ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (12-06-15)

Running a bit late this week for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge, but it's only Friday so am in time!  Our host this week is Marion, an avid reader, who is challenging us to use Books/Reading in our postcard art.  

I just received a new stamp from the NAYS WORLD collection called "Funky Girl."  This gem is named Nikki and she has been designed by the up-and-coming artist and stamp designer Carol Porter! You can find Nikki and her funky sisters in Carol Porters Etsy Shop.  You can also visit Carol and watch her inspiring videos on her blog, Daily Art Tantrums.  

I purchased and downloaded the background photo of the books from FotoSearch. It was printed on my computer printer onto 4x6 glossy photo paper.  My focal image was colored with Copic markers, then adhered on top of the photo. The title was created using Mrs. Grossman's alpha stickers and is inspired by my husband's daily commute into Boston--a long one that allows plenty of time for him to listen to his BOOKS on  TAPE!

Thanks for visiting today and for taking a moment to leave a comment. Please take a moment also to join as a follower if you have not already done so. You can then "follow by e-mail" so that you get a notice when I have published a new blog post.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (11-29-15)

The Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week is hosted by Linda, who has chosen "trees" as our theme. Other than palm trees, of course, I am thinking that pine trees are my favorite at this time of year.

I used my Cricut to cut out different sizes and shapes of trees, then adhered them to my Kraft postcard (4"x6") after stenciling on some watered-down gesso for some background interest. At the bottom, I used full-strength gesso to add the appearance of a bit of snow. The sentiment was created with a Stampin' Up! stamp that I have had for years!  Hope you like it...

I hope you will find some time this week to join in on the fun and create a postcard for this challenge.  Thanks for visiting today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are important to me!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (11-22-15)

Hazel is our host this week at the Sunday Postcard Art site and the challenge is to use fruit in the creation of our postcards. Her inspirational art for this week is wonderful and I would encourage you to visit her site to check it out.

My postcard for this week is a bit "off season" if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I had fun making it just the same. One of the items on my Bucket List is to visit the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. That was the inspiration for this piece.  

Both the background and quote are from an internet search. The image is called "Friends" and is by Stampotique Originals.

I hope you will find some time this week to play along with this challenge.  You can find the rules here.

I appreciate both your visit and your comment today.

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: "Take It Make It" November Challenge

Craft Stamper Magazine's "Take It Make It" challenge for November is to use a stamp and the theme is Anything Goes. It is possible to submit three pieces of art (each entered separately), so decided to make my third submission today.  

I recently found a new stamp designer by the name of Carol Porter.  I am lucky to have two of her stamps; the one I am using today being my favorite! You can see everything that Carol sells (including cards) at NAYS WORLD in her Etsy Shop. You can also follow her blog here.  

I made this journal page today using a scrap of patterned paper. I added some interest in the background before adhering my focal image (stamped on book text) and stamping my sentiment onto the paper. I think the two pair nicely!

Thanks for stopping by today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  That way I'll know you were here.  I would love it if you also joined as a "follower" if you have not already done so.  Once you have done that, you can subscribe by e-mail and get notified each time I update my blog.

Cheers!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: "Take It Make It" November Challenge

Craft Stamper Magazine's "Take It Make It" challenge for November is to use a stamp and the theme is Anything Goes. With such freedom, it was fun to create this fall-flavored tag:

Thanks for coming by today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both are important to me!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge (11-07-15)

Deann is the host for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week, and she has sent us back to dig up our favorite fairy tale!  Few things last past childhood, but Snow White and those seven delightful dwarfs have endured the past seven decades for me!  Dopey was always my favorite dwarf.  Amazingly, he never spoke, yet one could always imagine what he was thinking!

For my background, I cut two pieces of heavy cardstock to 4" x 6".  I applied gesso to the surface of one, then pressed the two together and "massaged" the outside a bit to push around the gesso between the two.  When I pulled them apart, there was texture and pattern everywhere!  I allowed the cardstock to dry and then, using a citrus color palette, applied Dylusions spray inks and spritzes of water to blend them.

The pre-colored image of Dopey was from an internet search, and the text stamp is from Stampotique Originals.  

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

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge

Linda is our host at Sunday Postcard Art this week, and she is sending us off to Paris to create art!  I hope you will take some time this week to join us in creating something for this challenge.

My postcard this week was a simple one to create as I used a Sizzix "texture fade" die folder to create dry embossing on my paper (cut to 6" x 4").  I then used a sanding block to rub off most of the raised surfaces, revealing the white core of the paper.

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

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: Sunday Postcard Art Challenge

The Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week is following the Halloween theme.  I created this postcard by dabbing Tim Holtz' Mini Distress Ink pads (various fall colors) on my craft mat, then spritzing with water.  I then continued to drag my postcard through that yummy color until I was happy with the result.  After drying with my heat tool, I stamped Stampendous' Crowscape using archival ink, then edged the postcard with TH's Rusty Hinge.  For the sentiment, I used a stamp from Stampers Anonymous called Crazy Talk, and done!

Come play with us at Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week!

Thanks for stopping by for a look and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  I value both!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: a sympathy card

A couple of people have asked me about my entitling my last post (and this one) as "Art from the Main House."  The house we have rented for the winter is only feet from the Atlantic Ocean in Rye, New Hampshire.  We are in the "main house," hence the title, in a group of homes and cottages called Salty Breeze Cottages.  Ours is the largest and so has always been called the main house.  The art I create from this venue may/may not be different from any other works I have created, but I always want to remember that I created these works during this period of my life.

Earlier this month, a friend of mine unexpectedly lost her husband. It has been a most difficult time for her, as you can image, and I have taken a long while to digest it myself.  Only today, have I been able to create a sympathy card for her.  I had forgotten how therapeutic making a card of condolence can be.  As I worked on the card, I sorted through memories and plans that will never transpire for us as couples.  

The card was created on a card blank using scraps of paper.  The stamp I used is from Stampotique Originals.  I used a metal die (Poppystamps, Inc.) called "Weeping Willow Branches," to create the cascade on the left which I thought went perfectly with the tearful image.

Thanks for stopping by today and for taking a moment to leave a comment.  Both your visits and comments are important to me!

ART FROM THE MAIN HOUSE: a journal page

It has been since July that I have been without art supplies.  After selling our home and giving away, donating and storing our worldly possessions, we are finally settled in our "winter rental" in Rye, New Hampshire.  We are in a wonderful home on Ocean Boulevard, just steps from the Atlantic Ocean.  I can see it, hear it, smell it and even taste it.  It is a very peaceful venue in which to begin again to create!

Some number of months ago, an elderly woman died.  As often happens, what remains of such a person's possessions is left to the children.  It is up to them to determine the disposition of those items.  The son of just such a woman happens to be a friend of my sister.  One day, the son was lamenting to my sister that he had a file folder full of papers handmade by his mother and he was at a loss as to what to do with them.  His mother had clearly marked them "not for sale."  My sister shared with her friend my love of art and that she was sure I would appreciate them.  I am privileged to use one of those papers in my art journal project today.

The paper that I have used here is described by Cal Williams, the creator of the paper, as being...

Kozo - Japanese Mulberry Bark

Beaten but uncleaned

Due the rough, yet very beautiful texture of the paper, I wasn't sure that I would be able to stamp on it, but am pleased with the outcome.  The stamps I used are both from Stampotique Originals.  I highlighted the edges with Tim Holtz' Distress Ink in "Rusty Hinge."

I am glad that you stopped by today.  I hope you will take a moment to leave a comment!

Cheers!