A Wonderful World!

Hi everyone!

Autumn in eastern Pennsylvania has been quite the rollercoaster so far.  We kicked things off with rain, followed by a devastating Nor’easter. Thankfully, our town escaped the worst of it. Temperatures have been all over the place, hitting the 80s yesterday! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for cooler weather today. Plus, with all the rain we’ve had lately, I think we’re almost out of the severe drought. That’s definitely a relief.

Today I am sharing a project that I made for Mia's challenge at Art Journal Journey Monthly.

 Mia from Craftartista is hosting October, and her theme is “Beautiful World.”

But before I show you my project, I wanted to share a little about Art Journal Journey Monthly:

"Each month, there is a new challenge theme for you to take part in. Our participants are art-journalers, altered book artists, rubber stamp addicts, and mixed media artists from all over the world. You are invited to take part by linking via the Link tool on their site.  

Artwork created in an art journal, altered book, on canvas, or loose pages, as well as digital and fabric art of any size, is now acceptable."

Here is my project, a mixed-media art journal scrapbook page:

I really enjoyed putting this page together: 

• I started by giving a 12 x 12 sheet of Mintay cardstock some playful splatters and drips with spray inks. 
• Then, I added pink burlap to both sides of the cardstock. 
• I matted the photo that my friend snapped of me during our recent trip to the Finger Lakes on a torn piece of white, corrugated paper. 
• Next, I fussy-cut and added some embellishments from the Mintay “Cottage Hearts” collection. 
• Finally, I adhered my title. What a fun project!

Thank you so much, Mia, for hosting this month and coming up with such a fabulous theme.

I’ll wrap things up by sharing some photos of my twin sister and me celebrating our 70th birthdays at the Wilbur Mansion in Bethlehem, PA. It’s the first time either of us has been there, and I highly recommend it for its amazing food, wonderful service, and beautiful surroundings. It was a splurge, but you only turn 70 once, right!?  

Here's the beautiful exterior:

The dining room:

My twin sister and I are celebrating our special day:

It was wonderful!  (Oh, and we forgot to take a picture of us with our husbands! Haha!)

**I am also entering this post into Sunday Smiles hosted by Gillena Cox.  You can find her challenge here:  https://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/2026/10/4044.html

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

Wishing you a wonderful October! ❤

Autumn Blessings!

Hello everyone,

I am sharing my final project for Art Journal Journey Monthly with you today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Erika, Elizabeth, and all of YOU!

I snapped this photo by our pond, and I believe it sums it all up perfectly.  Every morning, I’m greeted by an incredible view that never fails to amaze me. As you can see, the clouds on this particular day reflected the morning sunrise beautifully.  

Here is my project:

• I made the base of this page using a 12x12 piece of grid paper and matted my photo with two different orange tones to make it pop. 
• Next, I tucked strips of different fall-themed patterned paper behind the photo. 
• I also added yellow washi tape to two sides of my background paper.  
• I pulled out some fabric and die-cut autumn leaves from my supply stash to add some extra flair. 
• I finished it off with the Echo Park “Autumn Blessings” title.  
• And that's it - it was easy to make!

Lastly, here are two photos I took at the pond by our home last fall that inspired this project! Looking at this incredible sunrise reminds me what autumn blessings are all about.

My time hosting at AJJ Monthly is nearing its end, and I want to express a big thank you to everyone for their support and contributions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!💛

Wishing you all a wonderful and creative Autumn season!  

Halloween Party!

Hi everyone! Here is my next project for Art Journal Journey Monthly's September Hello Autumn theme. 

As promised in my previous post, I’m sharing another page with you today featuring photos of the same friends’ Halloween Party, but this time, it’s from five years later!

• To make my page, I started with a 12 x 12 piece of striped orange paper that captures the Halloween and autumn vibe. 
• After matting my favorite party photos in black for contrast, I added black die-cut scallops and a bit of real straw I had on hand to showcase the fun hayride.  
• Finally, I sprinkled some black paint splatter on my page.  
• The "Halloween Party" title was all it took to complete my layout.

I'd like to share some photos from my recent trip to New York's Finger Lakes with my college friends.  We all got together last week to celebrate our 70th birthdays!

We stopped at the Visitor's Center, and I snapped this photo:

Exploring downtown Canandaigua with friends:

The view from one of the beautiful outlooks:

I took this during one of our walks on a hiking trail that was adjacent to the lake:

The Inspire Moore Winery. You can see some fall leaves around the driveway:

They had a beautiful vineyard:

I love how their wine bottles were decorated:

The amazing Sonnenberg Mansion:

And gardens:

One of our incredible sunsets:

We took a boat ride on The Lady Canandaigua:

Here's one of the incredible views from our boat ride:

I'm sharing a photo that one of my friends snapped of me.  I purchased this at one of the shops in Canandaigua:

Thank you so much for joining me this month!  I cannot wait to share my last project with you.

