Day 9 Christmas card magnetic bookmarks

Here are some fun Christmas cards I made tonight with magnetic bookmarks.  Perfect stocking stuffers.  Sorry for the blurry cell photo pictures. 

 

Here is the inside of the card.  It says:  The nicest part of Christmas is remembering special people like you.

Take a Journey through time with Reading

Mrs. Quimby-Greene and Madison taking a journey through time with Reading with this time traveler.

I visited the Rio Vista Elementary School library today.  I met the librarian, Mrs. Quimby-Greene and this wonderful time traveler that was built completely from recyclable materials by Miss Dawkins and her 4th grade class for Journey Through Time with Reading....................

The Mrs. Quimby-Greene does wonderful story book parties as Silly Tassie.  Go to her Facebook page to find out more.  While you are there, please "like" her.  I understand if she does not get enough likes or her page, she will be charged. 

Day 8 Magnetic Duct Tape Bookmarks

There are so many fun patterns in tape these days, here are some examples that I used:  blue flowers, black and white graphic, pop art, Sponge Bob and Hello Kitty....

 

I told you duct tape bookmarks are addicting to make.  I decided they would be wonderful as magnetic bookmarks.  They will really hold your place.  Someone can't come along and pick up your book and have it fall out. 

Pajama Day!

Today was pajama day at my granddaughter's school.  They got to watch Polar Express and drink hot cocoa.  It was half day today and I was helping out by picking her up from school.  My granddaughter's one request was that I pick her up from school today wearing my Grinch pajamas.  I did, slippers and all.

On the way home in the car,  I was singing the song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.  My granddaughter asked me to stop singing it, because I was embarrassing her.  So Grinch pajamas in public, not embarrassing but singing a Christmas song in my car on the way home, embarrassing.  Got it. 

Day 7: Thank you card w/magnet bookmarks

 

Another card with magnet bookmarks.  This one is a bit more masculine since I made this one for my doctor. I used scrapbook paper again and added a few spots with my micron pen.   Both of these are Duck tape bookmarks.  See my post from Day Five, I have a photo of the magnets.

Day Six: Greeting card with Magnetic bookmarks

I had so much fun with this one.  The background is scrapbook paper.  I used a hole punch for the butterflies.  Both bookmarks are magnetic.  See my previous post where I have photos of the magnets.  They are strong and these will not fall out of your book.  The bookmark on the right is a "Duck" tape book mark and I drew the one on the right, then laminated it for protection and durability.  I will be making more cards that hold bookmarks.

Day Five: Magnetic Flower Bookmark

I drew this flower bookmark, laminated it so it would be more durable and the magnets hold it in place.

You, will not lose your place with this bookmark, it won't fall out with the sturdy magnets I use!  I have to make more of these.  I really want to keep this one but it already has a home. 
UPDATE:  You can purchase this bookmark from my shop http://lazylizardstudio.bigcartel.com/.  Since it is original artwork, no two are the same.  I can also personalize it for you.

Day Four: Fiber Art Bookmarks

Day Four of Book Mark a Day for 365 Days - These are fiber art bookmarks.  I have made two, showing fronts and backs.  This has color tissue papers, yarns, and ribbons giving it a water color effect, plus very small beads all fused together and laminated to keep it sturdy and protected. 

Day Three: Beaded Book Thong

 Day Three and I made a beaded book thong out of durable cording that won't damage the pages of the book.  This bookmark is available for sale.  If you are interested, go to my shop http://lazylizardstudio.bigcartel.com/

  

Colored Beads, flower charm, ring charm and seagull.

Spiral

Day Two - Duct Tape Bookmarks

What fun!  I loved this!  This is one bookmark, reversible.......My daughter found this awesome duct tape at Wally World for me.  I think they actually call this brand "Duck" tape.  I love the designs.  I love the feel of these bookmarks.  I made it reversible, with a different pattern on each side. I used card stock inside to make them sturdier.  Very fast, fun, easy. (I have even seen prom dresses made out of duct tape!!)!.  There is a lot of wonderful duct tape prints out there too.  I saw some with Justin Bieber on it, but they wanted $12 for it at Office Max.  My granddaughter would have loved a bookmark made out of it.  These can be addicting.  I don't think I can make just one.

I've already made some discoveries as I plunge into making: A Bookmark-A-Day for 365 Days.  In order to complete this project and to last the whole year - I will have to get ORGANIZED!!  I will have to organize my supplies AND my time!!  Also, for now I will have to make bookmarks with supplies on hand.  Otherwise I can waste a lot of time shopping not to mention the expense!! 

Well, this sure beats using my receipt from Michaels as a bookmark, like I did last night!

Day One of A Bookmark-A-Day for 365 Days

Well, this is it.  I made my first book mark.  However, I can't post it on this blog just yet!  It is a family Christmas gift and I do not want to spoil the surprise.  The bookmark shown is actually last year's family Christmas present.  This year it's a different style and I will post after Christmas.

So day one, completed.  That wasn't so bad................................

It is raining tonight.  For some reason, when it rains I crave Chinese food and want to eat it straight from the take-out carton with chopsticks. Since I did not have any Chinese take-out, I made some cards tonight along with the bookmarks.  Here is a get well card I drew plus added some stickers for a friend:

 

Here is a Christmas card I made from a photo of my dog's present that is currently hanging in the tree until Christmas:

 



 I also drew a birthday card and added some rhinestones.  Sorry the photo is a bit blurry, next time I will try scanning it instead.  My friend's birthday is on Christmas day so instead I wrote "Merry Birthday Eve":

 

 

 The above card is Zendoodle-inspired. I really enjoy drawing. In August I broke my shoulder.  I was standing on a step stool painting the ceiling of my bathroom and fell backwards into the bathtub.  I landed on my shoulder.  I suffered a three-point fracture of the humerus.  It was the worst pain I have ever experienced, that includes child birth.  I was not allowed to move it and of course I was on pain pills. The first thing I was finally allowed while still in a sling was to move it as if I was writing.  Well, I immediately picked up my micron pens and started drawing again, making cards mostly.  It was my therapy and what got me through a very difficult time. 

 

I had a doctor appointment yesterday in fact.  I am finally allowed to have some weight-bearing exercises (two-pound weights) and I go back to the doctor on Valentine's day!  Here is one of the first cards I made while still in a sling back in August.  I made it for my doctor to thank him for everything he has done for me:

 

 

 

Entelechy

 

Entelechy noun “the full realization of one’s inherent potential”.  Derives from the Greek word meaning to have a goal or to embody the perfection.

Well I now have the daunting task of actually picking a date to start my Bookmark-A-Day for 365 days.  January 1, 2013, would be the obvious choice.   I know others have done this with various projects and with various degrees of success.  I think “any”” attempt of a daily creative activity at all is success.  I am impressed that anyone makes an attempt at doing anything every day for a year.

There are not many things that we do every day.  Eating of course, brushing our teeth, shower (hopefully)….but have you ever decided to start an exercise program?  How far did you get?  Well, I have.  Let’s put it this way, I will admit right now that I did NOT do it daily for 365 days.  I should have, it would have been great for me.

I do have one possible advantage, I do not have television.  So there is some free time right  there.  Plus, all that time spent NOT exercising affords me another block of free time. 

So my To Do List would maybe read something like this for the next 365 days:

1.  Eat breakfast

2.  Shower

3.  Brush Teeth

4.  Make a bookmark

 

Well, I sent the link to a few friends announcing my intentions plus posting on this blog to help holding myself accountable, I guess now is as good of time as any to start or at least tomorrow.....................



What Would You Attempt if You Knew You Would Not Fail?

Here are some bookmarks that I made when I joined a group of artists in 2006 that committed to making art every day for a year.  This was my project from Day 1.  I was actually making them to trade with another artist friend anyway. I think I made it all the way to Day 9.  I did not meet the goal of this group, but I completed a lot of art work that year.  I was also a member of EDM (Every Day Matters) drawing group, as well as Illustration Friday and a few other online art groups.  I started a local Sketch Crawl group.  All of the groups were wonderful inspiration and got me into a good daily practice of creating art. 

Eventually I dropped all the groups, mainly just lurking as I started setting my own goals and deadlines to commit to submitting more work to juried shows.  As more of my work was accepted,  I  became a member of a local artists' group that met every month and another group of women artists' that met four times a year out-of-state.  It is important to learn to accept criticism.  Both of these groups allowed me to have my work critiqued.  I took classes as well as taught classes.  It is important to keep learning, even if you are self-taught.  Experiment.  Share.  Have fun.

