Glitz-Oh Girl

I’m creating a journal called Paris Gazette.  It has a beeswax collage cover, but is not finished yet.  I decided to create a little beaded art doll to go with the journal, which has the same fabric in it.

Her name is Risque’ Rene, and she is ‘exposed’ by the Paris Gazette to be quite the little ‘diva’.  I may do more beading for her hair and jewelry – but so far – here she is.  This is the first beaded doll I’ve attempted…technique needs improving, but it’s fun.

Risque' Rene - beaded fabric art doll - 8" H x 4" at hands

I just wanted to share a couple pictures of our wonderful adopted cat, Chance, who was lovingly delivered to us IN PERSON by the amazing dog rescuer Bernie Berlin, of A Place To Bark.  He was 5 in August.

Chance helping hold down my palette and guarding my glues:

Chance guarding art supplies.

Here he is hard at work guarding my little Baby Lock sewing machine.

No one uses this sewing machine without Chance's permission - Ha! (he sleeps with his head upside down, with forehead squarely placed on his 'blankey'.)

And now- back to your regularly scheduled program…..

I ‘creARTed’ this book sculpture on a whim last night.  It’s an old thin book that I completely wrapped in glittery heat fusible plastic of red, orange, fuschia and blue, heated with my heat gun, then added tons of clear UTEE on top of the glittery covering.

The ‘Poor House’ name comes from the key hanging (from an old Underwood typewriter element- it’s the little switch to select red or black typewriter ribbon.) The key was in a bunch of junk in my mom’s desk drawer when I cleaned it out. (I NEVER get rid of keys).

The computer circuit speaks for itself ; the’ limbs’ are also from the old typewriter-they’re the old metal bars that typed the letters by striking the keys- – do you hear the clickity-clack of old typewriters in your head yet?? The postage stamp was a perfect fit to finish off this ‘poor’ person.  The book is 8″H x 5.5″W and about 5/8″ thick.  It has a metal hanger affixed to the back and currently hangs in our family room.

The Poor House

Yes- this is recess! – having fun, playing, using imagination and generally just vacating the ‘classroom’.

This canvas is 42″H x 18″W.  I continue to want to “creART” by using up supplies I have on hand, which included this large blank stretched canvas. Yesterday that encompassed finding all four boxes of my crayons (which I had dutifully organized in a handy drawer by my table!)  I glued them onto the bare canvas using PVA adhesive.  When the adhesive was dry, I got out my heat gun and played around with melting the crayons on the canvas, letting them drip vertically, then horizontally.  PLAY was the operative word of the day for me.  I then stenciled, painted and used spray wash to fill in white canvas areas.  Acrylic and wax do NOT blend on the molecular level, but this paint is so light, I doubt it will chip off the wax any time soon.  This whole idea came from an image I had saved in my Pinterest folder….

After the paints were dry, I used white gesso and removable tape to create the arrow ‘road’- when that was dry, I added the newspaper text over the gesso, using PPA.  I then lightly wiped aqua spray wash over all, and then used white gesso for the road dotted lines. ( See if you can spot the turtle on the road.)  I glued him on with Liquid Fusion.

The borders of this stretched canvas are 1″ all around- I gave them a wash of turquoise, to blend with colors in our kitchen- this collage/painting hangs between our kitchen and family room.  (click image to enlarge.)

"CrayArt" collage

This altered book spread is for Rebecca’s book – the theme is anything with ‘Wings’.

In keeping with my desire to use supplies I already have, I used some fabric I’d used in another AB Spread awhile ago.  This time, I spread Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste onto the book pages, then gently spread the fabric on top, making sure it was smooth.  After drying overnight, I made the fabric butterflies, sewed them to the page, and sewed around the borders as well.  I embellished the spread with a silk flower attached with gel medium, and a stamped saying by R. Tagore on white tissue, adhered with PPA. The pages, opened, are 10.5″W x 8.25″H.

This is my altered book spread for Stephanie’s book in the Honolulu AB Round Robin.  Her theme is…”Alphabetica” .  I love Lynne Perrella’s book of that name, and was thrilled when I took an art class from her at Art Werx in 2004 up in Vancouver, B.C.  The key to her style is layers- lots and lots of layers.  I attempted some of that with this…using acrylic paints, inks, washes, chalk inks (Colorbox), washi paper tape, collage bits and bobs , crayons, pencils, India ink, and a few rubber stamps.  The spread, when opened, is about 10″W x 8″H.

Cafe'

This altered book spread is for ‘Stardust’.

Stardust

How High The Moon

Lyrics | Les Paul And Mary Ford lyrics – How High The Moon lyrics

I  get the coolest lamp-worked glass beads from Pam Brisse of The Blue Between.  One recently purchased bead, which is 1.5″ in diameter, inspired me to make this journal – ‘Sea Treasure’.  The cover is thick aluminum paper, more like thin tin.  I created the repousse on the cover,  (I learned this technique from Beckah Krahula in a class at ArtFest in 2004, and decided it was time to work it again.) (The metal chasing is filled with a very lightweight spackle, so the ridges cannot be pushed in or collapse.)   The cover is lightly tinted with a blue alcohol ink.

I set the glass bead in the hole I’d carved in the center of the cover, and soldered it in place using copper foil tape and my glass soldering supplies, which includes a smokeless and non-toxic flux. Still, one needs to use good ventilation when soldering, and have your fire extinguisher handy.  I have my studio set up with all the bells and whistles for safety when playing with hot supplies – this includes an open window (in spite of it being cold outside) and a good fan which blows the air away from the soldering and my lungs.  If I had to do a large soldering project, I’d wait until warm weather and do it outdoors, as do not have a vented fan.

(as an aside, this is the glass studio of Pam Brisse- you can see how well-made it is, with all the proper venting for working with torches and glass.)

Bead back-lit - Front

Bead back-lit- inside front cover

This journal is 7″H x 4.25″W and a little over 1″ thick.  There are 9 signatures, with 6 individual pages per signature (section of pages). I tinted the spine edges and page edges by brushing on a small amount of  rub-on metallic tints. The back cover, and interior of both covers, are covered in a Thai marbled Momi paper, coincidentally named ‘Tsunami’.

6-needle Coptic stitch binding

Interior

Closure

The small 'binder' ring closure with an old decorative key attached

First up is “Stardust” – I was inspired by a cool galactic photo I saw on Facebook, and made this journal with that in mind.  The cover is made with alcohol inks on shiny silver card stock, then layered with a clear crackle medium.  The back cover , as well as the endpapers, are covered in a black/gold  Thai marbled Momi paper.  This journal is 9″ wide X 4.5 ” H.  There are 7 signatures, 4 single pages each.

Front Cover

Coptic Stitch Binding (4-needle)

Back cover exterior

Interior

I’ve been working on a journal all week- this is the third incarnation…sighhhh.  I’ve been trying to use up supplies on hand, so first I worked a cover in this air-drying clay stuff I had- not the puffy Crayola brand type—just an air-dry clay.  Got everything done, journal bound…went to put on the metal corners I had, and plink! the corners just snapped off…this was after adhering the endpapers to the covers.

Ok- ditch that one- save the pages for another journal.  Next day, I decided to use up some Premo craft clay I had- the kind you bake- I followed the directions, using my toaster oven dedicated to this craft clay…I used the recommended temperature, but alas, the cover smoked and puffed up and poof- ruined!! Arrgh.  The clay was too old and the covers too thin.   Not gonna happen. I tossed the few packs I had left, (plus the burned cover) and discovered the clay was 7 years old! yikes…not good.

So this is my third journal attempt, and I decided to stick with a technique I’d done several times before- and still using up supplies- this time my aluminum tape and UTEE.  I used 5X7″ canvas boards for the covers.  The front cover was taped, then rubbed with clear embossing ink – the UTEE applied, heated with my craft heat gun, re-applied, reheated, etc, until I got the thickness I  wanted.  I had already pre-inked a stamp I wanted to use, and when the UTEE was thick enough and very hot and puddly, I very carefully pressed the stamp into the UTEE.  After a few seconds, I gently lifted it.  I repeated this a few times, making sure the UTEE was liquid, and ended up with what you see below.  The lampworked bead on the cover is the artistry of Pam Brisse.  I love using it for the journal closure!

I painted the end papers with Jacquard Lumiere Halo pink-gold paint.

I used 4-needle Coptic stitch binding with 4-ply waxed linen.

There are 9 signatures in this journal, with 3 full sheets folded in half per signature.

I haven’t made my colorful beads in awhile, so sat down last night and made this 2.75″ long Glitz-Oh! bead.  This morning I made this necklace, using the bead as focal point.  The ‘necklace’ part is simple black silk ribbon.  These beads start off as a roll of fabric- I embellish them until I get the result I want.  There are several layers involved.  You can see more of my Glitz-Oh! beads in this album

Glitz-Oh! Bead Necklace

This altered board book spread is for Jan’s book in the current round robin I’m in.  Her book’s theme is ‘Nature’.  I used fabric, acrylic paint, postage stamps from Taiwan and the USA, and Pitt artist pen.  This is a large book – the actual dimensions for the OPEN spread are 16″ wide X 11.5″H.  After adhering the stamps to the fabric with PPA, I sewed in random fashion around each of them with free motion sewing on my machine.  I adhered the fabric piece to the stiff board pages with Golden’s matte soft gel medium. After painting in matching green, I added more bits of the fabric pattern to the edges, to extend the existing flowers and leaves to the outside.

'Nature is the Art of God'- Dante

I created this little 4″ X 4″ canvas board image for a swap – the theme is rebirth, or resurrection/phoenix bird, etc.

I cut this canvas board to size, and it has a flat hanger attached on the reverse.  I used alcohol inks for the background, which is my interpretation of the universe expanding…the bird is an image on thin tissue. The border is washi paper tape.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Universe is in a constant state of re-creation.

I currently have three of my journals which I have featured here on my website, for sale.  They are in my Etsy Store – (link opens in a new window).

SOLD

I created this journal over this past week, to give to a dear friend.  I love using these vintage buttons and fabrics and ‘stuff” in my journals.  The whole process of making a journal is very satisfying to me.  I don’t journal, but I love to create journals for others to use.

You can view the whole journal in this album. ( Link opens in a new window.)

For all of my Puget Sound (Washington State) area friends…a wonderful concert is coming up next week – 2 performances of the Candlelight Concerts, conducted by Maestro Arthur Shaw.  I’ll be there! Larry is playing viola in this select orchestra, with other outstanding musicians performing beautiful music for this season of giving and being thankful for our gifts. All music presented in a candle-lit setting- you will love this!   For more information on some of the musicians involved, please visit Marjorie Talvi’s blog!  (the link opens in a new window.)

This afternoon’s play – an ATC  ‘trade’ for a friend in Eugene.  Hope she likes it!

The image is  from Ten Two Studios. I used a stiff plastic backing (which was sent in an envelope from France for packaging of a postcard I won on Ebay!), vintage fabric napkin fragment, and a few ‘curls’ I punched from paper scrap. I outlined this ATC with some “Distress Stickles” (Tim Holtz) and bronze Krylon pen, as well as a bit of black ink.  The words are stamped on pattern tissue with Staz-On solvent-based black ink; I adhered the napkin piece to the plastic with Liquid Fusion- when dry, I added the image, paper curls, and tissue text with PPA, then added the border. I used some white ink to create the dots of the hat and ribbon.  Now to mail it off!

THIS JOURNAL IS SOLD

I’ve been working on this journal most of this week.  I adore vintage buttons, as you know, and had ordered some lovely pastel buttons with a tiny bit of ‘bling’ from a shop on Etsy.  The buttons arrived yesterday, so I was able to finish the binding.  Though I’m still using up my stash as I make and alter books, the buttons were calling to me! (I’ve also used my own vintage buttons on this spine, as well.)

The covers are bits of fabric I’ve had for at least 25 years, as well as vintage laces and crocheted place mats and etc. from my mom’s and my stash.  I applied some Liquitex Flexible modeling paste to the exterior of the fabric, to tone down the blue a bit.  I loved the look and didn’t want to cover all of it.  The cover image is from a 1922 national Geographic, which I cut out and added using PPA and machine stitching.  The key on the closure has one of Mom’s old earring parts glued to it (I use Liquid Fusion for all metal gluing- non-toxic and NO odor!)

The papers of this journal are watercolor papers, my own collaged papers of paper and fabric scraps, and some scrapbook papers which seemed to go with the colors of the buttons.  I also used sari fabric remnants on the interior of the journal, between each signature.  All of the images can be viewed in THIS ALBUM.

I’m especially fond of the back cover- I used a pocket from my now- 13- yr.-old grand daughter’s jeans from when she was about 6!  I asked her mom for some of the old and stained clothes she’d outgrown, for using in my artwork.) Nothing goes to waste around here!

My older grand daughter's 'pocket' from years ago pants...embellished with laces and crochet and tatting work. My maternal grandmother's ribbon lace adorns the spine and back cover.