You Grow What You Sew: Gingersnaps Growth Challenge!

I'm getting really, REALLY excited about starting my gig as a Design Team member at Gingersnap Creations on April 1! (And yes, I do know that's April Fools Day, but don't worry: I'll behave.) So, this little card, for their "Growth" themed challenge, will be my final "civilian" entry for a while!

I just have to start by telling you how much I love this stamp. It's another of Daniel Torrente's creations for Stampotique, it's called "Heart Shirt," and I can't help but grin every time I look at it. I just wanna hug him! I stamped this sweet guy (we'll call him "Albert") onto Bristol paper, then embossed him with clear powder and colored him with Mark-Its. His little heart was filled in with a Sakura Glaze pen, and please take my word that it looks really cool and dimensional in person, since you can't remotely tell from the picture!

The background was made by running the awesome Core'dinations Whitewash "Wash Board" shade paper through the embossing machine with a Cuttlebug leaf folder, then lightly sanding the embossed image so the green core shows through (okay, yes, I know I already waxed rhapsodic about Core'dinations once this week, so I won't go off again, except to say that it's the raddest paper EVER). I added some green Distress Stickles to the leaves for extra bling, cut the edges with decorative scissors and used "Bottle" Adirondack Paint to outline the entire panel.

The "Encourage Your Hopes" stamp is one of my very favorites from Tim Holtz. I embossed the wording with pearlized clear powder and colored around it with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and that same Bottle shade of paint. I cut and sanded a craft stick to make the sign post (wow-- those Tonic scissors really WILL cut through anything!), and attached the sign with foam tape.

Finally, there's the flower, and I'm very excited about it because this is a new Prima release, "Alchemy," that was designed by one of my favorite bloggers, Linda B from Eclectic Visions of an Altered Journey. Isn't it fabulous? Check out her blog-- she makes the coolest stuff. I just added a little Rock Candy Stickles to the petals, layered the three pieces and attached them with a brad. The final touch? A couple of skeleton leaves spritzed with homemade glimmer mist (i.e. Perfect Pearls in water).

So, that's the card, and along with it comes my wish for all of us this fine spring: That we do indeed encourage our hopes, sew seeds of wonderfulness and send our fears packing! Thanks for all your lovely comments-- they always make my day!

Hugs,
Linda

Stampotique Holiday Mash-Up!

Basically, this is what happens when you put two different holidays into a Cuisinart and hit "Puree."

I received my latest order from Stampotique just this afternoon, and had to get this baby put together FAST in order to submit it for their Easter Designers' Challenge. Whew! I think I broke a sweat, and I know I broke a nail. No matter, I love these off-kilter kids (Smile and Marci), and don't they totally look like they're nearly hyperventilating in anticipation of the Easter Bunny? I get it. That's how I feel about chocolate, too.

I colored the kids with Mark-Its, stamped "candy!' repeatedly with letter stamps and blended Bundled Sage Distress Ink around the perimeter. Two completely contradictory decorative papers were layered underneath, and the "bunny better hurry" scrap was colored with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink.

Oh, and see that blingy little button in the top right-hand corner, perched on the paper flower? That's FLAIR, baby (if you saw the movie "Office Space," you're probably laughing right now). It's from a new embellishment set by Dear Lizzy/American Crafts, which I was lucky enough to win from Simon Says Stamps a few weeks ago! I know-- how generous is that?? I love SSS, they're awesome folks, and are always doing giveaways and posting great ideas. They didn't ask for a plug. but they get one anyway because they're so lovely!

And on that note, it's bedtime for this girl. The caffeine has worn off, Bowie the cat is snoring on top of my desk, and I wish you all sweet dreams (day and night!).

Hugs,
Linda

I Love Sunrises. I Love FROSTING!

Gingersnap Creations is currently hosting a challenge called "Frosting," and the objective is to use something sparkly, shiny or glaze-y in your piece. Well, I LOVE frosting (just ask my mom, who never managed to get an entire cake frosted in all the years I was growing up), so I had to jump on this train! And since I'm so loving the change of seasons, I went with a spring theme.