The groups as well as classes I took from the Drawing Studio and elsewhere, helped me learn to make the time, be brave about my work and be willing to make mistakes.  I forced myself to work outside of my comfort zone whenever possible.

Talk about being brave, this is a contour drawing I posted for Blind Contour Friday group back in 2006.  It is a parrot on a cage next to a Boston Fern.  You can see some of my work on my other blog Sketch Monkey Blues.

So take classes, join groups, go outside of your comfort zone, be inspired, share your work...........do it every day. 
 

Procrastinating

If you are like me and sometimes have trouble making or finding the time to do artwork, I would like to share one of my favorite quotes with you from a book called "Warrior Woman" by Tina Le Marque:

"The innate, perhaps thinly disguised selfishness of the artist has to come out like a billboard in flames.  'Leave me alone.  I can't talk now.  I'll call you in three weeks, but I think I'm going to forget.  Quit pulling on me.'  You have to do this if you want to get anything done.  The creative side has to be treated every bit as seriously as a 'straight job'.  It is very difficult to communicate the extreme urgency and wierd timing of creativity to the people in our lives that are living by more conventional timetables.  We have to work now  when stuff comes gooshing up.  Not from nine to five.  More like from midnight on September 16 to breakfast time after the next full moon.  'I won't be able to attend your wedding, the dinner party, the Tupperware party, my wake.  I am painting a still-life with a frozen mongoose and I have to work fast before he defrosts between sessions.  Otherwise, the stink is something awful'......Not everyone is capable of understanding this.  Ignore them, let them go, leave them and go paint.  Abandon them if you must, but not yourself."

I am writing this after midnight.  I really should be sleeping.  I am not even doing artwork.  I cleaned off my drafting table after posting a picture of it cluttered yesterday.  So, I have completed the first step of my Bookmark-a-Day for 365 Days project:  getting organized.  The blog is helping me hold myself accountable!! 

This photo was actually taken months ago.  It was a wonderful rainy afternoon and I spent the whole day creating.  It is supposed to rain later this week.  Perfect.  My drafting table is completely cleared off and waiting....................That is another mistake we sometimes make.  Waiting for the perfect time, the perfect setting or some inspiration.  Well, there is no better time than right NOW.

A Bookmark-a-Day for 365 days!

I have decided to create a bookmark-a-day for 365 days or to give myself some "wiggle-room" ....... a book-related art project daily.   

I have several reasons why I want to attempt this.  First off, I have been planning to create an Etsy account for quite some time. I am hoping this will finally prompt me to quit procrastinating and do it since most of my work will be offered for sale. I will also do special orders. 

I also want to give myself permission and the time to create. This may be overwhelming, between creating the bookmark, taking a photo and posting it on this blog!!  So, I guess I will take baby steps, in other words, a bit more procrastinating.

Well, I guess I will start with cleaning off my drafting table of all current projects!    

Tree of Life beaded bookmarker.  Original, handmade beaded bookmarker (also known as a book thong), with Tree of Life and leaf charms.  Will fit books up to 11 inches long.  The durable cord will not damage the pages or spine, fitting inside of the pages to keep your place.  Available for $12.00 plus shipping.  Other bookmarkers, different themes available upon request.

I'm BACK!! (Again)

. I'M BACK!!!

I started a new journal today. One that I purchased in Bisbee in 2005. It is handmade and the artist signed it for me on the opening page. I would like to share what she wrote:

An Evocation ---

What really counts is one's imagination,

a beautiful landscape,

daily caprice,

deep serenity,

the swing of empty and full spaces,

never twice the same.

And the shadows,

vibrating.

We choose these things.

These life-giving roots of artisan

and poet,

in spite of the tyranny of practicality.

HOW TO PLAY CATCH WITH A THREE-YEAR OLD. Equipment needed: 1 light weight medium-size beach ball, fairy wings and a fireman's helmet. HOW TO SEARCH FOR A JOB: Having the attitude of a three-year old that wears fairy wings and a fireman's helmet to play catch with her Grammy!

PIECED TOGETHER: THE ART OF COLLAGE

Three of my pieces All That is Left, What We Do Know and Borderlines are in the following exhibit at WomanKraft Gallery, September and October:

PIECED TOGETHER: THE ART OF COLLAGE

WomanKraft Gallery
388 S. Stone

Tucson, AZ 85701

You can call WomanKraft at 520-629-9976 for more information.

