creative mistake 101

So I got this bright idea...

...take some Jenga blocks

...and Thickers stickers..

...and make a set of stamp numbers...

...until I tried stamping with them. Oops! Backwards...duh! But then I like things kinda whack-a-do and different. And I have a lot of numbers going in the right direction anyway...so why not have a backwards set to make things a little different. After all...I am far from perfect.

So don't try this at home kids...unless.

I think if you glue them on the other way and stamped on the sticky side ....it may work. But I haven't tried it...I am liking them now. And they make a perfect impression.

...not so bad?

Color or do something else thats fun this weekend!

artful buckets

Hey! We saw some brief sun this morning...but more storms are on the way...I think. Last night was all thunder and lightning...excellent for sleeping....put me right out.

It seems that I have a thing for buckets. I don't know why...I just do. But they are great for storing things (and I have a lot of things) and they can be hung out of the way. So last night while watching TV I covered these with pretty papers.

Leftovers from my scrap pile decorate this bucket. BTW got the buckets 60% off at Hobby Lobby. Summer is out and they have all their Christmas stuff out!!!! People, it's July!

I used one of my favorite papers to do the whole bucket.

Once I got rolling...I coundn't stop. Nothing was safe....I even covered the insides. I want everything in the studio to have a nice container.

Tomorrow I have a creative mistake to share.

Bye til then....

stormy weather

We are having a week of storms here and I am loving it.

...it's helping to cool things off a bit.

When I was in Reno I nearly was run over while crossing the street, but I had to snap this photo of the storm drain. I just love that they put a fish on it.

I hope you have a "GRATE" day!

practice makes perfect?

I am practicing my faces today.....

....see you tomorrow...

...yesterday I wasted an hour and a half at the cardiologists office for a two minute appointment.

...hate that!

...today is all mine!

art time

My weekend was fabulous! We went to see Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat on Saturday and WOW!! Was it ever fantastic! Antohony Federov from American Idol fame played Joseph and he was great! Diane DeGarmo also from AI was the narrator, also great!
I was lucky once again and scored second row center seats. Next week we see Wicked. I can't wait...it's my first time.

I made?.... tricked out this funky little clock last week. It's a cheapie $5. from Walmart, but I need a few clocks around the studio because I am always getting engrossed in projects and losing track of time. And I have this obsession with altering things.

As for the studio....I spent all day Sunday reorganizing and I made this new workspace so I can sit down and work. I usually stand at the table.

Oops! I put the same picture in twice. I made a change to the clock but put in the wrong photo. Oh well...no biggie.

Take some art time for yourself today!

Friday fun

....pretty greens with a touch of pink.

.....an artful mess.

....weird sign.

...practicing my prose poetry...

..do something artful this weekend. .

sweet n' sour

First, the sweetest gift! My good friend and quilting buddy, Jan, gave me this sweet cupcake basket for my birthday. (My b-day was in May but I am just getting around to these pictures).
I didn't even know that Longaberger made a cupcake basket. And this one has all the charm and zero calories.



It's week two of Suzi's class and we get to use some color....I have been waiting for this. My portraits look pretty good from across the room but put it on the computer and that's where reality sets in. I can see all of the places I need to work on....but then that's a good thing. Back to the drawing board.

Speaking of reality...did anyone see "So You Think You Can Dance" last night? I loved the last two dances....and yes, I bawled my eyes out along with everyone else.

Have a great day!

art time

Yes! I am taking some time for art today.YaYYYYY!!!

But first I wanted to show off my new salt and pepper shakers that I received for my birthday.

Yep! It's my initials in a patchwork motif....the perfect gift for a quilter whose initials happen to be SP.

.....wish I was here....

Happy Tuesday to all!

building blocks or boxes?

Boxes! I am having so much fun with these darn recipe boxes.
A late blog entry today as I had to do a fasting blood test today on the other side of town and while I was over there I decided to go shopping. And I got home just in time to make dinner.

...playing with boxes...

I have so many little Tim Holtz doodads that I gave him his own box.


The paint color on this sample is called Gertrude. I think that name fits this stamped girl. That is a very old name....does anyone use it anymore? We once had a bird named Gertrude.

beach anyone?

My favorite magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors put out a challenge to make a beach art piece for the July/August issue. They received a whooping 290 entries!

Here is mine. I can show you because it was not published. DH is a surfer and I had him in mind when I created this piece.
I used graduated shades of blue fabrics with heavy stitching and jumbled up threads for the ocean foam. For more of a mixed media feel, I added three shells in the bottom left hand side.
A lone surfboard makes it's way to the shoreline.

A binding made of sand fabric frames the piece.

The sand continues onto the back along with beach umbrella's for the label.

Now onto what was published. Sharon asked me along with a few other art buddies to send a piece of mail art to CPS...and we did and they printed us on page 16 under the Muse flash section.

This was my postcard. I used a lace doily, paint and stamp. But I have to say the picture doesn't do it justice. The gold paint is luminescent.

I hope your weekend is artful!

suzi love

I am a huge fan of Suzi Blu's artwork and yesterday I started taking her online class, The Goddess and the Poet. She is teaching portraits and I am mesmerized by her beautiful faces.


So last night I had "homework." I had to practice shading and I think the last time I did this seriously was back in high school...many-many years ago. Anyway this was my first sketch and I made it around midnight. It looked pretty good early this morning but now I can see my mistakes....I am still happy with it tho.

I can't wait until we get into the COLOR!!

Tomorrow I will show you what did and didn't get published in my favorite magazine...Cloth Paper Scissors.

number art

So I have been changing my studio around....and re-organizing. I bought some more of the dollar recipe boxes at Michael's. I really like using them for storage of my art odds and ends. And they are fun to decorate.

You know I have a problem with throwing stuff away and I had an old date book by Marjolein Basten. I love her things. So I started tearing the numbers and added some bubble wrap paint effects and inks to jazz them up a bit.
Stamped the titles with one of those big stamps that the letters roll around on. Quick and easy.


I received my CARAN d'ACHE crayons today and made a special box to store them in. I can't wait to use them.

Funky little boxes....I like them.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

fear

Two of my worst fears happened this week. First fear...I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel in both of my wrists. Along with some nerve damage and a pinched nerve. My arm and hand kept going numb and tingly.
Second fear....tarantula. I know they are here in Oklahoma, but my goal was to never encounter one. I heard DH pull into the garage and after five minutes I looked out to see where he was. He was holding our big cannister of bug killer with the 20 foot squirt hose...and I knew. The bug guys were just here last week and I am only seeing dead bugs lying around the sidewalk.
It had to be something big. I still didn't see it and I didn't want to hear the details, but I was still shaken up.
Now I am hoping that there is not a third fear to follow as things usually happen in threes.

pretty flowers

pretty art pencils

pretty summer colors

That's what I am posting today.

Pretty and colorful. Calm and exciting.

Hope your day goes well.

Monday...Monday

I am back making some dolls again. This one is going to be taught at Paper Crown next month. There will very little (hand) sewing involved. I am hoping that the sewing part doesn't intimidate anyone. Anyone can make this doll.

I don't think I gave her a name. Any suggestions?

And this sweet little angel is flying out to some lucky winner in October. She was made for the Pink Artist Drawing Part 2. Read all about it...click on the Pink Artist button on my sidebar. Monica has extended the date to October since it is breast cancer awareness month. Thanks again to Monica for sponsoring this very worthwhile fight against breast cancer.

Hope you have an artful week!