Love Letters

Linear Calligraphy Collage

This collage was done in many, many steps, a process that has took quite a bit of time. It started with a simple piece of very lightweight cardboard, which I painted with many layers of titan buff Golden acrylic paint & light gold metallic Golden acrylic paint. Then I stamped some swirls into it, in random places, using some very pale metallic calligraphic ink, which may or may not be discernible. On top of that, in many layers, I've glued down strips of various papers marked with random words, done with a few different calligraphy pens or even regular ink pens... these words were written in multiple colors of ink, over a period of time, also in many layers... words written over words. Most of the papers were torn, not cut... the only ones I cut were the pieces of tyvek, which will not tear. This is a departure from my usual style and it was a lot of fun to do.

Now go make something!

Calligraphy play becomes greeting card...

This is a card done for my dear friend Jennifer, who lives in Denver... I still haven't forgiven her for moving across the country and abandoning me, but I will always love her!  

The paper is actually wallpaper from a sample book that I found on a neighbor's curb (I actually lucked out and found about a dozen books)... OK, I admit it... I am a garbage picker... I'm much more discerning these days... but a find is a find, right?!?... it's recycling at it's best... anyway, there's a bit of calligraphy practice done in a couple different inks with different nibs on the card, and some scribbled handwritting to boot. It's all dressed up and distressed with some acrylic paint and stamped images. The piece of paper started out approximately 14" x 17", so this is just a tiny, but hopefully interesting, bit of the paper.

It's out on the mailbox right now, waiting to start its trip to Denver... hurry little letter, hurry!

Brutally Honest or Brutal Honesty...

Good morning!  Wow... yesterday's post really hit home for some of you... thank you SO much for all of your kind words of encouragement and support.  I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it!  

I was just looking at an email sent to me from Lululemon, the workout clothing company, and I was lamenting why they only make workout clothing for women size 2 - 10, occasionally size 2 - 12!  WOW!  I'm not sure I'll EVER fit into their clothes, which is really a shame, because 

  a. I love their clothing and

  b. I have a little bit of discretionary income I could give them in exchange for workout clothes... 

if only they made something besides gloves that fit me... me and the other half of all the women out there! The average size in the US is size 14... okay, that's not ideal, but still... are they nuts or do they only see and know women who are size 2 ?!?  I don't think I'm all that unusual... I'm fat and I'm an athlete (hidden in there somewhere, but it's true!!!)... and I'd like to wear cool, comfortable, well made workout clothing!

Anyhow, they have cool upbeat messages on their bags and on their website, so I made my own version of one of the things I found just now:

At first, I thought "Love your failures?!?" ... are they kidding?!?  

But maybe they are on to something... it's my failures that are going to push me harder to succeed... it's my failures that are going to motivate me to make lasting changes in my life... we don't feel all that motivated to change anything if we are happy and content, right?!?  

So, for today, I'm going to embrace my failures as a way to keep me focused on what I need to do to get healthier...  please feel free to join me on this journey... I promise I'll keep you updated on the good, the bad, and the ugly... 

Brutally honest or Brutal honesty... 

either way, I need to talk out loud about my struggle... 

I cannot do this alone.  

Thank you for listening... xoxo,  

Do any of you do this... wait until about two days before a holiday/special event/birthday to get busy making cards for it?  I do... I think I need a calendar in my studio... perhaps that would be helpful...

at any rate, I ended up making about ten of these cards... some got mailed on time, others did not... but my intentions were certainly good, right?!?

I wish I'd been organized enough to get one of these out to all my blogland friends! This was done with Arches Textwove paper and various calligraphy brushes and pens... oh, and of course, I also used a heart shaped punch!

After some consideration, I decided this really could fit into the category of "Portion Control", Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team Crusade for this month... if you've never checked out the Crusades Michelle sponsors, what are you waiting for?!?!? Now, you may be asking yourself, "What does this valentine have to do with Portion Control?"... and rightly so, because it isn't really obvious. For me, the portion control part comes into play when I compare this card to most cards I make, which tend to be somewhat busy. This card is very restrained for me! Also, if you could've seen the sheet of paper I cut these hearts out of, you'd understand immediately. The sheet was absolute madness...madness I tell you!... so using a simple shape to punch out parts of that piece of madness is another version of portion control. And finally, imagine if that card were made with nine plain red hearts... it would be perfectly acceptable, but not nearly as interesting. The only thing I forgot to do was to add some glitter to this little valentine's day card... although, now that I think of it, glitter is like chocolate chip ice cream for me... it's pretty hard for me to practice portion control with either of those two things... so maybe it's for the best! :D

Oh my... I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my youngest, Corey, turns 20 this weekend... it really seems like yesterday that I was waiting to go into the OR for delivery.  How well I remember crying when I heard it was a girl... I was so thrilled!  And I loved every minute of her as a baby... I remember rocking her to sleep and singing to her, all cuddled up in a blanket, lying in my arms, with her head on my shoulder... I'm not sure I've ever experience anything quite like it.  She was such a fun baby... and I couldn't wait to hear her first words!  I was just so excited to hear her little girl voice come out... she was a beautiful baby, and she's a beautiful young woman.  Her life has so much possibility and so much excitement to come... she has been a tremendous joy to me, and I am incredibly grateful that I have had this amazing opportunity, getting to be her mom. I love you, babe... Happy 20th, and many, many more to come!

Corey is going to be really annoyed that I put this photo of her on my blog, so, I might just as well go ahead and really get on her nerves, right?!?  

It's been a great ride, Corey!  Thanks for all the wonderful memories!!!

This is an unconventional take on a Valentine's Day card... It's painted tyvek paper with various paper embellishements... writing from an 1893 journal, a watercolor heart, torn tissue paper, and a sliver of a page from an old book.  I hope its recipient likes it!

This is my Moleskine Journal that I just filled up.  This particular journal has a grid pattern on the pages.  My next journal will likely be either a Moleskine Watercolor journal or a plain, unlined version of the journal shown above.  I really love my Moleskines, and I love decorating the covers... it ends up being a process that evolves over time... I never have any idea what the color or "theme" will be, which is part of the fun!

The Disintegration Collaboration

This is a collection of paper and tyvek with doodles and stampings that's on its way outside, where it will live until May 1st, hanging from a tree outside my studio.  This is part of a collaboration sponsored by Seth, at The Altered Page. Other participants have tied their paper bundles up with string, metal wire, chicken wire, etc.  I am going to hang my pages outside, utilizing an uninspired, but effective tool... the mesh laundry bag and shower curtain hook.  

Cool, huh?!?

 

I'll let you know how it all looks come spring... hard to picture what it will look like, but hopefully something cool will come of it.  Stay tuned! Oh, and don't forget...

GO MAKE SOMETHING!

My friend, Celeste Wong, from Yorba Linda, CA sent this stunning envelope to me recently... how gorgeous is it?!?  Imagine my delight as I spied this beauty in my mail box, which usually holds bills and circulars!  Celeste and I studied with Sheila Waters this past October, along with six other calligraphers; and formed some really terrific friendships.  Hopefully, we'll meet up again at Sheila's, this coming September, for a color study and watercolor journaling workshop.  (I'm secretly counting on some calligraphy study, too!)  

Thank you, Celeste!  WOW!!!

Howdy ya'll!  I've missed everyone SO much... and I'm not really sure why I haven't been online or posted in such a long time... perhaps just getting used to being back in the swing of things at work, was more stressful than I had imagined.  At any rate, I'm baaaacckk!!

Regardless of how busy I've been, I have been able to find time to spend in my studio, where I go to get away from it all... my little haven of seclusion. So many times I think to myself I really should be doing something productive tedious, like cleaning... but thankfully, that goofy thought lasts for about a millesecond!!!  

I hope you are all happy and well.  Now... go make something! 

Latest valentine + Portion Control...

Do any of you do this... wait until about two days before a holiday/special event/birthday to get busy making cards for it?  I do... I think I need a calendar in my studio... perhaps that would be helpful...

at any rate, I ended up making about ten of these cards... some got mailed on time, others did not... but my intentions were certainly good, right?!?

I wish I'd been organized enough to get one of these out to all my blogland friends! This was done with Arches Textwove paper and various calligraphy brushes and pens... oh, and of course, I also used a heart shaped punch!

After some consideration, I decided this really could fit into the category of "Portion Control", Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team Crusade for this month... if you've never checked out the Crusades Michelle sponsors, what are you waiting for?!?!? Now, you may be asking yourself, "What does this valentine have to do with Portion Control?"... and rightly so, because it isn't really obvious. For me, the portion control part comes into play when I compare this card to most cards I make, which tend to be somewhat busy. This card is very restrained for me! Also, if you could've seen the sheet of paper I cut these hearts out of, you'd understand immediately. The sheet was absolute madness...madness I tell you!... so using a simple shape to punch out parts of that piece of madness is another version of portion control. And finally, imagine if that card were made with nine plain red hearts... it would be perfectly acceptable, but not nearly as interesting. The only thing I forgot to do was to add some glitter to this little valentine's day card... although, now that I think of it, glitter is like chocolate chip ice cream for me... it's pretty hard for me to practice portion control with either of those two things... so maybe it's for the best! :D

My baby turns 20...

Oh my... I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my youngest, Corey, turns 20 this weekend... it really seems like yesterday that I was waiting to go into the OR for delivery.  How well I remember crying when I heard it was a girl... I was so thrilled!  And I loved every minute of her as a baby... I remember rocking her to sleep and singing to her, all cuddled up in a blanket, lying in my arms, with her head on my shoulder... I'm not sure I've ever experience anything quite like it.  She was such a fun baby... and I couldn't wait to hear her first words!  I was just so excited to hear her little girl voice come out... she was a beautiful baby, and she's a beautiful young woman.  Her life has so much possibility and so much excitement to come... she has been a tremendous joy to me, and I am incredibly grateful that I have had this amazing opportunity, getting to be her mom. I love you, babe... Happy 20th, and many, many more to come!

Corey is going to be really annoyed that I put this photo of her on my blog, so, I might just as well go ahead and really get on her nerves, right?!?  

It's been a great ride, Corey!  Thanks for all the wonderful memories!!!

Happy Heart Day!

This is an unconventional take on a Valentine's Day card... It's painted tyvek paper with various paper embellishements... writing from an 1893 journal, a watercolor heart, torn tissue paper, and a sliver of a page from an old book.  I hope its recipient likes it!

Moleskine Journal 2008

This is my Moleskine Journal that I just filled up.  This particular journal has a grid pattern on the pages.  My next journal will likely be either a Moleskine Watercolor journal or a plain, unlined version of the journal shown above.  I really love my Moleskines, and I love decorating the covers... it ends up being a process that evolves over time... I never have any idea what the color or "theme" will be, which is part of the fun!

Art in a bag...

The Disintegration Collaboration

This is a collection of paper and tyvek with doodles and stampings that's on its way outside, where it will live until May 1st, hanging from a tree outside my studio.  This is part of a collaboration sponsored by Seth, at The Altered Page. Other participants have tied their paper bundles up with string, metal wire, chicken wire, etc.  I am going to hang my pages outside, utilizing an uninspired, but effective tool... the mesh laundry bag and shower curtain hook.  

Cool, huh?!?

 

I'll let you know how it all looks come spring... hard to picture what it will look like, but hopefully something cool will come of it.  Stay tuned! Oh, and don't forget...

GO MAKE SOMETHING!

How gorgeous is this?!?

My friend, Celeste Wong, from Yorba Linda, CA sent this stunning envelope to me recently... how gorgeous is it?!?  Imagine my delight as I spied this beauty in my mail box, which usually holds bills and circulars!  Celeste and I studied with Sheila Waters this past October, along with six other calligraphers; and formed some really terrific friendships.  Hopefully, we'll meet up again at Sheila's, this coming September, for a color study and watercolor journaling workshop.  (I'm secretly counting on some calligraphy study, too!)  

Thank you, Celeste!  WOW!!!

Been gone far too long...

Howdy ya'll!  I've missed everyone SO much... and I'm not really sure why I haven't been online or posted in such a long time... perhaps just getting used to being back in the swing of things at work, was more stressful than I had imagined.  At any rate, I'm baaaacckk!!

Regardless of how busy I've been, I have been able to find time to spend in my studio, where I go to get away from it all... my little haven of seclusion. So many times I think to myself I really should be doing something productive tedious, like cleaning... but thankfully, that goofy thought lasts for about a millesecond!!!  

I hope you are all happy and well.  Now... go make something!