Winter . . . for ArtStacks and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone. Guess what? My latest project is ready! I made it for ArtStacks, and I’m excited to share it with all of you.  

First of all, I used one of their newest Seasonal Celebrations pack:

Check out this amazing 'White Christmas' pack created by the talented illustrator Maja Lindberg! It’s available in both printed and digital formats. To learn more about what’s included, you can head over to the ArtStacks shop.

Here is my project, a mixed media 'Wintry' Home Decor Frame:

I used a wood frame I already had and made a winter-themed collage using Maja Lindberg’s pack. I painted each square white with acrylic paint. Then, I cut the images to the right size and adhered them to the backing. To make it look more interesting, I added some white cheesecloth and thread. Finally, I sprinkled black and white paint on top to give it some extra depth.  

As you can see, the beautiful “White Christmas” pack is not exclusive to the Christmas season – it can be used for Winter-themed projects, too!”

I hope I have inspired you to create a project of your own!

I am also very excited to link up my project at Art Journal Journey Monthly for January.

Erika from BioArtGal is hosting this month, and her theme is "What's Up?"

Erika said that you have options for her theme. You can select a theme centered around UP things,  such as airplanes or balloons. Or,  you can interpret the phrase more casually, asking, “What have you been up to?” or “What’s new with you?”    

Once again, I took her theme at face value, using an image of the red bird on top of a moose, and a girl with her dog on top of a mountain!  

I highly recommend checking out Art Journal Journey Monthly. It’s not just a chance to contribute to this month’s challenge, but it’s also a great way to discover the incredible artwork submitted by talented artists from all walks of life. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.  Happy January! 

Family (through thick and thin) . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone. Challenge YOUrself's January challenge is now open.

Challenge YOUrself #145 runs through February 4th at midnight:

This month’s challenge is all about celebrating a single One Little Word for 2026.

If you’re new to Ali Edwards’ One Little Word concept, you can learn more about it here.

I decided to create a mixed media scrapbook page for this theme:

I’ve chosen FAMILY as my One Little Word for 2026! I’m excited to make some changes in my life and spend more time with my husband, daughters, sisters, and extended family. I’m envisioning reducing my computer work and prioritizing quality time with them.  

This photo was taken at Princeton University during the Christmas holidays last year! We all went to see ‘The Nutcracker’ that day and had an amazing time. We’re already planning to see it again next year in Philadelphia.

I enjoyed creating this page for Challenge YOUrself! It’s a fun challenge where you get to scrap photos with YOU in the frame.

I’m also linking my page up at Art Journal Journey Monthly for January:

Erika from BioArtGal is hosting this month, and her theme is "What's Up?"

Erika mentioned that there are a few options for her theme. You can choose a theme centered around things that are UP,  like planes or clouds. Or,  you can interpret the phrase more casually, like asking, “What have you been up to?” or “What’s new with you?”    

I went for the classic route with Erika’s theme, using a window and a balloon. 

Erika, thanks for hosting this month. I love your theme.

And thank YOU for stopping by my blog today.  Have a wonderful January!

Christmas Joy . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly

Hi everyone! I have loved hosting at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the month of December! Can you believe it’s already December 31st? Time flies, doesn’t it? We’re all set to ring in 2026.

Today, I am pleased to present my final project for my December Art Journal Journey, which was themed “Winter.”

I would like to share the handmade wall hanging that I created for my Secret Santa Swap "Elf" this year.

I enjoyed creating this, and I hope my Elf will love it for years to come.

And I'd love to share some fireworks photos that were taken in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  These photos are from their website!

Allentown, PA:

Steelstacks in Bethlehem, PA:

And the “Peep” drop that occurs in Bethlehem for all the children, and of course, the children at heart:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Now, it’s time to bid you all farewell. I can’t thank you enough for supporting me and my Winter theme for the month of December. 

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and a blessed 2026, filled with lots of creativity!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all!

Sending hugs.

We Love Abbey . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone!  I am having a wonderful time guest hosting at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the month of December!  

Today is Christmas Eve and I think it's the perfect time to share another art journal page for my AJJ "Winter" theme! 

I present my hybrid art journal page: 

I took this photo of Abbey in the snow a few years ago. I love it so much that I decided to use as the focal point on my page.  I started with a digital snowy background, then added a watercolor turquoise heart and dark blue stripes using a stencil.  I added a brass key, and several digital snowflakes, hearts and poinsettias.  The arrow pointing to Abbey is chipboard.  The grid background and "Love" word are from ArtStacks designs digital version of their "Tissue Backgrounds" pack. It was kind of a mish-mash of a lot of different mediums, but it came together pretty nicely, I think!

