'Halloween Weekend Retreat 2017 (near Chicago) is rapidly approaching!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Hello Crafters, 

Do you need some crafting time before the holidays? We still have a few retreat tables available for the weekend of October 27-30, 2017! If you need to get some crafting done before the holiday rush, then Scrap-A-Thon 9 / Crafter’s Paradise 4-day Retreat is the place to be in 2017! 

The cost of the Full Weekend Pass (4 days – 40 hours) is just $50.00! Or come for a day.

Friday $35. Saturday $40.00. Sunday $45.00. Monday $50. 

The Full Weekend Pass includes complimentary use of all studio tool and supplies and materials! Unpack once – leave your stuff setup all weekend! Easy in/out. Come when you can – leave when you need to.

 

For info and to register visit  www.scrap-a-thon.com   

Hope you can spend time with us in a couple of weeks!

 

Mary Lou ‘LuLu’ Haynes

Producer / Creative Director / Founder
www.scrap-a-thon.com


tags

2017, art journal, ATC, books, Chicago, crafts, crochet, crop, fabric, Halloween, Illinois, knit, needlepoint, October, quilt, scrapbooking, sew, washi, weave, weekend retreat, bujo, journal, planner

 

 

 

 

'October 2017 Retreat near Chicago!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

I'm hosting a Ladies Only Weekend Mini-Retreat and Getaway at my art studio in October 2017!

For details visit www.scrap-a-thon.com.

Hope you can join us.

Peace,
LuLu
www.lulu-too-beaucoup.com

2016 Scrap-A-Thon  Mini Retreat

tags

2017, art journal, books, Chicago, crafts, crochet, crop, fabric, ATC, Halloween, Illinois, knit, needlepoint, October, quilt, scrapbooking, sew, washi, weave, weekend retreat

'4-day Weekend Retreat Getaway in October 2017 near Chicago!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome!

'Stretch Break - at  S-A-T 8'

I'm hosting Scrap-A-Thon 9 Mini-Retreat in October during the 2017 Hallowe'en weekend!

4-days for $50 USD!

This is a no-frills, ladies only getaway!

For details or to register, visit www.scrap-a-thon.com

Thanks for stopping by and please become a Follower. Only Followers are eligible for my Giveaways.

Peace,
LuLu

tags
2017, art journal, books, Chicago, crafts, crochet, crop, fabric, ATC, Halloween, Illinois, knit, needlepoint, October, quilt, scrapbooking, sew, washi, weave, weekend retreat

''Celebrate National Scrapbooking Day and other 2017 Crafting events at The SPlayce (near Chicago, IL)!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

 

Ladies!

Are you hankering for a lot of crafting time? Want to come play for a leisurely ‘Crafter-noon’? Do you need space to spread out your project? We offer generous time slots PLUS ample table space at ‘The SPlayce’ for you to play and do your crafty things!

 

·        MAY 20, 2017 at The SPlayce

Sat, May 6^th is National Scrapbook Day, and we are celebrating at ‘The SPlayce’ on Saturday May 20^th. We would love for you to join us! Not just for scrapbooking – all crafty ladies are welcome. (3 seats open - $15 p/p)

 

·        JUNE 30, 2017 at The SPlayce

Fri, June 30^th, celebrate National Beading Month at ‘The SPlayce’! All lady crafters welcome. (2 seats open - $20 p/p)

 

·        JULY 2017 at The SPlayce

·        Sat, 7/22/17: Workshop - Art Journaling:101 at ‘The SPlayce’ (4 seats open - $45 p/p). For info and workshop registration visit www.lulu-too-beaucoup.com/events

 

·        Tue, 7/25/17: Celebrate Chicago Crochet Conference at ‘The SPlayce’! (3 seats open - $35 p/p)

 

·        AUGUST 2017 at The SPlayce

Tue, August 8^th: Celebrate Weaving at ‘The SPlayce’! (3 seats open - $20 p/p)

 

For all events at The SPlayce:

 

Time is 1:30pm to 11:30pm, come when you can, leave when you need to. Helper available at 1:30pm and 11:30pm to carry stuff from/to your car! No stairs - easy ramp to ‘The SPlayce’.

 

We now have a fridge/freezer and microwave oven if you want to bring food for your Crafter-noon play day at ‘The SPlayce’!

 

Ladies only. All lady crafters and all crafts are welcome. Seating is limited. Advance online registration is required.

 

Hope you can join us!

 

Mary Lou ‘LuLu’ Haynes

www.thesplayce.com

Historic Downtown Blue Island, IL 60406 (located on southeast border of Chicago, IL)

 

 

tags

2017, art journal, ATC, books, Chicago, crafts, crochet, crop, fabric, Illinois, knit, needlepoint, October, quilt, scrapbooking, sew, washi, weave

'Freebie Collage for Scrapbooking, Art Journals, ATCs - plus Retreat Info!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Greetings!

I found a sponsor for the meetup.com groups that I founded for scrapbooking and crafting.
Did not have to close down our 'Scrap-A-Holics of Chicagoland' groups, thanks to new sponsor 'HP Dance Fitness'!

FREEBIE

Freebie (vintage ephemera)
ok to use - with permission from LuLu Haynes 2014

RETREAT INFO

• 2014 Crafting and Scrapbooking Retreat - Nov 28 - 30, 2014, near Chicago, IL, USA
• 3-day weekend retreat, $50 through Nov 21, 2014. Lodging extra.
• Late Registration fee is $70 USD processing fee) after.
• Details at www.scrap-a-thon.com
• 2015 Retreat scheduled for Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2015.
• Early Bird registration for 2015 retreat coming soon!
• Mark your calendars now.

YOUR WASHI TAPE STASH?

What's your washi tape collection count/inventory to date? How do you organize/store your tape stash?

Thanks for visiting! Come back again soon!
LuLu
www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com

FREE Tutorial! How to Emboss metal for Art Journal pages, Altered Books, cards, scrapbooks! Complete steps!

Howdy and Welcome!

I'm back after a brief minor illness. Also, been working on pages in my art journals, scrapbooking and taking care of other areas of life.

This is a free tutorial. (UPDATE: Don't forget to check out the other FREE TUTORIALS and FREEBIES here on my blog!)

Embossed metal flags

These embossed and painted metal 'flags' are fun and relatively easy to make. They look fabulous on art journal pages, junk journals, altered book pages, greeting cards, BuJos (bullet journals), smash books, glue books, flo-jos (flow-ish journals), and in scrapbooks. This is not a new technique - just my way of doing it.

The embossed texture is so gorgeous - 
I almost don't want to paint it...

This metal repair tape is not archival, so if you want to use them in your acid-free archival scrapbooks, my suggestion is to seal them with an archival medium - like Golden soft gel medium gloss or Liquitex matte medium.

SUPPLY LIST:

• apron
• Big Shot [or other die cut machine] with embossing platforms
• bone folder [or similar burnishing tool]
• decorative scissors [or junky pinking shears dedicated to crafts (not your good pinking shears used for sewing)]
• dust mask [to protect your lungs when sanding the paint]
• 'Dust Buddy' [or damp paper towels]
• embossing folders and texture plates (Cuttlebug, Sizzix, etc.)
• latex gloves (optional) 
• medium (optional) - Golden soft gel gloss medium or Liquitex matte medium
• metal [aluminum repair tape (comes on a roll, from hardware store)] - this flexible, thin tape is adhesive backed and comes with protective wax paper on the back
• old table cloth [or large craft sheet or something to protect your work surface]
• old mouse pad (cut to fit)  [or flexible pad included with your die cut machine]
• page protectors (optional)
• paints (I got best results using Ranger's Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers which are opaque) or acrylic paints and 1.5" paint brush 
• removable tape (one-sided) - optional, for use with Big Shot
• ruler
• sanding block (from hardware store) [or Tim Holtz's]
• scissors
• various storage containers
• wax paper

PROJECT DURATION:

Several days, if done in 'batches'.

TESTING / MODIFICATIONS:

Test first: you can make a 'prototype' to test this process in just one day, by slightly modifying each step to just use 1 or 2 strips of metal. 

STEP 1 / DAY 1 - CUT:

Cut 5"-6" lengths from roll of aluminum repair tape using scissors. [Cut whole roll. This is a good   project to do while watching TV or a movie.] Store cut tapes until ready for next step.

Mine are stored in an old VHS tape box. Pencil boxes from Target or office supply store would also work. Or just rubber band them together. I store mine in a reused empty VHS box, because I take my projects on crops and when I travel.

Cut strips from metal repair tape - ready to store

Strips stored in old VHS tape box -
a perfect fit!

STEP 2 / DAY 2 - TAPE: 

(optional - works with large Big Shot platforms and the larger texture plates)

Tape three metal strips together using removable tape. Tape together in two places - about 1 inch from top and 1 inch from bottom of metal strips. The purpose of this tape is to keep the metal strips stable while embossing, and also while painting. You could skip this step and emboss and paint the metal strips one-by-one, but it would take forever! Removable tape is required so it can be easily removed later.

Repeat for all remaining strips. 

Store taped strips. I store mine interleaved between sheets of wax paper. One sheet of wax paper is used for each 'three-pack' - that is, one sheet of wax paper for each three strips taped together.



STEP 3 / DAY 3 - DRY EMBOSS:

Emboss a 'three-pack' using an embossing folders or texture plates. You might have to create a two-pack or use a single strip if the 'three-pack' is too wide in the embossing folders. Experiment. 

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. Store embossed three-packs.

Various embossing/texture plates and embossing folder

Metal Strip and Embossing folder

Metal Strip inside Embossing folder

Strip inside embossing folder -
ready to run through die cut machine

Embossed metal strips - yummy texture!

The embossed texture is so gorgeous -
I almost don't want to paint it...

Embossed metal strips stored in
 re-purposed plastic packaging -
ready to be painted  in next step

 STEP 4 / DAY 4 - PAINT:

Put on your apron, gloves, and protective covering on your work surface. 

Using 2-3 different color paints (analogous colors that touch on color wheel, or different tints of analogous colors, or your fave colors), quickly paint a three-pack using long broad strokes of the dabber or your brush. I usually paint my strokes diagonally.

Set aside to dry overnight.

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. Store painted three-packs.

Note: the painting / drying step may take a few days.

Important: paint must be completely dry before the next step, sanding.

Dried painted  embossed metal strips -
ready for next step: sanding

STEP 5 / DAY 5 - SAND:
 

Put on your dust mask. 

With your sanding block, gently sand a three-pack. Then wipe off dust using a 'dust buddy' or slightly damp paper towel. The goal is to sand off a little of the paint that's on the raised edges of the embossed metal.

 
Repeat for all remaining three-packs. 

Store sanded three-packs by color family. That is, store cool color strips together. Store warm color strips together. I use a rubber band or large clip. Fyi, when the painted strips are stored by color family, it makes it easier to apply strips to your pages based on color.

Sanding block and 'Dust Buddy'

STEP 6 / DAY 6 - REMOVE TAPE:

Pull off the removable tape from the back of the thee-pack. You now have single strips.

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. 

Left side has tape on back -
you can just barely see the tape.
Right side is an embossed and painted three-strip

Store single strips by color family. That is, store cool color strips together. Store warm color strips together. I use a rubber band or large clip. Fyi, when the painted strips are stored by color family, it makes it easier to apply strips to your pages, cards and altered books based on color.

Painted strips - sorted by color family,

clipped together and ready to cut in next step

STEP 7 / DAY 7 - CUT FLAGS:

Cut each strip diagonally from corner to corner using the pinking shears or a decorative scissor. I like to use the torn paper decorative scissor or pinking shears for this step.

Repeat for all remaining single strips. 

Store cut 'flags' by color family until ready to use on your AJ, altered book, BuJo, Flo-jo, cards, junk journal, ATCs, or scrapbook page, etc..

Finished Cut flags -
ready for cards, altered books, art  journals, and
scrapbook pages
(Important Note: seal first with a medium for archival scrapbooks)

STEP 8 / DAY 8 - ADHERE FLAGS:

When ready to use flag, remove backing and carefully place flag in or near corner of your page. This adhesive is very sticky so don't press into place into it is in the desired position. When in desired position, press gently to adhere. Try not to smash the embossing. Burnish edges only with bone folder or similar tool.

