Why do I use the same colors over and over??? Must change. Must change!

After scanning some really soft acrylic-painted backgrounds,  I added brushes in Photoshop Elements.  I love, love brushes!  Can't get enough of them!  Then I played with layer styles.  These two use both overlay and hard light styles on their own layers. 

Here I used several Rhonna Farrer Vintage Photo2 brushes and added more color to the heart.  I really liked this light blue, which I found accidentally while playing digital color and brushes

Yay! Early Christmas from Mary Ann Moss

A happy Christmas gift from Mary Ann Moss: she's discounted her Stencilry and Stenciled & Stitched classes  for the month of December!  I am so in.  I've been wanting to take more of her online classes, since Remains of the Day was such a kick, and this was just the impetus I needed.

Yeah, more crazy art to come in the new year.

I'm also taking Roben-Marie's new mini workshop, Sewing Paper Gift Bags.  These bags are adorable, and Roben-Marie is as engaging as ever while showing how to create them. 

I hope you're finding some really fun things to do during this December.  Don't stress.  Relax. Decide what's really important and what feeds your soul and do those things. 

Blessings, Deborah

Inspired to collage

Jane Davies' book, Collage Journeys, inspired me to make this

  from this

 

 

and this

from this.

It really is a journey.  Thanks, Jane.

Inspired by Jane Davies' Collage Journeys

http://www.janedaviesstudios.com/collage.html

I just bought Jane Davies'  Collage Journeys, and I'm really enjoying her perspective.  She has a lot of examples of her own work and the work of other collage artists--all inspiring. 

You can find lots more on Jane's blog. 

 

more mayhem and collaged text backgrounds

Although I haven't been posting for a few days, I have been creating!  Life has been busy with Thanksgiving and some health issues...again.  But I'm back online, thank the Lord. 

This first one was fun with the big circles.  The next two are the collaged text backgrounds with gesso and inks just like Roben-Marie taught us in our Mixed Media Mayhem class.   They may not show up as well in the photos, but they turned out great, just like she said they would.  Honestly, who'd have thought I could make such pretty things?  Thank you, Roben-Marie. 

Oh, and I added some swirly rubber stamps that I bought at Hobby Lobby today.  That place is a wonderland and I could have spent a large fortune in there.  Luckily, I only spent a small fortune.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this...

 

Tonight I just made a couple of simple painted background papers.  I just used Adirondack color wash inks with some gesso brush swipes.  I added a bit of  punchanella and a foam stamp that I really like.  I got it, along with a coordinating stencil, at Lowe's when they had decorative and faux finish paint supplies. They don't have them anymore, but Hobby Lobby has some pretty ones. 

I don't think I'll ever get tired of painting these.  Love, LOVE doing this; it just makes me happy.

Making art every day!

 

I finally added some collage pieces to my file folders.  I used acrylic medium for these, then mixed a bit of butterscotch Adirondack spray ink with some gesso, and painted over the top.  I also tried to lighten up these pages so that I can journal on them more easily.  A lot of my folders seem to be quite dark, but I'm liking them.

My theme seemed to be "Home," although I'm not sure why.  Maybe with the holidays coming, my thoughts are returning to my parents, who I miss dearly since their deaths.   And my sweet son, who is a deployed Marine, will not be home til spring.   I wish so much that he could be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

May God bless all the brave men and women who serve our country, and their families, who are the unsung heroes.  Thank you.

Make Art Every Day! Yeah!

Here I used gesso on the stencil, then pressed it into the page to get this negative design. Then a black pen to accent the flowers.  After the Adirondack spray inks, of course.  This is a real learning process for me and sometimes I feel like a complete failure.  But I just keep going until I see something I like.  

Thank you, Roben-Marie,  for showing me that I can do this!

This piece is number/letter stencils and all the colors that I love.  Maybe today I'll try using colors that I don't love...or maybe not.

I don't really like the white-ish spots on this one, but it was time to stop, so I did.

I joined a group who is making art every day this month.   

Also, check out Leah's beautiful artwork on her blog, Creative Every Day.

The Fancy Flea & Dear Daisy Cottage, oh my!

Yesterday I spent a most beautiful day in Lakeland, FL, at the Fancy Flea.  I found some treasures and met the most lovely and kind, Dear Daisy Cottage author, Kim.  That was the highlight of my day, week, month.  Kim is a beautiful  person and a daily delight!

An apron for my daughter, Amanda.  She likes these old vintage mushrooms.  It needs just a little sewing and ironing and she will look adorable in it!

These hand embroidered napkins go perfectly with my...hmmm...36-year-old Nasturtium dishes.  (I can't  really be that old?)

I got this fabulous runner for $1!  I love the way it looks on my old buffet from my sweet aunt.

   I can hardly wait for the next Fancy Flea!

Goin' in Circles...and an experiment with fabric

In this one I used Adirondack Spray Inks. stencils, gesso, colored pencils, and a white grease pencil.  I did mention that these are plain old file folders, right?  How brilliant is that?

********************************************

Today I ironed some canvas, or duck cloth onto freezer paper and ran it through my new Epson printer.  It worked great!  Then I used some colored pencils to color them up.  I'd love to know how you use fabric pieces like this in your art work, so please leave a comment and give me some ideas.  

So, so cute, house in Aspen

Beautiful door in Italy

Ahhhh, Venice...what can I say?  Eye candy everywhere.

Thanks!

Still Painting...

 

 In these pieces I used Adirondack Spray Inks, stencils, gesso, a Tim Holtz swirl mask, and a white grease pencil.

I am totally addicted to this...

Even more Mixed Media Mayhem!

I'm still having a wonderful time with inks and paints and stencils, thanks to Roben-Marie and her terrific Mixed Media Mayhem Class.

In these pieces I used Adirondack Spray Inks, stencils, gesso and a Tim Holtz swirl mask.

I'm also working on a special Thanksgiving ROD journal  for my daughter.  I hope to show you a video of that tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting my blog.  It means so much to me that you take the time to look at my art and to comment.  Really...

More Mixed Media Mayhem!

More mixed media mayhem!  I absolutely love this class!  All of these are plain old file folders which have been gessoed, inked, stenciled, and who-knows-what-else?  Ok, I even added a little Martha glitter that I couldn't resist!  Roben-Marie is an amazing artist and teacher.  I highly recommend Mixed Media Mayhem.  Go look at it...really!

Mail Art has flown!

Mail Art for Annie

Mail Art for Sally

I finished this mail art in Roben-Marie's Mixed Media Mayhem Class, which is a real kick!  Her videos are great and I'm learning so many new techniques with paint, ink and stencils.

I mailed these off: one to a friend in Mississippi and one for a Remains of the Day journal Round Robin.  This is becoming addictive!

My husband, who took these pieces to the post office, told me that the postal worker was so delighted with this mail art that she called over several co-workers to show them!  That's fun!

Roman monument clipart

This is a monument I photographed in Italy, so maybe you can use it in your Halloween art.  I made it super-contrasty so I could make it a Photoshop brush.  I will post the brush tomorrow, along with some others you might like.  I'd love to know if you use either one.

Thank you so much for reading and for commenting.  I appreciate you so much!

Deb

Halloween card for you and a confession

This is a little Halloween card I made last year and never sent to anyone!  Any comments on no follow-through?  'Cause I know all about that.  I am the mistress of UFOs.  But I'm fixing that now, right, by sharing this with you?  Whew, that's a relief.  Hey, maybe I'll even mail this to some friends this year...or the next...or the next...

I hope you can use this for some of your art this season. 

I used the Fortune Kit by the incomparable Rhonna Farrer, as well as her darling Halloween Snapshot Frames.  Both these are available at Two Peas in a Bucket. 

Happy Haunting!

Mille Bornes clipart for you!

 

These cards are from an old french game we found in a closet, so I scanned some of the cards to use in art journals.   Feel free to use these in your art too.  I especially thought you ROD journalers might like them. 

This game probably belongs to my sister-in-law, who lived in France a few years ago.  We visited her there about 14 years ago (can it really have been that long?) and had a wonderful time  We also saw Normandy and the American Cemetery, which I highly recommend.  We decided on a ferry ride across the English Channel and saw the white cliffs of Dover on our way to Maidstone, Kent.  I would definitely go back there, also.  Sissinghurst Gardens is beyond beautiful. 

Too bad I wasn't art journaling then or I could have had a plethora of goodies.  Maybe we'll have to go back and do some hunting, gathering. 

Enjoy!

Mixed Media Mayhem

I can hardly wait for  Roben Marie's new online class ! 

It's called Mixed Media Mayhem and looks like a real kick!  Registration starts on October 7.

Sketchbook Project with Amanda

My daughter and I both signed up for this! Her theme is "things found on restaurant napkins" and mine is "secret codes." We're really excited to do it together. I'll post our progress.

I found out about it on Roben Marie's blog, so you'll have to check her progress as well. Let me know if you decide to jump in on this.

Absolutely amazing art!

Most Exciting IPhone Collages!

I just bought the Autumn 2010 issue of Somerset Digital Studio, where I found the most exciting collages, made with iphone apps, by Nettie Edwards!  She gives  step-by-step directions, as well as a screen shot of all the apps she used.   Her article is on page 45 of the new issue.

Well, naturally, I couldn't wait 2 seconds before hitting iTunes and buying every one of the apps that she used.  It does take a bit of practice, but it's great fun to use all these really cool apps. 

I am showing you my first one, even though I know my technique needs a lot of polishing.   Here are a few of the steps I went through:

 My original blurry iPhone photo of sweet Amanda trying on her wedding gown.  I even cut off her head!

So this much less than perfect photo went into the PhotoStudio app, where I applied the Photo Styles>Amsterdam #114.  Wow!  Much cooler already.

I imported the filtered photo into Juxtaposer app as the bottom layer.  Then two of my own photos, a magnolia and a rose, became the second and third layer. Then one of my Monarch shots for the last layer.  Lots of experimenting with the eraser and the stamp tools.  Obviously, I wasn't very good with the eraser, so into pic grunger app to add creased and aged textures.  This worthy app covered up all my mistakes with the eraser!

Finally, I added a bit of one of my favorite poems, He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, by William Butler Yeats, with the TypeDrawing app and fini! I think the vintage frame came from Juxtaposer, but I'm not sure. I am sure that I love it.  This was just so much fun and I am very excited to find these cool apps.  Really, I am just completely blown away by these.

  Nettie Edwards blogs as lumilyon and you can see  her fabulous blog here!    Check it out and let me know what you think of her iPhone art.  I'd love to see your art too.

Love, Deb

Consolation...

My favorite, the hydrangea, has two new blooms--thank you, Lord!

An antique shrub rose, Louis Phillippe. Smells like the best thing you've ever smelled!

Mandevilla growing on my trellises--so fresh

Finally, the orange bougainvillea blooms!

Tibouchina--Princess Flower.  Not a clue how to spell it, but oh, so velvety and gorgeous.

And last, the porch fern is coming back from my lack of watering...I'm consoled.

This last chemo treatment was not pleasant...but I have consolation in a walk around the garden first thing in the morning.  Life is about the normal, everyday pleasures that are so precious. 

Go find something beautiful today, even if it's in your own backyard--'specially if it is. 

Deb

Do you love being alone?

I love being alone.  I know lots of people don't like it, but I find it so invigorating.  This is my very favorite poem/video by Tanya Davis and Andrea Dorfman.  I can just watch this over and over.  Hope you love it too.

Deb

Blogging for Bliss

I'm reading Blogging for Bliss, by Tara Frey, which I checked out of my local library.  I've enjoyed it and I've gotten several helpful tips for blogging.  I'd like to link back to Tara's blog, but a password is required, oddly enough!

This book. along with my class with Jessica Sprague, encouraged me to make a new blog banner that was more ...ME...   So I took my first painted journal page, turned it landscape, and started adding some swirls, brushes, and my blog name.

I'm very happy with it, but that doesn't mean it won't be changed any minute now!  As I frequently say, the only thing I'm consistent with is change.  After which my husband always remarks, "As long as you don't change me, honey, that's ok."

I won't.

Deb

Beautiful, beautiful!!! Watch this poetry...

This just made me feel so good...hope it does the same for you.  I love, love this. And this is unusual for me to love poetry; listen to Tanya Davis and watch Andrea Dorfman and tell me what you think...

Really fun online class!

I just started Jessica Sprague's "Brushabilities" class, and it is great!  I've learned a lot about brushes on my own, but Jessica taught me some new tricks in the first lesson.  She rocks!  Here are the first two projects that we completed:

The first lesson inspired me to add some design to this art journal background that I painted yesterday.  It needs some orange, don't you think?

Butterfly art journal page