I had a crazy busy day visiting and hanging out with my nieces, so it took me a while to get down to my craft room to open up the happy mail that I got yesterday. But it was TOTALLY worth it - I  cannot WAIT to play with all my new goodies. Check out the video of all the great stuff I got from my crafty pal Wendy at W2Scrapbooking.

As I said in the video, it was obviously a LONG day as it took me two tries to get the video done. My first try I realized when I went to post it to YouTube that I had not actually done a video - I had only taken a picture. Nothing like talking to myself for several minutes! But I got to go through it all my new goodies twice in one night. So looking forward to playing with all these goodies. I will post pictures once I play with it all.

Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

So I got the extras done for my swap that I wanted to finish - and it looks like I will be able to get the package off today after all! YAY - hope my partner likes it.

So I made her a fancy ROUS trap - had to put in stuff in the swap that reflected the movie. This was fun to make!

And then I threw in some fun stuff to finish off the bag. Really had so much fun with this swap and I hope my partner had as much fun as I did.

I cannot wait to get my package from her. Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

So I had a really fun night last night teaching my card class - but of course I forgot to take pictures of my students and their work. But it was a really fun night.

The other thing I finished last night was my swap for the Iconic Movie Loaded Bag/Envelope swap that I was in. I am going to have to put it all in a bigger box as one of the items I made won't even fit in the bag! I am hoping my partner likes it all.

I picked the movie The Princess Bride as my partner said she liked romantic movies and this one is one of my favorites of all time. I even got my husband to make me a special stencil to use on the project!

The first thing I made for her was a castle! Where else would a princess live!! LOL I really had fun making this.

Then I made her a tag - this is what I used the fancy stencil my husband made me for. Simple but elegant is what I was going for.

And then of course I had to make the bag to put it all in. I wanted to go with a farm house theme a bit - as that is where the characters start out in the movie.

I had it all ready to go but then last night I re-watched the movie and thought of  few extra things to make/throw in. I figure since I can't make it to the post office till Friday this is ok. I will post pics of the extras as soon as I can.

Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

I hope everyone had as crafty a weekend as I did! I spent a fab day out in La Crete crafting with a bunch of friends, and then I did more on Sunday once I got home. I have to finish up a couple things before I can post pictures of the items I was working on for my swap, but I can post pictures of the stuff I was prepping for the classes I will be teaching.

First, I am doing a card class this week for the library. These are the cards I designed for the class - with the help of Pinterest that is!

And then I finished designing the journal page that I will be teaching on the weekend. I am really happy with how it came out!

Looking forward to having some fun with the classes this week. I will post more on the classes after they are done. I also hope to finish off my swap stuff this week. Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

Well this has been a crazy week or so, which means I didn't get a whole lot of time in my craft room. But I did finish up part of a swap I have to get finished this weekend. I still have a few more things to work on for it, but it is a Princess Bride theme so I made her a castle! I hope she likes it!

I have a crop this weekend so I also was packing last night. So I should have more pictures to share soon! Till then, stay crafty my peeps!!

So I have been doing more art journaling - preparing for a class I am going to teach as well as some of my own projects. My inspiration for my latest round of journaling is my pal Wendy from W2Scrapbooking (check out her link below) and the cool pages she did for the ArtMarks 30 Day Challenge. When I was perusing her blog she had some step by steps that I just loved and also links to the different stencils she used. So of course since she and I have such similar tastes I had to get myself some. Check out my latest purchase from Stencil Girl!

Her blog is called Shiny Objects and she has some great stuff on there for all you art journalers and mixed media artists. This is my take on the page she did for the prompt Hashed from the challenge.

And this is Wendy's page that inspired me!

I have also been working on the journal page that I am going to be teaching for the library. I don't have it completed yet, but this is what I have so far - the background.

I am also going to be teaching a card class, but I don't really have much prepared for that class yet. I will post more pictures once I do.

Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

I finished another swap this weekend too - had to get some better photos before I could post about it. The swap was for a new group I am in on Facebook that I am really loving. And I had to alter a Pringles can for my partner. I ended up doing two of the smaller size cans instead of one larger one, mostly because that is what I had on hand (but I will admit I think a taller can might have given me issues!) So I did each one slightly different. Here are some photos.

So I am hoping my partner likes them! Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

This weekend turned out to be a bit of an art journaling weekend for me. I had started a few pages and ended up finishing several of them over the weekend.

First off, I got another IW2016 week done. This week was fun - the base of the page was a napkin. I had been looking forward to this week as I have a great stash of napkins to choose from. I also got to use some of the new Tim Holtz letters I got in from Scrap Addicts. Totally love how this one came out. And I have to share my napkin stash too!

Then I had to break in my new small landscape journal that I just received. I decided to use some of the items from the new Zen mixed media kit I got from Treasured Memories. Love the oriental theme I ended up with.

And then I had to finish the page in my other larger landscape journal that I started at the library crop last weekend. I used so many of the techniques that I have learned from my other journal pals Kassandra and Cori-Lyn. I think this is my favourite project of the weekend. I just wish my writing was better - but the main focus is on the letters I was able to stamp with my new Tim Holtz stamps so still really loving the page.

But what I really love about this weekend is that I have introduced my two nieces to art journaling. I signed them up for a class taught by my pal Kassandra and I think they are hooked. They really loved it and now want to get their own journals and go to more classes. These are the pages that they did.

This one is Madison's (she is 15 years old)

This one is Taryn's (she is 13 years old)

My plan is to keep getting them to take classes and then either when I go to the city or when they are here visiting me, we can art journal together. They are super talented and it will be something we can do together!

So hope you liked all my journal pages. Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

On Friday I got one of the most AMAZING swaps I think I have received to date! It was for the altered shoe swap I did in the new Facebook group I joined and my partner just knocked it out of the park. She asked if I liked Steampunk and of course I said yes! And it turned out so amazing. Below is a before pic she sent me asking if the shoe she picked was ok and then pictures of the altered shoe. I can't get over how awesome it is!!!

I just can't get over how cool this turned out. Feeling very spoiled! Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

Hey all! I  have another design team post up on the Mixed Media Mojo blog. Please check it out!

March Design Team Post

I posted a short video tutorial that I did to show how I made the balloons for the cards I made for my design team project. I also shared the Tim Holtz video for how I made my backgrounds.

Check out the Mixed Media Mojo blog to get some great ideas for your mixed media projects! Till next time, stay crafty my peeps!

My Name is Monica and I am an Art Journal-aholic! 

So I was so excited to get the mail yesterday because I knew the package I was getting had a new art journal in it - a brand new size that I didn't have yet. And then when I got home and looked at all my journals I realized that I have collected quite a few! I actually have 13 in various sizes/styles! I knew that I had been doing more art journaling lately - I have even been asked to teach a class. I just didn't realize quite how obsessed I had become. LOL. But after posting in a couple journaling Facebook groups I am in, I realized I am not alone. It's kinda like getting a tattoo - you can't stop at just one. Here are some pics of my obsession!

So this little landscape one is the newest in my collection - can't wait to break it in!

Then I had to put them all together in one shot!

Then I realized I had forgotten these two - one is finished and one is barely started!

Then as I discussed my obsession with others, I realized I am not the only one who has several on the go all at the same time. These are all ones I am currently working in.

And this is the page I am hoping to finish next. I just have to colour the image and work on the quote that I am putting in it and then it will be done.

So I will be spending most of my weekend in my craft room - doing more journaling and some swap projects. Till next time, stay crafty my peeps