Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wild Art Summer Class Take One

I signed up for ANOTHER class!
I know what you're thinking...yes, I have 3 others that I need to finish! BUT I can access all of them throughout the year (a couple are even FOREVER!)
This most recent class is taught by the fabulously sweet, Junelle Jacobson & it's an extension of her "The Art of Wild Abandonment" classes. I took the first one & met some terrific ladies through it & I just couldn't pass up another venture hanging out with them & Junelle!
Find it HERE
The class doesn't officially start until the 22nd, but she gave us a sneak peek at her lovely home & studio! She so frickin' sweet & talented! Her sketches & paintings are lovely & wait til you see her photography!!! What I wouldn't give for a photography workshop with her & all the lambs! Oh boy!
I should suggest that to her!

Anyway, our first mission, if we choose to accept it, was to sketch a porch swing...something I think our new home needs!
I had to find a little inspiration searching photos of swings online & found one made from a door & stair balusters (sp?)...I would LOVE to make this someday!!!
One thing that drives me crazy about real artists like Junelle - it took her all of 10 minutes to sketch her swing on a video for us! It took me an hour!!! I can't decide if I am going to color it in yet or wait for class to officially begin & see what Junelle has up her sleeve! I might practice my watercolor skills (or lack there of!) on this one below:
(Sorry, hard to photograph pencil drawings!) 
I "copied" this one from a magazine while waiting for my dad to get out of surgery last summer. It's been sitting in my Wild Art journal all this time, just begging for some color! And, no time like the present!

That's it for today! It's going to be hot here & I was hoping to take the Magpie to the pool, but it appears she has a summer cold. Maybe later this week.

Have a happy Wednesday!
Cheers!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

A Little Pixie Dust, Please!


“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” 

Isn't this little fairy just adorable? I believe my daughter, Maggie has named her "Blue Bell." I found her at the Old Glory Fair this weekend from a lovely vendor, Gretchen of Dutch & Ollie who makes the most wonderful & whimsical fairy gardens!
I couldn't wait to bring her home to Maggie so we could make our very own garden for her!
I knew that Gretchen also had a little space in our local co-op antique & gift mall called The Barn, so we stopped there first & we found a little kit for 50% off with a couple garden embellishments & then a wonderful tin bowl to plant everything in. Then we stopped at Home Depot to pick out a few plants...we decided to go with a few succulents & a cactus since they're easier to take care of in our dry climate!
Then we got to work!
Maggie did a wonderful job placing the plants & laying the pebbles out. But the most fun was placing her little Blue Bell in at the end!
Now I have to figure out a way to tell Maggie that this fairy doesn't fly off at night & hide for us to find her in the morning like her Christmas "Elf on the Shelf!" Maybe I'll tell her I read somewhere that our little Blue Bell is in the garden to attract more fairies & if we move her too often, they won't find us!!

Our little kit came with an arbor too, but it was too big for the pot we picked. So I guess we'll just have to make another one! Darn!
Cheers,

Monday, June 10, 2013

RIP My Little Charlotte Doll! - An AP Challenge Post

"Never let little sisters play 
with your dolls!"
That's what my sister always said about me (or at least she thought it!). I was always so rough with them that they'd end up broken or something ripped or I loved to take a marker to them too! BAAAAAD sister! 
So, I immediately channeled my inner child back to those days & put myself in my sister's shoes to make this little tin "coffin" for a broken Charlotte doll to participate in this month's Altered Pages Challenge, "Dolls." 
You can find all the info HERE to participate yourself & win a fabulous prize pack!!!
Without further ado...RIP Charlotte!
Little Charlotte's Tin
I painted the tin in soft pink, blue & green, distressed it with some Paris Inks, crumbled a piece of Bazzill's Antique paper & glued it to the front, inked that some more, created flowers out of ribbon & glued those around some leaves. (When the whole tin was done I added the chain & rosary beads to it so it could hang.)
Hanging open

Inside, I collaged images from two AP sheets - #649 "Vintage Sewing" for the mad big sister in the background & #3025 "Baby Dolls to Love" for the little, devious sister in the foreground over another piece of Antique paper inked with Paris inks. I added a few found objects & charms & then used my labeller to write "Never let little sisters play with your dolls" around the edge.


For the Charlotte side of the tin, I added a crumpled up piece of the Antique paper again, but tried to shape it like a heart, glued that to the background & then hot glued the broken doll on top of that. I used a Mini Spool as a flower vase with RIP written on it; tucked a pen nib into that & glued a ribbon flower on that.

I also added a St. Luke charm to the end of the rosary chain...I'm not Catholic, so I didn't know until I looked it up that he's the Parton Saint for Artists! How appropriate!

That's it! I hope you enjoyed my Little Charlotte's Tin today & I sure hope you will play along with us this month!! AP has tons of Doll collage sheets & supplies for you to play with, so be sure to check it out HERE! Remember though, you must use at least ONE image or product from AP in the challenge to be considered for the prize!
Thanks for playing!
Cheers!





Monday, June 3, 2013

AlteredPages Artsociates: Goin' Rogue!

Just a quick little link to my Altered Pages blog post today...a Tiny Village I created with my wonderful Art Gypsy gal pals!!! Enjoy!

AlteredPages Artsociates: Goin' Rogue!: Yes, I am that girl that tends to go rogue when a deadline is approaching!  That said deadline being this blog post! See, we recently...