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.

Big News!!!

I have some very exciting news to share with you - I've been published again in the July issue of CardMaker Magazine.  My article is all about reverse stamping  and includes three cards, each using a different technique.

But wait -there's more!  I am about to embark on another aspect of my creative journey and I'm not going to do it alone.  Want to know why I'm all smiles and about to burst at the seams????  Well, I can't tell you just yet - you'll have to check back in a couple of days to find out all the details on this one!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a quick card that is appropriate for the upcoming holiday weekend - the unofficial start to summer - yippee!  This cute little chef is from Inky Antics and the inside contains the verse "my condiments to the chef" - also from Inky Antics.  Wouldn't this make an adorable thank you card to send to your host/hostess for this weekend's barbecue or picnic?

I colored this with my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol.

CBD Card Contest Winners

Our first quarter card contest from my Cheaper By The Dozen class is over and the results are in.  We actually had a tie for first place so I asked my craft sister, Peggy, to cast the tie breaker vote to keep the judging as unbiased as possible.  Although the contest is set up to only have one winner per contest, I decided to do a first and second place this time.

And the 1st place winner is . . . . Barb Voelkel!  Barb submitted a twist on the "cocoa monkey" pocket card.  Using some printed paper, an embossed and popped coffee mug and a palette of soft greens, shades of taupe and accents of black, Barb created a winning card.  On the inside of the card, she layered the scalloped pocket and repeated the circles punched from the printed paper.  Tucked inside the pocket was a packet of cocoa and a coffee stirrer - a greeting card and a gift all in one.

Our 2nd place winner is the fun-loving team of Bonnie Brill and Jan Heller.  Their card was also a twist on the "cocoa monkey" pocket card.  Bonnie and Jan used a completely different color palette - purples, pinks and greens and included a packet of seeds in their Mother's Day version.  What a clever idea!

Thanks to all who submitted cards and to all my fabulous "Cheaper Chicks" for voting.  Don't forget that entries for the 2nd quarter contest are due to me by July 1.  Click here for all the contest rules.  Check the class list on the right for future dates of CBD classes.

Congratulations to Barb, Bonnie and Jan!