More 2010 Artwork

Here are two more bits of 2010 artwork from last weekend, when I was trying to actually finish a journal before starting another. Haven't really done that, but pretty darn close. I will visit 2010 Journal in the next few weeks and wrap up the loose ends... but I am moving on the 2011. I cannot believe that this month is already over, well almost :-) So far this year has been so much better and I am so pleased with that. Many things planned for the new year... wait and see!!

I love these two different tissue papers I discovered when doing the never-ending shuffle in the disorganized studio space. The words on the right are also tissue paper from starbucks - I love the font! I used masking tape down the middle and covered it with two shades pink paint - the cheap acrylic kind. I think it looks pretty cool - I may or may not go back and write on it, we'll see.

This one is for my little bout with mrsa and cellulitis this past November. I found a spider in my bed when I was shaking out the sheets one morning and within 24 hours I had this ugly,burning red, painful spot in my left arm pit area. Caught it quickly and didn't end up in the hospital this time!! Lots of drugs and a little office surgery and it was gone in about two weeks.

Now on to the To-Do List of new art things...

1 - Scan 2 of The Traveling Journals and get them ready for auction - the third one is still traveling.

2 - ATC's for Tammy's swap Word for the Year

3- February Tip-In swap at BAJ - Favorite Childhood Story

4 - Partnership Journal Swap with Victoria

and the big one - start organizing and coordinating the BHS Student Art Show in May - I am the lead this year. So, it's busy busy busy!!

All for today my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo

ps - thanks for the lovely comments my friends - I appreciate your support!!

An Artful Weekend

I am trying to finish up my 2010 art journal before I can get fully immersed in 2011 art. So with the kids gone for the weekend I have been hitting it hard!! Yesterday I was in my nightgown until about 6:30 pm. The only reason I even got in the shower or got dressed was to go play mexican train with my friends last night. Which, as always was soooooo fun... wine, laughter and plans for the new year :-))

This artwork started when I found the box of Glee gum (shown on the left page) and I thought perfect for my favorite show!! It's one of the things that my daughter and I both love - and that is rare. She babysits on Tuesday night, so when she gets home the first thing she asks is "did you watch Glee?" That show is so much fun and it makes me take a little trip down memory lane - songs always have such a strong imprint on the soul.

This is to record our traditional trip to visit my parents on Christmas Eve. I hope that there will be many more years of making this little trip!! We don't go over the river and through the woods... but it's pretty darn close. I found the vintage Christmas card and it triggered the whole travel idea.

Christmas Morning - before the kids leave me for the day. This year they were up at about 6 am to open their stockings. I lay in bed and listened to them for awhile before I got up at 6:30 to join them. As I lay there, I was tranported back in time to those same holiday mornings with my brother in the wee hours before the rest of the world woke up. It was such a sweet morning this year... because I know that they will both look back and feel the same emotions that I felt on this very special occasion. They are so close and I am reminded how much they love each other in these small, private moments - when no one is watching them.

I have more half finished pages to work on for the rest of the day and then I'll post them tomorrow. Then it's on to 2011.

Cherrio my lovelies, kso xoxoxoxo

Slightly Creative

I have been putzing around for the last few days - packaging and scanning things for my Etsy store, starting a new weight loss blog here and taking care of my sick baby. Yesterday I went for a walk and took these photos...

I walked to the bluff and looked out at the Puget Sound.

Working on creating a healthier body and self image.

Look at all those lovely boats waiting for sailing season to get here.

This was a really cool bunch of trees I saw on the way.

The kids will both be gone this weekend, so I plan on hiding out and making some serious art. No cooking or cleaning - just some dedicated ME time - can't wait :-))

All for tonight my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo

Weekend Art

I have a thing for elephants and I saved this illustration from the book jacket for an old copy of The Jungle Book - so I saved it and this weekend I finally used it. When I looked at this art -later in the day -I thought that the spine from the book jacket on the right, with the leaves stamped on it kind of looked like a tree. I still need to write something on the pages, but I'm not sure what that will be right now - later it will come to me...

I found - in my stash - a little hand drawn Pokemon card that my son made years ago. I like to use these little art snippets from my children in my journal art. I can still remember him asking to use my special scissors to cut the edges of all his cards. He was so pleased with his little designs. I can't believe I still had this!! I know that when I look back at this journal art I will instantly recall my little boy and this moment.

The little "happy meal" tag will also remind me of my son - when he was six he told me when he grew up he would be a much better parent... because he would take his son to McDonald's everyday if he wanted. He was very mad at me because I wouldn't take him for another happy meal.

