Now this was fun...

I had one little idea surface last night for another Maya Road card for the NY stationary show. I wanted to make a chipboard key look rusty, but only in certain areas...not the entire key.
So...I used the distress embossing ink reinker, right from the bottle. It was simple to apply the reinker to very small areas & then selectively add the distress embossing powders in several different colors. I like the rusty worn look.

We still have no emails coming thru. I can send, but not receive. The latest update said that they EXPECT the issue to be resolved by 6am EASTERN time. Hmmm...It's 3 1/2 hours AFTER that & still nothing. The "P" word ( patience) is NOT in my vocabulary. I guess EXPECT is the operative word. 10 years ago I never would have thought that I would rely so much on email. Times sure do change.

Special "HEAL QUICK" thoughts are headed east to my friend Robin Beam. Incase you missed the details of her contest, check it out here. And a reminder...if the grand prize winner is one of my blog friends, I'll add something fun to the grand prize!

That's the story for today!
Make your Tuesday...arty!
wendy

Meet...Guest artist...Sarah Drayton...a winner & a new contest!

Sarah was one of the lucky gals to win a Stampers Anonymous stamp. Here's what she created, using her new stamp & her Maya Road chipboard prize. Don't you just love it? GREAT job Sarah!! THANKS for sharing!!



Here's the info Sarah sent, if you'd like to try something similiar...


I created a piece with my fab new stamp and gorgeous chipboard book. *


I used Gesso and Ranger Acrylic Dabbers in Hazelnut and Snowcap for the background, building up a few layers until I acheived my desired effect.*


I then stamped the flourish stamp into the background using Adirondack Ink in Expresso.*


Then using some more Acrylic paint to soften stamped Image.*


Next I added the PaperWhimsy image and spritzed with Glimmer Mists in Antique Brass.


Hope you like what I have created. I love stopping by to see you on your blog.




Look @ this sweetie...This is Callie, Kate's dog. See how she smiled for the camera? For those who love dogs, she's a shilo shephard.

***
Now for the drawing by Rick... I was told to leave the room & he would read the comments & make his choice...He said her blogname got his attention...

***
And the winner of the sheer card I created for the Hero Arts blog is...

DRUMROLL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

sherri (Tied Up In Ribbons) said...
Texas in OCtober....I'm thrilled--I wonder if it is too early to sign up?!? I don't even care what you are going to do, but I know I want to be THERE.....I second Lisa's Yippee
April 20, 2008 11:16 PM


CONGRATS Sherri...send me your address & I'll get the card sent off to you.

***
Keep reading.............

***

Who doesn't like a contest??? This sounds like fun...Check out Robin's blog for all the juicy details. She's giving GREAT INKY prizes...take the time...try her bandanna technique...send her a card... SIMPLE!!

Now here's the twist...if one of MY BLOG friends wins the GRAND PRIZE...I'll send the winner a prize too! Fair enough??? You can do it...

Just SUBMIT...I have faith in all of you!! I'd LOVE to add to the grand prize!!

***

Happy Thursday...come back tomorrow to see some tags created by another guest artist. I know you'll love them.
wendy

Phew.....what a weekend!

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING is the perfect name for this store...
It has...absolutely everything!!! I shopped & came home with some VERY fun finds. Stamps, books, papers & WAYYY cool ephemera. I can't wait to take some time to play.

I did 4 classes in 2 days & met lots of fun new arty friends. Kate even took the time to show me how to solder. YIPPEE...that was really a treat!

I took my camera & actually USED it this time. Here's a photo of some of the gals in the fragments class. Each brought their own paper scraps to use and each created a unique masterpiece! At the end of the class we had "show & tell" just to give everyone more inspiration. This class is PURE fun.




Here's shy KATE (and a few friends in the background). She's the store mom! She has THE CUTEST and sweetest dog in the whole world and a GREAT store too.



