365 Day Art Challenge: week 52 and a taste of summer

Here are my collages for Week 52.  This 365 something project was created in part and hosted by Hanna at i Hanna.  

In case you missed them, here are Week 51's collages.  All my collages are 4" X 4" (10,16 cm X 10,16 cm).

This is the final week of this project.  There were times I wanted to quit.  Making the art was the easy part when it came to the time factor.  The hard part was scanning, cropping (sometimes badly), uploading, and captioning these.  I believe I spent more time getting these on the blog than I did making them.  But I'm certainly glad you stuck with me, regardless.

I did something a bit different this week and tried to work in series.

Just a bite

Reflect

Good advice

Blue invasion 1

Blue invasion 2

New world trilogy

Above the fray

If you have been playing in Hanna's 365 Something project, and although it's a bit late, please let me know and I will be by to see what you are making.  Please let me know if you like any of these.  As always, I am extremely grateful for your continued support of this project and my art.  Again, I'm thrilled you stuck with me through this project and collaboration.

But that's not all.  Since Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey this month,


today summer food is on our minds.


We are sharing the Tastes of Summer, the title of this spread.


I'm sure by now, everyone knows I can't draw.  It's just not in my wheelhouse.


However, I got to thinking how hard could it be to draw a slice of watermelon?


Apparently pretty hard, because I did a lousy job, although they might pass for abstract watermelon slices.


For this page, I began by laying down a water soluble crayon on the 110 lb. card stock substrate.  I found this Chicago style hot dog in a magazine and affixed it using glue stick.    

To make the watermelon slices, I first swiped a green bingo dabber on a white background, then added a tiny bit of pink watercolor pencil.  Finally, I swiped a red bingo dabber in a triangle shape and cut to size.  I got a bit carried away when I used my metallic ink pen to create the seeds.  

I decided to use the extra watermelon slice as my background for the words I wrote by hand.  I realized the watermelon slices didn't stand out like they should, so I ran my black ink pen around the outside of each slice, as well as the sentiment.  I have to admit this is possibly my least favorite entry I have posted this month.  Please feel free to laugh at this entry, but don't bother telling me I can't draw, because I KNOW I can't!

And since my summertime tasty treat was NOT a spread I was proud of,

I decided to create another one.  I already had the background painted because the Humboldt Penguin is located on the opposite page.

This one is a bit confused.   It's not sure if it's a Valentine, a patriotic,

or a Christmas entry.

What it DOES know is "Tis the season,"
 
and Bleubeard's and my theme at Art Journal Journey.  For this spread, I started with a page I had painted earlier with lavender acrylic craft paint.  To that I added the focal image found as part of a card.  I added the hearts on each side of the card and called it acceptable.

Bleubeard and I are so happy you chose to join us today and, and even though this is the final day of this monthly challenge, we hope to also see you at Art Journal Journey.  Bleubeard and I will be by at 4 pm (CST) to share a bit of T and a final Art Journal Journey entry.  Don't forget to dig up your second on the 2nd post.

365 Day Art Challenge: week 51 and Merry Christmas (Eve)

Here are my collages for Week 51.  This 365 something project was created in part and hosted by Hanna at i Hanna.  

In case you missed them, here are Week 50's collages.  As I'm sure you know by now, I post every Monday morning for the previous week.  All my collages are 4" X 4" (10,16 cm X 10,16 cm).

Primordial soup

Urban stones

Contents on hold

Breakwater

Matrix

Industrial chaos

Passion

If you are playing in Hanna's 365 Something project, please let me know and I will be by to see what you are making.  Please let me know if you like any of these.  As always, I am extremely grateful for your continued support of this project and my art.

But that's not all today.  Since Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey this month, we have a journal page for you that represents our Favorite Season.

My friend Scott asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I told him I wanted to find my screw and fix my sewing machine.   Lo and behold, he showed up and looked for my screw.  I even showed him how I had shaken the machine thinking the screw was no longer inside the machine.  However, when he shook the machine, the screw promptly fell out.  I was dancing around my craft room with glee.  Since my fingernails are long, and since I have no pinch grip, he inserted the teeny tiny almost microscopic screw into the hole that controls the metal bars and diagonal teeth that holds my feed dogs in place.  From there, I was able to quickly reassemble the machine.  I even tried it before Scott left the room to make sure it was working properly.  I was truly happy.  It is definitely a Christmas to remember.

Of course, I had to do a bit of my wonky sewing.

It's time to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate it.  Because the left side was filled with whimsy, I wanted something a bit more sophisticated for the right side.

  I'm just getting in under the wire of Moo Mania and More's Angels theme.

The angels are also wishing you a very merry Christmas.

I fell in love with these Christmas angel playing cards.

Don't ask me why, but I thought these postage stamps looked like they belonged with the angels.

It's too bad the lighting wasn't the best, but at least it was better than my dark dining room where the light shines through the slats of the mini-blinds and puts what looks like bars across the journal pages.

For this spread I used watercolor paper and colored it using Staz-on reinkers mixed with 91% alcohol.  I love this technique because there is NEVER any warp to the pages.  After a bit of wonky sewing, I then adhered the substrate to the book, which hid several tables and lots of words.

For the left page, I began by sewing the tag to the substrate.  I then added the cardinal and the Christmas 2018 images that I thought complimented the decked out snowman with cardinals that perched on his hat and shoulders.

For the right page, I began by coloring corrugated cardboard in both blue and green ink.  I added a piece of washi tape to the smaller image, added a piece of cardboard I colored using green ink, then added the playing card and glittery sewing thread.  The larger corrugated cardboard also got both green and blue ink, but in place of washi tape, I added the two postage stamps, another green inked strip of cardboard and more sewing thread I hoped conveyed movement.

I wasn't finished making art today, though.  I have two tags for Wilma's Hearth and Home theme at Tag Tuesday. 

This first one honors home, because I am coming home for Christmas.

I loved this image of the church in the moonlight, but was frustrated that I cut most of the moon and stars away from this purchased tag.

A bit of collage, a December calendar, and a holly sticker combine with a computer generated sentiment colored using water soluble crayons.

My second tag was obviously handmade using corrugated cardboard for a background.

Santa is coming down the chimney, showing the hearth part of Wilma's Hearth and Home theme.

I couldn't believe how much water soluble crayon the cardboard soaked up.  I must have gone over it at least four times and more in some spots.

The Santa image, which qualifies for Try it on Tuesday's Guess who's coming? Santa! theme, was from my Night Before Christmas book.  Although the book is in glorious color, I scanned the image and printed it using my laser printer which (as well as my ink jet printer) has only black ink/toner.   I tried to color Santa, the stockings, the hearth and mantel, and the clock and pieces sitting on the mantel.   

Since I am driven by color, I was a bit surprised when the ribbon I chose was not the same color as the clock.  I chose more of the glittery sewing thread for a bit of interest and movement.

This tag was created using corrugated cardboard, water soluble crayons, a scanned and colored image, crinkle ribbon from my stash, and white glitter sewing thread.

Bleubeard and I are simply thrilled you chose to join us on this very special day and hope to also see you at Moo Mania and More with their Angels theme, Try it on Tuesday with their Guess who's coming? Santa! theme, Tag Tuesday with their Hearth and Home theme, and Art Journal Journey with our My favorite season or 'Tis the season themes.  We'll be back later today to share a special T Tuesday with you, too.

365 Day Art Challenge: week 50 and a stay-cation

Here are my collages for Week 50.  This 365 something project was created in part and hosted by Hanna at i Hanna.  

In case you missed them, here are Week 49's collages.  As I'm sure you know by now, I post every Monday morning for the previous week.  All my collages are 4" X 4" (10,16 cm X 10,16 cm).

Sing this song

Angels we have heard on high

This qualifies for Moo Mania and More's Angels theme this fortnight.

Joy to the world

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

The gold standard

Circular illusion

Artifacts

If you are playing in Hanna's 365 Something project, please let me know and I will be by to see what you are making.  Please let me know if you like any of these.  As always, I am extremely grateful for your continued support of this project and my art.

But wait, please.  Since Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey this month,


we also have a journal page using our themes My Favorite Season or 'Tis the Season.  

Today we are enjoying a Stay-cation, the title of our journal page.

We can take a stay-cation any season.  There are tons of advantages to taking a stay-cation.

Yes, it is fun any season.

These short one-day trips get you out and about where you can learn about your neighborhood.  They save on gas, because you only spend the day finding museums, botanical gardens, local parks, picnic spots, or sculptures around your town.  They are great because at the end of the day, you go home and sleep in your own bed.

For this page, I began by swiping a dye ink pad directly on the 110 lb cardstock.  I then cut the images from an advertisement I received through the mail.  Next I added the computer generated text I colored using water soluble crayons.

Bleubeard and I are simply thrilled you chose to join us today and hope you'll also join us at Art Journal Journey.