Change in plans

Girls aren't the only ones with the right to change their minds...artists can, too.  Since I'm a girl AND an artist, I can change whatever I want!  (At least I like to think I can! :-) )

So, I changed my mind.  My start to finish project isn't going to use washi tape after all.  It just doesn't fit now with where I want it to go.  So out with the washi tape and in with the hand-cut stamps!

As a reminder, here is where I am with the start to finish project:

I'm still here...I haven't progressed yet, but I know what I want to do...I want to make some hand-cut stamps to use on this.  I want to create my own ampersand symbol, carve it out of a stamp block, and stamp it on the piece.

To do this, I will use Speedball's Speedy-Cut rubber block, a carving tool, and Speedball's water-soluble ink.  Here are the tools:

Here are a couple of stamps I have already carved (an owl on the left and an octagon on the right [I used that to make the stop sign on the upper-left corner of "Scattered Time"]):

I was surprised how easy it was to carve these stamps.  The carving tool slides through the rubber block like butter (do be careful...the carving tool is sharp!).  So all you need to do is pick your design, transfer it to the rubber block (heavily trace the design you have on paper with a pencil and then place face down on the rubber block...from there, rub the back side of the paper with a credit card over the whole design...when you lift the paper, the design should have transferred over), and then carve around the design so it stands out like a stamp.  Easy peas-y!

To use the stamp, just press it into ink (I put my ink on a paper plate and spread it around with a putty knife) and then stamp it wherever you'd like.

So how did I learn how to do this?  Through Whimseybox!  Whimseybox is a subscription service (they have a store, too, where you can buy craft items...whimseybox.com...check it out!) where they send you a surprise craft each month.  They give you everything you need to make one project, as well as the instructions for the project.  It is a lot of fun and gets you to try lots of new stuff.  The stamp project was one of the crafts I received...I tried it and loved it, so am using it in all kinds of different spots.

I hope to have my ampersand made and stamped on the project by next time!

I have also been working on my mini flower displays.  Have I shown you these yet?

This one is done.  The one I have been working on needs flowers, but I haven't figured out what kind just yet.

Fun, huh?!  I think they are...a little spot of pretty that only takes up a few inches of space.  Everyone needs a spot of pretty!

I've also been learning a little more about my Adobe Lightroom software.  I have learned to crop!  So exciting!  Now my pictures don't have to have a lot of extra "junk" in the picture...I can focus on the important stuff.  Hurray for learning!

Now back to it...I'm excited to be art-ing again!  Oh yes, and Happy New Year to all of you.  I hope 2014 is your best year yet!

Migraines, no studio time, oh my!

Hi everyone!

My apologies for the delay in this post...I was struggling with a migraine this weekend and didn't have the energy to do much of anything.  I'm happy to report that today the migraine is finally gone!

However, I'm sad to report that I haven't been in the studio since my last post as I hoped I would have been.  It's still the crazy season so it seems everything but my studio it taking up my time.  There are lots of great things going on, but I miss it in my studio, so I am going to have to rectify that soon!

I am expecting something fun for the next post, something that shows some progress on at least one of the many projects I have going.  Really and truly!  I will hold myself to that...I hope you'll hold me to it, too!  :-)

Until then, I wish for you peace, love, joy, happiness, and prosperity (whatever that means to you).  I hope Santa is good to you and yours, and that you find it in your hearts to be good to those around you.  Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Ho, Ho, Ho!

Holidays!

Hi everyone!

Well, it's that time of year again.  Time for the crazy holiday season!  Run around like a nut, search across town for great gifts, and, if you're anything like me, make special things for the special people in your life.

So, because of the crazy season (and the craziness in my day job), I haven't been in my studio much.  I've been more focused on making holiday gifts (which I tend to cross-stitch or crochet) and making sure I stay on top of things at my job.  I'll be having some down time soon, so I should be back at it shortly with some fun updates for you.  Until then, here are a few pictures of some of the things I've made (more stuff is still in process!).

For my fiance's oldest daughter, a cross-stitch birth announcement for her new little girl (not the best picture, but you get the idea):

For the grandkids (pink elephant for the new baby girl and ninja for the 5-year-old grandson) and my fiance's youngest daughter (yep, she likes Jack Skellington and stuff that is a little darker [yet fun, too!] so the little grim reaper is hers):

And here's a fun gift...my kitty under the tree (nope, I didn't have to make her, and she doesn't require batteries! :-) ):

I'm glad Joe's kids aren't reading my blog or the surprise would be spoiled!  :-)

Happy Holidays everyone, no matter which holiday you celebrate.  I hope it is a great season filled with love, hope, and happiness!

Photography research, part 1

Mello greetings, dear friends!

