My ARTistic Life

New Art Challenge & Specials!

Weekly Art Challenge: To Have and To Hold!

For the next 2 weeks, make a piece of art that shows a person or animal holding something.

This challenge was inspired by these fabulous bookmarks from our Paris swap. Laura Barnes created the ones on the far right and left and Eileen Terhaar Clark created the one in the center. I love how all of the figures are holding mini Eiffel Towers. Looks so fantastic!

How to play in this art challenge: Make a piece of art (any size or shape) with a person or animal holding something in their hand or hands. Then scan your art and post it to your blog, flickr account or website. Next, click on "comment" at the bottom of this post and leave a note with a link to your art challenge post so I know where to see it online. In addition, please link back to my blog. 

I love seeing all of the Art Challenge entries together so, if possible, can you please post your artwork for this challenge to our YahooGroup: Photos: Helga's Blog: Weekly Art Challenge.

Deadline: Tuesday morning, September 8, 2009.

Prizes: My favorites will get to pick 3 ARTchix sheets of their choice!

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ARTchix Special of the Week: Fabulous Paper Dolls!

Make fast, easy and delightful paper dolls with this fabulous sheet! Get this cardstock sheet at half price for the next 2 weeks only! Go to this special link to purchase it.

If you get this sheet, you'll automatically receive our fun bonus gift of the week: a Paris bookmark by our swap winner, Laura Barnes. Hooray!

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Barbara Delisle played with our Fabulous Paper Dolls sheet (our blog special above) and made this awesome paper doll for our upcoming Paper Doll Swap. Get your Paper Dolls today so that you can play in this fun swap too!

Deadline to put your paper dolls in the mail to us is Sept 15th so if you want to play, please order your paper dolls right away so that you can get them in time.

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ARTchix Bonus Gift of the Week: Paris Bookmark by Swap Winner: Laura Barnes!

Order our blog special OR simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck this gorgeous Paris-inspired bookmark into your order!
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See you Wed, Sept 9th!

I will be away from my computer next week so my next post will be Wed, Sept 9th. I'll be back with a new art challenge, inspiration, cuteness and more. See you then! Hope you're enjoying the beautiful summer weather. I was on a hike recently and found this cool heart rock!

Cuteness & Tons o' Winners!

Weekly Dose of Cuteness: Bruno Cuddles with the Bills!

Bruno takes a nap in our "Bills to Pay" bin. You can sorta kinda see my wall of dreamboxes in the background. Cool!
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Our Fabulous Paris Bookmarks Swap!!!

We recently hosted a Paris Bookmarks Swap here in ARTchix land. It was so much fun! We received over 300 gorgeous Paris -themed bookmarks for this swap! I added the incredible artwork to lots of sheets for us all to enjoy!

Here is what all of the artists in this swap will receive:

Each artist is receiving 6 handmade Paris bookmarks, Chixies Paris Slide Collection, Chixies Paris Inchies Collection, Chixies Paris Post, Chixies Eiffel Tower Post and a yummy candy! Hooray! Packages are being mailed this Friday...please allow 1-2 weeks to receive them.

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And the winners of this swap are:

LAURA BARNES! Laura wins a $100 shopping spree to ARTchix Studio!

Laura's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: It is so hard to pick my favorite ArtChix product because I like them all. At this moment my favorite would have to be the college sheets that were made from the True Color swap. The colors are so vivid and the inchies come in handy for a little extra bling.

Laura's inspiration and thoughts on this swap: I get a lot of my inspiration from the simple things in life like beautiful wildflowers, clear blue sky with puffy white clouds, and most of all the ArtChix group. I really don't plan ahead on how I put something together I just spread out the items I need and some how it all flows together. I just used some basic techniques for this project. I chalked or distressed all the edges of everything I cut and I used my favorite glue stick and scissor. For fun I made sure I put the Eiffel Tower somewhere on each bookmark.
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LINDA RIEGELSBERGER wins a fabulous French themed goodie bag!

Linda's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: Mini Crown Charms...they are so versatile, and can be put on both inchies larger ATC's.

Linda's inspiration and thoughts on this swap: I wanted my bookmarks to have a very clear Paris theme, so I put an Eiffel tower, a fleur-de-lis and the word "Paris" on every one.  I illustrated a story on each bookmark suggested by selected words from the Tell Me A Story and Tell Me Another Story collage sheets.  I also challenged myself to get as many ARTchix products on to one piece as possible...for example, the "Isle D'Amour" bookmark has at least 12 different ARTchix products on it.  One of the other Chixies suggested using copic markers to color the collage clipart...so I have used this technique as well.

