Challenge #94 - Reach Out and Get a Handful

We ALL do it. We get excited about a new project and somehow we "forget" to put things away from the last project. OR we think that we "might" just use this little doo-dad on the next project. Come on, fess up. I know you do it too.

This week we want you to sit down at your workdesk, reach out to those bits and bobs that are still sitting there from your last project (or 2 or 3) and make something. It's that simple. If it's in reach, it's fair game.

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Rosemary here and I chose from the pile of shame (all the unfinished projects I've come across and contemplated throwing in the trash).  But Jana mentioned, in one of our MANY conversations which help to keep me sane, that she wanted to take on some of her unfinished projects (UFOs) and I thought, nyah - I'll just get rid of them. 

 

But her words stuck with me and so I reached into the pile, pulled out an acetate bag and here we go - the acrylic album from the class we took at least three years ago from The Button Farm.

 

It looked well...dated and boring to me...but I gave it a chance; adding ribbons, flower punches, a little more bling and then I put in the photos and my random musings.  Now, I am happy.  Happy to have completed something and happy for what it contains - honest and heartfelt words about my home and family.

 

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Jana here: When we came up with this challenge I wasn't at all sure that I would have anything to work with. I had just decided that I was going to turn over a new leaf, and start clearing up after myself. ROFLMAO at myself on that one. As it turns out, while I was in the process of cleaning, I found a little thingy that inspired me to make a whats-it... And next thing you know. I have another mess. Right on top of the one I had started out clearing up.

SO, when I sat down to actually DO this challenge, I had quite a nice selection of items with which to work. I decided that I would use a piece of cardstock that I had out.

Hmmm. What to make? No, not a card. Bookmarks have been done to death by me recently, so, no bookmarks. And then, it hit me. ATC's. I made a set of ten. See:

Those little white pieces on the top are all that is left from the 8.5 by 11 piece of cardstock I used for the base. I'll use that middle piece to make some inchies. (Rosemary sneaking in here - I LOVE THESE, JANA)

I have pictures galore on my blog here. Along with a little more detail on the birdcage ATC. (which has a surprise element)

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Now it's your turn to show us how you used up some of those odd bits you had lying about....

Challenge #93 - Show Us Some New Tricks

Care to show us some new tricks?
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We always love to learn something new

and this week we are asking you to

show us something new to you

(a new technique, craft, style, whatever)
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Who knows what we might discover!

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Rosemary here and I want to show you two new things I've been playing with - both with paper but uniquely different.

My first project is a new type of card (well, new to me) called a sidestep card.  There are loads of tutorials to be seen (personally, I recommend going to YouTube and watching some of the tutorials).  I'm not copping out, honest, they are just better at demonstrating (really).

and this is why it's a sidestep card.  LOL

My next project is a continuation of my UTEE obsession - won't you join me?

Let's make pins!

Once you get all the pieces together it is SUPER easy and fun!

For more details, see my blog

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Jana here: I have been LOVING my art journal adventures. So many possibilities. One of the joys that I am experiencing is the gazillions of different techniques that are possible. This week I am playing with texture.

I used a thick, opaque gesso. I spread it on two pages.

One plain white and one that I had colored with watercolor crayons. I then used the tip of a paint brush handle to doodle some designs into the wet gesso. And now the hard part. I had to WAIT for it to dry.  (Waiting is hard if you are impatient, like me.)  Once the gesso was dry, I painted over the top of the pages.

On the plain white doodled page I used watercolor crayons to add the background color of blue and green. (I didn't take pictures during this creation. Sorry.) I didn't like the stark white of the circles, so I traced over them with paint pens. Same with the zig-zags. Then added some randome curlies and dots.

I really like the colors on this page, but there just isn't enough depth to it for what I want. I love that I can experiment.

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For the next one,  I used acrylic paints on top of the gesso. I just love how you can see the watercolor peeking through the doodles I made in the gesso. And I love how the ridges created by the doodling caught and held the colors I painted.

And here is the whole page.

I am really looking forward to finishing this page. I love the color, the depth and the texture.

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Okay, now it's your turn to show us what you discovered this week.