Motherboards and Art Doll Bookmarks at STARS

Hello,
I've returned from a week in Chicago attending Summer CHA (Craft & Hobby Assn), and before telling you all about the show I wanted to show you projects from this month's STARS meeting.

For years I've been teaching a class I call my "motherboard".  In recent years there have been magazine articles referring to this type of art as "masterboards".  Doesn't matter to me what you call it.  My idea was to create colorful, layered backgrounds that would be scanned into my computer and then printed for use in projects, maintaining the original forever, rather than cutting it up for art.

When I traveled to Orlando for Stampfest last month, I'd made photocopies that we used as backgrounds for ATC's, which were housed in our Elevated ATC Shrines by Coffee Break Designs.

So for stamp club, I pulled out some of those same copies, stamped my favorite art doll from Teesha Moore, and then let the ladies choose one to decorate in the creation of a bookmark.

Normally I'd want this doll layered and dimensional, but to save your spot between pages of a book, flat was required.

Everyone was given a white pen from Ranger's Inkssentials line to add accents.  I also had a few  white Marvy Reminisce gel pens which are also fabulous for everyone to try and compare.

So let's start at the beginning.  I stamped the art doll on copies of my backgrounds.  Next I used some of my newest rubber stamp purchases from Lost Coast Designs and stamped more of the motherboard copies, giving the girls a contrasting background to use in the creation of a hat.  The dolls were layered onto scrapbook paper, hats were added, and then the doodling in white gave each one their own unique personality.

Sharon's doll had a dunce-type hat while Michele used 3 of them to create a different look.  But notice the patterns on the dresses.  Sharon chose to add accents to her dress while Michele accented a dabber dot only.

I love the pattern on this dress that I created with a stencil and white paint, but look at the hat Janie added with a wide brim.  She also created a choker and straps for sandals.  And she chose to highlight some of the stencilled areas as well.

This doll wears a crown.

 And this one has punched dragonflies added to her dress.

 I confess I love this background, created with a stencil from Coffee Break, and the colors of ink I'd used, but notice she has tiny punched swirls added.  And the image I stamped on extra pieces that created her hat is truly going to be a favorite for a long time.

Our swap for July was bookmarks so I found it appropriate to let everyone create an extra one as the monthly project.  I was busy pulling more supplies and didn't make one at all, but of course you know I will...later.

STARS Challenge

A couple of months ago during stamp club we were trying to come up with an idea for a swap.  This month for instance we're swapping bookmarks again, something we haven't done in a while.  Instead of a swap we agreed to a challenge.  Everyone brought a ziploc bag of goodies that included handmade paper, scrapbook paper, stamped images, die cuts, stickers, ...just oodles of stuff.  We all took home a bag and returned last month with a finished piece for the owner of the bag. 

The above 5x7 legal pad was covered by Laurie for Sharon, using the papers, rub-ons, etc that she'd included in her bag.  Notice the alcohol inked metal washers strung across the top?

Joyce chose my bag and completed this scrapbook page for herself, featuring a photo of her granddaughter.  That 12x12 sheet was actually created by Joyce with strips of papers I'd cut up.  The die cut birds were plain white but she decorated them to match.

Lyn had filled her bag with stamped images related to golf, and Michele made her a portfolio from a colorful file folder, using those images and adding lots of fun elements.

Pockets filled with handmade tablets for notes and lists.  Lots and lots of pockets with things tucked inside.

Lyn missed the meeting and hasn't picked up her portfolio yet, so if you're reading this, I've spoiled the surprise, but doesn't it make you want to race over today??

As usual at the meetings I'm so busy oohing and aahing over everything that I forget to take pictures, so I don't have photos of everyone's projects. 
But I did take a photo of the shadowbox collage I made for Michele.

This was a class I taught at Stampaway last year and I had some of them left over so as a last minute decision, I made one using quite a few of the elements she'd tucked inside her big bag.  The background was a piece of cupcake scrapbook paper.  Honestly, it wasn't a pretty paper, but I spritzed it and stenciled it, turned it sideways to disguise the cupcakes and then tried my best to cover the majority of it. 

The roof of one house was heavyweight cardstock she'd run through a texture plate.  The second was aluminum flashing tape she'd run through a different texture plate and colored with alcohol inks.  And the third was covered with tiny metal cupcake liners.

Two of the houses were covered with papers she'd inked, and one was covered by fabulous tissue paper scraps I'd been hoarding for decades.  She'd stamped an "M" on a piece of mulberry paper with fibers, and I colored it to match the background. 

We all agreed it was a lot of fun and that we'd take on another challenge like this. 

Now doesn't this make you want to get creative with a few friends tonight?

More Stampfest Fun

My first class on Saturday morning was the Whimsical Assemblage, using an elevated ATC shrine kit from Coffee Break Designs.

I'd love to tell you I took photos of the completed projects, but of course I was running around like a crazy woman and didn't take a single one.

The kits were filled with goodies and the supplies I shared included Ranger's acrylic paints by Claudine, which are fabulous, giving great coverage in just one coat, and in a wonderful array of colors.

