July Postcards

July is packed with exciting adventures, fabulous summer days and wonderful postcards to capture that whole experience. For papercrafters, the 4" x 6" postcard format becomes a vacation of the senses as a seemingly limited space format provides a virtual sensescape.  Please join the Unruly PaperArts team all month long as we unveil our articles and artwork for this month's issue.  The Schedule of Contents is HERE

As always there are two opportunities to share in the theme through our Reader Art Quests (RAQ). We'll be accepting Unruly Reader Submissions starting July 1st until July 25th. Voting for the top 5 projects will begin July 26 and run to July 31, 2013. The 5 projects with the most votes will be featured in the August 2013 issue.

Link up your 4x6" masterpieces at Unruly PaperArts as listed below:
RAQ 1 Edgy Postcards. Details and samples HERE
RAQ 2 Vacation Themed Postcard Art. Details and samples HERE

My article, Musings of a 2amscrapper: There's No Place Like Home will be published at UPA on July 29. Here is just a glimpse of my topic:

 

I wonder if he thought there was no place like home.

Who is that man?  Why is he part of my postcard article? His story and more will be told on July 29 at UPA!

Summer of Color 2013: Week 3

This is the third week of Kristin's Summer of Color 2013 over at her blog Twinkle, Twinkle.   Each week we vote on the artist's choice of colors to use.  This week, the winning color combo is the one I voted for:  purple and lime green.

I've been doing digital layering with Gecko Galz images but this week I'm presenting an actual card stock greeting card.  Gecko Galz image from the Cat's Meow collage sheet and digital paper from the Gatsby paper pack.  Sentiment from Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Art Eccentric stamp set. 

Also entering:

A Card a Day challenge:  June themes:  could be either Friendship or Just Because

Macarons

DD1 loves macarons (a French confection).  She buys them when she is the one bringing dessert.  If you give a mouse a cookie (book reference meaning one thing leads to another) I spied the Avery Elle stamp set and had to snap it up.   I pictured DD1 sharing macarons and decided this little treat bag would be perfect.

The base is a white paper sack. For my kraft portion,  I used Stampin' Up crumb cake paper to create a tag and stamp the cookies.  I also purchased the Avery Elle die so it was a snap to fix my macarons.

I punched two holes through both the front and back of the bag as well as the tag so that when the bag is opened and stood on end, the top still could be secured with the twine (which came packaged with my stamps).  We wouldn't want those yummy macarons to fall out!  The tag is free, attached only by the twine and can be used by the recipient for re-gifting. 

I placed the white bag on matching paper.  This could be an option to turn the bag into a card.    Or both pieces could be attached to a larger kraft shopping bag if the gift includes additional food items.

I wanted something on the tag that fit the sentiment stamped on the bag.  So I inked only the Ooh portion of the Ooh La La sentiment.  All stamps are from the Avery Elle Bonjour set.  

Entering these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show:  Kraft

Vicki's Cheerful Stamp Pad Challenge #62  You're Sweet

June Sketch Challenge at Avery Elle using Avery Elle stamps and digital images

Dream Tag

Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group has gone to a monthly challenge for the summer.  June's Make Art! Challenge is to incorporate at least one Wendy (Studio 490) stamp, the color blue and metal.

I love this Wendy stamp of the man with the cane.  The saying on Tim's word band is a perfect match, in my opinion. Enough said.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377#sthash.o6rB0N6L.dpuf

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377#sthash.o6rB0N6L.dpuf

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #50 Show Us Something New
learning from Tim how to use rubons in a different way and how to fade stamped images; using for the first time my Studio 490 stamp of the man.
Definitely this inkiness is not in my comfort zone

Catching up with the Tim Holtz Tags of 2013. Here is his sample for May and the link to his tutorial is HERE
I used all the techniques in his tutorial.  Too late to link up but I'm determined to learn some new techniques this year and get all 12 tags done.

This is the photo from Tim's blog with his sample.



Most primary grade children know blue and yellow make green. I know that too. So imagine my distress when Broken China and Wild honey distress stains blended into a nice shade of green. Oops! The EWV challenge is for BLUE! So out come all the blue distress ink pads!

Fashionable Stamping asked for something new.  Although I own all these products,  using them in this way is new to me.

Materials:

Studio 490 stamp sets:
Art Inspiration
Lower Case Art
Art for Men
Dreams of Art

Stampers Anonymous stamp set:
The Journey

Tim Holtz Idea-ology
enameled tag
word band
pen nib  "thoughts" letters rubbed with picket fence
remnant rubs
film strip ribbon

Ranger products:

Distress Inks:
tumbled glass
faded jeans
salty ocean
broken china

alcohol ink:  faded jeans

Distress Ink Marker:  picket fence (to highlight the letters in the metal)

Distress Stains:
broken china
wild honey
picket fence
brushed pewter

Archival Ink:  jet black

Maya Road trim with broken china distress paint

Summer of Color: Week Two

Celebrating the second week of Summer of Color 2013: Artist's Choice with Kristin at Twinkle Twinkle.

This week the participating artists' top vote getter color combo is Orange and Hot Pink.

Once again, I'm practicing my digital layering with Gecko Galz digital images.

Gecko Galz
Pink Lemonade digital paper 
Image from Girlfriends Collage Sheet 
Kitchen Sink banner 

PSE7 
text 
frame

Father's Day Card

I made this card for my son.  His little daughter loves the song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  She knows the baby sign for the word star.  When the song is playing, she looks around the room and says your name if she sees you aren't following along with the song and the hand signs.  She makes sure we all are participating.

Challenges:

Fripperies and Butterflies: Celebrate Dad Challenge
I used one of the free images given on her blog for the challenge.


Try It on Tuesday:  One For the Men 

Additional Materials: 

Darice star embossing folder
Heidi Grace papers
black card stock from stash
Michaels felt star ribbon
Stampin' Up banner die

Beach Babe

The beach tag:

Image is a freebie from Lunagirl Moonbeams.  I wanted to use one of their images for their challenge.

The two ivory buttons on the crochet lace are from my grandmother's button bag.  Many of the buttons are so old that they have crumbled.  I wanted to include some vintage buttons for the Simon Says challenge.

The other materials:

label stamps from Red Lead Paperworks
tag made from DCWV card stock paper pack All About Girls
Stampin' Up gumball green card stock
Stampin' Up gumball green ink pad
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Nestabilities curved rectangles dies
Doodlebug bubblegum button
crochet trim from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Misc ribbon, flower (maybe Hero Arts?) crystal leaves and twine from stash



The challenges:

Luna Girl Moonbeams  Challenge Blog: Bathing Beauties



 Simon Says Stamp and Show:  Button Challenge

 

The Paper Chase Challenge #33 The Beach (2nd entry)

Fashionable Stamping Challenge: Tag Time (2nd entry) 



 Craft Room Challenge: Here Comes The Summer

 

June This and That

 THE WHOLE BLOG THING

Blogger Reading  List is going away July 1.

THIS IS AN UPDATE:  PLEASE SEE BRENDA'S COMMENT HERE THAT BLOGGER READER IS NOT GOING AWAY--GOOGLE READER IS.  I WENT TO THE LINK SHE MENTIONED AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS BUT GOT A FAILURE NOTICE FOR THE 20 BLOGS THAT WERE IN GOOGLE READER.  A TECHIE I AM NOT. SO MAYBE I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS AT ALL.  HOWEVER, I MUST ADMIT I PREFER A LITTLE MORE ORGANIZATION OF THE BLOGS I FOLLOW THEN WHAT BLOGGER READER OFFERS.

That Google + sounds like way more than I want to have to deal with on a daily basis.  The whole Circles idea already is driving me crazy.  If I'm not in a circle, then I can't comment.  I even considered switching from Blogger to Word Press.  For now I'm sticking with my blog on Blogger as it is the easiest for me to use.  However....

I just switched to Bloglovin'

What I like about it:

1.    has an iphone app
2.    it has a Face Book link IF you want to share your friends list
3.    was a no brainer to switch over the blogs I follow
4.    the layout design
5.   sends me email notifications of updates to the blogs I follow
6.   has a button to put on my sidebar

You should know that I tried two others first.  This one was so easy to do I didn't even have to think.

