YAPPING CAT STUDIO

Play Time with a Friend

Yesterday, I got the chance to spend some time with a dear friend.  My friend, Ruthe, had been interested in learning how to create some of the artwork  that I do for my journal pages. 

To her, my pages always looked like they were created in Photo shop.  I assured her, that was not the case, and proceeded to teach her how to layer with inks and collage. Above is her beautiful finished work!  Isn't it wonderful?  I'm so proud of her!

I loved her art work so much.  After I scanned it, I got to thinking it would be a great piece for my journal.  I had been looking for something to do the lyrics "Blackbird" on.  I thought this was perfect.  Above is after I added my hand-writing to her artwork.  I hope you don't mind, Ru...its too perfect for my journal.

Before Ruthe came over, I was practicing some inking and layering.  Here is my before and after of some of my artwork, that I had photocopied.  You can really see the difference.  The after is just several layers of inks, Prisma Pencils and coffee spray. 

There's nothing like a day of creativity and good gab with a dear friend to make the world seem right.  Thanks Miss Ruthe for coming over to play, I hope we can do it again soon. 

-c

Book Cover Redo and things Italian

All day long I've thought it was Wednesday, and its Thursday.  Which has kinda thrown me off kilter.  But I did enjoy Monday off with the Sweet Hub, so I guess it was worth the confusion for today. 

Above is after, before, after.  LOL.  Somehow I ended up with a pile of old Reader's Digest Condensed Book single covers.  I've taken some time today to alter them with paint, ink and more. 

This one has been sanded, inked, painted over, sanded some more and re inked.  I added some coffee dyed and inked scrim, along with an old calendar picure, that was also sanded and inked, and a couple of broken, vintage frame pieces. 

As you can see on the right hand side, the before cover is altered quite a bit.  I've really gotten into the whole "layering" thing.  I find it really fun to continue to build and build upon layers to get the finish that I want.  I even used an old doily to layer some inks, so that there were areas of gradiation. 

The last cover has been sanded, and painted and the edge taped down and sanded, but I've not yet started to apply the inks yet.  When I'm finished this will be an "Italian" Memory book.  Not sure how its going to end up, but I'm going to try and use all vintage goodies inside. 

Its actually not going to be to terribly hard to use all vintage things, as Dad and I hit a great Estate Sale a few weeks back.  The home owners must had traveled to Italy several times, as they had many numerous items from there.

Post cards.

Calendars.

Books and more.  Love this tray and I might just keep this for myself.

Loved this book of Opera.  Its in excellent condition, I really don't have the heart to cut it up when its in good shape. 

But my favorite find where these:

These are little calligraphy pen nibs.  They are bronze.  But the coolest part is,

that they are shaped like little pointing fingers.  I love it.  I put some in my Etsy shop along with some of he other Italian items. 

Most want to go to Paris, but I have an earthier destination in mind.  Warm sun, great food, wine…I want to go to Italy.  Perhaps one day.

-c

 

 
I've been working on some pages for my little journal.  I've been having fun with paint and stains and stamps and stencils.

I've tried to mix a good variety of inspiring quotes along the way, as well as just some things that are different.

Like this vintage bingo card that I painted, stained and sanded.  The strings can be used to slip photo's or journal cards underneath. 

I wanted it to have lots of fun layers and pockets.  Miss Jane holds her teapot here, but its on a string so it can swing back and forth. I was so inspired by Pam Garrison's House book I wanted to do something like it with the various layers.

So this has short pages and pockets.

Little bits of fun.

Transparencies.

And funky hand-writing.  Each time I think I'm done, it tells me it wants one more thing added.  LOL.

You may recall the cover.   This was an old reader's digest book that I gutted.

Can't decide if I want to put it on Etsy or not.  Maybe I'm not ready to part with it.  LOL.

What are you working on?

c

 

Painted Canvas Love...

.. .I have it!

I been taking another class.  She Art is such a fun class and I'm loving all the techniques I'm learning.

Learning to do layers and layers of lovely goodness.

While finding art time is slim as of late, what little bit of time I'm finding is super fun.  Hope you are finding some creative time.

-c

Hey boo boo!

  
Mistakes.  Boo-boo's.  Sometimes they happen.  Especially when the written word is involved.

That's why, ya gotta love sand paper.  I like to think of it as, the eraser for artists.

Before.

 
After.

Before.

After. 

I decided that I had not really like what I had written on the book mark.  I decided to go with something else instead.  Playing with layering.  More playing is in order.

-c

Only Bored People are Boring?

 

Hmmm, saw that Bored People saying on Pinterest and thought it was thought provoking.  LOL.  And speaking of, Pinterest, yeah, like I needed one more thing to make me waste more time in front of the computer. 

OK, waste is too strong of a word, just anytime my eyes can feast on unlimited eye candy is really never a waste.  BUT, you know what I mean.  Just cuts that bathroom cleaning time even shorter.  gah.

And speaking of bored, you may find yourself being bored of all my journal pages this week.  Its my new obsession.  I'm just so happy to have my mojo back, I can hardly stand myself. 

Tags.  Bookmarks.  They are all just flowing out.  Actually, I had made the "Beauty" one, a while back and was not totally happy with it.  I added some stain, stamping, beefed up the hand-writing and added a napking butterfly.  Its a little better to me now.

Actually, I'm having too much fun with the book marks.  These things are huge.  I'm calling them "Big Azz Bookmarks", LOL.  I'm thinking about throwing some up on my Etsy shop. 

And HELP!  I need a really good composition book!  Its been way too long since that college class!  Can anyone recommend just a good book on basic composition and layout?  Do you think that can be learned or is it instinctive? 

That and being bored makes you boring....yeah, just some of the many great thoughts we like to ponder here at Yapping Cat. ha!

-c

Happy Valentines Day!

What? No Color!

One of the coolest perks of being the Coordinator of Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat, is that I get to work with some pretty amazing gals.  Being surrounded by all that talent can be very intimidating.  Or very inspiring, just depending on how you look at it.  Me?  I'm inspired. 

If you remember this little project, it was fun.  And I loved the concept of the whole little hanging pocket.  But the colors, never quite sat well with me. And I love color.  LOVE!

So, inspired by my (amazing, might I add) friend, Lisa Mac, over at Tarnished and Tattered, I decided to re-do the little pocket, in neutrals.  Eek.  I'm a color kinda girl.  Neutrals hard.  All vintage...even harder.

But, really....it was fun!  And kinda freeing!  Because I was staying neutral, it made choices of what to use, easier.  Even though it was a little harder to stay our of my scrabooking bins, they are usually my go to.

The finished pocket above...

And here.  One of my favorite details, was that I attached the (real! gasp!) photo to some recycle cardstock (Salt-tine box), and then cut the edges.  As I was looking for toys to fill the pocket, I grabbed a piece of white writing chalk.  I decided to just chalk the edges of the cardstock the photo was adhered to for some additional detail.  It turned out to be my favorite thing.

I tucked in some "inspirational" toys.  I wanted the pocket to be an inspirational piece.  I made shred by repeatedly printing out this Picasso quote:

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

And then I cut it all to use as filler.  And I also did a hand-lettered card that read the same thing.  All sorts of "toys" bits of a bingo card, a fortune, a wish ticket, kiddie park tickets, etc.  All to inspire one to "play". 

Here it is stuffed and ready to be wrapped.

By then, I was really in the neutral groove and added a hand-made tag to match.

And here it is, all wrapped and ready to go! 

If you've never been over to Lisa Mac's world, go check her out.   Her blog is truly a trip down the rabbit hole into a wonderful, dream of cream, wonderfuland. 

I'm so honored to have this talented gal be involved in Paper Cowgirl again this year.  To check out her class at Paper Cowgirl in June, go to:  http://papercowgirl.blogspot.com/, and look at the amazing class she will be teaching this year! You too will be, like me, inspired!

-c

Play time

Thank you all for the encouraging and kind comments that you left this weekend, it really meant allot to me.  I generally keep everything close to the vest when it comes to the blog, so it was kind of a stretch for me to post something so personal.  So, thank you for your wonderful words. 

I was just playing around today in the newly cleaned Studio.  Its not perfectly clean, but at least I can walk in now.  And the desk top has resurfaced once more.

Dumped some different items onto the table and just begin to push this and that together.  A warm up exercise. 

 
Playing with some neutrals and some soft colors.  A little mix of vintage, new and coffee dyed.

LOVE that wee Frozen Charlotte.  Found her on Etsy. And photo effect from Picnik.  Love them.

Tag!  Before Coffee Bath.

After.  Kinda dulled things down a bit.

So, maybe, just maybe, I'll actually get some artsy crafty stuff done this week.  One can only hope! 

-c

The Rewards of a Creative Buzz

To me, one of the best things about an art retreat is what I like to think of as the "after effect".  This is the mode that I seem to go into, for several weeks (and sometimes longer) after seeing all the creative classes, swaps, etc.  Its seems to energize my creative spirit.  Gives the ol crafty mo-jo a kick in the tush (and frankly, mine needed it!).

I starting working on a small assemblage piece.  Not sure if it will be a wand or a wall hanging yet.  And I see things that I can improve on on the next piece.  And it feels great to actually be back in The Studio again.

I even drug out a Moleskin that I had bought (when I started taking an on-line course at Paper Relics.  Hope's on-line course is really fun, btw.  I enjoyed her course very much. 

Benefitting from the creative energy off of everyone else in an art retreat is just one of the rewards of attending.  And I don't even take the classes, just imagine what I could do if I had.  LOL.  I know many mention that to get out of their comfort zone is sometimes difficult, but if you make that leap, I'm sure you will find the rewards are many.

Well, I'm off to finish tweaking my assemblage piece.  What do you think Wand or Wall Hanging?  You know I always want your thoughts!

 

-c