A Few WIPS (Works in Progress)

With my upcoming surgery on the 27th, I'm trying to get some projects started that I can finish up while I am at home recuperating.  As the saying goes, I have "a lot of irons in the fire".  But isn't that the way most of us work?  Here's what I've been working on . . .


Metal . . . Wire . . . Grungeboard . . . Canvas . . . Paper . . .

Soooooo lovin' Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Stash Craft Resist!  If you haven't picked up a pad of this stuff, you need to click on the link and get yourself some.  . . .

Took a "Mini Dress Form Tutorial" over at Karla's Cottage and have altered the instructions to make even larger shelf size forms.  And if you're wondering, yes, just like with most new things I learn, I already have 6 of these in the works!  Here's one in progress . . .

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I will try to be back with something in a more finished state by next weekend.  See you soon!  xoxo

OCD WIPS

I've started a new Configurations Box . . .

back of the box

and I've been a little obsessed with making flowers from the Sizzix Flower Layers #5 Die using my Tim Holtz Vagabond. . .

Sunday Afternoon Delight

Although it is 81 degrees here in my neck of the woods today, I am inside - windows open, working on my 12 Tags of Christmas and a Configurations vintage-inspired project.  

gettin' the tools ready!

Nobody but Tim could possibly inspire me enough to keep me inside on a beautiful sunny Southern California day like TODAY! *smiles*

got the distress inks

got paper?  CHECK!

"just in case" additions

configuration WIP

I hope you are all having an art-filled day today!  

Gotta get busy - see ya later!

Enabler Reminder and WIP's

Don't forget about the sale that starts tomorrow!! I've been invited as a guest to attend an OCAM workshop in the morning, but you can be sure that on my way back home I'll be stopping HERE.   UPDATE:  The sale is worth going to!


Still have WIP's (works in progress) going on over here . . .

Really cool hands I purchased from Absolutely Everything

some holiday charms for a necklace WIP

Vintage-Inspired Configuration WIP

Holiday Configuration WIP

I've decided this Canvas ZENtangle haired girl WIP is finished!

So what have YOU been working on this week?

Psychedelic Girl

I started a new Zentangle-ish piece last night.  She's looking a little psychedelic don't you think?

Hair - Stage I

Stage II

Stage III

Psychedelic Girl was a little "off center", so I cut the watercolor paper down to 11 3/4" x 8 1/2".  Not sure where I'm going with this piece. Keep it strictly black and white?  Add color?  Collage?  I think this is going to be one of those projects that will sit for awhile and I'll come back to later.


But until then, maybe I'll just have a glass of wine . . .

stamped (rubbernecker and great impressions), distress inked and painted (instead of spraying) on some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists.  Hard to see in the photos, but I also put a thick layer of Glossy Accents over the wine in the glass

So what do YOU have planned this week?

W.I.P.

Working on a collaged canvas piece using another one of my vintage cabinet cards . . .

Lots of layers . . .

Vintage papers, paints and distress inks

Rubber stamps and Tim's new tapes . . .

No name for her yet. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

He sings because he doesn't want to be in this cage, that's why!
I've opened the door for you . . . Come out little birdie . . . spread your wings and fly!

Well, he couldn't really spread his wings OR fly out of that cage, but I was able to take him out and at least let him just hang out in his really cool shadow box!

This was one of my favorite workshops with t!m holtz on the Artful Voyage in Mexico cruise . . .

I did a crude rub-on job of the word "BIRD" on the glass in the lower left-hand corner to make it look old . . .

Here's a close-up of some of the background and the bird. I didn't glue all of the paper down. I rolled some of the edges and inked them with various colors of ink before we waxed it. Again, I wanted to give it that "it's been around awhile look" . . .

The collaged-distressed-inky bird, melted beeswax, Perfect Pearls, a tiny canvas, rub-ons, doo-dads, bottles, I just loved the whole PROCESS of this piece!

This is still a W.I.P. (work in progress), but I don't think I'll be finishing it in the next couple of weeks, so I thought I would show you how it looks so far. You know, keeping with all of the cruise blog posts I've been doing and all *hee hee*.

And yes Lezlei, before you ask . . . I WILL be making more of these . . . in different themes! SMILES

Still at it . . .

Still cutting and pasting and stickle-ing (that's my word for using Stickles Glitter Glue - hee hee). These still need words, but I'm working on that inbetween the other steps . . .



Here are some semi-completed atcs. Still need to do the backs . . .


And here are a few that aren't "art cruise-related" that I can trade with anyone not going on the cruise


Ok, I'm getting off of here and getting back to my Sears catalog *smiles*. Keep creating!!

ATC Undertaking

I've been reading on the Artful Voyage Yahoo Group for the October Tim Holtz/Wendy Vecchi cruise, that several of the art "cruisers" are planning an artist trading card get-2-gether the night before the cruise.

I got all excited when I read about the swap and thought WOW, just think, I could possibly come back home from the cruise with 100-175 pieces of art from all over the world!

So I got busy the other day and started making some backgrounds. These heavy recycled matboards that I cut to size are covered with decorative paper and cardstock . . .

I found a 1953 Sears Catalog and started cutting out Sears models. Here are some I have started collaging on some subtle graffiti paper backgrounds . . .

I used some of my acrylic & watercolored serendipity paper towels for these backgrounds . . .
Got lucky with THESE papers! I love the way the Sears girls look on them . . .
I painted the backgrounds for these with acrylic paints . . . Blues and Reds . . .
more paper, acrylic paints and some vintage book pages . . .

Thought this Blue Chip Stamp paper was just perfect for the retro look I'm going for! . . .

A few more of the ladies. Gold paint pen used on the borders . . .

I thought it would be cool to put some sayings on the cards that related to the art cruise or just some funny or witty sayings that I thought went with the photos. Here are a couple that I have completed . . .

Because I live close enough and don't need to stay at the hotel the night before, and Lezlei will be flying in from Texas and staying with me before we sail, we won't be attending the swap at the hotel the night before. I guess we'll have to do our swapping onboard.

Hey, Lezlei are you making atc's to swap too?

Can't tell you what I was thinking when I took on this undertaking, but I can tell you what I'm thinking NOW. I'm thinking that I had better get off this blog and get back to work if I'm going to make close to 200 of these! I've only COMPLETED TWO!