I do...for ever and ever

Just a page in another art journal. 

I didn't have any idea where I was going with it until it all came together. 

I'm finding that I'm working more and more that way lately. 

As an aside...I'm looking at moving my blog to Wordpress to actually USE the domain Mr. G bought for me a while back. 

I'm having anxiety about making the move since I've been with Blogger for so long.

When I make the move I hope you will come visit me there....

I'll definitely keep you posted...

 

Quiet Memory

A second page in my new journal. 

Remembering the day I took hundred's of nature photos and collected seeds with an old friend.

 

Art Journal

Putting paint to pages of a book is very freeing.

This was a cookbook I never used. 

All it did was take up space,

 so...

a new journal is born.

Little bits of this and that hoarded over time. 

Such as the paint strip. 

Bayou blue is the color Big J picked for his room. 

It reminds me of medical scrubs but whatever...he likes it.

Pieces of projects and experiments.

Like bits of rusted fabric.

Polymer clay leaves from the one and only time I crafted with it. Yuck! Hate the smell of that stuff.

As well as a deconstructed silk flower that I used a script rubber stamp across for interest.

 

Summer Breeze

 

I got up early...well, early for the weekend...and  this is what poured out of me.

The cold weather has me dreaming of summer now that the Holiday season is over. 

 

Beauty of nature

I was inspired to pull out the book I used for my friend Elizabeth's AB 101 class I took several years ago. 

I never did complete the class. I figure I can join back in where I left off since she's currently reteaching the class for free on her blog. 

My altered book theme is Nature.

It was so fun to play in paint and glue again. I have to keep at it since it makes me feel so carefree.

 

Quote tip-in

I have a passion for words. Quotes especially. I find myself making more and more quote tip-ins. I guess that means I'll need to put together another book one day. 

We've been watching the Hatfields & McCoys mini series. 

I think that's what brought out the photo.  It's actually from an old Reminisce magazine. My folks used to get that one...I've saved some of them since they have such fun stuff inside.

Thanks to Elizabeth for the awesome handmade paper behind the photo. She makes the best handmade paper I've ever seen!

 

Scrap inspired

Bits and pieces laying around came together for me yesterday.  

Wish that happened more often.

 

Journal pages

Over the weekend I was inspired to do a bit of art journaling. 

Not sure that it will actually become a "project" but it was nice to play.

 

Making cards

Ok...so the thumb still hurts but I can't seem to 

not use it. 

No matter what it is in life...I use that thumb. 

So I might as well make some cards...right?

I made a lot of cards...

they are like chips...bet you can't eat just one...er...make just one.

I've had a couple people ask me lately about my photo cards for the holidays.  Gifts and such I'd assume.

Which got me thinking...I should really sit down and make a bunch with all the photos I already have!

I also made a few more fabric collage cards. 

I really enjoy making these. 

They are what you might call a labor of love.

"Grow"

Altered Puzzle piece

Finished another one and popped it in the mailbox yesterday. 

One of the postmen said he gets a kick out of the mail art and postcards I send and receive. 

He asked me about the postcards one day when I was mailing a very boring package.

I had no idea they paid that much attention! 

Fun to know that mail art not only brightens the recipients day but the postal workers day as well.

Found text ATC

Sometimes I grab a random page torn from a book to give me inspiration. 

That is when my quirky sense of humor takes over....

UFO's--finished

Since we've been pretty much stuck in the house lately I've been exercising my creative side by attempting to finish some UFO's...unfinished objects.


I have a stack of these type of projects. Some just have a background finished. Others are a train wreck and are in need of a do-over. 

This small canvas board was one of those. Whoa! You can't even imagine how ugly the background on this baby was. I didn't take a before picture...it was too awful.  Now I happen to like it.

This puzzle piece was another that had been abandoned sometime last fall when I ran out of steam after gluing papers to the backs of a dozen or so pieces.  I used my scrap bucket for most of this one.

I'm also working on a mixed-media painting. So far I'm just layering and layering...no photos yet.

Magic Portals

The second book in the round robin has arrived.
The theme: Magic.
The thought of magical portals came to mind immediately. A world brought to life through the power of imagination. Our imaginations are magical...they can take us places, experience things, create a world all our own...suspend reality...

I have a more traditional "Magic" thought for the second page in mind.

A little bit of luck

Another fabric collage!

These are definitely going to be something you'll be seeing more of. Love all the texture and movement you get with all the layers.

You can find this one in my esty store.

Fabric collage

My friend Patty let me know she got my package so, as promised, here is the full view of the fabric collage I created a while back.

I've been so inspired by others fabric collages in blogland but hadn't ever attempted or even felt the inclination to attempt one until now.

I just kept layering pieces until I felt happy with it. The tree book page and the rust colored fabric were my starting point. I knew I wanted something dimensional so I searched through my jewelry stash and found this berry piece. I think it may have been a clip to dress-up a shoe in its former life.

I even got to use some of my CitroSolv background paper.

I'm definitely going to do some more work combining fabric and papers in the future.

Book covers

I've jumped headlong into 2 new long-term swaps.

The first one I signed up for was a tip-in swap with 6 players. The same type of swap as my very first one...except that had more players.
It's a color theme swap...obviously, my color is blue. I'm using this book that I rescued from the library's free shelf. It's not an old sewn binding book as is recommended but I figure since it won't be traveling around I can fix any issues that may occur with the binding.


The second swap is actually an altered book round robin. As of yesterday there were 5 of us. It would be fun if we could get a couple more players but with this type of swap you really need to be committed since mailing entire books can get a bit expensive especially towards the end when the books are getting real thick and heavy.

 
Based on the sewn binding books I had on hand, I decided on the theme: There's no place like home. The title of the book, We have always lived in a castle, helped determine the theme.  It will be really fun to see how the other players interpret the theme.

I wanted to leave the original title on the binding so I used what I call my Kelly Rae inspired background technique which basically consists of using gel medium to glue down scraps of book text onto the cover.  After it's all dry, I paint. Sometimes more text shows through than this. I was actually going for more of that look but I got a little heavy handed with the base wash. So I went with it...

The cover isn't exactly what I had in mind but it's not too often I can get my vision to translate directly to the canvas.


Next I'll work on the sign-in page. I have several ideas floating around but nothing has screamed at me as a must do yet.

Hopefully I'll come to some decision while we are moving snow this morning. The kids got a snow day!  We got over 11 inches of snow and now there is freezing rain coming down!! What's up with that!?!?

Sneak peek at something new

I felt totally inspired this morning...I'm sending this off to a friend who reads my blog so I'm only going to show a little snippet or two until it arrives.

ATC vs Inchie

Until I had one of each set side by side I hadn't realized how small an inchie really is!

ATC: 2.5 x 3.5

Inchie: 1 inch square

This is my second inchie ever. I don't really care for the size but keep trying.

Card making inspiration

My mom found this card in my dad's room at the nursing home. Due to his dementia, he couldn't tell her who gave it to him or how it had gotten there.

She thought I had made it.
She was positive I had made it since I used to make cards all the time and had just forgotten to sign it. It's a beautiful card but it wasn't me. Although, I do intend to make one of similar style.

It occurred to me that I really would like to give more handmade cards again.
I'm also trying to use some of my scraps. I just can't stand to toss perfectly usable papers into the recycling bin.