Arting Around

Finally, new Inchie for Monday, Rhythmn

2011-03-20T15:03:00.001-07:00

Finally, I got around to making an Inchie for Inchie Monday. I love making these little pieces of art! And this one was fun, after all a girl has to have her music!

Julie Haywood Thompson

2011-03-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a class by Julie Haywood Thompson to learn how to make her paper clay figures, however was unable to attend due to work obligations! I guess that is why it is called work! Anyway, a friend was able to attend in my place and came home and imparted all the wisdom she learned in the class. I am thrilled with my first attempt. Here is my party dog! I will call her, Dotti.

My friend Mary Jane

2011-03-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of a childhood friend and her cousin. My friend is on the right. I think this is about the cutest photo I have ever seen. And, the expressions on their faces then are the same as now. My friend still prefers to be in jeans and comfortable and would be scowling if she had to don a bonnet, ribbons and fancy shoes. Her cousin has always been very girly girly! Hope she likes it! It is a collage done on a cigar box lid. I love those cigar box lids, go figure! Probably not something to get into now.

Matchbox Exchange

2011-03-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Different I know, but I just participated in a matchbox exchange. We were to alter the box, then fill it with things that reminded us of spring. I can't follow directions and made a little shadowbox collage instead. Here is mine.

Growing Up

2011-02-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

My little, well not so little anymore, granddaughter got her hair cut and her ears pierced recently. I think they have more fun than we do. I want a pink Vespa!

Valentine Banners

2011-02-06T19:12:00.001-08:00

A group of my art friends have been making these fabric WELCOME banners for the seasons since last fall. This is my Valentine addition. These are in the style of Ruth Rae, a fabric artist I admire. They are my first attempt at some of the techniques she uses.

Inchie Monday

2011-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I am way late posting these and late creating the maudlin inchie. I just couldn't think of anything until the recent events in Egypt. Anyway, sure do love making these little things. Some of the ones that are posted are so intricate, it is amazing. The little clown is my mirthful representation. The one with the little flowers is just another mirthful idea, since spring flowers do bring smiles to my face.

Inchie Monday (on Tuesday)

2011-01-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

The theme this week was caring. I thought this little girl with her heart on her sleeve was the epitome! I wish I could figure out how to photograph these better.

Inchie Mondayj

2011-01-10T17:02:00.001-08:00

Here is my "Powerful" inchie for January 10, 2011! I always think of the Statute of Liberty as a symbol of our powerful country.

Inchie Monday

2011-01-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

Here is my first inchie ever! This sounds like a fun project for 2011!

Wow!

2010-09-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Boy, has it been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog, and in 2010 when I vowed to be more conscientious about publishing my progress in my artwork! It has been a busy year as I think February was just last month instead of 7 months ago! Time flies when you are having fun. Don't want anyone to think I have been lazing around reading movie magazines and eating bon bons. I have gotten some art done, too, even finished up a few projects that have been waiting in the wings.

Art Journal Gypsy Week Two

2010-09-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here is week two version. I have a difficult time following directions, but overall did do what was suggested!

Art Journal Gypsy Group

2010-09-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my first weeks version for Art Journal Gypsies.

Cuffs and more Cuffs

2010-02-25T08:59:00.001-08:00

Fabric Cuffs ala Ruth Rae Part II

2010-02-25T08:49:00.001-08:00

So, here I go on to adding some of my own things. I used some old crocheted edges from hankies, different images, vintage buttons and hand dyed silk ribbon and some beads. What fun.

I think my favorite part is still just picking out all the bits and pieces and the relaxing part of sitting and doing the hand stitching in the evening.

Fabric Cuffs ala Ruth Rae

2010-02-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

First I started with Valentine's Day cuffs. I ordered a kit from Ruth Rae. It had lots of goodies in it, instructions, etc. These were my first attempts. I enjoyed the hand stitching and the composing with the tiny bits of fabric, lace and buttons, that I just had to go on to more.

The Child's Garden of Verses

2010-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Karen BP, or commonly known as Batty Pants, I finally finished or nearly finished this assemblage box. The photo is my granddaughter, yes I know, as usual, but why use a photo of a stranger. This started with a fabulous cigar box (I haven't found another like it, dang!) which was about 12 X 14 with French type doors on the front. And a second smaller cigar box with the lid removed. I ended up removing the doors on the larger one, which was disappointing as I loved that box, but it just didn't work.

Valentine Project with Perler Beads

2010-02-07T10:32:00.001-08:00

I am trying desperately to make a Valentine banner with my 5 year old granddaughter. She has gotten addicted to Perler Bead projects. So, we are making Valentines from Perler beads. However, she keeps taking the hearts and hiding them in her room because she wants to "play"with them instead of hanging them up. They really look pretty with all the pink, red and white.

Winter Banners

2010-02-07T10:17:00.001-08:00

I participated in a great swap with one of my wonderful yahoo art groups where we made fabric banners in shades of white and a bit of blue to celebrate winter. I have tried to show them in my dining room window with the snow falling behind them. I was not very successful, but it does add to the wintery scene.
Here is my contribution to the swap. I used a base fabric, layered a thin layer of fleece and then added stripes of different white on white fabrics with silver lame and a pretty silver print on cotton fabric. I also used a couple of stripes where I added sequins between the fabric and an overlayer of shimmery tule. Those sequins had a mind of their own and went where they wanted, but over all it turned out okay. I added some random machine stitching with metallic thread in a turquoise and silver. I added a long dangle of beads that were meant to be icicles for the Christmas tree at the point. Oh, and some vintage silver ric rac I have had stashed around forever. This was the perfect project for it. They are all so beautiful, every person had a different idea and the variety of techniques and elements was amazing. They are a bunch of amazing artists. Anyone that can make a piece of art out of a few bits of fabric is amazing.

Journal Pages 2010

2010-02-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

Both of these journal entries focus on family and family history and memories. I strongly believe the history we have behind us, our family is, if not the strongest, one of the strongest influence on our lives. So, here is one of my favorite photos of myself, just have been about 4 years old saying thank you. The transparency of my mother is sandwiched with a baby photo of me and my favorite photo of my father behind. A family sandwich! Yea, I get to be the filling! I used several kinds of pens to write first horizontally and then perpendicularly over the top.

This last spread is just bits from my table over my favorite paint, the craft paint from Hobby Lobby you get on sale. I know it has lots more gesso type material in it and that limits its use for many other techniques, but here it makes it opaque and it also gives the page a good tooth. I added the little glassine envelope with several little pieces of paper with words of affirmation and a stamped favorite image. I like that pout. I love this journal style/technique. It is a combination of several of my favorite journalers, Teesha Moore, Pam Garrison, and many more that I can't remember right now. Each month I go over each new issue of Somerset Journaling issue to find a new technique I can incorporate into my journal. I'd like to say I am original, but what I am is a very good learner from those who have already invented the wheel!

2010 Journal Pages

2010-02-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day a bit early. This was a very fun page to do. I don't even remember how it started, but it has some dyed paper towels, bits of paper and tissue, vintage Valentines and a new vintage postcard. I added the tissue garland at the bottom. I just love that stuff, don't know why, but I do.I tried really hard to keep this page in black, grey and white. Didn't work too well, but I like it anyway. I gessoed the background and started adding some bits from my work table. I started with the number and then the stamps. I love finding that just the bits laying in a pile on my table can actually result in a somewhat cohesive piece. Of course the photo of my darling granddaughter trying on her mother's first recital tutu from 30+ years ago! And then I just had to add some red. I couldn't leave the black and white alone. You can't tell it, but the wings on my granddaughter have tiny hearts on them!!!!!!! Other than that, it is just a list of things I want to be mindful of.

In 2010 the first two months' journal pages are my own. I have been just jumping in and trying new techniques. This purple and green one started with painters tape and a black ink wash over the top. It was totally unsuccessful but did leave some interesting spots. I added the green and purple washes over the spaces left white, added my usual discarded bits of paper and other pieces of whatever on my workspace. I keep thinking if I keep using these bits soon my art desk will be clear. Unfortunately for every piece or bit I use, I add three more it seems like. A postcard with a great image that advertises something totally useless, a tag from the dry cleaning, it just happens!

MORE BIRDS

2010-02-07T09:35:00.001-08:00

Here are some recent works. The bird with the red berries is a painting on 12X12 art board with deep sides which I forgot to photo, but they are covered with vintage sheet music. The blue ones are from a series of small canvases, the largest being 6X6. I love anything with glitter and birds and can't resist many butterflies either.

My goal or sort of new year's resolution is to let nature into my life more. Of course, the purpose is to makes myself move more, and hopefully by spring I will be walking the dog down the recreation path near my home where all the ducks have their babies and there is always something new and beautiful, a fox, a beaver swimming down the canal, wild flowers. I miss that and my lack of good health has kept me from enjoying these things as much as I would like and I can tell that my life is much less full without them!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-13T15:20:00.001-08:00

Here is my now 5 year old granddaughter visiting Santa this past (now) year. She is growing up too fast. She came to my room early that morning, sort of hanging her head a bit, and told me she was a little bit afraid to go see Santa. I asked why and she said she would have to tell him she "had only been half good" the past year. I asked her if she had tried really hard to be good and of course she responded yes. I suggested she tell him that part, too. However, her mother later told her that she had heard she was on the good list and then she wasn't so concerned about going! She told him exactly what she wanted, an ice cream set with play doh and a hamburger set with play doh. She got the ice cream set. Oh, and a new fancy metallic purple bike, which is so fancy, I should post that photo! Christmas is sure more fun with little children around. Their wonder and amazement and ability to totally live their fantasies is just the best.

Recent Work

2010-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

I tried to make more Christmas gifts this year that had meaning rather than just a gift. I had the lid of a cigar box I had covered with tissue and gel medium sitting around with nothing on it for some time. So, I grabbed it and did a collage using Christmas colored papers and fabrics and a recent photo of the family's child/ren in sepia. I added some buttons or other embellishments, drilled holes in top, added wire and a ribbon or a scrap of fabric on the "handle/hanger". They were well received. They were quite fun to make. Anyhow, as a result I had to stop by my favorite cigar shop to pick up more cigar boxes yesterday. They are just the right size to do a small collage and easy to work on.

Is it 2010 already?

2010-01-13T14:59:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I added to my blog. It isn't like I haven't had anything to say, I always have something to say, but maybe I talk to myself so much, it doesn't seem like talking to (posting) others is important. But I love looking at other's blogs so much, maybe someone is interested in my recent work.

First, here are my first three spreads in my journal for Calendergirlz. They are not in order, I am blogger deficient. The first one is the yellow green spread. I NEED A VACATION! Boy you can say that again. I am used to taking lots of trips, usually at least a long weekend every three months, at a minimum. However, in September my daughter and granddaughter moved back to Colorado and are living with me for now. That is a big change, much more so than I thought when the idea was proposed to me. However, what more can I ask for than to have my girls living with me. What fun!

It has also been so cold this year, lots of snow, but it has been the cold that slows down everything, including my motivation. So, I thought starting the year with a bright spring spread might help to influence global warning and warm up this place.

The second is the metallic green one. I did add the words FLY in pink glitter letters at the top of the left side and a small sentiment on the right "creative abandon". I saw this bird painting somewhere, I don't remember where, now, but thought I would try to recreate it on my tissue paper background. I also "shaved down" the growth on the birds left side. I should retake the photo and maybe I will soon. I'll post it when I do.

The third one is the turquoise one. I used partial sentences from an old book for my journaling on this page. I love to do these pages, gesso and then keep adding the first thing that comes to my mind. I love color and paint and bits of paper and glitter (added the fuscia stickles dots) last.

My journal is a long skinny one and the theme is Nature. I feel the need for having nature in my life more this year. Each week had a great quote on the bottom, so on the pages I have done, I left the quote visible. It is much like an old ledger only new!

Should I do another 2010 goal, update my blog more often???????

Lunch at American Girl Restaurant

2009-09-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

On my last trip to Los Angeles, we all had lunch at the American Girl Restaurant at The Grove. Hannah and Bitty Baby had a great time as did the rest of the family. Dada especially likes eating at the hot pink restaurant with all the other little girls and their mothers and grandmothers. One group had four generations of girls!

Altered Photographs

2009-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

This one of the pieces I did in Stephanie Lee's workshop, Seeing through the Mind's Eye (I think that was the name) I took at The Artists' Nook in Bellvue, Colorado! Although I loved when she had done, I didn't think it was really something for me, but once I got into it, I loved it. This was originally a Volkswagen Bus with Miss Paige Kindergarten and Dancing School. The kids were all bundled up for cold weather. It was just a great technique to learn. Stephanie Lee is a fabulous instructor and makes it all seem so easy.

Chocolate Brownie Chef

2009-09-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the cutest little brownie baker in the land! I am not sure how many brownies she actually got into the oven, but a good number went into her special dessert tummy. Of course the fact I am the grandmother doesn't factor into it.

Halloween Cabinet Cards

2009-09-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Well in a month. These are some of the altered Cabinet cards I made for a swap with my Yahoo group. They were very fun to make.

School Days

2009-08-09T14:37:00.001-07:00

Here is my envelope to start a RR in the group for mailed art. We start with a large envelope, decorate it to start, send it on to the next person who adds their vision, etc., and when we get it back in the mail, what a surprise! I did my first one with a Beach theme. I loved it so much, I have already gotten my envelope ready to mail for the next one, School Days! I wonder if anyone from the group will catch me posting this early! I am never early so this is something to celebrate. I will post the finished version of the Beach theme later.

More mess from my art space

2009-08-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am working on using up leftover paint on different pages in a journal so I will have a background to start with when I get inspired to write or add something. Here is an example. It is fun to just use up whatever paint you have and wonder where it will lead you. The design on the right is a strip of fabric left over from some pillow cases I made my granddaughter. I used a pencil eraser to make the dots from left over paint.

My craft table today!

2009-08-09T14:30:00.001-07:00

I have been having so much fun just playing with my art junk, I mean supplies! Now that I have my little corner all stacked precariously around me, I have most of what I need at an arm's reach. It is dangerous. So, I am working my way through the new Somerset publication on art journaling. I remembered that all the great masters studied for years copying the great masters who came before them, hours and years on end. So, why can't that work for me? I started with Pam Garrison. I love her use of pastels and intricate designs. This is the start of a page in her style. My goal in this exercise is to learn from the masters and take the techniques that fit my "style" and go with it!

Piano Hinge Book

2009-08-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was needing a little gift for her new sister-in-law to be. I had just finished a book/journal from a kit I got by Carol Wingert at Creatologie.com. I love her kits as they are eash to do when you really want to do something but don't feel particularly inspired. I always learn some new technique and am always amazed at her originality and attention to detail! Plus the finished product is always wonderful. Anyway, I made another one similar in Tiffany blue and brown for the gift for the new bride. These are very fun to make and I was so surprised, I didn't need to go get anything except Tiffany blue flowers! I thought I had every color of paper or silk flower known to man, but no, no Tiffany blue! Thank heavens for the local Archiver's.

Market Skirt and Knitted Top

2009-08-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

I saw this adorable skirt online at dana-made-it.com

I just had to make it for my granddaughter and then found a yarn that would make a cute knitted sleeveless top with ruffles down the front to go with it. I think Hannah needs this for the first day of school. Making things for grandchildren is very fun and much quicker than knitting or sewing for one's self! I have been sort of possessed about getting this finished this weekend. I will be close, the sweater won't be quite finished. I have the back finished and the front is nearly finished, then just add the trim around the neck and armholes and voila! I can rest.

Reclaimed Journal

2009-07-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a Reclaimed Journal I did in a workshop with Kelly Kilmer last weekend. She always has such fun projects and is very stimulating and fun. Not to mention talented. We took an old book, I used a journal style engagement calendar. I used a transparency of a baobab tree I took in Africa on the one with the tree. I really enjoy doing the collage techniques Kelly teaches. I also love her addiction to decorative tape. However it is catching. The script around the tree is tape. The red hearts and circles on the mime collage is tape!

Photos from my Trip

2009-07-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Elephants on parade up from having a drink at the river. Lots of babies! This was taken at Tarangire Safari Lodge in Tarangire National Park. It is my favorite lodge to stay, we get to stay in tents and hear the lions at night wandering around the tents. Why that doesn't make afraid, I don't know.
Acacia trees have such beautiful sillouettes. This was taken at Undutu Lodge, an old hunting camp at the edge of the Serengeti. It was a favorite of Hemingway in the 50's.
They have such rich sunsets on the Serengeti. Of course it is because of how dusty it is, but they are beautiful anyway. No tricks to this photo, this is exactly how it looks, well only it is better in real life!
Necking zebras! They are such beautiful animals and they frequently stand nose to tail so they can swish the flies away from their neighbors.
Mama lion with a wildebeast in her sights.

Here are some photos from the trip. You may want to go view a site where I put lots more. They can be found at: http://tanzaniaeastafrica2009.shutterfly.com/

My Favorite Journal Entry

2009-07-26T19:15:00.001-07:00

One Saturday we went to the Maasai Market. It is held in a village in a large open field. There are tons of things for sale there. The fruits and fresh vegetables are so beautiful and perfectly displayed in neat piles, each little blanket has it's own display, very individual! Animals, grain, spices, clothing, fabric, just about whatever one might need. There were so many people, all in such bright dress. It is just a sign one will never forget. It is truly a cacophony of riotious color! I love that saying. One of my fellow travelers came up with the cacophony and I can take credit for riotious color!

Visual Travel Journal

2009-07-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

I very much enjoyed my art journaling kit and working in my journal on my trip to Tanzania. Here is a photo of me working on it. I was amazed how much I enjoyed putting the sights down with pen, paint. The mini watercolor set from Windsor Newton was perfect, as was the water pen. I used a watercolor Moleskin journal. It was just the right size.Here are some of the paintings, sketches I did while I was there. I love giraffes, so here is a cute one. They are so graceful even though they look as though they would be so awkward!
Everyone bought green bananas at the market this day. If I saw one, I saw 50 women carrying green bananas home. I am not sure I got the proportion right as those bunches of bananas were huge and the women carried them up the hill on their heads with what seemed like, no effort at all. The mountain in the background is Mt. Kilimanjaro. However, the snow on top is not an accurate depiction. The snow has melted so much. There is hardly any icecap left on the poor mountain. I believe in global warming after seeing the changes that have happened to that mountain! It will have far reaching effects to the towns and villages at the base of the mountain who depend so much on the water from the mountain. Some day it will be gone. What then?

There were hundreds of mangos on this tree! It would be great to have this in my back yard!
This is the view on the road driving in from the airport. Kilimanjaro Airport is about 45 minutes out of Arusha Town, our home base. The soil is volcanic and rich and there are cornfields, sunflower fields and bananas growing all along the road! And the road is smooth! It was not in 1998 when I went for the first time!

Mini Art Journaling Kit

2009-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished putting together my Mini Art Journaling Kit, ala Nancy Brill. Everything fits in the pencil box except the actual journal, which I intend to band to it. I have water colors, pencil, water brush, stapler, mini gel pens in neon colors, my favorite Uniball Vision Elite in all colors, two black Sharpies, two black Pitt pens, three different alphabet clear stamps, a mini stamp pad Brilliance, in black, Africa themed colored Color Box Cat's Eyes pads, Scissors, Eraser, decorative papers, glue stick. I think that is all. I also got a Polaroid Zink portable printer that prints 2"x3" borderless prints in one minute by simply plugging your camera into it. The prints are sticky backed already. It is about the size of a passport and about 3/4" thick or so. That isn't in kit either. I still have some room in my kit, believe it or not. Hopefully I will produce something with it!!!!!!!!!!

Etching metal

2009-06-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

I took a workshop in April with Stephanie Lee at Carol Park's studio in Los Angeles. What a fun instructor and lots to learn. Here is my beginning of trying the metal etching at home. The pieces aren't finished yet, but they are so pretty already, wanted to share. A friend came over to put some of her metal pieces in the etching bath so we wouldn't be too wasteful. Just as we got settled down on patio with metal in bath, wind, hail, rain! When the tornado sirens went off, we had sense enough to go in the house and check for weather warnings. A tornado touched down about 3 miles away, as the crow flies. However, neither wind, hail, rain or tornados have kept us from our art. We finished up our etching and then the sun came out!!!!! The joys of living in Colorado. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes!

Nina Bagley Class at Asilomar

2009-06-12T20:03:00.001-07:00

We started our three day journey with making a necklace to set the theme of our copper covered book. My theme was gratitude (although I didn't learn immediately not to stamp your letters twice, so it is really grattitude!)

There is a postcard from my grandmother and great aunt written in 1916 to their parents in Colorado while they were visiting relatives in New York. It is so dear to me. The ballerina is my lovely daughter Hillary at about age 7 or 8!

The young girl in white is my great aunt. Most of the hand written titles on the pages under the mica are photocopies taken from the family bible.

The photo in the locket is my mother. On the other side is a photo of my daughter with the word Tomorrow. I learned so much from Nina, not only lots of techniques on working with wire and metal and fabric, but also in the emotional experience of creating art with things that are precious to you, how to put personal meaning into your pieces.

Of course, Asilomar was such a beautiful setting and I had the pleasure of having my daughter and 4 year old granddaughter join me. What more could you ask for? Well, better food, for sure, but then Pacific Grove, Cannery Row and downtown Monterey are about 5 minutes away, so that worked out great, too!

PREVIEW OF UPCOMING TRIP TO TANZANIA

2009-06-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving for Tanzania in a few days. I thought I would post a preview of my trip from old photos I have taken there in previous trips. Unfortunately, most of them are not on my computer, back then I preferred to use SLR instead of digital. It is a magical place. It is the birthplace of mankind, in my head, the Rift valley. The Serengeti is also so spectacular, especially hearing the lions grunt around the campfire at Undutu, a place where Ernest Hemingway used to hunt. I wonder if they are talking to his ghost?

2009-06-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Masai women and children taken in a boma with no running water, no electricity, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from any sort of civilization.

2009-06-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

Circumcision boys. Masai version of bar mitzvah. At about 13, they are circumcised and then they wear all black and paint their faces with the white designs and are supposed to kill a lion to prove their manhood.

2009-06-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

There were five Cheetah's walking across the road, as casual as you please, stopping traffic.

ART JOURNAL WORK

2009-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

I participate in an art journal RR with Calendargirlz! My personal art journal is "too" personal for posting, but I am really starting to appreciate the value of the art journal experience. To me, it allows me to accomplish so much more than simply writing. The multifaceted approach seems to be a more full and satisfying experience. These are some recent examples.

KNITTED THROW

2009-06-05T19:27:00.001-07:00

This is a closeup of the knitted throw I am working on with Collinette yarns. They are so yummy!!!!!

SEWING MACHINE COLLAGE

2009-06-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired by a number of artists who are combing fabric and paper in their collage work plus combining machine stitching to add additional texture to the collage. The artists are too numerous to list them all. In this one I used Lisa Englebrecht's ink wash on fabric for the background. I then used different fabrics and papers and included an image from Paper Whimsey. I rarely use images from "strangers", usually thinking my family is so beautiful, why would I use a stranger. But this girl spoke to me, so here she is! I added some buttons to the final piece. I intended to add embroidery, but by the time I had all the layers on the canvas background, I would have had to use a hammer to get a needle through it to add embroidery. I will have to think ahead more if I am going to add embroidery to these pieces. The hanger is a piece of brass wire with brass links soldered to it and stitched to the canvas. I got this idea from DJ Pettitt.

NEST CHARMS

2009-06-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

I am quite taken by anything related to the fowls of this world! After learning many soldering techniques from Stephanie Lee while taking her "Junk Drawer Jewelry" workshop at the studio of Carol Parks in LA, I made these charms for a local charm swap.

What are blogs for?

2009-06-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I am a poor blogger. The purpose of a blog is to update whomever on CURRENT things. I am always months behind, never up to date. Now who would ever want to follow a blog where there is never any new news? So, I am going to try to be more current and quite "arting around" with it.

Jacqueline Sullivan Workshop at The Artist's Nook

2009-03-27T11:04:00.001-07:00

This was a workshop where we painted plain white art tissue with acrylic washes and added different inclusions, such as metallic powders, chalk pastel powders, coffee grounds, etc. The papers were beautiful in and of themselves and the translucency of them was amazing. We then used the different papers we had painted along with images to create a collage on canvas. Here my efforts are in the making.

Next Stage Mini Quilt Collage

2009-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here it is with all the sewing done. I will be adding embellishments now, such as buttons, embroidery, charms.

Mini Quilt Collage

2009-03-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the process of putting together a mini quilt collage. I started with a large piece of wool felt, pinked around the edges. Then I added a piece of natural canvas which had been painted with acrylic inks and some acrylic paints used with stencils. I have also added some closeups of parts of the piece so you can get an idea of how it went together.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-27T10:48:00.001-07:00

Here is Hannah, appropriately dressed for celebrating my 65th birthday at Gladstone's in Malibu. My nephews, niece, grandnieces, daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law all joined to celebrate!

12 Days of Christmas, 2008

2009-01-24T11:01:00.001-08:00

I forget to post in chronological order! This was my contribution to the 12 Days of Christmas swap on my Altered Art Reliquiary Yahoo group. I wish the bird showed better. I made a mold of the bird in rubber stamp material, then made the birds from PMC silver. I used my new kiln for the first time to fire them! Yea! It worked! After polishing I added resin with silver or turquoise Perfect Pearls to the resin. I added the potato freshwater pearl danglie and tied with hand dyed silk ribbon. I hope the Diva's enjoy hanging them on their trees each year as much as I enjoyed making them. The beautiful things I got in this exchange will be treasured.

Don't you just love Rust!

2009-01-24T10:58:00.001-08:00

Don't you just love rust? And I had been listening to Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust" on the way down to Albuquerque. Juliana had this incredible old, let me say ancient, pickups in her backyard. Couldn't resist memoralizing this rust!

Nest Necklace

2009-01-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

I wore my Nest necklace all weekend at the Xtreme Journaling workshop for good energy. I love this thing. I have been inspired by the instructors at Art and Soul in Portland in 2008. I think I saw something similar around Nina Bagley's neck. Anyway, I have seen these wire nests on several artist's blogs, etc. I had to have one. While I was at the annual Craft at the Beach Week in October, 2008 I made this copper wire next and added a gorgeous glass egg from "Ellen's Eggs" on Etsy. She makes beautiful lampwork beads, but I am especially taken by the eggs as I have a current addiction to anything bird related. Eggs are the best! I used whatever beads I had left from my week of crafting. I'd like to make more, when I get the time! Thanks Nina and thanks Ellen (who just happens to be Nina's sister)

Xtreme Journaling

2009-01-24T10:45:00.001-08:00

A shot of our worktable! Juliana has a tiny little house behind her home which has been made into a perfect studio. Lots of New Mexico sunshine, warm, inviting. She had the worktable covered with, what she terms, her crappy stuff. Our job, and we chose to take it on, was to create from what was around us without resorting to our old techniques, the things we love to use, that with which we were comfortable. Sounds simple? Wait, I resist change, I like being comfortable, I always balk at stepping outside my box! We did it! It was an exhausting, inspiring, and yet fun two days! I'll post my pages in the next post.

January 2009

2009-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

Here I am, road trip to Albuquerque NM. It's hard to take your own photo while driving 75 miles an hour down the highway. I sort of managed. The weather was spectacular, the scenery fabulous. I love to see those wide open spaces. It gives me an opportunity to feel like my mind still has room for more! And I had my new Ipod! What a travel companion? I listened to "The Audacity of Hope" by our new president, Barack Obama. Very inspiring and it really makes one think about their own life and how they impact the world in their own individual way. One of my favorite thoughts, and it is certainly not original, but the beach is made up of single grains of sand. Each grain contributes to the whole and without them there would be no beach. I am going to try to rethink my contribution to this little world of ours. Anyway, I am on my way to do a two day workshop with Liliana Coles, "Xtreme Journaling"! I have been looking forward to this weekend!

The Book of Qualities

2008-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

UNCERTAINTY

I have lived with Uncertainty for a long time. I had thought ours would have been a much briefer affair. I had no idea how intimate we'd become until you showed up.

And now you are asking me to leave him, and there are a few things I need to know. Who are you? What are your motives? Can I trust you? Is it really me you want to spend more time with or Uncertainty you yearn to visit?

J. Ruth Gendler

Freedom from worry, a goal to strive for!

2008-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Oh for the freedom of childhood! As I watch my nearly 4 year old granddaughter, I see that maintaining their element of surprise and astonishment at each new day and each new experience can add dimension to one's life that seems to be missing from many of our adult lives. When you smoosh around paint and scribble with pencils, bang on metal, spread solder we are fortunate to regain a piece of that freshness and openness that gives us such pleasure. How fortunate is the artist! We recreate nature, our emotions, our lives by the manipulation of inanimate tools. We change nature, add to it, take away. What a way to expend frustration, anger, sadness! We, too, can have a run on the beach with abject glee without even leaving our studios. Is that why we create art, for the freedom it gives us?

Grandmothers are blessed!

2008-12-09T12:34:00.001-08:00

Aloha!

2008-12-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the Aloha State! We are spending our family Holiday Vacation, complete with my son-in-law, Clark. I do resist calling him Sparky mostly! It is hard not to relax while you are on the beach. This the view from the deck! However, silly me, I thought I just needed some forced down time. As a result, I didn't bring anything to work on artwise! How frustrating. I don't think my granddaughter wants me cutting up her coloring books and stealing puzzle pieces. And I have no independent transportation, so no sneaking trip to a craft/art store. However, I don't really know where one is, as we are on the North Shore of Oahu, lots of surfers, otherwise. . . And it is such a beautiful setting to free my muse! If only I had brought some watercolor oil pastels, a black marker, and some water pens and a glue stick. I could have gone to town. Let this be a lesson, art is part of living and and food for the soul, not something one needs to relax from!!! I am getting some reading in, tho.

A new little book I have recently become acquainted with is "The Book of Qualities" by J. Ruth Gender. It is really wonderful and so insightful. In addition, her illustrations are fabulous! Here is a passage that speaks to me.

"Patience

Patience wears my grandmother's filigree earrings. She bakes marvelous dark bread. She has beautiful hands. She carries great sacks of peace and purses filled with small treasures. You don't notice Patience right away in a crowd, but suddenly you see her all at once, and then she is so beautiful you wonder why you never saw her before."

Tinker Bell in search of CHOCOLATE!!!

2008-11-30T18:21:00.001-08:00

Tinker Bell goes inside, outside, everywhere in search for CHOCOLATE!!! It's magic, you walk up to stranger's doors and they just hand you candy! This is really a miracle! Can we do this every day?

But Mama, I don't want the big one!

2008-11-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

This one is just right! Just my size! The big ones are okay for sitting but not for me to take home.

My Beautiful Girls at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

Aren't they just the most beautiful girls? I am so blessed and proud! And my son-in-law makes a great photographer!

October 2008 Calendar Journal Pages

2008-11-30T17:09:00.001-08:00

More calendar pages from the Calendar Girlz 2008 RR. These are the ones for October in Vale's journal style calendar. I realize, now that I have looked at them, I forgot to photograph a couple pages, Dang! One of them I liked a lot.

This is one of my favorites, however I realized, after putting great big black letters "my journal", that it was Vale's calendar and not my journal!!! I did love the colors, tho!

This is one of my favorites, too, it really makes me feel like winter. I robbed the title from a country western singer's song title, but I don't remember who's song it is. I spent lots of time building up layers of white handmade papers, but white on white isn't too effective when you glue them on top of each other. So, I added some old lace, couldn't lose the texture in that.

I do love birds, so glad Vale had a bird theme calendar to work in. I used some of the Tim Holtz masks and I think one is from someone else, I think the artist that started making the masks to begin with. I used the distress inks to rub over the masks. I would like to practice with them some more. I really like them to add background interest. My calligraphy is still not up to what I'd like it to be, but then I don't practice, practice like Lisa Engelbrecht taught us in class. I sit in court sometimes, when I am tired of listening to everyone else ramble on and on and practice my calligraphy. My assistant has yet to ask me why my notes from court are so full of doodling and random words. She's too polite!

2008-11-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here are the rest of the journal pages for September. I see I forgot to journal on a few! Journaling is not my forte, but I am working on it.

September 2008 Calender Girlz journal pages

2008-11-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the journal pages I did in the calendar I did for September 2008. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down who's journal it was. The Halloween pages has a pocket for the little witch card to fit into.

Granddaughter's Sweater

2008-09-22T18:01:00.001-07:00

This is a sweater I knitted for my granddaughter. She calls them "jackets". Just to show I can do something besides cut and paste! I also finished a pink and purple cardigan, but it needs something more so I will post it when finished!

MORE LITTLE BIRD COLLAGE QUILTS

2008-09-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

I love making these little bird quiltlets/fabric collages, ala DJ Pettitt, Lisa Engelbrecht. I use the background fabrics made with techniques taught by Lisa using ink washes on muslin. Then I added bits of fabric, lace or ribbon and the bird image with buttons to complete the pieces.
Now all I have to do is to figure out how to hang them and if I should mount them on some heavier material. I forget to say I backed the images with wool felt pieces for stability.
The next ones I make I will extend the washes closer to the edges, check out what words are on the music before I sew it into the collage/quiltlet! And maybe work more lace or fabric into the piece.

Then I hope to utilize the soldered holders like DJ did as hangars for them.

Mini Bird Quilt

2008-09-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is a page I did in one of the Calendergirlz group calendars. It is a mini quilt using techniques learned from Lisa Engelbrecht and DJ Pettitt. Plus I love birds and seem to put them on every single thing I do these days. The background is scrapbook paper, then some color washed canvas with a page from a bird calendar showing the anatomy of a bird layered again with fabric and a bird stamped on another piece of color washed muslin. There is a matching tag tied into the binding with the blue fiber that is showing.

Want to see Adorable Children?

2008-08-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Charlie, two of the cutest grandchildren in the land, having a great time playing together at grandma's.

Lynne Perrella 2008

2008-08-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

So, here I am, two years later, again taking Lynne Perrella's class. She is such an inspirational instructor. Talk about making you think outside your comfort level! It is really challenging and fun, too. These two photos are parts of the large collage I did. Lynne cuts it and folds it into a book for you, these are two of the pages that result. I am still working on it so will post the more finished pieces when they are ready. Already they are looking different.

2008-08-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here is my tribute to the Fourth of July. It is a spread in my calendar RR. I forgot to take a photo of the card open! It has images inside. The background is a portion of a collage done in Lynne Perrella's class I took at The Artists' Nook in 2006! I can't believe it was that long ago. The bottom has a postcard on it where I used another part of that same collage as the background, Celebrate Freedom Day!

Did I tell you I love calligraphy now?

2008-07-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am still practicing my calligraphy. I hope Lisa Engelbrecht is proud of the inspiration she was to me in her class at the Artists Nook in Fort Collins! I never thought I could do calligraphy, and I still can't, but I am getting closer. I am going to try to make a fabric book similar to the one she did using every letter of the alphabet and having a quotation utilizing each letter, one on each page. This is page one! F is for feathers. Maybe I was forced to watch Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" over and over again. Who knows? I am not totally satisfied with my first page, but it is okay. Hopefully by the time I get to the last page, my technique will better. It takes lots and lots of practice I am learning. And it takes quite a bit of warming up before you start, each and every time. Well I don't think Lisa does, but I have to. Thanks, Lisa!

Doing Art with Grandchildren, the BEST!

2008-07-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting my granddaughter in California in May, we did "art". We took big pieces of paper and fingerpainted them. Then I cut them in the center to make a four page book, with the painted surfaces all showing ( ala Lynne Perrella). Then we decorated the pages with pictures from
magazines, pens, markers, and for my granddaughter, the stickers were the very best. She can sticker faster than anyone I ever saw. On a serious note, it was amazing how beautiful they turned out and how personal the "journaling" with the pictures and phrases from magazines ended up being. It seems what you "find" in life is what you need in life, as long as you are open to the interpretation. Do Art with children, it expands your heart.

2008-07-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is another try at DJ's technique. I used stronger colors this time and liked it just as well. Although it is labeled a journal cover, I have yet to make it into a journal. I'll post that when I have a chance to complete it. It will be a fabric cover of some kind and have picked some lovely tulip calico for a base. I think I will get started on that soon! Summer seems to be a good time for me to work as I use my dining room as my studio and it looks out into my backyard with lots of good sun (southern exposure) to inspire me to work on my art. However, sometimes I just find myself watching the birds. I usually have a fox or two back there, but for some reason, haven't seen them for several weeks now. The skunks, I can do without, so am glad I haven't seen them. I'm okay with wild life in my back yard (in the middle of Denver) but don't care for the smelly ones!

Oops! I don't know how to work this thing

2008-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll try to do this again. Somehow I lost the text for the DJ Pettit Journal Cover post. The photos show the front and back, but not the inside, which is just as fun. The journal was an engineering masterpiece. Quite challenging, with all the "frosting" of the surfaces with different grounds to have a great surface to work on. DJ has obviously experimented quite a bit with different surfaces for her beautiful paintings. I loved learning or trying to learn her style and the ease with which she creates her peaceful but complex paintings. A combination of techniques I will find useful in many other areas. I highly recommend anyone take one of DJ's and/or Traci's workshops whenever you might have the opportunity. They both seem to have the knack for making what looks complicated seem easy.

The journal cover, DJ's part of the workshop

2008-07-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

DJ Pettitt and Traci Bautista Workshop

2008-07-05T12:19:00.001-07:00

The first day we painted papers and fabric, covered the book covers with our painted papers and fabrics, added various papers along with our decorated papers into a book. I bound the book with waxed linen, then added the torn fabric strips, buttons, pompoms, etc to the binding to make a very fun binding! Traci is a fabulous instructor and really inspires you to try virtually anything to make art on paper on fabric, few, if any, traditional techniques. It is so amazing to see how they all turn out after everyone is finished. I used folded file folders as the "covers" for the signatures. I still need to sew up the sides to make them into pockets to add more ephemera to my book/journal.

Butterfly Pavillion

2008-07-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the Butterfly Pavillion during Hannah's visit. The butterflies were beautiful and fortunately a bit sluggish as I was able to catch some nice photos of some of them. Of course the brightest and most striking were camera shy. It was a very hot day and the pavillion is very humid, so all of us were sluggish! Hannah was brave enough to hold Rosie the tarantula. Her mother and I declined the invitation. Art in Nature, one might say.

2008-07-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

CUPCAKE PARTY!!!

I gave my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter, Hannah, a Cupcake Party in honor of her recent visit to Denver! As you can see, she loved decorating the cupcakes. I can also tell you, she loved eating them just as well, even maybe more than the fairy wings a dear friend brought for her. We all enjoyed the party, even the little boys!

Joining the Convent

2008-06-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Every time I watch "The Nun's Story" or "The Sound of Music", I want to go join a convent, but only one that still wears the stiffly starched habits. That way I can wear red underwear under them. Go figure, I was raised a Methodist! However, this started as two full page advertisements from a magazine, woven together. I covered the whole page with Golden Matt Medium so the washes wouldn't stain the paper, but would be very transparent. I used lots more washes than I thought it would take to get some color down. The nun is a transparency I printed from some where. I love religious iconography.

2008-06-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

A sample of a page done in a calendar RR using the calligraphy on fabric I learned from Lisa Engelbrecht's class at The Artists' Nook in Fort Collins! First we painted on the canvas scrap, then used ink to put "Mother" on the painted canvas. An excellent class, I think the name of it was Writing on Fabric! She is a great teacher and makes calligraphy seem easy and doesn't even make your neck stiff!

Dinner at American Girl Restaurant

2008-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Can't help but add photos of my darling granddaughter, Hannah! She's three and a half, going on 25! We had dinner at the American Girl Restaurant with our dollies Hannah let me take Kit for my dolly. She is giving Bitty Baby a sip of tea! We had a wonderful time

Witchy Women

2007-09-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my "Weird Wonderful Window" I made in Michael DeMeng's workshop at The Artists' Nook in Fort Collins! It was such fun and such a different technique, painting on glass! As usual, I learned so much from this workshop and the next one, "Stories from the Discarded", I have no excuse but to produce more and more art! Michael is a fantastic instructor and I never leave one of his classes without feeling like my head is about to burst with all the information. I loved my "window". TeJae Floyd took this photo and sent to me, what a dear! I have known TeJae's name from a Yahoo Group, "Altered Art Obsession", and have several of her works from different swaps in that group. I have also visited her blog on numerous occasions, but had never met her before. What fun to put a face with a name! Of course, I never remember to bring a camera or get around to photographing many of my things. I vow to try to do better in the future!!! However, I do have to say, don't you love my "Witchy Women"?

Altered Multi Media Portraits

2007-08-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt at "altered portraits" from Karen Michel's class last Saturday at The Artists Nook in Fort Collins. It started with a magazine advertisement collaged over other decorative papers, mostly text. I then painted the "portrait" using the original lights and darks in the photo. It started out as a bad dream after eating too much Thai food, but by continuing to follow Karen's instructions, it turned out to be something I like. It was harder than it looked, but a very interesting way to use all those faces I am drawn to in advertisements, but not really for the picture itself but for the architecture of the faces. This technique uses the basic structure of the face to build on in which ever way you wish, realistic, dramatic, artistic, painterly, wild, surrealistic, well we could go on. . . Wonder if you could do it in pointilism? That would be a challenge! This is scanned in and the painting is too big for my scanner. I'll post the full size painting when I get a bit of time to take some photos.

Calendargirlz journal entry

2007-07-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here are two of my journal entries in the calendar RR with the Calendargirlz. I am addicted to birds and bird pictures lately. It all started several years ago when I started feeding the birds. It is so interesting to watch them every day. Hear them scold you when you haven't gotten around to feeding them when they think they should be fed. I wonder if it is the freedom birds represent, the beauty and gracefulness. Who knows? I just love birds, even the Starling, which in Africa is an absolutely spectacular bird. But then they call them "Superb Starlings" there. No wonder, they are superb! Now I will have to search for an image of the superb starling!

Collage Exercises

2007-07-31T17:19:00.001-07:00

Well, I haven't figured out how to post in reverse order, obviously. Anyway, the following entries are all collage exercises from Kelly Kilmer's workshops. The cover is last.

2007-07-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

2007-07-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love this image in this "repeating circles" collage exercise

2007-07-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

More pages from Taped Journal

2007-07-31T16:50:00.001-07:00

One of the collage exercises