love 34

Happy February! There's a new challenge up on The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge blog! This month, we're all about GLITTER!

Fran, owner of the online Frantic Stamper store HERE 

is sponsoring this month's challenge with a wonderful prize to one lucky participant! Leandra, owner of PaperArtsy 

has generously provided the DT with a variety of fabulous PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic Paints that may be purchased at the Frantic Stamper store HERE. 

With Valentine's Day right around the corner and love in the air, I chose to create a large tag using a combination of the following PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic Paints: Caribbean Sea, Mermaid, Zucchini, Copper. I painted the decorated Gina's Designs chipboard heart using PaperArtsy Copper paint then adhered Tim Holtz Distress Glitter. All the flowers were dipped in a clear glitter making it look like each have been kissed with shimmery glitter:

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you enjoyed my project! Please be sure to visit The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge site for loads of awesome inspiration from the DT and for complete details on how to share your mixed media creativity with us! Remember, this month we have a sponsor who is offering a fantastic prize to one lucky player! Like the lottery, you have to play to win!
Be Sweet ;)

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I just love you 25

Hi! Today Angie and I are driving to Tucson to browse around the Tucson Gem Show which is the 2nd largest gem show in the country. We're both hoping to find something sparkly ;) I set my paints and palette aside to make some room on my desk to create a rather simple Valentine's Day card for one of my sisters. Sometimes it's overwhelming to me how many supplies it takes to create just one card. 

When we moved nearly a year ago, I downsized a lot of my papercrafting supplies donating them to Angie's college fund garage sale :) Over the years, I had accumulated a ridiculous amount of papers, stamps and dies from various companies I had designed for or purchased myself that I no longer had the desire to hang on to. I saved a few bins of patterned paper including the prints that I used to create this card. I don't know who makes it or how old it is, I love it anyways :) I made a felt flower with beautiful PTI felt that seems to cut like butter in the die cut machine!

For sketch inspiration, I joined along with the paper players challenge:

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you have a great weekend!
Be Sweet ;)

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create sunshine 26

Hi! I'm so excited because I registered for an oil painting e-course presented by one of my favorite talented artists whom artwork I admire ~ Dreama Tolle Perry. 

Although there was not any painting demonstration happening, class began this past Saturday and for our first assignment, we were to paint something while incorporating words. In all honesty, I'm not a big fan of writing in a journal but I do love art journaling and stamping so I incorporated both in my painting :) I put together this vase and flower arrangement for my own personal inspiration in my studio consisting of both real an silk flowers:

Here's my interpretation:

I painted this page using various strokes and techniques that I learned from both Nancy Medina and Krista Eaton ~ two of my favorite artists:

I'm hoping to learn how to paint vibrant, colorful, abstract, impressionistic paintings which to me is like creating sunshine in my art studio :)

I'm entering this painting in the following challenges:
For color inspiration, the colourQ colour challenge:

Paint Party Friday:

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days: Day 28:

Thanks so much for visiting!
Be Sweet ;)

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A Prima style heart 17

Hi! Today I have a Prima style heart ornament to share. The Prima DT was asked to create an ornament of any kind non-Christmas, any style to be used to help decorate the Prima CHA booth. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I had LOVE on my mind and ran with it ;)
In a nutshell, I started with a beautiful Archival Cast Collection~Relics and Artifacts heart, covered it with a generous application of art alchemy Acrylic Paint-Metallique Vintage Rose paint followed with a little art Extravagance-Snowflake Paste. Once dry, I embellished with a Resin Embellishments Keys and a Junkyard Findings-Keyhole which were both painted using art ingredients-Mica Powder Gold. I topped it off with a beautiful Prima flower.

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you have enjoyed my project!

PLEASE take a moment to read the following. As a designer, this can impact my opportunities in the crafting world. 

I appreciate all the support and kind comments that are left on my blog. I'm over joyed with the wonderful people that I've made friends with through crafting and hope to continue to do so. I've never required anyone to sign up as a follower and I'm really proud of that BUT it is what it is and manufacturers take into consideration a crafters blog and other social media venues participation. I enjoy seeing other designers artwork as well as sharing my own and I wish there was more time in the day to do it all! With that being said, will you please take a moment to see if these changes effect you?

FROM GOOGLE:

Changes to Blogger's Google Friend Connect

Blogger has made some big changes to
how we follow blogs
so read on to see
if these new rules will affect you!

From Google: We announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of the plan starting the week of Jan.11th, 2016 we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Prima product list: 941734-Archival Cast Collection~Relics and Artifacts-Rising Spirit 111, 963200-Finnabair art alchemy Acrylic Paint-Metallique Vintage Rose, 962999-Finnabair art basics Soft Gloss Gel Transparent, 962906-Finnabair art Extravagance-Snowflake Paste, 962524-Finnabair art ingredients-Mica Powder Gold, 586539-Prima flowers, 570002-Ingvild Bolme-Resin Embellishments Keys, 892227-Ingvild Bolme-Junkyard Findings-Keyholes, 961374-Finnabair art Basics-Heavy White Gesso

Be Sweet ;)

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Shades of Pink Peonies 28

Hi! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! The weather was beautiful here so I hiked my favorite trail: Telegraph Pass on South Mountain taking in all the natural desert beauty. I have an art journal page to share that I finished this morning that was inspired by strokes and techniques I learned from Nancy Medina's video "Pinkalicious Peonies". I put together this vase and flower arrangement for my own personal inspiration in my studio:

Here's my interpretation:

Close up, you can see all the layers and strokes it takes to create dimension:

I'm really enjoying all I'm learning in my art journey from a variety of artists whose talent I appreciate and admire. I took the plunge and committed to a floral painting workshop that will be held at an art school in the upcoming months!

I'm entering this page in the following challenges:
For color inspiration, Scrap Africa:

Paint Party Friday:

 Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days: Day 24:

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you have a great week!

Be Sweet ;)

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Be Yourself... 27

Hi! I hope you are having a great weekend! Today I have a tag to share for the first More Than Words Mini Challenge. The Mini Challenge runs on the last week of each month and is for cards, tags and ATCs only. This challenge requires you to use a specific word on your project. We must SEE the actual word. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join along! For complete details, please visit the More Than Words Challenge blog.

I created a mixed media style tag featuring "words of wisdom" that started with the word "Be":

I created a textured inky background to display the sweet vintage image on:

I think these are great words of wisdom:

Thanks so much for visiting! Please be sure to visit the More Than Words Challenge blog for loads of inspiration and for complete details!
Be sweet ;)

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A vase full of fresh cut blossoms 29

Hi! The weather is gorgeous here in Phoenix and I have a bad case of spring fever :) With the sun shining bright, pretty blue skies and warm 70 degree temperatures, it's hard not to when you love the great outdoors like I do. I took advantage of the beautiful day and went for a 6.5 mile run. Today I have a painting to share featuring my first canvas of fresh cut painted blossoms:

 Here's my source of inspiration:

Here's my interpretation:

I attended an art class at Krista Eaton's (a local talented artist's whom work I admire) home studio. After Krista gave us a painting demonstration, she set us free to paint our canvas. I applied various techniques that I learned from Nancy Medina's amazing painting videos that Scott gave me to me for a Christmas gift. Once we had some color on our canvas's Krista offered her expertise. I didn't get very far along in class, as I am a newbie and paint VERY slow but I was thrilled to receive Krista's input and learn some tips and tricks of the business. I finished the painting this morning which means the oil is still wet and will be for a few days! 

I'm entering this in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge: Day 21:

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you have a great Friday!

Be Sweet ;)

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