Mixing it up with stencils this time!

hi all!

i am SO SO happy to be getting glimpses of spring here in northern VA!  yesterday pezza and i went to home depot in search of 3 pansy plants to put in the planter on our front porch and somehow came home with 3 large trees (waving hi to hubby - don't kill me).  we built our house 7 years ago and i said we should put trees in right away to they can start growing and we will eventually get some shade.  well every year we don't do it so now i look at my neighbors trees that DID go in 7 years ago and have tree envy.  oh and hubby we wanna go back for some fruit trees too but i can't get those in my truck.  i can't believe i got these 3 in my truck - it was precarious i must say.  on this same streak - after pezza got home from school we spent the entire rest of the day working in the gardens doing spring clean up.  we got a composter a couple weeks ago too so i filled that baby up yesterday and cannot wait to get my own compost out of there!  i am not overly hippy-ish but it DOES feel good to be putting all of that stuff in there plus my kitchen scraps and NOT going out and buying it.  and no my headache is not gone but i am sick of it and wanted to be out in my gardens and so i just went for it.  by the end of the day i was really hurting but i was determined :)

today pezza has an evaluation with the public school system in preparation for kindergarten.  they can help recommend what i should do with her issues as well as help navigate the public school system regarding her issues.  not sure how much it will help but i am trying everything i can make use of.  after that we are hitting my chiropractor so i am hoping he can provide some headache relief. 

i wanted to pass along something i discovered yesterday too.  i have a good friend and neighbor who is having major surgery this week and she has 3 kids pezza's age and under.  she will not only be hospitalized for at least a week but then she will be in bed for at least a month.  we all want to help her and her family and another friend set things up on a site called Lotsa Helping Hands.  what an amazing idea this website is!  it helps get everyone coordinated and scheduled with ease and tailors that help to what the person has requested they need.

so what else have i been up to (seriously right - i DO sleep....)  we have kicked off the THIRD challenge in the Mix It Up mixed media group over on Color Me Creative. this time we are using stencils!  any stencils can be used - my faves are Crafter's Workshop of course!  i have two projects done.  today i have an art journal page:

i had the background done from some playtime a couple weeks ago.  i covered part of the page with strips of book pages and then sprayed some green mist.  then i laid my stencils done and used Viva Decor modeling cream.  while it was wet i quickly sprinkled green microbeads into the modeling paste. 

once dry i doodles a bit around the shapes.  my doodling sucks but i really want to get better.  the stamped piece is done with Distress Embossing powders and a collage stamp. 

i did the lettering on my computer and printed it out.

i have several videos posted on the group showing the many ways you can use stencils.  head on over and join in!  you can make anything - tags, cards, scrapbook pages, art journal pages.  we would love to have you!