New DT Members - Welcome Lisa and Autumn!!

Pamellia here, and I am so excited to be here today to introduce you to not just one, but two extremely talented ladies who will be joining the design team here at Anything But Cute! Do stay tuned and get to know these ladies as they introduce themselves to you!

Lisa of "A Mermaid's Crafts"

It takes a special kind of artist to be able to mix two different art styles together successfully, and Lisa does it better than any crafter I have seen! Her shabby chic softness is just breathtaking and the way she blends that softness with mixed media products is not just a matter of skill, but also a real talent for balancing paper and paste. But Lisa doesn't stop there, she also does vintage, quirky, bold and beautiful and so much more...lots to love about everything she makes! I am just tickled pink to get to craft along side her over the coming months, and I know you will all be truly inspired by her creations!

Hi, everyone!! My name is Lisa from A Mermaid's Crafts. I am a writer and I live in southern Indiana in the USA. I've always loved to craft but didn't seriously pursue it until about fifteen years ago when I became hooked on the craft shows HGTV used to air. I first saw Tim Holtz on The Carol Duval Show and fell in love with his grungy, inky style.

I started blogging in March of 2011 and have loved every minute of it. My style is always changing, but my current favorite is shabby chic. I love distressed edges, torn paper, crackle paste, shabby stitching, lots of flowers and ribbon. I admire people who can do CAS because I just can't. I have to have layers...big open areas on a card make me break into a sweat. I have an almost compulsive need to keep adding embellishments!! I have a serious die, stamp and crinkle ribbon addiction and probably have enough paper to cover the earth...yet I still keep buying more (not quite hoarder status, but close ;). I'm so excited to begin this journey with this amazing design team!!

I've picked out a few of my favorite mixed media pieces to share with you today. I had so much fun making this canvas, which combines two of my favorite things...the ocean and mermaids :)

This canvas was a gift for my sweet niece. The sentiment is one of my favorites so I wanted to build a scene that was filled with texture and visual interest.

I rarely make masculine projects...I love flowers and ribbon and bling too much :) But for this steampunk inspired canvas, I used a mixture of metal and wire and texture paste. Even though it was masculine, I couldn't resist adding a butterfly and this one made of gears was perfect for this.

This journal page is one of my earliest attempts and also one of my favorites. I love the vibrancy of the Dylusions sprays. I filled waterbrushes with different colors of the sprays to color the leaves. A funky Dylusions stamp and Beeswax floor stamp finished the page.

Mixed media cards are my favorite thing to make. I love adding layers, texture and dimension to cards. This one includes several of my favorite mediums...crackle paste, texture paste, distress inks and sprays and frantage.

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Autumn of "Sew Paper Paint"

Autumn is fairly new to the crafting scene, but she has exploded across the mixed media world with her amazing creations!! I fell in love with her work instantly and just knew she was going to be someone to follow and keep watch on! She does it all, layouts, cards, tags, you name it, and her styles are just as ranged as her project base! She has such a great way with texture and dimension, even on a flat surface, and every creation is filled with elements that you want to reach out and touch! I really look forward to seeing what she creates and can't wait to get to know her better as an artist and a friend!

Autumn here to share just a little bit about myself...I am married to an amazing man, and my biggest supporter.  We have four children, yes four!  I live in the US and work full-time as a church secretary. I have been stamping for over 15 years, but making art throughout my entire life. Creativity is my outlet, passion and purpose. I define my style as grunge meets elegance. Though I love to distress everything, I like to balance my work with a touch of pretty and neat.  In addition to stamping, I love to draw and paint and have found that mixed media allows me to blend these skills and create rich artwork, filled with depth and texture. I started my blog, SewPaperPaint a little less than a year ago. The girls at Anything But Cute have been such an inspiration to me in my first year of blogging.  I am thrilled to be joining this team!  

It was no easy task to sift through my work and pick "favorites", but I picked a few pieces that I feel really showcase who I am as a mixed media artist and stamper.  This butterfly piece is my favorite mixed media creation to date.  I love the soothing colors, the subtle grungy texture and the vintage elements. I love the stamped focal point and the little crocheted cocoon. I can't relate this piece to anything else and think that is what I love most about it, the uniqueness.

This reverse canvas is another favorite because I love the natural, woodsy feel of it.  It was a gift to a very dear friend and has sentimental meaning.  I like all of the layering and imagery and puddled paint around the frame.  Handmade embellishments are one of my favorite ways to dress up a project.

I love constructing mini albums and filling them with my collections.  Here I enjoyed using a hodgepodge of leftover paper and tons of stamps.  I love the simplicity of this cover and the handmade flower stem and tape.  When I need a card idea, I flip through this album and pick a layout. Works for me every time!

As far as journal pages go, this is my all time favorite.  I drew the feather and made a stencil from it. I love developing my own designs and experimenting here with neon paints, and the contrast with the shadowy, ethereal background.  Not to mention, I really enjoy lettering and handwriting in my projects.

As far as cards go, though I do love making my own backgrounds, I always enjoy a nicely layered card from designer paper.  I love mixing multiple patterns with the "more is more" theory.  This card is a favorite because of the pretty vintage seam binding, the DIY embellishment, and the machine stitching.  Using inspirational quotes and scripture is one of my favorite ways to personalize my cards.

Again, thanks so much to this team for welcoming me!  I cannot wait to join in these artful adventures with you!  Also a huge welcome to Lisa, who is such an amazing crafter and encouragement.  Hugs, Autumn

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Are you folks as blown away as I am right now?? WOW, look at all those gorgeous projects!! I feel so lucky to have scooped these talented gals up, what a treat it will be to learn more about these ladies behind the scenes and share their work with you every month!

Lisa and Autumn will be presenting their first projects for Anything But Cute on May 5th for our One Year Blogiversary Challenge!!! You won't want to miss out on this one, as we will have tons of surprises and prizes!!

Happy Crafting, Hugs Pamellia :)