Mixed Media Layers: Tissue & Deli Papers w/ Jessica Sporn Designs!

“A grownup is a child with layers on.”

-- Woody Harrelson

Helloooooo & Welcome! 

I had so much fun with this one; creating my own transparent layers for Mixed Media with both deli and tissue papers. 

I used every stencil I have by Jessica Sporn Designs for Stencil Girl and my favorite-est tiny stamps from her line with RubberMoon. It was fast, fun and totally addicting. Oh, and there's lotsa glitter and even a little copper foil involved too, so there's that.

For all the details on this project, head over to Jessica's blog. And please do let me know if you try it: I'd really love to see what you do!

Stay cool!

Kristin xo

Spring Blog Hop w/ Jessica Sporn Designs!

(8 x 10 Canvas Panel)

"It is Spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart."

-- Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring is absolutely, positively my favorite time of year. Not only is the weather gorgeous, but the air itself seems to be drenched in sweet smelling, saturated color. 

So the idea of creating in the theme of Spring for our latest blog hop with Jessica Sporn Designs, gets my head spinning in all kinds of whimsical directions. And! I had a cool idea I wanted to try out: what if I took Jessica's "Build-A-Villa" stamps from RubberMoon and enlarged them to create the focal point in a collage? And, if I did that, then wouldn't it be cool to see what's behind the windows and doors? Anyway, that's where my mind wandered, I hope you enjoy watching along:

For more Spring Fun, keep hopping! Check out what both Jessica Sporn and Denise Alloca did with the theme, and be sure to comment on all posts you visit. Jessica will be giving away her (beautiful, stunning, I must have this!) "Layered Peonies" stencil from Stencil Girl to one lucky winner. 

"Layered Peonies" by Jessica Sporn for Stencil Girl

All entries must be registered by next Monday, April 19th (6:00 pm, EST) and will be announced on Jessica's blog the following day. 

Have fun, good luck and Happy, Happy Spring!

Kristin xo

SaveSave

Abstract Art Journaling w/ Jessica Sporn Designs!

“What goes on in abstract art is the proclaiming of aesthetic principles. . . It is in our own time that we have become aware of pure aesthetic considerations. Art never can be imitation.”

— Hans Hofmann

Helllooooo!

Abstract Art Journaling?! I know. I haven't heard of it either, although I wouldn't be surprised if there really was such a thing. 

I had so much fun playing with pattern, form and color (and not much else), that I'm not sure I'll ever "journal" the same way again. But I digress. To hear the entire story, and to see to how I used the following fabulous tools, pop over to Jessica's site over here. . . .

For more on the products used, check out the links below:

"Dots and Dashes" Stencil by Jessica Sporn for Stencil Girl

"Build-A-Villa Window Cube" by Jessica Sporn for RubberMoon

Until we meet again,

Kristin xo

Mixed Media "Tiny Homes" with Canvas Fabric & Stamps!

“When you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.” 

- Oprah Winfrey

Helllllooooo & Welcome to another Creative Team Thursday!

Today I'm sharing my newest project for the Jessica Sporn Designs CT that was inspired both by Jessica's fabulous Build-a-Villa Stamps as well as some scratchy, rusted tins that I found discarded in the desert. 

I know it sounds strange, but you can pop over to Jessica's blog to make sense of it all. There you'll find details about these sparkly "Tiny Homes," as well as a process video showing how I altered them all. I hope you like it and look forward to playing again soooooon . . . 

With Colorful Kisses,

Kristin xo

At Your Fingertips: Organizing Your Stamps & Stencils!

"When you start recognizing that you're having fun, life can be delightful." 

- Jane Birkin

Helllllooooo! 

I hope this finds you happy, well and hopefully, with your hands covered in some sort of fabulous neon paint. . . .

Speaking of paint - and neon - I played with a bit (or okay, a lot) of both for the above project that was filmed for the new Jessica Sporn Designs Creative Team. 

Just pop over HERE to watch the video and help us celebrate the beginning of what I know will be a throughly delightful year.

Kristin xo

Exciting News!

"Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." 

- Albert Einstein 

Hellllllllooooo! 

I hope this finds you happy, well and in the throws of creating something fabulous. . . .

Speaking of creating - and fabulous - I have exciting news to share! I along with 7 other artists from across the globe (six countries actually, how cool is that?!) will be representing the ever-so-talented  Jessica Sporn and her beautiful line of stencils and stamps from Stencil Girl & RubberMoon. 

Starting this September, you can expect weekly posts and projects from the Creative Team (many of which will be filmed) as well as occasional guest bloggers and blog hops to keep us all inspired!

Wanna know more? Head over HERE to meet the artists & learn about the Creative Team Celebration GIVEAWAY happening right. this. moment. (Seriously. You don't want to miss it).

Good luck and we'll see you back sooooooooon for some stencil & stampin' fun! 

With Colorful Kisses,

Kristin xo

Paint Party Friday (Week 3)

"A Mother is Born"

8 x 10 WIP

Has this ever happened to you? You think your piece is complete, you get all ready to take brilliant shots of your new work . . . . and once you're behind the camera, you realize that your painting isn't done . . . 

Yeah, that's me today; thinking I was all finished with this when clearly, the photographs proved that I was not.  So, I hope you don't mind my sharing a tiny little WIP with you instead. At least I can now see what needs to be done. 

Speaking of which, has anyone seen my automatic pencil? I last saw it under a pile of Caran d'ache crayons and paper tape . . . .

Happily linking to The Paint Party:

And wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Kristin xo

Paint Party Friday (Week 52)

"A little Something"

WIP

I have no idea where this is headed (a painted paper perhaps?), but I thought I bring my lil' WIP to the Anniversary Party. . .

Congratulations to Kristin & Eva for having hosted a year's worth of beauty and inspiration. Thank you both for your time, energy and efforts in bringing us all together: my Fridays just wouldn't be the same without you! 

"It's Friday night and I'm ready to swing. Pick up my girls and hit the party scene."

- Aaliyah (Back and Forth lyrics)

See you there,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - ORANGE

"Orange You Glad to See Me?"

8 x 10 Watercolor Journal Page

{This collage was inspired by the sections of an orange and a familiar joke. It was created using personal pictures (that's Kendra with the lollipop ;), vintage text, a portion of a soda can and images from Lisa's Altered Art}

The Color Purple

As we head into our last two weeks of The Summer of Color, I must say that I'm endlessly impressed by the work you've been creating and sharing with us here. Your Purple pieces were majestic, fun, feminine, whimsical and downright beautiful. I'm amazed at the outpouring of support you've given to one another and want to thank you for sharing your links with us here, your pictures on our Flickr group (we're nearing 350 contributions!) and for the creative community you've fostered on our Facebook page. It's been quite a ride . . .

So Who Won Purple Week?

The Purple giveaway (pictured in the post below) was won by:

YOU

Please Email me your address and I'll get your Purple goods right out . . .

And Now - Welcome to Orange Week! 

(Monday August 1st - Sunday August 7th)

We saved one of the boldest hues for last and I for one can not wait to see what you come up with. Should you choose to accept it, your Bonus! challenge is to in some way incorporate (or be inspired by) your favorite quote or poem. As always, please (A) link your blog or Flickr feed in the Widget below so that others can find you (B) leave one comment in the comment section at the end of this post if you created an Orange piece and (C) leave an additional comment if you completed the Bonus! challenge.

Here's What We've Got This Week . . .

{A vintage (1952) "Elsie's Cook Book" for your collage collection, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade, Prismacolor Premier broad marker in Orange, Prismacolor Premier fine line marker #005, Liquitex soft body acrylic in Cadmium Orange, a yard of rich orange satin ribbon and a sprinkling of iridescent and orange Swarovski crystals}

Good Luck!

And What Will We Do Next?

Our last challenge - Monday August 8 - Sunday August 14th - is rather simple: we're gonna have a good ole fashioned Show and Tell. Wether you joined every challenge or not, in order to participate next week, please share with us the body of work you created throughout The Summer of Color. Now, how you do that is up to you. If you created a series of journal pages as I have for example, you may want to make a journal cover and show us the pieces within it. If you created a series of canvas work, perhaps you can give us a gallery showing of how they look on the wall. Or if you've made a variety of items, you may just want to share pictures of your work. Wether it's a slideshow or a compilation of shots, the choice is yours. It will be the final adieu to our Summer of creativity and connection together. . . 

Will There be a Giveaway in the Last Week?

Yep. Although there will be no Bonus! challenge in our last week together, we will link our posts or Flickr feeds and there will be a beautiful, sparkling, colorful giveaway . . . see you then . . .

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - PURPLE

"The Dreamers of Dreams"

8 x 10 Journal Page

{This page was inspired by my Dad (a huge Summer of Color fan ;) who suggested that the color Purple reminded him of the moon. Serendipitously, I found a poem by Arthur William O'Shaughnessy that went perfectly with the theme. The portion I used here reads, "We are the music-makers / And we are the dreamers of dreams / Wandering by lone sea-breakers / And sitting by desolate streams; / World-losers and world-forsakers / On whom the pale moon gleams: / Yet we are the movers and shakers / Of the world forever it seems."}

Oh, Red . . . 

What amazing pieces you've inspired! Your work was bright, bold and full of beauty. I loved watching our Flickr pool pop with color as your art was added throughout the week, and so appreciate the love and dedication that you put into it. Thank you for your kind comments to one another, for the supportive community you've created on Facebook and for sharing your links with us here as we head into our final Summer of Color weeks together . . . 

Believe it or Not . . .

This week marks our second-to-last color prompt. We will be working with Purple this week and our final color (announced at the bottom of this post) next. If you haven't yet joined us and would like to, please know that you are more than welcome anytime. We would be honored to have you. 

So how many weeks are left in The Summer of Color?

A total of three. After we complete our final two weeks of color prompts, we will have a wrap-up week in which we share what we have done during our time together. For those who are thinking ahead, this means that you can either create something to house or showcase the body of work you've made over the Summer, or you can simply share pictures of your work as a whole. More on that later, but know that there will be linking opportunities and another giveaway in our last week as well . . .

And now . . . The Red Week Winner is . . .

YOU

Please Email me your address and I'll get those Red hot goodies right out.

Ready for the Color Purple?

Our color prompt this week (Monday July 25th to Sunday July 31st) is the mystical, magical, regal color of Purple. Should you choose to accept it, your Bonus! challenge is to in some way incorporate a little shimmer and shine in your work. This includes but is not limited to the use of fine glitter, glass glitter, sparkly embellishments, crystals, metallic objects or anything else that would stop a deer in it's tracks . . . As before, please (A) link your blog or Flickr feed to the widget below so that others can find you (B) leave one comment if you created a Purple piece and (C) leave two comments if you completed the Bonus! challenge. 

Oooh, show us the Purple Giveaway. . .

(A vintage child's dictionary page featuring the color Purple, two vintage postcards (both written on and one stamped on the back), 8 yards of Darlee 20 Gauge copper wire, Liquitex Soft Body acrylic paint in Brilliant Purple, Stickles glitter in Lavender, a set of ten Loew Cornell white nylon brushes and a sprinkling of iridescent purple and clear Swarovski crystals)

And what is next week's color prompt?

ORANGE

(Monday August 1st to Sunday August 7th)

"Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow"

-Kandinsky

I hope there's a Bonus! challenge. . .

Well, you're in luck. Should you decide to take it on, the Bonus! challenge for the color Orange is to in some way incorporate your favorite quote or poem. You can either include the text directly into your work or you can let it serve as your inspiration.  

Thank you and Have Fun! 

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - BROWN

"Nodland"

8 x 10 Journal page

{This page was inspired by the vintage sheet music - a lullaby entitled "Bye Bye Land" - which serves as the base of the collage}

Yellow fever!

Another wonderful week was had with Yellow. Although some of us initially expressed concern with the color, we tackled the challenge regardless and succeeded in producing an amazing amount of beautiful, inspirational pieces based upon the signature hue of Summer. Thank you once again for sharing your heart and art with us here and with one another on Flickr and Facebook as we continue our colorful journey together . . .

Did you hear?

The winner of last week's Yellow drawing (pictured in the post below) is . . .

YOU

Please Email your address to kdvanvalkenburghatmsndotcom and I will get your goodies right out.

Now, welcome to BROWN week!

Your color prompt for this week (Monday July 11th to Sunday July 17th) is to create anything your heart desires inspired by color Brown. Your Bonus! challenge is to incorporate a bold shot of color somewhere in your work. As always, please (A) link your work in the widget below so that others can find you, (B) leave one comment if you created a Brown piece and (C) leave two comments in you completed the Bonus! challenge. 

And did you see all those vintage pretties?

This week's Brown giveaway will include a lot of 'em . . .

The Paper Company Flourish rub-ons, several (okay 6 ;) large vintage ledger pages, several pieces of vintage sheet music, Distress Ink in Pumice Stone, one distressed tag, a few sheets of mica, Stickles glitter in Cinnamon and Copper and a sprinkling of bronze Swarovski flat-back crystals

And what is next week's color prompt?

RED

(Monday July 18th - Sunday July 24th)

"Red protects itself. No colour is as territorial. It stakes a claim, is on alert against the spectrum."

- Derek Jarman

Is there a Bonus! challenge with Red?

Yep. Should you decide to take it on, next week's Bonus! challenge is to incorporate something - anything - winged into your work. This can be taken literally or figuratively, the choice is yours.

Have fun . . .

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - YELLOW

"Bewildered"

8 x 10 Journal Page

{You've inspired me to play with collage this week. The circular form was taken from a vintage Naval navigation sheet and the "scratchy" edges were directly influenced by my friend Amy's pink piece from last week. The text reads, "she stared at me, bewildered and then she smiled."}

Oh, pretty, pretty Pink . . .

What a beautiful week! Your pieces were full of life, color and often, femininity. I love that pink can be so many things to us - cool and rich as well as soft and sweet - and as a group, we had it all. Thank you for your excitement and encouragement to one another as we continue this colorful journey together. I'm honored to share it with you.

Speaking of share . . .

If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to join our Facebook page to really immerse yourself in The Summer of Color experience. There you'll find interesting links and discussions as well as colorful quotes and questions that we have along the way. I for one am loving it there! Also, please feel free to add your work to our Flickr group found on the sidebar to your right. It's growing at a tremendous rate and at last count, we had over a 150 pictures in our community pool. If your work is not yet represented, please feel free to add to it at any time. 

Half way there . . .

Can you believe it? As of this week, we're half way through our color prompts. From this point forward, there will be a total of four (4) more color prompts in addition to one wrap-up week in which we'll be sharing all that we did and learned along the way. If you have not yet participated in The Summer of Color and would like to, please know that you are welcome to pop in at any time. We would be thrilled to have you.

Who won, who won!? 

Glad you asked. The Random Number Generator has done it's job and the winner of the Pink giveaway (pictured in the post below) is  . . .

YOU

Congratulations! Please Email me your address and I'll send them right off.

And now, welcome to YELLOW week!

Your color prompt for this week (Monday July 4th to Sunday 10th) is to create something - anything - that you'd like inspired by the color yellow. Your Bonus! challenge is to somehow incorporate metallics into your work. As before, please (A) link your work in the widget below so that others can find you, (B) leave one comment if you created a Yellow piece and (C) leave two comments if you completed the Bonus! challenge. Good luck!

Here's what's up for grabs . . .

A large (28 x 22') sheet of yellow decorative paper, two vintage (written on and stamped) postcards from the 1930's, Recollections extra fine glitter in Sunflower, one Elite package of 18 and 30' necklace chains, one Jolee's Swarovski crystal pendent in bright yellow, a package of Bristol ATC cards, Craftsmart paint pens and a sprinkling of clear and iridescent Swarovski crystals and beads.

And what is next week's color prompt?

BROWN!

(Monday July 11th - Sunday July 17th)

"I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns."

-Winston Chruchill

Next week's Bonus! Challenge . . .

Should you choose to accept it, next week's Bonus! Challenge is to incorporate a bold shot of color in your work. Anything at all . . . have fun!

Kristin xo

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath

Altered 5 x 7 canvas panels

"Conceiving"

"It was True"

I've had a hankering to do a piece on Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath for a while now. It was a memorable high school prerequisite for me - the story of the Joad family who were forced to travel great distances in order to make a better life for themselves in the midst of the great depression - and I've found myself referring to it's message of humanity and survival quite a lot in the last couple of years. I think it's concepts are as timeless today as they were when the American classic was first published in 1939. 

So I started by picking out a few quotes that really spoke to me. I found two that inspired me and based the 5 x 7 canvas panels that you see here around them. . . 

These were created by first adhering a page from the book (which contained the quote I wanted to use) with matte gel to the canvas panel. I wanted a worn, messy look, so I set the page slightly off center and then sealed it with more gel. When dry, I used petroleum jelly on the bits I wanted to highlight and then covered the rest of the panel in a light wash of copper acrylic (to represent the Oklahoma "red country"). When that layer had dried, I wiped off the jelly to reveal the text I was after. Charcoal (both white and black) and sandpaper were then used to further distress the piece before stamping the sides with foliage and swirls meant to represent grape leaves. I then pulled out some period pieces, ephemera and photos in an effort to describe the passage. Final touches included "painting" the leaves with two colors of fine glitter and highlighting the vines with a gold gel pen.

"Conceiving" features a piece of broken tape measure, chunks of mica and wire, a photograph from the 1930's and the following quote: "For man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments."

"It is True" incorporates some of the same elements in addition to a vintage photograph of a man (meant to represent the character who spoke), a piece of a vintage receipt book and several vintage glass tubes tied with wire. The quote here reads: "Maybe,' I figgered, 'maybe it's all men an' all women we love; maybe that's the Holy Sperit - the human sperit - the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of."

Thanks for looking! I'm now on to painting again - I need to get my "girlie" fix . . . 

Kristin xo

Moleskine: III

"She hated the sound of her own voice"

Moleskine Journal 

It's been an artful few days, but you wouldn't know it by looking here. However, I was able to sneak in some time to create another journal page today and wanted to share it with you. Although the title does seem a bit mysterious and profound, it really isn't. I've been stepping into uncharted territory lately and it's all made me a bit self conscious.  Isn't it funny how much of our life and thoughts steep into our art? But enough talk . . . that will all make sense later . . .

Kristin xo

Willowing & Friends!

"Invitation Angel"

12 x 18 cold press watercolor paper

Full page

Detail of "Trust"

The final assignment for Willowing's Art, Heart & Healing is to create an "Invitation Angel" or figure  intended to represent that which we may be lacking in our daily lives . . .

And this was very interesting for me. I started out week 4's lesson intending to soak up as much knowledge as I could while creating a pretty picture. What I didn't expect was how much the piece would really "speak" to me . . . . Let me explain: as many of you know, we are eager to adopt again and have been trying for years now to find another adoptive situation. To be honest, it has been a long, painful wait. We were connected with Kendra's Birth Mother (her "Tummy Mummy") relatively quickly just over 5 years ago and I guess we expected or hoped that it would come as easily the second time around. But that has not been the case. We waited a couple years after K was born because she was in and out of the hospital and needed our full attention. Then came the recession and an expensive adoption was not possible for us. So, I started finding other avenues to spread the word in hopes to find a Birth Mother on our own. . . Now we are ready financially and otherwise and, well . . . are still waiting. We just this month went through our county to adopt in that way (usually faster than a traditional adoption agency) and were devastated to learn that we would not even be able to begin that process until the middle of next year. So here we sit, ready and waiting . . . 

Which brings me to the piece above. What I am in need of (and a word that I have clung to in the last year) is Trust. I know that this is all happening for a reason and I know that we will adopt again. But I have to Trust that it will happen in the right time, and not just the time that I think is right. . . 

And as I worked on this little one in the last two days, I found myself really connected to her. She was given eyes the color of my husband's and tiny freckles which to me indicates youth. I choose to color her hair both blue and pink and give her the suggestion of a belly . . . and all of this was done with my knowledge but without really thinking about it. . . and when I looked at her this morning with fresh eyes, I noticed that the stripy hair on the left represented Kendra, my beautiful little tomboy. It will be really interesting to look back at this piece later in life and see if there are more hidden clues that will only become evident when our next baby is home. . . 

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Willowing for all of her efforts in bringing this beautiful community together. It has been an amazing experience, one which I hope you will consider doing yourself, if you have not joined already. She will be leaving the course up indefinitely so that everyone can benefit from the healing exercises she has so generously offered. 

Kristin xo

Moleskine: Eyes II

"She had stars in her eyes"

5 x 8 Moleskine Journal

Finished! Close inspection reveals dictionary pages with the words, "Eye" and "Star" as the base, upon which several layers of painted and brayered (if this is not a word, it should be ;) on acrylic, water-soluble crayons and gel pens are added. The cut out image of the chair on the right is from The Graphics Fairy. Other details include an eyebrow formed with the words, "A small piece of combustible composition - resembles a star" in addition to various swirl and star stamps, metallic gold and white gel pen, Stickles glitter and (surprise, surprise) Swarovski crystals . . . xo

Willowing & Friends!

Altered Board Book

"Mommy's Waiting for You"

Detail of Whimsy

Detail of "Home"

The second objective for our Altered Book in Willowing's class (week 2, project 2) was to create a scene - using whimsical characters to represent ourselves - that we would have liked to experience in childhood. . . 

I decided to create one character to represent myself and one whimsical birdhouse to represent my home. I was lucky in that although my parents divorced when I was a baby, they both loved and cared for me, and I lived with each of them throughout my childhood. Having said that, they worked hard as single parents and I was often alone. This piece is meant to represent my childhood wish to have (what I perceived to be) a "normal" family where my parents (or Mama Bird in this case) were waiting for me when I returned home from school . . .

Thank you for looking! I look forward to the next project in Willowing's amazing course. xo