Sunday, November 27, 2011

cool...

sometimes it's just fun to play with stuff that I normally wouldn't think to 'mix' together.  This is a heart that I did with a homemade stencil and spackle.  Then I painted it with red acrylic, waited impatiently while it dried... topped it with Rock Candy Crackle by Ranger... again waited impatiently... (do you see the fingerprints??) then hit it with a finger dipped in Bronze Perfect Pearls... rubbed it in and wiped off the excess.  Gives it a real cool sheen - and gives the crackle a lot of dimension. 

it only took me 11 months...

11 months isn't bad, right?  I struggled with an issue I was having while working on stretched canvases.  I loved using stamps and rubons, but had trouble getting the effect I wanted because the canvases were so 'giving'. 

I never claimed to be the brightest tack in the shed, (haha), but last week an idea formed, and I brought it to hubby hoping he could see my vision and make what I needed. 

Simple really... just a board the same height as the canvas, that just fits in the opening... voila... now I can stamp and rubon to my heart's content. 

All of you that work with canvases like this are probably laughing at me right now, and thinking "DUH, Sandi...", but that's ok.  If just ONE person out there didn't think of this - then my job here is done.  :-) 

Sunday, November 13, 2011

See? I CAN be productive...

when I wanna be. 

This angel she-art is a gift - friends of ours have a Christmas party every year - we've rarely missed one in the past 15 or so...  and she collects angels.  Prior to discovering I like to craft, I bought her an angel each year.  Since discovering the joy of getting my hands inky and grungy, she gets a handmade angel.

Not sure what I'll do if she decides to collect something I can't make.  Like glass bottles or knitted items. 

And p.s. - if anyone wants my stash of gold leaf, come get it.


Saturday, November 12, 2011

now, gifts DON'T stress me out...

Nor do things I put up for sale. So these projects were so fun... and heartwarming too.

The first is the canvas I did at the beach, I finally gave her words. I am so addicted to this metallic blue and green paint.

I like her. She's going into Etsy.



































Now, the second one I just finished is a gift. One of the girls I work with lost her mother-in-law a couple of weeks ago. I have fond memories of this woman, at my co-worker's wedding many years ago, she taught me to do the Electric Slide. I think I frustrated her beyond belief. She had more rhythm in her little finger than I do in my entire body. But she never gave up, and wouldn't let me get off the dance floor. After she passed, my co-worker brought in the little pamphlet that they had made up - all about her mother-in-law with photos and stories. On the back was a poem. It said "her favorite poem" and it was BEAUTIFUL. No title. I googled the poem because it just spoke to me so clearly... and I couldn't find it. When I asked, I was told the she had written it herself...

So I decided to make a canvas and use this poem and give it to them as a gift.


Now, back to the studio! Time to make Christmas gifts...

Saturday, November 5, 2011

trying...

trying to enjoy the signs of fall - even though it means winter is right around the corner... and that is my most sad time of year. Winter means cold, snow, ice... it means no walks at the park track, it means driving in weather that I would prefer not to drive in (and most of the other drivers on the road would prefer that also, trust me)... it means dreaded holidays, and decorating...

my heart holds no true love for winter. for the next too many months my feet won't be bare or in flipflops, my tatas won't be tanning on my deck... my lounge chair tucked away and covered in snow... no warm summer nights... no hot summer days.

but enough of that. i needed to go outside and grasp the beauty of the season, and ignore my heart that is screaming for summer.

so i learned a lesson from melody ross - i took my camera and went OUTSIDE and found beauty. it may not be the kind of beauty i would normally seek, but even i have to admit my deck held some cool stuff, worthy of a photo.