The Girls

These are my girls!

I would like to take some time today to formally introduce you to the three people who really make Artsy Addicts run so smoothly! I thought I would give you all some insight at what these girls do every day for our awesome facebook group and blog!

First up is Angela Butler-Carter

I have known Angela since my first son Blake was about 5 months old! He's now six...omg he's going to be six! An-G has been such an awesome loyal friend for so long! She amazes me with every blog post because she is always on top of everything and her posts are impecable! (Did I spell that right An-G?) Anyway An-G is our facebook and blog manager, anything that has to do with the facebook or blog you can bet she's touched it in some way! She also manages the Artsy Addicts email, so you can blame her if you don't get a reply lol! Totally kidding! I know for a fact she probably checks all of our spelling and grammar, after all she is a school teacher! An-G also helps me on the back end to come up with creative new challenges and promotions. We also like to call her big boss, because she's very good at keeping us all in line! Thank you An-G you are so important to Artsy Addicts!

Tonya Gibbs!

Oh boy if I had known what I was getting into bringing this women on I would have.......ha jk! Tonya has so much darn energy it's scary sometimes! Tonya manages our Artsy Addicts facebook content and she also helps recruit guest bloggers for our blog. She has a great eye for talent and she's oober fun to be around! She's kind of the Mom of the group! Tonya also helps with our social media sites. Tonya shares a lot of techniques with all of us and is truly an amazing artist! Thank you Tonya!

Peggy Lee Baker

Now I wish with a last name like that, that it meant she bakes and sends us lots of goodies but we aren't that lucky! However I have known Peggy a long time as well and she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Peggy is sort of our quality control manager on the blog and facebook, consider her the sheriff! She makes sure our facebook group and blog are spam free! Peggy also helps me with content publishing, she will re-publish my announcements and updates for me and she's so quick that you can bet anything I post is re-posted to another social media outlet in .20 seconds and 99% of the time I don't even ask her to do it! Thank you Peggy!


Angela, Tonya, and Peggy have become such a big help with my new journey with Canvas Corp, Tattered Angels, and 7gypsies as they have been creating like crazy for our blogs and facebook pages, make sure to check out their features and leave them a comment showing your support! I see such a bright future for these ladies and will support them in all their endeavors!


These three women are the gears and sprockets of Artsy Addicts, we simply cannot operate without them! Please leave a comment and show our team some love for all that they do but most importantly for bringing all of our creative minds together each day!

Love you girls!

xoxo
Marion Smith

Ooops! I forgot about Garett Smith!

Garett is the goober of the group lol! He keeps us laughing and also helps keep the estrogen levels at a safe level lol! Garett manages customer service and makes sure our girls here get the products they need for promotion. He is my right hand, but most of the time we just laugh at him! He's also our eye candy! (Well mine anyway!)

                 *********************************************************************

An-G HACK!!! An-G HACK!! Marion, I'm hacking your post because I can do that.......Ha!!

Of course in true Marion fashion she forgot to mention herself.

This is our fearless leader. She inspires us every single day and is one of the nicest and most genuine people you will ever meet. She's simply beautiful from the inside out and it shows in her wonderful art. Marion encourages us to be our best self, to be authentic in our art and lives, and to be fearless in our creativity.

Marion is a mother of three, runs an art studio, teaches all over the world, and is a loving wife to her hottie husband Garrett. Marion has taught me so much about eating healthy and natural and she even turned my hate for glitter into an obsession. I'm still not a fan of the messiness of it but oh I love a glittered accent.

Leave a comment below telling us how you've been inspired by the blog and/or by Marion. 

End of my HACK!! And I won't do it again.....unless necessary. lol.

"Welcome Home" Chalkboard Sign

With spring finally here on the East Coast, I decided I needed a little "welcome home" sign to welcome guest into our home. I started with a wooden sign that I primed with gesso added some crackle medium. When it was dry I painted the wooden sign with some acrylic paint in yellow ochre. Dragged Black Soot Distressed ink over the edges, I used a wet paint brush to smooth out the ink along with using different glimmer mist and perfect pearls powders to give a weathered look to the sign. Using stucco and gesso with a Prima mask adding a crackle all over the sign and chalkboard paper.

Canvas Corp makes different color clothespins which are amazing, I grabbed the natural clothespins and thought my graphite and slate blue glimmer mist would create a pretty weathered looking clothespins. I couldn't resist playing with color.

 Canvas Corp makes different colors of burlap sheets which are fabulous!!!! I took the slate grey one for frame the chalkboard paper (which is stinking amazing) hot glued them both down to the sign added some stucco paste to the chalkboard paper here and there to give some depth to the sign. Glued the two clothespins down to the sign...

