Name: Sue McGettigan

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Lives: Sunny Southern California, but I'm a proud West Australian :)

Known For: Creative addictions! Artistic obsessions! Reckless use of punctuation! Excessive blog surfing! A sense of fun, and love of family. Some of my stamping projects have been featured in Stamper's Sampler (Stampington), Paper Crafts - Stamp-It! Cards, Creating Keepsakes, and Rubber Stamper Magazine, and online designer features and articles. Not Known For: Love of housework ...

Blog, website or gallery: Wandering Star - http://ozzigirl.blogspot.com

Loves to: Travel, write, read, make art, take photos, spend time with family and friends, listen to music, explore, enjoy life.

Loves to create: Anything inky. I love to try new techniques and materials, and challenge myself creatively. I like 3-D projects and altering found items, recycling and repurposing to make something new out of something old. I like creating paper and textile arts, mixed media and even metalwork.

Favourite Darkroom Door product: I'm loving it all! The Venetian collection feeds my travel fetish, I love the versatility of the stamps and the way the paper products work with ink (photobooth, montage, everything!)

Have you ever been in a darkroom? Not a REAL darkroom (flashbacks to a dark room and 'truth or dare' here :) - I always wanted to learn how to work in a darkroom ... someday.

Let’s say you’re invited to come into our darkroom for a day. What would you bring with you?  Some undeveloped film from my trusty ancient Olympus camera, a sense of adventure, willingness to learn, and a notebook.

Are you afraid of the dark? Not really, I like the way being in the dark heightens other senses like hearing, smell and touch.  I like the sense of calm and cool in the dark, it's restful.  If I do get spooked though, I don't like to have my back to the darkness :)

Button Fairies:

Materials:
Darkroom Door Stamps: Map from Venetian Vol. 2 for wing background on green/orange fairy
Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
Additional materials:  buttons, wire, beads, Ranger Distress Inks, Tattered Angel Glimmer Mists, Prima flowers.

Sue says: These little button fairies are so much fun to make, and the Photobooth Ladies make great fairies!  Choose your Photobooth image and trim out the background, use inks, pens or paints to add color.  For the green fairy I stamped the map from Venetian Vol. 2, then stamped the wings over that image, trimmed to wing shape.  Sponge on inks to add color to the wings.  Punch two holes close together in the center of the wings to thread the wire through, make a loop in the wire then add buttons and beads, finishing with a bead and round-nosed jewelry pliers to make a coil.  If you don't want the loop to hang your fairies you can omit it.  Adhere the Photobooth image and a flower behind the top button and there you have your button fairy!  For the pink fairy I stamped the wings on a thesaurus page, any printed page will work, then sprayed with Glimmer Mists for a fairy-like glow.  Hope you have fun making Photobooth fairies!

House #1:

Materials:
Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian Vol 2, Full Bloom Vol 1
Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco, Ti Amo, Rialto
Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies

House #2:

Materials:
Darkroom Door Stamps: Full Bloom Vol 2, Venetian Vol 2
Darkroom Door Paper: Ti Amo, Rialto
Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
Darkroom Door Filmstrip: Blank

Sue Says: These little houses are so much fun to make, I could just imagine the Photobooth folks looking out of them.  Start out by cutting a piece of cardstock or chipboard to a rectangle in the size you want - both of these houses are 4" x 6".  Then measure the midpoint at the top of the rectangle and trim off triangles to shape the roof.  Cut Darkroom Door papers to fit, I love the way stripes cut from Rialto paper can build the eaves of the roof and the windowframe.  Before adhering the paper to your cardstock background, stamp images to give the house more detail - flowers for the garden, architectural elements like the Venetian border, the large flower looks like a Victorian sun element under the roof pitch (on the sundial house).  Frame the Photobooth images using paper strips or a Filmstrip frame.  Assemble the items onto the cardstock base, adding items like brads, buttons, diecuts, hardware, lace, etc. to embellish your house.  There's no end to the variations you can come up with!

Sue has made a bunch of fabulous creations... so check back tomorrow to see more of her work!

Here is our final piece from Linda Cain...

Venetian ATC:


Materials:

* Darkroom Door Montage: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors
* Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco, Ti Amo

Linda says: This wonderful little piece was almost complete before I started! The Venetian collage papers worked great when cutout for this ATC. Ti Amo and San Marco papers for the background and the key stamp and hinge from the Doors collection pulled it together. I layered up the word and added 2 silver coin studs and it's done!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to Linda for being our guest artist this week! Your artwork is very inspirational - and we especially love seeing the 3D art that you have created!! Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us all!

Here are some more projects from Linda Cain...

Door Tag:

Materials:

* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors
* Tim Holtz Distress Inks
* White opaque pen

Linda says: I used Distress Inks all over the tag, blending the Marmalade and Fired Brick from the edges in. Then I stamped the Door stamp and the knocker at the top. White pen was used to add highlights and doodles to the tag. The stamps are so detailed and beautiful, little else is needed to enhance them!


House:



Materials:
* Darkroom Door Paper: Ti Amo, Rialto
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors, Wildflowers
* Maya Road Chipboard House
* Acrylic Paint
* White opaque pen
* Ten Second Studio metal
* Chipboard swirls & shapes

Linda says: The Maya Road house was painted with Metallic Regal Red acrylic paints first. The roof was covered with Ti Amo papers and key stamped images, then white pen was added for accent. Green chipboard swirls were glued to the roof. The door knocker stamp was added to the corners of the house. Rialto paper was cut and glued to the sides. I used Ten Second Studio metal embossed and glued onto the front and sides. The chipboard door was painted and stamped with the Butterfly wings and accented with white pen. Chipboard diamonds and pen strokes were added around the house....they're my thing!

Thanks Linda!!!

Drop by again tomorrow to see Linda's final piece! :)

Name: Linda Cain

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Lives: Morton, small town in Central Illinois, USA

Known for:
Loving to collect junk from flea markets for collage...then hoarding the stuff in drawers!

Blog, website or gallery:   
www.cain81art.blogspot.com

Loves to:
STAMP and getting inky!  But I like painting, too. Started as a watercolor artist.  And love taking photos. I took a few classes in photography to take shots of my garden.

Loves to create:
Anything using paint, wood, paper, canvas, wire...LOVE wire! And having a Studio Party with my grandkids. They all love to make art projects. I love to create my garden in the spring...so the rabbits can have a buffet in it!

Favourite Darkroom Door product:
The Doors Stamps!

Have you ever been in a darkroom?
Once....YEARS ago.

Let’s say you’re invited to come into our darkroom for a day. What would you bring with you?
Notebook to try to remember everything I learned there.

Are you afraid of the dark?
Nope, practice walking around in the dark after DH is asleep in case I ever become blind...just to see if I could do it. I really pretty good at it now.

Now onto the projects...

Tin Box:

Materials:

* Darkroom Door Paper: Rialto, San Marco
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors
* Tim Holtz Grungeboard
* Tim Holtz Distress Ink
* Adirondack Paint Dabbers: Gold, Copper
* Collections word
* Other: wire, metal star etc

Linda says: This tin box was really fun. I started by gluing papers to the tin in layers. Different torn pieces at the top and bottom.  The keys were stamped on Grungeboard and Distress Ink was added to the front. Gold and Copper Paint Dabbers by Adirondack colored the backs. I used a piece of chipboard and brads with an antiqued star screwed into the top. It needed height! A layered up word on the front, and rusty wire stringing the keys completes the box.






Spread Your Wings:



Materials:

* Darkroom Door Stamps: Wildflowers
* Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco
* Watercolour paper
* Tim Holtz Distress Inks
* Versafine Ink
* Black ribbon

Linda says: The card starts on 140lb. coldpress watercolor paper. I sprayed water on first, then used Distress Inks and applicators to swipe color across the page to represent a sunrise sky. The flowers and butterfly were stamped after the paper dried and layered onto black cardstock. I then stamped the pink Bazzill cardstock in Smoky Grey Versafine ink using the largest flower head around the edges. It was then layered onto the San Marco paper. Finally a ribbon was added as well as the layered up words.

Linda has created 5 projects that will be featured over the next 3 dayson the blog... so make sure you come back each day to see her amazingwork!

And now for the grand finale of Michelle's projects! Here is a card she has created using the Full Bloom Photochips:

 

 

Mat Lily Photochip on burgundy and white cardstock. Then mat onto green cardstock.
Wrap lengths of ribbon around the green cardstock at the edges. To create a tailored bow follow these instructions here. Mat on burgundy greeting card. Cut out Tulip Photochip and adhere to bottom of card. Here's a close up:

 

 

And we'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Michelle for being our Guest Artist this week! We all love the ATC's and card you have created. It's so inspiring to see how many different ATC's can be created using the same supplies. :) Thanks again Michelle! Love your work! :)

Here are the final 3 ATC's created by the talented Michelle Loffler!

Live, Laugh:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco
* Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian Vol 1, Doors
* Darkroom Door Wordstrips: Venetian
* Collections: Chipboard Houses

Using two 'Collections' houses, randomly stamp using Stazon and Venetian Vol1 stamps. Edge with 'fired brick'. Cut out photobooth girls and distress their edges by sanding. Adhere to houses as shown. On a scrap of kraft card, stamp the lock and door knocker in 'fired brick'. Cut out and mount to the tops of the houses using foam tape. Adhere words as shown. Mount houses on San Marco paper cut to ATC size.

