Art Journaling of a Beginner

I hope you enjoy a glimpse of my first attempts of art journaling...they won't be my last...

For my dad...today I voted because of my dad; today I voted because of the freedom he gave me.

Materials:  Acrylic paints, wooden star forms, acetates, photos, ABCs, journaling spot, glossy accents.

Music Soothes the Soul

Materials: Acrylic paint, Ranger Crackle Paint, rubons, Prima, vintage photo, acetates

Spoken words have the ability to heal or kill.

Materials: Acrylic paints, Copic maker black, rubons, diecut, crackle paint

Believe...in me

Materials: Markers, ABCs, pen

Love

This one...material experimentation...gold crackle paint that didn't work, stamp, acrylic paints, pen

Beautiful

Materials:  Acrylic paints, rubons, Ranger crackle paint, pen

Clouds

Materials:  Acrylic paints, watercolor paints, pen, pencil

Spend some time today, creating...

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

July Online Crop with 6/6 Challenges...

Each month, I participate in an online crop with TheScrapBeach. Kathryn does a great job putting each one together, offering fun inspiration throughout the event. She also gives us challenges to work with which, for me, stretches my creativity to new places. The first challenge was clouds...as a child remember laying out under the sky and imagining what this cloud and that one might be? For me, I used my art journal to create my thoughts for this challenge.  Then with the remainder challenges, I created a new page for a mini album I am working on...perfect idea...each month I will use the challenges to create a mini album for that month's family photos!! I do take a lot of them each month and this will help tremendously in creating a home for those pictures...

Challenge 2

Challenge 3

Challenge 4

Challenge 5

Challenge 6

I can't wait to print the photos for these pages. I have 3 more pages to complete and it will be ready. I used a pre-cut mini chipboard album from Michaels, costing $1, and a paper pack from KandCompany for the pages. 

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

**Update: I made this into a mini-album I titled "Paris Dreams". It was a wonderful way to use the pages in a collective project. I then tied a beautiful burgundy ribbon around the whole mini-album. Lovely... 

The CrockPot Sisters are Serving BBQ Chicken & Veggies...

It is once again, time for a great recipe from The CrockPot Sisters living in my kitchen!  Now if you have read anything about me, you know I feed 6 people at my kitchen table everyday. So this is one recipe that proved to not only feed a family for one day, but carried over to the next. A great recipe for the weekend!!

BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot with Corn in one and Green Beans in another...

5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken (I use a bag from Schwans.com, tell them I sent you)

2 1/2 cups of brown sugar bbq sauce, any brand

Put the chicken breasts frozen in a cold 6 quart crockpot. Pour all of the bbq sauce over the chicken. Turn the crockpot on warm, let cook for 9 hours. Remove chicken from crockpot and thinly slice each chicken breast and put them back into the crockpot to cook 1 more hour, stirring twice during this time. Add corn, green beans for a great meal. Oh one more thing...

We had this last night, Saturday, for supper. Thursday night, I boiled potatoes in the 2.5 buffet crockpot, drained when cooked, drained the potatoes and put in the fridge...then made potato salad to add to the BBQ Chicken sandwiches...time saving and wonderful....

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

My latest idea...good or bad?

Well, this photo is an obvious a witness that I can crochet! However, I am trying to crochet black flowers for my Welcome Home Mini Album.  I used to filet crochet often, following the name patterns and even made collars, but to do a doily or something similar using the small thread and needle, just wasn't me. Now that I am getting ((gulp)) older, I can't seem to hold the thread any longer.  It was a good thing, right?  To at least try something like this? Now, I wonder...

My mother taught me to crochet when I was in junior high school. It was a rainsy Saturday, I had nothing to do and there wasn't much on cable (yes, we had cable) except children's shows on PBS. So, mother offered and I accepted. History was made that day! However, no matter how hard she has tried, I can't grasp the doily patterns. So, the older I get the more I want to make one, at least one.

It's like the fruit cake I wanted to make once, that's just it, I only wanted to make it once. I decided that day that nobody likes making fruit cakes, they do because of the fragrant liquids that go into the fruit cake. As with the fruit cake, I don't think I will give up on crochet these flowers...it just may not be this mini album that enjoys them. =)

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}},
RHC

My Tote & The Guy Mini Album Patterns AND an Artist Tip!!

I am so excited about having these patterns available for everyone! There have been so many requests for My Tote Mini Album Pattern that I wanted to feature it first here.  It is very detailed, offering 17 pages of step-by-step instructions along with templetes and a complete materials list that includes all the measurements needed to make this mini album. You will find it easy and enjoyable. I have also thought of doing the My Tote Mini Album as a Ustream show. Regardless, the video is also featured on my website with the pattern information.

Also, available in my website store is the pattern for The Guy mini album! This pattern is also filled with templates, directions, a complete materials listing that includes all the measurements as well. It is a fun album for the guy in your life regardles of the celebration.  It is 11 pages filled with every aspect of creating this mini album. There is also a video available with the pattern information so that you can catch a glimpse of this beautiful projects. 

Finally, I want to share with you a wonderful tip that I have for offering creative embellishments by using a simple brad.  Punch a hole in the corner of your photo/journaling mat. Place the brad in the hole and spread the prongs. Curl the one closest to the corner forward toward the top of the brad. Insert a jump ring to hold a charm or add a tiny safety pin. This is very strong and will stay in place. I used a jewelry tool to curl the brad.  Isn't this a fun idea?? I can't wait ot see what you create doing this.  I also have a page in a mini album that I used this technique for the closure and slipped a ribbon through the curled tip of the brad. 

I look forward to working with you as you create fun projects for your family and friends. There is no better time to start than now to create gifts for the coming holidays. Thanks so much for your support and encouragement as I grow as an artist.

Love, Blesisngs, and {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

Ribbon spool rolls into a great adventure...

Well, maybe it isn't your traditional ribbon spool but it is a lace/ribbon cardboard spool none-the-less.  Our local Wal-Mart has downsized their craft section and added many crafting items to a clearance section. I found a lot of things I could use especially lace and ribbon. So, I took the item off the roll, placed it in a small plastic bag and stored it with my other ribbons and lace. When I looked at the packaging, I got the idea for a mini album. I added patterned paper to both sides of the cardboard roll, there are two per roll, and then added a ring at the top and embellished the front cover. That is all there was to it and I have a functional mini album. To think this little cardboard could have gone to the trash, instead it has a refreshing new life.

You can visit my YouTube channel to watch this and other ways I have recycled, reused and recreated, plus some items I have made using new materials as well.

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

Fortunes Cookie Proverbs worth keeping...

My son, Ethan, is the king of loving Asian food. For the past fifteen-years of having this boy in my life, we have visited many restaurants and collected many proverbs from the fortune cookies we have received.  This mini is a reflection of some of those small pieces of paper.  The covers of this mini were done months ago when I was giving a try at using Mod Podge...I totally loved the look. I learned how to do this from this amazing artist at www.youtube.com/WhatYouMakeIt1 and loved getting messy with Mod Podge. I put these pieces away with plans to use them someday...well that day came.  The covers is just some pieces I pulled to play but they worked really well with this Fortune Cookie Desktop Flip Mini.  The charms hanging were made by Kay at Toodles & Binks.

  

I used scrap paper and scrap embellishments for all of this mini. Each page is sanded down and the edges are white washed with white acrylic paint. The pages of this mini are all from two children's books that had the spine and pages damaged.  I find these at thrift stores and yard sales.  I love to recycle, reuse and recreate every chance I get. The button was given to me in a swap and fit perfect with this theme.

This page has some lace and fiber running from each ring and eyelets at the bottom. Simple but creative and unique. I think this is such a sweet page.

This and that grace this page. I used items from my tiny embellishment junk drawer and scrap paper.  Fibers can always bring out the best in a page though and I was pleased with the results.

More fun elements exist on this page. I used a diecut I found while cleaning and added bling and glossy accents inside the glass. At the top I added glossy accents and some fine glitter.  The ribbon rolled gives the paper the pop it needed.  I used things in this mini that were special to me and I wanted to keep.

I totally love the colors on this page. The fiber is tucked sweetly behind the lace that had ribbon woven through it. Then I added a brad to the end which just brought in a bit of green element to the page. The colors blended well together.

This was a fun page as well. The ticket was sent to me in a RAK as was the green button laced with fibers and the sweet rose just made the page pop completely. 

This was my "home" themed page. The tiny diecut of a house and the sweet flower just offers so much comfort and peace, both you should find in your home. I love the little humming bird just above the diecut taking flight...my son, Garrett, loves his hummingbird feeders. It made me think of him...

Once again, a uniqe way to add fibers to a page! Then I added pieces from the Maraposa chipboard collection. The butterfly and the bird are two of my favorite pieces of any collection.

This was my favorite pages. I love the simple country blue paper with the tattered proverb and the sweet colors of the flower accented with fibers from behind it. The tiny hat pen was made for me by Lyla and the bird chipboard piece is from the Maraposa Chipboard Collection.  Beautiful and bright is how I think of my southern personality.

A recycle with in a recycle would be the theme of this page. The paper is from the packaging of Tim Holtz embellishments. I added Glossy Accents to the swirls and some bling.  Then I added the twisted rope as a creative accent. 

Totally adore this page. Where would we "B" without our beliefs?  I added so much to this tiny page, including, a tab I punched out for a Stampin Up punch, a letter "B" from my scrap ABC/123s, a fence diecut from a stirofoam plate I received in a swap, a stick pin bubble bea, and some lace.  This page has so much and defines it all as the proverb states.

 This page is just sweetly beautiful. I love the lace, the flowers, the trim, the button. I aded things to this little album that I wanted to keep but yet look at all the time. I appreciate the gifts I have recevied and I thought this mini shared that in small ways throughout the pages.

Finally, the back cover. Where would we be without Love. I added some cute elements to this page as I was playing with Mod Podge, like the rusty washer inside the diecut flower, the button and the "love" chipboard. One would never guess that this mini was created from worn and damaged children's books that I picked up at a thrift store would they?  I sanded each page and removed the battered spine to create this cute flip mini filled with treasures in word and elements. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did creating it.  Visit my YouTube channel for more fun projects.

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Where the feet have walked...

This week has been one awesome week! When I thought of the title for this  blog, I remember having this photo of my son's feet.  Carefree walks in the cool grasses of a summer day is soothing and relaxing. That pretty much defines my week.  Since our internet has been down as well as our cell phones due to a storm that rolled through our area, I had a chance to focus on my work and a few chores around the house. With that I moved my existance to that of third shift, with 102 temps, it was the logical choice. 

So, this week here are a few places where the feet have walked:
*  A Baby Mini Album by recycling a children's book...
*  A Fortune Cookie Desk Flip Mini Book...
*  A mini album using ribbon cards...
*  The Guy Mini Album using scraps from the hammer mini album for Father's Day...(you will love the covers on this book that's for sure!)
*  Got the Welcome Home album ready to start...it is going to be very unique too! =)...
*  Music Themed Wall Hanging...
*  My first Art Journaling pages....
* ...plus so much more!!

Also, I have been working with the best webdesigner that exists in building my own personal website. I am very excited about this as you can imagine! The launch date is this week, July 1st. As my art grows, so will my website. We will begin with some basic pages which will include a shop where kits will be available for the many projects I work with.  The doors of opportunity are opening and I look forward to the growth that will come.  The gift of art is such a blessing in my life, a respite, and I look forward to sharing all of that with you.  So, keep watching...

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Father's Day Mini Album...

This has been such a fun, easy mini album to make. All the guys in my house, remember I live with four of them, said they would add photos and journaling, notes they would rather call them, to this mini album.  I got the idea for this mini album from a book I saw at my local bookstore which was about dad's tools. I already had the paper stack in my stash, so it was an easy decision to create this great Father's Day mini. The complete details will be available on my YouTube channel on Friday and a kit will be posted this weekend so that you too can make this mini album in time for Father's Day.

I only did one page, I think it was, of embossing and it was tiny grunge board accents.  The paper is DCWV The Guy Stack and is already embossed with great textures and elements, so I didn't rubber stamp, distress or emboss any of the pages or tags.  The ribbons and fiber I already had on hand as well as the embellishments. I used a thumb tack on one page so I had to buy the flat ones to use.  I also purchased a hammer charm for the binding too and added a vintage key, a Tim Hotlz gear on a swival clasp.

Father's Day is truly a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fathers we have. My father passed last August, but I have been tremendously blessed with memories of my dad, grandfathers and most of all the ultimate Father of all to be with me every single day.

I wish each of you and yours a wonderful happy Father's Day!

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}}

Rita

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

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What I am working on this week...

This week has had the creative juices flowing! I am so excited and can't wait to show you the Father's Day mini album and the baby album I have been making...however, you will have to wait until I finish them!! On my YouTube channel, I made "Something Blue" that holds some special treasures for the bride to be which is my friend Micki's soon to be daughter-in-law.  So, here is an album I made recently that I think you will enjoy and may recognize the design as Laura Denison's at Following the Paper Trail. She is a gifted artist in her own right. So, enjoy my version of the wedding album...

One of my favorite techniques that was used is the binding where the rings are inserted through the spine to hold the pages in place. On the spine and covers, I used paper from my friend Gina in the Netherlands. I love this paper very much because the colors are so vibrant and beautiful. This wedding album isn't for beginners I am afraid to say, but many of the pages can be adapted to other minis. I used fabric on the front under the flowers and cardstock to cover the back.

On the inside cover is a simple card that when pulls out opens with plenty of space to journal or to add photos. The pocket could even hold special items from the wedding. The first page holds a photo spot that I dry embossed and added K and Company butterflies, love these. The pages are secured on the ring with tabs made from a flower punch and added just on the edge of the page.

This fun interactive page is one of my favorite. Leftinng the veil there is a photo spot or journaling spot and all of this is attached to a pocket for more wedding treasures to be stored.  The next page holds the wedding train and each layer, but the top, pulls down to where a photo spot or journaling spot can be placed. I added bling to the details of the train.  Btw, I didn't grunge, distress or use glimmer mist in this album, as hard as it was to hold back. =)

On these pages, there are plenty of journaling and photo spots with each pocket holding a tri-fold pullout that has nothing but beautiful space. Behind the wedding rings is another pocket holding a tag as well. The photo or journaling spot behind the flowers also pulls out giving more space for written or photo blessigs.

The tux is a treasure I have enjoyed making. Behind the jacket and buttoned portion is a pocket with a tag inside and the top forms the color for the layout. When you open the jacket another tag is in place. I saw similar layouts like this page on SplitCoastStampers.  The next page is a basket filled with tags with flowers on the edge, easy to pull out and put information about attendants or more photos and journaling. 

Once again in these pages house more space to write or add photos. I feel this is important for a wedding album because there is so much you want to treasure about that special day.

I really enjoyed making these two pages. I must say, I had to finally tell myself to "stop" adding flowers and bling to the cake!! The first page opens and there is a blank space for photos or journaling. The cake has pullout tabs behind each layer to give more space for wedding treasures. I punched out all the flowers and used lots of bling.

Once again more space to add photos and journaling. Also, the decor elements on the left is suppose to represent the garter. I didn't have a lace punch to I used decorative scissors to create the edging.

The back card is one of my favorite withint this album, but I am jumping ahead fo the left page. Here I created more journaling and photo space or a pocket to house more treasures. The back cover has a pocket to do the same while holding a card representing the couple going away on their new love and new adventure.

This is a view of the front, back and spine. I did glimmer mist the flowers and plan to add more fibers to the rings. This was a fun album to make.  The pearls down the front is a simple strand that I added. The stamped image is mounted on a piece of chipboard rather than popup dots due to the placement of the piece. This album will get handled and used, I wanted it to stay in place. =)

I really enjoyed making this album with Laura on one of her live shows, but there are elements I will do differently next time so that the album will be more functiona, fun and a little...grungy maybe. Then I thought of another not so traditional wedding album. My son's friends got married at the courthouse...they didn't want a traditional wedding, so I have some ideas for them as well. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the wedding album designed by Laura. She is a talented artist and it helps my creativity to follow talents like her.

Stay tuned for the Father's Day mini album, finished, just waiting on some charms to arrive that I ordered to go with it AND the baby album...I am having such fun creating. I am also working on another crochet beaded necklace in bright colors and gold. There is also another steampunk piece of jewelry that I am working on this week. So, have a great day of creative fun and rememeber, may God bless you every day in every way!!

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Graduation Mini Albums...

Is this mini album not totally beautiful!? Can you believe it when I say that it is also totally easy!?  Well, it was. I have wanted to use black and white papers with matching embellishments for a long time, but never had the opportunity to do so. When Laura with Following the Paper Trail made this mini album, I was very excited and pleased to have a perfect opportunity to use this paper collection. Since I didn't know the school colors for each high school graduate I needed a gift for, the black and white just screamed to be use for these minis.

There are ten pockets made from envelopes or handmade envelopes, which I did because of not having access to various colored envelopes. Each envelope pocket has a pullout card for photos or journaling. Then there is a space on top of the pocket for another photo spot or to create a journaling spot. 

After making these albums, I made one with flowers in the center of the front cover securing it with a decorative brad. I called it my little garden mini album that I can pass on as a gift. The other thought I had about this little ablum is that since it only takes about two hours to make, if you work continuously, that it is a great design to use on those days your creative juices just aren't flowing...it is simple, can be done with scrap paper, and is functional for any time.

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a fab-u-loo-so week!

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

Rita

My first painting...

This is my first ever painting!  I am so very pleased with the results. When my friend and awesome painter, Jessica Lloyd Hales, sent out an invite to attend a painting class, I thougth why not...so I went. It was so much fun! I have never done this type of painting and completely fell in love with this medium. It was relaxing as well as inspiring. With each brush stroke, I thought of ways to add paint into my work.

Jessica walked us through this simple outline. It was drawing lines using our brushes in our paints. Obviously I got a few of my lines wrong and marked off or painted over later. Did you notice the picture was upside down?  We didn't until she told us to turn the line drawing the other direction and we saw this...

I was completely breathless as I looked at this technique from a different angle. Only to later see what my hands could create with primary colors and mixing them together. This was really a fun class.

Just how we take the opportunity to learn something new, I feel that God has done that with me. My canvas was empty, plain, white and with various colors, I painted a scene of peace, hope, creativity and love. That is what my life demonstrates completely.

If what you do in this life doesn't bring you joy, happiness and peace beyond your understanding, then maybe you need to search your soul to find what gets you out of bed in the morning, puts a smile on your face and is all you can thinking about all day long. I am so thankful that my little family and my husband support my creative nature and my wild shabby chic personality. My life has been forever changed because of art.

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},
Rita