And, as per TRADITION...I made wall art for Kate's classroom. I wanted my art to stay with my style...and this is my creation. LOTS of grungy stuff, Maya Road chipboard letters & numbers, crackle paint, distress inks and dots. This was fun. The photo is NOT the best...the flowers are broken china...I hope you can get the idea...

Luckily, Robin saved me the perfect spot right next to her.



That's the short version of the story... This old art chick is TIRED!

THANKS KATE & staff for a wonderful weekend. Thanks to ALL who attended my classes. You guys are sooooooooo fun, sweet & talented. Once again...THANKS so much!

Hmmmm......I got invited to teach again in November. Tell me what kind of classes you'd like. I aim to please.

I'll be back tomorrow & we'll draw the winner we talked about last week. Leave a comment here & we'll add your name to the hat.

AND..make sure you come back....we'll have more guest artists this week. Now that email is working (for the moment) I got some scans from the gals who won the Stampers Anonymous drawing & Shari's Layers book.

You'll like what you see.............that's a promise!
wendy

You've heard it before...

Look at "things" not for what they ARE, but for what they COULD be.

***

Here's an example. I was shopping one day & saw a container of wood alphabets on sale. CHEAP! Hmmm...only the letters Z and O. But, did they NEED to be letters?? NOPE...

***

I bought a few of the O's with the idea that they would be cool frames for dimensional art. But, when I got this guy out to play, I set it on it's side & actually liked it this way better. So...with just a little grungeboard added..a fun transformation!

***

Now this is fun too. A fellow customer came over & asked if there were any N's in the sale bin. Her daughter's name was Natalie & she too liked the price. So...are you getting the picture here???

Turn the Z on it's side & it turns into a funky looking N. Think she bought it?? You bet! I'd love to see what she did with it.

***

On the agenda today...one final check of the supplies for Absolutely Everything. I think I'm ready... Keep your fingers crossed that Air Tran doesn't go bankrupt anytime soon. I'd like to get there & get home too. YIKES!

I guess it's tradition @ AE that each instructor who visits leaves some art on the classroom wall. Here's what Robin created for all to enjoy. I have my idea brewing...

***

Come back on Tuesday & hopefully I'll have a photo to show what I contributed.

***

My plan is to actually USE the camera this time, instead of packing it & forgetting it!

***

Old age sucks!!

wendy

oops...the flower stamp is from Inky Antics & the bird is from Stampers Anonymous. See...I almost forgot...like I said...

OLD AGE SUCKS!

Maya Road, Stampers Anonymous & Ranger...

Today's photo is one of my favorite CHA assignments. It's loaded with products and embellishments from my 3 favorite companies...(see title, incase you can't guess who they are!) This baby took me a solid week to complete & weighs a ton. A week?? YES...I probably have 40 hours invested...I TOLD you I was slow...

***********************************

If this paper is ever discontinued, I'll cry. It's Periphery, by Basic Grey. LOVE it!

***********************************

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll see what really thrilled me. Look on the "E"...for "the journey of a lifetime"....That's a mini rub-on from the UPC area of the rub on sheet. I wondered for quite sometime, if that was printed or an actual rub on..It's a rub on & it was a perfect fit, both for the title (Notes & quotes, for the journey of a lifetime) and the space available on the "E". Little details make me happy.

**********************************

Now check out the Heart & Home ruler in the header. See the tiny "Maya Road"?? Same mini rub on. It's a small detail, but it finishes the project. Gives the street a name...

**********************************

So...the moral of the story today?? Look @ everything, not for what it IS...but for the possibilities. WASTE nothing! Now if the words Maya Road aren't appropriate for your project...use the mini letters individually...not the right letters?? Mix them up with other fonts. Random is good.........See how much FUN this is??

***********************************

Yesterday I told you about my thrilling invite to Absolutely Everything in Massachusettes. I worked on samples to send to Kate. I hope to have them mailed off to her in the next few days.

The day got even better...

