Tyvek Experiments

I was busy playing with some Tyvek and thought I would show you what I came up with.

After painting, before using the heat gun:
After using the heat gun:
Interesting stuff to play with! I've got lots more I want to do with it - when I have some time, I'm going to pull it out to play again.

120 Pieces of Art

*NOTE: This post was started February 19 and completed today, March 02*

"Where has the Queen been?" You probably haven't been asking yourself lately. If you have been, thank you - and I'll put you down for the Tupperware in my will.

I have spent the last week in some parallel universe, where only 4"x4" pieces of art and childebeasts suffering from the stomach flu matter. The good news? I think I may finally be finished with the less-than-royal jobs a mom is blessed with when her offspring has a gastrointestinal bug. And my little works of love went Postal today. Huzzah!

I am dying to show you what I created for the swap. Before I do, I'll give you a quick run-down of the swap rules. It's being hosted by the Art Techniques group (fabulous group!), and this crazy lady named Margie is acting as hostess. She is well aware that I think she's totally nuts - you would have to be to organize 120 swap participants! (Margie, if you see this - you're certifiable, totally - but I love ya!)

120 participants means I had to make 120 4"x4" pieces of art. BUT...the swap focuses on a technique using recycled materials - so the pieces didn't have to be finished. Instead, the pages just need to demonstrate a technique.

I chose a technique originally created by Jeni Calkins, who runs Studio Jeni, OPALS/Fantasy Film Stained Glass Paper. Left over/scraps of Fantasy Film are pieced together, sprinkled by Franklin Opals, then heated with an iron. It makes this beautiful, translucent paper you can use for all sorts of things. You can see a fabulous tutorial by Linda Hanson, owner of After Midnight Stamps, on You Tube.

Here is an sample of my pages, for your viewing pleasure.
The top two are the OPALS/Fantasy Film Stained Glass Paper, the bottom is the back of one of the swap pages.

The swap was a lot of fun - but I have to admit...after making 120 pages of this stuff, I'm not in any hurry to make more!

Cloth Paper Scissors Goodness

There have been some good things happening in my favorite magazine lately. Cloth Paper Scissors is the mag for mixed media artists - all sorts of cool articles, techniques, and ads fill the glossy pages. It is a bi-monthly publication and I admit, I can't get enough. I look forward to receiving my subscription - and when the wondrous magazine arrives, safely packaged in its plastic bag, I set it aside to read after the beasts have gone to bed.

I sink into Cloth Paper Scissors, devouring every word, every picture. I carefully turn the heavy pages, eager as a child opening birthday presents to see what the next page holds. I connect with many of the artists - and I absorb their techniques and work with the wonder of seeing snow for the first time. I love everything about Cloth Paper Scissors. (I just wish it was published more often - but doesn't every addict crave more?)

I have been meaning to post a "congratulations" of sorts to a dear woman I've written about before, Sharon Tomlinson. Sharon is an amazing artist. I would even go so far as to call her p-h-e-n-o-m-e-n-a-l. She has a blog where you can check out her work, All Norah'S Art. It is SO worth a visit - you will not be disappointed, I promise! She just posted about the most fabulous group of creations - they are simply delectable.

Ok. I'll stop gushing - as long as you promise to check out her site. If you don't, I know people. lol
I meant to congratulate her for being published in Cloth Paper Scissors (Jan/Feb '09) - and you just have to check out two of her pieces that were featured in her article. They are simply...yummy! Remember, she does a lot of work with napkins.

Isn't that beautiful? And here is the second piece...

Sharon is so talented she makes me feel totally inadequate. I love and adore everything she does - and my goal is to own (at least) one of her dreamy pieces. She has recently been published in Somerset Apprentice, a new publication. I'm sure that one will be heavenly as well - I know the work Sharon had published is just awesome! Onto something funny...every month, CPS ask readers a question. I never answer them, frankly because I just don't remember. Well, I remembered a few months ago - and sent in my answer. The question asked how you substituted when you didn't have exactly what you needed. So I'm paging through this issue of CPS: and I came to the page where the answers are listed. I was SHOCKED to find this: I blocked out my last name to avoid the hoards of admirers showing up on my door, en force. The complex I live in just can't handle a traffic jam - especially since everything is still torn up from the water district replacing all the pipes. Even though my goal for the year is to be published, I must admit it's odd to see your name in print. Especially in a magazine you treasure as much as I adore CPS. It made me smile - and reading my goofiness in print confirmed that, indeed,

I AM A SPAZ.

PS - Did you check out how cute those paint tube dolls are on the cover of CPS? I love 'em!

Don't Break the Camera!

After catching up with some blogs I love to read, it dawned on me that a lot of people have "real" pictures of themselves on their blogs. Altho the picture on my blog resembles me almost as much as an actual photo (especially the hair), I don't have any "real" pictures of me on here.

In an effort to provide some laughs on this Sunday morning, I am hereby posting my photo:
Hahahaha Ok. So this is how I look while dealing with the childebeasts. Now that you've seen the "art me" and the "mom me", I'll show you what I really look like.
Can't you almost see the thought bubble about to pop up? (Acutally, my oldest had asked me a question right before he took the picture. Brat.)

There ya have it. The picture that will grace the backs of Hallmark cards everywhere this summer. Oh - did I mention they sent me the bio they'll print along side this amazingly wonderful picture?

Katherine is an artist and blogger who has four cats, two hermit crabs, and a box turtle...but her three children are her biggest inspirations. She says she's "highly skilled in the art of taming wild childebeasts," and, based on her entry, we believe her.

Pretty cool, eh? (What Hallmark wrote, not my picture! Geez!)

It's Official...The Letter Says So

We got the "official" letter from Hallmark (and the check!) from the contest. Check it out:
If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, click on the title above to see the original post. Or, if you're super lazy, you can click here.