ArtUnraveled Day 5

Two classes today!!!
First I took Judy Wise --
Stencil Self Portraits
Choose a favorite photograph of yourself at any age and we will turn that photograph into a stencil master that can be combined with collage and used in many ways on a variety of projects. We will each cut our own stencil, then create a painted and collaged background for it. We will discuss how to determine if a particular photograph will make a good stencil, how to make the best cuts, the use of negative and positive space in a composition and how to make our compositions pop. A final layer of beeswax and resin will be added to each piece.
This was an all day class -- it was soooo fun! I cut out this stencil -- I think that my mom took the picture when I was 3! I'll be using this stencil a lot in the upcoming months... And another that I have just finished cutting. I would take ANY class that Judy was teaching. I loved it that much.
In the evening I took a class from Kelly Kilmer.

Goin’ Postal: Mixed Media Mail Art

I love receiving mail and I know I’m not the only one. I’m not talking about bills! I’m talking about layered postcards covered in rich, luscious slathers of acrylic and paper ephemera. I’ve done numerous workshops on mixed media postcards before, but this is a brand new one! I love the feel of making a totally unique piece of art, addressing it to a friend (or myself!) and dropping it in the mailbox. I guarantee you will too after this class!

Finally! I have been waiting for many years to be able to take an in-person class with Kelly. I have taken her online journal class (a most excellent online class -- go to Kelly's blog for more information), and have swapped with and emailed her but I have never met her. Kelly is so fun. Have you ever met someone that you only know through letters or from online, and then you meet them and you have nothing to say??? Well -- it wasn't like this with Kelly! She was "a kindred spirit" lol. I wish that I lived closer to her.....Anyway, her class was great and I tried really hard to play with her pens . My goal for the rest of the summer is to play with my OWN pens. I hope to take a book class with Kelly some day....Here are some of the postcards that I made -- none are really finished....

Proud Mommy

While I have been away, Lauren has been at Henley -- a major rowing regatta.

Lauren Brown and Christina Malinas are the 2009 Royal Canadian Henley
Regatta champions in the Senior Lightweight Women's Pair.

I am so proud of you Lauren!!!!! (and Christina too!!!)

I think that there are still more events -- good luck!!! (are you wearing your special good luck at Henley socks that I gave you?? I don't see them in the picture...)

ArtUnraveled Day 4

Vendor Day! No classes! Shopping Extravaganza!I bought some supplies and treated myself to a collage by Karen Michel. I was too tired to take her class yesterday (I hadn't paid yet), so I bought the collage instead. I've always coveted her work......

ArtUnraveled Day 3

Day 3 -- no classes! I helped Ruth with her class in the morning (actually, I didn't help -- I kind of just hung out) (They dyed fabrics)(and sewed up fabulous collages)

then I spent the afternoon here:Then I went out for dinner with Joanne Thieme-Huffman, Angie Platten, Jen, Leighanna Light, Lorri Scott, and Fran Saperstein. Good times for all (thanks Joanne :)

ArtUnraveled Day 2

Day 2 was with Susan Lenart Kazmer (actually it was the evening of Day 1 plus Day 2)

Resin and Everything you Wanted to Know About it!

Learn to cast charms, objects and figurative pieces using flexible rubber molding compound that allows for many undercuts. Pulling your resin charm from your mold is just the first step. Now turn them into dimensional, interesting elements. Learn clean up and finishing secrets such as Patinas for making the details stand out, sanding without creating a cloudy surface and drilling tips. Work with a superior non- toxic jeweler’s grade resin that will never yellow in time.

Learn proper application and safety tips for resin. This hands on workshop offered in a 2 day format offers many ground breaking techniques from creating hand made hollow bezel forms from wire, sheet metal and filling pierced recesses. Ideas for images, text, layering, and creating colorful stone like textures from organic material such as sand, pepper and crushed powders.

Create layers of extraordinary translucent papers in jewelry using a collection of new ideas and techniques in freestanding paper and resins. Learn rubs, burnings, oil pastel and colored pencil techniques. Make charms for jewelry, journal or home embellishments. Students will take home a few molds, complete a handful of finished charms, handmade bezels, and jewelry pieces.

Playing in this class was so fun! I could have done this all week. I was just starting to get into the jewelry making then it was over! I'm buying a dapping block for sure.

We started with pouring resin into bezels and adding stuff. I've done this before.

Then we made silicone molds of different things. I chose a shell, a porcelein doll and a hand that I had. This is the resin drying. Your first pour is a "throwaway" due to offgassing of the silicone mold, and I didn't have time to do a second pour. I'll play with these at home. .

Someone in my class cast some sea urchins -- aren't they fabulous????

She made one into a ring:

Then we finished our pieces -- I dapped this piece of copper, heated it and made some nice patina, then attached my resined piece -- I'm not sure if it will be a ring or a pendant -- it's about an inch and a half across.

Someone made this fabulous bracelet from a glass votive mounted on metal. She resined the label on to make it permanent. The votive was found in the desert. She is part of a group of people who go into the desert and help people coming from Mexico by giving them food and water and other supplies....

No classes Friday and Saturday.... time for a break. I am tired, sick and have a giant cold sore. Travelling doesn't really agree with my body....

Art Unraveled Day 1

Day 1 I took Mike Jennings class. I learned so much (too much)
Here's the class description:
Dynamic Digital Collage
You will learn to use Adobe Photoshop to create digital collages with sophisticated layering. Find out how to quickly isolate elements from their backgrounds. You will learn to make layers interact with one another using blending modes and painting with transparency. Add depth and dimension difficult to achieve in the physical domain using layer styles and transformations. Master the Photoshop Text tool. Filter your elements for fabulous effects.
Here's an example of what I did -- the images were Mike's, but I manipulated and layered them!

Today, M is for Maija!

Happy Birthday Maija!!!
xoxoxo

15 books

Susan Williamson read of a challenge to list 15 books that had stayed with her. I only read a few of Susan's, but didn't want to be influenced, so here are mine (in no particular order):

The Stand by Stephen King
Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Emily books by LM Montgomery (brought them to Phoenix for Maija)
Sun and Spoon by Kevin Henkes (because M is always for Martha)
True Colors (the Stampington Publication)
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E L Konigsburg
A View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler(I always wanted my piece of land...)
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Wicked --I LOVE books that show an alternate view of a traditional tale...
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Funny that many of these are "childrens" books... but I read most of them over and over and over...
These are books that made a true impact on my life -- they changed me. I am a "reader" I have read many many many wonderful books -- but these are some that have stayed with me and I refer to them often.

And here are some other things that have impacted me this week!
Maija's dogs....they are adorable and made me smile every day!

Trades -- and a Giveaway

My trades for ArtUnraveled are mini paper packs. I'm going to be selling the large paper packs in my etsy shop when I come home. Meanwhile, I've having a giveaway. I'm going to giveaway one of my new paper packs. It includes 20 pieces of vintage paper, some vintage fabrics, trims and string. Just leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw a name on August 12 when I come home!

Off to Phoenix

I'm off to Phoenix to visit Maija. Yes, I am well aware that going to Phoenix in the summer is not a brilliant idea, but after I visit Maija we will be going to the art retreat, ArtUnraveled (also in Phoenix). I'm taking some very fun classes!!!!
But first, here is my name tag -- we make our own!Because m is always for martha! (okay, sometimes it is for Maija too)

I start with an introduction to Photoshop for Mixed Media Artists. Mike Jennings is teaching this one. Mike and his wife Shoshana own Hannah Grey, the online shop -- I've bought lots from here -- please go and visit!! I can play a bit with photoshop, but I'm completely self taught, so it's time to take a class.....
Then I get to play with Resin with Susan Lenart Kazmer. I have wanted to take a class from her for many years. Yay! I've made bezels and have been working with Resin for about 25 years, but it's all about lifelong learning, right? I pull out her book 'Making Connections" every week or so. Her jewelry truly takes my breath away.
Then I take a class called "Stencil self portraits" with Judy Wise. This wil be so fun -- and not too out of my comfort zone. Judy emailed me my adorable stencils (made from 2 photographs of me) and I did a happy dance -- woohoo!
Then a class with Kelly Kilmer! I love Kelly's work -- and have chatted online with her, taken online classes from her and traded with her, but have never met her.
On my last day, I'm taking a painting class with Katie Kendrick, called Tales from the Land of Odd. this one is out of my comfort zone. I've never really painted before. Yikes! But I'm odd, so I'm sure it will be fine, lol.
I'm going to be updating my blog daily- stay tuned! (I'm having a few giveaways!)

more zetti style

This is an 8x8 tip in spread. It's a zetti self portrait. I'm finding a style that I'm getting into and liking. Heavily inspired by Teesha Moore, Pam Garrison, and Kelly Kilmer. I've realized that I can't work in pretty Art Journals for myself. Not yet anyway. I try and I try, but the journals that I do keep are all done in either black marker or pencil and are more "notes to self" . A sketchbook and to-do list joined together. And that that's what makes me happy so I'm sticking with it! but I'm going to try to do a "page", a postcard or a canvas at least once a week to keep practicing.

zetti banner

I'm on a roll, art wise. The muse seems to work in the mornings only. Afternoons are for cleaning, organizing and doing mindless work. This banner triangle (front and back shown) is for Tamara, for a tip in Round Robin that I'm in. Tam's "book" will actually be a banner. What a fabulous idea!. I am tentatively signed up for another Round Robin. I keep saying that I won't do any more, but I think that I need them so I keep working. Without the pressure, I don't think that I would ever make anything..... I just don't know......

Girlfriends

I went to my friend's cottage a few weeks ago and we made bunnies. Aren't they sweet?

My cousin's wedding

I try to keep my blog about my art, but we had lots of fun this weekend. My cousin J got married! She's the baby! She made me feel really old.....
Here are the bride and groom:My mom, myself, and my beautiful daughter:
My daddy dancing with my baby:I hope that your weekend was as magical as ours were!

I was not amused

Last weekend I needed to finish some sewing projects. I got up bright and early (6am) and began making some tote bags.
This is how I begin:
I cut out the bases and begin laying out fabrics and images that I might use (the images are all by DJ Petitt, by the way, you can buy them already printed on fabric in her etsy shop):Then I make the collages and sew together the top layer:Then all hell broke loose. VRMMMM -- the machine was making noise, but spinning it's wheels and not going anywhere. Didn't I just have this into the repair shop for the same reason??? YES!!! Grrr. I had to pack up the machine and take the subway to the repair shop. Then wait around for an hour while they look at it (actually, I went down the street to Bizzie Bs and sat in on Daniza's most excellent Stamp of the Month Demo, so the waiting wasn't a huge hardship, and I got to fill up on Gummy Bears.). So my repair guy says that he loosened up somehting for me. I travelled home and finished one tote bag just in time (kind of) to bring it to the birthday party that I was now over an hour late for. Grrr. Not a relaxing morning..... AND I'm pretty sure that the machine is still not fixed. The stitches look fine (great, in fact) but the wheel still seems stiff..... I'll keep you posted.....

a giggle of mermaids

What DO you call a group of mermaids. A school? A pod? A gaggle? A giggle?
Well, this bunch of mermaid ATCs are for my ATC trade tonight at Bizzy Bs -- the theme is Water. One of my favourite themes. I found some time to make ATCs. But now I'm behind on some other projects.... It never ends..... ahhhhh, summer.........
I used lots of little strips of blue scraps, Heather Bailey Ross (oops) mermaid fabric, tulle, and novelty fibers.

Frida Kahlo's Birthday

I did a small quilty trade on one of my Yahoo groups. This went to Liz in England. My sewing machine had broken (she is all fixed and home now) So I resurrected my old singer -- but the foot pedal was broken so I hand cranked the whole thing! Then I added lots of hand quilting and some beading (hard to see) and some sequins. I think that it represents what Frida means to me.

Michigan Vacation -- a very wordy post

I've been vacationing in Michigan this week. We like to choose somewhere that we haven't been before -- or that one of us hasn't been to :)
We started out on Monday(after a stop to visit my parents for a day) in Ann Arbor. We visited the very famous Hollanders (not just a paper shop) and my favourite store, Found. Then we hit some of my favourite US only stores -- Trader Joes, Target and Joanne's -- we stocked up on some yummy food for our hotel room (couldn't open our Trader Joe's wine though -- no corkscrew, lol). Then stocked up on some flip flops and some basic fabric (flannel for pjs).
On Tuesday night we headed to Kalamazoo and Portage to visit with Joanne Thieme Huffman!(here we are in Joanne's beautiful yard -- picture taken by Joanne's lovely daughter Becky!)

We had great fun ( Yummy restaurants!) and visited the Kalamazoo Institute of Art (Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit), a great fabric store and yarn shop -- and visited Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight (just like our Princess Auto -- is it related???).
Joanne and I played making Suzi Blu sketches -- I think that I'm getting better. For those of you who complain about the big eyed, crooked head girls... well..... maybe someday I'll try to make them smaller and less crooked :)I'm just loving the little girl with the freckles in the bottom picture, lower left corner.

Joanne has the most adorable little pug dog named Cookie. She is the pretties little girly dog ever!!!! I am so lame that I forgot to take a picture.

On Thursday (after Joanne graciously put us up for 2 nights) (THANK YOU JOANNE!!!) the sun finally came out so Ray and I headed to the beach and camping. We travelled an hour west of Kalamazoo to the beach town of South Haven. What a lovely town!! Some very nice antique stores-- AND I found some most wonderful Keen shoes for $40!!! (They're about $140 here) (funny, I bought my last pair last summer in Burlington, Vermont). Oh, and if anyone finds a really cool vintage children's book in a restaurant called Capn Nemos in South Haven, that book is mine. I didn't mean to leave it on the table when I left......We camped in Van Buren State Park. It was a nice park -- we'll go back. BUT I got a sunburn. I had loaded on the sunscreen. But I was wearing a dress and was reading on the beach lying down, and I guess that my dress was hiked up a bit so I am totally burned on the backs of my upper legs. ouch ouch ouch. Not nice for the 7 hour ride home.

There were lots of bugs:Some fallen trees:The walk TO the beach was fine. The walk back to camp sucked. Ray said that it was good exercise. I said that if he carried me it would be GREAT exercise.Somebody made this cool driftwood beach "installation"
We were so happy to get to the border and find no line ups!!! BUT (there is always a but) we got a random border check -- but had very nice border checking people who were very patient with me while I rummaged through stuff to find receipts. Well, they knew that I was totally cheap when they said "Oh, you bought some wine" (we had declared no alcohol). I yelped (really, it was a yelp) "No, it's empty -- I just wanted my dollar back!" Then they said thank you have a nice day. Whew, no duty on the 6 pairS of flip flops. ( totally kidding here -- there would have been no duty)
Andy was a very happy puppy upon our return. We were very happy to learn that he was a pretty good boy while we were away. He only ate one flip flop. (are you understanding now why we purchase flip flops in bulk? -- It's because some of us here forget to put their flip flops in the flip flop basket when we leave the dog home alone in the house. not naming any names.....)

My Lucky Day

School is finished for the school year. Now the summer is filled with travel, friends and art. What more could I ask for? I found the clovers on a walk with Andy. One is 4 leaf, and one is 5 leaf. Lucky me!