**********************************

Last night I got an email from Michelle Cutts...Mrs. STAMPERS ANONYMOUS. I'm teaching 2 inky grungey classes @ the convention in Rockford, Illinois, on Friday March 14th. Guess what??? Ted (Mr. STAMPERS ANONYMOUS) can't be there...so...I get to demo in their booth! So...if you're in the Rockford area...come play with stamps, ink & grungeboard. It's great fun!

**********************************

Time to get to work. I think I'm busier now than when I had a real job. RETIRED??? Not really...but I've NEVER been happier!

THANKS ...Maya Road, Stampers Anonymous & Ranger! Actually tim & Robin...

Enjoy the day!

wendy

ps...edited...Mr Blogger won't allow me to put spaces between the paragraphs...drives me nuts...so I had to add the stars...sorry!

I LOVE Robin Beam!~!

This is tooooooo funny for you to miss. This is a post from my dear friend Robin Beam. If you are having a bad day & NEED a LIFT...just call her...She's the best!! Works EVERY time!

Anyway...here's what she said about my CHA post, from Saturday.



Miss Wendy: you are THE BOMB! If you check out Scrapbook Retailer Magazine, there's the article by Beth Mauro and you're in the picture with Tim...hehehe.
To anyone listening: the rule regarding Miss Wendy-if she says "Really?" when you compliment her, she coughs up $5 on the spot. She knows that this is a very important rule for her to learn to say "thank you" or "I'm glad you liked it", or god forbid, "I really liked that (fill in the blank) that I made." Until she learns, she'd better have a bunch of $5 bills on her, because, if you don't know it yet, Wendy, YOU'VE ARRIVED!

Inky Hugs, Robin


She certainly MADE MY DAY!!!!!!!!!! THANKS ROBIN!!!


Now here's why I'm always surprised to get compliments.

I worked in surgery for 30 years. Believe me...very few compliments. 18 hour days were expected & were THE NORM. Getting called out @ 2am...expected...Getting home @ 3:59 am and then getting called back @ 4:01 am...no big deal...all in a days work.....So...when a compliment comes my way, I'm totally surprised. Totally NOT what I'm used to. But with Robin's gentle...ok, NOT so gentle reminders...I'm trying. Good thing. Otherwise, we'd be BROKE! Those $5 add up quickly!




Here's the Maya Road Crew after a LONGGGGGGGGGGGG day of order taking. YIKES...when did I get OLD????????????


Ok...enough blabber...back soon with real art. HA!
Wendy

Ranger art, Maya Road & other random things...

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in Ranger's Designer Challenge along with 23 other designers. The Distress Inks come in 24 colors, thus the 24 canvases. Pretty simple concept!

Here's the scoop...

We were each given an 8 x 8 canvas, along with one color to work with. I got Vintage photo...imagine that! I was allowed to use only Vintage Photo Distress Crackle Paint, VP Distress Embossing powder, VP Distress Ink and black & white Dabbers. The art had to be contained within the canvas...nothing hanging off, but we could add any other products. I chose Maya Road flowers & a scroll from the new scrolls set...bet you couldn't guess that! The idea was to create a monochromatic piece of art, that would be 1/24th of the total. Above is the photo. The canvas above mine, done by Suze Weinburg, had fallen off & was out for repair when I had a chance to take this photo. I'll have to find out who all the other participants were, but I do know some were made by Rachel Greig (she's to the left of me), Jennifer McGuire, Donna Downey, Heidi Swapp, Theresa Collins & Suze. I'll try to get the complete list from Robin & update this later.

Here's a closer look @ Rachel's canvas. BAD photos...sorry.

Here's one ...totally not my style, but I totally loved this canvas. Doesn't it just make you smile?? Look @ that face!!

Here's another that I loved!

The other photos that I took are terrible and don't show the true beauty of them. I'll be on the lookout for more photos to share.

*****************************************

Here's a portion of a comment from yesterdays post. It's from my Maya Road "suite-mate" & SWEETHEART...Katie Watson. She does AMAZING art...check out her blog!

Anyway...here's what she said about me...

So, here is the funny thing, Wendy didn't want her "art" to go back with booth stuff, she wanted it to go back with her, so I loaded up ALL her clothes in a big garbage bag (courtesy of the front desk at the hotel!) and brought them home with me to mail to her!!

So the packing decision...art or clothes??? SIMPLE!!!

I did bring the used undies home with me! HA!

That's it!!!

Have a fun Sunday! Hope I made you laugh!
Wendy

ps...here's a link to some photos from the Maya Road booth

Phew.............what a ride!

Sorry for the contest delay. This OLD art chick was dead ass tired and in low gear all day yesterday and didn't have the energy to unpack & count/record my art.

.........................................................................................................

I'm not even sure where to start on the story. I was extremely proud of our booth & all the great work done by our design team. It looked great...(I hope you don't think I'm prejudice)...We had TONS of wonderful comments from all who visited. Many customers came back all 4 days to order, look, get class ideas, ask questions and take photos. It was a rush to hear all those kind words. THANK YOU all!!!!!!!!!!!

..........................................................................................................

We worked hard...VERY hard, from booth set-up, to taking TONS of orders, to booth take down. The booth was packed with customers from the 9am opening until 6:30pm...an hour PAST the closing...simply amazing. It was quite apparent that everyone loves Maya Road products. We slept AT MOST...4 or 5 hours every night, which explains why I didn't post yesterday.

............................................................................................................

We got to meet tons of store owners, magazine editors, fellow artists/designers etc. We got to see old friends and make some new ones too. We got tons of teaching offers...actually more than I could do in a year. Most were from the US, but we got international teaching offers too. How fun is that??

...........................................................................................................

Our DT co-ordinator Lisa Pace got an exciting offer, but that's not my story to tell. VERY VERY exciting indeed. We are all soooooooooo proud of her and her talent!! We were jumping for joy & crying all @ the same time! YIPPEE LISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

..........................................................................................................

As for me, I am still in shock. My little brain finally processed this offer on the plane ride home. I have SOMETHING in the works, but can't let the cat out of the bag yet. Let me just say that the discussion left me in total shock, with sweaty hands, a sick stomach & totally speechless. Yes... it was REALLY that GOOD!! If this happens, it's a dream come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me...I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

............................................................................................................

Ok...now the contest scoop...

I made a total of 37 projects for the booth. Way more than you all guessed!

Catalog cover art...

Far right corner...color art layer book

To the left of that...card with 2 yellow & one green blossom

Directly below that, the scroll/flower

and last...the card box/card set.

Inside the catalog...

The heart & home set on the vintage ruler

On the sheer sets page, the skinny photo of the sheer & chipboard flower

The cover of the color layer album

and last...on the clear stamp page...Lisa with the crown.

Since no one guessed the exact total number of projects or chose all the right art, we put all the names in a basket & Rick chose the winner...

But first.................

one more thing..HA!!!...several of you guessed the LOVE art on the chipboard alphabet page. This makes me laugh, because I too did a double take, wondering if that was mine...! Nope...it's not.

DRUMROLL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The winner is.......................................................................

margie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to you!!! Wait 'til you see what's coming your way!!! Please send me your email & shipping info and we'll get that out to you on Monday! Thanks everyone for playing!!

..........................................................................................................

Teaching updates...

We'll be playing with grungeboard & glass @ Scrapbook Friend'z in Bloomington, Illinois on March 8th. Fun with a capital F!~! Don't miss it!

...............................................................................................................

Details & times are now finalized for the SSAT convention in Rockford, Illinois. The classes are scheduled on Friday March 14th. Details are here. These are 2 really fun classes. We'll play with grungeboard & glass and in the second class we'll do the Ranger Distress Ink technique class, which actually is a mini Ranger U!! I hope you can join us and learn all about these cool inks.

.............................................................................................................

On Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 Linda Cain & I (the dynamic duo) are doing a total of 4 fun classes @ For Keeps Sake in St Louis, Missouri. If you're in the area, check it out! It promises to be a great weekend full of arting, sharing, making new friends and chocolate!

