Multitasking creating...

Hello friends,

If you know me at all then you know that I do everything with multiple layers and multiple meanings. This is due in part to my overly complex nature and my need to resolve things. I tend to have a lot of irons in the fire which makes completing projects challenging. So to resolve this issue and still accomplish everything I want I combine projects. I feel this not only allows me to do more but also gives my art depth and meaning hopefully touching more people. 

If you have been following my blog then you already know that I am taking the Your Living Canvas workshop with Christy Tomlinson and Art McCracken and you have probably noticed that I participate in blog challenges when I can. This post gives you a peek into how my mind works and how I have successfully combined projects.

Lately, I have been fusing my Your Living Canvas journal art with Color Throwdown colors and getting two bangs for my buck. For me journal pages are challenging because I am not a journaler. Coming up with new themes, ideas, and color palettes can be overwhelming and stop me dead in my tracks. Using Color Throwdown's color palettes give me a great boost of inspiration and oftentimes a direction.

Here are the Color Throwdown challenges followed by my journal pages.

Words of Wisdom:
For me all the world is connected and intertwined, everything affecting and being effected by everything else so it is a natural course of progression to showcase that in my art in both large and small ways. If you are feeling like you have taken on too much find some creative ways to combine your tasks and projects. You will feel accomplished and your life and work will have deeper meaning.

Color Throwdown #181 - Part 2

Okay, so I was looking at my perfectly lovely card and I thought to myself, "this could use a little more umpf!" So I decided to use some of my fabulous new Shabby Chic Pink embossing powder from Archiver's Vintage Collection. I put it on the medallion in the center-top to add a little more bling and pizazz. Since it was a minor adjustment that would hardly show up in a photo I decided to leave my post as is and went to bed fairly happy with the results.

Apparently, I wasn't as happy as I thought I was because I woke with the need to add more! "Ah ha! It needs little roses at the ribbon area," I thought to myself. "That is sure to do the trick!"

So here it is finished (crossing my fingers).

Have a great Thursday!
Marnie

Color Throwdown #181

Love these colors from the folks at Color Throwdown.

I chose to do a birthday card for my mother whose birthday is next week. She loves shabby chic and all things pretty.

I used paper from Basic Grey's Sweet Threads pack and Lost & Found's Rosy pack, satin and grosgrain ribbon, rhinestone and pearl cabochons, a brass tag stamped with "joy," clear embossing powder, and Cricut cartridge Damask Decor.

Color Throwdown Card

It's Color Throwdown time again! Originally I wasn't very inspired by this week's colors, but once I started digging into my paper stash I really liked the combination. Next, I needed to decide what to do with them.

I have always been one to choose cards very carefully, selecting ones with just the right sentiment. My son is turning 20 in a month so I decided I would make him a non-traditional birthday card. He is a "man" now so flowery, or showy, or wordy cards are not appropriate.

He has had a difficult past few years making a series of bad choices and sort of floundering when it comes to life goals. Last year he joined the National Guard which did wonders for him, but he is still struggling with what to do with his life when he is not on duty. So rather than the typical Happy Birthday card I decided the sentiment "write your own story" was not only appropriate for him, but also a good life lesson for any parent to pass on to their child.

Happy Thursday,
Marnie

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.

Color Throwdown Goodness

I managed to squeeze one more art project in today and it is for the Color ThrowDown. I just couldn't resist the color palatte...it is fab!

Here is my entry....

Materials Used:

DCWV blank white card

Smooch Accent Sprays: Spun Sugar, River Moss, and Gold Glow

Distress Pad: Vintage Photo

Color Box Chalk Pad: Yellow Ochre, Chestnut

Red Lead Rubber Stamp: Foliage Statement Stamp 

ArtChix Image Sheet

Map

Vintage postcard

Ten Two Studios tag

Ribbon

Color Throwdown here I come...

I haven't participated in the Color Throwdown for a long time and I have missed it.

Not familiar with this little gem?  Well, each week the lovely ladies over there challenge us to a new set of colors and you create a card using those colors. Neat right?

I use these little challenges to create cards for future use or an upcoming event. For instance this particular card will be sent to the host of one of the other challenges I am doing that is coincidentally using the exact same colors! Lucky me!

Color Throwdown #103

This week's Color Throwdown challenge is to use the colors Certainly Celery (pale green), Red Riding Hood (red), and River Rock (tan). When I first saw the colors I immediately thought about Christmas. However, it is a little to early in the year for me to start making Holiday cards so I opted for gift tags. Three to be exact.

As you can see my style leans more towards the sophisticated then the traditional holiday style. I am really pleased how they came out and think the receivers (whoever they end up being) could use them as ornaments next year.

Ornament Gift Tag

Supplies: 

Standard Shipping tag

Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge

Tim Holtz's ATC Tiny Textures - Mini Dots stamp

Tapestry Background Stamp

Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, and Barn Door DI

Clear and Antique Gold embossing powder

Queen's Jewels in Topaz

Vintage ribbon (rec'd with Red Lead orders)

Topiary Gift Tag

Supplies:

Tea stained shipping tag

Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge

 Tim Holtz's ATC Tiny Textures - Mini Swirls stamp

Foliage Statement Stamp

Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, and Barn Door DI

Clear embossing powder

1/8" wired gold ribbon

Vintage ribbon (rec'd with Red Lead orders)

 Stocking Gift Tag

Supplies:

Tea stained shipping tag

Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge

 Tim Holtz's ATC Tiny Textures - Mini Stripes stamp

Ledger Statement Stamp

Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, and Barn Door DI

Clear and Peeled Paint Distressed embossing powder

Mini gold Star charms and gold jump rings

1/8" wired gold ribbon

Vintage ribbon (rec'd with Red Lead orders)