Latest ATCs

I belong to two yahoo groups that focus exclusively on fine art ATCs: Fine Art ATCs One to One and Fine Arts ATC. I enjoy these groups because they allow me to exercise my fine art skills. The fact that they are ATC size is a bonus too because I feel less pressure creating on a smaller scale. I have always liked little versus big, don't know why really. Maybe it harkens back to creating miniatures and dollhouses when I was younger.

Anyway, I haven't really had the chance to do much in the way of fine arts in the last couple of months and I was feeling a little guilty about abandoning my groups. So yesterday I sat down a did 5.

 These first two (Funky Flower and Funky Flutterby) were about playing....with color and with my water color crayons. I wanted to do something joyful and fun and not take myself too seriously. How did I do?

"Solo Flight", also done with my water color crayons was a test in subtlety. A vast contrast to the two previous pieces.

"Black Turtle" I did for a the turtle/tortoise challenge on Fine Arts ATC. I drew this one with dye ink markers. I think it turned out pretty well....if I do say so myself.

This last one is supposed to be a white tiger. I usually say, "I can't do animals" but earlier this month I drew a panda that turned out really nice so I thought I would give it another try. It's not great but its not awful either. I made the eyes too close together which throws the proportions off. I may try again though....we'll see.

4x4 Zentangle Swap

I started playing with zens after joining Fine Art ATCs One to One group earlier this year. This group has some very talented zen artists which felt a bit intimidating at first. I am one of those artists who is a dichotomy.....very A type personality but very artistic and free at the same time. Crazy right? You should try living in here with me! 

Anyway, the whole point of zens is to FREELY doodle. Sounds great but my structured mind took issue to this and I found myself fretting over where to do things and was it even, and was the pattern balanced! I know, I know, I was missing the point!

My first attempts were more planned and structured pictures then straight doodles but I did enjoy myself and learned a lot about this art form and myself in the process. In the beginning I did many, some good, some not, and then I put it down for a while. 

This month my Art For The Creative Mind group hosted a 4x4 zentangle swap and I happily jumped back in. This time I didn't worry I just drew and I really enjoyed the letting go and doodling process. Here is my effort.

I highly recommend trying zens to anyone whether you can draw or not! Because planned or not a story will emerge and every story is worth listening to!

Asian Index Card Book Swap

I just finished my Asian Index Card Book for Art For The Creative Mind and I must say I am quite pleased with the results. This another first for me...index cards and an Asian themed book. This group really lets me expand my horizons with new ventures and mediums which I am really enjoying. 

Supplies List:

Index Cards with tabs (I actually had some laying around that came in a metal box I had purchased)

A variety of Cricut shapes (using the Pagoda cartridge and Martha Stewart's Elegant Paper Pad)

Asian postcards (from a blogger freebie site)

Asian clip art (various ephemera packs from Sky Blue Pink)

Asian themed printed napkins (SkyBluePink)

Asian money envelopes (Sky Blue Pink)

Hell Note (Sky Blue Pink)

Asian themed card stock (The Dollar Tree & Oriental Trading)

Lotus Flower ribbon (Michael's)

I-Ching coin (Sky Blue Pink)

Red rice Paper

Asian Tag Kit (Go Make Something freebies)

Distress ink pads - Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Barn Door, Victorian Velvet

Pigment Ink Pad- Gold

Beads - square & Bamboo printed round (Sky Blue Pink)

Cotton cording - red

Smooch Accent Inks

Modge Podge

Double-sided tape

Heavy gel medium

Stick on letters

Front

Back

I

Inside Cover & Page 1

I

Inside Cover, Page 2, and back of Page 1

 Back of Page 2, Page 3, and back of Page 1

 Back of Page 2, Page 3, and back of Page 1 (with inserts pulled out)

 Back of Page 2, Inside of Back, and back of Page 3

Thanks for looking! Please feel free to leave a comment!

Steam Punk Mint Tin Necklace Swap

...wow that is a mouthful! This is another great swap hosted by TG at Art For The Creative Mind. The challenge was to create a necklace in the theme of Steam Punk using a mini Altoids tin.

Supplies:

Mini Altoid Tin

Length of base metal chain (I purchased mine at Michaels)

Various sized gears (Sky Blue Pink)

ArtChix Image sheets - Dapper Fellows, Mystical

Tim Holtz's Idea-ology Collection Paper Pack - Retro Grunge

Tim Holtz Film Strip

Large resistor

Watch parts 

Misc. brads, metal tube bead, key, coin charm, typewriter key (Oriental Trading)

Large Metal cabochon frame (Dime Store Emporium)

Misc. salvaged vintage jewelry pieces 

8 jump rings

Decorative head pin

Eye pin

2 amber colored crystal beads

Copper toggle clasp

Crackle medium

E6000

ArtChix Art Flag Swap

ArtChix Studio is hosting an Art Flag Swap in July. The challenge is to create 7 3"x4" pennant type flags using some great new image sheet by ArtChix. This was a fun project that allowed me to be creative but exerted very little physical energy as I am still recuperating from a 5 week virus. Here are my entries..enjoy!

Tag of the Month Challenge - "Beauty in Nature"

For June our Art for the Creative Mind Tag challenge was to create two tags in the theme of "Beauty in Nature". I decided to go two completely different directions with this one (so much fun to do when you have two of them). The first one is a chip board tag I cut into the shape of a leaf and then inked, stamped, collaged, painted, sprayed, and embellished with a dragonfly brad and ribbons.

The second one, a complete opposite to the first, began as a quilted and beaded ATC. I first sprayed a standard chip board tag with Smooch Accent inks, layered on a sage green grosgrain ribbon and then added the quilted ATC on top. I edged the ATC with Vintage Photo Distressed Stickles. To create the Nature sign is free-handed an area with swirly roots, glued a pre-printed chip board sign and embellished with rhinestones. I finished it off with a wood bead and wired brown grosgrain ribbon.

"For the Birds" Card of the Month Challenge

Art for the Creative Mind's June Card of the Month Challenge was "For the Birds".

Supplies:

DCWV green card stock card

Tim Holtz ATC stamp - Creative Collages: Blackbird

ArtChix Image sheets - Feather Your Nest, E is for Egg

Scrap paper - parchment, brown linen texture, pale green with metallic flecks

Ribbons - sage green with brown edging, 1/8" brown

Copper tone brads

Colored pencils

Smooch Accent Ink - gold lame

Stick-on rhinestones - green

Stickles - Tiara

Black micron pen

Double-sided tape

June ArtChix Lotto Entries

Here are my two June Lotto entries for my ArtChix-Sister-Site group.

Babies due June 15th - Fairy Baby

Beach Babes due June 30th - She Fights Fire with Water

Handsome Men Challenge - Soot/Smoke Technique

June's ATC challenge on Art For The Creative Mind is Handsome Men - Soot/Smoke Technique. This is a new one for me, in fact, I never heard of this technique until I joined the group. I don't remember exactly which lovely lady posted about it but I was intrigued.

Not really knowing what I was doing or where I was going with it, I decided to create my cards first. Afterall, that I can do. So I rubbed distressed ink onto watercolor paper to create an aged but solid background and then began adding my elements. I used clear sticker borders, ArtChix ephemera, a rub on and a clock embellishment from SkyBluPink, brads, and ribbon.

Now at this point I am really pleased with my pieces but I know I have to dirty them up with soot and/or smoke so down to the kitchen I go. I lit a candle and holding a spoon over the flame (I read that somewhere) created some smoke. Well, that didn't really turn out the way I thought it would! There was really no visible smoke on my pieces and my spoon was charred black! 

Hmmm, what to do, what to do? This will not defeat me.....I got it! 

I took that smarty pants black spoon and rubbed it on my pieces, transferring the soot to the paper. Wallah!

Now I am not sure this was the intention or what they are supposed to look like (shh, TG, I hear you saying "there is no supposed to") but this is what I came up with. In the end I like my Handsome Men!

Some new ATCs

Unfortunately, with this terrible cold I haven't been able to do much. However, last week I did drag some art supplies into bed and cranked out a few new pieces.

Black Nettle Jelly - water color crayon, water color pencils

 Bird Brain - water color crayons and pen

 Cloud Covered Moon - water color crayons, ink

Magnolia Bloom - dye ink markers, pen

 Panda - pen, colored pencil, chalk pencils

Tag Book Swap on Creative Swaps Blogs

I have just completed my entry for a Tag Book swap hosted by Lenna Young Andrews on Creative Swaps Blog. The theme is colorful words. I used chip board tags, ephemera, embossing powders, Smooch Inks and Sprays, rubber stamps, ink pads, fabric flowers, brads, stencils and eyelets. Whew! I chose to use 3 different tag shapes which also inspired 3 different styles. On the back (which of course, I forgot to take a picture of) are quotes appropriate to the word/s on the front.

This is my second swap with Lenna and I must say I really enjoy the challenge. Plus the work you receive in return is sensational!