Happy New Years Eve!! I am baaaaccckkkkk!

Happy New Year's Eve! 

As I wish you a happy New 2014 I am hoping to make some changes here at my blog.  The age old excuse of being busy is certainly true for me but I am happy.  :)  The past year end has brought a few good changes for me....ONE being..
I am teaching art to kids and LOVE it!  I have also decided that I need to do more of what I want..and I want to learn more! 
First I am very sad to say I had to give up my regular dt member posting for Stampotique...  :(  This was such a tough one for me and I am still planning on using their images just not on any set dates.
My love of drawing, journaling and mixed media has taken me to more classes both live and online.
This = MORE time :) 
However....I DIDNT get away from Stampotique all together....and my LOVE of Roc Nicholas images....Roc has created a new design team and yours truly is on it!    I look forward to a relaxed and fun schedule in 2014 and I hope you will join me by sticking around.
YOU can check out Roc's images here since they can be purchased at the Stampotique store..  :)
I plan on visiting my favorite blogs again this year and sharing inspiration with you all....
Thanks for looking here....I wish you all the best for the New Year!  God Bless!
Image here:  Roc's angel

Getting ready for Christmas?

Don't usually make all my Christmas cards anymore BUT...I feel the need to make some.  New challenge at the Stampotique blog is to make an early Christmas card.  Umm..I don't think it is too early to start lol

I used "bird lady"  and put her on this sponged / stenciled background.  I am crazy about her and I probably use her too much...is that possible?   "Get jolly" is computer generated. 
Thanks for looking- Have a Blessed Thanksgiving! 

splat! a splotch of paint!

STAMPOTIQUE says....

Today we are challenging you to use a SPLAT! of paint somewhere on your design.  We all love to get messy once in awhile and this week is your perfect opportunity to throw on some grubby clothes and splatter that paint all over your creation.

Can't wait to see the splotches!

Heres' mine!

 I used "kitty monster" from the Stampotique store on some dp.  Stenciled with some acrylics (stencils Ronda P) and did a little doodleing with a uniball pen.  Sentiment is from a sticker sheet.

 Below is for the "creative every day blog"...Loved this pic of my oldest sleeping with his first born daughter about a month or two after she was born and I had to do something with it.  Collaged it on canvas  :)

 Ingredients?  various scraps dp, gesso, acrylics, stencils= Julie Balzer, Ronda P.  Pic printed on white cs and doodled with white uniball pen.  Thanks for looking!

Can you use one layer?

Can you really only USE ONE LAYER for your card??
Pretty tough to do!
Introducing the new challenge by the sweet Sam from the Stampotique dt:

Hi Stampotiquers! I'm so excited to be your host this week and I'm inviting you to make a creation using just one layer. It doesn't necessarily have to be clean and simple, that's the challenge! I love lots and lots of layers but to achieve a sense of depth to a creation using no embellishments etc can really get you scratching your head and rubbing your chin! Most importantly have fun ;)
Well Sam this is definitely a challenge for me but I pulled it out!  lol

I used "old timey frog" from the Stampotique store.  I just stamped him on white cs and colored with copic markers.  Then I punched some leaves with my ms punch on another piece of cs and stenciled thru the paper with distress inks.  The sun was simply "doodled" on top of some dylusions sprayed inks.  TFL and check out the dt challenge blog for the deets to win a gift to the Stampotique store. 

More then one fold!

So...I feel a little guilty..like I took an easy way out! Whoa!  New challenge at the Stampotique challenge blog is to make a card with more then one fold.  Here is mine:

And....the inside reads....

Quote= computer generated from Pinterest...love it..
Image= Artichoke Monster  = Stampotique
Image= Dandelion duo  (in the background)
Stencil= Julie Balzer clouds
Inks= Dylusions and Acrylics- black and white Signo gel pen doodling
Join us at the Stampotique blog and get in to win that $30.00 gift to the store!  Thanks for looking!

Finally! A post...

Updating my blog these days has been challenging to say the least!  But here is for trying to get back in the swing of things....

This past Weds, the lovely "France " has challenged us to use fabric or lace on our creation...
I thought it fitting to use one of her images "birdy" on my card.  My background is some dylusions ink I spread on with the straw part of the sprayer and on top that is scrap of dp and inky paper.  I found the bit of lace in my scraps drawer to use so I sewed it on.
Below is from my practice journal...

 I just took a really fun class learning how to do a little figure drawing...what fun!  I stenciled up my page with acrylics and sketched my figure with a pencil on top.  Used my Prisma marker in black then to fill in the figure. 

The sentiment is a sticker and I did some writing and doodling with a white uniball signo pen...reminds me a little of Dina Wakley...  LOVE this and hope to be doing more.
Thanks for looking! 

 Getting our "spook" on at the Stampotique challenge blog!  Check it out= DT member Carol is hosting a new challenge and this is what she has to say...

 "I particularly choose the month of October to host the challenge as I love Halloween. it was the quirky off beat stamps of Daniel Torrent that first drew me to Stampotique all those years ago, as it then seemed to me that I could make Halloween themed items all year with his gothic style stamps and no one would realise that was what I was doing. I think I may have broken the record on my make for the challenge with the most rubber stamps used on one item, but it was hard as there were just so many to choose from. Hope you all enjoy the challenge and get your spook on for the whole month. carol x"

Below is my little addition for the challenge...

I used this cute little image from Daniel Torrente called "cheers" just in time for Halloweeen.  I scrapped a little gesson on my card front and stenciled with some acrylic paints.  Sentiment is computer generated.
ON another note, I have been having some blogging issues..hope they are over now! 
Fall is my favorite season...from August thru the end of the year....I am doing a happy dance!  I am sharing a little video below..hope this works.  My dd brings her puppy over to play in the leaves with my Pug.  My son is the referee  lol  tfl!