.............................................................................................................

I made some grungeboard flowers for Tim, for his Advantus booth @ CHA and came home to several emails with questions about the stamps I used. I'll be back tomorrow with that info.

............................................................................................................

We really didn't get to see much of the convention, but I did get to see Tim's new stamps @ the Art Gone Wild/Stampers Anonymous booth. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ATC sizes........need I say more??

His new products thru Advantus had me drooling. I NEEEEEEEEED them all. Absolutely outstanding & cool!! I can NOT pass up anything vintage looking & metal! I have every single one checked on my order form. The new grungeboard minis are TO DIE FOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!

.............................................................................................................

I got a sample of Ranger's new Inkssentials opaque white pen...Another MUST HAVE for doodling and the infamous BANDANNA technique, developed by Robin Beam. No skipping...nice bright white color...I was very IMPRESSED with the quality!

..............................................................................................................

I'll try hard to get back in the blogging routine & post more show photos soon.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Thanks for visiting!!
Wendy

ps...I tried to edit this & put spacing between the paragraphs, but Mr Blogger isn't cooperating. So...I added the dots instead.............

I played and made this, shopping alert & other random news

I have been drooling over this one lonely flower since the day it arrived about 6 weeks ago. I only got one of the "jewel ribbon blossoms" in my Maya Road goodie box and it was making me crazy trying to find just the right spot for it. Yesterday I decided to actually USE it & not hoard it, just so I could admire it. This is by far THE COOLEST/classiest ribbon flower on the market. Trust me...I do know flowers!



I started by swiping a sheer round scallop page with a Peach Bellini dabber. How cool is that name? Sounds like a dessert & makes me want a huge bowl...anyway...back on track.....

Once again...more of the trinkets elements metal flowers and blossoms, scrolls from the Vineyard tin, and the stamp is from my friend Rachel Greig. I got that baby and the one on the back, personally delivered @ CHA last summer. The background is one of my most favorite/most used Stampers Anonymous stamps...newspaper scraps # U2-943. LOVE it!

I used a journaling piece from K & Co as the base for the thanks stamp.

Here's the back. The number border stamp on the bottom is also from Rachel. The stamped round chipboard is from the Maya Road foundations tin.



Now here's what you REALLY need to see...a closeup of this jewel ribbon blossom. Do you agree?? TO DIE FOR BEAUTIFUL??





Now for the random news.......

I just tracked my box of CHA samples...MEMPHIS?? WHAT??? That's the wrong way, Mr Fed-Ex...California is WEST! SCARRY!!

I talked to ART GODDESS Robin Beam the other day & got this Ranger CHA scoop...

They are coming out with a new pigment ink! Adirondack Pigment Ink Stamp Pads will start out with the coordinating Lights/Brights/Earthtones for the following colors: Cranberry/TerraCotta/Butterscotch/Bottle/Denim/Eggplant/Pitch Black & SnowCap. She loves them & told me they are perfect on chipboard. You apply them with the same Inkssentials blending tool that's used for the distress inks. Definitely added to my shopping list.

Ranger will also be selling an Inkssentials Craft Spinner, which will hold eight of the Inkssentials Blending Tools and tidy up your work space. CHECK... on my shopping list too. I like tidy.

Check out Robin's blog to see what cool things she's doing...

HERE IT COMES......................

*** SHOPPING ALERT***



*** SHOPPING ALERT***

If I haven't given you enough ideas for spending your $$, here's another. I have no affiliation, nor do I know her...but I LOVE this book. TONS of eye candy. You can find it here. It's well worth your $$.


5 days 'til I head WEST...yikes...still have plenty to do.
I better get going on more business cards.


I hope you've enjoyed these samples & that they inspire you. Use them as a starting point, add your style and...

MAKE ART!
Wendy

900 visits...27 comments and ONE WINNER!!

Here's the evidence..........Only one comment with the right combo...

