Thursday, March 29, 2007

ACEO holders

These are two new holders for a cat ATC collector. It doesn't show well on the photo, but I used my stamps for metal for the first time. FUN! And I held the copper crown in the fire and enjoyed all the different colors that surfaced. Copper is a pretty amazing metal... warm and beautiful. I just love it!At the beginning, this one didn't turn the way I planned. My printer decided to make 'artistic' prints, so it changed my sepia colored photo to an unusual reddish/green tone. I went with the flow and added a paper recently received from Cinda, transparencies, note paper and mica and was happy with the result.
Now I'm waiting to see if the lady collector likes them or not. Cross your fingers :-)

Monday, March 26, 2007

Double-sided cards

I got tired of the girls I painted last October; they are not bad, but not really good either... So I decided to make collages on the back side and offer them as double-side ACEOs. Crazy idea... but that's what I felt like doing. Here are the back sides:

Sunday, March 25, 2007

My pride and joy

Today I'm sharing photos of my firstborn. There is a reason that I'm posting these pictures today, but I will not go in details. I'll just say that this young man has the biggest heart in the universe and that I couldn't be happier that he is my gift to the world.Not only is he brave, good and smart, he is pretty cute.... dont' you think?

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Kelly Kilmer's workshop

I wish I could spend more days like this.... This was a much needed break from the regular overwhelming chaos going in my mind. My dear, dear friend Connie and I spent the day in Danville learning '' from lovely and talented Kelly Kilmer. I didn't want to torture her with my camera, but I did want to have some photos to share (how does one balance those two things?). Do you see that big bucket? That is gel medium! Doesn't just seeing that huge amount call you to get out papers and start gluing them on anything? After my regular Golden tubs this looked enormous! Kelly is the such a generous teacher! Look at the mounds of collage material! This is just a part of it... We were free to roam through all and take whatever we wanted. :-) Not only that, she had everything else that you may dream of... paints, stamps, pens of every kind and size... all fun stuff! It was a treat to see one of her journals up close.
It was a fast paced workshop, we made several pages. This is my favorite:
So..... It was fun, happy, informative. Kelly is a great teacher. I encourage you to take one of her classes if you can and to visit her blog and say "hi!".

Thursday, March 22, 2007

All was enchantment

A while ago Sharon encouraged us to doodle (as she said - to draw aimlessly), and that's what I did while listening to my dh talk about politics. Somehow the butterfly found a way to my canvas.
Doodling is fun!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

And the winner is...

I used again the very convenient, scientific way to find the winner. Here is a list of numbers that turned out (I turned it sideways to save the blog-space). Number 18 is the winner! A big thank you to all that signed for the giveaway. Ann, please email me your address, and I'll send the journal your way.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Metal, mica, paper, transparency layers

I had big plans for today, but a bad headache destroyed them... I did manage to make at least one thing. This is something I saw in the new Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. There is an article by Lesley Riley. As soon as I saw how beautiful it is I knew I had to try it...
This is a combination of watercolor paper, heat treated copper, mica, transparency, fibers... My sewing machine deserves a gold medal for sewing through all the layers. She did complain (make a strange noise and jump from time to time) but the needle didn't break and all the stitches look just like I wanted them, so I'm happy. I was pretty much following the directions in the article, but it turned out differently, so I'm not a complete copy cat... (just 80%).

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Do what you love...

That’s exactly what I'm doing. I'm learning to quiet the critiquing voice and just do whatever I feel like in my journal. It's not easy. I hear it screaming: 'It's too busy, too many things going on, not enough color definition, make the background darker...’ My answer this morning was - that I like it right now the way it is. If I feel the need to change it - I will, but not now. Now I like it.
LOVE WHAT YOU DO.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Be my good angel

- listed here -

Art card prints

I updated my shops on etsy and eBay with prints of some of my favorite cards. They are sturdy, colorful and simply positive.
We have lovely weather and I know that I should be out.... but it is so hard to move when you have paint and paper and glue around... Hope that you are enjoying the weekend :-)

Friday, March 16, 2007

More birds

Thank you for the comments about the one-legged bird. I feel better now that I didn't ruin her, but rather let her rest her leg. There is even a poem in the comments! FUN!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Feeling the love...

Isn't it a wonderful thing when you feel down and unexpected gifts arrive to surprise you? That's what happened to me today. Twice!
First, the post lady (post person, as she calls herself) came much earlier than usual with a pretty big box in her hands. In the box the sweetest present ever. Look:
It makes me smile to think that Claire took the time to carefully pack and send a cookie on a long travel across the ocean. I never received cookies in mail, and I don't think that I'll ever forget how sweet this is.
Then, from another part of the world another surprise. My first ever fabric ATCs! I can't stop looking at all the details (that really don't show on the photo) and touching the soft fabric. It's Dotee's magic again.
I feel special and happy and grateful. Thank you.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Beautiful Dreamers


Oh dear... I have been looking at these birds the whole day and just now noticed that the second bird has one leg... How could I miss that? Probably because I was so excited when I found just perfect words in my little antique book for the branch... I don't think that I can add the leg now because I used a glass-like finish on that part of the collage (the bird has a completely different feel). Can it be a one-legged bird?
They are resting their little wings on etsy: here and here.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Pleasantest feelings

Do you know who wrote the words I used on this canvas?
(click on the photo to enlarge it)
6"x8" canvas
-listed on eBay-

Sunday, March 11, 2007

One World One Heart Giveaway

Click on the following photo to learn more about the giveaway that LisaOceanDreamer started:
I'm offering a hand bound journal and a bundle of collage images to jumpstart the creative flow.Please leave a comment on my blog before March, 20th.
I will announce the winner on March 21st.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Another journal spread

I received this image in mail yesterday
(as a gift with my order from ArtChix)
:It prompted me to create following pages:
I haven't painted roses in a while and it felt good to see them emerging from the end of the brush (note to myself - buy new brushes). It made me smile when I realized I was using snippets of paper received from my blog friends. The heart is from Sharon, little bird in the right corner from Cinda, crown from Nancy, background papers from Chel, drawing of a girl and cat from Hana. I see it as combined happy energy and I love it.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Any procrastinators out there?

Or is it just me?
To think too long about doing a thing
often becomes its undoing.
Click on the photos if you want to read sayings about procrastination.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Spring is here... and I don't like it.

As much I was happy yesterday with the sun, birds and flowers - today I see them in a different light. Some kind of pollen (probably) is giving me a hard time... I couldn't breath most of the day and had to have tissue in hand at all times. I look like a puffed blow fish with red eyes...
I had some time to play with the new collage sheets I bought on eBay. If you like vintage children reprints and fairy wings take a look at this eBay store. She has lovely images, affordable prices and ships very quickly. Whenever I'm in a mood for gentle things I turn to the magic that these pictures bring.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Spring is here!

Not that we had a cold winter... or much of a winter at all... Still, there is a big difference in the way the birds sing, sun shines and flowers smile. This was a wonderful day. Not a lot time for art play, but we went for a walk and my dh took these pictures. After that he cooked (grilled) a delicious lunch... I am so lucky!

Thursday, March 1, 2007

New journal page

There is something so wonderful and satisfying about keeping an art journal. I made and sold many journals, but never created one for myself. Something happened and I created a journal that really calls me. I keep neglecting other things so that I can paint some color on the pages. I can't wait to have it filled completely and hopefully have words, textures and colors spilling out...