My Latest Favorite Things...

So much for that promise to blog more often! There just are not enough hours in a day for me to do everything that I want to do and everything I have to do. So I'm just dropping in for a quick post of what I've been up to lately and what has become some new favorite things to do...

Collaged Washi Tape!!! Yes, you heard that right - collaged washi tape! Now I'm sure I didn't invent this technique, but I honestly never saw anyone making washi tape this way either. I did a UStream video and posted the recording to my YouTube Channel if you'd like to see the process in action. First, I start with another of my favorite things lately -- scrape painted deli paper (techniques also included in same video)! So easy and fun to make and useful in so many projects. Its really nice to have a stash of this stuff laying around so that you can grab a piece whenever you need it. Now that I have it, I need it more than I thought I did! Here are some pics: 

I also jumped in late (Mid-March!) to the Documented Life Project (DLP) with the Art to the 5th Group. Its a really fun project where you alter a planner of your choice, mine is the recommended Moleskine. You can learn more about the project and watch some videos at the Art5 website. Here are a few of my weekly layouts. As you can imagine I'm way behind on the weekly challenges, but I'll get there. 

 Notice the collaged washi tape in play here!!!

There's collaged washi tape all over this layout! LOVE! 

My friend Kacie is getting married the end of June. Her wedding colors are yellow and grey, so I decided to make this as a little gift for her. We had a dinner at our place for 15 girls from work to come over and celebrate with a 'bridal dinner'. She's already had a couple showers, but we just wanted to get the work group together and I had this on the table for her as the centerpiece when she walked in. This is made on a canvas board using some of Finnebair's techniques and products, along with some of my Patti Tolley Parrish stencils, some hot glue, lots and lots of Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays (and a few bad words when at the last minute I dropped a paint brush on the groom's face and gave him a goutee!). That has since been fixed with a new pic added over my little boo-boo! I recorded the process on Ustream and uploaded it to YouTube, however, there were issues with Ustream that night and only the first and last 30 segments actually recorded. ;o(

I hope you enjoyed all the pics. Please subscribe to my YouTube and Ustream channels to keep up on my projects. I try to do a recording of any new process or project that I play with so everyone can watch it at their own pace. Another great place to keep up with everything Inky Obsessions is my FaceBook art page. I post everything I'm doing that's art related on my art FB page first.  

Happy Arting, 

Patti 

Catching Up for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hi everyone!!! Yes, I'm still alive. I really need to hit the lottery so that I can retire and do this art stuff full time. Working full time is really getting in the way of my fun stuff! I am thrilled to have a job that I love, so not really complaining as much as wishing for more hours in the day. Alas, until I acquire a taste for cat food, I will not be retiring any time soon. Its very difficult for me to keep up with my blog posts as well as YouTube videos and the editing that goes with it, not to mention the upload time, Ustreams, my Inky Obsessions FaceBook page and just plain old art. 

And let's not forget that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most of you probably know that in October of 2006 I was VERY aware! That's when I was diagnosed. For those of you who don't know my story, check out my YouTube video and please do feel free to share it with anyone you know who you think may benefit from watching. 

So now on to some art fun: 

 This is another Moleskine that I covered with some gelli tape. This was a whole sheet of tape that I used from a roll of clear laminate by Duck brand that I found in Staples. Front cover.

 Back cover. 

I pulled out my alcohol inks one night then got hooked on using them on ceramic tiles -- road trip to Home Depot. You can get the plain white tiles really inexpensively, like $.10 - $.16 a piece. I can't stop making these tiles. I think while Dave is away on his last golf trip of the year I may just tile his side of the garage! Ha! 

 One of my favorites, I love those tiny bubbly bits in the center, and no clue how it happened! 

 I started adding in some of my epoxy stickers from Finnebair's collection with Prima to see how they'd look. I get mine locally at The Queen's Ink. They give a raised 3D texture and a little optical change with some slight magnification. When I sprayed these with Rustoleum crystal clear sealer, I covered the epoxy stickers with a mask since the spray made them sort of blurry after it dried. 

 Another favorite and another happy accident. I was adding Snow Cap alcohol ink and using a can of air to spray it around. I really like the effects I got. 

Another epoxy sticker. I added raspberry alcohol ink to the top of this one.

 I started playing with rubber stamps as a surface treatment. This one is a french script background stamp using a Brilliance white permanent ink pad in Moonlight White. LOVE!!!  

 This was made with only two colors of alcohol ink -- pitch black and wild plum. If I didn't know that I wouldn't believe it. 

 This was one of the larger tiles I bought and honestly looks better in person. It has a real 3D effect and you can see depth in the inks and the way I pushed them around with the side of a drinking straw. 

 Another fav! Wait - how many favorites can one person really have??? Well, I loved this one so much I had a personalize iPhone case made using this pic...

Yes, I said LOVE! Check out www.gelaskins.com to make one using one of your personal pics. 

 Another rubber stamp with archival ink. This is tricky because the archival inks react to the alcohol inks when the archival is still wet. 

 Another happy accident! 

 A white scroll stamp on one that sort of came out looking like bamboo branches. Well, you can see the bamboo effect if its held in a portrait orientation!

 This is a combination of my favorite colors and an epoxy sticker over the silver ink moon with the white ink pad using the music stamp. 

 Now this one -- really, its one of my favorites! I did this one while on Ustream and it came out so cool. I've tried to duplicate it - FAIL! The ones I tried to duplicate are ok, but not near as cool as this one. It was a tough one deciding if this would be my iPhone case or the other one. 

 It has this wispy ghostly effect that is so cool. 

 You can see on this one where the alcohol was eating away at the wet archival ink where it looks splotchy. 

 Black and white ink on this one. 

 Teal Staz On ink on this one. 

 This is one that I did trying to duplicate the black one above. 

 So is this one. They are ok, but just not as WOW as the other one, IMHO!

Something else I've been trying to play with was inspired by watching YouTube videos by Contadina K. You really need to check her out. I love her hot glue technique. Here's my attempt... 

 This was on a gesso'd canvas, then hot glue, then more gesso, then tons of spray inks, mostly Lindy's Stamp Gang inks. Then I added some 3D pastes and gels by Viva Decor thru stencils and some Treasure Gold in White Fire on the hot glue bits to make it pop. I really like how this one came out.  

 YUM! 

(I really hate to tease everyone, but I really can't give any details just yet), I will have a huge announcement coming soon. I've beside myself excited and promise to share as soon as I'm able. YAY!!! HUGE!!! 

And do save your shekels for an upcoming iStencils sale! I'm not sure of the date, but I'll let everyone know through every possible means. I understand it will be a good one too! ;o) So be sure to join my Inky Obsessions FaceBook page, as well as my YouTube channel (Patti Parrish) and Ustream (InkyObsessions) so you don't miss out. 

Hope you enjoyed my post and don't forget to get those mammograms!!! 

SAVE THE TA-TA'S!!! 

Happy Arting, 

Patti