Ah-oh, it's December 31st

December 31 is always a day of reflection for me, but as many of us, I tend to look at what I didn't get accomplished in the past year - or look around at what others have done and say, wow! I didn't get to that. I refused to think that way this Dec 31st and got out my journal (the one that has more writing than art, I have many different types of journals, as you know). I decided to write about the things that I was grateful for in 2008 before writing my list of new year's resolutions. As it turned out, I filled 3 journal pages with things I am grateful for that happened in 2008. I won't be listing them here, but will let you know that starting this blog was one of them!

Altered board book - YEARS spread

Here's the spread on the "YEARS" page. I'm experimenting with the best way to photograph these pages. I prefer to scan my artwork, but this book is too large and too thick. The heart is cut out of the page, so you see me dancing thru the heart window, and when you turn the page you see me in the tree thru the heart window. More to come ...

Altered board book - YEARS page

Here's a sneak peek of the next completed page for CCC's altered board book. The photo can be seen thru the cut heart-window...to come! By-the-way, my dad took this photo of me sitting in a tree on the Cedar Crest College campus over 30 years ago!

Bird pages for Caryl

I had to interrupt the making of the altered book - and switch to completing pages for my round robin project. Caryl's theme is birds/nests. I still had the theme of the altered book in my head, so this idea spilled onto Caryl's pages, as well. Try it. Take a theme and create as many different looks as you can!

CCC - Altered book "wonder" page

Still working backwards: the first spread of the CCC Altered Book, "I hope you dance". (Recognize the bubblewrap printing?) The egg nest is a transparency - hard to photograph well.

Altered board book - OCEAN page

The background pages for the altered board book for Cedar Crest College are now painted. I decided to dedicate the book to the women of CCC by using inspiring phrases from the song "I hope you dance". When I studied at CCC, I was hoping to dance, so this theme felt right to me. Don't ask me why I decided to start in the middle of the book, but I did. Here is the transformation from painted pages to completed. I inserted a vellum page on this spread to make it more interesting to read.

Artist-In-Residence

I am honored to say that I have been invited as an Artist-In-Residence at Cedar Crest College, Allentown. Sharing ideas with students from the Book Arts class, I find my time there very inspiring. Their current project is an altered board book (children's book) so we are busy sanding and covering pages with gesso. I will share the progress of my altered board book -- one which I will dedicate to the women of CCC and then donate to their art gallery. One of the pages: already painted. . .

ROUND ROBIN FAERIES

Well, I'm rather proud of these! Here's why: My partner in the Round Robin this month, Christine, requested vintage children faeries with birds in forest colors. (Oh my, I don't do vintage, nor faeries. ) I needed some inspiration, so I ordered collage sheets from Paper Whimsy - where the faeries come in pieces (like paper dolls) and you cut and paste them together. I made the dress from a floral paper and added the wings from my own stash of butterfly prints. Of course, my favorite part was adding all the background color and dimension with paint, tissue paper and rubber stamps. Those are real feathers on page two - in her butterfly hat and in her hand. Hope you enjoy these and try your own little challenge as I did here! Let me know what you're up to in your journaling pages!

TODAY'S JOURNALING

I recently created two house pages for Linda, my partner in a Round Robin this past summer. (Linda's peach Victorian house page, front and back, below. I actually added a "roof" to the pages) After doing her pages, I noticed a lot of house art and house books, even collage sheets with tiny house collages. This inspired me to make my own house art! So.. today I made a "Home Page" in my journal. Try making your own houses. I learned a trick to make them fast: Cut roof and house piece the same width. Glue together and then cut the roof shape at any height, but with the point at the center, now, decorate! Have fun! You'll notice that I used tickets, transparencies, vellum, actually - whatever scrap of paper was on my table, got added to the tiny collages.

ART JOURNALING PAGES

Another one of my favorite pages. My typical free style of journaling - layers and layers of paint, images and stamping - then adding my thoughts.

ART JOURNALING

I love teaching art journaling workshops. Everyone has a unique way of journaling and it's inspiring to see everyone get so excited and add his/her own personal flair. At times when I'm alone in my studio I feel as though I'm experiencing a creative block, and then I go teach - and bam! -- all these ideas come flowing out. It's cool for me and cool for my students!

ROUND ROBIN

I joined a Round Robin this summer. 10 artists are creating themed artbooks where we each complete a page for our monthly partner. I recently created these pages for Debby's black-and-white Vintage Women book. There are layers of lace, rubber stamping, mulberry paper, tissue paper, buttons, fibers and brads. The windows of the shrine open and close, too.

FAVORITE MUSE

This is one of my favorite pieces. Canvas with washi paper, rubber stamping and buttons. The best part is that it's covered with wax! Features Lynne Perrella's Puccini's Muse rubber stamp image on decorative paper. Was published in Inspirations, Winter 2007 issue.