Cards to Frame

 A friend of mine asked me to make some cards for her to frame and give as gifts.  I used Brushos water color crystals to make backgrounds for these cards.  The background for the angel is made using Alizarin Crimson, Turquoise and Yellow.   I liberally sprayed water on water color paper and sprinkled the crystals around.  I let the paper set for a few minutes and then I picked it up by opposite corners and manipulated the colors around on the paper.  I blotted the original sheet with another of water color paper, creating a second colorful sheet.   After the paper was dry, I cut a piece a little larger than the angel image and stamped the image (A Stamp in the Hand) onto the water color paper.  I used a gold gel pen by Uniball to outline the stamped image and also to color in some of the stars.  I stamped the image again on pale pink paper and cut out the fact and hands and adhered them directly over the first image.  I layered this piece with black card stock and layered it on top of a white piece, which I also layered with black card stock before adding it to the card.  Finally I added the gold mica flakes to the corners of the piece as shown.

 For this card, I sprinkled Light Brown Brushos crystals along the bottom half of the paper and Terra Cotta Brushos crystals along the top half.  I did not spritz the paper as heavy at the edges of this piece, and I sprinkled the Terra Cotta crystals very lightly  at the edges.   The effect I wanted here was of an autumn sunset.  After the paper was dry, I cut a piece for the card and stamped the trees (Embossing Arts Co.) onto it.  I adhered frosted mica chips and gold mica chips to the base of the trees to mimic fallen leaves.  I layered this piece with black card stock and then onto a piece that had been spritzed with orange dye ink and white ink (to mimic snow).  I also spritzed the white onto a kraft card and adhered the image piece to the card when dry.  Finally I added the gold medallions to the sides of the card.

The paper that I stamped the arched window (Stampington & Co.) onto is actually from the same paper that I used in the angel card.  The crystals were not heavily sprinkled at this end.  I really liked the white showing through in this piece as it reminded me of light shining through.  After I stamped the image, I tore around the image in the shape of the window.  I layered it on a sheet of gold paper that I had attached to a blue card.  I stamped sentiment, cut out around it, and layered it onto blue card stock.  I attached it to the card with dimensional tape.  I added a gold star to the upper left corner and added a few micro rhinestones to give a "shine" to the window.
My friend was over-joyed with the finished results.  I was so happy and relieved!
(This was my 3rd custom order before Christmas.)

Christmas Angels 14-13=1

I am so sad!!!!!!   I made 14 different angels, one for each lady in my Sunday school class and did not photograph any of them except this one!   Wah!!!!!

I used so many papers:  red, green, gold, purple, and many different decorative patterns.  Some had wings decorated, some did not.   Some had decorative brads in the centers, some had beautiful flowers.   Some had burlap poinsettias and others had stars.
(Is this starting to sound like a Dr. Suess story?  Must be slipping back into my Pre-K4 teacher mode!  LOL)  Maybe next year my brain will be working better.........maybe not.  That's all there is folks!

Busy December

 I had three custom orders to get done before Christmas.  One lady ordered 40 cards......4 boxes of 10.   And then she ordered a box of 10.  She asked for simple basic cards with Thinking Of You, Get Well, Happy Birthday, With Sympathy and Congratulations.  I loved the challenge and tried to use as many different papers, images and embellishments as possible.  I really enjoyed this challenge and pushed myself to use up all the paper that I had already cut.  It is amazing what one can create with bits and pieces!

I had so many drawers from my supply closet out.   There were trays, boxes and folders of every kind of ribbons, brads, rhinestones, and stickers.

 I used this field of flowers stamp 2X.   The first time I used a Kaleidacolor ink pad to stamp several times to get this layered effect.   Then on the next card, I used black ink for a silhouette look.

 The striped background paper on this card really made a beautiful card for the blue panel with the white embossed "Congratulations".   The little gold butterflies adorning the corners was a great finishing touch.  My customer was very pleased with all 50 of her cards.  

