This Is What I Do: Create

With the season of Christmas coming upon us rapidly, I have been cranking out cards. It's certainly a labor of love, but tres time consuming. If I could decide on one design then mass produce my cards, it would be a whole lot easier. But, NO, I want to  make my cards recipient specific, so it takes a while.  This card is one of my favorites. It took 5 hours to create, counting "glue drying time." I used a set of dies by Tim Holtz for the flowers. The music is cut from a sheet of printed cardstock.  Another die set by Tim. The trees are intricate and take a while to produce. There a lot of little pieces that have to be cleared before they trees come out of the dies. There has got to be an easier way. I tried the waxed paper suggestion that so many die cutters use, but it didn't make the job any easier. I made this card with the same idea, just changed up the colors. The music is stamped in blue ink on white cardstock and put behind the oval I cut out of the bl...

I've been busy this last week creating.  I have a good friend having a birthday this week, so I created a special card for her. This was done with an embossing folder, then rubbed with metallic water soluble crayons. I sealed the surface, then added a die-cut tree and bird. Stamped the sentiment in matching dye ink. Then I decided I needed a gift bad for the gift I made for my friend. I drew the branch, stamped the leaves in various inks, then stamped the birds (Dina Wakley sketchy bird stamps) in black dye ink, then colored them with my alcohol markers. I began my Christmas cards a while ago, but have decided to get at it in earnest. I thought I would share the process. Started with a piece of white card stock and and my favorite music stamp and Stazon gray ink. I stamped the music onto the white paper in gray ink. Forming a background. Here's my Peg Stamps and ink assortment that I used to do the surface of the background.   Here's the results. I did...

I am beginning serious work on my Christmas cards. Tedious and time consuming. Why do I choose to make this project harder than it needs to be? Probably just because I enjoy the process and get caught up in the moment and one idea leads to another. Pictures will follow as I progress.  For now... Go, Create Something! JF

The artist's group I belong had a monthly prompt for our September mini mission project. The word was romance. We could use it however we wanted to. Here's my take on "romance." I've read the book (actually struggled through it), have seen the movie numerous times, and still think Rhett Butler should have just turned tail and run instead of marrying Scarlett, but that would have not done the story justice. And would have totally ruined his parting line!!👨 Still, after almost 80 years, Rhett and Scarlett are icons of "timeless romance." I remembered the scene where Scarlett made a dress out of her mother's "4 tiers" curtains, against the protests of Mammy. "Lawd Almighty, Miss Scarlett!" Cam you use your imagination and see those curtains in the background. Gold fringe and all!!! This was a fun one. (And maybe I needed some levity after the previous post!!) Until next time, Go, create something! JF

Some people are lucky in love. They find just the right person and spend the rest of their lives together. I once believed in love, not so much any more. My love luck seems to have run out. Let me explain why I feel this way. Love #1: Picture this: I meet this gal in Jr. High. She's a 7th grader, I'm in the 8th. She likes me, I like her. Neither of us are old enough to date, so we spend lunch time at school together and hold hands, etc. Her family lived on a small farm, and they frequently had parties for the kids. Since Birdie (we'll call my gal that) had a sister in my class, I was always invited to the parties they had for classmates. So, I got to hold Birdie's hand some more and dance with her. Finally, we became old enough to double date. My super tolerant brother even let us go to the movies with he and his date a few times. When I finally got my driver's license, we thought that was the coolest!!Still, neither of us were into dating except for the occasiona...

I've been busy crocheting winter gear for toddlers and also learning to knit!!! I also just finished my 101st novel for 2018, so you can see why I haven't posted much art lately. (Read here...NONE!) But, never fear, I have been producing, a little at a time, cards, some birthday, and getting a start on my Christmas cards. (OMG! That time coming up rapidly!) Here's some of what I have been doing: Obviously I got some new stamps and some new inks. They are fun to work with. Maybe I should set the Kindle and iPad aside and work a little more diligently on my cardmaking. Until next time, Go, create something! JF

Disclaimer here: This blog started out as a creative blog, but once in a while, I have to just have a rant about something I hold in and need to let go of. Okay, here's the thing. This year my high school class is having our 55th reunion. I am not going (an am receiving a little "flak" about not attending from certain classmates that either I keep in touch with, or live close and think they need to "needle" me into going.The reasons I have chosen for NOT attending are as follows, and not necessarily in any order: A.  It's too darn expensive. I know that catering and renting a meeting place are expensive these days, but what would be wrong with a park pavillion and having a cook out, everybody bringing something to share? Even the people who are traveling, could bring something from a local grocery deli!! B.  I have nothing in common with any of my former classmates, other than the fact that we all graduated together. Ours was a unique class in the fact...