TTTPL Art Journals Week Two

Good afternoon, happy Sunday to you.

This Art Journal endeavor has taken on a life of its own.  I had envisioned a project where we worked on parts, set them aside and then revisited every month or so.  Clearly, the enthusiasm has propelled this into a multi-week consecutive process.  My students have asked for yet another week of the same initial phase of this project.  This means that anyone who has not yet started their art journals at MacKomics Studio has another week to get in on the action! 

Supplies and activities available the past two weeks and next include:

Paper: tissue, sheet music, handpainted rosettes, scrapbook-patterned, doilies, vintage imagery (1910-1970), maps, books, mini commercial die cut, fine art, cardstock, velum, handmade

Other: see-thru colored plastic, metal frames and brads, jewels, ribbon, buttons, stickers

All sorts of glue and mod podge, fancy edge scissors, glitter, image transfer files, fabric, markers, paint, colored pencils, art pens, metallic powder paint, pastels

Table top die cutter to make custom envelopes, library pockets, and various flower shapes in the paper of your choice.

The tables are not sufficient to hold all the materials so we've cooped the work tables on one side of the room just to hold all the bins!

The pictures below depict work begun this week and alterations to work begun the week before.

Here is a completed front and back:

Here is a front and back from last week with some beautiful additions.  The inside surface of these covers are shown just below.

 Here are the inside covers of a few pieces completed last week:

I can tell from these photos that a few projects got out the door prior to picture taking so I'll be making some calls and updating this post when they come in!

Speaking of updating posts, there is one more completed Vignette Jewelry Brooch update and one Open Cards Crafting update - click the links to get the latest!

Last week, I started the post with pictures of books I've checked out of the Library to bring inspiration to this project.  The first one, Painted Pages by Sarah Ahearn Bellemare,  I chose specifically for its approach to creating an artistic journal page. 

In an attempt to emulate this style and thereby teach my students.... I created three successive pieces.  The first picture is a scan from the book so you can see what I'm talking about.... I really appreciate the use of white, the simplicity and balanced layout of these pages.

As you can see from these examples, I get super excited about the materials and then just put too much on the page.... the piece below has an image transfer, stamps, three different grid papers, paint, magazine image, gel medium, gesso, wallpaper sample, cancelled stamp, colored pencil, sharpie, metal frame and brads... I really need an art-intervention here!

So, I started out with the same materials and actually had to cut out part of the image since it was going down the same path as the one above.  However, I believe it is closer to the graceful simplicity from the examples in the book.  It still has a cancelled stamp, colored pencil, gel medium, stamps, a tag, image transfer, decorative tape, paint and two kinds of grid paper!

So, I decided to actually do an exercise from the book... there is no collage here, but I think I got a lot closer to my goal of serenity.  This is a little piece, just about 6 by 6 and I'm pleased.  What do you think?

So... in other news... my Fascinating Fascinators class at the Lawrence Arts Center is swinging into its last two weeks and we have finished up two weeks of upcycled projects and are moving into our final projects.  Here are some pictures of the fun pieces I prepared for the upcycled portion of the class.

I started with a random selection of materials I regularly save for art projects or the Earth Day recycled art event (more to come on this later!)

Here is the a casino-ready fascinator made from fruit bags, playing cards, tiddly winks, and one die all attached to a plastic hot chocolate lid cut to make a shallow cone shape.  This accessory lies flat on the head.

This diminutive red one was created by cutting circles from hard plastic packaging and applying heat to transform the shape.  It also contains a red circle cut from a metallic coffee bag, "feathers" cut from a warped badminton birdy, the backs of playing cards, a few beads and lots of hot glue.

This clear one also employed heat on a circle cut from hard plastic packaging.  I cut a spiral into the circle and bent it into a rosette shape as it softened in the heat.  The "leaves" were made by layering two pieces of plastic cut from one of those flexible zipper pouches new sheets are encased in.  In between the layers, I placed cancelled stamps and some large webbed fruit bag netting.

This mini "pill-box" hat was made from a strip of hard plastic packaging taped into a circle.  I unwound a new (1) bath scrubby and cut a length from it, opened the tube (yes, they are tubes of netting...) and inserted the plastic circle.  I used invisible thread to secure the inside to itself and then just tied a knot/bow in the center.  The spiral decorations are paper clips.  

I cut additional pieces of hard plastic packaging into feather shapes and then applied some heat to warp them slightly.

This next piece is fairly elaborate... the plastic hot chocolate lid base is covered with fabric flower petals and then scrap netting, pieces of a broken christmas decoration and another bath scrubby were used for the top.  The wings were cut from hard plastic packaging and scored with scissors to give them more dimension.

I really enjoyed preparing these examples for my students and tried to only use materials COMMON to any household... the fabric petals may have been stretching this definition a bit!

I've asked my students to bring in all their creations this week, so hopefully, we will have a gallery of their fabulous fascinators to show in the near future.

One last question: I've started this little piece and wonder whether it should be a brooch, barette, or just part of a larger fascinator compostition... what do you think?

If you haven't checked in recently, I'm up to 63 dresses over at Dress-a-Day!  Click the link and leave me a comment!

I hope your weekend is going great and that the week ahead brings you fulfillment, happiness and plenty of rest.

Take care

Liza

TTTPL Handbound Journals

Hello - Happy Sunday!

This week at Tending to the Pilot Light, we started a new project: hand bound journals.... We started with the covers.  Using ideas and inspiration from these great books from the Lawrence Public Library, we began the multi-week project.

We are working in a relatively small scale: 5 x 7 inches, using mat board cut to that shape.  This week, each student has the task of creating a front and back cover.  Supplies ranged from fabric, stickers, tissue, lace, playing cards, mixed art papers, mini images and lots of glue and glitter.

Here are some of the results... a few projects made it out the door without being photographed but I will post those pics when they come in.

Participants had the option of composing vertically or horizontally and several even managed to complete both covers in one night!

This week, we will finish the covers and begin planning the interior pages.  I have cut paper for signatures and will have the equipment available to create custom envelopes in several sizes as well as library card style pockets to be eventually bound into the book.  If you missed the first week and still want to be involved in this particular project, all the cover making supplies will be out this week as well.  We will NOT commence the binding portion of this project this week.

If you are looking for inspiration for the theme or "look" for your interior pages, please google "art journals" on the web and you will find amazing results.

and here is a link to our very own local artist Traci Bunker's YouTube channel where she has posted some very interesting art journal videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/TraciBunkers/featured

If you get a chance in the next day or two and are at the Lawrence Public Library, take a look at the display case right in front of the children's room.... a certain young penguin lover on tennessee street has graciously allowed Lawrence to view her collection.

I hope you have a lovely week!

Liza

Tending to the Pilot Light: More Plushies!

Last week was (king) soopers busy! in addition to the Thrifty Gifter Yarn Wrapped Wreaths workshop held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, I squeezed in one last TTTPL session on Wednesday night.  We made some really cute little pieces and since it is post-Christmas morning, I can show pictures of the pieces my daughter made for cousins and family as well as the crazy stuff I made for her!

Here's a handmade pattern being cut out to make a cute little unicorn!

Here is the unicorn with all its fringe and pipe cleaner horn and a sweet contrasting blanket stitch around the edges.

This cute Kitty Toy has a jingle bell hidden inside!

Here are the amazing little big-eared creatures my daughter made for family member's stockings... each with its own character.

Here is the GIANT plushie chibi-head doll I made my daughter... tape dispenser shows scale.  It has a wire frame inside and a cute little crochet dress and scarf

Here's a closeup of the eye... I used these Teddy bear eyes I had bought on speculation once while trying to beef up a craft supplies order without bumping up the shipping expense. 

I got the idea for overlapping fleece eyelids from these amazing creatures at the Wonderfair Gallery.

Here's the plushie breakfast plate special I made for my daughter's stocking...can you see the butter melting?!

All in all, I am totally mad for plushies! I even saw a couple of books dedicated to them in the library in my favorite stacks...the 730's to 750's... I could just live back there!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday vacation and am looking forward to lots of creativity in the new year!

Check back often on my new "page" on this blog as I'm going to post a dress-a-day for 2012.

Also, I am bound and determined to finish the year of dresses for the Dress-up Challenge and have just one left to do.  I am not sure why everyone dropped out soon after I took up the hosting of the challenge, but, just for my own sense of accomplishment, I'll make one more post tomorrow with the last two challenge submissions to make an even 12 dresses for the year.  If anyone has any feedback or knows why this project petered out... please leave me a comment below.

Cheers, I'm off to catch some of Lawrence's Final Friday Artwalk tonight - see you there?

Liza

Yarn Wrapped Wreaths at the Lawrence Public Library

On December 20th and 22nd, the Lawrence Public Library had its last session of the brand new Thrifty Gifter Series... Yarn Wrapped Wreaths!  We had about 20 people each evening and everyone went home with a beautiful handmade one-of-a-kind wreath.  Thanks goes out to my incredibly helpful assistants Sarah and William... I truly could not have taught the class without all their help setting up, demonstrating methods, answering questions and all the breakdown and cleanup!

I started the class with an explanation of the project and demonstration of a few types of felt flower styles.  I showed the participants the most efficient way to wrap their wreaths (hold wreath between knees and circulate ball of yarn 4 or 4 times before sliding strands together), and reminded them that the process was split into two sections... the more meditative, mindful section where they could practice patience and get to know their neighbors, and the second section which would be much more active and stimulating with all the decorations to choose from.

To aid with the instruction, I quickly doodled a step by step process page and color coordinated our felt samples to the colors on the page:

Sarah and William folded and rolled the pieces along with me at strategic positions along the table to give participants a closer view of how we were manipulating the felt.

Here is what the place looked like just as people started to arrive on Tuesday evening:

Thanks to Stepping Stones Ranch for all this great yarn!! My daughter's horseback riding teacher was having a fabulous garage sale and we scooped these up for the Library.

The following pictures are a mix of both evenings with process first and happy finished products at the end.

 

I was amazed to see how many different styles and interpretations people created...! We had a broad spectrum of ages and even a healthy sprinkling of menfolk... The time went quickly, however almost everyone completed or nearly completed their project.

This was so much fun I loved teaching such a large group of people and am so glad the Library was able to create this fabulous series of creative sessions... If you enjoyed the Thrifty Gifter Series, be sure to let the Lawrence Public Library know your opinion... maybe we can make a Lawrence Holiday Tradition!

Thanks to all the great participants, Sarah and William, and of course to Rachel who organized the entire event!

Happy New Year!

xxoo

Liza