NEW CHALLENGES ON HORIZON

Hello Everyone!

Lately I’ve been reading many blogs on art journaling, drawing and sketching and I got caught up in one that I love, Tammy Garcia’s Daisy Yellow blog. Tammy's hosting a challenge for all you art lovers out there called Index Card A Day (ICAD). The idea is to use an index card and doodle, paint, draw, collage or whatever your little artistic heart enjoys. One card a day for the month of June and July. I think I want to try this out! It sounds simple enough, Tammy will provide optional prompts and that might be fun too! You can read more about ICAD here!

Tammy is one of the most generous artist when it comes to sharing ideas, free tutorials and art classes. I love that about her blog, it is ALWAYS a fun and interesting place to go!

Looking forward to sharing my Index Card A Day art with you in future posts. Maybe you’d like to join the group? Just click on ICAD here or on the button over on the left! The more the merrier!

Another challenge I’ve been longing to join is EveryDayMatters because I’ve recently fallen in love with Danny Gregory’s work! Go check him out: http://dannygregory.com/category/journals/. After finding Danny’s blog I have really come to enjoy his style of journaling. He has inspired me to begin drawing, sketching and painting again. I want to take the challenge of drawing every day and yes, I will use the daily prompts. Please take a moment to go over and visit Danny and check out his incredible travel journals!

Start watching for my ICAD and EDM posts beginning next month. I hope you will be inspired to join one of these groups or just start sketching and working in your art journals! Don’t have an art journal?!? WHAT??? Go GET a sketch book and start today!! You can call it a sketch book, notebook or journal or nothing at all….just start today.

Happy Doodles!

Suzy

Link to: Daisy Yellow; Danny Gregory

Pink Journal Peek

Hi Everyone!

This post is for my sister Anne, who said she would like to see what was in the Orange and Pink Portfolio and the Pink “stitched” journal.  Well, sister I’d love to show you the Portfolio style journal but there isn’t anything in there yet!  Teesha Moore has an excellent How To video on YouTube, just click on the RED link if you would like to see how I made this journal like Teesha’s (minus the collage art).

Pink & Orange Portfolio Style Journal

Okay, here’s a peek inside the Pink journal.

 

Front Cover

 The cover is made from 300gm weight water color paper (140 lb. inside) which is VERY sturdy.  I sopped up a bit of water color paint and some acrylics from another project.  

Back

A band of water color paper circles around the front and back. 

Obviously, it still needs a little something, something to finish off the banded label. 

Art Statement

On the cover page I put one of my artist statements/disclaimers: Art has many forms. It may look REAL different from Yours. That's why it is called Art.

 

First Page Jitters

The first page of a new journal always gives me pause.  I don’t know what to put there really, so I just goofed around with some water colors and ink.  Eventually I came back to the page and finished up with some journaling about my page angst and now I actually like it (somewhat).

The Eyes Have It

I was visiting http://jennibelliestudio.blogspot.co.uk/ the other day and Jenny had a great idea for covering her work surface (mine is usually covered with brown kraft paper) with water color paper and wiping her brushes and excess paints on it, she later uses it in other art projects.  I mention this because I did put w/c paper on my work surface, pretty soon my paints were out and I was doodling on the paper with paint. Came up with a lovely piece that could be an "eye" (or flower center) and decided to add a version of the “eye” in my journal.

A Rose is a Rose

I saw my neighbor's climbing roses blooming on the fence the other day and this page was born! It's all ready for journaling or more drawing.

Rose page ready for journaling

Played around with some of the grands watercolor pens spritzed with water to spread them across the page.

 

New Colors

My granddaughters, Brianne and Lyla, love to paint, so I'm always looking for new colors to add to the palette.  Alisa Burke’s lovely palette of colors and delightful style really inspires me. I know, really? Me? Soft Colors? What!) I picked up some last week.  This is a bit more intense than I wanted it to be, I'm trying to lighten up but the colors kept calling to be darker. I love the pen and ink bottle stamp picked up at Hobby Lobby for a couple of bucks. 

