Faces Here and There............................

My goal for last year was to get better at drawing faces.....I'm still working on them... I have a composition notebook that I write "Morning Pages" stuff in and I draw faces( or whatever speaks to me at 4:30 am with my cup of coffee) on top of that writing. I also have a composition notebook in the van which I work out of in the mornings right before work. So, there are faces here and there. I found myself wanting to do something different and with a 4 for $1.00 special st Ben Franklin recently, I picked up some embroidery thread in some favorite colors. I have not done any embroidery in at least ten years. It was very difficult trying it through paper, and it's not a very good job, but considering the challenge, I was ok with it.

Notice the flower.

And a tiny bit here.

This girl has seen better days. Between erasing the bottom lip and trying to cover it with water color the paper started to fade, I thought I better leave her alone, despite the fact that I think she looks like she has a double chin. Oh, well. There are some of us who have double chins among other things.

Here's a few more faces from the morning notebook.

Oh, one more thing. The next person to become the 50th follower of my blog will receive a piece (Note the "i" before "e" rule here, except after "c" of mail art from me. Lastly, I thank you all for your continued support and comments. I enjoy leaving comments for people and I know I like getting them as well. I believe it's so important that we support each other in this community. Thanks for stopping by............................... jo

More on the Discovered Journal

I shared with you the little upcycled journal I received from my friend Teresa a post or so ago. Here is what it is becoming........... so far........... at this point.......

Stay tuned for more on this. Also, here are a few more envelopes I made with gelli plate. Now I need to figure out what to put in side of them.........

Thanks for sharing a few moments with me.....................jo

More Gelli Prints with Envelopes

In continuing with yesterday's post of gelli printing, I wanted to show you that I made an envelope using a print. I simply took an envelope. unstuck all the folds and laid it out and traced it onto another piece of card stock to use as a template. I cut it out and paper marked the folds with pencil. I then took one of my double sided prints and traced the outline of the envelope(template). Folded it, glued it and voila!

Pretty awesome, I think. I know I wouldn't mind getting an envelope like this in the mail. I also carried this printing a bit further with plain envelopes and note cards (also in the dollar bin at either Ben Franklin or Michael's.)

This was so much fun.......... I might have to stay in my pajamas again for much of the day and make some more............Thanks for coming by..............jo

Gelli Plate Addiction

At some point in my travels of bargain sale hunting I came across a pack of black, blank note cards and envelopes. A dollar for ten envelopes and these which folded out.

The paper is sort of grainy and a bit like light weight card stock. I got out my gelli plate and played. These are some of what I came up with.

Note my recent hand carved stamp in the upper right corner of the first one.

Can you tell how I made these? I did not use one color at a time. I used several colors placed randomly on the plate and then "brayered" each spot how I wanted it to spread. It took several times to place the paper where I wanted it to be on the plate. I thought the results were amazingly pretty, especially on this black paper. I think it is possible to use the folded paper without an envelope. Just write or art on the inside and tape it up with washi tape or a sticker or something. I shall see. Tomorrow I will show you my results with envelopes and the gelli plate. I think I need to get out of my pajamas and get out for some air. Thanks for visiting..................................................jo

Discover

I wanted to share with you what I received in the mail yesterday.

This sweet little upcycled journal with various paper- ledger paper, envelopes, washi tape, graph paper.

And sentences. "Sometimes brave looks differently than we expect) Do brave things."

And "I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This." Makes me think. Gets my juices flowing. Nudges me to that creative place.

I am looking forward to filling this little book. Stay tuned for more. And do check out this wonderful(in my humble opinion) web site. It may spark something in you. You might find yourself making little stars to hang from the ceiling of your creative space. Thank you, Stargardener. And thank you to those who stop by and visit here........jo

If

If you express what is inside you, what is inside you will save you. If you don't express what is inside you, what is inside you can kill you. ~Gospel of Saint Thomas ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sharing with you something I did several years ago, when my life seemed in a state of upheaval, of changes. Some unpleasant, some very painful. I didn't know it then, but I was doodling my state of feeling broken and fragmented. It was the beginning of mending, healing, and working through a lot of pain. Art is healing.

That page is now part of" The Smash Book overhaul." And this

........... is what I was on my art table a year ago today.

I'm glad you came by.............................................jo

WASTE NOT

This is the piece of foam board that has covered my work table for several months. I rotated it several times but it always seemed to wind up back in the vertical position because my table is so junky and cluttered, and that's the way it fit best.

Last night I took another picture......

before I started this...........

I think it looks better upside down at the moment. lol!!

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for coming by.............................jo

Trees

I realize there's something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they're experts at letting things go. ~Jeffrey McDaniel

I was looking through some of my old journals and sketchbooks last evening. I realized how much trees show up in my art art work. I am not alone. I see trees all the time in others' artwork. I thought I would share some of them with you, some, as rusty and primitive as they are. There is something powerful and precious about the symbolism of trees, branches reaching, growing, changing colors, shedding, sheltering, protecting, dropping, letting go, living through all the seasons, like our lives.

Thank you for spending a few minutes with me. I hope your day is colorful......jo