New Release at The East Wind

I'm excited to show you the latest release from The East Wind called Lucy Loo 'Dreaded'.  Isn't she gorgeous?   I've double matted her made a burlap canvas with embellishments from Tim Holtz and a tag from Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue. She looks like a free spirit to me and I thought the theme fit this dreamy eyed beauty.

Here's a closeup of Lucy Loo 'Dreaded'.  It's a softer pencil sketch than many of the East Wind images and I was inspired to color in monochromatic tones.  The majority was done with Copics, with just a few stroked of Prismacolor pencils in her hair.  BTW, the entire hairdo, including the dreads was done with one color, E32.  I was hoping to capture the texture of the dreads and remembered a tutorial I found on Rhea Weigand's Blog about using the end of a small stiff paint brush, rubbing it against the brush end of your Copic marker (I actually dipped it in Copic reinker) and pouncing it lightly on the page. Thanks, Rhea!  Anyway, that's what I did to get the sort of "fuzzy" base. Because the dreads were sort of close together, I then shaded with tiny dots in the same color until I was satisfied rather than try to pounce with a darker color and possibly losing control and blurring the individual strands.  I do really love the way it turned out.

Here are the embellies.  I imagined Lucy Loo on a journey, wandering in search of paradise, even if only in her mind.  I'm right there with her...every day.

Don't forget the current FB Contest, RU Kidding Me? which runs through the 17th and the current Blog challenge, Shine On, which runs through the 10th.  Hope to see you there.  The East Wind is also participating in the Storybook challenge in Markers! Papers! Digis! FB Group and you can grab the special $1.00 digi, Storybook Animals HERE.

Here are of all the important links you need.

Challenge Blog

Unky's Coloring Therapy

FB Group

FB Fan Page

Etsy Shop

I'm a entering this in the DL.Art September Linky challenge, Simon Says Wednesday ATG, the Outlawz Monday Greetings Fall Colors challenge, Left of Center Feisty Ladies, Creative Fingers ATG, Emerald Fairies Challenges September Monochromatic, TTRCD 9/6-9/12 and  613 Avenue Create ATG/ w optional Fall Colors.

New Butterfly Sprite from Aurora Wings

I'm thrilled to be joining the Aurora Wings Showcase Team to introduce the newest member of the Sprite Family.  Meet Butterfly Sprite.  I've gone a a bit out of my comfort zone making an altered canvas garden for her to play in.

Here's a closeup of this little cutie that I've colored with Copics and fussy cut. I've used the "simple wings" version, but she comes with "fancy wings" as well. Check out the Showcase post to see inspiration using both versions.  You will get both versions and may choose between the jpg or png files in the Aurora Wings Etsy Shop.  The png files have no background, but a white image to color, so they can be used with digital paper or merged with other digital stamps, if you like.  The gorgeous ribbon here is from DL.Art Supplies.

My original plan was to do something pretty CAS with the new butterfly die from Memory Box.  Instead, I went WAY out of my comfort zone with a mixed media extravaganza using paint and inks and frantage and stamping (with real rubber on the canvas, yea, me!) and even some stenciling with modeling paste and had a ball.  Doesn't she look happy among the flowers, dancing with her friends?

Gotta say my inspiration came from Lisa's flower tutorial HERE.  I was so enchanted by her gorgeous floral inspiration and shabby chic style as a DT member for DL.Art month after month, that I just had to try some of my own. Mine look slightly different because I didn't have the same floral die and I added centers I had in my stash and crinkled some leaves, as well.  The light pink flower was made with mottled pink paper, the darker, smaller one started out white and was sprayed with Dylusions sprays.  I had so much fun with them, I decided Butterfly Sprite would love them too, so her magical garden came into bloom.  On the left corner you can see the bit of my stenciling with modeling paste.  My paste was so thick, that most didn't stay on the canvas, but I kind of liked the shabby result.

Finally, there's the dimensional shot.  I hope you like my project as much as I loved making it.  Be sure to visit the Aurora Wings Showcase Blog to see the amazing creations from the Showcase Team and some of my Aurora teamies. You'll also want to check out the June Discount code and special "Christmas in July" giveaway that ends June 30, so hurry!

There's also a few days left for our Black and White Plus One Other Color Challenge which ends at 11:55 pm EDT on Saturday, July 2nd.  Hope to see you there.

Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog

Aurora Wings Showcase Blog

Aurora Wings Etsy Shop

Aurora Wings Digi Shop

Aurora Wings FB Group

Aurora Wings FB Fan Page

I'm entering this in the DL.Art June Linky Challenge, Simon Says Wednesday ATG, Simon Says Monday Tic Tac Toe (using bottom left diagonal Spray, Stencil, and Stamp), Allsorts Photo Inspiration, Crafty Creations ATG, TTRCD ATG, Inspiration Destination ATG, the Outlawz Twisted Thursday ATG challenge, Tuesday Throwdown Fairies and Fantasy, Try it on Tuesday I Believe I can Fly, 613 Avenue Create ATG w/optional Sights, Tastes, Sounds of Summer (sights, Butterflies and Flowers), Shopping Our Stash How Does Your Garden Grow, Crafting from the Heart ATG, Craft-Dee Bowz June ATG w/bow, Corrosive Challenge June Lots of Layers, Left of Center Monochrome, Robin's Fetish Butterflies, A Gem of a Challenge Anything But a Card, We Love to Create ATG Mixed Media, Crafting by Designs July ATG and Crazy 4 Challenges Add a Butterfly.

Wish You Were Here

Our new challenge starts today at The East Wind FB Group page with the theme of "I've Been Framed" (add a frame or make it look like a Polaroid).  I remember my first Polaroid camera.  My Daddy won a "Swinger" at a golf tournament and gave it to me.  It was black and white (and happened to take only b&w photos, too).  You had to coat them with some goo after they developed or they'd get all streaky and washed out.  I thought it was pretty hot stuff.  I even remember the jingle on the tv commercial.  Does anybody else? Is anybody out there even close to my vintage?  Didn't think so. Okay, I digress. 

I did obviously go the Polaroid route using the beautiful "Hybiscus" (Unky's spelling, not mine.  LOL) and added the sentiment to the bottom of the "photograph". It's a burlap canvas to which I've added papers from the Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue, some scraps that  just happened to be laying on my table and a palm tree from JoLee's.

Here's a closeup of the beautiful "Hybiscus".  She's colored with Copics with hair and shading detail from Prismaclor pencils.  This reminds me of some tropical travel of my own.  Wish I were there.

 Come join the fun!

Here are of all the important links you need.

Challenge Blog

Show Room Blog

FB Group

FB Fan Page

Etsy Shop

I'm entering this in the Not Just Cards March ATG Challenge, DL.Art March Linky Challenge, Crafting from the Heart ATG, Crafty Friends ATG, Crafting with Friends, ATG, Creative Fingers ATG, Simply Papercraft ATG, Little Patch of Crafty Friends ATG, Scrapper's Delights ATG, Craft Your Passion ATG, and Inspiration Destination ATG.

Aurora Wings Ice & Snow

EEEK!  It's the first Aurora Wings Challenge of 2016 and I'm beside myself with excitement.  Besides LOVING the theme of Ice & Snow, I managed to get my rear in gear early enough to do a mixed media project I've had in my mind FOREVER, using the gorgeous Icy Snow Queen, also available HERE in the AW Digi Shop.  WooHoo!  I started with an 8x8" canvas that I primed with DecoArt Media Gesso.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop procrastinating and explore new avenues of crafting, so I'm especially thrilled with this.  (And to organize my craft room, but don't hold your breath on that one.  LOL)

Then I colored the gorgeous Icy Snow Queen with Copics in the B0000-B05 range. I really wanted her to sparkle, so after coloring, I applied a sheet of Be Creative Tape to the entire image, but before I sprinkled on the Microfine Transparent Art Glitter, I applied fussy cut eyes from another print, because I didn't want them to be frosty looking.  This particular glitter is so fine, you can actually color over it with your Copics without damaging the nib, although I did that only minimally here.  I do wipe the tip off though, in case a few particles come dislodged from the tape.  Then I added some DecoArt Liquid Glass to her eyes and lips for shine.  

I tore around the image to avoid a harsh edge and used DecoArt Matte Medium to adhere it to the canvas.  Then I applied DecoArt Modeling Paste with a palette knife and sprinkled it with some Mica glitter and waited (impatiently) for it to dry.

Now the fun really began.  I had a serious stash of stuff to embellish this project, wired stems of crystals, faceted gems, garlands of tiny snowflakes and icicles that I cut apart with nippers.

Then I painstakingly glued them to the gorgeous image  and surrounding "snow" using DecoArt Liquid Glass until I was satisfied...

and added acrylic glitter snowflakes from MAMBI (hoarded for years!) that I layered with various others by JoLee's.  Finally, I adorned the peaks of "snow" with Stardust Stickles and I've gotta say, I haven't been this excited about one of my projects in a long time.  I'm already itching to play with more mixed media.

