Tangled Guitar

I found an old beat up guitar at a  yard sale for $4.00 and snatched it up last fall. Then last month with forest fires all around in CO I found time to work on it.  Had to stay indoors due to smoke, but put on a mask long enough to sand it down.  Wish I had taken some before pics, as this guitar was really a mess!
After sanding, staining and sealing I stamped several images from various stamp companys (including my own).  Then got out my permanent ink Sharpies and drew more images (eyes, etc) and started filling in the blank spaces by doodling some zentangles.  Bought some strings and lo and behold, it can actually play music!  I'll be taking this to the festival with me instead of my "good" guitar.  Hope no one laughs at it too much.  What do you think?  Sorry the pics did not show the drawings very well today.

Zentangle Bird Woman in Color

Finally got some free time to color this one.  I used water color pencils, but have not done any of the actual blending yet, just the dry pencils.  What do you think?  Looking for honest criticism.  (Yes, you can be brutal)  I had a rough time with deciding how to color the birds and don't quite like them.  Maybe after I get the colors blended they will look better.  The pic is pretty large, so you should be able to click it and see it much bigger.  Images used in the zentangle are stamps from Wild Frog Creations.

Zentangle Journal Page

As many of you know, I've been working on a Zentangle Journal for well over a year.  Just off and on between other projects sporadically.  Here is my most recent *unfinished* artwork.  Unfinished only  because I intend to color this one.  That's why there is very little black and no shading at all yet, however, I still think I could call it done if I wished.  Hopefully will get the colored version up soon.
The images are stamps from Wild Frog Creations Rubber Stamps.

I am entering this artwork in:

1. Gingersnap Creations "Words Of Wisdom" challenge.  The words of wisdon on the piece are: "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus". 

2. Paper Creations Ink Challenge 19 Show Us Your Style

3. Smudgy Antics "Wicked with Wings" Challenge

Zentangle Goddess

Way back in last May I posted a page from the Zentangle Journal I was making and promised to post more pages.  *heavy sigh* I have so many unfinished projects.  I used to be good at finishing what I started, but when I have too many ideas and projects I get behind.  So anyway, here's another page of the someday to be completed journal. (Just stumbled across it again, lol)  I used the Sunset/Sunrise Goddess stamp from Wild Frog Creations Rubber Stamps as the center image, the added zentangles to it and around it to create a frame of sorts.  Click on the pictures, then again when it opens to enlarge them if interested.

Just noticed I scanned it crooked.  Oh well.  In case you missed the post last May or don't remember, I'll save you the trouble of searching back for it and repost the photo here:

This one also uses a rubber stamp from Wild Frog Creations as the center point and I like it much better than the other.  Less structered.  I have 2 other pages (both in progress) for this journal and I hope to someday this year to finish it all and put it together with a piano hinge. Time will tell.

Thanks to Juliet who asked about the size of these!  They are the standard 8 1/2" X 11" cardstock.

North Pole & Company

This post has been editied, scroll down a bit to see the Snow Woman card that I added it this morning after deciding she needed dressed.  This card is an oversized 8 1/2" X 5 1/2".

I always seem to be a day late on challenges and then miss them completely.  So this card will be late for only one challenge and only because it's still the 4th here, but it's the 5th overseas . . . sigh.  Without further ado, here is my SnowWoman:

Too bad all the sparkle, glitter and foils don't show up in the scan.  Snow Woman is made using the Fashion Doll stamp from Wild Frog Creations.   Snow at the bottom is actually sparkly white super thin layers of sea shell with glitter.  Snow on background is spattered white paint.  Snowflakes are foil punched, confetti and charms.  Snow woman's hair is also snowflakes. Stick on the sign is a wooden skewer.

Sketch used is from Cardabilities Design Team Reveal - Sketch # 16 :

Here is the card after I decided to dress the Snow Woman.  I like it better, but it did hide an element of the sketch.  Before I send this card out, I will tone down the color of the snowflakes that make up her hair.  I meant this card to be semi monotone with lots of spark and glitter.  Somehow, it looks good in person, but I think the scan just turned out blah.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

1.Cardabilities Design Tean Reveal - Sketch # 16

2.Sunday Stampers Week 131 Sign of The Times

3.GingersnapCreations GC81 Chesnut Theme Challenge - Snowpeople

4.2 Sisters Challenge 16 - Sparkly Christmas

5.Daring Cardmakers Turquoise Challenge sponsored by Flourish with a Bling



Winter Solstice Card

Sometimes simple can be nice.  I get so involved in time consuming techniques or folds or just fancy layers and embellisments that it is refreshing to do something simple.  I have been overwhelmed by life recently, so I chose an innocent image and a simple card for winter solstice.

GC77: Haute Couture Entry Card

Here is my entry for the GC77: Haute Couture  Challenge over at Gingersnap Creations

Bricks on the house were hand drawn (with a ruler, I'm not quite that good, lol).  The house is my own template from years ago (see previous post for exact year).  It a 3 fold card to create the room behind the window.  Lace scraps for the curtain and wallpaper for the interior wall,  Dried flowers were added.  The window fram, beehive and woman were stamps and I can't quite remember what company made them at the moment.  I'll have to go back to the stamp room and check later.

Think Pink Challenge Entry

Here is my submission for Vicki's "Think Pink" themed challenge over at The Cheerful Stamp Pad.

This one actually needs a bit of explanation, or maybe not, lol.  I was trying to decide what to make for this challenge and said to myself  "OK, what do I make for Vicki's Thing Pink thingy.  Hmmm, Vicki's Think Pink, Vicki's Think Pink, Vicki's Think Pink. OH MY GOSH! That sounds just like a Victoria's Secret logo!"  I have to use one of my Vickki's bags.  Yep, old ladies shop at Vickki's too. The different pink bags and tissues they wrap in are always saved for recycled crafts in my home, lol.

Base card is white cardstock, card is 6" tall X 5 1/2".  Top of background is embossed pink skytone cardstock.  Bottom of background is cut out of a Victoria's Secret bag. Sheer pink lacy ribbon with white polka dots covering the join. 

Now I thought the only colors to be used in this challenge were pink and white and putting a girl on the card with pink and white hair just wouldn't do. What else is pink that will go on this card?  Why, my sexy pink Pig Doll stamp.  Of course!  Pig Doll  (named Victoria for this challenge) and her Clothes rubber stamps used were from Wild Frog Creations Rubber Stamps.  The name Victoria was cut from the side of a Vickki's bag.  The heart embellishment did not scan well.  It is actually pink also.  OH NO!  The ribbon rose in the bottom corner has two green leaves.  I scanned the card before I noticed them.  SO I CUT THEM OFF,
but I'm too lazy this morning to re scan the card.  Hey.  They aren't there.  You don't seem them. Really.

Goddess Card for Vicki's Challenge

Here is my submission for Vicki's "Woman" themed challenge over at The Cheerful Stamp Pad. 

The base cardstock is purple and the woman image from Wild Frog Creations  is colored with chalks and mounted on mulberry paper.  Verse stamps company is unknown.

GC57: Chestnut Theme - Wings Challenge

Over at Gingersnap Creations they are having a month long flight theme.  This is my entry for their GC57: Chestnut Theme - Wings Challenge.

I know you've all seen this image before, but it's one I love.  Bird Woman and Quote are both rubber stamps from Wild Frog Creations.  The background is simply torn black and white paper! I entered this card in a torn paper challenge also.

Hybrid Transforming Frog Woman

This card is 4 3/4" X 6 3/4".  Scanner did not quite pick up the correct colors.  Background is olive green, frame around the morphing frog woman is a green-yellow, frog woman is a lime green.

Ribbon bow was handmade and held together with a paper fastener that was tinted green with green pigment ink and embossed with clear powder.  I am NOT good at bows of any kind and I have one on the next card I'm in the middle of now, lol.

Frog Woman image is from Wild Frog Creations Rubber Stamps.

Mark Twain Quote with Bird Woman

Here is the card I made for the "GC55: Random Redhead - Quotes" Challenge.

Birdwoman stamp and Mark Twain quote stamp from Wild Frog Creations layered on metallic papers from Paper Pizazz and black glossy cardstock.

This card will also fit right in with the Flight of Fancy Month!

Gingersnap Creations Botanical Challenge Entry

I made this for the Gingersnap Creations Random Red head Botanical Challenge.

Please keep in mind that although I have been crafting all my life and stamping about 20 years I've just returned from a forced 4 year leave from any and all craft type activities.  Because of that, I'm having a hard time remembering exactly what company manufactured many of my um stamps.

This piece is in a wooden picture frame that was painted red, then overcoated with black and lightly sanded in spots to allow the red to show through.

The Rose stamp (company unknown) was stamped in black on the back of the glass. Glitter was applied to the rose, again on the back of the glass. Black Memories ink was applied all around the outside of the image by tapping the pad with my stiffest brush and just smooching it on the glass around the rose.  This was placed in the frame with a piece of red foil behind it.

Oops, almost forgot.  The Rose Woman image from the Greenwomen collection at Wild Frog Creations Rubber Stamps (can't forget that company, lol) was stamped on cardstock, colored and copied twice.  One copy had all the flowers and leaves clipped off and layered on the original piece with thin mounting foam.  The 2nd copy had only the roses cut out and layered again with additional mounting foam.
The entire Rose Woman was then distressed with brown ink and a sponge. This was mounted on the front of the glass.

I'm done with it for now.  I may add additional elements later.  This did not photograph well.  I am posting 2 pictures which each show some part of the piece better than the other.

Zentangle Woman

This is a cover I made for a large 8 1/2" X 11" journal.  I do not have the journal finished as yet.  Will post pics of completed project when it's done.

Several of Wild Frog's stamps have zentangle like doodles included in the images and I decided to play with adding more.  This one includes the braided woman medallion.  I stamped the image in the center of the piece first, then began to hand draw the zentangle around it.  Turned out well, I thought.