Sometimes you just gotta' do it.....

Whew!! I'm exhausted! I just spent my whole "Studio Day" preparing fabrics for future use. It's just one of those things that from time to time I have to do to make my life easier down the road. 

I'm sure you are no different from me if you work with fabric at all (and I do this with paper too) but it seems I accumulate basket fulls of scraps and then when I want fabric for a spine on a book I have to stop and get the scraps out and piece one together. That annoys me because I'm wanting to stay with the flow of making the journal and that kind of slows it down.

SO.....today I got those baskets out and the first thing I did was sort....

Bigger pieces, strips, little pieces for accent and medium size pieces....those were the ones I was focusing on doing something with today.....AND most of those are kimono scraps!! Beautiful pieces of silk from Kimonos that my friend Theresa Gallup sends me from time to time from her scrap pile after making her glorious jackets, purses, scarves, etc. 

So I get all those separated out plus some medium size pieces of cotton fabrics I have. Then comes the tedious part that almost makes me say "Nah....I'm not gonna mess with this right now...."

Ironing them! Because....

They are very very very wrinkled and impossible to do anything with...(I told you this was tedious!)

After I get them all ironed ( at least an hour later) I have the kimono fabric separated from the cottons and I'm ready to sew.

THIS is a job!!! It's like piecing a quilt and these are not pieces of fabric that are in neat little squares or rectangles! So off I go...

And hours later I have this wonderful awry of fabrics sewn together

And rolled up and waiting for me to cut them up for whatever I need. Mainly journal spines in my case.

I'm tired just looking at this....Didn't even get to the cotton ones yet!!

But glad I did it....glad it's done and now I can "stay with the flow" :)

Thanks for stopping by. You may want to do this...it does save time later on.

Ta Ta, Suzi

Sneak Peek....

I can not tell you how excited I am about a new series I have started!! Now, first of all I rarely do a series, so that is important to know, secondly I want to tell you a little bit about it.

From Jan to March of 2013 I started doing a series of little sketches during my morning prayer and meditation time...just little images that came to mind with scripture. Many of you know, on March 11th of that year my precious daughter Shari went to Heaven. All of my art came to a screeching halt. I wasn't sure and didn't care if I ever returned and put it in God's hands like I had to everything else at that time.....by His will and no effort of my own, the images inside of me returned to paper. A few days ago I was looking at these little images and was inspired to do something with them. The thing is, what I am doing looks nothing like the sketches I did before, but the scriptures and the thoughts and the inspiration are all there. This is a sneak peek.....just a little one....don't want to spoil it.

The series is called "Sisters in the Faith"

More will be revealed.............

I hope you will love these as much as I am loving doing them :)

Suzi

From the Church Pew...

I have to confess, I've been sketching in Church for years. It's just the way I document what I'm hearing...some people take notes some people sketch, I do both. This morning was about adoption and two young couples who have adopted children, told their stories. So moving .... yes, I had tears. Anyway, this was what I heard this morning with my "visual ears".

Hearts for God's children....Keeping of souls...young souls...new souls. God bless those who hear the call and respond.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. - James 1:27

Have a blessed Sunday :) - Suzi

Special Order Journal

Had a request for a journal all about the sea and the beach and all things water. I loved doing this because that too is one of my favorite places and was my daughters as well.

This is a Journey Journal and it is No. 50. Wow....can't believe I have made that many and they are everywhere!! Makes my heart happy. 

 

Later, Suzi

Several things....

Have I told you guys how much I LOVE it when you introduce me to something new?? Well.....I DO!! And one of my students, Patricia Walker, put me onto Sakura  Moonlight Gelly Roll Pens and I AM HOOKED!!! Can you say FUN!!! 

Just got them in the mail today and, of course, had to get right on it. Results are in....

Oh Boy Oh Boy!!! I am in Love! You will see more of these!!

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So....the other thing is that a couple of days ago I was watching a Movie and there was this room divider that kept getting my attention. It was like woven sticks....I was fixated on it! So the next day I did this piece of paper as a result of what I saw.

What I did was to paint all these dark grey "woven" lines with my "tube" paint and let it dry. Then I just doodled and glued in pieces of paper etc. When I had it like I wanted it I layered a layer of white tissue over the top. I love what it did.

*******

Next.....I've been doing some envelope art. This is a large envelope and my plan is to do several for a special envelope journal (large one). I thought I was finished and all of a sudden these little ladies appeared! Go figure.....

Do keep in mind that I use these pieces in my journals. If you buy one, you never know what you might see that you have seen before :) That's what makes it fun!

I also finished a journal order today and will post it on a separate post.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble on....

Suzi

Play time

I love it when I start out just putting pieces of paper together with nothing at all in mind and then wind up with a fun piece. That is what happened in today's Studio time.

My goal was.....nothing.....I had a bunch of pieces of paper laying around and I just started layering them together. When I was done this is what I had.

A house of sorts, a tree and the sun. "How cool" I thought....BUT....where is the rest? the flowers, the birds....the "stuff"...... you know..... :)

So I went about finding them ...... 

Just fun playtime and you never know....

That's all for now.....wasn't even planning on this one but wanted to share .....

Have a good rest of the day!

Suzi

Journal redone

I was looking at my Journey Journal No 42 the other day and thinking "Okay, I haven't sold this one so I think I want to make it into a Prayer Journal and as I was thinking about this a customer wrote and said "I would like a Prayer Journal"!! Okay!! So thus the journey of converting a Journal already made into a different journal began. I LOVE the results and I loved the challenge. This turned into a wonderful piece of functional art.

A couple of views of the front. 

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Little "Pockets" to put notes or prayers or anything you want in.

I absolutely LOVE this page and will be making more! I have an old old 1800's ledger journal that was my Great grand parents. It has ledger sheets of accounting in it in the most beautiful hand writing ever!! It also has some blank pages in the back but they are very brittle and fragile. I took one and wrote this scripture from "The Message" and then sandwiched it between to layers of tissue paper to preserve. 

Another fun page from inside. 

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This book is filled with wonderful pages and that is the fun in passing these on to others! They love it in pictures but it takes life once in their hands and the love affair begins! I thank God for giving me the gift to create these special books.

See ya' later :)

Suzi

And Yet another paper project....

One of YOU, my new friends I enjoy SO much getting to know and sharing ideas with, sent me some Heavy Duty Wax Paper to play with and play I did!! In case you are not familiar with it (and I wasn't) It is the weight and consistency of parchment paper, but it is wax paper....so, it is heavier than regular wax paper and milky which made me think you wouldn't be able to use it for something you wanted to "see through"

so off I went to the Studio to see what it would do.

Here is the finished paper still wet. I did it much like my Tissue Transfer and Wax Paper layering process which you can see on You Tube. On this I started out with putting paint down on the freezer paper, then I laid the Heavy Duty Wax Paper on top of it, wet. Then I started layering with other papers, tissue, paint, etc. and topped off with a piece of regular wax paper. AND you can see....the Blue Paint which is what I painted on the freezer paper IS showing through!

I was WRONG!!!!

Here it is dry and you can still see the paint showing all the way through

A close up....

And a pic of the back!!

Now isn't that just fun?? And Ewwwwww......do I ever love the feel!!!

THANK YOU Nancy Calvert for putting me on to this paper!! Off to Sam's to buy a bunch!!!!

Okay, signing off now so I can do some more of this :)))

Suzi

What to do with.....

I always have kept scraps of paper/fabric/tissue/whatever near by to clean off my stamps/brushes/stencils/whatever and therefore starting a new piece of painted paper. The biggest problem with that was containing them all! SO... the other day I happened to have leftovers of an old book laying next to me where I work so I just grabbed it and started wiping off my brush. Wha-la....my new
"What to do with......" journal was born!! As a result I am creating wonderful pieces of paper all contained in a book that I can just tear out as needed. 

So much better than keeping up with all those pieces of "whatever" I normally have laying around....

Oh don't get me wrong.....I still have plenty of those, but this is my new way :) Not to mention it makes a cool "journal" of sorts.

Here are some results....

So there you are! Another "discovery" that everyone else has probably already been doing BUT, just in case.................

Happy "Whatever" :)

Suzi

Cards and Stationery

I'm telling you! I can't be left alone for very long!!

For the last few days I have been having so much fun making Unique, handmade, one of a kind Cards and Stationery!!

YES! Stationery! Does anyone remember what that is???

Well...I know there are a few of us who still like to write a real letter every now and then so why not make it special :)

People do tend to send cards more often, so I've made more of those. Only one set of Stationery for now. 

We will see how it goes.

The cards are unique in that they are made from up-cycled envelopes. I have HUNDREDS because I use them in my Journals.....and well.....there's that "problem" I have of throwing things away I "might" use sometime....so I came up with this idea and I LOVE it!! 

Right now I'm making sets of 3 cards with mailing envelopes and have them for sale in my Etsy Shop

And each inside is totally unique just like the outside!

I love the pockets because you can add notes, cards, etc. of your own!

having too much fun!!!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you will check these out in my shop :)  ................Suzi

Two days off.....sorta

So....I've been off work (real job) for two days and planned to spend LOTS of time in the Studio..... Well, It didn't happen, BUT I did manage to get some things done.

