Happy Easter

 

Happy Easter!

Happy Spring!

 

I hope to have a few things to show you next week.

It all depends on these last two weeks of tax season.

 

 

See The World

During tax season we use tons of paper for the printers.  There are so many things that are paperless but not taxes. We may e-file them but most clients want paper copies.  A couple of boxes had reams of paper with zebras on them.  I took a few and copied them to use. This one on the tag is a transfer with packing tape.

 

The background on the tag was a crackle finish I made using a new technique (or new to me) that I read about on Red Lead's blog.  You paint the tag one color first then use a UHU glue stick and rub it all over the tag (vertical then horizontal) and wait for it to dry. Once dry, paint over it and as it dries you see the crackle.  Try it you'll love it.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Self Pity

Let me tell you tax season is flying by fast. I can't believe it's almost the end of March. I  had a little time over last weekend and while cleaning my art room I found some cardboard cut into squares about 6x6.  Here is what I created.

 

Cardboard takes paint very well and lots of it. I couldn't tell you how many times I painted it to see what color I wanted to use.  The flowers are made form a Tim Holtz die; the butterfly is cut from on of his papers; acrylic paints and the quote.

 

Thank you so much for stopping!

 

FAITH

 

 

Just a quick tag created with paint and scraps of paper.

 

Thank you for stopping by!

 

 

Tax season through my eyes

While sitting on hold for system support I was stuck and couldn't do anything but listen to awful music so I decided to start doodling.  I was already transferred to a different department so I decided to see how many eyes I can draw by the time someone answered the phone.

 

 

I think the one in the middle was what my eyes looked like by the time I got off the phone. Exhausted, frustrated and so done with tax season.

 

I'm joining Julie's Art Journal Every Day with this page.  Go over and look at all the amazing pages!

 

Thank you for stopping by!

 

BE YOU!

 

This is 8"x8" and I had fun making it.

I used a credit card and acrylic paint for the background.

I just picked colors and created it. No thinking.

The white is spray gesso through leftover grungeboard sheets.

"BE YOU" is grungeboard painted blue.

The flowers are made out of modeling paste that I put through a stencil colored with pan pastels.

 

What was so much fun about this piece is that I just created it freely.

I haven't done that in so long.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

 

What is it?

 

Is this a cool picture?

I know you know what it is but I that if would be a fun title.

When I put the brush in the water I saw these cool swirls in the water from the paint.

I had to take a picture of it.

 

That's it for now!

 

It begins with courage

Tim Holtz is hosting a Tattered Floral Challenge and I decided to join the challenge.  When I first tried to think of something to create my mind went blank. I would look and look at the tattered floral die and still nothing until I spied a mixed media board on my shelf. I have a shelf of boards and canvases that I start but then I just can't finish either because I'm stuck or it's just not turning out like I thought it would.  I started this board with the tattered floral die a long time ago. I cut the flowers out of white corrugated paper and attached them to the board with gel medium along with little pieces of wire, clips, washers, and gears.  Once they were all attached I added more gel medium on top and waited for it to dry.

I put the color on in many layers. I watched you tube video of a mixed media artist where she adds color, waits for it to dry partially then goes to the sink and wipes some of it off. This is how I added the color. Layers of acrylic paint in robin's egg blue, aqua, black, and turquoise. You have to wait for each layer to dry before continuing so it does take time. I tried to do this same technique with baby wipes but it uses too many wipes. 

I took cardboard and painted, tore, stamped and collage it and attached it to the board. I used a grungeboard heart to add a pop of color. 

Here it is all framed.

 

 

And without a frame so you can see all the layers.

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

Playing with Matchboxes, sort of

One of the many blogs I read is Michelle Ward. I love her art work. It's so inspirational to me. In one post she was playing with matchboxes, painting and inserting them in a canvas. You can see her post HERE with instructions.  I love the way it looks and decided to try it.  The only problem I had was that I didn't have matchboxes like hers but I did have some small boxes and I used the lids.  When I measured the box and cut the opening I was doing two things at once and I cut the opening to large. Thank goodness for glue and a few supplies because now I can't tell the opening was a problem. 

 

The canvas was originally gray and to add color I used a credit card and my fingers. Here is a close up of the little box. 

 

 

I used alcohol inks to color the crystal leaves and flower. I have had these in my stash for a while so I'm not sure where I picked them up. First I stamped a background stamp on paper and tore it up in pieces and collaged it on the box. I added the sky, clouds, flowers and wooden bird to make a scene. In my stash I have about a dozen tiny boxes in all shapes and sizes so I have lots of ideas for more projects!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Would she slap me silly?

FIRST, I want to welcome my new followers. Thank you for following!

Also, thank you to all my blog readers. I have noticed a few more people coming for visit.

WELCOME!

 

 

When consider doing something foolish, ask yourself this:

if I told my best friend about this, would she slap me silly?

Your Inner Bitch knows you already know this answer.

From daily calendar: Getting In Touch with Your Inner Bitch

by Elizabeth Hilts

 

 

When I read this I had to laugh. Almost every Wednesday night I go to what we call Ladies Night. A night with girl friends, good food, wine, laughs, tears, and just a good time. There are times where we are all frustrated and need to talk, other times just funny stories or new and exciting news.  There are many times where we are thinking of doing something or thinking something foolish. We voice it and realize we may just get slapped silly.

 

 

 

 

The background on this page was something I started but never did anything with. I just squeeze some acrylic paints on the page and then book for an ink blog look.  The white blocks are made with a stencil and gesso spray paint. I want to use spray paint on projects but before I buy some colors I decided that gesso would be a great start. I think I'm hooked. I am now saving up for some spray paints.  The letters amount the outside of the pages are orange paper that I had sprayed with black ink through a stencil.

 

It was a quick page. I also found I love the color of blue and orange together so that might be a new color combo you may see more often.

 

I'm going to link to Art Journal Every Day. You should see all the wonderful pages. Julie has a guest post by Janine Mattis who shows you had to make acrylic paint sprays. I didn't realize that you needed a binder like Mod Podge in it. I have to add that ingredient to all my sprays.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

 

It might be ugly!

Here is another card I made with scraps from the table last weekend. You can see all the inks and paints on the paper. How could I throw it away?  I'm in a love/hate relationship with this card. I think it needs something but I can't figure it out. 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!