For years I have been incorporating words into my art. Today, as I was surfing through Pinterest I noticed how many other artists there are out there who also use words in their art.
This got me to thinking- if a picture is worth a thousand words- then why did I find it necessary to use 1001 or more...
I am insecure in my work? Am I trying to over explain? Is it because I want to make sure the viewer "gets it"
This requires some thinking.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
GIVE AWAY TODAY!
As many of you know I purchased the Scrapper's Nook July 1st and moved it into the studio. It has been a great move for the studio! I have NEW PAPER orders arriving in the next two weeks from all over. I love ordering new merchandise for the studio. So I am sharing my excitement with you! I am giving away the current issues of Somerset Studio and Somerset Apprentice ($25.00 value). These two magazines are available at the studio and are filled with ideas for taking your scrap booking to a new level. Just leave a message and tell me if you have ever read the magazines before. I will randomly choose a winner from the responses by noon tomorrow. (Sept 12,2012)
Friday, September 07, 2012
No Wedding Bell Blues here!
A week ago today a young lady walked into the studio and said-
" I need your help"
"Tell me what you need"
" I am getting married and I need bridesmaids gifts..."
"How about..." "I don't want jewelry."
Okaaay then- so we proceeded to talk about what she DID want - it needed to be different and personal and really cool - After two hours of conversation and looking at all sorts of stuff we came up with an idea.
"So when is the wedding?' (thinking I had plenty of time)
"oh yeah- next Saturday- can you get them done by then?"
I hate letting people down so I said yes. And she was a Happy Bride and started walking out the door then turned around and said ...
"I don't suppose you can make a necklace can you?"
"For you?"
"Can you make me something like this?"
I pulled out strands of beads and started draping them on the mannequin. An hour later she said "That's it! Messy and chunky with a little color!" and she walked out with a bounce.
This is one of what we came up with for her three bridesmaids - who happen to be her sisters. She had me make collages for them out of vintage magazine pages that reflected each sisters' personality. This one is for the sister who lives in New York and is very much into fashion and jewelry and is in love with her city. The magazine page was from an article on the latest fashions to hit New York from Paris from Delineator Magazine July 1919.
She picked them up this morning with one of her sisters and the look on the Bride and the Sister Bridesmaid faces were priceless.
They loved it! The collages- the necklace. I love my job!
Then there were the shoes. This Bride told her mother I am going to find my shoes first- and then we will look at dresses. And that is what she did. She is getting married June 2013 and she brought me in her shoes because they needed to get "dressed up" a bit.
A row a Swarkovski crystals and this Bride is waltzing out the door.....LOVE my job!
This Bride was looking for something for her hair and she had pretty good ideas of what she wanted. So I asked if she could sit in the studio and we could design something together right then and there. So I made it on the spot and she had lots of input as I worked on it. It turned out beautiful. And she was another Happy Bride.
Yeah- it's a great gig!
" I need your help"
"Tell me what you need"
" I am getting married and I need bridesmaids gifts..."
"How about..." "I don't want jewelry."
Okaaay then- so we proceeded to talk about what she DID want - it needed to be different and personal and really cool - After two hours of conversation and looking at all sorts of stuff we came up with an idea.
"So when is the wedding?' (thinking I had plenty of time)
"oh yeah- next Saturday- can you get them done by then?"
I hate letting people down so I said yes. And she was a Happy Bride and started walking out the door then turned around and said ...
"I don't suppose you can make a necklace can you?"
"For you?"
and with a shy smile she said "Yeah- I know what I want but can't find it" then she pulled a picture up on her phone and showed me what she was looking for.
"Can you make me something like this?"
I pulled out strands of beads and started draping them on the mannequin. An hour later she said "That's it! Messy and chunky with a little color!" and she walked out with a bounce.
She picked them up this morning with one of her sisters and the look on the Bride and the Sister Bridesmaid faces were priceless.
They loved it! The collages- the necklace. I love my job!
Then there were the shoes. This Bride told her mother I am going to find my shoes first- and then we will look at dresses. And that is what she did. She is getting married June 2013 and she brought me in her shoes because they needed to get "dressed up" a bit. 
A row a Swarkovski crystals and this Bride is waltzing out the door.....LOVE my job!This Bride was looking for something for her hair and she had pretty good ideas of what she wanted. So I asked if she could sit in the studio and we could design something together right then and there. So I made it on the spot and she had lots of input as I worked on it. It turned out beautiful. And she was another Happy Bride.
Yeah- it's a great gig!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Paper-Palooza!
Everything is better when you put "palooza" behind it!
Last post was about the "Liquid Paper Ladies Night" and you can read about that here.
Today I had a brilliant idea and I am calling it
What does that mean?
Last post was about the "Liquid Paper Ladies Night" and you can read about that here.
Today I had a brilliant idea and I am calling it
"Paper-Palooza!"
What does that mean?
- You can come in and work with some of the more expensive "art" papers before you purchase any to see if you like them.
- You can try new products or some of the products you've seen in the supply stores that look really cool but WHAT do you DO with them?
- You can peruse the new magazines hot off the press from Stampington and Company like
Sound like fun? Let me know what kinds of things you'd like to try at Paper-Palooza!
Friday, July 20, 2012
when we last left our hero....
she was surrounded by stacks and stacks of paper and stickers and all sorts of scrap booking chaos.
I am happy to report that everything- well almost everything there's still that one little pile that I haven't figured out what to do with yet- has been organized and displayed. Customers are following the paper trail from the old location to the new one.
And we head to the next chapter....
Will I be offering classes and workshops for adults?
Yes.
I am working on some ideas even as I type.
How does this sound- Liquid Paper Ladies Night- from 7:00PM until 10:00PM? Ladies can have a glass of wine, snacks and scrap with friends in the studio. I'll be on hand for creative input and problem solving plus I have quite the stash of rubber stamps from the Tim Holtz collection as well as tons of bits and pieces of not your average scrapbook paper - handmade papers from India, Nepal, Italy and Japan that I can share. Due to the size of my class room and knowing that scrappers need room to spread out the evening will have to be limited to 5 people. Not to worry- I am pretty sure I will do this at least once a month if not twice a month.
Another idea I have been working on for the past 6 months is an art retreat. My sister Cecelia and my friend Shari and I have done this the past two years over president's weekend. We do a wonderful and intensive total immersion into collage and mixed media and gelatin printing and image transfer. Last year I produced two wonderful canvas pieces and a cello. 
I have blogged about the retreat before and posted albums on my facebook page and each year I get more people asking how they can be a a part of this retreat. The retreat would start at 7PM on Thursday evening. then again at 6PM on Friday evening and then all day Saturday like 10 AM until 5PM. Still working out the details....I'll get back to you on this one. I am always open to suggestions and ideas.
Next Friday morning I am hosting 7 ladies in the studio and we are going to make Artist Trading Cards. I am so looking forward to sharing this mini-collage with them. I have making these for years and love doing them! I give them away to people all the time. I use old photographs and burned out matchbooks and words cut form books and wax and...well pretty much anything I have in the studio as long as it fits on a 2.5 x 3.5 card.
I am happy to report that everything- well almost everything there's still that one little pile that I haven't figured out what to do with yet- has been organized and displayed. Customers are following the paper trail from the old location to the new one.
And we head to the next chapter....
Will I be offering classes and workshops for adults?
Yes.
I am working on some ideas even as I type.
The first thing I thought of was hosting a scrap night in the studio- you know bring your projects and sit in the company of other like minded people and work on those books. Ok- that's a start. What if I tell them I will provide some snacks to munch on while they work? Sounds good......... and what about some wine?
Another idea I have been working on for the past 6 months is an art retreat. My sister Cecelia and my friend Shari and I have done this the past two years over president's weekend. We do a wonderful and intensive total immersion into collage and mixed media and gelatin printing and image transfer. Last year I produced two wonderful canvas pieces and a cello. 
I have blogged about the retreat before and posted albums on my facebook page and each year I get more people asking how they can be a a part of this retreat. The retreat would start at 7PM on Thursday evening. then again at 6PM on Friday evening and then all day Saturday like 10 AM until 5PM. Still working out the details....I'll get back to you on this one. I am always open to suggestions and ideas.
What about an evening of creative doodling. Yes I said doodling. Do you have any idea how important doodling is? It's like exercises for the right side of your brain so you can turn on the creative side of you. Check out the Zentangle website. Amazing stuff!
Art journals? Hand bound books? Gelatin printing? Image transfer? Hand colored images on old sheet music or dictionary pages? goodness the ideas are swirling around in my head so fast it makes me dizzy!
Altered Altoids Tins?
Altered books?
Next Friday morning I am hosting 7 ladies in the studio and we are going to make Artist Trading Cards. I am so looking forward to sharing this mini-collage with them. I have making these for years and love doing them! I give them away to people all the time. I use old photographs and burned out matchbooks and words cut form books and wax and...well pretty much anything I have in the studio as long as it fits on a 2.5 x 3.5 card.
Pssst..........................
Artworks Studio
....it's gonna be BIG!
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