National Blog Posting Month

Yep, November is National Blog Posting Month. I just found out today. I also read a very fun list on Roben-Marie Smith's blog..."What I Am Obsessed With Right Now". These two things inspired me to get my tushie back here and back to my 52 Lists that I committed to last spring...GAH, it was really last spring! And last July since I blogged, ugh. I don't know why it's so difficult for me...it's not like I don't have anything to blog about. I have been living life and making lots of art...trying new things and taking new classes. Anyhow, here is List 4 the Things I Am Obsessed With RIGHT Now...the border is done with assorted washi tapes from various companies that I can not name but they were all purchased at Archiver's.

Things I Am Obsessed With RIGHT Now:

Antique Keys
Color...always color!
Instagram (You can follow me at dawnjonesstudios)
Knitting
Roben-Marie Smith's Art
Glass jars of all sizes
The beach...always!
Zentangles
Rainbow Loom bracelets
Listening to my windchimes (before I have to put them away for winter)
Zone protein bars
THE Red Cup
Finding a new fitness routine
The Blacklist
Country Music
Christmas Ornaments (need to get started making this year's soon)
Quatrefoil pattern (this got added after I took the picture, don't know how I left it off the list.)

Now that I know that it's National Blog Posting Month (who comes up with these things?) I'm going to try to get in a real habit of being here this month...we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

As always, Thanks for stopping by! I'm grateful for all comments and I'd love to hear from you if you have the chance! Have a great day!

According to the Statistics...

there are people out there looking at my blog. I don't know if they are actually reading it as the stat is for page views but either way there seems to be a few somebodies who are interested in me or my art or my crazy life. Maybe it's my quirky sense of humor they're looking for (or my special kind of sarcasm.)

I don't understand the Traffic Sources enough to figure out where exactly you're coming from especially since I have not been linking up at any of my usual places (Balzer Designs, Help Me Ronda, Artists In Blogland) or any UNusual places for that matter!

This intro has gone on way longer than I intended...I really just wanted to first say Thank you for stopping by!! I do appreciate you visiting! Second, I would like to apologize for not being here myself more often. I truly am sorry! I personally know the anticipation of clicking on a bookmark for one of my favorite blogs hoping for some new content and then being disappointed when there is no update. I know that I huff and make a bratty face that looks something like McKayla Maroney's famous grimace. Please do not take that to mean that I presume I am one of your favorite bloggers!! I am WAY too insecure, WAY too green and WAY to inconsistent with my blogging to think that I am anyone but my husband's favorite :)

That said...on to the new...I may not have been blogging but I have been creating. I have been participating in Tammy Garcia's (Daisy Yellow) Index Card A Day (ICAD, there is a button in the margin) since June 1 and I am proud to say that I have 30 cards done!! I think that posting 30 photos is a bit excessive so I took weekly photos...here are the first 4 weeks:

52 Lists update...unfortunately I have not been keeping up with these. Actually, I have made the lists they just have not made it into the journal. These are Weeks 2 and 3, maybe I should just call them List 2 and 3 instead.

Places I Want To Visit:
* Hawaii
* Australia
* Italy
* Canada
* Grand Canyon
* Belize
* France
* Morroco
* England
* Scotland
* Ireland
* East Coast
* Key West
* Mount Rushmore
* Aruba
* San Francisco
* Bora Bora
 

Art Supplies I've Hoarded & Not Used:
(I made this list prior to June 1...one of my goals for ICAD was to use everything on this list. I have made progress but have a ways to go during July!)
* Gelatos
* Brown Kraft Tags
* Tim Holtz Frosted Film, Flower Trim, Blue Prints Stamps
* Hydrus Watercolors
* Oil Pastels
* Montana Paint Pen
* Misc. Stencils
* Charcoal Pencils
* Vellum Tags
* Stabilo Pencils
* Wooden Houses
* Donna Downey Stamps & Tags
* Heart Trim
* Heart Stick Pins
* Roben-Marie Stamps
* Doilies
* Jolee Handmade Papers
* Paisley Packing Tape
* Misc. Washi Tape
* Orange & Yellow Stamp Pads
* 2 Part Number Tags
* Wooden Cameras

In other news...Doug and I tried to take a mini vacation to Michigan while the boys were at Grandma and Grandpa's for a week but I broke out in shingles so we had to cut our trip short. I am almost completely recovered now, 3 weeks later. I am very lucky and thankful it was a mild case!

