Alphabet Action to Close Out 2011

I was playing around in my art journal, and as you can see, I had a little alphabet action going on.

It won't be long now before 2011 is over and 2012 begins.  I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and may it be filled with an abundance of blessings!

D~~~~

Afternoon Coffee in A Christmas Gift Mug

I'm having my afternoon coffee in a Christmas Gift Mug. The six-mug set sports three festive and colorful designs.  They were a Christmas gift several years back from my fun son and daughter-in-law. The set rocks!

I do LOVE my afternoon coffee

in the Christmas Gift Mug.

The cute gift design is embossed and 

I often rub my thumb over it.

Oh the joy! 

Afternoon Coffee + Christmas Gift Mug 

Simply Delightful!

I hope you're finding joy during this lovely season too.

It's all around and in the littlest of things.

Merry Christmas All,

D~~~~

Peace

While watching football on Sunday, I played with my watercolor art supplies and more.

I'm lovin' snowmen lately!

If we could only have some real snow.

Insert big sigh here.

Peace was done with my LuminArte supplies.

I wonder if they're the same as Twinkling H20's? 

I don't know but I LOVE the stuff.

I'm really enjoying art journaling.

The heck with a barrel of monkeys, it's more fun than a freezer full of snowmen!

Creatively Yours,

D~~~~

Wintry Christmas Journal Page

I purchased three Copic markers in blue, pink, and yellow, and a 9" x 6" spiral bound journal.  Since Copic markers are a bit pricey I wanted to try them out before buying an entire set.  My conclusion: LOVE!

I also like that the journal is spiral bound, and I can keep the pages next door out of the way.  I played while sitting in front of the TV, and here's my first page in the new journal.  I also used Zig Brushables, watercolors, a Black Sharpie, and a White Uniball Signo pen. 

Making it wonky was so much fun!  

Me + Wonky = A whole lot of joy!  

Creative Joy to You,

D~~~~

Merry Christmas Tree

I just recently started playing with watercolors and this is my first piece. The background was created with watercolors and I free-hand drew the stylized tree with a Zig Brushable. After creating the tree, I used the same method that I recently learned in an online Letter Lab class to widen various areas of it, and create the "Merry Christmas" text. The tree and text were finished off with a bit of glitter paint and a Sharpie.

The photo really makes the glitter stand out maybe more than it does when you see it live and in person. Doesn't the term "live and in person" make it sound as if the piece is making personal appearances? Well, it certainly does not make personal appearances at this time. Should it learn to sing Christmas carols, I will see to it that it goes on a world tour!

The Letter Lab class that I took was fabulous! It was taught by Lori Vliegen and her lettering is amazing! The class definitely helped me with my lettering, and opened up an entirely new world for me that I'm very excited about! I do love text and being able to make it look pretty just increases my joy! Click here to go to Lori's blog and see her spectacular work. She also has a link to the Letter Lab class on her sidebar if anyone is interested.

As I mentioned, the picture came out a bit too glittery.  Does anybody know how to mute down the shine in a piece like this without altering the rest of it? I may have to figure that out when I have some time which is not now.

I really like Christmas trees and I'm thinking about letting this piece be my first in a series.

Merry Creating Y'all!

D~~~~

2011~International Quilt Festival in Houston

The weekend before last I attended the Quilt Fest in Houston. I was only able to be there from 10:15 to about 3:30 on Saturday so I was like a whirlwind blowing through that place. There was way too much to see in too little time but I was happy to be there!

This post is to share some pics but first let me apologize for the quality of some of these, and especially the information sheets. I used my iPhone and tried to keep a steady hand but have you ever seen a steady whirlwind?  I need to take a different camera next time.

I bought this 8.5" x 11.5" art quilt from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative booth. It's a national grassroots effort to raise awareness and fund research through art. I'm going to make some quilts to contribute to it next year in honor of Mom and everyone else who suffers (or will suffer) from this horrible disease.

This one was made by Julie Sefton from Barlett, Tennessee and is entitled Fireworks. The Artist Statement reads: "Fireworks filled the night sky, mixing with reflections from the houses across the lake. Explosions of indigo, egyptian, cerulean and aquamarine. Memories like these should be forever - so I stitch for AAQI." She made it in honor and memory of her mother using Superior glitter thread and free motion quilting. Of course, the bling caught my attention! 

As usual, there was all kinds of glorious stuff!
Colorful, life-size horses!
They were pretty!

 A quilted SUV cover!
That's not something you see every day.

Info

Then there were dolls.

Lots of personality here.

A mermaid doll

And more dolls.

