The Designs of Rick St Dennis, MFA

                                                              

Adriana

I made this card for my sister's birthday, and it's also the first image by Rick St Dennis that I colored.

Hello everyone!

I can't believe my last post was in October, and that more than 6 months have passed since then.  I always tell myself I'll be more consistent and before I know it, the time has gotten away from me. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will try and be more forthcoming.  I keep learning new things and want to share with you. 

My first piece of good news - and I am SO happy - is that I received my Copic Intermediate Certification two weeks ago, on April 12th.  This second phase has been a long time coming, and I'm really glad I was able to get in this class.  It was a long day, from 9am to 6pm, but it was a wonderful learning experience and our instructor Lori Craig was great.  I've signed up for a Copic coloring workshop on May 24th, also to be taught by Lori, so I'm looking forward to this next step. 

I've lately been Copic coloring like crazy, especially since I "discovered" Rick St Dennis, a fantastic artist from California.  A short time ago I picked up the current issue of Just Steampunk!, and on the cover was a card with an image that caught my eye.  I had to purchase the issue, and I read that this image - plus several others - were designed by him.  I immediately went online and not only does Risk have a blog, but also sells his designs through Etsy and a website called Zibbet.  His designs run the gamut from glamorous to madness, so there is something for everyone.  I myself prefer his sophisticated ladies, especially the hat models.
                                                     

Panama Hattie

I made this card for my friend Kathryn King

However, I took a fancy to Felicity Hump, as she is different from anything I have colored, and I am pleased with her.  There is beauty in diversity, and Rick is certainly an artist that is not afraid to think outside the box.

                          
                                          Felicity Hump                                   Mimsy


The hat models were inspired by Aletha Williams, a member of Rick's design team, and what a fantastic concept, especially the models inspired by the flower of the month.  I don't have them all yet, but it's a matter of time before I've colored at least one for each month.

If you are not familiar with the art of Rick St Dennis, I urge you to check out his hundreds of designs. With such a variety of images, I am confident you will find something you will not be able to resist!

Until next time.....

                   
                           May - Lilly of the Valley               September - Forget-Me-Not

 

                   
                               February - Violets                              June - Roses                                   
                                                         

November - "Mums"

 



STEAMPUNK SPELLS

                                                             

A couple of months ago I saw a very interesting tutorial video for a pocket book, created by designer Arlene Cuevas for Graphic 45.  I was intrigued and must have watched it at least three times while making notes.  The book is very charming, to say the least.  Arlene used the Bird Song papers for her book, but I wanted to make a Halloween themed book for my sister, so decided to use the new Steampunk Spells.  The book was fun to make, but my biggest challenge was the spine, as the measurements have to be exact for the pages to fit and be in alignment (I got it right the third time!).  This is a wonderful project and in case you are wondering, my sister Anabel received the book today and I am glad to say she loves it!
                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

Flutterby Femmes (ATCs)

            
                                      ATC 1                                                         ATC 2


It's been more than a year since I have made any Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), and I guess I took a hiatus because of so many other things going on in my life.  Last week I posted a new series of greeting cards I named Flutterby Femmes (just scroll down), and after looking at them I thought how nice it would be to make ATC's to complement them, which I then proceeded to do.  I felt I had lost my touch, but I think they came out rather nicely, and I'm pleased with them. 

Comments and feedback are always welcome - I hope you like these latest cards and I look forward to trading!

             
                                     ATC 3                                                          ATC 4

 
         
                                 ATC 5                                                           ATC 6


          
                                 ATC 7                                                         ATC 8


         
                                  ATC 9                                                        ATC 10

Flutterby Femmes

                                                           

Yes, this is Marilyn!

Sometimes I come up with ideas from looking at collage sheets, and this is what happened to me last week when I came across several collage sheets in Etsy.  I did not realize there was so much talent out there, and I was just amazed the more I looked at all these artistic creations.  I came across two shops - ArtCult and Pink Vintage Studio - with collages that impressed me very much.  I used images from both of these different artists and came up with these cards I call Flutterby Femmes.  I used glitter paper and Spellbinder dies for the wings.  Since there is so much color and detail, I felt a black background was best, thus one can see how the colors just pop!