And what a surprise--one of the categories is My Teammies and had them already listed--the ones who also had chosen Bloglovin'

I even discovered a shortcut, Manage Your Blogs, which give me one easy list with columns to sort into folders, delete, etc.

If you'd like to continue seeing my posts pop up somewhere for you, please hit the "Bloglovin'" button or choose "follow by email" --both are on my sidebar.


NICE SURPRISES

 I won the random draw at Sugar Creek Hollow for their Use It Up challenge.

I made a Crafty Secrets card and got a $6 gift certificate to their store just for linking to their June Linky Party.  I also commented on their beautiful new line of garden themed products AND WON a set!  woop!  woop!

Today's mail included my new stamps from Red Lead and Avery Elle.  Both orders included a free stamp.  Can't wait to start using all of them.


MORE CARDS MADE AT STAMPIN' UP CLUB:

I'm really liking the new butterfly die.

How stinkin' cute is this one?

I didn't center the camera on this one but you get the idea--the tissue box is folded and centered on the aqua square--be careful with your choice of card stock so it doesn't crack or split when folded.

SUPER SPRING SALE AT ROGUE REDHEAD DESIGNS, LLC

Don't miss out on all the great deals!  Check out our stock of full plates, half plates and mini collections. 

Many of our full-size stamp plates are on sale for the low price of US$15.00! All of our half plates are on sale for US$10.00 or less!  Our mini collections are priced at US$5.00 and under!

We've also got some great specials and singles for you to check out!

While we are doing some serious Spring cleaning at RRD, you can tidy up with some fantastic bargains and great deals!

It's over when Spring is over on June 21st!

Summer of Color 2013: Week One

Week One: Turquoise and Citron Green

I decided to make a digital composition using Gecko Galz digital images.

Base is London Bridge digital paper complete with crown, postage mark and writing.  The image is from the Artful Visions collage sheet which I digitally framed.  I altered the colors of both in Photoshop to make them citron green. 

Oh, Joy!

Linking to the Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage June Linky Party.

I used black card stock from my stash to mat the paper, image, and sentiment.

Heartwarming Vintage Collection:

Classic Paper Designs (both sides of one design paper)

Creative Scraps: Domestic Goddess

Wedding Cards

A quick post.  Just got back from Stampin' Up Club.  We meet monthly and members rotate being the hostess.  Today Vicki brought us two adorable cards to make.

This one is free cut from a paper doily.  I'm going to mat the brown on yellow card stock.

Love this one with the layered hearts.  I have this embossing folder but I'm wondering about finding a heart one.  It would have to be an interesting design--perhaps I should find a delicate vine.  I have a couple of heart dies so I think this would go quickly to duplicate.  The black card stock is mounted on a white card. 

I will post other cards from club later this week.

At the Shore

After falling off the Tim Holtz tag-a-month wagon, I decided this month to jump into the water with both feet literally --with this seashore themed tag.

I'm using Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC stamps and you will find this tag also posted at their blog HERE for my design team sample. The stamp plates are Beach Babes and Behind the Scenes.

I'm using almost exclusively Ranger products and have followed, except for my sandy addition, the techniques Tim demonstrated here where I'll be posting my tag.  Here is the picture of his June tag:

                   

I will list all the products at the end of this post, so as not to give away his tutorial.

The theme-----see the four challenges listed below that I'm entering with this tag.  It was their inspiration that made the artwork process  flow smoothly.

I've tried many techniques to create sand and I really like the look of this one.  I used my new Ranger Emboss It dabber directly onto the sand background stamp; after stamping, I heat set Ranger antique linen distress embossing powder.  I think it really looks like wet sand at the beach and it really brings out the sand design of this stamp.

And this is a close-up of the handwritten music sheet background stamp which I stamped in Ranger Tumbled Glass ink to add a little blue sea and sky.  I chose music because the girl is hearing the sounds of the sea (music) coming from inside the seashell. 

