My Art - Birth Announcements

I am a grandma for the second time!!!!! Yeah!! This little guy was born on February 25th. I will be traveling west to see him this week!!
I created this birth announcement for my daughter to send out. It fits in a #8 envelope. It took me a while to figure out in Corel Photo Paint how to make the soft edge oval with the picture of him only days old. The birth info is below his picture and is revealed when the blue panel with his name on it opens up with the short piece where the button is. The short panel is embossed with the CB Swiss Dot embossing folder. The button is a Sizzix die I just recently acquired from a local posting on Kijiji.com. Well worth checking out this site for crafts supplies!! I glued the button die cut to the round ribbon slider die cut and tied them together with white fiber. This is attached to the card front with a ribbon!! His photo and birth info is laser printed and layered onto yellow cardstock the same as the buttons and his die cut name.
If you are a grandma who lives close to her grandchildren you are blessed!! We will be closer once DH husband retires in a few years. Until then, we have been blessed with children who think that grandchildren should know their grandparents and have made the effort to let us see them as often as possible. The other grandchild will be visiting in April with her mom just before her second birthday!!

May you all enjoy your spring break! May you be safe if you are traveling!! Enjoy your children and share a little art with them over the week and celebrate all that is good about them being the ages that they are!!

Therese

My Art - Numbers ATCs

Participated in a Numbers ATC mingle in one of my groups and decided to use my CB numbers embossing folder. Having played with metal in my classes with my students I decided to use metal foil from my latest chocolate treat!! If you need justification for your chocolate consider it buying art supplies with the chocolate being a total bonus!!
In this case, the bar comes with a silver foil liner which I glued to a piece of cardstock - use scrap or mistake cardstock because it will never see the light of day again. I cut the piece into the right sized layers for the ATCs and then ran them through the CB with the Numbers embossing folder!! I used alcohol inks to add colour to the embossed metal layer! Used printed transparency images under slide mounts as accents. Added some vellum beneath the transparency to make the images more visible. Added quotes around the edges using gel markers. Sent off a couple and offered the others to the students in my class as a little gift from me at my last class!! Still have a few leftover for trading!!

Therese

My Art - Embossed metal ATCs

Artist Trading Cards using embossed metal!! Several different techniques in this set.
Row 1 - two on the left: I decorated lengths of metal duct tape using ink and alcohol sealed with an acrylic finish. These were glued to cardstock before they were embossed. These have to be left at least over night or more to be completely dry before you put them through your Cuttlebug embossing folders to add texture. In the end, the finish washed out of the embossing folders with soap and water with a tooth brush but it was a bit time consuming. The quotes were printed on transparency, mounted below the bookplates and trimmed. The bookplates were attached to the ATC with brads. I did add a layer of vellum between the two to make the quote more legible. Really like the look of this embossed metal!!
Row 1 - one on the right: This one used the same tape as above but instead it was applied over elements that were glued to the blank ATC. In this case, from bottom up - a strip of fiberglass screening, a scalloped circle, a circle punchie with a snow flake punched out of the middle. I glued the tape down the center of the ATC over all the layers and applied pressure with my finger to bring out the texture of the layers below. Rubbing with anything other than a finger removed the finish and gave a bit of a distressed look to the metal which was cool. To distress the snowflake even more I laid a piece of wax paper over it and traced with with a pencil. I found the wax paper nicely pick up the finish and left no residue of finish on the piece. Neat little trick that I discovered by accident.
Row 2: I used a red aluminum (Christmas baking arrived in this one) container which was straightened with pressure and a wooden spatula handle (wood works the best for not marring the surface and giving a smooth finish). Once it was reasonably flat I cut out the smoothest areas and cut hearts using a Sixxiz die and my Cuttlebug. These were provided to the students along with pencils and a little pad of newspaper. The front was embossed with any markings made on the back with the pencil. The pad of newspaper had just enough give to get some decent embossing. The more pressure applied when making the markings the deeper the embossing. So everyone made their own markings and attached their hearts to the layered ATCs with 3D foam tape. Added words or quotes which were printed on labels to make them like stickers using fonts from the internet or their own hand writing. For very affordable aluminum for embossing consider buying an aluminum pizza or cookie sheet from the $$ store. I expect you could add colour with alcohol inks or inks, alcohol and acrylic sealer like I did with the duct tape above.
Row 3: These two were embossed with the same technique as Row 2 using stamped images on the one side instead of free hand markings. It does give you much more options for creating images which you cannot draw yourself. You could, of course, draw your own images with a Sharpie marker and emboss them. Just remember that all the images are reversed on the front side so words need to be written backwards. I added a bit of colour with Sharpies to the embossed metal on these two.
The students enjoyed embossing their metal hearts and choosing words to go with them. They fit perfectly in their Chunky ATC boxes though I expect the boxes maybe be used for several other purposes - apparently just the right size for small electronics like I PODS and cellphones!!
I will use this technique again for creating fun elements for my cardmaking!! Experiment and try something new!!

Therese

My Art - Chunky ATC boxes!!

I created these boxes with the Chunky ATCs in the following post!! I cut and scored a panel of poster board to which we (students and I) Modge Podged tissue paper and/or napkins. On the lower one I wish I had used a more neutral and lighter tissue paper as the bottom layer which would have been a better canvas for the flowers I glued over it. I had not fully realized how transparent the napkin images were going to be after being applied with Modge Podge over the tissue layer. Live and learn!!
The panel is attached with thumb tacks to the sides of the chunky ATCs to create a box with a lid!! Glued beads onto the bottom to create feet. Added two brads with circles to create a quick and easy tie to keep the box closed. Of course, the box is the perfect size for storing ATCs which is what the students and I were creating this week!!

It has been a total blast to come up with interesting and creative art projects for these students and they have been great at getting into it and working with the supplies to make the projects their own.

Therese

My Art - Chunky ATCs

Chunky ATCs!! I read about these in Somerset Workshop - Autumn 2008 recently. (Purchased for me by my DH - love him!! He picked it up because the cover looked like things I would enjoy!! Love him more!!) Audrey Hernandez talks about listening to her SO speak of 2x4s and later measuring a scrap to find out it was 3.5"!! Needless to say she ordered one 2x4 cut into 2.5" pieces which gave her 40 chunky ATCs for $2.75!!!

With my DH being a woodworker I thought I would ask for scraps of 2x4s cut to 2.5" and have a go with this for a class with my students. In the end, he had 1x4 scraps instead of 2x4 scraps which I said would be fine!! I am blessed that he was careful to pick only ones that were smooth and power sanded them for me!!!! (love him more!!)

So I primed these great little canvases for art and had my students create chunky ATCs with them using Modge Podge and tissue paper/napkins images which were quick and easy! We added the dimensional elements the next day with hot glue. You can check the previous post to see the boxes we made with the ATCs we made!!

Therese

My Art - Thank you cards

I created these for all the people who attended my Stampin Up party in February!! It was a great afternoon with my SU demo, Catherine. We did two make and take cards and she demonstrated the Big Shot with texture plates and dies. What a machine!! If I did not already own a Cuttlebug I would be buying one of those. She offers a free die if you buy a machine - a sweet deal! It was a great day and I got a few free goodies as well. That is one of the great things about Sale-a-bration!!

The cards feature a transparency printed with a daisy photo which I took last year!! I added the word "thanks" using Corel Draw and printed them four to a page. I used small pieces of double sided tape to attached them to decorative paper which I created myself using gesso, Modge Podge and acrylic paint leftovers from my classes!! I placed the ds tape in an area where it was quite dark so it would not show on the front of the transparency. The ribbon is added to this layer and taped to the back. I glued this to the front of a white card, added my double daisy punch accent with a brad and an insert!! Love the way they turned out!!
Decorative paper: I used white copy paper and painted on my gesso and Modge Podge leftovers in an all over pattern. Once dry I used my acrylic paint leftovers to add colour washes over that. It makes for very interesting paper because the gesso and glue resist the acrylic paint leaving you with a wide variety of hues and texture in your decorative paper. Very unique papers!! I was sure to scan these papers before I used them in my cards so they can be used digitally in other works of art later on. I am starting to build a body of digital elements which are my own work which I can use without any restrictions in my future work. It will be really nice later on to have no copyright issues when I am creating collages or multi media art.
Therese

My Art - Collaged Art Canvases

Loved doing these canvases!! These are 8x10 canvases which I first treated with gesso and in the process added some tissue and embossed paper for texture. Once that layer was dry I added some colour using (pink and blue & yellow and brown) colour washes with acrylic paint. The elements (hearts and B letter) were created using book pages coloured with acrylic paint. These were collaged onto the canvas using modge podge. Not sure this was the best option because the edges wanted to roll up. I did add a bit more acrylic paint to blend in the collage elements into the over all design. Using Sharpie markers I added my quote - all handlettered. The whole surface was then treated with a coat of Modge Podge to seal it including the edges. Found inspiration for these on several blogs including this one: Lost and Found. I would highly recommend this process for creating art for your craft space, home or work place!! This was one of the projects I did with my high school students and they really got into in and enjoyed the process of creating their own art and using art as a form of self expression. They all did a great job!!!
Therese

My Art - Cardmaking serendipity

Another serendipity collage card!! For the cardmaking class I created black & white collages with just one more colour - silver, gold and tan. It is nice to use textured cardstock with these collages!! You can refer back up a couple of cards for more information on the collages and the cards!!

Create some art today!!

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking - fishy!!

This is the most fun card I have made in quite a while! It uses a little ziploc with a bit of hair gel in it to create a window that looks like it has water in it. I just folded back a flap on the front where I captured my little ziploc after I punched a circle for the window. I stamped the little fish inside the card so it would show through the window!!

I got the idea for the gel card off of splitcoast

www.splitcoaststampers.com

They recommend padding the card when you mail it and also maybe not mailing it until after the freezing temperatures are over!! The decorative paper is gift wrap!! So fun!!

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking Triptych

This is another relatively easy card that can be made in any colour for any occasion!! This one features nice soft colours that are great for Spring!! I used scrapbooking paper and created my own 3D embellishment using a plastic butterfly charm, some embossed metal and a scallop punch!! I used a strip of cardstock across the cards but you could easily use ribbon instead.

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking with Wallies

Hey! The next time you are strolling through the home improvment store with time on your hands check out the wallpaper aisle see if you can find some of these Wallies. They are small little wallpaper accents!! Very cool!!

These were the perfect size for the front of a card so I just added a colour printed embossed vellum greeting and a die cut flower!!

Easy peasy!! You might even surprise your partner by offering to come along when he's planning a trip to buy "stuff" and buy some of your own!!

Therese

My Art - Zentangle Monograms

This past week I created Zentangle monograms with my students!! Another very cool way to incorporate your personal art into your cardmaking!! I laser printed some large letters in outline on coated paper and they used fine tip Sharpie markers to fill in the shapes with their own fun doodling! They made several and then choose one that would be featured on their monogram cards in the next class!! They looked great and the students were happy to have their art on their cards!! I scanned their art, reduced them to fit in the space and printed them. The monograms were layered onto black then a colour!!

These are the ones I made!!

Therese

My Art -

I know that Valentine's has been and gone!! I did get my card made in just the nick of time for our Valentine's celebration! We have started the tradition of cooking a meal together for Valentine's. Always a great way to spend time together and eat good food. We went out and bought some really special ingredients and had a great meal!!
My card features a heart background in gold on the red card front. I layered on some stamped vellum and my greeting stamped in red on white cardstock. I created the accent using several punched circles and a red felt heart ( $1 store). The gold layer is actually gold foil (tea liner) glued to cardstock and then embossed with my Cuttlebug!! It was so great to have this cool metal accent!! I used hot glue to adhere the layers so that they would be well stuck to each other and I would not lose the texture of the embossing. Totally fun!!

Saving the foil lids from dips and yogurt, etc and using them to create metal accents for your cardmaking using the embossing folders and punches is a great way to save $$ for rubber!!

Therese

My Art - Serendipity cards

Was teaching some students last week and thought I would get them started with collage art! We created serendipity collages for card making!! The students enjoyed creating their collages with scraps of paper and were very happy to see how cool their cards looked using their own art. We used a variety of accents with a layer to really show off the mini works of art!! Some added greetings using embossing powder!! To the uninitiated, that is always a huge wow!!

For those of you who may not be familiar with serendipity collage it is very easy and can be done in several different ways. In this case, we used scraps of paper in several coordinating colours. These ones used blues and golds. They were all different - teal, green, reds, purples, etc. Using a quarter sheet of cardstock - can be a rejected card, a commercial card, a poorly stamped image or just junk mail - just glue ripped pieces onto to it until it is completely covered. We used pieces about 3/4" - 1" so when we cut our collage we would still see a good amount of different pieces!!

We cut our quarter sheet into four pieces - in half one way and then those in half again. The little collages were layered onto coordinating paper - in this case gold gift wrap - and glued to the front of the card. If you want to add a greeting using embossing powder it is best to do that before you glue your collage to the front. The 3D embellishments varied from metal charms to layered accents which I created with punches and some fun accents!!

This is a great technique for creating a set of cards which can be given as gifts by just varying the accent and greetings!!

Therese

My Art - housewarming card

I created this card for a friend of mine who just bought her first house! They are excited about it and looking forward to moving in and having their family and friends over!! I thought this card would work very well as an invitation for a housewarming party! She thought it was a great idea!!
The house image is one I found on the internet. I printed it onto ivory cardstock, trimmed it, distressed the edge and layered it onto brown. The words are printed right onto the card. I stamped the card to get a bit of an antique look. The keys are printed on transparency, cut out and added to the card front with a brad.
The house could easily be chalked or lightly coloured to add a bit of dimension to the card.

Therese

My art - fat book mingle page

A fat book mingle page! This is the final installment for this mingle! I created two similar looking pages - one in red and one in pink! I will be sending both of them out to the recipients tomorrow!!
I used vintage clipart (The Lady's Closet) I dowloaded from the internet and laser printed. The backgrounds I created using modge podge and tissue papers!! I filled my large L with a lacy background texture which did not show up quite as much as I thought it would. I added a sticker to the front to finish it off. I used a sanded (on the back) transparency of a rose on the other side which I applied with modge podge just to see how it would work. Very reasonably!! I added colour to the back - the sanded side - of the transparency with Memories ink and I like how it turned out!! Added a stitched line to the edge of the transparency with Sharpie marker.
I have really enjoyed being part of this monthly mingle and am looking forward to other monthly projects to keep me making art.

Therese

My Art - Postage book

My postage box with a new book for storing my correspondence items like stamps, return address labels, etc.

Since forever my items for correspondence have been living in a ziploc bag on my desk. Not attractive but close enough to be handy. A few weeks ago I was planning on making mini books with my stamping friends so I decided that a book to hold my stamps, etc would my project. When I dumped the ziploc I also found a glue stick and whiteout in there and thought that was a necessary part of my correspondence items but they would not fit in a book. Then, I remembered that I had bought this gorgeous box about a year ago that would probably be the perfect container for all of these items. Yeah! It was perfect!! I tailored the size and colours of my book to the box allowing room for the glue stick and white out to fit beside it. Worked wonderfully!! I have pages with pockets in my book that hold all the things that I need. To close it up, I just tuck the back flap under the scallop and it keeps everything where it needs to be.

I am very happy with my new little book and its new home - this great box! It looks much nicer on my desk than the ziploc used to and everything is handy. I did rid myself of quite a bit of "stuff" that had accumulated in the bag and really just needed to be thrown out. Because the box will only hold a slight bit of extra "stuff" there will be much less temptation to store unneeded items.

One of the very first projects I made for me!

Therese

Cardmaking - January - Old car

A card suitable for any guy and for almost any occasion!! The decorative paper is gift wrap I bought a few years ago. I will be sad when it is all gone because it makes really nice guy cards!! Will have to keep my eyes open for something similar in my travels! In the past, I have used stamped images of old cars with this paper. I was cruising several font sites the other day and came across this font called - OLD CARS! Downloaded it and printed a few of them onto transparencies for this card. Worked like a darn!! I used a circle of colourful cardstock to highlight the car and make it pop from the background. They are attached using double sided tape behind the brown strip!! The greeting could easily have been added to the brown strip but I decided on a tag instead! I stippled it with brown ink and added colour to the edges to make it pop a bit!!

It would seem that I have a bit of a theme of "use what you have" and "make it yourself" in my cards this month which was not intentional. It is a good practice to make use of the "stuff" you already have!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Therese

Cardmaking - January - A forest

Had a totally blasty time creating backgrounds for this card!! I hauled out my stamp pad reinkers, rubbing alcohol, felts & wooden block that I use for "polished stone" technique. I used coated copy paper instead of glossy cardstock! I cut the paper into quarter sheets and did individual little pieces of art. The reinkers I used are the really OLD ones for office stamp pads!! The rubbing alcohol worked really well for dispersing the inks and I made a whole bunch of cool backgrounds.

I overstamped them all with this image of a forest from Applalachian Arts Stamps which I have had for many years and just finally inked!! Because they were all different colours I used several different colours to overstamp the image. Amazingly, once stamped the backgrounds looked so great and appropriate!! I punched the card front with my corner slot punch on the the two bottom corners and trimmed my image to fit inside the slots. The greeting is printed on transparency and just placed between the slots and the image. I added a strip of cardstock behind the greeting to highlight it.

Take some time to create a bunch of backgrounds with the supplies you already have!! When you create your own background paper your cards and creations have a bit more of your touch in them!!

Therese

Cardmaking - January - Hearts

I cased this idea from someone on Splitcoast. I printed the black circles/dots right on the cardstock and created the b&w designer paper in a layout program (Corel Draw). I created long skinny rectangles filled with black, white & grays and printed it on my laser!! Too easy!! The hearts are cut from a Sizzix die I got for Christmas from one of my sisters! Yeah for getting crafty stuff for Christmas!! I cut two different red cardstock hearts sets and then mixed them up!! I like the little play on texture with two different red colours.
This was my effort for those who might be needing a Valentine's card for next month!! Would also be good for a wedding or anniversary! I created some with pink hearts as well which would be also appropriate for girl friends!!

I challenge you to create some of your own art supplies! My sister has created several different designer papers to suit her projects and colour printed them!! You are capable!!

Therese