My Encaustic Journey - Part II

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take Bold Steps!

Today I wanted to share with you the second piece I created in my encaustic class last week at Victoria Eubanks Studio.  Victoria had suggested we bring bits of ephemera and scraps of paper/fibers/knick-knacks with us to the workshop.  I did a bit of scavenging in my craft room prior to heading to the class and grabbed a Polaroid photo of our house, some polymer clay tiles I had made, some dictionary pages, and some odds and ends.  I began this second encaustic piece with a piece of mdf board.  I glued down a piece of dictionary page and then asked if adhering a photo would work.  I was told it would and was asked if I wanted to use the original photo or make a black & white photo copy of it.  I had taken this picture with a Polaroid camera that I purchased off of ebay.  It was my first successful Polaroid (I tried to take a picture before reading the directions and the first picture didn't come out - after reading the directions this second photo worked perfectly...lesson learned :)  The picture is of the back of our house as we began our house-painting project.  I decided to take a bold step and believe that whatever I would do with the photo it would somehow work out.  So, rather than photocopy or preserve the photo in some way, I just went for it!!!!  I had to scratch the photo up with sandpaper in order to give it some "tooth" for the wax to grab onto.  Then I added glue to the back of the photo and adhered it to the board and then, once the glue dried, on went the first layer of encaustic medium!  The photo stayed clear and the piece was then built from there!  I'm not sure what will happen over time to the photo - it may fade over the years even though it is encased in the medium.  No matter what happens, this piece will always be a reminder to me - not just of the effort and enjoyment of painting the house, but also of always having the courage to take bold steps!

My Encaustic Adventure - Part I

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Don't Assume It Won't Work.  Just Try It!!!!

I took an amazing encaustic class last week given by Victoria Eubanks here in Denver.  I highly recommend it!!!!!  It was an all-day creative session - from 9-4 - and Victoria shared her passion and knowledge in a patient and inspiring way!!!!!  What a great teacher!!!!!!  Over the next few days I want to share with you the three pieces I created that day.  This piece began with lots of questions - could I stamp on tissue paper and embed that in the wax?  Could I incorporate broken pieces of a vintage Christmas ornament?  What would happen if I colored the stamped image with colored pencils and then embedded it?  For some of my questions Victoria had immediate responses based on her experience.  For others she said, I haven't ever tried it, let's see what happens!  I loved the opportunity to just try things and to see what would happen!  It seemed easy for me to apply this attitude since this was a medium I had never explored and I was curious.  I think the more familiar you are with working with supplies, it can be a bit more challenging to keep this open mindset.  Shunryu Suzuki said that In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.  May we all learn to approach our art with the beginner's mind - believing that there are many possibilities waiting to be discovered!
For this encaustic piece I began with a piece of mdf board that I covered with kraft tissue paper that I stamped with the retired Stippled Butterfly stamp using Staz-On ink.  I then stamped the image again on another piece of kraft tissue paper and colored it in with colored pencils.  I applied a few layers of encaustic medium and encaustic paint and then added the colored butterfly.  I then added an additional layer of encaustic medium and the drips of green encaustic paint.  Finally I embedded the small pieces of broken vintage glass Christmas ornament.  This was my first encaustic piece ever and I loved the journey!!!!  Thank you Victoria!!!!

2-Step Bird Punch Stencil

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's A Beautiful Day If You Think It Is!

On Saturday it was snowing - Buddy's favorite weather!  We decided to go out for a morning walk and the snow was about 5 inches deep and still coming down.  It was peaceful and quiet - very few cars driving around the neighborhood so early on a Saturday morning.  We finally came upon one man walking his dog - a small husky named Kona.  Buddy and Kona said hello and the man turned to me and said, "Beautiful day, isn't it!"  It was a statement - not really a question.  I agreed that it was gorgeous out and then, as Buddy and I went on our way, I began to think about the day and how there were likely people out there who would not have agreed with us.  For some, Saturday's weather would have seemed inconvenient - maybe even downright miserable!  Not for us.  It is a beautiful day is you think it is!  It matters not what others might think about the day...or so much more for that matter.  It is beautiful - if that's what you think!
Today's card began with the idea of using the 2-step bird punch as a stencil and combining that with a stamp.  I began by punching the bird out of a piece of scrap paper and adhering it to the Whisper White card stock with drafting tape.

Next I took a flourish stamp from the Tiny Tags stamp set and stamped it again and again with Crumb Cake ink.

I then repeated the same stamping using Chocolate Chip ink.

And finally Early Espresso ink.

