Fifth Child Studio

The Como Ordway Memorial Japanese Garden

2012-01-12T11:32:00.000-06:00

Our friend Linda invited Kimberly and me to join her for an afternoon at the Japanese Gardens. The timing for this post is to perhaps warm the soul a bit after a few weeks of the winter experience. If you have a chance to visit, it is truly a lovely zen garden.

I want to see the gardens this winter with the blankets of snow...I bet it's stunning.

Paris

2012-01-06T02:56:00.000-06:00

It's fun to see all the lights sparkling at night! The light show only lasts a short time and is repeated on the hour at night. I'll be posting some more fun photos of my Paris adventure throughout 2012. FYI - Just in case you're interested:

Address of the Eiffel Tower:
5 avenue Anatole France
Quai Branly 75007 Paris
France

Tel: 33 01 44 11 23 23

Flea Market Find

2011-12-30T04:31:00.001-06:00

Before I moved to Minneapolis, I visited the Tulsa Flea Market. I was delighted to find a house shaped nic-nac that I could alter....and for $2.00 too!

After the wooden house was cleaned, a coat of painted was applied with a dry brush. Papers were added to the back using a gel medium. I added lots of "stuff" that was previously thrown into a box of "someday I will do something with this".

I've added a few other items of interest to the various cubes.

I also purchased a large printer's tray at the Flea Market. I use to own several, then sold them all and now after taking a Tim Holtz class my interest has changed! But I am only going to own O N E (1), uno, printer's tray!

I will post photos after I alter it....

A La Salsa

2011-12-23T03:39:00.001-06:00

A La Salsa was voted Minneapolis's best Mexican restaurant! I agree and now I am a frequent diner!

Lorenzo is a dynamic and personable owner who invited a few friends for a private Sunday brunch. He surprised his guests with this delicious dessert, the Pineapple Tamale!

He has two great locations.....you gotta go!

Art on the Lake

2011-12-16T03:20:00.001-06:00

This was my first Minneapolis summer art festival to attend. I attended the festival with Kimberly, Carrie, Patty, and Linda. We had an awesome time! The couple in the photo are the artists who made the blister pearl ring that I purchased. I also went back about thirty minutes later and purchased the matching bracelet. I enjoy wearing both pieces of jewelry and will look forward to visiting their booth next year!

You can see that the art tents are right next to the lake. This was such a delightful area. For more information, click on the link below.

Excelsior, Minnesota

The Van Dusen Mansion and the Family Innocence Project

2011-12-09T03:28:00.001-06:00

I was invited to a fund-raising party for the Family Innocence Project being held at the Van Dusen Mansion. My daughter Kimberly is one of the founding members and introducing Michelle MacDonald at the night's event. How could I miss that?

If you want to check out this adorable historical treasure, visit http://www.thevandusenmansion.com/.

If you want to learn more about this organization, you can visit: http://www.familyinnocence.org

Strictly Social

2011-12-02T03:51:00.001-06:00

I attended recently a talk presented by Christine Clifford held at the Women's Club of Minneapolis. This event was my first time visiting the Women's Club and first time learning about Christine's personal breast cancer survivor story. She is definitely is a moving motivational speaker.

Her words of inspiration came to me at the just right time!

RangerInk Swap

2011-11-25T03:22:00.002-06:00

I couldn't resist the RangerInk swap challenge of the 6x6 swap of "no theme" and using Ranger products to create and to embellish. I love "no theme" challenges because I find creativity flows easier for me. With Halloween approaching I thought of using Tim Holtz's rubber stamps for the season. Good thing I had these on hand. Ninety percent of my rubber stamp collection was in storage.

Alice in Wonderland

2011-11-18T03:08:00.002-06:00

My art group this past year was involved with an Alice in Wonderland themed book round robin. Each artist made her own book, made a page or two and sent it on to the next player.

Below are the pages that I personally made for each artist's book as it arrived in my possession. We had thirty days in which to create the art and mail it on to the next player. My challenge was using what I had on hand which was a limited supply compared to what I was use to! You can tell that I definitely fulfilled on my challenge as I used the same images, papers, and embellishments over and over again.

The photos were taken using my digital camera. I didn't have my scanner available and I really missed it when it came to recording my artwork!

This page I made for Allie. I found what I think is the perfect text from the book for this particular scene of "Advice from a Caterpillar". Tim Holtz grunge embellishment was painted black and was added as a dimensional element.

This is the second page for Allie. I love the telescoping Alice and again found appropriate text. The different size numbers in various colors were added as embellishments along with a "Drink Me" playing card.

I thought Allie had a clever artist's sign-in as she used coin envelopes and tags. Previous artists used references to the pages they created on their tags so I found the text in the Alice in Wonderland book where Alice wrote a note to her feet along with matching papers that I used on Allie's pages.

I loved Susan's book page size. I was able to do a lot of layering on her page with the Cheshire cat image, the reproduction image of the title page along with a red label to highlight a teapot I added on top of a tiny label. I added a clock embellishment to one of the rosettes and the others have a black rhinestone in the middle.

I don't think the photo shows it well, but I added a white ruffled ribbon to his collar.

The last two embellishments that were added were the grungeboard letter "A" painted in red and a key with striped string.

Her layout was an accordion book style. Each artist only made one page.

I am not 100% sure, but I think these pages were made for Judi.

I used a grungeboard "A" painted in black and then glitter glue was added on top. Alice's crown is made of rhinestones and her boots have red rhinestones as accents.

This is Judi's second page with the ruffle ribbon added to the White Rabbit's collar. I tied a bow using a narrow red silk ribbon. It took me about thirty minutes alone to do this one ribbon which is why I never added it to any of the other pages where I used the White Rabbit image.

I like the Graphic 45 paper where I cut out the playing cards and rolled only one edge.

When Sharon's book arrived, I realized that her book was made from large size playing cards. It was the same set that I owned so I was excited to be able to add a page to her book which allowed me to make a silhouette of the White Rabbit.

The black ribbon embellishment that I used on her first page made it easy to add a Tim Holtz clock embellishment.

I cut the phrase "At Last....from Graphic 45 paper. I especially love the Graphic 45 collection!

The White Rabbit with his jacket and watch. His paper doll jacket is stored in a pocket on the next page.

The red flowers were cut from a lightweight drapery sample. Rhinestones were added as centers.

This is the final page. I added text to the back of the White Rabbit that gives a possible explanation as to why he is late (Internet source).

I used Graphic 45 papers for the last page adding the same ribbon embellishment as on the first page and glittered letters spelling Alice.

Marsha's book was one of the first that I worked in. The little girl with a bow in her hair was in my collection of antique photos. I decided to make her the original Alice. Copic markers were used to color her dress and I added blue rhinestones as buttons both on her dress and shoes.

A key and keyhole stickers along with the fabric red flowers were added as embellishments.

Alice holds a teacup in her hand.

I "think" these pages belong to Minori. She loves the different holidays so I thought I would make her pages using the Graphic 45 papers of Halloween.

She had prepunched her pages and I added copper eyelets to my page.

I added a grungeboard letter "A" painted black and you can see the three playing cards tucked into the envelope made using the Graphic 45 paper.

Jan made a Coptic book using playing cards which gave a sturdy surface to work on plus it opened flat. I was able to use an image that I had of the tea party and position it as a double page spread. I was careful about where the fold would occur. I wanted to do layering on her pages which would give more interest and that's when the red checkered clock idea came to me. I decided to use rose stickers for the numbers and according to the Madhatter's quote about being always "6:00" is why I only used the numeral for 6 and not any of the other numbers.

Jan's favorite color is green which is why I painted the grungeboard letter "A" in green. It's not viewed on this photo but in the one above.

I like using black card stock as a background for quotes. It's easy if you use the Xyron to apply the adhesive first, then cut and place.

I enjoyed making the art in this round robin immensely. I have received my book and will be scanning the pages soon. First, I need to connect my scanner but even before I do that, I need to locate my scanner in the many boxes I have yet to unpack!

