ICAD #3 "album"

it is day 3 for the "index card a day" challenge sponsored by daisy yellow art. and now I'm 3 for 3! the challenge is to make art on an index card (either 3x5 or 4x6) every day through July 31.  today's theme is "album," you don't have to follow the theme but so far i've played along.

the duke ellington stamp is from stampsmith. the image of record albums is from pixabay. i used letters and a dragonfly brad from my stash.

enjoy; love to all.

it don't mean a thing

you have one more week to join the tag tuesday "music" challenge, a theme i chose because i love music!

the duke ellington stamp is by the stampsmith.  the background paper is from the gecko galz gatsby paper pack.  i typed "that swing" onto paper from the gecko galz color me ombre paper pack.  the star stamps are from cherry arte stamps and the rest is stickers from my stash.

and again this week, please enjoy duke ellington's fantastic tune:

ooh baby!

it was my turn to choose the theme for the next two week challenge at tag tuesday and i chose "music."

to make this tag i took out my supremes stamp from the stampsmith and stamped it on paper from the gatsby paper pack by gecko galz.  i covered my tag base in paper from the chocolate box paper pack also by gecko galz.  the letters i used came from mischief circus from the fantastical steampunk add on kit.  the star stamps are from cherry arte stamps (appears to no longer be in business). there are a few stickers from my stash as well.

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if you don't know the song "baby love" here it is...

love to all.

america

time and busyness has prevented me from playing along at tag tuesday for the past few weeks.  but i am joining in this week and the prompt this week is "america."  at first i thought of using any number of patriotic images on collage sheets -- i have so many of them.  but then i thought of taking a different approach and i thought of what things are distinctly american,  which then left me thinking what did they mean by "america" anyway?  north america?  south america?  central america?  united states of america? but i directed my focus to the united states which is where i live.  so i decided my tag would be a tribute to jazz music which originates in the united states.

i have a wonderful stampsmith stamp of louis armstrong which i decided would be my focus point.  i stamped it and lightly colored it with colored pencils.  for the tag background i used a couple different designer digital papers from gecko galz on which i printed some sheet music -- the famous "what a wonderful world" and also the word "jazz" which is a digital stamp from the stitchy bear "all that jazz" collection of digital stamps.  i added some musical notes stickers and a stamped a few stars.

i hope you enjoy.  love to all.

black and white challenge: week two

this week i am combining challenges with my creation.  it is week two of the "black and white" challenge at the cheerful stamp pad.  meanwhile one of the members over at scraps of color encouraged us to make ATCs in honor of black history month.  so i made a black and white ATC featuring the very talented late great musician duke ellington.

this is a photo real stamp of duke ellington by the stampsmith. the background is sheet music from one of his famous songs, "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing."

if you wish to join the cheerful stamp pad challenge you have one more week.  the challenge sponsor is bugaboo stamps and a randomly selected winner will get some digis from their shop.

love to all.

stampsmith challenge "anything goes"

today i'm playing along with another stampsmith challenge blog challenge -- the theme in august "anything goes" -- so long as you use at least one stampsmith stamp.  i used a stamp from the mj hopper set at stampsmith.

i love this stamp and enhanced the stamped image with colored pencils.  i used origami paper, fun tape and other goodies to create my card.  the creations by the stampsmith challenge blog DT are pure beauty and style.  and stampsmith stamps are gorgeous.  check it all out.

love to all.

ribbons and lace. in memory.

this fabulous stamp is called "the look" and it is from the stampsmith.  yep, a stamp not a photo.  if you are not familiar with the stampsmith products check it out.  it takes some doing to perfect the technique with these amazing stamps (and i have not gotten there yet) but it is worth the effort.  there is a challenge at the stampsmith blog.  hosted by the brilliant Lynne from adorn, the task is to use ribbons and lace.  i'm also linking this up to pearls and lace thursday.

i dedicate this piece to my grandmother who passed away this Thanksgiving weekend at age 91.  i've written about her before.  she was the light of my life from my earliest days.  her endless creativity as a seamstress, milliner, designer, baker and singer was the seed of so much of what i am.  i have many stories i could share but for now it was really important for me to finish this piece and post it in her honor.  i will miss her more than i can even express.  but she is singing and decorating with the angels now and that makes me happy. 

i have some other scheduled posts that will pop up this week but i'm headed to california soon.
love to all of you; cherish your dear ones.

cheerful stamp pad challenge #24...

is... portraits and people!  the opportunity is to share art involving people or animals.  check out the cheerful stamp pad for more details.  the challenge sponsor is a fabulous stamp company, the stampsmith.  the stampsmith also has a cool challenge blog, the stampsmith challenge.

i have a number of stampsmith stamps -- the stamps are mosty photographic, relating to "times gone by."
for my DT creation i traveled back in time to the 60s, to grab a stampsmith image of the supremes!  stop in the name of love!

the supremes are the original "dream girls."  i colored the image with markers to stamp it and then enhanced the stamped image with colored pencils.  i cut out my image and placed it on designer paper that had a sort of 60s feel.  the hearts by diana are by hero arts.  sure their story has its ups and downs but these beautiful women "dared to dream" and live their passion -- so many of their songs are still favorites all over the world.  may we also dare to dream and live our passions!

love to all.

pink saturday + pink and orange journal journey

i am happily celebrating PINK SATURDAY as well as Crafty Dawn's journal journeys pink and orange challenge for the month of July.  it was such a gift to be at the crafting table again after a long stressfully busy time in life when i just didn't have the energy.  i am so grateful for scissors and glue and all of our goodly tools!


i knew i wanted to do some kind of collage for the journal page.  i used my 8x8 journal book and gathered lots of pink and orange papers of a variety of textures and patterns.  i began laying out to my heart's content.  i had already stamped a wonderful stampsmith image -- a face with flowers which i'd already colored in with pinks and oranges so i wanted to include that. 

i embellished with a lot of additional goodies.  the butterflies are from a moonlight journeys collage sheet.  most of the rest are from either k & company or are random stash items. 

since the pink and orange theme was an homage to summer i found a short poem online that seemed fitting.  in photoshop i created a background in the color orange and i used the gradient tool on it.  i typed the poem on to that and then with some cutting and tearing i had my centerpiece.  i am so glad that Dawn is doing this journal challenge and i look forward to joining again in August.  meanwhile i guess i'm getting to be a full-fledged pink saturday devotee as well!

by the way special thanks to Linda at scrappinbears studio.  a lot of the lovely papers came from her.  she was giving away from her excess and i was a lucky recipient.  she sent me a huge box of gorgeous papers and many of them are a part of this journal page.  thank you Linda!

peace and love to all.

a beautiful man

for the next two weeks the challenge at the cheerful stamp pad is # 16 "there is a man in my life."  the creations for this challenge are meant to be for men.  i confess i have drawers full of stamps that are female faces and faeries and flowers and such.  men can surely appreciate these things as well as women but i suspect many men prefer bolder simpler things.  my DT creation for this challenge uses a beautiful image of the late great Louis Armstrong.  the stamp is from the "fabulous faces" plate by the stampsmith.  i colored it with markers then cut out my stamped image at an angle and affixed it to designer paper.  i placed that on brown card stock and called it a day.  i like what i came up with and would love to see what you might create for the latest challenge at the cheerful stamp pad!
love to all.