For some reason, I love making sunrises and sunsets with ink. (Maybe because it's something I've done so often it doesn't freak me out anymore.) To create this little "break of day" card, I used four ink pads-- Adirondack Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange and Twilight Purple, and Distress Ink in Wild Honey-- and blended them together for hours and hours (okay, maybe not hours, but it felt that way) with an Ink Blending Tool. Then, I stamped Tim's little leafy stem things from his Spring Sprung Collection, and Kitchen Sink Stamps Tree Branch (#1) from their Multi-Step Owl and Autumn Moon set using black pigment ink. Those were embossed with pearlized clear powder so they have a little frosty sheen to them. I added leaves from the same Kitchen Sink Stamps set using black StazOn ink, and blinged 'em up with some Rock Candy Stickles.

Next, I "frosted" the little leafy stem things with the Bottle shade of Ranger Dimensional Pearls. I hardly ever use this stuff, and I really should-- it's totally cool! It's hard to tell in the photo, but it really does add a lot of texture and shine. (Note to self: Find more ways to use Dimensional Pearls).

The KSS owl is a four-step stamp image, and friends,  there was no way I was going to risk messing up the whole card by attempting to stamp it directly onto the tree (because trust me, I would have screwed it up monumentally!). So instead, I stamped her onto plain white cardstock using four progressively darker shades of brown Distress Ink, cut her out and gave her a nice, thick coat of Ranger Glossy Accents. So, our owl got frosted, too!

Moving along, the hummingbird is a Silhouette die cut colored with Copper and Black Adirondack paints, and the foil border is made with Flower Soft stickers. The "Breathe" text was freehanded onto a scrap of copper and lowlighted with black paint. The background card was colored with Bottle Adirondack ink, embossed with verdigris powder, edged with gold foil and decorated with the same leaf stamp I used on the tree. And if you look closely, you'll see a panel of cruelly distressed handmade paper between the two layers.

And so, there's my frosted homage to the season of new beginnings. Have you created a frosted card lately, too? (I bet you have!) If so, post it at Gingersnaps so we can all partake in your brilliance!

Have a fab Sunday!
Linda

Cyberpunk Paper Tole: Drunken Stampers Challenge 9

The email arrived about a week ago. "Your Drunken Stampers Design Team project for March 28 is paper tole," it said.

Paper tole. Huh. Paper...tole? What the heck is paper tole?? I had no idea.

So, I started thinking, "Maybe they meant to say 'paper TOWEL,' and they want us to use a sheet of extra-absorbant Brawny in our next project." But that really didn't make much sense. 

In the end I had to just suck it up and ask. This was not my proudest moment as a papercrafter, but thanks to my Drunken Stampers mentors, Peggy and Spike,  I finally know what paper tole is (at least, I think I do), and-- better still-- I actually did it (at least, I think I did).

I admit this to you because I know my readers are compassionate and kind people who won't ridicule me.

As Spike patiently explained, paper tole is a process of making several copies of a stamped image and selectively cutting out parts to layer on top of each other, creating a 3D effect. For instance, in this photo, you can kind of see how our Stradivarius-wielding Borg Queen's torso was layered onto her arms, her face onto her torso, and her mask onto her face. Her cyber-shoulders were also "toled."

 Her name is Lola. She was a cyborg...

And here, you can see just how warped those cyber shoulders are! Rats, I totally wish that hadn't happened. But, you can also see how the violin, Borg iPod, and building were layered:

Once I knew what the theme actually meant, I had a BLAST doing this card! Paper tole is fun!

Now, as far as the specifics of this card go, I used a cool stamp that I'm pretty sure is from the discontinued and much-missed Acey Deucy line (if I'm wrong, someone please correct me). She was colored with Bic Mark-Its and her layers were attached with foam dots. The background paper is from Graphic 45, and that's layered on top of Black Magic Hypnotic Coredinations paper. (Little plug here for Coredinations, because it's awesome! It has a colored core, so if you distress the surface you can see the contrasting shade beneath. If you love to "grunge out" your art, this stuff is the bomb!)

I finished with a piece of motherboard from a deceased computer (hence the "cyberpunk" reference) which got a little pair of grungeboard wings. And voilà: Paper Tole! Or at least, something like it.

Now, if I can do this technique, I know you can! In fact, you probably already have! And you probably did it way better than I did! But whether or not that's the case, please give it a whirl and post your layered masterpiece over at the Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog!

Hugs and happy weekend!

