It's Ornamental my dear!

Where has this year gone????? What has happened to all my good intentions of having everything prepared and ready ahead of time? Down the tubes again. Alas, another Christmas with half laid plans and no extra time. It seems to get worse every year. Oh well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions or so they say. I hope that is not what is happening here! I am just paddling as fast as I can for now trying to stay ahead.
I did make a few little ornaments. One for my WorldWin DT entry and one for a swap. The big one I did with a hand cut flower but the little one was done with a small laminate sample and little bits and pieces of stuff. They are easy to do, just make a flat chipboard or other piece such as a laminant sample or a domino and add little bits of whatever you have on hand, lace, ribbon, pretty Christmas paper and of course some glitter and glitz. What would Christmas be without the sparkle?
Hope you enjoy your season no matter if you are prepared or not.

ATC, a small wonder of big art

When I first heard of ATC's, (artist trading cards for those of you that might have been living in a cave for the last 5 years) I wasn't really too excited. I was thinking that what kind of art could be expressed on such a tiny canvas. Then I started looking at fine pieces of jewelry, tiny locket portraits, plus other tiny pieces of art. I guess it could pack a lot of art and boy do they. I have seen some real beauties and some really not so beautiful ones but each one means something to the artist that created it.
The rules about them vary from person to person and group to group. I have read some mighty heated conversations in groups, on what should or should not be on them and of course the biggest argument being they should always be traded and never sold. Well, if someone wants to pay me a healthy sum of money for my little artwork, I say, end of debate! Sold!!! Come on, let's not carry the starving artist gig any further than is has been carried so far. I really think that rule was made up because the people who started them didn't think anyone would be inspired enough to purchase one and since they are called trading cards, well that's my theory. Think of all those boys back in the 50's and 60's that clipped Mickey Mantel's rookie cards on their spokes or traded it for some now forgotten pitcher's trading card. Doh! It the atc moves you, then by all means buy it from the creator! You can both ignore the rule. :)
There is only one rule, it must fit into a trading card sleeve, 2.5 x 3.5 inches. Notice I didn't say the finished card had to be that size......I once made some cute little atc dolls that folded into a size suitable to fit inside of a trading card sleeve.
OK, that is enough about atc's. On with sharing, I am going to share some of my faves with you today. I have made so many that this is going to be hard but I will manage. Cheers everyone! Happy trading!

Just sharing my new stamps.........

I am procrastinating my weekend away. It is almost finished and I have not accomplished a danged thing. Well, I am adding to my blog so that is SOMETHING! I need to be in my studio finishing up deadlines. (Hanging my head in shame)
I just hate when I get one of these creative blocks. Once I go sit at my desk with some sort of plan I know I will come up with something! I think I like living on the edge, I don't do it in any other way anymore and this is my last bit of being edgy and risk taking. That just made me laugh! I'm comparing my being able to sit down at my art desk without a plan or motivation with a deadline looming over my head, compared to jumping out of a plane or climbing a mountain. Well, that is about as daring as I get in my old age! So there laugh all you want. I laugh in the face of danger!! I don't have the energy to do the other stuff.
Anyway, I wanted to share my newest stamps that I made for Innovative Stamp Creations. They are really fun ones this time and will work great with altered art. I love to see what others do with them. I always feel a bit uncomfortable working with my own but I do manage to once in a while.
Well, I hope your Sunday is more productive than mine but maybe you are working at being unproductive............eh?

The first post for November

I have been keeping busy and staying out of trouble so that is a good thing! I have not been keeping up my blog which is not a good thing! I have been urged to start doing Christmas things for creativity. It has taken me years of forcing myself to start early denying the fact that this holiday keeps coming earlier every year. I used to work retail. Anyone that works retail knows what a nightmare this time of the year can be. I worked in the hobby/craft retail market so believe it or not we started getting our first Christmas merchandise in March for the following December. Scary to think about isn't it? I used to spend hours setting up displays and decorating the store so doing my own home was the last thing on my mind. I used all of my creative energy in making the stores look pretty. Sadly, I never bothered to take one picture of any of my work. Anyway once I left the store, it took me ages to be able to get back into the Christmas spirit. Gradually it returned when my grandchildren arrived. Kids and Christmas just go together.
Well, here is my first attempt at an assembly line Christmas card this year. These are easy to do up ahead in mass and put together when you are watching TV.
The glossy cardstock was sprayed with those wonderful Radiant Rains and stamped and embossed with a flourish stamp designed by Susan Stringfellow by Inque Boutique. WorldWin Cardstock and gold embossing. Easy to do.
Enjoy!