Making ART

I'm so excited today!!

First:  I'm hoping with the e-Team as a guest designer today!!

Second:  OMG!! WENDY VECCHI is in the HOUSE!!

Today's hop will not only share projects made with Studio 490 products, but will also share some insight as to the inspiration and thought process that went into making the projects.

The eTeam is a wonderful group of talented women, each with their own style. Some are clean and simple card makers, others love scrapbooking, and still others are drawn to altered art and mixed media projects. The goal of this hop is bring each of the designers and their favorite mediums together and to share how they used these products to express their own individual styles through their projects. 

AND, as an added bonus, the eP store has some great specials to go along with the hop!

• This week only save 25% on all Studio 490 products, this includes Wendy's stamps, stencils, Art parts, Book and Blossom Bucket embellishments. Use code WENDY25 when checking out.
• During the hop, comment on each blog and you'll be entered into a drawing for a prize package worth $50! Your package will include a collection of Studio 490 products as well as paper and embellishments from the store. 

WAIT!  There's MORE!!

• We want to hear about what inspires you! Share your thoughts about why you create, what styles you're drawn to, even share a favorite project on the eP Facebook page. Next week Kim will randomly select a winner from those who have commented on the eTeam Make Art Facebook posts and give away a $25 gift certificate to eP! 

eclectic Paperie--start of the hop!

Wendy Vecchi

Barbara Anders

Broni Holcombe

Julie Masse

Kim Schofield

Mary-Ann Maldonado

Michelle Hill

Micki Harper

Sherry Cheever

Tami Hersberger

Tenia Nelson

and 

ME!

*******

I've been a big fan of Wendy's for a long time.  I love her unique style and her products.  I have to say that if the Clearly for Art Modeling film came in rolls, I'd be first in line to order (insert cheesy smile with a "hint, hint, Wendy!!" here__________________!!!!).  I have made a couple of projects as a previous designer for eP that combined Art Parts, TenSecond Studio metal and the modeling film.  If you are interested a couple of examples  can be found here and here.  

BUT, for today's project, I veered off to a different path.  I wanted to explore using Wendy's stamps in a bit of a different way.

Note:  Today I'm using some of Wendy's previously released stamp sets. But by all means! Check out all the NEW goodies that Kim has in the eP store!!

Let me give you a little peek as to how my brain (sometimes) works when I'm creating.

First:  I rummaged through my collection of Studio 490 stamps and Art parts.  The Art Parts just weren't calling to me (gasp!) so while I was pondering what direction I was going to go, I happened to catch a look at an open back bezel that has been waiting for me to do something with.  I then start looking at my collection of stamps to see what might work with the bezel.   The Visions of Art set and the sentiment "She only flew when no one could see" from It's Face Art set kept drawing me in.  

Both of these stamps were too large for the bezel.  But, by now, I'm stuck on the bezel idea.  Sooo, Shrink Film to the rescue!  I first lightly sanded the film with a sanding block and stamped the main image with Stazon ink.  I usually stamp an image a couple of times just in case I mess up.  

**Disclaimer:  most of these photos were taken at night. My work table is glass topped.  Clear plastic, glass tables, night lights and flashes don't mix!!

The image after shrinking.  

I then stamped another image from It's Face Art onto a piece of clear transparency that had been inked with various alcohol inks.  Since this piece was in my "possibility" file, I have NO idea what inks were used on it!! But it just seemed to fit the color main image!  

After a bit of finagling, I made myself a template for the inside of the bezel (it had a small lip on the inside, so it took a bit of trimming from a tracing to get it to fit right) and cut out the stamped image.  I decided that the background was too light, so I cut out another template from the unstamped portion of the inked transparency. Hindsight says I should have stuck with just the one layer....more on that later!!!

