Away too long...

...for me anyway! Between dance conventions for my daughter, trips across country, and school work I have barely had a chance to breathe much less create! I still haven't adjusted back to my time zone but I have finally gotten things under control and managed to get a little fun art play in today.

Here's what I made...

Color Throwdown #177 features the yummy colors shown above. I decided to use the CTD colors in conjunction with this week's Studio L3 - Grungy Monday Week 34 Challenge using Tim Holtz's crackle techniques. The result is this Valentine's Day card (shown below) I made for my daughter.

 Card Front (left)    Card Inside (right)

This month, on the ArtChix group, the Fat Book swap colors are Red, Pink, and White. I approached the challenge a little differently this month. All the wonderful online classes and projects I have been doing have encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone. I played with layers, stamping, masking, collage, micro slides, ribbon, papers (my fave), distress inks, and even a crocheted doily.



 

"Be My Valentine" entry for the bi-monthly lotto on ArtChix Yahoo group

This is probably all I will post tonight, but I will be back at it tomorrow.

Three Muses: Odd Bird Challenge

This week Indybev over at Three Muses gave us a marvelous challenge called "Odd Bird"! Don't you love it?

If you have been following me and my art for any length of time you might have noticed that I have a quirky sense of humor and the deep need to build layers of meaning into everything I create. Well, this challenge was not exception. Take a look.....

"be IRREPLACEABLE"

Supplies:

Chipboard tag (natural color)

Ledger Statement Stamp

Flocked number 3 (hint: this is one of the layers)

Black Soot Distress Crackle Paint

ArtChix Birdy Paper Dolls Image Sheet

Black square punchinella

Raven wing and 3 tail feathers (found on etsy)

2 clock hands

4 brads

7 Gypsies tape

"be IRREPLACEABLE" transparent sticker

Three Muses: Mail Art

This week Three Muses has chosen the theme Mail Art. I am very new to this form of art as I have only done two altered envies before this attempt. I am in awe of the artwork already posted in the comments section. 

Lack of experience was not going to hold me back though. Like most things I do these days, I threw caution to the wind and jumped in with both feet. I had a used manila envelope that had been written on with pen all across the front so the first thing I wanted to do was to cover that in some way. 

I first swiped it with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink Pad and then with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Pad. This gave the orangy envelope a nice green forest look so that set the tone for what I would do next. I found two ArtChix Images from the Gypsy Heart Collage Sheet I wanted to use. As I cut them out and laid them on the envelope I was instantly reminded of Little Red Riding Hood and so it grew from there. I found some great trees online and of course a wolf head that I printed and cut out, I used a piece the fairy tale map found on the inside cover of Jack Kent's Book of Nursery Tales, some colored pencils, a little more Distress Ink in greens and brown textured embossing powder. 

I did not specifically add places to write in To and From addresses but I did place the images so that there is a space to put them later.