I brush Elmer's glue (or PVA glue) onto the first piece with a sponge brush . . .

I carefully lay the mulberry paper down on the bottom of the cardstock . . . I like to "push" the fibers outward from the paper for more texture . . .

Here you see me "pushing" more fibers outward from the paper to create a "stringy" effect . . .

After all the layers are added to the cardstock . . . I sponged on Scribbles Glittering Crystal . . . it's a fabric paint from the craft store . . . let dry . . .
Before I stamp my clear acetate . . . I make a "template" by outlining the same size cardstock so that I can see where I'm stamping onto the clear acetate . . .

I like to use Black Staz On ink to stamp images (this one is a Kodomo Inc. set Bamboo Lake 6868-001) on my clear acetate . . . I purchase ordinary transparencies that you write on from the office supply stores . . . they're less expensive than the heat-sensitive kind . . . I have yet to find an ink that can stamp a "perfect" image on the shiny surface, and I DO have to go back and fill in "holes" with a black Sharpie marker, at times . . . but I find that this product does the best job for my purposes . . .Careful . . . the inked stamp slips easily on the shiny surface . . . press gently and lift straight up . . . Now . . . you probably never make a mistake like I do . . . but when I do with the Staz On ink on clear acetate . . . it's easy to fix with a spritz of ordinary rubbing alcohol and a paper towel . . . I even use rubbing alcohol to clean my sticky fingers . . When I am happy with my image . . . I am ready to adhere it to my mulberry paper collage background.
My Xyron machine works nicely to put sticky stuff on the back of my clear acetate image . . . I understand that JudiKins Diamond Glaze and Ranger Glossy Accents work, as well . . .
I hope you liked this technique . . . Have fun!!!!!

YIKES! Another Blog Award!!!!!

OHMYGOSH . . . my dear papercraft buddy, Sue Shute, has nominated me for One Lovely Blog Award!!! How exciting!!! THANK YOU, Sue!!!!!

I have the pleasure and priviledge of nominating 7 bloggers with outstanding art and sharing with the art community . . . here are my 7 nominees . . .

1. Suze Weinberg
2. Nettie Moss
3. Kelly Burton
4. Arlene
5. Toni Curtis
6. Eileen
7. Shar Briss

Please feel free to click on their highlighted names to link to their blogs!!!! THANK YOU, again, Sue!!!!

. . . and still ANOTHER condensed CHA Report

I was totally FLOORED by the displays at the Jolee's Jewels booth . . . these were in a contest sponsored by Jolee's and were totally magnificent examples of Swarovski Crystal creations . . . I totally feasted my eyes on these beauties and more! Please click on these images to see the enlargements of all the gorgeous beadwork!!!!

What an thrilling week this has been! I'm totally fortunate to have been able to view and participate in this extravaganza!!!!!!

Still ANOTHER condensed CHA Report

Today was another exciting day at CHA . . . Suze

Weinberg demonstrated her famous UTEE and made a wonderful dimensional finish on her charm . . . the "glitz" you see on the background is deceiving . . . it's simply foil paper in the back . . . a trimmed Mona Lisa collage image . . . and she finished it off with sparkling Stickles on the corners . . . her own designer Stickles colors . . . I was so thrilled when she actually gave me her sample!! I LOVE Mona! LOL!!I was captivated by the Environmental Technology Inc. booth which had an Easy Mold made out of silicone rubber that could be put into the oven with the polymer clay in it . . . therefore, detailed and delicate shapes such as old skeleton keys can be made of polymer clay without fear of breakage while removing the clay from the mold before baking . . . how novel!!!!
Suzanne McNeill, author of Creative Dyeing for Fabric Arts published by Design Originals (it must be so new it wasn't on the website yet) . . . had a workshop using permanent markers on coffee filters . . . a cloth doll . . . and a silk scarf . . . everyone's came out differently . . . what fun!!!!
This sample is from the Creatively Green Metal Raku Workshop taught by Rebekah Meier and Barbara Matthiessen . . . Rebekah taught painting and metalwork techniques using tools from Walnut Hollow . . . Barbara Matthiessen is from the company Earth's Safe Finishes, paints and mediums that are environmentally friendly . . . I was amazed at the amount of pigment in the colors and, yet, they were "green" . . .

CHA had much to offer . . . I didn't get to see everything in detail, but what an exciting opportunity to be there in person!!! Wow!!!!

Another Condensed CHA Report

Today was another exciting day at CHA . . . I stood in line to do a Make It Take It at the Ranger booth . . . it is always so popular and the new Tim Holtz products are such innovative ideas!!! Here's a tag out of Grungeboard . . . he now has a Paper Grungeboard . . . the cutest and practical tiny stapler . . . new stamps at Stampers Anonymous . . . new Ranger products . . . many of his new line is SO new that I couldn't find a link to them except for the stamps and the Ranger products . . . he is UNBELIEVABLY talented!!!!! What a creative mind!!

Heidi Boyd, author of Simply Beautiful Beaded Jewelry, gave a workshop using hardware materials . . . like from the hardware store!!!! I just couldn't pass that up!!! Here we made a lovely necklace using stainless steel washers from Ace Hardware!!!!! They really look aesthetic!!!!! LOL!!!!

Amate Studios had a wonderful Make It Take It using their charm backings and the Suze Weinberg UTEE and Melting Pot . . . I love the way the gold swirled in the fuchsia color . . . it's really gorgeous in person . . .

Jolee's Jewels had another easy and beautiful Make It Take It . . . today we made a charm bracelet using the most adorable insect charms and Swarovski Crystals . . .

I have more photos to share . . . but it's getting late and I have to get up at 5:00 AM for a 7:00 AM workshop tomorrow . . . more to come!!! LOL!!!!

condensed 2009 cha report

I was fortunate to have been chosen to attend the 2009 CHA (Craft and Hobbies Association) Convention for January 2009 by Deborah Sandoval of Blended Palette Boutique this year . . . I was also fortunate to have been able to attend in workshops . . . the first one was with Patti Brady, talented author of Rethinking Acrylics: Radical Solutions for Exploiting The World's Most Versatile Medium . . . Among other skills . . . she taught us how to use the new Golden Paints Digital Grounds . . . the directions which are online . . .

The first scan is of a inkjet print onto the prepared Digital Grounds . . . I love the way it was simple to "trim" the transparency using a brush dipped in water rubbing gently on the areas I wished to remove . . . I added color to the back of the transparency with acrylic paint on the evening gown . . .
The second scan is the transparency on a colored and textured background . . .

What a thrill it was to be able to take a workshop with the famous and talented "Polymer Princess" Lisa Pavelka, author of the book Polymer Extravaganza and the successful DVD Polymer Clay Treasures . . . this complicated-looking brooch was amazingly easy to do . . . Lisa has also introduced a new line of her own line of products through JHB . . This adorable door hanger was a Make It Take It at the EK Success booth . . .

This elaborate looking earring by Jolee's Jewels was an amazingly quick and easy Make It Take It . . .

We totally had so much fun at Suze Weinberg's THE QUEEN BEE Hot Wax Stylus class . . . she kept us laughing all the time!!! It was to our delight that what appeared to be a complicated technique was totally fun and playful!!

Suze generously gave me permission to post our picture from her workshop on her blog to my blog . . . that's me peeking over her shoulder to the right of Suze . . .

I am SO looking forward to tomorrow for more of CHA!!!!!! LOL!!!!