I hope you like this latest collection of mine, and I appreciate all comments and feedback.

Thank you for looking!
                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If The Shoe Fits

                                                             

It seems like to some degree we each have a symbiotic relationship with shoes, and this came to the forefront when I attended the Heirloom Productions rubberstamp and paper crafts show in Grapevine the weekend of the 20th-21st.  I saw these wonderful packs of dimensional images called 3D Toppers, and as soon as I saw the shoes knew I had to get them, as images of cards showcasing them came into my head.  These are made by Hearty Crafts, and each pack contains 10 images. As soon as I got home, I came up with all sorts of ideas for cards.  It must have been Kismet that I found several shoe related sentiment stamps at Rubbernecker Stamps complement the cards very well.  These cards can be for birthdays or almost any occasion, but I find they are perfect "girlfriend cards".  After all, if the shoe fits, why not wear it, and wear it well?

                                         

Cinderella....proof that a pair of shoes can change your life!

 

 

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world!

 

 

Animal print shoes seem to strike a chord with almost everyone.... I guess deep down inside we all want to be a Femme Fatale....(in other words, a bad girl LOL!)

 

 

There is nothing like Pink Power.....!

 

 

There is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of character than finding the perfect pair of shoes and getting them FIRST!

 

 

In conclusion....life is short, so buy the shoes (and you won't live to regret it) LOL!

 

Bonjour from Paris

                                                                     

     

Hello everyone,
Lately I have been making cards using silhouettes, which I really love, as I think they add an elegant touch to any card.  The silhouettes I use come from different sources.  I have two silhouette dies from Marianne Designs, and have silhouette images from Dover Pictura.  For the Bonjour cards, I used silhouette stickers from Dazzles which work beautifully.  I call these cards Bonjour because the Kaisercraft papers are from a collection by the same name.  Those of you that know me well know I am very much taken with Paris and all French themes, especially if it's vintage and/or Victorian.  I hope you like these cards as much as I enjoyed making them, and I don't think these will be the last, as I am also working on a series of silhouette cards using the Secret Garden papers by Graphic 45.

Enjoy, and I appreciate your feedback....
                                                      

 

 

 

Girls' Night Out

                                                       

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying this Memorial Day weekend, although not everyone has Monday off.  A few weeks ago I came across some online photos of Origami dresses that I thought were very cute and eyecatching.  I decided to try making some to use on cards, as I figured these would make great cards for birthdays, Mother's Day, or even just to send to a girlfriend (thus the title "Girls' Night Out").  I practiced (and practiced) on ordinary paper before using the Chiyogami Yuzen paper, which is considered the high end of Origami papers.  For those who are not aware, Chiyogami prints are patterned from designs used for kimonos, thus they can be quite elaborate.  The paper is beautiful with gold accents, and has a feel of tissue material.  As you can see, these papers make the dresses come to life!                                                        
                                                  

I learned how to make two dress styles.  The full skirt with the little cap sleeves was the first, and is relatively simple to learn.  These are cute and look like dresses little girls wore in the 50's and early 60's.           
                                              

The second style is definitely a more contemporary and sophisticated style of dress, and with the Chiyogami paper, looks like a cocktail dress LOL!  This was a more complicated dress to make, but with everything, all it takes is patience and practice. 
                                               

I gave the above card to my sister, as she favored blue over the reds

                                             
                                                 

Although bright colors tend to showcase the dresses, I tried pastel colors and they work just as nicely.  The above card went to my mother.

                                                 

One of my coworkers fell in love with this card, and later she told me she might keep it instead of sending it to a friend LOL!  I can't ask for higher praise....!

                                            
These little dresses make charming cards and I hope you decide to try making some for yourself, as they will make unforgettable cards for whoever receives one!