Little works of Art

 I make so many of these little works of art known as Artists' Trading Cards - ATCs.  I'm always forgetting to photograph them and upload them to my blog.  I've been trying various techniques with these and it is such fun!
     I first cut a large unfinished water color from my daughter's destashing efforts.  It was such great paper and I knew I'd be able to use it for dozens of ATCs.  The archway in the background was part of that unfinished work.  I used stencil paste to add the stars to the background.  After they dried, I added the red marker (Copic Real Red) to the arch.  I copied the photo of this soldier from a clip art site.  I cut him out and glued him in front of the arch.  I stamped the sentiment (Stampin' Up!) on a scrap of white paper and trimmed around it and attached it to the soldier.  Then I brushed Glossy Accents over the whole ATC to seal it.

          For the Autumn ATC I first punched the leaves from colorful papers and glued them to the unfinished water color ATC.  I brushed a coat of Glossy Accents' crackle finish over the leaves.  I stamped the little bird girl from Catherine Moore's Mad Tea Party (Character Constructions) rubber stamp collection onto white paper and used a colored pencil to color in the her dress.  I cut out the stamped image and glued it to a page from an old novel.  I love the discolored vintage pages.  I cut around the image leaving lots of text around her.  I cut a partial sentence from the page and glued it above the image.  Next I tore a 1/4" strip from a piece of white material and sprayed it  with Dylusions Tangerine Dream.  I have shallow cardboard boxes that I lay my items in when wanting to die them with my sprays.  I cut tiny pieces from the strip and tied them into bows and attached the bow to the image as shown.  These were the ATCs I shared with my art sisters this month.  

Round Robin 2015 completed:

 These beautiful pages are by my dear friend and cohort in many, many activities........not only art!  LOL   Judi chose the letter "L" and gave me a two-page spread of laces!  I love this!  What a great variety of laces to adorn any art work, whether cards, journals or books.  I am thrilled that she added the little "price tags".  This really gives it a catalogue look.  I'm so glad she added the buttons.  This reminds me of book that Pat did one year.  Great idea!  Thank you, Judi!

The next two spread were done by another dear friend, Sara, who was born under the sign "Pisces" , and, therefore has done the letter "P".  I love Sara's fish and sea pages.   These are themes that appear often in her work.  I really admire the skill and patience it takes to lace the sides of the pages.  What a lot of work to put into someone else's book.  So many images on these pages:  fabric, rubber stamped, ribbon, bathing beauties and even embossed writing on the Pisces definition.  

This second two-page spread that Sara did features seashells and more fish.  Just below the seashells Sara has added a fish image that she cut into three pieces before adding the image to the page.  I really like the waves she has added on the mulberry paper.  The various blues, epoxy dots, and 3-D pieces at the bottom of the second page shown here really give great depth to her pages.  Sara has sewn tabs on all the pages from some muslin that she had dyed.  At the top of each lacing, she added a sea-themed charm.  Very nice touch.  Thank you, Sara!

 This two-page spread is by another dear friend and art sister that I finally got to meet in Paris!  I love Pat's "tea-themed" works that she creates.  The Catherine Moore images she has stamped on these pages are some my very favorite.  I really like the "Tea for Two" she has stamped on the page.  I often refer to the two of us "having tea" when I email her.  Pat stamped, then cut out the ladies and adhered them to the pages.  Her addition of the hats, umbrellas and clothing added a dimension to her page.  Wonderful "T" she has used for her "T" (Tea) page.  ")  Thank you, Pat!

These pages were created by another dear friend and art sister, Minori.  She lives in Japan and I have not been privileged to meet her in person.  But, I do know she loves Christmas and flowers!  This two-page spread shows her love of roses.  She has chosen the letter "R" to create a page dedicated to the Rose.  Minori has laid down a coating of gesso and added color and sparkle under her images.  I had never seen the angel image she used on these pages.  They are adorable!  She has used many a different color for each one.  Minori has added die-cut roses from decorative papers and text pages.........a very nice addition.  She has also die-cut a lattice work and added randomly around the page.  I'm imaging the lady in the image on the left is looking out her window and admiring her rose garden.  Thank you, Minori!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND ART SISTERS that worked in this book.  Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with me!  I do appreciate all the work you have done to decorate my life.  I know how hard it is to meet deadline when life is throwing so many things in your way.  Again, thank you so much.  I cherish each of you and your work.

