SWARM!!

HI everyone!

This weekend my scrapbook store "Scrapchic Boutique" held a Cricut Swarm. We had such a great time creating all kinds of cards and scrapbook pages. I met some great new friends. I hope you have tried out your "doodling". Please send a picture of what you made, then I can post it on the blog and maybe give everyone else a good idea. Have a great beginning to the week. A new idea will be coming your way soon. Keep Scrappin'!

Doodling...Keith Haring style

Have you ever been so bored at a meeting, just sitting around, lecture, etc and started to doodle?? Drawing lines on top of lines, taking another line in a different direction, adding a circle, flower or squiggle? This week my son suggested that I look at Keith Haring to get my inspiration for my next card and layout. What an amazing artist! I love the boldness of his work--the colors, lines and patterns he created. Lines are powerful elements of art that draw your viewer into your design. It is important to use different types of lines to make your viewer's eyes dart all over the page. Then repeat those elements (pattern) around the piece and you cue your viewers eyes, subconsciously, to scan the page quickly resulting in a bold feel for your design. In the end a combo of lines and patterns can emotionally connect a viewer to a bold card or page in an exciting way. Please take a look at http://www.haring.com/ / click on ART - then click on 1989. You will get some good ideas.

Your challenge this week will be to "SET YOURSELF FREE" and just doddle using lines and patterns along with bold colors. What kind of doodler are you? Please take a look at the Video Bar and watch some doodlers at work. It was cool!

Let's Begin:
*Choosing a theme: I decided what kind of card and page I would like to focus on--my card will be about "Friendship" and butterflies will be the theme for my scrapbook page--I have lots of pictures from butterfly houses my husband and I have visited.

*Gathering my materials:
Watercolors, gel pens, markers, scrap pattern paper, card stock(multi-colored

solid),embellishments

Step 1: draw the lines--be creative and think of many patterns

Step 2: paint in the colors--I am going to use 4 main colors then add other colors

with my embellishments and scrap pattern paper.

Step 3: Add picture & journaling

GOOD LUCK! I know you will have fun doodling your way to a beautiful card or scrapbook page!

Until next week! Keep Scrappin'!

Lines and Patterns

This week we will be making a card and background for a scrapbook page using lines and patterns to make an optical illusion effect. Here are my creations from this week.

Materials needed:

*Card 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 any solid color (think about matching the colors you will be using later on your card)

*Card Stock - white 4 x 4 sheet (card), 8 1/2 x 11 sheet (page)

*Pencil, eraser, markers, 1 inch width ruler

*Templates: different sizes, circles, rectangles, diamonds, stars, etc.

SCRAPBOOK BACKGROUND:

*You will begin by drawing our own lines of various styles. (wavy, zigzag, thick, thin) Draw whatever style you have chosen across the paper (becareful not to draw them too bumpy or close).

*Next, off-center somewhere on the white card stock, drawing concentric circles (like a bull's eye), starting small adn getting bigger until you reach the edge of your paper.

*Now that your grid is created, lightly mark in every other space with a pencil an "X". Carefully start in one corner and begin coloring only the marked spaces with one color. Then go back and with a contrasting color finish the rest of the open spaces.

CARD:

*Begin by using the ruler, tracing the width of ruler along entire page, creating vertical lines. Next, using a templates or just drawing your own, draw 3 different geometric shapes of different sizes on the paper in an interesting design.

* The first column will be colored, with all shapes inside that column remaining white.

*The second column will be white, with all shapes inside that column will be colored.

*Continue across the paper, one column at a time, alternating colored with white shapes and white with colored.

* When finished, color all the leftover white spaces with a contrasting color to complete the optical illusion design

Once you have made your background for your card or page, decide what kind of embellishments you would like to add. I am going to be using 'Stickles' to draw on the lines in order to give it a more 3D effect. You can use most anything you would like: ribbon, rickrack, brads, flowers---Just have fun with it. I would love to see what you come up with and if I can figure out how to add your pictures I will let you know. Maybe start our own art gallery!

This has been such fun for me. Bringing back memories of the 60's with all the psychedelic looks the lines and patterns made on my page. Of course, I am a child of the 60's. Please let me know what you think by commenting. Looking forward to seeing you next week with a new idea. We will still be working with lines and patterns. Check back often, you never know when I might have some good tidbit to pass along to you.

Also, there is a video bar that has some cute ideas using crepe paper--try it out!

Until then, keep scrapin'

Having Fun!

HI everyone!
I have been having a good time this week researching ways to use Line and Patterns in making my card and scrapbook page for you on Monday. I think I have come up with an interesting way to make a card and scrapbook page POP! Please check back here on Monday to see what I have made for you.
I have also added some video ideas from YouTube that you might like to check out. Make sure you visit your favorite scrapbook store this weekend they all need our business.
Have a great weekend and keep scrapin'!

Getting started

This is an exciting step for me today. I am going to be embarking on a new adventure--- BLOGGING. Hopefully, I will be showing you some interesting ideas and teaching you a little bit about how you can use 'Art Design' when making your cards and scrapbook pages. Starting next Monday, I will have my first tutorial using LINES and PATTERNS as the featured elements. We will be making a birthday card and birthday scrapbook page. Have a great week!