Christine's Chronology

Field of Gold

2011-05-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces offers a weekly challenge on Facebook and their website.

I am sometimes able to participate, but this week I KNEW I had to...as I've been

taking photos in the field of gold over the past two weeks. So, I had the perfect YELLOW

photos to look at to submit for the challenge. BUT, since I'm only allowed to use

one of the photos....I had a really hard time picking only one. Angie &

Michelle were having so much fun in the flowers, it was almost

impossible to pull them away. Enjoy the yellow!

FIF #99

2011-05-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sun & Lensflare

Florabella Mixture

BEFORE

It's Fix It Friday #99 over at I Heart Faces again this week.

From the looks of it, it's been since January since I've participated,

or for that matter...posted anything on my Blog.

Above is the before of the photo and the other two

"fixes". I used Florabella actions on both in my very own

blend. First I added a center fill, and then I added "sweetness" to it

after the sweetness, I used B/W Blush and 58% opacity. I like

black & white photos....but this one has just a hint of the original

colors, making it intereting.

The second "fix" is much of the same, but I added sun & a lensflare

for depth. I wanted the colors to pop just a bit and not

seem so flat, therefore I added the sun.

Hope you enjoy my fix!

Fresh Face Amelia

2011-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Best Face Forward

This was from a photo shoot I did of Amelia this Fall.

It was a beautiful day and with the lace tablecloth in

the background, it shaded her beautifully and

created an etherial look.

I used one of Florabella's actions on this photo.

And I am submitting this picture

as my favorite face of 2010.

Hope you like it!

Self Portrait - I Heart Faces

2010-12-06T19:34:00.001-08:00

Over at I Heart Faces they're having a challenge this

week to show a self-portrait. I typically do not like ANY

picture of myself, and it wouldn't matter if I were taking the

picture or someone else. BUT, I did recall that I had taken

this picture a couple of summer ago, and liked the feel.

I used Florabella's Pandora action on my original image

and then added a vignette for contrast. While I even

liked the SOOC of this image, this one is fun and

looks like a fantasy.

If you're not already a fan of I Heart Faces...I encourage

you to head over to Facebook and "Like" them. You

won't be sorry, I promise.

Scenic B&W I Heart Faces Contest

2010-11-29T17:22:00.001-08:00

This is Jack!

Jack at FALLS OF THE OHIO

State Park.

This was our vacation.

The first vacation by ourselves (mostly)

in a very long time.

This is Jack!

Taking in the views.

Flowers

2010-11-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

I decided to try my hand at making these flowers this evening. I've seen them here and there and thought I would try to create them without a pattern. Simple enough.

First you take man-made material and cut out circles of different sizes. After the material was cut I used my tweezers to hold the edges over a flame from a candle. This singes the edges and curls the material up. do this all the way around. After doing this to all of the circles I start stacking them starting with the largest to the smallest. I then either sew on a button or just stitch the layers together. I was able to create about 15 flowers in about and hour and a half with no problem.

I plan to use some of these on a head band for some of my photo shoots. Can't wait to try them out on somebody.

Zombie Arch Art

2010-11-20T07:13:00.001-08:00

My daughter, Amelia has been bugging me to make her some Zombie Art. So while I was recently away at an art weekend, I created this zombie arch for her. I was creating other arches for another project, when I decided to create this. I think she'll like it!

Journal Art

2010-11-20T07:05:00.001-08:00

Look! I haven't forgotten about creating. I found these blank journals maybe at Hobby Lobby or Michael's and cut some beautiful paper to cover the outside and then ran it through the Xyron machine. Before I attached the paper to the journal, I cut ribbon and tied it around the book. THEN, I adhered the paper over the ribbon to anchor it down.

After that, I added the finishing touches. Used my favorite chalky inks around the edges, took some Tim Holz embellishments with Paper Whimsy images and attached brads to hold them down. To cover the brad holes, I cut a piece of matching paper to affix to the inside cover.

Great easy gifts for the holidays!

Fix It Friday #78

2010-11-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

Sweet Color & Renaissance by Jackie

Original

Once again over at I Heart Faces....it's Fix it Friday! Yay!

While I still haven't posted any of my art here lately, I still have been working on my photography and have had several photo shoots lately.

This is my FIF. I used a Florabella Action which was Sweet Sunshine and then added another that my friend Jackie created. Loving the softness. What do you think?

Christine's Chronology: Fix It Friday #74 - Christy's Edits

2010-10-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Christine's Chronology: Fix It Friday #74 - Christy's Edits

Fix It Friday #74 - Christy's Edits

2010-10-15T07:57:00.001-07:00

PS CS4 with Florabella Actions
BW Champagne & Cosmopolitan

PS CS4 with Florabella Actions BW Mink

Sweet Summer & Center Fill Light

PS CS4 with Florabella Actions BW Mink,

Sweet Summer Center Fill Light & Cosmopolitan at 51%

PS CS4 with Florabella Cashmere Action

Original FIF #74

Today is Fix It Friday over at I Heart Faces....so since I'm on vacation this week, I decided to play for my second time. I have almost more fun editing photos than I do taking the photos.

I'm still VERY new to Photoshop, but Florabella makes it very easy to edit. I typically have made my edits in Picasa....and then sometimes I will head on over to PS and make even more edits.

I love FACES....so this site is right up my alley.

Fix It Friday #67 - A First

2010-08-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

My first Fix It Friday entry. Over at I Heart Faces they have a Fix It Friday challenge. They give you a picture and let you edit it with your own programs. The bottom picture is how this photo started out before I started playing with it. I used the Florabella Photo Shop Actions....which I love...and created these edits. This top one is the Florabella Luxe "Ruby" action.

This one is Florabella's B&W Actions Rich Vintage.

This one I used Florabella's Cosmopolitan and Vignette Actions.

This is the original.

I'm not sure which one is my favorite....what do you think?

Amelia

2010-08-08T16:09:00.001-07:00

So, I've been away for awhile. I am staying more than busy at work and with being the Assistant Director for the play "Steel Magnolias" which will be presented in September in Greenfield, Indiana. It's been a lot of fun so far, but I have little or no time to create art. So for now, I'll stick to my photography and begining in October...I'll be back to art.

Amelia was my gracious model for the day. We have a meadow full of Queen Anne's Lace that I wanted to shoot in, so I asked Amelia to put something white on for the shot. She has a few antique items, so she picked this slip. I love it on her.

We took some props with us into the meadow...an antique lace table cloth and an antique chair. Even though the shoot started out a little rocky, we soon got into a groove and were creating magic.

After we decided to call it quits because our legs were being eaten alive, we quickly came in and downloaded the pictures and I began to play. After making some minor adjustments and cropping the photos, I opened them in Photoshop and started using some PS Actions created by Florabella. I'm loving these Actions and find that it makes editing so easy.

As you can see...Amelia makes it a joy to photograph her.

Katie

2010-06-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is Katie. Katie was my muse for the day. I've been wanting ot shoot pictures in the wheat field for the past two months, and haven't been able to get anyone to accomodate me. Katie kind of obliged her mom and I. She didn't want to stand still because the wheat was poking her, and she was afraid of the unknown. So we just kept shooting photos until she ran out of the wheat.

Jackie and I were playing around with her set of Florabella actions and this is one of them added to the photo along with a texture for the edges.

Thanks Katie for being our model for the day.

Sophia

2010-06-26T06:48:00.001-07:00

My art of choice lately is photography and Photoshop editing. While I'd love to find time to get back to my studio, it seems that all I've had any time for over the past two months is family outings.

This is Sophia...she is my GREAT niece and is about to turn one. She is a doll as you can see. She will let me take as many photos as I'd like of her, and if no one else were around...I think I could go on forever. Such a beautiful subject.

I'm starting to get a handle on using Photoshop CS4...and have learned some new techniques thanks to Gale, Amelia & Jackie. I just need to continue to play with it every night. Although my schedule is about to get even crazier, as I've agreed to Assistant Direct a community production of "Steel Magnolias". Am I crazy? You betcha!

Hope you're all doing well...I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted anything.

Time to ART!

2010-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Helga over at ARTchix has started a new type of Lottery. For this two weeks, we were to create 1-3 clothes pins with at least one image on it. I didn't make it to the store....and tonight was the last time I'd have to create something for the challenge, so I did find one plastic clothes pin around here to use. So, since I created one, I get my name entered one time into the Lottery. But that's all it takes...you can't win if you don't play.

I thought this was a great idea, and decided to use one of the many keys I have laying around my art room. All of the images I used are from ARTchix and I used various embellishments from here there and yonder.

In my house, it's always time to ART!

I appreciate YOU!

2010-05-02T08:06:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you...my followers. Without you I would have no reason to create. Your words of encouragement and you stopping by to take a look gives me a reason to continue to art and share. Thank you for being there for me when I need that little ompf.

Here's a little picture I took of my newest fairy in my butterfly garden. She's standing near my cast iron bird bath. There are certain aspects of my garden that I LOVE, and somethings that I want to change. The motivation to change some of those things has been a little lacking though. Maybe once it stops raining here, I'll weed and things will look brighter.

So...back to YOU! I hope that today you are doing something you want to do and taking care of yourself. Take a few minutes to browse those Blogs you're following and leave a few comments.

Happy Sunday!

And the winner is......

2010-04-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, I've given you all proper time to post your interest in winning my Trash to Treasure giveaway....and the winner has been picked.

Ten of you left comments, and so the number was picked between 1 & 10. I asked my daughter, Amelia to pick the number...even though she didn't know why she was picking the number...and she picked number 3.

Number 3 happens to be.......JOY!!! You're the winner! Send me your address and I'll put your gift in the mail.

Enjoy!

Trash to Treasure Blog Giveaway

2010-04-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

The before and the after of Gale's & my day of garage sale hunting and creating with what we purchased.

I spent a day arting with my art buddy, Gale yesterday. She noticed that her neighborhood was having a garage sale and suggested that we take $10 and find items that we could create art with and use those items only to create something.

While I believe that I heard Gale whisper at some point that she had in mind to create an ATC, I set my mind on some sort of display/assemblage. I think BIG.

I love garage sales and I know what to walk past and where to head for those items that are art worthy. I pass all the shoes, all the clothes and all the furniture and head towards the tables in the back.

Gale and I had a blast traveling around looking for treats and trinkets. The weather was sunny, but the wind was blowing, so I ended up with a good case of wind burn on my face. But that didn't stop us from crossing from Gale's neighborhood, to another nearby...before calling it quits.

I pretty much knew what I was going to do by the time we got back to Gale's...so I was off and running from the beginning. I used all of my items except for one...the Maurice Chealier Album. I wanted to scan it before I did anything with it. It is AMAZING...and the book also has an amazing etching of Queen Elizabeth in it that I can't wait to scan.

After working for a couple of hours, we took a break for some of Philips delicious Mac & Cheese. It was so wonderful that I over ate. I couldn't help myself. And the lemon cookie that Gale mentioned is just that....Heaven.

Anyway....as Gale mentioned, we both decided that we were going to give away our creations. So if you'd like a chance at winning my little Trash to Treasure Creation.....sign up to follow my Blog (if you're already a follower you can play too)....then leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite trick is when you go to garage sales.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

2010-04-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

A while back I worked on this Altered Book for a friend. At first I had a hard time deciding what I was going to do in the book. But then I remember that I had this box that was a vintage hosier box. So I color copied it...and that's what you see on the left page along with some ARTchix images. I used some antique lace and some garter clips toadd to the look. The last thnig I did was stamp the words HOT HOT HOT on the page, and used black glitter to make it sparkle.

This book is from the 2nd Round Robin group I've participated in. I'm going to take a small break from the books to work on some other things. Maybbe I'll even finally enter something in Somerset.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Oh, Marie!

2010-03-31T17:55:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I was creating in my studio and came across a couple of Marie images and decided that I wanted to play with them. I used a background provided from one of the Stampington magazines, some mulberry paper, and a few extra images from Paper Whimsy. The final touch after putting this all together was the hints of gold leaf and the pearl center for the flower.

My friend Jackie adores Marie....so I gifted her with it last night while we meet for dinner and to catch up. She's also an excellent artist, but I can't seem to get her involved in any of my groups yet.

I'm enjoying the weather here in Indiana this week....rather warm and enjoyable for this time of year. Hope you're all enjoying the same weather.

Whimsies in the Clover

2010-03-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

Over at Paper Whimsy there's a Monthly Lottery going on. The theme for this month's Lottery is "Whimsies in the Clover". I'm kind of pushing it to the last minute here, and finally getting my ATC added to the album.

I've been using paint chips a lot lately. Why? Because they're FREE, because they give me the color I want, and because they're FREE! Because the paint chip I was using wasn't quite big enough for an ATC, I found a contrasting color and stitched the two together.

I'm loving playing with "different" color combinations....and really liked how these colors turned out.

What do you think of those tiny little clover? I found those in my front yard this morning. The are smaller than an eraser tip, and they're so darn cute!

Whimsy Word Journal Swap

2010-03-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

Over at Paper Whimsy Land I'm hosting a swap to create hand-made journals. I originally was going to host an altered composition book swap, but then Gale saw the hand-made journals in Cloth Paper Scissors (which I had seen too) and suggested that we try those. So, this is what I came up.

I found wonderful pain chips at Walmart and decided that I would create my journals using them. I could pick the colors I wanted, and had the stability of a thicker cardstock. On two of them I used the strip pain chips and on the first journal I made, I used a beautiful piece of Mulberry paper I've had for years.

Each of these books has composition book paper in them...but I'm thinking of creating another one with "other" paper. Not sure what...but I'm thinking.

These journals are SOoooo easy to make. REALLY! If you don't want to hand stitch the binding, you could use a sewing machine...or even use rivots and ribbon to attach them.

I hope you'll head on over to Paper Whimsy and join me in the swap. While there is only 1 spot left...I'm sure that we can convince Gale that we need to add a second group!

Heart Book Pages

2010-03-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend while I was away at an all art weekend, I finished up my heart book pages for the swap I'm currently in. This is the second heart book swap I've been in, and I am really enjoying the fun and quick results from them.

These little hearts are about 4" x 4" so they're just the right size...not too big and not too small.

I really love the fact that everyone picks their own theme and that they're all different and a fun challenge.

Altered Composition Books & Journals

2010-03-14T14:46:00.001-07:00

Over a month ago, I started noticing altered journals, and decided to have my hand at a couple of them. Every once in awhile I'll find a clerance sale that I just can't pass up, and I'm sure this journal was one of them. The journal has blank pages and has an elastic band that goes around the front of the book.

I took some mulberry paper that I've had for about 20 years and ripped it to the right size to use for the binding on this book. I ran it through the Xyron machine first and CAREFULLY pulled it away from the wax paper. This doesn't always work, as the mulberry paper is very fragile...so just be careful when taking it off.

I used Punchinella to add some interest to the material on the journal and used some Paper Whimsy images to embellish the cover with.

Don't forget to add fibers and charms. They add fun and whimsy to any creation.

Winter Morning

2010-02-14T18:27:00.001-08:00

The weather has been a little dicey over the past couple of weeks, however that has been how February in Indiana has been for the past several years. Ground Hog Day brings bad news and bad weather. Over the past two weeks we've had at least two major snows, and tonight we're in the danger zone for receiving another snow storm. I stopped watching the weather, because I didn't want the bad news...but I know that we're in the "Warning" zone. Maybe we'll be lucky and only getting a dusting of the white stuff.

As you can see from the picture, the "white stuff" is covering us quite nicely. No grass blades in sight. This view is part of the property we share with my parents. The fence has been built and re-built a couple of times. My sister and I built it one summer for our horses. I think I was 16 and she was 15. Behind that fence and just down the hill from that is a rather large creek that runs next to our property. The water brings us a fantastic variety of birds. Over the years we've seen some birds that are unusual to our area, and have only stopped over because we have water, food, and lots of trees.

The wonderful thing about winter is that I get to take some awesome pictures of the snow.

Copper Triptych

2010-02-07T14:45:00.001-08:00

This is my Copper Tag Triptych that I made for a Paper Whimsy swap. I've never made one before, but I've seen them and thought they were very neat. I set out today to work on another project, but while it was drying...I decided to work on this one. A little more time consuming, but the finished product I was very pleased with.

While you could use one larger sized tag in the middle and two slightly smaller ones on either side...I went with all three the same.

A friend of mine was over last weekend and had some sheets of copper with her. I had an embosser with several embossing patterns, so she borrowed them and rolled us each a set of the patterns. They were still laying out on my desk...and because I'm quite partial to copper, I decided to try to make the center tag copper. I did lots of planning and laying out, and switching around this afternoon.

The copper tag in the middle was cut to size and I adhered it to the tag by running the copper sheet through the Xyron machine. Worked beautifully! After I was satisfied with the lay-out of everything, I decided that I was going to try out the Alcohol Inks I've had for a very long time and never tried. Guess I was too chicken. I practiced on a small piece of copper and found that they were pretty easy to use. While the ink I added is subtle, I'll maybe try to be a little more bold next time. I used the colors Mushroom & Eggplant.

Most of the flowers were attached with copper colored rivets...just to keep that touch of copper going throughout the Triptych. Added several other little touches of copper to bring the three tags together. Even though this piece is not monochromatic...it's the same family of colors. I REALLY love playing with colors, and have found by experimenting this year...that I must have an eye for color combinations. Things that I wouldn't have normally put together, I'm finding I rather like.

I attached the three tags together at the sides by putting in copper rivets, and then using contrasting ribbon to tie them together.

I hope whoever ends up getting this will like it...because right now, I'd like to keep it!

And the winners are....

2010-01-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time....and I've randomly picked the winners for the Pay It Forward giveaway this week. Don't forget...sometime soon, some how, some way...PIF.

The winners are:

Tolegranny
Cheryl
Sallie
Kim

I've sent you all personal emails...but if you see this first, just email me your mailing address (even if you think I already have it, sometimes it's just easier to read it right off rather than look it up). I'll get your winning item out sometime this week.

Thanks for playing!

Christy

Pay It Forward

2010-01-10T16:52:00.001-08:00

It's my turn to Pay It Forward.

Joy Meadows had a PIF on her Blog not too long ago, and I was one of the lucky ones to win one of the things she was giving away.

The one condition is, if you win...you in turn must Pay It Forward.

So, I'm posting these four items that will be given away next Sunday, January 17th at 5pm Indiana time. Don't ask me what time Indiana is on, as I went almost all of my life on Indiana time...and now we have to change our time twice a year and I don't know what if we're Central or Eastern or what...just Indiana time.

So, if you are one of the lucky to be selected from a hat...you could win a 4" x 4" chipboard heart book by Maya Row. If you'd like to see samples of what you might do with it, just check my Blog post out below this one. You could also win my Poinsettia Tag Art with ARTchix images, a Faerie Slipper wtih Magic Slippers Tag with Images from Paper Whimsy or a 5" x 6" small scrapbook that has already been started for you by me. The small album has approximately 8 pages. There are also extra stickers and such for you to embellish with once you've added your photos or art.

Don't forget to leave me a post below, along with a way to contact you should you win, AND plan to Pay It Forward yourself.

Small Heart Book Swap

2010-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Started another Heart Book Swap, but this book is smaller than the last. The first one I worked on was 6" x 6"...this one is 4" x 4" and is a cute little size.

The theme for this one was hearts...and the color Nancy picked was red. As you can see...I can't help throwing a little of my favorite turquoise in too.

I started out with a Maya Row chipboard heart book and took pink and mauve pins and pushed them in all the way around the heart.

I then took one of my newest scrapbook papers and cut them to size to paste on both sides of the heart. I used my Xyron machine to make this happen. I inked and chalked the edges.

I used Paper Whimsy images for both sides of the heart and added trim and blooms to enhance the images.

The first side I titled "Keep your hearts close, but your purse closer". Tee! Hee!

Another Arch

2010-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

The birds began to sing...as they always do for me. Birds are a passion of mine and I really enjoyed creating these arches and being able to create them by using images that were so inspiring to me.

I used Twinkling H2O's on the arch to enhance the colors that I love so much. Turquoise is my color this year. It was a little tough getting the colors to adhere like I'd like...because the paper was a bit slick. I found if I used my finger to rub the color in that eventually the more color I built up, the easier it stayed on. You really can't see the colors well...and the sheen that they put off is amazing.

What you also don't see is that this chunky is 3-D. The back layer is flat on a 4" x 4" watercolor sheet, while the outside arch is sitting on top of foamy tape that helps it stick out and causes shadows. Then there's the last little touch of the feather. If I had thought about it...I have a Blue Jay feather that I've been saving to use. But, I'll use it another day for another project.

Gothic Arches

2010-01-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the whole weekend to create art and I had a deadline coming up for the Gothic Arch Swap at ARTchix...so, I knew what I wanted to achieve when I worked on the arches...I just didn't know if I could pull it off.

This is one of the 6 Gothic Arches that I created. See the arch in the middle of the 4" x 4" Chunky? That was the inspiration for the rest of the chunky. I created the rest of the background to compliment the original arch. What is really cool is that I had already created the piece of green paper about 2 months ago and it was the perfect shade and color to match the arch. I got the blue paint out and found my large alphabet stamps and stamped the letters on. Then I decided I wanted a spattered look and got a toothbrush out and spatter some more blue paint along with some white paint to give the affect. I used a soft white pastel to outline the original arch. I used a white chalk stamp pad to go around the outside of the chunky. I love the birds...I'm a bird person...and decided that the feather was the perfect touch to this piece. Added the bird head in the tab and used Diamond Glaze to give it the glassy look. I also cut the word LOVE out and stuck it in the Diamond Glaze while it was still wet and then added more on top of it to give it the resin look.

I was happy with 5 of the 6 pieces...I guess there is always one that never quite lives up to the others....partially because I run out of the images that I really like. Guess I should stock up on more in the future.

I am so thankful for my friends that have left such wonderful comments about the Chunky that was selected for the Homepage Art over at ARTchix's Yahoo Group. Thank you for being my inspiration!

Helga's Weekly Challenge

2009-12-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

Yay! I'm finally caught up enough with everything else that I get to play in one of Helga's Challenges. I always love her challenges. It makes me stretch my thinking.

This week's Challenge is to "play with your scraps". First thing I did was go through my trash. I usually don't have a large amount of scraps. Then I went over the top of my desk and found the two pieces on the left. The one on the right I had thrown away. I also had a piece of copper German Scrap that I had cut down. Then there is the FROM strip. I used the rest of it on my lottery piece this week.

The tag came from a friend and the zipper pull is recycled. It's one of my favorite additions to my art. I've used many this year, and have a hard time finding them. I usually look while I'm at garage sales. The new ones aren't as nice looking and vintage. This is a newer version...but it was the right color.

I laid my ATC down inside a copper bowl and took this picture. The additional things I used was a poinsettia sticker and some copper Stickles. The colors are very rich.

50 Posts & Counting

2009-12-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Well I finally made it to 50 posts...and to celebrate my 50 posts, I decided to have a little contest and see if I can get some more viewers to my Blog.

I've got 4 pieces of art that I'm going to give away on December 18th. You have until 4pm Indiana time to leave me a post and I will randomly pick 4 winners to receive the goodies that I'm posting here. I have two items that were made from beautiful items from ARTchix and 2 items that were made with lovely things from Paper Whimsy.

Hope you'll enjoy your visit enough to sign up as a follower of my Blog.

Hugs!

Christy

Jackie's Heart Page

2009-12-13T05:20:00.002-08:00

While I was working on Belinda's heart page, I decided to get a jump start on Jackie's and kill two birds with one stone. AND, I am way ahead as this one was not due until January 15th. But, happy early Christmas to you Jackie!!

Jackie's theme was Artist's Choice...so that left my pallet and ideas all to myself. Lots of layers on the front side and one of the beautiful transparency arches. The copper just makes this look so rich. What you can't see is the copper colored Stickles enhancing the edges....

The 2nd side is less worked, but simple and vintage. I really like how the colors and theme all came together on it. Hope she likes it!

Belinda's Heart Page

2009-12-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

Today I got busy and worked on several projects. This was one of them that I started and finished. Belinda's theme was Artist's Choice and a color theme of True Colors. I tried to stick to the turquoise I love so much and added the blacks as a contrast. The backgrounds on both sides of the heart were many layers. I started out by gessoing the heart, then painted them turquoise. On the side with the skeleton I used a beautiful piece of mulberry paper I have and adhered it with gel medium. I then stamped it and used H2O's to paint in the stamped area. The edges are inked and the bird is tinted with H2O's. I like the dark side of this Heart. Side two started out int he same way and was stamped with a couple of different stamps and then the birds were stamped on. The color doesn't come out well in the pictures...it looks much richer in person. I may look at it again today and see if any new ideas come to mind, but I think I'm pretty happy with it.

Art of My Dad

2009-12-06T18:21:00.000-08:00

I've had this photo of my dad and his brother for several years. Many years ago I made a pillow out of the image. I think it is so sweet and when I look at it, I see how much I looked like my dad when I was that age.

This helps me stay grounded. Reminding me of when life was more simple as a kid. I wanted to make each creation unique, so they're all different.

I've used images from Paper Whimsy and Artchix to enhance each of my creations. It's always fun to create with both of their lines. They both offer unique items and are different from each other's products.

Thank you for sharing with me.

Heart Book Swap

2009-10-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Since I was behind for so long, I decided to get a head start on this project. This heart is for Helga. I'm in a swap with a few very talented artists, and was very honored to be asked to participate in this swap. Helga's request was that we use lime green, hot pink, and red....with a theme of "I love...". As always, I love ArtChix and had to show my love by using some of Helga's newer collage sheets. I started this heart last night and came home from work tonight and started right back in on it and finished up. So guess what? I'm 20 days early! Yay!! I'll be mailing it out sometime this week. Hope Helga likes it!

Peggy's Altered Book Cover

2009-10-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in an altered book group for the second time around with several of the same gals and some new ones.

We're on our 2nd book and ready for our 3rd. I've been a little behind on my projects lately....but I'm almost all caught up. Yay!

I did come across some Lottery cards for some other swaps that had been tucked away...and when cleaning my art room yesterday and today I found them...so, I'll be sending some surprises out for some ladies...a nice late treat for them.

Peggy's altered book's title is My Garden...and her theme was KinderGARDEN...kids and garden things. Her book was blank on the cover and was just screaming at me to do it...so I did! The cover was a plan cream color. I taped it off and painted it with H2O's...so there's a nice shimmer to it...you can kind of tell from the picture. Most of the images are from Paper Whimsy, but the fairy girl is from Collage Stuff. The little lanter picture that she's holding is glassy with Diamond Glaze, and the flowers have some beautiful glass iridescent beads on them. Then there is my zipper butterflies...I started creating these earlier this year, and rather like the addition to the butterflies.

Hope Peggy likes it when she sees it next Spring.

Backside for Sanna

2009-10-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Finished the backside for Sanna tonight. I used Cheese Cloth to make all of the hair. Used E6000 to attach it in little tiny strips and rows. I had E6000 all over my fingers...thought I was going to take some of the skin off when I removed the dried glue.

Since I added the hair to this side...it changed the look to the other side. So, I'm adding a new picture of the other side. I really like the snow side best. What's your favorite?

For Sanna

2009-10-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

This heart is for Sanna. This month we're trading hearts and she made me a very lovely heart that I'll share with you all at some point...maybe when my heart book is all put together.

This is the front of the heart...I still have the back to do, but I'm making sure everything is dry on this side. I used spackling to give it that snowy look. There is a little shaker dome on the right side full of watch parts...and there are watch parts sprinkled throughout the spackling for deminsion..

Even though I'm still working on it, I've got a good start to it. I hope to finish it up mid-week and mail it to Sanna.

Mermaid ArtChix Block

2009-08-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at this Mermaid for a couple of weeks now. I was trying to decide what to do with her...almost used her in something else...and then this evening it just came to me.

I had this block of wood that was already prepared with the right color and was just begging to be arted up. I added some antiquing to the edges to match the ArtChix image and then found the words "Happy Little Maiden" in a ArtChix collage sheet. Added the lace around the top, the numbers 15 because I like the copper color with turquoise, an dthen added the silk ribbon. The final touch was the shell on the ribbon. I think I picked that up while on vacation several years ago and it's been sitting on my kitchen window sill ever since.

These Mermaid Cards are the Monthly Special over at Artchix. A whole set for only $4. Another DEAL!!

A Nest of Fairie Eggs

2009-08-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

As you've read...I love a deal. This weekend was fruitful, even though I only spent about $5.

See this cute little next...well I actually got four of them just alike and they were brand new. I paid $1 for all of them. I decided that I wanted to have a little fairie standing in the middle of the eggs, and this little Paper Whimsy girl was a perfect addition to the nest. I added some wings to her, and a colorful silk bow. You'll notice some tatting at the bottom of her dress. This is some vintage tatting that a friend of mine brought me from a big antique show she visited in Ohio earlier this summer.

One last thing to note is her wand. Again...a deal! This is a bobby pen with a star on the end of it that I got at a garage sale for 10 cents. I knew that I would someday use it for a wand. I cut half of the pen off so that she only had one stick. I then cut her hand away from the rest of her and put the wand under her hand for deminsion. Isn't she adorable?

My New Compact

2009-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this project for awhile, which made the process so much easier this evening. I got three projects done this evening...and I'm very happy with all three.

I found this old compact at an antique store earlier this year for $5 with the idea that I'd make art with it.

Today was the day...I came home and got busy....first I decided upon the main image and then started adding details. I used a braided trim inside the powder area and secured it with E6000. The metal ribbon on the mirror is also secured with E6000...I love that stuff. I'm already almost through the second tube of it this year. Two items I really love here is the Cameo in the lower right hand corner. I found this little lady at a garage sale last weekend. It was actually part of a broken pendant. Right below the Paper Whimsy girl's chin (she's one of my favorites), you'll see another great little gold piece...this was also part of the pendant. Did I mention I paid 50 cents for it. I love deals like this. Wouldn't this be fun to do for a Swap??

Christine's Chronology: Helga's Weekly Challenge

2009-08-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Christine's Chronology: Helga's Weekly Challenge

Helga's Weekly Challenge

2009-08-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

Helga over at Artchix has a weekly challenge that she offers to challenge and stretch our abilities. I've been participating in this challenges since the beginning of the year, and have found them to be a great asset to me. They have helped me to think outside of the box and to think of art in a new way.

The Challenge for this week was to take Helga's "Master board" and create art out of it. If you visit her Blog you'll see what this started out to look like before I started playing with it. I've added several of Helga's collage sheet images and even used my watercolor crayons in a few areas. I did some paper cutting and folding, and then cut the whole image apart and attached it to another piece of paper and added the words in between for inspiration. Helga started this inspiration in the lower right hand corner with "be you". Things you could also be are brave, lucky, happy, amazed, and anything you'd like to be. I think this would look great framed and might just have to do that and make a gift for someone.

Another Altered Art Book

2009-08-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is the front page of my Altered Art Book with a group of ArtChix. This the second RR that we've done. My first book was an Angel book...but this time, I've left it much more open for everyone.

I just realized while writing this...and looking at my picture, that I didn't even follow the guideline that I had set for my book. I said that it was to be B&W and add a color of their choice. Well, I have black in the background...and I do have one color....but I didn't get the white in there. Hope they'll forgive that I had a brain lapse. I just loved this photo and love it with the turquoise. The roses in her hair and by her left hand are 3-D...and I put a pearl earring at her ear. This picture does the art no justice. Can't wait to see the book sometime next Summer!

My Heart Book

2009-08-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

Here's the front of my page and the backside of my page for my RR Heart Book. My theme for my book was open, other than adding the color turquoise. I love that color...and I love how the orange and turquoise turned out together. Again, you should see this one in person...much more impressive.

Thanks ladies, you're the best!

Heart Book RR

2009-08-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

I'm participating in a small RR with these cute little heart chipboard books. Here's the back and front of my pages for my first swap partner. Her theme was "Glamour". This scan doesn't do it justice...used some Sparkling H2O's on it...and they stand out more in person. The project is quick, easy, and fun! Thank you ladies for asking me to participate!

Helga's Turquoise Weekly Challenge

2009-08-02T19:01:00.001-07:00

Turquoise...I love the color turquoise! So, I was so happy to hear that Helga wanted us to add the color to our art for this week's Challenge.

We were on our way home from vacation this morning....and while we were driving along, I was thinking about what I wanted to do for the challenge. I completed another Challenge yesterday that I used turquoise for, and decided that I wanted to use a simliar background for this Challenge.

This piece is approximately 4 x 7ish...I stamped the flourishes on the background and then used my watercolors to get the desired colors. Because I really dig black and turquoise, I decided to add the black border. I used the Fabulous Paper Dolls and Spoil Me collage sheets for this piece. I added Tulle around her hair, I snipped the arms and legs to place them like I wanted...and used vintage Bric-a-Brac to fancy her dress up, and a few shiny flowers for BLING. The final touch was to pen the words "This Much"....because that's how much she loves ArtChix!! : )

http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e5538e9181883301157246819e970b

Helga's Weekly Challenge #2

2009-08-02T18:49:00.001-07:00

Glad that Helga is back from vacation...and the timing was perfect for me.

I am finished with the play I was in for the past month and we were on vacation last week...so I had time to play.

Helga's Challenge this week was to add turquoise to our art. It's funny, because I'm getting ready to participate in an altered book group...and that was what I decided would be my requirement for my book...to add the color turquoise. Great minds!! : )

So...here's my second piece of art for this challenge. I created the background using AC's watercolor ATC's, and I stamped circles on the ATC using a pop lid. I then used watercolors to add the colors I wanted. I used the bird from the Pretty Bird collage sheet and Chixies Hat Affairs collage sheet. I cut the bird out and then punched a circle out of the rest of the background to add to the ATC. I punched a cirle out of a vintage Dictionary with the word CHIRP as the focus. I'm loving the color combination here.

Rolodex Cards

2009-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

These are four of the rolodex cards I made for a swap over at Paper Whimsy. This is the second Swap we've had with these cards. I made 8 the first time...and this time I made 8 more. These cards are two sided. most of the detail is on the front with less detail on the back and room about me, the artist.

I took my Rolodex to work with my art....and I also use it to keep business cards...so I get to look at the art all day!

What a haul!!

2009-07-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

After a day of antiquing, I came up with quite a haul. All of these items will be used for my altered art in some way. I went through about 200 different pictures, and about 500 postcards to get this selection. I can't wait to scan everything and then play with it all.

Take a look at the black scrapbook behind the postcards. That's g
going to be used for an altered book group that will be starting a new round in September. My theme is Black & White and using one color for an accent. I've been keeping my eyes opened for the perfect book, and was lucky to come across this...and the price was right.

Look at all the notions! The most exciting one there are the flowers. They're from around 1930...and were in excellent shape. I bought all three bunches....that way I can share! I was also excited to find more measuring tape. I just commented yesterday that I didn't know what I was going
to do once my Grandmother's stash ran out. Now I have more.

And lastly, the Ephmera...some sheet music...I really love the artwork on "Why is the Moon Pale". There's some money, envelopes, tally sheets...oh yes, 2 keys, a key plate...and the most amazing sterling bee. SCORE!

Hope you enjoyed viewing my grand day of finds. The best day EVER. I have a hard time just finding one or two things on normal days....and to find all of this in one day was amazing.

Let's Go Green

2009-07-29T17:26:00.001-07:00

Over at Paper Whimsy I'm participating in a Swap/Challenge by using "green" items. I'm still working on the first piece...but this one came to me, and I had to work on it right away.

My "green" items used here are: a page out of a book from the early 1900's, a used match, a CD sleeve, a zipper toggle, my name ripped from an envelope addressed to me, the lid off a container from a gumball machine.

I really like how this one turned out. If you look closely at the title this will all pull together for you. I really wanted to put the zipper on her mouth, but I restrained myself.

This was a fun excersize. Now, to finish my other project tomorrow.

What I'm currently working on

2009-07-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

While at the cabin, I've started working on a project that is due this Friday. I'm a bit behind, so now I'm having to make up for lost time.

This project is a Paper Whimsy project that is all about going GREEN. So, for awhile I've been collecting items that I might use to create whatever it is that I'm creating. Right now, I'm in the laying it all out stage. I have a backing that is currently drying that you won't see in this picture. It's a pizza box, with a dryer sheet glued onto it. I plan to add some paint and embellishments to it when it's ready. What you see to the left started out as a part of a flyer from a "Victoria Secret" mailing. The cutie is hiding the bra wearing girl in boots from the ad. I added the wings to her to help conceal...the girl behind. The bottom left hand corner has a new sticker that is covering the prices from the flyer. Some of the other recycled items that I'll be using in this creation is the mini drink umbrella, the tag at the upper left hand that was a price tag off a piece of clothing, that will pull from behind the flyer. The tab at the top, is a tag that I clipped out of the back of the shirt the price tag came from. You'll also notice some bubble wrap, postage stamps, and some poppy seed heads. I have a few more things I may or may not add....it just depends what it all looks like when I start gluing it all down. I'm liking the colors so far. How about you?

Elk Rapids, Michigan

2009-07-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

So the first day of vacation started out somewhat slow. We slept in a bit and took our time finishing packing everything up. It rained all night and we woke up to rain off and on. By the time that Jack got ready to put the canoe on top of the van, of course it started raining again. So that delayed us some more. We finally left home around 10:30ish and decided that we were hungry, so we stopped in Anderson and ate Kentucky Fried Chicken. After filling our bellies and the gas tank, we got on the road at 11:38am. The trip was wet, cool, and windy. Once we made it into Michigan, the sun started shining through, but even though there was sun...it was still pretty cool due to the wind.

After the fairly quick trip of 6 1/2 hours to the rented cottage...we arrived to see the most beautiful, clear, and blue lake. Amelia and Jack decided to try the water out a bit, only to find out that it was a bit on the chilly side. As you can see from the picture...it wasn't terribly sunny at this time of the evening due to some rain clouds...but they enjoyed the quiet time anyway.

We've already sampled the local sweet cherries. Yum! Some of my favorite fruits...and they're local and the trees are growing EVERYWHERE! We plan to bring some home with us. My dad will really enjoy them too.

I did pack lots of art supplies. I have one project that I need to post this week, so I must work on it. I have a couple more that are due very soon, so if I have time, I'll work on them too.

Think hard and you'll be sitting on the dock too!

Sunny Day

2009-07-12T06:16:00.001-07:00

I took this picture this morning out one of my kitchen windows. The weather has been so off and on again the past couple of weeks, that I welcomed the sun this morning with a smile.

The past two Saturdays we've been wanting to attend the Raintree 100 at Mt. Lawn Speedway, but due to rain...the races have been post-poned. So the sun this morning was a welcome addition to start my day.

The sun helps me appreciate my collection of cobalt glass lining my double kitchen window. There's nothing like looking at the sun through my kitchen windows and seeing the affect that the sun has on the glass.

Happy Sunday!

ArtChix Bi-weekly Lottery - On Your Way Home

2009-07-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

I love participating in the Bi-weekly Lottery over at ArtChix. It gives me a chance to try out different themes and techniques.

I admit, lately I haven't had much time to work on my art like I'd like, but I've always found time for the Bi-weekly Lottery. I don't think I've missed one week since I joined in in January.

I feel so fortunate to have won the lottery this week. I love the fact that I get to receive pieces of art from so many of the artists that I admire.

I decided to have a little lottery of my own with MY piece and Pam McKenzie had the winning ticket. I'll be mailing it out in the next couple of days.

I look at the lottery as a chance to art...not necessarily a chance to win...but I DO think it's fantastic when I win!! I can't wait for the mail to come tomorrow.

Helga's Pink & Blue Challenge

2009-07-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Helga from ArtChix has challenged us all to play with Pink & Blue this week.

I've been behind in my artwork since I started my new job, but this weekend I did get about four projects done and felt like I could make some time to play in this week's challenge.

I haven't participated in Helga's Weekly Challenge for about a month and a half or longer. I miss what I learn about art and myself when I complete one of her challenges.

Helga challenges us to be better artists. To search deep within ourselves and create something that shows others who we are through our art. If eyes are the windows to our soul, then art must be the window to our being.

My Desire is to continue to create art to make myself feel worthy and happy. I feel great when my art affects others in a positive way. I hope they feel happy, which in turn makes me happy.

Summer Storms

2009-06-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

This picture was taken at 10pm about a week ago. The lightening was amazing. I drove to a road just north of our house to take pictures.

I could have stayed there all night taking pictures, but the storm moved through and and I only got a handful of neat shots. Maybe there'll be a next time.

The lightning was mostly moving sideways. As I recall from what I've heard, that would be heat lightening. It was rather warm that evening, so that doesn't surprise me. We did have a few sprinkles, but not much in the way of rain.

Next time I hope to know my camera better and get some long exposures.

Swap with Cristal

2009-06-08T18:48:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I created these 4 ATC's to swap with Cristal Wooten. Cristal is an amazing artist and teacher from Arizona. Cristal was the first person to send me an ATC out of the goodness of her heart. That really touched me and got me interested in trying some different styles of art.

The pieces that I've seen of Cristal's...she likes to use different paint pens in her creations. I've been lucky enough to get to trade with Cristal a couple of times now. She always inspires me to try new things. I've started using some pens to embellish or enhance my art now. I used paint pens on three of the ATC's I made her...AND I used some H2O's on one of them. Love the shimmer and affect H2O's create.

Our theme was BIRDS and it was supposed to be blue, green, and purple. I tried to stick to the colors, but the top left one I just couldn't. I hope she likes it, as I used a REAL nest to create it. You can't see it, but there is a tiny plastic egg under the bird too.

Three of the backgrounds have pages from my vintage dictionary....I used pages that had definitions for BIRDS.

Thank you Cristal for always being so kind and willing to trade with me.

Memorial Day Canvas Shrine

2009-05-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

While making my shrines for the swap over at Paper Whimsy, I came up with this idea to use the poppy that I got earlier in the day at the store. I loved the color of the poppy and had originally wanted to use a turquoise to accent it...but found these PW images and really loved the colors.

Just feeling a bit proud of what our servicemen and women have done for our country and wanted to add it to some of my art.

Thank you to those who have or are serving.

PW Canvas Shrine - The Best Day

2009-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Over at Paper Whimsy Chris T. is hosting a Canvas Shrine Swap. I've never done this before, so I decided to join in.

I try to do my homework before I start a new project, so I looked on the internet for ideas. Found very few, but was able to come up with some ideas from what I saw.

I used a very light-weight spackling compound to add texture and fill in the crack on the back of the canvas. I only textured three sides of the canvas just in case I wanted to "stand" the shrine. After I completed this I used a rubber stamp to add more texture and depth and then let it all dry.

While it was drying, I narrowed down which images I wanted to use and decided upon this little paper doll. It's hard to tell from this picture, but I made her 3-D. There's lace behind her high collar, her hat head and neckline are 3-D, and her umbrella is 3-D. I added a copper handle and peg to the umbrella too. Her broach at her neckline I used Paper Glaze to make it look gem like, and added glitter to the wings.

I sprayed the whole canvas with black spray paint, and after that dried started layering the colors. The niche behind the paper doll is a copper color and I used a piece of vintage measuring tape. The title of this work is "The Best Day"...and I finished that out on the back by saying..."The Best Day is measured in happiness, not inches".

The flourish handle above the paper doll is also vintage...these items are from my personal collection of savings from over the years. The key I found in my junk drawer.

I hope my swap partner likes it!

Audrey Hepburn (Amelia) Goes to Prom

2009-05-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is the year that my daughter graduates from High School. In these last two weeks of May and first week of June she attends her Senior Prom, turns 18, and graduates High School.

The dress that she wore for the Prom was her grandmother's dress from 1957. Sondra wore this dress in a wedding for one of her friends. The dress went over the shoulders, but Amelia wanted a strapless dress so Carol Anderson was able to help us out and alter the dress and take up the length just a bit.

Amelia is wearing two crinolins to get the "full" affect. She found a hairstyle that was one that Audrey Hepburn wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and decided that was how she wanted to wear her hair. She wore her Great Great Aunt's pearl necklace and some pearl earrings she borrowed from me. Her date was a friend from school. They went with a group of friends and ate at the "Cheesecake Factory" before Prom.

The following day was Amelia's 18th birthday and she and 4 other friends headed to Ohio to spend the day at a local Amusement Park. They met up with other friends from school and spent the day riding roller coasters.

Now we just have to get through Graduation Open House and Graduation itself.

ART Blast

2009-05-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the Art Blast cards I put together for the Art Blast Swap through ARTchix. I was having a difficult time getting inspired to do the Swap...I just couldn't imagine coming up with something different. BUT, as the deadline draws closer...I knew that I had to come up with something.

I have learned so much since I started in January. I look back at my first creations and see a lot of growth. Part of the problem for me is that I like immediate gratification....so I don't dwell on my art after I've started creating it. Sometimes I look back and think...I should have....BUT, I do spend a lot of time BEFORE I start a piece looking and looking at it....moving things around, change this, changing that. Usually if I need to create 6 of something I can get the first 4 with no problem and the last two are not my favorites...loss of inspiration maybe...or sometimes it's that I've used up my favorite pieces on the required collage sheet.

Wow! This has gotten wordy....I think I will stop at this and tell you that I plan to do 6 more. That's my plan anyway...wish me luck!!

PW Tussie Mussie

2009-04-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I signed up to participate in Paper Whimsy's Tussie Mussie Swap and got Peggy Gatto's name! Yippee!!

I picked out the pattern I was going to use right away, but then I needed to wait until my order of flowers came from PW.

While visiting Nashville yesterday, I visited a WONDERFUL little store down there. I found all kinds of goodies to buy and added a few of them to Peggy's TM...hope she likes the extra treats INSIDE of the TM.

I used lots of items I already had on hand too. The large pink flower is one that I already had at home. I is a pin. I stuffed the cone with pink easter grass to give it body and to stick the flowers into.

Hope Peggy likes it!

Paper Doll Swap Idea and WINNER!

2009-04-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

So...like I said...I had many ideas for Helga for the next Swap. This was the last one...and the one that I got up early to finish yesterday morning. This was my first paper doll. Other than the ones that I played with as a child.

I made the skirt and blouse patterns by hand and used the face from one of Helga's Art Blast Cards. The arms and legs are from one of her paper doll collage sheets...and the cumberbun was from another collage sheet. Oh yes, I used some of the hands from the ARTchix shop too.

I was so excited when I got home this evening after a fun day of ATC supply shopping with a friend and job hunting after that. I got home to check my email and see what the next swap would be....Tee! Hee!! It's going to be MY idea....Party Girlz Paper Dolls. Yippee!!! I'm so excited!!! So, come one (yes, Dawn...you're the only one :) come all and play with me in the ARTchix Swap due in September. BTW, there are new Paper Doll Sheets coming out next week...can't wait to see what they are.

Paint Chip Swap Idea

2009-04-15T17:57:00.001-07:00

Ticket Swap Idea

2009-04-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well you see....I just can't pass on any of Helga's challenges. The challenge this last week was to come up with an idea for the next Swap. So I came up with about 5 ideas....and made samples for two of them on Monday night and then couldn't stop thinking about the third idea early on Tuesday morning. The challenges were due on Tuesday...so I got myself busy and started on my third idea. My first idea was to use ANY theater ticket for your background and create a collage with that. The second idea was to use paint chips to create art with. So, I'll post those pictures here. My third idea that I couldn't sleep over was Paper Dolls. I had originally considered Halloween Paper Dolls...but once I got into the doll...it was just a fun doll.

Amelia Rose

2009-04-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

The day my daughter was born almost 18 years ago was one of the happiest days of my life. We did not know if we were going to have a boy or a girl. We had picked out names for a boy, and we had picked out names for a girl. But, my husband was leaning towards going with his families tradition of just a first and last name if it was a girl. I wasn't sold on this idea, but my mind was open...that is until she was born. After she was born and we saw how beautiful she was, my husband said to me that I could name her whatever I wanted. I didn't skip a beat....she would be Amelia Rose. I knew that if it was a girl that she would be Amelia as I was always very interested in Amelia Earhart. The Rose comes from my Great Grandmother. And the name fits her.

Amelia is getting ready to end her High School years and begin her college years. She is our only child which makes the next couple of months that much more stressful for me. I'm thrilled to see her begin her new life, but I'm sad that I'm losing my little Amelia Rose.

This is a picture that I took of Amelia for one of her Senior Pictures. Since we're low on cash this year...I decided to take them myself....

I can't wait to see what she does with her life and creativity.

Oh! My!! New Pens....

2009-04-07T08:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got new pens...they're called Souffle Pens. I really wanted to try them out on something, but didn't want to use them on something that I might ruin. So you see, I had this image from the Dreaming in White ArtChix Collage Sheet, that is scary to me. Mostly because I had a doll as a child with eyes wide open that gave me nightmares. So, I decided that maybe I could make her a little more "special" and started doodling. This photo doesn't do the colors justice...they're much more ice creamy. After I finished doodling, I added the text heart and the vintage text background. The bird with the flower brad was the last to be added.

She is much more whimsical with all of the doodling on her than when she started out. I can actually look at her now and enjoy looking at her. Tee! Hee!!

Vintage White

2009-04-06T18:35:00.001-07:00

I joined a group of ArtChix ladies that started a Round Robin for altered books. This is my first time to attempt these books, so it's been a challenge so far. This book...the Buffy's Vintage White altered book was fun, but a challenge to come up with something I thought was worthy of her book.

I started a page with an idea, but unfortunately, part way through...I ruined the picture and the page with my gel medium. The picture that I had printed on velumn completely smeared and went all over everything. So, I regrouped and this is what I came up with.

The page on the right is the one that I did first. The best part was I got my sewing machine out and stitched the picture, the muslin, and the mulberry paper to the page...then I stitched the lace onto the page too.

I hope Buffy likes what I've done!

Visitor to our Yard

2009-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

We live in central Indiana in the boondocks. We have woods and meadow all around us and it's not uncommon for us to look out the window and see some sort of wildlife. We've had a large group of deer eating out of my flower garden this winter and we have many squirrels that entertain us every day. I have been noticing a fox farther down the road and have tried to make sure I have my camera with me while I travel. The one day that I could have had a great picture, I scared the fox off while fumbling for my camera.

This day was a different story...last weekend I was creating in my studio and I happened to catch something moving outside of my window. To my surprise it was the fox...and the best part was, my camera was sitting RIGHT THERE. I grabbed it and ran to the windows on the front side of my house and started shooting pictures. This was the best one of the lot. As you can see, a nice health fox. After I was finished taking pictures, I headed outside to make sure our cat was in the garage. I wasn't really worried for her, but for the fox. I've seen her chase a fox out of our yard before. She doesn't realize that she has no claws and that she's a cat.

I can't wait to see what will visit our yard next.

My First Follower

2009-04-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I just signed on to add a little blurb about a visitor to our yard last week when I saw that I have a follower. Yippee!!! I will warn you, I'm not terribly interesting...and sometimes I get wordy and forget that I'm not just talking to myself...but I'll try to make it entertaining. Now, I need to figure out how to spiff this blog site up.

Paper Whimsy Chunky ATC

2009-04-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've joined the Paper Whimsy group and this was my second swap with the group. I got Mary Ann's name and this is what I created for her. Since I'm still new to the group, and I really only had a few sheets of papers, I needed to wait until my order came from PW to finish this up. I did know that I wanted to go with the turquoise color though, and had just recently purchased this crackle paint. I painted and waited for it to dry, and then I sanded down the edges to give it a worn look. After I got my items from PW, I knew what I was going to do and started creating. My favorite part is embellishing. A little of this and a little of that. I knew that I wanted to add a knob on the top, so I headed out to the local Hobby Lobby to take a look at what they had. I tried this one, I tried that one...but my favorite one was this clock face. Now that I think about it, I should have bought more. You know how it is when you find a pair of shoes or a pair of jeans that fits perfectly and you wish you had purchased more than one pair....

Anyway, this was my first attempt at a Chunky ATC and I'm happy with my results.

Starry Starry Night in Paris

2009-04-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

Helga has given us another challenge...what would you dream about if you were to travel to Paris?

I started thinking about Starry Starry Night and how I could incorporate it into my dream. My dream would be to enjoy the Eiffel Tower at night...with all of the city lights, the stars, and the moon to light it up.

I got out my oil pastels and started recreating Starry Starry Night. I started with my black piece of paper that measures 6" x 7". I had already envisioned where the Eiffel Tower was going and what other pieces from ArtChix I was going to use. I hope to mat and frame this one and enjoy it further on the wall.

Now...on to make my dream a reality.

Dreaming

2009-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been finding myself dreaming about art. I like to think about what I'm going to create and how I'm going to do it before I start the piece. I lay everything out and move it around, add to the base of the creation before I glue it all down. I hate to make mistakes, so that is why I take the time to play with my creation.

Sometimes I wake up and realize that I have had a dream about what I should do for a piece of art. I try to build on the idea and see how I can make it better. Sometimes I complete a piece and after I've taken pictures of it, I realize that I'm not happy with it and it needs something. So, I work on it a bit more and take a new picture.

I think my dreams are an extension of what I think during the waking hour. Uninhibited...without boundries....freedom....DREAMS

This piece is one that I dreamed about...it all started out with the moon.....this 4x4 stretched canvas was painted by me and then the ArtChix collage pieces were added to complete the look. I love the colors in this one.

Inspiration

2009-01-29T04:42:00.000-08:00

I have met so many wonderful new friends through creating and trading at ArtChix.com. I've been encouraged, I've been stretched, I've been inspired.

Because of their inspiration, I have continued weekly to create new pieces of art. Helga from ArtChix has created a weekly challenge to stretch our imagination. For the past two weeks I've taken her challenge and was surprised to win some fun goodie bags from her. But the topper was to be shown as Inspiration for one of her collage sheets along with Cindy McMath.

I'm in love with the thought of creating art every day. That's what is keeping me going right now. It's nice to have an obsession. And such a fun one too.

The ATC that was posted on my last post was what I won Helga's weekly challenge with. I'm posting a picture of the Twinchie that was used for Helga's Inspiration on her Blog http://www.myartisticlife.typepad.com/ This Twinchie was used using ArtChix's Fade to Black Collage Sheet. http://www.artchixstudio.com/mall/m178.asp

I can't wait to be challenged again.

Challenging My Ability

2009-01-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite memories from the past is going to Herron Art School for Saturday classes while I was still in High School. I loved art. I lived for art. Art was the only thing that kept me in school. I think I took most of the classes that our school offered. I won a scholarship to go to the Saturday classes, and my parents paid for my sister to attend with me too. We had some friends from another school that we shared a ride with. They were guys and we had a blast riding with them in their Ford Pinto FIRE TRAP. The guys took animation classes, I took Basic Composition...and to tell you the truth, I can't remember what my sister took.

Some of the fun of attending Herron was visiting the Book Store. New art supplies...what could be better?! To this day, I love new pens, papers, pencils...art supplies.

While art was a big part of my life in High School, I found little time to create after I headed out into the real world. What I did do were crafts. These were easy to do and filled that creative void I had.

Twenty-five years later, all it took was a new friend to push me just a little bit...and for me to loose my job. I've started creating again, and I'm loving it. I've reconnected with an old middle school friend that is also artistic and I spend a lot of time thinking about new creations and creating challenges.

This week's challenge was presented by Helga of ArtChix.com. She challenged us to use the scraps from an old project and create something new. For me, that was a tuffish challenge as I have very few scraps. But, I mulled it around yesterday, and then slept on it...spent the day cleaning house and my craft room, and then sat down and used the scraps to create a new ATC. I was happy with the result when I finished. I hate to finish them though, because I know that someday I will be passing them along to someone else. What I did learn from this challenge was, I fell like I'm back in High School. Learning new lessons.