Soulful Journal Continued.....

(prior 10 Days are in a post below)

DAY 18
Page 5 and 6
Mix up this list!

-Write the Alphabet quick and Angry (use a permanent ink pen)
-Cut out a silhouette of a person’s face, ink or paint over (magazine stencil technique)
-Add a wash of paint in a new color
-Use something unusual as a stamp (like a piece of corrugated cardboard or a sliced green pepper)
-List everything you did today so far. (Include little things like: brushed my teeth and let the dog out)
-Gesso out a section of your work, don’t think about it…just do it. Add something new over it.
-Add something metal
-Add a drybrush of paint in a new color



Sarah is going to New York City until Aug 7th..so we have alittle homework to keep us busy.
Homework:
Assignment#1: Write somewhere in your journal about your experiences with Soul Journaling so far. What were your favorite and least favorite prompts? What exercises would you like to do again? What surprises have you encountered? Has this process changed anything for you in your life or in your art making? Has our "Fellow Soul journalers" community influenced the journaling process for you? How?

Assignment#2: Go back and work on your "Taped page". No rules. We will have a show and tell when she gets back!


DAY 17
Page 3 and 4
Mix up this list!

-Fill up the page with numbers (Draw, collage, or stamp)
-Blob acrylic paint in your book and close it (did you know that Frida Kahlo used to do this in her journals?)
-Trace the outline of your hand at least 6 times (Use a permanent ink pen or paint*)
-Add a wash of a new color paint
-Use a crayon somewhere
-Paint with a fork dipped in paint
-Stitch with a needle and thread OR attach something with thread
-Add some meaningful words

Here are my mix of potpourri items.....
Numbers....Hands and stitching??






DAY 16......collage potpourri
Take 6 pages or 3 layouts and add text paper then a layer of Gesso....number the pages 1 thru 6.
We are going to do a fun Journal thing called the Magazine Stencil technique.
First, find an interesting body shape in a magazine and cut it out. Use a paint wash and sponge to stencil it onto the page. Then Sarah gave us a list of things to add...doing them in different order for each page.
Mix up this list!
-Fill the page with descriptive adjectives (Use a permanent ink pen)
-Cut out a silhouette of a person and ink or paint over it (Use the Magazine Stencil technique)
-Add a wash of paint (use a color you haven't used yet)
-Write your grocery list or any other list somewhere (use your non-dominate hand)
-Add tape
-Use pencil somewhere
-Make some quick lines, fast and without thinking
-Drip and splatter at least two different colors of paint
-Dry-brush on some paint (use a color you haven't used yet)

Be messy and have fun. The cool thing about this is you could do this same basic list over and over again and get totally different results each time.
Here's my pages so far...
I felt the body stenciling had a commercial look...graffitic perhaps...so I dedicated the layout to DADA and went with words that describe the DADA movement. I think this was the birth of collage in the artworld and certainly a good description of what art journalism is.




Homework: You will need a plastic fork for tomorrow! ;)


DAY 13 to 15

The project was to make Paper Dolls of the family to put in the House Pocket....
I searched High and Low for photos that had heads large enough to alter onto some figures, but no luck. I did make some copies of family members to slip inside so the pocket is full. You really do need to go to Sarah's blog
to see how cute her dolls turned out....wish I could have done something similar.

Homework: Prep a total of 6 pages or 3 full spreads for tomorrow with random Ephemera or Dictionary pages followed by a dry brushing of Gesso on top.....and you will need a fashiony type magazine for tomorrow....something with people.......and you will need a fashiony type magazine for tomorrow....something with people. Now that might be a problem for me unless Cabela catelogs will work??? lol!

DAY 12

Today we color-up our house pages and I decided to do watercolor wash with one brush and my fingers....also standing up! I'm a bi-focal kind of gal and if I work at arms length I am always surprised at what I see when I am done...lol! We live far away from any neighbors, so I had to add Devil's Tower that is just up the road.

I'm late getting this posted as the hubby is using my camera today to take some pics of the grandsons in the hayfield...this is the first summer to get behind the wheel of the tractors...and boy are they excited!
It's sad that as we get older we forget the magic that happens for 'first anythings'.
Maybe that is just a perk of being a grandparent to know that these are the things that 'imprint' and are little acheivements that really are remembered. Parents often think it is the first carnval ride, the first trip to Disneyland...the big things that are e-ticket or cost alot, but it's not. Don't really know where I am going with these thoughts...maybe just that today, working on these house pages has got me to thinking of 'where' the inspiration and the creativity begins. It begins in the home, your soul, and from all the little acheivements that you have piled up in your life over the years. That is why I chose, "Home is where my ART is" for my page.


So glad I took the Journal a-part!! Much better.
Tomorrow we will need some small brads and some type of heavy weight paper like card stock or watercolor paper.

DAY 11

I took my journal apart. I was getting pretty irritated with the paint and inks getting onto the other pages because of the spiral spine. I got brave after Christy, a fellow journaler, mentioned
Michelle Ward’s site
and found her ‘tip/trick’ where she shows you how to add a bit of wire to your metal coil when you put it back together. My book happens to be the same one as she shows...so Out those pages come!

Today we are going to collage over some of our drawings of our House and surroundings. ...then come back with permanent marker and define our drawings. No Picture for today....sorry...this is a work in progress.
Tomorrow, we are going to fill this page with color! This can be paint, markers, crayons, colored pencil, etc. Continue working on these pages adding any elements you want....so until tomorrow, happy journaling!

Mini Canvas Altered Art

I wanted to share a Mini Canvas I did earlier this year. Is was being submitted to a publication so I had to wait. It's a 2x2 inch little deal that I wasn't sure about, but it turned out kinda fun.

Indian Taco Recipe

I don't usually do recipes on my blog, but because of the response to my altered recipe card, I will print out the long version with some yummy pictures..

Indian fry bread is the foundation of a popular dish called Indian Tacos. Originally known as Navajo Tacos, they have been adopted by other tribes. They are the universal modern powwow food and are also popular attractions at many fairs, festivals, and outdoor summer events...the perfect vender food....great Summer food.



Sioux Indian Taco

1 pound lean ground meat (beef, lamb, venison or pork)
1 cup diced onion
1 small can red Beans - optional
4 cooked Indian Fry Breads (see recipe below)
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 tomatoes, diced - 1 small onion diced
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (3-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained or black olives
Sour cream or Ranch Dressing(optional)

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown ground meat and onions until cooked, add beans; remove from heat.

Place Fry Bread, cupped side up, on separate plates. Layer ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese, and green chiles onto top of each Fry Brad. Top with sour cream, if desired, and either roll up or serve open-faced with a fork. Makes 4 servings.


Indian Fry Bread

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying

Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump.
Flour your hands. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. NOTE: You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.

Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter.

Heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. NOTE: You can check by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large fryer.

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take about 3 to 4 minutes.

Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. (Great for dessert too, just add cinnamon & sugar!)

Pity Party...Domino Pendant

At AAWA we are having a "pity party" for some of us that 'cannot' attend the Artful Gathering down in Texas. Whaaaa! When the cat is away the mice must play righT? So we have decided to do a Pity Party Pendant Project..say that a few time in a row! We are having a domino swap in a Western Theme. Here's mine....

Altered Recipe Card

I wanted to share an Altered Recipe Card...Indian Tacos.
I made a dozen of these to swap out...and it sure was fun trying to get an ethnic look to them. When I get the other recipes from all over, I will bind all the cards together for a cool recipe book.

In this country, SD, WY and MT, the Indian Taco is a big treat. You can find them served at outdoor events like Arts in the Park, Festivals, Rodeos and MaPa cafe's in and around Indian reservations. They are a full meal as they fill your whole plate and when they are made right with the fried squaw bread and rest of the taco toppings, you will never pass them up!

Journal Challenge - Soul Journaling

(All DAILY posts on this will be added to this Post in sequence)

Sarah Whitmire has a 'journal challenge' on her blog and I figured it was just what I needed to do a 'art journey' this summer and see where it leads.....and to have someone to keep me in line....and to not let me slide. It will be fun! So here goes....

The book I am going to use is a blank book I got at Borders last summer and it has kraft cardstock pages.


To start out, we are to cover the first 3 pages in text from a dictionary or phone book ....then write in bold marker... Starting with the prompt: “Today I feel…” Like I feel stupid for starting a journal challenge during the busy summer months, but then Big Brother just started and I will be up late every night for the next couple months watching these 'other' stupid people....lol! That's my excuse and I am sticking to it! I ripped a few glossery pages from William Shakspeare and wrote some stuff....tomorrow I will check in and see what Sarah has planned.


To share progress with Sarah, I will also be sharing with 'you' here on this blog. YOU could join us if you want....just head to her blog
http://sarahwhitmire.blogspot.com/
and read up and get started.


DAY 2....Claim our Journals!
We are to dry brush gesso over our dried pages exCEPT I screwed up and did my writing with a non- permanent marker...what a mess!


But I fixed it. Then to CLAIM we Stamp or write "This Book belongs to:" at the top of the page. Write your full name underneath that. Then write it again and again until you have filled the page with your name. Use different fonts. Be Creative. Be free. OK....this is as free a I get without it looking like a 2nd grader (one of which I have here today helping me...he said, "Good job Grandma!") That's it until tomorow....

Homework assignment: to think about what you need to protect and nourish your creative spirit. Think about the things that sustain you. What’s needed to shield you from outside criticism and your inner critic?

DAY 3....&4....
Construct our own Soul Armor!
Think of strength and protection. Think about what you turn to when you are “under siege”. What does your creative spirit NEED more of?
How do we keep all those critical voices from crippling us in our crusade?

We are taking a couple days to do this...with clipart, altering and more writing. I will post a picture as soon as the paint dries. Visit Sarah's site to see how hers is coming along. http://sarahwhitmire.blogspot.com/

I have My Armor On!
I had difficulty thinking of things I needed to protect myself from....so my Armor is to help hold things in that I want to nurture and explore so I don't get sidetracked. Expressing Myself and Making it Personal instead of cookie cutter art are things I want to work on. Time is my only enemy...I have great support here at home and the groups I am in on the internet are excellent stimulation and inspiring! Well, that's it...I'm sure I will add more to this page as the journal continues.




More artists that are on this crusade....
Cheeka - Soul Lilies
Christy - Average American Girl
Mary Hunt - Working Projects
Caro - Glitter Tart Designs
Eliabeth - Miss Oddity's Crazy Collection

DAY 5 Scavenger Hunt!!

First prepare 2 pages as before with gesso cover and then wash with dark stain to age.

Time to get out those magazines!!

Find the following images in your magazines. When you see one on a page just tear the whole page out, set it aside and keep going. Don’t pay any attention to the size of the image. When you find one you like, just tear and go!

1.A smile
2.Something beautiful
3. a chair
4. something red
5. something blue
6. something comfortable
7. something exotic
8. a leaf
9. a color you love
10. a pattern
11. a flower
12. a bird
13. something you want
14. something you own
15. the letter R
16 something that smells good
17. something that tastes good
18. A circle
19. the letter A
20. An eye that’s the same color as yours
21. a hand
22. the letter T
23. a butterfly
24. a number

Set your images aside until tomorrow.

Part of not knowing what the end result will be is learning to enjoy the journey.

DAY6.....

Scavageing for photos posed a bigger problem than I expected....besides my Somerset and ClothPaperScissor mags, that I would never cut up, I could only come up with ranchey/agricultural ones like Acres, Heartland, and WesternHorseman. But it ended up ok and I found just what I was looking for except a Butterfly...so I picked another insect that represents what we are dealing with this summer in numbers! lol!

We are to cut the 24 pictures into 1x1 inch sguares and get them glued to our pages in this fashion...then we will see tommorrow what the next thing is....we are suppose to gather all the tape from around the house that isn't clear, this should be interesting!





DAY7
Today we are going to journal. Take the next 2 pages and write small, filling both pages....starting with the prompt, "I forgot to tell you…”

I wrote about Art Secrets...stuff I see myself doing and how I want to improve.

Then,the Tape that we gathered yesterday is to cover what we wrote...seal it up.

I'm not so sure what the lesson/goal is here...to write and get things out of our systems then dimiss them by hideing them forever??? Or to learn that tape is a good material to feel free to use in different ways when we journal?? This is what I did... What I wrote, let's say, is beginner journaling. Some day, in the future, I want to revisit my "thinking" to see how I have progressed. So what I did was create two cover pages over my journaling, tied off with ribbon that only 'I' open. like doors. I used tape and I will add more to this later, maybe some alchohol inks. That's it for today...no homework. This has been a lot of fun and just wanted to let you know it is not too late to join in. It would not take long to catch up!!



Four more gals just joined us...
Kathryn - The Collage Diva
Jo - Art Heart Studio
Keron - The Colour Guru
Jacky - art4mio
And another few....
Ruby Claire from Australia
Taylor's Textiles Trials
Jane - Sepia and Glitter

DAY 8
Textural background day....take the taped pages and SAND. Add gesso (white or black) then wipe off as you go. Add color in the same manner. Sand again. Texture seems to pop! Assignment for tomorrow....Pick a flower today and press it somewhere in your book! :) I'm going to antique this a bit before tomorrow.



Day 9
Today we are to go back to the scavenger hunt 1x1 pages and add some paint and journaling....I used straw yellow since that was my fav color I picked out for my square. The lesson here is to feel free to go back and add stuff to prior pages in your journal at any time, this journal will ever really be what you may consider “Finished”. I want it to be constantly growing and changing. As new insights and ideas are awakened in me I want to be able to go back into my journal and add to it.



DAY 10

Start two new pages. If the paper is not watercolor, then gesso it. I am starting to feel 'One with my Gesso'.
Draw a basic house shape with a pencil. This is be 'symbolic' of my house and not meant to look exactly like it.
Then we are to use a brown paper grocery bag (recycle) to make a pocket over the square section of house. On the next opposite page I am to to draw more houses or your "outside world". Our instructions are to not go into too much detail yet...and wait till tomorrow, while the glue dries on the pocket.



I see a few more Soul Journalers were added to the list at http://sarahwhitmire.blogspot.com/
so, if you think you might like to join us, you could easily get caught up in a full afternoon...grab a book and lets go!

Linda - Blue Eyed Girl -from the UK
Vicki- Altered Everything and More

Kelly Rae Roberts...Taking Flight

Kelly Rae Roberts does such beautiful work. She shares this on her blog
and has a nice Etsy shop.
Announcement!!!


She has a book coming out that looks very interesting called,"Taking Flight - Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Cretive Spirit Wings".
She is taking pre-orders through her store as it will be ready in August.
I just had to order one!!
Her work is beautiful, wonderful colors and lots of detail and I am sure she will be sharing some great tecniques!
I live too far away from all the great conventions, tradeshows, retreats and there just aren't mixed media workshops or classes to go to ....so what I 'save' will be put towards wonderful BOOKS by artists I know from blogland.

Onto Halloween!!

I'm diving in full bore!
I have a few red/wht&blue projects to do during July for a swap and a mingle, but other than that...I am all Halloween.
I'm going to start doing Halloween year-round because I like it so much...it's just Fun! Besides, by the time the 4th is past, there's so little time left to get ready for Fall things....that's my plan anyway. Alot of gals do Halloween year round on eBay and etsy with great success...I watch the EHAG group daily and there are many new groups giving it a go too. There's a new Gallery/Selling Site soon to open on the 13th called SpookyTimeJingles that will feature Halloween and Christmas art.(STJ for short)

Below are some photos I was cleaning out of my files of past projects and decided to do a photobucket show instead of taking up blog space.

My new favorite halloween sites...

Laurie Hardins Accents

The Holiday Queen

Giveaway...100th post

The Mad Tea Party is still going on all weekend as alot of us party goers are still trying to visit everyone on the long list...so click on the link in the next post if you haven't been to the party yet.

I had a few partygoers ask about the photos I used at my party....the Alice and Cheshire Cat is from the 3-D Video game called American McGee's Alice.
www.macnn.com/reviews/american-mcgees-alice.html....review

The second one is one I had saved years ago in hopes of making a wild rabbit doll with similar eyes. I did about 3 hours of research this morning and I could find nothing about it...I believe it is a childs book and the illustrator is chinese.

Here's another I just had to share...and a little trivia..lol!
Mad Hatter...
incarna.andablog.com/2007/12/the-mad-hatter.php



Did you know that the fictional character; The Mad Hatter encountered in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is based on a real person... or, more specifically,real people?

Hatters (people who made hats) in the 1800's often used mercury to cure felt. They would breathe these fumes (unintentionally) and, over time, the mercury would build up in their system. This, in turn, caused neurological damage and muscular tremors. Eventually they would develop confused speech and even hallucinations and psychotic symptoms. No one really knew mercury was toxic at these times so people just saw this odd trend of hat makers going insane.

The expression "Mad as a Hatter" was a term in use 30 years before Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland.

If you want to see a real special Mixed Media Artist's work on Alice in Wonderland check out ....
Anne Bachelier

OK...Now go to the next post... and sign up for my Giveaway!!
Everyone can use a few more Distress Inks...right??!

Happy 200!!

Vanessa Valencia from A Fanciful Twist is having a PARTY!!!
Bloggers love parties...and it's always Big Fun when there is a theme and this Party is a Mad Tea Party. She's celebrating 200 posts on her blog...just Double what I have as I just hit 100 with this post.
I will have a little Free Blog Giveaway at the bottom of this post and all you have to do is leave a comment to be entered and I will pick a winner on July 1st!

Now back to the PARTY!!!


Mad Hatter: Tea?
March Hare: [slices a tea cup in half] Just half a cup, if you don't mind.

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Mad Hatter: Do you care for tea?
Alice: Why, yes. I'm very fond of tea.
March Hare: If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!

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Cheshire Cat: All ways here you see, are the QUEEN'S WAYS!
Alice: But I've never met any queen.
Cheshire Cat: You haven't? You haVEN'T? Oh, but you must! She'll be mad about you, simply mad!
Alice: How can I find her?
Cheshire Cat: Well, some go this way, some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the shortcut.

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Alice: When I get home I shall write a book about this place... If I ever do get home.
Join the Party by visiting
Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist
There's a long list of other bloggers attending her party...see the list on her blog!

Now for my mini 'giveaway'......just "post a comment" and I will send this off to you on July 1st!! (6 Free Tim Holtz Distress Inks)
I will announce the winner on my blog!!

ATC's and Feedjit Fun

I confess....I don't do breakfast unless it's at a restaurant or for supper. That being said...this ATC is part of a series of "I don't Do___'s".
The toast sits on top of the plate and is textured with a mix of Distress Embossing powders and the greasy aspect of the bacon,sausage and egg tops is Glossy Accents...Ranger Products, of course.
The other three are just to share....





About this Feedjit thing...it's the box in the left column...all the way at the bottom. It's a Live Feed of visitors to this blog. I have been having a ton of fun with it and I recommend that you add one to your blog if you haven't already. I have learned so much about where people come from; towns and countries and how they arrived via other websites and how they leave, like what links are of more interest. The most important, it shows search words from google and other search engines. Totally cool...check it out!

Americana

I wanted to share some past Americana projects that I sold on Ebay...Show and Tell time...so I made an album with Photobucket. Not everyone goes over to ebay so this is a good way to show my blogging friends. Flag Day Fun!!

I saw this on Youtube, and it blows me away...Watch and you too, can say it has "Elevated" art to a new level!
Enjoy!

Great Mail Day!

After a long and quiet week-end of no traffic in and no traffic out, we made our way out to the mailbox today. Our house was like an island as both roads had water flooded over them from the gulleywasher storm we just had. I knew the Row House Swap package was out there and I couldn't wait any longer! I wish the picture was better as these houses are just wonderful little pieces of art! Thank-you to all the wonderful gals who made these and to Jeri Aaron who hosted. They are so different from each other. I have them lined up above my studio window for the picture and I might just leave them there...a row house valance! Thanks again Jeri and everyone who participated in this swap and to all of you who I was lucky enough to get a wonderful piece of your work!

The other package that WoW-ed me was the generous prize from Ranger for the May Challenge at RangerInkLink. The theme was Crackle-Snap-Pop or something like that and I made a Fathers Day box using crackle medium and Crackle Accents. The Prize was all Denim colored products...how cool is that! Thanks RANGER!

Springtime...

Wow...Where does the time go?? Look how long it has been since I posted! I guess it might be that Spring is here and I have a bunch of landscaping to do because of the addition to the house....or....that I have been busy adding Venetian plaster and paint to the interior walls....there's tons too do!



So...the brandings are done and the cows are out to pasture (aren't those two grandsons cute!)and now we are getting HUGE rainstorms. Now don't get me wrong, moisture in agriculture is a good thing...never whine, right? But enough is enough! We have had 2 sunny-no rain days in the last 17 crazy huh...so I have been working on the yard in little snippets of time knowing full well that whatever I get done now will be less I have to do when it's too hot and miserable to be out there. In fact I know there is a package out at the mailbox that has my Row House swap in it and I am dying to see them....but both roads up to the house have water running over them, so maybe tomorrow.

I Do reserve my evenings for a bit of blog surfing and art. I'm finishing up a project that I have been working on for Stampington & Company and have the beginnings of a recycle project for Arty Girlz recycle challenge. I have been in a funk when it comes to blogging here...so I will try to make more time to share.