Inspired by Michelle Ward: CJS 2018

I'm sharing a quick look at my art journal pages inspired by Michelle Ward's lesson at Creative Jumpstart. If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to check it out, there is still plenty of time to join in the fun! (link at bottom of page)

I decided to do a page on my love of coffee and some of my favorite coffee houses. I can usually be found crafting with a cup of coffee at my side, always being careful not to dip the brush into the coffee instead of the water!

I used several different stencils from Stencil Girl, Heidi Swap, and The Crafter's Workshop to get the fun mix of designs. 

Coffee browns are compliments of my DecoArt heavy body acrylics - Burnt Umber, Yellow Oxide and Burnt Sienna.

Next I pulled out some coffee cup holders and cut bits out to add, then went around them with a graphite pencil and water brush. 

Final touch - I inserted these coffee cards that I'd been saving. This seemed like the perfect time to use them!

Oh yes, I bet you can tell from this I love my coffee! 

I've enjoyed sharing a bit of inspiration with you, and would love to hear what you think. 

Thanks, 

Maura

World Explorer!

Hello Friends! Are you ready to explore the world with us this week? I hope so, because that is this week's challenge!

I have always wanted to explore the world...when I was a child I wanted to be an adventurer and find new places on the Earth never before seen by humans! Well, in my lifetime I have seen many new areas of discovery and have been blessed in being able to travel to many wonderful places and meet awesome people.

 Are you inspired by travel shows? New discoveries? Do you love to go to new places and have adventures? If so, this challenge is perfect for you!

I started off spritzing a globe die cut...

While that was drying, I worked on the card background...

...and while that dried, I added color to my stamped images (Penny Black). BTW, I stamped the image multiple times with my MISTI, to get the crisp image - sometimes it is difficult to get a good image on watercolor paper, and this solves that problem! 

As you can see, I was testing my colors around the edges before I added them. I do think my little explorer might have a sunburn.

I took a piece of burlap textured surface and painted it randomly with Picket Fence and Salty Ocean, then cut it into a circle to go under the world.

Life is not a destination. It's a journey. 

oh, how I do believe that! I hope your journey is an awesome one!!

Are you ready to dig into your supplies and start crafting with us this week as we explore the world? Please, come join us in the fun!!

Simon offers a $50 voucher to shop at their store to one lucky participant! 

SUPPLIES:

                                       

                                       

A great place to shop!

Simon is on Instagram!

I get to work with amazingly creative people from around the world, and I just know they will explore the world in wonderful ways! Head on over to check out their work.

Butterfly Beauty

Happy Monday, friends!

This week we are all about butterflies! It is so easy to join us in this week's challenge - all you need to do is add a butterfly :)

I am using these beautiful Heidi Swapp Butterflies mixed media cards. I chose some distress inks and applied with the mini blending tool, and spritzed a bit on the side. I used the packaging to put under the die cut butterfly so I wouldn't get in on the card. Apparently I am a bit heavy handed in my blending, because I took a wing off each butterfly - oh no!! Luckily, I figured out a way to fix it, and I bet you won't even see it.

I wanted to stamp another butterfly or two on this card, so used my blending tool and pounced on the SSS stamp, misted it and then stamped. Depending on how much you mist, you can get a very nice watercolor image like I did here on my practice paper, or a little less and get more detail, like on the card.

Here are the three amigos, oops, I mean butterflies. I added the pen nib to cover the boo boo. 

I love that the cards come with these beautiful envelopes too!

I found a Fleur de Lis I had cut out previously and inked it up and added it to the body. I also lightly blotted the pink and orange inks on the french script in the background. It's light enough you could still write over it. 

Trying some different colors with this one - pink and orange - happy colors!

These were easy peasy and fun to make!

Ok, now it's time for you to dig through your stash and find some butterflies! Hope you are getting creative, and will join us in the challenge! 

One lucky person will win Simon's $50 voucher! Every week someone wins, and this time, it could be you!

SUPPLIES:

Hero Arts 19th Century Script stamp

                                       

                                       

A great place to shop!!

Simon is on Instagram!

Head on over the the challenge and see how my amazing teamies have used butterflies this week!

Cool Idea for Scraps

Found this video on the Create blog - see our linky on the side.  Heidi Swapp has a great idea for ways to use up those strips of paper we all seem to end up with. According to her, it is the next big thing... Check it out!

I wanted to try it out myself, so here is a peek at what I came up with for this idea. The first is part of the cover of a scrapbook, and the second is added to a present.