Collage Obsession : Motherhood

This week I am hosting the Collage Obsession Challenge. Mother's Day is right around the corner, so I chose the theme of "Motherhood". Here is the 5"x 7" card I made: 

(Click on photo for closeup)

The painting featured in the card is "Charity" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905). It's one of my favorites. This is a simple card to make. First, I printed out the image and trimmed it with deckle scissors. Next, I attached it to the eggplant-colored mat (that I embossed and cut out with another pair of decorative scissors). Last, I added both to the 5"x 7" textured, folded cardstock. I am still working on the message that goes inside the card, but at least the front is done! 

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look. To join the challenge and/or check out the other entries, just click
**here** .

God Bless & XO

Collage Obsession Challenge - Silhouette

This week I am hosting "Collage Obsession" and the challenge is to incorporate a silhouette into your artwork. Here is the 51/2"x7" card that I made:

If you would like to join the challenge and/or check out the other entries, just click *HERE*. The challenge runs through 4/6/14. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
God Bless & xo

P.S. 
Products used on card: PaperWhimsy (silhouette), Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Embossing Folder (music notes), Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker, Dymo Label Maker (songbird), Ribbon.

Collage Obsession: Open Show & Tell

This week the theme at Collage Obsession Challenge is OPEN, so people can create whatever they want! So, it's show & tell time!

Here are 2 quick mail art envelopes I made:

Note: I try to keep samples for myself, so I remember what I've done!

Note: Address shown is a fancy P.O. box, not my home address.

I have S-L-O-W-L-Y been getting into the mail art scene. It's nice to exchange mail art with others. There's always an artful surprise waiting for you when you check your mailbox! If you are interested in exchanging mail with others around the world, a good group to join is IUOMA: International Union of Mail Artists.  It's free, and once you sign up, you can meet people from all around the world and exchange mail with them. Your art can be as simple or complex as you like. Whatever floats your boat! To check out the site, just click: ***HERE***.  (If you decide to join, just click the Sign Up button in the right column.)

My goal is to create at least one new envelope a week, but it doesn't always happen! LOL. I am working on a freelance project right now, and it is taking quite a bit of time. I hope to pick up the pace soon.

You might also enjoy this blog about mail art: Red Letter Day Zine Blog by Jennie Hinchcliff .I read it regularly! (Just click on the title to go to the blog.)

Thank you for stopping by! To enter the challenge/show & tell this week, or to see the other entries, just click:*here*. 


Hugs &
God Bless!

P.S.

Products used -

Rubber stamps from Cavallini & Co.

Mail man from Tumblefish Studio at DeviantScrap.com

Collage Obsession Challenge: Friends/Friendship

"Friends are family you choose for yourself." (Author Unknown) 

Photo by C. Erik Ridderstedt

This week, I am hosting the challenge at  Collage Obsession. Our topic is "Friends/Friendship". I decided to make a card. To create the background, I typed words having to do with friendship into a Word document. Next, I printed it out on white card stock. I added a fun image, some polka-dot ribbon, and one of my favorite quotes(which is also listed at the beginning of this post).

Just click on the photo to the right for a closeup.

I loved adding the image of the
"bird ladies".* It reminds me
of a group friends getting together
to chat, gossip, laugh, etc... That's
what friends are for, right? Ha, ha!

If you'd like to participate in the challenge this week, and/or see the other entries, please click *here* .

Friends, thanks so much for stopping by!

Xo,

P.S.
*Credit: Bird ladies/friends from Hidden Vintage Studios at DeviantScrap.com

Collage Obsession: SUMMER!

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.

Sam Keen

This week the challenge at Collage Obsession is to create something about Summer.  It's my favorite time of year! What do you like best about Summertime? 

It's hard for me to pick just one thing. There's so much to love about the season... I generally think of Summer as time to slow down & catch-up, - - as in catch-up on:

• rest/vacation (to take time if I haven't)
• seeing old friends
• planning...there's still time to achieve goals before the year is out, or plan new goals if I've done everything (the latter hasn't happened yet...ha ha).

Here's my SUMMER Smash* journal page :

Click on photo to read text 

Wait, there's more. 
The perfect Summer has to include this... 

Juicy fruit like peaches & pineapples, 

And a whole lotta bare feet & sunscreen!

DID I FORGET ANYTHING?

Please check out the other Summer entries by clicking:  right here :) .  Happy August, friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by
God Bless & xo


P.S. 
*A Smash journal is a hybrid scrapbook/photo album by K&C Company
*Journal soap bubble photo by "Brocken In a Glory" (Wikimedia Commons)
*Journal beach photo by Haddara (Wikimedia Commons)

Collage Obsession : You (theme)

This week the challenge at Collage Obsession is to share something about yourself. I recently bought a Smash* journal/folio, so I decided to open it up and start "smashing" things in it!