Stamp Diva Round Robin 2015 completed....

 For my Alphabet round-robin book ,
Jan used the "B" page for "Bicycle".  I was so pleased because I have a great fondness for bicycles.  I thought she used some wonderful bicycle images for these pages.  The children in the bottom image on the second page are so reminiscent of my days with my brother and my cousins as we rode our bicycles down our street carrying a "hitch-hiker" on the back.  Thank you my friend and art sister, Jan.

                                    Marsha's   pages:

 These pages featuring those sweet little "House Mouse" critters are perfect for her "F" pages she has entitled "friends".  The quote on the second page says:  "Friendship isn't a big things......it's a million little things."  These pages are full of such friends engaged in numerous activities.  I love all the action here.

Marsha chose the letter "M" for a second set of pages.  Wonderful movie images!

Love the camera on the tripod.  I can almost hear:  "lights, camera, action!"  The gold letters and star and such a great touch to bring out the theme of this page.

I'm so glad Marsha used her own handwriting to make the "Movies" word marquee on the second page.  She wrote all around "Movies" words that are associated with this "scene", so to speak.  :)   Thank you, Marsha!  What a great friend and art sister for doing two wonderful two-page layouts for me!

This is the day the Lord has made.................

 let us rejoice and be glad in it!"  Psalm 118:24   My oldest and best friend used to wake her children quoting this Scripture to them.  They weren't always appreciative of it, but they know this verse by heart!  :)
   
It was such a beautiful fall morning, gorgeous blue sky, slight breeze ruffling the American flag and sunshine hitting the tops of the trees, I could not but quote this verse myself.

 Two of our neighbors have the American flag displayed outside the homes every day.  This one is across the street from our home.  The other is down the road a bit but when the leaves have all fallen from the trees, I can see it blowing in the stronger fall and winter winds.  There's just something about the American flag waving in the breeze that reminds me what a great country we live in.  Oh, there are many things that we complain about, but we have so many more freedoms and advantages here than anywhere else in the world.  How glad I am that I have been privileged to be born here.

My husband spotted this leaf newly fallen from my crepe myrtle into a spider web.  I had to use my Mr. Mister to get some water on the delicate web because I wanted it to show in the photograph too.  This beautiful creation caught in midair by the works of another created creation of wonder was so awe-inspiring.  I just had to write about it.  I pray each of you is enjoying some sunshine in your life today.  God's blessings on you all!

Tag Swap 2015

I'm a member of an online art group that has several trades/swaps each year.  This year one of our swaps was Technique Tags.  We used large shipping tags to showcase our art and the technique we chose to demonstrate.  On the back of the tag we described how the technique was accomplished.  I made this tag for Minori, our member in Japan, who dearly loves Christmas.

 The technique used on this tag was "Embossing on Adhesive Sheets".  First I used my fingers to rub in magenta and yellow acrylic paints for the background colors.  Next I stamped two Christmas tree images, embossing one them in silver, and tore pieces from the adhesive sheet to place along the bottom of the trees.  I used white embossing powder to mimic snow.  I also added a strip of the adhesive sheet to the bottom of the tag.  I stamped one bird, cut it out and adhered it to the "snow" at the bottom.  Then I added an enameled bird next to the stamped image.  I stamped the sentiment at the top of the tag.  I attach a coordinating ribbon to the top and stamped other Christmas sentiments and cut them out.  I added these sentiments to the ends of the ribbon.  The technique process was printed out and adhered to the back of the tag.

                                              Sara's Tag - Brushed on Glimmer Mist

 This is the tag for I made for Sara.  First I used my Tim Holtz edger die to make a decorative edge along the bottom of the tag.  From the beginning I had decided I was going to use this image of the 1914 lady.  I had been saving this image for ages for that special project and this just seemed to be it.

 After letting the Glimmer Mist dry, I stamped the image in the lower left corner of the tag.  Next I cut out the lady and glued her to the right side of the tag.  I used a sheet from a bank ledger (sent to me by Sara) to cut the numbers that I attached above and below the lady.  The I tore a piece from the ledge that actually had 1914 written on it and attach it to the top left of the tag.  I then stamped the butterfly image below the torn piece and added the rhinestone.  Next I added the two flowers.  Finally I added the pink/grey ribbon to the top of the tag.

