What's What (Vol. 5 - June 12-28)

Alas, it seems I couldn't "stay on the ball" with these posts as I had hoped. But that's okay...it just means that there's more for me to share with you. 

What's Finished

My last post gave you a sneaky peek at June's Inspiration Trove project inspired by the prompts: slides, treasures, and clock. The link above will take you to the video of the whole, long process.

What's in Progress

Day 18 of ICAD

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) is in FULL SWING. As always, I'm enjoying the results of the challenge. But I almost feel like it's taking me more time to get the cards done than usual. I'm definitely overthinking it but also enjoying the fruits of this labor and the experimental nature of creating every single day.

Day 26

As well, I've been working some on Halloween pieces - though nothing is actually finished. I'm hoping to start on Christmas soon, so I'd better put a fire under my butt!

What's up next

Besides Christmas makes (ornaments & cards), I'm planning to finish up my Keep It Spicy Art Journal video today so that it should be available tomorrow. 

As well, we're prepping to have friends over for swimming on the 4th of July.

What's caught my eye

Is it any surprise that I spotted a little bag of buttons at a local antique mall? And, for only ONE DOLLAR!! I was pleasantly surprised to find so many mother-of-pearl buttons in it. 

What's had my attention

We've had a lot of rain and heat recently, so I've had my eye trained on the weather app more than usual.

But, as far as fun stuff - I finished reading The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. IT.WAS.SO.DARN.GOOD!!!

- The hubs and I just finished rewatching the second season of House of the Dragon as the third one just started. If you're unfamiliar, it's a Game of Thrones spin-off on HBO.

What's filled my cup

After it rained for something like four days straight, I came off the back porch to find that the husk of a dead bamboo tree was covered in clusters of these little mushrooms. I can't tell you how tickled I was. 

What's new

Just a few days after my last post, I took some time to re-organize and freshen my space at Hello Gallery in downtown Fairhope. I encourage you to go check out the whole shop if you're ever in the area! It's so bright and cheery. And, there are so many amazing artists displaying their beautiful works.

If you're interested in watching a week-in-my-life and seeing my face, there's a fairly new June VLOG available on YouTube.

That's it for now, I need to get to everything else on my long list.

What's new with you?

What's What Vol. 4 (May 18-June 11)

 I knew this would happen. I'm just a few weeks back into blogging, and things went awry. Let's see if I can knock out a little bit of a catch-up without going too crazy.

What's Finished

As I wrote the last blog, I was working on my May Inspiration Trove Assemblage project. You can watch the video, and the piece is now available at Hello Gallery in downtown Fairhope for sale. 

As well, the 100-Day Project came to an end, and I finished strong by completing this little stitch (and stitched) pouch. You can get a better look at it in my reel on Instagram. 

What's in Progress

Here's a sneaky peek at this month's Inspiration Trove project. (Any guesses as to the prompts I pulled? One is pretty obvious.) And, of course, ICAD has begun! 

This is yesterday's card that used the Glossy prompt. 

What's Up Next?

In the next few hours, I should be pulling the sentiment(s) for June's Finding the Words art journaling. If this interests you, here's the full playlist to explore. As well, there's more index card altering to do, of course. I had hoped to do a vlog this month, but I've been crazy busy and caught a cold in the midst of it all. So, we'll see if that even happens.

What's Caught My Eye?

I went on a thrifting excursion/"artist date" yesterday and picked up several new-to-me items. I'll have them in a thrift haul video later this month. However, you can see some of my other recent hauls in the Thrifty Thursday video that just went up. 

What's Had My Attention?

I mentioned in the last post that I've become a member of a book club, we're now reading The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. I'm listening to it and am loving it so much. Also, the hubs and I just finished re-watching Ted Lasso and remember why it was such a favorite. SO DARN GOOD!

What's Been the Best Part of My Week(s)?

I've gotten to spend a little more time with one of my best friends. That's a lot of what's kept me busy - no complaints there. At her encouragement, I've joined the Junior League of Mobile! My "provisional year" is just starting, but I'm so looking forward to meeting some new people and serving my community.

I think I'll stop here for this post and try to make sure to stay on the ball.

Here's hoping!

What's New with You?

Mixed Media Videos from May 2023

 It's well past time for another quick roundup of the mixed-media art videos I published on YouTube last month. Clicking on either the photo or the caption should take you to the video. And, don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

I'll start with the pieces created as part of my #CraftyHopePrompts project. You can learn more about this in any of the videos. But, know that it's a weekly project in which I alter a playing card and then create another project using the same prompts.

Card 31: Gesso, Mushroom, Tag

Project 31 - Junk Journal Spread with Tag

Card 32 - Beads, Acrylic Ink, Distress Ink Pad, 

Project 32 - Art Journal Page

Card 33 - Word/Phrase Stamp, Numbers, Metal

Project 33 - Altered Flashcard Tag

Card 34 - Soft pastel, Draw a face, Write with a paintbrush

Project 34 - Junk Journal Page

The other mixed media videos that I shared during the month were process videos of some of the Mini Assemblages I made for The 100-Day Project.

Mini Assemblages 57, 60, & 64

Mini Assemblages 65, 70, & 71

Mini Assemblages 74, 76, & 88

For this last one, Day 89, here's the actual video!

And, that was it for the month.

As I said, if you have any questions at all, ask away!

Art Journal Videos from November

December is ALREADY getting the better of me. I've received a jury duty summons for next week and am desperately trying to get as much done before I have to fulfill that requirement. Jury duty is such a tricky thing because you just don't know what days or how long they will need you. So, I'm doing my best to prepare for being away. Mostly, I'm tackling some videos and Christmas shopping. And, I've let the blog get away from me. Drat! Here's a quick roundup of the art journaling and mixed media videos that you might have missed.

First, let me share the cards and projects for #CraftyHopePrompts, then anything else.

Week 5 Card: Stencil, Alcohol Ink, Crayon

Week 5 Project: Fairy Princess Shadowbox

Week 6 Card: Vintage, StazOn, Watercolor Marker

Week 6: Tags

Week 7: Black pen, Texture stamp, Two or more stencils

Project 7: Altered Coffee Can

Card 8: Baby wipe, Stabilo all-pencil, White paint

Project 8: Junk Journal Page

Card 9: Washi, Eco-dye Fabric, Fairy

Project 9: Handmade Junk Journal

As for what else was created this past month, I also participated in the Mixed Media Menagerie for November.

Art Journal Spread for MMMNov22

I also made an assemblage piece for the #4Core challenge.

Assemblage Art | Kitchen Timer to Cherub Decor

The Week 10 Card for CraftyHopePrompts is also up for your inspiration. If you have any questions about any of these, please don't hesitate to pipe up and ask!

Sale in the CraftyHope Etsy Shop

 Pop over to the CraftyHope Etsy Shop, and you'll find EVERYTHING there marked 25% off. Here's a peek at a few of the items listed there. 

Zeal Necklace

Moroccan Mushroom Earrings

Amethyst Wing Bracelet

All Wrapped Up Assemblage

Galaxy Earrings

That's right! Both jewelry and assemblage art pieces are available on sale. The sale runs through October 24th, so hit up the Etsy Shop before it ends!

Mixed Media Videos in September

I tend to share most of my jewelry endeavors here, but not always the art journaling/mixed media pursuits. So, once a month, I like to pop on and give you a roundup of some of the videos I've added on YouTube over the previous month that you may have missed. Before I share those, I ought to mention that I've started my own Mixed Media Challenge that I'm calling #CraftyHopePrompts because it centers around making prompt cards and using those prompts. You can find a bit better explanation in my Week 1 Mixed Media Prompt Card video. Let's get to what you may have missed in September. 

Day 12 - TUAC5MinChallenge  - Junk Journal Page

Day 14 - TUAC5MinChallenge - Junk Journal Page

Assemblage Art - Mermaid Treasures - #The100DayProject

Art Journal Spread#MMMSep22 - Mixed Media Menagerie - Tags, Leaves, Masking Tape

Junk Journal Page - Aren't You Happy - Mixed Media Art

Assemblage Art - Eye See You - #4Core Challenge

That was everything that was related to mixed media art last month. Clicking on the pictures or captions should take you to the video. My new challenge should have me sharing more videos in the future. Which of these catches your eye the most?

Fairy Magic Assemblage Art for #4Core

As soon as I watched Ina Solsbery's announcement of what the four core ingredients were for her #4core challenge, I had inklings of an idea. The theme of this month's 2D or 3D mixed media piece was to pick out a talent or superpower. I almost immediately knew that it would be "Magic" for me. I had the initial vision to create some sort of wizard (think Harry Potter) study, but that seemed like a stretch for me, and it felt very close to what Ina created last month. So, other ideas began to brew. One morning, I woke up and knew that this beauty was what I need to make. 

Ina's other three "ingredients" were to have a description (basically the name of your talent/superpower) within the piece, add a bit of a map, and include wood in its natural color. 

I am completely taken with what I was able to put together. Everything about this shadowbox piece makes me smile. And, it really wasn't that hard to create. Getting started was the biggest hurdle.

You can watch my Fairy Magic Assemblage Art video on YouTube. It shares each of the steps I took to make my own magic. 

Here are a few more detailed shots of the piece so you can see some of what I love about it. 

There's a special something about that golden frame contrasting against the natural sticks and moss. 

Can you ever really go wrong with crackle paste?

What's not to love about a serious fairy and a quote from Roald Dahl?

This piece will be staying in my own collection for now, but I do have a few other assemblage pieces available in the Etsy Shop. 

So, what do you think? Do you love it as much as I do?