Lots of Challenge Art Projects

   

 I have lots of art to share but first I want to show you a new nest just made in one of our hanging baskets- on our back patio. I am beyond thrilled that we have a pair of Carolina wrens nesting!! We've never had them nest here before and what a sight to watch the pair diligently gathering twigs and leaves and bits( many times as big as their whole bodies) for hours. And as of earlier today they are still adding to the nest. Best of it all- it is just outside our back door window and they built the nest facing it. It may be hard to see but this nest is built like a solid cup laying on it's side . I like to think of it as their hobbit house😊 They put dried leaves on the top of the geranium plant to camouflage the nest. Very clever little birds!

 First up is a journal page meant for the Art Journal Journey Challenge (butterflies):

 The background was a mop up of stencils with Gloss sprays. Those and the collage tissue gothic windows are Dina Wakley. The butterfly is Tim Holtz, and the quote was computer generated.

 My latest index card art for the Index Card a Day (ICAD)  Challenge:

21/61

22/61

23/61

24/61

25/61

26/61 And I will join in at Try It On Tuesday (theme is Here Comes Summer)

27/61

28/61

 And now let's grab a refreshment and join Bleubeard and Elizabeth and the gang at T Stands For Tuesday!

 

 In my last post I shared a pic of a very decadent and special cake we had for dessert at Viggiano's in West Cape May recently. I was told by the friends we went with that a favorite was the Chicken Marsala so I chose to order it. It did NOT disappoint!!! I knew  I could only eat half my plate so I had half boxed and gave it to our friend since I knew I wouldn't eat it (we had meal plans for the next (our last) day in Cape May already). Along with our meal- warm fresh bread, grilled asparagus, water and wine of course😉. Cheers!

 And for several more art challenges - the Simon Wednesday Challenge and the Simon Monday Challenge (Red, White and /or Blue) and the new challenge at Tag Tuesday (vintage)  I made this patriotic tag:

  

 Products: Manila tag, Distress Oxide Vintage Photo ink - Ranger ; Tim Holtz Paper Doll and Small Talk Occasions sticker; DCWV patterned papers; washi tape - Recollections; red alcohol marker, gesso, rust star, hand dyed ribbon, navy thread.

 I will also join in at Paint Party Friday.

 This Sunday is our Independence Day - July 4th. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!

   "Nature is the original church. Worship there daily."      Alan Cohen

Summer Vibes

 

 Happy official summer to everyone in the Northern hemisphere! Did you celebrate it along with Father's day on Sunday? I did! It was a gorgeous (albeit hot) day to enjoy the longest day of the year outdoors. Our son came over and I grilled burgers and made a veggie pasta salad. No photos of that but for T Stands For Tuesday I have this:

 Late Saturday afternoon we got a rainstorm and it was quite warm so we decided to sit out under the covered patio area and be like the French with aperitif time- a nice bottle of wine and some snacks. And as we enjoyed it the hummingbirds were coming to both feeders and entertaining us along with the smooth jazz music we were playing. A perfect few hours before dinner. Cheers!

 Here's a pic of our shed at the end of our yard:

 at the top of this post is a closeup of one of the flower boxes. I am so thrilled at how beautiful they look this year especially because I do NOT have even  a bit of a green thumb! Even the hummingbirds will fly from the feeders to the end of the yard to inspect the blooms - first time I've seen that:)

Oh, and there is a new finch nest with a few eggs in my hanging flower basket on the front porch - no cowbird egg this time 👍

  I have two more pages from my Dina Wakley kraft journal. I know I shared these on Instagram but didn't post them here.

 I'm not so good with monochromatic so on occasion I like to challenge myself😉 Dina Wakley- stencils, collage paper, stamps. Tim Holtz paper Dolls.

 And this is my latest batch of index cards (ICADS) for the 61 day challenge I follow on Instagram:

     ICAD 15/61

 Vintage trim and image. Handmade paper from Bleubeard and Elizabeth:)

ICAD 16/61

ICAD17/61

  The vintage trim on the above card came from here:

 

 This huge binder is filled with trim samples and prices from the above company. It came with a box of vintage magazines, etc. that I had bid on and won some time ago at an auction. Here is a video I made flipping through some of the pages:

ICAD 18/61

ICAD 19/61

ICAD 20/61 my ode to the summer solstice, my new blog header, and my entry to Try It On Tuesday (theme is -Here Comes Summer)😁

   Always happy to join in at Paint Party Friday as well!

 And that's it for this week. Thanks for stopping in. Have a great week!

"Summertime. It was a song. It was a season. I wondered if that season would ever live inside of me."     Benjamin Alire Saenz

 

This and That

 

 Hi peeps! Are most of you enjoying some summer heat? I'm spending so much time outside that not much is getting done inside lately. I'm just taking in all I can and loving all the bird visitors- especially the hummingbirds 💓

 I'll start with a journal spread I had done a little while ago and will join in again at Art Journal Journey for the theme of butterflies. Above is the left page in my Dina Wakley kraft journal. Here is the right page:

and the pages side by side:

 For the flower I followed a tutorial on Instagram for painting a whimsical flower using gouache. I don't have any gouache (do I really need another product?😜) so I used Dina Wakley acrylic paints along with a white Posca pen and black fine line pen.

 There is a new theme over at Tag Tuesday (Tag on a Tag), and a new theme at the Simon Says Monday Challenge (Beautiful Blooms) and I am joining with this tag:

 Lg. tag (Ranger); small tag - unknown; Tim Holtz paper Dolls, Small talk Stickers, Floral Collage Paper; small text clear stamp (PaperTrey ink); Versafine Onyx Black ink; Recollections- washi tape, tiny brad, paper flower; bee- napkin piece.

And before I get to my latest batch of Index Card art let's have a treat:

 and it was as sublime tasting as it looks!!! It's called a Tuscan Zucchetto cake which four of us shared at Viggiano's in West Cape May one evening . Layers of a sponge cake, cream, and chocolate mousse drizzled with two sauces and crushed toasted nuts. Look hard and you will see my ticket in for T Stands For Tuesday where we share a beverage related post. On the upper left corner is a partial view of an espresso and  a carafe of water, along with two wine bottle corks. Cheers!

 My latest index card art:

                                                                              8/61

             9/61

                                                                            10/61

                                                                          11/61

                                                                         12/61

                                                                        13/61

                                                                         14/61

                                                             

 I'm using index card backgrounds using a host of Gelli Plate printed techniques taught by Birgit Koopsen. Note Elizabeth on the last one I used another piece of the beautiful handmade paper you gifted me with😸

 Also joining Paint Party Friday later this week. Have a good one everyone!

        " A flower blossoms for its own joy."   Oscar Wilde

Playing Catch Up - Again!

 

 

 At this rate I may be posting just randomly. Missed last week  because the Memorial Day holiday and hubby being home threw me off 😜 So how was everyone's weekend? We had no plans and just stayed home thankfully because it was a really crappy weekend- raining - and cold enough to have to put the heat on for two days (after having the AC on the week before)!! We ended up binge watching The Kominsky Method series on Netflix . Anyone see it at all? Funny and great acting by Michael Douglas and a host of guest stars!

 Now we are back in summer heat wave mode again so much of my time is spent outdoors. But I am making time for this:

this is my third year participating on Instagram. I get to see lots of super art- including a mutual friend's of Elizabeth and mine - Cindy. I must go look for your cards on your blog Elizabeth;)

So here are my first week's cards:

 For this month I am going to use index card backgrounds that recently resurfaced 😁. I had done these back in 2019 using a host of techniques taught by Birgit Koopsen using the Gelli Plate. I am also using scraps of gelli plate printed papers and just randomly digging through my stash of ephemera and vintage images for collage and then finishing with Tim Holtz sentiment stickers for the most part.

 Now for T Stands for Tuesday hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth! 

 

 Some of you will recognize it because at least once each time we visit Cape May and our favorite spot especially for breakfast I MUST have the breakfast veggie wrap! Half always gets saved for later. And as you can see I have already downed one cup of coffee and am awaiting my second;) Cheers!

 I also have a journal page for the new theme for this month of "butterflies" over at Art Journal Journey with guest host Mia:

 Joining Paint Party Friday this week too. Have a great new week all!

      "We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside".    Rumi