Can You Say Punchanella?

I've been wanting some Punchanella for quite a while now and didn't know where to get it. In the meantime I've been using my bubble wrap as a substitute. I was browsing some blogs the other night and happened across one who mentioned that they had just bought some punchanella from The Paper Studio. So I headed over there and ordered some for myself. It arrived today (VERY promptly I might add) and little did I know how much I was getting for my $9.95! Woohoo! I got 10 - 1 yard pieces in different sizes. Holy Moses! It has to be enough for 4 people to use. So now I have it and I can toss the ole' bubble wrap aside and use the real thing.

For those of you who don't know what Punchanella is, it's the waste from the making of sequins.

Are they grown yet?

I know my last post was a few days ago and since it consisted of lots of new art supplies you probably expected some new work from me. Well, not so much! You see the thing of it is this, I've got 2 busy, rambunctious, playful, mischievous, at times loud, intelligent and adorable boys who have been taking full advantage of Mommy's time this week. My studio has only seen my feet coming in to drop off a couple of new pieces of fab paper from our local art store, Reddi-Arts.

Earlier this week I downloaded a video tutorial from one of my favorite artists, Donna Downey of Simply Me. It's a layered art journal made of manila folders. Whodathunk? I watched the video last night and gathered up all my supplies today to start one of my own. Now I know you must be thinking, "didn't she start an art journal over the weekend?" and "what happened to the project she showed us a few weeks back that was so brightly colored and included pics of the kids?" LOL. Well, as I'm sure my fellow artists know, sometimes you start things and just don't feel right about the path they are taking. So, those things have been put aside, for now.

As far as the journal page I did over the weekend, it's being transferred to a new journal that I found today. Also at Reddi-Arts. It's by Strathmore (love their stuff) and it's a spiral bound pad-type, sketch book-type thingy but it's specifically for wet media. The minute I saw it I knew it would be leaps and bounds above the sketchbook I was trying to journal in.

So, there you have it. A new journal has been started and I am looking forward to getting some paint on it tomorrow. Tonight the gesso is drying as I drift away into sweet dreams...

Today I want to...

1. Start my first art journal page - DONE (see above for a sneak peek)
2. Play outside with my kids - DONE
3. Indulge in some new art supplies - DONE (see pics above)
4. Have a big glass of milk & something chocolatey
5. Create from my heart, not my head - DONE
6. Finish my "41 things to do before I'm 42 list"

UPDATE: 4 down, 2 to go! I'm almost there...Now where's that chocolate!

Little Bit Funky Giveaway

Crystal over a Little Bit Funky is having a giveaway for one of her adorable pillows. So head over there now and check it out!

She dared us...

Okay, odd post I know, but Crystal over at Little Bit Funky dared us to show ourselves without makeup. Crystal did a wonderful post yesterday about vanity and about we as women learning to appreciate ourselves as we are. God made us all beautiful in some way. I am not much of a makeup wearer so this wasn't too much of a stretch for me. I did feel some hesitation about the pic, but nothing too major. I have a mother and a sister who both allow themselves 4 HOURS, yes I said 4 HOURS of time each morning to "do their faces". To this day it boggles my mind why they do it! OMG, the things I can get accomplished in 4 hours. Anyhoo, to each his own. I still love them and pray that some day they'll realize they are beautiful just as they are...

It's complete and I SO enjoyed it!

My canvas finally spoke to me today. It said "Don't put anymore paint or paper on me, I'm done!". Funny how that works isn't it? There always seems to come a point when you look at your work and just know that it's complete.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed making this piece! I went to sleep at night thinking of what to do with it and would wake up in the mornings eager to implement those ideas. I'm really looking forward to the next one.

Thanks for all your wonderful comments! Be blessed.

Huh?

Okay, so what do these 3 pics have in common you ask? Well the first 2 are things that I made today. The charcoal flower (inspiration: from my friend Martha's gorgeous flower) was a quick sketch that I did on typing paper to use a a template for something. It was a 'happy accident" that I really ended up liking. Because of that it will become the focal for the canvas. The 2nd pic is a watercolor/stamped background that I plan to somehow incorporate with the flower into the 3rd pic. If what's in my head translates to canvas then all is well. If not, then so be it. Who knows, pic 1 and 2 may end up being something on their own. If so I'll just move on to the next idea...That's the fun of being creative. There's always a new idea...Stay tuned!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

The giveaway goodies (Art Blox) that I won from Michelle Allen of Allen Designs arrived today. I love the designs that I chose and the colors are out of this world! They are so vibrant! Michelle's art is graphic and bold and I'm so glad that I found her blog. If you see something you like here, head over to Michelle's blog and show her some love!

Making Progress...

I worked on my new background last night. I got out my bubble wrap, sponge roller and old credit card and went to town. I thought I knew what the foreground was going to be after doing some sketching last night, now I'm not so sure. I found a neat photo of my oldest son and altered it in Photoshop, so I may use it as the focal point. Time will tell!

New Possibilities...

Here is a new canvas that I started yesterday. It used to be this but the inspiration to complete it wasn't there so I painted over it with black and started ripping up paper. Hobby Lobby had all their scrapbooking papers half off last week so I made my way over there and grabbed quite a few pieces. This is as far as I got last night. I got a bit of inspiration today for what I wanted the foreground to be, so I hope to work on it after the kiddies go to bed tonight.

A Simple Pleasure

Well, mailman Pete delivered my beautiful Julie King original today! Isn't she wonderful? It's entitled, Simple Pleasures. Julie finished this painting a couple of weeks ago and once she listed it in her Etsy shop I had to have it. I "met" Julie a few weeks back when she visited my blog. I had seen her work prior to that and loved it all. Not only does she create these wonderful mixed media paintings, but she is also a very talented photographer. The first photo above shows how nicely your own Julie King original would be sent to you. She has hand-stamped the wrapping paper and sent a beautiful card and hang tag. Love them!

Go check out Julie's blog and her Etsy shop and show her some love today! I'm sure you'll find something that you can't live without...Thanks Julie!

Flower Power

I know this is a departure from my last piece, lol! What can I say! Inspiration comes in many forms. I saw these 3 paint colors next to one another at the scrapbooking store yesterday and knew I had to do something with them. I found some cool templates there also for the white areas you see on the painting. The flowers are from templates that I found at the dollar store. Anyhoo, I just started it yesterday afternoon, so there's lots to be done to it yet.

BTW - Never buy the student grade canvases from Hobby Lobby. That's what this one is and they are horrible! They don't want to accept paint, the canvas is really loose and the frame is cock-eyed. Sorry Hobby Lobby! It's back to Reddi-Arts for the good stuff.

Quote for Today

Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation

in which discipline and order are relieved with some play

and pure foolishness.- May Sarton

I made a boo-boo!

Oops! I was so excited to have finished my canvas that I forgot to credit the quote to it's owner.

Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer. ~Star Richés

Ta-Dah! It's Done!

Ok, I finished it! I'll post a better pic tomorrow taken without flash. This one looks washed out. Anyway, I am pleased as pie about it! Can't wait to start the next one. Inspiration has already hit for 2 or 3 more pieces. This has been filling up my soul this week without a doubt!

Canvas Update

Here's the progress I made last night. I added washes of yellow oxide, titanium white and turquois phthalo. I have a stack of origami papers that I've had for years so I leafed through those and found the teal color that you see. Next step is to bring to flower elements forward and add some text. I've got a few ideas for that and hope to work on it while the boys nap today.

Midnight Rendevous...With A Canvas & Paint

All day yesterday I had an idea in my head for a background that I wanted to create on one of my 10x10 canvases (love that size!). So, it swam around in my head through diaper changes, a trip to Costco & BJ's, laundry & dishes. After the kids went to bed, the art supplies came out! Woohoo! I created this one using some pages from an old book I found at Goodwill. I glued them down with Gel Medium, then while they were still wet I applied masking tape generously to the surface and started ripping it off. Lots of fun! I then added a wash of watered down Titan Buff. Next I pulled out some chunky foam stamps, added some Burnt Sienna to my Titan Buff that was left over and stamped some flower images. Next step you ask? Today I'm bathing this background in some color. First, a little Yellow Oxide, then my fav Turquois (Phthalo) liquid acrylics. It's coming together just how I thought it would. Can't wait to work on it later today!

Art of years past

While I'm working on my current mixed adventure I thought I'd share a few collage pieces that I did many years ago.

For those of you who follow my blog for my jewelry designs, never fear, I'll get back to making some things soon! I promise...

Have a great weekend!

Mixed Media Adventure...Day ???

Hmmm, what day of this adventure is it? Sorry to have kept everyone waiting on the progress of my mixed media adventure. We've been out of town and unfortunately I didn't take my project with me in order to work on it.

So, here's the update! It looks as though this may be headed in the direction of some sort of fabric/canvas scrapbook, not sure just yet though. I haven't made too much progress other than to print out some photos on canvas and layer them with some backgrounds that I painted and added some rick-rack to. The patchwork piece you see in the pics is some of the fabrics that I showed earlier. I have fused them to a piece of muslin with fusible web and will be doing some decorative stitching and adding a quote & decorations of some type.

I'm seeing lots of ribbons, yarns, decorative stitching, some eyelets here and there and maybe some more painting until it's completed. Hang in there for further updates and sneak peeks!

I won and Happy Fourth of July!

I finally won a wonderful giveaway! Yipee! Michelle Allen of Allen Designs contacted me this morning to tell me that I was one of the winners of her fabulous giveaway. Michelle, thanks again for your generosity! I chose the adorable little Art Blox at the bottom of the photo as my gifts.

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! Enjoy your day, your cookouts and your family and friends!

Mixed Media Adventure...Day 1

Here's a peek at 3 of 5 - 8" x 8" canvas pieces for my mixed media adventure that I posted about yesterday. These haven't told me they're done yet, so creating will continue until I hear that little voice that says, "Enough already!". Stay tuned...

A Road Yet Traveled...Mixed Media Project

To say that I have alot of craft/art supplies would be an understatement. Not only do I make jewelry, but I also quilt. Over the last 15 years I've dabbled in other artsy things like precious metal clay, mixed media, soldered glass pendants, cross-stitch, embroidery and silversmithing. You name it, I've bought all the gadgets and tried it. But after all these years I keep coming back to 2 things; fabric and beads. Now lately the beads have fallen by the wayside. My mojo was taken from me and I feel alot of anxiety when I sit down to bead now. So that has been on the back burner for a few months. In the meantime I have been sewing/quilting alot. I get lost in time when I am sewing! Anyone else like that?

I've been reading alot of blogs lately that pertain to mixed-media work and have felt a major calling in that area for a while. I mean, why not me, heaven knows I've got all the supplies, lol. I just need to dedicate the time and make some things. I've got sketches of things I would like to do as well.

So today, in my quest to try something new, I gathered a few supplies (see pic above) and will be off on a mixed media adventure soon. I chose some fabrics from my stash in my favorite colors, teal, orange and lime. I pulled some embroidery thread, my art stamps, ribbons and ric rack. I trimmed 5 pieces of pre-primed canvas to 8" x 8" and plan on slapping some paint on them. Hmmm, now what might I create with these things? A wall hanging, a fabric book perhaps, who knows! Guess you'll have to wait and see...