Abstract Expressionism

Art that rejects true visual representation. It has few recognizable images with great emphasis on line, color, shape, texture, value; putting the expression of the feelings or emotions of the artist above all else.

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entering my 6 x 12" Blue wall hanging in:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Blues

 I love my little lady balancing on the telephone wire with her crow friends, sometimes it's fun to

 think abstract.

Of course, getting a few zen dangles in also makes me smile! 

I enjoyed all the different layers, the molding paste rain drops, the painted and inked girl with her puffy paint hair, the layers of lace, twine and buttons and the doodling: are all my favorite elements in one piece.

Sakura pens

November Frosted Designs kit - buttons, lace, flower

October Frosted Designs kit - pattern paper

Golden - Molding Paste

Crafters Workshop - raindrop stencil

Deco Arts acrylic paints

Faber Castell PITT pens

crow stamps - misc. ( old )

malapert: adjective

impudently bold : saucy

pronunciation

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Anything But a Card - #27 Hit the Books

Creative Inspirations Paint - Got CI paints?

September 2013 Creative Dare - Share your Home

What's in my home?

GOD

First I used a brayer to coat the cover of the journal, ( I didn't want complete coverage, I love the Kraft paper showing through ) next using a stencil with paint, which I then outlined with a pearl paint. The Lord's Prayer was stamped on Kraft paper and then cut out, painted and also outlined with pearl paint.

I think one of my favorite parts on my art journals are the small bull nose clips that I add a cross to. I believe that the small cross embellishment makes a big impact. You might notice a small dot of Helmar 450  Quick Dry Adhesive over the opening of the ring, it helps assure that it won't open and let the cross slide off by accident.

Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Acid Free Glue

Guided - journal ( Walmart ) 

Apple Barrel - acrylic paint 

All Night Media - stamp

Ranger - Liquid Pearls, distress paints

Faber Castell - PITT pen

Creative Inspiration - paint

Viva Decor - pearl pen

Cousins - charm

Reminisce - white pen

Crafter's Workshop - stencil

Sakura - Glaze pen

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Have you read Divergent?

Here's my review :)

Borborygmus: noun

intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas

( well, this is one for the books!, lol )

pronunciation

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This is my first time entering a challenge for My Sweet Earth, a blog run by Susan K. Weckesser.

August Create to Live Challenge

using this for your inspiration:

The sweet ripe taste of ...apples. 

Up here in the mountains we are known for our crisp variety of apples so I was inspired to paint some apples...well, one apple anyway. We will be having an apple festival the last week in August so I wanted to have something apple related for sale in the Art MoB.

 I also wanted an apple related verse by Robert Schuller so I chose:

"Anyone can count the seeds in the apple but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."

My background is a combination of paints and stains, with the embossed lettering for added texture. Then the apple branch was painted on with acrylics and stains with an outlining of pearl paint.

Ranger - distress stains, barn door, vintage photo, peeled paint, brushed pewter

Viva Décor - pearl pen, dark brown

Plaid - acrylic paint, nutmeg brown

Apple Barrel - acrylic paint, Kelly green, khaki, yellow flame, white

Delta Creamcoat - bright red

Crafters Workshop - stencil, TCW261



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side note:
One of my little art canvas was used for advertisement in the Laurel Magazine for the Art MoB! :)

 You can see it here.
If you do go to the link to see it, mind giving me a like?
Thank you!~

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Simon Says - Monochromatic
Aud Sentiments - #87 Anything but a birthday card
Inkspirational - #33


what? 2 cards in the same week that are monochromatic? What is becoming of me?

I've really been trying ( honest, I have ) to use up my stash items, you know those things we hold onto for years and for whatever reason they don't get used but there they are, secretly mocking you...oh wait, I might be the only one who has stash that mocks them, lol Anyhoo....I have had these animal sticker letters since 2006 ( hangs head down in shame ) and when I saw the Inkspirational challenge, I just knew I could use them, with the letters of the inspiration piece inspiring me.

