Thursday, April 30, 2009

Playing


I finally have some time to just play with art.  You know, you dig out the media and just start in!  Here I made a monoprint, then enhanced it a bit.

I am getting some feed back on my 29gifts project!  Fun!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Moving On


I am busy preparing for the Art Quilt work shop I will be teaching soon.  I know it will be fun!  The above photo is from one of Milliande's prompts, using photo's taken by members of her club.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Finishing and Art


I am wrapping up my posts on my 29gifts project today, one day early.  I have to move on to my other projects now.  I want to thank everyone who sent me their names for the drawing.  I wish I could have sent you all a gift.  I am thinking of doing a couple of blog give a ways if my life gets to a point where I can keep up.  I think the time I have spent with the gifts project has been so worth it.  It has given me a focus, something to meditate about, a reason to blog each day, the ability to meet such wonderful people!  It is leaving me with positive feelings.  THANKS to all!
Here is the list of the last persons receiving gifts:
23.  Diane D
24.  Letha R
25.  Eileen F
26.  Jean F
27.  Jean T
28.  Windy S
29. Susan H   

The photo is of a coffee table I painted for my oldest Granddaughter a few years back.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Today + Two


Yep, my 29gifts project is winding down.  Hmmmm....what will I be doing next?  I have a couple of other projects to finish up, then, I hope the weather will be warm enough to get outside and do something.  I am thinking of trying to so something with my wild flowers.....
The picture above?  A painting I did on an old trunk...

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sunday Art Activities


I am so involved in preparing for a workshop I will be teaching here at home!  It is interesting how much time and preparing it takes to do a one day class.  Student materials, teaching aids, that sort of thing.  I can hardly wait until the day of class!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Counting and Art


Down to four days left of my 29gifts project, so I will be posting the last of the names by next Wednesday!

I have received some emails from people whose gift reached them!  How nice to receive a thank-you from people.  I have to say, though, I have no idea who got what and I wonder.  I guess I should have made a list of what when into each envelope, but I wanted it to be unbiased in anyway.  Do you  have a tendency to name your creations?  I think most of my art has a name...so I guess maybe each piece is like a child??? or a pet??? lol.

I keep posting a photo of some of my art too.  That is actually why I started this blog, so I think at least one photo with each post sounds right!  Today is a photo of a peek at zine and giftie envy I am making for my upcoming workshop!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Five Days


Five days left on my 29gifts project.  Have you considered doing something like this.  I can tell you, I think it is a great activity!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Last Week


I cannot believe I am down to the last six days of my 29gifts project.  What an interesting idea and activity the gift giving  has been!  The whole month of April has been filled with delight and fun from giving out pieces of myself, some to strangers, some to cyber friends.  I listed some of the places I have sent a package to before and here are some more:  Minnesota, Illinois, Alabama, North Carolina, California, Arkansas, Florida, Australia, United Kingdom, Maryland, New Jersey, Wyoming, and Texas.  Wow!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Primerose, Book, 29gifts


I am working on my textile book.  I put the pages together (6) and added sleeves between them and on the ends.  I cut twigs for uprights from the dogwood and one from a desert bush that has a lovely scent to it.  I glued small polished rocks to the end of the twigs for little feet to hold the book up for viewing.  I was going to add some beads and other ephemera but the pages are already full of business and I think enough is a enough-as W Morris said, "less is more".  I like the way the pages can fold in any direction and so gives the book a new look depending on the folding.  I am definitely going to make another one of these!  I will post a picture soon.
29gifts Days
15-E Hagood
16-L Skelton
17-B Murray
18-B Starrier
19-C Evans
20-A O'Connor
21-B Smith
22-M Roque

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

More Art From My Past



I have two art projects I am working on right now.  I will be finishing my textile book that I started at retreat.  I am making a zine for my workshop, with an envelope giftie package.  I decorated the envelopes yesterday.  They are looking spiffy!  Oh, and, beyond that, I am planting a flat of pansies today.  A bit of color in the yard will be nice! 

The pictures above are just photo's taken back in the early 90's with a poloroid.  I do believe my photography skills have improved with digital camera capabilities, lol.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

SNOW



I made it home from Colorado Springs where I spent two plus delightful days at the Textile Evolution Retreat.  The digs were fabulous including the deer peering in the windows of the classroom, the teachers fabulous, the food fabulous, the snow over whelming!  It snowed the complete time we were there, with maybe a mini sun break once or twice.  The ladies I spent time with were sooooo much fun, and our instructor for the class I took, the talented Laura Cater-Woods (please let me have spelled that name correct!) lead us through some great techniques for making artsy textile books.  Above you see a page as I brought it home, and then the page after arriving home with quilting added.  I will continue to post my progress with this project!  I had a great time and if you get a chance to go next year, I recommend it!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Journaling and Art


This map is a representation of my trip through Blogavania, starting with tip center of unknown land and going clockwise to just learning, then to feeding the curiosity, then stepping into the stream, and finally the heart land, where I heart blogs!  What a trip!
Check out more maps over at the new True North site:  http://collagediva.typepad.com/truenorth/
worth the time!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Retreat and Art


I am posting names of my 29gifts project today rather than tomorrow because tomorrow I will be on a road trip to the Fabric Extrangivansa (or something close to that) Fibre Retreat in beautiful Colorado Springs!  I am excited, I know I will learn some great new techniques!  I will probably be off line for a few days, but will be up and running when I get back!

Here are the names:   Hope you all receive your gift and that you like it!
9-   Jennifer Maroney
10- Tabitha Webber
11- Jinxie Goforth
12-Ariel Bouvier
13-Sandra Taylor
14-Mindy Hartwich

Monday, April 13, 2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Quote ATCs


Using qutoes on ATCs... fun art!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Sketches From the Past


Here is some sketches I did many years ago...

Friday, April 10, 2009

Some ATCs Again


I am starting to get some responses on my 29gifts project.  How fun to hear form people that they actually like what I sent.  How hard it is to send a "piece of yourself" to a total stranger, maybe to never know if they hate it, like it, throw it away, give it away.  I am amazed I was able to do this.  I think this is a gift to me... that I took the step to "put my art out there!"  

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Shades of White


This seems springy and right for the season.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Art and First Week Giftees


Okay, here is the list of people who should be getting a gift in the mail for my first week of 29gifts!  This project has been so much fun and made me happy!

1. B. Baughman
2. S. Wagner
3. M. Hicks
4. H. Westfall
5. K. Masone
6. J. Hudgins
7. H. MacMicheal
8. T. Kazakevicius

I sent gifts to Florida, California, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and Utah this week!  

Tuesday, April 7, 2009


Lani, in the Resilience and Art group, challenged us to make paper dolls/puppets of ourself at different ages.  These are my results.  A baby, a child, a teen, a young woman, and beyond, lol.

Good news, I am going to be teaching an art class sponsered by one of the local businesses here where I live.  I am excited to do this.  Sharing art is always fun!  

Monday, April 6, 2009

Old ART


I found a box of old photos with some art of mine from the early 90's and a cute pic of my BBF and fave model, Bubba, when he was a baby.  The painting is sorta an American Gothic look of DH's ancestors.  Sorry the photo is so glarey, I have improved on my photography skills a bit since back then, lol.  I will share some more as we go along.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Making stamps


I have to make some fabric ATC cards for "trade items" for a retreat. Having just received the Quilting Arts magazine, and read an article about making your own stamps, I decided to give it a try.  The photo shows the finished ATCs, the charm from my sweet friend Barbara St-----------, which I used for a pattern, some pieces of rubber type tapes I pilfered from my husband's "man type" stashes to make the stamp, and the stamp I used to "print" the cute little swallows!  Yay!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Sketching


Do you have a sketch book, or do you use your art journal?  I am not all that organized... I use whatever is handy.  I have been known to write on walls, if I feel the urge, lol.  I do like to do sketches of "live" models.  My models are not known for  their inertness, which sometimes makes for interesting sketches, lol.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Mandala Affirmation Cards


Over in the Blissful Art or Soul Journal groups, Megan is hosting a mandala affirmation ATC card swap.  I experimented with recycling ABC (already been changed) cards.  Some of them had stenciling, some had drawings cut up from larger drawings, some were from had made or hand painted carts,  etc.  I tried to allow the previous creative parts tell me what to do with the mandalas. Notice the I will listen one... can you see the ear?    This is some of the results.  

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Giving is Started!

Today, I drew out 29 names from everyone's submissions.  I put the names on the envelopes!  I had so much fun getting the envies ready for the mail.  I will be looking forward to each of the winners responses to their gifts!  I so hope everyone likes what they get!   I don't know, should I announce who will be getting a gift or let it be a surprise?  Well... hmmm...

Come join me in my nest. Rest online with me. Talk with me. Play art with me! Follow me where ever my flights of fancy take me! Forgive me for my mistakes, enjoy my successes. And please, feel free to comment or to follow me!