Send in the Clowns . . .

Okay, so if you were paying real close attention, I told you that I'd share the rest of the journal I created while on vacation (the sneak peek is over here) in this post. But, um, I lied. Well, not really lied, but rather was derailed from finishing it because of this little one. The inspiration hit and I went with it, sooooo instead, here is my latest painting: "Send in the Clowns. . . ."

She was created on a piece of heavy watercolor paper (Arches) that had been previously painted and left in my stash. I started by ripping the paper in an organic shape and then roughly sketching the figure of a clown onto the surface. I then colored her in using a combination of acrylic paints, watercolor crayons (Caran d'ache Neocolor 11), wax crayons (my new obsession - Caran d'ache Neocolor 1), neon acrylic gouaches, glittered gel pens and charcoal.

A progression shot

The piece was then further enhanced with some faint pencil marks, molding paste mixed with iridescent Stickles glitter and white acrylic for the clown collar and Swarovski crystals to define the neckline:

Lastly, an actual piece of yellow balloon was adhered to the drawn balloon with matte gel medium:

And there you have it! My little Clown . . . .

Thanks for taking a peek here and at all of the other Party posts:

Until next time,

Kristin xo

Stencil Test Drive with Jessica Sporn

Can you see me dancing? I look fabulous, by the way, as I jump up and down clapping my hands in frenzied excitement. . . . 

Okay, so it may not be the prettiest thing to see, but the excitement is genuine as I. Am. Thrilled to be participating in Jessica Sporn's Test Drive for one of her newest Stencil Girl products; Frames!

It felt like my birthday when I received the elegant 9 x 12 stencil in the mail, and I've been playing with it like a toddler with a new toy ever since. But I digress. Wanna see what I did with it? Okay then, here goes:

Journaling with Frames

My first play date with the stencil was with my journal. I used the oval frame in the set as a central element on the left of the spread and then used a piece of another (turned upside down) to represent a necklace on the right. Wait, here's a better shot of the oval:

Gel pen, molding paste, silver leaf and Stickles glitter

I began by placing the stencil on the page and simply colored in the exposed areas with an iridescent gel pen. I then off set it a bit and pushed molding paste through the same stencil. Before it dried completely, I applied silver leaf to the surface and then waited (impatiently) for it to finish drying. I loved the raised look it gave me and decided to finish it off with a few smudges of silver Stickles glitter.

Frames Banner

  

But I wasn't done there. I really wanted to do something that showed the variety of the stencil, so I decided to take some 4 x 6 pieces of painted cardboard I had in my stash and create a banner of sorts using all of the frames in the set. Since I'm a Mother Goose fan, some of those vintage images made their way to the party as well. Here's a close up of each piece of the puzzle, all of which were created with a mixture of molding paste and black fluid acrylic paint:

A portion of the rectangle frame (shown in the green piece above) was masked off to create a "door" and another stencil in the set was used to create a "roof". 

Each were highlighted with iridescent Stickles glitter for movement and depth.

Rounded Rectangle Frame

Oval Frame 

(this is the same stencil used in the journal above)

Square Frame

Rectangle Frame

And there you have it! I loved my play date with Jessica's Frames and look forward to using the beautiful stencil set again and again. Thank you Jessica for your support and generosity! 

Oh but wait! You can win one too! Here's the deal:

Now go see what the other artists did with the Frames stencil! But before you do, be sure to leave a comment here because Jessica is giving away a Frames stencil to one lucky winner, and EVERY comment in the test drive will be eligible to win. The more times you comment, the more chances you have to win!

Comment by Midnight, EST 10/13/2013

So go check them out! Here are all of the artists participating in this week's Stencil Test Drive:

Linda Kunsman

Maria McGuire

Nathalie Kalbach

Anita Houston

Janet Joehlin

Valerie-Jael

Jessica Sporn

Have fun and good luck! 

The giveaway is now closed. Thank you for taking the drive with us . . . xo!

(Happily linking to Paint Party Friday too!)

Kristin xo

An Arty Adventure . . . .

"Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can."