DRUMROLL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

But first...Note that Shari Carroll made herself THE #1 specimen! HA! too funny! The story behind her offering is a story for another day...but VERY funny!

Since the very first rubber stamp I ever bought was Hero Arts, I was thrilled to meet her. She is THE rubber stamping queen @ Hero & I'm the president of her fan club. Her stamping is to die for cool!

I figured Tim would be easy for everyone to guess. With all the guesses of Robin, she sure knows now that she's a celebrity.

Well this was fun. Next time the PRIZE will be something that I made & has been posted on the blog. Stay tuned..........you don't want to miss it!

Oh yea...one more thing.....................

RACHEL GREIG!! YOU WIN!! There will a goodie box on the way to you!!

Thanks for ALL the visits, my friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay warm.

Wendy

And the business cards continue...

Since I started using the flower business cards, I've had some really GREAT things happen. I think they're my lucky charm! A HUGE THANKS to Maya Road, Ranger and Stampers Anonymous. My idea last night was to create another style card using art parts from those 3 companies. This is the result.

CREDITS:

"With these hands" is by Stampers Anonymous.

The scroll is a clear stamp from the Maya Road SCROLLS stamp tin & I'm sure everyone knows by now that faded jeans is made by Ranger. The base is a chipboard blossom coaster from Maya Road.

And I'll answer some emails here...

Going to CHA??? YOU BET & I'm counting the days!! Come visit us in booth 1987...MAYA ROAD! You won't believe your eyes when you see the new goodies...I'm VERY impressed!

Background paper for the photos?? I ONLY have one sheet & it's by Jenni Bowlin. God forbid...only ONE sheet...I can't cut into that beauty until I get more. I LOVE IT! She also makes adorable packs of 4 x 4's that co-ordinate with the 12 x 12's, but are scaled down patterns. TO DIE FOR CUTE. I hoard them too. NUTS!

The screen background stamp?? Sorry. It's an unmounted I got years ago & I have no clue who made it and that's probably why I left that one out of the last post.

On to other random news...

Don't forget about the consumer challenge sponsored by Maya Road. Details are in the posting from Saturday. Some gals have emailed me their submissions & I'm glad I'm not responsible to choose the winners. That will be a hard job. BUT...if any of my blog friends win...let me know & I'll send some Maya Road goodness from my personal stash and post your entry on the blog!

And this thrills me...

I was asked to participate in a designers challenge for Ranger, with the art to be shown @ CHA next month. I'm one of 24...and THRILLED to be among some REALLY FAMOUS NAMES...More details when I can. Anyway, my piece is done, Fed-Exed & has arrived in New Jersey. Robin's comment was..."Exactly what we were looking for". YIPPEE! Sure made my day!!

THANKS so much for the comments on my cards and actually ALL your comments. I'm off to get more done!

Enjoy the day! Get your Maya Road submission done and emailed. How could you pass up FREE MAYA ROAD??

Wendy

Fun...with a capital....F and also a HUGE thank you...

We inked,
we distress crackle painted,
we labeled...(thanks CHERYL!),
we ironed...(but it was FUN),
we mini misted,
we blended,
we stamped,
we lightly inked over embossed paper,
we embossed...2 kinds...WOW!!,
we wrinkled,
we watercolored...kind of,
we said MARMALADE, laughed & thought of Rachel (thanks Linda...cool accent)
we ate chocolate & most of all...


WE HAD FUN!!! What a GREAT group of gals for my first Ranger Distress Ink Technique class on Saturday @ Scrapbook Friend'z in Bloomington, Illinois. You guys are THE BEST!!!

I think the favorite technique of the day was...SPRITZ & FLICK... Imagine this...a room full of art chicks spritzing & flicking..sounded like applause to me, so that's when I took a bow! These gals were smart...they figured me out. Save the best for last!


Now on to the THANK YOU part...

THANK YOU to ALL who attended both classes!!!

This class would not have happened if I had not been accepted into Ranger U. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank these friends...

