Author: Dina

I'm honored to participate in the Sizzix Blog Hop again! I got to use the Eileen Hull Sizzix Scoreboards Butterfly Die. Eileen designs amazing dies…super versatile and easy to use.

I got out my Big Shot and started cutting butterflies out of the Scoreboard. I loved the butterflies…but I was especially drawn to the "left overs"–the negative shapes that the die left after it was cut.

I used Ranger Adirondack Color Wash Ink to in Wild Plum and Sailboat Blue to stain the Scoreboard (which was white). The colors looked amazing! Then I used Crafter's Workshop stencils and Butterscotch ink to add stenciling…I used the Bingo and the Julie Balzer Chevron stencils. If you don't have Crafter's Workshop stencils, you neeeed them! Seriously. They rock. I also used some modeling paste and the Bingo stencil to create a raised design.

When the scoreboard was dry, I "filled in" the butterflies with collage, and then created this scrapbook page. I used one of the butterflies that I cut in the center of the layout…it made a great background for my title.

To hop to the next blog, simply click on the  "hop forward" or "hop back" links in the Blog Hop Blinkie in the upper right corner of my blog. Enjoy!

Very versatile kit this month…with two of my fave colors (blue & orange). Click here for the Design Team galleries…lots of eye candy there!

Here are my last two projects…a beeswax collage and a little tag. More details on the Gauche Alchemy blog. I had fun working with their kit…thanks, GA!

I'm feverishly prepping for my upcoming classes in Texas and England…took a break to do some sketching. I'm still not awesome at it, but I am getting better. That's what it's about, right? Progress, playing…the process is paramount!

I shared this mini album over on the Maya Road DT blog…it's a tribute to my friends I have met while teaching at the amazing and awesome and incredible Dyan Reaveley's store Art from the Heart.

Playing with textures and inks and acrylics this morning…

I talk about this little project over on the Gauche Alchemy blog today, go check it out!

I made this funky little album out of envelopes that came in the Gauche Alchemy mail-art kit…see more pictures here!

Come & make this 3"x4" chunky technique book with me on October 22 October 29 (new date!!)…all the details are here.

We had a fabulous time in New York City…classes at The Ink Pad were awesome. Lovely, lovely fellow artists came to class and created wonderful art!

CJ was my travel buddy…we only had one day to spend in the city, but had a fab time.

We'll be back for sure. I came home & promptly fell ill (maybe it was all those hours on a germy airplane). Plus I am in a funk. Paralyzed with stress, overloaded…ugh. Trying to conquer one step at a time…trying not to stress eat every carb in the house. Trying to have the courage I need to make necessary changes…why is it so hard to make changes that we NEED for our own sanity?

Gauche Alchemy is a fun, inventive kit….you must go check it out! The theme of the kit this month is "Mail Art." Go check it out!