Spring and other things!

I feel a little guilty talking about spring with half of the country buried in snow.....hopefully, I will give encouragement.....it's coming, maybe not fast enough, but it is coming. 

In Oregon, today was sunny and 55 degrees, not bad for January.....so I headed to the nearest garden center and purchase my first blooms of the season.................

Cheery primroses!

Made my day!

Yesterday, I took a wonderful collage class and produced this........

Not everyone appreciates abstracts but they are such a challenge and fun to do, learned a lot.  Great teacher. 

Another abstract with wax, paint, paper and string.......

Still trying to be "creative everyday"!  Enjoy, while I link to a party or two, Get Your Craft On and Creative Everyday

Altered Book

Yesterday, I demonstrated how we were going to "color" some old black and white photos for the altered book class I'm teaching in March.

Today, I finished most of the class demo book....it's the preparation that takes the time.  This is what we are going to do with those lovely altered photos, students.

Here's the cover.......

The bathing beauties in the right are my mother and sister!

The story line of this book is "my sister had cuter clothes than I did".  Actually, my mother was an accomplished seamstress and she made most of our clothes.  I think I was just more of a "tom boy" than my sister, actually, she was my half sister and she was 13 years older than me.  She died in an automobile accident when she was 39 years old.

She has the stylish hat and a really cute pants suit, in the picture above, I have the "dorky" hat and the dowdy sweater and knee highs!  But, check out those cowboy boots.....truly something a girl could dream about!

On the left is a piece of fabric from my mother's maternity dress when she was pregnant with me, the attached note was written by my mom.  On right is a photo of me and my dog, Mickey.  Me, pants and a dog.....yep, the tom-boy!

These pages tell the story of the time my sister danced in a recital at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.  She wore this dress, that my mother made and I still have, for that recital.  The woman in the photo is a relative, not our mother.

   Altered books allow the artist to tell their story, their way, using their choice of words and art. 

My demo book is a tribute to my sister and my mother.....I'm sure my clothes were fine but, I still think I should have had a cool hat like my sister!

Linking to Brag Monday at Graphics Fairy, Creative Every Day, Sue's Rednesday

Altered Book Class 101

Beginning March 2, I will be teaching an Altered Book class at the Woodburn Art Center for four weeks.  Classes are on Wednesday afternoon from 2 P.M. until 4.

Here's one of the things we are going to do.........

First.....using an old black and white photo, enlarge on the copy machine 200 to 300 percent.

Using watercolor paints.....paint over the copy!

 

Next, shrink the painted copy back to 50 to 70 percent, or to the size you want to use in the book!

Not too hard, so far, is it?

This is my sister, she was 13 years older than I and passed away at age 39.  That's not me with her, it is a friend.

This one is me!  The theme of my book is why did my sister have better dresses than I did?  Well, they seemed better to me, you know how that is.

I got the idea for this book from a piece done by Lisa Bebi.  We'll use children's Golden books, not many pages, should be able to finish in four weeks.  Here your chance to create your own book!

For more information or to register call Woodburn Art Center at 503-982-6450.   

Excuse the crazy time/stamp....new camera....need to change that ASAP.

When one thing leads to another......

Walked into my craft room the other day and took one look at this............................

and thought you HAVE to do something, girl!

Lo and behold, that evening, when I was browsing the blogs I came upon Antie Joy's A Day In The Life blog. Joy is a very personable lady who lives in Oregon too, and ta-da! there was my inspiration.  Joy had recently redone her studio and redressed her shelves to the Nimes!

I decided I needed to have me some of that, so I started with the broom and a box and cleaned up and decluttered and rearranged the shelves first....like this..

and this.............

That's when I thought...hmmmmm....this white looking set of drawers sitting underneath my new arrangement looks really blah......

Well, that won't do......the next inspiration came from looking at too many blogs and reading too many magazines..........I got out an old book written in German and started tearing pages out of it..........

Just glue them on with some Modge Podge and let it dry........

With a sharp razor blade I trimmed off the excess paper, glazed the whole thing with some dark walnut stain and varnished.

Added glass knobs and a box-store set of drawers takes on some character. 

Well, now, you probably noticed the lovely blue drawer fronts on dresser below......that will never do.....out comes the white paint, a glaze of stain and a little sandpaper and here we go...........

