Textiles, Too ...

I used to sew when I was a kid. Rarely did I use patterns - just grab some fabric, cut some shapes and go ... even made a shirt (or was it a dress) that way once. I usually stuck to simple rectangles and the occasional circle - but that's all I needed.

Growing up, I got away from fabrics & sewing. Partly a time thing, partly a fight against domesticity. But now I'm old enough to get over the domestic roadblock and realize that textiles just offer one more road to creativity.

So, stepping back into the sewing world, I just bought some fabric from the new Chocolate Lollipop line by Anna Maria Horner ... planning to turn this into a headboard and add a splash of color to the bedroom.

The Simple Life ...

Who would have thought that the Internet could bring me the simple life ... but that's exactly what it did. Ahh ... it's a good day that includes a new CD from Magnet. Of course, if it weren't for ye' ol' Web, I'd be waiting until the US release later this year. But, when it comes to certain artists, waiting just won't do. So, I simply went shopping in Norway thanks to the ever-shrinking world (and a good Internet connection).

If you're unfamiliar with Magnet - change that.

My intro to Magnet came last March when I saw him perform at the 18th Floor at the Hilton in Austin ... that's it. That's all it took. One 40-minute SXSW set and I was hooked.

Here's one of the pics from the show ...



A Simple Life ... and tomorrow's Friday ... it's all good.

Horseradish!

Treated myself to a trip to the bookstore tonight ... and this made the day worthwhile:

If writers wrote as carelessly
as some people talk, then
adhasdh asdglaseuyt[bn[
pasdlgkhasdfasdf.

from 'Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid'
by Lemony Snicket

Coloring Book ...

To keep my sanity, I really need to figure out how to do more creative stuff - and not have the "straight job" as an Artfest friend referred to it monopolize my hours. I'm also trying to figure out how to stop the piles of magazines from taking over my house ... enter the coloring book.

First step in the battle of the towering magazine - each night last week, I grabbed a stack of magazines, flipped through page-by-page and ripped out the few photos that caught my eye - mostly focusing on color ideas for future projects. Of course, while it's great to toss the bulk of the magazines, I feared I'd soon have a stack of torn images flitting about the house ...

So, today, while prepping for a stamp class I'm teaching next Thursday, I decided to cover a chipboard journal and make my own coloring book ... or, rather, a book to capture coloring ideas.

Most of the pictures so far are from 'House Beautiful' magazine ... a magazine I did not subscribe to - instead it showed up as a replacement for 'Budget Living' when that pub went *poof* (still can't figure out how someone could think 'House-look what an interior designer purchased for $5000-Beautiful' was a good replacement for 'Budget-I bought this at Target for $35-Living' ... but I digress)

Anyhoo, Voila ... the beginnings of the first few pages ... a bit of creativity and a way to get rid of magazines.

Found ...

Etsy! Ok ... I knew Etsy existed ... and I've perused briefly on occasion. But now with my newly ignited interest in found objects and assemblage, I had something to snoop for. Success! I just bought these found objects. Sure, some may argue how can they be found objects if I purchased them online - but heck, someone found them and I found them on Etsy.

Metal Head ...

Last night, walking through the driveway, G points to what's left over after replacing the brakes on my car and says "oh, should probably throw those out" ... I look and say, "No! Those brake pads will make the perfect backing for a small art piece" ... must look for more junk and break out the adhesives.

Part of Art ...

Just back from Artfest 2007 ... with an overwhelming desire to unearth rusty things and break out the power tools ...

One highlight - was able to see "the thank you journal" in person ... (read more about it here: tee's spree's: I'm speechless!!!)

It started last year when Deb put out the call to make an art journal for Teesha & Tracy Moore to say THANKS! for all they do for Artfest and art in general ... my little venture into the world of the art journal. The journal was delivered on March 9 ... so now I present my first (and, so far, only) art journal page.

So here's the page as it transformed ... I incorporated various "R" items from the Artfest Workshops I attended in 2006 ... Red Rosin paper, Resin clay and Rust ...

A quick painted image on red rosin paper ...












covered in black ...









Color for the backside n' border ...









A frame of resin clay ...









Rusted ...










with some 'R' thoughts of Artfest 2006 ...










and the aRt guy ...










Time for some journaling ...









My very first (and so far only) Journal Page.