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MOLLIE HUDDLESTON wins a fabulous French-themed goodie bag!

Mollie's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: I absolutely love your collage sheets and have very many of them.  Even if I have one and don’t use it for a while, when I’m looking for something specific, I can always seem to find an image on one of your collage sheets to fill the need.  I also love the metal arms, legs, shoes and especially the hands.  They add such special touches.

Mollie's thoughts on this swap: On my book mark with the moon, I first attempted to “place” each little star.  That was too tedious and not working at all.  Instead, I applied Mod Podge to a certain section, sprinkled the stars randomly and let them fall where they may.  I really did like the achieved effect.

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ROBIN DELISLE wins a fabulous French-themed goodie bag!

Robin's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: My fav. product is the dreamboxes I have been playing with them a lot in my spare time creating all kinds of shrines using all of the artchix collage sheets and attaching charms made from collage sheets and Artchixs metal charms.

Robin's inspiration and thoughts on this swap: As soon as I saw this swap I knew this was perfect for me. I love books and I have wanted to travel to Paris ever since I can remember. Marie Antionette is a def. inspiration I have always loved the line "let them eat cake" along with all things vintage French. I love photos from the fifties in Paris... that's what inspired the hot pink bookmarks and Hemingway inspired the man on his bicycle riding the Eiffel tower, and of course lavender is a quintessential French fragrance and that inspired my lavender girl. The orange and blue girl was inspired by all of the colors of art work created by the impressionists.

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STEPHANIE BLUMENSAAT wins a fabulous French-themed goodie bag!

Stephanie's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: Her Words Collage Sheet

Stephanie's inspiration and thoughts on this swap: I love Paris so this was a very fun project. My main inspiration were other Chixies art work. I am new to collage so I reviewed photos of Chix artwork in the ArtChix group and learned from other artists' styles that I admired. I also posted questions in the forum and received many tips from fellow Yahoo group members! Thank you all!

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GIGI LORENC wins a fabulous French-themed goodie bag!

Gigi's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: I love the black and white sheets, it allows me to give the girls on them  a makeover! I love putting on the current trends on these gorgeous gals! I also love the Pink sheet, those bright lipstick colored hues are amazing and really bring life to a project.

Gigi's inspiration and thoughts on this swap: I had inspiration from several sources while working on the bookmark challenge. I watched the Moulin Rouge ~ from that I created the blue bookmark. The other inspiration, I had was all my years of Lancome sharing the french touch with all of my clients. When I completed the bookmarks I could almost smell the commingling of roses and  bergamont.

And the chixie that gets the red one will sure be lucky, because-she's going to Paris, the magic 8 ball said so! I couldn't have created them without the fabulous Artchix collage sheets!

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CHERYL CARRAWAY wins a fabulous French-themed goodie bag!

Cheryl's favorite ARTchix product at the moment: I am loving the royal birds products- ATC's and bird images

Cheryl's thoughts on this swap: I have longed to go to Paris since my teens- hope to get there soon!

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WINNERS OF OUR LAST ART CHALLENGE: Masterboard Playtime!

Wow, we had an amazing amount of lovely entries for this blog art challenge! I asked you to play with my Masterboard and make a piece of artwork using it. Was I ever impressed with all that you came up with! I had such a hard time picking the winners. By the way, each winner gets to pick 3 ARTchix sheets of their choice, yay! Here they are:

GENA BOONE-CURTIS! Gena made several luscious collages...here are two of them. Love the brilliant colors and Gena's fantastic style!

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KARIN HUSTY! Love how Karin cut up my masterboard and created a lovely cover for her Garden Journal. Fabulous!

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LENNA ANDREWS! Love how Lenna printed my masterboard onto fabric and made this set of sweet fabric ATCs!

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LESLIE BRIER! Love Leslie's cool paper embellishments that jump off the page! And turning my masterboard into inchies for the background is so cool!

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MARION BOCKELMANN! Marion transformed my masterboard into a beautiful wedding card, great idea!

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SHARON BORSAVAGE! OMG, LOVE this collage!!!

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NANCY ELKIN! I LOVE these collages! Adding different heads to the birds looks awesome!

My Masterboard Art, Cuteness and Published Chix!

Weekly Art Challenge: Masterboard Playtime! (continues until Aug 25)

Make a copy of my masterboard and add it to your artwork! Enjoy making whatever you want. Print a good copy (follow this link and right click on the image and select "print") and start playing!