My youngest, Bennett has joined my oldest, Sam in karate so now I spend 8 hours a week at the dojo. I do enjoy watching them and sometimes long to punch and kick those heavy bags with them. I even spent a little bit of time considering taking up the art myself but ultimately decided there is way too much touching during the self defense part for my liking. Karate is not for me. Still considering Fit Strike (all the kicking without the touching) but I'm not sure I'm in the right frame of mind to start a new exercise program right now...

I think that's all for now...Thanks for stopping by! I'm grateful for all comments and I'd love to hear from you if you have the chance! Have a great day!

Ahhh Phooey...

I've been away far longer than I had intended...what is it they say about intentions? Hell is paved with them? I certainly can not verify that but I can say that the past two weeks have been a bit hellish with our soccer schedule and the ending of school. Can I just say that with three kids, two of them in elementary school, dealing with the amount of paper and "stuff" that came home in the last two weeks was ridiculous! My kitchen table went from being completely empty (except for the napkin basket which belongs in the center) to this:

Two desks regurgitated all over my table; Sam left everything he brought home on the bench in the foyer!

 Among all of the things to be recycled, thrown out and saved for next year there were some wonderful surprises! Andrew brought home these:

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And Bennett brought home these:

The art teacher does not send home projects as they are completed. Each student has a portfolio and everything is sent home at once at the end of the year so I get to hear about their projects but do not get to see them until many months later in most cases.

I will also admit that the things that need to be saved for next year (scissors, rulers, pencil boxes etc.) are still on the table...putting them away has been on my "To do" list for more than a week now...

On to more fun things that are going on! Tammy Garcia over at Daisy Yellow is hosting her annual Index Card A Day from June 1 through July 31. I discovered Tammy at the end of June last year and decided to jump on the ICAD band wagon July 1st. I made three cards and lost my way...This year however I was prepared ahead of time and have all five of my cards done. I'm using 4x6 with the intention of putting them in a small photo album at the end. So far so good!

Here are June 1 and 2:

This is my cat Dash. Book text, watercolor crayon and Stabilo pencil.

Dylusions Spray Ink, Staz On, glass bead gel, hydrus watercolor, metal keys.

My intentions today are to make ICAD #6 and finish my third list in my 52 Lists project so that I can post tomorrow Weeks 2 and 3. We'll see how today goes, I have to take Bennett to the dentist for an emergency visit...poor guy. More on that later when I know more myself...

Thanks for stopping by and as always please leave a comment if you have a chance. I'd love to hear from you! Have a great day!
Dawn

52 Lists - Week One

So here is the cover of my new journal...so much for my black cover, oh well. It makes me happy just to look at it. Especially the back!!

This is the front, I liked it better before putting the title on...

The back...Happy Happy Place!

I made this stamp...I bought one of those alphabet sets at Walmart for $1 and used masking tape to tape the 30 small stamps all together. It's my new favorite stamp!! Love it so much I had to make two, one for home and one for my Artist On The Go bag!

Collage happiness!! I can not even begin to tell you everything that is here...

This is a new stencil by Heidi Swapp!! I was so excited when I saw it at Michael's! I don't follow her product line much so I wasn't aware she was putting out a line of stencils. This one is 6x6.

Now for the first list...it's the list of the other 51 lists to be in included in my journal. A table of contents if you will...the things you'll get to learn about me over the next 51 weeks. I have made a disclaimer that I reserve the right to change this list. I might just decide it would be one of my biggest regrets to put my biggest regrets on paper and out into the world...we'll see :)

Note: Sakura Moonlight pens are NOT waterproof. My pretty doodle smeared when I put Collage Pauge over my Smash tape. The paper border was made by applying Basics acrylic paint with a palette knife.

Here is the list in case you can't read my handwriting:
* Times I've had an audience
* Websites I visit often
* Favorite TV shows of all time
* Pets I've had
* Places I'd like to visit
* Guilty pleasures
* Hobbies - past and present
* Favorite teachers
* Bad habits
* Favorite books
* People I've lived with
* Favorite songs
* Art supplies I haven't used yet
* My happy places
* Favorite ice cream flavors
* What's good right now
* Favorite flowers
* Things I want to make
* Things I want to be known for
* Favorite quotes
* Things I am grateful for
* Things I say every day
* Things that make me feel healthy: mind, body and soul
* Favorite words
* Things I am proud of
* Goals and dreams
* Things that feel like home
* People I admire
* My essentials
* Favorite cartoons
* Best days of my life
* Bad things I did as a kid
* Favorite restaurants
* Games I like to play
* Favorite actors
* Pet peeves
* Favorite movies
* Best things about being me
* My NEVER list
* Favorite magazines
* Hangouts from my past
* Bucket List
* My closest friends
* Things I do on a day off
* Biggest regrets
* Encounters with famous people
* Professions I'd like to try
* Cities I've visited
* Things most people don't know about me
* Live performances I've seen
* Favorite Halloween costumes

Whew!! Don't count them, I might have missed typing a couple but I assure you there are 51 in my book...I don't necessarily plan to do them in order which is why they are not numbered. Whichever list hits me that week is the one I'll enter...

Thanks for stopping by and as always please leave a comment if you have the chance. I'd love to hear from you!! Have a great day!!
Dawn

My First Handmade Journal

I found this link on Pinterest a loooooong time ago. I cut the paper and arranged the pages and then it sat, and sat and sat...



This week I finally got around to finishing the journal! Here is the link I used to learn how to do the Coptic Stitch. 

I"ll warn you that I had to watch the video three or four times while stitching my book and even had to start over twice. I think some still photos along with the video would have helped me. I also should have paid closer attention to his placement of the holes before I punched mine. The top and bottom ones should have been closer to the edges instead of an inch away. My book would be a bit sturdier but it will be fine for my intended purpose. My stitching is a little loose too but really not bad for my first try! It's 6x6 and I'm happy with the black covers and the colorful pages!

I'm going to use if for a new feature on my blog: 52 Weeks of Lists. One day each week (It will probably be the same day each week but I'm not committing to a day right now.) I'll post a new page in this art journal with a list. I have a list of lists that I found somewhere on the net a while ago. Good thing I printed it out because I can not find it again now. I did however find that Moorea Seal started the same project in January. You can find her lists HERE. I will probably mix in some of her lists with and delete some of the ones I have...

Linking back to Art Journal Every Day and Artists In Blogland.

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment if you have a chance, I'd love to hear from you!!
Enjoy your weekend!
Dawn

Who Knew?

Golden Extra Coarse Pumice Gel...I kinda like it! What a surprise!

It was one of the mediums I got to play with at Donna Downey's Inspired weekend. I really thought I'd hate it so I just sorta coated one small folder with it (both the left and right sides). A coat of gesso probably would have helped it adhere better but I just wanted to get it on the page and let it dry. I also thought I would probably sand it off or throw the folder away all together so I wasn't very concerned.

This is actually the right side of the page, I painted the left side green.

 Donna showed us a page where she put it through the Brick Wall stencil and it did look like bricks and then I overheard her telling someone else if you paint it green it looks like moss. So I went for green.

I used my finger with gesso, Golden Sap Green and Green Gold. You can see on the left side there is an line between the pumice gel and the page where my finger wouldn't fit so I went in with a  brush to fill that in. Next I used Donna's Hollyhock foam stamp by Prima with Golden Quin Magenta, Quin Red and Pyrole Red.

The stems are Sap Green and the Centers are Diarylide Yellow. Then came some shading to hopefully add some dimension...

There is Quin Crimson on the right side of the flowers and Quin Crimson mixed with Carbon Black on the left side. I also added some Yellow Ochre and Hansa Yellow Light to the centers...

 Finally some butterflies and daisies punched from gessoed book text. Happy. Happy. Happy! You can also see a peek of the right side of the page here. I thought if it looked like moss when painted green it might look like coral if I painted it pink and orange and added some seaweed...more on that page later ;)

Thanks for stopping by and as always please leave a comment if you have a chance. I'd love to hear from you! Have a great day!!

