Every little thing wants to be loved.

Hi everyone! leslierahye here with a recent Altered Trading Card Swap. ATCs are meant to be traded among artists and that's why they are so fun to make. This little 2½×3½" work of art will be shared with other artists making ATCs along the same theme--this theme was Bees. They also will make a run of cards on this theme and our hostess will sort out the lot and send them to each of us. It's always fun to get back the cards and see everyone's artwork!
I chose to use this quote from The Secret Life of Bees for my ATC. This is part of the Bee Yard Etiquette and while assembling them I became inspired to do a series of Bee ATCs--I will share those with you at a later date!

“I hadn't been out to the hives before, so to start off she gave me a lesson in what she called 'bee yard etiquette'. She reminded me that the world was really one bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places. Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved.” 

― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Thank you for stopping by!

Feather Studies

I love to explore a wide variety of art media and processes. From altered arts to bookmaking, collage, encaustic art, embroidery, textile art, origami, mixed-media - you name it, I've probably given it a whirl! No matter where my artful adventures may lead me however, I've discovered that a few motifs nearly always make their appearance in my work. Feathers are definitely one of my favorite elements to include! Their delicate beauty, graceful lines, and colorful variety make them a favorite detail for collage or mixed-media art.

I created the handmade sketchbook shown here as a special place to gather my favorite feather images, so that I can practice drawing and painting them. The book includes a variety of pockets, papers, and tags, that allow to me experiment with sketching and painting while documenting the various pens, pencils, markers, or paints that I use. It's a fun reference tool that I can refer to again and again!

For my Feather Studies book, I printed out some beautiful images from The Graphics Fairy to serve as inspiration. Her website has 1,000s of images that are copyright free, and cover a huge variety of topics. Do you have a favorite motif that runs throughout your artwork? If so, I would love to hear about it! You  might find it useful to dedicate a sketchbook that you purchase, or one you make yourself to that favorite element and use it to document your artful adventures.
Until next time: Make art...be happy!
Kimberly

simple earring and pendant set

Okay, guess what these are made of:

collage images from Altered Pages

Ready for the answer?  Chipboard dominoes, collage images, clear Ultra Thick Embossing powder, and gold embossing powder around the edges.  So VERY easy to make.  Plus, they're nice and light, so the earrings don't pull . . . nice bonus, yes?

:)trisha

Vintage Ornament

Happy Sunday everyone! leslierahye here celebrating Christmas in July! I begin creating for the holiday season in July so that I can get all of my projects completed in time for gift giving and decorating. One of my favorite holiday crafts is making ornaments for our tree and for gifts. This ornament is created by making cones out of 2½-3" square pieces of book paper. Each square is formed into a cone and then glued and dipped into vintage gold glitter. Once the cones are dry, They are layered on a shape--a circle or star--and then a circle, a button or other focal piece is placed over the tips to both disguise the tips and to provide stability to the ornament. A string to function as a hanger is added to the back.

 I hope you enjoyed my ornament! Thank you for stopping by!

Traveling Bookbinding Kit

I find lots of fun ephemera and papers on my travels, and I love to make books with with the treasures I discover. I decided to create a compact kit with all the essentials I need for bookbinding, so I can just toss it in my bag and go!

I found a plastic photo holder that was just the right size to contain all the basic supplies and tools I need for making books by hand. One unexpected item, the rubber finger tips, are available from office supply stores. They help protect your fingers when stitching through many layers of paper. The jumbo paper clips are perfect for holding signatures in place while I stitch, and a heavy-duty awl will go through just about anything.

The kit came in handy when I decided to stitch together a quick and easy book with some of my favorite found papers. I used corrugated cardboard, sheet music, glassine bags and envelopes, player piano paper, and a jumbo flashcard. Even at home, it's so convenient to have my basic tools together in one place. If I add a glue stick, I will have all I need for making books and collage art too!
Until next time, make art...be happy!
Kimberly

COLOR WASH!

Pink Paislee's "Color Wash" line is so awesome!!  I was fortunate to get some of this collection as part of my "Design Team" box.  I haven't used it yet, but I took it out yesterday to get ready!  I can make so many things with it!  From cards and tags to art journal pages and mixed media works.  The possibilities are endless!

I got the 12x12 paper pad, the acrylic stamp set, layered cardstock frames, printed canvas stickers and tags.  The pastel colors are perfect for summer, and the paper has a distressed look to it.  it has splashes of color, with washed out areas.  The stamps are sooo cute with the "#"!  

I can't wait to get started!!  Are you working on summer projects now?

xxDaniella

DRINK ME.

Alice In Wonderland has been a particular favorite of mine since early childhood.  Although it was a total pain ahem, interesting to photograph, I hope you enjoy this Alice inspired assemblage:

a broken child's tea party teapot and stamped/embossed pocket watch

The "steam" is the "Twinkle Twinkle" poem on vellum.

a felty bat, and Queen of Hearts playing card (Altered Pages)

 (Do you get all the Alice references?)

Thank you for looking, and Happy July!

:)trisha