Dyan's Dylusions Spray Inks

I don't why every time I clean up that guest bathroom it just screams to get messed up again.  Really, today I was up very early with every intention of cleaning house and not making any messes.  I swear I have art ADD.  While reading my emails I noticed one from "Art from the Heart".  I checked it out and noticed  (again) that Dyan has some tutorials that one could watch, if they had the time.  I thought I'd just watch one....then out came the journal and the sprays.

I always think I can copy her projects exactly if I just do it as she does it.  Some how it always takes on a life of its own.

I had to try out my new Teesha Moore stamps and my Reeves water soluble wax pastels.  You might want to give it a try it yourself, here's the link to her videos:  http://shop.afth.co.uk/index.asp
Now my husband has decided he needs to do something fun.  So were off to the beach and nearby lobster shack.  There are some delightful antique/junk stores near this beach.  Hmmmm.....maybe that would be fun?  Anything to make that sweet man happy.  Have a lovely weekend.

SDC::263 Color Challenge from Stampotique

Sarinda is hosting the challenge at Stampotique this week and it is a color challenge based on this color chart.

I decided to take these colors and make a piece of my own paper using alcohol inks.  I used the following Alcohol Inks by Adirondack:  Stonewashed, Aqua, Cranberry, Wild Plum, Pitch Black and Pearl.  I dropped a little Colorless Blender on the colors and then sprayed some canned air on the drops to make a splatter effect.  It looks a little like flowers when all is said and done.

Then I cut up the paper and made a small plaque for an "artiste".  I used some of the paper to make little flowers using the Alterations Tattered Pinecones die.  The "leaves" are cut from paint chips using the same die.  The tiny hanger is made by Melissa Frances and is the perfect shabby chic hanger for my artist.

Enjoy the rest of your week!  We had the perfect summer day today.  Lots of sun and low humidity.

Stampotique Challenge::SDC262/One Layer

I am just getting this in at the last moment!  Stampotique's Challenge this week is One Layer.  That always sounds deceptively simple.  You never realize how many embellishments you use until it is prohibited.    I chose to do a tag that has been sprayed with Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions.  I used Squeezed Orange and Bubblegum Pink.  These were sprayed onto a #8 Manila tag made by Ranger.  Following Dyan's directions I blotted it with a roll of kitchen towels and heat dried it a little.  Then I flicked water on to the surface, waited 20 seconds, blotted it off again.  The alpha stencil is one from my local office supply store.  At the top of the tag I applied white acrylic paint over the stencil, lifted it off and allowed it to dry.  The border stamp at the bottom, one of Dyan's, was stamped with Ranger's Archival Black ink as was the Dina Wakley Lonely Girl image.  I did use Stampotique's words down the right side.  Since it is one layer I decided to tangle a little around the hole for the ribbon.  The final touches are black inking around the edge of the tag and a tiny smear of aqua acrylic paint across the eyes and in the circles.

We're having a rainy day today so it will be nice to stay inside and play!  Have a great day.

Liquid Polymer Clay ATCs

I took the most amazing class today at my LSS "Ink About It".  It was taught by Amy A. Crawley.  In this class we used liquid polymer clay as one of the elements in our ATCs.  We painted the liquid clay on to a ceramic tile, cut out phrases and laid them down into the clay.  After baking the clay and allowing it to cool we stamped images on it with STAZ-on ink.  When that ink had dried a second layer of liquid clay was applied and baked again.  Color was then added to the baked clay, when that was dry it was covered again with a third layer of clay and baked the final time.  Now came the tricky part.  We had to use a slicing blade.  Scary!  Surprisingly easy, after you slide that extremely sharp blade between the clay and the tile it just peels off in one nice long piece.  Of course I had to tear the edges, it didn't look right to me cut in a nice straight line.  We had already colored our watercolor paper ATC cards with pencils and added some doodles to them.  We just glued the clay paper right on to the ATC card with Mat Medium and added some ephemera.  There you have it....a very unusual and textured ATC.  Check out Amy's blog at http://www.moonroommuse.wordpress.com.  She is a great teacher and we all had a wonderful class!



Just a little Steampunk on this one!

I know I'm going to be playing around with this technique quite a few times in the near future.  I will try to remember to photograph the steps and share them with you.  It is so much fun and I'm sure there are a lot of different ways to use the finished product.  Have a great weekend!

Lanie

I saw the cutest project on Graphic 45's website last week.  It was wreath made with their gorgeous papers.  I wanted to make one but I really do not need one more project hanging around the house.  So I started thinking about who could use a wreath....hmmmmm.  One of my friends, Ann, asked if she and her four year old daughter, Lanie, could come over and do some crafting soon.  Yes! the answer to my prayers. This is Lanie, a four year old ball of energy.

