USArtQuest Design Team Launch and BLoG HoP!

Welcome to the USAQ very first BLoG HoP!  It's so exciting to have you join us :) [and a bit scary for me as I get to kick the whole thing off - that's what comes of marrying into the beginning of the alphabet!]  Just look at this yummy prize [and it really is yummy, those sheets of flake are A5 in places!]

This Draw & Gild Kit retails at $29.99 in the States, and I've not been able to find it in the UK.  They're shipping internationally with this prize so if you want a chance of winning this, get hopping, and leave each designer a comment by 11.59pm EST on Sunday 27th June [for those in the UK, comment by 5am Monday 28th June]!  In case you get lost, here is a list of the order you must hop

start here with me, Sarah Anderson

Suzi Blu

Lea Cioci
Jessica Griffin
Jan Hennings
Terri Sproul
Connie Vogt
Julie Ranae
USAQ Blog

I played with my new Shrooms with the 'Draw & Gild Kit'.  I never knew you could stamp with Duo  Embellishing Adhesive, but you can!

All you do is put some Duo onto your stamp [I did it directly from the bottle but it was a bit runny and I ended up with too much - try a sponge or a brush].

Stamp onto your paper [I had so much Duo on my stamp I was able to stamp the image twice - can you see it in the top right hand corner?] then immediately clean your stamp [I use a baby wipe] and wait for the Duo to become clear.  As Sue would say 

"If you see white, it's not right

If you see clear, it will adhere"

So once it's clear, lay some of the gilding leaf onto the tacky image and press gently with your fingers.

Gently rub away the excess with the texture sponge; I use a circular motion.

Et voila!  Beautiful gilded shrooms to make beautiful art with :)

Whilst waiting for my Duo to go from white to clear (I was in a cold cellar room) I had a play with the fine calligraphy pen - Oh My Goodness!  I LoVeD it!  More on that in the week.  Until then, leave me a comment, then hop on over and visit

Suzi Blu

Happy Hopping!

EDIT: to leave a comment, click on 'arty ponderings' below

thanks 

cute minions..these may replace toy story aliens in my affections ;)

another colour splash at the play date cafe

I think Colour Splash weeks are my very favourite challenge weeks at The Play Date Cafe.  I find them very enjoyable and undemanding.  I particularly love this week as Julie chose a splash of blue (one of my favourite colours)...

... which gave me the perfect excuse to give in and buy Stampendous' Agapanthus Cluster from The Cubby Hole. I aDoRe this image and have wanted it for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages!

 I coloured the blue flowers with my paintbrush and a watercolour pencil, an Inktense sea blue one by Derwent to be precise!  I've been loving the big bows I've seen on some cards lately and would have loved to have added one to this card but was on the last minute and didn't have any black ribbon.

But I did have plenty of gems to add to the card :)

We're really grateful to our generous sponsors over at The Play Date Cafe, and want to say a big thankyou to Limelight who are sponsoring this week's challenge.  They've giving away two yummy misting sprays, one a luscious pink, the other a chocolately fudge - such a gorgeous colour combo!  Check out their blog here

And don't forget to check out all the other pdcc designers' blogs for more inspirationgwith these colours - just use the links on my sidebar :) or head over to the play date cafe :)

moxie fab world challenge: I want to ride my bicycle

I came across this challenge whilst blog hopping for play date cafe.  I love these ladies on bicycles, they make me think of Mary Poppins, and when I did this doiley page in my journal I knew I had to have them cycling around the edge!

They are from the Mannequin Cafe set, which I bought on my last trip to The Stamp Attic.  Head over here if you'd like to join in with this challenge too :)

Gladys and Ethel went to tea

in a beautiful china cup.

They wore their hats

and chatted of cats,

looking forward to crumpets and toast!

Talking of  The Stamp Attic, my recent order came super quick.  I'm so excited to get these!

I can't wait to use those 'shrooms' in my journal [and they'll go particularly well with my project for usartquest - watch this space! ] and how cute are those quails?  The really make me think of next door's hens, who wouldn't oblige when I tried taking a photo:

They were much more interested in leftover spaghetti (which Lou next door is sure they think is worms lol).  In the end I put one on my knee for a photo, she looks like she's giving me the evil eye and saying 'put me down, I'm eating!!'

celebrating

Julie is sooooooooooo much better at remembering anniversaries than I am.  In fact, it wasn't until she mentioned her blogaversary was coming up that I realised I must have missed mine!!  Julie's got some goodies for a blog birthday giveaway over on her blog so head on over and "leave her some love!"

I'm off to look up treats for next door's hens who I'm looking after - well, I'm just putting off sorting out my craft room really ;)

canvases are go!

It's definitely canvas month in my house!!  I've been wanting to get some of my own artwork on our walls so have been busy with canvases recently, and now it looks like I'm busy teaching them too!  This one includes 3d embellishments made from Makin's Clay and is similar to the one I'll be teaching at Paddy's Stamping Place on Saturday if you'd like to join me.  Then I've got two canvas classes coming up down at The Stamp Attic in Wantage, Oxford - one with grungepaper embellishment (yes, Wendy does have grungepaper!!), then one with wax.  :)  I just love playing with all this paint :) :) :)

stitchy, waxy, textured canvas at The Cubby Hole

I've had a busy few days just recently - working in the nursery across the road with the two and three year olds (which I LoVeD), teaching an art journalling repeat class at Paddy's Stamping Place, then teaching a "stitchy, waxy, textured canvas" at The Cubby Hole yesterday.  This was a fabulous class, full of smiles and laughter, especially when I showed the teeny weeny frying pan I'd used on my stove at home to melt my wax and Nigel produced a stove from his van so we could replicate the event in the workshop!!

It was a busy and varied workshop, requiring such concentration that I think it's the quietest workshop I've ever taught!!

Nigel, Sue, Tracy E, Lisa's hand

 Christine, Tracey, Carol, Sue, Lisa

I have to say the resulting canvases were absolutely STuNNiNG.  Carol also holds exhibitions of artwork in the shop but this week was a gap between two exhibitions so we hung our own canvases on the wall!

 Christine's dragonflies -

doesn't Tim's lace stamp look effective on the wings!

  

Tracey is adding some irridescent beads to hers at home

Tracy E

my second sample (forgot to take pic of the first!!)

L

Lisa made hers to match the colours of her bathroom

Sue felt her background looked oriental 

so used a rubber stamp image as inspiration

for this design

Nigel drew the dragonfly shape which we all fell in love with :)

Lisa L and Sue Mac both put a lot of work into theirs and are finishing them at home - they look fabulous already so imagine how good they'll look finished :)

 

Lisa L

 

Lisa L detail - I just love the stitching!!

Sue Mac

All in all, a wonderful day :)