The Eyes have it...

I spent the weekend drawing (among other things) eyes.
Practice, practice, practice!
I'll begin painting them soon...
I have to shoo away a bit of fear first.

Funny how a little bit of fear can keep you from doing the
things that you really want to do, isn't it?
Now, I have always been able to draw..or I should say that I practiced a lot.
But painting...another story all together.
I have this feeling that I can paint
but for years I have stood frozen in front of a canvas.

How silly is that?

So, today I am letting go of that particular fear
and I'm gonna paint.
I'm going to paint like my mom always wanted to but never did
cause SHE was afraid too.
I'm going to paint like I am the bestest,
most talented painter in the world.
My world anyway.

So, what fear is holding you back?
What is it, in your life, that is screaming
to be done, to be drawn, to be painted, to be said, to be created...?
What is it that you know you can do,
you're just afraid to take that first
itsy bitsy step?
Or maybe you don't know that you can do it...
maybe it's the fear of disappointment
or the fear of failure
or the fear that someone will make fun of you...

Maybe you're afraid that you will actually
SUCCEED...


Think about what I've talked about.
Really be honest about what fears you allow to run your life.
Think about what you can do to overcome them.

Let's make a conscious effort to
chase those fears away.
Let's stand tall
and Be Brave.

Art Journal Pages

I have been making art journal pages. I begin with regular sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of heavier weight paper (I'll post specifics later...can't remember it now).
Then I do collage work. The ones I am going to show
today are all made of vintage paper.
All shades of white, yellow and tan. The page above shows my basic layout.
Pretty simple, very haphazard...some paper here,
some paper there.
Actually I do follow a very rough outline. I usually try to do things in three's.
Just to even things out a little. If I have time later (haha, who am I kidding...
if I can TAKE the time later) I'll do a post of step by step. If you really want to know, email me.
Or leave a comment. If I get enough, I'll post it.
Anyway (don't you hate it when I carry on conversations with myself like that?!)
then I add a watered down layer of white gesso.
Then a few washes of color glaze (acrylic paint watered down or mixed with polymer medium/matt medium) (whatever is close by).
Then I begin adding some stamped elements, whether that's rubber stamps
or actual household items that I use to stamp with.
It could be a section of bubble wrap, an old medicine bottle top, drawer liner...
Then I add more glaze, maybe some more gesso...
I might drip paint on the whole thing, or use my hand to tap it from the brush...
I use regular stencils to add some texture with modeling paste -
or my new favorite , a big ole bucket of joint compound that my husband gave me.
You know, to his credit, he doesn't think I'm that strange AT ALL
when I get so excited over
JOINT COMPOUND.
Gotta love a man that lets his wife have his joint compound, right?
Oh, back to the step by step...
I use sand paper to scruff things up a bit...
I use white gesso (or titanium white) to tone things down a bit...
and I love to use Ranger Distress Inks to age things a bit.
I'll add some finished pages (ones without the writing on them anyway)
for your viewing pleasure.
I suppose that you've noticed by now that
my "usual" practice of making the journal pages
is a little of this, a little of that.
The secret is the Layering of all of it.
And letting each layer dry between times.
Or use a heat gun/hair dryer to dry it with.
Practice and experiment.
That is the true secret.

Assembly Control #37570 (or "I've Got Something That No One Else Has!")

Meet "Assembly Control #37570"
or, as i like to call it
"What I have that no one else has"...
My friend Cheryl Prater (you know the awesome
mixed media artist..?)
No?
You don't know Cheryl?!
Where have you been?
Go to her blog, her web page and meet her...
then go to her etsy shop
and greet her wonderful one of a kind mixed media art.
But 'cha better hurry, cause I'll bet those things
are going to go fast!

In case you're wondering...

You can definitely rust fabric outside
in cold weather...
actually in snowy weather!

Meg Manderson and I were scheduled to do a "Rust Dyeing Fabric" demo at the March
Fiber Art Alliance meeting. So I was trying to prepare for it and I wanted
to have a batch of fiber going to take to the meeting so that I could show the women
how we wrapped the fibers around the yummy rusty objects.
I had had a couple of people ask me if you could rust fabric outside in the cold weather...
well, now we know...

Meg and I will take the April meeting to do our Rust Media demo.
I'll try to remember ahead of time to get another batch going!
Won't you join us?

Paulette Insall "Faces"

I've been doing a lot of drawing here lately...
painting on fabric too.
I'm working my way towards making a book.
I want to add painted faces, ephemera, old documents,
transfer pictures of my family...
that kind of thing.
Oh, and room for documenting, for capturing a
moment in time.
Anyway, I've singed up for
Paulette Insall Faces on line class.
Even though I can and do draw and paint faces,
I have admired Paulette's work for a long time.
I'll be glad to add some new tricks to my art tool box!
Here is one of the newest faces that I have sketched out.
Now remember, it's only a sketch!
I have plenty of tweaking to do on it...
and I'm sure it will change as I paint it.

This last picture was before I went back and

did a little darkening of my sketch lines...

you can see the difference in the eyes especially.

The hair has also been worked on a little bit.

Art Journal Pages

I've added a few pages from my art journal.
A couple of them have no journaling at the moment
but I'll add some later as the notion hits me.
I bought a Winsor Newton Travel Set of watercolors.
I LOVE them!
All the pages with color on them are watercolors
from the new set.
It is really easy to maneuver while sitting outside
or even traveling in the car.
I'm going to make a journal cover as soon as I can focus long
enough to spend time in my studio.

I continue to recover (is that the word to use
for what I'm going through?), maybe I should say
I continue to go through the stages of grieving,
realizing too late that several
days have passed and I don't even know what I did
during those days...
have any of you ever felt that way?
I have a few more journal pages that I have done
but because they deal with some issues
that I am having with anger...at a family
member, I will not post them.
I'd rather handle that anger personally -
with the one that I feel the anger towards.

Faces

I love DJ Pettitt's art work.
I love the beautiful, peaceful girls that she creates.
I have been told that one of the best ways to learn to draw
is to copy the masters...
well, for me, that would be DJ.
Here's my rendition of one of DJ's faces.
She measures about 1 1/2" x 2".

Cloth Paper Scissors Issue 23

Do you have your latest copy of CPS? Issue 23?
Well, run and get it!
I was reading through my copy
(it's one of the three magazines that I read every word of)
and got to the "popping the question" section on page 12.
I had forgotten all about responding to this question a while back
and was very surprised to see my answer on page 13!



Cool!

I have just written an article about using Kimwipes
in the Fibre&Stitch online magazine.
I use them in a lot of my mixed media pieces.
(and on our lettuce leaves in the spring!)
I sell them in my etsy shop, very reasonable price
for a very versatile product.

This is another great magazine (one of the ones that I read every word of!).
I was so sad to read that Sue & Terri (Two Creative Studios)will not be offering the zine
after the next issue.
It's so understandable, since they are both so incredibly busy
with a ton of other creative endeavors.
But I sure will miss it!
You could run over to the web site and purchase the issue though.
It is packed with all kinds of great articles
by a host of creative people.

Emerging...

I am slowly beginning to emerge from the fog of my mom's passing.
The past two weeks seem to have surrounded me,
enveloped me and drew me away from the rest of the world.
I have been hanging out with my husband and son...
reading some...
journaling and drawing some.

You know, when I first tried to journal about my mom,
I couldn't find the words.
I suppose that I was just overwhelmed with grief at the time.
So instead of writing, I just drew in my journal.
I doodled and made marks.
Healing Marks.

I'm feeling better now but that
grief is still clinging to my skin...
and I suppose that it will be my constant companion for a while yet.

Thank you to all of my wonderful friends that
sent me condolences, virtual hugs
and said a prayer for my family.
There are no words worthy of the thanks that I feel in my heart.
So I just say a simple

"Thank you so much for being there for me"

I've been away for a few days...

Haven't taken the time to blog
or really felt like it.
My mom was taken to the hospital last Tuesday,
unconscious and near death.
She had emphysema and COPD.
She had just recently caught a cold or virus or
something like that...
and within 4 days she was
in the ICU, so very ill.
Her lung health was so poor
the past year that she just couldn't
fight one more illness
and I am so sad to say,
that after 6 days in the ICU,
she passed away on Monday.
What a sad day for my family...

Her memorial service was today.
My mom kept a journal, off and on.
At the service today, the pastor
read excerpts from it.
I'll post them in a few days when I get it back from my sister.
What an awesome legacy the journal left to us!
To actually read about the faith, the firmness of belief that
your loved one had...
we knew this, that my mom was a faith filled woman
but to have it in her own words to share with others...
what a measure of grace for us.

So, please join me in raising a toast
to my precious mom...

ArtFire

Did you know that ArtFire plants a tree for every new community member?
Isn't that so cool?
Check it out today.
No fee's.
Buy Hand Made.
Here's your link.

Silly Floppy Headed Heart For A Nose Bear

I've been playing with the new camera here at home.
These are "candid shots" of one of our house mates.
This silly old bear came to live with my family
several years ago, after being created by loving hands
at my old sewing machine.
I had a stack of fluffy brown fabric
that I "inherited" from my grandmother
that was constantly bugging me
to take shape...
this silly bear is the shape it took.
Gotta love a silly old bear with the floppy head...
and a heart for a nose...

Her Awakening

Well, I can finally post a few pictures of "Her Awakening",

my latest mixed media fiber art.

I used a lot of rust media that my husband and I rust dyed.

All of our pieces have this wonderful depth of color, don't they?

My husband is the one that does the good job there...

I'm much too, ummm, well,

let's just say that he is much more organized and methodical for that job.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for some great

fabrics.

I'll be adding Rust Media packs soon...just keep checking.

Or, better still, email me and ask about them!

Lots of yummy rust fibers such as vintage lace, kimwipes,

tyvek, drawer liners, fabric, sheers...

lots of really cool items that we have rusted.

And at a very economical price!

Here she is, with some close ups.

I drew the face on rust dyed Kimwipes,

which are low lint wipes used in industry.

They are so durable and strong...

we dyed them (in a wet environment), machine washed

and dried them in a lingerie bag. You can see that

it has a few areas that washed out

but is still intact and quite vibrant.

I use these wipes for so many different things in my studio...

anything from general clean up to

the main element of a mixed media fiber piece!

This is a close up of the hand dyed cheese cloth on the left hand side.

I don't usually do hand stitching but this piece insisted on it.

I found that I really liked it too...

kinda like a kitty "making bread", the stitching is a calming, stress free activity for me.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to my work.

Here is the small mixed media heart on the lower right hand side.

It is gilded with a gold pen.

Behind it is a piece of the paper fabric that I made

with the word "believe" adhered to it.

The fabric behind that was sent to me

from Pokey Bolten.

I won a blog give away and have

been hoarding the fabric

for just the right project.

This happened to be one of the

"perfect projects".

Thanks Pokey!

This is a vintage doily that we rusted and I

did some hand beading on.

And yes, I sewed a bead at each little

intersection of the doily.

From a distance, it looks like there is

just some type of shimmer...

but when you get closer,

you are rewarded with

a slew of teeny tiny seed beads!

Random Arts Journal Page

Random Arts is hosting another "Journal Page" challenge

in order to make a book that will raise money

for a local charity, "Arts For Life".
The last one that Jane did raised $500.00 for the local Senior Center!
Wow, what an awesome effort from everyone!
I took my page up to the shop yesterday and forgot to take pictures
(even though I have a NEW CAMERA!!!)
(I am SO excited about that!)
so I snagged pictures from Jane's blog.

I had begun a collage that was inspired by DJ Pettitt's work.

I was trying to learn the technique that she uses for her fused collages

but didn't have exactly what I needed...

and didn't have the time to wait until I had the correct supplies...

so, being the kind of artist that i am,

I just proceeded with what was on hand.

I had small pieces of canvas (cotton duck canvas or fabric)

that I had painted with gesso a while back

(actually in prep for a Katie Kendrick class!).

I had tried a couple of techniques

from Kelly Rae Roberts book on it

before going to a larger, more stable canvas

after I felt comfortable with the techniques.

I keep these little pieces of canvas

to use for collage or other mixed media work.

I was at Jane's on a Friday "Unfinished For Free" day

and wanted to show "the girls" what you could do with a piece of "scrap canvas".

I added a few torn pieces of tissue paper,

cut out the flower shapes & stems.

I used gel medium to collage each piece on (under and over the tissue).

Then I added the "sketchy sewing".

This was the part that I had got so much inspiration from DJ on...

her work is filled with this awesome sketchy sewing,

it looks so random yet it

"fits" each piece so perfectly!

I began sewing when I was a young girl

then taught myself to quilt...

needless to say my sewing was usually fairly even, followed the lines and all that.

But THIS sewing...I'm lovin' it!

It made such a difference in the small piece after adding the black thread outlines.

Jane suggested adding the black paper,

a couple of inspirational words...

and wa-la

my journal page was born!

I used a scrap of college canvas from another experiment

to make the other side.

I added Random Arts address label (that was in the journal page packet)

and printed out my address label,

then added the line

"Sending some LOVE your way" in a nice script font

to complete the "postcard journal page".

When I lined up the pieces of canvas,

I made sure that the stitching lines would sew both pieces of college down.

I really enjoyed making it

and am so glad to be able to participate in raising money

for such a worthy cause.

And I'm really loving the sketchy sewing...

it keeps coming up in my work now.

Love, love DJ Pettitt's art work...

you should go and see it!

Fiber Art Alliance

Regular readers know that I belong

to a great fiber group in Asheville NC.

We meet on the first Tuesday of each month.

I've said it before, I'll say it again...

what a talented group of women!

Julie Simpson and Elaine Zinn led the program this month.

Wow, what an impressive resumes they shared!

They are both quite talented and so very nice...

The program was on Fabric Beads.

No pictures, since our new camera hasn't arrived yet (can't wait!)

but suffice it to say

that the place was packed

and everyone really enjoyed playing

with fabric, glue, straws, yarn and yummy fiber.

Thanks ladies, for a wonderful class!

My friend and fellow member, Anita Heady

brought some of her lucious hand dyed fabrics.

Check out her blog & web site for pictures.

I'm sure that you can contact her and purchase some!

Patti Digh

(silver writing mine...)

I posted a blog entry a while back

about an awesome book that I had been reading...

you remember, "life is a verb" by Patti Digh.

The one that Jane sat me in a chair and placed in my hands...?

OK, you're remembering now.

Good.

Anyway, today (what a beautiful, sunny, crisp day

to meet a few wonderful people)

I went back to Jane's shop

for a book reading

a book signing,

which I had rather call

"Let's make a new friend day".

Patti Digh was there, reading from that insightful book,

and just generally inspiring all of us to take the time

to Live An Intentional Life.

In reading the book,

I saw that Patti had encouraged the readers

to write in the book (yikes!)

to make it "our book"...

to interact with the words that she had written,

to take the ideas or the lessons that she was offering us

to a higher level.

I secured a silver Sharpie (which writes wonderfully on the slick surface of the page)

and began readin' and writin'...

I underlined words that resonated with me...

I circled passages that spoke to my heart...

I wrote her notes when I was fearful

of my reaction to different "actions" that she suggested...

I wrote out excuses NOT to do them...

I wrote out my responses to the exercises...

and I also drew lines and arrows pointing to quotes that I loved

or stories that brought me to tears...

I wrote out my heart

and I placed that heart right on the pages of that precious book.

You MUST get this book, my friends.

It will touch you in places

that you feared were closed off...

places that you didn't care to awaken again.

But it will touch you in places that you NEED to be touched...

wake up the generosity that

resides within you.

Give Patti Digh an opportunity

to touch your shoulder,

turn you around

and make you look in the mirror at

your own reflection.

And Patti, you ROCK.

And Mr. Brilliant,

I enjoyed sitting with you and Tess outside

on that quaint little bench, looking at my book...

our actions screaming how much we adore your wife

and her way with words.

I'm looking forward to reading more of those precious words.

Art Journaling

I was at my step daughters dance competition

this past weekend

and did a little art journaling

where I was there.

My husband and I had a lot of fun,

laughing and being silly.

We were not supposed to sit in the balcony

but did anyway...

needless to say, there were not many

people there

and we laughed

and joked

until it was time to go.

His daughter did a great job

but her team did not win.

Very unusual, as they

usually do.

Maybe next time...

This is in the handmade quilted journal that I made.

The paper is marker paper,

which takes a bit of

watercolor paint pretty well.

And oh, how I love my

Pitt Pens.

Go ahead, grab a 40% off coupon

from Hobby Lobby and buy yourself

a variety pack.

You'll be so glad that you did.

Enjoy my silly art antics!

Her Awakening

These are scanned sketches of the central face

in my new mixed media face.

I did tweak it some before the final sketch onto Kim Wipes.

Rusty Kim Wipes.

That I washed and dried in the machine.

Pretty cool look...

all rusty and vintage looking.

I'll try to post pictures

of the actual drawing soon.

She is just beginning to open her eyes

to the world around her.

Won't you welcome her?

I've Been Painting Again...

But it's a secret...
well, not really.
Only because my camera is not behaving...
For some reason, each time I try to take pictures,
you have to set it on a different flash setting to get a decent photo...
and then it's not that decent.
Go figure.
But, the Good News is this -
I've completed one of the fiber pieces
that I've been so busy with!
Great!

It's for a class at Random Arts.
A Rust Media Wall Hanging.
And I would love to share it with you
but
well, you know...
the camera issue...

But I can tell you this much.

It involves a stack of rusty strips of fabric, Kim Wipes, lace,

old tee shirts, pantyhose (new not used), tyvek,

drawer liner, mixed media fabric paper,

crocheted lace (by me!), gilded images,

drawn faces, beads, hand quilting

machine quilting and driftwood...

wow...

Doesn't that sound great?

All the rust dyed pieces have been

done by my husband and me.

Check out my teaching schedule

and

Random Arts for more details on this awesome workshop.

It truly is a

"One of a Kind" wall hanging!

Rust Media

Here's a little sample of a small piece that I put together.

I mounted it onto a wrapped canvas.

Rust Media-gotta love it...

There's a New Hero in Town

Those of you who read my blog know that I don't often comment on current events...

but something happened yesterday that just screams to be commented on.

You also know that I consider my husband to be my Hero.

Well, today we both have a new Hero.

That would be Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III...

Pilot of Flight 1549, US Airways.

What a Man...

what a mighty fine man.

Freaking Fun Friday

Well, last Friday I had a blast!

I was one of the lucky 6 women to have the Immense Pleasure

to partake in

Random Arts Fridays "Unfinished" For Free days!

We all gathered at Jane's wonderful shop in Saluda NC,

surrounded by unfinished projects, little busy work things,

works in progress...

we laughed

we sewed

we painted

we cut metal

we embroidered

we had an awesome lunch

and just generally had a blast!

I, for one, will definitely be back.

And thanks Jane, for having us all!

My Teaching Schedule

I've added my teaching schedule (so far this year)on the side bar.

I have only scheduled two months into the year.

I'll update it as I add classes. If you have any questions

about the classes, please email me.

You could also contact the shops to find out any details.

I'm really excited about offering the classes

and the actual content of them all.

I am developing other classes, so you're sure to see them as well.

I will work towards teaching a little closer

to my home in the future, I've just been so busy at the NC shops

that I haven't had time to contact the shops in SC.

