My Gelli Plate - Great for Cards

I stopped making prints and decided I needed to start doing something with them.

Below are some of my favorites.

Today, I have a card to show you using one of my prints.

One of my goals for 2015 is actually sending out the cards I make.

I just found a drawer full of them that I forgot I had.

Do you have boxes full of your cards that never make it out the door?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inspiration Wednesday - Week 2

Here is week two of Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesdays.

First I want to answer questions I received in emails.

Why did I join.

Why would I spend the money when I could just watch other YouTube videos.

How do I choose which workshops to take.

Here are my answers.

It's an investment in myself. 

I want to learn as much as I can. 

Meet other artists.

I don't know many in my area. Mostly scrapbookers but I don't scrapbook.

Many workshops that I have taken were not expensive.

I do bookmark them and then go back and read the information again. 

Donna's workshop is $1.40/week for 25 weeks.

My favorite workshops are from artists who's site has unlimited access to the workshops.

I tend to go back and watch them again.

I choose workshops based on what I currently love to create.

I love Abstracts and Mixed Media so I gravitate to those.

Or art that is completely outside my comfort zone but I want to learn it, like drawing faces.

I love artists who are messy, grungy and make you feel like you can do anything.

Many workshops I have taken are from artists who started me on my journey in becoming an artist.

Yes, they are trying to make money.

BUT

If you are a full time working artist, wouldn't you be trying to make money too?

I hope that answers the questions plus a few more.

Now, here is my page for the second week. It was all about collage.

This is my collage before I added more texture and color.

Here is the finished page.  Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Here are a couple of close ups.

I really love this page.

I wish I created it on a canvas.

See Donna's Workshops HERE

Donna's blog HERE

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Numbers and Collage - My Favorite

I'm realizing that collage and numbers I'm drawn too and it's in most of my art.

I've been taking Donna Downey's online workshop called 10-10x10 Canvases and Donna has added even more to my addiction.

This piece is NOT from her workshop. 

Just something I started to pay with and it all worked out.

The colors are not something is usually use but they are used in the workshop.

I decided to keep pushing myself to use something I'm not comfortable with using.

Here are a couple of close ups of the texture.

Are there colors you don't use?

I challenge you to use them.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Don't Wish Your Days Away

Here is a finished piece I've been working on for months. 

I pick it up add something and put it down for a few days.

I finally finished it.

I created it based on this quote.

Enjoy Life

Don't Wish Your Days Away

Click on the picture to enlarge

I made it on a stretched canvas, acrylic paints, stencils, watercolors, modeling paste and Pan Patels.

Here is a close up.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inspiration Wednesdays - Donna Downey

Happy Wednesday!

And it is a happy one.

Today is the second video of Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesdays.

She brought it back again but with a twist.

It's a yearly membership of a cost of $35.

It is every two weeks. Click HERE for all the details.

I love watching her previous Inspiration Wednesdays' videos so I jumped at the changes to play alone.

She also has a Facebook group to share your work.

For the first page is was all about modeling paste and washes of color.

Here is my first page. 

Oh and it's not one of her journals.

I haven't bought one yet.

I can't wait for today's video.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I BROKE DOWN AND BOUGHT ONE

A Gelli Plate!

And it's addicting. 

Here is what my table looked like when I was done.

Do you have a Gelli Plate?

Are you addicted?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

My Abstract Paintings in Journals

This abstract is a work in process. 

I love the colors and I'm playing with mark making with a fine tip paint applicator. 

Trying to write words or quotes is hard so I'm practicing.  

Here is a close up.

My mother would always take a sketch pad with her every day. 

She would sketch on her lunch break then use those sketches to paint.

It's a great idea. 

I don't sketch but maybe there is a way to do this on my lunch break at work!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Like me on Facebook

Check out my art on Flickr

10 - 10x10 Canvas Workshop by Donna Downey

This year I'm taking quite a few online workshops. 

I get stuck in a rut using the same supplies over and over.

Workshops help me go outside my comfort zone.

The first workshop I'm taking this year is Donna Downey's 10 - 10x10 Workshop.

The paint colors she is using are completely out of my comfort zone.

Here is my first canvas. I tried to take pictures as the piece progressed.

BUT it didn't happen. Sorry. I was in the zone but this is what it looked like before the paint.

Finished!

Close Ups

I love this workshop.

I've only watched the first video.

I don't have time to do one canvas every day.

Hopefully, I will have another one for you next week.

Do you take online workshops?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Like me on Facebook

Check out: Flickr

Any You Want: Art Journal Page Step by Step

This year I'm really trying to use up all my scraps, stickers, and embellishments.

I have no many I just don't use.

First I used rub-ons, stickers and Distress Paints on the background.

I used a slide mount, fortune, scraps of paper to finish it.

I also added these plastic pearls, tiny glass beads and fabric flower to add to the page.

Here is the finished page.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Like me on Facebook

Check out my art on Flickr 

Dylusions Journal and Abstracts

I find lately that I'm constantly reaching for my large Dylusions Journal to paint ideas for new Abstracts.

The paper is perfect for all the paint, paper, and pastes.

I decided to use this journal just for my abstract ideas.

I thought I would show you the first page in the journal.

The best part of this journal is if I like the Abstract I can take it out of the journal and have it framed.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Found Art: All Over My Table

When I don't have a lot of time, I just grab what is laying all over my table.

A black tag, modeling paste, stencils, scraps of paper, flowers, and rub-on's.

I have stash of rub-on's from numerous places.

I found them and decided to leave them on my table to use on projects.

Do you have a staff of something that you have forgotten?

Cleaning my studio I found quite a bit.

Here is the tag I created.

Here is a close up of the flower.

I used acrylic paint and water to add color to the flower.

Scraps of book pages already cut in strips make great faux ribbons.

That's it for today.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Travel The World: Art Journal Page Step by Step

Happy Monday!

Monday's aren't my favorite.

It's back to work.

But that's okay, Monday night I can go back in my art room.

Something to look forward too.

Today I have a art journal page to show you.

I remembered to take pictures of my steps.

I took a frame stamp, a hot air balloon stamp, and black archival ink and added it to the page.

Next, I added scraps of paper and attached them with soft gel medium.

After the gel medium dried, I added Gesso to the page, string, Distress Glitter - black soot, and glass beads. I'm loving the string.

Here is a close up.

I found this little girl in my stash.

"Travel the world" is a rub-on.

These are the glass beads.

They are clear.

I can color them for projects but I would love to buy some already with color.

Some day!

Here is the final page.

I can't believe I managed to remember to take pictures.

I usually get in a zone and completely forget.

Let's hope I can do this again.

Thanks so much for stopping by!