Canvas Class #2

So, last night was one of my CTMH Hostess Club meetings.  We all had a fabulous time creating canvas projects - it is so great to see these talented ladies come up with some awesome projects!

They even came during the end of a major snow storm! I am so glad they were able to dig themselves out and be here!  ( Oh, and we celebrated Laura B's Birthday together - I feel honored that she chose to spend this special occasion with our group!)

I LOVE it when these ladies "go out of their comfort zone" and are pleased with their results!  I appreciate that they allow me to show them my insight and ideas to reach beyond what they think they are capable of - and so enjoy watching them grow their hidden talents they didn't even know they had!

Remember - is all about layering, textures and dimension

Here are some photos of their amazing creations!




This is JANICE V's beautiful creation - she came up with a great theme to celebrate her and her husband's LOVE -- she used lots of great colors - by first inking the canvas with Close To My Heart's buttercup and sweat leaf inks, along with Ranger's Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap.

After a quick spritz of a workable fixitive - Next came the GLIMMER MIST- which as you should know by now is one of my FAVORITE THINGS - my "elixir of life" that makes ALL THINGS sparkle! -she random sprayed over the ink and used one of my FAVORITE colors- LIME TWIST.


Here is a close up of this beautiful couple - I'm LOVIN' the PRIMA flowers - aren't you?!!

This was a cool chipboard embellishment that Janice covered with great paper from a beautiful paperpack - check out the fibers she tied around the "L" and the dewdrops that added little pops of glimmer here and there on the canvas - and the cool LUCKY bingo card -that she GLIMMER MISTED with "periwinkle."  Check out the AMAZING teal PRIMA Flower!

The bottom right corner has this great chipboard heart "lock" that Janice painted with a Ranger Ink Copper dauber - and hanging from it ( with a "hot" fuzzy piece of lime green fiber and accented with a piece of perwinkle fiber) is a key with the word "HEART" on it - from Tim Holtz that was enhanced with a little orange SMOOCH in the crevices, and given a light coat of "lettuce" green Ranger dimensional pearl paint for a "custom" look!
*Most of the items used by Janice were purchased from Scrap-a-Doodle-Doo - Ramsey, NJ

SO MANY BEAUTIFUL ELEMENTS!
GREAT JOB JANICE!!

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Next we have a canvas made by Elizabeth S. -- it is a present for her younger brother for his upcoming birthday -  what a nice sister she is!

Elizabeth started distressing her canvas with Close to My Heart's Buttercup, Olive and Indian Corn Blue - she then added ramdom spritz of Walnut Gold, Lime Twist and Sapphire GLIMMER MIST.

A few spritz of Lime Twist and Walnut Gold GM was added to the the cool Close to My Heart paper from a pack of GRACE -level 1 kit. Other papers from that pack were used to mat the photos of her brother and family that she has collected through the years.

Here is a close up of the bottom rt. corner -notice how the picture ( that was framed with Close to My Heart's Felt Die Cut from their Wonder collection) is hanging off the canvas - so cool!  She used CTMH My Acrylix Friendship Alphabet Stamps with brown paint to stamp the word BROTHER, and the ribbon and buttons help to give the piece a finished look.

A piece of a brown felt CTMH diecut brings the focus on this great family photo in the bottom left corner - the buttons give added sparkle to the beautiful GLIMMER MIST spray you can see here.

More buttons and twilight and olive felt CTMH swirls and corners to give more dimension - I also like to have some of the elements of the piece "hanging off" the edge here and there to expand the space and shape -and take away from the straight edges of the rectangle or square canvas.

A "hot" piece of chipboard sprayed with Lime Twist GM and a cool Olive felt swirl over the corner of the center photo brings out the beatiful colors on the canvas and in the paper and draws your eye to the center as a focal point with this great picture of smiles and memories.

GREAT JOB ELIZABETH! - YOUR BROTHER WILL LOVE IT!

