Beyond the Cellar

Merry Christmas to One and All!

2011-12-24T13:45:00.000-06:00

I wanted to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This is the time of year that we all gather with our families and friends and celebrate the season together. We are all blessed in so many ways. Enjoy each moment and try not to get stressed. Remember that even if everything isn't perfect, just being together and sharing the holiday with those we love is much more important.
Have a wonderful Christmas!

Hugs, Sue K

A sweet little story I came across

2011-09-14T11:15:00.002-05:00

A little girl wanted to know what the United States looked like. Her dad tore a map of the USA out of a magazine and cut it into small pieces, then told her to go to her room and see if she could put it together. After a few minutes she returned with the map correctly fitted and taped together. The dad was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. She replyed on the other side was a picture of Jesus and when I put him back together, then our country just came together

For Kaitlyn and Lilly

2011-04-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Good morning!
I made a promise to a very sweet granddaughter awhile back in an email. She lives in Maryland with her family. We email back and forth and I was telling her about the collages that I make. She had lots of questions for me about what I was doing. So, I told her I'd make her one for her room and one for her sister too.
I finally have them ready to mail and guess what???? I actually remembered to take pictures of them before mailing.
Who would have "thunk"....LOL!!!
I have also been making a large bunch of pretty pouches too. So I have lots of new things to post here. These are the two small wall hangings that I made them and will mail to them tomorrow.
Our weather has still been depressing. Lots of cloudy, foggy and rainy days. Plants in the greenhouse are growing and soon we hope to be able to get out and work the garden to prepare it for planting. Lots of drying up to do first. Seems like we are stuck in a WET cycle lately. I hope that your weather is better where you live.

I also want to wish you all a blessed Easter. Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs, Sue K

So Lucky!

2011-04-11T09:17:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was picked to be a winner of Donna's giveaway on her blog, Brynwood Needleworks! She was giving away TWO prizes in her drawing. Since I am one that usually NEVER wins anything, I was tickled to death when my name was picked for one of the gift packages. My package arrived late last week and this is a photo of what I was lucky enough to win!
One of her wonderful mug mats (which I will use here on my computer desk), a set of darling little ceramic birdies, a REAL hummingbird nest, a $25 Target gift card and last but certainly not least, one of her handmade pillow cases. Now this pillow case is gorgeous, made of silky fabric, maybe percale? Whatever the fabric is, it is wonderful. Almost too pretty to use!!
Thank you so much Donna!

Then to top things off, I have won a second giveaway drawing!! Go figure! I will take photos of it when it arrives and share my joy with you then.

I hope to be able to post more. I've been a BAD blogger!! I do have lots to photograph and share though. I've been stitching away and having a ball.

Finally, we are having a sunny day here. It has been so gloomy lately and it is nice to see the sun. I have been busy in my greenhouse, planting up a storm. I've got all my vegtable plants started in little pots and tons of flower seeds started too. I planted 150 tomato plants and 400 pots of flowers. YEAH...I am crazy!!
For those that don't know, we sell at Farmers' Market each summer and have just a huge garden area and lots of flower beds. Maybe with the work that gardening provides, I can take off some of this "winter fluff" that I seem to have accumulated!! LOL!!!

Have a great day. I hope to be back soon to post somemore pics!
hugs, Sue K

WIP New Collage

2011-02-07T09:25:00.003-06:00

This collage isn't done yet, but I thought I would post my progress so far. I am LOVING these rich fabrics that I bought awhile ago. All silks, velvets, brocades and embroidered silks. I added some trims that I had and some lace pieces to set it off. I am thinking that it needs something along the top of the collage. Maybe some more fabric scrap collage and some bling!! I will have to play with it some more and see what I can come up with.
I really do enjoy working with the fabrics a lot. I bought this fabric a couple of weeks ago from a seller on Ebay that offered a big lot of mixed "elegant" fabrics. Most of them are fairly small pieces that are perfect for collage work. I made the mistake of sorting them into color groups and bagging them up to organize. Now, as I work with them, I see that I need to get myself a big bin and just dump them together so I can see what pieces I have to add as I work. It is taking too much time to sort through each nice little neat bag to find the pieces I want to use.
So, the next time I get close to Wallyworld, I will buy some more storage bins....large ones.
Also, I ordered some burgundy, dk. brown, hunter green and black velvet to use to back my collages. It is an upholstery weight velvet and it will work great as a base for these.
I love the freehand stitching on this and think it really adds to the collage.

Close up of collage...click on it to enlarge

A little closer view

Stay tuned for the finished piece soon.

I have already started another one in pinks, creams and soft sage greens.....think it is going to be pretty!!!

Have a lovely day and try to stay warm. We got up this morning to 2 degrees!! Brrrrr......

Love and hugs, Sue K

A Study in Portraiture

2011-01-28T13:21:00.002-06:00

Hello friends!
I have finally gotten back to my painting lessons after quite a long break. I was going to take just a little time off from my Traditions lessons, but that time just kind of stretched out to months. I was glad to get my paintbrush wet again. Although, it did take me a little time to get my hands trained again.
This turned out pretty good, although the subject matter isn't my choice. I did learn a lot from this lesson and I am glad that I am through with it. We started with just an outline of a face, then shaded it all with burnt umber for shadows and highlights. Then we applied the skin tones, based in the hat, coat and hair. Then layers were built up to darken the shadows and lighten the highlights on the face. We used a black and white copy to get a good look at the value changes and used that to define the face.
I do like the way his eyes turned out. He looks a little mischievous with that twinkle in his eye. So now it is on to the next lesson, which is a Flemish Floral arrangement. I think I will like painting this one much better. After I finish that painting, I have one more left which is a landscape and it is beautiful. A scene with ships, water, and an old windmill. Then I will be done with my painting lessons.....42 paintings done, and months and months of learning. Now I will have to apply it to my OWN artwork.
Have a lovely day! I'm off to my sewing machine to play for awhile!!
hugs, Sue K

New Year~New Projects!

2011-01-07T11:11:00.003-06:00

Hello Friends!

I have started some new projects now that the holidays are over and behind us. I have been doing a lot of hand work and having so much fun with it. Years ago, I was lucky enough to find a class locally where the teacher taught her students how to quilt. It wasn't just any quilting class, but a very special one. She taught us how to quilt by "hand". A lost art! Although it is much easier to quilt on the machine, I love to hand stitch, so this was right up my alley. This is going to be a pillow top when it is done. I've got the top all done now...all by hand.

I don't know if you can see it or not from my photos (dark cloudy day today), but the rose in the center and a couple other parts are hand quilted to give it some dimension. I added lace and then hand stitched the tiny pearls to hold the lace down. I am still trying to decide it I want to put lace around the outside of the pillow when I put it together. What do you think? Too much?
This definitely won't be a pillow to lay your head down on with the little pearls, but would look pretty on someones' bed to embellish it.

For Christmas this year, I made six wall hangings for gifts. Do you think I took any pictures of them before sending them off? NOT!!! I was trying to get them all done and each one had to be mailed some distance, so they got packaged up and sent. Then I thought....darn, I didn't take any photos of them!!! I also made one for another gal to gift for Christmas and it was so pretty! It was a sea shore theme and it even had a real sand dollar in the center of it. I might make another one of those because it was just gorgeous.
I have some other items made up and I will take photos of them to show here. I am hoping for a sunny day to get the photos done.
I have been collecting all kinds of old vintage jewelry and also some gorgeous fabrics. I was lucky enough to find (ebay) a seller that was offering scraps of all kinds of beautiful fabrics. I got two lots of it and it is beautiful. A combination of silks, velvets, brocades and organdy. A rainbow of colors to work with too. I loved what she sent me sooooo much, I sent her a big check and I've got a box full of over 500 mores scraps coming any day now. Thank God I've got a very understanding hubby that just smiles when the mailman keeps bringing all of these boxes of treasures to my door. I am well armed now with supplies!!! It would be a good idea if I quit ordering "stuff" and put some of it to use.
I'm still working on getting my second Etsy shop set up. I had a little problem with the set up because Etsy doesn't make it very easy, but I got it figured out with the help of a sweet blogger friend. Thank you Beth!!
Have a lovely day my friends! As soon as the sun shines here, I'll have more to show you. I might take a photo of my fabrics when they arrive sometime this week too. Pretty pretty!

Hugs, Sue

Merry Christmas to all!!

2010-12-25T13:14:00.001-06:00

Here's to hoping that you all are having a Merry Christmas! Blessed with family, friends and the joy of the season!

Hugs, Sue K

Thankful

2010-11-26T17:41:00.002-06:00

Feeling thankful for family, friends and for the wonderful season. We are all blessed to live in such a wonderful county and I say a little prayer each day that we continue to be free to enjoy it for many more years. Here's to hoping that you all had a great holiday!

Been Busy Around here!

2010-11-12T15:57:00.003-06:00

I was going to take some photos of my new works today, but it is a cloudy dreary day here. No sun all day and it is drizzly out. And COLD!! So I will have to wait until tomorrow for pics. I have quite a few new items made and now I need to get my new Etsy shop set up.
So come back and visit in a day or two!!

Hugs, Sue K

Been Stitchin'

2010-10-22T15:28:00.004-05:00

Hello friends!
It has been a long time since I posted on my blog, but I hope to change that. I've been busy in my sewing room stitchin' away. I have done a little painting too, but nothing that is done that I can show you yet. (key work...yet)
My Mom sent me the cutest little tablecloth not too long ago. I just loved it with all my heart, but it was too small for any of my tables. I hung it over the rail in our kitchen so that I could look at it, hoping for some inspiration. One day, it came to me....CURTAINS for my kitchen. It was white with multi colored flowers and stitching so the colors would go great with my butter yellow walls. I held my breath and cut it in half, then in half again for curtains. I used an old percale pillow case, and cut enough for the rod casing on the top. I stitched them all together, pressed them and went about hanging them up in just a couple of hours.
LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

Close up of the appliqued floral pattern and embroidery. I even added a little lace to the bottom of them too. Sorry about the dark photos....wish they were better!

I also have been making quite a few fabric collages and some little gift bags. I will try to get some photos of them and post here in the next days.
Our weekend weather doesn't sound very nice....cold and rainy, but that means studio and sewing room time. Woooooohooooooo!!!!!
Have a great weekend! Thanks for visiting!
Hugs, Sue K

Finally~Time to Create!

2010-09-07T14:35:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends.....
I am so happy that I finally had some time to work on some projects yesterday. It was a rainy, cool day, so I spent the afternoon at my sewing machine making these two little gift bags. One is for my Mom and the other is for a friend. I was in such a hurry to get them done, and ready to mail today, I forgot to take photos of the lavender sachets inside of them. Oh well, I will be making more of them and will remember to take pics.

I just love working with this cotton canvas fabric. The images were printed on muslin with my inkjet printer. I use the freezer paper method and so far, have had really good results. I only had one sheet jam in my printer, and then I could still use two out of the three images I had tried to print. Not bad!
I would love to try some of the other methods of transfer and probably will when I have more time to play.

Click on the photos above and you will be able to get a better look at them. My photography skills are lacking....especially when in such a hurry to get them done.

I have been shopping online for fabric and have been adding to my stash so that I have plenty to work with over the winter months to keep me busy. Muslin, burlap, ticking, and many other beautiful fabrics. I always check out the remnants bin in the fabric dept and find many pretty pieces there for a nice discount. Also, Etsy is a great place for fabric finds!

