I Have This Desire to Explore

I really like how these two different cards turned out.  I'm learning to use the Mirror Image Stamping Tool by Unity Stamp Co. and, needless to say, still have a lot more to learn.  Oh, I received my Tim Holtz Stamp platform and, for the life of me, cant' figure out how I ever lived without it.  I thought it was way cheaper than another stamp platform and am so in love with it.  I'm not sure if I'll ever use another stamp block again.

New Art Markers & A Mad Flower Child

Since I can't afford the Prismacolor or other expensive art markers I found that Dick Blick Art Materials had a set of 24 "Art Markers" for like dirt cheap.  I usually use permanent markers and I'm not sure that I'm sold on these new art markers just yet.  For one thing they are super bright, which could just be that I'm used to the subdued colors of the permanent markers.  Or, they are just super bright!

I made several cards tonight, but my favorite out of all of them was the Mad Flower Child.  I'm not quite sure what she is mad about, but by the look on her face I don't think I want to know.

A Little Spirit Lift

I think every once in a while it's good to get a "spirit" lift.  I really am trying to be more positive, even though most of the time I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "what the heck is it all for anyways?".

So, tonight I find out that the new Art Trader Magazine Issue #18 is available.  I download it and start browsing through it to see if there is anything that I might be interested in doing and there is.  The "10 Minute ATC" article is staring me in the face.  A 10 Minute ATC, really?  This is very cool, because I'm tired and haven't made an ATC in over two weeks.  This particular method is about blending markers and looks to be pretty straightforward.

Green Flower Garden

It might of taken me a little over 10 minutes as my white gel pen kept giving me fits, but I completed my ATC and posted it for trading.

Whew!  After that I continued browsing the magazine and I get to page 25.  Guess what page 25 is?  It is the Reader Gallery.  Guess who is in the Reader Gallery?  That's right; it is me!  It felt good and gave me the little spirit lift I needed.  Thanks to the Art Trader Magazine group of administrators for keeping art alive.

Flower Swap - Due April 25th

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.

Day 97 - Flower Person

This is another card I did for a "Flower People" Swap.  Again, I did 3 main cards and then 1 for the hostess of the swap.  This was actually a fun swap.

I watercolored the background, drew the girl, collaged some paper, and then used markers to outline.  This was alot of work, but the 4 cards turned out rather well.

This is Day 96's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 78 - Pretty Purple Flower

My daughter brought me in this pretty purple flower and asked me to draw it.  So, I did and here it is!!

This is Day 78's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 46 - Egg Shell Seedling

This is an image transfer and paper collage artist trading card.  I love the little plant coming out of the open egg.

This is Day 46's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 35 - Hearts & Flowers

So I made two artist trading cards (ATC) without knowing about a swap that was going on where these cards would fit right in.  The swap was called Hearts & Flowers and that is what I was calling this card.  So, I was excited when the hostess of the swap asked if I wanted to join the swap because she really liked the two cards I made.  I said yes and then had to turn around and make two more cards so I would be in line with the rules for a 3/3 trade plus one for the hostess.  I really like how they all turned out, but this is the card I submitted for the 2010 Project 365.

This is Day 35's ATC that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

Day 28 - Ilustrious Pink ATC

Another mixed media collage.  I am really starting to like these and they are much easier than actually drawing or painting anything.  Although I'm not ready to give up doing that.  This particular card has a watercolor background, so technically I'm still doing that.

This is Day 28's ATC that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.