Hand Made Birthday Card

My Mom's birthday was Friday and I made this card for her. The image is from my personal collection of antique photos. This little girl looks uncannily like my niece, Annie, so I thought my Mom would like a collage with her in it. (Post card images from Luna Girl)

I also hand made her gifts, and my baby sister's gifts and cards for her birthday and baby shower, but I don't have pictures for them. Hopefully, I can get pictures next time I'm in or they can send me some...

It was nice seeing family this weekend, even as exhausting as the long trip and work keeping up with a toddler away from home is. Hard to believe it's Monday already! Enjoy yours!

The Artful Attic

My husband took some photos of the "before before" pictures, but I still don't have them, so I thought I'd just go ahead and show my bad phone photos of some Creative Space progress. Eventually, this will be my dance/sewing/mixed media space. It is much needed. Art supplies taking over my kitchen is nice and all, but .... ok, it just isn't working any more. This is the attic in it's primed and half piled state. So, the photos don't reflect the actual current progress, but I'll get to that.

This part will hold my supplies and we'll be building a false wall opposite the shelves to hold dance mirrors.

This side will hold the sewing and mixed media work tables. It really will. I even have a corner of this stuff moved over to the other side so I can start priming... hopefully Monday...

So, quick update on that... and if you wonder how you can possibly fit in art making, yoga classes or anything else that is important to you, check out these tips Shona Cole has over at Crescendo. I actually have read "Sink Reflections" by the Fly Lady and it, along with "Make your Creative Dreams Real" by SARK, "Simplify Your Life" and "Learn to Manage Your Time" really made a difference in fitting in what was important to me. It is still something I re-adjust all the time, especially since I'm trying to take more belly dance and yoga classes, so the fundamental methods are really good go-to techniques.

Rajasthani Dance

I've been fortunate enough to take a couple or so Rajasthani Kalbelia dance workshops with Christine Andrews of the Zafira Dance Company over the years. Christine is a wonderful lady and this really comes through when she teaches. I've found myself drawn to this dance form so much that I actually modeled my wedding dress (10 years ago) and my bridesmaids' dresses after the clothing in this clip below. I had to miss the first couple classes in the series, but tonight and last Monday were fantastic- I'm so so glad Christine is teaching this series again and am so happy I am actually living in Pittsburgh now and can take the weekly classes. This week we did spins and I had such fun in my huge bandhini skirt. I'll explain a little more about my Indian obsession when I post about my attic. In the mean time, enjoy and be inspired by this clip from Latcho Drom:

More Art From the Retreat

This one is an Artist Trading Card using an image from my collection. I covered the background with decorative paper, adhered the image and painted a thin layer of gesso over top.

Cardboard substrate, gesso, music sheet, antique lace and Art Chix image from their "Lovliness" collage sheet.

Another ATC using an Art Chix image. Also used my own mica sprayed wax paper, shell buttons and Aleene's paper glaze.

Sharing Some Video Tutorials and a Book Link

To further confuse the people I have to tell I don't do much scrap booking, some of these sites are scrap booking sites. But, mixed media collage is different, trust me. Just trust me. :)

Claudine Hellmuth’s book on Amazon. Check out the Elmer’s glue crackle and plastic wrap crinkle in the “look inside” feature.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1581806787/qid=1103138874/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2?v=glance&s=books

Hallowed out book video (interesting approach to adding collage to the niche. Not the way I do it, but proof there’s more than one way to skin a cat! ;) http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/books-into-display-boxes/5045.html

A couple video tutorials for Tim Holtz paint dabbers:

http://store.scrapbook.com/gb-rdab572.html

http://www.TimHoltz.com/vid_dabber-resist.htm

Settling Back In

Angelo, Dana and I returned from Charleston last night. I taught a workshop there Sunday and it was lots of fun!! I found this when I was unloading the car. It was supposed to be a stocking stuffer, but since we moved in a week before Christmas, it got lost in the shuffle. Maybe for the Spring Celebration/Oester basket, then. Just as many of the hand made gifts will be shifted to that basket because my attic space is still not set up.

Though I was sure with all the work I put into the Altered Book workshop, I'd be ready to take a break from mixed media art for at least a couple of days, I just couldn't help but put something together from the things left on the island that I didn't pack up. I'll try scanning and posting that soon. Guess I just can't help myself. :)

I also spent a lot of time cleaning up and trying to re-claim the kitchen after taking over with so many art supplies (all in between running in to see what amazing train thing Angelo wanted to show me and our daily routine). Just for good measure, the dining room and living room got some attention too. I think I needed to feel more settled here again and for Angelo to experience some more order. The trip was confusing for him and I'm sure for Dana too. I packed so much for this trip/workshop (I'm sure it made it look similar to the move) and then we stayed at my in-laws, who are on vacation (moved said stuff into an unoccupied house). He had some trouble adjusting to coming back and leaving Daddy, who had to work in the Charleston office. He was quite upset by us leaving and Daddy staying. Some investigation revealed that he thought Daddy was going to _live_ there and we were going back to live at our new home without him. After a lot of explanation and train track building, he started relaxing a bit, but still asked "we're going to live here again?" before we went to bed. He is also very happy living here, but any change is hard, especially on little ones, no matter how good it is. He is doing quite well now. :)

So, with more order and some good Mama-and-Angelo art projects planned, we are ready to enjoy our wonderful home again.

Also, I enjoyed this post on Shona Cole's blog. :)

Sweetheart ATCs

I can't believe I got it all done with what I'm working on for the workshop I'm teaching Sunday (which you should take if you are in or willing to travel to Charleston!! Collage and altered books!), but I made these Sweetheart Artist Trading Cards for the latest Art Chix Swap. This will be my first official swap. I will get 6 cards from other artists and also get a chance to win $50 in Art Chix products (whoo Hoo!!). So, be sure to vote for me at Art Chix. I'll post again when they have official voting up.