More ATC's Inspired by Music

First ATC is surprise, surprise, inspired by Ludo's "Love Me Dead" tune. Both ATC's have collage sheet freebies from Somerset Studio magazine, purell transfers, dymo words, oil pastels and chalks.

The next one is from Weezer's "No One Else":
I don't really stick to one "artistic style" but I guess a big portion of my work uses the same blond man from a cabinet card, transferring something over his face and adding words. I have come to love this man, and the man I use for most of my other cards, who I call Grumpy Guy in my head. My PhrenMen series uses the phrenology stamp and speaks to the "two faced-ness of man". or conflicting emotions in one man etc. I then added transferring shells over faces and now clowns and bones to my repertoire. The Blond Guy is under there. You just have to look real hard to find him. Kind of like real life. xoSusan

Dee's Teasel ATC

Dee, the glorious winner of my 200th blog post prize wins this 2 piece ATC. She likes Fred B. Mullett's teasel stamp. Bleached stamping, paper scraps, glimmer mist, chalk, rub-on corners, watch parts, embossing powder. I love this pair a lot, am quite proud of it. I hope Dee likes it. xoSusan

Close Up ATC's

Practicing with more Purell transfers. The first 2 are done using an old game board as the substrate, bleached and stamped cardstock, purell transfer from Apollo transparency, dymo word printer thingy. This first one is inspired by Green Day's song, She.

The next one is from a song by Andrew Jackson Jihad called Scenesters. I couldn't find a good link. They remind of my punk rock filled youth. sigh. **Disclaimer**the lyrics below may be offensive to the faint of heart. Hey, I didn't write it, but I wish I had. teehee

Oh my god there's scenesters everywhere

With their hair gel and their vintage t-shirts

Why didn't the shins come to phoenix?And why didn't mirah come to phoenix?

Because the modified is too small

And the marquis is too big

And the complex is rightfully dead

And the hipsters with their snide comments

and aversion to applause

Oh my god hardcore kids everywhere

With their hair gel and their color green

How do they look so good

while their convictions remain so strong?

Because their hair gel that they use

isn't tested on animals

And their swallow tattoos are fucking lame

And cocaine is essentially vegan

And they don't give a fuck anyway

They're so vain, and yes, this song is about them

Oh my god post-hardcore kids everywhere

With their violence and pomposity

So fucking straightedge getting high off of self-righteousness

And praying to a sideways cross

So urban, so infantile, so angry, so young, and so poor

They don't need to use a crutch 'cuz they've got the wheelchair

Oh my god there's assholes everywhere

Pretentious fucking assholes everywhere

Oh my god there's assholes everywhere

Pretentious judgmental assholes everywhere

And the last close up ATC uses a magazine page, glimmer mist, words from a book, cheap crayola watercolor markers:
Hey, I warned you in the title of my blog. Low Brow. Inspired by Pain. But Tempered With Humor. xoSusan

Mermaid ATC's

These next 2 ATC's are more practice with Purell transfers. I used an old book page, sticker flourish, oil pastels, Apollo transparency. I don't like the sticker, but when I tried to pull it up, it started to tear the image. Live and Learn!!

I really like this one. Old book page, purell transfers from Apollo transparency, and bling. I transfered on top of other transfers with very little wait time in between. No problems, nothing smeared. This is one of those times that practice results in a most satisfying ATC!!
I'm digging Purell big time. Almost as much as my white wine. Ok, well not that much. teehee.
xoSusan

Yet More Shell Seeker ATC's

Here are 2 more ATC's based on my beloved Ludo song, Love Me Dead. I think I may be obsessed.
The first one is scrapbook paper that I inked, purell transfered and beeswaxed. Another virgin foray into wax. Not so good. ah well. I got messy with the embossing powder too. But that just makes him More Hideous, right? There is also 7 Gypsies book tape on the bottom.

The second one is scrapbook paper, ink, chalk, purell transfer, rub-on. I just love this mans face. xoSusan

Yet Another Shell Seeker ATC

Here is another Male Shell Seeker ATC, branching away from the ladies right now. Have 2 more in the works, a series of 9 ATC's based on a White Stripes song, and an ATC to make for Dee. I'm gonna be a busy girl on Sunday! This ATC is yet another one based on Ludo's song, Love Me Dead. This song is ripe with inspiration if you are twisted like myself. Anyhoo, I have like 10 more ATC's to make from this song, stay tuned.

Scrapbook paper on baseball card, vintage guy, Purell transfer, Portfolio oil pastels, chalks and rub ons. I love how there just happened to be an A on the scrapbook paper. Yeah, sometimes it all works out like that. A is for Awful. teehee. xoSusan

Magnificent Mail

Look what my bitchin blogger babe friend PaulaBeth made for me:

Am I a lucky girl or what? There is tissue, beeswax, twisted wire and texture on canvas. I love it! Thank you so much PB. We did a trade and I think PB got the short end of the trade!! She sent me lovely rub ons, black paper to bleach with, ATC papers, fibers, an adorable angel tag and Ann Baldwin's Text and Texture DVD!!! What a generous, big hearted gal! We are sisters from another mother!!

But her artwork made especially for me is my absolute favorite part of her care package. PB and I are sharing art techniques and laughter. But most of all, she is teaching me some very valuable Life Lessons (hint hint PB, teehee) by sharing her hard won wisdom with me. Check out her blog with her new forays into mixed media art, Barn Owl Studio. Tell her her kindred spirit sister from the East Coast sent you. xoSusan

And The Winner Is.....

Buddy Guy chose DEE as the winner of an ATC of her choice, the white pen and assorted ephemera!!!!

Dee, email me your address and Tell me which ATC you would like!

Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate my 200th blog post!!
xoSusan

MILESTONES

POST 200!!!!! OMG!!! BUDDY WILL PICK A WINNER AT 7PM TONIGHT!!!
LEAVE A COMMENT. so far Gaby Bee, Robin, Beth, Dee, and Kathy are playing.

What a difference 9 months makes. First day of 9th grade vs. last day of 9th grade:




First:

Last:

Sam with her 2 fav things, her boots and her phone:

Remember this pic of Gianna Elizabeth?

Gianna Turns 1!!! Look at that face! She is the smartest, cutest baby ever!!! Except maybe for Kiran over on Leslie's blog.

Life is Good, even when it's not. BTW Gianna is modeling a dress I brought her. Hilarious. I love her Mom like a daughter, but she happens to be my boss. Weird, I know.

So I get to be Grandma Susan. Jonni's a lot skinner now. I'm not. Dammit all to hell.

xoGrandmaSusan

POST 199

POST 199 WAIT FOR IT!!! 1 MORE TO GO!!! MY GIVEAWAY WILL BE :

• A WHITE SIGNO UNIBALL PEN



• AN ATC OF YOUR CHOICE



• WHATEVER EPHEMERA I FEEL LIKE THROWING IN THE ENVELOPE AT THE TIME!!!!

LEAVE A COMMENT AND BUDDY GUY WILL RANDOMLY PICK A WINNER TONIGHT AFTER DINNER BUT BEFORE "TRUEBLOOD" BECAUSE I LOVE THAT SHOW!!! TEEHEE.

POST 200 COMING UP!!!

XOSUSAN

The Royal Treatment

I was very, very fortunate to be able to attend several classes given by Fred B. Mullett at The Queen's Ink, in Savage Maryland, this past weekend. I got lost looking for the hotel Friday night but somehow stumbled upon Foundry St., where The Queen's Ink is located. Serendipity. It was after 6 on Friday night and I figured there was no way they were open. So I thought I would just peek in the windows. Picture the setting: an old mill, brick front buildings, trees, pots of flowers, benches everywhere, loverly shops and places to eat. I walked up to the big glass doors and thought "I'll just pull on the door handle and see what happens" and like magic, the door opened and I gained entrance to the friendliest, most charming and well supplied artist haven I have ever had the pleasure to experience. The staff is amazing, Lauren, who goes by Lollie, Jan, Donna and The Queen, Patti, are most accommodating, knowledgeable,gracious and charming, not to mention talented artists. This is the vision I was hit with after a very trafficy and frustrating drive from New Jersey:

The store is huge with high ceilings, tall windows, hardwood floors and walls painted in Royal colors. The decor is awesome. Excuse the blurry shots, I was so excited, I was shaking. I can't think of ANYTHING that I use, covet, desire, would kill for, that this store does not carry. Can you imagine stumbling in from New Jersey, sweaty, lost, irritated and having hot flashes into this beautiful shop? It was like entering the gates of heaven.

Everywhere there is work displayed by students or artist instructors from previous workshops. Here are some shots of of artwork artfully displayed:

Photos are taken with permission from The Queen, Patti. What the Queen says, goes, so be it.
I took photos, regrouped my senses on the couch, and shopped while Patti graciously called my hotel and found out Where in the Name of all that is Holy, they were located. I met Donna, who is hilarious, uber friendly, a talented artist, has a HOT husband, teehee, and best of all she walked me to the bathroom after my long drive. What's not to like???? While shopping, I bought the latest Somerset Studio magazine, which I couldn't wait to get, because my blogging buddy and magical artist Marsha, from Tumble Fish Studio, has artwork in it. I walked around the store showing everyone her page, going "This is my friend Marsha's work, isn't it amazing!!!!" Yeah I am living vicariously through you, Marsha!! Congratulations are in order again I see, because you are about to be published with Somerset Studios again. By the way, I see you have that piece back from them, you know the one with the two girl fairies with the eyeglasses and the Fleur de lis on their heads?? Since I'm an optician, and eyeglasses are my real job, I think you should earmark that one for ME. Yeah, I said it. I went there.

Saturday Morning at The Queen's Ink was the first workshop with Fred B. Mullett, "Dancing Rubber Fish". Fred is an organized, charismatic and generous teacher. We've all been to that workshop that is too unstructured, almost just studio time, where the teacher is disorganized, timid and doesn't share techniques freely. This was NOT the case with Fred. His teaching style is relaxed, organized, funny and approachable. I do believe that I DID end up being teachers pet, although I did have some stiff competition. teehee. I highly recommend attending his workshops. I am well on my way to becoming a better artist because of them. So the first workshop was "painting" with embossing powders. We also used watercolors, which was a first for me. Here are pics of my fish, showing each step and the completed fish at the end. There are 3.

I was frustrated because I over stamped on the tail area. Here is fish 2:

Pleased with this one, but I painted outside the lines. I am a messy painter and gluer. Sigh. Here is fish 3:

Yeah, I over stamped on the fin too. Crap. But this one is my favorite. I copied Marie, who was sitting across from me, by adding the dots. Marie was hilarious!! and very talented, as was her daughter Erin. Talent runs in that family. I miss you Marie! I wish you lived closer! email me! I ended up buying this stamp at the shop, I became so enamoured of it. I am so thrilled Fred taught us how to do the eyes. Everyone else might have known how to do it, I did not. Remember, I am completely self taught. This was a wonderful class and I highly recommend it. We broke for lunch that Patti had delivered. Shopped and bonded some more! Here is the workshop:

So organized!

Look at those windows! The lighting was fantastic. Here is the display of Fred's products in the store:

I'll show you what I bought later. Back to class now. The afternoon class was "Spritz me Baby". We used water and markers on the stamps to created washes on envelopes:

I met Theresa in this class, who is very friendly, funny and talented. We hit it off right away. I miss you Theresa, I wish you lived closer, email me!!! Hey, are you sensing a pattern here???teehee. This class made me re-realize I am a control freak and need to loosen up. By the end of the class I learned the secret for me is not to over ink the stamp with the marker and to use the same amount of spritzed water for every stamping. What a great gift a ribbon tied bundle of these envelopes would be! The afternoon we spent learning to remove the color from black paper with bleach, replace the color with our stamping, and then add details with yet another layer of stamping. I bought Fred's stamp positioner. During the class it worked quite well over stamping on the envelopes but I had serious issues with the octopus and larger fish stamp. I can't to geometry or physics either. I think the positioner gave me bad flashbacks to flunking both in college. I just need practice on the big stamps. Fred's tool is amazing and I have mastered using it on the smaller stamps. So here is some bleach stamping:


Here is the pic of my misplaced over stamping, whose fault is all my own, It's NEVER the Positioner, It's ALWAYS the Operator, teehee:
And here are the Octopi:

You can see how I missed placing the stamp directly on top of the bleached area.
This photo shows the third stamp with the white detail. I ended up taking a wet brush and dabbing paint off the marker and filling in the bleached areas. These are terrible but they are a first attempt. And my daughter thinks they are cool. so there. teehee.

What a full first day! I stopped and got a to go dinner of Crab Macaroni and Cheese and headed to hotel to collapse and prepare to check out in the am. Sunday morning's class was " The Elegant Mess" and I loved it. We made paper. My favorite thing to do in the whole wide world, expect kissing maybe. teehee. Patti let Theresa and I pick through her ABUNDANT supply of Twinkling H2O's to use for class. It was my first experience with them and I am ADDICTED. They are amazing, so creamy, so rich in color, so glittery. HEAVEN. It was torture picking only 9 colors to play with. We made art cards and here are the pics:

I did not finish making the art cards with the stencils. I was too saturated with information and tired. I did finish 2 cards below:

And here is the man himself, Fred B. Mullett, showing us how it's done:
Here is the loot I came home with:

You know I had to have this.

Love that Teasel stamp. The above are Fred's products. So all in all I had a FANTASTIC time, I highly recommend the venue for classes, Fred as a teacher, the shop as a destination for all your art needs, even the ones you didn't know you had! Here is a pic of The Queen, Patti, with her Most Loyal Subject, Me:
I know, I know. I look nothing like that pic in the upper right hand corner of my blog. That pic took 75 takes and was 3 years, 3 chins, and 3 men ago. Get Over It. Lord knows I have. teehee. xoSusan