Two Challenges with One Card

Finally, I am going to post something. We are having a snow storm right now in Oklahoma. It started last night with freezing rain and sleet and finally turned to snow around noon today. So far we have not lost our power. I am keeping my fingers crossed and saying a little prayer that we don’t. The last time we lost power due to freezing rain was in 2007 and we had no power for six days. Ugh! And this time around I am on oxygen 24/7 and I certainly need the electricity.

Any way, I am posting a little Valentine’s card that I came up with due to a challenge on “Any Stamp Will Do.” Really two challenges for the groups Sketch Challenge Mondays and The NEW Color Challenge (just one card for two challenges). This is a fairly new group on Ning. Come on over and check us out. We have some very talented people to chat with and exchange ideas.



I have colored the main image with Copic Markers and it is from The Greeting Farm Miss Anya Love Collection. I purchased it from Die Cuts R Us. The sentiment is from the Unity Stamp Company. I have also used two techniques, Cuttlebug Highlight and Out of the Box, from the Technique Junkies Newsletter. If you have not subscribed to this newsletter yet you are truly missing out.



That’s it for today. I hope you have a great weekend. And I hope you enjoyed another one of my experiments with whimsy and Copic Markers. (I am really enjoying those markers!)

Welcome our newest member JadeFantasyArt. She works out of New York and is a self tauht mixed media artist who is a teacher of Decorative Painting and a certified instructor.

She has personalized name plaques, ceramics, and jewelry. Along with original ACEO and handpainted note cards.

So lets welcome her and check out her store and learn more about her.

Welcome our newest member Irit Elazar Cohen who owns the store QuirkyCreatures. She is from California but originally from Isreal. She has studied drawing and photography.

Her cards depite surrealistic creatures in photography into her cards. Her cards are unique and cool. So go check out the newest member. And Welcome.

Welcome new member Crystal Dyck from ALberta. She owns the store Lil Bitty Card Company. She has been creating for over 10 years. Her work is hand drawn and colored. The cards are also done with stamps and embellishments.

So come by and check out her store and get know our new member.

New Member

Welcome new member ThompsonCrafts. Say hello to Micheal Thompson who is a stay at home dad and who enjoys making crafts. He has been selling online for about seven years. His cards have a vintage/primitve look and are professionally printed.

He also offers Christmas Ornaments, bookmarks, and gift tags. So lets welcome our member and drop by and check out what he has to offer.

Winter's Song

I am going to try something a little different…self-promotion. During now and the middle of November I will be preparing for an arts festival. And with that preparation comes new creations.

This first creation came about as a result of one technique called “Terraza Tones” from the TechniqueJunkies Newsletter. Thanks to Terri with Cards and Moore by Terri for turning me into a TechniqueJunkie. You can find subscription information at http://techniquejunkies.com/. These newsletters are fantastic and well worth your time. They will keep the creative juices flowing. The beautiful Southwest stamp was created by I Brake for Stamps. Check this site out. Her stamps are creative, wonderful, deeply etched, and just the right size! I don’t need anymore rubber stamps! But my addiction is so strong and uncontrollable!


This 5”x7” greeting card was so much fun to make! The “Terraza Tones” is created using instant coffee. I had nothing in the house other than drip. I tried that and could not accomplish the depth in color that I wanted. So my wonderful husband went to the store for me and purchased Chase and Sanborne instant coffee. Much, much better. The close up photo below will show the depth. You can control the strength of instant coffee. All the brown in this piece is the instant coffee. I do want to try and find the Terraza coffee. This coffee is a high-end instant coffee and hopefully it will be in gourmet shops.

The base card is a gorgeous Stardream metallic oyster color card stock. Other stocks I have used are watercolor paper and metallic copper card stock. Color enhancements are optional, but I used Twinks watercolors, copic markers, and copper ultra fine glitter. I have even used an unbleached coffee filter.


The stamp (central image) is stamped with black pigment ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. The piece of ivory stock that the central image is mounted on has been accented with copper pigment ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

More self-promotion…I have Winter’s Song for sale in all of my online shops/studios. Here are the links:
Etsy-http://ajsdesigns.etsy.com
ArtFire-http://ajsdesigns.artfire.com
1000Markets-http://ajsdesigns.1000markets.com
Zibbet-http://zibbet.com/ajsdesigns

Thanks so much for stopping by! And I hope everyone has a good week!

She's Batty Over Halloween

I cannot believe that it is October 1, 2009, already! We have 27 days until one of my favorite holidays is here, Halloween. Obsessed with Halloween, I am not…Jamie with She’s Batty Designs has that area of obsession covered.

Jamie describes herself as a “star-gazing, animal-loving, Halloween-obsessed, creative kind-of-gal.” Take a look at her Halloween creations in both of her online shops. I have thrown in other creation photos to show that she has other obsessions also. She’s not totally batty!

Enjoy fellow creators! Let Jamie know your obsessions also.

Happy Halloween!

How did you get your start in the world of art?
I've always had a love affair with arts and crafts. It's hard to pin point the exact time when my works started to take a real form because it's been a lifelong process which is continuously evolving.

Do you have a ritual you perform before you start creating?
Not really. When deciding on a new creation, the supplies I have on hand, and what I'm currently trying to create are all I need to get started. Half of the time I walk into my studio without a pre-determined project in mind. Other times I walk in with a vague concept like “Halloween Tags.” What is created from there depends on the supplies I have on hand. I focus on one holiday at a time, so for a few months the tables in my studio are covered with Halloween supplies or Christmas supplies, etc.


What do you like best, the creative process or the final creation?
That's an interesting question. I've actually never been asked that before. I like both stages, but I don't always like them on the same day. Some days I'm really in the mood to create, problem solve, and piece things together. Other days I'd rather enjoy a piece after I've moved passed all the “thinking stuff” and am sharing it with others.

What are your favorite art media, tools, and supplies?
I dabble in a lot of different crafts. Paper crafting, print making, sculpture, and photography are my passions. I have dabbled in film making, painting, and candle making. I would love to develop my skills in these areas. I’m also really inspired by soap makers! I haven’t tired out that craft at all and would love to really get into it!


I have two favourite supplies currently in my studio. I couldn’t pick just one and you’ll know why after I mention them. They are my Gocco printer and my Big Shot die cutter. They are both huge in my creative process - for their own reasons – and I would hate to be without them.

When a creative block happens, what process do you go through to get the creative juices flowing again?
If I have a creator's block it's usually not due to being out of ideas or supplies, it usually because of fatigue. I only get short bursts of energy due to having Ankylosing Spondylitis, so when I have the energy, I do a lot of creating! When I don't, I spend a lot of time online listing my items, surfing around for inspiration, and talking with other artists on Plurk and the AF forums. Although this cycle is not ideal from a health stand point, it really works well to keep away creator's block! When I'm creating, I'm solely focus on that, and when I'm drained of energy, I'm solely focused getting passive inspiration and doing the less creative tasks of online selling. I used to get depressed about not having the energy to create more, but I've realized over the last few years, that taking a different perspective about my whole situation has really helped me to be super productive when I DO have the chance to create.


What do you hope your art says about you?
I hope it says I enjoyed making it and took the time to make it right.

What is your greatest dream and greatest fear as an artist?
My biggest dream is that I'd be able to pursue my creative endeavors full time, and on my own schedule. My biggest fear is that I will cease to enjoy making my creations by turning their production into “work.”

What are your goals in art, and in life?
I would love to see my Artfire studio flourish. A goal of mine for this year is to get my Artfire studio established and add a variety of products (not just paper products). Over the next two years I hope that my Artfire studio is bringing in enough business to be a steady supplementary income. My overall goal is to ensure that I’m always loving the crafts that I’m doing and never loosing site of the joy they bring me. In life, I hope to bring my loved ones and much joy as they bring me.


Tell us a little bit about yourself—where you grew up, your life now, other creative pursuits, other interests and hobbies.
I live in Ontario, Canada. This is where I've grown up and plan to stay. I am a small business owner, avid crafter, university student, and the editor for the Marketing Department of HandmadeNews.org. My passions include creative expression, animal welfare, and psychology. I am currently finishing a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Visual Arts. I have also studied Fine Art and Animal Care at college. As you can see, continuous learning is a force that drives me. You could say I am an information junkie! My favorite creative outlets include photography, crafts (paper, candle making, etc), printmaking and sculpture. I devote a lot of time to my rescue animals - I have 3 dogs (my fuzzy babies) and a turtle. They, along with the love of my life, often steal my attention away from other tasks. If you have been following me online for any amount of time, I am sure you have come to realize that I absolutely love Halloween. It is by far my favorite holiday and extends its reach into my home decor, my small business, and even my wardrobe. My favorite movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas. I also have a soft spot for cheesy '80s movies. Something else a few of you may have picked up on is that I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. I am a self-staring optimist that helps me cope and keep going in the face of chronic pain. Life is too short not to try to enjoy each and every day.


Do you have an online shop or shops, a brick and mortar shop, or a blog?
I have a blog and two online shops. My blog can be found at http://shesbattydesigns.blogspot.com and my two shops can be found at http://shesbattydesigns.artfire.com and http://shesbattydesigns.etsy.com.