My Art Journal

Favorites

2012-02-07T07:16:00.000-05:00

This year, the only real resolution that I made to myself was---starting in January I am going to start making art for my shows. When you don't have an art show until the middle of summer, it's hard to get motivated. But after last year (I was so overwhelmed), I decided that I had to do this. And when you make art to sell--of course you have to think more of what is popular and sometimes not what you really feel like making. But in this case, the items that are the favorites....happen to be mine too.

......my latest mirror, and my favorite so far, mainly because I have time to add little details and use my my own painted papers.....

And using images from my layered piece---my newest boxes.....

.....these make me happy : )

.....so I guess in the end, if I never enjoyed the process of making these, I never would have started in the beginning, and they never would have been favorites of shoppers---it would have been something else that I enjoyed creating---that's why I just Love what I do!!!

More Layers

2012-02-02T06:18:00.000-05:00

So this week I'm the guest host over at The Butterfly Effect and it's all about creating layers in your artwork. And I explained in my post that when I was making my original piece, I was using a smaller canvas (8 x 8) for my paint palette because I'm tired of wasting paint and wanted to do something with the the paint that I always have left over. So every time I was finished painting, I would take the unused paint on my "palette" and just play around with it.

........so.....here was the first layer of another painting....and I kept going with it...

.....and I kept adding so many layers that I hated that I lost count, but then I started liking it...

(wow--it doesn't even look like the original canvas)....there were so many layers, that I was able to see the house on the left side that I pulled out and if you look at the top right-hand corner, you can see an image of a butterfly--which kind of led me to a butterfly theme.

details ..

there's only one way to get all of this depth and texture, and that's with layers. And this one took a while---I would leave it for a day and add some more stuff to it, and I kept doing that until I was happy....but it took me a while to get happy (I almost threw it out).....but I'm glad I didn't : )

Start to Finish.....

2012-01-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is my latest piece--

...and you can see how it all started HERE at The Butterfly Effect where I'm happy to be this week's guest host! It's all about making layers, and you can join in too---make your own layers and show them to us.

I had lots of fun making this and I want to thank Amy and NatashaMay for having me as this week's host!

A New She Art Girl--Revised

2012-01-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

I haven't made these fun girls in a while, and this time I've had help from Christy's She Art Class and also Julie Nutting's book Collage Couture. If you like Christy's she art girls, then you'll like Julie's girls too.

Julie's style is a bit more detailed, and I really like the attitude that her ladies have too!

You get such great texture with the tissue paper (sewing pattern), and napkins. And the background always seems to help you tell the story of the girl that you're making too.

So back to Julie's book Collage Couture--

...it's one of my favorite art books that I have. It's jam-packed with different projects involving these fashion girls along with many step-by-step photos of her background techniques. She's even included a grid on how to draw these girls (at different angles too).....and one for children also! Plus...she shows how to draw and color hair, and facial features---it's a great book!

So............I think I'm going to make another one--my rose girl needs a friend!

Another One For My Journal and For My Etsy

2012-01-17T05:45:00.000-05:00

So last week I was reading my latest issue of Somerset Studio, and I saw this ad (Paper Whimsy) with an image of a lady that I Really liked. And I wanted to draw her! So, I got out the fearless journal (because there's no such thing as messing up in a journal!) and I did!

I remembered what I've read and been told by different online artists. Don't think of what you're actually drawing--just look at the individual shapes, sizes, and angles, and it seemed to help. I struggle with the 3/4 view, and I was pretty happy with how this lady turned out (my "model" is on page 19 of the Somerset magazine if you have it)

And sticking with my plan of using different art supplies--I finished her with Conte Crayons, and Derwent inktense pencils. The conte crayons are really very hard chalk--easy to work with--but a bit messy--you have to spray a fixative over it when you're finished because it smears onto the rest of your work and pages.

I've been really liking my journal girls--so much so, that I decided to turn THIS ONE into an art piece!

I'm really happy with her and she's now in my Etsy shop HERE.

I'm really beginning to like this--this journal thing--I think I have a bit of a theme going on with my journal girls!

Probably My Favorite, and Have You Heard of Core Impressions?

2012-01-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

Another piece of coffee art, and the reason this is probably my favorite is because of the way it came together. I found a scrapbook page that I had that was filled with phrases all over it, and it was the same color scheme that I've been working with, and it gave me an idea--

I love it!!

And......have you seen these before by Core'dinations?

They're called Core Impressions. This particular scrapbook pad has Jenni Bowlin designs, but they also have Basic Grey, Graphic 45, and My Mind's Eye to name a few. They're textured cardstock pages--the textured side is one color and the back of it is another color, and when you sand it, this is what happens--

--they're very fun, and this one was perfect for the sides of my coffee house--

And in my last post I mentioned how I liked using the dictionary pages for the background and how you find things in the pages after the fact. I was working on my one piece on New Year's Eve, and I promise you that I didn't do this on purpose. But when I was adding the final details I noticed this--

When I saw that page number, I made sure not to cover it up. How freaky is that?! Seriously--what are the chances of me ripping out page 2012 when there are almost 3000 pages in this book!

A Journal Page!....and New Etsy Pieces in My Shop!

2012-01-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, a real journal page. Last year, I got myself a smaller version of the Strathmore Visual Journal--it's a 5 x 8 size--so a little more manageable size. I have the mixed media one--I love the paper in this--you can do anything you want to it. And I decided to use all of these art supplies that I have, but have been afraid to touch, because I don't know how to use them. I've said this before....I always love when I'm making art for myself....I always like it (most of the time).

watercolors, Prismacolor NuPastels (these are awesome to work with!), and Prisma colored pencils....the best part--mixing all of these mediums together. And....this is actually the second journal girl that I've done in this book--you can see the first one HERE .

Plus, I have 2 new art pieces for my Etsy shop. I'm still going with the black, red, and cream theme with the help of my painted papers, and some ephemera that I found when I was cleaning.

I used my sketch of this profile that I did last year again. I love her face, so I copied it on a dictionary text page. Don't you love today's world--what you can do with computers, digital cameras, and printers!! I would not have had a clue how to use my art like this 15 years ago. And on the subject of dictionary pages---my Favorite collage background--they're very thin, and the older ones have images throughout the book. I've been using this extra large one that I think I paid a dollar for--pages and pages of it, and it doesn't even look like I've used it at all. My favorite part are the random words that you find AFTER the artwork is finished. You'll see the name Amelia is on her cheek..so I guess that must be her name--right??

Okay..I'm rambling again....I'll just show you the rest of these art pieces...

....on these very deep 6 x 6 canvases from Dick Blick

......mixing my painted papers with stamps and ephemera......

.....and I've added some 3D embellishments...

So here are my 2 finished pieces that are in my shop. I've had a very nice welcome back from customers, and I just wanted to add a couple of more items.

So my "clean" art room is back to being a mess again, but in a good way. I'm making art to sell, but I'm also attending my online art classes, which means that I have different projects all going on at the same time. My once large art room is now becoming very small...but that's okay.....that's what an art room should be like!

It's That Yucky Time of Year Again....and I Like It

2012-01-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

If you live in this part of the country--you know what I'm talking about. It's bitter cold out right now with snow on the ground, and the next 2 to 3 months will pretty much be the same. It's yucky out, you feel yucky (due to lack of sunshine and fresh air) and you look yucky (due to lack of sunshine and fresh air). And I don't have an outside job, so basically I become a recluse, which would always get me down, but not anymore, because I now have TIME to play and have fun!

I've been cleaning out my art room, and actually getting rid of a lot of stuff that I know that I'll never use and to make room for everything else that I will use. I have 3 major obsessions when it comes to art. First I cannot help but get every art publication out there, I cannot stay away from online classes ( I signed up for 2 at the end of the year, and just signed for 3 more--what is my problem??), and my biggest obsession is art supplies. I have found things that I didn't even know that I had.....but now I have TIME for them--just a fraction of what I have--

I've actually been using the watercolors for my class Watercolor Bliss with Alisa Burke- definitely a bit of a learning curve. And I've been playing with the chalk pastels--no idea what I'm doing, but fun. Look at the Shiva paintstiks- -haven't even opened these up yet--but I will. And how about that ribbon tape (LOVE ribbon tape)--didn't even know I had it, but it goes perfectly with the painted papers from my last post---which I used in my latest piece--

.....and I got out my stash of scrabble tiles and grunged them up--because I had the TIME to do this--added some molding paste for the foam (Latte's--one of my favorite drinks!). The one thing that I've learned from Every online class that I've taken is to enjoy the process of art making (which I know is no surprise). The more I do this, the more I can accept the "ugly" stage--not freak out, and keep going until it's not "ugly" anymore.

Yes, I enjoy a good cup of freshly ground coffee first thing in the morning!

I completely enjoyed making these 2 pieces, because I took the time to play around with them--just for the mere fact that I now have the luxury of TIME!

See......I even had time for this rambling post!

Art Journaling--My Way

2011-12-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

Every year at the beginning, I always make a commitment to start journaling--I should just re-post my blog post from last year and the year before. I always have good intentions and then by February--it falls by the wayside. But when I think of it, when I paint my papers to put in my artwork, it's very much like journaling.

I stuck with black, white, and red--colors that I normally don't use a lot in this combination, but just like art journaling--it's trying different things to see how you like them, and I really like these 3 together. It's also fun, just like journaling, to fool around with different mediums--

This is molding paste that I added black paint to--so now I have a textured paper to use. It's a great effect to add the watery acrylic wash over the paste.

Just like journaling--it's fun and always good to play!

AND....since January will be here in a couple of days, I know what that means--time to get out my journal that I started last year, and said that I was going to complete in 2011...........right. Well, anyway, it's the Strathmore Visual Journal, which is great for any medium, and I'm going to continue on with it in my FREE Strathmore Online Class with Traci Bautista. Last year it was with Pam Carriker, and I picked up some great techniques with her class. And also Life Book. I'm sure most everyone knows about this class--well worth it with 14 artists and Tam for the entire year, and IF I can keep up with it--it will be a complete journal by the end of the year. I'm ready for both of the journaling classes and joining in with everyone.

I do want to say that I have a sketchbook that doesn't leave my side, and it's actually just about filled. I make it a regular practice to sketch faces--very relaxing for me.......so I guess you could say that I DO journal!

Hope to see everyone in 2012 at class!

A Couple of My Favorite Christmas Gifts!

2011-12-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas is fun, but it sure is exhausting! But I really enjoyed it with all of my family here--it's really hard for all of my kids to get together at once anymore. But when we do, it's like turning back time--they're like little kids again with all of the "fringe" benefits included--if you know what I mean ; ) BUT--it's fun and it's funny too.....

And I really liked my presents--I like any kind of present! But I wanted to show you a couple of my favorite(but not exclusive : ) ones.

So let me explain this one. This is from my daughter, son-in-law, and their dog/son Bob. Earlier this year, they found a very serious form of cancer in Bob's leg, and after trying different treatments on him, they had to amputate his leg, which made all the difference in the world. As of right now, he's cancer-free, and back to being crazy Bob again. If you've never met him, you can meet him HERE.

My daughter and son-in-law are not taking this for granted however. They are spending as much time with him as they can. So this summer they've been taking him to a lot of the beaches that we have around here (we live on Lake Erie). He LOVES the beach. And while they were there, they started to collect beach glass, and by the end of the summer, they had a LOT. And this is what they did with some of the pieces that they found--a beach glass family portrait of me, Lenny (our turtle) and my husband!

How wonderful is this?! I love the fact that Lenny is entirely made of beach glass pieces that they had in their collection---like finding pieces to a puzzle. The story behind this gift is just as good as the gift--don't you think?

And then the same daughter kept asking me what I wanted for Christmas, and I honestly couldn't think of anything. And then I thought--I know! I made an Etsy Christmas list! I no doubt love hand-crafted items, and I also love supporting other artists, so I sent her a ton of Etsy links so I wouldn't know what she picked out. And this is what she chose--

This beautiful necklace (I.....LOVE....IT!) is from the very talented Sharon--livewirejewelery Etsy shop. The way she turns these vintage pieces into a wearable piece of art along with her skilled jewelry-making (love what she does with brass) is magic. And I want to mention that this isn't my first piece of jewelry from Sharon--I'm definitely a Livewire Jewelry junkie!!!

I haven't been able to spend much time in my art room, but I HAVE been a little busy in there--next blog, I'll tell you...

Hope everyone has a very Happy 2012!

Almost ready...

2011-12-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

.....for Christmas!!

.....the tree's up--love that pine smell......

......the presents are wrapped....well almost...I tend to go a bit overboard when it comes to presents.....

....baking cookies...double batch of this kind...a family favorite!

And....I've still been taking time for myself....

.......some sketching....

So...whatever you may be celebrating......I wish you all Happy Holidays!!!

One More Plug.....

2011-12-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

....for my Etsy shop. I've listed a few more items, and these will be the last until after the holidays....

And if you live in the U.S., I'll ship priority for Christmas--don't forget about my 15% off sale--code word: WINTERTIME.

Now, I really think it's about time that I start getting ready for Christmas around here.....

My Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Random.org chose the winner and the winner is #26!

Sherry Smyth--congratulations Sherry! I will be in touch with you. I wish I could give something to everyone---you're all great, and I can 't say enough how much I appreciate your support!

I also want to mention that last week Dina Wakley was one of the guest curators over at Crescendoh.com, and on Friday I was one of the blogs that she featured. Thank you Dina!!--one of the best things is to be recognized by fellow artists like this.

ETSY Sale!!

2011-12-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Now that my shows are finished for the year, I've been able to put some items in my much-neglected Etsy shop, and just in time for Christmas! I'm having a sale from now until the end of the year. Everything is 15% off--just remember to enter the code: WINTERTIME

Everything that you see here is now in my shop--

And if you live in the U.S., I'll make sure to ship priority before Christmas. I sold all of my boxes, but I'm going to try to squeeze a couple in by next week. They're great Christmas gifts.

And also.....don't forget about my giveaway. It's right below this post. I'll draw the winner on December 13.

Time For a Giveaway--plus my weekend

2011-12-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

I had such a good time at my show during the weekend. It was at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.

This is the main level of this beautiful museum, and I was on the second level--

I was so happy to be a part of this art show in this venue. Okay, normally, my indoor shows are in one of these big cold expomarts that at one time used to be a grocery store or something comparable to that. My sales weren't blockbuster, but they were good with very appreciative customers. There's no doubt that I will be going back.

And there were some amazing artists there too. I didn't take any photos, because artists aren't too keen on people taking photos of their work unless they give permission, and I didn't want to make a pest of myself while they were trying to conduct business. However, I did meet one artist, Gail Trunick, whose work blew me away, and she was the sweetest lady, and I know that she would have let me take some shots of her booth (wasn't even thinking at the time) Luckily, she has a website where you can see her art--HERE. If you're familiar with the show American Pickers--well, I guess you could say that's what she is. But it's what she does with the things that she "picks"--wonderful!! Go take a look.....after you see what I'm giving away.

First of all, my 2 year blog anniversary has come and gone--so I wanted to have a giveaway for it, and there's another reason also. You guys!!--Thank You all so much for your support and encouragement. You always put a smile on my face especially on those days when I need it. So here's what I'm giving away--

This is a print of my artwork that I put on an 8 x 8 gallery wrapped canvas, and added those fun knobs from Hobby Lobby.

