A Mailbox Full of Collagy Goodness

This week has been insane at work and I haven't had a second to turn around.  I put aside all my mail until today so when I finally had time to go through it.  In this mammoth stack of bills, junk mail and parcels was a wonderful, amazing, and fun package!  My ArtChix Studio order came!  Whoohoo!

If you haven't checked out this fun online store, it is a fantastic resource for collage and mixed media!  Lots of fun and fab items including collage sheets, wood cuts and charms, shrines and kits.

Here's what I got this time:

Now, I just have to find some time to play with it all!  My mind is buzzing with ideas!

Midge Has a Passion for Pink

I usually steer far away from pink but for this card it just seemed the perfect hue! I decided to accent my deep pinks with chocolate. Everything's always better with chocolate, right?

This is a truly simple card. I love the combo of the circle sitting in the rectangular mat. I added flowers to the mix to celebrate the beautiful blooms arising in my garden. If you love adding flowers to your creations, you have until May 25, 2013 to enter into the Reader Art Quests over at Unruly Paper Arts - 5 or More Flowers and Paper Flowers. Rogue Redhead's Rebel Challenge is also going floral with a May Flowers Challenge open until June 2, 2013.

Stamps: Midge from This N That (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

Hope your day sees you "in the pink"!

My First Watercolor Painting

After I finished my online collage course from MoMA, I thought...hmmm....what can I do next?  One of my friends is a fabulous watercolorist and runs courses out of her studio.  After warning her that I have zero talent, she still let me into her beginners class...she's so nice!

This is my first composition. We worked from a photocopy of a photograph and our assignment was to create a monochromatic piece based on the photo. I choose the rich color of burnt sienna. Considering I am, as previously stated, without natural talent AND I had never worked with watercolors in tubes before, I think I did pretty well.

My favorite bit of the whole piece was the tree that I created. Unfortunately, it ended up deciduous and the actual tree was really a scrubby pine but small steps are still steps.

Here's the whole attempt. The shed got away from me but I am pleased with the sky.

So tonight, I am off to my next lesson! Yikes. We were forewarned that we are doing the same picture but in color. Should be interesting if nothing else :)

Merry Mom's Day

Wishing all the Mom's out there a very happy day with their families! So here's a nice little sprig of Lily of Valley!

I always think of something homey when I see gingham so I used that as my backdrop for this card!

Stamps: lily of the valley from Floriculture; sentiment from
Bits and Pieces (Rogue Redhead Designs)

If you get to get all inky (or better yet get new stamps) for Mother's Day, come and play our new Rebel Challenge - May Flowers - on Rogue Redhead Designs!

Of course, if you don't get any new stamps for Mom's Day, you can always get yourself a present at the RRD store where we have several plates on sale this month as well as a new release!

I'm also playing along with the following challenges:

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Mother's Day / For Mom

Pattie's Creations - Mother's Day

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Blooms and Blossoms

Have a fabulous day!

Orange You in Love with Blue?

I love this color combo eventhough I am often not brave enough to use it!  Recently, I painted my daughter's room with orange and navy accents and I was hooked!

I am loving Midge with this color combo!  She's back to having red hair.  You'd think I was biased or something...

I am entering this card into the following challenges:


Cute Card Challenges - Something Blue

Loves Rubber Stamps - Anything Goes

Hope everybody is heading toward a fabulous and fun weekend!

Clockwork

Yesteday, I wanted to make a set of note cards that would be suitable for either a male or female recipient.  I embossed the clock face from the new This N That plate from Rogue Redhead Designs with clear embossing powder and then added distress ink to the panel.

To check out my other variations and get more detailed steps, check out my Simple Set Saturday post on RRD!

Starburst Birds

As you may have noticed, I can't seem to stop playing with my new lovebirds. For today's card, I wanted to go more natural (read possible) colors so I pulled out my red and brown copics and got to work.

I decided to try another card using the Technique Junkies' Designer Paper Starburst technique. This time I went a little slimmer with my starburst and started it mid-card. I thought that the background went beautifully with my little birds. What do you think?

Stamp: love birds from This N That (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I am entering this card in the following fab challenges:

Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes

Fab N Funky - Love is a Many Spendored Thing

Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes

Have a good one and don't forget to cuddle up with someone special!

Pink and Green Fit for a Queen

My Mom always used to say "Pink and Green are fit for a Queen". I agree with that bit as I love the freshness of this particular color combo. Of course, the rhyme ends "Pink and Blue will never do" which I have to take issue with as it truly depends on which blue and which pink. For today, however, I'll stick to the part that Mom and I both agree on.

I've dressed Midge up in these Spring colors and then set her on a simple background with two polka dot papers. I think she is definitely dressed for success with this card!  This is also my first time making Midge blonde.  What do you think?

I am entering this card into the following charming challenges:

Crafty Creations - Pink Plus One

Charisma Cardz - Polka Dots

Dilly Beans - Think Pink

Hope you feel like royalty today!

