My ARTistic Life

Quick & Easy ATC Tips + Lovely ATC Giveaway

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a great week.

Last week, I announced our glorious new art supplies! This week, I'm going to share a few quick & easy tips for using our lovely products.

Want a super easy way to whip up some beautiful backgrounds for your ATCs/ ACEOs? Simply get our new Marvelous Maps collage sheet and Eco ATCs.

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Then, using an Eco ATC as your guide, fold and tear the collage sheet into strips and then rectangles. Keep folding and tearing until you use up the entire sheet.

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You will get 9 ATC backgrounds. With your favorite glue (I like to use UHU glue stick), attach the map background to the Eco ATC.

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At this point, you can add some swipes of gesso onto your map backgrounds if you like. You'll note that these 2 maps were not quite long enough...not to worry....a little gesso covers that up real quick. : )

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Yay, ATCs that I made using these quick and easy map backgrounds. : )

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Inca wanted to point out that this Cute Kitty looks like her. lol.

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What do you think? : ) Here is Inca helping me make backgrounds for my Handmade Cats.

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Okay, kitty break is over. : ) Let me show you another fun little tip. This is one of our London Doors. To give it some color, I painted it with gesso and then scribbled watercolor crayons on top.

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When I blended the watercolor crayons together with a damp paintbrush, this is how it turned out. So pretty, eh? And do you have any decorative tape laying around? It's perfect for attaching the door so that you can open it and put a message inside.

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To give your door a special door knocker, how about adding one of our Roaring Lion Milagros? Rub a bit of brown acrylic paint into the crevices and watch them come alive.

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I trimmed off the hang hole at the top of the Roaring Lion with wire cutters. And I attached it with a Glue Dot. Easy peasy. For the doorknob, a rhinestone added just the right amount of bling.

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You want to play now too, don't you? I've put together this special giveaway that includes: my "discover" ATC, 9 Eco ATCs, Marvelous Maps collage sheet, London Doors, Roaring Lion Milagros, Cute Kitty "Inca" Wood Cut, Little Love Letter Wood Cut, Map Charms, Pink Water Lily/ Lotus and Handmade Crown. Oh, how fun!!!

WIN THIS special package by simply posting a comment - what's your favorite new ARTchix item?

Inca or Bruno will pick a winner next week. Hope you have a wonderful, art-filled week!

 

 

Things that start with the letter "C"...

Happy Creative Wednesday! : )

Oh, I had so fun putting this free sheet of images together for you. If you look closely, you'll find a chicken, cute cat, chocolate cake, clock, cage, cards and crowns. Hooray for the letter "C"!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

You're welcome to use this sheet in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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Recently, I treated myself to this book called A Collection a Day by Lisa Congdon. Yes, that's right, C is for Collection. : ) The author shares her collections - real and imaginary through photos and drawings. I was so inspired by this book because I am indeed a collector. I come from a long line of collectors...it's in my blood. : )

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Let's take a peek inside the book...I spy a collection of clothespins!

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and canisters! Hmmm...makes me want to dig my old tins out of storage.

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Sanna Burgess has been asking me for a picture of my chick collection. Yes, that's right, I collect chicks. : ) Here are just a few of my favorites. I tried to line them up and take a photo inspired by the style in the book but I see that I need lots more practice. lol.

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My cute cat poses like a chick. lol. This is my favorite chick in my collection...it's from my grandmother.

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Speaking of cats, I wanted to give a shout out to my friend, Cat Kerr, who's teaching some amazing, inspiring online classes. Look at this beautiful pendant that she made that includes an ARTchix Heart Door. You can learn how to make one...she's an excellent teacher.

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Last week, I shared ideas on how to paint our Puffy Wood Clouds. Well, look what I saw on my walk yesterday, a big puffy cloud in the sky! Nice!

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Great news! I'm hosting a special giveaway for ARTchix Things that Start with the Letter "C": clocks, clouds, crowns, chicks, circles, cats, cherry blossoms, calligraphy, and create art. Woohoo!

Win this awesome collection + chocolate by posting a comment telling me some of your favorite things that start with the letter "C."
One of my kitties will pick a winner next week.

Place an ARTchix order today and get a special, surprise bonus gift that starts with "C." Just mention "creative chick" in the comments section. 

See you next Wednesday - we're going on a field trip to see the inspiring studio of Lenna Andrews!

 

 

Get Totally Inspired by... Alwen Rambo

Happy Wednesday! Hope all is wonderful with you.

Allow me to introduce you to my dear friends, Alwen Rambo and her adorable kitty, Charlie. A trip to Alwen's house is like a visit to a cozy, super inspiring, little museum.

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Alwen has the most amazing collections displayed all throughout her house. In the guest room, you'll find this beautiful cabinet (from Pottery Barn!) displaying some of her treasures.

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I spy "XOXO" spelled out in wood block type letters.

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Is this not the cutest vintage elephant ever??!

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Check out this stunning cabinet filled with vintage jars! Some are even filled with vintage game pieces. Wow!

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Got eggs? Don't you love how she displayed these eggs in an old bell jar?

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Who would've thought to turn an old doll head into a container for vintage fountain pens? Why, Alwen, of course! : )

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And how about this idea?! Display tin types and old photos in ancient florist frogs. Love it!

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And just look at this magnetic board in Alwen's studio. Do you recognize those clock faces? She turned them into magnets and is able to display treasured ephemera and pressed leaves and flowers like a work of art. Gorgeous!

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And for your Weekly Dose of Cuteness, dear, sweet little Charlie. He likes to curl up in his little cat bed while Alwen has creative playtime.

