Mailart Madness

I am killing 2 birds with one stone!!!
Viva Las VegaStamps! has a monthly challenge and a monthly swap...  Today I am sharing my entry for BOTH!!

May's inspiration board is a simple one but I just love the color combo!

Awesome right??!

AND the swap is a color challenge with a theme of MAILART.  The colors just so happen to match up with the insporation board...lucky right?

And now here is my envelope...

Well my three envelopes actually.  Two to swap and one for display at the VLVS! store in Las Vegas.

You can find out about our swap and challenge on our Groupies Facebook page.

Viva Las VegaStamps used:  Clockface, Map pf Arctic, Men in Balloon Basket, Wire Rings by Cat Kerr, Grunge Circles.

I was inspired by the clock, round shapes, grey, black and blue.

Hope you will join in all the fun too!!

she was a DREAMER...

A quick post to share my entry in this months inspiration challenge over at Viva Las VegaStamps! AND my postcards for the April swap (Pass the Postcard) hosted by the same.

Here is the chanllenge board

And our theme for the swap is steampunk.

And now my postcards...

I used Whimsical Fairy Lady, Nesting Gears and She Was a Dreamer. 

You still have time for the April inspiration challenge.  Hope you join us!!

Faceoff: an artist collaboration

Today I am sharing the resuslt of an collaboration with my friend Tina Walker.  She organizes the most creative and challenging artist collaborations just because it makes her heart happy,  Well, it makes my heart happy to be able to participate and be challenged to create with such talented artists. This collaboration is a one on one with just Tina and I and we created books all about faces.
My book explores techniques I am very comfortable with and some that are quite new.  This has been a project that allowed me to experiment and get comfortable with the NEW, it was a wonderful learning experience and I am excited to show you how it turned out.

The only 'rule' for this collaboration was that the book had to be 4"x4".  I created my book with some recycled chipboard, packaging and book pages.

 
Then I did some stenciling with Dina Wakley paints and stencil on cheesecloth.

Finishing off with a little bit of stitching.

This is what it ended up looking like when I finished.

So, if you have a few more minutes I will show you the pages.

This face was drawn with my Stabilo pencil on a Dina Wakley paints painty background.

The face on the left is drawn with Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks on canvas.  On the right more Dina Wakley, painted background and then Frida is stamped on transparency with painted accents and stapled to the background.

The page on the left is doen with Distress Oxide ink, Viva Las VegaStamps! and a Stabilo pencil.  On the right more Distress Oxide ink and stamps from VLVS! and Stampotique.

Left page is stamped with VLVS! stamped on tissue and adhered on a stamped background.  Stabilo pencil and Distress Crayons are used to color.  The right page is burlap with a coat of heavy gesso and DIstress Oxide ink then stamped with a VLVS! image, marks with the Stabilo pencil.

I used a Dina Wakley stencil and Amazing Mold Putty to create a mold that I then cast in Amazing Casting Resin for the left page.  She is painted with Dina Wakley paint.  The right page is a DWM stamp on some wire wings.  She is colored with Scribble Sticks.

I left the last page blank.  I think I might as Tina to do a page for me to finish off this AWESOME collaboration.  It would be the perfect end to my story about faces!!

Well, there you have it,,,thanks for letting me share my jouney with you.  I learned so much and am so greatful to have worked on this collaboration with Tina.
Please make sure to visit her over on her blog (click here), you will love what you see!!!

HOPE

Are you ready for the second installment in our year long collaboration for the Sustainable Souls Project???!!  February's prompt is Extreme Weather:   Droughts, Floods, Hurricanes, Tsunami's, Tornados.

My project was inspired by Drought.  We have experienced a bit of that lately not only in the mid west but on the west coast too.  For me theser are where I live and where I have lived and visit often.

Here is my canvas...

For me it is hard to watch the earth shrivel up and turn brown when we don't have enough rain.  My canvas background was painted with layers of gesso and crackle paint both from Art Basics by Prima and topped with Distress Stain to represent the dry cracked earth when we are experiencing drought.

All of the other elements represent the HOPE I have that people can make enough changes to preserve and renew.  Vintage light bulbs for the ideas of sustainability.

My chipboard tree (spooky tree from UmWow Studio) is covered with green buds, more hope for renewal.

And finally a Finnabair Mechanical Pocket Watch with a photo of 2 young girls (representing my nieces) with vinatge tiny printer block letters spelling the word HOPE for the hope I have that the earth with survive long enough for my nieces to enjoy with their own families.

My canvas is a constant reminder that every little thing we do now to reduce, reuse, recycle is a small step towards preserving the earth for our future generations.  It certainly wants to make me do my part!!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing our sustainable journey.  Make sure to visit The Sustainable Souls blog for more inspiring art creating awareness in sustainablility.

Mailart Swap-Banksy

The February inspriration challenge at Viva Las VegaStamps! is a colorful Bansky theme.

We are also hosting a mailart swap this month!  I made envelopes that met requirements for both.

These are my envies...and below the link to the two stamps I used.

Bansky Salvador Dali Street Artist

Banksy Make Art Not War

Hope you are inspired to join the challenge this month!!

Be Kind to Planet Earth

Welcome to the unveiling of my first project of this amazing year long collaboration.  For January we are inspired by 'Planet Earth, We Are All Connected, Ecosystems'.  I focused on Planet Earth.  Our planet must be cared for and we must be kind to it or our future generations will not experience the goodness of what the earth has to offer.

I created a canvas that focuses on the earth.

My 6x6 canvas is painted with Dina Wakeley paints.

The earth is cut from recycled cardboard with a Tim Holtz die.  I used  Dina Wakeley stencil on the water layer of the earth for some texture.

The background is painted and stenciled to created layers.  I drew and then painted the leaves, they are outlined with a stabilo pencil.

The raindrops are rainy day confetti from Um Wow Studio.  I cut the cloud from a Tim Holtz die and hand stamped the words.

The arrows are arrow confetti from Um Wow Studio.  The wings are a Dina Wakely stamp.

While I was creating this canvas my thoughts were of sustainability and renewal.  If we are to be kind to the earth these things must always be on our mind...

For more information on the Sustainable Souls Project and to see the work of all of the creatives who are building awareness through art click here.

Keep an eye out for our monthly projects.  I am so excited to bring awareness through art.

Inspired by Nature

The January challenge at Viva Las VegaStamps! is a perfect start tot he new year!!!

I creatd a wood block not only insired by this challenge but a collaboration I recently participated in, artist bundles, and the uber creative Dee Dee Catron.

I used Nature Collage and Butterfly Specimen from VLVS!.

The block has layers of Distress Stain and then some coffee stains.

I hope you are inspired as I was and get linked up for a chance to win some fabulous pink rubber!!

Until next time...get inky!