Lots of Photos

It is so beautiful here. With temperates in the low 60's, the trees and flowers are starting to bloom. I love the spring, so I just had to post this.
I got this wonderful fabric in the mail today from my friend Linda, who is an altered book artist and avid quilter. She knows how much I love stuff with skulls on it. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this, but it is so lovely to look at.


I have been on a quest for the perfect white pen. After asking some other artists I came up with these to try. I actually tried a Sharpie paint marker as well, but I think it rolled off the table when I was taking the picture. I have the Unibal Signo, Japanese version. The Pen-tech. The Permapaque, and the Galaxy Marker. My writing samples are pictured below.

I like the Galaxy marker, but it has a tendency to spread a little when it dries. The permapaque and the sharpie were both too light. I don't really like the opaque look. I did like the pentouch, and the unibal, although I had a little problem with the unibal hanging up.



Last but not least is a page out of my journal. I recently bought the new set of journal prompts by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts and have started working my way through them. My prompt for this week was black and white, so I decided to write about a dream that I had the other night. I used the Galaxy marker to write this page, the color showed up nicely, but it is a little thick for my tastes.

Pony Up

A quick post with a little art. I made this page this week in my art journal. I used a couple different colors of spray paint and some stencils. I wanted something to go with this lovely shot of a cowgirl I had...I took this scan because I thought I was done with the page, but then I started messing with it some more, but I didn't have the time tonight to scan it in. I am on spring break beginning this week and going into next, so it's going to be lots of art and a trip to Chicago. After last week, I so need a break.

Wednesday Stamper

The theme for this week's Wednesday Stamper is "eyes". I created this piece using a stamp by Hampton Arts. It's actually face, that I inked with a dabber, so that just the eye would be stamped. I stamped it repeatedly on some purple card stock. And then cut out the dress to attach. The words are stamped onto electrical repair tape. I wanted it to match the gaffer's tape word "fresh." The background I made using spray paint.

Train Case

I have been searching for a case to put my supplies in for when I travel. I was hoping to find a vintage train case to alter...and then low and behold I found this amazing one on ebay. It arrived this weekend and I am so excited! Now I just have to figure out what I want to do to it. I've never really worked on leather before, but I don't think it should be too difficult since the body of the case is hard. First thing's first, I have to go out and buy some saddle soap and give it a good polish. Anyway, here it is. Sorry the second one is a little blurry. Of course, I will post pictures of the finished product.

Finished it up

So just a quick post tonight. I was out late with my hubby and I have a ton of things to get done for my art meeting tomorow. I finished up that journal page that I did yesterday and wanted to post the finished porduct minus my writing...this is sort of me poking fun at myself, because when I was kid I was told over and over again what lovely bone structure I had...

Cork and Stencils

So, Mary Ann, who is an amazing artist, was doing this thing on her blog about people's bulletin boards and I kept meaning to take a picture of mine, but our camera's batteries were dead. And I kept doing that thing where I wander through target looking at stuff thinking "Now Bianca, what is it I keep forgetting to buy? Hmm..." Then I would promptly get home with my bag full of Resses peanut butter eggs, and other equally bad for me things and see my camera sitting on my desk and smack myself in the head and promise that the next time I wouldn't forget. Except I would. Anyway, I finally remembered the batteries and took this picture. I tend to stick random stuff on my board, first runs at new techniques or stamps. Stuff that I have no use for, as of yet. There are also a couple of pictures, one of me and my Nonna, and one of me and my Grandfather. I think my favorite thing I did up here is the dancing skeleton in the tulle dress. If you click on it, you should be able to see her. I also keep images that inspire me, of course.

As long as I had my camera out, I took this shot as well. I cut my very own stencils today. You can see them at the top of the photo black and white from the paint I used. These were the first I'd done by hand--I've made some using punches but that's not really very complicated. I actually cut several today, but I only used these two. I am really happy about how they turned out. I'm not certain if this page is done yet or not. I went out on our porch to look at it tonight and just couldn't decide. So we'll have to see.

A picture and a couple of ATCs

So I was going through some old photographs today and I came across this one of my brother Andrew. There's no date on this, so I don't really remember what this was for. (Andy, do you remember?) But I got a big kick out of it because he's so serious in this picture and if you knew him you'd know that he's NEVER serious. I am so lucky to have someone who is more than family; he's one of my best friends.

I made a couple more ATCs this week for the meeting this weekend. This first one is a Tim Holtz stamp, that I cut out. The background is embossed with some Pear-ex and clear embossing powder. I cut out the crown, and the text. The purple part of the background is hand dyed paper towels.





This ATC is a stamp by Lost Coast Designs. I rolled on some different colored inks to get the metallic effect. I cut it out and placed the image behind it. Pretty simple, but I like it.

Somedays, it's just not worth it.

So I had a bad teaching morning today. Let me just say, up front, that while I thinking that teaching is a very noble profession, some days, it's just not worth it. And while I'm unloading, I'll just say that I've taught every age imaginable from little children, to college classes, to adults, and adults are by far the WORST. I'd rather teach a six year old, with a propensity towards biting, and a sulky teenager who rolls their eyes and says "whatever" every other syllable simultaneously, while dangling above a snake and scorpion pit with the treat of my eminent death, than to work with adults.
Anyway after the nasty altercation of my morning class where an adult student called me a very not-nice name, (who says age brings maturity?) I came home, had a good cry and created this.
I can't really take credit for the photo of me flipping off the world, because I stole that idea from my friend Bev Crawford, who put a shot of just a hand flipping off in one of her journals, and I found it so funny I tucked it away in my head for future use. Anyway, that is me in the photo. The quote on the side is actually from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I used some brand new letter stencils for this one, and messed up all over the place. Of course, that might have been my mood as well. But I think I've finally figured out that they need to be taped down and allowed to dry a little before lifting off. You can see all the places I gunked. But it kind of fits my mood. Deconstructed and messy.

Wednesday Stamper

The theme for this weeks Wednesday Stamper is "At the movies." I selected the movie Now Voyager, becuase it is my absolute favorite movie of all time. I am a huge Bette Davis fan and consider her to be one of my heros. I used a a star background stamp by Stampabilities which I embossed with some pearl-ex and clear embossing powder. When it was dry I edged the cardstock with some pink ink and printed out the line from the movie. I then punched out the stars and cut out the moon and was done. It's a little simple, but I wanted the picture and the quote to be the focus.

Some ACTS

There is a local group here in Indianapolis that just started up--we meet once a month to swap ATCs and talk art. I've been trying to make up some cards to have to take the the meeting this weekend. If you live in the Indianapolis area and would like to come send me an email (click the contact me button to the right) and I'll give you the specifics.

This first one I did mainly by stamping two different stamps direct onto paper. First the diamonds, and then when it was dry, the text. The wings are also a stamp that I embossed using clear embossing powder and some pearl-ex powders.

The scan for this atc really doesn't do the background Justice. I used the same diamond stamp, but inked a Latin text and stamped it direct to the diamond stamp. Which is why the text only shows on the diamonds. The text is a rub-on by making memories. Oh, and the Russian text, is actually Shakespeare.

This last card is my favorite. And once again, I don't think that my scanner really did the background justice. I embossed little tiny stars with pear-ex powder and clear embossing powder. I stamped the birds and using some brown and blue stamp inks tinted the paper. I did the same for the flower and for the edges of the card itself. The word tweet is from my trusty label maker.

A quick post

Here is a little page I created on a whim about why is it that life feels more manageable after I've had a pedicure. I used some spray paint and cut out the little foot. I attached my receipt at the top and was done. So why is it my life feels more manageable after a pedicure? I still have no idea. it just must be one of life's little truths.

Some Modest Mouse

I have been really bad about posting this week. Sigh. But in my defense the weather here warmed up and the last of the snow finally melted. So all I wanted to do was be outside. Anyway, here is one of my creations from this week. I used a promotional sticker I picked up at Luna Music (Indianapolis' best independent record store) for the new Modest Mouse album. It fit perfectly, because when I turned the page in my art journal the subject was condolence letters. I masked off that title and layered some spray painting. (I tried to mask it to form an arrow, but it turned out a little wonky. oh well.) The dots are another Heidi Swapp mask. Then I stamped my little skeletons. It's actually one huge stamp from stamp camp. I am in love with that stamp because I collect things with skeletons on it. It's a bizarre obsession I know. Anyway, after I assembled the page I mounted some clear transparencies using jump rings to the top. You can just see the holes at the top of the picture. They flip down to allow for journaling, but you can still see the page through it. I think I'm finally getting the hang of working in a smaller journal. :)

The Great Experiment

So I've been playing around with spray paint the last couple of weeks or so and I finally took the plunge. The messy, no plan, wild plunge. I find that I, like many artists have a comfort zone, and sometimes it's hard for me to step out of it. But I did it this weekend and I have to say, I'm very happy with the results. I titled this the great experiment because to me, that's what it was. I used several different types of spray paint and some stencils to get the effect. I have to admit that I'm so bad about letting things dry! I'm always trying to rush the paint into being ready. I think my favorite discovery in this spray paint experiment has to be Krylon's sprayable webbing. I used it to get those silver splatters and am just in love with effect and texture if it. I made a matching envelope to go along with this spread with matching card-stock cards inside for my journaling. I attached the envelope with some jump-rings. The photo I attached with some string that I sprayed to match the blue and red theme of the page.

Wednesday Stamper

The theme for this week's Wednesday Stamper is "white." So I created this page in my art journal using a peeled paint stamping technique. First I layered on some true white paint, when that was dry I stamped alpha collage stamp by Hampton Arts and some embossing ink. I embossed it using UTEE and then layered parchment white paint on top of it. Once it was dry, I heated up my craft iron and using a piece of scrap paper ironed over the surface. When I lifted the scrap paper the under coating of true white showed through in a peeled texture. I then stamped the image of Queen Elizabeth and constructed her dress. It's actually been layered with a piece of tulle and attached the little stars. I added the flowers, and the text and was finished.

Days of the ostrich

I was in a bit of a mood last night and when I turned the page in my art journal to start a new spread I found this quote by Robert Lewis Stevenson, "The world is full of such beautiful things..." and I just thought "not today, it's not!" So, using the quote as my jumping off point I created this little spread. I cut out the shape of me sticking my head in the sand from a stamp that I'd rolled onto a piece of green cardstock. The stamp is by stampland and I believe is called "lotus flowers." Then I masked the page off so that the quote would show and went to town with the spray paint. Even though I was feeling grouchy, I wanted a softer feel to the page, to emulate the sand, and to make my statement feel mater of fact instead of a whine. Once the paint was dry, I drew and colored in some shoes, cut the holes with an exacto, attached the figure, and stamped the text.

Spray Paint fun

This week has been tough, our car is in the shop and we have been having scheduling problems, which hasn't left a lot of time for my art. But I did this one little page spread. I used a stencil mask by Hedi Swap and some design master's spray. It's a type of spray paint that is made to spray dried flowers. It has a nice texture when sprayed and doesn't have the smell. I used a cranberry and navy to get the colors. All in all I think it turned out quiet nice.

Tissue Paper clean-up

I recently started working on a silpat (it is a silicone based flexible cooking sheet that is supposed to keep cookies from sticking to the pan) when I was doing stamping. Mostly because I took this amazing class with Maryjo Mcgraw and she taught us how to pick up stamp ink onto a brayer from a silicone or glass surface. Anyway, when I am done stamping there is always a bit of a mess--leftover ink on the silpat, leftover ink on the brayer and stamps. So this afternoon when I went to clean up I saw this old yellow piece of tissue paper I had out and had the idea of using it to clean up with. I wiped up the ink with it like it was a paper towel, and then cleaned my stamp by laying it down and brayering it repeatedly. Then I cleaned my inking brayer off by rolling it across the paper. I was so pleased with the results that once it was dry I stamped the little bird onto the paper repeatedly and a new background was born!

Where Is Your Heart?

I am a fan of the band My Chemical Romance--and got inspired this week by their song "Famous Last Words" in which Gerard Way asks "Where's your heart?" So I created this spread in my book. I liked the idea of a diagram of a heart rather than something soft and romantic. I took small metal arrows (from Artchix Studios) and attached them to the back of the heart.



I then stamped the text onto blue cardstock the length of the book and punched holes and set some eyelets so that they could be tied to the sides. I stamped the backs of the cards so that they wouldn't look too plain when closed and embossed them using UTEE.

The background is acrylics that I used a card scraping technique on to give it that distressed look.

Wednesday Stamper

The theme for this week's Wednesday Stamper is Paris. When I think of Paris, I think of the Parisian women, fashionable, mysterious and aloof. So, I created this little tag to try to emulate that feeling. The background is a page from a French book, the coloring is alcohol inks onto a transparency. I stamped the woman on top using stazon ink, and then rubbed the flowers on. (I believe they are Basic Grey's Holy Cow line, but I'm not positive because I lost the envelope they came in.) And then wrote "La Belle Femme" (The beautiful Lady) with a Sharpie. I finished it off by tying some fibers at the top.