nautilus

This is an atc I made with an alcohol ink background and a nautilus stamp I like but rarely use. One of the themes for the August atc swap on byhandartists is sealife. I thought immediately of this stamp. I got it for a dollar in the discount bin at Ben Franklin! Perfect for this. Liked the look of it stamped in Stazon Black. Wrote the quote with a micron pen. Krylon gold around the edge.

Chinese Valentine's Day

I created my This and That mingle page for the byhandartists yahoogroup today.
I chose Chinese Valentine's Day for my theme. You can read the legend on one of the photos. I used watercolor paper and watercolor for the background. I added Pearlescent Silver Pearl splatters for the Milky Way. I cut out images from a background paper I found and resized on Chiyogami Monday for the magpies. The stars and hearts are Peel Offs. The chinese figures are free clip art I found on the web that are transferred from a tranparancy copy using Golden's Matte Gel Medium. I also stamped a woven background stamp with Distress Ink Broken China. I used Glaze Pen to color in the hearts on inside back. The story is printed on transparancy and written in Chinese Takeout font. It was a fun one to research and create.

Krylon Resist background

Today I experimented with Bernie Berlin's Leafing Pen Relief technique in her recent atc book. I drew with a Krylon Pen on watercolor paper, which acts as a resist, and then added Twinkling H2O. On one I stamped a swirl with clear emboss ink and embossed with clear ep for some added texture (red and green atc), one one I stamped with purple and gold pigment ink and embossed with clear ep (green purple and gold), and I only used water color on the others. Those two are my least favorites but not because of the stamping, just not my favorite color combos. But, I really like the other 4 especially the sun and moon ones. Easy technique with fast results.

Free Image

I thought I would try posting a picture you can copy and save in your computer to print. I have some good vintage images to share. I'll have to do some experimenting but I think it will work. I'd love to see anything you do with the image. Maybe we can have a contest. These images are for your personal use and art only and not to be copied and sold on a collage sheet or in any other manner. You may post art in which you used the images.
The first image is a vintage Paris postcard front and back. These are scanned at a high resolution so should be good for your art and size down easily. I bought this at an estate sale. I like the side with the message because of the upper right hand corner where it is written "Soldier's Mail" instead of a stamp. The year is 1919.

Frida Kahlo is the subject of one of my This and That Mingle for the byhandartist group this month. It is the 100th anniversary of her birth. The background is alcohol ink on glossy card stock. I printed out one of her paintings and put a paper doily around the face to mimic the lace on the painting, added red satin trim and a pendant. The picture is hinged to the background with a cardstock hinge. It opens to reveal a brief biography and the original copy of the painting.

White on White remake

I was never quite happy with my page for the white on white swap. I kept procrastinating on finishing them so I went with a different but similar page. Used the same background but added a vintage picture from my stash that is a favorite and added little seashells. The shells were more delicate than I thought so I have had to wrap them in bubble wrap for travel.
On a 4th of July note, Jim and I went to an old-fashioned celebration in Cresent Hill on the grounds of an historic home. There were arts and crafts vendors, hot dogs, barbeque, corndogs, ice cream, a dog show, a parade of antique cars and a cake wheel! It was a fun way to spend a bit of time on the 4th.
Amy returned from Africa yesterday, another reason to celebrate. Her trip has reminded me that all that separates me from the poor and needy is good fortune and luck. If you need a reminder of your good fortune, take a trip to Africa on her blog. The link is to the right.

On a roll

I made an atc with one of the paste papers from today. The background reminded me of Egypt for some reason, so I dug out some Egyptian stamps that I got at Goodwill over a year ago. I stamped the bug with Adirondack Oregano and the snake with Adirondack Butterscotch. The mummy,with Chalk Ink Dark Moss and colored with various pens. Attached the mummy with pop dot so it stand up off of the page. Another for the yellow swap.

Paste Paper Fun

I had the day off today and instead of cleaning the house and my art area I played with paste paper (and made an even bigger mess!). I made the paste with cheap acrylic paint and liquid starch. I used a wide tooth comb, 5 bobbie pins taped to a plant stake, three plant stakes taped together, a wooden skewer the doodle with. I like the ones with more than one color and a more random pattern best.

Africa ATC

Today I started my day with an another yellow atc for the swap. My daughter is in Africa and I liked this color combo on a napkin I had. I think of bright colors when I think of Africa. Top layer of napkin applied with Mod Podge. Stamped giraffe with STazon Black and embossed with black detail EP. Colored in with yellow Glaze pen. Circle punched the sun with bright orange card stock. Stamped AFrica with Stazon black. Drew flowers and leaves with Glaze pens.

Yellow atcs

I've had time to do a couple more atcs today. I need to be completing my white fat book pages, but color is calling my name today. I made these for a yellow-themed swap this month. Both have Portfolio water soluble oil pastel backgrounds. The froggie is Anita's stamped with Stazon Black and embossed with Black Detail EP. Colored him with Glaze Pens. Quote with Zig .005. The pear is Hampton ARt Stamp, stamped with Adirondack Ink Butterscotch and colored with a watercolor brush with a reservoir. Quote written with Brown Sakura Micron .05 Pen.

ATCs

I made these atcs for Suzanne at Quietfire Design for display in her store during Island Magic Calligraphy Conference in Canada at the end of this month. On the one on the left, I used alcohol inks for the background. Stamped the quote which can be found on her website (link to the right) with Top Boss pad and embossed with Brass EP. I stamped the head from her mini collection sheet with Distress Ink Vintage Photo. Over it I stamped the optician lenses also off the mini sheet with Top Boss and embossed with Brass EP.
The background on the one on the right is Walnut Ink spritzed and rubbed dry. I stamped the diamond, off the mini collection, with Distress Ink Antique Linen, stamped the hand also from the mini collection with Distress Ink Vintage Photo. The quote from Quietfire, too, is stamped with Chalk Ink in Warm Red as is the heart flourish from the mini collection.