Unity Stamp Co. Rocks Susan K Weckesser & Liz Hicks Stamps

I need to share with my loyal readers these awesome stamp sets made by Unity Stamp Company and created by two fabulous artists that happen to be friends. I've worked with Susan K. Weckesser stamps before and while at Winter 2013 CHA I got the chance to play with Liz Hicks new stamp designs. Below you will find my blog post from the Helmar Blog and links for both designers.

"This week the HELMAR DT teamed up with Susan K. Weckesser Inc. to #getyourglueon with her original designs in stamps and paper. I love working with the ever so sweet Susan and when her designs were created into stamps with Unity Stamps I was over the moon with excitement.

The project I completed came to together by mistake. As I pulled out Susan's stamps to figure out which I wanted to use they landed on what I call my journal MOP PAGE. I hate to waste any type of paint or mist or glimmer so as I'm creating backgrounds for my Art Journals I mop up the excess with various papers and tags. This wasn't my intent to use but then the light bulb went on and I created this page from various scraps, papers and leftovers. I can't even tell you what products I used because the items on this page were leftover scraps, leftovers, mistakes but when stamped and cut apart they worked together.

Of course having my favorite glues on hand also helped for applying the banner to the ribbon with HELMAR Fabric Glue and HELMAR Professional Acid Free Glue for paper to paper."

Here are the stamps that I used. You can find them over at Unity Stamp Company and there are several more stamp sets by Susan. The quality of these stamps are incredible giving you a really sharp image every time! Please go and check out Susan's stamp designs. 

Here are the Unity Stamp Co. stamp sets created by Liz Hicks...they are fabulous and on sale this weekend!

I love being able to endorse products that I  have actually had the privilege to work with and know the designers behind the products!

Have a  great weekend!

Catch-up Post...

For 3 weeks I have been dealing with several personal family issues...sad ones but I'm back and hope that I have a few weeks to breathe....BREATHE!!!!

Here is a post that was shared on the Craft-E-Corner site for Think Pink Events. I was so honored that they showcased my project as Breast Cancer Awareness is very close to my heart {I have a sister who is an 11 year survivor}.

Here is the final round-up from the Virtual Gallery Walk created by the uber talented Liz Hicks...ARTISTIC INSPIRATION: THEN & NOW. Head on over to Liz's blog to see all the projects in one place.

Today I was highlighted on The Crafter's Workshop blog...thank you Jaime!

I want to also take this time to say thank you to Scraps of Darkness kit club for allowing me to be a quest designer for September. It's an awesome kit club. Today is the reveal for October so head on over to see what the kit looks like!!

So now I'm off to clean-up my studio...uggh! Thanks for stopping by ;)

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now "Day 5"

Today is the last day of our Virtual Gallery Walk and you will be visiting Cheryl Waters and her beautiful art inspired by Klimt and a quick trip back to the talented Jamie Dougherty and her beautiful piece inspired by Bruce Gray!

If today is your 1st day of the Virtual Gallery Walk you can go back and see all the incredible art from all the participants below {including ME}.

     DAY 1:

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Jen Cushman: http://www.jencushman.com/

DAY 2:

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

DAY 3:

Catherine Matthews-Scanlon: http://cmscanlon.blogspot.com/

Martha Richardson: http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/

DAY 4:

Camille McClelland: http://shesonehotmama.blogspot.com/

Jamie Dougherty- http://jaylynnscraps.blogspot.com/

DAY 5:

     Cheryl Waters- http://www.artsyfindings.com/

     Jamie Dougherty- http://jaylynnscraps.blogspot.com/

I'm going to do a final wrap up post showing the entire Gallery and at that time I will also post a complete supply list of what I used for my project. Today I'd like to share some sneak peeks of projects created for Tattered Angels Natural Elements collection.

Thanks for being a part of this Virtual Gallery Walk...I hope you enjoyed visiting all our blogs and allowing us to share where we get inspiration from. I will be out of town for the next week so I will not be posting until I return.

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now "Day 4"

Hope you've been enjoying this Virtual Gallery Walk. Today's artists that will be sharing are:

Jamie Dougherty- http://jaylynnscraps.blogspot.com/

Camille McClelland: http://shesonehotmama.blogspot.com/

If you have missed the other artists here are the links :

DAY 1:

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Jen Cushman: http://jencushman.wordpress.com

DAY 2:

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

DAY 3:

Catherine Scanlon: http://cmscanlon.blogspot.com

Martha Richardson: http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by...make sure you head over to Jamie's & 

Camille's blog to see what they have created!

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now...Day 3

Today is the third day of the Virtual Gallery Walk and my day to share my art.  I was really excited when Liz Hicks asked me to participate and I knew that I would really have to stretch myself...it would mean that I had to define myself as an artist. It would mean that what I often take for granted I would have to be able to relay that information to you.

I started yesterday by sharing the four ideas that are the basis of my art....COLOR, SHAPE, NATURE & TECHNIQUES. I think it is important to know that I do have a very particular shape that I love to work with as it will show you why I was inspired by a particular artist and why. I love working in the round and have been since my early college days back in the early 70's {gulp!}...macrame done on old metal rings from lampshades, weavings done in the same manner, a round quilt in the 80's and several mixed-media round canvases today. Here are just a few to share:

                     

When I stumbled across the artist Jill Ricci I felt my heart sing, my jaw dropped open and I felt an immediate affinity to her art. Here's why ;)

Poker Face 2011

~OR THIS~

DEVOTED 2011

After discovering Jill Ricci's art I then set out to find out as much as I could about her and how she creates...this is where the technique part comes in. Working with modern day images, found objects, beads and old world techniques such as Venetian Plaster and gold leaf she creates a bridge between the old and the new.

So from this inspiration I created this:

I was already comfortable working in the round and creating collages from magazines, adding texture with old pages but I never put these two ideas together...it was an aha! moment. You can see where I allowed the magazines pieces to actually become part of the background. I love Jill Ricci's use of the various quatrefoil shapes with the delicate seed beads applied around each one. I chose various colors from my mop tags, my collages from Polyvore and from scraps of Tattered Angels projects to create my quatrefoil shapes...with the help of Spellbinders 
Nestabilities Label 6. The metallic gold comes from Tim Holtz Paint Dabber in Metallic Gold that I stamped, scraped, stenciled onto to the finished piece.

I'm by no means done with this inspiration as I'm going to try my hand at Venetian Plaster and Gold Leaf. Tomorrow I will share a full list of everything I used to create this project and some close-ups but right now I want you to head over to my extremely talented friend Catherine Matthews-Scanlon's blog to see what she has created for this Virtual Gallery Walk.

If you are joinging us for the 1st time today I urge you to go back and check out the following artists and what they have created.

DAY 1

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Jen Cushman: http://jencushman.wordpress.com

DAY 2

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

I want to take this opportunity to thank Liz Hicks for this wonderful art collaboration. I believe that the more we share as artists the better we become at what we love to do. I want to thank Jill Ricci for her wonderful art and I'm so thankful to have found her via PINTREST. I would love to take a class with her and hope that someday that will happen!

Have a wonderful day and make sure you take this Virtual Gallery Tour!

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now "Day2"

Today is the second day of the Virtual Gallery Walk. Make sure that you "walk" on over to these artists blogs:

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

In preparing for this Gallery  Walk and thinking about where I find inspiration I narrowed it down to four ideas ~ COLOR, NATURE, SHAPE and TECHNIQUE. I find that I have to let the initial idea percolate in my mind for awhile...I allow it to take shape in my mind's eye...I don't sketch it out and when I feel that it has taken shape then I go to work on the project. While working is when I start rearranging, adding, subtracting, looking at, thinking, looking at...it's like a loop!

Colors I choose to work with have a tendency to be brighter and often based on the colors of water, beach, ocean. Here are a few examples of my color choices:

If you are just starting the Virtual Gallery Walk you will want to go and check out the artists from "Day1":

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Jen Cushman: http://jencushman.wordpress.com

Make sure you check out each day as 2 different artists will be sharing their Artistic Inspiration! Tomorrow for Day 3 will be the talented Catherine Matthews-Scanlon and ME!

Have a creative day...

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now

I'm so excited...today the Virtual Gallery Walk officially starts. For the next 5 days you will have the opportunity to visit 2 of the collaborating artists blogs to find out were they draw their inspiration from and how it influences their art.

1st up {Mon. 10/1} will be featured artists Liz Hicks and Jen Cushman...so head on over to their blogs and take a gallery walk!

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Jen Cushman: http://jencushman.wordpress.com/

The following artists will be featured on:

Tues. 10/2 Kathy Cano-Murillo & Tracy Weinzapfel

Wed. 10/3 Catherine Scanlon & Martha Richardson

Thurs. 10/4 Camille McClelland & Jamie Doughtery

Fri. 10/5 Jamie Doughtery & Cheryl Waters

I know we are all excited to be a part of this project. I though I might share a small photo of what I've been working on.

Have a great day and see you back here on Tuesday for the next 2 featured artists!!!

Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now

I am so excited to announce a virtual gallery walk, ARTISTIC INSPIRATION: THEN AND NOW, a collaboration between several artists...and I'm one of them! The brainchild of Liz Hicks, the idea is to share where and how we get our inspiration for designing the projects we create and share. Starting October 1, 2012 through  October 5, 212 you will have the opportunity to visit everyone's blog to see the creative process that happens in our studios.

Now I have to admit...here and now... that I'm in awe of the artists that are part of this group. I'm going to have come with my A++ game because the talent here is incredible!!! Here is the list of contributing artists:

Liz Hicks: www.blogerisms.blogspot.com

Camille McClelland: http://shesonehotmama.blogspot.com/

Catherine Matthews-Scanlon: http://cmscanlon.blogspot.com/

Cheryl Waters- http://www.artsyfindings.com/

Jen Cushman: http://www.jencushman.com/

Kathy Cano-Murillo: http://www.craftychica.com/

Lorraine Bell: http://actsofrandomkindness365.blogspot.com/

Martha Richardson: http://themermaidscloset.blogspot.com/ <--ME

Tracy Weinzapfel: http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

Jamie Dougherty- http://jaylynnscraps.blogspot.com/

To get the complete scoop hop on over to Liz Hick's blog for moredetails!