Somewhere In The Middle

Hello Kamloops and beyond,

I’ve been thinking- - - Lol, lucky you!😜

The truth about the creative process is that it can be all over the place. My personal artistic journey is affected by so many other processes. Whether it’s mood, circumstances, supply limits, health, or unexpected surprises, whether good or bad - - any creative process is affected by our outside or inner worlds. I wonder if it has to be this way because art is an extension of our selves and our experiences.

This is also the reason I sometimes have several things on the go, although I prefer to go one by one. The truth is, sometimes I need a break from one project, and sometimes things come up that are a priority. I’m learning to go with the flow. 

Which brings me to somewhere in the middle — The title of this post. Today I’m going to post what’s  on my ‘desk.’ 

I’m looking forward to finishing this little pouch, but the zipper gave me some trouble, so after ripping it out twice, I put it aside for a while. I drew up the pattern myself and hope to complete it soon. 

I’ve been organizing my pearl cotton strands for thread painting. I’m practicing clouds, so the next piece is on hold until I get those down. I’m not sure what I want to use, so I picked up some yarn balls to see if they’re the right texture. 

Now these look like fun. These were sent to me by my good friend and artist, Diane Etcheverry from The Beaded Lime. You can find her on Instagram HERE. I compel you to check out her artistic works. Her needle felting is just amazing and she paints too. These were in a surprise package, just because!

I hadn’t considered using silk in my thread painting, but I’m actually really psyched to play with it. Should be fun! 

This is just a little peek of the kids painting I’m working on. I’ve just started it and am nowhere near done. The painting is in various stages. I have kind of a quirky whymsical side that pops up once in a while. This one will take some time to complete. 

I have lots on the go, and I’m dreaming of other projects as well. Life is just funny these days. I’m sure you all relate. I refuse to say the word since we are overwhelmingly inundated by it daily. Let’s just say we are blessed, life is still good, and the human spirit will never be stomped out!

So, what’s on your desk? 

Have a great weekend! 

Feature Post: Gelli Feathers

Hello,

How is your 2020 summer going? Here in the 'Loops it is really heating up with temperatures of 40C (104F), which is about normal for this time of year. I am enjoying our first summer with a central air system. Good Lord, what a treat that is. Hoo boy -- heaven!

I've been looking around and found a post by Birgit Koopsen, who is a Gelli print artist. She decided to do Gelli Feathers and I fell in love with them. My post today is a link to her video of how to gelli print feathers. 

You know, I don't have a gelli plate but am seriously considering getting one. I love these feathers and think they'd be great on cards amongst other things. So many craft ideas, so little time!

Enjoy the video and thanks to Birgit for sharing this fantastic tutorial. Birgit has a blog as well named 

Birgit Koopsen. Just click on her name to see it.

Thanks for stopping by on this hot summery day,

Blessings, 

Carmen

Easy Watercolor Cards

I've been having a lot of fun making watercolor cards. They are not time consuming at all, well except for the drying time, but if you want to you can just dry it with a heating tool. 

Here is a page of four card fronts I painted. I taped the watercolor paper down with masking tape and divided it up into 4 sections with the masking tape. Then just wet the watercolor paper, and start dropping some colors on it. I do all four at once and let them dry overnight. 

The next day I doodle. It's therapeutic for me and I often listen to music or a video while doodling. These are all freehand, but they're very easy patterns. If that is not your forte, just look on Pinterest for easy doodling ideas and copy them. Once that's done, I either hand write the greeting or stamp it and tape it on to the card front.

These are so much fun to do. As you can see, on the ones above I removed the masking tape and wrote the greetings in the blank spaces I created with the masking tape. 

Below are the first set put onto cards and into sleeves. The bottom set I stamped the greeting onto a separate piece of cardstock instead of masking a spot for the greeting. I will be putting those on cards but I wanted to show you them before doing so.

Anyway, you should try it. Super easy, fun and you have a card ready to send or give.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Cherry Blossoms and Embellishments

Hello,

I believe summer has finally arrived and it’s just beautiful out there. My miniature roses are boasting their vibrantly colored petals and looking up to welcome the sunshine. I’m inside realizing I still have a card to make, but thought I’d stop by and show you some recent paintings. They have been featured on my Facebook page, but not here. 

This last one is a bit different. It was a canvas that I wasn't in love with and so I decided to play a little. Unfortunately it was really hard to get a good photo of it. The painting is embellished with crushed glass, vintage gold chunks and silver glitter. Then it's covered in resin. In real life it is so shiny and glittery. I just couldn't get a photo to do it any justice.

Alright, back to my studio to work on a Father's Day card!

Blessings,

Carmen

Painted Cards

Since I pulled out my papers to make some Father's Day cards, I thought I'd do some painting on cards. I've been doing quite a bit of painting on canvas lately which I'll show you in another post. However, these cards were painted in the last week. I've really been enjoying this process, more than I realized I would. They're so much fun to do!

This one I did last night. I wasn't sure if the paint would seep through, but the cardstock is nice and hefty.

This next one I made for my daughter in law. Her birthday is coming up!