Adorable Roo

2011-11-11T08:10:00.000-06:00

Roo is her name and she belongs to Kimberly. She absolutely loves the smell of dirty laundry! Of course she just had to pop into the basket as I was unloading the clothes for washing at Kimberly's apartment.

My two adorable cats have been permanently adopted by my sister Annie. They are now Iowans and have experienced "hot lunch" as my sister describes their hunting adventures. They have adjusted well to farm life and that's a good thing.

I'm Back!

2011-11-04T02:30:00.004-05:00

Thank you for patiently waiting for me! Moving has been an adventure, however, not an easy one! When the travel time is approximately ten to twelve hours, depending on your stops, it takes a whole lotta out of you!

(This is me at a spring art festival in Minneapolis.)

By the way, I live in a neighborhood called "Tangletown" which is a delightful place to live. I have included information about the neighborhood at the end of the post if you're interested.

Welcome to my home....a house that was built in 1922. I love the colors that are in this home and will definitely use many of the same colors in our home when we buy in Minneapolis!

Since this photo was taken, I have added artwork to the walls and moved the antique trunk to the entry way. A large wooden coffee table is now in front of the couch.

This is the view from the dining room looking into the living room. I love all the light from the many windows and open space.

The built-in buffet was almost taken out of this house when the owner made updates! I'm so pleased that didn't happen. It is filled to the max with my Alice in Wonderland dishes, Christmas dishes and special china pieces.

The door to the right goes to the huge kitchen and the door to the left leads to the attic.

Off to the left of the dining room are the first floor living areas. I am claiming one of the rooms as my studio space. Photos will come "after" the transformation!

Our guest bedroom....so now you'll know where you'll be staying when you come for a visit!

The antique dressforms are from NYC and a gift from my daughter. The tiny one is a children's dress form.

The guest bathroom has been completely rennovated. It has nice tile colors and a great window for light.

Matt's Moving Company had been hired several times to unload the moving trucks. And just how much stuff can one own anyway??? The answer is easy.....way too much! Bill's stuff??? Dang...he doesn't have much! So the truth must be.....it has to be my art studio!!! And where does one par down when you are mixed media artist? The paints? The fabrics? The assemblage possibilities? The rubber stamps?....bite your tongue!

I am sorting boxes and taking out items that I can live without and making local donations. Donating is a good thing!

Tangletown, formerly Fuller - Location and General Characteristics

Tangletown neighborhood, located in southwest Minneapolis, is bound on the north by 46th Street, on the east by Interstate 35W, on the south by 54th Street and Diamond Lake Road and on the west by Lyndale Avenue South. Minnehaha Creek traverses the southern part of the neighborhood. The name Tangletown alludes to the street layout, which does not follow a traditional grid. Until it was renamed in 1996 the neighborhood's name was Fuller, after its elementary school named for Margaret Fuller. Fuller was an American feminist, poet, essayist, journalist and educator during the latter half of the 17th century. The school was torn down and the land converted into Fuller Park in 1977. This small park, a center of community life, offers many activities and features a flower garden.

Hiatus

2011-05-22T16:24:00.006-05:00

I wanted to let you know that I am taking a hiatus. I am in the process of a final move from Oklahoma to Minnesota. Finding the time to make art and post is non-existent. I will be back in a couple of months with stories and art to share. So I hope you will check back with me then!

Thank you for all your wonderful wishes and support! Just in case you're wondering....the photo is the view from the living room balcony.

Harmony in Spirit

2011-04-15T04:19:00.004-05:00

Last fall I was in the process of packing and moving. I really had taken no time to post some of life's little pleasures but it did NOT stop me from participating! This was my second "Harmony in Spirit" retreat for women. The fire pit is an interesting tool as it greatly assists in the bonding of women's friendships with their shared stories, experiences, and compassion.

This October night sky is so beautiful and the air has the right amount of crispness!

Not everyone chooses to sleep in a tent. Some women stay in the main house. After last year's experience, I wanted to choose the tent again. There is something awesome about sleeping outdoors all snug under quilts listening to the critters, aware of the dew drops landing on the tent canvas in the early early morning and witnessing the arrival of another beautiful day! Yes, Kimberly and I will be there for the 2011 retreat! Thanks Dana!

Penelope

2011-04-01T04:14:00.000-05:00

Penelope's name was inspired by the character in Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, my favorite author. When I would sit and read in the living room, Penelope would rest on the parlor table next to the couch and watch me read and turn the pages of a book or magazine.

Hopefully SOON she will be moving to Minneapolis with the most important man in my life, Bill!

Sights & Sounds of the St. Patrick's Day Parade

2011-03-20T13:56:00.041-05:00

Our friend, Shannon and his family came for a weekend vacation. Our first adventure together was experiencing the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The weather was perfect and we had only to walk a couple of blocks to get a wonderful front sidewalk view!

Can't you just hear the bag pipes?

And then there are other Irish bands.

Of course, the parade would not be complete without horses in my opinion.

Oh, these young girls are great!

There were lots of Irish wolf hounds!

The Vulcans were celebrating the arrival of spring. He has the green dauber ready to paint a clover leaf on my daughter's cheek and then mine! We're supporters of the Vulcans!

This is their antique fire truck....the same one we had a chance to ride in the Winter Carnival's snow sculpture contest.

It looked to me like a leprechaun was driving the Whiskey truck!

The original Riverdance is beginning their five shows here in Minneapolis.

This group was all about recycling and I couldn't help but find her sign very funny. But in reality, he is only away on a work assignment.

And the little children in the back of this truck made me smile!

Happy Birthday Sis!

2011-03-14T20:15:00.037-05:00

Each year my sister and I exchange birthday gifts and among all the packages...we promise to have at least one handmade item.

We both usually start collecting unique finds throughout the year for each other. I had found her a gift from an antique store in Mountain Home last year and she also found me an item from the same area during the same time period. Funny how that worked out.

My sister made me all kinds of goodies which I will post at a later date. She is so very clever!

The gift I made were ATC's that are personal for her. I forgot to scan them before I mounted them into their frame.

The letter "A" was Zentangle inspired on Arches Text Wove. I watercolored the background before making the design. I added red rhinestones for bling.

This ATC shows my sister in a "Back to School" picture that my dad had taken. I cropped out everyone else. I added butterflies and a sentiment of "Fun & Funny".

I had made ATC's using Dada poetry a couple of years ago and this particular one was in my collection. The background is a photo of the farmhouse that was our Great Grandparents and the woman is a great great aunt.

I thought the poem was perfect for the photo!

I used antique buttons to embellish the ATC.

I collaged this ATC and specifically selected the words that best describe how my sister views life!

She loves lace so I added a border with tiny little pearl drops on top.

This ATC is one of my favorites that I made. I used dyed fabric that I made when we were together last year over July 4th. The photo is also when my sister was about three years old. I am sitting next to her on the couch however, I cropped myself out of the photo. I added bits of fabric scraps and lace behind the photo...wrote the sentiment and added three black rhinestones.

I really love how this ATC turned out! I used a vintage card button where there was one button left. The red frame was part of the card and it was the perfect size to fit our mother's school photo!

I then framed this onto black card stock and then the final mount was white card stock.

I saved this bit of quilted fabric from my sister's friend when I was on a retreat last fall in DeSota, Wisconsin. Her friend Eileen delighted me in showing me all kinds of stitches that her new quilting machine did and then she gave me a good chunk of goodness.

I sewed on top of the quilting the antique buttons that my sister loves a lot. A blanket stitch borders the ATC.

A playing card is the background for this ATC. I collaged a napkin on top, added the quote and bling. Gel medium was used to seal the card.

This is another part of Eileen's chunk of goodness that she gave to me. I sewed the "dream & play" tiles and sewed three times around the ATC.

This is a photo of me when I was three. I went with the cowgirl theme!

Tim Holtz showed me how to make tiny wire bird nests at one of his classes last year. I made a whole bunch of these at the retreat last year with my sister so I knew I wanted to make a card where I could use one of these nests as an embellishment.

I've had this transparency forever so it was time for me to do something with it! Using it on this ATC seemed perfect. I sewed the transparency onto the background paper. Inside the keyhole is text that says "secrets".

A matching key is attached with ribbon at the top.

Snow & Ice

2011-03-10T19:32:00.029-06:00

This was my first time going to the Winter Carnival. It was their 125 year celebration.....which included 125 different events one could enjoy!

We went to the St. Paul fairgrounds where the exhibitors were working until midnight for the final judging competition being held the next day at noon.

My farm roots must be showing because my favorite exhibit was the milking cow!

The sun is so bright it is very hard to see all the details. There is a cat patiently waiting for a drop of milk....and I love the two milk cans that are more realistic that the real thing.

There were so many exhibits.....each one so very unique and fabulous!

At the ice sculpture show I was delighted to see that they actually had an "ice" bar in which all the beverages were sold!

This was an amazing wall of ice that displayed the sponsors for the show.

We spent the entire day outside and the weather was absolutely perfect!

I officially have winter wear and so enjoyed the day!

Both events were in St. Paul and took us about 15 minutes to get to our destination. I am already looking forward to the events for next year!

This event was in 2010...I am just now getting some time to post!

Highly Prized

2011-02-01T19:04:00.011-06:00

As promised, this is my journal that I decided to use for the year's Sketchbook Challenge. It was my second choice but it became clear to become my first choice because of the Arches Text Wove paper I used for the text pages. The binding is a Coptic stitch so it easily opens flat.

In addition to my sketches, this journal also has some collage work. The pages that you are viewing says "Dream" and the page is in black and white.

This page has the same image as the first page but in color and I have written "in color".....so the complete message is "dream in color".

This is my January entry for Highly Prized. I plan on doing just a few more things to each page, i.e. watercolor all the "O's" on the written text.

I will also list the entire path of buildings that I walk through on my way to work. It is a brisk thirty minute walk....but oh so nice!

You can read more about the Sketchbook Challenge by clicking on the icon on the left side bar. I encourage to participate!

A New Life

2011-01-29T11:33:00.026-06:00

After many months of planning, designing, and building, we are finally officially in business.

We are located in the historical Flour Exchange Building which is skyway connected and in the heart of the government corridor.

We absolutely love the beautiful space we have created for attorneys.

Our kitchen is perfect and the best thing is the automatic dishwasher! Since I have taken this photo, our Bunn coffee maker arrived and it now sits on the counter next to the refrigerator.

The kitchen has a huge window and is large enough to be our mail center along with fax and copier.

This is the lounge area of our office where the overflow of clients can sit and/or attorneys can visit.

We have hung several art pieces since this photo was taken.

We receive so many compliments from our clients on the floor. It is Asian Walnut and is absolutely stunning.

I am definitely having this flooring in my new home!

This is our largest conference room that has video conferencing capabilities. It seats twelve. The table was custom made by TulsaWoodSmith and personally delivered and set up by the owner on a snowy weekend. He and his wife traveled from Tulsa Oklahoma to Minneapolis for set up and we spent an awesome weekend together!

He also built the receptionist desk that is seen in the first photo. We HIGHLY recommend his shop if you are wanting anything built with beautiful woods! His work is beyond amazing!

Morelaw Minneapolis has a website that you are invited to visit. Enjoy!

Dinner Invitation

2011-01-07T03:00:00.001-06:00

Art can be expressed in so many ways. My very dear friend prepares delicious meals to share. This is eye candy for the body.

Beautiful presentation! Thanks Debbie for another wonderful meal and conversation!!

Sketchbook Challenge

2010-12-31T01:07:00.000-06:00

Just thought you'd like to know...... I am going to participate in the Sketchbook Challenge group and post my progress. I invite you to join in and have some fun too! Click on the Sketchbook icon for all the information you need.

I think this will be an excellent New Year's art challenge. Let me know if you are going to have some fun with this challenge and I will visit your blog!

Nest

2010-12-17T01:45:00.000-06:00

I made this piece for an art journal round robin. I really like the layout and had an opportunity to use my rubber stamps with the calligraphy. And that's a good thing!

All You Need Is A Friend Who Has Chocolate!

2010-12-10T01:51:00.000-06:00

In our art journal round robin, June added a fabric image to her page. I wrote the quote "All you need....." by Sophie Diehl, Age 11.

And of course, I had to add the Brownie recipe! The paper I used as Arches Text Wove with gray card stock for the backing.

Altered Surfaces

2010-12-01T03:17:00.007-06:00

I highly recommend two books that are published by Design Originals. Altered Surfaces and Transfers and Altered Images both by Chris Cozen. She's a working artist representing Golden Art Products.

Both books are packed full with easy to follow instructions and plenty of inspiration.

So I decided to give it a try...using a tiny canvas. After the background colors were added and dry, I added the image with bees wax.

I think I will leave this tiny canvas just as it is!

The tiny tin bird was a surprise from my friend in Japan. Thanks Minori!

This canvas piece is my favorite.

When I found the sentiment in my stash....I thought it would be fun to add a metal number 2.....just for grins.

This is my second favorite canvas.

Thanks Jane!

2010-11-26T00:43:00.003-06:00

Jane's blog A Place To Flourish is eye candy for a calligrapher/lettering artist and for those who love letters. Her artwork for "A Place To Bark" so inspired me that I wanted to make a piece for our art journal round robin. The poem is by Emily Dickinson.

I really love how this turned out. Thanks Jane for the inspiration!!

Sister Retreat

2010-11-19T03:06:00.009-06:00

This is the mighty Mississippi River that we cross from Iowa into Wisconsin.

I absolutely love this bridge!

This is my view from my bedroom window looking at Iowa.

This house was built during the Civil War era...completely remodeled just for women. It's a perfect location.

This is known as "A Place to Sew" in DeSota, Wisconsin...high in the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.

My sister and I spend time working on projects in the community of women. It's an awesome experience!

The Deep Blue Sea

2010-11-12T04:49:00.003-06:00

A friend sent me this adorable tin ready to be altered. I was inspired to do something with my tin after I saw another artist's project.

I inquired as to how they made their project and then set out to find the materials I wanted to use.

After making this project, I will change a few things and then I will post the steps so that you can make your own.

I added lots of sea shells and glass marbles to the tin. It weighs quite a bit now!

It would definitely sink to the bottom of any ocean!

Alice Altered

2010-11-05T02:01:00.017-05:00

I had altered a book a few years ago that was an Alice in Wonderland storybook. And then I gave it away.

When I found an Alice in Wonderland book in a resale shop, I knew that I wanted to make another book.....but not the same as I had made before. I am only posting a few pages of my book.

The tag shown is a plastic tag that I colored using alcohol inks then collaged my images.

I made pockets to insert tags.

My husband drilled holes into the scrabble tiles for me.

This is at the beginning of the book. I colored a grungeboard "a" and inserted an image of Alice. Diamond Glaze was then poured on top of the image even with the depth of the letter A.

I also did a color transfer of the rabbit onto a tag.

This view is the side of the book with all the beads and dangles from the pages inside.

I couldn't resist adding lots of fibers to the spine.

The cover was made using black and white polymer clay. I thought Somerset Studio would be publishing my Alice in Wonderland book, however, after holding my artwork for eleven months, it was returned to me in perfect condition.

The Color Purple

2010-10-30T11:47:00.000-05:00

I especially love the color purple....and I couldn't resist the antique bottles that I found at an antique store in Texas.

Once I spotted one....I found the other five bottles scattered throughout the same store!

I have big plans for these special treasures.

The Altered Alice

2010-10-30T11:24:00.009-05:00

This is NOT my art work. It belongs to a talented artist, Donna Meme. The Altered Alice is a brand new blog! Take time to check it out....but first fix yourself a cup of tea before you begin your adventure.

Ultimate Alternations by Tim

2010-10-21T15:30:00.001-05:00

I really enjoy how Tim Holtz prepares his classes. Everything is provided except the apron.

There are so many paint and ink colors to choose from!

No matter where you sit in the classroom, you can clearly see and hear Tim's instructions!

I am loving this class!

The pages are made from grunge paper.

I really enjoy using the Distress Ink product.

This is sticky back canvas that was used as the spine.

We had a chance to color our own ribbon!

We had all kinds of elements to add to our book.