About four years ago she and her parents lived with us for a few months while they were between houses and Lanie was just a baby.  Since then we have been Papa and NeNe.  Every once in a while I get to babysit Lanie and we usually do "art".  She has a little table and chair set just her size and art supplies just for her.  We work in the garden, play with water colors, etc.  If Joe is working from home that day she distracts him until he stops working and ends up goofing off the rest of the day. (lol)
So the three of us had a lovely lunch and made this wreath using some acorns Lanie had collected just for such an event.

Everyone was happy!  I got to play with the project idea with Ann and Lanie got a wall hanging for her room.

Or a rather large necklace.  Whatever.  We had a great time!

Stampotique Challenge SDC261::Alter It

The Stampotique Challenge for this week is "Alter It".  The idea is to alter something that you have around the house and just cheer it up a little.  I always seem to have several pillar candles in the cupboard, probably because we seem to lose power for several days at a time.  So I thought I would use the method that I saw once in a video/tutorial at Stampington.com.  I used their technique to enhance several pillar candles one of them has a Stampotique image called "Angel".

These are fast, fun and make terrific last minute hostess gifts!  Hope you're having a great weekend.

Somerset Studio Challenge

A few months back Somerset Studio issued a challenge for Edgar Allen Poe projects.  I have never sent any of my work to this magazine but I have loved Poe since I was twelve.  "You never know unless you try" is my motto so I sent in a few pieces.  I was delighted today when I walked down to the mailbox and found my Artist Comp copy of Somerset Studio!

Three of my projects are featured in the section called "EXPRESSIONS".

The Tell-Tale Heart Wall Hanging (upper left/center)

Tea with Edgar



Dream Key Holder (upper right)

There are so many wonderful articles and submissions in this issue, check it out when you get a chance!

Stampotique Challenge::SDC260

This week at Stampotique the challenge is a sketch challenge.  This is the sketch that has been created by Kim, the host for this week.

And this is what I came up with:

This is a 5"x6.5" card that started off as an ATC.  I used Distress Inks Mustard Seed and Bundled Sage to color the background.  The Stampotique mushrooms are stamped with DI Vintage Photo and Stampotique's Smushallaum was stamped with Ranger's Coffee Archival Ink.  I coated the entire ATC with clear embossing powder and heat set it.  The right corner sports one of Tim's metal corners, there is twine wrapped around the middle and the word button in the center left is by K & Co.  The sentiment in the upper left corner is by Authentique.  The ATC is matted on black cardstock, then matted onto patterned map paper that has eyelets in each corner and a piece of black wire strung through the left side.  I glued a pieced of distressed cardboard to the blank card and then glued some gauze onto that.  The mermaid panel is affixed to the prepared card. This is a fun challenge, I am not normally into sketches but that is what challenging yourself is all about, right?

Our Creative Corner Challenge

Our Creative Corner has a fun challenge this week.  If you like denim it might be something you'd like to try.

The "recipe" requires 3 buttons or brads, 3 ribbons or twine accents, and some real or fake denim.  I have an old pair of jeans that I've been making little purses out of for some tiny friends of mine.  My husband can't believe little girls need purses.  He was amazed that even a 4 year old can insist on carrying a bag full of junk she doesn't really need.  (lol)  The jeans came in handy again for this project.  I used my Sizzix die for the butterfly and also for the primitive hearts.  They cut right through those jeans like buttah, as we say here.  I made the roses with Tim's Tattered Pinecone die.
After assembling all of the components it comes together quickly.  I cut the blue floral paper, 4"x6", first.  I sewed the strip of lace across the bottom with the 3 hearts and then sewed the denim butterfly above that.    I glued the flowers in the centers of the hearts with Glossy Accents.  The butterfly's body is made of rolled paper.  I used the words by Authentique to say "play, sing, dance" and glued 3 tiny buttons on the right side.  The baker's twine is grey and white and I tied it into 3 bows, two for the butterfly's body and one over the words.  The stitching around the floral paper is done with a grey pen.  The entire panel is glued to a pink piece of cardstock and all of that is glued to a 5"x7" white blank card.

Drum Roll Please........

Our Internet access has been down for the past couple of days.  We had some severe storms passing through and a few tornado warnings.  Finally things have calmed down and the Fair was over today so I went to pick up my entries.  I'm sharing mine and Kristina's.  I'm only sharing her pie recipe since she won not only a First Place ribbon but also BEST OF SHOW!  Her pie was called Cherry-Berry Lattice Pie and here are photos of the process.

My star pupil!  Kristina is 14 years old this year.

And the winning recipe:
Cherry-Berry Lattice Pie
Pie Dough:
2 Cups of flour
1 Tbl white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold Crisco
1/4 cup ice water
Directions:
Blend together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry cutter cut the butter and Crisco into dry ingredients until it is the size of peas.  Add the water gradually.  Gather dough in a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.  Roll out dough and fit into a 9" pie plate with about an inch of overhang.  Fill with filling and then roll out remaining pie dough and cut into strips to make the lattice. 
Filling:
3 cups of pitted cherries (can be canned or frozen that have been thawed)
1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
2 1/2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 Tablespoons quick cooking Tapioca
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, tapioca and the flour.  In a separate bowl mix together the berries and add the almond extract.  Toss gently with the dry ingredients and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.  Cover the filling with a lattice top.  Brush the top and sides with one beaten egg and sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of sugar over lattice.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes, check to see if it is getting too brown, if so cover with foil.  Continue to bake for another 20 minutes.  Allow the pie to sit for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

My pie was different, just cherries and raspberries, and I received a 2nd place ribbon.  I also baked the Pioneer Woman's Oatmeal Berry Bars and those won a First Place in the bar cookie division.  (that recipe is in an earlier post)  They had a catagory for stamped handicrafts so I thought I'd enter three of my Tim Holtz technique tags.  I took First Place with those.  I guess everyone loves Tim.  :-)

So there we have it for another year!  I'm sure all the bakers are already plotting and planning for next year.  I know I am.

Bolton Fair

Every year since I moved here 11 years ago I have entered things at the Bolton Fair.  I guess they have had a Fair here in this small New England town for the past 130 years.  It's pretty wonderful to see.  They have lots of 4H animals, pig races, all kinds of Fair type food (think:  fried dough & pulled pork) and the tent way off in the corner that holds all of the exhibits.  We used to have it in September which coincided perfectly with apple picking time and the harvest of veggies, etc.  Due to weather issues in September they decided a couple of years ago to have the Fair in August when the weather is a little more stable.  That seems to have definitely cut into the Apple Pie division in the competition.  There are still tons of other products that can either be baked or crafted and entered.  So this year for the first time I won't be baking an Apple Pie but I will bake a Cherry/Raspberry Pie.  My baking buddy from up the street, Kristina, will be along side me for the day.  I mix my ingredients and she mixes hers.  We usually bake the same pie but she is still in the Junior Division, I think she is 14 this year.  We've been doing this baking thing for the past 3 years and she has shown an amazing talent for baking.  The rules state that no one else can assist in the making of  your baked goods, you have to make it completely by yourself.  So I cut my shortening in and she does the same on her side of the kitchen island, etc.  She usually bakes two pies, one for the Fair and one for her family.  I told her every family seems to have at least one baker in the group and that person usually bakes something for all special family events.  She is the one in her family that has the gift and the privilege of baking for the rest of her life.  She really does have a gift and has the proof of ribbons from every Fair since she started entering.  She has even won Best of Show for her pies.  I'm very proud of her and I'll be sure and keep you posted on how we do!  If they turn out to be great pies I'll share the recipe, if not I'll probably be very quiet.  Think about us tomorrow.  I get up early and put my tennis shoes on, it is going to be a long day.  I'll have my bar cookies done before she gets here at 11am and then we'll roll up our sleeves and get started.  I'll share the results on Friday.  Keep your fingers crossed!

CR84FN60::Color Challenge

This week the challenge at CR84FN60 color challenge is based on the following colors shown in this graphic:

Grape, Green and Blue

I made this card using these colors as my main colors plus a couple of neutrals.



I used a pre-cut step card. 
Stamps are by Recollections, Anna Griffin, Outlines  and Northwoods Rubber Stamp.
Trimmings flowers by Tim Holtz.
Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.
Ranger's Black Archival Ink.  Distress Inks:  Shaded Lilac & Dusty Concord
Pearls by Queen & Co.

Join in the challenge, it is fun to see what you come up with using a different color combo than the norm.



Tim Holtz::12 tags of 2012~August

I love to try my hand at the challenge each month to CASE the tag that Tim Holtz creates.  I never feel as good about the finished product as I think I'm going to.  Kinda like a diet--you always feel successful for about the first 4 hours.  His tag this month is beautiful and very vintage.  He based it on a walk down Main Street at Disneyland.  I was raised 3 miles south of Disneyland, we moved there the year it was built.  I, too, am still very enamored with the place.  Every time I visit my mother in California we all have to go out on the front lawn to watch the fireworks at Disney.  My mother still acts like its the first time they have ever done it.  Amazing.  Even after all the years I always run out there and stay until the Grand Finale at the end.  So here's to the Magic Kingdom and lots of happy memories.

Of course I didn't have the exact products on hand that Tim used so I had to improvise.  This is my product list:
#8 manilla tag
Alterations die Ornate for the bottom edge
Alterations Tattered Pinecone for the roses and the brown twigs
Sizzix die for the green leaves
Dry embossing folder by Cuttlebug
Stamps by Recollections
Martha Stewart acrylic paint Pea Shoot
Glimmer Mist
Ranger's Black Archival Ink
Metal ephemera by Idea-ology
Ranger Distress inks:  Tattered Rose & Vintage Photo


Check out Tim's blog if you want to play along, see what you come up with!  Have a terrific weekend.