I'm back

My life has gotten so busy!!!

An opportunity came up to garden like crazy. An art friend gave me the name of a lady who was going to put her house on the market. She has (had because they are now in my yard) a yard full of flowers that had become somewhat overgrown. Digging up four pickup loads of flowers and many days of putting them in the yard was quite an ordeal. It was so worth it! Next spring will be wonderful.

I love the larkspur.

This area is so sunny with all the yellow.

I love my miniature roses.

I am about halfway through my Photoshop class. It is much harder than I expected but I am learning a lot. We will see if it pays off as time goes bye. I also cashed in my Christmas gift certificate and got a Bamboo pad and pen. I am excited about using it.

I have started two classes on Artists for the Round Table. One based on the book Create Your Own Hand Printed Cloth by Rayna Gillman and the other based on the book The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn. I am enjoying both of these workshops.

I carved the stamp for the above piece.

These are some of the beginning pages of my new journal.

I am wrapping up a class on Altered Books (AB101) given generously by Elizabeth of the Altered Book Lover blog. I learned a lot in this class which has made starting The Painted Page workshop so much easier. Thanks Elizabeth!

One of the spreads I am learning to make.

Backgrounds for AB101

I am involved with a group that is doing an online class for Altered Books. Elizabeth from Altered Book Lover http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/ is directing it. I get a little bit intimidated trying to put this all together but with Elizabeth's and the group's input I will get through it and I will have grown again.

This is a paper towel dyed with old markers. It had some creases in it when I photographed it which created these awesome shadows.

This is a technique that Elizabeth gave us using acrylic paints and baking soda. I love it, it looks like suede. This was done on brown paper.


This is marbled paper done on a paper towel with shaving cream and Dyna-Flo.

A dryer sheet painted with acrylic and then swiped with black and gold acrylic (using an old credit card). I love the look. That credit card is quickly becoming my best friend.

This is a paper towel dyed with old markers then splashed with a wash from pearlized acrylics.

Brown paper bag rubbed with oil pastels and blended using Goo-Gone.

A paper towel dyed with old markers and then swiped with acrylic using my friend the credit card.

This is a copy of a piece of sheet music that was mono printed with ink sprayed on a plastic sheet.

My first Altered book

I began an online class given by Elizabeth of the "Altered Book Lover" blog. I truly am appreciative of her generous gift of her time and talents to those of us who really want to learn. I will be posting pieces that have taught me something new, or that I really liked. My theme is from a Tony Robbins seminar of Life Mastery that I took many years ago. I have such wonderful memories and I am looking forward to encapsulating them in an art form.

My inside cover.

I created my first niche.

A background page made with acrylic paint and a old credit card.