Unusual Card Shape--Last week as Guest Designer for Stampotique

Hi artsy pals,
   This is my most recent addition to the Stampotique Designers Challenge... the theme is "Unusual Card Shape".... It does fold flat to mail, but would take extra postage for sure.
  I will certainly miss being the guest designer, but I'll still happily play along each week!
 
                          What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampotique Designer Challenge week 2 "All About Monsters".

Hello Artsy friends,
    I've posted my 2nd week of the Stampotique Designer challenge  SDC-307 to their Facebook page.... theme is still "All about Monsters"...
   I've taken an inexpensive "book box" and  turned it into a home for all the images I've already colored and cut out... just waiting for their projects.
    Decided to take a few photos along the way to show the process...

Here's the box I got on clearance for $.80.. great deal!

I've sanded down the outside and inside to give my glue a place to hold on.

I carefully peeled the edges apart... so I could wrap some papers over the cover.

 Using a score board I created the correct spacing to wrap around the box.

 Here's how I decorated the paper itself (it's 140lb watercolor paper).. I used Dylusions Spray inks..

 Realized I needed to add some fold lines along the spine of the paper/book.

 Used both wet and dry glue to make sure these stayed in place.

 I loved the way it turned out, now to just put my Monsters on it with some Heavy Gel Medium.

Decided to also make the inside pretty, fitting the paper in just so --- took patience, but I'm glad I got it right.

A little glimpse inside...

That's a wrap. I'm very happy with how this turned out and have several other boring boxes I'd like to cover very soon! 

 Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Designer Week 2 "All About Monsters"

Hello everyone, 
   I've created something new for my 2nd week as Guest Designer at Stampotique. The theme is " All About Monsters", you can check out their blog here.
   For this challenge I got some 4-inch glass ornaments and used alcohol inks to do the coloring. I enjoyed this so much, and went out to buy more ornaments... can't wait to make more of them.  I've even colored the top where the hook sits, to match the colors of each piece. 

I realize the Dragonfly isn't a monster... but I made this one while making the others, so I figured I'd include it in the photo too.                                    

                               

                          Here's a closer look at each one.

What do you think?

Stampotique Guest Designer for September.

I'm thrilled to announce that one of my favorite rubber stamp companies has asked me to be their Guest Designer for September... this truly took my by complete surprise, and I'm delighted. Thank you Stampotique! 

   The first project I have for you is under the "Sun Moon Stars" theme that is set up on their Facebook Page and also on their Blog.... check it out and play with us please!
 
 

A page in my Stampotique art journal. 

Wow, I was the Spotlight Winner Twice!!

I'm happy to announce that Stampotique Designers Challenge Blog has picked my entries twice to be their Spotlight winner. (They put the winner's artwork up on their Stampotique Facebook page for 2 weeks.) 

 My first "win" was an entry I submitted for the Turquoise challenge... 

The "second" win (and most recent) was an entry for the "Under the Sea" challenge... it was only the 2nd time I'd ever played with Alcohol inks. 

I truly love participating in these challenges, they keep my mind moving forward!

If you have any suggestions... I'm ALL ears

As you can see, I'm brand new to this blog thing, and truly have never been one to jump on the blog-hopping bandwagon. I'm asking for ANY advice you're willing to give... suggestions, etc. 
  If you leave me a link to Your blog, I'll make every effort to go check it out; I need to learn from those who already have this down! 
 Thank you!!

First few pages from an Altered Book

 Here are the first few pages (that I created as examples) for my most recent Altered Book (Round-robin style)... my theme was "Friendly Monsters and the Magical places they live"- I've recently received all of the completed pages, bound it with book posts... now to create a cover for it and call it done. :)

This was just the first page as you opened the book. I wanted to capture a make-believe fantasy world for happy monsters to live.

This didn't photograph well; it's rather dark in reality and the lights all glow in the dark.

I used some Stampotique stamps to add some fun to my acrylic painted background. The monster is just hand drawn from my imagination. 

My solution to storing Ink Daubers

The other day I'd finally had enough of trying to balance my Distress Oxide Inks and their respective ink daubers. (I'd tried Velcro on the sides, Velcro on the tops, Velcro on the bottoms.... Finally I found what works for me!) 

    I ordered some 2x2 coin holder sheets from Amazon, put them into a clear plastic pronged folder... And gave each color a label & a pocket. I colored labels for the sides of each ink too, so I can see what they are without lifting the color piles.

   Now the inks are stacked by color (no more picking through 6 piles to find that "worn lipstick" ever again!) The corresponding ink daubers are also organized by color, so very easy to find! I'm ready for the next round of colors Tim Holtz releases. I have the first 48... I love love love these inks! Have you tried them? 

My Very First Blog Post-- Baby stepping it

Hello Artsy Folks...
   Thank you for taking the time to visit my first-ever blog. I've decided after going through hundreds of photos of my artwork, it was time to put it all in one spot... ok, well maybe not ALL of it, that would take forever... but I'll try to post some that I've made over the years.
  A little bit about me; I'm 40, married and only have fur-babies... been living in Southeast Connecticut, USA for the past 15+ years. I have more than my share of health issues that prevent me from working a typical job. Luckily I'm able to stay home most of the time, creating whatever strikes my fancy-- it keeps me out of trouble most days.
   I belong to a wonderful group of artsy women who meet monthly to discuss what mixed media techniques we've done in each other's Altered Books.. (Round Robin style)... We probably have too much fun when we get together, but there's no stopping us now.
   Snail mail has been a huge part of my life since I was in the 2nd grade, 30+ years ago I wrote my first penpal letter to Travis in Kentucky. Through the years I've written countless letters, decorated stationary, envelopes, made cards... the evolution to mixed media was just waiting to happen... and oh did it happened! I love it. I love color, bright, happy colors that make me smile when I see that I still hand-write penpal letters, looking forward to each and every new letter that arrives in my mailbox... and hoping to make the postal workers smile with some pretty envelopes.
   Rubber stamps, inks, markers, pens, pencils, paints, pastes, fibers, beads, jewelry, chalks, stencils.... oh how I love thee. Surrounded by these wonderful creative tools, I let my mind be free in my art room.
   Ok, enough talk, I'm going to figure out how to get some photos posted and I'd love any feedback, advice, criticism, etc... Thank you again for stopping by.
 

Below are a few recent pieces that I made for the Stampotique  Designers Challenge (They are one of my absolute favorite rubber stamp brands EVER!) I highly recommend checking them out.

The following 4 photos were from one of my friend's altered books (she's in that group I mentioned earlier)... We were given a bunch of quotes to use, and were to depict them however we chose. These were my addition to her beautiful book, I hope she liked them!

What do you think? 

This is one of my beaded crochet wrap bracelets, I've made quite a few of them now.

I believe this was from an altered book I was working in; I Love giraffe!!

               More altered book pages---

      My first baby dragon (and only baby dragon)... in  my own art journal...

                           Another colorful page in my art journal...

Ok, I'll stop for now, thanks again for stopping by!  ~Lisa