"welcome" banner is so adorable created with canvas paper sheet that I ripped a piece of cut into squares stamped the word "welcome" using black Stazon. I cut little bigger squares from the Kraft E-Flute sheet stitched them all together on my sewing machine then added to the clothespins. I just love the raw material look against the chalkboard paper.

Added some flowers and glimmer misted seam binding and fibers from the slate grey burlap...the word "home" is written in actual chalk!!!

I just love this little sign and it's ready to greet guest into our home.

Hope you all enjoy, hugs Peggy Lee

http://pegbaker.blogspot.com

supplies:

Canvas Corp: chalkboard paper, colored burlap sheets, canvas sheets

kraft e-flute sheet, natural clothespins

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: tattered leather, graphite, slate, patina

turqouise, aquamarine

Ranger: Perfect Pearl Mist Patina, Perfect Pearls Powders: bronze, mint and cappuccino

Distressed Ink: Black Soot

BoBunny: Blossom Natural Earth Daisy flowers

Prima: Stencil crackle mask

Martha Stewart Stucco

Gesso

Folkart: crackle medium

Acrylic paint: yellow ochre

Seam binding

Tarnished Silver - Tattered Angels



This week has been so fun, I've been trying out some new products and getting my fingers stained with inks.  Today I wanted to share with you one of the cards that I made using the Tattered Angels' Naturally Aged Paint System Bare Metal Tarnished Silver.   This paint system adds so much texture and shine to your dull card stock, that you have to touch it to see if it is metal.

 

 

 

Canvas Corp Mini Red Clothes Pins, 7 Gypsies Washi Tapes, Tattered Angels Naturally Aged Paint System Bare Metal Tarnished Silver. Other: Nesting Labels Punches EK Success and Stamping Up, Studio G Make A Wish Stamp, Ranger:
Archival Ink Jet Black, Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Texture Fade Patchwork, Distress Ink Pumice Stone.  

 

 

For my card base I used a Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fade Patchwork on the bare card stock, then added my paint mediums.   I love how the paints bring out the texture from the embossing and make this look like embossed metal. 

I have a few videos demonstrating how this card was made. 

The first is a step by step for the paint system

This video shows how I made the card

 

 

Thanks for stopping in today, I hope you have a great weekend.  If you are using these paint systems, I would love to see your creations, please share them with me on Facebook. 

 

 

Tonya Gibbs

http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com



Layout | First Year Teacher

Candid shots. They're my favorite. Especially when they have a great story behind them. These pics were from my very first year as a teacher. I was in my classroom and wanted to get an early morning pic to show just how excited I was to start teaching.

I decided to scrapbook these photos this week because it's been about 3 years since I took this photo and these pics had been sitting on my scrap table just as long. Time to give them a home...don't you think??

I started knowing I wanted to use these pictures and that I absolutely love pink. I recently subscribed to Citrus Twist Project Life kit and my first kit came with the Maggie Holmes collection from Crate Paper.  Everything else was a fill in from scraps around my scrap table.

The alpha number banner was a scrap from Crate Paper's on trend collection. Since the background paper is kraft and the inner script paper is off white I decided to use this paper as a transition between the two colors and a base to break up all the other colors added to the layout.

The layout turned out just as I like it.....A few pops of color with a mostly neutral background. I tend to make fashion choices this way too. Ha!!!

Thanks for stopping by everyone.

Have a great week.

Always,

Angela


The Deets: 

Background "Gold & Kraft Leaves patterned paper CP2690, "Tan & Ivory French Script patterned paper CP2693, and yellow fabric "Yellow Canvas Flower" CVS3377 are from Canvas Corp. Yellow "Love Life" card, Triangle 6x4 card and Anchor envelope came in my Studio Calico PL kit for April. Teal Chevron PP, Tag, Butterfly border strip, Doily pp, Flower pp, teal luggage tag from Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper.  Thickers by Basic Grey "teacher" and American Crafts "First Year."

Butterfly Tag

Pink Paislee's new Hope Chest collection has inspired today's post.  I'm working on a  project with the papers for my next Ustream, May 6 at 8:30 p.m. EST, and wanted to try some techniques out on a tag before the class. Today, I would like to share with you the techniques used to create the background and blue flowers.

Here is a glimpse at the products that I used  when making the tag. 



Ranger: Archival Ink in Black & Vermillion, Distress ink Evergreen Bough, Rusty Hinge, Glue & Seal, Tag;  Prima: Distress Tool; Hampton Arts: Remember This Background stamp, Tattered Angels: Wheatfields Glimmer Mist, True Turquoise (optional substitute more blue than green), Island Spring Glimmer Glam, Vintage Pattern Paper, Paint Brush.

Cover the tag with Glue & Seal or Matt Medium, then cut interesting pattern strips from the pattern paper, and use the glue and seal over the top to adhere it to the tag's service.  Let the tag dry completely then trim the extra paper from the edges. 

Shake up the bottle of Island Spring Glimmer Glam really well, then splatter it around the tag.   Let it dry completely before going to the next step. The Glam is like a glaze and will leave glossy splatters.   You can use a heat tool to speed up this process.  Using a heat gun will also cause the glam to bubble offering a different texture.

 Make sure the tag is completely dry.  Then use the Prima distress tool to distress the edges.  If you do not have this tool, use scissors to scrape down the sides.

Use the Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to darken the edges and the creases on the top of the tag.  Really work the distress ink into the tag.  Use your heat tool to set the distress ink into the tag, as it will take longer to dry on its own due to the glue & seal. 

Completely saturate the top of the tag with the Rusty Hinge Distress ink, then use a baby wipe or paper towel to gently wipe down the surface.  The Rusty Hinge will give the tag an aged color. Again, use your heat tool to set the distress ink.

Use a butterfly stamp with Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp the images around the tag. be sure to rotate your stamp so that your butterflies are coming from different directions.  Leaving some white space is important - Don't over do it.

Use a text based stamp like this one from Hampton Arts with some Vermillion Archival Ink. Again be sure to rotate your stamp to add interest.  I love how this stamp says "LOVE TODAY!"  So I wanted to make sure it was stamped in the upper right hand corner so that I didn't cover those words up.

For the flower, I used a white Prima Flower that had pointed leaves to mimic the flower found in the paper collection.  Since the flowers in the paper collection were also a teal color, I decided to cover them with Evergreen Bouge Distress Ink.   dont' worry if white areas are exposed, you will fix those with the next step.

Since distress is reactive with water, and Glimmer Mist is water based, I used the Wheatfields Glimmer Mist to fill in the white spaces tone down the brightness of the blue/green. Dry the flower with a heat gun until it is completely dry.  Using your heat gun, will also singe the edges making them appear more natural.

Fold the flower in half and apply hot glue to the inside to hold it in place as demonstrated above.

Now, fold the from left to right in half again, adding glue between these two layers.

Fold in half from left to right one more time, applying glue to the inside of this fold and pinch together at the bottom.  These flowers will be tucked into the floral spray on the right of the tag.

To finish the tag off, I used scrap parts from a Prima Valentine Spray, Metal Trinkets, and a clock from Prima.  The floral spray was white so I used the Wheatfield Glimmer Mist to color the heart and flowers.   The charm quote at the top is from the Girl's Paperie.  The butterfly I showed you guys how to make a few weeks ago in a previous post.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Tonya Gibbs
http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

Meow Baby Layout :: Mr Binx is my Meow Baby

Hello all,

Today I'm sharing a layout featuring my foster cat, Mr. Binx. He lived with us for 2 weeks and he was just a little cuddle bear. He also was my first cat that I'd ever lived with. As a frequent allergy sufferer I was a bit concerned about his fur but it wasn't a problem at all. We snuggled and played and he was just a joy to have around.

For this layout I used Canvas Corp's About A Cat sampler papers. Perfect to document my time with Mr. Binx. 

Our local Petco has adoptions every Saturday. One saturday I happened into Petco....which is odd because I don't have any pets right now....and my husband and I ended up by the cats. I was playing with them and just getting over my fear of temperamental cats that I've seen online and television. A few hours later we were fostering Mr. Binx. He stayed with us for just a few weeks but he definitely made an impression. Cats are so much easier than dogs. How is it that I didn't know this??

Binx reminded me of my dear friend Jessica's cat Moose. He's a maine coon and he's the biggest cat I'd ever seen. I mean big. My husband calls him a panther, because he's really big. Ha!! Moose is also the calmest, nicest, most cuddly cat I'd ever met before Binx. These two totally made a cat lover out of me.

The Deets: 

All pattern papers are from Canvas Corp. Wood veneer from Studio Calico. Enamel dots from My Mind's Eye. Thickers from American Crafts. Glitter ribbon from Studio Calico. Flair buttons were made by me using the Canvas Corp patterned papers.

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Always, 

Angela

Mixed Media Monday

I got to have some creative play this week with a friend and knew I wanted to create a mixed media canvas for someone special. That is why there is no title on this art piece yet (I will post after I have mailed this art piece out)! This was a lot of fun to create...