I couldn't resist playing with my masterboard too. I made this special heart for Jackie:

You'll find the nest from my masterboard along with decorative papers, mini blue foil flowers from Mexico and a diecut tree that I colored orange. I glued everything down with PVA adhesive and highlighted the edges with watercolor crayons.
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The other side of my heart includes more bits from my masterboard. Plus, more decorative papers, mini tags held on with mini clothespins, rubber stamps and a "smile" sticker."

How to play in this art challenge: Make a piece of art (any size or shape) using my masterboard provided. Then scan your art and post it to your blog, flickr account or website. Next, click on "comment" at the bottom of this post and leave a note with a link to your art challenge post so I know where to see it online. In addition, please link back to my blog. 

I love seeing all of the Art Challenge entries together so, if possible, can you please post your artwork for this challenge to our YahooGroup: Photos: Helga's Blog: Weekly Art Challenge.

Deadline: Tuesday morning, August 25, 2009.

Prizes: My favorites will get to pick 3 ARTchix sheets of their choice! Winners will be announced next Wed, Aug 26.

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ARTchix Bonus Gift of the Week: My Masterboard Sticker! (continues until Aug 26)

Place an order and get this awesome sticker that you can add to your artwork! Get it by ordering our special OR simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck it into your order.

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Weekly Dose of Cuteness: My MoMo

Is that not the cutest little face or what?!

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Published Chix, Hooray!

We've had several wonderful chixies published lately. And good news, if you're published with ARTchix Studio products and we're listed as a source, you get 3 free sheets of your choice. Yay!

Cindy McMath had these brilliant moo cards published in the latest Stampers Sampler! Images are from Asian Delight and Spoil Me.

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Lots of chixies art can be found in this glorious new book by LK Ludwig entitled Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media. There is a whole section on our fabulous itty bitty swap.

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This is my calendar page for August. Isn't it heavenly? It features this stunning collage by Paula Dion. I'm a big fan of the Collage: Artplay calendars by Amber Lotus Publishing (I don't see one on their site for 2010 though? Wah!). Paula's gorgeous collage features her handmade mermaids and cleo.

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Sue Smith had this charming decorated bag published in the June/July issue of Stampers Sampler.

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See you next Wednesday! Hope you have a wonderful, art-filled week! : )

New Art Challenge & Specials!

Weekly Art Challenge: Masterboard Playtime!

For the next 2 weeks, make a copy of my masterboard and add it to your artwork! Enjoy making whatever you want . Print a good copy (follow this link and right click on the image and select "print") and start playing!

I recently read a great article in Stampers Sampler. It was about creating a Masterboard which they describe as: "The artist first creates a "master" by layering many elements of color and graphics together on a page. The process should be reckless and random. Once satisfied, the artist makes several copies of the master. The copies are then used as backgrounds, panels and elements in other projects." What a fantastic idea!

I was so inspired that I immediately ran to my art supplies and created the masterboard shown here. It was so fun! I randomly glued down scraps of decorative papers and added ARTchix words and images. Then I highlighted areas with watercolor crayons and rubber stamps.

How to play in this art challenge: Make a piece of art (any size or shape) using my masterboard provided. Then scan your art and post it to your blog, flickr account or website. Next, click on "comment" at the bottom of this post and leave a note with a link to your art challenge post so I know where to see it online. In addition, please link back to my blog. 

I love seeing all of the Art Challenge entries together so, if possible, can you please post your artwork for this challenge to our YahooGroup: Photos: Helga's Blog: Weekly Art Challenge.

Deadline: Tuesday morning, August 25, 2009.

Prizes: My favorites will get to pick 3 ARTchix sheets of their choice!

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ARTchix Bonus Gift of the Week: My Masterboard Sticker!

Don't have a printer but want to play in my art challenge? Place an order and get this awesome sticker that you can add to your artwork! Get it by ordering our special below OR simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck it into your order.

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ARTchix Special of the Week: Bird on a Wire

Oh, I just love this adorable birds! I used them in my masterboard collage above. I can't resist adding them to all of my art lately. Get this must-have collage sheet at half price for the next 2 weeks only! Go to this special link to purchase it.

If you get this sheet, you'll automatically receive our fun bonus gift of the week: my masterboard sticker. Hooray!

Cuteness + Kitty Winners!

Weekly Dose of Cuteness: MoMo and Bruno Love Art Supplies Too!

Awww, look at my cute kitties! I recently had a girls art play day at my house. So, I covered our kitchen table with art supplies and we had a grand old time. My kitties loved it too!
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WINNERS From Our Last Art Challenge: Here Kitty Kitty!

I so enjoyed receiving your kitty entries! I believe we had around 25 entries, how cool is that?! There was no way I could pick only one winner, so I picked 5! Here they are:

Lenna Andrews! I think this is just delightful! And what's that I spy...Bird on a Wire and Her Next Words!

