Merry Christmas to all!!

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you are all safe and sound and ready for Santa to visit! Enjoy this special time with your families! Through all the hustle and bustle that are the holidays, take time and remember the reason for the season!!!

FAB class from DJ Pettitt

DJ is offering a fabulous online class (Online Image Editing Workshop), starting in Jan. Go to her blog and check it out! She does fabulous work with photos and editing them in Photoshop. She then adds them to her collages and makes some just gorgeous pieces! I would say her class is one that you don't want to miss!!!

Whoops!!!

Sorry for the bad link above.....my Etsy shop is here!!!

New Artwork Listed today!!

I finally got my fanny in gear today and listed my birdie houses and some other artwork in my Etsy store today. The picture above is one of my new listings. I just put them in my original store, since Etsy didn't really sound too hot on opening a second store. Hopefully people can find them...!!!! Now I am going to spend the rest of the day working on Christmas gifts that I need to get made!!!

More Birdie houses!

Here are some more of the little birdie houses that I made earlier. I am going to work on my Etsy shop today and get them added. I really wanted to have a second store on Etsy, just for my artwork, but I contacted them and they don't really like for you to have more than one shop as it confusing things. So I will added them to my Wood Cellar Graphics store under a different catagory. I hope they don't get lost in the shuffle!!!

This one has a little bell hanging on the front and an old washer around the "birdie" hole.

This one has a little locket and key hanging on the front and antique lace around the outside edge.
This one has a little bell on the front!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!! Thank you for visiting and for all the warm, kind comments. I do appreciate it!

little birdie houses....

A couple of new birdie houses that I will be putting in my Etsy store soon. I got the pics taken this morning when we finally had some sunshine. These little ditties are about 7-8 inches tall and approx. 3-4 inches wide. My hubby made them for me and I had fun designing and painting them.

Italic Calligraphy Class

It's been awhile since I posted anything here. Been busy like everyone else, I guess. I've been taking a new class Italic Calligraphy from Martha and loving every minute of it. Above are a lot of the practice sheets I've done. I have lots to learn yet, but it is a good start. I tried to learn
calligraphy on my own years ago...bought some books, pens and paper, but never got very far. It is so worthwhile to take a class from someone either in person, or the next best thing *online*!!
Martha has been a calligrapher for over 25 years and is a natural teacher. I am so glad that I am taking this class from her and making progress. Her work is just beautiful. She has a lovely southern accent that is fun to listen to in her class videos.
I have also been busy making some fun things for my new Etsy store. I have a few more items to get done yet, and then will open the store. Hope to sell a few gifts for Christmas! I already have a store for my rubber stamps, but didn't want to mix the two....my stamps and my artwork. So, soon, Beyond the Cellar will open up on Etsy. In the next day or two, I'll post some of the items I've made that will go in my store.

A Treasury!!

I am soooooo excited!!! I've been included in my very first Treasury on Etsy!!!!! Wooohoooo!!!
It's all about EWE......
What fun!!!!!

Details, details.......and fun!

I've started another schedule of Traditions classes. This is from Module D. It was suppose to painted on a beautiful, big wooden box, but it was very expensive! So I decided to paint it on two boards instead. The floral design is suppose to be on top of the box lid, and the geometric design is suppose to be on the inside of the lid.

I am not sure what I am going to do with this geometric design...maybe hang it in my studio. I really am not crazy about it, thats for sure. But, with these lessons, we can't choose what to paint, so have to complete each lesson as is. This was a study of Marquetry, but done with paint. We had to apply layers of transparent paint to build up the colors and shading. Marquetry is normally done with all kinds of inlaid wood.

This little painting is from my gut art class with Mystele. I had the background done, and saw an arm and a shoulder.....and suddenly "she" appeared in the background. This is my first NUDE painting....lol!!! I couldn't decided on what clothes to put on her, and decided that she was supposed to be naked, walking through her flower garden. So....she is!!! This was much more fun to paint than the above paintings were.

Today. I am working on some items to add to my Etsy store. Oooopsss..it will be a NEW Etsy store for my artwork. I thought it really wouldn't work to put paintings in with my rubber stamps, so "Beyond the Cellar" will be my new store. I will post when I open it so you can peek at what I've been doing....