I am working on a couple more projects and will post them in a few days, when they are done. Now that Fall is almost upon us, I will be working on many more ideas that I have.

One thing I have to get done is to get my studio cleaned and ready to work in again. The dust bunnies have been busy this summer, while the artist in residence has been absent. I couldn't work on my painting table right now if I tried. It is piled high with "STUFF" ! Now, I have to put it all away and find my table again.

Soon.............

I hope you are having a creative and good week! Thanks for stopping by!

hugs, Sue K

Silly Woman!!

2010-08-03T18:14:00.003-05:00

For some reason...unknown to me, I never did put a link to my rubber stamp website on my blog. Now, that is really dumb!! Anyway, if you get a chance, hop on over to my website. It is a cute and fun place! I had the website designed by a friend and I thought she did a great job on it. Thanks for taking a look!!

It has been warm here and muggy. The air is so thick, you could cut it with a knife! I don't do too well with heat and humidity, so I've been laying low around here. This summer, we have had a lot of heat and I am feeling ready for fall. I try not to wish that fall will get here too soon, because I know winter is right after that.
Our big garden is really abundant this year. All of our squash plants are going nuts! We are going to have a bumper crop of squash! Especially the acorn and butternut squash...wow, there are tons of them and they are huge. I am hoping that our cantelopes and watermelons do well too, but I will have to wait and see. Our cucumbers are just too much!! Hubby will start picking daily for me soon so I can get the cukes while little and make pickles. I have a patch of dill that is needing to be cut too, so I won't have to buy any dill. I love making dill pickles with really small cukes and eat them like candy during the winter!!

Hope all is well with all of you, my friends! Is your weather hot where you live too???
hugs, Sue K

A Special Giveaway to check out!

2010-07-27T13:00:00.003-05:00

Diane Knott and her daughter Holly, have opened a NEW Etsy shop featuring their beautiful handmade items. Their shop link is:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cottagebythepond

They are giving away the lovely pear, and the stuffed heart (made by Diane) and a beautiful handmade wristlet made by Holly. What a bunch of loveliness!!

You must go to their Etsy shop and look at all the items they have for sale there. YUMMY stuff!!
And go to Dianes' Blog and enter to win the three lovelies pictured above.
http://dianeknottsmusings.blogspot.com/

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I haven't been creating much these past days. I HAVE been cleaning and organizing my new sewing area next to my studio. It is almost done now and soon I will be creating fun things.
It isn't beautiful....not a finished area.....but I would call it functional! I think this is the first time I have ever had my sewing things all in one place. It should make it a lot easier for me to get around to sewing. It isn't too inspiring to sew when you have to drag everything out and set it up before you can even start. I even bought a BRAND new cover for my ironing board and it is all ready to go also.
I did make a PARIS inspired pillow for my Moms' 85th birthday. It was blue toile, blue ticking and some natural linen. I sewed a round lace doily on it, then a red PARIS label and finished it with some red stitching to set it off. Then in each of the four corners, I sewed some big red buttons. I was in such a hurry to get it done and in the mail so that she would get it in time for her B-day, I neglected to get any pictures of it.
I think I will make another one......it was awfully cute!! SHE LOVED IT!!!!!
Have a great day one and all....stay cool (It is supposed to be in the 90's today and humidity is a bear)
hugs, Sue K

PLENT-I-FUL!!!!

2010-07-17T10:00:00.002-05:00

Each Spring, we plant tons of tomato plants. We are both tomato lovers and can eat them nonstop all day long! There is nothing in the world as delicious as a homegrown fresh tomato!

The past week we have been getting a few ripe ones here and there, and then Thurs. I went to pick, and there were 15 beautiful ripe red tomatoes, ready to go!! So we have been in tomato heaven.

How do you like your tomatoes??? Salt and pepper?? Hubby likes sugar on them (midwest thing, I think) or do you like them with a little vinegar and oil on them?? I like them all ways...except the sugar. We planted some Black Krimm tomatoes this year. They are a dark burgandy color and are they ever sweet and good. I can't get enough of them. We are going to be planting more of them each year.

Soon, my eggplant will be ready and I can hardly wait for them!!! I love to slice them long ways, a little olive oil, salt and pepper and throw them on the grill. Oh Lord, it is heavenly!!!

Have a lovely Saturday! It is really, really hot and humid here, so this afternoon, this old woman is going to go and float in our pool!!!

hugs, Sue

I HATE Spam!

2010-07-07T19:23:00.000-05:00

It seems that I keep getting spam in my comments section and so far, I have just been deleting it when it happens. Tonight, I have changed my blog to moderation of comments. I will have to approve any comments left by you wonderful people. Isn't it a shame that the people that do these things don't have something better to do with their time?? Makes a mess for people like us just trying to have a little blog and share with friends.
Sorry for the trouble, but I don't know what else to do. Thanks for understanding!
Have a great night!
hugs, Sue

Traditions Lesson #D-8 done!

2010-07-05T15:06:00.002-05:00

I am getting close to getting through my studies with Traditions paint, and the painting Modules that they offer. I started this journey over two years ago and have learned so very much. With four Modules (A,B, C and D) It is hard to believe that I am almost through Module D.
The above painting is a study of the color wheel, using foliage from different plants. I did enjoy painting it, although there are some mistakes....lol! And I'm not telling what they are. It took me months to get this lesson done, having to remix my colors once because my palette dried out
since it took me so long. Now it is done! I am going to take the rest of the summer off from my lessons and start again in the fall. I only have three more lessons to go and I will be done.
Woooohoooooo!!!!!

I have a bunch of "other" projects in the works, so I hope to be posting more soon. I am outside so much in the summer, that my studio gets neglected terribly. I will probably have to clean out the cobwebs in there when I start again. I plan to expand my studio into another room too, as now I need a place to store and work on fabrics. Instead of trying to cram everything into my current studio, I will clean out a place in another room and set up everything. I'll be more organized and everything will be close by that I need.

Thanks for taking a peek! I hope to be posting more often now!

Giveaway Winner!

2010-06-15T10:18:00.004-05:00

I was a lucky winner last week at Rhondas' Blog, A Little Bit French and when her package arrived, I was thrilled! Such a beautiful, feminine little pouch, full of all kinds of goodies tucked inside. Lace, ribbon, a couple of collaged tags, and a cute clothespin! Each and every Friday, Rhonda has a French Friday giveaway, and each week she gives away such pretty things. Very talented lady!!! Thank you Rhonda for the lovelies. Go and visit her wonderful blog....you'll be glad that you did.

Sorry for the blurry picture!!

Lookie! Lookie!!! Awesome Fabric!!

2010-06-07T17:39:00.003-05:00

I found this fabric on Etsy and it arrived today! It is a beautiful weight and I am more than thrilled with it!! I can see it used for pillows, in fabric collage and in a million more places. I wish now that I had ordered more than just one yard of it.
Now I can't wait to use it! I think I hear my sewing machine calling my name......LOL!!!

The name of her shop is Renees' Fabric on Etsy. She just opened the end of May. If you shop there, tell her we sent you!!

Nannies' Lace

2010-05-21T16:44:00.004-05:00

Years ago, I received a box of my Grandmothers' Lace from my Mother. I was thrilled to be entrusted with this box of loveliness from the past. I have many projects planned for all of this lace and have spent the past few days gently washing it all. I searched the net for the best way to clean old lace without damaging it. One site said to use Dreft detergent....it is for babies and it is very gentle on vintage fabrics. Well, it worked wonderfully! I soaked the lace in batches in Dreft and warm water. You would not believe the nasty icky gunk that soaked out of it. Some of it is still a little damaged and stained, but that adds to it as far as I am concerned.

I plan to make pillows, collages, and some of it, I may just display the lace itself. The lace collar below is one of those pieces that I just could not cut into pieces. It would be a sin!!

Lovely, lovely lace! I love the pattern of this one (above)

Piles of lace and doilies! With washing all of this lace, my house looks like a bordeaux with lace hanging on everything to dry. My hubby thinks I am NUTS....lol!!! What does a man know about these things???

Another lace collar. Very fine lace with a little damage, but still usable. I will find something to use it for.
More piles of lace. I love the beige trim and while looking at it, I thought it would look awesome with some burlap that color and make a pillow out of it. Woooohooooo!!
I love the pattern of this lace and I have quite a bit of it.
Here is the trim at the bottom of a little dress. The dress is shown below and it didn't get washed. There are places where the fabric is so thin that is has torn a little. I'm afraid that if I wash it, more damage would be done.
Click on the above picture and look at all the pintucking on the bodice. There is a lot of work there. So beautiful.

I hope that you have enjoyed my little lace tour.....I have more to wash and dry yet, so might take somemore photos. There is a very large piece of black lace and I think it was either a shawl or maybe a piano scarf at one time. It is in such poor shape that it tears if not handled gently.

So I think I will leave it alone for now.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

hugs, Sue

Goodies in the Mail!

2010-04-21T10:48:00.005-05:00

When I went to my mailbox the other day, I was so excited to see a package there waiting for me. I was the lucky winner of Mysteles' journal giveaway. I was so giddy when opening the package, you'd have thought it was Christmas. I have loved, loved, loved Mysteles' work for a long time and took her "Gut Art" class last fall (which is fabulous!!!) So I was excited to know that my name was picked to win some of her work. A treasure for sure. The little journal is wonderful...old papers, painted pages, tabs, pockets and all ready to add my own touch to. Also, in the package was a little bundle of papers and trinkets, but when I opened it, I was amazed how much was packed into a little clear envelope. WOW!!! Thank you Mystele, and please go to her website/blog and check out her work. It is so unique and wonderful....as is Mystele herself!!

Fun Watercolor Flowers

2010-04-16T18:32:00.004-05:00

I've been having such fun tonight! Over on Martha Lever's blog, she has a couple of videos on painting these cute little 5 minute flowers. They are painted with watercolors on WC paper. I need more practice, but I had so much fun painting these. I think they would really be cute on greeting cards, with a hand lettered greeting. I think I might get busy and paint a bunch of them to try to sell at our Farmers' markets this summer. Thank you Martha! Your blog is always so inspiring to me.

Spring is HERE!!

2010-03-24T10:27:00.006-05:00

Spring is in the air!! Finally, some warmth and sunshine to enjoy! I am enjoying it a lot too. I saw my first robins a couple of days ago, a sure sign of Spring. I spent the afternoon yesterday, out in my greenhouse, planting seeds for our veggie garden. I have tons to plant yet, but the tomatoes and eggplants are in pots. We raise a large garden each year and have fun selling at farmers' markets. I have some crafty ideas too, which I will take along and sell as well. Here is a photo of the greenhouse that we built from recycled materials (it was taken last summer). It is about 16x24 ft. So, we have lots of room to start plants!! I love to be out in my greenhouse, with a cup of coffee and just taking it all in!!

Three New Projects

2010-02-27T13:33:00.005-06:00

I did a journal page, using some of what I've learned in Sharons Tomlisons' class. The

photo didn't turn out the best...it is much richer in person. Oh well, at least she is here.

I had fun creating a couple of new paintings. These were from some painting magazines that

I've had for quite awhile. It was a nice break from my lessons.

So, now it is back to my lessons. I've only got about 4 more to go with this session. Each one

seems to get a little more difficult, but using different techniques. I am working on a still life now which is a nice break after all of the stokework in the last two lessons. I just hope that it turns out okay. It seems that most of these lessons have what you call "an ugly stage" before it comes around and starts to look like it is suppose to. So, you look at it and say....yuck, this looks awful! You keep on going and pretty soon it takes on a whole new look and you start to feel more confident.

Let's hope so.....

New Strokework Lesson

2010-02-17T15:01:00.003-06:00

Another lesson done! This one is Rosemaling. Again, strokework is NOT my favorite kind of painting, but I do like this one now that it is done. I made quite a few mistakes on it, but I'm not doing it over again. I now what I did wrong, so I did learn during this lesson. Since I do NOT plan to do anymore strokework in the future, I will call it good...done...and over!! My wonderful hubby built the frame for me and I painted it. I like the way it sets off the painting!
Our next lesson is going to be a landscape and I am really looking forward to that a lot. Much less controlled painting and I think it will be fun.
I am anxious to get back to painting some other things as well. My goal in all of this is to feel confident enough, sure of my knowledge of the technical part of art, composition, color, etc...to be able to design and paint "my own thing".
Maybe I should just jump on in and quit letting my fears hold me back. I have done some work of my own, and liked it, so what is holding me back? Fear? Confidence? It certainly isn't time...I have enough of that. Time to do some soul searching and facing this head on....and solving whatever the problem might be. What do you think?? What holds you back?

Four Friends

2010-02-13T10:51:00.002-06:00

These are four little 5x5" portraits that I did for Sharons' class. These were such fun to do and I think I will do more of them. Something I can work on in my upstairs' studio (card table in living room) in the evening while the tube is on. I would like to figure out someway to frame them, or display them. Maybe I might mount them on another background or board that I can hang up. This week, we are suppose to work on a journal page, so that is my next project. The snow is flying again this weekend, so it seems that we'll be stuck her for awhile again. Boy, after all of the snow we have had this winter, I am really getting antsy to get outside when it gets warm, and dig in the dirt. I think I will place an order for veggies seeds this weekend so I am prepared to start my plants in the greenhouse. Right now, the greenhouse is snowed in and I could get to it if I tried. Oh yes, I just L O V E winter!!! YUCK!@

Rosemaling-Telemark Lesson

2010-02-12T11:31:00.003-06:00

Another lesson completed. This was painted on an 18" plate and I rather like the way it turned out. I am not into strokework and have a hard time with it. Especially the long scrolls. I like the colors! I am working on the next lesson, which is another lesson involving strokework. After I get that one done, the next lesson is a landscape with a fox! I am looking forward to that one after all of this strokework. Painting is my therapy and these days, I need lots of therapy!!! I have just about finished a series of altered art pics from Sharons' class and will post them when the details have been added to them. I am having fun painting my little faces. Much more fun that strokework, for sure!!!!

New Class work

2010-02-08T15:19:00.002-06:00

I am taking Sharon Thomlinsons' "Faces" class and I worked on this first piece yesterday. This is a little canvas 5x5". We learned some of her painting techniques, adding napkins to the painting and even how to do transfers. Wonderful stuff....if you are looking for a good class to learn to paint http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/ This is the place. Her teaching style is wonderful and very in depth.
Painting has been good therapy for me and I find that I can just get lost in my work and the world around me just goes on and on. I am in another place. I am getting better as time goes by, the pain is still "right there" but I am dealing with it better each day. I am overwhelmed with the sadness of it all, but know that time will help.
I miss you "Miss Kylie"!!!!!!!

Another Kylie Photo...

2010-02-03T14:22:00.002-06:00

Lovin' this one. She loved to fish, play softball and swim!!!

A New Angel in Heaven

2010-01-29T17:42:00.003-06:00

I am so sad and deeply heartbroken. After a sudden tragic medical problem, we have lost our 9 yr. old granddaughter. She passed away on Wedneday at Childrens' Hospital in Omaha. We are devasted as you can imagine. Here is a picture of Gods' newest angel, Kylie. Please keep our family in your prayers...the next few days will be so hard. Thanks so much, Sue

New Lesson Done!

2010-01-10T12:18:00.003-06:00

Another Traditions lesson done! These lessons have been just wonderful from the start! The modules are broken into four parts. Module A is the beginning one, then Mod. B, which is a little more advanced. Then Mod. C is next, and finally Mod D for advanced painters. I am in Mod. D now and this is the fourth lesson. Each Module has 10 lessons teaching everything from mixing your own colors, intensity, value, blending, and on and on. As I said, I have learned so much. Some of the lessons, the subject matter we paint isn't exactly what I would have chosen myself, but we learn the techniques for a reason. Soon in this Module, we will be studying designing our own work. The classes are offered online and I highly recommend them to anyone. The Decoart Traditions paints are the highest quality and we are taught color theory along with everything else. I'll never have to buy another mixed bottle of paint again.....I know how to mix my own colors to match any paint color out there. Thus, I don't have to buy tons of bottles of paint colors to paint a pattern! If anyone might be interested in learning more about Traditions and the education system they have, just drop me an email. I've been studying for almost two years now, and it has been quite the journey!!
Stay warm out there!

Merry Christmas to all!!

2009-12-24T09:09:00.002-06:00

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

2009-12-19T08:32:00.002-06:00

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!!!

2009-11-30T15:45:00.000-06:00

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

New Artwork Listed today!!

2009-11-30T12:23:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-11-25T10:02:00.004-06:00

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....

2009-11-18T11:24:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-16T15:50:00.005-06:00

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!!

2009-11-05T19:20:00.001-06:00

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!

2009-11-03T11:41:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-10-27T11:12:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-10-23T11:15:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-15T17:29:00.002-05:00

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!!

2009-10-08T17:00:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-09-29T11:20:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-09-28T09:35:00.002-05:00

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.

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

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

Wonderful Giveaway!!

2009-09-25T11:42:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-14T08:45:00.003-05:00

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?????

2009-09-07T15:51:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-06T16:21:00.003-05:00

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!!!!

2009-08-29T15:59:00.008-05:00

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!

2009-08-29T15:37:00.002-05:00

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!!!

2009-08-27T14:01:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2009-08-26T08:06:00.001-05:00

***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!

2009-08-26T07:28:00.003-05:00

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????

2009-08-24T09:59:00.004-05:00

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

2009-08-07T09:30:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-30T13:31:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-20T11:07:00.008-05:00

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.

Sketching Faces Class

2009-06-12T11:29:00.005-05:00

Hello Friends!
I have been taking another class....think I'm a "class-a-holic"!! This class is pencil sketching the face. We just got done learning eyes and next are going on to noses. Then next week, we'll go on to mouths. I suppose that the week after that, we'll go on to the full face with all of the features.
This class is given by Monica Zúñiga of http://monicazuniga.blogspot.com/ and she is in Mexico. She is a very talented mixed media artist and her work is just beautiful. When I found that she was offering classes, I immediately signed up. She is also offering classes on how to paint faces and backgrounds. I think that I will sign up for one of those when this class is done.
Anyway, I just wanted to show my latest efforts. I am having fun with my sketchbook!!
Have a great day!
hugs, Sue

By the Seashore

2009-06-02T18:02:00.003-05:00

Boy this is sure where I'd like to be!! How the heck did I ever get all the way out here in Nebraska, in the middle of cowpattyland??? LOL!!! Originally being from California, I do miss the ocean so much! I lived in what is now called Silicon Valley/lived in Sunnyvale/Mt. View area. When I grew up there, it was laid back, with lots of small fruit orchards all over the place. My family would load up in the car on weekends and drive through the Santa Cruz mountains over to the shore. We'd spend of day playing on the beach, swimming in the ocean and eating french bread and dry salami! Oh yeah...and Granny Goose potato chips. Ah...those were the days!!! What great memories!!

Anyway, here is my latest creation. It is a Ros Stallcup design that I have loved for years. I finally got it painted. I am going to get it framed and hang it in my bathroom, where the theme is Seashells by the seashore!!

I have signed up for a new class that starts next month. I am so excited about it. Martha Lever is going to be offering an online calligraphy class with brush markers. She is a very talented lady and I can't wait for it to start. Here is her blog http://marthalever.blogspot.com/ if you might want more info. The class is reasonable $$$ and offers many videos and class material. Go and sign up...you won't be sorry!!!

Have a great day!!!

2009-05-27T14:59:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted again. This time of year, on the farm, things are very busy. Crops to get in, gardens to plant, and cows to take care of. We just came in from moving our cows down to the pasture for the summer. All went very well....with no crazy cows of calves running the wrong way and not following the rest. They went into the pasture all together and we are done. The pasture is beautiful now. Full of tall blue grass and will keep them all fed until fall.

I finished my last lesson in Module C (Traditions). I have posted it below. I hope to spend this summer painting some others pieces that I have in mind and I will post them here. I have quite a few pieces in different stages of applying all of the mixed media on them. I want to get the ones I've got started finished and then start some new ideas. I will be opening an Etsy shop for my artwork and will announce it here when some items are for sale. I am not sure what my Etsy shop name will be, but might just stick with "Beyond the Cellar" for now.
Thanks for looking! Hope you are having a wonderful warm Spring where you are!

A day on the Farm!

2009-04-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

No paintin' for this old farm gal today! I had to put on my "other" hat today and herd cows. LOL!!! Well, we had 22 calves penned up in the yard...last years calves. We had an appt. with the vet to get them vaccinated and the bull calves turned into steers. (OUCH) These calves are NOT the cute little wet nosed, big brown eyed cows that you are thinking of. They are over a year old, and needing to be sold soon. We have to have the vet work on them first.

So the day started out pretty good....I was trying not to get stressed about it, but I always do. I mean, I was raised in the city and the biggest critter we had was a dog. So I get stressed out everytime we have to do this. But, I built up my courage, and helped out as much as I can. Hubby keeps me out of the pen with the cows while we are sorting and loading them for safety. We have two horse trailers that we load them into...two pickups that we haul them with. I get to drive one..the smaller one. Well, anyway, these calves are about 700 lbs each!!!! Hubby gets them into the upper pen where we load from...and the stupid dog decided she wanted to be protective and gets all the cows worked up and crazy, of course. So we have some of them in a small pen that narrows down into an alley and they are suppose to calmly walk down this alley and into the trailer. NOT!!!! Some of them get to the end and decide to turn around and come back out....all the while the others are going the other direction....and get all stuck and get more crazy. After about 30 minutes of this, we get one trailer loaded.....move it and back the other trailer up to load the rest of the calves. Well, the same thing happens again....the dog, cows going every which way......but finally do get them loaded up.

Now, when we are doing all of this...the cows get kind of stressed and they SHIT all over the place!!!! (excuse french, but it is the only way to describe it) Now it is kind of hard not to get it on you no matter how hard you try....YUCK!!!
We drive over to the vets place and all of that goes smoothly...we load the two trailers up with the darling little calves again and head for home. I am starting to feel relieved as we head for home....Almost done now!!! Whew...
..
Hubby is in the pickup ahead of me....everything is going okay...I haven't had a coronary yet.......then all of the sudden....BANG!!!!!!!!! What the heck was that???? I stopped in the closest place to sort of pull over....get out and look. I have blown a tire!
Now here I sit....out in the middle of nowhere, with 9 lard butt cows on the trailer, and a flat tire!!!! There are two tires on each side....but do I continue on???? Wait for hubby to notice I'm not there anymore???? I decide to wait for him to come back and get instructions as to what to do.
All the iced tea I've been drinking all day starts to build up in my bladder and I am getting very uncomfortable. I think about just peeing there...but there is a farmer on either side of the road working and it wouldn't have been very private. So I decide to just hold it!!!
All this, and I haven't shed a tear yet........

