Spots, pox and wedding day polka dots

A coworker recently got to take an even earlier last day than she'd planned.

Thanks to chicken pox.

She contracted the dreaded disease of spots and dots and chalky topical creams shortly after her replacement was hired.

Her replacement who had never had chicken pox. So, goodbye to her one week early.

I hope she didn't have to use up sick time and therefore get cheated out of that final "extra" pay.

Anyhow, I made a card for her celebrating her pox! The background is lightly inked and stamped with bubble wrap that I brushed with Perfect Pearls.

The butterfly is made up of wings and a dot from some packages of pre-cut Grunge shapes that I inked and embossed with clear glitter powder.

The "SPOTS" text, stamped and embossed in black, is from a Close To My Heart set and the "seeing" text is from a ProvoCraft stamp.

My coworker, by the way, had to resign because she's getting married and moving to another country. I'm not sure of her wedding date, but I'm crossing my fingers that her pox cleared up before then.

Does any bride want to wear polka dots on her wedding day?

Artist trading cards

Art, like so many things, comes in many sizes all of which are useful if you can learn how to best employ the differences (oh my yes, gentlemen, you'll be pleased to know: most of us girls agree this theory applies in *that* area, as well).

Anyhow, back in April I created my first ever Artist Trading Card project (for a Frosted Petunia's Artful Bag swap).

Since then I've continued to create mostly cards and altered art, but once a month or so find myself drawn to create more of these diminutive works of art known as ATCs.

Most of them have been crap (I didn't say *I* had learned to best employ the different sizes), still the three I've posted here turned out nicely and display multiple techniques including some from Tim Holtz, a few from other designers and maybe one or two from yours truly.

The first ATC also features one of the stamps from Holtzs' Stamper's Anonymous sets and a picture I trimmed out of a Burning Man calendar.

The second and third pieces are made with Octopode characters: The owl has glow-in-the-dark glitter eyes and the optic flower is mounted in front of a harlequin glow-in-the-dark glitter pattern. Neither of these are terribly visible in my photographs, of course, but they're completely awesome in a dark room.

Just to make sure I don't go too crazy with the trying things that don't relate in any way to artist and product creator Tim Holtz ... the fonts on the second and third ATCs are cut from one of Mr. Holtz's  Alterations strip (named Vintage Market and/or Carnivale, depending on where you look).

What do you think of my ATC's? Are they sweet and simple miniature works of art or tiny bits of trash?

Honestly, you can tell the truth. Because I already like them.

Which means that if you don't ... I'll just pretend that you do.

Quote: The Octopode Factory Friday challenge

Whew boy do I love the Octopodes!

And you all know how I also love quotes: Found and made up ... I'm a fan of inspirational, comical, memorable words strung together and repeated for all eternity.

So, this week's The Octopode Factory Friday challenge of the week, Quotes, is ideal for me.

Then we've got the toys that I collect, new and vintage, and roughly ten seconds passed before I decided to combine a vintage sewing thread ad from Graphics Fairy, the Octopode teddy bear and a phrase that is courtesy an antique embroidery my sister has hanging at her house.

"My teddy bear has a rip and a tear love pours from him everywhere."

You can use it, too: You're welcome.

But not for this exact challenge, please. Though you absolutely must join in at The Octopode Factory Friday challenge.

We'll be sad without you.

What did you do this summer: A Drunken Stampers challenge

Welcome back to another Drunken Stampers post!

We took a few weeks off to catch our breath and let our livers dry out, but we're back now and with a couple of surprises!

First, it's important that everyone have plenty of time to create and then to recover from that hard work before a new challenge, so we'll now only have Drunken Stampers challenges on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.

Next, and read this one carefully: That strange itch in your ears has been the Drunken Stampers Design Team call echoing in your art space! Go to the link to find out what the very, very loose requirements are and throw your hat into the ring! We'd love to see you 'belly up to the craft bar.

Finally, we've got the first new challenge since the Spring: What did you do this summer?

We bought a hillbilly pool (an above-ground, inflated sides pool) early in the summer and have been happily splashing about, but there's been some much bigger events during the season as well.

I celebrated a birthday and received dozens of wonderful game pieces that my parents found for me at thrift stores! Awesome! Then there was the camping trip to Antelope Lake where we found itty bitty seashells perfect for a little altered art embellishment.

Despite loving paints, from the aroma to the endless technical possibilities, it wasn't until this summer that I returned to creating with dry brushing and globs of color mixed for custom shades and gesso and gorgeous technicolor pallets.

We remembered to get ourselves to some garage sales, too, and the Habitat for Humanity resell store where we found bits and bobs for hanging and dangling and creating.

There was even a class this summer! Although not well-attended by yours truly who could not find the time to watch inspiration videos and read instruction sheets and create, I have since been back-tracking and find learning at my own pace, while not the original plan, is still motivating and rewarding.

All of this, I'm sure, is some part in the most important discovery I made this summer, which I prefer not to discuss at length here, but will say this: Occasionally reassess your life, your self, your world.

Because sometimes we get off track and, if we're not careful, discover that everything that makes us unique and amazing is buried under a blanket of worry and stress and things we can not possibly control.

Ah so, breathe deeply my friends. Life is good!

And we need you at Drunken Stampers!

Stripes: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

This way and that, up and down, crossways and straightways, stripes lead here and there and nowhere.

Reaching behind and above and around the Octopode Factory's Andy Warhol.

Coming together just in time to be a part of The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge gathering!

Are you enjoying my more simply-designed cards and creations? They're fun and speedy to create, but I can't help feeling that they are awfully plain ...even with dear Mr. Warholpode's blue skin and yellow hair.

I appreciate his pink sunglasses, though. Maybe I could find a pair for myself ...

Recreate a scene: The Burtonesque Dolls challenge

Here's my second version of this post, which I'm forced to write because Blogger boogered up just as I was trying to add a photo and click "publish."

Color me freakin' happy.

Anyhow, I'd mentioned in my prior now non-existent post that this holiday is doing me a huge favor as I would otherwise have missed the chance to create a piece for the current Burtonesque Dolls challenge: Recreate a scene.

My brain just wasn't wrapping around the idea that while September 5 seemed a long way off more than a week ago: It wasn't exactly never coming.

Lost track of things as usual and here I am at the last moment to tell you that I used the Bugaboo Stamp Sassy Gal Devil and computer-generated text placed on a background inked with three colors of Distress Ink.

The border is courtesy a Martha Stewart Around the Page punch "Iron Gate."

Hopefully you enjoy this Beetle Juice scene as much I do: How could you not love it when our friend Beetle Juice is enticed by the luscious ladies of Dante's Inferno to get a little action.

One day I'll figure a way to recreate the dining room carnival scene from Beetle Juice, another favorite of mine.

Until then I'm off to try to add a photo and then link up with Burtonesque Dolls.

Steampunk and feathers: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

Each week I see a few more of you at the The Octopode Factory Friday challenge, and it's so exciting!

After all, everyone knows how much I love Octopodes, so it's additionally wonderful to see in what way multiple artists envision Octopodes in the weekly challenge themes.

That doesn't mean I get myself on to TOFF every week though: Last week I got by to discover the challenge, and even created a challenge piece, but never found time to post.

So, my piece for last week's "Birds of a Feather" is posted here: It's an alcohol ink splatter on white gloss card stock with the remaining white smudged in sapphire Distress Ink.

The text is printed and inked with Distress Ink in various colors, and I added rhinestones to the word "Feathers" because what else would a bat's be full of than lovely shiny pink feathers?

I'm very fond of bats, and all other rodent-like animals. Can you tell?

My piece for this week's challenge, Steampunk, begins with a collage tag I found at DezinaWorld (six different printable tags for TWO BUCKS!).

Then I added some printed and inked text and the lovely Steampunk Mabel.

Since you asked, I'll tattle on myself: I've been enjoying the last week or so creating some very simple pieces. My goal lately has been to focus on color and style combinations instead of worrying about adding hewhaws and gewgaws.

Not to worry however since the concept of not including bits of this and that is too painful to maintain for any length of time.

OK friends, off to create your own Octopode Factory Friday challenge goodness!

Frosted Petunias Artful Bag Challenge: August

Happy summer Frosted Petunia Artful Baggers and loyal followers!

The unseasonably comfortable temperatures* we've had lately must have inspired my pink, vintage-look couture ATC bag.

*Normally our summertime temperatures run from holy crap it's hot to it's so hot I can't breathe ... this year, aside from one or two 100-plus F days, it's hovered consistently at What Lovely Weather ... just as I suppose always is the case in Paris ... in my fantasy Paris at any rate. 

Back in the real world: My ATC is inked with Distress Ink in worn lipstick, then embossed with clear embossing powder in the style of Tim Holtz's compendium technique page 41.

The stamps are from Stampin' Up sets and an ideaology hitch tops our stamped dress form that displays my bag for August.

This lovely paper purse has a magnetic closure, gusseted sides and a rhinestone closure cover.

As Anna at Frosted Petunias has noted: This is the final of the second group of Artful Bag challenges, so next up is the final set of four! I hope everyone finds time to join the challenges!

Crowns or hats: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

Thanks for visiting again! My recent posts have been unbelievably wordy so you get a gift today: Me getting to the point. Quickly.

My tag, for The Octopode Factory Friday challenge of crowns and hats, is sprayed with homemade glimmer mist ala Tim Holtz's Compendium instructions, and has two corners sprayed with lettuce Color Wash.

When I win the lottery I'm buying buckets of Color Wash. Maybe kegs.

Anyhow, I used a Stampin' Up roller stamp with perfect medium covered in white embossing powder.

The image is from the Octopode Steampunk Gents collage sheet. His name is either Cedric or Glaeken. I'm not sure. He sure is freakin' cool regardless of his name.

Finally we have "You are" stamped in black archival ink, then highlighted with dark red Sharpie and an ideaology must token "unique".

A few inches of Amercian Crafts ribbons tied on and wahlah! One tag and an entire blog post in only 159 words!

You're welcome.

Summer sparkle: KennyK Krafty Girlz Challenges

Welcome to another Monday post!

Not long ago I finished my Grungy Monday chatter, and now I'm here with a card that I created for the KennyK Krafty Girlz Challenge!

Since you're nice enough to put up with me posting so often ... and in many different styles ... this also is a blog candy post! Yay! More later ...

Returning to your regularly scheduled KennyK Krafty Girlz Challenge post we're looking at Summer sparkle!

That means I'm also looking at Summer birthday sparkle because who else would I think of when I see the gorgeous, modern bomber art from KennyK than My Guy?

My Guy who is today celebrating his birthday? Yeah, yeah ... I'm not being a bad girlfriend because I'm here instead of with him celebrating. He loves lots of space to mess about so aside from actual gifts his gift today is me Leaving Him Alone.

Plus I cooked three of his favorites today; when the temperatures in our region were well above 90F (our South-facing house is warm in January sans oven, let alone August).

Alright, no need to explain myself. He's happy. Partially because he received this card that is resplendent with fourteen rhinestones and multiple spots of glimmery ink such as our KennyK Delores D'ammage lips and boot buckles.

... also because upon seeing this card he asked "So ... are you going to wear that when I express my wish?"

Lots of giggles and raised eyebrows later ...

I should explain the "WISH" text is cut from Cricut cartridge Storybook (sort of ironic) and the "Make a" badge is created in Microsoft Publisher.

All other backgrounds and elements are cut from and with general stock and punches available at most chain craft and art retailers.

So, the Blog candy. Because this is a KennyK challenge I'm offering to buy a single KennyK image for the commenter who is chosen at random on August 21.

Prior followers, you know I appreciate you, if you have the random winning comment ... the prize is two KennyK images!

Finally, I enjoy creating many types of art using multiple techniques and styles, but I understand that others prefer more focused creating.

I hope that if you're in that category you'll still comment, but include the message "No Digi". I won't include you in this prize pull. But in a week or two when I post another project with a tiny non-digi blog candy prize I can give you an "extra" prize entry with your comment!

Or at the very least my friends ... I understand if you comment only on the creations that interest you ... I know ... all art doesn't speak to every artist!

Drop by with a KennyK image or not, at the KennyK Krafty Girlz Challenges. They only include in their prize drawings entries with KennyK images, but I know from the entries I see there ... they love all participants!

*Editor's note: The KennyK blog candy winner is Jingle!

Distress Stickles party: Grungy Monday

Welcome to the Not a Moment to Spare Grungy Monday post ... on Monday!

Today we've been asked by our Lovely Leader Linda to play along with a Distress Stickles party! Woohoo!

Aside from any kind of embossing, I'm pretty much all about the challenges that ask us, nay, require us to use glittering, shimmering, shining goodness!

You won't be surprised that next up in my world is a post for KennyK Krafty Girlz' Summer Sparkle challenge ... but that's a whole different post.

So, back to the original subject: Dig out your Distress Stickles people! Those little squirty bottles full of glitter glue ... but really, really fantastic glitter glue. With great big distressy glitter chunks ... in colors which conveniently match many other Distress colors! Woohoo again!

I started with a bit of last week's challenge which focused on a technique from the blog of Tim Holtz (the leafy vine is cut from an embossing folder package and inked with Citrus alcohol ink).

We see next a technique that's not technique so much as just stamping on a vintage letter background. Then I met this week's Grungy Monday challenge with the tea dye Distress Stickles on the grunge Regal Crest (also inked with tea dye).

You can see how that worked out in the second, closeup, photo. And isn't it completely freakin' awesome? If you think I'm nuts and it's not awesome ... you're correct that I'm nuts, but it is awesome! Erm ... was that phrase confusing? Being nuts isn't awesome: The art. The art is awesome.

Technically Linda and Tim's art is awesome since virtually everything here today is pretty much due to teachings I've received via Linda and Tim. Still. I take the credit because otherwise ... what the hell am I doing here?

OK, okay, really swinging back to the awesomeness you see: In the main photo of the entire card I created ... click on the photo to enlarge and note that the crest looks a lot like the outside border ... a lot like the outside border that is actual rusting cast iron.

Don't they really look so very similar? What the hell other reasonably-priced, easy-to-use, easy-to-clean products do you know of that can create a faux rusty cast iron? NONE!

I told you it's awesome!

And I'm telling you that you have got to, absolutely must participate in  the Studio L3 Grungy Monday post this week ... because it's also awesome!

And you want to be awesome. Don't you?

Guest designer project for The Altered Alice Chapter 6 Week 2: Painting the Roses Red

'A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!' -- Chapter 8, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 

The cards were painting the white roses red to avoid angering the Queen of Hearts, so your August The Altered Alice challenge is to use PAINT on your creation!

Of course you can paint it RED like the design team will be doing, but you can also use other colors. You need to tell us what item was painted, what technique you used, and give us a mention and a link of course!

We are sponsored this month by Creative Inspirations [Store | Blog], makers of wonderful shimmering paint which comes in almost 60 colors, including clear iridescent Fairy Dust.

http://www.creativeinspirationspaint.com/

They also carry hot fix Jeweled Inspirations and Metallic Inspirations; I am particularly intrigued by the latter as they look like brilliant nail heads. The Altered Alice design team will be using Garnet paint, a bright sparkling red, and I hope the Creative Inspirations design team might decide to play along! The winner of this month's challenge will receive five colors of their choice.

Enter by 11:59 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC -4:00) on Friday, August 26. The winner and honorable mentions will be announced on August 28, the last Sunday of the month.

