Spring is My Favorite Season

Over at Art Journal Journey, this month's prompt is My Favorite Season hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth. 

Even though I have seasonal allergies, my favorite season is spring,  After the holiday lights have dimmed, I hate the dull drabness of winter.  My spirits soar with the colorful first blooms of spring.

I used acrylic paints for the grey winter background and a generic stencil at the bottom of the pages.  Digital images were printed and cut from Vera Lane Studio.  The girl and rabbit were handcolored by me using Copics.  The flowers are precolored on a digital collage sheet which I fussy cut and pasted onto my page.  I used a white Signo pen and black Pitt pen around the flowers. I found an appropriate quote on the internet and printed it out.

Entering:

That's Crafty Challenge Blog:  Anything Goes   I'm #138  x


More Mixed Media Challenge:  Anything Goes with optional white  I'm #38--I made the Top 5

We Love to Create Challenge #15  Anything Goes Mixed Media I'm #82  I made the Top 3

Angel Tags

May you always believe in angels.

Here are some angels I made using  Clintine Steele's templates and Dina Wakley stamped images along with washi tape and a few bits and bobs from my stash.  I put my winged angels on Julie Nutting tags.  Two faces are from Jane Davenport napkin art.  One face I hand drew. The last face I left blank, letting the washi tape design create the look.

The idea comes from a Stampington publication: Somerset Studio Sept/Oct  2018: Angels With Attitude by Clintine Steele. 

Entering:

613 Avenue Create   Challenge #216 Anything Goes Optional Twist Washi Tape #141

Take A Word Challenge:  Joyful #12 x
Creative Artiste Anything Goes Mixed Media #45  I'm #35 x
OUTLAWZ site wide #246
OUTLAWZ Festive Friday: Inspirational/Spiritual or Christmas or Anything Goes

Christmas Tag

A digital hybrid gift tag.

Materials:

Imagine That! digital blank label and digital snowflake paper
Craftin Desert Divas: freebie PRE-COLORED Frost-Tea digital image from super sponsor for Blog Hop.

Martha Stewart snowflake punch
DCWV glitter cardstock
pink ribbon from stash
red glitter pen on berries


Entering this tag here: 

Fall-Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. My second entry in the hop coming in at #694

OUTLAWZ site-wide #65
Saturday Paper A La Mode:  snowflakes or tag PAM12012018

Owl Card

Here's a digital composition made into a card for my friend who collects owls.

I used the following digital files:

JessicaLyn Original:  Brentwood owl digital stamp which is a freebie from this super sponsor for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.

Imagine That! digital papers

Hero Arts: steam at top of cup

Verve Stamps:  holiday cup.

I used my photoshop elements software to digitally color Brentwood and the coffee cup.  
After printing the composition onto cardstock, I scored and cut the paper to make a card.
Then I added some glitter to the holly berries.

ENTERING THIS CARD HERE:

Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop:  my first entry coming in at #604

Cupcake Inspirations CIC459 That center cupcake with the stripes is like Brentwood's striped jersey which I digitally colored. I'm #98 x


OUTLAWZ sitewide #50
Monday Greetings Challenge Theme: Christmas Colors GCC120318 
Twisted Thursday Challenge:  Anything Goes TT112918
Festive Fridays:  Christmas FF113018

My Renaissance Girlfriend and On-Line Published

Here is a journal page featuring my Renaissance Girlfriend that I made for a Wanderlust 2018 lesson hosted by Eliza. Background is a Gelli Plate pull using gold with a stencil. The two brads indicate her legs move.  

I went with a cup to represent my daily coffee and tea rituals, and leggings with tennis shoes which are my daily wear now that I'm retired.  I fussy cut the design of the pillow from a magazine ad for her skirt.  It reminds me of the Polish paper cut work from my heritage.

Sharing this with Art Journal Journey where hostess Yvonne has chosen  The World of Fantasy as the theme for September.  

AND A BIT OF NEWS

Gecko Galz just debuted their quarterly on-line inspiration magazine.  They asked if they could include my work in the GECKO GALZ Fall Inspirations issue----of course I said yes!  They chose my Day of the Dead card I made when I was on their design team.  It's in the Halloween Tricks and Treats section.  

Because it comes as an email, I can't give you a link.  But I copied for you some information:

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PUBLICATION

If you enjoyed our publication and would like to receive the next issue email us at GeckoGalzIspirations@gmail.com to get placed on the list and in the subject line put "Subscribe" See you in December!

Encouragement Tag

I started with a digital composition, printed it out and made it into a tag.
Gecko Galz Lemonade digital Paper Pack and Woman's Work digital collage sheet.
PSE2018 photo mat and black labels --added words in white
Ribbon from stash

Entering:

Gecko Galz Papercrafting FaceBook: September: Make a Tag

OUTLAWZ site wide #28
Festive Friday August 31:  Anything Goes 

The Paper Players PP408 Lunch Box Love Notes Words of Encouragement #3 x

Lavender Journal Page

I'm taking a few classes in medicinal herbs.    In addition to my class notes, I decided to add some art journal pages.

The first one is on lavender.

I started with The Graphics Fairy free digital images of a lavender plant and a lavender seed packet (the packet was distressed with Ranger ink and propped up with foam tape).

I tea dyed a teabag, then cut a piece for the top left corner and added some washi tape.  Looking incomplete, I randomly stamped with small acrylic stamps from STAMPlorations and 7 Gypsies. 

To the bottom right seed packet, I wrapped around it a tea bag string and label.  I placed behind it a torn dictionary page.  In front of it, I added some dried lavender buds from the class and a stamped bird from Darkroom Door Rubber Stamps Love Birds set.

Entering this journal page here:

Frilly and Funkie Challenge Back to Nature til Aug 28 #2 x
Let's Craft and Create #140 Anything Goes and Lots of Layers (I did do the twist)  #59 x
613 Avenue Create Challenge: #212 Anything Goes (didn't do optional twist) #93x
Rubber Dance Blog August theme Nature #14 (feeling guilty I didn't use one of their stamps because I own several) #14

Beach BINGO digital composition

Today I'm a happy camper.  When I upgraded to Windows 10, my PhotoShopElements 7 no longer was compatible. I was without my program for over 7 months.  I finally bought PSE 2018 and, after many hours of tech support, I am back in the business of creating digital compositions!

I played with cropping, layering, color, erasing, and shadowing.

Composition is 5x7 for my journal page and a card topper.

Digital files:

Gecko Galz BINGO card, female figure from Splish Splash college sheet, cropped crab from Seaside Memories collage sheet, brown strip from La Isla Bonita paper pack

PSE2018: letters to spell BEACH, beach ball, background paper

ENTERING THIS TOTALLY DIGITAL COMPOSITION HERE:

Gecko Galz August Customer Challenge (until Aug 30) Beach Blanket Bingo #4
Designers' Choice Winner!!!!

OUTLAWZ site-wide #150 WINNER!!!
Twisted Thursday challenge:  Anything Goes (did not do twist)  TT080918
Festive Friday: Summer  FF081018
Saturday Paper A La Mode: Summer PAM08112018

Back to Basics and Beyond: #9 Use a Digital Image #54 x

Creativ Fusion Arts and Crafts (fairly new site) Challenge 3 Four Seasons x

Country View Challenges:  Sun, Sea and Sand #43 x

First Face

I mentioned in my last post that I've been doing some mixed media play.  Here is a recent two page journal.

I took an on-line lesson from Tamara Laporte (Willowing) in order to learn how to make a face.  I followed her instructions very carefully, and this is the end result.  It's my very first attempt at drawing a face!  

Although the face techinique and overall composition is Tamara's, I got to choose my own theme, stamps, and colors.

In addition to the new technique of face drawing, I also learned how to incorporate (blend in) printed computer words.  The lesson was done in water color crayons.  These also were new to me and I discovered that my crayons were less than "art" quality--blending with water was a real issue.

I'm sharing this here:

Art Journal Journey: Art for Art's Sake

BIRTHDAY CARD

Has it really been that long since I blogged?  Lots of exciting family events kept me from entering challenges.  But I've kept busy with the grandkids' scrapbooks and some mixed media fun.  

Here's a birthday card I made for the musician in our family.  My design was inspired by the Rubber Dance Stamps color challenge.

