Hands and Heart Teaching FREE videos

After feeling bad that I can't afford any art classes right now, I decided that I will take advantage of some of my favorite online artists right now that through their loving heart make videos that teach techniques for us to learn from. Why not take advantage of it I asked myself, so I did.

Steps were:
1. gesso watercolor paper.
2. After dry, I did various layers of acrylic paint and scraped the layers on.
3. Made my own spray paint by adding acrylic paint to water in cute little water
bottles and sprayed various layers on the paper.
4. Put a stencil down, and sprayed the stencil.
5. Took white acrylic paint and scraped it in places on the paper
6. REMEMBER! Let layers dry
7. Place shapes of papers down, and spray (you will have the results of various
shapes sprayed on your paper.
8. I then cut the paper into 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 rectangles, ready for ATC's
9. Like Hands and Heart, I selected one of my face stamps and stamped down
with antique brown ink the face.
10. From that point, I used peach, creme and white for the face.
11. Used watercolor pencils and graphtint pencils to draw and add shading.
12. When I felt like the painting was done enough, I then added a couple of small
stamps with ink.
13. Then I squirted three types of glitter to make it sparkly.

If you go to Hands and Heart, you will see the free videos which have not been removed yet, and you can learn and practice. Mine looks very different from the other ATC's that were posted, but that is fine. I learned alot about layers.

Wife, Artist and Mother

What did I do today? Well, after a rough night last night of feeling like I was coming down with a flu again, and not knowing how would I feel this morning after having those types of random and ongoing dreams you have when you don't feel well, I was able to get up and accomplish wife duties, artsy things and motherly talks.

My computer is broken, all of our printers aren't working so I borrowed my hubbies computer while he was doing errands. I have been working on a life planning journal; an idea I got from a book called "Right Brain Business Plan". In my life plan, I have wifely things to do, motherly ideas and of course artist's ideas because that is who I am. I got to watch a video from Hands and Heart and practice some techniques for an ATC. I watched a Strathmore Painting free video for week two on more techniques for a journal. I watched videos from the author of Right Brain and gathered ideas for my future business ventures.

I cleaned my kitchen counter and everything on it. I folded a load of laundry and washed one. I cleaned up all of the garbage outdoors that animals got into and the garbage men did not take because it wasn't in the exact spot they wanted it and the snow mound held them back for reaching for the bags. Neighbor commented on the bags so I got out there and cleaned up.

Supper was made of left over corned beef and onions and potatoes. The good old food processor was used to slice up the corned beef in small pieces. I browned onions in a stick of butter and microwaved six potatoes. I cubed the potatoes, stuck them in the melted butter and onions and then added the corned beef. I fried them till everything was brown and heated.

Tried to load up a driver for a printer.

Picked up my son from work at night.

Now watching the news.

Had so much more I wanted to do. Maybe tomorrow. Hopefully I will feel better and then off to the train station to take my other son to the train in the morning.

Maybe even a new computer in the afternoon. Yea! Thank you husband for letting me borrow your computer.

Decorating with Burlap, ATC's, fabrics, jewels, antiques, chicken wire

Bees Wax on Bird ATC

I just loaded on the bees wax trying to let it drip before dry!

Many layers here of ink, marker, maskin tape, distressed inks of various colors with stamp pad collection

The Thickest ATC Card Ever

I heard someone made an ATC with four playing cards together! I pass that for the Guiness Book of World Records-6 Cards. I may just try it next time with as many cards as I can and see how thick I can make it. But then it really wouldn't be an ATC then would it. It would be a book!

Inchies and Twinchies Will Be Coming Soon

Yes, who came up with "inchies" and "twinchies"? They are the smallest piece of art. I actually think I will use tweezers for the placement of pieces next time. Inchies definetely creates an artistic challenge to me. So I am making myself do them by joining a swap at Roses on the Table.
Check her blog out. Lot's to do there and for a low yearly membership because NING changed some things, she has videos and short classes. That is my next purchase real soon I hope. I have been working with herj trading groups and am saddened about the fee, but she is worth it.

Last year, I made two twinchies for Milliande another great woman that you should check out. She does not charge for any of her videos and you can watch them on YouTube. The music she plays in the background is fun and soothing too! She was collecting twinchies and was going to do a huge project with them.

So, off tomorrow, my inchies will go into the mail; all six of them. The theme was on butterflies. I also am participating in a vintage tag swap and only three needed to be made this round. I got those almost done for September and then Marie Antoinette ATC's are up on the agenda.

Off of my feet with an injured knee

Yesterday, my husband, kids and I were all set to head out to Boston. I wanted to walk to Newbury Street to take Dan to a couple of the art galleries that I adore. These galleries are privately owned and have masters works like you can't believe and it is quiet and you can just look, take your time and meditate.
I was fine, got dressed, came downstairs, grabbed my pocket book and out of no where, I got a knife stabbing pain in my left knee cap. If you would know me, I wanted to still go to Boston but my family thought that maybe too much even though I would have sat at a bookstore in the Prudential Center. "No" was the answer so instead we went to a more local bookstore where my daughter helped me get to a table to sit while my husband went to park the car.

I have iced it, rested it, I have sat, sitted and am still sitting:) I have blogged, surfed my favorite blog sites, worked on my inchies for an "inchie" swap and did my three vintage tags. I have a chair that is on wheel-an office type and I rolled to the blower dryer and back to the desk with my leg up. My daughter made home-made chicken soup and my son made a steak dinner last night.

Have I gone to the doctors? Can I shy say no...insuranc.....years ago I broke my other knee; the doctors could not figure out how and neither could I. They said something is different about the anatomy of my knee cap so I am hoping I am not heading in the same direction with this knee now. I had major surgery and orthroscopy could not do the job. My knee is not overly swollen but I can barely walk on it. It feels swollen, week and very painful. Only getting up to go to the bathroom or to my art room because I can't walk anyway. Tomorrow will be day 3 and I guess I'll have to make some decision. So I am so greatful that I got alot of these little artist trading tags and inchies done, I have experiemented alot and have work to show it for along with this tutorial for you.

If you are confused, write to me. I can clarify. I have noticed that when you are writing on your blog, you have to go in the opposite direction to teach step by step and I think I am going with the end results to the beginning. Sorry, I will work on this.

Tutorial for all sorts of Transfers-tape-watercolor paper, gel medium

What a fun day doing these transfers to use for collage and mixed media projects. Do them for your artist journal pages too!

Today, me, myself and I made quite a few transfers. I took my vintage postcard and made a bunch of copies on my ink jet printer on plain white paper.

Making transfers is not a science. You do not know how they are going to come out and you almost hold your breath towards the last steps.

I made a transfer with packing tape, a transfer with gel medium on watercolor paper, a gel medium on brown envelopes and a water transfer on watercolor paper.

Let's go step by step for each transfer and you will see posted pictures of the work along with final pieces and also how I used two of them in projects of mine.

Cleopatra ATC

Great Idea! Want to make an ATC with a different topic? Try Cleopatra.
Take a photo of yourself perhaps wearing a tank top. Copy it on your printer small enough to apply to the ATC sized card 2 1/2 x 3 inches. Decorate your picture as though you were Cleopatra with jewels, paints or what ever it takes you make yourself beautiful!

Nooks and Crannies

This is my second score on finding items that can go on top of my art bureaus that have nooks and crannies to store art supplies like:

acrylic paint,

fancy tapes,

scissors,

charcoal,

sparkles,

ephemera,

glue stick

mediums,

ATC's to display

stamps,

inks

What Will I do with my Vintage Papers

I have so many things mulling around in my mind. The major question is do I want to use the original or make a copy. Sometimes the use of an original is just great texture and quality that I love to see in a piece especially if it is going to be sold.

I have decided that I am going to use the vintage picture of the man on an ATC, the vintage picture of the woman in the rusty antique junk drawer, and now I think maybe I'll use the vintage 1915 letter in the bobby trap board. Those will be the first layers of all the art projects. From there, I will decide whether I will paint over them, or what other ephemera will I attach.

Junk, junk junk, I love it. I have two drawers in one of my bureas that has alot of small ephemera, and what doesn't fit in the drawers, I have in baskets on the shelves of my white book shelves.

Man with Mustache for ATC

I am in a swap for vintage ATC. I am going to use this man for the trade.

I think I am going to give him a handle-bar-mustache-

Great Art Supply Finds at the Dollar Tree Store

Brightly colored art supplies at the Dollar Tree Store!

Sometimes you or your art work needs some inspiration. I always keep my eye opened in the Dollar Tree for those little items that can be added to a art journal page, to that canvas, or ATC.

I need supplies around me to make make me go "Oooo, I want to use that"! I just don't think, I would like light blue lace with blue hearts hanging of of it. Be careful though! You can overspend and have things around that you will never use.

I keep a little notebook near by. When I am learning from YouTube or social Ning sites, I write down an art supply or medium that I don't have or would like to find something like it. Then when I am out doing chores or glancing around "window shopping", I know when I am getting a good buy.

This Weekend Journal

Boy, as I over-view this weekend, I did alot in my daily journal.

Friday night, I made home-made pizza for supper before bible study, Saturday I went yard sale-ing with a friend, had Carter's ice cream at night with my husband, went to church on Sunday and took a walk with my daughter where I did a bit of photography, gathered fern and Queen Elizabeth (road side flower) and today, went to the ocean-Seabrook (with my husband and daughter), slept, walked, drank Duncan Donut's iced coffee and finished my "CAT"s ATC. While working on the cards, my daughter made decaf vanilla coffee and my husband cut up the watermelon.

What do you think of that! Phew. Now tomorrow, grocery shopping, laundry...

Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you that I weeded a bit of my garden when I got home from the beach and made a yummy fruit smoothie in my $17.00 Black and Decker blender. My blender died and I did not have enough money to buy a really good one. So I decided on giving the Black and Decker a try. It has a cool spout, so when it is blending, you can pour it into your cup or bowl.

Now to watch a bit of "Lost" season 5 on Hulu,

"CAT" ATC

I sat down tonight and thought "I have got to be fair and finish these to mail to Rosesonmytable.

I really did not enjoy doing these cards and struggled a bit. I love kitties but for some reason did not feel creative to do this topic. I have been working on them for a bit. Oh well, they are done and will look forward to see the ones Zinnia selected to send me back.

SELF PORTRAIT

Well, I have seen many self portraits in the art world, from photos, to journal pages, paintings...so, tonight I was thinking, I think I'll just sit quietly by myself and shoot some photos with my camera. That is a very hard endeavor when you are trying to do it by yourself and you get this idea late evening and your tired, and your makeup is almost off. I took a few and couldn't bare showing the others for vanities sake, so this one I put on.

My dad had grey eyes which I did not know until he passed away, and I was going through old documents of his, and read that he had grey eyes. I always thought they were blue like my moms and that is why I had blue eyes. Low and behold, I have greyish green eyes and my kids have been noticing the change also.

I may use this photo, copy it and add text to the area of my forehead; perhaps something I am thinking, perhaps a poem, or maybe just words...not sure what my inspiration will be when I sit down.

I am also working on cat ATC for Roses on My Table blog. Sometimes I am doing a couple of swaps at the same time so this time I got confused and made only two cards thinking I was trading directly to another artist. I have two more days to post the cards, and I started working on them tonight thinking I should finish. I am using an old children's book that has poems, music, and almost wood carved pictures. I am incorporating a bit of fabric for the background of the card along with some of the original papers, words, and yarns to create a sense of a yarn ball that cats play with.

Always Something To Do

I find that there is always something to do as a mom, wife and artist/writer. I have ATC (artist trading cards) on my desk in envelops ready to mail, weeding in the garden; just put away laundry and am driving my husband to a meeting while I pick up a few things at the grocery story.