I focused on a few obsessions. We need a lot more time together if I'm going to disclose everything. Ha ha ha! You may click on the photos below for closeups:

(Page 1)

(Page 2)

(Both pages)

More on my obsessions: 

(Washi Tape)

I was surfing the net and found out about washi tape. I know I'm late to the washi tape party, but these decorative tapes are so much fun! If you need to stick something somewhere, washi tape adds flair to it. It's more fun than Post-its!

(Vintage Ads)

As a society, we're moving pretty fast these days. We have access to 24-hour news, instant messaging, etc... Our cell phones are on & carried at all times...Geez, remember the days when doctors were the only ones with beepers? Vintage ads take me back to a slower time. 

(Coffee)

I like my coffee strong, so I'm trying to stick to 2 cups-a-day. Otherwise, I get hyper and feel like running around the block! I grind the beans myself...well, with an electronic grinder. LOL. I think one of the best smells in the world is freshly, ground coffee beans! 

Well, enough coffee talk. What are you obsessed with? :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! To see other entries in the challenge, please click **HERE**.

xo

Collage Obsession: ONE word

This week I am challenging everyone at Collage Obsession to create something with one word as a focal point or element in their artwork. Lately, I've been thinking about...

not just in the spiritual sense, but the idea of forgiving y-o-u-r-s-e-l-f  for things you have done wrong, or that you wish you'd done differently. It's really hard to face the future if regrets about the past are weighing you down. I feel like I've been carrying around a lot of baggage. (A lot of coulda, shoulda, wouldas! ...) Ever felt that way?

So I made this simple card to remind me to forget the past and focus on the present:

I'm going to keep it on my desk. I think it looks nice & springy (for Spring)!

What word have you been thinking about lately? Let me know in the comments section. 

Only PG-RATED topics, please. LOL. 

To see the other entries in the challenge, just click: **HERE!**

Thanks so much for stopping by.

God Bless & XO

Collage Obsession: Butterflies

This week, Kaylene challenged us at Collage Obsession to create something featuring butterflies. What a perfect theme for Spring! 
I made mail art for an upcoming mail swap. The envelope size is just shy of 6"x9". (FYI: The address label is empty. I will fill it in when I find out my mail art partner this week.)

To see the other butterfly entries, please click right **HERE**.

Thanks so much for stopping by & may you spot a butterfly or two this week!
God Bless & xo

P.S.
Images from Piddix and Tumble Fish Studio at DeviantScrap.com were used to make this piece.

Collage Obsession: Mail Art

Here's my entry in the mail art challenge at Collage Obsession:

(click photo for closeup)

I used rubber stamps and washi tape (tape - around the "address") to make this quick envelope. It was a hectic, rushed week to say the least, but I made it. Ha, ha! 

You can check out all the other art entries by clicking : * HERE! *

Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you get some good mail in your box soon!
God Bless & XO

Collage Obsession: Fairy Tales & Children's Literature

This week, the challenge at College Obsession is to create something inspired by children's literature. What's your favorite book? Here's two of mine:

I recently saw "The Great and Powerful Oz" (movie), so I knew I would start there. Plus, I had a N-E-W hot air balloon stamp from Stampers Anonymous.  And I couldn't wait to use it! 

I decided to focus on the lessons found in "Oz" & other stories, and create an art journal page. Here's my work-in-progress picture...

(click pics for closeups)

...and now, the finished version:

(Not sure...should I have stuck with version 1? LOL)

"Art Journaling" is new to me. I'm having a blast experimenting! This is the third page I've done so far.

To make the page, I used:

• Twinkling H2O watercolors on the hot air balloon & rainbow. 
• A black Sharpie & colored pencils on the words. 
• Pan Pastels to shade the background.

OMGoodness, I used Pan Pastels for the first time! I think I'm addicted!

(Pan Pastels & Twinkling H2Os)

Have you tried them before? I had so much fun! They are pastels in "cake" form. You can control the amount of color you put on the page by using an applicator. (I used Q-tips, and * "Sofft Tool Knives" with covers. Both worked well.)

Friends, thanks so much for stopping by today! To see all the art entries at the Collage Obsession Challenge, just click **here**.

God Bless & XO

P.S.
*Find more info/videos on "Sofft" Tools and Pan Pastels by clicking here: Sofft Art Website. Enjoy! 

Collage Obsession: Time

This week I am hosting Collage Obsession and the topic is: Time. 

Time...

Do you have enough of it?

Do you have too much of it?

Do you waste time?

Are you master of it?

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick ...

Photo by Isabelle Grosjean 

The sound can be welcome, or it can drive you crazy...depending on what you're doing!  

By the way, my answer is "Yes!", to all the questions above... if you don't count the last one. LOL. The last one needs work.

Here is my art journal page: 

(Click on it for closeup)

I hope "TIME" is kind to you this week, and you find all that you need.

Thanks so much for stopping by. You can check out the other entries by clicking right here**.

Collage Obsession: Dreams & Goals...

This week I am hosting Collage Obsession. The challenge is to create something based on your dreams and/or goals. 

The year is almost over, but there's still time for us to make our 2012 New Year's Resolutions a reality! I guess I should speak for myself. Do you think I can lose 5 pounds (or more) before the year is out? Hmnn...

