Drowning in Wedding Sh-tuff...

As some of you know I've had a few health set backs recently:
My right eye getting scratched, vision's still a bit fuzzy but I do have an appointment with a specialist soon!
Then the Smoke inhalation from our wee fire, My lungs are still 'tight' and for the next few months I'm told my mouth will feel permanently dry and I sound like a veteran smoker of 45+ years! lol... Sick not Sexy.
As a result I haven't had much time in the Studio.
My Muse is Bruised!!!
I'm hoping to get some sh-tuff done this week. I feel terrible missing 2 and in some cases 3 rounds of challenges on the Blogs I follow. Makes me sad. :O(
Plus the Wedding Sh-tuff is taking over more & more of the Studio space.
*sigh*
But....
The Wedding Plans must go on!
We're at 89 days to go on the counter.
I FINALLY got the invitations printed;
SEE:

Envelopes, RSVP Cards, Invites, Candle, Wax, Sealing Stamp and THE BOOK of all things Wedding-y!


Invitations & RSVP Cards:


Invitation:


RSVP Cards:

Now I just have to input all the Guest Information onto the Website we set up online for RSVP-ing, Address the sh-tack (200+), Wax Seal them and get them out.
lol
No Biggie! Right?
hhhrrrmmmm.

Your Life Spelled Out is GROWING!

So to celebrate it's BLOG CANDY time:
http://yourlifespelledout.blogspot.com/2010/06/questions-and-blog-giveaway.html

Between Blogger and Networked Blogs Your Life Spelled Out now has over 300 follower. SO...I am going to have a giveaway. Every time we grow by 25 I will have another giveaway. All you need to do be entered into this giveaway is to share how you found Your Life Spelled Out and how you use it. Do you use it daily, scan it occasionally, use it for art journaling only? Invite people to join. Tell them to tell me that you sent them and you will be entered again into the drawing for this set of stamps AND a gift card from Barnes and Noble or Archivers (your choice).

I ran across Your Life Spelled Out at the beginning of the year through ~Artist 365~ on FaceBook. I was just dipping my toes into Art Journaling... now I'm pretty much soaked! lol

I use both the Art Journal Prompts, which I share publicly AND the Daily Journal Prompts, which I write and keep to myself.

From Screen 2 Scrap 1st Birthday...

It's Coming Soon...
From Screen 2 Scrap (FS2S) is having their...

TO: all followers, DT Members,Guest DT Members, Sponsors and challenge entrants

Come and join us for in our 1st birthday celebrations during August

We will be celebrating with a 'birthday blog hop' with great prizes at each hop
blog hop starts 9th august and runs til the 21st august
There will also be a:

I'll post more Deets as they become available!

SteamPunk Demon Detector...

*squeal*
I made a Demon Detector!!!
We're the family that SteamPunks together and as such we're in need of some cool devices & gadgets... I'm working on our Family Vampire Hunting Kits at present.
Seeing as we're a family on the hunt for the Supernatural... more specifically my 'husband' who was bitten by a Vampire this little device will come in handy.
It's old Majik and not always reliable *shrug* but better than nothing.
We will continue the search for my husband and one day we will kill him and any other unnatural forces that get in our way.


Made:
Clock from the $ store ($2) I removed the glass (2 knobs hold it on) and all the clock working bits (Yeah! more gears!!!).
Then I printed off a Clip-Art 'demon chart' on actual yellow parchment paper (grumpy printer didn't like that! lol) and pasted it over the clock face.
Coated it in 2 layers of 3D Crystal Lacquer (leaving to dry a full day in between coats). Also filled the crevices with copper 3D Crystal Lacquer.
Dry brushed some copper paint on the raised design and painted the knobs copper, the brushed gold finish was original to the clock.
Then assembled the new 'hand' from a few of the clock bits (2 gears and the magnet ring around the hand) it spins quite well on it's own.
Put the glass and knobs back on and Voila!
3 days to make a SteamPunk Demon Detector... none to shabby.

WELCOME to the Mad Tea Party!!!

Hello Fellow Mad Tea-Partiers!

Welcome to Scrapbooking is Cheaper than Therapy.
Pull up a chair, pour a cuppa and join me for a spell...

I hummed and I hawwed about what to post today... and eventually decided:
What's a Tea Party without cookies?!

These are the cookies the boyz and I baked for the Teacher's Gifts this week.
122 of them!!!
Chocolate Chip Shortbread... VERY rich.

mmm.... crumbly...

yummmers...

I made sure that there was a ingredients list in each package.
Just In Case...

The 1st few ready to go!

Up Close...
The Story of the Tags is HERE.

2 Baskets ready to Go.
Little One for William's School.
Bigger One for Arthur, Robert and Thomas's School.

Big Basket.

Smaller Basket.


In addition to Cookies I also figured I could link to a few of My Alice Inspired Artwork:
If you click on the images it will take you to the Blog Posts about them most include many, many more pictures of the projects...
Enjoy!

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole... I've found my MUCHNESS:

4X4: HAT-itude:


Red Queen Artist PostCard:


Alice in Mixed-Media Wonderland:

ScrapFIT Mini Workout #2: Tag!

That time of year again... Teacher's Gifts!
Because my kids are in a very small school (less than 200 kids) all the teachers end up working with all the students at some time or another. This always leaves me in a bit of a conondrum at Gift Time. So... I make a little something for everyone who works at the school from the Principal down to the Custodian. Not much... a nice tag and a wee gift (usually baking or a craft).
This time it's especially bitter sweet, we're changing schools next year...
so it's the final Thank-You/Good-Bye. :O(
I decided to make Tags for ScrapFit Mini Workout #2 and they will be going on the Gifts this week.
I used the Family SteamPunk Picture from our Science Fair Outing as the main focus.
Added some beautiful Burgundy, Gold & Navy Fibre , inked the edges and added a key & lock.

Thank-You
for being Part of Our Journey!
~Arthur, Robert, William
& Thomas Russett~
~Sarah Elliott & Greg Cooper~

Happy Father's Day!!!

I know, I know... a day early. :O)
Greg has to work a full-day tomorrow so we did our 'festivities' today.
Starting with our traditional 'Faux-Cora's Breakfast' of Berry Waffles.
YUMMY!

Strawberries...

Blueberries...

Raspberries...

Whipped Cream...

All on Eggo Waffles then drizzled in Chocolate Sauce!!!

Some (GREG) like more Chocolate than others. LOL.

Robert, Thomas & William with their heaping plates...

My Daddy & Mommy. :O)


The Other part of the day was of course... GIFTS!
I made Thank-You Jars from the boyz.
They were also part of the 'Going Green' Challenge on Scrapadabadoo.
A great use for a couple of Sauce Jars that were otherwise heading to the recycle.
I picked 2 that were the same shape, size, (company) but had different lid colors.
Gold for Greg, Black for my Dad.

These are the finished Jars:
I put a layer of Mulberry Paper, topped with a strip of pattern paper around each one.
Stamped, Heat Embossed and Marker-Colored the images, tore them and inked the edges before attaching to the Thank-You Jars.
Tags say 'Happy Father's Day! 2010'

Thank-You Tag also ripped out and inked, over Mulberry Paper for the Lids.

Back and Front of Jars:

Sides:
Plaid for my Dad, Circles for Greg.

Inside the Jars:
Printed out 'Notes' from each of the Boyz.
Orange for Arthur, Yellow for Robert, Green for William and Blue for Thomas.
This 'color system' is something that evolved in our house from the IKEA dish sets, now everyone has thier own 'color' for everything! It's a wonderful thing. Makes like 110% easier!
Each boy told me 5 things for each Greg & Grandpa that they loved or were thankful for.
They were a hit!


Greg Reading his Thank-You Jar.

Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Father's Day!!!

*squeal!!!* It's UP! I'm the June Guest DT on Gutter Girlz!!!

See the Post HERE!

