Tuesday Thoughts

I've been meeting with my friend Ellie lately. We've both teamed up to present an art project at the "Extravaganza" at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles. This is a sneak preview of what we're doing. Traditionally, all projects have been kept a secret and only revealed on the day of the Extravaganza. Ellie and I are not that good at keeping secrets and Karen, the shop owner, gave us the go ahead to give you all a little glimpse of our Found Memories Waterfall Booklet. This is all I'm saying and showing for now. We can't reveal the whole cha-cha but we can give you a peek. I will tell you that behind the panel on the right is a waterfall collection of memories. If you take the class, please bring at least 3 photocopies of pictures that you will be tearing down to the size of 3 x 3 or smaller. This project is a very personal one that you will want to make over and over again and give away as gifts. The Extravaganza will be take place on Saturday, April 17th. There will be 3 other teachers with projects for you to complete as well. Imagine, a day full of like minded souls, breakfast, lunch and bags of free stamps and other goodies plus 4 projects! Karen will post more info on her blog in the near future.

Don't forget, if you're in or near Los Angeles, I've got an Alice in Wonderland Make it Take it this Friday beginning at 4:30 at the Stampin From the Heart. Go here for more info and to see pics.

TGIF

In just three more months my favorite season of all time will be here.

The above page is an entry I created for Joanne's 4 Seasons themed journal. Although it's feeling like spring and it's right around the corner, all I can think about is that in 3 months I will be doing the summer lounge thing. You know, staying up all night. Getting up whenever. Doing whatever. But making sure the car has enough gas to get me wherever I want to be. TGIF everyone!

Artventure Overload?

A member from the journal round robin group that I'm in chose the four seasons as her theme. I never know where I'm going when I begin a page in my journal but I know I like to paint. My first instinct was to paint pages that reflect the seasons. The weather in Los Angeles was cool, dark and rainy when I painted this page a couple weekends ago. Good timing cause our temps have been in the 80s over the past few days. No way would I have been able to interpret winter under these circumstances. It wasn't until last night that I begin to embellish and write on the pages. Click on the pic to read my winter thoughts.

Texture was the theme of my journal which is currently in Northern California. This super large flash card was found in my stash of "one day" ephemera. I love finding goodies that I can work into my art. TOUCH seemed like the perfect word to describe the textured journal I wished for. I filled in the letters with Papier Glitter which dried to a clear and glossy elevated finish. Very touchable; good textured element.

This is from a page in my Texture Journal. I included a tag from a workshop I gave a couple years ago that had loads of texture with journaling on the back. I made a pocket for it to sit in.

I created removable pages to encourage members to lay it on and not worry.

Even my tags can't escape the way of layers! This is one sample of two Alice in Wonderland accordion tags that we'll be making at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles on March 26th beginning at 4:30 until 8:00. I'll supply the tags, paint, stamps, ink and colored pencils. All you need to bring is a small pair of sharp scissors. The samples are in the shop. Drop by to check it out.

So far I haven't asked myself "What were you thinking?!" so I must still be in the sane mode. That may change as I hurry to make the mail off deadline in the journal round robin or as I sit in my art space doing all nighters trying to get all my make-it-take-it kits together. Oh yeah, I forgot about the other two workshops that are one week within each other in April. Sigh. Artventure overload? Artventures - YES, overload - NO! You can never look at art as being too much work or you'll stop all together. Oh, I forgot about the mailing art swap with Christina and Bea's challenge. I just keep telling myself that there's no way being creative can ever kill me. LOL! Now go make some art!

TGIF

If anyone knew anything about explosive love, it would have to be Frida.

Evidence of playing with matches need not be burned. It played really well when paired with the stamped heart image, don't you think?

I repeated the heart image over the singed hole on the back side of the journal page. I added words, a saint and black bird to finish the page and a found floral element that I've been saving for almost 7 years was finally put to use!

I swear, I've never played with matches but as I watched my page go up in smoke I asked myself, "What took you so long?" I was in a bad mood and believe me, next time you head for the bottle (pills or liquid) go for the matches! You'll feel better in the end and you'll have a very unique piece of art.

My page had to air out for a couple days before I'd touch it. Unfortunately, singed pages smell like, well, fire. I applied a coat of champagne toned acrylic paint avoiding the scorched areas. A few extra details finished my journal page. Oh, and for the record, TGIF does NOT mean Thank God It's FIRE!!!

Thankful Thursday

This journal page was inspired by a recent piracy incident. It's also from my journal which is part of a round robin and on it's way to San Jose, CA.

I have a lot to be thankful for on this Thankful Thursday. My last post brought in an abundance of comments and e-mails. Thank you all for your support, suggestions, and encouragement to continue posting. I wish you could feel the love I have in my heart for you.

My artventures cannot remain closed in a book, stored in a camera or left to collect dust in my art space. They have to be written about and shared with all of you here in blogland. I refuse to let one bad apple spoil my fun and dictate what I should or shouldn't post for fear of piracy. This is Stampmaiden's Artventures after all and what good is an artventure if I can't share it with you, ON MY BLOG that is!

Big thanks to my special niece, Jill, from www.thehappyhooker.blogspot.com for coming to my defense and for getting the word out that piracy is not a cool thing. The response was phenomenal to say the least.