Heaven on earth

I have been thinking lately about my poor Sunday School teachers when I was a kid. They must have just shuddered when they saw me walking into class armed with my Bible....and all my questions! I remember questioning one of them about the Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father, Which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.... Thy Kingdom come......on earth as it is in heaven."

Did you ever stop to think about that? He taught us to pray for His Kingdom to come to earth and be like it is in heaven. I remember asking, "where on earth is it going to be?" I remember they told me it was NOT going to be on earth....it was up in the skies because we were going to be "raptured" and taken there.

Well, with a little bit of Bible study, I haven't actually found the word "rapture" anywhere.....but rather than us flying off to someplace called heaven that is up in the skies.....I tend to think we might board an airplane and fly over to Jerusalem, where His kingdom will be set up on earth.....as it is in heaven. I know...I'm really giving you things to think about, huh? Is it too much? I don't ask that you agree.....just that you try to seriously think about what was written "then" vs what is going on in the world now.

If Jerusalem is to be where His kingdom will be on earth, then for that single reason, I stand with Israel. I stand with the Jews.

Where do you stand?



Hamas is a terrorist organization. I was in Israel in October 2005 just days before Israel withdrew from the Gaza strip. I have been following the news daily since then. I know that Hamas has continued to send missiles into Israel. And Israel has a right to defend her borders from attack. Waiting over 3 years...I believe they have been more than patient.



If you watch that video, simply ask yourself one question....."Have we already forgotten 911?" Have we forgotten what a terrorist is capable of doing? The shock of watching them take their own lives as the airplanes crashed into the twin towers? Have we become so apathetic that we do not care what terrorism is doing to Israel?

I stand with Israel. I stand with the Jews. And I am creating art that affirms my beliefs.

I love creating art with a purpose.  OK, I can't tell you how much I am loving this!  This collage started as a t-shirt that I cut up and stretched on a regular artist's canvas:

and then I used Radiant Rains to turn the white cotton to wonderful colors that shimmer!  Yep....radiant rains on cotton - so cool!  Then I put Glossy Accents over the letters.  When that dried, I took my Ranger white pen and gave "shadows" to the letters.  Used my cuttlebug embossing folder and embossed the candles in copper and then hand-cut them out.  That's an EK Success Star of David embellishment that I painted with Dabbers, then Krylon copper pen on top.

At the top, another cuttlebug cut and emboss folder for the dove and leaf - with stickles over distress ink on that one.  The Chai letters are cut from paper by Zsiage.  I have always thought that the golden bear (Vail CO) looked like the Chai, so I took one that I don't use any more and added it here.  Below that, a $20 shekel bill (is that what you call them?) and some coins from our trip to Israel.  

This was kind of cool.  The flag is printed on Jacquard's printable silk.  and backed with paper.  There are 2 other unbacked flags in the collage - do you see them?   One of mom's watercolor roses and some silk flowers.  More candles for a total of 8 - for 8 nights of lights.  Diecut flourishes and swarovsky crystals.

A closeup of a piece of vellum that I hand cut, added alcohol ink, and then my white pen:

I think I posted this shekel before, but wanted a closeup here - it's Art Clay Silver over a coin.  Just love it!

This is a complete experiment and I don't know if I like it or not, but it works on this collage.  It's glass from Amaco and the Star of David is brass that I fired between 2 layers of glass.  Look at all those air bubbles - extremely interesting, huh?

And finally, a close up view of the flag printed on silk, backed with paper.  I used tiny mixing straws behind this to make the "waves" in the flag.

I have fallen in love with this collage.  Wherever I stand, I stand with Israel.  Where do you stand???

Grungeboard Journal mini tutorial

Here's the journal I posted yesterday and I'm going to do a mini tutorial of sorts to get you started.



Take 2 pieces of plain grungeboard. Cut 1" off the top and 1" off the right side. Your boards should be 4" x 7".



Next, cut 2" off the right side of ONE board. This will be your front cover, the other will be your back cover. Don't cut the back cover.



I'm sure you can buy hinges like this, but I pulled mine off an old box that I had.



Of course, the back side was like an eyelet and totally flared out.



I took some needle-nose pliars and pulled them back straight so I could reset them


I started with the back cover to show you how I did the "stickers".  Just about everything in this journal is an altered sticker of some type.  Very little ink or any other medium.  I used my ATG gun to adhere the paper to the grungeboard, but you could use Glossy Accents, any wet glue or other adhesive.  You can see that I've added cotton clouds and seagulls from a sticker.

Here's a closer view:

Next I added some laser diecut palm trees.

The beach chair is from one set of stickers, the flips from another, and the seagull from yet another set.  Whenever I have leftover stickers, I cut them apart and stick them in little ziplock baggies by theme.  I'm sure if you look at EKSuccess's website you can find all of these because I know they are new this year - I've used parts of them for classes in San Diego.

Next, I drew in the leaves and coconuts on the palm trees:




Then I added a layer of Glossy Accents and added the life float. And decided it was done!!!


Added charms to the right side, then added swarovsky rhinestones on them.  

Here's the hinge in place on the front cover.  The entire journal was decorated just as above.  I take apart stickers, using undu, then re-layer them to create new designs and looks.  It's amazing what you can do!  Notice there is  real sand below the water?  It's really sand that I applied using Glossy Accents.  I put crystals on the centers of the flips.  The "I" in cruise is "dotted" with a Star of David charm that has a rhinestone in the center.  I put stickles on the letters and GA on the palm trees.  There are so many ways you can alter stickers and add your own touch to them!

Here's the left side of the cover.  That top ship is part of the background paper.  As is the middle ship.  The bottom ship is a very altered sticker!  Caribbean came from a set that said Caribbean Island.  You'll see where the "island" went in a minute.  I added stickles, a sunglass charm, and crystals to the word.  Covered the palm trees with GA.  Now take note, my stickers do not stay inside the lines!  Who says that what you put on the journal can't stick over the edges?  Gives it so much more character!!!

Now, I'm hoping you know how to assemble the o-rings and use the bind-it-all.  If not, search my blog as I've shown it before.  Here's the fun part!  When you open it up with the rings on both ends, I made some of the journal attached to the left side and some attached to the right side.  This first section is attached to the left side.

On the far right flap, I simply left a spot for my first photo.  I'm going to take my little portable printer with me and really hope to complete this journal on a daily basis!  Well, ok, I can dream!!

Here's the far right side.  Those palm trees and swing are from a set that says "Time of my life" and you'll see where I used the words later.  I love the background paper - it's embossed and has glitter on it!

For the center, I used the rest of my lasercut palm trees with another laser cut diecut of a ship with tan palm trees.  I added crystals for the ships windows and a brass palm tree.  The word "Adventure" came with the sticker on the front that said "cruise".

Are you getting the hang of it?  This next photo shows pocked pages for tickets and momentos.  They are the only pages that I inked.  The other white pages are simply 80 pound cardstock from a local office supply store, cut to the size and I can write, sketch, draw - do whatever on them.

The next section hinges to the right of the journal.  All of these inside pages and grungeboard dividers are cut 4" x 6".    The background paper is all th echairs looking at the water.  I just added a few stickers and then covered them with Glossy Accents.  A really simple page.  My divider pages are grungeboard covered with paper.

Here's the back of that divider tab - again, just a few stickers put together to make a simple beach scene.  The gravel was originally behind the sticker that had the words Caribbean Islands on it.  

On the back inside cover, here's where "the time of my life" landed with the suitcase sticker.    


OK, I decided to do a little research to help you out, so here you go:

The Time of My Life

Ferry Trip - clouds, birds, life ring, bird on post

Cruise Adventure - I separated the words, ship, and water

Caribbean Islands - took the letters off the sand

So, even though I didn't show you step-by-step for the entire journal, I think you can get a feel for how to do this one.  I think this would make a great class!  I know I'm going to have great fun with this one on the cruise - I hope other scrappers, stampers and altered artists will notice it and it will connect us!  Imagine, 2500 cruisers - surely someone else is creative and ready to play!

Collage tips

Well mom, how do you like this "welcome"sign that I've made for your door? On second thought....maybe it will keep everyone out! LOLOL!



So many people that I meet tell me that they just cannot collage. And I find it to be just the easiest thing ever, so I thought I'd show one of my collage techniques today. I started with several packages of stickers like this



Cut them all apart, leaving the acrylic backing intact....to preserve the stickiness



Then I start to "make" things out of them. I didn't like the empty doctor's bag, so added a brad to the front of it, filled it with stuff, and thought it would be cute to "tie" scissors hanging from the bag. So this is how the ideas start to formulate....little bits and pieces at a time.



And who says you can't alter stickers? This was a plain white Nurse's dress on a sticker. I diecut an art doll and put her up inside then layered the stethescope on top. Hmmm....don't really like that blank face!



Stamped Lucy's head on flesh tone paper, inked her, cut her out. Added the plain white cap and layered the glossy sticker on top. Used Glossy accents for her glasses. This also helps blend glossy stickers with flat stickers.



Now remember, I'm just layering stickers at this point so her neck looks a little scrunched down. But is this totally cute or what?



I continue around my paper and while I'm starting to get a feel for where I want to go....I just am not happy with this paper. Too busy or something...but I want to stick with my theme from yesterday of green and blue to match mom's bruises!



This is a bandaid photo phrame on blue cardstock, cut up under the flowers. Yes, I wire wrapped "No CPR" with beads around a real syringe! When I asked Kerry if I could have one of his diabetic syringes....well...we won't even go there!!! LOLOL! The "D-N-R" in sign language is cut from a piece of patterned paper that I found at SBYL! last week...it was perfect!



The paper that I finally decided on is from Rouge de Garance. I first met them when I attended Ranger University and I just fell in love with their entire line. And now I've convinced SBYL! to carry them! Can hardly wait til they are in stock!!!

But look how easy you can do pen work with no stamps! Their papers are perfect for this technique!



I think the little Lucy nurse came out just fine! I love her bag! MUCH better than the original stickers!



Well, I think a crystal slid off...it's supposed to be on the stethescope!



I used a broken bit of silver necklace chain to "tie" the scissors to the bag.



And "adhered" the license plate with heat-set chrystals. Note....she has "blue suede shoes"!!!



And then I stamped the old lady and her cat. Is that mom? To make the name, I diecut and embossed the green letters, then diecut the same letters in black (did not emboss). Ran the green through my xyron sticker maker and adhered them to the black a little offset so the black is a shadow. Then ran them through the xyron again, adhered them to the page and popped them with glossy accents over the embossed areas.

I used my Cuttlebug for doing the fonts as I could lay ALL of the letters on plate C and cut them all in one pass. There's just more room on that plate than there is on a Spellbinders mat. Worked great!



Cut out the flowers from the paper and slid the ambulance partially behind them. More black and white pen work in the lower corner. Added suede flowers from a previous blog.



I happen to think that it all came together pretty good. One sheet of paper...5 packages of stickers!



Now I have to find a protective sleeve to put it in and it's ready to hang on mom's door. What do you think mom? Good enough? I figure it will either keep everyone out....or they are all going to come over and want you to make one for their doors! LOL!

Harley Barbie

Well, there is nothing Barbie to this purse except for the pink. LOL! I said I had a vision of a Harley purse done in pink and black....here it is!



These are going together just a little too fast.....but so much fun! Once again, I've used a lot of EK Success sticker embellishments. Yep, all the clothes are stickers!



Karen Foster License Plates, lots of bling pieces from jewelry that was taken apart.



The handle is made of cheap pink beads, but when you string them over a copper tube....well, it just looks way better in person than in the photo. Guess you'll have to come over to see it!



I did ink the background paper to give it more pink. Used Creative Crystals across the top and to adhere the license plate.



Fun little butterfly and sandal at the bottom.



I made this with my friend, Lucky, in mind. She gets to pick between this and the first Harley purse that I made. I can hear her now....."I want them both!!!"



On the back, I just used all the leftover stickers, bits and pices and put it all together to make one huge mess! LOL!



You can see that even though it's dimensional, it's not really too thick or lumpy.



For the inside of each of these cigar box purses, I've lined them all with black felt. Easy, yet it gives it a finished look.



Like I said, I wonder if it ever ends. I have a Bingo purse laid out, but just haven't found enough elements to pull it off yet. Think I'll switch gears and do a Scrabble purse next. Should be a fun night!!!