Altered Canvas

There are so many examples online of mixed media on canvas, that I had to give it a try.  As I was looking over my paper pads and there was one from DCWV that caught my interest.  It's the Ultimate Premium Stack, which has 120 sheets from 10 mini stacks, love it!

The first thing I did was get a 12 x 12 blank canvas and painted the edges with black acrylic paint.

Next I gave it a blue sky and green grass. 

Then I added a tree, leaves, sun and some flowers.  But wasn't complete until I added the clouds and a bird.

The tree was freehand, flowers, clouds and sun are paper punches.

This is the start of my Seasons Canvas Collection.  Have to start looking for a wall to hang them. Hope you like it.
Gloria

DCWV Card Challenge

Good morning all!  It is so hot here in Texas, all week will will have triple-digit weather, today it will reach 105 degrees.  But not to fear we will have a cold front on Sunday, it will be 96, haha, how do you like them (cooked) apples.  I don't know about you but I have been staying indoors, crafting as a matter of fact. 

For now I will show you this card I made for DCWV's June Stack-a-holic Challenge, it's been a while so I went for it and decided to make the card.  The patterned from the Hittin' The Books Stack.  If you remember I also used this stack to make the school minis for my little one's teachers here (and one for me too).  Here is the card sketch.

I used a Stickles in Diamond to outline the butterfly, but looks copper on a black background.  Hope Erin likes the card and selects it for the challenge.
Have a great day!

It's been a while...

...since my last post, I will just say that my cup was so full that I almost broke it.  You know when sometimes you just can't say "no" and tend to please others.  Well I found out that I have to be first so that I can take care of the rest.  I found out the hard way, it was a nudge of some sorts or a push or kick whatever you want to call it, you get the idea.  I needed me time, and now I schedule it every morning before everyone wakes up, and I-am-liking-it.  Sometimes I will watch my favorite show, read (one of the many books on my never ending list), enjoy the silence, make a card or make a list (can't function without them). 

Don't think that I have been sitting here doing nothing (I wish) I have been creating a few things.  For example this card was made for the DCWV Blog April Sketch, Erin is now having card sketches, not only layouts.

This next mini was specially made for my friend Marie.  These are closeups of the front cover.  The cardstock used is DCWV Once Upon A Time stack.

On one side throughout the mini I created pockets to hold favorite people, places and food, hopes and fears and misc. facts.

The opposite sides where left blank so she can add her own favorite pictures.

As you can see I did not over-embellish because the paper has these beautiful hues and just the right amount of glitter.  I just inked and added a few charms, tulle and a little bling, hope you like it.
Have a blessed day!

Merry Christmas

Just a note to everyone wishing you a very Merry Christmas, that all your wishes come true. Take care.

Smile

World Card Making day was Sunday October 1st, so I decided to make this card.  I felt like making someone smile, just because I felt like it.  What have you been up to lately.

Have a beautiful day!
Gloria

Thank you

It's been about 5 weeks since I last posted.  I'm done, over it, shook it off and need to push myself to keep on going.  Let me start by saying that we went to New York to a party and to visit family.  Well I made a card and a keepsake box for our nephew's First Communion, and a 12x12 anniversary album for my SIL, did I take pictures of them? No. Why? I forgot (shame overwhelms me right now, if you could only see, really).  Moving on.

I would like to thank everyone who left a comment or emailed me be regarding my sister, thank you all for your kind words. Next.

You know how I have a hoarding problem nice collection of paper, well someone has to tell these paper manufacturers to stop making so many cute pattern paper pads, I want them all!!! there I said it, I admit it, I want more, well maybe I can start buying 6x6 pads instead, don't have many of those.  See no problem here.

I now leave you with more thank you cards I made. Thank you.

Pay no attention to the one that's completely cropped, I totally cropped out the faux stitching, just experimenting and not sure if I like it.  Goodbye.

Where did it go?

My mojo that is.  I have a list of things that I want/need to do but can't seem to find my mojo.  Have you seen it? if so please let me know.

This is a card that I made for one of my brothers, he obviously golfs, well both of my brothers do.  It came together starting with a golf ball I debossed it so that it resembled the dents of an actual ball, then came the scenery.

Looking through my posts I stumbled upon one, from back in October, that I never published. How that happened, I don't know but here is the actual post from back then:

This is a Vegas tag mini I have been working on.  Some of the photos were blocked for privacy purposes, but you can still see the pages and a couple of inserts and tags peeking through.  There is room for 24 photos and is 4-1/2 x 8".

 

 Have a great day and don't forget to create!
Gloria

Hope

Her name was Esperanza, which means hope, but she had none. My sister passed away yesterday She was surrounded by her kids at her home, just the way she wanted. Love and miss you!
Gloria

Update

When visiting family I find that it's always hard to say goobye since we are far away and we are big time cryers.  Specially this time because I gave a final goodbye to one my sisters.  She is the second oldest of my siblings and has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.   This disease attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that send messages to the muscles controlling voluntary movements in our body, since the muscles are not moving, they start shrinking (all of the them) with the exception of the eye muscles, which she still has full movement and control of.  Life expectancy is 2-5 years, even though few may live to 8 years or beyond.  She was officially diagnosed in September of 2009.  

There is no cure for ALS, only a very very expense drug that can slow the progression and give maybe an extra 3 months to live but not guarranteed, she opted not to take it nor go to a nursing home, she does have hospice care and now a full-time nurse during the night. 

This is emotionally draining for her and who surround her. It is very hard seeing someone you love in pain, and not be able to do anything about it.  My sister survived many years in an abusive marriage, raising 5 kids. After she divorced she went to school and bought her own home.  She loved gardening, and now can't get her hands dirty planting flowers, DIY projects and complain about a splinter when building something, something she's had a taste for but can't chew, she can't bend over to pick up a crumb from the floor (what can I say we all have a bit of OCD), she can't even scrath her own nose or sometimes lift her own head without help.  

How can I call and tell her about my day, or how exhausted I am because I just finished cleaning, or that I have a headache or what I made for dinner when she now has a hard time swallowing something as simple as jello, everything has to be liquified for her, not only is it hard to swallow but exhausting for her too. It is even getting difficult understanding her when she talks.

I pray for her every day, at the begining it was hoping that the doctors where wrong and it wasn't ALS but something that could be cured with surgery or therapy.   Once fully diagnosed praying that she wouldn't get depressed and enjoy the time she had left, and now I just pray she will be at peace and won't feel scared the moment she dies.

I promise my next post will be something crafty, maybe.

Family Mini

This Wednesday I will be leaving to see my family, so I won't be blogging for a bit.  There are a few projects that I have not posted yet, therefore I will leave you with a Father's Day card and a family mini to ponder on and post the rest on my return.

Have a great week!