Pick A Stick Challenge Update

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's been a few months since I blogged about our Pick A Stick Challenge over on Facebook, so I thought I would recap my last few projects to get you up to date.

As you may remember, this monthly mixed media challenge gives us ten random steps that must be followed in order.  That's the only rule!  You can do anything you want before, after, in between....it's totally up to you.  But that darned "in order" part always gives me fits!

In July, our first step was to collage with napkins.  I picked a gorgeous poppy napkin I had in my stash.

I loved how the bottom half of my page turned out, but hated the top half!  I finally reworked it and came to terms with it, instead of cutting it in half and burning that top part!

August turned out to be one of my favorite months we've done so far.  Part of the challenge was to add a dog image as well as adding wings.  I decided to do a tribute page to my sweet pug, Jake, who passed unexpectedly several years ago.  It was an emotional project for me.

September was another fun challenge.  The step that dictated most of my project was to use something from the opposite season.  Since I live in south Texas, it seems like summer year round to me, so my "opposite season" was to add some snowflakes!

In July, we also added an ATC component to the challenge.  Of the ten steps, three are chosen and must be incorporated (in order!) on an ATC card.  The four of us who spearhead the group create four ATC cards, and winners are drawn at the end of the month to receive our cards.  One special winner who created and posted both a ten-step project and an ATC card will also receive some extra goodies as well!

If you'd like to see my videos of these projects, check out my play list on You Tube.




Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

Pick A Stick Challenge - March 2016

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I hope you are having a wonderful blessed Easter weekend!  He lives!

Yesterday, my Fab4Creates pals and I published our videos of the projects we made in response to our monthly Pick A Stick Challenge.  If you haven't joined us before, be sure to head over to our Facebook Group Page and check it out.  We're having a blast and love seeing everyone's projects each month.

This month the steps seemed even more daunting to me.  For some reason, having to work with pictures, image transfers and photos struck fear in my heart!

I powered through, however, and I'm pretty pleased with my page.

I started out with an old mop up page in my Canson Mixed Media journal.  For my "picture" and image transfer, I took a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and gave it three coats of matte gel medium.  My understanding is that gloss gel works better, but since I didn't have any, I just used what I had!  Consider it an experiment, especially since I have never done image transfer before.  And honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever do it again.

I loved the effect I got with my Gelatos over the images that had the gel medium on them.  It's so easy to blend the color with a baby wipe.  It didn't work quite as well on the image transfer flower, but again, I count it as a learning experience.

I tried to get extra creative with step ten, which was to print out your own photo and cut it up.  I punched a circle from scrap paper and applied adhesive all over the back.  Then I took the strips of the photo I had cut and created a herringbone pattern with them.  After I attached it to my page, I again used my gelatos to color it.  I now had a funky sun on my page!

I had actually intended to basket weave the strips, but I had so much trouble that I ended up ripping off the strips and starting over with the herringbone pattern.  Nothing like a Plan B to bail you out!

You can see how I interpreted the rest of the steps of our challenge in my video.  And don't forget to check out my other three partners' videos.  You'll find their links in the video description.




Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

Pick A Stick Challenge - February 2016

Happy Friday Everyone!

How are things in your world?  Things have been hectic here.  We sold our house in three days.... THREE.DAYS!  Holy smokes!  After losing the bid on one new place, we finally found another one.  We'll be moving out to the country somewhere around the first week of April, so I've been scrambling trying to work ahead on projects.  Hopefully, nothing major falls through the cracks.

Today, my friends and I, who we like to refer to ourselves as the Fab4 (don't laugh too hard), are publishing our Pick A Stick projects for February.

This is a group we created for monthly art journaling challenges.  Each month, one of us draws from our stash of inspiration sticks to get ten steps to use in order on a project.  That "in order" part always is so difficult for me.

Here are the steps for February:

As always it seems, I did not take still shots along the way during the filming of this project.  You'd think after a while I'd remember to do that, but nooooo!  So be sure to watch the video to see the down and dirty of how I got to this finished project:

This started out as a mop up page in my Canson mixed media journal.  That in itself adds another whole "challenge" to the challenge, trying to make what's already there work!  I also let it dictate my color choices of the other items I used, like the scrapbook paper, napkin, and PITT Big Brush pens.

Here's the video of the whole process:



Be sure to visit Shel, Peg and Lizzie to see their projects as well.

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

WOYWW 343 - It's almost a New Year!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Are you getting geared up for the New Year??  Do you have special plans for New Year's Eve?  I don't have plans for New Year's Eve, but I do have several things on the horizon for 2016.

My "Fab4" friends and I are starting a new monthly art journal challenge for 2016.  We're calling it Pick A Stick, and you'll see why when we launch!  This collaborative effort includes myself, Peg of Bits N Pieces, Shel of Paper Ocotillo Studio, and Beth of Lizzie's Workshop.  These are the same fabulously talented ladies that I had the pleasure of doing NaNoJouMo with in November.  We've even set up a fancy schmancy (ok, not so much) Facebook page where you can follow along and JOIN IN on the fun.  Just head over HERE to join the group.

What else is on the horizon?  Well, I'm going to take a stab at a weekly challenge with Colour Me Positive.  Maybe you'd like to do that as well.  I also have on my planner pages a new class with Joanne Sharpe that I'm really looking forward to.  And I'm continuing my monthly Tag It Tuesday feature right here on the blog.  Oh -- I'm also continuing with Stephanie Ackerman's Documented Faith project as well.  And then there's the monthly video hops I participate in also.  Whew!  I hope I can keep up with all the artsy fun I have planned!!

Ok, now onto why you're here....to sneak a peek at my crafty desk.  And why would you do that?  Because of Ms. Julia at Stamping Ground, of course!

Believe it or not, people are still ordering custom monogrammed ornaments after Christmas.  I had a couple to finish up last night so I could get them in the mail this morning.

I especially like the way the blue and silver one turned out!

So what's on your calendar for 2016?  Leave a comment and let me know.  And I sure hope you'll join me for Tag It Tuesday and Pick A Stick!


Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!