Performance Poppies - Moo House with Inchie "Garage"

As the Mini House-athon was winding down the other night, I was rushing to complete two more moo houses for potential trade.  Things were going along pretty well until I decided to add some rubber stamping on top of my collage images.  I will let you learn from my mistake:  don't try to rubber stamp over two images that create a "valley" between them, no matter how shallow that valley is.  You won't get a complete image and if, like me, you used permanent ink, you won't be able to remove it.

So, what do you do when life gives you lemons?  You make lemonade! Or in my case, I just lopped off my stamping mistake and turned that moo into an inchie!  Once I added the roof, I decided it made a cute little garage for the other moo house.  It's not as great as my original design, but at least I was able to salvage something.

Thanks for dropping in and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Outrageous Owls - Moo Houses

My blog posts this week continue to highlight the moo houses I made during last weekend's Mini House-athon on ATCs for All.  I gotta say, I love this size art!  It's a challenge to work this small, but so rewarding.

These two owl houses were completely unplanned and unexpected.  Other participants were making houses with owls, so they were obviously a desired theme for some but they were not on my radar, if you know what I mean.  Then, I rediscovered these clip-art owls in my stash (when I was returning some other unused ephemera to its place).  I had purchased a collage sheet of owls from ArtChix Studio quite a while ago, and had not yet found a use for them.  It really was serendipitous that they came to my attention during the -athon.

I started with a scrap piece of green patterned paper. I dry brushed it with titanium white acrylic paint, then adhered the clock and compass rub-ons.  After adhering the owls, I colored their eyes with a yellow marker and added some rub-ons along the bottom of each house.  For the roofs, I used a scrap of patterned paper that looked like an old newspaper.  That layer got mostly covered up with another rub-on that had teeny-tiny text and random black splotches.  The numbers 13 and 14 are also rub-ons.  I sponged seedless preserves distress ink and Adirondack potting soil ink around the edges to finish them off. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Have a great day.

Bingo Birds - Altered Bingo Card

I had no idea what I was going to do for my altered envelope partner this month, so for inspiration I started digging through one of my art drawers that is full of vintage ephemera.  I found an old bingo card that I bought several years ago and decided to use it.

The sheet music and French postage stamp along the bottom are old but the other clip art images, including the birds, are new items.  I aged and blended everything using acrylic paint, distress inks and a "Distressed Effects" rub-on by My Mind's Eye that is so old I'm surprised it's not completely dried up.

On the reverse, I added a stamped postcard header by Tim Holtz. Although I could send this through the mail naked, I will probably put it in a clear cellophane envelope in order to give it some protection.  The bingo card is old and the corners, which are a little frayed, could easily get caught and damaged if sent through a modern postal machine.

Thanks for popping in!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Vintage bingo card and sheet music; vintage French postage stamp; bird clipart image from Stampington and Company; other clipart images from ArtChix Studio; titanium white acrylic paint; black soot, pumice stone and forest moss distress ink; Derwent light tinted charcoal pencil; My Mind's Eye Distressed Effects rub-on; postal cancellation stamp by Stampa Rosa; postcard stamp by Tim Holtz; Ranger Archival black ink.

Over Sexed - Moo House

How's that for a blog title to start the week?!  I bet it got your curiosity up.  And to think I found the words for this moo in my go-to vintage novel from the 1920s.  It has been a veritable treasure trove of words for my artwork.

The background and the roof are watercolor paper covered with washi tape.  The pin-up was a transparency, so I had to mount it on white paper and then again on black paper to give it more definition against the background.  Because of the extra depth that added to her, I should have built up the back of the rose so that it was the same thickness. Oh well.  Live and learn.

 
Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:
140 lb watercolor paper; washi tape (unknown); rose and pin-up clipart from Artchix Studio; book text; clear rhinestones (Recollections brand at Michaels); Golden matte gel medium.

Four of Spades Paris APC

They're having an APC-athon (altered playing card marathon) on ATCs for All right now, so I thought I would give it a go.  Because playing cards have a slick coating on them, it can be a little tricky sometimes to alter them.

My four of spades features an Eiffel Tower sticker by Cavallini and a clipart glamour girl from ArtChix Studio. The German scrap butterfly is a bright, metallic pink.  This turned out better than I expected, so I may need to keep it for myself rather than trading it.

Thanks for stopping in.  TGIF!

Supplies:
Playing card base; gesso; Victorian velvet distress ink; Eiffel Tower sticker by Cavallini and Company; German scrap butterfly and glamour girl from ArtChix Studio; Tim Holtz film strip ribbon; self-adhesive rhinestones; mini Prima flowers; mini brads; pumice stone distress ink; Stazon black ink; matte gel medium.

Not Wanted on the Voyage

I completed several ATCs last night during the Collage-a-Thon at ATCs for All.  This fun card was inspired by the optional first-day theme of making cards with black, white and red (one of my favorite color combinations).

I cut and pasted some unrelated clipart from ArtChix Studio to create my Not Wanted poster.  The background is a Stampin' Up image that I embossed.  I went a little overboard with the white acrylic paint as a final step, but I still like it.

Have a great weekend!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; red cardstock by Bazzill; black cardstock (unknown); Ephemera background stamp from Stampin' Up; Colorbox black pigment ink; clear embossing powder; clipart from ArtChix Studio; white acrylic paint; walnut stain distress ink.

Excess Value

I'm trying to get my mojo back after having the flu.  I just sat down at the craft table tonight and started playing around with a variety of clip art and paper goods, with no particular ideas in mind.

This card is a combination of vintage ephemera (German text and Flinch playing card), new clip art, and a little bit of ink and charcoal pencil.  I decided to not use a human figure, because it had been a while since I'd done that.




I hope you had a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; vintage German text; vintage Flinch card; clipart from 7 Gypsies; butterfly and red clipart from ArtChix Studio; medium charcoal pencil; fired brick and walnut stain distress ink; Archival jet black ink; Liquitex matte gel medium.

French Gent ATC

Here's another one of my cards for the Vintage French swap I'm participating in on ATCs for All.

For this card I adhered my ArtChix Studio transparency fellow to some vintage French text colored with distress inks and stamped with a Tim Holtz clear stamp.

Have a great Monday!



Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; vintage French text; Eiffel Tower stamp by Tim Holtz; corner flourish stamp by 7 Gypsies; clipart postmark and transparency gentleman from ArtChix Studio; dusty concord and stormy sky distress inks; black Stazon ink; Adirondack gold metallic paint dapper; Liquitex matte gel medium.

Balzac's Babe ATC

Tonight I started to work on some ideas for my cards for an ATC swap with the theme of "Vintage French."

My Eiffel Tower by Artistic Outpost is leaning a little bit so I'll keep this card for myself, but I like the overall look of this card so I plan to make a second version for the swap.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend.



Supplies:
White cardstock base; French text background; Eiffel Tower stamp by Artistic Outpost; Paris stamp by 7 Gypsies; vintage woman clipart from ArtChix Studio; black decorative paper from Paper Pizazz; Prisma paper flower; black German scrap corner from Alpha Stamps; black soot and Victorian velvet distress ink; Adirondack metallic silver paint dabber; medium charcoal pencil; pewter mini brad.

So Ever Grateful, Dahling!

I received such wonderful gifts from my friends in our December 2010 Secret Santa exchange!  They were so generous and because they know me so well, everything they picked out is absolutely perfect.  I got busy and used some of my new supplies to make their thank you cards.

Jo sent me these gorgeous papers by Basic Grey and Carolina gave me the 7 Gypsies clear stamps used to create the background behind the focal image.

Have a great day!


Supplies:
Stamps:  Avignon set by 7 Gypsies; decorative papers by Basic Grey; brown cardstock by Bazzill; vamp clipart image from ArtChix Studio; Stampin' Up whisper white cardstock; pumice stone, antique linen, spun sugar and walnut stain distress ink; medium charcoal pencil; computer-generated text; Robin's Nest hyacinth Dew Drop (on her headpiece); self-adhesive pearls; Martha Stewart border punch; pop-dots.

Flight

This card is much brighter in color than what I usually make, so at first I thought it looked too garish. But because I love red it's starting to grow on me.

The bird is a German scrap from ArtChix Studio and the text is from a 1940s dictionary.

Have a great weekend!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; postcard background and German scrap bird from ArtChix Studio; postage stamp from Mary Green of Green Paper Packages; vintage sheet music; vintage dictionary text; postcard stamp by All Night Media; white acrylic paint; wild honey, broken china, and old soot distress ink; black Stazon ink; sticker letter (unknown); Golden gel gloss medium.

Why Yes, I Am a 10! ATC

Some people on the ATCs for All website organized a 10-10-10-athon to commemorate today's date.  It just so happened that I pulled out a vintage game card yesterday that had a value of 10, but I did not use it in that particular project.  So this card came together rather quickly.

The background is a Cavallini and Company sticker from the Paris Labels collection, and the voluptuous vixen is from ArtChix Studio.  This card has a lot of shimmer thanks to extra gold paint dabbed around all the edges.

Have a great day!


Supplies:
White cardstock base; Cavallini and Company sticker (Paris Labels); clipart from ArtChix Studio; the 10s in the corner were punched out of a 1937 Crossword Lexicon game card; shimmery green paper mat; Martha Stewart leaf punch; gold decorative paper from Michaels; Adirondack gold paint dabber.

Tall, Dark and Gallant ATC

I haven't made an ATC for several weeks and I have been missing my play time, so my goal tonight was to sit down and create something.

I love how it's possible to make new clipart look old.  The only vintage items in this ATC are the words tall, dark, and gallant.  I cut them from an early 20th Century novel.

I hope you're having a great weekend!  Thanks for popping by.

Supplies:
White cardstock base; gentleman clipart from Alpha Stamps; other background clipart from ArtChix Studio; white acrylic paint; frayed burlap and pine needles distress ink; light charcoal pencil.

Man was Made to Mourn ATC

I'm working on a larger project that needs some drying and thinking time, so in the interim I decided to make an ATC for today's Theme Thursday challenge "Vintage Men."

This mixed media card includes a curly-haired gentleman from Alpha Stamps, the title of a Robert Burns' poem, some white acrylic paint, and a little bit of stamping.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; clipart gentleman from Alpha Stamps; clipart background from ArtChix Studio; poem title and torn text from a 1927 book about Robert Burns; white acrylic paint; rubber stamps by Inkadinkado and Paperbag Studios; stormy sky, frayed burlap, and walnut stain distress ink; Derwent medium charcoal pencil; black Dresden trim; black button brads.

Memorable Voyage

As I've mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm participating in an ATC swap with the theme of vintage travel. This is the extra ATC I made for the hostess of the swap. My cards will be voyaging all the way to Scotland, but thankfully not by slow boat.

The photo at the top is of the harbor at Amsterdam. My dad was there in the mid-1950s and bought a fantastic souvenir pack of snapshots that are the perfect size for ATCs. The sweet-faced girl is a transparency from ArtChix Studio.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; vintage photo; vintage German text; vintage Holland map; wild honey distress ink; clear embossing powder; two postage stamp images from my stash (unknown); "voyage" sticker by Making Memories; female clipart image from ArtChix Studio; two mini Prima flowers; micromini copper brad; pumice stone distress ink on paper edges; Adirondack copper acrylic paint around outer edges.

Sunday Postcard Art - Travel

I learned about Sunday Postcard Art through another blog that I regularly visit. For some time now I have been admiring the artists who participate in this weekly challenge and their beautiful and unique creations. I told myself that one day I was going to get up the nerve to participate.

Well, this week's theme is travel and I have some travel and foreign-themed stamps and ephemera, so I decided to take the plunge. I love collage art but it's not a style that I feel very comfortable with yet. I think I just need more practice (and more supplies--ha!) to achieve the right balance in my pieces. I have a feeling I will end up fiddling with this piece some more because I feel that it's still missing "something."

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

(Oh, and for the record, I don't actually keep a travel diary. The less evidence the better, know what I mean?)

Supplies:
Stamps: ArtChix Studio, Artistic Outpost, Hero Arts, Inkadinkado, Stampin' Up!; decorative paper from Graphic 45; very vanilla cardstock by Stampin' Up!; Versamark ink; distress inks: barn door, walnut stain, scattered straw, mustard seed; Archival jet black ink; Sticko brand postage stamp and post card sticker; Cavallini decorative stickers; transparency from ArtChix Studio; Kaiser Craft white flower; EK Success black gem.

Sweet Tart #2 ATC

Here is a second Artist Trading Card I created over the weekend. I'm sending this one to a friend who for some reason used to call me a Tart. (That was before I became respectable.)

This ATC came together quite quickly since it is similar to the first one I made (posted here). I made a few changes that to me make this ATC more pleasing to the eye.

I hope you have a sunny Monday! We're expecting snow again.

Supplies:
Black ATC matboard; old sheet music; old book text; Basic Grey patterned paper; Ranger Inkssentials glossy paper; Adirondack alcohol inks; distress inks: shabby shutters and worn lipstick; Archival jet black ink; Tim Holtz Eiffel Tower collage stamp; postmark stamp by Inkadinkado; diamond stamp by Paperbag Studios; transparency from ArtChix Studio; Prima paper flowers, mini black brads; computer-generated text; black craft wire for hanger; sheer black ribbon.

Sweet Tart #1 ATC

I've been wanting to try my hand at an Artist Trading Card (ATC) for some time now, and I found the perfect inspiration this weekend. While sorting through yet another pile of paper scraps, I found some small drip and smash backgrounds that I made a while ago. The scraps weren't large enough for a card front but were more than sufficient for an ATC, which measures only 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Like the ATCs of others that I have admired, mine is a mixed media effort. It features a transparency from ArtChix Studio within a Gothic arch.

For more information about ATCs, you can visit this website.

I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of working within such a small palette and will definitely be making more of these in the near future.

I hope you were inspired this weekend to create something new. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Black ATC matboard; old sheet music; old book text; Basic Grey patterned paper; Ranger Inkssentials glossy paper; Adirondack alcohol inks; distress inks: shabby shutters, worn lipstick, and walnut stain; black Stazon; Tim Holtz Eiffel Tower collage stamp; postmark stamp by Inkadinkado; patterned heart stamp by Craft Smart; transparency from ArtChix Studio; small rose ephemera; Prima paper flowers, mini black brads; computer-generated text; black craft wire for hanger; sheer black ribbon.

Be Inspired

It's no surprise to my friends that I like images with an international or travel theme, especially if those images have a vintage feel to them. I have a romantic vision of the early days of travel, when trains with sleeping cars and ocean liners with state rooms were the modes of transportation (for the wealthy, at least). I know that in reality, travel back in those days was not always comfortable due to the duration of the trips and the lack of air conditioning and other modern amenities, but somehow I imagine it was more leisurely.

I was feeling adventurous and decided to work with some colors that I don't use very often. For some reason I am not a big fan of the color blue anymore, and the mustard seed distress ink I used to tint the central image is pretty bright (it's even brighter in person, almost more of a lemon yellow). But I like how it pops out against the darker, distressed background colors of this card.

And finally I was brave enough to cut into the transparencies I purchased from ARTChix Studio a couple of months ago! The woman's face gives an instant focal point to the entire card. It's hard to tell in this photo, but she has a red flower in her hair that provides an additional hint of color.

I'm sending this 5.5 inch square card to a colleague who has never seen any of my artwork. I know she will like the international theme.

Thanks for popping in today!

Supplies:
French Market stamps by Tim Holtz; French Script stamp by Stampin' Up!, blue and green cardstock by Stampin' Up!; white glossy paper by Stampin' Up!; recycled corrugated cardboard; distress inks: mustard seed, broken china, frayed burlap, brushed corduroy, walnut stain, black soot; embossing powder; black snaps altered with Adirondack copper alcohol ink mixative; copper eyelets and copper "inspire" plate; jute twine; Cuttlebug fancy corners.