Tim... Mr. Inspiration
Robin Beam...art goddess
Ted Cutts...Mr. Stampers Anonymous, who got the ball rolling
And last but certainly not least...the RANGER company for an INK-redible experience. I learned TONS & got to pass it on!


And that was just the first class...



For the second class we made this... Maya Road Birdie Box



Each person chose their own papers, but we all used the bird, branches, scrolls, scallop ric rak and flowers from Maya Road. We crackled up a storm. Every box looked great and each was unique. GREAT JOB gals!!!
This was a very fun class too.



To answer some emails that I got...the Ranger apron was a gift to us @ Ranger U. I LOVE it...signed by Tim & Robin!!

Sorry...I didn't take any photos in class...just too busy. I will try to remember that for the next classes. It would be fun to post the end results of the class.

Yes...the chocolate was DOVE!! I really do think it's low cal...

Ok, back to work. CHA is coming VERY soon & there's a TON of work (PLAY) to be done!!

Thanks for reading this LONGGGGGGGGG post!
Enjoy your day!
Wendy

Look beyond the obvious and just a little bandanna...

I'm always reminding people in my classes to be on the lookout for art stuff. It's everywhere...I found this @ Marshall's the other day in the kitchen section. Obviously, it's a drawer organizer. Look a little closer & here's what I immediately saw...

A 6 x 6 square frame. It's well made... nice & smooth, so it will be easy to customize with paint or paper. It has some depth, so it's perfect for a collage with dimension. It's square & square frames are not as easy to find as rectangular ones. The price is great too. SOLD! See how easy??

Now...back to the art...............

I had a scrap of watercolor paper laying on the counter in my studio & rather than file it away, I thought I'd take a few minutes to play. This is my first attempt @ the bandanna technique. This started out with the wrinkle free distress technique, developed by Tim. Robin Beam added some details and developed the bandanna technique. This was really fun...but I can see I have a long way to go to perfect it. Click on the link above to read all the juicy details and take some time to play yourself. You'll like it. The flower stamp is from Hero Arts.

Happy Saturday! Remember...keep your eyes open!!
MAKE ART !!!
Wendy

A GREAT mail day!!!

Mr. FED-EX just delivered this GREAT gift from my friend, Robin Beam. I LOVE it and the colors are PERFECT!!!!!!!

It's done with her famous bandanna technique, which can be found on her blog. It's 2 inches by 10 inches and it looks PERFECT right under my Ranger U certificate. Both hang above the sink in my studio, so that every time I wash the ink (vintage photo) off my hands I'll see it. For those of you who know me and know how sloppy I am...this will be about 50 times a day! I'll post a photo when the lighting is better.
Here's a close-up of the details. Rick was VERY impressed with the soldering job!


I think she will do custom orders. If you are interested, her contact info is on her blog or you can email me.
THANKS, ART GODDESS!!!!!!
It's "magically delicious".
You're the best!!
Wendy

Remember the sneak peek...

from a long time ago??? Well here's the full shot. This is my "thank you gift" for Robin Beam, for all the hard work that she did to get ready for Ranger U. I love the large alphabet stamp that is made by my friend Rachel Greig in Australia. It worked that I could highlight Robin's initials & mine. FUN!! It's a shadowbox frame that is 8 x 8.

The chipboard flowers and the circles (foundations tin) are from Maya Road. The "think outside the box" stamp is from Mrs. O'Leary's. I used Ranger's Distress Inks...vintage photo & faded jeans. Bet that's not a surprise. Tim teased me about being the blue & brown queen...so I'll try my best to use some other colors...SOMEDAY soon. Moving on ....to the alcohol inks!!

Wendy

INK-redible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grab a cup of coffee...the juicy details make for a LONGGGG story!
First of all, I want to thank Tim & Robin for an INK-redible experience. I am TOTALLY blown away by their attention to every detail, which created the journey of a lifetime weekend. I had seen Tim demo @ CHA & I thought he did an outstanding job. After this weekend, I have a whole new respect for him. This guy is very organized, on track, INK-redibly hilarious, extremely knowledgable, DID I SAY FUNNY??, kind and the best speaker I have ever encountered. To say I am impressed is an understatement. THANKS TIM!! Enjoy your time off. You certainly have earned it.

