Ode to a tree

 

It has been a harrowing two days in my world.  First there was the golf ball sized hail that managed to do a lot of damage to the exterior and roof of my home.  There was also the torrential rain that didn't seem to stop.  Thankfully my basement didn't flood.  Then the tornado sirens went off.  Yes, a tornado was close by, but thankfully to the south of me.  Bleubeard headed to the basement, but Squiggles and I decided to watch the weather on my favorite local TV station instead.  While I was doing that, a streak of lightening hit very close to my house and knocked out the electricity.  I (and my neighbors) sat without any electricity for nearly two days until it could be restored.  Welcome to spring in Kansas!  At least you know why I haven't been around to visit.

Today I'm joining Gillena, whose blog is Lunch Break.  Her theme is Trees are Awesome, Aren't They?    

I call this Ode to a tree.  This is a mixed media entry with details below.

From left to right, I started with leftover vintage sheet music.  Next was a lovely lavender page that I messed up trying to stamp bunnies on it.  To hide my mistake, I added a piece of security envelope.  Then I stamped the tree on a piece of old book page.  I used another book page to stamp the leaf.  On the far right, I spent a lot of time dripping my handmade spray mists onto a sheet of cardstock, then messed up when I tried to stamp an image onto the piece.  When I added them all together, the failures were far less noticeable.

 

Thank you for joining Bleubeard and me for this final Art Journal Journey entry in April. 

 

 

 

 

Ferns in Retrospect

 

This will be my final entry for Halle of Halle's Hobbies at Art Journal Journey.  Halle wants us to think about Botanicals, which is her theme for July.

I named this Ferns in retrospect.  Details are below.

This is the second side of a failed sun print I recently created.   In case you missed it, the first side is here.  I laid the ferns on the first side and sprayed with a commercial spray mist (not my shimmering mists). I carefully removed the ferns which left the impression of the ferns.  While the ferns were still wet, I gently laid them on the second sheet, this one. Once they were dry, I removed the ferns.  You can see the Titan Buff paint in a few places on this sheet. 

 

I then used my sewing machine to outline the ferns using blue variegated thread.  Although I sewed all four sides, the scanner cut off one side.  Finally, I computer generated the words using my black-only toner.

Thanks for joining Bleubeard and me today. We are truly grateful.  You still have nearly two days to submit an entry at Art Journal Journey sharing your own interpretation of Botanicals.  

I also want to thank Halle for all the wonderful art she has given us and all the lovely comments she has left everyone, even in the face of nearly losing her blog.  Thank you, dear friend.

 
 

Hand Picked Ferns

 

Today I'm joining Halle of Halle's Hobbies at Art Journal Journey.  Halle is challenging us to think about Botanicals, which is her theme for July. 

It's rather obvious

I named this Hand picked ferns.

This is how I attempted to salvage one of the failed fern sun prints from yesterday (see the post here).  I used two of my spray mists (purchased, not handmade shimmering) on two new ferns.  You might be able to see some of the Titan Buff peeking through in spots.  Waste not, want not.

 

Thank you very much for your visit. I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey and maybe even share your own interpretation of Botanicals. 

Her ticket to love and happy belated Juneteenth

 

Happy belated Juneteenth!  I had planned to write about this U.S. Federal holiday but I was offline due to the storms and my computer malfunctioning, so it wasn't possible to create a post in time.  Instead, I give you the post originally planned for Wednesday.

It's once again time to join Matilde from Craftowanie, our host this month at Art Journal Journey.  Her theme, in case you didn't know, is People.  Because there are multiple media, I am also joining Creative Artiste's 116th challenge, where the theme is always Anything Mixed Media Goes.

For lack of a better title, I named this Her Ticket To Love.  Detail shots are below.

The background is cardstock I cut to 5.5 X 8.5 in. (13.97 X 21.59 cm).  I colored the background using a yellow water soluble crayon.  I first laid down the girl to see where to position her.  Once I knew where to place her, I removed her and adhered the three tickets.  Next I adhered the brown paper doily, but only glued it the length of the center because these flimsy doilies have a tendency to buckle when glued.  

 

Earlier I sprayed several of my handmade shimmering mists onto a used file folder.  I then cut the heart freehand.  Unfortunately the scanner doesn't show the shimmer.

I bought two packages of TH paper dolls at different times.  I was surprised I got this woman in both packages.  Both packs had three sizes of the same lady.  I believe this is the last one of her.  

 

I adhered the paper doll to the page.  When she was in place, I added the two rows of washi tape to the bottom of the page so she would have something on which to stand.  I then glued her legs in place using a glue stick.  

Media used include a water soluble crayon, three tickets, doily, various shimmering mists, used file folder, paper doll, and washi tape.

Thank you beyond belief for stopping by.  Bleubeard and I would love to see you today at both Creative Artiste and Art Journal Journey.

 

 

Mother and child

 

It's time to join Matilde from Craftowanie, our host this month at Art Journal Journey.  Her theme is People.

It's obvious, I named this Mother and child.  Detail shots are below.

I began by spraying two colors of spray mists through a purchased stencil onto 110 lb. cardstock.  When dry, I layered the icon I found in one of my books (which I copied and printed) under the cropped mother and child which started life as a card.  I added the postage stamp and finally the computer generated words.  Because there are multiple media, I am also joining Creative Artiste's 116th challenge, where the theme is always Anything Mixed Media Goes.

 

Bleubeard and I would love to see you today at both Creative Artiste and Art Journal Journey.

 

Autumn in all its glory

 

Before we begin, I would like to thank Aimeslee, our host last month at Art Journal Journey with her Anything Goes theme.  I would have been a lot more active had Blogger allowed me to leave comments.

Today we welcome a new host at Art Journal Journey.  It is a dear friend whose art I truly admire.  Allow me to introduce you to Alison of Craftytrog's Arty Adventures.   Her theme for this entire month is Autumn Colors and Inspiration.  Here is how I interpreted her theme.

Autumn has arrived in all its glory and that means the leaves are changing.  The hot colors of summer are giving way to the yellows, oranges, and browns of autumn.  I have a few detail images below.

I began by spritzing and painting yellow spray mist onto 110 lb cardstock.  When dry, I laid real leaves I had dried onto the page.  I then spritzed with copper, but the color was not what I expected.  That's when I used colors called Raisin and Cranberry over the leaves, which by this time had become rather colorful.  

 

I then scrunched a small tag and sprayed it with one of my blue/green shimmering mists.  When dry, I added the image of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the tag.  I then positioned the tag to the background and added the real leaves to the page.

Alison, Erika, Bleubeard, and I are delighted you joined us and hope to see you this month at Art Journal Journey as you share your own interpretation of Autumn Colors and Inspiration.

Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Hope to see you and your Autumn Colors and Inspiration entries soon at Art Journal Journey. 

EDIT: After seeing Try It On Tuesday's Autumn Magic theme, I am joining them also.

  

Wonderfully wild at the oasis

 

I want to begin by thanking my friend Halle of Halle’s Hobbies for her wonderful job hosting Art Journal Journey during the month of July.  She not only gave us wonderful spreads, she also visited everyone who linked to her challenge.  Thank you beyond belief, dear friend.

It is also with great sadness that I and Art Journal Journey's other administrators now say goodbye to Chris as an administrator.  Sometimes life gets in the way of computer time, and we can all understand that.  We'll leave the lights on, in case life gets easier in the future, dear friend. 

Now it's time to introduce this month's host at Art Journal Journey.  We are fortunate to have the talented and extremely gifted Jo from Let’s Art Journal.  Her theme is Wonderfully Wild.  She offers several "Wild" ideas on the AJJ homepage.  Here is my first take on her theme.

As you can see, I have named this Wonderfully wild at the oasis.  Of course, I also have a few detail shots.

I began by adhering the focal image to the 8 X 8 inch (20.32 X 20.32 cm) cardstock substrate using a glue stick.  I left the two sides open and didn't add glue.  I positioned one side, then the other side behind the focal image and adhered them, also using a glue stick.  The focal image was a piece of very old wallpaper sample from my stash.  I added the definition of the word "oasis" and the postage stamp, which I chose specifically for its color.  The two sides were colored in lavender and two shades of green using my handmade shimmering mists that refused to mist.  The colors are a bit different from those I would normally use, but I thought they went well with the focal image.

Jo, Erika, Valerie, Bleubeard, and I are delighted you joined us and hope to see you this month at Art Journal Journey as you share your own interpretation of Wonderfully Wild.

 

We welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and some of the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards, tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Hope to see you and your wonderfully wild entries soon at Art Journal Journey. 

EDIT:  Once again, I am getting "Failed to Publish."  Very frustrating.

Index Card A Day: Days 55 throough 61 (and wrap-up)

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for Index Card A Day or ICADs.

Day 55: Extras.  Bits and pieces left over from other projects.

Day 56: Scrapbook papers, paper with handmade shimmering mist, image from a trig notebook, gifted image from a friend, blue gel pen.

Day 57: The dress form.  The usable part of the failed stamped dress form, black Posca pen, black dye ink.  Nothing goes to waste here.

Day 58: Repetition.  Non-profit postage stamps, black Sharpie.

Day 59: In your.  Leftovers from a previous project, black Sharpie, black dye ink.

Day 60: Untitled.  Items left over from other projects, black ink pen, black dye ink.

Days 31 through 45

Days 46 through 60

Day 61: Final card.  Handmade shimmering mist, stickers, sentiments in black Posca pen, dye ink.  One thing I know is, I am no good at adding drips and splatters.  And Bleubeard is quite vocal in his beliefs.

Another year of ICADs is complete.  I want to thank Tammy from Daisy Yellow for hosting another year.  This has been my 12th year participating.