Week 3-PINK

This week for the Summer of Colour challenge over at Twinkle Twinkle like a Star the colour is pink.

My first attempt did not go well so I took a different approach and made this card.

If you follow my blog you know recently I posted some greeting cards with bird cages. Well I decided to alter one of my cages slightly and made an arbor to house my little fairy with some hand made pink roses, made by me of course.I first embossed the background with the CB then chalked the embossed area with pink shimmery chalk made by All Night Media. I found some corner chipboard pieces to put in each corner and painted them with a Fuchsia acrylic paint. Then I applied rub ons to fancy them up a bit. The arbor is painted in the same colour although I added a lighter pink then shaded with Chocolate Cherry paint to add depth to the arch. I added Stickles, some butterflies, an eye pin with beads I recently made. Punched rose leaves, some little glittery pink flowers at the base. It really sparkles when you have it in your hand. I really like how this card turned out. The more I make these roses the more I enjoy them. They are fun and I make them in many sizes but this size is great for cards.

It's never too late to sign up for the challenge and many artists are sharing their muses with us from Fiber arts, jewellery, paper crafts and so much more.

Take a wander over just for inspiration.

Thanks for dropping by and can't wait to dive into the next colour.....yellow.

Does anyone know?

I have recently had to change my email address and I want to change logging into Blogger from my old email to another one,but, blogger won't allow it. Do you have to sign up for another blog in order to change it? I don't need another blog right now, this one is quite enough. I have been trying to figure this out before I call my old service provider to cancel my internet with them, I want to be able to sign in and out of my blog with my new email before cancelling. .
 If you can offer any help I sure would appreciate it.
Lesley

Some greeting cards and doodling

Here are some greeting cards I have been making. These were made last week but I am just adding them today. I used Tim Holz birdcage die and another die birdcage, sorry can't remember the name at the moment. I found these wonderfull flower stickers at the dollar store. Both birds were printed twice then I cut the wing off and put a piece of foam tape to raise it's wing off the paper a bit, makes it more 3D looking. The background papers are from my stash and I painted and distressed the birdcages to make them look rusty and worn.

I made quite a few of these and will be giving them as little bundles of cards for gifts at Christmas or upcoming birthdays. Everyone seems to like  getting cards to give to others and surely a one of a kind you can't buy in any store.

I think cards are my favourite besides ATC's to make.

And don't laugh but I have been trying to do faces. I have seen a lot of these whimsical faces and I have been sitting ,when I was watching the Playoff hockey, trying my hand and patience at these.

I have drawn a lot of them and I think I am finally onto it.

Each one is different as all faces are. I love colouring their hair in different colours. Kind of makes me feel like a kid again.

I just made these tags and will probably use them down the road to attach to a gifty or maybe send with a swap I do.

I will do a better job next time for the backgrounds, they were just a quick and not really thinking about it

mood.

Isn't that what art is about?

Thanks for dropping by.

Oh and I love my wireless.

~♥~

YIPPEEE SKIPPEEE

I am on Wireless and no more dial up. I can't believe I took the plunge and here I am.
I just had to share the excitement. No more waiting and waiting for pages to load and now I can watch vids.
Woot wooot.

Colour of Summer Week 2- Green

As you recall from my previous posts I am doing greeting cards for the challenge that Kristin is holding over at Twinkle Twinkle called the Colour of Summer. Week 2 is the colour Green.

Wow my favourite colour and I had no trouble finding green in my stash. When I buy paper I always tend to go towards greens so this was no problem for me. In the challenge for an extra added bonus we were to add the colour citron also so when digging through my papers I found this wonderful cardstock that had both shades I was wanting to use. How cool is that? I found a die cut that I had previosly cut for another project and never used so here is Tim design painted in 3 various shades of slip slap green with a bit of citron dabbled here and there. If you click on the card you can see a larger version and all the colours of the houses. I also added some interest to the windows. I cut small various colours of cardstock with green in it and put them behind the house windows and edged all the windows in gold metallic pen. The border below the houses is also a green border and I also inked the edge of the cardstock in Peeled Paint distress ink. How green is that? I found a tree that I liked with a nice verse, Bloom where you are planted and stamped that as well in Peeled Paint. Last but not least I found some K and Company little butterflies with a bit of Green and Citron and applied them as well.

This card will go in my stash for a cheer you up or new home or to just say hello card. Not sure yet but it will find a good home sooner or later.

Check out all the great art work and interpretations of the Colour of Summer. Click on the link in my sidebar or the above link provided. It's not to late to join in and there are prizes too.

Thanks for dropping by and stay tuned for some doodling I have been doing.

Did you know?

Have you ever wondered what to use when you don't have all the fancy schmancy tools that you see other artists using online?

Perhaps you are frugal like me and wonder what can I use to substitute for that? or can I use this instead of that?

Well from time to time I am going to share things that I have either found or use or maybe someone shared with me to help you.

Artists are always looking for ways to incorporate items in their stash to use other than their intended uses.

So I am going to start a " Did you Know" article now and again and I invite you to share with me things that you  find helpful, useful, instead of"s.

If I find something online I will direct you to the link to give credit where credit is due and I hope you will do the same if you find something here and share the link. Together we can build up a very helpful resource.

So here it goes.....

Did you know......

to distress the edges of your pages open up your scissors and run the paper between the blades close to the hinge part of the scissors, or, if you take a dressmakers seam ripper run it along the edges of your papers to make them ratty and worn.

Did you know.....

you can crackle your paint with ordinary white school glue? Apply a base coat of paint to your surface, let dry. Apply a rather thick and not too thin coat of white glue to the base coat, paint it on in different directions for interest. Clean your brush and allow the glue to tack up a bit. Next take another coat of contrasting paint and paint over the glue but do not go over the same area you just painted this will glob the paint up and glue and cause a mess. Cover the entire area and leave to dry. You can also use a sponge brush and sponge on the top coat of paint which I prefer to do. Watch as the paint dries, cracks will appear.

Did you know.....

if you don't have gesso not to worry, although white acrylic paint is no real substitute it will do the job. If you need to, just add a bit of water to the paint or your brush and paint the area you want to tone down or add interest to.

Well that's it for today.

Stay tuned for further Did you Know's?

The Summer of Colour Week 1-Blue

Well I have been a busy girl, making cards for my stash and what better way to get my juices flowing than to enter a challenge to help spark the ideas.

This weeks challenge over at Kristin's blog, Twinkle Twinkle, the first colour is blue.

So here is my entry.

I applied torn pages with blue hues or tones to a piece of heavy weight card stock measured to fit just inside the front of my base card. After the gel was dried I then applied Gesso to it all but not too heavy so you could see through the gesso all the different types of papers I used. I found a stamped face in blue my friend Becky sent to me a while back so I wanted that to be sort of a focal point and didn't put as much gesso to that area of the card stock. When that was dry I went to town with my oil pastels, I used 2 different blues and just scribbled to the outside edges of the piece of card stock then I started to blend the colours and work them towards the center. I then took a tissue and blended some more while lifting the heavier bits of pastel. I dont' like the thick streaky pieces on my cards I more or less stain the paper with the colours.

When all that was done I then did some stamping and then sewing with a straight and zigzag stitch in randomness around the outside edge.

I used Tim Holt's Tattered  florals die punch to create the flowers out of corrugated cardboard. I painted the flowers white first then I used Prussian Blue and just lightly dry brushed the ridges. I then applied Diamond stickles to the raised edges added a brad to the center and then applied to the surface of the card.

I rather like this.

Thanks for looking and can't wait to find out next weeks colour.

Make sure you stop  by Twinkle Twinkle and check out the Summer of Colour challenge for some great inspiration, fun, and, to meet new arty friends.

GC106 Packaging Material challenge

Over at Gingersnap Creations there is always something going on. When I saw this challenge I just had to put my thinking cap on to come up with something just a little bit different.

Presently I am into card making since my stock has been depleted and I like the freedom of card making, I just let things happen.

