Scrap Our Stash Design Team Project Topic: *NEW*

*squeeeeee!!!*
I have news...
I'm one of the newest Design Team Members over at Scrap Our Stash!
I'm so excited to have been invited to join this awesome and talented bunch of ladies.
As one of our 1st projects we were asked to make a project with the theme: NEW
New Year, New DT Members... New, New, New.
I scrapbooked about Our Newest Christmas Tradition:
The Christmas Pickle
Friends gifted us a Christmas Pickle Decoration and 2010 was it's maiden um, decorating? Hanging just sounds... oh so wrong. lol
Eagle-Eye Thomas was the one to find it this year.
I printed off an article about the non-legend of the Pickle.
Apparently all the stories are Myths & Legends but that just makes it all the sillier...
and oh, so perfect for our Family!
The pictures are matted with different pattern papers, use those leftovers!
'Tag' is a sticker placed on a paper scrap them trimmed.
Letter stickers were leftovers... the 'E' is an 'F' with some of a trimmed off 'L' added.

Last Project of 2010: Blood, Sweat & Gears!

Managing to slip oooooone more project in juuuust under the wire.

This one is not for a challenge or Design Team...
Just For Me (& Greg!)

Picture used with every gratitude possible to
Photographer: Michelle Budzinski.
Thank-You!!!

Pattern Paper and Paper embellishments: Graphic 45
Times Nouveau and Steampunk Debutante Collections
Key: Pixie Press
Ribbon: unkown source
Cog Die-cut: Tim Holtz
Screw Head Brads: Keepsakes Craft (Multicrafts)
Newspaper, Character Sheets, Curse Saving Hex Signals and Title Strip:
Blood, Sweat & Gears
http://www.documentia.ca/steampunk
Gear and other Metal: R.I.Pieces of a Clock
Button: Steampunk Ottawa
Glimmer Mist sprays: Tattered Angels
MUCH paper scrunching, sanding, inking and spraying.
Wanted that worn, weathered beaten look...
and just a bit grungy.
Even added a few fingerprints, it was a mystery after all.

(Click on Picture to Enlarge)
Journaling:

On Saturday October 16th 2010
the Heart & Crown on Preston
Street in Ottawa slipped back
in time to the year 1897...
becoming the home of Lady
Cholmonderly-Mainwaring in
Bromleys End.

A gather for the occasion of
King George Science College's
annual science exposition has
begun... but deceit was afoot!

Greg and I were playing the
roles of James and Agatha
Savage, husband and wife,
proprietors of Savage Scientific
Supply: Providers of Magnets,
Gears, Cogs, Tesla Coils, Wires,
Steamworks, Piping, Goggles
and other Scientific
Paraphernalia out of London.

A rather interesting and varied
cast of Characters made small
talk while each subtly trying to
figure out who has killed
Professor Sidney Fortescue.
Each person suspiciously
thinking...

'Am I talking to a Murderer?'

Well we were!

It turned out to be:

Professor Cyrus McLeod

Near the Weather Machine

With the Earth Magnets

ARTastic January Design Team Submission

January's inspiration will come from the painting 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' by Renoir

Luncheon of the Boating Party

by Renoir

(Suggested by Shelee and Peggy)

Diva Demand for an extra 6 bonus points try and

work the following into your layout.

1. Scrap a celebration = 1pt
2. 3 or more people in the layout = 2pts
3. Food somewhere on the layout = 3pts

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I'm sure most people would have a pic of a
celebration of some sort amongst their photos.

Please email your layouts compressed/resized for web viewing to shazzaalleyes@hotmail.com
Also, please add your blog address to your email so I can add it to the post, that way we can come and visit :)

Entries for 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' will close
Saturday 29th January at midnight.

Start off 2011 by joining us here at ARTastic,
we would love to see more of our 'Followers' join in.

Cant wait to see this months entries !!!

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mmmm... food! What a good topic. :O)
I decided to scrap the King of all Foodie-Celebrations: Thanksgiving.
We always have a veritable herd of family over, on top of the herd that already live under our roof. lol
Table laden down with a feast of:
ham, turkey, potatoes, turnip, carrots, olives,
apples, cranberry sauce, corn relish,
pineapples, salad and buns.
This is always my eldest son Arthur's favorite part:
The Food.
Though all da boyz kinda hang around, underfoot, as my Mom & I are getting the buffet meal laid out.

Good-Bye 2010 & Personal FavoriteTop 10 Projects.

Ahh... another Year draws to a close.
2010 was a very, very good year for us.
We celebrated a wedding, a new job, passing probation with that new job, MAJOR positive progress with both of our Special Needs kids, Grade 6 Graduation and *gulp* teenager-dom (or is that teenager-DOOM) beginning, rediscovery of Steampunk... quickly become an addiction with the whole family especially wee ones (all their LEGO is 'Steampunk this, Steampunk that...' now...lol), placement on 3 design teams, creative challenges won, guest spots, court case resolved, negative people cleared from our lives, positive people entering, spiritual renewal, healing in many forms, the forging of a new family unit, positive school changes, community at it's best and good Karma bringing us into the close and onto the New Year.
We are looking forward to an even better 2011!

I'm going to jump the Bloggy Bandwagon here...
Posting MY favorite 10 project from 2010.
These are not necessarily ones I won Challenges with or even Design Team Layouts BUT they are ones I put a little bot of my heART & Soul into and are therefore just a wee bit *more* of me.
If I've linked this up right clicking on the images *should* take you to the corresponding Blog Entry for these project.
Not in any kind of preference order, the newest project is at the top, oldest at the bottom.

The Wedding Watch:
12X12 Scrapbook Page

Steampunk Demon Detector:
3D Mixed Media Prop

Stepping Through the Looking Glass and Falling Down the Rabbit Hole:
12X12 Scrapbook Page


Brass Explosion Steampunk Box:
Mixed Media Giftbox


Da Boyz!:
12x12 Scrapbook Page


Domestic Goddess:
3D Mixed Media Sculpture


Alice In Mixed Media Wonderland:
3D Framed Art


Warning to Time Travelers... the Butterfly Effect:
3D Mixed Media Wallhanging

Valentine's ABC's of You:
Handmade Scrap/Giftbook

Entertaining Angels
Art Journal Page

Tuesday Taggers: Old Father Time...

Old Father time.........
So we are nearly at the end of 2010 - where have the last 10 years gone? It seems like days ago we were celebrating the millenium and here we are now slipping into another decade - how time flies!

Staying with the theme of new year we thought a theme involving the passage of time would be appropriate so have chosen the challenge of
"Old Father Time"

- this theme is open to your own interpretation so please feel free to run with whatever your thoughts are for this one.

I actually made a TAG this time... for 2010 I think this is a 1st for me with this challenge! ;O)
I found this wonderful Clip-Art image...
Base of Burgundy cardstock, heavily inked in Burgundy and Navy.
Clock pattern paper and image inked as well.
I wanted a grungy look with some movement so I inked in circles.
Good-Bye 2010

Take a Word #8 : Celebrate!

Take a Word #8 - Celebrate!

One of my favorite quotes and a way of life around here. :O)
"There are exactly as many special occasions
in life as we choose to celebrate."
~Robert Brault~

Take a Word #9: Music

Take a Word #9 - Music

Artist Postcard.
Clip art and Stampin'Up! Wheel.

"There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden,
but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.
~Minnie Aumonier~

4x4 Friday: Calm and Bright

4x4 Friday: Calm and Bright

Calm and Bright is this week's 4x4 Friday challenge. Enjoy the holidays, my friends!

Clip-Art Collage with a Winter Solstice Feel.
May your days grow brighter as the New Year approaches.

4X4 Friday: Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year 2011!

This week's 4x4 challenge is all about the new year to come! Post an arty card that celebrates 2011. Here's wishing you all the best!

I found this wonderful image here.
Mounted it on cereal board.
Lightly Glimmer misted in Caramel Apple, sanded and inked edges
Then on inked and sanded burgundy cardstock.
Printed and inked 'banner':
"As the music of 2010 fades... 2011 picks up the tune."

Three Muses: Books

Three Muses: Books

I made a Postcard using varied Clip-Art from my hoard.

Outside of a dog,
a book is man's best friend.
Inside a dog it's too dark to read.
~Groucho Marx~

4X4 Friday: Winter Solstice

4x4 Friday: Winter Solstice

Bright blessings this winter solstice, December 21st!
Enjoy the light.

I was so happy to see the topic this week...
We ourselves celebrate Alban Arthan in our own way.
Some information on the Celtic Winter Solstice here.
We will have a huge Turkey dinner Tuesday, early.
Then as the sun goes down we will start turning out all the lights.
Once it it completely dark we will bring out the Yule Log cake.
Everyone will take 1 candle, make a wish and put it in the cake and light it.
We will then use these candles to light other ones around the house, keeping the other lights out.
The kids loooove having their nightly bath by candlelight. :O)
We talk, tell stories and read poetry.
I love this night, it's our re-charge night. A chanced to just *be* with each other before the the next few rather hectic days leading up to our more traditional Christmas Celebration.
Happy Solstice!!!
May you find your own peace and renewal this season.

S0artful: Pink Christmas

Pink Christmas

I found this image all over the web when I was looking

for a pretty pink Christmas tree.

It is from the short lived magazine by Martha Stewart called

Blueprint: Design Your Life

A Lifestyle Magazine for Women

I love this look but I don't think I'm brave enough to

use this in my home.

This image is for your inspiration. You are welcome to use it

in your design but it isn't necessary. I'd love to see where a

Pink Christmas takes your creative spirit.

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lol... I'm no braver!
I am but a single estrogen carrying entity in a house with 5 testosterone carrier...
I use PINK as a defense mechanism.
For example my Pink Dell LapTop the boyz thing is 'gross'.
GOOD! I think it's gross too but if it keep 'em away from my sh-tuff, I can live with that.
I started this wee card with a pre-done base I got in a prize bag. Sprayed it with 2 different pink glimmer mists. Then stamped in brown using the Close to my Heart: Vintage Christmas set.
Added some min-brads and a strip of bling.
Pink-mas!

Wedding Coffee 'Thank-You'...

Ahhh... Starbucks.
Ours is like Cheers for us...
Everybody knows our names or at least our drinks!

On the morning of our Wedding we had an 8AM photo shoot so coffee was a MUST.
We stopped at *Our* Starbucks on the way out. Greg ran in fully 'kilted', minus the Bonnie Prince Charlie Jacket. The manager Jason asked what he was all dressed up for and he told him it was Our Wedding Day... Jason refused payment on the drinks.
A Wedding Gift from them, to us.

Starbucks was a great wedding memory for us all through the planning too.
One of the Baristas was getting married the day after us AND going all Celtic & Kilts too.
Quite a bit of Back & Forth chatter over plans, stresses and excitements...
all through the months preceding Our Weddings.

I put together this Thank-You Card/Folder to let them know we were grateful.
It's 6" high and folds out so it can sit displayed if that's their wish.
Greg's going to drop it by on his next coffee run.

THREE MUSES #81 - ODD COUPLE

THREE MUSES 81 - ODD COUPLE

Challenge for you for this week is to create an ODD COUPLE. You could mix and match with animals and people to create something very odd, or give your old grandma and grandpa a steampunk makeover OR may be you will create a very interesting ODD COUPLE that will take us all by surprise.

I went a little 'generational' with my Postcard...

Janice was perfectly content to stay near home
But Carl...
Carl really wanted to get out and see the world!

Peace & Roses...

4x4 Friday: Peace

Peace is this week's 4x4 Friday challenge.
Make time for peaceful moments this holiday season.
Enjoy!
I enlarged a Blog Icon printing it on glossy photo paper...
then rubbed ink in and wet it with a bit of water to blend.
Black Sharpie 'frame'.
A healthy sentiment to remind myself of as the holiday hullabaloo goes on & on & on...

THREE MUSES 80 - Flowers

I'm late!
I had it done but didn't post in time...
Still here it is.
One of my favorite quotes/sentiments and I agree 110% with it!
"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
~Emma Goldman~
Pattern paper from stash and lady from a jewelry flyer ad.

Take a Word #7 - CHILDHOOD

This week's word is CHILDHOOD.
Share your memories with us!

I made a 4X4 for this challenge...
It started with a photo of my 2nd son, Robert, taken at the park this past summer.
Which already seems soooo far away with all the snow we have... *le sigh*
I cut around his body and added some fleurs from a garden ad.
The quote:
There is a garden
in every childhood,
an enchanted place
where colors are brighter.
the air softer,
and the morning
more fragrant than ever again.
~Elizabeth Lawrence~
I also added a few paper fleurs around the quote with black Sharpie Centers.
Very SUMMER!

Creepy Christmas...

Time for a couple of Creepy Christmas Challenges...

Macabre Monday HDH069 - Colorblind Christmas

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Colorblind Christmas

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based Winter Holiday cardWITHOUT using RED or GREEN...
Not even a teensie bit of it anywhere :)

I started with a Black Christmas Tree image (from a flyer ad)
Then 'decorated' it in Dark Blue, Purple and Orange Brad 'Balls'...
I used an extra-fine black Sharpie to doodle on them.
Then added a Skull Sticker on top.
Glitzed it up with Bright Yellow Glitter Garland
(3D Crystal Lacquer + Glitter) with an extra bit around ol'Skully too.
Final bit of Purple inking around the edges.
Merry Skull-mas!

Challenge #68 : The worst Christmas present ever

Good morning all Darksiders.
The last challenge for this year will be :
The worst Christmas present ever.
I wish you all very happy crafting and of course
a great few weeks of holiday time !

This was *approved* by my 12 year old for suitable creep-factor... lol.
I do wish the picture was better but after 40+ shots... I give up!
Reads:
I wanted to give you my heart for Christmas...
but I still need it,
so here is someone else's.
Merry Christmas my Love!
Quick spritz of red Glimmer Mist behind the box...
Box and Human Heart were both freebie Clip-Art.
Heart is coated and box is dripped in my signature
3D Crystal Lacquer and Glimmer Mist 'Blood Blend'.
Worst Present ever? I think so!

Stay Calm & Merry On... (+ Good News!)

I've seen this phrase on an icon that's floating around...

"Stay Calm & Merry On"
My Mantra for this Month!
Though I have not updated recently I am far from unbusy.
I managed to clear away most of my Design Team work up til January 1st...
though it seems fate has other plans for me!
I recently jumped in to a few of the challenges at Scrap Our Stash and I won!
I won the Monthly challenge with the Halloween Layout I did of William the Explorer.
So I've been invited to be a Guest Designer for the month of January.
Then...
I also won the Pagerize #4 Challenge.
Which means one of MY Layouts becomes Challenge #5 and I get to choose the winner who becomes #6. What fun!
I choose the "da' boyz!" layout to be pagerized...
I figured it has a variety of embellishments and a few unique things.
The New Pagerize Challenge is up Go check it out!
Then...
I found out I was a Finalist for the Design Team!!!
I am delighted to have been selected to join this team of wonderfully talented Ladies.
I'm still sitting here like a deer in headlights over all the excitement.
Then add...
Look to see me over at Take a Word the week of February 7th.
If you want to create a sample yourself... let her know.
This is a fantastic challenge Blog, all art is welcome!
See what I mean by Stay Calm? All this excitement... I'm dizzy.
Then of course there is the usual December-Month Hoopla. :O)
I need to catch up on the photos for my December Daily... will post when I can.
Today was a Baking Day...
I made 2 4X batches of Biscotti for Teacher's Gifts.
4-Cinnamon and 4-Cranberry/Cinnamon.
I'm baked out!
Then packaged it all up, one kind each in a holiday theme Ziplock Baggies with an ingredients list enclosed, nestled in a white treat box and Tagged for the 2 schools.
This year we went and had our Family Christmas Pictures done while dressed in our Steampunk wear minus the guns and goggles. lol... ie. Dickens style Victorian. I used the Boyz individual shots on the Gift Tags. Printed, trimmed, green inked the edges then attached to red Cardstock that had been red ink edged... a little curling ribbon and Voila!
Another year's gifts DONE.

'Naked' Biscotti: not yet chocolate drizzled.
Cranberry Cinnamon on the Left, Cinnamon on the Right.

mmmm... chocolate drizzled Goodness!

Cinnamon up close...

Cranberry/Cinnamon up close...

All packaged up!

Close Up of Younger 3's Tag...

Close Up of Eldest's Tag...

Take a Word #6: MAIL

Take a Word #6: MAIL

Lovely word again this week...
I made a Postcard (bonus MAIL art too! lol).
"What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying a warm human hand-clasp."

Macabre Monday HDH067 - Paper Pandemonium

Macabre Monday HDH067 - Paper Pandemonium

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Paper Pandemonium

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using at least two different patterned papers. This has GOT to be an easy one, kids!

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I made a greeting card this time round...
My 2 pattern papers are from Fancy Pants, a double sided sheet, I used some of each side.
Why not? Perfect co-ordinated already! lol
Edges of card base are stamped with a Basic Grey Halloween cobwebby stamp in Black.
Star paper is ripped and edged in Purple.
Skully paper is edged in orange.
The 'pouf' is lace I folded in 1/2, ran a thread through the fold, pulled and tied off.
Black & White gingham ribbon is Satmpin'Up!
Happy Haunting is a sticker I mounted on Orange cardstock.
Wooden Skull was a $ store find. I love these, pack of 10 for only $1!
Black Bling is Say it With Crystals.

Happy Haunting!