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.

Sketching Faces Class

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