art by the inch challenge

I have been wanting to revisit this challenge for quite some time (read: years) and just have never gotten around to it. I discovered that while the original website is still up, it hasn't been updated since 2009 and I couldn't find anyone else doing it. So I've resurrected it and claim no credit for it's creation; I just think it's a great challenge.  I recently introduced it to my craft group as a 30 day, win a prize challenge but the idea was that I'd also offer it here, minus the prize. I think it's a fantastic motivator.

In the original Art by the Inch challenge, it was a commitment to make 10,000 square inches of art no matter what it was. No matter what it is, the real intent is to get into a creative flow, explore and play with what you have, and CREATE.


The specifics:

-whatever you do creatively counts: painting, drawing, sculpture, sewing, book binding, print making, card making, scrapbook pages, art journal pages, shrines, etc

-cooking and baking, while an art form themselves, will not count, solely because of measurement purposes

-if you'd like to share your measured pieces as you go along, please feel free to. You can leave them on a Flickr page, a blog post, a Facebook album, etc. Just leave a link in the comments. (I'd create a Flickr group, but I'm unsure of how many people will participate. If there's interest, let me know and I'll create one!0

-please keep a record of your inches. Suggested way: simply list your project and it's measurements

-30 days starts today, 22 January, and goes until Wednesday, 20 February

How to measure:

Basically, measure length, height, and width then multiply!

specifics to measurements:

-to keep it fair, if you make a book, only measure the cover, not the inside pages unless they are decorative pages (ie: only measure art journaling pages, not blank signature pages)

-do not measure depth (for example, if you make a shrine. length, height, width count, depth does not)

-measurements should be in inches

-if you make something circular, measure as if it were a clock: the height from the 12 to 6 position, the length from the 9 to 3 position

Example: if you make a 12" x 12" scrapbook page, you've created 144 square inches of art!

give a gift kits on sale!

Everything in the 'give a gift kit' section of my shop is 50% off until January 1st! 

Brown Bag 2 - the small bag

I love, love, love these small brown bags I got on Etsy last year. (Sadly, the seller is no longer selling) I use them for small gifts because they are quick and easy to make pretty!

This one I just stenciled with the Stars stencil from Studio Calico  that I picked up last month at my local stamp store. I'm so glad I got it because I can't find it anywhere now. I used the Festive Berries Distress Ink and some stickers from a Girls Paperie Christmas set. (Also, not in business anymore) 

I used the same stars and stickers for the tag.

I think my Secret Santa partner is really going to like his gift. 

Bonus: there's a set of 6 Star stenciled bags and gift tags in my shop! At $4.00 for 6 you can't miss out on giving a few gifts in super cute bags. 

Brown Bags at Christmas - bag one

I am not a fan of those generic looking Christmas gift bags, paper or plastic. They're usually not very cute (or the cute ones are super pricey) and while they can be reused, they just don't like them. Since I'm giving a few crocheted blankets as gifts this year I gave some serious thought as to how to give them. I decided to go with brown grocery bags, that I picked up at my grocery store. 

I carefully flattened it out, creasing it along the inside bottom fold so that it would lie flat while I worked on it. (Clips came in handy for this!)

I gave it a layer of white acrylic paint and then a layer, while it was still wet, of some red Martha Stewart glitter paint. It's a very delicate layer of glitter, which is what I love about her glitter paints. I just kind of...did whatever. Sounds lazy, doesn't it? I didn't want to put a lot of thought into it because when I do that it turns into a big production and this is meant to be a quick project. I took some markers and doodled some lines. I layered a few paper strips, half a doily. Some foam and glitter snowflakes. Deciding it was too plain, I stenciled some mini stars in Festive Berries Distress Ink all over and topped it off with some silver letters. For this one I'll probably just leave it open at the top and add a hanging gift tag. 

The Sylvia Tietjens/Parade's End inspired book

I was invited to a bookbinding class yesterday taught by my friend Carrie. (I also got to play with the new stamps she's got coming out and they are super cute!) 

We took old Reader's Digests and gutted them. When I took mine apart, the glue was so old the cover just popped apart so we used the black book repair tape to reattach it. 

Inside cover. I cut the Ex Libris bookplate from the innards of the Reader's Digest. The paper (on both the front and back inside covers) is from the new She Art paper line. 

 The cover image is a sticky back canvas transfer and the bottom border was cut from paper - oddly enough, the Glue and Seal made it look as if it were a canvas transfer too. There are 6 signatures of 3 pages each.

 For the record: it took me TWO HOURS to bind. The pamphlet stitch is easy but the beads take time! Especially when you have to find ones that your needle will fit through!

I cite Sylvia Tietjens and Parade's End as my inspiration, as Parade's End is one of my favorite books and watching the BBC miniseries has been divine. I don't normally use my books once I make them but this one I am going to use as an art journal with the theme of Parade's End. I'm also thinking about using my other hand made books for the same thing, a book for each of my favorite novels. But we'll see because I am lazy when it comes to projects like that!

have you checked out...

Paper Wings Productions yet?

It's owned by a dear friend and let me tell you, she and her creative team have put together some *awesome* stamps that have become some of my most favorites to use in recent months. Backgrounds, frames, sayings/expressions...I've been using my sets (and borrowed sets) in my art journal, on cards, and letters and have been loving them. 

My most favorite thing about them is that they're easily mixed and matched. My Queen tag used the Day Framer, London, and Louise sets. (All color is distress ink) They've also got the most helpful blog, sharing tutorials and peeks into different ways to use their stamps. 

Find Paper Wings Productions on Facebook

The Paper Wings Productions Shop 

The Paper Wings YouTube Page

cigar box redo

I took an empty cigar box and covered the insides some with Tim Holtz tissue paper. The brackets are chipboard, painted red. I used Scrabble tiles and the hearts are just muslin stitched together. I stamped the words with alphabet letters and added some pearls for a little color.

it's a trap

altered mouse traps

We have a winner!

We have a winner! 

Carol said: 

I love Carries line of stamps. Would like to add the Butterfly Panel to the ones I already have. Well that's just one of the ones I'd like to add. They are all great and the ones I have give a good clear image. 

Deadline extended!

If you haven't signed up for the give-away of a great lot of stuff AND a set of stamps from Paper Wings Productions, you still have time! I've extended the give-away until Friday, the 20th, at 10 p.m.

Go here for details!

Let's have a give-away!

My friend Carrie recently started up her own stamp company and I love the sets I've already gotten so much I decided I needed to share the love and have a give-away! I'm giving away a bunch of my favorite products from my massive stash AND a set of Paper Wings Productions Stamps!

What's in the basket: (I've linked some of these so that you can see them since mine isn't the greatest picture!)

- 3 Studio G pigment inks
-2 Studio G glitter glues (in white and aqua, my two most favorite)
-Dear Lizzy Memento Charming metal embellishments
-a set of Martha Stewart Alpaha rub-ons
-2 packs of white cards - one square and one giant tag shaped
-Crate Paper's Lemongrass rub-ons
-K and Company's Actopus to Zelephant rub-ons
-American Crafts Details: Frisbee and Honeysuckle
-some multi-colored gems
-some Martha Stewart plaid tape

-a bottle of Ditto's Glimmer Mist in Silver
-some journal tags
-two packs of Dear Lizzy brads

Dear Lizzy Remarks Exquisite Stickers

ALL THAT PLUS! a set of stamps of your choice from Paper Wings Productions! All you have to do to enter to win is go over to the Paper Wings shop and look at their stamps, then comment on this post and tell me which set you'd love to add to your collection.

Drawing open until Wednesday, the 18th at 10pm CST, when I will pick a winner! Remember, all you have to do is comment and feel free to pass it on!

from the files of the fake field book

A little piece I just did for the Art House Co-Op's 4x6 Exchange Pt 2. It's crumpled notebook paper on watercolor paper, colored with some Old Paper Distress Ink. The stamps are just random ones from my collection EXCEPT for the frame and the exhibit a-d stamps - those are the Paper Wings Productions Details Framer that I picked up yesterday. (They are on page 2 in their shop!)

Absolutely inspired by Shay, the woman who designed that framer set!

Watch out this week -- I'm going to have a card making pack giveaway that's going to include a set of stamps from Paper Wings!

from the tutorial files: making my own foam applicators

I found this tutorial on Pinterest and immediately bookmarked it because I can never seem to have enough of the foam for the Distress Ink pads. Since it's quiet and rainy here today I decided to try it out. I love the idea that I now can have a foam pad dedicated to each color.

Let it be known that I'm so jealous she used some rounded stamp mounts! I took all my mounted stamps apart last summer and kept the wood mounts to use for various projects. I did a little sanding to clean up my wood mounts and used some Red-Line Tape.

Super easy to put together and really, such an awesome idea. I like the size of the stamp mounts, as they fit more comfortably in my hand and I feel like I have more control. The only thing I'm not liking, or perhaps not used to, is the Cut n' Dry Foam. It's so much thicker than the pre-cut foam that comes in the packages. I'm going to play around with these and see how they work for me, but so far, I'm in love!

Paper Wings!

One of my dearest friends just launched her own rubber stamp company and I'm super excited about it! I've known Carrie for years and she's managed to start up a new company while being a mom to two and a class instructor. (I take her book binding and Tim Technique classes!)

