The Final Challenges for 2013::Ombre Effect with cute monsters

I can't believe it is that last day of the 2013.  Where did the year go?  It has been an interesting year for us, good and bad, like for most people.  More good than bad, thank goodness.  I just wanted to post a final project that will be entered in the challenge at Craft Stamper Magazine and also Stampotique's Anything Goes challenge.

This panel is done on watercolor paper using Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions spray inks.  I kept blending areas down with water to create an ombre effect.  I used Stampotique stamps, the adorable HUG MONSTER and their phrase stamp.

So I'll say goodbye to 2013 and hello to 2014.  I hope everyone has an even better year this year.  Take care, thanks so much for stopping by! ~ Renee

AIRs Themed Project~My last DT project for Tsukineko

I'd like to begin this post by saying thank you to IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko and John Peterson.  This past year of being on their Design Team has been amazing and such a learning experience for me.  I appreciate the patience that John and YOU have shown me during this year.  I also appreciate the EXTREME generosity of Tsukineko, sharing so many of their wonderful products with me so that I could in turn share them with you.  At the end of the year I love their products even more than ever and will continue to use them and share my results with all of you.

The project that I chose to be my favorite "holiday" project may not seem like a holiday project at all but it is something that I dedicate one day a year to.  That day is January 1st and it is my favorite day of the year.  Every year I feel like the beginning of a new year is a time to reflect back on what I'm happy with from the previous year and things that weren't productive.  It is a wonderful "Goal Setting" day for me.

When my daughter was still at home this was a day that we reconnected with old friends with a phone call or a card.  It is also a list making day still for me.  I make a list of 101 things that I would like to make happen during the next year, that task takes longer than you might think!  But for this new year of 2014 I'd like to send a card like this one to let people know that I'm thinking of them.  Here is a short tutorial on how to make it if you're interested.

SUPPLIES

IMAGINE Crafts and Tsukineko

Inks:  Memento Luxe Bahama Blue, StazOn Jet Black, Brilliance Gamma Green & Brilliance Lightning Black

Imagine Crafts Clear Embossing Powder

Fireworks! Spray Ink in Bamboo Leaves color

Stamps

Inkadinkado

Other supplies

Ruby Rocket Red Embellishments, paper frame and rhinestones

Seam binding

Sizzix embossing folder

Big Kick machine (for dry embossing)

Watercolor paper

Heat gun

Stapler

Strong adhesive

White card stock cut to make a card measuring approx. 6” by 5”

DIRECTIONS

Cut a piece of water color paper to measure 5 ½” by 4 ½”.

Rub Gamma Green ink and Bahama Blue ink onto the inside pattern of an embossing folder.  Spray Fireworks! Spray ink onto inked inside of the folder.

Place a piece of watercolor paper into the inked folder and pass it through the Big Kick machine (or embossing machine of your choice).  Remove and dry with a heat gun.  You can get a couple of imprints by simply spraying the Fireworks! Spray into the folder and imprinting another piece of paper.  Distress the 

edges of the watercolor panel with the Green and Blue inks.

Color the seam binding ribbon with the Gamma Green ink and Bahama Blue ink, spray with Bamboo Leaves spray ink, crumple and allow to dry.  When dry tie it into a bow.

Using the Ruby Rocket It frames in the embellishment kit, turn the colored frame over to the white side.  Remove the center white portion of the frame.  Apply Gamma Green ink and Bahama Blue ink to the external part of the frame, dip into the embossing powder and melt with a heat gun.  This gives the frame an enameled look.

Take the center portion of the frame embellishment and stamp a sentiment onto it.  Fit the two pieces back together and apply tape on the reverse side to hold it together.

Staple the bow to the water color panel.  Using strong adhesive glue the framed sentiment to the center of the panel.  Adhere rhinestones to the frame.  Attach the watercolor panel to the blank card using a strong adhesive.

Distress the edges of the white card with Lightning Black Brilliance ink pad.

Thanks for stopping by today, I always enjoy your visits and comments.  Take care~Renee

100 Faces Project

I'm still drawing a face a day for 100 days, this is my second time around.  After the first 100 days of drawing faces I found that I missed not drawing one every day so I decided to just start again.  Today's face is one of a child done with my Magic pencil, Stabilo Aquarellable, on watercolor paper.  I did the blending with a little bit of gesso.  For some reason drawing a face a day is very relaxing and only takes a few minutes.  I have been able to draw some faces without the help of stencils which for me is tremendous progress.

Not perfect but then neither am I.  The more you draw the faces the easier it gets and you can actually chart your own progress by dating the projects.  If it has been your dream to draw faces I would highly recommend trying the stencils by Pam Carriker, Jane Davenport and Julie Balzer.

Try something new today, get out of your comfort zone.  Take care, thanks so much for stopping by!  I always appreciate your visits.  ~ Renee

Snow Day!

We only got 12"-18" of snow but that is enough to keep me close to home.  Very chilly out.  That makes it a good day to do laundry and work on some projects.  The Craft Stamper magazine has a call out right now for "Ombre Technique" work. This technique is a simple but effective way of blending color in a gradient of light to dark or vice versa. It is fun to do the ombre technique on paper rather than my hair.  I just can't see myself with blue hair but you never know.  I did a post card with a light blue color that gets darker near the bottom of the card.  It was fun I'll probably try it with several different colors.  Here is the link in the event that you want to play along.

I hope you're having a safe and warm weekend!  Take care ~ Renee

AIRs Artist Project of Choice:: LOVE card

Today for my AIRs Artist Project of Choice I'll be making a master board and turning it into an all occasion card.  You could make several cards, tags or a journal page using this master board and the embellishments from Ruby Rock It.

Here is a mini tutorial in the event that you'd like to make a card like this one.

SUPPLIES

From IMAGINE Crafts and Tsukineko

StazOn Black Solvent Ink

Brilliance Pearlescent Pigment Ink in Poppy, Olive, Thyme, Rocket Red Gold, Beige, and Lightning Black

Memento Dye Ink in Summer Sky color

Fireworks! Spray inks in Dandelion, Bahama Blue, Tangelo, Lady Bug, & Cottage Ivy

Stamps

Artistic Outpost text, Pam Carriker Heart, Stampotique & Dyan Reaveley

Other supplies

Black waxed twine

Pop dots

Adhesive

Heat gun

TCW Stencils

White Gesso

Card stock

Water color paper 140#

Embellishments from Ruby Rock It collection

DIRECTIONS

Apply an even light coat of gesso on a sheet of water color paper and allow it to dry.

Using the direct to paper method of application, apply Brilliance inks to the paper.  Spray inks with their corresponding Fireworks! Spray inks and allow inks to blend.  Dry with a heat gun.

Lay a stencil over the prepared paper and spritz with water, blot dry.

Lay a different stencil over paper and apply a thin coating of gesso.  Allow to dry.

Using a different stencil apply Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy ink randomly to the paper.  Allow to dry.

Cut panels to fit the size card that you want to make, in this case the watercolor panel is 4” by 6”.  Stamp and cut out a heart shape.

Using Ruby Rock It embellishments pop out hearts and circles, stamp them with text stamps, set aside.  Pop out an oval shape from collection and use the white side to stamp phrase on with the Lightning Black ink.  Distress the edge of oval shape with Poppy colored ink.

Mat watercolor panel on black card stock that measures a ¼” larger all around, mat on to white blank card that measures 4 ½” by 6 ½”.

Stamp heart on panel and then again on a scrap piece of water color paper.  Stencil red circles on to the second heart and cut out.  Attach the cut out heart on top of the stamped heart on the card.

Glue heart, oval and circles on to the card and attach a bow tied from black twine.

Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment if you have time, I love to hear from you.  Take care~Renee

Stampotique Challenge::SDC128 Week 2 of Anything Goes

Hey everyone!  Sorry I've been AWOL for a week, it is that time of year and I've been sick.  My daughter just happened to come for a visit last week and she spent most of her "vacation" taking care of old mom.  But with the help of modern medicine I am thankfully on the mend.

