Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Design II - Paper as a three dimensional object

I was looking over the posts I made of work from my art program at school and noticed I hadn't posted this one. This was from my Design II class and it was an extension of our first project where we took paper (Bristol Board) and folded it into boxes and other 3D shapes. This was supposed to help us transition from 2D to 3D design. We were supposed to "go wild and crazy" according to the instructor, but I got a little carried away with my craziness. I titled this piece "Air Show" because it was supposed to represent the maneuvers the USAF Thunderbirds and other military acrobatic flying teams do as they wow the crowds.

Until my next post,
Diane

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sultry Women ATC

This Stamper's Corner Yahoo Group ATC had the theme of Sultry Women. I used some more of the marbled paper I made and added stamps from Non Sequitur and Inque.

Until my next post,
Diane

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Double Bugging card

For this card I used what has been referred to as the Double Bugging technique. Take an embossing folder and run it through your die cut/embossing machine. Using a direct to paper method apply a light coat of ink to the raised areas. Now turn the paper over and emboss the other side of the paper. Do the same direct to paper with another color in the same family or just apply it repeatedly until you get a darker version. I happened to have a coordinating stamp (can't remember company). The finishing touch was to add a bit of ribbon and some bling.

Until my next post,
Diane

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Buttons ATC of the Month

This month our ATC of the month theme for the Stamper's Corner Yahoo Group was Buttons. I used a piece of background paper that was from my first attempt at marbling paper. I made about a dozen pieces so you'll see more of them as time goes on. I used stamps from the Victorian Dressmaker set by Inque and of course buttons as an embellishment.

Until my next post,
Diane

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Tasteful Nude ATC for Altered Designs

A few weeks ago the Altered Designs Yahoo Group had the theme of Tasteful Nudes as our TGIF ATC. I used an image I got free from Digital Collage Sheets. The base layer is blue paper outlined with a Blue Pearlescent Painters marker. On top of that is paper from my first attempt at marbling. It really isn't the traditional marbling but I liked the look anyway. I stamped with Inka and a section of a Stampers Anonymous stamp. I closely cut the woman from the background and added it to the paper. There is one stamped image you can't see in the scan that I stamped with my new VersaMark pad in the Frost color. It shows up in person but difficult to capture with the scanner.

Until my next post,
Diane

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Last one in this series


I made a few cards using this template from Sheetload. I showed you two a few posts back where I changed the look by reversing the paper (a great trick when you are using double sided papers). The stamps are by the Paper Cut Studio and the paper is by K&Co.

Until my next post,

Diane

Friday, September 18, 2009

Cheers to You!


I made this card a while back and finally had a reason to send it. At the Stampers Corner Yahoo Group we have a monthly ATC lottery. The previous months winner (me this time) chooses the theme for the month and then picks the winner (I use random.org). I used this card to send my ATC (Rome was the theme) to the winner for August. It is based on a sheetload template and uses papers from Provo Craft and stamps from Inque.

Until my next post,

Diane

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Always important...


I sent this card for a recent ATC swap with the theme of Hats. The stamps are from Artistic Outpost and the saying is Hair Had Always Been Important. I used some paper from K&Co as the background and added a few buttons as embellishments.

Until my next post,

Diane

Monday, September 14, 2009

My non destructive decorated doors





Up until recently I've liked making and trading my ATC's more than receiving them. I had originally thought I'd put my trades into baseball card 9 pocket acid free pages but then I ran out and never bought more. Then the ATC's kept coming in the mail and sitting in their envelopes (after I'd opened them of course). I had this idea and acted on it and now I'm happy to give and receive. I took 32x40" 1/4" foam board and cut in in half the long way to make two 32x20" pieces. The measurements will vary based on the width and height of your door. I attached the ATC's and other trades I've gotten at various art retreats to the foam core with clear photo corners. I then used 3M picture hanging strips to attach the foam core to the back of the doors. Now when I open my crafting closet I am treated to finished art as my inspiration.

Can you see any art you have traded with me?

Until my next post,
Diane























Saturday, September 12, 2009

What about you?


