Feb. Calendar: thekathrynwheel

This is the calendar spread I made for February.  I used a sepia ink and a brush to put down some color.  Then I usd a sepia Copic marker to write a love letter.  (The ink ran out before I finished and I had to switch to a brown pen.)  Next I tore some pink/silver glittered paper and added the pieces randomly around the pages.  Then I used a red pen and a ruler and drew dash lines diagonally across each page.  I drew some hearts around the page and used my rubber stamps to add some hearts and sentiments.  I cut my squares and placed them on the pages.  I had some old-fashioned dolls stamped on a scrap that I cut out and placed in various places over the pages.  I used a blank ticket to write on and glued it beside the heart frame that contains the "February" heart at the top of the page on the left side.  I added a stamped doll and metal heart to the ticket.  I added an "inchie" to the bottom the page on the left and a tag with "Ms. Wren" (www.characterconstructions.com) stamped on it to the bottom of the page on the right side.  I attached a red puffy heart to the February title.   As a final effort, I added wings to the heart at the upper left side of the left page and then wrote "The heart can do anything" in several places around the pages.  I am so enjoying this project!  I have been able to keep up with my January calendar thus far.  I do pray I can be faithful with this project all through the year.  It is challenging to decide which colors for the pages and which paper designs to use for the journal squares.  Join us!  (go to: thekathrynwheel.com and look for the calendar pages on the left side of her blog.)

Inside pages to Altered Calendar Book

I also altered the inside front cover and the first page of this book.  There were beautiful butterflies painted on the inside cover......just little brush painted outlines, but lovely.  I doodled inside the open spaces of the wings and then wrote "butterfly, flutterby" randomly around the page.  I had this lovely French General tag and decide to use it as my book plate.  The card in the upper right corner has a quote from Alice in Wonderland "How does one become a butterfly," she asked pensively.  "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."   I love this quote!  I believe it is one of my favorite from the book because I see myself so very much in it.  I want to do so many daring things with my art but feel so comfortable where I am.  Do I really want to fly???  Hmmmm.......  I added a stamped butterfly to the top of the book plate.  In the lower left corner I added a cut out of a bird's nest with eggs and placed a cut out of the girl with a heart just above the nest.  (Home is where the heart is!)  I used my red ink pen and outlined it several times.  In the lower right corner I added the British post office letter box (just because my heart is SO British!  LOL)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The next page had 12 squares, each an artist work in itself, that I altered.  It was so much fun deciding how to alter each of these tiny squares.  I love working on little spaces.  (I recently saw a post on thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com about one of her tiny journal pages.  I love tiny journals and have one that I will post when I finish with it.)  I am so ready for this round robin to begin!  Can't wait to see the finished product.  ")  Be creative!  Do something today!

Altered Book Round Robin

 I've altered a daily calendar book for the round robin that my art club is doing this year.  This was a Somerset calendar so it had lots of artwork in it.  I removed those pages and left the ones that had lots of blank spaces on them for my artist friends to add their own artwork.  I used a sheet of 9"X 6" watercolor paper for the front of the book.  I used lime green and aqua watercolor paints to add the background color.  I left several white spaces.  For the main image, I tore the front from a card that I had purchased.  I edged the card with sepia ink.  I added a brad containing a bicycle image to the piece before adhering it to the front.

I added three squares containing the letters to spell out "art"; below that I added the word "journal" cut from magazine text.  I then added a decorative brad below that.  I cut additional words and phrases from a magazine and added them to the front.  I added three words to another square and added it to the upper right hand corner.  I used a ink pen to outline each word or set of words.  I glued ribbon to the left side of the watercolor paper; then I made a bow from the same ribbon, secured it with a brad and glued it to the top of the ribbon.  I left the stripes showing next to the coil that binds the book together.
For the back, I used a few of the new Cirque stamps from Catherine Moore.  (Go to www.characterconstructions.com to view her complete line).  I used the back of the purchased card to make a panel on which to stamp the tent.  I used squares and circles to stamp the images for the back of the book.  I outlined many of these.  I did not completely cover the back of the book but left several images open.  I randomly added washi tapes to the front and back.  The sentiment stamp is from Stampabilities.

Masterboards

If you haven't tried a masterboard, you are missing out on a combination of journaling, art, and just playing around.  ")   I've done several of these and one was even published in the Stampers' Sampler (can't remember off hand which one....I'll have to get back to you on that").  For this one, I used colored chalks to make the colorful background.  Then I wrote about two seasons:  summer and autumn.  My first thought was written in ink and the second one was done with a Sharpie marker.  I had left lots of space between the lines to add the second set of words.
Next I used a black cray-pas to draw the little houses.  Then I used my rubber stamps and a black ink pad to stamp the little hearts and the birds.  I used a white pen to highlight the left side of the heart.  Finally I stamped the little tree on a separate sheet of card stock, tore them out, and edged them with a dark brown ink pad.  I glued one next to each little house.  Now it's ready to be cut apart and used as backgrounds for cards, journal covers, ATCs, bookmarks, etc.  Go!  Have fun!

Stampers' Sampler Valentine Issue 2014

Just received a notice from Stampington that I've got artwork published in the Valentine issue of The Stampers' Sampler!  I have no idea what will be showcased.  I send in dozens of cards and then I'm on to another project and can't remember what I've sent.  Sometimes they hold artwork to fit in with an upcoming issue or color scheme, so it could be months and months before something is chosen for publication.  But, needless to say, I'm excited!  Thanks for the notice, Tawyne!

(Just click on the image at the right side of the blog and you'll be taken to Stampington to view this newest publication of the Stampers' Sampler.)

2014 Calendar pg

I have joined the Kathryn Wheel (Kate Crane) to do the 2014 Calendar.  I love, love, love painting pages for journals and this is considered the "lazy person's calendar journal".  LOL  What a great way to keep track of little things that happen each day.  The squares on Kate's calendar are 1 1/2" squares.  I did mine 1 3/4" X  1 1/2".  I have trouble writing too much and

 

thought that 1/4" would help me out!  LOL  I started out to make mine look a little Asian, but, due to life happenings, it was not going to happen before I needed to get my "squares" down.  I did a little doodling and added some dots and stars.  I wrote "Happy New Year" numerous times on both pages.






Below is a closeup of some of my doodling.  The little horn for celebrating New Year's.  The star and the greeting.

I used the remains of a pop dot container to draw my dots.  I first colored them in with a black ink pen then went back over them with a red Prismacolor pen.

Another section with the dots.  I can't wait to make my other pages!  If you have not seen Kathryn's calendars, go to www.thekatherynwheel.blogspot.com and feast your eyes on some glorious color!

Christmas Time

 The Christmas tree at my youngest daughter's house on Christmas Eve was truly surrounded by gifts.

 Christmas and kids.............the perfect combination!  All 7 of our grandchildren.

Our two 7 year-old grandchildren were thrilled to read the story of Jesus Born in Bethlehem.