Is This Collage?

I haven't done very much collage, I just have trouble figuring out what should go together. So here is my attempt which has enough green on it for the Created Byhand Challenge. This is an 8 X 10 artist canvas board that I glopped gesso on and made some texture marks with a plastic spoon. When that was dry I scribbled Reeves water soluble wax pastels on and blended with a wet brush. The next step was colouring on the still wet canvas with Portfolio water soluble oil pastels, rubbed around with my finger then blended with a dry brush. I let that dry, then rubber stamped a couple of large background stamps, one music and the other script.
While this was drying I tried a Cuttlebug paint technique I read about somewhere on the internet. I put blobs and drizzles of paint on a piece of watercolour paper, placed another piece of watercolour paper over this and ran it through the Cuttlebug. I got 2 quite nice papers, but next time I think I'll just use a roller instead of the Cuttlebug, I don't like the risk of getting paint in my machine. When the paper was dry, I used my new Cuttlebug embossing folder from the Heritage set that I just got from Cherish The Thought yesterday. I sponged Walnut Stain Distress ink on the embossed areas to bring out the texture. My quote from Quietfire Design is stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink on a digital background I had leftover from the Tea Time ATCs. This was cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Oval and layered over a brown cardstock cut with the largest die from the Scalloped Oval set. The chipboard rectangles are cut with the Sizzix ATC die, dipped in coffee and the edges rolled until I got a nice distress look. They are stamped with some Michael's 79 cent stamps with Rich Cocoa ink and edged with Walnut Stain Distress ink. The white flower thingy is the back part of a button from Ruby Dog's Art House with a circle punched from scraps from the embossed painted paper and a brown half pearl in the centre.

July 10 Greeting Card

July 10 Greeting Card
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Here is yesterday greating card from Cherish The Thought. We used another of the new Cuttlebug Embossing Plus folders, but I didn't buy this one so I'm not sure of the name. This one is quite large and we used only part of it to fit a standard size care. Happy Birthday on the lighter blue cardstock is stenciled with stamp pad ink and a brass sencil. The birds are a Sissix die cut with adhesive paper and glittered. This is mounted on a white card blank and the embossed layer is mounted with glue dots.

Journal Page

This is one of the pages for a journal I am still working on and I am including some old family photos taken with an old box camera I had. Most of these are photos that no one else has, so I am making journals for gifts. I used a new cut and emboss folder that I just got yesterday from Cherish The Thought and made doors to show parts of the photo. I am very happy with the result.
This shows the photo with the doors open. The decoration above the door is part of Tim Holtz style label embossed with Tim Holtz Damask Texture Fades embossing folder. and sponged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Cherish All Your Moments Journal

Well I did it again, I made another journal with the Zutter Distrezz-it-All and the Zutter Bind-it-All. This one is made with Deja Views Global Treks scrapbook paper that I found in the clearance area at Michaels and Recollections Spice Market cardstock and is 4 inches by 6 inches. I've added pockets, journal cards and some rubber stamping. After taking the photos I added a few more things, but since this is a gift I will leave that a mystery to be discovered by the recipient. I just love the look of the distress pages and using ribbon to bind after punching holes with the Zutter.

ATCs For June "All Stitched Up"

ATCs For June "All Stitched Up"
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

One of the themes for the Byhand ATC monthly swap is stitched.These all have a layer of craft felt cut with the Sizzex ATC die and fabrics from sample books purchase at Ruby Dog's Art House back when they were still on Maine Street. Some have several pieces of fabric and all are finished with buttons.

Blue Egg Blues

Blue Egg Blues
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Some blue ATCs for a swap. A photo of a bird egg, some cut with a Nestabilities die, rubber stamp word and some embossed with a Tim Holtz Sissex embossing folder.

May 8 Greeting Card

May 8 Greeting Card
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This is the Sat, May 8 project from Cherish The Thought. We had a choice of 4 different designs and I chose this one. The bird is a die cut with double sided tape on it cut to the various shapes for the different colours of glitter. A section of tape is removed and the colour of glitter added, then the next piece is removed and another colour of glitter is added until all of the bird is done. Next the blue background is embossed with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. The branch is cut with a Sizzex die. The tape on the card base is removed and I added black glitter to make the border. All this is added to the blue background which is then added to the base card.

Sat. Project and ATC Swap

Well I am late posting these items, but I will share them now. On Sat. March 20 I had my ATCs ready for the Grind Swap so I went to Cherish The Thought for the weekly project. That week we made a gift card holder with embossing and tried out the Sizzex die cut to make a 3-D flower. This is quite pretty, the die cuts a scalloped spiral which is wound into the flower glued together and onto the front of the card holder. I added a little bead in the centre of the flower.
Then on the 21 I went to the swap which was moved to Heaven Tree Studio for the wrap-up of the ATC Exhibit and our usual monthly swap. It was a lively swap with some new people wanting to know about our regular swap and information about joining us. After the swap we had goodies and coffee and then a draw for door prizes. The shops involved in the exhibit donated prizes and Penelope made several wonderful gifts. I was the lucky winner of one of her hand made map gift bags containing a button Penelope made with a new button maker she just acquired and a lovely little handmade book. Very cute and a real treasure package.

Late For A Birthday Card

I have been so busy over the last couple of weeks that I didn't get a birthday card in the mail at the appropriate time so I made this "Just Because" card. This is a tri-fold Climb The Hill card made from a two-sided scrapbook cardstock. After scoring the folds I rubber stamped various stamps and the Quietfire sentiment stamp and the Michalels Just Because stamp with Memories Cocoa ink and printed computer genterated words for the other phrases on vellum. The flower is cut with a Sizzixx Flower layers #3 die.

Vintage Christmas Card

Vintage Christmas Card
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This is today's card project at Cherish The Thought. We used a cream coloured card blank, a red and grey patterned paper and lace. The image and "Seasons Greetings" are stamped on cream cardstock and the snowflake is a Sissex die cut with a rhinestone for some bling.