I had lots of fun getting started yesterday on my Christmas presents idea for my friends. I’m painting themed tote bags, personalized for each person.
These totes are large enough to use as grocery bags, shopping bags, hobby bags, beach bags, travel bags, etc. They can be washed by hand and dried flat. I’m doing painted drawings on each side, personalized to each person.
It’s really fun to gather ideas for each person, reference pictures, scheming and planning, and finally spending the time to create each one. At least these people will know I thought of them a LOT and love them. :0)
Yesterday I ironed them and started the drawings. I’ll continue to do the drawings as I can find blocks of time. I’m doing the drawings in our office, where I can stop and start as I need to. (I can also work in the ‘cool’ of the a/c. I can only manage short sessions, so I don’t want to turn on the a/c upstairs. This way I can have the best of both worlds.)
I’ll work upstairs when I start the painting.
Al Hirschfeld – dripdripsplattersplash.blogspot.com
I spent much of the afternoon scheming, planning, and prepping what will be Christmas presents for my friends this year. The theme is an over-arching one, then personalized for each of my friends. The ideas started coming and the time flew past. I just stopped for a break and it’s almost 6pm! (I started soon after lunch.)
I had a GREAT time, recording details for each one, printing some things off as reference, prepping the actual items, etc. We’ll see how it all comes together now.
Tenor – I can’t make out the information in the bottom left-hand corner. I think this gif is beautiful.
I love this quote. It makes me feel better about playing in my art room.
I got an idea about Christmas presents for this year and ordered some things. They are up in my art room now. I have ideas running around in my head for personalized presents for everyone in a similar theme. I’m trying to clear the deck a bit so I don’t feel guilt spending time up there.
We came through the night – with threatened severe storms – just fine. The cold front came through and now it’s 31 degrees F. We have another chance at a ‘wintry mix’ Friday, but I’m really hoping the back of winter has been broken and that we’re moving on to spring. I’m also hopeful that Mother Nature receives the memo and acknowledges the official beginning of spring on the 20th, if not unofficially, before.
My spring garden of veggies is still only a bright spark in my mind. I’ve decided to wait out this week and see what happens Friday. I want to uncover at least some of my raised bed square foot planters and fill them with early spring plants of spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, if not more. (Ours looks much like those in this photo, except we built them up at my chest level, on metal table-like supports, so I don’t have to bend over double or get up and down from my knees.
Meanwhile, our daffodils are determined to put on bold, happy faces no matter what our weather is doing. I’ll gather some more to bring in the house today. Free Arts
I’m definitely starting to have ideas rattling around about playing in my art room. I’ve been finding artwork all over the net that is getting my juices flowing, particularly involving mixed media stuff.
Have a safe, happy beginning to your brand, spanking-new week.
My husband hugged me first thing this morning, thanking me again for figuring out how to navigate the website so we could transfer the money we needed to move in our investment account, and again for figuring out what we needed to do to make our new house phones work. Last night I did a final test, calling our house phone with my cell, confirming our call screening program was again working, then leaving a voice message. I’m relieved that we didn’t have to spend another tense day trying to figure things out, dealing with strain of dealing with each other when things don’t work, plus the support people who always want information I can’t supply, with me desperately trying to hear and understand them.
The sun is shining and it seems that we will have just a ‘typical’ winter week here in Arkansas – really welcome news. One of my less favorite feelings about winter is the difficulty of trying to make and keep appointments when you don’t know what Mother Nature will supply. We have been stuck up here on top of our ridge line for a couple of weeks at a time, not able to negotiate our steep driveway – the last place on the planet to thaw after snow and ice. We plan ahead as much as possible, trying to make sure we have all we need for whatever happens, but I hate inconveniencing others when I have to call and reschedule things I’ve promised to do.
My Lunch Bunch friend Kay has a new primary doctor now. She was raving about him when I talked with her last night. She is hopeful that the pain in her back due to her fall will finally be under some control. I’m SO happy for her!
Since I am definitely in ‘the land of the living’ again, I’m starting to have ideas rattling around my head of things I’d like to try in my art room. I haven’t been up there for over a month now, so it will be good to finally be in the mood to play a bit. I’m hoping to do some experimenting – probably making a mess – but definitely smiling. :0)
I hope you’re feeling healthy and happy this Saturday morning. Enjoy your day!
These are the cards I painted to go with the presents I made for my friends this year. Front of ‘gingerbread cookie’ ornament for KarenBack of ornamentPresent for another friend who has lots of grandchildren coming to her home. I made one of these for each of my friends this year. I’m hoping they will grow herbs or something else fun in them, or use them for holding pens and pencils….
