One more page for Cris

I'm still plugging away on Cris's book. I don't seem to have much time carved out of my schedule to make art since I'm helping my neighbor/friend Sally move everything in her basement because she's getting her entire basement redone on Wednesday so the water doesn't come in. And, if you could see how much "stuff" she has in her basement, you would know it will take until then to get things moved out so the workers can come in and actually find the walls!

As a result, I only got this finished today.
I had a bunch of small scrapbook paper scraps that people have sent me that all had the same color values. I put them together and added a totally different colored image on top. Not sure the colors are right, but it's done. No sentiment, just a filler page. Cost? white glue.

More collages for Cris's book

Why is it we spend days decorating our houses for Christmas? What is the obsession with making the entire house look like the north pole? I have no idea, but once again, I felt compelled to decorate my home with TREES. I'll try to get some photos as soon as I am finished decorating, but right now, I'll share what little art I did today.
I just don't feel like I ever get this type of collage correct. I feel like the composition is all wrong, even though I tried numerous combinations and various pieces.

After painting the file folder, I began with some left over handmade paper that I'd printed an alphabet on for a previous project. The rectangle on the right was a gift from Halle, the little tag came on some eye glass frames a neighbor gave me. The rest were left over scraps. The star's base was a paint chip that I cut to size, then saturated with whithe glue, added crushed egg shells, and embossed using gold EP. Cost for materials? Paint, EP, staples, printer ink, glue.

I was looking for butterflies and found this cool strip of scrapbook paper, possibly given to my by Kathy. Since Cris is the assistant editor at her newspaper, I thought the theme was perfect. In keeping with the era of the scrapbook paper, I added an old letter that had gotten wet at some time. It was from Australia, but looked like it might have been written to or by someone in a long forgotten war. The image is from a magazine. Cost? Glue.

Please click on any image to enlarge it.

Another page for Cris's book

Possibly my favorite so far, this one has several layers. I began with the file folder that had the word "confidential" on it, then added the magazine image (pink strip with the F). To this I added a tape transfer of an old phone. Next I added a scrap from a book and the ledger scrap that I wrote the sentiment on. Next came the legs, and finally the bits of paint. The cost? Glue and paint. The transfer was made from old clear contact paper that was given to me years ago. The rest was scraps or magazine images.

The back story to this page is, Cris often calls me when she's taking her evening walks. We talk until she gets home.

A Thanksgiving magnet for a friend

I made this manly magnet for a friend today. I gave it to him and one of the "girly" ones I made earlier to his wife. I am pleased to say they both liked their magnets. I started this one about three hours before I had to give it away. I wasn't sure I was going to make it, since the E6000 I was using didn't want to cooperate, especially when it came to the toy wheel at the top.

Thankful

I just want to reiterate how thankful I am for all my internet friends and "family."

Happy Thanksgiving

More pages for Cris's book

This week has gotten really busy. Yesterday my neighbor and I went grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, which turned into an all afternoon affair. Today I have been cooking, tomorrow I will eat (and possibly sleep), and Friday I will decorate my house for Christmas. So, I will have little time to devote to art, something I'm not used to.

In between watching the pots boil, I managed these pages.This page began with a magazine image for the background. I used UHU glue stick, but must not have covered the substrate (file folder) completely, because the paper buckled. Even though I tried and tried to smooth it out, the wrinkles didn't budge, apparently because there was no glue underneath to stick. The "You can have it all" was on the outside of a junk mail envelope. I printed the title and used a stencil and several pigment inks to make the tree and star. Cost? Pigment ink, printer ink.

This image will never look right on a scanner because it's a lenticular. When there was some talk of lenticulars on one of the yahoo groups I read, I did an internet search and found a company that was willing to send samples. The "Queen of Free" couldn't turn that down!!

I began by glazing an old telephone book page with some of that blue glaze left over from my decorated background papers. I glued this using white glue to the file folder. Then I added the lenticular drinking cup and outlined it using red chalk. I used my Zig pen to write the sentiment. Cost? White glue, (should I count the glaze?), chalk, 1 Q-tip, Zig pen ink.

The beginning of a Christmas gift for a friend

It finally hit me why scrapbookers can whip out several spreads in the course of an hour or so. They get their photos together, then match up their purchased background paper with their photos, add a few purchased embellishments, a title, and some journaling, and voila, they are finished.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not a scrapbooker, but that doesn't diminish the sheer art of coordinating paper, embellishments, and photos, deciding on the proper layout, and writing something appropriate.

As an altered artist, I have no huge stack of purchased papers, only background papers I make myself. The same is true for embellishments and focal images. I either make my own, find cool things that my friends have thrown in their recycle bins, discover items on the ground, or take advantage of "freebies," either in coffee bars (stirrers and coasters) or over the internet (laminate chips, magazines, etc.). These are my fodder. And it bulges from every nook and cranny of my very small craft space. But within those confines, I keep an endless supply of things that are alterable for little more than the cost of glue and my time.

As an altered artist, I also feel obligated to search for that special image, that special found object, and that special background. If I don't have it, I make it. With that in mind, I started a book that I plan to give to my art friend Cris for Christmas. Once it's finished, I'll punch holes and bind it using baling wire and ribbons, since I don't have any more rings. This project is going to take several days, so I'll be posting what I've done each day and give you a run down of all the recycled materials I've used. I'm a bit late today because shopping for Thanksgiving groceries took a lot longer than I expected. Tofu turkey, anyone? (JUST JOKING, since I am not a big fan of tofu).
For the cover, I began by gluing two pieces of a flat rate envelope together. Then I took some foam letters my friend Theresa gave me and made the above cover. Next, I gessoed the entire piece and allowed it to dry.
When finished, I painted the entire piece green. I used cheap acrylic paint, so had to give it a couple of coats. I kept wishing it was warmer outside because I could have spray painted it in a lot less time. When it was dry, I stamped on the raised letters using my French text stamp (the only text stamp I own) using Staz-on. This is one time I don't think the scanner did a good job, so I'm hoping the camera will show it better once I have the piece finished. Cost of this page? Gesso, paint, Staz-on, and white glue to adhere the two envelope pieces together.

In case I didn't mention it, the size of the book is 8.5 X 5.5 inches.
Before I started the first piece, I cut several old file folders to size. These were old and battered, so I had to gesso a few of them.

For this first page, I began with part of an orange bag. The sheet music was scraps that I swiped with dye ink, then sewed to the focal magazine image. I glued the entire assembly to the orange bag background, then added the sentiment, which I printed. Cost of piece? Glue, thread, printer ink.

I hope to have a few more pieces tomorrow, although this is a busy, busy week which I suspect is true in many homes across the United States.

Altoid tins and one turned into a gift

Last Wednesday I "cooked" five altoid tins in my chiminea before I put it away for the winter. Of these six tins, I chose four to add alcohol inks (AIs) to.
I couldn't put the "lunchbox" looking one in the fire because the handle is plastic. Also, the one in the upper left has raised letters, so I will have to cover it in some way, probably with polymer clay. These are what the outsides looked like after I removed them from the fire and cleaned them with a damp cloth, then alcohol.
This is the inside of each.

I used AIs to decorate these. The photos are really bad because of my camera. It just doesn't show subtle differences in color.

This is the outside after AIs. The one on the left is the truest in color, but the camera still makes everything look much darker than it really is.

This is the one tin I've decorated so far. The inside left is not bad, but I have no idea why I can't get a good image of the right side. I laid down a composite of the four images (Hero Arts) I used on the tin, then elevated one over the original image using dimensional dots.

The back has one image that I outlined part of in gold leafing pen and a lavender punched flower that matches the lavender on the hat.

Then I remembered I needed to add a hanger, so did that and made the front, too. I used the fourth image and some lace. I raised the image using dimensional dots and outlined the entire image in gold leafing pen.
Here are the front and back open with the hanger attached. It really is much prettier than the photos suggest.

In keeping with my quest to keep costs to a minimum, the only money I have invested are in the AIs, the felt to apply the AIs, gold leafing, and various glues (including the dimensional dots). Everything else, including the wire, is recycled.

Napkin, glazes, and rubber stamped background

Marci Glenn came up with a great tutorial using napkins and glazes. Then she suggested a swap, which she will hold in January. I'm trying to get ahead of things, so I started mine about two weeks ago and finally finished them today.

I suggest you see Marci's tutorial, since she did an excellent job, showing all supplies and steps involved. These were the steps I took.
I began by applying my napkins to card stock, which I used as the substrate.
I applied glaze per Marci's instructions , but instead of applying and wiping off, I used a sea sponge and skipped the wiping step. I applied a dark blue glaze that I toned down using beige glaze. I mixed up way too much glaze, so now I have enough for many projects, some of which I've already posted..

Next I did the same using a dark green and beige glaze.

I then cut arount the flowers which were the other half of the napkins and glued them over the glazes.

Finally, I chose swirls and snowflakes from my limited stamp collection. I stamped the swirls using lime green dye ink and the snowflakes using white pigment ink. They are now ready to go.

In a way, I wish I'd never used the glazes. I actually liked the brightness of the original napkins better, but the instructions were to use glazes, so that's what I did. I'm sure they'll look better once they are cut and turned into backgrounds.

Rocking horses

I actually made these on Wednesday, but saved them until today since I wanted to concentrate on the tag yesterday. I consider this a "failed" experiment, but I'm not sure how to change the outcome.
I began with sandstone textured paint chips (keeping the Green is Universal theme going) and dry embossed the rocking horses. Next, I added rub-n-buff. That's where the problem started.

I didn't get good coverage with my finger, so I switched to a q-tip, which disintegrated when I ran it over the sandstone texture. Next I tried DTP and that made an even bigger mess. So, I tried the rub-n-buff again using a make-up sponge, but it tore due to the rough surface. I ended up applying it with my fingers, but I'm not real happy with the finished product. I tried two different rub-n-buff colors with each paint chip color. I made about 35 of them, all the sandstone chips I had. The reason I used the sandstone is because it doesn't have a name or number on the face of the chip.

I've been TAGGED

Kate, a very talented artist at http://fromsaladostudio.blogspot.com/ who works in more media than I could possibly count, has tagged me. Please check out her amazing artwork because it is too good to be missed.

The idea of this tag is I have to tell 6 quirky things about myself, then tag five other friends.


So, here goes:


1. I turned most of my front yard into a perennial garden because I don't like to mow or do yard work.


2. I always get sick to my stomach before I fly, but relax as soon as I get on the plane.


3. I really love statistics, which to me is "normal," but most people think is weird.


4. I never realized toilet paper had a right and wrong way to go on the spindle until someone mentioned it to me. Now I always load it such that the paper goes over the roll, not under.


5. I'm a neat freak.


6. I drink freshly ground French Roast coffee with lots of half and half all day long.





Now, to tag a few of my friends:




Kathy at http://kat-katskuriosities.blogspot.com/ who makes the most incredible jewelry and altered art.

Halle at http://halleshobbies.blogspot.com/ who works in altered books, autism activism, and what she calls "frugal living."

Kayla at http://livingthecreativeteenlife.blogspot.com/ who is barely 17, but one of the rising future stars in the altered arts and fabrics realm. Her writings show wisdom well beyond her years.

Mary at http://itsallaboutthejourney.typepad.com/its_all_about_the_journey/ who is a wonderful stamper, photographer, scrapbooker, and card maker and who has been supportive of my work.

Dianne at http://artbeneaththecottonwoods.blogspot.com/ who is one of the most talented artists around. Her drawings and art journals show a creative style and wit you shouldn't miss.

So, no art, pictures, or tutorials from me today because you're going to get enough eye candy to last a month when you visit all these blogs and see the above artists' art.

Playing outdoors before winter sets in

Wednesday was the last warm day forecast for our area. Now it is supposed to turn cold, so I spent the day outside, enjoying the warmth and the sunshine, while getting all my summer yard furniture put away for the winter.

Before I put my chiminea away, I "cooked" a few Altoid tins to use in Christmas projects. When the fire was out, I removed the ashes, threw them in my compost pile, and put my chiminea away for the winter.
While I was waiting for the coals to cool, I drug out my spray paints and stencils and made four more backgrounds. Suddenly, it looks like Christmas colors, although that was not really planned. The letters are actually silver, although they look white in the photos.
Then I added the goose stencil to two of the pages after the alphabet was dry.
Here is a closer look at the geese as they fly over the alphabet. I'm really pleased with how these turned out and now wish I'd added the geese to all four pages. I'll probably use these in a handmade book.

In keeping with "Green is Universal" week, I used flat rate envies for the substrate and spray paint I got free at our Household Hazardous Waste Swap and Shop. The stencils were a gift, so all I have invested is time.

Butterfly, butterfly: another collAHge entry

I'm trying to finish this book while using recycled items. The black and white butterflies are from a magazine. Over this, I added a piece of tissue that was recycled and a piece of fabric, also recycled. I added the top butterfly that I got several years ago at our local botanical gardens. There is also some carpet mesh on the piece, also left over from another project.

Young girl page in my collAHge AB

Here's another spread in my collAHge AB. In keeping with using recycled materials, I began by using some glaze that I mixed up using dark blue and beige glazes for another project. I made so much that I have plenty left over for many more projects. To this I added a junk mail coupon. Over the coupon, I added a magazine image and a recycled flower. I finished it off with a bit of pigment ink stenciled through punchinella (sequin waste).

