Mixed Media Monday

This weeks challenge on Mixed Media Monday is to Embellish your art work. Well.....that is easy. That is my favorite part!   Here is my piece.

This is prepared on a 5X7 canvas. I chose around 5 handmade papers to glue on - purposely having them go off the canvas. Then I glued the definition of Peace from an old dictionary. I added the bamboo sticks tied in twine and the gold threads under the sea glass. I tea stained a tag and stamped two stamps on it - you cannot see the tumbled glass french script under the statue. The script is from Paperbag Studios and the statue is from Oxford Impressions. I outlined it in gold and added the button and the other 2 buttons. Glued a small piece from a sheet of music. 

Gingersnap Creations Challenge

They have a current challenge at Gingersnap Creations blog to use paint in your art.  I have recently started using more paint in my collages. Here are 2 pieces that I put on 6X6 canvases.

I painted the canvases with Titan Buff. Then I used gel medium to glue down a wonderful white Unryu paper with gold threads. For both of them, I used a piece of my painted deli papers that were stamped with flourishes and had pieces of paper already glued to them. Then I embellished them with stamped images of birds. The stamps are from Paperbag Studios and Invoke Arts. I glued the top one directly on the canvas. The bottom one I glued to a piece of bazzili paper and outlined in bronze leaf pen. I added buttons and lace.
They are pretty wall hangings. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Christmas in July!

This weeks Tag Challenge over at Louise's Blog is to use Christmas colors in your tag! It was a bit hard for me to get into red and green and gold, or even blue and white, but once I got going, it was OK.
Here is my entry:

The beautiful ballet dancer is from Lost Coast Designs. The background is corrugated cardboard painted with gesso, stamped with red ink and then I drizzled red and gold paint on it. I outlined the whole tag in kryon gold pen. The ribbons are green and gold with white polka dots. I put 3 rhinestones on the left and added the punch hearts and fleur de ly, and the heart button.

Thursday Challenge

Here is my entry for the Thursday Challenge - Vintage Tags!

I glued a page from an old book to a tag and sponged white gesso to it. I inked some scrolls on the tag with bundled sage - hard to see. I glued a piece from an old music sheet and then stamped the pne of the new Gibson Girl stamps from Lost Coast Designs. I inked in some vintage sepia and straw in her hair. I glued a piece of lace to the bottom of the tag. I used the same lace to place under the tag and then glued. I added the vintage button on top and stamped the flowers and heart. I used a dab of bronze paint in the middel of the flowers and on the top of the heart. I glued 2 buttons to the bottom of the card.

Paperbag Studios Challenge

Paperbag Studios' July Challenge is about Flowers. Use one of their flower stamps, or one of their other stamps and some kind of flower on a card.

Here is my entry:

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Faces!

Louise's Tag Challenge this week is to include at least one face on your tag. I recently purchased a series of different size faces from Invoke Arts and was excited to use them.
I used vintage glass ink as the base of the tag. I stamped some bubble wrap in brown and added a script stamp from Paperbag Studios in purple and black. The terrific raven border is from Lost Coast Designs. I stamped 2 small Invoke Art face stamps in purple and then a big face on a separate piece of paper which I outlined in bronze metallic pen. I glued Holtz's film strip to the tag,  taped the feather and glued the face on top. I added 3 light blue rhinestones for bling. The whole tag is outlined in bronze also.

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Hearts!

This weeks Tag Challenge at Louise's Blog is to use at least one heart on your tag.  I decided to use the flaming heart stamp from Lost Coast Designs. I stamped it in pink and then cut it out. I added a little bit of blue ink to the heart, added some pinks, blue and gold fabric paint to give it dimension. Then I punched another heart using a page from a spanish book and spritzed gold glimmer mist on it and outlined it in kryon gold.  On the tag, I used 2 colors of distress ink and spritzed the same gold glimmer mist. I used the distressing tool on the perimeter of the tag to give it a shabby look. The heart border stamp is from LC Designs and the french script is Paperbag Studios.  Then I added 2 ribbons and 3 faux rhinestones.

New Cards!

I made these cards using the multi handmade paper background - torn into different shapes and glued on.
I then stamped an image on with black ink. Sometimes I do a little coloring. Then I add embellishments of buttons, lace, paint etc.

Silhouette Series

I bought these great stamps from Starving Art Stamps at the W. Springfield convention this June. She said that was the last set available, their rights ran out on them and that was all they had left. So of course, that made them even more special. I thought they would be great background and accent stamps - subdued or bold. Anyway.....I made one card and really liked it....the rest is history.  The backgrounds are all handpainted by me and I have added vintage linens, lace, buttons, some old, snaps etc. One stamp I stamped on a piece of clothing pattern paper(#8) - that was fun.  Here they are: I would love feedback on them - let me know your favorites # 1-9.

Theme Thursday Challenge - Collage!

I have not participated in a Theme Thursday for a while. But how could I resist the theme of collage?? I just created this card a week ago and had not posted it yet. I used 4 different handmade papers - the green is a piece of bleeding tissue paper I created awhile ago - I just loved the colors! The flower is from Stampington & Company - not sure about the swirl. They are both stamped in black. The flower is colored with distress inks, using a Q-tip. I used bronze fabric paint to dab on the swirls and added buttons. I outlined the inside card with bronze leaf pen. Hope you enjoy, I plan to make more of this style card.

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Postage!