Tomfoolery: noun

playful or foolish behavior

pronunciation

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12 tags of 2013 – july…

Ranger Products

Distress stains - barn door, broken china

Distress stains - barn door, vintage photo 

( I did purchase the brushed pewter stain, but discovered too late that it does not show up on top of the darker red, but it does add a nice shimmer )

Ideology - grunge paper, tissue tape,word bands

Distress Crackle Paint

OK, so totally veered off course on this one, but I had fun :) and that's what matters!
I am hoping that what matters is trying a new technique and checking out a new product, if that is the case, then I have been successful, even if my wall hanging does not resemble his tag.
( It's also pouring down rain, so the picture is affected, will take another one to replace this as soon as I get a little sunshine, I'm just trying to make the deadline as I am squeaking in here.)

I did try the red, white and blue streaked background with the brayer, but did not like how mine turned out so I used a stencil and modeling paste to create a layer, then covered it with distress stain hoping to soften the red and blue. Didn't like that either so I uses a layer of tissue paper over it.

I did manage to keep 2 elements in the piece, the open cut chipboard at the top and a border element on the bottom. It was the first time I have ever inked over the crackling, so I did manage to learn something new, and that's what is important, right? ( nod head yes please )

other products:

Faber Castell - Big Brush pen

Cricut - Paper Trimmings p. 36

Golden - gel medium, molding paste

Crafters Workshop - TCW97, TCW201S

also entering this in:
Creative Inspirations: Inspired by anything goes

ransack: verb

to search thoroughly

 

 to examine closely and carefully

 

 to search through to commit robbery

 

 to search through in a way that causes disorder or damage

pronunciation
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I combined the Tim Holtz- June 2013 tag

Ranger products:

Distress paints, distress stains, alcohol inks

along with

 Tracy Weinzapfel's - June 2013 Creative Dare - Your Powerful Truths

Tracy used:

4 Powerful Truths YOU Should Know

You have many reasons to smile

We are all in this together

You are amazing just the way you are

Life isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn good

I just love the turquoise, lime and pink colors in this piece.
I just couldn't muddy it up with brown ink.

The backgrounds were created with my Gelli Plate. The small background piece was run through my embossing machine with the leaf stencil. It didn't show up as well as I hoped so I used some Distress stain to paint in the leaves a little so they would stand out better.

I accidentally discovered that if you apply sprays over the paint and then wipe off, they inks stick to the embossing paste beautifully. Really enjoyed that surprise. :)

The dragon fly is cut out of a shiny silver card stock so I used alcohol inks to cover the body first and then went back with the Twinkling H20's for some glimmer.

other products:

Cricut  - Art Nouveau cartridge, p. 54

Petaloo - flower

May Arts - vine ribbon

Helmar - 450

Gelli Plate

Sheena - embossing plate

Luminarte' - Twinkling H20's

Crafter's Workshop - art word stencil

Golden - Molding Paste
Higgins - waterproof ink

Looking at Words: a photo contest

 Submit a photo you've taken that illustrates a Merriam-Webster definition in an interesting way
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How do you scrapbook? I am a chronological scrapper, everything in order. 

If you are a chronological scrapbooker, how do you begin the album? Mine have been elvolving but still consistent with how I go about it. I always list the year on it but the first page establishes a feeling/theme that I feel is relevant for that year.

Here is last year:

2012 - which focuses on my photography, I took a class that year learning on how to take better pictures and how my camera works. ( Also trying to learn new things including new scrapbooking styles...look at all that white space! That was a big leap for me! ) I also included my word of the year..focus. Love seeing that little detail.

2013 - seems to be reflective on how far I have come. It's about the achievements and the fact that I keep evolving! 

Thanks to Tracy Weinzapfel and the
May 2013 Creative Dare - DEAR ME...

This was truly a mind bender...I thought and thought and thought....I even had the all the elements, just not the words.

Tracy says this:

" Take a break every now and then and pat yourself on the back.  Applaud yourself for doing what needs to be done.  And be careful not to spend so much time looking at how far you still have to go, that you forget to appreciate how far you've already come."

And I thought and thought and thought some more...and finally I came up with this. It's not a letter but I think it's perfect in it's own way. 

I had to include my business card.

And I loved adding in a real paintbrush dripping some paint off it onto dreams.

Faber Castell - black gelato, Pitt Pen

Crafters Workshop - brick stencil

Golden - Molding Paste

LiquiTex - colbalt teal paint

ColorBok - butterfly

Prima - bling

business card, paintbrush - my own :)

and entering this lay out in:
Anything but a Card - #19 Color Inspiration

May Arts Spring Craft Challenge

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Hi again everyone..second post for the day!

I'm very excited to say that I made it into May Arts Spring Craft Challenge!!

 We had a choice of ribbon and the 4 that I chose were:

 Teal String

White Eyelet

Green leaves

Salmon Faux Lightweight Canvas

  

6" x 12" wall hanging 

 

other products:

Daler Rowney - gesso

Ranger - Distress Paints

spiced marmalade, wild honey, brick, barn door, and antique linen

Crafters Workshop - stencil TCW191S ( brick pattern )

Golden - Molding Paste ( for brick stencil )

Crafters Workshop - stencil TCW 97
Golden Molding Paste - ( for flower stencil )
Ranger - Distress Stain, peeled paint
Helmar - 450 ( for leaves )
gold micro beads - misc.
Helmar - Professional Acid Free Glue ( for green stems )
Darice - 8mm Bell Caps
Helmar - Gemstone Adhesive
Willow Bead - Glass Dust Balls ( for inside of Bell Caps )
Spellbinders - white pearls

If you go over to the May Arts page and leave a comment as to which one is your favorite project, then you can be entered in to win a free spool of ribbon.
 Yes, I would love for you to say it's mine, but you don't have to...

also entering this in:

Berry71bleu - April Challenge Flowers!

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

This concerns the longest word in the dictionary:

OK, so you need to watch this short video, for several reasons, one being the ability of the assistant editor of Merriam-Webster to pronounce words like  "antidisestablishmentarianism" with ease that impressed me and to find out the criteria for picking words that go into the dictionary. I do think her job is somewhat sublime, although I still root for supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to be in their dictionary, and evidently so do lots of other people after reviewing their comments concerning the video.

Now what does supercalifragilisticexpialidocious actually mean?
We need to know this so we can use it more often, correct?
 "We all know the origin of the word; a song from the 1964 Disney musical film Mary Poppins. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers, and sung by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
The roots of the word have been defined as follows: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and docious- "educable", with the sum of these parts signifying roughly "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty
According to the film, it is defined as "something to say when you have nothing to say"."

and that is from Wikipedia :)
So supercalifragilisticexpialidocious that Merriam-Webster!!

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April 2013 Creative Dare - FIVE WORDS

 

Think of 5 words that YOU think best describe you.

Now let's leave off snarky, lazy, fat, old..

let's think 5 POSITIVE words....

harder to do...huh?

I thought so anyway, I'd make a list, scratch off, add another...rethink...add...erase...

you get the idea.

 

There are more things I wanted to add..subliminally perhaps, like the paint brushes for being creative, or the books because I am a librocubicularist ( a person who reads in bed, lol )...

 

I also have a new toy, it's Pebeo Outliner....I free hand drew everything with it, so that's why it's all a little wonky..another subliminal me...messy, not patient...

I cut a slit into the pages of the bible through the board to slide in the book marker ribbon and stamped inspired on it, because God's word does just that. Not that I think I am inspiring, but that I couldn't leave God out of this and He inspires me daily in my art.

Crafters Workshop - TCW191S ( brick stencil )
Golden - Molding Paste
Ranger - Distress Inks, Distress Markers, Alcohol Inks
Pebo - Outliner
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Studio G - small flower stamp
Sandy Lion - Inspired word stamp
Higgins - Waterproof Drawing inks
Faber Castell - PITT pens
Gold Leaf
Helmar - 450

equivocal: adjective

1.  subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse

or

uncertain as an indication or sign

 

2.  of uncertain nature or classification

or

 of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing : undecided

also

 of doubtful advantage, genuineness, or moral rectitude

pronunciation
 

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entering this in:

 

Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2013

 

Ranger Seasonal Color Palette: April 

 

I didn't have to combine the 2 challenges but they did seem to walk hand in hand this time around. I also didn't have to use Ranger's sentiment that they used on the color prompt, but I thought it was grand and used it anyway, especially seeing that April 22nd is Earth Day
...and I am happy. See, doesn't take much for me.

 

Ranger products:

 

Dylusions, melted chocolate

Distress Paints, wild honey,forest moss,broken china,walnut stain

stickels, frosted lace

Idea-ology word band

Distress Marker, bundled sage

Distress Ink, antique linen
Idea-ology Tissue tape

 

  

other products:

 

Crafters Workshop stencil 261, 97

Cricut - Art Nouvea, p. 54

Creative Memories - Metallic marker

Golden - Molding Paste

Maya Road - chipboard letters

Lil Davis - chipboard corner
Helmar - 450
Close to my Heart - marker
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On Saturday we had our Opening Reception for the 30 Day Challenge at the Art MoB. I think we had a good showing, lots of people showed up. This is the gallery side of the shop.

 

 Here are the artists ( including me ) who participated in the challenge.

 

I will admit to you, my bloggy friends that I try to stay away as far as possible during these functions. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than being around people who want me to talk about my art, I start to ramble, I become this scatter brain blob talking about everything and nothing...lol So I stayed up at the corner of our street and handed out flyers about the event....and again I was happy.  



plaudit: noun

an act or round of applause

or

 enthusiastic approval — usually used in plural

pronunciation
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Anything But a Card -  Challenge 15 Spring or Alice in Wonderland

OK, so Tracy went away for a week to play ....errr....work for a week while she was in Las Vegas. So, maybe I whinned a little too much because the girls from the Mixed Media Monday Nights group assigned....ASSIGNED me something to do...geez...bossy sweet friends! lol
Actually, I loved every minute of it and want to thank them for the push incentive to create this piece.

 They gave me a list of things to use:

Lori - butterfly....who started the whole idea!
Mary - gesso and bubble wrap
Jean - the color yellow
Anna - book text and she found the quote for me to use too!
 

 

OK, so I'm thinking this piece will work well for this ABAC challenge on a couple of levels. First, when I think of spring I think of butterflies. Here, I gessoed book text, inked it with Ranger's Dylusions and then ran it through the printer for the butterflies which I fussy cut out. I outlined the veins with my Faber Castell PITT pen in black. .

 I couldn't remove the yellow from the above picture,  but it does show how I gave one butterfly some dimension with my Helmar's Liquid Scrapdots. I really do love this stuff!! I also am in love with the Goosebumps spray that gave this ink such a wonderful dimension.

 

 I also think this piece fulfills some of the Alice in Wonderland criteria as it has watches embossed with modling paste using the Crafter's Workshop stencil TCW 201S. I spritzed some Imagine Goosebumps spray before spreading out the Ranger's Distress stains ( using water ). Wonderful effect, will be using this more!

Rabbit quotes on time from Alice in Wonderland:

"Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!"
[singing] I'm late / I'm late / For a very important date. / No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". / I'm late, I'm late, I'm late."

 

Walrus quote

 “The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings” 
 

Then used my Distress Stains as splats. I hit them hard onto the board and it gives a wonderful ...splat!

 

My finished wall hanging:

Daler Rowney - gesso

Ranger - Distress Stains

Imagine - Goosebump spray

Crafters Workshop - stencil

Really Reasonable Ribbon - cording

Faber Castell - PITT pen

Helmar - Liquid Scrapdots

 

Thank you ladies, it's already hanging up in the Art MoB!