Children's chairs

Using a plan we downloaded from Ana White, my husband built these chairs for our grandchildren.

He used pocket holes underneath, dowels to secure the back pieces, and we added adjustable slides on the feet to protect the floor.  He also cut out their names and a small clip art based on their current interests into the back with his scroll saw.

Unconventional Christmas Cards

My sister asked for non-traditional, papers with no Christmas colors or icons and the theme of JOY. I started out with my computer where I printed out a couple of sheets of the word "JOY" in a circle.  Then I used my twinkling H2O's to swish color all over them.

I had some really old Basic Gray papers in a file folder.  Some of it was scrap, but there were several full sheets as well... enough to make the requested 30 cards.

Here are the completed cards in groups of six...

Every single card made me smile when I finished it. They are so fun and HAPPY!

Three Dimensional Art

I started out with a 12X24 canvas and silks acrylic paints.  I worked with a wash brush from both sides to the middle at an angle with various shades of blue and green.  Then I used a sponge to add more layers of color using mostly the same colors I used on the background.

Next I attempted to spritz on some glimmer mist, but the dark background was too overpowering and the shape of the stencil was lost.  I was disappointed, but it caused me to venture out a bit and try something new.  I mixed some modeling paste with some powdered minerals from Luminarte to get the dark brown color.  Then I applied it with a palette knife.  I had some issues, but overall I was more pleased with the results than I was with the spritz.  Then I added the paper and silk flowers, butterflies, google eyes, and beaded stick pins which I made expressly for this purpose.  All attachments are applied with Fusion glue.

Journals, Address Book and Note cards

I have been pretty busy in the studio lately...  Here are some journals,

 and an address book...

 and a couple of note card sets...

Three Dimensional Mixed Media Art

Today I got some silks and a canvas out and decided to experiment.  Here is what I came up with.

Below is the piece I made for Elizabeth from an old shirt she had worn out.  It was a favorite and now she can hang it up and remember the fun times she had while wearing it!

New Journals

In addition to the checkbook covers, tins and other things I made last week, I also covered some composition books.  The first is with an Africa: Countries of the Nile map from 1963.  The next is an aeronautical sectional map of Texas.  The last one is from some of my favorite papers and a pocket from a pair of pants my daughter wore out.  I like to recycle things...

New Tins, Clipboards and Checkbook Covers

I have been working on all sorts of stuff in the studio lately, but my husband has been gone with the camera or too busy to take pictures for me, so Saturday I got him corralled and persuaded him to take some pictures for me.  Here are the clipboards, checkbook covers and tins I put up on the etsy shop this weekend.