Distinctive Touches

A Happy Bee-Day!

One of my 'goals" for this year was to actually make and send out birthday cards ON TIME.  I don't usually have the problem with the make part... it's when it comes to the "send out" part that I run into issues.  So, I'm on a Birthday Card Kick right now... I stamped up a ton of these "bee" images from??? (Inkadinkado maybe?) ad decided to whip up a bunch of Bee-Day cards. 

I colored the little guys in with my Copic markers.  Usually I do this image with my watercolor crayons or with my inks, but I wanted to see if I could do them assembly-line style better with my markers.  (The answer to that is a NOPE!) 

So anyway... I riffled through my scrap papers and found that this polka-dot pattern (an old SU series called Treehouse) was the perfect match.  Since the image is so large, I kept the layers to a minimum... although I did give each layer two matings.  The wide grosgrain is the perfect width for this larger card (I tried a thinner ribbon and it just looked dorky).  Of course I had to stamp the sentiment to play off the image... and the three brown brads helped even out the card. 

I really, really like this card... it works perfectly for a guy or girl birthday, and it is good for any age.  The problem is... I used up my last piece of Treehouse paper on THIS one...  Oh Man!  Now what do I do?  I guess it's back to the drawing (or should I say coloring) board to find a different color scheme.  DARN!

Oh Well... keeps me going!

Big Hugs,
colleen

Technique Tuesday - Polished Stone Plus!

Happy Day... Happy Day!  Hope you'e having a good one!  Just a quick post today with my technique.  I've got LOTS to get done.

Today's technique is a combination of two very simple alcohol ink techniques.  It's been awhile since I've played with my inks, so I figured it was time for some fun.  I call this the Polished Stone Plus... since it starts with the polished stone technique and then I add the drop and spread technique over it.  

You will need:

• glossy card stock
• 2-4 colors of alcohol inks
• alcohol ink blending tool
• alcohol ink blending solution

Here's how it's done:

1. Squeeze a drop of each color ink onto your blending tool.  (Did you know that you need to get the tip of the bottle down into the felt and then squeeze for about 2 seconds to get the right amount of ink?)
2. Pounce the brayer onto the glossy card stock.  Keep moving either the card stock or the blending tool so that the ink "spots" are random. 
3. Fill up the entire piece of card stock with ink
4. Now for the "Plus"part of the technique... Gently 'shake' the alcohol ink blending solution over the inked card stock.  Just give it a few shakes... like you are putting salt on some fries!  (You will notice that the ink on the surface moves and creates puddles on the paper.  COOL)
5. Lastly, take the darkest alcohol ink color and gently shake out a few drops onto the card stock also.  These spots will remain small and intact where they meet just ink and will spread and blend where they meet the blending solution. 

That's all here is to it!  Create breathtaking backgrounds in no time at all. 

Here I've stamped some flourishes in black, added a black layer and strip, and then added a quick sentiment on red.  EASY PEASY!

If you enjoy my Technique Tuesdays and want to learn even more awesome inking and stamping techniques, join my Stamptastic Techniques 101 (Beginner) or Stamptastic Techniques 102 (Intermediate) class over at My Creative Classroom.  Our spring term starts this week and there are lots of fun new classes being posted!  Head on over and check them out - and hey... bring your friends!

Happy Hugs!
colleen

Project 52 - #3: Artist Journal

Did you know that I'm an organization FREAK?  I organize my socks by color, I organize my shirts by length of sleeve, I organize my books by size, and well... I just organize! 

Since Project 52 is all about recording the events of your life, I figured this project was just the ticket!

This weekend I decided to add organization to my notes too.  You see, I have been reading a LOT of different art books lately.  I usually read a chapter or so each night after crawling into bed.  Of course, I usually find myself running across some super cool projects that I want to try out or some new techniques that I need to do.  I tell myself, "I'll have to remember that one."  ... and come morning, poof!  All those ideas are gone. 

I decided that I needed a journal.  Not one of those high-school, who's crushing on who types diaries, but a true artist journal... a place to write down ideas for projects I'd like to try, new techniques that I think are cool, quotes or readings that inspire me, and even a place to do some creative thinking.  Of course, I could have just dredged up an old spiral notebook, but you know me...  if it's for art... it's going to be "artified."  LOL

So... here is my very first "Artist Journal"  a place to keep all my artistic thoughts organized. 

