Wow!

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

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

Art Journal Gypsy Group

Here is my first weeks version for Art Journal Gypsies.

Cuffs and more Cuffs

Fabric Cuffs ala Ruth Rae Part II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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???????