CHA 2013 ~ LET THE CREATIVITY BEGIN!

Hello everyone!  I'm just back from an amazing adventure at CHA 2013 in Anaheim, California.  It was fabulous in so many ways.  The creative vibe was electric!  Everywhere you looked, beautiful projects filled welcoming vendor's booths.

But, even more amazing than the booths were the PEOPLE.  The "Airport Girls" were reunited!  They were the four lovely ladies who waited for me for HOURS, I mean HOURS at the airport when flights were being cancelled like crazy as we were all trying to get to Ranger U two years ago.  Hels Sheridan, Cheryl Grisby, Yvonne Blair and Linda Ledbetter ... I love you guys like crazy.  But wait ... there were more lovely ladies who are part of our happy little crew.  Enter Anita Houston, Ellen Vargo and Susan Mostek.  We had more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Here is our "Airport Girls" photo taken with Tim and Mario in the Ideaology booth at CHA ... two years after our first picture taken with them when we attended Ranger U.

The first day, we pretty much circled around the Ranger, Ideaology and Stampers Anonymous booths.  So much to see ... so many demos to watch ... so many make and takes to do!

I am so proud to be a part of the Ranger family.  Their booth was nothing short of amazing!  At each corner, one of the rock stars of the industry

 Tim Holtz 

 Wendy Vecchi 

Claudine Hellmuth

Dyan Reaveley. 

demonstrating new products and amazing everyone who watched.

Photograph by May Flaum

The new DISTRESS PAINTS are Ahhh-Mazing! They are opaque and go on wet.  But because they are water based, they can become semi transparent simply by adding water.  While wet, they move and run together yet do not become "muddy".  They each keep the integrity of their own colors...bright and beautiful!  There are 24 and all in the Distress Colors that Tim Holtz fans know and love.  When the paints are either heat dried or allowed to air dry, they become permanent.  Go ahead...wipe some Distress Stains on them.  Apply some Distress Inks over them.  The Distress Paints won't change color!  That's right ... Ahhh-Mazing!

 

Wendy Vecchi's new Embossing Paste ... it's so smooth, creamy and the end result is really cool!  The embossed areas have such wonderful texture and the paste takes color from other mediums so perfectly.  It's available in FOUR COLORS ~ White, Black, Silver and Gold.  Check out THIS VIDEO to watch Wendy in action at CHA.  I love it and can't wait to get it in my hands!

Dyan Reaveley's six new Dylusions Ink Sprays are still the vibrant, gorgeous colors you've come to expect from her.  And ... she's added white!!  Perfection!!

Check out all of the new Ranger Products HERE. And of course, all of these products and more are available at Simon Says Stamp and Inspiration Emporium, to name a few online locations.

The Ideaology booth provided so much inspiration, you couldn't take it all in at once.  Everywhere you looked, more and more of the coolest creations ever!  I'm sorry that I don't know who crafted all of these pieces but whoever you are, you are brilliant! Enjoy the view....

Now, I do know that this piece is from the uber talented Jim The Gentleman Crafter. An Eiffel Tower constructed out of mini suitcases.  Who thinks of THIS?  Wouldn't you love to be milling around in his creative brain for a while?  More about him in a minute ...

All of these pieces amazingly beautiful and that's only scratching the surface.  Tim has a whole lot of new Ideaology and I tell you, it's going to be so much fun to play with!

Here was the make 'n take at the Ideaology booth!  Waaaahhh...Amazing!

On to Sizzix and another of Jim The Gentleman Crafter's wonderful creations.

This picture does not even begin to do justice to this beautiful work desk that he's created with Tim's new Paper Stash pad. 

 A beautiful shadow box creation from the multi talented Tammy Tutterow.

Very cool view finder piece using Tim's new Picture Wheel die cut.

An array of beautiful projects all done with Sizzix.

While there, I got to visit with one of my favorite artists in the whole world...

Shelly Hickox, that Stamptramp, seen here with one of her Sizzix pieces.

 On to the Stampers Anonymous Booth.

Oh! I can't wait to get my hands on these!  These are Tim's new stamp sets and they are a great mix of backgrounds, graphics and words.

In the same booth, Wendy's new stamp sets and Art Parts.  A feast to the eyes for sure!

How is all of this for inspiration overload?

Finally, I wanted to take this opportunity to post some more pictures of some of the wonderful people that I met.  Amazing talent, amazing people!!!

Dina Wakely 

What a talent this lady is! She inspired me to just go for it and get the courage to try some art journaling. I was lucky enough to win one of her Art Journal Freedom books she was autographing and giving away at a book signing during CHA.

A British Sandwich ~ Hels Sheridan, Me and Dyan Reavely

Jim The Gentleman Crafter

I just wanted to pack him in my suitcase and bring him home with me.  This man is so kind and friendly to everyone.  I don't think he has any idea how talented he really is.  That is so refreshing and I think we will be hearing a lot more from this mahoosively talented man!

More Ranger U grads ... Linda Ledbetter, Laura Denison, Me, Cheryl Grigsby, Anita Houston and of course, Jim The Gentleman Crafter.

 Myself, Hels Sheridan and my art journal and Dyan Reavely style guru Ellen Vargo.  Ellen is tutoring me in the joys or art journaling and giving me the inspiration to give it a try! 

 Hels and Ellen are soul sisters.  I love them both dearly.  When they get together, let the laughs begin!

 Anita Houston ... the Artful Maven and a really wonderful lady.  I'm so glad we're friends!  She is a real stitch!

Wendy Vecchi and Dyan Reavely

These two ladies have no idea how much I learned from them and was inspired by them, just from watching their demos.  Wendy was so kind and answered all sorts of questions.  While she was demoing, she would keep giving out more and more ideas of how to use her products.  I mean, she was like an encyclopedia of techniques and so readily shared them.  Dyan, made working with her sprays so easy and relaxing.  I really am anxious to "give it a play".  Both ladies, different in their styles but the same in their kindness and willingness to share ideas.

Dyan clowning around with Ted and Melissa Cutts in the Stampers Anonymous Booth.  Two of the nicest, kindest people you would ever want to meet...and then there's Dyan.  Just kidding!  She has this aura about her that gives off vibes of sincerity, and a genuine style that is all her own.  She's a jewel and I'm so happy that I finally got to meet her!

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into CHA.  It was so much fun and I am so happy that I was able to share this adventure with the beautiful ladies I call my dear friends!

PAINT IT UP CANVAS AND TUTORIAL

Hello everyone!  It's time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!!!  This week...it's all about PAINT.  Stop by the blog and check out the projects that my Design Team buddies have for you this week.  You will love the variety of their work and you can get some fantastic ideas about different ways to use paint in your crafting projects.

There are all sorts of paints but I really like to use acrylic paints.  They are easy to work with and the cleanup is a breeze.  There are all sorts of techniques you can do using acrylic paint; from the traditional brush on method to actually stamping with paint!

Here is my canvas that I just finished, using several different techniques working with paint.  In case you're interested in how this went together, I'm adding a tutorial.  So, grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and enjoy!

I started with a 5x7 blank stretched canvas.  I had recently purchased the Stampers Anonymous Phrenology wood block stamp and the Paper Artsy Hot Pics HP1107 stamps set.  I love that image so much and I really wanted to use them!  That was the only thing I knew that I was going to use on this canvas before I started.

Here is how I made this canvas.

 

Step 1: I painted the bare canvas with a base coat of Claudine Hellmuth's White Gesso and let it dry.

Step 2:  I applied a coat of Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides.  Then I smoothed a piece of 7 Gypsies Life Collage Tissue Paper over the wet Matte Multi-Medium and tore off the excess paper.  The Multi-Medium works fantastic as a glue and also as a sealer.  In this case, I was using it at a glue.

Step 3:  I found a frame that I really liked from 7 Gypsies Frames Collage Tissue Paper and cut it out.  I applied a layer of the Multi-Medium under where I was going to add the frame.  Then I smoothed the frame down on top of the canvas.  See how the text shows through the frame?  Love it!  Then I applied a coat of the Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides and let it dry.

Now the paint comes into play!

Step 4:  I created a "wash" by mixing some Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint from Paper Artsy with a little water; to thin down the opaque paint to become more transparent.  Then I lightly washed over the entire surface of the canvas.  Then I heat dried the surface.

Step 5:  I created another wash using Pumpkin Soup Fresco Finish Paint and randomly washed over the canvas, creating more color and interest.  I heat set the color.  Then I picked up a bit of Mermaid paint onto a paper towel and began just blotting it to the canvas, creating little splotches of the blue paint.  And I did a little dry brushing with the Pumpkin Soup as well.

Step 6:  Stamping with Paint - I painted some of Claudine Hellmuth's Altered Orange Studio Paint directly onto Tim Holtz' honeycomb stamp from his Mixed Media stamp set.  I did not put the stamp on an acrylic block.  I wanted to manipulate the stamp as I was stamping, to get a random pattern.  **Immediately wash off the stamp after painting on it.

Step 7:  I repeated this technique only this time, I used the grid sort of pattern from the same stamp set and I brushed Snowflake Fresco Finish Paint onto the stamp and then randomly stamped it onto the canvas.  I also white washed inside the frame to make that inside stand out.  I then used some Black Soot Distress Ink on the sides and edges of the canvas to create more depth.

Here are a couple of photographs of the canvas after completing through Step 7.

Step 8:  I stamped the phrenology stamp (LOVE IT!) onto a piece of plain white tissue paper twice:  once in Monarch Archival Ink and again with Aquamarine Archival Ink.  I then cut out the heads and using Matte Multi Medium, I glued the orange head directly onto the canvas.

Then I brushed on another layer of Matte Multi-Medium over the orange head and laid the blue head directly on top of the orange head and then brushed another layer of the Matte Multi Medium on to seal over it.  I've never done this before...purely experimentation but I really liked the cool shadowy type image I got. Experimenting is fun!

Step 9:  Isn't that phrenology head just so cool?  Now to add the Paper Artsy images....the same phrenology heads attached on a steampunk style bird's body! Love it!  I again stamped the bird onto a piece of plain white tissue paper using Jet Black Archival Ink.  I heat set it and cut it out.  Then I applied a little Multi-Medium to the canvas, glued the bird into place then layered the entire canvas with Matte Multi Medium again.  This time, I was using the Matte Multi Medium as a sealer.

Step 10:  I stamped the gears (also included in the Paper Artsy stamp set) directly onto the canvas; allowing the rubber stamp to bend over the edge of the canvas.  Then I added the "ART" inside of the frame.

Step 11:  "ART" was created from some Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters that are painted with a base coat of Little Black Dress Fresco Finish Paint.  I heat set it and then followed up with a coat of the Crackle Glaze.  You can either heat set it or let it dry.  I was impatient so I heat set it.  But, I think you get better results if you let it dry naturally.  At any rate, I then added a top coat of Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint and it crackled a little bit.  I was not totally happy with the crackle result, so I decided to add some Crackle Accents to the top of the letter and I let it dry naturally.  When dry, I distressed the letter with Black Soot and wiped off the excess; better revealing cracks.  Then I glued the letter into place using Glossy Accents.

From here, it was just a matter of layering metal embellishments that I made to look a bit more like they had a patina finish by swiping a little Mermaid paint onto them.  I just put a little of the paint onto my index finger and then lightly worked it onto the metal.  (Just keep adding or wiping away until you get the result you want.)  Since I added some clock elements, I coiled some wire to look like mainsprings and I attached some gears to look like they were springing off of the canvas.

Here is a closeup of the steampunk bird with a pair of altered Tim Holtz Regal Adornments metal wings.  They were altered by swiping a little of the Mermaid and Pumpkin Soup paint onto them with my finger.  The metal Mini Numerals "1/2" is altered with Butternut Fresco Finish Paint that was also swiped onto it using my finger.

Finally, I added "steampunk" at the bottom left of the frame and my canvas was finished!  Just have a play with the paint, layering it up, swiping it with your finger, using brush techniques, washes and then stamping.  Then add stamped ink images and embellishments and you've got a wonderful piece of art!

Now it's YOUR turn to pull out your paints and create something fun.  Then enter it into our weekly challenge.  You could be the lucky winner of our prize of a $50.00 credit voucher 

Your work could also be voted as one of the TOP THREE entries for the week.  

Good luck and it's time to get painted up!

Here are all of the items used to create this piece: