Art Chickadee's Reflections

Etching away at fun

First, thanks to everyone who wrote about my Art & Soul projects, from the book I made for my friends to the bracelet.  I really appreciate it!  I think I've responded to everyone off the blog.  I hope I haven't missed anyone!  Hugs!

I was given the most incredible necklace by Beth Bricker at Art & Soul.  It's amazing piece with Nina-Bagley type knots, hammered pieces, coral, glass bead dangle and so forth.  Just gorgeous.  I was enthralled with the metal plaque that the piece was built on.  Beth said she learned how by Stephanie Lee's book.  I knew I had to get that book. 

I couldn't stand to wait for Amazon to deliver it so I went to Stephanie Lee's site check out her tutorial here! and read back through her blog and lo and behold, she gives some directions on etching there.  Very nice tutorial! Sooo, I tried it tonight.  Definitely something you have to do outside.  Here's what I've got so far...I was jazzed!

I see so much potential for the different techniques I've learned at Art & Soul this year and now this!

I just looked at that scan I did last night (my monitor has some "issues" with my system and not everything display) and they look much better than that.  Here are some better scans.

 

Projects from Art & Soul

Where has the time gone?  It's almost a week since I was at Art & Soul and I haven't recuperated yet!

That was my finished bracelet from Jan Harris' class.  You see where I have some vintage family photos there.  That's my mom in the bottom center.  More loot from Art & Soul.  Of course, I had to buy a few more rubber stamps.  But they were so cool!  We were given the walnut ink in our check-in bag. 

That was my portfolio from LK Ludwig's class.  I want to stamp or texturize the background (tan part) a bit more.  It seems too disjointed yet and then add some patina to the copper to take that shine down a tad.  You can see through the seahorse transparency to the mesh I work on.

That's an unfinished page, but the right project will present itself.  That's a pocket with the bird on it.

I really like how this page turned out. The "stencil" was an image cut from a magazine page and sprayed with adhesive.  The writing was done with Portfolio water soluble oil crayons.  They wash off after you've applied the patina, but stay on long enough to let it work.

That's about it for now.  Hope you enjoyed the show!  Mesh is fun stuff to play with.

How my Moo Card saved the day!

This is an Art & Soul story.  The account is true.  Names have not been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. 

Friday night, my niece and I had ordered room service as we'd just arrived that afternoon at Embassy Suites in Hampton for Art & Soul 2008.  We'd checked in at the desk, went over to the A&S store to register, did some shopping and even the Make and Take there before actually going to our rooms.  As we both had a night class, we decided to order a sandwich from room service and then get ready for class. So far so good, right?

Elizabeth ate a very tasty BBQ chicken sandwich (she said) and I had cheeseburger which was also good.  She left to go back to her room.  I got my things unpacked and put away, got my supplies ready for the class ready.  Deciding to tidy up a bit, I stepped out to put the room service tray out in the hall when I heard *click* behind me.  Yep, you got it.  I'm locked out.  Thank God I wasn't in my nightclothes or worse!  I stood there amazed and feeling stupid for a second then gave it up.  I padded down to Elizabeth's room and it seemed like it took her forever to answer the door. (The dear was in there brushing her teeth) :)  I used her room phone to call down to the desk.  I asked if someone could come let me in and she said the bellman (or whatever correct term she used) was tied up with a guest helping them load their car and it could be a while.  She suggested coming down and letting them issue another key card.  Fine.

Down the elevator from the 5th floor, barefoot, in shorts, I hustle over to the desk.  Of course the girl I'd talked to on the phone was busy with another guest so a young man asks if he can help me.  I went through my explanation of guest stupidity.  Well, no, that's not entirely correct either.  I start out by telling him, "I'm trying out for a part in 'Dumb and Dumber Part II' and now I get a *really* blank look.  I hurriedly explain what happened.  He smiled and said, "I don't suppose you have any form of identification..."  Yeah, buddy, I always walk into nice hotels barefoot so that I can use this story to break into any room at random...Wait!  Yes, I DO have some ID.  I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Moo cards which have my name, email, blah, blah on there.  He already had access to my name based on the room I needed the key for.  Voila!  I'm ID'd, keyed and ready to roll again!  Don't ya love a happy ending?!

Here's a picture of MY book like those I made for the Divas. 

Here it's shown with one of the fish that the instructors made for the class (as the admission ticket for the class - no one checks - but they are so cool anyway!).  This one was for Kathy Was's class.

I'm an incurably sentimental hoarder...I saved the stamped tags and bits from our present-opening. 

This page is at the front and has Jan Harris' fish (for the Beachcomber bracelet class) on it.  Isn't it cool?  Of course I used Color Mists on the Bingo card.  Some of the cards for the others' books I sprayed, but wasn't sure everyone would want theirs done so I stopped.

Then for Kathy Was' Clearly Visible Journal class, here's the start of my resin window page for that book.  It has a border of 140# watercolor paper around it that will be stamped, painted, altered.

That's the shot with the scanner open.

We went to Virginia Beach for a little bit on Sunday afternoon.  Had to say hi to King Neptune, ya know.

It was a little windy and apparently some insects got caught and thrown into the ocean.  I rescued quite a few ladybugs and let them warm up and dry on my hands.  They didn't want to leave!  It was funny to watch them stretch their wings out from under their shells and preen.  Finally I deposited them on some dry weedy stuff.

Elizabeth had to rest up after all those hard classes!

Some beach roses...

Another Diva gift that I received!

Some beach doodling...shells can make a great pencil.

One last mini-story.  Sue (Trump) was working on my bracelet (which I love and wore yesterday).  Someone sneaked up on her and placed a bottle that had held my bracelet and put it in between well, "the girls!"

That crazy Andi!  You never know what she's gonna do.

Okay, they say what happens at Art & Soul, stays at Art & Soul so that's all I'm saying for now.  I will show you my gorgeous necklace that Beth (Bricker) made.  I love, love, love it!

Thanks for hanging in there through all my nonsense!  I will post the pictures whenever I finish my other projects from Art & Soul.  Have a wonderful weekend!

My gift to the Divas at Art & Soul

One of the best parts about Art & Soul is seeing friends...from online groups, people you met from previous years and making new friends.  Getting together with members of The Altered Art Divas Reliquary is a primo highlight.  I got to meet Joanne, Judy and Gina face to face for the first time. All of us got together Friday night after some of us had class.  We exchanged gifts of all sorts which you saw in my last post.  I can finally post pics of the item I made for each of them.  It was a Zutter-bound book that they could store their paper bits from Art & Soul...

Since each was sprayed separately, each was slightly different.  They had the same basic format though with a cabinet card page, a page of two library pockets to house Moo Cards and ATCs.  There was another pocket on the back of a page for any other ticket stubs, notes or whatever else one may collect.  There was a real cabinet card as a page, a vintage postcard, a vintage domino card, bingo card and a spot for notes.  On the inside of the back cover was a mini CD that has some images I burned on there for them to play with, look at, use in their art, just no selling on collage sheets.  Of course, there aren't that many high-resolution images on there, but it was fun and rounded out the book nicely.  There was a tiny ziploc-type bag that had a metal goody in it. 

I had a lot of fun making these.  I added a sequin trim to the bottom and right side of the first page.  They really looked like water bubbles and the colors seemed to suit the theme of this year "By The Sea." 

If they enjoy them half as much as I enjoyed making them, I will be very happy indeed.

To Art & Soul and back again

It's over all ready.  Do you believe it?  I don't.  I had a wonderful time, took some great classes, spent time with buds from last year and added a new one or two this year. 

Friday night's class was with Keith Lo Bue.  He's such a sweetie.  I really enjoyed "Getting Attached" and learning how to make rivets. 

He's been in the States teaching for six weeks and headed back to Sydney yesterday and said he'd get home about 6 p.m. Wednesday.  Whew, what a flight.  Thanks for the great class, Keith and hope you had a safe trip home!

After class was the Diva party!  Ooooo, what great presents we exchanged.  It was like Christmas only the presents were better because they were artsy-fartsy!  I'm not the only one who thought so.

There's Andi and Darya.  With that goofy grin, I'm not sure about Andi's level of sobriety, but with Officer Darya behind her, she'd better behave (yeah, right).

That's Judy, closest to the bottom left corner, then Kathy Was, Kathy McElroy (those Kathys stick together), Santa, and I can see Leslie there. 

Here's (R-L) Leslie, Beth, Shirley and Joyce.  It was getting late and we were all feeling it, too.

That's sweet Kathy M, on the left.  We were having a great time.

Here's a sampling of the giftees we exchanged...

 

 

Here's LK Ludwig demonstrating in our "Master Metal Mesh" class:

These are my pieces from that class.  I don't know how I'll use them in an art project yet, but they sure were fun.

Darya and Beth were in that class as well.

On Monday, I took Kathy Was' "Clearly Visible Journal."  Her finished piece (example) was breathtakingly beautiful.  It was a very detailed book so there was no way any of us were going to finish it in one day.  She gave great printed instructions to help us work on them.  Even had pictures to go with it.  Amazing.  Here she is mixing up resin I think.

It was a smallish class which was nice and we all got along so well.  Here are a couple of students.  Marthann (writing) is left-handed and her normal handwriting is in the copperplate style.  You ought to see it!  She was such a sweetie, too.

This is a shot of Kathy's book.  Ths inside is as gorgeous as the outside.  You can make out a small bottle attached to one of the pages using a copper strap.  There is a resin window, a mica seahorse embedded in the side of a page and so on.  Amazing!

If you get a chance, take the class.  It's awesome.

I took a class with Jan Harris on Sunday evening called the "Beachcomber bracelet."  I loved it and stayed after to finish it.  It's loaded with shell pieces, rocks, beads of all shapes and sizes in greens, aquas and other watery hues.  Loved it.  I didn't take a single picture in the class, but will take one of my bracelet and post it as well as other projects someday soon.  Jan was a good teacher and it was a great project.  It was her first time teaching at A&S on the East Coast.  I'm glad she came.  I enjoyed talking to her afterward as I stayed over to finish my bracelet.

Well, that's all for now!

Playing in the Divas' coffee lottery

That was the theme for April...coffee.  I swear, I've never seen a month go by so quickly!  Then again, I think I say that every month now (I know, sign of age!)

Here's the ATC I made:

Can ya relate?  I don't feel human early in the morning without the java!

Excited about Art & Soul Hampton and love the service at Volcano Arts!

Many have heard about tornadoes we had in Virginia yesterday.  One spun off a storm last week, too, that was actually closer to us.  Fortunately, despite the damage done, it could have been a lot worse.  This is unusual for the area especially this time of year. 

I needed some long eyelets for a class and a few other things.  Volcano Arts check it OUT! had them (as suggested by Kathy Was). Check out this interview of Christine Cox by Kathy Wasilewski...it was in an issue of ISABA, I believe and was very good.(Article about Christine Cox) Volcano Arts also has a great idea section "The Muse" and the eye candy is super! I would LOVE to take a class or five from them!

Anyway, I didn't order them until about a week and a half ago.  Do you know that they came within a few days?!  Not only that, I got an email from Paypal and from Volcano Arts saying that shipping didn't cost as much as anticipated and they refunded me about $5.00 plus some.  Can you believe that?  What kind of amazing service is that?  Unheard of nearly these days.  I'd purchased a metal block and other things in the past.  Do you think they've cemented a customer relationship?  I'd say that's a no-brainer!!!

I'm packing things for Art & Soul.  Here's a peek at the giftees all wrapped: (You will also see the ugly carpet in my studio...yech)

And a somewhat closer look...

I'm packing and thinking and checking my lists...*whew*  This having fun sure is hard on a girl!

There's ziploc bags for each class and one with "general" stuff in it, a bag for trades (ephemera baggies), my OTT lite as there is never good lighting at these things, and any and everything else I can't do without.  I wish I could fit my missing art buddies in there, too. :(  Oh well, there's next year, I hope.  (Aileen, Jean, Mary, Vicki, Karen O...you all know who you are). 

Off to check my lists again...let's see...I got the Quik Grab bar clamps today, the rebar tie wire (can't wait to see what that is for) and some drill bits...

Another Flip n' Fold book - this one has ME on the cover!

Angela Hoffmann here she is at Dream Street designs scrapbook papers for Dream Street.  She was so sweet and sent me some of her more recent set of papers as she picked a name I suggested for one of them.  I loved the colors and finished this book last night. 

This is the first thing I've been able to share recently because the other things have been giftees for my Diva friends at Art and Soul Hampton NEXT weekend!!!  I can't wait and I want their gifts to be a surprise. 

I'm really pleased with how this book turned out. Sometimes I create something and don't feel like it's finished or I don't really like it anymore because I'm sick of it. I don't feel like it about this one. I love the bright colors.

HAPPY FRIDAY, everybody! 

Getting ready for Art & Soul Hampton

I am SO EXCITED!  I woke up at 4 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep.  I'll be nose-down on the desk at work this afternoon.

There's a "helper" in my art room that some may know about; others may not.

That's Linny thinking he's being very clever just wandering around and helping himself to a piece of paper whenever he can manage to snatch one.  Really cracks me up at times!  It's also amazing how he can squeeze himself under things and get to things I think he can't!

This cousin of Linny's was out by our front sidewalk on Saturday.  He knew he was being watched by now!

Here's Rotten Boy after wearing himself out running around the studio.

Here's something I've been working on but is not finished here.

Ut Prosim - "That I May Serve" - VA Tech Remembers

I would be a poor Hokie to not remember April 16, 2007.  I sit and listen to Governor Kaine deliver his address at the Remembrance service and recall memories of my years there.  I pray for the families and friends of the victims.  I celebrate the spirit of the student and faculty as they emerge strong and will overcome this.  I am proud of my alma mater and feel privileged to have had the chance to go there. 

Remembering Fallen Heroes - Librescu  This is a link to read how Dr. Librescu literally put himself between the shooter and the students by holding the door closed to prevent his entrance to the classroom.  He was a survivor of the Holocaust and I'm sure he knew the risk when he took action.  We are honored to have people of such character on the staff there.

It is touching to see all those who have supported Virginia Tech through this past year.  I was never a Yankees fan, especially but am one now as they came and played in Blacksburg not too long ago...way after it had happened and could have moved on and not done this.

Let's all pray that nothing like this ever happens again.