Buddy @ the Beach

I am not an everyday scrapper by any means. I pull my stuff out everyday but I always end up getting lost in reorganizing the stuff or just completely lost as to where to start. On some days I have a clear idea as to what I want to do but I just can't seem to translate that to what I have in front of me.

Today I sat down with a photo that I had been wanting to scrap for weeks and all I knew about the page I was about to embark on was that I wanted to try and use something other than white or cream for the background. So, after a thorough search of my limited paper supply I said I GIVE UP!! I got up and went to start putting everything away when I saw something sitting on the dresser in my room. My SMASH Book. I hadn't touched that thing in weeks but it is full of pretty paper so I opened it up and let it fall to a random page and Lo and Behold......Inspiration Strikes!!!

Blue for a Boy-Beach Page

The page that it fell open to was a blue graph paper design with fake stitching and doodles in the corners. PERFECT. I decided to leave the tattered edge from where I tore it out of the smash book.The easiest way to get the look of the notebook paper border punch ever!!  The only things I had originally intended to put on this page was the blue diagonal stripe paper behind the photo and the Adventure Sticker from Amy Tangerines Sketchbook Line (I have a lot of these stickers and thickers b/c I found them on sale at Micheal's for 75% off)

Wasn't he just the cutest kid???

Now I have the background paper and the Photo-Matt and I am stuck again. I used the phone numbers from a pack of Basic Greys Fact or Fiction line Chipboard Alphas. But I needed something to offset all the blue. *besides the kraft sheet underneath* So I pulled out a pack of Amy Tangerines Light Woodgrain Thickers that I could never make look right on anything and it was like kismet.

He kept the boogie board on his leg all week.

The "How Lovely" and >>Wish You Were Here>> Stickers both came from the Amy Tan's Sketchbook as well. However the original stickers were way to bulky for this page so I pulled them apart. With steady even pressure, lift up on one corner and the layers will start to separate.  After that I just added a few splashes of Mister Huey's Bookworm Green and called it done. This Layout came together amazingly quick. (for me at least)

For the journaling I chose to use just what I could remember from that trip which wasn't much considering that this picture was taken when I was 12. But thanks to Glitter Girl I decided that that was enough. So the journaling down the side says:

Jacob @ 6 yrs. old--Always Smiling. Flashing the classic double Peace Sign. I am amazed that he came out of the water for the picture!!

So, there it is. My "Wow, That came together fast Layout." Have you had a Layout recently that came together amazingly quick?? Have you ever torn a page out of something for your Scrapbook?? Let me know I am not alone and leave me a comment below.

My Chloe (Warning Sad Story With A Happy Ending)

I have never been one to talk much about my day to day life. Mainly because there is not much to say. I have no kids, so there are no silly sayings or crazy adventures. I work full time so when I get home it is straight to the PJ's, a little scrapping and bed.

That being said, I want to share a little bit of my life. Chloe. Chloe is my three year old Chihuahua and she has quite a story to tell.

One of my favorite pictures of a very sweet but goofy pup!!

One day a little over 3 years ago my fiancee's father went to pick out a building for the back yard. When he got back he started telling us of this little dog that was so happy to see him. She kept hopping in to his lap while he was talking to "guy".  Guy tells my fiancee's father that he can have "the thing" if he wants it. Well, not being in the market  not wanting a dog he tells the "Guy" no thank you and leaves.

Always so happy.

When he got home he decided that the dog needed a good home and that if we wanted her that he would call the guy and we could go get her. Of Course, I said yes. (being a sucker for dogs, especially small ones). I was not prepared however for what we would find when we got there. We came in and told "Guy" who we were and he proceeds to tell us about the 2 chihuahua's that he had that had gotten hit in the road in front of his house because they wouldn't stay in his yard. So he opens the backroom door and lets this 5 month old underweight chihuahua walking on a broken/deformed leg out of a room with a floor covered in animal feces excrement. She was so excited to be out of the cold room(no heat in December, metal building) she tinkled a little and jumped in my lap. So I proceed to ask the normal questions, Name, Age, Diet Etc. He tells me that she is 1 yr. old (later disproved by a vet) and that she will only eat Caesar's Wet Dog Food.

