USAQ DT Challenge - Studio Cloth

Finally!  I must say that when I started this project I didn't anticipate just how long it would take so I do apologize to all of you and my DT mates for the very long delay in getting the last USAQ DT challenge project completed and posted.  But, I must say it was certainly worth it.  I just the love the results of this awesome tote bag!

While the project was not particularly difficult, I did have a few learnings along the way that I thought I'd share with you before I give you the step-by-step detail.

• First, plan ahead - mostly for the drying time needed between steps and for each side.
• Second, test your background colors against the napkin you plan to use.  I found that while my colors all coordinated beautifully, the thin top layer of the napkin was no match for the purple and green backdrop so I simply used my pigments to enhance the image.
• Third, make sure you have enough of the materials you will need for the project - paint, PPA, etc.
• Finally - have fun!

Now for the instructions:

• Gather your supplies - a tote sewn from Studio Cloth, Perfect Pigments, PPA Matte and Gloss, napkin, foam brush and paint brushes, Crystal Effectz
• Apply the Perfect Pigments to the tote - be careful to let each side dry completely before you lay it down and move on to the next side - to create the background
• Add images from your napkin using PPA matte and a foam brush; let dry 
• If desired, enhance napkin images with Perfect Pigments and a paint brush or Fine Liner; let dry
• Give the tote a final coat of PPA Gloss, sprinkling in Crystal Effectz while wet
• Sign and date your masterpiece with the Fine Liner

Here's the flip side of my fun tote.  I hope you'll try this project and send me photos of your finished piece!

USAQ Blog Hop

It's a blog hop and everyone is invited!  USAQ is hosting a blog hop and you're invited!  Please check out all the details on the USAQ Blog but don't wait - the deadline for submissions is August 20th.  Time is running out so don't miss your chance to play along and be eligible to win some fabulous prizes.

Need a little inspiration from the master herself?  Sue will be in Cincinnati this week for Stampaway and will demoing USAQ products at Stamp Your Art Out on Wednesday and in the Marco Paper booth on Friday and Saturday at the Sharonville Convention Center.

USAQ DT Challenge #4

 

Sometimes, beauty is found in the simplest things.

When I received my kit for the USArtQuest Design Team challenge #4, I found a tin full of fabulous colors, sizes and shapes of mica chips and flakes.  The way the little jars were packaged reminded me of the wide array of bling embellishments available today.  I decided to make a batch of my own and started with some chipboard, die cut a bunch of shapes and then just started playing with them. It is really quite simple to do - brush each piece with a coating of PPA gloss and randomly sprinkle or artfully place flakes on top.  Leaving them to dry overnight, I was quite pleased when I revisited my treasures the next morning.  

For my DT project card, I selected this butterfly and decided the best way to transform it into a thing of beauty was to make a simple yet elegant backdrop.  Taking my inspiration from the colors of the mica flakes, I opted for a grey, blue and turquoise palette.  A little scoring around the edges, highlighted with some lightly dusted turquoise ink gently complements the butterfly without drawing the focus away from it.  And, taking my cue from our last challenge which included handmade papers, I cut a "mat" from a pretty paper bag and mounted the entire piece to a soft blue grey square card.  Can you "shabby chic?" 

Be sure to check out the cool projects created by the rest of the USAQ DT (see links on the right).

USArtQuest DT Challenge #3

It is time for another USArtQuest Design Team challenge post.  For this challenge, the DT received some mica tiles, PPA gloss and some beautiful handmade papers.  The papers reminded me of some gorgeous woven silk fabrics I purchased while in Hong Kong and Gurgaon, which made me think of fashion and this page from a vintage Sears catalog I had patiently waiting in my craft stash for just the right project.

The base of this card is black linen cardstock matted to ivory linen cardstock.  A few carefully torn pieces from my vintage catalog page were adhered with PPA matte; accompanied by some lace trim, aged with a bit of walnut ink.  For the finishing touches, I used heart shapes punched from mica to spotlight the model's face, the price and a deep red silk flower to bring a touch of color to the collaged card. 

If you haven't played with Mica tiles in a while, hopefully this will inspire you to dust them off and get creative.  Be sure to check out the awesome projects created by the rest of the team at the USAQ blog.

Box of Chocolates

Remember the line from Forrest Gump - ". . . life is like a box of chocolates . . . "?  Well, that's what I think of whenever I look at this card.  Verses Rubber Stamps has come out with some fabulous new designs and this card features one of them so be sure to check them out online or in person at Stamp Your Art Out.

I made the background paper with a quick swirl of chocolate brown acrylic paint and pink shimmer mist.  The little gold "faux" brads were made using Duo Glue and Gilden Glitz flakes from USArtQuest.  And the cardstock is my favorite KaleidaPaper from Marco's Paper.  And the best part?  The embellishment is a gold foil-wrapped chocolate!  Add this to a tin of your favorite homemade or store bought chocolates and you've got the perfect girlfriend gift for any occasion.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday and she is quite the firecracker.  She loves to dance and strut her stuff so I decided the peacock (from Magenta) was the ideal image for this year's birthday card.  I stamped and embossed the image in gold (Judikins) on watercolor cardstock (Marco's Paper) and then painted it with watercolor paints (USArtQuest).  I matted the finished image with two colors of Stardream cardstock (Marco's Paper). 


 
Lately, mom's been a bit frustrated because she's "off the grid" and everything she wants to do seems to require internet access and/or an email address.  My siblings and I decided to help her get connected and we bought her a laptop.  To say she was surprised is an understatement.

It isn't often we can pull one over on my mother but with a little planning and some fancy footwork, we managed to really get her good this time.  We started her off slow - teaching her how to play solitaire and do some basic stuff in Word.  We're working on getting her on email and maybe even Skype so she can virtually visit her out of town family and friends.  Oh, the possibilities are endless and, while she admits to feeling a bit overwhelmed, she is really excited to be learning all kinds of new things.

If you're interested, you can leave her a quick birthday message via a comment on my blog because, of course, I know it will be one of the first places she'll want to visit wants she begins surfing the net!


Happy birthday, mom!

Pink Flamingo

It's time for another USArtQuest Design Team project!  Before we begin, however, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who visited our blogs for the inaugural blog hop and giveaway.  The winner of the Draw and Gild kit was Karen Denson - Congratulations, Karen!


Now, on to the current project.  The DT received the goodies for the napkin collage technique and, once again, we each had our own way of transforming them into unique works of art.  Want to see what the other DT members have created?  Check out their blogs:

Sarah Anderson

Suzi Blu

Lea Cioci

Jessica Griffin

Jan Hennings

Terri Sproul

USAQ Blog

The inspiration for my project came from one of those purchases we've all made.  You know - the fun item in the clearance section of our favorite store that we just have to have it because we're certain it will be ideal for some unknown future project.  I found these fun pink flamingo napkins last summer and today I am finally vindicated! 

If you want to make your own version, just follow these easy instructions.  Brush a quick coat of PPA matte on the art canvas and gently apply the printed layer only of the napkin, centering the flamingo.  Let it dry and then trim around the design, leaving about 1/2" to wrap around the back of the art canvas, adhering the edges to the back with PPA matte.  To finish the focal piece, I used my fine liner tool and some gold watercolor paint to highlight parts of the flamingo and then gave it a top coat of PPA gloss, with a little sprinkle of Crystal Effectz.

With my flamingo complete, I just needed to create the perfect tropical setting.  With a few quick strokes of interference watercolors, I created some palm fronds and rippling water and my card was complete.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and happy summer!

Connie

USArtQuest Blog Hop and Project

Welcome to the inaugural blog hop for the new USAQ Design Team!  We've been busy creating cool projects using the Draw and Gild kit.  In addition to hopping from one DT blog to the other to see the fabulous creations, you can enter to win one of the Draw and Gild kits so you can see for yourself what all the excitement is about.

There are some rules, of course, to be eligible to win.  You must stop by the blog of each DT member and enter a comment on each blog before 11:59 P.M. ET on June 27, 2010.

To make it even easier for you, I've listed all of the blogs below so you can simply click on the DT member's name and you'll be taken to her blog.  Oh, and one more thing, you need to hop in order starting with Sarah's blog!

Sarah Anderson

Suzi Blu

Lea Cioci

Jessica Griffin

Jan Hennings

Terri Sproul

Connie Vogt

Julie Ranae

USAQ Blog

Before you go, however, don't forget to check out the awesome frame I made for the hop.  Most of you know I'm a cardmaker at heart but this is a special event so it calls for a special project.

I did get a bit carried away working on this project and couldn't seem to restrict myself to just using the supplies in the kit.  The quality of the USAQ products is phenomenal!

With the exception of the frame, all supplies can be purchase at USAQ's online store.


Gildenglitz - gold
Fine Liner tool
Duo Glue
Paint brush
Perfect Pigments - titanium white, deep sky blue, cobalt turquoise hue, magenta, purple mist
Perfect Glaze - clear
Perfect Paper Adhesive Gloss
Crystal Effectz
Wood frame

Paint the frame with a base coat of white.  Mix glazing medium into the blue, turquoise and purple acrylics.  Using the little yellow sponges that come with the acrylic paint kits, layer the paints starting with the turquoise and adding highlights with the blue and purple.  Remember to let a little of the white base show through.

When the paint is dry, place a couple of drops of Duo Glue into the Fine Liner and let your imagination (and your hand) wander, creating swirls and squiggles all over the frame.  Remember, when the Duo Glue is clear, it is ready to adhere.  This is your sign to add the Gildenglitz, pressing the flakes gently into the glue.  Use the texture sponge to brush off the excess flakes, which can be used in the next step.  To add a little interest, I placed a drop of Duo Glue on my finger and created a few smudges here and there, adding more Gildenglitz to bring them to life.

For the finishing touch to my frame, I coated the frame with PPA gloss and lightly sprinkled a bit of Crystal Effectz.

I typed up one of my favorite prayers and inserted into the frame.  Not only am I reminded of the message, but seeing it in the beautiful frame puts a smile on my face. 

Now, get hopping and good luck on the drawing!

Connie

P.S.  If you don't win or just can't wait, you can always purchase your own kit!  You won't be disappointed.

Big Announcement

It's time for the big announcement - drum roll, please . . . . USArtQuest has formed a new design team and I am very excited and honored to have been chosen to be a member.  Other members of the team include Jan Hennings, Jessica Griffin, Julie Ranae, Lea Cioci, Sarah Anderson, Suzi Blu, and Terri Sproul.  Check out their fabulous blogs (links located on the right).

I had the pleasure of spending time with Susan Pickering Rothamel at her store and studio last year to learn all about the fabulous, artist-grade products offered by USArtQuest.  If you've taken any of my classes, you know how much I love this line.  Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think about the USAQ line.  Don't know what I'm talking about?   Well, hop on over to the USAQ website and check them out.  You'll also find some great how-to videos featuring several of the products.

Stay tuned for more news and happenings in the upcoming weeks!  This would be a good time to become a follower of my blog and to sign up for automatic email notifications so you don't miss out on any of the buzz!

Thanks for visiting.

Alex the Patriotic Pup

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I decided to spotlight one of my "kids" for the MiTi at Marco's Paper yesterday.  I turned an easel card into a photo frame easel card by simply layering a piece of acetate over a decorated piece of cardstock.  By using brads to hold the acetate in place, you can easily change the photo by simply sliding it under the acetate.

We used the watercolor palettes and the fine liner tool from USArtQuest to make the card.

If you weren't able to join us yesterday, check back in the next day or so and I'll post my usual step-by-step instructions.

Happy Saturday!