Copper Top

Ξ June 20th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Art-tastic, Les Petite Dolls, Supplies/Techniques |

♥ Copper Top ♥

This sweet little gal was inspired by a posting I read on Facebook by Cloth Paper Scissors. They ask about favorite colors. Of course if you know me you know very well that I have a wobbling weakness for pink. Well… LOTS of people answered that their favorites were copper and turquoise and it got me to thinking about what a wonderful color combination that could be. So I set out to see what I could do with it. I’m quite pleased with what’s come from reading that post. I used everything but the kitchen sink here. Well, technically I DID use the kitchen sink ~ to clean my brushes ~ so I guess I used everything at my disposal ~ except my garbage disposal.☺ I used inks, paints, pencils, chalks, mica powders,  Liquitex White Opaque Flakes, punched flowers from some stunning glitter paper my mom bought me, white sequin centered embellishment flowers that I added glittery copper paint to, punched mini circles I made from origami foil paper, copper leafing, shimmering turquoise wax dripped in circle forms, and a turquoise charm that I covered with leafing.

I think part of the fun of mixed media is adding as much as possible without going completely over the top. It’s pushing the envelope as far as possible without having it crumple up in the in-slot of the mailbox…and if it does crumple why not crumple it creatively and add it to the painting as well. You get my drift. I’ve used what other would consider garbage on my painting… the foil off the top of a wine bottle, bits and pieces of those little “gift” coffee packets you can get around Christmas time. I think the secret is to use something that catches peoples eye and they wonder… “what is that? …it’s so cool!” I’m always on the lookout for fun things like that. And my parents help me in my efforts by saving their cool “garbage” for me. It’s always fun to open a bag they bring me. I never know what to expect!

In closing I want to wish all you dads out there a Fabulous Father’s Day! I hope you have an awesomely memorable day! You are greatly loved and appreciated!

Sunday Best

Ξ June 18th, 2010 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, For The Kingdom, Les Petite Dolls |

♥ Sunday Best ♥

What fun! Getting all dressed up in our Sunday best and heading out to church… then following that up with brunch at your favorite restaurant. Now that’s what I’m talking about! I love the colors in the painting. I did one using the same colors two years ago Christmas for my niece. I looked back on it not long ago and marveled at how much practicing my art has really helped me to improve my techniques and learn new ones. I I’ve gotten braver in trying new things and have been fairly successful when “oh my God!… I’ve ruined the painting mistakes” turn into happy mistakes. I’ve gotten better at blending and shading faces and making backgrounds more interesting. I’ve been considering working on a very large painting I started over 2  years ago and the size of it overwhelmed me, so I set it aside and practiced, practiced, practiced. I think I have enough time under my artistic belt now to have another go at that huge painting. But first I have a massive amounts of minis I want to finish up. I’m working on three others today. I’ll leave you with this little pink and brown gem and wish you a wonderfully happy Friday! Tonight we’ll be renting The Book of Eli and sipping wine. My favorite way to relax…and I’m looking forward to it very much! Until tomorrow. Have an awesome Friday night!

The Plunge

Ξ June 17th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Etsy, For The Kingdom, Les Petite Dolls |

Sometimes it’s really hard to let go of our creations. They become like children to us. We toil over them and coax them along as we paint them. We lovingly apply layers of goodness to each and everyone of them. There comes a time however when it’s time to let them go out into the world and be what they were meant to be. So here I am…. I’m posting my lovelies on Etsy!

I have more to post but I thought myself pretty brave for allowing myself to let go of my little ones and send them out into the world. Come on by and see if any take your fancy. Check them out here.

I was also feature on two separate treasury pages on Etsy if you’d like to check them out click here and here.

New News

Ξ June 16th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic |

I’ve just added some of my newest painting to my Etsy Shop. Take a few minutes to check them out. I made my minis very affordable so that you can start collecting now. I know I’ll be adding some cool works to my walls soon and I hope you share yours with me as well.

