a jar of jars

 i had SO much fun drawing and painting my little micro-jars,

but once i cut the page apart, i had a nice pile of micro-goodness... 

and all those illustrations were going to be hard to keep track of!

just like my chair collection, they needed a home.

so i grabbed two pieces of vellum and drew a jar on the top sheet…..

and then i sewed a tag on the front, 

along with some "lid lines" at the top.

then i clipped the two sheets together to keep them from moving around,

and sewed them together around the side and bottom edges.

once it was sewn, i trimmed the edges and filled my jar 

with all of those sweet little micro-jars!

these are my absolute favorite kind of projects…..

super easy, super functional, and super cute!

{supplies:  vellum paper, micron, scrapbook paper, 

colored pencils, pigment ink pad, 6B pencil, sewing machine}

splatter-happy

this week, DLP put out the call for drips and splatters on our journal pages,
so i got busy and pulled out some "drips and splatter" supplies like
watercolor paper, a spray bottle, water-soluble inks, and a ranger craft sheet.
but if you're like me and you don't really want to make a huge splatter mess,
here's a way to "reverse" the process…..

swipe some water-soluble ink across
 your craft sheet (or other slick, non-porous surface),
and spray it well with water using a mini-mister or spray bottle.

{for this step, i used peeled paint and scattered straw distress ink pads}

now lay your watercolor paper on top of the ink
and slightly smoosh it around.

then, lift your paper off your craft sheet and hold it up
so the ink will drip down the paper.

let your paper dry, or speed things up by using a heat gun,
and then pat your paper down into the same ink on your craft sheet.
this will give your "drips and splatters" a layered effect.

you can do this process as many times as you like...
just make sure the paper is completely dry in between steps.

you can also use water-soluble markers…..
just swipe them across the craft sheet and spray well with water.
then, lay your paper into your juicy ink slurry, lift it off the sheet,
let it dry, and repeat for a layered effect.

{for this step, i used tombow markers,
and i just dabbed my paper into the ink instead of smooshing it}

once your splatters have dried, it's time to play a game of "i spy"!
look at your paper for any particular shapes that jump out at you.
then take a waterproof marker and start
outlining, drawing, and embellishing your shapes!

you can also swipe some marker onto your craft sheet or acrylic block,
then pick it up with your waterbrush……
fill in and smooth out any areas to help your shape stand out better.

when you're happy with the way your splatter-shapes look,
then, it's all about adding your favorite finishing touches….

and before you know it,
you've gone splatter-happy without all the mess!
{or at least without most of the mess! :))}

♥♥♥♥♥

i'm very honored and excited to have been invited by the
Art to the 5th team over at Documented Life Project
as this month's Spotlight Artist!!  woo hoo!!
i'm absolutely thrilled to have my artwork featured,
and i thank the Art-gals SO much!!  xox

please join me here to see my interview!

{this journal page was created for the week 39 DLP challenge.
supplies:  moleskine planner, arches 140 CP watercolor paper, 
distress ink pads, tombow markers, spray bottle, ranger craft sheet,
white sharpie paint pen, pitt pens, black permapaque marker,
graphite pencils, washi tape}

inspiration monday

here's a great way to take a journal page and turn it into something new!
first,  look through your journals and find a simple design,
and then scan it into your computer.
(i changed my design to black and white for the transfer.)

then, following the directions on the package,
print your artwork onto a piece of sticky fabri-solvy by sulky.

now, just peel off the backing paper, and stick it onto a piece of fabric.
(here,  i've used a piece of cotton flour sack)

now choose your favorite stitches…..

and add all your favorite colors of thread and other fun stuff!

once you're done stitching, rinse the fabric in warm water
until the fabri-solvy dissolves.  let your fabric dry and iron it, if needed.
at this point, you can call it finished…..

or you can take it a step further and add some more color directly to the fabric!
here, i've used a watercolor crayon:  draw a small amount of color onto the
fabric and use a waterbrush, sparingly, to activate the color.  if you add too
much water, it will bleed out into the surrounding areas.
i added a bit of water to the color, and then i dried it immediately
with a heat gun to keep it from bleeding out.
continue adding as much color as you like…..

and reward yourself with a nice piece of chocolate
for taking a page from your journal, and turning it into
something that you can enjoy as a wall hanging or
maybe even sew it into a sweet little pillow!

to see a complete demonstration of the fabri-solvy, click here!

{supplies:  sulky sticky fabri-solvy,  cotton fabric,
assorted embroidery floss, orange seed beads, needle,
lyra aquacolor crayon, waterbrush}


✭✭✭

happy memorial day to all my friends here in America!
we remember all those who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms!
xox

words sweet as honey

the documented life project challenge for this week is
 to use a rubber stamp in a new way, and after thinking about it for a
looong time, i finally came up with an idea!  so, i got out some favorite stamps….

and then i cut a "mask" out of a piece of tracing paper.

then i used washi tape to hold it in place on my watercolor paper…..

and i started stamping inside the opening with
one of the stamps from this stamp set.

i wanted to create something that looks like a vintage bee-keep,
so i used a waterbrush to move the water-based ink around
and then i added a bit more color with a derwent watercolor pencil.

next, i needed some bees for the bee-keep,
so i drew a simple bee shape and then i used one of the heart stamps
from this set to create the wings.
(i also covered part of the bee when i stamped,
since i didn't need the entire heart shape)

then i defined them a bit more by using a pitt pen.

finally, i added all my favorite details, and…..
challenge complete!