Now Robin...This art goddess had our classroom set up & organized, had our handouts and schedule done, filled our goodie boxes, had labels ready for every technique that Tim demoed, brought breakfast, got lunch, got us MORE goodies from the warehouse, showed & contributed to the techniques, offered suggestions, busted her butt to get us anything we needed and made us all laugh about 100 times. She is like a computer brain & rattles off techniques with ease. THANKS ROBIN!! These 2 spent 8 hours with us on Friday, 13...yes 13 hours on Saturday & another 4 hours on Sunday, which explains why I look like shit in the photo above. Ranger is lucky to have such a talented team.

DRUMROLL...............................here's what you're probably wanting to hear......

Ranger was INK-credibly generous with the products we received ...we all felt like it was Christmas morning when we opened the goodie box!

We learned TONS and got to played with all these cool products.........
Distress Crackle paint
Alcohol Inks, which are now my new addiction. TONS of cool techniques.
Distress inks
Adirondack Color Washes
Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers
Stickles
Adirondack Dimensional Pearls
Glossy, Matte, Sepia & Crackle Accents
Archival Ink Pad
Adirondack Pigment pens
Cut & Dry nibs & Cut & Dry foam pads
Brayering
Embossing powders..I LOVED the Distress Embossing powder the best! No shine...WAYYY COOL for vintage looking art.

Maya Road gave us a tin of chipboard, rub-ons and 3 chipboard keychains.

Heidi Swapp gave us masks.

Luxe gave us tranparencies.

Prima gave us 3 sheets of their new Paintables, a really fun new product.

And last but not least... we also got Grungeboard from Advantus. A TOTALLY amazing product that has TONS of potential for some really fun play. Use it with the Distress Crackle Paint or the Distress Embossing powders for some fun effects.

A short summary of events...we toured the factory (there is only ONE STICKLES machine that supplies the entire WORLD!!), watched demos, learned TONS, laughed TONS, ate way too much, shopped just a little, had show & tell and had a few cocktails for medicinal purposes only!

So...the summary............
Ranger U tuition...$175.00
Hotel...$250
Airfare...$280
OVERWEIGHT luggage...$50 ha!!! Imagine that!!
The experience...INK-redibly PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The end................... for today.
Wendy
ps...the picture in the post below shows the gift I brought for Tim. I'll put Robin's up later.

WOW!!! 2 posts in one day!!!

And the reason for this post is the photo above. The official countdown begins today. Only 10 more sleeps before it begins. From what I hear, it's quite an international cast of characters. There are a few of us from the US and the others in the group are from the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Sweden. We even have a celebrity in the group! GREAT products, a factory tour and 3 days of classes with Tim Holtz and Art Goddess Robin Beam. Can you imagine??????????????
I'm excited!! Got lots to get done before then..........
Wendy
ps...when you visit Robin's blog, make sure you check out the adorable pumpkin made by Caroline Lau. She used Maya Road's chipboard and Ranger's new Distress Crackle Paint. You'll love it!

Just me...trying to add my photo...grrrr...

Well...I'm not smart enough to figure out how to put me over on the right, where I belong. Think I'll call my techno geek friend Linda later.
But I did figure out how to be notified when comments are posted, thanks to my friend...ART GODDESS...ROBIN BEAM!! THANKS!!! Check out her blog...She has TONS of great arting tips...I get to meet her soon @ RANGER U!!! Believe me...I'm counting the days!!

And it is Sunday, so you know what that means...GO BEARS... (I should be embarrassed to admit that I'm a fan...)... but there's always hope...maybe they'll go and actually PLAY this week. Maybe is the key word...
Back to making art...
Have a GREAT Sunday!
Wendy