Save The Earth

It's time again for the Sustainable Souls to bring awareness through art.  Our theme for June is Carbon footprint, Simplify, Reduce Consumption, Self Sufficiency.

I focused on Carbon Footprint with the thought that in order to save the earth we need to reduce consumption.

I made a dream catcher to catch the dreams that we can all simplify and work to save the earth for our future generations.

Most of the items used are upcycled from variousthings for example, the 'save the earth' is handstamped in a soda can that was cut open.

Vintage lace and sari ribbon along with scraps of fabrics leftover and saved for something just like this!

I am fond of the ragged edges and threads.

The carbon footprint is actually stamped with my hand...

It will always be a reminder that we all need to reduce our carbon footprint!!

Make sure you head back to The Sustainable Souls Project blog and check out all of the other art shared by out team!

Putting the ME back in Mixed MEdia

I am so honored to have been invited by Dina Wakley to participate in the first of a series of challenges created to take us on an art journey.

This is from Dina: I want to put the “me” back in mixed media. All art is personal, whether it be a card or an art journal page or a painting. Join me as we begin a series of monthly challenges and prompts that will fuel your creative spirit and help you delve into the ME of MEdia.

Our first challenge: create a piece of art (card, journal page, tag, scrapbook page, painting, book, whatever you like using Dina Wakley Media product.) that shares with us your “why.” Why do you create? What compels you?

I pondered for only a moment before I knew I would be working on a journal page for this challenge. I used a burlap page in my new Dina Wakley journal.  
For me, creating is an escape from my day to day doings, a place where I can totally be myself...express myself in a way that shows who I really am.  The real me eMErges from behind my art and you get a glimpse of what is really going on in my head.

I started with a heavy coat of Dina's gesso then stenciled Maggie with Elephant paint...did some scribbling with various colors of the fabulous scribble sticks and my trusty Stabilo pencil.

On another piece of burlap I painted with Night, Turquoise and Blushing.  Then I cut it to piece and stitched the pieces to my page finishing them off with some marks using gesso.

Circles with Black paint, pieces of burlap layered under stamped images and book pages clusted and adhered.

I tucked some Tim Holtz alphas painted with Blushing at the edges of the burlap bits I stitched on.

Some final stenciling with the Daisies stencil with more Blushing.


Thank you for taking a look at my journal page.  
I will leave you with a couple of quotes Dina shared that are very appropriate for this challenge!

'Anyone who says you can't see a thought simply doesn't know art' -Wynetka Ann Reynolds
'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance' -Aristotle
AND MY FAVORITE:
'Art is your personal diary where you may color your thoughts and emotions on a page' -Sara, Los Cerros Middle School 1999

For the Birds

The June challenge at Viva Las VegaStamps is Flock 'o Birds and I just love the colors!!

I was able to combind this challenge with the latest swap at VLVS! too, 'For the Birds'.

I was inspired by the birds, pink and coral.
I used Bird in Flight, Bubble Wrap Texture and Banksy This Was Not My Dream.

The background was done on my gelli plate with DWM evergreen, rosy, lemon and an Um Wow Studio stencil.

The bird is colored with Prismacolor colored pencils.

Until next time...get inky!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Hello friends!!  The Sustainable Souls are sharing some awesome inspiration this month and we are bringing awareness to repurposing.

At my LSS, Scrappy Chic, I run a Kid's Club and this month we are working on repurposing childrens books into journals.  The kids range in age from 6-13 and we are discussing how you can reuse items to turn them into new treasures.  Our first phase of the project will be the covers of our journals.

I am sharing with you my version our our recycled journal.

I am very excited to show the kids how a little gesso and paint, along with some imagination, can make old new again.

We will be using loads of Dina Wakley products and getting messy!

I can't wait to introduce them to the importance of reusing things and making them meaningful again.

Painting, stenciling and mark making, OH MY!!

Make sure you head back over to The Sustainable Souls blog for some great inspiration on how you can recycle and reuse everyday items in our crafty journy.

See you next month!!!

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!!!