Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 in review..


click on picture to enlarge
 
this is my art badge created for a facebook challenge by April Cole
http://aprilmariecole.blogspot.ca/
in 2013 I posted 227 times
I started actually blogging in 2006, April 27
almost 7 years of blogging hard to believe
this year has had its ups and downs
had some health scares
but they all worked out
I turned 60 and wished I was still 30 so much to still do
I created some good art
I created some bad art
I took a few courses
made a great art friend who lives in the same city
lost some weight
gained some weight
kept up my swimming 5 days a week even when I didn't want to go
watched the shopper go after a great job and get it
saw the boyfriend get a new job and be happy
watched the hubby try to adjust to retirement life
went on some great trips with some great friends
cooked more than I ever have before and enjoyed it
went to a great wedding
have some great neighbours who have become new friends
enjoyed everyone blogs
found some new blogs to follow
expanded and grew as an artist
gave a canvas to a family member and didn't worry to much if it was good enough
decided not to have a word for the year
decided to be more in the moment
learn how to say no when I need to
not to stress and think I have to blog when I have nothing to say
take more pictures
to be braver
to take a live model art class
to make a list of my favourite 100 songs ever and
load them to my ipod from ITunes
take some trips with the hubster
enjoy each other more
to be softer less hard line

so that's it things I have done in 2013 and some things I want to do in 2014



Thursday, December 26, 2013

Happy Boxing day

 
Been fooling around with my art journal
the shopper and the boyfriend are off on their trip enjoying the mild temperatures
in Palm Springs
 
it was quite mild here because it was raining, and then tonight will
freeze and it will be hell here people, I wont be lounging around
the pool with my bare feet getting a tan like the shopper
 
I got some new 4 wheel luggage for Christmas, but
no plane ticket, what's that about.  I wanted the luggage
because I am getting older and its easier to push, the
hubby cant understand my reasoning, but bless his heart
he got it anyway.
 
I love Patrica Cornwell, the daughter and the
boyfriend know that and got me her latest
Dust
and of course many more items, way to much stuff I was spoiled for sure
well today the tree went down
the house was cleaned up
and you would not know Christmas had been here
the tree has been up since the first week of December
way long enough
ok gonna go and have a chocolate, its still Christmas until
all chocolates are gone
 
lee

Sunday, December 22, 2013

A peek



 
a update on the circle journal
this is the fool finished page, I like the
sample below a little better, but I have
to get the journal in the mail and off to Australia,
so no more fooling around with it.
 


Saturday, December 21, 2013

Zero hours

 
So its almost zero hours, are your ready?
If I don't have enough for everyone that's to bad, that's my motto.
Christmas is suppose to be about being together, family time,
not about commercialism.  But hey a little bit doesn't hurt.
We are having Christmas dinner on Christmas eve
first time ever, the shopper and the boyfriend
are going on a little trip for 10 days, and
leaving on Christmas day, which by the
way if you fly on Christmas day is cheaper.
So on Christmas morning it wont be all that
rushing around opening presents, and trying
to get the turkey ready.
Are you having Turkey or what do you have?

Thursday, December 19, 2013

an Updated life

 
 
It was the hubby's birthday yesterday, and created
this last night, I told him there is a slight
resemblance.
Ok remember yesterday I told you about the Documented life
and how I was going to use a cheap planner.  Well
this morning after a little tiff the hubster's, that man
needs a life outside of this house. I decided a little retail
therapy was needed, and didn't I just go to the bookstore, and loh and behold
what did I spy but a weekly planner (moleskine)
  Before I saw the price tag, I thought ok if its 15.00 I will buy it, but when I saw the
25.00 dollar price tag, I just about choked me.  I mean
its not made of gold.  But the size, and the way
it feels in your hand, and the soft cover.  After the
drooling had stopped, it was still in my hand
and I knew somebody in the universe wanted me to have it. So
it made its way to its new home with me.
  I have already
done the pages with washi tape , and am going
to put on the tabs tonight.  Meanwhile
I have to finish the circle journal, because next
stop for it is Australia, and the way our
mail system works, I could swim with it, there faster.
Okay back tomorrow.
Lee
 


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

A documented Life

 
My scanner doesn't scan some colors well,
one of them is the face, in real life it looks fine.
 
tonight I am off to a journal class, at a new scrapbook
store, am looking forward to it, if the page turns
out in my journal I will show it tomorrow.
Have you heard of the a documented life, done
in a planner go here and read about and join up
sounds like fun
 
I joined up, you can use any kind of weekly planner, they are using a
moleskine, but I am just using a cheap old weekly planner
lee
 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Survey says.....

 
 
a little Christmas survey for you
 
do you put your Christmas tree in front of a window ?
do you use tinsel?
do you have a real or fake tree?
does your tree have a color scheme?
does anyone help you decorate it?
do you wait till new years or after to take the tree down 


we have a fake tree with lights already attached
no tinsel in this house
yes in front of the window
no colour scheme, its a grab bag of colors,
yes my daughter helps me set up the tree and decorate, the hubby does not do trees
I take the tree down on boxing day December 26, I have had
enough Christmas by then

ok see you tomorrow

lee
 


Sunday, December 15, 2013

life is good

 
well as you can see there are no pictures of my Midori Travellers Journal.
The hubsters leather coat was to thin
I have some vinyl and I am going to try that
lots of precise measuring
numbers are not my thing
I like to fly by the seat of my pants
that's why my stuff doesn't turn out.
Will have to get the hubsters help with the measuring.
today is like spring out,
global warming at its best
one day so cold you cant stick out a toe
the next day, you could almost wear capris
going to finish the circle journal project today
the shopper is coming for dinner
the boyfriend is working
life is good
see you Monday
lee
 


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Splotchy.....

 
If you saw her in my art journal book, she looks good
here she looks splotchy....
well today I have been out since 9:00 am, running around
looking for leather, I am making a midori travellers journal.
Could not find any leather, so am cutting out the
hubsters old brown leather coat, (I did ask him).
going to work on that today, and see how it goes. Maybe pictures on Sunday, or maybe not, depending on how it turns out......

Friday, December 13, 2013

top 10 things I like to do

Well its finally Friday
so I thought I would tell you 10 things that I really like to do
 
go to the movies
drink diet coke
read trashy books
listen to audio books in my car
lay around in my pjs on cold snowy days
have a nice hot tub after swimming
eat French fries with diet coke from McDonalds
go to the bookstore and read the magazines and not buy them (lol)
go out for lunch ,dinner  or breakfast as long as I don't have to cook
make these lists because I don't have anything to say
 
lee


Thursday, December 12, 2013

14 days until Christmas

 
since my pool is closed till further notice, I am
adrift in the morning....so today hubby and
I are off to Costco for the chocolate and cookies 
Christmas run.  Its still snowing out, I think
we have more snow than the North Pole, plus
the cold weather to boot. 
14 daze until Christmas are you ready 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Art Date

 
 
 
the leaves on this wreath were made from a cheap art pad
they were cut out individually they I painted on them
then overlapped them and glued them.  I was thinking of
adding some Christmas balls.
 
Today my art friend Gail came over, and we worked in our
Circle Journals, she happens also to be in the group.  I must
say I didn't do to much but paint over not once but twice, the page
I then had to let it dry, and Gail and I went thru my stash, I gave her
some, some went in the garbage, some back to the stash.
All in all a productive day cleaning out my stash, not much
on the art front by me, but Gail worked pretty good on hers.
 
lee

Monday, December 09, 2013

Fools and Divinities

Yesterday I told you about the Circle Journal Exchange I am in,
this is the Divinity page that I made, I just noticed, I need
to add some more white around the sun.  This page is opposite
a page done by a fellow artist and hers was the moon.  So It
was a no brainer to do the sun
Went to go swimming today and the pool is closed.  It has been
so cold here that the pipes froze and made all kinds of
mess all over the facility and they are not sure when it
will reopen. Leftovers tonight and working on finishing my
page on fools.
 
