fun and gifts

I was in a crafty mood last night, and didn't feel like working in my art journal...so decided to make a couple things for Steph and Mike with the pics I recently took. I went to Bliss (the coffee house) this morning and surprised her with my creations. The first images are a frame I made and inserted my favorite pic from last week. I simply distressed the paint with a mixture of black, brown , and white paint--applied separately and then wiped off. Some MM star stamps, a Heidi Swapp Fabulous stamp, a Marah Johnson Sticker, some buttons and vintage handle I found at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store (ooh, I should go back there today for more goodies) and Voila, it was scrappy rocker fun. (I originally planned to put another pic of them embracing taken from a different angle, showing Mike's Star tattoos on his other arm--but it just didn't fit right....and besides, Steph deserves her own little shrine to her fabulousness) .
The shadow box like frame I simply altered by adding a crap-load (yeah, that's a word) of torn up old book pages with gel medium to the outside and inside (leaving the molding as is), adding a couple layers of gesso and brown paint for distressing, then adding stamped "love" all over. I then went a little crazy with the sandpaper (what else would you expect from me--remember, "don't stress--DISTRESS!!!") The frame is completely open (no back) so I mounted the picture from behind.
So, the final image here needs an explanation--I put the black and white in the frame, but had also been playing with some other things--one of them being watercolor paper. I love the texture it gives and goes through the printer very nicely. So I decided to add some water and play with the effect.....I cut out the negative space here as you can see and inserted it into the frame, to show Steph a different option--she actually likes the water colored full color version quite a bit---what are your thoughts. (yes, I'm pandering to the masses!)
Monty has come with me to get coffee the last couple days. I just had kennelling him up, and he doesn't do well by himself in the house. (he's such a mama's boy)...turns out, my doggie really likes coffee---sugar-free caramel soy lattes to be exact.


On a final, and unrelated note....I made the Ikea Hacker Blog! I bow down to the great hacks far better than mine....but love that I get to share a space with them----thanks Jules!!