Postcard from Venezia:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Photochip: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies, Gentlemen
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian Vol 1

Cut Photochip slightly shy 3.5 x 2.5" and sand edges. Mat on black cardstock. Cut out Photobooths and roughly sand edges; adhere to bottom of Photochip. Using Stazon stamp postage cancellation on the top of the Photochip. Stamp a contrasting colour onto some kraft cardstock and cut out the circle. Using foam tape, adhere on top of the one already stamped to create a 3D effect.

The Door:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors, Venetian Vol 1

Using Stazon, stamp the door onto transparency. Adhere transparency onto vintage dictionary paper. Cut out the transparency/dictionary and mat onto 2.5 x 3.5" kraft cardstock leaving a border effect. Stamp the "things unknown" stamp onto craft cardstock using Tim Holtz  Distress "old paper". Stamp banner stamp over the top using "fired brick". Cut out the banner and adhere to top of transparency using foam tape. Stamp another "things unknown" stamp onto craft in black, cut out the words "the door" and mat on black cardstock. Mount on banner using foam tape. Stamp both keys on black cardstock with gold ink. Cut out and fix with a brad.

And if you think that was enough eye candy.... check out all 9 ATC's together:

Amazing! Don't you just LOVE them! I love the texture and layering, and the combination of elements in all of them. Thank you SO much Michelle for sharing your fabulous talents with us! 

Please drop by tomorrow for our final project by Michelle and we'll also announce the winner of the Darkroom Door goodie pack! So here's your last chance to enter. Leave a comment here to be in the draw! Tell us which is your favourite ATC, or what you'd like to create with some Darkroom Door goodies, or about your travels to Venice, or anything!

Hope you are all having a creative weekend!

Here are 3 more inspiring ATC's from the wonderful Michelle Loffler:

Things Unknown:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Montage: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors

Stamp two "things unknown" words on kraft cardstock using Stazon and Tim Holtz 'fired brick'. Cut out strips of each. Edge black cardstock with white ink. Mount alternating strips of words as shown. Cut out door montage and sand the edges. Position below the words. Stamp a key, cut out and mount using foam tape.

Adventure:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Filmstrips: Venetian Vol 2
* Darkroom Door Wordstrips: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian Vol 1
* Darkroom Door Paper: Esplori, Rialto, Ti Amo

Using Esplori paper, cut ATC 2.5 x 3.5". With the Venetian Vol1 stamps, randomly stamp using Tim Holtz 'fired brick'. Place strips of Rialto paper across the top and bottom of the ATC. Ink all edges in 'fired brick'. Mount "adventure" word on another strip of Rialto, cut out and adhere as shown. Stamp the "Venezia" in black as shown. Mat filmstrip onto white card, then onto Ti Amo leaving a wide border, then again onto white card. Adhere as shown. Using a corner rounder punch, punch the top left and bottom right corners of the ATC.

Every Intention:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco, Rialto
* Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
* Darkroom Door Photochips: Full Bloom

Sand edges of San Marco paper. In Word type the saying, print and cut out strips. Dab 'old paper' inkpad over the saying to age it. Cut out rose chip and photobooth - sand all edges. Place strip of Rialto along the bottom. Fix all pieces in place.

Don't forget to leave a comment to go into the draw for the goodie pack!! :)

Name: Michelle Loffler

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Lives: Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Known for:
Love of all creatures great and small, being behind the camera, being a coffee snob :)

Blog, website or gallery:   
None, but she is often published in Stamping & Papercraft magazine! 

Loves to:
Go on family outings, relax in the sunshine, watch primetime TV, shopping, Agility training with my dog and going on holidays!

Loves to create:
ATCs and beyond the page projects. I love collage, vintage and arty and I have a huge digital collection of vintage photos and ephemera I hope to one day use! I spend more time collecting than I do creating!

Favourite Darkroom Door product:
Oh that's easy .. the Photobooths !!!
I also love the San Marco paper - just gorgeous.
I love the way the collections co-ordinate, it makes pulling together projects fast and easy.

Have you ever been in a darkroom?
I have once for school but can't really recall. I didn't pay much attention at school it's no surprise I can't remember the details of the darkroom visit.

Let’s say you’re invited to come into our darkroom for a day. What would you bring with you?
Well for a start, the attention I was lacking in school. I'd bring my own camera, a list of questions, some munchies and lots of excitement. I would be like a sponge because there would be so much to take in.

Are you afraid of the dark?
Only of the pitch dark, you know the kind of dark when you are out camping and you get up in the middle of the night and cant see a foot in front of you? That's scary!

Projects:
Michelle has created a set of 9 ATC's and a card. We'll feature all of them over the next few days, so please remember to come back each day to see her fabulous work! Here's the first 3 ATC's:

Wise Shopper:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Paper: Ti Amo, Rialto
* Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Doors

Stamp door ATC on Ti Amo paper. Cut to 2.5 x 3.5" and sand edges. Cut out Photoboth image and create a frame by cutting out strips of Rialto paper. Ink edges of frame. Fix in place. Using clipart, print a shoe and cut out. Fix in place.

