Happy Chanukah Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Growth is always a voyage into the unknown.  -Anonymous
Every time you risk starting a new piece of art you are allowing yourself to grow.  When you select your card stock, your color, your inks, paints or images, you are spreading your roots and beginning to shoot toward the surface - giving yourself new life!  Growth is always a voyage into the unknown and so much growth happens when you take a voyage into your art!!!!!  Enjoy the journey!

Today's card uses a retired SU! stamp set called L'Chayim.  I also created a computer-generated greeting since I didn't have a Happy Chanukah stamp :)  I just ran Whisper White card stock through my laser printer and cut out the greetings in a banner shape.  The image was stamped with Midnight Muse and colored in using a blender pen and Midnight Muse and Marina Mist ink.  I used silver Dazzling Details for the candles and some plain Dazzling Details for the wicks.  This card really sparkles!  Wishing those of you who celebrate Chanukah a beautiful holiday filled with light, family and latkes!!!!!

Christmas Wishes Simple Santa Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  The arts are a way to bring order out of chaos - the chaotic feelings and impulses within and the bewildering mass of impressions from without.  The arts are a means to discover both the self and the world - and to establish a relationship between the two. -Dr. Elinor Ulman

My time in the craft room is priceless for me.  And no matter how chaotic things are in the craft room, it still feels like a safe haven from the "chaotic feelings and impulses within and the bewildering mass of impressions from without."  Going into the craft room immediately gives me permission to let my art flow.  That doesn't always mean the flow is effortless :)  What it does mean is that I have created a place where I can bring order out of the chaos.  A place where I can take bits and pieces from here and there and imagination from within and express whatever needs to come out in that moment.  I am still trying to learn how to take that same feeling with me when I leave the craft room and venture far and wide in the world.  I have begun traveling with a sketchbook and pencils as well as a journal for writing in.  These things together are beginning to provide me with a place to process all that I encounter on the road.  Now if I can just figure out how to fit my craft room in a suitcase?!?! :)
Today's card is simple, simple, simple!  It was one of the cards made for my Holiday Stamp-a-Stack.  Just color in the Santa hat on the rubber stamp from Christmas Wishes with a Real Red marker and use a Basic Black marker for the outline of the face and facial features.  Stamp onto Whisper White card stock and then add some dazzling diamonds with a 2-way glue pen!  A few dimensionals to adhere and a knot of white organza ribbon finishes the card!

Out On A Whim Wednesday: Jeans Bookmarks!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  To imagine is everything.  -Albert Einstein
It's been a busy few days for me and I am finally catching up with my blog!  I apologize for disappearing for a few days, but trust me...I was busy in the craft room :)  Michael brought an old pair of jeans into the craft room and asked if I might be able to use them.  I smiled and said, "But of course!!!!"  I immediately imagined those jeans turning into 30 bookmarks!  Why I had the number 30 in my head I don't know, but that is the exact number I was able to cut from the jeans (leaving a very skimpy pair of Daisy Duke shorts behind...will have to figure out what to do with those!).  I cut the fabric and then did a bunch of monoprinting (using a GelliArts plate), painting, stenciling and stitching and these are a sampling of what I came up with!  They were a great way to pull out some old Stampin' Up! ribbon :)  I also made a few foam rubber stamps of my own and used those to add some paint.  Needless to say, the craft room was in quite a state for a few days - there was not a clean surface to be found! :)  Next time an old pair of jeans walks into your craft space, use your imagination!  After all, to imagine is everything :)