Linda

Our Lady of Steampunkiness

In the midst of several blog challenges I'm doing this week, I decided to make something just for the fun of it, using the pitiful remains of a couple of other projects that hadn't remotely worked out the way I'd hoped. That happens a lot around here, by the way. You know how some people say they have an inner child? Well, I have an inner mad scientist. She likes to melt stuff and burn things and mix mediums with frighteningly wild abandon (truly, it's a wonder I haven't blown the place to smithereens by now).

This card started out as a jewelry project, then sort took on a life of its own. I'd been re-reading Suze Weinberg's classically awesome Melt Art Impressions book and was captivated by her Faux Dichronic Glass technique (page 28, if you happen to have the book handy). Basically, you take a piece of chipboard, dip one side into clear, melted UTEE (tinted with a few drops of ink), press a piece of rainbow foil against the hot UTEE until it cools, peel off the foil backing, and re-dip the piece into more hot UTEE. You end up with something like this:

It's kind of dichronic glass-y, huh?  It really does look better in person. All that shininess is crazy-hard to photograph.

However, for my would've-been jewelry project that you see on the card up top, I wanted to use a Tim Holtz Ornate Plate, so I modified the process a bit. I cut a piece of grungeboard just large enough to fit the back of the plate and glued rainbow foil right onto the grungeboard. I attached this to the plate with brads, then carefully poured melted UTEE into the frame and let it cool. It actually worked pretty well (okay, maybe it seeped through the back a little...). I re-melted the UTEE with my heat gun just enough to allow me to press the little metal mask into it. Here's a close up:

I could have stopped there and called it a pendant, but by then I had a full-on case of Foil Fever (a strange condition wherein one becomes so mesmerized by shiny stuff that she decides she needs even MORE shiny stuff. You will not find this malady listed on WebMD, but trust me, it's real). And so, the pendant became the centerpiece of a foil-festooned card. If you can see past the visual cacophony of all that rainbow sparkle, you'll notice a couple of the new Tim Holtz Alterations Gadget Gears and the image of a cool science woman stamp that I took off its mounting block and now can't identify. I really need to stop doing that.

And so, that's how a wannbe necklace became a (very heavy) greeting card. Sure, I could disassemble it and wear the pendant, but instead I'll probably just make another. That way, I get to melt more stuff!

Hugs,

Linda

And the Winner Is...

Thanks to everyone who commented on my Spring Giveaway post! You guys are awesome. The Random Number Generator hath spoken, and comment #46, left by Buglady, is our winner.

Woot!!! Yay, Buglady! I'll be contacting your shortly for your mailing address.

Have a happy, spring-y, creative day, everyone!

Hugs,
Linda

Hey, Let's Celebrate Spring with a Giveaway!

Stamps: Hero Arts Dandelion Frame and Stampotique Blueberry Bunnies in a Basket.

Stamp Ink: About a dozen different Brilliance Colors!

Pens: Bic Mark-Its

Embellishments: Lots of Distress Stickles, Michael's $1 ribbon 

 

Happy Equniox, everyone!

 

I'm thinking about all the things in my life worth celebrating today, including (but not limited to) the first day of spring, my awesome blog readers (that's you!), and the fact that the fabulous artists at Gingersnap Creations have invited me to be on their Design Team! Holy cow, I'm excited!!! And very, very grateful. The card above is my submission for their Chestnut Theme "Celebrate" Challenge, and boy, do I feel like celebrating! And that means it's time to share the love!

 

So, I'm going to give away a cigar box full of spring-themed goodies to someone who leaves a comment on this blog post. That's all you need to do to be eligible (but do make sure I have some way to contact you in case you win!). We'll go until... oh, let's say six o'clock in the morning this Wednesday, March 24, at which time I'll use the magical Random Number Generator to select a winner.

 

And what does the winner get?  

• Six Unmounted Fairy/Fantasy stamps (which I got at a stamp show and I have no idea who produced them. They're very cool and spring-y, though!) See the second photo below for the images.
• An Adirondack Purple Twilight Dye Ink Pad (the most magical of colors-- I use it all the time!)
• Twenty Assorted Sheets of  Pretty, Patterned Cardstock (4.5 x 6.5-inch). Most of it is glittery!
• A Dozen Maya Road Chipboard Flowers
• An arm's length of gorgeous white lace with iridescent threads (it looks pink here, but it's white)
• A Wooden Cigar Box, just waiting to be decorated.

 

And I'm going to throw in an extra surprise, too!