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Becky Benight! Oh, look at all of those adorable dressed up kitties! Fantastic! Oooh, I see Happy Home, Lucky Bird Button and Precious Pets.
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Michelle Remy! What a sweet kitty...she looks dressed up for a fun night out on the town!
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Paula Farrington! My Paula, you've done it again! I just love this collage filled with cute kitties and The Heart of Paris! Fantastic!
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Bonnie Ashurst! Be still my heart, Cato The Kitty looks like my Inca! Ooh, and I spy an Art Blast Playing Card in the background!
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Congratulations artists! You have each won this fun goodie bag:

Your goodie bag features images from My Precious Pet, Good Kitty, Precious Pets faux post and Turquoise Wings. It will go in the mail to you tomorrow. Enjoy! : )

New Art Challenge & New Specials!

Art Challenge of the Week: Here Kitty Kitty!

For this week, add a cat to your artwork!

Earlier this year, I played with the tiger image that is found on my favorite tea package (Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice). Well guess what, I drank another package's worth of tea and had another box to play with. Hence, I decided to bring back the kitty and play with him again!

This time, I've got him popping out of a tulip. And he's telling us to "embrace this beautiful day" (words from our Tell Me Another Story sheet). The background is snippets of wrapping paper, Enchanted Garden sheet and scrapbook paper. I divided them up with bits of Silver Border. Everything is glued to a Watercolor Square with a UHU gluestick and a PVA adhesive for the heavier papers.

Please join in the fun and make a piece of artwork with a kitty cat!

How to play in this art challenge: Make a piece of art (any size or shape) with a cat. Then scan and post it to your blog, flickr account or website. Next, click on "comment" at the bottom of this post and leave a note with a link to your art challenge post so I know where to see it online. In addition, please link back to my blog. 

If you don't have a website or blog or anything, please post your artwork for this challenge to our YahooGroup: Photos: Helga's Blog: Weekly Art Challenge.

Deadline: Tuesday morning, August 11, 2009.

Prize: My favorite will receive a fabulous, fun-filled goodie bag!

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ARTchix Bonus Gift of the Week: Tiger Stickers, Yay!

Enjoy these fun stickers featuring my tiger artwork! Get them by ordering our special below OR simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck them into your order.

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ARTchix Special of the Week: My Art Challenges II Sheets


My first tiger collage appears on this sheet! This sheet is excellent to cut up and use in your artwork or follow the art challenges listed and use them to spark up your art! Get these sheets at half price for this week only! Go to this special link to purchase them.

If you get these sheets, you'll automatically receive our fun bonus gift of the week: tiger stickers.

Cuteness, Inspiration and Turquoise!

Weekly Dose of Cuteness: My 2 Little White Tigers

Think my kitties look like little white tigers? Hmmm...maybe that's why I love the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice's tiger packaging so much. Inca is on the left and MoMo is on the right.
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Inspiration in My Email Box!

I couldn't resist sharing these gorgeous pieces that appeared in my email box recently...

Check out this amazing grid by Becky Benight! It's breathtaking! And it's filled with colorful ARTchix goodies: Art Blast playing cards, Gold Symbols, Red Renaissance Borders, Chixies Flying Inchies, Black Lace and a Carnivale Crown. WOW!!!!

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I'm absolutely in love with this collage by Francoise Melzani! Isn't it cool?!! Love seeing our spoil me chick enriched with these bright colors and hand-drawn details. Gorgeous!

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Cathy Mendola made this incredible quilt to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation  for breast cancer research. Check out her blog to find out more!

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WINNERS From Our Last Art Challenge: Just Add Turquoise!

Wow, this was a fun challenge! I received lots of beautiful entries, it was way too hard to pick just one winner. So, I picked 5!! Here they are:

CINDY MCMATH! As you know, I'm a sucker for anything with a kitty. I love how Cindy transformed a Bingo card into this brilliant, fun-loving collage! By the way, Happy Birthday Cindy!!! : )

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GENA BOONE-CURTIS! Gena made several turquoise entries! All of them were fantastic! She's definitely a winner in my book!

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KERSTEN CHRISTIANSON! Love this cool painted background!

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SABINE BUSCH! Oooh, what a fun bookmark with one of our sirens! Love it!

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PAULA FARRINGTON! I love the way these images, colors and words come together to create such beauty!

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Congratulations Cindy, Gena, Kersten, Sabine and Paula! You all win one of these fabulous goodie bags filled with our Turquoise Swirlies, Wings, Star Borders, Shell Borders and Stars! Hooray!