Holiday ATCs

I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy traveling for work.  It is hard to make art while in hotels.  For this "Merry Christmas" atc swap, I decided to use just the supplies I could pack into a gallon size zip top bag in my checked luggage.  I stamped some random snowman images and text onto card stock before I left home.  I took some holiday themed papers and ended up cutting up magazine pages to get colored paper for the tree and stable.  All other elements are hand drawn.  Ink pens, color pencils and watercolors were used to color the images and to paint the backgrounds.  Some of the elements were completed using Glossy Accents and glitter glue.  The finished card had to be backed with another piece of card stock because the watercolor made them flimsy.

Alfred Gockel

Recently, I hosted an ATC swap of cards inspired by the atrist, Aflred Gockel. The returns were varied and focused on many aspects of his art.  These are my own contributions.  They are all hand painted in acrylics on heavy paper. Remember that ATCs are 2.5x3.5 inches so I think they came out really nicely.

 All of these are titled "Nature" and numbered.

Just a few more..

I've made another heart and fish to exchange.  I think they came out pretty well so I wanted to share.

This heart was painted using crackle medium.  The bottom heart has washi tape and a painted black edge.  The top heart has an edge made of black embossing powder.  The key is a wooden key painted gold.

This fish started out as cereal box that was covered with torn book pages.  I stamped over the top using an Inkadinkado stamp and clear embossing powder. I used stamping inks from Studio G to created the greenish purple background and the clear embossing powder acted as a resist.  Next, I used blue and brown inks and stamps of tree tops and clocks.  Finally, I drew a seagull and cut out a stencil to use for the bird.  The quote from Martin Luther Kings, Jr was printed and colored using spray ink.  Accents were added using gel pens. 

Funny Little Owls

This week I worked on a challenge to create an owl from a toilet paper tube.  It was fun to watch the videos online and to see just how many ways there are to approach this project.  These little owls were the result.

Mainly, I used scrap paper to cover the cardboard and for the pieces.  Some of the papers were the inside of old envelopes.  Other pieces were from the fronts of old greeting cards.  For any of the plain paper, I either stamped images or just added dots with markers.  The eyes were made from circle and flower punches

Thanks for visiting.

Sky, Sand and Seagulls

I recently joined a new art swap group.  One of the first swaps I signed up for was to complete 2 ATCs with the theme of sky, sand and seagulls.  I finished my cards and thought I would share.

This is a happy little gull based on a photograph I took when visiting the Oregon Coast.  The seagulls often sit on the fence near the picnic area waiting for people to feed them.  
The card was created on 140 lb watercolor paper.  The sky, and sea were painted using watercolor paints.  The sand is Martha Stewart Texture Paste that feels and looks like sand.  I drew the fence on brown craft paper and then added texture by stamping with the stamp pad over the whole thing.  The shadows were added using a brown marker.  I cut it out and attached it to the card.  I drew in the grasses behind it to add interest.  I wished I had drawn them first but I didn't think of it until it was too late :-).  Next I drew the seagull on card stock, colored it and cut it out.  It is adhered to the card using pop dots.  The card was very heavy so I adhered it to a piece of cereal box.

This card was also inspired by a photograph I took at the beach. This card is heavy card stock.  I started by creating the sky using a technique I saw on YouTube.  I tore a paper towel and used blue stamp ink from Studio G to color the edges.  As I moved down the card, I turned the paper towel slightly and continued until I had enough sky.  I liked how the sky turned out so I decided to try the same strategy for the sand.  I tore a second piece of paper towel but slanted it .  The ink is Vintage from Colorbox Mixed Media.  Again, I just flipped the whole container over and used it like a sponge.  I liked how the edge of the ink pad made slight variations in the sand.  I used an olive green ink and a floral stamp from Studio G for the grasses.  I drew, colored and cut out the seagull.  It is attached using foam tape. This bird looks a little more serious.

These were fun to make and as summer comes to an end, it was nice to revisit the trips to the coast.

The Birds

The challenge for the second swap was to create Twinchies with birds on them. Twinchies are 2 inch squares that become the canvas for the art.  One might think this is small so it should be easy but when I began to try to fill 4 square inches with art that was small enough and made sense, they seemed like a lot of white space.  I've made inchies (1 inch squares) and they didn't seems as hard as Twinchies.  Let's take a look at what I came up with....

OK, for the first card I was inspired by a tag that I saw on Pinterest.  The tag used products by Tim Holtz.   I didn't use those products on my Twinchie but I did take the basic idea for the meadow and the mosaic.

First I punched a 2 inch square.  I covered this square with torn dictionary pages and Modge Podge.  While that dried, I cut a second square at 1 3/4 inches.  Using ink pads from Studio G, I colored in a grassy area and sky.  I usually just turn the pad over and use it straight from the container.  The grass was made with light green up to the middle of the card and the sky using light blue down to about the middle.  I then took a darker blue and a darker green and went back over those areas stopping short of the middle.  That gives the center a lighter look.  Next I stamped flower images using Stampin' Up stamps and Staz On brown ink.  I also stamped circles on the sky area using light green ink. Once the 2 inch square was dry, I coated it with Ranger Distress Ink in walnut using a cotton ball.  While that dried, I cut the smaller square into 16 small squares.  I reassembled the scene on top of the 2 inch square.  The bird is from a Momenta stamp on card stock that I had inked with the distress ink.  To give it a raised look that wasn't too high, I put the bird on a piece of cereal box that I doubled in thickness by gluing 2 pieces together and cut it out with my Exacto knife.  It is attached with glue on top of everything.

This Twinchie was much simpler.  I punched the square from a sheet of 140 lb water color paper and covered the paper with gesso.  The moon and sky were painted using blue and white acrylic paints.  I needed a large swirl.  To get this to work, I had to tape the small card to my craft mat using painters tape on the back. I painted it using a large circle that went off the small card.  Next, I painted the swirly tree and bird silhouettes with black acrylic paint. The edges weren't very crisp since my smallest paint brush was still too thick so I went around the edges of the birds with a black gel pen.

For this Twinchie, I punched  the 2 inch square from a piece of thick white cardboard from a package of gel pens.  I always save these thick pieces of packaging because they make great bases for ATCs.  All of the inks I used on this card were from Studio G.  I stamped light blue swirls on the white card using an Inkadinkado stamp.  I antiqued the card using Ranger Distress Ink in tea stain using a cotton ball.  I then stamped the cage using black ink and the key using gold ink. Those stamps were from a bag I got at a yard sale.  Next, I stamped music on the white cardboard and used a chip board bird from Studio G as the template.  I cut out the bird, inked the edges, and attached it to the top then traced around it using white Souffle gel pen.  The little silver hearts were confetti I got in a card for Valentine's day.

  The last little birdie was started using a 2 inch square punched from a cereal box. I covered the square with gesso.  Once the gesso was dry, I used a light blue ink pad and lightly coated the gesso. Next, I stamped a variety of swirls and flowers using dark green and olive green inks.  I free hand cut out the bird shape from patterned paper and cut the wing from a scrap of dictionary page that was colored by pressing it down on blue and pink ink pads.  Once the ink was dry, I attached the bird and coated the whole thing with matte Modge Podge to seal it.  Last, I went around the bird and the edge of the card with brown marker and used white gel pen to add accents.

For the Birds

Over the past couple of weeks, I've joined 2 art swaps that revolved around birds.  The first was a Birdhouse ATC swap but the catch was that the ATC had to be in the shape of a birdhouse and still fit the overall size of an ATC (2.5 x 3.5 inches).  The swap was open to any medium so my techniques ranged from hand painting to stamping to collage.  

For the birdhouses, I started by cutting out a template to use but after creating the first house, I decided that it would make me happier to change each one.  As a result, each house is shaped just a little differently.  Each house started with a chipboard ATC and was then cut into the shape it became.  So let's take a look at them and I'll tell you how it was made.

