If I Only Had A Brain!

Happy first Monday in September and that mean a new Product Focus blog hop at Artistic Outpost. Be sure to visit the rest of the design team as they show off their Storybook Themes, which all stamps in that category will be 20% off through September 9th and no code required! The new "Show Us Your AO Art" has just begun, so come on and ink up some AO rubber!

Tracy, Kate, Shari, Lisa

I decided to make a little burlap canvas hanging and applied DecoArt Crackle Paste dyed with two drops of Mustard Seed reinker through a brick stencil. Once dried, I lightly inked over the cracks with Walnut Stain and wiped off the excess. 

The images and sentiment from the Oz Collage were stamped in Black Archival and inked over with Brushed Corduroy and shaded in Walnut Stain and Black Soot, cut or torn. The lighter areas were inked over with Antique Linen. 

Happy Labor Day to all in the US and have a great day to everyone. Thank you for stopping by today! 

Go Fast!

Well here we are one week into the New Year and I hope you are all doing well! Did you make some NY resolutions and how is that working for you? I made only a few and will try to follow through on them! On to my one layer tag that was masked and inked here and there!

All stamps are from Artistic Outpost, Chalkboard Wisdom, Oz Collage and Whimsical Melange.  A new month means a new Monthly Referral Challenge and again it is "Anything Goes," using you know what stamps!

For all the details and more photo's, stop on by my Wednesday AO Post. Thank you for taking the time to visit and have a great day!

Distress Inks: Peacock Feathers, Peeled Paint, Rusty Hinge, Crushed Olive,
Archival Ink: Coffee
Clear Embossing Ink and Powder

Chunky Scarecrow!

This is my first "chunky ATC" and I had quite a good time working on all the various sides.  More and more I am just loving working with Mixed Media and even add a little of my own ideas here and there.  I did once do decorative painting!!  So here it is and what do you think and you know I want to hear it "good or bad."  And a big "thank you" to Diane, who not only told me of a really great picture editing site, "picmonkey," but even told me how to add a watermark!  She is so cool, I tell you! 

All stamps are Artistic Outpost and for this I used the Oz Collage and Industrial Backgrounds.  For the background, after sealing, I applied white gesso and stamped my image to keep in mind where I did not want to apply embellishments or texture!  Next I added modeling paste, let it dry a bit and then pressed in my industrial gears on both sides.  I also ran the VersaMark over the top of the gears background and clear empbossed. Even though I was going to layer some metal gears, I wanted a little texture to show through.  This was all covered with gesso and then sprayed with Dylusions and paints.  After all dried, it was highlighted with gesso and sealed.  The scarecrow was stamped with Coffee Archival and then colored with DI

I knew what I was going to do with the front and back, but was having a bit of a dilemma with the sides.  The stamps I wanted to use were out and then when I visited Shelly's "My Creative Rumblings," I was reminded of a Technique Junkie "chalkboard" technique.  Thanks Shelly as I need that push!!!  The filmstrip was cut from brown card stock and then inked with black and embossed.  I also cut some thin packaging strips to cover the images, just like a real filmstrip!

The wings were crackled and then colored with Distress Stains.  I inked and embossed two gears for a front and back to add extra support.  A little grove was notched and hot glue used to keep it upright and I sure hope it remains like that! 

The back was embossed and inked.  The sentiments were all stamped using Archival and clear embossed on tissue paper, cut and then applied with Multi Medium Gel.  You won't even see the tissue edges, so I like that!  Don't like that my "YBR" decided to be slightly off, but once I noticed, it was too late.  This AO Chunky Scarecrow is off to the following challenges and if you have some of these fabby stamps, don't forget the "April Referral Program." 

Simon Says Stamp and Show:  Background
SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge: Fairytales into our Steampunk
Unruly PaperArts: Gears
Bloggers Challenge: Emboss Me
The Artistic Stamper - Texture

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a very creative week! 

Stamps: Artistic Outpost, Oz collage, Industrial Backgrounds
Inks:  Archival Coffee, Distress Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Tattered Rose, Peeled Paint
Dylusions Melted Chocolate, Cut Grass, Pure Sunshine

Oh Dorothy Artistic Outpost DT Blog Hop!

It is a Literature or Children's Book Blog Hop at Artistic Outpost and I am thrilled to share with you a "mini book" that I created and had such a fun time putting together!  You won't want to miss out on all the inspiration the DT has for you so stop by and have a visit and let that inner child come out to play!  Gerrie, Lisa, Sue, Tracy, Linda Alison, Terry (Me), Kate!

For my mini children's book, I use stamps from the Oz Collage collection and I want to give each character equal time!  Now I will not bore you with every little detail, so if there is anything you want to know, just ask and I will answer you!  I already figure this will be photo heavy and I will be somewhat brief with details.  My little book will also be linked to eclectic Paperie's "Altered Books," as I think this is altered!!  First all the pages were cut using grungeboard, covered with Folk Art Crackle Medium, sponge painted using Fresco Finish "Haystack" and DecoArt "Emperor's Gold."   Once dry I punched the holes and shaded with Archival Coffee and Sepia.  All of the focal pieces were cut using Tim's new "Cameo Frame" from manila card stock.  Love that die!!!  I wanted a heavier texture for my book cover, so used a brick stencil from Crafters Workshop and mixed the modeling paste with Fresco Finish Haystack, after the cut piece was inked. 

Dorothy and faithful companion were stamped and colored, masked and shaded, then I used the Embossing Diffuser with Tim's brick texture fade.  I used two Spellbinders dies for the scalloped frame, which was cut from glassine paper.  The house is shrink plastic, which was sanded and inked prior to the oven visit. 

Lots of masking and inking here!  Both the "yellow brick road" and the little village also received a coat of Rock Candy Stickles for extra sparkle.  The walkway was inked and I drew the lines, cut and inserted under the gentle paws of the lion.  Added a flower border with Flower Soft.  The backing under the courage is embossed glassine and both received a few coats of clear embossing powder. 



The Scarecrow background was inked with Peeled Paint, Squeezed Lemonade and Antique Linen and given and stamped in Coffee Archival. 

I "Heart" the Tin Man!  Again there is masking and inking and coloring with sponge applicators.  All the sentiments have been stamped using Archival on Newsprint! 

For the back cover, I just stamped all the sentiments and added some ruby slippers.  This was tied up with some gorgeous fibers to finish it off.

Thank you so very much for stopping by and joining in this month's AO blog hop!  Remember you can enter any of your creations using AO stamps in the monthly Referral Program, which there is always a prize!



Stamps:  Artistic Outpost, Oz Collage
Ink:  Distress, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Tea Dye, Tattered Rose, Festive Berries, Barn Door, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Weathered Wood
Archival:  Black, Coffee, Sepia
Stazon: Red
Clear Embossing Powder
Fresco Finsh Paint: Haystack
Crackle Medium
Delta Metallic
Sizzix - Tim
Spellbinders