Monday, October 06, 2008

More True Colors

I worked on my second True Colors journal today.

This one made me step WAY outside my comfort zone, using colors I rarely, if ever even think about. The theme? Lime Green, Teal/Aqua and Chocolate Brown. This was very tough!

I sat with the book lying in my lap for hours. I kept staring at the colors and trying to mentally compose. I was a complete blank.

Then, it was very late, I was very tired, and a commercial came on TV. Or at least I think it was a commercial but maybe it was a dream since I haven't seen it since AND I have no idea what they were selling. But it was dancing, lime green pears....Ok, maybe is WAS a dream LOL

I found an awesome green paper with some teal dry-brushing in spots. It was a muted version of the lime green but with the "antiquing" that is also part of the design it sort of incorporated all the colors. This became my background for the left page.

I have really been in a painting mood and with paint I can create any color I need. I painted the pear using acrylics.

Now for the right page. I have had the background paper for quite some time. It reminds me of an old book cover. It also has muted teals and went very well with the lime. The lower portion is actually the back of some really odd colored Christmas paper LOL It is sort of like peeling paint but in just a small portion, made the perfect floor. Plus, the under color of "paint" was a light green.

Using clip art cds, I created the doll with the pear costume. And also found her fellow party-goers.

For all the uncertainty that I went through, I have to say that I really like the final outcome. I hope Anne does as well.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Project in the Works

My friend Pam saw a very neat project online. It was a handmade book and matching tote. They had little painted girls on the fronts.

I have no book making experience but Pam has made tons!

My forte is painting! So, she is making the books and I painted the little girls.

The ones with plain backgrounds were my first attempts.
I couldn't make little animals without including Tucker! Isn't he the cutest little cat ever? Of course, that is definitely not me LOL I am not even close to blond!


Swapping ATCs

I had a friend ask me to do a one on one Halloween ATC swap. Since I love Halloween and ATCs I readily agreed!

I found the women on some of my clip art cds. This first one didn't really look scary but just had an odd demeanor about her...and talk about flat chested! LOL

The numbers are from Close to My Heart. The spider is from Stampin Up.

Now this second one I really LOVE! Maybe I am just strange...my husband did not "get it" at all LOL

I seriously thought of keeping it for myself but it is now in the envelope, sealed and ready to go...tomorrow. Still time to grab it back out LOL

I stamped clouds on the black background because is seemed sooo blah with nothing there. The upper cloud is actually upside down (it is a rain cloud with rain coming down) from ImaginAir (am I the only one that misses that company?!) The other clouds are from Beeswax.

I found that full moon on the internet several years ago and filed it away...it is really a HUGE image! And with Photoshop it is so easy to change the color to suit any mood.

I tucked the Coppertone bottle in her hand and hubby thought I was completely insane. LOL

Hmm, I may be ripping that envelope open yet!



Saturday, September 27, 2008

Last Night was a GREAT Night!

I finished work at 1:45 and by 2:15 I was deeply engrossed in art! I worked nonstop for hours. I totally lost track of time. It was sooooo great!!!! I didn't look up at the clock until my back started hurting and then realized I had been hard at work for 4 hours!

I had received the final altered book from that round robin. The theme seems to be oceans/beaches. Being an ocean lover this just called to me.

It actually arrived during my lunch break so I spent much of the rest of my work day mentally picking out stamps to use.

I began by painting the left page with acrylics. I then painted a piece of paper the same way to use on the right side. I wanted to preserve the photo of the woman holding the shell which is part of the book. I tore out the hole for this image to show, I wanted it to be a bit rough.

I then began stamping onto the painted pages. The moon and sun are stamped directly into the book. The moon is from Inkadinkado and the sun from Custer's Last Stamp. I used Prismacolor pencils so I could get nice, rich coverage over the paint.

I stamped the mermaid (JudiKins) on paper, colored her skin with pencils and then used Twinkling H2Os for everything else. I love the shimmer.

When I put her on the page she needed something....friends? So, I stamped the fish from Fred Mullet.

It is a real star fish in the bottom corner and some pearlized beads in the upper right.

After dinner, it was back to the art desk! I am participating in a Puffy Heart swap this month. We have to make 3 hearts. These were fun! I pulled from my scraps tucked into the cracks of my shelves! And I hit the button stash....I love buttons! I think my favorite is the one with the pink buttons. I had purchased that flower applique many years ago for a different project and then ended up not using it. I pull it out frequently but until now it just kept ending up back in the box. It looks so feminine.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Color Combos and True Colors

The Color Combo swap in the BadBaby group ended this month. A year of color combinations. I sent in 4 pages every month and kept one of my own for myself making a total of 60 pages! Plus the front cover I created for a whopping 61 pages!!!!

Below are a couple pictures of the finished book. The first is the book showing the front cover. This is as "closed" as it gets!

Here is a view from the top. Doesn't it have a lovely rainbow effect?

I used a Zutter Bind It All to hold it together.


I just began a True Colors journal round robin in the Eccentric Pastiche group. I received the first book today. The color theme is "blue". I didn't want to just do a totally blue page so after much thought I decided on bluebirds.

I had a sheet of heavy scrapbook paper with music on it. I painted the birds directly onto the paper using acrylics. I did each one individually and when I was done I put them side by side and found out the branches met exactly forming one complete branch....couldn't have matched them up that well if I had tried!

Below are close up photos of each bird.







Monday, September 15, 2008

Fabric Postcards!

Ok, so I gave in and joined the swap! What can I say, I am weak! LOL

The theme is "Flowers". I was going to paint some flowers on muslin and as I was browsing through my photos looking for ideas I thought....Why don't I just print some of my flower photos onto fabric? So, I did!

Isn't this pink rose beautiful? It grows in my front yard. I ran out after a light rain and captured the petals still covered with droplets.

As I have stated before, I love fall. So how could I not do a fall card? These sunflowers grow at the local pumpkin patch (Pheasant Fields Farm). I take lots of sunflower pictures every year. They are the only yellow flowers I like.

This tulip came up out of nowhere this past spring. We figure the bulbs must have been dormant for years and when we dug up the entire back yard and moved all the dirt around they got rejuvenated! Such a beautiful surprise!

On the first card I used cotton batting but on the other 2 I used a plain 4x6 index card as the stablizer. I think I like the feel of the card better but like the "quilt" quality the batting creates. I wonder which the post office will prefer.


Friday, September 12, 2008

Halloween is coming!

I have tons of Halloween stamps! This weekend I plan on getting ALL of them out and playing!!!!

As I was digging through my Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving stamp box today, I came across these oldies but goodies.

The large skeleton is one I carved over 20 years ago. I challenged myself to fit a full skeleton onto a 2x3 inch carving block with as little waste as possible. (thus the odd pose). I stamped him with white pigment ink but it came out looking light and chalky so I drew over the lines with a silver gel pen then highlighted him with a white pencil.

The dancing skellies in the background have been living with me for a long time too. The block says 1988 PSX! They are stamped in Brilliance Cosmic Copper. Aren't they cute?

The stamped leaves are from Fiskars.

And finally, some leaf eyelets.


ATC #3

Here is my third Halloween ATC that was still drying last night when I posted the others.

I used another photo from one of my clip art cds. The web was drawn on by hand with a fine line sharpie.

The jack o lantern is part of a Stampin Up stamp. The woman is standing "in" the pumpkin but once I added her skirt (which is made of feathers BTW) it looks like he got a fright when he looked up her dress LOL

The woman is holding the spider by his web. The spider is also from Stampin Up.


Thursday, September 11, 2008

It is almost FALL!!

I love Fall. The leaves, the brisk air and PUMPKINS!!!!!!
And I love the color orange (but only at this time of year LOL)

I would have pumpkins sitting around my house all year round if hubby would let me! Something about the shape. I have lots of artificial ones...ceramic, wood, plastic...you name it! And come fall, I wander happily through every pumpkin patch in the valley on my quest for the perfect pumpkin. I usually end up with at least 6 or 7 real pumpkins. A couple get carved into intricate works of art for Halloween but the rest get to live out their days being enjoyed in their natural state.

So, as we make our way to the first day of Autumn, I am in the mood to create!

I was flipping through the Holidays Somerset Studio and the Halloween bug bit.

I made 3 Halloween ATCs. Two are here, the third needed some extra goodies and is now drying.

On this first one, I stamped Martha Stewart's Halloween fence. I then stamped the ghost from Fiskars Halloween set. The tombstone is from Stampin Up and the pumpkin on the fence from Fiskars. These were both stamped on paper, cut out and glued down.

Boo! is from an ancient Inkadinkado set that is over 20 years old. It is attached with a bat eyelet.


Miss Spooky was fun. I printed her from a clip art cd. I used Distress crackle paint for the first time. It is the beige background color. It was much easier than doing traditional crackle but the cracks are a lot smaller than I expected. I'm not sure which I prefer...traditional or this new paint. I rubbed walnut distress ink over the cracks and that made them stand out a bit better.

The bats and "spooky" are both from Fiskars (I bought the set last year after Halloween and never got a chance to use it). The moon is from When the Rubber Hits the Road.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Fabric Postcards?

Fabric postcards seem to be the "in" thing right now. You can find them posted with tutorials on the web and lots of groups are now participating in swaps.

I thought I would give one a try.

This would have been much easier if my back wasn't hurting and I could have lifted my sewing machine up onto my desk. Instead mine is a combo of hand stitching and glue. But, since I really don't plan on mailing mine it didn't have to be that sturdy.

I stamped my image (Embossing Arts) on muslin using permanent ink and then colored her with pencils.

I then hand stitched the lace on her dress following some of the lines on the stamp.

I stitched this panel onto a blue background fabric and then glued the white lace around the edge.

I used a piece of chip board for my stablizer.

I finished it off with another piece of muslin on the back and a "stamp" created on muslin using my printer.

I am happy with the results and have a feeling that once I get that machine up on my desk I may be making more.


Wednesday, September 03, 2008

What to do with a Visor?!

I went to my company's picnic a couple months ago and among the goodies they gave us was this plain white visor.

Now, I rarely wear a hat and NEVER wear a visor. My hubby took one look at it and said, "you're gonna alter it aren't you?" He knows me soooo well LOL


I really wasn't sure what would work on a visor. I decided to try stamping with permanent ink. I was surprised at how well the ink adhered to the fabric surface. I then heat set the ink with my embossing gun just to make sure it didn't smear when I colored the images.

Next came the dilemma of what to use for color. I was going to use paint but sometimes, if the fabric is too porous, the paint will bleed. Plus, with a chipboard insert in the visor I wasn't sure exactly what would happen if it got too wet. I finally decided to try colored pencils. Hey, it was a free visor....I am not out any expense!

The pencils worked great! I was able to blend and shade almost as easy as if I had been using paper. I like the soft, watercolor effect they created.

I am still trying to decide if I want to add more to the brim but for now I am done.



Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Color Combo Swap

I have been participating in a Color Combo swap for almost a year. Each month we were given 2 colors and had to create a 4x4 inch page. We sent our pages to our hostess and then received pages from other players in return.
As I said, this has been going on for almost a year so I have quite a few pages lying around waiting to be put into book form.
I had no idea what I wanted to do for a cover until this month's issue of Digital Scrapbooking came. Now I have said before that I do not do scrapbooking! But the tutorials for digital art are really great.
The tutorial I used was to learn how to add photos or patterned paper to the inside of your letters. Thus I created the word COLOR below. That was actually the word they used in the tutorial as well, it just happens that I needed it too!
I can't wait too see how this whole project looks as one whole book!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Altered Postcard Swap

The Bad Babies Yahoo group is having another swap. Well, we pretty much have swaps going on at all times but you just can't do them all!

This one is an altered postcard swap. There are 15 players. You alter a postcard for each player. The postcard has to be from where you are living right now.

I live in Oregon. But not some touristy part, just a run of the mill, small town with nothing going on. But for some reason this swap really called to me.

The swap was announced on July 16. As soon as I got done working I ran to the grocery store (the only place in town that sell postcards), browsed through the 3 or 4 designs they had and was totally taken with this one. I knew as soon as I saw it what I wanted to do. I knew what stamp I was going to use. Now I just had to ignore the weird look from the check out clerk (who knows I just live around the corner) as I bought 15 of the same card.

That night I sanded all the cards diagonally both from the right and the left so it made a cross-hatch design on the surface. I then rubbed Tim Holtz Distress Inks over the surface. First Scattered Straw, then Tea Dye and finally Walnut Stain. I then let them rest over night.

The next day I stamped the woman. She is from All Night Media. I made her look a bit more haggard than she really is by darkening her cheeks and adding a stroke of gray under each eye. Traveling across the country was no picnic!

Then off to the internet for the covered wagon and postage stamp. And finally I printed the supply list, which I found at http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/HistoricalTrails/Supplies.htm , onto transparency film.

I wanted to depict a "historical" postcard. I am facinated by the trek those pioneers made across the country to settle here. My husband's family made that journey. So hard to believe people could endure so much!

On July 18 I glued them all together, finished up the backs and had them packaged for mailing. I don't think I have EVER completed a swap so fast!


Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Black Ball Returns

I haven't done any of the altered balls (the ones I got from work...see previous posts) in quite some time. Well, I did one tonight for a friend that is coming to visit.

Then it dawned on me as I sat watching the vanish dry (yeah, it is that exciting here!) I never posted pictures of the ball I submitted to Rubberstampmadness magazine.

The theme was "Numbers". You had to use numbers in your artwork. I created a ball with a vintage school days theme and there are definitely numbers visible.

I emailed them photos, they emailed me back asking for more and telling me they loved it.

The issue came out a month ago.....no altered ball. Am I bitter? I guess not LOL I am a bit disappointed though. Especially since they made a point of asking for more pics. Oh well.

But, since they didn't want it, I can now share it with all of you.

I covered the ball with pages torn from a novel I am using for an altered book. (again, see previous posts) Once the entire ball was covered, I brushed on antiquing gel to darken it.

I stamped images on printer paper and a few on tissue. All images are from Oxford Impressions. I then applied these with Mod Podge (which my husband informed me tonight as I was sealing my project that it "stinks to high heaven" LOL)

By stamping on tissue paper it almost appears that those images are stamped directly on the ball.

So this ball now sits proudly on the jelly cupboard in my diningroom. It is my favorite of all the ones I have made.









Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Ink Blots

I have been feeling kind of down lately and that really locks up the creative juices. I decided to try to get things flowing again with a little experiment.

First I got out the black paint and made some "ink blots". The idea was, once they were dry I had to turn them into something.

The first one came out pretty good. The next 2 are currently on their way to the land fill LOL

Below is the first "blot".
I turned it into a fancy hairdo or is it a hat? :-) I want to use her in a collage. I just haven't had time yet to gather up all those fashion pictures I have stashed away.....somewhere.


I have at least 5 more blots on hand so if I ever get around to making them into something else I will get them posted.

Friday, June 27, 2008

I've been Tagged!

My friend Anne from http://liberteas.blogspot.com tagged me today so now it is my turn!

Tag Rules: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, and goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten Years Ago ... I was a volunteer at the local grade school. I helped children practice their reading, graded papers and designed display and bulletin boards for the teachers.

Five Things on Today's To-Do List: It is almost bedtime so I will list 5 things on tomorrow's list
1. Go to the Rooster Crow festival
2. Watch for yard sales traveling to and from the festival
3. Put on sunscreen so I don't get burnt watching the parade
4. Buy fresh fruit and veggies at the farmer's market
5. Sit out on the patio and enjoy my day off
(aren't Saturday's great?!)

Snacks I enjoy: Tortilla Chips (can't go a day without them), Chocolate, Cashews, Caramels

Things I would do if I was a millionaire: Build a large house with huge windows and a huge art studio overlooking the ocean. Pay off all my bills. Help out my siblings with any bills they may have.

Places I have lived: Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon

I am now going to tag:

Marilyn at http://www.funkypeacockstudio.blogspot.com/
Jo Anne at http://paper-cats-page.blogspot.com/
Mary at http://www.auntmarysstuff.blogspot.com/
Richard at http://tunnel13.com/blog/

Go check out their blogs! They have some very cool stuff!!!!

Monday, June 09, 2008

The Dressmaker has come to town

I thought I was done making houses but then a new stamp set arrived and I just had to try it out! I just received the Close To My Heart "Simple Stitches" set. What fun. You can create the look of "sewing" without hauling out the machine (mine is buried back in the corner of my art room under a pile of fabric!)

The tape measure, dressmaker form and needles packet are all part of the Oxford Impressions "The Dressmaker" plate.

I found the little scissors on my last trip to the craft store and thought they were sooooo cute. There is a stamp on the Oxford Impressions plate that is almost identical and I have used that many times but decided to go with the metal ones on this house.

I may still add some words at the bottom. I haven't decided yet. It sort of seems to be calling out for a quote so we'll see what happens.

The photo of the woman is from a Victorian postcard cd. The original image is black and white. I liked the "cloudy" background on the photo and decided to play that up a bit. I used the photo effects on PSE5 to change the entire photo to blue. I then put that layer over the original photo and cut out the woman. Now the woman was black and white and the background blue. I then painted shades of pink over her sash, flowers and cheeks to add a touch of color. I really like how she stands out.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

This has become an addiction!

I made another "house" this evening. So many of the Bad Babies have come up with great ideas. We have several churches, and even more haunted houses. A few schools, a coffee house and a tea house. A couple flower shops and even a jail. But I haven't seen a potting shed yet....until now. :-)

I brought out my Cricut machine which hasn't seen much use lately and my Walk in my Garden cartridge. I love the flowers and tiny tools you can make with this. Too much fun!

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Doesn't every town need a milliner?

Well, mine did. Still making "houses". I always love going into the millinary shop in Colonial Williamsburg so I decided to add one to my village.


No stamping on this one. Instead I played with Photoshop Elements and created the sign on the shop. I also used fabric as part of my background. I used double-sided foam tape to raise all the elements from the background.

Monday, June 02, 2008

The Town Continues to Grow

I am still working on "houses" for the Row House swap. I only need 4 but I can't decide which ones I want to send and which I want to keep so I just keep making them.

I made this church Saturday morning. The woman in the stained glass is "Maude" from the Stampsmith. The faint angel image was stamped on tissue paper. I want to say she is from TuscanRose but she isn't marked so I can't be sure.

I made this beach house Saturday evening. The tide chart is from the Oregon coast. The sun stamp is from Emerald City Stamps. I originally did not have the "thatch" roof but my husband said it didn't look anything like a building so I added the roof and he was much happier. There is a real mini starfish in the lower right corner.
I just completed the theater. I like it, I think it is fun but I am not sure how others will like it.




Saturday, May 31, 2008

More Row Houses

Well, I decided I didn't really want to part with all of the houses I made last weekend. My only solution was to make more houses. Now I have an even bigger problem, I am not sure I can part with these either LOL

Below is a School House I made last night. The report card, little girl and numbers are rubber stamps from Oxford Impressions. I cut the books out of a clip art book. I am not sure you can tell in the photo but the tan transparency is a photo of old school desks. I attached it with little antiqued star brads. The crowning touch on this house is the bell. I cut out a hole and hung the bell using another star brad. I think it is just way too adorable (modesty is not always my best quality LOL)


This house I call my Spooky House. In reality, the background paper is quite lovely but has that old faded/discolored wallpaper look to it. I find the woman to be sort of creepy, maybe it is the look on her face. I actually lightened up the photo a lot to give her a more eerie appearance. The lace over her head is white but a rubbed black ink over it so now it is a dingy gray.

I created a "balcony" in the tower and made a little mini piece of art using Stampbord. It is pretty cool stuff. You stamp it or paint it, what ever you want and once done you scratch off the ink or paint and reveal the white underneath.
The face over the door appears to be made of polymer clay, it was included in a package of stuff I received in a swap. It was bright green so I rubbed walnut colored Distress Ink all over it. And lastly, the door, it opens to reveal a surprise inside. :-)

This is a close up of the Stampbord. I used chalk inks for the center and blank permanent ink for the outer edge. I then used the tip of an old exacto knife to score the lines.
And what neighborhood is complete without a dog? I saw this puppy cutout on my last trip to the scrapbook store and couldn't resist. I ran right home and built him a house.



Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Row Houses

The badbabyart group will soon be celebrating it's fourth birthday and to acknowledge the occasion we are having a "Row House" swap. Each participant will make 4 houses (one for each year) from chipboard. They should be approximately 5.5 x 8.5 inches. And can be decorated any way the artist desires.


I was immediately enthralled with this project and created 4 houses in just a couple days. The problem is that I really like all 4 of them and do not want to part with them so I am going to make some more. That way I have some to keep and some to swap.


This is my first house. I chose the birds since there are 4 of them. The "B" in the corner is for the bad babies. The upper script covered triangle is actually one of the corners I lopped off. I then covered it and glued it onto the roof. Although you cannot see it in the photo, the button at the top is an antique. I appears to be some sort of plastic in an antique gold color with 5 faceted "jewels" on it. It is quite sparkly.

House #2. I added a chimney and covered it with script paper to creat the visual effect of "bricks". The image of the woman is dressed in layers of lace so I added lace to the top and attached it with a fancy brad in antique bronze. The wrought iron fence and daisies are both stamped images.

House #3. I wanted to used some more stamps and I also wanted a more rustic feel. I love the large pine tree I used as "columns" on either side of my house. It is such a large stamp I rarely get a chance to use it. And that sun is a very cool image as well. Again, I decorated with buttons. The one at the top is really very bright/shiny gold metal. The one at the bottom with the ivy is shiny gold plastic. And the 3rd button, the one on the ATC, is a brushed gold metal button. They least shiny of the three and yet the brightest in the photo. :-)

I added a library pocket to the front of this one. I cut a scalloped edge and then made an ATC to go inside. That ivy, by the way, was a gift from a friend at least 5 years ago and I have been hanging on to it all this time just waiting for the right project. It is made of rusted metal and was easily shaped to echo the scallop of the pocket.

Here is the ATC I tucked inside the pocket.

Here is house #4. This one took me the longest. I don't know if that is because I didn't use the same type of neutral backgrounds like I did on the other three or because of the many distractions that occurred throughout the day.

This house went through several idea changes before settling on the one below. Originally I had the image of a little girl and she was going to be standing in front of a fence (the flower border down the right side). Then I found a cool image of a girl sitting on a bench wearing a 20's swimsuit and thought she would be fun sitting on the "fence". I finally found the woman draped in nothing but the sheer lace and she seemed to fit with the night sky the best. The fence then became a "wall". I stamped the clock and set the time to almost midnight. What other time would you be prancing around your house wearing nothing but a sheer lace sheet? LOL

The "sister" definition is an acknowledgement to the bad babies who really are like a large group of sisters. :-)

The corner stamp was first stamped in metallic copper but it just didn't show up that well so I stamped it again in brown and it really "pops" in person.

Lastly, I added a couple metallic colored star brads to the sky, placing them directly over existing printed stars. It gave the sky that little extra twinkle.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Another Altered Book

I am nearing the end of the altered book round robin. Only one more book to work in. Not to worry though, I have signed up for a True Colors swap so I will have another book in circulation very soon.

Last night I finished working on Tamara's Birds: Songs, Soliloquies and Salutations. I have to admit, seeing the title for this one had me worried. I had no preconceived notions of what I was going to do but once the book arrived the idea just came to me!

I created a 2-page spread with a transparency between them. That is where my bird image resides. I had to make sure that the papers I used looked good together since both would be visible at all times AND I had to make sure any items placed near the top did not detract from the image on the film.

Below is spread 1. I added small twigs to give the nest dimension. And there is a branch stamped in brown on the upper right side of the left page but it doesn't show well in the photo.



This is page 2. I loved this paper with the words "How Sweet the Sound" and wanted to make sure they didn't get covered up. You can see part of the nest from the previous page so it almost appears the bird is sitting on it. I may add some notations to the graph card. Not sure yet.


This is a close up of the transparency. It is actually 2 different images, one of the bird and the other of some writing. I placed them face to face to protect the ink so it can't be rubbed or scratched off.

Here is the poem that is partially visable below the bird. I found it online and the author was not listed so I have no idea who to credit.

The Sparrow

A little bird, with plumage brown,
Beside my window flutters down,
A moment chirps its little strain,
Then taps upon my window-pane,
And chirps again, and hops along,
To call my notice to its song;
But I work on, nor heed its lay,
Till, in neglect, it flies away.

So birds of peace and hope and love
Come fluttering earthward from above,
To settle on life's window-sills,
And ease our load of earthly ills;
But we, in traffic's rush and din
Too deep engaged to let them in,
With deadened heart and sense plod on,
Nor know our loss till they are gone.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Back to Beeswax

I haven't done any beeswax art since I took the class....a year ago I think. Or was it 2?


Anyway, one of the groups I am in has a monthly lottery. I knew the theme was Vintage Buttons but for some reason just never got around to doing anything. Then today I thought...Hey, I want to play! So they pushed back the date until Friday so I could join in.

I have been wanting to get out the beeswax for a while now but really had nothing I wanted to make so it sat on the shelf. This theme just called out for BEESWAX!

I stamped all the images. They are from Oxford Impressions except the 3 women stamped in brown, they are from Tuscan Rose I think. They are all stamped on tissue paper except the woman. she is on copy paper AND tissue paper.

I used a 6 x 6 inch canvas board. I covered it with melted wax then scribbled on some water soluble oil pastels. yellow and brown. Then then began laying down the stamped images starting with the text.

I used fabric that I tore so it would have a frayed edge, not that you can tell much under the wax.

Next came the the copy paper woman. I laid down this image and then tinted her cheeks pink and her dress blue using the oil pastels. I then put the tissue image over top so the colors became muted.

Next the other stamps and finally the lace.

The last step was the buttons. I has to put down a puddle of wax, press the button into it and then dribble more wax over top. They are each encased in a little wax cocoon.