Baby Butterfly

Ξ June 16th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Journal Jazz, Les Petite Dolls, The Healing Garden |

♥ Baby Butterfly ♥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brand new baby butterfly
Embrace your wings that let you fly
Find your dream and hit the sky
Hold the breeze that soars so high
And never let your heart’s dream die
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This journal entry started in April… It took me a while to find the promise behind it. I knew when I was drawing the butterfly that he had a poem behind him. I just wasn’t exactly sure what he was saying. Last week he told me. He also told me what his background was going to be. So finally a journal entry that started 2 months ago is finished. It’s funny how we get an idea and sometimes it takes us months to finish what we started. That’s because we don’t do our art. Our art does our art. It speaks to us. Even if it’s a simple journal entry. Then again, maybe our journal entries are more important than what we toss on a canvas each day. … I don’t know. I like to think that each painting I do speaks something to me. Actually, I know they do. Sometimes they whisper and sometimes they scream. It’s the whisperers that get to us. When you want to get someone’s attention…whisper. Or so it is said. 
Today I am working on four different pieces in a plethora of different colors so my creativity is maxed! Which can be vastly fun.

To give you an update on my ankle situation… I went to my specialist yesterday and my CT Scan was read. Oddly enough they can’t find a reason for my lack of range of motion. So… I have been given a lift in my shoe. I am to wear it for a week and then add an additional lift of the same size to it. So I’m do double my lift next week. I’m able to hobble ~ so with the lift they are hopeful that I’ll be able to hobble better over time. They tell me that at this time surgery can’t promise that removing bone spurs will help my range as the spurs are small and they aren’t impending my range. So we are going to try less invasive approaches for now. All this time I was prepping myself for an impending surgery and now I find out that they want to avoid that at all costs. How ironic is that? So now… should I buy that needle felting or should I just walk back and forth to the bathroom to improve my range. I’m leaning toward the needle felting. I wonder…. can one walk and felt at the same time?

Paris

Ξ June 15th, 2010 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Les Petite Dolls, Tammy's Toys |

♥ Paris ♥

I’ve been wanting to make an Eiffel Tower/Paris painting for quite some time and I have a feeling this this will be the first of more to come. I had such a fun time giving this a French flair. As I’ve never been to France this was a fun challenge for me. I used a decorative paper napkin for her hat and dress and took the colors from that. I added oodles of flowers and leaves and used Beadz for a “grape” like look on her appealer. With layers of paints and glitters and lots of blobbing paint with my fingers I think I accomplished what I set out to do. Again with the pink, I know… but seriously if I were going to France I would stock up on pink clothes. Heck I would stock up on pink clothes if I were going anywhere! Well… today I am going somewhere…(in my pink hoodie) I’m going to the orthopedic specialist to get the verdict on my CT Scan. I’m anxious to find out what the outcome will be. And I’m getting more nerve up for the impending surgery. I just need to stock up on “things” to do while I’m couching slouching again. One can only do so many crossword puzzles and watch so much daytime TV ….Yawn! I think I’ll take this time to read and work on an online class or two. I have my eye on a starter kit for needle felting too… which is something I’ve really been wanting to try. We’ll see.. and I’ll keep you posted. If you have any ideas please let me know. I’m bound to need more activities to keep my mind off how bored I’ll be getting.

♥ Tammy’s Tuesday Toys ♥

And again! It’s time for Tammy’s Tuesday Toys! Today’s little cutie is from a shop in downtown Olympia called Archibald Sisters they carry a line of custom fragrances and a huge plethora of toys and trinkets! If you’re in town you just have to check them out. When the soap is gone from this tin you can be sure I’ll find something fun to put in it!

I Love Your Presence

Ξ June 14th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Les Petite Dolls |

♥ I Love Your Presence ♥

Some paintings just turn out better than others. This is one of my new favorites. I could be that it’s pink, it could be the composition, it could be her hairstyle, or it could be a multitude of things … for some reason I really, really like this little painting A LOT! I’m still having fun painting and playing in my art journal. I’m not quite as nervous as I was last week but that might change tomorrow after I see the Dr. In the meantime I’m trying not to think about it and will be dipping my fingers into paint very soon to keep myself occupied. Over the weekend we watched Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio while we sipped Merlot and munched on smoked cheddar cheese with crackers. Oh.. what a wonderful time. =) The movie was very good, as was the wine and cheese. If you haven’t seen it yet I suggest you give it a try. It’s a great suspense flix.

