MORE ATC'S

I've been busy with all kinds of Halloween projects (see Shadows in The Moonlight my Gothic blog for my 31 Days of Halloween Banner project - today is Day 21 - ten more days to go), and here's just a sampling:

Poe Tri-Fold ATC - Digital w/Stamping

CREATIVE BLOCK UNLOCKED - TAKE ONE ART DECK

Here's my sample cards made from #8 tag stock (minus 1/4" at bottom trimmed off) with coordinating paint chip for color inspiration.  The paint chips will be glued to the back of my tags, and the techniques are as follow.  Below is the whole wonderful deck:

Inspiration Tag 1:

Layer 1 - Using white tag stock, layer Tim Holtz Speckles THS021 stencil on top of card stock and
                with a palette knife, spread Studio 490 Translucent Embossing Paste on top of stencil
Layer 2 - Tear a portion of Tim Holtz tissue paper and adhere to bottom of tag with gel medium
Layer 3 - Paint whole tag with Picket Fence Distress Paint and let dry
Layer 4 - Cut another piece of white card stock and cut Caged Bird die from Tim Holtz Alterations
                line for Sizzix.  Spread birdcage with Studio 490 Crackle Paste and let dry overnight.  Layer
                bird and branch with Tim Holtz tissue paper and over paint with a thin layer of Picket Fence
                Distress Paint.  Color wing with Fired Brick Distress Paint - let dry and dry brush with a
                coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint.  Adhere bird and cage to tag using brads

Used Translucent Embossing and Crackle Paste on die cut and tag

Inspiration Tag 2:

Layer 1 -Watercolor stock sprayed with dylusion's slate grey ink spray and oversprayed with water to
               create grey background.  Watercolor paper then cut into #8 tag
Layer 2 - Tim Holtz tissue paper torn and adhered to tag with gel medium
Layer 3 - "the Journey" stamp stamped onto same watercolor stock and cut into rectangle (Tim Holtz
                Visual Artistry Collection)
Layer 4 - Butterfly cut from cardstock in Somerset Studio magazine; circles also cut from same cardstock
               adhered to butterfly randomly and all outlined and smudged with a graphite pencil

Use pre-printed tissue paper as a background layer.

Inspiration Tag 3:

Layer 1 - Adirondack Dyes (Butterscotch, Red Pepper, Espresso) randomly spritzed onto watercolor paper
Layer 2 - Stamp background with background stamps (Dylusions Inbetweenies - DYR 34575)
Layer 3 - Mushrooms stamped (Dylusions Doolally Dorris - DYR34384), cut out and colored w/
               Distress Markers (Fired Brick, Walnut, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey)
Layer 4 - Leaves cut from Sissix die (Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves) stamped with same background stamps
               as Layer 2; colored with Distress Markers as in Layer 3
Layer 5 - Word "Imagine" stamped (Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Collection)

Use stamps as a background layer before adding more images.

Colors for Project

A NUMBER OF ATC SWAPS

Here's my current batch of ATC's that I'm submitting for three different groups' challenges - couldn't resist using Salvador Dali for the Famous or Infamous Mustache ATC swap I'm hosting on Art 42.

The flower in the middle was created for my local ATC group meeting at Scrappy Chic featuring water as this month's theme.  The background is all layered Distress Inks spritzed with water again and then again.  The Geisha ATC is for a monthly trade at Paper Traders which is one of my Yahoo groups.

ALTERED PLAYING CARD CHALLENGE

An art friend of mine is hosting a challenge on her blog beginning September 1.  See the button on the right-hand side of my blog for linking to her challenge.  Check out Claudine's blog for all the details on an easy way to end up with a deck of beautifully altered playing cards (52 in all) during a 26-month time period.  Check out her blog for all the info and giveaways.  Use an old deck of playing cards if you're into recycling - the wear and tear will only add to their charm!

 WEEK #1 - SAND AND GESSO YOUR ENTIRE DECK.  ADD TEXTURE BY DRAWING LINES, SHAPES, ETC. INTO THE GESSO BEFORE IT DRIES.  I ALSO ADDED COLOR WITH PASTELS AND ADDED ANOTHER GESSO LAYER - SOME WITH CLEAR GESSO TO ALLOW MORE COLOR TO COME THROUGH AND SOME WITH WHITE GESSO.  HERE'S A SAMPLING:

WEEK #2 and AFTER FOR 26 WEEKS - 2 CARDS PER WEEK FOR A DECK OF 52 CARDS:

HOUSE COLLAGE ARI AND JONAH STYLE

My grandsons were over last week for an art project - Ari is seven and Jonah is nine.  Ari loved cutting squares, triangles, and rectangles from various sheets of scrapbook paper which they each carefully chose to fit their color palette.  Yes - they each chose a color palette before choosing the papers.  Here's what they designed - we used 8 x 10 canvas covered book board along with glue sticks, colored pencils and markers:

Jonah's Colors

Jonah's (a.k.a. Donut) House Collage

Ari's Color Scheme

Ari's (a.k.a. Toast) House Collage

My Color Scheme

My (a.k.a French Toast)'s House Collage

We had a great time - I enhanced my the next day with rub-ons from Tim Holtz.  We used Pan Pastels on the skies which worked quite well.  I scanned the boys' artwork into my computer, reduced the size to approximately 4 x 6 using Photoshop and am going to print note cards for family members as gifts from the boys.  (The Color Scheme template was provided by Christy Tomlinson from whom I recently took an online course in color - I love her suggestions.)

FRIDA KAHLO POSTCARD SWAP

Here's my digitally "painted" Frida postcard for my swap partner.  After "painting" my Frida image and printing it on glossy photo paper, I enhanced it by adding some stamping using Stayz-on Jet Black ink - the stamps are from Michelle Ward - I love all her stamps and stencils!

Frida in Basic Black and Hot Pink

JULY #7 ATC SWAP - ALL THINGS TIM

The challenge for July was to use the number 7 somewhere on our ATC's.  I had some tags I had not used leftover from my tie dye tags I created last summer - these were tags that didn't turn out as well as I would have liked as they had some "funky" spots on them.  I decided they would make excellent backgrounds for this month's ATC's which featured one of my favorite all-time Stampers Anonymous stamps - "Odonata".  The 7 stamped with Distress Paint onto the ATC is also from Stampers Anonymous' Tim Holtz "At the Movies" collection.  I added trim to each ATC cut from leftover stock after making the tags into ATC size. I've included the instructions for my tie dye tag process which uses Distress Reinkers, paper towels and mini-misters - messy but FUN!

1.      

F

 TIE DYE BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE

      Take one square of paper towel and fold it diagonally in half to form a triangle.  Fold it in half again to make another triangle.  Mist the paper towel with a mini-mister filled with plain water so that all folded areas are moist (not dripping wet).

2.       Continue to fold the moistened triangle into another triangle.  Repeat one or two more times until you are left with a smaller triangle.

3.      Using a mini-mister that is filled with about 2/3 water and 2 eye droppers full of a Distress Ink re-inker (or use Distress Stains that have been poured into a mini-mister), mist approximately 1/3 of the top area of your folded triangle, making sure the color spreads all the way through from the front of your triangle to the back of your triangle.

4.      Repeat this step with a different re-inker two more times on the remaining 1/3’s of the triangle.  The three colors will run a bit into each other, but this is what’s supposed to happen. 

5.      Start to unfold your triangle, making sure there are no un-inked areas on the moist paper towel.  If there are white areas, just spritz a bit with one of your three colors.

6.      Lay your tags on a Teflon craft sheet and lay the unfolded, moist paper towel over your tags.  Use either a brayer or a mini-mister to roll over the moist paper towel on top of your tags to transfer your dyes to the tags.  You may need to spritz more water on top of your paper towel if your tag is missing color in any area.

7.       You will get at least three colored tags out of your inked paper towel.  Set the tags aside to dry or dry with your heat gun.  I lay the unfolded used paper towel over my dish drainer to let it air dry.  The paper towel will be beautifully dyed which I save to use later.  Ironing the paper towel after it dries will set the dyes.  You can use water color paints instead of the Distress Re-inkers in your mini-mister.  And if you want a little metallic look to your tags, scoop a bit of Perfect Pearls into your mini-misters along with your ink.

You can also use with watered down water color paints that come in tubes in your mini-misters or even watered down food coloring for more pastel designs.  I used tags on manila card stock as well as white matte card stock for fliers and brochures. 

SMEARED AND SMUDGED JULY STEAMY BLOG HOP

Here's my entry "Call Me For A Good Time" journal created for the hop (see blog roll on right-hand side for the blog roll - you're at Sandy right now) - the challenge was to create some type of art piece illustrating a "Steamy" theme.  At least one stamp had to be used - I used the "Pin Up Queen" set from Dyan Reaveley available at Stampers Anonymous.  I LOVE THIS SET!

An assortment of scrapbooking paper was used for cover, back and inside pages including 7 Gypsies "Crazy Love" and "Soul Mate Left" and other assorted papers from Marah Johnson.  Journal was bound together using my Zutter (and I didn't even mess up when I punched the holes - first time ever.)

Journal Cover

Journal Back

Inside Pages

Inside Pages

Inside Back Page Cover

Inside Front Cover Pages and Tabs

Next, hop on over to Jane's blog!  I hope you enjoyed visiting...................

UPCYCLED BOOK PAGE POEM

I learned a new technique from Diana at my ATC monthly group sponsored by a local scrapbooking store.  Diana passed out random pages from a paperback book that was going to be thrown out.  I only had a few art supplies with me but had enough to decorate my page poem with tissue tape, markers that Diana shared, a black stamp pad and two different bottles of Distress Paints - Fired Brick and Forest Moss.  Want a fun way to create random journal pages - we had a 15-minute time limit.

"Addicted to Love"

MONA LISA

I love the digital Numerology kit from Deviant Scrap that features images of Mona Lisa.  Below are a book cover I made with a painted background using Distress Paints from Ranger Industries and a grouping of ATC's with beautiful overdyed silk sari ribbon.  I love that ribbon as well as Distress Paints.

The book size is 4" x 4" and I'm going to do a color study of the Distress Paints along with techniques using it for the interior pages.  The finish that the paints create on card stock is truly magical!  I've never seen another product like it.

BIRD PEOPLE ATC SWAP

Marion Bockelman hosts a swap every year, and this year's swap is Bird People.  I had so much fun creating these cute little people and hope she likes them!

Cats Meow

Chick Magnet

Jail Bird

Crow's Feet

NEW SWAPS POSTED ON ART 42 - BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE AND FLOWER CHILD

I just posted two new 3/3 ATC swaps I'm hosting on Art 42 - the Beatles Yellow Submarine ATC's are due on April 30 and Flower Child ATC's are due on May 15.  Please feel free to click on the Art 42 link and join in!

Flower Child ATC

FABRIC TAG SWAP

For a change of pace, three of us challenged each other to swap and design fabric tags using Tim Holtz fabric/s.  I added a rusty bird element to my bird cage that I had on hand, some fringe and pretty ribbons, as well as some Ideaology components to complete my tags.  Thank goodness for Pellon wonder-under that I used to fuse the fabric to my tags and also used to back my Zetti elements which I ironed into place with a small quilting iron - much less messy than glue or matte medium when working with fabric or small paper pieces.

Fabric Tags

IN A ZETTI-ISH FRAME OF MIND

After enrolling in ,The Artstronauts Club, created and hosted by Teesha and Tracy Moore (the originators of Zetti style), I played with the techniques featured in one of the video sessions presented by Teesha.  Here are my Zetti journal pages and tag:

Page Front

Page Back

Zetti Mosaic Tag

  How much fun would it be to create a Zetti floor cloth for spring?  Or how about painted canvas pillow covers for the deck?

SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC ATC SWAP - ARIES

I've been hosting Signs of the Zodiac ATC card swap on Art 42 for the past ten months.  We are now up to Taurus, but I thought I would post my recently completed swap for Aries the Ram - March 21 to April 20.  Using a ram image, I added an overlay which I purchased at Deviant Scrap and came up with this for my design:

Aries

MY ART STUDIO PROJECT

I've been busy for the last week reorganizing all my art supplies - cleaning out, categorizing and clearing clutter from past projects I'd been planning to do so that I can focus on my current ideas.  Here are pictures of altered art projects and swaps I've played in - I thought it would be nice and inspirational to display some of them where I can see them.

Tag Swaps, Postcard Swaps, Tie-Dye Altered Book, and Soul Card Class

Tim's Philosophy Book Swap, Journal Swap, and ATT Postcard Swap

Journal Swap, ATT Postcard Swap, Artchix 4 x 4 Swap, Steampunk Book Swap

Alfred Luggage Tag, World of Colors Round Robin Altered Book

Same as Above w/ My Containers for ATC and Postcard Art

I have many other projects from the past that I will bring out and rotate from time to time.  Watch for a number of changes in the fall for a display including Altered Ancestors Dress for Halloween 6 x 6 altered book; El Dia of El Muertos 6 x 6 altered book for my 31 Days of Halloween project at Smeared and Smudged and lots more.  The tags pictured above can be rotated - the ones up front were created by Carolyn Bosley and Susan Salyer; the Frida postcard by Sally Robinson; the Tie-Dye Altered Book and Soul Card ATC's by me.  The rotating cover for my Tim's Philosophy 6 x 6 Altered Book was created by Aimee Fleck; the journal cover envelope art by Annette Richmond; the postcard by Kathleen Leanna; the 4 x 4 Altered Book cover by Sanna Burgess; and the Steampunk Book cover by Deb Patrick.  Top row features my tag and my cover for my World of Color Altered Book.