Finger painting!

Finger painting with acrylics over a Sherwin Williams paint chip ad.  This is a response to "No Excuses Journaling" Sprout challenge #6: Alter an image from a magazine.

Happy Goat Lucky!

Took a mamma/daughter trip recently to Charleston, SC.  We stayed on Middleton Plantation.  This goat was quite the poser in the stable yards.

Prepping blocks

I have spent this morning preparing blocks for next weeks favorite block class with Junelle Jacobson.  The title of next weeks block is DOWNTON ABBEY!  Can't wait to see what we are going to do !

I took a different approach to my blocks this week.  I started with black gesso, then did layers of different colors of paints.  When they were dry, I sanded them to reveal the layers and some of the black.

Another spring bloom block...

Saturday Morning Block!

It was another Saturday morning with Junelle Jacobson.  Today's favorite block was "Spring Blooms".
We started out sketching, and being encouraged to explore outside as Spring is emerging.  She also gave us permission to buy ourselves some fresh flowers, which I did at the grocery store!

Rusty old box in the studio

I love chippy paint, rusty, old, metal stuff especially when I can repurpose them into art supply storage in my studio.  I found this gem while antiquing in Winston Salem last weekend.  My watercolors have a new home! I can finally see all my twinkle H2O watercolors at the same time instead of digging through a bowl for the right color.  

DLP Challenge: Draw, sketch, collage, or paint a bird.

My bird!  I started with Derwent inktense pencils, then did acrylic paint with my fingers.  Highlights with white paint pen, and outlining with Sharpie.  I did it on a nutrition fact card from Chipotle that I picked up at lunch yesterday.

Planner page for week 10.

Saturday morning favorite block class

Junelle Jacobson's new class started this morning.  It's called "Saturday Morning Favorite Block Class".  You can still sign up for this class....go to her blog..."Yes and Amen" to find out more details. The  online class is $25 dollars and runs for six Saturdays, two in March,  two in April, and two in May.
I really enjoyed today's class.  We started off sketching owls, then chose one of our sketches to do on a 2x4 block.  I loved the sketching session and love loved the painting with my fingers!

Here are my sketches and finished block:

I chose this sketch to work from for my block project.

Spreecast

I am trying out Spreecast!  Julie Balzer is using Spreecast to do "Stenciling live".  I got curious about the technology, so I joined and here are the results of my first video cast.


Spreecast: Meet and greet Michelle, from Lucy's Lampshade

Don't expect Hollywood...I spent all of 4 minutes from recording to embedding the link!

Let me know what you think!  I am still figuring things out about the Spreecast site.  Check Julie's "Stenciling Live" while you are in Spreecast.

Using craft foam to make stamps

I have been working on some activities to do in a creative journaling workshop with high school students.  There are three of us hosting this workshop and one of our goals was to help students get some great effects in there journals with out them having to spend a great deal of money on supplies.  I played around with creating stamps using craft foam sheets.  Easy!  All I did to create this wing set was to draw into the foam with a ball point pen.  It leaves a depression line wherever you draw. I cut out around the outside depression line.  I turned the stamp pad upside down to ink the foam stamp while it was laying on scrap paper.  Then I placed the inked side of the wings down where I wanted them and pressed.  I love the results!  A dollar sheet of craft foam can make a lot of stamps.  

I'll take my coffee...

Black and in a pottery mug please!
I have collected pottery mugs my whole married life.  Love them!  Each one is different, unique, handmade, and artistic.  I love being able to use someone's art for a daily purpose.  I take great care in choosing my mugs.  The handle has to fit just right.  It must allow my hands to mold around the belly easily.  The lip has to be smooth.  The glaze artistic.  Not to big, or to small.  As of January 1st this year I started taking my coffee black.  It's simple, basic, clean, and frugal.

Gelli printed papers using one color palette: Blue, Yellow, and Grey

DLP Challenge: Weeks 9 and 10

Documented Life Project

Week 9: Recycle something.  I recycled the plastic sleeve that a stencil came in.
Week 10: Make a list of things about yourself.  My list of 7 things are written on jar stickers, placed on a gelli printed paper, and slipped inside my recycled sleeve.

One palette Gelli prints!

Blue, yellow, and grey.
 I will be working with this color palette
in my art journal this month.
I've got ideas spinning in my head after doing these prints!

Gelli printed on small Project Life cards.

Gelli printed on large Project Life cards.

All other gelli prints here are on science worksheets.

I also got to try out my new round Gelli plate.

with one palette...

I am trying something new for my journal this week, maybe month! I pulled together a simple color palette of yellows, blues, and grey.  I am going to keep these things on my worktable this week ad try to work with just one palette as the inspiration and see what evolves.