Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Compendium of Curosities Vol. 3 Challenge Week No. 9

Here's my CC3C project for the 9th challenge sponsored by Inspiration Emporium.  The required technique is on page 63 of Tim's book - Stamps and Framelits and I also altered my alpha parts "three" using the altered surfaces technique on page 45 just for added fun :-)  My collage is placed on a 7Gypsies book cover which is always a starting surface that I enjoy using.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

LifeBook 2014 week 24

This week's LifeBook 2014 lesson was all about warming up in your creative practice with Jane Davenport.  Once I had my colorful background of random shapes I spent a fun evening with black and white pens embellishing with doodled designs while a silly sci-fi zombie movie was on - believe me, I was very glad to have something else to focus on - even if the movie did star Brad Pitt!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Documented Life Project week 25

This week's Documented Life Project Challenge was to cover your flap in hearts.  I placed strips of washi tape and tissue tape on a piece of cardstock and then colored them with acrylic glazes.  After adding random machine stitching, I free hand cut hearts and attached them to a stenciled page that uses a cool vintage calligraphy script stencil from Stencil Girl. To set the hearts off a bit, I added a shadow with water activated Stabilo pencil.

Monday, August 18, 2014

48 weeks: week 21


This is definitely an experiment in underpainting for this week's spread for 48 weeks. I again like how things are blocked out by a wash of color around the Dina Wakley silhouette stencil that I added legs to. I knocked it back a little by pressing a paper towel into the wet paint leaving behind the texture of the paper towel and letting a little more background peek through.  See how I still need a unifying line....why is that?

The found book text reads: I know not what I was playing or what I was dreaming of then; it seemed the harmonious echo from my discordant life.

Friday, August 15, 2014

The Documented Life Project week 24

This page in my Document Life Project Journal uses book text as noted in the challenge for the week, but I chose to use it as a gel medium transfer in the background giving fun visual texture with the strips of backwards words.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

LifeBook 2014 week 23

OK, I know I don't really do animal art, but it was the theme of this week's LifeBook 2014 page so in the spirit of exploration, I dove in! This lesson was by Tam Laporte and she taught about how to draw a stag, but as I practiced, mine kept coming out looking like a moose, so I went with it!  After all, I live in Maine and we are famous for having moose - people come from far away just for a chance to see one. It amazes me how creatures this huge can wander around undetected.  I have never had one come into my yard, but every so often one is seen here, in fact it made the local paper when one got trapped in a garage in town - eek! 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

48 weeks: week 20


Flowers for 48 weeks this time. I love using multiple layers of acrylic paint to create flowers with shadows and highlights - it gives them so much more life.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Documented Life Project week 23


The challenge for this page in my Documented Life Project Journal was to practice gratitude and record it. What a great way to adjust your attitude when you focus on what's good about the day - something everyone can benefit from, don't you think?

Monday, August 11, 2014

48 weeks: week 19


This week's page for 48weeks is another that's messy and doodled and jumbled, but I love how various bits really pop against the black background.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Compendium of Curosities Vol. 3 Challenge Week No. 8

This is my project using the "Faded Layers" technique from page 58 of Tim Holtz's book for the 8th CC3C sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique.  I chose to illustrate this phrase and highlighted certain words by using my paper made with the technique and freehand cutting block letters from it. Yes, I know there are plenty of dies I could use, but I enjoy cutting out my own font sometimes ;-)
The black background of my page really lets the colors pop (I used the newer botanical alcohol inks which have fabulous bright colors) and did the rest of the lettering with a white gel pen.

Here are a couple close-ups of the big letters - the technique gives such a great pattern !



Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Documented Life Project week 22


For this week's Documented Life Project planner page, the prompt was to draw, paint or sketch a house. Mine are collages using patterned paper shapes with washi tape doors and German scrap eaves with a wash of gesso to unify it all.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

LifeBook 2014 week 21

This page is a LifeBook 2014 lesson from Jennibellie. I loved all the "hidden" elements that are in plain sight. The flowers are cut from paper with stream of consciousness journaling written sloppily over it, there's more journaling behind the face that's drawn and painted on a folded piece of cardstock, and then there's the wonderful quality of the gesso wash of the background page that tones down and unifies the really crazy busy background.  Lots of fun play time went into this page.




Tuesday, August 5, 2014

48 weeks: week 18


A messy doodle page for 48 weeks this time. It's amazing to me how you can create a jumbled mess of color that's not at all pretty, yet it can all be really nicely subdued when it's sent to the background by a layer of Titan Buff acrylic and gesso.

Monday, August 4, 2014

The Documented Life Project week 21

This week for the prompt for the Documented Life Project we were to add embroidery floss to the  page. I drew a big heart using a Stabilo pencil on a page with colorful acrylic glazes and tissue tape, then poked holes to be able to do a back stitch with floss. I activated the Stabilo pencil with a water brush which created a nice shadow around the heart - you can also see the same process in the word CREATE.

Friday, August 1, 2014

LifeBook 2014 week 19


Look, it's another style of face drawing from a LifeBook 2014 lesson!  This week's lesson was taught by Danielle Daniel and I really liked the technique and hope to practice it more.  She uses lots of layers of acrylic paint on top of each other that blend so beautifully in the end.  The trick is being patient enough to let the layers dry or you start to lift all the work you've just done - ack! I'm learning...or maybe I should say that I'm trying to learn that!