Play Time

playing with image transfers and washi tape... what else. 

Mail Art

I've been sending a lot of correspondence lately... These are a few cards I made one night when I was stuck in a hotel room on a bitterly cold evening. I bought a kids set of brush markers in red, blue and yellow and used them to make these postcards... I really like the results of having the limitation of 3 colors. Sometimes, I think all the choice you have when at home in your studio can keep you from creating...

NYC

I went to New York for the first time. It was amazing. There was snow on the ground when we arrived at 6AM on a Friday morning, and the sun glinted off icy roof tops as we rode from the JFK into Manhattan.

I went to the Strand bookstore, which has been on my list to-do since forever. And I asked the guy behind the counter to recommend the best coffee, which led us to Paradis which was tiny and warm and full of amazing baked goods, homemade jam and tiny tables and chairs occupied by happy New Yorkers eating breakfast.

I saw my favorite Brooklyn girl, and we dug around a tiny shop filled with stamps looking for that perfect image... and then I met this boy Keat, who makes stamps and draws zines and I bought his book.

And I saw amazing displays and bought beautiful objects.

I rode on the Subway.

I walked the streets of New York from morning til night and saw many, many things.

I saw beautiful art.

I saw miniature art.

 
I saw cool art.

I ate good food in good company.

and I took many, many pictures. Thanks, New York. I hope to see you again soon.

Paper Doll Witches Workshop

Halloween is my favorite holiday so its no surprise that I was thrilled to teach something spooky for  Creativebug. Check out my Halloween Paper Witches Workshop and create some sassy and spooky paper witches for Halloween! These guys are so easy to make and so much fun! Enjoy!

Pin it to Win it Contest on Creativebug

My friends at Creativebug just launched a new contest that I think you might LOVE. Starting today (October 3rd) and running until October 16th you have three ways to win their grand prize worth well over $400, including a free THREE-month subscription to Creativebug and a heaping pile of materials and supplies that will enable you to complete many of the projects found on the site. There will also be 4 bonus prizes that include 2-month subscriptions to Creativebug plus materials. FULL list o' prizes seen here! Yowza. 

Grand Prize:

- 3 months to Creativebug +

- Alabama Chanin Kit including: 2 yards Alabama Chanin Jersey knit, 4 spools of Button Craft Thread, sewing needles, and Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin

- Radmegan's Needle felting Peeps Kit including: Wool Roving, Needle felting needle and foam, and instructions

- 2 skeins of Debbie Stoller's Alpaca Love yarn + 1 year subscription to BUST magazine

- 1 skein of hand-dyed yarn by Jill Draper Makes Stuff

- 2 Fiskars Hand Drills + 1 pair Fiskars scissors

- Assorted Rebecca Ringquist Samplers + needles + hoop

- Hello! Lucky Cake Topper Workshop Kit

- Found Bead Necklace Workshop Kit

- Herringbone Necklace Workshop Kit

- Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson

- Gertie's Book for Better Sewing by Gretchen Hirsch

- Heather Ross Prints by Heather Ross

- Weekend Handmade: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Crafting by Kelly Wilkinson

- Improv Sewing: 101 Fast, Fun and Fearless Projects, by Nicole Blum & Debra Immergut

- Mod Podge Gift Pack including: Mod Podge, Podgeable Papers, Podgeable Shapes, Gold Glue and so much more!

- Washi tape 

(4) Bonus Prizes:

- 2 months to Creativebug +

 - One of these books by Jenny Doh: We Make Dolls:Top Dollmakers Share Their Secrets & Patterns,Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look, Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids, Creative Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Artful Gatherings and Discovery of Innovative Art Techniques

- 1 skein of Debbie Stoller's Alpaca Love yarn

- 1 Rebecca Ringquist sampler + 1 hoop

- 1 Liesl Gibson Straight Stitch Society Pattern

- Assorted Patterns, Fabric & Yarn 

- Hello! Lucky Cake Topper Workshop Kit

- Found Bead Necklace Workshop Kit

- Herringbone Necklace Workshop Kit

- Washi tape

How does it work? 

Creativebug is enamored with Pinterest (who isn't!) so to participate in this contest, you must first be following Creativebug on Pinterest, then create a Pinterest board that includes at least 5 projects you have made, or projects on Creativebug that you would like to take, plus an official contest pin from the Creativebug I made this! Contest Board at http://pinterest.com/creativebuginc/. Call your Pinterest board "I made this!" and then go to Creativebug's blog at http://blog.creativebug.com/i-made-this-contest/ and enter the link to your Pinterest board and your email address so they can contact you and tell you when you WIN!

To increase your chances of winning, after you build your Pinterest board you can leave a comment here on MY BLOG with just your name and email address. You can also visit the blogs of my fellow Creativebug instructors, and leave a comment on their Creativebug contest posts. Each comment counts as one more entry! (Limit one comment per blog though.) Here's the list of my participating Creativebug pals:

Improv Sewing http://www.improvdiary.com

Hello! Lucky: http://www.hellolucky.com/wordpress/

Rebecca Ringquist: http://www.drop-cloth.blogspot.com/

Jody Alexander: http://wishiwashistudio.blogspot.com

Liesl Gibson: http://oliverands.com/blog/

Jill Draper: http://jilldraperblogs.blogspot.com/

Cal Patch: http://hodgepodgefarm.net/

Rad Megan: http://radmegan.blogspot.com

Natalie Chanin: http://alabamachanin.com/journal/

Courtney Cerruti: http://www.papermusingsblog.blogspot.com/

Megumi Inouye: http://giftwrapbymegumi.blogspot.com/

Heather Ross: http://heatherross.squarespace.com/journal/ 

Creativebug is also accepting tweets about the contest as entries if you follow @Creativebug on twitter, and include the hashtag #Imadethis and @creativebug.

To read the full page o' rules, click here http://blog.creativebug.com/imadethis-terms, but in the meantime, start pinning!
Good luck to everyone!

Collagraph Printing

Spent some time doing monoprint gelatin prints the other night... I'm addicted!!!

Cardburg at Bedford Gallery

I can't believe I missed this... so close.. at Bedford Gallery. A really beautiful installation. 

Painting for Tonight

Painting on the backside of vintage wallpaper recently... This particular one has an adhesive or sizing of some kind which cause the surface of the paper to have a slight texture when its wet with paint. It is a bit gummy but dries leaving a soft pebbled affect... its pretty interesting painting on this stuff. The colors are softer, more subdued as well. Not sure if I like this one or not, but its kept me occupied for the last few hours so its working :)

Get Crafty Day 3

Altered books with shadow boxes inside!!!!

Autumn is my favorite season. Some people mourn the loss of summer, the darkness that arrives too soon in the evenings, the chill that consumes a warm breeze. As a child I welcomed the return of school, anticipated the coming months colored by pumpkin orange, fiery reds, deepest purple and indigo blues.

For me, Fall is where golden afternoon light casts long blue shadows on the pavement, and the morning air holds the crisp shock of a new day. I love when chartreuse leaves turn to amber, scarlet and deep purple plum. If I could capture all that the season means to me, I would have a worn paper box full of bright white skies, honeyed light, fuzzy memories, smoky smells, damp earth and a song that slowed to the pace of the fading afternoon glow.

Found Photo

I love finding things. I especially love to find something that tells a story. A great find could be an object that is worn down from being handled too often, or a photo that gives a momentary peek into someone else's life. This photo I bought this at an antique sale. I love the shy pride that a child exhibits when their photo is taken, the bottled up excitement of a birthday visible on their blushing cheeks. This little girl in her conical birthday hat, her perfectly starched dress and shiny patent leather shoes, looks down in a moment of internal joy at the thought of the approaching party... at least that is a possible story...

Alice in Etsy Wonderland

My Wonderland Shadow Box was featured on an etsy Wonderland treasury! Check it out here!

Thanks Christyyyn for selecting my shadowbox as one of your treasures!

Miniature a Day

Miniature for the day... The Performers available in my etsy shop!

Merry Christmas!!! The holidays bring lots of excitement, wonder and magic, and this Christmas was no exception. Of course there are several Holiday traditions I cherish, such as dressing up and going to High Tea and celebrating with loved ones, but this year making gifts was at the top of my list. I must say that Aaron surprised me with several beautiful handmade gifts including a fairy tale and this incredible shadow box. I am so lucky!!!!

He also wins boyfriend of the year award for subscribing to Felissimo's 500 pencil project. A set of 25 colored pencils will arrive every month for the next 20 months!!!! Here is the first set!
I made Aaron a shadow box in this display case. Two wax rabbits in a thistle grove...

Buckeyes, Biscuits, and Oolong

A storm is on the horizon and what better way to spend the day than decorating your christmas tree, making buttermilk biscuits and drinking tea!?! Of course the biscuits had little room to cool as we are drying these California buckeye pods on our kitchen table. These trees are plentiful here and their pods, although poisonous if eaten, harden to a beautiful ball of wood!

Sunday Hunting

Spent last Sunday at the Flea Market hunting for treasures!!!  I love this red bike Yasmine found... Came home with a pieces for myself as well including an amazing anatomical chart ...

Happy hunting! 

In the News...

My class was featured in Inside Benicia Magazine!

Books in Progress

I started a few accordion format books... here they are so far....

I used a transparent transfer method for the face of the female figure, then drew beneath the image to create these two visages.

The text is from Italian American poet, WS di Piero from his book of poems, Chinese Apples.

This second accordion is small, black and has a tunnel of irregular windows that allow the viewer a glimpse of a slightly open mouth.

After many pages, the mouth becomes more visible

The last page reveals a portion of Odd Nerdrum's painting Isola.