Thank you, Art Journal Journey Monthly for asking me to host again this year!  

There's still time for YOU to join in on the fun!!  You have until the last day of December.  Just head over to their site at the highlighted link above and take a look. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.  

Merry, Merry Christmas everyone!

*****************************************

Frosty . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone!  I am LOVING guest hosting at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the month of December!

Have you heard of Art Journal Journey Monthly? 

It’s a super fun art journal challenge blog where you can join in on a different theme every month! The themes are picked by guest hosts or their awesome blog administrators. There are so many talented and friendly art journalers, altered book artists, rubber stamp addicts, and mixed media artists from all over the world who participate. You can join in on the fun by linking your project to their site using the Link tool they provide.

So, for December, I decided to go with a WINTER theme! My latest project started with a love of snow globes. I’ve always been fascinated by them since I was a little girl, especially after watching the movie Heidi with Shirley Temple!

I recently came across a photo of my best friend, Barb’s snow globe. 

I decided to make it the focal point of my project. First, I converted it to black and white:  

Then went from there . . .

All of my page elements and background paper are from the PinkFresh “Christmas Wishes” collection, which came out about 10 years ago. I love this holiday scrapbook paper with its trendy colors and whimsical designs. And guess what? I never throw away any craft supplies - LOL! (I may need to change that a bit in the new year.) Anyway, I put together a little scene, added some threads and machine stitching, and sprinkled in some sequins for a touch of sparkle.  It was easy to make.

Here is the finished page:

What do you think?

I’m thrilled that Art Journal Journey Monthly invited me to host again this year! 

Now I'd like YOU join in on the fun!  Just head over to their site at the highlighted link and take a look. 

I really appreciate you taking the time out of this busy holiday season to visit my blog. 

Have a very happy rest of your December and Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas . . . for ArtStacks and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

 Hi everyone!  I am here today sharing the latest project that I made for ArtStacks!  

I’ve created a mixed media art journal page using a new pack from ArtStacks’ latest “Seasonal Celebrations” group. I absolutely adore this White Christmas pack created by Maja Lindberg! You can create so many different Christmas projects, including cards, tags, scrapbook pages, (and more!) with this incredible pack.  

It is available in both printed and digital formats, which makes it so versatile to work with!

Here is the mixed media art journal page that I created:

Here’s how I made my page:

• I started by picking two of my favorite images from Maja Lindberg's 'White Christmas' pack. I printed them out in the sizes I wanted using the digital pack. I placed the image of the bird at the top of my page and the image of the houses in the snow at the bottom.
• Next, I printed  the image of the snowflakes (from the same pack) and adhered it in the middle of the two images. I blended them together using white paint.
• I added the title and the poem from the 'quotes and words' page that’s included in the pack.
• I cut out the black and white striped page from the 'Wonky Backgrounds' pack and glued these strips on either side of the page.
• Finally, I added some stamping and paint splatter.

It was enjoyable and easy to make. And best of all, it really helped to put me in the Christmas spirit!

I hope I have inspired you to create a project of your own!

I am very excited to have been asked to host again at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the busy month of December:

I chose the theme WINTER for this month.  As you can see on my art journal page, I used lots of examples of Winter!

I hope you get a chance to head over to Art Journal Journey Monthly, not only to participate in this month's challenge, but also to see all of the amazing entries by the friendly and talented participants around the world. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.  Happy December and Happy Holidays to one and all!❤

Hello Winter . . . for Challenge YOUrself and art Journal Journey Monthly!

 Hi everyone! It's December 7th and time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself! 

Challenge YOUrself #144 runs from December 7th through January 4th, 2026, at midnight:

This month's theme is so fun one - it's Anything Goes!! Yes, you can make your pages about anything you like, just remember to include a photo with YOU in the frame.

I created a mixed media scrapbook page for this challenge:

 

I stumbled upon a photo of myself from December last year. It was taken during one of my morning walks with John and (our dog) Abbey. We make it a point to go for a walk at Heintzelman Pond every morning. This morning was extra special because it started snowing while we were walking.

I found this patterned paper with trees in the snow, and I thought it was the perfect backdrop for my photo. I added some torn, white corrugated paper at the top of the page and then finished my page with black thread, blue spray ink and other embellishments.  

I am also guest hosting at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the month of December:

Yay!  (I'm having so much fun!)  My theme for December is “Winter.” There are so many cool ideas to explore. You can make pages about winter activities, winter holidays, winter weather, or anything else that sparks your creativity. Or, you can give your pages a title like “Winter Wonderland” or “Winter Solstice.” I cannot wait to see what you come up with!

I hope you have a super creative December and that you enjoy the holiday season.

Thanks a bunch for stopping by my blog!