Took me all week to finally get the time to finish this 5x5 canvas collage but I'm happy to say it's done :-) I used Deli paper colored with Color Mists for the background. If you click the following link you can see what the before piece of deli paper looked like:
http://www.outsidethemargins.com/colormistbk7.jpg

Playday Today!

I had a playday today and learned how to make this copper wire bracelet, thanks to my sister. The turquoise focal piece in the center is a piece of very old African glass they used for trading.






Next I finished up a Valentine's art doll made from a plush playing card doll and the head is a beaded faux optical lense

Here's my piece for this weeks Artword of the week "Latte" I hand carved the coffee beans for the background stamp and drew the coffee cup then I painted it with my Color Mists. The Caffeine Saying stamp is by Dawn Houser.

Art all around you!

Hey when life gives you cold make some art I say! Here's a couple of pictures of a stalagmite hubby created from an outside shower barely dripping into an outside garden sink.

Another piece of art I recently did for a trade with a friend:

Colder than a witches....

Man is it cold and its not warming up! The sun is shining and it gives the illusion that its nice and warm out but once you go outside that wind chill hits you and smacks ya back to reality!

Its a good day to do art mostly I've been working on more projects that are in various stages Here's an a piece that is a work in progress...I used a paper mache torso from the craft store and covered it with molding paste and then wrote into it and let it dry. Then I patinaed over it with Modern Options Patina added a final for the head and wings made from fine copper mesh then it sat for awhile and today I was inspired to add the arms using my Funky Arm Pens from my website. I heated them with the heat gun to make them more moldable and cut holes and glued them into place. Once they were dry I painted them with Golden's acrylic paint mixed with a little glaze. I'll be sure to post when I do anymore to it

Here's a 4x4 page I did for Vickie from BMuse for her healing book. She unfortunately had an aneurysm and the prognosis is for a good recovery my thoughts and prayers go out to her! If your a friend of Vickie's or have shopped from her online store and would like to make a page you can contact Sandee on her blog for more information: http://sandees-sanity.blogspot.com/

I miss you mom!

Dear Mom,

I've been feeling emotional today and realized that Its been 10 years today since you've been gone and I miss you as much now as I did when I last squeezed your hand and kissed you good-bye! Although the pain is not raw like it once was, the ache in my heart and the void I feel not having you here is as strong as ever.

I never got the chance to thank you for all that you shared and taught me. Its because of you that my life revolves around art now, I hope it brings a smile to your face to see this. I wish so much that I could share my art with you on an earthly plane and to be able to learn even more from you and to share creative time together.

I also wish you could see your grand kids even as young as they were you left a lasting impact on them and they miss you and talk of you often. A favorite story Spencer and Morgan have is that last time you took them on a walk to Burger King of all places.....they knew that wasn't something normal for you and they had so much fun playing with the helicopter leafs with you, throwing them up in the air and watching them spin around to the ground! Nicholas told me not so long ago how much he still misses you and how very important you were to him. I'm sad for them that they didn't get more time with you. I know you'd so enjoy them right now and you would be very proud of all your grandkids!

This morning I finished a piece of art and it made me think about the imprints we leave on others and you left a huge imprint on each life you've touched not only your families but friends and kids you taught. Sometimes people leave only small impacts on a life, but your impact was so deep even now, all of your kids still feel it and miss you terribly!

Here's an altered book I created several years ago that I dedicated to you:
http://www.outsidethemargins.com/abmom.html

I love you mom and wish I could hug you one more time!

Lasting Imprints

Here's another piece I did for this weeks Artwords the word of the week is Graffiti...this is a piece that I had already started but wasn't sure what to do with it after I reached a certain point...I have lots of pieces like this, so I usually set them aside where I can see them and then when an idea springs to mind I finish it....this keeps me from being frustrated and allows me to work on several things at one time. On a side note this piece was created using deli paper, my Color Mists, Sailor Pens and glazes.

I named this piece Imprints on my Soul because once I really looked at the words and images in the depths of it, I started wondering what type of imprints have been left on me and what imprints will I leave in my art, my life, my kids those I meet. We grow, we change and our life's experiences leave imprints on each of us and helps form who we are. In a way imprints are like Graffiti...

See the definition of Imprint from the dictionary:

im·print (ĭm-prĭnt') Pronunciation Key tr.v. im·print·ed, im·print·ing, im·prints
To produce (a mark or pattern) on a surface by pressure.
To produce a mark on (a surface) by pressure.
To impart a strong or vivid impression of: "We imprint our own ideas onto acts" (Ellen Goodman).
To fix firmly, as in the mind: He tried to imprint the number on his memory.
To modify (a gene) by chemical means. n. (ĭm'prĭnt')
A mark or pattern produced by imprinting. See Synonyms at impression.
A distinguishing influence or effect: Spanish architecture that shows the imprint of Islamic rule.

What kind of imprint do you want to leave behind?

(click to enlarge)

Out with the old in with the New!

I've been working on finishing up projects and one of them was to finish making charms for a found object charm swap I'm in on the Altered Diva group I belong to. Here's my charms I created from a folding ruler I cut up, and some silver tags I made out of PMC:

I also have been making a few ATCs for trades that Joyce Vance taken on semi hosting (thanks Joyce!) If you want to see the rest of the ATCs I have for trade click the following link:

http://www.outsidethemargins.com/atctrades.html If your interested in the crowns I used you can find them here:

http://www.outsidethemargins.com/charms.html

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a new year filled with happiness, love and creativity!

I recently created some pieces using my new Precious Metal Clay on a play day with my sister here's the results:

I also created a piece yesterday for Artwords word of the week "Begin"

I've been wanting to do some more photoshop art and finally found some time this morning instead of working on Christmas cards like I should have been...gotta love that procrastination! LOL

Here's a piece I did for this weeks artword "Stripes":

Finally some art!

I managed to get some art created though I have not been able to get a decent picture or scan of it due to the relectiveness of it.

I also managed to finally get the Christmas tree up! I guess we decided to be backwards this year normally I get the tree up first and THEN the outside decorations. Here's some pictures of two of the trees I put up this year...I use to put up more trees but I don't have the time or space for more trees, so I have one in our front living room and a small one in our family room:

This tree I call the toy tree its decorated with ornaments from the kids and hubby's Peanuts ornaments he's a big time Peanuts fan!

Tis the Season!

I thought I'd post a few pictures of our zany Christmas decorations! Since we are the brightest house on the block or for that matter probably the city too! LOL it seemed only fitting to have some brightly colored decorations to go with the house (I'll try and get some taken with them lit and post them if they come out):

Of course I was not able to find a wreath that matched the house, for the door, so I bought a faux Christmas bough and made one (we still have not painted or stained the door yet).

Happy Holidays to all!

Finally!

After many paths and detours I finally finished my window piece for artwords and let me tell you it is nothing like I started out this is the final piece after starting over and over again nothing seemed to flow together right and so I finally gave into making it a Christmas piece. I think I kept struggling with wanting to do Christmas and wanting to do something grungy. All I knew for sure was that I was definitely using a Tic-Tac-Toe game board as my window. Once I cut the pieces for the inside and adhered them I added fine glitter and made it into a shaker type card. I then covered over the panels with opaque vellum.

I'll post the before and after:

Creative Obstacles

I've been working on a project off and on all week and the piece has taken at least 5 different turns and finally I decided to set it aside and I just played gluing torn pieces of color mist backgrounds I've made in the past and other scrap bits and then drew with a white sailor pen and gold leafing pen added a few more swirls, flowers and some chalk inks and this is what I ended up with (not sure if I will use it for the piece I was originally working on or save it for something else):



I also just uploaded some beautiful new artwork from talented Mary Haldeman and Caryl Hoobler in the Color Mist Gallery.

I did some more to my canvas by adding additional colored deli paper and pumping out some silver krylon leafing paint onto some acetate and then running it across the high points of the molding paste and canvas:

Step 4.

Previously I posted a black canvas I'm working on where I begain with my Color Mists. I mentioned I'd be posting my progression as I continue to add to this canvas.... I've since added some torn deli paper I stamped with gesso and colored with Color Mists and then added molding paste to the upper left corner and lower right corner then sprayed once again with the color Mists heavily and allowed it to drip then dried it with the heat gun.

To be Continued. . .

Step 3.

(click to enlarge)

We Survived!

Yep we survived Turkey day and didn't even eat too much! It was a nice and relaxing day.

I'm excited to announce that Artella asked to do an artist interview with me for their new DailyMuse Newsletter and it came out today:

http://www.artelladailymuse.com/news/159/ARTICLE/2682/2006-11-25.html

Here's a background I created using my color mists on an 8"x10" black canvas, its an on going piece, so check back to see the progression:

Step 1 & 2:
(click to enlarge)

Happy Creating!

Word of the Week"Bird"

Here's a piece I just finished for artwordsartwords. I created the background using my Color Mist sprayable watercolors and once try I spritz it with alchohol and then dried it with the heat gun. The wording is "One is the loneliest number....two is better then one..."

Here's the background before I added anything and then after:

Art Happened Here!

I just thought I'd share what my studio looked like after the mad dash to get ready for the boutique....okay I'd be lying if blamed it all on the boutique, but well it did contribute a big percentage of it and hey it's a good excuse to keep going and not put things back, so there you have it confessions of a mad art woman!

See the evidence below!

(click the picture to enlarge it)

Your Invited

If your in the area pop on over to our Art Clique's Gilded Offerings Art Boutiuqe going on starting tonight you can get more info at the following link http://www.artcliqueboutique.com

I managed to get a picture tutorial up for my Color Mists, deli and gesso backgrounds you can check it out here:

http://www.outsidethemargins.com/colormist6.html

Here's an a 8x8 chunky canvas that I created using my Color Mists and deli paper as the background:

Happy Creating!

Color Mists Backgrounds

I just finished uploading some new backgrounds I created using my Color Mists, Deli Paper and Gesso. I can't tell you how much fun it is to create these, very therapeutic! Some of them I folded first and then colored. Here's a preview of one sample if you'd like to see more click the following link:
http://www.outsidethemargins.com/colormist5.html

Since hubby hasn't put our new porch light up yet we didn't have any trick or treaters last night, but my youngest decided he wasn't too old yet to trick or treat so came up with his own costume and dressed up as a Lumber Jack. I thought he did a great job! Check out some of their past Halloween'>http://www.outsidethemargins.com/family.html">Halloween costumes.

Happy Howl 'O ween!

Today's Halloween Specials:

1. Ghoulash
2. Scream beans
3. Scalped potatoes
4. Mummy'stomb-make booberry pie with I scream

Happy Haunting!

No more naked house!

Well the dust has settled the painters have cleaned up, the ladders are gone, and our house is no longer naked! It was a long week with a crew of painters scraping and sanding and finally painting but the end result is a VERY bright house. I'm pretty sure from the looks on our neighbors faces it wasn't what they were expecting and I myself have had to get use to the large scale brightness but it sure does look good with a new set of clothes on LOL I even got a new door and light to go with it. If you want to see the end result first put your sunglasses on and click the link below:

Show me the light!"