Art Journal Every Day wrapping up for 2011

Snowman Doodle Dollies November 2011

I am loving my art journal every day commitment for 2011. I can count on one hand the number of days that I have missed--it's so cool.




Angela Doodle Doll 11.2011y


There's been a new book every quarter and my latest one is a hardcover art text book. I'm still enjoying my doodle dollies throughout the journals. Videos should be available in the new year.

Holiday Sharing



Purple Fairy Flash card  12.6.11

 My delightful friend from Palm Beach Gardens by way of Russia, Natasha, shared a fun link with me today. Amarilys' Scrappy Corner has a tutorial up on nine Christmas cards using one page of print paper as the base. Full link: http://amadrian8.blogspot.com/2011/12/tuesdayday-6-12-days-of-christmas-awdml.html Sound familiar? Yes, it's another take on the marvelous flash cards I love to promote.


I have never seen a set done in Christmas patterns before and hers just charming. You can see my directory of different flash card designs here: http://www.nachattin.com/Flashmain.html My version of the one sheet technique is called Die Cut Strippers and the spring set is available here: http://www.nachattin.com/articlediecutstrippers.html


It's never too late to make flash cards to send out yourself or as a gift set for someone else. Try some vivid jewel tones that would be a great set of winter cards to give as a gift.


My most recent flash card session was on 12.6.11 when I combined DCV pre-printed note cards with some stickers that were easily accessible in my stash. I suddenly realized that I did not have enough "general" cards to last through the December birthdays and thank you notes. Enjoy!



Recycled image flash card 12.6.11



Sunshine flash card 12.6.11

Vase full of Hearts

Card Notes:
This Penny Black stamp isn't the type of stamp I usually feel drawn to when shopping. I liked the the block style and I have really enjoyed working with it. I use EK Success watercolor markers  The original card front was trimmed and matted on a double sided print card stock base.


Posting Notes:
November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.

The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

Celebrating a Beautiful Pear

                                                                             Card Notes:

I own at least four pear stamp images--this, however, is not one of the ones I own. It was created at a Stamping Up party hosted by my friend Kim Byrne around 2003. It's stamped in a dark green ink and lightly colored with chalks. Very simple and fast to create without looking too 'standardized." I just can't help myself with the pears--they often turn into anniversary cards with happy wishes to a beautiful pair.

Posting Notes:

November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.

The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

Dragonfly Blessings

Card Notes:
The tag and vellum dragonfly were from a Father's Day card I made for my Dad in 2004. I pulled them off the original card stock, matted on brown and then matted that on a green card stock base. The word Blessings was from a different card I took apart during another session.



Posting Notes:
November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.

The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

A mother's Love

Card Notes:

Somewhere in the late 90's I purchased books of stickers depicting fine art paintings. This Picasso makes me think of that Paul Simon song, "Mother and child reunion is only a motion away..." the original card front was matted on a blue card base. I like this revised version better than the original.


Posting Notes:
November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.

The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

A Queen of Hearts

Card Notes:
This design with the heart and the queen is a favorite of mine. I've done it in several color combinations. The heart was colored with markers and sprayed with water to blend. This particular image was originally a card for my Mom in 2005. I liked it so much I just cut around the whole piece and matted it on a larger card.




Posting Notes:

November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.



The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

Tin Can Dolly

Card Notes:
Empty soda cans don't have to go straight to the bin. I cut this Pepsi can with my Spellbinders' Wizard and their art doll die. The doll was cut somewhere around 2004 and the card was finally assembled summer 2010. Somethings never go stale for me...
Posting Notes:




 November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.


The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

Recycled Flash Cards--a closer look 1

Birthday for my GRAND-niece

Card Notes:
My friend Laurie sent me the original card with the dog in glasses for my birthday 2010. The papers are from a pack of double sided designs I got on sale at a local craft store. The card was sized to fit into an envelope that came from a yard sale. Ta-Da!