It all started with a plan 6x6 canvas, I glued down some wrinkled natural tissue paper.

I forgot to snap a photo of me trying out my new find which was Martha Stewart Stucco Paint where I used Crafters Workshop stencils with Splash of Color Primary Elements: Majestic Blue-Costa Rica and Dragon Wing powders those are so cool to mixed with molding paste or stucco like I used.

I used my favorite Tim Holtz Sizzix die: Tattered Floral which I cut with Coraline fabric with some of my favorite Tattered Angels glimmer mist. I just love how the Coraline will hold it's shape while being dried. I also used some Petaloo flowers that came in white.

I used some Dusty Attic chipboard pieces, which I cut apart and gesso them with spraying glimmer mist to give a weathered look.

These are Tim Holtz Sizzix die: Gears gesso-glimmer misted!!!

I just love how they came out.

Here is a close up of the handmade flowers with a Prima flower.

The next sets of photos show case the textures of adding layers of:

gesso, stucco, glimmer mist and stamping.

the fibers are cheese cloth covered in glimmer mists....

oops-I was being lazy and used my hand to clean my stamp...lol

and whoola my finished canvas (only needs a title) and will be complete and I hope my friend that someone special will enjoy it.

Don't be afraid of mixed media grab a few supplies and just start playing, it's all about the layers...enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping in today, remember to leave a comment!!

Peggy Lee

http://pegbaker.blogspot.com

Supplies:

Splash of Color: Primary Elements

Martha Stewart: Stucco paint

Gesso

Ranger: Archival Black ink, stamps and Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium Matte

and Perfect Pearl Mist: Heirloom Gold, Blue Patina and Sunflower Sparkle and handmade distressed mixture of vintage photo and brushed corduroy.

and Tim Holtz Alternations Dies: Gears and Tattered Florals

Prima: flower

Petaloo: white flowers

Tattered Angels: Glimmer Mist

Turqouise Blue

Graphite

Aquamarine

Coffee shop

Melissa Frances: resin lock

Coraline

gems, cheese clothe

Dusty Attic: chipboard pieces

Washi Cards

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just can't think creatively no matter what you do?  This week has been that way for me.  I've been really sick and NOT motivated to do anything.  My studio is A MESS.  So instead of creating I decided to clean.  I was putting away some new Washi tapes and the inspiration hit me square in the face.  Make some cards and use washi tapes as your backgrounds.  Why not?  I own lots of tapes, they are so beautiful, colorful, cheery and fun. It makes me happy to collect them, so perhaps it will make me happy to use them.

 



 

So my mission was to make five cards using only washi tape, scraps, or ephemera pieces (as I have tons of these too).  I'm a total scrap collector - I buy ephemera packs even when I don't buy the entire collection, then I never use them!  Those days are over!

 

I pulled out my punches, Spellbinder's dies, MFT dies, scraps, tapes, and card stamps  and started trimming, sorting, and stamping.

 

 

 

My first card was inspired by a school days theme.  I have several nieces and nephews who are elementary aged children and I thought this collection of scraps would make a cute birthday card.  I used the ruler washi tape on this card as a border, and the dictionary tissue tape as tape on the notebook page. 

 



 

Keeping with the monochromatic theme, gave a degree of sophistication to this card. I cut the washi into arrows for a soft simple background. The hints of silver and pearls gave it life.  I just love this the simple elegance of this card.

 



 

I loved the look of the grey card so much, I decided to use it with teal and blue washi tape. This time I kept the edges of the tape torn to give a more masculine feel to the card.  I love how simple, yet whimsical this card is designed. 

 

 

 

 

A few of my nephews will be graduating to middle school this year, and I thought this card was a fun end of year graduation card.  The Tissue tape was used as a background here, and pieces of ephemera and wooden clocks border a metallic embossed tag.  I also embossed the card with  gears to give it a little texture.  

 

 

For my final card today.  I covered a piece of scrap paper with green and blue washi tapes and cut it into a giant banner.  I continued my banner theme, my sewing together scallop ovals that I cut in half and a MFT tiny banner die with some scraps of coordinating card stock.  I sprinkled the giant cupcake with Rock Candy Stickles and used it for my birthday focal point.  This card screams birthday party, and I love all the celebration layers.  

 

I encourage you to spend an afternoon thinking about your scrap pile and "overstock" and make some cards.  This is a great way to breathe new life into your scrap, and eliminate them from your room.  Most of the time, I lose my inspiration because my room becomes messy and over crowded.  Simply spend the day die cutting your scraps into small pieces and you will be amazed at how fast you find your inspiration again.

 

Thanks for stopping in today,

 

Tonya Gibbs

http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com