Each of the tags were embossed using the different texture fades that are new.

This is my finished book. All I need to do now is add my personal photos and ephemera.

Creative Blocks

2010-10-15T03:04:00.003-05:00

I recently took a Tim Holtz class called "Creative Blocks". Tim always has his classes so organized with color photos and instructions! He also provides all the tools and products you will need for a class. Just bring an apron!

This is the planning process.

After deciding where I wanted the different size canvas....I marked the original with x's.

Here I am preparing one of the canvas with a butterfly image.

I wrapped all the canvases with dictionary paper.

Decisions, decisions.....so many paper choices!

Wax was floated on top of images.

My canvas project is beginning to look interesting.

This is my final canvas piece. Fun, Fun, Fun!

A Curious Curio

2010-10-08T01:55:00.029-05:00

Our project was a wood curio cabinet with a glass door....all ready to be altered. There were so many delicious techniques that I learned along with lots of FUN!

This is my first step using a color wash. I choose blue, green and yellow wash.

More fun with picking out papers and cutting them to the perfect size!

The papers are glued in place using gel medium.

Isn't nice that Tim is willing to assist!!! My nails were too long to screw into my cabinet the tiniest screw hook!

My hands are definitely ready for a manicure!

This is the beginning of my process....so many choices!

It's good to be able to move items around until you find the "just right" placement.

This tiny cabinet packs a whole lotta stuff! It was great fun making it too!

As always, I have to put my own spin on projects. At home, I added a crystal doorknob from the 30's. In the photo above, you can see that I added a wooden structure so the cabinet won't be tipping over accidentally.

This is the view with the glass door open. The cool thing about the door is that your special "goodies" can be viewed but safe from being handled.

Halloween Coming Soon!

2010-10-01T00:15:00.000-05:00

This ATC is one I made using Bernie Berlin's techniques that she showed me. I made a series of Halloween cards and will post them soon . I will explain the techniques that I used to make these cards.

If you love making ATC's....you'll love making these!

Heirlooms Antique Shop

2010-09-28T02:55:00.005-05:00

This is an amazing store filled to the brim with inviting items. The displays were carefully and cleverly arranged. I spent a lot of $$.....and you'll want to mark this as a great place to shop!

I could have spent days in this store! Inspiration was everywhere....and the big bonus is: the staff is friendly and helpful.

Versatile Blogger Award

2010-09-24T11:10:00.023-05:00

Connie at Monkey Mind awarded me the Versatile Blogger award:

To accept this award I have to:
* reveal 7 truths about myself
* select 7 blogs that I would like to share the award with

Here seven of my truths (I have lots).

1. I contradict myself most of the time and I have listed six examples below.

2. I thought I was only a “dog” person and previously only had dogs. I said "I hate cats". After being a cat mom for seven years with two adorable cats…I have to say is that I love my cats which makes me a cat person too.

3. Traveling abroad is exciting to me but I can not travel alone except anywhere USA.....I drive a lot of places that are over ten hours away alone. So next year when I have a trip scheduled to Paris, my daughter will be traveling with me.

4. I am a farm girl and really love the farm countryside and look forward to having a country home. However, I am going to be living downtown Minneapolis soon which is like a mini-New York City. And I love my new surroundings!

5. I grew up learning all the cooking skills from baking, pastries, and meals and I cook a bunch. But I enjoy eating at restaurants the most.

6. After experiencing three floods which completely wiped out everything we owned….I have a hard time holding onto things I don’t use or need. I donate to three organizations every month.

7. I come from a huge family (over 68 cousins) and have lots of friends. However, my favorite time spent is being "Home Alone".

Here are the seven blogs I would like to see participate:

1. A Place to Flourish

2. Blooming Ideas

3. Lucky Dog

4. InkyBruStudio

5. RGR Designs

6. Vintage Moon Studio

7. Sew Whats New

Sweet Tooth Heaven

2010-09-17T04:43:00.009-05:00

The Mom & Pop Candy store was an absolute delight. Their welcome prop was a vintage treasure.

The store had a delicious aroma and so many choices.

I saw candies that I hadn't seen since I was a little girl.

A Fun Place To Be

2010-09-10T01:11:00.007-05:00

McKinney, Texas.....you HAVE to experience the historic downtown!

My traveling companions and I ate lunch at Cadillac Pizza. We had the most awesome pizza ever!

Then we began our treasure hunt. This store had lots of wonderful antique goodies. I loved the old stairs.

Can you imagine just how many foot steps it took to wear down the stair treads....I don't think I would ever want to replace them.

This old building had the tin ceilings, too.

This is a view from above. So what I bought from this store were lots of old cabinet cards. (Photos with advertising on the back).

Thanks Bernie!

2010-09-03T00:58:00.008-05:00

I met Bernie Berlin recently and found her to be a fun and delightful person. How she finds the time to make art and manage her passion of running A Place To Bark is amazing.

When she found out that I love making ATC's, she showed me a few of her favorite techniques.

These are a few of my ATC's that I made....all from scraps of paper and poor stamped images. It was fun making new ATC's from paper that I would have thrown out.
I was so inspired by playing with this method that I ended up making about 20 ATC's and will post them later.

I'll list the steps in making these ATC's in future posts so that you can have your own good dose of fun!

A rubber stamp image, scrap booking paper, and decorative paper is what I used for this ATC.

I used scraps from other projects including the photo for this ATC.

I named this ATC "Undecided" because it was so different than the others that I had made. I just enjoyed the textures and colors....and I did not add any images
I punched out some circles and added a dimensional dot on top for interest. This was made using scrap booking paper and my left over shaving cream paper.

Alice Stuck in Wax

2010-08-27T12:36:00.009-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to watch a demo with Suze Weinberg using beeswax. I have made a few collage pieces using beeswax but following some tips that Suze mentioned made all the difference in the ATC's I made.

She builds up layers of beeswax before she applies her collage images. And scrapping the final application I think is the big secret.

The photos don't show all the details...i.e. perfect pearls powder that was added and the texturing.

My base is stampboard material.

B * I * N * G * O

2010-08-24T20:18:00.015-05:00

An artist in my art swap group requested an altered Jenni Bowlin bingo card. This was a really fun project for me because I also requested an altered bingo card. Altering is one of my favorite art challenges.

A vintage photo of two children were in my stash just waiting to be altered!

After scanning and resizing to the proper proportions of the bingo card, I colored their clothes using Copic markers.

I added a "love" charm along with pink felt flowers in different sizes. Lace was added to the bottom border.

The children's hands were poised just perfectly for holding objects, too!

This is the front side view. I mounted the bingo card onto a larger decorated matboard and added a ribbon hanger.

This is the opposite side of the bingo card. I used the new Tim Holtz Bingo texture folder and metal from Ten Seconds Studio. The metal was sanded.

The stamped image is from Catherine Moore's Character Construction collection and colored with Copic markers.

Bookmark for Judi

2010-08-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

The request was to make a bookmark with a photo or an interesting fact about yourself. My dilemma was using a childhood photo when I only have about three to choose from.

I decided on a photo when I was three (enlarged)..... and being the cowgirl was easy. I used a clear plastic tag. The collage was made after first applying the alcohol inks.

I couldn't resist sewing and adding the suede trim at the bottom.

Electric Charge

2010-08-13T04:50:00.004-05:00

We all know the familiar types of charges....MC, Visa, Discover. I experienced a new type of charge....the kind for artists. It's called an "electric" charge.

Snoopy Dance includes:
Trip to Dallas: 240.63 miles
Travel Time Estimate: 3 hours, 59 minutes
Cost of Fuel: $47.00
Cost of Tim Holtz's classes $285.00
Lucky Participants Per Class: 75
Receiving the #10 ticket to register:
P R I C E L E S S

A special thank you to Monica, Donna, and Melody. The crowd was impatient, unruly, and unappreciative and yet you all remained professional, patient, and kind. Your customers can easily forget your time and effort that is involved in preparing for instructors to teach classes. Thank you for giving Tim Holtz a destination to teach classes. There are so many artists who do not have a store close where they can have the privilege of taking a class from Tim. And your store along with your amazing staff is worth all of my effort.

