Hoot Hoot Halloween and Mini Cards

Autumn is officially here and is in full swing with chillier nights and falling leaves.  We have been enjoying the beautiful weather.  I just wish the sun didn't have to set earlier!

I made two of these Halloween cards that I'll send to friends.  The background paper is from Authentique.  I created the moon behind the owl by blending three colors of distress ink onto cardstock and then punching a circle.  Easy peasy!

I had some paper scraps leftover, so I decided to make a couple of mini cards (1 x 2.75 inches) using the same owl image.   I'll save these to trade at my art weekend.




I hope you're having a fabulous weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Halloween card:  black cardstock and very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; purple cardstock by Bazzill; patterned paper by Authentique; rubber stamps from Stampin' Up; Stazon black ink; distress inks: mustard seed, spiced marmalade, rusty hinge, walnut stain, black soot; Prismacolor Premier pencils; circle punch; pop-dots.

Mini cards:  Watercolor paper (140 lb.); patterned paper by Authentique; owl stamp from Stampin' Up; tree stamp from Artistic Outpost; Stazon black ink; distress inks: mustard seed, spiced marmalade, rusty hinge, walnut stain, black soot; Prismacolor Premier pencils.

Halloween Owl - Gothic Arch

I'm participating in an art weekend in January 2013, when about 40 crazy, creative types will gather to trade art (ATCs, mini cards, inchies, chunkies, altered keys, art dolls, you name it).  The locals who are planning the get-together are also planning field trips to a variety of art-related locations and shops.  Based on the planning discussions alone, this weekend is sure to be a lot of fun and very inspiring!  To that end, I've asked the others whether they would like to trade Gothic arches that could then be bound together to create a keepsake book.  I set the theme of birds with book text or sheet music, but otherwise the subject matter,  media, and techniques are wide open.

Someone expressed an interest in Halloween-themed art, so my first Gothic arch features a sweet trick-or-treater from Artistic Outpost and an owl from Stampin' Up.  Both images were stamped on cardstock and colored with pencils.  My text is from an old German book. 

The inspiration has already started!  I probably wouldn't have made anything like this without the suggestion of one of the other participants.

Have a great day!

Supplies:
Watercolor paper (140 lb); patterned papers by Authentique; text from an old book; fence and girl stamp from Artistic Outpost; owl image from Stampin' Up; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Stazon black ink; Versamark ink; black embossing powder; Prismacolor Premier colored pencils; odorless mineral spirits; dark charcoal pencil; Ranger vintage photo and black soot distress inks; sequin mesh and stipple brush; Distressed Effects rub-ons by My Mind's Eye; Adirondack copper and espresso acrylic paint dabber.

The Bulldog - ATC

This artist trading card features a hunky guy from Alpha Stamps.  I started with another scrap background, but then found some old Tim Holtz paper with the Bulldog image.  Perfect!  I grunged up the edges with some Distressed Effects rub-ons by My Mind's Eye (more old stuff from my stash).

Happy Wednesday!

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC cardstock base; miscellaneous paper scraps; clipart muscle man image from Alpha Stamps; old admission ticket; Bulldog paper by Tim Holtz; other clipart by K & Company; Dee's Designs Distressed Effects rub-ons by My Mind's Eye; barn door distress ink; punchinella (sequin waste); charcoal pencil; Pitt black artist pen; Adirondack espresso and gold acrylic paint dabber.

Fig. 3 Birthday Card

Since I've been on a roll with the naked female torso stamp, I decided to use the one "nude-y" male figure stamp I own on my brother's birthday card.  I am very curious to hear what he has to say about it!

The main image was stamped on a patterned paper by 7 Gypsies and clear heat embossed.  I used distress inks to color the paper so that it coordinated with the other patterned paper by Karen Foster. 

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Have a fabulous day.

Supplies:
Black and ochre cardstocks by Bazzill; patterned papers by Karen Foster and 7 Gypsies; black pigment ink by Colorbox; clear embossing powder; Victorian velvet, vintage photo, walnut stain, and antique linen distress inks by Ranger; Fig. 3 rub-on transfer by DaisyD's; large bronze eyelet by We R Memory Keepers.

Funky Scrap ATC

I'm bad about cleaning up my art desk after I use it, so I always end up with leftovers from more than one project.  Tonight I decided to make an ATC using just the scraps on my desk, and I ended up with a pretty cool card!

All I had to do was arrange the papers in a pleasing layout.  The female torsos and c'est magnifique were already stamped.  I die-cut the 5 from a Flinch card and the red circle was punched from a moo that I had to scrap because of a glue mishap.  I love how graphic and interesting this card turned out.

Thanks for popping by!  Have a great Monday.

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC blank; female torso stamp by A Stamp in the Hand; sentiment stamp by Artistic Outpost; French script stamp from Stampin' Up; Stazon black ink; wild honey and vintage photo distress inks; miscellaneous patterned papers; old book pages; old sheet music; Flinch card; black Pitt artist pen; small circle punch; round Nestabilities die-cut; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber.

Party of 5 - Moo

This is my third moo in a row featuring this female torso image, and I think I'm ready to move on to something different now.

The gold shimmer on this moo is thanks to some heat embossing.  Originally the plant/floral image at the bottom was stamped and heat embossed in gold also, but for some reason the gold became dull as I worked on the rest of the moo.  So I carefully traced over the gold with gunmetal Stickles (thank goodness I have steady hands!).  Additional glimmer comes from more gunmetal Stickles added to the number five, which was cut from a vintage Flinch card.

Thanks for popping in!

Supplies:
Watercolor paper (140 lb.); wild honey, picked raspberry, and vintage photo distress inks; Stazon black ink; Versamark ink; gold detail embossing powder; French script stamp from Stampin' Up!; female torso image by A Stamp in the Hand; floral image from Artistic Outpost; number 5 from an antique Flinch playing card; gunmetal Stickles. 

Her Innocent Arts - Moo

Since I had some moo-sized backgrounds completed, I decided to go ahead and complete some cards using the stamps and supplies I had left out on my craft desk.

This background started with blended distress inks spritzed with water and stamped with a French script.  The torso image is also a rubber stamp.  I colored the torso with distress inks and added some cryptic words from an old novel.  The antique brass spiral was the perfect size, if you know what I mean (she said coyly, batting her eyelashes).

Have a great day!




Supplies:
Watercolor paper (140 lb.); stormy sky, vintage photo, wild honey, and mustard seed distress inks; Stazon black ink; French script stamp from Stampin' Up; torso stamp by A Stamp in the Hand; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; antique brass spiral (unknown); text from an old book.

Stand Up Straight - Found Object Sculpture

The watercolor class that I signed up for and which was supposed to start this week was cancelled due to low enrollment, so instead I signed up for a one-night mini class in found object sculpture and assemblage.  I've not done much 3D artwork, and this class seemed like a good opportunity to get my feet wet.  And I had a lot of fun!

I'm extremely pleased with my sculpture which combines a wooden spool, a small block of wood, metal embellishments, rusty wire, torn book pages, and sandpaper.  The idea to stack the book pages and sandpaper came from a project I saw in a magazine.

In this close-up photo you can see how I alternated the rusty wire with the paper.

And in this photo from overhead, you can see the two colors of sandpaper (gray and tan) interspersed with the book pages.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend.

I Sing the Body Electric - Moo

A lot of technique went into this little piece, which measures 1 x 2.75 inches.  They're called "moos" in the art world; I honestly wish they were called something else.

The base is watercolor paper blended with distress inks, sprinkled with water, stamped with music, and then sprayed with gold Smooch Spritz.  The torso was stamped on kraft cardstock but I decided it needed some jazzing up with distress inks and gold paint.  I love the final look.  Very artsy-fartsy!

Happy Wednesday!

Supplies:
Watercolor paper (140 lb); crumb cake cardstock from Stampin' Up; distress inks:  spiced marmalade, salty ocean, vintage photo; Composer's Dream stamp by Stampabilities; female torso stamp by A Stamp in the Hand; black Stazon ink; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; gold Smooch Spritz; Pitt fine black India ink pen.

Journal Page Background

I don't know what it is about fall, but it makes me want to be creative.  Maybe it's knowing that cooler days and earlier sunsets mean more time spent indoors.  Maybe it's the lovely autumn-themed vignettes I see around town.  Or maybe, just maybe, I'm finally getting my mojo back in anticipation of an ATCs for All gathering in 2013!  I am so excited to attend this event (the first of its kind for me) and I will need a lot of artwork to trade. Since I don't want all of my pieces to look alike (it's far too easy for me to fall into that kind of rut), I've resolved to push myself out of my comfort zone the next couple of months.

Because a lot of my artwork is vintage-inspired, I tend to work in muted, somber tones.  One of my resolutions is to play with more vibrant colors, and a great place to do that is in an art journal that is just for me.  With that in mind, this journal page started with a background of deep violet sprinkled with some stenciling in Naples yellow hue.  The larger white circles were stamped with the end of a toilet paper roll, and the black circles were stamped with a lid from a soap bottle.  No doubt more will get added to this page, but I'm going to let it rest a little before starting the next layer.

Thanks for popping in!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Strathmore 5.5 x 8 inch Visual Journal (Mixed media-vellum finish); Liquitex deep violet acrylic paint; Liquitex Naples yellow hue acrylic paint; Colorbox white and black pigment ink; Adirondack white acrylic paint dabber; The Crafters Workshop Mini Ledger stencil; punchinella (sequin waste) used as a stencil; text from an old book; toilet paper roll; soap bottle lid; paint brush; stipple brush.

Hydrangea Beauty - ATC

I love old photographs.  When I see a basket of old pictures at an antique store, the first thing I do is find a place to sit down.  I know myself:  I *have* to look through the entire basket and I'll want to buy at least half of them.  But that's not really practical, so instead I sit down and take my time looking through them all, finally choosing only the ones that speak to me for some reason or another.  Once I get the photos home, I can scan and make copies of them in whatever size I want for my artwork.

This lovely young woman caught my eye because she is not only beautiful, but she is wearing a gorgeous evening gown with beaded straps and a halo of tulle around her shoulders.  Normally the women in photographs and cabinet cards from the early 1900s are wearing rather plain dresses with collars buttoned up to their chins.  I know that you can't see her outfit in this ATC, but at some point I will use the entire photo because she is just too stunning to keep hidden in a drawer. 

I used a laser copy of the photo and gel medium to transfer the image to a collage background.  The dried hydrangea blossoms are from my garden.

Thanks for dropping in!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
White cardstock ATC base; Tim Holtz stickers; sandpaper; distress ink; soft gel medium (gloss); laser copy of old photograph; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; dried hydrangea blossoms; mini white pearls.

When Aunt Agatha is in Love

You'll probably be seeing more ATCs from me in the next few months, as I'm attending an ATCs for All gathering in 2013 and I want to have plenty of artwork to trade.  I'm looking forward to finally meeting in person some of my artistic friends who live in other parts of the country.  It promises to be a fun-filled weekend.

Since I can make whatever I want to trade, I've decided to cut loose, use some of my coveted supplies, and try some new techniques.  For this card, I decided to be more playful with my found poetry.  I also used a white gel pen to jazz it up.  I'm happy with the result.


Thanks for dropping in!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
White cardstock ATC base; orange tickets from Stampington and Company; gel medium; black cardstock; peeled paint and black soot distress inks; photocopy of an old cabinet card; bat sticker by Martha Stewart; text from an old book; white gel pen; Pitt black artist pen.

You Ought To Be Afraid ATC

I'm getting an early start on Halloween-themed art this year, otherwise I tend to run out of time to make anything.  Since the stores are already selling Halloween candy (Brach's Indian corn--yum!), I figured I better get cracking.

I know it was not the style a century ago to smile when having your portrait taken, but I think this woman would have benefited from a little friendlier countenance.  No doubt she was someone's beloved grandmother, but it's hard to imagine, isn't it?


Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
White cardstock ATC base; patterned papers by Authentique; titanium white acrylic paint; vintage photo, peeled paint, and black soot distress inks; Adirondack copper acrylic paint dabber; bat sticker by Martha Stewart; paper ribbon by  Basic Grey; black cardstock by Bazzill; black and white charcoal pencils; text from a 1920s novel (cut out "found poetry style"); main image is a photocopy of an old cabinet card.

Hendersons at Home - Moo Triptych

I decided to try my hand at some "moos" tonight.  A moo is a small piece of art that measures 1 x 2.75 inches.  The size is challenging, but I had a fabulous time working within these dimensions (I found it much easier and more fun than making inchies).

The base of each moo and the roofs are 140 lb. watercolor paper that I covered with vintage text and scrapbooking papers.  I applied distress inks to the papers, then added further dimension by stippling on other ink colors through a stencil and through sequin waste.  I adhered the roof to the base, then used a sharp craft knife to trim away the top portion of the base, leaving just a chimney.

The three little tykes are my grandmother and two of her siblings.  I photocopied a picture of the three of them and used a round punch to cut out their faces (my great aunt's chin got chopped off when the punch slipped a little).

Happy Labor Day to my American followers!  I hope you are enjoying a relaxing day from work.

Supplies:
Watercolor paper (140 lb); vintage sheet music and vintage text; patterned papers; photocopy of family photo; numerous colors of distress inks; Tim Holtz stencil; sequin waste; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; charcoal pencil; 1 inch round punch.