Stencils, Mail Art and Helmar!

If you are a follower of my blog then you already know how much I love to use stencils and Dylusions Ink Spray to create my own background papers. I start with a 6x6" square of 140lb. Strathmore Watercolor Paper...this gives me the opportunity to see how a stencil will look, gives me the opportunity to play with color combinations and have lots of fun paper laying around for future projects.

Here are 3 MAIL ART projects I created for a cross promo between HELMAR & Viva LasVegaStamps Design Teams. You can read more about this project here.

Stencils Used:

The Crafter's Workshop

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer Pomegranate {TCW285}

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer Echoes {TCW371}

Ronda Palazzari Honeycomb {TCW346}

Do you like working with stencils...what are your favorites?

Thanks for Stopping by...time for me to get my art on!

*Ranger DYLUSIONS INK SPRAY SET OF 12 Dyan Reaveley

*Helmar 450 QUICK DRY ADHESIVE 800775

*Faber-Castell BLACK Essential PITT Artist Pens

*Faber-Castell METALLIC COLOR Set PITT Artist Pens

*Tim Holtz DISTRESS STICKLES PICKET FENCE White Glitter Glue Ranger

InLinkz.com

My Weekly Review & Stencil Love

I accomplished a great deal this week and I'm congratulating myself. I'm still learning how to be retired...I thought the transition from working to being a lady of leisure would be fast and painless. I have since discovered that it really is transformational and would require many stops & starts!

I completed 3 blog posts for this personal blog:
http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-whatevers-5-catching-upfinally.html

http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-whatevers-6.html

http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2013/02/anatomy-of-tag-with-7-dots-studio-and.html

A project for the Helmar DT blog featuring 7 Dots Studio:
http://helmarusa.typepad.com/blog/2013/02/hopefully-from-7-dots-studio-sticks-together-with-helmar-.html

Several projects for myself...oh and cleaned my project table which...woot-woot... is still clean!

         Journal Page                          Jesse James Bead Bracelets

   Pie Chart Ronda Palazzari                 Stencil Girl Stencil Club

    Journal Cover                     Vine Profile

        Antique Ledger

Also received and listed an order of newly released stencils from The Crafter's Workshop in my Etsy shop. I am waiting for more stencils to arrive, different from the ones already listed.

I'm now going to see what else I can accomplish today as it's only 10:30 am EST...yippee!

Have a GREAT weekend.

Tattered Angels and Stencils = LOVE

It's no secret that I love working with stencils to create background paper to use in other projects. In this instance I used Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist & Chalkboard Glimmer Mist to create these on Strathmore Series Water Color Paper. I love to use watercolor paper because of the texture of it..after it grabs the color the glimmer really pops..of course we don't have GLIMMER VISION!

I don't worry about colors I just grab and COMMIT TO THE MIST! Here are the 4 papers I created last week.

Here are a few examples of one way to use these background papers. I have been working on decorating them to use as gift tags for Christmas gifts. 

Stop back later this week for completed tags. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great day and don't forget to BREATHE!!!

MY "Weekend Five": Favorite Instagrams

I love this concept created by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer! I really want to play along but sometimes time just slips away from me so today I'm making it a priority to share. If I run out out of time I can always share my favorite 5 Instagram or Hipstamatic photos of the week...and that's what I'm doing today.

Me @ 3

Mop Tags

I've got a secret to be revealed 9/15

Shane & Dahlia

New product

Have a great weekend!

Julie Balzer's "The Weekend Five"...I'm playing along!

Don't you love brilliant ideas...this is one of those! Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is documenting life with THE WEEKEND FIVE and I'm playing along. You can find all the details here on Julie's blog and the only rule is that the post must contain a collection of five images.

I decided that I would share my favorite 5 Instagram photos from our trip to Dunedin, Fl. While there I took the opportunity to download several different Photography apps to use with my Instagram photos and these are the results.

Night Sky over the Gulf of Mexico

Palm Trees

Passion Flower

Sunset over Honeymoon Island

Sunset at Dunedin Marina

OK...I'm off to work on some super-secret projects with some incredible artists...they will be revealed on Aug. 18th and Aug. 19th. Have a great day...stay cool!

The Second Floor Challenge #5

It's that time again...Challenge #5 from the creators of the Second Floor Challenge...Julie Fei-Fan Balzer & Nathalie Kalbach.

Challenge #5 is create with a FOUND OBJECT

What are you going to create?? What am I going to create...hmmm! Stop back to check out what I'm create...now off to find a found object.

Have a creative & inspiring day!

The Second Floor Challenge #4: Circles

Today is Challenge #4 reveal from The Second Floor Challenge with Nathalie Kalbach & Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. 

I haven't been able to start #3 and now #4...CIRCLES. YIPPEE! I love circles and can't wait to do this but everything will be on hold for a while as:


1. I'm getting to retire in 17 days and I have way to much do to fish out this school year {I really don't want to think about it}


2. I'm in the middle of a total studio transformation which is 3/4's done and I will be sharing this!


3. As soon as I retire I have to travel 800 miles to take care of a house sale that has been a long time in the works!


4. 6 blog posts to create and get ready for Tattered Angels and HELMAR.
All of this before the middle of June ;)


How much do I love circles???

Have you joined in on this challenge???

The he{ART} Tribe...Etsy Store

I am super excited to tell you about the Etsy store I have just opened. The concept was born at the Winter CHA 2012 in Anaheim. My thoughts behind it are relatively simple...to bring you the Best from the Best. Products from artists that I have worked with,learned from and observed...artists like Dyan Reaveley,Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Nathalie Kalbach and Anna Dabrowska-Pekoca (aka Finnabair} who are now expanding into the retail side of the industry. Items that I have personally used from taking online or in person classes with them. My hopes are to eventually carry "soon to be released" stamps, stencils, papers from them plus more. 


I'm just starting to load the newest stencils from Dylusions and Balzer Designs and have more to put up but hoping you will bookmark this Etsy store and check back often. I hope to have the Balzer Design stencils loaded in the next few hours. 


I'm also hoping to convince some of my International artist friends to allow me yo carry their products...I'm working on it now ;)


Thanks for stopping by...would love to hear what you think...any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated!


Martha