THE ALTERED PLAYING CARD CHALLENGE

If you are looking for my Stampotique project for this week, it's right below this one!

My friend and uber talented Stampotique teammate Claudine Criner will be leading an online workshop she is calling THE ALTERED PLAYING CARD CHALLENGE...and it's FREE! Over the next 6 months, starting September 1, Claudine will be sharing techniques, tricks, tips and tutorials on how to alter a simple deck of 52 playing cards into fun pieces of art. She will walk us through the process, doing two cards a week, so there will be no pressure. We will create as we go--together!

NON-ARTSY FOLKS are encouraged to join in, as you will need only the very basics of art supplies. This project will be a fun way to "get your feet wet" if you have a desire to get crafty but don't know where to begin.

Check out Claudine's blog for the details here.

I will be there...will you?

Cheers!

STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS' CHALLENGE 162: UNDER THE SEA

The Stampotique Designers' Challenge is sure to cool the summer heat as we are going "under the sea" to please my talented teammate Arwen McCullen!  Here's the challenge in her own words:

Who doesn't remember Arielle the little mermaid?  :)  I love the sea and the residents there.  Mixed with fantasy and mysticism, it's a perfect theme for a Stampotique Challenge! Let me see how your underwater world looks.   

                                        xx Arwen

I took the easy way out and enlisted the help of some "seaworthy" patterned paper from my stash to create this card.  The large fish on the right and the sentiment are from Stampotique Originals.

The stamps I used are:

Gueneviere (Amy Wellenstein)

One Fish, Two Fish... (Amy Wellenstein)

I hope you will join us in creating something this week.  The submission guidelines are here.  At the end August, two lucky artists will be randomly chosen to receive a $30 gift certificate for anything in the Stampotique "store."  

Thank you for stopping by today, and thanks, too, for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are appreciated! 

Cheers!

STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS' CHALLENGE 161: FLOWERS

My favorite day of the week is here again, so that means the Stampotique Designers' Challenge has been posted and we are free to move about the garden!  Kristen Catalano is our lovely hostess, and she is saying, 

We may be nearing towards the end of summer, and for most, the flowers are fully bloomed, but for me, some of the best flowers are yet to come.  I love the gigantic sunflowers and the autumn mums, and for that reason, I challenge you to use flowers in your creations this week. Have fun !

I have been playing with coasters recently, and decided I was ready to try something just a bit different.  Rather than using alcohol inks, I gessoed my ceramic coaster, added some paint and stamping, then--surprisingly--paper!  Here's my project:

As I didn't want the glare of the varnish to reflect during the scanning process, I will add that later.  I promise to let you know how the paper pieces survive with use!

I used three Stampotique Originals' stamps on the coaster:

Flowers For You (Maryse Carrier)

Flowers are love's truest... (Carol's Collection)

Carol's Flower, small (Janet Klein)

Thank you for coming by again today!  I appreciate both your visits and your comments.  I hope you will spend some time getting crafty this week and create something for this fun challenge.  Directions and rules for submitting your artwork can be found here.  At the end of the month, two artists will be randomly selected to receive $30 gift certificates for products found in the Stampotique "store."

Cheers!

STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS' CHALLENGE 160: GET INSPIRED BY MUSIC!

The Stampotique Designers' Challenge is up, and I can already hear the music!  Kathi Rerek is our host this week, and here's her challenge to you:

I love music and enjoy most genres ranging from liturgical music to rap, from classical to head-bangin' rock!  Music fills my soul and moves me emotionally and physically. 

Let's see how music inspires you!  Use song lyrics, music notations, or words associated with music in your project and share it with us!

Have fun!  I can't wait to see what you all create!

Like Kathi, I like music, too!  All kinds of music.  One of my favorite genres while in my studio, however, is Chinese music. I love the flute, the sound of the wind and chimes, birds chirping, and water rushing.  One of my favorite pieces is called "The Tea Ballad," and it has inspired my piece today.  If you'd like to give a listen while you're reading, click here.

For Kathi's challenge this week, I have chosen to work in my Finnabair Journal (by Prima).  I chose a page with a background showing colors similar to those in a piece of patterned paper I wanted to use.  The paper is from a collection called "The Far East" by DCWV.  First, the finished page...

then, the detail...

The cup image is from Stampotique Originals, and is called "Musical Cup."  I stamped it on a scrap piece of the background paper and adhered it with pop dots so that it wouldn't have to compete with the depth of the cherry blossom branch.

I hope that music moves you, too, and that you will be inspired to create something for this great challenge.  Directions and rules for submission of your artwork can be found here.  At the end of August, two lucky winners will be randomly drawn to receive a $30 gift certificate for anything in the Stampotique "store."  It could be you!

Thanks for coming by today and for taking the time to leave a comment!  Both mean a lot to me!

Cheers!

STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS' CHALLENGE 159: BOWS!

As Stampotique Designers' Challenge design team members, we have a list of upcoming challenges so that we can be ready to post on the day the challenge goes live!  A perk you say?  In most cases, yes.  We can design without the pressure of deadlines.  But, there are those rare occasions, like this one, when I know what's coming and absolutely dread it!  I am not a "bow" person.  If you could look through everything I have ever created, you would not find one bow!  But, first, read what my wonderful teammate and friend Jackie Payne has to say:

   Ribbons have been around since the Middle Ages. Merchants travelled the world, buying and selling ribbon, many of which had gold and silver in the silk. ribbons were a sign of nobility and worn only by the rich. By the  seventh century ribbon was part of the fashion industry and was part of clothing.

   Today ribbon has numerous uses, and it is a favourite crafting accessory, I have lots of it! 

   You can make fabulous bows with it to adorn your cards, scrapbook page,  tags, journals, etc.

   So, I would like to see you adding a bow to your project, if you don't have ribbons, bows can be made out of many mediums such as paper, clay, and string to name but a few!

   I looking forward to seeing your creations with a bow!

So, I have been saving bows.  People who knew of my predicament have been saving bows for me.  I have been practicing tying bows.  But, nothing seemed to inspire me. I have been creating gelli prints for months, but my prints have just been stacking up and I have not been using them.  My goal was to do that for this challenge.  I gathered all my prints and leafed through them for inspiration.  I found one that I liked and the color immediately reminded me of a Stampotique stamp that I had purchased, but not yet used. 

 

"Stacked Cups" is a fun stamp created by designer Roc Nicholas.  I stamped it, trimmed around it and laid it on my gelli print.  I was now on a roll.  What followed was a bit of coloring with my Copics and printing a sentiment on my computer.  An addition of a piece of "scrap metal" from my stash, and done...well, except for that damned bow!!  Keep it simple, I thought.  I combed through my ribbon drawer(s) and found twine.  Simple, basic, very ordinary twine...and I tied a simple, basic, very ordinary bow!

So, while I did not like the challenge, I really do like what I created.  So, thanks, Jackie, for giving me the nudge!

I hope you will join us in creating something this week.  The submission guidelines are here.  At the end August, two lucky artists will be randomly chosen to receive a $30 gift certificate for anything in the Stampotique "store."  

Thank you for stopping by today, and thanks, too, for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are appreciated!

Cheers!