gmglimmerglass

Spring Dance

2011-04-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've been out in the garden for weeks now, despite the endless rain -
getting everything ready to go. It's still too soggy to really plant all my starts,
so I have been amusing myself with garden inspired art instead.

This month, our ATC club theme was "Technique" and
I chose to create encaustic papers and incorporate them in this Springy collage.

The final cards were printed out with the Sony Picturemate,
which produces eye-poppingly accurate colors on a high-gloss,
heavyweight paper that is nothing short of scrumptious.

It's serious tech love!
I sit in front of the Picturemate like a slot machine, printing out variations
of one image for hours (while the counter silently tallies up the ante) cha-ching!

At six bucks a sheet, I get that I am capable of inflicting some damage to my credit score
and so to encourage self control, I post a sticky note on the machine.

Nest

2011-03-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

With Spring right around the corner, my nesting instincts are coming out. The assignment for this ATC, created for our art club swap, was to include a dictionary swatch with a definition. Tweet tweet.

Postcard Swap 2011

2011-03-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a great opportunity to make artsy friends all around this planet of ours - iHanna's Postcard Swap.

You will create ten postcards and then get 10 back from other swappers. Lots of creativity will swirl around in mailboxes around the world, last year about 1500 postcards were created and sent! This is an international swap, everyone is welcome!

Deadline for sending

your 10 handmade postcards is April 8th!

The DIY Postcard Swap Rules

The rules are simple, but please read these rules and follow through on your part if you sign up. You will disappoint a real person if you don’t send your handmade postcards on time.

1. Join the swap by sending me your information by the 18th of March 2011. In the message field of my contact page please state in this order:

full name,
postal address including country (!),
your e-mail address.

Observe: Last sign up day is 18th of March 2011!

The information sent via the contact page is sent directly to the swap organizer, iHanna, and is not posted online. I will only share your information with the 10 people who will send you your postcards. You are not signed up if you don’t include your postal address AND an email address that works. Do not send a message saying just; “I want to join”. If you don’t hear back from me within two weeks after last sign up date, check your spam folder or contact me again. Thanks.

2. Make 10 handmade postcards any style and be creative. Please, no bought postcards, instead try to be artistic with your cards! DIY = Do It Yourself, you know. You can collage, do mixed media, print your own photos, print digital collages, create flat fabric art, alter an existing postcard from your paper stash (!), paint with watercolors or acrylics, draw a mandala, make a scrapbook style card, embellish, sew, paint, embroider, etc!

3. Document and share what you make! Please feel free to scan or take photos and write about your process on your own blog or share it in the postcard flickr pool! You don’t need to have a blog to sign up, nor do you need to share but it would be nice if you took the time to be supportive in our creative community. Swapping is about being a part this awesome group of people who loves to swap too!

Thanks in advance for your support, visiting other participants, spreading creativity and leaving encouraging comments etc.

4. You will get 10 post addresses via e-mail from me in the beginning of April (not later than the 4th of April), please send your postcards as soon as you can but no later than April 8th! Those are your swap partners and you will send your postcards too these creative people. Connect, share and spread creativity into the world - that’s our slogan! They could be international swap partners or from your country (I live in Sweden).

Send your postcards in an envelope for protection or don’t use envelopes (it’s up to you), write a message on the back, add stamps - and put in a mail box! The postcards you get back will be from 10 other people! Include an email if you want to be contacted/thanked by the receiver (connect with each other!). There is a standard size to postcards in some countries - but there are no rules on the size in the swap. You are free to create what ever you want!

Now, go make some postcards!

Vintage Valentine Collage Cards

2011-02-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

These are just some of the Postcard Valentine's I made for my "Sandbox Sistas" this year.

I started with a collage from my art journal and then added doodads to the front.

On the back, I added a few elements that fit with each of my friends.

We all made them for each other and had a great swap party - so much fun!

Poetic License

2011-02-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

A sweet sampling of an art journal page featuring
Monsieur Walt Whitman, a personal fave of mine.

Love this guy.

I used to tote his, "Leaves of Grass" to work with me,
back when I had a stressful ad agency job
and it was like an hour of yoga.

Very calming!

Happy 2011

2011-01-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

This happy little group was smiling up at me as I was perusing Deviantart.com.
http://www.deviantart.com/#/d37gti2

Christmas Tarts

2010-12-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today is a big baking day here, as our Christmas preparations go into full swing.

First out of the oven will be heavenly Red Huckleberry tarts, made from our own huckleberries.

They've been all bundled up in the freezer since August, waiting patiently for their time to shine.

And shine they will.

These delicious little pastries are going to be front and center at tomorrow's

Holiday Brunch - for as long as they last!

The tart little Red Huckleberries (aka Bilberries, Craneberries and Whortleberries)

are prized by birds, small mammals and humans alike

and boy, do they make the best jam and tarts ever.

This photo was taken last summer, just outside my back door,

where one amazingly prolific Huckleberry bush

has grown out of the immense stump of an ancient cedar.

Art Every Day - Last Day!

2010-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a bit of fancy tree trimming for ya.

I love scissors • I love paper • I love snipping paper into designs.
I could do this all day.

I remember reading that Hans Christian Anderson used to cut paper to illustrate his stories.
My kinda guy!

Art Every Day - Vingt-Sept

2010-11-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

In a land, long ago and far, far away - people used to go Christmas shopping downtown,

where the storefronts might be full of shiny bikes and dollhouses.

We still do that in our local podunk of a town, where we also have a Christmas Tree lighting

in the park, an town-wide open house featuring homemade cookies and

vintage 60's decorations on the light poles.

(Mind you, this is a place where you can still get canned peas on your plate at the diner.)

Today I am practicing the FINE ART of browsing online for Christmassy fabric.

So, yeah - this is fudging a bit on the "Art Every Day" theme.

I love this happy pattern by Alexander Henry and who knows,

it may just show up on the shelves of our tiny quilt shop!

Art Every Day - Vingt-quatre • Vingt-cinque • Vingt-six

2010-11-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Holidays have come skating around the corner today.

Let the crafting begin!

I created these for Jillayne's Christmas swap,

and have a small tutorial here,

in case you feel inspired to make one for yourself.

The base for this piece is a 5x5 canvas, flipped over.

I found these at Michael's in the dollar spot. They are actually coloring canvasses for kids,

but since it is all getting covered up, they work just fine.

First, cut a square bit of cardstock.

Double stick tape around the perimeter.

Top it off with a sqaure of red velvet, trimmmed to size.

Top wooden stretcher bars with decorative tape (this is Tim Holtz tissue tape)

or use strips of printed paper. Glue inside the square opening and top with velvet square.

Tuck in edges of velvet fabric under the wood, all the way around.

Ok now, here's the fun part.

Embellish as you please!

After adding the main image, which is a hand-colored print out that's been

pulled around a block of thick chipboard, then wrapped it in netting,

I topped it with a tiny paper fan made from book pages.

Then, I used Magenta foil tapes, lace, ribbons, metalic yarn, buttons, netting, tiny paper flowers, rhinestones and MM metal file labels, to spruce things up.

The last step was to finish off the back with some vintage book pages.

I chose a holiday story about Father Christmas from an old reader,

just to keep things jolly!

Art Every Day - Vingt Trois

2010-11-23T12:24:00.001-08:00

It's a Snow Day! That means we are all home and catching up.

I decided to start catching up on some very old scrapbooking projects.

Going for very simple today and getting these pictures in a book.

Art Every Day - Vingt et Un • Vingt Deux

2010-11-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here you will find some over-the-top mushroom inspired

(of the culinary variety) doodling inside the back cover of my

Fall Art Journal.

This weekend we went and gathered up the rest of the Chantrelles

from the woods. These will be the last of the freshies for the season,

but I do have quite a few in the freezer. That should to last us a while.

We also came across a few other lovely fungi

and they all lived happily ever after in a scrumptious cream soup.

Perfect for a chilly autumn day!

Art Every Day - Vingt

2010-11-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Art Every Day - Dix-neuf

2010-11-19T09:40:00.001-08:00

Remember leaf-rubbings from grammer school art class?

This started out as one of those, using a simple crayon to get the outlines in.

From there, this leaf rubbing made it's way through my sketch/doodle process,

using Prismacolors and Pentel Markers.

This is the facing page and the first in the journal to have windows.

I created openings in a stack of ten pages with a square punch, so you could see down into the pages. I have since lined one of them with some netting.

You can see a Halloween page peeking though here.

Fall Art Journal

Art Every Day - Dix-huit

2010-11-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

Home Sweet Home

Yeah, I know. A lot is two words.

Art Every Day - Dix-sept

2010-11-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

This little birdie

is perched in my Fall Art Journal

right across from these tags.

Art Every Day - Seize

2010-11-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

This little old tricycle has been kicking around forever and I had this nice pile of moss fresh from the shed roof, so decided to combine the two for a great Pacific Northwest yard ornament.

Recipe for a moss-covered trike:

• 1 old tricycle

• 1 wheel barrow full of moss

• 1 roll drywall mesh

• 1 roll fishing line

Cover the tricycle with the mesh and upholster with the moss,

using the fishing line to secure it here and there.

Water when done - or if you live in the NW, just put it outside -

it will be soaked in no time.

Now I've got my eye on a little toy dump truck that has been

half-buried in the sandbox for the last ten years.

What's next?

Art Every Day - Quinze

2010-11-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

Page Number Seven

from

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

Art Every Day - Quatorze

2010-11-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

This is the inside cover - a work in progress still - of my Fall Art Journal.

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

Someone asked me about this journal.

It is a sketch book I use to doodle in, try out shape combos, different mediums, colorways -

a testing ground for processes and products that I take on to other, larger projects.

Art Every Coupla Days - Onze • Douze • Treize

2010-11-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

So much for that grand, hopeful plan of :

Art Every Day.

See what this has begun to devolve into?

Art Every Coupla Days.

It might look like laziness, but really, we are busy painting the guest room

this weekend and we've gone into overtime. (Surprise.)

Well, it IS technically painting, after all.

Have to get back to watching the paint dry.

More later...including art.

Ok, Here ya go!

Works in progress - Fall Art Journal

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

Art Every Day - Dix

2010-11-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

Art Every Day - Neuf

2010-11-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Fall Art Journal

from

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

This page is still in progress!

Art Every Day - Huit

2010-11-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Fall Art Journal

pages from

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

Art Every Day - Sept

2010-11-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a page from my Fall Art Journal

~ 13 Autumn Tales ~

detailing my favorite things about fall.

I just pick it up and doodle in it randomly

each night, while sitting by the fire.

So relaxing...ahhh.

Art Every Day - Six

2010-11-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Mom forgot to post a piece of artwork today, so I'm posting this one for her without her knowing, hopefully she won't be mad. She could either walk up to me tomorrow and say:

"[My name], thank you so much for saving me by posting that picture on my blog! It was beautiful and everyone absolutely loved it! I will now reward you with a delightful trip to the ice cream shop!"

"[My name]! What were you doing on my blog?! You had no right to go on it and post things that I did not approve of! I will now punish you by dragging you through an hour-long trip to Joann's where I will wander down each-and-every isle for at least seven minutes."

I'm really hoping it'll be the former.

Anyway, this is a hummingbird that flew in our house one time. Logically, like any other decent person, I grabbed the camera instead of the butterfly net. When people ask me what I've titled this picture I tell them it's called Eager for Freedom, because we all long for freedom in at least one form or another.

