It's Black February

I'm sorry, I'm a little slow. These are my ATC's from February's swap. The swap color being black.
Starting with the one on the left, I used the black ribbon; the black seed beads, the button in the middle of the flower.

Left to right: I used the circle underneath the child's face, the star in the middle of the spider web.

Starting on the left, I used: the feather, fiber at the bottom of the card, the cowboy boots.

I also used a common background for these cards. The pictures don't show it as nice as they really are, but they're all slightly marbled.

I took an art class at a local artist's center here where we got to marble paper, print paper, paint on paper, use bleach on paper, make designs with rubber cement on paper and make a paste paper (that's where you put a paste substance on the paper and then use tools to take part of the paste off). It was pretty cool.

I've been meaning to do this for awhile...

I always planned on listing some of my favorites from Etsy, that was one of the plans when I started this blog. So, today, I'm doing a couple posts on some of my favorites:
These are in no particular order.
This is bearsbakedgoods' Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies. She has all these yummy looking goodies and I decided the cheesecake brownies were the best looking (as my tastes go), who can resist a brownie mixed with cheesecake, it's the best of both worlds.

I love these tags by packratdiva, these in particular are called Jungle Fever Gift Tags. She has so many different things in her shop, but I think of tags (because all my favorites from her are tags), I especially like the ones that are "dressed up", I think that adds a little extra charm, plus it's like paper dolls.

This gorgeous photo by janmoralesphoto, is called Pod. Very simple, I love how the blue seeds (?) just pop out of the green pod, but the pod itself doesn't blend into the background. It's beautiful. She has so many other exquisite photos from flowers to landscapes to animals. Go check her out.

And ending with another yummy looking dessert. These cupcakes look so moist and full flavor, I am in particular love with the Grown and Sexy Red Velvet Sundae Cupcake, but there are other great looking ones plus she has sundae cups that look intriguing as well. Check out DelectableDelights.

I don't have time at the moment, but check back later today or tomorrow for another post on some of my favorite items, or just check them out here.

My latest ATC's

As I've said before, most of my work now is Artist Trading Cards (ATC's), and these are the ones I made for my collageatcs group for December. The theme this month was blue, so everyone was given a packet of blue items and they had to use at least one item on each card.
Starting in the top left hand corner and going clockwise, the items I used from the packet: the foot paperclip, blue denim trim (second strip on card), silver strip from snowflake ribbon (on another card); the blue rectangle on the bottom; the large blue circle and the letter "R"; swirly vellum piece and blue brad in corner.

Starting in the top left hand corner and going clockwise, the items I used from the packet: crepe paper; "NATURE" and blue beads; snowflake ribbon and blue jewel; worm, raindrop jewels and blue piece worm is "walking" through.

Starting on the left, the items I used from the packet: Blue square; safety pin, blue paper tag and denim tag.

Heads up

Heads up for everyone, I've begun a full time job for the next two weeks (this week and next), so I won't have anything artsy up for awhile.

Out on the town

This is a dress form that I decorated for my mother for Christmas:

It started out as this, found at ImagineArt7's Etsy shop. First I painted it with Rose Pink Fantastix Ink. Next I glued on strips of orange patterned napkin to create the skirt. On top of that I added a strip of gray Lutrador and a pink ribbon. For the top, I used some scraps of silk fiber/paper I had laying around. I glued a green stone flower bead on the front as a "closure" for the shawl.

Underwater

Here's what I made for my friend, Loretta for Christmas:
It's a 5" by 7" artist canvas that I added Mellow Moss and Ballet Blue Stampin' Up ink to and then embossed with clear and silver pearl embossing powder. I added some green beads with faux jewels to the corners. The sea turtle I found in a magazine and glued it onto lutrador and then on to some green tissue paper to tone down the green color a little. I painted some seaweed in the bottom right hand corner with Pearl Emerald Green Lumiere paint and added some stone beads to the bottom and some flower embellishments on top of that.

Offroadin'

So, here's my finished project for my boyfriend:
In the background I have a 12" by 12" sheet of scrapbooking paper that looks like someone drove through mud. In the left hand corner is a picture of Kevin (my boyfriend) when he's off-roading in between some trees, to that picture I added some paper to extend the trees off the original picture. In the middle I have a piece of rubber that may have come off a tire, I painted that with some "mud" and attached another picture of Kevin on top of it. In the left hand bottom corner I have a jeep toy that I found in HummingbirdEyes's Etsy shop. Above that I have the Kevin's initials. In the bottom right corner I have a "license plate" that I bought at a scrapbooking store. I busted that up with a hammer, rubbed it with a metal file and painted it with "mud", I also "screwed" it on with metal brads from skybluepink. Above that I have the word "muddin", the letters are out of a chipboard set, that I painted black and then added the "mud" on top of. Everything has been painted/spattered with the "mud" for a cohesive look. It's all mounted on a 12" by 12" artist canvas I bought at Hobby Lobby.