Vintage Bunnies & Chicks II -Pink Sat.

Today I am joining in with the Pink Saturday Party being held over at Beverly's at How Sweet the Sound. I am going to show a few more pages from the completed Vintage Bunnies and Chicks Book swap that we did over at AlteredWithoutLimits (AWOL) Yahoo Group.

Page by Cathee Stegall www.catartnsoul.blogspot.com

It is hard to see the wonderful dimension on these pages through the lens of a camera, but this page has beautiful prima flowers, tags and handmade paper that give the page a wonderful, textural touch.

The page on the left is the back of the Best Friends page and the right is another wonderful page of musical bunnies. The music page has a pocket with a tag.

Page by Terry Glover

Here it is showed with the tag exposed.

Left Page by Terry Glover

This is the back of the page and the back of the tag - Awesome details!

Page by Ellen Gray

Here is a close up of the next page.

Page by Ellen Gray

And the back of the page.

These ladies did such an awesome job with their pages. My friends have all been ooh-ing and ahh-ing over them. They are all so tactile and beautiful. I will be posting more of the pages as we approach Easter. Stay tuned!

Beverly has asked us to highlight a special blog we have visited and today I would like to highlight Pat over at  The Artful Diva.  She has the most wonderful blog and often has great instructions for her projects. I am just loving her wonderful art journaling posts. Maybe you have met her during your Pink Saturday ramblings, but if not, please stop by and enjoy perusing her wonderful blog. I know you will be blessed and inspired!


If you would like to visit more wonderful "Pink" party posts, head over to How Sweet the Sound and visit some wonderful and talented bloggers. And don't forget to stay tuned for more pages from my Vintage Bunnies and Chicks book.

Writing Down Ideas - Being Creative #7

This week's topic at the "Being Creative Blog Party" over at Amisha's Gorgeous and Fun Things  is "Writing down ideas? Do you do it? Do you like it? Does it help?"

Truthfully, I would have to say that I very seldom write anything down, nor sketch out ideas. I have done so on rare occasions, but it is definitely not a habit. Probably the closest I come to that is when I flag an idea or a layout in a magazine that I really like, but so often I forget to go back and look for it.

So I think that this is an area where I might really gain some benefit. It has only been a short time that I have been making art on any kind of regular basis. Before about a year ago, I was very sporadic and made art primarily when I was on vacation and had time to do it. But over the last year I have tried to be much more intentional in being creative on some sort of consistent basis. So I think I will begin to make an effort to write things down. We'll see how it goes. Maybe next week I can give you a little update! : )

Now on to my creative effort that I am going to share today. I just want to share a couple of backgrounds I've been working on and a page from one of my altered books.

First are a couple of background pages that I made from instructions in Strathmore Visual Journal Workshop 2 called "Start Where You Are" by Linda Blinn. I made my own sprays by adding ink to water in spray bottles. I then used some items that I had around as stencils. This is done in my water color pad. I'm practicing before I put something into my actual Art Journal - sort of a "journal for my journal", as one lady in the workshop put it.  Maybe this will turn into my idea and resource book for writing things down!

Spray inks over assorted home objects - item on the right is a paper overlay for scrapbooking.

Used spray ink over household items

I used a doily, heart tag from clothing item and I picture of a woman that I cut out from a book. The blue in the right hand lower corner is some metallic blue water color that I brushed on. Upper right is just some white plastic mesh I had around the house. Again - this is my "journal journal".
I don't know what I will actually end up making on these pages, but it sure is a fun beginning!

Altered Book Double Page Spread - Red booklet on right opens up.

I already posted this picture in a previous post, but I wanted to show the booklet opened up. See below.

Booklet opened

Front Cover of the Book - work in progress- I used a map of my beloved home state of Mississippi as the background!

Book Spine - I'm using the various countries in the book as my page inspirations.

So there you have it - some of my work from this week. If you'd like to see other posts on Being Creative and Writing Things Down, head over to Amisha's at Gorgeous and Fun Things. You might find you want to join in the fun. It is a great inspiration and very gentle and affirming. I love it!

Vintage Bunnies & Chicks Book - Pink Sat.

This week I received my final version of the Vintage Bunnies and Chicks Book from our Swap at the AlteredWithoutLimits Yahoo Group - and it is awesome - beyond beautiful - and above all my expectations. Each and every page in the book is worthy of pouring over and soaking in all the wonderful details. Each lady brought something special and unique to the party. I am going to share a few of the pages this week in honor of Pink Saturday. I will be sharing more pictures on future blog posts, so come back and visit soon. I have just loved being in these swaps because it really stretches me to get out of my comfort zone and also to complete something! So without further ado -

Front Cover of the Book by Deb Patrick at http://artziehodgepodge.blogspot.com/

Inside and the first page - this is my page that I submitted.

Next Page - "Spring" by Cyn Chapman www.cynzplace.blogspot.com

Next Page - Easter Greetings plus Tag! by Rhea Freitag http://starrgazercreates.blogspot.com/

You can see the backs of the previous pages - requirements were that the backs were to look nice & include their name and state, but did not have to be decorated or embellished. Most of the ladies did a beautiful job on the back, as well.

Tag Extended

Next Page and Back of Previous Page with Tag Extended

Close-up of the next page by Jo Ann Duplantis

I wish you could see the details on these pages - they are awesome. The one above has tiny little beads added to the center of the flowers. I love it!

A View of the Book Open so you can see the dimension

The requirements for the book were that the pages had to be 6x6 inches or less and have a picture of a vintage bunny or chick somewhere on the page. The Yahoo group coordinator - lovely Deb Patrick at ArtZhodgepodge, did the covers and the binding and sending out of the books. She did a lovely job! Hop on over to her blog for a treat and tell her I sent you.

I am linking up with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for another wonderful Pink Saturday. You can stop by her blog and visit many wonderful ladies and their Pink Saturday posts. Pink is not just a color, it is an attitude!



And don't forget, I'll be posting more pictures of this fabulous book next week for Pink Saturday!

Sunday Song

It's not Sunday, but I am going to try this new technique to link up with Natasha at 5 Minutes Just For Me.





And then I'll know how for future Sundays! What a great idea! So today, I'll post one of my all-time favorites - Amazing Grace by Il Divo ! Their voices just blow me away! So hope you all enjoy this one!

Inspiration and Being Creative Blog Pary

INSPIRATION AND BEING CREATIVE BLOG PARTY!


I am sharing a finished art journal page and if you would like to see the steps I used to create this, check out my last post at Art Journaling and Joy.

Art Journal Page Using a Photo of My Daughter

Today I am linking up with Amisha over at Gorgeous and Fun Things for her Being Creative blog party. Her topic for the week is "inspiration" - and I have so many areas for inspiration that it is hard to find a place to begin!

First and foremost for me, I believe, are my children! I have 3 very creative children who love to create and don't get bogged down by "self-doubt" or others expectations. I remember sitting with my girls watching them do scrapbook pages by the dozens while I struggled to complete one or two. They just were happy and didn't second guess things, nor were they afraid to use my "special" supplies! LOL! All of these things are important for me to incorporate when I attempt to do something creative!




Next is magazines and books - there are so many wonderful things out there to expand your thinking and introduce you to new ideas. I remember when I first started reading Stampington magazines - I was sort of blown away by the edgy art they showed - especially in the Melange section of the Somerset Studio Magazine. But now I love trying so many things that I see there. I have stacks and stacks of books and magazines and I go back to them again and again. Something that did not mean anything to me the first time I saw it, may be very inspirational later, when I have been exposed to more regarding that particular technique!


And lastly, one of my most recent discoveries are online tutorials that are just awesome. There have been times where I have stared and stared at a page that I loved, but could not for the life of me, figure out how the artist accomplished it. Now that I have discovered these online tutorials, my eyes have been opened and I even think - wow! maybe I could do that! Here are just a few sites that have inspired me:       
Pam Carriker's Blog Pam has so many wonderful things on her site including some free tutorials!


Journal Artista Paula Phillips has lots of wonderful tutorials and videos that are FREE on this one!



All Norah's Art Sharon Tomlinson - wonderful painter of faces and also does wonderful fabric art!

Misty Mawn  - Just wonderful blog and her art is fantastic!


I could go on and on, but these are a few great stops for you to try out.


Thanks so much to Amisha for putting on this wonderful blog party! I am having a blast! Pop over to visit her blog and visit some other very creative blogs that are joining her for her party!

Art Journaling - Joy - Being Creative Blog Party

ART JOURNALING TECHNIQUE :

Today I am sharing my latest art journaling project. I will show some of the steps, although I did not get photos of some of the intermediate steps. This project is based on a photo of my youngest daughter.

This is the original photograph that I started with. It was taken by my oldest daughter last summer.

I then modified the photo using the sketch function of my printer software on my computer and printed this out. Unfortunately, I wanted the reverse, so I just outlined it with Sharpie marker and held it up to the light and traced it onto the back. Then I went over it with pencil and traced it onto a sheet of paper.

 This is the original sketch on a piece of colored paper that I have in another altered book. I then made a color copy of this and cut it out and glued it into my art journal. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the original collage before I started working on it. I tore pieces of paper from other artwork and glued them down prior to gluing in the portrait. I then painted just the face and skin area with gesso and then acrylic paint avoiding the eye area. I then began shading and adding color with oil pastels using the techniques I learned in Pam Carriker's Strathmore workshop 1.

This is the first photo I took of my progress. This shows some of the pink that was in my original work.

Here, I have added more details and shading.

 This is the final version - at least for now. Her cheeks are still pink! Sort of! I will come back to it later and see if I feel that I need to add more to it. I will be joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. Head over there to experience more pink fun! 

INSPIRATION AND BEING CREATIVE BLOG PARTY!

And tomorrow I will be linking up with Amisha over at Gorgeous and Fun Things for her Being Creative blog party. Her topic for the week is "inspiration".
Thanks so much to Amisha for putting on this wonderful blog party! I am having a blast! Pop over to visit her blog and visit some other very creative blogs that are joining her for her party!

What Art is to Me

Art, to me, is a new-found passion after years of performing as a research chemist using the left side of my brain. It is also a way to deal with my perfectionist tendencies. I especially like altered art and art journaling where there is no real right or wrong. It is my time to relax and just be myself and let myself play. I think I might have been artistic once as a child and it has been a lot of fun rediscovering that passion now. It has also given me a way to connect with others with similar interests, which is also a lot of fun. Below are a few examples of my foray into the artistic realm:

Copy of Brown Creeper  I drew a while back

Another Vintage Bunny Card for Swap

Art Journal Page in Progress

This week's topic over at Gorgeous and Fun's Being Creative Blog Party  is:
"What counts as creative time, how much time do you need to create?"

http://gorgeousandfun.typepad.com/gorgeous_and_fun/

This is a very interesting question. For me, creative time is more than just being in my studio creating. It also includes creativity sparking - and I accomplish that in a variety of ways. One is browsing through other creative blogs. This is a great way to get inspired, learn new things and meet wonderful people.  Another way is to visit local Scrapbooking stores, art stores, etc. That can really get you going as you see new products and new ways to use old products. As I've already mentioned before, one of my most favorite ways is to look through creative magazines such as Somerset Studio.

But probably the most important of all is - as Nike says - "Just Do It!" So spending time in my art room playing is the number one way that I classify as creative time. I tend to get frustrated if I don't get some time to spend in there, and if my life is busy with other priorities, which is most every day, I tend to obsess over when I can get back to my art. This is a nice time of my life where I can actually spend time there, now that my children are older. So I look forward to spending more time in there in the future.
If you want to play along with the Being Creative Blog Party, drop by Amisha's place and join in the fun. I know you will be glad you did. It is a great way to spark your creativity!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Enjoy your day!

Vintage Bunny/Chick Swap - Pink Sat. & Being Creative

As a part of "Being Creative" and Pink Saturday this week, I am going to post a couple of items I've made for a Vintage Bunny/Chick Swap I am in. We will each submit ten cards and they will be divided among ten ladies and made into a Vintage Bunny Chick Book. The neat thing about this swap is that all of the cards are allowed to be different sizes. I can't wait to see how the book turns out. What a fun way to start celebrating Easter. Easter is my second most favorite holiday after Thanksgiving! And an even more fun thing about this is that my oldest daughter, who was on Spring Break, helped me and we had a wonderful afternoon being creative together. This hasn't happened very often since she has been in college!

4X6 Card with a "little extra"

Card Back

Made by my Dear Daughter - not included in swap

Back of her card

I will post more photos once the books have been completed. This is only my second swap, but I find that being involved in a swap forces you to complete things and pushes you creatively. It has been a fun and challenging way to stay creative.

The topic for this week in "Being Creative" is "Things that stop you from being creative". Well my first and foremost is, as it might be for a lot of people - time limitations. It is hard to make time to be creative on a regular basis. I tend to go in creative spurts. When I am busy with heavily scheduled times in my regular life, it is hard to slice out a little time to be creative. One thing I have been learning from reading other creative blogs is that even 10 minutes can keep you rolling creatively. So I have tried to do that - try to something creatively almost every day - even if it is for a very short time.

Well, if you would like to read more about being creative, head over to Amisha's blog at Gorgeous and Fun and visit some of the other bloggers there. She is one of the "pink" bloggers that I have met through Pink Saturday and has a wonderful blog.

And if you want to see other wonderful Pinks, stop over at Beverly's blog How Sweet the Sound. There are lots of fabulous links to every sort of Pink you can imagine.

Have a happy and wonderful Pink Saturday! Go be creative!

Being Creative - "Art Journaling Page: Paris" & Pink Sat.

Happy Pink Saturday!

This is another two-page spread that I have done in my Altered Book/Art Journal. I tried to use some of the techniques used in Strathmore's Pam Carriker's Art Journaling class as far as shading and blending. The red page on the right opens up and has more journaling inside. I have really enjoyed using the new techniques-it definitely gives the pieces more depth.  The background is a map of Paris that I had.

This is a great example of how to learn - taking an online class. This Strathmore Art Journaling class has been fantastic because it is free. I don't know if I would have had the courage to try it if I had to fork out lots of money to take it. But now that I have gotten my feet wet, I might try one that I have to pay for. But for now there are two more workshops - on that just started yesterday and one that starts May 1. Taking this class sure has opened my eyes to new things that I don't think I could have figured out on my own.

Another of my favorite ways to learn is through magazines like Somerset Studio, Art Journaling, Artful Blogging and more. They are just great to look through for ideas and links and also often have tutorials that help me to learn.

And today I would love to highlight a new blogger that I have recently discovered! Karen over at
A Scrapbook of Inspiration. She has the most wonderful blog and the most beautiful creations. You will just love her blog and her work and be blessed by your visit, I am sure!  I am in awe of her wonderful creations. Here is a peek at one of her wonderful creations!

Photo and creation by Karen at A Scrapbook of Inspiration

I am linking up today with Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound to celebrate another Pink Saturday. Head over there to see more wonderful "Pink" posts.



I missed the linking up over at Gorgeous and Fun this week for Being Creative 2, but thought I'd post anyway.  You can go over to her blog and see links to other posts on "Being Creative".