This Is What I Do: Create

My friend Curley (her real name is Cheryl and when we met long ago, she had a "curly do" but she doesn't get perms anymore, but the name stuck!) had a birthday yesterday. I wanted to give her something reflecting my art and our friendship. Yeah. I could have just gotten her a gift card from Hobby Lobby, but that's not personally reflective, just easy. I had been watching my YouTube guy, Mike Deakin of Mike Deakin Art (suggest you all take a look at his stuff sometime) and he had been making a lapbook. I sorta followed his suggestions, adapted mine differently, and went with it. I am showing you pictures of the finished book I made for Curley for her birthday. This is the front and back cover. The ribbon is to tie it shut and is riveted on with a pink eyelet into the spine of the booklet. The charms at the top of the spine are attached to a piece of chain with removable jeweler's rings, and the chain is attached with a jeweled brad. I bought the charms at a loc...

Working out in the yard can wait another while. I felt like making art today.  So indulge me a bit and look at my April entry to the Mission Inspiration page that I belong to on Facebook. I was to use three colors, pastel yellow, pink, and a pastel green. If you look closely, the pastel green is behind the spring and summer trees. The trees were cut on my Cricut, the color on the trees is acrylic paint. I put the snow on the winter tree limbs with a while gel pen. The instructions given called for splatters or drops, but I didn't use those. Otherwise, I followed the prompt to the letter, even if some of it was subtle. I wanted to show you my latest greeting cards that I haven't sent out in the post. Some I sent before I photoed them. Sorry! Now maybe I should go work in the yard.  Well, maybe not, it's Sunday and that is the day of rest, isn't it? Until next time, Go, create something! JF

Gosh, it's been a while since I posted anything. I have made some awesome cards lately, but got them into the post without taking a pic of them. Drats! I have also been to Grandparent's Day at my grands' elementary school, which was blast in itself. Grandson #2 and grandson #3 both had their designated times at the same time, which created a problem, sorta! So my friend Curley and  I took on grandson #2 and the other grandparent (really an aunt of my daughter-in-laws who raise her when her mom passed.) took grandson #3's room visit. Then we attended a book fair, where each child could purchase a book, if they had the money (way too much). Of course Grandpa had a stash of cash  (furnished ahead of time from my son) and "softie" Curley forked over a tidy sum, so R got a couple of books. it was fun and wonderful visiting in the classroom, seeing projects, meeting the teacher and observing just what 2nd graders are doing and learning these days. Big class, and lot...

March has been brutal. It's been cold, the weather shifting from rain to snow and back again. Hoosier Hysteria is over, TV is back to normal, I guess. I don't watch too much of it, but I do know that IHSAA and NCAA interrupted what viewing I usually do, so I have been reading a lot and creating art. Below is my March mid month mini mission submission to our group Mission Inspiration. I dedicated this submission to the American drivers that are experiencing the "turn abouts" on our streets and highways for the first time. They are becoming more and more common and I've even found them in our rural areas. They take some getting used to. The "key word" for our mini mission this month was "lost." That's it for now. Go, create something! JF

For some reason when I posted the pictures in the last post, blogger didn't pick up one of them. So, of course I have to share the following: Another stamp, which came in a set and looks like either paint spatters, or if use with white ink on a dark base could resemble a windshield after being parked under a tree in the summer. Birds, the nasty things!! Anyway, I used 4 different inks, obviously, stamped the design on 65# white cardstock, backed it with medium blue and then to a white card base. I think the sentiment, " Art washes away from soul the dust of everyday life ," is very appropriate for a note to another arty, from an arty! I've had the sentiment stamp for years and have used it maybe three times that I can remember. Surely there's some one of my artsy friends that will need a cheerful note one of these days. That's it for today, I promise!! Go, create something!! JF

The weather hasn't been very cooperative here in the midwest, so I've been staying in the "studio" (think cluttered dining room) a lot. Experimenting with new techniques and a few new products, besides dragging out some older stuff that I haven't used for a long time, and a couple I even had forgotten that I had. So here's the latest batch of cards. Yeah, I know, boring if you're not into carding. But, like the title says, "it's what I do!" This card wa made by stamping with watermark ink on orange cardstock, then brushing on gold Perfect Pearls. The sentiment is stamped, and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. The stripes in this card are made with a "paint streak" stamp using dye inks. Then I stencilled the tree on top. Added a stamped sentiment. Another stamp, this one looks like a woven square. Then stamped the flowers and sentiment with black Archiver's ink. I have a dear sweet friend who is leaving the m...

The Mission Inspiration this month contained as a prompt the word attitude. I recall, "back in the day" when each and every car had class and style. Now they all look alike! So, here's my March submission and a tribute to "auto days gone by." If I could have found it, I would have used a picture of my '57 Chevy. Vroom, Vroom!! That's all for today,  Go, create something! Jim