Exhibit runs September 6th through October 25th.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 1-5pm.



There will be two opening receptions:

Saturday, September 6th

and

Saturday, October 4th, 7-10 P.M.

I wanted to drop in and say I am still here. Going through a lot of changes. I don't know how well my coffee mug shows up in the picture, but it has an image of a leaf and says "grow".

That sums it up. After nearly 30 years in the same place, I have moved. I am experiencing new things. I am growing.

......stay tuned.

I am back from my first visit to Portland, OR. The second day there the temperature was in the 40's with showers. So we did what any Portlander would do - headed outdoors! (The photo is of me at the Portland Zoo ducking inside from the rain.) The rest of the visit the weather improved with each day and we actually got to enjoy a few days of sunshine. We walked down by the river, went to the Portland Market and walked around the NW 23rd/Nob Hill area enjoying the shops, the outdoor cafes, the Victorian houses and greenery. Of course, another day was mostly spent at Powell's Books and I didn't notice the weather! I also had a chance to briefly stop into 23rd Avenue Books. I love Portland and would like to go back, maybe for my birthday in November and the Wordstock event.

It was 72 degrees the morning after I returned to my home in Tucson, Arizona and all the usual suspects were in my yard: a roadrunner running by with his breakfast, a snake by the mail box, quail, bunnies and lizards darting about the cactus. Ahhhh, it is good to be back! I guess I am just a desert rat at heart.

Borderlines is on exhibit from Dec 1, 2007 through January 20th, 2008 as part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition: Between Fences. There are several events planned around the exhibition, you can find out more here.

Here I am giving a lecture/demo for the Pima Arts Council. I brought samples of my work from the very beginning to current, including works-in-progress. I did demos on photo transfer, stencils, masking, faux batik and faux marbling. All are non toxic and supplies can be purchased from the grocery or hardware stores if not already found in your household. I want to thank Zophia Kurowski for taking the photographs. Please contact me if you are interested in having me give a lecture/demo to your group or organization. Travel expenses included in fee.

Exhibit opens today in Houston for (you can read more about this project by clicking on this link Journal Quilt Project 2007):

A Page from My Book:
Journal Quilts 2007 - Journal Quilt Project

Impossible Things

The machine-stitched sketch is from a photograph of me reading to my granddaughter, Madison. I left out the tubes taped to her face in my version. Weighing one pound, 13 ounces, Madison was born July 19th, 2006, months ahead of her October 20th due date. Due to collapsed lungs and other medical issues, she was not expected to survive. With her delicate skin, the NICU staff could barely touch or move her. They asked us to bring in teeny beanie babies to help prop her or hold tubing in place. The appliqué animals are based on the beanie babies in her incubator in the NICU unit, where she spent nearly 3 months.
At 16 pounds, Madison recently celebrated her 1st birthday, a happy and healthy toddler. I completed this "page" for the journal project on Grandparent’s day.
If you look closely to the flowers on the left-hand side you can see where I wrote a favorite Lewis Carroll quote, that to me sums up my granddaughter as well as my experience with the journal project: “sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast”.

Tidepools is one of two works of mine that will be on exhibit in the Rural Art Showcase, Joel D. Valdez Main Library, Downtown Tucson, Arizona from:

October 25 to November 25, 2007
Artist Reception: Sunday, October 28, 1 to 3pm

I will be giving a demonstration in the Second Floor Conference Room from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., sharing some of my other work and my techniques. In addition to the art exhibit, there will be several other demonstrations, slide shows and lectures! You can read more about it on the Pima County Arts Council site.

The above mixed media work consists of sand, shells, acrylic paints, fabric yo yos, couched threads, photo collage, rice paper on a base of quilted duck cloth.

This is a video of a work-in-progress. This is my first time posting video to my blog, please let me know if you have trouble viewing.

The Fine Focus 06 exhibit opens today at the Rosenau Gallery at the Arts Center in Old Forge, New York. This two-year museum and art gallery tour is nearly complete (look for the Fine Focus link on my blog). This is my entry entitled: Faded Memories, Diagnosis, Alzheimer's.

When my Father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's I flew out from Tucson to San Diego to see him. I frantically photographed, attempting to capture that moment forever before the disease took over. This piece is based on my favorite photograph of my parents' that day. Although there is detail in my father's face, I drew a line in place of my mother’s features acknowledging the day when he would no longer recognize her. I stitched this freehand by taping the photograph to my sewing machine. It was such small detail work, it was difficult to draw and follow the lines, it was easier for me to do freehand. This isn't such a good photograph of the piece, but it is the only one I have, the top of the piece is cut off entirely. I am anxious to get it back next year so I can give it to my mom. My father passed June of this year.

I recently tried Suminagashi, which is an ancient Japanese art of marbling. There are several books on the subject as well as info online, so I will leave it to those that can explain it much better than me.

I have to admit that my first attempts were less than desirable and I grew a bit frustrated. I googled suminagashi to see what I was doing wrong (turns out quite a few things, but more on that later) and found a post on Nita Leland's blog about her experiments with it a couple of years ago. (Nita has written some wonderful books on exploring color, creativity and collage.) Anyway, here is a portion of what she wrote about her experiments (quoted with her gracious permission or you can click here to read her whole post on the subject): "I followed directions in a book, but my attempt was a complete failure. I was so disappointed, but I was determined to make it work. The ink I was using kept sinking and the more I added, the more it sank. It was frustrating, because the book said you could use almost any kind of ink or paper, but nothing I tried would work."

Gee, she described my morning! Not everything we try is going to work out and it certainly helped that Nita was willing to share the frustration with her results. Nita's comments helped me more at that moment than reading specific directions on the subject. I think we are more willing to post our successful work and yet I think posting our trials and errors (bloopers) helps others as well.

I purchased the materials from Diane Maurer, she has written a book on the subject (and check out the wonderful work on her website), so I sent an SOS e-mail. She responded right away and told me to give her a call. She immediately knew what I was doing wrong and kindly set me on the right path. Encouraged by Nita's blog and Diane's advice, I did more experimenting that afternoon on paper and canvas (the blurry picture is water color paper), much happier with my results! Even with my afternoon batch that came out much better, I realized several things I still was not doing properly and plan to correct the next time I experiment.

I think to grow as artists' we must be willing to fail!!! I hope this post encourages someone else when they read this blog. And, if anyone wants to try this, feel free to contact me and I can tell you what NOT to do!!

HOW DO YOU LIKE MY MOBILE STUDIO? I think it is evident by this photo of my painting project spread out on top of my car in the garage to dry, that I am running out of room in my studio. Or by the new drafting table still in the box in my bathroom, waiting to be put together. Another obvious sign is not being able to find anything in my studio. Or constantly tripping over things in my studio. Or constantly knocking things over (however, sometimes I find things I was looking for days before by this method.)

Of course, we all make due. At some point in time I have done my art work in every room in the house, including back and front yard. I wonder what my neighbors think when I am doing bleach discharge in the garage and I dash out into the front yard grabbing the hose, dressed in my tie dye shirt wearing goggles and ventilator mask?

This is a photo of one of my pieces, currently untitled. It is 8.5 x 11. I made it as one of my journal pages in March of this year. We made a page each month, but we only had to choose five to submit to the exhibit. This is one that I did not include for the exhibit. I used some of my photographs to experiment in layering/transparency using organza as well as vellum. This photo was taken before I put the edging around it.

I was fortunate to attend the Houston International Quilt show for the first time this year. I got to see and be inspired by this year's journal pages exhibit. It gave me a chance to read the other artists' statements and have a more intimate viewing of such personal/creative/experimental works. I attended the Studio Art Quilt/Journal Quilt reception as well and was able to pick up my copy of Creative Quilting: The Journal Quilt Project in person. Many thanks to Karey Bresenhan for creating this project and hosting the reception.

Raven

I am delivering this 24x36 piece along with Dia de los Muertos (see previous post) tomorrow to the Pima County Arts Council for the upcoming exhibit. This photo was taken before it was mounted to canvas. It is bleach discharged and hand quilted.

Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a new piece, 36 x 36, bleach discharged, hand quilted and mounted to canvas. I just received notification it was juried into the Tucson Pima Arts Council “Artists of Rural Pima County Exhibit. Another new piece, a bit smaller, was also accepted. The exhibit will be at the Joel D Valdez Main Library, 101 N Stone Ave, from November 1 through December 1, 2006. Both pieces are offered for sale. This exhibit is in conjunction with the annual Studio Tour weekend (November 11 & 12, 2006).