Dandelion and Daisy

May and June Daily Journaling

2012-06-01T08:04:00.001-07:00

Here it is….the first day of another month, almost half way through the year 2012! Where does the time go? For me it is time, once again, to share my journal pages with Kate and friends at The Kathryn Wheel.

I can tell you that keeping a daily journal helps you recall some of those moments that have passed. Years ago, I started keeping sporadic garden notes in journals. Those garden journals have morphed into daily journaling, like this one from May.

May was a busy month! Besides notes about what I do each day, I like to keep some of the memorabilia I collect along the way in my journal and in the case of the fold out page “wait….there’s more”, I still use this as a garden journal so when the page is open….

this is where I keep track of when and where I planted certain plants and seeds or when I fertilized the roses or sprayed the weeds. This keeps the information in one place for easy reference through out the summer.

My journal is not “just another pretty face”…..she earns her keep!

So, I guess we march on……June here we ~~come~~ ARE!

Thanks for stopping by…..remember, I always enjoy your comments!

Rose petals to dye with…….

2012-05-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

Last fall I discover an Australian artisan and botanical alchemist, whose name is India Flint. India is a master at dyeing fabrics with natural materials. I wrote Here about experimenting with, and trying to figure out how to replicate a little of, what she does.

This week she blogged about using rose petals to dye paper. She gives a brief description of taking rose petals and placing them between the pages of a beautiful book she made. You can read about it on her blog "Prophet of Bloom" to learn more.

I was moved to experiment again!

Always, one to think I can figure out how to do anything (I must admit, it doesn't always work out as I hoped) I cut a large piece of watercolor paper into six pieces, then I went outside and cut dark red rose blossoms off my bush and some orange and yellow roses, as well, just to make sure I had enough petals. I pulled off the petal from the flower heads and placed them between the pieces of paper.

Next, I bundled the pages between two pieces of wood, smooshed it together and tied it up tight with string and put it into a simmering water bath for several hours.

Here are the results right out of the water…..

The white textured background is the towel I laid them on to dry. I hope you can see the different colors the roses petals transferred to the paper.

Amazing!

I don’t know about you….but I had no idea that this little experiment with rose petals would result in such beautiful paper.

When I started, I was concerned that I did not have enough of the dark red rose petals so I added some pink and some orange petals to the mix. I believe that is what gave the orange and yellow cast but I think the green may have come from the dark red petals.

I just use a little point and shoot camera, so, the color reproduction, here, isn’t as good as it could be. That being said, you can see that the color is still very dynamic even after the paper dried (photos below)… less intense than the colors above, when the paper was still wet but still lovely. Oh, and did I mention the paper smells good, too!

I think I’ll just admire this for a while……then I’ll make a book and fill it with favorite quotes!

India, also, has published two wonderful books. I’m going back to the library to check out her book “Eco color”. I have found I can learn on my own, but, it is always better to follow the lead of an expert in the field when you can. If, you are interested in natural dyes, or any form of needle art, you should read this woman’s books and blog…she is a master of her craft.

I love gardening and plants and this is a fascinating extension of that!

I am linking this post to Julie’s What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday HERE since this was what was on my workdesk AND stove today!

How does your garden grow…….

2012-05-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

Mine is doing alright, thanks to about three nice, sunny weeks the early part of this month and, now, some rain.

I only have two tomato plants, some radishes, lettuce, beets, onions and a cucumber in my vegetable garden….really, I like to grow flowers best of all!!!

I wasn’t riding it, anyway….so now it is a planter!

Mostly, I grow sedum in pots! Sedum are more forgiving, if I forget to water them for a day or so…..unlike petunias! Ahhhh, spring….I love it.

I can’t help myself….

2012-05-27T11:03:00.001-07:00

I keep playing with my food! Look what we have here! Fresh, yes fresh from the field strawberries! Heavenly. Our first for the season, so, of course I had to take pictures…

then I had to play with my latest favorite computer tool.

I use to use Piknik to clean up and crop my photos but Piknik has gone away. Not to fear, PicMonkey has replaced them. PicMonkey it is a cool, free photo editing download with a bunch of fun and crazy stuff you can do to your photos. So, I made the collage, above, with my strawberry photos.

Then, I made jokes with my strawberries.

I am so easy to entertain…..and now you believe it. Want some cheap thrills, give PicMonkey a go!

For the first time this season, I’m joining Bloom' Tuesday HERE!

Serendipity……………….

2012-05-26T10:44:00.001-07:00

Hey, I love shopping the big box art stores and the, better yet, small mom and pop operations but nothing beats the serendipity of estate sale and flea market shopping for your art supplies……!

Today, I spent less than five dollars on a super stash that included……

This photo album filled to the brim with vintage photos, the embroidery hoop I’ve needed and a very cool large vintage map….in the background!

Can’t wait to use the alphabetized dividers in an altered book, the hoop and map (again) and some drawing and charcoal pencils.

Then what does my little eye spy? A large white envelope full of paper scraps that only a hoarder (like me) who does collage could love!

The woman having the sale thought she was going high, on the price, when she said “fifty-cents”! I snapped ‘em up!

The previous owner had a great appreciation for all things Japanese. The envelope was filled a plethora of origami paper, rice paper, Oriental art, Japanese advertising, maps, stamps….all manner of cool stuff. I’m not into Oriental themed art but I appreciate the quality, color and design of these scraps.

Best fifty cents I’ve ever spent.

I do believe the secret is out,however, because I see lots of other folks grabbing up art supplies at garage and estate sales. Why not? It’s a way to keep the hoarding going and the price down!

It’s here……………………..

2012-05-25T08:59:00.001-07:00

How fun is it……to get jump up and down excited? Very fun!

Not yet on the newsstand…….but, I now have my very own copy of the newest PAGES, a publication from ClothPaperScissors magazine…..!

But, here is what has me jumping up and down…..this page features my altered book pages! I wrote about it a couple weeks ago HERE.

Actually, the whole magazine is great! You will find feature stories that are interesting and informative, as well as, loads of awesome art! You can order your copy at ClothPaperScissors web-site or, soon, they will be available at Michaels, Fred Meyers and specialty stores.

Have you tried stamp carving yet?

2012-05-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

Spring means an abundance of fresh veggies, in my case our garden is providing a bounty of crisp radishes! Not only tasty….but photogenic. Intrigued I was inspired to play with my food…..so I took photos of bunches of radishes and small bouquets of radishes.

I shared some of these photos on Face book and my friend, Thea, suggested that these photos might translate well into a multi-plate stamp. That inspired me to…….

…..draw a sketch with a #2 pencil. Then, I transferred the drawing onto the “Speedycut” (a pink rubber material).

To transfer, placed the drawing face down onto the rubber substrate and rub the back of the drawing to transfer the graphite from the pencil sketch onto the pink rubber.

Now, take out your handy, dandy carving tool and spend a relaxing hour, or less, removing the part of the stamp where you do not want the ink to print

I always stamp one or two proof stamps, then, make any needed adjustments to the stamp.

For this step, I use a stamping pad that has water soluble ink, that is easily washed off the stamp. Then I stamp onto a piece of scrap paper.

I like the lines in the background, you may not….so you can carve them off, if you like. You could, also, carve more detail on the leaves….so many decisions!

I stamped this using ink pads meant for rubber stamping, not printing ink.

I am going to carve another plate to print the radish (red part)….I tried to mask it and print from this one plate. That doesn’t work very well, as you can tell from the red ink bleed.

But, that’s O.K., I’ve just made another proof!! I’ll share the finished piece with you, later.

Next, I’m going to challenge myself with this project…..I’ll carve three, maybe, four plates. That should be interesting, since I’ve not tried that before.

If, you haven’t tried stamp carving and have always wanted to…..just do it! It is very easy and fun. On top of which, you’ll have some very cool and original stamps to use in your artwork.

Let me know what you carve, I’d love to see it.

A book for baby………….

2012-05-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

Soon, we will be adding a new member to our family! Her name is Ava Rose and she is due the middle of next month, June.

Previously, I have made two baby books, one for each of my oldest great granddaughters….this week I completed the third one, this one is for Ava. None too soon, since she could be here at any time!

I recycle old book covers to make my covers, this one is covered with wallpaper and cardboard. I made the flowers out of an old dress pattern, fabric and buttons then added a torn piece of ticking for the finishing touch. Ava’s mom prefers simple feminine, not a lot of frilly.

Inside the front cover……

A place for the basics….

Ava’s first picture…and hopefully, her birthday will fall on one of the numbers on the Bingo card, then Mom can circle it or put a heart on it!

Back side of Bingo card and a page, on the right, for the address and a photo of Ava’s first home.

Here, Mom can add photos of the darling room she has decorated for Ava and keep the color samples and receipts, if, she’d like.

This is one of my favorite pages, just because I love the sentiment….a quote that I don’t remember where I found, but I love it. It seemed appropriate to have the ultrasound pictures next to it. The envelope could hold a lock of hair or a love note from Mom.

This is a book within the book. It is meant to be a place for Mom to write about the pregnancy.

This starts the record of Ava’s first year!

These pictures were taken at different stages in the project, so if you look closely, you will see the rings that bind the book are different, or there is only one….the finished product looks like the top picture. I used two black metal rings to hold the book together. The rings work well for books that are going to expand, as much as I hope this one will, when photos, cards and other memorabilia are added.

For the sake of your eyesight and time….these are about half of the pages in the book, but you get the idea. To make a book like this, takes some time but you can personalize it in ways that make it a much better book to record Mom’s feelings and baby’s growth than one that is purchased at a store.

This book is made with love and is a way for me to be a meaningful part of Ava Rose’s life….for the rest of her life. I believe that whenever you give another person something you have made, you are giving them a piece of yourself….something that is unique between the two of you.

Enjoy your weekend and make something you can share…..even if, it’s dinner!

The Sketchbook Project…..

2012-05-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

Some of you have likely heard of the Art House Co-op in Brooklyn, NY and the Sketchbook Project that they sponsor. Read their blog here to learn more!

Friday evening, my art buddies, Shelia and Thea and I traveled to downtown Portland to view some of the sketchbooks. The event was held at the Cleaners at the Ace Hotel, just off Burnside, across from Powell’s Bookstore. I’m pretty sure Shelia and Thea are looking at, and discussing, the cool interior of the building…..there were no small birds or acrobats flying overhead! (LOL)

How this works is…..artists worldwide can purchase a sketchbook, they have a year to fill it out, they mail the sketchbook full of their art back to the co-op and the book then tours the country with the team from The Art Co-op. Portland is one of thirteen U.S. cities the books are visiting plus London and Melbourne.

First thing through the door, you are given a “library card” with a bar code. You go to the bank of computers, you see pictured in the back of the room and choose, by category or artist, which books you would like to view. You look at your choices, return it, go back and select two more books to view, it is like a smorgasbord of books, you can go back as many times as you want.

The books I looked at were from the UK or the US, here are a few examples…..

You can see the artists were pretty much free to do whatever they wished and use whatever medium they we comfortable with.

After the book smorgasbord we moved on to dessert at…….the new (to Portland) Dick Blick store, just a few blocks away! Holy Cow! these stores are the Home Depot of art supplies. Many items are less expensive on line. However, here you save on shipping cost and don’t have to wait two or three days for your supplies to arrive in the mail.

I bought some new Tombo pens and waxed thread for bookbinding. Took some time to play with the new pens when I got home, I like!

What a Fun Girls Night Out! Thanks, Sheila for driving (even that was an adventure!).

I’ve made a rather last minute decision to link this blog to Julie's What's on your Workdesk Wednesday because I know how many readers Julie’s WOYWW blog has and I would like share with them information on the world tour of the Sketchbook Project. The Sketchbook Project is traveling the U.S. and could be happening in your area……it is even going to be in London and Lisbon. You can learn more about show locations and dates by going to the Art House Co-op blog here! It is worth the trip just to see the variety of books and concepts.

Just so you know, this is what is on my workdesk this Wednesday!!!!

Pages, the magazine…….

2012-05-11T12:16:00.001-07:00

My excitement for this week…..ClothPaperScissors has published a new edition of Pages magazine and I have my work featured in it! Woo Hoo! Both pages, below, are on page 108….but who’s counting.

I believe I will receive a comp copy of Pages but, as soon as, I knew I could see which pages they had chosen for the magazine….I had to buy a download! I had submitted photos from both books. When they contacted me they asked me to send both books, so I had no idea what was going to be published, if anything. Two months of suspense was enough for me!

The page above is from the first altered book round robin I had ever participated in, the theme was letters and numbers. This book round robin was organized by ABC Altered Book Club, an on-line Yahoo group. I blogged about it on Oct. 21, 2011, so you can see the rest of the book HERE!

My theme for this book was nature. I “tweaked” this page a bit after I took this photo, so it is a little different in the magazine! Both round robins took place in 2011, this one was organized by Amy and traveled from Oregon and Washington to Texas and Louisiana. I shared the whole book HERE after it returned to me.

Round Robin means a group of people each select a book to alter. You determine your theme and start the book off with your own artwork, the book is then mailed to the next participant who then adds their art to your book, then they mail it on….until each person has contributed their work to your book and you have added to their books. In the end, the book comes back to you with the additions of five or six other artists.

So, with these two books, the pleasure has now been doubled by seeing them in print and the beautiful arty additions done by other artists.

You can pre-order the 2012 version of Pages from ClothPaperScissors or download it, if you’re like me and can’t wait, pre-order on line or wait until it reaches a news stand near you.

Actually, if you are making books and/or journals you are really going to enjoy this publication…..there are so many great, usable articles and ideas. You will get tons of inspiration.

Color, I love it!

2012-05-09T21:00:00.001-07:00

What I enjoy most about gardening is…..

trying to find the “perfect” plant leaf and/or flower color combinations! Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.

I like this combo of brilliant blue Lithodora and gold creeping jenny accented with these garage sale finds….the glass balls in two shades of blue and one in orange.

You will find some form of yellow, lime-green, blue and orange through out my garden. Here is another example.

We mixed Peach Flambé Heuchera with an orange wallflower and some sedum “Angelica”. They are planted in front of a “Spring Bouquet” Vibernum. You notice I have some volunteer foxglove coming up in the Heuchera…I really like foxglove, this one will be PINK…..good with the Heuchera, not as much with the wallflower. So, you see…I win some and lose some but as the saying goes “in nature all colors go together”.

Guess what…more yellow and blue!

I love color AND this time of year!

Charlotte and I have a history….

2012-05-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

I’ve mentioned before that spent many years buying and selling antiques and collectibles which gave me many opportunities to meet a Charlotte…..a Frozen Charlotte to be exact.

Today, at an estate sale, I came across this pair……Indian Maiden and Indian Chief, both Frozen, but one may be Charlie and the other Charlotte. These little bisque dolls were made in Japan in the early 1900 and imported into the U.S. to become treasured toys for little girls, mostly used in their doll houses. Being made of unfired china the little dolls were a fragile toy, to say the least, so not many have survived.

I have a small collection of Charlotte’s that I started back when we were more actively going to auctions and sales. So, I’ve not ever paid a lot for the ones I have and the condition is not always perfect but these little dolls have a special place in my heart.

This little trio range in height from two and half inches to almost four inches. The tall Dutch maiden has a broken toe, the other two seem to be in better shape.

The girl with the bouquet is one of my favorites.

The little fellow on the right is leading the parade with his cymbals, he maybe one of Santa’s helpers.

The one on the left is the same as the one above with the bouquet…only this ones face has worn in such a way, as to make her look a little “evil”, I would say.

The one in the back is in good shape and, also, almost four inches tall.

This is where my collection lives! I need to re-arrange the shelf to make room for the new couple.

The Popeye toy is called a “ramp walker”. If, you place him at the top of an incline….his legs will move and walk him down the “ramp”, thus ramp walker.

Obviously before wind-up toys, not to mention battery operated or electronic!

So, my big score of the day was this……!

A little worse for wear and missing an arm, she is the beginning of an assemblage or some other piece of altered art! Her arms move and I think she may be from Germany and older that the other dolls.

Thanks for stopping by….I love it when you leave a comment….tell me what you collect.

Ending April and entering May with emotion….