All That We Behold!

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful September! Here in eastern PA, the weather has been hot and humid lately. I’m really hoping for cooler temperatures and less humidity soon!

I'm also very excited to share another project I created for my September Hello Autumn theme at Art Journal Journey Monthly!

I made a hybrid, double-page art journal spread:

• I used a background I already had.
• I mixed in some images from an old Mary Engelbreit calendar to create this hybrid spread. 
• I digitally painted the blue sky and light green/yellow grass, and then I added another Mary Engelbreit image of the child in a pile of Autumn leaves. I remember jumping into leaf piles as a child, so this felt very nostalgic! 
• I had a "Martha Stewart" punch and black cardstock that I used to create the border for the top and bottom of my pages.
• Finally, I digitally typed my sentiment, which I found in another old Mary Engelbreit calendar.  

I don't usually create hybrid pages, so this spread was particularly fun to make!

I’m so excited to see all of your Autumn-themed projects this month at Art Journal Journey Monthly!  I love getting the opportunity to connect with incredible artists from all over the world.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy September!

Before She Became a Mom!

I’m so happy to be hosting Art Journal Journey Monthly for the third time! I’ve enjoyed seeing all your entries so far—they’re truly amazing!

Fall always makes me feel nostalgic, so today I'm sharing a scrapbook page I made in memory of my beautiful mom.  She passed away at 89 during COVID on December 20, 2020. Luckily, we were able to see her after she entered hospice care.  I know that a lot of families were not allowed to see their loved ones during such a painful and restrictive time, and my sisters and I were very grateful that we could have a chance to be with her and say goodbye.

Here is my project:

• I created this 12 x 12 mixed-media scrapbook page featuring a photo of my mom "before she became a mom." I think she looked so carefree, stylish, and beautiful here! 
• The 12 x 12 background paper is from Bo Bunny, a brand I had in my stash for years. 
• The rest was pretty simple and easy to put together.  I printed and cut the photo to fit into the background paper. 
• I added the title, some chicken wire chipboard, and a typed label. 
• For my September theme, I incorporated fall colors like dark and light browns, tan, and sepia. 
• The photo was taken in the fall of 1949.

I'm finishing my post with a photo that I took during our morning walk.  I really felt my mom's presence that day!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! I’ve been so happy to see all the amazing projects you’ve created using AJJ’s theme this month.

Love Days Like This!

Hi everyone!

This summer in eastern Pennsylvania has been quite the adventure! We started with rain and some seriously damaging thunderstorms. Then, we went through a dry spell and are now facing a severe drought. To top it off, we’ve been dealing with smoky, hazy skies from the wildfires in Canada, which have reached dangerous levels! Yikes!

Not being able to get outdoors has given me the perfect excuse to get back into crafting. Plus, this month’s Art Journal Journey theme really sparked my interest!

Halle from Halle’s Hobbies is hosting July, and I couldn’t resist joining in on her fun theme, “Fabric, Lace, and Trims, Oh My!”

But before I show you my project, I wanted to share a little about Art Journal Journey Monthly:

"Each month, there is a new challenge theme for you to take part in. Our participants are art-journalers, altered book artists, rubber stamp addicts, and mixed media artists from all over the world. You are invited to take part by linking via the Link tool on their site.  

Artwork created in an art journal, altered book, on canvas, or loose pages, as well as digital and fabric art of any size, is now acceptable."

Here is my mixed-media art journal scrapbook page:

I had a blast creating this page:

• I began by giving a 12 x 12 sheet of white Bazzill cardstock some fun splatters and drips with spray inks. 
• Next, I added an orange burlap circle that I cut from an old piece of burlap, torn patterned paper, and orange and lime-green ric-rac from my stash. 
• I machine-stitched the orange ric-rac onto my page, along with some fibers that had come loose from the orange burlap. 
• I also added some digital butterflies, leaves, and words from ArtStacks digital packs. 
• Finally, I added my photo, title, and journaling. What a fun project!

Thank you so much, Halle, for hosting this month and coming up with such a fabulous theme.

Now it’s your turn! I hope you get a chance to check out Art Journal Journey this month! 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of July! ❤

Time to Say Goodbye to Challenge Yourself and ArtStacks!

Hi everyone! I’m sad to share some big changes happening in my crafting world.

Challenge YOUrself will be closing after this month's 150th challenge.  

Yes, it was a difficult and bittersweet decision, but it is time for Challenge YOUrself to close. 

Challenge YOUrself #150 runs from June 7, 2026, through July 4th, 2026, at midnight EST.

This month, Challenge YOUrself is focusing on saying goodbye.  As they close, they’d love to hear your thoughts on what saying goodbye means to you. Whether it’s a heartfelt emotional farewell, a funny or unique way to say goodbye, or anything related to saying goodbye and its significance, they’re all ears! PLEASE  DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE A PHOTO OF YOU IN YOUR PROJECT!   

I created a mixed media scrapbook page for their final challenge:

• I used a combination of “49 and Market” papers with “Mintay” embellishments. 
• I typed my journaling, and I believe that says it all! 
• I will miss Challenge YOUrself, but I am certain that this is the appropriate moment to say goodbye.  

I hope you have the opportunity to join in on the fun at Challenge YOUrself this month.  

ArtStacks also has changes:

ArtStacks’ main hub will now be at The Dusty Attic's offices, a renowned Australian business that has supplied chipboard and other crafting materials to the paper-crafting community for years.

However, you can still order ArtStacks’ papers through the ArtStacks website at www.artstacks.com.au/shop or Dusty Attic's website at https://dustyattic.com.au/

New posts will also appear on The Dusty Attic's social media sites. You can find them at https://www.facebook.com/dustyattic and https://www.instagram.com/dusty_attic/

ArtStacks will no longer have a dedicated design team. I’ll miss being on their team, but I completely understand the need for change.

I am linking up my project at Art Journal Journey Monthly's June theme:

Matilde from Craftowanie, is guest-hosting for June, and her theme is "Houses and Buildings."

As you can see, there are 2 birdhouses (from Mintay collection) on my page.  Thank you so much, Matilde, for hosting AJJ in June!  

And I hope you get a chance to play along at Art Journal Journey Monthly.  

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.  Have a wonderful June!

Let Your Light Shine . . . for ArtStacks and Art Journal Journey Monthly

Hi everyone, I’m excited to share something new I created for ArtStacks! 

I used three of ArtStack's beautiful packs to make an art journal page that is close to my heart.

The first is "The Homemaker Limited Edition" pack:

The second is Deb Weiers' "Wonky Backgrounds" pack:

And the third is their "Tissue Backgrounds" pack:

I loved creating this mixed media art journal page using these packs: 

• The stunning background paper is from The Homemaker pack.  
• I tore two pieces of the black-and-white striped paper from the Wonky Backgrounds pack and adhered them onto my page.
• I also used the Tissue Backgrounds pack to give my background a bit of flair with the grid and newspaper print.
• For my focal point, I used a sepia photo of my mom and dad from 1945—it’s my absolute favorite!
• I used sparkly die-cut wings and glued them behind the photo.
• I also added lots of extra stamped and fabric leaves because I’m so excited about Spring!
• To make it all pop, I added some paint splatter and scribbles for a special touch.

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

I am also linking my project to Art Journal Journey Monthly's April challenge:

This month, Gillena Cox is hosting AJJ Monthly with a theme of “Trees are awesome, aren’t they?”

As you can see, I’ve used lots of leaves from beautiful trees!  Thank you, Gillena, for hosting AJJ this month.

And thank YOU so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope April brings you joy and happiness!

Exploring Ireland . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey Monthly

 Hi everyone! It's time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself! 

Challenge YOUrself #148 runs from April 7, 2026, through May 4th, 2026, at midnight EST.

This month, Challenge YOUrself is focusing on utilizing a Design Seeds spring color palette. For a more detailed look, you can refer to their color scheme here: Color Nature

I created a mixed media scrapbook page for this challenge:

I absolutely love the colors in this palette because they bring back memories of our recent trip to Ireland. My entire page was dedicated to that theme, utilizing 49 & Market and Mintay papers, along with pink rick-rack and a blue embossed chipboard piece that I had saved in my stash.

I hope you have the opportunity to participate in Challenge YOUrself this month. It’s the fourth of their final six challenges! They will be closing their challenge blog after their 150th challenge, which will take place in June of this year.

I am also linking up my project at Art Journal Journey Monthly:

This month is hosted by Gillena Cox at Lunch Break, and her theme is "Trees are awesome, aren't they?"

As you can see, my photo taken in Ireland is filled with beautiful trees!!!

Thank you, Gillena, for hosting AJJ this month.  

I hope you have a creative month of April and that you get a chance to play along at Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Enjoy the arrival of April and the new spring season.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Together for ArtStacks and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone, I’m so excited to share something new I created for the ArtStacks design team! 

First of all, I used three of ArtStacks' beautiful Artist Series packs!

The first is by Tamara Laporte (@willowing):

And the next 2 are by Shana Bebelkis (@shanoukiart):

I loved creating this mixed media art journal page using these packs. 

To learn more about how I made my page, head over to the ArtStacks blog!

I hope this has sparked some ideas for you to start your own project!

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

Bleubeard and Elizabeth from Altered Book Lover are hosting this month, and their theme is "Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone."

Elizabeth says:  "I have never read any Shakespeare, nor seen any of his plays, but I once heard someone say the reason his plays were so long was because he chose to use 10 words when one would have sufficed.  Therefore, in that same vein, Bleubeard and I give you this month's theme: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone."

I absolutely love this month's theme!  Thank you, Bleubeard and Elizabeth! 

I hope I have inspired you to check 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 around the world. 

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