Art Challenge #7, Specials & Cuteness

If you're looking for holiday inspiration and creative ideas, now is the perfect time to jump into my free online class! Come join the fun! : )

Art Challenge #7 (of 9): Get Inspired by a Project!

For this week, search for a project to do and do it! Look online, in your favorite art books, craft magazines or try your hand at Martha's fun project below. Try to find one that you can make for the holidays to cross something off your holiday list. : )

I recently purchased Martha Stewart Living's December issue. What fun! When I saw this little project on making tags with a touch of nature, I was so excited! I love simple, easy, fun projects like this.

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So, to get started, I pulled out all of the supplies I thought I'd need. I pulled together mini pine cones, branches and heart rocks from my nature walks along with tags, glues, pens and ARTchix images.

In the project, Martha says to spray paint the pine cones and adhere them to store bought tags with glue. Well, I didn't have any regular spray paint but I did have some glitter spray paint. So, I put a box together (it's best to spray paint into a box to avoid spray painting everywhere, lol) and stuck my pine cones inside and took them down to the basement to spray away. What a disaster! The spray can wouldn't stop spraying and you couldn't really see the glitter spray on them. Oh well!

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Playtime! I pulled out my tags and started adding images and bits of nature. At this point, nothing is glued down or held into place. I've just set things where I think I want them. I tried to keep them really simple: one image + something from nature on a tag.

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Once I had everything in place, it was time to attach everything. On this Bird Tag, I wanted to adhere a bit of greenery, so I sewed it on with waxed linen thread. But before I did, I made the holes with an awl. It's so much easier this way.

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Ta da! Here is my first set of completed tags! Take that Martha! : ) I made all of these tags for the wonderful chix that work here in ARTchix-land.

On the far left, Kathy's Bird Tag has a Handy Red Label, sewn on greenery and is topped with Red Peace Ribbon.

In the middle, Gillian's Angel Tag has a heart rock that I painted with polka dots using acrylic paint from Michaels. It's held onto the card with a Glue Dot (my favorite way to adhere bulky items). It's topped with lovely Nest Ribbon.

On the far right, Marguerite's Bird Tag has a Handy Red Label and mini pine cones adhered with Glue Dots. It's also topped with Red Peace Ribbon.

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Yay, more finished tags! On the far left, Cindy's tag includes an ATC from the Handmade with Love sheet that says "Eat, drink and make art!" (this sheet was on sticker paper so I just stick it into place, easy peasy!) Along with a Handy Red Label (also on sticker paper so no glue involved) and mini pine cone adhered with a Glue Dot. It's topped with cute Owl Ribbon.

Jackie's tag in the middle includes an ATC from the Handmade with Love sheet along with a heart rock that I stuck on with a Glue Dot and a pretty twig that I sewed into place with waxed linen thread. Her tag is also topped with Red Peace Ribbon. Can you tell I love this ribbon? It's unbelievably soft!

Cynthia's tag on the far right includes an ATC from the Handmade with Love, cute mossy twigs that I sewed into place and Nest Ribbon.

This was a really fun, easy project to do! And now Martha has been officially ARTchix-isized! 

Art Challenge #7 (or 9) SUMMARY: Get Inspired by a Project! Find a project that you'd like to do and do it! Look through your magazines, art books, online OR simply make a few tags with a touch of nature as inspired by Martha's project above.

****SAVE YOUR SCRAPS*****

How To Play in This Art Challenge: Scan your artwork and post it online to your blog, flickr account, website or our YahooGroup (Photos section: "Helga's Blog: #7 Weekly Art Challenge"). If possible, show us the project you were inspired by as well as your finished piece.

Next, click on "Comments" at the bottom of this post and leave a note with a link to your art so I know where to see it online. In addition, please link back to my blog. 

Deadline: Tuesday morning, December 8, 2009 

Prizes: My cute kitties will randomly pick 3 participants and they will each get to pick 3 free ARTchix sheets of their choice! Hooray!

Winners & Next Art Challenge To Be Announced: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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Brighten Up Your Holiday Tags & Gifts with our Special of the Week!

After playing with this sheet to make my tags above, I just had to make it the Special of the Week so that you can enjoy it too! Consider getting it on the sticker sheet so that you can just cut and stick! Follow this special link to purchase some!

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GREAT NEWS! If you get our Special of the Week, we'll include this delightful little ATC kit celebrating the color red! Or simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck one into your order. 

This mini kit includes samples of the following: Holly, Decorative Paper, ATC, Red Flowers and Borders.

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Announcing the Winners of Last Week's Art Challenge!

We had 10 wonderful artists make holiday collages and cards in last week's art challenge. My, we sure are a creative and lovely bunch! Inca was happy to pick the 3 winners:

Congrats Linda, Buddhini and Becky! : )
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Weekly Dose of Cutness: Bruno Hops In

While I was pulling out my supplies for the art challenge this week, Bruno couldn't resist the box that I put together to spray paint my pine cones. Aww, my fuzzy love!

Comments

[Pamela McKenzie]

Oh my gosh Helga! If that isn't the cutest I've ever seen Bruno I don't know what is! I just peeked in to see your class for the week and he is just so cute! Oh I just want to come over there and cuddle him. Here is a link to a You Tube video that went crazy on all the news shows here yesterday I know you will love it if you haven't already seen it! Please hug that precious Bruno for me! Pam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhBrSBw9qB4

[Buddhini]

So happy to be picked as a winner. Thanks Inca :)

[Sue Young]

Hi Helga...when I saw this week's challenge,I just had to do it! A couple of summers go,we vacationed at Lake Ocanagan in ArtChix's very own British Columbia...while walking one day,I found these beautiful pine cone seeds,and saved them to use someday.When I saw your Martha-inspired challenge,I knew that they would be perfect!!!Hopefully they'll be PURR-fect for you kitties to choose as well!!LOL

thanks as always for an inspiring challenge!

Sue Young

[Cindy McMath]

Hi Helga, finally getting a chance to play in one of your challenges again! I was inspired by a project featured on Tim Holtz' blog during his 12 Tags of Christmas event (day 3).

Thanks for another great challenge!

Cindy :)

[Sabine Busch]

In a magazine i saw an "Adventskalender" which gave me an idea for a few simple christmas-cards.
http://stempeltanz.blogspot.com/2009/12/art-challenge-7-of-9-get-inspired-by.html

Thank you for this challenge! This time I really made them instead of putting the magazin page to all the other pages of not realized projects.

[laury55]

here is my entry...http://laury55.blogspot.com/2009/12/art-challenge-7-of-9-summary-get.html
thanks for the challenge

[Cathy Peper]

Wow, this is my first time entering one of your blog challenges. I was inspired to make this calendar book from an article at Stamper's Quest. http://corner-cathy.blogspot.com/2009/12/monochromatic-challenge-and-challenge-7.html

[Carol A]

here's mine
http://traveller2006.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/helgas-challenge-number-7/

[Buddhini]

Here is mine,

http://buddhini.blogspot.com/2009/12/helgas-art-challenge-7-of-9.html