First I made a postcard using a paper cocktail napkin, lace, ribbon, trim and a rubber stamp.

click on image for larger version

click on image for larger version

Then I played around with making a tag using another paper napkin, card stock, pearl cotton and rick rack.

One night on Stickam, ladyoflosttimes was making an art doll using a tag and beads.  It turned out so cute than I had to try my hand at it too.  Luckily there was a face bead in my stash along with loads of beads and findings.

click on image for larger version

I will leave you with a view of my craft supplies.

Miss Ginger

except for miss ginger

So to show what I have made by using it up, I’ll start with an ATC (artist trading card) I made using an adorable image of a bossy looking little girl.  I made a set of 9 ATC’s and have traded or gifted all but 5 in case anyone is interested in a trade.  As always click on image for larger view.

Miss Priss

Another journal spread.

Time is and illusion

Seekingforart  has been streaming about her melted crayon technique and inspiring me and others to haul out our crayons and play along.  My first attempt was a card with a stamped and colored front and then I made a tag.  This technique is very addictive and has many possible uses.

So even if I haven’t been blogging, I have been busy arting and hanging out till all hours with great friends in the Stickam chat room. I hope to not be so neglectful of this blog and since we are supposed to post how we are UIU I will  hopefully be blogging regularly.

I’ve become more active with a group of wonderful and very supportive arting friends that I discovered on Ustream.  Lately I have been playing more with paper and paints.

The Nest

The next project was inspired by a Ustream video by Barb of “Creating Faces”.

Paper Applique

A decorated tag.

Another journal spread.

Love is ....

For Christmas I received a set of 48 Prismacolor pencils.  For my first attempt with them I worked on a portrait of Grandfurkid Josie as a gift for Steven and Jessica.

Josie - Prismacolor pencils

As always, for a larger view, click on the images.

To close out 2011 and end on a humorous note, I leave you with a picture of our laundry.

Kitty Laundry

Quilted Batik Journal Cover

Opened Journal Cover

 click on images for larger view

The paint wasn't totally dry when i closed the book so the pages stuck together. The darker area on the right is a map image on a transparency.

To get the background to look like parchment it took 7 layers of paint, plus the stamped script.  The transparency can be lifted up to see the background underneath.

I also was playing around with my little $1.00 Halloween stamps.

This weekend is the Skrappy Ladies Fall Canyon Camp Retreat.  Will be good seeing everyone and know we will have a great time.  I’m not taking any major projects so may not have a lot to show next week, but looking forward to relaxing, laughter and visiting.

Attitude of Silence

Click on image for larger view.

I haven’t accomplished much more than catching up on the Criminal Minds series, which I just now discovered.  Guess I’ve been hiding under a rock.  Too hot to do much of anything and since I can only hobble around it limits my options.

About a year ago I twisted my knee and was told by rheumotology Drs that I should just use anti-inflammatories and exercises, that there was arthritis in my knees and not much could be done about it.  I did get one steroid injection, but it only lasted about 3 weeks.  Finally last month after my hip, ankle and foot started hurting too, I talked to my primary care doctor about it and asked for a referral to an orthopedist, the next week I was at the ortho clinic and the Dr is telling me that I probably tore the medial meniscus in my knee and was sent for MRI.  The MRI showed not only the meniscus tear but I have bursitis with a lot of fluid under my kneecap, along with the already known arthritis.  So in a couple of weeks I will be having arthroscopic surgery on my knee and am told I will be walking later the same day.  Looking forward to that, I’m tired of the pain and limping.

On to better and brighter things.  I have managed to finish 3 pages in my Journal.  The first page is about the Passages exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.  The exhibit was extremely interesting, Bill and I both enjoyed it.  Of course it would have been a lot better if I wasn’t constantly looking for a chair to sit in.  The exhibit starts with examples of the Torah and then the exhibit shows how the Bible has progressively changed through the centuries.  I highly recommend the exhibit and it is here in OKC until October when it will move on to the Vatican and then New York.  Click on images to enlarge.

Passages - Journal Pages

The next journal pages were inspired by Japanese woodblock prints.  Those of you who know me well, know that I love oriental things.  It’s kind of hard to tell but there are a lot of gold accents, but they don’t show up in the photo.

Japanese woodblock prints inspired

I don’t know, but I think the next journal pages may be a little too subtle in conveying the message.    I was in the midst of a Fibro flare.

PAIN - Fibro flare

Hope everyone is staying cool and taking care of themselves during this terrible heat wave.  I don’t venture out unless absolutely necessary.

Since I last posted, I put a cover on my first hand bound journal.  But, for some reason have never gotten around to taking a picture of it.  I just used a favorite printed fabric.  I have also started a small daily journal in a spiral bound index card notebook.  It is just daily thoughts, small sketch or stamp, a personal journal.  Something to make myself do small art everyday.

There has been some reading going on.  I won 2 books from the Goodreads - first reads giveaway, “The Passage” by Justin Cronin and “A Cruel Harvest” by Paul Reid.  I liked both of them – my review/rating can be found on Goodreads.  There is a Goodreads link on the sidebar to the right.  I also read “Dead Reckoning” by Charlaine Harris, another good visit with Sookie Stackhouse.  I am now starting the Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear that Eve recommended.  So far I am enjoying the first book.

This past week I decided to try my hand at a hardcover coptic binding for my summer journal.  I used cardboard embellished with a paper napkin, rick rack, grosgrain ribbon and paint for the covers.  Mixed media paper (9 x 12) folded in half to make the signatures (inside pages).   I sewed the journal with nylon upholstery thread, the only thread I had in the right color that was strong enough.  It is a little thin but it works.  The finished journal measures 6″ x 9″.   I like making my own journals because they open flat, I can use whatever type of paper that I want and I don’t care for the spiral coil in the center of pages of a lot of the ready made journals.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Summer Journal - front

Summer Journal - spine

 

Summer Journal - inside

 

 

I haven’t been doing much in the way of art lately, other than my ICAD (index card a day).  So last night I decided that I would remedy that and set out to make a background for a collage idea that I had.  I used a blue and a green Caran d”arche Neocolor II watercolor crayons and scribbled over the pages.  Then did a very wet wash  to blend the colors.  After the blending I shut the book and pressed down all over to “smoosh” the paint.  When I opened the book back up I was surprised to find what looked like a silhouette of a woman tussling her hair.  So instead of collaging over the background I decided to outline the woman, embellish with a few stamps and add a poem that I had (author unknown).  I wish I had taken a picture before doing the outline drawing.  Another example of starting out with one idea and ending up with something totally different.

Unexpected Woman

 

 

For the month of June our local animal shelter is waving the adoption fees for cats over 6 months old.  We had been thinking of getting another cat so decided this was a good time.  I made the trip to the shelter looking for a female cat, preferably declawed since Toby is .  Only declawed cat at the shelter was male, oh well.  So I’m entering all the rooms and it must have been nap time because there wasn’t a lot of interest in me.  Except for this one room I entered.  Immediately this beautiful calico cat comes up to me and starts talking and rubbing up against me.  It was white except for a little color on it’s head and a beautiful striped tail that resembled a raccoons and beautiful blue eyes.  This cat was large and I suspected also male even though most calicos are female.  Turned out I was right so had to pass on him.  As I was walking around the room this little Tortie sits up and acts interested so I picked her up and she snuggled under my chin and started purring.  Ok, my heart melts and I decided this little girl was going home with me.  Talking to the shelter worker I find out that this Tortie had been taken from a man that had too many cats.  A hoarder.  When we got home and I let her out of the crate she was off and exploring, checking out everything.  Totally fearless and loves to snuggle.  She made Toby a nervous wreck for a few days but they are settling in with each other.  Since our new little girl is such a spitfire we named her Ginger, for her ginger striped nose and her spicy attitude.  She is also an art critic.

 

Ginger - Art Critic