Materials: It felt good to use some oldies from the stash--seemed retro to use core'dinations and stickers. I used to take piano lessons sixty years ago--so this card felt very retro to me--maybe some would say even vintage.

White greeting card
Coredinations black/white cardstock
Darice music embossing folder
Tim Holtz sanding block
scraps of green cardstock for mats
Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC Bits and Pieces: "Happy" rubber stamp
Colorbok mini slim black alpha stickers (35th)
STAMPlorations CUTplorations "Birthday" metal die

Entering:

Dies R Us Challenge #101 Birthdays #45  til July 27 x

Happy Little Stampers July Anything Goes with Dies #72 til July 30 x

OUTLAWZ Festive Friday July 20: Birthday  FF072018  Sitewide #217

Pile It On:  Vintage/Retro #39 til Aug 4; winner announced August 12 x

Rubber Dance Stamps July Challenge black and white plus green #15 til July 31x


STAMPLORATIONS next 3 challenges as listed:

CUTplorations Summer Challenge  #21  WINNER!!!!!


CAS Card summer challenge #30


Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge #2366  winner every 50 entries

Valentines for Art Friends

I'm happy to be part of a group of five art friends who enjoy getting together to make mixed media art projects, to take road trips to artsy places, and to seek out yummy lunch places.   I made these Valentines for the other four.

I stamped onto deli paper, used liquid watercolor on dress, fussy cut image, glued onto chalkboard heart.  Then I wrote with chalk marker and white pen.
This was followed by layering more hearts underneath.

Materials:
Made for Retail Chalkboard Hearts
Marvy white Bistro Chalk Marker
Uni-ball Signo white pen
Lost Coast Designs rubber stamp
white deli paper
Archival Jet Black ink
Artist's Loft red Liquid Watercolor
Scotch Craft Stick
Red heart shaped doilies
White heart shaped cardstock for base

Entering:

All Sorts Challenge #454 Love is in the Air #135 x

Crazy4Challenges #421 Make a Valentine #29 no winners

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #87  #29 x


Try It on Tuesdays:  Love is in the Air #74 x

The Crazy Challenge:  #268 Girl Power #9 x

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge:  February- Photo Inspiration #27X


We Love 2 Create:  Challenge 5:  Anything Creative/ Mixed Media Goes #34 x

OUTLAWZ site-wide #104 SITE WIDE WINNER
Sunday Clean and Simple Week of February 11Create a Valentine CAS02112018

Valentine

Here's a Valentine I made today.  

The cherub is from Heather A. Hudson on Etsy.  Washi tape and other bits from my collection of old papers complete the card.

The inside has a scored and taped edge to create a shadow box.  Prior to taping, a heart shaped cut-out is framed, and an insert is placed on the back card panel.

Entering this card: 

All Sorts Challenge #454 Love is in the Air #34 x

Crazy4Challenges #421 Make a Valentine #10

Cut It Up:  Layers of Love #35 x

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #87  #15 x


OUTLAWZ  site-wide #89
Twisted Thursday:  Feb 8-14:  Anything Goes with Twist Tickled Pink

My Creative Path

I loved the idea of Cat Kerr's Be Authentic journal page on the Stampington blog (free How-To Project HERE).  

Although I own the mini triangle gelli plate, looking at Cat's composition immediately brought to mind Kasia Avery's set of color wheel stamps from Paper Artsy: Eclectica Everything Art EEO3.  

I used these stamps to create a path that indicates my creative journey--it is circular and never-ending, blending together.  This journal page is for our first Wanderlust 2018 class.  

Jamie Avery encouraged us to use watercolors and ink pens.  I used Stampin' Up watercolor pencils and a water brush to pull the colors toward the middle, choosing to create with all the colors of the rainbow to represent the color wheel.  I accented with a black Pitt pen. 

Because this is an art page, I chose to use my cyberspace bonnet photo and 2amscrapper blog name.

For this class, I'm using an old book.  I took it apart, added some art papers, and then spiraled it back together.  I'm discovering the book pages are fragile so I hope the book holds up while I used it the entire year.

Sharing this here:

Art Journal Journey: January  New Year, New Adventures

Entering this here:

Country View Challenge:  January Anything Goes #114 x