To everything there is a Season...

While catching up on a friend's blog (http://goatgoddess.wordpress.com), a comment she'd made stopped me in my tracks. A piece she was working on included a tape measure as her 'timeline' and she stated she was "more than a bit past my half way mark".

She's my age.

And THAT got me thinking: How does your age affect your art?

When I was a kid (4th grade I believe) I had this dread of dying before I'd 'done anything', because then nobody would even know I'd been alive. (Is that morbid for a 4th grader? I dunno.) Looking back, I've been pretty lax (for me) about 'getting things done'. There was always plenty of time 'later' and I could make mistakes or putz around and not wind up with diddly to show for it, and that was OK.

But now, even if I DON"T up and die suddenly as some have done recently, the time I have left is less than the time I've spent getting here and now. So, what am I gonna do with the time I think I have left?

What's on your list?

More creative fun! It's All About the Chunky!

Today, well, actually it was last night, anyway... I was playing with my woodburner on some scraps of craft micro plywood and a coffee stir stick. Just doodling a bit but very happy with the results.

Also working on some "chunky" pages for a Vintage Halloween swap being hosted by Andreananda over at ATCsforAll.com. These are 4x4 heavily embellished pages that are later bound into a book, sometimes with special covers, sometimes just the pages. It's my first time making chunky books so I'm already suffering all kinds of performance anxiety... I'm such a ditz sometimes!

Andrea gave me some pointers this morning and showed me some of her books...yeah, I can do this!

Here's a scan of one of the base pages (Hint: click on any of the pics to see a larger shot).

I've started off with some printed craft foam I picked up last year on clearance, backed it with a 4x4 piece of cardstock and sandwiched in between some fringe yarn. Punched holes for some long chunks of yarn - very popular on chunky pages. Besides the color, this yarn is almost sinfully strokable...

The next scan is a page that doesn't have its long fringe yarn yet, but I've put together a cut from a vintage Halloween postcard printout with a new piece of cardstock and applied that with 3D foam dots.

It's allllll about the Chunky!

I have simply GOT to designate a time to blog!

It's simply amazing. I look up and it's been weeks and months since my last post. Now, it's good that I've been so busy, but all the wonderful little things I meant to share are lost in the fog of time. Drat and Pooh!

Okay, what have I been up to artistically? I've been playing with China Markers, aka Grease Pencils and it is really interesting what you come up with on a limited color palette (literally RGB plus B&W in this case! I've managed to track down some yellow at a WONDERFUL local independent hardware store, Turners Hardware in Farmers Branch, TX). The markers are very pigment rich and stable, since they are designed to withstand up to 750 degrees F without burning off. The first one is also topped with a medium layer of UTE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder) that has a lot of texture AND pumped up the colors. The second is sealed with good ole Workable Fixative. NOTE: all but the last are regulation ATCs (2.5" x 3.5"). The last is just a scrap I was playing with.

So, I played with these 'crayons' and also pulled out the Prismacolor colored pencils.

(Chop Translation: I know too Much to be Sure of Anything.).

Then I played with some Water Soluble Oil Pastels - messy and not so hot for details...the fine details here were Prismacolor pencils.

Next I pulled out the ole sumi-e inkstick, brushes and chops for an Asian Summer themed card.

(Chop translation: If Everything is Art, then Art is Nothing):

And, lastly, I was playing with Watercolor on Yupo (plastic sheets). Bright color but the slightest goof and it slides right off the surface. May have to try sanding it lightly to see if it will stick better! NOTE: this 'scrap' is about 2" x 2"


Soooo, I've been busy. And that's not even going into the Computer going on the fritz, or the car on it's last legs, etc.

What's everybody else been up to?