It's been awhile

Worth Having

It has been awhile since my last blog post; six months or more.I hadn't intended to stop blogging, it just sort of happened for no particular reason.  So this is a catch up post, just a little bit.  Above shows a cat mixed media piece I did on a piece of foam core board.  It was fun, I am pleased with how it turned out.

The Wild Horse In Us

I continued in the same vein and created this horse mixed media piece on a card board mailing envelope.  Again, I was rather pleased with it.  Both of these are given away.

Walking the Dogs

 I've also been working in this altered book, the title of which seemed very appropriate, "The Girl In The Woods".  I used a home made stencil on the right hand side, above.

The Only Thing Necessary

 I continue to enjoy using quotes in my art.

The Depth of Winter

 Using a different color palette than I used to, more muted colors.

The key to happiness: Simplify.

Bound By The Beauty

Alternatively working in my Strathmore mixed media journal. 

 Just fooling around and having fun.

Enjoy the Journey

 This one is dedicated to my maternal grand parents, that's them in the photos, and my Mom is the little girl.

Family: Aunt Bertha

 Another different direction is this one I finished last week.  The woman in the photo is my great great Aunt Bertha.  I cropped the photo to use it, her dress was so beautiful, she must have been pretty classy.  No one is named Bertha these days it seems.

Close up showing some of the fun embellishments I used.

Somewhere along the way I acquired two new pets, a cat, Tigger and a dog, Gunnar.

Tigger

Gunnar

I wasn't looking for new pets, they just adopted me, coming over from the new next door neighbors.

Roscoe and Windy both love Gunnar too, and Charlie cat tolerates Tigger.  It is so much fun watching Gunnar play with Roscoe, he is so gentle with him.  He is a big sweet beautiful dog.  I feel a little safer on my walks now, I think the coyotes are keeping their distance a bit.

That isn't all I've done since my last post, but that's enough for now.  I have appreciated the people who told me they missed my blog posts.  Thanks for noticing!  Till next time,

Be Well.

Art Journaling to welcome spring

As we transition from winter to spring, I have been either outside working in the yard and garden on dry days, or, when it is pouring down rain, I am in the studio.

 This is one of my favorite journal pages.  I usually spend several sessions before I complete a journal page but this one went together as quickly as I could dry it.  I have been enjoying working in my journal a lot recently.

 Somewhere on this page I have listed most all the dogs I have had the pleasure of sharing my home with.  It is true, in case you didn't already know this about me, I love dogs!

 

 Here is the beginning of another journal spread.

 And here it is finished.  I think it is finished.....It says "There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people and pets we can't live without but have to let go."

"Worry is like a rocking chair.  It gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere."

 My tribute to spring.  I planted some sweet pea seeds a week ago.  Nothing is up yet but hope springs eternal.  

The 21 Secrets classes start in a couple of days.  I'm glad it is still raining, this means I will have a good excuse to be inside, playing in my studio with the music blasting, checking out the new videos.  I hope you all are experiencing some nudges from spring, if not full blown verdant growth.

Till next time, when I will share some of my painting efforts,
Be well.

Coming Soon!

Hello friends and neighbors!  I am blog friends with Linda over at Olde Baggs 'n Stuft Shirts and decided to play along with the blog event she has hosted for several years running, Celebrate OZ!!  This year the theme is the Hues of Oz and while I didn't intend to play, while I was working on another Dooleybobber, it turned into an Oz theme so I am playing after all.  Check back on Friday, March 21st to see what my contribution will be.  Also you can find all the players listed on Linda's side bar on her blog.  or you can click the badge on my side bar to find out more about it.  No, you don't need to click your heels, just the badge!

This post is kind of a test run since I have been having trouble with getting a post up on blogger.  So I will show you today (hopefully) the journal page I finished just an hour ago.  

I Love Dogs

It's true.  I do. In case you didn't know that already.  This page lists all the dogs that have owned me, however briefly.  I am hoping there will soon be more.  In the meantime I am loving my Sadie and Windy.

Hope you will check back in this Friday and follow the various links to the other Oz players.  Linda always creates a wonderful post on her own.  Until then,

be well.

 

200th Post! Time for a give away

Hello there, my blogging friends!  It took me awhile but I have finally reached my 200th post in this one.  I thought I had better have a give away to celebrate.  Details below.  

For now I am showing you some paper "buttons" I made after reading a tutorial on Kelli Nina Perkins blog.  They looked so pretty and I had everything I needed so why not?  If you click on Kelli's name above, it will take you to the tutorial on her blog.

They were fun and easy to make.

 I used a few on this journal page.  See them in the flowers towards the bottom?

Here is the double page spread.

When I saw these bangle bracelets on the Art Bead Scene blog, I wanted to make some.  So I did.  Click on the blog name and you will see the tutorial.  I had saved some plastic rings from lids off of mayonnaise jars and that is what I used as the bangle part of these bracelets.  Upcyclers Unite!!

Finally, in honor of all my loyal blogging friends I thought I'd give away this fantastic book by Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee.  Plaster Studio.  Mixed media techniques for painting, casting and sculpting.  I love the book but have decided that I'm not going to be making good use of it so would like to pass it on to one of you.  Please leave a comment on this post telling me you want your name in the drawing for it.  I'll draw a name on May 19th.

I found evidence of more upcycling in the natural world when I was cleaning out behind some books on a shelf in my studio.  Beautiful mouse nest!  Luckily I must have caught the mouse before they actually used this nest, it is a constant battle to keep up with the little furry critters.  There are bits of fabric, tissue paper and of course the peacock feathers.

So that is what I have been up to when I'm not outside working in the garden.  Hope you all are having a fine spring.  Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to be in the drawing for the Plaster Studio book.  I'll announce the winner next Sunday.  Till then,
Be well.

Gratitude

"GRATITUDE"
17"X13"
This is my most recent finished piece.  Mostly finished anyway, I haven't yet figured out how I might hang it, might have to put it in a frame.  I was just playing around with various bits and pieces.

I first cut out some pieces of card board 1 1/2 inches square and was going to make Inchies.  Then I was reading in my favorite book, Mixed Media Explorations by Beryl Taylor, and started playing with some of the suggestions she has.  I ended up with the nine squares with the flowers in them.  I was also playing around with some tiny tags that I made out of a manilla folder.  I cut them out and soaked them in some coffee to make them grungy looking, and they looked good with the inchies.

I rummaged around in my stuff and found some little slide frames so I painted and stamped them to match the inchies and then I really got into finding things to go together.  The little beaded bars under the slide frames I found in the bathroom, they are covers from disposable razors that I painted and attached with sewn beads.  Also stitched down some copper washers and the blue, green and purple glass beads at the bottom.

"Live your life without regrets" is from a chocolate wrapper, Dove Promises.  It fit nicely into the little frame and the color matched the background behind the inchies.  

There was just enough space for some lettering of my chosen word for the year.
The background is a piece of painted card stock, and some fabric paper behind the slide frames, and the dark pink behind the inchies is organdy stitched over craft felt, and some strips of sari silk.  I really like the way all these elements came together and I had a lot of fun playing with them.

"FAITH"
Above is a piece I finished today, paint and markers on watercolor paper.  

journal page

journal page practicing lettering

Another journal page practicing lettering.

So that is what I have been up to.  Just playing around in the studio, having fun, being creative, using some of my supplies.  I am grateful to be able to have the time to spend in my studio and for having more supplies than I will ever be able to use up.

Be well.