Opening My Heart

Dear Friends,

I hope you will be relieved to find I have not actually fallen off the face of the earth.

I just have not been feeling up to my usually jolly self--despite the onset of the holiday season. Instead of going into the gory details, I will delve right into an announcement: My new Etsy shop, My Vintage Heart, is now open for business! Please visit and take a look around. I plan to add new items as soon as I can, and if there is anything special you'd like to see, please let me know, either by commenting here, or by convo-ing me on Etsy.

Here are a few samples of what I am currently featuring:

Little Angel Ornament

Winter Poppet Bookmark

Crazy Quilted Ornament/Wall Hanging

I hope you enjoy visiting! And while you're there, take a look around at the many, many other crafts by Etsians. Make this a handmade holiday, and support small businesses, whether they are online, or in your hometown.

I will be back soon. In the meantime, stay well and stay warm--

Goodbye, September

Hello, my friends--

September came to a close yesterday. I can hardly believe it is October, one of my favorite months. October is the month when the geese fly south, the trees put on one last show before their winter sleep and the squirrels run like mad, gathering food for their winter store. October is the time to savor the last warm, sunny days of the year, and to enjoy things like apple cider, apple dumplings and pumpkin seeds.

October also brings me to the end of the ICAD project. I'd still like to continue with a daily art project, but I am not sure what I will do. No matter--I know it is good (maybe essential) for my soul to make some art every day.

Some of my cards from September are private rants that I won't be showing to anyone. I'll probably include them in my stack when I bind it together, though, since rants are part of me. (Perhaps a too regular part of me, but that's another story).

I have truly enjoyed both making the ICADs and sharing them with all of you. And I want to thank every one of you who has made a comment on my cards, either here on my blog or on my flickr account (see my sidebar for a link). I also look forward to sharing my next art adventure with you as well.

Here are some of my cards:

Little Sisters. Materials used: Scrapbooking paper, image from flickr.com, transparency, die-cut.

Turquoise. Materials used:  Paper Whimsy image, acrylic paint, assorted papers. 

Watercolor. Materials used:  Frisket, Caran d'ache Neocolor II watersoluble crayons.

Dragonfly. Materials used: Hand-carved stamps, Chalk Inks, Faber-Castell Big Brush pens, Distress Stain, background papers from 7 Gypsies, Glaze and Gelly Roll pens. 

Masking Tape ICAD. Materials used: Tim Holtz stickers, Paper Whimsy image, die cuts, Glaze Pen, acrylic paints, and background created with masking tape.

Tiny Little Houses. Materials used: Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels. 

It Takes a Village. More tiny little houses, this time done with Bic Mark-It Permanent Markers.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! And, Happy October 1!

Till next time,

New month, new ICADs

Hello, Friends!

Seems like the past week just flew by! I've been busy with a few things here and there. There's something about September that says "busy," isn't there? Pretty soon we'll be seeing the squirrels all over the place, gathering up acorns and nuts for their winter stash.

In addition to doing my own artwork, I signed up for a class in graphic design at our local community college. I've done some design in my past jobs, but I really feel I could use a brush-up and some real, formal training, which I have never had. So far, I am enjoying the class and I like the teacher. And, the woman who sat next to me in class turned out to be the daughter of longtime friends of my husband's! How's that for "a small world"?

I also took part in Lenna Andrews' Summer's Day Postcard Swap, the deadline for which was yesterday. If you'd like a peek at my cards, as well as all the other beautiful postcards that are going to be exchanged, visit Lenna's swap blog here.

Tammy Garcia's ICAD project was originally going to end as of August 30. However, Tammy decided to continue with it into September, and so did I. This time around, I am using 4" x 6" index cards. I'm rather used to working in a smaller format, whether it's 3.5" x 5" index cards, or artist trading cards, and it's definitely a challenge to work larger. I am enjoying it immensely. And I'm finally using those supplies I was saving for a "really special project." You know what? Today is the day for that really special project! Grab those supplies and make something!

And so, without further adieu, here are some of my larger ICADs.

ICAD for Sept. 5. Materials used:  Various art papers, Starbucks stickers (thank you, Barbara!), washi tape, old dictionary text. 

Faux Quilt.  Materials used:  Leftover scraps of fabric on batting from Conversation Hearts, lovely fabric collages I learned to do from Tammy Gilley last year. I just glued them down onto the card. 

Sept. 7 Card (a/k/a the Pear Bird). Materials used: 7 Gypsies paper, waterproof pen, Caran d'ache Neocolor crayons, colored pencil. 

ICAD for Sept. 11. Materials used:  Found image, faux postage from Artchix Studio, paper tape, background papers, gold faux pearls.

ICAD for Sept. 12. Materials used:  Gouache. I don't use gouache much, but I find I love its deep opacity. It's also easy to write over, unlike some acrylics. 

ICAD for Sept. 14. Materials used: Transparency and egg image from Artchix Studio, faux postage, mulberry paper, paste papers, painted papers, Faber-Castell Gelatos.

ICAD for Sept. 15. Materials used:  Rub-ons, flower image from mail-order catalog, butterfly and background papers from collage box set featuring Maryjo Koch's artwork.

 What I've learned about myself thus far in this project:

• I am surprised to find myself working with colors I thought I didn't like, such as brown, orange, and red. 
• Everything doesn't have to be a "great work of art."  Sometimes I just stick things together and see what happens, and I'm surprised that the result isn't repugnant!
• I really can commit to doing some art every day, something I have not been successful with earlier. Somehow, doing just one little card isn't too daunting. 
• Having something to show everyone inspires me to blog more often. And it doesn't have to be something wonderful (see second bullet point above).
• I found that I missed the project when it was ended. Kind of like missing having a daily walk (I am working on that one). 

I wish you a Happy Rest-of-the-Weekend! We will meet here again, soon, I hope.

The Newest ICADS

Hi, Friends,

This will be a quick post, with my latest bunch of  ICADs.  I confess that I have not kept up with them every day.  I do try to make up for the days I've missed.

I've had some rough times these past few weeks, mostly about my struggle to find a job.  I've had a few interviews, but nothing has worked out.  I try not to complain on this blog about my personal life.  I want to keep it focused on my art.  But at times, I am very, very afraid about the future.  I don't qualify for any further unemployment compensation benefits, and I do not qualify for public assistance.  I'm overqualified for most clerical jobs (I was a secretary for 13 years) yet I don't seem to be qualified for a "better" class of jobs.  I can't lie about the fact that I earned a bachelor's degree--in fact, I'm damned proud of working through night school to earn one.  So, I feel rather stuck at the moment.  There have been many tears and hopeless thoughts.

But I keep trying.

Art is one of the only things that is getting me through it all.  That, and my pets, friends, and family.

So, without further adieu, here are my cards.

Le Lapin.  Materials used:  Pencil

Bubbles.  Materials used:  Rubber stamp, Faber-Castell Gelatos and Big Brush Pens.

Green.  Materials used:  Stickers, mulberry paper, paper leaves, sewn scrapbook paper.

Map.  Materials used:  Scrapbooking paper, transparency, image from my collection, postage stamps.

Stripes.  Materials used:  Images of Jack and Meg White (a/k/a The White Stripes), UPC code, various ephemera, PaperMate Permanent Markers. 

Owls 2.  Materials used:  Scrapbooking paper, ephemera, image from Alphastamps, faux postage from Artchix Studio, tissue pattern paper. 

Patriotic.  Materials used:  Vintage postage stamps, Faber-Castell Gelatos, vintage text from atlas. 

Postage Stamps.  Materials used: Vintage postage stamps, Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Pear.  Materials used:  Colored pencils.  This is a freshly picked pear, one of a bunch my husband picked.  Our pets have really been enjoying slices of these fruits of summer (as well as the branches and leaves from the tree). 

You'll notice I've been using a lot of postage stamps in my ICADs.  I plan to do a post on postoids, or faux postage, very shortly.  I've been creating some of these stamps in Photoshop Elements, and having a lot of fun.

Until next time, take care and stay cool--

On Art Journaling

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college-that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"                                                                                                  ~ Howard Ikemoto

Hello, Friends,

Welcome to a wet August! It's been raining here for a couple of days, but you won't hear me complaining about that. Just about every summer around this area, there's a prolonged dry spell and the news media starts screaming "drought!" My friend Tom calls them the Weather Nazis. They're the same people who declare every blizzard the "Storm of the Century."

Anyway...I'm still working on my ICADs every day, and finding an interest in drawing/sketching some of them, such as Owl and Linen. I've been drawing on and off all my life (see the above quote), and did quite a few sketches in my teens of various rock stars and other celebrities. As time went by, I abandoned my sketchbook for the written word (I've always kept a written diary) and eventually, art journaling.

But sometimes I missed drawing.

I don't feel that I draw very well. About 5 years ago, I tried doing Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters challenges.  Alas, I didn't stick with it for very long.  ICAD is the first art daily art challenge I've been keeping up with, even though it has been difficult lately.

Now, I'm thinking of keeping a sketchbook journal again.  I've started to draw every now and then, and am seriously considering some online classes in sketchbook journaling.  In a way, however, it feels strangely like a betrayal to collage and mixed-media.  I can't quite figure out why. 

Do you keep a journal?  If so, is it a written one, an art journal, a sketchbook, or a combination of all three?


Here are some artists I find inspiring.  Give them a visit--and if you know of anyone else whose work I should check out, please let me know.  I love finding inspiration out there, whether in Bloglandia or in real life.

• Laure Ferlita offers "Imaginary Trips" to places like Italy, Paris and NOLA, plus basic art journaling classes.  
• Jane LaFazio's next class starts on August 11!
• Visit Watercolor Journaling for all kinds of fun.  These two ladies also offer a DVD for purchase if you're not in their region for a live class. 
• I like Gwen Diehn's books, "The Decorated Journal" and "The Decorated Page," but sometimes I feel she looks down on the kind of mixed-media art I enjoy doing.  In one of her books, she talks about purchasing images of, say, Victorian children, and how one should avoid those types of packaged ephemera because they are not original and are somewhat meaningless in our lives and art.  I tend to disagree, because if it were not for my love of vintage photos, I probably would not have become a mixed-media artist. Maybe this is what is contributing to my above-expressed feelings.

Till next time--

Art and Soul 2010

Hello,

Welcome back, or welcome to those of you who are new to my blog!

I will start by saying I'm not the best blogger in the world. In fact, I'm rather laid back (and more than a little behind in my posts). I've been back from Art and Soul in Hampton, Va., for more than a week, and am just getting around to going through the many photos I took while I was there. I have three to share with you today.

First, upon arriving at the tea party on Wednesday night, May 19, I immediately spotted a red-haired woman across the room. And I do mean red! Orange red. She was heavily tattooed and bejeweled, and I whispered to my friend Erin that I thought the redhead was one of my favorite authors. Indeed, it was Rice Freeman-Zachary, author of Creative Time and Space and several other books. She's one of my Art Heroes, and she and her hubby, the Ever Gorgeous Earl, were at Hampton on assignment for a new book tentatively titled Creative Destinations. I introduced myself to her, and we had a lovely conversation about writing and my destiny. Seriously! She gave me something interesting to think about: What do I really, really want to do for a living?

I need to think about my answer...

My first class was with the wonderful LK Ludwig. We are not related, but I've been told we look alike. (I've also been told I look like Jack White, but that's another story.) The class was "Natural Beauty," and we learned how to do gelatin monoprints, to print on metal mesh, and to incorporate our photographs into our journals. LK brought her beautiful journals to share with us. My attempts at monoprinting turned out tolerably well, but the mesh printing was very difficult and I think mine turned out more like Rohrshach tests than like the ferns and leaves they were supposed to look like!


This is an example of my monoprints. They were done with an artificial zinnia (left) and a maple leaf (right). Not bad for a first try!

This is one of LK's journal pages. I love the simplicity of her designs. I just ordered her new book, Creative Wildfire, from Amazon.com, and I can't wait till it arrives.

Well, that's it for today's show and tell. I will return with more photos and stories as soon as I can. Until then, stay well and stay cool!

The Time Has Come...

Now that spring has really arrived, I've decided to launch my new blog. I'd like to share my artwork, including some of my photography, with my readers, and hopefully make new friends in this vast, wonderful world of ours.

Bleeding hearts are one of my favorite flowers. Dicentra spectabilis comes in pink and white, and though I have planted several, I have never had any success in their behaving as a perennial. In other words, they never bloomed the following spring, but died a quiet death. I wonder why? They are supposed to be hardy in my region. I've tried both pink and white, to no avail. Maybe they are not so hardy after all.

In any event, I hope you enjoy this photo, and my blog.