WOYWW #215

7/16/13

WOYWW # 215

YEAH!!!! It's another week of a meeting of crafty minds over at Julia's place. Another week of visiting very talented, very inspirational woman. Fun tidbit...This is my 100th post!!! And I broke 10,000 visits today. WOO HOO!!! Now if only there were enough hours in a day to visit every single desk. I want to thank everyone who stopped by my desk, and took time to comment, each and everyone makes me smile. :D  

So this week I have been working on my paper bead stock. I made various paper beads, I even tried my hand at saucer beads. They are really cool looking. I also made some beads out of tissue paper. I actually love paper beads, but boy are they time consuming. Tracing them out, cutting them, rolling them. My favorite are my tissue paper beads, but they are very messy to make. Tissue paper and glue… not a great combo. But here are a few:

My Scrap pile

I take little leftover pieces and twist them into tight little ropes

The final beads

Here I combined 2 pieces for a different look

I take long strips and start wrapping them around a toothpick adding glue as I go, forming them into balls, I then add the tissue ropes around the balls using lots of glue to adhere them. They sure are pretty, but a messy pain to make.

I also made lots of paper beads. I took all the thin scraps left over paper after cutting out the strips for the beads and decided to glue them to a piece of paper with gel medium, and I am using it for collage, I cut out some flowers and a heart. You can see them on my doodled page in my graph paper Moleskine. I love this Moleskine for practicing doodles and Zentagles*. 

To the right are the bead strips, the middle are scraps, and then my new collage sheet

Flowers & a Heart for collage

My Doodle page, to the right is my box of pens and pencils

Saucer Beads

The side of my saucer beads

My paper beads

Well I hope you enjoyed your visit. I know you all have lots of desks to visit, but I have one last thing to leave you with. A poem I wrote, I hope you like it. And if you haven't linked here from WOYWW, please click here, and join in on the fun. (((HUGS))))
Kim
                                                   THE ARTIST WITHIN
As I sit and try
to find the artist within,
I have no idea
where to start or how to begin,
As I ponder on how I am to be,
I feel at a loss
For this doesn't feel like me,
My desire to create, draw, and paint
is more powerful than one can believe,
I am working hard
tearing down walls,
Digging deep for the emotion to create,
As I sit and try
to find the Artist deep within,
Raw,naked, ready to go
to start, and to begin,
No longer left to ponder,
Who is this artist within.    -Kim Hogan

WOYWW #214

7/9/13

Well It's another WOYWW over at Julia's. This is my first year doing this, actually it's only my third week, and I have "met" some of the nicest, supportive, positive, and truly talented women from around the globe. How many places can you find like that??? It's fun popping in on others to see their creative world. I just wish there were enough hours in the day to visit every single person that links up. 
So this week I finished my cover to my Bisquick box journal, which is a tutorial I got from Jenniebellie's cereal box journal here, and her large box journal here using the same technique as her cereal box journal, only a bit different. I Tinted some Titanium Buff acrylic with a very light Pink, then used Distress inks on the edges and to bring out the crinkles in the paper. I then used Twinkle H20's on the spine and Dylusions stamps. I stamped the images(except the ones on the spine) onto manilla paper, painted with H20's and cut out and glued on. I glued a 30 ss AB Swarovski crystal (left over from stoning Gidget's Irish Dance dress) for some bling. I don't know if I am totally sold on the Twinkling H20's. I love the shimmer, but they take some fore thought to use, and som work to get the consistency right. But I do LOVE there shimmer. I'm all about twinkly, shiny, sparkly things. (just in my art, and my eyeshadow) So here is how my cover turned out.

The Cover

The Spine(have to order wax linen)

The Back Cover

Chillin' On the Wall

Spine Close-Up

Close Up of her Bling

I have also been working on one of my Life Book 2013 assignments. This one was 
Stencils, Masks & More with Joann Loftus. Basically we journaled our feeling onto our canvas, then we Gesso'd, painted, stenciled, collaged, and put it all together. Mine turned out a bit different than it was intended too. I mistakingly decided that I would add some "FINE TOUCHES". Well we all know that those usually don't turn out fine. I ended up spending an added 30 minutes trying to fix my "Fine Touches". I used the Twinkling H20's on the Tulip, and the Butterfly, (which has an AB Swarovski Crystal too) Then I thought well I will add some to bring out the Swirls, UUUGGGGHHHH….
What the hell was I thinking?? I had to paint over the entire paper, twice. Now if you have never used TH20's, they are a bit of a pain, maybe it's just cuz I'm new to them, or I just can't form a bond with them, regardless, I struggle with them. They require some thought cuz you have to spray them with water at least 15 minutes prior to using them, then try and get the right consistency, I think they are more work than I have patience for. I don't like sitting and waiting, I lose momentum, or I get distracted with another project and never get back to what I was originally was doing. Thats why I have 100 unfinished projects.
Now if some you have never heard of Joann Loftus, she is one of the most delightful people ever. She is talented, and funny. Her lesson for LB had a BLOOPER reel. I was Pee'ing my pants I laughed so hard. A much needed laugh I might add. Do any of you do Life Book with Tam Laporte?? I'm behind, as I am on my SOC and ICAD.  I have been WOYWW desk peeping all week. Ok, well I have definitely rambled long enough. Thank you from the bottom of my aging heart for stopping by and checking me out. I love comments. Please feel free to follow me on Google and Bloglovin', if yo do, I will follow you back. If not, I will still stop by and see you, I hope you all have a great Hump Day!!! 
HUGS,
Kim

The Tulip

The Butterfly with Bling

My Stencil area with empowering words

My Workdesk/Coffee Table

Tim Holtz Word stickers

Feeling words I chose

At the top of the page

I still need to Glue my GIRL down

My Latest Supply Haul

7/7/13

The mail brought something other than bills on Saturday. I got some goodies from dickblick.com, and joannes.com.
Being I can't afford to buy my Neo Color ll crayons and Derwent Watercolor pencils by the set, I have been buying them in singles in the colors I want. I also got 2 Strathmore Visual Journals, 1-9x12 140lb Watercolor journal, and 1-5.5"x8" Mixed Media journal, 2 tubes of Liquitex acrylics in Grey and Pink, some Sharpie Paint Pens, some Sharpie China Markers and a tub of Golden Gel Matte.
From joannes.com I got some Crafter's Workshop stencils, cuz you can NEVER have enough stencils, I got a Clear Resist Ink Pad, a cute pkg of stickers, and lastly I got some Dylusions Stamps. They were on sale at 50% off, yup that's right, 50% off which made them $10.99 each. I was excited about this sale. I haven't had any of these stamps in my collection because they are so expensive. I couldn't justify $20 for a set no matter how cool they are. This is the second time joannes.com has had this sale, so now I have about half of all the sets. I signed up for their newsletter which always comes with a 40% off any one item that can be used online or in store, or a free shipping on orders over $50.
Now my budget is spent for the next 3 months. Without further ado my haul. BTW… I CAN NOT figure out for the life of me how in the world to add several photos and get them to space evenly. They always end up all wonky and chaotically spread out. I have tried over and over to get them all nice and neat, and it just isn't to be. SORRY..

Add caption

 

Giveaway at C'est Magnifique Kits

7/5/12

         July Bits and Pieces Giveaway over at C'est Magnifique 

Look at all this crafty goodness. Hop on over now!!!! It's easy to enter!!!

Contest ends at Midnight on 7/12/13… Winner will be drawn at random. Good Luck!!!

WOYWW # 213

 7/2/13

Well another week gone. The year is more than half over and Christmas will be here next week At least it always seems that way after the 4th of July. I'm really enjoyng partaking in WOYWW. So this week I am working on making myself a "Heal Thyself" journal. I'm using the concept by Jenniebellie's cereal box journal; here. Jenniebellie is a true inspiration. I've been struggling with emotional and physical issues the past 5 or so years, and I have been burying my feelings for so long it is starting to effect my well being. I have always been a very happy go lucky, laid back, let's have a good time kinda girl. Not so much these days. Now there is not much I can do to heal my Chronic Pain, I also have some other health issues that are long term effects of the treatments I received for Lymphosarcoma, translated, cancer of the Lymph nodes. But my emotional baggage is something I have control over, and I can do something about. So I have made a journal, well I am still working on it, but I'm 80% done. My biggest struggle in finishing is painting the right cover. I want the image on the cover to represent what this journal will stand for. Before I share my pictures, I'd also like to share another awesome website and artist I have been following who resonates emotional healing and well being with me, Tam LaPorte, here. I have been doing her Life Book course, which I am a bit behind with, but when I am ready to, will share. Without further ado, my coffee table work desk.

I chose a bisquick box 

I glued the tabs for extra durability

Plastic-like; strengthen the spine

I also added Joint tape to the spine

My now sturdy spine

for the cover

Can you see my heart??

Paper too thin

So I added a 2nd layer

I cut a piece of canvas, stitched around it and glued it down

See all the stringy goodness

I stitched on a giant tag, and the entire signature

Stitchedon lace and down the signature;more stringy goodness

The back of a parchment style card foldes and stitched on for a pocket

All 7 signatures, with 5 sheets of card stock

Needs to be painted and signatures sewn in, measures 9-1/4x6-1/4

I apologize for the wonky spacing of the pictures. I am very techno challenged. I'm trying, but not very successfully. I have finally started figuring out how to add links, so I guess that's progress. Also, I Made it in the top 20 this week, I think I made the top 10. Yeah me!!! Hope you all enjoyed my post this week. I can't wait to see what everyone else is doing!!! Please feel free to follow me both on google and bloglovin', not only will it make me happy, I will also follow you back. Happy Hump Day!!! 

Hugs,
Kim