Heading East

Last weekend, with a to-do list longer than my arm, I abandoned everything I was supposed to do in favor of what I wanted to do.  I recently signed up for an ATC swap at Little Bird Creations, something I haven't done in years.  I literally have hundreds of these little works of art from years ago swaps, but have rarely done any since I've gotten into art journaling and collage.  Anyway, the theme is Japanese/geisha, and since I have a ton of related supplies, I decided to go for it.  They're not due until June, but you know how it goes with me and my stubborn muse....strike while she is hot or she will run away and hide.

I began by covering a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" cardstock with some Japanese text.  I remembered a trick I'd read for getting 10 ATC from one such piece of paper, and cut them out.  Here's this handy tip:

1. Cut two lengthwise strips 2 1/2" wide, leaving one strip 3 1/2" wide.

2. Cut the strips crosswise: the 2 1/2" strips will be 3 1/2" wide, and the 3 1/2" strips will be 2 1/2" wide.

Then I added some texture with this embossing folder (I was able to do two ATCs at a time):

 

 

And then some transluscent color with these paints:

 





So much for the background; now onto the main image, which I got from this:

The above is 8 1/2 x 11", so I only used the head and shoulders, and that pretty much filled up the ATC.

All of this resulted in:

 

 

To color the images, I used my favorite cheap-o art supply:

 

 

 

And to decorate the colored kimonos, I used some of my favorite pens.  Because the Portfolios have a waxy surface, not every pen will write well over them.  I've ruined many a good pen learning this, but my Sharpie poster paint pens, Molotow acrylic pens, and Sakura glaze and souffle pens glide over the Portfolios with no problem.

 

 

 

Although the design is identical, the decoration changes from ATC to ATC.  And though it wasn't my intention,  even the faces all look different.  The face on the original image was very faint, so I had to go over the lines with a pen.  Even the slightest difference in my drawing changed the expression.  I'm not complaining, just explaining.  And of course I totally enjoyed coloring and doodling on the clothing, using varying colors and patterns on each.

 

 

 



 

 

 

I used very narrow red German scrap for the hair accessories.  The flowers are tiny Primas over small Stampin' Up blooms, with a dot of platinum stickles in the center.













This and That

This is what I've been up to lately.  I was too tired yesterday to blog, so I posted some of these on FB.  But, there is something new here.  :)

One of the many gifts from Elena at Keys4Art was the complete collection of Julie Nutting's whimsical doll stamps.  Even a confirmed old anti-cutenik like me finds them irresistible.  I used them on a tag and a card.

Stamped on Ranger's Specialty Paper, colored with distress markers, doodled on with glaze pens and souffle pens, and cut out.  The conversation bubbles were traced and cut from a template of various sized and shaped bubbles I've had for years.  The words are all bits of two different (and very old) Stampin' Up stamps.



 

 

The tag (from Prima's tag book, the perfect size for Julie's stamps) was inked a bit.  Instead of coloring all of this doll, I stamped the clothing (and headband) on various papers from Jenni Bowlin mini paper pads, cut them out and attached them to the doll.  I added the bouquet of flowers and the two flowers in her hair.  The sentiments are also old Stampin' Up stamps.

 

The challenge at Everything Wendy Vecchi was to use distress embossing powder and at least one of Wendy's stamps.  I did that and then some on a journal page.

 

 

 

The two striped flowers are Wendy's stencil, filled with her gold embossing paste.  The third flower is from Stencil Girl, and that was embossed with broken china embossing powder.  More distress embossing on the leaves, and the rest is stamping.....Wendy's and even a few I've cut myself.

 

Remember my polymer clay mouse from last weekend?  The oil paint we used finally dried enough for me to add some embellishments.  Striped stockings, polka dotted sleeves, and some pretty shocking shoes.  And you can't see it, but....I filled her crown with gold micro beads.  As befits a royal mouse.

 

 

 

I received another book in the Kindred Souls round robin.  This one is Deb's, and her theme is "vintage feminine."  I used one of my favorite images.

 

 

 

By using both Tim's regular sized and mini cabinet card die as an insert, I was able to create the frame, which was embossed with Cuttlebug's vintage wallpaper folder.  It was cut from a piece of Ranger's foil tape sheet, and altered with a mix of Ranger/Vintaj patinas and distress paints.