 

Oh! I just remembered that Stampotique Designers Challenge has a Spring Theme right now, too. You all know how much I adore their stamps! I'd better go link this baby up over there...

 

I really appreciate everyone who takes time to visit Studio L3! You guys make this so much fun, and in just a few months of blogging I've made some great new friends and learned so much my head never stops spinning! Thank you for being so cool, so kind and so inspiring!

 

And, good luck in the Spring Giveaway!

 

 

Hugs,

Linda

When Drunken Stampers Pull Ribbons...

I don't remember exactly when it happened, but shortly after I discovered stamping (and forevermore re-routed a considerable chunk of my income into putting the children of craft store owners through medical school), I began saving ribbon. No scrap is too tiny, no color too weird. If it's frayed, cool! We'll call it "grunge."

In my more indulgent moments, I've been known to purchase lace ribbon remnants by the pound off eBay.

So, when Peggy and Spike, our Drunken Stamper emcees, issued this week's Ribbon Pull Design Challenge, I certainly had plenty of stock on hand! This is a fun way to kickstart your creativity , and we hope you'll play along! All you need to do is dump all your ribbon into a box, close your eyes, reach in and pull one. Whichever ribbon you pull-- be it pretty or be it utterly bizarre-- is your Official Design Inspiration.

Get well soon, Caitlyn! We need to do some power shopping, girl!

Given my "eclectic" collection, I totally lucked out when I pulled the relatively sedate fuschia ribbon you see at the top of this piece (then again, could fuschia ever truly be "sedate?"). From there, the little "Get Well" card came together pretty easily. The stamps are from Rubber Romance (check out this awesome deal from Eclectic Paperie!), the images were colored with Bic Mark-Its, and the background is berry-toned Bazill. The little paper flower was attached with a sparkly black brad, and I used a scrap of pink polka dot ribbon to tie it all together.

See? The Ribbon Pull is easy and way fun, and you should totally do it, too! Check out the cool stuff Peggy, Spike and Donna made with their own ribbons of randomness over at the Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog, and join the party!

Happy Spring Equinox, everyone! And not a moment too soon...

Hugs,
Linda

Happy Birthday, Gingersnap Creations!

One of my very favorite blogs, Gingersnap Creations, is celebrating its first birthday! Since I still haven't figured out a way to send cake via email (and some scientist really needs to get on that! Imagine the possibilities...), I made a card instead. Besides, I can submit this for their Random Redhead Birthday Card Challenge, whereas a cake... not so much.

The stamp is another yet Daniel Torrente from Stampotique, colored with Mark-its (thanks for the tip, Spike!) and shaded with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The dark blue card was decorated with Tim Holtz's brick stamp from the Bitty Grunge set using Champagne Versamark Ink, then brushed with copper Perfect Pearls. The flowers are Idea-ology, painted with Copper Adirondack paint, and the vines are gold ribbon. The balloon was cut with my Silhouette machine and stamped with tiny (i.e. "easily dropped") magnetic alphabet stamps. It looks like it should've taken ten minutes. It took all evening. What is WRONG with me??

(And on that note, I just picked up the new Stampington Take Ten magazine. It's gorgeous! But do people really make these cards in ten minutes?! If so, they are magic, card-conjuring wizrds who are using their considerable powers to make mortals like me look extra lame. Just sayin'...)

Anyway...back to the topic at hand. Sorry for the tiny rant.

Happy, HAPPY birthday to you, Gingersnap Creations! I love your challenges, which don't come loaded with lots of rules and regulations. I love that everyone there is so amazingly kind and supportive. I love that you give us all plenty of time to create our submissions, and that your themes are always fun and open-ended.

Guys, there's still plenty of time to submit a piece to their birthday card challenge, so why not join in? The more, as you know, the merrier. With or without cake.

Hugs,

Linda

Postcard for a Goddess on Sunday

The Sunday Postcard Art Challenge theme for this week is "Goddess." No way could I pass that one up, especially since it means I get to incorporate a digital collage I created several YEARS ago and have never put to good use! Besides, who doesn't love a goddess?!

A teeny bit of background will make this more fun...

The Greek goddess Hera, at least as far as our high school mythology classes were concerned, was the long-suffering wife of good-for-nothing playboy Zeus, the sky god who set the standard for philandering skirt-chasers down through the ages. Supposedly, Hera was jealous (well, duh), vengeful (ya think?) and unduly cruel to Zeus's numerous "side projects." In other words, she's not generally presented in a particularly good light.

However, historians and mythology scholars contend that before she morphed into a Grecian shrew, Hera was the most supreme of all supreme beings to certain ancient Mediterranean tribes, the goddess who presided over all women... and all their concerns. In that light, it seems highly unlikely that she'd waste precious time spying on her jerk husband and tormenting his Olympian floozies. She'd have far too much on her plate.

So, tell me, which version of Hera's story do YOU prefer? Personally, I'm going with Option B:

Hey, Zeus: You've been SERVED!

This little homage to Hera began with a magazine ad for... what is it, perfume? I think so. Here's the original:

As you can plainly see, the poor waif needed a sandwich in the worst way. After Photoshopping thirty or so pounds onto her and giving her goddess-y hair and a little color in her skin, she looked much healthier. From there, I got rid of the background and layered in images of the Northern Lights, the Acropolis and a big full moon. This digital collage was printed on photo paper and torn out. The edges were inked with Burlap and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

I decorated a brown card blank with gold and aqua embossing powders over Versamark ink, then layered a panel of 7 Gypsies patterned paper over that. Our Hera collage was added next, topped with a little plaque that was cut from a scrap of copper sheeting, embossed freehand and aged with black paint. The text was ink-jetted onto white cardstock and colored with Crushed Olive Distress Ink. The final touch? A peacock feather.

And there you have it: Hera revisioned! I hope you'll pick a goddess, give her a new lease on life, and post it over at the Sunday Postcard Art Challenge, too!

Hugs,

Linda L3

Getting Irish Jig-y With It!

Okay, so, a few weeks ago I received a very, very cool email from Spike over the Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog, inviting me to join their Design Team! I said yes (actually, I sort of screamed it while jumping up and down and waving my arms around). You guys have no idea how hard it's been to keep my big mouth shut about all this, because I'm just crazy excited to:

A). Be on a Design Team; and
B.) Be on a Design Team that's as much fun as the Drunken Stampers!

I've been playing along with their challenges since Day One, and have had a blast every single week. Spike and her partner in drunken stampiness, Peggy, are the cocktail-wielding, ink-flinging hostesses with the most-est(es), and they always inspire with a wink and a nudge. Remember Naked Inebriated Reveller Guy? Yeah, they were the motivation behind that. 'Nuff said.

(The super-talented Donna is also a newly-minted Design Team member! Look out... between the four of us, who knows what kind of trouble we'll get into...)

So, for my first "official" project as a Drunker Stamper Designer, Peggy emailed over this photo of a traditional Irish dance dress, and basically said "Run with it!"

As my mind instantly filled with one too many memories of watching "Riverdance,' I knew immediately what kind of typically smart-arsed project I wanted to do. And, in the process of doing it, I learned that it's really flipping hard for me to freehand-cut paperdoll clothing. I'll spare you the details.

The black base card is stamped with a Tim Holtz lace stamp from his Purely Random set and embossed with gold powder. The background panel is cream cardstock stamped with a Tim Holtz flourish (from the Urban Chic set) and Burlap Distress Ink. Our dancers (Sioban and Sinead O'Brien) (kidding!) were found via Google image search and ruthlessly Photoshopped into dorky looking cartoon girls. The little outfits were cut from red and blue paper and decorated with the same flourish stamp mentioned above. They got their bling on with some shiny gold leaf ribbon. The text was printed using a knockoff version of the American Typewriter font, and layered onto black panels (see, Donna? My layering is never straight, either!).

I pondered whether to add a shamrock, but after struggling with the paper dresses I was far too weary to go there. So, I realize now that this is posted that there's not a speck of green on my St. Patrick's Day card. My Irish ancestors have just disowned me.

Okay, now it's YOUR turn! Gaze upon the hypnotic dress above and let it inspire you! Then, post the result at the Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog so we can all bask in your creative brilliance! And, if you need a green beer to make it happen, well, you have our blessing (although personally, I'd recommend a nice Guinness Stout...).

Sláinte! Erin go Bragh and... CHEERS!

Sirens Go Gothic at the Beach

The Gothic Arch challenge du jour is "Beach Bathing Beauties," and as I'm burning up with spring fever, I couldn't not go there! (See? Cowbell isn't the only prescription, and the first person who chimes in with the source of that joke gets a present in the mail from me!)

The background is grungeboard covered with a layer of aquamarine satin fabric, then overlaid with some shimmery, webby netting that was most likely intended to adorn a prom dress. The edges were dipped into Glossy Accents and coated with Beadazzles in "Electric Slide" (how can you not love a product called "Electric Slide?!"). The text was ink-jetted onto white cardstock, torn out, edged with teal ink and blinged with Pine Needles Distress Stickles. The little cheap-o nautical charms were attached with a hitch post and turquoise wire. I hummed Bobby Darrin songs while performing all these tasks.

As for our mermaids (or are they angel fish? I can't tell!), they're scanned from an old postcard I've had framed and hanging in my bathroom for years! I just love them. Edna, Maxine and Lorraine were Photoshopped into a picture of a fishbowl, then printed onto matte photo paper, cut out and glued to the arch. Easy... and beachy!

I just got home from the early half of my long, split-shift work day, and am sitting at my desk with Bowie The Cat curled up in a fuzzy white ball on my lap. He has a mighty and impressive snore, and likes to chase things in his dreams. Here he is a few days ago, warming up for a nice nap:

I hope you're all having as lovely a day as Bowie!

Hugs,

Linda

Gimme an Inchie...

Spike and Peggy, ever the perfect hostesses over at the Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog, issued a call for inchie art this week. Now, I know that inchies are a controversial topic, and people seem to fall squarely (pun!) into either the "LOVE 'EM" box or the "HATE 'EM LIKE A PERSISTENT RASH" box. Admittedly, as I grow older and my reading glasses get thicker, I find working on a teeny tiny scale ever more challenging. Still, I love these little art-ettes. They're like the petit fours of the stamping world, and you can't go wrong with cake!

For this piece, I stamped the MOON letters from the Character Constructions Theatre of Dreams I set onto glossy cardstock that I'd swirled with a mix of Milled Lavendar Distress Ink and white Perfect Pearls. I set the little squares behind 1-inch Memory Glass and wrapped the edges with silver foil tape.

The background is colored with a mix of Ranger Adirondack Inks in Sunset Orange, Wild Plum, Purple Twilight and Eggplant, to invoke a sunset-y mood. I spritzed this with a mix of the white Perfect Pearls and water from a Mini Mister, hoping it would look like stars. Actually, it looks more like I left the card out in the rain (wasn't that a song?), but I'm okay with that. The letters up top were stamped with black Archival Ink and some old alphabet set I've had since the late '90s.

I also got to use the new Tim Holtz Alteration butterfly die from his Fanciful Flight set, and of course that made me all delighted. However, a butterfly at sunset doesn't make much sense, so for this card we're calling it a "Lunar Moth." Those other, mini "Lunar Moths" in the right corner are from Tim's Spring Sprung set, and the grungeboard swirly was cut with the Elegant Flourishes die.  The whole thing was layered onto black and purple cardstock, and I was then ready for my post-Drunken Stampers-challenge cocktail!

What do you think of inchies? Fun and challenging or the annoying cause of most hand cramps? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Rainy Monday Hugs,
Linda

Oh, Man! I'm Wilde About Alterations!

So, yesterday I got to use my very first Tim Holtz Alteration Die! That's right: A Big ol' Box of Sizzix Love just showed up from Scrapbook.com! Was I excited, you wonder? Remember the scene from A Christmas Story when Ralphie's dad cracked open that "Fra-GEE-lay" crate and first beheld the Leg Lamp? It was a lot like that.

In celebration, I went all steampunky-grunge and made a new card, utilizing the cage portion of the Caged Bird set.

I cut the bird cage out of grungeboard with my Big Shot, then employed the über-cool faux rust technique from Tim's new book to (ahem) "age the cage." (By the way, if you don't yet have the Compendium of Curiosities, you've gotta treat yourself to it. It's spectacular!) The "rust" is simply Distress Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo, with Vintage Photo Distress Ink rubbed over the top once it's set and cooled. I also added the new Rusty Hinge DI, because it just seemed like the right thing to do.

The starry background is some pre-spangled white mulberry paper I've been hoarding for months. I just sprayed it with blue and purple Ranger Colorwash and let it dry. This was layered onto a black panel, then attached to a dark brown card. I used Adirondack Copper Paint to edge it all and hopefully invoke an even rustier feel. The Oscar Wilde quote was printed on antique-toned vellum, torn out and edged with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain DIs.

And now, I'm going to rant for just a moment, so brace yourselves. Ready? Okay. What is UP with the lack of (non-creepy) Victorian Gentleman stamps? I mean, you can't swing a flaming corset without hitting a half dozen elegant Victorian Lady stamps! Where are the guys? What's the deal? Am I missing something? Were they all too busy being Jane Austen characters? Or what??

Okay, sorry. Thanks for indulging me. Anyway, due to the dearth of non-creepy Victorian Gentleman stamps on the market, I went the clipart route for my caged man by Photoshopping together a couple of images and applying various filters until I (mostly) had the look I wanted. Our locked-up libertine (we'll call him "Frederick") was glued behind the cage. Ideaology washers and brads were inserted through the holes at the bottom, then bashed with a Texture Hammer a few times (which helped me work out that whole lack-of-stamp frustration quite nicely).

The cage was attached to the card with a Hitch Fastener, to which the chain portion of a Swivel Clasp was added using a jump ring. The other end of the chain was bolted to the card with a washer and brad. After that, a couple of sprockets and a pointer were affixed, and... Presto! Victorian Man in a Rusty Cage! Every home should have one! (?) I'm going to post him over at the Three Muses "Oh, Man!" challenge, so he can enjoy a little male bonding.

Today is the best kind of Saturday for me, because I have no extra-curricular job stuff to do, and a big stack of shiny new Alteration Dies to play with! This may end up being the first day in my entire life I forget to eat lunch!

Naw, that'll never happen.

Hugs,
Linda

Glittery, Lace-y, Oceanic Altered Book

Along with five other women, I've been doing an altered book round robin for, oh, like six months now. It was one of those deals where we were each supposed to have one book for two weeks, then pass it along to the next person, and after twelve weeks we'd have a big party and everyone would get their original book back, only in a much cooler and more art-ified state.

You know what they say about "The best laid plans of mice and artistic women who work full-time jobs," right?

Finishing the art wasn't a problem for any of us. But finding a night when all six of us could get together for the Big Reveal that was about as easy as nailing Jell-O to a tree.

However, I'm happy to report that, assuming the Earth doesn't collide with an asteroid in the next two days, we're actually having our Altered Book Finale Fiesta this Thursday (and we're having it at my house, so I should probably clean...). Given that the big night is imminent, I decided I should actually do my alteration in the book that's been in my possession since before Christmas.

The upside of waiting until nearly the last minute is the fact that I was able to plan my alteration to fit the theme of this week's Drunken Stampers Challenge, which is "Lace and Glitter." Please note that both are, in fact, present in this spread, even if the glitter sort of gets lost in the photography.

(This book belongs to my friend Missy, who's a bona fide artist, and it's only
because she's the nicest person in the world that I'm not scared to plop my
"refreshingly unprofessional" art into her book.)

So, this oceanic odyssey began with Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass and Adirondack Ink in Clover swirled onto the pages with a blending tool. Then, Glimmer Mist in Moonlight was sprayed all over the place (including my art table, Scott's desk and at least one cat). After that dried, green paper lace was torn and attached with Matte Accents. (Hey, Drunken Stampers, does paper lace count as lace?? I added a real lace border across the top of the page, just in case. We're calling that "sea foam.")

The vintage mermaid print is a Stampington digital collage image printed on Claudine Helmuth  Studio Sticky-Back Canvas (I love that stuff. Claudine Helmuth is a goddess) and-- because I now set everything on fire-- I burned the edges, then shaded the corners with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The three little faces are UTEE poured into a mold I made from an old china doll face. They were accented with the trusty gold Krylon.

At that point, I squiggled lines of Glossy Accents around the bottom edge and in the "water," and then poured superfine gold glitter over it. I attached some faux seaglass made from florist pebble and little mirrors colored with Stream Alcohol Ink. And the final touch was a tattered "fishermans' net" cut from a one of those poofy bath pom-pom things. Necessity is, in fact, the mother of doing weird things to dollar store finds. This was tied with twine and attached at the top of the page with a hitch fastener, and at the bottom with glue. We'll see if it holds...

To wrap things up, I just want to give a huge shout out and my deepest admiration to the ladies who made this round robin so much fun! Missy, Cathy, Emily, Ingrid and Caitlyn, you're all amazing! I can't wait to find out what we all did to those innocent old books...

Hugs!
Linda