School Recap and 5 Minutes of Fame!

Altered tin goodness - My first one:

I'm in my last week of Altered Tin class over at My Creative Classroom and masterfully taught by my dear friend Linda.

So far, I've decorated this tin, made dividers and decorated them for the inside (and then decided right before finishing to bind them with my Bind-It-All and make a little hanging calendar out of them instead, so they are not finished yet). And I have also started decorating 2 other tins for presents.

I purposefully kept this tin ribbon-free and without a front labeling for now, because I haven't quite decided if I'm gonna keep it or give it to Missy for Christmas. Also, the ancient (2005, seriously) Urban Lily paper I used pleasantly surprised me by how cool it ended up looking all by itself. I did put a thin paper strip around the lid lip, but so far I haven't wanted to mess up the clean lines and modern look of it by adding another thing.

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Linda is the best teacher. Very thorough and patient. This week we are making cards, and I've gotten my instructions and sketches printed out, along with my scraps and card bases. Now to make some cards!

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In my other classes, my Kelly Kilmer class is done today. As I said before, though, I will continue to journal the rest of the September prompts I did not get to. I have already begun painting some pages.
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Suziblu's Les Petit Doll class is slowly moving along, but it needs to move slowly, because there is so much to think about because there are many decisions I must make about my final art piece. I do a lot of sketching of different faces and bodies, different poses, clothes, etc., in her style, which is such that it's not really hard (no detail to hands and feet, no ears, mainly just a circle for the head and very detailed large eyes and flowing hair). I have to constantly work on body part proportion, that's hard for me, and to think ahead so it will all fit on the paper, lol. Baby steps forward. I'll get there.
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In Kelly Rae class I re-read Chapter 1 - Unearthing Buried Dreams, what upset me so much yesterday. I now see that I went through basically what she did in my younger adulthood. I wanted to be a writer and succumbed to my parents' desires for me to have a sensible education that paid the rent, so I switched to accounting. Did that for 30 years until the sight of one more tax return or deadline was going to send me screaming and running. Then, I got sick and all those dreams I had became null and void. Only tiny ones now that I can do under the circumstances. I still get really angry realizing all of that. More later on that.

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In Serendipity News, I got the surprise of my life this afternoon. I checked my email and there was one from Marah Johnson! She loved my Heartbreaker ATC and wanted to link it on her blog. She had seen it on something called I love google alerts. Huh????? I've never heard of that. I'll have to learn about it. Linda, thanks for emailing me and maybe you can help me learn what the google alert thing is?

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So, anyway, it's featured HERE, along with an art journal page where I also used her rub-ons, and I'm still getting over the shock. What a thrill! Even though I do not submit for publication, it's still an amazing feeling to have a favorite famous artist whose art supplies I love to use tell me she loves something I made. Pretty sweet - I'm definitely savoring this flavor. :-)

Heartbreakers and dreamtakers

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Took a little time out to make an atc for my Paper Traders yahoo group monthly lottery. The dude and the life expectancy chart are packing tape image transfers and the word is a Marah Johnson rub-on. I used an old pink valentine scrapbook paper wrapped base of chipboard that I had left over from last February. The image transfers were made from junk mailer images. I painted quinacridone red, azo gold over the paper and then payne's grey on the edges.

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I love how it turned out and it was fun to make an atc again since it has been a while. I hope whoever wins the lottery likes it, too!

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So, we are reading Kelly Rae Roberts' book, Taking Flight, in a study group workshop over at On the Wing ning. I absolutely love Kelly Rae's art and her style. Kelly Rae's book isn't just art and techniques. It's also about her journey to get to where she's at now, and the book deals a lot with helping the reader do that.
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I had written a big old post here about all the problems I was having following her exercises and study questions so far. And I have since removed it because it was just a little too angry for my comfort. I did a lot of thinking last night and figured out where all the anger was coming from. This book is for someone who still has an open playdate with fulfilling her dreams.
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And frankly, I don't. My window of opportunity has passed, partly because of my age and my circumstances, but mostly because of my chronic illness. And I've spent 3 years working through all of that and getting to a pretty great happy place. Just know, it was a long hard trip uphill, okay? Then this book comes along and screws that all to hell in my head. Loverly.
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So, I can either avoid the book or I can reflect back on dreams I had that I no longer can fulfill and maybe record how I've coped and adjusted. I'm tentatively going to try the latter and see how it goes. But it's painful, cuz I had me some good dreams. And stay tuned, cuz if I have to revisit it, I'm dragging you with me. ;-)

various & sundry things

i'm actually on a blogging roll on both of my blogs. this is like the third daily post in a row, mmwwwaaahhh winkwink. well, good for me, anyway.