Hubby comes back FINALLY, and says......just drive it on home....doesn't care about the tire...lets just go home. So I head out and travel about 8 miles to home. My bladder is about to rupture, I'm about to cry, and the damned cows decide to play musical chairs in the trailer while we are going down the road.
About 30 minutes later, we finally get home.....oh thank you Lord!!!!! I get out and make a run for the potty......just in time and sat there forever!!! Oh relief!!!!! Not just for my bladder but for being home.....
I walk out and look at the trailer and check out the tire......well, where the tire used to be...LOL!!! Nothing but the rim left now!!!! Thank God the other tire didn't blow!!!
Hubby starts to move the trailer and I notice something under it.....I tell him to stop and we look and the whole tail pipe assembly is laying down on the ground!!! JEEZ!!
Anyway, we get all of the cows unloaded....and are done!!! Thank GOD we only have to do this once a year or I'd probably check myself into the "HOME".....I sure don't remember anything in our wedding vows stating that I would have to become a cowgirl.....we should have had a prenup done I guess......
Anyway....how was your day????? LOL!!! Sorry for the rant, but had to get it off my chest!!! I'm taking a shower.....And NO, we aren't having BEEF for dinner tonight!!!!!

2009-04-23T17:05:00.002-05:00

My latest lesson! I have always been rose challenged. I have books, videos...etc.etc. on painting roses. I could NOT for the life of me, paint a rose. These roses aren't the best, but I am so proud of them! I practiced and practiced until I felt confident to add them to this picture. With our Traditions lessons, our teacher sends videos of herself painting the actual painting. We can watch them as many times as we need to before attempting the lesson. We also get a long written copy of the lesson, with some art history thrown in as well. It is a wonderful program. If you find that you might be interested in taking these lessons, email me and I'll send you info. about them.

I have two more lessons in Module C to paint. I am working on Lesson 9 right now. Once I am through with Mod. C, I plan to go on to Mod D when it is available. This should be in the fall.

Meanwhile, I plan to paint some of the other works that I've been planning on for a long time. So watch for more posts in the near future!!!

2009-03-23T16:31:00.003-05:00

Another lesson finished. I took my time with this one as it was very involved with lots and lots of layers. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I learned a lot with this lesson too. Now I am ready to tackle something less stressful. I ended up with a stiff neck today from stressing too much while working on this. I must learn to relax while painting.....just breathe!!! LOL!! I think I will work on some watercolor lessons that I am taking from Michelle Brown. One class is learning to loosen up while painting.....I definitely need to study this one MORE!! The other class is Spring Flowers. I've got a link to her blog on the left and you have got to go and check her out. On her blog, she has several videos of her painting that you can watch. The first time I saw her painting I knew I had to take her classes!!

I've spent several days last week cleaning out my studio. What a mess it was and so disorganized. I sorted, and sorted and threw piles of old junk away. It really felt good. I've got my cupboards organized...paints stowed away on shelves and my table cleaned off. Now I'm really ready to do some serious ART!!! It feels good to have it done!!

2009-03-03T09:06:00.002-06:00

Just finished another Lesson yesterday. I really do like the way this one turned out. It was a very difficult lesson for me to paint. I lost some of the transparency in my colors on the last layer, but still do like it. This was painted on an old tray I had and never used. The tray is about 12x18" and I will hang it up on a wall. This is my first venture with gold leafing. It wouldn't have been so hard if the tray edges hadn't had all of the curves and edges it does. I spent most of an afternoon applying it to the tray edge. All in all, I finally got it so that it looked okay and I'm happy with it. I don't think I will try that again....unless it is an edge that is square and plain.
I'm going to take a few days off from my lessons now and chill out. Think I'll work on something that is less tedious to paint. Maybe some watercolor or a mixed media collage.
I will post whatever I come up with. I've got some new watercolor brushes ordered and hope that they show up today. I can't wait to play with them!!! A girl can never have too many art supplies!!! LOL!!!!

2009-02-19T18:36:00.002-06:00

I just got done with this lesson today. It is painted on an old painters' box that I bought years ago at a sale. Now, it has a new lease on life. This was another lesson with layer upon layer of paint and transparent washes. I wasn't too crazy about the end results at first, but it is growing on me. Now, I have to paint the inside of the box, which is little cubbies for brushes, paint and supplies.

I think the next thing I will work on will be something in watercolor or another mixed media collage. They are such fun to do.

2009-02-15T18:23:00.011-06:00

Boy, it has been awhile since I've adding anything new to my blog. It's been busy around here ....still!! Same for everyone, I am sure! I've been busy painting all kinds of things. I've got my Traditions lessons going strong again and am feeling better about getting caught up. I am somewhat behind in the other two classes I am currently taking...Watercolor Journaling and Inspirational Journaling. I LOVE the watercolor class. In fact I did my first "real" watercolor the other day. This painting was published in the current issue of Paintworks, and since it is a farm scene, I had to try to paint it for my hubby. He loves it. I can see a lot of things I should have done differently, but hey, it's not bad for a newbie watercolorist!!!

Then I finished another Traditions lesson. This one was very difficult...layer after layer of transparent paint to achieve depth. It did turn out nicely, and I am wishing that I had spent the money of the box it was suppose to be painted on, instread of a masonite panel. Oh well, I can always do it again on another surface. We are studying Intensity in this Module and it is interesting. Here is my rendition of "Jonah and the whale".

I am now working on my newest lesson, which is a French Regency design and it is beautiful. Lots of flowers!!!

I have also been working on my Watercolor Journal and it is such fun.

Here are a couple of my recent pages....

These are just little quick sketches that I've done. I've got more and will upload them as I get time.

I am ready for winter to be overwith. It has been such a cold one this year. We had some nice weather above freezing last week and got rid of a lot of the ice and snow we had piled up around here. It was just treacherous to walk anywhere....even from the house to the car to leave. I hate ice!! In the middle of the week, they have in the forecast for more snow....Oh goody!!!

2009-01-20T19:25:00.002-06:00

I've been busy trying to keep up with all of my lessons. I signed up for a wonderful watercolor journaling class and I am having a ball with it. I also signed up for an Inspirational Journaling class at the same time. My lessons with Traditions are caught up for now, and the picture posted is a recent lesson I've done. It is a Telemark design. When I first saw what we were going to be painting, I wasn't too excited about it. It would not be something I would normally paint for myself. As I worked through the lesson though, I found myself liking it more and more. I love stroke work and this lesson was full of it! It takes a lot of time and patience, but learning brush control is what it is all about.

I will post more tomorrow with some of my journal photos. I am so enjoying this and learning to "let go" and just paint....it is such fun!

Collage From Paulette Insalls' Faces Class

2008-12-15T08:25:00.004-06:00

I just loved taking this class and learned so much. This isn't quite finished yet...will add somemore media to it and some words that I have chosen for it. I will post the final results once it is done. This is the same face on both paintings, but with different eyes and hair. I think I like the blond one the best of the two!

We had to draw the faces and then paint them. I've got somemore collages started and will add them here as I get them done!

The Christmas Holidays

2008-12-14T10:01:00.002-06:00

Today, we woke up so a strong northeast wind, light snow and very cold temperatures! UGH!! Guess that winter is here for sure. I would someday love to move to a warmer climate and get away from this cold, cold weather. Our spring, summer and fall aren't bad....but sure do hate winter time. The only good thing I can say about it is that it gives me more time for my artwork. That is a good thing!
Our holidays are going to be a bit different this year. We only have one son close by, so it will be quiet. The other children aren't going to be able to travel here this year. Our holidays with all the kids and grandkids in the years past have been kind of hectic and I will probably miss that, but a quiet Christmas isn't all bad. We have ordered a big old prime rib for the two of us and will cook that and eat ourselves into oblivion!!! LOL!! Ho Ho Ho!!!
Shopping is almost taken care of so I am stressless this year. Feels pretty good. I think I will spend the rest of today getting somemore decorations out and make the house look a little more like Christmas.
Merry Christmas one and all!

2008-12-14T09:50:00.001-06:00

This is another recent painting I did this week. It is another lesson and perfect for the season. I used a sterling silver plate that was my Mothers'. It had years of scratches and pits on it and it was really ugly. I spray painting it with automotive primer and then painted this Christmas scene on it. Now, it is a keepsake that I can hang up every Christmas.

The Gatherers

2008-12-14T09:47:00.000-06:00

A new lesson that I painted. I loved this lesson and having it hanging on my wall! It looks so nice and it was a joy to paint.

Happy Turkey Day~!

2008-11-28T18:12:00.002-06:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with your families and friends. We had kind of a quiet one this year, but actually, it was nice. For the first time in years, we had an ADULT dinner!! LOL!! I've got 7 grandkids and they range in ages from 12 down to 6. So, when we all get together, it is quite a busy time. My eldest child, a daughter moved away to St. Joseph, Mo with her hubby and four kids. My middle son, lives close by, but they had other plans this year. He has one daughter, and four step-sons. Whew!! My youngest son, lives in Texas with his wife and 2 daughters and they couldn't make it home this year either. Maybe we'll all be able to get together for Christmas instead.
I cooked a turkey and had all the fixins' and we had hubby's sister and hubby over for dinner. It was nice...peaceful and adult conversation!!
I have many things I need to get posted here on my blog, and will work at it this week to get up to date. I've painted quite a few more items that I want to add.

I hope to get more time to paint this next week. Will post more then....see ya then!

Working on New Stuff Recently

2008-10-20T11:32:00.002-05:00

I've been painting up a storm recently and having a ball. I find my time spent in my studio so rewarding and I just get lost in time. I finished to two collages I was working on for Paulette Insalls' class~Organic Dimension. I had so much fun taking this class and learned so much. If you ever have the chance to take a class from her, don't hesitate. She has a wonderful way of teaching and as I said, I learned so much.
I am in the middle of taking her classs~All about Faces. We just finished Lesson two and already, I can see that I making HUGE gains in my drawing talents. Now, if I can just get the painting part down. But, as she says, practice, practice, practice!!!
I'll post my finished collages here today and I'm sure that there will be many more in the future. I just love this media and it has freed up my imagination beyond my wildest dreams!
Also, I have been reading "Taking Flight" by Kelly Rae Roberts. It is a very special book and I am so glad that I found out about it. It is about mixed media collage, but also so much more. She is so inspirational and reading her book makes you feel like it is written just for you. Amazon carries it and I highly recommend it.
Go to Etsy.com and check out her work. It is awesome!

Just posted my recent work

2008-10-09T18:33:00.004-05:00

I've been taking some of Paulette Insalls' classes lately and it has been wonderful. I am in week four of her Organic Dimension class and just posted my work through week three. I will post more when I get done. Also, I just started her All about Faces class and we are in week one. I will be posting my work as I go along too.
I am also taking classes through Cindi Estes, learning the Jansen Art Traditions painting. It is an indepth class and will last for about another year. It is wonderful journey. I will be posting some of my work from that class as well.

My first Post

2008-10-09T18:18:00.002-05:00

My blog is under construction right now. I am just learning the ropes on how to design my blog and add new things to it. Please check back later on and by then, I hope I have it figured out. Thanks for stopping by.