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Next up.... Stephanie M - with some beautiful family photos.....  this project was out of Stephanie's comfort zone -that is what she kept telling me -but I think she did an AWESOME JOB - don't you?

After first inking her canvas with Ranger's Distress Inks - Aged Mohagany and Frayed Burlap, Stephanie used a Tattered Angel's glimmer screen sprayed with Choc Covered Cherries GLIMMER MIST in a few of the corners.  She also spritzed it randomly with the same color and Wild Currant, along with a bit of English Ivy - ( all after a quick spray of Workable Fixitive.)  ** she left one picture at home and will add it later.

I "LOVE" this corner -not only for the cute photo of her adorable sons - but the cool idea she came up with by punching the holes in the cardstock mat with her Crop-a-dile and tying different Close to My Heart ribbons in the hole.  The hanging chipboard key -sprayed with Walnut Gold Glimmer Mist and the red chipboard heart sprayed with Red Velvet GM - give lots of dimension -especially "hanging" off the canvas a little.  She also used CTMH's Friendship My Acrylix stamps with brown paint to stamp the beautiful words on her project!  OH - and look at the beautiful impression of the Glimmer Screen in this corner too!

The Family Photo in the center is the focal point and the word Laugh right underneath it just helps to capture the moment and makes me want to smile - don't you think!  - the little red rhinestones by each word help to accent them too.

LIVE - LOVE - LAUGH -
WONDERFUL JOB STEPHANIE!




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AND - our Birthday Girl Laura ended up not having any photos ready(printed) to bring due to the snow storm - but she perservered and created this beautiful piece to put her son's christening photos on -
(* I hope she will email me pics of her finished piece and I'll update the post!)
                                                                                 
Laura too started by inking her canvas with CTMH's Sweet Leaf and Buttercup Inks, and Ranger's Frayed Burlap Distress ink.  She chose a cool COSMIC SWIRL template by Crafter's Workshop to make some awesome designs with GLIMMER MIST - using LIME TWIST, PATINA, and SUEDE.

Here you can see the swirl that was used as both a mask - and them "flipped" while full of YUMMY GLIMMER MIST and used as a stamp in other areas of the project.  OH  - the papers Laura chose are from CLOSE TO MY HEART's EMPORIUM collection - just beautiful!







Hanging the photo mat - backed with cardboard - off the corner and on an angle enlarges your workspace and gives a layered look with the fancy edged tab that she added.  The PATINA Glimmer Mist on the chipboard swirl is one of my favorite elements on this piece!

Notice the strip of paper along the bottom - it was cut from a piece of the EMPORIUM CTMH paper pack - that is what I love about CTMH - everything just goes together so beautifully and easily!  It brings the blue and green papers used together.  Look at the holes Laura punched through the cardboard and paper on this blue photo mat - it is going to look amazing with ribbon and fibers tied here!    YOU DID A GREAT JOB LAURA - SO PRETTY!

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ALL IN ALL - I think everyone had a great time "getting creative" and I am so PROUD of the great job these ladies did -- scrapbooking does not have to be in a book -- you can proudly display your work on the wall too!   Most of these products were purchased at my favorite local scrapbook store - where I am a member of their Design Team - Scrap-a-Doodle-Doo in Ramsey, NJ - they have an on-line store too:

http://www.scrap-a-doodledoo.com/

and here is their blog:

http://www.scrap-a-doodle-doo.blogspot.com/

All of the beautiful Close to My Heart products can be purchased through me - on my website - and shipped directly to you - 24 hr shopping - 7 days a week!! LOL!

http://www.scaramico.myctmh.com/

More photos to follow after my other club members complete their projects - so stay tuned for updates!

When it's snowing -it's time to Glimmer!

Well - I'm passing the time during this snowy night spraying my "Elixir of Life" on my latest mini-album made using my new bind-it-all ! - Glimmer Mist makes even snowy, windy nights a little bit better! Tonight's selection is Chocolate Covered Cherries and Dazzling Diamonds - but I think I need to add another color....hmm Frozen Lake sounds appropriate!!

