Luck of the Irish GOODIES - from Lisa Vollrath

Lisa Vollrath at LisaVollrath.com, Ten Two Studios and Go Make Something, has created a countdown to St. Patrick's Day that reveals a new printable image sheet each day. Each day from March 1st through St. Patty's Day, a new printable sheet (or two, or three) will be revealed. Click link to go to the downloads: http://countdown.tentwostudios.com. Thanks Lisa and may you find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...Sb

My WILD life...

a very interesting phrase...a premonition perhaps...will my NEW March sketch journal be realized? My mind has started it a few days early...Sb

CED - Word Inspiration

I have been up to my ears in work these past couple weeks, and as this short month comes to an end, I DID take time to be creative this past weekend to participate in the 15th Annual Lake Worth Street Painting festival. I have been a participating artist for about 12 years now and my sister and her two girls are street painting for the 2nd year as well. ANYWAY, I am rambling...I get a quote of the day from Real Simple magazine and today's quote is a real good one and I have a perfect visual in my head...

"The brook would lose its song if we removed the rocks."
- Wallace Stegner

I posted this so I would remember my idea, which has "Suwannee river" humming in my head...Sb

Asian Deck Swap for TravelersHart

This is my entry for the TravelersHart group Asian Deck swap . Cards are 3" x 5", of Asian theme in red, white and black. What a challenge...I made mine larger - 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" since the swap is color copies of the orginal work. I started with a piece of chipboard. I glued on some red mulberry paper with fine gold threads here and there. Then I cut up a xerox copy of chinese newspaper into one inch squares - I have this in my stash from a chinese new year event I went to a WHILE back. Then I crumpled the squares up and flattened them back out - makes a nice texture. Then I dove into my magazine/catalog/junk mail clippings for collage and came up with the dancer. And since this is a card deck these chinese dragons went well. The chops in the alternate corners I also clipped from the newspaper - on page 3, so I think it says 3. The border curve was inspired by this newspaper - the page numbers had this with many chops in each top corner. It is a very simplistic design.

AND I have a surprise. I am going to give away this little gem to one of my artsy friends who also played in the swap...Sb

I'm part of the Craft Critique Valentine's Day Carnival...

YAY!!! My blog post is featured in the latest Carnival at http://www.craftcritique.com featuring Valentine's Day Crafts. Craft Critique Rocks!!! Please go visit and read the list and click on the fab projects. I took a quick peek earlier and there was a great blogger who made homemade valentine's snowglobes [too cool], another with these neat SteamPunkHearts made out of polymer clay and gears...and all sorts of creative craftiness...enjoy...

Happy Valentine's Day! Sb

Valentine's Day Goodies

Lisa Vollrath at LisaVollrath.com, Ten Two Studios and Go Make Something, has created a countdown to Valentine’s Day that reveals a new printable image sheet each day. Each day from February 1st through Valentine’s Day, one numbered heart with a link to that day’s surprise will appear. Click link to go to the downloads: http://countdown.tentwostudios.com. Thanks Lisa and many valentine hugs & chocolate kisses...Sb

Wings Card

As part of a card making group, this has kept me playing for days. Playing with my stamps, making a mess, trying new things, and just going with the flow. I had winter pages to make, and many cards, some "Out of this World" ATCs and some other things that are still in the works. I am also preparing an altered board book for round robin in the TravellersH'art group. The creating every day is a little here and a little there, but I am toting my tool tote full of my basic art supplies to make sure I am squeezing a little time for creative me. These cards are the latest creations. The card made around with an inchie from a friend was quite a fun little challenge. Back to work...for now...but Happy Hour with my girlfriend is my reward tonight...; ) Sb

Winter Card

Winter Across the USA themed card for SSUS swap group. Background is glimmer mist sprays and stamped over. Simplicity lets the shimmer stand out.

Inchie Card

The blue background paper is handpainted using a babywipe technique and acrylic paints. I had a leftover piece from an 18"x24" piece I had painted and the colors matched these inchies perfectly. Then I stamped and embossed with black ink the swirly row stamp [which is about a domino size] then made a mosaic pattern. Sb

Inchies

These are my four inchies that I am sending off to a friend in my SSUS group. Then she will pick one and make a card to send back to me. Mr. Postman... I am waiting...

I made a background with scrap paper and some strips of alcohol ink painted sticker paper stuck to my glass mat. This made a nice asian looking, graphic bamboo effect. Then I stamped over it with these new inchie size Inkadinkadoo stamps I have been coveting. They will be great for backgrounds. The one on the top right has a chop stamped on vellum and then stitched to the inchie background [I was fixing a mistake - the stamp didn't really show up on the background it blended in] - but I love it. Sb

Heart Card

This is another card we made in my stamping 101 class. The technique was the stamped border at the bottom edge. Beautiful and pretty easy to do, too as long as I haven't had too much starbucks...Sb

Lucky Card