Lay Claim to Your Fate

With this card, I just really wanted to focus on the sentiment.  For the base, I used kraft cardstock and stamped the clockface from the newly-resleased This N That plate several times in both Memento Tuxedo Black and Distress Ink Tea Dye.  I added the stark white quote, also from This N That, and rounded two corners for some visual interest.

Here it is:

Stamps: clockface and sentiment from This N That (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I am entering this card into the following challenge:

Paper Crafting Journey - Use a Sentiment

Don't let time get away from you today!  Have some fun!

Teal We Meet Again

I love teal and yellow as a color combo so I could not resist dressing Midge up in those same hues. Doesn't she look stylish?  Midge is our newest Milliner Miss and she is part of the brand-new Rogue Redhead Designs' This N That plate which is on sale until May 30, 2013.  

I put Midge on a Designer Paper Starburst background, a technique I learned from Technique Junkies.  It was a great way to use up my stray long and skinny scraps. 

Stamp: Midge from This N That plate (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I am entering young Midge in the following challenges:


Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark

Everybody Art Challenge - 2 Colours (Teal & Yellow)

Simon Says - Anything Goes


Hope your day bursts with color!  Have a good one!

Krafty Birds

What I loved about this bird image when I chose it for the new This N That plate from Rogue Redhead Designs is its simplicity. This image does not need to be colored to really stand out. In this card, I decided to use black ink on kraft paper and add a small amount of highlight with a white colored pencil.

I finished off the card with a bold white banner with one of the sentiments also from the This N That plate.  Many of the quotes that show up in on RRD plates are personal favorites of mine.  Both myself and my daughter, the amazing Roguette, absolutely love Emily Dickinson so I was happy to include this turn of phrase from the poem of the same name.  I always found it evocative.

Stamps: birds and sentiment from This N That plate (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I am entering this card into the following fabulous challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion - Clean and Simple

Craft Room Challenge - So Sentimental

Cards in Envy - Things with Wings

I hope you have a day where you can dwell in possibility too!

We've Got a Little This N That to Share Today

Rogue Redhead Designs is delighted to announce its newest release, This N That, a half plate of unmounted rubber stamps with a lot of personality. This eclectic collection of vintage focal images and bold sentiments is sure to enchant.

With our fashionable flapper Midge and our adoring lovebirds along with our newest set of sentiments, you’ll be inspired to create many unique papercrafting projects. This half plate also features its own mini background, a charming checkboard, ideal for ATCs and smaller creations.

The This N That plate will be on sale for an introductory price of US$12.00 until May 30, 2013 when it will return to its regular retail price of US$15.00. RRD will also be offering this plate in our Rogue’s Choice Bundle along with our popular Milliner Misses mini collection from April 17, 2013 through May 30, 2013 for the sale price of US$18.00 (reg. US$22.50).

Come back all through this month to see a variety of samples using this new collection! Don't forget to visit our ravishing Rogue Crew members and our glorious Rogue Crew Guests for even more inspiration!

Happiness Blooming

It's a sunny, beautiful day here so I am going to join in the joy of nature a little.  Bunnies always make me think of spontaneous joy with a little unfettered hope thrown in.  Here, I've used Block Fill technique from an issue of the Technique Junkies newsletter to give this cute image a little definition and pop.

Here's the whole card!  I went with sunny colors for a sunny day!

Stamp: Penny Black

Hope your day includes lots of bright and cheery elements!

No Words

It's been a hard few days here in Massachusetts. I really don't have any words to express the heartache and grief at the tragedy that occurred at the Boston Marathon or how inspired I am by how Boston rallied in the face in adversity. This card, however, made ages ago for a very different heartache seems to sum up some of the welling emotion.

May peace, goodness, and courage always triumph over senseless evil.

Boston 4.15.13

Sneak Peak: You Only Live Once

Sometimes you just have to shout YOLO (you only live once) and have some fun!  That's what I was thinking when I made this simple card for a gal pal's birthday!  I just got my soon-to-be-released This N That plate from the pressers and could not resist playing with it a bit so this is a "sneak peek". Loving Midge in this new larger size. She's so fun to color!

The design for this card came from the fabulous challenge blog - Freshly Made Sketches!  Isn't it a great clean look?

I can see me using this same sketch a ton more times with it coming out different every time!

Stamps: Midge and Yolo from the soon-to-be-released This N That plate (Rogue Redhead Designs)

I colored Midge with Copics on X-Press It Blending paper.  I love the combo of green and blue!  I had this stylish designer paper in my drawers and thought, with its white detailing, it would be perfect for this card.  The bling are soft green self-adhesive rhinestones.

I am also entering this card into the following fabulous challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - E is for Emerald

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch 81 by Cindy

Delightful Challenges - Round Up

Want to see more of the This N That plate?  Check out the Rogue Redhead Designs blog  and store on Wednesday, April 24th!