Music Inspiration Challenge!

It's my turn to host the Stampotique Designers Challenges and here's what I've got to say about it!

"I love music and enjoy most genres ranging from liturgical music to rap, from classical to head-bangin' rock! Music fills my soul and moves me emotionally and physically.

Let's see how music inspires you! Use song lyrics, music notation, or words associated with music in your project and share it with us!

Have fun! I can't wait to see what you all create!"

If you'd like the chance to win $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules, so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

I'm sad to say that I have not completed my project for this or any other challenge.

It's been a rather wacky summer and my mojo and energy level are currently located on the construction-congested Staten Island Expressway and/or the Belt Parkway. I've spent ridiculous amount of time this summer in bumper-to-bumper traffic on both of these horrific roadways.

Please visit my team members blogs to see how they've interpreted my challenge!

Bwa ha ha! I'm back with my project, which is a page for a mini-book that I have been planning for quite some time. My musical inspiration is Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top.

Here it is!

Smitten Moustache Monsters (Kira Nichols) was stamped twice with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. One set was colored with Copic markers and fussy cut. The moustaches and belly parts were fussy cut, colored with Copic markers, then run through a Xyron machine to apply adhesive to the front of the image. Caramel Latte Fun Flock by Stampendous was applied to the adhesive on the moustaches and beards. ScraPerfect Best Glue Ever was used to adhere the flocked moustaches and beards in place. Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen was added to the one pair of visible eyes and the horns of two of the monsters.

The sunglasses are metallic charms that I had forever. I cut the temples and the charm loop, bent the glasses slightly, and adhered the sunglasses over the eyes of two of the monsters.

I set my Smitten Moustache Monsters aside and went to work on my background. I cut a piece of 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock by Strathmore to 6x6. I sponged Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, and Spiced Marmalade Distress ink onto the cardstock using Mini Ink Blending Tools and Mini Ink Blending Tool Replacement Foam. You can't see it now, but I achieved a really nice gradient, which pleased me. Then I messed it up. Water was misted over the piece using an Inkssentials Mini Mister, which added a nice mottled look. The piece was heat set, then more of the same color Distress inks, plus Picked Raspberry and Rusty Hinge Distress inks were sponged over the 50s Clock stencil by The Crafter's Workshop (50% off!). I dampened a sponge with water and sponged over the stencil to remove some of the ink, then I heat set the piece again. I decided more was more, so I sponged Distress inks over the Bubbles Dylusions stencil. This stencil seems to be sold out, but the other Dylusions stencils are on sale, so check 'em out! I still wasn't satisfied, so I sponged more Distress ink over the Flower Frenzy stencil by The Crafter's Workshop. I liked the layers of pattern better, but now it looked too bright, so I sponged Picket Fence Distress Stain over the piece, wiped it off, liked it all better, so I heat set it.

The edges of the piece were distressed with the Heart Attack Distressing tool by WR Memory Keepers. The tattered edges were roughed up a bit more with the edge of a pair of scissors, then sponged with Picked Raspberry and my beloved Black Soot Distress ink.

Black metallic cardstock was die cut with Memory Box's Virtuoso Music die-cut, a Die-Namics Treble Clef die, and old Mini Khaki dies by QuicKutz. The treble clef and music staff die-cuts were adhered to the inked, stenciled page, then the Smitten Moustache Monsters were adhered to the music staff. The sentiment was added, then the piece was adhered to black cardstock!

Here's a bit of the back story. After a year of steady deterioration of my eyesight, I had cataract surgery in January 2014. I got glasses in fourth grade, so it was amazing that my distance vision was corrected to 20/20! It was indescribable how exciting it was to peel my eye open right after the surgery and read the license plate of the car in front of us to my husband! It's awesome to wake up in the morning and not have to fumble for my glasses. I can drive without my glasses! Almost best of all, I can wear cheap sunglasses!

I will admit that I was flat out terrified about the surgery. My vision is central to my life. All the things that I love to do involve my eyesight. Reading, doing artwork, bird watching, watching television, sightseeing, traveling -- all involve eyesight. When I was a stupid teenager, I cut my corneas with contact lenses. The pain was excruciating and I became very phobic about anything touching my eyeballs. The prospect of losing my vision to cataracts was scary, but so was the surgery. I became a total complete basketcase for the month or so leading up to the surgery. The surgeon changed the date on me twice and I almost caved into my fears, but I went through with it, and am glad I did. There have been complications and I still need glasses for computer, reading, and close work, but all in all. It's been a positive experience even though I don't much like seeing all my gray and my wrinkles! I decided that it would be a good thing to document the whole experience in a mini-book and now I've started. Yay!