ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art (02-28-16)

The Sunday Postcard Art challenge theme this week is Coca Cola! That brought back a few memories for me--but from decades ago. You see, I was once addicted to Coca Cola. The minimum dose was one can per day. I often exceeded that dose. As I grew older, I grew smarter and traded in that Coke for coffee and then that coffee for decaf!

Credit for the background of my postcard goes to Bojangles043. I added the black stripes, the stamp called Twinkie, and the "addicted" sign created on my computer. 

I hope you will carve out some time this week to play along with this fun challenge. Details can be found here.  

Thanks for visiting and for taking a moment to leave a comment. Both are appreciated!

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Less is More: Texture (2)

Just a quick post to share my second submission to the (Simply) Less is More texture challenge this week.  I have used an embossing folder from the Sizzix Texture Fades series to create the bricks. I adhered that to my white card base, then stamped and added "Bernadette Girl" from Unity Stamps, along with the accompanying text stamp. A few Copic markers and pop dots and done!

There is a new challenge coming tomorrow which you will be able to check out here.  Find time to create.  It's therapeutic!

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Less is More Challenge - Texture

Hi, Everyone, and a special welcome to Karla and Sid who have just joined us! I am pretty excited about a new blog I am following, (Simply) Less is More, because, as a site looking for "clean and simple" art, it is really challenging me.  

I had to dig into my old bag of tricks to settle on a textured background technique, that of using gesso and "kissing." If you not familiar with or have never used this technique, you can find a video here by my friend Sarinda Jones who explains it in detail. This particular technique is No. 3 in her series of examples. The stamps I used, both my focal image and the text stamp, are in the Autumn set and are from Unity Stamp Company.

If you find a bit of time this week, I hope you will join the texture challenge at Less is More. You can find the details here. 

Thanks for stopping by today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  I appreciate both!

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (02-21-16)

I am again privileged to host the Sunday Postcard Art challenge. I decided to shake things up a bit and choose a possibly controversial theme--NUDITY. One can take a variety of paths that lead to this theme--from the innocent to the Victorian to the erotic. For my examples, I have chosen one from each of these areas.

The first begins with a free digital image from a site called freubels-freebies. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, I changed the colored image to black and white and printed it onto 4x6" glossy photo paper on my computer printer. I created the text in Word, then printed it on top of my black and white photo. I used a Sharpie to add just a bit of yellow.

The second postcard is a photo I took recently with my cell phone. It is the wallpaper in the Ladies Room at the Carriage House Restaurant in Rye, New Hampshire.  It couldn't have been more simple.

Recently, my friend Gail Tasker from Norway sent me a beautiful handmade Christmas card which included some "happy mail."  The stamp I have used here (from Artistic Stamper) was among Gail's gifts.  The text used I cut from a book called The Age of Ideas which was given to me by my sister when she downsized her personal library.

I hope you enjoyed my artful creations today and will find some time this week to play along with this postcard challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and for taking a moment to leave a comment.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (02-14-16)

It has been a productive week for me (thank you for your patience and your comments) and this is one of my favorites.  It is my submission to the Sunday Postcard Art challenge--which is "Love Gives You Wings."

To create my postcard, I cut a piece of scrap paper from my DCWV "Mariposa" stack to the required 4 x 6" size.  Next, I used a butterfly stamp from Finnabair's "Don't Forget to Fly" cling mount stamp set, masking off the body of the butterfly. Using my stamp positioner as a guide, I stamped "Mary" from Stampotique directly over the top of the butterfly wings and colored her with Copics. The sentiment is from the same Finnabair set as above.  I edged my postcard with a bit of Faded Jeans.  Lastly, I used Wink of Stella to add the shimmer and shine to the wings.

I hope you can find some time this week to join in on this fun challenge.  Details can be found here.  Thanks for visiting today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are important to me and appreciated!

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Less is More Challenge (2)

The laundry is done and supper is on the stove, so I am still free to move about my studio!  Another card for the (Simply) Less is More challenge today--a fun challenge asking for a one-layer card showing a stem.

This time, I have used three stamps from Stampotique.com, Dandelion Duo, Wildflower Verse, and Streamers.  It seems they are a perfect trio here.  I added a bit of color for my dandelions (how could I not do so?).

So glad you visited today.  Please take a moment to leave a comment so that I will know you were here!  Take some time, too, to do something creative today--like participating in this card challenge.  You will find the details here.  

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Less is More Challenge (1)

Today was one of those days when I spent more time than I should have going from blog to blog to blog, but it was such fun!  Had I not done this I would never have found a great site called (Simply) Less is More!  My work is often described in comments as "clean and simple" (aka, less is more), so I was intrigued.  Their challenge this week is to create a one-layer card which includes a stem.

I have had a stamp for quite some time that deserved some ink so I pulled it from the PaperArtsy plastic and grabbed my Copics. Paired with a PaperArtsy text stamp, I believe I have met the challenge!

Take some time this week to get into your art supplies and create something new--perhaps a "less is more" card for this challenge. You can find the details here.

Thanks for your visit today and for taking a moment to leave a comment. Both are appreciated!

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: 12 TAGS OF 2016 (FEBRUARY)

I finally found time again to create a tag for Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of 2016!  You can find Tim's tag here, along with directions if you would like to create a tag for February.  While the month of February seems to be set aside for sweethearts and it now extends to family and maybe even close friends, I would like to celebrate love of self in my tag today.  Strange you might think, but let this sink in a moment.  When you start by loving yourself--meaning giving yourself love, giving yourself loving attention and lovingly taking care of yourself-- it will follow that you are ready to do the same for others.  I hope you will give yourself a hug today--and every day! 

Here's my tag:

...and some detail shots:

Thanks for coming by today to check out my tag for Tim!  I hope you will take a moment to leave a message.  Follow the link above if you would like to create a tag for February.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: "TAKE IT, MAKE IT" FEBRUARY CHALLENGE (3)

The February theme for the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge is TEXT ME! One can submit up to three pieces of art for each monthly challenge, so this will be the third of three posts from me today.

For this card, I cut a piece of black cardstock slightly smaller than my white card blank.  I put the black card through my Sizzix Big Kick using the Cuttlebug embossing folder called "Script."  I stamped my Stampotique flower on white card and did some agonizing fussy cutting. The thick foam self-adhesive letters I used for the sentiment are from American Crafts and are called "thickers."

Thank you for stopping by (again) today and for taking a moment to leave another comment.  I do read and appreciate them all!  I hope you will find some creative time this week and will make something for this fun text challenge at the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge.  You can find the details here.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: "TAKE IT, MAKE IT" FEBRUARY CHALLENGE (2)

The February theme for the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge is TEXT ME! One can submit up to three pieces of art for each monthly challenge, so this will be the second of three posts from me today.

I cut a piece of tan cardstock slightly smaller than my cream card base.  I used Walnut Stain Distress ink to create my text background using a Hero Arts script stamp.  I next stamped and fussy cut the Stampin' Up floral images, then added my sentiment by PaperArtsy, both using Walnut Stain ink.  Three words in the sentiment were highlighted using a generic brown marker.

I am happy that you have stopped by to check out my second card for this project.  I hope you can take a moment to leave a comment.  I appreciate each and every one!  I hope, too, that you can find some artsy time and will make a project for this fun Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge. You can find the details here.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: "TAKE IT, MAKE IT" FEBRUARY CHALLENGE (1)

The February theme for the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge is TEXT ME!  One can submit up to three pieces of art for each monthly challenge, so this will be the first of three posts from me today.

I cut a piece of beige cardstock slightly smaller than my cream card base and ran it through my Sizzix Big Kick using a Cuttlebug embossing folder called "Script." Next, I used a Tim Holtz sanding block to remove some of the color from the raised script. I adhered this piece to my card blank. 

My flower was cut from a scrap of patterned paper from the DCWV "Mariposa" stack. I added a bit of interest to the blossom by using a brown watercolor pencil, then blending it with a water brush.  The stem of the flower was adhered directly to the card, but the blossom was adhered using a pop dot to add a bit of dimension. My sentiment is from a set of cling stamps by Tim Holtz. To keep the brown-ish theme going, I used Walnut Stain ink.  I used that to edge the sentiment, as well.

Thanks for coming by today to check out my cards.  I hope you will take a moment to leave a comment.  I hope, too, that you might find some time to create your own artwork to submit to the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It, Make It" challenge this month. Details can be found here.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (02-07-16)

Anne from Mirella Crafts is the host this week at the Sunday Postcard Art challenge and she has asked us to ADD A CHARM to our postcard.  I immediately went to my "metal/junk" box and found a metal butterfly.  That led me to my DCWV "Mariposa" stack where I found some perfect background paper!  A bit of adhesive and instant postcard!

There is still time to play along with this challenge.  You can find the details here.  

Thanks for stopping by and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are appreciated!

Cheers!