Neato Geo

Here is my first try at a geo design..so inspired by the artistes at amstamps...I made this one with the Black Gluepad, metal leaf leftovers, glitter and a faux mahogany finish using Palette inks..

My husband, Mac and a fake bird

Mac

This is what I do when I'm not making stuff...

Ok, so those aren't really planets orbitng around the universe of Mac..it's my paper trash..such a messy crafter!

this is where Mac decided to "surf" on my mini ironing board...or bored.

and this is my favorite..kind of..Here Mac uses his exceptional girth to block my chair so that either I cannot sit down, if up, or get up, if sitting down. I made the mistake one day, while totally lost in photoshop..choosing out pics of you-know-who, of rolling backwards quite quickly without looking. All I heard was a yelp. A very high pitched yelp..and as I looked down, there was a gerbil sized wad of hair stuck under the wheel. Poor guy ran all of the way to the kitchen and with his sad, lion eyes staring at me, begging for pity, I opened the treat bag and gave him a double portion...I was going to say that he didn't learn anything because he still sits under the chair. But it has just dawned on me that he actually learned that to get double portions of his favorite treats..he only has to get half shredded by my rolling, office chair. Not so dumb after all....

Pickle Friends

I got a nice surprise e-mail from my pickle friend, Emily, who's a super busy mom..but has been having fun with the chalk inks in her scrapbooking. Look at these beautiful samples she made....



This was one of my favorite books when I was little..and I always think of it when I see Rusty Pickle. Hmph..wonder why? :}

So busy!

Well, I have entered into the busiest part of the year. Product development, catalog production, artwork..artwork..artwork. I am hoping to stay current and updated on here..but that's what I'm up to if I get quiet..

Artwork for a
Memories Mists ad..picture starring and taken by
Ms. Jenny Elwick..http://jennyelwick.com/

August 20, 2007

I'm back from Washington and abuzz with inspiration and ideas. I had the chance to show a lot of store owners and their employees..and family, some of the products and techniques that I enjoy playing with. It's always fun to share and visit...This particular show was hosted by Stewart's sales reps, Tk and Associates. I love those guys. It was held at the heathman lodge in vancouver, quite lovely. I hope to do it again next year...

Here are a few more samples from this last CHA.

This 12 x 12 features memories mists on the tags. I also sprayed a few colors into their own caps and used them to paint with. They dry really, really fast, so they create a blotchy, kind-of watercolory look... I love the Whipped cream..the White mists. It creates a spectacular effect layered over the other colors..oh and the gorgeous picture was done by my sister..Jenny Elwick..you can google her for more great pics! I am NOT biased, she's Really, really good. She also took the portrait in the frame below,

...to help bring out that beautiful green background, I stamped the mat using both the original and the black gluepad. Both glue inks were heat set and then covered, or painted, with metallic pigment powders, like accent powders. The metallic constrast on the black gluepad is stunning in person, while the original gluepad offers a nice subtle background.

Oh and now my favorite baby, Lexi Pilkins...

Look at those cheeks..

This page is mostly an assemblage of different background papers, time to start using that stuff I can't help but collect. I sprayed a couple of shipping tags with the mists and then stamped them with the gluepads..a big thank you to my dear friend Mandy for the supply of the cutest baby photos ever!

samples, samples, samples

more from the archives...




Peace,Original Gluepad and assorted Metal leafs...Fixed Baroque, stencils with Chalk ink



Sigh card features Palette cube inks, a perfect 1 x1 size. I used a clean foam stamp to take ink off for this faux batik look...floating buddha, images colored with Memories Mists and a paintbrush..the Crazy bird is the Black Gluepad with Black Flocking..and chalk inks in the background, of course..:)

These samples feature more of the funny minis, what I've been working on recently... The look on this funny bunny's face is hysterical. I like to think he advertised an egg hunt and then ate them all himself..

This next one, Island Summer Romance, is a jewelry box with two corners cut to act like a flip top box. This one I went to town on with ribbons, glitters, papers, minis, paint, ink...

I need to get better pics of these so you can see the detail on the inside....

Duh cuts

So the Smile card I posted below features some die cut flowers..and my sister asked me how I made them..Well, I hate to admit this..but I have owned a Wizard die cut machine for a few years now, and have just discovered the beauty of it. I have gone die cut crazy. I used a cuttlebug die..it's too cute. Anyhow, what a great way to use all of that blotter paper, background paper, scraps....here are some closeups;

King Mac

I tried to take some pictures this morning of the mini kitty playground I made last night and the night before. However, the real cat..the King Mac, decided it was photo op time...

Mine.

ooops..the flash went off, he Hates that!

Here's a poor picture of what I orginally intended to take pictures of,

The mama cat stands just barely two inches tall...and she has detail in the face, but I have to get a better picture of that.

Washington

I am going to Vancouver Wa this weekend to a rep show, to show off our newest products...and I have to do a make and take, which I haven't done for a very long time. I usually have this problem where I Over make everything. I Over think and Over prepare...it's really very tiring. But, anyhow..I've designed the project, which needs to be completed in 15 minutes or less and I'm pretty happy with it. It's something that shows off the colors of the Memories Mists and the Memories Chalk inks, so people will get to play..now, I have to go die cut 200 flowers..I'll be typing more much...much later. :)

Close up of the tag and diecuts..

Of course, I only get this card after I've gone through thirty "not good enoughs", and make my desk look like this;

Who am I kidding..it always looks like this!

More samples from the archives

I thought I would purge the samples from my "archives", you know those folders you hardly ever look at..:) This should help to make room to create more new samples..open a door and draw a window..

More black gluepad samples..this one is from the ad..the spiky flowers are stamped in Black and the rounded flowers are with the Original clear. I think they play well off of eachother..

This one was the result of an excited night of new toys. I am doing some artwork for a company that sells miniatures and glass glitter. So I had a bottle of sure tac, some decorative paper and ribbon, stickers, some white cards and a bunch of flat back minis. The mushrooms and elves are too fun! I'm working on some shadow boxes right now..will post those when I'm done.

Again! the wrong colors..must be a pattern..will figure out..later. So wrong colors..but more fun flat back minis!

Birds

I got a book of Folk Art patterns for faux painting, and the such...actually got dozens of different pattern books from Unicorn press. I did some artwork for their booth a few years ago and got the goodies in exchange. Wish I'd taken pictures of the artwork...can't for the life of me remember what I did. I have the feeling I would recognize it, however...anyhow, this particular folk art book started me on painting birds...like the one from my first post. I'm working on another piece of that size and then I did this clipboard for the last show. This one was also palette refills with white acrylic paints...thanks to Maria Dellos, by the way, for opening up this world to me. I love the colors..so vibrant. I call this one Bird Board.

I, Mac

Here are some pictures of a chipboard journal that I made for CHA Chicago, 2007.
I call it "I, Mac"...I should mention that I am totally in love with my cat. He is such a sweetie. We like to talk and gossip about my other cat, Zoe. (She likes my husband better..:)
I think he must have been a model in a past life..he LOVES to have his picture taken...
Anyhow, this book also features the Black and the Original Gluepad, with Metal Leafing, Metallic Powders and glitter. The photos aren't great quality..but I think you can get the gist..

The cover spine and front. Chipboard diecuts and alphabets, background paper and the black gluepad with Metal leaf and metallic powders.

Page one..look at that lion! What a face...

pages 2 and three feature stamping on background paper with the black gluepad and highlighting with glitters and metallic powders...

Sleeping angel...this chipboard diecut was covered with Palette white ink and then the original gluepad..while still wet, ultra fine prisma glitter was added and then heated. There is a beautiful rainbow glow..

...the purple spread, pages 6 to 7 feature the black gluepad again on background paper with copper metal leaf and accent powders.
The last page highlights the Black gluepad direct to the chipboard surface with the same ultra fine prisma glitter as the sleepy angel pages...same technique, totally different effect. Roar.

The back cover is just the black gluepad, direct to surface and then heated to activate...and covered in metallic powders...I didn't get the meow of approval for this one yet..not enough pages he says. :)

August 13, 2007

Here is the close up;





The colors of the metallic powders just bounce
off of the black gluepad. I applied the gluepad directly
to the front of a white square card, heated it to activate
and then randomly dropped flecks of metallic powders onto
the black. With a paintbrush, I then swirled the powders
around..creating the background. The star is a three piece
chipboard set, also covered with metallic powders, copper
metal leaf and ultra fine prisma glitter....super star.

August 11, 2007

"Stars fell like snow, under her

rainbow umbrella."

I was feeling especially ethereal when I made this card. Using the Black gluepad, I covered the woman diecut with metal leafing and metallic powders. I glued the stars on one by one. I just love the use of color. The rainbow was made from an opposite mask, and the gluepad with metallic powders...in person the sheen is absolutley gorgeous. I think I like this idea of crafting and poetry. Might try more of that..

Full shot with coffee filter roses and another black gluepad card. I'll try and get a close up of the background on the stars card..:)

august 10, 2007

I'm starting a blog. A place to share the things I like...I should mention that I work for a craft company, Stewart Superior. We make inkpads and other crafty accessories. I do most of the designing, demoing, product development, artwork...lots of stuff. I do a lot of artwork for our advertising, catalog and trade show booths..but it goes to the shows and then sits in my house for the rest of it's life. So, if I tend to talk about Stewart product ad nauseum..that's why...
So, anyway, I've been reading online the last few days about Coffee Filter flowers. There is a feature on them on Martha's website, which I found through a yahoo group. I'm bad at following directions..so I just started cutting and taping. I made these four last night. They are colored with Stewart's Memories Mists. I layered a lot of color on top of color and let them dry overnight. Sure was fun to wake up in the morning and run to my room to see how the colors dried. What a dork! But I loved the combo of the Mango lemonade and Strawberry Daiquiri, with a little Whipped Cream..Looks so real in person. The inks soak in nicely, layering well without turning to that overmixed shade of brown-ish..


I'm also adding this pic of one of my favorite techniques, using the Memories Chalk inkpads. I love the chalk ink. Love it. Love it.


I would marry it..but I'm already taken. Tee hee. More chalk ink and mists cards... I don't know why the Party invitation uploaded in these colors. It looks nothing like this. This one looks like an invite to Shrek's house...



That's mostly stuff from earlier this year..except for the flowers. I need to get pictures of my more recent pursuits..I've been doing a lot of painting with inks..just experimenting. I love the white Palette ink in the refill. I dries nicely..semiopaque. I painted this bird a few months back, using the refills and a white acrylic paint. Love the colors.

This is on a vary large piece of cardstock...like maybe 80 x 110"..maybe? terrible at guesstimating...anyhow, it's fun to go large from time to time! I'm thinking of hanging this one over my fireplace...