Fireworks in June

 
Watermelon. Mangoes. Strawberries. Kiwis. The fruits of summer inspire me with their sweet juicy flavors and vibrant colors. Speaking of vibrant and juicy, these Fireworks spray inks are loads of fun.

Remember my paper-cutting spree last week? Well, I couldn't stop. This time I made a few pages of blobby circles and leaf-like shapes.

 
I created a circular design on top of a sheet of bright white Canson Colorline paper. Then I started spraying. I used three different shades of green for the first one, allowing dry time between each spray layer. Once done, I lifted the sheet allowing all the shapes to fall away and reveal this bold image.

 
For the pink one, I simply turned the now green shapes over and created a new design.

Once done, I sewed the shapes into a double-sided pink and green paper garland.

The whole process was so much easy fun. I waited with child-like glee for each layer to dry and couldn't wait to see the final design.

I'm not sure how I will use these prints, but I enjoyed making them and think the project would be an excellent one to do with my daughter. I also think the prints would look fabulous matted and framed in white.

I don't think I'm done. Up next... new shapes and different colors!

A Real Page Turner

I am not a bookmaker, but I recently tried my hand at one. I was inspired by a nifty binding machine I got for a steal on the clearance rack at the craft store. I call my book "Traveling by Hand."

 
My idea was to create a place where I could write or doodle as escape. I would like to think of myself as a great adventurer, but in reality I struggle with jet lag, motion sickness, homesickness, and anxiety. I dream of being that worldly woman traveler who can dance with the natives and pick up languages quickly, all while carrying everything she could possibly need in a small backpack.

And so I turn to art to live the dream without having to leave my comfortable hobbit hole.

 
I haven't written anything in it yet. Where should I begin?

  Perhaps like any great adventurer, I should just set out and see what happens.

Day 2: What Are You Saving That For?

I love old children's books. Especially discarded library books. The smell of the discolored paper. The beat up binding. The little "due date" pocket on the back page. The charming illustrations and type are perfect for collage and decoupage. However, there is a librarian that lives in my head and her eyebrows are raised over her spectacles when she realizes my plan to desecrate a book.
So the books gather.

A few thoughts come to mind.
1) Piled-up books take up space.
2) Sitting on the couch all day would easily accommodate paper-cutting.
3) It would be handy to have a stockpile of images readily available for craft projects.  





  

With my pointiest scissors, I will cull the coolest and cutest images. Let the librarian put her hands on her hips and huff at me.

Random Interruptions

Here's a new one. I am experimenting with color. I am naturally drawn to bright and very colorful, so this was an attempt to tone it down and use some different and experimental techniques. I am calling this one "Random Interruptions" as it represents all of the unrelated images and thoughts that constantly run through a person's head.

Up to Something

These folks look suspicious to me. They must be up to something.





These 4 x 4 paintings are done with acrylic and gouache, pencil, a variety of tissue papers, and found text from an old (1964) typing book.

Perhaps the little sentences were things their teachers said about the boys before they became spies, thugs, and thieves.
Interesting observation...as I searched the old typing book for quotes about my characters, I easily found positive practice sentences about males (Pierce is "at the top" and T.J. has "quick wit and much charm.") However, when I looked for quotes about the woman, I could only find practice sentences about how Sue would type all of the letters or find the file for Mr. Smith. So of course I had to find the perfect quote for the woman, "I shall do this work just as well as Hal does his."

I think her expression tells us that in the end, the woman is the mastermind of whatever they've got planned.

I don't know how these characters found their way out of my brain, but they were so fun to make.

My Etsy Shop is Open!

I have finally opened up an Etsy shop. It is fun to play around with the shop and to have a place to sell all of my creations and experiments. I am not totally happy with my shop appearance yet, but I am a little slow in the graphic design area. I have great ideas in my head. But getting them into the computer is still a bit of a challenge for this paper, scissors, and paste girl. I will get there... it is not a race. This is all about the journey.

This collage pillow is my first listing. If you have any scraps and doo-dads laying around the house, a collage pillow is super fun to make. Get the sewing machine out and start recklessly sewing pieces together. Leave the edges raw, let the ends ravel. It is all part of the fun. Adhere some favorite collage pieces to lightweight cardboard and then sew them on using the sewing machine. It feels a bit strange to sew through cardboard, but it works and makes the piece even more touchy feely. Once the front of the pillow is done, grab another scrap for the back and just whip-stitch the front to the back. (Perfect stitching is no fun.)