July's Canvas Create - Birds on a Banner

Hi there,
I have been taking it easy today, resting from a weekend of intense redecorating of my daughter's bedroom. I decided instead of counting the day a total loss I could at least post my latest Canvas Create project!

This one was probably the most challenging for me thus far. I am not sure if it was the project or my state of mind but in the end I do like the results.

"Birds on a Banner"

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.

Lotto Challenges

This month's ATC lotto challenges on the ArtChix Yahoo group were super inspiring for me. This first one is called "Mystical." If you know me, then you know I love all things mystical and witchy! Here are the results.

 The background is from a CD insert (yes, I owned CD's back before iTunes took over the world); the moon, raven, candle, and girl are all ArtChix Studio images.


The second lotto theme is "Going Green." The challenge was to use recycled items, not necessarily green ones. When I think of going green my mind often thinks of water first. Keeping the oceans and drinking waters clean is such a vital part of saving the planet. 

I used left over book pages from a round robin book exchange, a tissue box image for the seaweed, a CD insert for the waves, a found feather, an ArtChix image, and an eco shape bird embossed with Shabby Blue Vintage Embossing Powder.

I love, love, love this new line of Vintage Embossing powders. I bought mine in a package of five from Archiver's (in store). The other colors are Aged Silver, Shabby Pink, Shabby White, and Aged Gold. Unfortunately I cannot find a brand as they were packaged especially for Archiver's. If you are into vintage you will love them.

Happy Wednesday!
Marnie

Compendium of Curiosities - Challenge 7: Tinted Visions Fragments

Studio L3's challenge with week is Tinted Visions Fragments pg.55. Again, this was truly a challenge for me as I could not seem to make the technique work the first two times I tried it. Then, when I finally decided to actually follow the specific instructions (note: applying the blending solution with the tool is the key) it worked!

Here are my first two attempts which don't look anything like they are supposed to but I like them just as much. They have a kind of modern edge that I find a complimentary contradiction to the images beneath. I think I will make the one on the left a pendant and I haven't decided yet about the one on the right. If you have any great ideas feel free to share them.

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.