on saturday, dina and i spent the day sitting at an art table i set up in the garage getting inky and talking about something we’re planning for later this year. i wish i had taken a shot from above so you could see the miriad of items that we eventually hauled onto the table and set between us during the course of the afternoon and night. mists, inks, paint, modeling paste, gesso and so much more. it was the first time that we had ever made things together and it was so awesome. being able to sit across from a good friend, laughing, eating reisen’s, red vines and drinking copious amounts of diet pop while chatting and laughing is such a good thing to do. that sharing of ideas or just looking across and seeing what the other is doing which then inspires you to do something different or or to do something similar.

this is my prized possesion from the weekend. a collaboration between us because i got halfway through creating the base and hated how the color background was turning out, handed it to d saying “fix it” so she did. all that gorgeous bright pops of colors are all her. later, she handed it back and said “finish it” and so i did. it’s got pieces and parts of both of us. awesome.

don’t you just love the way the alpha stencils made the modeling paste look like cake candy letters is my favorite. my treasure from the weekend.

this is my favorite canvas that i created. i stained the background using tim’s distress stains and then added a layer of modeling paste over a vintage lace doily that dina had brought. there was alot of dark ink that lifted off the doily when i smeared the paste so it transferred onto the canvas. sunday night i added layers and layers of beeswax {my new obsession when creating canvases} and then fused it with my heat gun, pushing some ares into thick layers and some into really thin layers.

while the beeswax was still warm i carved some lines using an old credit card into the negative spaces then fused again, making some remain while others disappeared. then i added a layer of burnt umber glaze and then wiped the excess off so the glaze remained in the crevasses all over the canvas.

i love how the edges around each little piece of the doily pattern have a subtle purplish hue.

i love this one too. the doily design is beautiful and it’s so simple looking but i can’t decide if i’m going to add anything else or leave it as is. the canvas was gessoed already and i simply used a huge stencil dina had brought with some modeling paste, but because there was still ink leftovers on the stencil, as i used the palatte knife the ink blended in with the paste and left this gorgeous muted color {just like in the doily canvas above}. it’s probably my most favorite thing about using dina’s stencils, all the ink transferring to my canvases.

last night i added a sheer layer of gray metallic paint and for now it’s staying like this. but that may change.

i think i’m still working on this one too. not sure. maybe i’ll add a layer of beeswax and then i’ll be happy with it. maybe i won’t. but i do love how the stars turned out.

i also turned a couple of the watercolor paper collages that i made into some art journal books. just layered 5 sheets with the collage then sewed down the middle with my singer featherweight. fold down the middle and it’s the simplest art journal ever.

i added some glass bead gel to this one in a few random areas using a large circle stencil. you can barely in the pic above but up close it’s so cool.

dina left me this stencil because i LOVE it. a new fav. looks so good layered over paint that has been smooshed with a palette knife.

ever since d went home i have this itch to make more and more. i spent last night out in the studio making things until 12:30am. i don’t know why i stopped playing with ink like this. i used to have this art journal that i worked in when i was doing creative therapy and i adored it so it feels really good to be coming back around to the ink. really, really good.

happy tuesday!
x0

i have a stamped embroidery project up on the jbs blog today, head on over and check it out.

schools out and i’m finally starting to feel better after i got the icks from my littles. thank goodness for helpful husbands and being able to rest while they were at school this week.

happy friday!
xo

a few months ago my sweet friend amy asked me to submit a project for the birthday issue for her amazing online magazine, inspired ideas. amy is amazing, as i’m sure most of you know and has inspired me countless times with the sweet little things she makes. and, being a huge lover of previous issues {they are amazing!} as well as knowing her ever since i participated in on of her first club little house swaps i of course i said yes! yes. yes. yes!!

well, the day has finally come and the latest issue, 245 pages of beautiful birthday inspired projects, has been released. you can find it hear and i’m a little amazed that it’s only 3.30, that’s less that my online version of martha and inspired ideas doesn’t have any advertisements!

i know everyone involved put so much love and time & energy into their projects, it’s obvious when you see it {the peek of my birthday bouquet project is above} but i just want to send a HUGE thank you out to amy, and to our sweet friend pamela because i know the work and hours they put in was incredible, and it’s obvious from the beauty of the final pages.

happy friday!
x0

back in january, dina and i spent a friday {before the cha show opened} traipsing all around upper los angeles. we spent hours at the getty, followed by a one & a half hour drive along almost the entire length of mulholland which then dropped us into the quiet back roads around hollywood reservoir {which i wish i had taken some pics of}. then we caught a glimpse of huge white letters out of the corners of our eyes and began stalking the hollywood sign, hoping to find a canyon that would lead us directly to it. in all my years vacationing in los angeles i had never seen the sign. but we found her, thanks to dina’s husband who was frantically looking up directions from az on google maps directing us along  teeny tiny little dark canyon roads, as we were laughing and sipping diet dr pepper and sharing some rolos. lol

today, it’s the pics from the getty that are sitting on my desktop, inspiring me to document our day and revel in the perfection of a good friend who loves art & adventure as much as i do.

enjoy some of my favorite pics from the start of our afternoon, some of my most favorite art and a few surprises {renaissance rainbow angel wings} that we discovered while walking the travertine halls.

happy wednesday!

i got tsk, tsk, tsk’d after taking this one of claudes rouen … but his use of paint always makes me swoon with happiness ;)

see. aren’t the wings divine!

hello vincent.

my favorite. portrait of jeanne kefer. the colors are muted and translucent.
and the frame was stunning in a burnished pewter.