 

The flourishes on the left are not stamps....they're Tim's rub-ons.  The flowers (sprayed with perfect pearls mists) are Primas, and the stick pins were made by my friend Carla.....she gifted everyone with a set of them at Keys4Art.  The pearls and lace are from my stash.

 

So, I'm caught up again.....just waiting for the next journal delivery.







The 12 Tags of 2013 AND a metal etching update

April really snuck up on me.  I had an idea for the March tag but before I knew it, April was upon us.  Click HERE to see what Tim did on his April tag.  It was all about the new metallic distress paints, which, sadly, I do not yet possess.  However, I do have some fluid acrylic metallics, and as their consistency is similar to the distress paints, I thought I'd give it a go.  And finally get something done on time!

Instead of working on a tag I did a birthday card on a coaster (4"x4"). 

The background directly on the coaster is from a gelli plate print.  Within that is the piece I did with one of Tim's techniques.....swiping paper through small amounts of distress paints, including a metallic.  Over that I stamped the butterfly from Tim's mini blueprint set, using black archival ink.

On Tim's tag (he used the full size dragonfly blueprint stamp), he added wings cut from Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art.  I stamped the little butterfly on a piece of CFA twice.  Once with black and once with magenta hue archival ink.  I wanted to see which I liked better, and decided to use both!  So I have a double set of wings.



For the body of the butterfly I used a pen nib and yet another technique for working with the distress paints......dabbing them directly onto metal.  I used pickled raspberry and a bit of the gold metallic paint I had on hand. 

The sentiment is one of Tim's word bands.  I covered it with peeled paint and broken china distress paint and then wiped the paint off, so that it settled into the letters.  It was then strung on a piece of narrow ribbon that I colored with some of the leftover paint (after misting the paint with water).

 

 

The back of the card is ready to be personalized.

 

 

 

The cupcake is from Tim's Birthday Blueprint set.  It was stamped on the same paper the front image was stamped on, cut out and adhered to plain cardstock that I inked with just about all the red/pink inks I own.   I went over the cupcake with different colors of distress markers, and I'm happy to report that the metallic shine from the underlying technique still comes through.  The little birthday greeting is a Stampin' Up stamp I've had forever.

 

In my last post I mentioned that I was working on a better closure for my little book with the etched metal covers.  Here it is!

 

 

 

And I added just a few more charms to the spine.

 

 

 

Hey, sometimes less is more, and sometimes (this time) more is better.



 









  

Eclectic Vintage Gentlemen

The title refers to the theme of Stephen's book in the Kindred Souls round robin.  NOT to my social life.  The book was waiting for me when I returned home from Key Largo, and in between posting about the retreat, I worked on my page for him.

The pages that were already done were so interesting and different (eclectic is the right word!).  I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and for a change it didn't take me too long to figure out how to accomplish it.  I wanted a steampunk feel and a bit of humor.  Oh, and it had to be easy to look at too.

So, here are the brothers Boeing, imaginary founders of Boeing aircraft, in the early days of air travel.

The background started with paper from Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante line.  I liked all the hot air balloons on it, but the paper was very dark.  I lightened it up by scraping some Ranger picket fence distress paint over it with an old credit  card.  It was then light enough to add some stamping, stenciling, paint splattering, embossing, and so on.

The three gents are from a Tim Holtz stamp (embossed with walnut stain distress embossing powder). I did have to cut them apart and squish them together again to fit them into the basket.  Also from Tim is the compass (embossed with black powder), as well as the small images on the bottom right and the two balloons on the upper left. (All from the new Tiny Things stamp set).
The balloon carrying the brothers off is from Oxford Impressions, stamped on glossy paper, embossed with black powder, and colored with a variety of alcohol inks.  There are also some other balloons from Oxford Impressions, but I'm not sure if you can see them.  Both the balloon and basket are raised up off the page; the basket with pop dots and the balloon with a wiggly springy thingy.  It bobbles when you touch it!



The metal scallop border is by 7 Gypsies.  The balloon's basket is from me.  I just cut a shape, covered it with some scraps from my gelli plate print pile, and added some gold embossing.  The ticket on the top is also one of Tim's stamps.  Oh, and there is a tiny compass glued to the center of the compass stamp.  There are also two air travel related charms dangling from the page that you can't see much of in the photo.

The back of the page in this round robin is supposed to be finished, not highly decorated, and contain our information.  On the page Stephen did, he put Laurel and Hardy on the back, and everyone who followed did the same.  Who am I to argue with success?  I found an image from a film in which the funny men flew a plane.  Perfect!  And you can still see most of the Graphic 45 paper I used underneath.

 

 

 

If Stephen likes this even half as much as I enjoyed making it, I'll be satisfied.





Don't Quote Me....(And A Little About Keys4Art2013)

The most recent journal I received in Kindred Soul's round robin belongs to my great friend Elena.
Her theme is shabby/inspirational quotes.  Let me tell you, her book is an inspiration; Elena used old book covers and bound beautiful art papers inside, using a lovely exposed spine binding technique.  The book is fabulous just as it is. 

As my mailing partner is Mary-Beth in Canada, I wanted to get this done and on its way before I leave for Keys4Art (more on that later), and luckily my mojo and my deadline didn't fight with each other for a change.

This isn't the greatest photo in the world (I tried to improve upon it too many times to count), but I think you'll get the idea. 

 

 

 

The backgrounds are gelli plate prints done on deli wrap, using many Stencil Girl stencils.  If you look closely enough, you'll see stamps from Tim Holtz, Wendy Vecchi, Dina Wakely, Graphic 45,  Claudine Hellmuth, and Stampin' Up.

 

The flowers are Tim's idea-ology foliage collection, all colored with his new distress paints.  I LOVE the way these paints color metal!

 

The silhouette stamp on the lower left (Dina's) was stamped with clear ink and embossed with faded jeans distress embossing powder.

 

The inspirational quote is a Wendy stamp, stamped onto white tissue paper and glued to the background.  In case you have trouble reading it, it says:

 

The purpose of life is

To be useful

To be responsible.

To be compassionate.

Is above all, to matter,

To count.  To love.

To stand for something,

To have made a difference

In this wonderful world.

 

 

You know that old hair dye ad that says, "don't hate me because I'm beautiful?" I think I should entitle this portion Don't Hate Me Because I'm Lucky. On Sunday I head out to LaGuardia to meet up with Pat and Teri for the start of the fourth (!) annual Keys4Art retreat in Key Largo. It's always a memorable (and fun) experience, but this year is going to be extra special. We've outgrown Elena's wonderful home, so she went ahead and rented this waterfront party house for us! I'll even have my own bedroom! There's a pool too. I think a few photos are in order.

 

 

 

 

Did I mention that I'm lucky?  Add blessed, happy, excited, and grateful.  I get to spend a week in paradise with some of the best, most talented women on earth.  And yes, in between laps in the pool and mojito breaks we WILL make art!



What To Do.......

......with all those gelli plate prints?  In my last post I shared the results of a weekend spent churning out prints on deli wrap.  Then comes the question of what to do with all those papers piling up around the studio.  The first thing I thought of was a wonderful journal I made last year in Michelle Ward's Debris Journal class at CREATE NJ.  I never did anything with the covers, so decided to put some of my gelli prints to good use.

I started by selecting a few sheets and randomly ripping them into pieces.

I used Ranger's Glue N Seal to adhere them, (also randomly, and with a lot of overlapping) and also applied a top coat to seal and protect the cover.  I generally use the matte finish, but this time I opted for the gloss.  It's not really all that glossy, more of a satin or semi-gloss, and I do like it a lot.

BTW, the journal was constructed of 6x12" pieces of corrugated cardboard, and the only way I could even semi successfully photograph the cover was to lean the book up against something and try my best to eliminate glare.  Like I said, semi successful.

 

After the top coat dried I added some more stenciling and the silhouette on the bottom right.  That is a Dina Wakley stamp, applied to yet another gelli print and cut out.  I added the white dots, red heart, and the arrow and word BE afterwards.  Here's a close up of that.

 

 

 

The arrow and word are actually a little rubber stamp I carved myself....stamped with black archival ink and outlined with a white Sharpie poster paint marker (water based).

 

Oh, by the way, the print the silhouette is on was done on the gelli plate using the new Tim Holtz distress paints.  They react very differently on the plate than other acrylics and result in interesting prints without even adding stencils or other designs.  Hard to describe, but if you have any of the paints give it a try.

 

Not my favorite holiday, but I do realize that it is February 14, and therefore Valentine's Day, so here is a sweet vintage image I found on The Graphics Fairy.

 

 

 

Whether you're a romantic who embraces V-Day, or a non-believer who ignores it, have a wonderful February 14th.