What inspires your journal pages?

Happy Coloring! 
Suzy

  

Linking to: http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/;Crafty Thursday Obsessions

Notebook & Journals Oh My!

Hi Everyone!

In the last few posts I have mentioned my love affair with notebooks and journals and today I've gathered up a few to share with you. 

Last week I talked about the little green spiral notebooks that I used for classroom notes and how they eventually turned into samples books along the way. 

 

Class notebooks

Does anyone else love three ring binders??  

3 Ring Binder Organization

Three ring binders with clear page protectors keep everything organized! And yes, I also use tab dividers for each subject (just like school days). My favorite is the binder with the printed pattern paper (actually gift wrap), it stores my ideas on decorating, color charts, business ideas, etc. The Collage binder holds papers for photocopying only and Paper Arts hold ideas for making cards, samples, diagrams and page layouts.

Travel Journals

Travel Journals make me SO happy! Several journeys are recorded in each book, with notes and drawings and lots of memorabilia! It beats carrying a boat-load of brochures and tidbits back home! You can scrap/smash your daily finds into one small book and never have to worry your baggage will be overweight again! 

Journals and Sketchbooks

I use large size spiral bound sketch books for mixed media work and keep a mini Sketch pad in the car and in my purse.  The Moleskine Journal (black)is my newest journal, I love it! See the two water colored note books? The orange and bright pink is made from watercolor paper, folded into a portfolio style and the pages inside are made from water color paper too! You can see Teesha Moore making this incredible 16 page journal here! The light pink notebook is made with 300lb watercolor paper for the cover and the inside papers are 140 cold press. I hand sewed the watercolor signatures into this book. My first hand sewn journal; I'm still working that process out. 

Happy Collection of Journals and Notebooks

Some of my favorite notebooks are the simplest to make! Check out this cute book on YouTube!  Easy and simple ideas are on YouTube. Go there and be amazed at the possibilities! 

Be sure to check back on Thursday to have a peek into some of these! 

Happy Journaling!

Suzy

INSPIRATION COMES

Hi Everyone!

The “Design” notebook began when I wanted to replace mini blinds in the studio. 

With two windows in the room, there is a semi-need for privacy, especially with the window facing a neighbor and a partial view to the street. Researching Roman Shades on the Internet was slightly overwhelming, with SO MANY options for shades available. There are the How To's and Custom Made's and with each one you must chose style, colors and patterns, etc.  When I thought I might be at wits end, I came across appliqued pictorial landscape shades and the light bulb went off:   “hey, I thought, I’m a quilt maker why not make patchwork shades of my own”! I knew I'd never make the landscape appliqued shades (too much work, not enough time) but patchwork was certainly an doable option! Ok, with that decision made I can let it percolate in my brain for a bit, mentally working out patterns. A few days later, an email pops up from a quilt shop in the In Box offering a Kaffe Fassett Roman Road Quilt Kit. I'm a big fan of Kaffe Fassett, so I opened the email to see what was what.

 Ah ha, there was the idea for the “Roman” quilt pattern and the name (Roman Road/Roman Shade); well it was just meant to be!! Unfortunately, the cost of multiple (4 x $79.99) kits was more than I could afford for two windows. 

Still I loved the pattern Roman Roads and it just so happened to be the perfect piece of Kaffe Fassett fabric in my stash closet, just waiting for this occasion! Love when THAT happens! I worked out the color scheme, pattern and dimensions visually in the Design Notebook all centered around the Kaffe Fassett fabric!

Ta Da! Here's the Roman Road Quilt pattern (turned horizontally) on the side window facing my neighbor's house (it stays down for privacy). And the window facing the backyard stays up. See how the colors are illuminated when the sun shines in the morning? 

         In the afternoon, the larger shade lights up too! It is like having stained glass windows!  I fell in love with the Kaffe Fassett fabric!!!  

                        
                           I painted a page in my journal!

                          But that just wasn't enough.

                                                     

                                  Totally inspired!

                       I painted the flower shapes three times!                               


Three years later, I still love the Roman Road shades and these paintings inspired by Kaffe Fassett fabric!

Look around to see what inspires you today! 

Bee Happy! Bee Creative!! Have Fun! 

Suzy 

Linking to: Paint Party Friday, Sew Many Ways;Crafty Thursday Obsessions

THE NOTEBOOKS

Hi Everyone!

I've ALWAYS been a bit of a note book lover and journal geek. Love, love, love a brand new journal to sketch, draw and to junk up with paint and little tidbits of memorabilia. I have lots of different types of notebooks/journals and today I'm going to share a few with you.

My obsession started  innocently with a little green spiral bound book that went with me to a 3 day Quilting symposium the 80's, it spans over a decade of quilting classes and symposiums. A true treasure. 


 I jotted class notes and little tidbits down, diagrams and supply lists:

Attached a few samples I made in class:

Wore these goofy looking glasses in one class:

Next came the Beading classes and another "note" book was born, this book contains diagrams, notes and ideas for future bead works. 

"Design" is a notebook filled with lots of inspiration. Can you see that I graduated to a larger spiral bound notebook??

It started when I was thinking about making a Roman Shade for my studio.  Will tell you the whole story in my next post on Thursday. Promise. 

Come join me.

Bee Creative! Bee Happy! 

Suzy

SCENT MEMORIES

HI Everyone!

Signs of Spring are everywhere!  Magnolia trees are blossoming in my son's neighborhood. I wanted to get a shot of the huge magnolia blossoms but they were too high up in the tree! I captured three stages of the blossom for you instead in the photo below.





When I walked inside the house I saw this magnolia blossom on the counter, of course it is now brown and fading but the colors caught my attention and I thought it would make a lovely sketch to add to my sketch journal.

Isn't the pink in the center lovely? 



Don't you just love the smell of Magnolia trees? I do! It is one of the scents I remember from childhood, like gardenias, honeysuckle and jasmine, roses and mimosa fragrances. Gosh, those smells take me back to a sweeter time. Isn't it funny how certain scents can zap you back in time? 

Oh, I have a scent trigger of Evening in Paris perfume that takes me back to my granny's house, to her bedroom and dressing table on a warm summer's day. 

Evening in Paris

What scent brings back fond memories for you? Please share! 

Have a beautiful day!

Suzy

Clouds of White Butterflies

Hi Everyone!

    The saw the most amazing thing today as I was driving home from the island!  Coming over the Causeway I was admiring the beauty of the day, white puffy clouds in an intense blue sky, the breeze gently blowing the palms, the inlet waters were several shades of blue, dazzling sunlight. 

Veined White Butterfly

    Just as I came to a stop at the traffic light there was a sudden swarm of white butterflies crossing the lanes of traffic.  It was a huge swarm...I've never seen anything like it, delicate white wings fluttering and swooping, weaving this way and that.  I wondered if anyone else notice this phenomenon.  All the way home I notice there were white butterflies everywhere I looked, fluttering here and there. It was the strangest thing, yet one of the most beautiful amazing moments. As soon as I got in the door, I ran for the studio to try and capture the moment in my journal. 

A large group of butterflies is called a lek, swarm, rabble

     How would I depict the swarm of butterflies? Embossing came to mind. I used embossing powder to stamp the butterfly shapes, gesso to fill in the outlines and added a bit of Dazzle to give the body dimension. Cerulean Blue seemed to be the perfect color of the day and would help the white butterflies stand out on the background, watercolor also seemed like the perfect solution for media. 

      

     Kinda wish I had planned the journaling to meander through the butterflies but that thought didn't occur to me until later in the process.  Well, maybe next time. 

     Keeping your eyes open, look for the unexpected and be prepared to capture the moment! Have fun!

Happy Journaling! 

Suzy

MRS. PAINT JOURNAL

Hi Everyone!

When my children were little I read them a book about colors that had a character called Mr. Paint Pig. Oh how they loved this book and the colors! 
I can't remember the name of the book now but I was reminded of it when I started looking through a painted journal I found while making an attempt to clean up and clear some space around my work table. It's another journal made from a Composition Notebook.

The first journal featured scrapbook papers altered with paint, stamping, inks, etc. you can see it here.  I used a Composition Notebook again, this time I glued about 4-5 sheets of the lined paper together to create a heavier page and applied acrylic paints directly to the lined pages. 

The purpose of this journal was to use different paint color combinations and see what happened.

Using an old credit card to lay the paints on top of one another was fun too. If the colors weren't working, a smear of gesso helped me to go in another direction. 

I actually like the pages that gesso was added on better than some of the others.

Sometimes I get so excited about color and embellishing that I forget to leave a space to journal any thoughts.  This method of painting directly over the lined pages worked great, you can still see some of the lines (not that you need to write on the lines). I like the way that looks. 

Blue + Yellow=Green

Pulling out the Dylusion Spray Inks for a bit of fun spray and play:

Spray inks with Acrylics

Here's a few pages actually journaled on and added embellishments to:

I cut the Easter Eggs from a cellophane wrapper and glued to the page.

Art project with Bree

Hope you enjoyed my little paint project! Pull out your paints and start your own Paint Journal! 

Most of all, have fun doing it! 

Bee Creative!

Suzy

P.S.
Uh, just Googled it: Richard Scarry's COLOR BOOK (Mr. Paint Pig)

Linking to: Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Everyday, Crafty Thursday Obsessions;Tabitha Lenox

COMPOSITION JOURNAL

Hi Everyone,

     Do you love or collect paper?  For someone who is not a scrapbooker, there is a large amount of scrapbook paper in my possession.  I love the stuff! The patterns, colors, texture all sing to my color loving heart!  So what to do with this paper abundance? 
     Since scrapbooking is out of the question for me, journals seem a likely solution to the paper problem.  I found lots of inspiration on YouTube when I typed in journals.  One in particular that appealed to the paper hoarder in me used a Composition notebook, the kind you find at the Dollar store.  YouTube has many videos on this subject to stir your creative imagination just type in Composition notebook journals and see what comes up!

      Now, all of you journal ladies stop cringing at the thought of using scrap paper, it was just a jumping off point.....

Paint over the paper, add stamps, rub ons, stickers, collage and other stuff to round out each page. Add as much or as little as you like. 

     The most time consuming process was the page prep: gluing the lined paper together (for sturdier pages) and cutting the patterned papers  down to fit the notebook pages and gluing them on the lined paper. Then the pages needed a bit of reinforcement: I used masking tape to reinforce the seam area of the pages.

    Then came the fun part!  I LOVED picking out each paper and finding another piece to work together and then the painting and decorating was an absolute blast! I could hardly wait to get home each day to play in my book!

    This project took about 1 month to complete, working only for limited time in the evenings.  If you have a stack of scrapbook papers, stickers and other bits and pieces that you don't know what to do with, try making one of these.  I guarantee that you will enjoy the process! Have fun and oh yeah, buy extra glue! 

Be Creative,
Suzy

The Ordinary Life

Hi Everyone! 

It's been awhile but I found myself playing in my art journal this week between working and caring for my grandchildren.  In my Monday night theology class we were discussing the spirituality of vocation and the fact that God is in everything we do, our work, our relationships, in our ordinary life. I was thinking that my vocation and ordinary life intermingle and sometimes it seems that my life is mostly the same day after day.  Maybe you feel that way too. It's not a bad thing, the ordinary and I'm not complaining, I'm just saying there is comfort in living the ordinary life. Looking around and seeing the blessings of each day, in the ordinary. So this week I suppose I was recording ordinary life in my journal pages. 
You can check out this ordinary life by clicking on the page tab above: ART JOURNAL. I'll share my personal art and stories behind the art with you. 

I

Tell me, does your art imitate your personal life, your vocation and your relationships? 

Happy Painting!
Suzy

Linking to: Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Every Day,