{wherever you find love - free digital goodie!}

While playing around with new gifts and products, I made a randomness collage (what I call pages created for the purpose of being cut up) on some Claudine Hellmuth Stick-Back Canvas.

Which rocks, btw. At first, I was skeptical, since it curled pretty fast. But the thing dried and now lies completely flat. I have the white canvas, and didn't gesso it before working, so I got some great watercolor-like effects going with my fluid acrylics.

It is now off to be run through my new Cuttlebug for bits to be added to journal pages, paintings, and even fabric fun!

Download Image [15mb, PNG]

The Fine Print: Please feel free to print out and use this randomness collage on any of your projects. You can even use it in a painting and sell it! Just don't alter the original, including cut it into pieces or change colors, in order to sell it. It is a gift!

{new goodies! this month's wallpaper & collage sheets return!}

Boy, do I have some goodies for y'all today!

First up, a new wallpaper! I know you've seen the painting before, but now, you can customize your desktop with this wonderful image! Available in three sizes, this girl weathering the storm is cute and fun. She's in the Wallpapers gallery, for July. What will I create for next month? *G*

Secondly, while in the process of cleaning & packing the studio, I happened upon the originals for my collage sheets! Remember these? I printed them on fabric for use in your journal OR fabric projects. Well, as things are transitory right now, they're available as digital downloads. Click, print, and enjoy! They're $2.50 each, which I think is a pretty fair price for some cool collage fodder.

Looking over them, I realized I haven't made any new ones lately! So keep an eye out for a whole slew of new collage sheets created from my journals. I use 'em, too! When I'm looking for a little something to spice up a page, I grab one and glue parts down. It's really fun!

I would have had this all set last night, but I accidentally deleted all my work under the Join In! section when trying to clean up the spam in the forum. So that's relaunched -- I missed some newer posts under Future Video Suggestions, so if you posted there recently, please do so again! Silly spammers! *sigh* Tis all part of having a website, I suppose!

There's also a new contact me form to make it all easier to drop me a line. *hint hint!* I LOVE getting emails! It's just so fun, and the digital age's answer to getting a letter in the mail (which I love even more, btw!).

Sending love and puppies!
kira

SCC: Image Transfers

Happy Sunday!

Here in Chicago, it's a beautiful, warm day, one I hope to enjoy while reading Journal Revolution and playing in my own art journal (that has been woefully neglected this last week!).

This Sunday's challenge is all about image transfers. I've purposely stamped them in black so the sheet can be used with both laser and inkjet printers.

* all of these images are brushes and do not belong to me.
http://missm.paperlilies.com/01_news.html
http://veredgf.fredfarm.com/vbrush/main.html
(I think that's the credits...if not, let me know!)

Here are some pointers if you've never done image transfers before:

Laser Printer:

For this one, you have three options: solvent, packing tape, and heat.

Solvent: You have to find a colorless blender marker that still contains xylene. There are shops that still sell them; I got mine at Pearl Art in Chicago. This one may be easy, but I've never really had success with it. Basically, you put the toner image face down on the paper and burnish the back with the marker.

Packing Tape: You can use packing tape or that clear laminating stuff. Cut out your image and "laminate" it with the tape. Make sure to burnish it a LOT. Then, let it sit in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes. Take it out and rub the back gently until all the paper comes off.

Heat: Place the image face down on your paper and iron over it on a medium setting until the image transfers.

InkJet Printer:

Gel Medium:  Coat the area on your page you want to transfer the image to with a layer of gel medium or modge podge; do it so it's glossy and smooth. Place the image face down on your page and burnish the back. I like to let the image sit for about a minute so the medium dries a bit...I find I get better transfers this way. Then, peel the image's paper up and voila!

Water: Spritz the image and paper with water. Place the image face down on the page, burnish lightly, then check.

Transparencies: My favorite. Same as gel medium, just replacing paper with a transparency to transfer from.

Experiment, and above all -- ENJOY! Download 9.23.jpg

SCC: Old Photographs

Yep, it's that time of the week again! For today's challenge, I dove into my collection of old photographs and scanned 'em in just for you (well, except for the statue, that's not old!). Print 'em out, cut 'em up, and let me know where they are -- even if you don't, I'll still find you! *G*

New to the challenge? Check out the basics here.

Ready to get started? Download the hi-rez jpg here. Download 9.15.jpg

Happy Sunday!

That's right! It's Sunday, once again, and here's your challenge collage sheet for the week! I've included a hand-embellished element on this one; tell me what you think -- would you like collage elements from my journals, or shall I stick to unaltered images? Let me know!

A small announcement: Page by Page now has it's own blog! Head over there for issue information, submission guidelines, and ordering info. I'm putting together the fall issue (yes, already!) and it looks to be even better than issue #1!

Guidelines and archives for the Sunday Collage Challenge are here.

Enjoy! And let me know where your collage is so I can come visit it!

Download 9.9.pdf

challenge 9.2

I hope this post finds you all enjoying your Labor Day weekend! While it may be the unofficial end of summer, we still have a few more weeks of warm weather before the leaves begin to fall; take some time today to enjoy it, whether it be a short walk or a bonfire with friends.

Me, well, I'll be outside with family and friends, stealing moments here and there to sketch out ideas for the projects and swaps I've found myself participating in, as well as working rough ideas into outlines for the next issue of Page by Page.

As always, the "rules" and past challenges can be found here. And please, share linkage in the comments so we can all come take a look at your wonderful work! Download challenge9.2.pdf

Happy Sunday! (the challenge is back!)

I'm currently waiting for video to import from an old install of iMovie; after finishing recording the bookbinding tutorial this afternoon, I stupidly shut my laptop, causing the program to dump all my clips into the trash. After much hair-pulling, I found the only way to retrieve them is to upgrade, and now, the program is processing each. and. every. one.

There are 13. So I'm exasperating a bit. Why 13? Because I've worked as an AVID editor and video producer and damnit if I'm not going to take the time to edit things together. The video quality's lacking (I recorded directly onto my laptop via the iSight, as my digital recorder's missing), and I had one shot -- a straight one -- uck! Hopefully it will come out!

Last night, I went looking for some inspiration and stumbled upon the latest issue of Blueprint. This has to be the only magazine, other than Cloth, Scissors, Paper, that I buy religiously and read cover to cover. In high school, I abhorred all things Martha and "Good Things," but now, I love all the fantastic ideas in this fresh, younger magazine. That, and the design is beautiful. The fonts, layout...*swoon* I pay so much more attention to that stuff, now!

I'm a bit behind on the Sunday Collage Challenges, but that's going to stop now! Here's this week's image. For background info, "rules," and previous challenges, you can visit this page -- the new home of the Sunday challenges. Enjoy, and have a fantastic Sunday!

Sunday Collage Challenge, August 5th

Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to create a journal entry using at LEAST THREE images on the sheet.

You may use MORE than 3, but no less. Think creatively; a framed photo is not only a photo, but a frame or border for something else, a flower a background to be sanded down. A clock has more parts than the whole. Bits and pieces, cut from the complete picture, can change an entire collage. And yes, using pieces counts as using an image.

Those are the only rules. You can use anything else in your collection of supplies, but it MUST be a journal entry (and journal is how you define it; loose leaf pages together are still pages in a journal).

You can download the full size sheet here.

Leave a comment with a link so I can come visit your collage! *G*