Louise's Tag Challenge for this week is to use a stamp on your tag. I have a large assortment of older cancelled stamps from my Dad's collection, when he was a kid. I decided to use this one from Italy - mainly, because I wanted to use the new stamps I got from Lost Coast Design. They are the ancient Roman women's faces - maybe from Pompeii. I used 3 different faces on this tag. I used a green paper background, stamped the burlap stamp from Oxford Impressions in brown and stamped script from Paperbag Studios in black on the lower left hand corner. I used a piece of handmade paper behind the middle stamp, and stamped the garland border in black, also from LC Designs. Stamped the main face on parchment type paper in purple and bordered with gold leaf. In the upper right hand corner, I ripped a floral piece of vellum, glued it to the corner and attached the leaves and brad.  I bordered the whole tag in gold leaf pen also. The background is greener than the scanned picture of it!

Tag Tuesday Challenge - My Signatures

This week Louise's Tag Challenge is to create a tag using some of your own signature elements. I thought that was very clever, and, very fun. It was great to have such carte blanche on my tag!  Here is my creation:

Some of my favorite things to do or use are:
1. collage
2. lace/fabric
3. buttons
4. layering
5. faces
6. birds
7. pages from books - especially old ones!
8. beads.
9. gesso
10. flowers
11. texture
12. tags

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Music!

This week at Louise's Tag Challenge is to use music in your tag. I use music scores, notes etc alot in my collaging cards, so this was fun for me.  I glued 4 different papers in each corner of the tag and then stamped the bike stamp(Inkadinkadoo) in black ink. I colored it a little, but wanted to leave it mostly black. I glued the music sheet in the upper left hand corner, glued the flower and leaf and then stapled the ribbons and added a button and a bead. Click on image to enlarge!

Tag Tuesday Challenge

OK......this week's challenge was really a challenge for me. I had fun with the tag, but wimped out a bit on the hand drawn part!!  I wrote the two "moo's" and I drew in the white feathers on the rooster.Just as Louise said, I do not like my handwriting and must have written MOO a million times. Enough already.  What can I say??  I used my two new stamp sets from Oxford Impressions - Farm Boy and Country Girl. The center of the flower is a lady bug, a bit hard to see.

Tag Tuesday Challenge - 52nd Birthday

Louise's Challenge this week over at her blog, is to use the numbers 52 in your tag to commemerate the year celebration of the Challenge. This is truly my favorite Challenge and I appreciate all the hard work she puts into it. Thank you Louise!  Here is my Tag. The stamp is from Lost Coast Designs.

May Artistic Outpost Submission!

Just made this card with an Artistic Outpost stamp from the Home sheet. I love those stamps! I stamped the truck and the saying on a page from an old dictionary and glued it to one of my handpainted backgrounds.  I added a piece of ribbon on the right side of the card and looped a clear plastic ring through it and put one of those brass button-thingies in the middle. I added some black beads and mounted in on a background of fiber/grass paper.

Theme Thursday Challenge - Butterflies

I have not participated in a Thursday Challenge in a while. I love butterflies, so I thought it was a good one to get back into it.  I used my handpainted background and then stamped on muslin, colored and sewed it on.  I stamped Dream on mulberry paper and glued it on the card. I found these interesting brass type buttons that were in among my mothers assorted stash. I love them and decided to use it for the center of the flower.
The Dream stamp is from Acey Duecy, the Butterfly stamp is Paperbag Studios and the flower is Prima.

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Ticket!

Louise's  Tag Challenge this week was to use a ticket on the tag. I have a bunch of tickets left over from the Sundance Film Festival that I have saved. So I decided to use a piece of a Sundance  ticket and a great stamp from Magenta. The background is one of my hand painted deli papers and a few flowers. The top of the tag is metallic, so it was tricky to scan. I played with the colors a bit, but it still looks washed out. Oh well.  Enjoy!

Tag Tuesday Challenge - Glitter!

This week's challenge over at Louise's blog is to use some glitter in your tag. I just bought the Oxford Impressions Farm Boy and Country Girl stamp sets and really wanted to use them.  I adore the rooster and decided to use him as the focal point. I stamped him on muslin, colored with pencils and sewed him on with the burlap. The chicks I stamped, colored, cut out and glued on. The chicken wire background on my tag is from Lost Coast Designs. I used that one, instead of the OI stamp, because it was alot bigger and I had a big stamp this week. I added glitter to the chicks and rooster. Unfortunately, I have not been able to scan cards/tags when I stamp on muslin, it just doesn't come out clear for me. So I have to take a picture, which is not as crisp :(   Enjoy! Thanks for your comments.

Oxford Impressions Stamps

I just got the Farm Boy and Country Girl series of stamps from Oxford Impressions. They are a great set and look like they are going to be a lot of fun to play with. I made this card today for my brother-in-laws birthday. The boys are stamped on muslin, colored in with pencils and sewn on to the card along with the burlap piece. The background is one of my hand painted pieces. Enjoy!

New Cards

Here are 5 more cards made with a handpainted background. Most of the stamps are stamped on a type of mulberry paper and then glued to the background. 

Alice in Wonderland Cards

I just created these Alice cards from the new Alice in Wonderland series from Lost Coast Designs.  They were a lot of fun to make and really got my creative juices flowing!

Stamping on Muslin

I had seen a card of Lynn Stevens that I loved where she had used a transfer of a stamp with gel medium on muslin. I loved the look and have been using more fabrics and sewing in my cards. So I bought some muslin and just stamped this face on it. I colored it in slightly - lips and eyes and sewed it to my card. The background is, of course, the ND Handpainted Paper that has pieces of the telephone book in the background. I just LOVE the gesso on these backgrounds. I glued on some prima flowers, beads and a red heart. I wanted to tie in the subtle red that is in the background paper. The first background is different than the latter two cards.