...cheers to the New Year!

.....shine in the light that you are!   

Wishing you good health, prosperity 

and abundant joy in 2011.....

...it's time

I love watercolor.  It is the medium that defines me as an artist/illustrator.  Right now i am playing with Adirondack Color Wash and Distress Ink reinkers from Ranger as watercolor paints.  Since both products are water based, they can be thinned and stretched with a water soaked paint brush.  The concentration and intensity of color is a perfect base for an art journal spread.

..."it's time"....Reflecting with hope, seeking good changes in 2011.....

"One day you just woke up in the sunshine 

and decided to have the courage to change everything."

...back to some inky art!

While we had a magical time with family and friends, so glad the holidays are drawing to a close.  Now back to work i go!  Finishing up my stamps, and 3 other assignments that all have to be completed from now until January 10th.


For me, one of the nice things about Christmas week is the little bit of down time to "reorganize".  My home studio was the winner this year!  It felt good to take a little inventory of the "stash" and supplies i have, that will inspire new directions and ideas in the New Year.


I get the most satisfaction from the creative process in my journals, exploring with paint, ink, spray, color, drawing etc.  Colorful pages stay blank from the journaling part, waiting for writings to be inserted later.  Here are two pages that have been awaiting their 'written wisdom' for months..........i finished them yesterday when i was supposed to be cleaning!

 On the left page spread in my Moleskine Watercolor Journal, I drew my usual whimsical flowers then painted them with my Tim Holtz Distress Ink Reinkers.  Just used drops of the distress inks in a paint tray, added water and painted with a brush.  These colors  are so bold and rich, just how i love them! (here i used Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick, Orange Marmalade, Broken China, Scattered Straw, etc)  Then, the "sugar on top" is some spritzing with my Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists in "Perfect Copper".  Just the perfect amount of shimmer to catch the light.

On the right side page spread, i drew my winged a heart and colored the same way.  Outlined with my Inkssentials White Gel pen.

Now finished...a message reflecting the anticipation of a new year.....

..."see yourself as others see you...shine".....

creatively crafty christmas

Forgive me for the blog lapse in my December dailies, but you know, i've been preoccupied tending to all my Creative Christmas details.  So in the past three days, here's a photo tour of what i have done:


...Made 12 Tattered Floral Pins for gifts with the Legacy Studio fabric i designed for JoAnn's last year.  (i'll do a tutorial in January)

...Made 13 paper gift boxes (so far) for gifts (i am certifiably obsessed with the Martha Stewart Scoring Board especially since i got it for $9.99 with a Michaels 50% off coupon!)... 

...Made 13 rosettes/lollies for the top of the gift boxes...

 ...Made 22 dozen old fashioned butter cookies 

(My great aunt's recipe from when before cholesterol was invented)...

...Made about 3 pounds of Peppermint Bark...

...Made a mound of Hershey Kiss Waffle pretzels...

 ...Wrapped about 65 gifts (at least!)...

 ...Made about 85 gift tags for all the gifts, punched, inked and stamped...

...Made 30 MORE Alcohol Ink ornaments for my own family and friends. (there are those #%&*# ornaments again, obsessed i tell you!!!  But they're so pretty, they look like jewels.)

 

...Hope you are loving your Christmas.  Now i am going to reacquaint myself with Mr. Dyson and get this Christmas Cyclone of Creativity cleaned up a bit.  So peace, love and joy to you today!!

art journal everyday...

Wow!  You know how much i love the art journal.  Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a really fun New York artist and is hosting a "Art Journal Everyday" event for 2011.  I just signed up, and it's FREE!  It will be such fun sharing in an online community, just like having an "artsy play date" every day!  

  Check out Julie's blog for what you'l need to get started.  It looks like fun, just to be a little accountable to your creative self on a daily basis.  So many things to try and learn from each other. Oh the creative places we will go!!  See you there...

giveaway winner!!

......is Shari from Florida!

Shari said...

Hi Joanne, That mag looks yummy! I'd say the 2 things that attract me to a blog are creativity, if they show some really cool photos or art that they are working on and if the style of the blog is colorful and whimsical. Secondly, the spirit behind it. If it is mostly upbeat and inspirational, I'll be back. I connect with that.

December 15, 2010 8:00 AM 

Congrats Shari!!! email me your address and 

i will get the "Gifts" Magazine out to you this week.

We will have more giveaways in 2011 from Cloth Paper Scissors, so keep visiting.  Thanks to all who left comments! Great ideas and even greater NEW ART FRIENDS, to share our creative journey.  

Stay joyful and inspired!  Merry "Christmas Week" to all!

still time to post

Okay, let's take the rest of the afternoon today to leave a comment below on the  post,  Cloth Paper Scissors "Gifts Giveaway!"  Giveaway!  Read a the post from December 15th and comment.  The drawing's at 6pm TODAY!  Merry Christmas week everyone!