Thursday, August 28, 2014

CCEE1435 Herringbone

For her last Challenge, Amber has chosen the Herringbone Technique.  She calls it a fun technique using up scraps of paper.  Well, it does use up scraps of paper, but it was more involved than just fun!!! (But that's me!!)  Here's mine:


It took a while to find papers that went together, but I finally found some.  Then I had to find a bigger piece!  I added some die cuts, and a ribbon, and now that it's done I really like it!!

I made my own enamel dots, using Perler beads, and baking in the oven on parchment paper for 35 min at 325 degrees. 

Join us.  Please remember if you post your card to add the keyword CCEE 1435.  See you next month with a new hostess.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Classes with Dina Wakley!!

I spent the weekend (all day Saturday and Sunday) at Absolutely Everything in Topsfield MA.  I took three classes taught by Dina Wakley, Strong and Powerful Women, Beyond the Inkpad, and Making Faces.

Here is Kate (store owner) and Dina (on the right) before class.
I was talked into the class (didn't take much!) by my friend, Julia Aston (here with Dina) and Dina with me.

Dina is a talented (and crazy) person, full of fun, and covered with all kinds of paint.
Julia and I started out clean and pretty neat, but soon looked like her.
Dina brought all kinds of supplies with her, and we added our own, and by the time we were not far into it, we had our spots at our tables completely full.

Here's my Art Journal with some of the things we learned:

Beyond the ink pad......stamps and stencils and ink and paint and gesso.......


For the class on strong and beautiful women, these are pages created from the bottom layer up.....gesso, paint, stencils, stamps, dressing, like paper dolls (using painted deli paper and chinese rice paper). We inked up Dina's new stamps!

The class on Sunday was arduous, to say the least.  We spent six hours learning to draw faces (some with success, some not), and color them.  We used paint, sumi Calligraphy paint, india ink, Ranger stains,  Stabili art pencils, and color blocking.  Here are some of my results.

First we were told to draw a face.  Mine is awful.....but wait until you see the pages from the end of the class.


Mine don't look like Dina's faces, but neither did anyone else's.  Here are some of the pages of those sitting around me:



And here's one of Dina's!!

At the end we played "Show and Tell", and what a perfect ending.........Kate with her book, and Dina!





Thursday, August 21, 2014

CCEE1434 For the Teacher

Amber says, "School starts back up today for my kids! (I'm doing the happy dance!!)  So let's make a card or item that can be given to the teacher at open house or first day of school.



I think this card qualifies for open house (or for the end of the year), but not first day.  Since my children have been out of school forevah (last one graduated high school in 1989!), I needed to really think about this!

How cool that I had the owl and apple punches, and had two different papers with pencils on them!

Please join us, this week and every week, for a fun challenge.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Happy Saturday!

Saturday used to be my favorite day of the week.  Now that I am retired, EVERY day is Saturday! How cool is that???  This morning I made a card in wonderful colors ...... shades of peach.  I have no one in mind to send it to, so it will go in my stash of cards.  I hope you like it.


Thanks for looking, and have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, August 14, 2014

CCEE1433 In Sympathy

This week Amber gave us a "saying goodbye" challenge.


I made a sympathy card that I could send to a man.  I used masculine colors, and nothing fancy...... just a die cut of cattails and a lacy oval.

                                                                            
Please join us this week and every week with your card for the challenge.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

CCEE1432 Piggy at the Fair (Mixed Media down one post)

Our hostess for the month of August is Amber Hillman.  For her first challenge, she has asked us to make a card having an object or animal that you would find at a County Fair (she and her kids are part of 4-H), and extra points for having green.

Here is Piggy at the beach, enjoying a cold treat.  And wouldn't you know it, she's carrying her green purse (to pay for her treat!).

The water looks really nice, but not to Piggy, who is merely a sun-worshipper in her blue bikini.

This Piggy has never been to the County Fair, and would be appalled to see her distant relatives in their pens!


Feel free to join us, and be sure to add CCEE1432 to your card!  See you next week!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Mixed Media Challenge #2

Today I made a card for the Mixed Media Challenge (which you can find HERE).  The theme is Summer, and the optional part is burlap, which I decided to forgo.



My idea of summer is sitting on my porch watching my garden fill up with bees, gathering nectar from bee balm, daisies, and a variety of other perennials.


I used modeling paste on a honeycomb stencil, distress ink and spritzers with ink and water, acrylic paint, mesh with sponges and paint brushes, and RED sharpies for the bee balm.  The bees are stamped with Archival Ink, and I used an orange marker for their bodies and glitter glue for their wings. The sentiment is cut out and popped.  This really looks like my garden, complete with weeds!!!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Dare To Get Dirty Challenge

This challenge was to use a triangle shape.  I combined it with another challenge, to make a seasonal scene.  this was great fun.  I hope you like it!  I'm also entering it in Virginia's View Challenge HERE.