I started with a chipboard journal that I pulled apart.  I frosted some texture paste onto the front and back cover and then stamped the Print Pattern (diamond) shapes into it while it was still wet.  Once it dried, I painted it with a bunch of washes from lilac to dark blue.  Then, I played with one of my FAVORITE collage type techniques.  I cut a picture from a magazine of a girl, glued it onto the cover, and then added a few layers of gesso to ALMOST cover the image.  Once it was dry, I drew in a face and added some hair.  Acrylic paints helped "flesh" her out and then I outlined her in black pen.  I tried stamping a quote on the upper left, but with the texture pattern, it didn't work, so I decided to hand write a quote... I thought it was cool to outline her with it.  It reads, "But if you have nothing at all to CREATE, then perhaps you CREATE yourself." 

Now I'm ready to fill this baby up with all the awesome ideas I stumble upon... and once this one is full, I'm definitely doing another!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Hugs,
colleen

Friday Featured Card... by Michelle Yungbauer

Good afternoon!  I'm soooo thankful that it is Friday!  It's been a LOOOOONG week and I'm glad it's over.

To help me celebrate the coming of the weekend, I have a FAN-TABULOUS stamper with me today!  Let me introduce you to Michelle Yungbauer... creator of my Friday Featured Card! 

Just look at this lovely card!  It immediately jumped out of the gallery and said, "Pick Me... Pick Me..." and who could resist?  It's just adorable.  The first thing that caught my eye was the bright red and pink contrasting with the black... and of course the super fun patterned paper.  As I looked at the card some more, I decided it was the layout that was the coolest part!  Most of my cards have the main image in a large panel and a sentiment as a smaller piece near it... but this card has a neat layer of patterned paper as the backdrop for the image. 

Of course, when I hit my studio, I focused on the layout.  Here is my take on this week's featured card. 

I started with this funky, retro patterned paper and worked from there.  I liked the green, brown, and blue combination and it worked perfectly for an upcoming male birthday card I needed.  So... with layout and color in hand, I got to work.  It has been AGES since I've inked up this chef image from SU's Voila set.  I like to use it for birthdays with the cute little b-day cake on the platter.  I played around with the layout and all the pieces and decided to change it to a landscape format... and of course I had my brown strip cut out already, so I had to change things up a bit.  (Which is part of the point of my Friday exercises - right?) 

I loved the hole punches around the layers, so I did the same.  Normally I have a sentiment on the front, but I decided to leave the front as is and put a sentiment inside. 

That's it for today!  I want to thank Michelle for sharing her incredible talent (Check out her blog HERE for tons of other amazing cards!) and thank you all for stopping in to visit this week.

Have a wonderful weekend.
hugs,
colleen

Thursday Throwdown - Collage It!

Sorry about not posting yesterday.  I had class in the morning and then spent about two and a half hours in the dentist's chair.  My caps (for my front two teeth) finally came in... AND I had to have another cap replaced!  I had root canal on another tooth about a year ago and on Monday night half of that crown fell off... I was finally able to get in yesterday and have ALL of the work done.  Now I've got my permanent front teeth in and a temporary cap on in the back. 

Enough with the tooth talk... let's talk throw downs! 

I've been on a collage kick this week, so I figured it would be a good challenge to throw down.  I CHALLENGE YOU TO MAKE A STAMPED COLLAGED CARD/PROJECT!  There... I said it, it's done!  You're challenged.

To help you out, I did my Technique Tuesday post this week showing just how to create these lovely cards... and guess what?  They are EASY!  Go ahead, try it!!! (And then email me a photo or post a link to your results!)

Here's my sample.  I was completely in the "collage groove" when I made this.  I actually built the card around a black and white party coaster that I had left over from a birthday.  I was actually going to incorporate it into the card, but it didn't seem to want to play with the other elements. 

I used vanilla, Sahara sand, and black card stock.  The main sentiment is actually a clear sticker that I applied over the vanilla CS.  Each layer is "collage stamped" and sponged with distress ink and then layered in Sahara Sand.  (Looking at it now, I realize that I had planned on adding a third matted layer in black.  DARN!)

