Carol Ann - her crown

Back in January when I was visiting my daughter Kelly in Las Vegas, I was playing on Larry’s new computer that I took with me.  I like to check out and read about other artists, read my email, check into facebook and see what everyone is doing, and I play several games on FB with friends.

One night Cecile posted that the first five people who replied to her post and were willing to repost to their own FB page, would receive a handmade gift from her sometime within the coming year.  I wanted to do this but I had to think about if I really had the time to commit to this.  A year!  Okay, sure, I will make time and this will be fun, even if I don’t have a clue as to what I am going to
make.

I clicked on Cecile’s post and then reposted to my FB page.  I had three takers quickly.  Carol Ann who I only know as one of my FB friends but gave support and encouragement when my grandson was born premature was my first post.  She is funny, determined, and from the comments I read from those who truly know her, she is a friend to treasure--and I do.  Cecile herself posted back to my page and I have known her since our children were very small.  She is a caring and talented individual and
we recently re-connected on FB.  Sherri was my third post and we refer to each other as cousins because it is easier to explain than her mother is my aunt’s sister. 

I sent Carol Ann, Cecile and Sherri a note asking some simple questions that would help me personalize each of their art pieces when I got back to my studio and figured out what I would be making for them.

1.       Favorite color
2.       2^{nd f}avorite color
3.       Hobbies
4.       Favorite word
5.       Favorite quote
6.       Describe yourself in 5 words
7.       Favorite city
8.       Children’s names
9.       What is your lucky number
10.   What colors do you hate

What to make?  I browsed through my files looking for ideas.  Finally I decided on crowns.  Carol Ann’s favorite colors are celery green and turquoise.  She likes to sunbathe, read historical romance novels, swim, cross stitch, cheer for her beloved LSU “Geaux Tigers” and the New Orleans Saints with their Flur De Leis symbol.  She has one son, JC, does not like orange, brown, or magenta, her favorite number is 13, and  she is sensitive, loyal, caring, outgoing, and funny.  “What Ever”   This is her favorite saying. 

I made a pattern, painted it, altered it, changed it, papered it, and finally I had a turquoise base that I liked.  Now it was time to embellish.  Authentic vintage 1960’s purple Mardi Gras beads from New Orleans, a black glittered Flur De Leis in the center of the crown and fabric Flur De Leis trim to honor the Saints, gems, rhinestones, a handmade miniature mask for Mardi Gras, red lips to symbolize romance novels, and the song title, "Oh When The Saints Go Marching In".  This adorned one side of the crown.  The celery green side had had handmade fabric flowers, metal and felt #13, a pink felt bird with real feathers, miniature voodoo doll, initials for Carol Ann and her son, and “Geaux Tigers.”

I researched the meaning of numbers, symbols, words, colors, and then included everything in
a poem I wrote for Carol Ann:

Gorgeous, glorious, and glittering
“Whatever”
Don’t know
Don’t care
I’m not listening
It’s not worth my time
I’m bored
I’m tired
I’m done
“Whatever”
She roars like a tiger “Geaux”
Protective of her cub
Jackson Charles
Living in the romantic south
A belle without a bonnet in the sun
Leaving you in stitches
She’s New Orleans royalty
A “fleur-de-lis” lily
Full of hope and joy
Constant, loyal, fair and generous
Carol Ann
Her name is a song on eagle’s wings
Soaring with nimble fingers
Tending her farm
An ethereal friend
Powerful and poised like a dragonfly
Living life with a deeper meaning
You are Carol Ann
Daughter, wife, mother, friend
A queen who deserves a crown

Three weeks after I started the crown I mailed it off by FedEx to Carol Ann.  One down, two to go. 

Wednesday April 29th art card donation

Two weeks ago my monthly art group met and Vicki taught us how to make watercolor cards with rubber stamps and ink pads. It was so much fun and she provided an amazing array of specialty papers to mat our finished works of art onto.

I took one of my pieces and mounted it onto cardstock to make a crad and it was my Wednesday donation card for art this week.

I was given a gift of a new technique and I gave the gift I made away.

Las Vegas...it's more than the strip

Unique Art Frames

What a great idea to create a new piece of art each day and if you don't like it, just make a new one. This would be a terrific gift for mothers day. http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/paper-pad-doodle-frame

Art Card Donation

On Wednesdays I attend an art demo class at Stampadoodle in Bellingham. They demonstrate new techniques, new products, or new ways to use existing products, materials, and tools.

Those who attend can donate handmade cards that are sold and the profits are used to buy art supplies for programs helping youth at risk within our community.

My card was inspired by one I saw on Martha Stewarts website.

Stampadoodle cards

Visit My Photos - 16 Pics
Stampadoodle cards

Pamela's art

I’ve met a wonderful and talented artist named Pamela. She makes the most amazing custom credit card wallet. They are made from polymer clay with a metallic sheen, polymer clay buttons for a clasp, and beautiful papers folded to form the credit card sleeves. Pamela is selling her wallets on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5161444


We are both meeting part of a new group of artist who have varied artistic backgrounds from knitting, polymer clay, fantasy figures, fused glass, beads, paper arts, and mixed media. It’s a fun way to see what other artists are creating and share information.

Paper baby dresses and pinafores

This set of paper baby dresses with pinafores is the third example for a future art class for GRADS.

I have used coordinating papers that are doubled sided for the peek-a-boo hem at the bottom. The pinafores are attached at the shoulders and a pink ribbon is woven through the dresses so that they can be hung on a wall.

The little dresses are named: princess, buttons and bows, and sweet pea. The colors are soft greens, pinks, and white. I’ve embossed, used buttons, glitter, and a sheer fabric lace to decorate the pinafores.

Paper Dress

This is the second paper dress sample for an art class that I will teach at the GRADS teen parent program.

The template folds forming a box that can hold a secret message or a special treasure between the front and back of the dress that are held together with a piece of ribbon.

There are layers of decorative papers, tissue, paints, embossed designs, and cut outs forming the front of the dress. The back of the dress is torn pieces of paper glued down to form a ruffled train.

Playing dress up

Playing dress up
Mommy’s heels
Her pearls and earrings
Twirling round and round
Watching everything she did
Wanting to be just like her
I’m all grown up,
A style of my own
But inside my heart
My soul and my mind
The woman I am
Mother, wife, daughter, sister
Is because of my mother
Walking in her shoes
Dancing in her love
Just doing it my way
Me

Inchies

Last year I made my first inchie, but after it was finished I wondered what to do with it. I was busy with other art projects and most of my time was being devoured trying to design scrapbook layouts (I am not a scrapbook person, but took on the job when a friend could not continue due to illness) for the GRADS teen parent program I teach art to.

Recently I was attending the Wednesday mini lunch demo and they were showing a variety of art techniques and materials to make inchies. But what really caught my attention was how to display them. Someone brought in their collection mounted on matt board and ready to be framed. What I really loved was the instructor framed four of her inchies in a small dollar store frame with four photo windows.

My mind was whirling and as soon as the class was over I was off to the dollar store. I bought 20 black frames that each had four openings resembling a mini version of the larger photo display screens/room dividers.

I pulled out a variety of supplies, paper, beads, embossing powders, stencil paste, pens, and more and set to work to make three more inchies. I didn’t realize until I was finished that all four inchies had a bird theme because I had been to busy playing. I removed the glass from the frames and cut black suede paper for the matt and then mounted the inchies.

Yahoo! The first of my ten art class samples for the next school year was complete. I know they girls are going to have so much fun making their own mini art pieces, framing them, and displaying them at home.

In my journey to learn a little bit more about inchies I found some wonderful websites with information, insight, and trades. I also learned that inchies are one inch by one inch but there are variations on the same theme. There are fat inchies or plus size inchies 1 ½ “x 1 ½”, twinchies 2” x 2”, thrinchies 3” x 3”, and extreme inchies 1” x 2 ½”.

Inch: At first an inch was the width of a man's thumb. In the 14th century, King Edward II of England ruled that 1 inch equaled 3 grains of barley placed end to end lengthwise.

Happy Birthday to me

I just celebrated another birthday, but what does having another birthday really mean? My kids love it because I celebrate my annual 27th birthday. My daughter informed my brother that her mom was twenty-seven and being the accountant he is, said “your mom is fifty-seven”. It’s a number, that’s all. When I had my car accident I lost the left brain accounting skills that had always kept me employed and discovered the right brain artistic part of me that couldn’t quit escape and find freedom until that fateful day.

Now I have a studio filled with all sorts of artistic supplies and a lot of found items that I incorporate into my art. The supplies range from fabric, paint, shrink plastic, fibers, ribbons, metallic powders, paper of every imaginable type and color, tools that curl things and tools to straighten things, soldering irons, travel irons, mosaic tiles, canvas, wood, plastic, it just doesn’t seem to end.

I have a husband who works to support my habit and laughs that I would rather spend hours browsing a craft or thrift store with twenty dollars than shop at Macy’s. I find joy in creating gifts for family and friends especially using family photos of treasured memories. I also love to donate art to help other organizations that benefit my community. If we look deeply within ourselves, we can all find a way to give to the organizations that help care for those in need who can’t always help themselves.

But in my little studio I am working on three little canvases that have my childhood pictures incorporated into them and this will be my gift to me. It is easier for me to use pictures of other family members than to use pictures of myself, so this is also a challenge for me. Maybe it is the reality that when someone looks at those old black and white photos they will see the child still hiding inside of me.

Jim & Heather - Christmas art

Mary's Christmas present