Come Visit Me!

Please visit me at http://mycreativeyear.wordpress.com/

When I began this blog (and my 52-weeks of creative journeying) a couple weeks ago, I was going back and forth (cross-posting, no less) between Blogger (only because it's linked to my iGoogle account) and WordPress (because that's what we use at work). Both have their ups and downs. And because I don't know the first thing about HTML, I can't manipulate things beyond what the point-and-click options are. So in the end, I'm choosing WordPress. I think it'll be just fine - it does seem to be a bit more flexible. We'll see. If all else fails, I'll just come back to this one at a future time.

So in the meantime, please come on over to WordPress and visit me. The same postings are there, so we can both just pick up where we left off. :)

See ya there!

A realization...

I think I just came to the realization that the things that I create tend to be 3-dimensional. I'm pretty new to the mixed media arts - before I tried my hand here I was known for building furniture and sewing various things. All three-dimensional, usable objects. So now that I'm switching gears to try something new, I'm noticing that the three-dimensional thing is following me. And I'm okay with that. :) (adds more interest. To me, anyway.)

ATC#1: You Have Mail

Inspiration: Think Monday - Think ATC Weekly Challenge - "You've Got Mail"








It's basically two playing cards glued together with a "door" cut out to make a little mailbox. Inside I glued a picture of some mountains and a highway, made a tiny envelope and stuck a stamp inside. I used acrylic paints and watercolors.













Two playing cards were how they began










A little bit of gesso...









And some paint









And a bit more paint











And some trusty glue...

And Viola! My first ever ATC!

To save my dress....

I'll wholeheartedly admit that I'm a messy person when I create things. Be it cooking, artwork, painting rooms in my house - whatever - if my hands get sloppy, they get wiped on whatever it is that I'm wearing. So needless to say, I love aprons. New aprons, old aprons, handmade aprons, second hand aprons. Anything to save what I'm wearing from the ravages of my sloppy, but happy, hands.



I found this lovely toile on the clearance rack at one of the local fabric stores - at a dollar a yard how could I say no? The eyelet is just some leftover scrap from the bottom of my fabric bin. I was proud of myself that I was able to get the pocket pattern to line up perfectly with the pattern on the apron.


I think my next project will be to make a full apron - one that covers my chest as well. And to make it wider, because you know my hands find the spot just behind where the apron ends. I have glue on my skirt today. Thank goodness Elmer's is washable.

Less blurrrrrr

A little more clear. I like how the lamp (out of the frame) gives the soft light. I had taken a couple pictures by the front window - but the natural daylight was a bit more harsh.

I like soft.

Soft is good...

For want of Spring...

... And butterflies and sweet music.

















I think I need to practice taking better pictures - or does the blur add to the softness?

Weekend Inspiration

My book's just about done - I have three more small sections to glue together, and it should be dry by Sunday. So now that the initial prep work is just about done, I'm looking for inspiration on what to fill it with. So many options. But I definitely want to do a collage dedicated to Vladimir Putin and his secret love of the band ABBA. I haven't quite figured out the whole thing - but ABBA, 1970s disco and Vlad Putin are my inspirations for the weekend. I'm thinking silver (or white shiny) fabric, sequins - and for some reason the color blue and glitter come to mind.

I'll create, then post when it's complete!

Happiness is...

Is there anything more glorious than a pile of crafting supplies at the ready?










































Except, perhaps, Hello Kitty???

Pictures of my weekend project

Okay - Post #1 of a Creative Year

I saw an article on another blog, can't remember which one, but it talked about making Groundhog Day Resolutions. We all know about New Year's resolutions - but Groundhog Day? Hmmm... Okay - who says I can't?

So my Groundhog Day Resolution (which has actually been in the works for over two weeks already) is to create one piece of artwork each week until February 1, 2010. So, theoretically by next Groundhog Day I should have 52 pieces of original artwork created by Moi!

My original attempt ended up in the trash bin the other day. It was my first try at an altered book. But I chose the wrong kind of book, with pages that were too thin, and then I just globbed glue on it with reckless abandon. Well, I'm sure you can guess the outcome. Which is why it's in the trash bin. Started another book. I'm taking it slowly and carefully this time, and it seems to be going better. Plus the book wasn't nearly as thick, and the pages not nearly as thin. I have good feelings about it.

My piece of art that I created this weekend - which is technically the first completely finished piece of art for My Creative Year - was a collage. I took a beautiful frame that I found in a discount store, pasted a bunch of wine labels on a canvas, embellished it with some scrap booking transparencies and other goodies, flopped it in the frame and attached wine corks and glass beads strung on metal wire to the frame. Oh - and a swizzle stick from the Hotel Monteleone. I have pictures on my home computer - I'll post them when I get home.

So here begins My Creative Year - otherwise known as my Year of Living Creatively.