Finally....

I've had this piece of burlap with white cracked plaster on it made for months...many months...not sure why I didn't do anything with it - what we're motivated to create and when is probably something of a mystery to most of us.  For some reason I decided to finally do something with it last weekend, then the rest of the weekend was a blur, as always happens when I dive into something...

I love working with cracked plaster - you can get such great texture, the color seeps into the cracks, and the more you rub color on and off the more beautiful the patina of the plaster becomes. And this old glass slide - I scored a beautiful box of these, they're from England from the 1920's, and apparently belonged to someone who traveled all over the world. I wish they'd had a way of writing the names of the places in them...

I did lots of digging through my metal stash, and ripped another page out of my 1917 Pharmacy ledger - it's a good thing it's really fat!  This project was probably an attempt to distract myself from the fact that one of our cars, which we thought was in the shop getting some work done that was under warranty, will now require $4,500 to fix, which it's not worth, so we now have to buy something new (to us anyway).  Is there much worse than having to spend a bunch of money on car problems??

Drippy, waxy fun

This is my most recent project, and it was so fun. I just totally indulged what I felt like doing, and didn't let myself think about if anyone else would like it, or worry about the end result. Sometimes I get so invested in the end result I don't end up enjoying the process (I know I'm not alone in this...)  I just used things I love - wonderful old pages with great handwriting, drippy paint, lots of wax, actual old paintbrushes and old hardware/metal pieces.  The center part actually does spin - I handed it to my boyfriend and asked him to make it happen, which he always does...

I love wax, how it allows what's under it to still show through, buts adds softness and mystery. I love how you can rub ink or paint over it, then wipe it off and how that brings out all the wonderful texture and imperfections. Or, as I did here, words or even carved designs can be brought out.  Voila!  Instant character....

Art Journal Catch-up

I thought I'd share some of my more presentable art journal pages, I don't know why I don't post them as I do them...  I guess I'm lazy and like to scan them all at once, usually when I want to use a copy of a part of one in something else...

This is a birthday card I made for a friend. One advantage of almost no one I know being aware that I have a blog, is that it makes it possible for me to post cards and gifts I make...

And finally I have to share this link : http://now.msn.com/now/0328-dog-saves-life.aspx#scptmd.  I don't know if it's because I have a Basset Hound too, but it actually made me cry with laughter, and for my English friends, you'll be proud to know this was on your turf!