- Danny Kaye

I've just returned from a (much needed) arty adventure! Remember this girl that I met in Portland last year (who had her scrapbook of said trip published in Somerset Memories)? We had the most wonderful time slinging paint and taking classes together that we decided to do it again - but this year, we set the classes aside and created a little make-shift retreat of our own . . .

I excitedly packed my bags with the supplies I only had time to look at in the last few months and jetted off to Danielle's state of Colorado for a week of love, laughter and art journaling. I came prepared with two handmade journals a la Teesha Moore and spent the week just playing. No goals, deadlines or expectations; just two girls in the mountains drinking wine, making marks and having fun. . . .

The view from our rented condo in Winterpark, Colorado

(Day One) 

And bonus! I actually completed the entire journal while I was there. Well okay, I almost completed the journal. But I have several works in progress to show for it. Wanna see?

Our set up on the floor, right in front of the TV where we watched chick flicks & painted

My first background using bold color, washi tape and molding paste

The beginnings of a face

(Spoiler alert: I'll be sharing the entire spread in my next post for 

Jessica Sporn and Stencil Girl Products)

A sneak peek of the spread; "Teach" 

A teeny bit of the spread; "Poor Fellow"

(That's the "Poor Fellow" ;)

A glimpse of the spread; "Little Dutch Girl"

We were also treated to beautiful weather and - new to me - the changing of seasons! Check out this gorgeous shot of the leaves turning gold:

Our "nature walk" through the woods. Ok, stroll. 

Well really, a 10 minute stop to take pretty pictures. 

(We had to get back to the art you see)

And on the last day of our trip, we saw snow! What a beautiful way to wake up:

The view from our balcony as we were leaving

(Day Five)

I feel so fortunate to have met such a friend in Daniele: a girl after my own mess-making heart with whom I know I will have many adventures together. I wonder where we'll go next year. . . .

In the meantime, stay tuned as I post a bit of the journal (among other things) this Thursday for the lovely Jessica Sporn's blog hop with Stencil Girl Products . . . . 

And. . . . I promise to share the journal in it's entirety after that. That's right: more art. For reals. Whew, that feels good. . . .

With love,

Kristin xo

Still Here . . .

"The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be."

- Oprah Winfrey 

I'm still here. Trying, as I may, to squeeze in creative time between my new teaching gig and the rest of our daily duties. I haven't found my way yet, but I'll get there . . . . In the meantime, I sketch late at night dreaming of the day I can get back to the studio. Hoping, waiting . . . but happy with our decision - and my Kendra time - nonetheless. . . . .

Wishing you creativity and love,

Kristin xo

Something I Never Ever but EVER Thought I'd Do (EVER). . . .

Kendra, age 7

And as I write this, I still can't believe it. BUT (deep breath) here goes: we're pulling Kendra out of 3rd grade and homeschooling her. 

Now, I know what some of you are thinking - and if I'm reading your mind then yes - I am a tiny bit crazy for trying it. Truth be told, it took a year of pleading and begging on the part of the little FP (Future Paleontologist) for me to even consider it. I mean really, homeschooling?! That's for other people. What kind of other people, I had no idea. But I was certain I wasn't one of them. . . . 

And then my neighbor went off the deep end and started homeschooling her daughter. Before her, I had never met anyone - let alone a friend of mine - who actually did that. And my mind was opened a crack to the possibility. As we spent second grade hauling Kendra to and from school, wrestling with homework every night and being tied to a strict schedule, my friend spent the year doing just the opposite. They had freedom to come and go as they please, freedom to study what, when and how they wanted and, more than anything else, the freedom to be together. And since I know we have a few precious years left before Kendra's friends become more important to her than her parents, it was that freedom that I envied the most. But still, homeschooling? Um, no. I couldn't imagine it for us.

And then, I started researching it. I read everything I could get my hands on and spoke with everyone we knew in the field. I also started paying closer attention to the Mommy Bloggers I admire who homeschool. And in the end, what I came to understand is this: when children are given the freedom to study what they're interested in, they become active participants in the process of learning. Of course there's core curriculum to cover, but the rest is up to us. So, if Kendra wants to study dinosaurs throughout the year, we can. If she wants to learn about Sharks, no problem. And if reptiles are on her hit list, we can cover that too. And the most exciting part? We can travel! We can study something one week and, money and time permitting, go see it the next. It all started to sound possible. And exciting.

