I'm a JADS Girl!!!

Happy Sunday Everyone!! I've been bursting to tell you all this news and have just been waiting for THE right time!! A few weeks ago the fabulous Heather contacted me from Jean's Art Dolls asking if I'd like to join the team!! I immediately said YES!!!

It's different than any other company or group that I work for and/or participate in. JADS is a self-motivated, self-challenging, forum style group that brings together eclectic, sassy, and FAB.U.LOUS artists to share ideas, projects, tips, tricks, tutorials, etc!! I was over the moon that both Jean and Heather considered me to be close to some of these things enough to extend me an invitation to join!! I was SO excited!! YAY!!

At JADS we set our own monthly challenges. This particular challenge that I set was a color challenge. I set it for Turquoise, Poppy and Champagne colors with a mix of any other browns within the creation.

And because I was creating for JADS...I just let totally loose on this piece. It's completely Mixed Media using stamps, rub-ons, ink, staples, markers, labels from clothing that I had in my stash, notebook paper trimmings, and much more!!!

Here is my very first creation for JADS!! I hope you enjoy!!

The base for this creation was purchased at ACM (A.C. Moore). It's an oversized wooden tag that was on the clearance rack from Valentine's Day. I started with my base. I used my kissy lips stamp from The Paper Source to create my background paper. I used both my Champagne and White Brilliance Pearlescent craft ink pads to stamp and then clear embossing powder to heat set the lips for the background. The paper is SU! River Rock textured cardstock. I did the entire sheet of 12x12 cardstock and trimmed it out to fit my tag background. I adhered it to my tag, popping out the holes for my ribbon and brads to be added later.
I then went through my stamps and decided that I wanted to use this "Cheshire-esque" looking cat stamp that I have. (Alice is super hot right now - what with the new movie and all) So I sat back and thought...what else can I add...hmmm...based on the size of the tag, the cat stamp was too small to be the main focal point of the piece.

Then I remembered the photos I had downloaded, of Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat Woman from the second 'original' Batman series (from the 80's and 90's) for something entirely different. I printed one of my favorite photos of her out and decided that THAT would be my focal point.

I went through my stash of DP and pulled out this wild Basic Grey paper. I trimmed out the photo, and just before I attached it to the background I grabbed a slice of my Hambly Acrylic paper with birdcages (those of you who have seen this movie will understand the reference;), and I laid it over the photo. I then attached the 2 pieces to the BG paper which I had edge distressed, and matted on SU! Tempting Turquoise and PTI's Pure Poppy cardstock.

I then added this panel to my main background on the tag. I then looked around my desk and grabbed a piece of notebook fringe edge that I'd used for another project and tucked that right above the main panel. I also added a strip of rhinestones along the bottom.

I used my Love, Elsie rub-ons that I've had for eons for the heart, dots, X's and stars. I then stamped my Cheshire-esque kitty to the mix after stamping, heat setting, coloring and trimming him out. He's mounted atop a scrap of the PTI PP cardstock adorned with colored staples. I added a safety pin and Phillips head screw brads for some added grunge elements.I had a tag from something I'd purchased at my local boutique that I knew I'd use at some point. I trimmed it out, distressed it and backed it with a scrap of the SU! TT cardstock. It's M is emblazoned with gold and then flocked all around. The rivet behind it is also from the tag. I trimmed it out and distressed it as well.
I used my QKD stamp from the March Alice release as my sentiment "All Ways Here Are MY Ways". Love that saying!! Stamped on a piece of the same Basic Grey DP that my main panel is matted with.

I then added my hand-stamped and sewn (by me) ribbon for the tag which I'd used in another project. As a very last touch I added the tiny ballerina girl to the bottom right of the tag. Everything else about the piece is so....opposite of the ballerina girl that I couldn't help but add her to display the obvious juxtaposition of the two! I am honored to be a JADS girl and I hope you have enjoyed my altered art for today!!!