 Closer view of the torn ledger paper and the numbers cut from the ledger paper.

           The techniques process printed out and attached to the back.

                         
                        Marsha's Tag  -  Antiqued Glimmer Mist Technique
                   (A process I learned from Pat Huntoon at Technique Junkies)

This is one of my favorite techniques.  Using Tim Holtz's Distress Inks, rub the Tea dye an on a craft sheet.  Then use 2-3 Glimmer Mists and spritz lightly over the ink.  I used turquoise and Vanilla Breeze.  Rub the tag around in the inks and turn over to rub opposite side in the inks.  Stamp sentiments/images and decorate as desired.  I love this little gal from Stampers' Anonymous/Tim Holtz.   The background stamp, Paris postale is from B line Designs.  The star is a hand-carved stamp of my own.  I added the text tape (from 7gypsies) and torn text paper at the top.  Finally I added the plastic dots and the pink ribbon.

I'm so sorry to say I did not get Judi's tag photographed.  It's very upsetting to me to forget to photograph a piece of art that I'm sending out.  I try to keep a record of all the art I do, but sometimes life gets busy and I forget.  :(        This has been another great year of trades!  I'm already thinking of new swaps/round robins for next year!  Lord willing, I'll be around for them.  Happy creating!

Take Ten Autumn 2015

I just received the Take Ten Autumn 2015 issue from Stampington & Co.  I will add the url link for this magazine as soon as I receive my badge from Stampington.  I have three layouts of three cards each in this issue.  The cards they have chosen are some that I truly loved when finished with them.  So many times I do a set of cards, send them in, and then wish I had done so much more to them.  However, for Take Ten the idea is to create a card as quickly as one can.  I really relish challenging myself to see how quickly I can come up with a finished design that has some WOW-factor to it.  The ones that are in this issue met those particulars for me.  If you have never sent in a submission for publication, give it a try!  I waited way too many years to feel confident in myself to do so and wish I had started much earlier.  I feel I'm the antiquated old aunt in stamping quarters.  LOL  But it doesn't matter how long or how recent the time since one has started in this passion, just go for it!  One thing I said in the interview of my recent Guest Artist appearance in the The Stampers' Sampler is:  Never compare your art work to another.  Others may be inspired by and see beauty in your art work that you don't see.  We are all different and that's the very thing that makes art ART.  Keep on creating!

Contest over......Summer coming to an end...............

It's hard for me to believe no one tried for Stampington's free magazine, The Stampers Sampler Summer 2015 issue.  But I know this is a busy season.  In the summer, we're all outside enjoying the warm weather because we know it's not going to last.  Many schools around here will start their new year TODAY!  My youngest daughter and her two boys will be headed out to school in about an hour.  It's been a rainy summer here, which is quite different for Oklahoma.  I've got new projects to start and post...........just as soon as I get back from an "girls only" trip I'm taking the next five days.  It's been hectic around here with my sister-in-law in the hospital.  Another daughter and I have been alternating staying with her this past week and that will continue when we get back from our trip.  I hope all of you have enjoyed your summer to the fullest.   I also hope that you have had time to dream up some new projects to start when we are forced to stay indoors with the cool, blustery days ahead.  Keep creating!   Keep blogging!

Cheers!  inkybru

WIN A FREE STAMPERS' SAMPLER MAGAZINE!

Hello, All,

I'm excited to announce that I'll be giving away one free copy of The Stampers' Sampler Summer 2015 issue.  This is the issue that features ME! as the Guest Artist.  I'm so pleased to have this honor and in celebration I'm issuing a challenge to all my followers/readers.