The Challenges:
Fashionable Stamping Challenge:  Tag
Vintage Stamping Challenge #9 Childhood 
Simon Says Stamp and Show:  the Letter S:  Sally strolls along the seashore gathering shells in the sand and listening to the sounds of the sea. 
The Paper Chase Challenge #33 The Beach

I'm also linking to Beverly's How Sweet the Sound Pink Saturday since my lovely beach babe is dressed in pink. 

Materials:
Rogue Redhead Designs LLC Beach Babes stamp plate, Behind the Scenes stamp plate
Archival Ink: Coffee
90 lb. watercolor paper and standard manila tag
Ranger Distress Markers: worn lipstick, vintage photo, picket fence, bundled sage, antique linen, tumbled glass
water pen
Ranger antique linen embossing distress powder
Ranger Emboss It dabber
Ranger Broken China distress paint
Ranger Wild Honey distress stain
Ranger Worn Lipstick distress ink pad
All My Memories Seafoam Blue trim (supposed to remind you of fish netting)

Red Lead ATC Swap

 

 Happy Mail!

 

My swapped out ATCs arrived from Red Lead Paperworks, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri.  The theme of the swap was Artful Defined and the Swap Sisters came through in stunning style.

Some Red Lead products need to be on the artwork swapped.  Here are the three I made and sent in.  I had a previous post HERE about them:

                    

And here are the amazing three I got in return:

Love the composition.  Thank you Maxine for this beautiful cut work and theme.  How long did it take to put all those gems on the circle?

Love the inkiness and the labels popped up.  Thank you Kathleen!  You've inspired me to buy these label stamps! 

Love the map and the sparkly swim suit! Kelly, the back of your ATC was as spectacular as the front!   Thanks for reminding me about using maps in my work!

You can find the Art Sister Swaps at the Red Lead Yahoo Group.  

Thanks to the Red Lead sisters Chris and Sharon for the wonderful gift bag--love that artist frame!

Welcome to My Fairy Garden and A Summer of Color

This is a double post.  Scroll down to learn more about A Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice.  


But right now....
A different type of crafting--potting soil and plants instead of paper.......

WELCOME TO MY FAIRY GARDEN

I was inspired by my blogging buddy Micupoftea (Shawn) who posted her beautiful fairy gardens on her blog, Poetry in a Pot of Tea.  Please visit her HERE to see her gardens.

I went on the hunt for that birdhouse she found at JoAnn Fabrics and found it in the clearance aisle for 50% off along with half-price elves.

My greatest challenge was centering the "scene" with the octagon shaped bowl.  I got it done but had a hard time squaring it in the camera lens.  I also goofed and aligned my scene on the seam side of the base instead of the front.  Oops!  I'll know better next year.  I put pea gravel inside the bird house to weigh it down.  I'm sure you've heard about the strong winds traveling through the Midwest this spring.  Sometimes my mail ends up in the neighbor's shrubs!

I've seen many cute versions of fairy gardens on Pinterest and am looking forward to making some others. I have a Pinterest link on my sidebar and have a fairy garden board if you care to see which ones I pinned. 

Materials:

Walmart
bird bath                $11
Dwarf Delosia        $ 1.78   (the tall colorful flowers)

JoAnn Fabrics
birdhouse               $12.50
elf                          $  1.25

Dollar General
mushroom             $ 1

Farmers Market
Irish Moss            $ 3.99
Thyme                  $ 3.99
Miniature Daisy    $ 3.99  (hidden behind the house)

Ace Hardware
potting soil and pea gravel $?0 (donated by dh)

So this fairy garden cost me around $40.00.  You can buy fairy garden kits in a box for the same price or more.  But I already was committed to the birdhouse this time around. 

I have it placed in the corner of the deck to enjoy while I sit out there waiting for humming birds.  I know they are attracted to red so I hope they visit my fairy garden.


SUMMER OF COLOR (SOC 3) ARTIST'S CHOICE
 
I participated last summer and have had the badge up since then waiting for June 3, 2013 to get here---and HERE IT IS !!!!

