YUPO

Looking forward to the annual Italian feast we will have tonight! Every X-Mas Eve, our great friends (the Starrantinos) invite us over to celebrate. Will and I were both sick with a stomach bug yesterday, but am glad to say I feel better today. Not 100% as my stomach is still churning, but I think I might be hungry?

Anyway, my Design Team post is up over at Artistcellar. Come check out what I did with YUPO paper. I have only used this manmade synthetic stuff twice and I think I like it. I'm curious to see how it would work in one of my handmade journals. I might incorporate some pages in the next one I make.

This is not the finished piece. Go visit Artistcellar to see what I did!

Happy holidays!

New Journal

It's time for a new journal. I LOVE making my own journals. There is something about ripping the paper, sewing the binding and decorating the covers that is incredibly satisfying for me.

Do you like to buy your journals or make them?

Here is the finished piece I created for Artistcellar the other day. There is still time to enter yourself for a chance to win a set of Jill Berry's new TEXTure 2 stencils either by leaving a comment over at Artistcellar (each Design Team member is offering a chance to win. there are 5 Desing Team members so that is 5 chances!). You also have chances to win through the blog hop that's been going Head over there to check it out!

First Flight

Come visit me over at Artistcellar as it is my day as part of the Design Team to blog!  You can still try to win a set of Jill Berry's new stencils. They are a lot of fun! Come see what I did with the stencil Miro from this new set. The blog hop is also going on! Go check it out. Maybe you'll be a winner!?!

Gypsy Girl

I finished my gypsy girl a la Tam from Willowing. I'm pretty happy with her, but I still think her eyes are too close together. I love the layers and the texture.  Next time I will use some different pastes to really add dimension.  I really had a lot of fun and it is bigger than I have worked in a long time (about 11x15").

Win It!

I'm still on the Design Team over at Artistcellar. This week is the release of Jill Berry's TEXTure2 Stencils and they are fab! If you go to the Artistcellar blog you can try to win a set of these awesome stencils.  In fact, each Design Team member is giving a set away and there is also a blog hop going on where you can also enter to win.  Wouldn't it be fun to win?!?!?!

Here is a peek at what I created using one of the stencils in the set.  Go check out my entire post!

Girl Interrupted

Painting big! I has to stop as I had to drive carpool. I think her eyes are too close together, but it's too late now. My daughter suggested I make her a pirate with an eye patch!

Yupo

I picked up some Yupo paper the other day to try. I played around with alcohol inks and I like the result. I'm curious how mixed media work will be with this paper. It feels SO smooth!

Feeling it

Last week, I bought some new tubes of paint in luscious colors. I have the bug! I've been feeling the need to paint. Big. On canvas.  I started playing around yesterday and this is where I am so far. I'm loving the texture and feel I'm headed in the right direction. Now I need to buy an easel!

Made it!

 I'm still on the Design Team over at Artistcellar. I post on the blog over there every Tuesday. I had lots of fun making a new little journal. Go check it out!

Shimmer and shine

I finally finished playing around with this girl in my journal. I added the texture with molding paste. and added more color with Neocolor IIs. I bought some shimmery inks the other day and I wanted to see what would happen if I filled in the space around the stenciled texture with heavy gel medium mixed with the shimmery ink. I love the effect! I can't wait to try this out on a big piece of watercolor paper or canvas.

See the great shine and shimmer! LOVE IT

Experiment

Since it's been really cold here, I've been playing in my art room. Gia wanted to make a new journal - - one we could work in together. Isn't that a fantastic idea? Partner journaling. We haven't started it yet.  She loves the vintage covers and it's BIG. 50 pages!!!!!

I've also been playing around in my journal trying out 3/4 facing faces in Tam's style. I love her girls! I'm pretty satisfied with this girl, but I don't like her nose. I always say that! I have a thing about drawing noses. I stink at them. Anyway, if I like the end result I might try another one but bigger.

Journal Time

Yesterday was my weekly post over at Artistcellar.  I am having a good time being part of the Design Team. My journal spread yesterday was about what I journal about. Good? Bad? Everything? Come take a look at my process and share what you put in your journal.

I took some time to go through my art room and found a journal from a few years ago. Here are two pages that I love. Both are done with Tombow markers. Playing with these are fun as the blending is great!

Speed of Life

Recently I bought Pam Carriker's new book Creating Art At The Speed of Life: 30 Days of Mixed Media Exploration. 

As I scanned through the book, I immediately decided to do every lesson. It might take me longer than 30 days, but I am going to do them all.

I LOVE taking workshops in person. There is really something to be said about being like-minded people who just get what you do. They love paper. They get excited about markers. They share what they've seen on so-and-so's blog or website. You get the idea.  About 5 years ago, I flew to Portland to take a soldering class from Sally Jean Alexander. I had the most spectacular weekend and a few years ago I flew to Ohio to take an art journaling workshop from Teesha Moore. Again, it was an amazing weekend.

I thought as the kids got older it would be easier for me to go take workshops, but oh was I wrong. There just isn't the time and I can't clone myself. So, I thought this will be a great way for me to participate. Sure, I've registered for many online workshops and I start but never finish. I think having a book might be the answer. We'll see. I will post my assignments and see how I progress.

I followed Pam's directions as to how to make her journal. It's a great size.   I made the color wheel and am ready for lesson #1. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow! It's supposed to be cold and rainy here.

Gelli Tape

I used clear packing tape and made some really cool sheets on the Gelli plate. I brushed on colored shimmery powder and silver leaf on the sticky areas and adhered them to the back of a cell phone cover. Love this process! You can check out my detailed post today over at Artistcellar.

Punch of Pink

It's Tuesday people and this means I'm the Design Team blogger today over at Artistcellar. Come see my full post that goes with these pictures!

Gelli

Needed to get my juices flowing so I played around with the Gelli plate today. The first one I did right in my journal. The other I glued into my journal. Love the color combinations!

Girls Going Wild

I just received Jane Davenport's new Petite Girl Stencils in the mail and got to play with them for my post today over at Artistcellar. They are a great size...perfect for my journal. I used Peerless Watercolors to make my girl, added some tissue paper collage, some kosher salt for texture and did some writing on the page. This was great fun!

Gia, my 9 year old, got in on the fun too. Here is what she created in her journal. Fabulous use of colors!

Pouring Medium

I have been having a great time playing around with pouring medium and layering, layering and layering along with adding some texture. After playing in my journal with this cool medium, I played around on a piece of wood and this is what I came up with. I love how this product gives the effect of encaustic where someone would look at it and ask, "how did you do that?"  I love it!

You can also check out my post today over at Artistcellar where I went in depth as to how I created these journal pages. Great fun!

Mr. Unicorn

Yesterday was my turn as part of the design team over at Artistcellar. I created a mixed media page in my journal using Gelatos, reverse stenciling and image transfer. Go check out my post to see how I created this page!

What u think of me

So I have been dealing with a PTA issue at my daughter's elementary school. They are bringing in a fundraiser that I don't agree with. It is a company that will run an event and take 48% of all total monies raised. There are some good elements (i.e physical activity, character education) however, they have a script they are going to give each child that teaches the "how to's" of fundraising. There are many mantras they want the kids to repeat and I was/am concerned about the loss of instructional time.  Additionally, I believe the fundraising component does NOT belong in the public school.

To make a long story short, I accidentally sent an email to the PTA president that wasn't supposed to go to her. In it, I wrote she was fake b/c her email was complimentary to me (in regards to the last 3 years of planning the annual Daddy Daughter Dance) but in person criticized me for going over budget. The budget is not negative.  I was mad at myself for being so careless in sending it to the wrong person. So.....I owned it. I responded to her that these were in fact my feelings and went on briefly to reiterate what I believed about my past contributions and my current concerns.

I resigned from my role as chairperson for the dance because I simply do not want to be involved with this organization any longer.  I was offended and upset that someone would become angry and nasty when faced with someone who wanted clarification as to how specific policies applied to this situation.

I don't care what people think of me, but I am mad at myself that I sent the email to the wrong person.

As I wrote in my follow up, this issue is done and no further discussion is needed.

Here is the journal page that came out of this. I had fun using pouring medium, collage, modeling paste, paint and collage. I am definitely going to play around more with the pouring medium. It's hard to see the shine in the picture, but it's there. I mixed interference blue in with the medium so there is a holographic blue sheen to the page too. I couldn't get it in the picture.

I felt the quote was very appropriate for this situation. Loving the texture!!!!!

Pump Up the Pouch!

I'm the guest blogger today over at Artistcellar. Come on over and see what I've got going on!
Here's a sneak peek.

Doodle Noodle

I wish I had a picture of the really ugly background I had on this page. It was brown, green and I think purple. Don't ask me what I was doing with such an awful color combination. I have no idea!  I kept playing around with different paint and gesso and it all just came together.

The doodles were a last minute thing because I just HAD to use the new markers I got.

I couldn't believe it. I found these Liquitex paint pens at Walmart for $1.97 each! Of course I bought a few. Ok, more than a few and had to try them out as soon as I got home. Not certain, but I think I might actually like these better than the Sharpie Poster Paint Pens - - -  GASP!!!!!!!  I also found the pouch there and am thinking about what I want to do with it. Stay tuned.......

Design Team

My exciting news is is that I am a member of the Design Team over at ARTISTCELLAR.  I did a guest blog post months ago and am excited for this opportunity.  This is just one picture of many in my post. Come on over to see what this is all about!

Exciting News

I have some exciting news to share, but I can't share it just yet!  Tuesday will be the day to what it is.