The yearlong series that I have been team-teaching with Peggy Kunkel and Ann Rabinovitz met over the weekend for the second part of the color theory section. The first class covered working with primary colors. This class built upon that foundation. We were working with tertiary colors (the ones mixed from three colors) and all their possibilities. The following photos were from an exercise Ann taught to create the illusion of overlapping shapes. Very eye-opening! All of us really liked the deep browns that could be mixed in this way.




This week’s Sizzix die, designed by Eileen Hull, forms a cute cake. It was easy to decorate and assemble. Here are the photos:



I used Stampin’ Up stamp pads to color both the top of the cake and the main body. Then I wrapped the cake with two ribbons. Under the ribbon I added white ribbon with beading already attached. The flowers were from an old scrapbooking kit. I put them together with a bead in the center and wire. The greeting is my own calligraphy printed onto colored paper.
You can see what all the other creative artists did with this die in the list below.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Lisa Rojas, Stampin’ Queen Creations
This weekend I taught illumination and gilding to a small group in Jonesboro. The unusual thing about this class was that it was not offered by a calligraphy guild, but instead, in a convent! Sister Deborah Coffey was the driving force behind the class and she did an outstanding job publicizing the event. The little classroom that we used at the back of the convent was packed!

There were both beginners and experienced artists in the class. Everyone worked so hard that they lost track of time! On the second day they didn’t even want to take a break. It was so rewarding to see the things that they completed and their enthusiasm for the process. Here is one student, Theresa, concentrating:

We worked on color mixing, painting in designs and gilding on real vellum. Here are some photos:


Gilding on vellum:


Sister Deborah is hoping to continue offering workshops like this one, so if you are interested you can check for updates on her website: http://benedictinesacredartstudio.intuitwebsites.com.
Next weekend is a Black Magic workshop in Little Rock. I am looking forward to being with another group of dedicated artists!
Over the next few weeks I’ll be participating in a blog hop. What’s a blog hop, you ask. Eileen Hull, a friend, artist and fellow CHA Designer, has released a product line with Sizzix. These new ScoreBoards Dies can cut and score mat board to create sturdy three-dimensional objects, ready for assembly and embellishment. It is so much fun to “hop” through the blogs of the participating designers to see the ingenious ways these die-cuts can be used. I promise you’ll be inspired by these amazing artists! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to find the links to begin the adventure as you find your way through participating blogs.
This time, all of the designers will be creating a project using the Sizzix ScoreBoard teacup die. As an added challenge thrown in, Brenda Pinnick has provided us with two color palettes to work with from her ongoing series at Color U.
So here’s my first entry…
These are the individual pieces of mat board before assembly. First I used Golden Light Molding Paste and brass stencils to create the raised designs. After that dried, I used Pearl-Ex pigments mixed with Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish to paint the pieces. I also put together a small handmade book to fit inside the teacup, with calligraphy and painted designs, on Arches text wove paper:

Here is the cup, assembled, seen from the front:

Tiny handmade book coming out of the top of the cup:





Please stop by and see what all the fabulous designers have come up with and vote for your favorite (pick me!) on Eileen’s Blog. (The contest officially begins on March 31, so be sure to check-in then!) Make sure to vote because there are two prizes: one for the designer creating the project that receives the most votes and one to a random person commenting on any of the participating blogs. What a fun way to get inspired!
To vote, visit Eileen Hull’s blog and leave a comment saying you like my project. I appreciate your support!
Blog Hop: Sparkle’s Tea Cup
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Just a Thought or Two
Make your own pretty scented tea cup flower bouquet by JGoode Designs
Modern Surrealist 2 in 1 Bohemian Tea Cup Magnet for the Sizzix Blog
Hop!!!
ScoreBoard Teacup
Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop Tea Cup
Tea Cup Party Favors
Tea Cup Pin Cushion
Tea Cup Vase
Tea for Two, Two for Tea…
The Perfect Blend
Sandy Laipply’s Sizzix Score Board Blog Hop Project
Bonnie Bruns
Sizzix Blog Hop – Eileen Hull Tea Cup
Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop Tea Cup
Material Disclosure: I have a material connection to Sizzix and Eileen Hull. I received samples of the product above to use for this blog post. All other products mentioned in the instructions were purchased by me.
Tags: lettering. calligraphy, mat board, Pearl-ex, Sizzix

This weekend I taught a new workshop in Tulsa for their calligraphy guild. The class explored using Pearl-Ex pigments in various acrylic media. We worked on black papers, canvas and arches text wove. Here are samples of the students’ work:

In these photos — pearl-ex mixed with fluid matte medium, clear tar gel, gloss medium and varnish, regular gel gloss and soft gel gloss.


The next two are swirls of sumi ink highlighted with pearl-ex


Below: Light molding paste painted with PE

Lovely lettering by Carol Dillingham:


