Compendum of Curiosities Challenge 29

I have not played with grungeboard too much-It was fun to dig it out and play today-I love experimenting :) I started with plain grungeboard. I cut it with a Nestabilities die then embossed it with an embossing folder. I don't have any Paint Dabbers but I have loads of acrylics so thats what I used here :) Behind the fragment that the image is stamped on, I used alcohol inks on Glossy paper to make a background.

Stamp is from I Brake For Stamps from the "For The Birds" plate in the Time To Stamp line.

Also on the small tag I stamped the Leaf Flourish Xlg

Cards by my daughter

My daughter is 8 and was really looking forward to stamping now that our table is cleared off :)

We did some backgrounds with distress inks (I should say SHE did)-that was our art lesson today. I also taught her how to use watercolor pencils and blend them with a water brush (The alien card). I let her crank my Grand Calibur machine-she herself picked out which dies she wanted to cut with. She did great :)

Stamps are from I Brake For Stamps.

The Beginnings of Something

Not sure what happened to me today, except I got some sudden inspiration. I started an assemblage-something I have wanted to do again for a while, but just had no inspiration. The past year or so , things that have happened in my life, have just left me with very little inspiration. I have been struggling with it in a baaaaaaaaad way. Have you ever had the desire to do it, but just flat out NO inspiration or, at the same time, drive to even try?

I mean, I have done loads of stamping-that has been more of a creative outlet. I am grateful I have even been able to do that. But I have wanted to do more than just stamping.

Thats where I have been at. For. A. Year. {seriously though, it was truly one of the worst years of my entire life} It honestly makes me SO sad. At one time I was doing this stuff ALL the time. I lived for it. I would do this for HOURS each day while my kids were in school {which as some of you know, that situation has changed.}

Today, something happened. Not sure what , really. I do know one thing though-I cleaned my art table!! I found things I forgot I had! It is not cluttered with stuff anymore, or bags, or bits of paper. It was liberating!

As I stood there admiring what I had done, suddenly I got the drive to do something. I am now asking myself, is that all I needed to do? sheesh! Thing is, all these months I had no drive to even clean my art table. Till yesterday. I was in there doing some things (had to move stuff around to be able to even work at the table) and my daughter said "I wish we could do art together" with very sad eyes. Oh.my. goodness .I HAD to do something today. It was first on the list! So now, we can do art together.

So I started getting an idea in my head, and I started. It still has a loooooooooong way to go, and honestly, not sure where its going to end up. I have some ideas floating. So with that, I will go with it!

I am proud of myself for starting something.

Each year for the past several years I have entered an art show for miniature works. Just the other day I was thinking about it, and realized I probably would not be entering this year. {sob}.

But I got the prospectus the other day and I still have a couple months. Is this fate? Possibly.

Sentimental Journey

Tried a technique from Tim Holtz's Compendum of Curiosities today using some brass charms (I have LOTS of them laying around). I can see I will now put them to better use! I also dyed some cheesecloth with Tea Dye ink.

Stamp is from I Brake For Stamps and can be found here

I was in the mood to use a stamp with a bike-not sure why. Must be the kid in me :)

Compendum of Curiosities #28-Colorful Layered Fragments

I just ran across this challenge and decided to have a play! I have a large baggie full of these Fragments, so it was nice to use them for a change, since its been a while :)

Poppy Collage Stamp is from I Brake For Stamps-Isn't it just gorgeous?

This Poppy Collage really spoke to me today as I was searching for a stamp to use for this technique!

Wrong Handed Portraits

Sketching with your non-dominant hand sure takes some control..........wow. I was amazed at how difficult it was. But here's my first try. My daughter has become ill and she fell asleep on the couch-so I just drew her while she slept :) It shows part of her face, because the other part was covered by her blanket. I will have to do more, to get more practice. But for my first go at it I didn't think it came out too bad.

Birthday Card

I have to admit, I make alot of cards but am really bad about actually sending them out. One of those is Birthday cards. I never seem to have any on hand! So one of my resolutions, is to send out more handmade birthday cards this year ( only to those who appreciate them, of course).

I used a new technique called "Pencil Resist" from the lates Technique Junkies newsletter for this one.

I used these stamps from I Brake For Stamps:

Birthday Sheet

Birthday Background

For the shape of the card I used the new Grand Nestabilities Labels One

remember to use SAVE10KRISTY at I Brake For Stamps for an additional 10% off :)

The Pulse over at the Altered Page

Collections or Obsessions is today's post over at the Altered Page-be sure to have a look see-I am mentioned there about my collection (or should I say obsession) of papers :)

Seth's blog is FULL of inspiration. Be sure to check it out -its a MUST see!

Imaginary Creatures

Had lots of fun this afternoon making Imaginary Creatures! This is yet another exercise in Carla Sonheim's wonderful book. It was freeing to just let my mind run wild. I don't exactly know what these creatures are-but it was sure fun creating them :)

Blind Contour Drawings

More drawing fun today with Carla Sonheim's book. Blind Contour drawings are when you look at the picture and draw just by looking at it without looking down at your paper.

This exercise uses some serious hand-eye coordination!

Here are some of my favorites-colored in with watercolors.

Here Kitty Kitty.....

So last week for my big ole 40th (OMG did I really just admit that?) birthday, I got Carla Sonheim's Drawing Lab book. I have been thumbing through it alot in the evening when I am lying on the couch, too tired to do much else. Anyway, I have been dying to try some of the exercises in there. Today has been extremely stressful so I thought today would be a great day to try, to get my mind off things. So I gave it a whirl. I have to admit, I am NOT a cat person. I don't hate them but I am more of a dog person. But it was fun drawing cats-I drew a bunch but here are just a couple of my favorites. I added some color to them with colored pencils. I love how imperfect and funky they came out :)

TMTA-Heads

I haven't played in the TMTA challenge for a while........so I thought I would play along this week. This week's theme is Heads and I knew right away which image I would be using :)

All images are from I Brake For Stamps from the Stampinback collection.

Notice her pearl earrings?

Live Laugh Love

Had some fun with my new set of Grand Nestabilities today-I was dying to try them out :)

Stamps used here ( I Brake For Stamps) are as follows:

Live Laugh Love

Bookpage

Basic Elements

Background is created with Oil Pastels and Gesso

More Michelangelo

LOVING these images! I started this last week but got busy and coudn't finish till today.

Just got my new Spellbinder's Grand Calibur so got to play today. WOW. Amazing machine-where has it been all my life?Anyway-here are the images I used:

Grunge Backgrounds

Michelangelo 4

Beauty is Inside

All from I Brake For Stamps

I used several Spellbinders dies and also some vintage paper. I LOVED the natural patina of the paper and the tears-it seemed to really go well with the feel of this card. On the background (behind main image) I dry brushed a little bit of gesso.

Fun with new Phone Apps

I have to admit, I have never been one to be all about the "bells and whistles" of fancy cell phones. I just had a simple pay-as-you go phone, that allowed me to take basic pictures and send texts (which I do ALOT). My phone enabled me to keep in touch with many friends, especially since my life is so crazy. Anyway, I have a birthday (gulp-its a BIG one) coming this next week. I have been saving my Swagbucks for months along with other money here and there. I was oringally planning on getting an iTouch so I could use cool apps and have music on it. Then, I happened upon a Samsung Intercept Android phone that I can use with my Pay-As-You go plan (I am super frugal-i have to be). Anyway, after really researching this I jumped and bought this phone, because it does everything I wanted in the iTouch, plus I can use it as a phone. Anyway, I think I was MOST excited about all the apps that are available. I downloaded the kewlest vintage camera apps-OMG, can you say addicting? Here are a couple I have taken. I have my cool Lomo and Holga cameras, but this just takes it all to a new level. I am in LOVE.

Maybe this fun phone will take the pain of my big {gulp} Birthday. loooooooooong, depressing..........sigh.

(PS-thats a jar of our garden carrots,my teenage son who looks so thrilled, and the dog is my sweet little Sumo)