Froggie Went a-Courtin' - Get Well Card

I just couldn't resist this adorable bicycle-riding frog when I saw him recently at my local Michaels store.  He's so dapper and is sure to bring cheer in any number of ways.  Today, he's gracing a get well card that I'm sending to someone having surgery.

Froggie was stamped on whisper white cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  The patterned papers by Bazzill are in a color called intense kiwi.  Indeed!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day!

Supplies:
Purple and white cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by Bazzill; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; frog image by Inkadinkado; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Martha Stewart border punch; corner rounder punch.

Yuletide Greetings

Usually by this time in December, my parents have been in Arizona for more than two months, enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures.  However, due to my dad's cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment, they have had to postpone their departure date.  You wanna talk about two people being bummed out!  But on the bright side, my mom and I have been able to do some things together that we haven't done in at least 15 years.  That has included putting up Christmas decorations and doing some baking.

I also suggested that we make Christmas cards to send to their friends in Arizona.  Well, we ended up making quite a few cards because once we got going, she decided she wanted to send cards to a bunch of other friends and relatives, too.

I kept the design fairly simple and used a variety of patterned papers from my stash.  The cute focal image is by Inkadinkado.  At the last minute I added some gold Stickles to the lantern for a little sparkle.

We had a lot of fun sitting around the kitchen table working on these cards.  We made two of each design above and in the end, my mom took all but three cards!  So now I'm working on a second batch of cards for myself.

I hope you're enjoying all the holiday festivities.  Thanks for stopping by!

You Are Here - Tag

I haven't felt like creating much lately, but I did manage to squeak out this small tag that will make a sweet bookmark for someone.

I found the "You Are Here" stamp at a craft store and thought I could have some real fun with it, since I like to use old maps a lot in my designs.  I used a scrap of a map on this tag, although most of it ended up underneath the photo booth picture which is a Tim Holtz product.

Thanks for dropping by!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Tag from The Paper Studio; vintage map and textbook scraps; photo booth image by Tim Holtz; You Are Here stamp by Stampabilities; Little America postal cancellation stamp by Inkadinkado; splatter pattern background stamp by All Night Media; alphabet stencil by Tim Holtz; peeled paint, tumbled glass, gathered twigs and vintage photo distress inks; Ranger black Archival ink; Wendy Vecchi watering can Archival Ink; polka dot washi tape; Stabilo black All Pencil; gold seam binding.

Most Likely to Marry - Altered Matchbox

This was actually the first matchbox I completed for the swap I joined.  I was planning to do a "sweet and sassy" series:  sweet on the outside, sassy on the inside.  I ended up switching gears when the other ones weren't working out the way I wanted.

The wedding cake on the cover is a stamp by Inkadinkado that I colored with pencils and then covered with Glossy Accents for dimension.

On the inside, my ersatz groom is from a patterned paper by Prima Marketing.  The photo looked like a yearbook picture from back in the days when the seniors were given titles such as "most popular girl" or "best male athlete."  I decided my bow-tie-wearing cutie was the class cad.  Watch out ladies, he'll break your heart!

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Have a great day!

Supplies:
Small matchbox; patterned papers by Prima Marketing and My Mind's Eye; silver Lumiere acrylic paint; Adirondack silver acrylic paint dabber; cake stamp by Inkadinkado; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Glossy Accents; ring fastener brad by Tim Holtz; black and clear self-adhesive rhinestones; Pitt black artist pen.

Monster Mash - Envelope Mail Art

My July altered envelope partner wrote in her profile that Halloween is one of her favorite holidays (which kind of surprised me, because she lives in Russia).  And even though it's the middle of summer, we're having an unusual cool spell with temperatures more akin to autumn. So a Halloween-themed envelope seemed appropriate and I hope it will be well received.

On the front I used this fabulous bat image by Oxford Impressions on what has become my signature background:  a mix of patterned paper, vintage book text, acrylic paint, distress inks, stamping and stenciling.  I added some eerie "found poetry" cut from my favorite 1920s novel.

On the back, I created a collage using stamps from Oxford Impressions, Artistic Outpost and Inadinkado.  I used a combination of Prismacolor Premier pencils and distress inks to color the images.

