WI Art Camp 2012 - Day 4

 It was Day 4 already... where was the time going??  If I remember correctly we started by finishing off the melt pot techniques.  I had failed to take pictures during our melt pot session... so you are stuck with pictures of my creations.
This is the cloisonne technique from Suze Weinberg.  Using a tweezers dip a Formica sample chip into melted black UTEE to cover one side of the chip.  Remove and let cool.  Using a brush, apply various colors of perfect pearls to the chip.  Now heat the chip using a heat tool to soften the UTEE and immediately press a stamp that has been inked with gold brilliance pigment ink into the chip.  Let cool and remove the stamp.  You can take this a step further, I didn't, by again heating the chip with a heat tool and the colors with meld together.

 I liked this technique best and I think it worked for most of us.  Lay a memory frame on top of a stamp; I used a background image of swirls.  Slowly pour the melted black UTEE into the memory frame being careful to not overflow the boundaries of the frame.  Let cool and lift the memory frame off.  Then brush on perfect pearls and you can also add some glitter glue as I did in my piece.

 This did not turn out as the utube video showed.  Lay the memory frame on a craft sheet and pour melted UTEE into the frame.  The utube had melted clear and a small bit of white UTEE added.  We used clear with a bit of pearl UTEE.  Again be sure to not overflow the boundaries of the frame.  While the UTEE is soft press a stamp that has been inked with embossing or versa mark into the UTEE.  Let cool before removing the stamp.  Now sprinkle embossing powders onto the image and heat with a heat gun.  I think I heated too much and lost the definition/image created by the  stamp.  Oh well, this one will require practice.... if I decide to do it again.

Next we moved on to the ATC booklet.  This is the sample I made prior to the Art Camp.  I altered the instructions of the booklet that Maggi had found on line so that it would accommodate ATC's.  I cut pieces of mat board for everyone and had found small envelopes that were approximately ATC size so that all they would need to do was assemble.  This easy booklet takes less than a 12 x 12" piece of decorative cardstock to make... if you don't make the insert envelopes by hand.
When I created my sample I did make the inserts and created a template so that I can do this again.
Thanks for finding this project Maggi... I think everyone liked it.

We needed to take a break for lunch at this point. Some chowder that Maggi made for us and sandwiches.  We really got a lot done... and besides... it was Margaret's birthday today!!!!   We had lunch and then had Birthday Apple Pied baked in a paper bag from the Elegant Farmer.  Thanks Mary ...  for getting the pie.







 And now... the shadow box.  Maggi had received a shadow box from her sister.  Inside the box were various pieces of paper rolled and secured with thread and embellishments.  It looked like something we could do...why not??
I had picked up some 8 x10" black framed shadow boxes at Michael's.   We told everyone to bring decorative or handmade papers and embellishments and ribbons or threads for this project.

 Mary brought over lots of interesting papers and others brought papers that were added to the center of the table for everyone's use.
Maggi started us out by showing us how to roll the papers using a bamboo skewer and glue.
It got pretty quiet for a while as we all concentrated on our shadow boxes.
I haven't finished mine yet...I have all my papers rolled, but haven't added the fibers and embellishments.  At least I remembered to take pictures.

 I think they all turned out great!!!  Here are pictures of some of them.  Above, Bev shows off her art.  I'm not sure whose art is on the right!!!

 I got a picture of this one before we put the frame on.  Maggi had a great idea... since she already had the one her sister gave her she didn't need another.  So we all contributed rolled papers for this one on the left that Maggi worked on.  Margaret and Maggi worked on the finishing touches and we took it along on Wednesday and gave it to Jan since she couldn't be with us on Tuesday.

 Here is a picture of Jan's shadow box after it was completed.  We gave it to her the next day and she absolutely loved it!  This box is facing the wrong way in the picture... it is intended to be hung up in a landscape orientation.

 Here is a picture of Margaret's completed shadow box.  Again, it will be hung in a landscape orientation.

 And here is Mary's.  She did choose to do hers in a portrait orientation; however, I just realized I have this picture upside down!!!  Oh well, just stand on your head to view it correctly!

We're done!!!  Maggi has left for the day and the rest of us are having a drink!... Yes, in some cases an alcoholic drink... We deserve it!
I can't believe all that we accomplished!!!

