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CHA part 2

I also got to take a class from Tim Holtz.   I laughed when I ended up in the very front row front and center.  I like his stuff but I am not a groupie and so here I was up close and personal.  It made me chuckle.  They have a few photos of that on their blog as well if you want to scroll through their post you will see me. We made 3 cards and used a ton of different materials to complete them.

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I am not sure which one is my favorite.  The first is a gift card holder which is very fun.  The gift card tucks in and is pulled out on a tag attached to the big puffy bow.  The second uses Tim’s distress markers and you know me anything about coloring is right up my ally.  I also got to try and keep  one of the “new” marker misters.  It is by his own admit ion not a new concept it just has been re-designed and released by Ranger.  It is find of fun and will work with just about any marker since the tube that hold the marker can be adjusted in size and then has a screw that fastens down on the marker.  But it is truly just little puffs of air so gives little individual puffs of mist.  This is NOT to be mistaken as a replacement for an airbrush system!!  The third little card is fun I LOVE the chunky glitter that we added to the heart and the paper bow that is made from a new die cut.

On Saturday evening I took a class from Kuretake the manufacturer of Zig it was a very fun class introducing a new way to make simple post cards in a very old traditional Japanese method.  It is called Etegami;

2014-01-21 16.42.46The concept is quick and easy with ink and a form of water coloring.  It is very loose and you hold the brushes way at the back end which keeps control much looser as well.  You go very slow in the actual inking then the painting is done in a dabbing motion.  To finish we made our own rubber signature stamps.  Then the final step is mailing them.  They actually had stamps and envelopes and asked everyone to send them off that very night.  I finished 3 cards so Sara and Lori got my practice apples and this one will go to another friend 🙂  I was quite pleased with how they all turned out, and very impressed with how well the class was run.

I should have one or two more quick reports from the CHA to finish off.  If you are still soaking in the aftermath and would like a little more Get It Scrapped did a wonderful roundup of sites that posted post CHA HERE.

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

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CHA

Friday at CHA was full of creating for me!  I took 3 classes all of which were VERY fun!

Here is the process or at least half of the process of my 2nd class of the day!  This was with Ranger’s Dyan Reaveley

We started by gessoing a trip tick of canvases – We added torn book pages and small amounts of gesso on them as well –

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Then we added wonderful color all with our hands VERY FUN!  You can see how messy my hands got over at the Ranger blog  They got a close up of my hands in the mix 🙂image-5

 

Next came spray mists strategically places both positives and negatives of a new stencil –

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We added a band of bright color next with paint again this time using a paint scraper.

image-7We added a layer of gesso through the stencil next and that is where I had to depart!  Off to airbrushing with the Copic crew.  I will finish this project later when I get my head above water on my current projects.

Thank you Ranger for a great class!

Happy Tuesday!

 

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Get Painty!

Today I had a fun tutorial post at Get It Scrapped about stamping with paint.  I know not that tough a concept but sometimes it is good to get a few tips.  Check it out HERE

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Yummm by Michelle Houghton | Supplies:  card stock and letters; American Crafts and Kraft, tags; Inkssentials, paint; Ranger, ink; Copic, flowers and trims; unknown

I had a great time pulling this layout together.  I used two different stamping techniques on the tags then used my Copics to add a doodled frame and to color my letters to match.  The letters are a fabric covered chipboard that was made by American Crafts, you know Thickers.  I love them so very much and then they discontinued them!  Luckily I found a site that decided to put them on sale so I basically bought them out 🙂  He He I have several unopened sets waiting in the wings, Yeah!  They take color so beautifully and are a very nice size so you will continue to see them lots in a rainbow of colors!

Christy Strickler joined me again as well and blew my socks off one more time with her creativity!  Make sure to take a peek at the article!

Thanks for stopping by!  More on CHA to come!

 

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Telling Stories

I am back from CHA with lots of stories to tell so I am going to do a few blog posts over the next couple days.  I also have had some fun goings ons at Get It Scrapped so lots of fun news to report!

On arriving in Anahiem I started right off teaching my very first class for Imagination International, the US distributor of all things Copic.  I had 5 wonderful Copic lovers come to play and learn all about my mixed media apron and to create one of their very own.  We had a great time!!

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Debbie is starting a new series of podcasts all about sharing the stories that go along with our photos.  Often there is not a layout yet but just the plans for one and the story that you are ready to share.  Really it is just a group of us getting together to share our stories and how we might scrap them.  I got to visit with Debbie this past week about photos I took at Disney land with Lori and her favorite car character Mater and in the Car ride!

imagephotoIt was fun to talk about the adventures we had on our trip and in particular the lengthy journey we took to finally get to ride on the Car’s ride!  Of course talking through the adventure always sparks new ideas and new ways to look not only at these photos but others that might tell other stories that are related to the original.

Make sure to stop by Get It Scrapped and check out this new series.  It will make great listening during your own crafting time!

Click HERE to listen to the first podcast!

I will be back very soon with more details from CHA!

 

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Oh My What Happened?!

I think I fell off the face of the Earth!  My last post was after our return from Thanksgiving break.  Here is what has happened in a nut shell since then;

3 weeks of school, 3 doctors appointments a lot of phone calls and several runs to the pharmacy for Sara, a talking Canvas presentation for 5th graders, a holiday party with 2 crafts for 125 5th graders, Mom and Dad visiting for a week, girls out of school for Christmas, a tree and decorations, Christmas cards off and away, John off for a few days.

Now John has a few more days off, the girls have one more week off, we are headed to a basketball game tonight, the zoo tomorrow and bowling on Monday then new years and John back to work, girls back to school, I have a class starting on-line on January 8th and I get on a plane on January 8th for Anaheim, CA for 5 days of CHA fun, where I will be teaching a Copic class to a very small group of Copic enthusiasts.

Woosh it does sound like a lot.  No wonder my house looks this way 🙂  Of course life has continued as well and I have had a few things post at Get It Scrapped.  Here is a peak at those;

Breaking the rules:

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Summer Haiku by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: cardstock, Bazzil Basics, sticker letters; American Crafts, ink; Sharpie, paint; Golden

I have been enjoying the Haiku writing and thought it perfectly suited a smattering of the flower photos I took while in Breckinridge, CO. The challenge was trying to purposefully break rules of design on your scrapbook page.  Click HERE to read more about the rules I broke and the others that tackled the challenge as well.

I also had a tutorial posted on using gold foil and leafing:

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Click HERE to get all the details and the how too.  I was particularly inspired by the 3 other ladies that posted with me this month.  They each used the gold techniques so completely differently!  I l over seeing their work and I am so glad they joined me for the challenge!

Lastly there is a fun article about using circles on your layouts.  I LOVE to use circles so this one is right up my ally.

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Wet and Wild Ride by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: cardstock and chipboard letters; American Crafts, patterned paper; Basic Grey, small sticker letters; October Afternoon, ink; Sharpie and Copic, journaling tag; Maya Road, dots; Mark Richards, trim; unknown

Another layout that I really love I think I like this one because of the great family photos, I know the are blurry but boy those faces, they just melt me.  The other scrappers that contributed to this article took circles to a whole new level.  It is definitely worth a peak, check it out HERE

OK I better close there.  I will attempt to stay on top of it again even for quick check ins 🙂  Thank you so much for tuning in and checking out the latest doings in Des Moines!

Merry Christmas a few days late and have a Happy New Year!