When I create mixed media projects, I tend to come up with a scenario or story line of what my project is portraying. I kept thinking about the sentiment, "she only flew when no one could see", and envisioned my Indian Princess (because, of course, she is a Princess!) allowing her thoughts to take flight to a different place or world that no one else could see or understand.  To symbolize the flight of her dreams, I stamped the butterfly, from Make Mine Mini Art, with black Stazon, onto a piece of the shrink film that I inked with cranberry, red pepper and rust alcohol inks.  I firmly adhered my bezel to a piece of duct tape and  then layered my two pieces of inked transparency and the Princess in the bezel and filled with Ice Resin.  I then added the butterfly and finished filling to the top.

This would be where hind sight should have spoken up earlier.

The double layer of the inked transparency seemed to get an air bubble.  And the double layer also seemed to deepen in intensity, so the main image blended into the background more.

And the butterfly.  The butterfly sank. There was no dreams taking flight here!!

BUT!  I did not toss the project.  I still liked the overall look.  It just needed a little road side assist!!

Another mini butterfly was stamped with Blazing Red Stazon ink onto the shrink film.  A second butterfly was stamped again on the red tone inked shrink film.  Both were cut out and shrunk with my heat gun.  While still HOT (and yes, I do mean you will singe your fingers HOT), I gently molded the wings to add dimension.  I adhered both butterflies with Beacon's Glass, Metal and More Glue.  The result:

Interestingly, the clear butterfly in her hair shows up the red coloration of the sunken butterfly in the picture, but in real life, you can't see the red !!

And the thickness of the butterfly wings is NOT so in your face.  I obviously need to figure out how to take photos of shiny objects better!! 

Originally, I was going to make this a piece of jewelry to wear, but without the light shining through the pendent, it is pretty dark and loses it's definition.  Instead, I think I will look for some multicolored fibers to hang the pendent from and make it into a book marker for myself so that the light can shine through the pendent.

Because books are another way to take flight to different places and  new worlds. 

I hope you take a couple of thoughts away with you today from my project:

First:  There are so many different ways to use your supplies.  Don't be afraid to go off onto a different path!  Explore creativity in a NEW way!

Second:  Even if a project has some mistakes, it doesn't mean that it is "ruined".  It may mean you just have to look at it from a different angle to see the light

and Third:  There really is no such thing as mistakes in Art.  They are just experiences to make the journey of Making Art more interesting!! 

Many, many thanks to Kim and the eTeam for inviting me to hop along with Wendy this week!!  I had sooo much fun Making Art!

Thanks for dropping by and for those of you on the East Coast, my thoughts are with you!!!

For the Love of Starbucks

Hey People!  Are you ready to join the E-Team for another eclectic challenge?!  Daisy thought it was time for some early Trick or Treating!!  Today the Team was challenged to join in For the Love of Starbucks.

Here's the challenge recipe:  Use any of the Maya Road Bottle caps.

Add some Seasonal Distress Inks

And combine in your favorite Starbucks inspiration!! 

Since so many enjoy a treat from Starbucks, we're inviting YOU, dear readers, to join along in the fun!!  Now, before you start stressing on all these creative calories, your challenge will be to use the Seasonal Distress Inks and find inspiration from Starbucks.  This can be the colors, the smells, the atmosphere, whatever.  If you happen to have some of the fun Maya Road bottle caps, by all means!! Drag them out and go for the full fledged grande! Just as a disclaimer:  IRL, I REFUSE to say grande, latte or whatever Starbucks calls their cup sizes.  Large, medium and small, works fine for me, thank you very much!  We'd love to see what your Love of Starbucks inspires you to create!  Post your creations to the ep blog to Mr. Linky, by November 15th (the E-Team's next scheduled blog hop), for your chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card tucked into a box full of eP goodies!!  Winner of the challenge will be announced at the next blog hop.

Of course there will still be three random winners chosen from all the comments left on the E-Team member's blogs.  Those winners will receive a $20 gift voucher to the eP store!  Leave your comments until Sunday, Oct. 30.  The gift voucher winners will be announced late Monday, Oct. 31, on the ep blog.

