Art Journaling

Over the passed year Shannon Mucha and I have been collaborating on a handmade journal. She would create a page then put it in a leather folder and give it to me at church, without discussing it I would take it home and create a page in response. It was a beautiful, unspoken conversation. Visual. Poetic.

The pages of the book have been loosely housed in the folder, going back and forth between us, but this week we finally bound the book. It is a year of reflections on our motherhood - the ups and downs, the beauty, the weight, the loveliness.

Shannon, a free lance graphic designer, photographer, mixed media artist and all around artsy girl is another one of the contributors to my North Light book.

My first digital collage

I am so inspired by Susan Tuttle's digital work (just see her blog banner!!). This week I was fortunate enough to see some samples of her work (images that will appear in my book) and while my piece looks nothing like Susan's I wanted to have a go at least merging two photos together.

I have finished the first draft of the book and am working on the projects and pulling in work from my contributors. I am pleased with the progress and mostly how much art work I am doing. When I have a deadline I am most productive. This book writing venture is really suiting me!


Some housekeeping notes:

I will be adding to the list of the artists who will be featured in my book in a side bar. There is no particular order that I will unveil them, so to speak, just my whim. So stay tuned!

For ease sake, I have turned the comments back on. I felt a little bad that folks would have to take extra steps to email me a comment. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to seek me out via email, and I welcome you back here to say hello.

Workshop

I was pretty excited to receive this magazine, not only cause lots of my work was published but I was on the cover! Yeah! My first time!

This is a wonderful publication if you want to see how artists like Audrey Hernendez, Tena Sprenger, Jill Maria Shulse, Linda Trenholm and Marsha Williams and myself, put art pieces together step by step. I learned tons myself from the other artists, there seems to be an endless number of techniques to use in mixed media art. I have my pet techniques, but every now and then I find a new idea that I try and love and then integrate it into my own work.

The altered photo techniques I outline in one of my workshops in Somerset Workshop I learned from Karen Michel. The other is my own variation. I hope that you get a copy of this magazine and try your hand at some of the techniques.

Refueled

I was born in London, England, raised in Dublin, Ireland. When I was 23 I left for America. I have lived in Texas for 12 years. I remember the thoughts I had about Texas before I lived here, they all had something to do with cowboy hats and rich oil men who live on ranches and get shot. No art, no culture, no hope.

Some clichés have truth, but some are experience’s by pass.

Check out Urban Prairie Refueled for a look at the arty soul of Texas. Be sure to down load Chris Brown's EZINE.

My table is clean

I just finished up my biggest Artist On Call order for the summer publication of Inspirations. I mailed off a box with more than 3o pieces, all labeled and bubble wrapped. Phew! It was a lot of work, but I loved doing every single piece. The challenge of being given stamps or products that I would not have chosen myself and finding a way to create something, magazine worthy, is simply wonderful.

I am excited to see what the other AOC's do with the same tools and to see what Stampington choose to publish of mine. Even though I have been published a bunch in various Stampington magazines I still get nervous when sending something off. I worry will they like it, is it up to par, am I cutting any edges or merely repeating what I have done before. Either way, this is what I am working on and these images are a little sneak peak!

In case you wonder, all the stamps you see here are Stampington & Co. stamps:
Wrought Scroll
Ledger Flourish
Elegant Butterfly
Blooming Contessa
Polka Dot Heart
bird from Clearly Impressed 'Bird Sanctuary'
butterfly from Clearly Impressed 'Rock and Roll'
poppy pods from Clearly Impressed 'Fresh Flower Elements'
script from Collage Cube

altered pegs

Seen also in Somerset Life, Spring 08

some great stamps

One of the perks of being an AOC for Stampington is that they send me stamps to use. I have lots of them that are wonderful and fit in with all I make, but my absolute favorite is the Clearly Impressed collection by Michelle Ward, Swirls. (and no I don't get a commission on these :), nor am I required to talk up Stampington stuff... I mention them only 'cause Stampington stuff ROCKS!)

I used them in decorating this little handmade book. I am working on projects right now that combine my own words, photos and paint. These swirls have just the right arty whimsical look I was going for.

Dance

Many of the folks that read my blog have children so I thought that you would appreciate these videos:

Behold! The joy and freedom of my 3 year old spontaneously dancing to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. (try to ignore my voice telling my son off, the random kids moving in and out of frame and the dark room, we have no natural light in the living room :)





And now for a different mood. This is my 5 year old dancing to my favorite Tchaikovsky music 'Nocturne in C Sharp Minor' with her homemade flower tiara, on a darkened 'stage' with a spotlight (handheld torch) thanks to her big brother.

Indie Arts DVD magazine

I recently viewed an hour long tour of Stampington on a DVD magazine called Indie Arts. It was amazing!

I have long been a Stampington fan (it was Somerset Studio that introduced me back into the arts after many creatively blank years) and have wondered what the place looks like, what happens my art when it goes there, what the folks look like, sound like and all that. I was blown away watching this DVD that explained all that!

You get to hear the founder & publisher, who is a major visionary, Kellene Giloff explain where the magazine started and where it is going in the future. You hear from Editor-in-chief Jenny Doh, who is so wonderful to work for and who has an amazing energy and drive. You hear from Jana Holstein and Amanda Nolan and more. You get to see them sort, choose, arrange and photograph art work for Somerset Studio. It is a must see for all Somerset fans!


Check out this project of mine. It was sent out by email today for the new Stampington & Co. Creative Impulse weekly email. This project, the 2 sided Desk Poem will be located in "The Studio' on their web page which is dedicated to projects made by products they sell in their online store. Stampington are really stepping up their game with all the new publications and now this email program. Gotta admire their ambition!

October check up

I have been busy with homeschooling and art I have not had time to blog. So much goes through my mind about art in a day but I either talk to Shannon or Mark about it or I am just busy doing it. I have little time to reflect and journal. I am still doing my photo a day, so that takes up much of my self allotted blogging time. My art life is trucking along happily and productively.

I am meeting deadlines for Stampington; AOC work and most recently for their 'Project of the Week' slot on their new 'Creative Impulse' e-newsletter. Also, our church is putting on an art show at the end of the month, I am helping in the coordination of it. I foresee that I will be even busier as that approaches. I have all my art done and ready for it, the deadline was October 7, I have submitted 10 pieces, both mixed media and photography.

I have been published twice this month. Once in Sew Somerset and then in Somerset Memories Aug/Sept. In the latter, there are 7 pages of my art work - a 6 page article and then a one page in the gallery!! I feel the article is my best to date, next to the one in Somerset Home Vol II. My friend Shannon Mucha is also in these magazines, we are on the same page in both! How cool is that!

(I, I, I, I..... not a good style of post, but I can hardly see outside my house at the moment, Hello! tell me what you are doing :)

The next Somerset Studio theme

The deadline for the next Somerset Studio theme is October 12 and the theme is Le Chateau. So get creating!

All the stamps in this little piece are Michelle Ward designs sold by Stampington & Co. They are 'Clearly Impressed' stamps, which are transparent acrylic stamps without blocks. They come on a plastic sheet and when you want to use one you peel it off and stick them on either blank acrylic blocks, or, like I do, on the back of other stamps. They are stored on the plastic sheets, which is a great space saver.

and the winner is

Lily picked your name today, Tricia Scott. Email me your address and I will mail you your butterfly reminder. I hope you like it in person :)

For my other friends, this got me thinking I have other pieces that I will be giving away over in the future so stop back by. I have so much stuff here, why not give it away?

Artist On Call explained a little

The Artist On Call position for Stampington & Co. has recently been re-defined. Stampington & Co. sells art supplies and art stamps. The AOC position is designed to display mixed media work that is done using mainly Stampington products. To date much of the AOC work went in the formerly quarterly Inspirations magazine. Two changes are
1) Inspirations magazine will be annual (and includes a catalog of stamps they sell)
2) Somerset Studio and Stampers Sampler will now also include AOC artwork through out the year.

To me this is an exciting prospect. And challenging. While I am working on my next AOC deadline I have my eye on Somerset Studio's upcoming themes, the next one is Le Chateau (October 12) and I am working on a few ideas for that.

Last weekend I picked up a copy of the Stamper's Sampler to see what was in there (even an avid Stampington girl doesn't know all that is covered by the Stampington empire). I was excited to see a photo of my AOC boss, Christen Olivarez, who to date I had only really talked to via email. She is the Managing Editor of Stamper's Sampler.

There are a few other new AOCs. The new AOCs are not yet listed on Stampington's website, but two I know of are Lisa Bebi and Audrey Hernandez.

I have an October 1 deadline for my next Artist On Call work. I am going to be using some of these stamps by Lynne Perrella. Wish me luck :)

Give Away

In Somerset Home I did an article about what I called 'Butterfly Reminders'. I got on a roll making them a while back and have extras. I would like to give ones of these away to someone who would appreciate another bit of art around their house. It would be apt to give away the ones that reminds me to 'Give happily'.

If you are interested please leave a comment and I will do an out of the hat, bowl, basket or something pretty drawing Sept 1.

This piece is 3.5 x 7 inches. All are welcome to 'enter' old and new friends/bloggers!

Green Pepper Press Street Team

Michelle Ward, who is a frequent Somerset Studio artist, writer, designer and all around inspiration, has a fun blog which poses challenges or crusades each month. This months crusade is to add music to my blog.

Well some of you know my love for the music of Irish singer Jack L or Jack Lukeman. One of the highlights of my trip home to Ireland this year was to go see him playing. He was wonderful in person, what a performer he is! His voice just makes me melt, the deepness of it. I can't find any links to my favorite songs of his, but this one will do.

Somerset Home

Living artfully means to me having beautiful things around my home. Before we had kids my husband and I spent our weekends antique shopping (OK, old furniture bargain hunting). We have filled up our home with what we love. Now we only have space left to fill with small things, art and beautiful touches.

After reading the latest Somerset Home magazine I feel inspired to make more things that are beautiful for my home. Just finding the time is the issue! Somerset Home and Somerset Life combined have enough ideas to lat me years :)

I have an article in Somerset Home on p76, Butterfly Reminders, which I am pretty proud of. Somerset have included the first page of my spread in their online sneak peak, check it out here.

Question for you

I have been invited to do a series of art works for Somerset Workshop for October 2008! I will have to produce 2 main pieces that can be easily explained to readers in a series of steps and then many more for the gallery.

My focus will be on altered photos, which is great as I have worked so hard to get it right and have learned lots along the way that I can share!

The first piece that I was thinking of demonstrating is this altered board book wall hanging.

Here is the full image (my camera is not great at taking detailed photos, so excuse the pic) and a one of the pages of the altered book. The book has 5 spreads, I may journal on the pages a little, so I am not quite finished.

Question: Is this a project you would be interested in learning how to make step by step in the magazine? Do you think others would be interested?

Art in the mail

I have never sent 'mail art' before. I have sent art in the mail to Somerset Studio, but I always get it back. Recently, I bought some art from Kelly. It was so wonderful to get her package and to find all the extra creative goodness that she so generously added! It is like having little pieces of her in my home.

I have shared how I am not really ready to part with my art, not ready to have them go off and be big in the world all on their own. So to challenge myself I am going to take this Wednesday Stamper theme of envelopes a little further. I am going to mail it to my friend Shannon.

Not that I think this envelope is all that, but I am including a little piece of art inside. I will admit, this is a safe step for me as I spend lots of time in Shannon's beautiful, eceletic house (for example, on Friday's our crazy husbands are teaching themselves Olde English so they can read Beowulf in the original language!), and I had a little practice when I gave her one or two other pieces recently for her birthday, so if I want to see it to see what I made, remember what I was thinking when I made it, see what needs improvement then I can. But all in all, this is an important step for me in learning to be generous with what I create, one I see so many others have taken (I am amazed at all the beautiful Etzy shops there are!).

(By the way, the stamp I used is another one I carved, I am on a roll:)

More carving!

I have been stamp carving again this weekend. I love that I can make my own stamps, it opens up a whole new world.

The top flower stamp is a design I found in a Dover copyright free book. I printed out the picture and burnished it onto the Speedball Speedycut rubber and carved it with a #2 V-shaped cutter. It is not perfect, but I like the funky, handmade look it brings.

My other new tool is my scanner. I got a HP Photosmart C4189 All-in-one scanner at Walmart for $120 and I have been scanning in old pictures and using them. Now I can do at home what I used to have to go to a copystore to do! Yeah, product development and the advancement of society!

This is a shot of me and my brother when we were little having 'see who can open their mouth the widest' competition. Not very poetic, but I think with my mother visiting from Ireland (she is here for 3 weeks) I have been inspired to use old photos of my life in Ireland in my crafting.