One World, One Heart 2011

It's time once again for the One World One Heart blogging event. This is Lisa Swiftka's fifth and final OWOH!! Hard to believe I've been playing along for 3 of them! Lisa is the creative genius and hostess of this event that spreads friendship throughout the blogging world. Read all about this fun event on her and see a list of so MANY other artsy fartsy bloggers, click on the this link to her blog.

The whole reason behind this event is to introduce bloggers worldwide to each other, and that it does. Lisa has been holding this event for five years, and is the reason so many wonderful friendships started!! I love OWOH -- I've "met" some very lovely artists in the last 3 years and hope to make some MORE new blogging friends this year!!

So, without further delay, let me introduce myself to you:

I am Catherine Scanlon, author, artist and designer. I have been a creative artist for EK Success Brands for quite some time now, and currently teach on-line courses at My Creative Classroom -- the shadowbox I am giving away is one of the projects from my latest class, The Ins and Outs of Artist Trading Cards. I work from home crafting for EK Success and designing my classes -- work on my artsy endeavors in my spare time -- I also take care of my home and family.

I also love to spend time with my family, cook, garden, read (especially on my new Kindle) and run as often as my knees will let me. It was very nice to meet you, THANKS for stopping by.

Anyway, on to the good stuff!! I'll be giving away one fun little Artist Trading card shadowbox like the ones I've shown here, though I'm not sure which one!

To be eligible to win, leave a wonderful comment on this post and let me know your name, your e-mail address (so I can reach you if win) and a link to your blog address! I really want to return the favor and visit your blog and leave a wonderful comment! I will announce the winner on Feb. 17th here on my blog as well as contact the winner by email! Good Luck and THANK YOU for visiting!

Hope you had a GREAT weekend!

It was a long weekend here, no school today - and really cold too. I didn't get as much accomplished as I want, as is usually the way with long weekends!

One of the gifts I gave my Mom at Christmas was a package of cards and envelopes - blank. I told her when she needed a card to give me a card and some time and I'd make her a card. She loves hand made cards, and doesn't find the time to make them - plus she's too critical of her own work. But, that's a post for another day.

Last week she asked me to make a quick birthday card for my cousin, and with all the things I have going on these days it slipped my mind. Until last Thursday -- when I had a few extra moments.

Lacking inspiration, I randomly grapped supplies and started slapping things down. I had been given a cute Happy Birthday stamp set (Martha Stewart) when I went to the EK offices last fall, so I decided to use the sentiment and a couple other stamps from another company.

It was pretty easy. First I stamped the funky stitched circle with lines using brown ink. Then I stamped the sentiment in red.

To add the swirls, I used Versamark Ink, red and brown inks. I randomly stamped around the edge of the stamped circle using different colors. I wasn't in love with it, but when you're under the gun you take what you get. I used a Spellbinders die to cut the circle out and inked the edges with blue ink. I like the way that looks.

The mini doily was white, and really looked awful with the cream card and butterflies. I'm really matchy matchy about some colors - black and navy or brown and white and cream - some colors you should never mix. So to make it not white anymore, I sprayed it with tattered angels until it looked even more awful. Finally I decided not to mess with it any more and left it. alone. It still looks awful.

Anyhow, I added the doily - when it was dry - to my prepared card (made from scraps from my bin - love to use scraps) Then added the stamped circle on top and stitched around the card. The butterflies (punched using an EK Success Whale of a Punch) were inked and attached. I did add pearls for the bodies after I took these pictures.

Overall, not one of my better cards. But, my Mother liked it and that's all that matters - and I'm sure my cousin will like it too.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

It's Coming: One World, One Heart!

One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy. If you want to play along, just click on the image above for more information! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy your DAY!!

Resolution 2011: Art Journal Day 2

Day two of Resolution 2011: art journaling, CHECK.

Even though I created this page on Monday - the day after I created the first page - I've realized that I probably won't have time to create in my journal every day, so I'm going to be happy to get to it when I can. This page was fun, nothing exceptional - but I had this sheet of images on my desk from PaperWhimsy and they were calling my name - so I did.

This one was more fun and way less technickey (is that even a word? ), and I giggled as I glued the words at the top of the page. All the numbers are odd numbers - and the quote one of my own, he he. But isn't it true, don't we always wonder if we are normal or just a little bit different?

There's not a stitch of stitching on this page, but I wish I could stitch in my pretty book, I miss it. Maybe I'll manage some hand stitching sometime.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you'll get to some art journaling or following through with your resolutions this year. Have a great day!

Artist Trading Card: Intuition

I've had Artist Trading Cards on my mind for the last month or so, ever since I started spending all my spare time designing and working on the "Ins and Outs of Artist Trading Cards" Class that's currently in it's 6th lesson at My Creative Classroom.

I also have these fun images on my desk that I downloaded from Paper Whimsy the other day - add to that a pile of miniature canvases and you've got a recipe for an afternoon spent creating and giggling with a good friend!

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this Chunky ATC, and it came out just the way I invisioned it would.

I started by painting the canvas with blue acrylic paint and then gluing some VERY OLD 7 Gypsies tissue paper over the top of that when it was dry. To get the look of an early evening sky I painted on more layers of blue, white, pink and orange arcylic paint. Letting each layer dry in between so it didn't turn to mud. To get the pop color, I brushed on a light watered down layer of red watercolor crayon and the background looks like the sky on a beautiful night right at twilight.

For my girl, I collaged a big head from the collage sheet on top of a small body and cut the even smaller head from the body and collaged that on some patterned paper and glued that inside her tummy - isn't that where you feel your intuition the most?? I know I do.

Add a litle watered down crackle paint to her dress and she's a perfect bobble head. he he he.

When everything was dry, I glued my Bobble to the canvas with gel medium and added the sequin stars, the number on her head and finally the word "Intuition".

When all that was dry I sprayed it with 3 light coats of Krylon Triple Thick Glaze to seal it and it was done. I made it for the OWOH Event that starts on the 31st, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to try and duplicate this because I love how it came out! Then on the other hand, maybe I'll change my mind and you'll be the lucky winner of my little Intuition Canvas ATC.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by - hope you have a GREAT week - I'm hoping too!

Resolution 2011: Art Journaling

One of the resolutions I made this year was to start using my Art Journal - the one I made almost a year ago. I've been inspired by many people to journal, just haven't made the time to do it. Art journaling is a time to explore ideas and try new techniques, with all the things I have going on I don't always have the time to do that.

So, I decided to MAKE the time, starting this year.

Here's the first page in my Art Journal, created today when I had a few quiet moments while my men ran off to the Flea Market. They asked me to go, but I didn't really feel like spending the afternoon there.

This page looks a LOT better in person -- and I used a LOT of different supplies on it too. The quote says: truth is something which must be known with the mind, accepted with the heart, and enacted in life. Hmmmm. how true, LOL.

Well, thanks for stopping by, hope you had a great weekend! See you again next time!

my LIFE is Art

Just a quick post.....hope you all are doing GREAT!

An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one. Charles Horton Cooley

A couple quick cards

I made these cards quite some time ago - and sent them into a publication but sadly they weren't chosen. I've since given them away, but thought I'd share them since I've been working on projects I can't really share right now and don't have anything to blog about.

This was a pretty FAST card, you can make one just like it: trim patterned paper and attach to the folded cardbase. Use rubons (stampin' up) to create a greeting on white cardstock, trim and mat on black cardstock and attach to patterned paper. Cut out a shape from patterned paper and attach to card, a strip of an old tape measure and some stitching with my sewing machine and it's done.

This card is basically the same as the first, only I cut all the little flowers out and glued them to the card instead of the one decorative shape and didn't add the tape measure.

For this card I used the reverse of the butterfly as a stencil and applied blue ink to black cardstock, then attached the two butterflies and added some stitching. The sentiment is a white rubon.

Cardmaking isn't so hard - and you can make some pretty cards, quickly using just a few supplies!

THANKS for stopping by, hope you had a HAPPY New Year!