The Juggle Prophet

One of the national TV stations is declaring this "Universal Green" week. In that spirit, I will try to make everything using recycled materials and "found" objects (those objects of no value that are destined for the trash). Although I didn't strictly adhere to that in this spread, because I printed the title, everything else is recycled.
The background is a brown paper towel from the gas station. I didn't even bother coloring it, although they take color nicely. The focal image is from a magazine, as is the vase. The two postage stamps are from cancelled letters, and the circle is made from sand paper. I cut it when I was sharpening my circle punch awhile back.

This is a page in my collAHge book, which is nearly full.

Cry baby

Another collage for my collAHge book. All the images, with the exception of the title, are from various magazines. I'm really loving using magazine images, a phase that may pass when I complete this book.

Another laminate chip magnet gift

Today my friend Halle called to let me know she had received her swap items and a gift I sent to her and her husband. This is one of those magnets I made by altering laminate chips. For this one I used watch parts, a spring, and a silver feather. I hope the feather isn't too feminine, because I think this will be cool in Halle's hubby's garage.

Thanks for the photo Halle. Yep, I forgot to photograph it before I sent it.

How to have an effective swap

I had a swap I completed today and it got me thinking about how many people have asked me how I conduct my swaps. So I decided to take photos of the process. Now this is how I do it. It doesn't mean this is the right way, or the only way, but its the way that works for me.
The photo above shows all the items (quiltlets) to be swapped. I never open my packages until I get ready to swap them. That way I don't lose anything from an open envie. The quiltlets and return envies have been removed from their envelopes that they came to me in, and placed on the table in a very specific way. This is very important because if you get things wrong here, you'll have problems all the way through. Also, note the rock in the middle of the table. If you are a first time swapper, you should use something like a rock to keep your place.

I have laid out each swapper's items in the same way. First, I lay the envelope that the swap items came to me in, on the bottom. On top and to the right of that envelope, I lay the items to be swapped. These are all from the same person, or what that person has sent to be swapped. On the left is the new envelope that the swapper's items will be returned in.

Why do I lay the envie someone sent me under the swap items and return envie? Because this gives me one more safeguard that I have the right return envie with the right swapped items. After all, the person's return address is on his/her envie to me, so I can double check. Also, if I end up not having the label or something, I can go back to the envie the swapper sent me and check it again. It never hurts to be overly cautious when it comes to others' artwork.
I keep the stamps and label tucked inside the folded return envelope, or attached to the return envie in some way if it has not been folded when it was sent to me.

Since I made a quiltlet for everyone, I swapped mine first. Had it been that everyone sent the same amount, I would have started with the closest person's swap and worked my way around the table clockwise.

As you can see, I have laid my quiltlet (the swapped quiltlet), on top of each swapper's return envie. Now I have the original envie sent to me on the bottom, the swapper's items on the right, her return envie on the left, and the first swapped item on top of that envie. All future swap items will go on top of that envie, too.

Note the rock where my quiltlets had been. The rock shows whose swap items I'm working on at the moment. Once a few of these get dispersed, it will be hard to tell where you are, if you aren't careful. This is especially true for new swappers and is just one more safety check to know where you are.

You can see from the photo, that I'm in the process of distributing all of my quiltlets. Each one is placed on top of the return envies and the person's swap items are in clear view on the right of my quiltlets. You can easily see whose I have yet to give a quiltlet to, also.

Next, I swap the person's quiltlet below mine. Note the rock is now in the spot where her quiltlets had been and hers are on top of mine. Note also that my quiltlet is the one showing to the left of the rock. This is another safeguard. The swapper's items you're working on should now be on top of the swapped pile, but not on her own pile.

Continue in the same manner with each swapper's items. Move the rock each time you pick up a new set of swap items. When you have swapped every one's items, count and recount before placing them in their return envies. At this point, if the count is correct, place the swapped items in plastic bags or bubble wrap that has been sent to you. By that I mean, wrap or place the swap items in the same materials they were sent in. If the swap items did not come in a baggie or bubble wrap and the count is correct, you may now place them in their return envie.

If it's a large swap, I count every one's items before I place anything in any envies, then recount them as I place the individual swaps in their envies. Just one more check to be sure I gave each person the right number of swapped items.

Do NOT seal your envies yet. Place the label on the envie and weigh it on your scales. Figure out the right amount of postage and place it on the envie. Place all unused postage into the envie, then seal it.

You have now completed a successful swap.

I've been ARTed

ART: Acts of Random Thoughtfulness. Some people call them RAKs, our Yahoo group calls them ART. So much classier! And I've been ARTed by the young lady who I keep saying is going to be a household name in the art world in the not too distant future: Kayla Fujimoto.

Kayla sent me an autographed copy of Cloth, Paper, Scissors. I got so excited when I saw the envelope, I nearly peed my pants (can I say that on my blog?). And when I opened it, I got even more excited, because right there, in front of God and everyone, was an autograph from Kayla. I can assure you, this will be worth a lot of money very soon. Kayla is one of the most talented artists I know. I can see I'm not alone, because she impressed Pokey Bolton, the author of the article, also. Click on the photo to see Pokey's introduction of Kayla to the art world.


Thank you beyond belief, Kayla.

Another Christmas gift

Once again I was cleaning and some of my pre-cut 2" squares fell onto my table from the tin they were stored in. Instead of scooping them up, I grabbed a pre-made substrate and glued them down. When dry and straight, I added dark green and beige glazes directly onto the piece and mixed them together using a credit card. When they were dry, I lightly brushed gold fluid acrylic in a few places. I found the image in a wig book and added the key and the button. I used Krylon gold leafing pen to color the wire.

UHU glue challengers and their blog addresses

The following blog owners have accepted my UHU glue November challenge:

http://alteredbelly.blogspot.com/
http://halleshobbies.blogspot.com/
http://onecraftyme.blogspot.com/
http://dawnmercedes.blogspot.com/
http://littlebirdsonshine.blogspot.com/
http://www.ingriddijkers.blogspot.com/

If you are one of these bloggers who accepted my UHU glue challenge, please complete your project after you receive your glue, then send a link of your project to UHU and also one to this post in a comment. Thanks to all who have participated in this challenge and special thanks to those who have accepted my challenge using a magazine image in your altered book or art journal.

Happy Veteran's Day

Please remember your favorite veteran today, and honor those who gave their lives for our freedom.

What's on your craft table?

Today I decided to clean up some of the "stuff" I had piled into a box as I completed various projects. Rather than put things away, I decided to try to make something from a few of the pieces in my box. This piece practically created itself. I was so happy with the piece, made from scraps from a magazine, an ad, a letter, and various embellishments left over from previous projects, that I decided to add the hanger and give it to a friend for Christmas.

Today was a play day

Today I planted over 50 tulip bulbs in my front garden, which makes up most of my front yard. After the work out I got yesterday, and the planting today, I didn't really want to make anything that required thinking or planning. So, today was for ME. I just played with some materials and tools I've put on the back burner due to the swaps.

The first thing I did was make 15 trees from a metal stencil, paint chips, and gesso.

Next, I took time to play with some Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste, which Kathy gave me when she was down the last time. The piece took a lot more paste than I expected, so I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I placed the circles in the paste while it was still wet. This will be an ongoing project that I envision taking lots of layers.

And finally, I dipped a rose bud in gel medium that I accidentally cut off my rose bush yesterday. Hopefully it will dry enough for the lovely pink color to show.

Now I don't know what I'll do with any of these elements, but that's the fun of just playing. One of these days, when I least expect it, I'll know what to do with them.

In Sympathy: an ATC

An ATC for a friend who recently lost her sister-in-law.

My quiltlets are DONE

This was the most exhausting and time consuming project I have undertaken in a long time. I spent most of the week working on these. And thankfully, they are finished, mere hours before they need to be swapped. Thankfully, I don't have to go far to get them to the hostess, since it is I.
I certainly appreciate the talents of fabric artists like Kayla, Cathy J, and Dianne. I can only wish I had their talents at the sewing machine, but I don't. However, I managed to struggle through making these, and although they are nothing like what I had envisioned, and how infantile I thought they looked when I was making them, I'm really happy with how they turned out.
That's especially true when I see them all together like this.

Before I backed the pieces, I tried to scan one, but it didn't turn out too good. I actually moved the piece on the scanner as I was scanning it, but didn't realize it until I had already added the backs.

I have to admit, the camera (the one I cuss to no avail for it's lousy photos) gave a better photo of the finished piece than the scanner.

Here is a photo of the back. That's not sunlight, but a very white light in my kitchen, where I photographed all of these late, late Friday night.

If you've been following my blog, you know I dyed all the material I used in the pieces, with the exception of the pink stripes and the shiny red flowers. Everything else was made using either color washes or printer ink refills on muslin.

I backed everything with Wonder Under, then cut everything from my own hand drawn flower stencils (whoopie, since I don't draw). I stamped the faces using Staz-on.

The butterfly was made using a red foil candy wrapper and a punch. That candy wrapper was the one thing I wanted to use from the beginning. Finally, I added the buttons and Scrabble tiles. Now they are ready to go to their new homes.