The Finale

I got a lot of flack and warnings when I tried to down load Picasa onto my computer last night. Yes, Robin, you were right. I knew it was a "P" word but I just couldn't think of the word. I wanted to try a mosaic layout with all of the icads but decided to forgo it and just laid them out on the floor instead. Here are all of my 61 days. Here's a couple of close ups. It looks pretty cool to see them all together. It was rally a lot of fun and kept my creative juices flowing even if I wasn't always in the mood. Little pieces of art that can spark other, sometimes, bigger things. Thank you Tammy Garcia of Daisy Yellow for hosting yet another year of the icad challenge.

The End of the Challenge

This is the third year for me participating in Tammy Garcia's the ICAD challenge. I have made 61 pieces of art on a 4x6 index card, to be finished on the last day of the month. I am showing you the remaining ones in case I am too tired to post on that day. And that would be kind of a bummer, you see, as I would be a bit annoyed with myself if I didn't show you on the "due date." lol. I have to laugh at myself. So, I am showing you this before the due date. So, here are the last 3 (if I counted right. ha ha ha ) At some point in the next two days I will lay them all out and see if I can get a picture of all of them. I remember someone one year had displayed her ICADS so beautifully in a mosaic kind of lay out. I wish I could remember the name of the program. It's on the tip of my tongue but I am having a brain fart. If you've been reading my posts you know I had my first two art journaling workshops at the local AC Moore craft store last week. It was fun. Tiring but fun. I have scheduled 3 more back to back in August. I am looking forward to it.Also thank you to those who have been to my Society6 site and have become followers there. Your support is much appreciated. Thanks for visiting and your comments mean you support me and that feels very good. Thank you......

Happy Paint Party Friday!!

It really feels like a Happy Paint Party Friday to me, guys. Not only was I was off from work yesterday and today, I got to spend part of it both days teaching a two hour workshop at my local arts and crafts store. I had done a two hour demo in the store this past Saturday,which was interesting in that I was making art in public, and trying to get people's attention in hopes they might be interested in signing up for the workshop. I had two people yesterday and three people today. Both classes were a lot of fun. I learned some things in the process, and while I won't tell you everything I learned, I will share this with you. It takes a lot of energy to set up and clean up. Some people are totally new to art journaling while some people already had an idea, they just needed a gentle nudge to forge ahead. Get rid of that inner critic and give oneself permission to play. I'd say these past two days were kind of a crash course on art journaling with introducing stencils and other mark making tools, the use of gesso, introduction to the gelli plate, and simply playing and making messes. I provided them with simple journal already made with a 9x12 envelope and card stock. They worked on filling their pages. Participants did express wanting to return so I will be trying to schedule some further workshop times. Unfortunately, I did not think to bring a camera so show off some of the wonderful art that was made. Maybe next time. I created something new. Because I have been creating art on an index card for the ICAD challenge, I was on a roll working with that size. This was a result of putting three 4x6 pieces of card stock together. I kind of like it and I also like it here. Here Here and here. Seeing one's art on certain items gives new meaning to creating. I think the pillow would look awesome on a white or black couch or love seat. I did order one of my tote bags to check the quality and the color and I was impressed. I am ending this with some icads. I am so glad I participated in this challenge again this year. It is interesting to see some growth, some changes in my art and at the same time I think I am beginning to see my own style coming out. Art on an index card can be food for bigger things. Do I feel guilty for not following any of the prompts this year? No. I do not. It's just been plain fun and fun to see what others have created. I know this was a long one. Sorry. I got a bit long winded. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I hope you are having a good day and hope you have a wonderful messy painty weekend. I am headed over to the party to see what others from all over the world have been up to. Thanks for visiting here..................

Making Art in Public

I did a 2 hr demo on art journaling at my local AC Moore craft store on Saturday morning. I was stationed at a table right near the doorway in hopes of being noticed. I had made a banner to hang on the end of the table. It was pretty strange. I say that because I had myself spread out on a folding table, with enough minimal supplies to fit in a box, and several of my different art journals laid out so they could come and look, and hardly anyone stopped to look, much less come over and find out what was going on. I kept and eye on customers as they came and went, greeted them and children if there were any, and still, no one was interested. I became aware of myself as I tried to make art in a public setting. I even thought if I turned on the heating tool, which you know sounds like a blow dryer, that it might get people's attention. It did not. I guess what amazed me is that people just came and went. What is it? People just don't want to talk anymore in certain places and situations? If you are in an arts and crafts store, you are in there for something art related. Duh!! Maybe I should have baked brownies and had them at the end of the table. If I saw someone creating art in public I would surely be interested enough to come up and get a closer look. A few minutes before I started to pack up and leave a woman did come up to take a closer look, checking out my journals and asking questions which I gladly answered. I hope she comes back for a workshop. As it turns out I found out I do have two people signed up and two people is better than no people. Maybe those two people will tell two more people. It was an interesting experience so say the least and I know it's not going to happen all at once, so I am prepared to give it some time. Has anyone else experienced this before? The ICAD challenge continues with 9 days to go. Here are a few more peices of art on an index card. Thanks for visiting........................

Happy Paint Party Friday and Other Stuff

A new piece.......... gesso and watercolor crayons, paint and paint markers. The thin, gridded lines are made with the bottom of an old pair of sandals. I just had to see what it would look like on a pillow at Society6. LOoks pretty cool if you ask me. And we're on the home stretch of the ICAD challenge. Here are a few more which makes me up to date. Wonderful to be off from work today and to spend some of it with my daughter. Tomorrow I am off to AC Moore to do a demo and try and spark some interest in some art journaling workshops. Wishing you a wonderful, creative weekend. Thanks for stopping by. I am going to the party here and here where this month's theme is flowers.

5 Days

Here are 5 days of art on an index card. Yes! I'm caught up! Have you checked out the ICAD challenge Flickr page? There's a lot of cool art there. I have learned to be very resourceful in making these. I always have some index cards laying nearby where ever I am working. I can prep a lot at one time on the gelli plate or simply by throwing some paint and gesso down or using scraps of stuff laying around on the table (or the floor) and then raiding the scrap bin of torn papers etc. Adding some home made stamps and then sometimes taking them in the car before work I can add the doodling or last minute gluing with my glue stick. I have to remember to take my bag of markers and gel pens in to work since it's a about 100 degrees lately. Yes, I do art work in my car before work and it's sometimes very hard to leave the car, but it makes me a bit less cranky having taken the time for me to create at the beginning of the day rather than waiting until the end of a work day, when much of my energy has been used up. So, finding time for art can be done if you really want to do it. Thanks for visiting here.........Jo

Brain Fart

I just reread last night's post. I must have been having a brain fart on top of being very tired when I posted as I included the label ICAD when the art I showed you were not ICADs at all. I explained that these were done on card stock. I guess it's because of this art on an index card a day challenge, my fingers have been so used to automatically going to the icad labels. These ARE ICADS that I am showing you tonight. The last one is weird to me. I was playing with rubber cement as a resist. Remember the rubber cement in the jars we had in grade school before there was Elmer's? Only 20 more to go to complete this challenge.

More In the Garden

I seem to be creating a lot of art with flowers. I have decided to call it my "In the Garden" series. I like that you can use gesso and crayon as resist with water color and spray inks. Sometimes I do a bunch of throwing stuff down on lots of card stock at one time and forget about them. I'll forget what I have done. I'll come back to it at another time and it's sometimes pleasantly surprising. Like here. And here. I thought I had just picked up a plain white piece of cardstock because at first I didn't see the white gesso where I'd smeared and scraped in to it, nor the white crayon. I love the results when "slathered" with water color on top. In this ICAD I knowingly used the white crayon and water color. Started doodling some flowers and then left it. Declared it finished. Go here if you'd like to see more of my In the Garden Series. Thanks for stopping in.

Power Surges and Blue Bell Ice Cream

Right now I hear the tinkling, music box version of Yankee Doodle Dandy and Ten Little Indians as the ice cream truck moves slowly past the house. I thought for a split second of going out to see exactly what he had on his truck before I remembered I had some mint chocolate chip ice cream that needed to be eaten. I have no patience with summer this year. Truly. I used to be pretty tolerant of these Virginia summers. Not this year. I am already having my own power surges and so I don't like it when mine mix with the normal outside heat. I don't like it when I'm talking to someone at work and all of a sudden I want to start taking off my clothes and I'd swear my forehead has sweat beads. Ah. One of the joys of life. I had been behind on the icad challenge but was delighted to have lots of quiet peaceful time this weekend to hang out in summer pjs and play. In fact, I enjoyed my time so much I partook in pizza and ice cream, which I don't ordinarily eat. After listening to nearly 15 minutes worth of conversation by my coworkers about Blue Bell ice cream and how utterly wonderful it was, and how they could not believe I'd never had it, I had to seek it out at my grocery store only to stand there in front of 4 freezer sections devoted only to Blue Bell ice cream and sherbet and I was totally overwhelmed. I came home with mint chocolate chip which I love so I knew I couldn't go wrong. It was good. Here are a few more ICADs. One month gone. One to go. You know I spent a long time on this one. Just drop your tea bag on an index card and see what you can do with it. Ha ha ha!! Did you know that needle point canvases make great stencils? They show up a lot in my work. I think I own 4 or 5 Copic markers and that's what I used to color in this doodling. Yes, this one took so much time to make. I simply glued down a painty baby wipe, doodled and added a torn paper with my home made stamp. The last one was the sweetest thing because I didn't really do anything. It's a gelli printed index card with a torn piece of my art with some found words. How sweet is that? Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned for more little simple "stuff." Now, I've gotta go see about this Blue Bell ice cream.

Add Peace to the World

Work has totally wiped me out this week. I cannot remember it being this bad. Thank goodness for art. Art saves me, calms and grounds me, brings me back to me. Here are my last few days of art on an index card, most of which I did in the front seat of my car in the morning before I went in to work. You know it's never to late to join in the fun of creating art on an index card. You can go here to find out more. I am going share this with the folks over at Paint Party Friday to check out all the wonderful stuff they have been creating. I hope you've had a good week where ever you are.

Something Old

I've shared with you how I do art in the morning in the car before work. And I've mentioned my trials and tribulations about certain supplies that you cannot leave in your art bag in the car in certain weather conditions. For example you cannot leave water color crayons or glue in a hot car in the middle of the day here in Virginia in 90 degree weather. I have to think ahead about what supplies I want to bring according to what I want to work on. I found a really old box of Prisma color art sticks that was probably one of the first art supplies I ever bought and very rarely used. This box has to be at least 20 yrs old.Sorry the photo is slightly blurry, I tried them on an art journal page this morning, one that had already been gessoed with some early drawn faces. I smeared some art sticks all over the page and used a water brush. I pretty good substitute for water color crayons which would have melted somewhat in the car. I'm still working on these two. I'm having fun with all the layering. Lastly, here is another ICAD. A gessoed back ground with spray inks on top. Some doodling, a piece of recycled baby wipe, and a sticker. Pretty simple. It's called grab anything laying around your work space and cut it,glue it or throw it down on that index card. Almost one month through this ICAD challenge. I think I'm having more fun this year that previously, because I'm not taking my self too seriously. I'm just playing and having fun. You can too!

Playing and Working Hard

I have a few things to share with you. Still playing with art on index cards. Tammy Garcia hosts this challenge every day until the last day of July. You can still jump in and you can learn more about it here. Here are a couple more. Both were done pretty rapidly actually, making more mess in my already messy studio. Seriously, I hate to admit it. My studio is much like my house sometimes. I would rather be making messes in my studio than cleaning up messes in the rest of the house. It gets to a point and I cannot stand it and the mess becomes too distracting and I cannot focus. I think it's coming soon, like this weekend. The first one was made with acrylic glaze shimmering paints (from DreamingInColor.com and a few stencils. The second one is acrylic paint on top of gessoed stencils and a face was drawn with a water color pencil. I am also plugging a long with some art journaling pages, filling up an old sketchbook I turned in to an art journal. I add something every so often and those every so oftens add up. I can see my growth because the journal pages are mixed with old and more recent additions. I'm getting a bit better at drawing. Here are a few pages. And now I have a surprise. I've been working hard at my art and working hard to get this finished. While it's not finished, it's a good beginning. I am excited to show you my art like this. And this. And I love the way my art looks here. I want to buy them all. lolAnd lastly, If you'd like to check out more of my art please do go here. It would be wonderful to have your support if only to add your name to "+follow." Also, please do note that the cost of each item is not what goes in the artist pocket. In fact, it's only about 3% in most cases, maybe less that actually goes in mine. But, it's a pretty wonderful feeling seeing it out there in frames and other items. Please go there and check it out. This was a long one tonight. Thanks for sticking around. Thanks for supporting me with kind words. I'm linking today to the wonderful people and artists here. Happy Paint Party Friday!!