This Week

Friday is here already. This week flew by faster than fast can go. School wrapped up and summer has arrived.

Got to love that!

So yesterday I started my summer break from school, and I spent the a big chunk of my day as any paint lover would do, playing in my happy space and trying out a couple of new things I recently bought.

First off-Brushos. I've never seen these in any store here in the US but have read about them on  blogs and a few European websites. Then when I went onto Dick Blick to order a few things and  did a search for water colors they showed up and I thought I would try a few colors. 

They are lots of fun and make some cool backgrounds.

(As many of you already know, so bare with me, OK?)

I love how you can make a tie dye effect using them as well as adding lots of water so you can make drips at spots and drops.

The other new item I had to try out was this small round Gelli plate I picked up the other day. I've wanted to try a round plate, and I thought like small sized (4 inch) circle might be the most user friendly.

I had fun playing with paint and some foam stamps I have.

This stamp was by far the one I was feeling the most.

I made a few backgrounds of printed circles.

And although I love  these pieces, I really liked using the plate to ink my foam stamps. Makes some cool colored inpressions.

So I spent quite a bit of time stamping up my foam stamps and then working on some of my Brusho backgrounds.

Here's a few favorites.

Always good to have ready made backgrounds, and experimenting is always an interesting experience. I love seeing what happens and what masterpieces ended being created.

I am linking this post with Paint Party Friday. Thanks to Eva and Kristen for hosting this every week. Stop by and see what lots of talented people have been up to. 

Have a great weekend, and I hope you're up to something good.

ReCap

This weekend I finished up the floor on my screen porch. I watched Jurassic Park and Star Trek First Contact. I took a walk, went to a garden center and had my first meal at the chain restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings.

I also finished reading this book (which was a really good read if you like psychics, vampires, and weretigers) 

and started rereading an oldie that strangely I was thinking about and then saw for sale at Costco.

And I am enjoying it as much as I did last time I read this like 20 years ago.

And I spent some time Gelli printing some papers.

Just a sampling. I used some 12x12 printed papers for my backgrounds. Good to use up some papers from my stash I didn't really like or didn't think I would ever use otherwise.

Now I am ready to do some more journaling.

What were you up over your weekend?

Hope it was a good one!

This Past Week

Happy Friday!

Finally the nice weather arrived in my neck of the woods this week and its given me spring fever. I've  spent some productive evenings in the studio,  but I've  kept the art light. I added a few tags into my tag journal project and made a few cards. I don't know if you remember any of those tags from  late winter, but now I have been journaling with them as you can see in this image. The background on this page is a gelli print I made and then I added some Tim  Holtz word stickers. 

 Here's another page with another tag.

 On the journal page but I used paper, ribbon and some sticky little pearls to make the background, and I tried to tie in the tag so it looked more a part of the page, rather than being an accessory on the page.

And this tag below (one of my favorites) is pasted into the journal and then I used some stamps to finish off the page. I wanted this page to really emphasize the tag, as the centerpiece of the page.

So any big weekend plans? I think my weekend is going to be pretty quiet; they say we could have some much needed rain. My house is a disaster zone right now, and I guess it would be a good time to give at least a little TLC.
But we will see about that. I really need to pick up the studio area so I can work a little more efficiently...I like a bit of a mess (funny, I work better when its not all picked up and neat) but then it spills over into too messy and suddenly I get creative cramps which stop the art dead in its tracks.
Reaching that point right now.
Also if you're a mom in the US, Canada or anyplace else that celebrates Mother's Day this weekend, have a great one.
Thanks to Eva and Kristen for hosting  Paint Party Friday. Stop by to check out all the interesting things people have been working on.
Have a great weekend!

Summer

 This week has been warm and feeling like summer. I've been thinking a lot about going to the beach and boating, gardening and summer road trips. I've also been wearing my sandals which is fantastic.

Leaves are popping out and trees are in bloom. Everything is greening up! I love it!

Kids at school are NOT focused. They want to go outside. I want to go outside. I don't want to work either. But I must do my job and be professional. Next week (maybe) they are saying more rain so that might get us all back on track. Might is the key word.

Seniors, forget it.  They are counting down to graduation! 34 days including weekends!

I find this time of year so exciting. 

This weather renews my spirits. 

Lots of backgrounds today. Gelli prints I made back a couple of weeks ago. 

Little peaks of my summer brain!

How's your week? In your summer brain  mode yet?

Cinquo de Mayo

I know saguaro cacti are not exactly strictly Mexican, but they are Southwestern. So today being the Mexican Holiday I thought I would share these gelli prints I made using a homemade stencil and mask I made of a saguaro cactus.

I was really happy with the way these 2 pages came out,and I can't wait to figure out how to use them in my journal.

I was also lucky enough in 2012 to visit Southern Arizona and get to see these really cool plants in person.

These are photos I took. I didn't know these cacti can grow to be many stories high and its tens of years before they start branching out. I learned all that my trip to Tucson.

I was so amazed by them I actually made some pages in my travel journal referring to them.

So we had a blast of summer yesterday and last night. Slept with all the windows open.  Oh love it. Going to be a bit cooler today, but still beautiful! Oh, I wish I was still on vacation!! Ha-ha!

And lastly, since today is Cinquo de Mayo, have a burrito and a margarita to celebrate the vibrant culture of Mexico. Yum, think I'll do that myself tonight too.

Ha-ha!

Thanks for stopping by.

Green Dots

Today is a homebody day on my vacation.

I LOVE a day home! I have been waiting for this.

I love to go out and have fun and play and I love to stay home.

I am such a contradiction, aren't I?

I shall show you a few of my prints from last Sunday's printing session.

Layers and colors and patterns.

I made a pile of papers to use for other projects.

I am adoring these green dots.

On watercolor paper, printed paper and on deli sheets.

Have a great day and stop by again soon.

Background Loving

I know...I know...You're not suppose to fall in love with your backgrounds.

But I love all the colors and patterns in backgrounds.

I am a background lover!

Hope you are all have a warm and arty weekend!

Gelli Printing

The other day I was gelli printing.

Just playing.

I cut some bells using my Scan and Cut and on this plate I used the negatives of the cut outs to make this image.

I also made the stencil using the dots with the Scan and Cut.

Lots of browns and blues, with dashes of black.

Thinking of some things to make once I get past Halloween.

Can you believe its only like 1 week away?

October is FLYING! by like crazy.

And getting ready for some holiday projects.

These prints aren't too exciting by themselves but they'll do great for some backgrounds.

I love playing with holiday projects.

Halloween is great.

Christmas is great.

No wonder I am so creative in the fall.

What fun things have you been playing with?