You should have seen the one that got away?

Well it's official , I am sick and tired of putting up with my current knee injury!! My doctors are really testing my patience, appointment after appointment..."let's just wait to see...?" this test, that test & test some more... consultation here and referrals there... insurance company bureaucracy (Oh, don't get me started on them!!) Don't they all know that I've got things to do? This is cramping my style... just fix me and send me on my merry way!! Whew...Thanks, I needed that, venting is at times the best medicine there is!! 

Now that's over, let's move on to a little fun stuff...  Today's Show & Tell is an update on one of my favorite trading threads on the ATC's For All website. In my neck of the wood, the fishing season has just begun but at AFA you can hook the "fresh catch of the day" year around by joining the PIF Funky Fish Swap. We are always looking for more anglers... get hooked, cast your line and grab your net, there's no limit on the fun!!

Below are a couple examples of unique species of fish that recently surfaced from my creative waters!!

Clown Fish

Skittle Fish

Until next time ... Blessings for Good Health & Joy!!

ART is the best presciption for whatever ails you!!

Just a quick Show & Tell to share today... I'm still nursing my injured knee and have had a bit of a setback that requires me to spend most of my day with my leg elevated. This is not a position I enjoy, needless to say I have been ignoring doctors orders so that I can sit up to do my artwork, hence the aforementioned setback! What's a gal to do??? 

I had been contemplating venturing out into the World of Rolos... for those who don't know, they are small works of art created directly on a Rolodex card and then displayed in a Rolodex file just as one would collect addresses or business info in their offices. Artists are so ingenious, they can be inspired and see potential art supplies everywhere they go!! Well, I finally jumped in and joined my first Rolo Swap on AFA. I quickly realized I opened myself up for yet another addiction!!

Below are photos of my first ever Rolos... the theme for this swap was artist's choice so I decided to go with one of my favorite subjects, Ocean Life! 

Sea Turtle

Ocean Fish

 

Sea Anemone

Ocean Reef

Well, back to my icepack... Thanks for stopping by!!

Until next time, Ciao!!

Old memories leading the way to new creations!

One of my fondest childhood memories was spending time with my mother while watching one of her favorite Horror Movies (by today's standards, they would be more like comedies than considered to be scarey)... She loved them all; Dracula, Werewolf, Mummy, Invisible Man and of course, Frankenstein!! As we watched Dr. Frankenstein working in his laboratory, carefully assembling various bits & pieces of body parts for his creation, we sat on the edge of our seats waiting to see if he would really come to life and of course we weren't disappointed... the Monster was born!! He may not have been handsome or very popular in the village but he became a movie star with many sequels to his credits!! This was my first exposure to the Art of Assemblage and creating something from miscellaneous supplies on hand!

This flashback into my past sets the groundwork for today's Show & Tell... I recently joined a swap on AFA called Domino Dolls... the challenge here is to create dolls using Domino game pieces for their bodies and any other supplies needed to bring them to life! Just call me Dr. Janinastein... Below are photos of my creations (I won't call them Monsters... I may be bias, but I think they are too darn cute!) All of my dolls have a one-of-a-kind sculpted porcelain face, giving each one a unique personality!!

Brrrrrr - Bundle Up!!

Prom Date

Ballet Dancer

Jack-in-the-Box

As always, I thank you for stopping by!

Until next time, Happy Creating!!

Spring has finally sprung!!

Tulips - Jacquard Dyes w/Ink on 140lb Watercolor Paper

Happy Spring!!

 For many, this marks the end of a very long and cold winter season. Spring always seems to come just in the nick of time. Almost instantly we start to see beautiful blooms as they pop their heads out of the recently frozen ground to fill our world with color and hope for new beginnings! 

As an artist, these seasonal lovelies cannot be overlooked...
pull out those pencils and paints, let your muse loose and enjoy your creative self!!

Spring Flowers - Jacquard Dyes w/Ink on 140lb Watercolor Paper

Thanks for stopping by once again...

 I am "on the mend" and I will be back to "Arting" full time very soon!

Blessings to You All!!

No Ballroom Dancing for a while!!

