Challenge #7! Ophelia!

Yeah!! This week Linda at Studio L3 chose page 55 for our challenge! Tinted Vision Fragments! I confess...when I first got my Compendium of Curiosities, this was the only technique that totally grabbed me and I knew I'd be trying it out. (Needless to say...I'm very glad I'm in this challenge, as I have 6 other "go-to" techniques now in my tool-box!)

Now, while thumbing through the Compendium when it first arrived, I new immediately that Ophelia from Stampsmith would be my subject! Thank god there's a fragment that fits her! I can't believe I don't have Espresso ink, but Latte, Ginger and and Slate did the trick. The tag background is Crushed Olive, Bundled Sage, Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo DI's, with Mustard Seed Distress Embossing Powder on the corner flourishes. (see..a technique from two weeks ago!) I really love this effect...so to all my card recipients...expect to see some fragments in the future!

And here is a close-up for Ophelia: I forgot to mention, I used Spun Sugar, Barn Door and Dried Marigold DI's to color her in.

Come back Art Muse...Come Back!!

As has become my new weekly habit...the first thing I do Monday morning is to see which page Linda will pick for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge at Studio L3. This week: page 66, Mulit Media Collage. Ok, I have a week to think about this, as I'm away for work, thinking...thinking...seeing everyone elses work...thinking...

OK, home now; chores done.. in my stamp room...reading the technique...thinking...thinking...I have come to the conclusion my muse has run away...a logical assumption after a week long seminar doing financial analysis on loans, where creative thinking was banned...

Now..the best block-busting technique: dump the embellishment drawer out..Eureka! I found two cardboard hearts! Now we're getting somewhere! Now I have to clean up my desk! Oh, found a key while I was at it... and wow, this one was a lot of work!

The details as I remember:
Aged Paper, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Aged Mahogany DI's on the hearts. The same plus Tea Dye on the background. Since I still haven't found an opaque white that works, I used a technique not yet challenged to get the text to pop.

I think I'll need to give this one another go, once I'm more at peace with my creative self...and maybe a lot less hot and humid!

Oh, and with advice from Marnie, I think I loaded this image at a more friendly web resolution. Please let me know if anyone notices anything better/worse, etc. Thanks!

The Curiosities Continue...

Wow! 5 for 5! I'm pretty amazed..this will be 1/7th of the journey completed!! So this week Linda at Studio L3 chose Page 43.. Distress Powers. Now, I did have two jars, and had used them a bit, with some "eh" results. And after seeing the early posts, I went and got 3 more colors, and paid particular attention to step #4....(hmmm, a trend; patience!!!) and I will say this time I had much better results.

I used the Peeled Paint and Faded Jeans for the powers, with the Distress Embossing Ink...which does make a bit of a difference over regular pigment inks. Then I used mustard seed, dried marigold, spiced marmalade, milled lavender and dusty concord on the background. The stamps come from Tim (but you all knew that!) and the Flight came from Inkadinkado.

I liked it so much, I then did my husband's birthday card this way... Yeah! A new technique to add to the creative tool box!

Oh, and on a side note; it has become apparent that I now Hate those silly bags that have the self-adhesive on the flap...really!! What ever happened to good old zipper bags?? They didn't stick, tear, get mangled, and leave 3 sets of stamps precariously loose from their covers! Hurumph!

The Shabby Chic Experiment!

Well, I have made it to week #4 of Studio L3's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge! And I'll admit, I wasn't sure how this one would turn out...as "chic" is not really an active word in my lifestyle...Shabby, yes; but Chic, definately not!

The only grungeboard I have is the Harlequin Elements...so I thought I'd be jinxed before I even started. I tried practicing on one of the larger pieces, figuring if that worked, I'd use the large heart for the challenge...so I used the large skull. It was, how shall I say..."eh".

Then one of the posts said to really be patient for the last step...so boldly going forth...I jumped right in! (Now, it was hot; and my stamp room is the bonus room over the garage, only 2 skylights, and no heating or cooling..so, on the hottest day of the year so far, temps in mid 90's, my room easily that as well, with moderately high humidity...do you think anything would dry beyond tacky??? And the paper holds so much moisture that EP's stick everywhere...) and yet...Yipiee!!! I think it came out wonderfully!

The pink edging is really Barn Door and Fired Brick; to match the tag, but got "pinked-out" with the snow cap dabber. The rose flourish is from Inkadinkadoo's Floral Flourishes set, and the saying is from Tim's Urban Grunge set. The harlequin pattern does show through where I had to rub a tad harder, but I don't think it hurt it at all. Phew!

Compendium Challenge #3!

WoW!! How much fun is this??!! This week was a bit hectic, so I only had Thursday night to play, since I can only upload images by Friday at work. Well, I pull out my basket of beautiful inks...and in additon to the Ranger Inks, I also have most of the Pinata colors as well...and then my brain sort of short-circuited--so many colors!! Which to try first...(only 15 sheets of glossy paper left...ghaah!) After the first set (blues and greens) got done...things got a little crazy! Next thing you know, I have only 3 sheets of glossy left, it's time to go to bed, and all I have are backgrounds!! Well, I open a stamp drawer...and Bam! Heather!! Hydrangea!..(what?? Where's my black archival ink???? ) Tried another type...forgot to heat-set...but, wow, this is awesome!! (If my christmas stamps weren't tucked away I'd be all set with the pale blues and silver...) So..with the rambling out of the way....TaDahhhaaa...(The picture doesn't do it justice! Bit blurry and a color shift to pink-ish-should be more blue)

Had to add this one too!