And like always, you can enter your name 5 times. First, just leave a comment and that's it. But if you're a follower--remember to tell me, and that will be a 2nd time. Mention it on your blog for another chance, and yet ANOTHER chance if you mention it on your Facebook page. And the 5th time is to be a fan of my Facebook page. Make sure you tell me if you do any of this, so I can enter your name for each thing. That sure is a lot of chances! : )

I'll be drawing someone's name (via random.org) next Tuesday, Dec. 13 (wow! so close to Christmas!) Good luck everyone and thank you all so much again!!

More Fun With Metal Before I Leave....

2011-12-02T06:18:00.000-05:00

I've still been playing with metal, and I wanted to answer a couple of your questions from my last post. I like to use a 36 gauge metal, which is pretty much the weight of all the different types of embossing metal out there. Amaco sells it in different shades and different kinds of metal that you can find HERE. It's not real costly, especially if you just want to experiment. I found a large roll at Nasco--I'm not sure if they still have it, but I hope they do, because I'm running low. And I also want to mention that you can cut it with regular household scissors. And one more question was how do I adhere it. I use extra heavy gel medium and it will stick to anything--you just need to burnish down the sides of the metal to the surface that you're adhering it to.

Okay--so I've been running around here like crazy this week trying to get some more art in before I leave (later on today)

I really love how vibrant the colors are on the metal.

I had been finding these religious medals this summer at sales, knowing that one day I would find the perfect piece for them!

I've also been using some of my faces for collage again--

When I use my faces, they seem to tell me how to finish the piece. These came together very quickly.

So, I'm leaving for my show--I have to say that I need a little break--all I'll have to worry about when I get back is Christmas--I LOVE Christmas!!

A Little Variation on Metal Embossing--So Easy!

2011-11-26T06:04:00.000-05:00

First off, I was inspired again by Jane DesRosier (Grittyjane). Her portrait paintings are exceptional, but I also love her series of folk art trees that she's been offering in her shop lately, and I was inspired by her to create my own version with my own little spin on it--

I did it on metal! This is a good size piece--it's on one of the wood panels that I purchased at Lowes. The size ended up being 12 x 22.

I just love the texture that the embossed metal gives. And I cannot tell you how easy this is to do and how fun. And I'll mention again that I have 2 tutorials on this technique HERE and HERE. On this piece I tried something just a little bit different and more revised than I've done before.

I made another piece the same as this one, and I took step-by-step photos to show anyone who's interested. I'm really happy with the way this next one turned out also. The first thing I did was cut my piece of metal (for a 6 x 12 gallery canvas), and then applied different colors of alcohol inks, and when it was dry I stamped all over it with a text stamp using a Staz on ink pad--

Then I flipped it over to sketch my design with a regular pencil lightly--

I sketched with the pencil first, because it will erase if you make a mistake. You can see at the nose and mouth that I erased--this doesn't come through on the front. So when I was happy with my sketch I outlined everything with a pitt pen (or marker). This was something I've never done before, and I don't know why. It makes the embossing part so much easier. Another little tip---sometimes the metal is wrinkled before you even start. You can just take an old credit card or brayer and smooth it right back down.

So after I put my initial sketch in--I embossed it--

and here's the right side--

(I embossed the word imagine on the front--I really can't spell backwards : )

So another new little thing that I did was add no more embossing Usually, I emboss the entire piece of metal, but I just wanted the main image to pop out. Then I got out my regular acrylic paints (I really recommend the artist grade acrylics for this step) and started painting--

....lots and lots of layers on her face. I wanted to completely block out the background color. But then for her dress, I just painted in the daisies (I wanted to tie this in with my tree piece) At first, if you try this, it seems like that the paint will never cover the metal, but it does, and I love the texture the acrylics bring with all of the layers.

It's a little tricky trying to get a good photo with this metal, because it's so reflective. I always add a gloss varnish to it after I spray a workable fixative on it. The color REALLY pops. I'm very happy with these pieces!

And now I'm off to do some Christmas shopping--I like to go Christmas shopping with all the crowds--I really mean that too!

Even though....

2011-11-20T07:25:00.000-05:00

I've changed my color palette for the time being, I definitely have been sticking with my style....

I really enjoy making this grid type of art , and...

....hunting for those perfect little embellishments--some new, some old. Especially...

when I'm working on a larger surface--not so intimidating. This is on a pine wood board that I purchased at Lowe's (home improvement store here in the U.S.). It was originally 36" long but I cut it (well my husband did) down to a more manageable 16 x 20 size, and I still have the rest of it left for another piece. The whole board was under $20--good deal!

And I also enjoy the whimsy--

on one of my found cupboard doors--

And yes, I also enjoy coffee!!

These 2 pieces are going with me in less than 2 weeks for my last art show of the year, and I'll finally have some time to attend my online classes that I've signed up for and play!

I Love All Kinds of Color

2011-11-16T06:04:00.000-05:00

Lately my art has been very colorful--I've been liking the bright ones lately as you can see. But sometimes I let the piece tell me what color it needs.

In the meantime, I'm always sketching faces just for fun, and I really liked her--

....so I took her out of my sketchbook and put her on a canvas. But she seemed to want a softer palette...so I went with the soft greens and pinks and roses----she had a romantic look to me..

So then I wanted to make a companion piece for her--my painted version of a rose--

I have problems with roses. I tried to copy the look of the roses that are on the sides (these are napkins collaged on), but forget it. It's okay--you get the idea that it's a rose, but it's not what I pictured in my head. Painted roses for me are one of those things that I have to practice, practice, practice at, and I know I could get better.

But I'm happy with the way these 2 compliment each other,

....and for now, I'm sticking with this color palette. Working on more right now.....

Using Up My Papers

2011-11-12T05:51:00.000-05:00

I've used up every bit of my painted papers from last week. Well, there were only 4, but they were on pretty big watercolor sheets, and I wish I had more, but the luxury of time is leaving me again. I am happy though with how I used the rest of my papers--

...and I love these fun knobs that I found at Hobby Lobby that just opened up here in our town a few months ago. I really haven't been in it much since it opened, so I took some time to walk the entire store. What a great store. They have a lot of everything! And if you look at the piece on the left, the main image was from a paper that I had made in the beginning of the year--

This was done on a piece of heavy cardstock, and I show you exactly how I made it on this post. (lots of texture!)

And I wanted to do more with these papers, but they were pretty much gone, so luckily I thought about doing this beforehand. While I was making all of my pieces this week and last, I was taking close-up photos of my work in progress for this reason alone--

to make some "scrapbook" papers......so I could make these....

.........really love those Hobby Lobby knobs! As you may have guessed, they were on sale last week : )

New Art

2011-11-04T06:23:00.000-04:00

Before I show you my new art, I want to thank everyone for all of your visits and comments on my circus pieces. A few of you have asked me if I'm going to be selling my boxes online, and yes I am after my show in Dec. But I'll be sure to let everyone know!

So I have a little more time to do the kind of art that I like to make, and that started out with painting my own papers--

These are on watercolor papers. I wanted something really durable and heavy enough to hold all of the layers that I put on, starting with spray inks and then acrylics mixed in with stamping and whatever I had on hand.

And then I started out with my first layer on my surface--

These papers were so stiff, I didn't even mess with the regular gel medium to adhere them--I went right to the big-boy stuff and used my heavy gel medium, which worked like a charm.

And then came the 2nd layer--

.......and followed with the finishing touches....

.....including the "frame-work"...

....all on this cupboard door--

If you read my blog, then you know that these are one of my favorite surfaces to work on, with the added bonus that I will pay no more than $5.00 for these doors (and even that's a pretty steep price) at garage sales.

I really enjoyed making this because I took my time and just enjoyed the process, but I know that I'm probably going to regret enjoying this too much, because when it comes down to the wire--I'm going to be stressing out (like I usually do) before these shows and wondering-- Did I make enough???

But in the meantime---this was fun!!

Inspired Again....

2011-10-28T06:20:00.000-04:00

And this time, of all things--the circus. I have to admit that I'm not that big of a circus fan. For one thing, I'm afraid of clowns--isn't everyone?? But Graphic 45 got me again with their Le Cirque papers--

I'm such a big fan of Graphic 45. Everything they come out with I love. And in the meantime, this summer, I kept finding circusy-type items at garage sales that I kept picking up--just because---not really having a plan for them.

So the first thing I did was take a regular wood shadowbox, and flip it over, because I knew that it wasn't going to be deep enough for what I wanted to put inside of it.

The back of it is actually the glass part. I just covered it with the Graphic 45 paper. And then I added the knobs on top. And you see that teeny-tiny canvas (flipped over). My plans for that was to take a clown that I found this summer and make a new one!

The canvas is her "body".

And then my little assemblage just seemed to come together on its own--

It was easy with the help of these papers.

And then I took one of my cigar boxes--

I have to say--this time of year (for Christmas gifts), I can't make enough of these boxes. I'm glad that people like them as much as I like to make them.

And one more thing that I wanted to mention. I want to thank Ali for taking the time to put this e-book together. I'm very happy to be a part of this--

It's free and downloadable when you sign up for her newsletter HERE. Thanks so much Ali!

AND.....one more thing--I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween . This is a BIG day for us around here.

Last year Michael Meyers came to our party!--hoping he can come again!

CLASSES, CLASSes, CLAsses, classes.........

2011-10-22T06:35:00.000-04:00

I admit it---I'm addicted to them. Currently, I'm in 5 (well, actually, one of them doesn't start until January), and one is an on-going workshop, but still.......And I am what you all know as "the lurker". But.....I am still learning. Basically what I've been doing while I've been getting ready for my shows, is watch the videos while I'm working on my art pieces. I like to listen to the teachers talk, and I'm always picking up some good tips.

Now that I have a little bit of time until my next show, I had to have some fun in Jane Davenport's Supplies Me Class with my prismacolor colored pencils to start--

I was never really crazy about working with these pencils, but the way she shows her method of using them is a lot easier for me --very liberal and lots of color, and then when you blend the colors together, they become very creamy......but yet still not completely blended which is the look I really like.

Plus, I've also been playing with watercolors and pastels (prismacolor nupastel color sticks)--

People will ask me if I've ever had formal training, and I'll tell them that I'm self-taught, but that I've learned so much from taking online classes.

Two years ago I was afraid to even sketch a face, let alone use all of these different mediums. And I tell them that anyone can learn this as long as they have the passion for it.

Plus, as much as I love making art for other people, I don't have to tell any of you, that there's nothing like making art just for yourself!

Okay....so....I have yet another class that I'll be starting in November--Christy Tomlinson's She Art 2 Class. I couldn't possibly have said no to this class--my she art girls were a big hit at my shows. All of them have found homes. And yes, there's one other class too that's offered by another Tomlinson lady--Sharon. She hasn't even opened up registration yet, but when I saw it on her blog, I knew that this one was for me also. It's called Faces in Collage, and it's coming soon. Sharon is one of my favorite artists. Every time I visit her blog, I am just amazed at her talent.

So as you can see, I'm going to have a lot to keep me busy this winter. Winters can be brutal here, but I don't mind them that much anymore : )

Sad To See It Over With

2011-10-18T06:28:00.000-04:00

What a great 2 weekends I've had at my festival Christmas in the Woods. Everything is closed up until next August for the next big festival that happens there called Shaker Woods.

So this is what I would see when I looked out of the front door of my booth. This land is owned by the people who run the August show, so these booths are permanent. The artists in the August festival own them, and then us artists in October rent them for Christmas in the Woods.

I love my booth!

On the other side, that you can't see, is an L-shaped counter, which is perfect, since they want us to demonstrate our art. And as you can see, it's a pretty big space to fill, which is why I made a lot of Christmas florals and decor to help fill it up. I thought that the most I would get would be compliments on my artwork, but like I said in my last post, I was wrong. My art was selling just as well as the Christmas items on both weekends!

This last weekend's weather was not good either. On Saturday it was cold and very windy, and on Sunday it rained off and on all day--kind of miserable. But if you live in the Northeastern part of the U.S., you know how the weather can be. I've seen it 70 degrees and sunny in the morning, rain in the afternoon, ending up with a couple of inches of snow by nightfall--really!! So whatever Mother Nature is ready to dish out to us, we can handle it. And especially on Sunday--these ladies shopping didn't care at all about getting wet or being cold--they were Shopping!! It ended up being as good a weekend as the one before.

Sad to see it over with, but glad for the break. I have one more show, and that's at the beginning of December, so I can relax for just a little bit--just a little : )

So for the last couple of weeks, I really haven't left the house, and I've missed my other favorite thing to do--shopping.....so..........I went to Etsy and did a little shopping there. This was what was waiting for me when I came home on Sunday night.

This cute litte owl from Cameron. The pictures just don't do him justice--I love this!! Cameron is one seriously talented lady, and you can see even more at her blog Paint Myself Pretty.

And also....these....

....Beautiful, Beautiful earrings from Sharon. Sharon, if you're reading this--these earrings are so special--thank you for creating them! Please visit her at her blog Livewire Jewelry if you haven't already.

These are only 2 purchases of many that I've made through Etsy--most of it artwork for my artoom, from blogging buddies. I've yet to even hang them yet, but I can't wait until I do. I WILL most definitely take a pic and show you all.

And a P.S. to Cameron and Sharon--thanks for the extra goodies--it means a lot to me!

I Have A Winner of My Mingle Giveaway!

2011-10-12T06:46:00.000-04:00

And the winner is #15--that's the number that random.org picked. And #15 is Vicki from Rusty Rooster Vintage. Congratulations Vicki!! You'll love this magazine.

I'm in the middle of my 2 weekend art/craft festival, and HOLY COW, did I do well last weekend! No time to blog, or much of anything except work and eat (I always have time for food : )

I've been recycling my art again--

I sold a lot of my art pieces, which really surprised me at this show--this is more of a crowd looking for Christmas decor which I had, but I think I sold more of my regular art--go figure. I'll blog more about the show next week. We had the most perfect weather, and I'm hoping for at least no rain for the upcoming weekend. I don't think that we can top the most beautiful Fall weather we had last weekend.

P.S. The new season of Work of Art starts tonight--love this show!

I'm Having a Giveaway........

2011-10-06T06:29:00.000-04:00

..........thanks to Stampington, and their latest publication Mingle.

Mingle as described on the cover is a magazine all about "creative ideas for unique gatherings" Anywhere from artists' retreats, wedding anniversarys, birthday parties, and just because gatherings. And it's nothing less than what you would come to expect from Stampington--great articles--

Plus very creative tips and advice for any type of event you may be planning, which, by the way won't cost you an arm and a leg.

And needless to say, this magazine is filled to the brim with beautiful photography--

Lots of eye candy that just pops off the page. This is why I love the Stampington publications so much, not to mention these wonderfully thick pages.

All you have to do is leave a comment here to win a copy for yourself. But if you mention this on your blog, let me know and I'll enter your name again--same goes for Facebook--I'll enter your name a 3rd time. So come on everyone--let's spread the word!

I'll pick the winner next Wednesday, Oct. 12. Good luck everyone.

And.....congratulations Stampington on another great publication!!

Recycling Again--a Mini Tutorial

2011-10-02T07:29:00.000-04:00

I've been playing around with images of my art again. I like to print out an 8 x 10 image and then mount it onto an 8 x 10 gallery wrapped canvas. But I always change it a bit so each piece (no matter how many I do) will be different. And I did something a little different this time. I took this art image of mine--

This came from a piece of furniture that I painted last year that you can see HERE. And then I printed it out on 110lb cardstock that I get at Staples (office supply store). This time before I adhered it to the canvas, I decided to add to if beforehand. That way if I didn't like what I did, I could just reprint another one and try something different.