Have a good one!!

More Gut Art!

I finished this page the other day, and forgot to post it here. This is painted on a piece of cardboard that has had some of the layers torn off to create texture. Several pieces of collage papers were added and then I gessoed the background and created more textures. I painted layers of paint on with several tools...no brushes! Think I did use a bit of cloth to soften some of the colors and blend. When I was done layering all of this good stuff, I saw her eyes in the background!!!! Wow...she was right there looking at me. I would like to think of a name for her.....any ideas??? After she was painted, I added the butterflies. Who would have thought to paint on some ordinary, everyday cardboard??? I love the textures it creates.
I was very happy with this painting and think I might even frame her and hang her in my studio. Mysteles' Gut Art class has just been fabulous for me...learning to let go and get free!! I am so lovin' it!!

I'm having so much fun!

I'm having so much fun doodling!!! The little doodles below I did while watching the "tube" at night while there is nothing on......LOL...which is most of the time!!! Anyway, they are done on watercolor paper, with WC pencils, micron pen, and a waterbrush. I then mounted them on some coordinating card stock for a little extra strength and to give them that finished look. I will use them to tuck into notes, letters and other things that go out in the mail.
I just love the fact that you can do these and there is a limited supply of art supplies you need, you can do it anywhere and not much mess. I think I will be making more of these! It was Lori V. of Elvie Studio that inspired me to make these. She has been posting such cute little doodles on her blog lately and I fell in love with all of them. Thanks Lori!!!

New Addition to my Gut Art book

One of the inspirational videos we watched in my Gut Art class I found so beautiful was the Omo people. They are a tribe in Ethiopia and the live life naturally. They use each others' bodies as a canvas and paint on them. They then adorn each other with flowers, stems of grasses, pods and fruits. I tried to quickly capture a little of this beauty in my artwork above. I would like to paint more of these, but take my time with it. With our Gut Art book, we are suppose to do a quick sketch and go at it with freedom and movement. I had a lot of fun working on this. Tomorrow, I will be working on another painting that will be inspired by some music we will listen to.
This class is just awesome!!!

New Artwork FINALLY!!

My Photos got a little out of order here, but hopefully you'll be able to figure it all out! I've been having fun.

This is my first page in my new "Gut Art" book. I am taking a class from Mystele called Gut Art and this page came from our first lesson, viewing some artwork, and then taking what we saw and turning it into our own art. We first make the background on the page using collage, then layers of paint and pencil, etc. After the background is done, we study it, and see what we can see appear to us. The first then I saw in my background was the BIG eye....so, I went with that and sketched a face. I tried to use some of the abstract style of the artist we were studying and incorporate that into my painting. I don't think I am too crazy about her, but do like what I ended up with. Mystele calls this "pulled art". Letting yourself go and using your intuition to paint. This is terribly hard for me, as I've always been such a "controlled" artist and creating with such abandonment is not easy. She is trying to teach us to find out our own style, our own creative niche. I love her artwork, and she is a wonderful teacher...she really connects with her words.

This is the back cover of my Gut Art book. We used cardboard and covered it with collage and the layered paint over that.

This is the front cover. After collaging and painting it, I put the heart in the center...writing "art pulled from the heart". The word Embrace is collaged below.....embrace your own style. I hope and pray that I can do this.

My book is filled with wonderful papers to work on. Watercolor paper, cardstock, handmade papers, paper bags, old cardboard ....some small and some large....It should be a lot of fun to fill up with art.

This is a project that really isn't finished yet. On a piece of masonite, I collaged 2" squares in various background papers. Then I used a charcoal pencil to shade around and between each square. A thank you to Carol Wingert for the inspiring idea on her blog awhile back.

I've glued many things that I like, and also some old keepsakes I had. See the black and white peace sign? It was a button that I bought way back in the 60's in Haitt Ashbury, in San Francisco in my hippie days....LOL!!! There is a little lock and the key that goes with it. A wooden nickle from a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota many moons ago. I say that it isn't finished yet because I will keep adding some treasures to it as I find them.

My hubby built the frame for me and it is a deep frame. I crackled it but it didn't get the deeper cracks like I had hoped it would, but it will work. The deep frame allows me to set some little nick knacks on it if I want to . I have it hanging on the wall right next to my computer. Sorry for the glare from my flash.....ooops!!!!

Calligra~Fun Class giveaway!

Martha Lever is giving away one place in her Calligra~Fun Class this week. I have taken this class and it is wonderful. A great way to learn a fun technique to use in your artwork...journals, paintings and all!! Go over to her blog and be sure to leave a comment and enter to win!!! You won't be sorry if you get in on this class!!!

http://marthalever.blogspot.com/

Now I had better get busy and get back to my artwork so I have something to post here instead of giveaways.....LOL!!!! Although they are loads of fun fun!!!!

Have a creative day!!!

Another Great Giveaway!

I found this great giveaway on Leslie Venables' blog. She is offering this beautiful journal to her winner. Check out her blog for more info. http://flatwoodsfolkart.typepad.com/flatwoods_folk_art/

She is also offering a class as well. The class is limited to 10 students, so you better hurry if you are interested.

classeshttp://studioretreats.ning.com/page/visiting-artists-classes

You had better go and sign up for this one....lovely lovely work!!!

Wonderful Giveaway!!

There is a wonderful giveaway on Gina Lee Kims' blog. A piece of her beautiful artwork!! If you go and check it out, you can still sign up for it.

Here is the link.....

http://ginaleekim.blogspot.com/2009/09/thank-you-part-2-giveaway.html

Have a creative Friday!!!

Long, Tall Skinny Journal

Another journal done from Julie Pritchards Super Nova class. We collaged the pages first before making the book. Most of the backgrounds, quotes, and journaling will be added now that the book is finished to personalize the book. This book was more time consuming to make, with all of the collaged pages, but I am lovin' how it turned out. The pages are just card stock, folded in half length wise, and then bound together with ribbon.

Our next book will be a fabric covered journal. This one looks much more difficult and think it will be a challenge for me to complete. I will have to see if I get time to get it done.

My Module D classes, with Traditions will be starting again soon, so they with keep me very busy for the winter months. I will post my progress here.........

hugs, Sue K

Are we having fun yet?????

No painting for this gal today!!! We just picked these today and it looks like I'll be canning tomatoes this week!!! Guess that is what happens when you plant over 100 tomato plants!!!
LOL!!!!! So, I have been LABORING on Labor Day....!!! Just seems like the right thing to do!!

Journals from Super Nova Class

I've been taking another new class and it has been wonderful. We are learning how to make three different types of journals. The pics shown are the first style. I had so much fun, I ended up making two. They are made with watercolor paper for the inside pages, but you could use any kind of paper to make them.

The "Time" journal was covered with a page I had made awhile back that I really liked. I covered the journal with muslin and then put the page on top of that.

The orange journal I covered with paper and then added the awesome doily half and embellished that to finish it. I love the way it turned out.

I think I will get myself some more papers and make some of these to sell when I open my Etsy store for artwork.

The class is the one I mentioned in an earlier post. Julie Pritchard is the teacher and her site is

http://www.julieprichard.com/

The class is very affordable and is part one of her SuperNova class. The second part will be journaling. The class is ongoing so you can sign up at any time and learn at your own pace. She is a great teacher and very thorough with how she presents the infomation. Videos are great!!

I will post next weeks journals when I get them done.

I hope you are all having a wonderful end of summer holiday weekend!

Lookie What I got!!!!

I found the most wonderful seller on Etsy. I was snooping around one day looking for some supplies and found her store. I requested some collections from her in certain colors, and this is what she put together for me. I was thrilled with her attention to my order, and what she put together for me. I told her what I was looking for and she came up with these.....

Needless to say, I was just thrilled with what she sent me! The packaging was gorgeous too ...everything was wrapped and tied with ribbon. It was just like Christmas to get her package. Her Etsy Store name is vintage1955 and I recommend her highly!! When visiting her store, look through the sold items and there you will see many, many more beautiful collections she has put together. Oh and I don't want to forget, she is very reasonable too. Go and check it out.

Tell her SUE sent ya!!!!

An Artist that I admire!

Each morning, I spend my "coffee time" visiting some of my favorite blogs. One of them is the blog of KC Willis and her business Lipstick Ranch. She creates the most beautiful, unique art. Her blog addy is http://www.kcwillis.blogspot.com/
She is now offering classes in her studio and also online to learn her techniques. You might want to check out her latest classes in her brand new studio in Colorado. She found the sweetest, warm and friendly house and has now set up her art studio there. If you might be interested in taking a class from her, go to http://studioretreats.ning.com/ and read about what she is offering. When checking out her blog, make sure you take time to view the gallery of her work. It is breathtaking!!!

A new page in my Altered book that I am working on. I decided to have a little fun and paint something whimsical this time. Plain and simple...that is for sure!! I have fun drawing and painting it. I think I will do more of these little ditties!
I have ordered a new book that I found on Rebecca Sowers' blog . It looks like a beautiful book and just what I need right now. She is offering a GIVEAWAY for one copy of the book, so go and sign up for it. I never win much on the blog giveaways, so I went to Amazon and ordered it. Just you watch...since I've ordered it, I'll probably win! LOL!!!
I'm on my way outside to pick tomatoes. I am finally getting lots of tomatoes and hopefully, will be able to can some for winter. They have been so slow this year due to all of our cool weather. Must be global warming, huh?
Have a good fun day!

Oooopssss!!! Giveaway!!!

***EDITED****
I don't know how I forgot this, but if you go to Julies' blog and sign up, she is giving away two chances to win one of her classes. Click on the link and scroll down on her blog for all the info.
I think I need another cup of coffee this morning!!!

Art Journaling Class!

I am currently taking a class from Julie Pritchard called Layer Love. We are learning how to apply layers of paint to build up a wonderful, deep, rich background for journal pages and/or artwork. I haven't finished the class yet, but I'm lovin' what I am learning.
Now she is offering a couple of new classes. They are called Art Journaling Super Nova. The class is so full of information and how to videos, that she has had to split it into two separate classes. Part one is Bookbinding and part two is Art Journaling. If you go to her blog, http://lostluggage.typepad.com/the_land_of_lost_luggage/ and sign up for her classes, she is offering a special on them. You can buy them as a combo package for a reduced price. I think that I will be signing up for them. She is a great teacher and these classes are jammed packed full of tons of info. and how to's!!! Go and check it out!!!!
****EDIT***** Wooooohoooooooooo!!!! Just found out that I won one of Julies' free classes!!! I am going to take the bookbinding class for sure! I am so excited!!!!!!!! Thanks Julie!

Isn't she a beauty????

Please take a look at this beauty!! The Singer sewing machine was my Grandmothers, and then my Moms' and I've owned it since I was a young girl. I used the make all of my own Barbie Doll clothes on it. It is a 1925 Electric Singer sewing machine. I was told that it was the very first portable electric model they made. Don't know if that is true or not, but it is a beauty.
I've got the original attachments box, along with quite a few attachments and tools, and the original instruction booklet that came with it.
I got it out today to check it out and make sure it was still in good shape and so I thought that maybe you would enjoy looking at it too. It still works like a new one...although, it only sews ONE way. Makes a straight stitch and that is it. If you want to lock you seams you have to turn the fabric around and go back over your first stitches. LOL!!! No Zig Zag on this baby!!!!
It weighs a ton and I had trouble getting the umph~! to get it hoisted up on the table.
Here are a few more pics of it.
I want to use it to make some of my planned fabric collage items that are rolling around in my head. I have a newer machine too and will probably use that as well.

This photo shows some of the attachments and the booklet and box.

This fits into the front of the machine and hangs down. You use your knee to operate the machine by pushing on this.

It's even got a light!!!!!

Outside of case when closed with key attached to the handle above.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at this fine piece of work from the past. I treasure this gem and will probably always keep it. I have no idea what it might be worth to a collector????

New Sketch from drawing class

This is a sketch that I did after Monica's drawing class. I tend to make my facial features just a little on the large size. But I do like her for a beginning try. She turned out looking somewhat mysterious and sultry....lol!!! I think that next, I will try to paint her. Don't you think she'd be lovely with a big flower in her hair and a pretty dress???? Oh yeah!!!

I've also been playing with my calligraphy and some watercolors. I will post some of them here soon too. I've got another page ready to go in my little altered book that is calling to me also. I've got the background done, and have been trying to decide what the page needs next. So, soon I will have some ideas, and then I will finish it.
I have been busy in our garden this week. It has been a slow year for growing, but things are finally starting to produce. We've been eating sweet corn, a few tomatoes, squash, green beans and cabbage. The eggplant is growing and will be ready soon and I can hardly wait. I love to slice it long ways, a little olive oil and salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. AWESOME!! Oh yeah, and maybe a touch of garlic powder. Yesterday when out in the garden pulling some weeds (such fun), I saw several cucumbers that were just about ready. They grow so fast, and I'm sure that they will be ready to pick today. I think we'll have some tonight for dinner. With as many varieties of things we grow, it is hard to know which veggies to eat each night....It is almost too much!!! But it is all good for us, so it isn't a bad thing. (except for all the butter on the sweet corn....oh my!)
Until next time.....

New Page for my Altered book

Yesterday, I got another page done in my Altered Book. I do like the way it turned out, but may add something else to it. Sometimes when you let your work sit and take your time with it, it may say to you that it needs something more, or it is fine as it is. I have already basecoated another page, so I am ready to go again.

I also want to start work on some other ideas that I have. I have been admiring so many other artists' work and see that the ones that are the most successful are the artists that have their own style, their own look, something truly unique that is all their own. Finding your way to that point isn't usually something that happens overnight. It is something that takes years of work and thought.

Being a successful rubber stamp designer, I developed my own style that was truly all my own. I look back at my 20+ year career and think about those first stamp designs that I put out there for sale. For the life of me, I don't know why anyone bought them, but they did! (AWFUL)

My artwork developed over the years. The more I drew, the better I got at it. Many many of my customers told me they liked our stamps because they were unique and not like what the rest of the companies were putting out there.

So I will try to remember this with my artwork. It is not something that I am going to do and immediately become a successful artist. It is something that I will have to develop over time.

Some of my recent ideas that I will put into play may just be the first step towards that point.

Calligra~Fun

I am having sooooo much fun!!! I signed up for a class called "Calligra~Fun with Martha Lever and it is a wonderful class. She is a fantastic teacher with a lovely southern drawl that I love to listen to. She has been a calligrapher for over 25 years and she does fantastic work. Over the years, I have tried to study calligraphy on my own. Bought books, pens, and lots of lined paper, but it seems that without some direction, my attempts were rather ugly. So when I found out that Martha was going to teach her fun, relaxed style of letter forms, I jumped on it. I am so glad that I did!!
Here are a few of my attempts at it. Now remember, I have just learned this and have lots and lots of practice to do to get better at it.

This is in a small altered book that I am working on. I was a little afraid to put it on something that was permanent, but I told myself....go for it!! There is always gesso.......lol!!! Page isn't finished quite yet, but I like it.



Just a little practice and play on this sheet.....

A quote that I found that I liked. I think I'll use this somewhere in the future on some other paper.

More playing......and doodling. Doodling is something I have done for years!!!!

On to more practice now......

New Altered Book

I have been having so much fun making an altered book. I started with a small childrens book....about 7 x 9". I glued pages together to get a nice firm page to work with, and then gessoed all of them. I then started adding collage elements to them and a different theme on each page. So much fun...and so free!! I love this style of painting.

This page was a bird and tree theme.....

This page, the theme is MUSIC and my love for it.


This page, the theme is BEAUTY.....inside beauty.

I loved the way this page turned out. The theme is in the words....

I created this page to include some of the things that I love....

About my artistic journey.........

And this is the cover of my book......

I will be posting more pages from my book as I get them done. I think that I will be making many more of these books in the future, as I'm lovin' it!!

It has been awhile since I posted, and it has been a busy time. We had company for the month of June, and it just flew by. My son and his two daughters were here for a nice visit. He is in the Navy and was being transfered from Texas to Maryland for the next 4 years. He had 30 days of leave so he came home for a nice long visit with us. His brother lives close by, and he and his daughter were here a lot too. Lots of talking, grilling, swimming in the backyard....it was a fun time. As usual, it went by too fast. Here is pic of kids and Dad in the pool.