Etching Cuffs

I've gotten a little hooked on etching cuffs the past couple of weeks since I took a class at CREATE in Irvine, CA with Kristen Robinson.


This one reads "Embrace Imperfection":

I used one of Tim Holtz rubber stamps to create this etched copper cuff.  The stamp is from the Spills and Splatters collection. 


And the one below was created using the Stuff to Say Tim Holtz collection.  I had to take two photos to get all of the words in the picture . . .

"Experience is not what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you".


And the cuff below is one I hammered and metal stamped the word "Journey" on . . .

I'm having sooooo much fun with these!

Vintage Paper Necklace

This is probably a little much for some people to wear as a necklace, but I was told it's a "statement piece".  What do YOU think?  

I created this necklace using pages from a couple of vintage books and some vintage sheet music by using a circle punch to make the discs and my Crop-a-Dile to punch the center holes.

I added some shellac to give the necklace an even more vintage look as well as giving the paper discs some "body".


After I dried the discs in the sun, I strung them on one of Susan Lenart Kazmer's industrial CHIC necklace blanks.


Probably don't need a fancy outfit to wear THIS necklace with huh? *smiles*

June Inspiration Emporium Challenge, a Private Party and Things I've Been Creating

Hello Blogger Peeps!  The June Challenge is up and awaiting your works of art over at the Inspiration Journal blog.  

stamped, watercolored
and zentangled

The Challenge this month is STAMP A LITTLE SUNSHINE (sun, summer, beachy theme).  And guess what you can win just by submitting to this challenge?  A whopping $50 in Emporium Dollars to spend any way you'd like in the Inspiration Emporium On-line store.  Yep, and the Challenge is open to those of you that live outside the U.S. as WELL!


So what are you waiting on?  Start creating your stamped piece full of sun and fun! *smiles*.


On another note . . .

Later this month I'll be teaching a little private workshop at the home of my friends Mary and Trina.


When Mary saw the above Tim Holtz Idea-ology Pocket Watch necklace I was wearing at the last Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, she immediately told me that I had to host a class :)


If you would like to have me teach at your home, just e-mail me (SLGoodloe@hotmail.com) with a project you would like me to teach and we can pick a date and time.  Then all you have to do is secure 5-8 of your crafting friends/family members/co-workers, maybe provide a few snacks and the party is ON!


I always supply just about everything you need to walk away with a finished project and a printed handout so you can relax and not have to take notes to try to remember how we did what was created in the class.


Search through my blog here for workshops I've taught either privately or at stores to help you plan your next party. 


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Lately I've been into creating bracelet cuffs.  Here are a few I've finished and a few I'm still working on . . .

Have an art-filled week ahead!

A Long Catch Up Blog Post - Yikes!

I need to apologize for being away from GOT ART? for so long.  I looked at my last post and it was dated December 12th.  I think that's the longest period of time I've EVER not blogged.

Some of my blog followers (and workshop students) had contacted me via e-mail and some even through stores where I have taught to see if I was "ok".  I guess I forget about that whole "C" (cancer) thing so I didn't even THINK that someone would be out there worrying about my health.  Again, YIKES!


I'm happy to report that the February 2nd appointment I had with my Oncologist all reports were good and instead of 3 months, I don't have to go back until August 2nd.  YIPPEE!


So what the heck have I been up to you ask?  I have been really busy at "the day job" as a supervisor to 16 instructors that work in 11 different offices.  And the past month has been Performance Appraisal time so I was busy busy busy.


I've managed to find time to create when I'm off work and even found time to teach a workshop. If you follow me on FaceBook then you know what I've been up to already.  FB has just been a lot easier for me to write a line or two and post a photo quickly.  But I know not everybody does the FB thing, so I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things here on my blog.


Catching up . . .


I'm no fan of clowns, but when I saw this clown in a little shop, I just had to take him apart and do something with him using Graphic 45 papers . . .

Collaged a few sets of these - EAT and ART using Teesha Moore papers, paint, pens and various sizes of paper mache letters  . . .

The end of January I went to CHA in Anaheim.  I saw all the new products being released this year, but I think better than all of that, I got to meet my friend Linda Ledbetter in PERSON!  What a treat THAT was :) . . .

Oooooh, and I met Dyan Reaveley at CHA.  Oh my, I just LOVE her style, and stamps, and stencils and sprays! 

Here's a piece I created after getting my hands on one of her stamp sets.  Dyan's sprays weren't released yet, but the Adirondack Color Washes worked quite nicely I think.  I did some "controlled doodling" as well . . .

Then in February I created some tags that went out in some of the Inspiration Emporium customer's orders . . .

If you're a Barbie doll collector, close your eyes for this one. This is an assemblage piece I did just for the fun of it.   . . .

And this month the Inspiration Emporium Design Team was given the challenge to create something using one of Tim's Pocket Watches.  Stop by our blog to see the other creations by my teammates!  Why not pick yourself up a pocket watch and create something fun!  This one is mine  . . .

Last weekend I went to the Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA.  It was a 2-day event with Tim Holtz demoing in the Stamper's Anonymous booth.  Of course there were other vendors there, but I kept finding my way back to this spot . . .

one of the pages in this year's journal I've started . . .

Teesha Moore inspired piece on canvas board . . .

And just yesterday, I taught a mixed media canvas workshop for the Orange County Artmaker's League (OCAL) . . .

So that's about it so far this year.  I'm going to try harder to stay in better touch here.  So now I guess I'll spend tomorrow visiting all of YOU! :)

Day 12

Inspired by Tim's last tag of his 12 Tags of Christmas this year, I did an altered candle . . .

I used tim's new Idea-ology Tissue Wrap - Composer that I cut to fit and then melted on the candle.  When melting the tissue wrap using my Ranger Heat It Craft tool, I covered the tissue with waxed paper and then started the process.

Instead of using the metal foil tape like tim used on his tag, I used paper and the vintage lace die, painted it with Silver Adirondack Metallic Paint Dabber and then attached the "paper lace" with Glossy Accents.

Using Antique Linen Distress Stain, I colored some of tim's Idea-ology Trimmings - Lavish, dried the trimming with the heat tool and then tied it into a bow on a string with a little Frozen Charlotte cast in bronze that my friend Cindy Forrester gifted me recently . . .

Simple - yet elegant I think.


Oooooh WAIT!  How the heck did I forget the STICKLES?! And my all-time favorite color at THAT - Platinum!  Sheeeesh . . . 

I dotted some on the music notes and smeared some on random parts of the candle.

"A" is for Art

I've had these large 12" x 6" (the "R" is 8 1/4" wide) x 1 1/2" papier mache letters for over 2 years now.  Isn't it funny how that happens?  You make a purchase and it seems forever before you decide what to do with it?

The "A" and the "T" were already black, but the "R" was a natural color that papier mache usually comes in, so I painted the "R" with black paint using Ranger's Adirondack Acrylic Pitch Black Paint Dabber.  If you haven't used these before, you should pick up a few (or all of them!) to make covering large areas so much easier.

Most of the papers I used are from Teesha Moore's collage sheets that she sells.  I've also used some of my own papers in the same bright color scheme.  I'm finding since I took Teesha Moore's workshops in June that I've been drawn to brighter colors lately.

I collaged the sides of the letters, added some dots using a white paint pen and . . .

some stripes on the letter "T".

All of the letters have a generous coating of Diamond Glaze.  Here they are standing up on a table.  They can also be hung on the wall.  Not sure where I will put them or if I will sell them.

So that's it for the pens, paints and papers for me today.  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and will have an art-filled week ahead.


**BC update:  I'm going in for a check up on my "reconstruction site" this Thursday and to discuss the next steps in the process.  I've been feeling pretty good aside from the side effects of the medication - hot flashes, some sleepless nights, sore throat, weight gain.  But HEY, that's nothing compared to what I COULD be going through isn't it? *smiles*  I feel blessed to be doing so well.

Dress Form Canvas

8" x 10" "SEW" canvas wall art 

The products I used:
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Grunge Blocks

Sizzix Bigz Die - Caged Bird
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Grungeboard Elements
Sizzix Bigz Die - Sewing Room

Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Paper Stash - Kraft Resist
Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Espresso
Tim Holtz Distress Stains - Forest Moss
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky-Back Canvas - 8½" x 11" Natural
Distress Ink Pads - Walnut Stain
Mini Glossy Accents - .5 oz
printed tape
faux pearls
fabric 
jute
black paint
piece of vintage eyes & loops card
shellac
8" x 10" canvas

All linked products above can be purchased at Inspiration Emporium.  And while you're over there, check out all of the new products just released and the even NEWER products you can pre-order !

Blues, Birds and Butterflies

My latest necklace - Tim Holtz Idea-ology Fragments, laser wood cuts, Tim Holtz Distress Stain - Broken China, Tim Holtz Distress Stain - Faded Jeans, Cavallini decorative paper - Flora & Fauna Birds & Music 20"x28" parent sheet.

A little wired bird nest with blue eggs, metal birds from Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments, words/definitions from dictionary

Decorated the Fragment backsides in blues to coordinate with the front sides if they turn while being worn

That's it for today.


And for those of you following my "C" journey . . . here's an update:
Went to see Dr. Smith (cutie pie plastic surgeon) last Thursday.  No more tissue expansion procedures.  My last one was April 27th.  

The tissue expanders need to stay in place for another month and a half and then I will have surgery to remove the expanders and replace them with breast implants. I am sooooo looking forward to getting these out of me!  

And in case you're wondering what they feel like, do you or have you ever worn a bra with underwires?  Well it feels like a bra with an underwire that goes around the whole bra and filled with fluid until your skin feels like those tight leather pants you wore as a teenager.  Yep, that's what it feels like.

Flashback to 2006

Back in 2006, Nicole Steiman, owner of The Artbar in The Artist's Village located in downtown Santa Ana asked me if I would like the chance to be published in a "make it in minutes" book she was writing for Lark Books titled Quick & Clever Gift Wraps.  I was over the moon that she would ask and of course took on the challenge.  There were many entries and Nicole told us all that it was not up to her which projects would be chosen to get published.

The first project I submitted was a baby girl 6-pack gift carrier.  About a month later, Nicole told me that the publishers stated there were not enough items related to baby boys and would I mind creating another one (in 2 days!)  

I thrive on challenges and work pretty well under pressure, and of course I didn't want to pass up the chance to get my entry in the book! :)

Well, it paid off - my Baby Boy 6-Pack made the cut for the 2007 publication!

I used decorative papers including paintable embossed wallpaper, gingham ribbon, pompoms, and rubber stamps of a baby footprint and handprint to "paint" imprints on the container.

Inside the 6-pack I placed a teddy bear, a onesie, wash cloths, a baby bottle, teething ring and large decorative diaper pins.

Just another way to upcycle those 6-pack containers.  But WAIT!  What about those Starbucks 4-packs? 

Don't forget, the month of May is Inspiration Emporium's packaging challenge.  Stop by our blog and join in the fun to win $50 in Emporium dollars!  The challenge started this past Friday and will end on June 5th at midnight.  We all have "throw away" packaging so what are you waiting for - upcycle or recycle!

* See previous post for my upcycled art supply carrier