Art Challenge #8: Scraps!, Specials & The Fab ARTchix Xmas Art Party

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 #8 (of 9): Get Inspired by Your Scraps!

For this week, dig out your scraps that you have leftover from our previous art challenges, or leftovers from a recent art project, or if you have a bin or drawer of scraps...bring it out. Dig in, it's time to make something using just your scraps! You can use scissors, glue, paints, etc...but all collage papers and decorative elements used in your piece must be scraps. 

At our recent ARTchix Xmas Art Party (see lots more photos below), I made this cute ornament using only my scraps from that day. I didn't have much to work with so I had to get real creative. I used the hole punch to make the dotted border along the top and the white snowballs too. Fun!

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I challenged the girls at the ARTchix Xmas Party to make an ornament using just their scraps from the day too. Look at all of these lovely ornaments that they made using only their scraps and our DreamBox Pendants! Fantastic! They made these in less than 30 minutes, go girls!

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My art desk includes this drawer that I keep all of my scraps in. Whenever I'm done with a project, I look through my scraps and pull out the ones that I can't throw away...and into this drawer they go. Sometimes when I'm having an artist block, I dig into my scraps drawer and make a collage using only these scraps + paint, glue, scissors. Some of my favorite collages are ones that I've made using only scraps. Limiting yourself and your supplies can bring out great creativity. : )

Art Challenge #8 (or 9) SUMMARY: Get Inspired by Your Scraps! Make an ornament, tag or anything you'd like (try to make something for the holidays so that you can cross something off your list at the same time)...but use only your scraps + glue, scissors, paint, etc.

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: #8 Weekly Art Challenge").

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 15, 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 16, 2009

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Winners from Last Week's Art Challenge!

We had 9 wonderful artists create art inspired by projects online and in books and magazines. Bruno volunteered to pick the winners this week:

Congrats Cathy, Laury55 and Sabine! : )

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Dress Up Your Holiday Ornaments and Gift Wrap!

 

Get these gorgeous Gold Trees and add them to your holiday gift wrap, ornaments and more! Love how the ARTchix girls used them to beautify their ornaments and pillow boxes at our recent ARTchix Art Party. Get them here at half price for this week only: Special of the Week.

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When you purchase our Special of the Week, we'll also add this wonderful Gold Sampler of German Scrap. Or simply type "SPOIL ME" in the comments section of your order and we'll be sure to tuck them into your order. 

This lovely Gold Sampler includes: Gold Stars and Antlers along with Small Renaissance, Large Renaissance and Medieval Borders. 

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The ARTchix Xmas Art Party!!!!!

Last Saturday, I hosted a fun, inspiring, delightful art party in my studio for all of the wonderful women that work here in ARTchix-land. I'm so thankful for all of their help in making ARTchix such a special place. I wanted to give them a no-stress, relaxing art day that would give them a head start on all of their holiday projects.

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I set up tables in my studio with glues and scissors and covered them all with newsprint so we wouldn't have to worry about messes.

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Inca helped me pull all of the supplies together! I filled trays and buckets with ARTchix images, German Scrap, beads, ribbons, DreamBoxes, paper gift bags and boxes and more.

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I bought beautiful blooming amaryllis', orchids, rosemary topiaries and more. We played ARTchix trivia and whenever someone got the right answer, they got to pick one of the potted plants as their prize. ARTchix trivia included questions like: How long has ARTchix been in business? Answer: 8 years! : )

I also made pretty gift tags for everyone (you can see them up close in Art Challenge #7) and attached them to bags of delicious lavender shortbread cookies that I bought at a craft fair. They're heavenly!

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I had so much fun putting pretty decorative touches throughout my studio. Love these pink roses and little cardboard houses.

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And here we all are: the ARTchix! From left to right: Jackie, Cynthia, Marguerite, Cindy (in the back), Kathy, Me and Gillian. Hooray!

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I was tickled pink to see everyone dive right into making holiday artwork! Wow, did we ever have fun! We laughed and arted away the day together!

On the left, Gillian shows off a cute pillow box and tags. And on the right, Cindy shows us the 2 awesome gift bags that she made in minutes by gluing on magazine images and Handmade with Love ATCs.

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On the left, Kathy shows us the gorgeous pillow box that she made and on the right, Cynthia shows us the beautiful pillow box and tag that she made.

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The ARTchix are a super creative, talented bunch! Check out all that we made:

First up: Cindy! She made fabulous gift bags with magazine images and Handmade with Love ATCs and Angel Tags. She also made gift tags with Holly and Chixies Numbers and Red Borders. Plus, a pillow box with stamped trees and Turquoise Stars. And she even made 2 dreambox ornaments using just her scraps from the day! Go Cindy!

