Using more crap, I mean, scrap...

Here's another journal page using only the items found on my work table (and on the floor!)

I was gone for a couple of days...

I spent a GLORIOUS day boating on Lake George (NY).  Gary rented a 20 foot speed boat that MOI got to drive.  We rented water skis, a wake board and a humungous tube and spent 8 awesome hours in 82 degree, extremely low humidity sunshine.  Of course we had 2 of the 3 boys with us.  But it was still amazing!

My studio was calling to me this morning.  I am now challenging myself to use up all the CRAP that I own and/or have on my work table.  Well, it's not really a challenge because there is so much stuff sitting on top of and on the floor surrounding my workspace that it's easy to find things to play with.  I don't want to spend any money on supplies.  However, I did find that the new Sharpie PENS (not paints or the markers as we know them) write BeAuTiFuLlY on ANY SURFACE!!!!!


I bought a three pack of black and a pack that had one of each of orange, green, purple.  And I didn't actually use real money.  I got them at Staples using my ink cartridge recycle check.  Here's what I created:

Let's see...I used beach blue spray mist, acrylic paints, gesso, more acrylic paints, stencils, glue caps for small outline of circle, Staz-On inks, my lovely Sharpie Pen, painted papers...I think that's everything.  I'll journal on it later today...

Ta-da!!!

Happy Heart!

No news could be better than finding out you have a healthy heart.  (Well, maybe finding out that Brad Pitt would like to meet me, or that I won a 5000 sq. ft. beach house in Hawaii might be better news).  However, today's news was EXCELLENT!  After finding out last week that a routine EKG was abnormal, I was FREAKING out!!!  I went for a stress test on Monday and waited until this morning to get the results of that.

Apparently, the stress test also produced an abnormal EKG.  However, the films and photos of my heart showed no plaque, no clogged arteries, no muscle damage, etc.  What may show up as abnormal is, hence, quite normal for me.  More than likely born with this.  I am considered a VERY LOW RISK for a heart attack and my doctor and the cardiologists gave me their blessing to exercise my ass off if I choose to do so.

A Happy Heart makes a happy owner.  I am a VERY happy person!

Pink?

I am so NOT a pink person.  However, after two glasses of Pinot Grigio, pink started to look really good!  Here's my journal for today...

Before and after...

The finished page using Roben-Marie's technique.  However, I curse the
pen that managed to RUN OUT OF INK as I was journaling. Urgh!  I'm
NOT happy with the lettering...C'est la vie...

Heart Health

OK...I thought I was doing the right thing.  I'm turning the big 5-0 in October and I thought it would be a GREAT idea to get a complete, and I mean complete, physical.  So, I endured the girlie exam, the blood work, and surprisingly, an EKG.  My doctor does that routinely with all people over the age of 21.  Now just imagine my shock when my EKG came out ABNORMAL!!!  Now, I'm an extremely healthy person, good cholesterol, blood pressure, vitamin levels, calcium levels, negative girlie exam...but my ticker has a glitch?

Off I went to take my stress test today.  After almost 24 hours of fasting and 4 hours of staying completely still, running,staying completely still again, probing, pricking (let's talk about STRESS!!!!!!!!), I'm home and able to journal.  Here's the last page in my 'Orange Journal'.  Time for a nap.

For Those of You who Love to Art Journal...

There are great videos to watch:  here is Roben-Marie Smith's techniques.  Lots of wonderful ideas...she shows you how she made this page.  Very cool.  I think I may have to give this technique a shot today!  I'll upload when I'm finished...

OK...pre-journaling...not exactly like Roben-Marie's example; I used a previously gessoed page and I don't own Adirondack Spray Mists.  But I did use a lot of gesso, acrylics, a stencil, inks, etc.

Enjoy Life

It seems like all my art has been so morose lately.  I needed a lift.  This is for a 'Bird' swap in one of my art groups.

Is This Piece Scary?

Gary thinks it is.  Not really what I wanted to hear after working on it for 2 hours.  Sort of hurt my artful pride, if you know what I mean.  This is a 4 x 6 piece for an animal themed zetti swap.  Really, is it THAT bad?

Crazy Love

Just another adventure in motherland.  Anybody want a couple of teenagers?

A New Blogging Venture!

geri centonze over at My Heart Art is starting this.  Please check it out!

Mail Art Altered Envelope #3

It was just so dreary out yesterday so I decided to spend the day in my studio where it's nice and cool and FAR, FAR AWAY from the chaos that is my life!  Created Mail Art instead!

Havin' a Little Fun

Collage Play with Crowabout Challenge week 126:

Super Powers

On a happy note, I just finished my June journal prompt page.  The prompt was, 'if you had super powers, what would they be?'  Had fun with this; I'm sure you'll be able to relate to my response since I don't know ANYONE who hasn't felt this way before.

Sadness

In a tough place right now.  Trying to vent through my journal.  It does help...

Vision

A page in my 'thru my eyez' journal.

Traveler

Having fun with zetti and birds!

With Wings all is Possible

I haven't felt much like art with the end of the school year and all that entails, and all the crap that's going on with my offspring.  However, I did drag my bootie down the stairs to the studio and tried to get going.  This is what came out:

I Can Just Spit!

I swear, this town is a horrible place to live.  When we moved back to the east coast from CA we chose to live in CT.  We NEVER realized what a closed-minded, anti-semitic, mayonnaise town we moved to when we first got here.  We have since learned that if you're not from here; if your family did not grow up here; if you don't belong to the same place of worship as everyone else here...you're an outsider, an alien and a threat to their all-white Stepford community.  And the Stepford people have given the administrators in the school district and the police force all the power they need to make outsiders unwelcome.  I really don't want to live here any more.  Especially after what happened to my children this week.  I want to go HOME!

So please understand that my journal page is my way of getting some of these feelings out before they fester inside of me.  If the phrase KISS MY ASS offends you, so sorry.  In the meantime, DH will be looking for a job back in CA.  I need to save my kids from this dreadful place before someone kills them!

Boy, was I in a MOOD!

After a REALLY crappy day, I had to come home and vent.  And since NO ONE here really listens to me anyway, I vented into my journal.  Thank G_d for art!

Masking Tape for Journaling

I wish I could take credit for this idea but I got it from roc and terri and a group I belong to.  I placed masking tape over the page where I didn't want any medium.  It acts as a mask.  I used 2 inch wide tape so I tore the sides to give it a more grungy look.  I spread my 89 cent acrylics along the edges and used ink mists on the rest of the page.  To make the circles I used the top of a prescription bottle and the top of a glue stick.  Once dry, I removed the masking tape and went over some of the paper with punchinella and Staz-On.  Once I journal I'll figure out what I want to do on the 'clean' parts.

and the finished product...

The page is a little bigger than my scanner so a bit of the words are cut off...

Mail Call!!!

Some mail art for a swap.  This is ADDICTING!!!

Had to update the profile photo...

I haven't cut my hair in months; well, maybe a trim. But I just don't look like the picture I had here. So, hence, a new photo. It was taken on my lovely porch sitting on my newest acquisition:

Bought it at Target. Actually got 2 of them. When the price is right...

And this is what I saw while sitting in this glorious chair:

It's dusk and just gorgeous during this part of the evening. I got up to look at the woods (I'm surrounded by 2.5 acres of the green stuff) and thought I'd share...)

Went back to sit on the chair and worked on the really S-K-I-N-N-Y page of my new journal and this is what I came up with:

That's all from this end. Enjoy the moment!

I NEED TO DECOMPRESS!!!

Lord have mercy...sometimes I wonder why I had children. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY, REALLY love my sons. But I have been challenged by all three of them far more than I bargained for. Today I was told by my 15 year old that I was F*@#%KING PSYCHOTIC! Maybe so, but I would like to be a HAPPY F*@#%KING PSYCHOTIC! Too much going on here with him. However, it did inspire me to look at my new acquisition. A book by Traci Bunkers called ART Journal Workshop.

I was stuck in a real "precise and planned" rut and needed to LET GO!!! Her book is great and you can find it here.

Here is my new journal:

Unfortunately, the whole page doesn't fit. But I think you get the idea.

New Journal Cover

This is the second time I tried to make this journal cover. Why is it that I can make the art in the journals but the covers cause me so much anxiety? This isn't perfect, but I'm not making it again. Perhaps when I get motivated, I'll add to it.

The windows are made with altered slide mounts. I'm trying desperately to use up all my supplies before I even think about buying anything else.

Mail Art Altered Envelope

I've never participated in an Altered Envelope swap before and it sounded fun. Here's mine...

Prompt 4 Journal Page

The prompt was "If I weren't afraid I would..." Here's mine:

Never Hide

A page in my Orange Journal. Sure wish I had more time to play.

These Old Bottles

For some reason, these vintage bottles have my interest. Can't explain, but I'm running with it!

More Fun with Crow About Challenge

I am enjoying this challenge since I finally have the time. You can find the group here. The different interpretations from one collage sheet is just amazing.

This is for a bird quote/adage swap. Simple but sweet!

Having fun in my Orange Journal

Just having fun!

I haven't done the Crow About Challenge in so long. But I really needed some down time with the school year winding down. It gets so intense this time of year. This challenge is so much fun; you have to try to use all the collage pieces assigned for the week. It really is a challenge....

Journal Page

The journal prompt this month was 'if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and write a postcard to someone from there'. I had a MAJOR LEAGUE hard time coming up with the art for this one.

For those of you who know me, you know that I lived in CA from 1998-2007. This past week was our first trip back since we moved and am now completely homesick for my friends there and the lifestyle we had there. Sigh...

The Raven

For an Edgar Allan Poe swap I'm hosting in one of my art groups. Needs tweaking but it'll have to wait until after I come back from vacation.

New Art Journal Page

This is the right hand side of the journal spread. I would show you the actual journaling part but I can't seem to get the scanner to work again! Sheesh...sometimes I just hate technology.

Wait, wait...it's working, it's working....and...Tah Dah!!!!!

Corny as it may be.......

Egg-cellent Taste!

For an egg swap...

Face and crown by Tumble Fish Studios

Bunny's got her own gig!

For a Zetti Easter Swap.