And I Love Paper

We all do, don't we, and don't you think that the scrapbook paper world in the last 5 years or so has just gone crazy with color, textures, patterns, etc., etc.?!   I never was a "scrapper", and I think one of the  reasons  why  was because that I was never that crazy about the selection of scrapbook paper--either just plain colors or too cutesy, but not anymore.  When you go online to see all of the different kinds, you could be looking for a LONG time.  I like to go to Michael's or AC Moore's to just look at the papers for color combinations and inspiration , and I love the big paper pads that you can get with all the coordinating papers. 

And how about  the  2-sided paper?  How cool is that?!   I was at AC Moore's  last week and I found a 2-sided  one that  I really liked,  and it was not my normal colors that I would go for, but I decided to use it for my next piece using only the colors of it  (you know--the 'with one pallette thing' again).

(Love those cupboard doors!)  It's the icy blues--in person, it's actually more of a gray-blue, and the buttery creams, and white!  I never use white, and I put away the black. I usually use black for outlining or edging--I did use brown though.   So the background of this was the one side of the paper--

It's beautiful paper---scrapbook paper has come a long way.  And the flowers  have lots of texture with Golden's soft molding paste. The centers I did with tiny beads and Crsytal Lacquer, which I talked about and showed more on this post.

And how about this vase? --looks like I  finally got that 2-step crackle method down--

No.....that's the other side of the paper--I just added some highlights with paint.

And on the frame part of the door,  I combined both sides of the paper with crackle paste and those little beads again--it almost looks like it was all just painted on.

I'm really happy with the results!

But I still like to paint my own papers, and I've been busy doing just that.  This time, I wanted to use some fun colors.  I've been getting alot of different colors that I've never had before, and what better way to play around with them.

They'll be here waiting for me  when I  get  back!

Because tomorrow I'm leaving to go to the City that never sleeps, The Big Apple (do they still call it that?)---New York City!!  My son has lots of plans for us.  He teaches at a college in New Jersey, so he isn't working  right  now, which  makes it great.  And I'm  going  to  try my darndest to post photos every night, because I want you all to come along with us and have fun too.  I'm not sure about Monday's plans,  except for one.  We're going to the David Letterman show--COOL!  So if you watch on Monday night, I might just be on TV--stay tuned!

Ready To Go & Another Award & I've Been TAGGED!

I have a few more pieces that I've finished and ready to take with me for my show when I leave tommorrow--

This is on a 12 x 22 pine board.  I get these pine plank boards at Lowes for $8.00, and then I just cut them to the size I want.  They're about an inch thick, and the sides are rough, unfinished, which I like, because it adds to the shabbiness of  the piece.  This  really is a mixed media piece. I collaged book pages and scrapbook paper on it, and  I attached  a cupboard door handle  that I found in my vast array of old hardware:

And still love using my Golden's crackle paste--

And  I have one more piece of furniture that I finished.  I had a before shot of this, but somehow it got deleted. It's a really neat vintage piece--kind of a chair, desk, table combo.  I can see this in a ladies bedroom.

Also I must thank Jackie for this award--

This is such a compliment for me.  I found her blog, before she found mine, and I was so inspired by  her art.  You have to go visit  Me Down To A Fine Art!  Thank you Jackie!

And also, something new for me--I've been  tagged  by Tracey at Glitterbug Studios.  This sounds like fun, but I know that I'm not going to have time right now, because I'm getting ready to leave tomorrow morning.  I'm going to try next week, though.  I want to say thank you to Tracey (do you know how talented this lady is?!!--go check her out)  for tagging me.  You  all know how encouraging  it  is  to be recognized by other artists.  I will always appreciate this!!   And thanks you two for making my week!

So I'm leaving tomorrow, and will be gone until Sunday, BUT I am taking my Dell with me.  This is the first time I can do this, because I just bought this laptop a few months ago.  I think that I would go through some serious internet withdrawal problems if I didn't take it.  I'm hoping that the motel that we're staying in has free internet service.  As much as I would like being one of those cool people at Starbuck's sipping on my latte with my laptop, I'd rather be in my motel room with it. So I'll be checking in on everyone this weekend--hope everyone has a great warm weekend!

Black, White, And Red

It's not all black and white is what the theme is this week at Mixed Media Monday--so keeping  with my colors from  my last post, I'm sticking with the red--

Did you ever have one of those pieces that you're working on , and just aren't satisfied with it, and you keep adding more stuff to it?   Well, this is one of those pieces, and luckily I documented the process with photos. So come along with me on my journey, and I'll show you.  So the first thing I did was take a gallery wrapped  8 x 10 canvas and collaged black and white papers on it, because that's the theme-right?

The sheet music is from a collage pack that I purchased from Ophelia--wonderful items in this pack, including some old ledger papers, which I love.  And she still has more available--just click on her name for the link.  It was perfect for what I wanted, because I knew that I was going to be putting roses on it, and the name of the song was  "Under the Rose Arbor"--perfect :D

After that,  I put a titan buff wash over it (I know, I know--it's not white, but I would say it's ivory--a member of the white family) and Golden's  crackle  paste on the edges and on the rose stencil.  I love this crackle paste, because that's just what it does when it dries-- it cracks.

So I added some script stamp in places and the ladies face--I love this stamp--I use her alot.

Okay, you see that house in the corner?  Well, that's an inkjet transfer, that I'm so proud that I can do now, but I was looking at it, and thought  "this is too dark, hmmm, I know, I'll outline it (it wraps around the side of the canvas too). So after I did that, I said "no, it's too dark--it's gotta go"

P.S. Notice the music title is just about gone, except for the word Arbor--well that will still work.

So let's move forward a little bit--I got rid of the house and added more sheet music there and in other places and at the top I added the word Dance from another song title, because as you can see "Under the Rose Arbor" is long gone.  I had these fabric flowers that I added for more texture, also.  At this point, I said (notice I'm not thinking anymore, I'm saying--in other words I'm talking to myself or arguing with Clara my muse--one or the other),  "okay, it's finished" and I varnished it  (gloss varnish), and this was my final photo for MMM.  Yesterday morning when I looked at it, I said, "I don't like it", so back to the drawing board--

So now...... I added more stamping (I stamped onto old sewing pattern tissue papers and collaged them into the heart and around different places) I dirtied up the flowers, because they were just too white.  Let me see, what else--just more stamping.  And I said  "okay, now it's finished" and this was the final photo for MMM.  A  few hours later I was looking at it, and I said "it needs something,  hmmm, how about a hanger?"

P.S. What happpened to the word Dance?   I can hardly see it!

And here is the finished piece....... I think.  If this was Mixed Media Tuesday, I'd probably be still adding stuff  to it.  I have to say that I like it better in person--everything shows up so flat on the computer screen--you lose the texture of the piece.   So, that's it,  I hope you enjoyed my "tutorial"?

Suzi And Norah

So I'm taking two classes right now, and they're both on faces, but they're different from one another.  I've been taking Suzi Blu's class for a little over a month now, and here's my latest goddess:

She has to be my favorite so far.  As much as I really like the whimsical , colorful art, I 'm still loving the shabby look, and as soon as I drew her face, I knew that's how this piece would turn out.  In Suzi's class the face is colored mostly with the colored pencils  (Prisma), and then  a few finishing touches with the acrylics.  You can do it however you want, but this is how she teaches it.  Also, I'm trying to get a little looser with the hair.  The way she teaches us --it's the face that is the most important--everything else is abstract--so anything goes, including the hair.  I'm still working on that part.  I do know that all of my girls have nice full heads of hair, and this one as a little natural curl to it.  Probably because I have stick straight, baby fine hair that won't do anything.

And then in Sharon's class, All Norah's Art,   we learn  how to color the face with acrylics, and mostly using Folk Art brand paints, which are inexpensive, but still work good.  This is my first face.

Now I've been only taking this class for a week, and I notice some things that I'd like to improve on, but overall,  I'm very happy with it.  I love the look of  Sharon's faces--they have an old-fashioned, vintage look to them.  And you see that house in the background?--that's an inkjet print transfer, which I 've never been successful with before.  But Sharon shows us in her step by step video (one of  7 for the just the first week alone!) how to do this, and I was so pleased that it turned out (I keep telling everybody this : ) She's very thorough with her lesson, and I love watching her paint.  Her new lesson starts today!

I love creating both of these faces--Suzi's and Sharon's-aka Norah's.  I turn on the videos and work along with them.  I know Suzi's by heart--I don't even watch her anymore--I just listen.  I talk along with her, because I know what she's going to say next.  And I'm sure it will be the same for Sharon's, once I watch them enough--right down to her Southern drawl!  Both of these classes are still available to sign up for, and I can't recommend them enough!

No fancy cooking this week to show you, but I will have some cake and ice cream. Yes....today is my birthday.  I am 56 years old today, and what are those sayings?--"You're as young as you feel", "Age is just a number", "Youth is wasted on the young"--I know there's more.  These sayings were all probably invented by "old" people to make us feel better.  But you know what--they're right.  If I live to be 100, I know one thing for sure--I will  NEVER  be old!!  So I'm off to the internet now to look for some more age sayings : )

What I've Been Working On, Some of My Favorite Products, & a New Class

Wow, I'm really getting into the swing of things now that the festivities are behind us, and the dark gloomy months are ahead in this part of the world.  I actually had been working on this piece way before Christmas.

It was one of those pieces that you start out with, and it ends up completely different than what you  had in mind.  I just wasn't happy with the background, so there are many different layers on this, which actually makes it end up better. Tara over at Aquamarine asked that question. If you're not struggling with your artwork, does that mean it's not good?  I like it the other way--when your muse takes over, and you just let her tell you when it's finished.

I also wanted to tell you of the some of the products I used on it.  My favorite one that I like to use is Golden's Crackle Paste

I  like to apply it right out of the container, but you can mix it with colors.  And depending on how thick you apply it, is how the cracks will appear when it dries.  I applied it pretty thick, so I would have the bigger cracks. It usually takes overnight to dry.  I love to paint over it, because the paint just goes into the cracks, and you can wipe over it, and add more--it's a forgiving surface.

I hand-painted papers again for the flowers and vase. I have SO much patterned paper here already that I should be using, but I really like the look and texture of the hand-painted papers.

 

After I collaged the papers, I added detail with Derwent Inktense Pencils--I had these for a while, but never used them . These are cool!  They go on like colored pencils, but when you add water, they spread like paint, and the colors are very intense just like  the name says. They say that even though they are water soluble, that once dry, they become permanent, but I noticed that the next day when I rewet them, they ran, so I just sprayed a workable fixative on them.

Another one of my favorites are the Faber-Castell Pitt pens.  I like to use these for outlining, and they are permanent (India Ink), but when they're still wet, you can smudge them to soften them up a little. I really like these, and they come in every color imaginable.

And the class I'm starting is Suzi Blu's Goddess and Poet class.  I love Suzi's art, and especially her faces, but this is fairly new for me.  I'm definitely a beginner, and this class is for beginners.  I started watching her videos and downloaded the pdf file that comes with  them--she's a very good teacher. Short of her standing right behind me, I couldn't get  a more thorough lesson--so I'm hoping I can get this.  I'm hoping to keep you posted on this.