Moving Day

Please feel free to browse old posts, and check us out!! If you like what you see, and you'd like to be part of our NEW venture, please join us at A Year in the Life of an Art Journal!!

Dec Prompt # 47

It seems strange to be saying so long to this place, and starting on a new journey in a new one. I hope that all of you will join us over at A Year in the Life of an Art Journal! This coming year, we'll be playing with prompts similar to those here in the gutter. MAYBE with a little less of an edge. Still with 100% of the attitude. I'm excited that my Design Team will be following me to this new place. Even those of them that worried they didn't know how to art journal!! This blog will stay up. I want people to be able to re visit past prompts, because lets face it. There just aren't many blogs like this one around. Thanks so much to each of you... if it weren't for YOUR participation, this thing would NEVER have gotten anywhere.
Our final prompt in the Gutter... REMEMBER. YOU are in charge of you. Your art... Your life. Sometimes you just have to play in the gutter. Don't take who YOU are for granted.
Put yourself at the top of your list.
Make the rules up as you go.
Don't leave yourself out of the things you deem important enough to document. In your scrapbooks, in your art journals, in your photography...
THE PROMPT: For Granted
THE SONG: If I Were a Boy by Beyonce
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Page from phone book

From the GIRLZ...
Margarethe
I went for a walk with my mother last week, around a small lake near the city center. It's so beautiful there, especially in the winter time, but I often fail to notice.

It's been great doing all the challenges this year as part of the DT, and although I am sad Gutter Girlz is over, I'm looking forward to seeing you all as part as the Year in the Life of an Art Journal-DT next year!


Becky
When I saw this prompt the first thing that came to my mind was my grandmother. I still had a phone book that had her number in it. She passed away 3 years ago and it is still something that weighs on me each day. This is the beginning of my ART Journal and I couldn't think of a better way to start it than with my Nanny.

See you at A Year in the Life of an Art Journal!! Be sure to subscribe there, and get ready for next year!!

Nov, Prompt #46

Hello! Welcome to the Gutter! We're getting ready to move over to A Year in the Life of an Art Journal starting in 2011, but until then, we invite you to keep posting links to what you create here!
THE PROMPT: What's Good for the Goose
THE SONG: Live Your Life by Rihanna
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Feathers
The design team is busy working on getting switched to the new blog!! Here's what we've got!!
BECKY
I decided to add this months prompt into my all about me ATC cards.

RACHEL
I created a page for my art journal.

PATTI
This challenge was the perfect challenge to use this photo of my niece. I used a few verses from the song. So fun!!!!!!!

Create YOUR art from OUR prompt, then leave us a comment with a direct LINK to your creation in a comment here.

Can't wait to see what you create!!

Oct, Prompt #45

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!! Things have been headless crazy around here, and I've been weighing what I need to do with the blog, so it's taken me a while to get this posted!!

Here's the plan. For the rest of the year, we're going down to one prompt a month. We'll be posting on the 15th of November and December, and then... January 2011
WE'RE MOVING!!
I'm ready for some change, and I think this is the perfect time. I host an art journal blog that has been a huge success, and I love the prompt format of gutter girlz. I think now is the perfect time for all of us to move over, and get our journals in the gutter!! I know I personally feel like I've worn out the dirty part of my scrapbooks... lol and I love the freedom that art journaling has. ALSO... because I like to push envelopes, I like the idea of blurring the "lines" between scrapbooking and art journaling. It makes some people nervous. :) I hope you'll all join us!! A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. Be sure to subscribe there, and join our facebook group!! (the gutter girlz group on FB will be shutting down.) We'll start a new year of prompts in January with three part prompts like we do here, and with the freedom for you to create as you like!!
This is one of my favorite songs... I wish I had had time to create for this prompt!!
THE PROMPT: That's Rich
THE SONG: You and I by Ingrid Michealson
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Crochet or Knitting
Here are a couple pages from the design team!!
Mararethe
I wanted to make a simple layout that was strong at the same time. I think this layout is just that.

Nikki
As soon as I saw the lyrics to this song I knew what I wanted to do. We visited the Biltmore Estate back in April and it was absolutely breathtaking! It's so hard to imagine that people actually lived in a home that large! So I used a pic of the Biltmore, part of a crocheted doily that was the prompt, and some lyrics from the song...

Becky
Sometimes I just need to add a variety to my crafting and not so much scrapbook pages. When I read this prompt I knew immediately what I wanted to make. I have kept this box for a few years now. It originally contained some flowers. So I altered it with some crackle paint and added a cluster of flowers. I found a crochet one and used the title of the song as my title for the box.

Patti
This was just the perfect song to do this layout about my niece. My sister decided to *kick her out* Yeah whatever but anyway she is a good kid. Does well in school. Has a great part time job. Is heading to college in the Fall. I just want her to know that she can do this on her own.

Can't wait to see what you create!!

Sept. 30th, Prompt #44

Please welcome our guest designer this month, Lena Schreijenberg! Lena lives in a small village in the South-West of the Netherlands.
"As long as I can remember I am always busy to create things. As a little kid I made drawings, knitted and sewed dolls clothes, made cushions for my room…. Now I’m a qualified seamstress and I have made many clothes for myself and my kids. A few years ago I started painting and my best friend Marit introduced scrapping/art journaling to me. I took part in both of her workshops in art journaling and I loved it!! So I guess my latest work is a bit of a mix of scrapping and art journaling."
VISIT HER BLOG!

Becky brings this prompt and guest designer to us this month! Thanks, Becky!!

THE PROMPT: I am a _____________ (fill in the blank)

THE SONG: I'm a Fighter by Christina Aguleria

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: fabric
I started with a black piece of cardstock. Ripped pieces of fabric and "glued" them on the page with lots of gesso. When it was dry, I painted the page and dripped some black ink over it
The pic is my dd Carmen and I'm very proud of her. She's 13 years old and she totally stands for everything she believes in and what she likes. It doesn't matter to her what other people think of it/her. That's why I think she's a "Fighter"....

MARGARETHE:
I am... A daughter. A Wife. A Student. A woman. A girl. A reader. A scrapbooker. A friend. An acquaintance. A dreamer. A wisher. A lover. A stranger. A writer. A lover of long showers. A restless sleeper. A cat-owner. A geek.
I am so many things. I have so many roles to play, but do I ever play them "right"?

GLENDA:
I love this song by Christina and it's one I can definitely relate to so I decided to do a page for my art journal. I am a strong person and have only been made stronger by some of the hardships I have had to endure in regards to raising our kids and by going through some tough times with them. I always say what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!!!

BECKY:
I decided to use this months prompt to start an art journal. I've been receiving daily inspiration emails that I will include in this journal. Because I am a fighter. I am a strong woman.

PATTI:
I did this months prompt on my relationship with my Mom over the years it has gone from bad to worse. Worse because I am not taking her or her significant other's crap!! I used a few verses out of the song for my journaling: After all the fights and the lies Guess you're wanting to haunt me But that won't work anymore No more uh uh, it's over. I attempted a fabric flower it didn't turn out how I wanted it to but just the same.

NIKKI:
As soon as I saw the prompt I knew what I was going to do for this one! I am an individual, without a doubt! I love my tattoos! I have 4 of them...and if others don't like them...well, too bad...LOL! I definitely go by the beat of my own drum. I took some fabric and sewed it on as a skirt highlighting my back tattoo. Then took a vintage string of pearls and used it as an embellishment for the skirt!

CHRISTI:
I loved using fabric for this prompt...I made little yo-yo flowers, applied fabric to my page in strips, and used felt Thickers for my title!

In other news... I've been thinking about the direction I'd like to take this blog... unfortunately, I can't afford the time to search out sponsors, and we don't offer prizes anymore. I think that has affected the responses from all of you... and I'm considering changing things, and possibly consolidating Gutter Girlz into my art journal prompt blog. The prompts there are also twice a month, however they focus on the journal part of art... something people are welcome to do here, but don't often do. I think that sometimes, a lot of our prompts might get a better response if they were in an art journal instead of a scrap page.
IF.
I make any changes, we'll do that at the start of NEXT year. Just a heads up, and a request for your thoughts on making some small changes like the one mentioned.
Can't wait to see what you guys create with this prompt!!

Sept. 15th, Prompt #43

THE PROMPT: Torturing Myself
THE SONG: Like it Rough by Lady Gaga
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Rope
This one is a tough one!! Thanks to the daring Girls that took it on, and made it THEIRS!!
Becky:
Sometimes I run into a prompt that is hard for me to relate to. I have love on my mind right now so I just couldn't come up with anything that went with the song lyrics or the title. BUT....if you ever run into this problem...DON'T give up on working on the prompt. Instead I used the "rope". I didn't have rope but twine works just as well!

Nikki:
I went with a fun page for this prompt....remembering back to our Outdoor Adventure in Puerto Vallarta and how the first of the 7 zip lines we did was torture! It was scary being up so high and running down that line while being 100 and some feet above the ground! But it was awesome and the next 6 were just plain fun!!!!!

Aug. 30th Prompt #42

Hello! Welcome to the Gutter! This prompt is not hosted by any one design team member, and so I thought it would be cool for all of YOU to choose!! We're calling this prompt,
FREE CHOICE! What does that mean for you?
PROMPT:
Choose title or "prompt" to start.
SONG:
Pick a song of your choice that matches your prompt. (or the other way around.)
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE:
Choose something you've never done or used to try on your layout!!
Here's what the girlz created!
GLENDA:
I chose the song "Can't be tamed" by Miley Cyrus and used the lyrics that say "I wanna fly, I wanna drive, I wanna go, I wanna be a part of something I don't know" and did my layout on my love of seeing new places, traveling and having an adventure. I hope to be able to travel more and see new places the older I get. My technique is paint (I painted on my transparency) and my product is transparency.

PATTI:

MARGRETHE:

The song Margrethe used was from Patti's idea to use the song A place in this world, by Taylor Swift and a Map for her product/technique.
I used Studio Calico's Documentary collection, and their map patterned paper has Norway on it, and the part where I live, so I used that as a detail. For a long time I've felt I've been behind where I should be. I was 23 when we got our own place. I was still in school. I hadn't had a proper job. But over the last year, things changed. I'm still in school, but I'm about to start working on my masters dissertation. I've got a part time job. And I'm not scared of turning 25 (in a month). I may not have a cookie-cutter life, but I'm living my life as me.
NIKKI:
I just did this page of my hubby and I recently with the song You make me smile by Uncle Kracker in mind...I love the words to this song! I typed the lyrics in different places on the background paper and then used bits and pieces of scraps to finish it up! :) I actually did one of AJ as well with the same song in mind.


CHRISTI:
The prompt: Baby Love
The song: Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson
The product/technique: Seed beads
I just love these pictures of my two oldest children (taken 10 years ago!) and decided to use them as my inspiration for the prompt. Which is kinda backwards, but that's just how I am. The song "Baby Love" was running through my head the whole time I thought about this page, but since that one's a little outdated, I chose a love-themed song by Ingrid Michaelson instead. The seed beads just seemed the perfect touch.


Take this "prompt" and inspire US this month!! See you on the 15th!
Can't wait to see what you create!!

Aug. 15th Prompt #41

Our prompt this time!
THE PROMPT:
Life and the Dream
THE SONG:
Where the Green Grass Grows by Tim Magraw
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Grass
NIKKI
This was a tough prompt for me....I didn't have anything resembling grass whatsoever, so I decided to paint my grass and some sky and went with more of an art journally feel to this one....It's one of my favorite songs from Tim and I was super excited to see it as the prompt for this month!

SUSAN
I did an art journal page this month. A week ago was my original sobriety date. It's not my sobriety date but it is when I first decided to lay down my shovel & go to AA and try something different. 5 years later I live in California. Have my life and "the" dream intermingled? Yes, but certainly not in the way I had imagined them and that is what my journaling is about. Dream big always but don't be attached to the package the dreams come in and you just might be surprised at how many do come true.

BECKY
for this challenge I wanted to us a picture of my grandmothers house and altered the picture to reflect “where the green grass grows”

RACHEL
We recently moved to the country... and we love it there. I've always loved this song by Tim, and when I remembered I had a photo of the old rocker facing west that was sitting in the yard when we moved in, I had to use it to convey this prompt. We are living our dream... and taking life slowly. Where the green grass grows.

Can't wait to see what you create!!

July 30th, Prompt #40

This post is brought to you by our DT member, Margrethe!!
Hello! Welcome to the Gutter! This has been one busy month, and it felt SO nice to get in the gutter.

The prompt this time is:
The PROMPT: Memories
The SONG: "No, I don't remember" by Anna Ternheim
The Product/Technique: Overlays/transparencies

Our guest designer this time is Angela!

Hi! I’m Angela. I live on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. This is actually my first time as a guest designer for a blog. And I’m more than a little excited about it!

I graduated last May with a Bachelor’s in Fashion Merchandising. Recently obtained my license as an Esthetician in Massachusetts. I work retail to pay the bills, and I scrap to save my sanity.

I started scrapbooking about seven years ago in 2003 – when I was 16, in my junior year of high school. Holy.crap. That seems like forever ago. The first thing I made was an album for my Mom for Mother’s Day and her birthday. I dabbled in it here and there throughout the rest of high school and still have that album kicking around somewhere..

I became *serious* about my scrapping in 2006, during my sophomore year of college. Or about as serious as you can be when you live in a room the size of a closet and have no space for storage, let alone to crop. Mini albums are where I started but right now layouts are where most of my pictures end up.

Recently I’ve moved more into the direction of what I like to call paper crafting; scrapbooking seems really lame to other people [especially dudes] when they ask you what your hobbies are. I’ve found a new love for creating canvases and attempting altered art.

My new favorite products are the Ranger Color Washes in the Tim Holtz line of products, Stampotique “artsy fartsy” girl rubber stamps, and deco tapes. I’m finally starting to use my stash of Hambly, love, Elsie, and American Crafts. And my old stand-bys, American Crafts Thickers, Bazzil white cardstock, and Bazzil kraft cardstock, are usually visible on ALL my layouts : ]

I’m always looking for new techniques online through blogs and tutorials, and I love picking the brains of the girls I scrap with at my LSS. Right now I’m *loving* watered down acrylic paints and my color washes, with masks, to alter white cardstock into something new. Paper flowers using circle punches are also a new favorite that keep popping up on my layouts. One thing I’m trying to incorporate more of onto my layouts is my handwriting.

You can find my ramblings and my layouts at http://angelaspangela.wordpress.com

My Layout:

This song was one I had never heard, but upon reading the lyrics all I could think of was my most recent ex-boyfriend.

• I altered one of the lyrics, ‘I forgot how to cry,’ to make my title.
• I used pictures of just me because I wanted ME to be the highlight of the layout and not him or our relationship.
• I used the masked areas to do my journaling that I wanted everyone to read. It’s mostly random memories from the last year, stuff he and I talked about, and memories from when we were together for those couple months. I used the color washed areas to do hidden journaling for some stuff I needed to get out but didn’t want everyone to be able to read – such a neat trick!
• My journaling reads: I have never cried over a guy as much as I did for Matt. I never want to do that again. Eventually I’ll pull my life together. Emotionally, financially, socially, romantically. Right now I’m just working on staying afloat - & that’s just fine. No one figures their life out before the age of 25 anyways! I miss the security blanket of college but I don’t think I could do classes anymore. Somewhere along the line I lost myself - & that’s not always an easy thing to find again. But I did. & then Matt happened. When we broke up I was an emotional mess for two weeks. It took me a considerable amount of time to want to be social again, & I’ve only recently started to date again. I’m not 100% the me I was before Matt, but I don’t think I’ll see that girl again. I’m starting to like this girl more. I hold all my pain inside. So many promises made & not a single one kept. No more tears for him unless I can drown him in them.
  

Journaling close up:

More from Angela:

Patti:
Great prompt. I used the title of the song in my journaling. The song title inspired my journaling. I had fun using the overlays. I love how they look on a layout. I forget to use them alot of the times though.
In case you can't read my journaling here it is:
No, I don't remember many happy loving memories of my childhood. I look back on this snapshot and it forces me to try and remember good memories, but all I come up with is the bad. Growing up I preferred to stay in my fantasy family - you know the one - where I’m Cindy Brady. I used to hope and pray for a ‘normal’ family, but we just never made it. I sincerely hope I’ve grown into Carol Brady and that I’ve created the loving family for my son - one that I was never able to enjoy.

Glenda:
I used the word "memories" from the song and scrapped some pictures that I had been meaning to scrap for a while. Scrapping to me is about looking back, preserving the memories and having fun at the same time.

Nikki
My brother passed away when I was 7, he was just 3...it was only a few months after this photo was taken. He was the first person I thought of when I saw the prompt...I remember a few little things about him, but not very much at all. I wish so badly that he was still with us. I would love to know what kind of a father, husband, brother, son he would have made. I know it my heart he would have been great at all of them. I used a white frame overlay as well as the wing transparencies....

Sarah
I used the word memories and looked back on my childhood love for my easy bake oven. Oh how I loved baking brownies with that little light bulb. I still love to bake and Im always experimenting with new delicious treats! I also used the transparency. Hambly oh how I love thee.

Christi
I used some of the lyrics from the song as my title, and got crazy with transparencies!

Twice a month, we choose a guest gutter girl to play along with us! At least once a month, that guest is chosen HERE from those of YOU that play along! All you need to do to be considered for a guest spot, is create YOUR art from OUR prompt, then leave us a comment with a direct LINK to your creation in a comment here. Please be sure when you leave your comment, to include your email in the space provided in our comment system. Your email is not shared publicly, but it allows us to email guest invitations!!
Can't wait to see what you create!!