 
 


Sunday, December 08, 2013

Just a little trial run....

click on picture to enlarge
 
I don't know if I told you or not, that I am in a
circle journal exchange.  The journals are amazing
as well as the artists, a little intimidating.  So the latest
journal is so beautiful, and her theme is Fools and/or divinities.
So instead of mucking up her journal I decided to try
a dry run in my journal and this is what I came up with this is fools.
I learned a few things I am not going to do.  First I am
going to use stamps for the words, 2nd instead of
cutting the elephants out of painted paper, I am going
to draw them and paint them, the jesters will be a
little different and I might not use such in your face
colors, thou that is my style.  When I get the
original page done I will show you how
it turns out. I also did divinities, which I will show you on Monday
I had no trouble with that one






 
 
 

Saturday, December 07, 2013

Ornaments



 
every year I make something for Christmas
wreaths, cards, something.  This year I
made a few ornaments, here is a random
sampling of some of them.  The red heart
I felted, or tried to, it looks as much like as
a heart as it is going to.  One is made of
painted papers, and a scrap of painted
fabric, with the stamp of joy
 
one is made from book pages, and a scrap
of painted paper, and joy is white out
 
So today I am making a few more ornaments
with stamps, I have a whole boat load of
stamps I got from a yard sale and
decided to try them on a ornament.
 
The shopper just phoned and asked if I
wanted to go and get some lunch, so I am off
talk you soon
 
 
lee

Friday, December 06, 2013

Hoot Hoot it's Friday

 I love owls, I love drawing them my way,
I love using black pen, and white out on them,
and a little brown marker.  Its good practice to
draw everything you can think of , don't just draw it
once draw it so many times you can see it in your sleep,
once you have got it done, you wont forget it.
Lee's bit of wisdom for Friday (lol)
Have a great one,
 
lee

Thursday, December 05, 2013

santa baby

 
have you noticed more and more people are not sending Christmas cards
when you can email your wishes and its gets there in a minute\
 
phone booths are just about gone, just about everyone in
this world has a cell phone, there used to be phone booths on every corner
 
you don't even have to go out of your house to buy
Christmas presents anymore, you can order them on line, and be
delivered right to your house
 
pretty soon, technology wont even need us , except for
one tiny thing to pay for everything we b ought

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Postcards on the move.....



This is one of the postcards I sent out for Ihannas swap,
you know I only got one person from Sweden, that said
she received  a postcard.  I have received 10 and let
everyone who had a email or blog that I received their postcard
and a thank you.  You at least like to know that it got to the destination
Today temperatures were really cold, after swimming, and freezing off
my butt, I met a friend at the movies to see the 2 nd movie
in the series  Catching Fire...loved it, great movie

Now i am making some Christmas ornaments, or finishing them off I started them awhile ago and of course left them sitting around in the studio, pictures tomorrow.
While I gotta clean up the mess from dinner, hope you all had a great day

lee

Monday, December 02, 2013

Some Art and some chit chat


 
 
love having Christmas art, made these two, putting them on dollar store easels
blizzard today, snowing like crazy and windy
shovelled  the driveway and walks 4 times today with the hubby
had chicken wings for dinner, so good and not healthy
put up the Christmas tree last night with the shopper
wrapped all the presents today
all ready for Christmas bring it on.....

