What's on the back of your digi stamp?

Quick!

If your one of those who likes to cut your digi stamps out, fussy cut or cutting machine, then try turning your digi stamp over.  Look at that shape, can you draw something a lil different?  Try it, it's a great way to challenge your self and practice your drawing skills.

Here's my Woman on a wire(except I removed the wire, to thin to cut out)

Here's the backside

And thhis is what I thought it could be

I'll admit, sometimes the shape on the reverse side may be a bit tricky to work with but it's so much fun.

What's on the back of your digi stamp?

Until the next blog...enjoy!

What's in my art journal? A page in motion

Hello,

I wanted to share one of my favorite art journal pages.  First, let me just gush about this paper. I'm using 70lb drawing paper by Strathmore, that's been folded into an 8 page 9x6 journal. I the put thin thin swipes of gesso on the pages here and there.  I just want to HUG this journal.  It's not stiff at all and has a very nice feel to it.  It's hard to verbalize.  And the best part is that it stands up to my wet media and lays flat, not much warping. OOOOH it feels so good though!    Ok, I got that out of my system...

Before I folded this paper down to my journal size pages, I stamped the entire sheet of paper with a handcarved background stamp (I sell the cling version, Round n Round, in my Etsy shop)

The Round n Round stamp is a quarter repeat stamp.  You first stamp the image then rotate the stamp 90° and repeat 3 times to get a larger print (so fun to carve btw). Because I can't see through the rubber stamp like a cling stamp,  I number the corners so I know which corner I'm working with to get my larger print.  For example, I'm using #1 when I rotate to the right, the stamp should be in the same position with the #1 in the left corner.    Which ever corner I decide to use,  I always make sure it's on the top left.

Top left # 1 ,top right #2,bottom left #3,bottom right #4

Depending on the stamp you may be able to get different images by using different corners of the stamp.  Notice the difference between the top and bottom images.  The circle in thecenter top square comes from  corner #4 when it meets at 90° all around and the larger circle in the  bottom  square is corner #1 all around

Next, I used the mask from one of my stencils (also in the shop) along with some Dylusions acrylic paints.  Then used modeling past through a Tim Holtz stencil.

The sense of motion on this page is what makes it one of my favorites.  I always reach for this page when I'm looking for inspiration. Do you have a favorite page or project that you keep coming back to?

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your visit(s).  Until the next blog...enjoy!

Digital Stamp Technique Pt 2 - Dressing up your digis

Hello,

So today, I've uploaded part 2 of Digital Stamp Technique. As I go through the steps of preparing my digi stamps to use on greeting cards,  I show two different ways of dressing up digi stamps. you also get a peek at a painting style I use.

I create my cling and digi stamps without some details so that you add your own flare.  You can add facial features, details to clothes, etc.  In this way, the stamp can look different each time you create with it.  

That being said, I rarely draw in facial features when I'm creating with them, that's just a personal preference.  And I have a lot of fun "dressing" them.  Check out my process.

These digital stamps are available in my Etsy shop here.  Thanks for your visit today.

Until the next blog...enjoy!

What's in my Etsy Shop?

...or rather, what isn't!  Hello everyone.  After a much needed break, my Etsy Shop is off vacation! While I was in vacation mode, I decided that I would only list cling stamps, digi stamps and prints of original paintings (that's new).  You'll still see my cards and the other art I create on Instagram  and in videos, I just won't be listing them online anymore. 

I enjoy card making and I like that each one is hand colored or painted and layered up. Let me just be honest, they can also be very time consuming.  Which is why there's always a limited number of the same.  Throw in some custom orders with last minute changes and I'm no longer having fun. I'm not complaining, I decided early on, that if any of this art journey stopped being fun, then I would make necessary adjustments.   So that's that.

Having said that, I cleaned out the shop and listed a few things.  New to the shop, but maybe not to you if you follow me on Instagram.  You can check out the shop here.  In the mean time, have a look at one of my all time favorite paintings that I have as a print now.

I'll be doing my own printing with an Epson printer.  The quality of these prints are amazing, they look just like the original.  Seriously!  Prints will be available in sizes 8"x 10" and 5" x 7".  Depending on the original image, you may only have a choice of one size.  Don't be turned off by the number of available prints per painting, I listed 2, which I'll replenish as they sell.    And do check back, there's a few other prints that still need to be listed.  

Thanks for continuing to be a part of my art journey.  I appreciate ya!!

Until the next blog...enjoy!

What's in my art journal? Digital Stamp Technique Part 1

Hello everyone!

I get such a kick out of using my stamp images in different ways and I wanted to share a few of those ways with you.  I've uploaded Part 1 of 3 videos that will show you these techniques.  In Part 1, I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite ways of creating.  It's very loose and one of my go to techniques for when I need to warm up or have a creative block.  The key is to not have any expectations, this is simply an exercise. Your results will surprise you, one image can have many different looks.

Watch how completely different the image above can look with this technique.

If your interested in these digital stamps, they'll be in my Etsy shop when I re-open on March 1, 2018.

note:  the images listed in the shop will have the heads fully drawn, not as shown in the video.  

I hope this was helpful.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Until the next blog...enjoy!

Introducing My New Logo!!!!

Hello,

I've been checking quite a few things off on my extremely long "To Do" list.     I've been wanting to change my Nay's World logo for the longest time. I dilly-dallied with various images the last couple of years, but couldn't settle on something.

The original logo I used was my first Funky Girl image, Nay.  Nay or Nay Nay is my nickname (given to me by my aunt).  The exaggerated  hair represents my own hair, which is.. uh..something.  I live in T-Shirts, tank tops and my favorite jeans or leggings.  I would also live in those clunky boots but it would be wrong...right? Oh and I quite often stand with my hands on my hips.  I may have been born that way, not sure.  So, that's really why I ended up using that image as the original logo, it was ME!

So, then I thought, why am I trying to reinvent the wheel?  Just make the wheel better, right?  So yes, this is my new logo.

Let me point out a couple of things, I know some are obvious, just humor me. 

• ·         Kept the exaggerated hair
• ·         I typically wear a blue jean shirt as a smock, it belonged to my oldest brother
• ·         Again, my hands are always on my hips, it can't be helped
• ·         I love, love, love the fact that its hand drawn and a bit wonky

Best of all, it has the look of Nay's World.  In the end,  I wanted the logo to reflect what you will find in Nay's World.   My stamps are all hand drawn or exact copies of hand carved stamps, wonky lines and all. 

I'll be opening the Etsy shop March 1st.  I'm changing a few things over there as well.  I'll be offering some prints of original artwork and will no longer have greeting cards listed.  Oh, I'll still be making them and posting pictures of them from time to time but I'm headed in the direction of drawing, sketching and painting more.  You'll still see Funky Girl stamps and digi images pop up too.  I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for your visit today.  I really appreciate it.  Until the next blog...enjoy!

Card Demo - My Marilyn

Hello everyone,

I hope your new year is off to a good start.  I've been enjoying some new year creativity.  I've been doing a lot of re-organizing in my craft room and for my online business Nays World.  Lots of changes for Nays World, more on that in another post.

I'm constantly searching the internet for pictures of people to use as a reference and I came across this beautiful picture of Marilyn Monroe, well what picture wasn't beautiful? Anyway, I drew this horrible sketch of it. I thought there were some parts that were salvageable so I worked on it in a graphic program (GIMP).  After cropping, stretching, re-shaping, and re-sizing, I came up with my version of Marilyn. The shirt is not quite like the form fitting one she wore, but I still love it.

The real fun began when I started playing with skin tones and having my Cricut cut her out in various sizes. I like  cutting out patterned paper for clothes and piecing them together.  I usually make a demo card to see how the image looks on a card, then I have to make a journal page or 3, and so on. Sometimes I give these demo cards away as freebies with my Etsy orders.

On this one, I picked up the wrong color for the skin tone and it ended up being my favorite.

Thanks for your visit today.  Until the next blog...enjoy!