ATCs

I am either a lazy artist, or maybe just pressed for time. Or maybe stubborn. It takes me forever to try something new and then I have to crow about it like I invented it. heehee I have to laugh at myself or I will be jeered at by others. haha

So here are my latest ATCs, for another swap I am hosting for Christian Paper Artists. What's so GREAT about them? Well, to insure I actually altered the images, and not just glued a scripture on them and call them "done", I used PAINT (in this case guache- opaque water colors) which not only works like white-out to cover up things (the "angel" had children pictured with her, but no more!), but also can be used to tint the images (like the screaming red coif on the one ATC) and leaves a great workable surface for things like rubber stamping and gluing (unlike acrylics which dries plastic hard). Guache is one of the oldest paints around. The masters used it in a more permanent form by mixing it with egg (egg tempra!) and painted on guessoed wood (church alter paintings). Today I used my ancient (30 year old) box of Pelikan guache, still left from my high school art days. The tube of chinese white paint in the box is still moist! Glad I never threw the paints out, gave them away or sold them. Art supplies are EXPENSIVE! And I am painfully frugal.

So, if you are one of those art types that is afraid of paint, try guache. It goes down opaque, but not permanent so if you make a mistake, just add water and pick it up again, aka "blot". I did not invent the technique of altering photos with paint, in fact I am one of the last to try it! lol Stubborness, laziness or lack of time to experiment. You can call it what you will. But once I try something, I will encourage everyone else to. You will be glad you did! I know I am! Wow! Why didn't I try it sooner?

Simply Irrisistible

I went to my favorite thrift store today after getting my hair cut (short and sexy- I'd like to think ;) . Some days I go in to the Classic Shop and find nothing. Other days, like today, suddenly EVERYTHING appeals to me. I had stopped in today because yesterday I had found a badly yellowed print of some blue jays in a chipping paint frame and set it back down. Today I found, to my chagrin, that someone had claimed the whole box of frames "my" print was in (@10 cents!) I vowed never to put down another 10 cents item that called my name, no matter how questionable it looked. So today I shopped with purpose. I first lingered and rationalized over a stack of crackled plates with pretty gold designed rims (@10 cents) and next to them crackled and stained saucers (@ 5 cents) and their matching dessert bowls (@ 5 cents). I immediately pounced on a stack of hand crocheted doilies that echoed the colors on the saucers and then decided, what the heck, I would get all of the dishes and carried them up to the counter. A brief trip to the back of the shop and a quick rummage through some old clothing patterns rewarded me with vintage models to alter and possibly marry somehow with my doilies and saucers. It is all still steeping in my brain. I laughed at myself as I thought about the things I was buying- dishes, doilies and dress patterns. Completely unrelated items except that they all started with the letter "D"- and spoke to me. Simply irrisistible!

Birds Build Nests in the Darn'dest Places

Okay, so this nest sitting on my studio's window sill was not built by a bird there- I bought the (manufactured) nest from a local shop, because I just loved what an artistic, beautiful mess it was of all of the best "found" materials. I plan to move it around among my piles of things, but for now it sits on a window sill. Totally at home in the clutter.

But what started this train of thought was a chance sighting of a sparrow dragging building materials into the doorway of what I call a "canary condo"- you know those multiplex bird apartment houses for a certain type of bird that is very social (don't recall the name, but I'm sure someone will post to me about it... ). We have a decrepit one on a low, leaning (listing, even) post in our backyard. I have never seen a bird near it, let alone considering living in it, so I was a bit amazed and questioned the sparrow's decision. I was thinking we should have pulled the birdhouse complex down, because it's mostly rotted, but apparently there is a butt for every chair and a brave bird for every condemned property. heehee I like the sparrow's gumption. I am all about taking discards and making them into something functional or beautiful once again. And isn't that how a bird operates every day when it build a nest?

My ebay

I just posted some new stamps auctions

Friday night. You can't miss these if you love collage art! I am insane and a gambler so started the bids at 99 cents each! The set of stamps above retailed for almost $17.00! But it's fun to see what the market will bear and to see the occasional bidding war and frankly I am cheap, er FRUGAL :) and a 99 cent auction only cost 15 cents to start. I have so much more stuff to list, but time is an issue lately. I get distracted by email and reading blogs (among other things). heehee. So check out my auctions. I have some '70s stuff too.

Confessions of a Stampaholic

You cannot have too much fun with rubber stamps! Today I am packing a "thinking of you" box for a friend and did the trick of turning the (used) cardboard box inside out so I had a nice, clean surface to present to the post office. Yeah right! Like I am ABLE to leave a nice, clean surface alone!!! So I rubber stamp, I collage. I rationalize WHY I have such a large collection of rubber. I can't help it. I browse ebay and I BUY. Especially when I find incredibly unique stamps under the sedate description of "nice lot rubber stamps". I have cardboard boxes precariously piled in my studio, now vaguely organized by type or subject. There is my box of Asian stamps (one of my favorites), my box of oddments (like those pictured), collage stamps, background stamps, postoids, a little floral with sentiments, but not many (I like artsier stamps). So this will be the subject of my next zine for the Gleaner Zine 7 for 7 swap. I need to get cracking on it! My problem is that I often talk more about a project than do actual work on it. heehee

For the Birds

Inchies made from wrapping paper images (nest), greeting cards and bird punchies from Linda. Thank you Linda!! The inchies are ready to mail out today-- done 10 days ahead of schedule! UNheard of for me!!!! My face is pictured next to "procrastinator" in the dictionary. heehee

Inchies are...

... Mini collages that measure just 1" square. I found a baggy of them while rummaging the other day. I had gotten them in a Christian Paper Artists swap. When I first got them, I didn't have any ideas for using them, so they languished for several months. Now I can't put them away! I am having SO much FUN! Because some of the pieces are warped, I have been using pop dots for mounting them and I like the added dimension of their shadows anyway. Here I altered some boring boxed note cards and made something more interesting. I never buy blank cards at the hobby store when I can find cards and envelopes at garage sales and thrift stores for next to nothing.

The next inchie swap I'm participating in (also for
CPA ) has a "birdie" theme. If you would like to join, there is one more day left to sign up. Art is due March 14 (I think).