Stamp Asylum ROCKS!

Here are the photos of the classes that I will be taking.....I can hardly wait!

Mrs. Brady

2010-08-06T00:08:00.000-05:00

My recent purchase of Artistic Outpost stamps along with the text pages that were removed from an old book, came together for some fun ATC's.

The coloring was made using Copic markers. This time, I made ATC's without a whole lot of embellishments!

This is the end result of lots of fun!

I'm Late!

2010-07-30T01:00:00.003-05:00

"Technique bonanza" was used in making this ATC. I used chocolate color metal and a clock mold both from Ten Seconds Studio and ran them through my BIG SHOT machine. Then I placed the metal only through my BIG SHOT to completely flatten it. I then covered card stock cut to the ATC size with the metal. A "wheel" was used for texturing the edges of the card.

The white rabbit rubber stamp is from Artistic Outpost. I stamped the rabbit image repeatedly onto different color card stock to make his clothes. His scarf was made from purple crepe paper.

The umbrella and buttons on the vest were made using Adirondack Dimensional Pearls. The image was cut out and glued onto the metal. Copic markers were used to add just a pinch of color to the white rabbit.

Diet? What Diet!

2010-07-23T01:13:00.000-05:00

The desserts at Maggianos Little Italy were exceptional! We all gained five pounds....but what an awesome excuse!

Anthropologie Eye Candy

2010-07-16T00:49:00.000-05:00

This is one of the many reasons to enjoy St. Louis. I heard through the grapevine that a store is coming soon to Tulsa!

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

2010-07-09T02:02:00.004-05:00

Did you know that it is the Arch in St. Louis? We wanted to buy tickets to take a ride to the top. I've been to the top before to see the awesome view and thought that would be really a cool experience for my girlfriend. But it was closed that day! However....we'll try again!

The base is larger than one realizes!

This is the view when you rest your body against the arch looking straight up!

Symbol of Freedom

2010-07-04T02:55:00.004-05:00

I absolutely love our flag and our country. I enjoyed the July 4th holiday in Arkansas with my sister Annie. We spent our time sitting on the front porch working on our projects that we brought with us, took time to antique, and ate lots of great food from the grill!

The Art of Entertaining

2010-07-02T00:20:00.000-05:00

OMG....if you are in the St. Louis area...I highly recommend stopping here for their FAMOUS cake glitter balls! YUMMY SUPREME! And doesn't their shop look adorable?!! And their service is soooooo friendly too!

You can see the cake glitter balls in the showcase. The yellow ones are made with the white cake flour and the pink ones are chocolate!

You can not eat just one!!!!

They also serve lunch and do catering!

This is a paper flower outside on the building.

This will be on a radar for each STL visit!

Cowgirl Annie

2010-06-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

I absolutely think the new Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades are FAB!

A dark brown Copic marker was used on the black metal after it was lightly sanded. The same color marker was used to change the gold color name plate to coordinate with the bingo card.

I've taken a Copic marker class from Allie and it was definitely worth the time and $$!

Allie taught me the technique for altering the star chipboard. This special technique gives so much dimension to such a small item! She'll be happy to teach you this technique, too!

The vintage photo was from my stash and I thought the little girl in the photo looked like a precious cowgirl. So I gave her instant history as Annie Oakley! The trim at the bottom was purchased from a delightful quilt shop in Arkansas.

Everything was mounted onto a black matboard and edged with a copper pen. Copper eyelets were inserted. The final touch was the twine knotted for hanging.

Oh...Go Fly A Kite!

2010-06-17T22:20:00.015-05:00

This is a kite I made for Allie for an art exchange. She picked out the paper when we were on a road trip in St. Louis......so the hardest part was already done for me......picking out the delicious paper.

I made my decision on how I was going to make her kite....I was going to follow the theme going along with the tiny little white birds on the paper.

The kite is quite large so I couldn't photograph the whole project.

I do want to say that the kite frame is made totally from twigs which I thought was appropriate. The very top branch has a fork and extends maybe another eight inches from the top. I left the horizontal branch long on one side only.

This is the opposite side of the kite. There is no "front or back". The music background paper is also vintage. Again, a special thanks to Susan of Stamp Diva for showing me how to make rosettes!

The eggs inside the nest came from a vintage pearl necklace.

I used grunge board material for the bird. I painted it first using gesso, then used Ranger's Dabbers in white and blue for the colors. The last application was Rock Candy Crackle.

Then I mounted the bird onto matboard so my stamp sentiment sign would hang level with the bird. I added a rosette made from the paper Allie chose to lift the bird from the background.

An antique key holds the sign. I am challenged in using jump rings and wire so my husband added that part for me! Thanks Bill! Of course, I couldn't resist the added swirl of gems. The visual weight of the gems balances the long branch on the opposite side.

After stamping the quote, I used a silverleaf pen on the border and then mounted it on chocolate and green card stock.

I cut the bird from another paper and layered on top of the music paper.

I previously dyed tags using tea and coffee. You can never have too many in your supply to use when you need them. For this particular tag, I did cut it to the size I wanted for my project. Amber gems are my bling.

After sewing the kite papers together using gold thread, I added the tail. I used a wide chocolate ribbon with a smaller width of blue ribbon as the "bow ties".

Allie has high ceilings in her store where she wanted to display all the kites she is receiving from our art group. So I think the tall branches and long tail will display well.

By the Beach

2010-06-13T13:58:00.008-05:00

This was also a Saturday class that I took at Croppinsville Studio. It is using a canvas and papers from the Graphics 45 collection.

The back of the canvas is completely finished so that this can be placed on an easel.

The starfish was an embellishment that I found on a street in San Antonio. I find myself looking at the ground when I walk from point A to point B. You never know what you'll find. It was a broken piece of jewelry. I painted it red and then added gold accents. The other silver/white embellishment in the corner was once an earring.

The tissue flower was made by Allie and is the perfect size, color, and texture to add interest to this piece.

This is a closer view of the details of the beach sign. If you are looking for special ribbons for your projects....Croppinsville has a great selection. She has a lot of new types of ribbons that I was only previously able to find in St. Louis!

This project was fun and gave me lots of ideas for future art making adventures!

Art Class - Metal Shadow Box

2010-06-13T13:37:00.009-05:00

NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST....

This is a metal class that I took on Saturday at Croppinsville Studio. I LOVE the space in which to learn and make art projects. Each student always has plenty of personal space, lighting is never an issue.....and the chairs - OMG they are the best.

I have taken classes in all sorts of stores so I can speak first hand that Croppinsville has amazing studio space.

I added one of my vintage cabinet cards that I purchased while in Minnesota. It is a photo of a brother and sister which I love. The photo already is distressed so I did not do anything extra.

I added a compass, clock and gear embellishment that I have owned for a very long time. At one point...I thought I should just move this piece on to someone else. But then when I was completing this project...it was the perfect added item for the story. The metal fence is the final touch.

I am looking forward to making lots of things metal with my new tools and molds!

Thanks Debbie and Larry!

2010-06-12T02:16:00.000-05:00

My very dear friends living in St. Louis always open their home to me and my friends! We've known each other for almost forty years.....and they are the best!

Thank you for such a wonderful visit, being our tour guide, and delicious conversation!

Paper Shoe

2010-06-05T05:23:00.000-05:00

One of the exchange projects for our art group was making a paper shoe. I challenged myself to make a pump using a dice for the heel.

The base of the shoe is grungeboard paper. I used a white wire to sew around the shoe and this is what gave the shoe its shape.

This is the bottom of the shoe. I made the shoe several months ago but didn't take the time to photograph it until now.

Three pink paper roses were added as the embellishment. I think I'll make more shoes with different shapes and styles!

Minori's Christmas Bird

2010-05-30T04:28:00.015-05:00

My friend Minori in Japan requested for her exchange a bird for her Christmas tree. She absolutely LOVES Christmas!

I made her bird using grungeboard material instead of chipboard. I thought the durability would be better.

I added a tiny Christmas tree as his hat after my husband cut a slit into the wooden stand. I was able to mount it to the bird using a few glue dots. Trim was added to hide the space between the wooden stand and the bird's head.