{supplies:  moleskine planner, fabriano artistico 140 HP paper, 
"positive strokes" by paper smooches,  crushed curry ink pad by stampin' up,
"i made this" set by technique tuesday, derwent inktense pencils, pitt pens,
5B graphite pencil, white pilot "choose" pen, pan pastel}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #6}

i stumbled upon this fabulous you tube by sija, and had to try it!

it's a really quick way to add some dimension to a shipping tag.....

and then you can use it in your journal or on a card!

as shown in the video, i used a thin coat of gesso and let it dry
 (i'm impatient, so i sped things up with my heat gun), 
and then i applied tim holtz distress inks using a foam applicator 
(make-up sponges work, too). 
here i've used the colors broken china and peeled paint, 
while leaving some of the natural color of the tag peeking through.

and this is what it looks like after i used a gentle touch with 
a baby wipe over the gessoed areas! 

for this tag, i used two of my favorite distress ink colors:

spiced marmalade and fired brick.
then, i finished using a micron for the lettering.

these tags each took about ten minutes to create, and 
they definitely fit into the "instant art gratification" category!!!

                    

you can watch this video in larger format here.

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on august 6th and 7th, 2010}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #4}

i seem to have a lot of "experimental background papers" that are, 

let's face it, just plain lemons.    

so, you know the saying, when you've got lemons,  make some lemonade!

one of the things i like about this paper is all that juicy color...…

but to my eye, it's just too splotchy.  

so one thing i love to do is take a scrap of card stock and 

cut an opening out of the middle to create a little window 

(i've cut mine into a 1.5" square, but you can use any size or shape).  

then place it on top of the paper, and move it around...…

there are lots and lots of fun little art pieces hiding in there!  

make a quick tracing with a pencil around the edge of 

the window shape and then cut out the piece.......

and you'll have a pile of little art lovelies before you know it!  

suddenly that big piece of lemon paper is looking much better!

here's a way to make some lemonade with those little snippets of art happiness: 

draw a frame shape onto a piece of watercolor paper 

(i'm using my moleskine journal)......

and then paint it in.  i drew my frame with a tombow watersoluble marker, 

so i just used my waterbrush to activate the ink.  

when it dries, you can go back with your micron 

to touch up any lines that have faded.

once the frame is dry, glue one of the little art snippets to the middle.....

then add all of your special touches, 

and maybe even a title for your new little masterpiece!

keep painting frames and adding art snippets and titles......

and before you know it......

you've got your very own lemonade gallery!

have fun!

{my art gallery lemonade recipe:

the original background paper was created using bottled inks and this saran wrap method.

other supplies:  card stock, black tombow marker, waterbrush, micron pens, 2B pencil, glue stick}

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on july 25, 2011}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #2}

i love using watercolor pencils, but one thing i noticed right away is the color of the pencil isn't always the exact color that goes onto the paper!  so here's a paint-chip system that i've been using for a while now.....they're super easy to make, and all you need is your paints, scraps of watercolor paper, your waterbrush or paintbrush and cup of water, a pencil, scissors, glue or double-sided tape, and some popsicle sticks.

first, draw a square for each of your colors onto your watercolor paper 

and paint each square using one color. 

 i like to put more color at the top and less at the bottom 

so i know how the color looks both as a dark and a light.

now, label each color.  
you can leave your swatches as they are 
and you'll have a great color reference......

but i like to cut mine out......

and mount them onto popsicle sticks using a dab of glue or double-sided tape.  
this way i can mix and match and see exactly 
what they look like right next to each other.  
it makes choosing your color palette really fun, 
and you'll be amazed at how many fabulous color combinations you discover!

plus, your entire collection will look so cute all tucked in a glass jar......

kind of like a rainbow-paint-chip-inspiration-bouquet smiling at you!

{you can use this technique for watercolor paints, acrylics, watercolor pencils, 

watercolor crayons, and any other color media you enjoy working in!}

***

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post 

originally featured on april 18, 2011}

inspiration monday

as much as i love playing in my art journal, sometimes i get the itch to do something completely different.  i've had my eye on elke bergeron's "leather clutch" workshop over at creativebug for quite a while, so i decided this was the perfect time to learn something new!

while elke's class doesn't include this step,  you probably know i don't do too many projects unless it includes letterforms, and i couldn't resist using my set of hand-carved stamps for this little clutch!  so i put a piece of washi tape across the front of my leather to use as a guide, and then i placed an acrylic ruler under the top to provide a firm surface for stamping.

i used a white pigment stamp pad that i had on hand,
and then i heat set the ink with my heat gun.

then i rounded the corners,  punched some holes along the side,
and stitched it up with some linen thread.

for my closure, i decided to add a snap….

and now i have a really cool leather pouch….and it was super simple to make!

the only two things i would do differently next time:
first, to make the stamping more permanent, i think i'll try using acrylic paint...

and secondly,  i'll pay more attention to the mantra
"measure twice, cut once" before i start my next project!
my plan was to store my inktense pencils in here, but when
i finished the pouch and tried to put them inside, they were too long!!
so now i have a leather clutch that's perfect for my glasses and micron pens,
but it's marked "pencils" on the front!  aaack!
:))


for more information about elke bergeron's creativebug class, click here
to watch a tutorial for setting snaps, click here


{supplies:  leather piece from hobby lobby, leather punch, hammer, 
hand-carved letter stamps, white ink pad, linen thread, needle, snap set tool, snaps}