May’s Colorful Gelli Print Party!

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Carolyn

Join me for a Colorful Gelli Print Party!

Welcome to May’s Colorful Gelli Print Party! The old layers of paint on an abandoned building inspired me. I wanted to capture the build up of colors and layers. Oh, and I wanted shimmer and shine too.

So out came the Catalyst blade tool (#5 size 15), Amsterdam paints and the Golden gold paint I had been hoarding. Photographing the gold was an adventure but I captured bits of the veins of it in the photo above. In person- it adds such a magical touch- now if I could get my camera to capture it…

Yellow, pink, orange and gold for shimmer.

Blue, green and yellow.

Blue, teal, white and silver for sparkle.

I was blown away by all the amazing creativity that was shared in last month’s link party! You can check out April’s party here. My apologies about the video last month- something went wrong with the file and it was unable to upload when I tried it again and again throughout the month. Technology is great when it works…

On to this month’s party! It is open all month!

Link up your Gelli Plate blog posts, flickr photos, YouTube videos – it is all welcome! New posts or recent posts are welcome!

Link to a specific blog post or flickr page or YouTube video that way people can easily find your Gelli goodness.

Add a link back to the party so others can join us too!

Leave a comment on at least 2 other links from the party. You know how comments encourage us creative types!

Participate as many times as you want- just be sure it relates to the Gelli Plate.

Posted in A Colorful Gelli Print Party, Art Journaling, Catalyst blades, video | 39 Comments

I Consulted My Trusted Advisers

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Carolyn

I have been struggling with a big decision with the pro and con lists feeling equal. So, I turned to my most trusted advisers, paint and stencils to see what answers emerged.

This started as a page used to clean off Sue Pelletier’s Loose Woman stencil when it was drenched in spray inks.

Oil pastels gave her some color.

Layer after layer of scribble writing in colored pencils as I tried to sort out my big decision all out in my head.

A layer of paint covers up my writing and her personality is really starting to show.

Julie Balzer’s Poppies stencil and Ronda Palazzari’s Quatrefoil combined to make the garden that brightens her life.

Some found book text- I trusted what popped out to me as I skimmed the book- and it gave me my answer…and a clue that I need a new camera since the old one has been malfunctioning…

She has spoken and now I know what path to take. In the next few months I’ll be able to share the details…

Linking up with Art Journal Every Day, Paint Party Friday, Simon Says Stamp and Show (color) and Creative Every Day.

Posted in Art Journaling, Artist Cellar, Crafters Workshop, Julie Balzer, Ronda Palazzari, StencilGirl, Sue Pellitier | 38 Comments

Any Road

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Carolyn

This started as a way to loosen up and get the gremlins out of my head. It wasn’t until I was sewing on the quote that realized how true it was…I just wanted that cranky gremlin in my head to shut up. I started doing something, anything, to get that gremlin to go away. By the time I finished this art journal page the gremlin had vacated my mind!

I had extra paint on my palette so I used it up randomly on an art journal page.

Writing my “morning pages” with pencil and colored pencils in my art journal to get some crazy thoughts out of my head. Once I wrote them down I had released them and they began to lose their power over me!

Cityscape by Julie Balzer was just what I wanted for this background. I covered it in Dylusions black spray ink and plopped the stencil down, using it almost like a rubber stamp. I love the uneven-ness of the ink coverage.

I try to keep on hand a stash of solid colored papers printed on my Gelli Plate. Even though it’s a solid color it has a different look than if I had painted it with a brush. Subtle and imperfect, which was perfect for this page!

Don’t you love my handwriting! Okay, it’s not my handwriting. I ran my Gelli printed paper through my ink jet printer. Just had to heat set the ink to prevent smudging…

Linking up with Mandarin Orange Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Monday Mantras, Simon Says Stamp, Make It Monday, Create Daily and Creative Every Day.

Posted in Art Journaling, Crafters Workshop, Julie Balzer, Mixed Media, stencils, Step by step | 42 Comments

The Garden of my Dreams!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Carolyn

It’s spring and this is the garden of my dreams! Playing around in my art journal had me “planting” Julie Balzer’s Corn Flowers while Sally Carly by Dina Wakely marveled a the amazing colors of Dylusions inks! Of course every good garden needs a touch of glitter…

Can’t see the video? See it on YouTube here.

This is nice but I need really need more color in my garden…

My dream garden!

A bonus for me as I was “gardening”. Spray ink builds up on the stencil so I clean it off on journal pages. These are some very happy starts to art journal pages!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Every Day, Creative Every Day, Inspiration Journal and Artful Times.

Posted in Art Journaling, Crafters Workshop, Dina Wakley, Julie Balzer, Mixed Media, stencils, Tutorial, video | 43 Comments

Ode to the Stencil

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Carolyn

The sun is shining, flowers are starting to bloom and the stencils are singing- maybe the birds too but I am only hearing the stencils. The layers of paint that have built up on them have hypnotized me. Not just the “hypnotized from doing laundry and cleaning” (because a paperclip can hypnotize me when it comes to avoiding that stuff); hypnotized from doing the stuff too!

Circle Grid by Crafter’s Workshop

Vines by Dina Wakley

Echoes by Julie Balzer

What’s been grabbing your attention lately?

Linking up to Creative Every Day and Inspire Me Monday.

Posted in Crafters Workshop, Dina Wakley, Julie Balzer, stencils | 24 Comments

I Went To Visit My Muse

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Carolyn

I always invite my muse to come into my studio so I thought it was only reasonable that I pay her a visit over spring break a few weeks back. Where does she live? In Turks and Caicos. How do I know she lives here? Because when I am there I am inspired like no where else. Not the most scientific way to track my muse- but it works for me…Here are some of the friendly fish from my morning snorkeling that sparked this art journal page.

A page in my homemade journal created using Gelli prints.

The mermaid is by my daughter (I just traced it).

I brought my Copic markers with me to the beach. I haven’t used them much but I decided it was time to get them out. I scribble journaled around the edges & colored in the mermaid.

The Pointy Circles stencil by Julie Balzer became colorful fish as I added layers of paints to the mermaid and fish. The string that holds the book together almost looks like the mermaid has been caught in a fishing line…perhaps I caught my muse?

Fabulous news for Gelli Platers! Blue Moon Scrapbooking now carries Gelli Plates – even the 12 x 14 and they ship for free for orders over $50. That means the 12×14 Gelli Plate ships for free!

Linking up to Art Journal Every Day, Creative Every Day, Make It Monday and Paint Party Friday.

Posted in Art Journaling, Artist Cellar, Crafters Workshop, Mixed Media, Step by step | 30 Comments

Art Is You

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Carolyn

My face hurts. It did most of the time I was at Art Is You in Nashville. It hurt from laughing so hard. Thanks to Sallianne and Ellen who put so much into planning and organizing this!

Pam Carriker taught a fun workshop, Busting Out. I finally feel like shading faces is starting to click for me thanks to Pam.

I guess the video is proof we’re a bunch of crazy creatives!

Sue Pellitier taught the boot workshop- we made a huge mixed media mess full of techniques and loved every minute of it! One of the things I love about creating something is that every time I look at the art I remember the feelings I had when I made it. The boot at the top of the page brings a giant grin to my face!

The art is amazing at Art Is You and so are the people – attendees and teachers! Being able to meet new friends, catch up with old friends, and meet online friends like the wonderful Claudia in person is pure joy. I won’t bore you with all the names- it would be a very very very long list… By the way- check out our name tags- yes- those are our name tags! Handmade and fabulous for everyone at Art Is You!

Big welcoming open tables for breakfast and lunch invite you to meet new people. At my first Art Is You I came alone but left with friends! Planned gatherings kept the creative spark lit and entertained us during the non-class times. Rice Freeman-Zachery (a warm and wonderful soul)led a panel discussion about creativity (which involved a great deal of laughter). Warrior painting with Sue for Eat Cake and Create. Kecia Deveney let us lose with glitter and wings. And so much more!

The Art Walk where 3 van loads of us descended upon art galleries…not only amazing to stroll through galleries with such fun people but the people watching was out of this world! I so wanted to know the story behind the couple carrying a hula hoop and a giant alphorn (a yodelers horn- think Ricola commercials).

These feet took me to Art Is You in Nashville and they’re taking me to Art is You in Stamford in October. If you’ve ever wanted to try an art retreat- this is the one!