Everyone Needs a Hand Now and Then

People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable. -Anonymous

To say that this year has not going as planned is to put it mildly. I have decided to consider it a sad Country Western song that will have a happy ending. I am healthy again and more hopeful. The dead Kindle and furnace have been replaced and fixed. The broken work is being recreated. Time to get moving and make up for lost ground. To let go (looks to be the theme for my year) of what did not happen and focus on the moment. I continue to be a process person--it's a journey.


Jasper Johns's quote from one of his notebooks dating from the early 1970s really says so much about how I feel:

To give up
or
To do the work
To doubt that the work needs doing?
At any rate, time passes.
A clear object.
An unclear object.
_______________

To begin to do.
A way to begin.(which might or might not include a way to end.)


On a lighter note, I love exchanges and have missed doing them so I suggested to two friends--Linda Edkins Wyatt and Marie Z. Johansen that we use our hands to create art. The left hand (the one closest to our heart) will be used for a round robin. For mine, I did simple watercolor so that Linda and Marie could add to you then I decided that I would create a book so there are also blank pages. For my gift (right hand) one, I am creating something out of clay. My first attempt got knocked over and broken. While disappointing, I try to remind myself that I can always create more and this attitude is a must when it comes to creating with clay. There are times when I honestly wonder why anyone would work in an art that has so much outside our control. Since I was trying a new technique, I think my second attempt will actually be better. Practice does make perfect (or at least better). Linda was on the ball. I share her "Seek" with you. You can also read her thoughts on our hand project on her blog.

Here's to making it a great day! And hoping that your new year is going well. 

Sono innamorata!: I Am in Love with a Paste

I am truly trying to use what I have and not buy more stuff. I feel stuff overload lately and yet I could not resist trying Coccoinco potato starch paste after reading about it on friend Marie Z. Johansen's blog. She learned about the paste from another mutual friend Kimberly Baxter Packwood. First, I am a sucker for this kind of thing. It comes in a quaint tin. It is nontoxic (only four ingredients) so it would be great to use with children. It has been made in Italy since 1927. It smells like almonds. Yep, I am now a glue sniffer. The brush is just too cute for words AND it works on just about any kind of paper. I did find that it did not work well on a paper used for a wine bottle. Otherwise, it has become my go to glue You can buy it at Kaufman Mercantile.  No affiliation. Just a happy customer and I love all the connections!

This is the information that is available on their website that was fun to read:

"... When Coccoina, the solid white glue in the aluminum tin, was first introduced, Italian commercials promoted the trademark with this campaign: "It is not a drug, but a solid glue that amazes and arouses enthusiasm in all who use it.”

One of the principle features of the glue was that, aside from its adhesive quality and light almond scent, you could safely eat it. A thin spread of the glue works well on paper, photos, clothes, labels, and any art project you can get your hands on, and perhaps the most welcome feature is the tiny brush that comes tucked away inside. Any surface where you need a smooth spread of paste can be achieved with this miniature aluminum paintbrush and its tiny bristles of pig hair.  It leaves no clumps that need to be smoothed with a finger. Though the glue is considered a solid, it has a consistency that's neither wet nor dry, and the container provides mess-free use and storage that lasts up to a year. It's safe for children too. Not that they should eat the stuff, but if they do, NBD. All the ingredients are non-toxic, solvent-free, and not dangerous. Use this glue on any paper-related task, from keeping photos together in an album to scrapbooking to pasting receipts for accounting records. If the glue hardens a bit in its tin, it's easy to soften up again. You can scoop it out and gently heat in a saucepan with a small amount of water. When it's slightly liquid, pour it back into the tin, and when it sets, it will be good as new, without any effect on the adhesive quality. For longer usage, replace the cap tightly after each application. Maximum period of storage should not exceed 12 months."

More on the ABC's of Life

When was the last time you were really excited and engaged in something? For me it has been quite a while so it has felt so good to be playing and creating the ABC's of Life accordion books. Thanks Marie for making this one of our trades! I have actually completed two! The first one helped me learn and figure it all out. The second opened me up to more possibilities. Can't wait to see what the third one brings.

