Flower Frame with Shimmerz and Petaloo

I've always loved gardening so it isn't a big surprise that I also love making flowers in my art. I purchased a metal frame from Target a few months ago because I knew that it would be gorgeous with a few flowers.

And it is...

You can see the detail in the following close-up shots.

I've created a video demonstrating how I made the flowers using Petaloo flowers and Shimmerz Spritz and Pearlz.

This technique is incredibly simple, but I'm loving the subtle results.

I hope that you enjoy it!



If you liked this video and you live in the Phoenix, AZ area, don't forget about my Technique Arsenal class on making flowers on May 22nd. It is only $35.00 and I'll show you how to make 10 different flowers (paper and fabric). It will be a fast-paced class, but it is geared toward both beginners as well as more advanced artists. (By the way, I will NOT be teaching you how to do the flowers in the video as part of the 10.)

xoxo
Bethany

Grateful

Today my heart is filled with gratitude for my miraculous body and for answered prayers.

On Friday, I was chasing a certain someone at the park and he happened to run down a steep hill. (Without falling I might add.)

As I chased him down, a painful memory came to mind. I thought of myself only a 18 months ago unable to walk down a slight slope to participate in a post-soccer-season-pizza-party with my sweeties because my knee was to painful. I remember sitting on the top of that hill watching the festivities and crying because I felt so scared and so helpless.

As I continued to chase Quinn over a pile of rocks, (he's pretty stinking fast) I remembered that only a year ago I was terrified to walk on uneven ground and that I had to leave a Valentine's Day celebration at C's preschool because of my debilitating fear.

Today, as I kneeled at the side of the bathtub scrubbing little heads, little toes and little pits, I remembered that only 6 months ago, I couldn't kneel and I didn't believe that I'd ever be able to kneel again.

And here I am...running down hills, walking over rocks and kneeling. I'm so happy. And so proud of the progress that I've made. But most of all...

I am so grateful. So very very grateful. For the ability to heal. For the power of prayer. And for my miraculous body.

xoxo
Bethany

New Projects with My Little Shoebox

Hello! I'm not sure what happened to the last week because I seem to have disappeared somewhere. Luckily, I'm back now.

It's been a little while since I shared a project so I thought that I'd just jump right in and share a few new My Little Shoebox(es). 

I did the first one with pieces from many lines. (My favorite way to scrap!) The picture is of Todd's father holding baby Quinney. Grandad has such a great way with babies. He is so calm that he just soothes them every time. I admire that trait...being a not-calm-sort-of-person. (It is desperately hard for me to sit still or focus on one task at a time.)

Materials: My Little Shoebox papers, letter stickers; Maya Road journaling tag

Here is a close-up of my journaling.

My next project is a card that I made using the All a Flutter line. I love those butterflies! I also used some Shimmerz Blingz to add a bit of glam.

Materials: My Little Shoebox pattern papers, Shimmerz Blingz, colored pencil and pen

Here is a close-up so you can see the dimension. This is one of my favorite things to do with butterflies...adhere only the body part and let the wings fly.

Have a great day!

xoxo
Bethany

GIVEAWAY!

Feeling the stress of tax time? A little bummed about your return?

Well, mope no more! (I'm about to make everything all better...giggle)

I'm turning up the mic and approaching my speaker stands because I've got my very first giveaway thanks to the generosity of CSN stores! This is open to all US and Canadian residents (sorry internationals!). CSN is giving away...

A Calphalon contemporary Nonstick 10″ and 12″ Omelet Combo Set 

The following information is from the CSN description of these pans.

"Prepare delicious omelettes every time with this versatile Calphalon pan! These 10" and 12" Calphalon Omelet pans features a thick, flat, wide bottom for quick, even heating and cooking. This Calphalon omelette pan has a cast stainless steel handle that stays comfortably cool for stovetop cooking. The gently sloping sides allow the omelette to glide freely, flip in one quick motion and slide easily from the pan to your plate.

Features:

• Nonstick surface makes cleanup easy and promotes low-fat and non-fat cooking
• Versatile vessel shape that accommodates several different cooking techniques
• Thick, wide bottom for quick, even heating with little or no oils
• Sloping sides allow food to glide freely from the pan to your plate
• Long handle stays cool on the stovetop for hours of comfortable cooking
• Oven safe up to 450 degrees

Specifications:

• Material of pan: Hard-anodized exterior and nonstick interior
• Material of handle: Stainless steel
• Not dishwasher safe
• Recommended utensils: Nylon, wood or coated
• Lifetime Warranty
• Made in the USA"

 All you have to do to be entered to win is leave a comment on this post with your favorite way to eat eggs (scrambled, fried, poached etc...)

I will choose a winner randomly on May 1st and CSN stores will send your pans to you. Yeah!

Good luck! I hope you win!

Letting it Drip with Shimmerz Vibez--New Video!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! I am feeling so renewed and replenished that I'm on a creative roll. I can't wait to show you all the fun I've been having!

I've got a new Shimmerz video for you!

In this video, I demonstrate an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy technique using Shimmerz Vibez. This technique is so simple (and fun!) that your 6-year-old could do it with you. And since Shimmerz is an easy clean-up and non-toxic, you won't mind sharing a little with your sweetie. (Maybe...)

Have fun!



Here are some non-moving pictures of my finished projects.

Have a great day!

xoxo
Bethany Kartchner

Queen of the Bricks

One of the best toys that Santa ever brought was a few sets of jumbo cardboard bricks. They are about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide and they support up to 200 pounds per brick. They are tough and oh so fun.

I did this layout of my sister to commemorate these cool dude bricks. I used the new All a Flutter line by My Little Shoebox because the reds matched perfectly.

Materials: My Little Shoebox papers, stickers; Maya Road ribbon; Heidi Swapp crown stamp; StazOn ink; gesso; uniball signo pen

Here's a close-up so you can see the embellishment cluster. The red felt flower was made by Pattie from My Little Shoebox. So cute!

This layout may look complicated, but it actually came together very quickly. The flowers and butterfly are so big that they take up a lot of space. A few smaller embellishments helped round out the design.

If you love My Little Shoebox products, like I do. They are having a Design Team call right now! Take a leap and try out! If you have never been on a DT before, but would like to be, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have. I did address DT suggestions in this post. (Keep in mind that I wrote this post 100 years ago so it is terribly out-of-date.)

As for the Artistic Mothers group. I am officially 3 weeks behind. What happened? Life. I had family in town. I've been working on projects for various Somerset calls. I am in the process of reorganizing my studio and for some reason school stuff (for the sweeties) has become almost all-encompassing. We are just very busy. I'm planning on catching up soon. Very soon. I just need to find a few seconds to sit down and create.

On a happier note, in the next few months, I will be teaching 4 different mixed-media technique classes at Scrapbooks Etc., in Mesa, AZ! You can see a brief description of my classes as well as dates and times on my sidebar. These classes are going to be a bit different than the standard class because we won't be working on one project to take home. We'll be practicing techniques that you can incorporate into your work. Hence the name: Technique Arsenal. You'll come away from my classes with new knowledge, creative spirit and super-charged to get to work! I'm really excited! If you live in the AZ area, I'd love to see you there!

Happy Creating!

xoxo
Bethany

Hat Flowers

You know those really big beautiful Prima flowers?

Yeah, ones like those. I have serious issues using those flowers on layouts that will be shoved into an album almost never to be seen again. They are so pretty and so expensive, I just can't justify it.

So, I came up with a brilliant plan. I glitter them up using Shimmerz Blingz in Pixie Dust (clear colored) or Gold Glimmer (gold colored), glue a safety pin to the back, (I've used tacky glue, but E6000 would be better. And I suppose you could use a better pin designed for this purpose too) and pin them to a cute hat. (Target has a bunch of very cute hats for very cheapy.) Then I walk around town looking so stylish.

What do you do with those gorgeous things? I'd love to hear more ideas.

Happy Day!

xoxo
Bethany

Impromptu Photo Shoot

I few weeks ago while dinner was cooking, I grabbed my camera and headed outside with the sweeties for an impromptu photo shoot.

I got some pretty good ones.

There was a lot of wrestling going on.

I'm not sure why E is on the bottom of this pyramid, but she doesn't look too comfortable.

Then, I had the brilliant idea to do an above-the-heads shot. I think I must be a genius. Yes, I must. (Just so you know, there was a lot of dragging involved before I clicked.)

This quickly dissolved into chaos within minutes.

Then a very rigorous game of tigers ensued.

Marking the end of our photo shoot. I took my camera inside and finished dinner.