Some details from Kristin at Twinkle Twinkle: 

Each week, you'll have the chance to vote for one of 12 different color combinations by taking a poll at the end of each post. Simply pick your favorite and, in majority rules fashion, the highest rated one wins. Come back the following Monday to see the results and get started. As always, you'll work in your preferred mediums - creating anything your little heart desires - with color being the only stipulation.

Now I must confess I'm having trouble keeping up with Tim's monthly tag challenge so I hope I can do a weekly prompt for 6 weeks straight!  But Kristin's blog and FB page should keep me going!

I also must disclose that there are prizes to be had, including one for posting info about SOC3.  

Published!

I came back from a short road trip to find the Stampers' Sampler Summer 2013 issue of Take Ten in my mailbox.  That meant only one thing--something I submitted was published! woop!  woop!

Love this:

Stampington and Company had given its readers a dress template to print and decorate.  My theme was Homespun Harvest.  I used burlap, ric rack, twine, and wood buttons.  For the apron, I stamped onto vellum the September almanac background stamp (Relish Reading stamp plate from Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC). 

  

It's a small start in Stampington Publications, but a big deal for me! I was published once before years ago.  I'm motivated now to make more submissions.

What Gals !

I read the Great Gatsby in high school eons ago and recently saw the movie.  Don't these two divas remind you of Daisy and Jordy? 

 

And how perfect is this sentiment for an over-the-top Gatsby gathering in West Egg? Here come the girls,  sooooo diva-esque....my kinda gals!

I'm entering the following challenges:

The Cheerful Stamp Pad Challenge #61:  My Kinda Gal

All Sorts Challenge:  Here Come the Girls 

Lunagirl Moonbeams Challenge: Diva  First time entering here.  Saw this on Vicki Romaine's blog

Materials:

Gecko Galz image from The Cats Meow collage sheet (June 2013 release) and West Egg digital paper from Gatsby Digital Paper Pack (June 2013 release)

Stampin' Up In Color Card Stock pack:  Gumball Green,  Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit  (I was amazed at how these card stock colors perfectly matched the digital image and paper I printed from Gecko Galz)

Studio 490 (Wendy Vecchi) Eccentric Art stamp set:  sentiment

Archival jet black ink
black card stock from stash

Happy Shabby June!

Can you believe it's June First!  

We had horrible storms go through the midwest again yesterday evening.  Our tornado alerts went off on the weather radio and our cell phones so we spent a half hour in the basement.  Our area was spared but there is damage all around us, especially in St. Louis.

I made an Unruly Paper Arts shabby chic brown and pink tag (Readers Art Quest #1 for this month's Shabby Chic theme) using an image from the Gecko Galz Stitch in Time collage sheet (June 2013 release).

I'm entering this tag in the following:

The Craft Room Challenge:  Use Your Scraps


brown and pink theme--knew immediately I wanted to use this paper--hunted for it in my stash only to find a small piece big enough for a tag, but no ID.

Live and Love Crafts Challenge #12 Birthstones.  Happy one year anniversary to this challenge blog!

I'm dedicating this tag to my maternal grandmother, Josefa, who moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the turn of the century with her husband and young children. She was a seamstress for Schmitt-Orlow Co. and Cutting Rooms (a men's suit factory).  The birthstone for June is pearls (half pearls from stash which adorn the dress mannequin).

Our Creative Corner:  Recipe Challenge:  at least one element from each list on their chart
List A:  lace: the two ruffled laces most likely purchased at Hobby Lobby.
List B:  metal (scissors from stash) and wood (Kaiser Craft mannequin)
List C:  ink:
ATC size image cropped and printed from Gecko Galz Stitch In Time collage sheet.  Wet distressed and then inked along the edges with antique linen and vintage photo, both Ranger Distress Ink pads.


And I'm sharing with Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound Pink Saturday--I haven't been there for awhile and thought this would be a perfect time to show some pink!


Other Materials:


Pink Buttons from stash


Trims:   The cloth measuring tape and the tiny pink ribbon from my stash.  The brown crochet trim from Really Reasonable Ribbon.   The pink hand dyed ribbon at the top from Red Lead Paperworks.  Pink baker's twine -- no ID.