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Showing posts from August, 2011

It is finished

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It is signed and sealed.  I am super pleased with this painting.  I really love the way it turned out.  I pushed past the fear of ruining it.  I actually did ruin it by spilling some blue paint on the yellow part of the leaf.  Fortunately I was able to fix it.  I can still see where it is but I doubt anyone else can, at least no one in my family can.

another bead journal

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Sometimes I wonder if have ADD.  There are times when I find it difficult to stay with one topic.  Really though I just have a lot of ideas.  So I have moved onto my third idea for my bead journal project.  I think most people pick one theme and stick with it for the year.  I just can't do that this year. Here is my water idea.  I have needle felted, stitched and beaded this piece. I also trapped some Japanese paper under some tulle that is held in place by needle felting.  I thought that was a clever idea.   It will be a 'page' in my book.  I hope that I can stick with this idea for the rest of the year.  I do have four more page bases to use so I should be good.

calligraphy related journal

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Here are a few more pages.

for my sister

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I had showed this book I made to my sister when she was here visiting in the spring.  She was asking me a few questions about it today and I realized that I had not taken any pictures of it and therefore I had not posted on my blog about it.  So this book is a collection of calligraphy related pieces.  Most of them are from swaps.  Being a member of the Royal City Calligraphy Guild it has it perks.  The swaps are really awesome.  It is so cool to receive pieces of art from other members.  The problem is what to do with them.  Well, I made this book in the Remains of the Day style and it now houses all my swap pieces.   A great solution I think.  I have a few more pictures of it and will post them tomorrow.

the next stage

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I have collaged some paper to this painting now.  I am not really impressed with it but at least I did not ruin it.  I believe that I just need to add more paper and paint.  I used Japanese paper in some places and plain tissue in others.  I am thinking about cutting up old book pages into letter shapes and adding a word or two.  I will paint over it so that it won't be immediately obvious. 

painting I am creating

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This is the first time I have worked on a wood panel 'canvas'.  I am enjoying it but I wish I would have put gesso on it first.  The wood grain shows through a bit and I don't really care for that.  I suppose I am the only one that would notice that though.  The first photo shows the application of modeling paste.  I wasn't super keen on the way it was turning out but when a friend walked by and commented that it looked like beads I changed my mind.  After all anything that looks like beads has to be good. The second photo shows the next stage.  This has many washes of color.  I was tempted to stop at this point as I like it so much.  There are two more workshops after this though.  Yesterday was one of them where we added mixed media collage.  I chose to let go of any fear that I would ruin it.  Stay tuned for what I did.

another flowerpot formation

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This is the second flowerpot formation that we saw.  They are just so cool!

Flowerpot Island

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Last week I had the opportunity to travel with my sister in law, Ellen and her daughter Amanda.  We went to Tobermory to take photos of lighthouses.  We also went to the Flower Pot island.  I have wanted to see these rock formations for many years.  The weather was absolutely wonderful and the company was fantastic.  I couldn't have asked for a better time.

last pages of the vintage lace book

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I had so much fun creating this book.  Who wouldn't enjoy working with beautiful lace and ribbons etc.  Truly I live in an abundant world where all my needs are met.  I have many beautiful treasures with which to work and play.  I have the time, energy and ideas to create.  I am blessed.

vintage lace pages again

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This page has a flap.  The bottom picture shows the flap closed.  The top picture shows it open.  Most of the lace and doilies I stitched onto the book with a sewing machine.  The rest of the embellishments were glued.

more vintage lace pages

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The top page is my favorite in this book.  Since I am also a crazy quilter I have tons of supplies.  Oh come on, I have tons of supplies because I am an artist!  We all collect.  At any rate it delights me to have what I need on hand when creating.  A number of things in this book come from my crazy quilt stash.  Stay tuned I have a few more posts to do about this book!

next pages in the lace altered book

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Wow!  It is hard to believe that I am a photographer of any sort.  That first picture is really not good but I just don't have time to redo it.  You get the general idea at least.  This book has been an exercise in letting go.  I enjoyed using up things that I have had for a while.   It is amazing but still beautiful vintage lace is coming to me.  I am working on a different sort of book with it and will post about it when it is done.  Until then I will continue posting about this book as I have a few more pages to show. thanks for looking!

more altered book of lace

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Here are two of the vintage pages in the lace book.  Who doesn't love lace and ribbon?

lace altered book

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I know this has been done before me.  I really love vintage though and I just had to make one for myself.  I went over the top with the doilies and laces.  I had a lot of fun making this.  I will show more pictures tomorrow. 

garden shot

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I enjoyed the day at the Royal Botanical Gardens.  It was spent with a lovely friend who also enjoys photography.  Does a day getting any better?

slow moving butterfly

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I got some nice shots of this butterfly.  It was slow and a bit lazy.  Just what a photographer wants.  Later I saw a monarch but it wouldn't settle down and was just too quick to get a picture of it.  It strange that two butterflies behave so differently.