Well I had an empty egg carton with a flat top, some packing tape,and some clear packaging from some items I had bought.

I cut the top of the egg carton off the rest of the carton and cut out an arch shape. I then painted it with some white acrylic paint and let dry. Then I scribbled some blue and pink oil pastels on the arch and then rubbed the colours to blend, took my tissue then blended some more and lifting the heavier applications so the surface was smooth and not thick with the pastel. Then I ran it through the Cuttlebug with one of my flourish EF's. I then inked the edges of the arch with some blue ink. I found a ballerina in my printed stash. I took some music from an old hymnal and applied packing tape to it and did the packing tape transfer. I took the acrylic packaging from something I bought, used alcohol inks in Stream and Cranberry to colour it,  ran it through the CB using Tim Holt's Tattered florals die. I applied Diamond Stickles along the edges of the flowers and let dry. The base of the card was in my stash with a light smokey grey background and just seem to be a perfect fit for the theme, I did some stamping on it. I applied the arch shape, packing tape with music, ballerina, the flowers with an added gem centers, and a printed Dance word, again found in my stash. I really like how this looks and would never guess that egg cartons work wonderfully with embossing and colouring.

I hope you will look at your packaging in a whole new way. I sure did.

Thanks for dropping by,

 ~♥~

       

                       

 



A new challenge-The Summer of Colour (color)

I have been hearing about this new and exciting challenge blog that I would like to share with you.

It is called the Summer of Color ( here in Canada we spell it colour). Each Monday a new colour is picked and we are to create something in that chosen colour.

Well today I was making some greeting cards to stock up my supply and I hadn't decided on whether to join this challenge as there seems to be so many of them and I can't possibly commit to them all, but, this one intrigued me. I have been told I have a good eye when it comes to colour and while making my greeting cards I decided this is what I am going to create during this challenge. Not only will I stock up my supply but the greeting cards are useful and I also give them as gifts during holidays or birthdays etc. So if you are in the least bit interested in this new challenge, take a peek here, and get all the deets. The challenge starts tomorrow and the first colour is blue.

You can also click on the flashing icon to the right to take you to the blog as well.

Stay tuned for my new adventure as I study the rainbow in it's array of colours.

back online

Hello friends,

we had 2 nasty storms on Wed this past week and our phone line was knocked out until late Friday afternoon. I am trying to catch up on emails and just got onto my blog. Some areas the hydro was out and still is until sometime on Sunday. The wind was very bad, a tree was knocked down in a neighbours yard, we had a limb broken off one of our trees, a birds nest in another tree was tore out of the tree and little egg shells on the ground. (boo hoo). We had hail, lots of driving rain, and a lightening show that was amazing but scary at the same time.

We are all well, happy and healthy.

Sure missed not having a phone or internet.

Anyways I am back in action.

Have a happy weekend my friends.

ATC's from South Africa and another matchbox

As I posted yesterday I want to show you what I received in the mail from 2 trades I recently did.

First up are 2 ATC's from Bella who lives in South Africa. Bella was visiting my blog after I had posted

one of my Geisha cards for a Gingersnap Geisha challenge and asked if I was interested in trading it?

Well usually challenges I don't do much with the piece, except ,put it in a box or drawer only to wonder what to do with it later or give it to someone ,but, after finding out Bella lived in South Africa and I don't have any ATC's from Africa I surely wanted to trade. We also agreed to do an ATC that reflected something from the country we lived in. So sorry I did not take

a pic of the cards I sent to Bella but she will probably post them on her blog.

Here are the cards that Bella sent to me including this wonderful greeting card done with foil card stock, alcohol inks and embossing. It is so lovely. Bella and I decided after the Rotating Postal strikes are over we may plan to do another swap.

I haven't swapped ATC's in a while so it is nice to get back to it. I always feel refreshed after not doing something like that on a smaller canvas.

Thanks again for a great trade Bella.

Next up is my matchbox from JoAnne's FlickR group Vintage Dragon Fly. I received this lovely matchbox with all kinds of goodies inside and out.