I also did the envelope on this one and will probably do the same for the black card.

This one I’m currently working on. I used metallic watercolors which are lovely on a black background!

Back to my craft desk - I have more playing to do!

Blessings!

Carmen

Oils, Acrylics and Watercolors

Hello,

I have been going through my blogs and doing some spring cleaning on them. In that process I came across some painting posts and realized that I haven't shared any of my new paintings with you in a long time. So I'm going to share a few here today that I did in the past (that I haven't posted yet) and recently.

This first are oil paintings. 

The first two of those are sold. I still have the third one and I quite like this one.

The next are my acrylics:

I don't even know who I sold the first one to, but I no longer have it. 

These last ones are watercolors. I've done these recently to get my creative juices flowing again. They were just for fun with the doodling on them, but I love that and may do some bigger canvases like this. The last one is smaller and I might turn it into a card. 

I love to doodle. So if you're wondering where I've been -- this is where. Although I have been away a lot in the last few months, and sick three times as well. Very unusual for me.

 I also did some purging and organizing in that time. I find that I'm creatively challenged when things aren't in order. It's a huge problem for me. I can have a messy craft desk while I'm creating, but I have to know where things are. 

Have a good day! 

Catching Up on Crafts

Hello,

Seems like I've been missing in action again.  Life, you know! 

I'm still puttering away. I often post things on Instagram because it's quick and easy, but then I forget to post here. There are always things in progress on my desk as well. I'll make a card, decide to make a few more and wait to post. Then I don't make anymore and don't post. 

Why? I don't know -- it's what I do.

Nevertheless, I'm happy and buzzing along and now I'm here to show you a few things, the good, the bad and the unfinished. But they're mine. Lol

First I'm going to show you my painting. This is a 5X7 small painting made as a trial. I wanted to try some acrylic painting and found a style that I thought might be fun and less laborious than my oil painting. I'm not overly happy with it, but for a first attempt it isn't bad. There are a lot of things to think about in mixing the paint properly and how you combine them, what you use with it, etc. All of it affects the outcome of your painting. I have a long way to go, but I'm going to try some other ones to see if I can get the results I want. 

I also made a few cards recently. I actually love this tulip stamp. I thought it would make a cute thank you card to have on hand.

This one is made with some puzzle pieces. The picture doesn't do it justice, which doesn't help, but it is what it is. I wanted to make more, but look at it -- back to the drawing board.

These are ones I am working on. I do have to get cracking because I have a birthday coming up. After cutting the strips off the others, I decided to weave them together. It might make a good background for another card or a mixed media piece.

The lady with the hair is an IndigoBlu stamp that I love. 

I was texting one of my DIL's because I wanted to send a little parcel to the grands. She said the girls are really into scrunchies for hair. So I made a bunch of scrunchies. There's cotton blend, velvet, sheer with pom poms and shiny ones. These were fairly quick and easy to make. I have granddaughters in three different places, so I made quite a few. They're all ready to go now.

I also made another Critter Bag -- there's no name on this one yet, but I'm sure I'll find someone. The photo is kind of dark and shaded, but you've seen these before.

Last but not least. This is my Attack Chicken. I made him and then threw him at my son and yelled "Attack Chicken," and somehow it stuck. Now he gets thrown around at unsuspecting people.

I never said I was normal. 

There's a free pattern for this guy from Stip en Haak, a dutch blog. There's an option to translate it to english before the download. I used a bigger hook, so mine isn't as small. The original ones are just adorable.

Chicken Kitty

Well, that's it for today,

Have a great weekend!

Carmen

Drippy Lips on a Bright Sunny Tote!

Hello there,

Remember this acrylic painting I made a while back? Well, a good friend of mine took this image and made something special for me. First the painting...

This friend is super talented and I'm not even sure how she managed to do this, but I think it's pretty great.

I love the bright colorful fabrics and patterns she used. The image is on canvas and is coated, then sewn into place. 

If you are a seamstress, you'll definitely notice and appreciate the incredibly straight seams and the beautiful work she does. She's a very good seamstress.

She put this tag on there stating that the painting was done by me.

Love the bright orange on the inside.

And there's even a pocket on the back.

I have a very special date coming up in May this year. This was a gift for that birthday.  Good Lord, where has the time gone?

Well, that's it for today. I have another post ready to go up soon as well. It's about Mail from Gramma (and Papa G)....I should start a little series maybe. I love sending things in the mail to the kids, and they love getting parcels - no matter how big or small....stay tuned.

Blessings,

Carmen

Wonky but Fun

Hi there!

So if you follow my FB page, you've seen this already. I've been playing around with some digi's recently. I did make a card out of it and have that in my Etsy Shop. 

Cloudy Days is a free digital stamp on this blog. Click on the link or go to my freebies page above to find it and other freebies I have on this blog.

Wonky City Silhouette Freebie

I've been adding cards to my shop again and making cards as I find time. I charge actual shipping, so if you want your card sent in a 6x9 envelope instead of a padded envelope, I will refund the difference in shipping. All my cards come in a cello sleeve as well.

As I mentioned before, I am in the middle of a painting course by Leonid Afremov. He's an amazing artist, and I'm trying my best to learn his techniques, which are more difficult than I imagined. However, I'm trying. After doing about 6 paintings, I realized I was running out of room to let them dry. Most take 6 months before you can varnish them. These may take a bit longer. 

Anyway, I decided to hang them all up on those hooks that don't damage your wall. So I eyed everything up (because I'm impatient and just wanted to get it done) and started a wall of paintings. There's one on another wall and I just completed another painting but I'll give it a few days on the easel before I hang it. 

I had to lighten this photo considerably and the wall is not actually pink, btw.

I'm working on a graph pattern for a boys beanie for gamers. I asked my grandson what he wanted, and then I asked my son (his dad) what he wanted. The answer was the same. They never really grow up do they? Hahaha~

Well, it's a nice, sunshiny day here in the Loops, but it's chilly out there. Looks can be deceiving. Hope things are a whole lot warmer where you are! 

Have a great day,

Blessings,

Carmen

New Cards in Shop!

Good morning,

It's funny how my craftiness goes in stages. All last fall it was crochet, crochet, crochet. Now it's cards and paintings. I haven't shown you too many of my paintings yet, so I'll show you a couple at the end of this post. 

Here are my last two cards.

Here are two of my paintings. They are done in Leonid Afremov's style as that's who I am taking the course from. The paint is applied with palette knives.

           Afternoon Stroll by the Bridge

                                Sails in the Sunset

I just realized I never turned the heat up and am getting chilly! I hope it's warmer where you are today. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Blessings,

Carmen

Merry Christmas!

Well,  Christmas is almost here and I am looking forward to the excitement in the children's eyes as they open their presents, as well as time with the family and the great food.  It's going to be a fun time! 

My Christmas tree is slightly lacking this year, by some people's standards (lights and a few candy canes the local realtor dropped by), and there aren't a ton of decorations in my home, but I'm happy with that. Maybe next year I'll decorate like I used to, but for this year, it's enough. 

So I am going to share a few things today, notwithstanding the Bacon Jam, but first--

Do you remember my Mini Muffin Tin Advent Calendar? I was at my DIL's place this week and her mom had made a different kind of Advent Calendar for the grandkids. I thought it was ingenious, and so I asked if I could share it here. Now she doesn't have a blog, so I can't link to anything, but I can tell you that Cathy Moore is multi-talented. That sweet lady crochets, sews, makes crafts, and on and on. She makes the most beautiful blankets for the kids and lines them. 

Also, her husband is the REAL Santa Claus (Boompa Claus to the informed). If you don't believe me ask my grandkids!  They'll tell you!  Anyway, before I gush all over you (too late), here is her calendar. I posted it extra large so you could see it clearly.

I asked her how she put it together. Apparently she got a mitten garland from the dollar store. I believe the clothes pegs were already attached to them. She took these and glued them down. Then added little baggies that had a piece of paper inside with portions of the Christmas story written on each one to be read each day, along with a couple of tic tacs. 

My DIL has been reading these to the grandkids every day and said she was surprised how many questions the kids had. Their youngest one didn't know what a Shepherd actually was. We take so much for granted, don't we? 

Here's some close ups to give you a better idea in case you'd like to make one yourself one day.

Cathy said she just used white glue to adhere the clothes pegs to the board. It seems like such an effective, fun calendar and I love that it teaches children the Christmas Story.

Thank you so much Cathy for allowing me to feature this awesome calendar on my blog! Merry Christmas to you, my friend! 

Now, onto the Bacon Jam. 

This was a Pinterest find, originally posted by Kristen at The Endless Meal. Bacon Jam is meant to be used as an appetizer on a cracker with cream cheese (or Boursin cheese for the finicky palate). I thought it would be a nice alternative to the Red Pepper Jelly, so decided to try making it. 

It was easy and you will probably have most of the ingredients on hand, including my personal favorite - coffee!

Yes, me and coffee, we have a bit of a love affair going on. Anyhooo---

BUT, let's not forget the bacon! I knew this whole thing couldn't go too far wrong. 

That's the star ingredient sizzling delightfully in my sauce pan. Yum, bacon -- mmmmm

Then the onions had their turn. Two big ones, quartered and sliced fairly thick. 

Well, why not throw them together and add coffee, sugar and some water. Patience my pretty.

                       Add some balsamic vinegar and -- WALLA, Bacon Jam! 

I have to admit, I overcooked it a little when I got distracted, but honestly, it's still pretty amazing. I will definitely be making this again next year. 

The recipe made about two cups, which filled these two small jars perfectly. I couldn't find my lids though, so aluminum foil worked in a pinch. I think the lids are downstairs hangin' with the big jars.

Well, that's about all except that I'll leave you with a painting I did last week. This is similar to one I did last year, only this one is larger and turned out a bit better. I am taking online lessons from a world renowned artist whose work I admire. It is done with a palette knife and in oils. 

Well, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it's a happy one for each and every one of you. Enjoy your special friends and family members! Lots of love from my house to yours! 

Carmen