Art is YOU…Me… and We!

I’m back from Art is You.  What  a fun time.   As you know, this was my first art retreat.  First ever.. and I went alone.  Yup, just me and my talking GPS who kept me company.  C’mon, raise your hand if you think the GPS is awesome?  Wow, one, two, three… see there are a lot of you out there.  ”Navigator” on my smartphone rocks!  Love her.

This is what we wore around our necks for the weekend.  So fun.  How could you not smile with that on you each day?  Each morning, we were greeted with a wonderful breakfast buffet and the same at lunch.  It really was a sense of community.  You can read about Art is You and about Sallianne and Ellen, it’s creators, HERE.  Thank you, ladies and anyone else involved in helping make the event a success.

Let me start by saying that as soon as I met my roommate, Jessica, I knew we were a good fit.   As soon as I walked in the room and saw that she had her journal pages and her art supplies all over the bed, I said, “ok.. now we’re talkin”.   Miss you JS.  Hey, we have the same initials.. that has to mean something, right? You can read Jessica’s blog post about AiY HERE.  I love it.

Ok Ok.. i’m getting to the fun stuff.

Saturday was a full day workshop with Serena Barton called Waxing Literacy with Charlotte.  We took an old hard cover book and used encaustic wax, creating a display piece.  Serena is such a great teacher and person.

Hi Serena.. our wax queen!

This class was so much fun.  I had never used encaustic wax before, never mind entrapping a book in it.  Serena gave us frozen chartlotte dolls that were going in a niche that we cut out of the book.  (click on any picture for larger image)

    
on right:  this is the inside of Serena’s book.. anything look familiar to you.. on the left in the center…hmmmm? She used one of my ‘bellishments.

  
This is the inside and out side of my book.

More books from the class…..

    
Far right:   I love that Nancy used a small child’s book.

    

Wasn’t that fun??  Thank you, Serena!

Getting ready for vendor night…  This place was packed.  Lots of walking around… my feet are still recovering. : (

  

Now, let’s move on the Sunday’s workshop with Mary Beth Shaw.  What can I say about Mary Beth?  We’ve exchanged emails back and forth about meeting. She’s fun, outgoing and a great teacher; making classes fun… oh and she plays some great music in class.  I’ve been wanting to meet MB and take one of her classes for about 2 years now and both were  more than what I expected.

Mary Beth’s class was called More is Less.  What a journey that was.  Making textures through stencils with paste.. my favorite thing to do.  I wish I had brought smaller substrates.  I worked too big and I think it was a bit overwhelming, to be honest.  So, I finished two.  Fair enough, let’s compromise.

Mary Beth gave me permission to take pictures of her demo.  Here’s a peek.

  
Yummy Wood Icing and pasta, yes pasta!

    

These are mine…

… and some of the rest….

          

..and here are Mary Beth’s 6″x6 boards… beautiful.

Thank you, Mary Beth!!

So, there you have it.. my two classes. Two full days and nights of just fun and camaraderie.  I made new friends and I was able to meet new artists in the mixed media world and say hello to the ones I have taken classes from before.

The ladies in my classes were so talented and fun to be with.  Just imagine being in a place where we all think about art the same, all want to learn and share.  What else could you want?  I plan on keeping in touch with many of my new friends (you know who you are).

..and… can I just say that I need a full body massage now?

Thanks for joining me in this art journey and stopping by.  I love hearing from you.

Judy ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 

Win Online Workshops FOR LIFE

That’s what it says.  No kidding.  You know you want to try to win.. so go for it.

I can say first hand that Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen workshops at The Land of Lost Luggage are WONDERFUL.  Some of the best I’ve taken.  You can’t go wrong with any of their classes.  Smart, bright, vibrant, beautiful, classy, professional and non-intimidating.

Nuff said…..See you there.

Judy

Final Mixed Media Projects.. and more

Well.. here we are.. 2011.. Happy New Year EVERYONE!!!  What a great year it was and let’s hope that 2011 is even better.

Having the past two weeks off from work have been so refreshing.  Family, friends, art.. what else could a girl ask for?  Food?  Yes.. too much celebrating for sure.  I’m not making any resolutions.. I’ll just do my best each and every day.

Let’s get to some art, shall we?

Remember my mixed media texture on canvas.. here is the before picture:

After… click to see some details…

Well, you recently saw my post on my paper towel journal.  I took my second towel and turned it vertical to make a small/tall journal.  So cute!

Below are some of the steps I took to make it.

Click any picture to see more detail.

As I started to make the journal above, I thought of putting a patchwork fabric piece on the inside cover of the journal.  Well, after sewing and sewing.. I LOVED the result so much that I decided to make another journal out of it.  See below…

I just started to sew pieces of scrap fabric onto a 6×12″ piece of material.

Added more and lace around the edge….

I added more trim, ribbon, lace scraps.  Sewed in watercolor paper signatures, strung some ceramic beads off the binding and that’s it.

I decided to do some cleaning in the studio.  Donating lots of unused crafts that have been sitting around for years.  It feels good to re-energize, clean out and give to others.   It’s a “win win” to me.

What else is new you ask?    Well….

….  also wanted to share with you a few challenges and workshops that I am involved in that are FREE.  They are at your own pace, so no pressure.  I certainly won’t have time to do them consistently, now that I’m back at work.  That’s what I love about it.

1st:  The Sketchbook Challenge.. read all about it HERE.  Great artists hosting each month for the year, you heard me… a year.  One theme per month.

2nd:   Milliande’s Art Journal January

3rd:  Strathmore Visual Journal Online Workshops

Pass the word.. send my post to a friend.

Well, I’ve said a mouthful, don’t you think??? Whew… Lots to share with all of you and it’s all fun and good.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy ♥

Kelly, Journals and Fun.. oh my

Hey Blogsters..

Well, let me tell you about my workshop last weekend with Kelly Kilmer.

First, if you ever get a chance to take a class with the Kell-ster, you have to. A fabulous artist and person. Makes you want to pull up a couple of comfy chairs, grab your favorite liquid consumption and snack (why do I always have to include food?)  and chat all night long.

The weekend was held at a private studio… AND.. thank you Susan, for hosting us.

Being my first class with Kelly, I was a bit nervous to learn how to make/bind a book, but I  felt immediately at ease with her and following her instructions was a breeze.

Ok.. let me stop the chit chatting and get to some pictures, since you’re all so impatient.. geesh.

.. and here she is our fearless leader…. and I do mean fearless.. hey she’s from LA, what do you expect…. just kidding, Kelly.  She is originally from the Bawstin area.

Let’s get to the journal pictures…

This would be my front cover… and my few pages below, top.

and another couple of my pages…

Ok.. screeeeech…let me stop for a second.. and show you the decorative tape that Kelly brings with her for her students…

.. and I have a feeling this isn’t all of it…  My name is Kelly Kilmer and I have a Tape Addiction.  Now, this is the kind of addiction I want to have.. where do I sign up?

Moving on to MORE delicious art…

So, there you go.. a fabulous weekend with Kelly Kilmer.  A great experience for me.  I definiely made some new friends that I will keep in touch with.

And here we are all journaled and focal pointed out.

(I hope I was able to capture a page or two from everyone’s journal; if I missed anyone, I apologize).

Fun, fun, fun… I need a nap.

Thanks again Kelly.. please don’t be sad to see us go.. we feel the same way.

ATC Workshop & Renewed Friendships

Hey Bloggeroonies…

I recently did a workshop in Rhode Island to my dear friends from the Rhode Island Polymer Clay Guild.  I had stopped going to meetings there a couple of years ago, but was invited back for a workshop after the board members saw my blog.  We also have kept in touch since I left.

I was honored the asked me to teach my ATC workshop.  They were elated that my friend, Karen (you can see her post of the RI visit), and I returned for a visit.  In our honor, they had a buffet lunch and at the end of the day, and because I taught the workshop, they presented me with a Zentangle print shown below. Each of them did a square tangle and they had it professionally printed on one large board.  Seeing this in person is more amazing.  I love the one on the bottom right.. look at that little cat… can you see it?

Here a some pictures of the gang and their ATC’s.

BRAVO, ladies.. they came out gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s a call out to Toine, Bobbie, Sandy, Christine, Tricia, Arlene, Ilene, Rita, Tamala, Dora, Sarah, Toni, Pat, Sheila and my partner in crime, Karen.

Thank you all at RIPCG.. you are one terrific group of creative souls.   You haven’t seen the last of me.. I promise.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy

Next up…  Martha’s Vineyard, here I come (may not post next week).
When I get back… what I’ve been up to in the studio.

Dryer Sheet Collage Art Cloth – Tutorial

Hey Bloggerdoodles…

I finally finished up my dryer sheet collage art cloth for you.

This process is so fun at at the same time, you are recycling your dryer sheets.  I hope you like it.

What you need: used dryer sheet, white glue, water, freezer paper, masking tape, brush for glue, paints and inks,  scrap papers, fabrics, ribbon, glitter…. just any kind of ephemera to make your layers and what makes you happy.

Tape a sheet of freezer paper, shiny side up to a piece of card board (taping it down to your work surface is fine, but if you use a piece of cardboard you can move it while it dries).

Mix glue and water in a separate container using a 1:1 ratio.  I play with it until it’s a syrup consistency.   Lay down the dryer sheet and pour the glue on the sheet and start to spread it until it’s all covered.

Here we go…. Let”s have some fun, shall we?

Now, you can start with anything you want, but here is what I did….

I started  laying and gluing down decorative napkins, tissues papers, fabric, ribbon and thin papers.  Don’t hesitate to use too much glue.. this will all dry clear and give the cloth strength.  Keep in mind, you are working on a very thin, transparent substrate; it’s needs the layers you’ll be adding to it.

Then I dripped alcohol inks all over.  You can use glitter spray too or acrylic paints to make your own free form designs.

It’s getting there.  Just keep adding, layers until  you are satisfied.  Press down the glued pieces, making sure they come in good contact with the layer below it.

Here’s what it looks like when I’ve completed piece.  I added glitter and gold ribbon.   I am a gold-aholic.. I admit it.  Nothing seems done until I add some glitter and glam to it.  Tip:  Go to the hardware store and buy a small bucket of ceiling glitter; it comes in gold and silver.

Once your done, put this aside and let it dry several hours.. even 24.

Peel it off of your freezer paper and now, you’ve created a one of a kind, all your own design, collage art cloth.  For some last minute, I think it needed something else, addition, I used rubber stamps on it once it was dry.

Oooooooooooo….. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. lookie here…..

It is completely flexible.  You can cut it to you own shapes to add to your canvas art, journals, snip pieces to make greeting card designs.. it’s your world… go for it..

Click on each picture for a closer look.

Take a look at the back of the cloth… pretty cool too.

Thanks for joining me and stopping by.  I do hope you enjoyed this tute.

Judy

Next up:   ATC workshop and renewing friendships.

Workshop Success!

Hey Blogereetas…

Well, my class was a success.  I guess I would measure success on that it was relaxing, my students/artists were so talented, social, humorous and down right fun.  Thanks, Kristen, Raine and Susan for making it easy for me.

The class was scheduled for 3 hours, but we could have gone 4.   The books just came to life with each step they completed.   We could have used about 30 more minutes, as 2 did not finish their books.  They promised to finish at home and send me pictures.  I’ll be expecting them, ladies.  Don’t make me come over there.  I’ll post them as soon as they do.

Here are some shots of the day and their work.

First, introducing our Hostess at the Scrapbook Cupboard, Bev.  Thank you so much for being wonderful and bringing me in to teach.

If you’re in the area, please stop by to visit and/or take one of their great classes.

Here’s my class, aren’t they cute?

Artist’s work in progress.  I wasn’t able to shoot more pictures than this, but this will give you the flavor of the class.

What fun!!!.. and Bev made us eat chocolate.

I’ll be back at Scrapbook Cupboard in September to teach my Buttons, Embellishments & More Workshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy

Next up…. Dryer Sheet Collage Paper

Background Checks

Hey Blogmeisters!

Welcome to Friday!   Been cold and rainy here and down right brrrrrr for June in New England.

I’ve been working on some backgrounds and thought I’d share.  These just sort of came about as I sat in my studio playing with some new creamy crayons that are water soluable.  Click here to check them out.

This one, I used a gold paint as the first layer, then I mixed in cobalt teal by Golden in some light molding paste and pushed it through an old plastic doily.  It may look blurry, but it’s actually when the molding paste pushed through the fine mesh like plastic.. giving it a dreamy effect.

Next are yummy layers of acrylic paints, crayons, stamps, music paper, acrylic skins.  On the face below, I added glitter to her face and tried to capture it by tilting it.

… and below are backgrounds using credit/gift cards.  How fun to put them in mixed media backgrounds whole or cut them into shapes.

That’s it for now, as I prepare for my upcoming class tomorrow.  I’ll post pictures of the workshop.  I have some surprise goodies for my students.. here’s a sneak peek…..

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy

Next up:  Workshop Success !

Mini Accordian Book Workshop – Reminder

Hey Bloggeroonies…

I just wanted to remind the locals that my afternoon workshop in E. Bridgewater, MA is going to be held June 12th at the Scrapbook Cupboard. There is still room if you want to learn to make these cool mini accordian books… lookie there below…..

Hope you can join us…

Backgrounds are up next, as promised… and a tutorial too!!!!

Thanks for stopping by..

Judy

Workshop Announcement and….

Hey Blogsters!

I’m so excited to finally write that I will be teaching a 4 hour workshop on making Polymer Clay Mixed Media Accordian Books.  That’s a mouthful!

It is local in Massachusetts.  If you are local to the Scrapbook Cupboard, please join me.   The store has the class on it’s calendar.  Click on the link, then click on “calendar” and change it to June.  A BIG thanks to Bev, the store owner, for reaching out to me to teach.

I’m showing you a picture of some finished books I’ve made. They will be at the store shortly.

Front:

Back:

..and the pages in between:

I used pieces of my fabric collage cloth.. I’m thinking will will make up a few batches and bring it for my students to collage their pages with if they desire.

Am I nervous?  Yes.. I won’t lie to you my friends.. It’s my first real paying class.  I’ve done tutorials on our local cable access tv and have taught at the school to elementary children, but this is my first adult class.  I’m feeling anxious but at the same time, I can’t wait to share and inspire others to creative these fun small books.

More from the judio…

This is a piece of chipboard, covered with masking tape, painted, antiqued and polished up (with good old fashioned shoe poslish.. yes shoe polish). I put some handmade fabric collage cloth on top.  I’m loving this.  The masking tape method makes your pieces look like old leather.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy

Next up…A Dedication