I added some stamping, and re-colored the faces with my pitt pens (what did I ever do without these!). This paper is very durable. This is what I use when I make my own painted papers--you can paint and even add water to it. It buckles, but when you use it for collage, it doesn't matter--it smooths out wonderfully onto your surface. So I knew that I was going to like this, and that's when I mounted it on with regular gel medium and added some more finishing touches--

.....more stamping and a little more doodling and embellishments. I like it better than the original....plus I already sold it at my show last weekend!

I also printed out my Hippie girl from last year, but I knew that I wasn't going to be adding much more to her, but I did want to repaint the face and hair. I just went ahead and adhered the print onto the canvas--

I just added a little more stamping and brightened up the flowers with my pitt pens again.

And then I used my Caran d'Ache Neocolors II crayons for her face. These are one of my favorite mediums to use for faces. I love the way they blend, and if you don't like it you can take it away since they're water soluble. You just have to make sure that after you adhere your print to your surface with the gel medium, to also cover the image with it too (and let it dry). That way when you paint or whatever, the medium won't soak in to the image, because the gel medium leaves a protective coat, and you can take away your mistakes easier. With these crayons, I spray a workable fixative on them. I'm not sure if they're permanent when dry or will re-activate when you put a sealer on it. I tried to link these up, but the blick site is down right now. But you can get all of these items (at the best prices that I've found) at http://www.dickblick.com/

It's so fun to re-invent your artwork--even if you're just playing around. It's not so scary, especially when it's just on a piece of paper. It's a great way to experiment!

Back Home and Getting Ready To Do It Again.....

2011-09-28T06:05:00.000-04:00

My last weekend--very s-l-o-w sales........it was a bit disappointing, but I had such a fun time all of these weeks (except for the first rainy Saturday) that I'm going back next year! I did some great shopping too---very one of a kind finds.

When I do make a sale, of course it makes me happy, and I can see that the people purchasing it are too. But there are some sales that I like even better when the recipients are very excited and tell me why they've decided on a particular piece.

Last week, a lady came in with her Mom and daughter, and she picked out a few items (it was a good sale : ) And then her daughter walked right up to this--

You see, her daughter had just started Kindergarten this year, and she was with her Mom shopping for her teacher for Christmas. I explained to her that it would be a great box for her teacher to hold her school supplies in, and she loved that idea, plus this box (I think) would be a great teacher's gift. It's pretty fun knowing that this box will be in a classroom with young children just starting out in school--a good home for it!

And remember my sewing stand turned into a table? I'm so glad that I sold it because as much as I loved it, it was a pain in the you know what to haul around--very heavy and it took up so much room in our vehicle. And the lady who purchased it was so excited. She told me that she had a room in her house completely devoted to local artists, and this is where this table was going.

I was so happy to hear that.

And also this piece made especially for the festival--

The first weekend I had a couple of inquiries about it, and I told those interested that it was for sale, but I wanted to display it until the end of the festival. But on the 2nd weekend, a lady came into my booth and just fell in love with it. And I knew then that's who I was making this piece for. I always say that I'm making my art for someone in particular--they just have to find it. She found it, and I couldn't say no. I let her take it home with her.

And I have one more that I remember well. This one on a cupboard door--

There were 3 friends shopping, and they told me that they Christmas shop for each other when they're together.   They pick out what they like, then one of the friends will get whatever it is, and then give it to their friend at Christmas time.   They say that they usually can't remember too well what they picked out, and they know that they will be receiving something that they really like : )
So the one lady picked out this piece, and her friend purchased it!   Love that idea!

This is why I prefer selling my art in person.   I love to know where my "kids" are going to be.   I get very attached to these pieces, as I'm sure that you all do with your own art.   Sometimes my art and I have disagreements (just like kids), but in the end, you love  all of your pieces and you really   care what happens to them.

And now to get ready for another big show, and my favorite which I talked about HERE.....have to start thinking about Christmas....the show is Old Fashioned Christmas in the Woods.   I really do love it--it's very festive, and like the name says--old fashioned--the best kind of Christmas!

I Made a Journal Page--Kind Of....

2011-09-22T06:32:00.000-04:00

I'm in my hurry-up mode, and trying to make some more art before I leave tomorrow, so I just got out my art surface and thought of it as a journal page--having absolutely no idea what I was going to do--which is scary for me. Sometimes it takes me longer to think of what I want to do than to do the actual piece, but this time I don't have time to do that, so I thought to myself--I'm making a journal page--

.......laid down blocks of color and stamping over that.......

Okay---getting a little nervous--I wasn't too crazy about this......

.....getting a little better now with this pop of blue....

...and now I'm starting to like it a lot and.....

.....and now I'm getting ideas....I really liked the cupboard door that I did HERE--so I decided to do this style again......

...finished! So when you scroll up and see how this started, you can see how different it is--which is a good lesson for me--don't be afraid to put anything down--it can ALWAYS be covered up again.........and.......the more you cover up, the better--

....because, you'll still have the underlying layers that you started out with. This is probably the one thing that I've taken away from all of my workshops that I've taken and art books that I've read--don't be afraid to just paint! And what made this even scarier for me, was that this paint surface was on a piece of furniture--

I thought---what the heck--it's just another surface----why not journal on it???

I did some more "journaling" on the bottom surface of the table too!

I know that a year ago, I would never even have considered doing this to a table---I'm still learning......and who knows what the next year will bring to me.

I'm off again tomorrow--this is tough!! And now the weather forecast is looking a little questionable--oh no--not again--we'll see......

My Backdoor Neighbor

2011-09-19T06:51:00.000-04:00

Let me just start out by saying that I am a lot happier this Monday then I was last Monday. I had a great weekend with lots of sales and very appreciative customers, and the perfect weather was just icing on the cake. Sometimes when you get back from these depressing shows like last week--you think---why am I doing these shows?? And then after this weekend--you say--oh yeah...... that's why! I have some stories to share but I'll hold off until next week.

I want to tell you about my backdoor neighbor Lila, and I mean that literally (our booths are back to back). Her business name is Lizone's, and she's been making repurposed jewelry for 23 years--you know, the vintage style jewelry, with some steampunk added in. She was making this type of jewelry before anyone even knew what it was--way ahead of her time.

And I love the added touches she uses to display her jewelry.

How fun is this??!!

And here's her very fun booth--

And last week, I told everyone about the special piece that I made for the festival.....well, here's Lila's piece--

She found this knight at a garage sale ( with all of the garage sales that I have gone to, I have yet to find anything like this!) She cleaned it up and adorned it with these very cool embellishments--excellent!!

And if you're wondering if she's online--yes she is. She has an Etsy shop HERE, and in her shop she also sells vintage supplies for all of you jewelry or collage artists. And since I'm not the greatest photographer, I want to share a pair of earrings from her Etsy store--she's much better at taking photos than I am.

So to sum it up, her jewelry is a bit vintage, eclectic, fun, and one of a kind, which pretty much describes Lila, except for the vintage part--she's very refreshing---I've never laughed so much : )

You know backdoor neighbors--they're welcome anytime and they always know---just come to the back door. Believe me, I've been to shows where after meeting my backdoor neighbor, I wished that I could have "moved" from the neighborhood!

A Few More Things.....

2011-09-16T07:03:00.000-04:00

......before I leave again for my weekend show. I painted another piece of furniture--

......I'm really happy with this one. I think I like my pieces better when I'm in a hurry--no over-thinking.

A couple of altered cigar boxes--

......with help from Graphic 45 ABC Primer paper and Tim Holtz grungeboard letters

.....and....

....with help from my own art and these very cool large glass knobs that I found at the wholesale show from last month that I used for the feet.

And an old cupboard door that I turned sideways--

So I've been obsessively checking the weather for this weekend, and so far it looks good.....but...... you know the weather forecasts. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better weekend. I'll check in when I get back!

And one more thing....you'll notice on my sidebar that I have a new magazine there. It's Stampington's brand new magazine called Mingle which will be premiering in October--you can click on it for more info. And I am very happy to say that I am going to receive 2 copies from Stampington. One is for me and the other is for one of you reading this--I'll be giving it away, and I'll also be reviewing the new magazine and letting everyone know what I think--so make a note of this!

Back Home and Back to Work

2011-09-12T06:32:00.000-04:00

A fast post here about my show--kind of a disappointment. First of all, the weather was not cooperating AT ALL--especially on Saturday, which is always the day for the serious shoppers to come. But since this is a 3 weekend show, I think that people decided to wait until next week. This is the one bad down thing about doing outdoor shows---the weather pretty much dictates how the show will be going--and it was just a gloomy rainy day on Saturday--oh well, just comes with the territory. I still had fun though and yesterday was a pleasant day and a normal Sunday show--mostly browsers.

When I applied to this show, they told the artists that they wanted us to make a piece especially designed for the festival. Since this is a festival that celebrates the colonial era, I decided to do a piece on this basis. I had this shadowbox that I had found at a garage sale a few years ago--it was the kind that had small compartments in it. This one had 24. So all summer I've been working on it. My goal was to fill it with all vintage items that represented this era. The first thing I did was collage the sides with ledger papers that I had from the 1800's

I antiqued it and added some lace over that.

And then I started filling up the compartments with items that could have been used in these times--not exactly the 1700's--probably more like the late 1800's.

With the exception of just a few items, everything I found here were from garage sales, Etsy, antique shows, and flea markets. This is my favorite part--they all have a past history to them, and they all have their own story. I always wonder what article of clothing did the buttons belong to, or who wore the eyeglasses, what door did the keys open up--you get the picture. I'm so glad the owners saved all of these items. And I just wish I could tell them--Thank You for letting me preserve them in a piece of art!

This was really fun to do all Summer--half the fun was the hunt for just the right pieces to add to it.

So now back to work--even though sales weren't the greatest, I still have a lot of weekends coming up.......

Angels, a New Workshop, and EXCITING News!

2011-09-08T06:07:00.000-04:00

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas angels, especially when it comes to art and craft shows. The shoppers that come to these shows are usually always Christmas shopping no matter what the time of year is, and apparently all of the craft stores know this too. Geez, Summer isn't even over with yet, but when I walk into Michaels---it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

So when I decided to make some angels I knew that I wanted to make them in She-Art style--

....and then I made another one....

.....and then--what the heck--I made another one...

So I guess you could say--I made a triptych....

This time I added some different collage elements--

with the lace and pearls--I'm really liking how these dresses ended up.

Okay and a workshop to tell you about. Even though the next few months are my busiest of the year, I had no choice but to sign up for this workshop--

If you have every art supply out there and don't really know how to use them, then this is your workshop offered by Jane Davenport. She's going to teach us how to get the best results with different art mediums emphasizing on the face and also the body, which is even better. So this workshop was not an option for me--I had to sign up for it. And you can still sign up too--all of the details are HERE.

Okay, so what's the exciting news?? Well, a couple of days ago my son told my husband and I that FINALLY, FINALLY we are going to be grandparents!! Not only are we excited to have our very first grandchild, but my other kids are VERY excited that they are going to be Aunts and Uncles too! This certainly has been a year of unexpected happenings for us, and with the exception of losing Leo, all ending up to be good things!

More Houses

2011-09-03T06:29:00.000-04:00

I've pretty much stopped painting furniture, but when I saw this piece at the Columbus wholesale show that I went to last month and at such a great price, I had to get it--

It's an old sewing machine stand converted into a table, which I've done before, with the help of my husband. We would find the stands and then find a door for the top and then assemble it. But this was all ready to go, and for half the price that we would have paid to do it ourselves. And it seems that every year I always do one piece of furniture with houses on it (like this one from last year) which people love--so I did it again!

I started out by just painting the houses with nothing on them, and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to finish them, so I just started with the first house and worked right on down the line.

And once I did the first house, it told me what to do to the next one and so on and so on. Usually when I do larger pieces like this, I have to stop and come back with a fresh eye, because I'm not sure what to do next, but not this time.

It was one of those times when everything just keeps flowing. It doesn't happen that often, but it's fun when it does!

You know--when it's the middle of the day and you still have your "pajamas" (for lack of a better word) on and you need to take a shower and get dressed before it's time to go to bed again? Actually, I like working in my "pajamas" because I don't care what I get on them---so needless to say---all of my "pajamas" have paint stains and dried up gel on them. I have an apron, but for some reason, I don't use it. I guess I don't want to get it messed up : )

And it doesn't hurt that I have every medium, stamp, and ephemera/papers known to man to help me--Okay......so I'm exaggerating a bit.....but not much. So, this was a fun piece to work on--even Lenny was excited. He usually takes little cat naps (or turtle naps, in this case), when I'm in there, but not this time. He was VERY alert and just watched me the entire time I was working on this.

And here's a fun box I made with my papers from Stampington--

The top is actually a frame.

I inserted the bird image, but it can be removed if people want to add their own personal photo.

And next week at this time I'll be at my fair. I'm really looking forward to it, but a little anxious. I'm hoping that I have enough to last me for 3 weekends--Yikes!

New Scrapbook Papers?

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, I wouldn't call these scrapbook papers--I would say they're more like art papers, or better yet--little works of art!

These are the papers that I ordered from Stampington, and I just LOVE them! And as an added bonus, I discovered the artist--Donna Estabrooks---she is the artist that designed these papers, and before this I didn't know who she was, but I sure do now--just go to her website and you'll see what I mean. If you like lots of color and whimsy, you'll love her too--well...... just look at these papers!

They were so pretty I didn't even want to cut them up.....but after I added my own style like doodling, stamping, and some rub ons-

....and oh yes, some embellishments too

....and then some acrylic painting--

.....I'm glad that I did!

....so happy with the way they came out, and when I was making these, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do, but they definitely helped me with their fun images and phrases.

These are snippets from 3 different papers, but by putting them together, they made a whole new piece of art!

And there's a few features of these papers that I want to mention. Half of them have glitter on them. Now for all of you glitter people, don't get mad, but I'm not really into glitter, but when I put the gel or matte medium over the top of them, the glitter became less glittery and more textural (is that a word?)--I really like that. And also, these papers are heavy cardstock, and they were hard to adhere with regular gel medium, so I got out my heavy gel medium and it worked like a charm!

So also when I ordered these papers, I pre-ordered the Fall issue of Somerset Apprentice, but I was very excited to see that they sent me the actual magazine. I'm not even sure when this is available in the stores.

And yes, Lenny was very excited too!!

And it brought a big smile to my face to see 2 of my blogging buddies in there Terri from Pringle Hill Studio ( she has a giveaway going on right now too!) and Kristin from Twinkle Twinkle (the lady that brought us a Summer of Color)!

And....in the latest issue of Somerset Studio I found Marilyn's art from In My Room and Cathy's from Artsy Butterfly (she had a 4-page spread!) This is another added benefit of blogging--you become friends and then when you see their art in these magazines, it's even more exciting. Way to go all of you guys--Congratulations!!

Embossed Metal & Steampunk--a Great Combination

2011-08-23T07:28:00.000-04:00

I've been using my Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante papers again (still my favorite ones that I have) and this time I've added a little metal embossing with them--

and I added these fun embellishments to this piece--

This is where I have to thank garage sales again for the light bulbs, knobs, and the old alarm clock that I took apart.....and also the frame. It was a mirror in a plain wood frame that I found for 50 cents. As a matter of fact, I had 2 of them--

The best way to do steampunk!

And speaking of papers, I just got some new ones in the mail on Saturday from Stampington that are SO awesome--I will be doing something with them--so stay tuned.....

Some More Houses.....

2011-08-19T08:09:00.000-04:00

...with help from Cosmo Cricket papers and a vintage children's reader school book. Who would have thought that after all of these years, the books that helped me learn how to read are now helping me in my art. I really enjoy using these old books--books that I mostly find at garage sales that were destined for the trash, but instead they're in a piece of artwork for someone to enjoy. I really like putting things in my art that have a past to them.

and also thanks to these very cool grungeboard letters from Tim Holtz--very fun to work with.

And this time I challenged myself. I decided to make a collage and put it in a frame under glass. That's very hard for me to do--make something flat with no dimension or those embellies that I love--but I did it!

...and I really like how it looks under the glass. I made it on foamcore so it was nice and sturdy for all of the papers and paint that I put on it. I think I'll be doing this again.

So now I have 3 more completed pieces for my upcoming show--

My show is in 3 weeks, and I'm a bit nervous about it. This will be my first year there--I actually blogged about it HERE. I'm really looking forward to it, but what has me a bit nervous, is that it's 3 consecutive weekends. I've never done a show like this before in the Fall so I'm hoping that I'm making enough. I've been working like a madman, but loving it, especially the houses. These came together so easily for me.

I am however taking a short overnight break to Columbus, Ohio. I'm leaving today for the craft wholesale show that I always go to, and while I'm there, I'll be going to the Dick Blick art supply store too--if anything just to walk around and look--like a kid in a candy store!

A New Piece of Art

2011-08-16T06:18:00.000-04:00

I had this larger canvas--18 x 24--and I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it, so I just started putting color on it--you know, like everyone says to do, but I still didn't know what to do next. Actually, it was like blocks of color, and after a while, I started to see houses. I really didn't want to do the houses, but it just kind of happened....

and they filled up the entire canvas, and I really liked the way they ended up--kind of planned, but not entirely planned, if you know what I mean. I'm really liking these colors too....and I'm still just a bit obsessed with the Finch family that lived on my porch for a while...

And since my shows start in 3 weeks, I had to do some more recycling--

Another cool knob for the top--

I found a bunch of these faucets at a garage sale for 50 cents each--that's a very good deal--if you've priced them on Etsy, you'll agree.

And more house recycling--

I'm so glad for digital cameras and computers. Some of these houses that I found for this box are images from almost 2 years ago--something I never would have been able to do 10 years ago, mainly because the only thing I knew how to do back then was check my email. The computer has become a great art tool for me, and I know pretty much for everyone else reading this too.

So I'm back to my art room now--more houses are on the way--another one of my favorite subjects to use in my art.

Recylcing My Roosters.......plus a Giveaway to Share

2011-08-12T06:26:00.000-04:00

I've blogged about making new art out of your old art in this tutorial, and I decided to do it again with my roosters combined with some other older art of mine to make some fun pieces.

I used these canvases from Dick Blick again--9 x 9 gallery wrapped with very deep 2 3/8 inch sides--which is my favorite part of these canvases, because you can continue your story on them--

And I always love to add the vintage embellishments like the bingo pieces and the brass stencils, and also these.....

This was an old kitchen utensil--I guess you would call it a hand mixer? I cut it in half and spray-painted the steel mixer part black--they made for cute little knobs for the tops of these canvases.

And here's another thing I did with my roosters--I put them on these wooden houses that I purchased from Carla in her Etsy shop Indian Doll Art Works.

I really like these houses and they fit perfectly in the reverse side of the gallery wrapped canvases. In this case, I put them in a wood cradle board--basically the same thing.

which, of course, I had to add a little collage to ; )

....and when I was finished with all of these, I put them all toghether--

I just LOVE all of this color--in my case...more is definitely more!

And the giveaway that I want to tell you about is Manon's at her blog Art by Manon Popjes. She is generously giving away 3 pieces and here is one of them--

...don't you just love!!

To see the rest go visit her blog and you can enter your name--I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A Summer of Color!

2011-08-08T06:03:00.000-04:00

Wow, just like summer--the Summer of Color was here one minute and gone the next. This is the final week, and for this week Kristin wanted us to have a show and tell of our art pieces that we made. What a very fun challenge this was. It helped us explore colors that we normally would just pass over, and because of this I have, and I'm sure others too, discovered new colors that we'll continue to use and add to our artwork. Sometimes it really was a bit hard just to focus on the main color, but I have to say that I am very happy with all of my pieces, and Kristin's prompts gave me great ideas too. Plus, I want to thank all of you for stopping by and leaving comments--I've met some very special artists because of this event.

So here they are--beginning with week 1--

My blue box--had a vintage feel to it with these great images, and I even included a photo of my family.

Week 2 was green--
I used strips of green papers to make my mosaic-like collage.

And this was my pink mirror for week 3--

It actually started out more blue, but I wasn't liking it so I added the soft pinks to it, and it ended up being one of my favorite pieces.

And then yellow was week 4--I loved this one with the embossed metal added to it--

And right next to it was my canvas turned over to make a shadowbox for my altered wood house for week 5--the color brown.

Red was the color for week 6--this is one color that I don't use a lot of. I tend to brown it up a bit with an umber paint, but I decided to just go with true red---and I liked it, and I'm starting to grow very fond of this color now!

The wonderful color purple was week 7--

...ahh...She Art---need I say anymore....

and finally--orange--my fun roosters that I never get tired of painting!

So when I look at all of these, I really didn't have a common theme or anything, but the one thing that remained constant was my love of paper and collage! I really enjoy using any kind of paper in my artwork. And once again, Kristin--thank you for this very fun Summer of Color!!!

And since I've been documenting the story (during the Summer of Color) of the Finch family (Scott, Nick, Lisa, Jennifer, and John), this has come to an end also--but a happy one. All 5 of them thrived and are now out on their own. And of course I have to show you the empty nest in all of its disgusting glory--

Mom wasn't the greatest housekeeper, but she sure was very loving and protective--a great role model!

Bob and Lenny

2011-08-04T07:43:00.000-04:00

So I figured it was time for an update on Bob. A couple of months ago I blogged about his health issues--the problem that he was having with his leg--long story short--cancer. Well after another month or so of treating his leg and trying to save it, the Dr. realized that it wasn't working, so after much thought, they decided to amputate it. Don't feel bad about this...feel happy, because now Bob is back to his old self again.

By the time they decided to go ahead with this procedure, Bob's whole demeanor had changed which was the final thing that made the Dr. and his parents realize that this was his only option. Within 2 days after his surgery he was walking around, but more importantly, he was happy again!

Here he is just last week at the beach--one of his favorite places. My daughter says that she forgets sometimes that he only has 3 legs now. And now he is a proud member of the Tripawd Community. As far as the cancer goes--they're going to run some tests on him next week to see if the rest of his body is still cancer-free--he still needs your prayers. But for now--all is well with Bob : )

And now, another new name--Lenny. I missed Leo very much, and I knew that I was going to need a new companion, whom I know Leo would have liked very much--Lenny!

This is my new little baby, and when I say companion, I really mean it. I decided to move my art room into the room where Lenny is. It's twice the size of my original one, and now I can be with him all the time--poor thing--I can't leave him alone.

Here he is in his little house--actually, it's not so little--it's 4 foot across--so he's got lots of room to play around in, (yes, I had the camera right inside of the tank--he probably was thinking---NOW what is she doing?!) and it's right across from my work table. When I decided to do this, I was wondering if I would bother him too much. I like to play my music kind of loud and I like to sing REAL loud, but you know what?? I think he likes it! He just watches me and when he's ready to go to sleep, he does, even if the music is on. And of course I'm always talking to him--he's a great listener.

