Tea Time

A bit grungy but that is the type of artist I am.....I have the Tea Book done and ready to mail tomorrow (sorry, I'm late-should have done the white rabbit going to tea)...I thought and thought about where I would be drinking the perfect cup of tea. I can imagine myself sitting on the balcony of an ancient Italian Villa looking over the sunflower fields, drinking tea from a old, chipped teacup. I would be listening to Italian music, wishing I knew the words but enjoying it nonetheless. I would be wearing a sunflower yellow sundress with bare feet, cute little ladybug painted toenails. Hmmmm, this is beginning to sound like "Under the Tuscan Sun"....ladybugs, lots and lots of ladybugs. I might just have to pop that movie in today, brew a cup of my favorite tea and dream. 

Typography....Font Fairy

I am finally posting the layout I had done in a small, 3.5x5.5" book. Probably the smallest I have ever worked in. Such a lovely little book...Typography! I absolutely had a  blast working on this layout. I so love the alphabet...I so love working with letters, I also love paper dolls! So, I combined both of my favorite mediums....alphas and paper dolls! I have to admit that this was a difficult layout for me, not because of the theme but because of the size. As most of you know, I love big books...I usually work in the larger layouts. This was so challenging, trying to find something that would fit in this wee book. Thanks Marie for the lovely challenge!

Along the Line

Hello everyone,

I know, it's been awhile since I last posted! What can I say....my husband and I are temporary Empty Nesters and well, we are spending quality time together! And enjoying! That said....we sure miss our boy! We are so proud of him, an Alaska State Trooper! Can you imagine?

I did create some art....worked in the adorable "Along the Line" book by Sandy! I wanted to think outside the box, do something slightly goofball! So, I went with the theme of: Corny/Cheesy Pickup Lines! Here's my entry into Sandy's book:

Sandy, I really enjoyed your book! I hope you don't mind that I went goofball....I just love cheesy pickup lines, they make me laugh so! 

So, the Art Journal Swap has began...

The journals are to be mailed no later than August 29th. I managed to get mine all done a little early for mailing next week! Yippee! Ya'll wanna see some pages...take a gander:

I hope I didn't give too much away but I wanted to show off all the new stuff I've done. I want to do more pages but I'm running out of time. I did keep some pages so I can work on them if I get in the mood. I do love music, I hope this journal comes back full of songs from the heart! 

Have fun, ya'll! I can't wait to see the journal a little over a year from now. 

Scrapbooking on Steroids...

So, today my friend from work asked me to bring some altered journals that I had completed so she could show her mom. She described the journals as: Scrapbooking on Steroids! Too funny! Don't get me wrong....she loves them! She is always bringing me fun stuff to use in my journals, stuff that she picked up at garage sales. She is a great friend, she thinks of me while shopping, just today she brought me the coolest watch to take apart for art and an absolutely awesome book of trees with the most beautiful pictures. So this brings me to the journals, here are a couple of layouts from those steroid journals:

Dinner....Yum!

Just had to show you dinner! Isn't it gorgeous? The colors are divine, so bright and cheery! Even Tyler said he loved the colors of dinner! Of course, dinner was yummy! I just threw it together, the colors of my fridge! 

So, my computer crashed....I am back online!

SO, what is it with computers? You NEED to work on the computer but it crashes....right when you are in the middle of important stuff! What is up with that? Urgh! So now, I have it back....I can work on important stuffs! Important stuffs for my Altered Art Journal swap....Whew, the withdrawals were horrible

So, a couple pics to let ya'll know I am back online:

Art Journal Swap

My call for artists has been a huge success! Thank you to all who have joined and the couple who will let me know shortly! Wow, the response has been unbelievable...I can't wait to work with you. For those who have not contacted me but might have been thinking of joining...the swap is full at this time but watch my blog for further projects! Thank you again to all the artists I will have the privilege to work with....again! I'm so very excited!

Reminder: 2011 Art Journal/Altered Book Swap...I choose Music!

I am ready, I made the decision to hostess an Art Journal or Altered Book! You decide what you want to call it...a journal or a book!

The swap will begin: August 29, 2011.
The book needs to be: 7x10" or smaller
Theme: Whatever you wish, but try to make it workable (please do not use too general of themes; (ie: Life, Happiness, Party, etc.). If you wish, you can just choose a color scheme.
Covers: Please decorate the covers (front and back, simple or not) before you mail off your book. It's always easier for the artist to "read" your style if they have something to work from.
Inside Pages: You are welcome to create some pages inside your book to give it your "feel", this helps the artists but is not necessary.
Pages: Please make sure you have enough pages for everyone to work on, or make your book "fillable" so pages can be added.
Special Materials: If you have specific materials you want used in your book, please send extras (ie: specific fabric patterns, birch bark, Oak leaves, etc.).
Signature Page: Please provide some kind of signature page for everyone to let you know that they had worked in your book, some ideas used: Tags, Leaves, Ribbons, etc. If you need help with this one as some of you may not be familiar with them, email me at: penstuart@ymail.com and I will help you out.
Special Requests: If you have any special requests for your book (ie: Poems, Quotes, Personal Handwriting, etc.), please put a write up in your book of your requests.
Mailing: Books are due to be mailed 25 days after receipt

By July 15th: Please email your theme, book size (any specifics) and mailing address to me and I will compile a list for everyone. After I have received everyone's information, I will send the rotation schedule so  everyone will know who they will be receiving from and who to mail to.

That's it....unless you can think of something else. It's been so long that I don't remember all the ins and outs!

If you would like to join, I sure hope you do! Please email me at: penstuart@ymail.com

Don't Blink

In August, my Father will have been gone from my life for 4 years. Sometimes, I am okay...at others, I am so heartbroken. I so wanted my Father to see Tyler become a Trooper, he would have been so proud. I found myself talking to him today, telling him the news! It has been since my Father passed away that I have created art, I have dabbled but nothing real. The last real book layout I had done was for my Father, after he left me. I am ready to start creating art again, I think he would want me to.

Maroon 5...This Love

This is one of my favorite songs, it's absolutely too die for! Take a listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpTgCho5ZA&feature=share

Music it is....

I've decided to use Music as my theme for the art journal/altered book swap. I am so ready to start arting, to start creating my book. How exciting is this? I'm only waiting for 2 more artists then we can begin organizing and creating! I'm so excited! Art, Art, Art!

Oh, I do so love working with texture, papers, paint, ink, images....just the idea of creating art is making me giddy! Gotta start digging out the art supplies....make a mess on my table. Touch, Feel, Smell the art supplies....so much fun we'll have! 

Looking for artists!!!!!

Looking for a couple more artists.... to join in on my Art Journal/Altered Book Swap! Oh please, do join! 


The swap will begin: August 29, 2011.
The book needs to be: 7x10" or smaller (this is the one I am using: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_01899525a)Theme: Whatever you wish, but try to make it workable (please do not use too general of themes; (ie: Life, Happiness, Party, etc.). If you wish, you can just choose a color scheme.
Covers: Please decorate the covers (front and back, simple or not) before you mail off your book. It's always easier for the artist to "read" your style if they have something to work from.
Inside Pages: You are welcome to create some pages inside your book to give it your "feel", this helps the artists but is not necessary.
Pages: Please make sure you have enough pages for everyone to work on, or make your book "fillable" so pages can be added.
Special Materials: If you have specific materials you want used in your book, please send extras (ie: specific fabric patterns, birch bark, Oak leaves, etc.).
Signature Page: Please provide some kind of signature page for everyone to let you know that they had worked in your book, some ideas used: Tags, Leaves, Ribbons, etc. If you need help with this one as some of you may not be familiar with them, email me at: penstuart@ymail.com and I will help you out.
Special Requests: If you have any special requests for your book (ie: Poems, Quotes, Personal Handwriting, etc.), please put a write up in your book of your requests.
Mailing: Books are due to be mailed 25 days after receipt

By July 15th: Please email your theme, book size (any specifics) and mailing address to me and I will compile a list for everyone. After I have received everyone's information, I will send the rotation schedule so  everyone will know who they will be receiving from and who to mail to.

That's it....unless you can think of something else. It's been so long that I don't remember all the ins and outs!

If you would like to join, I sure hope you do! Please email me at: penstuart@ymail.com

Oh Alice, where are you?

I love Alice in Wonderland....I started an Alice altered book awhile back, I suppose I should pull it out and start working on the pages. It would be nice to complete it! Here are a couple pages that I've completed before I put it away! One of my favorite songs is: Through the Looking Glass....hmmmm, maybe I should use that as my book theme?! I've changed it a dozen times so far...Alice, Music, Shoes (I do love my shoes)....what should I go with? Should I go silly (Shoes), touching (Music) or Curious (Alice)....Help me pick out my theme. 

I'm trying to post every night....don't get bored!

I'm going to post this to GPP Street Team as these are my colors of choice right now....I do love painting with bright blues and greens....add black and dry brushed white, I'm in heaven! I love the feel of the dry paper, it's so cool! My favorite paints are acrylics, you can do so much with them. I love to add the acrylics to water, to gel medium, to glue...I love to splatter it, to dry brush, to watercolor with it! So much fun to play with acrylics!

Welcome to the Art Journal/Altered Book Swap of 2011

I am ready, I made the decision to hostess an Art Journal or Altered Book! You decide what you want to call it...a journal or a book!

The swap will begin: August 29, 2011.
The book needs to be: 7x10" or smaller
Theme: Whatever you wish, but try to make it workable (please do not use too general of themes; (ie: Life, Happiness, Party, etc.). If you wish, you can just choose a color scheme.
Covers: Please decorate the covers (front and back, simple or not) before you mail off your book. It's always easier for the artist to "read" your style if they have something to work from.
Inside Pages: You are welcome to create some pages inside your book to give it your "feel", this helps the artists but is not necessary.
Pages: Please make sure you have enough pages for everyone to work on, or make your book "fillable" so pages can be added.
Special Materials: If you have specific materials you want used in your book, please send extras (ie: specific fabric patterns, birch bark, Oak leaves, etc.).
Signature Page: Please provide some kind of signature page for everyone to let you know that they had worked in your book, some ideas used: Tags, Leaves, Ribbons, etc. If you need help with this one as some of you may not be familiar with them, email me at: penstuart@ymail.com and I will help you out.
Special Requests: If you have any special requests for your book (ie: Poems, Quotes, Personal Handwriting, etc.), please put a write up in your book of your requests.
Mailing: Books are due to be mailed 25 days after receipt

By July 15th: Please email your theme, book size (any specifics) and mailing address to me and I will compile a list for everyone. After I have received everyone's information, I will send the rotation schedule so  everyone will know who they will be receiving from and who to mail to.

That's it....unless you can think of something else. It's been so long that I don't remember all the ins and outs!

If you would like to join, I sure hope you do! Please email me at: penstuart@ymail.com

What can I do to get ya'll interested in joining? I would really like to have at least 10 people in the swap, there are currently: 7. Come on, join the fun! 

Pen

So, I can't sleep because I am excited about this Journal/Book Swap!!!!!

Okay, so I am SO not sleeping. Going to bed at midnight, waking at 4am....whole time I am awake, I'm thinking about the Art Journal/Altered Book Swap....what am I going to title my book, should I keep my theme, how should I design my cover, should I go bright, should I go dark, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do? OMG.....I am so excited! I am going with MUSIC....or maybe TATTOOS.....or maybe....

Just throwing in some art to make my page a bit more interesting, this is stuff I've done years ago when I was in many swaps...did I tell you that I am excited about this swap? I simply cannot wait to work on/in my book...I am working on my theme now...I keep changing it....that is how I do it....I pick a dozen different themes, think of pages I want to do and then pick the theme dependent on my favorite page idea. Sleep, who needs sleep! 

If you wish to join, please read the post located below or in the archives to the right! Are you not excited yet? Come on!!!!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton: Thursday Giveaway...

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton: Thursday Giveaway...: "For this Thursday Giveaway , I wanted to do something special! I wanted to share a few things from the show with everyone out there in the ..."

So, I wanna hostess an Art Journal/Altered Book Swap...

I am ready, I made the decision to hostess an Art Journal or Altered Book! You decide what you want to call it...a journal or a book!

The swap will begin: August 29, 2011.
The book needs to be: 7x10" or smaller
Theme: Whatever you wish, but try to make it workable (please do not use too general of themes; (ie: Life, Happiness, Party, etc.). If you wish, you can just choose a color scheme.
Covers: Please decorate the covers (front and back, simple or not) before you mail off your book. It's always easier for the artist to "read" your style if they have something to work from.
Inside Pages: You are welcome to create some pages inside your book to give it your "feel", this helps the artists but is not necessary.
Pages: Please make sure you have enough pages for everyone to work on, or make your book "fillable" so pages can be added.
Special Materials: If you have specific materials you want used in your book, please send extras (ie: specific fabric patterns, birch bark, Oak leaves, etc.).
Signature Page: Please provide some kind of signature page for everyone to let you know that they had worked in your book, some ideas used: Tags, Leaves, Ribbons, etc. If you need help with this one as some of you may not be familiar with them, email me at: penstuart@ymail.com and I will help you out.
Special Requests: If you have any special requests for your book (ie: Poems, Quotes, Personal Handwriting, etc.), please put a write up in your book of your requests.
Mailing: Books are due to be mailed 25 days after receipt

By July 15th: Please email your theme, book size (any specifics) and mailing address to me and I will compile a list for everyone. After I have received everyone's information, I will send the rotation schedule so  everyone will know who they will be receiving from and who to mail to.

That's it....unless you can think of something else. It's been so long that I don't remember all the ins and outs!

If you would like to join, I sure hope you do! Please email me at: penstuart@ymail.com

Its About Time...

So, I finally made a decision...to create art again! I am so ready to show myself that I can be creative, that I am an artist! I miss the art, I miss the friendships I've made through art. I want to begin an Art Journal or Altered Book Swap, I am hoping I can find others to join in.

This is who I am...