I am Back...

Hello there lovely people;

It has been a CRAZY month.  I am back and have lots to show you.  Check out the "Sketchbook Challenge" it is still going strong.  This months theme is 'Spilling Over'.  And oh my goodness I can definitely relate to that. Here is my rendition...

 What kind of sicky gets all worked up...just by simply LOOKING at "art supplies"....well...I am afraid to admit, that would be ME!  So this page is about that.  I love art supplies and I do have allot of it and not enough time in this life to use it.  So I now refrain from buying (which is extremely hard) and I just stalk other blogs and look at their supplies and how they are using them and that seems to fill the void.

I have been working on this next project for a couple of weeks now.  As you know my youngest daughter is going to London (this Saturday!!! OMG) and I thought it would be nice for her to document this journey in a hand-designed journal specifically for this trip. Here is the journal before.....

This is a simple lined Moleskin Cashier journal.  Looks pretty plain and not very inviting for a journey such as hers will be.  This is after I personalized it.

 I added an elastic enclosure that I attached to the back of the book.  I also handmade the button on the front.  I used my dremel tool to drill a couple of small holes that would incorporate the elastic and drew her name all fancy with ink and sealed it.  I picked her favorite color for the book which at the present time is "yellow".  I did some stamping and rubbing ink all around the sides to give it an old look, and cut out some of my hand-drawn flowers out of an old book page and glued it on.  I re-inforced the book by putting a seam of black tape on it.  I think it looks better like that.

 This is the back of the journal, I added a few more places that she wants to go to in her life.  I rubbed ink around those pictures as well to tie it all in together.

 I personalized the inside as well.  A blank book can sometimes be intimidating.  So I stamped some images in and I found some good "Travel Quotes" that I wrote in the bottom of some of the pages.

She is going with her classmates and at the last parent meeting they gave us their itinerary's so I added that to the journal hoping it will prompt her to write a little something everyday.  I also made a magnetic bookmark using the same paper as the journal so it matches. 

Re purposing an existing journal doesn't really cost allot of money.  I only used 1 piece of scrap booking paper; under 99 cents, an ink pad and a couple of stamps, glue and cut-outs from a travel book, and a little imagination which is FREE.  And of course TIME...which I know we don't have much of...that's why this took me 2 weeks because I could only work on it in 15 minute intervals.  I haven't showed her yet I just have a few last minute things to do, but I can't wait to show her :)

I will leave you with one of the quotes that I used in her travel journal...

"A traveller without observation is a bird without wings."                    Moslih Eddin Saadi

The Artist's Creed

Hi guys, I am still alive and creating. I will blog this week. I promise.

I found this video on ihannah's blog and I looooovvvveeee it!!!

I have been getting ready for my daughter to go to London and that's why I have been away. She leaves on Saturday and I am a little panick-stricken. That was unexpected of me...I did not know that I would be so nervous about this wonderful adventure that she will be on in less that than a weeks time. Forgive my absence and I will be back with lots of pictures and the new things I have created.

Tune in this week

Love and Hugs :)

Crosses

Hi guys,

A quick post to let you know what I've been up to today.  Check out "True North Arts " she has a wonderful post about cross-making.  What a great idea to make crosses out of found objects from your environment during Lent.  I work in a place where they throw out allot of perfectly good supplies and I have saved some to use for my cross.

 The cross is made out of garbage pieces of "rag-mat".  I have some old book pages and I will use some of the words that I find interesting or that I am drawn to.  At work we throw out allot of the brown wrapping paper so I saved some because I like the organic color and feel of it.  I also used a butterfly stamp with gold ink, (I put the butterfly stamp on almost everything).  I then used some pen and ink (brown) and distressed the edges with "Vintage Photo-Distress Ink".  Then for a finished touch I sprayed the whole cross with "Tattered Angel's-Glimmer Mist".

I have named my cross....Forgiveness.  I have a few resentments and I blame myself for certain things that I feel responsible for in my life,  so making this and meditating during the creation process has made me feel more peaceful with myself.  Thank-you Kathryn for enlightening me today :)

 If anyone and everyone is up for the challenge...what is your cross that you bear today?

"We are not human beings trying to be spiritual.  We are spiritual beings trying to be human."   Jacquelyn Small

My Mini-Tin

Good Day folks,

As I sit here... it is blowing and a mere 46 below zero with the wind chill.  I live in Canada and even for a Canadian that is severely COLD!!  I'm thinking the North Pole is warmer.  It's the kind of cold where I worry about the deer and coyotes and... I wonder... what temperature does it have to be before glass cracks? 

I have been working on my "mini-watercolor tin" and I must say, I really like it.  I needed to get some silicone so that I could make in water-proof on the inside.  I siliconed around the blister pack that I glued in.  Don't use metal glue...it didn't work for me.  I siliconed the blister pack in as well, so overall it took about 2 days to dry.  I painted it with acrylics and 

pen+ink and cut out the heart and flowers out of an old book page.  This was the first time I have tried Golden's Fluid Acrylics and Wow!! I love them...you don't need much and the pigment stays true...I knew there must be a reason they are so expensive.  Quality.  They also have a shine to them that I like.  I haven't tried them in my journal yet so I am interested to see if they are sticky when dry.  I have heard that some artists say the pages stick when they use it and some say that they don't stick.  So I will just have to let you know when I use them in my journal.  

I can't wait to put in the liquid water-colors into my mini.  I am going to put in the primaries, red, blue and yellow. Then white, black and brown.  I think I can mix any color with those.  I am not a seasoned watercolorist so if anyone out there knows what colors I should need in this little travel tin let me know.

 This is the bottom of the tin and I am not yet done, I want to write a personal note to myself but I am not quite sure what yet.  I want to thank Leslie at "Comfortable Shoes" for her excellent video and sharing her way of making these.  I want to make a ton of them...but no one paints :(  
I then will have to spray the whole outside of the tin and then do allot of coats so that it is well protected from the abuse that I know I will put it through.

The next project I have to finish is the Midori Traveller that I showed you last week.  I have all the supplies now and I just have to get it done.  I cut mine a bit too small so wish me luck.

"Skill to do comes of doing."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Midori Traveller, mini-watercolor tin, journal books .... oh my....

Hi there folks,

Now that I have a few days off...I have been busy creating some cool stuff...or trying to, I should say.  

Leslie at Comfortable Shoes Studio did an amazing video where she was making a mini-watercolor set out of a teeny tiny tin.  I loved it so much that I was a busy busy girl attempting this yesterday.  It is turning out extremely well.  I kind of love it.

These pics were taken before I primed them with primer.  I buffed it up a bit with very fine sandpaper and wiped it down to make sure there was no dust left.  Then let it dry completely.  Then I sprayed it with 2 coats of primer.

I bought some much needed Vitamin C, it conveniently comes in a blister pack...so I took them all out and sprayed the back with primer and cut it to fit inside my teeny tin. All I have left is silicone around the blister pack so that water doesn't seep under and rust out from the bottom and then put some liquid watercolors in and let them dry. It is ready to be painted with the design of my choice.  What do you think I should paint on it?  My Besty loves it so I am making her one and we will paint it together.  Nothing better than doing art with a friend or family.

Another very cool thing I found on the lovely world of the Internet is a "Midori Traveller" you can see what it looks like here.  As you know I am a huge journal fan and anyone who knows me knows that I collect them and I tell you...this Midori Traveller is amazing!! And it should be for $70 bucks.  So I researched them and I am attempting to make my own.  I love that it is interchangeable, you can put whatever type of journal/paper inside. 

So I went on the hunt for some very thick leather.  Not easy to find...but determined me Never gives up.  I found an old leather clutch purse at a second hand store for $3 bucks.  I took it apart and it is perfect.  So now I have to find some thick elastic that won't break down over time.  I'm thinking of the elastic they use for hiking gear, backpacks and such. So I might have to go to Valhalla or Mountain Equipment Co-Op and see what they have.  If I make this I would like it to last forever or close to it.  My goodness the Japanese are smart.  It is such an amazing book.  Wow.  


I have a couple of new books to show off to you.  

This one is amazing.  A perfect reference book.  For any material you are using or want to use.  From paper types to how to make your own pigments.  Tons of information here. 






And this one.

Pam's New Book. I have been waiting for this one to be released.  Wonderful Mixed Media techniques and very user friendly.  I love ordering on-line.  Half the price of the books at Chapters and they come right to your door.  Don't get me wrong...I love Chapters...but very expensive.


Love you guys and I would love to hear how creative your week has been.  If it hasn't been, it is never to late to do something creative now.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"  PICASSO

Art Journal Love Day!

I am back...

So soon.  Well that's what you get when you are late (post after post).  I think that you should Blog when you feel like blogging (is that even a word?).  So here I am again.  Sick of me yet?  Yesterdays blog was a little lame and I felt a teenie bit guilty. 


Over at Dirty Footprints Studio Connie is having an "Art Journal LOVE" day.  How exciting is that!!  I love my journal and why not admit it here and now. So here is my post and picture to prove it.

 Yes I know...it's the dreaded poodle again.  She just got her hair buzzed yesterday and she is in a deep depression, curled up in her bed.  Very sad.  She doesn't even want to chase the cat...so she is really down.  This picture reminds me of better days and hopefully she will be back to her own sweet self soon.

 This picture was "created" out of the sheer love of creating and that anyone can do it, you don't need any special talent or training, I call most of my art "doodling" if that is any consolation, then it doesn't have to be a serious thing.  Don't sit there in hopes of creating a work of ART...you will just sit there stumped.  Just play.  Doodle.  Color.  



Thanks Connie for "Art Journal Love Day" and congrats on finding your way and making your dreams come true.

"Free from ambitious pride and envious care, to love and to be loved is all my prayer"

 

Valentine's Day Love

Hey Folks,

I want to say...Happy Valentine's Day and I hope and pray that you felt the love on this very special day even if it wasn't "external" I hope you connected with yourself "internally".  To Love Yourself is the biggest Love there is.  

A few of movies that I highly recommend for the "lovers or the love-sick" out there.  I cried a small river over these.  

1. Love and Other Drugs starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal.  It was very unexpectedly wonderful.  Have kleenex handy. 
2. It's Kind of a Funny Story starring Emma Roberts (Julia Roberts niece) and Zach Galifianakis.  Teaches us alot about how dramatic and depressed we think we are, there is always someone worse.  Helping those in need, helps ourselves in turn. 
3. Life As We Know It starring Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl.  It's a must see.  I don't want to give to much away.  Watch the trailer.  Click on my links :)

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 Corinthians 13

Love and Hugs :)