I love distressing!!

I really had no idea where I was going with my TS challenge, when I sat down. Once I got going, the ideas just came flowing! I love it when that happens! Makes creating such a sweet treat! I have to say, whether win or lose, I really like how this one turned out!



just a reminder, click on the photo to enlarge if you want to see the details.

Title - "This Day"
- one picture - 5x7
- 2 chipboard embellishments -Star, chipboard button, and grunge board leaf
- ink- masking, stamping, and distressing of photo, all embellishments, cs, and all pattern papers
- at least one brad -metal love brad on star, and two holding hardware
- 3 different ribbons -jute, black stripe, black gingham, blue gingham
- journaling including the words "this day..."

Journaling:
As I write, I am trying to adjust...trying to face the fact that my baby will be 16 tomorrow. I know that you have waited for this day for a long time, but I am just not ready yet. I miss the little guy that would snuggle up on my lap and fill me with slobbery kisses. How you would just fly in the door hollering “love you mom,” escaping as quickly as you entered. The weed bouquets picked on a whim were much more elegant than any store bought roses. You climbed this tree hundreds of times. I would have such a fit, afraid that you would fall out. You always worked so hard and I felt that you were cheating yourself out of being a kid. You are that same sweet little guy in a much bigger body. I’ve watched you grow and mature. I’ve seen your interests change to suit you. You are confident in who you are, not willing to compromise that for anyone. You’ve endured hardships beyond your years. I am so proud of the young man you have grown into. As much as I miss this little guy. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead. I have no doubt that you will handle what ever life brings you, with grace and dignity. You will overcome the obstacles in your path. With your strong sense of determination and strength, you will become all you dream and more.
As you have grown, so have the size of your toys, your stunts, and your dreams. I’m trying my darndest to keep up, but moms just take a little longer I guess. So, if you see tears in my eyes, remember that this day is not an easy one for me, but like before, humor me, I will adjust.


I created my own mask and inked some stars onto the background.


For the star near the center, I stitched the star shape onto the background paper, overlapping the photo a bit. I then cut out the center of the star with a craft knife. I inked the edges of the cutout. I placed a piece of pp on the backside of the background pp covering the hole.


I inked the edges of the photo. I really didn’t know if this was going to work, but I think it gave it a really cool effect!


I painted the star, then inked for the distress look. I inked the leaf with green, then did the edges in brown. I also inked the edges of the button, stamp, and “sales slip." Using the crop-a-dile, I punched a hole in the star for the brad(love)


For the letters, I left them plain natural, and just stamped the image.


Crossing my fingers, hoping to make it to the final round!

I know I am dating myself here!

Well, here is my entry for round #2 !



Our requirements were:
Layout must include:
- at least 3 pictures
- 4 different patterned papers (no more, no less)
- 2 colors of cardstock (no more, no less)
- at least one arrow
- buttons or beads
- must have journaling that includes..."If I were honest with myself...". It can be as long or as short as you like but must include those words.
- must be an original design - no sketches please!

I stepped outside my comfort zone on this one! I haven’t decided if I like how it turned out….not sure that it portrays the feel that I was striving for, maybe that’s it.

Like how I doodled the arrow, heart, and flower?! They actually turned out better than I had hoped! I sanded the black cardstock to reveal some white and used a glaze pen to doodle in the word "totally." Love that glaze pen! That is also the pen I used to doodle in the black checks.



How about the laces with the friendship beads…they were a must-have on here!




Who didn’t have a belt, or a half dozen?! I couldn’t pass on adding some “Madonna” lace and netting (mesh)!




The journaling reads:

An 80’s teen! Our clothing was gnarly, dude….Not! Oversized shirts w/shoulder pads, big gaudy belts, stirrup pants, and parachute pants, scrunched socks and jelly shoes. Don’t forget to top off the look with mega makeup and some totally radical chunky jewelry. Big hair….AquaNet…..need I say more?! We looked totally awesome! Well, at least we were comfy!! Seriously, It was a great era to grow up in. We were freer to express ourselves with out being ostracized. Communication had a whole different meaning. Families ate together and played together. Fun with your bff’s was packing as many people as you could in a car and heading to the Drive-in movie, or the local dance. Laws were freer. People seemed to be more sincere. Maybe it was just the stage I was at in life, that made the world seem that way. Maybe it was the way my parents raised us. McDonalds launched the chicken McNugget. Apple sold the 1st Mac. Boombox and Memorex. Rubik‘s cube. If I were honest with myself, I would have to say that being an ‘80s teen was like toooh-tally awesome!





Hope you enjoyed the trip through time! Thanks for stopping by!


p.s. I saw the typo on my journaling tag after all was said and done! But, I decided, it just wouldn’t be me without at least one typo!!

my TS entry!

As promised!

Our instructions were:

Get creative!
Use 1 photo
Use a circle - 3” or bigger
Use torn paper
Must contain “I wish someone had told me that…” in either the title or Journaling



You really need to click on it to really see it....doesn't look like much in this itty bitty photo!


I have two circles - a vintage paper doily, and a coffee cup coaster from a restaurant...really!!! (hubby and I were out for lunch when I spotted it. The poor thing was begging me to bring it home and find a better use for it. How could I resist?!)
Torn paper - polka dotted flowers, pink roses, leaves & vine, journaling strips

For a little extra creativity:

All flowers were handmade -
tore polka dotted paper, wet, smooshed, dried, and I added tulle to the two biggest flowers
Tore pink paper, chalked edges, stickled edges
Stitched lace
Stitched scalloped velvet ribbon

The leaves and vine are torn, wet, smooshed, dried, then stitched on
The journaling strip is the packaging material from Prima! Don't they have the prettiest packaging!!...and it just happened to match my pp perfectly!

The journaling reads:
I wish someone had told me that none of my dreams would materialize, but life would be bigger and better than I could have imagined. I wish someone had told me that I would spend most of my life struggling with health issues, but through it would gain strength. I wish someone had told me that, rejection and skepticism from relatives and friends, would open my eyes to sincerity. I wish someone had told me that through the harshness of my first marriage I would learn appreciation and forgiveness. I wish someone had told me that being a parent brings heartache as well as joy, and through it all, my children would be the ones to teach me to live more freely. I wish someone had told me that there is no perfect marriage, and that there is no perfect man, but that I would find a true night in shinning armor, who would come to my rescue time after time. I wish someone had told me, that although my life would not be perfect, it would be prefect for me.




I hope it was worth waiting for!!