I went up there to start a new painting that has been rattling around in my brain awhile. I ended up starting to paint Christmas cards to go with the presents I’ve made for my friends, plus a ‘gingerbread cookie’ Christmas ornament for a new friend who is now coming to Lunch Bunch regularly.
The afternoon sped by as I played, totally engrossed in figuring out what I wanted to do, and then getting started. I got the main painting done on the cards, got the front finished on the ornament. I will try to finish them today. I’ll take some pics to share with you when they are finished.
Maybe I’ll get to the painting ping-ponging around in my head, too. :0)
My heart melted into a puddle when I saw this photo. :0)
We have errands starting in a bit, and then I want to play in my art room today. I’ve had an idea rattling around in my head for several days, and dreamed about it last night, so I’ll see if I can paint it today.
We turned off our irrigation system and most things are looking sad in the yard right now, and NOW, of course, we’re having “Indian Summer” with temperatures into the 60’s. Our wave petunias are still doing pretty well, though, so I’ll try to get some pics today to share with you. I’ll also start neatening things up in the planters while the weather is nice.
This is the last day of November. Hard to believe we’ll be into the last month of the year tomorrow. My hair is blowing as the time blows past.
Our weather is becoming more and more like fall. I’m loving it. It’s cool enough now I am enjoying wearing a hoodie when I go out. In the afternoons it’s warm enough to open front and back doors and let the beautiful breezes in. We already have leaves all over the place because of our lack of rain, so I’ll have to be content to find fall images to enjoy the changing colors this year. Tomorrow, as a part of our change of seasons, we’re due for some strong storms. One day soon I’ll need to move hot weather clothes out and cold weather clothes into my closet. We’ll put snow tires on our truck. Shut down the irrigation system, and more.
Some things are ‘sneaking up on me.’ I was thinking of fall, but was surprised when I was asked yesterday about our plans for Thanksgiving. It seemed like it was much farther away, and yet I have made and packed Christmas presents…
I’m having fun trying the impasto technique in my art room. I’m not happy with the one I’ve been working on. I’m not sure whether I should continue to work on it, or dump it and start another. Wonderful ‘problem,’ isn’t it?
I hope that today is a good one for you. Enjoy every minute.
Yesterday I finally got started on a painting trying the impasto technique. I’ve watched several videos on it on YouTube which really got my juices to play flowing. Here’s one –
Jennifer Funnell Visual Arts
“Impasto is a painting technique that uses thick layers of paint. When you apply the paint thickly, it produces an incredibly beautiful effect on the canvas.” (using pallete knives.) Since I love to play with color, and I love lots of texture, I’m having great fun.
I decided to stop yesterday and let the paint dry before adding more. I’m looking forward to experimenting more today. Even if all I end up with is a hard canvas board with a lot of thick paint layers on it, I’m having a blast!
Another beautiful fall day. Sunshine and 54 right now. The forecast is for 78 this afternoon. I’m getting spoiled.
We’ll leave soon for appointments and errands, but when they’re finished, I plan to spend some time in my art room. I want to try impasto painting. I’ve watched some YouTube demonstrations and my juices are flowing with possibilities. I need to clean things up before I start, but I’m really looking forward to it.
I’m feeling very lucky this morning. Things are calm, allowing me to enjoy lots of good moments. I’m thankful for the people in my life, filling up with beautiful images and experiences.
All one has to do is look at these to understand I have my work cut out for me in learning the acrylic pour techniques. So far, I’ve tried 3. The one above is called the funnel technique.
Double floating cup techniquelarger single floating cup technique
As I am typing this, my sweet husband came in and asked what these ‘represented.’ When I told him, ‘failures,’ he said, “Oh, That’s what I would have said.” So now I’m honest AND a bit hostile.
Needless to say, acrylic pour may LOOK easy when you watch a demonstration on YouTube, as with anything else, it takes lots of practice before I may see some progress.
I just came downstairs from trying the acrylic pour technique again – the third different technique I’ve tried.
I don’t know how it will turn out yet, but it looked a bit more like it ‘should,’ and I ended up with more paint on the canvas than me this time, though it was a close thing.
I didn’t have enough I could use for the demo on the acrylic pour with crackles, so I just started from scratch. I made enough of a mess I should have enough to try the other technique next time.
I don’t feel very productive, but I’m laughing a lot – sometimes my language getting a bit colorful when I sploop yet another blop of paint on myself. :0)
I WISH I could tell you that the above is my work. This is the one that got me drooling lately and wanting to try the “Acrylic Pour” technique. This one has the added effect of “Crackles,” which the artist then filled with gold. Gorgeous, huh!
I got the materials together after clearing off my drafting table. I finally got through the intimidated stage and have tried two techniques I found on YouTube over the past couple of days.
So far, I’ve made messes and had a lot of fun. Mostly, I’m learning what NOT to do again.
The example above was done using the remnants of previous pours by the artist. I have used two canvases thus far. I’m HOPING that I can PEEL the paint off the canvases and use the pieces to try to do my own version of the piece above.
Happily, I’m in the playing and experimenting stage, so I’m like a kid with finger paint, involved in the colors, the FEEL of everything, rather than worrying about whether my experiment is successful or not.
If I end up with something interesting, I’ll take a pic and show you. If not, I’ll have another fun time playing and learning.
My drafting table is covered with paint. I”M covered with paint. One wrap-around canvas is covered with paint. I splooped some dots of paint on my shirt, even though I wore my denim apron.
I’m letting my mess dry now, waiting to see if I got any “cells” in my paint. Even though I basically made a mess of the “Acrylic Pour” technique, I had a lot of fun trying.
Next time I try, I’m going to try a different technique that I also saw on YouTube. As usual, the result was not at ALL what I pictured and I’m at the “learning-what-NOT-to-do-NEXT time” part of the learning process. That doesn’t keep me from having a blast playing. :0)
On a more successful note, I finished painting our yard art “peacock” yesterday and glued on lots of beads today, around his neck and on his ‘feathers.’ If the glue does well, I’ll bring him back out in the yard tomorrow and take some pics.
I hope YOU are doing something fun and/or challenging, too!
I am at the awkward stage where I would like to try something new in my art room, but I’m feeling intimidated.
I want to try 2 new techniques: impasto painting and acrylic pour painting. My mouth is watering. My dreams are full of efforts to try. And yet I’m still stalling. I have the materials I need. I’ve watched videos. I’m old enough now that feeling intimidated isn’t ‘cute’ anymore – if it EVER was. If my efforts are a complete failure, I can simply throw them away…
Today I’m going to do two things –
THING ONE – I’m going to clean off my drafting table, prepare it for acrylic pour painting, and gather my materials.
THING TWO – I will watch several videos on YouTube so I’m more clear on what I’m trying to do.
WEATHER – It’s a good thing I’m not water-soluble, or I would have sogged down into a puddle by now with all the rain we have had. We just returned from putting our trash out for pickup and running errands. I wore a hoodie, since my husband has no patience for me trying to use an umbrella. I just throw my hood up to stay as dry as possible.
YARD WORK – I pruned our rose bushes and weeded a bit yesterday. Some unfriendly bug bit me on the back of my hand. It swelled up and itched like crazy. I finally got the itching to stop and the swelling should be down by tomorrow.
I was watching for ants, since I react badly to their stings/bites, but whatever bit me snuck up and did it before I was aware. I am going to try to harvest more lettuce, since my plants are starting to bolt, but it will have to wait until the rain stops.
EMAIL HACK – I seem to be over the worst of the repercussions from my email being hacked. I spent the entire day yesterday, except for the time pruning the roses, contacting as many friends and family as possible, giving them my new address, plus getting on our important websites and changing email, user name and password. What a hassle! I did get to talk to people I would LIKE to talk to more often, so that was a really good thing. If I finally reach a real person at Google, I will try to enlist their help in finding out who is responsible for the hack.
GENERATOR – Just as your car will never act up or make the noise you’ve been hearing when you take it to the shop, our generator came on just fine when the tech came out to help us figure out why it didn’t do its weekly test and or continue to run when we started it manually. He looked it over carefully. It started right up and continued until he turned it off. We told him the ‘overcrank’ light was on when we went out to look. My husband suspected the carburetor, but the tech was looking more at the fuel regulator, whatever that is. He said he would check his manual for ‘old’ generators to see if he could be of more help if we need to call him again. Meanwhile, $131.50 later, the generator IS working…
WEIGHT LOSS – My newest motivation to lose the lard seems to be working – at least, so far. Last Monday we had our routine doctor appointment with blood tests. We were doing fine (for old people) and the doc said we didn’t have to come back for 6 months, rather than the 3 months we have been doing. I decided that I wanted to try to finally lose a significant amount of my poundage by the time we go back in November. Since Monday I have lost 4.6 pounds. I’m trying to keep my focus on trying to really watch my portions, try not to eat in-between meals, or if I do, eat a really careful snack. I’m trying to move more, and pick up my afternoon yoga stretches again.
So far, my yoga efforts have been a dismal failure. Usually, I’m out in the yard when I WAS doing yoga. I’m telling myself that if I’m up and moving, that’s good, but I know it’s not a substitute for the good stretching I do with my practice. I’m going to rethink WHEN I’m trying to do my practice so that I can work in the yard AND do my yoga stretches on a daily basis.
ART ROOM – I’m still trying to overcome my stupid fear of failure regarding trying a new art technique. I’m really fascinated watching people demonstrate ‘acrylic pours’ and then ‘pours with crackle gel.’ They are getting wonderful abstract colorful work with gorgeous texture and cracks highlighted with gold. I’m going to keep making careful notes as I watch (and drool) and see if I can get started on it in my art room this week.
I hope that you are having a fabulous day, enjoying the weather where you are, if possible, or if cooped up inside like me, changing over to something fun INSIDE.
We will leave for Lunch Bunch in about an hour. It looks like we may need a boat if this keeps up.
I would like to harvest more lettuce, but Mother Nature has been playing with us over the last week or so, starting the rain up every time I get ready to go outside, almost like a faucet, waiting until I am out there, and then dumping on me. I can imagine her laughing at me. :0)
Other than squeegeeing, mopping, and toweling off the porch floor over and over, I’ve been playing in my art room. I’m trying to eventually try an ‘acrylic pour,’ but I’m a bit intimidated, so I’m trying one new technique at a time, building up to it. I put the second coat of a stuff called, “crackle medium” on the background of a painting on which I used Unicorn Spit paint. So far, nothing is ‘crackling.’ I’ll continue to experiment, having lots of fun, until something good starts to happen. :0)
I think I already told you that I am newly motivated to get the lard off. We had a routine doctor appointment Monday. We were doing so well that she said we could wait 6 months to come back, rather than the usual three. I’m now trying to lose a significant amount of my lard before we see her again in November. This week has been a good start for me.
I hope the weather is good where you are and that you can make this a wonderful day.
I just got back from my massage. I really didn’t care that today is rainy because I always feel SO much better after my wonderful massage therapist, Lynn Moody, 479-629-7601, finishes with me. Ahhhhhhh!
My main exercise since the 17th has been a series of squeegeeing, mopping, then toweling the porch floor each time the rain stops. The wind makes the rain come in and then the water sits there. I’m trying to lessen the damage as much as I can by taking care of the water as soon as possible between deluges and storms. We’re supposed to have two more days of this, and then MAYBE a 3-day-respite before the rains come back. I don’t remember our having quite this much rain before.
I will also try to harvest some lettuce if the rain will allow. We’ve been enjoying a combination of head lettuce, spinach, and buttercrunch lettuce from our garden with our dinners. :0)
I have on my to-do list today a return to my afternoon yoga practice. I’ve been so busy the last few weeks it got lost in the shuffle and my body is noticing. Hopefully, I can get in a nice session of stretching to finish off the good Lynn did with my massage this morning.
Also on the list is playing in my art room. I’ve been watching some demonstrations of acrylic pour art, plus another technique you can do with pieces of the pours that are left over. I’m a bit intimidated, to be honest, but my mouth waters as I watch what the artists are doing.
I’m trying SOME of the techniques, easing into this slowly. I’ve started a piece with my Unicorn Spit paint. I just put a coat of varnish on what I did yesterday. When that dries, I plan to paint some flowers, and then use the crackle paint on the background. Finally, I will use some metallic paint to highlight the cracks. Fingers crossed that it turns out SOMETHING like what my brain is picturing. :0) It’s such FUN to play with the colors!
Good morning. I’m not feeling very energetic this morning. No problems, really – my get-up-and-go just got-up-and-went. :0)
I harvested a lot of spinach yesterday. I still had some in the fridge, too. After watching a YouTube video on storing fresh spinach, I’ll take mine out of the gallon bags. The guy recommends using plastic containers and paper towels. I’ll store some that way for salads. I’ll chop up the rest and freeze it.
It hasn’t started to rain yet, but it’s supposed to today. In fact, it’s supposed to rain all week. I’m actually looking forward to it because I won’t have to feel guilty that I’m not out in the yard working. :0) I really want to start playing with the new art stuff I received last week.
I have materials to try an ‘acrylic pour.’ The Internet defines this as, “Acrylic Paint Pouring is a fluid painting technique used to create art by pouring acrylic paint onto a canvas. … The Acrylic Pouring technique allows artists to apply colour in puddles, pools and marble-like patterns. Pouring results in a smooth, glossy paint film that is perfectly even and blemish free.”
A lady did a beautiful demonstration of using some leftover “pours” that she did on a piece of plastic, transferring that to a piece of wood. She used a material called, “crackle gel” to add texture, and then rolled on gold paint to highlight that texture. The resulting piece looked like this –
Mii’s Paintings
This makes me drool, and itch to play. So Mother Nature, please bring on the rain so I can give myself permission to play in my art room! :0)
I hope that you are safe and happy this Monday morning. Have fun with your day!
Skies are overcast and it looks like rain could start any minute. It’s cool. (57 degrees F.) A GREAT day to snuggle under my throw in my recliner and read or watch TV until I get sleepy and take a nap.
Even though I’m not feeling motivated to accomplish much, I AM getting in the mood to play in my art room.
Ideas are starting to rattle around in my head. I may go up and play and see what comes out of it.
Since today is a comfort food day, I’ll get some spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker for us to enjoy tonight.
I hope that you are somewhere warm and dry, and that you will find fun in your day.
Drafting Table When I’m Working – 1Drafting Table When I’m Working – 2
When ideas are coming fast and furious, rattling around in my poor brain until I’m dreaming of them, it’s a relief – and so much fun! – to spend time zipping from one idea and medium to the next, shoving things out of the way enough that I can keep playing.
Every once in a while, though, the adult emerges and looks – appalled – at the mess I’ve created once again. The stern taskmaster says that I MUST clean things up before starting anything else.
I went upstairs several days ago. intending to at least START with the tractor in there, but got some ideas for new magnets and I simply gave in to the need to play. I had a GREAT time, got the magnets finished, priced them yesterday and put them into the basket I take back and forth to my local booth in town.
I then listened to the taskmaster and decided to at LEAST get the drafting table cleared off.
Drafting Table Cleaned Off – 1Drafting Table Cleaned Off – 2
My plan is to continue my cleaning efforts up there today. at LEAST getting another table cleaned off.
Two days ago I went to my art room full of good intentions to clean things up and organize. I’ve been reasonably productive lately, so things are really a mess. :0)
I started with my drafting table because that’s where I do most of my work. As I cleaned it off, I got some ideas for new magnets to make for sale in my booth in Rags & Roses. The cleaning stopped as I started gathering the things I wanted…
Raising Children Network
Today I will go up and see if I can actually finish cleaning off the drafting table, as well as tackling more of the art room…
Full disclosure – if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already KNOW what a slob I am, and along with that, a lousy housekeeper. I decided that my current project will be cleaning up my art room – AGAIN.
The only time my art room is clean is when I’m not in there and have no current art projects going on. I have some images I took for my shops on Etsy, and they look really good. But nothing is happening in those images. :0)
I started cleaning in here this afternoon. I decided to start with my drafting table. I made a bit of progress, but then got caught up in a new idea for painted magnets. I started rummaging around, gathering things to try my new idea.
Under here is a drafting table, believe it or not.
And under here is a nice work table.
My art room has actually looked worse before. Sometimes it’s a challenge to walk from the door to the drafting table. :0)
Tomorrow I’ll show you more of the cleaning project, plus progress on the new magnets!
Yesterday I started making a dozen hand-painted wooden magnets. This is a fun thing. I’m enjoying coming up with different ideas for each one. I’m also going to see about making some magnets with painted clothespins. These can be done inexpensively, so if people like them, they can buy several without spending a lot. I hope the magnets make people smile.
Happy Birthday, Laufrain!!!!! Have a wonderful day celebrating YOU!
I will go to town twice today. TRIP ONE: drive trash down to the bottom of the driveway, get the mail and run errands. TRIP TWO: drive to Rags & Roses Collective in Greenwood, taking the things I want to put in to the booth I share with Carla, reorganizing the booth, and bringing some things home.
I have 2 stars on my desk calendar for my exercising yesterday and hope to earn 2 more today.
I’m planning to spend time in my art room making more magnets, plus clean up a bit so I can decide what I’ll try next. I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting, trying new forms of art, playing with techniques, seeing what happens.
We’re having a gorgeous day with sunshine and a high of 53 degrees F. today – can’t beat that for the middle of January. :0)
creativeartworksblog 