Sit back and enjoy your artwork!

c mlh1 - M L Haynes 2010

SEND YOUR RESULTS!

If you try this free tutorial, please post your results on YOUR blog and then send me a link to that post via my Contact form. I'd love to see your work based on this tutorial!

Thanks for visiting - please follow me - and stop by again soon!

Peace,

LuLu

www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/

P.S. My 1 year Blog-oversary is rapidly approaching!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!! Stay tuned for my first Giveaway!

'Summer Breeze' Challenge

"...in every lovely summer's day I'll always think of you - Sarah"

2.5" x 3.5"

Mixed-media - hybrid digital collage, glass, gel pen

'I'll be seeing you in all the familiar places

that this heart of mine embraces...

in a chestnut tree or a wishing well...

in every lovely summer's day

I'll always think of you...

I'll find you...' 

- lyrics of a Sarah Vaughn song

Ingredients:

Kimberly's digital sketch, my scanned original photos,

my scanned vintage ephemera,

my scanned custom flower embellishment,

glitter glue, gel pen, digital software products.

Howdy and welcome.

This is my entry into Kimberly's Summer Breeze challenge. The original line drawing of the lovely lass is done by Kimberly. Then I altered the drawing with my custom digital artwork and scrapbooking embellishments. Altering this image was fun - and challenging!

All the patterns and background are my original creations from my original digital scans of vintage ephemera and from my original photos. (I prefer to work with my own art and not have to worry about copyright issues. Using my own work is so much more fun, too.) I worked back and forth between Microsoft Digital Image Editor and Photoshop Elements (PSE). Many layers, lighting effects, contrast, saturation, gradients and levels of transparency were used.

After I got all the frames, patterns and backgrounds the way I liked, a heart was added. Then lyrics were added from a Sarah Vaughn song I'd been listing to on my iPod while waiting at the car repair shop. Her gaze seemed to echo the song's mood perfectly. That was serendipity.

After printing the digital image on photo paper, I sealed it with soft gel  medium gloss (Golden) and let dry overnight. Next day, I added glitter glue (Stickles)  to her hair, to her bangles and 3 dots on the left, then added dots of red gel pen to the heart and strands of hair.  Then let dry overnight.

Following day, I scanned the embellished image and changed the image size to standard ATC dimensions. Next I created a digital flower brush in PSE using a scan of a flower embellishment I'd constructed ages ago for scrapbooking. I applied the digital flower brush three times on the right, applying a shadow to each of the 3 digital flowers, and applied gradients on each flower, too! 

Signed it and submitted to the challenge. Then I went on vacation!

Later, I may post some step-by-step images of my process.

Don't you just love the pattern in her dress? It's made from a Photoshop brush I whipped up. Have you tried to create any digital brushes? Have you used any store-bought brushes from digital kits? What do you think of these patterns and backgrounds?

Thanks for stopping by - and I'd love for you to come back again!

Peace,

LuLu 

Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a healthy and Merry Christmas. Here are a few digital works I completed today. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

"Soiree" - Digital

" My Sweetheart Takes My Breath Away" -Digital

"Miss Minuette" -Digital

"Lucky Lucy" - Digital

"Lady Lamberton" - Digital

"Flu Season - 1904" - Digital

I won the Josephine Baker art challenge!

'Josephine Baker' 

This is the second art challenge in a row that I won from Kimberley's blog  Mosart1

I took the Josephine Baker Art Challenge!

My entry to the Josephine Baker Challenge!

ATC. 2.5" x 3.5"

Digital art (original masking, layers, patterns, filters in Photoshop Elements (PSE) and MS Digital Image Editor (DIE). Gesso, watercolor, acrylic gel medium, gold acrylic paint, glitter, color pencils, pen. Embellished with a 14K gold wire braid I assembled , crystal heart, metal word charm.

'I won the Diva Challenge!'

Howdy and Welcome,

This was the 1st ever ATC I made and the 1st ever online art contest challenge that I entered. Can't believe I won - dreams DO come true!

'Diva'

Would love for you to comment on this post.

Peace,
LuLu