Effy's Book Of Days: Letters to 2011/2012

In Effy's Book of Days, 

we have a spread that 

incorporates a letter we write
to the year 2011.

I think this is such an amazing idea.

We also incorporate a pocket 

for a letter to 2012.

We don't touch that until, 

um, 2012. 

This spread is the very first

in my upcycled journal.

I begin by using my favorite 

color, Golden's Cobalt Teal.

I think Heaven is an Urban Outfitters 

and the walls are all this color.

oh, and the clothes all fit...

teehee, seriously,

What I really think is that 

Heaven is Now.
OM.
Back to Art.

Now my favorite color combo

on the planet

is teal and red. 

But I wanted to say 

good bye to 2011

and greet 2012 

in a less vibrant fashion.

So, I went with teal and pink. 

A pretty, gentle, and compassionate 

meet and greet. 

teehee.

In the pic below I am playing around with the layouts.I have had that PAPAYA! sticker for years! who knew the importance a lotus flower would come to have for me 

years later.

On the side is some vintage wallpaper I was lucky enough to score in a trade with another Art and Soul 

attendee.Also there are some assorted scrap booking elements left over from those days too. And the pic of the thread spools is from an old Coach catalog, believe it or not. Back in the day I cared about stuff like that. That's ok. I got my first Coach bag when I passed my State Boards, I was 26. Some of Sam's school mates

had them in second grade, but I am coming dangerously close to my what is happening to the world we live in diatribe...back to art!!!

So I'm almost ready for the glue.

For my letters I am repurposing

a thank you note from my sister, Linda.
I'm just going to write my letter
in between her writing. 
very cool. 
Since she wrote
in orange pen, 
I may just write
on top of her letters in black.
So I get to keep a little of her, too.
very, very cool.

I always loved 
the henna tattoo/paisleyish 
pattern on the notecard

and had grandiose dreams of 

tracing it and cutting it

into a rubber stamp. 

HAHAHAHA.

I will scan it though.

Just in case...

I have the years stamped

with one of those 

office date things.

and some stenciling

through some cool

punchinella, 

or sequin waste. 

I also used some 

PAPAYA! tissue

and twinkling H2O's.

Do Not Hate Me

for getting you hooked.

I am an Art Supply Enabler.

Below is a pic of spread 

without the letters in the pockets.

There are some stickers used

and a clear envelope 

from when Sam was a baby

and I was scrap booking every fart.

She's almost 18.

Therefore,

my "use what I have" year.

Long Overdue.

Below more

gratuitous closeups. 

Cuz I'm a closeup whore.

And there you have it,

my first ever

Art Journal spread.

and it was constructed

mostly in bed

with foot elevated.

  

So, my word is

Mindfulness. 

I hope I can live up to it.

Thanks for looking!

xoS
PS I have no idea why
that column of text is way over to 
the side, and I'm way too tired
to fix it. Let's just all pretend
I meant to do it that way.
Thank. You.

Upcycling a 2004 Art Journal

I've joined an online 

Art journal group, 

Effy's Book Of Days.

It's completely free and

chockfull of cool techniques

and lots of glitter flinging by the 

workshop leader,

Effy Wild from 

Wild Precious Life.

There is also a 

supportive and generous  

face book group 

to participate with.

I've met many

very talented women

and am having a great time. 

For my Book of Days

I am recycling a 

Somerset Studio

Art Journal Calendar from 2004.

Below are pics of the 

front and back cover.

 

I'

Above, 

I've taped up the inside pages

to protect them from paint.

I gesso'd the hell out of 

both covers. 

Added some kind of thin fabricy 

stuff that a Christmas present was 

wrapped in a few years ago.

Yup. I save everything.

On top of the fabricy stuff

I used gesso with a palette knife 

to create texture.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do 

with it, 
I may try to make it look leathery

or like the surface of an old stone building.

 From the cover of the

original calendar

I only kept the word 

"TODAY"

which I covered with
Dimensional gel

and now has a cool

raised effect highlighting it.

Part of our practice in this 

journal is to pick 

a word for the Year.

I've been struggling mightyly

with choosing the right word.

I have been thinking 

for months about my 

focus for the upcoming year

and I keep coming back to

"use what I have"

and that phrase does not 

boil down to one word.

DAMN IT.

So, like all things,

I'm learning that the word

Mindfulness

pretty much covers 

everything.

If I am practicing mindfulness

I am using what I have!!

I probably have thousands

of rubber stamps

but I really 

don't use them anymore.

I came to a realization a

year or two ago that

I really don't want to use 

anyone else's art in my work.

Sooner or later I will start

organizing them and selling

them on etsy or ebay.

These 4 stamps are among

my favorites. 

"Be Still" is "still" 

one of my favorites.

On these tags I journalled

about the things

I am looking forward to in 2012.

On the back of Be Still 

I journalled about learning

more about Buddhism and

practicing Mindfulness.

On the Frida tag

I journaled about looking 

forward to making strong friendships

with women who create.

On the dragonfly tag I journaled

about the upcoming Milestones 

I am looking forward to this year

taking place in Sam's life.

Prom, choosing a college,

senior trip, and the continuation

of her independence.

And on the Venus tag,

I journaled about 

"using what I have".

 

Pan Pastels

 add the color to the tags.

I originally embellished a 

baseball pocket page 

with alcohol inks intending

to attach the page into the journal 

to hold the tags.

You will see that idea

never made it into my

Book of Days.

After I got a start on the book

the feel of the plastic 

is not organic enough with 

the pages I have so far.

 My next post will show 

pics of the progress I've made

on the first few spreads.

I deviated somewhat

from the instructions

but Effy encourages

and nurtures our individuality

in a funny, wise,and

completely stress free

environment.

Good times!!

Now tell me,

how have you started

this new year?

Have you picked a word 

to support your endeavors 

in personal 

and creative growth?

Or do you play it by ear?

Spill it, sisters.

xoS

Happy New Year and Bring on the DMARDS

Happy New Year! 

Sam and I spent Christmas day 

at my brother's house. 

Isn't it adorable??

  

 My brother is the Santa in overalls.

My nephew in red shirt, my dad is the guy in khakis, and my nephews in law on the right.

A great group of men! 

As you can tell Christmas is a 

HILARIOUS day full of one upping

in the humor and drinking department. 

LOL. 

My brother and his wife cook up amazing 

turkey in a loving atmosphere.

 

It is the best place to be for Christmas.

Here is Sam on Christmas at our house:

The first pic is the 

MOM. 

Are you going to take a pic 

EVERY time

I open something?  

Sam knows my humor!!

This may be next years card.

I didn't make any this year. 

You'll see why later.

And no.

It's not because 

I won the lottery

or met the man o my dreams... 

disclaimer: I actually did.

Meet the man of my dreams.

Buddha.

Sam has an obsession with Biggie Smalls.

It borders on me planning an intervention.

She also NEVER swears.

Which I find IRONIC.

Wait.

One time when she was 3

I heard her say

Shit.

She was in her room 

and was angry about something.

I heard her through the wall.

It was shocking.

Yet, hilarious.

 

 My facebook post explains it:

  I am GRATEFUL to The Universe that I have an amazing daughter who will be my legs, and an incredible podiatrist and rhuematologist who look after me.

its not all bad. 

Luckily I signed up for 

suzi blu's workshop

and printed all the pdfs.

So yea. 

I'm properly entertained.

Just not properly washed.

but that's another story

with a TMI ending.

Oh. And. This is big.

My beloved friend Teri

washed my hair for me.

and cut it all off.

YUP

I am not worrying about 

what is sexy anymore.

I'm too mature to be

hot rollering.

So that pic above of me and Sam

on Christmas is my

swan song to long locks.

I'm not posting a pic yet.

Not until I am more mobile,

washed, and moisturized.

 New Years Eve Elevation:

My sis came over with lasagna

and champagne.

My beloved godson

and his charming girl

joined us.

We watched Johnny Depp

and Angelina Jolie

in The Tourist.

Which a few minutes into, 

I realized I had seen the original

foreign film, "Anthony Zimmer". 

They are wonderful movies, both.

The Venice scenery and Jolie's wardrobe

are tre magnifi!!!

 

 So there you have it.

I wish all my 

inspirational, talented and generous

art friends

THe Happiest and Healthiest

of New Years.

Thanks for visiting.

Thanks for listening.

Thanks for commenting.

Thanks for sharing 

your amazing talent.

xoS

On the First day of Christmas my Muse gave to me: ZOMBIES

It started out so innocently.

I was simply practicing sketching.

I couldn't get the eyes right.

Par for the course for me.

So I kept erasing them.

I showed my daughter 

what I had done so far.

She said "I love it,

don't change a thing, it's done".

First I thought she was nuts.

Then I thought, yeah, I like this.

Creepy. Different. 

So many variations to be had.

My muse brought me Zombie Katie Holmes.

IMO she is a talentless Zombie.

Feel free to disprove my thinking. 

Ok, that's not very compassionate of me.

I get a bad karma pass cuz

I'm a beginner Buddhist.

Not sure how long I can milk that one.

teehee.

Xanax Zombie

Robot Zombie

Thank you so much for visiting 

and commenting.

Tell me what makes you a Zombie.

And how do you counteract it?

Besides Art of course.

xoS

The Talented Diane Cook

Artists are a special breed of people.

Diane Cook is one of them. 
I was very fortunate to

 meet Diane on the beginning of 

her artistic journey.

A Texan flying to Art and Soul 2007

held in Hampton Virginia,

met a Jersey Girl driving down to A and S

via the wonderful internet.

The Jersey Girl offered to drive the Texan's tools down to Virginia.

A bond of trust and friendship 

formed via email?

yup, it can happen.

In 2007 we thought it would be difficult to get soldering irons, flux, and assorted

scissors, files, and other sharp objects

through security at the airport.
And that was a big box!
It arrived safely to my home via US POST
and safely to Virgina, via Nissan Rogue!!
And so began our amazing journey 
as artists and friends.

Diane is an amazing jewelry artist.

I have watched her work evolve,

I have seen her jewelry on the cover

of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

Now she is teaching at venues similiar to 

where our friendship began.

This soul sister is charming, witty,

kind, wise, talented and above all,

generous. 

I COVETED, probably annoyingly,

one of Diane's incredible

Mexican Calendar Girl Necklaces.

Now this busy lady was working full time,

creating in her spare time,

mothering, grandmothering, 

and granddogging!

as well. 

Then she was submitting work to

magazines, getting the COVER, 

traveling with her true love,

teaching, etsying and all

manor of exciting things.

Every once in awhile I would nag her,

in what I hope what was a charming fashion,

for my MCG necklace.

Well, I got a surprise in the mail.
Look at this lovely packaging:

Here is the best closeup my poor 

camera will do. Love the wire wrapping,

awesome beads, and bling in the form 

of glitter and crystals! 

I love this sooooo much!

The necklace is a box chain

and the length is perfect!

More beautiful packaging!

And here is the most
beautiful packaging of all!
Heart and Soul, incarnate.
Generosity, wisdom, humor,
positivity, talent and faith.
This photo was taken by Charlene, of 
"My Hearts Ease" blog.
Please visit her blog to read about her
experience in a class taught by Diane.
Thank you, Charlene,
for the use of this photo.
And thank you, Diane, for 
your gift of friendship,
and for my new most favorite thing,
my Mexican Calendar Girl Necklace!
xoS