Artful reminders of a bigger picture....

Since the house is on the market I have taken down the little inspirational cards I am known to have around.... but my favorite messages are slowly emerging now as artful collage canvases.

A simple one made a few weeks ago. Seriously this took probably a half hour to make. The quote is "greater things are yet to come"

The one below is my largest work to date. 10" x 30" collage. I love the messages that remind me to do my part to help others. It is titled "Feed the World"

a birthday wish.....

Pulled together this simple canvas for a friend celebrating her twenty something Bday. We are meeting at PF Changs for a celebration so I wanted to give it a fortune cookie theme. The fortune reads "you will always be surrounded by true friends". It is shameful how easy this was to do. First I have a collection of small canvases bought long ago during the major Dick Blick sale. When I see a technique I like on other blogs I like to play around creating canvas backgrounds to keep on hand for future. I had done this one a while back and it became a perfect base for this project. Like usual, I pulled out my Studio Calico stash and began cutting and gluing....... so simple yet so different from the other birthday cards she will receive. I will hate to see it go, it kind of looks good next to an old photo of a Monk at a Buddhist Temple in Bangkok, Thailand (circa 2003).


I hope everyone is having a great weekend and keeping with the Chinese theme.....

Nee How Ma !
(good day in Mandarin)

still waiting and therefor still creating......

I wanted to play with some papers from Studio Calico on this weeks canvas. I decided to cut and collage with papers from past kits Iconic, Newstand, and Looking Glass. I added my own paints and a quote to finally finish a long overdue gift.




This was a lot of fun and I loved the process, learning even more about different mediums I am playing with. If there is any collage people out there, I would love your comments on your favorite adhesive product for paper on canvas.........








Oh and I found a great embroidery booklet this week to get me moving on a better embroidery path. Most likely will start practising tonight during my Friday night Ghost Whisperer party with Connor.....




Happy Friday ladies.....

sunday inspiration

My weekends tend to be a combination of duty and artful playtime. The ratio varies depending on the priorities but artful playtime usually wins out in the end.....

My intention this week was to share my exploration of the fabric sampler. I absolutely love this project as its something to keep my hands busy at night when watching tv. However, you can see from the examples I was dreamin' big when I thought I could pick up needle and thread after 30 years. I admit to needing some serious practise prior to making a sampler as planned.




So instead today I worked on a canvas collage for my sons girlfriend Megan. I had a blast working on this project, using papers from a past Studio Calico kit and more paper that comes in my Somerset Studio magazines. I found a favorite quote that captured the message I wanted to send and glazed it finally with gel medium.



the quote is: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.

love love love the day.... enjoyed a morning snow, cleaned a bit and created some art.

what more can one ask?
maybe a job offer!

Blessed Blog affirmations.....

a.k.a. OMG! Stacy Julian read my blog!!!!!!!! and better yet- even left me a comment!!!
a.k.a. recipient of wonderful affirmation from Studio Calico "hope to call girlfriends" too.
Blown away by it all but extremely energized by the comments left. Thank you so much.

There is one comment from Scrappyoga (love that name) that brought me smiles today. As I took pics of the last canvas art I was aware of the background and made a mental note to talk about my lunchbox sometime soon. So I was so delighted when scrappy sister called it out.....

I love this lunchbox and am so grateful for a mother with the art background and the foresight to store this little box away so I can recover it later on (after her passing).

First reason I love this box is that I know my father carried this lunchbox (in its original form) every day to work and he was my life example of hard work ethics. Everyone who knows me knows that my father is to date my favorite man in life and I have learned much from him. Secondly my mother took this lunchbox from him and painted it for me when I started freshman year in high school. One end has my name and the other has RHS '75. yeh yeh yeh I'm an old fart. So what, I'm a cool old fart. My mom would be horrified to have this as a published example of her art but it remains a cherished reminder of my youth and one of my favorites today.

so thank you art and scrap world! I love you and am inspired by you daily!!!!

see you tomorrow with my sunday inspiration post.......

a few hours of escape.....

just a few hours of escape this afternoon!

I may not have my paper but I do have canvas and paints handy!

oh and how I love collage!

this favorite scripture now hangs in my bedroom......

the scrappers' angst......

I have a few gifts to make and even more projects in progress but just don't have anything around to complete them. Aaarrgh! Knowing I have what I need but it's just packed away and stored up in the garage is of no comfort to me right now....

I am trying this really clean and clutter free appoach to living but it is a real DRAG when it comes to exploring creativity and making things! This is supposed to be relaxing and gentle for ones soul..... not creating the angst I feel..... got to get my work done today and head up to unpack a few essentials....

that scary G word.....

I finally got my tail back to church this past Sunday and even though I didn't see anyone I knew, it really felt like a loving family reunion. I am trying my best to get out of the dark days of my disintegrating business and midlife health issues so who better to turn to than my God? Ultimately my higher power is my true source of support and unconditional love. I know he remains active in my life even if I don’t listen all the time. I am in awe of his enduring patience even though I have the habit of taking back the control. At least I have learned to recognize his work in my life sooner than in the past, which is a great step in the right direction. I have really worked hard at increasing my communication with God through prayer. I believe this is bringing a bit of hope & peace to the current storm.

I ask everyone to check out my pastors blog at http://mikehowerton.blogspot.com/
Yesterday he posted a video from this weeks service and the music is from my church band. I am so encouraged and blessed by both…..

PS- someday I will learn how to insert videos to my blog.....

simple saturday night

Yesterday I was playing around with the camera and took photos of my surroundings. These photos are bits and pieces of larger pieces created by my mom. My mom taught tole and canvas painting for many years in our home. So I have been surrounded by art my entire life. Even though I spent hours down with the "paint ladies" my incentive then was to hear the off color jokes the ladies would share. I sure wish now that I would have picked up a brush more often!

I haven't always appreciated the art that has surrounded me but I am looking at it with fresh eyes lately. As I grow in my own creative experience I now can appreciate the love and passion that she enjoyed through her art. Oh, I forgot to mention that she was also self taught but quite good at floral arrangements (both fresh and dried)..........

So last night I had a great Saturday evening complete with a cup of creamy hot chocolate and a chick flick on Hallmark station. I got down to business .....

It was a nice evening... excercising my right to vote in the comfy of my own home.....

Have a great day today! Off to make Stuffed Peppers & Zucchini; another family recipe that I haven't made in years. Explanation: gotta use up that bag of peppers bought at Costco! LOL.