I want you to find a card in the magazine (stampington.com/The-Stampers-Sampler-Summer-2015) and make one to post with your comment here on my blog.  At the end of the month, I will have one of my grandchildren draw a name to see who gets the free copy.  Remember, you must post a comment after visiting the Stampington & Co. website and taking a  peek inside the new Stampers' Sampler.  Also post a pic of the card you have made.  Have a look around on this wonderful website.  The Studio is full of great projects, many of which have videos to follow, all have directions to help you make the item yourself.  They have such a huge collection of rubber art stamps.  Also in the Shoppe are products that will enhance any artistic endeavor you wish to tackle.  Go.  Look.  Create.   But don't forget to come back to post your comment and creation!
Best to all of you!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

Stampington has chosen me as their Guest Artist in the upcoming issue of The Stampers' Sampler.  This issue will be on the news stands July 1......that's this Wednesday!  Please buy a copy and see what I've been doing.....well, most of the time anyway.  ")   I love the layout they've done and their interview was loads of fun and thought probing/provoking for me.  I'll post a photo as soon as they send me the badge.  Thanks!

Hope everyone is having a very relaxed summer.

Finished botanical pages

I tied the finished pages together with an aqua organza ribbon.  I left long tails so I could pull the ribbon across to the scalloped flap and tied it in a bow.  (Of course, the owner of the album will bind the pages herself.  This will keep the pages I made together until she receives it back.)

I so enjoyed working in this book.  I have never made a book for myself that cataloged the bird community around our property.  I am so inspired to do so!

Botanical journal pages

 I received an old Victorian album that was in pieces.  My friend thought I could come up with some ideas of how to use the pages. I decided I should use some of it in her book for our art club's round robin this year.  So I removed this page from the album and added the photo of the English Oriole.  I added the eggs to the lower left corner and then added the lace and yellow washi tape to the left side.  Next I attached three of the craft flowers to the frame.  I wrote "fig. 7" in the corner of the photo and "Plate 21" to a tab and added it to the top of the frame.

 On the back of the frame I added this Birds and Nature page from a Catherine Moore collection.  The same friend mentioned above sent me the bias tape with "77" printed down the side.  I added that to the left side of the page.  I attached a birdcage die cut over the printed cage on the page.  I wrote "fig. 3" on a small label and added it just below the bird.  I wrote "For Sale" on another label and attached it to the die cut.  Next I tied a metal bird to a black thread and tied it to a tiny safety pin.  I adhered a strip of brown ric-rac across the top of the page and attached the tiny pin to it.  I wrote "fly" 3X on the page and attached a feather and a faux postage stamp to the page.  At the bottom of the page I added the three numbers.

The frame will be attached over this page and open up to reveal the pockets.  I cut out a bird on a limb and glued it to the upper left corner of this page.  I attached a blue floral washi tape across the top of the page.  I added five rubber stamped pockets to the page.  I added the names of some of the birds that I see on our property.  Next I printed out photos I took of those birds, trimmed them to fit the pockets and backed them with playing cards that had decorative birds on the backs.  I added tiny blue rhinestones to some of the pockets and placed the photo cards in them.  I attached a flower to one pocket and lace along the bottom of the page.  Then I glued a feather to the lace.  I attached a photo of an English Oriole to the top of the flap on the left and a page from an old book that gave some facts about the bird.  Then I cut the edge into scallops and hole-punched it to look like eyelet lace.  I adhered one of my photos of a bluebird to the bottom of the flap and wrote the date of the sighting on the photo.

 The next page I covered with another page from Catherine Moore's collection.  I tore a picture of Baltimore Orioles from an old bird book and adhered it to the lower right corner of the page.  I added six pockets to this page and repeated the process of rubber stamping, adding names of the birds and added some blue enameled dots to the pockets.  At the bottom of the page I wrote a little note of some of the bird sightings we've made on our property and along the river at the back of our property.

Next I pulled two photos out to show some examples of the birds I have sighted around my home.

 This is a page that my friend had sent along with her book.  Once again I added the pockets, rubber stamped on them, added some tiny red rhinestones and names of more birds.  I printed out more photos, backed them with the decorative playing cards and added them to the pockets.  In the center at the top I added the diagram of an Oriole.  I edged the torn piece with a brown marker and colored in the bird.  I also added the word "Guide" above the bird.  I cut the pink flowers and the green swirls from an envelope from another one our club members and glued it to the top of the page.  I added the tiny feather and some red enamel dots to the flowers and to the tree on the left side of the page.

