Created byhand challenge for Tuesday 4/15

Here is my created byhand challenge for this week. "Quotes" is the theme. The background paper is a piece left from last week's project along with one of Suzanne's quotes and a heart stamp- don't remember where I got that particular unmounted heart.

Tuesday byhand Challenge and Happy 7th Birthday to the byhand newletter

This week's challenge is to use watercolor paper and watercolors. I made postcards to send for Suzanne's 7th anniversary of the byhandartists newsletter. You can link to the byhandartists newletter in the links on the right. I used Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels and gesso for the background, stamped happy birthday and a number 7 with Distress Ink Broken China, and used acrylic paint and MM foam stamps to stamp "byhandartists". The other stamps and quote stamps are Suzanne's from Quietfire Design, who's link is also to the right. The quotes are stamped with embossing ink and I used detail black EP.
These will be my last artistic endeavors for a while. I had damage from a leak around the chimney in my office/art space/guest room, and will need to empty it completely which means storing all my supplies for a while for the repairs. The upside is that I will have a lovely, newly painted and refinished floor, room to reorganize afterwards. Cleaning out is a good thing. I'll keep enjoying and being inspired by others.
Also posted is my final "time" themed atc for the April swap. It is napkin art with Glossy Accents on twinkling H2O background paper, mounted to black cardstock and white watercolor paper with Portfolio water soluble oil pastels.

Time ATCs

Here are a few atcs I made today for the time-themed ATC swap for the byhandartists group for April. Time is a favorite theme of mine as there are so many ways to look at it. I took advantage of some backgrounds I already had on hand which led me in some particular direction. I keep a stack of precut, background atcs but rarely use them as I find I just prefer to start at the beginning with a project. Maybe that explains why I am so slow sometimes.

Fun with Ezra

I don't post a lot of family or personal pics, but I did have a wonderfully fun afternoon with Ezra today and here are some pics to prove it. He is a joy to be around at three years old.

Yalpha Mingle for April

I used my background that I made yesterday for my "Cosmic" mingle page. I liked the quote, too.

Cool Background technique

I love this technique posted by Suzanne at Quietfire Design and decided to do a version with products I had on hand.
I used 140# cold pressed watercolor paper, applied water with a brush, dipped another brush into my purchased diluted walnut ink and coated my paper. Then I sprinkled Stampendous Baby Blue Pastel opaque embossing powder on that and some gold mica. Spritzed with water and used my heat tool. Love the look I got- different from Suzanne's but cool just the same; color, texture and glitz! The atc has Eucalyptus walnut ink.
Now have a look at Suzanne's!
http://quietfirestyle.blogspot.com/2008/03/walnut-ink-background-variation.html