Saturday, June 28, 2014

July 4th Tags and GO USA!

Two things here.
 
 First:  The USA made it to the next round at The World Cup!!!!!
 
We ARE a Soccer Family with my son being a goalie in HS and College and now his 2 girls playing on traveling teams. That having been said, we are glued to the TV watching most of the matches.
 
Second:  We've been traveling most of the month and just got back from a trip to Door County, Wisconsin. So I've not been in the Studio to make a 4th of July tag or project.
 
Therefore, in honor of the USA in The World Cup, and July 4th, I'm posting a couple of my favorite tags from the past on my blog.
 
CELEBRATE AMERICA TAG


This one has a step-out and products list  here  if you'd like to take a look.

 
Love the Scrabble pieces and wooden stars here.

 
The 2 large wooden stars are layered together. One is colored with markers, and the other one has Disco Ball BeaDazzles glued on.
 
These beads were from the Uber-Talented Suze, but are sadly discontinued at Ranger. I hoarded a couple of jars!
 
 
STARS AND STRIPES TAG
 


This tag is from last year and has Crackle Paint and Distress Markers on it.
I used embossed metal foil on die-cut stars as well.
 
I've loved watching all the countries from around the world compete in the World Cup. Some are gone, and some remain. It still amazes me how, for the most part, the men are good to each other, friendly and helpful.....after the whistle blows.
 
Good sportsmanship is great to see.
 
Good luck to everyone. Especially the Men in Red White and Blue!!!
 
Be Well and Be Good to Each Other.
 
Linda

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Guest Designer on PaperArtsy Blog Today!

Oh boy! It's my turn again on the
PaperArtsy Blog!!!!!
I get to use one of my favorite color combos and stamps from
Lynne Perrella and Ellen Vargo.
What's not to love???

And don't forget to enter the weekly challenge!



Jump over there and check out a step-out for the project and pictures HERE.

Wer're on our way back from Door County and will check-in later.

Have FUN! 
Linda


Friday, June 20, 2014

Creativity Is Not in the Finding

This tag is so "me."

  
It's a #8 Manila Tag with layer upon layer of Distress Inks. Then I spritzed water over the Bubble Stencil and blotted to remove some color.

 
Add some Tissue Tapes and a few Stamps to the base.


 
I cut the Lattice out of watercolor paper and painted it with Brushed Pewter and Tarnished Brass Distress Paint.
 
The Bird and Number Brads have Fresco paints added to them. The Arrow is in it's natural state.

 
The white Sharpie pen marks are the last to be added.
 
I like to layer onto black chipboard, punch a hole and add some Distress Ink died Crinkle Ribbon.
 
Check out the links to Inspiration Emporium and use my code iecain81 for 10% off your order.
 
Give it a go!
 
Linda
 
Products Used:
Tim Holtz Stamps - Words for Thought, Mixed Media
Tim Holtz - Bubble Stencil
Idea-ology - Adornments - Nature, Arrows, Number Brads, Crinkle Ribbon, Tissue Tape-Nostalgic and Laboratorie
Ranger - #8 Manila Tag, Jet Black Archival Ink
Tim Holtz - Distress Inks
Tim Holtz - Distress Paints
Tim Holtz Sizzix Framework Die - Lattice

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

It's for the BIRDS!

It's time to make some new

Bird Houses.
 
The old ones are kind of falling apart. So this is just one, painted, stamped and ready to hang up.

All these designs are stamped images. The links will take you there.
 
 
 
So fun and easy to to....just get a little wooden house and start to layer it on!
 
It's for the Birds!
 
Linda
 
Products Used:
Other Various Clear Stamps 

Friday, June 13, 2014

Watercolor Artist Trading Blocks

 Sometimes the simplest of things just make us smile.

These 3 Artist Trading Blocks are just that.

Having been a Watercolor Artist years ago, I found the new interest in watercolors and paper to be right up my alley.

 
 These are the 3 sizes you can cut with the
 

I used the Creme matboard from Sizzix on all 3 blocks. After spraying them with lots of water, I loaded on watercolor and let it blend and puddle.

 
I used 3 different color combinations.
 
 (and yes, I have a brand new craft mat, so don't feel sorry for me. I've just not taken the time to replace this one that looks like it's seen better days!)
 
 
Then I added several ATC stamps with different Archival Inks.

 
The smallest one was pretty dark, so I added white Sharpie Pen marks to brighten it up.

 
I also had some watercolor paper leaves I'd die cut earlier from another project, and they brightened up the middle block.
 
Use your Distress Pens to color in the spots where the mat board bends. You can see the spots here that I needed to touch up.

 
I like the corners colored in like you see them here.
 
The Artist Trading Card stamps are perfect for the blocks!!!

 
I used a set of small stamps on the middle block.

 
Fill in and add where ever you feel it needs something.


The Dream Believe Love stamp is one of my first ATC stamps from Teresa Collins.

The Inspiration Emporium has the Koi Watercolors in with 12 half pans and a waterbrush. They are perfect for this project and you can use my code iecain81 for 10% off your order.

Sakura - Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketch Book, 12 Colo

This link shows the colors in the little set.
 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

We're HOME! Back from New Mexico.

We had the most wonderful time on our trip that took us along old Route 66 to New Mexico.
 
I'll take you along with pictures and a bit of history from our journey.
 
 
Here Bill and I are at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma.
  
 
In Albuquerque we got to go through the International Balloon Museum where we were all amazed at the amount of information about ballooning linked to history.

 
These are the 1st 2 balloons designed in the world. The facts about the inventors and who was chosen to fly in them was amusing.

Some of the Docents are chasers in the Albuquerque Balloon Festival that is there every year. It has hundreds of balloons that come to fly.


Here I am on my "balloon ride." A picture set-up for those who want to say they've flown, but don't have the nerve!

 
 Did you know the Japanese made 9000 hand-sewn paper balloons that carried incendiary bombs all across the US during WW II? This is one of the few mechanisms on display.
 
Several were spotted and exploded. Only one was responsible for killing a family on a picnic in Oregon. They were to explode when reaching a certain altitude and cause fires to forests and buildings.
 
 
 
This is a view of the mountains from the concourse of the Museum.

 
Then on to the Albuquerque Museum and the Sculpture Gardens. The sculptures are all around the building from different Artists.


This is a part of the huge display in the front.

 
We spent a day in Santa Fe. This is the plaza and general meeting place.
 
 
This is in the New Mexico State Capitol Building where they displayed an enormous Buffalo Head made completely with found objects!!!
 
 
This thing was AMAZING! Between his eyes are old paint brushes, the horns are covered with newspaper articles, tie wraps from businesses pop out of his head and curls of paper are all around the top.
 
 
 This close-up shows just a smidgen of her talent. The center of his eye is an old fishing reel surrounded by a horseshoe.
 
There's film strips and screen, wire and fabric with stitching, buttons and knobs.....it is one of the most awesome pieces of ART I've ever had the pleasure to gaze upon.
 
 
We had seen the movie "The Staircase" with William Peterson and Barbara Hershey before going to the Loretto Chapel. It is an amazing story.

 
The Chapel was built in 1877 with a choir loft that had no stairs in which to get to it. The architect had forgotten to add a staircase.
 
The sisters prayed for 9 days and a stranger appeared and said he'd build a stairway. After 3 months, the stairway was finished without a single nail and in a space no one could have imagined could house such a structure.
 
He then disappeared forever....or so the story goes.

 
It originally had no railing, but after 10 years, one was added.

 
This is how it originally appeared.

 
The Altar of the church. The man is gazing with amazement at the staircase.
 
 
We took the trolley up Canyon Road that is filled with Artists sculptures all along the way.
 
Breathtaking! More outdoor works of art in a single place than a huge museum.

 
This is the  Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

 
It is said the Archbishop Lamy ran out of money to complete the cathedral around 1886, and borrowed $5000 from the Jewish community in the city. ( A lot of money in those days!)
 
When it was completed, he told them he still had no money. They forgave the complete loan. In their honor you'll see a Jewish symbol at the top of the archway at the entrance to the cathedral.


A gorgeous pool in the cathedral. 
 
 
The statue of St. Francis of Assisi.
 
 
The adjoining Conquistadora Chapel is all that remains of the second Church. Built in 1714, this tiny Chapel houses La Conquistadora, the oldest Madonna in the United States, brought by Franciscan Friars in 1625.

 

 
This was our favorite place on our journey. 

 


 Sky City Cultural Center and the Pueblo of Acoma. A statue at the museum plaza.



 
 It is built on a 367 foot sandstone bluff.
 
Initially it was home to the Anasazi people in the 13th century founding of the Pueblo. It is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America since 1150 A.D.

 
The Spanish stormed the area thinking the walls of the buildings were made with gold. In fact it was the sun shining on the straw used with the clay to make their buildings.

 
My favorite shot of the canyon below.

 
The Enchanted Mesa.

 
A view of the homes from the museum level.

 
There is no running water, electricity, or sewer facilities. The mound behind us is an oven used to make their bread.
 
 
If you go, make sure you ask for Mataya aka "Sparkles" as your guide. She was the BEST guide we've ever had on a trip. Simply an enchanting young lady.
 
This is her home. The daughters inherit the homes here, not the sons, so this will fall to her when her father passes. 

She doesn't like to see unflattering pictures of herself on the internet and is rather camera shy.
 
 
The Vase is from Old Albuquerque by a local artist. It's carved as well as painted.
 
The small treasure boxes were painted by Mataya's mother. She uses her grandchildren's hair...about 6 strands only....to make her brushes to paint her pieces. 
 
 
The Oklahoma City Memorial with the Reflecting Pool.
 
 
A chair for each person that was killed in the attack. At night the bases are lit up. Smaller ones are for the children that died.


At each end is a wall with a time. One has the time of the blast, and the other the minute after when everything was changed forever.

 
 It had poured all night and most of the morning.....but when we got to the wall, it suddenly stopped.

 
A beautiful and somber place. The clouds were breaking and the sun was peeking through.
 
Read the carved words in the wall..."we will not be defeated."
 
 
It was a windy and rainy day to start, but the sun came through for a few minutes to make everything beautifully green and full of hope.
 
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at the pictures.
 
We had a great trip, but are so glad to be home.
 
Bill and Linda