Last fall I took a course called Communication Design at the local community college which was a fancy name for Advertising. We had mock clients and a real one too (see the post about the winter concert). For this project we were to target a specific type dog to a person in a certain age group. I picked the "older" generation (since I was the oldest student in the class). My ad focused on a older but still active dog named Ranger that was looking for a partner just like him. I used Photoshop and masked Ranger out of the original picture into one with a background that looks like the personal ads (actually it is the real estate tabloid). I downloaded the SPCA logo and color picked the blue to use it on the top of the ad. The ad Ranger is looking at says "Widowed active 60's female looking for similar aged male partner. Likes to take long walks on the beach, jog in the park and go for Sunday drives to the country. Happy to sit by the fireplace on cold rainy/snowy days." Classmates, the instructor and Rangers owner all loved it. Ranger is on a sabbatical from the neighborhood since his owner is now deployed to Afghanistan. Hopefully he'll be back in about 10 months with that old worn out tennis ball in his mouth.




Until my next post,



Diane

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Hats TGIF ATC


Here's the ATC I made for the Altered Designs Yahoo Group recently. The theme was hats. I got this image from the Happy Scrapbooking Forum. They had some cool vintage things to download for free. My background stamps are from Hero Arts. I finished the piece up with a little bling, a dictionary quote and some punched flowers.

Until my next post,

Diane

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Triptych ATC



It was my choice of what theme to pick for my monthly ATC swap with Sid in the UK. I suggested either two diptych or one triptych. He said let's go with a triptych. I thought about what to do for the longest time and finally settled on a phrase I used in my Design II class.

In that class we were supposed to keep a journal and write things down that sparked our creative process. We were in the middle of one project and there was some questions posed to the instructor. For some reason I wrote this in my journal "Rules, rules, rules...There are no rules in Art!"

Anyway, this triptych can read two ways. I designed it to be read closed like a book where you'd read "There-Are-No-rules-In-Art". This is why I put the hand on the word in to signify that you'd open the triptych to read the blue panels after the first red panel. After I assembled it I realized you could also read it "In-Art-There-Are-No-Rules".

The backing is mat board and the hinges are tyvek. I know I had an old tyvek envelope but couldn't find it. I asked hubby if he had some and he went into the garage and came back with a roll that was about a yard wide and two miles long...yes we do have some tyvek, the house wrap kind. I needed about 7" x 1" so I didn't make much of a dent.

The pages on top of the mat board are from my first attempt at marbleizing paper. I took a class at the local art center (didn't care for the class but got my confidence in creating the paper) and had the paper left over. On top of that are the words and many different stamps. I have stamps from JustRite, Inka, Inque and Stampers Anonymous. I used a Krylon gold leaf pen to outline the edges and cover the tyvek white color to complete the project. I'm really happy with how it turned out and hope Sid likes it.

Until my next post,

Diane

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Birthday Card


I really like to use rubber stamps on my cards BUT I've gotten a little lazy lately and found a great combination of Crafty Secrets collage scraps and a pad of paper by K&Co. I did a little inking on the edges but that doesn't really qualify as stamping. I like the combinations I've gotten with these cards and you'll see more in the future. A little flower and ribbon embellishment finishes the card.

Until my next post,
Diane

Friday, September 4, 2009

Where the heck did I put my cane?!


It used to be that people just drove when they drove. Now we all multi-task by fiddling with the radio/CD/mp3, talk on the phone, input info into the GPS, eat, put on make-up AND attempt to drive. When I lived in the Washington DC area I heard of a driver that was playing a coronet while driving on the GW Parkway.


For some of us, the inattentiveness begins before we even get in the car. You’ve probably seen folks driving with their gas cap on top of the car. Or perhaps you’ve seen the famous coffee cup balancing on the roof just waiting to fall off when they turn or brake. Look closely at the driver’s side of this photo and you'll see their cane. I’m guessing it seemed like a good place to put the cane when they filled up at the local WaWa but then it was just another potential accident waiting to happen. Luckily this driver noticed the screw up and was in the process of pulling over when I snapped the photo with my camera phone.

By the way, I wasn’t the driver when I took the photo.

Until my next post,

Diane

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

All I ask...


I just love this stamp from Stamp Francisco. It goes perfectly with the quote they make. I did a bit of layering, inked the edges and assembled the stamped images on paper by K&Co.

Until my next post,

Diane