Sudoku ATC Round 3

We are ready for round 3 of our sudoku ATC's and here is my background.  I finally used colors other than the blues and greens I had been using for rounds 1 and 2.  But, don't ask me what colors are on this sheet of watercolor paper because I don't know.
I started the process with twinkling H2O's, water, a brush, and some plastic wrap.  I didn't like the result even after I let it dry overnight.  So, I got out my Aileen's color mists, took this sheet and several others outside and started spraying until I had something that I thought would be nice!!!  After it dried I had to iron the paper since I had saturated it with so much spray, and then I put it and the other sheets I had done under some very heavy books.  I've cut the piece up into ATC's and will be mailing this to Margaret in a couple of days.

Work on Sudoku ATC's

I just received Mary's ATC's this morning and decided to work on them since I had an idea. I am the first to add to her background so in some ways that makes it easy come up with ideas. I used one of my Tim Holtz stamps... I call it tickets... inked it up with black india ink and stamped it along the right edge of each ATC.
There is a definite top and bottom to this image, if you want to have the words readable, so those who follow will need to beware of how they make their additions to the ATC. These ATC's will be on their way to Jan in a day or two. I want to make sure the ink is dry before packing them up in an envelope.

Sudoku ATC's - Round 2

Round 2 of our sudoku ATC's is beginning and here are my backgrounds. This time we needed to make 8 because Mary has decided to join us.. hooray!!!
When I finished my backgrounds I looked back at the ones I had done for round 1. I found that my color scheme was very similar. But, I did use a different technique for these and I like them so much so I am going to use them.
I found the technique on Carol Sweeney's blog. You start with 2 sheets of glossy paper and 3 different colors of dye reinkers. After applying drops of the reinkers to one of the glossy sheets, and then spraying with some water, you place the second glossy sheet on top and 'smoosh'. A very technical term. When you pull the 2 sheets apart you can 'smoosh' them back together if you have any uninked areas. And if you don't like the colors you could add more reinkers and water and 'smoosh' again!! Very simple and very beautiful.

Sudoku ATC's

I recently received the sudoku ATC's that originated with Bev. Bev had created a gorgeous background using various colors of acrylic paint. Bev sent her ATC's to Carol and she added the script stamp in the upper left corner using silver embossing powder. The ATC's then traveled to Maggi and she added the silver peel off sticker in the lower right corner. Now, it was my turn. I didn't want to cover up too much of the background, yet I was afraid that whatever I added it wouldn't show up on the multi-colored background. So, I experimented on a piece of acetate. I stamped the clef flourish with silver metallic ink and then embossed with black detail powder... but, that just didn't do anything for me when I held the piece of acetate up to the ATC. Next I stamped the same stamp with versamark ink and embossed with vine maple powder (which contains some glitter). I cut the image out of the acetate and held up to the ATC. That was it!!! Now, should I stamp directly onto the ATC with the versamark? Why take the chance .... so I stamped all the images onto acetate, cut them out, and adhered to the ATC using glossy accents. I was the 4th person to contribute to Bev's ATC's and soon they'll be in the hands of Pea. Good luck Pea!

Sudoku ATC's

Most of the gals that came to WI in October for our WI Art Camp decided to try a round robin of sorts with ATC's. It is called 'sudoku atc's'. Each of us creates a background on atc sized card stock. Since there are 7 of us in the swap we each create 7 atc's. Once you create your background you send all 7 on to the next person. And when that person is finished adding something to the atc they mail it on to the next, and so on, until all 7 of us have added a bit of our artistry to the atc's. The last person to receive the finished set then mails one to each of the participants. It is very much fun and it is amazing to watch as each set of atc's evolves into a work of art.
These are the set of atc's I started. I used the glimmering rainbow technique which I found on Carol's website. Now these atc's have been mailed to Pea for her to add a bit of art.

These ATC's were started by Maggi. She created a spray mist background on watercolor paper. She gave them to me so that I could add the second layer. I first stamped a dotted squiggly background stamp with worn lipstick distress ink. I found that you could barely see anything so I stamped again with Momento Lilac Posies ink. At least now you can see some of the image. I think it adds a little texture to the already lovely atc's. And these atc's are now in the mail to Pea for her addition.







These ATC's were started by Carol. She created the beautiful purple background. I believe it was done with alcohol inks on glossy card stock. Carol then mailed her atc's to Maggi. Maggi stamped a crackle background stamp with black ink. Maggi then gave them to me and I stamped the 'art doll' in black ink. Now, they are off to Pea for her addition to these artistic beauties.