July 30, 2010

Greeting Card Charm

Yesterday I played with the new Greeting Card Kids set. The images are so charming.  Here's what I came up with:



The main images were watercolored.  The decorative papers are from Greenhouse Gala.  If you look close, you'll see the Hydrangea image from the Because I Care set stamped in pink on the pink card stock.

Finished off with some satin olive ribbion, new lace ribbon and some stitching. 


A bit of ivory and satin ribbon flowers to add a girly feel to the card.  The main ivory ribbon flower I created months ago (had it sitting on the side for future use). The pink was a last minute addition.  Two 4" strips of pink ribbon stitched along the side, pullied a little to create the ruffle and walla!  

If you really want to go crazy with ribbon flowers, do what I did and check out a ribbon art book from the library.  LOTS of ideas for using ribbon in your art.

Added an additional vintage feel by including the vintage brad in the center.



Here's what the entire set looks like.  Darling, darling.


Two more days till the WEEKEND.  WOOT!




July 27, 2010

Zen Tangle

Tuesday.  Four more days till the weekend.  It's a sign the remainder of my week is very busy.

School is around the corner (just two weeks away) and we're still getting supplies and uniforms together.  I'm focusing on getting the things we need during the work week so we're not out on the weekend when the rest of the community is.  Besides, it'll allow me to stay home and work on my projects.

In an attempt to create some sort of art for the weekend, I had to find something that wouldn't require total concentration.  The little one and I had the house to ourselves while big brother and dad took an overnight kayaking trip and sister had all day cheer camp.  I needed something we could work on together.  The answer, Zen Tangle.

Here's an example:


Basically, you draw random shapes, like circles, hearts, diamonds, etc. and start filling them in with doodles, geometric shapes and so forth.

To start our adventure, I printed off several samples and then we both took turns picking one of the designs to draw in a small section on our paper.  Giving him samples/ideas of what was done by others was much less stressful than having him think up a new design/pattern on his own.

Here's what we came up with:

His:


Mine




He much preferred to add color to his, so I went along with it.  He is only 6 after all, and what child doesn't like to add color.  I'm thankful it's on paper this time and not the wall.

When Sunday rolled around, I grab the other two kiddos and had them do the same thing.  I'll have to wait and share what they did tomorrow as I have no idea where they put their projects.  It's interesting to see how each child designed their own Zen Tangle.

It was a creative weekend afterall.  It's great being able to share art adventures with the kids and have them sit long enough with me to actually do it.

If you'd like to see more Zen Tangles, check out this awesome Flickr group geared specifically for the craft.  Get yourself a little journal and try it.  Start small, nothing bigger than 5 x7.  Part of the beauty of Zen Tangle is being able to complete it in a day.



July 24, 2010

Saturday's Goal....

TO CREATE! 

Everything sitting on this table will be tossed in a box so I'll have a clean work station to start with.  First, another cuppa coffee. 

Wish me luck! 


July 21, 2010

Always Elegant digi art

Thought I'd swing home on my lunch hour to post this card.  The image is once again from the new Always Elegant digital download from SU!.

If you'd like to recreate this, here's what you do:

Insert the image and enlarged it a bit.   Copy the image 4 more times and reposition to the four sides of the main image (the top two images being flipped 180 degrees).

Grab your markers (So Saffron, Rose Red, Pear) and color in your desired areas.

I colored this in while watching a bit of the TV.  It was quite relaxing (really it was).  I was in the mood this particular day to just color.  No thinking about layout or sketch to use.  I have several others printed and various color schemes in mine.

Wouldn't this make a beautiful ceramic tile??



July 19, 2010

Tour de Freaks ~ Summertime!

Ready for another  Tour de Freaks blog hop?  The theme this month is "In The Good Ole Summertime'.   If you've been touring already then you've probably just come from viewing Jen Smiths beautiful creations.


I snapped this photo a week ago at my 6 year olds baseball game. Sometimes the images of all the gear and garb are just as memorable as snapping your kiddo running to first base. 

Ms. Wendy Weixler 's beautiful digital layouts inspired me to get more use from my own copy of My Digital Studio.  The real perk to it all was doing it in less than 30 minutes.

In case you're wondering, my kiddo is sporting the cleats on the far left.


What else is so prominent during summer than BUGS!   I've spent quite a few summer nights catching junebugs with my boys to feed our chickens.  I TRIED to pick them up and put them in the bug box, but as soon as their legs moved they were hurled across the yard.  I think the only thing worse was shaking the neighbors iris reeds to make the junebugs fly out, only to realize that the soft branch I was squeezing was actually a lizard!

Bugs are beneficial, but just the same I'd rathe keep them at a distance (from myself).  So, here I've created a faux bug jar with paper butterflies.  I've made it real GIRLY by adding chunky glitter to the real twig and base of the jar.  Hopefully this will keep the real bugs at bay, LOL!



Here's a view from the backside.  Love that glitter on the twig.  The pink and white butterfly has wired wrapped around it's throax, allowing it to poke through the tissue and foam and stand up a bit more erect.


Speaking of Ms. Wendy Weixlers, she's next on the tour.  I can't wait to see what she's drummed up this month.  Thanks for checking out my art this month!



July 17, 2010

VC Rock III ~ Digi Art

Welcome to the third installment of "VC Rocks blog hop".  Projects ideas offered by demonstrators to highlight SU! product.

The main image below is from the "Always Elegant" set.  Would you be surprised if I told you this is actually a digital image?  Yep!  It's one of the new downloads from My Digital Studio (MDS).

While the downloads are designed to be used with MDS software, you can purchase the images (PNG files) and use them as digital rubberstamps for your cards.  Most of the images included with MDS are solids, obviously to give you the choice to change the image to a pattern fill or specific color.  However, I've been searching for more 'coloring book' images so I can color them using markers, dye pads or watercolor pencils.

I'm looking forward to SU! offering more "digital" coloring book images (hint, hint).  What I really like about having this option is the capability to scale up the image to a size that's useable for my specific project (which is exactly what I did here).

One thing to note, if you want to purchase an individual image.  They work in MDS.  However, if you don't have MDS, you can pull them into Photoshop OR even a word document as an 'image', but this works ONLY for the open images (you can't change the colors of the solid images).

Now, on to my project:




The flourish was inserted into MDS and scaled up (so I could work with it at reasonable size).  I copied it 3 other times so my final white cardstock had 4 images (3 to color in the future).

Markers were used to color the main image.  I used the Coffee Crumb and the small row of flowers from "Because I Care" to stamp just above and below the flourish.  The main image is lifted with dimensionals.


Be sure to check out the other projects the VC Rock demos have set up for you.  To do so, you can select the blog directly in front of after me.

Preceding blog:   Jackie Watson

Next blog:   Kim Overholt

July 15, 2010

Stampers Sampler feature!

Woohoo, I've been published in the June/July 2010 issue of Stampers Sampler!!  The magazine has been out for a month and I'm just finding out.  Heres the issue cover:


My featured project:



The dress is being used as a template challenge for the month of December.  You can view additional detaiils of the dress HERE.  It was originally a Tour de Freaks project.  You can also find the template at the same link. 

This was only my second submission to a publication, so I'm really excited!  Thanks Stampington, and thanks Allie at Croppinsville for letting me know. 

July 13, 2010

Old World Hydrangea ~ Nick Bantock Inspiration

Something I worked on this past weekend.  I am a HUGE fan of Nick Bantock.  If you're into collage, ephemera and water coloring, then you should check out his book "Urgent Second Class". 

Nick uses lots of old maps in his artwork.  Here I've used the new designer paper from SU! and stamped an image directly to it (the hydrangea).  Afterwards I colored the image in with Daffodil and Tangerine ink with a blender pen (and the ink from the dye pad cover).  The leaves are colored directly onto the paper with the Pear Pizzazz marker.

Additional images from the Because I Care stamp set added with the scrumptious Coffee Crumb dye pad.  The butterfly is one of the A-la-mode stamps from last years catalog.



July 10, 2010

PCS ~ July 2010 "Summer Breeze"



The July issue of PCS is out off the presses!  This month's theme, "Summer Breeze". 

The theme for our July projects came to mind knowing what this month held in store for everyone.  HOT weather.  Summer is a wonderful, but there's no getting around the heat, even when you're having "Fun in the sun'.  More than likely you're thinking of ways to keep cool, whether you're fishing, at a bar-b-q or playing outdoor sports.

Enter "Summer Breeze".  Projects designed with images of ways you can keep cool; beachscapes, cool drinks and even getting some air between your toes. 

If you're looking for ideas for a fun "Summer Breeze" workshop, just pick any of the eight projects included in the July issue and your set!

$12.99







July 5, 2010

Fairwell Independence Day

Sorry for the long away time.  I've been juggling several things at one time (as most women do).  It's time to regroup reogranize and reprioritize the things in my life.  My biggest problem, I want to do EVERYTHING. 

Here's a late post of a project I created for Paper Cubed.  The theme was to create a 4th of July table top decoration.   My project was designed to be used as a place card holder for your party guest.  Sadly there was no party at the homestead this year as the family was away on vacation.




I so LOVE a patriotic theme.  This particular holiday grows dearer to me each year.  I think it's largely due to the fact I loved the old time community Independence Day celebrations.  Red, White and Blue decorations, hotdogs, watermelon, singing quartets who wore red and white jackets with those flat white hats.  Everyone always seems so happy.

The blue and white star in the middle is actually fabric as well as the white stars on red fabric around the bucket.  I purchased several yards of 'themed' fabric a month ago to create an Patriotic theme book.  Another project snuffed because of other commitments.  The book will eventually get completed and probably sumbitted to a publication, along with several other projects I've been waiting to get started on.  Thus my reason for 'reprioritizing'. 


I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend and enjoyed your holiday.  If you were lucky enough to have off today, then you've only got 4 days left till the weekend.  Woot!!