That's all good though!

I will try to add pictures of the projects as well.

Today I am going to NC.

I am taking class samples to MQS (My Quilt Shoppe) in Hendersonville

and to Random Arts in Saluda .

Then I am going on to Asheville

for the monthly Fiber Art Alliance group that I am a member of.

All these places are rather close to each other

so I can just hop from one to the other rather easily.

I am looking forward to the FAA meeting!

It will be a planning meeting...

we will decide on this years meeting content.

There are SO MANY talented women there...

it is an awesome group.

Everyone be safe today!

Words, words, words...

I've seen several blogs and newsletters lately

that have encouraged everyone to Pick A Word for 2009.

I started a list...(see my photos)

Being a little anal, I began looking the words up in the dictionary...

just to make sure that I really, really liked the things that

The Word encompassed.

Just to make sure that there wasn't some Hidden Meaning somewhere...

Well, one thing led to another and I ended up with four pages of Really Good Words!

Part of it was that I like to write words...

go ahead and laugh, I know it sounds funny

but those of you out there who enjoy it too

will understand how I got carried away.

I actually like the arrangement of all

those great Words...

that would be a great mixed media piece, now wouldn't it?

OK, on to the actual post...

A few of my Most Favorite Words were

Cultivate

Foster

Intent

Purpose

I do have some very specific goals this year.

I started a new journal last year,

a neat handmade one, at the beginning of the year.

Fabric, of course, with hand painted pages.

Spiral bound with my cool Bind It All.

I wrote a little bit and then listed three goals

for that year.

I won't go into the specifics but I am glad/proud/pleased

to say that I met my goals.

I must be honest and say this as well...

I didn't make them TOO difficult, well...hmmmm...

Maybe it is in hind sight that I say that.
When I wrote them, I knew that they would require work.

I personally don't mind hard work at all.

I like it actually. It's good for people.

But what I'm trying to say is that I feel like I

could have done so much more than what I DID accomplish last year.

Part of the goal setting, the planning was based on Fear.

How, you say?

I was afraid that I wouldn't reach my goal,

so I set the bar a little lower than I should have...

That is Fearful Planning.

So I decided that THIS year,

I will set my goals without the burden of Fear.

I will set a few goals based totally on my sense of

adventure...that wild abandonment that I have been known for.

I'm going to reach so far that my arm might stretch a bit.

You know why?

Because I can.

Seriously...I mean that

I am Capable of Dreaming, of Seeking More,

of a Firm Determination.

Or we could call it "A Firmness of Purpose".

When I first began looking at the definitions

of all those yummy words that I wrote down,

there was a couple of words that were repeated in several definitions...

If you look closely at the journal pages

you will see that Promote is written several times.

Cherish, Care, Purpose...all repeated several times.

Aren't those wonderful words?

Look them up in the dictionary.

Then begin following the thread of words...

look up the words that are in the definition that you just looked up.

I especially loved the definition of

FOSTER

PURPOSE

CULTIVATE

Read these definitions...

THINK about what they mean to YOU.

Leave me a message, email me but let me know

how these words make you feel.

I'm going to say it again (even at the risk of repeating myself)

2009 is going to be a wonderfully Uplifting Year.

I will have a "Firmness of Purpose" this year.

I will reach out in Love.

I will believe that my fellow man

is as precious as a new born babe.

And in practicing just that one thing,

my life will change.

My heart will grow.

My smile will be bigger.

I will love my neighbor as myself.

And this year, I will love myself,

warts and all.

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday.

I know that the current economic situation is daunting

but in my heart I feel that this will be an awesome year.

We, as Americans, as humans, have so many lessons to learn.

It's time for everyone to get back to their roots...

Time to stop all the mindless spending,

the trying to keep up with your neighbors...

It's time to teach our kids that

we can live a simple, loving life.

A Thankful Existence.

That's what it is...

A Thankful Existence.

Happy New Year Everyone!