week 22 for 365/2 (part 1)

I finally published the Blogger post from last week and I had to do it from work.  I wonder if some bug has infected my home computer - THAT would be BAD!  Until I figure it out I might have to write them at home and put the pics in (cuz they're all on my home computer), then come in and publish from work.  Yikes - I don't like the sound of that!

Enough belly aching......  here's my creative start for week 22:  May 26-June 1

#145 - I made a zine for the MMSA theme this week......kind of got it done right at the wire.  I used my gelli prints as background, doodled some leaves and added a little quote.

#146 -  more MMSA - working ahead, the theme is red/black/white for these postcards.

#147 - more MMSA

Okay - I think I might have found the problem with Blogger - or at least partly.  Hopefully this will publish with minimal problems!

On another note - I have a stack of frames in various sizes picked up at thrift shops, yard sales, etc.  I finally decided to frame a couple of my newer pieces.  I have a wall in the upstairs hall that I use to feature my art - you know stuff looks really SO much better framed and shown with other art - it gives it cache!  Here's my wall now:

A little collage, some photography, some watercolor, some mixed media pieces, some digital manipulation.

Isn't it amazing how a mat, frame and grouping make each piece a little more important?  I love my wall. And as I make new, more accomplished pieces, I move them in and the old stuff out!

Do you hang your art?

week 21 for 365/2 (part 2)

Blogger has been really screwy the last couple weeks and today it's not letting me put a title to this post.....but onward I go, title-less!  Well, maybe.....I've been trying to publish for over an hour day and it won't let me - I can write and edit but it won't save and won't publish - ARGHHHH!

May 19-25 - the next installment of my 365 efforts......

#141 -still trying to figure out this painting...... added a few scribbles with oil pastels then covered the whole mess with a neutral layer then started adding again.  There's actually no blue cast to the background....it's a beige color.  (those are my fingerprints across the bottom)

#142 - playing with my spray inks - they've been sitting on a shelf for months and now I'm finding out how much fun they are....great effects!  Some tags to play.....

#143 -  art journal page.....hmmmm, don't like the spray ink through a stencil....a bit blurry.

#144 - Documented Life this week had the theme of "use embroidery floss", so I did - on one of my gelli prints w/ an image from an old Reader's Digest book.

Happy Memorial Day to all of you - Hope it's sunny where you are.  (it's not here in Seattle, overcast with chance of rain, but what's new?  - We're headed to a Mariners baseball game this afternoon so will have to dress warmly.)

week #21 for 365/2 (part 1)

May 19-25

#138 - finished working on Laurie's round robin journal pages:

Inktense pencils coloring in doodled flowers on the back of the folio.

#139 - the center spread started with ink sprays and drips, layered with colored tissue papers and topped with a napkin flower (love the translucency of those napkins!) then the writing is with a Signo white pen - "flower" in many languages.

#140 - some mail art. I found my spray inks did wonderful things when sprayed on slick cardboard and spritzed with water!  One has a cutout of one of my photos and the other has a hot glue doodle glued on.

Keeping busy here - hope you're having a creative, productive week......

My favorite part of spring in my yard is my clematis - it's gorgeous on the railing of our deck!

week 20 for 365/2 (part 2)

May 12-18

#135 - this week's MMSA theme was really fun......imitation!  It was a chance to mimic or be inspired by a favorite artist - I chose two (from many!) - Donna Watson and Rex Ray.

Donna's style is very clean with simple compositions but an excellent use of texture. I particularly like that she uses Asian elements in many of her pieces - they're just so dramatic.  The second piece of mail art is inspired by Rex Ray.  I've long enjoyed his style......simple shapes, great use of color and seemingly simple compositions.  But, as I attempted to mimic him, I discovered it's not as easy as he makes it look  :)  - I used gelli prints on the RexRay card.

#136 - more Rex Ray inspired mail art

The top card are shapes that Ray uses and painted with acrylics.  He doesn't usually use such primary colors, but I this is what appealed to me.  The lower piece uses shapes that he uses often and I cut them from my gelli prints.

#137 - I belatedly got started on my next round robin journal page - the deadline really crept up on me. This is for Laurie who picked the theme "flowers".  Drawn on watercolor paper and filled with Inktense colored pencils - I LOVE using those!

There are a couple more pages that are almost done.....I'll share them next time.

Have a fabulous, creative week!

week 20 for 365/2 (part 1)

May12-18

#132 - this is my Documented Life for last week - didn't follow the theme which was RAK (random act of kindness) so just did a quick (boring) tissue collage background with a flap.

#133 & 134 - then I worked on this week's DLP (Documented Life Project):  use a rubber stamp in a new way.  Well, that's actually quite difficult, BUT I did something I've been meaning to try.....I made a stamp (#134) using foam core for the base and craft foam for the design.  I designed it specifically to make a repeating pattern (new for me!)

I got carried away with the size of it and made it too big - so I stamped it on a separate page and added it in so this became a multi flap page.

