Two fun challenges in a row!!  I really liked this week’s challenge.  I originally was going to do a more traditional ornament.  But, I was so taken by my class last week with Kelly last week and all that has happened this month; I decided to do a Little Book of Hope.  

I picked some of my most festive decorative papers.  Then I created the cover using two cool papers and adding this little piece of left over fringe for the bottom.  I then stitched the book together to create a Fukoro Toji (see last week’s Mixed Media post).  Right before I stitched the book together I placed ribbon down the middle to create the hanger for the book.  As I commented a few months ago, “your thoughts create your future”.  As such, inside of my little book of Hope, I am collaging all the things that I hope for now and in the future.  This just puts a smile on my face and lifts my spirit.

What a cool challenge for the week.  I hope all of you have a great week!

I have missed posting in Mixed Media Monday.  So, while I was in Kelly Kilmer’s class this weekend, I worked on my submission.  I created a journal page in my new Fukoro Toji we made during class.  At first, I was really spun up with doing something anatomical based on the description.  Then it occurred to me, I could create something with body parts!! 

So, I found this amazing shot of Beyonce.  And I loved this page from an old French book.  I thought we could look behind the eyes to see secrets, hence the title selection.  I used decorative paper tape that I backed with paper and then cut out the beautiful lacy scallops that reach beyond the page. 

I am so thrilled I could take her class and create my first entry in a long time, it was a very good day!

What a fascinating selection this week.  I have been working on a piece for submission to Cloth Paper Scissors.  The call is for pieces that represent “A Tea Party.”  And low and behold Mixed Media Monday selected “tea” for this week.  I think one might call that Serendipity.

 She used to love a cup of tea with a bit of cold, hence the title of the submission.  Whenever you made a cup for her, my father-in-law would always remind me to make her tea with just a bit of cold water.    

Have a good week….

Well I am a little late posting today.  But, I still want to share my Mixed Media Monday piece.  The theme this week is to use a singular color and all its variations.  So, I thought of my dear friend Kelly Kilmer and decided I would work in pink.  I have this great vintage image from ARTchix Studio again this week and she was already tinted pink.

So, off I went looking for every pink thing I had.  I created a 5.25 x 5 inches piece on watercolor paper.  The background was covered in pink tissue paper and then painted Golden’s Quinacridone Violet.  Then I covered the background in pale pink tulle.  Each corner has a torn pink wine label, which is then covered in paper roses.  And finally I finished her off with three pink dots (from a candy necklace wrapper).  This was a fun project and I think she is Pretty in Pink! 

Isn’t it amazing what you can do, when you push yourself?  

Well it is Sunday and I am working on my Mixed Media Monday piece.  The theme this week is “dance.”  What to do?  What to do?  Well I knew I wanted some sort of a dancer and originally it was going to be a couple dancing.  Then I found this vintage image from Artchix Studio.  I love Helga Strauss ’ images and I wanted to use this one in particular.  Now based on the size, I opted to create an Artist Trading Card (ATC).  Helga has Fabiano Water Color paper, pre-cut in ATC size so I was off.  I covered the surface with music and book pages, because the story is, that “Ester is a well known librarian in Bakersfield.  And on Saturdays she dresses up to go to the local dance”.  Hence covering the surface in music and book pages and then tinting the surface to compliment Ester’s outfit.  And then I added rhinestones to finish off her great look.

Finally, I wanted to add text to Ester’s card.  As such, the piece is both paper and digital collage.  I just think this piece is a hoot!  And dance was a great theme for the week.  Three cheers for Ester, for being who she is and wants to be.  May we all remember to be true to ourselves in this lifetime!!! 

Now that I have a blog, I want to participate in some “challenges.”  So, with that said, I have been working this week to submit an image to Mixed Media Monday.  I first discovered the site via an article in Artful Blogging by Somerset Studio Summer 2008 issue.  There are several cool articles in their newest magazine and I really liked the interview with Diane Whatford.  So last Monday, I went out to the site to see what the upcoming swap would be about.  And this week’s challenge is to do something you have never done before.  AHHH!!  Did that open the floodgates or what? 

What should I do?  What should I do?  Well I decided I would do a collage via software.  No paper.  That has been, suffice it to say, for me a huge challenge.  I don’t have or know Photoshop.  But, I do have Microsoft’s Digital Imaging Suite.  I have made at least 15 different images to get to just two that I could share in a public forum and am happy with.  I called the piece “She protects us from Evil.” 

I love Our Lady Guadalupe.  And I found the background image from “Crumble.Crackle.Burn” by Von Glitschka.  It is a kind of cool book and comes with all the backgrounds on CD.  I purchased it here locally at the Creative Underground at Timeless Creation.  Christi definitely has some cool stuff.  I used the Private Property sign as the base and then tinted it with the hue function, then overlaid an image of collage roses (that I cropped from another art piece of mine).  And then turned it transparent and tinted it as well.  Then finally I cropped an image of Our Lady Guadalupe, turned her transparent, and then over laid her on the piece.  And there you have it.  It seems so simple and took all week to learn.  And as you can see, I like that transparency function allot!!!  LOL!!!

I also made an equivalent piece with an American Indian on the same background.  The imagery really resonated with me.  The thought of the Indians seeing their once free lands sectioned off into ranches and farmland, truly spoke to me.  I will show that in another entry this week.

All in all, this has been a good exercise (albeit a touch difficult).  But, I am glad I did it and it got me out of my comfort zone, which I think was really the point.  I think moving forward, where feasible I will create my challenges in digital format, so I can really get comfortable with the medium.  But, give me paper and paint anytime!!