Explore Venice:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Filmstrips: Venetian 02
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian 01
* Darkroom Door Montage: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Paper: San Marco, Esplori

Cut San Marco paper 2.5 x 3.5" and sand edges. Stamp banner onto Esplori paper and cut out. Stamp the word 'explore' onto the banner. Adhere on an angle as shown, trimming the left edge as needed. Stamp the lightpost on white paper using Stazon. Colour using watercolour pencils. Cut out and adhere to ATC. Cut out Venice words with curved corners, ink edges. Cut out filmstrip, sand edges and adhere to ATC.

Voyage:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Paper: Esplori, San Marco
* Darkroom Door Photobooth: Ladies
* Darkroom Door Wordstrips: Venetian
* Darkroom Door Stamps: Venetian 01

Using Esplori paper, cut ATC 2.5 x 3.5". Cut two thin strips of San Marco paper and place along the top and bottom of the ATC to give a border effect. Stamp postage cancellation stamp at the top of the ATC. Adhere a length of sheer black ribbon along the left hand side of the card. Cut a rough square of black mesh and a square of natural mesh and adhere to the centre of the card. Stamp the "visita al campanile" stamp on a piece of Ti Amo paper. Cut out and mount onto San Marco paper leaving a border effect. Adhere to top of the mesh. Cut out Photobooth girl and adhere as shown using foam tape. Cut out random words and distress using Tim Holtz "old paper" "fired brick" and Stazon for edging. Adhere to ATC as shown by slipping underneath the mesh.

Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!
Leave a comment here to be in the draw for a Darkroom Door goodie pack worth $25! Includessome of the products that Michelle has used here including Photobooth Ladies & Gentlemen, Venetian Montage, Venetian Filmstrips and Venetian Photochips. We'll draw a winner on Sunday! All comments that are posted over the next few days will be entered into the draw. Good luck!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see more of Michelle's ATC collection!

Last but not least, here is the finale of Sarah's projects...

Live, Laugh, Love:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Full Bloom Vol 1 stamps
* Darkroom Door Venetian Wordstrips
* Stampbord
* Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks
* Bazzill Cardstock
* Lace
* Ink

Colour the background of the stampbord pieces using 2 colours of alcohol inks (Cranberry and Terracotta) by applying them with the blending tool. Stamp the images onto the Stampbord pieces with Stazon ink and scratch the highlights into the stampbord. Distress the edges of the cardstock with a paper distresser.

Here are a couple of close ups:

Isn't this card fantastic? I love it! Please help me give a HUGE thanks to Sarah for being our guest artist for this week and sharing her ideas and amazing art with us. Three cheers for Sarah! Hip Hip Hooray! You really are an inspiration Sarah. Check out her work in the May 2008 edition of Australian Paper Crafts where her work is featured on the front cover! And don't forget to drop by her blog for more projects.

Here's your last chance to be in the draw for the Darkroom Door goodie pack! Leave a comment and we'll announce the winner tomorrow!! You've gotta be in it to win it - so tell us which of Sarah's projects you loved the most, or tell us what you'd love to create with the goodies! The pack includes a Full Bloom Montage, Ladies Photobooth, Filmstrips, Wordstrips and more.... :)

More from the talented Sarah Schwerin! Don't forget to leave a comment to be in the draw for a $25 Darkroom Door goodie pack! Drawn on Monday - so get your comments in!!

Spread Your Wings:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Stamp from "Little Dreams" set.
* Stampbord
* Bazzill Cardstock
* Lace, Brads.
* Dimensional Magic

Stamp the image onto stampbord and colour parts of the image with art markers. Scratch the highlights into the stampbord. Cover the entire piece with Dimensional Magic to create a glossy finish. Mount onto the card using double sided mounting tape. Emboss the background cardstock with a Cuttlebug and highlight the raised pattern with white ink.

Tulip Happy Birthday:

Materials:
* Darkroom Door Full Bloom Montage
* Darkroom Door Full Bloom Filmstrip
* Darkroom Door Full Bloom Wordstrip
* Brads, Ink, Bazzill Cardstock.

Mount the Tulip filmstrip onto the tulip tag with double sided foam mounting tape. Ink around the edges of the words with Tim Holtz Distress ink and adhere to the tag. Add some matching black and white brads to complete the look, then mount the tag onto the card front with double sided foam mounting tape. Distress the edges of the cardstock with a paper distresser.

Thanks Sarah! Drop by tomorrow for the big grand finale of Sarah's projects! It's a beauty!! In the meantime, leave a comment here to be in the draw for the goodie pack!!