Monday Musings

  The journal I started making during the power outage last weekend is all painted, collaged and bound. I don't usually fully collage one before working in it, but I wanted to spiral bind it with the Zutter so having it filled with images before hand was the way to go. I wanted the collage to come all the way to the left edge on many of the pages and there was simply no way to do that if I bound it first!  It is rather nice to have a full journal all set for pen work and writing that I can grab any time I'm walking out the door.
  The entire time I was working on creating this journal the words "personal and potent" kept running through my head. now I'm referring to this as my personal and potent journal. I tend not to name a journal because then it feels like I need to stick with a theme, but this one obviously demanded naming!
  This is a skinny journal, only 4.5" wide by 8.5" long. I find skinny pages more challenging to work on, but am always up for a challenge as I feel it causes us to be more creative. It's the same reason I limit the amount of images and supplies I have near me at any given time. If I work with a smaller a mount of images, say a decent sized Ziploc full, it forces me to dip deeper into my creative pool. Plus, I find too many supplies, be it collage fodder, stamps, tools, whatever to be creatively stifling. If you have too much around you it can be overwhelming. Better to push the creativity by working with less than sit there going "Where do I start? What do I use?"

The front cover. the back cover has the same paper on it. I've had this wrapping paper for a while now and wanted to use it for something just right.  For whatever reason, this journal was that "just right" piece.

The inside front cover. I haven't added my contact info yet, something I always do just in case a journal goes missing! I'm also going to add the words "Personal and Potent". Or maybe that will go on the outside cover. Not sure yet on that one.

I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving and planning my menu. This page has a bit of Giving Thanks in it. It also has a 60's psychedelic feel for whatever reason. I don't question what I do, I just do it!

The cool and slightly odd snail lady got me thinking about how slow moving I am thanks to pain. It also got me thinking how moving slow is often a blessing. You tend to notice a lot more when you go slow. As for the skull, well I just like skulls and add them in as much as possible!

Journal Pages & Musings

  Since the storm Saturday I've had internet access issues. To be honest, it's bugging me for one reason only: My inability to blog easily. Anyone that's been following me for a while will know that consistencey has always been a challenge. Now that I've found a way to blog consistently, something I wanted to do for myself more than anything, not being able to irks me. Isn't it amazing how something we tried so hard to make routine becomes something we don't want to live without? In my case, posting here on certain days has become part of my weekly rituals. Without being able to maintain that ritual throws off my groove! Does this mean I've finally been able to maintain scheduling in one area of life instead of running amok , completely schedule free, as is my norm?

I started making a new journal during the power outage. It's going to be spiral bound so I am painting and collaging all the pages ahead of time.
The banana paper is part of the inside front cover.

A few more pages in the new journal.These are skinny pages, something I find challenging to work on, but like the size because it makes the journal so portable.

I actually have two new journals in progress. The top page here is from the larger of the two. You can see a skinny page below it so you have an idea of the size difference. I like working in all different size journals.
 It keeps me from getting bored!

Nor'Easter

  Thanks to an early season Nor'Easter our power was knocked out for over 24 hours. We're actually lucky to have it back since most of the town & the surrounding towns are still out. Saturday night I was making art by candlelight. Nothing can stop a creative soul when the Muse comes calling!

The Gargoyle's white hat is getting taller.

What's on my art table? The cat mostly. He is convinced I can't possibly create without him adding his energy, and paw prints, to the mix!

This cat is my biggest critic. He's always pouring over my works in progress, especially the journals, and doesn't hesitate to shred what he deems unworthy.

Halloween Greetings from Voldemort. 

The Miniature Menace showing her true nature. Don't let the big eyes fool you.
She is the Devil incarnate!

I seriously need a shirt like this!

What's on my work table?

What's on my work table varies moment by moment. Here's some of what's on it right now:

   Lots of Dia de los Muertos & sugar skull images for ATC's and cards, Latte pens, ink pads and paper scraps. And that's just in one tiny section of my 6 foot table space! 
  What's on your work table right now?

Favorite Friday's and Journal Pages

Favorites this week:

This post on Halloween by Gris Grimley, who is an awesome artist. My son and I love the books he's illustrated. Our favorites are Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Madness and Gris Grimley's Wicked Nursery Rhymes. 

(Kelly, if you aren't familiar with Gris's work, do check him out. You'll like it the way you do Gorey's. I guarantee it!)

This mural in Paris. You have to look at the whole, then the close up to really appreciate it. I'd actually posted this one last week, but my favorite Friday's post went off into the ether never to be seen again. 

This blog on creating a Daily Heart for 365 days

Was playing around with sequin waste, distress powders and a few circular clear stamps so got to thinking about the nature of circles and spirals.
Not an unusual train of thought for me at all.

I'd run some metal exhaust tape through the embosser and loved the vintage tin ceiling look it created, so had to add it to a page. I colored it up a bit with alcohol inks.
Unusual for me is the lack of journaling on this page,
 just the thought that came into my head as I looked at the photo.
"She had no shame. Just stood around in bloomers all day"

Journal Pages 10/18/11

  I'm counting the days until my new great-nephew arrives. He's due to make his first appearance in the world on November 10, but babies arriving on a specific date is like herding cats. There are no guarantees they'll do what you expect them to. 

  I'm still in cleansing and purging mode. The back of the truck is getting full of clothes, shoes, household goods and books to donate. Tomorrow I'll probably make the drive to the Salvation Army and drop off. I'll try to resist going in to see what vintage coats need rescuing, but as with babies and herding cats, there are no guarantees!

Done while sitting at Vincent's listening to the music.
Collage, Sparkling H2O's, Gellyroll pen, ink jet transfer

Done at Vincent's.
Collage and Gellyroll pen

Journal Pages

  Today is going to be a babbling day. If you prefer to skip the babbling and go straight to the art, go right ahead. I'll never know....  
    It's been a busy week for me. For whatever reason, late autumn is the time I feel most compelled to clean and clear. For three days now I've been going through closets, drawers and cabinets cleaning them out and amassing piles of things to donate. Clothes and shoes mostly. Or rather boots. The women in my family seem to have a hoarding issue when it comes to boots. Especially black boots. I'm not sure what it is about boots, black boots in particular, that we love so much. This love, and hoarding issue, carries over to coats too. I in particular have a weakness for vintage wool coats that I find at the Salvation Army. Something in me cannot possibly leave a vintage 1950's red wool coat with black cuffs and collar or a 1947 full length black wool pea coat to languish, unappreciated, at the thrift store. So I, of course, buy them, usually for less than $10.00, give them a good cleaning and wear them with pride. And love. Lots and lots of love. But I digress...
    What is it about late autumn that makes me want to get every nook and cranny of the house in order? I believe it's an instinctual knowing from deep inside. I know that the cold, dark days and nights are upon us and my time will focus on indoors. Somewhere inside I know indoors needs to be tidied up, swept free of summer's energy and made cozy for the long months ahead. For me, all this must be done before Samhain, October 31. As a pagan, Samhain is one of my most sacred and important seasonal celebrations. It's the time we say good bye to the harvest, give thanks for the abundance of summer, welcome back our ancestors and focus our hearts, minds and spirits on the darkness ahead. It's really a time of renewal and reflection for me and others who dance the spiral of nature based beliefs. Which completely explains why every year I am compelled to cleanse, purge and release that which is no longer needed.

Tiny journal pages, 4.5" x 7".
The one on the left was created using Neocolor II crayons on 9/30/11
The one on the right was created with collage and Gellyroll pens on 4/29/11

Another tiny journal page created with collage and Gellyroll pen on 10/9/11

Page created with collage, ink jet transfer, Sparkling H2O's, and Gellyroll pen
on 10/10/11

Mixed Media Monday

A few mixed media pieces started this week:

  There's Cinderella's little known Bar Hopping Slipper from her pre~prince days. She use to be quite the party animal before settling down with Charming and this is one of her favorite party all night shoes. As is typical for Cinderella, the other one is lost. It was created from an old bridesmaid shoe, beer tabs, a bottle cap, UTEE and molding paste. 

  The other pieces are paint and gesso transfers on masonite. 

  The shoe is finished, the paintings aren't. I love mixing things up so working on that shoe was a blast! Not to mention it was a neat use for an old shoe that had been languishing in the closet. I created another art piece from the matching shoe a few years back which can be seen here

The top front of Cinderella's Shoe

Side view of the shoe. I love the textural quality of this piece!
It's amazing what molding paste and can tabs can do.

Small, mixed media piece in progress.
Masonite substrate, paint, conte and gesso transfers

Small, mixed media piece in progress.
Masonite substrate, paint, conte and gesso transfers

Missing Post & Mini Book

  Hmmmm, I have no idea what happened to my Friday post! It seems to have gone off into the ether and never found its way here. Ah well. It happens. 

  My niece was married yesterday and I've made her a mini book\photo album as part of her gift. I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it. 

  This was the first time I used my Zutter binding system and am quite pleased with the results! I'm planning to make a bunch of spiral bound books to give as holiday gifts. To me, a gift of creativity is the best of all. 

I had this paper for ages now and thought a wedding book was the perfect use for it.
Not to mention my niece is quite the Princess. But in a good way...

The cover and a tag I clipped to the side telling them to fill the book with photos and memories. Just in case they have no clue what it's for!

Top view of the book. I used all different papers, added some distressing and inking to the edges and then bound it with the Zutter.

Journal Pages

  A couple of recent pages from the same journal I've been uploading photos from the past few weeks. This is getting to be one heavy, chunky, memory filled book! 

The mini file folder stapled into the journal adds interesting shaped pages. 

I love how you can see the tops of the other folder tabs peeking over

I'd left this un-journaled for a long time. 

I don't tend to do 2-page spreads, 

but this one just had to be done together.

Journal Pages

  A few recent and not so recent pages. I love making journals that have staggered pages, pockets, fold outs and envelopes for stashing mementos in. This journal has all of those.

  I love this vellum envelope for storing ephemera tidbits. 

Can you see the Bin Laden face? It's from a firecracker we had this summer!

There's also a bit of text from an egg roll package in the envelope. Had to keep it as what it said cracked me up: 

P.S. In case of of emergency defrost 10 minutes and separate into individual pieces.  An egg roll emergency? Goddess forbid!

The journal page beneath the vellum envelope.
You can see one of my skull lino prints peeking though.

I was having a bad pain day and feeling left behind once again.
Best way to get over it is to journal it out!

Mixed Media Monday

  

I started this piece a while back (you can see it here and here), but the La Catrina image got misplaced. She reappeared in a box of miscellaneous papers one day, to my delight, so I immediately got to work on it again.  The substrate is Masonite, covered with papers, paint and gesso. La Catrina has been hand-colored and UTEE added on top. I"ll be adding metal bits, some skull beads and wire to finish it off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I love using up extra bits of paper, paint, inks, etc by making ATC's.
ATC's are a great way to have a finished piece of art quickly, which can be quite satisfying! 

Four mixed-media ATC's made 10/15/11
The top heart is grunge board.

Journal Pages

A few journal pages I hadn't shown off yet. Even though the pages were journaled individually, when you open the mini folder it creates a cool two page spread. 

I used my Fastenator to staple the mini folder into my journal,
adding a nice, fold out section and some extra pages.

Favorite Friday's

    My favorite this week is the visit I had yesterday with my art buddy, Raine. We hadn't seen each other in eons so a visit was long overdue. As usual we chatted, laughed and acted like our goofy selves, all the while sharing art work while sprawled in her living room. I love the fact that we hadn't been together in ages, yet it was like we'd seen each other just the day before. That's the beauty of a real friendship. No matter how much time has passed you can walk through the door, kick off your shoes and feel at home!

    After the requisite ooooing and ahhhing over each other's journals and art works we then hung out in her back studio. Raine has an amazing amount of art supplies, many of which I hadn't seen yet, so we spent a long time looking though them, talking about ways to use them and brainstorming new ideas. There is nothing quite like a day spent with another Creative Soul to get you inspired and fired up. 

Raine's Living Room Bookcase. Love the displaying of her own creations!
Art is meant to be seen and she definitely shows it off!

Some of Raine's journals

More of Raine's journals

and yet more of Raine's journals!

Raine's back studio

Some of Raine's back studio storage.

The back studio bulletin board with a nice display of her art.

The sign outside the door. LOVE this!!!

The full view of Raine's studio sign

The pile of grunge board Raine sent home with me. Am I lucky or what?

 FAVORITE EYE CANDY INSPIRATION: Teesha Moore's Journals

Journal Pages

  A small dose of journal pages for you to enjoy! There's a whole lot more where these came from. Yesterday alone I journaled at least six pages. I was in a writing mood & lucky for me had plenty of painted and collaged pages to work on.