April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
Today's letter is P, and I have to say, it will be really difficult to top my last P entry in the A to Z challenge. If you want to see it, you can click here. But, for today, since my theme is art and not poetry or punnery, I will stick with paint, pens and pencils. Because those are certainly artistic mediums!
Paint: I prefer acrylic. I use a variety of brands and styles, from cheap craft paints to luxurious Golden brand paints and a variety of others in-between. I also enjoy using watercolors, but I will save those for a later post.
Pens: Paint pens, gel pens, fountain pens- they all have their own uses, and one can never really have too many, can they? (don't tell me if it's so. I don't want to hear it.)
Pencils: Besides just the standard No. 2, there are Prismacolor (wax based and my daughter's personal favorite medium); Watercolor pencils including Aquarelle, Inktense, and Stabilo All; Charcoal and other graphite pencils; and my personal favorite, mechanical pencils.
Thank you for dropping by today. I'm so happy you are here. It would be so nice if you left a comment to say hi!
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Blogging A to Z: Neutral
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
Many people enjoy soft NEUTRAL colors, and that is really obvious if you look at Pinterest and focus on decorating ideas. The current obsession with white walls, white furnishings, white accents holds absolutely no appeal to me.
BUT... they have their place in art, just like any other color. White, brown and black are all amazing accents and when done well, a piece that uses only neutral colors can be very peaceful. It is not my preference, but then without the addition of black or white to colors there would be no variety either.
Here are a few Artist Trading Cards I have made using all or mostly neutral colors.
Thank you for dropping by today! I hope you enjoyed your visit and I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
Many people enjoy soft NEUTRAL colors, and that is really obvious if you look at Pinterest and focus on decorating ideas. The current obsession with white walls, white furnishings, white accents holds absolutely no appeal to me.
BUT... they have their place in art, just like any other color. White, brown and black are all amazing accents and when done well, a piece that uses only neutral colors can be very peaceful. It is not my preference, but then without the addition of black or white to colors there would be no variety either.
Here are a few Artist Trading Cards I have made using all or mostly neutral colors.
Thank you for dropping by today! I hope you enjoyed your visit and I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Blogging A to Z: M for Mail Art
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
Oh, my. I had so many choices for M--modern, mixed media, modeling paste... but I'll settle on one today that makes me oh, so happy; Mail Art. The post office doesn't even have to have the correct address on my mail (although I'm sure it helps!) to deliver it to me. My incoming and outgoing mail is almost all highly decorated--or at least sports a strip or two of washi tape...
I'll Share a few photos with you and leave it at that for today. They speak for themselves. :)
Thank you for dropping by today. I'd love to read your comments if you care to leave any.
Oh, my. I had so many choices for M--modern, mixed media, modeling paste... but I'll settle on one today that makes me oh, so happy; Mail Art. The post office doesn't even have to have the correct address on my mail (although I'm sure it helps!) to deliver it to me. My incoming and outgoing mail is almost all highly decorated--or at least sports a strip or two of washi tape...
I'll Share a few photos with you and leave it at that for today. They speak for themselves. :)
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| Recycled Chiptole take-out bag. Yes, I mailed it with the handles still on it. :) |
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| Black and white... |
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| This postcard was made mostly from junk-mail pieces. |
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| Phone book map envelopes. |
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| Another postcard from junk mail pieces. |
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| Altered file folder filled with goodies and enclosed in a clear bag for mailing. |
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Blogging A to Z: L is for Layers
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
One thing I love about mixed media is the use of layers. It's not about just drawing a picture or slapping down some paint. It's about adding ephemera, stamped designs, paint, ink, and anything else that comes to mind or fingertip! Layers can add texture or other dimension that you just can't get without them.
In one piece I might start out with some crumpled tissue paper glued down to a paper. By the time the piece is finished you might not see any of the original paper, but because of its presence there is a rich texture that resonates throughout the piece.
Here is an example of texture made with layers. This has modeling paste, paint, ink, watercolor, wire and tape. Of course not all the layers need to add texture. Below is an example of layers of tape...
Layering is a great way to create, whether it is with different colors of paint, or a variety of media.
Thank you for stopping by to visit me today! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know you were here!
One thing I love about mixed media is the use of layers. It's not about just drawing a picture or slapping down some paint. It's about adding ephemera, stamped designs, paint, ink, and anything else that comes to mind or fingertip! Layers can add texture or other dimension that you just can't get without them.
In one piece I might start out with some crumpled tissue paper glued down to a paper. By the time the piece is finished you might not see any of the original paper, but because of its presence there is a rich texture that resonates throughout the piece.
Thank you for stopping by to visit me today! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know you were here!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Blogging A to Z: K is for Knife
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
There are two types of knives I use in my art: an Xacto or other variety of a razor knife, and a palette knife.
While there is only one real use for a razor knife, cutting, there is nothing like the precision you get with a sharp point. Mostly I use it to cut text out of books for use in mixed media, but sometimes I cut a stencil or need it for fine detail work. I'll confess it is not my favorite way of cutting, as I don't seem to have very good control and often cut things I hadn't intended to cut.
The palette knife is one of the more useful tools I have on my table. It can be used for mixing or applying paint or other media either on a palette or directly to the work itself. My favorite use is for spreading modeling paste or glass bead gel onto the art through a stencil. The smooth flat edge makes it easy to press the media into the stencil while controlling the surface and depth. It is one of the tools I reach for quite frequently, especially when I am journaling.
There are several shapes and sizes available, but I find I mostly reach for the same diamond shaped plastic one. I invested in a metal one with a longer thinner blade, but I don't seem to have as much control, so I keep going back to the old cheap one. At any rate, I'm glad there are options. :) Below are a couple of examples where I used a palette knife to apply modeling paste. The flowers on the top card, the feathers on the left side of the page below.
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you'll leave me a comment to say hi!
There are two types of knives I use in my art: an Xacto or other variety of a razor knife, and a palette knife.
While there is only one real use for a razor knife, cutting, there is nothing like the precision you get with a sharp point. Mostly I use it to cut text out of books for use in mixed media, but sometimes I cut a stencil or need it for fine detail work. I'll confess it is not my favorite way of cutting, as I don't seem to have very good control and often cut things I hadn't intended to cut.
The palette knife is one of the more useful tools I have on my table. It can be used for mixing or applying paint or other media either on a palette or directly to the work itself. My favorite use is for spreading modeling paste or glass bead gel onto the art through a stencil. The smooth flat edge makes it easy to press the media into the stencil while controlling the surface and depth. It is one of the tools I reach for quite frequently, especially when I am journaling.
There are several shapes and sizes available, but I find I mostly reach for the same diamond shaped plastic one. I invested in a metal one with a longer thinner blade, but I don't seem to have as much control, so I keep going back to the old cheap one. At any rate, I'm glad there are options. :) Below are a couple of examples where I used a palette knife to apply modeling paste. The flowers on the top card, the feathers on the left side of the page below.
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you'll leave me a comment to say hi!
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Weekend in Review: Wheels and Whine
It has been quite awhile since I have done a weekend in review post, so I thought I would do one since I am, you know, posting every day this month! :)
Oh my goodness! Spring is simply stunning this year, and today Ornery and I spent a whole day playing outside in the back yard. HE would say we were working, but honestly, when a day is as beautiful as this one was, I am pretty sure it was a pleasure to be outside, no matter what we were doing. And what were we doing?
I am so glad you asked! We were getting our backyard ready for the summer. We turned the soil in the two raised vegetable beds, transplanted four mature nandina bushes to a spot outside my studio window, moved around some pots and transplanted a few perennials that had managed to winter over in pots.
Ornery unclogged his staple gun (a procedure that took so long I thought he had gotten lost or something) and used it around four raised beds to get the landscape fabric up off the ground. The highlight of his day was using his cordless drill to hang the rain gauge on the fence. I swept, raked, hoed, shoveled, bent over and over and over... and boy am I feeling a winter of inactivity! Anyway, we got about 75% of the work out there finished, and even planted some little seedlings courtesy of my sweet daughter who has been ever so faithfully watering them every day since Valentine's Day. I planted six tomatoes and two zucchini squash plants. :) I also transplanted three herbs that had over-wintered. I am using one 4X8' bed for vegetables and the other one for herbs. Next weekend we will finish all the planting, and hopefully get some fresh mulch down on the bed we removed the nandinas from.
Yesterday we went grocery shopping and worked a little bit in the front yard--I planted a few new perennial flowers I picked up at Whole Foods--and Ornery mowed. He had just finished with the mower and was getting the weed eater out when the skies opened up. It was great sleeping weather, so we had a nap, which kept us awake much later into the night than we are used to, so we ended up sleeping in this morning.
The other news is that I am now in possession of my old van again. Ornery is not thrilled because it is pretty much a heap of junk, but it is wheels and it does run, so I now have a bit of freedom to come and go while he is at work. It has been almost four years (?) since I have driven, and I can't say I had missed it at all until Ornery was gone for a whole week and I couldn't get my mail! :( Very sad. Anyway, Elizabeth and Michael brought it over Saturday so now I can't use the excuse of "I don't have a car" anymore. Not that I ever offer excuses... :)
Rain is in the forecast for the next five days. Thursday we have an appointment with the county tax assessor's office to contest their property valuation on our rental property. Boy, I sure hope they lower the taxes on it!
And that's been our weekend. It was nice!
Oh my goodness! Spring is simply stunning this year, and today Ornery and I spent a whole day playing outside in the back yard. HE would say we were working, but honestly, when a day is as beautiful as this one was, I am pretty sure it was a pleasure to be outside, no matter what we were doing. And what were we doing?
I am so glad you asked! We were getting our backyard ready for the summer. We turned the soil in the two raised vegetable beds, transplanted four mature nandina bushes to a spot outside my studio window, moved around some pots and transplanted a few perennials that had managed to winter over in pots.
Ornery unclogged his staple gun (a procedure that took so long I thought he had gotten lost or something) and used it around four raised beds to get the landscape fabric up off the ground. The highlight of his day was using his cordless drill to hang the rain gauge on the fence. I swept, raked, hoed, shoveled, bent over and over and over... and boy am I feeling a winter of inactivity! Anyway, we got about 75% of the work out there finished, and even planted some little seedlings courtesy of my sweet daughter who has been ever so faithfully watering them every day since Valentine's Day. I planted six tomatoes and two zucchini squash plants. :) I also transplanted three herbs that had over-wintered. I am using one 4X8' bed for vegetables and the other one for herbs. Next weekend we will finish all the planting, and hopefully get some fresh mulch down on the bed we removed the nandinas from.
Yesterday we went grocery shopping and worked a little bit in the front yard--I planted a few new perennial flowers I picked up at Whole Foods--and Ornery mowed. He had just finished with the mower and was getting the weed eater out when the skies opened up. It was great sleeping weather, so we had a nap, which kept us awake much later into the night than we are used to, so we ended up sleeping in this morning.
The other news is that I am now in possession of my old van again. Ornery is not thrilled because it is pretty much a heap of junk, but it is wheels and it does run, so I now have a bit of freedom to come and go while he is at work. It has been almost four years (?) since I have driven, and I can't say I had missed it at all until Ornery was gone for a whole week and I couldn't get my mail! :( Very sad. Anyway, Elizabeth and Michael brought it over Saturday so now I can't use the excuse of "I don't have a car" anymore. Not that I ever offer excuses... :)
Rain is in the forecast for the next five days. Thursday we have an appointment with the county tax assessor's office to contest their property valuation on our rental property. Boy, I sure hope they lower the taxes on it!
And that's been our weekend. It was nice!
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Blogging A to Z: J is for Journal
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
One of the things a lot of artists use as a learning tool is a Journal. This can take many different forms, and in fact I have several journals, each with a different theme or purpose. These journals can be made by hand or purchased, and can have special paper inside, or just plain white. A lot depends on what you are planning to put inside as to what the paper should be made of.
Over the past sixteen months I have been involved in traveling art journal projects with friends I met through social media--primarily Instagram. Each artist creates her own journal (we have so far all been women) and decorates the cover, outside and inside. Some people also add a sign-in page for the artists to log their name and contact information, but some just rely on the artist to sign their pages. The blank journal travels around to each participating artist, who then creates two pages of their own style of art inside before passing it on to the next one. The end results of these treasures have been fantastic! None of the artists that have been in these round-robins are professional artists, but the work is inspiring, nonetheless!
Here are a few photos of some of the pages I have done in other people's journals:
Usually artists keep at least one journal to draw or practice or record ideas. I have not been very good at keeping up with the habit, but eventually I would like to add something to my journal every day. Just like any skill, the more you practice it, the better you become. It would certainly stretch my creative muscles a bit!
Another form of journal that has gained a bit of popularity in the last few years is called a Junk Journal. Paper crafters often have a lot of bits and pieces left over from various projects, whether scrapbooking, making cards, or whatever. A great place to put these things that are too pretty to throw away is inside a junk journal; also called smash books and glue books. The main thing I keep in my Junk Journals is mail art. Sometimes you can recycle an old book to use as the base pages for the journal, just gluing things onto the pages that are already there. My junk journal is completely comprised of items I received in the mail, and I repurpose the envelopes I especially like into pockets to hold other bits of mail such as post cards and small inclusions. I keep it all in 8" 3-ring binders. Here is a video (my first ever YouTube!) of one of my junk journals. I have three volumes now. :)
I am still becoming friendly with art journaling. It isn't that I don't enjoy it, because I really do, but I haven't yet made it a priority. At any rate, I love the journals I do have, and hope to get more consistent through the months to come. Thanks for dropping by, today! I'd love to read your comments! :)
One of the things a lot of artists use as a learning tool is a Journal. This can take many different forms, and in fact I have several journals, each with a different theme or purpose. These journals can be made by hand or purchased, and can have special paper inside, or just plain white. A lot depends on what you are planning to put inside as to what the paper should be made of.
Over the past sixteen months I have been involved in traveling art journal projects with friends I met through social media--primarily Instagram. Each artist creates her own journal (we have so far all been women) and decorates the cover, outside and inside. Some people also add a sign-in page for the artists to log their name and contact information, but some just rely on the artist to sign their pages. The blank journal travels around to each participating artist, who then creates two pages of their own style of art inside before passing it on to the next one. The end results of these treasures have been fantastic! None of the artists that have been in these round-robins are professional artists, but the work is inspiring, nonetheless!
Here are a few photos of some of the pages I have done in other people's journals:
Usually artists keep at least one journal to draw or practice or record ideas. I have not been very good at keeping up with the habit, but eventually I would like to add something to my journal every day. Just like any skill, the more you practice it, the better you become. It would certainly stretch my creative muscles a bit!
Another form of journal that has gained a bit of popularity in the last few years is called a Junk Journal. Paper crafters often have a lot of bits and pieces left over from various projects, whether scrapbooking, making cards, or whatever. A great place to put these things that are too pretty to throw away is inside a junk journal; also called smash books and glue books. The main thing I keep in my Junk Journals is mail art. Sometimes you can recycle an old book to use as the base pages for the journal, just gluing things onto the pages that are already there. My junk journal is completely comprised of items I received in the mail, and I repurpose the envelopes I especially like into pockets to hold other bits of mail such as post cards and small inclusions. I keep it all in 8" 3-ring binders. Here is a video (my first ever YouTube!) of one of my junk journals. I have three volumes now. :)
I am still becoming friendly with art journaling. It isn't that I don't enjoy it, because I really do, but I haven't yet made it a priority. At any rate, I love the journals I do have, and hope to get more consistent through the months to come. Thanks for dropping by, today! I'd love to read your comments! :)
Friday, April 10, 2015
Blogging A to Z: The Letter i
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
One of the tools in the mixed-media artist's arsenal is ink. It comes in such an amazing array of colors and a wide variety of styles that it is one of the more versatile mediums available. Most people are familiar with ink pens. Of course these are very important for art, especially drawing. Whether using gel pens or markers, I find myself reaching for a pen for almost every project, and I am not very good at drawing! Anyone can draw a circle, though, and I draw those a lot. :)
In addition to pens and markers, there are lots of varieties of bottled ink--acrylic, carbon, India Ink... Dick Blick has dozens of varieties for sale. I have a small collection of bottled inks by Windsor & Newton, FW, Higgins and Clearsnap's Smooch and Aladine Izink, which are my favorites because of the pearlized finish. These can be dripped or painted on, as well as used with a dip pen.
Of course there are also ink pads, which come in Dye ink, Archival Ink, Distress Ink, Pigment Ink... and all the refills, which can not only replenish the pads, but used full strength or watered down to dip or spray or drop and splatter. Some markers are refillable, such as Copic and Spectrum Noir which means that the refills are another source for ink colors to apply in any of those ways.
I have already discussed Alcohol Ink in my Letter A post, but it is so fun to use!
The last section of inks I want to highlight is the spray. Several brands of spray inks are readily available, many by Ranger, Inc., but there are other manufacturers as well; Lindy's Stamp Gang, Tattered Angels, etc. Some of the sprays are infused with minerals to give them a shimmery look. Of course those are my personal favorites, but I am happy with any source of color, whether it shines or not!
Here is an example of an Artist Trading Card I made with a wide variety of inks.
I stamped with archival ink, sprayed with Adirondack, SEI and Dylusions spray ink, drew with a gel pen, and dripped IZink which I then sprayed with pressurized air to spread.
And here are a few more examples of some work made mostly with ink.
Next time you look at any printed page, whether in a magazine, a newspaper, or a letter, remember that at some point ink was applied to it in some manner. We take it for granted, but ink is an important part of our lives every day! Thanks for stopping by today, and if you'd like to leave a comment, I would be so happy! :)
One of the tools in the mixed-media artist's arsenal is ink. It comes in such an amazing array of colors and a wide variety of styles that it is one of the more versatile mediums available. Most people are familiar with ink pens. Of course these are very important for art, especially drawing. Whether using gel pens or markers, I find myself reaching for a pen for almost every project, and I am not very good at drawing! Anyone can draw a circle, though, and I draw those a lot. :)
In addition to pens and markers, there are lots of varieties of bottled ink--acrylic, carbon, India Ink... Dick Blick has dozens of varieties for sale. I have a small collection of bottled inks by Windsor & Newton, FW, Higgins and Clearsnap's Smooch and Aladine Izink, which are my favorites because of the pearlized finish. These can be dripped or painted on, as well as used with a dip pen.
Of course there are also ink pads, which come in Dye ink, Archival Ink, Distress Ink, Pigment Ink... and all the refills, which can not only replenish the pads, but used full strength or watered down to dip or spray or drop and splatter. Some markers are refillable, such as Copic and Spectrum Noir which means that the refills are another source for ink colors to apply in any of those ways.
I have already discussed Alcohol Ink in my Letter A post, but it is so fun to use!
The last section of inks I want to highlight is the spray. Several brands of spray inks are readily available, many by Ranger, Inc., but there are other manufacturers as well; Lindy's Stamp Gang, Tattered Angels, etc. Some of the sprays are infused with minerals to give them a shimmery look. Of course those are my personal favorites, but I am happy with any source of color, whether it shines or not!
Here is an example of an Artist Trading Card I made with a wide variety of inks.
And here are a few more examples of some work made mostly with ink.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Blogging A to Z: Today is brought to you by the letter H
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
The word that begins with the letter for today is Heat Gun.
A heat gun is like a supercharged hand-held hair dryer. The heat is used to set embossing powder, melt plastic, alter paint and dry things when you are too impatient to wait for nature to take its course. I have an inexpensive heat gun from Hobby Lobby, and it is my least favorite color, pink, but one day I'd love to own a Milwaukee Heat Gun.
While the post may be uninspiring, the tool itself is sort of magical. It takes an inked image from flat and dull to raised shiny and permanent when the heat is applied to embossing powder. I purchased my first heat tool about 15 years ago upon seeing it demonstrated for the first time, and had to replace it about a year ago. But these days I use it for other things, mostly drying paint and setting mediums, so I don't think it will last as long as that first one did. I still find it entrancing to witness the transformation of embossing powder when heat is applied. I tried to find a good YouTube video to demonstrate what I mean, but most of them don't really show the transformation. One of these days I will do my own videos...
The word that begins with the letter for today is Heat Gun.
A heat gun is like a supercharged hand-held hair dryer. The heat is used to set embossing powder, melt plastic, alter paint and dry things when you are too impatient to wait for nature to take its course. I have an inexpensive heat gun from Hobby Lobby, and it is my least favorite color, pink, but one day I'd love to own a Milwaukee Heat Gun.
While the post may be uninspiring, the tool itself is sort of magical. It takes an inked image from flat and dull to raised shiny and permanent when the heat is applied to embossing powder. I purchased my first heat tool about 15 years ago upon seeing it demonstrated for the first time, and had to replace it about a year ago. But these days I use it for other things, mostly drying paint and setting mediums, so I don't think it will last as long as that first one did. I still find it entrancing to witness the transformation of embossing powder when heat is applied. I tried to find a good YouTube video to demonstrate what I mean, but most of them don't really show the transformation. One of these days I will do my own videos...
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
A Long Ramble about What I am Learning
As Ornery and I have been immersing ourselves in tools relating to increasing our net worth, we have been doing a lot of reading. We start our day early. The new programmable coffee maker comes on and performs its magic at 2:45, so by the time the alarm comes on at 3:00 AM, the coffee is already brewed and waiting. Magic, I tell you!
Bolstered by a few sips of caffeine, we spend some time reading, first a portion of a Bible Study book, then a chapter in Proverbs and some of the Psalms. Then we pray and read a wealth file from the T Harv Eker book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. After that we read aloud all the declarations from the book--even more than the ones printed on the free download pdf. Then we spend a few moments talking before I fix breakfast and Ornery goes to work, generally around 4:30.
Around 7:00 in the evening, Ornery climbs onto the recumbent exercise bike for a 30 minute ride, and while he pedals, I read some more, this time from the Dr. James Richards book, Wired for Success, Programmed for Failure. The chapters are short but powerful and often we comment that some point was especially apropos. The idea that success or failure depends solely on our beliefs is coming through loud and strong on every front.
A few days ago I plucked from the shelf in our library the EFT Manual by Dawson Church. Once again I am battered with truth that the beliefs of our hearts dictate every other circumstance in our lives. Every single one! Whether it is health, wealth, happiness, peace or any other situation, if I blame anyone other than myself and my beliefs for the current state, I am both deceiving myself and robbing myself of any possibility of moving beyond my current limitations.
I do not like this. Really, it is much easier to blame someone else (God, my parents, my husband, my kids, my friends, my enemies...) or some external circumstance for my current state than it is to face and assume responsibility for it. Especially if my current state is one that I don't like! Because if I say I don't like it and it is my choices that put me where I am, then I have to think about what secondary gain I have by remaining in my current state.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the conditioning I have received throughout my life. I am writing my memoirs and having to dig deep in the archives of my mind to rediscover what experiences I had and the ensuing choices and decisions that created the person I am today. It is work, and I admit that many days I have to do all sorts of things to convince myself it is worth the effort. I have been doing EFT on a plethora of fears, regrets, limitations and false beliefs. Day by day I can feel myself stepping into freedom, yet moment by moment I vacillate between feeling confident and being scared half to death; but at least I am feeling something.
Four years ago I had pretty well given up on life. I had an eye infection that severely limited my vision, my hip and back had reached such levels of pain I could barely walk from one end of my house to the other without sitting down, and feeling like I had no further purpose on this earth my emotions had reached an all time low. I quit driving, not having any depth of field or ability to focus clearly at a distance, and quit going out because I just didn't have the stamina to walk. Needless to say, my state was alarming to my family, and Ornery was really worried I would just check out one day and not come back. Honestly, I was worried about the same thing!
Eventually we were able to get the eye situation back under control, but I had sold my van to Elizabeth when she totaled her car so I haven't driven in almost four years. One day around the end of September 2013, I shared my fears, my complaints and my lack of will to live with Ornery and we decided together to do what we could to change the situation.
First I started going back to the chiropractor that had helped us both so much in the past. Getting the pain under control was a big relief. My weight, which had continued to increase no matter what I ate or didn't eat, stabilized and even went down slightly. I was able to sleep more soundly and took more of an interest in life in general. Because I rarely went out or saw people, I began seeking out correspondents with whom I could share conversation via the mail. I started expanding my circle of friends on Instagram, and discovered my inner artist. Between the letter writing and art my starving soul began to revive.
Each step along the way I have learned more about myself, and I have come to realize that as long as I allowed my external circumstances to dictate my happiness I would never be truly content; because let's face it, life can deal us some pretty hard blows! My memoirs have been revelatory on many levels, but I see clearly now that my unhealthy obsession with my weight has served me nothing but absolute misery my entire life, whatever level of fat (or not) I was.
It is easy to feel like I wasted 50 years driven by stories that were merely fiction in my head. I believed people would judge me by my body. I believed I was "less than" others because I could not control this aspect of my life. I believed I was not worthy or deserving of abundant life because I was fat. What a crock!! Oh, I realize now many would look at my body and judge me, but that is not because of my fault, it is because they are short-sighted or have also bought into a lie that people are only worth what they show at face value.
The truths I am learning about personal responsibility are liberating. If I (that is the inner-self or heart or subconscious) am the one in control then I can change anything about myself I truly want to change by changing my beliefs. If I chose my beliefs, I can change my beliefs. If I could not think clearly, had no tools at my disposal or didn't have any support system in place, I think this might be a daunting challenge. But my mind is clearer today than it has been in years, I have discovered a dozen or more tools to improve my quality of life, and I am married to an incredible support system and have God's grace--His power, ability, strength and capacity--within.
As for my weight, while I have so far not been able to significantly change that aspect of myself, I suspect it is just a matter or time. I have recently made numerous choices that will combine to create a healthier, more vibrant person and even if I don't ever take off the pounds, I think (hope) the inner me will shine so brightly that others will be blind to that aspect. Learning how to love myself is a lesson I wish I had undertaken to learn many years ago, but as long as I have breath, I have the possibility of changing for the better. And as I renew my mind by believing the truth of who and what God's word says I am, I am continually being transformed into the woman God intended for me to be. How fun is that?!
This week Elizabeth is bringing back my old van. She and Michael purchased a new car last fall and the van has just been sitting idle. So, I am going to be doing a lot of tapping on my fear of getting behind the wheel again, and working at overcoming my current constraints -- discomfort of being around a crowd of strangers; building up my stamina to walk from the car to the door and through stores or whatever places I decide to go; and who knows what other phobias and foibles I will need to cast off. I am proud of myself for attempting it, facing and overcoming the challenges.
As I trust Him more, God is gradually revealing exactly what purpose I have and how to tap into His grace to walk in it. By the time my memoir is finished it ought to offer hope and help to anyone who has struggled with a lifetime of obesity, feelings of unworthiness and fear of success. And I will have grown immeasurably. For the win!
Bolstered by a few sips of caffeine, we spend some time reading, first a portion of a Bible Study book, then a chapter in Proverbs and some of the Psalms. Then we pray and read a wealth file from the T Harv Eker book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. After that we read aloud all the declarations from the book--even more than the ones printed on the free download pdf. Then we spend a few moments talking before I fix breakfast and Ornery goes to work, generally around 4:30.
Around 7:00 in the evening, Ornery climbs onto the recumbent exercise bike for a 30 minute ride, and while he pedals, I read some more, this time from the Dr. James Richards book, Wired for Success, Programmed for Failure. The chapters are short but powerful and often we comment that some point was especially apropos. The idea that success or failure depends solely on our beliefs is coming through loud and strong on every front.
A few days ago I plucked from the shelf in our library the EFT Manual by Dawson Church. Once again I am battered with truth that the beliefs of our hearts dictate every other circumstance in our lives. Every single one! Whether it is health, wealth, happiness, peace or any other situation, if I blame anyone other than myself and my beliefs for the current state, I am both deceiving myself and robbing myself of any possibility of moving beyond my current limitations.
I do not like this. Really, it is much easier to blame someone else (God, my parents, my husband, my kids, my friends, my enemies...) or some external circumstance for my current state than it is to face and assume responsibility for it. Especially if my current state is one that I don't like! Because if I say I don't like it and it is my choices that put me where I am, then I have to think about what secondary gain I have by remaining in my current state.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the conditioning I have received throughout my life. I am writing my memoirs and having to dig deep in the archives of my mind to rediscover what experiences I had and the ensuing choices and decisions that created the person I am today. It is work, and I admit that many days I have to do all sorts of things to convince myself it is worth the effort. I have been doing EFT on a plethora of fears, regrets, limitations and false beliefs. Day by day I can feel myself stepping into freedom, yet moment by moment I vacillate between feeling confident and being scared half to death; but at least I am feeling something.
Four years ago I had pretty well given up on life. I had an eye infection that severely limited my vision, my hip and back had reached such levels of pain I could barely walk from one end of my house to the other without sitting down, and feeling like I had no further purpose on this earth my emotions had reached an all time low. I quit driving, not having any depth of field or ability to focus clearly at a distance, and quit going out because I just didn't have the stamina to walk. Needless to say, my state was alarming to my family, and Ornery was really worried I would just check out one day and not come back. Honestly, I was worried about the same thing!
Eventually we were able to get the eye situation back under control, but I had sold my van to Elizabeth when she totaled her car so I haven't driven in almost four years. One day around the end of September 2013, I shared my fears, my complaints and my lack of will to live with Ornery and we decided together to do what we could to change the situation.
First I started going back to the chiropractor that had helped us both so much in the past. Getting the pain under control was a big relief. My weight, which had continued to increase no matter what I ate or didn't eat, stabilized and even went down slightly. I was able to sleep more soundly and took more of an interest in life in general. Because I rarely went out or saw people, I began seeking out correspondents with whom I could share conversation via the mail. I started expanding my circle of friends on Instagram, and discovered my inner artist. Between the letter writing and art my starving soul began to revive.
Each step along the way I have learned more about myself, and I have come to realize that as long as I allowed my external circumstances to dictate my happiness I would never be truly content; because let's face it, life can deal us some pretty hard blows! My memoirs have been revelatory on many levels, but I see clearly now that my unhealthy obsession with my weight has served me nothing but absolute misery my entire life, whatever level of fat (or not) I was.
It is easy to feel like I wasted 50 years driven by stories that were merely fiction in my head. I believed people would judge me by my body. I believed I was "less than" others because I could not control this aspect of my life. I believed I was not worthy or deserving of abundant life because I was fat. What a crock!! Oh, I realize now many would look at my body and judge me, but that is not because of my fault, it is because they are short-sighted or have also bought into a lie that people are only worth what they show at face value.
The truths I am learning about personal responsibility are liberating. If I (that is the inner-self or heart or subconscious) am the one in control then I can change anything about myself I truly want to change by changing my beliefs. If I chose my beliefs, I can change my beliefs. If I could not think clearly, had no tools at my disposal or didn't have any support system in place, I think this might be a daunting challenge. But my mind is clearer today than it has been in years, I have discovered a dozen or more tools to improve my quality of life, and I am married to an incredible support system and have God's grace--His power, ability, strength and capacity--within.
As for my weight, while I have so far not been able to significantly change that aspect of myself, I suspect it is just a matter or time. I have recently made numerous choices that will combine to create a healthier, more vibrant person and even if I don't ever take off the pounds, I think (hope) the inner me will shine so brightly that others will be blind to that aspect. Learning how to love myself is a lesson I wish I had undertaken to learn many years ago, but as long as I have breath, I have the possibility of changing for the better. And as I renew my mind by believing the truth of who and what God's word says I am, I am continually being transformed into the woman God intended for me to be. How fun is that?!
This week Elizabeth is bringing back my old van. She and Michael purchased a new car last fall and the van has just been sitting idle. So, I am going to be doing a lot of tapping on my fear of getting behind the wheel again, and working at overcoming my current constraints -- discomfort of being around a crowd of strangers; building up my stamina to walk from the car to the door and through stores or whatever places I decide to go; and who knows what other phobias and foibles I will need to cast off. I am proud of myself for attempting it, facing and overcoming the challenges.
As I trust Him more, God is gradually revealing exactly what purpose I have and how to tap into His grace to walk in it. By the time my memoir is finished it ought to offer hope and help to anyone who has struggled with a lifetime of obesity, feelings of unworthiness and fear of success. And I will have grown immeasurably. For the win!
Blogging A to Z: G is for...
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
Goodness! There are so many options for a post today, I got a little giddy!
Gesso is the base coat on most mixed media art pieces as it gives "tooth" to media added to it. Gesso comes in a variety of types, the ones I am most familiar with are regular white gesso, clear gesso, and super heavy gesso. Some mixed media artists don't even bother to use white paint, they just use gesso instead. It is great for blocking out things you want to cover up, and if you apply it thick enough or use super heavy gesso, you can also use it to create texture on your paper or canvas. I use clear gesso between coats of media that tends to reactivate when wet, such as Dylusions spray inks or watercolor. It is pretty gritty, though, so if you use it you may want to take some tack cloth or super fine sand paper and knock off the grit.
Glitter: Usually thought of as a craft supply, glitter can be really fun to add to art projects.
Glass Bead Gel: One of my favorite texture mediums is glass bead gel. It is a clear gloss gel with tiny glass beads in it that dries clear. I like to press it through a stencil to get defined edges, or smear it over the surface of an area to add interest. You can paint over it if you like, but I find that adding color beneath gives the glass beads more of a chance to shine.
Glaze medium: This is mixed in with acrylic paint to thin it somewhat and give hints of the color without overpowering the piece. I usually mix it 50/50 on a palette, paint it on, wait a minute, then use a baby wipe to wipe it off. If you take off too much, you can repeat the process until you achieve the color saturation you like. You may have used it to paint with a rag -- it has come and gone in popularity among home decorators.
Gelli-prints: By far my favorite G word is gelli=printing. This is also known as mono-printing, but it is done on a gelatin based "plate." A few years ago, an artist created a permanent gelli=plate and sells it under the trade name of Gelli-Arts. Artists and non-artists alike have a ball playing with this tool! Squeeze a little paint on, roll a brayer over it, put down some texture using just about anything you can think of, and pull a print using any form of paper you like. The prints are always unique and unpredictable, which is probably why I like them so well! I don't have to take responsibility for the outcome if I have no idea what it will be. My favorite prints are those that have many layers. Here are a few of my prints.
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you were inspired or learned something new. I'd love to hear from you if you would like to leave a comment.
Goodness! There are so many options for a post today, I got a little giddy!
Gesso is the base coat on most mixed media art pieces as it gives "tooth" to media added to it. Gesso comes in a variety of types, the ones I am most familiar with are regular white gesso, clear gesso, and super heavy gesso. Some mixed media artists don't even bother to use white paint, they just use gesso instead. It is great for blocking out things you want to cover up, and if you apply it thick enough or use super heavy gesso, you can also use it to create texture on your paper or canvas. I use clear gesso between coats of media that tends to reactivate when wet, such as Dylusions spray inks or watercolor. It is pretty gritty, though, so if you use it you may want to take some tack cloth or super fine sand paper and knock off the grit.
Glitter: Usually thought of as a craft supply, glitter can be really fun to add to art projects.
Glass Bead Gel: One of my favorite texture mediums is glass bead gel. It is a clear gloss gel with tiny glass beads in it that dries clear. I like to press it through a stencil to get defined edges, or smear it over the surface of an area to add interest. You can paint over it if you like, but I find that adding color beneath gives the glass beads more of a chance to shine.
Glaze medium: This is mixed in with acrylic paint to thin it somewhat and give hints of the color without overpowering the piece. I usually mix it 50/50 on a palette, paint it on, wait a minute, then use a baby wipe to wipe it off. If you take off too much, you can repeat the process until you achieve the color saturation you like. You may have used it to paint with a rag -- it has come and gone in popularity among home decorators.
Gelli-prints: By far my favorite G word is gelli=printing. This is also known as mono-printing, but it is done on a gelatin based "plate." A few years ago, an artist created a permanent gelli=plate and sells it under the trade name of Gelli-Arts. Artists and non-artists alike have a ball playing with this tool! Squeeze a little paint on, roll a brayer over it, put down some texture using just about anything you can think of, and pull a print using any form of paper you like. The prints are always unique and unpredictable, which is probably why I like them so well! I don't have to take responsibility for the outcome if I have no idea what it will be. My favorite prints are those that have many layers. Here are a few of my prints.
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| Here I used the prints to make some envelopes. |
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you were inspired or learned something new. I'd love to hear from you if you would like to leave a comment.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Blogging A to Z: F is for FUN!!
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
While the rare individual can make a tidy sum of money with their artistic talents, most people create art for the pure pleasure of it rather than for financial gain. While I would love to be able to support myself with my art, because there is a certain sense of validation when you get paid for your work, there is a part of me that likes the fact that I can do art for relaxation and my own sense of accomplishment. But besides the "f" word Fun, there are a few others relating to mixed media art.
File Folders are another item that can be altered with some pretty awesome effects.
These days I like to leave a file folder on my table and use it to catch drips or smash extra paint from projects onto it. When I spray ink on a stencil, I flip the stencil over onto the file folder to get a reverse image. File folders hold up well to a lot of wet media, and when they are sufficiently goobered up, I can use them for mail art or, as the first one is, in my mail art junk journal. (Come back on "j" day for more about that.)
F is also for fibers. Oooh. What a rich array of fibers there are to choose from! And all sorts of fun ways to use them. Recently I have become interested in weaving, and Ornery made a little loom for me to play with. (he posted about it here.) I like to use fibers in my art sometimes, too.
Thanks for coming by to visit today! I hope you were inspired, and I would love to hear from you.
While the rare individual can make a tidy sum of money with their artistic talents, most people create art for the pure pleasure of it rather than for financial gain. While I would love to be able to support myself with my art, because there is a certain sense of validation when you get paid for your work, there is a part of me that likes the fact that I can do art for relaxation and my own sense of accomplishment. But besides the "f" word Fun, there are a few others relating to mixed media art.
File Folders are another item that can be altered with some pretty awesome effects.
These days I like to leave a file folder on my table and use it to catch drips or smash extra paint from projects onto it. When I spray ink on a stencil, I flip the stencil over onto the file folder to get a reverse image. File folders hold up well to a lot of wet media, and when they are sufficiently goobered up, I can use them for mail art or, as the first one is, in my mail art junk journal. (Come back on "j" day for more about that.)
F is also for fibers. Oooh. What a rich array of fibers there are to choose from! And all sorts of fun ways to use them. Recently I have become interested in weaving, and Ornery made a little loom for me to play with. (he posted about it here.) I like to use fibers in my art sometimes, too.
Thanks for coming by to visit today! I hope you were inspired, and I would love to hear from you.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Blogging A to Z: E is for Elements
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
The elements of art are shape, form, value, line, color, space and texture. An artist uses these elements to express a thought or idea in a visual format. I have quoted Wikipedia below for definitions of these elements.
Shape
Shape pertains to the use of areas in two-dimensional space that can be defined by edges. Shapes can be geometric (e.g., square, circle, hexagon, etc.) or organic (such as the shape of a puddle, blob, leaf, boomerang, banku, etc.). Shapes are defined by other elements of art: Line, Form, Space, Value, Color, Texture.
Form
The form pertains to the volume or perceived volume. Three-dimensional artwork has depth as well as width and height. Three-dimensional form is the basis of sculpture. However, two-dimensional artwork can achieve the illusion of form with the use of perspective and/or shading techniques.
Value
Value refers to the use of lightness and darkness in a piece of artwork. In the Black and White spectrum (Black to white) the middle of the 2 extremes is called middle grey.
Line
Lines and curves are marks that span a distance between two points (or the path of a moving point). As an art element, line pertains to the use of various marks, outlines and implied lines in artwork and design. A line has a width, direction, and length. A line's width is sometimes called its "thickness". Lines are sometimes called "strokes", especially when referring to lines in digital artwork.
Color
Color is the element of art that is produced when light, striking an object, is reflected back to the eye. There are three properties to color. The first is hue, which simply means the name we give to a color (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.). The second property is intensity, which refers to the vividness of the color. For example, we may describe an intense blue color as "bright, rich, and vibrant". We may conversely describe a low-intensity blue color as "dull, subtle and grayed". A color's intensity is sometimes referred to as its "colorfulness", its "saturation", its "purity" or its "strength". A color's perceived intensity is related to its perceived brightness (brighter colors are more intense). The third and final property of color is its value, meaning how light or dark it is. The terms shade and tint are in reference to value changes in colors. In painting, shades are created by adding black to a color, while tints are created by adding white to a color.
Space
Space is an area that an artist provides for a particular purpose. Space includes the background, foreground and middle ground, and refers to the distances or area(s) around, between and within things. There are two kinds of space: negative space and positive space.
Texture
Texture, another element of art, is used to describe either the way a three-dimensional work actually feels when touched, or the visual "feel" of a two-dimensional work.
That is the most technical post you will find here during this blog hop. I am not a trained artist, merely a hobbyist. I have to admit, though, that this is good information to know whether you are an observer or a creator. It will certainly affect how I look at any art in the future!
Thanks for dropping by today!
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Blogging A to Z: D is for Distress
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
There are probably dozens of D words that would apply to art, and I can think of a few--draw (which I am not very good at), doodle, design, drip... but today I want to talk about distress. As a mixed media artist, I use a variety of media, but one very versatile media is Distress Ink by Ranger. It comes in mini and regular sized pads, markers and sprays. There is a large array of color options, and this year they are introducing one new color each month--as if there weren't already enough!!
I don't have them all, but I really like using them for heat embossing, rubbing along the edges of paper crafts, and even as watercolors.
These two ATCs were made with distress ink over clear embossed resist on a book page.
Another way the word distress relates to art is when an artist tatters, crumples, or adds grunge to a piece. Distress Ink is really good for that sort of thing, because once the paper has been "distressed" by tearing, or weakening, the Distress Ink can really highlight the areas that have been "damaged."
Distress Ink doesn't seem to ever really dry, and is easily reconstituted with water, which can lead to some really cool results, especially when water is dripped or splattered on it. So, if you don't already have some Distress Ink in your art supplies, I would highly recommend them.
There are probably dozens of D words that would apply to art, and I can think of a few--draw (which I am not very good at), doodle, design, drip... but today I want to talk about distress. As a mixed media artist, I use a variety of media, but one very versatile media is Distress Ink by Ranger. It comes in mini and regular sized pads, markers and sprays. There is a large array of color options, and this year they are introducing one new color each month--as if there weren't already enough!!
I don't have them all, but I really like using them for heat embossing, rubbing along the edges of paper crafts, and even as watercolors.
Another way the word distress relates to art is when an artist tatters, crumples, or adds grunge to a piece. Distress Ink is really good for that sort of thing, because once the paper has been "distressed" by tearing, or weakening, the Distress Ink can really highlight the areas that have been "damaged."
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| Here the distress ink was rubbed onto corrugated cardboard and burlap. Even the blue dots are Distress Ink that was applied through a stencil. |
Friday, April 3, 2015
Blogging A to Z: C is for Collage
April is here!! It's time for daily blogging, lots of visitors and meeting new friends. In other words, time for the Blogging A to Z challenge hosted by Arlee Bird and his team of minions. Thousands of other bloggers from all over the world participate in this blog hop each year, and anyone may join in as long as they blog each day during the month of April, (except Sundays) the blog posts correspond to the appropriate letter for that day, and they sign up on the link list. Simple!
I actually have quite a few words that relate to the letter for the day: Create, Color, Craft, Canvas... lots of artsy words begin with C. But today I will try to focus. :) Here is what the Free Dictionary has to say about my topic:
My favorite use for collage is in mail art. I like to cut up magazines, junk mail, catalogs, etc. and apply various pieces to the outside of an envelope.
Sometimes I use collage in my art, too. It is the one time I don't feel guilty about using someone else's art. :)
I have done a few collages on canvas, too. Here is one I really like:
This was my first canvas. I have done a few others, but this one is still my favorite. If I was doing it now, I would use some different things, but as a first try, I am pretty pleased.
Have you ever done collage? What is your favorite source for usable materials?
I actually have quite a few words that relate to the letter for the day: Create, Color, Craft, Canvas... lots of artsy words begin with C. But today I will try to focus. :) Here is what the Free Dictionary has to say about my topic:
col·lage
(kō-läzh′, kə-)My favorite use for collage is in mail art. I like to cut up magazines, junk mail, catalogs, etc. and apply various pieces to the outside of an envelope.
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| Pieces I cut from stationary and a book page. |
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| odds and ends from my table after a variety of other crafting experiments. I glued them all to a larger piece, then cut to ATC size |
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| This used a variety of materials, from scrapbooking paper to bits of an envelope that came in the mail (gold leaves). The skeleton is stamped and embossed on a piece of clear acetate, then cut. The tree is cut free-hand from wood veneer, and there is a piece of cork behind the skeleton's legs. The birds are cut from a Martha Stewart border punch. The fern leaves behind the mushrooms are purchased embellishments by K & Co. |
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| This ATC used tissue paper on the back ground, some stickers, die cuts and washi tape. |
Have you ever done collage? What is your favorite source for usable materials?
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