I thought it would be fun to participate in the Stampotique Challenge this week since it is "Anything Goes".  I was flexing my creative muscles today making get well cards and thank you cards for all the stews and soups my friends have brought for us this week.  I feel so spoiled.

I love the Stampotique stamp called "Global Warming".

Reminds me of what I see outside right now and we're due for more snow this weekend!  Stay warm and be healthy, talk to you soon ~ Renee

AIRs Artist Challenge using Ruby Rocket It paper collection and embellishments

Today I'm sharing how to make several cards using the same paper collection in about an hour.  The paper collection is called "Joyeux Noel" by Ruby Rocket It and has matching embellishments.

SUPPLIES

FROM IMAGINE CRAFTS & TSUKINEKO

StazOn Jet Black Ink

Brilliance Inks in Pearlescent Poppy, Lightning Black, Beige, Thyme, Olive, Galaxy Gold

Clear & Silver Embossing Powder

Stamps

Phrenology Head by Lost Coast, Pam Carriker, Hero Arts, Hampton Art

Other supplies

Ruby Rock It papers and embellishments, flowers, gold twine, rhinestones, etc.

Sizzix alpha & feather dies, Maya Road ribbons and flowers

Black waxed twine

Tissue Tape

Four blank cards

Two buttons, a needle and thread

DIRECTIONS

 Card #1

Cut coordinating paper from collection in strips and glue it to the front of a 5” by 7” card. 

Using strips of rhinestones from the collection, attach 3 strips of rhinestones across the middle.

Stamp sentiment across the bottom and heat emboss with silver embossing powder.

Pop out flower embellishments from the collection and glue to the left side of the card with ribbon.

Card #2

Cut a strip of red checked paper from the collection and glue it across the middle of a blank 5” by 7” card.

Use a feather die, cut six feathers from different coordinating papers from the collection, set aside.

Stamp sentiment across the bottom of the card and heat emboss with silver powder.

Sew buttons and flower onto the gingham ribbon with a needle and thread.

Glue feathers across the middle of the card.  Glue gingham ribbon that has buttons and flower sewn to it across the middle of the attached feathers.

Card #3

Stamp phrenology head onto white card stock using StazOn Jet Black ink.  Stamp numbers and diamond shapes randomly around the head.

Edge the white panel with Brilliance Lightning Black and Beige inks, heat emboss with clear powder.

Die cut letters from the same paper collection and glue across the front of the card.

Pop out flowers and flourish, attach to stamped panel.

Mat the white panel on to red coordinating paper that is cut ¼” larger.  Mat to white blank folded card.  Distress the edges of the card with Pearlescent Poppy ink.

Tie red Baker’s twine to the left side of card.  Tie gold twine from the Ruby Rocket It ribbon collection to the red twine.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you'll give one of these quick cards a try.  Take care ~ Renee

SDC 126::A SPLAT! of paint on your creation

I know it is a little late in the week but I still have time to participate in the Stampotique Challenge for this week.  It is called SDC 126: A SPLAT! of paint on your creation.  My splatters are on a post card stamped with France Papillon's houses, called Village, and a salutation.  The houses are colored in with different markers.  You still have time to post something the challenge doesn't end until late tomorrow.

Have a great day! ~ Renee

AIRs Themed Project using Authentique paper Collection: Glistening

For this AIRs project I'll be using Authentique's new paper collection called "Glistening".  The card turned out a little frilly for me but fun.  The paper collection has everything you need to makes various cards.  Lots of paper choices, tags, etc.

"Winter in New England"

Supplies

From IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko®

IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko®Memento™Dye Ink Dew Drop size ink pad | IMAGINE Crafts®GooseBumps™Texture Spray with a dauber top

Other Supplies

Authentique Paper Collection:Glistening|Sizzix Flower Die | Queen & Co. self adhesive pearls | One brown brad | Sewing machine with black thread (optional) | one white 5” by 7” blank white card | Aqua colored ribbon |Adhesive & Glue Dots

DIRECTIONS

Cut Authentique paper to measure 5" by 7", glue to the front of the blank card.
Cut contrasting paper from the Collection to measure 5" by 3"; glue to the lower portion of the card.
Cut contrasting paper from the Collection to measure 5" by 1"; glue across the middle of the card.

