the front. 

I realized when I went to photograph this layout that it would be hard to visually demonstrate on the screen that the entire layout is on a transparency.  There are many areas where either the gesso is thin or not covering at all and I wanted to show that.  So I photographed the layout with two different cardstock backgrounds.  Above is with a black background, which I think looks best.  Below is with a hot pink background.  I think it makes the layout look too cloying and some of the pink paint gets lost on this background.  But I was torn which is actually the best.  Which do you think?

I'm a procrastinator at heart.  (Just ask any of my Design Team Coordinators!  I'm that DT member slipping in her layout 2 minutes before the deadline even though I've had the prompt for a month.  ~shake head~)

As my stamping says, I ponder, I ruminate, I list, I plan, I collect, I prepare...I just don't get anything done!!  I'm spending too much time preparing for Pete's sake!

~heart detail~


So I'm adopting a new personal motto:  Just Do It. 

~title detail~


This area that is covered with flowers actually said "LOVE" on the transparency.  See??!!  Another alterable discovery for my arsenal.  Woohoo!!! 

Head on over to the Pink Ninjas blog to check out what the rest of the Design Team made for your inspiration.  And let me tell you, you will most definitely be inspired by this batch.  There is nothing but incredible talent on this DT.  I am not worthy!!  But I sure am enjoying the ride!

Play along with us!  You don't want to anger any Ninjas do you??  ;oD

Have a great Wednesday!

Heidi

Details - Creative Imaginations transparency & bling; Making Memories paint; StazOn ink; EK Success & Tim Holtz stamps; Prima flowers & pearl bling; Heidi Swapp & Rhonna Farrer chipboard; DMC floss; unknown metal and brad alphas; gesso; vintage dictionary page.

That Is How You Do Smash Cake

This week's elements challenge on the Design Dollies is "birthday".  My first instinct was to make a card for my hubby since tomorrow is a milestone bday for him, but somehow that proved too daunting.  So I went for another milestone bday...Numero Uno with the requisite...

My son was so reserved with his cake.  When he was a baby he didn't like his hands to be dirty.  (Doesn't seem to have that problem anymore...)  But this little miss just did the smash cake concept justice:

(Come to think of it, she still plays with/wears her food in a similar fashion to this day and she's now 4.)

WHY aren't there smash cakes for every birthday??  Wouldn't that be so much fun?  So freeing?  How could you NOT enjoy your birthday with frosted hands, cake up your nose, and green goo flecking your hair?? 

So funny, check out what the rest of the Design Team made over on the Design Dollies...you'll notice a theme.  A majority of us (independently) used Sassafras Lass products!  They're just so darn cheery and birthday-y. 

Come, play along with the Dollies!  And while you're at it, check out yesterday's color challenge and stay tuned for Thursday's sketch challenge.  If you can combine all three of the week's challenges into one project you can enter for the Trifecta!  Woohoo!

Hope you have a great Tuesday!

Heidi

Details:  Sassafrass Lass paper, border paper, & card; Heidi Swapp tapes; ki Memories acrylic letters; Doodlebug & SEI alpha stickers;  Bazzill rhinestones; unknown epoxy alpha stickers & trims.

Green With Envy

This week, Jenn, Tiff, and Kelly of Torendi are at CHA. 

I'm sooooooooo jealous!!!!  I practically had the tix in my hot little hands but couldn't justify the cost of travel and lodging to myself so I passed up the opportunity to go.  I'm soooooo regretting my decision right now with all the excitement and sneak peeks circulating around the blogosphere.  ~sniff~  I'm downright GREEN WITH ENVY! 

I have been wanting this adorable Bam Pop! monster stamp for AGES and was lucky enough to win him from a challenge on Design Dollies a while back.  (You can get him for yourself in the Torendi store!!)  This is the first time I inked up the little sucker and I love him!  I stamped him twice, a little offset, once in lime green and once in honeydew metallic. 

I also used 3 of the papers you get in this month's Torendi "Bright" kit (solid gold background and pieces from the two patterned papers, which are also displayed behind and below the card in the pic). 

Details - Available in the Torendi store:  Papers from the "Bright" kit, Bam Pop! stamp; Alpha stamps: EK Success, Karen Foster; Ink: StazOn, Tsukineko; Prima rhinestones; thread. 