It has been great doing something that I want to do instead of something that I should be doing. I think my long period of navel-gazing is over. I continue to clear the crap that has cluttered my life. There are still plenty of things that I could clean out and I will.  I know that this is a lifetime endeavor. Dealing with so much loss in the last year and a half, my bereavement forced me to be still, giving me time to reflect and reconsider every part of my life. I still feel fragile. I do feel lighter and firmly believe that art heals.

I have decided to create some other smaller books filled with quotes that I love. A continuation on the theme but not tied to letters of the alphabet. It feels good to be in a creative zone again!

Indigo Dreams and the Gratitude for Exchanges

Last year I played often with indigo dyeing. I did not just dye fabric but bisque fired clay and a small piece of wood. In all the cleaning out that I have been doing, I just could not bring myself to throw away the small 3" x 3.5" piece of wood. Ever just know that someday you're going to need something even though it seems silly?

Last night I was really happy. Linda Edkins Wyatt, Marie Z. Johansen have been doing bi-monthly exchanges this year. This month's theme was "indigo." It is a color that all three of us love.

I did not want to altered the wood piece too much so I added the words, some cardboard hearts, a little paper and some paint dots. I added carpet tacks with beads to the top and trim around the sides. A bone bead hanging from the bottom completes it. Happy for not only the challenge but the exchange with two incredible artists and people. "Always Dream Big!"

Inspiration Struck

On Christmas Eve, inspiration struck and I answered the call. Advice I strongly advise doing. I was finished with all I could do for the 18 family members that were arriving the next day but too geared up to sleep. With couple of friends, Marie Z. Johansen and Linda Edkins Wyatt, we have decided to do small art trades next year starting in February. Linda had sent me an angel for the last heARTist trade. I was intrigued by her jointed angel and spent part of an evening putting her in different positions. This is one of the many reasons that I like trading. I am exposed to a different perspective, styles and techniques.

I thought it would be fun to try and make a jointed figure that you could simply pull and get it to move. Ta Da! My dancing bears were created. I use cardboard from the post office (I ordered some Modern Art stamps) which seemed to be the perfect color and weight. I had purchased the button brads earlier in the year and they also seemed perfect. The theme is "hearts" so he has a heart in his hand and a heart belly button.  Besides, bears have always held a special place in my heart. We are suppose to create pieces that are 6-inches or less. The bear is 6.5" but I am certain the .5 inch will not be held against me. Marie and Linda are fabulous artists and people who are easy going too. We are also allowed to create anything we want for the theme and in any medium. Can't wait for February to come around so I can put my bears in the mail. I am so looking forward to trading with these two wonderful women next year! What are you looking forward to doing in the new year?

To Risk and "Be"

The realization today was the downward pull of winter. While I did not mind shoveling the wet and heavy two-inches of snow that fell last night, it did not help my mood. I really had intended to clean the paper work area of my office, but the small containers of bits started calling to me. At first, it was dosed with a large amount of guilt. Am I becoming the person with bits too small to use? To brighten my mood, I decided to make a small collage ( 6 x 4.5 inches) only using things I had in one of my containers of small bits. The background is from a card made by Marianne Hammett of Chicago. The silk piece was applied to the card so crooked that it made me crazy and I could never mail it to anyone. I think I did a good job of camouflaging the crookedness by adding the wave trim and cutting the card.   I don't know what she uses but I also discovered almost nothing sticks to the silk! So efforts to change it failed although if you look closely you can see some stamping that I attempted. I do like the way I was able to change the white around the silk. The image of the woman is from a card my friend Marie Z. Johansen created and has sent me several times. Love it! I added the cherry blossom to her forehead and her "halo." I will gladly gift "BE" to Marie if she would like to have it. The words are reminders to myself and were left over from test prints for my 12-12-12 quilt.

This does show me, once again, that sometimes a limited palette works and what is needed to create. Too many choices can be just as bad as too few. Of course, it did not make much of a dent in my small bits, but it did brighten my mood.

While working on this piece, my mind went back to several conversations I have had this week on risk. I listened to one friend give a list of endless excuses of why she cannot be creative and so much of it was fear-based. Does trying new things take courage?  Is trying and failing such a bad thing? I frequently ask people who are afraid of risk, "What is the biggest chance you have ever taken?" I realize that getting on a plane and traveling to an unknown place a third of the world away is foreign to most people. But something is lost in our obsessive concern for safety and security--the spirit of adventure. Life is a gamble in which we don't get to deal the cards, but we are obligated to play them to the best of our ability. None of us gets out alive. I would much rather take a risk and fail then to simply be safe.  On the flip side, I have reconnected with former student and friend Diane Fisher. She has asked me to help her guild be more creative/adventuresome. I am so honored and excited! So what is the biggest chance you have ever taken?

And I'm making this my Off the Wall Fridays post. We all have to support each other!

International Postcard Exchange

I have been ill with a terrible cold since Wednesday. I hate being tired. I hate being sick. Yesterday the thought of staying in bed was making me crazy so I decided to play. I really thought that what I would make would probably end up in the trash. I signed up for Shannon Ganshorn's International Mixed Media Postcard exchange (Thanks Marie Z. Johansen).

Before Christmas I had treated myself to some of Tattered Angels' Naturally Aged Paint System in Turquoise.  The purchase was made thinking I would use it for the verdigris exchange with Arts in the Cards but I ended up doing Mother Nino and using a photograph instead. Anyway, I created the background using the "paint system" (FYI- the paint does not easily come off your hands and I think is going to take some practice to have the results look like the photo on the package). I do like the layered look I got for the backgrounds and I'm pleased that they are all a little different. My original idea was to use a photo of a window and some ruberstamps. Digging around looking for a star rubberstamp, I came across a tree stencil. I decided to go with the flow and my winter scene was born. I created the tree using a makeup sponge and a StazOn stamp pad in Forest Green which also did not easily come off my fingers. Seeing a theme here? There is also a hint of texture created with Dew Drop Brilliance ink in pearlescent olive and sequin waste ribbon. I used a punch to create the snow flake and the words are stickers. I'm happy! They will go out in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully the recipients will be happy too. 

Running Full Speed with an Idea

An 8" x 6" journal page for a journal exchange, created a desire to explore using the image of Mother Nino (I've never heard a Georgian refer to her as St. Nino but she is a saint in the Georgian Orthodox Church and I have visited her grave.) in more art. I'd like to thank Helen Lindton for causing this journey. I don't think I would ever have created any of this art if her journal had not been about icons. And while I love icons, I've never created any art using them.

Part of the reason I wanted to continue to explore was I was not entirely satisfied with the journal page. That's what I get for not entirely planning things before I start gluing!

The next step was to create a 6" x 4" postcard.  I have joined Shannon Ganshorn's International Postcard Swap V 3.0 (encouraged by my friend Marie Z. Johansen). We have to make 10 postcards and mail them to 10 different people. I love the idea of being exposed to art created by other people. I'm particularly interested in art being created outside the US. I thought if the postcard worked out that I would have one less postcard to make. By the way, there's still time to join in the fun! They just need to be mixed media creations.

Next I created a 2.5" by 3.5" ATC (artist trading card). Arts in the Cards theme for our January trade is verdigri. The background of the ATC is from a photograph of a patina part of a building that I took in one of my trips to Georgia which seemed perfect on so many levels. I love the way this background works for both the theme and the card. I'm a very literal person so being able to come up with art that is not literal to the theme makes me very happy. Also I'm done early so less January stress! Of course, this is creating more December stress but I truly believe one needs to listen and answer the call to create when it happens (if at all possible).

Last night I became inspired once more. This time I made a small quilt (7" x 9").  The transfers were printed on silk habotai. Georgia was part of the silk route so I thought this was appropriate. It was the first time I worked with using silk habotai for transfers. It has a great hand but the background colors bleed through. For the most part this was okay except for the image of her head covering around her shoulders. This presented me with the challenge of fixing a problem. I'm actually quite happy that this accident occurred! I like the look I was able to achieve.

So which one do you like the best?

Don't forget to enter my blog giveaway! (see below)

I have gotten a glimpse of some of the 12/12/12 Project quilts and all I can say is "Wow!" I am going to have to definitely step up my game! Thanks! You still have time to join in the fun. Details are here. Make it a creative day!

How Do You Open Yourself to Inspiration?

"Reflect" ATCs

Recently changes have been made in a couple of the groups I am in that do trades. One now as a rule that if you miss the deadline but still get your work out before the next trade deadline you can only sign up for one group. Another group does not even assign the people for trades until proof that that work is done. This saddens me. Deadlines use to be such great motivators. Commitments were not always kept but those people generally did not stick around.

So, how do you open yourself to inspiration? Without inspiration work either does not get done or becomes stagnant. Do you find yourself at a loss of ideas?

Many years ago I decided to simplify my life. This is still an ongoing process and I suspect will be one that I struggle with for the rest of my life. It is getting easier. I can now say, "No," to people and things that don't support me and what I want to accomplish in my life. I limit my time on the Internet. I don't answer the phone if I'm creating. I seldom have my cell phone on when I am out. I want to be present both in my work and with the people in my life. I love taking hot baths, often reading until the water begins to turn cold. I get great ideas while in the tub and surprisingly while mowing the lawn.

Rita Mae Brown is one of my favorite writers. She says, "Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work." And of course there is my favorite Pablo Picasso quote, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."

Belonging and participating in online exchange groups has been so amazingly beneficial to me. I've been exposed to some incredible artists Excitement from the new challenges causes me to instantly jump in and start creating. Getting commitments off my plate early insures that I create things that I am proud of sharing.

Okay, I don't want to forget to share something about my "Reflect" ATCs. This month's theme for Arts in the Cards is the color "Lake." I love playing with watercolors and playing is exactly what I do. I have little desire to become a true watercolor artist. I just like making backgrounds and seeing what I can do. What I discovered was I could copy the backgrounds, print them on presentation paper which makes them a little shiny, cut them up and still save my favorite pieces! For these cards, I also used embossing plates (thank you Marie Z. Johansen for turning me one to these) and I created my own rub-on transfers to add the word "Reflect." I love rub-on transfers and am so thankful to Grafix in Maples Heights, Ohio, for making it possible.

Now go and create!

Ransom Note ATCs

I definitely have typography on the brain. I cannot tell you why I decided to do ransom notes. It simply popped into my brain. I do love cutting up magazines and words. Since Artist Trading Cards (ATC) are small (2.5" w x 3.5" h) it did present some challenges so instead of cutting out individual letters, I tried to find whole words whenever possible. I had a package of six colored background ATCs. I don't even remember where I purchased them and of course, now I want more! I started out doing a fairly traditional ransom note then moved on from there. While ransom notes are usually just words, I decided to use images too to make them more interesting. Today I plan to give them a coat or two of mat medium to seal them and keep the words from falling off. I have made six so far and do plan to make more. I am hoping to trade them with people who want to play with ransom notes. My friend Marie Z. Johansen is game! By the way, Marie has a great typography basket that she made on her blog. Check it out!

Life is Too Short to Wake Up with Regrets

One of the things that I love about joining groups is you get to meet people who you would never have the opportunity to meet. This is true of my friend Marie Z. Johansen from the Arts in the Cards ATC group. I love the message she put on the back of her envelope. It does a great job summing up what life should be about-- making your life be worth living, living it to the fullest, valuing the people in your life who matter. Not everyone is granted a second chance. The older I become the more I realize that we only have this one life so we better make the most of it.  I particularly love the last two lines, “Nobody said life would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it.” I don't know about you but I plan to make my life worthwhile and have as much fun as I can! I just wish I know who said it. Thanks Marie for a great reminder, another great envelope and an amazing piece of art.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don’t.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy.
They just promised it would be worth it.

 

Rain

 This month's theme for Arts in the Cards exchange is rain. I got carried away and made two different sets. I began with rain drops (second photo) because I wanted to see what I could do with recreating motion with fabric. The entire time I was making them I kept thinking "April showers bring May flowers" so I decided to make a second set of cards.

Most of the time  I  don't enjoy making the same thing over and over again so I made my paper ATCs all different. Marie Johansen convinced me to purchase a Sizzix Big Shot, which reminds me of my pasta maker, because she always sends her ATCs in amazing embossed envelopes. I'm addicted! There's nothing like having another enabler in my life (said with humor and lots of love). By the way, I convinced her to purchase Martha Stewart's scoring board so it's working both ways. I can't wait to see the boxes and other wonderful things the highly talented Marie will make with it. Anyway, the Big Shot embosses paper beautifully so if you look closely at my ATCs you will see that the backgrounds are embossed. I'm all about background and words! I feel most successful when I have both. These were fun to make and I hope my fellow artists enjoy them as much I as enjoyed making them.There is something about creating little works of art (2.5" by 3.5") that always makes me happy and provides me with the incentive to stretch as an artist.