You can see her broken foot in this one. 

He proceeds to tell us that he had been trying to sell her but couldn't get rid of her.  We could tell there was something fishy and I was just glad to get her out of there. We get her home and give her a bath. She was not nervous at all about leaving. Which I found odd for a dog of that age. We took her to a vet the next day who told us she was 5 months old,  3 1/2 lbs. underweight. (for those with larger dogs that is a lot for a chihuahua) and that her paw/ankle had been broken about 3 months back and had gone untreated. We asked about correcting it but she told us that it would put her in a lot of pain since they would have to re-break it and that there was no telling if it would turn out for the best. That since it didn't seen to bother her that much that we should just leave it. We got her shots and took her home.She still wouldn't eat well until we switched her to dry food. Turns out the food was why she was so underweight. Being allergic to gluten and wheat ( a main ingredient in most wet food) she couldn't process it and was regurgitating most of it. After we switched to the dry food she put on weight like there was no tomorrow.

Any stack of pillows, Any freshly lain out blanket and she there.

So, This is the Story that Chloe has to tell. This is the story of the perfect dog from a man who shouldn't have had her. The love of our lives. Our Lovey Wuvey, Chloe Woey, Little Big Foot, Wuvey, Our Chloe. 

Our Photogenic Pup!!!

So that is the story of my Chloe.

~Ashley Crafty~

The Mess, Oh Me, Oh My The Mess I Make

I am what you would call a very messy scrapper. Organizational Challenged if you will. I truly admire these people who can sit down with a picture in their mind and say "Okay, I am going to use these pieces to make this page" and them they do just that. I can not. I have to have everything around me spread out and go through and try each item next to every piece of paper. It makes a very messy picture. To top it all off I don't have a  place in my house where I can scrap. My "Scrap Room" is my living room floor.

Here I'll show you:

Like This 

And This...

All of This for one Layout. Crazy Right? I Know. Sometimes I think that if I had a craft room I wouldn't be so messy, but I know that is not true.

This doesn't show the half of it, you can only imagine the mess that is behind me. 

I have heard it called a "Chaotic Scrapper". And that is exactly what it is--CHAOS. Now-That being said, The Layout that came from this giant mess is one of my favorites. I used products from 6 different companies (I think), since I have been trying to work through my stash. That shouldn't be too hard as I don't have very much compared to some. 

So, Do you want to see the final product that came from this GIANT MESS? I Do....

I think I am getting more confident with my spraying/misting. 

Pooh-Butt is my childhood nickname, I loved Whinnie the Pooh and so they
Called me Pooh Butt Marie

That Green Flower. I made it from Vellum and then Sprayed it with Mr. Huey's
It came out better than I expected. 

So, I used Amy Tangerine's Sketchbook Die Cuts and Dimensional Stickers, Basic Greys Fact or Fiction Snippets and the Orange and Blue Papers are from the Sweet Threads -OR- Kyoshi{?} Page Kit, October Afternoon Mini Market Alphas, Hobby Lobby Brand Flowers, Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic Chipboard, Studio Calico's Mister Huey's in Bookworm Green and A Vellum Flower that I made.

So, I think I am finally getting this using multiple lines per page thing down. Tell me what you think? Are you a "Chaotic Scrapper" too? Leave me a comment below.

~Ashley Crafty~

P.S.- Stay tuned I will be doing a tutorial on the vellum flower next week. 

Merry Christmas To All--Basic Greys Aspen Frost Collection

I recently completed a Christmas swap on Two Peas in A Bucket and my Secret Sister ScrapPrincess2002 (Jeannie) really spoiled me. She sent me the Basic Grey Aspen Frost Collection. And I am in LOVE. 

This collection is beautiful. Teals and blues, Reds and Greens, Whites and Creams and Kraft tones. I was drawn to the colors in this line mainly because it reminds me of the kind of Christmas we rarely get around here-Snowy.

So whenever I get new scrap goodies I am always overwhelmed..I never know where to start. But with this it was easy.

My favorite paper in this line is the B-Side of Open Sleigh with the White Birch Bark Print. I really have an affinity for all things woodgrain. Coming in a close second is the B-Side of Woolen Mittens with the Stripes (seen on each side and the photo mats). I knew I wanted to use these two together the second I pulled them out of the box.

I took the Aspen Frost Garland and cut it apart so that I could use the pieces I liked best to run a banner down the center of the page tucked under the left photo mat. I chose to leave the edges unglued and lift them slightly off the page because it needed more dimension in the center. 

And of course my new slogan for Christmas "Naughty is the new Nice". So much better than "You better good, You better be Nice". . . .So much more wiggle room. *wink* *wink*

I will add more pictures with this page with photos in it in when I get them printed (I am really slacking on the printing photos thing) but for now I am happy to look at it Just the way it is.  

The Products I used-

 


So, Is anybody else totally late on their Christmas Pages or is that just me?? Did you find a line this year
that took no effort, that seemed to put itself together?

~Ashley Crafty~

Misting the Day Away--A Tutorial

Mists have been a big trend this year, from ink blot dots to a fine mist over the entire page.. Studio Calico and Prima both have beautiful masks that can really bump up your pages.  Being on a limited budget however I can't afford to get every color I would like. So I have a couple of recipes that will help you create those custom colors to make your project stand out from the rest. 

So I present to you 3 recipes for different "mists" each with different effects and costs.  

The first is a shimmer spray without color. You can use this to add a beautiful sheen to anything and I do mean anything. I have taken to spraying die cuts and flowers with this one. This is the least expensive of the recipes and can be made with 2 purchases.  

You will need:

1. A fingertip Sprayer ($1 at Walmart)
2. Perfect Pearls
3. Water

Take and fill your fingertip sprayer about 3/4 of the way full. Add one scoop of perfect pearls and shake. That simple.

I suggest that you only use perfect pearls for any of these recipes as Perfect Pearls is the only glitter/shimmer product that I know of on the market that contains its own binding agent. With any other pearl product the sheen will rub off as you touch the elements.  


For the second recipe you will add only a Re-inker. 

You will Need:

1. A Tim Holtz Re-inker (I used Worn Lipstick) 
2. Perfect Pearls (I used Gold from the pastels collection)
3. A fingertip sprayer ($1 @ Walmart)
4. Water

Fill your Fingertip Sprayer 1/2 full of water, Any fuller and I find that the pearls do not want to mix in as well. Add one scoop of Perfect Pearls and start adding ink until you reach the opacity that you like. 

With the Barn-Door Re-inker I use 10 or so drops for a medium-dark spray. Use less or more of the ink and you will not only change the opacity but also the color. Worn Lipstick will go pink (5-6 Drops) to a Deep Red (12-14 Drops) 

I prefer Distress Re-Inkers from Adirondack but you can use any one of the hundreds of re-inkers on the market. 

Now for the third recipe. (Also my favorite).

You will Need:

1. Dr. PH Martins Bombay Ink Set
2. Fingertip Sprayers  
3. Water
4. Perfect Pearls (If you want shimmer)

This recipe is the same as the one above only you will add two drop at a time into the sprayer of water and shake after each set of drops. I suggest two sprayers because once you start mixing and finding the sheer number of colors possible you will want to make more. This ink is some of the most vibrant and versatile of any ink I have come across. This is not stamp ink but an artists pigment and pen ink which means that the colors are true and very mixable. My favorite color combination so far is to add the 9 drops of teal and 3-4 white into a sprayer less than half full of water. This results in a opaque ocean blue. 

Dr. PH Martin's Bombay India Inks can get rather pricey at about $30 for the color wheel seen above. However @ DickBlick.Com you can buy each color individually for about $3 a bottle. And one bottle will last a long time using them for mists/sprays. I will be adding photos of some of the projects that I used these sprays on to the gallery page @ 2peasinabucket.com  

So tell me what you think. Do you have another "recipe" for a Mist? Have you tried any of these before? Let me know in the comments section below. I would love to try them out. 

~Ashley Crafty~