Well, while the girls are off at CHA scouting out new TRENDY stuff for the Torendi store, YOU can get 20% off everything in the store until Tuesday 1/26!!!!  Just use coupon code CHA2010!!!

I'm looking forward to a weekend full of birthday parties to attend.  Hope you have fun weekend plans, too!

- Heidi

Circles & the Wisdom of Elvis

It's Thursday so you know what that means...time for another Sketchy Thursdays sketch!

This week's sketch is sponsored by Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker so I played with her U R My Favorite line to create this layout.

This is another photo taken a few months ago when I asked the kids to pose for me so I'd have current pics to show friends that hadn't seen us in a while.  This is the "sensitive" picture.  (See the other pic HERE.)

I covered a couple of chipboard circles with some of the Nikki Sivils paper.  I seriously did not plan for the hearts on the two circles to overlap so perfectly, but they did so yea!  The small oval punch I have, perfect for threading ribbon through, would not have punched through this chipboard so I used my Cropadile to punch several holes and then sanded it to create a smooth oval of sorts.

Here you can see the dimension of this layout.

As a wise Elvis once sung (the good Elvis, lol, of the Costello variety), "What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?" 

This is a Technique Tuesday chipboard ring which I rubbed with some pink ink, wrapped with some floss, and wrote on.  I'm a bit impatient and didn't wait for my ink to dry before I tried erasing some pencil marks causing the ink to smear.  But I thought it looked cool so I "erased" over all the lettering.   I love it when mistakes become good things. 

Head on over to the Sketchy Thursdays blog to see what the rest of the design team made for your inspiration and then play along with us.  Hook up your direct link to Mr. Linky in the sidebar by 11:59pm EST Wednesday 1/27 (my hub's 40th bday, oh my!) for your chance to win a sampler of Nikki Sivils' U R My Favorite line plus some more of her embellies. 

Details:  Nikki Sivils U R My Favorite collection:  paper & corduroy button; Bazzill chipboard circles; Technique Tuesdays chipboard ring; Colorbox ink; DMC floss; Michaels ribbon; Cropadile; Zig Millennium pen.

I also made this layout earlier this week using more of the Nikki Sivils U R My Favorite line. 

Speaking of circles, this week's Design Dollies sketch challenge also centered on circles:

I knocked this sketch on its side:

I was feeling in a playful mood so I drug out my Amercian Crafts Teen collection.  I sooo love that line!  (And some of it is featured in this month's Torendi kit "Bright"!)   I also used some pink prismatic and pink glitter papers from Colorbok.  What a find those were!  Two sheets each for 99 cents!!!!!!  Got them at Target and by the time I realized how cool they were (about a day later) when I went back to get more it was all gone.  :o(  Oh, well.  I also got some blue prismatic, too.  Can't wait to break into that one, also. 

I had this great pic of my daughter which I've been dying to scrap.  It may look as if she's throwing a tantrum but if you look closely at her hands you'll realize she's actually rocking out.  Look at her in all of her four years in a High School Musical t-shirt rocking out!  The words in the circle next to her pic say, "rock on".  There are also circles with the words, "lip gloss" and "nail polish" in them.  She's becoming quite the girly-girl, despite having a pretty tomboy-ish mom.  Which just goes to show that "girly" isn't necessarily taught, it just IS. 

I ran a strip of the pink prismatic paper through my Dymo machine for the title, "Four Going On Tween".  I rubbed over the raised letters with some black ink to make the letters stand out a bit more. 

Head on over to the Design Dollies blog to check out what the rest of the design team made for your inspiration and then get yourself hooked up to the Mr. Linky on that post for your chance to win a fabulous prize.  If you've been following the Dollies so far you know their prizes are awesome! 

Details - Paper: American Crafts, Colorbok; Dymo; Slick Writer; Zig Millennium pen; thread. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Be sure to check in tomorrow for an awesome offer from Torendi! 

Happy Thursday!

Heidi

Lil Prince (SPCC #31)

H{ippity} Hop post next one down...

Happy Monday! 

Time for another installment of SPCC.  Really love this combo:

October/November 2010 issue

I had just the perfect base paper to begin with, from the Nikki  Silvis "U R My Favorite" collection.

Loving all the little pennant embellies going around out there so tried one for myself.

Most of the paper is from a Martha Stewart Valentine's Day stack with a Colorbok prismatic paper thrown in. 

I also used a few items from the Crop Suey kit I won a couple months ago, the Sassafras Lass chipboard bunny, bird, and journaling piece and a couple of mini cupcake/candy cups which I made into a flower. 

Head on over to the SPCC blog to see what other amazing creations the design team made for your inspiration and join in on the fun!

I've spent the long weekend finally sorting and packing away the Christmas stuff and doing a bunch of cleaning and organizing so I think I'm going to spend its last few hours curled up on the couch snuggling with the kids and reading.  It's rainy and chilly here today which in AZ is a treat and I love to spend days like this all comfy and tucked in.  :o) 

Heidi

Details - Paper & bread(less) tag from Nikki Silvis; Sassafras Lass chipboard & candy cups from Crop Suey; Paper & bakers twine from Martha Stewart; Paper from Colorbok; Hearts by Darice; EK Success alpha stamps; StazOn ink.

{ippity} Second Chance Challenge on Sketchy Thursdays

You all were so lovely and sweet about my premier sketch on Sketchy Thursdays earlier this month that I just had to make another one for our newest Second Chance Challenge!!!! 

A bit different than the last one, eh?  I whipped out my inner grunge monkey for this one!

Riding high off my fave layout to date (yesterday's "The Moment" post, see HERE), I decided to give the painted/misted/stamped/doodled background another go. 

Yeah, not as enthralled with this one.  Still likeable but not enrapturing.  (Wow, I have a high opinion of my work, eh?  NOT!!) 

Anyhoo, the current Sketchy Thursdays Second Chance Challenge is sponsored by {ippity} by Unity Stamp Co. so I used 3 images from the Because of You set for this card.  (Hard to pick out in the picture but the "love" word block is stamped repeatedly over the background.)  What's funny is that both Diana and Tessa used the same images for their DT reveals of this challenge/sketch, too.  Great minds...

~stamp detail~
I would LOVE to see your take on my sketch.  As you should know by now, we on Sketchy Thursdays present you with our sketches as inspiration for you.  You are always welcome to flip, rotate, interpret the suggested position, size, shape or number of embellishments, and/or in this case grunge- or tidy-up this sketch to suit your creative whim. You'll notice that the Sketchy Thursdays Design Team has taken this credo to heart with this challenge, rotating, flipping, interpreting, and cleaning up the sketch as necessary to fit their creative vision.

You have until 11:59pm EST 1/31 to post your creation (card OR layout - I'd love to see this interpreted as a layout!) to the comments on THIS POST on the Sketchy blog for your chance to win an {ippity} set.  The winner will have their choice of one of these two sets:

-OR-

I think having a choice makes it just that much more fun!!!

And, in case you haven't noticed, I simply adore this new line of {ippity} stamps by Unity Stamp Company.  So much so that I became an {ippity} chick so you can purchase them through me!  ({ippity} stamps can only be purchased through {ippity} chicks - they're not available on the Unity site or in any stores.)

So, as an added bonus to the current Sketchy Thursdays {ippity} challenge AND to celebrate the creation of my new {ippity} blog, {ippity} by heidi, I'm offering all Sketchy Thursdays followers a 15% discount on product through the end of this challenge, 1/31!!  Check out the Sketchy Thursdays blog for how to get your discount. 

In the next few days I'll be fleshing out the new {ippity} by heidi blog but I envision it to not only include a way to order {ippity} product from me, but will also include {ippity} inspiration, a place for you to share your {ippity} creations, and occassional {ippity} challenges. 

Come, play along with us over on Sketchy Thursdays!!!

Have a great Friday!!

- Heidi

This Ain't No Democracy

Hope you're having a great Saturday! 

I had fun playing around with my January Torendi Kit "Bright".

This American Craft paper made me think about driving:

My picture is taken from inside my car, "Mom's Taxi". 

I applied the microbeads in a squiggly fashion to mimic the paper. 

You can see me taking the pic and the kids in the mirror.

I always liked that saying, "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hang on."  Guess getting 3 of the 4 is pretty good.  (Somehow I just can't get them to shut up.)