Again I pulled out two of my bird photos and displayed them for everyone to see.













This is the back of the previous page.  First I printed out a page of various bird eggs.  I tore it and added some of it to the right side of the page.  Then I tore a page from a vintage pharmacy register that I purchased from the Etsy shop, The Little Art Studio, owner Rebecca Stewart.  I tore it in half and adhered it to the left side of this page.  I love this bluebird picture that I cut from one of my recycled calendars and glued it over the pharmacy page.  I glued gold paper over a chipboard letter "B: and added it to the bottom of the page.  Then I attached three buttons to the spine of the "B".  I used my calligraphy brush pen to finish
writing "Birds" across the page.  I attached three faux postage stamps, a feather, and four flowers to the page.  Finally I added a photo I took of a little Sparrow that had gathered materials for nest making in his mouth.  He was just outside my studio door.  I added this information just below the photo.

I Corinthians 13 Collage

 This collage measures 20" X 16".  I had such fun working on this piece.  It was everything I love:  tearing paper, painting, gluing, cutting, writing and using washi tape.  I am determined to use more words of faith in my art work.  I started by painting the canvas with gesso.  I then added some magenta, ochre and sky blue (Heavy Body Acrylic paints by Dina Wakely) randomly around the canvas.  I wrote 1 Corinthians 13 on vellum.  Then I tore

 the vellum piece into pieces and glued them randomly around the canvas.  I used a stencil and sprayed ink on it and moved it around the canvas.  I added torn pieces of decorative papers to the canvas.  I added two bright pink doilies and one ivory one diagonally across the center of the canvas.

Next I tore strips of decorative washi tape to several areas of the canvas.  I used a calligraphy brush pen to write the words: faith, hope and love on the canvas.

I

 I spritzed some magenta ink onto tissue papers, drizzled glue around on it and crushed it into three different pieces to add to one side of each heart.  I cut three hearts from some of my postcards I had purchased from 7gypsies.

After the tissue pieces dried, I added them to the hearts and trimmed them to fit.  Then I adhered the hearts to the doilies.  I sealed the canvas with a clear acrylic sealer, matte finish.  

2nd page for Journal Soup 2

I've finally finished my second page in Kathryn Crane's Journal Soup 2.  I love doing these pages!  I learn something new about adding layers every time I work on a page.  The colors used on this page were red, pinks and a touch of blue.  Torn papers were laid down first and a light coat of paints applied.  While those dried, we worked on putting together little houses from various background papers.  Kathryn has some downloads with this class, but I had several background pages done with acrylics and cut my house from one of those.  The roof is cut from a photograph I took of a piece of dead wood I saw one day as I took my walk to the through our woods to the river.  I cut my door and windows from black washi tape that has white script on it.  When another coat of paint was applied, we wrote or drew pictures in the wet paint and let it dry.  After my page was finished, the only word visible was the "love" at the upper left side of the page.  Since I had written it in with a pencil, it was barely visible and I wanted it visible for this page.  I used my white Signo pen to write over the word to make it visible.  I stamped a few graphic watch images to the page and used a piece of a nerf gun to make the round circles that I later whited in with the Signo pen.  There are a few black "Xs" visible that were made with the opposite end of this piece.  I added contrasting pieces of washi tape to the lower left of the page and to the upper right of the page.  I added my house and used a black pen to outline on it.  I cut scallops from the painted paper I had made and added one long piece to top right side and a short piece to the lower right side.  I outlined these pieces with a black pen and added a black dot in each piece of the scallop.  I also drew in a scallop next to the left side of the house.  I used a black pen to draw it and highlighted it with the white Signo pen.  I cut words and numbers from a magazine and added these.  Beside each number I wrote with a black pen some of the things that a house/home are to me.  I added words to the house and one below the house.  I drew a few "flowers" to the right of the house.  I used the white Signo pen to draw circles around some of my graphics.  I also usedthe white Signo to draw groups of little "x's".  I used the black pen to outline my words and the numbers.
(For information about this class go to:  www.thekathrynwheel.com)