GPP Street Team Crusade #39

It's that time again!! Time to Get Our Crusade On!! This month Michelle Ward's Crusade #39,"Pulling Prints", was a total and complete blast. This is my virgin attempt at monoprinting. The process is very easy, very satisfying and the results make the paint on your wine glass worth it. Oh, was that just me?? teehee. I started out with this paper I just had to save from when my car was in the shop. I save ALL paper. At least THIS TIME, something I saved came in handy! Michelle tells us to use acetate or tyvek for the shape cut outs. Since this paper is slick and waxy on the one side I'm going to give it a go.

I decided to use the fluers-de-lys stamp (here on to be known as FDL, ok), my brand new flaming heart stamp, and a flower stamp. Used Stazon ink and cut them out.

Part of the fun for me was buying this glass cutting board, only $8 at Wal-mart. I didn't end up using the glove.

I scoffed at Michelle when she recommends buying a 500 pack of unlined index cards to pull your prints. I scoffed, why would I need 500, I'll Never Use Them Up!! WRONG. I pulled 200 already. You can keep track because there are 5 seperately wrapped packs of 100 cards inside the 500 pack. I take back my scoff. teehee.

So, I picked 2 colors that I like but haven't used lately and smeared them on the glass.

Here is the first batch. They are not all beauties, but I can work with that! I used too much paint at first.

Here I am pulling up the flower to run a second print. See Michelle's wonderful instructions for more detail. I was able to pull about 20 prints using the stamps out of the floormat paper, so I'm glad I made 3 of each. As the paper gets more saturated with paint, the cut out sticks to the print. I'm going to use these cut outs as collage elements.

These are prints I'm happier with, less paint and more character!

Some cool second pulls:

Another look at the second pulls:

Next two are closeups of second pulls:

Switched colors here. Had to buy this brayer too. Love it, wonderful paint spreader. I painted most of the backs of the prints too. I tried to make the backs look like plaid on a silk scarf. Oh well, it's good to have goals, right? teehee.

Here I'm pulling the print and you can see the FDL cut out.

And here are the FDL print's. I am quite pleased with these. The lower right hand corner was accomplished by following Michelle's advanced instructions. I get a Gold Star for that one!!

OMG!! How did the next pic get here??? These are the sucky rejects. But you know darn well I'm going to pick them up off the floor and overstamp them, baby them and turn these ugly ducklings into swans. teehee.

These have over stamping and I love the colors!!

These next 2 pics utilize masks from Tim Holz. I had medium success. I was going for spooky with wintry skies but I instead I channelled my inner third grader and this is what happened. sigh. You know these look like a third grader made them. I hate my inner third grader, she is chubby and both her arms are broke. Plus she called her teacher a Snot (which she deserved) and got in BIG trouble. But I digress, as usual.

These are done using the stenciling method. Very pleased with these, and Love this color palette.

This is next pic is blurry, but see that little scrap of paper on the top heart? kind of light in color? that just ended up there, I did not do that. And what a cool effect it made. It looks like the heart has a heart on the prints. Hey, I can't make this stuff up. And here is my biggest truth, when I create, THE BEST STUFF I MAKE IS ALWAYS A MISTAKE. Seriously, it's the unintentional that is always the miracle. That's why I am not a "REAL" Artist. A real artist sits down and puts stuff together. And it looks like something good. A not so Real Artist waits until serendipity hits and the planets align and something occurs by accident that looks awesome.


Here is the plethora of prints I pulled using hearts. This obsession is all Michelle's fault. She is totally an enabler.

Here are some of my favs.

I love the heart in the middle of Anarchy.

See that little piece of paper??? isn't it cool??? Oh, wait, I should have lied and said I did that on purpose. oh well, too late now.

This one I overstamped with the rubber stamp.


Then I went all Fiesta with colors and abstract shapes.

Okay, I'm done. I'm exhausted and slap happy and have no idea what I've written.

See the purple paint on the lip of the glass??? xoSusan

And the Award Goes To....

Aw, Shucks, Marianne, you shouldn't have, but I'm honored that you did:

Here are the details of this award copied from Marianne's Art Blog, my words in color:

I give this with no expectations that you’ll display the award or pass it on. Please don’t feel in any way obliged to do so. Just know that I love your blog and want to recommend it to anyone who might not have come across you before now!

If you do want to play along, here are the ‘rules’ – but just do what feels right:

1.Thank the person who gave you the award.

2.Pass this award along to (insert your # of choice here!! teehee, I'm choosing 5) bloggers you’ve recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic!

3.Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

4.Share seven things about yourself.

Ok, #1 rule: Thank you Marianne!! I love your art and photography and your generosity of knowledge and caulk!

Now for rule #2: Here are 5 amazing blogs that I have recently discovered, ADORE, and just have been too busy (lazy, really) to add them to my blog roll.

Cinnamon Pink Crusade-love this blog for wonderful collage and journal pages

Natural Dye Journal-I do not sew, repeat, I do not sew. Therefore I covet this artist's work. Her fabric journal covers are wonderful.

Atriphy The Heart-simply delicious journal pages

Fido Art-ok, I'm cheating a little here. Fido Art is not new to me, I stalk Danny's flickr site quite regularly. However his blog is relatively new to me, so I get off on a technicality. so there. teehee.

The Land Of Lost Luggage-Holy Hell Batman, just check this collage artist out. My friend Kathy, turned me on to this blog artist. We are going to sign up for one of her classes. Can't wait!!!

Rule #3, I just sent out 5 very scarey stalker type emails letting the above bloggers know they have been forwarded an award from an unknown admirer. creepy, no? teehee

Rule #4, Share 7 things about yourself.

1. The Blues is My Religion

2. My daughter weighed less than the Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster I cooked the day before she was born. (Roaster 6 1/2 pounds, Samantha 5 pounds)

3. I get sensory overload while shopping for everything except groceries. If there are too many choices I get anxious. I still shop, but a lot of times I go home and say "I should have gotten this, that, or the other, but I was too overwhelmed to focus and figure out what I really wanted

4. I never know where anything is in my house

5. I love Captain Morgans Spiced Rum

6. I love to watch Previews or Trailers before a movie, I NEVER fast forward thru them

7. I have no idea how to use most of the features on my iphone. I have the most underutilized iphone in the World

And there you have it. xoSusan

Elmer's Caulk Transfer Play

As you are well aware by my previous post,teehee, I am having a grand time playing with inkjet transfers using Elmer's Caulk and Apollo 7039 transparencies. Just as a reminder, I use an Epson C88 with Durabrite inks. I am working on cardboard that has been gesso'd and painted with various sprays and acrylics. I am still enamoured of All Things Medieval since attending Lynne Perrella's Medieval Manuscript Workshop, which is evident in my "practice book."

I am just overjoyed at the ease in which transfers happen using the above recipe. I will be grateful to Marianne FOREVER!!! teehee. I am having so much fun, because the success rate is so high, and even when it isn't exactly what I was going for, I can make it work. So here is my FIRST Elmer's Caulk transfer:

Got my supplies together....
Laid down some Elmer's Caulk, set tranparency down, burnished with bone folder, and lifted TOO SOON. Marianne's directions said WAIT several moments for the caulk to set. Could I wait? NO. Therefore this blob, which will be attended too, have no fear. But the bits that did transfer gave me HOPE!!! The bits were, good, good I tell ya, clear, detailed with tons of promise!!! So I calmed myself down, and tried again.

oh JOY oh Rapture!! look at that!!! Almost Perfect!! I left my camera at TMG's house so these pics are taken with my iphone that, alas, has no flash, no zoom or macro feature. Apologies. Anyway, after the above success it was a free for all :
I like a smoother burnishing hand that a rag affords, rather than the bone folder.
Look at that clean transfer!! Then I started playing with other pages:

Now before I did the Caulk Transfer's on this page, I tried to use a Chartpak Blender Pen to do a transfer of the castle onto this page:

Saturate small area with pen and burnish, burnish, burnish. Well ventilated area please.
Lift, and Nothing Transferred! Well, the paint did attach to the copy....
So the hell with it, I cut it out and attached it with Golden's Self Leveling Gel. I'm sure there are successful ways to use this technique, but I just don't see the point. Can someone enlighten me?? Well, I like a transfer sometimes that doesn't have the raised and glossy or satin area of caulk or gel medium surrounding it. I can see a definite need for that. In that case I would probably use an alcohol spray or Purell transfer to UNPAINTED paper. For example if I wanted to transfer an image on top of some vintage writing or paper, and I wanted a surface without texture. Ok, I just did that answering my own question thing. Anybody else ever used the Chartpak pen and if so, in what capacity? I would love to hear other Artists input on that.

So, moving along, Here is a page 80% completed, I think I may add some more writing in the upper left corner, cutting thru the heart, maybe:

It's probably not politically correct to say you LOVE your own work, teehee, but I LOVE this!!! Not bad for playing and practicing. The lyrics to the strip of music are:

"When three long years had passed away, A Knight shall wed with me."
"O thou shalt have a milk-white steed, If thou shall wed with me."
"O thou shalt have a golden crwon, If thou shall wed with me."

Holy High Expectations, Batman!!! anyhoo, there are 2 caulk transfers, the woman and the tassels, stamping, embossing, a torn piece of vellum paper printed with gold sheet music, which I then did the heart caulk transfer on top of. The arrow thru the ring is a transparency piece I glued on with DG3 because I didn't want to take a chance and mess up her features by doing a caulk transfer. I have found with playing that you can LAYER the transfers on top of each other!!! YAHOO, more on that later. I sprayed all with an acrylic sealer. I like how the sealer dulled down the arrow over the face. It was way too reflective before spraying.

That is all for now, I have lots more I could share, but I am itching to create with my new found knowledge and I have been on this computer for hours. Thanks again, Marianne. And thanks to all who visit and leave inspiring and kind comments!! xoSusan

GOT CAULK?-Ode To Marianne

Remember the song "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" by Indeep. Admit it, you know you do. Here it is in all its glory, play the video by clicking the arrow but scroll down to my amended lyrics and read while the music plays, oh and Crank it UP!!:

Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night Elmer's Caulk saved my life, yeah
'Cause I was sittin' there frustrated to death
And in just one breath, Marianne said
"You gotta get up, you gotta get up, you gotta get Caulk girl"
You know you drive me crazy, Transfer
You got me turnin' to another Artist
Marianne sent some Caulk and Directions to my home

Success, why you leave me all alone ?
And if it wasn't for the Caulk in the Mail , I don't know what I'd do, yeah
Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night a Good Transfer saved my life from a Broken Heart
Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night Elmer's saved my life with some Caulk

You know I hopped into my car, didn't get very far, no
Because I had Transferrin' on my mind, why be so unkind ?
You got your Techniques all around, all around this town
And I was trapped in love with Purell and I didn't know what to do
But when I turned to Marianne's directions, I found out all I needed to know
Check it out

Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night a Good Transfer saved my life from a Brokn Heart
Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night Elmer's saved my life with some Caulk

Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night a Good Transfer saved my life from a Brokn Heart
Last night Marianne saved my life
Last night Elmer's saved my life with some Caulk
Hey, listen up to My Bloggin Friend

You better hear what She's got to say

There's not a Transfer that Elmer's can't fix
'Cause Caulk can do it in the mix
And if your Transfer gives you trouble, just break out the Caulk on the double
And you don't let it trouble your brain
'Cause away goes trouble down the drain
Said away goes trouble down the drain
Well, alright
Caulk time
Last night some Caulk saved my life
There's not a Transfer Elmer's can't fix
'Cause Caulk can do it in the mix
'Cause Caulk can do it in the mix
In the mix, in the mix, in the mix, in the mix
In the mix, in the mix, in the mix, in the mix
In the mix, in the mix.

xoSusan

Look What Jimmy Made!!

My friend Jim McHugh aka mcillustrator did the Cover Art for the band "The Feelgoods" cd titled "making music". Here it is in all it's glory:

How cool is that??? The band member's are literally 'making music' . Jim is one talented guy and talks a little about creating the artwork on his mcillustrator blog here. You can preview and purchase The Feelgoods' music here. Have fun!! xoSusan

Medieval Trial and Error Journal

Remember when I posted about the cardboard dividers in the cases of cat food I buy? I posted about gesso'ing and painting them. Here are a couple pics:


Okay, now you remember! I use these pages to play and practice techniques, I'm not looking to create "works of Art" here. teehee, as if. I have had a very stressful couple of weeks with my health, leaking roof, full scale ANT attack, fender bender and all the repairs and insurance BS that entails, and I created a journal page that reflected my mood. Be afraid, be VERY afraid. teehee. I started with the gesso'd cardboard that I painted with stencils and glimmer mists:
I then tried and botched 2 transfers using the ink jet image printed on Apollo 7039 transparency and Golden's Soft Gel Medium technique. Venus isn't too bad, but she is very light. Either not enough gel medium or I didn't burnish enough, or I didn't wait long enough before lifting the transparency. The middle blob was definitely too much gel medium.

So in an effort to fix this mess, and because I was in the mood, finally to create, OH WAIT, there goes my EYE TWITCH!! Have you ever gotten that?? My right eye lid twitches like MAD!! I look like a crazed winker! Being an EYE CARE Professional, I can tell you for sure that if your eye lid TWITCHES like CRAZY you are STRESSED OUT Beyond Belief and it is imperative that you book a cruise immediately. teehee. Okay, back to reality.......I used Goldens Light Molding Paste thru a stencil and let it dry overnight. I used Caran D'ache sticks to color the paste. Then I outlined and highlighted areas with a charcoal pencil. I went over Venus with my lastest discovery/addiction, courtesy of Teesha Moore's site in which she talks about journaling, a Faber Castell Pitt brush pen. This baby writes over anything. It wrote over the waxy/oily Caran D'ache and the gel medium blobs. Oh yeah, I'm in love. The very Dark and Depressing Poem, courtesy of my Dark and Depressing Mind Set, is taken from, any guesses here,???? you guessed it "Wuthering Heights".

I think I like the page better before I did a damn thing too it. I hate when that happens. teehee. xoSusan