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Community > Articles & Projects > Thena's Article

Thena's Article

Thena Smith

Thena's Bio

Thena's Archives

HERE’S TO A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying this wonderful chance for a fresh start, the opening of a new calendar and the chance to get a fresh start. I’ve never been one to make new year’s resolutions for one day of the year, but rather try to wake each morning with the resolve to do my best to be a better person. I like short term goals and usually I know by midmorning if I am going to succeed in my resolution for the day.

Crafting, stamping, needlework, painting, quilting, scrapbooking, and many other hobbies and crafts benefit from the artists and forums at pcCrafter.com. The ladies on the message boards are so knowledable and generous and share a wealth of information and tips. They have learned so many things through years of perfecting their favorite part of the hobby and they willingly share so much. Through the boards here, I have made some life long friends. I invite you to come over and check it out!

Scrapbookers have always loved Hugware images and if you take a look around at various craft fairs you will recognize the Hugware style on a variety of hand made or computer made items. They may be on glassware, wooden items, paper items, glass blocks, book covers, spiral notebooks, composition books, tee shirts and even eyeglass cases. The uses for them are limited only by your imagination. .

I have had a lot of fun lately creating tee shirts but forgot and mailed them all off before taking photos. For those of you planning to get together with family and friends for a family reunion, you will find those will be a hit!

I love the way that the Creatables blend together so nicely and also the variety of artistic styles available to us. I also love to create simple little odds and ends of my own to add to my pages in addition to the ones by my favorite artists. (Don’t ask me who my favorites are-it’s always the one whose work I’m using at the time!)

If you love realistic look, Carol Halm has so many beautiful things. If you have pets, be sure to check out Laurie Furnell and if you love whimsical and fairies, Carol Lee Jones is your kind of artist. Carolyn Wright has such humor in her “bird” art as does the creator of Mitzi the Duck, Beth Yarbrough. And if you haven’t check out the hilarious work of Leere’ Aldrich, do it after you put your coffee cup down. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you, ‘cause I won’t be there to clean off your computer screen for you!) Did I mention Debbie Mumm’s work? Who doesn’t know and love her art! I first heard of her when I was more of “wanna be quilter”. I hope you will check out Beth Logan and especially her Pink and Powerful Collection.

Those are just a few of the fabulous artists and I hope this will inspire you to browse the various categories and find what interests you. I do that from time to time and come away ready to create! (Oh, I hope you will look up my name and check out the book titles while you are there! The verse in the first card I’m making is from Whispers.)

Let’s get busy now and use some of this artwork to make some pages and maybe learn how to do a couple of simple things from scratch!

Project 1: Happy New Year Page

We celebrate the new year with a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider and always start the new year with a prayer. If we aren’t all together, we call and pray over the phone.
In the figure for project one I have shown you how to create this page using simple shapes to create the elements I have used.
For the bottle I used the circle, the rectangle and then created something to add to it to elongate the neck by using the draw a line tool. I added it to the neck and blended it in.
You can also take a photo of a bottle and draw around it to get the shape more perfectly.
For the party hats, just use the insert rectangle shape and add the circle to give it an inside, and use the dodge and burn tool to give it shape and depth.
For the goblet, use the circle, cut it in half and add it again to the top of the glass. Add an elongated rectangle for the stem and use the dodge and burn tool to complete it. Fill it with cider or wine by adding color and add the star shape, filled with white made transparent to add the sparkle. Add a curved shape filled with white and made transparent to the side for the look of glass.
For the pearls draw a circle and copy it, fill it with black. Use the transparency tool to give it form and then use the dodge and burn tool to complete it. Same basic instructions for the bubbles.
For the noisemaker, add the shape for the blowing part, rectangle for the beginning of the flat part and then a circle distorted.

Project 2: Create a paper doll from simple shapes

Use the shape tool and add various lengths of rectangles and circles.
Hand draw rough shapes for hands and shoes. (You can smooth them out later.
Use draw a line tool to “dress” the doll and fill shapes with color and use effects for fabric.
Draw an outline for hair and add color.
Fill with black to use as silhouette.

Project 2A: Friendship Page

Create a new page (8.5 x 11 at 300 dpi) and add shape for background of page. Add white for background and then a black square for a mat.
Add a row of paper dolls and add a line of black for their floor or stage.
Add black line at top and add text.

Project 3: Card and Bookmark using Penguins Pastime by Laurie Furnell

Create a new page any size at 300 dpi (depends on size you want your card to be.
Add images and text.
Be sure to check out how your printer handles duplex printing before you print the inside of card or create thin paper page to print with the verse and small images for the inside.
You can also print your favorite images on stickler paper and use them for the insides of cards and the envelopes, etc.
Depending on your software program you can also create a stamp (DIP) or a brush of the images you want to use over and over again.
Using an iron on transfer, you can create your own tee shirt.

Project 4: Please Write Card

Choose the images from Laurie Furnell’s Penguin’s Pastime and add them to the page.
You can leave it in 8.5 x 11 letter format or make it smaller as a postcard or a regular greeting card size.

Project 5: Scrapbook Page (Could be the layout for your 2008 January calendar page)

Create a new 12 x 12 page at 300 dpi.
Choose background paper and add to the page.
Add shapes and use as photo mats; add photo.
Add image art from Penguin Pastimes at top and bottom of photo.
(I erased the ice from the bottom image.)

click image for larger preview

There you have it! You have some easy things to create from scratch, easy ways to make a couple of cards and a simple but fun scrapbook page! I hope you enjoy and that you meet me back here next month!

Your monthly assignment; should you decide to accept it.

Decide to make this the best year yet for you and those you love.
Be kinder than you have to be.
Take time to enjoy your family, your friends, your home and your pets.
Do something unexpected to bring joy to a neighbor.
Resolve every day to be the best you that you can be.
Hug someone!
Meet me back here next month!

Hugs,
Thena

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