Be sure to check out the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog for more frosty goodness from my teamies.  We can't wait to see what you come up with.  And BTW, if you've ever wanted to join the Aurora Wings family, check out our Open DT call HERE for a brand new DT.  Applications and Blog Link up due by January 29th, so hurry.

Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog

Aurora Wings Showcase Blog

Aurora Wings Etsy Shop

Aurora Wings Digi Shop

Aurora Wings FB Group

Aurora Wings FB Fan Page

I'm also thrilled to be entering this in the DecoArt Mixed Media Winter Wonderland Challenge.  WooHoo!  It's about time I get around to using some their fab products that I've amassed in my stash.

I'm also entering this in the Crafty Time January Make it Sparkle Challenge, the Creatalicious Snowflakes Challenge, Creative Craft Cottage Release the Glitter, Dream Factory The Ice Queen, More Mixed Media "Blue", The Sparkles Monthly January Blues Challenge, Left of Center Winter Wonderland, Allsorts Girly and Sparkly Challenge, the Corrosive Challenge New Resolutions, Crafty Friends ATG, the Digi Designs Snow or Snowflakes Challenge, Winter Wonderland Glitter and Shine, Craft Your Passion ATG, the C.R.A.F.T. Not a Card Challenge, 613 Avenue Create ATG/Stylish and Elegant, Clear it Out Theme: Winter Stash: Snowflakes, Inspiration Destination ATG, Crafting with an Attitude ATG, the ABC Christmas Challenge "A" is for ATG, Crafting for All Seasons Monochrome, A Snowflake's Promise Challenge 14, Glitter and Sparkle Monochrome and The Paper Shelter Shades of Blue.

The East Wind ABAC

There's a new challenge at The East Wind with the Theme of ABAC (Anything but a Card).  Awhile back I won a fabulous "Steampunk Treasure Box" on my Gecko Galz DT sister Amanda's Blog and this fabulous burlap canvas with the travel Ephemera on it was one of he goodies.  Thanks so much, Amanda!  It was the inspiration for my challenge project and I thought that 'Lucy Loo' Voyage was the perfect image for it.

Lucy Loo is colored with Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  To be honest, it took me awhile to figure out how to do her hair since the steamer trunk was behind her and the hair is drawn as strands, rather than closed waves or sections.  Finally I tried coloring the trunk with my Copics all the way to her face and then filling in the hair with very sharp pencil strands.  I added more shading with the pencils after coloring the rest of the image with Copics, as well.  I hough the little button on her jaunty beret was a nice touch (so very FRENCH, no?) and the ticket with the lettered sentiment is also Tim Holtz as is the Philosophy tag on the ribbon top left.  BE sure to visit The East Wind Challenge Blog and see the wonderful ABAC projects from my teamies and if YOU would like to join the fabulous TEW DT family, there's is currently a DT call, but hurry! only a few days left.  Check out the deets HERE.

Here's the important stuff:

Challenge Blog

Show Room Blog

FB Group

FB Fan Page

Etsy Shop

I'm entering this in the 613 Avenue Create CYOC (Square, Thinking of You and Burlap), Crafting with an Attitude ATG and Simon Says Monday ATG, 

Happy Valentine's Day from Dilly Beans (and Me!)

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends out there in Blogland.  Hope your day is filled with all the love you could ever imagine (and a few chocolates wouldn't be that awful, either.  LOL)  The Dilly Beaners have made some special Valentines for you all, too.  Our Challenge this fortnight is Hearts (just in case you haven't gotten your fill).  No shortage of Dilly Beans images with hearts so I'm sure we'll see lots of great stuff.  I've tried something new (for me anyway) and done a canvas transfer using Shell's tut in the Mixed Media University Group on the Smeared and Smudged Forum.  The image is the adorable #587 Penny's Heart String.  After carefully rubbing off the paper, I colored her with Copics and added more of my conversation heart stickers.  Love the texture the canvas provides.  The background is dabbed with bubble wrap dipped in Distress Ink.  I've fashioned the the heart with lace tape and added trim, crocheted flowers, pearls  and a little crocheted butterfly, as well.  I've wrapped some velvet ric rac around the edge to finish it off.  Very sweet and girly, don'tcha think?

I'm entering this in the 613 Avenue Create ATG Challenge (couldn't quite manage the optional Create your Own with this one but still wanted to share.), the Outlawz Twisted Thursday ATG /w optional Add a Flower, TTRCD ATG Feb 11-17, Through the Purple Haze ATG and Papertake Weekly With a Heart.