Hello Tuesday & Printer Questions

 Happy Tuesday Friends! 

I hope your week is starting off well. It is a beautiful cloudy morning here. After the crazy heat we have had lately, I am loving the gloom. There a little fall chill in the air and I am tempted to dust off my boots. :) Since my daughter is at school and my youngest is at Grandma's house today - I am hoping to get LOTS of painting done. Besides a doctor's appointment (Dread. Boo. Hiss) the rest of the day is dedicated to studio stuff. Yiippeee!!

My studio desk looks pretty colorful too. Current obsessions : Americana craft paints in Indian Turquoise, Pineapple, Butterscotch, Spa Blue, 

and Carousel Pink. Swoon!

I also found some circular wood panels (not very thick) that I LOVE.

The shape of it is so super fun.

You Are Sunshine - WIP

So, here is what I am wondering, if you are making prints of your work - Do you print yourself? Which printer do you use? 

Do you have them printed by someone else? Online?

Your input is greatly appreciated! :)

Have a Beautiful Day!

Floating in a Sea of Inspiration...

That is exactly what I feel like.

(So much inspiration.)

I have so many things running around in my head... but, sometimes nothing gets to canvas.

Today was not one of those days.

Still super inspired by Traci, having a total art crush on Flora, and watching some awesome videos of Donna - I really wanted to get into my paints to play.

I started with 2 small 5x7 canvases, put on some music, and swirled away with my acrylics. 

I focused on a few different colors for each piece.

Then grabbed some black and made some designs.

Fun finger painting came next. It is amazing how freeing using fingers can be!  I was using Americana craft paints, which I love. But, they dry very quickly so I imagine professional paint like Golden would have worked better.

Here is the first canvas. I HAD to add white pen here & there because I am obsessed with it. :)

It is still a work in progress, and I am thinking about which words I want to paint onto it.

The second canvas also needs a little more work and some words.

Hmmm...what should I write?

All I know for sure is my creative mojo was flying today. 

I also finished a journal page, prepped another, and worked on a Life Book lesson. I was also lucky that my son was enjoying his time in the studio too so mommy could get messy! Lol. I can't wait to make more like this. I think some 16x20 canvases are calling my name. :)

What is inspiring your creative juices today?

23 days

until Christmas. That's it. 23.

 6 X 8 Canvas Board - WIP

 It's funny. when I was a little girl I remember it taking 

FOR-ever for Christmas to get here.

Now. I am going to blink and it will be over. Right!?

Luckily, I got an early start on shopping and I am making lots of gifts too.

(Well, my adorable son decided he needed to open one of his wrapped presents. That's what I get for leaving a 2 and a half year old alone with wrapped gifts! Funny part is - when I asked, "Who did this?" 
He said...and I quote..."Daddy did it!" So funny.)

In between cleaning up wrapping paper and finding really good hiding places for presents, I did get some painting done. I am still loving the trees (see above), 
and I also made a bunch of backgrounds. I used Christmas tissue and 
wrapping paper in some of the backgrounds for texture. Love. There are so many yummy ones to choose from too! 

Backgrounds to work on!

I hope you have had a great week.
Is it "all about Christmas" at your house now like mine?
(My daughter slept in reindeer antlers last night, nutcrackers are now action figures, and all my doors jingle.)
Oh, and if you have some good hiding places - let me know! :)
 

Purple and Sugar

We have a dancer in our house. 

She is affectionately called my Sugarbean...Sugar for short. 

Her end of the season recital is this weekend and we are very excited because they put on quite a show. This year she has been taking ballet and their costumes are to die for beautiful. 

They are the prettiest shades of purple. 

So when Kristin chose purple as this week's color for The Summer of Color challenge, I knew I wanted to use the coming recital as inspiration.

At dress rehearsal I had taken a lovely picture of her looking back at me over her shoulder. It is the sweetest picture and it takes my breath away every time I look at it. I can't believe that the gorgeous girl looking back at me in that picture is my sweet little baby. Melt my heart. She is growing so fast!

I had an old 12 x 12 frame that I no longer used, so I thought I'd try a straight forward scrapbook layout to frame and hang in her room. Can I tell you that I drool over the whole scrapbook thing. I love the idea, collect all kinds of things to use, have really good intentions, have lots of friends who have "scrap parties" - but I have not finished my daughter's FIRST YEAR scrapbook. 

Hello! She is six!! Please, tell me I am not alone? :)

I really love how it turned out. 

As a bonus challenge we had to use some "bling." OK, twist my arm - this girl does not have a hard time adding sparkle at all! I used scrap paper I already had on hand, ribbon from my stash, the best crystal swirls, sheet music, pretty flowers left over from a cupcake stand I made, and some fun ABC stickers. I left some space to the left of the picture so I can journal a bit after the recital.

 

The best news - my pint sized ballerina loved it and can't wait for me to hang it up. Sweetness, pure sweetness.

Of course, there was painting too.

I had a canvas that definitely needed some help. 

I am still working on it.

But she went from this....

To this...

Work in Progress

I love all the purple touches. I must have still had red on my mind... look at those lips. Some of you mentioned red lipstick - 

so thank you for the inspiration. :)

XO,

Jen

Playing with Modeling Paste

 I was walking through Joann's...looking for something to use my 40% off coupon on. (I can't just let these little coupons go!) Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted all these red tags in the art department. Lucky me! They had all kinds of things on clearance! Yippee! It was like they were trying to clear their shelves. I found some 2 oz. Liquitex paint for $1.97. They are usually $7.99 or something. But, the best part...I scored a bottle of modeling paste for $4.99! It normally goes for $18.99. That was definitely going in the basket. :)

Look at my loot!

I have been wanting to use some modeling paste for the longest time, so I couldn't wait to play in my journal and add some texture to some canvases too. I got some little stencils on my trip as well and they worked brilliantly. I know I have said before that I have a serious addiction to clear stamps, and they landed in my collection of goodies too. I mean, look at those little birdies! I can't pass them up. Anyways, look at that texture...makes my heart go pitter pat. :)

Yummy texture!

These journal pages are a work in progress, but I am loving how they are starting out. I have been thinking a lot about change and not limiting myself, so butterflies seemed like a perfect addition. I am seeing tons of blues, greens, whites, and creams turning up in the things I am working on. Somewhere....somehow, they always seem to work their way into my palette.

Journal 2011 "Fly"

WIP canvas

I am excited to continue working on these and to find more ways to use modeling paste. Do you use it too? I think I may search my house to find interesting things to stick in it! You know you "have it bad" when you get more excited about paste then a pair of shoes. :) Oh well, what's a girl to do!

I hope you have a beautiful, creative weekend. I am hopefully finishing some house projects that I am very jazzed about. It is AMAZING what a little paint can do!

I am linking this up to Paint Party Friday. I am SO looking forward to seeing what everyone else is up to. My goodness there is inspiration and serious talent everywhere I turn.

Hugs,

Jen