she is full of Grace

image transfer on canvas

I am exploring a madonna theme at the moment and practicing my image transfer techniques.  I covered this canvas in old french papers, added a layer of gesso and then  some images transfers from images at http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

I then used my chalk pastels to blend everything together.  The label reads she is full of grace.

looking for inspiration

Finally after so many weeks of waiting I have my studio back, set up and ready for action but ...... I can't find the motivation.  I have tried carrying on with some projects I started a while ago but the vision is not there.  Its so frustrating after waiting for so long.
I have however been cooking and baking a lot lately which at least is creative.  Trying out some new things with my new bread machine, made apple cinnamon scrolls today, the trouble is eating too many and a big pot of vege soup, the kids love it and get their veges.
I am loving the rain here in NZ, it might sound crazy to some, its nice soft rain, I love the sound, the feel and the smell of it.
Today I got back on my treadmill, its a bit like getting back on the horse, it might not sound like much but I promised myself at least 10 mins but did 16 with a small incline and really enjoyed it.
I am sitting in my studio and even reviewed my short term goals list, at this stage in my apathy I can't believe I had so much I wanted to do I even made a list.  Maybe I should do some sewing and take a different direction for a bit.  Maybe I could do an online course in art journalling?
Don't know.
still like butterflies the most, maybe I will just cut some out.

deb

Arrival Date for container

Finally our container will be shipped off soon and will arrive mid Feb.  I am craving the comfort of my things, squishy cushions and fur throws, the kids Xmas toys they haven't played with yet, but most of all my own space - my studio.  I have recently found an online store for scrap booking products and some things I can use for collage here in NZ.  With prices cheaper than Australia and a huge range I am spoilt for choice.
three weeks and counting!
Deb

lost without my studio

spine of star book



star book



Our container has been delayed by one week, I am so lost without my studio.  I can't believe I had the creative block I had last year where I couldn't do anything.  I have been window shopping in my new hood.  Looking out for art and craft supplies.  I am surprised at the range at The Warehouse....things like big packs of artists brushes and canvases and lovely bead supplies.  I have a few art books to read and the Internet to surf but my hands are itchy.  Ooh I just had an idea, maybe I could get an artists pad and some pencils and practice drawing, its not something I usually do because I like to assemble and haven't had the patience to practice but with time and a minimum of supplies.  I think what I miss most is my pastels, getting my fingers dirty with smudging oils.  I almost feel sad not being with my stuff.

Its another beautiful perfect day in Auckland, not too hot and not too cold so we are taking the kids to the park.

Artistic Mother short term goals list project

I did this project a little while ago but never got around to posting it and I wanted to try out the new blogger posting app.  I know I am a little behind.  But anyway, I love that you can move pics around and change their sizes.
So this is how I made it.....I printed out onto a canvas photo sheet a piece of vintage ephemera from my stash and then printed my goals list onto it.  I then added the lace and some buttons and sewed a casing for the chopstick so I could hang it.
I have done most of the things on my list but also used creative licence to do some other things that took my fancy.

New Beginnings

We have landed in NZ, in our new home minus our things which are still coming in the container. Somehow I missed New Year and all of the thoughts and resolutions that go with it so I am starting to think about it now. Today we got our internet connected again and I have been catching up on what my fellow bloggers have been up to.

So I have no studio until my things arrive. What to do? On that list is to read the manual that comes with the great new camera I got from Santa. Its practically foolproof which hopefully means I can take better photos for postings. I just took these pics really quickly and pushed some buttons not knowing what I was doing. This is a prayer card I made for a friend, my daughter Gretel really likes it and says he has love hearts because he is The Loved One, a great interpretation when I just added them for balance and I thought they loooked pretty. Funny how things turn out.

Also on that list, I promised myself I would fix my blog and yes I do have enough stock to open an etsy store as soon as that arrives, hopefully coinciding with my new found knowledge of how to work my blog and camera. I am opening a store to help motivate me to finish things as well as support my art habit. I am fortunate in that my job is really just to be a homemaker and I don't have to worry about earning money to support the family. Although I want my work to have value and recognition.

I am ever thankful for my friend Kristy who a little while ago helped me make a decision about what direction I wanted to take, since then my creativity has grown and my mind is brimming with ideas. I have been working on what I know the best, that is bookbinding and adding in my new love of mixed media collage.

I have some new books on the way from Amazon, one is the new Digital Expressions by Susan Tuttle http://http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Expressions-Creating-Photoshop-Elements/dp/160061454X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294126002&sr=1-1

I am not sure if I did that right, how do you make a word underlined that is a link to somewhere?? I wish I had someone that could show me how instead of the hard time I have trying to work it out. At least I have some time to spend doing it which I hadn't had before.