When I went to remove the drafting tape things didn't go as planned.  The tape pulled up some of the card stock.  But I decided to just go with it!  So I masked off the bird and grabbed some Blushing Bride ink and began sponging all over the card.  Next I took a Crumb Cake marker and placed it in the color spritzer tool and did a bit of spritzing!  I removed the mask and began to build the nest with punched out branches from the 2-step bird punch.  The greeting was the next to be added - a word from Fabulous Phrases stamped using Early Espresso ink.  I felt the card needed a bit more color so I cut off the bottom and then cut a piece of Rose Red card stock.  I ran the Rose Red panel through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I then used the scallop edge punch to scallop the card before adhering the Rose Red panel to the underside of the front of the card with glue.  It was fun to let the drafting tape take me in a new direction :)  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #71 - Repurposing Dryer Sheets!

For this week's Four Ways Friday I wanted to show you four ways to take used dryer sheets and repurpose them for your paper crafting projects!

One way you can repurpose used dryer sheets is to get ink on them!  For this card I just took the dryer sheet and then pressed it onto multiple ink pads from lightest color to darkest color (daffodil delight, pumpkin pie, tangerine tango, and real red).  I let the sheet dry (with a light blast from the heat tool) and then I cut it and adhered it to a piece of Very Vanilla card stock using matte gel medium.  I then used the Pennant Parade stamp set to create the banner pieces and adhered them to the card with glue.  The letters are from the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  The scalloped trim was created with the scallop edge punch.  Finally I added two knotted pieces of Early Espresso ribbon with glue dots.

There are many ways to add color to your dryer sheets!  To create this flower I began by spraying a dryer sheet with ink mixed with water (I place a bit of reinker into small spray bottles with water and then spray away!).  For the larger flower layers I used Tempting Turquoise and Rich Razzleberry.  I allowed the sheets to dry and then die cut them in the Big Shot using the Daisies #2 die!  I layered the flowers and used a bit of glue to hold them together and then adhered them to the card with glue.  I punched the leaves from the 2-step bird punch and added them with glue.  Finally, I adhered a button in the center with a pop-up glue dot.  Here is a close-up of the flower:

The greeting was stamped in Basic Black ink using the Sincere Salutations stamp set.  To add a bit of interest to the bottom of the card I scored three scoring lines with my scoring board.

 

Another way to add color and interest to your dryer sheets is to paint them!  To create this butterfly I began by painting a dryer sheet with a mixture of Champagne Shimmer Mist paint and some water.  I allowed the sheet to dry and then die cut the butterfly in the Big Shot with the Beautiful Butterflies die.  I then used a thin piece of wire that I wrapped around the center of the butterfly to create the antennae and body.  Three adhesive pearls were then added.  Here is a close-up of the butterfly - hopefully you can see the sparkle from the shimmer paint!

The greeting was then stamped using Basic Black ink and the Flight Of The Butterfly stamp set on a Naturals Ivory card base.  The butterfly was attached with glue.

If you are a fan of texture, you'll enjoy this last technique!!!  I began by spraying the dryer sheets with Tempting Turquoise and Elegant Eggplant ink.  I allowed them to dry and then cut them into pieces (triangles and rectangles).  Since your dryer sheets are made from synthetic material, they will melt if heated long enough.  I highly recommend doing this in a well-ventilated room or outdoors and be careful!  I held the dryer sheet pieces down with a wooden skewer and then heated them with the heat tool until they started to scrunch up and melt.  I stopped when I like the look I had achieved.  I then sewed the pieces to a piece of Tempting Turquoise card stock using metallic thread and my sewing machine.  I stamped the greeting onto a Whisper White card base with Basic Black ink using the Fabulous Phrases stamp set.  Finally I added the dryer sheet panel with dimensionals.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday and I hope it inspires you to resist throwing your dryer sheets in the garbage and instead repurpose them in your crafting projects!!!!  I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend!!!!! :)

Four Ways Friday Will Be Here...By Saturday :)

I am sitting on the couch right now and I am pooped.  I've decided to give myself the night off and not try to rush through creating this week's Four Ways Friday tonight.  So, I will work on it on Friday and post it for you either Friday or Saturday.  Hope that's okay :)  It snowed here today - very beautiful!  A great evening to curl up on the couch and stay warm :)

Butterfly Mixed Media Collage

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Each of us has an inner dream that we can unfold if we will just have the courage to admit what it is. - Julia Cameron