Well, I finally made some time to do a little photography research.  I was able to check into why the photos I take don't always accurately reflect the color of the object I am photographing.  It has to do with the camera settings and the type of light I am using when taking pictures.

Different types of light (incandescent, fluorescent, sunlight, flash, etc.) create a different types of warmth or coolness of the image.  This difference is called white balance.  Your eye can see the differences, but the calibration on the camera may not always be able to do so (as most cameras are either set to "auto" white balance or have no ability to have adjustments made).

So, the stuff I read (on-line, many different resources) suggested changing the white balance settings based on the light I am using.  As I am using fluorescent bulbs in my photo tent, I thought I would try the fluorescent bulb setting.  Unfortunately, it was WAY wrong:

Even with some adjustments in Adobe Lightroom, this photo appears washed out and the color is too blue.  For comparison's sake, here is one of my earlier posted shots of The Platinum Rule:

In my mind, this last shot is better, but still wrong in color (way too blue, definitely not enough purple).

So, I tried the other settings, all with the same result except for the "flash" setting.  That one got me much closer to the actual color.  Funny, too, because when I selected the "flash" setting, the flash didn't flash when I took the pictures.  So odd.

Here are the photos (with some adjusting done in Adobe Lightroom):

These are much better in that the color of the piece is much truer to what it actually is in real life (it is darker than this, but the piece is closer to the purple color it really is).  However, I don't like the background color now.  In the earlier two pictures, the background is a much truer white (and definitely "right" in color, as the background is a bright white).  Now, because of the adjustments I made in Lightroom, the background is now more pink.  Eewww.

So, I'm still not quite where I need to be.  The white balance setting helped the piece itself, but in fine-tuning the image, I couldn't get the piece AND the background both to look right.  And just to give you some perspective, here's a completely untouched photo with only the white balance adjustment done through the camera:

It is still too blue.  I am, too, after looking at all of these and still not having an answer.  :-(

I think more research is necessary.  Also, a break is necessary.  All this adjusting makes my brain hurt!  :-)

Stayed tuned for more, folks!  Until then, go outside and take pictures...the colors turn out much better in the natural light!  :-)

And poetry, too!

I fiddle around with writing haikus.  Most of them are awful (truly!)...however once in a while, I get a good one that I'm really proud of.

Well, back in May, I submitted two of my better haikus to be considered for a local publication called "Poetry While You Wait."  The publication is distributed in our local area anywhere you have to wait...doctors' offices, car repair shops, etc. I am excited to announce that not long ago I was notified that one of the two poems I wrote got accepted for the publication!  Hurray!

Now, I don't know which one got accepted (although I have an idea of which one), so I can't fill you in just yet about the poem, but I had to share the good news.  Once I know which one it is, I'll share it with you.

I also fiddle around with adding haikus to my artwork.  Here's a piece I did called "To the Moon and Back":

I wrote a haiku for it:

Travel the world, but
always return to your sea
of tranquility.

This is definitely one of my better attempts at being a poet!  I like incorporating my poetry with my artwork.  It's like adding another signature to the artwork, one that helps people know the artwork is mine.  It makes it more personal, more real, more meaningful.  At least I think so.  :-)

So, I'll continue to work on my poetry, too.  How's this for a close today:

Memories, like leaves
scattered across your path, change
as time passes by.

Well, not awful, but not great either.  At least it goes with the picture!

Happy days, everyone!  Try not to stress out too much with the holiday season now upon us!

A tip and two updates

Mello greetings all!

Here's the tip...did you know you can use coffee filters as toss-away paint trays?  They are great because you can pour your paint right in, use it, then toss away the filter.  No messy clean-up!  I have even mixed colors in the filter to get my own special color blend.  

And now for the updates...

Update #1 - I finished the purple piece with the crown that says "Rule your world with kindness"!  I painted and sealed the easel (plus added a little surprise you don't see until you take the canvas off the easel) and finished the back.

The crowns on the easel were stamped on (regular rubber stamp with a black stamp pad).

As you can see, I am calling it "The Platinum Rule."  Not only is the easel painted with platinum-colored paint, but ruling our worlds with kindness really should be our platinum standard in life.  At least I think so because who can't use a little more kindness in their world?  I sure can!

Update #2 - I added something to my start to finish piece and also painted the back of it.

The ampersand was Mod Podged on.  I actually Mod Podged the entire front as well as the sides of the piece to seal the paint.  This isn't always a necessary step (I didn't use Mod Podge on "The Platinum Rule" piece), but I felt I should on this one.

The ampersand was printed on regular white paper and cut out before the Mod Podge.  The back of the piece is painted with the Bahama Blue I used on the front (but was not mixed with any of the grey).  I'll do more to the back later, but thought I should at least paint it before I get much farther.  It's very exciting to be one more step forward!

And finally, a treat (at least I hope it is a treat to you!)!  The moon in the morning during the past couple of weeks has been gorgeous, so I took some pictures.  This one didn't turn out too bad:

I love the moon and taking pictures of it is always on my mind when I see it.  I need to learn how to take better pictures of it (darn, more photography research!), but sometimes I get a decent one.  Enjoy!

Happy days, everyone!

Another of my favorite things

Hi folks!

Being the type of artist I am (fun, pretty, smart...no...wait...oh, yeah...the words here should be mixed media artist :-) ), I use glue a lot.  For just about everything.  So it is important that I have the right stuff because the wrong stuff can really screw up a project and make it...well...wrong.  So, my go-to glue is:

This stuff is great!  It doesn't take a lot to do the job, it dries clear and flexible, and it doesn't dry too fast, making adjustments much easier.  I've also used it on fabric before...I wouldn't always recommend it for that, but depending on the use, it can work.  If you do a lot of gluing, I highly recommend it.

As to where you can find it, you can go to pretty much any craft store (I even found it at some Walmart stores) and you'll find it, as well as many other types by the same brand (Aleene's/Duncan Enterprises).  However, I like this one as my go-to glue most of the time.

If I need a lightweight glue for paper, I love Mod Podge:

Mod Podge is great for a glue, sealer, and finish for just about everything.  The sealing option is great, especially if you need to paint yellow over blue and don't want it to turn green :-).  I did this on "Scattered Time"...if you look at the paint color surrounding the lighthouse, you'll see yellow surrounding it.  I painted the yellow over blue but sealed the blue with Mod Podge first (when I didn't seal the blue before adding the yellow in a practice run, I had a lovely shade of green instead :-) ).

If you use Mod Podge to glue paper to something, just know that the paper can wrinkle the more Mod Podge you use.  If you absolutely must have flat paper, no wrinkles, your best bet is to use spray adhesive and take plenty of time to proceed very slowly and carefully.

Mod Podge comes in many finishes and uses (in the picture you can see the Gloss, Sparkle, and Matte versions).  The Sparkle is kind of fun...it adds a nice multi-color sparkle without the worry of the sparkle flaking off (VERY important, trust me :-) ).  You can see it in this picture:

While you can't see the sparkle colors too easily in this shot, you get the idea.  To get the level of sparkle you see, I added a few coats of the Sparkle (which don't include the moons and stars you see...those were from a package of tiny confetti...I used Matte Mod Podge to glue the confetti on top of the Sparkle).  And no, I don't know what this is going to be yet.  I promise to show you once I have figured it out.  :-)

You can find Mod Podge at any craft store (and some Walmarts).  Mod Podge has branched out with other fun crafty products, too, so be sure to check those out (they are usually located right next to the Mod Podge).

So, get yourself some of these and play away.  You'll be surprised how fun they can be.  Who knew gluing stuff together could be fun?!

Until next time, happy days!

Embracing imperfection

In my mind, art is not perfect...the creation is a perfect representation of whatever was in the artist's mind at the time, but not really perfect.  I know whenever I create anything, I can always find a slight imperfection, a blip of something not quite just so, in each piece.  It doesn't mean that I don't like what I create or think that it isn't good enough.  On the contrary...my art is one of the only places I feel like I can be imperfect for some reason.  I find it quite liberating!

However, that doesn't mean it is always easy to accept an imperfection that I feel stands out.  My "Scattered Time" piece has a blip on it.  When you look at it this way, you can't see it:

If you can see it, you must be Superman!  :-)  However, in this picture, I think it becomes much more obvious:

Do you see it?  It is the little discolored dot to the left of the "U."  To me it stands out like a sore thumb.  Does it to you?  I know it is all relative, but it kind of bugs me.  However, I don't want to "fix" it because I think I might disturb the integrity of something else on the arrow, and I definitely do not want to do that because I like how the arrow looks.

So, I'll live with it.  I'll learn to relax with it and hopefully in time I won't even see it any longer.  Because that little blip is just that, a blip.  It doesn't affect the rest of the piece and if anything, it reminds me that nothing is 100% perfect.  Kind of like life...an imperfect experience or memory doesn't mean that the experience or memory isn't any good...if anything, it is better because of its imperfection (better stories to tell :-) ).  There isn't so much pressure when something isn't perfect.  "Good enough" is often that...good enough that results in happiness.

I wish you perfect imperfection and good enough in your life...may your happiness make you happy and may it not have to be perfect to do so.

Happy Days!

Yes, but not for long...

Hi Folks!

Yep, I'm back for another weekly installment, but not for long.  I have something to share with you, but I don't want to be here long.  You see, I'm having one of those days, one of those weekends really, where all I want to do is veg in front of the TV with my sweetie.  So, I'm going to do that!  However, I wanted to share something first.

Just because I'm a couch potato this weekend, doesn't mean I haven't been playing in the studio.  I am close to finishing a new piece.  No name for it yet, but it is almost done...I just have to finish the back of it (yes, the backs of my art [if there ARE backs to them :-)] get love, too).  Here it is (3" x 3"):

The only thing I don't like about these pictures as the color is a bit off.  The true color is more purple-y...think royal purple, a deeper, darker, richer color than what you see above.  It appears I have more photography research to do (why some colors don't come out correctly in the final picture).  But, you get the idea.

I used my swirly paint technique, stamping, rubbing (the letters were rubbed on), and a little help from a black Sharpie.  The whole idea came from the black, sparkly crown I got.  When I was looking for the ribbon for the Buddha spool I did a while back (see earlier posts), I found a cool ribbon website (www.theribbonretreat.com...you really should check it out!).  They also had other fun stuff out there...that's where the crown came from.  It all materialized from there.

So, when the back and easel (it needs to sit on something :-) ) are finished, I'll share those with you.  For now, I hope you enjoy this new piece and perhaps think about its message.  I know I can always use the reminder...how about you?

Time to go...I hear a football game and my sweetie calling...

Happy Days!

Falling in love with fall

What's not to love about fall?  It smells fresh and clean and leafy.  Yes, leafy.  If you don't know what I mean you either haven't spent much time outside during the fall season or you live somewhere where you don't get a fall season.  The colors of everything are amazing...the purples, reds, golds, oranges, greens, yellows, etc., etc., all seem to blaze in the differently-angled sunlight.  It is all so vivid and bright and muted and lovely and leafy.  Yes, leafy!

It sounds great, too.  The crunch of the leaves, the more muted sounds of the birds in the trees...it is as though the world is close to throwing on its winter blanket, but isn't quite there yet.  It feels crisp out, the oppressive heat of the summer just a memory.  You can see your breath; you get to wear snugly sweaters and scarves and walk hand in hand with your super-special sweetie without getting all sweaty.  To sum it all up, fall rocks.

Because I love fall so much, I am compelled to share some of my favorite pictures from this fall.

Just before 7:00 am on campus (I work on a college campus in the Rocky Mountain West...I told you before, I'm a lucky girl!):

It looks like the angels were dancing on the top of my car (it's actually the frost that formed overnight on my car):

The fall full moon at 6:45 am in the Rockies:

A leaf in my yard...I love how it is a mix of yellow and red:

Another early morning shot on campus:

I love the mix of green and red here:

Red is one of my favorites:

Yep, we had snow on campus, too (however, it didn't last...it's still too warm in the fall for it to accumulate):

Another tree on campus:

Golden leaves (very leafy :-) ):

Now, step away from the computer, run outside, and experience your own fall leafiness.  While it is an awesome season, it isn't here for long!

Happy days to you all!

More paint - drop by drop

Welcome back!

So, start to finish took another step in the finished direction over this last week.  Because I wanted to experiment with some toss-away eye-droppers I got months ago, I thought I'd try them with paint.

So, I squeezed some white acrylic paint and some of the Bahama Blue (also acrylic) into separate containers and mixed each with some water to thin the paint a bit (so it would be easier to get it into the dropper and so it would have a better "splash" on the canvas).  When I used the droppers, I held them about two feet above the canvas and dropped one drop at a time.  Here's how that went:

Paint with water added:

Canvas with white paint newly "dropped":

Once the "dropped" paint dried a bit, I took a paper towel (I like to use Viva because they stand up to a lot of use and abuse), wadded it up, and then gently pressed it down on top of the paint and lifted it straight up:

Here's the newly "dropped" blue paint (the white paint was dry before I "dropped" the blue paint):

I did the paper towel trick with the blue paint, too:

Here's the final, dried product:

 A close-up of the final, dried product:

While this looks awesome, I don't think I'm done with paint just yet.  I think some toothpick dots are in order now.  I'll noodle over that and let you know what I do.

Unfortunately, I still haven't done any research on my photo taking, but I have hopes that it will happen soon.  The good thing is that I think most of the above photos don't look too bad (do you disagree?).  I have to leave you with one more photo...my kitty, Lilly, decided to "help" with some of the photo taking by exploring my photo tent (yes, that IS the technical term :-) ):

Unfortunately, she moved her head while I was taking the picture and then jumped out the tent before I could get another.  My, kitty assistants are fickle, aren't they?!

Happy Days to you all!