Sunday, December 01, 2013

A little of this and some of that and some crap thrown in





I was getting tired of drawing normal things so here is my version of a reindeer,
sewed with fabric,
well I took the Coptic stich course and made an postcard booklet
 
 
 
 
used painted paper inside
I went with my art friend Gail, we didn't sit together because when we got in the seats were just about all taken, I sat beside the "girl who could".  Her area was all organized and she was ready to go.
The class was 5 hours long, both Gail and I thought with time like that  we should have been
just about ready to reproduce the bible.  But boy were we wrong, the instructor did it
right, she had us make 2 practice books with scrap paper, we shared with our partners.
I of course got the "girl who could" and of course she figured it out in a second.  Meanwhile
I plodded along at my own pace. Then we started in on our own postcard books.  The "girl who could of course didn't do a postcard book, she did some other fancy dancy thing, and was racing along, she had just about finished when I was still trying to figure out the ruler (lol).  Anyway the instructor comes along and looks at her book, and tells her that she has done it all wrong, and she
has make another book, I just about burst out, but managed to contain myself.  Anyway we just
finished up at about the 4 .5 hour mark.
Since then I have tried 2 times to make a practice book, lets just say I need another class.  But
I am going to keep trying.
 
lee


Thursday, November 28, 2013

happy american thanksgiving

 
double click to inlarge image
 
well even though I am Canadian , we are neighbours with
the United States, like cousins.  So happy thanksgiving to you.
I want to not only thank you but all the other people who are
not Americans for continuing to read my blog, I am truly
appreciative.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Its all in the face....

 
 
its a good thing she likes bows so much because not much going for her in the looks department
went to my bookbinding class on Sunday, made a book
don't know if I can make another one, but gonna try tonight
see how it turns out
what have you been up to

Sunday, November 24, 2013

She is a bad..........

 
awhile ago I made an angel booklet
 I have showed some here on my blog
now here are some more
I mostly used the gelli plate on the
background and tried to let the
design show thru the clothes, and used some
stamps for the words. I found the head in some magazine, and made it a collage
Today I am off to a course to learn the Coptic stich
in bookbinding.  We will see how that comes out.
 
lee
 


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Thinking of christmas cards.

 
working on my Christmas card designs, this one is in the
running to be the card, what do you think?
I have not added the text yet, as this is still in the works.
today its all about working on some quick sketches
for other Christmas cards.  I only make a few of these
cards, I am always worried they are not good enough (lol).
 
 


Friday, November 22, 2013

Link Friday

 
this is a picture of my aunt, my mother and my brother, it, I made
a copy of it, and colored it, and distressed it with sandpaper,
I loved the way it turned out, one of my early try's doing art.
Here are some great links from my favorite artist
Alisha Burke


                                                      http://vimeo.com/79850270 make pattern with an eraser


                                                        http://vimeo.com/79411595  gelli plate printing

                                                       http://vimeo.com/79070572 plastic bag printing

Thursday, November 21, 2013

flower power

this is an old piece of art , well really not that old a few months
and I forget who gave me the idea about using shapes,
and this is what came out of it.  I love drawing flowers,
as you can tell, you can do cool things with flowers.
For some reason I thought today was Friday and had
a whole new post ready, well I am saving that one for tomorrow.
I have been working the last two days in a canson mix media
sketchbook, and its crap, it says it takes wet media, and it
doesn't the fibers all come out of the paper.  I got so mad
I shot them off a email.  These books are not cheap
people, and they should do what they say.  The Strathmore
multi media does what it says, I told the people at Canson that.
I have not heard back, stay tuned.
 
lee
 
 


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

style

 
 
I think I have a style of drawing and painting, I call it my style.
The girl above is not in my style, I don't want to be a one trick pony
I would love to be able to draw a more interesting face,
a more realistic face, so I practice, I try to practice faces
at least twice a week, to improve on my faces.  But I am
not going to give up my style, because thats who I am as an artist
 
lee

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

tales from the pool

 
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
 
This is a journal page I made in July of this year.  If you read this blog a lot, or are just starting to  you should know that I swim everyday of the week in the morning at a pool.  While swimming I have lots of time to think.  I think about blog posts, challenges, art, daily troubles, Its my time for just me,
   Now since I go everyday except the weekends, you get to know the
people who also go everyday.  I talk to some, you know hi how are, the weather.  But
some you just imagine, and I have names for all of them.  The newlyweds, they must
80 are more, but so sweet, they hold hands, are so loving, its sweet to watch.  The pervert,
he wears a speedo, and watches or should I say stares at all the women, and in the
speedo lets say its doesn't hide much.  The Europeans (men) who come and
use the hot tub, the sauna, and sit and talk all day in chairs by the pool.  They treat it like a spa.
There are many more, and I am sure that since I have names for them in my mind, they must have names for me.  I can of a few, The single girl (because i dont wear my wedding rings swimming)
the loner, because I don't talk much, and probably a few I don't want to know
 