First I spent one day making fun and different Paper Tape to use in Collage. I'm really enjoying exploring what all I can do with Paper Tape. I'm hoping to do another online workshop on Making Paper Tape "Advanced" and using it in Collage..........but for now.....

I'm just playing in one of my journals. Enjoyed seeing where this was going to go and love what came out. 

One of my "funky" birds but a reminder that if God takes care of the birds of the air, what on earth do we think He will do for us! (Matthew 6)

Now.........back to work. sigh. But I'll return :)

Suzi

Busy in the Studio

Just wanted to share some things with you I have going on right now. Busy busy and I like it that way!

#1: Working on a new painting "I am the keeper of my Soul". This is just a small section of it.

This is inspired by a book I'm reading called "Soul Keeping" by John Ortberg.

I am really loving this book and an introduction to the works of a great theologian by the name of Dallas Willard.

#2: Fabric cover for a journal order I have. This is fun and will probably do more fabric covers. The good Lord knows I have PLENTY of fabric!!

#3: Paper Tapes for the "Soul" piece and in general. I get carried away when I start making Paper Tape and have difficulty finding a place to stop. Kinda like the weaving experience.

If you are interested in learning to make paper tape check out my online workshop and if you are of a mind, I'll be teaching it at Art & Soul in Kansas City next spring! 

I also teach it in my "In Studio" workshop here in my studio as we journey toward making a journal.

Lots of options folks!!!

So that's what I'm up to. 

Have an art filled Saturday!!

Suzi

A LITTLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON PLAY

If you have seen my You Tube Videos where I paint a sheet of paper using the marks on my work surface then you know what you are looking at.....IF NOT....Check out my Painting Paper videos on You Tube.

So this afternoon I found myself getting out ALL the media! Paint, Pastels, watercolor crayon, watercolor pencils and whatever else was laying around!

This was about half way through the process and looking a lot like a Pizza there on the left!!

But I worked on it and am very happy with the outcome! 

I just played with this one using a lot of different media and techniques. Pastel Painting, regular painting, drawing and the most fun was mixing some new paints from paint I received in "The Gift"! There were some nice Windsor Newton Acrylics in there and colors not on my palette......at least they WEREN'T on my palette! ARE NOW!! Wow did I ever get some GREAT colors!!!

This was relaxing, challenging and most of all FUN!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Suzi

A Little Weaving

I love to weave and take spurts of doing it. It's something I generally do when I just need that movement of back and forth, in and out, repetition. Generally I do strips of weavings....really fun and simple...no real "thought"

HOWEVER, watching my friend Kato Charles do some awesome weavings of images, I decided "Why Not"! So off I went......

 

So here I am in progress with this project and the finished piece below. Gotta tell you...this is addictive!! As I was weaving back and forth and in and out, I was also thinking "Okay, I need to put this here" and "Whoops, I can't do that....gotta go this way" and "Where did that stitch come from??"

"Just one more weave and I'll put it down......I promise......in just a minute......"

Memories of the West

Wax paper, fabric and Pastel Painting.

Had no idea WHERE I was going with this but seem to have reverted back to a wonderful trip my husband and I took out west last fall. 12 States, 6000 miles, 18 days. We just 'went' ..... nothing in mind....It was a healing time for us.

But I DO love the way this turned out.

For info on any of the above....Wax paper, fabric and/or pastel painting check out my Vids on You Tube.

PASTEL PAINTING (OR THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT)

WAX PAPER....IMAGINE THAT!

TISSUE LAYERING WITH FABRIC

That will get you started! There are several others you can watch too that have to do with this process.

Enjoy!!

And have a BLESSED Sunday :)

The Gift (or Christmas in May)

One of my artist friends died a couple of months ago. His name was Bob and he was 91 years young.
He wasn't anyone you would know....didn't sell his art or network it or anything....he just loved to paint.
He and his wife lived next door to us for several years and our docks were just a few feet apart.
From time to time he and I would "talk" art and he would show me something he had done. He was really quite good. They moved away several years back and we lost track.
After he passed from this earth his family came to us. His wish was for his ashes to be put in the lake and did we know where they could do it!
I wouldn't have dreamed of it being anywhere else but off our dock which was next to their old one.
So, the day came on May 16th,  and they gathered and a son read from the scriptures and the children threw his urn designed to dissolve, into the lake. Tears were shed as we watched the bubbles from the dissolving urn rise to the surface....we remembered times with him....they left....and time went on.

Today a knock came at my back door and there was one of Bob's sons with a sack FULL of Bob's art supplies. They thought I "might" like to have them.

Can you say "Christmas in May"???

But most important................

A painting by Bob himself.

Treasures....Blessings......priceless....

The sort of stuff you write in a journal..............

Have a Blessed day my friends.....life is full of joy if you look for it.....

Suzi