2012-04-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

The last weekend, of the month of March 2012, was one of ups and downs for me.

On Saturday, I attended the funeral of a woman who was a friend, mentor and inspiration. She was every inch a southern lady and a very talented oil and acrylic painter. Years ago, she took a tole painting class from me and said “you should be painting on canvas”. I was sure I could never do that….but she assured me I could and taught me how! A chance meeting that changed my life. I will always remember her and be grateful.

Then on Sunday…..my daughter-in-law and I got up early and drove to Eugene to watch our granddaughter/niece run the Eugene Marathon!

Here she is at the finish…………….

…….and this is what you do after you’ve finished running for 4 hours and 8 minutes and 25 seconds…..sit in a baby pool filled with ice water and eat chips with your crown firmly planted on your head and your medal around your neck! Ya’ gotta love it!

Wow! Another reminder of the strength of the human spirit….all of these people, over 4000, had just run, or walked, a half (13 miles) or full (26 miles) marathon. Staci is 33, the mother of two little girls, who works part-time and has been training for six months! Her husband completed his first marathon last year, this was her year.

Her Aunt Jan, who went with me, is a runner,also, and has finished two half marathon. I don’t know how they do it….I did walk a 5K once! Woo Hoo!

On a whole different note, but celebrating the beginning of a new month…..I’m once again sharing my calendar at Kate’s blog The Kathryn Wheel.

April’s calendar ended looking like this…….I think Saturday and Sunday deserve their own special journal pages and I’m going to do that this week.

Here is to kicking off May with lots of color and texture…..

Let the adventures begin….we are off to see what this month brings!

A girl can never have too many tabletops……

2012-04-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

I’m running out of tables!

I have a six foot one and two three footers in my craft room, a dinning table in the dinning room…..all are covered with projects in various stages of completion, so now…….

I’m working on the patio table! Nothing like spreading out….I haven’t used this table before but this won’t be the last time, I like working out-of-doors. I was free to splash, spray and sprinkle paint without worry of damaging floors or furniture.

I’ve been taking an on-line sketching class from Jane Davies and one of the exercises has been to cover large sheets of paper with random marks using very wet paint, thick paint, India ink and different tools to vary the thickness and density of the lines.

After selecting areas of the pages with interesting design, I cut the large pages into 6x6 inch pieces.

Voila….. background papers for my journal pages.

Add a little paint to the background of the page, tear or cut the newly hand-painted paper add some lettering or marks made with oil pastels and you have created some fun, new journal pages!

I think I still have some room on a table in the garage, maybe, I should get out there and make something!

Up for a challenge?

2012-04-23T09:50:00.001-07:00

I decided I was and you might be, too!

In the March/April issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, the editors issued an art making challenge called “supportive art” because it is based on: the ever supportive bra! In October, CPS will be showing support for Breast Cancer Awareness month by publishing reader’s art, based on the bra, and entered in the magazine’s challenge!

Having had a bi-lateral mastectomy in December of 2006, and being fortunate enough to have had the cancer detected early and treatable, I thought I might try to express some of the experiences and feelings in the form of art.

My bra is made from metal window screen material! To me the mesh signifies the harshness of cancer with it’s tough, sharp, prickly edges, yet, like a cancer survivor it is malleable and strong!

With one breast missing, I’ve given the piece the title of “Loss and Gain” because we may have lost a body part but we have gained a heart full of things like…..strength, bravery, courage, hugs, creativity, love and so much more!

My heart is FULL!!!

Most of us have had some experience with cancer, be it ourselves or someone we know and love, this could be your opportunity to share your feelings and support the cause of breast cancer awareness. But hurry, pictures of your challenge art work need to be submitted on-line by May 1, you can go to ClothPaperScissors web-site to learn more or pick up a March/April issue of the magazine.

I, also, encourage all of you to have an annual mammogram, if you aren’t already! That is how my cancer was discovered. I had a tumor in each breast and both were malignant and they were very small…..not detectable by self exam.

I could have had a lumpectomy and radiation but because of my age and my reluctance to having radiation….I elected to have the bi-lateral mastectomy. I’ve never regretted it and I am very appreciative of God’s granting me these extra years with my family and for his gift of creativity.

Inspiration flags……

2012-04-18T19:56:00.001-07:00

I’ve been reading a lot about prayer flags lately and wanted to make some for myself.

For now, mine hang over the valance in my “playroom”! I plan on putting them outside when the weather gets a little better and I may add a few more flags to make it longer.

I used 5 by 6 inches pieces of painter’s drop cloth for the flag bases. I did coat both sides with gesso before I painted them with acrylic craft paint and I used Sharpie pens for lettering and highlighting the designs.

Since everything about my flags is non-traditional, I am calling them “inspiration flags” instead of prayer flags.

The goal of sending positive messages into the cosmos remains the same.

Time flies……….

2012-04-15T11:57:00.001-07:00

This past week just got away from me…..little time for art, not much blog reading, no blog writing….I’m attempting to make up for that today!

Actually, I have noticed that some people share artwork they have done in the past on their blogs. I’ve, for some reason, always thought the art I shared had to be fresh off the presses, so to speak!

So, for today I am taking you on a short trip down memory lane! Without admitting I am much over forty (haha), I will tell you that I started painting in oil paints in the 1970s when I first discovered tole (decorative) painting. Over the years, I taught classes and sold my work and switch from working in oils to using acrylic paints.

I just thought it might be fun to take a look back on some of the work I did yeeeeeeeaaaars ago!!!

This really is “tole” painting…..it is painted on tin tray! The rest are some fun decorative painted wood plaques.

It is kinda’ fun to go back and take a look at what you’ve done. Sometimes you see how much you’ve progressed other times….not so much.

These aren’t too bad! There, also, seems to be a resurgence of interest in this painting style.

What I do now is freer and less realistic but this was a great learning experience and we had a ton of fun doing it!

Still working on simple……

2012-04-09T16:00:00.001-07:00

Now that I’ve had my fill of chocolate bunnies, peeps and Easter bonnets….I’m ready to try again to make my work simpler.

So the latest journal page looks like this…….

I’m not overly impressed by the circles drawn on the top of the page but…..too late now!

So, when I’m not doing simple I do this……

Let’s hope for more sunshine, beautiful spring days…..and time to create!

Happy Easter

2012-04-07T17:45:00.001-07:00

From the Easter Bunny and two of our “Snuggle Bunnies”…….

…..and all of the blessings of the day!

My art journal page nod to the season.

I know I can get a lot of “stuff” and texture on a page….now, I’m trying to make my work simpler. Strange….simple is harder.

Gesso and watercolor on the background, dyed paper towel for color, touch of paper and sequin waste.

The bird is a book page and more sequin waste sitting on a piece of dyed paper towel, a torn coupon and the top of a card game tally sheet.

Happy Easter from my family to yours.

Playin’ in the rain…..

2012-04-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

Actually I’m inside, not outside, but Oregon has just experienced the wettest March on record! What a lovely record!!! Since it won’t stop raining and we are stuck inside, I’ve been playing.

Recently, I’ve seen some great portraits people have been doing. I don’t really love to draw (and portraits require some drawing)….it’s a lot like work, sometimes. Lots of things are easier….but if you want your art to get better, sometimes you just have to do the hard stuff.

So, I decided to make it fun…..I drew this kinda, sorta, looks like me sketch….

and made a copy, then drew and painted over it!

The pink hair isn’t too bad but I’m not too sure about the big black nose!

This one I tried a brush pen, a fine tip pen, watercolor painting the negative spaces and most fun of all, oil pastels.

For those of you who are now convinced I have lost my marbles…these are cool little exercises in drawing free-style. Not to be taken seriously but great little practice pieces.

Now, I’m going to try drawing with my left hand. Who said drawing wasn’t fun!

March Journal pages…..

2012-04-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

For some time, now, I have been admiring the monthly journal pages posted on the wonderful blog “The Kathryn Wheel”.

I haven’t participated because I don’t follow her recommended format of using “tidy” squares in which you write your daily activities…..but this month I am throwing caution to the wind and jumping in! If you, dear reader, have an interest in journaling you will find a ton of inspiration if you go HERE!

I have kept a journal for a few years now. I started with a garden journal and have progressed to a very messy, but interesting, everything journal!!! I mean everything, this is my art journal, my daily journal, my list making and idea journal, as well as, a record of daily coming and goings!

The other thing I don’t do that Kathryn recommends is journal on facing pages….so, I am a rule breaker….big time! March just happens to be on facing pages, like this….

An example of “notes to self”……these are some ideas I’ve had for adding color to my garden…….

you get the idea….this is some of the stuff I keep in this journal.

Because this is my first time joining this monthly journaling event…..I’ll share January (not facing pages) spread with you and February (facing pages), too.

Thanks for inviting me….I look forward to seeing all of your journal pages!

Birthday greetings…….

2012-03-29T14:34:00.001-07:00

So, I make birthday cards and practice my lettering…….

Happy Birthday to……….

Happy Birthday to……..

Happy Birthday to………

This is a new journal page…….

We’ve had an uninvited “bug” living with us this week! Both, hubby and I have it but we are on the up side of the hill today and looking forward to the weekend!

Busy week…..

2012-03-25T18:48:00.001-07:00

Busy……getting ready for a Friday night surprise 30th birthday party for our Grandson Jeremy.

That’s Jeremy on the right and his Uncle Dean, my oldest son, who’s birthday is Tuesday. I was trying to replicate a picture we have of Jeremy sitting on Dean’s lap sharing their joint birthday cake, however, Jeremy was about four at the time that picture was taken…..much smaller and much less awkward for these two. Jeremy's mom, my only daughter, can be seen in the background.

Nice party and we truly surprised him. He is a plumber….so I called him and in my best panic-sounding voice I told him Grandpa had broken a pipe and we needed him to come quick and shut off the water! It worked.

I’ve talked about the classes I’ve been taking, so between party prep, I’ve been sitting down with Junelle Jacobsen and playing in my journal…………….

and sketching with ink and watercolor………….

This class was about paper and paint and making notes in my journal…….

We have been encouraged to experiment with a fun variety of mediums and materials, in this class, plus Junelle has a gift for making you feel like she is in the room with you, not on the other side of an impersonal computer screen! Teaching a class is hard work that she makes look easy.

There are so many wonderful on-line classes being taught, now, in just about any art medium and price range…..it is difficult to choose which one to take first!

Sew so-so………………

2012-03-19T17:06:00.001-07:00

There was a time when I use to sew….a lot! Not anymore, now once in a while, I do some easy straight stitch stuff like pillows or curtains! I love what I see other’s doing…..quilting, free stitching, hand stitching, cute stuff.

Occasionally, I think I should join in, actually…….it seems I have!

I’ve jumped in with both feet. I am making a book with fabric….that not only requires sewing but quilting, free stitching, hand stitching, and if I say so myself, cute stuff.

I can tell you I love the end product…..it’s the process I’m not so sure about!

The cover of Lucy’s book, she turns two the end of April….I think she’ll like this.

The first two pages….one is a color teaching tool and the other side is all about numbers.

This little cutie is Lucy…the hat’s on the right have Velcro on the back so little finger’s can remove them and put them on top of Lucy’s head….like this….

There is still much to be done. I need to sew the pages together and two pages are yet to be designed and made.

I think Lucy will like the book and that’s what counts. I think Grandma has had more than a little fun making, too……..even tho’ she won’t stop grumbling about how much she doesn’t like to sew.

Sketchy me…….

2012-03-16T08:34:00.001-07:00

I’m the mad woman of on-line classes…now I’m taking a delightful class named “Art of Wild Abandonment”. Don’t you love the title? It is a sketching, lettering, watercolor and mixed media class being taught by Junelle Jacobsen and Christy Tomlinson.

This and the lettering class I just finished compliment each other so well….I’m loving it.

I have been avoiding “practice drawing” for some time now, this class is forcing it. Wisely, our instructor, Junelle, started with simple shapes like radishes and is now “movin’ on up” to things a little more complicated.

So, I’ve been practicing my drawing by sketching…..radishes…..

and cupcakes…….

and today, while sitting in the back of the room…..the backs of people’s heads……

and then the Daisy part of Dandelion and Daisy……..

Guess I’ll continue to be sketchy!