I definitely have gotten behind in my planned schedule of posting at least one Show & Tell each week but I guess plans change when you least expect it! "Help... I've fallen and I can't get up to do my ART!!!" I will leave out all of the clumsy & gory details but I did have a small accident last week that has left me battered & bruised, thankfully I have been blessed and I have no broken bones other than one small toe (the little piggy having roast beef!)  The ugliest and most obvious sign of injury is a knee the size & color of a bowling ball, along with several other irritating contusions in various locations! I may not be a pretty sight with my scraped up nose and blackened eyes but trust me when I say it could have been worse, for that reason I am very grateful that it wasn't! My main inconvenience while being "down for the count" is having to keep my leg elevated... don't these doctors realize I can't draw or paint if I can't sit up?! Oh well, any day now I'll be back in action...at least I've been able to follow all of the happenings at AFA and add my two cents worth on occasion... my creative lifeline!!

Before this little happening, I was on a roll making Mail Art Postcards... soooo, today's Show & Tell will feature a few of them...just a little eye candy since I forced my tale of woe upon you!!

Marbled Paper w/Additions in Spectrum Noir Markers & Ink

Corrugated Cardboard w/ Acrylics & Hand Carved Stamps

Jacquard Dyes w/ Ink

Jacquard Dyes w/ Ink

Thank you for stopping by... I'll see you again soon!!

Until then, Blessings to All!!

Inspiration is blowing in the wind!

I thought we'd start this month off with a quickie Show & Tell... 

The month of March is most commonly associated with St. Patrick's Day... a day when everyone claims to have even a small percentage of an Irish heritage that requires them to celebrate with green beer as well as corned beef and cabbage... it's all about the green! 

For me, I have a different fondness for March... it's all about March Winds! Without them we wouldn't have April Showers or May Flowers!! After all, they wouldn't have written a song about them if they weren't extremely important?!  I also believe that Kahlil Gibran was probably thinking about the month of March in his famous quote... "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair!" 

In honor of the March Winds, I was inspired to create a trio of lovelies with their wind friendly (or not) hairdo's!!

Scarlet 

Penny

Iris

Until next time... Ciao!!

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever you are!!

I realize that Valentine's Day has come and gone but I hope you'll bear with me as I present today's Show and Tell... For the month of February I set out to create a special piece of mail art that I would send to my partner on the Envie Addicts Unite! thread at ATC's for All. This special mailing was affectionately dubbed Weirdy Mail, it was created to be a fun way to shake things up by setting aside our usual envelope swap and instead sending an unusual work of art or object through the mail. These items were intended to be sent naked, which means without packaging or boxes for all to see and enjoy the ART as it traveled to it's final destination!! The first hurdle was getting past our local postal workers, many of us had encountered some raised eyebrows and a multitude of questions but in the end I believe everyone has been successful with the post office accepting our items. Before I even created my project I talked to my local post master to find out if I would have any problems and was assured that I could go ahead with no restrictions! When my project was completed and the time had come to mail my Weirdy Mail to my partner I excitedly went to the post office to send it off. Everything went without a hitch, the appropriate amount of stamps were applied and it's journey had begun... I was told that it would probably take 3 or 4 days to arrive since we are both on the west coast. I anxiously awaited a response from my partner but the days keep ticking away... it is nowhere in sight... 14 days and counting!! No ransom notes or phone calls... my Weirdy is MIA!!! My post office friends just smile and say "hmmm, that's odd, it should be there...have a nice day."  It's obvious that they are not artists or they would be calling for an investigation!! 

Sooo, since I couldn't figure out who to contact to get my missing child's photo on the side of a milk carton or to report an official amber alert, I've decided to go ahead and share it's photos with you!! If anyone recognizes it or knows the whereabouts of my Weirdy, there is a reward for it's safe return!! (No questions asked!!)

Weirdy Heart - front view - paper mache, tissue paper, acrylics & markers

Weirdy Heart - back view - w/ built in envelope & card

Accordion Flag Card - open view ( I shared this in a previous post)

 Thanks for stopping by...until next time, Ciao!!

I haven't "lost my marbles"... this is really fun!!

I'm always looking for background designs to build upon for my various projects. The more colors and shapes the better in my opinion. Looking back at some tried and true methods from my past endeavors, I came up with a renewed urge to do some paper marbling. I really haven't done any in years, it was a favorite project when teaching my art classes for kids. They marveled at the works of art that they were able to create. I really loved seeing their enthusiasm & the fun they were having with it!!  So, what better thing to do on a deary winter day than to have some of that simply wonderful fun for myself!!

I have used a few different methods of marbling but I find the one I'm using today to be the easiest I've found while giving great results and being very economical to acquire all the supplies needed!

Below are a couple photos and a list of your needed supplies.

1. Liquid Starch - I got this jug at Wal-Mart (or local grocery stores)
2. Craft Acrylic Paint -  an assortment of colors - a little dab'll do ya!! 
3. Sheets of paper - I've had great luck with card stock (very affordable, too!!)
4. 2 Shallow Baking Pans -  One for marbling & One for rinsing
5. Plastic containers - any style you wish, for thinning paint in
6. Eye droppers (optional) - I like to use these for paint dropping (or brushes) 
7. Combs, skewers  - used to run through paint to create your patterns
8. Newspapers - for cleaning paint residue & drying papers on 
9. Liquid Dish Soap - just enough to add only 1 drop to each color you use

Let's get started creating some wonderful art... 

Don't forget to have FUN!!

First things first... set up your work area with all of your supplies!

• Take 1 Baking Pan & fill with water for rinsing your paper sheets
• Fill the 2nd Baking Pan with Liquid Starch - (approx. 1 inch deep)
• Prepare your Acrylic Paint in containers - thin with water to a consistency like milk (if it is too thick, it will sink to bottom of starch - too thin, it will spread out too much & color won't be as bright) Add 1 drop of dish soap & mix
• Set out some newspapers where you have room for drying your marbled papers after rinsing - do not stack - (or you can also hang papers from a line if you prefer)

Alright, we are ready to rumble... uhmm, I mean marble!!

At this point it would be ideal for you to see a video of me actually creating but I am not up on all that newfangled stuff... I'm somewhat electronically challenged!! However; you are in luck, there are some wonderfully talented artists with You Tube videos on marble paper techniques... it would be worth your while to check them out and actually see what I would have a hard time explaining effectively!! Several of them easily show step by step how to create the various styles of patterns by using the combs and skewers. They also show you how to skim the paint residue between printings with the newspaper strips that you've gathered. Seeing is believing... It really is quite easy to get going once you just jump in and try!! 

Below are some examples of marble sheets that I created. I always use half sheets of paper when marbling, they are a perfect size to easily use in many of my projects... postcards, ATC's, greetings cards, journal covers or even to cover other objects!!

Thanks for stopping by... 

Hopefully you've been inspired enough to give paper marbling a try!! 

 Until next time... Blessings to you all!!

Spread the LOVE around!!

Just a quickie Valentine's Day Show & Tell... No matter what society says or thinks, I believe that Valentine's Day is not reserved solely for Sweethearts! Yes, LOVE is what it's all about, but Love comes in all shapes & sizes from all kinds of relationships!!  Valentine cards are the perfect way to reach out to those around us, to let them know that we're thinking of them and wishing them a life filled with LOVE!! 

As an artist, I really love to make my own Valentines. Whether you think of yourself as creative or not, it doesn't take too much expertise to make a handmade card. However, it does takes time... what better way in this busy world of ours is there to show how much you care!!  Cards can be made from using just about any supplies that you may already have laying around the house... construction paper, card stock, paper doilies, markers, colored pencils, rubber stamps and ink, photos, magazine pages, glue, scissors, hole punches, tape... let your imagination run wild and above all else, have FUN!!

Below is a photo of some postcard style Valentines that I have made for this year. If you are interested in trying out your hand with this style card, I have posted some instructions in a previous post! (Scroll down through my last few posts to help you get started on some ideas of your own) 

Mixed media "Valentine" Postcards on 140lb watercolor paper 

Happy Valentine's Day and Blessings of Love to All!!

Say "Be Mine" with a Valentine... and pass the chocolates!!

Remember when you were a kid (it's definitely a farther stretch for some of us!), when February rolled around, our teachers used Valentine's Day as an excuse to have an art project!? I can't begin to count the number of hearts that I must have made, in retrospect it felt like a gazillion or more!! I fondly remember my most favorite project of all... My Valentine Mailbox! (aka: Shoebox) I loved covering & decorating it, making it my very own original and unique vessel with high hopes of it becoming filled to the brim on Valentine's Day. Long after the big day had passed, I would go through my saved treasures and admire everyone's creations... even back then, I was an Art Hoarder, a habit that I would continue throughout my life!! Yes, my name is Jan and I'm an Art Addict!! (and proud of it!!) 

Well, enough of my walking down memory lane, it's time for Show & Tell!!

Poking around the internet, I came across a couple of pics that inspired this project. I tend to take a little bit here and a little bit there and add it to a little bit more until I've been inspired to make a prototype of my grand plan... Voila, a project is born!! With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought this would be a great project to share! Hopefully, you will be inspired to give it a try & see how you can put your own creative stamp on it!!

So, let's get started with our Accordion Flag Card... 2 1/2" X 3 1/2"   (ATC size)

Below: It may seem like I'm working backwards & you are right, I am... photos of the finished work.

View showing the accordion spine of the card

View of standing card ( closed )

View of untied card from the top - stands on it's own - *notice the flag positions

View of opened card -  the top flags on the accordion point to the right & the bottom flags to the left

 

So, here's how I got started...

Below: Begin with a strip of any color card stock  3 1/2" X 8" - to create the accordion spine, mark the 8" sides every 1/2"  - using a ruler and a scoring tool, draw a score line connecting from top to bottom - there should be 15 scored lines when finished - fold in alternating directions at the score lines to create an accordion .

 

Needed supplies - card stock, ruler & scoring tool

Finished accordion should have 7 peaks with a single flap at each end

The next step is to create the Flags... I used watercolor paper, but you can use any paper of your choice. You will need to cut 14 flags - 1 1/2" X 2 1/4" - I used my old faithful, Jacquard Dyes, to create my background designs and finished with details using pen & ink. This is where you can make them your own by using any medium & technique that you enjoy working with! When making your designs, take note that 7 flags will be pointing to the right & 7 flags will be pointing to the left. You may want to lay out your designs accordingly. I trimmed the edges that are not attached to the spine, as well as using a hole punch in some places. In doing this, I think it adds another design element to the overall work.

Jacquard Dye backgrounds before ink detailing

Finished flags - ready to attach to the accordion spine

The only thing left to do, is to assemble your cards... my first step was to attach my front and back covers - on the inside, I used one of my ATC sized Janoodles on each side attached to the end flap strips. On the outside, I used a plain red card stock. All assembling was done with two-sided tape. For placement, refer to the photo below.

Inside covers are attached to spine at both ends with the 7 peaks in the center

You are now ready to attach the flags to the peaks. I am using the photo below to easily show you their placement. Start on the right side of your card - on the 1st peak you will attach 1 flag to the top half of the right side of that peak - on the left side of the same peak, attach another flag to the bottom half of the strip. Important, do not let the flags touch, leave a small gap between so that they will point in opposite directions and freely move when opening & closing your card. Repeat these steps with each peak using all 14 flags. Refer to the previous photos at the beginning of this post to once again see the finished work!!

Example of flag placement to the accordion peaks

Hopefully I didn't confuse you too badly! Sometimes, doing is a lot easier than explaining... when in doubt, just jump in and I believe that you'll figure it out in the end!! As always, the most important thing is... Have FUN!!  

Thanks for stopping by... Until next time, 

Blessings to one and all!!

Part Two... Going Across the Finish Line!!

Just to recap... our previous post ended with 4 Mail Art Postcards that we cut from a colorful background sheet that was created using acrylic paint.  Today I will continue to embellish with my finish designs. Upon completion,  the postcards will be ready to pop into the nearest mailbox to start their journey to their planned destinations!

So, let's get started... But first, take a moment to scroll down to the end of the previous post... to refresh your memory, this photo shows our postcards with their finished backgrounds. 

Welcome back... Below: Pictured is an assortment of hand carved stamps that I have made. I chose to use them on the postcards as another layer of design.  The background was created to be totally free form, by adding the specific designs of the stamps a wonderful contrast is achieved.

Hand carved stamps

Postcards after the stamping is completed

As you can see above, that second layer of color and design that the stamps provide is a great option for continuing your finish work!

Below are the individual postcards that I completed. Of course, they are done in my own familiar Janoodle style. Using these basic techniques, you can personalize your postcards in your own unique way, there are no rights or wrongs. 

Just remember to have FUN!!

"Love Art" Postcard

"Dreaming of Spring" Postcard

"Happy Birthday" Postcard

"Sunflower"Postcard

I hope that I have inspired you, even the tiniest bit... come on,  just jump in... no plans... experiment, try something new, what's the worst thing that can happen? 

Your ART is waiting to be created!!

Part One ... "The Background Check!"

Up until about a year and a half ago, I had never heard about Mail Art... now, I can't even imagine not having it as a part of my creative life! I'm very grateful to the website ATC's for All for introducing me to this wonderful form of expression and communication! I spent several months on the site watching and lurking around various swap threads, all the while my interest grew to the point that I wanted to join in! Finally, I mustered up enough courage to ask if I could join a monthly mail art swap called Envie Addicts Unite! Lucky for me, they graciously welcomed me into the fold! Each month, I am partnered with another artist to exchange a piece of art in the form of an envelope or postcard. Right from the beginning I was hooked! There's nothing more exciting than opening up my mailbox to find a colorful and unique work of art that was created just for me. I have also increased my loathing of those plain white envelopes that scream out  "Junk Mail" in their boring & obnoxious way!!! I love going to the post office to mail my creations, customers in the line as well as the workers behind the counter, are very curious and full of questions... it has become my quest to brighten up my little corner of this world, one piece of mail at a time!!!

Today's Show & Tell is about creating backgrounds for Mail Art Postcards! In past posts, I have shown my use of Jacquard Dyes or watercolors in creating backgrounds for my work. The translucent quality that they provide is very compatible with using a metal tipped rapidiograph for the very fine detail work that I use to finish my pieces. Today we are going to use acrylic paints which have a more opaque quality, making it necessary to use a bit larger pen tip for your finish details to avoid clogging or wearing out your pen.

When creating a background sheet, I like to just jump in with no preconceived plan... I'm a play it by ear kinda gal!! ( Which has had mixed reviews throughout my life?!) So, here's how I start... I usually grab a piece of  9X12 in. , 140lb. watercolor paper. This is a great size for cutting out 4 separate 4X6 in. postcards when finished.  Next, choose assorted bottles of an inexpensive craft style acrylic paint in the colors of your choice and an old outdated plastic credit or gift card.  That's right, no brushes... the credit card is used to spread the paint across the paper to create free form patterns!! The colors become layered in places as they are swept along the paper, this creates added effects to your design.  

Below: This photo may seem out of sequence but I wanted to use it 

first to show you the supplies stated above! 

Also, shows those effects that color layering adds to your design!

Let's get started...  

Squeeze the paint directly on the page forming different sized color dots. Using the edge of the credit card, swipe & spread the dots along the paper. In doing this, patterns are formed. Experiment by moving your hand in different directions to come up with your desired results! (*Note that the green area in the photo shown above was created from the green dots in the photo below!)

Below is the finished sheet. As you can see, I used several colors 

and patterns to fill the entire page!

 Below is the finished sheet cut into 4 separate sections to create your Postcards!

These background cards are now ready for their "finishing" designs. 

Stop by for part 2 of this post for further steps toward completion!!

Until then... Ciao!!

First post of the New Year!

Whoa... I can't believe it's already January 11th, I did have high hopes for starting off this year with at least 1 post every 3-4 days. Well, so much for plans, to avoid feeling like I've already failed, I'll use my woman's prerogative to change my mind. No more declarations, no more goals, no more pressure to perform... whew, I feel better already!!

Wintertime has become my least favorite time of year, as the years go by I find myself less and less enthusiastic about all that it has to offer! Don't get me wrong, I do still enjoy gazing upon the beauty of freshly fallen snow but that seems to be where it ends!! Inevitably, reality does set in when I must leave the confines of my dry, warm home to go out into the world. Coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, ice cleats, heavy socks... has it always taken this long to get ready to go?! O.K., now I made it outside... where's the snow shovel, ice melter, ice scraper and snow brush?! Thank goodness, I actually still have enough energy left to drive downtown to run some errands (hopefully the city has plowed the streets I need to go on?!) Optimist that I am, I have found a light at the end of the tunnel... today has 1.35 minutes more daylight than yesterday!!

My "ART" is what I depend on the most to see me through until Spring comes shining through... I am truly blessed, so I'd better knock off all the whining and just get to work CREATING!! Here's my first "Show & Tell" of the New Year!

Below are a few "themed" Janoodles that I did this afternoon!

(They are a little bit abstract and a little bit realistic... my favorite way of seeing things!!)

"Flower Garden" Janoodle

"Under the Sea" Janoodle

"Wooly Worm" Janoodle

"Mountain Scenery" Janoodle

Thanks for stopping by... Until next time, Ciao!!