Washi Tape Postcard Swap

I recently joined a postcard swap where the postcards had to incorporate washi tape.

This is the card I made and sent off. I covered the entire background with Tim Holtz tissue tapes and then painted with a magenta fluid acrylic paint so it would remain translucent.  The doily is modeling paste and the dots are made with a Viva "Paper Pen" which is a dimensional gloss gel.  I painted a scrap paper with the same gloss gel and then wrote the quote in pen.

This is the postcard I received (thanks, Gloria!).  The black strip is washi tape as is the music paper in the typewriter.  The background is stamped. Love it!

Mixed Media Mania Class - Feb. 25

"Grungy Hearts" Technique Canvas

Come join me at the Little Blue House in Keller for the Mixed Media Mania class next week (Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm or 6:00 pm - 9 pm).

You will create this 12 x 12 canvas with a multi-layered background and nine hearts, each featuring a different technique.  Play with new and "old" products to create a unique decor piece.

You can stop by the LBH or call 817-431-7930 to reserve your seat.  More information including a supply list is on the LBH blog.

Hope to see you then!

More January RCADs

As promised, here are the remaining RCADs of January.

The products and techniques I used are too numerous to detail, but if you have any questions about any of the cards, let me know and I will elaborate.

Rolodex Art Journal

ICAD - Index Card a Day - has become a very popular exercise in the art community within the past year or so.  Here is a link to where I think it started: http://daisyyellowart.com/icad/icad-faq.html.  In short, the idea is to create some kind of art every day for a determined amount of time (usually 30 days at a time) to keep your creative juices flowing. You can join a group where there are daily prompts to help with ideas or just do it yourself.

Late last fall I started doing this to make myself create something every day. After a few weeks I had accumulated several cards and was trying to find something to put them in. I discovered an old Rolodex file I had saved for altering and a lightbulb went off.  Instead of doing ICADs, I would do Rolodex cards (which were already with the card file) and the card file would keep them contained.

Due to the holidays and life happening, I fell off the wagon last year, but in January I determined to keep up for the entire month.  (I must confess that I cheated a bit, as I created 2 cards some days to make up for a day I missed. But, I reached my goal and have 31 cards for January! (I've been gone a lot during the first part of Feb., but the past week I've been very religious doing my RCADs again!)

This is a very relaxing and enjoyable exercise and I hope to continue all year. I know I won't get to a a card every day but I can try!  The fun part of this is deciding what to do on the cards - and there's unlimited possibilities. Sometimes I try out a new technique or product; sometimes I just clean off my desk - whatever strikes me that day.

Here are the RCADs from the first half of January. Some of them I like; some of them I don't, but it's all about the process and just sitting down to make art. Nothing happens if you don't show up!

I'm having a lot of fun with this project; it's becoming addicting!  Tomorrow I will share the remaining RCADs from January.

I'm back!

How time flies! We returned from Mexico on Feb. 9th and since then I've been busy creating new layouts to teach at the LBH and teaching a few days too.

We had a fun time in Mexico but still have to go back one more time for more dental work for both my husband and I.  It's a surreal experience there - Los Algodones is right on the AZ border and exists only for dental, optical and cosmetic procedures for Canadians and Americans.  Everyone there is super friendly and most have had dental work so there's a commonality not found elsewhere.  There is a large open-air cantina in the middle of the tiny town where everyone congregates for the sunshine, good Mexican food, music all day long and, of course, margaritas and beer! We felt extremely safe and enjoyed the lazy, slow pace of life at least for a few days. It was perfect timing too as we missed the severe weather that hit the entire US that week!

The icing on the cake, of course, was stopping in Albuquerque on the way home to see this little guy. He has changed so much just from when we babysat him in January.  Wish they would stay little longer!