Here is the front and 2nd page page --

The first is a clear transparent plastic sheet that I got from a clearance bin about a year ago - made by Magic Scraps - it has a few yellow spots on it.  I like how the one spot is over the "FREE" space!

I put a Grungeboard "mask" over it and sprayed one side with the Choc. Covered Cherries, and a little dazzeling diamonds - then flipped it over and sprayed it with some Frozen Lake.  You can see it better here:

Notice the "oops"? - I punched both sides  of the clear sheet with the bind-it-all, as the first punch was one too many holes - but it now will give me a place to tie fibers and ribbons! - I always say - "There are NO mistakes in Scrapbooking - only opportunities to embellish!"

Page 2  on the right -is a Tattered Angels Bingo board - sprayed with the 3 colors above - plus a little Pineapple that was sitting on my desk - 'cause I am getting a little chilly and wanted to think tropical! LOL!  I put a paper towel over it while it was wet and rolled the brayer over it -- now on to the back and other pages - hopefully I'll get to these tomorrow - I've got my fingers crossed for a snow day!

Night all!

1/2 Snow Day!!

WOW - my office closed at 12:30 today due to the snow storm we are in
 the middle of.  As soon as that decision was made - it turned to rain!
- but now 2 hrs later - it is "pouring" snow again! 
We could get 18 - 24 inches!  YIKES!!

Well -I guess this gives me a chance to "play" with the Bind-it-All that
I got for Christmas, and have been frightened of! LOL!

- I just watched some instructional videos on Youtube and
after I make myself a nice hot cup of tea - I am going to give it another try!

Wish me luck!  I hope to post some pics tonight!

Keep warm and safe everyone!

Back home & Great News!

Back home in NJ -- I planned on doing some creating today - but just cleaned my scraproom, did some emails for HHS Project Grad and the agenda in preperation for tomorrow night's meeting - and relaxed and watched the Olympics and surfed Facebook.

A BIG WOO HOO!  I found out our son Nick has been selected to be the Station Manager for FPTV25 at Franklin Pierce University for his senior year next year!  WAY TO GO NICK - SO PROUD!!

I did to a little prep for a new mini album - but I want to use my new Bind-it-All - and I have to admit I am a little intimidated!  I'll post some pics once I get some more time -and over my fear! LOL!

FREEZING in Florida!

It's FREEZING in Florida!  Windy but sunny!  Still having fun though and glad we are not in NJ with all the snow -so there is a bright side.  Relaxing, enjoying some spa time and going out to dinner - HATE this laptop!!  I just typed a paragraph complaining about it and I hit some button and it erased it all!!! UGH!  that is it -I'm done - time to sip some tea and finish my book - too cold for the pool or beach - I guess I'll have to hang out in the lobby for a little while!    I probably won't post again until we are back in NJ - too much aggravation to post from this laptop!

What a Day! Whew!

Crazy Day today - but that is what usually happens when you get ready to go away on vacation - so much on my mind and so much to do! 

When I dropped Jake off at school this morning - I realized -  as I was pulling away that I forgot to give him lunch money - or a packed lunch!!   Called my WONDERFUL Father and thank goodness he was able to go to the school and give him some cash! THANKS POP!!

Then I decided to go and get a spray on tan before I go to FLA on Sunday with Phil, Jake and 200 Teamsters ( you see - 2 of my dresses are "a little" low in the front and if the "girls" remain "shocking white" like they were this morning - I will be even more uncomfortable - so a little tanning helps to "tone them down" LOL!!)

So I pull into the salon parking lot and ...I realized -  I forgot my make-up bag, comb and hair spray - so after spraying on the "tan" ( that the girl told me they were having trouble with the machine -right before I got in there - and to let her know if it "felt ok" ... Now I am afraid to take off my clothes and look in the mirror!!)  I had to run back home to get my "beauty products"  BUT  good news is I got to the office 10 mins before 9am and was able to apply my "face" and tease my hair up high  but I smelt like coffee or something like that all day (remember -spray on tan!)   -and I can't wait to get in the shower -- ( but still frightened of the mirror!! )

Lunch time was a little better - I met my friends Andrea and Marie at the mall on Rt 4 to drop off their CTMH orders and got an AMAZING DEAL on a beautiful black leather Scrapbook Tote -- reg. price $129.00 and was on clearance for $25.00!!!  SOOO COOL!!  I love a great deal - especially if it involves scrapbook stuff!!!

After work was a little better -- I dropped off another CTMH order at my friend Lisa's and met her cute children and her lovely house and got to see her beautiful canvases - they came out great - I will post them on my Canvas Class post in a little bit - she still needs to send me one more!

I picked up some Sushi for dinner -- yum!  Then got Jake from his friend's house - came home -and my son NICK is HOME from school in NH! - Yeah!  and I got to see my scrapbook friend Linda -who kindly came by to pick up her CTMH order ( LINDA  - I know you are reading this -- PLEASE send me a pic of your beautiful canvas too!!  ) - Right after my associate from my real job got here to pick up some paperwork -- see what I mean - Whew!! What a Day!

After dinner - did some packing -- my Hubby is bringing WAY TOO MANY CLOTHES!!  but that is nothing new!!  I should be use to it by now!! - but I'm just sayin'!

I just had a cup of tea and we are watching the Olympic opening ceremonies.  OH and at dinner - I realized  GUESS WHAT I FORGOT AT WORK?????   Yup - the make-up bag and comb!!!!!!! Geesh!!  It ended like it started - why am I not surprised!!

Tomorrow's plans - finish packing -  go buy new make-up - leave for Atlantic City around 2pm- because that is where we are flying out of on Sunday early AM -- and NO I did not make that choice.... that was Hubby's plan - but I am just along for the ride - the Teamsters are in charge!!

I am going to make sure I pack my Gypsy -- it will be my own little handheld gadget to play with on the plane!

Back to the Olympics -- Night all!

WOO HOO!! It's OFFICIAL I'm on my FIRST Design Team!!

I am SO VERY PLEASED to announce that....

I have been selected to be on the 2010 Design Team

for my FAVORITE Local Scrapbook Store

SCRAP-A-DOODLE-DOO, in Ramsey, NJ!!!!  

I am SOOO looking forward to creating some

GREAT and FUN STUFF,

and teaching techniques and classes there! 

Watch for more info, and dates for classes in the coming weeks!

WOO HOO!

http://www.scrap-a-doodledoo.com/

Minnie Purse Album April 2008

I made this Minnie Purse Album for my cousin's baby's 1st Birthday - which of course was themed as Minnie Mouse!  I really love it -- and I hope you do too!  Didn't it come out ADORABLE!!

FrontBack

Side

Inside

Most papers are Close to My Heart's Giggles and Grins

File Folder Class July 2009

My Hostess Club had lots of fun making this "4 Page Layout" using Close to My Heart File Folders
at our class in July of 2009!

Trevi Fountain ~ Making A WISH to return to ROME

My November 2009 Hostess Club Class made some beautiful paperbag albums!
Here are 2 pics of the one that I made, showing memories of my husband and my
first week long trip away without the "kids" in 21 years!

I used Close to My Heart Emporium paper pack and these cool "Flip Flaps"

Snowman Tic Tac Holder Class Oct 2009 at Scrap-a-Doodle-Doo

Here is a class that I taught at Scrap-a-Doodle-Doo, in Ramsey, NJ in October of 2009

This little cutie holds a pack of Tic Tacs - see them peeking through his belly?!

The stamp and papers are from Close to My Heart.

Got Memories Workshop ~ Random Stamping Class Jan 2010

Here is a layout class that I taught at the Got Memories 3 Scrapbook weekend in January.  I taught Random Stamping, and how to follow a Layout "Recipe."  Papers and supplies used are "Jingle" from Close to My Heart.  The white background paper was Random Stamped to create the present pattern

Let it Snow . Let it Snow . Let it Snow !