I love this quote by Julia Cameron!  How courageous are you?  My inner dream can scare me at times.  Why?  Well, if I actually admit what it is, it can unfold...and as it unfolds will it be all that I dreamed it could be or will it disappoint me?  Or will it be everything I believed it could be and more????  Maybe it's the Libra in me.  I can keep teetering back and forth between admitting it and not admitting it and as long as I remain sitting on the fence, I don't actually need to commit to my dream.  So what message do you think that sends out into the Universe?!  Maybe Julia is saying that by just admitting what the inner dream is that sends a powerful message both to ourselves and to the Universe.  And once that message is out there, the energy it creates actually stimulates the unfolding.  And we can be there, unfolding with the dream, and collaborating with it so that it is exactly what we need.  Okay, I admit it - my inner dream is to be an artist and to inspire others to express their creativity!!!!  Whew!  That was hard...or not so hard...actually quite easy to admit.  So there you have it...let the unfolding begin!!!!! :)

Today's collage incorporates the stamping on transparencies that I shared with you yesterday (as well as a number of other techniques!).  Here are a few pictures of the completed piece:

A part of me wishes I just recorded a video of the entire process I went through in making this collage since it is almost impossible for me to remember all the steps!  One thing I do want to point out is the flower on the collage.  I actually made that using used dryer sheets!  I think I may have to put together a video to share with you how I did that :)  I incorporated a lot of mixed media into the collage:  fibers, beads, cheesecloth, nails, transparencies, book pages, a computer printed quote, paint, rubber stamping (do you see the floral stamp in the background?  It is from the Elements of Style stamp set - the same stamp I used in yesterday's card).  This piece was a joy to make and it is now hanging on the wall beside me to remind me to continue to admit my inner dream and participate in its unfolding :)  I hope you like it!

I also wanted to share this picture of Willow with you :)  She has been climbing up onto my craft table lately since the sun is quite bright there.  She likes to curl up in the midst of the pile of supplies.  She seems to find the dimensionals particularly inviting :)

p.s. Yesterday I attended an all-day class in encaustic painting!!!!  It was AMAZING!!!!  I will try to take pictures of the pieces I completed during the class.  I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot more wax painting in the not-too-distant future! :)

Stamping On Transparencies: A Video!!!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Stay Laser-Focused On What Is Important To You!

Not a day goes by that I don't learn something from Buddy (the dog that shares his life with me).  Today I was once again struck by how focused his attention can become when he sees something that is important to him - a squirrel; a rabbit; a bone; me :)  It doesn't seem to matter what other distractions are going on around him - when one of those things is in front of him, his attention does not waver.  What is important to me?  For me it is creativity, health and family.  As I look at opportunities and distractions that come my way, I need to continually ask myself if what is presenting itself to me contributes to my creativity, my health or my family.  I need to stay laser-focused on those things that matter to me the most!  I believe it is this focus that has led to my success so far in my commitment to my P90X workout program, my current vegan/no oil diet (I go to the doctor this week, so I'll let you know what the impact has been on my blood work!) and to trying to be at home with my family as much as I can, while at the same time ensuring I spend time creating and sharing that creativity with you as close to every day as possible!  What is important to you?  How can you ensure that that which is important to you is what you focus on?
I know that yesterday I said I was going to share another completed collage with you, so I hope you will forgive this small diversion from that plan!  I thought is was important to share this card and technique with you today since the collage builds upon this idea :)  Here is a video to show you how I made this card using window sheets/transparencies.  Enjoy!!!!!

Bird Mixed Media Collage

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Creativity Is Just Connecting Things.  -Steve Jobs

I had a wonderful day in the craft room yesterday!  The creativity actually started happening prior to entering the craft room.  I went for a morning walk with Buddy and my brain started to fill with connections between craft supplies and different techniques.  Combinations started filling my brain - combinations I had never tried before.  So yesterday I played with some of those combinations and had a great time).  Tomorrow I will share a finished piece I made since today I promised to show you the finished mixed media collage that incorporated my paper clay music notes bird.  I love Steve Jobs' quote that creativity is just connecting things.  The things exist - it's up to us to figure out how we might combine them and put them together to bring something new to life.  What can you connect????  (Sometimes I think it would just be fun to write down categories of supplies, or maybe techniques, on small pieces of paper and put them in a jar.  Then, when you need a little creative stimulation, just reach into the jar and pull out a few of the pieces and see what happens!  Hmmm, might have to begin a new series on this blog doing just that!  I'll keep you posted)!
The first picture in this post shows you the transformation my paper clay bird experienced :)  I used gold paint to cover the entire bird and then added wings that I die cut from metal and then embossed with an embossing folder (non SU!).  I then added some paint/distressing to the wings before adhering them to the bird.  The jewel eye was the final touch for the bird before I incorporated him into the larger collage.  If you have been following my blog lately, you know that I love the Chinese proverb:  A bird does not sing because it has an answer.  It sings because it has a song.  This piece sat unfinished in my craft room until, one day, I came upon that quote and the piece decided it needed to be completed :)  Here is a picture of the completed piece...I hope you like it :)

Here are a few more close-ups so you can see things a bit more clearly:

The flowers were die cut from metal using the Daisies #2 die and the Flower Folds die.

