Tag Archives: sparkle

Growing in Art–Part Two

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Hello again  and Happy Easter!

This piece seems like a fitting way to start.  I was in a state of joy when I created it, in a place of geographic joy, and a with people who bring me joy!

Used lots of found and upcycled items in the construction–scrap wood, muffin papers, sari ribbon, and circuit board remnants.

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Another piece on canvas panel.  Experiments with dripping Izinks ink, acrylic paints, stencils, ink pens, foam letters on corrugated cardboard colored with Shiva Paint Sticks, also used heated molded plastic, and Pico embellishers.  I am learning more about water soluble vs. non-water soluble as evidenced by smearing of some of my details.

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I still like to upcycle certain used clothing tags and here is a batch I did at Christmastime.  It is a good way to use up all those little bits and bobs I have leftover from other projects.

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Because who doesn’t love a pic of art supplies??!!

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A sweet and swirly Valentine!

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My latest on a canvas panel.  Mounted on an upcycled backing from a frameless glass frame.  I used modeling paste, a Patti Tolley Parrish stencil, Silks acrylic glaze, glass bead gel, Shiva Paint Stiks, a frame I filled with resin (and a worry doll), heat moldable plastic, a fortune from a fortune cookie, Pico embellishers, and well over a dozen layers.  At one point I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I covered 95 percent of it in black paint and then uncovered parts and continued on.  I really think that you have to hate your project at some point before you really get to something.  Or maybe that’s just moi….

In any case I wish you all a good day and I welcome all comments!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

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Filed under Doodlydoo, Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

The heART Exchange Experience

I want to start off by saying that I so admire bloggers who blog regularly.  It seems no matter my intentions I have thus far been unable to make it a regular habit!  I feel like I have to be in a certain frame of mind and I have to have the right pictures to accompany my post so !voila!–a perfect recipe for no regular posts.  Perhaps I also need to quit playing Words With Friends online too…but that’s another story.  I am determined to keep veering back onto my blogging path until I get it right!

I had a very fun experience doing my first heART Exchange through the website http://yourheartmakesadifference.com/about/about-the-movement/.  I swapped with “an artist, dreamer and believer” named Leanne Wargowsky at fromchaoscomeshappiness.com.  We were matched by the swap coordinator at Your HeART Makes a Difference after we joined the swap.  Here is the piece of art I received from Leanne

 

It is a really fun collage piece on painted canvas!  I am thrilled to receive it from Leanne!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sent her a piece I had previously posted here in one of it’s incarnations.

  It was really fun to send a piece out into the Universe without knowing one thing about where it was going or anything about the person to receive it.  Sending it out only for the sake of doing it and to give it wings.  I will probably participate in other heART Exchanges because this one gave me so much pleaure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have an artsy day!

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Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings, Paper Beauties

Alone Time

 

 

Kusadasi Turkey

Sometimes I need some alone time.  Pretty regularly actually.  I know I’m not the only person who feels this way because I have friends who tell me they are the same way.  I can tell when I need alone time because I start to get annoyed by    every    little    thing.  I get short with people.  I find every question or comment like nails on a chalkboard.  Doesn’t matter if it’s family, friend, or foe.  I know it is time to get away for a bit.  Doesn’t have to be for long–even a couple of hours is adequate but longer is better.  I hear there are some people who don’t know how to be alone.  Maybe it has to do with your upbringing.  I’ve always been this way as far as I can remember.  I love people and I love to have fun and interact, but in between I need solitude.  My dog is allowed to hang out with me during my alone time–she actually enhances it by being generally adoring and silly and calm!

Today I am feeling like I need alone time.  I’ve been “on” for several days now and I need to be off for awhile.  My ultimate master plan is to hunker down in my art shack and immerse myself in a vat of gel medium and then roll in glitter and paint and ink.  Well, that’s my fantasy ultimate master plan…more realistically I will be thrilled and satisfied to gel medium some object and then beautify it with stuff!

Here are some things I’ve been working on lately.  Did another piece of doodle art–this time colorized with colored pencils and Copic markers and Signo markers.

 

A mixed media piece I’ve been messing with for awhile and can’t decide if I even like it right now.  Sometimes I like how things are progressing and then add another something and wish I had an undo button.

We’ll see how it looks at the end.  The last piece is a scrapbook layout.  I was completely enamored with scrapbooking a few years ago, but I’ve gotten away from it for a couple of years because I was exploring other creative options.  I’ve decided I want to do some scrapbooking lately because I’ve had so many wonderful adventures and events and memories that I want to preserve for my family in a meaningful way.

TFL!

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Filed under Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Paper Beauties

Inspiration–Got It? Need It?

In recent weeks I’ve struggled for inspiration in many areas.  It happens to everyone at times but when it’s you it seems much more concerning.  When you get in that place you have to first recognize you are there.  Sometimes that takes awhile for me.  Little by little I realize my reality show viewing has skyrocketed and my time spent in my cozy art shack has dwindled and there is actual dust on things–ack!  I haven’t blogged in weeks and my camera sits untouched and forlorn and still hooked to my computer from the upload of long ago–well okay–a few weeks ago.  Still it is pathetic.

Once I realize my plight I have to address it.

Step One:  I pick up some books at the library–a novel and a couple of memoirs.  Memoirs always seem to jumpstart my psyche and inspire me.  For some reason I often gravitate toward heroic mountain climbing stories of Everest or Rainier or others.  I have zero desire to ever actually climb a mountain but I feel empowered by reading stories of others who have done it.

Step Two:  Pull old books and magazines off the shelf that I haven’t looked at in awhile–lord knows I have enough to revisit!  Past issues of Cloth Paper Scissors, Bead and Button, Art Journaling, Artful Blogging–you get the picture.  I even pulled out a book by one of my past favs on television–Christopher Lowell–the designer decorator.  After spending a few days browsing and immersing myself in all the colors and ideas and accomplishments of others I feel some creative juices started to bubble–or is it all the football food I’ve eaten recently?  No, no–it’s definitely a creative bubble!

Step Three:  Actually enter the art shack.  Part of the problem is that I have made a mess of things in there.  What started out as pleasingly organized has devolved into semi-controlled chaos.  I use that term loosely.  My space is small (8’x12′) and there is little room for haphazard stacking and piling.  I sweep the floor and pick things up to put away and that gets the ball rolling.  Soon I am putting things back in their place and sorting finished items from partially finished items.  I admit a few spiders had to die during this process.

I realized my inspiration was back.  I could not wait to make something!  What a flush of joyous energy.  My bead collection looked more sparkly and more shiny than I remembered and I’m sure they multiplied since the last time I played with them.  Or maybe I had forgotten my last bead-addiction fueled shopping excursion at my favorite local bead store (Alley Cat Beads).  Embarking on a beadweaving frenzy on my diningroom table (no cold turkey for me–I had to wean off my reality tv favs) I started to get back on my creative path.

The first thing I did was finish this cuff I started many months ago.  I’ve now finished three more!

I spent a lot of time happily ensconced in my art shack this weekend playing with paper and paint and ink.  It feels so good to be unstuck!  Inspiration is a beautiful thang!

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Filed under Bodacious Baubles, Musings

Fancy Schmancy Paper Transformed

As promised I am going to show you what I did with the painted papers I did the other day.   drum roll please……haha..that may be a bit too much of a buildup!

I had these small white pots I purchased in the knockoff bin at the grocery store for $1 and they had been taking up space in my studio for a project “someday”–you know how that goes!  I tore the paper into random strips and used glossy Modge Podge to adhere the strips to the sides of the pot all the way around.  I wasn’t too calculated about this.  I’m not one to measure and plan every move.  I added some gold paint pen in some areas.  So far so good as far as I’m concerned.  Then I had the brilliant idea to use some gold Shiva paintstick on some areas.  I figured if a little gold is good then a lot more must be better right?  no no no…this did not turn out the way I thought and I began to hate this pot!  I’ve had this happen before where I just can’t seem to leave well enough alone.  I began wiping as much of the paintstick off as possible and there may have been some cussing involved.  Once again my brain whirred into motion and I thought I could mix some pigment powder into the ModgePodge and add another layer over everything.  I used some brilliant yellow/orange pigment powder and liberally slathered it over everything.  After it dried I liked the sheen and added the layers of ribbon around the top.  I used round orange rhinestones as accents.  But why stop there??  I decided to add some silk blue flowers.  Flowers make everything better right??  I first tried putting them on with Modge Podge but that didn’t work as I hoped.  They wouldn’t stick except to my fingers—grrrr.  I decided to use some PVA glue to get them to stick and then Modge Podge over them when they were dry.  It was a battle but I was not about to be beaten by some blue blooms!  Several layers of ModgePodge and more orange rhinestones later this pot was finished!

On this pot I first stamped some bold swirls on the painted paper before I tore it into random strips.  Once again used glossy Modge Podge to adhere the strips.  Added some cool mesh ribbon I’d been saving for a special project!  Added silver paint pen and silver Stickles for some sparkle.  Coated the whole thing over with glossy MPodge and remembered I had some big chunky rhinestones!  Who can resist those???  Not me.

This one is probably my favorite of the ones I’ve done.  I love the vibrant colors and patterns.  Same theory as before–rips random strips, glossy MP all around.  Added gold paint pen in areas, added two layers of ribbon around the top.  Purple Stickle dots and then orange silk flowers.  I learned that flowers with larger and fewer petals are MUCH easier to adhere to a rounded surface like this pot.  Used the last of my orange rhinestones for the flower centers.  I’ve debated adding some gold paint pen dots to the orange flowers but haven’t because I’m alittle gun shy after the paintstik debacle on the first pot.

These next two pots I did not use the painted paper I made.  They were actually the first two of the white pots I embellished.  I used Copic markers.  Also the first time I used my Copic markers.  My crude rendition of a beach scene on this one.  I sealed it with glossy ModgePodge because I like the shine!

Experimented with combining colors of Copic markers and I love sunshiny yellows and oranges!  Added a couple of rubons to the sides and colored them in.  Now I have a couple cheery cups for my markers and paintstiks!

Still have about 5 of these bargain bin white pots.  Who knows what I’ll do them??!!  Thanks for looking!

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Filed under Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Paper Beauties