 For the first house, I cut the shape then painted it with a coat of light blue watercolor paint.  Next, I covered parts of the shape with patterned paper.  I wish I knew where I got these papers but I have had them far too long and they weren't marked.  The trim was cut from a part of a pink VooDoo Doughnut box. The flowers were punched and the centers were inked with metallic gel pens.  The little birds were stamped on patterned paper then cut out.  Finally, the words were printed using a text box with a patterned background.

For the second house, I cut out the shape then covered it with green and yellow polka dot paper.  The chimney was also covered in the polka dot paper.  I used a scrap of different patterned paper for the base.  The roof was cut from the inside of an envelope. The flower was punched and inked.  The tiny bird was stamped and cut out then the reverse side was painted and accents were drawn on using gel pens.  The fence was free hand drawn "boards" cut out and glued together. All accents, including the roof shingles and chimney were added using gel pens.  The music notes were stamped.

 This house turned out very different than the first two.  The shape was cut and covered with plain white cardstock.  The light blue swirls were stamped using Stampin' Up stamps.  I added the light blue circle as an opening.  Once those were dry, I coated the whole thing with Delta Ceramcoat Pearl Finish paint.  Next, I covered the base of the house with Studio G glitter Glue and added the white trim using Scribbles 3D paint.  I punched fleur de lis from paper coated with the Pearl Finish.  I added the lace and accented it with Scribbles 3D paint "pearls" then attached the fleur de lis.  Finally, I made paper roses from punched flowers.  Each rose took 3 flowers that were cut and glued into this shape.  I got the idea from a video on YouTube.  I don't have a 6 petal punch so I had to improvise using my 5 petal flower.

This picture is hard to see because the roof is white and I didn't think to scan it with something over the back.  The last house was cut out without a base.  The house is painted with a coat of acrylic paint and then the black circle was added.  I punched scalloped circles and cut them in half to use as the scalloped roof line.  Before adding them to the house, I coated each one with Liquitex Light Modeling Paste to give it some texture.  I applied it using my fingers so there are ridges and peaks in the texture.  Finally, I punched flowers and free hand cut out leaves and vines.  I attached these but it still felt bare.  I decided to add the yellow butterfly that was left over from a different project.  I stamped tiny circles in light green then coated the whole butterfly with Perfect Pearls medium and powder.The trim, dots, and flower centers were made using Scribbles 3D paint.

Go Fish!!

My latest challenge has been to create mixed media funky fish.  I have created a few of these.  Some turn out better than others.  It has been fun and it is a challenge to come up with new ideas.

These fish are created using a template that was provided by the person that started the art swap on ATCs for All.  It is roughly 3.5 inches tall and 8 inches long.  The basic shape could be anything from a guppy to an angel fish depending on the embellishments.  I have been using pieces of cereal box as the base.  From there, the techniques vary.

These are my creations so far.  Enjoy!

Going with the flow is my newest.  You can barely read the saying on top but that was on purpose.
I wanted it to blend in with the dots and sort of act like the lateral line on the fish body.  After all, the quote is about conformity :-).

I don't usually do cute but she just evolved.  Her fins are made from crinkled tissue paper and lots of glitter glue. Her "scales" are made using a chevron stamp and silver ink over a painted background. Her glossy eye is made from Glossy Accent over black and white circles.  Her eyelashes are embroidery thread.

This fish started out with a layer of tissue paper.  The fish on top are hand drawn.  The medium sized one is painted.  The smallest is a hand cut fish coated with a layer of gold embossing powder.

The fish below is actually one fish.  The front is a view from above with the caption, "What lies beneath..."  The white and orange fish is an up close of what lies beneath.  This side is highly textured using gesso and a layer of used dryer sheet under all the paint.  The orange is embossing powder and the raised lines on the fins are drawn with puff paint.