ArtUnraveled Day 5

No class today. today was the shopping extravaganza! I was being frugal, but I did buy one of Jane LaFazio's fabric collages.... I can't find the photo that I took, so that will come later.

Saturday was also the Artist "Showdown" and Auction. many of the teachers participated! The instructions to the artists stipulated that they could not use their " usual" materials or work in their "usual styles" . If they were caught working IN their comfort zone, their piece would be taken away! The pieces were auctioned off at the end. The money went to a scholarship fund for one or two people who can't afford to come to ArtUnraveled. Spreading the Art Love....

Jane LaFazio



Olivia Thomas



Angie Platten and Jane Eileen



Tom Ashman



Dan Carrel (Sp?)



Ruth Rae



Michael DeMeng


Michael deMeng ( the auctioneer)and Rice Freeman Zachery ( Chief heckler and MC )


I did bid on a few pieces, and I WON the last piece of the evening. Michael's mask! He was lovely enough to sign it ;) and now I have it to blackmail him. Feathers,Lace, pink, glitter and sequins,lol. although the style is typical Michael:)



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ArtUnraveled Day 4 Part 2

In the evening I took Ruth's class. Creativity Exposed. Collaging a few small pieces and then building on them. I brought a pretty little dress to mount mine on. It was pale purple, so I switched out my regular palette for one that was purple and green ( and a few accent bits) . I'm pretty happy with what I made. Perhaps this will lead a foray into some new colours for me?

Some collages and a cuff :)


Mounted on the dress


I stitched one collage on my tank top ( all hand sewing, so you people who say that you "can't" use a sewing machine CAN embellish your clothes)



A close up of that embellishment


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artUnraveled Day 4

Another blissful day with Jane LaFazio! today was Sketching and Watercolour - Pods and Pinecones. it was really hard! but Jane is great and gives lots of constructive criticism, so everyone had GREAT results.












This is what the class produced. Amazing.



If you'd like to buy a dvd or download one of her classes, you can get them from interweave Press. I don't know how to make a link with Blogpress, so you're going to have to google it......


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ArtUnraveled Day 3

Day 3 was Jane LaFazio! I just love her! I will DEFINITELY take a class from Jane again. This one was gelatin mono printing. I'll be using this in the future with the kids. I did most of mine on fabric, but I did do some on paper too.



I was too busy in the class to take any pictures of Jane :(

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Art Unraveled Day 2

Today was Karen Michel's "Gridlock Collage". I've wanted to take a class from Karen for so long. Again, another great teacher! I finished 2 small pieces! yay!

First I prepared my wood:


Then I put the backgrounds on my grid pieces:



Then I painted my backgrounds:



Then I collaged my little pieces:



Then I did a lot more, lol. Then I was finished!!! They even have hanger things on the back!






The colours of the finished pieces are a bit off.... They look great in person :) Can you guess which one I made for Lauren?

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ArtUnraveled Day 1

Today was Bottle Cap Beads with Melissa Manley. Melissa is SO NICE. she's a great teacher - very helpful and so generous!

If this was the only class that I was going to take at ArtUnraveled I would go home happy. I finished 4 beads, but am started on many many more, and I have the tools to finish them at home. But you know what? I really really NEEEED a disk cutter. they are a bit spendy though. Maybe for Christmas, Santa? ( I'd provide links, but I don't know how to do it using blogpress)(when I come home I'll do a whole post about what I NEED and what I WANT)

Anyway... Without further ado... Here are my beads!



I have a class tonight about using a Dremel, so tune in later for the critique!

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meet my new friends!

so, in my last post I said that I wanted to take more pictures of my friends. well, here they are!
meet my friends Keen (mary janes)


my new friends Merrel 1 and 2





Flip and Flop






I'll try to take some human friends tomorrow....
(photos taken on my balcony!)
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ArtUnraveled

I'm off today to ArtUnraveled in Phoenix. I can't wait to see my friends!! oh, and to take the classes!

This is the lineup (a bit full, but Maija twisted my arm on a few)
Tues: Bottle Cap Beads (Melissa Manley)
Tues Evening : Dremel Applications - Thomas Ashman
Wed: Wood collage Totems (Karen Michel)(
Thurs: Monoprinting on Fabric (Jane Lafazio)
Fri: Sketching and Watercolour for Journals - Pinecones and Pods (Jane Lafazio)
Friday Night : Creativity Exposed (Ruth Rae)
Sun -:Word of Inspiration (Diane Cook)
Mon: A Day to Dye For (Lorri Scott) (actually, Lorri can't travel, so Glennis ? is teaching)
Mon Night: Party Animal (Olivia Thomas)

These are the dear friends who I CAN'T WAIT to see

Maija:

Ruth:Joanne (who only lives down the highway a bit in Michigan, but I see her more often in Arizona :)

My goal this year?? To take more pictures of my friends!

Finally, some new work!

I've been making these collaged pouches. I really enjoy free motion stitching!

Andy had a haircut

Isn't his lion tail cute?

(Ray cut his hair -- it's a zillion degrees here, so we're all a bit hot)

Yard Sale finds

Well, I've not been making much art, but I have found some interesting things at yard sales!
What do you think of this hole punch? I pretend that it is an electricity switch and every time I turn it on, Mr B shivers in convulsions. heeheehee. It takes so little to amuse us...

First you set the gauge to the width of the paper (it is 6" -- see the 6 in the little window?)

Then you slide the paper in and press

2 perfectly spaced holes punched every time!


Yes, so little to amuse me.... Hey, it was only 50 cents! Now I need to find some kind of project that uses lots of 2 hole punched cardstock......

Hot

Well, I'm back from the cool north (thanks, D&D!)

I don't complain about the heat very often but the heat here is almost unbearable (I'm a heat lover -- I'm almost always cold). I'm puttering around -- organizing, but not really feeling much like being creative. I'm having a yard sale on Saturday. Lots of junk to sell. Sorry, junque to sell..... so I'm doing a lot of sorting.

How hot is it? -- well, today will be 37c -- that's 97f!!! and with the humidity taken into account, it will be over 47c -- that's 117f! YIKES. And I have no AC. I do have fans though.

Off now to the cool basement -- to organize my Christmas ornaments, then to organize the studio. Mostly because I need the large work table for my yard sale :)

Relaxing

This has been the best week ever! look where I am!


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Finally, summer!

I made some thank you cards. They are a bit simple -- but very effective, I think :) The photo is a bit blown out due to the brilliant sunshine that we've been having lately!

Happy Canada Day!

If it's Canada Day, I'm on the island! (That would be Centre Island in Toronto).

The Dominion Day Regatta is held here annually and we go every year to watch Lauren row. Tomorrow she rows in London. Hey! I've turned into a hockey mom! Go Lauren!

Eliza Doolittle

Isn't she so cute?



I bought her album earlier this year (I actually preordered it -- I never do that) -- it's a favourite. I love the song "Skinny Genes" too -- but I don't like the video so much.

(only a week left of school -- I'm super busy with year-end stuff so no time for art! But soon, soon!)

camper love

I just love vintage campers. How ironic for someone who doesn't even have a driving license. But I'd love to have one parked on some land somewhere and then go and visit it on weekends. Like a cabin :) (how I would get there is another story --- I'm sure that Mr. B would want to be part of this dream)(really, truly -- that wasn't sarcastic -- he has a strong sense of adventure)

Anyway -- have you heard of Sisters on the Fly? It is a group of women (nearly 1,000) from around the U.S. who own and restore vintage camping trailers. Your should see their gallery! Of course I'm pinning them to my pinterest board -- Camper Love.

This one is by Cath Kidston in her online magazine.


Of course, I could buy a new one. This one is about $14,000 and is made in Canada! but it seems a shaem to buy a new one, only to park it. And I can't see me in a car pulling a trailer (even with someone else driving)

The Outback by Trillium Trailers

(these images via , who else? poppytalk)

poppytalk

Do you follow the blog, poppytalk? It's my favourite blog for style, home decor, little cool things,
I could just pin EVERYTHING on there to my pinterest boards!. Sigh... I love pinterest.....

Pure Green Magazine

While we're checking out online magazines, check out this one!
Pure Green Living
It features (on the cover!) my favourite local florist, Coriander Girl!
Don't forget to check out the Pure Green blog!

The new issue of Rue is also out. My eyes are getting sore from all of this online reading. Plus, I can't read these while reclining on my chaise longue.....

my life is all about the frogs

Have you been following my other blog -- Ms Brown's Classroom? Check it out to read about how our tadpoles are changing/have changed into frogs!


The fun all started on April 27 -- so if you want to read it chronologically, go to my other blog, and then read the posts from April 27 until today (not to worry -- there are only 4 or 5 posts about the frogs). I'll be returning them to their home pond next weekend!

Sweet Paul

The summer issue is Sweet Paul is out! If you don't already know (have you been under a rock?) Sweet Paul is one of the best Online Magazines out there! And it's free! The summer salads look so beautiful (and yummy). The food that I prepare is never photo worthy. But it tastes good -- and that's what counts, right?

Candy Coloured Whimsy

This is my work in Rachelle's book (in the altered book Round Robin that I'm in). It's theme is "candy coloured whimsy" (well, candy colored whimsy because she's American, lol)