Colour Perceptions - White

In ArtVentures the next colour perception is white. To me this colour is cool and pristine.

I started with white cardstock and using a stencil and Viva Decor Mother of Pearl modelling cream I embossed part of the base. I added some white lace to the right-hand side. I cut out a die from a cuttlebug embossing folder from 120LB cardstock and adhered it to the centre of the ATC.

I punched a circle from some lighter weight cardstock and coloured it with Moonlight Smooch ink by Clearsnap. I embossed the back and attached it to the centre of the die with some Scrap Dots (3-D glue) to allow it to keep it's shape, then placed it on the centre of the die.

To add a bit more interest, I covered a piece of white scrap cardstock with Sookwang tape and covered it with Glitter Ritz white glitter, then punched out some little flower shapes with a hand punch. These were adhered to the ATC in a few areas using glue dots. To complete the card I added a little paper holder brad to the bottom.

  

Altered Cigar Box

One of the swaps for this month on AFTCM is an altered cigar box with the theme "Fragments from the Past". Fortunately I had a couple in my stash and a number of things to use for the theme.

I started by covering the outside with some vintage themed scrapbook paper that I got at my local dollar store.  I had just made a trip to my little local rubber stamps store and purchased some brads and trim. I thought the brads looked  bit like a little door knob and attached it to the bottom front of the box.

On the outside of the lid I attached the trim, a little penny charm and a stamped image from a friend.
I used one of the Tim Holtz frames and  placed an image of a woman (from artcreationsfridayblogspot (which seems to be gone) and covered it with some acetate, then glued it to the box.

In the oval area on the inside of the lid I added an ornament that I coloured, then covered the bottom with some velvet cardstock.

I haven't decided yet what I want to place inside the box, maybe some art supplies, cards or tags.

Bird Ornament

On Mixed Media Misfits I am participating in a swap where we create a bird ornament using a free template from a blog that one of the participant's discovered.
http://vintiquitiesworkshop.blogspot.com/2010/03/bird-ornament-tutorial-friday-winner.html

I downloaded the template, traced them on some cardboard and cut them out. I took a worksheet wonder (a piece of computer paper that I place on my desk and stamp on) which had some nice images and colours on it. I covered one side of the birds body with this Added a stamped swirl on the tail and punched a black circle for the eye.

I covered the wings with some homemade tissue paper that I had coloured with various inks and sprays. I stamped the swirl on both wings, and added the gem swirl to the front one.

On the back I covered the body with some scrapbook paper that I had stamped and embossed in gold using a large alphabet stamp. Took another piece of the worksheet paper and stamped a Magenta stamp in coal Ancient Page, and added a gem to one area.

For the crown, I glued two different words from a freebie collage sheet  on cardboard and cut out the shape, adhered to the birds head.

I took and old key and covered each side with the two different papers and cut it out, then went around the edges with a marker and Krylon pen. Punched a small hole in a piece of gold metallic cardstock then a larger circle and placed these on the hole in the key and added two more words from the collage sheet.

I decided that instead of gluing the wings in place I would make them movable. The only problem was to figure out an attachment that would make it look good on both sides. I decided on some Tim Holtz embellishments and attached them with a brad, and to disguise the posts on the other side I cut them down pushed them down well so you don't really notice them.

One of a Kind Dimensional Door Swap

Carol S is  hosting a swap on Art-Venturers for a One of a Kind Dimensional Door Swap. The rules are:

1.  it must have a door/gate/arch that can open,
2.  reveal something behind the door,
3. and be so thick that it can not fit in a regular envelope with normal postage

As usual, I jumped in with both feet an joined the swap!! For my first attempt at getting the depth on the ATC I did the base with my picture, then I added the top using a piece of foamcore. Now this might have worked for the thickness, but I had trouble trying to figure out how to attach a door or window and also how to conceal the ragged edges of the the foamcore.

Back to the drawing board; I retained the base picture that I was originally going to use, which is from Ceremony-Share, but instead of leaving it "as-is", I added some colour to it with Stabilo Chalk pencils. Printed and cut out an image from ArtbyJean, and mounted it with double-sided foam tape. I added a wee circle "thingy" and a part from old jewellery at the top.

 I started thinking about what to do to make this thick, so I took some popsicle sticks and cut them to size to fit on the edge of the base ATC and attached them with some Sookwang tape.

For the top of the ATC I took a piece that I had coloured with some Perfect Pearls and some other mediums, and measured out the door and cut it on the top and middle. I embossed some columns on the sides and some small stamped images at the top and bottom.

I added tiny screw brads along with some faux metal pieces for the edges on the door. To hide the back of the brads I added an embossed piece of cardstock to the back of the door. For the door closure I chose to use string clasps, but instead of string I used some stretchy metallic thread and adhered a couple of flat beads.

Mini Memory for Mel

April's Mini Memory recipient is Mel on the DCI group. Her choice was any theme with aqua and blue as her colour choice.

I started with a coaster from our Don Cherry's pub, covered it with gesso then rubbed aqua and blue inks over it after embossing it with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I coloured a little frame with some blue metallic acrylic paint and attached it to the centre. I added a game piece that my friend Muzzy had sent me on a card a few years ago (used with her permission). I took an old pair of earrings and removed the backs and placed the roses with the game piece inside the frame.

I had some Maple Leaf brads (to continue with the shape of the coaster) and embossed them with some navy blue embossing powder, removed the backs and glued them around the frame. Still needed "something" so put some blue stickles around the edge.

Mini Memory for Rhonda

Rhonda is the Mini Memory recipient for the month of March in my DCI group. Her choice was Children/childhood and her colour choice was cream/gold/white.

I started with a coaster from Outback Restuarant and covered it with gesso. I then added some Golden Gold Mica Flake, then when it dried painted over it with cream coloured acrylic paint.

I printed off the image of the little girl from Elizabeth's blog and cut around it. I placed this on top of some scrapbook paper. I took a frame that I bought at the dollar store and coloured it with a gold Krylon leafing pen, added a piece of acetate and placed it over the picture.

I spelled out Dream with some scrapbook letters, added some brads, german scraps and for the final touch glued on an old brooch  from which I removed the back.

Metal ATC's

On DCI  we are doing a swap to exchage ATC's using Metal or Faux Metal.

I choose to use some embossing metal for the base of my ATC's. I cut the metal a bit larger then attached it to some 130LB cardstock cut to ATC size and embossed it with the numbers Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I punched some holes in the corners and added little button brads.

I decided to use some chipboard letters and also embossed them in the cuttlebug then did the Faux Patina technique from Julia Andrus' book Paper Transformed. I then printed off a free image from Elizabeth's blog and attached it to some cardstock to give it more body.

I attached the little girl then added the letters to look like she is holding on to them. For the letters, I chose to individualize them by using the initials of each person who is participating in the swap.

Finally I coloured a piece of cardstock with Mica Magic ink and stamped a saying on it an attached it to the top with double-sided foam tape.

Inchie swap

I have signed up for a swap on the Dream, Create Inspire group where we are using a frame from Blumoth Crafts. Eleven people joined the swap, and we create the inchies using a colour scheme and and in some cases a theme chosen by each person. We have two inchies, the centre and the frame to complete our own when we receive our inchies in the swap. I have decided to wait until I receive my inchies before completing the frame.

I coated the inchies with gesso then used Acrylic paints, Metallic Paints, Lumiere paints, Perfect Pearls, Pearlex, and some of my stamps and stamping supplies such as Smooch inks, and pigment inks to do the bases. On some I used molding paste, others I used papers and even some netting type paper.

The embellishments are scrapbooking pieces, old buttons, old pieces of jewellery, brads and other "doodads".

I am really looking forward to seeing all the tiny works of art that everyone makes and the completed frames.

Quote of the Month - January and February

I am participating in a swap on CCswaps where we create a piece of art using a quote for that month, which must be displayed somewhere on the art. The quote is: "Great art picks up where nature ends."

