Baby Shower Notecard

For Anna's (my husband's cousin) baby, Vencion, enclosed with the requested story book and gift card, for her Storybook Shower. Just a story book instead of a card was actually requested, but I also got her a gift card and needed a little card to put it in. I had this small piece of  "experimental" art that I had made a while back, so I glued it onto a notecard small enough to fit into the small book and added two tiny strips of washi tape to the sides to cover up the edges.

Close up view-portion of a napkin collaged onto a piece of cardstock painted hot pink, then stamped on with a wooden fabric stamp, with washi tape on the sides.

I decided that the card is a little TOO pink for a boy, so I added some blue into the flowers and background with a Posca paint pen. Then I added color to the blanket and elephant with posca paint pens and gel pens, some white with fluid acrylic in a fineliner bottle, and re-outlined the stamp with a fine black marker. I wrote a note on the inside while it dried, sprayed the front with sealer, called it done, and hopefully, I'll get it in the mail tomorrow.

I'm going to enclose this card with the gift card inside the little book, wrap it in a sheet of paper with one of my gellie plate prints on it, and put it in a small bubble mailing envelope to  mail now.

Never know what you can turn an experimental scrap of art into! It's an adventure just waiting to happen!

Class 15 PYH&S 2018-Spirit Horse

I am working on four classes at the same time, so from now on they will not be posted in the consecutive order, but as I finish them. I also decided to wait about doing the encaustic class (#12), because I do not have room to set it up right now. I'm going to have to do some cleaning and organizing in my work place first.

I also skipped ahead a couple of classes to do this class, because everyone was having so much fun with it and posting such wonderful pictures. It is class 15 in the PYH&S 2018 course (link on sidebar), and this is my version of Pamela Hayward's painted horse head. I used her reference picture, even though I wanted to paint the old gray mare that I had as a child. I just didn't want to take time to track it down.

Pam's was painted on a canvas or panel, but I used mixed media paper in my journal. As with the other paintings in the classes a canvas would have worked much better, but I just don't have the room, so they're going in a journal for practice. We used only black and white acrylic paints and her technique to create this.

Again, I do not always follow the instructor's lesson. I tend to get sidetracked into adding my own twists into the pieces, or I watch the video, then do the painting from memory, which is not so reliable anymore, and I tend to leave out steps. Anyway, I learn, and it's fun, therefore it's good for me, regardless of how it turns out! :)

Sketch on black gesso and black paint background from her reference photo...

First layer, then I forgot to photograph the progress until...

it was finished. I may have gotten a bit carried away with the mane and forelock, but I like it, so it's all good! Such a fun lesson! I do plan on doing one of my old gray mare, Ole Pat, soon!

I think Pam's second lesson in the course is an owl using these techniques. That should be fun too!

Hope you enjoy my efforts! Don't give up in your creative efforts. They are worth it! <3

Weekend Q Doodle Sketches- Flapper Waves and and Sad Wings

Quirky doodle in mixed media journal, using a Lyra water-soluble crayon and a water brush pen...

Love her, even if her proportions are wonky!

This one came out of my marks the day my first cousin was buried and I couldn't go to the visitation/funeral because of a panic attack. I love his mom and dad very much and grew up with him, and I felt so bad about not being there for them on such a painful day. I don't do well in crowds of people, especially if I'm expected to talk to a lot of them. I also have to pick when I can go in Walmart or any other store that's very busy. It's a pain in the butt, but it is what it is, and I'm sorry about that.

This is also the week, a year ago, that was the beginning of the end for my mama. She had to go to the ER and hospital, got to come home on her birthday for three days, had to go back to the ER and hospital for over four weeks, and the nursing home for four days, where she was in hospice care and died. Her birthday is the 27th, this Friday. It will be her first birthday since I was born 68 years ago that we won't be together. It's a tough week emotionally. Don't know what I'd do if not for God, my hubby, and art. Seriously.

Keep making things that you love! It helps you deal with the difficult times! 💖