my Dina Wakley class layout

I'm sure I won't have to work too hard to remind you of the freakin' amazing time that I had at Dina Wakley's Encaustic Tag Book Class.  F'realz, still one of the best times ever.  Yeah, I know- it was only a month and two days ago- but really- it was a damned good time.

How good was it?

It was so good that I'm experimenting with encaustic-esque goodness on my own (more on that, soon) and:  a few of her techniques and brief lesson on composition have stayed with me-  they've 'persevered' as you might say...

Before we get too far, I'm gonna level with you:  I've been drinking.  It was my birthday last Thursday. I'm just getting around to celebrating.  Get off my back.

Around 3:37pm, I woke up from a nap and thought, "Hell, I'm gonna make a page and fix myself a cocktail before my birthday party starts."

Now, let's back up a few days.

Wednesday:  I was excited to be off of work for a few days.  Somehow, I ended up deciding that the perfect way to spend a "night of unlimited possibilities" (that's what I call a night with no work the next day) was to experiment with watercolors.

I've had some watercolors for quite some time- my Mom gave me a very classy "art box" for Christmas one year.  It's filled with pastels, colored pencils, drawing pencils, tools... and:  watercolors.

Now, previously, the only time I'd tried to paint with watercolors was a few weeks ago, at work.  I was trying to complete my "Make Someone Smile" doodle-  I created a stunning (haha) beach scene, and thought I'd be really cool and use watercolors, from the "art box," to color the ocean.  It didn't work out  so well.  But, I was using my finger and spit- so that was kind of expected.

With my inspiration propelled by my copy of The Journal Junkies Workshop and my failed finger-and-spit watercolor technique, I decided to give it another go-  and while I watercolored away, (more 'bout this later, too) I ended up splattering a brand new sheet of 12X12 kraft cardstock.  I thought I pushed it far enough away- but you know how that goes...

Today, as I tried (in vain) to clean up in preparation for my "birthday party night," I noticed how much I liked the splatters on the corner of cardstock.  It reminded me, somewhat, of the Encaust Tag Book Class.  So:  I pulled three of the pictures I had printed out (thanks, Walgreens and Instagram!) and got to work.

I thought I'd take some pictures of my process.  But then the "process" stretched out hours and hours, as I placed things....replaced things...moved strips...re-moved things...arranged things... well, you get the idea.  So, I've whittled the entire ordeal down to just a few pictures...

At first, I wanted to used the entire piece of kraft as the background.  While digging through my ever-breeding box of papers, a couple of pages from BasicGrey's WANDER collection just jumped out and bit me on the ass.  After an hour or so of moving things around and around, I ended up with the above square glued to the classy distress-y blue B-side of one of BasicGrey's lil' works of art.  The square up there is made from two pieces of the same piece of paper- strips cut, flipped around and glued together.

Dat right there is a piece of the inspiring cardstock.  Hope it isn't too underwhelming.

Above, I added another strip of paper pieced together with part of its own "B-side."
I cut strips from another piece of paper from BasicGrey's WANDER collection and pieced them together, at an angle, with strips of kraft and the border piece that resulted from the background page when I cut the "tag" off.  This is what it looked like from behind:

Kinda cool, seeing things from behind, right?  I thought so...

After another excruciating amount of moving, changing and rearranging, I ended up thinking I needed two little strips of kraft- so I added them.  As you can see up there.

All I had left to do was to glue "the strip" down and figure out how I wanted my pictures!  Luckily, my friend, (and one of my roommates) Pete, happened by to say:  "WHAT YOU BEEN DOIN' FOR FIVE HOURS?!  COME OUT TO THE PATIO AND DRINK WITH US!  AND HEY- Why don't you put that picture there, cuz that's the main picture, right?  And then put that one like this- and there you go..."

And he was right-  I loved the way that looked.  Normally, I would strongly advise AGAINST taking scrapbooking advice from someone who spends most of their time playing "Modern Warfare 3" and shouting over an earpiece at people to "GET THE @#$% OUTTA THE BUNKER!"  But, I gotta say, you gotta keep your mind and ears open to suggestions.

Here's what I ended up with:

The pic to the left is my tag book in progress.  The center pic is, of course, me with the genius goddess Ms. Dina.  The last pic, on the right, is a shot of my proudly ink and paint stained hands.

There was heaps more washi, before I snapped the picture.  I remembered Coco Chanel's advice about removing accessories before you leave the house (or in this case, finish the layout) and removed an accessory.  It made all the difference in the world.

A closer close-up of my beloved center picture.

Look at those layers!

Aaaand my parting shot.  It's too late for me to be awake.  I have a crazy week ahead of me.  Beginning tomorrow with a long long day of rehearsal for a new show.  I don't know if I'll survive the next three months.  We'll see.

-kory

New Layout Time!

Today's my birthday.  No, don't get excited.  I'm not.  I'm just... older.  I am excited that I had the day off of work.  What did I do to celebrate?  I slept until 10am.  I went to Paper Crown.  Bought a couple pages of classy papers.  Bought some new tape.  Bought some new letter stickers.  I came home and MADE A LAYOUT!

I don't know if I'm too happy about it- but I'm happy enough...  There was a change of title/theme ideas halfway through.  There was a tried title placement accident/ordeal which caused quite a panic.  I calmed myself down, 'fixed' the mistake and kept moving.

I took the photo at the production meeting on 5AUG, when the actors and designers met to sign their contracts - that's what led to the title.  There is so much 'business' in show business!   The title is also inspired by a line from the show we met to sign contracts for:  "...the very business we call SHOW!"

I used a few different lines of papers-  Crate, Tim Holtz, Authenqique, BasicGrey.  There's some 7gypsies paper tape, some unknown washi- when I thought a touch of bright color would be nice, a clock rub-on from KaiserCraft, some Distress Ink rubbed thru some mesh tape and three different kinds of alpha stickers- the brown ones are Glitz, the cursive are Authentique and the big black ones are some 'Black on Kraft' stickers from Colorbok.  I know, I make a few jokes about Colorbok being the lonely kid at the prom.  But every once in awhile, they have something semi-nice, like these letters.

I love the look of date stamps.  I don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong, tho- I have the hardest time trying to use them.  That's why they're always stamped onto something else THEN added to my layout.  It takes me about twenty tries to get a usable date stamped...

Another angle.  I like the 'Documented' card that I cut from a larger piece of Crate's somethin'er nuffin set- can't remember.  Portrait?  Hell, I don't know.

Well, that's it for NEW LAYOUT EXCITEMENT!

Am I partying tonight, to celebrate my birthday?  No.  Because I promised Miss Tanya that I'll be sober, clean, dressed and ready to go at 8AM, tomorrow morning.  Why?  Cause we'll be picking up Darla and heading to TULSA, for the Creating Keepsake scrapbook convention!  Whooo!  If you're there, keep an eye out for us- I'm sure it won't be hard to find me in a crowd of ladies.  I probably won't shave.

-kory

BasicGrey: CLIPPINGS: Sneek Peek!



designed by: Kelly Goree http://kellygoree.blogspot.com/
photo from BasicGrey: http://blog.basicgrey.com/

 What's this uproar you're hearing about BasicGrey's new collection?   You mean you haven't heard anything yet?  What do you do all day?  Yeah, there's an uproar!  And the classy little beast in the center of the commotion is BasicGrey's new collection, 'CLIPPINGS.'

I'm sorry if I sound as if I'm going overboard- but I can't find enough worthy adjectives to describe my infautuation with this line.  BasicGrey describes the impressive new collection as reading 'like a mystery novel you can't put down.'  I promise you, BG, I won't be putting the collection down.  I will be buying it up and hoarding so much of it that A&E will be knocking down my door to film an episode of HOARDERS.

Well?  Have you seen the sneak peek the geniuses at the BasicGrey blog just posted?  It's amazing.  There's some vintage menswear fabric inspired sexiness, some board game inspired fun, and on top of that, vintage postal (not in the crazy way) hotness.  On top of the patterned paper - there's some outstanding chipboard shapes and alphas, wooden buttons, flags and banners - AND-  (wait for it, catch your breath) MINI ENVELOPES that look better than I do on a Saturday night after three drinks.

Check it out! 


-kory

Learning Lessons

I guess that shouldn't be plural.  I can really only think of one lesson I've learned, tonight.  And that lesson is that: RED DOESN'T PHOTOGRAPH WELL.

There is another lesson- but it's one that I need to learn.  That is: learn to take proper pictures.  Maybe I need a better camera.  Yeah, that's what the camera companies WANT me to think!

I'm stone cold sober, and thought- well, I'm home alone on a Friday night, why don't I pull out that new package of BasicGrey KONNICHIWA paper and see what I can make with it with it's delightfully colorful paper and possibly racist sticker?

Well, here's what I managed to make!

I offset the 'cuteness' of the sticker by using the (also included) alpha-stickers to say 'smile dammit.'

A great card to send to a friend who's down in the dumps.  You know, that friend of your's with an unhealthy me-no-speak-english-geisha-fixation.

Here's to a great weekend!  DEMO DAY at My Heart's Fancy, tomorrow!

And in the GREAT NEWS department, Ghostlight Records has recorded the off-Broadway revival of my FAVORITE Broadway musical of ALL time:  CARRIE.   YES!  1988's Broadway musical, CARRIE, has finally been professionally recorded!  No more suffering thru scratchy bootleg recordings!  However, no wonder how great sounding this new production will sound- it will never compare to the insane thrills of the original Broadway cast.  Here's to CARRIE!  There's NEVER Been A Musical Like HER!

-kory

BasicGrey Class at Whole Lotta Scrap

Last night was my first night at Whole Lotta Scrap's Basic Grey class! 

My fun friend, Miss Coworker Chris, told me about the class and asked me to go-  well, I love BasicGrey and how much do I love WHOLE LOTTA SCRAP?!  Seriously- have y'all been to this store?  It's HUGE.  It's like the Mega-Mart of Oklahoma scrap.  The store is big.  And it's filled with the newest, latest, and greatest-  every scrappy item you could ever want to buy and rub all over your naked body. 

The owners are great, too!  I don't know about you- but when I go into a store, I expect to be treated like the celebrity that I am- and they know how to treat a visiting dignitary. 

Oh, you wanted to know about the class- not just about how popular I'm not. 

First of all- to get to the class, we had to leave work right at 5pm.  Whole Lotta Scrap (I love saying the name of this shop- it's fun.  Say it.  Say it again.  Now say it like you mean it) is in Norman.  Which is, per Marjorie, my navigation unit, is about 27.46 miles from my place o'bidness.  That's a helluva drive.  I can't even say what kind of drive it is during rush hour traffic. 

But thanks to Marjorie, we made it there in a record 43 minutes.  During rush hour traffic, from work to the sorta-East side of Norman in 43 minutes?  It can be done. 

I haven't totally finished my two page layout from the class- but it's almost there...  I had lots of fun, using my new Ingvild Bolme Distressing Tool and my beloved Picket Fence Distress Stain to customize my layout in my own fun Kory way.  I also threw some twine into the mix, in the style of the GREAT FRANK from The Haus of W!  As soon as it's complete, I'll hafta take a picture!

The great thing about the class was that we were free to do the layout how we wanted to do it- we didn't have to follow and exact plan.  I loved being able to just do what I wanted- and it also helped that we were free to get up and shop!  You know how I love to buy things-  so you wanna know what I got?  I picked up another template from The Crafter's Workshop, a set of blank chipboard shapes, a small brick wall stamp from Prima, and what I really wanted, and have been wanting since I first saw them:  Graphic 45's new stamps, 'Olde Curiosity Shoppe Two.'  This set is the ones you can see here, at Scrapbook.com.  Did you take a look?  If not- it's the set with the old bottle stamps.  These are great!  I'm already coming up with all kinds of fun ideas for these little effers.

Also, right before the class, the very nice Vickie from Okienurse's Paper And Ink Therapy, came up to me and said hi!  She is great- check her out!

Alright, I got work to do- I can't sit here all day talking to you.  But I mean that in the kindest way.  See you later!

-kory