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I asked Alwen if she'd make a collage onto wood so that I could cut it up into special art bits to sell in my etsy shop. And this is what she made...isn't it gorgeous? You'll find vintage maps galore, vintage French documents, postal stamps and more.

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Ta da! I decided to make 3 different shapes of art bits with Alwen's gorgeous collage: eggs, "XOXO" and elephants...all inspired by her lovely collections. I will be posting a selection for purchase in my etsy shop later today. I love them all so much that I must admit that it's hard to sell them. lol.

Great news! You can win an assortment of Alwen's beautiful handmade art bits. Simply post a comment here on my blog saying what your favorite item is in my etsy shop. One of my kitties will randomly pick a winner next week.

Get more Alwen inspiration by checking out her blog and etsy shop.

See you next Thursday with some fun new ARTchix goodies! : )

 

My Food Journal Gets a Makeover + Fun Digi Freebie

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a great week.

Ever wonder what they did for exercise a hundred years ago? Well, wonder no more...check out these cool pics. Can you imagine working out in that big jumper and those dress shoes?! My, we've come a long way!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

You're welcome to use this sheet in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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I joined Weight Watchers about a month ago. I really love the program and feel so much better already. One of the things that I do daily is keep track of my food and exercise in this handy dandy journal. The only thing is....don't you think it's a little boring to look at?

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I decided to art it up! I dug through my scrap drawer and just started collaging. So fun! Everything on this cover means something to me. Looking at it every day really keeps me motivated.

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On the back cover, I included some tape that had numbers on it. I keep track of the pounds that I lose there. And I added my theme song: Materialize by Fall From Grace. Whenever I need a pick me up, I listen to that song and get all pumped up. Do you have a theme song?

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To protect my journal, I covered everything with packing tape. So quick and easy to do. Do you have an old notebook lying around that needs a makeover? Such a fun and easy project. : )

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For your Weekly Dose of Cuteness, I thought I'd share this pic of my adorable Stella. We go for walks pretty much every day together. If you need help exercising...get a dog. I didn't start walking regularly until Stella came into my life. We have so many adventures together...I'm so thankful to have her by my side.

See you next week with a peek into the home and studio of a special guest artist! : )

Giant Easter Eggs Freebie

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having an egg-stra awesome day. : )

I put out some of my Easter decor this past weekend and stumbled across these cute postcards that I just had to share with you. Don't you just love these giant eggs? I'm thinking about turning them into tags and attaching them to my Easter baskets this year. : )

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

You're welcome to use this sheet in your personal artwork, Easter decor, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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Last chance to sign up for our Birds ATC swap! Sure would love to have you play! Email Jackie@artchixstudio.com to sign up by tomorrow, March 15th.

These gorgeous ATCs were made for this swap by the talented Peg Englishman with our Pretty Birds Patchwork collage sheet. Who knows, you may get one of these beauties. : )

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Okay, it's cuteness time! Inca checks out the treats and ponders who will be the winner of my decorated matchbox filled with stickers....

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And then she gets right down to nibbling...she picks...0....7. That's #7...Lesley! Woohoo!

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

 

Free Matchbox Labels & Vancouver Inspiration

Happy Wednesday! Lookie what I've got for you today....

With Spring just around the bend...and inspiration from my latest mini vacation (more about that in a moment), I decided to put together this sheet of lovely vintage matchbox labels featuring pretty Spring-y flowers. Enjoy!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

You're welcome to use this sheet in your personal artwork, decorated matchboxes, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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My hubby and I recently treated ourselves to a mini getaway to Vancouver, BC, Canada. It's a cool city, I always have a great time when I'm there. And no trip to Vancouver is complete without a stop at Paper-Ya on Granville Island. Just look at the fun loot I got there! Gorgeous wrapping papers, fun stickers, some knitting ribbon for my Mom and an incredible magazine called Uppercase.

I can't say enough great things about Uppercase Magazine ( a magazine for the creative and curious). I read Issue #8 (which is actually from 2011) from cover to cover on my ferry ride back home. It was filled with all kinds of beautiful eye candy and super inspiring articles on everything from antique wood type to creating mini bonzai scenes. Sooo cool!

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Uppercase Magazine Issue #8 also included a few articles on matchboxes. These ones are by Caroline Waite, aren't they cool?! Have you ever heard of the International Championship League of Matchbox Stuffers? Neither have I but they're on flickr and doing cool stuff with matchboxes!

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I picked up these awesome little matchboxes at two yummy eateries in Vancouver: Chambar and Cafe Medina (mmm...Belgian waffles with salted caramel sauce). I highly recommend both of these places and aren't these matchboxes too cute for words?

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Hmmm....a matchbox and a pile of vacation ephemera (map, business cards, receipts, etc.)...oh what shall I do? lol.

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You knew the answer, didn't you? lol. Well, I went ahead and collaged the matchbox with some of my vacation ephemera bits and tucked in some of the new stickers that I just purchased. Cute, eh?

GREAT NEWS! YOU CAN WIN THIS!

This special giveaway includes my little matchbox filled with mini stickers and 2 stunning samples of brilliant wrapping paper from my trip. A bit of Vancouver inspiration just for you. : )

How to win: Leave a comment and tell me about something you made or are hoping to make that is/was inspired by a vacation.

One of my kitties will pick a lucky winner next week. : )

More Birdie Goodness + Digi Freebie

Greetings artists! Hope all is wonderful with you. Thank you for all of your awesome etsy replies last week. So many great shops to enjoy!

This week, I'm excited to announce our new bird and egg themed art supplies. They're awesome!!! Just look at the cute Artist Trading Cards I made with our new Pretty Birds Patchwork collage sheet, Little Wood Houses and Eggs and Vintage French Science Pages and Vintage Labels. I even put together a little class for you!

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And after making ATCs and writing a class, I designed this very special limited edition kit too! It has everything you need to make 6 glorious bird ATCs! I even included little envelopes because....let's have a Bird Themed Art Swap!!! When was the last time you received pretty, inspiring mail? Let's uplift eachother with happy art mail. : )

For this swap, we're going to try something different....we'll each mail directly to participating artists...that way we can art up the envelopes too. : )

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You know I couldn't mention all of this cool stuff to buy without enticing you with a special free gift! lol. If your order is over $25, I'll tuck in a set of 3 of my handmade eggs. Only while supplies last. : )

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When you read my class, you'll see that I was inspired by using a random dictionary page in my ATCs. It provided lots of creative expression. So, I decided to add some to this special digital freebie. Just think...it would be perfect to use in our new swap too. : )

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use this sheet in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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Oops, I almost forgot to announce the winners from last week! I asked you to tell me your favorite etsy shop in order to win a dozen of my handmade eggs. Inca picked #48 but we don't have a #48 so I'm going to divide the prize between #4 and #8. Congrats Rachel Fox and Becky Kilpatrick! You both win 6 of my handmade eggs! Hooray!

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

it's etsy time! + win handmade eggs

Happy Wednesday! Guess what time it is! It's etsy time!

Lately, I've been completely focused on etsy. I decided to open an etsy shop so that I could have a special place to sell my special handmade art bits and charms. I purchased this book: How to Make Money using Etsy by Timothy Adam. I found this book to be quite helpful...there are some really good tips in there.
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But before I could do anything, I had to make some room. So, I donated several boxes of supplies to a local school. Did you know that many of our schools don't have any budget for art supplies? If you've got an overflowing stash, please consider donating some to a local school. I must tell you that it felt so good to give some of my neglected supplies a good home. And I've already received reports that the students are gobbling up and enjoying all of the supplies that I donated. Yay! : )

See those empty shelves in the background? Now, they're clear and ready for etsy!
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Once the shelves were empty and I had studied up on etsy, it was time to make some items to sell. Etsyians say to build a shop around doing what you love. So, I started painting and collaging backgrounds onto wood. I LOVE making backgrounds...they're so fun and playful and there's nothing like getting my fingers covered in paint.

These little eggs came first. Want to know how I made them? Check out my fun Faux Speckled Egg Background tutorial on Gingersnap Creations. You can also see how I set up my art space for this tutorial.
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I collaged and painted wood panels for days while watching Downton Abbey AGAIN! lol.
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My dear hubby has been cutting up my wood panels into these adorable art bits and charms for my etsy shop. Aren't they soooo cool?! I'm working on taking photos and posting them over the next few days. Everything takes a lot longer than I expected...but that's okay, I'm learning tons along the way.

Lots more to come along with a few surprises. : )

At the moment, I have some of my lovely, one-of-a-kind eggs for sale. Snap 'em up while you can. 

Do you have an etsy shop? Or is there an etsy shop that you adore? Post a comment with your etsy shop name or a favorite etsy shop. One of my kitties will randomly pick a winner that will win a DOZEN of my hand painted and hand collaged eggs! Woohoo!

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

Stand Up & Create + Get Owls!

Happy Wednesday! Hope all is great with you.

Great news! I'm the February Muse on Gingersnap Creations. Yay!


You'll get to see a Muse Showcase about me later this week (so excited!). And now I'm working on 2 fun tutorials for their blog this month. I have to keep the tutorials a secret...but let me tease you with a little peek at how I set up my art space when working on the first tutorial.

You can see here that I pinned up a bit of inspiration for my *secret* tutorial. I added the Gingersnap Creations logo to this picture to hide some of my inspiration. As you would expect, I've got a pile of vintage ephemera set aside. : )

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Here is my work space all set up. Let me tell you that I usually sit at my art desk when I'm creating. But this time, I played while standing up at my tall work table. I must tell you, I loved it! Try getting creative using your kitchen countertop or any surface that allows you to stand up and create, it's invigorating and will give you a fresh perspective.

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They say that having a ritual before you create can be very helpful to center you and to signal to your brain that it's time to create. My ritual is to make myself a cup of peppermint tea...very soothing.

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I recently purchased some of the new Martha Stewart paints...really enjoying them, I like their colors. You can see that my paint palette is well used, lol.
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For my water cup, I like to use this cup that was my grandmother's. My Mom would probably say that it's too valuable to use in this manner. I say that I love enjoying it all the time...instead of it gathering dust somewhere in a cupboard.

Do you see my computer screen in the background? Yes, sometimes I like to watch while I create. This time I was watching Masterpiece Theater's Emma  . I love anything Jane Austen! And after discovering Downton Abbey  (LOVE!), I'm gobbling up British historical romances like crazy. Do you have any that you would recommend?

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A bit of cushion underfoot is so nice when you're standing for a long period of time. I recommend investing in gel mats. They're awesome! I have them in my kitchen too.

After seeing my supplies and set up, are you totally curious about this *secret* tutorial now? : ) It will be posted around February 15th on Gingersnap Creations...I'll be sure to let you know when its up for your viewing pleasure.

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Last week, I asked you to post a comment and tell me what your favorite item was in our Birds shopping section. My kitty Inca picked the winner....drumroll please....#12 = CHRIS!

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Chris said that her favorite item was our owls. So, dear Chris, you win the new issue of Somerset Studio
and our Owl Paper Dolls and Night Owls collage sheets. Congrats Chris!

I bet now that you see these 2 owl sheets, you're wanting them too! Leave a comment here on my blog and tell me the title of an inspiring movie, mini series or show that you've seen. Preferably something historical with beautiful costumes and scenery. : )

My kitties will pick 10 winners that will receive these 2 owl sheets as digital downloads next Wednesday. Woohoo!

See you next Wednesday with more fun and creativity! : )

 

Birds and Eggs Freebie and Somerset Studio Inspiration

Happy Wednesday! : )

I recently received the new issue of Somerset Studio and last night I read it cover to cover. I went to bed with my thoughts racing and realized that I just had to share some of the cool things that caught my eye.

And great news! I've got an extra copy for you! You can win this issue by simply posting a comment here on my blog - tell me what your favorite item is in our delightful Birds shopping section. Bruno, who is shown here bowing to Somerset Studio, will pick one lucky winner next Wednesday.

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The Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Somerset Studio was filled with lots of projects, techniques and ideas surrounding birds, eggs and nests. This intriguing article by Cat Kerr was about playing with gauze and incorporating it into your art. I found myself drawn to the egg in the center of this necklace. Could I make something like that with ARTchix supplies?
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You betcha! I grabbed our new Mini Oval Bezels, Mini Oval Acrylic Bubbles and our E is for Egg collage sheet.

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To get the egg the right size of the bezel, I placed the egg image on top of the bezel and then ran my finger around the inside of the bezel. Then I cut it out.

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Next, I added a bit of Crafter's Pick Ultimate Glue, smeared it around with a skewer for somewhat even coverage, and then I added the egg image. You can see that the egg isn't cut out perfectly but once you add the bubble, it doesn't matter. It hides the edges, phew! By the way, I used the same glue to adhere the acrylic bubble.

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Ta da! these cute eggs are ready to add to collages, ATCs, cards or I might even turn them into decorative pushpins. Fun stuff! I might even have to make something Easter-y with them. : )

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More Somerset Studio inspiration...look at this lovely collage on the left by Connie Freedman. Do you see the patch of blue toile fabric in it? I found myself digging through my fabrics to pull out some of my toiles (the green and red ones on the right). I love toile!!! I bet you'll see them popping up in my art soon. : )

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I am absolutely in love with this collage by Tamara Laporte! She explains how she collages her backgrounds...you know I'm going to have to try that! She also teaches online classes...will definitley have to look into that. I believe several of you recommended her online classes...fantastic!

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I simply must give a shout out to Tascha Parkinson! Love this Frida piece that was published in this issue. I have 2 original paintings by Tascha...I love her art and style!

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The gallery of the Jan/Feb 2012 issue was filled with chartreuse colored artwork. So cool! And seeing as the bird and egg theme was predominant throughout, I decided to whip up a digi freebie for you filled with chartreuse birds and eggs. Hope you enjoy!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

See you next week with more fun and inspiration! Don't forget to post a comment telling me what your favorite ARTchix bird item is....you might just win a copy of this incredibly inspiring issue of Somerset Studio!

New Heart-y Digi Freebie For You

Last week, I asked what you'd like to see on our next digi freebie. Several of you asked for Valentine's Day images, Lisa asked for New Years images and Linda asked for bright red. So, I whipped up this fun sheet for you that has a little bit of all that you asked for. : )

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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When I was looking for Valentine images, I came across this lovely ornament that my Mom recently made. Isn't it sweet? She sandwiched transparency images between 2 of our Wood Houses and glued everything together. Then she made a loop at the top with wire for easy hanging. And tied on a bit of ribbon for color.

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Bruno has been helping me wrap presents...but everytime I pull out a box, he jumps in. lol

Just a quick note about holiday hours at ARTchix Studio: we'll be closed Dec. 22 - Jan. 3. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!!

I'll see you back here on my blog on Jan. 4th or 5th. For the new year, I want to try some new things on my blog.

What would you like to see on my blog? Do you like the Digi Freebies and Weekly Doses of Cuteness? Would you like to see some magazine and/or book reviews? More tutorials?

Thanks so much for your help! : )

 

New Digi Freebie & Cute Bird Earrings

I've got a new fun digi feebie for you! It features the ARTchix muse, my precious pets and a few festive extras. Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

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Last week, I mentioned that the digi freebie would include diamonds (Pamela McKenzie had mentioned that 10 = diamond year). I had this super cool diamond image that I had planned to include but would you believe that after searching for over an hour, I couldn't find it? Grrr! Here is just a peek at some of my vintage ephemera. I seriously need to get down to organizing it better at some point. I'm even embarassed to show you this picture, lol.

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Last week, I also mentioned I'd be sharing a class on how to make this Cute Holiday Ornament. Step by step pics are up on our website now, yay!

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Recently, I posted a cute pair of bird earrings on Facebook. I got some nice comments on them...even my Mom chimed in. : ) So, I thought I'd show you how easy it is to make them.

First, cut or punch out the bird images. Then, paint a coat of Glue n' Seal onto Inchie Wood Tags.

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Press bird image onto Wood Inchie. Wipe away excess glue with paper towel. Wait a few minutes and then paint a layer of varnish on top to seal the image. I used Glue 'n Seal. Let dry.

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Add Turquoise Glass Leaves with Large Jump Rings. And add ear wires with jump rings too.

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And voila, super cute bird earrings are ready to wear. These would make such nice, easy, handmade gifts for the holidays!

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A few of you have asked how long our $1 Sale for our Top 10 Sheets of the Decade will be on. We thought it would be fun to run this sale for 10 days so it will end this Sun, Nov. 13th. Get them for only $1 while you can!

Hope you have a wonderful, art-filled weekend! : )

An Altered Book Collage for You

Look what I have for you this week! I'm going to be teaching an altered book class next month so I've been playing in books lately. Sooo much fun! This page spread is devoted to wishing ARTchix Studio a happy 10th birthday next month.

I recently read the new copy of Stampington's Take Ten. They have a feature called Masterboard. Have you seen it? An artist makes a collage, copies it and then adds pieces of it to cards, tags and other projects. Such a great idea!

Want to make something with my collage? Download a copy and make something with any part of it.  Post your creation to your blog or website (and leave a comment with a link to it) or email it to me by next Tues, Nov. 1. Participants will get a $10 gift certificate to ARTchix. Woohoo!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

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Here's how I made my altered book collages:

First, I rubber stamped the number 10 onto 2 pages in my altered book. I highlighted 2 words that stood out to me with a yellow watercolor crayon: elevate vision.

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Next, I started digging through my drawer of scrap papers. I pulled out some random paper bits that spoke to me...and started cutting them up and placing them on my altered book pages.

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Next, I moved the paper images to the side and painted a layer of white gesso in vertical and horizontal stokes. I was sure to leave some areas without any gesso.

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I pulled out some watercolor crayons in colors that matched my images.

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Then I scribbled the watercolor crayons onto the page, blended them with a damp watercolor brush and then wiped some of the color away with a paper towel.

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When the background was dry, I glued my images into place using a UHU gluestick. Bruno watched as I added the paper "Bruno" into my collage. So cute.

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And here's just a close up of the ARTchix muse with her compass and Eco Chunky Heart. Once the images were all glued into place, I added some final touches with watercolor crayons and Sharpie marker.

Can't wait to see what you make with my collage! : )

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Wishing you a very Happy Halloween!!! This  collage was made by Dianna Rapp (my aunt). Isn't it adorable?

See you next Thursday with a delightful collection of new goodies! : )

 

Jewelry Inspiration from My Mom & Aunt and Winners

Last week, I asked you for ideas on how you'd like to use our new Wood House Pendants and Ornaments. Wowza, you blew me away with your fantastic ideas!!! I said I'd pick 3 winners but I picked 10!! And believe me, it was hard to narrow it down to 10.

Here are the winners:

Lelainia
Idea: showcase favorite pics from online photography classes

Suzie
Idea: create a sweet Christmas village all dressed for the holidays

Kim Sirak
Idea: make mini christmas collages, add snow to the rooftops and give them as little gifts or special gift tags

Sandy Alsfasser
Idea: place holders for my Thanksgiving table that my guests could take home with them - would use snippets of photos that would be personal for each guest

Carole Kurth
Idea: mini-quilt with four types of fabrics in each window and with lace embellishment on the outside

Sallie Rodman
http://salliesartjourney.blogspot.com/
Idea: make a banner of pictures of my husband who passed away last Christmas to hang this year on our tree

Susan G
Idea: make an awesome advent calendar all mounted on a canvas

Lisa M
Idea: add them to the cover of an art journal

Shelly Kane
Idea: make a necklace with special family photos my grandmother

Cindi
Idea: a year round ornament/wall-hanging for my dad with photos of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren

A big round of applause for all of your great ideas! I hope you'll email me photos of what you create. For now, can you please email me with your mailing address? : )

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Recently, my Mom (Karen Strauss) and aunt (Dianna Rapp) had a fun girls art day together. My aunt wanted to make some gifts for friends but she loved everything so much that she had to keep a few for herself. lol. Here is a lovely owl necklace that they made with Large Baroque Photo Charm, Birds & Branches collage sheet and Large Oval Acrylic Bubble.

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Here is another cute necklace that they made with Large Baroque Photo Charm, Birds & Branches collage sheet and Large Oval Acrylic Bubble. Note: they said that they used Beacon's 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue: Crystal Clear, Instant Grab, Fast Dry Glue (purchased at Michaels Craft Store) to attach the acrylic bubbles. They said it was similar to E6000 but lighter. Hmmm...I think I'll need to get some of this glue. : )

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Super cute earrings to match! These are made with Medium Dot Oval Photo Charms (should be back in stock any day now), Birds & Branches collage sheet and Medium Oval Acrylic Bubble. The yellow discs are actually vintage czech buttons. Love!

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Love these happy earrings! These are also made with Medium Dot Oval Photo Charms, Birds & Branches collage sheet and Medium Oval Acrylic Bubble.

Thanks for sharing these with us, Mom and Aunt DeeDee! : )

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Next month, ARTchix Studio is turning 10! Can you believe it?! I'm so proud, excited and over the moon! Thank you for supporting me to do what I love for 10 whole years. I have a favor to ask of you. Right now, I'm focused on designing some fantastic new products and planning out some special handmade gifts that I want to make for our 10 year birthday.

You all have such excellent ideas. Can you please help me with some ideas on ways we can celebrate together? Perhaps ideas that play off the number 10? An online party of some sort? Are there party games you can play online? Help! lol.

Please leave a comment with your ideas on how we can all celebrate together. Really appreciate it. : )

 

New Digi Freebie, Ornaments and Lovely Gena

Look at the new digi freebie I've made for you! Last week, I asked what you'd like to see on our next sheet. Guess what? I did my best to get most of your requests on this one awesome sheet: witches for Marion, red riding hood for Char-D, feathers for Lenna, a peacock feather for Janet, kitties for Lisa, a vintage pumpkin for Gena, a heart with leaves for Carole, Theda Bara as a witch (boo-tiful glamour girl) for Sandy, leaves for Linda, children dressed up for Halloween (see the cute witches) for Shelley, a touch of red and green for Peg, a frog for Sid, a raven for Anna...woohoo! Even more good news, all of you will get a $5 gift certificate to ARTchix!

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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Introducing the lovely Gena Boone-Curtis and her adorable doggie, Junie. Just look at Gena's amazing art in her studio...so colorful and happy! She recently told me that she rarely makes art in her studio...she usually drags her supplies into her living room so that she can be with her hubby and kids while she's creating. Great idea!

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Gena has been making some awesome jewelry and ornaments with our new Wood Jewelry Line. I asked her to tell us how she made them.

For this necklace, first, trace Medium Wood House onto thin, sturdy cardboard or heavy watercolor paper, make sure you trace the inner windows too.  Cut out and find images you like to fit into the window spaces (cut slightly larger) glue onto template. (Or another option would be to trace the windows onto a Medium Wood House Tag/Back.)

Next, paint your Medium Wood House with white gesso and sand.  Paint a layer of black paint over entire house and let dry.  Lightly sand to expose some of the white underneath.  Add crackle paint here and there...when dry rub a charcoal pencil over the crackle paint to enhance.

Lastly, glue your house template to your Medium Wood House.  Add a ribbon flourish, jump ring and chain.

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For this necklace, first, trace Medium Wood House onto thin, sturdy cardboard or heavy watercolor paper, make sure you trace the inner windows too.  Cut out and find images you like to fit into the window spaces (cut slightly larger) glue onto template. (Or another option would be to trace the windows onto a Medium Wood House Tag/Back.)

Next, find a piece of vintage paper (thin is better) and glue over your Medium Wood House being careful not to get glue on top of your paper.  Let dry and then push the paper through the windows and trim all of you edges.  You can use scissors or sandpaper.

Paint your house using light washes of watercolors, watercolor crayons or watered down acrylic paint.  I painted my edges black.

Lastly, glue your house template with the pics onto your Medium Wood House.  Add a little splatter paint, a jump ring and chain.

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For this ornament, make a mini-collage on the XL Wood House Tag.  Cover with matte medium.

Paint your edges of the XL Wood House Tag and the XL Wood House Frame black.  Let dry.

Cover your XL Wood House Frame with white glue, then loosely place a piece of gauze over the top  and let it drape over the edges.  Press the gauze lightly into the glue making sure to cover your edges.  Let dry. Snip away excess gauze as you see fit.

Glue your XL Wood House Frame to your XL Wood House Tag.  Let dry. Paint entire piece with watered down black acrylic paint....dabbing away excess paint.  Let dry. Sponge on metallic paint.  Add a jump ring, ribbon bow and hook to make an ornament.

Thanks for sharing all of this with us, Gena! : )

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I couldn't resist making some quick and easy ornaments with our new Wood Jewelry line too. Check out my new class. I'm just dying to put a Christmas spin on these ornaments!

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What would you like to make with our new Wood Ornaments?

Leave a comment with your idea.

Three of you will win a Wood Ornament Pack that will include 3 wood ornaments (fronts and backs) and our new transparency that's sized to fit.

 

New Wood Jewelry Line and Gifts Galore

I'm so excited to introduce our new Wood Jewelry Line to you! I've been working so hard on this for months. A big thanks to my Mom and Linda Larsen for their help and input too.

Our new Wood Jewelry Line includes a variety of pendants and components made out of sustainable wood that we've sanded and stained in 3 lovely colors: natural, honey butter and dark cherry. All pieces work well together or on their own. I'm just in love with them as you can tell by some of the classes I put together: Birdhouse Necklaces, Birdhouse Earrings, Inchie Jewelry, Monogram Jewelry, Owl Necklace. Will be sure to continue to share more wood inspiration...it's so fun and easy to work with. : )

Be sure to check out all of what's new!

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Last week, I asked you for your favorite words that uplift and inspire you through the day. Thank you for sharing them with me. They were great! I picked 5 and turned them into these lovely wood engraved labels. Aren't they cool? You'll see:

Smile (from Gena, Lenna and Mary)

Relax (from Gena and Lenna)

Create (from Carole)

Share (from Andrea)

Enjoy (from Paula)

I also ended up adding your words to several of our new collage sheets: Mini and XL Nature Filled Houses.

As a gift to all of you that submitted words, I'll be emailing you a $10 gift certificate to ARTchix. And please add a comment to your order "chixie labels" and I'll be sure to include a set of these wood labels as a bonus gift in your order.

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I had a lot of fun playing with these wood labels. I dabbed on some acrylic paint and then wiped some of it away so that the paint got into the etched letters.

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When the paint was dry, I added a bit of a gold touch with Gilder's Paste. And then I attached our new Green Glass Leaves with jumprings.

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Wouldn't these make adorable earrings?!

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We are also offering blank Wood Labels (in Natural, Honey Butter and Dark Cherry) so that you can add your own words....collage, rubber stamp or metal stamp them. In this case, I had so much fun rubber stamping them with Staz On ink. Looks so pretty!

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After rubber stamping the Natural Wood Tags, I dabbed on a bit of acrylic paint and then attached jumprings and Green Glass Leaves. I see another great pair of earrings in my future. : )

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Now you didn't think I was going to keep these all to myself, did you? I've been a creative, charm-making machine again! Late at night, I've been making these beautiful charms for you. Place an order today that's over $30 and I'll tuck one of these beauties in with your order. In fact, for every $50 that you spend with us, I'll include one of my handmade charms. How cool is that?

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Inca smiles and says, "Great idea!" Note how she's modeling a lovely inchie necklace.

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But wait, I've got one more gift for you! A Digi Freebie with inchie owls. Hoot! Hoot! Our current Facebook Art Challenge is Owls...pop on over to check 'em out when you can...we've got some amazing owl inspiration over there.

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

 

Wood Houses are BACK....wanna make 'em haunted?

Great news! Back by popular demand...Our Wood Houses are here! I've also designed some fabulous Eco Hearts and Eco Doors to work with them perfectly. In addition, you'll see that we've got some new Vintage Treasures. I've decided that I want to start selling some of my vintage treasures on our website instead of etsy for now.

I'm also pleased to announce that we're trying something different this time. We're offering these fabulous items to you by the piece. So, that you can order exactly what you need...and so that you can get a nice sampling at a low price. : ) Let me know if you like it this way.

Check out all of what's new! : )

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Bruno loved birds! And so do I! If you do too, then you'll LOVE the Special Gift of the Week: A beautiful assortment of German bird scraps tucked into authentic vintage envelopes. Tied up with pretty pink ribbon. Place an order for $25 or more and get one of these Special Gifts. Offer good only while supplies last so order today.

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I am totally in love with our Wood Houses! They make the most awesome gifts! And they're so fun and easy to play with. Check out my new class: Wood Houses 101. (It will be posted on our website later today.) Jackie also wrote Playing with Wood Houses Class for inspiration too.

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If you want to turn our Wood Houses into haunted houses for quick, easy, super fun Halloween decor...this free sheet will be perfect for you! The sizes of these images work great on both the Mini and Medium Wood Houses.

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

 

Mini House Obsession

Lately, I've been playing with our Mini Eco Houses. They're such a wonderful size to play with! You'll see below that I've been adding charms to them and stringing them up for a lovely garland. I wanted you to have a chance to enjoy them too so I whipped up this cute, little collage sheet for you.

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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As I mentioned, I've been making fun charms and adding them onto our Mini Eco Houses. Before sewing on the charms, I rubber stamped them with a cool design. These were just some of the over 100 charms I made for our special gifts with purchase over the weekend. I loved doing this! They're all gone now...winging their way to my dear chixies. I sure hope everyone enjoys them. : )

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As always, my fluffy helper was in the studio. Bruno entertained me while I finished up these peace charms that included our Mini Colorful Bells.

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Art and Soul Retreat is in Portland, Oregon, at the end of September. Oh, how I wish I could go! It's sooo much fun! Alas, I can't make it but I've been putting together some wonderful Make 'N Takes for the attendees: Mini House Garland Kits.

I needed to make a Mini House Garland as a sample for the show. So, let me show you what I made. I must tell you....I had a blast doing this! It is sooo inspiring to limit yourself to just a tiny bag of goodies to play with.

First, I pulled out everything in the kit and started cutting out words that I was drawn to.

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Next, I started pulling images that I was drawn to and started cutting them up.

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For the background, I put the Mini Eco Houses onto a background sheet and traced them with a pencil.

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Next, I cut them all out and glued the backgrounds to the Mini Eco Houses using a gluestick.

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I painted on a thin layer of gesso and let them dry.

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Next, I started gluing the words and images onto the houses. I made circles with my circle template and Micron marker.

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Finishing details were a bit of watercolor crayon on the edges and in the circles.

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Ta da! A cute Mini House Garland!

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Yes, I am officially obsessed with our Mini Eco Houses. I even started making one a day....just to make sure that I do something creative everyday. Sometimes you only have 5 minutes to be creative....a Mini House is perfect!

You're going to love playing with our Mini Eco Houses too! I put together these delightful Pink & Green Mini House Kits for you. You'll get one free with your order (if it's over $25). I've only made 20 of these special gift kits so order today! Get 'em while you can!

 

New Digi Freebie: Vintage Caged Birds & More

I've been doing quite a bit of re-organizing in my studio lately. In one bin, I stumbled upon these beautiful vintage belt buckles from the 1930s or 40s that I had completely forgotten about. I thought they would make cool, unique frames. I paired them up with these old cigarette cards that feature delightful yellow canaries...giving them the appearance of being in a cage. How awesome is that?

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use them in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto them for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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Here's a close up shot. I have a large collection of these fantastic vintage belt buckles and I'm totally loving them...I may just need to make another sheet or two in the future. : )

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For your Weekly Dose of Cuteness, I thought I'd share this pretty photo of my fuzzy dog, Stella, that I took on our walk this morning.

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Seeing pretty Summer daisies on my walk this morning got me inspired to play with our Wood Daisy Charms. I simply painted them white and added some items from my stash: a brass vintage finding, vintage compass, pink button and orange flower (Recollections Boutique Fleur - from Michaels Craft Stores). I'm thinking these would make a really cool charm bracelet.

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As I mentioned, I've been moving my studio around. And I've been pulling together some of my treasures and goodies that I'd like to sell. I just don't have enough room for everything anymore. So, I'm thinking about opening an etsy shop. Do any of you have an etsy shop? Any suggestions? I'd appreciate any help or advice you can give.

Hope you have a great, art-filled week! See you next Thurs, August 25th! : )

Cute Clown Digi Freebie!

We're hosting a circus-themed art challenge on Facebook right now. So, I thought it would be fun to design some cute clown faux postage. Don't you just adore her cute, little Pierrot costume?

Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use it in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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For your Weekly Dose of Cuteness, I wanted to get Bruno to wear this cute clown hat that my aunt made for me. I tried everything but he just wanted to eat it. lol. Couldn't resist sharing this pic though...looks almost like he's wearing a clown nose. lol.

