Monday, July 23, 2018

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Getting Started in Art Journaling

Good morning, creative friends.

I didn't get to my Wacky Brave Girl journal this week. Between helping an author friend fix multiple errors in her manuscript before the book released today and working on my own revisions there just hasn't been a lot of play time.

In the past, some of you have commented that you don't know where to start. So today, I've pulled a great beginner video from Dawn DeVries Sokol. She's a bit nervous in front of the camera but a wonderful teacher. The video below is an abbreviated version of the class she teaches on CraftDaily.  

I have one of her videos - Art Journaling- Pages in Stages - that I ordered from ClothPaperScissors several years ago and watch it whenever I need to get back in the art journal groove.  They offer a wide variety of videos on just about any creative process and often have great sales.

I'm working on my presentation outline today so I'll leave you with this video:




Wednesday, July 18, 2018

WOYWW #476


Quick post this morning, just like our dear Ms Julia prefers.

While this may look staged, it really isn't. The Stampin' UP! items are part of an unboxing video I did last night. Will post it below if you care to see all the goodies and some new products coming out in the Christmas catalog. I have all those lovely new Blendabilities to put in their cases (those plastic cases with the color dots). To the right is a stamp/ die set from Technique Tuesday. You can see it HERE. Something I ordered special for the Post Office Christmas card. THIS is the card that inspired me.  Beneath that is my 'tickle' from my secret Teapot Tuesday partner. She sent me not only a lovely card but an embossing folder I didn't have. That is rare indeed. hehe



Wonder what I'm blabbering about?

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!
~Kelly

Monday, July 16, 2018

COLOR CHALLENGE - July



Bright colors perfect for any July 4th picnic! I knew immediately I wanted to use Pacific Point, Soft Sea Foam and Real Red



I used Sketch #142 from Operation Write Home


And came up with this:


My photo colors are WAY off with this larger digital camera. I'm really missing my small Fuji for the truer colors.  What appears to be a yellow is actually the Soft Sea Foam. The shorter banner in the middle is Whisper White.   The embossed background is from Branches & Leaves (Sizzix)

I used the stamp set COUNTRY BORN - part of the 30th anniversary collection from Close To My Heart when my bestie Brenda (pinkdisneychick) was with the company.


RULES:
There aren't any rules. You may use any company product you like. My only request is if you use a stamp or something special, link to the company so we may add to our stash, too :-D 

Okay.. 1 rule - no back-linking. Make a new project in any form. That's pretty easy.

KEYWORD: KCCJuly18

There's my card for this month. What will you create. Grab the button on my side bar for your blog, make something using the colors and link up below so I can see what you make!









Wednesday, July 11, 2018

WOYWW 475


Good morning, friends. 

Another hot day in the Ozarks is on tap for today. I really need to do some more yard work but that might have to wait... again.

My desk is the leftovers from a Christmas card I made for the SU blog yesterday. You can see it HERE if you'd like to peek. Not  my best work but limited on current Christmas until my order arrives today.  The card was for our Team Color Challenge. I need to get link up with my team leader today. Deadline is tomorrow. LOL

Also, for my mixed media friends, instead of cleaning my desk, I did a serious cleaning of my art area. You can see that post from yesterday HERE.

I have today's card to get up and will be linking up with the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I got home too late last night to get the card made so that's next on my list. Good thing is, once I get something in my head the reality comes together pretty quick. I'll be using the Snowflake Sentiments set already on the desk. 

Speaking of challenges. This is VSN - Virtual Stamp Night weekend at Splitcoast Stampers. We start at 6 p.m. CST (?) on Friday night with 4 challenges posted - one each hour. Then we'll kick in again around 11 a.m. CST (?) on Saturday and go through til 9 p.m. with a new challenge posted each hour. We'd love to have you join us. HERE's a link to all the details. Sharon aka FoxyStamping is usually one of the challenge hosts. I'm determined to play this weekend.

That said.. if you want verification as to what a crazy woman I am, I invite you to check out THIS post on my author blog to see what I'm up to the next 8 weeks. Bizarre doesn't begin to describe what I have on my plate.  Don't let the content warning on the first page scare you. Unless you go back a couple of years, there isn't' anything risque. That is partially up there as a safeguard to parents against young people looking up 'romance' hehe. 

Okay.. done babbling. 

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!
~Kelly

Monday, July 9, 2018

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - An Organized Space

Good morning, everyone!

While I hope to be playing with projects soon, I decided the mixed media area first needed a bit of clean up. I don't have before pictures. Didn't think about them. I just dove in. But I'll explain with the first picture.


This is a full shot of the mixed media corner. Left to right: paint storage, wrapping paper stool (with casters making it easy to move out of the corner) a 2-door cabinet that houses most of my texturing supplies, blank journals, geli plate, etc, main mixed media storage, art books.

Before I started I couldn't open a single drawer without moving something. Getting to the cabinet required LIFTING the stool up over something then reaching over to open the doors to get what I needed.  This is MUCH nicer, don't you think? LOL

So, spot by spot:


I apologize for the bit of glare. Very sunny day. :-D
The main part of the paint storage is an old stamp display shelf unit from Michaels years ago when I worked in Peoria, IL. We got to pick them up for $20 a piece. I was out of town at the time but a good friend/ co-worker put my name on one. She figured if I didn't want it, she could take it. I thought that very sweet of her. The filing cabinet below holds various types of applicators in the top drawer, while the bottom one is full of all kinds of receptacles and palette trays.


Next to the bookcase, this is probably my favorite part of the entire space. The bottom 8-drawer unit was picked up at an auction for $5. I think it's an early Ikea peace. The top drawer holds larger Tim Holtz items, Drawer 2- tissue paper, Drawer 3 - packaging paper (like they wrap the breakables in at Hobby Lobby), Drawer 4 - Chip board, Drawer 5 - Mat board, Drawer 6 - foam core, Drawer 7 - manilla folder type weight and Drawer 8 - card board.  If the drawer is full, I don't keep any new coming in. I use it or recycle it.


The 2 towers on the right hold all Tim Holtz embellishments by theme. The bottom cigar box on the bottom holds bands Bob saves for me and I've not decided what's going in the top one yet. I've had that blue cigar box since I was 12. 

Bob found that little black drawer unit on top at a flea market. It was originally from an auto parts store. There are 4 drawers. I'm using them to store small alphabet/ numbers/ symbol keys from laptops/ keyboards.

The 2 towers on the right hold misc. assemblage (similar to TH) from other companies like $ tower baskets at Michaels, etc. The alarm clock no longer works. I got it at a garage sale for $1. I figured when the mechanism stopped working then I could do a scene in the inside ala Tim Holtz style.


Bob added these two shelves for me. The first one rests on top of the towers. I have TH books, fabrics, journals, papers. The jewelry box holds mostly keys/ locks. The top shelf is mostly TH. Though the white rolls on the far left are snake skins from our resident Black snake. One is over 8' long! I plan to bleach, die them in mixed media. 


Finally, my art journal/ art book shelving unit. A bit of glare form the sun. The window to the right out of the picture is 48"w X 36" h. lets in tons of light over my altar.

Top shelf - class yearbooks, weight loss I keep for reference, Tony Robbins complete motivation set, smaller journals

Second Shelf - handmade journals from past years, journal prompt books. The picture in the front on the stand was given to my by my upline when I sold UnderCover Wear. 

Third Shelf - art books such as lettering, altered art, workshop type books,

Fourth Shelf - the blue binder on the far left is all of my OneStroke practice books, then a basket of art papers such as water color pads, graph papers, etc. The rest is Writing prompt kits such as the Writers Toolbox and 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

Bottom Shelf - all art magazines I've kept for various reasons.

My goal is to keep all of this accessible so I can finally begin making art. I do have a large file box that will probably sit on the floor in front of the book case to house all of my magazine clippings. That project is still needing done. Also my 12x12 scrapbook binders that latch for holding mixed media pieces from packaging. I have 3 of those. They are easy to move as they all snap close and have handles, similar to a suitcase. 

Next project is to put my antique wardrobe back in order with Spiritual supplies then start on the office corner.

How do you keep your mixed media supplies in order? Do you bother? Are they mixed in with everything else you do in your studio? I'd love to know.
Creative Blessings!
~Kelly




Thursday, July 5, 2018

BLOG CANDY - at Craftyhazelnut!


Do you see all the lovelies?
If you go over to Craftyhazelnut's blog you'll see a COMPLETE list of the items you can win... 
yes... the ENTIRE collection will go to one very lucky person!

So...

WHY ARE YOU STILL READING?
Hurry over to Hazel's blog for your chance to WIN!

Creative Blessings & Good Luck!

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

WOYWW #474




I hope those of you in the United States have fun plans for today. I did. My intention was to get all of my work done yesterday so I could play all day today. Yesterday was a pain day so I spent a majority of the day either in the recliner or in bed.

Today is off to a much better start!


My desk is a disaster. I have to get the space cleared before I dive into projects today. Amongst the crafting items to be finished, you'll see where I unpacked my travel computer bag -swapping things out for other things in preparation for a trip last weekend. I attended a writers conference in Springfield MO last Saturday. Had a great time. Took advantage of being in the city to do some shopping. 

I apologize for not getting round last week. Bob got the call on Wednesday to head back to work on Friday. So we spent the rest of Wednesday and all of Thursday hangin' out, going to dinner and prepping both of us for or respective road trips on Friday. Bob is back on the boat and I am back to my schedule so I'll be round to visit this week.

Many of you asked about my camera last week. I have a FujiFilm 5x 200 zoom. Shoots HD movies and is 15 megapixals. I bought the camera about 8 years ago for $18 at Walmart. The price now ranges between $29-$35 Yikes.  I think I'll look on Amazon today.

That's my story for this week. We are still sweltering here. So tired of the heat and humidity. June was a record month for us. I can't wait for August LOL- ya know, our 'hot' month. 

I hope you are comfortable and crafting in your space. 

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!
~Kelly