WOYWW - March 9

It's time again for one of my favorite weekly events. Yes, it's an event. You get to snoop into other peoples workdesks. You get to see how normal you really are. You get to get inspiration from other peoples projects. It's fun. You should try it. And post a picture of your workdesk for us to snoop around your place too. Go HERE to the lovely Julia's for more info and to post your workdesk this fine Wednesday.

This is what is on my workdesk this morning. I can't show the ATC's just yet. (I've already said too much. LOL) But, I can tell you that they are for the next OPUS GLUEI challenge. You can check back here, or on OPUS GLUEI Sunday afternoon, to see what they look like, and what the challenge is.

I haven't been at my workdesk much this week. All of these were gotten to this point on Sunday. My oldest and youngest daughters have started playing soccer, so our days are QUITE full with work full-time and carting the kids everywhere. We aren't getting home until after 7pm each night. (We leave the house at 7am.)

At the top, center of the picture is my newest set of toys. Paint pens. I have just discovered them. And wonder how it took me this long. I LOVE them. This last set was gotten with a 40% off coupon, making it even sweeter.

If asked what tools are my favorite, you can see them here. My ATG gun, my Honey Bee scissors and my paper piercer. I think I use these on EVERY single project. Love 'em.

Do you have any favorite tools?

WOYWW #92

Hard to believe, but I have been at bookmarks. Still. There is something so satisfying about creating a little work of art AND then being able to use it. I LOVE the look of tags, but I never know what to DO with them. I mean, sure I can display them, but I want to USE things. Just one of my (many) quirks.

Opus Gluei - #93 New Tricks

Show us a new trick. That's what those goofy Poobah's over at OPUS GLUEI want this week. (I can say that because, well I'm one of the goof's. LOL)

You all know that I have ventured into the world of Art Journals. I am not professing to be an artist. I AM professing to enjoy the heck out of what I am doing. I will go further to state that I am out to please only me. If you like or don't like the things I come up with is okay. Heck, even I don't like some of the things I come up with. Generally you won't see them, but, sometimes you will. Cuz I am consistently inconsistent. It's how I am.

Anyway, this week I played with texture. I used the gesso I have to create a couple of pages in a new art journal I bought. It wasn't what I really want (the journal) but I am going to use it anyway. It'll be a laboratory of sorts. I'll experiment here. (I used to say I wanted to be a Mad Scientist when I was younger, so here goes. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!)

I didn't take pictures of the process, but here's a look-see anyway. I had a hard time getting myself to make any mark of any sort in this pristine new journal. (Do you get that way too?) So, I just jumped in and used watercolor crayons to color one of the pages. When that was dry, I just dumped a big glob on there and covered it all up. Oops, I dumped too much gesso, so I covered the page next to it too. What the heck was I thinking?!?! Yep, I just dumped a big glob on there and spread it ALL OVER. Crazy, I know. Then I took the end of the brush handle and doodled designs into the wet gesso. Then came the really hard part.

Waiting.

Waiting for the gesso to dry.

Once dried, I used water colors on the plain white page and acrylics on the watercolor crayon'ed page.

I tried, but wasn't able to get a good close-up of the blue/green page to show the texture. The circles and the zig-zags are the textured doodles. I really didn't like the stark white, so I traced over them with paint pens. There are still teeny, tiny spots of white peeking through. I guess I am okay with that. But I really, really, really like, no LOVE, the next page.

I love the way this page turned out and might have a problem covering it up. LOL But, I will. Eventually.

Isn't this great looking. I love the brush strokes and the grooves made from the brush handle. See the watercolors peeking out from the grooves! I LOVE IT!!!

Friday Fill-Ins

Because I feel like sailing away today.... (image from Dover)

And...here we go!







1. Bring your favorite brushes, we're creating all weekend long.






2. Batteries are included.






3. A month vacation is exactly what I really need.






4. Well, you see, it all started when I was in kindergarden and the teacher handed me the paper and scissors. I was hooked.






5. This afternoon can't come too soon!






6. But what if I call in sick.






7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a birthday dinner with my SIL and BIL (it's her birthday), tomorrow my plans include sleeping in, playing a bit and who knows what else and Sunday, I want to paint and stamp and create, but I'll end up carting kids around and doing mom and wife things (sigh)!

Thursday Thankful

Just a little early afternoon snack.

I LOVE this little bowl. It's actually a mug. I got it with 2 others in a set from Starbucks. The others ones are blue and well, I can't remember what color. LOL. The other 2 are at home. I brought this one into work. I love the color and the shape. And it is a perfect size. Holds about a cup. I eat my yogurt out of it. And oatmeal. It holds strawberries and cut apple wedges wonderfully.

It's a perfect little bowl.

It makes me smile.

Silly, maybe. But, I gotta be me.

WOYWW #91

So, what's on my desk this Wednesday?

A few bookmarks that I am working on. I have a "thing" for bookmarks. These are made using masking fluid and watercolors. I sketched a random design on a 6x6 inch piece of cardstock, painted the masking fluid, waited for it to dry, and then painted with watercolors. After that was dry, I rubbed off the masking. It's kind of like rubber cement. Then I cut the cardstock into 2x6 inch pieces. I used a Tim stamp and a rub-on on one. I'll make a fairy bookmark out of one and am undecided about the last one. We'll see...

Also on my workdesk is a mess from my art journal that should be put up. Sheesh. I am impatient. I think that putting my workdesk out there every week is helping me to see how sloppy I really am. The paints should have been put away, and the dried paint should be wiped off, and the brayer should be put up too. Along with the waterbrush and the watercolor crayons. (you can barely see the edge of the plastic box on the lower right)

Maybe Julia at Stamping Ground is really out there to help us messy folk tidy up a bit. LOL

So, What's On Your Workdesk the Wednesday?

Free Girl

I don't know about you, but I was having a hard time finding the "PERFECT" art journal. I have amassed quite a collection of books. Moleskine, Strathmore, Canson, dollar store notebooks, a financial ledger, even a composition notebook. Nothing was striking that chord with me. You know the one. It sings to you, "I'm the one you've been looking for."

If I found paper that I loved, the size was not right, the ones that were the right size didn't have the right paper. SIGH...

Well, my search is over. (At least for this particular art journal.) A well meaning secretary at work ordered new calendars for the office and she ordered one for me that I really don't like, but the dates are all in there, so I am using it. Which left my old calendar up for recycle... And I did recycle. I took it home and painted the first couple of pages. And waited to see if it would stand up to the paint. It did!

I am finally taking my art journal to a new level. For me anyway.

I signed up for Tam's Art Heart and Healing workshop. She's offered this free class. It's

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !!!

Tam is a sweet, adorable person. Being English, she has an accent to me. Which I find magical and delightful. She shares her methods, and teaches. She actually shares her knowledge. I painted this girl because I watched her videos from Week 1. YES, I said Week 1. She uses a combination of paints and watercolor crayons. I just used paints. I went with what I was feeling.

My page is still in process. I painted this last night. I didn't start until 9pm. I finally washed my paint brushes and went to bed around midnight.

You can't tell, but the purpley background has an iridescent medium layered on top. It sparkles. I love it.

Now being the engineer, I can't leave without letting you know that I see MANY areas for improvement here. BUT, I am okay with that. GASP. As hard as it is to believe, I am learning to embrace my works AS-IS.

I too am a work in process.