Autumn Leaves

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011

Autumn Leaves

One of the beauties of Autumn is the riot of color as the leaves change.  Bored with summer, knowing that winter is just around the corner, the trees bring out all their vibrant finery and throw one last party. 

Part of the creative process of art is to be able to translate what you see into another medium and still being able to keep the spirit of the scene.

For a birthday card for one of my friends, I iris folded a leaf on the bottom corner of a double sided paper, when tri-folded the paper up to form the card.  For the little leaves, on a sheet of 24# paper, I computer generated a fall poem a couple of inches from the top, then on the reverse side, using distress inks, I made a background, then folding down a flap randomly cut leaves with the top hinged.  With a marker, I added veins, and gold stickles to both the large leaf and the small ones.  Because the small leaves are on lightweight paper, they have movement.  A twisted cord makes the leaf stem.

So this is my salute to fall leaves for a card--a little bit of a twist on the traditional.

Guys are a Different Sort

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

Guys are a Different Sort

Cards for the guys are always a challenge for me.  I am shabby chic, Victorian, country sort of person, don't know so much about the guy thing! So what do guys like--cars, hunting, football, grunge, and sex (but I didn't go there).  This first card is for my brother who loves to go big game hunting.  The deer is stamped on cork with sepia ink.  Some fibers and pine needles give it that outdoors feel.

                                     

I also needed a get well card for a guy, a lumberjack type of fellow, so this buzzard (from Taylored Artwork) was stamped and a tree stump was hand drawn.  The words are computer generated.  A feather and some twine complete the card.

Another birthday card for a guy. So using Ranger Distress black and barn red I distressed a tag, and then stamped random numbers with black versamark, and clear embossing. The watch face, sticker and clip are from Tim Holtz Idea-ology.  Computer generated words and random watch parts from e-bay complete the outside.  Inside are computer generated words and an idea-ology cog to finish the card. Now the most difficult card for me to do was one about football.  Why?  I hate football!  I don't understand the game, I just don't see the point of a bunch of adult guys hitting each other, running around in the rain or snow, chasing a football.

Anyway, I know its to each their own.  My son is a rabid football fan.  He has loved the Vikings ever since we lived in Minnesota.  So for his upcoming birthday I made this slider card.  It really is quite simple when you get the folds and cuts figured out.  The words are


computer generated, as are the images.  So for now, I have this guy thing figured out.

Black and White and Red All over--You've Come a long way Baby October 5, 2011

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Black and White and Red All over--You've Come a long way Baby   October 5, 2011

Often we wonder what will be remembered about us.  Will our family wonder what was important to us? So I decided to give a little help to those who might be curious.  As I love to make mini books,  I made one with the highlights of what shaped me--what influenced me, my experiences, homes, schools, and family, and what inspired me, my church and friends. Most of my work is in color, but to stretch my artistic boundaries, I decided to make this book in black and white, with just a few red highlights.  I hope you enjoy this vignette of me.

The papers were from Jo-Ann's, and the border embellishments were from KC Company  




Behind the shutters is a picture of four generations of hands from those of my littlest great-granddaughter to mine.  



So from a log ranch house in the mountains of Wyoming to the suburbs of Phoenix, by way of Denver, and France; from a shy country girl to a successful business woman with a circle of family and friends I have come a long way.