DT Sonia's camera album......

Hello bloggers! As most of you know, I love-love-love to take photos! So when I saw all of the new neat camera related papers and embellishments and chipboard out there I was beyond stoked. Fortunately for me, the ladies at The Crafty Scrapper hooked me up with brand new Bo Bunny Mama-Razzi 2 papers and brand new Maya Road! This album was beyond fun to put together...I hope you love it too!

I don't often get to make mini books about my trips so I thought I'd take advantage of this opportunity. Last year I went on several trips including a very dreary trip to New Orleans. It rained THE ENTIRE TIME we were there. :( But I still managed to get out and about and snap a few photos. Although I didn't get to some of the places I really wanted to revisit or visit for the first time, I think I still managed to capture the Spirit of the Big Easy with the time that Mother Nature allowed. The first thing I did was pick out all of the photos that I might possibly use. The next step was converting them to square images and adding a Polaroid border. Since the Maya Road Say Cheese Camera Album looks like a vintage Polaroid style camera, I thought it would be fitting. Although I scaled the images down so that they were not full size or Polaroid size photos, they were still super cute and functional for this "mini". Once I had the photos reformatted and printed, I was ready to get started!

But wait! Before I get into the nitty gritty, I really want to showcase the following papers from Bo Bunny's Mama-Razzi 2 line because they really made the project come together beautifully and if I had not bought these, I think my project could have had the potential to fall flat.

From left to right we have the Mama-Razzi 2 Stickers, Contrast, and Darkroom. I used A LOT of these stickers to make my own embellishments and I used the papers to make pockets and overlays on just about every single page. Okay, NOW we can truly get started...

 

***DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT!***

 

This is the cover of the mini. As I mentioned before --the chipboard album is by Maya Road and it is the "Say Cheese Camera Album". The entire book is covered with Bo Bunny paper from the Mama-Razzi 2 line and all of the edges were inked up with Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger. The paper speaks for itself, it's beautiful. The only thing I added to this paper was the stamped image on the upper right side of cover (around the flash). That stamp is by Bo Bunny, also from this line. The tin in the center is by Maya Road and I added a sticker from the sticker sheet I shared above. Kudos to The Crafty Scrapper Manager, Gena Glover, for giving me that idea. The image in the tin is a piece of film that makes a heart --clever! I did cover the flash with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and then lathered it with Distress Crackle Rock Candy. The green film strip is also a sticker from the Mama-Razzi 2 line. I adhered it to a piece of cardstock and then glued it right onto the cover. As for the cover photo, I wedged it into the cover to make it look like a Polaroid camera releasing a photo. You can see closeups in the images below.

I'm not going to show you every single page I think this book makes anywhere from 10-12 pages (I don't remember). I do however want to highlight the stamps that I used on this particular page. These stamps are by Maya Road from the Picture Perfect stamp set and the Perfect Shot Arrows stamp set. Now remember I said I used a lot of elements from the Bo Bunny Darkroom and Contrast papers? Well, I cut out these films strips from the Darkroom paper and then put my photos in the boxes. The strip that is shown in this photo had three boxes--I put photos in the top two and then folded the bottom one to use it on the next page...you will spot it in the following photos. ;)

I love this page. It has a lot of attitude and all around "fun" to it. Again, I used an image from the Darkroom page and I was careful and cut around the miniature Polaroid which I stamped the letter "d" on. This allowed me to stick a photo behind it. You will see this technique throughout the entire project. The "Oh Snap!" is from Bo Bunny's Mama-Razzi 2 stamp set.

One of my favorite elements from this page is the wooden Polaroid frame which is from the "You've Been Framed" by Maya Road. I stamped the words "Say Cheese" from the "Picture Perfect Cameras" stamp set by Maya Road and I stamped that on the film strip frame that I folded over from the previous page.

This page has a lot of charm too. The cork board tag is by Little Yellow Bicycle. Okay, how cute is that chipboard camera?!?!?!? It's so cute it's downright ridiculous! That's also by Maya Road from the "Say Cheese" collection.

Again, I cut out images from the Darkroom paper and cut around the cameras to make a pocket that holds about 5-6 mini Polaroids. This will allow onlookers to pull the photos right out and look through them. Then they can simply tuck them back into place. Mini pockets rock!!! Okay, that was super nerdy, wasn't it?

 

Yet another pocket made to share several photos per page. This pocket was made possible by the Contrast paper.

And another pocket! This particular pocket was made using the Contrast paper as well. I simply cut a slit along the top portion of the banner and was careful not to put glue on it when adhering it to the paper. Instant pocket!

Same technique with this pocket. This particular pocket was made using an image from Darkroom paper. The stamped filmstrips are from the Mama-Razzi 2 stamp set.

FIN!

I hope you enjoyed my project as much as I enjoyed bring it all together. Now go out and get this paper and all of the products I used because they're waiting for you at The Crafty Scrapper!

Peace, love, and camera stuff...

Ms. Ruin

What a weekend! First I want to say a BIG thank you to my wonderful husband for always being there to help and support me, Darlene, Joan and Gena for being the backbone of it all and doing such a great job setting up the booth, Helen and Christy for coming out to work, Shelley and Anita for the make-n-takes and Jim Hankins (the gentlemen crafter) and Anita Houston for doing an awesome job demoing.....WOW I am truly blessed to have such a fantastic team!

If you did not get a chance to come out, the expo was held at the beautiful Gaylord in Grapevine.

 

I loved how we did the booth this year, lots of room, demo table and a make-n-take table.

 

 

Jim and Anita tag teamed at the demo table, creating lots of art......

 

 

 

 Shelley did over 100 make-n-takes, the necklaces were such a big hit she ran out at lunch Saturday. Anita Scroggins was there to help her out Friday.

 

 

 

A couple of our wonderful customers sporting their new necklaces.......

 

 

A few of the projects the design team created......

 

Thank you, Thank you to Gena my right hand girl.....

 

 

Whats a convention without my sweet friend Cheryl, enjoying lunch at this beautiful spot in the middle of the Gaylord.

 

Be on the look out for upcoming classes from these two talented people Anita and Jim, welcome to the team. Check out their blog for more pictures of the expo.

Thank you to all that came by and said hi,

 have a fantastic week!

Maya Road Valentine Album w/ Faber-Castrell

Hi Everyone it's Anita here and today.... 

I have a DT project using a

lovely Maya Road Album. I decorated it using

Faber-Castell products. This album was a lot of fun to make!!!

All the products for this project can be found at The Crafty Scrapper.

I used Gelatos®, Art GRIP® Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils, Stampers Big Brush Pens, Paper Crafters Crayons, and Metallic PITT® Artists Pens to color the cover. For a tutorial on how it was made. hop over to the Faber-Castell® Design Memory Craft Blog to check it out.

I finished to cover with Prima flowers, twine, stick pin, and a little

embossed heart from Maya Road.

As you can see I added tons of stuff !

The inside of the front cover.

The inside of the back cover.

I have used Authentique's new line of paper, lots of Maya Road goodness, Tsukineko inks, 7 Gypsies tags, Prima flowers, Tim Holtz dies, spray inks, Impression Obssession stamp,
and a few other odds and ends from my scrap room.
Faber-Castell Products are Gelatos®, Stampers Big Brush Pen, Metallic PITT® Artist Pen,
Art GRIP® Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils and Paper Crafter Crayons.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful week!

Anita

Check these hearts out and a little tutorial......

Our newest design team member Anita Houston....

Hi everyone! Anita Houston here, and so happy to be here! I love the Maya Road Canvas Heart I was given to alter. I knew I had to have lots of metal on it for my rougher side, but also some feminine bits for my softer side. This is what I came up with, and boy did I have a blast making it!

I stained it all up first with Aged Mahogany, Black Soot, and Vintage Photo, with a few mists of water.

I stamped the dots in Tarnished Brass Metallic Distress Stain. The sentiment was stamped first in Jet Black Archival and heat embossed in Gold Tinsel and then restamped in Jet Black. Next came lots and lots of metal, material, and embellishments.

It's a little hard to read what it says, as I think I should have let things dry a little better, but it's Wendy's sentiment which I think fits how I feel perfectly, "Let what you LOVE be what you do." I love Art!

Supplies:
Maya Road: Canvas Heart; Pearl Chain
Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Art: In Love With Art, Seriously Art Stamp Sets
Ranger: Jet Black Archival Ink; Gold Embossing Tinsel; Aged Mahogany, Vintage Photo, Black Soot Distress Stains; Tarnished Brass Metallic Distress Stain; Pitch Black, Rust Alcohol Ink; Glossy Accents; Glue N Seal
Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Jump Rings; Long Fasteners; Mini Fasteners; Tiny Attacher; Facets Charm

Design team member Sonia Doneghue

My very latest "completed" Design Team Project is a decorated Maya Road linen heart. We were each asked to embellish the heart with our own "style". The goal is to describe who we are and what we like to use in our day to day projects. Of course this was a no-brainer for me. I used some of my all time favorite products from Maya Road, Tim Holtz, Ranger, and Prima (product list at end of post). But we'll get into that in just a sec.

So why "Uncaged"? Well, it's simple. I have always been a creative person. I can thank my very talented mother for this. She can draw. I cannot. But I did inherit other artistic traits from her. Thanks, mamacita! Back to "uncaged"...well, as most of you know I was in a marriage many years ago that was riddled with domestic abuse. I was not allowed to create anything, to keep journals, to write poetry...nothing. This is devastating to someone like me who needs to express herself with words, with art! I can remember keeping a spiral notebook hidden in the back panel of my nightstand. On the nights that were the most traumatic, I would pull it out after he was asleep and I would write in it...in the dark. I couldn't see lines, but so long as I could feel the paper, well, that was enough for me. That notebook was my only friend for several years. When I visited the notebook, I was free! But any other time, I was a prisoner. ::exhale:: But that is over now! And guess what? I can create whatever the heck I want too! Try and stop me. I use a lot of birds in my work because I wanted so badly to be like a bird. I wanted the courage to fly away, to escape, to break the confines of my cage. Although that time of my life is now over, I still can't fly. Well, at least not physically. But every other part of me has the freedom to soar!

"Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly, not the other way around. You were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around. Living unloved is like clipping a bird's wings and removing its ability to fly. A bird is defined not by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are defined not by their limitations, but by the intentions I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image. Love is not the limitation; love is the flying. I am love." -William P. Young, The Shack

Alright --are you ready to see the entire project?! Here we goooooooo...

Lets work from the bottom up...this wooden cage is by Maya Road. I dabbed it with gold adirondack paint by Ranger. Then I journaled the word "uncaged" on a piece of scrapbook paper and adhered it to the cage. I decided to add a pink flower to soften the idea. The wing is also by Maya Road and it is actually acrylic! I lathered one side of the wing with glossy accents, also by Ranger, and then adhered it directly onto vintage music paper. Once it was dry I simply tore away the excess paper. This was easy to do as the paper was very old and brittle. If you are using newer paper you may need to use scissors.

I have been playing with polymer clay lately. I'm new to the clay world but I can only imagine possibilities! I was looking for a bird mold but didn't have any luck in that department. But hey, craft people are resourceful so instead I pressed a Maya Road wooden bird into to the clay and used it as a stencil. I popped him in the oven for 15 minutes --I guess you can say I had a bird in the oven. ;) Anyway, once he was cooled off I dabbed him with various alcohol inks. I don't recall which ones I used, I tried about 4 different shades and finally got this pretty iridescent look. I definitely used Raisin and Gold but after that I don't recall. If you decide to use alcohol ink on clay and you don't have an extra piece of clay but don't want to commit to a color --ink the backside of your project for testing purposes. ;) My last steps were stamping the word "soar" and outlining my little fella with a black pen. Oh! Quick note about the "soar" stamp. That word, plus the ones I used on the heart are from a new art journaling stamp set by Maya Road. GET.THESE.STAMPS. I promise, you will love them and you will use them often.

Another medium I LOVE to use is cardboard. And it's free! In this piece I cut out a heart from corrugated cardboard and then painted here and there with Mahogony Crackle Paint by Ranger. The keyhole is from the Idea-ology line by Tim Holtz. I also used alcohol inks on it. The crown is chipboard by Maya Road, painted with Gold Adirondack Paint by Ranger.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my project. I am shipping it off to The Crafty Scrapper today. I almost can't wait to get it back so that I can hang it in my studio. In my next blog post owl feature a couple of fellas that are quite the hoot! You'll have to come back and meet my new friends. ;) I will leave you now with the product list for this project. Peace, love, and taking flight!

Product List (Click image at beginning of post to see large view of most products used):

• Maya Road Linen Heart
• Prima Paper Flowers (the best!!!)
• Maya Road Wooden Bird
• Black Sculpey Polymer Clay
• Maya Road Chipboard Crown
• Maya Road Art Journaling Stamp Set (LOVE!!!!)
• Ranger Distress Crackle Paint
• Maya Road Acrylic Wing
• Maya Road Wooden Birdcage
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Keyhole
• Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Inks
• Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Gold
• Vintage Piano Music Sheets