WOYWW 629: not much

 

It's Wednesday, which means I'll be joining  Julia, our Queen of Deskers, at Stamping Ground. 

It's early evening and I'm just finishing one of my ATCs for our annual T Tuesday eighth anniversary swap.  Don't worry, I've already shown one yesterday on my blog that I completed, so everyone knows what I will be sending.  I am only making six because that is the number I  can get out of this adorable napkin I found in my stash.

Several asked to see Wendy more often, so here she is hanging out in my tool caddy that holds almost everything I'll need to complete a project.  Wendy and I may even show what the holder contains next week.  It all depends on how SHE feels when it's time to share my desk.

Here are three metal rocking horses that sit on one of my "kitchen style cabinets" in my dining room.  One holds a candle, as you can see.  I have at least a dozen of these metal rocking horses, and they are all just a little bit different.  And as Angela@Felix the Crafty Cat and Annie (Wipso) will confirm, I also love copper.  I've shared some of my pieces on Friday Smiles. 

Now let's head to Julia's.  Messy or neat, lots of products or next to none, you will get an idea of what other artists are keeping on their tables, benches, desks, and floors!  I suspect everyone knows by now to please leave your number if you are coming from Julia's.  Have a great WOYWW, too.

 

 

T Stands For ATC

 

Last week I asked everyone to let me know if they wanted to exchange ATCs for our 8th anniversary.  I got two "no thank yous" and two yeses.  I am going to ask all but the four who provided answers last week to give me a definitive answer this week.   How hard is it to write the words "YES, please" or "NO thanks?"

I have created six ATCs to share this year.  Last year, I made 30, but before many even received their ATCs, the cat was out of the cup (so to speak).  That isn't going to happen this year.  Everyone who links today (or tomorrow as the case may be) will be eligible to win one of these ATCs.  Tomorrow I will draw three (3) names and, if your name is chosen, you will receive one of these ATCs.  If your name wasn't chosen, you will still be eligible for one next week, when I draw three more names.  If you link both weeks, you double your chances of winning, unless your name has already been drawn.  All the ATCs are the same or very similar, so what you see is what you get.  I will NOT be joining the P.I.F. swap because I will be sending these six instead.

Iris left a comment that she understood the size, but didn't know where to go from there.  I'll show you what I do and my formula for making ATCs.  I'm sure everyone has their own way or formula, but here is mine.  Feel free in your comment to share how YOU create yours.

I begin by creating the backs that I cut to size.  My toner is almost gone in my laser printer, but I am trying to use the last of it before I change to a new cartridge.  All my relevant information is on this back that I created in WordPerfect.  Some people have stamps they use, but I'm not much of a stamper, so this is what I use.  The information can be written by hand, if you don't have a stamp, or you can create them using your favorite word processing software as I have.

I begin the front with a background.

In this case, it's a napkin I affixed to the background using a glue stick.  Other options are book pages, scrapbook paper, hand painted paper, deli paper, etc.  The idea is to completely cover the background.  You can also use two or three different papers.  The choice is yours, as long as you completely cover the background.

 

You may want to create the ATC on a separate piece of paper or cardstock, as I did last year.    If you are planning to sew on your background, you will probably choose that option.  This year, I affixed the napkin directly to the back of the ATC.  If you have complimentary ink or felt tipped markers, you could outline the edges of the background.  I may go back and do that later, too.

Now it's time to add your focal image. I stamped and fussy cut an old fashioned coffee pot that was completely different from the mid-century modern cups and pots on the napkin.  Your focal image can be anything.  It can even be more than one thing,

like the ATCs I created for a recent swap.  The paper dolls and the clock are both focal images.

All that is left are the words.  I admit I'm a geek.  When I started thinking of the number 8, the infinity symbol came to mind.  Therefore I give you Infinite drinks and infinite friends share T.  Granted, you can make your ATC as elaborate as you wish.  You can add German scrap, tiny beads, lace, or other embellishments.  You are only limited by your own imagination.  I hope that helped Iris.  BTW, the size is because it is the same as a trading card and fits inside a trading card sleeve.

PLEASE don't forget to let me know if you would like to send an ATC to someone for the anniversary.  Details next week, because I've taken enough of your time today.   It's now time to share your own drink inspired post this week.  It can be gifts you received, photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, mail art, junk mail, catalogs, books, sketches, mixed media, drawings, paintings, tags, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, as long as it in some way relates back to a drink, any drink.  Regardless, please share below and Bleubeard and I, along with the rest of the T gang will be by to visit.   Please link only your T post and not your blog in general.  Bleubeard would like to remind you that old photos are acceptable because they may be taken any time, not just on Tuesday and not just this year.  

 

 

 

Mia's Mandala

 

I recently downloaded and colored a mandala that was one Mia offered for her blogiversary.  I thought I had more time, and didn't realize I had missed the cutoff until after it was too late to join the party.  That was OK, because that meant I could now take my time with the remainder of the coloring.

 

This was not an easy thing for me.  I don't really enjoy coloring within the lines. 

 

There are lots of reasons, including the fact I don't have proper tools for the job, my hand cramps and I have to stop and massage the dominant hand, and the fact I really don't enjoy coloring.  Add to that the fact my arm smudged the blue outline I was so careful to color first.  It went downhill from there, I fear.

 

For this I used mostly Crayola crayons and water soluble crayons.  

Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey is Butterflies, so of course, I had to honor that, too.  

 

This is a very dimensional page. 

 

There are a couple of dimensional elements on this page. 

For this page, I began with several colors of Staz-on reinkers I combined with 91% isopropyl alcohol.  I used a chip brush to create the swirls on the page.  I was hoping to show movement.

 

After spending DAYS and DAYS on the mandala, it was finally ready to be attached to the prepared background using a glue stick.  Next came the large and small butterflies.  The small ones had been gifted to me.  They were created using a punch on scrapbook paper.  Because I thought it looked a bit plain, I added the lovely dimensional floral piece I had picked up at either JoAnn's or The Dollar Tree.  For some reason, I thought it matched Mia's mandala. 

 

Thanks for dropping by today.  I am really grateful for your visit and also hope to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own take on Butterflies. 

 

 

Monday Murals: Fishy

 

 It's once again time to join Sami at Sami's Colourful World and her Monday Murals.  Even though it's still Sunday in my world, please be aware that Sami's mural link goes live at 11:01 a.m. my time today. 

This is actually called Swimming Upstream.

It was painted in 2019

and is a part of Avenue Art Days murals.

It was painted by Delilah Reed and is located in the Clifford Square Shopping Center in Wichita, Kansas (USA).

Although I didn't plan it this way, I want to wish all fathers a happy Father's Day.  After all, lots of men love to fish, so it turned out to be appropriate for this holiday.

If you enjoy murals from around the world, please don't forget to visit Monday Murals at Sami's Colourful World.  Thanks for stopping to see Bleubeard and me today, too.

 

Index Card A Day: Days 13 through 19

 

It's Saturday, which means that until the end of July, it's time to show this week's ICADs.

Day 13: Circles of Hope. Foreign text, water-colored wonky circles.

Day 14: Flag Day in the USA. Paper flag, stickers.

 

Day 15: Growing UP is optional.  Watercolor and dye ink background, quote on vellum, sewing.

Day 16: Sicily. Tour guide image, stencil.

Day 17: Circular Reasoning.  Watercolors and dye ink background, stamped images, colored computer generated text. 

Day 18: Elephant under a starlit sky.  Watercolor background, magazine images, hand painted die cut.

Day 19: Desert Delights. Magazine image.  Blue felt marker.

 

Thanks for joining Bleubeard and me as we shared this week's ICADs.  As you may know, this is the only place you will find Bleubeard's and my ICADs.

Friday Smiles 426: look how they've grown

 

It's Friday and you will find me watering my herbs and admiring how much they have grown in a week.  Of course, I'm also joining Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time).   Let's visit her and the other wonderful ladies who also share their smiles each Friday. 

It's been so hot and dry, I have to water my herbs twice a day.  Temperatures have reached record highs here, reaching 100 F. (37,78 C) on Thursday.  Feels like temp topped out at 108 F (42,22 C).  I am SO grateful for air conditioning.

The good news is I haven't killed anything yet and I've even had to stake my dill.

The bad news is something went wrong with my lawn mower and I had to take it in for repair. 

Now I wait to see how much this is going to set me back and if I want to save this lawn mower or purchase a new one.

Until then, I fear this back yard has truly gotten out of hand.

Only one tomato survived and two bell pepper plants after the transplant three weeks ago, but they seem to now be thriving.

I'm so glad I marked these plants, or I would be in real trouble knowing what is coming up.

And finally, a few signs everyone apparently love from the Indian Hills Community Center in Colorado.

Now let's join Annie (at A Stitch in Time) and the lovely ladies who join her for Friday Smiles.  Thanks again for visiting and spending a bit of time with Bleubeard and me this Friday.  We would love to have you join us, too.  Maybe we could even bring Squiggles out of his shell.

Black and White World

 

I'm once again joining Art Journal Journey and our host Mia, who many of you know as Craftartista who has chosen Butterflies as her theme this month.  

It's official.

 

Butterflies bring color to a black and white world.

I doubt you can tell, but this page started with me laying down

Versamark, that sticky glue-like ink used when you want to heat emboss, in three separate areas.

After the embossing had cooled sufficiently, I started stamping using one of my all time favorite stamps gifted me by Valerie.  The first stamped image was made completely with black ink.

I gradually added more 

and more colors until the butterflies were completely in color.  On a different note, you might be able to see where some of the embossing powder didn't cover the Versamark.

For this page, I started by laying down three areas of stamped and embossed words on 110 lb cardstock. Several years ago, I borrowed some red rubber stamps I believe were created by Claudine Hellmuth.  I stamped them on card stock.  I recently found them and decided to fussy cut them for this spread.  Once they had been glued in place, I added the stamped butterflies, beginning with black dye ink, then gradually adding more and more color using a multi-color stamp pad.  

 

As I was heat embossing, I allowed the heat tool (not a hair dryer) to stay in one area too long.  You can see how the paper scorched the upper left corner.

Thanks beyond belief for dropping by today.  Bleubeard and I are really grateful for your visit and also hope to see you at Art Journal Journey.