I am off to ponder on some New Year resolutions.

Deb

Holiday studio withdrawal

I have a little holiday coming up - 10 days without children and I am going to spend it with my husband. He will be working during the week so I was thinking I needed to take something with me to do. So I am sorting through some things in my studio and trying to decide what to take. I confess I truly am demented, do I really need glitter and glue, paper scraps and stamps? etc..... Already my hands are feeling itchy thinking about not having my stuff nearby, and its not like I get to it that often.
I do have a crochet shawl I want to work on, maybe that will do. A few good books.
Can you imagine how I will be with my studio packed up for over a month while it is in the container.
Now I have to choose something I am going to work on today from this pile I just sorted through.

guilty pleasures shopping expedition

I went out to buy some rub ons and came back with a lot more. Added to my collection are some acrylic paints, some lovely new stamps and a vintage sepia stamp pad, buttons, brads and graphite pencils.
I am in love with a very soft turquoise colour and burnt umber at the moment so these are featuring a lot in my work.
I have to finish some things before I start on something else though. I promised myself.
Maybe I could sneak into my studio while the baby is sleeping....
Deb
I just found a button to insert a link! I know it comes slowly to me the technical stuff.

High Priestess Card

This is a pic of a Personal High Priestess Card I made for a friend who has psychic talents. It represents her work. I printed an image onto script paper, drew around her with my oil pastels and added the words. The back is phrases pasted onto a scrapbooking card which has lovely textures and then a little pastel drawing around it. Glued together to make a card.

I am using a lot of ink today, printing out images with my laser printer, overprinting to make collage pieces. I have a nice little pile of goodies to work with now, even if I am not sure what I am doing with them yet.

Enigmatic Lady Collage

A little collage I did. I laser printed the lady image onto scrapbooking card which had this lovely textured bit on the bottom. I then add the trim to the top and bottom, hot glued the diamantees and the flower and then pasted on the word. I found a shadow box to put her in.

Japanese Papers Coptic Stitch Book

I have a lovely stack of finished books. Each one is individual, some have little charms on the button closing that I made. And finally some photos.

Getting regular studio time

and finishing projects is my aim for the next 12 weeks until we move to NZ.
The LIST
.........finish A6 Japanese Paper Journals - with charms made by me.
Finish the Angel mosaic - yes I am putting a time frame on it.
Make Gretels nightie and maybe a dress for Poppy.
Make more prototypes for New Geisha soft cover book.
Ok so maybe that would give me time to do just one or two more collage peices.
Is that a big list? It seems like a lot and yet not. I could finish that amount of work if I focused instead of getting distracted into new things all the time. I just have to make the most of my studio time and not waste it doing chores.
Oh and take photos and post them.
Better go do something then.
Deb

In the middle of it

That is where I am right now. As usual not concentrating on one thing at a time. I just finished a beautiful collage and am in the process of completing two more. So my worktables are absolutely covered in stuff; for example; beads and buttons, oil pastels and paint, stamps, stencils, wax seals, old old books (lovely yellowed pages) laces and ribbons, braids and trims, fabric, Japanese papers and tools, computer, printer, sewing machine, guillotine and press, brushes and glue.
Now I don't actually have enough room to put something together.

Projects I would like to get too and I will tell somebody to make me more accountable are:

'If these walls could talk' free project from cloth paper scissors. Its a standing collage house constructed with canvas, card and paper, sewn and glued together.

Dollies from free Dollie project.

Cloth embroidered book covers inspired by a project over at Rebecca sowers

and of course now some lovely Japanese Paper books for my lovely friend Kristy.

and I really should finish that Byzantine Mosaic Art Angel.....

I promise myself I will post photos soon. I need to add photography and working the gizmo's to my list of things to do or find someone to do it for me preferably.

Off to create.
Deb

Art Manifestation

It occurs to me that I could combine two things I am passionate about - Art and Energy. After all I like the sort of art that is a manifestation in progress, yes I am talking about collage. So I am diving into this new world to watch my images evolve through a process of layering and using a variety of techniques to arrive with a finished piece of art. So I will be painting, printing, stamping, stencilling, sewing, gilding - whatever it takes. Perfect for the person who can't concentrate on one thing at a time.
Speaking of manifesting......I have always wanted a studio separate from the house and set into my beautiful garden, cottage flowers and a potager, with big french doors to let the sun in and lovely Jasmine vines and climbing roses scent the courtyard where I can sit and drink my tea or paint while I watch the birds play in the fountain.
Inside the studio is a daybed, and a little kitchenette so I can wash out my brushes and make tea. And space to create.
So I am manifesting this vision to add to what I already know about the future and look forward to it being a part of my life.
today I am choosing Art to manifest.
Deb

Topsy Turvy World

Lots has been happening. My husband has a new job in a different country - NZ......so we are moving again. I often say my husband reaches for the sky so much he has no roots and I am a woman who loves to get my hands in the dirt and I am unable to nurture my roots. I have mixed emotions about it all. He will go on ahead and we will join him in a few months after the school year finishes and we have one last Christmas here in Australia with the family. NZ was home as I am a kiwi but doesn't feel like home anymore, neither does anywhere I have lived here. My family is home. It is a really good prosperous opportunity for our family and I do believe things happen for a reason so one day I will know what it is. Its funny I never thought I would actually go back to live.
Since he will be away and I am fending for myself and the children I have increased my children's day care hours. I am starting to feel saner and wondering the big question, what about me and what I really want to do with my life. Most of the time I don't have time to even think about it. I don't have to work and can pursue interests. Do I want to go to Art school just for fun or do a double major in English and ancient history? Funny how life changes direction or not so funny but if you are married to my husband you have to be prepared for the impermanence of things.
We had to find a new home for our lovely German Shepard puppy, she was already 9 months old, so beautiful and well trained. And I am oddly attached to our fish, I know you can't pat them but I have watched them grow over the years.
Because I have free time I have actually been in my studio. Decided it was time to do some work on my lovely angel mosaic, and then got interested in sewing but the machine kept breaking down, bought a new one...so looking forward to some cute kids stuff and I made some paper dresses inspired by the dress up project at Alice and Camilla.
Is it artistic license to not finish something before you start the next thing? I was supposed to be bookbinding and I have some projects I am in the middle of but cast my interest in a different direction!
Anyway its late and I am tired. but I will post some photos soon. And hopefully with all this free time I can be here more often.
Deb

Hitting a Wall

My studio door has been closed for too long. I think the kids have been in there more often than me. I have had weeks of broken sleep and cannot find the energy for anything creative. I had to break the silence but really I have nothing to offer except more silence.
For now.
Pray for change and motivation.
Deb

Being an Artistic Mother

Being an Artistic Mother is often challenging, especially when you have a Thomas train track making its way into your studio with the three year old not far behind driving his train. Its hard with constant interruptions and turning around to find your baby eating paper from the floor - perhaps proof that love of paper starts early.
You have to learn to make the most of your five minutes and be able to pick up where you were forced to leave off. Some nights I feel like crawling into bed after the kids but always feel better if I can get into my studio.
The other thing is - you are on your own, I don't know any other artistic mothers where I live. So I rely on the online community of mothers trying to balance both loves.
ok see thats what I am talking about - now I have to go and fix a booboo.
Later
Deb

Collage Diversion - Short Terms Goals List

Inspired by Shona Coles Project "Backgrounds and Lists", I took a break from bookbinding and made this collage piece.

I have printed a copyright free empherma piece onto a canvas sheet which I then put back into the printer and overprinted my short terms goals list. I then collaged this piece with stick on lace, buttons and cross-stitching in linen thread up the side. I hand-stitched a casing to thread a chopstick through.

I have also completed a Vision Statement and Long terms Goals List which I will post later.

I love working in my studio first thing in the morning. I get the best light and warm sunshine.

Deb

What Katy Did Next.....

What Katy Did Next - Collage, mixed media book art.

A refillable pages notebook, just for me to write my notes in.

I printed copies of the cover and inside pages of this book to construct my own book case. My label, 'Hand Stitched Books' runs inside and outside the spine.

I have added a peice of lace to the outside cover for further texture.

A childhood favourite was the inspiration for this notebook. I took a slight detour from finishing some other projects to quickly make this up so I would have somewhere meaningful and nice to write my notes in.

I will be using this design to make a photo album. I just have to dream something up. Watch this space.

Robert Browning deconstructed in Stitches

A wonderful old Robert Browning Poetry book was the inspiration for these little miniature books.

I tore pages from the books and wrapped each section in them, I then used the pages for collage work on the books, the titles, spines and inside the covers.

Each book is made up in a different stitch to showcase a few wonderful stitches.

From Left to right:

1. Long stitch with chain stitch

2. Long stitch over tape

3. Coptic binding

4. French stitch over tapes and

5. Case-bound.