Today I'm the Spotlight Artist at Anything But a Card Challenges

Good afternoon all! What a jam-packed weekend it's been. Yesterday was a very long day indeed and this girl needed to sleep in and let the muse rest. Today I am featured as "spotlight artist" at the Anything But a Card Challenges Blog {CLICK HERE to jump over to ABAC}. I sort of hit a wall going about this - I apolgize for the rambling. SO here it goes...

In all of the celebration and nostalgia encircling the 50 Years of Doctor Who... it seems I find myself writing this today finding peculiar, yet striking similarities. I'm finding it quite a challenge of putting pen to paper and what to share. I'm a somewhat private person for the most part, and also a workaholic - and it's unclear if my best friend and husband (whom I've known for nearly 24 years) or my creative friends know me best. Time might never tell...

So I did what any person might do who operates on a sense of logic... I went and rummaged around my old creations – altered books, paintings, ATCs and stuff. WOW! There is a lot and it's like looking through old photo albums... timey wimey indeed! I found that my ATCs are sort of a snippet of time and mindful space, capturing my creative spirit in one mini piece of art by one.

This is the long roundabout version (to jump to the short version at ABAC CLICK HERE)...

I'm a mixed media artist and graphic designer : Dabbling in photography, assemblage, collage and whatever strikes my fancy. My blog is entitled sbartist : painting in the dark – pretty self explanatory. I lurk around in the dark creating art while all in the world are asleep. I spend my days working in a busy print shop doing my computer wizardry producing printed materials.

Creatively speaking... Not only am I one of the designers and the Den Mother at the Anything But a Card Challenges Blog... but also I’m Creative Team Coordinator and a Senior Designer for Alumilite Corp. a.k.a. Amazing Crafting Products Design Team {I'm the queen of Amazing Mold Putty}; Designer on the Viva Las VegaStamps! Design Team; and designer and co-admin of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team. I also previously served a couple of other teams including the Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team. ABAC is a labor of love and gives me a sense of joy and accomplishment each week as we collectively share our love for creating.

First a little bit of business to be sorted out for those WHO aren't sure of where I stand...

My Doctor: No. 10 - DOCTOR TENnant

Favorite Episode: "Vincent and the Doctor"... simply because how could you not love a SCI-FI tale that can include one of the most ODD painters of all time.

My Favorite Companion: Capt. Jack Harkness ... I found Doctor Who because of Capt. Jack via Torchwood and I'm still trying to put this puzzle together. I'm more confused than ever!

I LOVE... my husband {yes he comes first without question}, Travel {I don't do this as much as I'd like}, Painting and drawing - OK let's just lump ALL THINGS art related together here {including Amazing Mold Putty}; Def Leppard; ALL things PURPLE; found objects {i'm always picking up stuff off the ground}; Salvador DALI {now that would make a fun Doctor Who episode}; RECYCLING and repurposing things; artistic challenges; SWAP art; throwing paint; BBQ Pork; chocolate mint ice cream; Bubble baths and afternoon naps; street painting; Twizzlers and Lemonheads; GOOGLIE eyes; my MINI Cooper {now in it's 4th regeneration}; going to Art Museums; and painting in the dark...

A few ODD things... I'm a lizard lady {for about 15 years we had iguanas and turtles for pets}; I have this crazy "one touch rule" {whereas if I picked something up to get at something else for a project... it's getting used in the project}; obsessed with using every little scrap for something purposeful; I'm ambidextrous {and my left index finger wishes the right hand wasn't allowed to use cutting devices}; I'm a MAC - but also equally fluent in the mess called PC {I can tear apart and rebuild both}; I got my first iPhone about 10pm the very first day they were available and have never looked back; I was born at 3:05 in the AM just hours after thankgiving dinner {so I'm pretty sure my first meal was turkey dinner with the trimmings and pumpkin pie} so pumpkin pie is my official BIRTHDAY CAKE; I don't consider myself a stamper but hoard thousands of stamps and I can teach you anything and everything about scrapbooking – but I myself am a lazy scrapper {I'm so far behind in this department there's no catching up}...

During the daylight hours...I am graphic artist working the fast-paced printing industry at a family-run printing company where I have worked for the past 12 years. I am a native of Chicago, but I have lived in Florida most of my life – and though I only lived in Chi-town for brief spurts as a kid... when I return it's like I've been there my whole life. I currently reside in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with my husband of 21 years (this tuesday we'll have been together half of my life plus 3 and so odd years)... this is one of my finest accomplishments. As being a creative spontaneous spirit – in my experience this has made for some amazing and sometimes tumultuous adventures...

For as long as I can remember I loved making things and this is still true today. This altered book page features a photo of me age two that I've devilishly painted myself with chocolate cake... So I think I started my creative journey really young {and I'm still not very fond of chocolate cake}. I'm lucky to have been born with the creative gene - both my mother and father are artisans of their own sort and my grandmother taught me to paint in oils when I was 14. So I am a painter at heart. I love to learn new things. Always exploring - I am passionately curious about creating. I've found over the years mixed-media fuses all of my interests - my style can best be described as altered, collage-like and experimental. I totally “embrace the unexpected" and love giving creative new life to ordinary things that normally would be thrown away.

My dream job was working at an Advertising Agency and at 24 I accomplished that dream {I worked there for over 8 years}. If it wasn't for the economy I'd still be there. Lucky for me I'm a tradeswoman. I was smart to learn a trade, one which I've had to constantly keep up with the NOW – learning to adapt to new software and technology - while still leaving one foot in the past for that one project turns up on mechanical boards. Its so amazing to go back and think about how printing was 20 years ago, and compare to how it's nearly completely digital now. One wonders why this girl is always so tired. My brain is crammed with so much computer software mumbo jumbo - how to make this and that printable - it's surprising that my muse is ever home. My brain must be a T.A.R.D.I.S. - LOL!

My very first design team was Unscripted Sketches {which now I am Co-Admin} which I joined in April of 2011 - and my first project was of all things a scrapbook page including recycled bottle caps. Even this project captures me in time and reflects on days that I wouldn't change in a hearbeat.

  

My style is varied and unique - ranging from cardmaking, tags, and mixed-media - to altered art, mini-albums and off-the-page whimsies. In observing my creations one thing was strikingly clear - RECYCLING. Recently I have made a more conscious effort of it - but looking back... I was always doing it. More often than not I have included all sorts things that others would discard and this made me SMILE!

So for MY mini challenge posed to readers at ABAC {I found this so easy to decide}... I challenge you to RECYCLE IT!!! Try greencrafting – repurpose items destined for the bin into something beautiful, useful and new again. Go rummage your recycling bin - or your crafty stash - and create something wonderful out of something most take for granted. GO GREEN!!!

I do hope you'll play along this week with the
"RECYCLE IT" Challenge
and can't wait to see how you THINK GREEN.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and Chanukkah! Have a great week! Sb