"But I Have Nothing to Wear!"

 8 x 8 Birchwood Canvas

"But I Have Nothing to Wear!"

"Halloween is confusing. All my life my parents said, "Never take candy from strangers." Then they dressed me up and said, "Go beg for it." I didn't know what to do! I'd knock on people's door and go, "Trick or treat." "No thank you." 

-- Rita Rudner

Boo! I hope this finds you happy, well and in the process of stuffing your face full of candy. . . .

In the spirit of Halloween, I have a little vampire girl to share with you. It was actually Kendra's idea to give her vampire teeth, which in the end, worked perfectly with my idea to create a young, dark creature struggling with the problem of having nothing to wear for the occasion. Here's what we came up with:

Neck extending down the deeply cradled canvas

Fiber paste helped to create texture for the limited palette

And scribbly-swirls (I'm certain that's a word) define the sides

And here she is! Our little one concerned about her costume. 

I hope you & your little ghouls have a wonderful, happy Halloween!

See you at Party!

To Love, Art & Reese's Peanut Butter Cups,

Kristin xo

Just For The Birds. . . .

"Just for the Birds"

Altered Matchboxes 

"Deep inside her heart, I was feeling my home like a hay made nest."

-- M. F.  Moonzajer

I've always loved birds. Pretty little bluebirds especially, but birds and nests in general always make me swoon. So much so, that I find myself drawn to anything sweet with a bird on it: sugar bowls, jewelry holders and even Christmas ornaments have made it home with me, but delicate as they are, they don't always stay pristine. Or, um, intact. 

So, over the years I've grown quite a collection of broken birds, broken wings and, naturally, other bits and baubles. I've always wanted to do something with them, but it wasn't until I saw some large & small matchboxes in a dollar store that it occurred to me: they needed a home! And these little would-be cottages seemed like the perfect solution. . . .

Wanna know how I got there? (I took a ton of process shots just in case):

I first applied several coats of gesso before playing with the composition

Fiber paste mixed with white acrylic created this push-and-pull texture

I then applied several washes of pastel paints, splattered grey acrylic, sepia and charcoal

(Weighing their options) 

Playing with the bits, baubles and plenty of things that sparkle

And securing the drawer "pulls" with wire

And the results? Tiny little altered homes. Just for the birds. . . .

Thanks for taking a peep! I'll see you around the Party!

To Love & Art,

Kristin xo

LIFE BOOK Registration NOW OPEN!

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity."

- Bo Bennett

It's here! It's here! Um, can you tell that I'm excited?! (Okay, well if it's not glaringly obvious, then let me tell you, I'm like a kid in a candy store. With an unlimited budget. And no parents around to stop me from eating my face off).  

Why you ask? Because registration for Life Book 2015 is Now. Officially. OPEN. 

As a matter of fact, it's SO OPEN, that I've made a little video to celebrate:

Wanna know more? You've got it! Just click here to read all about it. 

Pretty fan-ta-bulous, right?! (Eeeee, I know). Thank you for considering signing up through me, but either way, I can't wait to see you there!

To Love & Art

Kristin xo