Seriously though, one of my new goals is to get up SUPER early. It almost seems possible, but most of my creative juices flow SUPER LATE at night! Dilemma-ville! It's tough for me to rise early if I've stayed up late working the night before. Welcome to my world :). Is it your world, too? 

I made an art journal page about my quandary. It's My First Art Journal Page. Ever. It was created LATE at night. LOL.
Ta-da! (Click pic for closeup)

I learned a lot and had fun making it. It may be hard to see, but the paint I used sparkles*. There are also gradations of color that may be difficult to see in the photo.

Thank you for stopping by to take a look! If you'd like to see the other entries in the challenge, just click ** RIGHT HERE**. 

God Bless!

P.S.
I bet we share a common DREAM. It's not "art" related, but if you're curious, ***click here for a treat***!

Products used on art journal page : Clip art, *Watercolor paint (Twinkling H2Os/LuminArte), Colored pencils (EK Success), Black marker (Sharpie), Charcoal pencil, Newspaper border stamp (Stampers Anonymous), Bird stamp (Fiskars), Music notes stamp (Stampendous!), Archival Ink (Ranger), Memories Dye Inkpad, Foam letter stickers (Thickers/American Crafts).

Circuses, Carnivals & Amusement Parks!

Hmmm...do you think these will fit?

I'm planning to make a clean getaway! Where? A place where I can be among free spirits like myself...

Circuses, carnivals and amusement parks are the theme at Collage Obsession this week. To participate (this week) and/or see the other entries, just click **here**.

These tykes just started clown school:
(Click photo for closeup)

Good times & clowning around guaranteed! Will you join us?

Thanks for stopping by today.
God Bless & Xo!

To make the 12x 12 scrapbook page, I used:
Photo of children - Debrina Pratt
Party hats (on children) - Artchix Studio
Scrapbook Paper - Tina Higgins/gcd studios
Circus letters - Thickers/American Crafts
"Happy" Flashcard - Melody Ross/gcd studios
Balloon string - Scrapper's Floss/Karen Foster Design
Text - Typewriter/Itkupilli (her shop is:  **here** )

Collage Obsession: Maps

This week I am hosting COLLAGE OBSESSION.  I challenged everyone to use a map as a decorative element. 

I used one of my favorite sayings by Lao Tzu. Just click on the photo for a closeup:

Here is a picture of the whole piece. You can see the map I used as a background:

Thank you so much for stopping by! To see other artwork, just click HERE.
God Bless & XO

Products Used:
Creative Imaginations (alphabet stamps), Making Memories (flourish stamp), Tim Holtz/Ranger (distress ink), Dover Pictoral Archive (knight), Fiskars (deckle scissors). 

Doors

     Doors are the topic at Collage Obsession this week. They can represent beginnings or endings. My take on "doors" is definitely colored by recent losses in my family. 
     
     Have you experienced the death of someone close to you? When my Father died, I wanted to die.  I wanted "time" to just ...STOP. 
     

     Sometimes, the future seems dim and unclear just like this photo:

                     This wasn't my intention. Yet, it seems right.

     Here is a clearer shot of my 12"x12" journal page:

                          Click photo for closeup and to read text.


     I've come to know the "5 Stages of Grief" personally:  Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

     Even though we all experience grief differently, knowing that there are s-t-a-g-e-s has been a great comfort. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discussed them in her book, "On Death and Dying" (published in 1969). To learn more about her, you may click on the following: 

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation  


     Thank you so much for stopping by to take a look. God Bless.

• Products/Items Used: Door photo altered in iPhoto(click here for source), Arch popped up with Pop-Dots(adhesive), Photo & arch edged in Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tim Holtz Idea-ology (Ornate Plates & Key), Making Memories(Copper letters), Sakura Gel Pens(text), Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss(ribbon).

At the End of the Rainbow...

What would you like to find at the end of the RAINBOW? That's the question I posed for this week's Collage Obsession Challenge .

Hmnn...let's see...For starters, setting out to find the end of a rainbow would be quite a task. It would take a L-O-N-G time. You'd need persistence. Proper shoes. Binoculars. A map. A Raincoat (just in case it starts raining). I'm sure there's more... That's just what I can think of at this moment.

At the end of your quest, you'd need a great reward. I mean, you know, I've never heard of ANYONE who has found the end of a RAINBOW. It would be big time!


Here's what I'd like to find:

Forgiveness for past and possibly future mistakes (LOL!), a "do-over" for one event in my life (of my choosing), and a new beginning with a clean slate. Well, actually, any one of those would be MIRACULOUS --- just like finding the end of a RAINBOW.


Click photo for closeup: 

Thanks so much for stopping by. XOX.


Products used on 12"x12" Scrapbook Page:
Colored Pencils - on rainbow
Sakura Gel Pens - on banner, etc...
Fiskars Decorative Scissors - edging cardstock
Scrappers Floss - for banner 
Black Cardstock