Don't get me wrong: I know it's going to be a challenge. I know there'll be times when I wonder what the hell I was thinking and I know that my free time will pretty much be thrown out the window. But I think I'm okay with that. Only time will tell. In the meantime, what I can say is this: Kendra will have my undivided attention. We'll travel as a family, take time to pursue her passions and make third grade one to remember. If nothing else, it will be an adventure. One which I am now looking forward to.

So if you see my Insta-ham digging up fossils or baking a cake on some random Tuesday when we should have been at school, now you know what's up. Who knows, I may even post some of the things she's doing here. (I have a feeling a lot of it will be creative). In the meantime, wish me luck. And patience. I'm probably gonna need a lot of both. . . . 

Kristin xo

Cabinet Cards & Color . . . .

Well, Hello!

(Fancy meeting you here).

It feels like forever since we've spoken. I hope that the rest of your Summer is treating you well. I for one can hardly believe that it's almost over: school begins again in just a couple of weeks and I feel like it just ended (dramatic sigh.) Soooo, I've been trying to make the most of what we have left.

To that end, I finally, finally walked into the studio yesterday. I brushed away the cobwebs (ok not really. But they did have time) and sat down to just try something. These little vintage photo collages / assemblages are the result. Wanna see?

"Little Goody Two-Shoes"

(16 x 12 on watercolor paper and plywood)

Molding paste and acrylic through map stencils. 

This vintage cabinet card is a favorite of mine.

Colorful bits of collage and a little pink wire. 

"Pay Roll"

(9 x 5 on vintage pay roll card and plywood)

Vintage photo and playing card box

Together. 

(I think I like a little color with my vintage ;)

I loved taking the time to play again; and it never hurts to get a little paint under my fingernails. . . .

Thank you Kristin & Eva

I look forward to catching up with you,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color: Until We Meet Again . . . .

"In every end, there is also a beginning."

-Libba Bray, A Great and Terrible Beauty

Boo. It's over. So sad to bid adieu to The Summer of Color, 2013. 

Yet, as the quote above states, with every end, there is also. . . um . . . but I digress. . . . First let me say, You. Are. Awesome. Your artwork, the connections that you made and the support you gave one another throughout our colorful Summer is nothing less than spectacular. As a whole, we had an average of nearly 140 weekly participants, a large and fabulously supportive Facebook group and a drool-worthy stream of photos in our Flickr pool. And the artwork! From handmade books, to journal pages, scrapbook layouts, altered art, tags, photographs, greeting cards and jewelry, oh my! It's amazing to see what a little color prompt can lead to. Thank you for sharing your time, heart and art with us: I so appreciate you.

And More About Sharing:

Please know that if you missed a prompt and would still like to give it a go, you can certainly continue to add your links to the widget below each week's post. I promise they do get viewed throughout the year. On that note, if you haven't uploaded your photos to our Flickr pool yet, it's not too late. I'd love to see your work there as well. Also, many have asked about our Facebook group and wether or not it will remain open. The answer is a big "Yes!" Although our event has come to a close, the Facebook page will not. You can continue your color conversations whenever the mood strikes, we'll be here. 

Now, What About Last Week's Winner?

Oh, yes, that! The lucky winner of our last random drawing is:

Virginia from Celtic House

Congratulations Virginia! Please email me your address and I'll get your Sage & Sepia goodies right out.

And My Artist's Badge?

I have it right here. Isn't it pretty? As a thank you for your support and SOC spirit, this is for you. Please feel free to add it to any of the social media sites you wish. (I hope you love it as much as I do). 

Okay Now, Spill It!

Alright, you know I wouldn't let you down. As you may have already noticed, there is another SOC on the horizon! I. Am. Thrilled. to announce that the party will kick off again next Summer: 

More color prompts, creativity and connections. All less than a year away. Get ready for The SOC 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop. Want to know more? Not to worry. You only have to wait 'til June for all the dirty details (oh come on, that was funny ;) . . . . 

Until we meet again,

Kristin xo