It's been a while.....

I won't comment on what's been happening in my life for the past year or so, but suffice it so say that I'm grateful to be able to post again. I have made a few things during my absence, and I will post them at some point, but for now I want to tell you what I've been up to for the past few days.

I decided to participate in a swap for Art-Is-You . Each participant was required to make six 4x6 inch pages that would be swapped internationally and bound into books. I have so many projects that were half completed lying around so I decided to cut up some of them up and give them new life by transforming them - some I collaged together, some I gave new backgrounds to or added new details, etc.  In the end I had six completely original works that I am very happy with. I hope you like! Glad to be back!!!

May Calendar Journal Page

Eek! I have been participating in the calendar challenge over at the Kathryn Wheel since January and thoroughly enjoying myself. However, and I don't know what to say so I'll just say it- I lost my moleskin!. Bwahhhhhhhh!!! It may still turn up, I haven't quite panicked yet as I lose so many things and many times they eventually find their way back to me. So anyway, I am using another journal that I have and it has taken me a little longer to get myself together. I used the Le Cirque papers from Graphic 45. You'll notice that there are no little squares, that's because it's already the 9th and I figured that I'll just try something different with my journaling. We'll see how it goes....

Tin Swap

Here's a tin I just finished for the lovely Betti. I had so much fun making it- I wanted it to look encrusted with the old jewelry pieces and I love how it turned out.

Calendar Journal Challenge

So, here's my completed March page and blank April. In March I had a teensy little problem with my 'waterproof' pen that wasn't. So the whole middle of the month got all splogie when I went to tweak it. (I don't know if you've noticed but I tend to putter around with the pages during the month so they end up having more color at the end of the month then they do at the beginning) Well, since I now had a whole lot of blank space in the middle of the month I just did some general journaling about what was going in my life and how I felt about it. Be sure to check out everybody's pages at The Kathryn Wheel.

Crown Embellishment Swap

I am excited to be part of an international (well Australia-United States at least) art swap. We are making elements to decorated a crown. I went back and forth about what to make, and finally decided on fabric tags. I painted the fabric with Lumiere, stamped, colored in, and then sewed them together. The ribbon is hand dyed and stamped and I made the iridescent beads out of fabric, Fantasy Film and Angelina fiber. What I love about doing swaps is that they make me get moving, and I usually try out a new technique. These beads were a first for me, and I made them mostly because I was afraid to send glass beads in the mail, and these babies are indestructible. Plus, if I have never said before, I like melting stuff.

The Stamp Man Challenge Fiasco

I finished this last night after MUCH puttering around on it and was going to post it today but I LOST MY CAMERA. Yes, that's right. If you know me well, you know that I lose everything, but this takes the cake. Anyway, I found it when I got in the car to go out to dinner. I just got home, took the pictures and am frantically typing so I can get this posted! It was originally intended for the Stamp Man Challenge but it was due by 9 and I didn't post until 9:30 (whaaaa) Ok, so I have never entered this challenge, but I have looked in to see what everybody was up to and to check out the eye candy so when I saw this 'swirls' challenge, I knew Iwanted to enter. Be sure to check out everybody's work here.

I guess I should say that this is one of my personal all time favorite projects. It all started with a totally awesome youtube technique on distressing cardboard and after that it was just a blur.

Poppy pods journal page

I wrote a few posts ago about the class I took with Diana Trout. Well, in class was the talented Kathleen Nesi whom I met at Art-is-you. She had made a piece for the auction that I just loved. Anyway, I had gotten a few new colors of Neocolor's, one in a gorgeous red, and I was just playing and the red reminded me of poppies and then I was thinking of Kathy's piece and before I knew what had happened this was on my page. Of course, my poppy pods look more like upside down balloons then pods, but hey, it was fun!

March is here! Calendar journal pages....

Well, it is finally March. Which means that spring is going to be here in the foreseeable future! Here's my finished February page- I added some ink blobs and gesso. My March page? well, I liked the way I did my journaling for January so I did something similar, that way I can have more journaling for one day and less for the next. I wanted to putter around on this page a little more before posting, but I was getting so frustrated with my 'permanent' pen that wasn't, and not only that but it was too wide (have lost many, many other finer tipped ones) and, well, I just threw it across the room. (the pen, not the journal) So I decided to just post it as is and add bits and bobs of color as the month goes on. Be sure to check out everybody's pages at the Kathryn Wheel.

Diana Trout Class and Three Muses Challenge

Here is a new page in my journal. I took an amazing class with Diana Trout (of Journal Spilling )yesterday and started several pages. The class was about conquering your inner critic. The bottom layer was made in class- we journaled, then went over that with Portfolios and gesso. Today I decided to just grab any color that I wouldn't usually use- there's lime green, bright blue and reddish orange and just started playing. The whole thing was FAST- I didn't want to overthink it! Maybe 20 minutes-10 for mooshing and 10 for details? The top layer is scratched into and then drawn on with a General's 9xxb pencil- can you believe that it wrote that well over the Portfolios? Anyway, when it was done, I remembered that I hadn't submitted anything for the Three Muses this week and since the word is 'hot' I am going to submit this page. Thank you for visiting and if you ever get a chance to take a class with Diana, run, don't walk.

An Experiment - Youtube Tutorial

Hi! I wanted to post this little piece that I made after watching a Rach0113 on Youtube. If you've never seen her videos before, run right over there and check them out because she's awesome. She has a great grungy style and a cool accent to boot. She does everything- mini books, art journaling, mixed media little assemblages..... Anyway, I made this foil art after watching her video and even though the picture doesn't do it justice, because it really rocks (IIDSSM if I do say so myself), I am posting a picture.