catching up on random stuff...

I posted my first & ONLY layout the other day & I've had several requests for a close up of the collage in the corner...

Sorry...I almost forgot...old age sucks...( that's my excuse!)

Here's the original photo again...



So here you go....a closer look...




Now to answer the question...
How do you make collages?
Where do you start??

For me, if I add the largest part...in this case, the large grunge flower...
and then the large leaves...

Then I find it easier to fill in with the small art parts.

I like the mix of grungeboard, grungePAPER, chipboard & metal...

It makes things interesting...flat is boring...

Odd numbers of the same embellishment or the same type of embellishment seem to work well...

So...if you look closely...

There are 3 of tim's idea-ology snaps...

3 idea-ology corners...actually there are 4, but one is almost covered...

3 of Maya Road's Vintage pearl trinket pins...

The collage in the corner also has some consistency...
lots of ROUND art parts were included.

I hope this makes sense and answers the question...

Here's the cover of a new class...

It's Maya Road's 4 inch binder & it's called "Full of Flowers" and believe me...it is...
It's bulging with embellishments...

Inside peek...
2 full bags of Maya Road chipboard alphabets are included...
I like to be able to mix & match the fonts...



And speaking of Maya Road...
I got a huge box of goodies...
just for the gals attending Scrap St. Louis...
FUN STUFF!!
It won't be long now!

And speaking of Maya Road again...
there's a giveaway here...
Enter...for a chance to win!

Another studio 490 sighting...YIPPEE!

Take a look @ Ranger's home page...

Debbie Tlach made a card & you'll see some familiar looking leaves...COOL!!!
The instructions are there too...
try out the new alcohol inks...

Have a good day...

I'll be...

Mak(ing) Art (kits)
for the gals @ Scrapaganza in Davenport, Ia....
a fun weekend is planned!
wendy

going green...

actually...it's Maya Mist metallic turquoise!

Anyway...yesterday, while making kits for the classes this weekend @ Scrapaganza...

I punched out all these grungeboard circles from tim's shapes set and ended up with the stencil you see on the right.

Hmmm...the polka dot leftover was too cute to toss in the trash...

What could it be???

I layed it on a MRoad square banner page & misted it with turquoise Maya Mist...

I like it...

Next, I think I'll mist the grungeboard more...cut it up & use it for a border on something...

or...

maybe I'll save it & use it again with another mist color.

Ah...the possibilities...

I bet you'll see this base inked with a distress ink...most likely vintage photo...

Then I'll add a studio 490 grunge flower...

But first...

I better finish the kits...

then I can...

Make art!

wendy

ps...I asked Sue where she got the bird in yesterday's post...

I had no clue...she lives in the UK...

The internet sure makes this a small world...

MORE studio 490 sightings

I got an email from Sue Roddis yesterday, telling me that I inspired her. SWEET!

She saw this post...and it inspired her to make this cool critter...
I think the body is extra special with the added text.




I LOVE this!! She used my studio 490 funky flowers for tailfeathers...and she also added the leaves from the Life and Art set.

Doesn't she look comfy sitting in her nest?

BEWARE! These birds are addicting!



The funky flowers also make a cool HAT.

And here you see that Sue again used the leaves to embellish her art base.



This is awesome Sue!! Thanks for sharing with us!

And this was an unexpected sighting for me too...
I had no clue how happy it would make me to see others use my stamps.

It's EXCITING!

Bonnie Egenton, Ranger's Marketing Director, did 2 videos and used my stamps to demo some Perfect Pearls techniques. YIPPEE!!

The Ranger site is loaded with tons of FREE info & videos.

Check it out...

I'll bet you'll be inspired to...

Make art!
wendy

2 tutorials and 2 studio 490 sightings

and a Columbus report...that's me with a blog friend, Nancy...she is HILARIOUS!

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We had a great show...

met lots of new friends...

sold out COMPLETELY of everything you NEED to make grunge flowers...

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I think you'll be seeing lots of grunge flowers in Ohio!

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Stampers Anonymous has LOTS of SPECIAL orders to send out too...these gals cleared out the booth!

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THANKS to everyone who attended and visited our booth.

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As promised...red pepper and lettuce...

Ranger's new PIGMENT inks...

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These pigment inks give chipboard (Maya Road...of course) a totally different look, since it's opaque.

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It's simple to tap the pads right on the chipboard. These are quick drying pigment inks...about 15 minutes on porous surfaces...or if you're in a hurry like me...a quick blast with the heat tool & you're all ready to embellish.

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I find that these earthtone colors cover in one coat. Some of the lights, like the yummy cloudy blue & my favorite juniper may take 2 coats for complete coverage. It's ...simple...

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After it's dry...I stamp with jet black archival for a nice crisp image.

Other credits for this piece...the striped paper is graphic45...the green base is bazzill's swiss dot cardstock.

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The flower is red pepper...the scroll is lettuce...

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I think you know the stamps are mine...

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NEXT...

I forgot to memtion this last week.

I did blog post for the Maya Road DT blog.

Like the flower below??

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It's there plus 3 other versions of the same flower.

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The post is here...one flower...4 fun ways.

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I guess that's why I LOVE Maya Road...

every piece is a blank slate & can be...ANYTHING!

Now...this was fun...browsing the web, I spotted these wonderful projects, using studio 490 stamps...

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The first is from Nancy Wethington, a St. Louis friend...she made it to document her son's return home from the service.

I think it's BEAUTIFUL!

And here's 2 more from Cat...

I met her in California a few weeks ago @ the Carson convention...

The first is a gift for her friend...how cool is that?

And I LOVED this piece too...

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Hmmm...looks to me like she's a Maya Road addict too...and she likes my stamps!

THANKS NANCY & CAT...keep up the GREAT work!

You guys rock!

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That's it for today...

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Next stop on the art adventure is Scrapaganza in Iowa.

We'll be doing 3 classes there...

a fun Maya Road book, the funky flowers grunge class and the use your scraps fragment journal.

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Sounds like a great way to spend the weekend to me...

hope you can join us!

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Time to make kits...

Make art!

wendy

2 minis & a layout...studio 490 style

a layout?????

WHAT??? I don't do photos...
I don't know how to scrapbook...

I'm headed to Columbus, Ohio tomorrow to demo for Stampers Anonymous @ Memories Expo, which explains why I wanted to do something with a photo...but that comes later...

First...the minis...

Since Stampers Anonymous now has Maya Road products
(for your shopping convenience!)...
I thought I'd make a few samples for the booth.

This background was fun...sort of a mini sampler of studio 490 background stamps.

They're stamped on squares from Maya Road's foundation tin. I used the matching frames on other projects and had some extra squares...

perfect for a sampler...

the bird is from the birds of a feather set...

the base is a scalloped coaster.

I like the distress ink combo of broken china and peeled paint...

all stamping is done with jet black archival ink...
ALWAYS!...unless it's coffee archival...ha!

tim's idea-ology snaps added the finishing touch.



Another favorite color combo on the next mini...
vintage photo and broken china...

The flower is from the blossoms 2 tin...and it was run thru the Cuttlebug folder, then inked using Ranger's blending tool.

The stamps?? studio 490, of course!

The yummy brown flower is Maya Road's beaded felt blossom.



Now the layout...

Since Memories Expo is a scrapbook convention...what if people expect to see layouts in the booth?

I had none!!
NEVER made one...ever...YIKES!

But it was my lucky day...
we happened to find this photo in the basement of Rick's aunts home...

just the perfect sepia color for me and it was already mounted on a cool cardboard frame...

The papers are from graphic 45...I LOVE them...
perfect for vintage...


The embellishments on the left corner are stamped on grungeboard & grungePAPER...with studio 490 stamps...
there are a few mini chipboard flowers in there too...

FAMILY is spelled with Maya Road's brand new mini jonathan alphabet.
This is my most favorite product from their new release...
seriously...

I used tim's new metal corners and if you look close...there's a trinket pin in there too.

So there you have it...my first & probably ONLY layout ever...

I'm off early tomorrow...REALLY early...like 4am??? YIKES!

If you're close to Columbus...please stop by & say HI!

It's fun to put a name to the face...and to meet blog friends.

I'm planning to meet some friends from 2peas there too! Can't wait!

I'll be there to...

Make(demo)art!

wendy

PS...and if you live close to Philadelphia...there's a convention there this weekend...

Mr. Stampers Anonymous will be doing demos ...stop by...tell him that I said HI!

I guarantee...he WILL make you laugh!

and...coming Monday...lettuce & red pepper...

Sound like something to eat?

NOPE...It's Ranger's new PIGMENT inks...I made a little something & I LOVE these new earthtone colors...stay tuned...I'll show you on Monday.

studios 490 out takes...

Since my studio was featured in Cloth Paper Scissors "studios" special issue, I've had several requests for more photos.

One in particular made me laugh...
"would you open EVERY drawer & show us what's inside?"..

I think...NOT!

But I did find these lost photos, taken by Jake Krancic.
These were not chosen to be published by CPS...

Jake makes it look huge with his fancy lens...It's not...
it's only 20 feet...

I'd REALLY like to add on...but don't tell Rick.
Actually, I did & the poor guy thought I was kidding...

NOT!

This is looking in from the kitchen...toward the east...
Since we live in the country, I kept the window treatments to a minimum...

I love windows & sun... oh.....and drawers...

When the lights go out, I'm ready to hit the sack...



This next photo was taken from inside the studio, facing toward the north. To give some size perspective...my island is 4 foot by 5 foot...nice sized...but I find myself squished into a one foot square working space most days...
odd...

I stand to work, but I do have an overhang for sitting...
you'll see that on the right, in the photo below...

There is just a small circle top window on the north wall, since that's where the road is...



This shot was taken facing the south...


NEXT.........

Here's a shameless plug for my friends @ Cloth Paper Scissors...

The next "studios" issue will be on the newstands or in your mailbox on March 31st.

Guess who has a 6 page spread???

The first name starts with a "T"
...the last name starts with an "H"...
Check it out!

It's a TOTALLY different style than mine and you'll see that it's TOTALLY AWESOME...

I'm just saying.......

you don't want to miss the next issue...

Have a good day & take time to...
Make ART!
wendy
ps...today I'm working on studio 490 stamp release #3!!
The first set name is...

The ART of the ...?

OOPS...I think it's too soon to say...a girl's gotta have some secrets...
stay tuned!

idea-ology hanging..

If you're a blog visitor...you already know that I think anything can be made into a flower...

Have you seen tim's new idea-ology corners??

You got it...I saw flower parts...

Here we have...
Exhibit A...



The base is Maya Road's scallop journaling coaster. I inked it with broken china, then added some vintage photo distress ink over it.

The background was stamped with my studio 490 bingo background stamp, using jet black archival ink. I lightly ran a gold paint dabber around the edge & it's hung with idea-ology link chain.

The center flower is tim's new idea-ology foliage...
so are the leaves...

I stamped the spinner/stem with my gingham background &
jet black archival ink.
Heat set...it's permanent...

Snaps make cool flower centers...

That was fun...

Exhibit B...




Pretty much the same...but a vintage photo background, stamped with my studio 490 polka dot stamp...
the black cardstock is edged again with the gold paint dabber.

Here's a closer shot of the flower...see how 4 corners make a flower?



The moral of today's post...

Look @ the possibilities...
then...

MAKE ART!
wendy