Joyeux Noel

It's been no secret that I LOVE Graphic 45's Christmas line of papers. The black holly paper is so sophisticated and I've been using it in a lot of tags this season. But it was the paper with all the toys; dolls, bears and the sweetest little french Pierrot clown that inspired this piece. That paper has been just screaming at me to do something with it but I didn't want to cut into it! So out came this little lovely. Now, you all know I don't usually do faces but I had to do some clown eyes with  the tiniest heart tear. I hope you like her!

Always Practice First!

Thought I'd share this as I was cleaning out my studio space last month. I found this little wooden cabinet from probably the 80's that I had sponge painted blue. You remember the first sponge painting, right? Blue on white, not blended in at all...very country. Well that's what this baby looked like, complete with mauve trim and black and white checks. Cute in it's day. Yep, must've been the 80"s, maybe early 90's. I took it out of the closet and immediately thought stencils and color. I've been wanting to do paint a piece of furniture like this so I thought this would be a great piece to practice on.
I kept the black and white checks for some definition. I primed the rest of it and then went crazy with stencils and doilies. I used Claudine Hellmuth paints because of their translucent quality. I added some Graphic 45 letter stickers that are newsprint which you all know I love. At the very top of the cabinet is a very 80's cut out heart where I place a little hand painted shrinky-dink girl. it turned out so pretty and it's the perfect size for Stickle storage. So happy to have this little cabinet out again after all these years!

More Stencil Madness!

Still going crazy with stencils! Once I get started on these little tags, I can't stop! I've been only using paint, so I decided to try the Distressed Stains by Ranger to see how they would look. They came out somewhat hazy, however I love the look. The stencils are from Crafter's Workshop.Using tiny scraps of paper, I then cut their outfits, getting into my paper doll zen-like state. The little hot pink jacket to the left is made of Ranger's sticky back canvas and dabbed over with their Worn Lipstick stain. Although it's hard to see, I embellished the ribbons with some of the Tim Holtz Ideology items. I then took the color, Picket Fence and put it on a brown tag and it came out looking like gingerbread snowflakes. I had purchased the new Graphic 45 Christmas line and thought the black hollies would look amazing on the stenciled background. The little pierrot inspired me to buy this paper (more on that project later) and thought he would look adorable in the corner and was I right? Cute, cute paper! Now to figure out, who will receive these little tags on their gifts this year?

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Dorothy, using all Graphic 45 papers

Follow the yellow brick road. It all sounds so easy, until you hit the sign that says this way, no that way. This art journey that so many of us are on is not unlike the little road to Oz.
For some, art is a hobby, a kind of sanctuary. A place to go after a grueling day on the job or where one can go to get away from the demands of kids, husbands and life in general. For others it's a job, and for some it's both.
For me, it's both. Before it was a job, it was my place to escape. I could get in my zone and get lost for hours doing whatever I want. For the last 2 years though it has been a business. A very serious business, replacing a not so bad paycheck. With that comes a lot of decisions. I wish my yellow brick road had more concise signs. But like Dorothy, I run into the same signs, pointing in every direction.
Which way? Publishing, licensing, teaching, selling. Do we go in all four directions? Do we try a little of each? Which first? Can it all be done?
I ponder it all, I make lists, I make game plans, I set goals. As I sit here and decide to take the next leap, I find that I am not unlike Dorothy trying to find her way. I come across people who help, people who need, and challenges to be met. I do feel like my land of oz is not far off. I have a feeling though when I arrive, there will be yet another road to follow. Or maybe the yellow one doesn't end. Perhaps Oz is just meant to be experienced at a distance. I know one thing for sure. The yellow brick road has been a most interesting journey, full of many characters and places to stop along the way. I will keep happily skipping on until I find the end.