This is a closer view of the Santa I cut from a Graphics 45 paper. The Tim Holtz frame is perfect to showcase the vintage Santa.

My art friend, Susan from Stamp Diva showed me how to make paper rosettes. Thanks Susan! I used Christmas paper and added a vintage image of a little girl with her tree.

I applied the image to red background paper and then used a one inch circle punch. Green stickles was added to the tree and allowed to dry. Then I added Glossy Accents on top. Five bells were tied at the bottom. I hope you love it Minori!

Minnie, The Mermaid

2010-05-13T10:37:00.018-05:00

The altered Altoids tin is an exchange with another artist. This is the beginning of the process.

I love the Dabber paints! I first sanded the tin and then applied the paints. Awesome....don't have to clean up paint brushes!

And this paint is formulated to stay on metal.

It's best to make a pattern first so your decorative papers will fit perfectly!

I used my "shaving cream" painted paper. I decided to use the double stick tape to adhere all my papers to the tin.

I measured so that the strip going around the sides was a pinch larger so that there would be an overlap for the bottom.

Perfect fit!

I really like how the papers look inside the tin. It really smells great too with the shaving cream residue!

Now the really really fun part...embellishing!

What to choose!

I made my mermaid using watercolor paper and an image of the right proportions. The just right image was very hard to find in my stash. If I had PhotoShop or Illustrator...it would be so easy. Maybe one day.....

I wanted the pearls to be the element to hold the mermaid in place when the tin was closed.

So this is the completed inside.

Oh, do I use the star fish or not?!

I found a sliced shell that I think is even better!

My mermaid tale is written on a tag and attached with a safety pin. I have in my stash the best textured material to wrap my tin.

In the mail it goes to Blue Lotus Flower. Enjoy!

Family Treasure Book - June 19th

2010-05-11T16:58:00.012-05:00

I am teaching one of my favorite projects, "The Family Treasure Book". Each student will have the opportunity to make this book special. The students will learn the "Tim Holtz" techniques that I was taught directly from the man himself!

If you are in the Tulsa area....you can register for this class at Croppinsville Studio....guaranteed to be rocking good fun!

Joys Are Our Wings

2010-05-02T21:51:00.006-05:00

This is a grungeboard bird that I made for Sharon, who is in my art group.

I really like all the embellishments that Tim Holtz has provided through Ranger Industries. I also love using the product line of Claudine Hellmuth.

My husband suggested that I add a feather to go with the nest. It was great luck that I found a feather in my stash that was the perfect color!

Memories by Patti

2010-05-02T21:42:00.005-05:00

Great collage Patti!

"C" is for Cowgirls!

2010-05-02T21:35:00.005-05:00

Great job Jackie!

Paris Pink

2010-04-26T15:22:00.015-05:00

This case had quite a transformation from the ordinary to a Paris themed case with a hint of pink! Awesome job Allie! You can see Allie's art case at Croppinsville Studio in Collinsville, Oklahoma.

Art Sale

2010-04-25T10:46:00.016-05:00

Delicious goodness for sale! A talented group of artists representing calligraphy, quilting, and book arts. We're now on to planning a fall event.

Hanging By A Thread

2010-04-19T09:04:00.082-05:00

My sister's studio name is "Hanging By A Thread". I couldn't resist altering this book I found at an estate sale a year ago for her birthday. Enjoy the photos!

Sister's Gift to Me

2010-04-19T08:47:00.010-05:00

My sister is so talented with her quilting. She has a natural gift of color design. And then her skills of quilting are absolutely amazing...her attention to the little details make her work stand above others. If you had a chance to see her work up close and personal you would not be surprised to know of the awards she wins!

I will look very stylish wearing my apron!

My sister knows how much I enjoy drinking tea and made me a cozy filled with tea samples. She included a piece that you place over the spout for dripping.....this probably has a specific name....just don't know what that is! And then buttons from Lansing as that is a memento of our retreat trip together. She also gave me a found object of a St. Patrick of Ireland medal (my husband is Irish)....and a pin cushion!

The table runner is perfect size for about three pieces of furniture that I have. Thank you Sister....you're the best!

Down the Rabbit Hole

2010-04-05T15:59:00.009-05:00

I recently took a class making Alice in Wonderland cards using the latest collage design images and rubber stamps by TweetyJill at Croppinsville. Allie generously gave us lots of tips and new ideas for making our cards. Allie offered the students to stay later than the designated class time and several of us took her offer. We were not disappointed as I learned so much taking the extra time! Here are some of the photos from the class. Some of the cards are finished and others are a work in progress.

Art To Go

2010-04-05T15:41:00.010-05:00

I am getting ready to teach another class at my FAVORITE art destination, Croppinsville in Collinsville, Oklahoma. The train cases are naked right now but in a couple of weeks each artist will transform their chosen case into an amazing collage. They have decided on their theme...from Western, Asian, French, etc.

Stay tuned for some creative art!

Bingo Card III

2010-03-24T14:05:00.003-05:00

It was exciting to use some of my tiny bits of scraps. Then I just had to back away from my work surface so that I wouldn't add any more stuff!

Bingo Card II

2010-03-21T12:15:00.002-05:00

The image I used for this bingo card is a photograph of a French woman. I love using her in a lot of my art work. She looks like she has a lot to say and always with an attitude. The map shows the part of the country where I was raised!

Altered Bingo Card

2010-03-19T17:52:00.006-05:00

I have a few different size bingo cards in my art stash. Most of them are vintage....but before I alter those, I thought I would process some of my ideas on the new cards purchased from a local store. I am thinking of making a series.

I am participating in a monthly art swap and I have requested an altered bingo card. I have received a couple of cards so far....and although they are very clever and very arty...they are not "exactly" the altered bingo card I have been dreaming about.

So I may make my own. I do appreciate the cards I am receiving with the artist's own vision of what an altered bingo card should be.....and maybe I can give up my expectation that it should actually be a "bingo" card!

It's in the Mail!!!

2010-03-10T05:13:00.002-06:00

This is the third shoe I have mailed! I think the guy at the post office is getting use to me mailing odd stuff!

One lucky young woman is getting this shoe with bling.....as she appreciates my art!

It arrived safely and she LOVES it. The shoe was the talk of the office!

Zentangle Butterfly

2010-03-10T02:17:00.000-06:00

This was my first attempt at making a large Zentangle project. I decided to make a Zentangle as a personal challenge. This butterfly is a trade in the art group in which I belong.

I definitely need to practice and try out some design ideas. However, I am pleased at how my project turned out and it was definitely fun to make!

This is the back view. I added a silk ribbon for hanging.

Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-05T17:19:00.043-06:00

Who could resist making a postcard book with the theme of Alice in Wonderland?.....not me! So I took a class being taught by Dianne Hicks at Stamp Asylum in Plano, Texas recently. It was wonderful having Dianne teach so I could learn some new techniques. After I saw her article and art in the latest Mar/Apr '10 Somerset Studio issue, pgs 22-25...I knew this would be a fun class!

The backgrounds are photos taken by Dianne of her backyard. They have been altered using paints and glazes. Don't you just love the idea of what looks like a rabbit hole?!

The class used carved rubber stamps made by Dianne for the large images in our books. I chose to make a tag for "Drink Me" instead of a rubber stamp.

I love the Cheshire cat perched on the tree limb. Isn't that an awesome carved tree stamp!

This particular page was a disaster for me.....I misunderstood what the directions were for this page...however, Dianne rescued me. At home I had a chance to redo some of the images and take time to color the caterpillar, add smoke, and repaint Alice. Now this is one of my favorite pages!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the double page spread! I completed these two pages at home and I am glad that I did. I used a background foliage stamp by B-Line Designs that I thought fit perfectly. I was able to paint gesso to extend the table....and use those great Copic markers, too!

These two pages were completed in class. I switched the page layout as I wanted the rabbit to be looking into the book.

I had a great time making these pages. The King was made in class and I finished the other page at home. I used a rubber stamp from my collection for the arch background.

The Red Queen was almost completed in class and the following page I made in my studio. I decided to use rubber stamps for the quote and a grunge board crown from Tim Holtz.

I used text from an old Alice in Wonderland book and made a top/bottom border using a rubber stamp from my collection.

Alice in Wonderland is now complete with the fibers given to me in class! I really like how this book looks and enjoyed completing the processes at home. What I learned from Dianne was using the glazes that gives a lot of depth. And of course, the shopping opportunity at Monica's store! She has an awesome staff, too! Thanks Dianne and Monica!

Dream

2010-02-14T18:50:00.005-06:00

Allie, owner of Croppinsville taught me a technique using Copic markers that was the perfect touch to the metal banner. In exchange, I showed her techniques I learned recently! Don't you love it when artists can share info!

Metal Art Class

2010-02-14T15:15:00.012-06:00

I recently took a metal class in Oklahoma City from a certified instructor. I learned so much!

My completed project is shown in the last photo. I will use it to hold all my metal art tools! Now I am looking forward to being certified myself....so I teach classes......coming soon!

Awesome Students!

2010-02-14T15:05:00.004-06:00

The students in this class were so much fun! They were also very creative!

The class space was super. We had the most comfortable chairs and great lighting.

Everyone is having a great time!

Thank you everyone for a wonderful teaching experience!

Junque Journal Class!

2010-01-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

On February 6th, I will be teaching a class called Junque Book. Last summer I took a class from Tim Holtz learning a zillion techniques for collaging fragment tiles. So our morning session will be playing and learning Tim Holtz's techniques for making the fragment tiles. The afternoon session will be spent making and sewing the book structure.

Each student will have a COMPLETED project to take home. Now that's what I call a "Make & Take". Click here for more information:

What's This??

2010-01-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

I am getting ready to teach a new class coming February 6th!

Each student will have a trash bucket and towel to keep her workstation clean!

I love using wet sponges to keep fingers clean! I learned that from two other awesome instructors from San Antonio....Leslie & Maggie! Thanks gals!

These containers will be used for making a transfer technique using packing tape!

Each student will have clear packing tape. I love it when you take a class and you don't have to wait on a supply because someone else is using it!!

So my students will have their own tape.

Birthday Book Round Robin

2010-01-14T10:47:00.015-06:00

Penelope agrees that this book is YUMMY!

The Birthday Book round robin is now completed! My art group circulated this book beginning in January 2009. You can see all the details on my Flickr site.

This is the front all covered using "inchies" and a few embellishments.

The fabric ribbon came from a gift I received from another artist. My gift was snuggled in soft tissue paper and then tied up with this fabric ribbon....Love it!

Paste Paper Book

2009-12-29T10:11:00.035-06:00

This was my paste paper book that I made in a recent workshop with Rosie Kelley. I absolutely love workshops that encompass lots of art! I have only posted my favorite pages from my book "Circles".....a poem written by Mary Oliver.

The paper is Arches Text Wove with Rosie's special formula of paste and paint. She also taught a lot of secret touches that make her books so unique....but they are no longer big secrets!

I sewed an antique button as the closure for my book. It seemed appropriate for my theme.

I love the dry embossing to enhance design elements for a page. The title and the window are surrounded by embossing. I added a narrow strip of paste paper to balance the window frame.

Rosie has a "bounce" to her lettering that I am crazy about. I especially like the energy that it gives to her pieces. She makes it look so natural but it takes a lot of planning to give it that particular feeling. This is my first attempt....I needs a whole lot more practice for sure!

I do love the different size letters as well. I do not enjoy lettering made using lines and perfect spacing!

The other element that Rosie does is to write over text or between lines using another color ink and hand. That technique needs planning and I did not take the time to do that.

I punched circles in the paper to continue my theme. I also added sewing with my Featherweight machine before assembling my book.

I love the scribbling that overlaps from the paste paper onto the white pages.

The square marks were made using a credit card cut to the right size and shape while the paint was still wet.

The blue paint lines were drizzled on top of the pages.

Rosie suggests making the pages different sizes and shapes to add lots of interest. I love that about my book!

Mary Oliver writes about the blue heron in her poem "Circles". I could hardly believe it when I saw this mark which looks like a bird in flight! I love it when that happens!!!

"The First Words" were written separately and then attached using French knots.

I also attached the page sewing by hand with gold metallic thread.

This is the backside of the previous page. The window is open and additional rectangle shaped pieces of paste paper were added to strengthen the window element.

I was amazed at how much of my paste paper pages worked so well with Mary's poem. "A bundle of light" was the perfect text for this snippet of paste paper.

There isn't any way one could plan out the poem during a painting process. In fact, I had no idea that I would select this poem. I only found it after I spent time with my dried painted pages when I decided that this particular poem would be perfect!

When we had time to share our finished pages with the class as a group...someone said "Oh, they look like birthday candles". And I think they are correct. But my intention was to make an interesting entrance for the next page and I really like how I was able to separate the text.

The other element that I like in my book are the tiny little circles that were added.

The Colophon is such an important page to add when making an artist book.....and then I spelled the word wrong! So I added the "o" on a separate square and glued on top of the "a"! I find that when I make mistakes....I come up with the "fix" that really enhances my work.

If I had spelled Colophon correctly the first time, I would never have been so clever.

I still have left over paste from the class. Yikes....I need to make more painted pages for a new book before it spoils!

Being house bound from the blizzard is perfect timing.....so off I go to my studio now.

Twelve Days of Christmas

2009-12-02T14:52:00.110-06:00

I received an email from Stamp Asylum in Plano, Texas informing me of Tim Holtz's 12 Days of Christmas tags. You were invited to follow Tim on his blog and make the tag each day following his step-by-step instructions.

I have gobs of art supplies and yet there were so many products he was using that I didn't have. So instead, I decided to make my own version following his techniques and design ideas. It was quite a challenge but I enjoyed the process.

Here are my tags that I made. Sorry....they do not look anything like his! I have difficulty in copying someone else's artistic vision even with permission!

This is "The First Day of Christmas" tag - "Let It Snow". It did not scan very well as you don't see the embossed snowflakes and it is hard to read "snow" but up close and personal....the tag looks yummy.

What I did follow in Tim's step-by-step instruction was the background preparation and design elements. I do not own the snowman stamp he used, however, I did borrow a stamp of a snowman along with children. That was a very cool label maker that Tim used for his text. I stamped "Let It Snow" that substituted the text for my tag. I did add the grungeboard swirl and prepared it according to Tim's instructions. The tag is so layered.....I love it!

The Second Day of Christmas tag: Tim used a metal flower element and since I did not have those, I added the paper flower using three different sizes. The bottom flower was edged using a metallic gold ink pad for added glitz.

I had the "frame" stamp that Tim used, however, I did not have the "Seasons Greetings" so again I used what I already owned. "Merry Christmas" fits well into the center of the stamp.

Tim used a great snow stamp along with dapper paint to make the snow flurries. I used Glimmer Mist, Marshmallow color and this added a fine shimmer of white on top of my tag. I think it is important to learn the techniques that Tim used on his blog. However, give yourself permission to use the products you already have in your studio. You may not be able to create all the steps but you will be surprised at how many steps you can do and the creativity that comes out in finding substitutions! I love the challenge!

The Third Day of Christmas tag: I absolutely loved making this background. Who knew that you could make your own plaid designs using alcohol inks?!! I made numerous backgrounds before I decided on this one. Check out Tim's blog to learn this technique.

Tim used an adorable Santa stamp...and since I didn't have one, I used Rudolph instead. Tim used jute string, however, I chose a country red ribbon.

The other substitution that I made was instead of the "believe" embellishment, I did have a collection of numbers....and lucky me to have found the number "25"!

And LUCKY ME!!!! I was one of the chosen winners selected from the comments left on his post for receiving a surprise! My name was one of 25 names chosen from a total over 3,000 comments! When I was in Tim's class in Dallas for three days....he gave away prizes from numerous drawings during the class time. At most, there were about 100 students in the class.....everyone won around me....but poor me....nothing! When I saw how many posts were being made....I thought "Not a snowball's chance in Hell"...but then I won! Just goes to show....someone wins....it could be me! Thanks Tim!!!!

