Illustration Friday - Magnify

She had to magnify her eye to read the book....

This is my entry for Illustration friday, the best I could think of . And if your wondering if I really meant to make her arm that skinny I did, did not have much room to show everything, since I made it ATC size.  Have a great weekend.

Surfing the Net

I thinking this ATC looks a little whacked.....It might be a do over. Well how are you all...Thanks for all the comments on what you would do about joining a ATC group that you had to submit to. I have deleted the group from my head.....nobody has the right to tell you its not good enough. (i might know it but I don’t what anyone else to tell me). Well the other day I said I was going to the movie Julie Julia, I never made it, but I am going to try again today, because I really want to see it. Monday is my 36 year anniversary married to the same husband. That is a celebration in it self. My friend Winterwood (in Australia its her I think 1 day before). What are we going to do to celebrate since it falls on a Monday. Here are the suggestions that I made to hubby,

1. Fly to Paris for the weekend - a look of are you crazy came over his face

2. Go away to the Rockies- same look

3. Get in the car and drive where the wind takes us - you mean just drive and dont have a plan out of the question.

4. Go out for dinner with friends on Saturday- well why didn't you just say that one in the first place, Now that something I would like to do.

Oh hubby is so adventurous, I like the idea of flying off to Paris for the weekend. I have been to Paris and it is beautiful, he has never been. Oh maybe one day before we need our walkers.

Well best go the hardwood man is on his way to give me a estimate for the floors, I might need to be go back to work after this estimate. Hardwood costs as much as diamonds, without the Bling

Pear-Inspiration Thursday

find that when I dont have enough time or energy to go down to the studio that these little ATC's are the prefect answer for me. As I can do these anywhere any time . Now on this one which has gone thru various incarnations, first it was two pears, then it was one pear and the shadow of another pear, then this one. On this one I used watercolour, pastel, white gel pen, black paint and stencil.  
For those of you who have seen this before, you have, I just did it a week ago and posted it, but wanted it for Inspiration Thursday.

Are you Good enough

Another Giraffe sketch done well on blog break, I must have a thing for long tall animals. Well today I want to get something off my shoulder. I decided I should join a few ATC groups, I was thinking about trading, little challenges etc. One group which I wanted to join was an ATC group that only accepts hand drawn, painted etc, no embellishments or mixed media, that was fine with me. But the other criteria was I had to submit some of my work to see if they would accept me or not. This got my hackles up, it reminded me of when your on the playground and the kids are playing RED Rover and your the last picked , because nobody wants you on there team, because your not good enough. I have decided not to join this group, because I don’t like elitism of any kind, who is to say anybody's art is good enough. What do you think? Would you join a group like this

Just a disclaimer that I do not sell vacumns and never have. But If I was going to be a vacumn cleaner salesman it would be for these vacumns. No I do not have a deep love of vacuming, in fact who does I am in love with Dyson I would recommend it to anyone. I have a electrolux built in but
Devil Dog sheds and sheds and the hair drove me and everyone in this house crazy. I used to vacumn the furniture 3 times a week. So I decided to give this a try and I got the Pet One, you should see what it picks up amazing. Okay enough about my vacumn fetish, on to other riveting news. We have decided to get hardwood in the family room and den so I was out hunting down the perfect hard wood floor. Brought some samples home, getting it measured on Thursday morning. We have alot of oak in our house, really to much for my likeing , but it came with the house. So we really are limited to what colour choices we have. Yes we have lived in this house, 10 years now and its in need of some updating, which I plan to do,spending hubby's money has never been a problem for me. After we get the floors in we are getting new furniture in the family room, we have had this stuff forever, we even got it recovered when we moved in here. So its time for new stuff. If you still with me, or not sleeping after this post I applaud you beause it has just about put me to sleep. Well it's time for my favourite program, court tv so I will try to find some exciting news to talk about tommorow.

Tree Sightings Getting Arboreal: A Nature Collection

Over a Julie's blog The Land of Lost Luggage, click on the sidebar it will take you there.  http://lostluggage.typepad.com/the_land_of_lost_luggage/ I cannot for life of me get the link thing to work...
they are having a Getting Arboreal (A nature Collection of photographs documenting a tree from Summer to Fall, Winter to Spring. All you have to do is take a picture of a tree, and photograph showing the changes. Some places probably wont have much change, others (like me) will have drastic changes due to weather conditions. I find this fascinating I hope you will go over and participate

Little Works of Art

I find that when I dont have enough time or energy to go down to the studio that these little ATC's are the prefect answer for me. As I can do these anywhere any time . Now on this one which has gone thru various incarnations, first it was two pears, then it was one pear and the shadow of another pear, then this one. On this one I used watercolour, pastel, white gel pen, black paint and stencil.
The weather here has turned cool and I want some more summer weather. I want it to last a while longer, I am not a winter girl. Today is errands, helping the mother in law, and maybe some art in the studio. Well gotta go maybe talk to you later.

Caution - Illustration Friday

I immediately thought of this when I got the email about the word for Illustration Friday. I had for some unknown reason been thinking about bathing suits and water. Now I have issues with bathing suits, I have had one of all my life, even when I was thin thin. Truthfully I think all women (even the most bodacious ones) look in the mirror and see flaws. I wonder if men have the same issues, probably not, they just slap something on and they are ready to roll. Hope you like this one, it was done on some wood I got at the goodwill.

Cupcake (Heaven )- Inspiration Thursday

Okay the word is out I love cupcakes, I love frosting, I love the whole cupcake thing. So when I read Inspiration Thursday was Cupcake, I got out my ATC card, my pastels and quickly sketched a pink frosting cupcake with a cherry on top, my idea of heaven. Did you know that cupcakes are the new Black.

The Wedding Bell Blues

Well on my blog break, I attended a wedding, my Nephew. It was a wonderful wedding and I had a lot of fun. So here is a picture of my daughter and me just leaving for the wedding, hubby is taking the picture. I am the with the long hair (lol). Alright I am not, I am the chubby one with the white jacket on, holding everything in to get the picture over with. I do not like getting my picture taken, because I always look like hell. So usually I am the one behind the lens. I arted it up in photoshop propbablly made it to dark.

Well it is now 10.00 am in the morning, I have been up since 7:00 am trying a new plan, do get my wifey work done, and then have time for art and sitting on the deck. Maybe those two together, I plan on making the most of what is left of summer. Tonight its a bbq and maybe a movie Julie and Julia, I really want to see that movie. As well as the Time Travellers wife, I have read the book, it was quite good. So talk to you tommorow and let you know if I did any of these things.

I can see Clearly Now....

This is one of the many sketches I did when off on my break, trying to improve my drawing techniques. I then used Ca ran D'Arch and water colored them.

Well today I am off the eye doctor the highlight of my day. So you can guess I dont have to many highlights in my days. Then it home to do laundry and make a delicious supper for hubby. Okay maybe not delicious but I am going to put a little effort into it. I do like to cook and eat...but I just like others to do it for me. Now that I have all this free time on my hands as Emril would say I have to step it up a notch. So the girls weekend away as now evolved to the girls WEEK away and this time we are off to Phonenix. One of the girls just bought a house in Phonenix so we are going down to stay in the house and shop, and see the sights. I am also going to make a point to see Toni while I am there. Just imagine meeting one of your blog friends, I can hardly wait. Well its 8:01 AM I should be sleeping but I have a 9:00 appointment and I gotta get ready so talk to you soon.

The Watcher - a new ATC

>Last night I made this ATC..second one. So for this I found an image in the Vogue book (this is Christina Agullia)cut it down to where I wanted it to be. and painted over top (I cut it into three sections ) added the lines, so she is suppose to be looking out a window and those are blinds and called it the watcher. I think it turned out okay, I need a few more finishing touches I see, I am never satisfied with the way something turns out. Yesterday the hubby was away out of town on business so I basically did nothing, stayed in PJ's until afternoon, watched a movie, created some art and this ATC. So today I am off bright and early to get a bunch of stuff done. Need new shoes, need to go and buy some black gesso, meet some friends for coffee,etc. All need to do for me (ha ha). Well hope you are going to have an awesome Saturday and talk to you either later or tommorow.

Mona - Inspiration Thursday

Inspiration Thursday is all about pink and orange....so I decided to do mona Lisa. I used 1 2 part stencil, spray paint, charcoal and and Photoshop action to make a polaroid. I loved doing it ...it was fun. Hope yOu all like it. I updated Mona to look like a modern girl (aka Andy Warhol)I also used some crackle on to give it a texture, so not so smooth looking.

Sister Love

Well today I am to the Dentist, I hate the Dentist, I am a nervous patient, (says that right on my chart) I grip the chair till I cant feel my hands and anymore, break out in a cold sweat, and the nurse then calmly pats my hand and tells me its alright, it wont hurt. I feel like I am about 5 years old. Now today is just the cleaning of the teeth and seeing if I have any problems, (hopefully not) if there is he likes to get right at it. I always tell him that I will make another appointment, but no he always has time to do the work. I went shopping for a few minutes yesterday and the winter clothes are out, back to school clothes and Halloween Stuff at Michael's. Halloween is not my favourite time of year I dont know why. Probably because my Mother was never handy with a needle so when it was time for the dreaded Halloween party at school we always had to scramble around trying to fing a costume, either a ghost or a witch, or a 50's girl (lol). The girls (minus one) are going on a road trip in October , I am going to give clues and you can quess where. First clue we are flying there and it takes about 3 1/2 hours, and it is not Canada. We have been going on girls trips for about 5 years, this year our friend Sandy cant go. She has just moved and got a new job, but we will be thinking about her.

The picture and poem above was done for a book collaboration that Julie Prichard( From Lost Luggage) put together for the fab artist Michelle Ward (who hosts Street Team Challenges). Her sister passed away last year. The book turned out beautiful, Julie and her 2 pals did a great job organizing it and putting it all together. Julie did a wonderful job binding it and making it a beautiful book.

Eye Exam

One of the new art ideas I started while on Vacation, was book altering. This was one of my first pages. I think it turned out pretty good. I joined a Ning site , now put up your hand if you have not joined a ning site (oh I see one)...but really the site is called Heart and Hand and it is run by Monica Zunger from Mexico. She is a really cool artist, she offers online art classes on her ning site as well as this (free)Altered Book group. Please check it out if your interested in altering books. Now I tell you I was not really interested but decided to check it out and was hooked. Right now she has about 4 different videos on Altering books, showing her doing it. (no she is not paying me to promote her site). Today is a go day, the house is clean, devil dog is walked, hubby is back to work after his holidays (thank god) and my schedule is my own again. I am off to the studio muck around and get messy....maybe talk to you later. (Heart and Hand is on sidebar its her blog but you will see a link to her Ning site).

Impatience- Illustration Friday

They are impatiently waiting for help to arrive....

Positivity - Inspiration Thursday

This is my entry for Inspiration Thursday...its ATC and my first one, done with water colours. Hope you like it.

I am Back

Hello, well I have been gone 2 months as of today., I missed blogging and talking about my exciting life and I know you are all riverted to your seats with excitement. What have I been doing since I left....Well alot of sitting on the deck, relaxing , enjoying the summer (or what was summer). I have been sketching and used crayon watercolours (as above). The giraffes should have 4 legs I know but artist liscence.

I cant get my links to work.......so I have given you the name of the blog..go to the side where I have all my blogs and click on it...it will take you there.

I have been cruising the web and found some interesting sites here is a list of some new and old ones.

1. Dispatch from LA is where I am taking the course from,. if your not interested in the course she still has a wicked blog full of eye candy and gives great art tips.
Dispatch from LA

2. Do you like Martha Stewart. well I wish I was organized as her and of course had her money but I have a link to her daughters block thart is quite intersting, she gives recipes , books she likes, and she is moving into a new millions of dollar condo and she is having it renovated and shows update pictures....oh to be Marthas daughter.

Alexis

3. Julie Prichard has always been a favourite of mine, she is witty, willing to share, and makes great colour combinations and has online classes, which I am going to take the book one in
September.......no she is not paying me for this recommendation, after all those 5 readers of mine have probably given up on me.

Lost Luggage


4. And the last for today.....Tongue in Cheek an american, married to a French Man, living in provence with her kids and husband, (kids just about grown up). Her name is Cory she posts every day and I never miss her....check her out.

Tongue in Cheek

Now I know I have missed a few of my 5, like Krissie in Austrialia, and Toni in Phonenix, etc. But dont worry you will be on my list for next time.

I am big into ATC now dont ask me why, I never thought I would like them, but they seem to be going okay, I joined a group to swap...I thought If I changed up my art, I can only get better and and stay focused and committed to my art. Instead of losing interest and be boring. I decided I am putting the boring out the window and being more intersting stay tuned for the new me, or the old me....Glad I am back....I checked all your blogs almost daily even if I did not leave comments. I missed you all