one little word {lost}

i have been working recently on my used and saved papertowels and decided to stay with this theme for my one little word project as well.

there was already a base of color on it and i easily added more color, some stitching, a little stamping, and my word. when it comes to color, to me, it is easy to get lost....this was a perfect fit.

i love the drip and dribbles that sprinkled across the towel. i also used some washi tape that you can see in the top pink circles.

i used a homemade stencil that i had made when working in Traci Bautista's new book- PrintMakingUnleashed for the turquoise blue towards the bottom.

really like the blending and transition of the color....easy to become lost. if you are going to stitch onto papetowels, you need to provide some paper support underneath for your stitching- you can see a peek of paper across the top edge. if you do not provide that support- your papertowel will stretch and pull and will not lay flat. 

happy friday! hope you are able to get lost.

all about me....for the Documented Life

i found some much needed studio time this weekend and played catch up in my moleskin. i got out my homemade girl stencil and used her. she captures and embraces me.....i just love her. i painted up the pages working many layers onto these pages- some bold, some worn, and some just peaking through....

i had a realization while putting the finishing touches on this- how old i was turning this year.....i was looking for a bingo number; searching for a 43....and then, i realized that it was 2014. well son of a beehive!! i had a moment where i was really crabby. how did i miss a year?! did i really think i was 42 this past year? no- i do remember 43. i am just ill prepared for this number- 44, is all.

oh well- life goes on and it is certainly better than the alternative. i think there was also a moment of panic as i felt like life was going quickly. am i doing as much as i can? am i wasting precious time? and as i contemplated this looking at my painting, i realized if this is about me- i didn't tell anyone anything. i very brief glimpse into my quirky painting habits (which i love and always revert to....). so i added my top ten list.

yes- a little list to round off my now very soon to be 44 years of life. things i love and help define me.

this is me....all 44 years of me. finally able to hold my hands on my hips and face life.....a little more ready, but, definitely ready to conquer. 

one little word- aspire.....

our one little word for january was aspire.......i had posted my sneak peak on sunday. and truly enjoyed my whole process. i had been inspired by beginning the process with scrapbook paper. i glued that into my art journal and found some book paper i liked as well. i used gesso to push the pattern in the paper back. i then picked some of my favorite colors of acrylic paint and used them to add some additional colors.

aspire: to long, aim or seek ambitiously

once i was happy with my background, i had found papers i liked- i started my hunt for the words in my favorite book i have been using for art. i will be so sad when this book is completely used up....it has been magical. 

the other thing i knew i wanted was a bird. i found an image i liked and drew a bird and made my own stencil to use for this project.

i really like my end project. i hope you enjoy it....and you aspire to create something of your own.

if you decide you would like to play along this month- we would LOVE to see what you make of this word. come join our group and link up your project- if you do, you could be the lucky winner of a new stencil! Jessica Sporn is offering this stencil if you link up in january.....

a new homemade stencil and a sneak peek

i had a project that was due yesterday for OLW, and was struggling to come up with a plan. thank goodness for the internet and pinterest- and its' endless possibilities and inspiration. i snooped around and found myself being inspired by layers of paper and the idea that i wanted a bird.

i have bird stamps, but, certainly not a stamp of a bird the size that i wanted and needed. so, i did the next best thing.....found a bird i liked and drew it onto some scrap paper. here is my bird......

i decided to use a sheet of scrapbook paper that i liked for my background and cut it down to fit my paper. i used gesso to push the pattern back a bit and not overwhelm my project and allow me to incorporate some additional colors.....

i used my spray ink and acrylic paints- i love the look over the gesso with the texture it provides. you can just see my bird's tail there....

at the end- i was welcoming the special charm that this project had brought to me....stop back for a full view on the 15th.

the moments {a series} no 10: homemade stencil

this was my homemade stencil i made to use with my gelli plate for the postcard i made and posted yesterday. i simply used a piece of cardstock paper and cut my shape. i normally cut as i go and take no prisoners....but, as you can see by my taped in "leg," this method is not always the best. but, isn't that what tape is for?! i seem to be in love with this shape....love how the print looks in my art journals and anything else that is within hands reach.

art journal- doodle and stencil

i have started a new art journal and discovered i really like the size of the pages. it was one i picked up on sale. i am sure we have all done that....picked up something on sale or clearance at the art store? and then discovered something about whatever that was that was a little off...a little wonky? correct?!

this one has a cover that is a little weird- but, being a mixed media artist- make a better cover...done.

the only other thing i have noted now that i have done several pages and worked back to back, is that the pages are a little thinner than what i would like. i definitely have to gesso the pages because depending on what i have used on the backside-some of that may have bled through. sometimes that is no big deal, but, other times you don't want to see whatever is on the backside...so, again, just because it is on sale does not mean it is a good deal, but, this is probably not going to stop me at the art store in that clearance section.....

still loving my girl which is a homemade stencil.....i think because she seems to have an attitude. check out my process on how i made my stencil here.

and this was a quick doodle with charcoal and pen and had used my gelli plate to create the back ground for this one. still loving my gelli plate! do you have one yet?....they are so much fun, they are addicting!

tgif

gelli plate background, homemade girl stencil

homemade stencil

i am going to share how i made my woman stencil. to demonstrate the process i made a bird (which turned out cute!).....i first simply grabbed some scrapbook paper and cut out my shape. if you are not comfortable drawing and cutting your shape- journal girl had a great idea of how to get that shape you want- check this out!

 and if you look close on my stencil- you will notice some tape on his back....i did not like my first shape. he was too skinny- i like a little plumper bird- so i added a little fatness and taped that into place. and his one leg was a bit skinny; so i added just a bit to the leg to reenforce just a bit, i added some tape there too.

 you may ask why i used it before i was completely done with the process?....i wanted to verify that the shape i had cut, looked good on paper. so i did  paint around him just to verify that i did like his shape. once i knew the shape was good- i added playing cards to him to provide strength and durability.

 to add my playing cards, i used a gloss gel, but, you could use a heavier matte medium to do this step as well. it just needs to bind the cards to your paper shape. this is what i had on hand.

 once i have applied the gel, i put the cards onto the shape completely covering the shape and placing the cards as closely together as possible. i did brayer my cards once on to verify good contact and if you are worried about a sensitive area- use a clip to hold while drying.

 once dried, cut around the shape with your scissors....

some areas may be a little tight to use your scissors so i did use an exacto knife to cut out the area between his legs and to clean up the space by his beak.

 once he was completely cut out- i flipped him over and did use that same gloss gel on the back to provide a barrier on that side as well. i did not cover both sides in cards because i felt like otherwise, the stencil gets too thick- but, if you like that, feel free.....

 this was the bird painting i made then using my new stencil. he is looking very dapper!

 the background is from my gelli plate and a few layers then in between. if you give this a try- let me know! what can you make?