A few puffy, black stickers and photo corners and some black jewels finish off this one.  I was aiming for sophisticated and elegant with a manly flair. 

Now it's your turn!  Collage me a card!!!  READY - SET - GO!!!!

Last week's challenge resulted in this pretty product from Janine.  She definitely puts the "girl" in "girlie" with this card.  It's just stunning!  Thanks Janine for playing!

Hugs all! Thanks for stopping in.
colleen

Technique Tuesday - Collage Stamping

What a difference a day can make!  Yesterday it was a balmy 65...and this morning it is a chilly 18!  It seems like a perfect morning to curl back up under the covers.

Today I have a card to share (and a technique) that will brighten up your day no matter how cold it is outside. 

You all know that I LOVE to color in my lined image stamps, but sometimes it's nice to get back to the basics of stamping.   THIS card does just that!  With just a few simple steps, I've made a collaged and layered card that looks much more detailed than it is.  

Here's how to do collage stamping...

1.  Pick a main image for your card/project.  It can be a photo, stamped image, transfer... here I'm using a Homespun Cotton Scrap from Crafty Secrets with the sunflower and bluebird.

2.  Pick three or four stamps that will work well together and work with your main image.  (I like background stamps and used By Definition, French Script, Print Pattern.  I also picked a few different flourish stamps.)

3.  Start by stamping one of the images onto a piece of card stock.  Try to stamp crooked or on only half the paper.  Use a light color.

4.  Stamp a second image onto the same piece of card stock.  Again, try not to be perfect.  Stamp only part of the image and don't cover up the entire first image.  Use a medium/light color.

5.  Stamp a third image onto the same piece of card stock.  (Do you see a pattern here?  LOL)  Again, only add a small portion of this image and leave the other stamped images visible.  Use a dark color. 

6.  Use this same process on at least three layers for your project.  On each layer, use the same set of stamps and colors, but mix them up in different ways.  You may decide to only use two or three images on a layer instead of three or four. 

7.  Once you have your layers "collaged" you can start assembling them.  I start by matting each layer with one or two different colors.  I like to play around with my layout before gluing anything down.  Start building from the back with the largest layer and move towards the front, overlapping the layers in areas. 

8.  Add any embellishments and/or sentiments to finish the piece off.

Voila... A beautifully collaged card that LOOKS difficult... but isn't!

Thanks for stopping in today.  Have a WONDERFUL one!

colleen

Add Color to Your Life! Project 52 - #2

With winter comes brown grass, barren trees, dry pastures, and empty flowerbeds (and for a lot of you... SNOW...all leading to an overall DRAB landscape.  So for the second week of Project 52, I decided it was time to add a bit of color to my life. 

I spent some time last week painting paper.  Yup... I ripped old books apart and then added paint to each page.  Nothing artistic; just a nice wash of color.  Why did I do this?  Well, I'm working my way into collage art and have been reading some books.  One of the main materials for collage assembly is pages from old books, and most of the time they are painted to either match or coordinate with the project.  Instead of painting one or two pages when I need them, I decided to create a whole rainbow of pages... so they will be ready to use any time I'm in the collage mood! 

You can't believe how fun this was!!!  I got an old, old book I had (one that the dog had already chewed up part of) and studiously ripped off the binding and separated the pages.  I then pulled out my new Studio line of acrylic paints from Claudine Hellmuth, added a container of water and a few paintbrushes, and away I went! 

I dabbed some paint onto my craft sheet and added some water to make a nice wash.  I then painted each page with a wash... some with more paint for a brighter finish and some with more water for a more translucent look.  I painted about 10 sheets of each color...each in various shades. 

By the time I was done, I had paint from head to toe and was happy as a clam!  I had pieces of painted paper from one end of my studio to the other... it was like a rainbow exploded in my room!  It was such a happy place.  LOL

Here's my photo for my second Project 52 piece... all of my beautifully painted papers... bright, cheery, and ready to be used!  (I've already got a few projects in mind... I can't wait to share them with you.)

Hope I've added a bit of color to your life today!  Come back for a stunning technique tomorrow!
Hugs,
colleen

Friday Featured Card... by Gloria!

Happy Friday Everyone!  I'm thrilled to be bringing you another amazing card by yet another amazing stamper today! 

This week I was stuck by the neat materials used by Gloria (GloriousGreetings) on THIS card.  Isn't it FAB?  Just look at all those layers and all that texture!  I just want to run my hands all over this card!  I also am really drawn to those earthy colors... such a rich (yet fun) color combo.  Lots to choose from for inspiration on this card!  Ohhhh, the button, the charms, the embossing, the polka-dots, the stitching, the fibers, the layout, the colors... what will it be????

I was leaning towards the colors again this week (seems that color is the #1 thing that draws me to a card lately), but I decided that was too easy.  I was looking for something a bit more challenging.  I decided that I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY loved the way the fibers were used... so that is what I ran with.  I dug through my drawer of ribbons, lace, and fibers and came across some light, fluffy bluish-green stuff.  PERFECT! 

And that was how THIS card started...

The blue-green fibers reminded me of this pretty dragonfly stamp that I got when I was at Ranger U.  I stamped it and colored it first with my Copic markers and then I brushed a thin wash of Perfect Pearls turquoise and blue over the wings.  There is just a hint of shimmery-sparkle!  I love it.  The layout was pretty basic... and the colors are pulled from the fibers obviously.  After stamping a sentiment and cutting out my dragonfly, I went back and forth about how to best use my fibers.  I considered stitching around the outside turquoise layer like Gloria did, but again... I wanted to go with the inspiration... and not the CASE.  So... after getting totally frustrated and just wrapping the fibers around the white layer and placing it on my desk to work on later, it hit me... just wrap them!  It was so simple! 

After that it came together pretty quickly.  I added some depth by popping up the white layer on dimensionals and put some gel medium on the back of the dragonfly to help "curl" his wings a bit.  I am just so happy with the results this week.  And I'm THRILLED to have been inspired by Gloria.  She has even more amazing cards in her gallery HERE ... go check them out! 

Thanks Gloria for the inspiration and thanks to all of you for stopping in. 
Have a wonderful weekend!
colleen

Thursday Throwdown - Girlie Girl!

I'm Late... I'm Late... for a very important date! 

With YOU all...

Sorry I'm a bit behind on today's post.  I was feeling a bit ookie last night and most of today, so I took it easy and curled up on the couch to rest.  I'm feeling a tad bit better now, so I thought I'd hop on-line and throw you today's challenge!  Are you ready??? 

It's time to be a Girlie Girl!  Those of you who know me know that this is TRULY a challenge for me.  I'm rough and tumble, tom-boy all the way... and yet, every once-in-a-while I enjoy a bit of femininity... and so today's throwdown is to make a card (or any other type of creative project) that is full of sugar and spice and everything nice... you know, all the frills and the ribbons and the pretty-in-pink stuff.  LOL

Here's my card for the challenge.  This adorable Sarah Kay stamp from Stampavie is one of my favorites to use for love/anniversary/wedding kind of cards, and it was just too sweet to pass up for this challenge.  I colored the image with my Copics - of course... have I used anything else lately???  (Are you all interested in knowing exactly what colors I use on my images or would I be boring you with details?  I tend to use a LOT of colors...) 

The pink and brown patterned paper is from Basic Grey (Phoebe I think).  I was planning on using a piece with bright flowers on it, but this one just sort of looked right.  I used Pomegranate, Pixie Pink, and Chocolate Chip card stock for my layers.  Of course, I couldn't do girlie without a bunch of scallops and polka-dots.  The two hearts are grungeboard pieces that I painted with Claudine Hellmuth's new studio paints and then gave them a thin layer of Pearl for a bit of shimmer.  The sentiment is an old/retired SU Valentine's Day set... it just seemed to fit... so again, I went with it.

I almost went completely feminine and added stickles, but I didn't want the card to be too over-the-top, so I resisted.  I think it will make a wonderful anniversary card for a friend of mine.

There you have it - Today's Throwdown... GET GIRLIE!  I know for some of you this will be a snap... and others, well.. that's why it's called a challenge!

 Eons ago, when I did my last challenge (before the hustle and bustle of the holidays took over), I challenged you to find a long lost stamp and use it.  I am thrilled to finally share this submission.  Dina sent this in... isn't it GORGEOUS?  Dina is the gal that did my watermarks (which I LOVE) and I have to admit that I am totally jealous of her water coloring skills!  She's AMAZING!  Thanks Dina for playing along.

Have a wonderful rest of the day.
Hugs,
colleen

Cow's It Going?

Just a quickie today... I'm taking a quick break from my writing to well... write!  LOL  I am in the middle of creating my materials for a new class that I'm offering this spring over at My Creative Classroom.  I am going to be teaming up with the UBER talented Kylie Hopkins to do a "scrap booking/creative writing" class.  I can't give too much away yet, but I CAN tell you that it is going to be a HUGE hit... I can feel it in my bones. 

So anyway... I took a few minutes this morning to whip up this card and I wanted to share it with you while I'm taking my break. (You'll have to excuse the greenish tinge of the white paper... I forgot to fix that in my photo editing software.)

This Whipper Snapper cow is just one of my favorite images (I know... I say that about all of them, but who can resist such a pretty cow?)  I stamped it in Adirondack black ink and colored it with my Copics.  I picked the bright greens and yellow for the colors from the grass and the bell in the image... plus, I wanted it to be bright and cheery! 

I sponged some shabby shutter distress ink onto the green layers and some scattered straw distress ink onto the yellow layers... and built it up.  I'm getting into the whole twist and tilt look with my layers.  I stamped "Cow's it going?" with my Karen Foster stamps and added a metal swirl, some brads, and a bright ribbon to finish it off.  I sure hope this brightens your day!

Thanks for stopping in today.  I'll be back tomorrow with another Thursday Throwdown!

PS - How do you like January's Blog Banner... a bit of Industrial Craft for you...

Hugs,
colleen

My Journey Starts: Project 52 - #1

Today I'll share my very first Project 52 piece with you.  (Don't know what I'm talking about?  Click HERE to read all about Project 52.)  

Remember, the idea is to record a year in our lives (one week at a time) by creating something that was inspired by an event, feeling, action, or happening for the week.  Well, I thought it was appropriate that I start with an event... since it is the start of the year.... and the start of my "artistic journey" (as I like to call it), I created this art canvas to commemorate the beginning of that journey!  Isn't it fantastic?

The process of creating this piece was a journey in and of itself... as I started with NO preconceived idea and just sort of felt my way through it.  At some point in the process, I let myself go and stopped caring about what the final product would look like.  At that point, I was creating just for the simple joy of creating... it was wonderful!

I started with a simple stretched canvas, "frosted" it with some texture paste, sprayed that with some Adirondack Color-wash Spray in Terracotta (more concentrated in some areas and lighter in others).  I then sprinkled some water onto that to give it a mottled look.  After this dried, I sprayed it with Krylon fixative (oops I forgot to spray the sides and my hands keep turning orange!).  I then collaged it with some old paper from a book that I had painted and some patterned paper that I sponged and distressed. 

To add some more texture, I heated up some beeswax and dipped some strings and yarn into it and let it cool.  I then placed the waxed fibers onto the piece and re-heated the wax to attach them.  (I felt almost like I was soldering the pieces... tee heee!)  I brushed on some heated wax, covering the area to the right of the fibers and then added some drops of red and burgundy wax also.  Once the wax cooled, I rubbed some Copper Perfect Pearls over it to give it a nice shimmer. 

I then stamped the "journey" sentiment onto the canvas.  (Here's a hint... when stamping on a textured surface, don't expect to get full coverage!)  I had to take a small paintbrush and fill in the missing parts.  I then added a few plastic fragments (three that were covered with alcohol ink - Red Pepper, and dipped in gold UTEE and one larger one that was backed with patterned paper and also dipped in gold UTEE.)  A few gold button charms finish the piece up! 

What do you think? 

I can't promise that all of my Project 52 works will be this involved... in fact, I'd bet most won't be... but I'm thrilled that this first project will start me off on my journey. 

Thanks for Stopping By!  Happy Creating!
colleen

Friday Featured Card - By Christine Okken

Good Morning!  I hope to be back to a more normal posting schedule now that the holidays are over.  There will be a few changes to my blog for 2009 (a new banner each month, my Project 52 works, and some different types of crafting projects), but I will also be sticking with my Technique Tuesdays, Thursday Throw-downs, and Friday Featured Cards. 