They also received wooden triangles, stars, flowers & spheres from Ready-to-Decorate/DIY Bangles.  When I noticed the ladies adding polka dots I realized I should've told them the end of the paintbrush handles made perfect dots.  Better late than never with my instructions.

I don't know if you can see the tiny little bird shadowboxes in these photos, but these are also from Coffee Break, along with the chipboard pennants. 

So if any of you ladies would care to share your finished pieces, please contact me so we can get them posted here.  I know everyone would love to see them, especially me!!

Now here's a really funny story for you.  I taught 2 back-to-back classes on Friday morning and then hosted a table at the Make & Take party Friday night.  On Saturday I led make & takes in the Just For Fun booth all day, as the gals made these ship in a bottle cards.

Saturday night was my Art Journal of Techniques class from 6-8, so I was back in the classroom around 5:00 to get everything set up.  The first 2 gals to come in the room stored their stamping suitcases and began looking at the all the goodies we'd be using in the class.  The excitement grew as I continued to put out more and more supplies.  So when more gals began to arrive we discovered the first 2 were in the wrong room.  They were looking for a Visual Art Journal class in the room next door and didn't want to leave!

That continued to happen right up until the beginning of my class, and we'd all laugh as the ladies who were excited about the goodies began to groan in realization they too were in the wrong room.

So for the ones who stayed and played for 3 hours instead of the scheduled two, I thank you.

Looking forward to more play time next year girls!

Stampfest Orlando Specimen Box Collage Class

Four days in Orlando in June...I say it every year, ... hot, humid & wet.  I think it rains multiple times per day in Florida whether I'm there or not, so I know I'm not singled out, yet that's how it feels.

The sponsor of Stampfest is Just For Fun, and once again Debby pulled out all the stops for everyone.  Shirts this year were tie-dyed and fabulous, in my colors!

My Specimen Box Stencil Collage Class was a huge hit, and the end results were all unique and fabulous.  But of course the best part is always seeing the smiling faces and knowing that everyone enjoyed themselves.

I asked my students to bring their own palette of dye based ink pads, in colors of their choosing, so it was interesting to see the combinations.

The making of each background piece is always fun, watching them follow my directives, trying to decide what I'm up to and why I ask them to do certain things.  But when the assembly begins, they get it and they love it.

Here are a couple of perfect examples of what I notice in my classes.  We're all drawn to specific colors and the ones we choose for our art are often the ones we choose for our wardrobes.

If you love purple, you love it in all aspects of your life.

Just look at that stack of Ranger Adirondack ink pads.  Warms the heart, doesn't it?

As with all my classes I brought along supplies for everyone to play with such as drywall tape, punchinella, and my favorite of all, Clearsnap's Magic Stamp, formerly known as Penscore.  I'd impressed a tapestry image rubber stamp into each rectangle, and it was a great addition.  And of course each participant got to keep all those stamping tools.

Just look at this blouse and the color palette on her pieces.  I tell you, we know what we like!

Here was a mother/son duo that were quiet and hardworking and then wowed us with their finished masterpieces. 

Below are photos snapped throughout the class, while they were busy inking and stamping, creating those different pieces that would become the end results showcased proudly in their specimen boxes.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended this class and had fun with me.  I enjoyed your company and enthusiasm immensely.

STARS are busy girls too

Big changes are taking place in my studio.   There are new lights, a new shelving unit to hold that oversized paper & chipboard I bought months ago, and furniture has been rearranged yet again.  In addition to all that, I'm working on my kits for the 3 upcoming classes at Stampfest in Orlando.  I host STARS, my stamp club on Thursday, the 16th and then fly out on Thursday, the 23rd. 

And that made me realize I didn't post photos from May's meeting to show you what a creative group of girls attend each month.  The first photo above was made by Sharon.  Don't you love those flowers?  And this photo was a mini book Michele made to fit an altoid tin for her mother.  You know how much I love teeny books.  Just check out those backgrounds.

Joyce had shown her mother-in-law how to make the never-ending cards, so of course she brought one for show & tell.

This was our project one month when Joyce
was hostess, though we didn't use glitter.  You know that's strictly forbidden in the studio.

Ophelia, who doesn't make it to meetings anymore, has been doing demos at Jerry's Art-O-Rama for some time now.  Michele has been to watch and brought her own art journal, with pages she'd decorated, inspired by Ophelia.

So even though you're not here with us, you're still part of the club!

I handed out chipboard row houses at the April meeting, challenging the girls to make something with them.  And then of course I forgot about it completely and didn't even do one myself.

But Joyce remembered and made this fabulous little vessel with houses all around, backed by yellow cardstock to add light in the windows.

Laurie had stumbled upon a fabulous deal on scrapbook paper at Michael's (a penny a sheet!!), so she'd made this little bag and added the row houses as an embellishment.

And Michele created a masterpiece that isn't complete, but the imagination this required was astounding!

Here's the back view showing the stripes of the paper on the inset houses.
And if that weren't creative enough, take a look at the art made with Clearsnap's Penscore/Magic Stamp and the lid of a Downey bottle.

There's nothing like gathering once a month with a group of talented girls to make you want to be creative.  If you're not already in a club, and can't find one nearby, you should start one of your own.  The fun can't start until you do.