Monday, June 23, 2008

We have a winner!


Jennifer H.! Email me your address and I'll get those goodies out to you! Lots of projects this week, but what I'm really excited about is my class on Thursday evening at My Daughter's Wish.  It's my favorite kind of class - techniques! We'll get to play with shaving cream, alcohol inks and modge podge to create some really cool cards. These are a few samples, but the emphasis of this class will be playing with the techniques, not a specific project. I still have a few spots left, so call the store if you'd like to come explore with us!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I'm a Cover Girl!


Just got word that my card will be featured on the cover of the Aug/Sept issue of Stampers' Sampler! I even get a short article on their web page! I screamed so loud when I read the email that my kids thought something was horribly wrong. They were not amused when I informed them that I was screaming for joy, and even less interested in why. I guess drama is more appealing!

Don't forget to check out my challenge this week for My Daughter's Wish. You can use any medium you'd like to participate, even a written entry on your blog. Also remember to leave a comment here for my RAK! The deadline for both is Saturday, June 21.

The page today is for both the Creative Therapy theme this week and Scrap Stars. I love the topic for Creative Therapy this week - one lesson you'd want to teach your children. It was hard to narrow it down to just one. I'm pretty confident right now in their intellect, and sense of responsibility for their age, so I decided on magic. Yes, I said magic - the magic in life. They see it now, everywhere. We have garden fairies that live in the backyard, Santa came at Christmas, the Tooth Fairy made a visit last week, and seeing a dragonfly or butterfly is a mystical event for them. Unfortunately, too many adults have lost that ability to believe - to see the magic around them. I don't want them to ever forget that it is there, whether you are 5 or 50, it's still all around you. 

While I'm not such a bling girl, the platinum theme from Scrap Stars certainly worked with this page. Ooooh, it's Top Chef, So You Think You Can Dance and Ghost Hunters night! Let's see if I can wade through the projects on my desk and actually catch one of them! ;)

Monday, June 16, 2008

Gutter Girlz, Mixed Media Monday and Arty Girlz


Gutter Girlz is a rockin' new challenge blog, and with a name like that, how could I refuse? The theme is what makes you feel like a woman (aka Man, I Feel Like A Woman song) AND to use pantyhose! I've used a lot of things in my art, but never hose! How appropriate that the theme for Mixed Media Monday is trying something new. Arty Girlz has the theme of a touch of pink this week; lovely how they all worked together! I think my favorite part of this piece is the photograph. I used my daughter's pink boa around my heel, and I love the color reflection on the shoe. Again, props to my dad! (See Sunday's post about his photographs here, and don't forget to leave a comment to be entered for my RAK!!!) 

I read on the internet that pantyhose are out, but I still think they're sexy (well, at least the kind that hook onto a garter belt. I did work at Victoria's Secret back in the day, ya know...;) At least they can be damn sexy on a scrapbook page, and a good use for the ones with holes in them. I love recycling.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day Challenge and RAK!

Happy Father's Day! I'm hosting my first challenge on My Daughter's Wish's Wishchick blog, and it's in honor of dear old dad! The theme is "something my father gave me", and you can check out all of the details here. You've got a week to play and post, and you can use any medium - layout, card, ATC, written blog post, anything! I'm giving away a RAK for the challenge, but I'm also giving away a RAK here, too! Just leave a comment about what your father gave you, and I'll pick one random winner on Sunday, June 22. You'll need to post by 11:59 pm, Saturday, June 21 to be eligible for the drawing. By the way, Saturday June 21 is my Journey Travel Mini-album class! Check it out on the right:)
Here's what you could win

I have an amazing dad, and there are so many things he has given to me over the years, but since this is an art blog, I thought I'd share his art. Gary is a gifted photographer, and when I was a teenager, he taught me how to use a 35mm. I've been using a point and shoot for the last six years, since my daughter was born, so f settings and such are fuzzy for me now. What has remained is what he taught me about framing shots. Even with my little digital, I stil capture some great photographs because he taught me to see like a photographer. Here are a few of his pictures. They were all too big to fit on my scanner, so I'm afraid they are pictures of pictures, so excuse the poor quality!




These are just a few of the many, many beautiful shots he's taken. Thank you, Gary! Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day RAK post coming soon!

It's 2am and I've been scrapping my heart out with SIStv this weekend, so I just don't have the energy to post right now. I will post by 11am Sunday, promise! Be sure to check back soon! My challenge is posted on the My Daughter's Wish blog, here, so check it out!

Happy Father's Day (especially to my dad, Gary!:)

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Summer Explorations


Whew! Summer's here, and I've been able to play a little. I sent off a package to Somerset at the last minute (but still by the deadline!) for their black and white call. I am finally starting to get back on track with projects for the Artist's Circle Yahoo group, and we're doing Beryl Taylor again. Happy about that one, since I was too busy to play round one. I actually ordered Mixed Media Explorations this time, and I'm so glad I did! Beryl gives great examples, and more importantly to me, lots of instruction on technique! I highly recommend it. I do want to give a brief plug for my upcoming mini-album class on June 21. Check it out at the right!  Okay, on to the challenges!

First up, Laura's wonderful Wishchick challenge for My Daughter's Wish - PAINT! Is there anything better??? GPP Street Team has crayon rubbings this month, so I used some paper I made for that on my layout. I used a lego base for the pattern, then covered it with yellow paint. I glued some hand dyed paper towel over that, then edged it with white crayon.  I also edged the LO in white paint. Check out her fab pages and challenge here - you could win a RAK! The topic - thanking someone - is catalyst #13 at Creative Therapy this week. So many people came to mind, but I settled on my husband. I think I usually give him more grief then thanks, but he is the light of my life. Thanks, babe!

A few samples of rubbings - I've just started to play with this, but I find I prefer just the crayon texture under paint to an actual design. It gives a great background layer! I think I'll make several texture papers to keep on hand for projects. The card was made from a rubbing I took from my brush cup! It's a fabulous little ceramic cup with glazed fish around it that my brother gave me. I used a paper scrap from my desk that had ink remnants on it and embossed over it. It fit so nicely with the By the Sea theme at Mixed Media Monday, so I made a simple card.

Now I really must clean my house. Art and house keeping seem to be diametrically opposed. I try to ignore it when I'm working, but after awhile the clutter (not to mention the dog hair on the floor) crawls up my spine like an army of red ants and I have to submerge myself in domestic duties. But maybe I'll make more more sheet of fabric paper first...



Friday, June 6, 2008

Summer's Here!

Did you hear that great sigh of relief? It's been a challenging school year, and I am so very grateful for the start of summer vacation! It's always hectic at the end of the school year, so I didn't have time until now to do Lisa's fabulous ATC challenge for My Daughter's Wish. I cheated a little on this one - I didn't have an accessible childhood picture of myself that fit the theme, so I used one of Madeline instead. I had a little fun in Photoshop with it (hurray, just got my new Elements!) and then added the ever present paint and text.
The catalyst this week for Creative Therapy is if you could make a big impact on the world, what would it be? I had planned to write a long entry about my thoughts and feelings on this subject, but as the piece came together, in true Buddhist tradition, it seemed that simple was better. Last week's Step Outside Your Box Saturday was pint drips, and although I played with drips on some patterned papers, I never posted any. Drips seemed like the perfect touch for this one, so I used watered down acrylics and a dropper to add them. 


Breathe in. Do you smell it? Jasmine, water, paint, wine coolers, farm fresh produce from our own little town, fireworks and sidewalk chalk? Smells like summer!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

A Fish in the Hand


Created By Hand's challenge this week is tags. I was in need of a bookmark, so here it is. The background stamps are from Quietfire, which I embossed with glitter powder, and then colored the tag with Distress Inks. After adding the sketched hand, I just couldn't find an image to put in it. So I went my favorite route, the absurd. If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, then half a dozen fish must be a gold mine (or at least a really good dinner).