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????

Two more for GPP # 45

I finally completed this challenge - and what a challenge it was for me! Michelle asked us to take a print of a previously painted background and alter it. We could paint, collage, stamp, color, whatever we wanted to.....

This is my completed second work - I used Michelle's suggestion of a mask to make the hand shape with Glimmer Mist - sooo sparkly! I love it! Then it needed "grunging" up, so I used Distress Ink to stamp images all around. I didn't ink the stamp evenly to make the images more faded and aged. I scribbled all around the edges with markers and pens, then wrote on the hand.

This is the piece after I masked the hand and stamped it - before I scribbled on it. Sorry, I put the photo's in the wrong order - I still don't understand this blog-thing.....and if anyone has a tip to put a watermark on these pics, I would love to hear it! I only have the photo programs that were loaded on this computer and really don't know how to use them.

I have REALLY enjoyed this challenge - I have utilized methods and tools I would never have thought of. The other people participating in the challenge are all incredibly talented and I have learned much from them. Can't wait to see what Michelle has in store for next month!!