Wanderlust 2017: Inspiration from January

The fourth week each month in the Wanderlust adventure has a few activities and a challenge (with swag!)  One is a virtual gallery where we can explore and discuss 2 masterpieces.  Another will be a yearlong bi-weekly collage piece. A third will be a monthly art journal page where we have either a sentence or thought to focus or start from..with the idea that we will be able to see our growth. And then the actual challenge, where for January is was to be inspired from the outside. 

The parameters where to pick 3 colors, and then any amount of white, black and gray.  Soooo…Upstate New York…in January: the only true colors ARE black, white and gray! LOL! Since it was currently snowing, I envisioned a sparkly, snow flaky page, which would help with my desire to create more white space. (I so love the look….why on earth can’t I manage it??) 

So I’m staring at a blank page; all my white and glittery stash is in front of me.  Dakota (my husky) goes nuts.  And by the time I get her outside, I can see deer tracks through the front yard moving into the pine trees. Not unusual.  The bear or bobcat would spark a bit more interest.  Back upstairs I see my new Dylusions stencil/mask set with the deer. (Country?)  I’m still thinking the white page, but start with the gray Dylusions paint and the baby wipe technique.  And then, suddenly there is blue, and I’ve opened the deer stencil.  And then I remember the James Taylor song, which is from a poem by Catherine Rossetti.  And the Stencil Girl herb stencil becomes my pine branches.  I have to say; the way it came together was rather shocking.  The worst is my handwriting; even with a journaling template (from Lost Coast Designs?) and starting with a pencil, I don’t like it.  And it is that which stops me from true journaling. Or in my mind true journaling.  I need to find a way to get Tim’s Tissue Paper to go through a printer!

Meanwhile, we’re supposed to get more snow tonight, so the white page isn’t out of the running. 

Thanks for stopping by.  For info on the yearlong Wanderlust 2017 online course, visit EverythingArt.com, The Adventure is just starting!

WOYWW #399--Clearing the Decks

Welcome to the “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday” blog hop hosted by the lovely Julia at The Stamping Ground, where we open our craft rooms up to have you peak at our desks. 

Back (or still) at the journaling table.  This past week I was busy again with the Wanderlust 2017 assignment…which you can see here.  I spent 8 glorious hours in my craft room…and it was a freakin’ mess when I was done! LOL!  So Sunday I cleared the decks, so to speak, so I would be ready for this week’s assignment.  So what you see are my journals stacked and ready to go.  The front square one is what I’m using as my primary Wanderlust journal.  You can tell we haven’t used any Dylusions yet, as its still clean!   And the Prima journal is brand spankin’ new…can’t wait to crack that baby open!  The stencils are all nicely piled…in a somewhat Kimmy organized way. Brushes and Palette clean and ready to go.  

And that Peppermint Bark tin?  My Dear Hubby confiscated it from his work once empty, knowing I could find a loving home for it.  Some wives get flowers, I get empty tins….is there any doubt why I love him??! 

So that’s me; now go back to the Stamping Ground to portal off to other creative desks.  Stay Crafty my friends.

Wanderlust 2017--Week 3

This week looked very intimidating.  Wilna Furstenburg started with drawing in ink, then showed 3 ways to finish it off.  Thank heavens she made copies for us to play with!  I started with the plain inked version, and since I didn’t have acrylic inks or oil pastels, I used my liquitex basic paints and Distress crayons.  The Distress Crayons blended really well, but I had used gesso on the pages first, so that helps.  It came out much darker than I was planning, but overall, not bad.

Then I used her colored version, and got so caught up in the blending of the background I forgot to use texture paste first.  She really uses these images as frames for her journaling; and since my handwriting is the KoD to any page, I stamped on Tim Holtz’s tissue paper with Archival ink, darkened it a bit with a PITT pen, then when glued down, it becomes invisible.  Again, I was trying for some white space; nada.

And with being pleased with the first two attempts, and already finishing one beer before lunch, I took my only jar of ink: Opalescent green, and dove in with a free hand page.  1) the ink is amazingly pale—not necessarily a bad think for my first attempt.  After starting the first flower, which is one of the leaves now, I decided Lupine’s were pretty doable.  So that is where I boldly went.  And I will say…I’m rather shocked that that’s what they looked like!  I still can’t get the liquitex paint to drip.  Maybe after a few more weeks of using paints, I’ll explore acquiring some new ones.  I know the Dina Wakely Heavy Body paints have been calling my name for a few years now! LOL!

So there are my week 3 lessons.  Now I need to try a few on my own.  For info on the year long Wanderlust 2017 online course, visit Everything Art.com, there is plenty of time to join in! 

WOYWW #398

It’s happening again (still)! Time has just gone crazy!  So we are on the 3rd “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday” hosted by the lovely Julia at The Stamping Ground, of the year…and I totally missed last week.

So the last two weeks have been me keeping up with the Wanderlust 2017 classes.  So far I’m 100%--that’s freakin’ awesome!  I did mention it’s been 2 weeks…so I’m really just bragging to me. 

This past week was to let go, not think, just get paint on a canvas, and covering up layers.  That part was hard.  So after a fairly successful first go (see my prior post here) I’m in the process of doing another one.  But I think I’m thinking.  It’s not nearly as organic, and taking much longer.  So we’ll see how it progresses over the course of the week. And in my usual fashion, my journaling desk has become overrun with paints, stencils, the canvas.  This was taken Tues. night.  I’m hoping that tonight I’ll get back up here to work some more. 

So that’s me; now go back to the Stamping Ground to portal off to other creative desks.  Stay Crafty my friends.

Wanderlust 2017 Week 2: Feeling...not thinking

Good thing my statement for the year is be brave, free and to break out!  This lesson got me to do all that!  Mary Ann Wangerin led us through feeling the painting as opposed to thinking the creative process through. 

I used Liquitex Basic acrylics, as that’s what I had.  I can see how the fluid acrylics would be a tad more manageable, as well as achieving the lovely drippage.  I ended up using my Gelato’s to get some drippage going. I was surprised how badly the stencils glopped up, as I was just using my finger and very little paint. I think the give in the canvas is to blame.  And since my handwriting is the worst ever, and stamping on the canvas itself was an epic fail, I ended up stamping on Tim Holtz’ tissue, which very nicely blended into the wet paint.  And, again, do to my limited hand coordination in all things…I left off the fine black doodling that finishes off most of the other students work so nicely.  (but yes, I did try, and repainted..and tried…and repainted.)

And just like in card making and ATC’s...eventually the art will tell you when it’s done.  Amazing! And I actually like it.  Even without the mandala doodling finish.  But who knows: the year is young!

For info on the year long online course, visit Everything Art.com, there is plenty of time to join in!

WOYWW #396 A clean desk for a Clean New Year!

Whoo Hoo! The first What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday of the new year!  Thank you again, Julia, for hosting us on this fun mid-week blog hop!

My desk this week is waiting.  I spent some more precious hours over the New Year’s weekend not crafting, but tidying.  All my Christmas stamps, papers, embellishments, etc., have been put away. And I can no longer buy any more holiday stamps; unless I do what the organization experts say, and get rid of an equal or greater number.  I just can’t fit even one more cling stamp in my huge under-bed storage tote.  Such a quandary to start off the new year! LOL!

I did go into almost every drawer and cubby space, and while I did get rid of a few things (see the full trash can?)  it was mostly to re-organize so I can fit in more.  So my main desk and side desk, which as soon as I move the iPad and Laptop will have a nice clean area, are ready for my 2017 Endeavor!  My wonderful Hubby enrolled me in the Everything Art’s yearlong Wanderlust series!!  49 weeks of exploring creativity and new mediums! I can’t wait! 

And the mica spray update; I found the receipt…I did purchase them! Yet they are still very much missing in action.  Only 2 more workstations left to go through, and then I can blame it on the mice.

So that’s me; now go back to the Stamping Ground to portal off to other creative desks.  Stay Crafty my friends.