Everyday Wonderful

I made this card using the Uniquely Unity August Stamp and Sentiment Kit from Unity Stamp Co.  I love these little owls.

Made for You

I received some awesome stamps in my September/October Rubbermoon Moonmail package and I love them. Yesterday I sat down with my goodies and made this picture. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet. Maybe a card,  maybe something special for someone.  I've never used laser cut images before,  so this was a real treat from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts.

I washed the watercolor paper and then painted it rainbow colors. Then I stamped the background with the special moonmail stamps and colored in with permanent markers.  I used a silver permanent marker for the brush and paint lids.  I accented with a white gel pen.  For the square, I rolled white acrylic paint over it and then splattered the square with red acrylic paint using a toothbrush.  Then I outlined the square in black permanent marker and added white dots.  I colored the laser cut images with acrylic paint and used a q-tip to dab on rainbow colors of acrylic paint to give it that "pallete being used look".  Once everything was done I adhered the laser cuts to the square, the square to the background, and then finally put it all on a yellow piece of cardstock.  I used my corner rounding punch to give the corners that rounded look.

Supplies:
September/October Rubbermoon Stamps of the Month

2" Precision Cut Matboard Squares
Yellow Card Stock
Watercolor Paper
Watercolors
Acrylic Paint (White and Red)
Permanent ink
White gel pen
Tootbrush
Gypsy Soul Laser Pallete and Paintbrush Cutout

Reindeer - Open Media ATC swap

These were hand drawn and then watercolored for the Reindeer - Open Media ATC swap over at AFA.  I then used gel pens and 3D Glaze pens for the black outlines and details.  My scanner was set at 200 dpi, so the colors didn't come through like I wanted, but they turned out super cool.

I love these reindeer and am sad to depart with them.  I hope I get some fun ones in return.  The one with the lights turned out to be my second favorite and the candy cane reindeer is my first favorite.

It's an Unnaturally Colored Face World Swap

Orange, Green, Blue, and Purple

Wow, talk about out of the comfort zone.  I have gotten much better at faces, but I feel I am still not where I want to be.  So, I joined the It's an Unnaturally Colored Face World Swap and came up with orange, green, blue, and purple faces.  Hmmm, wonder what kind of prejudice problems they have.

Creativity Combo Swap: Pick One from One and One from Two

So, the key to this particular swap was to pick something from the first column of words and then pick something from the second column of words.  I used the Random Integer Set Generator at RANDOM.ORG to pick out my combos.  There were 64 options in each column, so I did 4 sets of 2 numbers and then went to my spreadsheet that I created out of the lists and put the two words together.  What I got were the following:

Surreal Prune, Cracked Cat, Dog in Drag, & Flaming Hot Dog Vendor

What was really funny was that I wasn't paying attention and created the following card, which should have been the "Surreal Prune"!

Surreal Pear

I really like this one and as soon as I put it up for trade it was gone.  I can't wait to see what the other players come up.  I think I'm going to keep the list and work from it once in a while too!

Flower Swap - Due April 25th

Color Palette I Purple/Blue/Green

 I never really join the "color palette" swaps, because you can use very little black or white and the main portion of the artist trading card (ATC) has to be the colors listed.  However, I really like the colors purple, blue, and green.  This was going to be a challenge for me and I had to think outside the box.  What could I do that would allow me to use all three colors while incorporating little to no black and white. 

I decided to break out the watercolors and start there.  I took three ATC sized watercolor cards and started to paint the three colors on the cards without really thinking about form.  When I was done I walked away, so when I came back it would be with new perspective.

When I returned to the cards; I was excited to see some type of form or shape and immediately broke out the glitter and metallic markers to start adding the needed flare for each card.

Needless to say, I was both pleased and impressed that I could actually handle doing a color palette ATC without alot of strain on the brain.

Paper Doll Swap: Fantasy & Aliens

Yes, I joined yet another paper doll swap.  These paper doll swaps are great because they force me to go out of my comfort zone and draw, paint, or color something that is not just an ATC in shape and size.  I chose, for this particular swap, to do aliens and I went one step further and used Star Wars aliens for inspiration.

I am breaking out and using my water colors again and I really like the effects on each of the dolls that I made.

This first one is based on the Star Wars character known as Admiral Ackbar, but I call him Akbacca, because someone said he looked like a cross between Admiral Ackbar and Chewbacca!  I was really going for Admiral Ackbar without that space suit he wears!

Akbacca

 

 

The next one I did was just for grins.  This one I named Gidget, because I saw her as a girl and I wanted to name her after one of my all time favorite classic movies.

Gidget

The third one, again, is based on the Star Wars character known as Rodian, his name is Greedo!

Greedo

 Finally, the last one is also based on a Star Wars character known as a Ortolan, his name is Sumo!

Sumo

Turtle, Birds, & a Gecko

I'm not sure what got into me tonight, but I had this uncontrollable urge to draw something Native American.  So, I whipped out the watercolor pencils and made four backgrounds.  Let me explain something that I like about watercolor pencils; they, in my honest opinion, have the most brilliant colors.

Turtle

I did the Gecko card with my watercolor blocks and the rest I did with my watercolor pencils.  See how bright they turned out.

Gecko

Next, I drew each Native American symbol and then colored them in with permanent marker, which works really well for drawing over watercolor.

Bird 2

I posted these as available to trade and hope someone takes the bait!

Bird 1

Our Fine Feathered Friends Swap

I was invited to join another art doll swap.  I was really excited to find out that it was about birds!  I made four bird dolls and they all turned out very colorful and pretty.  I drew each bird and then used watercoloring for coloring the birds.  I then used my permanent markers and outlined and added the details.

I haven't even begun to pretend to know how to watercolor, but I sure do like the effect.  I tried some different techniques like using a watercolor pencil to "draw" in the wet watercolor.  This can be seen on the parrot.

I really enjoyed making these birds and just wish I knew the name of the bird that hangs upside down.

Jungle Fancy Pigeon

Jungle Parrot

Jungle Blue Bird

Hanging Tropical Bird

Mount Sunflower, Kansas

Mount Sunflower is 26 miles northwest of Weskan, Kansas and we drove by on our way to Colorado. 

Our family traveled from Oklahoma to Colorado for Christmas and on the way, in Kansas, we saw a sign for a place called Mount Sunflower. I couldn't stop thinking about drawing or painting it, so when I got home I did this watercolor.

Mount Sunflower

I'm not sure if I should take this place seriously or laugh.  It really isn't a mountain, but as it is the highest point in Kansas, it deserves some recognition, I guess.

Getting Happy with Watercolor

So, for the entire month of January I didn't do any artwork.  Why? Because I started working and using mainly the left side of my brain doing accounting again has left me with no mojo for art.  Ugh!

However, I am making myself sit down tonight and do something, even it is collaging paper together.  I don't care what I do, I just have to do it.  No more excuses!

I did get a chance to sit down and do some watercolor and was also able to post for the first time this year to the 2011 Project 365.  This year is filled with changes, which is always a good thing and should never be feared.  You don't just have to post ATCs; you can actually post whatever art you come with on a daily basis.

For more information you can go to the actual blog or you can find out about the rules over at ATCs For All!

Here are the three that I listed for February:

February 1

 

February 2

February 3

Bizarre Holidays - August

Sometimes, don't you just wish that there was a holiday for something special that YOU like?  I found this monthly thread over at ATCs For All that does Bizarre Holidays for each month.  There is a site that actually tracks these bizarre holidays for each month and you pick which holiday you want to make an ATC for and then use your imagination.  The site is Bizarre American Holidays and has a list for each month, as well as what that month is for.  Here is an example:  "January is . . . . National Careers in Cosmetology Month, National Eye Health Care Month, National Fiber Focus Month, National Hobby Month, National Soup Month, Hot Tea Month, Oatmeal Month, Prune Breakfast Month."  I cannot imagine having prunes everyday for breakfast!

Anyways, I started with July and this is for the month of August.  I made ATCs for the following holidays:

August 3rd - National Watermelon Day
August 6th - Wiggle Your Toes Day
August 14th - National Creamsicle Day
August 20th - National Radio Day

Day 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, & 103 ATCs

D

 Day 98

 Day 99

 Day 100

 Day 101

 Day 102

Day 103

I haven't been in the blogging mood or really in any type of motivated mood in over a week.  So, when my friend came over for our play date, I was somewhat motivated and made 3 cards and did some work in my art journal.  Here are my artist trading cards for days 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, & 103.

These cards have all been included over at 2010 Project 365 on Naked Heart Arts Studio blog.

Day 68 - It's All About Paris

When you think of Paris what comes to mind?  How about just the fact that anything comes to mind when you say "Paris"?  I think of beautiful faces, the Eiffel Tower, and history.

This artist trading card (ATC) was done by painting watered down acrylic paint over a vintage page of "The Taming of the Shrew", which I then proceeded to stamp with a background stamp and a star stamp.

I watercolored some of the wonderful inch measuring squares from a stamp that I borrowed from a friend and here you have it: It's All About Paris.

This is Day 68's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 60 - Smoky

This is a kitty that I painted with watercolors.   I love watercolors but am not sure I will ever really get the hang of it.  My favorite medium to use is markers!!  

Wow, I went over to "Shabby Blogs" to look at their really cool backgrounds and I forgot what I was originally doing.  You have to check their blog out as well.

This is Day 60's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 25 - East to West ATC

I love to watercolor, which is what I did for the background on this "Silhouette" card. This is an ORIGINAL ATC done by me. I used watercolors and a permanent black marker on 300 series watercolor paper cut down to size.

I think I am going to be producing silhouette type cards for a little while along with collaging. I find these fun and I wait with anticipation to see the end result. I am also considering selling some of my cards as ACEOs in my Etsy shop with the jewelry I currently sell.

ATC stands for "Artist Trading Card". These cards have one main rule - they are the size of a regular trading card, which is 3.5" x 2.5". ATCs can only be traded NOT sold.

ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals". While these cards have the same main rule as an ATC, 3.5" x 2.5", these can actually be sold.

This is Day 25's ATC that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

This one is titled: 2 Turtle Doves



For day 2 I drew 2 Turtle Doves and then colored in with watercolor. This particular piece is on 5x7 watercolor paper.

Homemade Christmas Cards

I decided this year to make Christmas cards instead of buying a box from the store that I never seem to use all of them. So, with my daughter recovering from her surgery last week I stamped the images on watercolor paper and then we set out to color them using various types of watercolor.

This is the card my 7 yo made. After she watercolored the Santa, I used a scrapbooking door picture to make it look like Santa was behind the door.





I then adhered them to different cardstock, put them on different colored card paper, and used scrapbooking stickers to decorate. I also stamped the inside with my "Happy Holidays Season's Greetings" stamp.



I used craft glue on the Christmas trees and sprinkled with glitter to make it look like there are ornaments on them!

They turned out awesome and I thought I would just share them with the rest of you.

Hot Pink Flip Flops ATC 0007

I finally finished ATC #0007 tonight after working on it for 2 days. I am really happy with how it turned out and will be posting it for trading soon.

The following Method(s) & Media(s) were used:
90 lb. Watercolor paper
Watercolor Pencils
Permanent Markers
Soda Can Tin (Embossed over Rubber Stamp Image)
Acrylic Paint
Finish Spray