so if ya haven't been here in a while, read on down to catch anything ya missed.

i was honored by my blogging friend cathy with this cool award:



The rules governing this award are as follows:

List 7 things about myself:
1. I'm left-handed.
2. I drink one glass of oj every day upon waking.
3. I try to drink 2 cans of V-8 every day.
4. I also drink a glass of Metamucil orange every other day.
5. My favorite *good* fruit to eat right now is apples.
6. My favorite luxury fruit is a ripe avocado.
7. I try to eat a salad every day.

Okay, I must be hungry. :-) Now, I need to pass this along to 7 other Kreative Bloggers:

1. Benita
2. Nancy
3. Linda B.
4. Laura Kay
5. Roberta
6. Ingrid
7. Shirley

I'll check all ya'll out in a few days to see what deep dark tidbits you list about yourselves...or not. :-)))




My latest budding collection obsession: the cupie doll illustrations of Grace Drayton, aka The Campbell Soup Kids of vintage yesterday. I love them, so when I saw these books on Amazon at special prices, I scooped them up. I think this is my first book of paper dolls. Always before I'd remained uninterested, but not with these little dolls. Sure wish I could find more sources. If anyone knows any good links, let me know!


One of my groups recently had a monthly lottery for artist trading cards with a green and gold theme. This was my entry. There are some other very nice cards entered, so I should find out on Wednesday if I won...wish me luck! :-))

until next time,

I must be Texas-tagalicious...

Before I get started, let me pass on some email info I received this morning. Duncan Crafts (home of Aleene, Crafty Chica and Tulip brands) has launched a new website. It's called ilovetocreate. Check it out...only a little bit of it is cutesy/childish. I saw a few things that interested me. I'd like to try the Tulip Glitter Spray, myself. :-)))

(Alright...I hear you snickering. Glitter is not cutesy...it's vintage!)

And, here's a sketch I did in my newly-started sketch journal:

I am very rusty, as you can see. My shading sucks so bad that I don't think I will do it anymore in sketch pencil, only with color. Even my color shading is bad, but what u gonna do, ya know? P-r-a-c-t-i-c-e.

I actually sketched someone real, a woman named Elaine with whom I used to work 30 years ago. We had cubicles next to each other, and I'd see that look a lot when I'd lean over to ask a question, etc. She always had a "let me think" look that was mixed in with a pleasant and polite and interested look. Another coworker who thought he was Oscar Wilde or somesuch always joked that if you asked Elaine to jump off a cliff, she'd consider it and sure get to it if she had time. I thought he was cruel, but he was funny. So...that kind of look was what I was going for.

Okay, back on track...
I was tagged by my lovely friend and fellow Texana, Charlie. (I wish I had 1/100th of her sketching talent!)

I did this same tag last week on my other blog when I was tagged by my lovely friend and fellow Texana Rozette. (I wish I had 1/10th of her digi-talent.)

Hm... Anyone else notice a possible pattern here? Am I now officially Texas-tagalicious? At least I am getting tagged by talented Texanas...

winkwink

Now, I had told Rozette I'd reply on my Antics blog since I try to keep Paper Paisleys just for art-related schtick. And I could tell Charlie the same thing.

But now, I give up. LOL No, just kidding. I've got one of my ideas...watch out...so I decided that this time around with the tag, I will make my replies art-related. It's interesting to learn how other artists and hobbyists look at their art and go about things...right? Maybe I can provide one or two interesting tidbits for you.

So, here are 6 art-related things about me:
1. I'm not technically or totally self-taught. I had some traditional art courses in college, but it was so long ago that I'd be a liar if I took credit for retaining most of the knowledge. It was over 30 years ago and it's not like getting back on a bicycle, OK? I can still sketch certain things, but as I said, I'm tres rusty. And my painting was all in oils, which I'm not ever going back to. Plus, I cannot remember the strokes I learned. So, basically and for all intents and purposes, I'm self-taught.

2. Now, I do remember quite a bit that I learned in college about art theory. You know, design elements, color theory, art genres, basic art history. And, I think sometimes it dupes me into having a false sense of courage that "I can do that" when I have absolutely no beeswax doing it. Knowledge, for me, is power AND a double-edged sword.

3. I have a big appreciation for collagists and mixed media artists. My biggest challenge *slash* brick wall is seeing the process order of layering spatially. Say, WHAT? Well, the layers of color and texture in a collage or mixed media piece were usually done in the opposite order of what you think you see. I would love to give all the artists of those genres truth serum and then have them answer if they have difficulty with this also or does it just come naturally. I would love to know the results. Those to whom it truly comes naturally are blessed with an amazing talent, in my opine. (And those who struggle but do get it done are pretty amazing, too.)

4.My favorite art journaling book is The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn. Written in 2002, it is one of the oldest of the contemporary books on art journals, but Gwen's a master. She's the chair of the art dept at Warren Wilson College and calls what we do visual-verbal art. Among the many contributors are 2 well-respected and talented artists I know of: Nina Bagley and Karen Michel. Gwen takes the art journaling process step by step, giving the reader what seems like infinite ways to create. She also covers using altered books and scrapbook albums. I remember learning for the first time what a "tip-in" was in this book. The eye candy inspiration is stunning still...I'll keep this book forever.

5.
My favorite altered books book is Altered Books Workshop by Bev Brazelton. Written in 2004, Bev's book is still a timely supply list reference for altering books to use as art pieces or any other kind of self-expression. I love the way she's laid it out, in sections for the beginner, the intermediate, and the advanced alterer. In the advanced section she calls "Creative Techniques", you'll find illustrated instructions for image transfers, cut-outs, pop-ups, insert boxes and drawers, all done in a non-cutesy artistic style. The biggest reason I love and keep this book is Bev's unfraid, jump-in attitude. She's done all her own art work, and that attitude is on every page and in every technique she teaches.

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My favorite book about paint is Altered Surfaces by Chris Cozen. This is a skinny little 50-page Design Originals book that has the amount of information that a 500-page book might have. Every square inch of every page is loaded with instructions and photos. Chris is a Working Artist for Golden Paint, and if you are a Golden painter, you needed this book yesterday. I found my copy at Memory Villa. The book's official sub-title is "Using Acrylic Paints with Gels, Mediums, Grounds & Pastes for Paper, Canvas, Board and Plastic". WOW! Yeah, and it's all covered, believe me: mixing, glazing, resist, encaustic, tar gel, molding, even weaving acrylic skin strips, which was something I first learned about here. If you paint with Goldens or any brand of acrylics, you should have this book, unless you already know enough to write one yourself.

Please note that I also managed to blog about those books that have been inspiring me lately. Two birds, meet one stone.

Now, who to tag? I did not tag anyone in particular the first time I did the tag because my fingers hurt so badly I was having trouble thinking. So, this time I'm doing it for both of my taggers. No, I'm not tagging 12 peeps, but I just wanted Rozette to know I was thinking about her. xoxo

So that I can find 6 peeps who haven't done this before or in a while, I'm gonna change up their tags a bit. If your name is listed here, please answer the tag on your blog, choose 6 peeps to tag and ask them whatever you want to, and then go tell them in comments on their blogs.

Hide and watch:

1. Sarah C. : Having a baby is like creating art. In fact, it's your biggest masterpiece! So, tell us 6 baby names that made your semi-finalist list, whether or not Trent liked them, LOL.

2. Tina Z :
You like to keep lists, so tell us the next 6 creative projects you will be doing. These can be for your DT or home or gifts for others.

3. Jill C. : You are incredibly effectively goal-oriented, and those goals are like pieces of art to you. You are the only person I know who actually accomplished 99.9% of your goals in 2008 (and if I'm not mistaken, that one unmet goal was something to do with backing up your photos, and you did accomplish that when you changed computers...one month into the next year. Sheesh! That's 100% in my book!) So, Jill, let's go longterm. Tell us 6 goals / dreams that are not 2009 goals that you want to accomplish before you kick the big one...6 Bucket-List things.

4. Linda D. : You tease about how big your scrapping wishlist is and you are a prodigious paper-user. So, what if you could only scrap with 6 brands of paper...tell us what those 6 paper brands would be.

5. Benita C. : Your Prima collection rivals Primas'. If you had the space and the moola, tell us 6 additional collections you would have.

6. Roberta W. : To you, cooking is more than a cuisine, it's an artform. So, what 6 dishes have you never made and very much want to make?

Until next time, xoxo.