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All posts for the month January, 2013

This is an old piece from May, 2009. I had never taken a decent picture of it, and I don’t think I blogged about it, so I thought it was time.

2009 may - calavera y flores

This is my favorite piece. I was supposed to sell it, but you can see that never happened. Someday I may give it away, but not today.

Calavera y Flores-closeup

The base is felted in swirls for more texture. Easier to see in person, but I did my best to get a photo. I’m not entirely sure, but I think this may be from a large bag of alpaca I still have a ton of. The green background is a thrift store sweater. The frame came from a garage sale.

Calavera y Flores-closeup

I’m overly fond of that sparkly thread you see lining things. I use it a ton, and have it in several colors. Because, you know, sparkly!

Calavera y Flores-closeup

We all have that bead or button or whatever that was too cool to leave in the store, but at the time, you had no idea what you were going to do with it. These buttons, I’m pretty sure, came from Knitt’n Kitten.

After I finished this one, I naturally started another that I haven’t finished. But I will. I love this too much to only do it once.

Well, if the lizards got a page, you know the cat had to have one.

I’ve decided my journal is a good place to get rid of old supplies, and use things I don’t often take out. This page started with using gel to layer on scraps from my last project, packaging, etc. Anything I had around. A layer of gesso, then I got out those very old tube acrylics that I don’t use because I don’t really like them. They were a bit thick, but I managed.

Queen of All She Surveys

Link to larger version

There are lots and lots of old acrylics there, along with a little Luminaire and some other Luminarte shimmery watercolors.

Another supply I don’t bring out often is Stickles.

Queen of All She Surveys

I used them here on the letters, and I love they way they turned out. I may be using them more often.

Oh, and a point for unexpected uses: those leaves on the edges are actually one side of a poinsettia stencil. They’re not just for Christmas anymore.

I’ve also been bringing out stamps I haven’t used.

Queen of All She Surveys

I got this dotted butterfly in a bargain bin ages ago. I think it was 50 cents. It’s very flexible, so was perfect for this highly textured surface. Now that I’ve used it, I think it will come out again and again. Interesting tidbit: the dots on the stamp are actually negative, but the paint pool in the holes, making them positive.

It’s a lot easier to remember what you have in your stash if you actually use it once or twice!

I had a little extra time for play last night after I finished my journal page, so I got out the January Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp and put this together. The base was a scrap I had, and the flower is from Jolee’s Boutique.

Card: Always Thinking of You

The kit had a bunch of different colors of this great zigzag pattern, so I cut some of them into strips and constructed the heart on a piece of scratch paper. I coated the whole thing with more of that Golden Glass Bead Gel from the journal page. I stamped the ticket in Colorbox Chesnut, and used a piece of textured stock to back everything. All but the ink were from the kit.

I don’t know how long I’ll keep up with it, but I have finally started an art journal. I had an absolute blast making this page, so barring time constraints, this could be a regular thing for me.

I’m using a Dylusions Creative Journal, and it is a well thought out book. Despite layers and layers of ink and paint, nothing bled. The closure is easy and secure, and the pages lay flat very nicely. There’s even an envelope inside the cover for ephemera.

Many craft supplies were harmed in the making of this page. I can’t even go into all the stuff there. I will say that I’m loving Dylusions ink sprays (sounding like a shill, aren’t I?), and I also enjoyed using the Golden Glass Bead Gel.

The only real regret I have on this page is the lettering. I had a new alphabet die and I just had to use it. Sadly, the letters were too small, and by the time I realized I would rather peel them up and just write, there was too much texture there to fix. Ah well, live and learn.

01jan13-lizards r cool

Here’s the entire page. Lots of black & white doodling, which is a blast. I only wish I could find an opaque white pen with a finer tip than the Gelly Roll.

01jan13-lizards r cool-close

Here’s a close-up of the lizard. I used the glass bead gel through a stencil, then dabbed a little yellow paint on once it was dry.

For art journal inspiration, I recommend watching some youtube!

France Papillon
Jennibellie
Rach0113 (Beware, and I mean this, do not watch Rach0113 with the sound on. Listen to something else, and mute youtube immediately. She’s amazingly creative, but man, that music.)