Winter Solstice

I did this page in acrylic's to celebrate the first day of winter.

Wrap It Up December Daily YT hop and challenge

This is the final challenge for our December Daily's.
1. Use wrapping paper, paper bag or tissue paper
2. Use a bow
3. Make a tag and journal what this DD event has meant to you.

I chose to use wrapping paper, a brown bow from jute, and journaled on the back of a watercolor tag I did last Christmas but hadn't used since it was an extra. My journaling is private but I did include a picture of the back to show I had journaled. It tells how this event inspired me to make a book and document the time between 11/16/14 to 1/2/15. I haven't finished my book yet.

48 flash challenge 12/16/14 for December Daily

The challenge is to use sprays or paint and stencils. This snowman is my entry for the challenge.

1. stencils -The shape of the tree was created by using a wood tree as the stencil and painting dots around the stencil to get the shape. I also used Lindy's spray with a snowflake stencil in the sky background. It isn't easy to see in the picture but I can see it IRL. I also stenciled snowflakes using glitter paste.
2. Paint - I used paint in the background, the snowman and the tree.
3. Sprays - Lindy's sprays in luscious lime and Caribbean blue. These were used with stencils for the tree and the snowflakes in the background.

I also used washi tape, stamps, pearl pen, and glitter paste.
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December Daily -Week 3 challenge

For this challenge I chose to do the following three things:

1. Make it pop -3D and use washi tape on the page.
I made this snow globe. I used packing to cut the base and paint. I used a copy of Santa from the children's book "Night before Christmas". Also a gold paint pen to edge it and a sticker for the base that says "Peace".

The 3D part is represented in the lid. I used a Pringles lid to make the rim of the globe. It is definitely 3D and it pops! It is very interactive. Inside there are Stampendous shaved ice flakes which are glittered flakes. They move all around as you tilt the page.

I also added some washi tape to frame the bottom of both pages.
2. Glitter and gold
This is a picture of the entire page. The globe is edged with gold paint pen and there are shaved ice flakes in the globe ( which are glittered flakes).
3. Winter Wonderland
I sprayed "snow spray" on the doilies on each page. I didn't think that it was wintery enough so I added embossing paste around the bottom of the tree and the edges of the doilies to make it more dimensional and look more like snow.

When I look at these two pages, I immediately think of a winter wonderland scene. Although we probably won't have a white Christmas, I can enjoy one in my DD.

December Daily Challenge Week 2

On December 5th I bought the tree. Actually went and picked it out by myself and brought it home. It is usually something hubby and I do together but didn't work out this year. He said I'd picked a beautiful tree and he couldn't have done any better. Also, on this day my five year old granddaughter lost her first tooth.

So I decided to do a page on picking out the tree. I'm using this page for my week 2 challenge.

1. Use transparent pieces - the vellum under the tree which is made into a pocket and the three leaves at the top. The leaves are clear plastic die-cuts with Golden's gold mica flakes.
2. Use stamps and journal - the pine boughs around the page are all stamped and the tree made of pine boughs at the right bottom corner is stamped. I journaled about buying the tree and there is journaling on the back of the picture of my granddaughter that is tucked in the vellum pocket.

I really love the texture on this page. There is paint, stamping with inks, snowflakes around the page that I made using a stencil and textured with glitter glue, purchased glittered snowflakes and glitter spray on the page. It probably doesn't show up as glittery in the picture but does IRL.
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December Daily Week 1 challenge

UPDATE: Photos lost from this post.


Kristy Nitro on youtube put up a challenge for week one. Pick 3 of the following to complete the challenge. I did all 7 which means I get two chances to win. Go on over to her youtube challenge to check it out.

1. Make a list
2. A page that represents you
3. DIY make it merry
4. Say it with bling
5. Deck the halls
6. Anything goes
7. Candles

1. Is on my Thanksgiving pages where I created a list of the food we served.
2. I really think all the pages represent me and my style but I am also in several pictures.
3. I made the place cards for 20 and all the snowflakes on various pages.
4. I blinged up multiple pages. The jingle bell page, any page with snowflakes, the Christmas party pages where I blinged up the snowflakes even more than using only glitter and the O Christmas Tree page. On this one I used napkins and then glitter to make them sparkle.
5. Deck the halls is represented in the decorating page JingleBells. I made the bows on the wreaths and decorated the front and back of the house. I like the way this page looks like a window pane, especially sense the decorations are on windows and doors.
6. Anything goes - is the page opposite the Jingle Bells page. I've had this Norman Rockwell picture for years. I keep bringing it out every Christmas to use in my scrapbook and keep putting it back. Since it was a window like the opposite page I decided it was time to use it.
7. Candles - is represented by the new candle topper and plate I bought at a thrift store. The angels (one of which didn't show up in the picture) are both candles.