Melissa spoiled me and she also wrapped everything in this beautiful tea towel that has shells and gold threads in it.

Take a peek at the spool she altered, wrapped some lovely lace around it, then put a decorative pin and added a gold glittery shell button to it and on the top is a

collection of shells and beads. The matchbox itself has a lovely mermaid on it and also more goodies inside. I was blown away.

Thank you Melissa. After a week like I had last week and worried about my car this was such a nice treat to get mail that was fun and full of arty goodness.

You certainly meet some wonderful artisans online who are generous and in most cases like minded.

Today was very hot and humid and we just got over a thunderstorm with hail and winds and lots of lightening. We surely needed some cooler weather after the day we had today.

I was up early and got the vacuuming and floors washed so needless to say I was sweating buckets by the time that was over.

My exercise complete along with a cleaner house.

Well that's it for today folks.

Thanks for dropping by, I always read your comments and I do try to visit each of you even if I don't leave a comment.

Blogger has been a tad bit ornery lately.

 ~♥~

I won something, matchbox swap and car news

A few posts ago I showed you an Eco Shape shrine that I received in an order from Artchix. The shrine shape and door were to be used in a challenge on the Artchix Facebook page and today I found out I won a 10.00 gift certificate. Woot woot. I hardly ever win anything, I have no luck at lotteries, scratch tickets, or even random drawings. I never get too excited but today I did. I don't have to hurry to use it up so I will wait til I need a few things and use it.
It was nice to get some good news after a week without a car and money spent fixing it. I got my car back yesterday and nice to have my own wheels back. A brand new gas tank and new lines from the transmission to the rad were replaced. I can actually put more than a half a tank of gas in the car. Woot woot. I hate spending the money on a car but hey it has been a good car and I need to keep it for a while so I guess money well spent for safety reasons as well.

And the other day I received my Music themed matchbox from my friend Jan. If you recall the FlickR monthly matchbox theme for last month was music and we had to use black somewhere on the matchbox. Well Jan is always a very creative and generous trade partner. She really did it this time. Take a peek at all the goodies she included inside and outside the box.
Thanks so much Smiff. I think Jan did an image transfer somehow with the woman images and the music paper on the outside. It is really lovely.

 And below is a humming bee. Isn't it the neatest little creature? We have seen a few of them or the same one hanging around our hanging baskets on our deck and this one decided to have a rest on the petunias. JB caught it on digital. I had been trying but the thing kept buzzing around. I put the camera down and then he comes into the house looking for the camera and caught it taking a rest. That never happens so me, I am no photographer, I haven't the patience or the eye. You would think being a painter and creative person that I am that I would be able to capture such beauty but nope I just want to click and get it over with.

Anyways thanks for dropping by and tomorrow I will be showing you what I got in the mail today.

Another matchbox and 2 lovely ATC's from South Africa.

Remember to stop and smell the flowers. Life is too short to be hung up on stress and

 don't let people rent space in your head.

~♥~



Another Gingersnap Art Exchange

Over at the Yahoo Group, Gingersnap Creations, we are having a bookmark art exchange, titled, Travel the World. Bookmarks are rather easy to do but unfortunately you can't really add too many embellies because of their sole purpose. So for every bookmark I looked up some info about each of the countries or city and put a little blurp about the landmark or the area. A piece of trivia you may call it. This was actually fun finding out things you didn't know.

I have posted my bookmarks but there is a possible Canada Post strike looming and we won't know til tonight if an agreement has been made, if not they go on strike. Delay and delays and more delays.

So I have opted not to sign up for any swaps from here on til I know for sure and time to take a bit of a break from things. I am still waiting for results on my car. The garage was very busy the day we dropped it off but tomorrow is Friday and I would really like to have my wheels back. Driving the big truck isn't really my thing but at least we have another vehicle to drive. I don't seem to be in much of a creating mood of late so just sitting back and maybe once I sit again it will all come back to me.

Thanks for dropping by and I always love to read your comments.