So it was Cinco de Mayo...

It was also a day of 3 soccer games, lunch with my parents and a birthday party for the 7 year old to attend. I was also a single mom because my husband left for a business trip to Arizona on Saturday afternoon. Anyhow...once the kids had gotten to bed a very strange and rare second wind came over me. I decided I'd celebrate with a margarita while I watched the news and contemplated Monday's schedule.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

My close friends know that a Margarita is among my top three favorite beverages and I thought since I was going to be a single mom three more days one more drink before bed couldn't hurt...

Then a thought occurred to me...maybe it was a good night for an experiment. Lately I have been feeling very critical, inhibited, indecisive and "inside my head" about my art. I wondered what would happen if I truly were "not in my right mind" and I took to my studio...

I don't usually work start to finish...I work...it marinates...I work some more...let things sink in...and so on. In contrast, my plan was to create one finished piece that I was happy with before I went to sleep.

Well, I failed in my quest to actually finish a piece. I had to go to bed around 1:30. I do not hold up like I used to when tipping the bottle...

What I ended up was three more backgrounds...

At least there isn't anything embarrassing that I can not share but I do not think that my inebriated state gave me anything different, new or exciting to work with. Maybe I'll have to repeat the experiment and pick up where I left off...

Thanks for stopping by and as always please leave a comment if you have the chance...I'd love to hear from you!!

My Inspired! Weekend at Donna Downey Studios!!

Inspiring does not even begin to describe my weekend!! I will try to be brief but I am still on a bit of a high from spending 4 days in the presence of the amazingly talented Donna Downey. Her studio is the happiest place on earth!! (Yeah I know...screw Disney :) Donna wins hands down!)  Not only is she talented she is humble and funny and her enthusiasm is contagious!! She also knows how to pamper and cater to her students.

We were showered with gifts (clearly these are not mine since my name is not Katie but I was so excited I forgot to take a pic before I dove in and made a mess of mine)! The canvas roll is filled with brushes, pens, pencils, graphite paper and a palette knife and under the white note is a Moleskine journal. There is also a Faber Castell tool kit. The large flat canvas is the cover of the journal we worked in and bound over the weekend. Both the canvas roll and journal cover were hand made and embroidered by Donna!

This was our ride to dinner on Saturday night...and yes, that gentleman is waiting to open the door just for me! Really, everyone else was inside already.

Here Donna is explaining that the red cabinets on the wall, the white drawers under them and all the shelves in the corner house supplies that we are welcome to use whenever we please! Just about every art supply you can imagine just on the other side of the room...like I said...Happiest place on earth!!

I got to play with lots of grounds and surface preps I had never used...black, grey and clear gesso, glass bead gel, fiber paste, molding paste, pumice gel, pouring medium, absorbent ground, acrylic ground for pastels, tar gel and opaque white flakes.

We learned how to layer, blend and shade with acrylic paint, do image transfers and carve our own rubber stamps.  I got to play with lots of new mediums: water soluble oil pastels, gouache paints, water soluble graphite pencils and Montana paint pens...these are the kinds of paint pens graffiti artists use.

With all of that truly the best part of the weekend was being surrounded by other talented, charming and encouraging artists! I learned as much from the women around me as I did from Donna. There were only 18 of us in class so we really got to share bits of ourselves as well as our art and become friends.  I've connected with many of them on Facebook and traded emails or phone numbers with others. The personal connections are priceless to me!

Here is the one page I actually completed over the weekend...

Acrylic paint, India ink, Pitt Big Brush Pen, Uniball Signo Pen

Here are a few of my favorites that are still in progress...

PanPastels

Acrylic paint applied with a palette knife.

Acrylic paint...finger painting!

I traced the main details of the image on the right for a starting point. I wish I had left her fingers out! Mediums: acrylic paint and water soluble oil pastel.

Acrylic paint applied from palette pad in a circular motion, finished with finger painting.

Glass Bead Gel applied through Potholes stencil (Donna Downey) color is gouache paint.

Image transfer on the inside cover of my journal coated with tar gel.

Thanks for stopping by! I'm grateful for all comments and I'd love to hear from you if you have the chance! Have a great day!