And he loves to walk around the "studio"--

He likes to check out my art supplies---and he likes to stick close to me--a definite Mamma's boy---I'm so glad about that! I'm just so happy to watch him EAT and WALK--something Leo couldn't do the last 2 weeks of his life--I will never never take his good health for granted.

So if you weren't sure before, I'm sure you are now--I'm the crazy turtle lady...

I would never have imagined just 4 months ago that I would not have Leo anymore or that I would have a new and improved art room with a new little companion. And one more shot I have to show you--I've started a new art wall right above his tank, beginning with it adjacent to his tank---he loves looking at it--

This is the piece that Somerset published--I couldn't have found a more perfect place for it. This little story in my life started out very sad but came full circle with a very happy ending! (Leo would have been a great big brother)

P.S. Thanks to Julie, Sharon, and this Ebay artist, I have a great start for my art wall, which I'll be blogging about in the future--thanks you guys for your beautiful art!

Chickens and Roosters

2011-08-01T06:02:00.000-04:00

If you've been to my Facebook page, you'll know that I've been painting roosters. And when Kristin told us that orange was the color this week for her Summer of Color, I knew that would be a perfect color for some rooster art--

This was so much fun! I added some images of my older art--these houses--

and some of my painted papers

.....and I can't forget about the embellies!

So....it was so much fun...that I went and did it again!!

I knew that my rooster needed a companion.

Now.....he's happy!

Sadly, the Summer of Color is coming to an end....Hey Kristin...maybe you can have a Winter of Color--maybe huh??

And just as this is ending so is the story of the Finch family. Friday when I checked the nest, this is what I found--

Scott, the oldest had left the nest. My husband and I actually saw him fly out of it. And then yesterday morning-

All that was left was Jennifer and John...but I have a feeling when I check it today, they may be gone too. I like to think that they'll stay in touch with each other. And I have to mention that during all of these last few days, the babies' Father has been there watching over them--this is Love!!

My Giveaway Winner

2011-07-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

I want to thank everyone for entering my giveaway--I always appreciate your encouraging comments, and I wish that I could give you all something--but unfortunately I can't...but there will be a next time. But for this one-----the winner is--

The amazing artist Cori Lynn Berg from Sacred Arts. I've known Cori for quite a while now, and I'm so happy that she won my box. Go check out her blog and her great textured gesso tutorial that she put up on Tuesday---I love it!!

Congratulations Cori!!

There will be, no doubt, giveaways in the future...so stay tuned....

This Week I Had Some Inspiration

2011-07-25T05:46:00.000-04:00

........with Kristin's Summer of Color. The color for this week is purple--what a pretty color! And all of the shades of it are wonderful. So first off--here's my art piece that I made--

So my first inspiration was with the workshop that I took with Christy Tomlinson--her She Art Course. I loved this class, and I also wanted to mention that these girls that I had made during my class and took with me to my art fair were VERY popular!

And the next inspiration (or should I say obsession)?

.....what else---but the little family of finches that are living in my flower basket right now. I have to say that I've become--

....with Mom and Dad Finch. Everyday I take down the basket to get a glance and a photo while they patiently watch me from the neighbor's house. As you may have guessed, this is the first time I've ever experienced this miracle of life. To think--just a few short weeks ago it went from this--

to this

...and yes---I did get this close up to it. I cropped the photo just a bit, because this nest and it's surroundings are getting pretty disgusting, to say the least. I guess the kids don't mind, as long as they get fed. I see the Dad in there a lot too! And...one of the birds started to flap it's wing!! They are all still alive, but very very crammed into this tiny nest that's only about 3 inches across. I think it's time for Scott (the oldest) to leave the nest :- (

So I really enjoyed this week's challenge and to see more--remember to go over to Kristin's blog.

I also want to remind everyone, if you haven't already, you can enter my giveaway. It's the post directly below this one. I'll be drawing the name on Friday.

200th Post Giveaway!

2011-07-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

This is my 200th post--gee--who would have known that I had this much to say....but when it comes to art, you can't shut me up. So, what else but have a giveaway. And I decided to give one of my boxes away!

This is an image of one of my original painted faces on the top, and the rest of the box has assorted papers, lace and embellishments added on. It's a great size too--to hold anything you choose.

So.....this time you can enter 5 times to win. For one chance, all you have to do is leave a comment, and for another chance tell me if you're a follower, and another way--you can blog about it--just be sure to tell me if you do. And....since I now have a Facebook page, if you're a fan or become a fan--that would be a chance also, plus...if you post about it on Facebook that would be yet another chance! So...you have lots of ways to enter your name--up to 5 times!! Just don't forget to tell me if you do any of these things--very important!

And I also want to update you on the rapidly growing finch babies. I took this photo on Monday--

and yesterday...

It's amazing how fast they grow, and I'm happy to say that all 5 of them are doing very well. I think it won't be long till the oldest leaves the nest---I'm a little sad about that :- (

So don't forget about my giveaway. I'll pick the winner next Friday--the 29th--good luck everyone!

I'm Seeing Red (in a good way)...and Meet the Finches

2011-07-18T05:50:00.001-04:00

This week it's Red at Kristin's Summer of Color. This has been really fun, and even though I'm very busy getting ready for my upcoming show season, I've been able to make these pieces and plan on taking them with me to my shows. As a matter of fact, I finally had my first one for this year on Saturday (more about that later). My point is--is that I was in a hurry this week, because I was getting ready for it and also getting ready to leave since it was out of town. This piece just came together for me very easily--I think mainly because I didn't have time to over think--I just did it--

This is what came to mind when Kristin told us the color was red---heart and home--so I just went with it...

...and the other prompt she suggested was incorporating wings of any kind into our piece...butterflies---again, my first thought...

...and of course...some embellishments

And they all came together on another one of my favorite surfaces--these very deep wrapped canvases that I find at Dick Blick ( which I've mentioned before, and probably will again) --the sides are over 2 inches deep--wonderful!

....and here are the sides--

I love that you can make the sides a piece of artwork in themselves or you can just extend the art that you have on the front.
So once again--thank you Kristin for having this very fun weekly prompt, and it's never too late to join in on the fun--head on over to Kristin's to check out all of the other red art!

And like I said--I had my first show on Saturday---here I am all fresh and ready in the morning waiting for the show to start--

...after about an hour...I was all wilted--it was SO extremely HOT.....however....that didn't keep the crowds away--

This is a great little community where the residents support their town, and they always come out for this show...not to mention their support for us artists with their appreciation and also their purchases. It's just a great show that I really enjoy being a part of.

And here they are--the Finch family--all 5 of them (yep...all 5 eggs hatched!)

Their names are Scott, Nick, Lisa, Jennifer, and John....and by some strange coincidence..that happens to be the name of MY kids too!!

This Week it's Brown

2011-07-11T05:53:00.000-04:00

So at first, I thought....what can I do with brown for Kristin's Summer of Color?? Well, the first thing I did was look through my papers, and I have a lot of browns. I love the vintage-style artwork in the sepia and brown tones, so this is where my design went--

This was made on the reverse side of a gallery-wrapped canvas, which ended up like this after I collaged my papers onto it--

I added the lace with the gel medium and sealed everything with the medium. I love doing this with these canvases--you have an instant shadowbox!

And then I used this wood house which I purchased on Etsy--

Indian Doll Artworks--an amazing doll artist, but she also offers these plain wood house shapes, which happened to fit perfectly into my canvas--

I added just a little corals and yellows to enhance the browns.

....and a few more embellishments....

....for the final touch.

Another fun color challenge Kristin! .....and there's even more art to be seen over at Kristin's blog--go check it out!

And I wanted to update everyone on my nest. The eggs haven't hatched yet....BUT....I see the Mom AND the Dad there everyday...so I think that it's just a matter of a few more days before there are baby birdies---I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!