I so cannot wait to get my hands on her Birds of a Feather set! I played with them when I saw her last and they are super ADORABLE.

You can find her stamps for sale here. Birds of a Feather and Home Tweet Home are my current faves and I cannot wait to get my hands on my own sets.

the star book

valentines are for girls

Photo: the 2012 Valentine I've given out to the ladies in my life. (I ran out of supplies to make them so not everyone got them but I think I substituted them with a cute and fun Valentine that slacker me sent out today)

Here's the thing. I don't make Valentine's for men. I'll give them a verbal Happy Valentine's Day, but that's it. It isn't that I don't love them, I do, but Valentine's Day has always been this day where I get to confess my love and admiration for the women in my life. It just seems a fitting time to do that. A day about love to tell people I love them. Every day is about loving those around you but Valentine's Day just makes it seem a little more special.

They make me laugh and cry and feel hopeful and inspired and they make me happy, all these women. What good is Valentine's Day if I don't take advantage of the sentiment to remind them that they are loved, by me? That there's someone out there that isn't a family member that thinks they rock my world in so many ways? That admires them for what they have and what they share and what they give. It's like my one day a year where I can give them a big and proper heartfelt thank you for being them.

It's a day of love and damn right I show it!

bind-it-all - product name or swear?

how about both??

i recently purchased the bind-it-all having this grand idea of making wire bound books using a lot of my paper stash. i've been working in a plain paper art journal and when i'm done i'd like to use mixed pages, which is where i got the idea.

it looks easy enough. and is easy enough once you figure out how to use. the swearing comes in when i realized there are no clear or detailed instructions that i can find on how to punch a large cover bigger than 3x3. (which is what the size of this book is.) the zutter website was pretty much useless and so is the little instruction booklet you get with your bind-it-all. everything is written in such ... technical ... terms that my brain can't process it. the only pages i found easy to understand where the tips pages at the end of the booklet that step by step guides you through pushing your binding together.

what i learned: that scrap paper is your friend. just figuring out the punching mechanism and how to do a long row require just lots of patience and lots of scrap paper so you aren't ruining your project. i learned the hard way.

i'm not going to give up though! i need mixed paged books!

Made with all red heart yarn, which is what i had in my stash.

It's triple crochet and took me about 8 hours total. I didn't measure it but it's the length of the bench and just folded in half in the picture.

It's my first full crochet project - I taught myself from watching the crochet school videos on crafty minx's blog! It isn't perfect but I'm so proud of it. I've started on the next one, a bigger version, and I'm hoping that as I keep practicing my technique will get better.

before and after

before: a page from my sketchbook covered with two used dryer sheets. glued on with lots of patience and glue and seal.

after: same page, trimmed and colored with distress ink (festive berries) and glimmer mist (rudolph the red nosed reindeer)

i don't know what i'm going to do with it but it's got a lovely texture to it!

stencils!

i went into michael's today to pick up yarn (red heart super savers are 2 for 5!) and noticed that they finally had the martha stewart paints in. not all of the michael's here in town have had the line; i've been hoarding my glitter paints from it until they started offering it closer by.

(i can hoard no more!) (if you haven't tried the martha glitter paint, i highly suggest it)

i ended up getting a stencil set - 8.99 and I used my coupon, always a plus. i was a little leery about buying them because they aren't really meant for paper but i'm so, so pleased with how they worked out.

i bought the fair isle dots set. i've marked each image with what i used so that you can see the difference in product. i just used basic manilla tags. i love that these stencils are adhesive back and they didn't seem to stick to the paper when i was ready to pull them up. they wiped down easily with a baby wipe and did not lose any stickiness when i put them back on their storage sheet.

i used 3 of the border stencils and the tattered angels rudolph glimmer mist (that was a seasonal thing)


for this one, i just laid out a few random stencils and used the festive berries distress pad (also another limited edition but still available) i used the foam for this tag and am quite pleased with the detail.

this one is the broken china distress stain. to be honest, i just assumed that the stain would run under the stencil, but that sticky back is really great and there was no mess. even the detail is clear. not as crisp as the ink, but still pretty clear for a stain.

i am in love with the jenni bowlin dabber line -- this one is weather vane. this is also my favorite stencil in the set and i've already got a few ideas what to do with it.

i also used a random assortment of them in my art journal for today's page and i had the same results: crisp, clear images done with paint dabbers and no issues peeling the stencils off the paper.

{note: this isn't any kind of paid advertisement or review. i just happened upon the stencils while shopping and thought i'd share my results with others. i know i have a hard time spending money on new products if i don't see how they work before hand.}