4×4’s and more…

“Give thanks for the rainbows, for the butterflies,
for all God’s creatures – large and small,
for the bright blue sky and the soft fog and the gentle rain,
for the tree veiled in the season’s first frost,
for the baby’s laugh, for the touch of a hand
and the whispered “I love you.”
– Jonathan Lockwood Huie

I finished a good book last week:  A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley by Neal Thompson.  Go here to check out a great article about the book.  I don’t read a lot of biographies but this one is excellent!

I finished eight more 4×4’s.  I’m going to have to hurry to attain my goal of 200 by the end of this year 🙂

This set numbers 161-164:

This set numbers 165-168:

…some random pages from my visual journal

…collage using an altered page from a children’s book:

my photos aren’t coming out very crisp….I’m looking for another camera

odds and ends collage:

here’s wishing all in the US a great Thanksgiving Day this Thursday with family & friends!!!

have a good day…

“The expression “Have a good day” was born the week our oil supply was depleted, water became scarce, telephone rates went up, gasoline was in short supply, and meat, coffee, and sugar prices soared.  It was as if the warranty on the country had just expired.”  ~Erma Bombeck~1970’s

I’m having a good day…it’s the first day back on God’s time 🙂

I made a new journal last week…I sewed the signatures together on the sewing machine and used duct tape to put the signatures together.  Then,  I found the middle of the journal and sewed that to the cover using a simple pamphlet stitch.  I will be using this method again.  I wanted to practice using a composition book for the cover.  The next one I make, I think I’ll try using an old book for the cover.

I mostly used painted papers on the cover:

Here’s the introductory page…watercolor and collage:

I spilled some ivory paint the other day…so, I quickly swirled it on some magazine pages.  After the paint dried…I went over some of the paint with pan pastels.  I like the effect that I discovered accidentally:

I painted these 4×4’s last week.  They number 149-152:

I made this set of 4×4’s today.  They number 153-156:

Last week we went for a drive to look at the fall color.  We made a little circle and came back home.  When we drove in our driveway, I told my hubby:  I think the prettiest leaves are right here in our own yard.  Here’s a photo of the Hickory Tree in our backyard.  After a rain, the leaves look neon yellow:

Side yard:

Across the front yard looking down the street:

Everyone have a great week and be creative in all you do!

a pantyhose world…

A week ago last Friday, I went to our local “friends of the library” book sale.  I wasn’t looking for books to read…I was cruising for collage material.  Since getting a Kindle…all my reading material is on it.  I love my Kindle!  I found some old books to use for altered books or reuse the covers for journal covers.  One of the books I bought was by Erma Bombeck: if life is a bowl of cherries-what am I doing in the pits? I’d forgotten how funny she was. One of the chapter headings in the book is “A Pair of White Socks in a Pantyhose World.”  If you are over 40, you probably know about Bombeck and pantyhose. Here’s a quote from the book:

“I worry about scientists discovering someday that lettuce has been fattening all along.  But mostly, I worry about surviving.  Keeping up with the times in the world that changes daily.  Knowing what to keep and what to discard.  What to accept and what to protest.”

The above quote is from the introduction….she says this book is about surviving…it’s still applicable today…funny stuff about some serious subjects 🙂

Here are my recent 4x4s:

These number 137-140:

For this set, I used pages from the Bombeck book.  The first three were drawn with my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and the last one is charcoal and pen.  These number 141-144:

I’m not really satisfied with these 4x4s but time is running out…so, I will include them.  These number 145-148:

until next time…be creative in all you do…

more 4×4’s…

AUTUMN HUMOR:

Autumn is a season for big decisions — like whether or not it’s too late to start spring cleaning.

Autumn — time to drag out your winter clothes and see what kind of summer fun the moths had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I need some new potholders and I’ve been thinking of making some for myself and maybe some for Christmas gifts. The Stitching Scientist has these.  Who knew there are so many tutorials and videos about how to make potholders.  The Ribbon Retreat blog offers this tutorial.

And then, I was looking at some other craft projects and found this great idea for recycling those wooden leaf and bowls that you can easily find at most flea markets.  Jennifer calls them Boho Chic Jewelry Trays. I’m sure they could be used for other items, as well.

On to this weeks 4×4’s.  This first set started with a magazine cover.  I put gesso on both sides.  I used acrylic paints, markers, and oil pastels.  These number 129-132:

I used watercolors, acrylic paints, and black acrylic ink and a dip pen on Bristol paper.  Before drawing the black lines…I brushed Liquitex Gold Interference paint over the entire surface.  This set numbers 133-136:

until next week…going to go hold my dog’s paw…he’s freaking out because of a thunder storm…

Create…

“if you do what you always did, you will get what you always got”   ~attributed to Albert Einstein~

This is a collage I made a few weeks ago.  It’s a page from a book about the sea and as the chapter title denotes, it tells what to do if your boat springs a leak.  I have no qualms about tearing pages out of the book because the information in it is most likely out of date now.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  🙂

I completed some more 4x4s yesterday.  This first set is all collage.  I took of photo of the piece before cutting it down into 4x4s:

The written French notes were in an old French text book I found at a local flea market.  Most of the other collage pieces are from a fashion magazine.  This set numbers 121-124:

This set includes oil pastels, acrylic paints, homemade stamps, Distress Inks and spray inks.  This set numbers 125-128:

Enjoy your day and have a great weekend!….until next time…

more…

“We need to commit to our creative path.  I don’t mean to want to do it in our hearts or to make plans to do it.  I mean to actually do it.”  ~Sue Monk Kidd~ from The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

I did manage to complete eight more 4×4’s this week.  Only 80 more to go 🙂

I have been watching some videos about doodling.  It’s a fascinating process.  I don’t like to do suggested patterns that many zentanglers draw, but prefer to let the pattern flow as I go.  That’s just me, the patterns of Zentangles are really beautiful and intricate.  The videos by Pic Candle intrigued me this week.  She does more of a cartoon style of doodling but I really like it.  I also like the little creatures that Teesha Moore  draws in some of her journals.

Here’s one of many videos on You Tube by Pic Candle:

I went off into my sketching foray but I don’t think sketching per se is my cup of tea.  I like sketching and I will sketch sometimes but to keep a daily sketch book….I don’t know if I can do that.  Collage is what I love to do most…that along with painting.  I think a  challenge for myself next year is going to be to get over my fear of painting on canvas…painting big.  That being said, I do realize that I am learning valuable techniques and experimentation from doing my 4×4 series.

Here are this week’s 4×4’s.  This first set numbers 113-116:

The next set numbers 117-120:

…until next time

painting and painting…

“Creativity is

inventing,

experimenting,

growing,

taking risks,

breaking rules,

making mistakes,

and having fun.”

~Mary Lou Cook~

Here are the latest 4×4’s I have finished.  I’m up to 112 now 🙂

I felt like I needed to do something else to this first set.  I couldn’t think what, so, I’m letting them stand as they are.  It’s acrylic paint on Bristol paper.  This set numbers 101-104:

I glued down very small squares on a painted background for this next set.  I used some scraps from painted papers and other collage scraps.  This set numbers 105-108:

I used acrylic paint, collage pieces, black Stabilo pencil, and a handmade stencil on this set.  I like the combination of red and raw umber.  This set numbers 109-112:

I am painting an old chest to put back into our newly refurbished bedroom.  It measures a little over five feet long. My husband remembers it being around when he was very young. I decided to paint this because I looked for a new one but couldn’t find anything as well made as this old piece.  It had a few dings and the veneer peeled off in a few areas.  I filled those with wood filler and sanded it down.  It’s a work in progress:

This is the first coat of Kilz 2.  The drawer fronts are all  “Kilzed” too.  I plan to glue (Mod Podge) some old maps on each end.  The dresser will be painted 21st Century Blue semi-gloss by Valspar. My next decision to make about this project is:  do I keep the old drawer pulls or find something more modern.  Since I am a big believer in using what you have and recycling, I’m thinking I’ll just go with the old pulls and spray paint them with sort of faux metal paint.

Here are the bedroom colors:

The accent wall color is the wall behind our bed. It’s actually a Behr color(Solar Flare)  but all our paint is from our local building supply store and they carry Valspar paints. I took a chance when I picked the orange color for that wall but we both really love it!  We used the Valspar Medallion paint and primer all in one.  It covered the walls with one coat.  When I get everything back in place, I’ll post some photos of the room.

That’s all for now…

its been awhile…

 

“Take the obvious, add a cupful of brains, a generous pinch of imagination, a bucketful of courage and daring, stir well and bring to a boil” ~Bernard Baruch

I have no excuses, just haven’t been particularly creative lately.  I am looking forward to a new class with Mary Ann Moss that begins next Tuesday.  She is closing this session after July 4.  She will offer it again next fall.  Go here to read more about it.

I did manage to complete three sets of 4x4s.  I wanted to do something different.  This first set is doodling with a Sharpie markers, both fine and ultra fine.  Here’s what it looked like before cutting into four sections:

This set numbers 81-84:

This blue and red set numbers 85-88.  I used inks, acrylic paints, graphite, and lots of gel medium.

This last set is collage, charcoal, oil pastels and acrylic paints.  I used Mi-Teintes Pastel paper by Canson.  This paper is the darkest shade in the pad…a dark gray.

This set numbers 89-92:

Have a great rest of the week…until next time…

grace to evolve…

 

“We have a tendency to want the other person to be a finished product while we give ourselves the grace to evolve.”  ~T.D. Jakes

Sometimes, we don’t give ourselves the grace to evolve.  Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves,  can usually see what someone else is doing “wrong.” So, most of the time, the above quote is right on!

I finally had some time to work on some 4×4’s last week.  I made it to 80 and I hope to be at 100 by the end of this month.   I need to step up my game because the end of this month will be halfway.  My goal is to complete a series of 2oo 4 x 4 tiny pieces of art by the end of this year.  There’s no way that I can do  ICAD this time.  I hope that project is going well…I did enjoy doing it last year. See my last post if you are interested in doing the index card a day art project.

This first set of 4×4’s number 73-76.  I used water-based markers, watercolors and some acrylic paints.

The next set in the series are numbers 77-80.  I was experimenting with all kinds of red and pink markers and pens.  The last one has some acrylic paint on it.  I used black pen work on all but the second one(number 78).

looking in my sketchbook and a new book I purchased two weeks ago….

I haven’t taken the time to fully explore this book.  Her project using a photo and translating it to a stitched portrait looks interesting.  Check the reviews on Amazon before deciding if this book is for you.

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.  My last words are…enough rain…for now 🙂

time grabs you…

 

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.  Time grabs you by the wrist,  directs you where to go, so make the best of it and don’t ask why.  It’s not a question but a lesson learned in time.  It’s something unpredictable but in the end is right.  I hope you had the time of your life.”  ~lyrics from Time of your Life by Green Day

Time is grabbing me…I had another birthday this week. 🙂

It’s been awhile since the last post.  I finished the cover of the Teesha Moore inspired journal last week.  Scroll down to my March 13 post of this year to see how it looked before I finished it.

Here it is now:

I have started another 16 page journal…this is a page I have started:

Sketchbook scribbles with Pentel Pocket brush pen:

ball point pen:

Here’s another set in my 4×4 series.  These number 60-72: