Think Pink February Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

For the month of January, I hopped on board the challenge that I have seen many artists participate in over the past few years. The "30 Paintings in 30 days" challenge has fascinated and terrified me in the past because I felt I was a slow painter, but I jumped on the train and completed 29 paintings this month. One of them is for this month's "Mixed Media Monthly Challenge" theme of "Think Pink"

If you haven't participated in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge, I hope you will do so this month. 

The sponsor this month is Ellen Hutson. 

"Ellen Hutson LLC was established in November 2006 and is currently located in Issaquah, WA. We are an on-line retail store that caters to the needs of paper craft artists. Ellen Hutson, LLC is always looking to provide our customers with quality products, excellent customer service, and education and inspiration for each of the products we carry."

and the prize is a $25 store credit!

I love doing girls and faces, so I created a whimsical girl on a 12" x 16" canvas panel.

Here's a close up of her face, using acrylic paint. 

and I used patterned papers for her dress and the field she's standing in.

I wanted to incorporate the phrase "Spread Love Everywhere You Go", so I used black Stayzon ink and some older (discontinued) alphabet stamps. I call her a "Ragamuffin Girl". 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you take part in the mixed media challenge. Just go to this post on the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog and follow the instructions for linking up. You can enter up to five times!

Have a great week!

Happy New Year 2015

It's my first blog post of the New Year! Happy New Year!

I'm sharing my project for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. Our challenge was to use a new-to-you technique or product.

I had been saving a wine bottle to do something with, so I decided to pull it out and decoupage it. I chose a palette of blues and greens and browns. It was quite easy to do. I can envision a grouping of these to decorate tables.

Our sponsor this month is Butterfly Reflections Ink. The random winner of all those that participate will win a $25 store gift certificate. How cool is that? 

To enter, link your projects to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog anytime in January. We can't wait to see your projects. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great new year!

December Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Tis the season to be........... busy!!!

My daughter is busy rehearsing for a Christmas show at the local theater, and I've been trying to get finished with my painting commissions and still find time to make small gifts. Speaking of gift items, I had the bright idea to make a series of mixed media angels - and they were a huge hit. The first one I made is the one I'm using for the December Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. This month's challenge is "Tic-Tac-Toe"

The challenge is to create from any three across or diagonal. I chose "star, patterned paper, and ribbon"

Here's my angel "Hope".

She is 8" x 10" on 1.5" deep sided canvas. I used papers, paint, stamping, gold leaf, and whatever else I found in my papercrafting stash.

Play along with us! Our prize for this month's challenge is a $25 gift certificate to Inspiration Emporium. 

To play, link your project to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. Thanks for stopping by and have a merry Christmas season.

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge 6 - Stamps

I've enjoying the challenges we have had so far. We are on our 6th challenge since we started these! I've been blown away at the creativity of the participants.

This month's challenge is one of my favorites to use in mixed media - Stamps! What creative person doesn't have stamps. They are so versatile and fun. Our sponsor this month is Unity Stamp Company and the winner of this challenge will win a $50 store certificate to the Unity store. How fun is that!

Here's my creation for this month's challenge using stamps.

All you have to do to enter this is create a mixed media project using stamps, and link your creation at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. 

And check out all the other creations by our guest artist and design team. Have fun with the challenge and thanks for stopping by!!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge for October

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has been such a fun thing to be a designer for. I have enjoyed coming up with new ideas to use supplies and "mixing up" the media! I hope you can participate in the October challenge.

The October challenge is to use ribbons! I have always loved using ribbons in my scrapbooking and cardmaking. In my heavy paper crafting days, I had a tendency to collect and hoard ribbon, including keeping even an inch of scrap or lace trim. I'm sure some of you can relate! When I found out our challenge for October was ribbons, I was so happy.

Our sponsor for this month is May Arts. They are awarding our challenge winner with three spools of fall inspired ribbon.

My project for this challenge is a 11" x 5.5" wide piece of lumber. I collaged papers on it, then added fabric flowers and ribbon. The gold leaves is actually ribbon, and I also used a bit of green cotton trim. Flowers are always in fashion, right??

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have been inspired to participate in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. Link up your projects on the October challenge post here. We can't wait to see what you create!

Happy Birthday, Rachal!

It's Rachel's birthday and we are having a birthday card hop! 

Rachel is the wonderful co-director at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. The girls at Mixed Media  Monthly Challenge Blog want to wish Rachel Kleinman a Happy! Happy! Happy! Birthday! We all created cards for the occasion. 

Here's mine! 

I used some papers and embellishments from an older Cupcardstogo Card Kit, corrogated papers, and a Kim Hughes stamp. 

If you are coming to this page from a non-hop link, then back track to Lynn's page to see the previous card.

The next card on this hop is on Lalo's page. 

If you would like to wish Rachel a Happy Birthday, hop over to her blog and leave her some birthday wishes.

Thanks for stopping by!

September.....

I have to say... I'm just not ready for summer to end, and technically it's still "summer" until September 23rd, but, as my previous post said - I'm just not ready. (sigh)

Nevertheless, my calendar is full of activities and events that include art, theater, family and friends and other adventures. It's going to be a new season...

This past month has been a heavy, heavy, heavy one. We lost a precious, precious lady - my sweet mother-in-law in early August. She is buried about 10 feet away from our grandson,who we lost nine months previous. I'm thankful for my faith, and I have no doubt that she and he are having a wonderfully sweet time in heaven along with others that have welcomed them. August was also our grandson's birth month. We spent his one year birthday releasing balloons into heaven. It may seem silly because we know they won't reach heaven, but it's therapeutic for the family, and I believe that there is a tiny window in heaven and that his grandmother was holding him up so he could get a peek......

So... just maybe it is, afterall, the right time to turn the calendar page.

Which brings something FUN! The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has been met with a huge amount of participation! Thanks to everyone who has created for it. If you haven't heard of it, or haven't joined in - check it out! We have a fun challenge for September and a fun sponsor. Our challenge is for you to create something using mixed media techniques, using this photo for your inspiration.

The design team has had so much fun with this inspiration. I was inspired by the colors as well as the flower.

I used various patterned papers, die cuts, stickers, fabric, stamps, ink, paint and tape on wood for this fun creation.

Link your project inspired by the photo before the end of September at the MMMC website. A random winner from all entries will receive a $25 gift certificate from Ellen Hutson !

Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!!!