Mail Art

Spent FOUR hours in my studio today and never got out of my jammies.  I love days like today.  Worked in some journals and made this envelope for a mail art swap.  It had to have an image of a bird and dictionary text on it.  Here's my interpretation:

Soooooo much fun.

Valentine Mail Art

This is for a Valentine post card swap in one of my groups.  It needed to have a heART and the word LOVE.  This was a wonderful way to start my Sunday!

Play date yesterday!

Peggy came over to play yesterday morning.  We spent the time painting and inking deli papers.  It was so fun to see how we both approached it.  We did swap some papers and this is what I created with them:

The BIG BLUE HeART in the middle came from Peggy's papers.  The rest are from mine.  question...who's more abstract and who's more controlled?

Happy Surprise!

I suffered from a headache all day today, and after I realized that pretending to sleep was not going to make it go away, I went to go play in my studio.  I love my Scrappy HeART journal because some of the pages are very small and not as overwhelming.  I decided to paint a small page purple with my new cheapie water colors.  Then I took a stencil and sprayed Color Mists on the page.  After I removed the stencil and dabbed it with a paper towel, this is what remained...

Yummy...it actually took on the look of batik.  Boy, was I completely surprised and extremely happy with the results.  This is what I did with the page once I stopped staring at it in awe...

I kept the page simple because I really love the background.. .I almost didn't art on it at all!  See, sometimes you just have to PLAY!

At Peace

wanted to share from this journal.  don't usually from this one, but i was feeling the love...

Heart Songs

Felt more like writing than arting today.  It's just so dreary outside and my muse just didn't feel like paper, paint or glue sticks.

Goddess

The goddess...I have a little statue of her in my bedroom.  I love her shape and what she stands for...unity.  Here is my Scrappy HeART journal interpretation of her.

Scrappy HeART Journal Cover

I have been working in this journal for awhile but never worked on the covers.  This morning I decided it was time:

True to the nature of the title, I used only scraps, well, except for the crown.  I didn't actually purchase anything special.  I used these tiny heart stickers that I had for years.  The background is old book pages that were placed randomly.  I sealed them with matte medium and then spread red, orange and yellow acrylics with a baby wipe.  I ADORE that technique.  I painted the hearts (yes, you read that correctly.  I ACTUALLY PAINTED SOMETHING) and outlined with water color crayon and white gel pen.  The borders are my painted deli papers.  I LOVE those deli papers.....

Sing, revamped

It felt off to me; unbalanced...

Now I'm a happy camper!

Sing

Today's Scrappy HeART journal page.  Little different for me, using whites and ivories as a background.  Had fun with the change!

Share My HeART

I woke up feeling down in the dumps today.  I really want to get back into the classroom and all I hear from the local districts is budget cuts, no positions available, doesn't look good for the 2012-13 school year.  I do have 2 subbing interviews coming up and that is certainly better than nothing.

Here is my piece reflecting my mood.  I needed to share my HeART today.  It made me feel better.  This is a 2 x 4 inch Library Book card (remember those?)

Have a great day, peeps!

Ramblin' On

Today I journaled first and then did the page.  I don't typically work in that direction; I must have had a lot to say.

This is a larger page in my Scrappy HeART journal.  Background water colors, acrylics, pen, ink...the journaling is on notebook paper (it's more like a memo pad so the lines are closer together) that I keep handy for wiping my fingers, brushes, etc.  I feel like my MUSE is a little tired; I'm having a hard time working my pages right now.  I hate that feeling but I keep pushing on.

Sustained in Scrappy HeART

My page for today.  Being unemployed certainly has its perks!

I used my new water colors for the green background as well as some PRANG metallic cheapie water colors.  I'm loving these!!!!!  

2 More for HeART

I made this one when we arrived in Cali, but nothing was set up so I couldn't scan it...

...and this one I made this morning.  Just playing around with those new water colors...

I used my leftover 140 lb. cold press paper for this journal.  I really want to use my Fabriano paper.  Next journal...

Water color experts, I'll take any advice you'd like to give me.  Teach me, teach me, teach me!

Scrappy HeART is HEAVEN...

I did a really stupid thing.  I left all my scrapbook paper in CT thinking that I really didn't need it.  DUMB...because just when you need a certain piece of something...yada, yada, yada...

I played in my Scrappy HeART journal yesterday.  I'm playing more with water colors than acrylics these days.  I'm enjoying that light and airy feel of them.  I bought an inexpensive set of cake (is this what they are referred to as?) water colors at a local shoppe yesterday and will play with them today.  The set was $12 for about 20 colors and they seem to be working just fine.

This piece was made with some old water colors that I'm trying to use up.

I'm having a bit of a brain fart when it comes to making anything right now.  I'm pretty sure it has to do with all the changes going on in my life, you know...moving across country AGAIN and looking for a teaching job.  However, I used my coveted orange and that alone brought a smile to my face!

I'm Published!!!!!

What an absolute thrill to be published in one of my favorite magazines.  Art Journaling asked me to write an article for them and you can find it if you click on the magazine title.  It is such an incredible honor to be published with the likes of Kate Crane and Joanne Sharpe!  Wow!  Wow!  Wow!!!!

This is the Winter 2012 issue.  I'm just so psyched!!!

Arting in Sunny California!

Wow...it seems almost surreal to be back here.  It's like I never left, except for the lack of employment.  Seeing old friends, eating in favorite restaurants, and sunny, sunny skies.

I had some studio time today.  I love doing the Mail Art swaps.  This swap has an Asian theme.  I haven't used vintage images in such a long time so this was a true challenge:

Can't wait to post again!!!!!