The Fourth Day of Christmas tag has a glass slide mount that can be separated from the tag to wear as jewelry or hang on your tree. Clever Tim!

Tim made his own stamp pad (check out his blog for instructions) and used a large collage stamp. Since I did not have either of those products, I opted to make an alcohol ink background and make my own collage. I then decided to make the slide mount using the same colored background paper and image. It all coordinates well. This tag was made pretty much following all his techniques...using the bubble on top of the slide mount with glass glitter and the text "Believe".

I substituted another product for the snow and decided on red tulle in a generous amount to make up for the lack of a hanging embellishment!

I also decided to cut the original #8 tag size a bit smaller so I could frame the tag with green printed card stock. There were a lot of steps to making this tag and lots of patience waiting for the glue to dry inside the bubble! But worth the wait for sure!

I think this tag has been my favorite to make so far....The Fifth Day of Christmas!

I have loved using the clear fragments since they were first introduced to the marketplace. There is so much one can do with these fragments....it's endless!

I made a couple of design changes from Tim's instructions....I added ribbons to each ornament and used buttonhole thread instead of wire. Very tiny eyelets were inserted into the tag and I added decorative paper to the back of each fragment ornament.

I did not have "greetings" as a rub-on...however, I used the rub-on sheet that was given free in my class with Tim Holtz earlier this year. I guess it is only fitting that I used the letters on this tag.

Scanning the tag did not show all the great layering of colors and text...but trust me....it really really is gorgeous!

The Sixth Day of Christmas tag:
I did not have all the elements that Tim used....and I also changed a bit of the background preparation from his original instructions. I couldn't resist using the Crackle Paint on top of the dictionary paper....adding the large numbers of 25 and skipping entirely the "Seasons Greetings". I love the tree tied to the roof of the car. (I don't see that as much any more since everyone and his dog owns a SUV!)

I love how the cat is peeking out the back window between the tree branches, and of course, it's the lady of the house driving the tree home for decorating. In fact, that is exactly what we did today....but we left the cats at home!

FYI: Grungeboard is the material for my tag and grungepaper was used for the car and Christmas tree. So far, I have been doing a great job keeping up making the tag each day between shopping, laundry, and preparing meals. No housecleaning.....thank goodness!

The Seventh Day of Christmas tag: This little girl is so precious....it's an ATC image stamp but I decided to use it for this tag since I did not have the large Santa image Tim was using for his.

I really love the swirl background technique that Tim showed on his blog...adds lots of dimension!

My "Merry Christmas" embossed in gold did not scan well...but it is stunning. Snowflakes were my embellishment since I don't have the green and red Stickles products. I would have bordered the image with holly leaves if I had those products.

When I meet my art group next week....I am definitely going shopping for Tim Holtz's products. Hobby Lobby and Michaels are lame stores for products!!!

The Eighth Day of Christmas tag: I am becoming resigned that the only place to obtain Tim Holtz's products is to support your local rubber stamp and/or scrapbooking store! And that is EXACTLY what I plan on doing next Friday when our art group meets at Croppinsville in Collinsville! Allie will have everything I want and need!!!

So in the meantime, I am using the products and embellishments that I already have in my studio. I am following Tim's techniques...and he does a super great job explaining the steps on his blog!

Whew....I am learning all kinds of stuff!

"The Ninth Day of Christmas" tag:

Don't you just love the vintage photos! Tim allowed us to download the images from his blog for this tag.

I have found lots of stuff I forgot I owned in trying to find the stuff I do know that I own! For instance, the photo corners...I know I have them somewhere....but where? So instead, I used rub-ons.

Tim is the King on how to layer a tag! It's been lots of fun to make these tags but using the products/embellishments that I already have in my studio.

Glossy Accents was added on top of the metal numbers after the alcohol inks dried as a sealant. It also gives just the right amount of glossy to make it all very interesting!

The Tenth Day of Christmas tag:

I was excited to see the metal tag.....until I realized that I completely use all my sheet metal in another project. But wait....what about the metal tape for construction???? Oh, yeah......I even like that product better. For one, it is a whole lot cheaper and easier to work with!

So I covered my tag with the letters I wanted to use and then applied the metal tape on top. I used three strips.

Tim colored the tag in segments and sanded the top letters to reveal the silver. I decided to color the words only and using a texture tool, made a cool background.

This tag had the least amount of time spent compared to the previous tags. And if you believe in coincidence, I just received an email from And Bears Makes 3 for two metal art classes in January. I probably will change my mind about the sheet metal once I really learn the techniques. This class is being taught by Cathy Arnold, a certified instructor for Ten Seconds Studio! Can't Wait!!!

The Eleventh Day of Christmas tag:

I was amazed at the clever ideas Tim presented in making the tags. He did a great job showing the steps to follow along. The big challenge I had each day was using the products I had in my studio and resist the temptation to purchasing the stamp, paint, or embellishment. The process at first was frustrating but once I decided that I was going to only use what I had....then I came up with my own clever ideas to complete my tag. What I did do though was follow his techniques. I love how Tim layers the backgrounds.....and I will definitely do more of "that" on my future projects.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas tag:

Today is the last day of the tags....it has come to an end very fast. That just shows how fast time does fly by each day!

The paper flowers were once white but with a few sprays of Glimmer Mist, they became the Christmas Red and Christmas Green. My scanner did not show the deep colors....but they look great with the bits of gold glimmer on the pedals.

Tim used his "Wish" ticket....but I decided that I wanted "Love". It's my gift to the world.

So on December 25th, Tim will post his final instructions for the 12 Days of Christmas tags to be entered in the drawing. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Published!

2009-12-01T01:22:00.001-06:00

Somerset Studio Gallery Winter 2010 showcases my Marie Antoinette star book. I really appreciate their photography of my artwork. All the pages were shown except for the cover....so here it is.

Angel Collage

2009-11-26T01:00:00.001-06:00

This is the angel collage that was published in RubberStampMadness...Issue No. 166 (November, December, January 2010)with a little detail that was altered. My original piece was made using an angel image that was nude. RSM wrote a thoughtful request to me and I made another angel with a cover-up.

It is so exciting to see your artwork in print! RSM is an awesome publication to work with and I would encourage anyone who is a rubber stamper to support this publication by ordering a subscription AND submitting your artwork! GO FOR IT!

Retreat

2009-11-11T09:00:00.024-06:00

This was my first retreat experience with my sister....the whole glorious weekend! I had such a great experience....and apparently did not wear on the nerves of the others as I have been invited back for next year!....WooHoo for me!

This is a very cool bridge that we cross over from Iowa into Wisconsin. Our retreat house is high on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.

My digital camera is no longer working so I used one of the disposable cameras. Not the best photos!

The retreat house has been completely renovated keeping the character of the house. It was built during the Civil War era....so many very cool things about this house!

This is the front door which opens in front of the stairs. On the right is the living room and the left would have been the dining room now converted to a lovely sewing room for the ladies.

I love the door bell that is mounted in the middle of the door and gives such a cool "ring".

This rug was hand painted on the wood floors at the top of the staircase. What a great idea.....no slipping for sure!

There were three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs. There was a half bath downstairs right next to the sewing room. The layout of this retreat house was perfect!

The kitchen was open....not too big either. Our meals were prepared by our hostess so we didn't have to worry about the prep space....it did have a dishwasher after a visitor had written in the house journal....."we would love to have a dish washer....we want him young and handsome"! Apparently the owner of the cottage takes all hints pretty seriously. After much searching for the young and handsome....it was easier to install the mechanical device!

The sitting room was so relaxing......I called it my zen room. I wrote in my journal sipping on hot tea in this room for a couple of hours in this room. The spare furnishings inspired me to get rid of unnecessary items from my own living room.

This is another view of the sitting room.

Such a lovely front porch with awesome views!

This is the hardware that was on our door. I absolutely love the old!

This was my bed....such a charming room. I am looking forward to next year...DeSoto, Wisconsin....here I come! A special thank to you Denise, owner of Quilter's Window for organizing this retreat. If you are in New Hampton, Iowa.....gotta stop and shop! Worth the trip!