Well we are supposed to get @ 1 foot of snow here tomorrow. I plan on answering my work emails from home tomorrow, and making the Pioneer Woman's Beef Short Rib recipe. I hope I can fit a little creation time in too! It's almost time for American Idol to start. Time to make a cup of tea and wait for the snow to start. ;o)

I felt the need to Glimmer.....

So - Jake (my 15yr old son) has a project due for his Italian Class -he needs to make a mask to celebrate "Carnivale!"  It needs to be in "Jewel tones" he tells me -- well -- I can do that!!

So - out comes some manilla folders - he designs the shape of the mask - we cut it out - and I teach him how to spray "the ELIXIR of LIFE!" 

His comments - were - Cool & Awesome -- and I have to agree - don't you think it turned out pretty neat??

First he selected the colors and sprayed it with some Frozen Lake - and a little Gold -- ( I'm running a little low on this - so it is time to get some more!) 

Next - we used what was left of a piece of Grungeboard Swirls - after I punched out and used all of the swirls -( I can't throw Grungeboard pieces away -- #1 - ya never know where /how you can use them - #2 - they LOVE Glimmer Mist too! #3 - I just love how Grungeboard smells!)

We used that as a stencil or mask and he spritzed different spots with Red Velvet and Sapphire, while moving it around.

Look at that shimmer!  The jewels were Jake's idea to place them like tears on the mask - so cool!

Here is the Grungeboard that was used to stencil the design.

Well - I hope you like it -- and I really hope the teacher does too!  I think Jake did a great job - don't you?!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Well we were in the "scrap gods" favor yesterday as our praying and chanting to them really paid off - as we had NO SNOW!!!  We had a great crop and lots of laughs together - I thank everyone who attended and hope that they had a great time! 

I'm a little tired now - just watched the Saints WIN the Superbowl with the family - and off to bed -- Mondays come way too soon!  

Tomorrow night I have to help my son Jake make a mask for the  "Carnivale" celebration for the Italian Club at the high school --- I feel the need to GLIMMER coming over me!!!  Watch out and stay tuned for some pics tomorrow night!!

;o)

One to Three, One to Three, One to Three....

NO - that is NOT me singing the new Britney Spears song!!  It is may CHANT to the Scrapbook Gods, for only ONE to THREE inches of Snow tomorrow - because as of now - the FUZZY SLIPPER CROP is STILL ON!!  -   Thinking positive here!  Now chant with me........ONE to THREE, ONE to THREE!!!

Praying to the Scrap Gods...

So - I am running a crop on Saturday for 40+ scrappers - I've cooked almost all of the food myself - and am ready to go with Baked Potato Soup + Fixin's, and a Grilled Chicken Salad for Lunch - 18 lbs of Meatloaf + 6 lbs of Mac n' Cheese and a giant 6 lbs+ of a broccoli salad -- now there is a chance of snow!  UGHH!

So - IF anyone is out there reading this - please cross your fingers, twos - or whatever - and chant along with me NO SNOW! NO SNOW! NO SNOW!

Now off to open the boxs of CTMH goodies that the UPS man brought today -  maybe one more little sip of wine first though!

Thanks,
Sherri

Dreams....

Here is another canvas that I created this weekend. It is 8"x10" canvas and will be a gift for my niece's birthday in June.  Shhhh - it's a surprise!! I Glimmer Misted the canvas with Lime Twist, Patina, Frozen Lake and Golden Terracotta.  The photo of her is a 4x6 in a Technique Tuesday frame that I Glimmer Misted with Lime Twist, Frozen Lake, Patina and Golden Terracotta.  I added a little Ranger Rock Candy Distress Paint on many places all over the canvas to give it a wet shiny look too.

The seashells are from Topsail Island Beach, NC where we vacationed this year and where the picture was taken.

 

Aren't these AWESOME new Prima Flowers!! I just HAD TO HAVE THEM and use them when I saw them.  They match perfectly don't they! 

The swirl is chipboard coated with Mud Puddles and sprayed with Golden Terracotta Glimmer Mist. YUMMY!

The photo looks a little dark here - but is was take through the screen of a beach tent, and has a very soft look.  See the cool tiny glass beads on the top that I sprinkled on the Rock Candy!

I LOVE how this corner turned out - It is a styrofoam letter "D" that I painted with

Acrylic Paint - (Lettuce) and sprayed with Glimmer Mist - Patina and Frozen Lake.

I added some MudPuddles broken seashells, and blobs of Rock Candy Ranger Crackle Paint.

I took a Tim Holtz Key that says DREAMS, put a pearl paint daubber to it -wiped it off and then lightly painted it with a teal SMOOCH paint - I think it turned out pretty neat - don't you??  I think I got the fish net from Jen Star many years ago when I took a class from her at a LSS that is no longer in business (thanks Jen!) and have held it in my "stash" since then! I am SO GLAD I did - as I think it works very nicely - don't you?! Oh - this side has a torn piece of "By the Sea" paper by Creative Imaginations that has been sprayed by Glimmer Mist ( of course!) and edges with teal SMOOCH!

What do you think?  Is it your favorite corner too?

More "SCRAP" ing here - the starfish was actually used at our cousin's wedding ( that my niece was in) with our name and table number attached and placed in a box of sand for seating. I saved it for a few years and I think I found the perfect project/place for it!   This is a picture of my niece and her Sister, Mother & Father, walking along the beach. I just LOVE pictures of people walking away from me -- really I do!  I don't know why - maybe it is because they are not posing - or giving a forced smile and I can just capture the "moment" without their knowledge. Is it just me? Well - we all had a great time together on this relaxing vacation - and the Tim Holtz charm received the same pearl paint and SMOOCH treatment and I hope helps her to remember that time and that she is able to "SIMPLIFY" some of her life as the charm says.

I hope you enjoyed view this as much as I enjoyed making it!

Thanks for looking!

Brothers Canvas

Here is a canvas that I made while away at an AWESOME weekend Crop - Hosted by Scrap-a-Doodle-Doo of Ramsey, NJ.  I designed the word Brothers on my new Gypsy and cut it out of grundge board with my Cricut!  Just lovin' the Pinecone, Cinder, Brick and Gold Glimmer Mists that I combined for the beautiful colors!  This is one of my FAVORITE pictures of my handsome sons Jake and Nick.  Seeing their SMILES makes me SMILE!  I hope this makes you SMILE too!

The Key is from a Tim Holtz collection - it says Memory

I cut the square felt black scroll embellishment and used it as a mask in the bottom left and top right corners of the canvas before adhering it to the opposite corners of the 8x10 photo.

I added Glimmer Misted a Grungeboard swirl and put some Prima black crystal flowers,

I created the top swirl with a Tim Holtz mask by spraying the canvas with Cinder Glimmer Mist first,

then masking it and spraying the Brick and Gold over it -- I wanted it blacker -so I then added black paint to the mask and "stamped" over the image to make it darker - than I added a few swirls of black rhinestones and pearls to bring more attention to it.

Another small Grungeboard accent in the top right corner - some more swirls of shiny rhinestones and  pearls by Prima, a little chenielle burgundy and black fuzzy fiber and a clock embellishment from the jewelry section. The paper used is a 12 x 12 piece of "Vagabond" by Kaisercraft, and the small striped accent is the back of another piece of that paper glued to a white chipboard accent by Technique Tuesday.

Bottom right corner - another Tim Holtz Grundgeboard accent (hinge) and a Tim Holtz "Muse Token" that says "Forevermore" that I painted with a cranberry paint dauber.

Aren't MY BOYS Handsome?  Did they make you SMILE!

I HOPE SO - and I hope you like it!