The Theatre of Dreams that I submitted has now been published in the Marie issue (available April 1st). Each spotlight artist had a double page spread. However, that was not enough space for the many characters that I created. All my characters I made are in the slide show below along with the theatre. Enjoy! Also, check out Catherine Moore's post on Marie.
Kimberly's New Office
I am so proud that my daughter has started her new law career. I love this wall of diplomas and certificates. It really shows just how hard she worked during law school! The office walls are painted a soft peanut color for warmth, however, with her two windows it turned out lighter than she expected. I gave her our ficus tree that outgrew my office but is perfect for the corner in her office. I didn't take a photo of that corner...how could a mom miss that!
Her office faces north so she won't have the hot Oklahoma sun beating into her office during the summer months.
This is the second day of the move. The movers took care of all the furniture and on the second day I helped her with the small details....like "Mom, can you hand me that box?" "Can you find the power strip?", etc... These photos were taken also before she hung all her artwork on the walls which was during the weekend. I did have an opportunity to walk to the courthouse one day with her....she is very convenient to the courthouse...it is only a couple of blocks!
This is a photo I took of her building from her parking garage. It is one of Tulsa's old buildings downtown.
Happy Birthday Annie!
My book is about Annie....and here it is. Lisa's instructions made it possible for me to complete this project at home where I pulled together special embellishments. I also had time to think about what lettering I wanted to use. Two guild members gave me advice on the transfer packages so I was able to add photos. However, I did use three originals in the piece.
I used a button binding using three antique buttons for the front and four antique flat shell buttons for the back. (The buttons on the front were given to me by my sister-in-law, Pat)
This has to be one of my favorite buttons...and I know Annie will love it too!
The strips of fabric were anchored using a zig-zag and straight stitch. The top of the binding was folded over and stitched down to give a smooth look. However, the bottom was left untouched. I love all the fibers and fabric strips just dangling! So messy.....I love that!
This is the last button I sewed on...and going through all the layers of canvas and muslin was not easy. Two broken needles later...the job was done!
This is the inside cover view. The day before I mailed it, I added three gold safety pins that held coffee stained tags. I wrote the Colophon and bits of sentiments to Annie.
I added text to the branches...writing my name, the date, and Annie's name. I also added an amber crystal for the bird's eye. I thought this page made the perfect introduction page.
I was not pleased with the results for this page from the workshop so I made some design changes. I wanted to write the text in the green area that framed the letter "A". So I added layered fabric pieces over my original script and sewed a bead that matched perfectly the colors for this page. I used oil pastels to shade the letter "A", too. Now I am very happy with the final result!
I love this page....maybe it is the Roman lettering on top of the bright colors of yellow and green! I meant to bounce the last two letters in "raised" but it was late at night...and I am thrilled I just didn't misspell the word! So the three buttons were added to take care of this design error. I added a sparkle netting over the family farm photo to give the page more interest. I used a white gel pen to write Annie's birthday.
I made a good beginning for this page in the workshop. I was going to add little notes in the pockets but later decided on photos of us instead. The first pocket holds a photo of her only. The "sisters" image is a rubber stamp image on card stock and then sewn. I lettered text from a Chattel mortgage that my parents had signed. In another project...I am going to do more text from this document.
This page was another one almost completed from the workshop. I added written text surround the "K" for kindness. I wanted additional texture, so I lettered on printed cotton fabric, ripped it and then glued it in place using fabric glue. I made sure to add this printed fabric for my cover piece. I wanted all the fabric I used to be cohesive.
I did use an original photo in this piece. My sweet sister on her wedding day. Originally I was going to letter "wedding" using the Roman hand but then decided on less formal and went with my own style of copperplate for "love". Under the fabric strip with the wedding date is text written describing the church and location.
I also used original photos of her boys for this page. I adhered the photos using French knots. They are grown men now with families of their own. I really liked these photos because Annie dressed them in the same style shirts! In the pocket is a photo that Annie or her husband had taken of the boys during a Christmas holiday. At some point, Mom sent this to me and I am glad I saved it just for this book. It was a Polaroid photo so I am pretty sure there was not another photo.
OMG....I almost threw this page out! I was so frustrated doing my lettering at night. The hand I chose was Uncial and the lettering looked really great. The next morning before heading to work...I stopped in my studio to look over what I thought was a terrific piece of art until I discovered that I had misspelled two words! Double Darn! So from that point forward....I did ALL my lettering first thing in the morning. I added silk fabric first treated with Jacquard No Flow and then re-lettered "strength". I painted gesso over the misspelled wording and rewrote the words also on sheer fabric treated with no flow. Then this was sewn on top of the gesso. The brass button layered on top of fabric pieces was used to anchor the page.
I did a photo transfer to cotton fabric using my scanner and home ink-jet printer. The transfers really turned out great. I also added additional text under the blue fabric on the right. I really enjoyed writing hidden text on the pages. The embellishment is a "J" for Journey from Tim Holtz's collection.
