GREAT STRIDES

My niece Niicki has formed a team to walk in the Great Strides Walk for CF (Cystic Fibrosis) to be held in Rapid City, SD on May 31st and another team to walk in Sioux Falls, SD on June 7th. It is called "Jenn's Green Team" in honor of her daughter Jennifer who lost her battle with CF last year. It is so important to find a cure. We want to make CF stand for Cure Found! The website for the walks, to join the team, or to donate - is: www.cff.org/Great_Strides/NicoleNelson5139

GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest, most successful, and most important national fund-raising event. If you are not in this area but would like to support us please check out our team's website! So many young lives depend on the vital, ongoing advances in CF research - to keep that momentum going, we need your help now, more than ever!

Walking in GREAT STRIDES is such an effective way to add tomorrows every day to the lives of those with CF. We are doing this in memory of Jenn as she would have wanted to make sure others with CF didn't have to go through what she did. Your enthusiasm and fund-raising efforts will help give more tomorrows to those with CF every day.

Intuitive Watercolor

I have been playing with the intuitive watercolor (from Bernie Berlin's ATC book). A bit challenging to see any images but lots of fun once you do! The Beast was my first one. It got a bit easier after that. hee hee
If you would like to see some really awesome examples of this technique go to artbeckon's blog at http://artbeckons.blogspot.com/

Spray Webbing Samples

One of my favorite textures is what I call Spray Webbing Paper. If you have never made Spray Webbing Paper you are in for a treat. It turns out beautiful every time and is very easy to do...although a bit messy. :-) You can use any color of cardstock for this as it is completely covered in the end so it is a great way to use up colors from multipacks that you don't like! If you want to use it for book covers use lightweight cardboard or chipboard.

To make this paper you need:

• Cardstock (or cardboard) for a base
• Acrylic paints in several colors
• Spray webbing
• Optional...you can also add spray glitter if you love more sparkle!

1. To get started first spread out newspaper or a dropcloth to cover your table...this is messy! Then lay out several sheets of cardstock (cardboard) and smear different colors of acrylic paints over each sheet until it is completely covered. Use lots of contrast on this and don't blend the colors very much...you want it to be very blotchy.


2. This next step is optional: Use a paint brush to drip or spatter drops of black, white or a very strong color over your blotchy page.


3. Let it dry.


4. Then take it outside or into the garage and spray it with webbing spray. (You can find it in the paint section of the craft store.) Let it dry and you are done...unless you like glitter...then you can overspray it with glitter spray for extra sparkle!!

A TIP: You will need to cover your floor or patio with paper or cardboard to protect it. I use a large shipping box opened out ...I just keep it folded up against the garage wall when I am not using it and spread it on the floor when I want to spray things. If you don't have this kind of room, you can make a spray station by cutting a hole in the side of a cardboard box, then lay your sheets (one at a time) in the box to spray...the box will contain the overspray.

Here are a few samples papers I have made.