My Engaging Artwork

It's time I share the art pieces featured on Jeanette's blog a couple of weeks ago!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.
   (I know, I know!)

So now is a perfect time to get some of those more romantic memories scrapped and maybe use as gifts. 

Here is the story behind my "Engaging Artwork":

When Engineer and I were in college, we were big band geeks and were part of the marching band...Go Pride!  Anyway, one of the great perks about being in the band is travel.  Our last year had one amazing trip...to Europe!
One of the stops we made was in Paris.   We had been dating for just over a year and had decided that being in Paris was the perfect place to propose.  Only thing was...we had each decided to surprise the other with a ring!  We waited until we were at the top of the Eiffel Tower and we each brought out a ring to give to the other.  Talk about a romantic surprise!    Of course we both said yes and had lots of laughs and hugs with our friends that were with us.

Then I took out a pen and scribbled our names and date on the railing.  Yes, yes  I graphittied on an international landmark.  And yes, I did take a photo of it!

So while I don't have photos of us together on the Tower, or of that special moment, I do have these two photos that mean the world to me and take me back to that evening just as well as anything else.

Stamps: Jardin

Inks: Champagne, Cashmere, Saddle, Desert Sand, Archival Black

Papers: La Belle Vie Reflections Kit, White Daisy cardstock

Tools: cutting knife, micro-tip scissors

Accessories: Opaques Pearl Flourishes, Bitty Pearl Gems

So I hope you get inspired to scrap some of those extra special moments in your life.  It's the best way to relive them with your loved ones!

La Belle Vie Bracket Frame

Engineer has been out of town lately...a lot. In fact, right now he's gone again for another week.
(I know he reads my blog so I'll just go ahead and embarrass him right now.)  Miss you Sweetie!

One of the only plus sides to him being gone is that I can craft all I want and not feel too guilty about it.  Sure the house suffers a little, and the boys get to eat all the pizza they want , but Mom gets to craft and that's what's important, right?!?

I'm totally just kidding, you know that right, Engineer?  The boys are eating fine and the house isn't too much of a disaster zone.


Truthfully, I have been working on things for an upcoming Idea Book Open House.  This is one of my favorite things I've made so far!

It is the new My Creations Bracket Frame!  I love, love, love it!  It measures just at 11" x 11" and has a  7" x 7" opening.  It really is a shadowbox with a 1" depth, so you can add lots of memorabilia inside it!
It is a white chipboard frame and easily takes ink.  I've sponged it using the new Champagne ink, then added depth by very lightly sponging on Cashmere and Saddle ink as well.

Here I've used the new La Belle Vie paper kit.  It comes with 2 exclusive colors La Belle Vie Mauve and La Belle Pink.  The flowers were cut with the new Artiste cartridge using those exclusive colors.  (They're only in the La Belle Vie paper kit, so if you love them too, don't miss out on them!)

Here are the flowers before I did anything to them.  Just twirled up and stuck to their base with a glue dot.  They look alright, but I like my flowers to look a little more realistic.  Well, as realistic as I can get them anyway!

With just a little spritz of stamp cleaner (or water), the paper breaks down just enough to become pliable.  I used my tweezers and fingers to roll down/push down the petals. Then I used a sponge (or dauber) on the edges with the Champagne ink.  Much better, right?!



And the same thing with the leaves.  This is just the basic leaf straight from the Cricut mat.  Pretty flat and boring!

I took my embossing stylis and drew veins on the back of the leaves.  Then I flipped them over and lightly sponged them with the Champagne ink. I also gave them a quick spritz and they rolled up just a bit.

Here is a close up shot of them on the frame:

Pretty, pretty! 

If you're local and would like to come to the Open House, drop me a quick line and I'll get you the information!