Up all night with the artsy fairies...

I have these nights where I have so many designs and ideas in my head that I can not get a wink of sleep...last night happened to be one of them..so if I am a bit more dingy than normal, it is because of the lack of sleep..anyway, let's get to it and see if you like any of these things I came up with!

one of my fav art journal pages..gelatos and dyes

odd looking bit of blue texture island with sequins, etc...

the large bin of new items I have made lately

a football shaped chip and dip segmented dish (now in art room)

my first chip and dip dish...love it

sorta zetti fairy girl

More fun with dunce caps and collage, plus hand sewn around edges

small tag with collage image

Small tag with collage house and hand sewing

small tag with owls

These are just a few drops in the bucket of all of the things I have been making lately! It's a lot of fun, but I could sure use some good sleep!

You Aren't Gonna Believe Your Eyes....

art journal page

atc size card

XL art journal page

small journaling card w collage

balloons on small tag

secret garden 4 x 4 inch

pink journal card w embellie

You know it's bad when you have to make yourself stop creating long enough to blog about it all, complete with pics, descriptions and some tips and techniques thrown in...This may get kinda long, but i am trying to make sure i add things that you would really like to know about...so, without further ado,  let's get this going...
1. I have been making a ton of paper and misc. embellishments to use in my art journal, on cards, as little swap gifties, etc...here is a few of them...

small butterfly card, smaller than an atc

small tag

small tags and cards w mixed media/collage

small tag with secret garden collage and butterfly

These are just a slight drop in the bucket from all I have been making..I am also making small journals, and other types of embellies, plus I have made some pretty awesome stamps as well! I used fun foam for the stamps and embossed them or used my heating craft tool to do the design in a burned out way...worked great, smelled awful, but did work well!

misc. flower embellies

small paper embellies

I have made all kinds of small journals, "bitty books", artist books, mini books, accordion books, and altered books here and there...

small card embellie, smaller than an atc

And even with showing you all of these, they still aren't a drop in the bucket...I am having to slow down now, had blood work done and it turned out not so good...so I am going to have to ease up for just a while...

xl art journal page

large tag and chipboard wip butterfly embellies

bird, abstract flowers, handmade leaves embellie card

Ok, well, I have shown you enough for one evening...If you have any questions, please just drop me a line in my comments section...I will be glad to answer anything for you! More later, and have a blessed and creative day!!

Happy Creating,

Laura

Book Review: Creative Embellishments by Sherrill Kahn

I know I don't do this as often as I should, but here is a book review that I am truly excited about...Creative Embellishments by Sherrill Kahn is in a single word - indispensable.  Now, I am the one that loves to order books, loves to look at the pretty pictures for a few minutes, and then puts the book up on the shelf, never to be seen again by human eyes... This is NOT that book.

Although certainly not a new book, it was new to me and it completely changed the way I look at embellishments and what they are made of, as well as what can be done with them, what you can use to make one, and how to use what you have made. I keep this book on my work table, right within reach because the pretty pictures in this book have actually taught me something, and more importantly, opened my mind to the complete world of embellishments. I had always just thought of embellishments as a way to add to my total art piece, but this book taught me that each embellishment is also a work of art within itself. I really love making and using my very own embellies that are unique, that are never going to look like cookie cutter, mass produced embellishments that anyone can go buy. This whole idea is so awesome to me for some reason, probably much more than most people because I get excited about silly things that others take for granted. Anyway, this book has instructions for making the various and widespread types of embellishments, and encourages us to look beyond the page, beyond the pre-cut, and helps us say, "Why not make my own and make them suit me?" Below, you can see what I did in my first endeavors to make my own embellishments using clay, fibers, old jewelry, beads, papers, and a little imagination...I love the way these turned out!

oven baked clay figure and heart, yarn fibers

old earring, fibers, oven baked clay disc with engravings and textural pieces, pearls and beads

clay heart, beads, key, papers, round yellow clay disc

clay "love" element, round clay heart design piece, two metal earrings

stamped out clay disc with heart shape in the center, plastic bead

round clay disc with face

All of the atc's above have handmade clay embellishments, and they really went fast in the open swap I was entered in on "The Art Colony", the only NING site just about, that I am still active at...but these atc's are just the beginning stages of what is probably going to happen....I will be excited and overdo myself, making myself sick, and then, I will suddenly not want to ever make anything like it again! Hopefully, you will love this book as much as I have and still do. I bought my copy at Amazon. I am pretty certain that there are more copies to be found on there. I hope you purchase one, and get as much enjoyment out of it as I have. I literally had an epiphany (lol) about these embellishments, this book, and all of the ideas that came flooding in concerning this style! Enjoy, and Happy Creating!!

