A Humble Bumble (Digital) Collage

an image created in Photoshop from several of my own photos, artwork and textures.

wishing all a golden early summer day.

i've decided to respond to the invitation within my comments and link this with: NatureFootstep Digital Art meme Interest Survey.
if you are thinking that you might like to join in with your own digital art post(s) then hop over and add to the survey. we'll see what happens . . .

art journal every day ~ january 24, 2014

the "up, up, and away" page is now finished. it
s not very big but it makes me happy.

work is still ongoing with the "somewhere" page. i've had a very bad cold this week and simply didn't feel like working on it.

the journal52 prompt for this week is "you make me smile".

i began to make a list of things that make me smile on an old piece of ledger paper thinking that it would be a good activity to take my mind off of the sniffles, aches, coughs, etc . . .

then i found a piece of scrap booking paper to tape it onto. tape seemed easier than glue today and i have a nice selection of pretty tapes from which to choose.
i tore (easier than scissors) the list so it was a size i felt good about, and then tore the prompt out.  
as i was taping i realized that i should date my page (something that i frequently forget to do) and taped on a small piece of extra ledger paper at the bottom.

i then had a chicken soup break. i highly recommend this if you have a cold too.

once properly fortified i added some doodles, trying to blend the background with the foreground as i went along. i used the printed design on the background (scrap book) paper as inspiration for my doodles.
i wrote in the date.



then i got out my water color pencils and added some color, accents and a few more doodles.

and believe it or not i have actually completed this one. 


linking up with both the Art Journal Every Day forum at Balzer Designs and the Journal52 workshop.







this page is all about the gifts in my life so rather than post a gift list i'll let you study the page if you choose. i would, however, like to add that i am grateful for chicken soup. and heating pads. and kleenex. and mentholatum. and kleenex. and a comfy love worn quilt. oh, and kleenex.

art journal every day ~ friday 10, 2014

on tuesday i was thinking about and tapping into the possibilities of:

not clipping my own wings.

then i began my art journaling . . . 

 

• using a masking off paper for my base (this paper can be found in the hardware store and is called red rosin paper ~ it comes on big rolls and is economical for art journaling purposes)
• a white paper doily that i did some stamping off  (cleaning the stamp) onto
• cheap markers found while cleaning the office
• dyelusions spray ink (purple and white)
• punchinella ribbon as a stencil

wednesday i didn't feel like a had a lot of extra time so opted to simply add some running stitches around the outer part of my paper doily in a cotton mid weight orange thread.

 thursday i created another hand carved stamp. ever since i did my first one (pear) i have been wanting to make more and after reading this post on Julie's blog (Balzer Designs) i became even more inspired/motivated.

in fact, i was so inspired that i made another one.
the umbrella is going to be used within an art journal workshop/challenge that i have joined called Journal52. This is a free year long art journal workshop hosted by Chelle.       
the first week's prompt is "up, up, and away". 
i discovered this wonderful opportunity when recently reading fellow free spirited artist Dawn's post at Girl Unwinding.
maybe you will become inspired by this workshop as well.
 
so the following a.m. i happened to do some reading about aspirations/setting goals and realized that i need to give some thought to having aspirations without attachments. i need to remember that i can have hopes/dreams/aspirations without being so attached to them that i ruin my life trying to attain them.
"it's about the journey", my muses whisper to me again and again.

i feel that this subject has some relevance to the up, up, and away prompt and my first mental image was a floating balloon and then an open umbrella . . .  i went with the umbrella.
i imagine i chose it because an umbrella is used when one needs protection from the elements . . .
maybe i lack faith as i float "up, up, and away" . . .

i guess brainstorming isn't about logic.

i stamped the umbrella image onto some unbleached muslin. 

friday i snipped out the negative spaces within the stamped umbrella (on fabric) and then laid it onto a yellow subtly printed fabric and embroidered it.

i'm not sure where i'm going with it from here . . .




