Journal Fun

This page is fun I think. The colors are bright and the cut out photo from an old yearbook is fun too. Must have been a great time to be in college in the 1950's when they had these fun parties. In a lot of ways it must have been  different from now- more innocence and controlled in ways as society wasn't as open about a lot of things. Though I must say the people in this photo could be from now too. In those outfits they don't look as dated.

The girl in the front looks a bit like my mom. I know it wasn't her; this old yearbook I have is from the University of New Mexico and as far as I know, Mom has never been to New Mexico.

The background colors are all just stencils I painted on to use for other things and then I took the wet stencils and rubbed them dry on these pages of my journal. (well put the wet stencil in between the 2 pages and then closed the book and rubbed).

I painted the yellow circles from some left over yellow pain.

I also added some die cuts I had just laying on my work table and bits of a mailing label on a shipping envelope.

I'm not sure the images stand out very well on this page- even in person. But in your journal, as long as you like it, it works. That's what is so good about keeping an art journal. I used the same yearbook to cut out the  majorette photos as in the top page. I added them to this drawn patterned  background that I then sprayed with some ink. Some journaling, some painted circles, and my own quote.

I am having a lot of fun making pages using these old yearbook photos. 

I am also having fun making the backgrounds.

I like playing with markers and spray ink and with paint, ink or stencils.

I love playing with pattern, texture and color.

It is my latest addiction.

What's your latest journal addiction?

Last Week of Summer

Can you believe it is the last week of summer?

Its been feeling like fall here in New Hampshire.

Cold night last night-coldest yet this late summer season.

I am so ready to start making Halloween projects. I have been telling myself to wait just a bit, but I have so much fun making Halloween things, that I couldn't wait.

Although the lighting is a bit too much on the right side, you can see this first card of the season that I made.

I started by rubbing a painted stencil on the card stock.

I originally used the stencil and paint to make this other card front

and then I wiped off the top painted side by rubbing it on my autumn card front.

Image is from Chocolate Baroque and is embossed in black.

I added the owl's eyes using a Sakura jelly roll glaze pen. I also colored the moon with the same Sakura pen.

The embossed silver moon and stars are from Inkadinkado. 

Ignore the craft sheet background but you can see the whole card better in this photo.

Will have a lot more to show you as it gets to be fall and closer to Halloween.

Thanks for visiting.

Come back soon.

We Make a Great Pair

Or should I say pear?

Ha-ha!

I don't know about you, but I didn't get enough studio time this weekend.

Two hours yesterday, that was it. I could have spent all day in there.

But Katie needed to be driven back to school and Dave's back was improved enough to finally get the last of the kitchen cabinet doors put on (we painted the cabinets earlier this summer) and we picked up one of those cabinet sliding shelves which he put in for me. It also was the perfect day to take a long leisurely walk. And Saturday we went to buy a new dishwasher since ours kind of bit the big one. I wouldn't have run out to replace it so fast but I found the one I wanted on sale for $400 off, which is a lot of moola so that was Saturday afternoon after a very slow and relaxing morning.

So I took the 2 hours I got to play and enjoyed them immensely.

 Here's a journal spread I did, with a few photos of my steps along the way.

Painted pears and then a couple of stencils and sprays.

The final page. 

Thanks for visiting  and make a good start to the new week.

I Need a Trip

I have 2 weeks off at Christmas and New Years this year and I need a trip.

I don't know where to go though. I want to be home through Christmas and then I want to take off,

but everything is SOOOOO expensive at that time.

The lovely hubby is complaining that we have one more semester of college tuition to pay for so we have to be frugal.

I am not a spend big cash for travel gal, I don't need first class accommodations or expensive 5 star meals (I'll take inexpensive 5 stars though) but I hate being frugal.

It means having to find a super deal.
Or not going away.

http://www.pinterest.com/source/quotes-love-life-wise.blogspot.gr/

And we have tickets to go to New Mexico in February.

He says that will be enough cash to spend.

Blah-blah-blah.

Any suggestions?
I want to do something since I have time off I never get-
maybe I should wait and do something after New Years and before I go back to school on the 6th.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92824155/industrial-insight-light-for-wall-if-not

This is what I am thinking.
Pass any ideas to me.
I'd love to hear them.

Movies

Been watching A LOT of movies on either the TV or DVD/Blueray lately. Some I've seen, some are new.

But really enjoying doing this as I start to settle into late summer/early fall mode.

A classic comedy.

One of my favorites.

Just plain fun.

I liked this movie a lot, but it is one of those movies I don't need to watch again.

Maybe it is just a bit intense, or one that once you watch you don't need to see again for the little things

you missed.

It didn't leave me feeling good,

but it did make me think about it for quite awhile.

I did like this movie. It touched something in me and I enjoyed it, though it does have a lot of sadness to it.

I am not a Trekkie, but I do like Star Trek a lot. This is one of the better movies, and

I think they did a great job with the characters.

The next movie in this series

came out the other day, and I pre-ordered it from Amazon.

Loved it at the theatres and can't wait for it to show up so this weekend we can watch it.

But since this has to do with an older Star Trek Movie, Wrath of Khan, I had to rewatch that this past weekend. I'd been wanting to see it since last spring when I saw into Darkness in the theatre.

Ricardo Montalban was a great Khan.
But you can tell it was an older movie-special effects and all.
And since Spock died in this flick, and came back to life in the next film, I had to watch that one too.
Good thing Costco had the original movie set on sale really cheap.

 

I also saw this that we recorded off of BBC America.  I had never seen it, even though it came out in 1996. But I actually liked it quite a bit, and they did a good job making it fit the series, which is British, and this film was done here in the US.

Dave recorded this off of the TV and we watched it the other day. Not really my kind of movie, but it was OK.

I guess on a lazy Saturday afternoon it worked.
I found these 2 movies on cheap Blue-Ray at Costco the other day and I can't wait to watch them too.

This is such a good movie. I love it.

Haven't sen this since eons ago, but I remember liking it.
Robert Downy Jr is a good actor. This one is from early in his career.
Maybe I'll also watch them this weekend.
Seen any good flicks lately?

Blogger's Challenge-Backgrounds!

Here's my card for Blogger's Challenge this week. Backgrounds! Nothing too complex here, but I used some of Tim Holtz's Stamper's Anonymous stamps- small autumn leaves. I overlapped them to cover the background and I happen to like this brown on this green.

The owl is from Impression Obsession. He is stamped and embossed in dark bark colored powder. I gave him a snip of color, and then added a little glue to his eyes to make them pop. Words are from Northwoods. They are part of a bigger image and I snipped them out.

No crazy techniques for me this week. But I still love how the owl image seems to blend right into the paper.

Thanks for visiting!

Art Journaling

Hey its Friday the 13th.

But I am not superstitious about that.

Are you?

And for me, it is finally pay day.

Haven't been paid since June and I am ready for a little cash inflow.

I'm tired too since last night was a LONG night- our fall parent's open house at school.

Always dread that night-it is just  a pain for me-need to hang around until 6 when it starts and I don't get home until 9ish, so the next day I am always DRAGGING! But, it is done with and it is Friday so I can go home today and take a long NAP. And I know the parents that come to open house always appreciate open house. When Katie was younger I loved to go to her school's open houses, for sure.

OK, enough chatter.

You want to see my journal pages?

Katie had shingles right after she moved back to college. Here's a page I made about that since I was feeling so bad for her. I've never had shingles but have heard how bad they are. 

Thought the flames and the dots and the red and orange would show that. The page  right edge is also into big points too.

And the hubby has a sore back-as you can see. Has for the last 3 weeks even though he's been on painkillers and prednisone, it still doesn't seem to be getting better all too fast. I think he finally turned the corner...Yahoo! Poor guy. Back pain and toothaches are the Worst!

Here's the page I made about that since I feel  bad for him.

I was really into frowny faces when I made these 2 pages.
That's all for this post.
Have a super duper day.
And thanks for visiting me.

Reading List and a Few Other Things

Here's a great book.  I am hooked and thoroughly enjoying this read. The story is a historical novel about Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her life. Pretty interesting life but not an easy one either. Her husband, Charles Lindbergh, was a jerk-at least in a wife's prespective. I don't care if he was the first guy to fly across the Atlantic way back in the 1920's. I am being too nice saying that.
Highly recommended by me!
I am loving this book so much I ordered a couple of books by Anne Morrow Lindbergh from Amazon's used store.
Just to discover more about her that is.

This book has gotten a lot of stars since first published in the 1950's. I am really interested to see what it is all about.
Also I ordered

North to the Orient.
The Aviator's Wife talks a lot obout Anne flying and co-piloting with her husband, and although not veiwed by the public that way at all, what a great pilot she was.
Hoping this book might tell me more of this story that I am really interested in.


This is what I want to be doing right now. We went from chilly fall feeling weather that felt GREAT into heat and humidity. Yesterday was brutal. Today it is all suppose to break and then we're back into the fall crispies. The humidity just takes it all out of you. Leo has the right idea.

Tonight I have open house at school. Makes a really LONG day-but thankfully it is Thursday.
Just the thought makes me want to curl up and go to sleep.

And how about some doodling? Jellyfish that I am quite happy with. Watching tv one night I used some watercolor markers, a drawing pen and my water brush.  I think I really got the feel of a jellyfish. Of course being so watery the markers make it easy.

And here's some pattern drawing and a bit of spray to make these 2 pages in my journal. Not sure if I'll add something or just leave them as a background. I know both sides don't quite match but that was my point.

So that's all for today. Chitter and chatter, nothing too exciting.

Thanks for stopping by.

Fast and Easy-Hence the Name

Yes, I have discovered Slutty Brownies.

Heard about them from a blog which linked me to this post

http://www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html

Now maybe you've heard or even had or even made these, but they were new to me.

OK, so I am WAY behind the eight ball when it comes to staying up with trends and new things.

HAD to try them though.

Here's your main ingredients-

plus the eggs, oil, etc to make these package mixes.

Or you can make your own home made versions if you prefer.

First step:

Make the cookie dough and pat it flat on the bottom of the pan.

Step 2:

Lay out your Oreo's on the cookie dough.

Step 3:

Mix up your brownie mix of choice.

and then pour it over those Oreos.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. They were delicious.

I think instead of Oreo's peanut butter cups would be delicious.

I'm sure that's been tried before, but think that is next on my baking list.

Any other wild brownies I should try out?

If you know of some, 

let me know.

Hope to see you again soon.

Fun and Goofy Cards

Today I have a couple of cards to show you. I recently bought this set of Dylusions stamps.

Monster Mash.

I had a blast making these 2 cards for my daughter off at college-

she's one lucky girl because she gets a few cards every week.

(Think that makes me a good mom too for making her these cards-

but I have fun doing it and at least someone who really appreciates them gets them. She has a huge stack  in her room at home from her first 3 years.)

Anyhow, what you can't see is that the hunchback labman is stuck on with a jiggly little plastic thing so he wiggles left and right on the card. I particularly think his sparkly orange boots are a hoot.

Haven't quite figured out what to put for words on this card yet.

Any suggestions?

Made a second card using these stamps.

To make the monster pop, I stamped him twice so I could cut out the tongue and put it on with a pop up dot stickie. You can't see it here very well. But you can see the Viva paint pen dots in the eyes. Happy with how those look.

And on the glass dome holding the caterpillar, I used glue to make the top look a little more glassy. I used a pop up dot on the caterpillar's head, which doesn't show here at all.

Some 3D effects just don't photograph very well I guess.

Anyhow, 

they both put a smile on my face and I think my daughter will smile too.

At least I hope so!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Gelling

Now that my studio is a bit more picked up, I can actually find things.

YEAH!

And Sunday I spent some time playing with my gelli plate.

I haven't played for a bit and man, it was so much fun!

Can you see by my paint color choices that I had Halloween on my mind?

I have a fun idea for an altered book that I want to get started on.

So all my gelli prints were made on deli wrap so I can use them in that book.

I used a bunch of stencils. A few were new ones I bought recently from Artist Cellar.

And here's what I made.

I think the map in black look spectacular, as do the black stars up in the top left corner.

I love how this page come out.  I think it will be great for my Halloween project! This light green paint had a great glow look to it even though it is not glow paint.

I'm sure you'll be seeing these again, but they'll be in a different form when you do.

Have you been gelli plating lately?

I'd love to hear or see if you have.

Thanks for visiting.

Arty Me

Yesterday was a slow day in the Nelson house-

I needed it,

felt like I was fighting a cold and just plain tired.

Dave's back is still not right which is making him a little cranky.

He misses using his boat you see.

Poor guy.

But me, I used part of the day to finally start cleaning out my art mess upstairs. I am not totally done but it is SO much cleaner and more organized than it was.

I love it!

Ignore the yellow- taking photos under the light with a SLR camera that is on its last leg and doesn't have a flash that works.

I really like all the little die cut birds- Memory Box.

I also love the smiley sun and frowny clouds.

Oh life.

Took Emmie my 14 year old cat to the very yesterday too and the diagnosis isn't good.

That makes me really really sad.

Oh life again.

Not too much else going on here.

Hope to do a little art today, not just cleaning.

Like I thought,

this weekend is going awfully fast.

Enjoy the rest of yours.