Other stamps I made using what's on hand like the round corn pads (from the foot care part of the grocery store) and little cork squares with sticky backs that separate sheets of glass for delivery (from work).  I may have to up my stamp designing game and try some words or something (note to self - must remember to write it backwards!).

Have a happy, creative, spring filled week!

week 19 for 365/2 (part 2)

May 5-11:  continuing with collage focus this week; inspired by Randel Plowman's style and book, The Collage Workbook, lesson 9: squares & rectangles.  I decided to pull out my scrap bins (full of all those little pieces I can't quite throw away!) that I sort by warm, cool, and neutral colors.  The couple of collages I made earlier in the week were from the neutral box; these are obviously from the color boxes!

#128 - warm colors; about 7x8" on cardboard

#129 - cool colors; about 7x8" on cardboard

#130 - pink!  (lots and lots of pink! - pics from a seed catalog); about 7x8" on cardboard

#131 - mail art.  4x6"......sometimes simple is better!

Do you have a fave?

As I read all my favorite blogs each week, I continue to find myself inspired and motivated by all the creative activity out there - from gelli prints to paint exploration to tags/ATC cards - whimsical, representational, abstract - I love it all!  You guys are an amazing community and I'm so happy to be a part of it.  Hopefully every once in awhile you'll get a creative nudge or idea from me, just like I do from you!

week 19 for 365/2 (part 1)

May 5-11  - I've been feeling the urge to get my papers and glue out and collage, collage, collage.  So I did.

#125 - After a year of collage efforts last year, I kind of took a break but I really love it and have been missing it, so this week is all about collage. (about 6x6")

#126 - I pulled out my Randel Plowman book for quick inspiration and both of these are a result of lesson #2, work in shades of white.  Obviously, it's only 'inspired' because I've used a bit of other color, but I did keep it neutral....... (about 6x8")

#127 - Last one, only a 4x6 - will likely get mailed.....

With this one I laid down an initial layer of papers, covered them all with sparkle tissue paper then added the bird & green paint speckled pieces and finally added a touch of stamped circles and around the edges.

Hope your week is off to a great start!  Be creative.

week 18 for 365/2 (part 2)

April 28 - May 4

#121 - this week's Documented Life had a much easier theme for me than last week's drawing....use a quote!  As you know, I love using quotes.  And this week has been a gorgeous sunny, warm week so it's only logical that I'm drawn to these yellows and this song.  It's been swirling around in my head but I actually had to look up the lyrics since I wasn't 100%....  the sun is a stamp I made with craft foam.

#122 - a little art journal play.....layers of painter tape, paint, remove tape & reapply, different color of paint, repeat; finish with a layer of titan buff.  Think I'll try it again with different masks than tape....

#123 - outgoing mail art....I was falling behind in my correspondence, so made a big batch of postcards.  If you've been waiting to hear from me, you'll get something this week!

#124 - worked some more on the WIP canvas.  Remember last week I'd added a gear stencil and didn't like it?  This week was about fixing that and seeing what else develops.

I think it's lost some of its richness of color so I need to work on restoring that and as well as calming down the background - I just want bits of all that pattern to peek through.

Hope you have a very creative week this week.  If spring has sprung in your area, make some art to celebrate it - that's what I'm going to do!  :)

week 18 for 365/2 (part 1)

April 28 - May 4

#118 - I found this fun, quick project on Pinterest (here's her tutorial) and I wanted to make a prototype to see how it would work - I'm thinking I might use something like this to save mail art postcards.....or it could be good for a travel journal addition to keep tickets and ephemera with maybe notes about the day written on the front, or in a small version, it could be a fun birthday card...... Obviously any size envelope would work - it's a simple process of gluing the envelope flap to the back of each preceding envelope so that all the glued flaps are on one side (the back) and the open pockets on the other, then folding it accordion style.

I used distress spray and stamps, a stencil and washi to decorate the backs (below) and collaged text on the front but then decided it was too busy so softened it with gesso.  Then I decorated just the pocket edges so they stood out more.  This would be a fun project with kids.

#119 - finally did last week's Documented Life page - it was a drawing challenge and that's not my forte` so I procrastinated.  The challenge was to draw (or photo) your fave shoes.....

I bought these cute smooshy floral ballet flats for spring but haven't had a chance to wear them much yet - but the Sketcher Go Walk shoes have to be the most comfy shoes in the world! I'd have a pair in every color if I could!

#120 - started work on a new canvas - it's 12x12" and I have an idea of the kind of smooshy background I want and even have a composition in mind.  But, when I added this gear stencil I don't like it.....so more layers to come....

Here's a heads up - Tammy has started posting reminders that ICAD time is coming up before we know it.  This will be my third year of playing and I highly recommend you join the fun.  Create as much as you can for June and July - each day on a index card!  Easy, right?  Quick, right? Non-threatening, right?

Here's my stack of 2 years of daily summer ICAD....

See, I've even bought my package of index cards so I'm ready to go!