Author: Patsy Tabbert

As I write this post, there are only 27 days 7 hours 25 minutes and 38 seconds until Christmas…unbelievable!  For those of us in the US the time between Halloween and Christmas becomes more blurred with the passing years.  I’ve done my shopping, started my cards and annual Christmas letter, done a little decorating, and even wrapped some of the gifts and, I have to say, it’s another blessing to have the opportunity to receive the gift of spending time in the galleries just selfishly wrapped up in all of the beauty!  Cutting the list to only six was, as always, a chore but it’s done and here are the six gallery standouts for today.

SSL: White Space by MaggieMae is a stunning heritage page with a touch of winter beauty.  I’m in love with that photo and she sets it off beautifully with the vintage brushwork and the placement of the journaling.  The horizontal strips and the little gold stars add a punch of color.  The background paper is perfect with  the softly brushed snowflakes which add a wonderful depth.  Love this page!

Thanksgiving is all about being with family and friends and being grateful for what you have.  Playing Pandemic by musicmom3 embodies both of those traditions.  I love that the family enjoys playing board games and that a new one has joined the “family”.  The two photos are blended perfectly (she includes a link to the tutorial, if you want to have a go at it).  I know I get repetitive about the placement of the journaling on pages but it really does make a page and the journaling on this page is placed perfectly to highlight the small photo!  All I can say about the title is … Superb!  Gorgeous page!

Spending Time Together by Glori2 is another page about, well, spending time together but with a totally different tone.  So sorry to hear about the food poisoning .. no fun!  But this page is full of fun!  Absolutely love the photo in the circular frame!  Love the mix of the large, masked photo with the two smaller, framed photos.  And what fun are those clusters.  Love the journaling and even though it wasn’t the trip she envisioned, it was definitely one she will remember.  Awesome page!

I am always attracted to art journal pages and Sometimes by TrishD is an absolutely stunning one!  The use of B&W lets the lighting take center stage.  The photo is perfect for the subject of the page and I love how it’s blended.  I think this would make a beautiful page in a journal!  Love it!

Well, I couldn’t avoid it!  There are so many Christmas pages, cards, and projects in the galleries. It’s always fun to see craft projects that use digital supplies.  This Christmas Ornament by oscaralley is totally adorable!  Love how she’s finished it off with the red/white twine.  I would be proud to hang this on my tree!

This gorgeous 2017 Christmas Card by Katie Pertiet sets the tone for a beautiful season.  The handwritten greeting is perfect for the soft look created by the watery holly and the watery splats/stains.  The sprinkling of stars is the perfect finishing touch.  I’d love for this to be my Christmas card this year (or any year)!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed my picks today.  If you have time, please visit the galleries and leave some love for the artists.  The titles and images are both linked so it is really easy to get to the right page in the gallery.  Thanks for letting me share these beauties with you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amidst all of the chaos of hurricane damage repairs, it’s wonderfully calming to wander through the galleries.  My choices today run the gamut and I love them all.  I hope you do too.

Frosty Song by tiramisu is a gorgeous winter page.  The frosty “feel” of the snow is warmed up by the color in the cabin. The blended photo is amazing and the additional smaller photos beautifully extend the landscape across the page.  She found the perfect embellishment in the pine branch.  I really love this page!

Gather These Moments by Applechick grabbed me immediately with the beautiful, warm color palette.  I love how the colors are so perfect with the photo.  Her embellishments are well-chosen and well-placed and I love how the twine bow and leaves frame the photo and the title.  Gorgeous page!

I really admire artists who tackle projects like December Daily, Week In The Life, Project Life, and 30 Days of Thankful.  I have completed one December Daily and one 30 Days of Thankful and I love them both but have not completed another one.  I love how 30 Days of Thanks-Day 14 by OKate uses a simple page with lots of white space for a stunning impact.  I have a feeling that I’m going to be scraplifting this idea for a 52 Weeks of New project.  Love the idea and the pages she has created!

I Will Not Live A Long Life by hoodsmom is an absolutely stunning page with such a powerful message.  The page itself is beautifully composed with the placement of the journaling, the intensity of the title, and the use of an atypical color scheme.  If you would like to read the essay that was behind the creation of the page, you can find it here.  This piece is art at its best.

Another page that caught me with the color scheme is Neighbourhood by margje.  The urban grunginess of the papers and brushes are perfect for the photos.  Love the large blended photo with the stacked smaller framed photos.  Another awesome piece of art by one of my favorite artists!

Remembrance by veer is a gorgeous heritage page. The interesting background she has created is the perfect backdrop for the photo of her grandmother and her brother and sister.  Beautiful placement of the title.  That photo is a treasure and veer has created a page that will be treasured for years.  Love it!

I hope that you have some time to wander the galleries yourself.  It really is a calming and inspiring thing to do.  If you can, please visit these pages and leave the artists a comment.

 

 

I feel like I’m sounding like a broken record but I just can’t believe that another month has passed us by so quickly!  We’ve left Halloween in the dust here in the US and now we’re full steam ahead into the Christmas season.  Unbelievable!  The galleries are full of beautiful fall, spooky Halloween, and just plain creative and beautiful pages.  What a fun gift it is to be able to “stroll” through them and pick six to spotlight.  Here are my standouts for today.

As is always true when I see a page of Marge’s, I instantly fall in love.  And In True Spirit is no exception.  This is not your typical Halloween layout.  Love the muted orange shades and the almost grays of the brush work which create a much more modern piece. Love it!

Lonely by Gina captured my imagination the minute I saw it in the gallery.  What an amazingly evocative page!  The feeling of desolation is just so strong.  Love the combination of colors and the use of the frame.  Awesome blending!  The blended photo draws me in and makes my heart ache for him.  Stunning page!

P’tiscrap’s page, In the Arcachon Sand, is also of a boy sitting by himself but evokes such different emotions!  Love the geometric lines on this page!  The background stripes are a perfect complement to the triangle photo mask.  Beautiful brush work and awesome placement of word art.  Love it!

The soft colors that Christine Irion has used for her Twins page are so fitting for the photo of those sweet babies.  She has so many elements on the page and, yet, it still has a calm feel about it.  Love all of the frames and the paint chip cards.  And, as a total non-functioning button user, I am in awe of her perfect use of them!  Gorgeous page!

My favorite part of pam p’s page for the 10/28-11/3 AnnaLift is the background she has created behind the photo.  I also love the placement of the title “pumpkins galore”.  And what gorgeous editing she has done on the photo.  The use of the triangle frames allows for an “open” look over the sketched leaves.  I would definitely hang this on my wall during the fall!

Think Colorfully by Grace had me smiling from the moment I laid eyes on it … and I’m still smiling! And, truthfully, who could resist smiling at this awesome, colorful page!  Love the scribbled frame around the edge and that art doll with its perfect shadowing is just amazing (guess what, it made me go shopping!).  Love everything about this page.

These are just six of the many wonderful pages that are out there in the galleries.  Why don’t you give yourself the gift of time spent enjoying them.  If you want to get a closer look at these six, the images and the titles are linked.  If you do visit them in the gallery, why not take the time to leave a comment.  It’s really quick and means a lot to the artists.