THE PROMPT:
I'm the STAR of this show
THE SONG:
Fingerprints by Katy Perry
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE:
Film Negative or Negative effects (there is a free process for this on Picnik.com called INVERT)

Please Welcome our Guest Designer:
Sarah Elliott
Gallery
My name is Sarah Elliott and I live in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada. I’m mom to 4 boyz ages 12 down to 5 years old. Yes I’m busy, Yes I’m tired… and don’t ask how ‘clean’ my house is. ;O)

I'm also getting married in September 2010, lucky enough to have found love with a longtime high school friend who treats my boyz like his own, he is my missing Soul-Partner. So life is even busier right now, but oh so fun! I often refer to myself as having ADAD (Attention Deficit Art Disorder) as you can see on my blog www.keepsakescrafts.blogspot.com I’m always up to something Art-sy. I call myself a Mixed Media Artist because if I can find some way to craft it... I will. I’m always Re-Using, Re-ducing & Re-decorating. Been creative my whole life, don’t think I could put a ‘date’ on when I started making Art, if my Mum’s right it’d be on the wall about the same time she gave my solid foods.

Besides making a mess daily in my Studio at home: I’m also a Summer lover ‘cause I get to play in the garden, our Summers are way to short. I read lots & lots & lots… usually have 3-4 books on the go at any given time laying all over the house/car. I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to be a regular DT on ARTastic Challenge Blog and am looking so forward to the creative challenges ahead! In short: As you'll see by my page for this Challenge, I lead a Chaos-Driven life full of sh-tuff always going on, but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

I really had fun with this one... I kept meaning to put down my common diatribe about how we lead the PERFECT Sitcom Life. They would have a field day and years & years worth of situations we always seem to be in. I've never played with the features in Picnik... quite addictive. ;O) I was able to able to complete a large part of my LO right at Picnik then print & paste, awesome!



Journaling reads: I often wonder when the networks are going to show up at our door... wanting the rights to our life story for the next Prime Time Sitcom...
Script Notes:
Title: of our next Hit show
MOMMY IN THE MIDDLE
Solo-Parent-Mom of 4 boys + Fiance
little bit of estrogen dealing with A LOT of Teststerone!
Boy 1: 12 years old going on 16... teen angst, TEEN-many funny options
Boy 2: 9 years old... and already showing GAY tendencies, senstive etc...
Boy 3: 8 years old WILD-medication, school issues, dual personailty Great Storylines
Boy 4: 5 years old CUTE, baby of family- needs to be center of universe but Charms with smile and Big Brown Eyes. SELL IT!
Fiance: Work a LOT, helps when there but Mom is the Focus -the STAR
MOM: ADD, SAHM, ARTIST always trying to work in the chaos
EX: largely absent... occasional drop-ins allows for DRAMA.
It's my life, and I'm not sitting on the sidelines watching it pass me by...
-Fingerprints-Katy Parry-
Pets:
Fish (scenery), Crazee Bunny... Scene Stealer
2 dogs: 1 neurotic, but quiet. 1 BAD chews, poops in the house etc... OH the SCENES.
Big Dog, Black (bunny) like Ninja, Medium Dog, (fish) pretty.

Happy International SteamPunk Day!!!

For those that need a little more information on SteamPunk, check out Wikipedia
Images galore on Google

My family and I are active members in local SteamPunk group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This weekend was The SteamPunk Science Fair... inventions and gadgets and things oh my!
We had a blast and took a fantastic photo op while we had it...
Everyone in SteamPunk-er-y Gear and a gorgeous old Church the event was held at. Stonework, Ironwork and Big Gorgeously worn Doors.
As my Ode to SteamPunk for International SteamPunk Day I did my Challenge work for Small World of Inchies & Twinchies: SteamPunk Theme. I made 8 Twinchies from some of the Science Fair Photo Shoot!
I know I usually am a die-hard Inchie Artist but the Twinchie worked better with the Cogs I had to stamp. :O)
I used several different cogs and gears that we've been harvesting out off anything we can find them in. I stamped them in metallic then clear heat-embossed over.

Whole Set:


Aviator Arthur:


Robert the Intrepid Inventor:


Wild-West William:


Thomas the Urchin:


Greg... Man of Mystery:


Lady Doctor Sarah:


Greg & Sarah:


The Family that SteamPunks Together: