Friday Links and more…

Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces.”

Og Mandino quote (American Essayist and Psychologist, 1923-1996)

It’s been a busy week.  It’s raining again….very cool weather for this spring.  Grandson’s graduation was last night and Awards night on Tuesday.

This page is from my altered book journal.  I started with ink dribbles.  There’s no acrylic paint on this page…I used Caran d’ache crayons and some oil pastels.  I used a dip pen in acrylic ink for the black lines.

close up:

and another close up:

LINK LOVE FRIDAY:

hosted by Daisy Yellow

Link#1 – This a website that hasn’t been updated recently but is well worth a look.  If you interested in seeing other artist’s sketchbooks…check this link out. Book by Its Cover by Julia Rothman.

Link#2 – New design magazine…there’s three issues to see here:  Do What You Love for Life 

Link#3 – I love Joana Carvalho’s color sense and style.

Link#4 – Truth seeker and artist Cynthia Lee at  Spirit Uncaged

Link#5 – Terri over at Artful Affirmations has some free video tutorials. I liked her video on making your own fairy house.

Cereal girl and other things…

I need to be working on the spreads for round robin journal group.  I now have Andria‘s journal.  After I finish with it and send it on, that will mark the beginning of round two.

While watching TV Sunday, I drew this quick doodle sketch with my non-dominant hand.  I decided against cleaning up the lines with a bold marker but I did use my blue Prismacolor chisel tip marker to add some more interest.

Yesterday, I made this page in my eastern medicine altered book journal.  It’s painted paper, acrylic paint and purple acrylic ink. I’m finding that I love acrylic ink. It can be watered down or used full strength. While working on the page…I saw the face…I had to bring it out

There was a photo of some grains and seeds, etc., on one of the pages.  I doodled a face over the photo and used some watercolors and markers to embellish it. This is cereal girl   I wasn’t going to show it…but I thought, why not?

Friday art and link love…

I planned to post earlier in the week but our internet was down for two days.  Our phone company sent us a new modem…it’s better and faster now

Today was our local library’s book sale.  I picked up some great books for altering or junk journal fodder.  Maybe I’ll take some photos of some of my loot for a later post.

I have a spread in my altered book journal to post  and a sketchbook page of a quick doodle sketch I drew with my non dominant hand.

This week’s Link Love hosted by Daisy Yellow

Link #1 – My friend Janet does wonderful Random Acts of Art, check out her Pixie girls and other art.

Link #2 – Another blog friend is Lee over at Defining Me.

Link #3 - After receiving a postcard this week from a swap, I found a new blog: Be Currie

Link #4 – Monica Zuniga is a talented artist from Mexico City. Her blog is:  Hands and Heart

Link #5 -  I don’t remember how I found this one (love the blog name): The Tin Goat

sketchbook doodles and link love Friday…

I’ve been doodle sketching in my new Daler Rowney sketchbook I picked up at China Mart(Wal Mart).

On this first one, I used a Pilot ultra fine point NO XYLENE pen.  I love using it, although it does feather and bleed a little bit.  Part of that could be due to the paper in the sketchbook.

I used colored markers and pens on this page.  I started with a quote from a book:  Proverbs for Daily Living, using a blue Prismacolor chisel tip marker.

Link Love is hosted by Tammy at Daisy Yellow

Link #1 – I have been watching some videos by Shannon Green at You Tube this week.  I love her quirky style. On this video, she shows  techniques for altering papers to use in backgrounds. Watch both parts.

Link #2 - Alma Stoller says she never buys canvas. She has some great tutorials.

Link #3 – Rebecca Anthony has amazing doodled journals, plus, some stitched denim cuff bracelets.

Link #4 - Nancy Standlee is very much into mixed media and art journals.

Link #5 – Linda Germain  shows how to make your own gelatin plate.  I may have to try this.  Her blog is Printmaking without a Press.

Happy May Day!

It’s the first day of May….2013 is going fast!  There are lots of various activities going on this month…graduation (grandson), birthdays (mine, and, one of my sisters), and Mother’s Day, to name a few.

I wanted to show a journal spread I finished this week.  I glued down some painted paper scraps on one side and didn’t know what to do with the other side.  I put the face there and it went through several different reincarnations before I settled on this one.   I used ink, acrylic paint, watercolor crayons and Stablio black pencil. I threw a lot of “stuff” at it and she still needs something but I felt it was time to move on to another project.

Journal and Link Love…

I have two spreads to share from Danielle’s round robin journal.  I mailed out her journal to Janet earlier this week.  The spread with the girl and the balloon is almost the same spread I made in a composition journal several years ago.  I think I posted it, but I couldn’t find it.  I had a problem finding a white pen that will work for me…..I solved that by using Zig White Ink 30 by Kuretake.  It’s highly opaque and is used by cartoonists for highlights and corrections.  I used a fine point  brush to write the words.

Tammy over at Daisy Yellow has been hosting “share the link love.”  I remembered to do it this week

Link#1- I learned about Cathy over at 21 Secrets.  She did an amazing flower collage for the workshop.

Link#2-Lori Moon is hosting May flower challenge.

Link#3-Carlene Taylor makes some wonderful collages.

Link#4-Elizabeth St.Hilaire Nelson makes paper paintings.

Link#5-I love the pattern and colors that this designer uses. Go to: Bari J

Two collages…

I finished one of my altered book journals last week.  I’ll post photos of  those below.  I also joined 21 Secrets earlier this week.  I had told myself I wouldn’t get involved in anymore online workshops(for at least 6 months)…that resolve didn’t last very long   Check out Connie’s blog at Dirty Footprints Studio .  The workshops opened the first day of April and closes in the fall and consist of 21 mini workshops by 21 different artists.

Both collages have parts of the original book page showing.  The illustrations at the top of the second piece are showing “Three Possible Kinds of Space.”

mail art envelope book #2

As I mentioned in a previous post, I made two smaller security envelope booklets.  I sent one of the books to Andria.  She sent me a postcard in return.  Andria has a big project going on now with Rolodex Cards. Check out her blog…she recently had a post about “Magic Gardens” in Philadelphia. It’s a huge mosaic made from old bottles and other throw away items.  Here’s Andria’s book (note-random posting of photos, WordPress media didn’t cooperate with me this morning):

Envelope book….

I made two postcards for the “pink” swap over at Mail Me Some Art and mailed them off without taking photos of them. I’ll have to wait for Karen to post them on the MMSA blog.

I made some more envelope books…I really enjoy making them.  This booklet is one  I sent to Janet.  It is made from only three envelopes:

Another journal page…..

I played with some abstract designs this week.  This is a page from ”The World I Live in” journal.  Read about it here.  I started it in August of last year and it’s almost finished now.  Most all the pages in this journal have been prepped with wide making tape.  I tear off small pieces of tape and cover the entire page. I go across the middle seam of the book, making sure to push it down in the seam.  It makes the pages really strong and I like the texture of the masking tape. (click on the photo to see the texture)

I just realized that I used almost the same color palette as the page in my last post.  It comes from trying to use up all the paint I have out on my palette.   Plastic lids from yogurt or cottage cheese containers made great mini palettes.