steampunk art...

Happy weekend my friends!

sorry for the long blog absence...

I've NOT been sitting on the couch eating bonbons...

NOPE...

I've been busy!

since the last post, I've been to California for a few days.

we had a BLAST @ the convention...

there's nothing that I LOVE more

than a MILLION rubber stamps all in one place...

inspiration to the max!

I had the opportunity to visit with friends that I only see about once a year...

I like that...LOTS!

keychain took me for an early morning outing to a flea market...

we had FUN!!!

I demoed for 2 days in the Stampers Anonymous booth...

lots of studio 490 art parts & stamps

now reside in California...

we completely SOLD OUT of the clearly for art CLEAR...

BLACKOUT & the WHITEOUT too...

if you haven't played yet...it's very fun stuff!

tim's new distress stains were a HUGE hit...

no surprise there...

I demoed something fun with them...

I'll be doing a blog post soon about that...

I sat down @ the computer on Wednesday

with the thought that I would blog...

BUT...

I had a NEW stamp idea pop into my head

& 6 hours later...

I had some NEW stamps designed...

YIPPEE!!!

CHA is earlier this year...

it's NOT too soon to get going on

NEW stamps & NEW art parts...

so...new designs...

but no blog post...

same thing happened the next day...

I decided to go with it...

when the ideas are there...

it's best to take advantage of them...

not every day is good...

then I took a play day (ok...a few hours) to make some art...

using art parts, stamps, grunge & LOTS of idea-ology...

everything I LOVE...

I had visions of steampunk...

this was a VERY VERY fun piece...

sorry about the glare from the film strip ribbon...

my basic idea was sparked by tim's new light bulbs...

they are too flipping cute...

I painted my art parts key with the gold paint dabber...

added an eyelet in the center hole...

since art parts are thick, they eyelet can't be crimped...

so just add a dab of adhesive to hold the eyelet in place...

other art parts used...

1 medium & 1 large spool base

with a connecting tube...

it's hidden in the back & holds the head in place...

phrenology head with this coordinating stamp...

I used grungeboard &

cut 2 small gears from tim's gadget gears alterations die...

and painted them with the silver paint dabber...

a perfect fit with his metal sprocket gears...

I LOVE the very dimensional top...

the more layers....

the better I like it!

here's a better look @ the mini light bulb...

adorable...agree?

I stamped tim's new steampunk guys

on grungeboard...

and stamped an extra hat (on grunge scraps) for each guy...

more layers = better...

she got one earring for a funky look...

it's made with a long fastener & a chain tassel...

I LOVE tim's brand new large wings...

so cool...

and just the PERFECT size for the head...

here's the lightbulb again...

I can't wait to use another...

film strip ribbon attached with the tiny attacher

makes fun eye glasses...

steampunk art was stamped across the forehead...

lots of sprocket gears were added

to create the theme...

fig A was stamped on the cheek...

I LOVE the Cut N Dry nibs for adding color to the eyes (broken china) and the lips (barn door)...

and a bit of fired brick for some blush...

duh...

forgot to take a good photo of the base...

the smaller spool base was inked with peeled paint distress stain...

and the larger with faded jeans distress stain...

(the new stains are PERFECT on art parts!)...

then the edges were distressed with walnut stain, using the blending tool...

now if we only had the other 24 colors of distress stains...

just saying...

I NEED them...

I *hope* the powers that be are listening...

on the base there is

an alpha part "s" & a "P"

for steampunk...

and a sprocket gear too...

it took a bit to figure out how to layer the top, but it seriously was a fun time...

changing subjects...

next stop on this art adventure is

The Scrapbook Page

in Shawnee Kansas, April 8-10th...

we have a fun weekend planned for you...

on Friday evening

they have scheduled a book signing/meet & greet...

All 36 seats for the 6 hour Ranger class (marathon) are sold out...

but we do have a few openings in the second class on Saturday & a few in the Sunday class too...

if you're in the Kansas City area...

I hope to see you there...

the store sounds AWESOME!

we'll be playing with TONS of Ranger products

in every class & LOTS of stamps & art parts too...

I *heard* they have stocked LOTS of stamps...

LOTS of Ranger...

LOTS of art parts...

LOTS of tim's idea-ology...

so the shopping should be really fab...

I'll get home late on Sunday/early Monday morning...

we do a quick repack of demo/art stuff...

then on Thursday I'm off to demo @ Adventures in Stamping convention on April 16 & 17, in Akron, Ohio...

this is a new convention for me & I'm excited...

I hope to meet some blog friends in person...

now about that art parts key...

POW!!!

the light just came on...

holy cow...

I see another totally different use for it...

stay tuned!

I just need some time to get it done...

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend

and as always...

take time to...

make art!

wendy

wondering & winners...

I WONDER what triggers art ideas...

where do they originate from?

take for instance...

the other morning when I woke,

I was WONDERING if the roof

from the largest art parts residence

could be transformed into a party hat...

WONDER why that idea was brewing?

was I dreaming of something?

I seriously have no clue...

but...

I LOVE when things can be used in several ways...

so maybe that was in the back of my mind...

the idea worked...

and the hat now sits on this cute art parts head...

which is a perfect fit for

a favorite Stampers Anonymous stamp...

which is sporting new eyeglasses...

compliments of tim's sprocket gears...

the party hat is embellished with an art parts scallop trim...

and a hitch fastener

which holds the new hanger clip...

reminds me of Minnie Pearl...ha!

the head is attached to my new art parts dress form...

which is embellished with grunge wings...

and tim's trimmings, which was misted with espresso color wash, heirloom gold Perfect Pearls mist

& then stamped with jet black archival ink...

the butterfly is the new clearly for art "blackout"...

LOVE IT!

the party hat idea turned into this...

look inside & exhibit A are from this stamp set...

the flower & the flower center are from this set...

a trinket pin adds some interest behind the flower...

Cut N Dry nibs make it simple to color small areas...

like her lips...

she's tall @ a whopping 9 1/2 inches...

here's a closeup...

it was fun discovering unexpected "art parts" combos...

A MILLION thanks for all the AWESOME comments from the last post...

You have made me happy!

I've heard that the "butt roll" story

was told in tim's UK classes...

too funny!

I think the Ranger designer challenge

shows PERFECTLY (get it? perfectly?)

that Perfect Pearls work with any & EVERY style...

you have a MILLION choices how to use them...

the challenge was really fun...

and speaking of fun...

do you WONDER who the WINNERS are??

Rick has been busy...

here we go...

shoot me an email if you are a winner (wbv1213@me.com)

the brand new tim holtz distress stains,

donated by Ranger are going to live with...

lesleyworth said...

fabulous piece of art! love all the antique elements! and the espresso with heirloom gold...definitely going to have to try that out!

February 18, 2011 9:31 PM

and then he popped over to the Ranger blog & chose this comment to win book #4...

Wow, these are all so cool. I love all the designers........they each have their own special talent.

Posted by: Nancy Lynn | February 18, 2011 at 05:58 PM

again we thank you for all the comments...

Rick & I both enjoyed reading them...

coming later this week (I hope) is a little something more with the Adirondack Color Washes...

and a few art parts...

and some of the new distress stains mixed in too...

or maybe a new twist on "clearly for art"?

that is cool too...

I've been in the studio...LOTS!

stay tuned...

until then...

stay warm...

and...

make art!

wendy

ps...one more thing...

about those hitch fasteners...

if you don't have them...

you just might WANT/NEED some...

I have a very fun project in book #4, which uses 5 of them in a unique...

fun way...

just saying...

best to be prepared...