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Marie

summertime.jpg

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the sea makes no promise and breaks none

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Here is a simple technique that uses supplies I will bet you already have.

Ingredients
image from magazine or catalogue (I love to use images from J. Jill and I get them free in the mail.)

scissors/ xacto knife

paint (I used black and blue mixed on the paint brush.)

decorative paper (I used an old dictionary page)

foam paint brush

ingredients for rest of the page

double spread of an altered book

black gesso

paint brush

gel medium

vellum

black permanent ink

letter stamps (from purple onion)

photo corners

Steps

1. Cut image out. I turn the image over to see how the image would turn out to see how the image would look.

2. Lay image down on decorative paper. Start at middle of an image paint out, to create halo around image.

3. Pull up image. Let dry.

4. Add to a page lay out.

day 8 of 22 dsj part 2a

the instructions say to do 2 pages so i do....problem is my pages do not lay side by side like in a conventional journal. i bet ill have extra pages at the end......while this page drys i am going to go play mafia wars

day 8 of 22 dsj part 2

while the gesso dried i went and soaked in the hot tub....when i returned i painted on two colors of paint a cobalt blue and a celery green color...mixing them right on the paper then wiped some paint off with a paper towel

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day 8 of 22 dsj

ok after the tape then i dry brushed gesso and whiped it off....cool ghost effect huh

7th day of 22 dsj

on the 7th let there be tape......todays assingment.....journal with a ball point pen then cover it with all types of tape....finding a ball point pen was hard.....but finding all kinds of tape easy....i love tape especially medical tape.

day 7 of 22 dsj

wow one whole week and i am still doing it.....i am noterious for starting something and then not finishong it....or finishing it months or years later...

armour page complete

i ruined it.....here is the page post the coffee bath....i dont like it because the colors in the armour fades......lesson learned

Soul Journaling with Sarah Whitmore day 3 and 4

Days 3 and 4 of Soul Journaling were working on the same page so I combined them. This exercise was to think and contemplate our "art amour". What we need to be creative and nurture our souls.

Again, I started with journal page that was gesso over journaling on collaged dictionary pages. I then took an image of a suit of armour, printed it out in stark black and white contrast.


I colored it with all kinds of different metallic and glitter transparent markers. Wrote words that I believe I need to create great art. I then cut out the image and glued it to the page.

On day4, I embellished the page with words and phrases that represent what I need externally to help me create and be daring. I need support of artistic friends. I thrive under their patronage.

I stamped hearts in 3 colors in the background to cover the journaling as well as fill the page. Then I stamped on 3 manila tags and added bows for movement. The instructions called for a walnut wash but I thought I would use coffee instead. Did not work so well, the gesso resisted the coffee and the liquid loosened the tags. Lesson learned.

A word on my art allies, the Council of Muses is a group of women I met with once a month. We get together create art together, bond, eat and laugh. I need these women in my life to really push me forward art and life wise. Some of us have even started a zine together....topic of first zine artistic connections.....ironic huh.

Soul Journaling with Sarah Whitmore day 2

Day 2 was more fun for me...over the dried gesso I stamped "this book belongs to:" with green acrylic paint then wrote my name numerous, numerous, numerous time with different markers. My favorite were permapaque markers I got at Joann's. They really are opaque, coming great colors including metallic and are easy to write with. Doinjg this exercising I really felt like i claimed the page.

Soul Journaling with Sarah Whitmore

At the invitation of my friend Keli, I joined a journaling yahoo group based on the techniques of Sarah Whitmore's 22 days of Soul Journaling.

Here is one of the pages I did on the first day. I started with a recycled manilla file divider. Collaged old dicitionary pages over that, journalled with a black sharpie and then did a gesso dry brush layer over that. At this stage, pretty boring visually.

Soul man

Here is a quick and easy embellishment trick with stuff I am sure you have in your stash.

Ingredients
Masking tape
Non stick sheet or wax paper
Stamps The yard stick is from Ma Vinci, The clock is from Non Sequitur and I do not know what company made the stencil letter stamps.
acrylic paint (I used black)

1. Place strips of masking tape side by side on a non stick sheet.
2. Stamp images using black acrylic paint.
3. Let dry.
4. Peel off the tape and place on page. The word "soul" was printed on tape that was over lapping so I peeled it off as one big "sticker."

