A Work in Progress

First Born Artist

I think that this is the only card from all the swaps I have been in that was made by Denise Lombardozzi!  I have always admired her work and was quite excited to finally get one of her cards!  This was from an Enchanted Forest themed swap (one of my favorite themes).  Almost daily I like to stop by and read her blog, and she also has a new website, First Born Studio, where you can see more of her work. I love the ways she uses paints and glazes.  I really would love to learn more--or mess around a bit more with them.  It would be so nice to attend one of the many art fests that are held where you can take classes.  Alas, money--money...it is always a problem!   She also has a wonderful (and very neat!) studio that she photographed and posted photos of a while back on her blog.  Maybe if I had a more inspirational work space... 

Dover Clip Art

This weekend I am working on my next chunky book page-- for a "Bathing Beauties Chunky Book".  I pretty much have my page (front and back) laid out.  I just need to glue everything down and add any last little elements.  I have one more book to work on after this one.  I have a general idea what I want to do, and I may get some work done on it later.  Then it is a matter of deciding where to go get them photocopied! 

Dover clip art books are great.  And what is nice is that all the images are copyright free.  I have several, but this is my favorite.  I used it for the page I am working on now.  There are some funky things in these books, but it is amazing how the funkiest pictures may come in the handiest!!

Copy Max, aagghh...

Today I went to Copy Max to make my copies for the Asian Dreams chunky book.  Here is the front of my page.  I may still add a small embellishment, but as I will have some fixing to do on my page...that may not happen.  The people at Copy Max are really nice, but every time I there to have my collage stuff copied--the size is always messed up.  The color usually turns out great, but they *cannot* get the size exact.  It is usually too small.  The person helping me did it a slightly different way, so when I looked at it, I thought it looked fine.  Stupid me did not measure it before she made the copies.  But when I got home and tried one out...yes, again, it is too small!!!  Aaaggghh.  Now I guess I will have to glue the fronts and backs onto black cardstock, or just mail them in a quarter of an inch off.  I can't decide which is worse.  Not having a decent copy store makes it hard to join these swaps.  I thought about trying to do it here at home on my printer, but I am not sure how they would turn out, and the ink is really, really expensive!  I guess I am glad that I did this well in advance of the due date.  I can't afford to have them re-copied, so I will just have to see how I can fix them myself.  A disappointment after I thought I was ahead of the game!

Lovely Antique Lace

Look at what a friend sent me!  It is a lovely little necklace.  There is a piece of antique lace inside.  I wonder if this artist uses other antique fabrics or bits and bobs inside...This is a great idea, and if you can solder, it really wouldn't be terribly hard!  Of course I have never learned to solder, but I have seen other altered artists creating all sort of lovely jewelry!  The friend who sent it is always sending really lovely unusual things.  We are in a stitching program through an online internet store called Shakespeare's Peddler.  It is a "Not So Secret Stitcher" program.  We were matched up with similar interests, and we chat online and each month send out a little gift of some sort.  She picks really cool gifts!  I tend to send more practical stitching gifts, but I think I need to get a little more creative!  Anyway, this was a nice package to come home to!  It was inside a lovely sachet bag, by the way!

Art Play

Finally this weekend I was able to sit down and work on one of my chunky book pages as well as make some ATCs.  This messy area is where I sometimes do my art stuff.  Unfortunately it is too small of a room to have a whole table to lay out all my stuff.  The bins hold some of my needlework supplies as well as my other art and quilting stuff.  I also have my computer and treadmill here.  It is a bit of a squish, but it works.  It would be nice, though, not to have to pack everything back up each time I finish.  I think that is a big reason I haven't spent as much time lately on my collage stuff.  It is all cleaned up now (everything back into their bins), and my cards are all here drying.  I hope to scan them this week, so I may share pictures as well.  The ATCs are for a personal exchange, and the chunky page is for the Asian Dreams Chunky book I may have mentioned before.  I hope to copy my pages on Tuesday after work and then cut and fold and paste, and I hope they will be in the mail by Friday!   Next weekend I have to work on my page for a Bathing Beauty Chunky book.  Then one more to go before I am all caught up.  Then I will be concentrating on a few needlework swaps that I am signed up for.  There is certainly never a dull moment--and this weekend has absolutely whizzed by!!

Gillian Allen

Gillian Allen of art-e-zine fame makes the most incredible art.  And her work is broad--fabric, clay, paper among other things.  Last year she held several ATC swaps, I was fortunate enough to finally get one of her cards in a Pierrot Swap.  If you follow the above link, you can find all the ATC swaps and see some very cool art!  She must spend a lot of time on her e-zine, too.  There is loads of art by a wide variety of talented artists and covering many different mediums.  And if you do take a look at the ATC link, you can have a peek at a swap I hosted and Gillian was kind enough to post on her site...

Bernie Berlin

Probably anyone who makes ATCs or does altered arts and belongs to a Yahoo Group knows Bernie Berlin!  She is a really nice lady--very supportive to other artists.  Not only is she a wonderful artist, but she also runs "A Place to Bark" dog rescue.  Actually I don't know how she manages to juggle everything she does.  Her husband has serious health issues she helps with, she runs her dog rescue, she organizes several Yahoo Groups, is an artist on call for Inspirations Magazine, does art herself...have I left anything out?  And on top of it all creates beautiful art--her style is very unique.  I have several of her cards--both originals and copies from decks.  I will post a few in my photo album.

Belinda Schneider

Belinda Schneider is so talented!  And she is really nice as well.  She is a German artist, and I have been fortunate enough to be a in few swaps with her.  She says she is just a hobbyist, but I love her artwork and I am sure she could sell her work!  She has even graced the cover of Somerset Studio.  She does all sorts of creative work--collage, fabric quilting, rubber stamping, book arts.  This is one of the ATCs I received of hers in a past swap.  It is made out of fabric.  I love the Audrey Hepburn picture and the cool netting she used.  I mentioned here a while back that I wanted to make A Woman's House--this is an online tutorial on the ArtChix website using a cardboard house that they sell.  Unfortunately that has not happened so far due to my precarious credit card situation!  Eventually...I hope.  Needless to say, I am always inspired by her artwork!

Sarah Fishburn

Since I have accomplished exactly nil in the collage/paper arts area as of late, I thought I would share some artwork that I received through swaps from other artists.  This ATC  was made by Sarah Fisburn, whose art I really admire.  It is the only card I have by her, and I count myself lucky to have it.  I love all my ATCs, but it is always cool to get an ATC from a known artist.  Sarah's artwork has appeared in various magazines, and books, and I think she may even teach classes occasionally.  I love the work she did in the journal project--"True Colors" (see my list of books on the left).  She is very talented and I love her work! 

Assemblage Artist Extraordinaire

I think anyone who does altered art would appreciate the art of Joseph Cornell (1903-1972).  I discovered his art not too long ago, and I found a nice little book about his art and life in the Daedalus catalog.  So now I get to read up on him.  He began creating assemblages in the 1930s using the refuse of daily life.  Most of his art was made in little boxes or within frames, and I have read he sometimes took years to complete an assemblage.  If you Google for images of his work, you can get a glimpse of his art.  His assemblages are really interesting, and I think modern artists really owe a lot to him.  I believe he was the first to use everyday objects as part of his artwork.  If you are looking for a little inspiration--take a look at his work!