Here are closeup shots so you can see the artwork better.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.
 
Supplies:
Strathmore Bristol vellum paper; Golden gel medium; bat, bottle, bottle label and mortar/pestle images from Oxford Impressions; skull by Inkadinkado; prescription pad by Artistic Outpost; text stamps from Red Lead Paperworks; patterned paper by Authentique; vintage book text; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Ranger Archival jet black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; titanium white acrylic paint; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber; punchinella; crackle background stamp (unknown); distress inks: dusty concord, antique linen, vintage photo, pumice stone, peeled paint, rusty hinge, wild honey; Derwent peat and lavender tinted charcoal pencils.

2013 Art Calendar Challenge - July

No need to check the calendar on the wall--it IS August.  And yes, I'm just now finishing and posting my July art calendar.  What's even more embarrassing is that I started the background for this at the end of June!  I thought I'd expand my horizons by working with some colors I don't normally gravitate toward, so I started by applying some pink, green and yellow acrylic paint using a brayer.  Well...I didn't like it.  And then I became busy, and the next thing you know July is gone and I hadn't looked at the page a single time the entire month.

But a couple of nights ago I found a poem called July in a 1911 school book, and that gave me the motivation I needed to finish this calendar page.  To tone down the pink and green, I stamped on some white gesso using a piece of punchinella (sequin waste) and stippled on some tumbled glass distress ink (a light blue) through a larger-holed piece of punchinella.  Then I adhered some sheet music scraps tinted with scattered straw distress ink and swiped on more white gesso using an old credit card.  And finally I was happy with the background!  (Lesson 1:  Don't give up.  Lesson 2:  White gesso can fix a lot of things.)

After adhering the daily squares and the poem (torn into four stanzas), I added some random stamped images and doodled some borders in black ink.  And you know what?  This may be my favorite art calendar month thus far!  I love how light and airy the colors are and overall how playful the calendar is.  And since July was a busy month with a lot of fun social engagements, that seems appropriate. Now it's on to August before any more time passes!

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Please come again.

Supplies:
Strathmore 9x12 Visual Journal with 140 lb watercolor paper; Ceramcoat pink quartz acrylic paint; Folk Art yellow citron and sunflower acrylic paint; brayer; white gesso; punchinella; stipple brush; sheet music scraps; poem from a 1911 reader (school book); distress inks: tumbled glass, broken china, scattered straw, tattered rose, peeled paint, picked raspberry, mustard seed, and dusty concord; alphabet and number stamps by Wordsworth; dragonfly, butterfly, and flower stamps by Inkadinkado; Ranger archival black ink; Pitt black artist pen.

Corsets to Fit All Forms - ATC

This is an idea for an artist trading card that I've had for quite a while.  I finally got around to making it last night; it didn't take long and it helped fill the time while I was waiting for another project to dry.

I stamped the background image by Magenta in black, then blended about three different distress inks to get the lovely variation in color (it's a little darker in real life).  The corset was stamped separately on cardstock, colored with distress inks, and trimmed closely.  The text came from a miniature reproduction Sears and Roebuck catalog.

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

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; background stamp by Magenta; corset stamp by Hampton Art Stamps; flourish stamp by Inkadinkado; black Stazon ink; spun sugar, picked raspberry, spiced marmalade, and vintage photo distress ink; black Stazon ink; text from an old book; charcoal pencil; Adirondack copper and black acrylic paint dabber.

Birthday Thank You Poppies

My birthday was almost two months ago but as far as I'm concerned, it's never too late to celebrate!  Just last week a very busy friend and I were finally able to meet for dinner and an evening of gab.  We went to a locally-owned steak place where we had a fabulous meal (I had the prime rib:  DEE-lish!) and excellent service.  Our server and the owner even brought me a chocolate sundae with a sparkler in it.  I think they just wanted to see what was inside the big birthday present my friend had brought for me, but they seemed a bit disappointed when it turned out to be a Cricut. (Obviously they are not crafters.)

I didn't use my new Cricut to create this card, but I did use one of my favorite images on this easel card.  I used my Prismacolor pencils to color the poppies and a Tim Holtz embossing folder for the background.


Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Black and rust cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; German text page; poppy stamp from Inkadinkado; grateful sentiment from Stampin' Up; postmark stamp by Stampa Rosa; black Stazon ink; walnut stain and antique linen distress ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits;Tim Holtz embossing folder; round and scalloped round Nestabilities; small oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; border punch and butterfly punch by Martha Stewart; Glossy Accents; tarnished brass Stickles; pop-dots.

Poppin' Poppies

I saw some poppies in someone's yard last week when I was out and about, and just loved how the flowers popped out of the landscape thanks to their bright orange color and large blossoms.  I'm seriously thinking that we need to plant some in our yard!  In the interim, I will make do with my poppy rubber stamp.

I stamped the image on a page from an old German book and colored it with Prismacolor Premier pencils.  I added some tarnished brass distress Stickles to the flower centers.

I hope you're having a grand weekend!

Supplies:
Black cardstock by Bazzill, orange cardstock unknown; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; German book page; patterned paper by K and Company; poppy stamp by Inkadinkado; postmark stamp by Stampa Rosa; French postage stamp by Tim Holtz; Stazon black ink; antique linen distress ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; tarnished brass Distress Stickles; Glossy Accents; Tim Holtz Damask embossing folder; round and scalloped round Nestabilities by Spellbinders; butterfly punch and border punch by Martha Stewart; pop-dots.

She Sells Seashells

This card looks very summery, doesn't it?  But it's actually a thank you card for the friends I spent Thanksgiving with.  I chose the color palette and the seashell theme because they fit the tropical theme and colors in my friends' house.

The patterned papers are by My Mind's Eye. The seashell stamp by Inkadinkado was colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils and then highlighted with Glossy Accents to give it some additional dimension.

We've had a lot of cold, gloomy days lately so it's good to be reminded that summer will return.  
Eventually. (And not a moment too soon!)

Supplies:
Stamp by Inkadinkado; pale yellow, red, and turquoise cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by My Mind's Eye; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Archival jet black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Martha Stewart border punch; scalloped-edge scissors; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities; D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder; pop-dots; Glossy Accents.

P is for Poppy #1 ATC

Lesson 7 of Collage Coterie is about adding stamped images to your vintage papers. This is something I've been reluctant to do, because I'm afraid I will "ruin" a perfectly acceptable collage by stamping an image in the wrong place or with an ink color that doesn't work with the piece. But I see many collages that make it to the next level with the addition of stamping, so I need to get over myself and JUST DO IT.

I started this ATC without a real plan and am pretty happy with the result. I love the vintage look of this card, which reminds me of a botanical illustration from the 1800s. Unfortunately, the scan does not do justice to the gold embossed flourishes around the edges, and I think the card has some spacing issues. So tomorrow I'm going to make a second version of this card. Practice makes perfect! (Or at least, makes perfectly lovely.)

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; 1920s vintage poetry book; stamps by Inkadinkado (poppies, letter P, and flourish); black Stazon ink; Loew Cornell soft pastels; Derwent charcoal pencil; antique linen, wild honey, and walnut stain distress ink; Colorbox black pigment ink; Versamark ink; gold embossing powder; Plaid matte acrylic spray sealant; gold Stickles.

Empty Enos Inchie - Theme Thursday

I finally made an inchie! And oh man, was it fun. I made it for today's Theme Thursday challenge: Words!

Here's the path I followed:
* saw some inchies online ages ago and was intrigued;
* recently stumbled upon an inchie blog that was doing an alphabet challenge;
* noticed that most inchies include a word;
* today's Theme Thursday challenge is Words.

I started by rummaging through my stamps for a face image small enough to fit within a one-inch square, and the rest just fell into place. It didn't take too long to make, except for choosing the font and size for the word. (I'm not going to psychoanalyze why I sliced open Enos's head and labeled it empty, but we could have a lot of fun doing so.)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Supplies:
Stamps: River City Rubber Works (Enos Curry), Inkadinkado (flourish); Archival jet black ink; Colorbox black pigment ink; clear embossing powder; rusty hinge distress ink; purple decorative paper from my scrap pile; Stampin' Up kraft cardstock; computer-generated text printed on Stampin' Up very vanilla cardstock; watch part; Matte Accents (used to glue paper and watch part to the background).