Tag: art journal

Knitting

Now I Get It

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NOT SO BLACK FRIDAY

I don’t go shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  Standing in line in the middle of the night, in the cold, in a crush of strangers doesn’t appeal to me, not even a little bit.  If they were giving stuff away I might think about it, but only for a second or two.  Is it the thrill of the hunt, like spending hours in a duck blind or a deer stand, to bring home a trophy or two?   Just curious.  I like to know what makes other people tick.  Turning it around, though, I bet people are totally flummoxed by my yarn/knitting obsession and the lengths I’m prepared to go for THE PERFECT FIBER.  Wait, on second thought, I totally get the Black Friday standing in line in the cold, in the dark to bag the perfect whatever your heart desires. Never mind.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

Just a few more weeks left for the 2014 The Documented Life Art Journal/Planner Project.  Here’s a look at the Week 48 challenge, Depict Gratitude in an Artful Way –

Hand drawn and colored flowers, fabric cutouts, Copic markers, watercolors, washi tape

SOMETHING NEW

I’m starting a new Wednesday meme called Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday, a place for crafters/artists of all kinds to show off what they’re working on.  Stop by and add your link – I bet I’m not the only crafter to loves to see what others have going and always looking for inspiration!

I am a part of all that I have met.  Alfred Tennyson

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday 11/23/14

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MY OWN MIXED MEDIA aka MOMM

I’ve become obsessed with Artist Trading Cards and the idea behind them.  Learn more about them here and here. I love their size, they lend themselves very well to all different types of media, watercolor, collage, stencil, stamps, you name it.  I love that their size being what it is, every element or space needs to “count”, with the attitude of more bang for your buck or large works in a small space and I love the idea of trading cards with other artists, though I feel very shy about this for some reason right now.  Here are a couple that I’ve completed recently.

ATC, Distress Stain, stamps, butterfly die cut, distressed edge

Corregated ATC, die cuts, key, word beads

Maybe today I’ll get more confident and sign up to trade.  Loyal readers, anyone into ATCs?

CREATIVE CHRISTMAS

Christmas projects continue on the knitting front and I’ve added some of my pottery to the mix.  Being Christmas gifts, your imagination will have to suffice, but I’m excited about gifting them and isn’t that what gifting is all about?

THE TABLE

What’s going to be on yours this Thanksgiving?  Ours will hold a turkey, the requested every year english peas, mashed potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole and corn casserole. My Thanksgiving offerings will mostly be of the sweet persuasion, a raisin pie, something chocolate, snickerdoodle bread, and an apple slab thingy that I saw on the King Arthur Flour website that looks and sounds delicious.  Ya know, we could cut to the chase and just cut out the turkey and broccoli but somehow, I don’t think that will happen.  Does it show that I’m not a broccoli fan??

Deeds of kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments.  Talmud

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday

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MIXED BAG

I’ve been a busy bee this past week.  Besides my usual color/cut/paste fun, I’ve been trying my hand at carving my own stamps after watching a tutorial offered by The Documented Life ladies and enjoying it immensely.  I love trying new stuff.  Here’s a look at my first attempts –

 I’ve been having a blast with some new inks and paints and I’m currently in love with Tim Holtz’s Distress Inks.  These are my newest mixed media adventures:

Stamps, both purchased and handcarved, copic markers, Gelatos, Distress Inks, hand drawn and colored heart and flower cutouts, stencils

Tim Holtz Distress Inks, stamps, Gelato, downloaded image, handcarved stamp, peacock feather ribbon, stencil, random ticket die cut, hand drawn and colored flower

BABY GRAND

The newest pic of the newest grand –

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  Albert Camus


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Knitting

FO Friday 11/12/14, Cowgirls, Well Hello

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SUP?

Between Revival, Stephen King’s newest, my obsession with finishing Sockhead and more than a little experimentation with some new inks and stains in my art journal, something had to give and this week it was blogging.  Anyone else familiar with the “as soon as I get to the end of this row/this page” syndrome?  I’ve had a raging case of it lately and see no respite from it in the near or distant future.  Oh yeah, and Michael’s 25% off everything (even sale stuff) Veteran’s Day sale ate up quite a few hours also.

OFF THE NEEDLES

Sockhead

Malabrigo Rios

Ravelry Red

This is the second go round for this hat.  The first was way, way too big so I frogged and reknit using size four needles.  It was still a tad big but after a soak, a spin and then a trip through the dryer at the medium setting, the size is perfect.  Two thumbs up!

YEEHAW!

This week’s prompt for The Documented Life art journal project was to incorporate fabric onto the page.  I found an old bandana that I knew was perfect but sort of got stuck as far as overall ideas.  Nothing felt “right”.  I did a bit of brainstorming about what I thought of or felt when I looked at it. The cowgirl motif fell into my head and I swear I actually heard a loud click.  I had the Wild West card in my paper stash, then added vintage cowgirl ephemera I found on the internet.  After I got everything in place on the page, I was reminded of how we used to stick photos around mirrors back in the day.  Actually, I still do this.  Old school all the way, me.  I love how this page turned out –

Week 46

The Documented Life Project

Use fabric on your page.

