Another class at The Queen's Ink with Dyan Revealey - Some of her art pictured here

What a Super Sunday it was on Super Bowl Sunday! And a super Super Bowl, too. Sunday morning I took a mixed media painting class at The Queen's Ink in Savage Mill with Dyan Revealey, a Ranger senior Signature Educator from the U.K. I had taken two classes with her last summer and enjoyed her style, techniques and total attitude.
This time we made a two-foot by two-foot canvas which I will show in my next post. Great fun in a 4.5 hour class. But, did I ever get messy! Found a miracle product for ink and paint on the hands though, the Craft Scrubbie, by Inksentials. I have no idea how, with only a little soap and water, it gets all that staining stuff off, like black liquid ink all around my cuticles. But, it did. Needless to say, I bought one of the little $5 buggers.
Also, Dyan's brand-new Dylusions rubber stamps, stencils, ink mists and more, just announced Jan. 24, were available at The Queen's Ink and a few supplies found their way into my shopping basket. Over concern for the popularity of the new supplies which were in limited quantity this weekend, shop owner Patti Euler made auction-style "bidding paddles" with numbers, which we could flip up and wave whenever we saw a product demonstrated that we "had" to have.
Dyan's Zetti-like style as shown here is so exciting, lively, fun, inspiring. Looking at it displayed around the classroom was very much like working in a candy shop!

A new journal for a new year

I hoard journals. I love all sizes and types, from purse-size Moleskine to hand-made and hand-bound journals, board books, bound pages, whatever. I treasure journals I have received as gifts. I have a gorgeous handmade one from Laurie Blau-Marshall. I have a beautifully-covered one from Michelle Geller. My great-niece just gave me a pretty one for my birthday. I just bought one on clearance at Pier 1.

So what is the problem, you ask? I don't ever seem to write in them. I have journals with watercolor paper, lined pages, blank pages, pages made from maps and cool ephemera. I love to look at them, and I love knowing I have them in case inspiration strikes. But I couldn't seem to make a mark.

I guess I felt I'd be ruining the beauty of the journal somehow, which I know is dumb, especially because I actually drool over examples of others' filled journals. Even my great-niece has a totally cool journal she writes and doodles in and add mementos. She even stitched herself a fabric cover for it. I bought her Dawn DeVries Sokol's Doodle Diary to keep her inspired.
And she did just that.

Meanwhile, I would buy Stampington's Art Journaling magazine. I would stare for hours on end at cool blogs, especially work by Pam Garrison and Pam Carriker. I even advanced to tearing out magazine pages and pieces of magazine pages that inspired me. In fact, I have baggies of paper bits just waiting for a place to call home.

Finally, I decided the new year and new month are a very good reason to start a journal. That, and the fact that I had been itching to paint, draw, make collages, doodle, draw zentangles, do Zettiology-like art, and what better place to do everything, than in a journal. When I mentally commited, I was so excited, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday and started right in preparing pages.

I am using a plain, 9" x 12" *ish* journal by Canson with watercolor paper pages. I collaged several pages with my paper stash. I was further inspired by a "supply swap" I had just done with Jade Adams, and could hardly wait to use the goodies she sent. I also have a ton of new rubber stamps from Unity and their kit-of-the-month club, as well as Unity Stamps by Suzi Blu, all of which I want to play with.

After I collaged a few pages, I realized I hadn't left myself any room for the "dreaded" writing down of thoughts. Intentional? Maybe. Or maybe just inexperience. So I painted the back side of the pages with watercolors, and ended up making color-theme spreads, each with a blank page for my thoughts.....if I happen to have any.

Self-Explanatory: Flickr Zettiology Group New Badge from Artchicapoo Jade

How to Explain Zettiology. Don't.

I am so tempted to let these pictures speak for themselves, and for the most part, I will. Suffice to say these are one-of-a-kind (OOAK), handmade pages for a skinny book (that needs explaining, too) in the Flickr group Zettiology, hosted by Jade Adams. Seventeen artists will submit 17 pages, and Ms. Jade will bind them into OOAK books for everyone.