And since it's Friday (WaHoo!)  I've got a wonderful Featured Card to share with you.  This week I went in search of something fun and fresh... and I found THIS adorable card by Christine Okken (AKA ChristineCreations over at SCS).  I was immediately blown away by Christine's pretty watercoloring... and who couldn't love those adorable bees???  The red, brown, and mustard is such a rich color combination... the whole thing just makes me smile...and of course, that's what Friday Featured Cards are all about. 

So of course, I was immediately inspired to 'get buzzin' and started in on my own card.  THIS is the result.  I needed a "get well" card for my dad (he did something really dumb and was pretty seriously injured as a result - he'll survive... just minus a few digits).  I was going to send him a "You're a Dumb A$$" card (as a joke - sort of) but I couldn't find a donkey image... so I figured I'd be nice and give him a bit of support.  Although... this monkey DOES only have three fingers... huh, I wonder if he was "hanging around" my dad last week??? 

Anyway... I used Christine's layout as inspiration... and went from there.  I actually had it all laid out with the sentiment and ribbon on the bottom (just like hers), but after playing around with the pieces, I realized they worked better (with the dimensions I had) this way.  I thought about adding more embellishments, but I wanted to keep the focus on the image.  Now that I look at it (and at Christine's) I think I should have taken her cue and cut the monkey out and popped him up... that would have been cool! 

The image is from Whipper Snapper and I actually drew in additional branch pieces on both sides to make it go all the way across the paper.  I then masked the monkey and tree and airbrushed the sky with my Copic ABS...  super simple!  I then colored the cute little guy in with Copics and gave him a few additional highlights with my white gel pen.  The sentiment is stamped with my trusty Karen Foster Snap Stamps and I added a cheesecloth background to the light green card base to add a bit more texture.  I think it turned out adorable... let's just hope dad gets a kick out of it.

Thanks Christine for being my inspiration this week! 
You can check out more of her amazing work HERE in her SCS gallery and keep up with her at her blog ChristineCreations. 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,
colleen

Thoughts For 2009... and a cool new project!

This is a two part post.  Part I (Thoughts From 2008) was published yesterday. 

First... I want to wish you ALL a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now for my Thoughts For 2009...

• I hope to continue my healthy habits.  Nate and I have found a slimmer, lighter lifestyle to be just the right fit for us. 
• I would like to get published in a PRINT magazine this year.  This is actually a two-part goal as I am hoping to have both my writing and my artwork published.  (I guess that means I actually have to SUBMIT something doesn't it?  No one's gonna come knocking down my door begging for my skills!)
• I hope to go into partnership with a friend this year.  I was recently bitten by the 'business' bug and I think I have what it takes to run a small business...with some help of course! LOL
• I wanna go to Italy!  There is a chance that the Schaan's will be headed overseas sometime in the fall.  If there's a will, there's a way!!!  I'm totally there!
• I'm looking forward to my 20 year class reunion this June.  We are past the "who got fat and who got bald" stage... and now we are just really happy to meet up with old friends.  
• I AM going to expand my artistic skills.  I want to learn to create with new mediums.  I've already started down this road by signing up for a pottery wheel class... I can't wait!
• Can I get my cards out on time for once?  My goal is to send out cards BEFORE the event happens.
• I hope the new year brings me wisdom to deal with the challenges that are sure to arrive... and the patience to go with the flow.

I'm not asking for much am I? 

Actually, I have a good start on quite a few of these... and some others are just 'keep on keeping on' kind of things. 

One of the things I'm most excited about this year is expanding my artistic skills.  Don't get me wrong... I love stamping and making cards... but I also know that there is SO MUCH MORE out there that tickles my fancy.  To help me keep this goal, I decided to join my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and her Project 52. 

 Project 52's concept is to get a year of your life recorded in some way.  Each week (for one year) we will create something (anything) that records our thoughts, events, emotions, or actions for that week.  It doesn't have to be scrap booking... it can be ANYTHING... and that is the part that gets me all geeked!  I plan on using Project 52 as a way to explore all sorts of creative arts... from jewelry making, to metal working, to pottery, to encaustic painting, to mixed media and collage.  I can't wait to get started!  I'll be sharing my work with you each week... so get ready for an exciting year!  Better yet... join in on the fun and play along too!  

Well... the new year is beginning... I better start moving forward too! 

hugs,

colleen