Paper Clay Music Notes Bird

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Are Our Jokes Really Jokes?

I learned a hard lesson (again!) over Thanksgiving.  I traveled to be with family for my cousin's 50th birthday.  There were about 40 family members there and when my cousin was sharing some thoughts with us about the day and reflecting on when we would be together again as a family, I made a comment, out loud, that at first blush I thought was funny.  The comment was meant to be lighthearted and was poking fun at one of my younger cousins.  The minute the comment came out of my mouth I realized that it really wasn't a joke because it had hurt my younger cousin's feelings.  I felt terrible!  I immediately went over to her to try to repair the damage I had done.  What I know is that trying to repair the damage after the fact was really too late.  The repair needed to happen when I had the thought - what I needed to do was say to my thought, "Yes, you might be funny in my mind, but you have the power to hurt someone if you leave my mind and exit my mouth.  So, you are not going anywhere!"  Our jokes may not be jokes at all to those who are on the receiving end of them.  I hope my cousin will forgive me and I hope that I have learned this lesson for the last time.
Today's project is not a finished piece - it is a piece that I have now incorporated into a larger mixed media collage (and my plan is to do my best to share the finished piece with you tomorrow).  I began by creating a paper clay bird.

I took a photo of a bird and used a thick black marker to go over the outline of the bird.  I then used that black outline as a template to create the paper clay bird.  The feet were created with armature wire.  Once he dried (and he took awhile to dry), I painted him with white gesso.  Next I used my Music Notes wheel and some Staz-On Jet Black ink and covered a piece of tissue paper with the music notes.  I then tore the tissue paper into strips and started adhering them to the bird with matte gel medium.  Once he was thoroughly coated, front and back, I set him aside to dry.  Stop by tomorrow to see what happened once he was dry! :)

Four Ways Friday #70 - Vintage Vogue

For this week's Four Ways Friday I decided to play around with the Vintage Vogue stamp set and to combine that playing with the idea of keeping things pretty clean and simple.  I hope you enjoy what I came up with!

The first card is simple, simple, simple!  I used the stamp-a-ma-jig and stamped the floral image twice with Marina Mist ink - once facing up and then facing down.  I then used the stamp-a-ma-jig again to line up the greeting and stamped it using Jet Black Staz-On ink.  The final touch was to add a bit of dazzling diamonds with a 2-way glue pen.  So simple!

 

For this second card I kept things super simple!  Here I stamped the vine image using Pear Pizazz ink.  Next I stamped the smaller flower using Regal Rose ink at full and half strength.  I love how the vine image mimics the stems of flowers.  Finally, the greeting was stamped using the stamp-a-ma-jig and Jet Black Staz-On ink.  Making a matching envelope is quick and easy and really adds a special touch (and it gives the postal agent something pretty to look at :).

I love using stamps to create background papers and the Vintage Vogue images create great backgrounds!  Here I stamped the smaller floral image and the leaf image over and over using Perfect Plum and Wild Wasabi ink at full and half strength.  If you see some blue or other color showing through it is because I began by spraying the card stock with a mixture of ink and water.  I then let it dry and then began all of my flower and leaf stamping.  I love how it provides some added depth to the background.  The greeting is from Pennant Parade and was stamped with Perfect Plum and then punched and layered on top of a larger circle punch and a scallop circle punch.  I added some adhesive rhinestones to give the card some bling :)  The background and the greeting were adhered to a Wild Wasabi panel which was then adhered to a Whisper White card base.

Watercolor techniques work great with floral images!  Here I colored directly on the small flower stamp with markers (Rich Razzleberry and Pacific Point).  I then sprayed the colored stamp with water before stamping the image onto watercolor paper.  I repeated this process multiple times, overlapping the flowers as I went.  I allowed the piece to dry and then cut out the floral image using scissors and a hobby blade.  I punched out the center of the flowers using the crop-a-dile.  The piece was then adhered to a piece of designer paper (Brights pattern stack) using glue and the entire panel was then adhered to a Tempting Turquoise card base.  Adhesive rhinestones were added to the center of each flower.  Finally, I stamped the greeting from Curly Cute onto Crumb Cake card stock using Rich Razzleberry ink.  This piece was then adhered to the card front using glue.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday.  I wish you a wonderful, creative and productive weekend!!!!  I hope that the spirit of gratitude from Thanksgiving goes with you into the coming days and weeks! :)

Painted Wood Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  If You Just Begin You Can Get Over The Hump!

If you have been reading my blog you know that I have been doing the P90X exercise program.  I'm very happy to say that I am still doing it!  I'm almost done with week 7 - yeah!!!!  I have encountered some days where my body is tired and telling me it needs to take a break.  I have to watch out though - because sometimes I can tell that it's my mind and not my body that is sending me this message!  When it is my body, I respect what it is telling me - which means I have taken about 3 days off from the program since I began and that has worked out fine so far.  When it is my mind it's a whole different story.  I can tell by the types of messages I'm hearing - things like "It's late and it will be past your bedtime by the time you finish your workout" or "wouldn't you just enjoy sitting on the couch and watching the tv instead of working out?" or "what harm would it do to just take one day off?  You can always catch up tomorrow!"  When I hear these types of messages I know that it is exactly the time to begin my workout!  What I find is that if I just begin, I can get over the hump of these negative voices in my mind and I end up feeling great from the workout and great that I didn't give in to the slacker in me :)  Can you tell the difference between the messages you are getting from your body and those that are coming from your mind?  Remember, if you just begin, you can get over the hump!!!!!
Today I wanted to share with you a gift that I make a lot when a friend or family member has a new baby!  I love making these painted signs for a child's door or room.  They feel very fun and personal to me.  Sometimes I just paint the letters directly on the wood piece.  This time I chose to purchase some wood letters (you could also die cut some thin wood panels with your Big Shot and an alphabet die!).  Making these signs also gives me a chance to play with paint, wood, wire and beads!  I even have a few of these signs around my home - ones that say things like "imagine" and "dream" and "believe."  Maybe I need to make a new one that says "you can get over the hump!" :)  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Artistic Etchings Stenciled Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Is So Much To Be Grateful For!

Beside my bed I keep a gratitude journal and before I go to sleep each night, I open the journal and write down at least 10 things that I am grateful for that day.  I begin each journal entry with "TIAGF" - which stands for "today I am grateful for" and then I make my list.  Some days the items on the list are as simple as going for a walk with Buddy.  Other days the list is composed of gratitude for health, for experiences, for warmth, for financial stability, for friends, for food, for music the stirs me and time to express my creativity.  Some days I really have to think through my day to come up with my list.  Other days, it seems, the page is just not large enough to contain all that I am grateful for.  As we come upon the holiday of Thanksgiving I want to express my gratitude for you.  I so appreciate that you come to this blog and share in this creative experience with me.  I appreciate your stopping by and I so appreciate your comments when you leave them.  It is comforting to know that there are others out there who believe in expressing their unique art - I am so grateful for you!!!!!!
Today's card is a bit of an assemblage.  I had stamped some tissue paper with the Music Notes wheel and Jet Black Staz-On ink and this was a leftover piece from another project.  I glued it to the card front and then decided to do some stenciling with Crumb Cake ink, a sponge, and the Mostly Vintage stencil (have I mentioned how much I love our stencils!  They are gorgeous and sturdy!).  Next I stamped the Eiffel Tower from Artistic Etchings using Jet Black Staz-On onto a scrap of Whisper White card stock and cut it out.  It was then attached to the card using dimensionals.  The greetings from Sincere Salutations was then stamped with Staz-On as well.  I added an adhesive rhinestone as a finishing touch.  I hope you like it! :)

Altered Picture Frame

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Alter Something :)

My plan was to create a picture frame, from scratch, for my cousin's 50th birthday that will be celebrated in Atlanta over Thanksgiving.  I had come up with numerous ideas for how to do the altering and how to add numbers to a plain wooden frame.  I had even thought about doing a bunch of woodburning and attaching of metal bits and pieces.  When I went out shopping for the frame I came across this weathered/distressed looking one (the base frame you see pictured above) and all of a sudden my direction changed!  The images I had in my mind for what I was going to create began to alter as I stared at the frame and my intuition told me that this was the one.  I then found the numbers - they came in very large and medium sizes and I was drawn to the medium ones.  The wooden letter "tags" had attracted my attention on a shopping outing about 2 weeks ago.  At the time I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but they were inexpensive and seemed to call out to me.  Little did I know that they knew what was in store for them :)  I brought the items home and started painting the wood numbers and letters with fluid acrylic paint (Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold - gorgeous color!).  I then adhered them to the frame with matte medium and added some upholstery tacks to the letter tags.  I then decided I needed some numbers and these adhesive plastic clock face numbers were just the right size and shape!  Sometimes altering something can be as fun as starting from scratch! :)  (p.s. I hope you are okay with stopping by my blog and seeing something every once in awhile that may not have been made using Stampin' Up! products.  I find that I need to step out of the Stampin' Up! box every once in awhile or at least combine Stampin' Up! products with other art supplies to go on my creative journeys in art making :)  I hope you enjoy seeing these other projects - I really enjoy making them and I equally enjoy sharing them with you in the hopes they will stimulate your creativity in new and exciting ways!).

Artistic Etchings Key Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  If You're Not Content On The Inside, The Inside Is A Great Place To Begin

I know how easy it can be to turn to instant gratification from the outside when I am not feeling content on the inside.  Tired and grumpy? - ooh, maybe some new craft supplies will cure that!  Depressed and out of sorts?  Some new paint and markers are just the thing!  Feeling down on yourself?  Give in to the temptation for on-line shopping and shipping.  Or don't...  When I am feeling down, the instinct is to turn to a quick pick-me-up - to believe that all it will take is paying some money for something to make me instantly feel better.  And while there is a bit of a "high" as the purchase is being made, it doesn't take long for me to look at the new "thing" - whatever it is - and realize it does not hold the key to my happiness.  If I am not content on the inside I have learned that the inside is where I need to begin - the place I need to start my journey back to feeling better.  It is not something that can be bought.  It is something that deserves my time and attention and sometimes my creativity (after all, even though new art supplies won't do the trick, I definitely have a large enough stash of current supplies that can be turned to for a creative journey when I am feeling down).  Let's see if I can resist the urge to binge when the next slump hits and rather turn to myself for the best kind of gratification there is - the kind that comes from the inside!
Today's card is clean and simple.  I just used my stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the key from Artistic Etchings multiple times using Early Espresso ink at full and half strength.  I then added the greeting from Teeny Tiny Greetings.  Simple and clean.  I hope you like it :)
ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!
It's time for Online Extravaganza!!!!!!  Online Extravaganza, the annual Stampin' Up! sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin today, Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011!!!!!!  Click HERE to log in to my online store beginning Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings, like 60 percent off select Designer Fabrics, and 30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!  But wait!  There's more!!!!!
There will be two items on sale today, for 24 hours only (November 21, 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM [MT]) - so make sure you don't miss the first 24 hours of Online Extravaganza!   Click HERE to shop the Online Extravaganza!!!!!

Online Extravaganza!!!!!

It's time for Online Extravaganza!!!!!!  Online Extravaganza, the annual Stampin' Up! sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011!!!!!!  Click HERE to log in to my online store beginning Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings, like 60 percent off select Designer Fabrics, and 30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!  But wait!  There's more!!!!!
There will be two items on sale for 24 hours only (November 21, 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM [MT]) - so make sure you don't miss the first 24 hours of Online Extravaganza!   Click HERE to shop the Online Extravaganza!!!!!

One Way Friday :) Wooden Sign

I have to confess that I am exhausted as I am typing this (Thursday evening).  I traveled for work this week and got home around midnight on Wednesday night and then had to get up early for another work obligation on Thursday morning.  I never seem to sleep well when I am in hotels and when you combine that with time changes and travel my body at times just revolts!  Needless to say, I was relatively useless for most of Thursday!  So, rather than try to put together a Four Ways Friday post, I decided to create a sign for my craft room - a sign that would help me remember my mantra as I battle living in "countdown" mode.
I began with a few pieces of scrap wood - the larger one is 4" x 3" and the smaller one is 2" x 2 3/4".  I covered both of them with gesso and let them dry.  Next, I took the larger piece of wood and covered it using modeling paste.  I then tried an experiment - I pressed the Finial Press embossing folder into the modeling paste and ended up with a bit of a mess!  I'm thinking that the next time I try it I will allow the modeling paste to dry for a bit before trying to press anything into it :)  I ended up with the texture you are seeing in the photo...after adding a few more steps.  I used some mesh hardware tape and pressed it into the modeling paste as it dried.  I also stamped one of the floral stamps from Itty Bitty Bits into the paste.  Once the modeling paste was completely dry, I painted it all with Frost White shimmer paint - I love how the shimmer looks on the texture!  To finish the bottom panel I hammered in a variety of beads around the edges.  Here is a close up of the texture:

 

The next step was to stamp the mantra onto the small panel using Jet Black Staz-On and a retired alphabet stamp set (since I still can't find my letter "r" stamp for my Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set!).  I then sprayed the panel with a mixture of Champagne Shimmer Mist paint and alcohol.  It's hard to see that sparkle in the picture, but it looks shimmery in person!  I then added Crystal Effects around the edges and pressed the edges into some white seed beads that I had in the craft room.  Next came the flower!  I die cut 6 flower shapes (3 larger and 3 smaller) using the Island Floral bigz die and some white organza fabric.  I then held the layers together with a long wooden skewer pressed against a tile and heated the flower using my heat tool.  Since the organza is synthetic, the heat will melt the fibers and create a wonderfully dimensional flower!  I pressed a brad through the center of the flower and then adhered an adhesive rhinestone to the center of the brad.  The smaller panel and the flower were then adhered to the larger panel using matte medium.  Once the entire piece is dry (which will likely take overnight) I will attach a hanger to the back of the piece and hang it on my craft room wall :)
I hope you've enjoyed this project and this short break from Four Ways Friday.  I plan to resume Four Ways Friday next week!  Have a beautiful and creative weekend and don't forget to breathe in the now :)

Metal Tape & Canvas ART Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Say Thank You To Your Mistakes!

I have been working on this piece of art for quite a bit of time now.  It started with the central art sign - using hardware tape, tile tape, Serif Essentials chipboard letters, brass embellishments, metal working tools and some paint.  I then decided that this piece needed a home and figured a canvas would be just the place!  So I began painting the canvas.  It started with black gesso and then I began adding some silver hardware tape and copper tape...and then came the paint...and stencils...and more stencils...and metal embellishments...and more paint...until I got to a point where I was very stuck!  One moment I felt the canvas was too dark.  The next minute I felt it was too metallic.  Then it was too "obvious" in terms of the circle shapes from the stencils.  So I kept going and going and going and finally took out a tube of gold leaf wax and thought that a touch of it would look nice.  I put some on my finger and went to slide my finger across the canvas and BLOP!  A rather large area - definitely unlike what I had been trying to do - spread itself out before my eyes on my canvas!  Ugh!!!!  Now what?!  I was about to panic - what an ugly mistake!  And then I decided to go with it and follow where the mistake was taking me.  So, just to show the Universe I was on board for the journey, I put a bit more of the wax on my finger and brazenly did the exact same thing again...and again!  And as I kept swiping my finger, the canvas began to transform in ways I hadn't even imagined (nor could I have done had I been deliberate in my actions).  Say a big "THANK YOU" to your mistakes!  They may lead you to places where you never would have gone if it weren't for the happy "oops!"

Embossing Folder Kiss Technique & Video!!!!!

 

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Try Unlikely Combinations!

Acorn squash, maple syrup, red pepper flakes and arugula on a pizza crust????  Really????!!!!  If you had told me how delicious that combination would be I would have told you you were nuts!  Yet, after making and eating just such a combination, I was amazed at how yummy it was!!!!!  I get surprised in similar ways in the craft room!  Sometimes the combinations definitely need work.  At other times, the pairing of unlikely companions seems to work out just great!  It is such an unlikely combination that led me to today's technique and video!  I had been playing around with the traditional "kissing" technique where you "kiss" or touch together two stamps (both can be inked or one can be inked and one uninked) and then you stamp the inked stamp onto card stock.  I thought, "hmmm, if you can kiss a stamp to a stamp, how about kissing a stamp to an embossing folder?"  And so we have the embossing folder kiss technique :)  What unlikely combinations can you play with in the craft room...or the kitchen????
Here is a video to show you the embossing folder kiss technique and how I made today's card.  Enjoy!

2-Step Bird Punch Quote Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I Need To Stop Living Life In "Countdown" Mode

Have you ever been to a New Year's party or watched a New Year's celebration on television?  If so, then you know the tradition of starting to count down the seconds, out loud, as the stroke of midnight nears.  Unfortunately, this little tradition has started to invade my daily life.  I call it living in "countdown" mode.  It seems I am always counting down the minutes until my next trip or counting down the minutes until I will return home again.  Or I'm counting down the minutes until Buddy's next walk...or my next meal...or a television show I'd like to watch.  If I'm spending all of this time in countdown mode, I am not living in the present moment!  I know you have heard me share my thoughts before on living in the now - it is something I am continuing to work on - something I haven't learned how to do as regularly as I would like.  When I find myself counting down I want to have a mantra to turn to - maybe something like "Breathe in the now."  Just typing that seems to relax my shoulders and make me feel at peace.  Breathe in the now :)  Maybe that is truly today's lesson from the craft room :)
Today's card was inspired by the Chinese proverb I shared with you last week.  I decided to type it up on the computer and then print it out on plain paper on my laser printer.  I then cut out each of the pieces and adhered them to the card base using glue.  A layer of Crystal Effects was then added to each word to give the words some dimension.  I stamped images from Artistic Etchings in River Rock and Basic Black and then added a bird punched from Basic Black card stock using the 2-step bird punch.  If you are noticing the very subtle rectangular image in the background, you don't need new glasses :)  I was actually playing around with instant film and decided to smoosh one side of the developed film paper onto the card stock and got that nifty look :)  Of course I am already thinking that I can recreate that same look using an acrylic block...I may have to give that a try :)  I hope you like it!

Medallion Bleach Pen Stamping & Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested. - E. M. Forster

What are you passionate about?  Have you noticed that when you are passionate about something, your energy is contagious?  I find this with others as well.  If I encounter someone who is truly passionate about what they do, their energy amazes me!  As I sit and think about what I am passionate about I realize that creativity is TOP on my list!  I believe in our ability as individuals to be creative.  I believe in the power of creativity to move hearts and mountains!  I believe in the power of creativity to heal and soothe.  I believe creativity connects us.  I hope my passion comes through to you and that in some way this small landing strip on the world wide internet ignites your passion to create!  And, if you are merely interested in creativity, I invite you to go and explore what you are truly passionate about!  Your passion is waiting for you!!!!!
For today's card I decided to try a fun technique - stamping with a bleach pen!  Here is a video to show you how easy it is to do!  Enjoy!!!!!

Four Ways Friday #69 - Inspired By Nature Coloring Techniques

For this week's Four Ways Friday I'm doing things a bit different.  Rather than share four completed projects,  I wanted to share with you four techniques for coloring the floral image from the Inspired By Nature stamp set.  Enjoy!  Here is a photo of the four variations:

Let's take a look at the different techniques used to color these images:

 

This first technique is simple and fun!  I used markers (Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Peach Parfait, and Chocolate Chip) to color directly on the stamp as shown here:

Next I spritzed the stamp with water a number of times (I keep water in a small spray bottle on the craft table for techniques like this one).  Then I stamped onto watercolor paper.  So simple and such a wonderful, bright image!

 For this second piece I just added one additional step to the technique in the first piece.  I colored the stamp with markers as described above.  Next, I "huffed" on the piece with my breath to make sure the ink was moist and then I "kissed" the uninked baroque stamp from Baroque Motifs on the surface of the inked stamp and lifted.  This "kissing" technique removes ink from the inked stamp and leaves a shadow of the pattern from the uninked stamp.  I then "huffed" again on the inked stamp and stamped the image onto Whisper White card stock.  This creates the boldest of color of the techniques I am sharing with you today. 

This third technique produces a softer image than the first two, depending on how much water you use.  For this piece I colored directly on the stamp with Watercolor Wonder crayons using various shades.  Next I spritzed with water and stamped onto watercolor paper.  I love how this technique really mimics watercolor painting - so soft and pretty.

For the final project I decided to do the Poppin' Pastels technique.  I stamped the image onto Whisper White card stock using VersaMark ink.  Next I dabbed Stampin' Pastels in various shades onto the cardstock using cotton swabs/daubers.  I gently brushed off the loose pastel and used my eraser to erase some of the smudges.  I love the doppled effect this technique creates!
I hope you've enjoyed these four coloring techniques.  I hope they inspire you to try something new or to try a technique you haven't used for a while.  I now need to figure out what cards I want to create with all these panels!  I hope you have a beautiful, relaxing and creative weekend!

A Little More Progress!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sit With Your Art

I sometimes pressure myself to know exactly what I want to do next with my art.  The reality is, I don't know!  What I am learning, is that if I just sit with my art, the next step will come.  Sometimes it might be in a few seconds...or a few months!  I am finding that I am enjoying having a number of pieces "in process" at the same time.  That way, when I get stuck or when I just have to wait for a piece to dry, I can keep moving forward with whatever whispers to me.  I am learning to sit with my art and wait for it to speak to me.
I made a bit more progress on this piece that I shared with you yesterday.  The first thing I added was some gold acrylic paint to the raised images that were stenciled using modeling paste.  Then I decided glitter was definitely in order, so I added some green and blue glitter glues and smooshed them around with my finger on the canvas part of the piece.  Then came some additional inspiration - the desire to add more butterflies.  So, I die cut them out of white organza:

Next I dipped them in diluted fabric stiffener so that I could give the a bit of shape.  I draped them on some wooden skewers that I stuck in a piece of styrofoam:

Once they were dry (it didn't take too long since Denver is dry and the organza is quite thin), I decided to spritz them and paint them with a number of different products (I did use some champagne shimmer mist paint that I had mixed with alcohol and I also used a number of non Stampin' Up! products).  I then attached them to the canvas using matte medium.  Here's what the piece looks like now - I wish you could see all the sparkle from the glitter!

The piece hasn't told me that it is done yet, so I will continue to sit with it and see if it pushes me further.  I hope you are enjoying sharing this process with me as it unfolds.  There is something beautiful about sharing this piece in this way - like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon, this piece is emerging from inside of me in its own right time.