The rest of the page

The background was purple acrylic paint brushed on a page. Once dry super sparkle lumieres paint was sponged over it. Then images of yard sticks, clocks and rulers were stamped using lumiere hi lite blue and black.

The main image was stamped on a recycled tag using black permanent ink. The image is from After Midnight Stamps

waterfront blues festival

this is a clip from geno delofose and the french rockin boogie as they preform at the eaterfront blues festival.....on the front porch stage.....it was on 7.2.2009......its no jazz fest but is an excellent substitute here in the pacific northwest.....and now i want to say "et toi" at the end of each sentence

Royal We

I have two ways of working....fast where I finish quickly and then some pages take months (or dare I say years) to finish....this one was month to finish. The page was gessoed white and then swirls were stamped randomly using blue Lumieres paint (sorry not sure what company made the swirl). Then the page sat....for months

Til last week, I wanted to experiment with the lyra gel crayons I have. These are water soluble so i wanted o see how they would do as a wash over an image. They worked great. The princess image is from Lost Coast Designs and the lettering comes from Purple Onion Designs. I over sprayed with glitter spray because everything I worked on that day got sprayed. I still think it needs little bling on the bottom of the page, I imagine that will come soon.

My girl Patches

Here is an altered book spread I did of my John Wetzel Terrier. I painted a black and white picture of her using watercolors....the background is black gesso and metallic markers swirled around. The lettering is an soda can that I ran thru a die cut machine. Way to recycle huh? Quick and easy page

Path to Self

This page was a lot of fun I will share the techniques later. The image of the woman is from After Midnight Stamps.

Altered Book Swirl Page

This page I have been working on a few months. Yesterday, I decided to finally finish it up. There are three separate techniques here - the swirl main image, watercolor resist background and dry brush technique for the circles the letters are printed on.


Ingredients

• Two page spread - for this technique to work you need two page spread
• White candle - taper works best
• Watercolors - I used Dr Martin liquid watercolors
• Watercolor paint brush
• Water
• Two sided cardstock - both sides must be decorated.
• Circle Cutter
• Scissors
• Pop dots double stick
• Additional cardstock
• Stamps and ink - I used Bird by stampers anonymous, Flowers from Judikins, Letter unknown. Ink is my favorite Archival Ink by Ranger.
• Glue Stick
• Children's writing tablet
• Acrylic paint - I used orange
• Gesso
• Paintbrushes
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Circle Punch - 1 inch

Watercolor resist - I was just experiment candle was as a resist. I think the same effect could be achieved with a crayon.

1. Using white taper candle draw a design on the page. I did just swirls and wrote the word "spring" several times.
2. Using a paint brush wash clear water over the candle drawing.
3. With watercolor paint brush, wash watercolor paint over the page.
4. Let dry.

Swirl pop up - Just like the pop up books of my childhood.

1. Using a ruler decide what size you want your swirl to be. I decided a 4 inch circle would be best.
2. Cut out circle with circle cutter.
3. Using scissors, cut circle in a swirl
4. Place a pop dot at the center point. Attach it to one page.
5. Place a pop dot at outside end of the swirl. Close book and then open it. This make sure the end lines up nicely. Use more pop dots to line up the swirl as you wish.
6. Stamp bird and flower images. Cut out. Using glue stick, attach the to swirl. I put some backwards so that no matter what side you are looking at you can see birds and flowers.

Dry brush technique - This is a quick technique that uses up the left over paint from other projects.

1. Brush acrylic paint over children's writing paper. Use a light hand. Let dry.
2. Brush gesso over the paper. Again use light hand and they let dry.
3. Using a circle punch, punch out circles from the paper.
4. Stamp letters on each circle.
5. Cut pieces of scrapbook paper into 1.25 inch squares
6. Attach squares to page with glue stick.
7. Attach letter circles to the squares.

home sweet home

camping is great.....kicking back listening to skynard .....sunny and put tent up all on my own...i am woman here me roar

margaritas and mothers days gifts

For the last month I have not been blogging or creating art....real life is getting in the way of feeling creative.....no job, health insurance costs, taxes, medications, calling off a marriage, re working a relationship all got in the way of feeling creative. Not a good situation.....the remedy...pack up the car with art supplies and go to friends and create.

Sue is part of the Council of Muses, she is a pheno when it comes to art but sadly she is not a stamper....I am convinced it is my role in life to bring her over to the stamping side. We decided to plan a day to work with polymer clay and stamps to make some tiles like I learned at Artfest in Laurie Mika's class.

This weekend while estate saling I found a bag of poly clay with about 30 blocks of clay for $12.50. I took this as divine intervention.

I packed up the ECHO with the clay, mica powder, clay tools, acrylic paint and some picture frames as well a huge pile of stamps. Remember, my intent was to bring Sue over to the other side.

We spent the afternoon making tiles, singing to Janis Joplin and laughing. Here are my finished project. Gifts for my mom and grandmother for Sunday, Mother's Day.

When Sue and I scheduled the day it happened to be Cinco de Mayo, so of course that meant we had to include some Mexican culture in the day. We decided to go to On the Border for dinner and margaritas. Julia, Sue's daughter accompanied us. She busted open the pinta, go girl power. Denise met us for dinner. Food was yummy.

It was a great day and yes I believe Sue is closer to joining me in Stamping Obsession. hahaha

this piece of art work was a true collaboration and a culmination of serveral other classes i have taken

last day of art fest

3rd and last day of artfest.....today i took the class whose you dada....taught by linda and opie o'brein...it was awesome...my doll is a demented hussy..

day 2 of artfest '09

2nd day at artfest....weather was better than i could hope for...sunny and 60 degrees. class today was a disappointment and the vendors fair was all the teachers art work so no stamps or art goodies for me....too bad. tomorrow is a class i have been awaiting to take for over 5 year, linda and opie o'brien's whose your dada..making mixed media collage dolls. the picture is of the mould castings i completed. nothing i would write home about but maybe i will find an ab page to place them in.

first day of artfest

first day of artfest. it is as amazing as everyone said it was. here is the project from my first class. it is a mosiac shrine in class taught by laurie mica.

One reason New Orleans is special

Here is a message I received in a yahoo group I belong. I asked Paul Hoffman the author if I could share it on my blog because he really speaks about one reason New Orleans is so special.

On a personal note, I am really home sick for New Orleans and have been thinking about it a lot.

So here goes and thanks Paul

I just returned from a refreshing little weekend trip to SoCal for some fun in the sun. As I was driving down the coast I happened to catch a radio showcalled "Ridin Dirty" (http://www.ridindir tyradio.com). They were enlightening their fellow Californians about Carnival in NOLA. They even interviewed Arthur Hardy, Mr. Mardi Gras. I listened for about half an hour as they tried to describe something you really have to see to appreciate. I was amazed to hear that even people in Los Angeles are jealous of New Orleans' ability to throw a party.... and this was the day AFTER the Oscars. L.A. only knows how to throw parties for the uber rich while the not so rich have a riot. In NOLA, rich, poor and in between flood the streets to celebrate life. It is the greatest free party on Earth. Ain't no hurricane ever gonna stop it... New Orleans isn't a place so much as it's a cultural experience. In the words of one great Angelino,"Mentally or physically I want to be in New Orleans"... sitting on a sack of beans, of course...

roud x and his dad

Dogs

I got this as a forward, which I usually ignore but for some reason I did not just delete it and actually read it. It made me laugh as my two dogs sleep in their usual "T" formation. I hope you enjoy it. I do not know who wrote it so I can not give that person credit.

the following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they

1. eat less
2. don't ask for money all the time
3. are easier to train
4. normally come when called
5. never ask to drive the car
6. don't hang out with drug-using people
7. don't smoke or drink
8. don't want to wear your clothes
9. don't have to buy the latest fashions
10. don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
11. if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ..

Flower altered book page

Here is a simple altered book spread.

Ingredients

• Altered book
• Gesso and paint brush
• Two colors of acrylic paint - I used pink and green
• Paint brushes
• Clean water
• Scrap pages of a book
• Technique Tuesday stamps
• Ink
• Adhesive - I used Uhu glue stick.
• Scissors

Steps

1. Gesso two page spread. Let dry
2. Paint pink acrylic paint over the top 2/3rd of the gessoed pages. Let dry.
3. Apply a water wash over the bottom 1/3rd of the pages. Paint over with green paint. Let dry.
4. On scrap book pages stamp the flower petals and circles. I used Technique Tuesday stamps and ancient page ink.
5. Using clear water on a paint brush, draw a line you would like to tear around the petals and the circles.
6. Glue petals and circles on the page. Cut off any pieces that do not fit on the page.
   

Here is the same idea but placed on a greeting card. The only difference is the background square which is just a children's writing tablet with gesso and then acrylic paints in the same color pink and green. All was glued on a white greeting card.


Here is a close up of the same card.

corgilicious

This page is made up of several techniques - cheesecloth background, plastic wrap background and the Andy Warhol inspired painting. This is a recent picture of my Pembroke welsh corgi Roux D. He is very corgilicious.

Ingredients

• Two page spread
• Gesso
• Paint brushes
• Water
• Acrylic paint in several colors (I used purple, green, blue)
• Plastic wrap
• Cheesecloth
• Liquid glue (I used soft gel medium in gloss)
• Black and white laser print
• Glazing medium or fluid acrylics
• Embellishments (I used rubber stamps, stazon ink, circle tags, purple twill and colored label stickers)

Steps

1. Paint a two page spread with white gesso. Let dry. If you do not want white as your background paint over the gesso with the color of choice. Let dry. I liked the contrast of the white so I did not do this extra color
2. Apply a watery layer of purple paint. Before it dries lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the wet paint. Smoosh it around. Pull up the plastic and let it dry with all the swirls created by the plastic wrap.
3. Dye white cheesecloth color of choice using an acrylic paint wash. Let dry. In this case, I actually found purple cheesecloth on clearance.
4. Cover the background with liquid glue of choice. I used soft gel medium. Cover the pages with the cheesecloth. Make sure to create wrinkles and bumps for interest. Let dry.
5. Using acrylic paint, stamp design over the cheese cloth. (I used Technique Tuesday circle stamps in blue and purple paint. Make sure to wash off acrylic paint ASAP when using rubber stamps).
6. Find a picture you like. Print out in laser black and white. I took an ink jet picture I liked and color copied it in black and white at Kinkos/Fed Ex (or whatever it is called now).
7. Using glazing medium, mixed it and acrylic paint together. About 10 drops of the medium to 1 drop paint. You can use fluid acrylics as well or watered down acrylics, but the watered down acrylics may cause the picture to wrinkle.
8. Paint your picture as you wish. Let dry. I used Andy Warhol as inspiration. Glue on to page spread. Again I used gel medium.
9. Embellish as you wish. I used round tags and colored labels with stamped letters using Rubberstamp Ave Stamps to spell out corgilicious. I used staz on black ink.

Siren Song

Here is a page from one of my altered books. The background was gel paint then I embellshed the piece with vintage velvet wallpaper, vinyl letters, cardboard, sheet music and a chinese scallop shell that I found when I was a kid.

Obey the corgi

The background for this page is masking tape placed randomly and then liquid watercolor brushed over it. Then I stamped the words obey the corgi in white stazon ink and then using the eraser end of a pencil and white acrylic paint for the dots.

boat drinks

John's birthday drink.....he has a weird habit of taking pictures of his food.....and now he wants to have em posted on the web...crazy guy...hahaha

Paul Carlile

There will be a memorial service for Paul at Knight Library/Browsing Room on the Uof O campus - 14th & Kincaid St. in Eugene. The service begins at 5:00 on Wednesday, January 21.
JD Roth and Tom will be heading down early afternoon to help set up.

There will also be a service @ Ascension Catholic Church (76th/Yamhill) this Saturday, January 24th This will be non-denominational even though it is a Catholic church. The time is still to be determined, but will probably be 11:00. Please let Tom Stewart know if anyone would like to speak. Paul's family welcomes your stories and would be beneficial to ALL of us for healing.

For those who are just learning about this, Paul took his own life last Thursday. He had apparently been beyond sad for quite some time, but only let a very small circle in on his true status. I am sure this comes as quite a shock to most - including myself.

I hope to see you all this Saturday.

Bishop John

for my birthday John got me the snugglie....so here he is performing sunday services in it. I might need to sew a gold felt cross on the front

roux and john

Just the boys playing