Artistic Procrastination

Ok, is it just me, or does everyone do this? I have so much stuff I should be doing - making 19 charms for a swap, finishing my DT projects, etc. But instead I decide I need to spend the whole day making this.

My stamp club has started having challenges every other month. A couple months ago we were given a large plastic medicine bottle and a large brass tag. I ended up setting mine aside and never did come back to it. I missed the meeting where we were supposed to bring them and didn't think about it again.

We were reminded a couple days ago to bring them on Saturday so I guess it was in the back of my mind. Well, what better time to do it than now???

I absolutely love how it came out. The photos just don't do it justice! The best part is that I had such a blast working on it. Everything in it is recycled or found - lots of junk drawer stuff in there. After lots of tinkering with alcohol ink and spray paint, the ugly orange of the bottle ended up looking just like tortoiseshell. I covered the white cap with scraps of metal from RockCandy Studios that I embossed and colored w/various inks.

So, are you an Artistic Procrastinator?

Tag Tuesday - Mask, Created Byhand - Open

Tag Tuesday's challenge was to use a mask in your tag. I have had this set of Tim Holtz masks for awhile, but hadn't used the barbed wire (bobwar to you country girls) mask yet - it seemed to be a perfect fit with the Cowgirl Blues stamps from Oxford Impressions. Since it's a Free for All at Created Byhand, I am submitting it for that too!

They Grow Up So Fast!

Mom and babies went out for a stroll this afternoon and I took a few quick pics of them. I can't believe they are only two weeks old - they look so grown up! It's fascinating to watch her teach them chicken stuff. Scratching, bugs, etc. So fun!

Wednesday Stamper - Fashion, Theme Thursday - Flourishes + a Freebie!

I had a hard time deciding what to do for today's Theme Thursday challenge, but once I did, I had so much fun! I started by using a Tattered Angels flourish mask and shimmer sprays to create a background on a vintage French book page. I used that as my inspiration for coloring my lady's dress. I had recently come across some vintage French postcards and this one ended up being the perfect element to layer with the other pieces.

I bought a Slice AGES ago but for some reason had put off using it - it hadn't even been out of the box! I stared it down today and decided I would figure out how to use it. Of course, it was a total snap to use and I am an idiot for not using it sooner! I love the different flourishes it can make (my main reason for buying it). After I cut these out I ran them thru the Cuttlebug to give them some extra texture.

Rubber stamps are all from the Le Beau Monde collection by Oxford Impressions. I was stumped by the Wednesday Stamper Fashion theme yesterday, but after I finished my card I realized it was perfect for that theme too.

Feel free to download this postcard and use in your own artwork!

UHU Chalk Pastel Background Tutorial + Tag Tuesday

A few months ago I posted a skinny that I made using a technique I came up with that uses UHU Envelope Glue Stic and chalk pastels. I promised that I would post a tutorial, and now I'm finally getting around to it! Here is a link to the original post if you'd like to see the first piece I made using this technique. It's super easy - anyone can get great results with very little effort.

Thanks to the wonderful people at the Glue with UHU blog who sent me the fantastic Glue Stick to play with. Now, let's make some art!

What you will need:

Chalk pastels in colors of your choice
UHU Envelope Sealer glue stick
Tag or card stock
Sharp knife
Baby wipe
Heat gun
Finger (very important!)

Step One: Using your knife, lightly scrape across the surface of the chalk, covering your tag with a fine layer of chalk dust.

Step Two: Using your finger, work the chalk into the tag.

Step Three: Take the UHU Envelope Sealer and drag it down the length of the tag in several places. You want a few fairly light streaks - don't cover the whole thing.

Step Four: While the glue is still wet, scrape another color or two onto the tag.

Step Five: Again using your finger, start to blend the chalks together. You will notice that they adhere to the glue streaks, creating lots of texture.

Step Six: After you've blended your colors, take a baby wipe and lightly swipe it across your tag. This will further blend the colors. Be careful not to over-wet your tag. If you do, you can dry it with your heat gun and redo the glue and chalk steps.

Step Seven: When you are happy with the look of your tag, dry it with your heat gun or set aside to dry completely. The chalk should be fixed at this point, but if it isn't you can spray your tag with a fixative.

Finished product (make sure you click on the image to see the larger view)! Stamps are all from the By the Sea plate from Oxford Impressions. All elements were adhered using the UHU Purple Glue Stic - of course, what else would I use?!

Thanks to Louise and her Tag Tuesday challenge. It gave me just the inspiration I needed today!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial - make sure you let me know if you try it out so I can take a peek at your creations.

Created Byhand Challenge - Father's Day

This week's Created Byhand challenge is Father's Day. I made this card a month or so ago using the Drywall Stitching technique from the April/May issue of the Technique Junkie newsletter. I used one of my favorite stamp sets from Oxford Impressions - Family Man. It's so hard to find good masculine stamps! I can't tell you how many times I've reached for this set. It is truly a must-have.

This is another card I did last year using this set. Again, another TJ technique - this time it's the Kaleidoscope Card tech from the April/May '08 issue. I sent this to my dad last year and he really loved it! It is really so much better in real life. It's so hard to show the 3-d quality of the inside - each frame is a separate layer. VERY fun card to make!

Front of card

Inside of Card