Merry Christmas!

Christmas is the Season 

The Reason...

Santa 

ATC_Fun Swap 3 for 3...

With all the hustle and bustle, we forget the true meaning of CHRISTmas. Although it is not His real birth date, it is the day given to celebrate it with good tidings. It reminds us to celebrate love. Love entwined with many colors, gold and bling as gifts that were given to Baby Jesus by the Three Kings. 

Santa kneeling before the Christ Child is one of my favorite images for Christmas. May all your celebrations during this Christmas season be filled with joy, laughter and love...

Let It Snow...noooo...Not really!

ATC - 'Let It SNOW'

Just an Artist Trading Card for a Yahoo Group Swap: ATC_Fun. It is a 3 for 3 card trade. Had lots of fun with this one. I started on recycled cardboard. Background is a course acrylic medium with a little bit of blue acrylic(forgot which one-Cobalt?) ..(I don't want any real snow!)

 

After it dried, I worked red, blue and pink into the corners. I fussy-cut five snowflakes, courtesy of Kelly Donovan of:   http://knittingandthings.com/ ...The snowflakes were decorated with gel pens.

The snowflake in the top right hand corner is a punch cut out from wallpaper with glitter glue.

Bird Postcard Swap on MMSA(Mail Me Some ART)

Bird Postcard Swap

Each postcard has a different character/style to it, although the bird is the same. Each bird is created on my son's old MATH schoolwork paper from last year. I used water based pastels. Love how they allow transparency. I drew them with a thin black sharpie.

The fence is wall paper, The background of the one with the washy tape is stamped with a homemade foam stamper with paint.

I enjoy working with mixed mediums.

http://mailmesomeart.blogspot.com/2013/11/bird-postcards-part-1.html

Two new swaps for ATC_Fun Yaoo group.

Fall Colors Swap 3 for 3

I joined another Yahoo ATC group that is very active with wonderful swaps. it is a hopping group. I want to join all of them but don't have the time to create them! This one looks simple but there was a lot of work behind it. I used pastels on Text book leaves cut by my Big Shot. The tedious task was the edging each contour of the leaf. Background is gold metallic paint with stamping. 

Fantastic Fish Swap 3 for 3

The second exciting swap I signed up for, back to back! Had lots of fun with this one. The little fish isdone with watercolor pastels and some turquoise colored BIC ball point pen(my sister found them for me!!!). The fish was then given a coat of glass bead gel medium by Golden. Background was tissue paper strips cut into wave-like motion with some more ball point wave action and stamping of fish and circles for bubbles.

Can't wait to get theirs in return!

All about what makes you happy!

Post Card to Karen Isaacson of Mail Me Some Art in MA.

Scrap paper background is from my sister's construction company. It is a time sheet of sorts in which the Carpenters document the hours they worked in different areas. I help my sister by tracking the hours for the Project. I used it as a 'catch all' page and then doodled on it.

I applied water soluble pastels then added some metallic gold pen to the hand doodled cross hatch grid. Die cut flowers were collaged on...Made me HAPPY!

I sealed it in gloss medium to keep the water soluble pastels from reactivating if they get wet in transit. This post card is being sent to her randomly...Love her website: http://mailmesomeart.blogspot.com/

My Happy Place

MY Happy Place Postcard #1

is on it's way to the State of Washington!

One discarded tracking sheet from a construction company used as a place mat...When it looked really yummy with all the different markings, paint, etc., I doodled on it with no direction or plan. Stopped and used watercolor pastels...added outlined sketches of a butterflies then added die-cut butterflies, collaged. Stamped leaf patterns in green all over the postcard. The pattern made the butterflies pop.But felt they needed something else so I out line them with watercolor markers, blended them slightly and blotted them. The green butterfly is painted with a gelli dimensional paint while the other outlined ones were glittered. Hand written letters in metallic paint:  'Happy Place'. 

 

Covered the postcard with glossy gel medium. After viewing a photo of it, I noted that the stems and leaves needed more color on the tulips. They were painted with a green glitter gel pen. Metallic gold paint pen was used over the doodled checkered pattern. 

 

This postcard was created without a game plan. I went with the flow without any stress...my happy place...

An ATC for Jenn of Mixed Media Jenn

ATC- Pink
Tissue paper, acrylic paint, Jelli paint, glitter glue and gemstones

Made another tissue paper collage. Each blade of grass and each flower petal are glued down individually. The back ground was painted with corrugated cardboard on a sheet of brown paper. I doodled with India Ink and White Copic paint using a fountain pen.  This one will be heading down to Pennsylvania to Jenn of Mixed Media Jenn. 

She posted a video of a cool  beach themed ATC being created. We connected and are trading with each other. Can't wait to get hers!

July's WTA winner...

Roselyn Pratt won July's WTA(Winner Take All). It is a challenge swap that members of Paper_Traders load up an ATC to be given to the lottery winner for the month. Roselyn won July 2013's. I sent her the one I had made especially for the challenge. This is the first time anyone has ever sent me a picture of them holding my ATC! I love it!! Had to share!!!

Since there has been a change in the Yahoo group format, this month's WTA has been extended a week longer. Who will be the lucky winner for August? I won May 2013's! It is so cool to get everyone's in the mail at separate times! It's like Christmas in my mailbox....

Sold at the Puerto Rican Festival 2013

The Magi(The Three Kings)...in Spanish:  Los Reyes Magos

14x17 Collage
Tissue paper, wall paper, and other fiber papers with a few embellishments

This framed work was purchased as a gift for their sibling that celebrates the holiday on January 6th. I did not expect to sell it. It was displayed as 'show and tell' in the cultural tent. Who knew?!?

Crazy Postcard for Terrie

Terrie doesn't know yet that she is getting a crazy postcard! It looks harmless enough, but how it got to be...was the crazy part! 
It all began with an recycled  insert from an art magazine..Innocent enough. A piece of wrapping tissue paper and some plain newsprint paper were sewn onto it...house paint was used to cover the back and then Duck tape over it...watercolor paper pieces for writing.
The front:  brown packing paper(recycled) for a heart, white copy paper hands.
The color applied is watercolor pastels, Sharpie lettering with silver paint pen outline and dots around the hands.All experimental but it worked out in the end!

The front

A Collaged Postcard with Joyce Meyer's quote

Postcard: Angel's Song
Quote by Joyce Meyer

The Dove was created from individually cut pieces. From the head, to the wings, to each feather in her tail. The dot in her eye was a sweet surprise as I did not plan for it.  I left it instead of giving her the eye I intended for her to have.

The backdrop were remnants from cut circle for my ASRC class. I could not discard them and knew I could use them as a background for something. I have a few more left so they will pop up from time to time. Or maybe I am addicted to this background until I run out! Love the textures it gives!

MMSA Orange Postcard Swap

I worked on two different postcards for 'Mail Me Some ART' group:

http://mailmesomeart.blogspot.com/2013/05/orange-post-card-swap-mail-by-july-1.html

Both are different but I worked with different texture on each. Had fun as one ended up feeling like plastic with the layers of gel...

Oranges is simple with an acrylic course texture mixed into orange acrylic paint. then sealed with gel medium. I am happy with the outcome.

Orange Butterflies are collaged on top of an orange tissue background. Under the bright orange tissue paper is a hidden image of a couple of oranges.

Art Journal Spread in Working Progress

Cuddling Hatchlings...
Art journaling is another art form that I love to work in. This 2 page spread is in a recycled College Course Brochure. It's pages are glossy which are sometimes difficult to work on. A couple coats of gesso and I was ready to begin with my soft pastels after I tried out a new spray called Smooch Spritz by Clear Snap. I also finally found a small honeycomb stencil that I found affordable at Michael's. The spread is work in progress=WIP.

Chirp ATC 2013 Swap

It seems that I am always doing something new lately! In the Paper_Trader Yahoo group, I joined in on a 6 for 6 swap. The challenge was to create ATC's featuring eggs, nests, and/or birds. This group welcomes the members on their homepage:

'Paper Traders is a friendly online community of artists from around the world. We nurture and value creativity, embrace new ideas, products, and techniques yet also value tried and true methods of artistic expression. Our projects consist primarily of paper arts, mixed media collage, artist trading cards, altered art, assemblages, collaborative journals, mail art, and more.'

Since I have been expressing much of my creative thoughts in the Mixed media technique, this group is a perfect home for me! As a member, you are encouraged to participate in the swaps and challenges they host. Personal trades need to be done privately as this is an ART technique sharing and swapping group.

I encourage all varied skills in Art to try joining in a group or two. You meet wonderful  artists from all parts of the world! Someone from Singapore recently joined us! How exciting is that?!?!?!

Felicidades

ATC for a new Yahoo Group I joined up...Paper_Traders:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paper_Traders/
It is for the April challenge: Winner takes all...

Felicidades is a Collage ATC. Happiness(translation) is what I felt as I was able to individually cut each petal from a recycled tissue paper that was used in packaging. This tissue paper is not as thick as the tissue paper we buy in the store to line our gift bags. It is very, very thin and is easily torn. The board under the collage is also recycled as is the curled tan colored print piece.

I truly enjoyed putting together this ATC with what I call Tissue paper painting. I use a small brush to apply my mixture of adhesive. Each petal is traced with a ball point pen and given hints of color....

Blue Jay in my Journal

I have a Blue Jay in my journal.  I sold my a pastel of one and have been missing him. This one will stay and not fly away from it's home. Although I may get a glimpse of  'Jay' from time to time, I needed to draw another coronal....

These beautiful feathered creatures are very mischievous. They get into trouble when they try to match wits with a squirrel. The squirrel gets back at them, stealing their eggs. So much noise coming from the trees up above when these battles erupt. 

Spring is in the air as these blue feathered beauties build up their nests. You can see them as they fly from limb to limb. As they think what else can they get into. What other foils of trouble await them or await the unwary...look around and watch their plight for they may be watching you...

Easter Eggs

ATC -  Egg Salad
Mixed Medium
Traded on FineArtsATC group

ATC -   Egg-Tastic
Fine point Sharpie Marker
'WAS' To be traded on FineArtsATC group

Decorating eggs on my table had been a very happy time for me as I reflect my youth. I no longer wish to dye eggs but love for them to pop up in my drawings!

Egg salad was traded while Egg-Tastic was available for the group members. I will remove this Zentangled Egg and do my first GIVE-AWAY to one special follower randomly by Thursday, March 28th at 9am . Winner will be notified and will need to email me their address for it to be sent to them.

All you have to do is to become one of my google followers and leave a comment on this posting. Good luck!

Everyone is after my 'Lucky Charms'...

ATC - Lucky Charms
Mixed Medium
to be traded on FineArtsATC on http://groups.yahoo.com

Oddly enough St. Patrick's Day is my spouse's birthday...he is not Irish! Aren't I a 'lucky' artist with a Leprechaun from Ecuador!?!

My favorite color is green...but the brighter the better!  Don't get me wrong...I adore ALL colors but I seem to be partial  to green and yellow for some reason. I do love the sun. It is bright, warm and inviting. And, I do love the grass and the leaves on trees! So, if you have not guessed it! I love Spring and Summer!

St. Patrick's Day starts the countdown for me towards warm weather. Come on Spring!

Here is an excellent Journal Prompt:  What is your Lucky Charm?

Happy Valentine's Day

Another year gone by. Bringing us to yet another Valentine's Day. All the commercialization has choked it with ideas of what to give your special someone.

Why not bring it close to home and make a special Valentine. Go on a scavenger hunt at home or the office looking for items, colors, anything you can add to your HOMEMADE valentine. Memories of being a child, creating that Valentine for Mom(or your crush) should bring a sweet warm and tender feeling travel through you.

Last Year 2012's Valentine to my youngest son was this Heart shaped card that is still hanging in this 15 yer old's room. He does not say much but he obviously liked the card enough to hang it up. Now...to top that one...I don't have much time today as he comes home early from school so I have to get moving!

Here is a Valentine for all of you out there from me...
♥♡♥♡♥♡

Have a wonderful one! Don't duck from the cupid's arrow!

ATC - Golden Heart

Golden Heart
Mixed Medium

Traded on Yahoo! group: FineArtsATC. This one is on it's way home to Australia....I enjoy taking whatever I use to protect my surface under the ATC I am working on and filling it with my excess paint, gel pens, markers, gesso etc... When it is almost completely filled, I add additional mediums to pull it together then use it as a background for my ATC's or postcards.

ATC - Seaburst

Seaburst has a watercolor pencil background with Gel Pen pointillism of multiple colors. The process was long and took me 2 sittings with countless hours(lost track of time). The white dots are acrylic paint. Created for trade on the FineArtsATC Yahoo! group.