My ARTistic Life

Fun & Easy Polka Dot Background Tutorial

Happy Thursday! Just look what I've got for you today...

Glorious new ARTchix goodies! We've got polka dots, clocks, dragonfly wings, domino charms and oh so much more!

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And if you order right away and spend over $25, you'll get a pair of my polka dot wings! Get 'em while you can...I was only able to make 100 pairs of these. : )

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Want to know how I made my cool polka dot backgrounds? Let me show you...

To start, I folded and ripped papers from our new Vintage Foreign Languages Ephemera Pack. I glued them down when they fit on the page sorta like a puzzle.

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Next, I randomly painted on some gesso...making sure to leave some areas without any.

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Next, I made polka dot patterns with my circle template, Sharpie and circle punch.

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To give my circles a messier look, I went back and scribbled around them with my Sharpie.

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Then I colored in the circles with a black watercolor crayon and damp paintbrush.

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Voila! Cool polka dot backgrounds!

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Look how awesome they look on ATCs! Make ATCs in minutes with my new Polka Dot Background sheets! Simply cut and glue them onto our eco or wood ATCs and your backgrounds are done. Easy peasy!

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I must admit that my polka dot backgrounds were partially inspired by my dear Inca's cute polka dot tummy.

I also want to thank all of you for the uplifting phrases you mentioned on my blog last week. They really carried me through the week and I found myself adding them to the new Polka Dot Smiles collage sheet, Polka Dot Fashion collage sheet, Round Encouragement Tags and Tall Encouragement Tags.

To thank you, enjoy $5 off on your next ARTchix Studio order by simply including this special coupon code: Polka Dot Tummy. I'm also going to include an extra little bonus gift too. : )

And the winner of the Art Saves book by Jenny Doh is.....#70 Lisa Mallette! Congrats Lisa!

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Hope you enjoy these vintage images from the late 1800s....a polka dot "house dress" and a lovely bonnet with polka dot feathers.

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.

Hope you have a wonderful, polka dot filled week! I'll see you next Wednesday with more fun and creativity! : )

Win a copy of one of my favorite books: Art Saves!

Happy Wednesday!

I've been wanting to recommend this book for awhile: Art Saves by Jenny Doh. I LOVE it! It's filled with inspiring stories of artists sharing why, how and what they create...and ways in which they've shared their passion with others. I truly believe in the healing power of creativity and you feel it throughout this book. It's exceptional!

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Let's take just a quick peek inside...look at these beautiful messages that Susanna Gordon makes. There are step by step photos and instructions on how you can make your own.

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Susanna Gordon posts her "winged messengers" in public places (like grocery stores) to help uplift everyone's spirits. Isn't this cool?! Just imagine you're having a hectic day and you dash in to grab some groceries and you see this beautiful note saying "Believe in Yourself." Wow, that sure would make me feel better! : )

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The incredible author, Jenny Doh, shares her story and life lessons on creativity along with this cool project. You know I'm always collecting beach treasure. What a great idea to paint rocks with gesso and art them up. In the lower left, I gesso-ed one of my heart rocks in this style...so fun and easy.

GREAT NEWS!!! YOU CAN WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK! Simply post a comment here on my blog with a sentence or phrase that you would like to write on a sign for everyone to see. Something that would make people smile and feel good.

Kitty Bruno will pick a winner next week. : )

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How 'bout a little Dose of Cuteness? Bruno can't resist giving my heart rock collection a sniff.

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See you next Thursday - I'll be introducing a new collection of art goodies. Woohoo! This is what's on my bulletin board right now....let's see how it translates into everything. Can you tell I'm polka dot obsessed? lol.

Also, speaking of bulletin boards, my Mom just got me onto Pinterest. Wow, what a fun site for us visual peeps! I'm just getting started but I'm already hooked. Wanna know what's inspiring me right now...follow me on Pinterest. : )

List of Inspiration + How to Set an Eyelet

Happy Wednesday! Need a list of visual inspiration?

Last week, I asked you to post a comment with an inspiring movie or mini series that you've seen. (Preferably something historical with beautiful costumes and scenery.) I loved reading all of your recommendations and thought it would be so nice to put them into a list so that we could all enjoy them. Next time you're wondering about what to see, you can consult this handy dandy list. I went ahead and collaged a frame around it with some scraps of epehemera...you know I had to make it pretty! lol.

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

Enjoy the inspiration! And a big "thank you" to all that contributed to this wonderful list.
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Do you remember this cute ornament? I'm embarassed to show you the back but (blushing), do you see how horrible my eyelets look on the back side (pic on the right)?

So, I begged Linda Larsen, dear friend and owner of Objects and Elements, to show us how to set an eyelet properly.
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She happily agreed to show us how to set an eyelet into one of our Wood Tags.

Here's what she said...
You can set an eyelet with very simple tools.  A ball peen hammer and a center punch (aka eyelet setter) is all you need.  Choose an eyelet that fits your hole and extends beyond.  It doesn’t have to be a huge extension especially with wood. If your eyelet is too long you can make it work too. 

Put the eyelet into the hole and lay it face down on a very hard surface.  A bench block is ideal but a smooth concrete floor would work as well. 
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Place the center punch in the hole and lightly tap it with the hammer until you see it start to flare.  
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Ah, I see it's starting to flare!

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Then remove the center punch and use the ball peen (rounded) end of the hammer to very gently tap your way around so it rolls back under.  This is done with taps as you need to move the metal slowly to keep it from splitting.  If the eyelet is especially long you will have to very patiently tap around and around to get it to roll enough to look good in the hole. 
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I like to flip it over and flatten the roundness on the other side to make it look a bit more industrial.

Wow, thank you so much, Linda! This is so helpful. Okay, now I realize that I need to have more patience and slowly hammer the eyelet with the round part of the hammer. Fantastic...now perhaps my eyelets will look good on both sides.
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Kitty Inca was supposed to pick 10 winners for our special Owl Paper Dolls and Owl Collage Sheet
giveaway. BUT she wanted to stay all curled up in a ball. How could I wake her when she looked so cute?

So, instead, I'm going to give a $5 gift certificate to ARTchix  to everyone that shared an inspiring movie or series from last week. Woohoo!!!

By the way, our much coveted Blue Face Owl Beads are back in stock!

See you next week with a sneak peek at my etsy shop that's coming soon! : )

Guess How Many Hearts...

Happy Wednesday!

I've been playing with more backgrounds! Oh so much fun! I made this background with vintage papers, labels, maps and super cool braille paper...all in pretty green, pink, chocolate and cream tones.

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And presto change-o! Thanks to hubby...my background was cut up into these adorable 1" wood hearts. I just love the details on these hearts. The braille paper gives the hearts a neat texture and the pink and green map really has my heart singing!

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Bruno says he likes this one the best. : )

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Great news! You can win this charming vintage French tin filled with my handmade hearts...simply leave a comment and GUESS how many hearts are in this tin. The first person to guess the right number...WINS. I'll give you a hint....the number is between 1 and 60. Good luck! : )

**Well, that was quick! You're all such great guessers! The magic number is 33 and Mary Byberg is the winner of this delightful tin of hearts! : )**

See you next week with a freebie digital download! : )

Hearts Galore & New Digi Freebie: Handmade Backgrounds

Hello dear art friends! Oh, I have some exciting things to share with you this week. : )

Here is a new digi freebie for you! A selection of handmade backgrounds that I made recently.Woohoo!

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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Wanna see how I made one of my backgrounds?

I started by getting all of my supplies ready: acrylic paints in red, pink and orange, paintbrush, water and wood as my canvas.

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I loaded up my paintbrush with red paint and dipped it in water just a bit and started painting...leaving lots of empty areas.

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Next, I painted pink paint on in the same manner.

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Then, orange paint with some more strokes of red and pink wherever I saw fit.

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And now the real fun, splattering on lime green paint with my old toothbrush. Oh, how I Iove doing this!

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When the paint was all dry, I sprayed my background with a non-toxic varnish. And with the magic of my dear hubby and his precision cutting tool....these lovely hearts were born! I can't tell you how over the moon I was when I first laid eyes on these hearts! I just knew that I had to share them with you!

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I started thinking about how to package these lovely hearts. I wanted everyone to know that I handpainted them but I couldn't sign every single one, lol. So, another lightbulb moment! I had my dear hubby make me these adorable, tiny wood tags (my hubby will now make them for you too if you'd like)!

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And voila, beautifully packaged handpainted hearts by me!

Guess what?! I've whipped up a basket full of these little gifts and I'm tucking them into every order that's over $25 right now. So, pop on over to ARTchix and see our inspiring new goodies and our Annual Blowout Sale and stock up! : ) Spend over $100 and get free shipping for this week only.

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Last week, I asked you to leave a comment on my blog for a chance to win this beautiful heart rock. Thank you soooo much for all of your sweet comments and great advice for online classes! I had hoped to reply to each of you individually but time totally got away from me. So please know that I read and was tickled by all of your nice notes, thank you! : )

As you can see, I just had to artfully giftwrap this special heart rock. I found this elegant box that used to hold a deck of cards. I couldn't resist adding one of my handpainted hearts to the front of it. The perfect touch. : )

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I tied it up with waxed linen thread and I felt like it needed something else. So, what do ya know...I had my hubby make me these tiny wood tags that say "treasure." Ahhh, now I'll be able to label special gifts properly. : )

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Oh yeah, you probably want to know who the lucky winner is, don't you?! Tee hee! Bruno picked....#14!! Theresa Grdina! Theresa, please email me with your mailing address.

Stop by next week for another fun, creative giveaway! Warning: it may or may not contain hearts, lol. Subscribe to my blog through FeedBlitz and it'll show up in your email box once a week. Easy peasy! : )

 

My New Years Resolutions + Win a Heart Rock

Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! It was nice to spend time with family and friends and dream about the new year. Wishing all of us great things for 2012!

I'm making 3 New Years Resolutions this year. I'm going to share them with you to help keep me on track...

1. Submit! I must submit an article, letter, something/ anything to a magazine, book or online site once a week. I started off with a bang by writing a quick how-to article for Crafts Beautiful UK. I was inspired by a product they featured in their magazine called the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Tool. It looked so cool that I snapped one up and it is *awesome*! You can punch out images and give them a clear protective bubble all in one punch.

2. Learn! I must take at least one class online and locally. After teaching an altered book class recently, I've rediscovered my love for teaching. And in order to be the best teacher I can be, I want to take more classes. Have you taken a class online that you would recommend?

3. Photo! I must take a photo every day. Even if it's just Bruno lounging around..lol. Practice is the best way for all of us to improve our skills.

Phew, wish me luck! : )

A big Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mom and best friend! Here we are with the beautiful Bahamas waters behind us. My Mom is a real Martha Stewart, she continually amazes me with her talent and creativity. She knits, makes jewelry, cooks, bakes, collages....and she does it all with incredible style. Love you! : )

In honor of my Mom's birthday, I thought I'd host this special giveaway: this beautiful heart-shaped piece of coral that I found on the beach shown in the photo above. Simply post a comment to this post and my kitty Bruno will pick a winner next week.

Sneak Peek!!! Ooooh, look at these fun goodies that will be available for purchase at ARTchix Studio next week! Crowns, wee little birdhouse charms, vintage goodies (including some documents from the late 1800s!) and more!

Special Art Giveaway!

 
Special Art Giveaway for You!

 
This special flag celebrates my vision of peace with a patchwork of glorious tropical colors. When I think of a peaceful place, I think of the beautiful Bahamas, and that is what inspired this piece. It includes a lovely quote in the center: "Oh, may I paint each day with the colors of peace." - Mary Anne Radmacher. You'll also find a special beach treasure tied to it as well.

You can win my handmade flag simply by posting a comment to this post by Tuesday morning, June 8. One of my cute kitties will pick the winner and I will announce the lucky winner on Wed, June 9. 

See you tomorrow! I've got lots of fun and exciting things to share with you! : )