Uncle Chuck and Aunt Dorothy were our favorites! Aren't they a stunning couple! I added a fabric tape measure because that is what I remember most about Aunt Dorothy was her sewing abilities....well....along with her cooking, decorating, and the ability to laugh and have fun skills!
Joy describes Aunt Joan, my mother's only sister. I also wrote hidden text for Annie on this page as well. The "Joy" was written using brush lettering and then touching up using a sharpie.
This vintage photo of the little boy just looks like he wants to be a farmer....so that is what he gets to be. I also added hidden text of what was written on the back of the photo. It may give clues to who he is.
Four Generations is one of my favorite photos....I was nervous about writing on top of the fabric transfer...but that worked out just fine. So I wrote their names and ages. The little girl, Merle, is my maternal grandmother.
This page is a school photo of mom. I added the names of all her daughters on one side and the sons on the other. It was amazing that the last two pages became a tribute to our mom and dad.
Again, this is one of my favorite photos of my dad. I had written that I use it a lot in my artwork and that is definitely the truth. I decided to add the text using Blackletter with a parallel pen. I did not retouch as I really liked the texture the ink left.
I used the funky letter style that Lisa has in her new book "Modern Mark Making". They are a lot of fun to do....and I used sharpie pens.
Watercolor paper was used to make her card. I used the same colors for the card as I used on the pages. I rubber stamped "be yourself" image and then added personal text to the backside.
This is the inside back cover.
This is the back cover showing the four antique shell buttons.
My fabric book arrived safely to Annie's house...and she absolutely loves this book and will treasure it always!
I used a button binding using three antique buttons for the front and four antique flat shell buttons for the back. (The buttons on the front were given to me by my sister-in-law, Pat)
This has to be one of my favorite buttons...and I know Annie will love it too!
The strips of fabric were anchored using a zig-zag and straight stitch. The top of the binding was folded over and stitched down to give a smooth look. However, the bottom was left untouched. I love all the fibers and fabric strips just dangling! So messy.....I love that!
This is the last button I sewed on...and going through all the layers of canvas and muslin was not easy. Two broken needles later...the job was done!
This is the inside cover view. The day before I mailed it, I added three gold safety pins that held coffee stained tags. I wrote the Colophon and bits of sentiments to Annie.
I added text to the branches...writing my name, the date, and Annie's name. I also added an amber crystal for the bird's eye. I thought this page made the perfect introduction page.
I was not pleased with the results for this page from the workshop so I made some design changes. I wanted to write the text in the green area that framed the letter "A". So I added layered fabric pieces over my original script and sewed a bead that matched perfectly the colors for this page. I used oil pastels to shade the letter "A", too. Now I am very happy with the final result!
I love this page....maybe it is the Roman lettering on top of the bright colors of yellow and green! I meant to bounce the last two letters in "raised" but it was late at night...and I am thrilled I just didn't misspell the word! So the three buttons were added to take care of this design error. I added a sparkle netting over the family farm photo to give the page more interest. I used a white gel pen to write Annie's birthday.
I made a good beginning for this page in the workshop. I was going to add little notes in the pockets but later decided on photos of us instead. The first pocket holds a photo of her only. The "sisters" image is a rubber stamp image on card stock and then sewn. I lettered text from a Chattel mortgage that my parents had signed. In another project...I am going to do more text from this document.
This page was another one almost completed from the workshop. I added written text surround the "K" for kindness. I wanted additional texture, so I lettered on printed cotton fabric, ripped it and then glued it in place using fabric glue. I made sure to add this printed fabric for my cover piece. I wanted all the fabric I used to be cohesive.
I did use an original photo in this piece. My sweet sister on her wedding day. Originally I was going to letter "wedding" using the Roman hand but then decided on less formal and went with my own style of copperplate for "love". Under the fabric strip with the wedding date is text written describing the church and location.
I also used original photos of her boys for this page. I adhered the photos using French knots. They are grown men now with families of their own. I really liked these photos because Annie dressed them in the same style shirts! In the pocket is a photo that Annie or her husband had taken of the boys during a Christmas holiday. At some point, Mom sent this to me and I am glad I saved it just for this book. It was a Polaroid photo so I am pretty sure there was not another photo.
OMG....I almost threw this page out! I was so frustrated doing my lettering at night. The hand I chose was Uncial and the lettering looked really great. The next morning before heading to work...I stopped in my studio to look over what I thought was a terrific piece of art until I discovered that I had misspelled two words! Double Darn! So from that point forward....I did ALL my lettering first thing in the morning. I added silk fabric first treated with Jacquard No Flow and then re-lettered "strength". I painted gesso over the misspelled wording and rewrote the words also on sheer fabric treated with no flow. Then this was sewn on top of the gesso. The brass button layered on top of fabric pieces was used to anchor the page.
I did a photo transfer to cotton fabric using my scanner and home ink-jet printer. The transfers really turned out great. I also added additional text under the blue fabric on the right. I really enjoyed writing hidden text on the pages. The embellishment is a "J" for Journey from Tim Holtz's collection.
Uncle Chuck and Aunt Dorothy were our favorites! Aren't they a stunning couple! I added a fabric tape measure because that is what I remember most about Aunt Dorothy was her sewing abilities....well....along with her cooking, decorating, and the ability to laugh and have fun skills!
Joy describes Aunt Joan, my mother's only sister. I also wrote hidden text for Annie on this page as well. The "Joy" was written using brush lettering and then touching up using a sharpie.
This vintage photo of the little boy just looks like he wants to be a farmer....so that is what he gets to be. I also added hidden text of what was written on the back of the photo. It may give clues to who he is.
Four Generations is one of my favorite photos....I was nervous about writing on top of the fabric transfer...but that worked out just fine. So I wrote their names and ages. The little girl, Merle, is my maternal grandmother.
This page is a school photo of mom. I added the names of all her daughters on one side and the sons on the other. It was amazing that the last two pages became a tribute to our mom and dad.
Again, this is one of my favorite photos of my dad. I had written that I use it a lot in my artwork and that is definitely the truth. I decided to add the text using Blackletter with a parallel pen. I did not retouch as I really liked the texture the ink left.
I used the funky letter style that Lisa has in her new book "Modern Mark Making". They are a lot of fun to do....and I used sharpie pens.
Watercolor paper was used to make her card. I used the same colors for the card as I used on the pages. I rubber stamped "be yourself" image and then added personal text to the backside.
This is the inside back cover.
This is the back cover showing the four antique shell buttons.My fabric book arrived safely to Annie's house...and she absolutely loves this book and will treasure it always!
Retreat with Lisa
We held our retreat at Western Hills Lodge which is in Sequoyah State Park. The winding pine tree lined road was about three miles from the main turn off before you reached the lodge. The speed limit is about ten miles per hour and you definitely do not want to drive any faster because there is so much wildlife. The lodge also is surrounded by the lake. This was about a forty-five minute drive from my house!
Lisa Engelbrecht was invited to teach her "Book of Intentions" workshop for our three day retreat. She was absolutely delightful and I believe everyone enjoyed their time spent with her too!
This is definite organized chaos! It was an awesome experience where like-minded artists created! I chose not to make the "Book of Intentions" and instead wanted to make my theme about my sister, Annie. This book is going to be her birthday present.
This is my work surface....and guess what....everyone had pretty much the same messy work space. I shared my table space with my daughter and that was a lot of fun.....we had the best time!
This is my stash of stuff that was under my table! I must have taken everything I owned to the retreat! There were plenty of sewing machines and irons to use...everyone was very generous with their tools, too!
These are the beginning pages for my sister's book. I did end up making a lot of pockets on different pages.
I love the colors I choose to paint my fabrics....terra cotta, butterscotch, and navy.
I also enjoyed using stencils and color washes. I used FW Acrylics to write "sister" on another piece of canvas and attached using French knots. The heart shape that ended on a branch was pure chance of accidents. Lucky for me! The bits of lace was used as a stencil and when I was finished with it, I cut it up for pieces to be added here and there.
The letter "K" was first drawn and then painted with navy acrylic paint..the same color I used as one of my background washes. The embellishment was in my goodie bag and was perfect for this project!
There are so many elements on this page that I ended up changing in the end. I removed the doily that I used as a stencil and the tape I used as a gold accent. The pocket I did keep.
I also altered this page a few times before I was pleased with the results. I had a good beginning of an "A" but the other design work needed help. I did a lot rework on this page.
The cover is a lot of fun to do. This is my beginning stages....and there is lots more to do. Most of the fabrics I used in the book and a few strips I borrowed from others that worked for my color pallet.
Here are photos that show the pages grouped together.
I did decide that the last page of my sister's book would be the "surprise" page.These are photos from our retreat with Lisa Engelbrecht. There were awesome artists in our class! Enjoy!
Thanks Terri for the Kreativ Blogger Award
Thank you for my blog award from Blooming Ideas!
Terri's Blooming Ideas
I love visiting her blog and do it often!
Thank You So Much!
She has really made my day too!
All I had to do is follow these simple rules.
Here are the award rules:
List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love!
Be sure to tag them and let them know they have won!
You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard
Letting the whole world know.....you are KREATIV!
- The Universe
- My Family
- My Friends
- Art
- Creativity
- Ireland
- Chocolatini's
My Seven Bloggers Are:
- Catherine Moore
- First Born Studio
- Vintage Moon Studio
- Monkey Mind
- Lisa Englebrecht
- Flea Market Studio
- Birds of a Feather
Now I just have to let you all know.
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