My inspiration piece is a vase of metal roses with petals cut from yet more of the Guinness can flats I've mentioned here so often.

 

We don't drink cases of this stuff every day, by the way. We only enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day a lot. For the entire month of March. Sometimes we start early, say February.

Anyhow, the flowers are layers from the Holtz Alterations tattered florals die: I ran the die through six times to end up with really "thick" flowers with extra layers. Next the layers were bent and curled and punched through the center then spray painted with white high-gloss enamel paint.

The leaves, cut from the Holtz Alterations tattered leaves die, also were curled and bent before being painted with high-gloss enamel in green: Veins were added beforehand as well, by "drawing" them on with a piercing tool.

After the enamel dried the flowers were combined with craft wire attached to button centers. The wire is threaded into copper tubing from a toilet repair kit with a drop of glue at the top to steady the bud.

Wire also is wrapped around the leaf ends where they meet the copper tubing "stems."

Finally, and the best part, we have one rose painted with Creative Inspirations Garnet glimmer, and a few droplets left behind by that crazy Five card who can't seem to control his brush.

This glimmer paint is truly amazing in it's reflective nature that has a lavender-pink shimmer! Another fun aspect of this product is the viscosity: You won't have to worry about it dripping and dribbling and going everywhere you do not want it to go.

My creative "drips" were actually a tricky achievement; isn't that wonderful? I love paint that doesn't easily splatter and trickle here and there!

Though I did find it ironic that the one freakin' time I actually wanted paint to drip ... I had to work to fake the effect.

OK folks, it's still early in the month so no excuses for you not getting an Altered Alice piece finished and posted by August 26!

12 Tags Christmas 2010 Day 10: Grungy Monday

Only yesterday I was telling you how cool the stuff is at StudioL3 Grungy Monday, and here I am to prove it again!

First, though, I'd like to thank Tim Holtz for sharing techniques that are designed, that almost require, we artists reuse and recycle. Everyone should do what they can to keep our planet as healthy as possible and in my opinion artists' responsibility in this area is even greater.

OK, so this week the project is based on Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas 2010 project for Day 10. It's a supremely fun concept for which you'll need some grunge board and a bit of leftover plastic packaging (among other neat stuff, of course).

You'll also need to drop by Linda's StudioL3 to see what she and her two designer of the week have come up with to emulate Dear Tim.

My tag uses some textured grunge board that I cut and others that came in a package of pre-cut pieces. It also includes silver acrylic paint dabber with broken china distress ink and actual honest to Jebus vintage watch parts.

The "ribbon" place on my tag is instead occupied by two game spinners attached to a swivel clasp, and the four corners of this tag are connected and spaced with four nuts under four long fasteners.

Why the mix of old watch bits and hardware store nuts and the numbers "3" and "7" you ask? Because this tag is for My Guy!

It's his 37th birthday on Monday! I know. He's old. But not as old as me. Which means I got for myself a younger man!

So, Happy Birthday to My Guy, forever my younger man. And thanks for understanding my craft and art addiction ... and even more thanks for not being too snarky in your teasing ... "Oh! Tim Holtz! It's made by Tim Holtz ... I have to have that."

KennyK's Crafty Girlz meets The Burtonesque Dolls

Last week I missed the KennyK Crafty Girlz challenge because I failed to correctly note the deadline requirement, but that's OK because the situation drove my determination to not miss this weeks' deadline.

Of course the real luck in this case is that I'd already planned a card for The Burtonesque Dolls, using a KennyK image, that I knew wouldn't get done until today.

So, tada, two challenges in one!

Our friends at KennyK are asking us to have some Fun in the Sun and at The Burtonesque Dolls the goal is to see the Lighter Side of Burton.

While it might not be Burton's headliner move, his hand certainly can be seen in Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and it's unquestionably a fun, summery sort of movie.

Enter KennyK's Bike Kid! He looks like a hipper version of Pee-wee from the movie's DVD cover!

I added another DVD cover-ish element with the Holtz embossed and inked background layered in with colored, scallop-edged stock. The text is printed and trimmed and set onto the embossed background that is popped.

Thanks for dropping by, and be sure to see what design team members are doing at KennyK's Crafty Girlz and at The Burtonesque Dolls: My stuff is OK ... theirs is amazing!

12 Tags Christmas 2009 Day 8: Grungy Monday

Grungy Monday is always the coolest stuff. Lots and lots of neat things. So many in fact that frequently I'm not sure about the challenge.

Drop in at StudioL3 to see what everyone has created this week: They know what's happening and it's awesome. I'm the only one who is confused.

Because this week focuses on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas 2009 Day 8 there are three, erm four, techniques involved, but we're supposed to do it our way. So, well, I feel slogging though a muddy ditch stuck. How unique is something going to be if I have to do four things the same way as the first thing?

I'm not complaining: Linda is the nicest artist ever and Tim's ideas are fantastic. I'm only saying that I get bogged down trying to figure out what exactly is the challenge.

And all of that is stupendously stupid since I rarely attempt to emulate what's already been done, let alone actually understand how to follow freakin' rules or recipes in the first place.

Anyhow, in what is now more than a couple hundred words already, the point we were trying to get 'round to is that I first thought the technique was the vellum thing, here it's the poison label.

Then I figured it's the splotching, beat up background, see my grunged up drippy drop tag?

Oh! No! It's the black embossed stamp on grunge! That's the challenge: See my death guy there? Got that challenge nailed.

Oop. Hold on. Now Tim's teaching us how to attach a little something with a hitch fastener. Erm, grmph ... got it ... wee corked vial filled with glitter and flock ... ahm, I mean filled with poison.

So, whatever the challenge was I managed to create it. All in one weird, boring, but still sort of enjoyable tag.

Thanks for journeying with me through the strange thought processes that fill my addled brain and frequently cause horrible hiccups in the creation of art.

Don't forget to visit Linda at StudioL3, check out Tim's techniques that were used for this tag and then click around Tim's blog that has buckets of amazing ideas!

Girls, girls, girls: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

Today we have visiting a Whimsical Little Angel and Little Devil from the Octopode Factory!

They're here just in time, in fact, for The Octopode Factory Friday challenge of "Girls, girls, girls."

Aren't these two adorable? Aren't they wonderful with their hearts afire and zooming stars? Aren't they idyllic on a background land created with Tim Holtz's Compendium technique page 41?

Aren't they everything you'd expect from a little sugar and spice?

Of course they are ... if you are someone who actually knows a woman, a girl, a female. Because anyone who has knowledge of any woman, girl, female ... has the knowledge of sugar and spice.

We of the fairer sex, we of the good and the bad, the angelic and devilish. We possess both, at all times.

And frequently manage to use each, at the same time, no matter the goal.

Which is, of course, what makes us so much smarter, more creative and generally better than men.

Unless you're one of my male followers, in which case you should know that you're perfectly wonderful and amazing as well.

Just not quite as amazing as we women, girls, females.

No matter your gender you should trot along to The Octopode Factory Friday challenge and join in, I know you'll be welcome!

A thank you and Big Rock Candy Mountain: Grungy Monday

I dislike doubling up on posts, but it's a must lately if I'm to get everything posted. Surely everyone involved will understand as they too are always struggling to find an extra minute.

Or they won't understand and I'll find a "Tsk, tsk, don't do that" message in my Inbox.

Here we go, then: Back on June 20 our friend Nigel of Freebird's flights of fancy took a moment to show off his incredible undersea chest creation and to offer a little blog candy.

Turns out that I won candy, which arrived while I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago. And what a wonderful surprise it was! I posted a photo here of what Nigel included for me, packets of tea and art stuff and even a creation of his very own!

That's right! I now own a limited edition Nigel!

While that might read as a bit snarky, I promise that I'm in earnest. I always feel exceptionally lucky when a fellow artist shares something with me that they've made. What greater honor can we hope for in life?

So, many thanks to Nigel for his gifts and especially for his art!

On to my own piece for today: Fittingly it includes two items Nigel sent to me, a stamped image and a bit of handmade paper.

The piece also features distress inks in spiced marmalade and mustard seed, some of Tim Holtz's, ahm, designer tape stuff (I never can remember what it's called), and Distress Stickles and Crackle rock candy!

Ah! There! Were you beginning to wonder how I was ever going to circle around to Grungy Monday?

The Grungy Monday challenge for this week is rock candy, which I think fit perfectly here though I probably used the tiniest bit of anyone in the challenge!

Go here to see what Mr. Tim Holtz does with rock candy!

Musical Interlude: The Burtonesque Dolls challenge

Click to enlarge

Check out the challenge at The Burtonesque Dolls! Not only it is Burtony goodness, it's also specifically focused on the music of Nightmare Before Christmas!

Awesome!

I chose Sally's Song as my muse, focusing on the following few lines, which I think are sad, but so sweet:

"... And does he notice my feelings for him?
And will he see how much he means to me?
I think it's not to be
What will become of my dear friend? ..."

Beautiful words, aren't they?

OK, so I computer inked a full moon photo in yellows, printed, trimmed and tucked into some cuts I made in a spooky background (check out the background photo).

Click to enlarge background

Our friendly Sally is an Octopode Factory creations, as are the Hearts of fire that surround her.

Sally is computer colored and the hearts are hand colored with teeny letter stamps in black archival ink.

So, what do you think? Should I find some time to make a lovely Jack card? I hate to see Sally all by herself.

Or, maybe you could help me out? Make a nice Jack card, inspired by the music of Nightmare Before Christmas, and join in the fun at Burtonesque Dolls!

Summertime: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

Ouu! Isn't it exciting? I'm the guest designer this week at The Octopode Factory Friday challenge!

Click to enlarge

Every one of you know how much I love the dear Octopodes, so you must also know that I smiled for an entire day after Octopode creator Lily Chilvers asked me to be a guest designer!

The challenge for this week is Summertime, which came in handy for me because I was already in such a sunny mood just getting to be a guest designer!

And as promised earlier this week I managed to let the Circus-podes stay in bed: Today's friends are the sun, border waves, Bathing Beauty and Vintage Bather.

I painted a canvas board with some generic light blue acrylic paint and Hellmuth studio paint called "Smidge of Blue" then created a big chunky cloud.

Click to enlarge

Our cloud is a pile of melted Crayola crayon mixed with Diamond Dust! Mmmm! Crunchy!

I colored the waves and bathers on the computer, with highlights added by hand; the sun is entirely hand colored with Sharpies! Yay! Sharpies!

"Hip to be square," is printed in blue on gray paper and inked with Distress Ink in broken china.

I hope that you like this silly creation, and that you try out some Summertime creating of your own!

Spots and dots: The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge

Click to enlarge.

Hello everyone! Here I am back from vacation with a speedy quick post for The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge!

The challenge for the week is Spots and Dots!

Our friend Ringo the Ring Master joins us this week on a Holtz tag that is embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. The dots are swiped with a black ink and the entire tag was colored with Tim Holtz's Compendium technique (page 33).

The technique usually results in a heavily-coated sheet, but because of our dots ... tada ... it raised the stock slightly allowing only bits of the ink to touch the tag. Cool huh?

Not as cool, frankly, as the phrase My Guy has coined for Ringo, and all of our lovely Octopodes: Cheerfully disturbing.

Isn't that the best?

Click to enlarge.

Perhaps I should create an entry plaque for my craft room that features lots of Octopode Factory characters and reads "Cheerfully Disturbing."

In the meantime, I'm expected at the office early tomorrow so the bed is calling my name ... have a wonderful week all and let me know what you've been up to while I've been gone!

(I swear that for the upcoming TOFF challenge I'll break out a new parade of Octopodes, but I just *had* to use one more from the Circus collection this week!).