Lookie at what I received in the mail today

 

When I opened the package, I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Oh I knew it was coming but I was excited just the same.  Where did it come from? No, I didn’t order it from Amazon.com or an online bookstore.  I’d been wanting this book for sometime so when my friend Jennifer Williams from Trial and Error announced the book would be part of her monthly blog giveaway, I signed up right away.  Imagine my surprise when she emailed me to say I won.  I’m not kidding when I say I’ve never won anything before so this was quite a happy surprise. 

 

Jennifer, thank you very much.  It is so appreciated!!  Any if the rest of you dear readers haven’t been to  Trial and Error lately, visit very soon because another blog giveaway is going to be announced very soon.  Good luck, I hope you win too!  

Well, I have to go; I have some reading to do. Ta Ta for now.

Are You a Thrift Store Shopper?

Except for 2 trips  to the post office drop box and a Friday night dinner out, come Saturday, I had been house bound for 6 days straight.  I get a little stir crazy when I don’t get out every once in a while to stimulate my creativity (also known as Artist Dates.)   So yesterday I broke loose and I went to visit my local Joann’s fabric and craft store and two thrift stores.  While at Joann’s I bought some rubber stamp ink pads in a various colors, a ‘Rejoice’ rubber stamp, some journaling tags, and a few other things.  I got out of there with a bag full of goodies for about $13.00, and that included a Reese’s candy bar (Shh! don’t tell because I didn’t share it with anyone.)

From Joann’s I made my way over to the closest thrift store where I found a lovely wood box with flowers carved into the lid.  I also found a primitive handmade clay vase hand carved with little hearts and bunnies.  You can’t see the vase very well because the lighting sucks.

 

Below is a full picture of the box.  If you open the lid you’ll find that the center is actually a frame where you can add a photograph.  It needs a little tender loving care but I love it.  I lucked out with 50% off on Saturday’s sale and got both for $2.00.

 

From there I went to the local Goodwill store where for $3.00 I bought these little gems:

I love these pink glasses. I have them filled with paint brushes now but I will probably use them as vases in our guest bedroom because they look so romantic.   Wouldn’t they be sweet filled with Hershey Kisses or fragrant soaps atop an antique dresser?

And in the back is a coffee (?) cup with a head painted on it that I plan to use as a vase.  Have I ever told you that I have a collection of ceramic heads/vases ?  OK before this I only had 2, so that doesn’t  quite qualify as a “collection” but this makes three. 

As I brought this little girl into my studio I realized why I had been so attracted to her at the store and why she was so familiar.  Well, it’s no wonder, not only does she look like the big sister to one of the two vases already in my collection, she was made by the same artist.  Duh!  As my girl would say, I’m such a nerd. 

All in all I got a bunch of goodies all for less than 20 bucks.  Isn’t that cool?  Are you a thrift store shopper?  If so, what do you consider a “real find”?

Blogger following suddenly drop?

Ok I don’t have a lot of followers so when the count drops by several, I take notice.  “What did I say, or do, or didn’t do?” was my first thought.  Then I read   about changes to Blogger.  Seems that Blogger has changed some followers to private rather than public and when someone follows privately they don’t show up on the list or in the count.  I understand why they did it but it is a little disconcerting to see that number drop suddenly. 

Read the info, if you’ve had a similar drop and didn’t know why: 

tins ::: Rick Klau's weblog

Crossing Paths Again or Stars and Broken Hearts

 

448

How can the fate of one you don’t know
affect you so deeply, so completely?
Not a victim of tragedy,
not a person in need.
Just a personality larger than life
with a lyric, a melody and
voice that fills the room.

What is this hold, this fascination with
the chaotic creativeness that is so mesmerizing?

All I know is that it makes me feel,
it makes me feel.

 

The quote in the journal page belongs to Jason Dean Bennison.