...Plus it makes me sound deep and emotional, when in fact I think of myself as quite boring and shallow.

-The Author's Son

(P.S. You're welcome Mom.)

Art Every Day - Cinq

2010-11-05T19:22:00.001-07:00

The last of the season.

Art Every Day - Quatre

2010-11-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just like the butterfly

I too

will awaken

in my

own

time.

The beginnings of a book made for Guriana in Poland.

Art Every Day - Trois

2010-11-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Art Every Day ~ Deux

2010-11-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is a printmaking plate I made with a piece of illustration board and white glue. The figure was drawn on the board, carved out with a craft knife and then sealed with glue. To create the swirly background bits, I twirled the tip of the glue bottle in the wet medium and let it dry overnight, before inking and printing.

The resulting print was created on etching paper with a sepia ink.

~ Detail ~

I love how the soft paper molds into the crevices of the plate, allowing the ink to fill in the shadows.

Art Every Day ~ Un

2010-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Art Journal Page

Eye Candy

2010-10-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

~ A Sweet & Sinister Tale of Unrequited Love ~

When he first gazed upon her glinting eyes, he simply lost his head.

He fashioned for her a box, glittered with the sharp ashes of his unsent love letters and festooned upon it, her likeness and his - seeking to beguile her with sweet treats and trinkets, bejeweled baubles and
his legendary trick riding prowess.

"Look no further my love, I only have eyes for you. Tell me now, can you answer me in kind?"

No reply came forth and after a good long look, her gaze drifted above the shining head he held aloft.

Catching ahold of the night wind, she was gone in a thrice.

He rode out in search of her, through the deep dark woods and chanced upon the very deadwood tree
where he had first beheld her shining eyes.

Securing the sweetmeats box to a branch, hoping against hope that this small token of affection
would forever win her heart (until death did them part) he galloped away into the darkness.

But alas, it was all to no avail.

Her cold, black, avaricious heart had no room in it for the aspirations of a headless man on a one trick pony.

She scuttled back to her web to gobble up the contents,

orb after glistening orb.

Special thanks to Tanya at Time for Scrappin' who generously sent me the sparkly headless horseman after I had admired her guy galloping through one of her amazing Halloween mini's. Check out her frighteningly precise attention to detail! It will turn your head! HERE

Treat Trap

2010-10-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

There's no escaping all the treats floating around at Halloween...or is there?
I created this catchy little contrivance for Denise, my Sweet & Sinister Swap Sista to trick her into thinking that her treats could be fully contained.
Buwhahahaha!

Trick-R-Treat, Smell My Feet!

2010-10-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

This Halloween, all the little zombie children on the block will be skittering down the street in these postively poisionous little Maryjane's,
singing that charming little ditty -
"Trick-r-treat, smell my feet, gimme something good to eat" I unearthed these on a recent thrifting adventure and thought, "Look! Tuesday Adams' baby shoes!"The add-on arachnids, paired with happy little pumpkin socks and stuffed with candy corns just make ya wanna sing - don't they?

A Compendium of Curiosities in Costumery

2010-10-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a spot to show off some of the best Halloween get-ups ever.

Eek!

2010-10-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

A trip to IKEA has yielded up a package of alphabet cookies - that spell - you guessed it - IKEA.
Or do they?
At first glance, maybe so...
but a little shifting around can produce the proper sentiment for Halloween.

They are the perfect topper for chocolate graham squares, to create these yummy treats.

Two minutes start to finish - scarey fast!

Black & White Fright

2010-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun project for anyone, any age, who likes messin' around with paint.
We made some Halloween tags with this easy-peasy paint method and had a blast doing it.

All you need is white paint and black paper.

I used white gesso, because I have tons, but any acrylic, tempera, or gouache will do.
I also had a stack of black construction paper to use up, but you can easily substitute any black paper you have on hand. Another cool lookin' variation is to make the opposite with white paper/black paint.

Fold your paper in half, blob on paint in the center and if you have a particular shape in mind, think of it "in halves" and just scoot the paint around until it vaguely resembles half of your intended image, keeping it to one side of the center line.

Close the paper up and smoosh a bit, then open it to reveal something spooky!

These make great tags and decorations.

You can also use them to play the "What Do You See?" game -
especially fun with your most abstract creations.

New in the Studio for Halloween!

2010-10-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

This week, we are finally getting wired for sound in the studio!

Previously we've had an iMAC belting out the tunes all on it's own, but now my son has graciously offered a set of hand me down speakers, and he'll have my studio"(and more of the studio)" wired up and ready to go - just in time to crank out the Monster Mash for Halloween.
Thank you, Thing.

Late Great Harvest

2010-10-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

This year's growing season was not so great and harvesting shifted a bit late.

Here are the last of the Organic High Carotene Tomatoes, waiting patiently for me to get to them.
Let me tell ya, these are awesome tomatoes!

The seed packet said, " High Carotene has 2-3 times more beta-carotene than other varieties, making it a good source of vitamin A, an antioxidant important for healthy vision. The 2-3 inch, red globes with a hint of orange color are very meaty and flavorful. An excellent canning tomato with its higher acid content. These large indeterminate plants should be staked."

Ya think? The plants were six feet tall on a trellis!

The bounty here will be hopping into batches of salsa today, although I hate to see this little guy go.

Maybe I'll save him out for a Halloween decoration!

Once in a Blue Moon

2010-09-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Once in a Blue Moon, I make a bit of jewelry.

These little charms were created out of nickels and UTEE, inspired by a penny charm tutorial
from Cathe Holden's blog

This cute guy - the man in the moon - can be picked up over at Graphics Fairy created with
a circle punch and then used to top a nickel.

Just give him a sprinkling of UTEE and bake for a few minutes, until melted.

With a bit of epoxy, glue him to a ringed backing and...

tada!

Simply charming!

A Garden Journal

2010-08-25T16:59:00.001-07:00

By Any Other Name

2010-08-15T05:27:00.001-07:00

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

2010-08-15T05:23:00.001-07:00

Home at Last

2010-07-22T10:24:00.001-07:00

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Fox Mittens

2010-07-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Dollar Store Challenge

2010-07-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

Guriana Art

2010-06-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

There's some amazing art happening in Poland. Check it out! Guriana's blog

Mail Art

2010-06-28T23:02:00.001-07:00

{Zoom} and Enhance

2010-06-19T21:09:00.001-07:00

Let's Get This Party Started!

2010-06-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

Construction Zone

2010-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

True Colors

2010-04-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-06T11:01:00.001-07:00

Marbled Mosaic

2010-03-19T14:33:00.001-07:00

Telling Time

2010-03-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Looky Loo

2010-03-04T14:33:00.001-08:00

Orange You Glad it's Friday?

2010-02-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

iHanna's Postcard Swap

2010-02-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hanna Andersson's postcard swap is underway! Here are my postcards that were sent all over the world.
Thanks, Hanna!

It has been so fun to make art for other artists and spread a little love around the planet.

Check out the beautiful and inspiring postcards made by everyone who joined. iHanna's blog
There were over 100 participants and already my mailbox is yielding up some very scrumptious art every day.

Our mail carrier is having a great time with this, as well and becoming quite the mail art connoisseur in the process.

Let's Party!

2010-02-15T09:03:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, guys and thanks for all the great sales this past weekend!

Went on a solo thrifting flight yesterday and what fun THAT was!

Gathered up some real treasures that I will post pictures of in a bit.

The Haul included:
Martini glasses for a Somerset inspired craft, a bunch of old half gallon pickle jars, lots of old journals and ledgers, a tiny glass for my tiny glass collection, a way cool engagement calendar from 1960, two pillow cases, a pile of vintage snapshots (25 cents each! - a bit hard to reign myself at that price) and a vintage booklet full of printers cuts from a foundry, plus three really nice books. There's more, you'll see.
Since the antique and thrift stores were having President Day Sales, I only spent a total of $14.00 at one store and $14.25 at another. Fourteen was my lucky number yesterday - Valentine's Day! Love it.

Something Old • Something New

2010-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

I have an old discarded book that I doodle in with markers, while I wait: wait for kids to finish activities, wait in line, wait-wait-wait.

Although I have developed a certain amount of patience over the years, things like this really help the time go by.

I also get a chance to try out new color combos and ideas.

This is my new fave colorway.

It would be cool in crushed velvet.

DIY Busy Board

2010-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Now that I am a full fledged Nana, I get to make cool things for the cutest kid on earth.

Our latest effort is this control panel, because we all know who's REALLY in control, right?

This was a family project, concocted to celebrate our first grandchild's first birthday.

Our resident teenager donated most of the junque from his odds and ends collection and my husband assisted with the screw guns, glues and all around mechanical expertise. His uncle donated a big old cutting board and I was the mastermind, designer and baby-safety tester.

We had a similar board when we were kids, with colored buttons and toggles that I spent hours playing with.

It makes noise and lights up and has lots of different things going on. The magnifying bubble pops out so they can put pictures of anything in and the TP tube holder is a short length of PVC with jingle bells inside. I put up it on some little slider feet so he can play with it on the floor and push it around if he wants.

I love toys like this because they encourage imaginative play. It can be the rocket ship engine room, the control panel on a sub or a time machine.

He's just one, so for now, it's a busy board, for a very busy little boy.

Happy Birthday, Kiddo!

Deep Greens and Blues are the Colors I Choose

2010-02-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

Over at Artsyville, Aimee went into a flurry of drip-drip-dripping artsy activity last week and showed us all how to make the coolest of cool tiles, with nada but alcohol inks and blending medium.

Eye popping color, eh?

This process is way beyond fun. To watch the inks react with the alcohol blending medium and the colors swirl around each other is simply mesmerizing.

((@)) ((@))
It's right up there with oil on a puddle, and yes, even better than salad spinner art! Plus, the end result is much more utilitarian.

What I really could have used during the entire process, in lieu of self control, was a sidekick to holler,

"Someone make her STOP!"
(as I went a way overboard on the ink.)

Me:
"Just one more drop."
" Wonder what THIS would look like?"
"Hmmm, more solution could be JUST the solution."

...and on and on it went, until these masterpieces emerged (and it was time to pick kid up from school.)

As you can see, I'm still on the dark green/blue kick stirred up by Hanna Andersson's cool curtain photo: iHanna's blog

I am craving summer. Pure and simple. And now I have six little pieces of deep, green, shady woods-in-summer, destined to become a tray, bearing a tall, cool glass of lemonade.

Sewing Circle

2010-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

The ladies got together for a sewing circle last night, jabbering away as they stitched to their hearts content.

This flip album was created with the same technique I used here -
Paper Tube Album Tutorial

This entire project is green/green - both in color and in the repurposing of all kinds of leftovers.

The front and back covers were crafted from the face of an old reader that was upholstered in that shiny waxed linen. I used my trusty craft knife to slice it down to size and then inked the edges.

Other items - like the va-va-vaoom garter/closure, were attached with a bit of elastic, laced through a slot I made with the X-acto knife.

You might recognize the round frame (on the group photo) as a small tin cover from a pack of scrapbooking flowers.

I didn't have enough people in my vintage photo for a real honest to gosh sewing circle, so I doubled up a few of the ladies to create twins. Love those glasses, ladies!

The whole project was bound with the Zutter.