BAKED

At Mr. Iknead’s request, I baked Hello Dollies today.

Butter, chocolate, coconut, pecans and Eagle Brand – what’s not to like??

 STILL MY BABY

My son and his girls.  An amazing dad who got a surprise promotion today at work. I couldn’t be prouder!

An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while the pessimist sees only the red stoplight… The truly wise person is colorblind.  Albert Schweitzer

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday

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HAVE A TAB

Here is my take on week 45 of The Documented Life, Incorporate A Tab –

 

Spray inks, stamps, stickers, copic markers, hand drawn and colored flowers, washi tape

This is the first one in a while that I’ve really felt good about my end product.  The last few weeks have been difficult creatively.  I sort of struggled with the tab idea, starting and then discarding several different attempts before settling into this one, I’m glad I kept at it.  I love it!

Begin to weave and God will give you the thread.  German Proverb

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Knitting

Marker Mania, 2015 TDL Reveal

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“AIN’T LOVE GRAND??

OK, I’ve officially gone off my rocker for Copic markers. I’ve been spending a lot of time just admiring how pretty they look in the cup I use to hold them on my table. I’m working toward getting better at blending and highlighting, not having any art experience before, I have trouble making what I see in my head match what I’m putting on paper, but with practice I hope it becomes easier.  Even if it doesn’t, every minute I spend with my art journal is a joyful one!

 

THE BIG REVEAL

Right at this moment, thousands of art journalers are anxiously awaiting the announcement of Art to the 5th’s plan for the 2015 The Documented Life art journal.  It’s to be revealed at 12:OO today, EST, which is 11:00 our time.  I suspect there might be a Facebook crash then as we all get our Facebook up and going so as not to miss a single second of the big reveal.  Maybe not, but I’m just saying……..

THE SCOOP

The “official” journal is the Diane Reavley Dylusions large art journal.  I’m excited to try this particular one, the pages are card stock, which I love working with.  This journal is the one that the Art to the 5th ladies are using, but is only a suggestion.  I’ve been using a lined, spiral bound notebook and it’s been OK; having been an art journal newbie this past year, it’s worked for me, but I think I’ll be happier this time around with their suggestion.

They’ve also lined up some fabulous guest artists, including the above mentioned Ms. Reavley, along with new tutorials/classes.  You can check them out on the Art to the 5th website.

OH BTW

The Simplex shawl is (finally) off the needles, just needing a wash and a block and I’m already doing some stashdiving, looking to see if there are any likely project candidates in the pile.  If I was really smart, I’d start my Christmas knitting but hey, why not wait until the last second and pull a couple or three back to back all nighters and make this holiday REALLY one to remember?  Anyone else ever sobbed while Kitchenering a sock toe, while trying to thaw a frozen turkey by the blow dryer method in the wee hours of Christmas morning?  Yeah, me neither.  But I digress.  Simplex pics on Wednesday, I promise.

I can’t complain, but sometimes I still do.  Joe Walsh

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday 10/20/14

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MMM

I came up with these late last night – or what is late for me – not sitting down at my little repurposed art desk until sometime around 10:30 p.m. or so. I’m finding that the creative juices seem to flow more freely then.

Artist’s tiles, ATC, pitt pen, Gelly pens, mandela stamp

The Documented Life prompt last week was Stars and although I’m not completely convinced that my page is finished, this is what I have  currently.  I’m in the process of searching out a quote that feels right to add the finishing touch.

Handcut stars, spray inks, ghosting technique

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.  Erich Fromm

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove 10/14/14

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ON THE NEEDLES

 My Simplex Shawl continues to grow.  According to the pattern, it’s more than halfway finished.  More about it here.

BOOKLOVE

Where do I start?  I’m rereading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and am up to Book Three, The Waste Lands.  I read The Wind Through the Keyhole in Florida, a book that technically falls between Books Four and Five, but was released in February, 2012.  This series continues to be my all time favorite.  Crazy love them all.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

I got a little behind in my art journal while on vacation and am just finishing up last week’s prompt, which was Polka Dots.  After a couple of false starts, I got into the groove, using a circle stencil to draw flowers, then handcoloring them and cutting them out to layer with stenciled dots, spray ink and, probably some stamps.  I drew and colored these flowers just for fun today.  I don’t have a current plan for these, but I thought they turned out well.

 I love drawing and coloring flowers – they’re probably my favorite, but I’ve been sort of down on myself because I’m not good at faces and because lettering also isn’t something I feel I do well, especially when I compare my stuff to projects others post, but I’m adjusting my attitude starting now.  New mindset:  So what if all I can draw is flowers – I love doing them.  So what if every face I draw is weird and more than a little wonky – I’ll never be commissioned to do a portrait.  So what if my lettering leaves something to be desired – I can practice and get better at it and if that doesn’t pan out, I’ll use my computer.  So what if my journal pages will never be hung in the Museum of Modern Art or the Louvre – they make me happy and creating them feeds my soul, just like they’re supposed to and because of that, I am an artist!

Linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.  T.S. Eliot

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday

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MOJO

I haven’t posted any mixed media stuff in a while, mostly because I was in sort of a creative slump, totally underwhelmed by all of my efforts to kickstart a new project.  I suppose you could call it “just going through the motions”.  But, I kept on creating and you know what?  It seems I got my mojo back!  I actually did the “fake it til you make it” thing and got my “creative feet” back under me.  If you’re a friend of Jimmy or a friend of Bill, you’re probably familiar with this process and have used it a few times yourself.

WEEK 40 THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

This week’s prompt was to use three colors you don’t normally use. I chose orange, yellow and brown and when I started laying down the first layer, I thought it was the ugliest thing ever.  But I kept on working with it, adding some three dimensional doodads and some stickers that continued the color scheme.  Then, suddenly, my project didn’t seem so ugly to me anymore.  In fact, I kinda liked it, I kinda liked it a lot!

Acrylic paint, spray inks, stencils, stickers, a bit of washi tape, hand drawn flowers that I colored with gel pens and cut out, homemade stickers and a doodled circle fold out

Sorry you have to stand on your head to see them. 😕

 *MOMM

Here’s a look at a project I’m doing on my own.  It’s not quite finished.  I think it needs doodads.

*My own mixed media

To see things in the seed, that is genius.  Lao Tzu

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Knitting

Thriftin’, Pawpaw and 2/4 grands, TDL

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WHERE’VE I BEEN

Last Thursday, I invited myself to Stuttgart for a visit, mostly to help out Bigmommy a little and just to spend a little QT with the Papoose and the Sprout.  I got to see the Papoose’s school and was fortunate enough to get the grand tour. Very exciting stuff!  My sweet son in law shares my love of rooting around thrift and antique stores, so Friday morning he, the Sprout and I took a field trip and did some thrifting.  I’ve collected blue and white pottery for just about forever and scored two new pieces and yet another hippie purse.  Say what you will, Bigmommy, about me being an old hippie, but because everything old is new again, I’m on the cutting edge of today’s fashion. ; p. So there.

These are in great shape, the spigot button sticks but will work perfectly after a little WD40.

These were both made by the Marshall Pottery, Marshall, Texas

Love everything about this!

2/4 GRANDS

You can tell he doesn’t care anything for them!

The only thing that could possibly make him happier would be to have all four in his arms.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

This week’s prompt was to somehow incorporate a feather.  This is my take on it, along with an e.e. cummings poem.

Modeling paste, peacock feather stencil, Derwent Blocks

Acrylic background, watercolor feathers

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.  William Blake

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Mixed Media Art · The Documented Life Project

MOMM, The Documented Life Project

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TDL

My Documented Life art journaling has continued, though I’ve been wrapped up in a couple of huge knitting projects, not to mention awesome family things.  There have been a couple of TDL entries that didn’t melt my butter, but they were OK and I actually started getting into them as I worked.  This week was #36 and the prompt was black and white.  Here’s my take on it –image

This is one I really wasn’t “feeling” while I worked, but I ended up loving the vintage look and the sort of restrained style.

I used black and white gesso, wallpaper look tissue paper, butterfly stamped borders, a large handwriting stamp, white stamp ink and a picture of the Eiffel Tower.  It has a old fashioned travelogue vibe, don’t you think?

MY OWN MIXED MEDIA

I enjoyed the black and white so much, I did one on my own –

Indulge

Black Gesso

White Gelly Roll pen

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been.  You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you’ll discover will be wonderful.  What you’ll discover is yourself.  Alan Alda 

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Knitting

How’d It Get To Be Thursday Already???

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SO YEAH

I truly don’t know what happened to my time this week.  I’m just surprised today is Thursday already.  We watched the Papoose and the Sprout once this week and had dinner out with friends, last night, I think (Taziki’s, yum) but aside from those things, I’m at a loss.  My story is that I was abducted by aliens, everyone knows that when you’re abducted by aliens, you have missing time, right???

ON THE NEEDLES

Apparently, I was able to grab my knitting on the way to the mothership (see above) and started a new project, Honey Cowl. Details here.  i had a skein of Mad Tosh in a one of a kind colorway, Nectar, which is working up nicely.  If all goes as planned and I don’t have another appointment aboard the mothership (see above), it will be off the needles in time for FO Friday.  It’s not the most exciting project, but it works up quickly and easily enough.

Honey Cowl

SOME WOULD DISAGREE

I read somewhere a day or two ago that nothing dates someone more in this day and age than putting a double space between the ending punctuation of one sentence and the first letter of the first word of the following sentence.  It just screams “Hey everyone!!!!  I learned to type in the 1970s (or earlier)!”  Know what?  I don’t care – not even a little.  Mrs. Frachiseur’s typing method rules and will continue to do so.  FYI – Mrs. Frachiseur was the typing teacher back in the day at good old DeQueen High.  Hey Mrs. Frachiseur!! I’m so happy to know it’s not the gray hair or the laugh lines giving me away.  It’s the dadgum double space!  

1/4 GRANDS

The Sprout

  

 First Time Painter

 

 MOMM*

My newest mixed media project, with modeling paste, ink stamps, postage stamps and acrylic paint.

 Always be smarter than the people who hire you.  Lena Horne

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*My Own Mixed Media