The little doll tag in the lower left corner is from my daughter - she loved her Barbie's and all that damn paraphernalia - always so many little tiny shoes. Worse than the Legos :-)

All for tonight my lovelies,

kso xoxoxoxo

New projects

I have an uexpected day off so I thought I would post a couple of photos from my little journals I am working on. The first a vintage Spanish book repurposed into a small pocket size journal - it measures 4.75 inches by 6/75 inches. A thin little treasure called "Taboada's Cuentos Alegres". Perfect for carrying in your purse to jot down all your journaling observations. I linded the inside covers with pretty paper to match the really long ribbon that wraps around and around to close it. I love how it turned out :-) The original owner has written his name on the front cover - C. D. Samson - gives it that extra special patina that an old book deserves.

The second one is an old children's book from the 1950's. It's a lovely size - 6 inches by 8 inches - perfect for journaling or art journaling. It has a really nice color graphic on the cover. This one has 3 signatures or 96 pages - Strathmore drawing paper. Will make a wonderful sketchbook or just a plain old journal for writing. I really like the way this one turned out too!!

All for today - off to put some new things in the store :-)

See you later my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo

Synchronicity at Work

It's funny what you notice when you become an art journalist who likes to collage. My birthday was back in October and right about that time I was on my way to the post office. When I am walking in the city, I find myself looking at the ground - a lot!!


I find the most interesting things and they usually end up on a page. I picked up this interesting little beat up King's Hardware matchbook cover - it's a local bar. It just caught my eye and I thought it looked so cool and distressed. Later that same week I ended up in King's Hardware for a spontaneous birthday celebration planned by my group of girlfriends. This art entry will be about my birthday and finding that matchbook cover - synchronicity at work!!

On another front, I began collecting vintage books a few months ago - the ones with the really cool graphics on the covers. I have been gutting them and saving them for a later project - planning on turning them into journals. This evening I began making the new interiors. I am making signatures of Strathmore drawing paper - they can then be used as sketch books, art journals or just plain writing journals. I am kind of excited about these babies!!

Oh, I also forgot to mention that my kids really went all out this year for my Christmas gift - they filled my stocking with goodies for the first time and they topped it off with a new camera!! Fabulouso... now I can take lovely photos of all my blog stuff :-))

All for tonight my lovelies
kso
xoxoxoxo

Productivity...

is very satisfying!!! I spent the day organizing buttons, ribbons and just getting my creative house in order. The kids will both be gone next weekend and I want to be prepared for some marathon art making - yeah :-) I know it's only the second day of the new year, but I already feel a difference. Is it just me and my attitude or is it getting things in order? Maybe it's having a new blog home and being able to express my thoughts more freely... whatever it is I am liking it!

Here is my art for the day...

I can still remember how this dress felt - sheer tulle with little soft white polka dots. It had a full slip under it, since the fabric was so see-thru. I felt so pretty - and that flexible pink creature. I could wrap her around my wrist like a braclet or around my neck, but here it was a pair of winter ear muffs. This was Christmas 1967 and I was a princess! I'll journal about this sometime this week - when I can sit and quietly call up those funny childhood memories.

Not sure what I will do with this one, but I kind of like it. A wine label up in the left hand corner, a label from some bath product in the lower right hand corner and the text is from an old reference book I picked up called "Pain". I like the juxtoposition of bright colors and the words - pain and pleasure.

All for today my lovelies, pleasant dreams

kso xoxoxoxo

Day One of 2011

Well, a new year has begun... and it was a very productive day! The tree is down, the cards are filed, the decorations are packed away and the house looks clean and uncluttered. It feels nice, although normally I am a bit sad to see the end of the season. This year I am pleased to be moving on to a new and fresh year.

In my journaling group each year some of the members choose a word of intention for the year. I have been waffling about what word to pick... love, prosperity, reach or freedom. I think I am going to select REACH - it will cover so many things. I'll reach for more love, more prosperity, more freedom. I'd also like to reach for more things outside my comfort zone - in life and artwork. I want this year to be more productive, which will require reaching into my energy reserves.

So, for today I will be reaching out in my blog to make more frequent entries and more art postings. This journal entry is about my daughter and her poetry. Picasso's art is on loan to exhibit here at the Seattle Art Museum. The youngest went ,with her English class, in October to view all the art and the class brief was to write a poem about the art they viewed.

She was selected by WITS (along with 14 other high school students from the district) to read her Picasso inspired poem at SAM 's Teen Night out in December. Each student took to the stage and read to a really nice sized audience. Her poem was inspired by Picasso's "Man with Violin" I got to tour the exhibit for free as her guest. His artwork was so diverse and quite stunning - so inspiring!!

I've also put some new things in my store yesterday... go check it out -

Vintage Daisies

Vintage Trim - 1 yard packages

Lots of fun things for making Mary Ann Moss inspired ROD journal's or just plain art journaling.

All for today my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo