New 'Story Board' Thanks to Red Lead:)

Hello Everyone:)

Well it's a quiet, windy, rainy evening here in 

Victoria, B.C. Canada.

And I must say from watching CNN

each morning, that my heart goes

out to all of you down South

who are part of the 'Red' States on the

CNN Weather Map in the U.S.!

My goodness, how ever do you cope with

such heat!

I have a couple of air conditioners in storage,

as so far this season, they haven't been needed.

We're kind of thinking that we're going right

into Fall and Winter as it never even seemed

like we had a Spring!

Anyway you all keep safe, and cool!

So tonight, I thought I'd give a 'Shout Out' and

show a little project that I've been working on

in between all the other projects:)

I recently purchased these wonderful stamps

from Chris and Sharon at Red Lead

(their link is in my Favourites Listing:)

I LOVE their line of stamps, and have been

an avid collector for some time now. 

They also have wonderful Customer art swaps,

and although I haven't participated, due to 

mail issues up here in Canada, I've always

enjoyed seeing their Customer's Projects,

(and their own! Brilliant Girls!:)

So I encourage you all to stop by Red Lead

and have a peek:)

So, back to my project:)

I've been studying these two sets of stamps

since they arrived and I had a package

of these cut out chipboards that were

in the Kid's Section at my local 

Michael's Craft Store.

(Always check out the Kid's Section

for art supplies, as you never know 

what might inspire you!)

Now, to look at these wonderful stamps,

and this boring cardboard, (grin)..

who would have thought....

I've tried a few new technique's with this

project, first off, Red Lead's Acetate Sheets

that I've purchased with the 'Negative' Stamp.

Using 'Stazon' Black Ink, as it will not 

smudge, and stay's on, (grin) to the acetate.

I stamped the acetate with the 'Negative' Stamp,

then chose from my huge selection of stamps

anything small and nature inspired.

(And yes, there's that pesky bee again! I just love 

this little stamp from Magenta!)

Whoops, lost a step:)

The background of the cardboard, is computer

paper that I glued to it, that was inked and

I used one of my favourite script stamps along

with Red Lead's 'Honeycomb' Stamp:)

(Now back to my train of thought!)

(grin)

Then I tried a new technique I've just started

playing with using transparency sheets through

my ink jet printer.

I used this lovely graphic from 'Graphics Fairy'

(Thank you very much:)

And printed it on the blank transparency sheet.

I think this little bird is beautiful in it's design.

The original artist really captured all the 

details of this little guy:)

So, keeping in mind he's printed on the transparency sheet...

I then chose a sheet of beautiful scrapbook

paper to put behind the little guy:)

A few little touches here and there...

A tea stained and stamped tag, a wire hanger...

And a finished back side of the 'Story Board'

and again, a new technique for me, printing

paper tissue!

What a fun procedure that has been! You have

to try it!

Take plain artists tissue wrap. It's different from

regular tissue, as it has a side that has a faint

waxy coating.

Take a piece of computer paper, wrap the paper with the

tissue paper and with

scotch tape cover all edges so the paper on the 

back side, so it won't jam in your

printer. (Boy could I tell you stories of my experimenting

with my printer! Or should I say printer's plural!).

Tissue side up, waxy side down:)

Then take all of your paper out of the tray, and place

the sheet face down in the tray, push print with what

ever graphics you are using, and sit back, close your eyes,

and cross your fingers.....(ok, so that part you may not need

to include in the procedure, that's just me:)

Take the printed tissue paper, cut out your design, leaving just

a little edge of the paper around the design, then using 

gel-medium, you can carefully lay your paper on a coat of

gel-medium, then gently apply a coat over the top.

This might take a few tries to get the 'grip of it', as

the paper can tear easily, and depending on the amount of

gel-medium you're using it can be a bit fussy.

But a lot of fun to try!

Cheers for tonight!

Stay cool! Or dry, depending on where you are!

Enjoy!

After thought:)

I just kept looking at my finished

piece for my entry in Retro Cafe Art's

Contest and just thought

it needed a little something....

Now it's finished:)

Enjoy!

Happy Sunday Morning 'Shout Out' :) :)

Hello Everyone:)

I realized this weekend that

my dear friend Kristin Hubick

at Retro Cafe Art

has another Contest going on and

is about to come to an end in 5 days!

So if you go to her blog

(link in my favourites listing:)

all the particulars are on her 

posting for her wonderful contest!

There's still 5 days to go, so you

still have time to make an entry!

Being Sunday morning, ( I woke up

at 5 a.m. dying to be in the art room,

so here's what I was up to:)

My Entry into Kristin's Contest:)

I love her ATC Holder Kits

and have already in past blog postings

showed how I like to put them together 

and embellish them.

So here's another one, and this time, all

the products used in this project came from

Kristin's shop Retro Cafe Art.

(Kristin is also the owner of Coffee Break Design which

manufactures all of these great products!)

Clever girl!

So the basics:)

I took her masonite ATC Holder Kit

and glued it all together using my favourite

Glossy accents by Inkssentials.

Then, I painted the ATC Holder, inside and outside,

with Deco Brand Metal Paint, White.

(Also from Retro Cafe Art).

After it dried, (and this paint dries really fast!),

I then used Tim Holtz 'Distress Inks to create

a background. Then I took one of my favourite 

script stamps and randomly stamped all over

the outside with Stazon Black ink.

Once the ink had dried, I glued the 

Coffee Break Design Cut-Out Wing Set to the

sides of the ATC Holder.

(I inked the wings like the ATC Holder, but used

Sepia Coloured Stazon Ink.)

Once the wings were secure, I then embellished

the project with Coffee Break Designs great

masonite cogs! Love these things!

I took Tim Holtz metal brads, and cut off the 'tails',

and glued them into the centres of the cogs.

A few more little embellishments from

Kristin's product line, ( as it is for her contest:)

Then I put my trademark 

'Tim Holtz' Hitches

on the bottom of the ATC Holder for feet!

It's one of my favourite uses for his product:):)

A little pearl in the middle of

the cog, and it's all done:)

So that is how I spent my Sunday morning this morning, 

and it just goes to show with still 5 days to go, you

still have time to make something to enter in 

Kristin's Contest!

Enjoy!

New Passion continued....:)

Hello Everyone:)

Hope you all had a great

Holiday Weekend and

extra time off for some fun

and Family Time:)

As you saw in my previous post,

I have a new passion for making

journal pages, and have continued over

the past Holiday Week making pages

from scratch.

The wonderful big sheets of 

watercolour paper that my Art-Pal

Leslie had passed onto me, were

only 1/2 used up from the first

batch of pages I showed you in

my previous post. So since it's been

quiet time for the Holidays at my house,

I decided to continue making more 

pages while I still had some of this

great paper left:)

So here's a bit more eye candy:)

I had great fun painting and inking

both sides of the paper...

My entire floor of my art room was covered

in watercolour paper that was drying, then...

as each page would dry, I would flip it over

and start the other side...

Again, I was using Claudine Hellmuth's Paints,

which I am nuts over now, as they're so rich and

vibrant in their colours, and the texture of the paint

feels rich while using it:)

And also using the Tattered Angels Stencils,

and other assorted inks, and stamps...

I found that one of the parts of the process 

I had created to accomplish these, 

and it became

a part that I looked forward to...

Was taking the very large sheets of

paper, all painted and inked, and 

while they were still slightly moist,

I folded in half, then with a large

ruler to use as a guide, I tore the

sheets into halves, then again into

quarters to create the approximate

size of each page. I then inked all

the torn edges, which I think gives

each page a great look:)

So between the batch that I made

for the previous blog post, and

this large batch, (as there are

even more sheets made up, by the

time I start putting it all together

into book form, and start actually

journaling on them, it's going

to be quite the project!

As I mentioned before, I found that

some of the pages, at close up

photographs, would also make great

backgrounds for ATC's or other

projects. Well...