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Next up: Cynthia! She made charming painted clothespins, a beautiful tag with Christmas Greetings and Red Baroque Borders, a pillow box with our Special of the Week: Gold Trees, Holly and Red Red Baroque Borders. Plus, a collaged gift bag and 2 ornaments using just her scraps from the day! Fantastic! : )

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Next up: Gillian! Look at these lovely tags, pillow box and ornaments that Gillian made using Holiday Angels, Christmas Greetings and more! Way to go Gillian!

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Next up: Jackie! Look at all of these gorgeous pieces! Pillow boxes with Inchie Celebration, twigs, pinecones and tags with initals! A gift bag with magazine images, Holiday Bird Tags in circles and clothes pins galore! And check out the dreambox ornament that she made using just her scraps from the day. Wow, Jackie rocks!

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Next up: Kathy! Wow, look at the lovely ornaments and pillow boxes that she made! Love how she painted her pillow boxes with acrylic paint and then went in with a brown watercolor crayon around the edges to give them an aged look. Just lovely! Her ornaments across the top are images from our Chixies True Colors (love them!) with Memory Frames and Glass.

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Next up: Marguerite! Love her delightful pillow box and ornament! High five Marguerite!

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And last up: Me! I made these cute tags with photos of my animals + Decorative Papers and White Scallopped Lace Borders. And the ornament was made using just my scraps and Memory Frame and Glass and Watercolor Square.

What a magical, fun, uplifting day! I love ARTchix! : )

Comments

[Gigi Lorenc]

Helga,

Your party looked so fun, It makes me want to join in. One weekend, we should have a Artchix yahoo group party! We could post things in a folder or on our blogs. Or we could just keep the conversation going in the message area. I know it would be so much fun!

Gigi

[Jan]

Oh, what a fun project for this time around...I love tags and made one in BLUE! I used scraps from one of my other challenge pieces, some eyelet paper that was sitting on my table, punched out some circles (love them) and glued them down. Stickles here and there, a couple of fun quotes stamped on the tag and topped off with some tinsel! Happy Holidays ALL!

[Marion]

O. k., here´s my tag using only what I had already lying on my desk:
http://bockel24.blogspot.com/2009/12/made-from-scrap.html

[peggy gatto]

http://wwwpeggysamusement.blogspot.com/2009/12/helgas-challenge.html
Fun idea! I put my favorites on mine!

[Sabine Busch]

I made 4 tags using the scraps from last week, chocolate wrapping, and pictures from magazines.
http://stempeltanz.blogspot.com/2009/12/art-challenge-8-of-9-get-inspired-by.html

[Cindy McMath]

Hi Helga,

I made a tag using only what was on my table - I have been creating up a storm lately so I probably could have made at least ten things, but had to cut it short as I have so much to do still for the holidays!

Thanks for the fun challenge, and thanks again for the fabulous party!

Cindy :)

[Cathy Peper]

Hi Helga,

I made an ATC with the serendipity technique. It can be seen here: http://corner-cathy.blogspot.com/2009/12/just-call-me-cocky.html. Thanks!

[Christy Laudig]

Yay! Helga...I'm so glad to get to play this week! I finally found the time and dug through the trash and looked on my desk and came up with this tag. You can see the picture of the tag here: http://christineschronology.blogspot.com/

Christy

[Cat Dodt-Ellis]

So happy that I had the time to play in this weeks challenge. I made 3 scrappy 4x4's & had such fun creating them! I posted a pic in the ArtChix photo folder.

I thought I had posted this message here yesterday morning but I must have been dreaming :D

[Buddhini]

Here is mine,

http://buddhini.blogspot.com/2009/12/helgas-art-challenge-8-of-9.html

[Bonnie Ashurst]

Here we are again and it is so nice.
My postcard is made from the side of a tissue box, little girl from one of your collages plus a couple of butterflies and torn collage from the artists collage page. Added
a few blue dots and a place to put an address. I just might use this to send on to a friend.
Bonnie

[Bonnie Ashurst]

Hi Helga,

Just wanted to say how much I love your NICHO wall, fabulous and so much fun to look at. I also love the Two Birds on the big red heart, where can I get one of those?
Would appreciate knowing.
Thanks, Bonnie

[Dawn Norris]

Hi! Helga

I have been having fun with the butterfly theme. I made two butterfly inspired art pieces and plan to make more.
I posted them in the Artchix studio photo section.

Thanks,

Dawn Norris

[christine mae engcoy]

Hi there!this is perfect for giveaways.Less spending but presentable and elegant.EPSON Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper