Stacked Stones Studio!

So they are a GREAT place to spend a little Creative Play time. These first two tiny canvases ended up being small thank you gifts for two sweet friends.  I found several of these small canvases (they are approximately 2.5 - 3.5 inches) back in the art department at JoAnn's - I think they were no more than $1.  They are wood framed and are basically square or ATC (artist trading card) sized. Small...and totally un-intimidating. I used Distress Stain (yeah - I can't seem to stop playing with that stuff) on the blue one and on the autumnal version, I used acrylic paint and acrylic washes.  The dandelions were stamped and then I used Sakura gel pens to add some dimension to the canvas.  I stamped the pumpkins with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored them with Copics  - but you could use colored pencils or Bic pens - hey - you might even try crayons...remember we're just playing so anything goes! I cut the pumpkins out and popped them up on dimensionals. Even when

Happy Saturday... I had a great time seeing many of my scrappy friends here in Nashville today.  Once a year, I do a scrapbook yard sale to help me clean out my studio and guest room (affectionatly named "the warehouse!" *smile*). Because I teach classes throughout the year and at retreats, I often end up with an extra kit or two...from someone who cancelled at the last minute or I just ended up with more product than I needed. It was a gorgeous day! I even ended up with a bit of a sunburn...I didn't notice the time passing - you know how it is when you are hanging out with other creative people...you just start sharing ideas and before you know it an hour has passed.  What a great way to spend a Saturday. One of the ladies that came out to the yard sale challenged me to do some digi scrapping. I love a challenge...so I decided to work on a project I think is going to be part of our next series after we complete the Creative Play Series. So many times, those of us

Happy Friday! I am super excited to be sharing this post with you today... because it is an opportunity for me to be totally TRANSPARENT and show you that I am on this journey to creative freedom right along with you! Today's video is about learning to BE BRAVE and try the things that you think you can't do -- or can't do as well as others!  Success is in the trying!  And I clearly will show you that if you watch the video.  The thing I chose - was painting faces...because that is something that I see other people do and do WELL and I just KNOW that mine wouldn't come out that cute.  So having said that...and because I can't encourage YOU to do something I am not willing to do myself...I decided to share my VERY FIRST attempt at painting a face.  Ok...so I am not even going for a Mona Lisa - kind of face...I just want to make one of those whimsical - mixed media kinds of faces....and I am even going to give myself a boost by using a STENCIL as a starting point

Hello Friends... I am really glad to be back with another installment for our Creative Play series. If you are just now joining us...skip down a few posts and  catch up with us...or just jump in where we are...it is all good! *smile* Last time we talked about overcoming the paralysis of perfection by asking the question - "What if...?" and letting your natural curiosity take over. Today's method for helping you find that 5 year old that is hiding inside of you that just wants to CREATE is to spend some time "Creating for No Apparent Reason."  Sometimes the pressure of having an end product in mind shuts down our freedom...and when that gets shut down, we are less likely to create our best art.  So one of my ways of keeping myself "playful" is to take a few minutes when I may not have time to create a whole project - and use it to just make some backgrounds that I might use on another project....or not! Have fun watching the video...and then G

Hello friends... Are you enjoying the long weekend? I am for sure. I can feel that I am getting stronger every day - so am hoping that this third round of antibiotics will be the ticket to no more pneumonia for me! Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers...I sure appreciate them! So wanted to share this fun mini-album that I created for a friend of mine. I have been saving these gorgeous papers and embellies from Webster's Pages (seaside retreat) for just the right album - and this was the PERFECT use for them. The idea behind it is to make a mini that can hold lots of pictures - simply by putting two 4 x 6 pictures back to back and punching holes in them...and using the pages of the mini as a place to do the journaling. All the decorating is done - you don't have to wait until you have added the pictures to finish it up...put the pictures in and add your journaling, and you're done! I make quite a few of these...here are some of the kinds of albums I have