Studio Sunday

Thank goodness for Sunday mornings...if  we didn't have them I wouldn't have anything for Summer of Color!! I was up bright and early and have been working on jewelry in the studio this morning. I put aside the project I had been working on to tidy the work table and decided this weeks pink and orange project would start with stuff that was already out--namely black jump rings and scraps of leather cord....a quick hunt for pink and orange beads and voila! Earrings!!

Guess now I need to make an outfit to match lol!!

Until next week!!

Oh hey!

So two things have brought me back to Blogland. First and foremost, because I am participating once again in the Summer of Color event and need to share my weekly projects with you, my gentle readers, and the other participants. Second, because I have discovered the blogger app. Oh my. I may actually keep up with posting! This could be dangerous...

But, returning to the Summer of Color...this year's twist is that the weekly color schemes will be chosen via pole by the participating artists. Even though this week's colors are by far one of my favorite combinations and one I use frequently (oh, did I mention it is also the scheme in my kitchen??), I actually did not vote for it. I opted to go for other colors that I like but don't often use--hoping to stretch my creative wings.

My wings will have to wait...lol...not that I'm complaining...its turquoise and citron green...did I mention I love this color scheme?? 

As I mentioned, these are the colors in my kitchen...I have vintage glassware and dishes from the 60s sporting turquoise, blue and citron green daisy flowers.

Making something for my kitchen was not my original plan, but when the Muses AND the universe are speaking, you really should listen...a few days ago while sitting in front of the tube, watching the Hawks game (really, it was two games for the price of one...glad I went to bed early...) I was flipping through my Pinterest crochet board to find something to work on and saw these cool flowers:

As it just so happens, my scrap stash of yarn included several small balls in turquoise, citron green, teal...imagine that. After finagling the stitches to accommodate the different weights of yarn I got a nice looking flower:

Thanks to the blogger app, I was able to get it posted  before the week ended!! Now I just need to figure out how to add links...

Sun Kissed

It has certainly been a minute since I last posted!!!  Between my mom being in the hospital for a week (she just can't kick that bug that's been hangin around for a couple months now) and becoming obsessed with various digital scrapbooking challenges, I've been neglecting my friends in blogland!! In fact, I was in the middle of creating this post when I had to drop everything and head to the ER. I should just keep a bag packed....

Up until a few weeks ago, the only digital scrapbooking challenges I've done have been twice a year during the Club Scrap PSL gatherings. A good friend of mine, however, introduced me to the variety of monthly challenges available on several digital scrapbooking sites! It's been dangerous!!! These are a few of the layouts I've completed in the last two weeks....

Prior to my digi diversion, I had stumbled across another artsy challenge blog, Inspiration Avenue, and was immediately "inspired" by her theme "Sun Kissed." Below is my very late entry for the "Sun Kissed" challenge and my addition to this week's Paint Party Friday.

Now I'm off on an overnight road trip with a friend--i'm told there will be alpacas involved!!  

Have a lovely weekend and thanks for stopping by!!

Maria

Sunday Sketches

A quiet and easy Sunday morning to all!  I have several sketches to share today, some from (way) back in the day, and some newer.


Back in my college days (almost 20 years ago), I had enough fashion and costume design courses under my belt that I should have declared it a second major--oh well--One of the last classes I took was fashion illustration and I just recently put the only two remaining sketches, up on the wall in the studio. 

The next three sketches are from my "rough draft and practice" sketch book. When I worked for one of the Big Four accounting firms, we would go through quite a bit of letter head quality paper and when some issue was found with the letters printed on it, I would take a bunch and bind them for a sketch book--it is lovely paper for that! The fact that it is re-purposed paper and printed on one side makes it less scary to start sketching!! 

A mermaid from a few years ago:

Practice poppies from a few weeks ago:

And when you find yourself with a craving for a bbq sandwich and no one to go to the Patio with you, you take your sketch book and see what happens. This was from this past Friday, and I've subtitled them "Patio Pencils" ---lol!

A fabulous week of art-ing to you! And don't forget to click the buttons on the right to visit the fantastic artists for Sunday Sketches as well as all the challenges listed!!

Thanks for visiting!

Maria

Crusade 54--Mind Games

Well here is something that never happens. I read about Michelle's August Crusade yesterday, and I have a finished product to share today! As a twist on last month's challenge of creating new colors and naming them, this month we were to choose words or phrases and make colors to represent them. As I was reading about the challenge, I happened to be listening to a playlist on my iTunes that is a mix of songs from my life twelve years ago and songs in my life now. I chose four from each time that mean the most to me to create a 2-page layout of colors.

I could put you to sleep with a long convo about colors, emotions and the psyche, but I don't think that was Michelle's intent...lol...i will say this, the one i struggled with at first, "Spoiled" turned out to be my favorite. I listed to each song and only gave myself its length to complete each color block--no time to over-think--

If you are familiar with any of these songs, I would love to hear what colors they make you think of!! How fun!

Happy art-ing to my fellow Crusaders and my paint party peeps!!

Maria

3AM Art in the Dark

We have been plagued by alternating oppressive heat and fierce thunderstorms. The storms seem to hit in the middle of the night--thunderclaps awakening me just as the power flickers and gives way. Once I am awake, there is no point laying there as it will be a while before sleep finds me again. Many candles and my portable (chargeable) Ott light offer me the means to tidy the studio and then work on some art!!

Working on my orange piece for the last challenge for Summer of Color, i used acrylic paint and a printing surface i created from some scrap poster board and foam alphabet stickers to stamp the background with yellow letters and numbers. It's my first fabric design I've worked on in a while, and I am really enjoying it--do you see the little blue owl? he is going to be part of it as well!


Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I'll be heading to a birthday barbecue...not a cloud in sight! 


Maria

Summer of Color--Purple and (surprise!) Red

So I am sorta behind on posting my Summer of Color Challenges. I do have one for yellow with metalic, but I think it is shy and will wait for me to have something brown to post with it :)
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But this week--holy carp--it is only TUESDAY and I have something purple and (shut my mouth!) with BLING for the bonus!!!!  It isn't terribly exciting as it is, but I believe it is meant to be part of something bigger...the Muses haven't told me just what that is yet...
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In order to get the purple and red done quickly, i had to go small--roughly ATC size. While tidying a bit in the studio, i found a tiny piece of paper on the floor with the number 10 on it-----

---probably came from my new purse, inspected by "10", you know? But, it also just so happens to be the month of my birthday!! With a bit of digging (less than 5 minutes...remember my Muse rule??), I found a "5" stencil (10/5 baby!!) and some scraps of mat board in just the right sizes for some quickie projects.

At this point, I wasn't sure what this week's color was going to be, so I confess, I had to look it up. Could it be?? Purple and BLING???? Two of my favorite things!! With my birthday just laying around, tell me the Muses didn't plan it that way! Some purple watercolor, ink, radiant pearls, glitter and more glitter I now have this...

As promised, I also have red, with the bonus challenge "wings." My obsession with hearts and love (or lack there of) continues to be represented. This found its way to something else that's been sitting on my art table for a while...but I'll share that when it's all finished....

Don't forget to check out all the other fantastic artists participating in Summer of Color by clicking the button in my right sidebar!!  Thanks for stopping by and happy art-ing!

Maria