Something Sublime

Illustration Friday

small   (smôl)
adj. small·er, small·est

1. Being below the average in size.
2. Limited in importance or significance; trivial.
3. Limited in degree or scope.
4. Lacking position, influence, or status; minor.
5. Unpretentious; modest.
6. Not fully grown; very young.

"A SAVIOUR"

Illustration Friday

free   (fr)
adj. fre·er, fre·est

1. Not imprisoned or enslaved; being at liberty.
2. Not controlled by obligation or the will of another
3. Having political independence
4. 1. Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance
   2. Not subject to a given condition; exempt

"FREEDOM"

Freedom for the captives...a crown of beauty.  Isa. 61:1 & 3

Illustration Friday-Strength

strength   (strngkth, strngth, strnth)  n.

1. The state, property, or quality of being strong.
2. The power to resist attack; impregnability.
3. The power to resist strain or stress; durability.
4. The ability to maintain a moral or intellectual position firmly.
5. Capacity or potential for effective action: a show of strength.

"ALL TOO HUMAN"

This is my very first time participating in Illustration Friday.  If you're not familiar with it, click on the link in my sidebar to check it out.  Every week, artists are given a prompt to work from.  Can you tell what this week's subject is?

"All too Human" is a spread I did in an altered book I started quite some time ago.  I work in it now and then when I have time (and inspiration).  The name of the book is "Tales of Infidelity" and it's a story about the ways that man strays from God. 

What I See Everyday

"WHAT I SEE"

Another page from a "Book of Days-2" art journal...

Vintage 5 Deco

"VINTAGE 5" deco cover by Christine Shebroe

This beautiful little deco is from the last group deco round-robin I participated in.  It was made by the talented Christine Shebroe who has a love of all things vintage.  Why five?  I'm not sure, but five turned out to be a good number for a theme.  This was a fun book to play in.  I had some leftover halloween enthusiasm so I chose to do a spread based on the children's fingerplay "Five Little Pumkins".  My kids used to come home from gradeschool chanting this charming poem so it brings back sweet memories for me.  I still like to say it but, of course, now they just roll their eyes and leave the room!

"FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS"

The five jack-o-lanterns are a transfer using gel medium and Great White photo paper.  I think I'm hooked on this technique so I went to Big Lots today and bought all the Great White they had...five packages.

"5 ANGELS"

"5 Angels" is the other page I did for Christine's deco.   I have to admit, when I first saw the theme "vintage 5" I couldn't imagine what I would do when the deco came my way but it turned out to be easy and fun.

So Christine, your deco's on it's way back to you!

Book of Days 2

"FRAGMENTS"

For the last year or so, I've been involved in an art journal round-robin hosted by Melissa Chapin entitled "Art for Everyday Life-Book of Days".  There are 12 artists in the round who are encouraged to create "everyday art" in each journal.  Each of us have four weeks with each journal.

The mailing deadline has sometimes been hard to make but, having a deadline has forced the creativity out of me at times when I thought I was dry!  Even though, in some ways, I'm  relieved that AFEL 2 is coming to an end, this swap, and the one previous (AFEL 1) have really given me a forum to expand my style and try new techniques.

"Fragments" is the last piece I did in the last journal I had.  It's a collage of photos that I've taken in various cemeteries and in my own backyard.  The dog is from a very clever collage that my 13 year old made (the boxer has a tiny car in his mouth!).  The woman in the upper right corner is my great grandmother.  I cropped and pasted the images together digitally then transfered them using the Great White/gel medium method.

How to's for this transfer technique are posted in in different places on the internet but instead making you search, here are my own brief instructions:

Great White photo paper transfers:

Print images onto Great White photo paper using your ink jet printer.  Make sure you invert letters and numbers unless you want them to come out backwards.  My printer settings were for "photo" on "glossy photo paper".  I found GW paper at Big Lots.  I hear it's difficult to find...sorry!  Spread receiving paper with a thin, even coat of gel medium.  Lay image, printed side down, onto medium.  Burnish with bone folder using pretty heavy pressure for at least 10 seconds (or more).  Lift the edge and see if it needs more burnishing.  The edges of the ink will stick to the photo paper so you might have to help the edge come off the photo paper with your fingernail.  Lift the photo paper and you're done.  All of the ink should come off the photo paper, leaving it almost totally white.

I can't wait to get my book back from this swap.  Thanks Melissa, for another terrific round-robin!

20 things/secrets

Awhile back, I was tagged by Heather Powers to list 20 things/secrets about myself.  I'm finally getting around to posting...

1. I intensely dislike talking (or writing) about myself.  Which explains why it took me so long to post this.  It also makes it hard to have an interesting blog!
2. I've been tagged by several friends to post my 5 most influential women.  For some reason, I'm blocked on this one and I can't do it...sorry!
3. Gilligan's Island is my favorite tv show of all time and  I own all episodes on DVD.
4. I wish I lived in Wyoming.
5. I'm afraid of being eaten by a grizzly bear...in Wyoming.
6. One of my top five favorite movies is "It's a Wonderful Life".
7. I love being a Christian.
8. I have a hard time calling myself  an artist.
9. I secretly want to be a biker chick.
10. I recently learned to knit.  (I'll be the biker chick with all the cool scarves!)
11. My favorite band is Led Zepplin.
12. My dream car is a classic T-bird with portal windows.
13. I love to camp.
14. I'm prone to anxiety.
15. I wouldn't change anything about my husband.
16. I hate spitting.
17. I hate rap.
18. I thought I would have girls but I have boys and I wouldn't trade them!
19. I listen to talk radio.
20. I hate Spam (special ham)!

There you have it.  It's all about me...blah, blah, blah!

Tag...the two Debbies...Trotter and Overton.

Minister Plenipotentiary...an altered man

adj. plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·y   (pln-p-tnsh-r, -sh-r)

             Invested with or conferring full powers: a plenipotentiary deputy.

n. plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·y

A diplomatic agent, such as an ambassador, fully authorized to represent his or her government.

"MINISTER P"

He looks important doesn't he?  I shortened his name to "Minister P" because who could spell the other?  Who even knew it was a real word?  People with a much better vocabulary than mine!  As you can see, it really is a word with a real meaning.  I don't make this stuff up!

This guy is another result of the art retreat I attended last weekend.  They let me be in charge of a project so I decided to show everyone my "secrets" for creating altered cabinet cards.  We used rubber stamps, antique papers and twinkling H2O paints (I love those things!).

Our esteemed minister is destined to join his mate...the lovely gal in "My Lifeguard 2" (she's further down in the blog).  Lifeguard's owner felt they should be together so I'll be sending him far from home soon.  Of course he's been invested with full diplomatic powers and authorization as representative for his journey...

Gel Medium Transfers

Part of our artful time last weekend was spent learning some new (to me!) techniques for making transfers.  The artist trading card below was made in about one minute using a transfer technique with gel medium and sandwich wrap paper to Bristol paper.  Easy and quick!

"FOUR EYES"

We also tried a great technique taught by my friend Lorraine George.  She used clear shelf liner and gel medium to transfer onto plain muslin.  This is a little more involved than the sandwich paper method but results in a very clear transfer.

The last transfer technique we tried was using gel medium and Great White photo paper.  Transfers using this method were a little trickier to make but the results are wonderful.  The completed transfer reminds me of a Polaroid transfer.

Glossy Accents

I love to make jewelry and this is a set I made during our art retreat weekend.  Cece Grimes came up with this project for the group to do.  We used bracelet blanks and created a tiny collage in each section.  Once the collages were complete, each charm was filled with Glossy Accents.  Glossy Accents gives a thick, dimensional coating that dries hard and very shiny.

We also made necklaces from miniature tins.  The interesting thing about these is that there's a surprise inside:

Wouldn't these make great Christmas gifts?  This was such a fun project...thanks Cece!