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These fabulous items just came back into stock. Don't they look so pretty?! Gears, Mini Dice, Metal Roses and Keys.

I'm in the midst of moving my studio all around so I'll see you next time: August 17 or 18th. : )

New Digi Freebie: Italy!

My Mom recently turned me onto The Borgias. I'm loving the rich costumes and beautiful Italian Renaissance settings. So, that inspired this lovely collage sheet featuring a vintage map of Venice and an assortment of Italian postage stamps. Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use it in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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I have always loved Renaissance art and architecture. I recently asked my Mom if she could make a pair of Renaissance-inspired earrings. And here are the equisite earrings that she made. Aren't they gorgeous?! What a clever, creative way to use our Mini Clover Windows.

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When I put together the new digi freebie, I remembered how cute Inca helped me with the Sepia Post collage sheet.

Hope you're having a great Summer! I will see you in 2 weeks (August 3 or 4) with a new fun digi freebie, inspiration and a bit o' cuteness! : )

Digi Freebie: My Fave Vintage Alphabet & More!

Great news! I've got a new digi freebie for you! My favorite vintage alphabet! Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

Enjoy! : ) You're welcome to use it in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or just hold onto it for a future project. This item is not for resell though.

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I recently fell in love with the vintage alphabet above when I used it on our Scalloped Stage Frames. It's currently in mini size on our Party Flags collage sheet. Love it!

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Last week, I asked you for animals you'd like to see featured here in ARTchix-land. 5 winners are going to receive this amazing Flying Seahorses Gift Pack which includes our Dress Me Up Doll collage sheet, Small Wings, Classic Photo Charms and Red Seahorses. Wow!!!

It was tough because you all came up with some great ideas for animals! Thank you! And the winners (I picked the person that said the animal first) are....drumroll please....

Kersten - RAVENS
Louise - OWLS
Sue Young - DRAGONFLIES
Jan Vargas - PEACOCKS
Peg Englishman - GIRAFFES

Congrats winners! And be on the lookout for ravens, owls, dragonflies, peacocks and giraffes coming to ARTchix-land in the future. : )

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I have another fun jewelry class for you: Monogram Necklaces! They're easy, fast, stylish and totally inexpensive to make! This class uses our Round Wood Tags and Wood Daisy Charms which are both currently on sale. What a bargain! You'll see it on our website later today. : )

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And for your Weekly Dose of Cuteness....Bruno reminds us to S-T-R-E-T-C-H.

See you next week for more fun and creativity! : )

 

 

Flying Seahorse Earrings + 5 Cool Giveaways!

Last week, I made some cool Inchie Earrings with crackle paint. I'm happy to report that the complete class is now up on our website. Hooray! Also, I couldn't resist showing you this: I added one of our new Waffle Windows (inchie size) to the earrings. Love this! I just added a touch of Gilder's Paste to our Waffle Windows and glued it into place. Sweet!

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This week, I decided to whip up some Flying Seahorse Earrings using our Classic Photo Charms (1" with 2 Loops), new Red Seahorses, Small Wings and background images from our new Dress Me Up Doll collage sheet.

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Ta da! Here they are! Check out the new Flying Seahorse Earrings Class on our website for detailed step by step instructions.

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Bruno thought they were totally cool!
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And lookie what I have for you this week!!! Flying Seahorses Gift Packs...5 of them!!! That means 5 chances for you to win! Woohoo! Each pack includes our Dress Me Up Doll collage sheet, Small Wings, Classic Photo Charms and Red Seahorses. Wow!!! I've wrapped them up with festive ARTchix ribbon, they look so pretty!

To enter to win, simply comment on this post and answer this question:
What animal would you like to see ARTchix feature in the future?
Currently, we have cats, birds, butterflies and new seahorses and elephants. What would you like to see next?

See you next week with more fun and creativity! : )

Special Blog Digi Freebie!

Look what I have for all of you this week! I've made a special seahorse themed faux post sheet featuring some of my artwork that I've made recently with seahorses. Woohoo! Get your free, high resolution digital download by simply emailing blogfreebie@artchixstudio.com.

I hope you enjoy it! You're welcome to use it in your personal artwork, jewelry, journals, etc. Or just hold onto it for a future project...I'm dying to make some Shrinky Dink charms with this sheet. This item is not for resell though.

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Great news! Bruno licked his lips and picked the winner of our Special Blog Giveaway from last week. Congrats #24 Elizabeth!!! I will be mailing you this tin of beautiful treasures.

Special Giveaway of Beautiful Treasures!

Oh, I had so much fun doing a little shopping at the Bead & Button show. I couldn't resist arting up an Altoid tin and filling it with some beautiful treasures to share with you.

You can win these treasures by simply leaving a comment here on my blog and answer this question: Would you like to see some fun jewlery ideas here on my blog?

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Here's what you can win: An arted up Altoid tin filled with: ARTchix mini red seahorses (coming soon!), a tiny, vintage tin filled with mini seahorses encased in glass from Chase Designs, a little, vintage tin filled with chili blown glass chili pepper beads from Ancient Moon Beads, "joy" beads from Priscilla Beads, vintage ornament from Sandy Schor & Co, handmade ceramic bead from Earthen Wood Studio, upcycled flowers from Beadin Path, vintage pink lucite flowers from Trinkets by T, little felt balls from Lady Bug Beads and more.

Leave a comment and tell me if you'd like to see some jewelry ideas here on my blog. My kitty might pick you as the winner! Winner to be announced next Thurs.