Apply GooseBumps randomly all over the front panel and allow to dry.

Tear the image of the girl out of the Collection of papers, if desired sew black thread around the edges of the image; set aside.
Using a flower die, cut flower out using coordinating paper from the same collection.
Attach a brad to the center of the flower.
Tie ribbon around the left side of the card.  Glue flower down with glue dots.
Tuck the image of the girl under the flower and adhere with glue.  Take tags from the collection and edge them with Memento Dye ink using a dew drop sized pad, I used the Gray Flannel color.
Tuck the tags under the flower and adhere with glue dots.  Edge the entire card with Memento Gray Flannel ink pad.
Attach three self adhesive pearls to the upper left hand corner of the card.

Beautiful paper for winter type cards of all sorts!  Thanks for stopping by, if you have time leave a comment, I love hearing from you.  Take care, talk to you soon~Renee

100 Faces and a little help from Zorana

I follow a blog called ZoranaLand which always has incredible art work on it.  Recently Zorana did a couple of videos showing how quickly faces can be drawn.  I followed along with her videos and did a couple of collages (to be glued into my art journal at a later date) which included FACES.  Check it out if you would like some fresh ideas on how to draw faces and what to do with them after you've drawn them.  These are the two that I came up with.

This is drawn on some Gelli Plate artwork, great way to use those prints!

We've been having some lovely weather here in NE.  Sunshine several days in a row....Glorious!  I hope you're having a good week.  Thanks for stopping by, take care.~Renee

100 Faces::Round 2

I enjoyed the challenge of drawing 100 Faces so much I decided to do it for a second time.  Once I got used to drawing a face (or more) every day I really missed it after I met my goal.  Taking Dina Wakley's recent portrait class has inspired me to start drawing faces again at least once a day.  Here goes the first one in this series.  I'll be sharing some along the way!

I hope this finds you all well.  I am recovering from a terrible cold that has knocked me for a loop!  I've been making a lot of chicken soup and tea, it seems to be working.  Take care of yourselves ~ Renee

AIRs Project of Choice "A Warm Winter Card"

For this challenge I am doing an all occasion "winter" card.  I've used a combination of really gorgeous papers from Authentique, DCWV and a wooden embellishment from Monterey Pine.  I found the most adorable stamps with matching "tin pins" at my LSS the other day so I thought I'd throw a little of that in too.
All together it makes for a truly cutsie little card.  If you are interested in making some winter cards using scraps and cute stamps just scroll down for the mini tutorial.

Here is a list of the products I used to make this:

IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko Supplies

Staz-On Jet Black Ink, Memento LUXE Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Love Letter red, Memento pens in Teal Zeal, Dandelion yellow, Tangelo orange and Lady Bug red, GooseBumps

Rubber Stamps

Snowman and phrase by Darcie’s heart & home stamps

Other Supplies

Authentique  papers “Glistening” and “Joyous” Collections, DCWV textured paper, Monterey Pine Oval wooden embellishment, Copic pens, Baker’s Twine, self-adhesive pearl,  Flat back “tin pin” embellishments for the face made by Darcie Heater Designs Warm & Toasty, adhesive, photo corners, tissue tape, 5” BY 7” blank white card, heat gun.

DIRECTIONS

Stamp snowman on white paper; color in image, cut out with small scissors.  Glue “tin pin” on head with strong adhesive and set aside. 

Color Monterey Pine oval wooden embellishment with red ink, heat set.  Stamp phrase on oval with black ink, heat set.  Coat the top with GooseBumps and set aside to dry.

Cut red paper to fit the front of the card.  Cut a piece of DCWV white textured card stock.  Cut another piece of black & white paper and a small piece of blue polka dot paper.

Glue red paper to card, adhere white paper, black and white patterned paper and powder blue panel.  Use a little bit of glue to glue down the tissue tape scrap.  Using strong adhesive glue down the snowman.  Wrap the baker’s twine around the finger of the large hand, then glue down the hand allowing the twine to dangle. 

Glue the wooden oval on top of the twine.  Affix a pearl to the sleeve and glue the photo corners to each bottom corner of the white paper.

I hope you like it!  It is always a good thing to have several blank, all occasion cards on hand.  I hope you're having a great week.  Thanks for stopping by, your visits mean a lot to me.  Take care~ Renee

SDC125: One Layer::Stampotique Challenge

Samantha Read is our hostess this week at Stampotique's Designer's Challenge.  Can't wait to see what everyone creates this week!

"Hi Stampotiquers! I'm so excited to be your host this week and I'm inviting you to make a creation using just one layer. It doesn't necessarily have to be clean and simple, that's the challenge! I love lots and lots of layers but to achieve a sense of depth to a creation using no embellishments etc can really get you scratching your head and rubbing your chin! 

Most importantly have fun ;)"

Sounds like fun doesn't it?  I decided to make a card with TCW Dina Wakley stencils, gesso, spray inks, acrylic paints, Derivan Liquid Pencil, Black StazOn Ink, Stampotique stamps and a black micron pen.  Whew!  That sounds like a lot of product but I sure was happy with the results.  My card looks like a mini painting.

We all know at least one Diva, don't we?  Perfect card for that special someone.  Have a great day, it is really cold here and I'm sure it is only going to get colder.  Brrrrrrrrr!  Good time to make cards.  Take care, thanks so much for stopping by, it wouldn't be as much fun without YOU!  ~ Renee

Splatters and SDC 124::Using Gesso Challenges

Over at Craft Stamper Magazine there is a challenge still going on for things that have been "splattered".  At the same time this week  there is a challenge taking place at Stampotique for projects that have gesso on them.  How nice to be able to combine the two!  I decided to make a simple tag using some left over water color paper and of course, Stampotique's cute image by Jill Penney.  There is a tad of gesso on the tag that was added with the help of a circle stencil.

All of the splatters and there are a lot of them, came either from Dylusions spray inks or Black India Ink.  Tags are always useful for last minute gifts or can serve as a cute thank you note!  I hope you're having a great weekend, take care. ~ Renee

Dina Wakley is in the HOUSE this week! ~ Self Portraits

Well, Dina Wakley was in the house this week, not my house personally, though she is always welcome here, but she was at Ink About It in Westford, MA for a series of classes.  I was able to do two of her classes.  The first was her all day class called "In Your Image".  This class was all about exploring and playing with art journaling techniques.  One of the goals of the class was to help us learn techniques that include OUR personal image and journaling about our journey through life and other personal history things that we might be hesitant to write about.  You know that you've been out of the "picture" in a lot of family gatherings, etc. when you try to find 8 photos of yourself to use in the class and you are hard pressed to find even that many pictures.  Dina made a good point when she said "years from now your descendants/family members will never ask why there are so many photos of Grandma/you."  All of us wish we had more photos of loved ones or relatives we never met.  So seize the moment, get yourself in the photos as often as possible.  That being said, I forgot my camera that day (oh, the irony of it all) but I do have photos of my work from the class.  We used our own image as the base of each of these journaling pages.  I must admit the only one that really looks like me is the one where I glued my photo on to.  I will put a caption under each mentioning the method used to make the journal page.

We painted over our photo with acrylics, cut it out and glued it to our background.  I call this one "MAD MEN" because I ended up looking like a lady from the 1960's.

For this page we traced our image onto a piece of paper, in my case book paper, using carbon paper.  Then we tore it out, applied color with oil pastels and glued it onto a prepared background.

This technique required us to make a stencil using our own photograph.  First we prepared the background using acrylic paints on a large sheet of watercolor paper.  We trimmed out the photo "stencil" with an Exacto knife and pounced color on to make the face on the background with our stencil and some black permanent ink.  You can use your stencil over and over again.  I used mine here to make "Three Faces of Renee".

"This Girl is On Fire"

I just happened to have this photo of myself that I took in one of those photo booths at the Mall one day.  I had had my makeup done at a make up counter and swore they made me look like a vampire.  Just to prove to myself that it looked as bad as I thought it did I went into the photo booth and posed for a few pics.  I was right, the make up did look very Goth!  If you have to use the photo booth to get pics of yourself just do it, you never know when you can use a bad photo to make art.  Remember that no one has to see any of these pictures or works of art unless you allow them to!  I am not a frilly girl by nature but I've always secretly wanted to be.  That's why I put myself in this frilly ball gown made out of strips of paper that we made in the class.  This one is my favorite of all four.

If you ever get a chance to take a class with Dina I would tell you to GO FOR IT!  She is very relaxed and fun to be with.  Dina is a great teacher and I for one always learn something new and exciting from her classes.  Later this week I'll share some of the photos from her second class which was about Gelli Plate art.  Thanks for stopping by ~Renee

AIRs Artists Challenge using Wooden Embellishments

Have you seen the wooden embellishments that so many artists are adding to their projects lately?  For this challenge I am using a wooden embellishment made by Monterey Pine.  It is shaped like an oval and readily accepts paint and ink.  In this instance I inked it and then stamped on it with StazOn.  After it was dry I coated the wooden piece with a shiny coat of GooseBumps.  Let me show you the finished project and then if you're interested you can read the directions showing how the card was made.

IMAGINE Crafts® and Tsukineko® Supplies

Staz-On Jet Black Ink, Memento LUXE Teal Zeal Mixed Media Pigment Ink, Memento Pen in Teal Zeal and Tangelo colors, Clear Embossing Powder, GooseBumps

Rubber Stamps

Hero Arts, sentiment by Darcie’s Heart & Home stamps

Other Supplies

Turquoise colored baker’s twine, oval shaped Monterey Pine Wooden Embellishment piece, one sheet of white card stock, black card stock, heat gun, adhesive,

    

DIRECTIONS

           Cut white card stock to measure:  1 piece 10” by 6 ½” (to make blank white card when folded in half), 4” by 5 ¼”, 3” by 4 ¼”, 2” by 3 ¼”.  Cut black card stock to measure:  4 ¼” by 5 ½”, 3 ¼” by 4 ½”, 2 ¼” by 3 ½”.

        Stack the white card stock pieces by starting with the smallest panel and apply a small amount of temporary adhesive in the center of the piece, layer that piece on to the medium sized piece of white cardstock.  Place this piece in the center of the larger piece, apply temporary adhesive to the back of the medium sized panel and adhere it to the center of the largest white panel.

         Choose your largest stamp, turn the stamp upside down and ink it up with StazOn Jet Black ink.  Lay the cut and glued white panel on top of the ink and use a brayer to insure the best inking.  Dry the ink with a heat gun.

     When the ink is dry, pull the three stamped panels apart.  Mat each piece of the stamped image on a piece of black card stock that measures a quarter of an inch larger than the white panels (you have already pre-cut the black card stock panels).

   Now you are going to reassemble the stamped image, making sure that you line up the stamped image.  When the three panels are reassembled wrap a piece of turquoise baker’s twine around the left side, attach a couple of extra tied bows to the knot.

             Stamp the bird with Memento Luxe Teal Zeal ink, heat emboss with clear powder, cut out the image when cooled.  Dip the wooden embellishment piece in the Memento Luxe Teal Zeal ink, stamp phrase on it using StazOn black ink, dry.  Coat the phrase with GooseBumps and allow to dry thoroughly.   Use adhesive to attach the blue bird.  Use a strong adhesive to attach the blue wooden embellishment.  Distress edges of the card using a Memento Ink Pen in Teal Zeal blue.

     

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoyed the mini tutorial, have a great day.  Talk to you soon ~ Renee

Art Journal Page

I've been working in my art journal lately.  I try to get in there at least once a week, I wish I would do it daily but it just doesn't seem to happen.  It is a wonderful way to unload unwanted feelings even after you have seemingly set them aside.  Put those thoughts and feelings down on paper and just let them go!  You can always cover up things that you don't want others to read with just a little gesso.

DUPLICITY

There, I feel better now.  It is a sunny but chilly day here in New England.  The leaves are still beautiful but my garden is ready for bed.  Hope you're enjoying the fall weather too.  Take care ~ Renee