Getting Ready for the New Year 2008

Yesterday we took off for Nashville and Papertrix. I stocked up on lots of pretty pink and sparkly things to bring home to create my new Paper doll class on February 3, 2008. What fun I had dressing my flat ladies in their Valentine frilly finery. Look at what I came up with. Pretty, pink and perfect for sharing in February.

Birds of a Feather

Now for project #2. My book entitled Birds of a Feather has been done for a few months but it lacked something. Inspiration stuck as I was working on my cake. It needed a wonderful textural focal point for the cover. So............it needed framed feathers!

I pried the brass charms off the front and replaced them on the copper rimmed glass frame with feathers all around. Finally a focal point worthy of the book's contents. In looking at the cover I was again struck by the shiny iridescent surface that is impossible to photograph. Since I wanted to post the work on this blog I knew I had to do something. After gesso washes, more antiquing with Tim Holtz inks and brown shoe polish I was at long last satisfied, actually thrilled with the depth of the color and finish.

It is important to remember that often our dissatisfaction with our work leads us to work at it longer and harder and we are rewarded with something we think is wonderful. Not only is the object wonderful the process was the best!

Enjoy Birds of a Feather--------I did.

LET'S MAKE A CAKE!

It's been a long time since I have completed a piece of art and this week and weekend I completed two pieces.
A few weeks ago I was inspired by a visit to Lisa Knaus's blog and her funky fun beautiful "cakes." I knew I too had to "make a cake." Well I did...............what fun! It's three layers with a fun birdie with a citrine necklace on top. I loved combining items from my antique stash and the pretty sparkly bling from my new materials. Color, texture, sparkle combined to make a pretty cake to celebrate my upcoming 60th year. It will be the best one yet!!! More art, more creativity and less WORK. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy my cake and make one for yourself. Have fun.

Stamp Camp Road Trip

Carolyn at Stamp Camp

Stamp Camp 2007

Stamp Camp began with dinner at Lois's home. A beautifully set table and wonderful comfort food, lots of it. The next morning we started about 9 a.m. and the real fun began. We talked sister in law Carolyn into staying to play with us since Jane could not make it the first day. Day one was spent making paper in the back yard,Lois style then a quick lunch and I taught hand bound book/journal project. A bit of shopping and dinner at Johnny Carrinos. Day two had Carolyn leaving and Jane arriving. We learned watercolor composition and painting from Carol. Then off to Southport to learn a scrapbook project at Archivers. What a grind of cutting paper and including it in the book. Hard work left us tired. Then off to shopping and Dinner. Our third and last day was spent finishing up the watercolor project, making our Jacobs Ladder book, a great project. Some of us had some construction problems but Jane saved us from ourselves. After our lunch we were taught by Bennita. She came up with a creative paperweight project with bits of ephemera, lace old jewelery and this and that. They came out beautiful. Our camp closed with a quick run to Nashville to shop at Wishful Thinking and Papertrix. John Kennedy cooked for us for the finale for our 2007 Stamp Camp. As always the friendships, the learning and the food were the best.

Stamp Camp Comming Soon to a Studio Near YOU!

The e-mail went out to all the stamp campers tonight and I am now waiting to hear what the group concensus turns out to be. The group is so laid back it is almost hard to organize the time. Maybe I should just give up on the organization and "go with the flow."
Stamp Camp 2007 will last for three days. One of which will be spent in Indy at a private class at Archivers. We'll have a great time. Learning and shopping! What fun.
Stamp Camp is a wonderful time when old friends spend time together and just enjoy getting in touch with our creativity and catching up on months of life. I feel so fortunate to have a special group of friends!

Works of Art

Main Work Area

Come Visit My Studio

I have been itching to share my studio and some of my earlier works since first I began this blogging. I am happy to report I got the pics taken this afternoon and with just a little editing and cropping they are ready for you to see.

My studio is a special place for me to create, make a mess, organize my stuff and to just PLAY!

Please join me in my creative space.

June class at Papertrix-Pretty Little Collage

June 2, 2007--Nashville, Indiana
Had a great group of women for my Pretty Little Collage and Soldered Suncatcher Class. I love the setting, the creative energy that flows from the owner Cindy and the eagerness to learn from all the students who attend the classes. What fun we all have painting, pasting and making beautiful masterpieces together. It is so rewarding as a teacher to have a student learn and complete something they never thought was in them! That's why I keep digging for new ideas and ways to share them.

Messy Studio

I did spend some time in my studio last evening and became acutely aware that I cannot be creative in a mess. My studio is a mess!

I have been working on covers for the new to us Avion Travel Trailer. The cushions are complete but more work needs to be done with the curtains and the back cushion pillows. I am anxious to get that work done but really hate to burn the beautiful sunny weather we have had spending time in the basement.

Here We Go Again!

I am not so sure I am happy with the present look of my blog. I am sure I can change anything. Learning how to edit will be a challenge but I will enjoy the learning process.



I am working on several new classes for Papertrix in Nashville, Inidana. I know many of my students would love to make an Art Journal to safeguard their artistic ideas and provide a safe and creative place to try out new ideas, color combinations and textures. My problem is finding high quality materials that keep class costs down while allowing me to use the materials that they will find acceptable for their art.



I think I'll go down and try something I have been thinking about---taking an old book, gutting it and cutting a placing watercolor paper in it, sewn, to create an art journal. Not my original idea but one that could work.

I'll let you know how it went.

Today's the Day!

This is really cool and exciting!!! I have my own Blog and I still can't believe it was as easy as it obviously is to create one. What fun I'll have writing down all my thoughts to share, or Not!

I first saw blogs on some of my favorite stamp and art store websites. I very much enjoyed the formats and was rather intrigued by them. I am drawn to the clean simple lines and the information contained therein. About two weeks ago I picked up a copy of Somerset Life magazine and the first of a series was about Blogs. I enjoyed reading about the artists and their adventures into blogging. I was hooked. I spent the next two weeks finding and enjoying their sites and learning about their art all the while. Wow! a whole new way to learn more about art and how it was created.

The next step of my Blog journey came a week ago when I saw an article in the weekend part of The Columbus Indiana newspaper. It contained an article about he 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW about Starting a Blog. Well, needless to say i read every word and now after just a little research on all the suggested sites I am blogging away. Hip, hip horray!

Now comes the hard part--------------what will I say every day or week??? Who knows but stay tuned. It could be an interesting and informative ride.