Did you notice the taxi and the Statue of Liberty stamps in the previous two pictures?  They're also in the Bright Kit this month - they're from the Shinzi Katoh NY stamp set.  So stinkin' cute, eh?  And the inclusion of the Liberty stamps led to the title of this layout:

In Mom's Taxi, this ain't no democracy!  Mom is the supreme ruler (in her own head). 

Thanks for stopping by this weekend!

Heidi

Details - Paper, Thickers & stamps from the January Torendi Kit "Bright", Colorbox transparency frame, StazOn ink, Martha Stewart microbeads, Dymo labels.

The Moment (Sketchy Thursdays)

I love this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch:

And you will not believe what the DT made for your inspiration!  I love seeing the versatility of the sketches with the varied styles of the DT. 

So, I was just talking with a great friend recently who was excited that she may have just made her most fave layout ever.  And then I made my layout today for this sketch and well whadaya know!  I'm pretty sure this is MY most fave layout ever.  Good scrappin mojo transcends thousands of miles across the web!!! 

Last night I came across the Tyggereye Art Love blog and was so inspired by the amazing art that I practically dreamt about making this layout today.  I really had no idea how to go about it but just grabbed some cardboard and some paint and dug in. 

~picture detail~


Once I laid down the paint I stamped a bit, masked and misted a bit, and then finished it off with some pencil (partially around the painted hearts and alond the vertical stripes) and fingerpainted some areas.  I really have to say I'm impressed with how the background came out.  It looks like some cool patterned paper to me. 

~closer picture detail~
I covered the picture with some tuille to emphasize my rantings about identity lost in my journaling.  It's twisted and tied with wire in the corner with a charm displaying the date of the pic (which, incidentally, is sanded around the edges and fingerpainted with a silver glaze and some black paint).  What?  You say you don't see any journaling?  It's because it's on the back, silly! 

See, what I had to say, what this layout represents is how my life changed at that moment, at the moment we left the hospital with our little 5lb 3oz bundle and became forever new people.  And I don't necessarily want my kids reading the journaling so this is my way of hiding it. 

"This is the moment.  Oh, we didn't realize it at the time but looking back I now know.  The moment my identity was lost.  The identity I'd known.  I would no longer be autonomous. From this moment I am and will always be mom, mommy, mama...And how I'd longed and dreamt of and planned for those days.  But I never dreamed I'd sometimes cringe to hear those words.  And at first silently but now a bit more openly rage against that identity - or rather what that identity means.  That me.  I am lost.  It's no longer acceptable (although would it ever have been?) to make art for art's sake?  To make me happy.  Sane.  But then again, without you and all the moments you've hoisted upon me, would I want to create like this?  Explore me again (or for the first time?).  Truthfully, I can't remember "me" before and actually do believe you identified me.  The autonomous me.  I've never once NOT cherished and been thankful for you and what you brought to my life...And I never will not.  You created me and I love you.  Love, Mom, Mommy, Mama, Heidi"

Yes, a bit rambling.  Stream-of-consciousness.  I guess what I'm trying to get at is I need to create because of them - it just doesn't necessarily sound that way throughout, which is why I wouldn't want the kids to read it, KWIM? 

I'd love to see what you create with the rockin sketch.  Hook up your art to Mr. Linky in the Sketchy Thursdays sidebar for your chance to win the Unity Stamp Co. October Store Kit from Sweet Scrap Deal!

Oh, I so wish I had this kit.  It is wonderful...

Thanks for letting me ramble and rage and display my sometimes yellow mommy colors. 

Have a great Thursday!

- Heidi

Details - Making Memories paint & glaze; Glimmer Mist; Heidi Swapp mask; AMM charm, Stamps - {ippity}, Delish, Autumn Leaves; Stampin' Up! ink; pink tuille from Ninja Addicts Three Little Birds kit; Zig Millennium pen; pencil; cardboard; unknown wire.

P.S.  Check out today's post on the Cosmo Cricket blog.  Not only is it chock-full of yummy sneak peeks for some of their new lines but they're holding a contest...comment on your fave LSS or online independent store.   The winning store will receive a whole line and the winning commenter will also receive it.  Let's give torendi.com an awesome shout-out!!!!!