RBWgold

new ArtFire storefront

2011-03-31T02:11:00.000-07:00

This past week I just opened my new ArtFire storefront. I will be selling paracord keychains/lanyards, decorative knot bracelets, monkey fist necklaces and keychains.
When you get a chance, log on to www.artfire.com (RBWgoldDesign)

Three excellent resource books......................

2010-04-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Below are three excellent resource books that will help you add life to your cards.

Foamboard Magic by Eileen L. Hull, Modern Mark Making by Lisa Engelbrecht, and Origami Card Craft by Karen Elaine Thomas

Go to your nearest bookstore and pick them up!

Foamboard Magic by Eileen L. Hull

2010-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Eileen Hull is a freelance designer, specializing in three-dimensional artwork. She has owned and operated her own business, Paperwork, Etc. for twenty-five years. She continues to promote craft designs and recycling thrift store finds into new and useful items. she is author of Foamboard Magic and Matboard Magic published by Logan Graphic Products. Her work has appeared in magazines, including Crafts 'n Things, Paperworks, CardMaker and Creative Home Arts. She has also contributed projects to other books, including 101 Paper-Craft Gift Ideas, Altered Art and Holiday Paper Fun. She is a member of the Craft and Hobby Association, Washingnton Calligrapher's Guild and Dulles Women's Networking Group.

Eileen's book "Foamboard Magic", is full of creative foamboard projects for Home Decor, School, Archetecture, Crafts and Holidays. All of the projects in the book were made with Logan Graphic Products' "Foamwerks" tools. (see video below).

visit Eileen's blog page, http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/ or her webpage

http://www.paperworketc.com/

Origami Card Craft by Karen Thomas

2010-04-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you make cards and are into Origami, here is a great resource book that brings the two together.
Origami Card Craft will revolutionize your handmade cards. Master paper crafter Karen Elaine Thomas's inspired origami projects are easy enough for any beginner and give cards new life with pop-ups, fold-outs and classic origami cranes. If you've tried stitching, stamping, piercing, and gluing and are ready for something new, origami is the answer. With Karen's careful instruction, you'll be folding and creating in no time.

Karen Elaine Thomas is the creative designer for Yasutomo and Company. In addition to being involved in product development and education, she teaches paper crafts workshops at national trade shows and retail stores and has been a regular guest on HGTV's Carol Duvall Show, the DIY Network, and www.crafttvweekly.com. The author of several craft books, Thomas has had her work featured in American Artist, Rubber Stamper, and Paper Crafts.

Visit her at www.karenelaine.com and her blog page http://karenelaine.typepad.com/appletini_time/

Modern Mark Making by Lisa Engelbrecht

2010-04-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

If you're into calligraphy here is a great resource book "Modern Mark Making" by Lisa Engelbrecht. She also covers brush lettering, lettering on fabric and mixed media and letterforms. Lisa is a lettering and multi-media artist and calligraphy instructor and has taught for years at Cerritos College in California. Lisa teaches internationally, specializing in workshops and classes on lettering on fabric, experimental lettering, and the creative process.

Lisa has been on the faculty of six international lettering conferences nationwide. In 2006, Lisa introduced new multi-media classes at the International Quilt Show in Houston, Texas. She is interested not only in classical letterforms but also alternative surfaces for lettering and in current street influences on modern calligraphy.

Lisa's work is featured in Artist's Journals and Sketchbooks and Beyond Paper Dolls, by Lynne Perella, Quilted Memories, by Lesley Riley, Altered Couture, Letter Arts Review Annual, and Mary Englebreit's Home Companion. She is a frequent contributor to Somerset Studio magazine, and her work on fabric has been featured on the covers of Legacy and Quilting Arts magazines. Lisa is also a freelance lettering artist for American Greetings. Her classes are fast, fun, and totally stress free!

You can contact Lisa at lengelbrecht@earthlink.net. Please visit her website:

www.lisaengelbrecht.com

Creating.............................

2010-02-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm in an experimental stage...............am experimenting with foam core board, gold leaf, calligraphy, and mizuhiki knots...............trying to find a way to incorporate these together into a card that makes sense.............(grins)............maybe it doesn't have to make sense. I think most of us who call ourselves cardmakers.........are trying to create something new...........whether it's a new technique, "new look", innovative design, or even a different way of tying different elements together. So far I have tried adding 2 or 3 different elements together with no success. I will download a sample of what I come up with when I am somewhat satisfied with the outcome. When I do download a sample on here............I really would appreciate your input..........pro or con.......

now..........back to work............

Birthday Card

2010-02-20T11:49:00.001-08:00

Card I made for a birthday card swap. I used a kanji vector graphic for the front, characters mean.............."clouds moving across the sky". On the inside I added a mizuhiki clamshell knot as an embellishment.

Birthday Card1

2010-02-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a card that I made for a birthday card swap. The recipient was a female so I tried to make it as feminine as I could, (considering my use of black cardstock as my base). The cardstock I used is called p-like cardstock. I has a plastic sort of feel to it, and at 122lbs. is very stiff and is excellent for adding embellishiments, and frames/borders, and for rubber stamping. The mistake I made on this card...................you all know.............I forgot to swipe the front of the card with my anti-static pad before embossing. I now have a reminder taped to my desk............to swipe card blank with anti-static pad before stamping/embossing.................

With the card I sent an origami frame ornament.

got to http://www.youtube.com/user/karenelaines#p/a and find the origami frame ornament.

ATC #2

2010-02-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here is an ATC swap card, featuring the kanji symbol for "prosperity".

I used a kanji character vector graphic and saved it as a jpg, then cut it out on my CE, and backed it with gold momigami paper. I also added some mizuhiki ribbon in the upper left corner.

2010-02-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

ATC card swap. Lately I have been experimenting with different kinds of mizuhiki knots. I learned that it takes a lot of patience at first to get he knot started and it gets easier once the initial knot is made. Adding the additional cords became easier. The knot is an Abalone shell knot also known as the Josephine knot or good luck knot. For reference, I used a little booklet published by Yasutomo, writted by Karen Thomas. As I was forming the knot, I became intrigued at how it slowly takes shape. To make this knot I used, 6 black and 2 gold mizuhiki cords.

Card Swap 2

2010-02-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

This is another card that I did for a card swap. I had a hard time deciding what kind of card to make since we all had a template that we had to follow. I came up with a Ying/Yang concept.........black/white.......male/female...........once again I tried to stay true to my colors

Card Swap 1

2010-02-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a card that I made for a card swap at the Paper Wishes Message board.

We had a suggested template that we had to follow, so I decided to use a teabag fold with a peace crane. Tried to stay consistent with my colors.

new Target store!

2009-07-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

Above is a photo of the new Target store that opened across the street from my house.

We have been waiting a year and a half for it to open.

Double Rainbow

2009-05-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of a double rainbow that I shot from my backyard the other day. Seeing things like this just enhances my creative side and gives me a renewed appreciation of God's creation.

Artists

2009-05-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

this graphic is a Japanese Kanji character for the word artist........

I have been trying to find an acceptable way to incorporate Japanese symbols and characters into some of the cards that I make. I'm still working on it........If I come up with something that I like, I will post a photo of it.

Christmas card

2009-05-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a card that I made this past Christmas. I hadn't seen very many black Christmas cards, but I wanted to make something different.