Tag: art

Knitting

Dream Vacation

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IN MY DREAMS

I have a confession to make:

I tried hard to make this week’s Documented Life prompt, week 50 if you’re keeping track, about a dream vacation at the beach, I cut out pictures, made a background and arranged everything just so.  Except……

My dream vacation isn’t the beach – before I go any further, I need to make this clear – I love the beach, I do, but being the hardcore homebody I am, I confess that my dream vacation is being home, with my family, my pets, my bed and my spot on the couch, the spot where the cushions fit me perfectly and the lamp is perfect for knitting or writing or reading or a conversation with Mr. Iknead.  I figured this out when I was putting together a packing list for my dream vacation and noticed that I could put my hand on everything I listed from my spot on the couch — books, knitting, paper, pens and family.

So, that’s my confession.  I’m owning it.  Most days, I’m living my dream vacation.  The only tan I have is the one I get from being outside in my yard, playing with grandchildren or pets, or piddling around my patio and plants.  I don’t have a ton of vacation pictures to share, unless you count the ones I take of knitting projects, funny family, art projects and those odd ones you get when you accidently hit the button on my iPhone, I do have a ton of those.

I know this sounds sickly sweet and too good to be true, but it is.  True, some days are better than others and I’m happy to see some days disappear from my life’s rear view mirror, but I’m a radical optimist and believe every day holds something good.  Sometimes you have to look a little harder to find it, but it’s there, every. single. day.

I am lucky.  I am blessed.  This is my dream vacation.

HEY!!!! Wanna see some vacation pics??????

 The latest photo of my ridiculously precious newest grand, the Elf and her equally precious mommy.

You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.  James Thurber


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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday 12/8/14

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MY OWN MIXED MEDIA (MOMM)

I’m so happy and excited to have started my new Dylusions art journal.  After using an spiral notebook with lined, not mixed media or watercolor paper, the mixed media paper is such a treat!  Not having to prep my pages with gesso before starting work is awesome – more spontaneous I suppose.  I love everything about this journal!  Here are the first two projects:

 

Stacked Birds

Book paper, Distress stains mustard seed and crushed olive, blue jean and barn door

 

Doodle–>ribbons–>tree

pitt pen, assorted gel pens

This particular journal is the smallest one, the pages measure 5×8 inches.  I have the larger one also, I plan to get started painting the cover sometime this week.  The first cover was just a warm-up! 🎨😺  Blank pages are sooooooo exciting!

The dream is over…  

I was the Dreamweaver

But now I’m reborn

I was the Walrus

But now I’m John.

             John Ono Lennon

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Knitting

Getting Close, Real Close

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GOTCHA COVERED

More Layers

(If you missed out on the beginning of this project, you can catch up here.)

 

14.  Hand drawn and painted flowers

15.  Grunge heart stamp – silver

16. Pink acrylic paint splatters

17.  Light teal acrylic paint splatters

18.  Stencils

19. First part of wonky frame done with white paint pen

20.  More pink acrylic paint splatter

I think this cover is very close to being finished.  I need to decide if it’s finished or not, I can always add a little more of “this or that.” Feel free to comment, do you think it’s finished???

 Nope, not finished yet.

21.  Wonky frame complete on front.

Finished (for now) I haven’t decided whether or not to wonky frame the back.

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.  William James

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Knitting

Whatcha Workin’ On? Wednesday 12/3/14, Booklove, MOMM*

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ON MY NEEDLES

Christmas Knitting

 

*MOMM ART JOURNAL COVER

Remember Monday’s post about this journal cover?  If you don’t, you can refresh your memory here.  It’s made more than a little progress since then –

 I added more layers today.  Here’s a list, in order of appearance:

1.  Gesso

2. Light violet acrylic paint brushed on

3.  Anna’s Acrylic Craft Paint, Heather, sponged on

4.  Anna’s Acrylic Craft Paint, Royal Fuchsia, sponged on

5.  Black acrylic paint, randomly applied with my finger

6.  White acrylic paint, randomly applied with my finger

7.  Green acrylic paint, randomly applied with finger, which immediately turned into some totally disgusting urine yellow color

8.  Book paper torn into scraps and applied with matte medium to cover as much of the above mentioned yellow color as possible and allowed to dry

9.  Distress Ink in Dusty Concord, dabbed and blended

10.  Distress Ink in Seedless Preserves, dabbed and blended

11.  Stencils, iridescent white acrylic paint

12.  Stencils, iridescent pink acrylic paint

13.  Stencils, iridescent green paint

If not otherwise specified, all acrylic paint is Artist’s Touch, from Hobby Lobby.

Stay tuned – more layers to follow!

BOOKLOVE

I finished a great book yesterday, Family Pictures by Jane Green, good enough to keep me reading for most of two days.  No spoilers here, sorry.  Bigmommy loaned me one during our visit last week, Jodi Picoult’s The Storyteller.  I don’t usually read her books, I don’t enjoy the kid with the disease of the week stories, even with happy endings, but this one has a Holocaust storyline, switching back and forth between past and present voices, more like historical fiction and I’m enjoying it very much.  Check these two out if they sound like they might be your cup of tea.

PLEASE, PLEASE MEME (sorry, overcome by Beatles lyrics for a second)

I’ve started a new Wednesday meme, Whatcha Workin’ On? Wednesday, open to all artists/crafters and I’d love for you to add your link below to spread the craftlove.  All I ask is that you link back here to further spread the sunshine.  Just one more thing – If Mr.Linky isn’t working, please let me know.  Thanks!

*My Own Mixed Media

Linking with Ginny’s Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams.

 It’s a funny thing about life.  If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.  William Somerset Maugham

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Knitting

Mixed Media Monday 12/1/14, Raku

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PREVIEW

Here’s a look at a new mixed media art journal cover I started working on today, after a false start with blue paint and stencils that I knew I hated, all the while painting and stenciling, convinced that “with just a little more paint, I’m going to fall in love with this project.”  NOT!  So, with trusty gesso and brush, i reduced the cover once again to the clean slate and started again, this time with different colors and without a fixed plan, decided to use the technique that has proven to work really well for me in the past – using colors I love and letting my intuition tell me what’s working and what’s not and then just going with it.  Want to know the best lesson art has taught me?  It’s taught me that what I create is mine, and being mine, i can do what I please with it.  So, like today, if something just isn’t working for me, i can cover it up and start fresh.  It’s totally up to me, to do as I please.  This is my mantra: If I like it, then it’s perfect.

Gessoed to cover what I did previously and then started sponging acrylic paint over cover then going back and adding black and white accents.  This one’s not even close to being finished.  I plan to do lots more with it – stamps, stencils, collage paper, stickers, handwriting.  By the time it’s finished, who knows how many layers will have been added!  Keep watching this blog, who knows what it’s going to look like when it’s done.  Gotta say I’m loving the grunge look.

DUH MOMENT YOU ASK?

This morning at 5:30, even before my feet hit the floor (I’m an early riser) I remembered that I somehow forgot to add the photos of a raku pot I mentioned in this post’s title. Duh. So here they are, better late than never, they say.

 From where I sit, these pics are huge!

Pot exterior glaze is Candy Luster

Pot interior glaze is Copper Luster

REMINDER

Don’t forget to drop by my blog Wednesday to add your link to Watcha Workin’ On.  Remember, it’s open all crafters/artists, whatever your medium.  Can’t to see everyones projects!

No matter how deep a study you make, what you really have to rely on is your own intuition and when it comes down to it, you really don’t know what is going to happen until you do it.  Konosuke Matsushita

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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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