765 Blue

Well ... I didn't quite the look I had first envisioned, but I think it's interesting. I used a portion of a map page for the background and applied crackle glaze over that and sealed. Then I did the peeling paint technique, but I applied vaseline over too much surface area and didn't get quite enough of the paint to stick.

Hatch

This is my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper. Rather than go for a bird I decided to show a dinosaur egg.

Eye Orbit and Snappy Ed

Here are the last two pages from Kelly's class I completed. The idea behind the first one is that your eye is automatically drawn to the eye. I'm not entirely sure the other page is complete ... it doesn't feel completely done yet.

Egyptian Sun and Sunflower Musings

Here are a couple more pages from my Kelly Kilmer collage classes. We used wax pastels to blend in our backgrounds and get a neat variegated rainbow kinda look ... and boy do I love these wax pastels!

Wistful and Doughboy

These are my two favorite pages I did this weekend! I felt the map piece on my Wistful page needed a bit more of something, so it gave me an opportunity to use my new rubberstamps!

On the Charlie Chaplin page I wanted to try something with only black-and-white. Interesting patterns seemed to be the way to go here.

Vamp & the Gift

For this first one I started out with a fashion illustration. I thought she was a bit scary looking LOL And this type of image is very uncharacteristic of me. This was a fun technique though ... we learned how to change the clothes on illustrated people or photos!

Dames

Here are a couple more collage pages from Kelly's classes. One has a simplistic approach using only 3 papers and an image ... the other is more complex using several papers in the background, plus all different papers in a contrasting piece adhered over top plus an image.

Flying Aces and Cinderella

I had this huge post and tons of photos uploaded and everything went awry, so I'm trying to break it into smaller posts LOL

I had a weekend full of art and took several Kelly Kilmer classes. I had a great time ... lots of laughter LOL I always have fun at Kelly's classes, but I appreciated these classes even more. Kelly was focusing on collage composition. I've learned lot about collage by practice, but I've never really read any books on collage design nor had any classes.

She encouraged us to use whatever paper we grabbed and solve problems by finding a way to make the collage work. I've been doing collage work long enough now my hand automatically goes for combinations of papers that are complimentary or similar. It would have been interesting to see what we had come up with if we had our partner pick out our paper instead where we lose that control.

We played around with different ways of creating line, challenging designs, ways to connect unlike elements, etc. I came back with some very different looking work for me ... and I used some modern imagery ... something I've always strayed from. We had a blast cutting and pasting!

Sweet Revenge

For this page I was altering an existing photo in a calendar journal. I thought this baby was a bit on the obnoxious side and I couldn't stop thinking about how fun it would be to teach him or her a lesson LOL Not sure people can tell ... but this was my doodly-attempt at a venus flytrap.

Do Not Adjust Your Monitor ...

... she is supposed to be upside down LOL

This event didn't happen here, but I heard about it on the radio and I got a neat visual, so I decided to do a page on it.

These poor people were hanging upside down for the roller coaster for 30 minutes. Not many people know this, but my first job was working at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO. The first summer I was a groundskeeper sweeping up trash LOL I started out in the Scandinavia section and got to listen to polka music and smell funnel cakes all day LOL

They later moved me to the Orient section ... at least the music was better LOL The main attraction was the Orient Express roller coaster. I discovered people are fools when it comes to roller coasters. One day it broke down at the hightest point naturally and people had to climb down several stories. People waited over an hour in line on a rainy day to get back on a roller coaster that had just broke down LOL

Oh yeah ... and my uniform was a little pair of kelly green short overalls and a green plaid shirt. I had fun working there, but I do not miss those barfy uniforms ... it's hard to look cute wearing something like that LOL

Blossom Page

Originally I had hoped to get this done in time for Wednesday Stamper's flower prompt ... but I had things going on and missed it ... sigh ...

Mosty I just wanted to use this paper. I found a whole package of this stuff at the thrift store. I haven't use this since the 3rd grade ... I love it!

My Blog-Thing Personality Quiz Results

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

Circus Trials and Tribulations

Here are thumbnails of my circus shrine photos ... you can click on them to go to larger view.

I made this Saturday in Claudia Roulier's circus shrine class. Well I made most of it on Saturday ... because I can't do simple, I had to finish assembling some things at home.

I am not mechanically inclined ... putting the legs on took me half a day LOL The game box I used for the main shrine was very hard wood ... and it did not like nails nor screws LOL After the leg and copper tag fiasco I couldn' bear the thought of using yet another nail or screw, so I used a staple gun to attach the mica ... and that worked like a dream ... now if I could inly figure out how to staple on legs LOL

The topper was like a shrine in itself ... although much simpler construction wise. I recently saw an article by Lou McCulloch in Kaleidoscope that became my inspiration for my shrine topper.

We had a blast in this class ... and Claudia is a fabulous teacher, so go sign up for a class with Claudia if you ever get the chance!

Memorial Day Brigade

I had originally intended this page for my copycat prompt on Inspire Me Thursday, but I was running behind in the execution. I used an old photo of my Dad. His feet seemed to be missing, so I drew him shoes ... and seems someone scribbled on the photo when they were five ... probably me LOL

Medieval Maiden

The background on this turned out a little different than I had anticiapated. I was finishing it up at 4am and grabbed the wrong crackle product and ended up dry brushing some paint over it instead of waiting for a 2nd crackle batch to dry.

Circus Juggler

I bought a cool vintage circus image CD from Divas D' Este a few weeks ago in preparation for Claudia Roulier's circus shrine class. I was too eager to wait for the shrine class, so I used one of my images in Andi's journal.

Blue Rhapsody

It seems blue was the color of choice for me this month in the calendar journals. I haven't used this much blue in a while LOL This may be my fall-back color when I am stressed or wanting to stay in my safe box.

I was running a bit short on time for this one too LOL I had already prepped the page with black gesso and collaged some scrap papers down, so I decided to see if I could recreate a similar look to the one I got on my Lizard Lair birdhouse. I added a little black spray webbing for drama, but decided to leave the more abstract look rather than figure out a focal image.

Leonardo the Inventor

Here's another altered picture from the Leonardo journal. This is a much cleaner and simple look for me ... who knew finishing up under the wire was all it took LOL

The page started out as sepia tones, but I used some fluid chalk inks to add hints of color and edge the page.

My Stab at Inchies

Blogger friend Michelle Remy had inspired me earlier this year with this inchie journal page and also with this one. I have a real tough time working in miniature, but she made it look so easy LOL

I finally gave it a try ... although I could not manage to get 5 across like Michelle did. Finding things small enough to go on these was a challenge!

Leonardo Revolt

Oh boy ... I had a real focus problem this week. I started several different journal pages in a calendar journal RR, but I had several to finish up at the last minute. I was trying to force myself into the vintage box, because this was a Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook calendar ... but my imagination was screaming no. Some pages eventually took a different turn.

This was my least favorite. The original picture seemd a little too light to support the peeling paint technique, as it wants to fade out. In retrospect, I should have altered the image colors a bit before sealing and going onto the painting.

Postcard Try #2

Wooo hooo! This postcard actually made it to the post office without getting lost LOL I used the same weathered metal technique.

Missing Postcard

Well pooh! I made this altered postcard for a swap and it came up missing in action before I made it to the post office LOL I used a weathered metal technique using metal foil tape and fluid chalk inks.

Ensnared

I had quite a tumultous last few weeks and have been working on this page off and on for the last couple of weeks. This is a page I did in Andi's Leonardo Calendar Journal.

To portray the feeling of being pulled in two different directions I used the string art technique posted on the Altered Books group this month.

Pioneer Fabric Page

Okay ... I am not particularly thrilled with this page. Fabric work remains hard for me ... I am really hot ... or really cold ... I think this one is cold LOL

I didn't have any particular concept for the page. I was determined to use these fabric letters I got, but they really were not the right size for the book, so that was not a good choice.

I use a combination of fabric and paper on tags and they seem easier for me.

Double Whammy!

Looks like I was tagged by Aileen and Joanne both for 7 random facts ... hope that doesn't mean I'm supposed to add 14 things LOL

1. I ran away from home when I was 2 ... so I could find a house with a swingset --- my Uncle bought me my own swingset after that LOL
2. I am a fraternal twin ... the cute one in case you wondered ;)
3. I frequently have psychic premonitions ... but only about people close to my heart
4. I took my Raggedy Ann doll on my first tour (at age 19) in drum and bugle corps ... and she was tortured and mutilated endlessly ... errrr ... or was that altered LOL
5. I love raw oysters!
6. I lost my 2nd tooth in a banana split ... the last banana split I ever ate LOL
7. I can wiggle my nose like a bunny

Hopefully, I'm not double tagging LOL ... but I tag:

Stacie Williams ... Tracey Kazimir-Cree ... Vale McFadzean ...Shirley McCutcheon ... Cathy Johnson ... Joyce Vance ... Andi Hinkle

Fleur-de-Lis Sister

Here is my entry for Wednesday Stamper this week.

Lizard Lair

I took a birdhouse assemblage class from Leighanna Light this weekend. What fun class ... and Leighanna is really fun and inspiring, so do take a class with her if you get a chance!

I started out with a solid black birdhouse and collaged papers in random areas and rubbed on some opaque sea green paint and got a whole different look.

I must have had the circle prompt from Inspire Me Thursday in the back of mind, because I ended up using several circular elements in my assemblage.

Siren of the Turquoise Blue

Since turquoise is one of my favorite colors, I wanted to find a way to use the Wednesday Stamper Challenge in Andi's calendar journal this month. It took me a while to figure out how to make turquoise work for a Leonardo Da Vinci drawing ... hee hee

Graffiti Art - Cheap Tricks

Yeah!! I got to put my skills from Traci Bautista's class to use! I did several large backgrounds and cut down for my 4X4s. The trick was to make them look like finished work.

It suddenly occurred to me that I used some of my favorite Cheap Tricks in these swap pages ... the larger punchinella is so fun to use; puff paint is so cheap and I love the look of it ... 3-D doodling ... how fun is that? And my new cheap trick I learned ... I found this paint at Wal-Mart called Xtreme Paint by Tulip. It is similar to a glitter paint. It has a clear binder with neon colored flecks in it. The binder dries so clear ... it disappears on the page almost except for the confetti flecks suspended in the paint ... but painting over it and wiping away some of the paint for a semi-resist effect was so cool!



Graffiti Art 4X4s

Book Find

This is funny ... I went to the thrift store hoping I would fund some antique books --- but my real cover story was that I needed a good doll arm LOL This is their 50% off day and the store was packed with stuff. I go in with the strangest shopping list ever ... and I almost always find it on the first outing. Last year I went in search of rat doll ... found it ... I went in search of a rubber fish ... found it LOL

These appear to be from a 1901 printing ... I can't wait to do something with these!

Touch of Egypt

This is the front and back of a page I did for a metal themed chunky book. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I embossed some Egyptian and hieroglyphic type images on the copper piece before I aged it with Liver of Sulphur. This is my entry for Wednesday Stamper this week.