Long time, no update!

I've been busy with work and getting back to the "routine" after the holidays, and haven't posted in weeks! But, I've been very busy, scrapping, making cards, and making art! I participated in an online workshop sponsored by Strathmore Artists Papers this month. This workshop was taught by mixed-media art journaling artist Pam Carriker, and was absolutely fabulous! We learned collage techniques, shading with charcoal pencil and oil pastels, stamping and stenciling with really cool household objects, and journaling techniques, among other things. It was really an eye-opening, artistic-muscle-stretching event.

Here's my first page I created; the 1st version from Week 1

Then here it is after the next "layer" of pencil and oil pastel - Week 2 version

Interesting, isn't it? I don't have pics of weeks 3 and 4; I was getting ready to take pics of week 3 when one of my precious babies mistook my sketchbook for their litterbox and ruined these designs. (If I could figure out which one it was.........ggrrrrrrr!!!)

The good news is, the 3rd page that I was working on I was wanting to change. Since I was already more than halfway done, I wasn't going to go back and do that......SO......now that they are ruined, I get a do-over!!! This is the collage/artwork I am going to re-do in Week 1 stage:

and the same page in Week 2 stage; where it will live forever, lol!

Now; off to see what I can do to it now.....................

I also made some cute cards and a layout about my boys - 2 of the dogs and 1 of the cats.......I'll post them later. Thanks for reading all the way through this!!

blessings,
cindi

Excited about possibilities in 2011!

I am so jazzed today; one of my fav bloggers and artists, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer wrote a post today and she showed work from many great artists who will be joining her in an Art Journal Every Day challenge for 2011. I was shocked to see she chose one of my works to comment on!!! She showed this one, and challenged everyone to try getting paint on their hands!

Another artist Julie highlighted, Melanie Kisr, had a fabulous hand-carved leaf stamp that she used on her page. Julie encouraged us to create our own stamp.....and I just so happened to have bought a stamp blank at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last month!! So, I drew and carved this:

Then, I took this page in my art journal that I had painted with a credit

card and acrylic paint in September, and stamped it!

as it was:

and newly stamped with my new stamp!

oohhhh.....now I have to go find some more carving material...........don't I have some potatoes in the kitchen?? LOL!

Please go check out Julie's blog

http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/2010/12/art-journal-every-day-inspired-to-begin.html

- and even if you don't think you have time, join her Art Journal Every Day challenge. Even if you only can do some of the time, it will inspire you to create - and that's what it's all about. Make Art Every Day is one of Julie's favorite sayings; it feeds the soul and gives us and others a lift.

A BIG THANKS to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer for hosting this journey and to posting my work; and for the lovely comments she made about everyone's art. She is a kind and generous soul, and a great artist.

Final Oct Challenge piece

I finally finished Michelle's challenge at GPP Street Team and have really learned a lot - stretched myself a bit. I have been so enthralled with all the other participants work, I had a very hard time deciding what to do on my own work. There were so many great ideas and incredible work, I am amazed!!!!

This piece was the same printed background as the other 2; I used the stencil I made when I made the mask for the last one, and more Glimmer Mist. I thought the Glimmer Mist didn't really work for this effect, though. I guess it was too close to the background color to show up well. So I took several colors of ink and stamped the same stylized flower image over and over to "busy up" the background. I stamped the word "faith" and I found some cool torn paper scraps in my stash; glued them down, then wrote the verse on the bottom one with a gel pen.

I really like the way this one turned out; I'll probably cover it with matte gel medium and use it and the second one in a notebook I use daily. It has the clear pockets on the front and back, so I can slip these right in.

What's next, Michelle????