Laura

"Laura's Uniques" on Etsy.com

http://laurasuniques.blogspot.com

my other blog at 

My other Blog-Laura Uniques 2

Art From Your Heart: Is a new group on NING that I have just started building. I have a few members already, but would love to have YOU!! I am planning for the site to be a collaborative work between myself and other artists/creatives, and I could really use your input.

I am envisioning classes and instruction, guidance and encouragement, support and sharing, classes and education, great conversation and fantastic company and talent, gathering together with other “like-minded”, talented and eager to learn beginning and experienced artists. I may also have a group for writers and one for poets if there is enough interest in those two areas.Be a part of something from the ground up! We will be diving into art journals, altered books, mail art of all types, mixed media art of all kinds, traditional art, various art mediums and techniques, found poetry and altered text, altered art of all types and anything else “creative” that there is an interest shown. Much of the time, members of the group will get to help decide the structure and content of the web community, from the very beginning (I will have the final say...)

To JOIN - Just click on the link above or click here - Art From Your Heart ! Looking forward to seeing you there and getting to know you! Come join - it’s free and it should be fun!

Laura Thykeson
Art From Your Heart
The Altered Book Nook
Taz's Corner
The Uncommon Artist

New Mail Art Postcards

I have made some new postcards, and thought I would post them for you to see... They are very simple, but fun to make, and about half-way addicting! I just love the simple yet colorful look of them...

The top two are as follows, "Blue Daisies", the next is "English Garden", and the last is "Trumpet Vines"...I made these postcards with my watercolor  (watercolour) pencils, and my water brush.

I also made a small abstract in my 5" x 8" visual; journal by Strathmore, and it is below:

Look at the journal page above...It is fair, isn't it? It could pass left just like it is...but...what if you added some pastels to the background and smeared them around and then some watercolor crayon accents? Then you might have a page that looks like this---

Quite a difference huh??? Just goes to show you how a background can make or break an art journal page...!!

Two Free Giveaways!!!

 

Would you like to receive free, weekly or monthly journal prompts for either your art journaling, visual journaling or your regular journaling? The prompts look like the one above as well as some others I have made into "word art", all on cardstock and colorful, which you could print off onto cardstock and actually glue into your journal or use on a greeting card, etc.! Here is the way to enter-If you can get someone new to sign up for my blog, and let me know in the comment section of my blog, I will enter you in a drawing for free journal prompts for 6 months!! Yes-I will commit to you for 6 months! I will send you one prompt a week or one a month, whichever you prefer (please state which you would prefer in the comment you leave, along with your and your friend's names, and your email address so I can send your prompts to you each time...). If you don't want to leave that info in the comment section, you can email me the info at "Lthykeson@yahoo.com". Please put "Blog Contest" in the subject line. I have seen sites on the web that send out journal prompts, but the ones I saw wanted money, which I am not gonna spend on journal prompts!  I would like to have more readers, and I think you can help me out! I will also be having a contest in the future for some folkart EXTREME GLITTER, so they may want to sign up before I have that drawing (December 15, 2010) so they will have a chance to win, along with you!

If you haven't tried the Extreme Glitter, you are missing out on a great product! So much better to apply glitter in the clear base, than to have to shake or pour over projects and then have your glitter flake off onto places you don't want it to be. So, if you would like to win some of this great product for free, watch my blog and get others to sign up for blog updates-simple as that, and they could also win! I will put your and their names in the drawing for the Extreme Glitter, but your name alone will go in the Free Journal Prompt Drawing!! Sound good??

Folkart Extreme Glitter Contest and Product Review!

I have been working on my blog again, trying to get a "look" that I like better. The problem I am having is-I don't know what I am doing, lol!  I will figure it out eventually...

Don't forget the free class starts at Willowing and Friends on Monday the 18th, which is tomorrow! I don't know about you, but I am really excited about it. It came at a wonderful time, since so many people are a little tight on cash right now! Be sure you have your supplies ready from her supply list on her ning.com website. You can find the link on the far right hand side of my blog.

Would you like to receive free, weekly or monthly journal prompts for either your art journaling, visual journaling or your regular journaling? The prompts look like the one above as well as some others I have made into "word art", all on cardstock and colorful, which you could print off onto cardstock and actually glue into your journal or use on a greeting card, etc.! Here is the way to enter-If you can get someone new to sign up for my blog, and let me know in the comment section of my blog, I will enter you in a drawing for free journal prompts for 6 months!! Yes-I will commit to you for 6 months! I will send you one prompt a week or one a month, whichever you prefer (please state which you would prefer in the comment you leave, along with your and your friend's names, and your email address so I can send your prompts to you each time...). If you don't want to leave that info in the comment section, you can email me the info at "Lthykeson@yahoo.com". Please put "Blog Contest" in the subject line. I have seen sites on the web that send out journal prompts, but the ones I saw wanted money, which I am not gonna spend on journal prompts!  I would like to have more readers, and I think you can help me out! I will also be having a contest in the future for some folkart EXTREME GLITTER, so they may want to sign up before I have that drawing (December 15, 2010) so they will have a chance to win, along with you!

If you haven't tried the Extreme Glitter, you are missing out on a great product! So much better to apply glitter in the clear base, than to have to shake or pour over projects and then have your glitter flake off onto places you don't want it to be. So, if you would like to win some of this great product for free, watch my blog and get others to sign up for blog updates-simple as that, and they could also win! I will put your and their names in the drawing for the Extreme Glitter, but your name alone will go in the Free Journal Prompt Drawing!! Sound good??

New FREE Art Journaling Class!!

There is a new art journaling class starting on the 18th of October called "Art, Heart and Healing"! It is being offered at this wonderful online community (and see me there, I am a member also!)-

Willowing.ning

Also, don't forget that Strathmore is offering 3 different art journaling classes, also FREE on their website! The link is not there anymore, but you can try contacting them through their email, and you might still get lucky. Such goodies just waiting for us to take advantage of! Even if you have been journaling for a while now, don't pass these up, as you just might learn something new!

Also, last but not least-Do you need a CREATIVITY COACH to help you bring out your best? Well, I have found the best FREE one on the internet, (in my humble opinion)! His name is Dan Goodwin, and you can find him here-

http://coachcreativespace.ning.com/

Dan is awesome! He will personally greet you when you sign up, and the community of people that are members are the most supportive, encouraging, talented group of people I have ever had the pleasure to be involved with! I have made several online friends since becoming a member a few months ago! Come join us, and tell Dan that "Laura sent you"!

Must go for now, just wanted to share these great deals with you!


Have a wonderful and creative day and weekend!

Success in Watercolours! Step by Step...

Slowly but surely, I am learning the very fine art of watercolours! I have always worked in oils and acrylics in the past, and watercolours has posed a real challenge for me. The medium requires much more patience, and the building up of colors, plus it is a bit backwards, working with light colors first and then applying the darks, when I have always worked just the opposite, putting down the darks, and going back and working in the highlights!

Anyway, I am loving using my new water pen or aqua brush, whichever you want to call it-it is so handy and really works well on small areas like atc's and even front decoration panels for friendship books! I cut a piece of watercolour paper just a little smaller than the front of the friendship book, paint it with daisies, or some other design, add a bit of swirls with a marker or permanent ink pen, then glue the panel to the front of my friendship book! Turns out really great looking, and I don't have to worry about working directly on the friendship book and messing it up.

 Here is an example of what I have done with the atc's and the friendship books above! I like using a really vivid contrasting color, no "shrinking violets" for me!

I really hope that you have signed up for the Strathmore Journaling Class that will start soon. It is free, and we can always benefit from something free, no matter how long we have been art journaling! Here is the link, one more time: 

http://www.strathmoreartist.com/vjworkshop2011.html

Well, I suppose I have kept you from your artistic fun long enough, if you don't already know how to paint with watercolours, give them a try...to start out, just get a case of the watercolours for kids at your local discount store, and you can learn color control cheaply-that way you can see if you enjoy working with the medium before you sink a lot of money into a new set of artist quality watercolors! 16 WaterColour Paints Set With Brush Included for more control, try a set of watercolour pencils:Quick and Clever Watercolour PencilsDerwent Watercolour Collection Pencil Sets24 Watercolour Pencils Karat Aquarell from Staedtler and for easy backgrounds in your art journal, try watercolour crayons, just scribble on your page with the colors you want, rub softly with a damp paper towel and waalaa-you have a great background ready to work with!Caran DAche Neocolor II Watersoluble Crayon Set of 10Faber-Castell Watercolor Crayons with Brush 15-pk.Staedtler Karat Aquarelle Watercolor Crayons, 12-Color Set These give you a great selection to choose from, and none are very expensive, so get you a set and start playing. Remember-"There are no mistakes, only happy accidents"!  Later!