I love my pool, windows on all sides, Olympic size, and a gym in the basement, and only 30 dollars a month, cant beat that.  Private places like the ymca are way to expensive.  Today there was only 3 of us in the pool and I was one of the 3.

 
This is a picture of the pool, it was built in 1967
lee

Monday, November 18, 2013

retro monday

well we survived the weekend weather and all
had a Costco run and of course had to spend some money on un needed items
Costco just does that to people
wrapped all my sisters gifts to mail
worked on an art journal page
and watched some episodes of Elementary that I missed
lee


Sunday, November 17, 2013

doodle sunday


this is what I do when watching TV at night
I make patterns
not just flowers, birds, or anything that strikes my fancy
last night I decided to see how I liked just filling
in the background, I used a watercolor maker for this
I like it, but now I want to see what if looks
like with color.
stay tuned
 
lee
 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Welcome to canada

outside of my front window
you cant tell but its snowing like crazy today
today its all about staying warm
wrapping some Christmas presents that have to go in the mail
a little shopping
some time in front of the fireplace
what's up with you today

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

the beauty of black and white




the beauty of Photoshop , when I originally did this drawing I had it painted, and the background was completely  different but today I was playing around in Photoshop elements, made it black and white and put it on one of my backgrounds I had painted, and you have a whole different look











Tuesday, November 12, 2013

art ideas.....

today it was above zero (bathing suit weather almost)
went to the dentist broke my back tooth eating a soft cookie, was someone trying to tell me something
taking a copic stich bookbinding course next week
had a art date last Friday   Art friend Gail
working on my tag for the circle journal exchange so I can get it finished and sent on
its eat leftovers from the fridge night, I just cleaned the fridge out today
back to swimming tomorrow, knee is much better after resting it
the Dr. says its a bakers cyst, but it goes away by itself
lunch with the neighbour tomorrow
isn't my life exciting, I know how do I contain myself with all this excitement


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Bad Hair daze

 
Just wanted to show you what you can achieve with stencils
I sprayed the background with spray inks
I used  a just a note stencil
the flower stencil
and the girl outline stencil
I used black to outline the flower
and markers to colour the flowers
I used a stamp with text on it for the girl
and my sewing machine to do her hair,
and outline her body
I had a lot of fun with this one 

Saturday, November 09, 2013

sailing....

another postcard that I made for Ihannas postcard swap
this one was also a spray painted background.  I
like using them, they make the whole drawing quick and easy
 
lee


Spray painted backgrounds

 
Another postcard which I created for the postcard exchange
at Ihannas
some were sent to Sweden, Switzerland, Puerto Rico,
USA,
 
this postcard has a spray painted background, and watercolour
paints, and whiteout, whiteout is my favourite tool.
Do you have a favourite art tool you use?

Thursday, November 07, 2013

Playing it safe never

 
I joined Ihannas postcard exchange   http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/2013/11/beyond-1000-handmade-postcards/#more-11611 and this is one
of the postcards that I made for the exchange
I like it, but some might think why would she send that.
sometimes a girl doesn't like to play it safe
lee

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

The elf is at work

 
 
today I think its suppose to warm up to zero
maybe a no socks day (lol)
lately I have been making tacos with ground chicken excellent
as you can guess that's what on the menu for tonight
am working on making Christmas ornaments
I used to be a great crafter of Christmas stuff
but not so much lately, but I do try to get one project a season done
 
lee

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