Shea's 1st Birthday

This month's Punky Scraps challenge was very challenging for me ... until I started and then it just flowed so easily. In fact this is my favorite page I have done lately.

The challenge was both a recipe and inspiration challege. Be inspired by this photo:

and include these items:

1. Monochrome (different shades of orange)

2. Use buttons

3. Use 3 photos

4. White paint or equivalent

5. Sewing

Here is my page:

These are pics from my niece's 1st birthday gathering. Those cupcakes were AMAZING. Pretty much the only thing I remember from that day.

The only I didn't include from the list was sewing and that's mainly because when I remembered the sewing the page was all wet from the paint and I didn't feel like messing with it. I love this page regardless of my laziness tho.

This is also the first time I actually painted on the picture. I was always really anti that and now I don't know why.

I used water distressing for the accent paper. The foreground page I used distressing and a bubble punch. To add texture and interest I also crumpled up the page and went over it in distress ink and then I added molding paste, white paint, and different shades of orange mists. For the pictures I framed them with stickles and white paint.

Remember to stop by Punky Scraps and play along!!

Punky Scraps Blog Hop!!

After a LOOOONG hiatus I am finally back!! Nothing new yet but I am so excited to be a part of the Punky Scraps Blog Hop (we took a hiatus there too). You should have come here from Emilie Chamel's blog. Next you will want to go to Jolanda Simons' blog. Remember you should have started at the Punky Scraps blog and when you get to Nat's blog you will have the opportunity to win a DT spot on Punky Scraps!! There are also other prizes to be won along the way!

So if you're new to Punky Scraps I am Ashley Van Etten. I am turning 26 this month. I work at a call center but I am hoping to finally finish my degree in Human Resources soon. I just recently got engaged which is part of the reason that I haven't been very involved in scrapping lately. However since I also just quit smoking (hopefully for the last time ever!) I desperately need to get back to scrapping as it is an awesome stress release for me.

These are some of my favorite layouts that use lots of mists and painting techniques. My favorite technique is using gesso and mists together.

My preferred style of scrapping is of course anything to do with paints and mists. If I don't get my fingers dirty I don't feel like I created anything special. Now of course that's not for everyone but it is for me!

Every once in a while I like to do something different. This layout I went more for a graphic look. I still used mists a little but I kept it light and focused on the patterned papers, shapes, and colors.

I also LOVE zen doodling. It really is ridiculously relaxing. Especially since I can get most of it done at work between calls!!

The last thing I love to do is create mixed media pieces. I don't do these so often but I do plan to get more into it. I was inspired by Starry Night by Van Gogh when I created this.

Well that's it from me! I can't wait to see you guys at the challenges and I am so excited to see what you all come up with! Next stop is the remarkably talented Jolanda Simons' blog.

Enjoying the View

It's challenge 48 over at Punky Scraps!! This is the recipe challenge. Yes it is the most difficult but I always end up loving these pages more because I feel like it takes me out of my comfort zone a little bit and I end up using elements together that I normally wouldn't.

This months recipe is:
   - Use 5 different pieces of patterned paper
   - Use the color brown
   - Use tulle/lace/burlap
   - Have splashes of paint
   - Use denim (or something that looks like denim)
   - Have butterflies
   - Have 5 lines of journaling

I was able to utilize all but the journaling because I really suck at journaling, and it stresses me out because I over-analyze, and I never end up being completely truthful, and I would just rather let the picture do the talking, and so there.

Here is my page 'Enjoying the View':

This is me enjoying the view at the Fort in St Augustine.

Here are some closeups:

Butterfly #1 and you could see all the different patterned papers I used.

Butterfly #2

Butterfly #3

The letters made of denim fabric

The brown tulle!

Come play along with us at Punky Scraps!!

My Big Sis

Challenge 47 is a sketch challenge over at Punky Scraps. I know I love sketches. They are the perfect tool to use when your creativity just needs a push (and mine has pretty much needed a huge shove lately). This sketch is so perfectly simply and fun. I had my page created in record time and I love how it turned out.

My Big Sis:

My sister and I. :)

I used the Scraps of Darkness March Kit. When I saw this paper I just knew it was perfect for the sketch.

I've been using paints and mists a lot more lately and let me tell you its been a bit of therapy. I came home after a hard day at work and I started using all these mediums and the stress just started melting away. One new technique that I have never used before is spraying water on what I painted or misted and then taking a paper towel and wiping some of the color away. It allowed me to blend the colors without them being so opaque. I added some sparkle modge podge after the fact for an added embellishment. I also fell in love with my sponge brush all over. To dim the vibrancy of the whole page just a tad I painted a very fine layer of gesso over it. I like the effect.

Here are some closeups:

If you look closely beneath the paint you can see the other butterfly paper I used. In real life it looks really cool.

Hope you liked it!!

A Yummy Bow

Here is challenge 46 for Punky Scraps! It's a very inspiring picture and if you love quilling run on over to the blog and join in.

Now I don't know how to quill so I will show you how I used that fantastic inspiration piece without incorporating the quilling ... though honestly I am in awe of whoever created that picture. So freaking cool.

A Yummy Bow:

This is my niece Shea at Christmas. She was more interested in the wrapping than the gifts. Which is why I decided when I have kids to just give them junk until they are old enough to know the difference ... maybe. Anyways I started out with an entirely different vision but my cricut didn't cut through the paper all the way (I need a new blade and I hate the new mats so so much) and I was too tired to try it again. So I just started painting. And I kept painting. It was really therapeutic and I had a lot of fun doing it. =D

Remember to join in with Punky Scraps this month. You could win an awesome prize!!

Shea's Godparents

While I have been scrapping much more lately I realized that not one of those pages had been for my parent's scrapbook. I am really hoping that I can get it done soon as I hope that when all is said and done it won't have taken me a year to complete this book. I am feeling really bad that it's taken me this long as it is. So with that in mind I am going to try to just create their pages until it is finished. Let's see how it goes.

I  created this page for the Scraps of Darkness February Sketch Challenge. Sketches as always are by the uber-talented Suepups! Here is my page 'Shea's Godparents'.

This is my niece Shea at her baptism with her godparents, my uncle Jimmy and her aunt ... I have no idea actually. Huh.

So I swore that I would start using my cricut much more and boy have I been sticking to that promise. I have definitely fallen in love with the machine all over again. Mainly because of using my gypsy at work enables me to really think about the page before I actually sit down and do it. So before I didn't want to waste the time going through my image library now I don't have to :)

I actually created the circle by using the welding tool which I had never completely appreciated before. I love how it came out. I added some flock to it so it could distress it a bit.

I used the Scraps of Darkness February Kit for this. Which is awesome!

Relaxing on Our Travels and Other Projects

It's a long post today guys. Mostly cause I was too lazy to make multiple posts but also because I uploaded all these photos at the same time.

So it is time for the Recipe Challenge over at Punky Scraps and it is all about shapes!! Come and see what the other fabulous DT members came up with.
This month's recipe:

Michelle - hexagons

Cheryl C – white paint

Kim - make a grid

Sara - use small photos

Nat - NO PINK

Mandy - use three circles

Elin -use three squares

maxell - use something transparent

Here is what I came up with:

 These are pictures from our boat tour of St.Augustine. I used the January Scraps of Darkness kit to make this layout. This page came together really quickly for me. I also credit my boyfriend for it as he made me drop the embellishments and spend time with him. So I didn't end up over-embellishing like I know I was going to. Looking at this page really makes me want to go to the beach, which actually I might be able to soon. Yay Florida!!

Before the paint dried I sprinkled embossing powder and heated it to add sparkle and texture. I am loving embossing powder lately.

Here are some closeups of my beachy embellishments:

Now here is a look at what my boyfriend gave me for Valentine's Day. It is the greatest Vday gift I have ever received and I love him so so so much more for it:

He made it all by himself!!! Isn't it amazing for a first page ever? He started it a week before and did it secretly during the time when he gets home from work and before I do. He stole pieces from my stash little by little as well so as not to tip me off. Though I was definitely looking for some of it during that time and thought I was going crazy. I might be insanely possessive with my crafty items. ;-) He was so scared that I would think it was dumb but I love it more than any page I have ever made if that makes sense. I have it displayed proudly in my cubicle at work. I love him <3<3<3

Lastly here are most of the Valentine's Day Card Designs that I sold this last week. I took the pictures last minute which is why the quality isn't great.

Card #1

Card #2 in two different color schemes

Card #3

Card #4

Card #5 (my favorite)

Sadly I didn't get a picture of my most popular card design because I am a slacker. I might make another though to have as a sample design.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed this monster post!!

Explore

I am really back into scrapping and it feels great!! I am just all anxious to receive my next kit from Scraps of Darkness (though I am pretty sure it is because there is a lot of black in it and I might be going through a pink and red overload at the moment due to my Valentine's Day cards).

I am actually participating in a challenge this month too!! Woo! It is the January Sketch Challenge over at SOD and Charlotte created another fantastic sketch for us to be inspired by. Here is what I came up with called 'Explore'

I really loved that trip that we took. I took this picture from Hemingway's house actually. I did lots of misting and stuff with this page.

I used one of my favorite techniques of painting with gesso and then misting over it. I also mist the tulle and then used a heat tool to distress it in places.

Here is a closeup of Mandy's awesome pin that was included in the romance add-on

For the title I painted the chipboard with soft gel and then I covered it with embossing powder which I then heated. I really love how it turned out.

I hope you guys like it! I am going to be really sad when I finish these photos ... I guess I will just have to take another vacation! Now I am off to go make 8 cards and then I will be able to take a little break for a while!!