E-Team Inspiration

Daisy

Broni

Latrice

Linda L

Micki 
And
ME!!

Linda D. is sitting out this hop.  She is taking time to welcome the newest grand baby to her family!  Make sure you drop by and give some congrats!

Sherry is also sitting out this hop, but stop by and tell her she was missed!!



My project began with the embossed gift card that Daisy so generously tucked into my challenge package.  I love the image and wanted to use it, but it had this annoying crease.  I used a ink loaded sponge to bring out the contrast between the embossed image and the kraft card stock. 

From an annoying crease came this idea: 

Bottle cap magnets!! 

I first applied a coat of Claudine's Charcoal Black semi-gloss paint to the inside of a Jumbo bottle cap and two Super Mega bottle caps.   I didn't worry about perfect coverage, as I liked some of the aluminum peeking through the black. 

 For the largest magnet, I traced the image onto some tissue paper and then traced that image onto a piece of Poison Ivy metal.  After embossing the image I filled it in on the back with some embossing paste, to prevent me from smashing all my hard work.  Tip:  light weight spackle will also work for this step.  I chose not to sand off the color on the raised elements, but instead used a brass brush to give a matte finish to the background.  I cut the image out with a Classic Circle Spellbinder's die and adhered the image to the inside of the bottle cap with dimensional tape.  I die cut two stars from the smallest of the Star Five Spellbinders dies and popped those onto the front of the image with more dimensionals.  Two oz of Ice Resin was then poured over the metal and set aside to dry over night.  The next day, I cut another small star from the metal and adhered that to the Resin with a double layer of dimensional tape.  Then another 2 oz of Ice Resin was applied.

I wish I could photograph how cool the Ice Resin looks with this!!  Go figure that I would choose to create something that has multiple mediums that all show glare!!

The middle magnet was inspired by a quote that my cousin posted onto Facebook.  I began with the Wrinkled Free technique, Version Me, with Distress Peeled Paint, Seasonal Seedless Preserves and Ripe Persimmon with a misting of Tattered Angel's Pearl and Antique Brass Glimmer Mist.  I then covered both sides of the paper with Studio Matte Medium, which, to be honest, totally negated the Glimmer mist!!  But!  if the paper was not sealed, it would become transparent when covered with the Ice Resin.  The paper was then cut out with a Spellbinder Classic Circle die and taped to the inside of the bottle cap. 



The saying itself, was printed out onto regular copy paper and then traced onto more Poison Ivy metal.  Some of the words were embossed and some debossed.  The brass brush was again used to give a matte finish to some of the panels.  I popped up some of the words with dimensionals.  Just one layer of Ice Resin (2oz) was used to cover the metal.



The last magnet was inspired by my word for the year.  At the beginning of the year, there were several blogs and conversations regarding what your word for the year was going to be.  Mine was Leap.  If you'd like to read the details of the choosing of that particular word, you can find it here. 

Notice those tiny air bubbles by the "L" and "A"?  This is the only magnet that ended up with them.  I'm thinking that the cold night temperature that this one cured in may have resulted in those. Not terribly obvious, but there. 

More Poison Ivy metal was cut with a Classic Circle die and embossed with Sizzix's Diamond embossing folder.  I sanded off the raised parts, exposing the aluminum. The metal was adhered to the bottle cap with dimensionals.  I then spelled out Leap with idea-ology Type Charms and covered the letters with the included epoxy sticker.  The charms were attached to the chain of an altered swival clasp (I just removed the clasp part) with jump rings.  I popped up the letter "E" with two dimensionals  and "P" with  one dimensional, but could not get a photo to show that.  After carefully arranging the charms how I wanted, I covered everything again in one layer (2oz) of Ice Resin. 

Self adhesive magnetic strips were applied to the back and WAH-La!!  Inspriational magnets for my refrigerator!!



Hope you join in on the Love of Starbucks Challenge!  I'll be checking the blog for your creations!  Till then.......Believe and LEAP!!