i know that i've "jumped tracks" with my art journaling this week. first working on my " . . . not clipping my own wings" page and then leaping into the Journal52 workshop/challenge.
perhaps i'll come back around to the first piece as i work through the year . . .
art journaling is like that. it's exploration and creativity . . . not necessarily working continuously on any one piece of art. it turns out that it too is all about the journey, not the destination.

today i am linking up with both the Art Journal Every Day forum at Balzer Designs and the Journal52 workshop.

recent gifts include:

• a sweetly quiet holiday spent with my wonderful husband and daughter
• time to think about what is important to me in my life
• whispering muses

a juicy slice of watermelon for Slow Sunday Stitching

 

the community fireworks display just about goes off in our front yard which is very convenient for us and beautiful to see but some of the people who view it don't remember to take all of their trash home with them when they leave. the morning after the event the wonderful daughter, grand-dog suki and i went out and did some neighborhood cleanup with the intent of keeping an eye out for bits that might work into her postcard for this month. i also had put aside some other bits of this and thats from packaging, etc.
i wanted her july card to be a memory card of the great holiday time that we shared.

it's almost finished and i'm not going to reveal the whole thing just yet but i would like to show you a stitched felt watermelon slice that i added to this card. yes, we did eat lots of watermelon on the 4th and with our recent weather being so hot i have been craving some more. besides being a traditional food for the summer holidays it always tastes so good and is so refreshing on a hot day.

this is my offering for Slow Sunday Stitching. it's a macro shot and this tiny stitched bit is actually only about an inch and a quarter from edge to edge and three quarters of an inch from top to bottom so you are really seeing some up close detail in this shot. i stitched a seed for each person that was here for the holiday including one for grand-dog suki. it was fun to make and i hope that it makes you smile and reach for a slice of this fun summer time treat.
if watermelon isn't your idea of cool summer goodness, share in the comments what makes you feel refreshed on a hot day.

for some more slow stitch eye candy join in over at  Kathy's Quilting for this weeks Slow Sunday Stitching event.




while i'm on the subject of wonderful daughter's postcards i will also show you the completed june card.

if it seems familiar that is because she really liked one that i made recently for her uncles birthday. i decided to make another one that used some of the same elements within in it for her.
hers  has a bit of embroidery worked in as well as a stitched edge treatment. mostly paper but some paint and brads found their way in along with some stamp art.
that crane cut-out comes from the Audubon Society. i love getting their magazine and this crane shows up a lot on their solicitations.   companies spend a lot on advertising and sometimes it's really beautiful so i hoard it away (oh yes, i do have those tendencies) for future projects.

some recent gifts include:

 

~ice water. LOTS of ice water.

 

~communicating with my mom on a nearly daily basis

 

 

~a frilly pink hollyhock debuting in my garden

 

~bunches and bunches of daisy's and black eyed susan's in a riot of summer bloom

 

~enough energy to make a little bit of daily progress on a path project within the garden that i have been thinking about for a long time

slow sunday stitching in the garden

there has been a lot of gardening done here over the last couple of days. it's too cold to plant flowers yet but some of the vegetable gardening can be done so the cold frame has been erected and tomatoes planted inside as well as sugar snap peas, onions and potatoes planted into the larger outer garden plot.
the wonderful husband is also back to work on crafting that beautiful wood fence. it's going to be a busy spring and summer season.

all of that gardening means that i deserve a bit of a rest so a day to sit and enjoy the garden is a good idea. the sun is shining, the temperature is warm without being too hot . . . a slight breeze blowing . . .
and so i declare it perfect for some outdoor slow sunday stitching. it's been a few weeks since i linked up with Kathy at Kathy's Quilting for this event but i've missed it.

it's always fun to see what the other participants are working on and thinking about on a sunday of slow stitching. i hope that they are getting a little sunshine and fresh spring air while they stitch too.

i'm working on a doll sized random sampler. i started it weeks ago using some smaller bits and pieces that were orphaned or left over from other projects. it came together really well and even rather quickly but then after i basted it up for quilting i decided that it needed a little more applique (blending the outer borders with the inner body) and although there wasn't a lot of applique it seemed that the project slowed down a bit. this  was more a result of being occupied with several april postcards than the actual applique itself.
this a.m. i managed to get a bit more done on that piece and hope to do even more this afternoon. once that's finished i'll be at the point of quilting it.

 

 doesn't that dappled sun look yummy~!?

i'll show more of this project as it gets closer to being done.

 

i forgot to post a photo of the fabric postcard that i made for my wonderful MIL (her birthday)  in april.  

 

 i used a fragment from a hand embroidered dish towel that i made more than 20 years ago. i actually used this towel to dry dishes with and in fact, used it to the point of literally being able to see through it. recently i decided that it would be a good idea to cut it up into other projects.

i "reinforced" some of the embroidery, added  a few stitches as well as some fussy cut fabric to a couple of the spots on the butterfly and a few sequins and ta-da~!!

 

i am also showing the paper collage postcard that i created in april. this card was made for another special april birthday that i like to recognize.

  i enjoy working on the paper cards just as much as the fabric ones . . . scissors, glue and odd bits of paper are just as fun to create with as fabric, lace and thread.

 

i'll be able to show you the wonderful daughter's april postcard soon . . .

 

recent gifts include:

• morning birdsong
• slow sunday stitching
• seeing that the grosbeaks have returned

• digging in the warm dirt of the garden





the creeping thyme has started to creep

 

 

 

 



linking up with:

 

  

 

 



15 minute challenge ~ april 24

When you drink the water, remember the spring.
Chinese Proverb

this week's report:

tuesday, april 17th: postcard work

wednesday, april 18th: postcard work (TAST: french knot) ~ sewed path pieces onto a hexie flower

thursday, april 19th: postcard work (TAST: french knot) ~ basted hexie paths

friday, april 20th: cut out quilt blocks ~ sewed path pieces onto a hexie flower

saturday, april 21st: sewed quilt blocks ~ neatened up studio 

sunday, april 22nd: basted hexie paths

monday, april 23rd: basted hexie paths

i used that sweet bunny fabric to create another postcard.

if you're interested in making it a priority to find time for yourself and what you love to do you may find the 15 minute challenge group over at Kate at Life in Pieces to be just the catalyst you need.

recent gifts include:

• sunshiny days
• evening birdsong
• flowers~!!!~ 

Cloth Paper Scissors (Post) Challenge

in a recent previous post i showed a bit of this postcard that i have been working on. i only showed a tiny bit of it (the embroidery w/beads) and now i'm revealing it in full.

this first shot is of the card midway through which is why you can see some basting stitches holding various parts of it in place. the hexagons used are a variety of fabrics and papers. the one with the flower on it is my own artwork in watercolor pencils onto a loose vintage book page and then over-stamped with sheet music (in red).

this second photo is of the postcard (front) taken this a.m. right before getting it into the mail. there has been a variety of things added and stitched. you'll notice that the embroidery stitching that i showed on the previous post mentioned has been taken further as well. i had so many commenter's that thought the experimental fly stitch w/beads looked like beetles, bugs, insects, etc that i decided to add a bit more and before i knew it i had created some happy line dancing bees.
i used some paper tape printed with vintage postage as a binding/edging.

and this is the back of the card which shows that i have made it for a challenge put out in a past issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. the deadline was for all cards to be received in their offices by january 20th. i've cut things a bit close and am concerned about it making it on time . . .
they will be putting their favorite cards into a future issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine. i've wanted to involve myself in some of their other past challenges but for various reasons (mainly procrastination and fear) have never actually done it. when i seen this challenge i knew it was time to jump in and participate.
i'll bet they get FLOODS of gorgeous cards~!!~and i can hardly wait to see the issue that includes the cards special enough to be chosen for publication.

today's gifts include:

• playing with grand-dog Suki and my own dog River in the back yard.
• pumpkin bread (w/choc. chips) for breakfast
• finally taking the leap and submitting something to one of my favorite magazines

just a quick post featuring a couple of postcards that i managed to work on and finish during the last few weeks.

this first one was a birthday card. i used a bit of an old tattered hand embroidered towel (both the embroidery and the  lace edge) and a piece of my own hand dyed orange fabric. the sun has been reverse appliqued by me and i did add a few more embroidered stems and flowers.
last year i did a similar card for the same person using old linen bits (an embroidered handkerchief) and a hand dyed fabric. i think i'll make this theme a tradition for her birthday cards as she seems to really love them.

this second card was made for  a friend who has been going through cancer treatments. she will be finding out very soon the results of all of that . . . keep her in your thoughts and prayers please.
i found that skep and bee fabric years ago and because it was on sale (and i loved it) i bought a few yards. now i wish i'd bought the whole bolt~!!~


i want to thank every visitor who has returned to my blog and especially those that have left a comment. i feel such joy being back within this friendly blog world.


this morning i discovered that Somerset Studio's has a new blog. i'm a huge fan of many of their publications (and secretly dream of someday being within those pages).
are there other Somerset Studio's fans out there?


it's early yet, but today's gifts already include:

• the joy felt when i see that other bloggers out there haven't forgotten me and the sweetness of their recent thoughts and prayers
• my morning mug of hot chai tea (with it's overtones of coconut) with milk and honey added
• waking up to a newly mucked out pantry ~ organized and tidy

just a quick share today of the results from my "feathers and fins" inspiration:

it's a mixed media birthday postcard for someone that i love.
:-) 



there are some "moments worth celebrating" coming up and so i've been working on a few smaller projects.

 this is a postcard i have just finished binding. i sometimes benefit from a "theme" when i start a project and with this one i chose "platinum and pink" to sort of give me a guide as i worked. the pink piece in the center and the lavender binding were fabrics that i hand dyed myself.  i used some metal embellishments and metallic threads as well as a tiny frame that i found an equally tiny (paper) image to fit within. i think i like the way that this one turned out. i only have the signature postmark and back to do before i send it on to it's recipient.

i think the theme for my next postcard is going to be "feathers and fins" . . . sounds fun, doesn't it!?! i hope to start on that within the next few days.

 i've also made a small pincushion using a ceramic egg cup for the base. i thought it might be nice to include the card as a primitive tag . . .

with a two sided message~!~

and (finally) i've put the finishing touches on this ATC. i'm calling this one "Journey Home" and i think i like it so much i'm going to keep it rather than trade it.

this is a mixed media postcard that i've mailed off to one of the angels that bless my life.

i hope that it brings a smile to her beautiful face.

these two atc's are a couple of my newest acquisitions.

aren't they wonderful~!?  the sensitive knight card is digitally made  and the fancy lady is a traditional cut and paste.  they are both made by Terri Daugherty of Pixels and Paste.

this lovely Vintage Butterfly card came from the Sparkly Fairy in the U.K.

i love it's old fashioned monotone sweetness.

this adorable spring robin card came from Joy Northrop.

i've traded with her before and LOVE her work.

i have yet to see any spring robins in the yard so until i spot one her tiny card is perched prominently where i can see it and dream about warmer days.

hmmmmmmm . . .  confetti, fancy plates and  "cake" . . .

what could it all mean?

for the last couple of days i've been working on some birthday "cake": a short stack of scrappy 3.5 inch (finished) hour glass blocks.

i can't say too much or i may give away a surprise . . .

but there will definitely be a party happening~!

my most recent ATC's:

 "Thinking of You On Valentines Day"

this one was made for my daughter.

 "Tribe" - traded to Terri Daugherty
 (Pixels and Paste)

 "One Wired Bead" - available for trade

 "Journey" - in my own collection for now

 "Diary of A Windy Day" - traded to artchick501/Pixels and Paste 

 

 "Rhythm of A Heartbeat" - traded to Terri Daugherti 
of Pixels and Paste

"Twinkle" - traded to "The Sparkly Fairy"