Last week's project...conquer the BIG canvas fear

Conquer  the big canvas fear!

Actually I worked on two of my fears last week...big canvas and testing fibers on canvas.

First let me talk about my fear of big canvases.  I have tried doing larger canvases and have hated them and they sit in my closet waiting to be be painted over.  Generally I like to do small works from 3" - 12".  the are nice doable sizes and usually on paper, not canvas.  But if I do a canvas it is small also.  Ok, so I like painting on paper because easy to ship on my Etsy shop and if the don't come out as I like they can go into my scrap box for the one day when I conquer my collage fear (coming soon!)

Canvases on the other side, I am really scared to mess them up.  But this week I went decided to just do it.  So here is my canvas.

 
I prefer the vertical position, but wanted to show up the horizontal too.  I have a hidden signature so it can be hung either way.

So let's talk about size!!  24" x 12", ok as I type that size it sounds small, but it is much larger than my comfort zone.  As you can see in the next photo, it takes up my whole photo light box!

 
Now I need to talk about my second fear/challenge...adding fibers to canvas.  A long time ago, about 11yrs ago I had this dream or desire to create works of art that encompassed me.  What do I mean me?  Well I have tried every so many things like stamping, scrapbooking, beading, sewing, quilting, embroidery, fiber art, and painting.  I knew back them I wanted to create art that incorporated all my skills into one piece.  But, when I told friends they would look at me weird and ask what would you do with it?  Funny thing I heard about mixed media back then, but much of what I was seeing was vintage or grunge, neither was where I wanted to go.  I knew it would be abstract and textured.  Somehow, this week I feel I am getting closer.  Those darn baby steps take so long to get up to running.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this wild, bumpy, crazy ride.

So, take some time to look at some of these yummy textures....

Alright, I have to admit I did enjoy doing that larger of a canvas once it was finished.  In fact today it was hard to go back to the smaller ones for my next project.  This next week I am going to conquer my fear of collage.

See you on my next adventure.

Judy

Art is on my mind

Here is something new that I have been wanting to play with...fabric postcards.  I have 3 books on this subject and it has really fascinated me for some while, just wasn't sure if anyone was interested in it.

So here is my first attempt and she is actually for a swap.

I decided to stitch my saying, but I could have easily stamped the saying too.  I was taught the stitching technique at a workshop with Ruth Rae.  But I did get my CTMH stamps out to stamp the back of the postcard!  I figured that I could adhere cardstock on the backside, perfect for stamping.



Well anyways it was a fun attempt and maybe I will be sharing more with you soon!

Happy crafting - Judy

Show me and She Art Girl #2

This is my morning project...to finish another She Art canvas.  I'm taking this online class called the She Art Workshop by Christy Tomlinson.  It is an awesome class, just I'm not the best at keeping up on online classes.  It would be awesome if she would come to Reno, NV and take a week-end retreat...(hint, hint.)

But I am very happy with this canvas because it looks so nice on my desk!

I made it for the bathroom wall...aqua, brown and butterflies is my downstairs guest bathroom.  However, the wall is bigger than I thought and I would have to make at least 2-3 canvases to make that wall look nice.  I guess that will be next week!

But why I was at it, I thought I would share my messy workspace that I have to clean up now.  Actually I used to join in on a group over at Paper Craft Planet, called Sassy Cheryl's and on Thursday's she likes to see what your work space looks like...so this is for Cheryl! 

I miss you girls alot.

Yes there is my 2nd morning Diet Pepsi!  Lots of glue, inks, stamps, pens and glue.

I have to say it was nice to have a little break from my sewing room.  I have been working hard on inventory...etsy shop coming soon!

So go make something today!

Judy

She Art Girl #1

"She made today count" 

Yesterday I started a online workshop called She Art Workshop by Christy Tomlinson.  I'm so excited to do something out of my comfort zone.  I have always wanted to explore more areas of mixed media art and collage has always bee a hard one for me.  Somehow I want to always make thing neat, clean and symmetrical, which in my mind collage isn't.  Boy! do I have alot to learn.

Here is my first canvas...

I had so much fun stamping, painting, gluing, rubons and more!  Do you see her dress is fabric?  Well it has a little Mod Podge over it.

Today is another class, so off to play!

Judy



Happy Valentines!

Today I'm going to show you what I did ALL week-end.  I took to all day workshops hosted by Pickled Tink Studios to expand my crafting and artistic abilities.  It was so much fun and I can't wait to learn more!  I have to thank Ruth Rae for being an awesome teacher and very patient with me when I was having sewing machine issues!!  You should check out Ruth's blog, she is very talented and a very sweet person.

I'm so thankful for my hubby because he said "You really should take both classes.  This is what you have been wanting to do for quite some time."

On Saturday, the class focused on velvet and lace necklaces that can be converted into a wrap bracelet.  I brought some yummy beads, old vintage buttons, lots of lace and got to play with her Singer Feather Weight machine, WHICH I LOVE!  Next big purchase.

So here is what I made...

I just love the chocolate and aqua combo.  Looks great with jeans of a vintage lace top! 

On Sunday, we made fabric memory books.  This class required LOTS of sewing.  I'm so glad I took this class because I forgot how much I like playing with fabric.  In this class we mixed all typed of fabric: lace, velvet, felt, paper, tulle, netting, and whatever else we could get our hands on.  In addition the class learned about tea dying, melting fabric,image transfers, free form sewing and book binding.

So here is my cover and in later posts I will share the inside, just needs a little more embellishments.  The book is about four special women in Jessi's life, although she never got to meet my grandmother.  I wanted to have something that shares a little family history for Jessi to hold onto.

As you can see this is a chunky book full of yummy fabrics and fibers.  It would make a traditional quilter cringe, but there are so many type of fabric & fiber artists.

So take the time to go check out Ruth's blog, or if you are looking f.or classes in Reno, go to Pickled Tink Studio.

Have a Happy Valentines!

Judy

My Create Art bottle Angels

My hubby is the greatest!  He signed me up for this Altered Bottle class in Reno.  And I am always game to try something new.  I decided to do a theme around my word of the year - Create.  This is a visual reminder that I should create a little something each day and to try new things.  It doesn't matter if it awesome or not but to just take chances, puch myself to try new things and end up with nice little creations such as this bottle.  So as I make this journey this year I am going to enjoy all sorts of creations and surprises.

So enjoy your Sunday and see you tomorrow with a Sassy Monday creation.

Judy

Trying something new...

I am trying something a little new and different, well it isn't really new but it is something that I have always wanted to do.  I have always wanted to do altered art projects that have a vintage flair.  Right now I'm taking a online class with My Creative Classroom and they have an assortment of classes to try, so the next four week I will be trying my hands at a few altered type peices and who knows I might really like it.  Wouldn't it be great to rumage thru thrift and antique stores for finds for little peices of artwork?  And then I can decorate my office with all my finds and creations.

Well I know this creation didn't use Copics, but it did use fabric, buttons, lace, Nestalities, scrapbook paper, Stayzon ink, stamps and flowers.  Super way to use up scraps!

So tell me what craft you have always wanted to do but never took the leap?

Judy

Doodle anyone?

The question of the day is...

are you a doodler?

I ask this because may on the Altered Art pieces I like have doodles and I admire that trait in a person.  Just to let go and not follow any rules.  Here is my attempt at doodling on a pumpkin.

I saw this article in Sommerset Holidays & Celebrations magazine, where the artist splattered non-traditional colors on mini pumpkins and thought to myself "This looks fun!"  I don't like to carve pumpkins, but playing with paint and sharpies sounds like fun.  I first painted a white base on the pumpkin because I wasn't sure what color I wanted to do, then I ended up with orange!  Its my new color that I'm adding to my house.  Something about orange pillows on a chocolate leather couch just looks great.  Anyways add gold and black paint, grabbed my white gel pen and just doodled.

So sometimes you have to step out of the norm and just play.

Go out there today and play with some of those crafting supplies that you haven't used in awhile!

Do Something spooky!

Judy

Twisted Thursday Loving Paris!!

Today we are walking down the Paris streets and enjoying what all that it brings, good food, good music and wonderful art.  Speaking of art...you should go over the Shirley's 2 Girls challenge blog and join  in on the Twisted Thrusday challenge.  You can pick up the Merci images from last week and make another Paris inspired card, BUT this week's TWIST is to include YELLOW in your card.  When you go to the S2G blog, there is a picture for inspiration.

I wanted to play with different textures today...I'm in the middle of making small wall hangings for Jessi's bathroom.  Her walls are painted grey and lavendar with a stamped (of course! we stamped it) with black fleur de lis.  So when Jessi saw ALL the Shirley's 2 Girls Paris images she wanted them ALL!  So I have many projects planned with them. 

Today I used S2G image - Oooh la la printed on CTMH Stickstock, which they have retired, but you can find printer fabric that works or you can use spray adhesive to adhere your fabric to paper and run through your printer.

I was able to run my piece on linen through my printer, print my S2G digi image and then color with my Copic markers.  Now there is a little bit of a tiral and error when coloring on fabric. Depending on the weave of the fabric will depend on how the markers will blend and when coloring you don't want to color all the way up to the line because it can easily spill over the lines.  This was my first attempt using my Copics on fabric, but fabric markers or shaperies work too but they don't allow for much shading.  After the image was  colored I attached image to cardstock and inked the edges with a gold pain pen. All layers were then sewn onto a piece of black felt.  As soon as I have the others done I plan on putting them in frames w/o the glass because I like my "bumpies"!  I hope you enjoyed this little project.

So now your chance to join us at Shirley's 2 Girls challenge blog and win some free Paris digis of your own!  You may want them all like Jessi & I.  I hope enjoyed my 2 posts today - Happy Blogging!

Weight Loss Journal

Sunday I finally had it!  My wieght keeps slowly creeping up again, it doesn't help that I hurt my foot 6 weeks ago and have had trouble walking.  But when it hurts to get out of bed or bend over to tie your shoes, you know its time to do something.  Of course it can't be age, could it?  That is another issue that is weighing on my mind today.  I'm 44 years old and feeling like half my life is over, well that is another issue.  I have been wanting to make this journal for quite some time but Sunday was my breaking point.

This journal was made with the made with the special edition Everyday Celebration kit form Close to my Heart, only available thru Sept 30th.  I pleated the chocolate ribbon on the binding make a really nice thick ribbon section and the font that I used from a font cite where you can make a font from your own writing.  So the title and tabs are actually what my handwriting looks like.  I know several of you are going to ask what the website was and I will have to do some searching on that, but email me by that time I might have it!

Sneak peek at Thursday's class

This is a class sample for the Peanut & Butter Jelly class on Thursday, 6/26/09 @ 6:30pm. This is a community service project. I’m doing this class for those who are without food. The Alaska food bank is looking for donations, and they say they are always looking for PB & J. Class fee is $10 or $5 with Peanut Butter or Jelly food donation. I will be serving PB & J cookies, Jessie’s recipe! RVSP to reserve your space.

Here is a little bit about the class. I love the look of the popular layered books that a few scrap companies make. After looking at a few I decided to try to make one of my own, however this is smaller version. The largest page is 4x6. I used a deck of giant playing cards that I bought in Las Vegas last year. 1 deck of cards could make several books for family gifts (Christmas, a child color book, baby shower, wedding or your top 5). I could go on. My thought is to not use bulky embellishments on the inside (this is why I my daughter's page has nothing yet) and laminate each page, then it is finger friendly for those little ones to look at. Tell me what you think.

Supplies used: CTMH Bella Level 1 paper pack, CTMH Noteworthy stamp set, Pansy purple ink pad, purple & green paper flowers, random ribbon, buttons and Nestablities die cut.

Nice Sunny Sunday Afternoon...

I was wanting to be creative, but needed to do a simple project to get me going. I was in Micheal's and picked up some $1 bundles of recipe cards. I thought to combine them with our Braggin Tags Mini Album and what a super fast gift for a friend or family member.

Supplies used: Z1012 Braggin Tags Mini Album, Emporium paper pack, mini flowers, mini brads and my Slice die cutting machine.

Scrapbook in a box is back...

I had a baby shower this week and really wanted to make something a little different for the shower that showed off CTMH and be one of a kind gift. I have had so much fun making scrapbooks in a box before, but wanted to give it a twist and make it bigger. In addition to making it bigger, I wanted it so Kelly could put photos on the outside of the box too.

Supplies used were CTMH Daydream level 2 paper pack, Fancy cuts botanicals and sparkles! Just ADD PHOTOS!

This week-end CLASS - Dry Erase Memo Board

This week-end I am teaching a class on how to make a dry erase memo boards. Great gift ideas for the family. There is an opening on Friday at 2:30pm and Saturday at Noon. Call 522-4399 or email to RSVP.

Cookies anyone?

Your need to go out and buy some cheep cookie sheets and do this project. I found a set at Walmart for $4! It is as easy as gluing some paper. I did use liquid paper glue because it hold better.

I used CTMH Creative Basics Silhouette Collection, Fabric Finishes Stamp set, black ink pad, red & colonial white card stock, 1 Large Bloom & Red Button. I used old scrabble pieces to write on "notes".

Try something new?

I wasn't in a creative mood this week-end so I just played with scraps. I read an article in Cloth, Paper, Scissors (an artsy magazine) and read an article about making heart magnets. It did say that they are a little time consuming because you have to cut the wood, sand it, prime it and then paint it with acrylic paint, add your paper and then seal it with acrylic sealant. Each layer has to dry.

Well anyways I thought what a great idea to make magnets that match my new updated kitchen. For some of you who haven't seen it, the new colors are red, black & white. So this is another example of stepping out of the scrapbooking mode.

Monday Blues

Today I have to go back to my day job after a nice Christmas break off. Kinda bummed out because I'm leaving 3 projects on my craft table to finish. Well here's a peak at what I have been making. These card tins are alot of fun and very easy to do. Here I used CTMH Chillin paper pack, and cobblestone alphabet.

Have a great day! - Judy