Clothes

Santas!

These were awesome!

The Santa makers buy vintage quilts to use 

in the Santas, and the only place they sell 

them is at this quilt fest every year!

 I think this was a cross stitch booth but I
didn't see anyone looking cross or stitching!

There was LOTS of jewelry

This fabric jewelry was neat but it's
hard to really see it from the pic.
Click here to go to her website
for a much better view.

And more jewelry!

Of course, there were tons of fabulous quilts!

Tis the season!

I think this one won $7,500.

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This is cool and contains some human hair!

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 This serene quilt caught my attention right away.

I have a friend who lived in Kemah

 and it's a very neat place!

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Beautiful!

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Quite spectacular!

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So full of color!

Blurry but legible  

I didn't get the name of the person 

who made this quilt but I love it. 

Oh how I wish it would snow!

I just want to stare at it and pretend.

Cute!

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More cute.

More Info

The Twelve by Twelve exhibit was really cool!

It's a group of 12 artists that make a 

12"x12" quilt each month based on a theme.

This was the orange theme.  

And can you guess 

the color of this theme?

So fun!

Loved this exhibit.

For more Twelve By Twelve pics and info, click here.

Finally, I have to share this Artist's Village.

It was so neat, and I loved it!

I'd seen these houses on blogs and I think in a
magazine but it was so much better in person.

More blurry info

I think I was blowing through a back flip on this one!

This was just the very tip of the quilt fest iceberg. 

I could have whirled around there for days and days!
Next year, I just might do that too.

Creative Tuesday to you!

D~~~~

Art Journal~Page 3

I finished my 3rd art journal page! Can you tell that I've takin' a likin' to eyes? I wondered how they would look growing on springs in a garden. Doesn't everybody wonder that?  Here's my answer. I'm pleased as punch with the page, and I had a grand time making it!  I see more eyes in my future.

I ordered the two books below and was excited when they arrived yesterday! 

The first book, Journal Bliss is by Violette Clark. I've been reading her colorful blog for awhile now. I really enjoy her happy journal pages so I knew I would find even more joy amidst the fun-filled pages of her book. I love the cute cover too!

In reading Violette's blog, I learned about a free Raw Art Journaling webinar held by Creative Coach Quinn McDonald on October 20th. I attended the webinar and found it very uplifting and interesting! It left me wanting more so I ordered her book too. I've also started following her blog. You can check out Violette's blog here and Quinn's blog here.

I can't decide which book to read first because they both appear to be chock full of fun stuff. I think I'll flip a coin to decide.

I'm attending the International Quilt Festival in Houston this weekend, and I can't wait!  It's always such a blast!

Joyful Creations to you!

D~~~~

My First Ever Art Journal

After reading blog after blog about art journaling, I got a hankerin' to journal. The idea of mixing art stuff together with words is magnificent and fits me perfectly!  I started my first ever art journal earlier this week and below are the first two pages.

My first art journal page features

this gal. I've named her Ella.

Acrylic paint, Sharpies and Zig Brushables 

were used. A dryer sheet and drywall 

tape were painted to create her blouse.

My second page features two of my

favorite things. I didn't name this gal but 

I will name them all from here on out.

This page is acrylic paint, Sharpies

and Zig markers. 

  
Both gals have big eyes (the better to see you with my dear) and rather large lips (the better to kiss you hello & goodbye my dear) but I love them. I find that I'm very drawn to this art journaling thing!  It's a blast! More to come.

I've been working on a doll too and it's been almost done for awhile but I got sidetracked to journaling and other things. I will finish her up and post her soon.

Wishing You Journal Joy,

D~~~~

Three Fun Visitors

Our sweet granddudes Preston and Triston visited for a few days, and they brought our new granddog Isabella Grace with them.  You can call her Isa!  We do.

Isa is an adorable Mal-Shih, (Maltese-Shih Tzu mix) and only seven weeks old.  She's a tiny thing too so I felt compelled to measure her. Turns out, she's 8-1/2 inches long, and with the end of the ruler on the floor, and the middle of her body against it, she's a huge 4 inches tall!  I thought I'd share a few pics.

Isa napping.

Our Boston Terrier Daisy seemed to like Isa.

Our Mini Schnauzer Sally didn't want 

anything to do with her. She kept her distance.

They were cute together.

Checking each other out.
Reminded me of mother & daughter.

We painted pumpkins on canvas.

Triston and I made Happy Halloween Houses.
Triston's place is on the right and mine is left.
If you're about 3/4" of an inch tall, you
might want to drop by our little haunts!

Tootaloo Y'all!
D~~~~