For January I used a piece of cardstock and did the Stamp Smooshie technique (you use your stamp as an applicator and smoosh the ink around on the paper-usually 3 different tones of the same colour ink). I then added some mica magic ink over it. I stamped the Safflower Script stamp (Stampington) on a piece of acetate with Stazon black ink and attached it with vellum tape.

I had a piece of cardstock on which I had rubbed off some Mica Magic ink while doing some stamping and liked the look of it, so I chose that to stamp the Magenta butterfly image on and attached it to the middle of the acetate.

I mounted the piece on another piece of Mica Magic coloured background. The final touch was to add the maple leaf brads and the quotes. This is now at it's new home with Maggi.

The February quote is: "Feet what do I need thee for when I have wings to fly." I decided on an altered book board. I used some techniques from Kelly Rae Roberts book Taking Flight. I am really pleased with the book as it has great inspiration and some step-by-step instructions and not just a bunch of "pretty pictures".

The background is similar to one that I learned in an Altered Diva class, where you paint gesso on the substrate, add one coat of paint. let it dry then add another coat and while wet spray it with water, let it sit for a bit then dab it with a cloth. The little circles in white were made by dipping the end of an adding machine roll holder thingy in paint and stamping on the book board.

The body was a stamp (PSX) of a seamstress mannequin which I stamped into polymer clay and baked. When it was ready I rubbed it with a wash of brown acrylic paint, then painted the flowers, heart and ribbon and body with acrylic paint and brushed some Pearlex and Perfect Pearls over the top.

When it dried I coated it with Poly Glaze, then when that set I rubbed some "Goldfinger rub-on paste over it and glued on the gems.

The head is an image from a magazine advert which I cut down and glued into a flattened bottle cap and filled with Glossy Accents. The gold wings were left over from when I was making some Christmas Angels years ago; cut in the middle to reduce the bulk and glued behind the body and added some gold Stickles to enhance them a bit. The seagull was a found item in my stash. This will be going to it's new home at the end of February when the partners list is announced.

September Tag-It

This month's "Tag-Your-it" person is Adrienne and she chose Medieval as the theme. I have been trying to come up with something for the last month, and finally sat down tonight and worked on a canvas.

I painted the canvas with purple and red acrylic paint and then stamped some words in gold ink. After it dried I added the picture of the woman.

I painted some cheesecloth with acrylic purple paint and then dipped it in some porcelain stuff that I had bought eons ago. I then draped it around the edge of the picture. To add more dimension I added some crackle molding paste around the canvas.

When it was dry I brushed gold, purple and red paint over the surface. I continued adding layers of paint to get the desired colour I wanted. I also sprinkled some pearl embossing powders over the surface and dry brushed paint over it again.

To complete the piece I removed the backs from some brads. dabbed gold paint over them and glued them at the top. I then took an old heart shaped earring and painted it gold and added a cross charm and glued it to the bottom left. I attached a piece of Magenta border sticker to the bottom; muted it by rubbing Concord Grape Distress Ink and gold acyrlic paint over it.

Not sure if this is "Medieval" enough, but hope Adrienne will be pleased with it.

NGS Art Lottery

On the Next-Generation-Stampers there is an Art Lottery where there is a theme each month, and we upload the art to the photo section. A winner is picked randomly and that person receives all the pieces of art that were entered. The Winner then picks the theme for the following month.

Junes theme is.......The Letter B which can mean ANYTHING at all - things that begin with the letter B - butterflies, the colour blue, backgrounds, or even a piece of artwork with the letter B on it! Anything at all so long as it is related to or begins with the letter B!

I created an acrylic painted background on watecolour paper. I coloured a piece of acrylic with alcohol inks then stamped a Buddha stamp with Stazon black. I added a piece of white paper behind the image and adhered it with glossy accents and attached it to the page with brads.

I then cut a few pieces of the coloured acrylic and stamped a pattern with Brilliance gold ink, and attached them to the page with glossy accents.