I used paper tubes ironed flat as a base for the pages. What I really like about using the tubes is that once flat, they are the perfect size for gift cards and all kinda of sliders. You can really go to town with these.

The pockets also makes a great little place to stash sewing bits and pieces you need to keep track of. You can use it for a sewing scissor wallet, floss holder, needle case - pretty handy!

Separated at Birth

2010-01-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

I was feeling a little stuck with the inside flaps of my new "discarded-book-turned-journal" project when I spotted an orange robot sticker in the rubble of a studio scrapbox. All I had on hand were some felt pens and the waste paper basket, so I got to work crafting this set of fraternal twins.

They obviously have something to important to say here.
What's that?

"GO ART!"

That's the spirit, ladies!

Playing in Photoshop

2010-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

These cool/bright colors were inspired by one of Hanna Andersson's Everday Magic Photos, which she graciously gave me permission to show you.

Her blog, iHanna's Creative Space is a virtual smörgåsbord of colorful and inspiring crafts. Yum!

She's always got something wonderful going on over there. Check it out!
You too, will be amazed.
iHanna's blog

My fellow ATC clubber, Jennifer,
had this really simple collage
technique in her journal.

I was so taken with this idea,
that I came in first thing this morning
to create one for myself.

Place torn bits and pieces of paper
(and anything else relatively flat)
on a piece of sticky back clear vinyl.
Flip it over onto a piece of cardstock
and - tada! - you have a collage.

That's it!

After scanning the artwork,
I put it through it's paces with simple
Photoshop filters and made
these little diptychs.

Instant artistic gratification!

Make Time to Make Art

2010-01-01T12:38:00.001-08:00

With the arrival of 2010 comes my first blog anniversary. YAY!

One year old today!

Looking back through the posts, I am glad to see all of the projects that actually made it to camera ready status.

This New Year has me resolved to set aside even more time to create art and explore different mediums.

Why?

Because it makes me happy. Try it! You'll see.

Happy New Year!

Whole Lotta Lounging Goin' On

2009-12-29T13:47:00.001-08:00

These in-between days
from Christmas to New Years
have been all about
relaxing, reading
and catching up
on our beauty sleep.

Ahhhh...lookin' better already.

See ya next year!

Pink • Pink • Pink • Christmas

2009-12-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

This beautiful, very girly pink wreath
was awaiting me at the Post Office the other day.
Oh Joy!

Handmade by Jerri W., my swap partner,
it is fluffy and elegant, as you can see.

I love the vintage jewelry and ornaments that she included and of course, the satin ribbon is divine! Can you see the tiny silhouette ensconced in a watch case?

This beauty has a place of honor in my Pink Christmas Loft and will stay up all year long, by virtue of it's gorgeous-ity!

Zsa Zsa (or was it Ava?) would be jealous, I know.

Merci Beaucoup, Jerri!

Season's Greetings

2009-12-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more from
the Vault O'Vintage.

These are from the late forties.
(I only know that because the greetings inside are dated.)
I really like the cutsie and soft watercolor styling on these cards.

The little angel with a peppermint stick reminds me to pass on my BEST COOKIE OF THE SEASON award.
may we recommend - Trader Joe's Two Candy Cane Jo-Joe's.
Yum! I initially bought them because the dang box was so bright and great looking, but then the cookies got me hooked.

Seriously good stuff.

As We Dream by the Fire

2009-12-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Actually, I believe I could make a career of lounging by the fire. I am seriously GOOD at it.

The uncharacteristic cold snap we've had this past week has had me planted firmly in front of a cosy, crackling fire every night with a mug of hot cocoa, and a set of felt ornaments to embroider. My art journal is also on hand for recording those great flashes of inspiration that come only in moments of sheer laziness.

Ahhh...Dolce far niente.

This image is from my newly aquired vintage card collection. Makes me just want to shake all those presents.

From carefree days gone by , Pre-911, note the candles on the tree and the lack of fire screen.

Polar Expression

2009-12-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Is it hot in here,
or is it just me?

I was putting these freezy pop packets in lunches one day and realized they were the exact size of an ATC. That was the inspiration for these polar bear ATC cards. I had thought to give them out frozen at the swap, but ended up leaving them thawed.

Spectacular Sparkling Spectacles

2009-12-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

I got this sparkly image of the Christmas Tree
goofing around with a pair of prism glasses
and my camera.

Ok.
LOVE these things!

They've got me hovering around every
light source like a moth -
snap,
snap,
snapping pictures
in rainbow, prismatic glory.

You just hold them up to your lense and shoot.
Kinda like TTV, only it's TTPG.

We got a set for the whole family, years ago,
to go see the Festival of Lights. WOW!

Since then, they've taken on a life of their own and been used for everything from low tech video enhancement to bonfire dancing.

They come in all kinds of viewing patterns: stars, ornaments, snowflakes, you name it. I get them at the local teacher's store and have seen them at toy stores, too.

It's a great gift. Now your friends can take their families to check out the neighborhood holiday lights in psychedelic style.

Prism glasses, candy canes and cocoa make for a fun little gift pack. That's some serious Joy Ridin'!

A Box Of Goodies

2009-12-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

I spent a fun day poking around an antiques fair with with some friends and we all came up with a nice little collection of vintage holiday plunder.

My happy find of the day was a basket full of 50's and 60's Christmas cards, all at barg-o-rama prices, no less. Three for a buck!

I'll be posting one each day, until I get to the bottom of the stack.

I always keep my eye out for kinetic cards that actually DO something and really love anything to do with paper engineering.

There it was!

A vintage mechanical paper card with a PUPPY on it?

A Puppy sportin' a RED BOW?

GET OUT!

I just about fell over.

This little guy is going to my sis, the dog aficionado - YOU CAN STOP READING RIGHT THERE, MISSY! - with home baked, star shaped doggie treats.

(And yes, I'll be punching some holes in the side, just to ease her PETA-lovin' mind.)

When my dear husband read the card, he had other gift ideas and thought maybe a pooper scooper would better accompany the sentiment.

GUYS!

Feeding Fine Feathered Friends

2009-12-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

As the temperature dips down this Winter,
don't forget to stock the bird feeder buffett.

We keep it really simple using "elderly" bagels
spread with one or more of the following:
peanut butter, suet, bacon fat, or jelly.

Topped off with bird seed, black oiled sunflower seeds and raisins, it's a great snack for our fine feathered friends.

The bagels work well because the center hole is perfect to slip a length of twine through for hanging.

Bon Appetit, Birdies!

Santa's Got Your Number

2009-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Did you know that
you can get a phone call
from the Elf Himself?

Yep!

Although there are online spots to get
Santa to call your little one for a chat,
I prefer the old fashioned way: family.

It's a simple thing to talk a relative -
say, your baby brother (wink, wink)
into calling up, disguising his voice,
reviewing the naughty/nice list (optional)
and checking in on your kiddo's
fondest Christmas wishes.

Record it for posterity, or not.

It's a little Christmas fun.

Chez Champagne

2009-12-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

Although champagne is usually reserved for
New Year's, these bottles snuck out a whole
month early to help celebrate Christmas.

This elegant little wine shop is
somewhere in the South of France.

Ok, not really.

We created this tableau for a local hospital charity. It was fun and of course there was an enormous amount of glitter involved!

I love this Christmas tree in an urn and although ours was a bit tippy, we finally got it to stay put.

One of my favorite touches is the corkscrew wreath holder and naturally, that's a wine list rolled up at the post box.

We distressed and crackled an old door, topped it with a handcrafted awning, trimmed with a real ostrich feather boa. ATCHOO! That is when I discovered that I am allergic to ostriches. Who knew?

The front yard was carted in piece by piece. Those cute little cobblestones each weighed a TON,
let me tell ya! The moss is the real thing, collected in my back woods, spritzed with water and then sprinkled with mica flakes.

Besides a sleighful of ornaments, the tree is covered with little decoupaged tubs,
numbered 1-25 and filled with exquisite chocolates. There are also champagne glasses, baubles and yards and yards of champagne glittered trims tucked all around the tree.

Joyeux Noel!

Merci Beaucoup

2009-11-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." - Emerson

The Frost is on the Pumpkin

2009-10-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

We had our first frost the other night and
when I went to check for survivors,
this beautiful pumpkin was there,
waiting patiently in the garden for it's
transformation to Jack O'Lantern.

Tonight's the night!

Life is Good

2009-10-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

We interrupt all of this Fall posting
frenzy to bring you a really great day.

Ever have one of those?

Today's been smooth sailing, for which I am really grateful.

Out takes:

• This AM while taxi-ing teenage boy to school, he says with a BIG SMILE, "Thanks for the awesome phone, Mom." This makes that marathon, three chapter wait, in the Verizon store yesterday - all worth it. BTW - Awesome is bigger than cool.
• Lemons to lemonade, that wait brought me three chapters further along on in the life of Michelangelo, at the end of which is a trip to the museum to see some of his works on paper. Heaven! OK, close - The Sistine Ceiling Drawings.
• Opened up my gmail treasure box to discover a pile of fun, funny, complimentary notes from, seriously, around the world. Blog-geography blows my little mind.
• On my way to work, husband is parked by the side of the road on my way out of town, pretending to hitchhike, grinning and holding out package he picked up from the Post Office this morning.
• Later at work, said package (that I'd forgotten about) turns out to be a delectable selection of paper goods from Bake it Pretty with extra goodies put in by gracious shopkeeper. Happy stuff! Photos tomorrow.
• I finally remembered to bring my French Press to work and the studio is filled with the fragrance of Fogcutter. MMMMM.

... all that and it's only 11:33!

Feel free to copy this image I made and spread a little gratitude!

Trick or Tree

2009-10-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Remember these?

Find of the day! Although
***** HORRORS*****
the woman at the shop described
this as vintage, I prefer to
file it under "nostalgia".

My mom had these on the counter
when I was growing up.
I don't recall ours being
orange, however.
(She was big on beige.)

Of course now I need
to make something crafty to
dangle from the branches.
Spiders or ghosts might be spooky.

Ideas?

Witches Brew

2009-10-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

These revamped
Jones sodas
just look
positively poisonous.

Witches Brew
and Franken Fizz
are on the drink
menu tonight.

Both concotions
go down real smooth,
but have a frightening
little bite at the finish.

Pick yer poison!

Looky Here!

2009-10-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

It's
the
argus arborius,
just
in
time
for
Halloween
snackin'.

Jack O' Lanterns

2009-10-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sing it with me now:
"Yoooou Light Up My Life"
My kitchen anyway.

Simplicity at it's finest.
These paper lanterns
are a holdover from
summer decorating.

Armed with a pair of scissors,
scotch tape and some colored
paper scraps, the transformation
into Jack O'Lanterns was a snap.

Bring Your Own Boo

2009-10-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

I present to you,
one creepy collaged can,
created for my friend Carol,
to celebrate her
October birthday.

The base is made from
a black plastic paint can
that my husband brought
home and (kindly) cleaned
out for me.

Merci!

I just snipped up
a bunch of
"this and that"
I had around
the studio and then
decoupaged it all on.

The interior is a linen toile
that took FOREVER to dry,
even with a hairdryer.

The inside was strongly
scented with eau de modge podge,
so I dabbed a little
cinnamon essential oil
to spice it up.

I think this would
make a great
trick or treat bucket.

Disarming, Charming and Slightly Alarming

2009-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here she is,
dressed to the nines
and ready to make
her grand entrance
at the Halloween Soiree.

It took a lot of restraint
to leave her dental work as-is.
I just really wanted to take a
Sharpie and black out one of
those gleaming chompers.

Ahhh... but the glamour smile
won out in the end, making a nice
juxtaposition to that writhing
head of hair.

Nice do!

Halloween Tree

2009-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a spooky little sapling that
I had the pleasure of spray painting
black for a Halloween table top
decoration.

The candy canes are pipe cleaners
twisted together and the tiny plastic
pumpkins are party favors.

I made the spiders with a circle
punch, paper trimmer, black
construction paper
and googly eyes.

The old plastic pumpkin has been
revived from days-gone-by and
makes the perfect pot.

Eek!

Not a Healthy Situation for the Wicked Witch

2009-10-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

The house began to pitch.
The kitchen took a stitch.
It landed on the Wicked Witch
in the middle of a ditch.
Not a healthy situation
for the Wicked Witch.

October is here at last and Halloween is on it's way!

I still love Halloween, mainly due to the pumpkins
and all the decorating that goes along with it.

These witch legs are easy to make.
You paint mailing tubes orange and stripe with black tape.
Pop them onto a pair of cool old half boots and
you've got the southern end of ONE FLAT WITCH.

These are also great, sticking out from under the table.
Hit that brew a little too hard?

Winding Down

2009-09-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

The
garden
is
winding
down
for
the
season,
although
it
looks
like
we'll
be
flush
in
tomatoes
for
awhile.

It's been
a great
summer!

Refacing Books

2009-09-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

THE RULES CLEARLY STATE:
Marking or writing in books is strictly forbidden, and any person so defacing books will be required to
replace them.

This is another matter entirely.

Rescued from the free bin at the library - I've given this previously-scribbled-in novel a new lease on life as an art journal. It's a great place to experiment with colors, mediums and design ideas. No rules, just a lot of, "Hmmm...let's see what this looks like."

The paper in this book is a thick and scrumptious cotton with a bit of a tooth - RAWR! - just right for refacing with pencils, pens, and paints. As I work my way through; sketching away, pasting in doodads, treasures and ephemera, I'm surgically removing every other page with an Xacto knife so the final project will lie flat(ish). I've learned to save re-doing the cover for last, which allows me to take the journal everywhere without the fuss of keeping it nice.

My kinda fun.

Spot o' Tea?

2009-09-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

This cute as a button tea pot was a gift from my sis, Marilyn.

It's gotten a lot of use this week as the weather is slowly turning to Fall.

I've always been a staunch Ahmad Lemon Tea fan, but can't get it here anymore. I got adventurous (and a little bit panicky) and tried all kinds of other teas, but nothing hit the spot. Then I discovered Ashby's Lemon Tea and now all is right in the world.

Presenting Their Royal Highnesses

2009-09-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

The King and Queen
of Hearts

I popped into the post office to send off a package today and to pick up a book of stamps.

The guys at our super podunk post office always laugh at me because I ask for "pretty stamps" and make them haul out the whole drawer full
so I can choose.
(Don't worry, there's NEVER anyone waiting behind me.)

This gorgeous set just knocked me over! I would make a quilt out of this. I would buy this if it was a poster. I would buy it AND frame it. Hey, maybe it IS a poster!

Using images from 18th-century French playing cards as reference, artist Jeanne Greco created the stamp art. I'll be looking her up, let me tell ya. WOW.

(Added later: Ok, yeah, she's way cool. Take a look at her creations. http://www.caffegrecodesign.com/cgd-homepage.html)

What a happy, unexpected spot - smack dab in a day full of errands!

The Magic of Photoshop

2009-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been cleaning up some old photos with the help of Photoshop.

Pretty simple stuff really, and I love the instant gratification of a quick, finished product.

While rummaging around one day,
we found this tiny 1x1 inch photo of
my husband's mother tucked in a drawer.

As you can see, it was a mess.

I wanted to clean it up and make it bigger
for the family photo album,
but still keep that old and crumbly quality.

I also re-tinted it with a duotone
to match other old photos in the album.

Cute baby, huh?

Free Black Berry Downloads

2009-09-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

We spent a sunny morning downloading blackberries

into our buckets.

Kerplink.
Kerplank.
Kerplunk.

The real ripe and juicy ones

are the cutleaf blackberries

that grow down by the pond.

They are much larger berries

and almost taste like blueberries.

The jam they make is heavenly, especially when you pop open

a jar in Winter.

The thorns however,

are fearsome to behold.

..and so it was
time for my new,
snazzy,
eye-popping
garden gloves

to finally make
their debut.

(Ok, so what is that stretchy thing on the back of gloves for, anyway?)

I paid my camera guy (kid) his wages in berry-related goodies today -

a big hit.

Cobbler.

Check.

Jam.

Check.
Fresh berries

over vanilla

ice cream.

Check.

Paper Pinwheel Prize Production

2009-09-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

...and you agreed to make how many of these?

Actually, this first batch was only about fifty -
just enough to keep it fun.

OK, that may be stretchin' a bit for the last ten.

If you've ever hand crafted paper wonderfulness in quantity, you know it can get pretty daunting by say, oh, about 3 a.m. - at which point you've cycled through your entire iPod library and it begins to dawn on you that the last cuppa coffee at 1 a.m. maybe wasn't such a great idea for steady hand/eye coordination.

These are usually made as prizes, but in this incarnation they are name tags for a local scrapbook store's soiree. The attendee names were added later, in calligraphy, and a pin back was attached.

I used more of that yummy Cosmos Cricket Early Bird paper. The local stores may be totally cleaned out of that stuff by now, with all of my recent projects.

I really like it,
lots.

Early to Rise

2009-08-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

Although summer doesn't end officially until the autumnal equinox, I always feel that the last day of August is IT.

Our weather here in the Pacific Northwest is usually gorgeous all September, but that yummy feeling of lazy summer is gone as the September Scurry takes hold of us all.

I've been trying to stretch out my summer by getting up extra early and scooting on outside. Somehow, it makes the day feel longer.

(Yep, I'm one of THOSE PEOPLE who can trick themselves into being
on time by setting my clock ten minutes fast.)

Today, I was lucky to catch the morning sun illuminating this pink geranium.

Garden Pixie

2009-06-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Say hello to my new Garden Pixie.

She's a bit shy, as you can tell from her - vavavoom! - outfit.

I'm still waiting for inspiration to strike me with the perfect name for her. Any suggestions?

I made this in a soldering class last night with a couple other ladies. A little tricky to get the hang of at first, but once you get it - very fun. I have been assured that my soldering skills will improve with time. Good to hear. I've got lots more of these babies planned!

There are four layers of glass, all sandwiched together, with a scrolly embellishment at the bottom and
a simple jump ring at the top for dangling purposes.

That's all I could manage in a 3 hour class.

Designer's Diner

2009-06-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mom's cooking up a storm at the Designer's Diner!
Check out this scrumptious Father's Day flip album made with the YUMMY New Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Collection. Step-by-step tutorial below.

Best Dad Ever

2009-06-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

COSMO CRICKETT
EARLY BIRD
FATHER'S DAY
FLIP BOOK

INGREDIENTS;
-5 PIECES OF PATTERENED PAPER
CUT TO 6X6 SQUARES.
-5 TOILET PAPER TUBES
-ASSORTED EMEBELLISHEMENTS
-GIFT CARDS,PAINT CHIPS, TINY ZIPLOCKS, GAME CARDS, COUPONS, TICKETS. ETC.

DIRECTIONS:
1. GATHER 5 TOILET PAPER TUBES
2. SQUASH THEM FLAT
3. IRON THEM FOR A SHARPER EDGE
4. CUT 5 SHEETS PATTERNED PAPER TO 6X6 SQUARES
5. GLUE BOTH SIDES OF TUBE
6. ADHERE PAPER AND CREASE SHARPLY
7. CUT A SLIT ON EACH SIDE
8. FOLD PAPER INSIDE OF TUBE
9. EMBELLISH EACH PAGE FRONT AND BACK
11. TUCK TAGS, CARDS, COUPONS IN SLOTS
12. USING A ZUTTER OR CROPODILE TO PUNCH HOLES
13. BIND WITH 2” ZUTTER WIRE, BOOK RINGS OR HEAVY CORDING.
14. PRESENT TO DAD, ALONG WITH YOUR ETERNAL GRATITUDE.

I gotta say, I love, love, love this new Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Collection. The paper is actually designed with a cookbook theme in mind, but I was so drawn to the colors and patterns that I was sure it could multi-task for Father's Day. It is heavyweight, printed on both sides and is made from mixed sources, recycled wood or fibre from well managed forests. Perfect for this upcycled TP tube project!

The base mini-album goes together very quickly and then the fun part begins - embellishing with all the doodads you can find.

I started the album out with a spot for a family photo and will sprinkle pictures of Dad doing something special with each kid on the rest of the pages. There are journaling boxes on each of page for a special note from each kid, as well as a place for photos.

Gift cards are the exact size to slide into the pockets with a perfect fit. I included a little ziplock with tickets for lawn mowing, fishing trip, car wash and a Costco hot dog, in the first slot. I then added in a Home Depot gift card glued to a paint chip. The Dutch Boy paint chips at Wal-mart fit perfectly and have a little square cutout for a photo.There is a certificate for a favorite meal (made with love), a Starbucks card for a cuppa Joe and an award for the Best Dad Ever.

As a finishing touch, I hung a tiny fishing bobber (found at the hardware store) on the spiral binding.

DIY Bird Feeder

2009-06-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've enlisted the services of some treasures from the Bermuda Triangle Drawer
in my kitchen, (full of "mystery" pots, pans and parts) to create a new
bird feeder for the yard.

It was TIME!

The extra snow last winter left the old cedar feeder listing to one side. Just one more 3 point landing from a blue jay and the whole thing would be in the pond!

Here is the finished product of my endeavors, along with a tutorial, to inspire you to make one yourself.

Ingredients:
Bits and pieces of junky metal kitchen fodder.
I started off with a fondue holder, so I stuck to a round design. Square pans and lids make great bird feeders too.

1. Pizza pan base.
2. Burner drip pan.
3. Fondue holder.
4. Wok lid.
5. Dollar store decoration.
6. Caulk gun.
7. Pan lid.
8. Pop bottle.
9. Epoxy.

It was very easy to make, thanks to a tube of this super duper Epoxy. The open design and pop bottle insert make it really easy to clean, which is important for the health of your fine feathered friends.

Directions:

Stack things together first as a trial. Arrange all of your bits and pieces 'til you like them.

Remember, gravity counts!

Glue parts from the base up, with Epoxy. It takes 24 hours to fully cure, but you can handle it in a few hours.

Spray paint the whole contraption. Cut pop bottle top and bottom off to create a tube for the seed. (The bird embellished pot lid lifts off for easy refilling) Mount on a pole or add a hook and hang.

Fill with birdseed, then get your camera with zoom ready and go on assignment for the Audubon Society!

Way Cool!

2009-06-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

It's been

pretty warm

and sunny

here in the

Pacific Northwest

this past week.

That's something

we're not used to

in early June.

So, I hauled out

the old "finger chopper"

fan ala fifties

for a nightime breeze.

Ours makes a big

racket that kinda

lulls you to sleep.

Nice and cool.