Happy Monday and Happy Flag Day. I’ll see you back here tomorrow with another beautiful mess.☺

Mellow Yellow

Ξ June 11th, 2010 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Les Petite Dolls, The Great Outdoors!, The Healing Garden |

♥ Mellow Yellow ♥

Yellow’s not often a color I reach for when I’m painting. I have a palette of favorites and try daily to break away and use new colors and mediums that are a bit outside my comfort zone. It’s called personal artistic growth. Or so I’m told. I do love turquoise and yellow together as they make each other smile so much. They bring out the best in each other. So when yellow was given to me as a prompt by my son, I ran with it. Using stencils and stamps and punched paper pieces and adding “doodle” dots I made the most of my yellow prompt. I added black as I think it adds to both colors. Fabric-like collage paper was used for the dress and a chipboard circle was painted with turquoise along with decorative leaves cut from paper napkins make up her hair ornament. There really is nothing you can’t use for mixed media. Save your junk mail, your clothing tags, your extra cardboard. Everything can be turned from junk to jewels! I started this sweet treat yesterday afternoon and finished it just now. All that’s left is to varnish. (which I do in bulk ~ as it’s not the funnest of artistic tasks.) This mini make an even 14 I’ve finished since I was able to get to my desk after my walking boot was removed. I’ll have to think of a new way of creating again when I’m couch bound again after my next surgery. But I have a few ideas in mind. =) I hope you enjoy Mellow Yellow and that you have a nice mellow and relaxing weekend. I’ll see you back here tomorrow with a journal play page I’ve been working on. Happy TGIF!

The Magic of Music

Ξ June 10th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Journal Jazz, Les Petite Dolls, The Healing Garden |

♥ The Magic of Music ♥

I thought I’d share a journal entry today. I’ve been playing a bit in my art journal between coats of paint drying on my minis I’ve been working on. Journaling if a freeing process because if you mess something up you can simply cover it over with something or another. I started this journal page by gluing a piece of vintage sheet music circa 1950s to my journal page. Then I just started to play with no plan in mind. I used everything from collage papers to gold stickers, confetti, rubber stamps, border stickers, decorative tape, tissue paper, gold leafing, masking tape, and paints & pencils. There is no right or wrong in journaling it simply whatever comes out of the fingertips. I think she turned out looking very vintage and I’m please with the finished result.

I had my CT Scan today so thankfully that part of the process is over. I’m halfway psyched for the surgery now. I was treated to Red Lobster by my hubs after the appointment so it was a nice ending to the appointment. Tomorrow is finally Friday so we’ll have a nice long weekend before I have to go to the Orthopedic Specialist. I plan to enjoy every moment of it and get plenty of rest and art-time in. And hopefully a few good movies as well. Have a great evening and I’ll see you back here tomorrow! Keep Kreating!

Lavender Blue

Ξ June 9th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Les Petite Dolls, The Great Outdoors!, The Healing Garden |

♥Lavender Blue♥

I love these mini 4×4″ paintings. I can work on up to 4 at a time while I allow my muse to flow and paint to dry. Today I’m working on two I was inspired to wood-burn. I have also been playing in my journal and I’ll share some of that tomorrow. Tomorrow’s the big day for my CT Scan…nervous? Yes! Anxious? Yes! Ready to get back on my feet? YES! I stayed up late last night reading inspirational stories for the courage I’m going to need to get me through this. My mom won’t be there this time for my surgery as she’s laid up with HER broken ankle recovery. So it’s going to take a ton of prayer for me to get through this without her support by my side. It’s the not knowing that gets to us all I think. I won’t really know anything final until I see the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday so I just as well simmer down and play as much as I can to keep my mind from going into overdrive. Watching good comedies is therapeutic as well. Which sounds like a good idea. So I’m off to do that now. Have a great tomorrow!