Zetti style is probably best explained, if not defined, by looking at the work of Teesha Moore. Even her rubber stamp line is called Zettiology. I've blogged about Teesha and her work several times. This piece of art by moi earned me a comment from Ms. Moore. Check out her entire site and blog; her husband and daughters create amazing art as well.

The one-eyed, girly, swirly heads I used on some of my pages are from a collage sheet by Traci Bautista, which I bought from her in-person at Art and Soul in 2008. I've saved it all this time for something special. The strange and colorful heads are just perfect for my interpretation of Alice in Zetti-land.

More Alice-themed art ensues. I hope to post soon a couple of mixed media pieces I made this weekend with doll heads for Somerset Studios' fall art call regarding Alice in Wonderland. So far, I can tell you I employed a door knob, a jello mold, bird cage, watch face, resin, and I tore apart a $5 IKEA clock for additional inspiration and supplies.

Moi

Moi
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

And now, just another silly Flickr play toy, the Warholizer, by Big Huge Labs.com. This is my self-portrait for the ZNE Artists and Poets fat book page swap which I am hosting and binding. This is a 4 x 4 inch doodle I created with Zentangle-style hair, using a Sharpie fine tip.

ATC Mini Marathon Ends at 25

It all started with the water softener. So, when it went off at 3:30 a.m. a couple days ago and with Larry the cat bugging me to get up and do something-feed me! play! turn on lights! get up, mommy! anything!- I decided not to fight them (Larry & the w.s.) and started making Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) to take to Art and Soul, Hampton, for swaps.

I already made 39 charms to swap, but after reading everyone's blogs, I realized I'd probably need about 100 items. First I thought I would punch inchies and make bags of those. I went and bought a one-inch punch. Any idea how many inchies it takes to fill a teeny tiny baggy? Gazillions. I tried to enlist family members to punch. No dice.

So when I woke up early, the ATC light bulb went off and I set about systematically making cards. I say systematically because I usually make one at a time. This time, however, I began by gathering the collage images and background papers I wanted to use. Some of the places I got my images: http://www.hannahgrey.com for Paper Relics and other sheets, http://www.artchixstudio.com, http://www.geminiangelart.com, Lisa's Altered Art on ebay, http://www.teeshamoore.com, http://shabbycottagestudio.com and http://thealtereddiva.com. First I sorted, then I did backgrounds, then I cut and pasted, then I embellished with gel pens, then I did all my glittering at once, applied all my labels at one time and bagged them all. I hope they are well received for swaps. I'm pretty happy with how colorful they are-even if the did cause me three nights in a row of little or no sleep!

Art and Poetry, Poetry and Art

...And so often the twain shall meet. Being a moderator for the ZNE Verses forum, I decided I should join the ZNE group Artists and Poets. Artist Jodi Barone runs a separate blog for this group http://artistsandpoets.blogspot.com/, one of her two blogs.

I didn't know I would find already-blog-friend Laurie Marshall of Loud Life fame http://loudlife-laurieblaumarshall.blogspot.com/ with some cool poetry and a fabulous journal. I am also enjoying other ZNE friends' creative work and inspirational art- published there to jumpstart poetry.

What I also did not expect was to find myself featured there on the home page so soon, with one of my first works, shown there to evoke well, something, in someone(s). You can see it here http://artistsandpoets.blogspot.com/2007/12/gina-smith.html.

Jodi asked me what it meant, and first I told her the usual: it means whatever anyone sees, blah, blah, blah. But then I decided to figure out why I had made it as I did. Certainly, Teesha Moore's style inspired me http://www.teeshamoore.com/ and also Karyn Gartel http://altereddiva.blogspot.com/.

I also said I find that those who are too too outspoken and judgmental and presumptuous usually have to eat crow later, and to that I say, "would you like fries with that?" In other words, dig in.

Finally, I told her I might just eat all five cupcakes in one sitting and in numerical order if I want, and all of my family, friends, colleagues, customers, etc., whom I find have treated me differently since gaining a little weight can just eat crow. Or they can eat cupcakes with me. So enough of that. That is exactly why I hate explaining (or even thinking about) what my art means.

On the poetry subject, joining the group made me dig out my earliest poems, from about age 16, when I wrote a bunch. I was lucky enough to get one published by Indiana University in a book of mostly adult poetry, called Indiana Writes, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Several other poems, including this one, were also published in the local newspaper, at that time called the Anderson Herald.

Genius

You sat there figuring the square
root of a multi-digit number.
There was a calculator in its case,
but only a worn down pencil and
a stack of paper was good enough
for you.

Your face mirrored your mind
working, and I was in awe of
your anger as another wadded up
sheet of paper was sent flying
to the trash can. If it wasn’t
math, it had to be history or
science, and of course weekends
were reserved for English.

I always said, “How brilliant.”
Or “That’s wonderful.” Then I
Hopped to the pencil sharpener
So you wouldn’t be without a
Sharp point. Other times I went
Off in search of more paper
For you.

That was a year ago and you’re
still the great genius you
were born to be and me-
well, you made me wonder why I
wasn’t an algebra book or
a grammar lesson or even a
pencil sharpener that you could
turn and turn until your pencil
was resharpened.

Gina Smith

Today's Faves- Eye Candy, Zero Calories

More info here http://www.flickr.com/photos/12448123@N07/favorites/.

A Good and Crafty Weekend

Saturday started early, and I was going to pull the covers back over my head until I remembered it was Stamp Camp weekend. Cris http://sassafraslass.blogspot.com/and Angie of Creative Cottage put on a free three-hour card-making fest for those in their monthly Stampin' Up order group. So I went to North Webster to see what they came up with. We decorated candles by melting tissue paper on them, and we made some great Holiday cards.

I followed this with a trip to the local rubber stamp store to see Jan here http://www.stamp-n-toys.com/, and then to the antique mall for a quick peek. I came home with a Lamb Chop (as in Sherrie Lewis) and another printer's tray to embellish later. I figure Lamb Chop is nearly extinct now, and for $3.50 I felt like saving her. I have become rather attached to dolls, books and figure from my childhood- a sure sign of growing old.

The drive through the lakes, past Tippecanoe, Irish, Sechrist and Barbee to North Webster was absolutely beautiful with the sun on the trees, and of course I forgot my camera! I figured I'd go back Sunday, but today has been very wet and gloomy. A good day for sweats and potato soup for sure! And a nap. Always a nap.

Between all of the that, I finished my cottage for http://thelittlebluebirddiaries.typepad.com/Lil Bluebird's Charming Cottage Swap for my partner Priscilla at http://sweetremembrance1.blogspot.com/. It is due Dec. 1, but there's not very many weekends between now and then, and weekends are reserved for art.

The chipboard papier mache cottage, seen here, has wallpaper, flooring, curtains, a rug, artwork, a bottle brush tree with non-working lights, and the outside includes German scrap, background papers, a wreath with "lights," spray snow, tinsel, liquid applique snow and glitter. It does not have a fire extinguisher.

Fire extinguisher? Yes, while heat-setting the liquid applique snow I accidentally set the flocked wallpaper and the tinsel garland on fire. My little cottage was smokin' and not in a good way. Back to square one. Anyway, now it is done and drying.

On to my mermaid swap, pink ornament swap, snowman swap, 4 x 4 Friday Face challenge and Chubbyville 4 x 4 Holiday Memories book page. I bought a Zutter book binder, so I am looking forward to putting my pages together into my first fat book.

Here's a look at some great Flickr photos from my contacts. More info here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12448123@N07/1971134265/. Happy Sunday! My Betseys are on the way from Sadie Lou http://craftilyeverafter.blogspot.com/, my Star Dancer is on the way from Tokyo. See her as Zelda here at the cutest blog ever http://adventuresofmolli.blogspot.com/. I don't have to be me 'til Monday. Thank you, country music.

So Much Goodness All in One Day!

Lots to share here! Larry the Cat is home from the hospital after a week. He ate something very bad that nearly killed him. After many xrays, enemas, fluids, anesthesia, four different medicines and much more (on a loooong, detailed bill), he is home! Lester has been missing him, and so have we! Larry is the brown-nose(r), and Lester is pink. Larry says, "why did I have to get sick, mom?"

The adorable ornament with intricate sequins I posted about before arrived in the flesh (fabric?) today from the sweet Sadie Lou. More to come! Sadie Lou and I both hope to go to Silver Bella next year. Too many lucky artistas will be having fun this weekend in Omaha without us!

Besides the beautiful Blythe Style book I got on Amazon with amazing photos by Gina Garan, I finally took the plunge after weeks of study and ordered my Blythe from ebay, and she is en route from Tokyo. Blythe dolls were originally manufactured by Kenner for one year, in 1972. Hasbro later bought Kenner. In any event, both the Ashton Drake Galleries and Takara Tomy Japan reintroduced Blythe in about 2000, and they have been a cult phenomenon. There are about 700 Flickr groups devoted to Blythe as well as countless ebay and etsy shops. The most popular websites appear to be http://www.thisisblythe.com/ and http://www.blythedoll.com/. An adorable blog is http://adventuresofmolli.blogspot.com/. I can't get enough! Anyway, I chose the model "Star Dancer" (shown here), and she is soon to be renamed Lilly. People actually spend hundreds of dollars customizing and clothing their Blythe dolls with false eyelashes, mink and more.

The mermaid ATC shown was just for fun, but I have a couple of ATC swaps coming up as well as a Mermaid theme swap, so who knows where it will go? The yellow pear ATC is a swap I received from the talented Deb Lockard, tnangel on ebay and Stars*Go*Blue on Flickr. I think it is Zetti-licious!

Newest Flickr Faves-Such Talent!

Love, love, love all the artists from my various groups, and my latest obsession, Blythe (more on that later). Go here for more info on these photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12448123@N07/favorites/

Ga Ga for Octopi. Blog Explains it All.

So much is going on; I wish I were an octopus. Or a General. As in "yes, ma'am" and "right now, sir, ma'am." That would mean I would have little helpers, like art elves, to help me get everything done for the shows, swaps and contests going on right now (not to mention holiday gifts!) Gifts? I thought it was still late summer, or at least early fall. And now I have to contend with all my clocks "falling back" tonight, thanks to Daylight Savings Time.
This is nothing new to most of you, but here in Indiana we are only about one year into this new plan which we haven't had since 1972. And back then, all I cared about was boys, or maybe Barbie dolls. But I think it was boys.
So, not only do I have to remember to change all my clocks, I have to figure out what time it really is (okay, so I've already butchered three pop songs in three paragraphs - if anyone can figure out what they are and send a comment, I'll send you an art goodie). The reason I have to figure out the time is that of our 33 clocks, watches, cell phones and computers, we've got a spread variation of 17 minutes and about that many different times going at the moment. But enough about that.
Here's a little sneak peek of a garland I am making for Heather http://www.xanga.com/brezomayo in the Ga Ga for Garlands swap. I think I like it so much, I need to make myself one. I also have a groovy swap with Dale at Sea Dream Studio http://dalemclain.blogspot.com/, and an ATC swap with Debra L. in TN. My ATC shown from my Zettiology group, "Believe in Art," is the one I am sending her.
Not sure if I am supposed to blog about this yet, but no one said it was a no-no, so here goes: some of my artwork was chosen by ARTchix Studio http://www.artchixstudio.com/ to appear on the pet faux postage sheet that will be sold in the studio to art lovers all over the world! This is really my first hard copy publication, so I am very honored and excited. ARTchix truly does reach all over the world as it is based in Canada, and the Yahoo! ARTchix group I am in has members from Great Britain and Spain to name a couple spots. Here's a sneak peek at one of my five submissions. I don't know what was chosen. This is one I doodled.
Another one shows sweet Larry, who is a little sick and is at the vet this weekend. He's only 3 and so loveable and is having a lot of urinary and digestive tract problems. But Dr. Carla Carlton says he should be as good as new soon. I went to visit today. He does not like the barking dogs there and burrows under his blanket. I wanted to steal him away home, but I know he needs fixed up. Lester is missing him. Lester was on a pet faux postage stamp submission also.
I also am finishing submissions for Somerset Studio and the Faerie Zine, so where are those art elves for packing and shipping? Next up are four ornaments for the Pink Ornament Swap, and I am starting with bottle brush trees for my base. Shown here is the most adorable ornament ever, and she is headed straight for my house (along with five hot pink-headed sisters) for my white tree. Sadie Lou Hartmann makes the greatest stuff! You can find her on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=94357 or here http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftilyeverafter/, but you can't have my Betsy!
My other upcoming projects are a cottage swap wherein I will make, paint, decorate a tiny little whimsical holiday house, and a snowman ornament swap. I'd like to get more stuff done and off to ebay to support all my viscious art habits (more on new ones later), but the elves and the octopi haven't shown up yet.
Don't forget to read the post below to help my Chubbyville group save the gorillas. Please.

Happy Flickr Foto Fun Friday!

Beautiful eye candy from talented artists in my groups, more info by clicking here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12448123@N07/1827190983/

Happy Fall Trick-or-Treaters!

So what do these three seemingly disparate images have in common? Well, atually nothing, except that I have so much to blog about, I thought I'd better lump them together or I might bore you all stiff.

You know how in high school when you liked a boy and you found out he liked you too- maybe he even sent you a mushy note or left something in your locker? And then you went and told your girlfriends (of course!) because you just couldn't help yourself, and then, poof! Cool boy runs for the hills.

Well, that's sort of how I feel writing this, because part of me feels I should just keep it to myself. But I just can't help it! I GOT AN EMAIL FROM THE ARTIST TEESHA MOORE! Oooh, maybe I should tone that down. I don't want her to know I went and blabbed- not that she would see my blog, mind you.

The email went like this:

"LOL! That piece of art is awesome! and inspiring! thanks for sharing.

teesha moorewww.teeshamoore.com"

It is in reference to Zetti Preschool pictured here, which I have shown before. I was ordering from her website, and got all ballsy and sent it to her. For those of you who don't know, Teesha Moore is possibly one of the most famous artists in the outsider art world, altered arts, the crazy collage arts movement. She started about 25 years ago on the west coast and has an amazing following for her art and her rubber stamp company, Zettiology. She even has a Flickr group of wannabees dedicated to her art. She was also recently featured in "Mixed Media Collage" by Holly Harrison. Teesha publishes her own zines and hosts ArtFest and Art FiberFest every year in WA. Her art truly got me started on this current path. Thank you, Teesha!

The Haunted House scene, also shown before, just came in second place in the ARTchix Holiday Art show, as voted by my fellow members, and I am so thrilled to have won a gift certificate to artchixstudio.com.

And the tree. Well, the tree was just showing off today. All the neighbors still have green leaves, and we have this beauty.

By the way, my new blog banner (and more to come) are by Kris L. Hurst at Blissfull (sic) Elements. I love it!

Zettiology Group Postcard Swap

Here are four postcards I just finished yesterday that are going to Maine, Massachusetts and Florida-somebody's mailman will have raised eyebrows for sure. I see I still have a little fine-tuning slash Botox-ing to do on these. The digital camera can be so unkind! I made my postcards reminders for Zetti Pre-School Photo Day. One says "Smile your Best Smile....limit one head per child, other restrictions may apply." You know the drill. Well, probably you don't and find this awfully weird, but 270 group members cannot be wrong. Check it out here http://www.flickr.com/groups/zettiology/. I am also uploading one I have received from North Dakota-very colorful and super fun! Thanks, Jan Williams.