STEAMPUNK STYLE CHRISTMAS JOURNAL PAGE

I finally found some time to create a collage on a plain brown Kraft envelope for one of my journals.  After cutting the envelope down to size, I covered the front with clear gesso, added some stencils, some collage pieces and stamps. Going to go glue it into my art journal now and then on to the next:

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

PACKING TAPE TRANSFER - NO. 10 CHALLENGE

I just completed the final challenge of the year for Paper Traders' number and new technique every month challenge.  Here's my packing tape transfer of a magazine image of an altered Karl Lagerfield photo.  Fun and so easy!

Definitely A Perfect Ten

MY GOTHIC ART SUBMISSION FOR SOMERSET HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!!!!!

Somerset Studio recently sent out a call for Gothic art to be considered for publication in their upcoming September/October issue.  You can imagine how excited I was when I received a phone call from Stampington during dinner the other night asking me to verify my mailing address so they could send me a complimentary copy of the upcoming fall issue.  Two of my three Gothic inspired tags were chosen for publication on a full-page spread (page 116). However, I thought you might like to see the one they DIDN'T choose (which actually is a favorite of mine).  I wanted to keep my tags coordinated using a minimalist style so I stamped my chosen images on plain manila #8 tag stock with only black Stayz-on Ink; added a bit of white Gelly pen ink; weathered wood Distress Ink to add a hint of color to the faces; and minimal color on some of the accent stamping.  See what you think.....

The Plot Thickens

Most of the stamps are Michelle Ward's; main image is a LaBlanche stamp.  Be sure to check out the September/October issue to see my other two (Batty and Dark/Stormy Night) - I love their Halloween issue and can't wait to dig out all my Halloween stamps!

MARION'S POSTAGE STAMP PEOPLE ATC SWAP

Marion hosts an ATC swap every year about this time.  It's always a challenge, and this year was no exception!  Here are my ATC's for the swap - Marion, keep the one you like the best:

LATEST DYAN REAVELY STYLE JOURNAL PAGES

Here's yesterday's pages using glue gun stamps that I made myself as part of the background, then stamped in the foreground - my homemade flowers are filled in with Dyan's new white paint.  It's super creamy and unexpectedly (but happily) picked up some bleed through from her spray paints that I used:

Right Side of Page

Left Side of Page

THE BOYS' TAGS DYAN REAVELEY STYLE

The boys visited for an overnight earlier this week - using pictures I took of them on Sunday, here's what they came up with by juxtaposing their head shots with magazine images.

Jonah

Ari

ASIAN CARD CLASS

I taught an Asian card class at My Craft Room over the weekend - the cards featured strips of origami paper, a heart mask, Chinese book paper and Asian stamps.  Distress Ink was used with a make-up sponge for the masked heart and Stayz-On Ink was used for the stamped images.  Here are my samples:

Heart Mask w/Distress Ink

Torn Paper Heart w/Stamping

Mask and Torn Heart Collage w/Stamping

DYAN REAVELEY TAGS OF IMAGERY CLASS

And one more using a black jumbo tag:

It made her smile.....

See below for technique and my first attempts:

I took advantage of an opportunity to take part in Dyan's Tags of Imagery class this past weekend - way too fun (but I knew it would be)!  We used #12 tags which are quite LARGE and first added the background layers using Dyan's Dylusions Inks - she separates her colors into warm colors and cool colors - we were given baskets with one set of the colors to grab three quickly and spritz them onto our tags which we first misted with water - three colors of warm went on into six segments of the tags - two sprays with each color - that were then misted with water again.  Next step was to take the soaking wet colored tag and flip it over onto an uncolored tag, getting two tags out of the process.  We rolled over our colored tags with paper towel rolls and then went on to switch baskets and do the same with the basket of cool colors.  (If you mix the warm colors with the cool colors, you will get a muddy brown which was not the effect Dyan was teaching.)  We were to work quickly without thinking - she is a tough taskmaster.  We then all ended up with four tags, two of each color palette.  The four tags took about a total of 5 minutes from start to finish (I usually stress over my backgrounds for some time - NO MORE.)

Cool Colors - Second Print

We then each picked two of Dyan's stencils, laid out one set of colored tags, placed the stencil on the first one and sprayed water over the stencil, quickly then flipping the wet stencil onto the second tag - quick roll with the paper towel roll over both tags and, voila, your backgrounds are finished.  Same procedure for the second set of tags.  Four tags colored and stenciled in about 6 minutes total.  In this class, we were to "do" not "think".  Next we were given five minutes to search through magazines, rip out pages, and cut out images to place on our tags (we did this twice).  Second round, Dyan really socked it to us and made us pass our cut-out image to the person on the right, pass them again to the right, and once again to the right.  More stress on some participants this time around - again no "thinking", just "doing."  Very similar to Yoda's "There is no try, only do or do not."  Anyway, here's my results from the two tags we had time to work on in class plus my finished versions.

Finished Cool Colors Tag

Cool Colors - Master Tag

Finished Warm Colors Tag

Warm Colors - Master Tag

Warm Colors - Second Print

SPRING PANTONE COLOR ATC

The challenge was to create an ATC using three colors from the spring Pantone palette - I created mine using three colors of Distress Inks along with a fun stamp.  My ATC was featured in the Paper Traders Yahoo Group site in March - I'm so glad they liked it!

I kept it simple using the muted palette along with Tim Holtz's doily stencil.  I'm loving stencils right now - don't know what I'd do with them!

JOURNALING 2015 STYLE

I've signed up for a number of online classes to begin the new year.  Many of them feature journal techniques, and while I'm posting my journal adventure on my blog The Scarlet Letters which is dedicated solely to art journals, here's a peak at the cover.  The cover was created using a variety of Liquitex Spray Paints and many stencils - I've been buying the spray paints over a period of time so I had them on hand and finally put them to use when I enrolled in Liquitex's Creative Jumpstart 2015 for a mere $20 to begin the year.  Spray paints equal instant gratification - lots of colors to choose from and they dry quickly!

Strathmore Series 400 Mixed Media Journal - 9" x 12"

The journal features a ring binding which allows for the book to open flat - 140# weight paper does not allow media to bleed to back of pages.  The vellum finish works well with acrylics, dyes, inks, and water colors.  Love it!

The first two-page spread was my attempt to use Nick Bantock style, utilizing magazine photos glued onto a spray painted background along with stamping:

Nick Bantock Style Journal Pages

 I decided to use some stencils with Wendy Vechhi's Texture Paste colored with Distress Ink Reinkers - here's part one - the background (underneath) and part two - the finished Janis:

Janis Element Added to Right Side

Textured Background Pages

I LOVE POST CARDS

Here are two recent ones - one with a raised "A" using Teesha Moore style, another with a raised "R" featuring a distressed style with my new favorite product - Wendy Vecchi's Translucent Embossing Paste: