My Mexican Treasures

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This is a continuation of my last post where I posted some of the colorful images I photographed while in Mexico recently. Here I have posted pictures of some of the beautiful hand painted woodenware I bought at a Mexican artesania. You can see a photo of the piece followed by a close-up of some of the detail work. (Click on any of the images to see a larger image.) I was told that it takes three hours to hand paint a plate with a design like the red chile peppers. I'm imagining that it would take a bit more time to complete a more detailed design like the black and white peacock plate or the black tortillera, the covered bowl into which freshly cooked tortillas would be placed prior to serving them with a meal. (I promptly filled it with gumdrops but that's another story.) Each of these colorful treasures is a source of artistic inspiration for me and evokes memories of my trip.



Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

The Colors of Mexico

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I admit I'm not much of a traveller, preferring to nest at home. When I do venture from my surroundings I am invariably attracted to the colors and textures of my surroundings and I make it my business to seek out the local artisans for a taste of authentic craftsmanship. This trip to Mexico did not disappoint me on that score. In these photos you get an idea of the colors and textures that can be found in almost any corner of Ixtapa and the nearby town of Xihuatanejo.

Soon I'll be posting some photos of the beautiful painted wooden and ceramic ware I purchased while in Ixtapa. The colors are delicious and the patterns beautiful. Stay tuned for that.

If you would like to see more photos of the trip, click here. Enjoy.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Down Mexico Way

Tomorrow my family and I are off to Ixtapa, Mexico for a week. I'm hoping for warmth and relaxation, at least as much relaxation as one can muster up when travelling with family. I'm also hoping to come back revitalized, invigorated and artistically inspired. One of the things I love about going to a new environment is seeing the colors and patterns. They infuse me with the desire to create using a new palette. Let's see what Mexico does for me. See you soon.

Ballo ergo sum,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Scratching a Creative Itch

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In my last post I told you I would be on a short hiatus as I prepared for a one week vacation to Mexico. Well, that hiatus lasted about a hot minute after I bought a new set of stamps and papers at my local Target. I just had to sit down and started crafting. Here are a couple of cards I created last night, both using a tangerine polka dot paper that just caught my eye. One of them incoporates die cuts I made with Cuttlebug dies 2 Step Heart and 2 Step Paisley. I limited myself to orange, white and one other color, allowing myself a range of shades within a color. Here's what I came up with. This has given me the idea to create a color challenge in the future. Hmmmm. That's something I'll have to think about while I'm in Ixtapa, sipping pina coladas on the beach.

You would think now that I have scratched the itch I would be at peace. NAH, not a chance! Now I am itching even more. I guess I need this vacation. Otherwise I would never pull myself away from my work table.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

A Short Hiatus

I've been very busy with home-related issues as well as preparing for an upcoming vacation. As a result, I haven't been able to do very much crafting nor will I be able to for the next couple of weeks. In the meantime things will be very quiet here at The Creative Diva. However I do hope to be able to play catch up once I return from Mexico. I have a few ideas for a new Cuttlebug tutorial and I've joined some great swap and challenge groups that promise to be very inspiring. Until then, keep those hands busy creating beauty.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

If there is anything better than creating art, it is having your work recognized by your peers. My fellow artists have honored me by using my Cuttlebug Filigree Medallion tutorial as inspiration for their own work. I honor them in return by showcasing their work here on my blog. Their creativity is inspiring. Click on the names to check out their work. Click on your browser's BACK button to return to this page. I will add to this list as time goes on. Thank you.

Mary Wise

Barbara Beck


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Unexpected and Delightful

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Two days ago I made a trip into Manhattan to visit one of my favorite art stores. I had to pick up some supplies but I was much more interested in attending a demonstration by a Prismacolor representative who promised to show tips and techniques for using that line of products. Being an artist, I was familiar with the brand, used many of its products and knew them to be of high quality. It just so happened I was specifically looking to replace a set of Prismacolor fine line markers that I use for adding tiny details to my work.
Diana Garrett, the Prismacolor rep, gave a wonderful presentation which began with a video of the process involved in making their high quality line of colored pencils. Afterwards she demonstrated various techniques for using some of the many products offered by her company including colored pencils, Nupastels and various types of markers. She also discussed the characteristics of various types of art paper, explained the advantages and disadvantages of each and which was preferred for use with her products. She even touched upon the different types of solvents and techniques used for blending colors. This was exactly the kind of information I was hoping to get so I was very pleased with the demonstration.
The best part of her presentation was the reverse Q and A where she asked us questions and we answered them based on the information she had presented and our experience as artists. Those who answered correctly received Prismacolor product as prizes. She also conducted a raffle. I was thrilled to came away with a wonderful set of 24 colored pencils specifically color-coordinated for portraiture, several markers, and a black Verithin pencil. She even replaced my fine line markers when I mentioned that my set seemed to dry out too quickly. All in all, I got much more from Ms. Garrett and her demo than I ever expected. I left the store filled with inspiration and anxious to try my hand at the techniques I had learned using the new goodies I had received.
I sat down at my crafts table, gathered my tools and commenced creating. There were some fairy cards that needed detailing before they were complete so I used my new fine line markers to add details to the hair, face and clothing. I also used the portraiture colored pencils to add shading to the skin tones.

Being the packrat that I am, I throw nothing out, including scraps of paper left from trimming a larger piece down to size. I used Prismacolor metallic pencils to create a simple geometric border pattern on a sliver of dark blue paper that I will use on future cards. On another sliver of dark blue I created a continuous vine of flower buds using both dry watercolor pencils and the "dip and draw" technique demonstrated at the workshop. A third floral border features a little "bling" in the form of tiny rhinestones at the center of each flower.

My trip to Manhattan was a bit of a lark inasmuch as I had only decided to go the evening before but the rewards far exceeded my wildest expectations. I learned everything I sought to learn, was filled with inspiration and won prizes in the bargain! What else could I ask for? You can be sure I'll be looking for more such opportunities to break up my daily routine.

Stamp Credits:
About Art Accents unmounted stamp plate 145, Fairy Girls III.
Pink Card: Butterfly Masked Fairy Girl;
Dark Blue Card: Daffodil Fairy Girl.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Cuttlebug Tutorial – Die Cut Configurations (Part 3 of 3)

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In the last two tutorials, I showed you some simple ways of combining die cuts created with Cuttlebug ® ’s Vintage die set. I hope you’ve done a little experimenting of your own with this versatile set. As promised, I am going to show you some of the combinations possible with the two die used to create the Filigree Medallion and the Mini Medallion.

(Please note that illustrations are not to scale.)

The dies in the Cuttlebug 2x2 Vintage set do not have individual names. For the purpose of this tutorial, I will assign the following names to make identification easier:
A - Scroll Corner
B - Stained Glass Square
C - Openwork Scallop Square
D - Tulip Corner
Only dies A and B will be used for the following configurations.

By way of review, this is the scroll corner with alignment holes indicated. All of the configurations that use this piece are aligned at the holes.



By combining two corners you can create this ornate square. It is shown here in two colors for clarity.




By combining four corners you create the base of the filigree medallion demonstrated in my first CB tutorial.




This is the “negative space” cutout from the scroll corner that I call double cane. This is a wonderfully versatile piece. Note: This is a rather small piece and creating some of the designs can be very tricky. I suggest using a bent nose tweezer for placement.

Here are some of the designs you can create with double cane:










Now add a stained glass square (die "B" above) and you can get combinations like this:









Okay, I think you can see where this is going. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Now let's see what you've got. Show me YOUR Cuttlebug die cut creations.

Click here to go to Part I of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part II.

I hope you liked my CB tutorials. Please leave a comment. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cuttlebug Tutorial –“Negative” Space Mini Medallion (Part 2 of 3)

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I hope you liked my tutorial on the Filigree Medallion created with Cuttlebug®’s Vintage die set. I also hope you took my suggestion to save the larger cutout pieces because, as promised, I am going to show you how you can put those normally discarded pieces to creative use. Using those scraps, you will be able to create a simple motif that can be used as the basis for many others. By the end of this tutorial, you will agree that negative spaces can be positively beautiful.

The scroll corner used in the filigree medallion has a cutout that looks like two canes attached head to head (“double cane”). For the purpose of identification, I will refer to the two parts of the double cane as swirl and tail. This simple piece can be combined in so many ways that you can spend hours just contemplating the possibilities. In this tutorial we will create a mini medallion (four of them pictured above) that can be used in a variety of papercraft projects.

Materials list:
• “Vintage” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set; (37-1201), scroll corner die;
• “Squares” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set (37-1216, largest square) or a piece of cardstock 1 ½ inches square;
• Cuttlebug® or any other die cutting/embossing machine that accepts CB dies;
• Pencil and a soft eraser;
• Spray adhesive.

1. Punch out four of the scroll corners. Remove and save the large “double cane” cutout from each corner and set the rest aside for later use. (If you saved your pieces from the last tutorial, skip to Step 2.)

2. Punch out one 1-½ inch square with the Squares die set. If you don’t have this set, simply cut out a 1-½ inch cardstock square in a contrasting color to the double cane pieces.

3. Very lightly mark the center of each side of the square.

4. Position one double cane piece diagonally on the square, placing the tip of one tail on the center mark on one side and the other tip on the adjacent center mark. Make sure the swirls are facing the center of the square. Repeat this positioning for the remaining sides. When correctly positioned, the four double canes form four heart shapes in the center of the square. Refer to the photo above.

5. When you are satisfied with the positioning, glue the pieces down using the spray adhesive. These pieces are so slender and delicate that most other adhesives are liable to leave telltale residue. If the pencil marks are still visible, lightly erase them out with the soft eraser.

Ta-da! You’re done! You have just created a “mini medallion” using the negative spaces from the Scroll Corner die. Now it’s time to show off your creativity. Send me a picture of what you have created using what you have learned in these last two tutorials. I will create a photo album of all the entries and let you all see them.

In the next tutorial, I will show you some die cut combinations using the Vintage die set that I guarantee will blow your socks off. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Click here to go to Part I of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part III.

Did you like this tutorial? Please leave a comment and send me some feedback. I’d love to hear from you.

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)
(The individual dies in the Vintage set were given names to facilitate identification. See the Filigree Medallion tutorial for more information.)

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Cuttlebug Tutorial - Filigree Medallion (Part 1 of 3)

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The "Vintage" Cuttlebug® die set is very versatile and lends itself to many intricate designs. In this tutorial, you will learn how create a pretty medallion by combining various pieces in different ways. Pictured above are two ways of using the medallion –on a card front or as the main design element on a cube ornament. Use your imagination to come up with other applications.

It is important to note that not only the die cut image is useful but some of the cutout pieces (the “negative” space) are also very useful. Save the larger cutouts when you have punched out the dies. As I will show you in the next tutorial, they can lend a lot of interest to your designs.

The Vintage die set comes with two corner dies and two openwork squares. For this project we will use only two dies - the scroll corner and the stained glass openwork square. (They should be easy to distinguish from the tulip corner and the scallop square.)

Materials list:
• “Vintage” 2 x 2 Cuttlebug® die set;
• Cuttlebug® or any other die cutting/embossing machine that accepts CB dies;
• A 2½ inch square of cardstock for the background;
• A contrasting color of cardstock large enough to create the die cuts;
• Spray adhesive or tacky glue applied with an extra fine tip.

1. Punch out four of the scroll corners and one openwork square.

2. You will notice that the scroll corners have a small hole at each end of the design. Before gluing your corners to your background cardstock, place them just slightly inside the edges of the background (about 1/8”), visually aligning the hole from one scroll with the hole from the next. This alignment is important in order to fit inside the edges of the background.

3. When you are satisfied with the way it looks, glue the corners down. I like using spray adhesive for this step because it is fast, gives even coverage and doesn’t leave any telltale residue like other glues may. A fast-setting glue applied with an extra fine point or spread neatly with a pin head would also work.

4. Next, center and glue the stained glass square in place with its corners pointing to the aligned holes of the scroll corners. (Refer to the photos above.)

That’s it. You have created a beautiful filigree medallion that you can use in your crafting. I would love to see what you have created with this.

Click here to go to Part II of this tutorial series.
Click here to go to Part III.

If you are interested in knowing the details for the two items shown in the pictures above, feel free to send me an email at gypsiwoman55@yahoo.com.

(Cuttlebug is a registered trademark of Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc. All rights reserved.)


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva