Fortune Cookie

On the online group, An Affair with Art I signed up for a one for one Asian themed post card swap. I had several ideas, but went with a Fortune Cookie theme. When the time came for me to use my fortune cookie rubber stamp I couldn't find it. Figures, doesn't it. While I was hunting for the stamp, in the basement I came across 2 books that I had bought a few years back at the Dollar Tree store. I bought them to use as altered books. One to cut up and one to use. As you can see I never did get around to altering the books.

Here is the card I will be sending to Joan. The stamped image with Fortune Cookie recipe is from Stamp of Excellence. I recycled a Little Debbie fig cookie bar box and cut that down to 4 x 6 for the base of my post card. I then ran hand made paper thru the Xyron and adhered that to the side of the card board with the writing on it. The back of the card board is white and perfect for my message and Joan's address.

Elaine

Looking thru old photos

I was digging thru an old file box and came across some old photos this morning. There aren't many photos of me of when I was a baby as most are really faded.
The photo below is one my Uncle Norman took of me playing in the sand pile at my dad's cranberry bog. I was happy to find the print of this on a sheet that I had copied many years ago. The only photo of this picture had been on my book shelf and one day when we were away, it fell and the dog chewed up the picture. I was really upset, and so this morning when I found that I had taken the photo to Staples many years ago to be copied...I was excited to find the copy this morning.  I get a laugh out of the photo every time I look at it. My mother had made the little romper shorts that I am wearing in the photo.
The story goes that I tried sitting in my red, doll carriage, and that is why the bottom is sagging.
 
Here is another photo taken on my grandfather's steps.

Dad, my older brother, Larry, Mom and I.
I love this photo. I was too young to remember the picture being taken, but I look at all of us now and think how young we were and how many years have passed. When this picture was taken my dad was about 32 and mom was probably 27. My dad is now 93 and my mom, who now has Alzheimer's will be 89 in April. My mother had made the outfits including the coats and hats that my brother and I were wearing.
Elaine

Vintage post cards to share

Many years ago  Tom  drove me out to Cincinnati, Ohio so I could attend the Stamp Your Art Out rubber stamp convention. Every year on our way to the convention we would  stop at the Ohio State Fair. We both loved that fair. The post cards I am sharing I bought at the fair from one of the vendors for 50 cents each.

The birthday post card is post marked 1910.  

The other post card was never mailed and is foreign, but is probably from the same time period.

Elaine

Valentine's Day Giveaway///Updated 2/24/12..winner announced

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you have a wonderful day whatever your plans are. I haven't planned anything special other than a nice pot roast dinner which is in the crock pot. I have been dealing with a sinus headache for the past several days that just won't go away.
The un mounted,  large (approx. 6 inches long) rubber stamp that I used on my card, I bought for 75% off at a local scrapbook store. In fact, I bought two of the stamps because they were such a great deal.  The image is Suzi-805A (Suzi Blu & Unity) from Unity Stamp company.
If you would like a chance to win this brand new, un mounted rubber stamp..leave a comment. If blogger won't let you leave a comment, try signing in using anonymous, but leave your name and a way for me to contact you if your name is chosen. This giveaway is open to all.
I think this stamp would be really neat stamped onto fabric and made into a small doll to embellish.
I will draw a winner at the end of the week. Good Luck!
Unity stamp company   I just realized that I started blogging in January 2010. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I appreciate your stopping by.
Elaine

Sharon...your name was drawn as the winner of  my giveaway. I hope you will get lots of use out of the stamp. Please email me with your mailing info. EAkers@aol.com

Thanks to all who left comments.

Sunset in the Florida Keys

inspiration magazine photo

I was reading Southern Living magazine last evening, and was taken with some of the beautiful sunset photos. This morning, I cut out a few of the beautiful pictures for water color painting inspiration. I will put the magazine pictures in a journal along with my painting attempt of the photo.
I love visiting the Florida Keys, and so the above picture brought back many wonderful memories of those gorgeous sunsets. Next month I will be going to Florida, and I can't wait.
Hopefully my self taught attempts at painting will improve as I do more of them.  As I sat down to water color this morning I hoped I could come close to painting a water color that would look like the original.
Below is my attempt at water coloring the photo.

I can't say it looks like the painting, but at least I tried, and hopefully with each attempt there will be improvement. I think I am doing pretty good with painting palm trees. :-)
Elaine

Hello Kitty

I had to run to the store this morning to pick up a few things for my dad, and so after going to the grocery store I stopped at the Ocean State Job Lot store that is in the same plaza.  When I was poking around the store I found Hello Kitty cereal and granola bars. My granddaughters love Hello Kitty so  I bought them a box of each.  I hope they a taste good. These cereals and granola bars are made in Italy.

I haven't had time to do any art in days, as my mom is back in the hospital. The second time in 3 weeks. Hopefully she will be discharged today.

It has been snowing since early morning, a wet fine snow that really hasn't accumulated to much as of this time. I hope it stays that way.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Elaine

Mermaid Fabric

I had a nice surprise this morning when I picked up a brown paper bag that was in the bottom of a plastic tote. Inside I found a 1/2 yard of Laurel Burch mermaid fabric that I didn't realize I had. Also in the bag was a yard of a dark blue background mermaid fabric and less than a 1/2 yard of another fabric with mermaids that has a lighter background.  As you can see in the photo's, I didn't iron the fabric before taking the photos.

        

I think I will make a small mermaid pillow, and try felting in the hair.

I have errands to run today, but maybe I will at least get started on my project.

We woke up to a dusting of snow this morning, but the snow is already melting as the sun is shining. I can't believe the crazy weather we have had this winter. Yesterday when I was taking my dad to do errands I saw a forsythia bush in full bloom. That is unheard of for February in Massachusetts.

Elaine

Water color post cards..Kliban cats on vacation

Hula girl

I'm still playing around with my  tubes of water color paints, and yes, I know I am a true beginner and don't know what the heck I am doing, but I am having fun,  and that's all that counts, right? Yesterday afternoon I painted 3 post cards.
  Like I mentioned before I LOVE all of my Kliban cat rubber stamps, and they had been boxed up for a long time. I decided to add a Kliban cat to each of my latest water colored beach scene post cards.
  Aloha Cat
  Surfing Cat
After painting these tropical themed post cards I feel ready for a tropical vacation, how about you? I wish I was beach combing on some beautiful beach right now. Ah...such a nice thought.
So, do you have Kliban cat stamps? Want to trade some mail art..let me know. :-)
Elaine

ATC

I worked on this atc a bit yesterday and finished it this morning. To start, I cut water color paper and painted the background in colors that would compliment the wings in back of the girl.  Added the girl with wings and then I rubber stamped the stars (Stamp Camp) at the top. Next I stamped the delight phrase. (that stamp is from the $1.00 bin at Joann Fabrics) and added the D scrabble tile.

I finished this card last night. I love mermaids and haven't used this stamp in a long time. Same technique..140# water color paper, Stamp Francisco rubber stamp inked with Blue Breeze Kaleidicolor  rainbow ink pad, and then sprayed with water for a water color look.

 

Elaine

collaged time flies tag

I created this tag yesterday, and the pieces have all finished drying. I was now able to pick it up to take a photo.
The base tag I cut a piece of sturdy water color paper with my Tim Holtz tag die. I then painted on metallic  pearlescent water color paints that I bought some time ago.

The set of 21 colors were really inexpensive. I believe I bought them in Michael's with a coupon...just love  those 40-50% off coupons don't you? The tag background really shimmers, but you can't see that in the photo. I used my heat gun to dry the tag. I found if I heat if from the back side the paper didn't curl.  I then glued a piece of Bo Bunny scrapbook paper to the tag (The Journal.)
With one of the inexpensive ( $1.50) rubber stamps that Michael's is now selling ( a pencil and an old fountain pen with wings)..I stamped the image onto water color paper and cut out the pen/pencil to use as legs.
 
For the body...I smooshed adirondack mango ink onto a rectangular piece of plastic, and then heat set it. I took grunge board wings, and painted them with gold lumiere paint. When the wings were dry I used tacky glue and sprinkled on fine cut metal shavings.
The cut out legs were glued to the back of the plastic piece, as were the wings.

I attached an old watch face for the head.  Finally I glued my Time Flies piece to the tag, added my ribbon, and glued down a crown charm. When I find where my Time Flies rubber stamp is I will stamp that on the tag.
It felt so good to sit and create some art this weekend and to have written 2 posts in one day...WOW!!! I have several other little projects in various stages of drying that I have worked on this morning.
Elaine

Stamped card with water color look

 

Lately I am loving the soft look of water colors. This morning I decided I would make a card. I didn't have anything special in mind, but I did want to use a rubber stamp that I have had for a long time from Stampa Rosa.  I also grabbed a Tsukineko Kaleidacolor raised rainbow ink pad. The first one I put my hand on this morning was  Blue Breeze. I love how the colors are stored separated in the container so they don't bleed together.  Then the rest of the supplies...water color paper, a fine mist spray water bottle and assorted papers (Bo Bunny and Tim Holtz) and a word stamp from a 2 stamp set ($3.99) that I recently bought at Michael's with a coupon..Dare to Dream. I love words/sayings/phrase stamps...do you?

Supplies

 

I inked up the stamp, gave the ink a quick spray with the fine mist spray bottle and when the ink was dry on the water color paper,  I layered the piece on a Bo Bunny scrapbook paper, and then  coordinating card stock.  I was happy with how the card came out.

Have a great day. Today will be a day to sit in front of the TV. At noon the Boston Celtics basketball game is on, and then at 6 p.m. the New England Patriots Super Bowl game.  I am hoping both teams will win their games today.

I also want to show you a cool rock that I found. Pretty neat don't you think.

Have a great Sunday.

Elaine

Trying something new

Every time I sit down at my desk at my computer I look at the screensaver that is tropical. The screen saver has beautiful blue/green water, sand and palm trees. It brings back memories of all of the wonderful winter vacations that we spent in Florida. Some our favorite places were in the Florida Keys, Longboat Key, and Sanibel to name just a few.  I can almost smell the salt water and hear the water lapping on the shore, shorebirds calling and hear the palm branches rustling in the wind. I love the beach and I love to beach comb. Unfortunately we haven't gone to Florida in a few years because of our cats.
This morning I gathered some supplies as I had a project in mind that I wanted to give a shot.  So, with my watercolor pad (140 # cold press) , limited water color paints and the few brushes that I have from past art projects in hand, I tried for the first time to paint a water color scene. In the craft stores I've seen 90# watercolor paper that the surface is smoother, but I didn't have any of that, and I'm not even sure which is better. Do you water color? What would you use 90# press paper for?
  
Mind you, I can't draw a stick figure, have never gone to art school, or taken art classes, but I decided I was going to try my hand at painting a beach scene in water color paints. I don't even attempt to draw in my journal pages, because the finished drawing never look like I envisioned. Now don't laugh, but here is my finished piece.  I don't know if those who water color first sketch out a design, I didn't. I just put paint
to wet paper. I do kind of like how the palm tree fronds came out as I did manage to get a feathery effect. Just picture the palm fronds swaying in the tropical breeze. :-)
this is the same photo as above, but I noticed when I took the picture on the right upper corner I didn't get all of the seagull.
When I showed Tom, I have to give him credit, he didn't laugh out loud, and was very encouraging. He even asked if this was going to become my next new hobby. I reassured him it wasn't, but it probably won't be my last attempt.
Elaine