Sunflowers

Gary Reef issued a challenge to draw a sunflower painting and I’m not sure this is what he had in mind. I think it’s a little primitive for his class.  Looking at the art work posted on that site really intimidates me but I posted it anyway because the prize was one on his arts works.  So I took a chance on being embarrassed just to win because his work is that good.    Be sure to stop by his Ning and take a look see. Here is the website:  http://garyreef.ning.com/

 

Happy Valentines Day

I created this ATC a while back but thought it was appropriate for today.

I hope you have a wonderful day that is overflowing with love and passion.

XOXO

Linda

One World One Heart Prize Winners

The One World One Heart event has come to an end and it is time to draw the prize winners.  Drum roll please!!

For the Milagro Heart Journal - the winner is Letha Richardson of This Muse of Mine

And the bookmark goes to: Melinda Cornish of Melinda's fabric fancies

The winners have been emailed and I hope to hear from you by Monday so I don't have to draw other names. Congratulations to you both.  I hope you enjoy your prizes.

Just a Little B-Zar

I was invited to join the Famous Works of Art ATCs flickr group (thanks for the invite artsy fartsy queen) and the challenge this week was to make an ATC using Leonardo da Vinci - Lady with an Ermine in Cracow as inspiration.  This is what I came up with:

Take a look at the other entries by clicking Famous Works of Art ATCs.  Great stuff. 

Altering a Magazine Image

In my last post I wrote about working on altering a magazine image. The project was inspired by an article in the book “Exhibition 36” by Susan Tuttle.   The article, Portraits Reinvented also written by Susan Tuttle, describes the process and immediately piqued my interest.  (By the way, there are 36 artists who contribute to this book.)

 

I’ve altered magazine faces before for an ATC swap at ATCsforall.com but this project was a bit bigger.  This time instead of working atc size I used a 9” X 12” canvas board as my substrate.  I used an image from W fashion magazine, glued it to the canvas board and used a brayer on it so the glue would grab evenly.  Then I cut off the excess portion of the image. 

After the glue was dry, I applied gesso heavily to the image background and lightly to the main focus of the image and let it dry.  I painted the background green and then  added a few more paint layers and muted it with brown and black pastels.

I altered the shape and color of the woman’s dress and hair. Added black pastels and charcoal to create shadows.  The sprayed it with fixative and finally finished with two layers of clear acrylic gloss spray. 

I really enjoyed this project but if I had it to do over again, I would sand the image lightly to remove the magazine glossy finish.  Why because as I added charcoal and pastels, the paint would scrape off if I rubbed too hard.  I had to fix it in a few spots.  The spray finish will protect it so I don’t have to worry about it now.

I highly recommend “Exhibition 36” by Susan Tuttle, if you get a chance pick it up.  It’s a real gem!

New Journal Pages

I haven’t been blogging much because I have been spending a lot of time visiting the various blogs participating in the One World One Heart event.  There are an an impressive number of blogs participating—over 850 blogs to date and possibly even more.   I have to say that I am very impressed by the quality of art being offered as a giveaways.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I win one of those lovely prizes. 

In between visiting blogs and working, I have managed to create a couple of new journal pages. 

This page was my inspiration for the image I used on the cover of the journal I created for the OWOH giveaway.  Although I wasn’t too thrilled with how the face came out, I loved how the heart looked.   

The page below came about because I found a magazine image of a stark gray brick room.  I knew as soon as I saw it what I wanted to do with it.  Then it was just a matter of finding the right images and words to go along with it. 

I am also working on another altered magazine image that was inspired by an article in the book Exhibition 36.  Wonderful book.  The article Portraits Reinvented was written by Susan Tuttle as was the book.  I hope to finish the project tomorrow and get it posted day after.  If you get the opportunity to get this book, do it.  I highly recommend it.

Got to go, time to visit blog number 620.  Yes, I’ve already been to 619 blogs and I’m a little bleary eyed but I’m having fun. 

What are you doing when you’re not visiting OWOH blogs?