12 tags of 2014 - July

The theme for the July tag was water and beaches. Not my favourite thing at all to make even though I'm crazy about water. Straange! It was quite fun to make the tag after all.

I neither had the dies nor the embossing folder. I cut the seahorse, sand dollar and starfish by hand. Instead of shrink plastic I used overhead film. You can't see it very well in the photos.
I think it was kind of brilliant to add the real coins at the bottom of the tag! I also made a book mark for a little boy I know.

The July tag

The book mark

Life Book 2014 - week 25

Life Book 2014 - week 25
Main lesson: Reverse Excavation with Effy Wild

This was an interesting lesson. I liked the idea of working for 15 minutes a day, but I think my painting just got worse and worse as the week passed. I didn't know how to save it. It was not until the final day as I managed to rescue it. Actually, I'm quite pleased with it now. It ended up as a self portrait - although my hair isn't that golden! ;-)

Day 1 - collage

Day 2 - paint and stencils



Day 3 - mark making and doodling

Day 4 - create focal images

Day 5 - shading and glazing

Day 6 - tending

Day 7 - tending

'Take the challenge' - July

'Take the challenge' in July is about creating something you don't usually create. It could be style, colors, theme or products. I NEVER EVER use the color red. I don't like it. And all of a sudden I felt the urge to make something in red! I have to admit that I got super inspired by Kate Crane on her blog The Kathryn Wheel, both by the use of color and by the use of carved stamps. I love her work!
So, I usually don't create something in red, I usually don't carve my own stamps, I very seldom make Christmas cards (only once a year!) and I very rarely sew on my cards! And I really, really like the outcome. I actually do like this combination of reds!
One sheet of watercolor paper made four cards and six Christmas tags.

The stamped snowflake

The stitched snowflake

The Christmas tags

MATERIAL:
Panduro acrylics: Crimson
Tattered Angels: Glimmer Mist: Its Red
Tattered Angels: Chalkboard: Cotton Candy
Tattered Angels: Glimmer Glaze: Pink Lady
Dimensional Fabric Paint: Ruby glitter
Some cheap glitter glue in pink, no name
Faber-Castell: PITT Big Brush: Permanent Carmine
Faber-Castell: Gelatos: Watermelon, Red Cherry
Black marker
White Posca

Life Book 2014 - week 17

Life Book 2014 - week 17 - Gratitude and Living in the Now
Main lesson with Tascha Parkinson

It seems like I'm doing the lessons in the order that I was supposed to. I'm repeating myself; this was just what I needed right now. I couldn't agree more about this lesson. It is so important to be grateful for every little thing in your life. I think that's what happiness is all about. And even though I felt miserable earlier this week it seems I have plenty to be grateful for! I sat smiling when I wrote down my words!

I  went for the "interesting, modern look", as Tascha called it. I didn't bother to paint my girl and the flowers with watercolors. Instead I painted the cut outs with Vernis Scintillant, a kind of "sealer" that has glitter in it. It felt like cheating leaving them all white!



There is so much to be grateful for

My glittering girl!

MATERIAL:
Venus acrylics: 215 Lemon Yellow
Panduro Acrylics: Permt green, Emerald Green, Fluorescent Pink
Diams: Vernis Scintillant
White Posca
Black markers
StazOn:Jet Black
Stamps from Impression Obsession: CL68 Spring Blooms

Life Book 2014 - week 29

Life Book 2014 - Week 29 - You Diva! with Marieke Blokland

This was another great lesson in Life Book 2014. I just love the art of Marieke Blokland. She seems like such a sweet and wonderful person. She let us know that she had been redundant from her daytime job and that she will concentrate on teaching art. Good decision! Have a look at Bloknote Academy!

And just as always, this was what I needed right now. "Today is today, the past is in the past", what a great reminder. I had a bad day yesterday and this wonderful lesson lifted me up.

I got stuck on another lesson because I didn't have any good color for painting flesh. Mixing three or more colors to get a somewhat natural color of the flesh made me bored. It was also a nuisance to continue on the painting the day after.  I recently bought a color that I was recommended and I was so excited to finally be able to paint faces without the prior mixing! But when I tried to paint with it on this face it didn't blend at all with the rest of the colors, it was so ..."oily". Yep. I had bought oil color...

"Today is today, the past is in the past".

Sometimes my phone takes photos in this way
out of it self. I liked this one!

MATERIAL:
Traditional Craft paint: gipsy pink, flesh tone, sky blue
Panduro acrylics: vermillion, orange yellow, primary yellow, titanium White
White Posca
Staedtler pigment liner
CKS super chalk in blue and yellow
Ink and dip pen
Graphite pen
Neocolor II in blue
Scrapbook papers
Stickers

Life Book 2014 - week 28

Life Book 2014 - Main lesson with Tamara Laporte - The Inner Sacred Eye.

I was thrilled about this lesson because some time ago Tamara showed a little piece of this painting on her Facebook page. First I thought about sharing her photo because I liked what she had written so much, then I decided I wanted to write something similar in my next piece of art. I was so happy when I found out it was something we were going to do in Life Book!

Tamara was also spot on on how I feel right now. It's july already and I haven't done half of what I had planned so far. It is my last week of vacation and then it's work, work, work for another 12 months (I have late vacation next year). But I guess vacation is about resting, contemplating and taking care of yourself. And that I have done!
I have done the meditation once a day since the lesson actually, and it makes me feel a little better. But I still feel stressed.

MATERIAL:
Distress Marker: tumbled glass, vintage photo
ProMarker: cornflower, turqoise, crdinal red
Neocolor II: slmon, orangish yellow, slmon pink
Adirondack Color Wash: stream, lettuce
Dylusions: vibrant turqoise, funky fuchia, pure sunshine
Pitt 2907 Medium
White Posca
Staedtler pigment liner
Panduro acrylic: orange yellow, primary yellow