This Magic Moment

Welcome to my blog!
I love photographing my flowers and scrapping them, so today I am sharing a LO using a photo taken on a beautiful September day in 2014 of my Trailing Blue Daze Evolvus. They are in a vintage planter that sits on top of a sandstone boulder in my front garden.

While applying a white vignette edge to my photo, I noticed a little "visitor" that I had not seen before, even when I was taking the photo!  Out of all the photos taken this day, only this one....as my good friend, Tracy Funk My Funky Scrapbook Blog, said.....was photo bombed (LOL)!

The title is because it truly is a magical moment discovering this little lizard in my photo!

I wanted a rustic feel, so I opted to use corrugated cardboard as my photo frame, which is an inspiration solely from Lisa Gregory What a Beautiful Mess! I settled on sprays that would best coordinate with the vintage planter in the photo: Lindy's Moon Shadow Mist Van Dyke Sepia and Flat Fabio Toto's Tornado Black. Copper Diamond Dust applied to the corrugated frame and rusty colored hemp tucked underneath add to the rustic feel.

My inspiration to wrap the photo in cording/twine is from the renowned Heather Jacob Art & Life. I've had a cool looking clothing hook in my stash for quite a long time and was finally able to put it to use!  I hooked the cord and Voila!  I love the look!

Thin cardboard (from a cat food box - LOL) was used to die cut leaves that are very similar to the ones in the photo.  I first heavily sprayed with LSG Dark Chocolate Truffle; followed by LSG Van Dyke Sepia; and then rubbed a little bit of Distress Ink Black Soot.  I'm very pleased with the end result!

White manila tags were colored with LSG Dark Chocolate Truffle; then splattered with LSG Van Dyke Sepia.  I used acrylic paint to stamp detailed butterflies in a warm white color so they would really stand out.  The Dusty Attic letters are colored with Distress Ink Rusty Hinge.  A printed sticker 'magic moment' completed the title!  Here is a close up:

I changed up the mulberry paper butterfly by making its body and antennae with Prima black wire thread & added some copper Diamond Dust. 

Butterfly washi tape added some bright pops of color.  White cardstock was punched to make tiny flowers; sprayed with LSG retired Starburst Breakfast Club Blue (beautiful periwinkle with a soft purple shimmer) ~ yet another color that I wish Lindy's would bring back; and a single pearl stamen added to the centers.  I love metal embellishments, so I added a few metal brads and bottle caps.  Lastly, black gesso splatters completed my LO.  This splattering technique is an inspiration from Pascale Bernard Scrap Made in Touraine.

One more look:



I am so grateful for the inspiration I get from fellow scrappers who are so awesomely creative!  The little bits of details in a LO can really make a huge difference in the outcome.  My otherwise very plain LO turned into something that I'm content with and will enjoy looking at in the years ahead, thanks to the influence and inspiration gained from these wonderful scrappers who share their beautiful creations!
Hope you have a great day - always, Lisa : )

Products used:

Basic Grey Clippings collection - "Cotton Dress" page name
Stampabilities cling rubber stamps - Borders
Inkadinkado wood mounted stamp - Butterfly by Brenda Walton
The Dusty Attic - mini ABC Upper letters
Sizzix (Tim Holtz) BigZ die - Garden Greens
EK Success punch - mini Retro Flower
Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays:
    ~Starbursts - Dark Chocolate Truffle & Breakfast Club Blue (retired)
    ~Moon Shadow - Van Dyke Sepia
    ~Flat Fabio - Toto's Tornado Black
Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Black Soot & Rusty Hinge
Misc:
Metal clothing hook
Recollections - mulberry paper butterfly; metal floral brads
Momenta - bronze bottle caps
Cosmo Cricket  - Tiny Type sticker
Wild Orchid Crafts - white pearl stamen
Black cording
Manila tags & cardstock
Diamond Dust - copper colored
Washi Tape
Black Gesso
Warm White acrylic paint
Cardboard - corrugated & thin, solid

St. Louis Cathedral/Jackson Square ~ New Orleans, Louisiana

The posting of my new layout happens to be excellent timing because the bi-centennial of the Battle of New Orleans is being celebrated this year!  This battle, led by Major General Andrew Jackson, who later became the 7th President of the United States, against the invading British on New Orleans, was won in 1815 (Jan. 18th to be exact; happens to be my daughter's birthday!). This win had a substantial impact on the United States.

I took these photographs in April 2011 while on a trip to New Orleans with my BFF and our husbands.  St. Louis Cathedral is such a beautiful and stately structure, as you can see.  The three steeples seem to break up its perfect symmetry, however, split right down the middle and you have mirror images.  Magnificent!

Jackson Square is located in front of the cathedral.  In the center is a statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse.  The greenery and pops of red flowers are so pretty and well maintained.

Check out the Jackson Square statue & part of the Louisiana license plate on my new car:  (pretty cool, huh? )

 

The blue-gray of the Maja Design Vintage Summer Basics "1945" page was perfect for these photos.  Lindy's Stamp Gang magicals color Whale Watch Blue was mixed with modeling paste to obtain both a dark and light version of this gorgeous blue-gray color.

Stenciling with TCW's mini Gothic Romance; stamping a clock face; and splattering of white & black gesso completed the background.  Fleur de Lis die cuts on dark gray textured cardstock were stenciled & splattered to coordinate with the background.
Here is a close up of what I described above:

 

Gray textured cardstock was heat embossed with LSG Queen Sheba's Silver; then scored and the leaves folded.

 

I especially LOVE the wrought iron fence by The Dusty Attic because of the Fleur de Lis design on each post!  Heat embossed in jet black really made it stand out.  Because of our French heritage, the Fleur de Lis is widely displayed in Louisiana (including as the logo for our New Orleans Saints NFL football team).

For a very clear and protective coating, Glossy Accents was applied over the paper placed in the ornate plate. 



 

All of the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The red Aster Daisies are the perfect color match with the flowers in the photo.  White Aster Daisies & a Carnation were sprayed with LSG Starburst Whale Watch Blue to coordinate with the page.

 

I was also very lucky to have a resin lantern & a Fleur de Lis in my stash for embellishments!

A few black glass beads, red stick-on pearls & black embroidery thread finished the page.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a look and I hope that you have a wonderful day!

Lisa : )

 



Products Used:

Maja Design – Vintage Summer Basics “1945”

TCW stencil – Mini Gothic Romance

Prima stamp – Printery clock

Spellbinders Nestabilities – Fleur de Lis Squares

Sizzix BigZ Tim Holtz die – Garden Greens

The Dusty Attic – Wrought Iron Fence

Tim Holtz – ornate plate

Wild Orchid Crafts – Aster Daisies & Carnation

Lindy’s Stamp Gang:

   ~Magical “Whale Watch Blue” in the Nantucket Pearls magicals set

    ~Starburst spray “Whale Watch Blue”

    ~Embossing Powder “Queen Sheba’s Silver”

Stampendous embossing powder – Black

Jolee’s 3-dimensional stickers – Fleur de Lis

The Paper Studio Spare Parts (Hobby Lobby) – resin lantern

Want2Scrap – red stick-on pearls

Misc:

    Gesso – black & white
    Modeling paste (Liquitex)

    Cheesecloth

    Embroidery thread – black

    Glass beads – black

    Pigment ink - Charcoal
    Distress ink - Black Soot
    Glossy Accents

Peace and Love

Happy New Year everyone!
To start 2015, I created a simple layout with a wonderful sentiment - Peace and Love.

I took this photo of my most favorite Jim Shore piece on a sunny day in front of my variegated rubber plant.  Jim Shore designs wonderful figurines.  His Grandmother was a Master Quilter and you can see this influence in his pieces.

I punched and then sprayed a piece of manila stock.  An overlapping of LSG Starburst sprays (both are now retired colors) Passionate Plum (plum with a silver shimmer) and Carpathian Bluebells (periwinkle with a gold shimmer) made a nice, shimmery piece to frame the photo.  Purples & blues are my favorite colors!

 

I misted Prima's stencil "Flourish" on the main page with LSG Carpathian Bluebells. 
Quite a beautiful color!
Splatters on the main LO were created using LSG Flat Fabio Magical Mai Tai.  The lace piece was colored with LSG Starbursts Poinsettia Red Gold, topped with Rudolph’s Nose Red.

I created a 'shadow effect' with two pigment inks when stamping the words Peace & Love.
The edges of the LO are stamped with LaBlanche "Elegant Swirl" in a chestnut color.
The details in this stamp are stunning.

 

I decorated two matching pieces from The Dusty Attic 'Foliage' pack.  They were prepped with gesso; chalk inked with 'Amber Clay' color and the edges with 'Burnt Sienna'; layered with a color mixture of champagne, carnelian, jungle & pesto microbeads; and then topped with red seed beads.

 

Wild Orchid Crafts mulberry flowers & long grass were used to create the small flower arrangement.  The ivory calla lilies were recolored with LSG Carpathian Bluebells and the gypsophila on a stem with LSG Poinsettia Red Gold.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I really appreciate it!
Very best wishes to all for a healthy, prosperous 2015!  Lisa  : )
 

Products used: 

Bo Bunny – Chiffon Vintage

Prima stencil – Flourish

Wild Orchid Crafts – ivory calla lilies, gypsophila on a stem & long grass

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Flat Fabio – Magical Mai Tai

LSG Starbursts –

    ~Carpathian Bluebells (now retired)

    ~Passionate Plum (now retired)

    ~Poinsettia Red Gold

    ~Rudolph’s Nose Red

LaBlanche stamp – Elegant Swirl

Inkadinkado clear stamps – Calligraphy Expressions (words: Peace, Love)
Martha Stewart punch - Vintage Floral

Chalk inks – Red Barn, Red Magic, Chestnut, Amber Clay, Burnt Sienna, Lavender & Sky Blue

Misc: lace, gesso, microbeads, seed beads, manila stock, Recollections bling in light blue & lavender