Posting Notes:
November and December are rich with holiday joy. This year I'm relishing the season with fewer gifts, more meaningful gifts, and more time with my spirit and my loved ones. My blog posts through the end of the year will be a series of cards I've been working on called "Recycled Flash Cards." I've done a video but the editing isn't done and I'm not worried about that right now.

The cards in this series were made June 2011-November 2011 and feature designs created by recycling other greeting cards. Some are done from "store bought" cards, some from handmade cards sent to me by others, and some from cards I made and sent to people who didn't want to throw them away but didn't have space to keep them either. (Thanks Mom)

Mamograms Matter

Art as an expression of hope and a reminder to my loved ones:

Just because breast cancer awareness month is over doesn't mean we can forget about taking care of ourselves and our loved ones.
Please do your self exams and get your mammograms. Here's a web site that will help you find free mammograms in the United States. http://www.liv.com/free_mammograms.php

 We all know someone touched by breast cancer--if you didn't before--now you do. I've had over 10 mammograms in the last 4 years, 3 aspiration biopsies and 1 very recent stereoscopic biopsy. It's all good so far, but these small steps make a huge difference in my health and my peace of mind.

Being kind to yourself makes you strong.

21 days with a ciggarette

Bon Voyage to a tee shirt (and cigs) from my art journal.

I said a not-so fond farewell to my cigarettes 21 days ago today. This rocks.


I made my commitment to quit by using a nicotine delivery device known as the E-cigarette. 


Here are the things I love about my new life without "analog" cigarettes and my ongoing adventures with electronic cigarettes. (In no particular order)

• I love saying "I don't smoke."
• The smell--the tell-tale, nasty, smell---is gone.
• I don't waste cigarettes putting them out before they are finished.
• No more ash tray maintenance and butt disposal issues.
• I have already lost my smokers cough and throat clearing.
• The electronics come in cool colors including pink with light up crystals.
• They are half the price of my former smoking habit.
• I can whiten my teeth and they'll stay white.
• No loss of the eye-hand habits I enjoy.
• I can do it in the car with the windows up.
• I don't annoy people around me.
• No special accommodations required.
• No waiting until "I finish this one" before moving on with my time.

Here's a video of Katherine Heigl on Letterman that shows how they work and what they look like:

Once I decided to try the electronic cigarettes, I found an incredible amount of online resources, products, and companies. There are some unbiased comparison sites and some very biased comparison sites set up to look like unbiased ones.


The company that works for me is called Vapor for Life. They don't pay any referral bonuses and I receive no personal gain by promoting their company. http://v4l.com/

Have a Witchin' Good Halloween

I tried my hand at coloring a black and white digital image. It's not a digital stamp, it's one of the ones I use from kits. She's a good witch with a good wish for a Happy Halloween to you.

Gift Enclosures

Artist's Note: During the first week of September when my two newest baby grands were born I was a quite preoccupied. I created a post for the Paper Temptress Design blog that never seemed to get published. I have finished my design team term with this wonderful company and left the post on their blog to be put in as a "filler." In the meantime--I really loved this post so I'm publishing it here too.

Bold & Bashful Gift Enclosures

Set yourself up for easy gift solutions by creating sets of these cheery and fun gift card holders and explosion boxes. As a demonstration of Paper Temptress card stock versatility, I created the exact same project using two different color schemes.






There are so many gifted and talented paper artists sharing their creations online these days that it’s not hard to find clever templates. Let yourself be delighted and amazed to see how selecting Paper Temptress products can move your projects to the next level of artful presentation.






Gift Card Holders

One of my favorite designers, Eli Harlon, demonstrated the template for this gift card holder on her blog “Firllions.” I’ve been a friend and fan of Eli for about five years now and I’m tickled pink that she now lives near me in the Palm Beach area.

Explosion Gift Boxes

Split Coast Stampers offers a wonderful online community that includes new templates and instructional videos every week of the year. This explosion box from Beate Johns is a fabulous way to package jewelry, candy treats, tea bags, and other tiny treasures.

Paper Tempress Supplies for the Bashful projects:

Graystone Classic Linen Text and Cardstock

Azeala Stardreams Text

Pink Basis

Nero Black Cardstock

Rose Quartz Text



Paper Temptress Supplies for the Bold projects

Kiwi Text

Azeala Stardream text

Sparkle Mangue Text and Cover Weight

Sparkle Orange Cover Weight

Poison Ivory is anything but wrong

I am developing a whole new appreciation for markers, markers, markers....All my work with the Paper Temptress products has renewed my coloring on card stock time. My latest adventure was coloring onto the card stock called Poison Ivory. It's a pale ivory (almost white) sturdy card stock with a smooth surface and luscious gold shimmer.

Of course, like a raccoon, I am a drawn to all things sparkling. I experimented with a couple different styles and coloring techniques. Here's a card with the castle image done on poison ivory. The stamped image from Stamp Affair was stamped in black ink, base colored with Bic Mark-it(TM) pens, blended with Dove Blender pen, shaded and colored more with the Bic-Mark-It pens (including outlining the original stamp lines with the ultra fine tip) and then topped off with Glaze gel pens from Sakura. Finally, yes there's more, I squirted on some instant crackle medium from Ranger.

Can you believe how far I strayed from my normal--"flash" techniques? This process worked for my creative style because I worked in short sessions with multiple images at a time. I'd apply a layer of color, switch to something else, and then return to the project. It must have laid on my desk for over a week before assembling into the card you see above. Click to enlarge all the images--the close-up shots of the castle really show the layers.

All the card stock on this card came from the Paper Temptress. The other stamps are from Dream Impressions, the punch used for ribbon threading was from Martha Stewart.

See More Poison Ivory Designs

Two new designs, a card and a commonplace book went up on the Paper Temptress design team site today. Here's a sneak peak close up to entice you to head over there:



Hearts and Hands Linked by Love Layout



Dragon fly from layout featured on Paper Temptress blog.

 A new Artful Tourist project launches on the Paper Temptress blog today--it's an 8" by 8" scrapbook layout. Take a look at the full layout plus a quick tutorial on torn paper frames. 

The close up here shows my dragonfly that I colored with Bic Mark-It alcohol markers--my latest favorite coloring tools. They are vibriant, blendable, and perform great on different surfaces such as this Poison Ivory cardstock from
Paper Temptress.









Been Framed lately?

I promised the PT blog readers more information on overlay frames. Here's a fancy one from my wedding album  plus some others from older projects that aren't on my web site any more--When you click on this link you will go to my web page that gives more details on how I cut the wedding one.




Fancy Cut Frame from my wedding album.



This one is cardstock with print paper glued to the opposite side.

 I want to add a couple more frames but I'm out of time for now. May your day be framed fabulously.

12 Excuses I made not to post on my blog Sunday



1. The only things I can think to write about world events today and 10 years ago Sunday sound trite and polly-anna-ish to me right now. See what I mean? I’m using self-created words which really annoy me. Stamp by Dream Impressions, part of a collage I made in 2002.








2. Because when I keep thinking I'll find a bigger audience
 for Paper Temptress projects and I can't post them here first.
.Sticky Note pads decorated with Paper Tempress Card Stock

 




3. I haven’t created the web page I have planned to feature the in-depth review of this technique yet. These are Journals I made with my Zutter--they are a series called "Time to Journal" and are made from blank time cards.

 

4. There are so many things to post and I don’t want to take away

from them by just squeezing them in quickly.New set of ATC from one sheet

 for a video I'm planning.


…




5. Because it’s a good time to just pet my dog(s). Our Daisy is always ready for a cuddle



6. Becasue I just woke up or I want to lay down.
Drexel, Lord of Nap, joins me in sleeping and
waking up twice a day. It's called Chronic Fatigue.



7. Because I can't always remember if I posted something earlier and I don't want to go back and check. Club Scrap pear stamp on tag in two color sets.



9. Because I thought I looked
skinner than this.



10. Because I feel compelled to explain things in detail
 that really just need to be shown. Sign on my doctor's desk.




8. Because looking through my foldiers

is so distracting. I keep finding photos

I wanted to use weeks ago like this live

lizard hood ornament as I drive down

Belvedere.







11. Because the photo would be so much better if I had time to crop it, enhance it, and add digital elelments.

These are some button rings I tried immediately after stubling onto a You Tube Video
 



Anna Claire Schloesser, born 8.28.11 to Sir Henry's daughter Molly and her husband Ryan.



It's Been Baby Grand Week Around Here--

which brings me to # 12:

 

When I look at what's really important to me all the other photos just dim in comparison.

 



Owen Marshall Haddad, born 9.1.11 to my
 God-daughter Brittany and her husband John.





Hailee Renee Chattin--two years old in July 2011. This picture of my first born grand baby reminds me of the stamp image face in the first photo.





As always, click to enlarge any photo....

Blessings of joy and peace





Collage it all from one piece of card stock

My Zutter Bind-it-all got busy with Paper Temptress card stock to create a fun little artsy journal called Partying Words. Check out the full details and pictures on the Paper Temptress blog.

I used only one piece of card stock but this project is nothing close to monochromatic.

Here's a teaser photo....

Timing isn't Everything

This week I was reminded of yet another reason I love my "Flash Card" creation process. In addition to the advantage of having lots of unique cards ready and available to send --- there's the anxiety relief.

Art and stress should not go together.

I was noodling around with supplies on my table and decided to make a card for a new friend who is having a birthday. Part of the issue could have been that I didn't know her well, but still, this card took over an hour to make and I am just not crazy about it. I ended up giving her one of my Cut 'n Tuck Flash cards after all and I'm holding this one to see if I like it better after time passes.

the sentiment inside bled through the card stock so I traced it on the back

inside sentiment

After that laborious hour in the morning--I worked around the house and then laid down for afternoon respite. Woke up a couple hours later and the Great Creator had given me a notion that required immediate action. In just 15 minutes I created the card below called "Out of the Blue" I love this card, it's interactive and fun . Right out of the blue--wham.




Card fits a #10 envelope

 I mailed the card to my friend Bridget who I've known for over 30 years and who knows that I really dislike the color blue. I have a huge excess of blue card stock because I avoid using it....This was a great way to tell my friend I care and send my blue card stock to a happier home...

Flash Cards! Cut 'n Tuck Technique

I'm flashing again--thankfully just making cards in a flash with my new video on the Cut 'n Tuck technique. All you need to get started is sturdy card stock for a base, designer print papers, and items to tuck in your pockets like die cuts, stamped images, tags, tea bags, gift cards, money, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.

Give it a whirl and let me know how you like this latest episode in the Flash Cards! series.

I'll be putting a new page up on the web site with lots more samples and a written tutorial but it may be a month from now. I never let the computer part get in the way of the fun stuff and I'm traveling to see family for two weeks in August.

New Stick Figure debuts on Paper Temptress Blog and Web Site

 

The back side view.

Stick Figures are paper art dolls on a stick. My ATC from last week spurred me to go full size on the sticks and make a new doll for my collection. This one is called Winnifred and she's a whole new breed of princess.

Check out my post on Paper Temptress blog for more details on how their luscious card stock made this stick figure come to life.

I've been steady rocking the new web site and would love for you to visit me their too.

There's a new Renew This Book! page about more ideas for content in your journal and sample pages. The Stick Figure gallery has been updated to add Winnifred and My Career Coaching page has been revised with links to workshops that are available now.

In the studio this week I have filmed and edited three new videos that will be posted soon so stay tuned.