I also did the inks in red, green or blue by Sue Hiles on the O Christmas tree page on two different pages. Also the 3x4 card is covered by the Thanksgiving place cards.

I filled up the first of my signatures in this first week. I'm going to add eyelets to the signatures before adding back into the book to ensure the pages don't come apart with use. I'm using some of the images that I really like from the book I deconstructed.

Next weeks pages and next signature start with buying and trimming the tree. I've had laryngitis all week so in order to satisfy the challenge I am posting the pictures below. You couldn't understand me on a video even if I attempted to make it.

The pictures are taken in the order they are in the book. I started with Thanksgiving and will go to the end of December. We have three birthdays the week after Christmas and I want to capture them in this book.

This is a wonderful project and I am so thankful to Sue Hiles for starting it. I posted her link in the last post. Also we have a face book group called December Daily Inspiration Group - Anything goes. It's a great group and this project is lots of fun.

































































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DD tag challenge

Sue has a 24 hr tag challenge to make a tag for our DD. See Thursday's post for details where to find the challenge.

Here is a tag I made and will submit. Didn't have long to create one but am very happy with how it turned out. With all I had going on today this was just what I needed to get my hands in my stash and create if only for a short time.

Video for DD challenge

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December Daily Challenge

I am taking part in a December Daily Challenge on Sue Hiles youtube channel which is shiles728. If you are interested in participating then go check out Sues DD videos. She has all the information you will need. She has also set up a Facebook page for those who participate. It will be fun, come join us.

I used a Christmas book I found in a thrift store. I deconstructed the book. I used the cardboard from the front and back covers. Covered in papers and duck tape and decorated. I punched the holes to use with rings because I wanted to be able to take apart or lay flat to work on.
Inside front cover and first page. The star is a watercolor I did in 2012. I thought it would be nice to begin the book. The front inside of the cover is Away in the Manger. It signifies why I celebrate Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
This is to show how I created the signatures. I have five signatures with 7 pages each. The pages came from inside the deconstructed book. I'll alter those by painting and collaging. I'll add some pockets and other ways to save memories of this season. I'll add pictures and cards from friends.

Tis picture is just a sample of some of the other mixed media items I plan to use. It will be fun to work on this journal.
This is the book I deconstructed. I used some of the pages from the book to make my signatures.

Linda Lapotka you tube channel & update

If you're interested in making Roledex cards, go check out Linda Lapotka's you tube channel she posts a card a day. I get so much inspiration watching her.


I entered a giveaway on her channel and won! Here a pictures of my winnings. She was beyond generous in her giveaway. I have a big box of awesome mixed media items to use for a long time to come. I can use in my ICAD's, art journal pages, projects, and about anything else I haven't even thought of yet.

Glads and Lilies

Enjoy these beautiful flowers from my garden.

Super Moon

The other night we had a super moon. Got a couple of great photos. Most of them are on my camera not yet uploaded. But I did get this one to enjoy now. It was beautiful and visible for several nights. I had fun going outside watching it rise and trying to capture it with my camera.

As it first became visible it was huge and a golden orange. So pretty.

Birthday's

I made these two birthday cards for friends this week. One was for a male and the other for a female. I love that these cards can be for either sex. I used my new Bombay India inks. They paint like a dream. Once dry they are permanent. I even painted the envelopes and a signature on the back of the card. I sure hope they'll like the cards. These were influenced by Tracy Weinzapfel.














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Pot of Geriums

I finished my Matisse painting. I was very pleased with the finished painting.





I coated card stock paper with acrylic ground. I sketched with charcoal and added in the darks with charcoal. Then I did the under painting with archival re- inkers caramel, denim and pitch black. I used Golden's Dioxazine purple and titanium white. Then went back and did the final painting using the same products. The colors were mixed just using the 3 inkers and white. Purple was added where desired.


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My little Owls

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Matisse

I've been working on my Matisse "Geraniums" piece. This is the undercoating stage. Sketched in the basic shapes, put the dark areas in with charcoal and then began the under painting. I did this mostly with three Adirondak re-inkers and two colors Golden fluid acrylics. This limits my color palette and allows me to mix my colors.

I am very pleased with it so far. Leaving it alone for awhile to dry and cure. I'm excited to continue. Tried some new techniques for me and am so please with the results.








The Matisse is the top picture in this first photo. I actually found the print in a thrift shop. It was already matted and framed. So i made a copy to work from. I left the original in the frame. It gave me a great reference for my attempt to create it.








This is a close up of my under painting.

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Artful Soul

Sometimes when I work on a piece I know exactly what I want to do even before I start. Sometimes it just evolves as I work. This is one of those pieces. I had no idea where I was going until all of a sudden it began to speak to me and directed my strokes.

The background began with strips of tape and book pages. Then I used inks with a lot of drippage. Next layers were acrylic paints and a music stamp. I popped dotted (raised) a copy of an original bluebird watercolor I painted last week during the big snow. The quote was from Andy Warhol and just sort of fit this piece. I printed it on a piece of Braille paper. What a cool effect it gave.

I had a lot of fun with this piece. Got my fingers messy, relaxed and just created.




"art is whatever you can get away with". Andy Warhol









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Spread Your Wings

I had a lot of fun making this art journal page. I used acrylic inks, acrylic paints, white gesso, black gesso, stencil of butterfly and letters, stabilo pencil, and letters from stash to create the words.



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Abstract - See the eye?

This weeks Journal52 challenge is abstract. I don't do abstract very well but I guess this qualifies. I was going to cut it up for pieces but once finished I like it so I'll probably slap it in my journal.

The most surprising element of this piece is the appearance of the eye.



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Dreams

This background on this tag is alcohol inks on Yupo paper. The flourish is painted watercolor paper and cut with a long sizzix die. The silhouettes are a TH die and cut from heavy textured felt. The saying is stamped on deli paper and one I haven't used yet.



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Smile

This tag uses chipboard and diecuts. I made a doily stencil with one of my diecuts. Used it in the background with spray ink and then used the aluminum foil piece to put on the tag under the saying. The key is made from a recycled cardboard piece that my 18 m/o grandson painted, and then cut with TH die. The stamp saying was stamped on deli paper and was one I hadn't used yet.



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Art Lives

Tag background is alcohol ink on Yupo paper. Art Lives is a stamp that I haven't used in a very long time. Stamped houses and then distressed with pen work. I had a real shaky hand when I did the pen work but really liked the outcome.




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She rises high into the unknown

I started this watercolor with the intent of trying a new technique in the background. I used my Dr. Ph Martin's hydrus watercolors and crumpled Saran Wrap on watercolor paper. It made such a beautiful background that I decided to go ahead and complete the page. The colors were perfect for this girl who was inspired from a clipping from the newspaper. The hydrus watercolors are so vibrant. I love working with them.






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Bluebirds

My friend Marie posted a picture of bluebirds at her bird bath.. The little one so captured my interest that I had to do a watercolor of it. The little one looks as if it wants to speak to me. He's so cute!





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Snowy Day from Leon

We had a snow storm last night in the south. Here are a few shots taken today. I measured 5 inches on my walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful, fluffy snow. Easy to walk in and clean off the cars and deck. Went out several times and really enjoyed being outside.











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Documented Life week three

January 12 Challenge (Week Three) - Add an envelope from your mailbox. Get creative and add the whole envelope or parts of the envelope. Journal on it, write notes on it or use it as a pocket!








This is the final page. The orchid watercolor is a tag. It pulls out from the top. I inserted it into an envelope that had a clear place for an address. Then I used mixed media to make mail art out of the envelope.






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Journal52 Project

Week one was Up, Up and Away.


I made this journal page for the Journal52 project. The first week was Up, up and away. I started out with intentions of just doing a background for later use. Then all of a sudden it began to come together using this theme. Before I finished, I ended up using nine stamps that I'd never used until today. Some were ones I'd had for along time and a couple were fairly new but hadn't used yet.

The quote is "the journey awakens the soul". It is one of TH stamps.

She's dreaming of a journey. She wants to go somewhere where she feels as free as the birds she watches fly away.







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Challenge Week One of Documented Life

I am participating in a challenge by five artists called Documented Life. Since I journal everyday and keep several art journals at a time, it was a perfect challenge for me to participate in.

Week one challenge is to portray your front door. You can do this anyway you want. Since we use our back door more than our front door, I chose to do it. Here's my page and the reason what the door signifies to me.







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Knitted Hat

My daughter is an APP State graduate. Several years ago I made her a scarf with APP's colors. I had some of the yarn left so I decided to make her a hat to go with her scarf for Christmas. I found this pattern some time ago and taught it to a friend of mine. She'd made so many of them, I decided to give it a try. This is actually the third one I'd done since Thanksgiving. Since it was rather plain, I made a flower ( on a pin ) so she could remove it if she didn't want the flower. It really snazzed up the hat quite a bit.

I've already made another hat and half way through another one since making this hat. It is an easy pattern and I usually knit at night when watching TV. Her hat is the only one with a flower. Each hat looks completely different depending on the yarn. So since Thanksgiving, I have made four (almost five) hats and a scarf. Not bad, me thinks!

Next I think I'll attempt some fingerless mittens.




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