Done!

Sixty-one Index Cards are finished.

A little piece of arty goodness for 61 days.

YeeHaw!

Here are the last ICADs.

ICAD #57 for July 27, 2014: Fly
Watercolor, micron pen, brush marker.
Doodles

ICAD # 58 for July 28, 2014: Carousel (prompt). 
Watercolor, micron pen, Sharpie metallic pens.
Rocking all the way to the sunset of ICAD!

ICAD # 59 for July 29, 2014: Tulip. 
Love the watercolors! 
Micron pen.

ICAD #60 for July 30, 2014: Stork. 
This is all from the bits and bobs box. 
I had planned on something else and started with torn paper scraps and a light wash of gesso. 
Then I took the b&b box out and everything changed. 
This is in honor of the newborn triplets (!!!girls!!!) in the neighborhood.

ICAD #61 for July 31, 2014: Simplify. 
This is not an original idea. 
I first saw it on a photograph and then when I was walking around Barnes and Noble yesterday I saw it again on a small book titled something like 365 ideas to simplify your life. I decided then that someone was trying to tell me something. 
Watercolor and micron pen. 
If you look carefully, above the first dotted "i" is a tiny heart. 
It's the way the watercolor ran. 
Not planned at all. 
My second clue that this was a good way to end the ICAD Challenge.

Sixty-one days of arty goodness on an index card.
My thanks to Tammy at Daisy Yellow.
She is the heart, soul and brains behind this challenge
I'm looking forward to 2015.

And, a big "I'll miss you" to all the great folks on the ICAD 2014 FB page.
What fun we had! Sharing ideas. Cheering each other on.

So, what will I do now?!!
I'm going to gently ease back into my usual blogging routine.
I have a crochet afghan to finish (leftover from Valentine's Day).
All the squares are made. I just need to put them together.
The afghan is first.
I have lots of photographs to edit and play with.
I'll not be bored! 

Until the next post:

May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.

Nearing The End

We are nearing the end.

This is the last full week of the Index Card A Day challenge.
Here are the cards for the last seven days.

ICAD #50 for July 20, 2014: Summertime. 

It's summertime - hot and humid. 
I thought Mr. Sun should get his credit! 
Acrylics, brush markers.

ICAD # 51 for July 21, 2014: Giraffe.

 This is the other card involved in the "smooshing" of paint. 

The elephant was first and now a baby giraffe. 

The giraffe also has a feathered friend. 

Smooshed acrylics, brush markers, rubber stamp, micron pen. 

His legs are kind of wonky and I don't think I've seen a giraffe with that long a tail, but that's okay -- he makes me smile!

ICAD #52 for July 22, 2014: Tranquility. 
4x6 index card with lots of torn papers. 
The pink and neon green you see peaking through are pieces of tissue paper. 
Acrylic paint. 
I knew the butterfly was going on this card but didn't know what else when I looked over and saw the fortune.
 I love it when a plan comes together and I didn't know I had one!

ICAD #53 for July 23, 2014: Fat Cat. 
I have no idea where he came from. 
I had something completely different planned and all of a sudden there he was. 
I did a lot of cats last year and not so many this year. 
Perhaps that's why he wanted his say! 
4x6 index card with lots of torn papers, acrylics, rubber stamps, distress inks, brush markers. Meow!!!

ICAD #54 for July 24, 2014: Some Choices Are Hard: Collage. 
Tissue paper, napkin, wrapping paper, paint "catchers", magazine image and clip art.
 I found the lady in bits and bobs first and then the shoes. 
I thought they were the perfect match for a little fun.

ICAD #55 for July 25, 2014: Doodle. 
Every now and then Joggles.com sends out an email with a tutorial. 
The last one was on watercolor backgrounds and doodling. 
She used twinkling H2Os. Not me. 
I used my plain old cake watercolors and was very pleased with the effect.
I forget how much fun I have doodling.
Calming. I could doodle all day.
 Silver sharpie and micron pen.

ICAD # 56 for July 26, 2014: The Stars are Flowers in the Sky. 
Watercolor,silver Sharpie, micron pen, doodles.

That's it for this week.
Just a few days left for the ICAD Challenge.
You can read more about Index Card A Day by visiting with Tammy.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Rounding The Bend!

The ICAD (Index Card A Day) challenge is rounding the bend!
Hard to believe the month of July is half over.
Here are the cards from the last week.

ICAD #43 for July 13, 2014: Melody.
 In honor of the birth of Melody to Simi (one of the ICAD participants).

ICAD #44 for July 14, 2014: Kokeshi Doll from one of Tammy's prompts. 
This was fun. 
Another of the very thin cards so I built it up with lots of pieces of various papers. 
Acrylic paint, stamping. 
Her kimono is a scrap of napkin. 
Prismacolor markers.

ICAD #45 for July 15, 2014: Bloom.
I was in the mood to "smush" paint around!
4x6 index card with lots of bits of torn paper.
Then acrylic paint.
The flowers were cut from several 3x5 index cards (very flimsy ones) that color had been applied to.
Added the stamped word.
Prismacolor markers.
I'm sure I forgot something!
Oh, and the kitchen sink!

ICAD #46 for July 16, 2014: Vase
Pencil
Watercolor pencils
The Vase is a piece of scrap tissue paper.

ICAD #47 for July 17, 2014: Dala
As I get close to the end of the ICAD challenge,
I find myself using Tammy's prompts more and more.
This was one of them.
A fun opportunity to not only draw a Dala horse,
but to learn more about them, too.
Mostly prismacolor markers.
Micron pen.

ICAD#48 for July 18, 2014: Tea for One. 
This is one of my favorite tea for one sets. 
It never fails to make me smile. 
The little bird is a teapot and nests on the pink cup. 
Watercolors (on one of the flimsy cards -- yuk.) 
Micron pen. With a real tea tag (Stash white peach oolong).

ICAD #49 for July 19, 2014: Friends. 
Early in the ICAD Challenge I smushed some paint between two cards. 
On one card I sketched a chicken and the other I stamped a bird. 
Quick and easy. 
I thought I'd try it again. 
Smushed acrylic paint, some rubber stamping, quick sketch of an elephant (probably an Asian elephant since he has small ears). 
He has a very small feathered friend.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Be sure to check out the ICAD Challenge at Daisy Yellow.
You can join anytime!

So Close and Yet So Far!

Okay gang, I'm starting to slow down! 

I keep telling myself  I CAN manage one index card a day. 

Here are the next seven cards. 

ICAD # 36 for July 6, 2014: Butterflies.
 I had to do something with all those images from napkins! 
Background is watercolor and rubberstamp.

ICAD # 37 for July 7, 2014: Birds and Butterflies. 
The last of the napkins! YeeHaw! 
Background is fluid acrylic, rubber stamp, then the napkins.

ICAD # 38 for July 8, 2014: Fleurs. 

Watercolor, some rubber stamping.

ICAD #39 for July 9, 2014: This kitty wishes that you Live Long and Prosper!
 I've been taking Juliette Crane's Serendipity class and used a lot of those techniques here. 4x6 index card with torn paper (various papers, some written on, some with lines, a little ledger -- very miscellaneous and torn into small pieces). 
Then acrylic paint "mushed" on. 
The kitty background is Golden Fluid Acrylic Nickel Azo Gold. 
Then I used Pastello colored paper chalk to do the shading. 
The star is from another index card I cut into star shapes. 
The bird is from the bits and bobs box. 
I sprayed a fixative over the top and will finish with a layer (or more) of mod podge.

ICAD # 40 for July 10, 2014: Bouquet. 
Watercolor and pencil.

ICAD # 41 for July 11, 2014: Mother Nature. 
Celebrate Mom with a little green! 
I used a dried leaf I found on a walk (months ago) and tried to use it as a stamp. 
You can see that didn't work, but left cool markings. 
Sprayed with dylusions. 
Postage stamp. 
Stamped words on tissue paper (that way ... if I mess up i don't mess up the whole card!).

ICAD #42 for July 12, 2014: Bits and Bobs. 
I cleaned off my table top and this is what I got. 
I didn't use up all the scraps so they went into the b&b box!


Be sure to check out Tammy at Daisy Yellow for more ICAD information.
You can join anytime!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

One Month Down

and one more month to go in the

Index Card a Day Challenge (ICAD).

Here are the cards from the last week.

ICAD # 29 for June 29, 2014. 

Something different this morning. 

I've been making a lot of pesto this year and thought I'd share the recipe with you. 

Pix from a seed pack and a rubber stamp. 

(You can use any nut that you like if you don't have the pine nuts ... like walnuts ... just be 

sure you aren't serving your pesto to someone who has "that" nut allergy.)

I like garlic with my basil!

ICAD #30 for June 30, 2014: Nap. 

A quick watercolor sketch of Mina napping. 

(I did this on a 4x6 index card I bought for last year ... horrible -- so light weight you can almost see through! No wonder I used so much book paper last year!) 

ICAD # 31 for July 1, 2014

Another flimsy card so I torn a book page and placed it on first.

Gesso, then stenciled the stars.

Sharpie markers and an image from the Graphics Fairy.

ICAD # 32 for July 2, 2014: Each End Up. 

This is one of those cards that I just kept adding layers to not liking any of it until the end. There's book paper, acrylic wash, fluid acrylic (blue), rubber stamps (red), stencils (arrows), more acrylic paint, and the stars are cut from another Index Card that I had yellow and orange acrylic smushed on. Each End Up -- no right or wrong end up!

ICAD # 33 for July 3, 2014: 4th of July. 

One more holiday card. 

This is the last one as I've used up all the images I found at the Graphics Fairy! 

Acrylic paint, Stars are cut from another index card, fluid acrylics.

ICAD # 34 for July 4, 2014.

 I wasn't going to do another 4th of July postcard, but I had already finished the image transfer. 

Liberty Bell stamp, rubber stamp, cut stars from another index card, fluid acrylic.

ICAD # 35 for July 5, 2014: Nature Study.
I love nature studies and I spent the day yesterday with a stack of napkins cutting out birds, butterflies, "nature stuff". 

Rubber stamp, fluid acrylics, torn ledger paper scrap, napkin images.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Be sure to visit Tammy to check out the Index Card a Day Challenge.

You can start anytime.

It's fun!

Creative Every Day

Dreaming of Fairies

It's hot and humid around here.

That means I go into hibernation!

-I did get out this week for a lecture at the MFAH on the Houghton House exhibit.

I'm not usually a decorative arts person, but the curator threw in so much history that she made it interesting to me.

-I've been able to keep up with the Index Card a Day Challenge and
will post this week's cards on Saturday.

-It is the little things that bring a smile to the face during hibernation!

A rose blooming in the garden.

I'm going to grab a glass of ice tea, a book, a cat (or three) and dream of fairies! 

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Thank you to Kim.