I've also been motivated by one

of the pages..

I just kept going back to it and

looking at it, and remembering 

how I had accomplished it...and then...

It somehow jumped onto a canvas:)

I had a great 12 x 12 inch

Cotton Duck Canvas 

that I had recently purchased,

and decided since I was working

away on all these journal pages

I might as well jump off the deep

end and transfer the techniques 

to a canvas.

Now I have this to study for awhile

to see how I'm going to embellish it

later one:)

Another blog post another time:)

Enjoy!

Passion :) :) :)

First of all,

Happy Holiday

Weekend

Everyone!

So for all of my American Friends

Happy 4th of July Holidays this week

and to all of us here in Canada

Happy Canada Day!!

And to everyone else

Happy Weekend!

(grin).

Now, the dictionary states

'Passion'

'A powerful emotion or appetite'

So today's Blog Post is about my 

latest Passion, as I figure what

I lack in talent, I surely make up 

for with Passion for any new art form

that grabs my attention, or interests me

whether it's 'flash in the pan' for a moment,

or becomes a life-long interest.

This new Passion, started up with my 

Art-Pal Leslie giving me a big handful

of this wonderful thick, watercolour paper.

It's 11 x 15 inch has had me intimidated

for months looking at it. 

I kept picking it up when I would come across it in my art cupboard and the feel of it, the texture and thickness, would always make me feel like 'this could really be interesting to do something with', but  I lacked the self-confidence to think of a project to use it for.

Until now....or should I say, over the past week,

as I have been up for days and nights playing

with this, (grin).

First up, supplies:)

I decided to pull out all the stops, and

get into my art drawers and cupboards to

see what would motivate me with this

lovely blank paper.

So I pulled out my collection of 

Claudine Hellmuth Acrylic Paints,

My Tattered Angels Stencils and Stamps....

Tattered Angels Chalkboard and Glimmer Mists...

Tim Holtz 'Distress Stains'....

My wonderful assortment of ....

Watercolour Crayons...

And other assorted Stamps, pens and such

to start 'something'!

I decided to try my hand at making a 

Journal from scratch.

Not using graphics, or collage, or commercial

products, but using my own imagination.

I painted, sprayed, stamped, and started with one big sheet.

Then after doing this to both sides of each sheet, while

still slightly damp, I took a ruler, and tore the sheets

against the ruler, into quarters, to create pages.

Once they were torn into quarters, I inked the edges,

punched each page for putting into a book form later.

Then the real fun began....

Layering acrylic painted images, stamping, inking,

playing!

Layer after layer of whatever grabbed my attention

to use, I did!

Now, I must confess.

I have no ability with calligraphy.

So using a set of stencils, I made up for my inability

to create lovely lettering with tons of pen and ink work!

So I just kept playing....

Until I came up with this:)

Now, that I've decided that it is to be a journal,

I made the covers, ( to be finished at a later date).

I cut chipboard and glued with gel-medium,

front and back to the chipboard and pre-punched

the ring holes.

So now that I have found this new passion,

I think this project will be keeping me busy

for quite some time, as each page is turning

into a 'discovery' and 'journey' 

in itself.

Here's some more examples of pages

to be 'worked on' and some 'sort of finished'

A beginning...

Looking forward to playing with this one:)

Wouldn't this image make a great background

for an ATC!

(I'm finding this new passion leads me into all 

sorts of ideas as I'm playing:)

I have a feeling this will take months!!!! 

(grin)

And I'm just getting started!!!!

So I have a beautiful old gold box from last years

Christmas cards, that I'm going to keep all these

pages in, so at a moments notice, I can grab a

page and work on or complete as I feel the 

'Passion'

So over time, I'll be sharing more pictures of this

As I always can jump from one medium

to another, to incorporate in the finished

journal:)

So that's what I'm up to this week!

Hope your Holiday Weekend and coming

Holiday Week is full of fun times, great 

Family get togethers, and maybe even

some lovely Art Time!!!

Cheers to you all!

Enjoy!

project in between other shorter posts:)