Rest of the room is looking much better too........at least you can see the floor.....yeah, I painted that too....but it was five or six years ago.

Recognize the paint brush holder?  I got it for a dollar at a church rummage sale, it is a silver plated cruet set holder....repurposed.

And I will leave you with my card.......

That is how it goes for me.....one thing ALWAYS leads to another!

Thanks for stopping by, I love your comments and you can follow me anytime!  I am linking up to Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphsis Monday, Make It Monday at Cottage Instincts, Amaze Me Monday at  Dittle Dattle, Today's Creative Blog, Coloradolady's Vintage Thingie Thursday, The Answer is Chocolate's January Open House

Ever so vintage thingies......

Sunday, hubby and I visited a flea market where, years ago, we use to sell.  It is always fun to go hunt for that wondrous thingy we can't, or don't want to, live without.

Well, I found mine...................................

two dozen tin Christmas light reflectors. 

I have plans for these babies.....for starters.........

with a glass nugget and some art work....could be a refrigerator magnet or a brooch.  I haven't had time yet, but what I'm really looking forward to, is using them in my collages.

"One man's junk".......so true, but I think I have a treasure.

I am linking to Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingies Thursday .......join me an see many other fun "thingies".

Thanks for stopping and remember I love followers and comments.

A commitment, not a resolution....

I have never been much on making New Year's Resolutions but....I do like to set some goals.

Last year's goal was new carpet and a cleaner, simpler decor.  The carpet was installed in March and through out the year I cleared out the garden shed, the garage, closets, drawer, etc.  Mission accomplished, well, pretty much. 

This year, I am going to volunteer less time to community projects and use the time "creating"!  It doesn't matter what I create, or the medium I use to create it....it can be painting, collage, gardening, baking, writing a blog...but my goal is to do something EVERY DAY that is creative.

Started New Year's Day helping my Granddaughter's make jewelry, since then I've started a journal, cleaned and rearranged several shelves and, even, made bread pudding.  Last week, I finished this assemblage. 

This piece is a nod to the book titled, Last Child in the Woods.  The author discusses the lack of opportunities for this generation of children to play and explore the out of doors on their own and some of the ramifications.  It is a good read and very informative.

I used the lid of a wood cigar box and added the child's photo, cardboard, some twigs with copper leaves, cheesecloth, lace and a rusty hinge, birch bark and old clay marbles......all frosted with melted bees wax.

Hope you enjoyed.  Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment.  I am linking to Create Everyday, go to button at top of page to see the work of many creative folks.

Create Everyday

Very optimistically I have signed on to "Create Everyday 2011".  Organized by Leah at Creative Everyday, I thought this sounded like a great motivator and would make me more aware of what I do, or don't do, that is creative.  Making art is one way to be creative but so is rearranging the furniture, or planting flowers, or sewing or trying a new recipe.....there are so many ways we can express our selves.

I got the New Year off to a great creative start, since............today, was a preplanned "play date" at our house with our granddaughters.  They wanted to make jewelry for their friends as Christmas gifts, but we couldn't seem to find the time before Christmas, so today became jewelry making day!

I figure being "their creative advisor and supplier" counts....so here we go......

Angela, who is almost 14, made bracelets with beads and charms.

This work requires lots of table room to spread out!

She was busy in my craft room...while her sister,

 

 

 

 

Nicole, who will be 17, worked in the living room making two "glass slide" necklaces.  Here she is designing the artwork for one of the necklaces.

 

 

She placed the art between the two glass slides and wrapped with copper tape.........this is where Grandma gets creative, I soldered the pieces together!

This is for one of her horse-lovin' buddies!  The photo is of her friend and her horse.

Both, necklaces completed....forgot to take pictures of the other side....dang it!  Her other friend will receive the blue bird of happiness.

Sisters sharing ideas!

Two of the bracelets that  Angela made.  Nicole made beaded bracelets, too, total they made eight bracelets and two necklaces.

  Aren't the bracelets cute and colorful?I can't think of a better way to start the New Year!  I had the luxury of spending the afternoon with two very lovely young ladies encouraging their creativity and challenging mine.

I'm going to go over and link up with Sally's Blue Monday and Common Ground's Vintage Inspiration.  Thanks for visiting, please come again.